Saturday, January 2, 2010

Council Presidency Updates **

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*-UPDATE: The sense emerging today is that Smith could be it. Apparently even if support for Wheatley's reelection was not enough to get it done, that combined with a spot on the URA board plus Finance Chair might be enough to earn Lavelle's support on this. Dayvoe points out that a Smith + Lavelle ticket would have a combined eight months worth of legislative experience. Of course I'm still over here rooting for the Raiders, the Bengals and the Chiefs, so we'll see.

**-UPPERDATE:

... that at 6:45 PM. He ain't goin' out like that.

*-DISCUSSION QUESTION: So would progressives return serve and rally behind Tonya Payne for state rep? Sue Kerr for example supported her for City Council. Besides isn't Harrisburg filled with crooks?
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Smith would presumably earn the support of Harris, thus improving Team Luke's vote total to four (4): Smith, Harris, Dowd and Burgess. Plus apparently, state Rep. Jake Wheatley was present in council chambers as the veto was dropping on NYE -- which might be taken as confirmation of the "Mayor dumping Payne to support Wheatley in exchange for Wheatley and Udin delivering Lavelle's vote" storyline.


One should be able to deduce from the above comment that Dowd would never ever vote to empower the exact same coalition which only recently executed a sneak attack against the public and on their colleagues that utterly squelched all discussion over issues central and vital to city government.

In fairness to Dowd however, that was a good five months ago and words are just window-dressing.

17 comments:

  1. Patrick Dowd has zero votes.

    Not only does everyone recognize he is a complete douche, but Dowd himself never votes for anything, including his own bills! Remember, it was HIS idea to table all HIS living wage amendments.

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  2. Dowd is a man of great principal and some how he is bashed for that by the so called progressives, he just is truly progressive and independent and forgot to fall into line and for that, "progressives" have a problem with him! Hmmmm!!!!Is this about being progressive or needing to fall in line? Same on him for having his own thoughts...now that is progress!

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  3. Is there a reason no one ever brings up Darlene Harris' name as a compromise candidate????

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  4. Anon 4:11 - Yeah. No one's interested in compromise.

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  5. So basically, it does NOT pay to be an ally to the mayor, ever, because eventually he will screw you over to better fuel his political ambitions (ask Payne, his family, and soon Lavelle - later on though!!)

    Lets see if he will screw Onorato over if he becomes governor to make a deal with Jack Wagner!!!

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  6. Bram,

    As the link shows, I supported Tonya for City Council. I have not made a single comment on her bid for State House. I'd appreciate if you could correct the statements above that imply otherwise.

    You and I have discussed this privately so I'm counting on your discretion and professional courtesy to clarify the record on this one.

    There's enough sensationalism among City Council without sowing more of it among the bloggers.

    Thanks,
    Sue

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  7. I have reluctantly posted this comment. As I have read these blogs now for a long while with out comment I am amazed how much some posters seem to be in the know, or have all of these conspiracy theories or think every anom is Zober. Bram for someone who does get some inside info I am surprised how far off the mark you are on this one. T he mayor vetoed this for 2 big reasons. The first was the latest Supreme Court ruling and the second was the request by over 40 UNIONS in Pittsburgh to veto the bill! The SCIU is in the middle of a big raid on the UNITE-HERE unions. They represent most of the hotel, laundry and others in PA. If you contact Jen Blatz who was sent to Pittsburgh by the UNITE-HERE international union she could explain further. 412-212-1142. It was bad legislation not well read by Peduto, Shields ect. SCIU wrote the bill and there are many problems. What is wrong with now having the new council write a bill that just might survive a court challenge

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  8. Sue - Wording changed. I didn't think I implied anything about the race for State Rep., but I can appreciate your not wanting to pushed out into that race now.

    Anon 6:32 - Wrong post, but ... you ask what was wrong with the veto? Process, or lack thereof. I think I've made clear my issues had mainly to do with the undemocratic and passive-aggressive way it was delivered. Most of the anonymous commenters out here have been a LOT more clear about the reasons to oppose the bill than the Mayor himself. As to the policy, and whether I'm more leery on behalf of the city of service workers unions or building trades and public sector unions, that's a whole 'nother subject.

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  9. Bram, I believe the Mayor or for the Governor or President they can issue a veto at any time. sorry for the wrong other post
    Anon 6:32

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  10. As to the policy, and whether I'm more leery on behalf of the city of service workers unions or building trades and public sector unions, that's a whole 'nother subject.

    I would live to hear your thoughts on that
    Anon 6:32

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  11. Dowd is strictly behind Theresa Smith.

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  12. Never count on a Dowd vote.

    He'll likely abstain just to see what happens.

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  13. Hey Anon 6:32,

    1. do you mean SEIU and not SCIU?!

    2. I know Yaronne Zober reads blogs and checks other peoples Facebook pages quite frequently, so its safe to accuse every anon person who sticks up for the Mayor as Zober

    3. Zober is too much of a coward to reveal his ID like every other Anonymous coward on all these local blogs!!!

    4. are YOU Zober by any chance?!?! haha

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  14. Tonya Payne is a big zero..being a woman certainly doesn't change that..ask her constituents...ask her why she's no longer City Chair...because she has no scrupples...

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  15. Anyone who says at a City Council meeting, "I don't give a darn about the Constitution," should be in the private sector. That's a Tonya Payne quote that won't be forgotten.

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  16. Anon 6:32 - Glad you asked, but these require long answers. Stay tuned, I want to discuss that this week.

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