tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708938400103267165.post8988032124167110219..comments2023-12-20T23:30:54.576-05:00Comments on Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette: The Trib Fires Back: Who You Callin’ Yellow?Charhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06725494226277483936noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5708938400103267165.post-54062130486265475312007-07-11T12:29:00.000-04:002007-07-11T12:29:00.000-04:00What continues to bother me are the statements the...What continues to bother me are the statements the Mayor made some time ago, presented in a March 21 PG article as a paraphrase (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07080/771206-53.stm): “Similarly, when someone offers the mayor tickets to a sporting event, he recalls the city's limits on such gratuities -- but does not keep a tally to ensure that he's complying with them.” The same article also contains these two paragraphs: <BR/>“The mayor has taken a minimalist approach to reporting financial information required annually under the charter. Where the city's Disclosure of Interest form asks for "all your creditors and debts ... in excess of $1,000" he has consistently indicated "none." He and his wife, Erin, have an $87,000 mortgage and a $10,600 line of credit. <BR/>The past two mayors and most council members have listed mortgage lenders or amounts. Mr. Ravenstahl presented disclosure instructions that exclude mortgages and home equity loans and said he viewed that as binding on city forms.”<BR/>Now, I don’t know anything about who the Mayor’s handlers are, if any, or who might be or have been his mentor. But that article was published months before the Mario/UPMC blow up. This is the Mayor Tony Norman was looking at when he compared him to Dick Cheney. Maybe it was because of the TV coverage, but this is a 27 year old man accepting, if not soliciting favors, apparently without regard for city rules, and also refusing to disclose information concerning those favors. <BR/>Now, maybe the Mayor’s presence at the June 28 council hearing would have accomplished little, but unless he talked UPMC into increasing their contribution to the city while out golfing, then his presence on the golf course also accomplished little, despite his claims of this being a business meeting (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07187/799709-53.stm):<BR/>“"I have discussions with all major stakeholders and business owners and businesses in the city of Pittsburgh, and UPMC is no different in that regard," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "It just so happens that our discussions took place on a golf course, rather than my office."”<BR/>These are the words of our Mayor.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.com