Just don't call it "political"
I had blessedly forgotten that it was coming but then there it was in my mail this week. One more oversized postcard ostensibly touting the "Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Response Line" plastered with Lukey's full color portrait. This piece to now be added to my collection which includes: the oversized "Redd Up Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl" postcard with Lukey's full color portrait telling me my garbage collection day may change (it didn't); and the six-page, full-size flyer with Lukey's full color portrait (and five other full color pics of Lukey) reminding me of the "Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Response Line" along with the "Redd Up Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl" program and, oh yeah, my trash collection calendar.
Not to mention the ubiquitous billboards and All Luke All the Time city website . . .
This isn't even a joke anymore.
As I've mentioned before, I'm convalescing. I now have homecare nurses coming to the house twice a day and you can believe that I've broached the subject of the mayor's race to them. When I held up this latest bit of
Really, Luke, folks are starting to talk -- and not just on the blogs.
Part II
It was "political" and then it wasn't
Back in October when Mayor Luke Ravenstahl nominated former Operations Director Dennis Regan to be Pittsburgh's Public Safety Director, City Councilman Bill Peduto, rightfully pointed out that Regan had absolutely no qualifications for the position. Peduto suggested that Fire Chief Michael Huss would make an excellent choice instead.
Ravenstahl dubbed this a "political" move.
Then, Ravenstahl was forced to back down on his pick of Regan when accusations of Regan's excessive interference in police matters surfaced and Regan resigned.
So three months later, who does Ravenstahl now nominate? He nominates Fire Chief Michael Huss.
The Burgh Report has all the gory details with all of Lukey's quotes. links, and video. They also link to a marvelously snarky Eric Heyl column in the Trib on this topic.
Now would be a good time for Bill Peduto to start questioning the status of the ever-elusive Ethics Commission...
ReplyDeleteI live in Oakland and haven't received any mail from the city. Are they targeting which districts get the mail?
ReplyDeleteInteresting...
ReplyDeleteI know that others have received them who don't live on the South Side.
Maybe only registered Dems are getting them...or "super voters."
;-)
I & others, in Lawrenceville, haven't received any of these mailings. I had to call to get a garbage pick up schedule. Guess I'm not one of the cool kids.
ReplyDeleteStanton Ave, East Liberty, Nothing here either.
ReplyDeleteThey got 'em in Shadyside. I went to see the girl I'm dating and Luke's big smiling face was sitting on the little plank below the apartment building's mailboxes.
ReplyDeleteGot 'em up in Deutschtown.
ReplyDeleteNothing to my address in Shadyside.
ReplyDeleteGot the handly little pieces of lit quite some time ago here.
ReplyDeleteWow, a poltician who's up for election promoting himself? I'm shocked.
ReplyDeleteBTW, this juvenile name-calling ("Lukey," "Opie") does nothing for your credibility. It just insures you'll be limited to preaching to the choir of diehards who are intent on finding a conspiracy behind every door.
"Wow, a poltician who's up for election promoting himself? I'm shocked."
ReplyDeleteDuh! He's running for office and can promote himself all he wants with HIS money. These items, however, were paid for with taxpayer $$$ and he's gone way overboard with it.
Oh, it's an outrage. It should be front page screaming headlines.
ReplyDeleteBecause, after all, two people who have visited you have said, "Tsk, tsk" about it. Yep, that's a groundswell of public opinion.
"Duh," your condescending ass.
I personally find it a gross misuse of taxpayer money. I thought we were just clawing our way out of a fiscal crisis? The first time I got one of these mailings I was miffed--its clearly campaigning--but I thought ok, well he can be forgiven for sticking his face on a mailing that probably would have gone out anyway. I don't like it but...
ReplyDeleteBut now I am just outraged. Not that he is campaigning, but that he is wasting MY MONEY, on it. If I wanted to donate to his campaign I would.
Gawd. It's true Pittsburgh gets everything about 7-8 years late. I think we finally got the Bush v Gore election of Y2K, and Anon #3 just introduced the concept of the angry, moonbat left.
ReplyDeleteThis only bolsters my opinion that this race is much, much closer than the current CW would have us believe. We may still be counting votes through Wednesday. And this site (no particular offense) is going to be alleging that Regan had a hand in vote fraud.
Denny Regan is no Michael Corleone, he's no Jason, Freddy Kreuger or Adolf Hitler. However, the people who contribute to this blog are quite (and I say this respectfully and intend it as a compliment) naive insofar as you mistake him for a harmless dope. You've thankfully never encountered a person like this in your nice, normal lives, so you don't recognize the levels he will stoop to to further his own personal interests. He is absolutely the kind of person who would stick his nose in where it doesn't belong, claim status he doesn't behold, clumsily and ignorantly put his and his girlfriend's self-interest before that of anyone or anything. If he found out that a councilperson was in handcuffs, he wouldn't look at the situation as you or I would, he would ask himself "what kind of advantage can I personally gain from this situation?" If he helps Luke out, he has leverage over him in some future situation. It's really not that complicated or diabolical. I don't know whether he made a phone call in this situation or not, and frankly, I don't care, because I think Luke's mishandling of the situation and media questions is a disgrace to the mayor's office and don't feel there's a need to look much further than Luke. However, take a walk down Grant Street one of these days, go into Nicky's on Grant St. & chances are you'll find Denny in one of the booths - or maybe you'll see him campaigning on Luke's behalf. Luke didn't get rid of him, he just moved him someplace else, temporarily. If you want to give someone the benefit of the doubt, give it to Officer Hoehn, or Bill Peduto, who hasn't weighed in on this matter nearly as much as maybe he should. But don't give a guy like Denny an inch, and don't be so naive. Denny and Luke are all about politics at its most base level.
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to waste taxpayers' money on political mailings advertising Redd-Up, it's another thing to do it while failing to provide core city services - like ice & snow removal, which, in my neighborhood, was the poorest I've seen in years. I guess they raided the salt & public works overtime budget to pay for Luke's campaign literature?
ReplyDeleteLike snow removal complaints are something new?
ReplyDelete