Ravenstahl's Bad Press

The Trib's Jeremy Boren has a good piece today on Mayor Luke's public relations problems. He describes Mayor Luke's most recent kerfuffle:

Ravenstahl endured two weeks of criticism by Pittsburgh-area women's groups angry that he promoted three police officers who had faced allegations of domestic violence or disturbances.

The mayor's initial refusal to disclose his whereabouts during a June 28 public hearing on the promotions heightened the furor, which turned to outrage when the women's groups learned he was playing golf on the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's dime at the exclusive Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligionier. UPMC paid $27,000 for Ravenstahl and two UPMC executives to play in the celebrity event, hosted by the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

The mayor said UPMC's invitation does not violate a city law that prohibits public officials from taking gifts from companies doing business with the city. He said the UPMC money went to a charity.

Ravenstahl, 27, of Summer Hill, won't explain why he did not want to reveal his whereabouts.

Apart from the obviously absurd paragraph about how Luke's going to a charity golf event on UPMC's dime doesn't constitute a "gift" from a company doing business with the city, it's that last part that's part of a pattern - you'll see.

Because Mayor Luke's had trouble being honest and upfront in the past. Boren has a good run-down:

On Jan. 18, the mayor admitted police handcuffed and detained him. He dismissed the incident as "much to do about nothing" and blamed reporters for only asking if he had been arrested, not if he had been detained. Ravenstahl denied shoving the police officer who cuffed him, but he acknowledged shouting profanities at the officer, whom he criticized for aggressively charging into a crowd of people waiting to enter the stadium.

And:

On March 13, Ravenstahl flew to New York City with billionaire Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle, a longtime Democratic fundraiser. The trip on Burkle's private jet -- dubbed "Ron Air" by former President Clinton -- came shortly after local officials and the team announced a $290 million deal to build a hockey arena Uptown to keep the Pens in town.

Ravenstahl denied traveling to New York when asked about the trip early March 19, but he changed his story later in the day.

Can someone tell my why that wasn't a gift either?

About the hearing on the police promotions:

"What I was doing and where I was at has no reflection on me not being there," he has said.

Huh? He's an elected official! He decided to play golf rather than face the voters (many, but not all, of whom were women) he pissed off. He doesn't get to decide that "it's no reflection."

Boren ends the piece:

Ravenstahl is on vacation this week, his first since taking office Sept. 1 after the death of Bob O'Connor.

A spokeswoman did not respond to questions about where he went.

Of course not.