Pothole Politics

Peduto Says It’s Payback

Councilman Bill Peduto’s car slid into a pothole in front of his Point Breeze home yesterday. The accident occurred just days after the councilman released a report alleging pothole pavings were being used as perks for those in power and the politically-connected.

“That’s simply preposterous” Mayor Luke Ravenstahl retorted. “Why, right off the top of my head I can think of three public servants whose streets are in a desperate state of disrepair and have not been paved yet. If you count Peduto, that makes four and I’m sure there are plenty of others. It has always been my intention that our puny pothole paving budget be parsed out as impartially as possible.” The mayor of course was referring to Anna Dobkin, Dick Skrinjar and Marlene Cassidy; the three staffers who Ravenstahl abruptly demoted just last week.

But Peduto pointed out that numbers don’t lie and his report shows that Pittsburgh’s politically connected and ONLY the politically connected (save for the 3 demotions and himself) have had their streets repaired. “Regular citizens will never get on the list” he predicted.

It is well-known that the mayor blames Peduto for much of the disrespect he’s had to endure, including the upsetting nickname “Fluke”. So a giant pothole appearing out of nowhere and swallowing Peduto’s car whole did not surprise many of the local pundits. They were puzzled, however, as to what the three Ravenstahl staffers could have done to warrant their abrupt demotions much less being purged from the Pothole Paving List. Word is if there are any bodies to bury or skeletons to hide, these three know about them. Keeping those particular potholes uncovered might prove to be yet another impetuous decision the young mayor lives to regret.