Democracy Has Prevailed.

October 3, 2007

The Mayor Gets Caught. Again.

A lotsa good work out there in the Pittsburgh Blogosphere on this story. I'm just following up on Bram, The Burgher, and Char.

First, get a gander at Rich Lord's story in the P-G.

There seem to be a few of different threads in place here. One is:
Mr. Ravenstahl, who normally uses a black Chevy Impala for official travel, said he made periodic use of a Police Bureau GMC Yukon assigned to the Intelligence Squad through late August.
Which, by the way, is NOT the lede in Lord's story. Then there's this thread:
A Pittsburgh police sergeant who complained that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl improperly used a police vehicle this summer was threatened with reprimand for not following the chain of command, but the punishment was later blocked.
Which is.

Then there's this thread:
Mr. Ravenstahl said he was not aware that the vehicle was paid for with federal Homeland Security funds when he was using it for things like business travel to Harrisburg and for his personal use, including a Toby Keith concert in August.
And this one:

Sources said Sgt. Wallace was concerned that 300 miles were put on the vehicle, it was not available for police use, and it was returned in a messy condition.

Mr. Ravenstahl denied that the vehicle was messy. "Any time we exchange vehicles we always clean it out," he said.

300 Hundred Miles? Not sure how far one can read into it, but the denial was about how messy the SUV was - not about the mileage.

The Burgher points out that readers of that blog have known about this since late July. A commenter posted a comment on 7/20/07 that the Mayor had been spotted in a Yukon.

I have some questions:
  • How many times did the Mayor use the Homeland Security Vehicle and for what purpose?
  • Where did they go that the SUV was returned with 300 miles on it? According to Google Maps, a trip to Harrisburg is about 200, so a trip there and back would be 400 miles.
  • How could Mayor Luke not know that this shiny big SUV was paid for with Federal Funds? Isn't there anyone around to tell him these sorts of things?
  • How many more of these stories are there?

Inquiring minds want to know...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that when Tonya Payne and Twanda Carlisle were pulled over in Oakland a few years back after having an accident in a city vehicle while neither had a driver's license, it didn't make the news. I guess it's only news when some are 'caught', huh? You know, when it's politically convenient.

Anonymous said...

What a freakin' tool. If the Impala was in the shop, Luke, then perhaps one of your friends could drive. Or, better yet, I know that you're young, but I believe you're old enough to rent a car.

This sort of incident reinforces this guy's lack of maturity and his state of mind, his feeling of entitlement where he could even begin to think that it's okay to borrow an official vehicle so he could take his friends to the Toby Keith concert.

And, BTW, freakin' Toby Keith??!!

I have no vote in the matter since I live out in da 'burbs, but I may have to kick some funds DeSantis' way if it's looking like he can really make a race of it. I did not move my ass back here from D.C. to see Opie take the region down with him.

Maria said...

"What a freakin' tool"

You are correct, sir.