According to an article in today's Post-Gazette, the agreement which the City signed to get the funds to purchase the Yukon SUV that Lil Mayor Luke used as his personal party mobile stated that:
...all equipment bought with the $59,942 grant "shall be used for only the purposes set forth" in two documents called the Buffer Zone Plans and the Vulnerability Reduction Purchase Plan.However, we the public cannot know what those exact purposes were because Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is citing national security as an excuse not to release requested portions of the document or even say what was in them (thanks for asking P-G, now sue him for the info!).
Well, how very Bush Administration of him!
Anyone want to guess the likelihood that the agreement stated that one of the "purposes" of the equipment purchased (SUV) was to be a "conveyance for BBQ sauce and charcoal for the purposes of tailgating activities"?
I think not.
But it gets worse.
According to the P-G:
The agreement was signed in March 2006 by then-director for intergovernmental affairs Dennis Regan, who is no longer with the city, and witnessed by Yarone Zober, who is now chief of staff.So, wait. You're telling me that Lukey's BFF Yarone and his former BFF Denny knew that the grant put a limited use on all equipment but they not only forgot to tell Lukey, they let him drive around in the anti-terrorist equipment?
Moreover, we know from Jon Delano's excellent report on KDKA that Police Chief Nate Harper apparently couldn't wait to get Lukey into the sweet, sweet ride even though he knew that it could not be used for personal recreational activities?
Looks like Sergeant Mona Wallace did use the chain of command to warn everyone from the very start that Lukey was not allowed to take the SUV for a his joyrides, but not only was she repeatedly ignored, she was reprimanded (later rescinded as they probably realized that another payout to a female whistleblower a la Commander Catherine McNeilly wouldn't fly).
Harper is certainly being used as the fall guy on this one, just as he was in the promotions of the police officers with a history of domestic violence, but:
Regan knewAnd, if Lil Mayor Luke somehow didn't know, what is it about our corrupt city government that no one can say no to anything that our Boy King wants?
Zober knew
Huss knew
...what are the chances that Lil Mayor Luke didn't know?
.
UPDATE: So now we see from The Burgh Report (who's been on this story like white on rice) that Yarone Zober who knew about the federal restrictions on the Yukon SUV actually rode around in it himself with Mayor Ravenstahl. Yarone Zober should be fired.
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8 comments:
Yarone should be much smarter than this. Public vehicles should NOT be used for the private events of public officials. Period. End of story.
What did he know and when did he know it?
According to Luke: “It was brought to my attention within the time frame it was brought to my attention.”
Huh? To further clarify he said:
“The word got to me whenever the word got to me.”
Pittsburgh needs a "Press 1 For English, Press 2 For Ravenstahlese" button.
Excellent round-up, Maria.
And Char: good luck finding a translator! Until someone finds the Ravenstahl Stone, buried deep in a tomb with some empty beer bottles and Bob O'Connor's coattails, that (ahem) language will remain a mystery.
I have followed politics for a long time and was a student of political science for quite some time. This is the first time I have ever heard of a mayor citing national security, more or less claiming "executive privelage," to withhold info from the public.
It's flimsy at best.
Knowing what the vehicles are meant to be used for does not endangering the security of Pittsburgh.
Luke truly is a piece of filth.
Would it be out of place for me to mention that perhaps the biggest threat to national security is not the documents that pertain to the use of the SUV but instead the Mayor using the SUV for his BBQ at star lake.
It's not clear when Huss knew. The implication is that sometime recently (within the last month and a half) Wallace got fed up and went around Harper to Huss. Harper was annoyed by that and started a disciplinary process for Wallace. Huss saw the disciplinary process as part of the normal process and cancelled it. That’s what the PG and KDKA story implies, somewhat corroborated by the FOP.
But with this crew it is hard to say who knew what and when. Certainly they have handled this equipment way too casually.
Thanks for the link.
Go Steelers! I won my bet with my bookie. Anyone want to start a "luke screws up again Poll" and bet as to when the next round of dumb news falls out of the Mayor's office?
It can be so much fun! No, we won't have a part of the proceeds going to charity.
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