There are two tough Penguin-related dilemmas facing Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl these days:
Dilemma #1: Reebok wants to hang giant Penguin banners in the city. The city has tied the entire project up in red tape.
"I would certainly be willing to hang them somewhere," he said -- but only with City Council blessing. "I didn't feel comfortable unilaterally making that decision."
Dilemma #2: Ravenstahl wants to go to the Stanley Cup Finals games in Detroit. He doesn't know how to do so.
"I'd like to go," he said of the Saturday night face-off between the Penguins and the Red Wings, in Detroit. "I have asked [the city Law Department] for guidance" on whether he should pay for tickets, travel and lodging out of personal funds, campaign money or otherwise.
I'll make this short and sweet, on behalf of all Pittsburghers here and spread out across the country.
Answer #1: Find a way to hang the signs, and fast. The Finals start in two days. I realize that the placement of banners, billboards, and signs is a hot-button issue in Pittsburgh these days (sadly, I'm serious). But if this is truly a political issue as Mayor Ravenstahl said, then that's really sad. No one wins; the only loser is the city of Pittsburgh (but in all fairness, it's worth noting that Cleveland also had some bickering with the giant Lebron billboard). And I thought we were better than Cleveland?
Yet the powers that be in Pittsburgh are still going back and forth on this and at zero hour. For some reason, I think that if we were talking about Steeler banners, you would've seen guys hanging Big Ben and Troy Polamalu banners the day the playoffs began.
Answer #2: Just pay for the tickets out of your own pocket. I realize that part of you wants to attend because you're the Mayor, but let's get serious...a greater part of you wants to attend because you're a Penguin fan and it's a fun thing to do.
Paying for a couple of your own tickets would go a long way with many of the people who vote for you and are forced to pay mega-bucks for the same experience.
Follow these simple suggestions and I can almost guarantee that it will go a long way with the people you represent.
Penguins signs held up by city billboard moratorium [PG]
Mayor seeks guidance on how to attend Stanley Cup finals [PG]
16 comments:
Memo to Luke:
Worry about fixing potholes and people not getting laid-off instead of sneaking off to meet Tiger or going to a Kenny Chesney concert. What a disgrace to our city.
Campaign money? Honestly, hasn't this guy had enough instances of an appearance of impropriety? Just pay for it out of your own pocket, you douchebag.
Unlike me, you'll get tix at face value and won't have to scour eBay or Craigslist for reasonable (there aren't any) prices.
Start acting like our mayor and not our mascot (likely name would be "Jagoff"). PS I narrowly missed a crater the size of Jimmy Anderson on PJ McCardell this morning. Clearly the war on potholes takes no prisioners.
If Luke really wanted to gain respect, he'd attend the Pirates/Cubs game @ PNC Park on Saturday night.
He could personally campaign with the other 1,100 people who will probably be there.
Pay for the tickets yourself and put up the banners.
Jesus, does everything in politics have to so complicated? I swear politicians could turn checkers into chess if they wanted to.
Pay for the tickets yourself, you joke.
Unbelievable. If he's been going for free all year he can pony up a few for the Stanley Cup Finals, dontcha think?
If you're a campaign contributor, you've gotta be kicking yourself at the mere thought of using campaign money. Will there be a stump speech from the back of the Zamboni during the 2nd intermission?
Though I wouldn't put it past a Democrat to try and invent a tax to pay for his own recreation and then somehow chalk it up to "official business."
Great points Matt. I can't wait to hear Bill Peduto chime in.
I think Ravenstahl is the biggest glommer in this city's history. He's an embarassment and a scandal waiting to happen.
"A scandal waiting to happen"....if you ever see him out on the South Side late one Friday or Saturday night just try to take a picture of him with your camera phone. You'll be lucky if you don't get your wrist broke.
How is this guy still Mayor? Isn't his internship over yet?
It will come out, mark my words: The reason why the banner wasn't approved is because Ravenstahl is going to be caught in a payoff for the sign at the new bus station. It just hasn't come out yet. The reason City Council is at odds with him is because they didn't get any of the payoff money themselves. They're no bunch of altar boys either.
Ravenstahl is Pittsburgh's version of Eddie Murphy in "The Distinguished Gentleman". Couldn't you just imagine him in Congress? Now that's where the REAL money is!!! I can't believe that Pittsburgh AND the Democratic Party would let this charlatan get elected. Of course the Democratic Party loved Bill Clinton too so I guess we should be surprised by nothing.
It's so disappointing when a person who is in aposition to do so much good is only concerned with what he can get for himself for free and who he can rub elbows with. What a joke!!!
He didn't get elected, the last mayor died.
Sorry Louis, but on Novemeber 7, 2007, Ravenstahl beat Republican Mark DeSantis with 63% of the vote.
http://kdka.com/politics/Election.Ravenstahl.DeSantis.2.536644.html
http://postgazette.com/pg/08143/884102-100.stm
Mondesi wins Round 1.
Are you F'ing kidding me! What a vapid, self-absorbed douche bag. This is why he's a lousy mayor, he should have had the common sense to pay for them in advance instead of sticking his hand in the city's cookie jar.
Oh, I don't live there anymore so I just remembered the first time he was put in office when the old mayor died.
My fault. I'll my lawyer draft Raul a full written apology to the Mondesi's House legal team.
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