tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post8714335969339846925..comments2023-12-24T05:26:48.861-05:00Comments on The Pittsburgh Comet: A Look Behind the ContributionsBram Reichbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-68444893942540420242007-11-01T16:52:00.000-04:002007-11-01T16:52:00.000-04:00buried deep in a bunch of irrelevant drive, "anony...buried deep in a bunch of irrelevant drive, "anonymous" said:<BR/><BR/>"Wow! I hope everyone realizes that it takes more than a year to 'drive a city in to ruination' on the other hand it is probably going to take ten + years to bring the city out of 'ruination' no matter who is mayor. I would rather have a democrat than a republican."<BR/><BR/>you are right...it takes longer than one year to "drive a city into ruination".<BR/><BR/>you do realize that the local democratic machine has been running this city (without any significant opposition) for much longer than one year, though, right?<BR/><BR/>so, while it has taken them much longer than one year, it is, without a doubt, the local democratic machine that has presided over the "ruination" of pittsburgh.<BR/><BR/>in spite of this, though, you would rather elect a product of that machine, rather someone who is not a part of that machine, try to salvage the situation?<BR/><BR/>um, yeah...that makes about as much sense as electing dick cheney to try to undo the damage done by g.w.<BR/><BR/>(btw, the party-line politicing you are promoting is destroying this country. stop voting for parties. start voting for individuals.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-92055963713191448492007-10-30T18:21:00.000-04:002007-10-30T18:21:00.000-04:00Anonymous - I know I said I was through, but I had...Anonymous - I know I said I was through, but I had to comment on one thing you said in your penultimate pontification (not illiterate, I can use big words too). Democrats often call Republicans closeminded. I find it telling that you would call someone advocating the possibility of voting for a Republican (and a John Heinz Republican at that) to be a traitor. That in my opinion is the definition of closeminded. If you really "make no excuses for Mr. Ravenstahl", then it seems you are simply blindly putting party loyalty ahead of what is best for the city. And that's just not right. <BR/><BR/>And I'm out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-82212211481623917142007-10-30T17:26:00.000-04:002007-10-30T17:26:00.000-04:00I think what we are missing here is that there is ...I think what we are missing here is that there is a correct place for taxes to be, and there is a correct size for government.<BR/><BR/>The Club for Growth always wants taxes lower and government smaller, on the general principle of Don't Take My Money (and Don't Regulate Me.)<BR/><BR/>The Club for Sleaze on the other hand always wants government larger and contracts bigger, and needs revenues high enough to accommodate that slow growth, on the general principle of My Friends Need Jobs to Keep Them Happy (and My Enemies Need Jobs to Keep Them Quiet.)<BR/><BR/>I'm just saying the Club for Sleaze has been doing better in this region, is all. But I'm not in either club. I want taxes and government in the right places.<BR/><BR/>[Also ... Mr. Anonymous ... "traitor"? really?]Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-85920081180981989492007-10-30T15:59:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:59:00.000-04:00mike c.: Your display of illiteracy continues. You...<B>mike c.</B>: Your display of illiteracy continues. You did not read my last post's main point, which is that you had options in this election besides holding your nose to vote for Ravenstahl. You could have sat it out or cast a protest vote -- instead, you support the Republican. <BR/><BR/>There is nothing in anything I've written that is a "conspiracy theory." DeSantis's connections to Scranton, Meakem, and Club for Growth -- all of which have been reported in the <I>Post-Gazette</I> and <I>Tribune-Review</I> -- are a matter of consequence because they show what he really thinks about policy. He is part of the pro-business far right of the Republican Party. <BR/><BR/>The reason none of this matters to you is because the facts don't matter to you. They are a distraction from what really matters: how you feel in your gut. Lately, on this blog, Bram Reichbaum's correspondents have put this kind of vapidity on prominent display with their fetishistic descriptions of DeSantis's geek glasses. While you all think you're smarter than the average "yinzer" you hold in contempt, your own politics are perfectly in sync with the superficial celebrity culture that inflects our electoral politics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-66735919303565833542007-10-30T15:46:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:46:00.000-04:00Since I like facts."so well-exemplified by George ...Since I like facts.<BR/><BR/>"so well-exemplified by George Bush these last six years"<BR/><BR/>lets get something very straight. I do not, nor does the club for growth support the current administration's big government ways. The Bush administration is worse than a democratic one that feels they know how I should live my life. <BR/><BR/>And a previous posting noted that DeSantis did not support Bush's 2nd run.<BR/><BR/>Most of the people I know in the circles we are discussing sat out 04 from a campaign standpoint.<BR/><BR/>Now I am with Mike C and I am done as well.Jason Wilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633895765073298953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-54501686088325880082007-10-30T15:40:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:40:00.000-04:00Anonymous 3:35: To recap the basics: I don't care ...Anonymous 3:35: To recap the basics: I don't care about any of that. Post it as many times as you want. I take back my apology. You are a conspiracy theorist, and there's no point having a rational debate with you.<BR/><BR/>Have a nice day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-5127026411638190152007-10-30T15:38:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:38:00.000-04:00I once was just about to donate to the Club for Gr...I once was just about to donate to the Club for Growth, until I found out that it had nothing to do with curing baldness. From looking at Mark DeSantis's hairline, it seems possible that he hasn't figured this out yet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-70306412804648638802007-10-30T15:35:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:35:00.000-04:00mike c.: At least Jason has come right out and sai...<B>mike c.</B>: At least <B>Jason</B> has come right out and said that he likes the far-right agenda of the Club for Growth that DeSantis is tied into through Scranton and Meakem. And once again, if you actually <I>read</I> what I've been writing here, you would know that it is much more than a matter of who DeSantis has donated to. <BR/><BR/>To recap the basics: Meakem is one of DeSantis's four largest donors. Meakem, in turn, was the campaign chair for Scranton's gubernatorial campaign. Scranton's PAC is DeSantis's largest in-kind donor -- indeed, largest donor of any kind -- because it is Scranton's people who are <I>running</I> DeSantis's campaign. All of this has been reported in the press, so if you want to dispute it, your argument is with the facts more than with me.<BR/><BR/>Obviously the DeSantis campaign is an attempt by Scranton and Meakem to gain power in the local Republican party by running the "most credible Republican candidate for Pittsburgh mayor in a generation." It is intended to get Scranton some traction in the western part of the state where he is weak. And finally, Scranton is <I>not</I> a "moderate" Republican even in the Specter mould -- he is a heavy financial supporter of the Club for Growth. <BR/><BR/>So on purely political questions, unless you are a supporter of the right-wing agenda so well-exemplified by George Bush these last six years, it is you who have something to apologize for, and not me. Not once have I made excuses for Ravenstahl. As I've said numerous times, you have options in this election if you do not want to "hold your nose" and vote for Ravenstahl. You can sit it out, or you can cast a protest vote for the Trotskyite. Instead, you have chosen to support the Republican. That makes you a traitor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-39629999626142544792007-10-30T15:16:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:16:00.000-04:00Anonymous 2:59: I am literate but you appear to be...Anonymous 2:59: I am literate but you appear to be willfully ignorant. Let me repeat for you since you appear to not have understood what I was saying: I DO NOT CARE WHO HE DONATED TO! IT DOES NOT MATTER! You only seem to care about trying to imply some sort of impropriety exists. All you are doing is distracting people from the issues that matter. And all I care about is who will best fix Pittsburgh's problems, which need fixing right NOW. <BR/><BR/>I apologize for calling your well documented results "some kind of conspiracy theory." Feel better? But you are still completely missing the point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-56563712060327727412007-10-30T15:07:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:07:00.000-04:00Oh yea and since people seem interested I have als...Oh yea and since people seem interested I have also donated to the club for growth.Jason Wilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633895765073298953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-71501566972538058812007-10-30T15:06:00.000-04:002007-10-30T15:06:00.000-04:00No complaintsThe facts are GOOD.I like the fact De...No complaints<BR/><BR/>The facts are GOOD.<BR/><BR/>I like the fact DeSantis is tightly tied to Scranton and the club for growth.Jason Wilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633895765073298953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-55015780276363892102007-10-30T14:59:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:59:00.000-04:00Anonymous at 2:19: If you're going to post on the ...<B>Anonymous at 2:19</B>: If you're going to post on the Internet, you ought to be at least a little self-conscious about your illiteracy. For the tenth time, DeSantis's connections to Bill Scranton and Glenn Meakem, and Scranton's support for the Club for Growth are <I>not</I> some odd "conspiracy theory," they are a well-documented matter of public record. I have cited numerous sources that are unimpeachable on this matter.<BR/><BR/>As for <B>Jason</B>'s complaints about anonymity, let him deal with the facts at hand, no matter who points them out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-34292620628927846382007-10-30T14:24:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:24:00.000-04:00Anonymous:Thank you for wasting your time looking ...Anonymous:<BR/><BR/>Thank you for wasting your time looking up my contribution history all you had to do was ask. Since I am a real person who posts without hiding who I am you were able to look it up. <BR/><BR/>Did you miss my contributions to DeSantis, Rendell, Peduto, and others?<BR/><BR/>Anyways I wasn't responding to your post. Just the conversation in general. Anonymous postings carry no weight with me.Jason Wilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633895765073298953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-53242818623915269982007-10-30T14:19:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:19:00.000-04:00The anonymous who keeps going on and on about some...The anonymous who keeps going on and on about some kind of conspiracy involving the republicans who DeSantis has donated to is 100% COMPLETELY missing the point. You are just trying to distract people from the fact that Ravenstahl has no plans or new ideas to fix the city. I was a big supporter of his, but it's become abundantly clear that he is not going to change anything. And make no mistake, the city is in big trouble. <BR/><BR/>One party rule has been devastasting simply because there is no incentive for reform. DeSantis has great ideas and plans that must be given a chance. Ravenstahl is just more of the same. Anonymous/Luke Ravenstahl minion: you are part of the problem, not the solution. Shut up and get out of the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-4416245493993494892007-10-30T14:08:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:08:00.000-04:00Mr. Jason Wilburn: I notice that you gave $100 to ...<B>Mr. Jason Wilburn</B>: <A HREF="http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/CFReport.aspx?CFReportID=40581&Section=IB&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=595" REL="nofollow">I notice that you gave $100 to Bill Scranton, too.</A> Once again, no one is suggesting a "conspiracy"; the political allegiances of DeSantis's backers are right out in the open. <BR/><BR/>Yes, there are gradations of difference between Scranton and the Toomey/Piccola wing of the far right. But the fact is that Scranton has allied himself openly with these people in his attempt to become governor. Funding the far-right opposition to entrenched Specterite "moderate" Republicans like Jubelirer and Brightbill was not something to be done lightly: it was a power-play in inner-party Republican politics. If you're conversant with that world, that's certainly interesting if you can provide more details, but it is obvious that Scranton is making a play for Club for Growth support, even if he is not <I>of</I> them. <BR/><BR/>I won't bother with your cartoonish Lafferite ideas about "less taxes means more growth, more taxes means less growth." That is not even remotely like how the real world works. In the real world, discussions about taxes and spending are always and exclusively about who pays and who benefits, not about the aggregate amount of "how much." The right's view of economics thrives on mystification, because it is a con job intended to help rich people get one over on the people who are getting screwed. Too often, it works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-31710992319717799452007-10-30T14:07:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:07:00.000-04:00"You know, Desantis could be the largest contribut..."You know, Desantis could be the largest contributor to Bealzabub himself and support shopping at the Gap, and I would still vote for him over Ravenstahl because what ever he does I don't think he will drive the city into ruination like a drunken frat boy behind the wheel of the candy red sports car his daddy just bought him or keep the wrinkled old-boy political machine alive against all odds."<BR/><BR/><BR/>Wow! I hope everyone realizes that it takes more than a year to "drive a city in to ruination" on the other hand it is probably going to take ten + years to bring the city out of "ruination" no matter who is mayor. I would rather have a democrat than a republican. Im rather confident that there will be a new mayor in two years no matter who wins this oneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-66937323412812886172007-10-30T12:46:00.000-04:002007-10-30T12:46:00.000-04:00This is by far the coolest posting chain I have ev...This is by far the coolest posting chain I have ever read.<BR/><BR/>DeSantis is a Republican and a businessman.<BR/><BR/>As a Republican and businessman:<BR/>Club for Growth = GOOD<BR/>Successful Entrepreneurs = GOOD<BR/>Scranton = GOOD<BR/><BR/>Backing the things you believe in = GOOD<BR/><BR/>So I don't understand the conspiracy here - if you do not agree with the pro growth, pro business agenda then make the argument for higher taxes and less growth.<BR/><BR/>Although I do not find it a compelling argument some people do.Jason Wilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633895765073298953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-55630520579050675182007-10-30T09:41:00.000-04:002007-10-30T09:41:00.000-04:00fru fru my ass. im a badass progressive.-agent ass...fru fru my ass. im a badass progressive.<BR/><BR/>-agent asshole-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-37238177758162890302007-10-30T07:09:00.000-04:002007-10-30T07:09:00.000-04:00So which would Jane Orie prefer? A democrat Mayor ...So which would Jane Orie prefer? A democrat Mayor who muddles his way into continuous state oversight for the next ten years, or a republican Mayor who muddles his way into financial solvency for the city, getting us out of Act 47? Hmmm. <BR/>So Bill Scranton and Glen Meakem get a toe hold in Western Pennsylvania with a DeSantis loss? Because Scaife and the people out in Greensburg were not enough, but a high profile *loss* will energize a base and turn Pittsburghers into mindless zombies for the Club of Growth? <BR/>DeSantis is not going to win because he has no African-American strategy, and possibly antagonized the African-American vote by calling for Nate Harper to step down. And long time democrats will vote robotically. But make no mistake, belt-tightening is coming anyway. It will be shoved down our throats, and the little guys will suffer greatly. You tell us we had other options besides DeSantis in this election. We tried, long before anyone had heard of DeSantis. But the city democrats are bent on self-destruction. We’ll be here too, after the election, watching Luke nailing our coffins. Maybe anonymous can become Luke’s advisor, if (s)he could step out of the shadows long enough to stop whispering insinuations and insults.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-30180334302654606512007-10-30T03:11:00.000-04:002007-10-30T03:11:00.000-04:00Great comments by the guy giving the facts on the ...Great comments by the guy giving the facts on the $$Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-61202032547104366682007-10-30T01:31:00.000-04:002007-10-30T01:31:00.000-04:00Just to clear some things up:First, I have not "su...Just to clear some things up:<BR/><BR/>First, I have not "suddenly" or "just" returned to blogging. I took precisely six weeks off to move my family across the state, take a week's vacation to the mountains, settle the kids into new schools, get started in at my new job, and unpack roughly 8,000 carboard boxes (I'm still working on that last one). I returned to blogging a month ago, at the end of September.<BR/><BR/>Yes, the coming election is certainly a big reason why I'm still writing about Pittsburgh politics from the outskits of Philly. I've already seen a few comments about how I should shut up now that I am no longer a city resident. But first of all, I still own property there (I'm hoping that it will sell someday) and secondly, Pittsburgh will always, always, always feel like "home" to me. The place gets in your blood, and you just can't walk away from it. I still care about it.<BR/><BR/>Am I "progressive"? Hell if I know. "Progressive" is one of those words that gets thrown around an awful lot, kind of like "fascist" does. Looking up the word in the dictionary isn't all that useful, because the official definition doesn't usually seem to match the context in which it's being applied.<BR/><BR/>But I do know that I am defintely a "Catholic 4 Life". I'm not sure how to square my Catholic beliefs with my feelings on abortion, which are -- I can't think of the right word to describe them -- rather squishy. I tend to piss BOTH sides of the debate off whenever I discuss them, so I'm not going to say anything more about them. But if you check out my blog postings over at the old People's Republic site, you'll be sure to run into a few of them.<BR/><BR/>I'm not delighted with either candidate's stances on abortion, but I am mired in a position that doesn't respond well to either side of the argument. I doubt that I will ever encounter any American politican whose views match mine on the subject, and I'm cool with that. Abortion is just one issue among many, and in any case a city mayor has little impact on it.<BR/><BR/>So there you go, folks. I'm neither a "real Pittsburgher" anymore nor (I'm sure my Catholic friend will assert) a "real Catholic".<BR/><BR/>But this much is very clear to me. The one city that I love on this earth more than any other is Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh will be enormously better off with Mark DeSantis as it's mayor.<BR/><BR/>The odds of that happening aren't all that great. But we should all thank our lucky stars that Dr. DeSantis has -- at the very least -- forced us to have some discussion of the issues prior to corronating our boy king in January.<BR/><BR/>Where would we be without him in this race? Stuck with a mayor whose only constested election was in a city council primary four years ago? Let's see, 1/9th of the city times 5/6ths of the registered voters times a 35% turnout leaves us with just a few thousand people who ever voted for the city's mayor.<BR/><BR/>That is certainly no way to run a railroad.<BR/><BR/>Maybe the other thing that is truly strange about my political stances is that I really don't -- can't is a better word -- give a crap about party affiliation. I tried to be a Republican during my Navy days, but that faded, especially -- for a number of obvious reasons -- during the last eight years or so. I tried to be a Democrat for a while, too.<BR/><BR/>But both parties have proven themselves capable of screwing the pooch once they get entrenched in power. At least on the national level and even the state level, this complacency usually leads to the offending party getting booted out by the voters.<BR/><BR/>But that hasn't happened in Pittsburgh for two solid generations now. And it desperately needs to happen, for everyone's sake.<BR/><BR/>Nothing would help the Democratic Party in Pittsburgh more than losing this election. They have become grossly complacent and have been screwing the pooch for years on end. The only way to stop it is to hit them over the head with our disgust over they pooch-screwing.<BR/><BR/>Electing DeSantis will do that. Electing Ravenstahl will not.Richmond K. Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05352144240244956283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-17805010063860440392007-10-30T01:00:00.000-04:002007-10-30T01:00:00.000-04:00You are right Admiral... Our society should embrac...You are right Admiral... Our society should embrace politicians that endorse the killing of unborn children.<BR/><BR/>Personaly I believe in freedom of religion. And I would never push my religous beliefs on anyone.<BR/><BR/>However I see Luke bashed because of his religous beliefs all the time. And that disturbs me.<BR/><BR/>I am begining to think that your anti-catholic comments are more than just satire.<BR/><BR/>It is funny that the Admiral disappeared for months, and now 2 weeks before the election he is back..<BR/><BR/>I have very little desire to know anything more about the bloggers out there. But I can't figure you out admiral. I assume you label yourselve "progressive" by that last remark. <BR/><BR/>What is funny is DeSantis may not be some right winged lunatic. However for a self described moderate he still shows too much loyalty to the republican machine that he worked for in Washington DC. <BR/><BR/>It is time for change in Pittsburgh but Mr. DeSantis lacks the bipartisan spirit that is needed to accomplish his lofty goals. <BR/><BR/>Jim Roddey had the reigns of County government and FAILED miserably to do anything more than privatize human services at the expense of clients, and taxpayers. While his friends and business associates made money off the privatization.<BR/><BR/>I expect nothing less would occur if Luke would drown in a beer bong incident and somehow DeSantis won this election next week.<BR/><BR/>Just because Mr.DeSantis is the president of a high tech firm - and not a steel mill. Doesn't make him any better than the robber barons of Pittsburgh' Industrial Era. <BR/><BR/>Mr. DeSantis our region needs good paying jobs. How do you plan on bringing these jobs to the burgh?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-49458800994265232262007-10-30T00:59:00.000-04:002007-10-30T00:59:00.000-04:00Richmond: When all else fails, go for the abortion...<B>Richmond</B>: When all else fails, go for the abortion thing, huh? Well guess what, dude? Dickie Scaife is pro-choice, too: he and his former wife Ritchie supported Planned Parenthood for old-fashioned patrician Malthusian reasons. There's no excuse for Ravenstahl's backwardness on this issue, but it is not the only test of what's "progressive." I have presented a mountain of evidence of DeSantis's right-wing connections, so you just had to fall back on this old stand-by -- unfortunately for you, it just doesn't cut it. You've lost the argument.<BR/><BR/>But if you want to think that you and Scaife are allied in a progressive cause to save women's rights, be my guest. Everyone is entitled to lead a rich fantasy life if they want.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-66077587384483607372007-10-30T00:14:00.000-04:002007-10-30T00:14:00.000-04:00Mark DeSantis is pro-choice. Luke Ravenstahl is n...Mark DeSantis is pro-choice. Luke Ravenstahl is not. Who sounds more progressive to you?Richmond K. Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05352144240244956283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-79681066110130912482007-10-30T00:03:00.000-04:002007-10-30T00:03:00.000-04:00anonymous 11:07 said-"Now I have the smarter among...anonymous 11:07 said-<BR/><BR/>"Now I have the smarter among you, like Reichbaum and "Richmond K. Turner," admitting that you support DeSantis for right-wing reasons instead of left-wing ones: you're in favor of "belt-tightening" for the city and caving in to any and all racist suburban demands."<BR/><BR/>I hope nobody reads this and thinks that is what happened up there. I don't know how to begin. Let's just I believe in looking for government savings where appropriate, and not for enriching my friends at the people's expense. If you want to make that "right-wing", go ahead and try to nail me to a cross.<BR/><BR/>And tell me more about streamlining the permitting process and Mr. Rogers and Mr. Edelstein before you call me a racist Republican.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.com