If he's right, he might be in trouble, too. Because did you know that the 82 guests of the party paid $900 for to be there?
Take a look:
They were American Express card members who paid $900 for an event called "2007 U.S. Open Preview Day," not realizing that it would include more than a round of golf and free lunch until Woods entered the room from a back door to stunned silence, followed by high-fives and then a standing ovation.
So by his own admission, Luke Ravenstahl just shows up at the Oakmont Country Club and is given something what 82 other people paid nearly a thousand dollars for.
Isn't that some sort of ethics violation?
15 comments:
Isn't that accepting a gift and isn't that an ethics violation? Or did he pay for a ticket from taxpayer dollars???????
In the absolute best outcome for him, Luke is still guilty of being a silly swooning golf fanboy who blows off work to see his boyhood hero.
Not a good image for the Mayor.
But in order for something to happen to the Mayor for this violation someone would have to file a complaint.
Email me if you want the form that you have to submit.
PhillipsJasonA@gmail.com
Elected officials routinely attend functions that "regular" people pay for, sometimes as speakers, sometimes to present an award, and so forth. Mayors by necessity are supposed to be goodwill ambassadors and are expected to circulate at high profile events --did anyone question Mayor O'Connor's attendance at the Super Bowl, Steeler playoff games, or his family's attendance at the All Star game while he was in the hospital? There are innumerable examples of officials attending affairs like this, and it's often legitimately part of their official duties (as he gets older, Mayor Ravenstahl will enjoy this part of the job less and less). I don't think the "gift" aspect is the problem here -- the problem is that among a lot of the citizens of the blogosphere, this particular mayor has not engendered any feeling that he's really the mayor. To a lot of folks, he's just a young man undeservedly enjoying the trappings of being mayor. My problem with him is different: He needs to learn that if he tells the complete story the first time, even with details that may not benefit him, he'd garner a lot more respect. Luke Ravenstahl could end up being a great mayor, but before that happens he needs to stop coming across as evasive and defensive -- just say what happened in a matter of fact manner.
I know one thing for sure. If five children die in a fire like they did this morning, Mayor O'Connor would have NOT spent the day on the golf course waiting to speak to the families via- cell phone. He would have been there to comfort them.
Luke is a kid .Murphy took years to bring this city down. Luke is doing it on a daily basis. Get him out.NOW
Very true -- his judgment is not good. Maybe not as bad as if he kept reading "My Pet Goat" while a catastrophe was unfolding, but still not good. Remember when he flew to New York for a night of fun, fun, fun instead of attending the meeting with the Hill District folks? What the hell is the matter with you people in Pittsburgh, putting up with that nonsense?
ha ha, it's on YouTube
Way to project a positive image for the city Mr. Mayor!
previous deleted to fix link.
Judge, you are correct:
"Elected officials routinely attend functions ...as speakers, ... to present an award, and so forth."
What you didn't mention is that elected officials who are giving out honors, speaking, etc. are invited to participate by event organizers - unlike Luke who was repeatedly told to stay away.
Ravenstahl behaved like a lovestruck, gate crashing groupie.
again, you people show off the narrow, uneventful lives you all have.
Petty.
Once again, the man could shit in his toilet, and clog the sewer line and you people would be all over it.
$900.
It cost everyone else $900 to be there.
Luke got it for free.
Did you pay $900 to attend the event? I don't remember reading about anyone who actually paid to
attend complaining that Luke was there and didn't pay. Chances are that $900 to some of these people is nothing and they could have cared less. So Dayvoe, if you didn't fork out the dough what business is it of yours?
My 17 year old son showed more class (read ethics) than Luke. He went on ebay, bought tickets to the practice rounds with his own saved money, and got to see the pros up close and personal. I was never Bob O'Connor's biggest political fan, but one of the reasons I loved Bob was his everyman persona. He never tried to be something that he wasn't . . . unfortunately we can't say the same about Luke at this point, and unless he changes soon, that quality will take him down. It doesn't sell in Pittsburgh.
I think Dave is right -- maybe this whole system of inviting (and in this case, not inviting) elected officials to ballgames, concerts and other events where the rest of us have to pay needs to be accounted for. I don't know if Mayor O'Connor paid to attend the Super Bowl, but I know politicians are routinely "invited" places for free, and it's simply because of the office they hold. In this case, he wasn't even invited. Maybe the whole stinking practice needs to be examined.
Bob did pay face value for the Super Bowl tickets and I believe he drove his own car there. uzx
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