Mayor Not Satisfied With Condition Of City Government

A Look At Those Who Appear To Have Displeased Him

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl asked for the resignation of ten top city administrators, citing his dissatisfaction with “the condition of city government”. Ravenstahl has suggested that the ten re-submit their job applications for a fresh re-appraisal in order to prove they are the best person(s) for the job(s). Who are these people, what could they have possibly done to get the ax and will they ultimately remain? We take a look at these and other questions below.



Duane Ashley, Citiparks Director
Responsible for all park operations such as farmer’s markets, cinemas in the parks, festivals, walks and runs, community centers, swimming pools.
What went wrong?
Don’t know. Seems Mr. Ashley has been proactive in addressing problems. He led the selection process of hiring a firm to bring advertising dollars from city parks into city coffers. He was part of the effort to have city and county collaborate on park projects. He's a small speck of color in the mayor’s mostly white administration. And he tried valiantly to keep as many city pools open as possible in face of Act 47 cuts.
What does Ashley have to say?
He will re-apply for his job.



Guy Costa, Director of Public Works
Public Works is one of the largest city departments. It is responsible for street resurfacing, park facility and public structure maintenance and rehab, garbage collection, animal control, ice salting, flooding, landslides, and other natural disasters.
What went wrong?
Much easier to list what might have gone right. A very abbreviated, partial list of recent problems with Public Works: 1) The lapse of the city’s contract with the Animal Rescue League and Costa’s efforts to replace them with controversial Triangle Pet. 2) City Redd Up crew was caught wearing campaign T-shirts promoting Councilman Jeff Koch while working on the job. 3) Accusations that only the politically connected get their streets paved. 4) Possibly fast-tracking and therefore steering a lucrative contract to CLT Technologies whose founding investor is District Attorney Stephen Zappala’s uncle. 5) Inability to properly salt city streets during snow storms even though neighboring municipalities are successful under same conditions. 6) Playing fast and loose with pay raises not included in department budget. 7) More contract shenanigans. And the list goes on ….
What does Costa have to say?
He will re-apply for his job but has declined to discuss his relationship with Ravenstahl.



Jerry Dettore, URA Executive Director
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is “more than a redevelopment authority – it is the City of Pittsburgh’s economic development agency.” (Maybe that’s the problem right there)
What went wrong?
Again, the list is way too long going back way too far. The most recent flaps are … 1) Possible abuse of monies in the URA’s Streetface program. 2) Disregarding Hill District concerns when giving Melody Tent site development rights to the Penguins. (Even though it appeared to have been done with Luke's blessings) 3) Fifth & Forbes developer is now dawdling.
What does Dettore have to say?
Feels Ravenstahl has the right to have his own people in key spots. Has not decided if he will reapply for his job.



Ron Graziano, Bureau of Building Inspection Chief
Regulates the construction, demolition and occupancy of all buildings and structures within the City of Pittsburgh.
What went wrong?
Maybe the bureau has not been diligent enough in enforcing city anti-dumping regulations? Did Graziano originally inspect and approve the collapsed convention center beam? And then there was the horrible Hazelwood fire started in abandoned buildings that the bureau dragged their feed in demolishing.
What does Graziano have to say?
Nothing.



Robert McCaughan, Emergency Medical Services Chief
Heads up 175 Paramedics who provide advanced life support pre-hospital care, medically directed technical rescue from accidents and entrapments, river rescue and community safety education.
What went wrong?
It might not be a case of any wrongdoing or incompetence. After all, Ravenstahl just honored McCaughan for being the longest-serving member, with 32 years of service in the bureau. It may just be that city EMS personnel and city firefighters have duties which overlap. Since our city does not have the money to pay for many of its basic services, much less duplicative ones, these organizations will eventually have to be consolidated. Both continue to jockey for turf as each fights for survival. One will wind up losing out in the end and odds are it won’t be the firefighters. Maybe McCaughan’s resignation is Luke officially casting his lot with the firefighters.
What does McCaughan have to say?
Nothing.



David Onorato, Parking Authority Executive Director
The Parking Authority’s mission statement on the city’s web site touts they go “a dimension beyond the basic responsibility to provide and maintain spaces for vehicles.” Their mission also includes “supporting the efforts of City Departments and agencies to ensure the economic progress of our region.”
What went wrong?
There has been one small disagreement. The mayor and City Council wanted parking rates to be lowered in January by an amount equal to the decrease in parking tax. Rather than going “a dimension beyond” their basic responsibility by passing along the savings to the parking public, David Onorato decided that the rates would remain unchanged.
What does (either) Onorato have to say?
David was surprised by the resignation request. He said he’d talk to Ravenstahl about it.



Phillipe Petite, Equal Opportunity Review Commission Manager
The commission places subcontractors with prime contractors through a system of tracking and referral to assure inclusion actually occurs. Additionally, the commission develops opportunities for minority and women owned businesses.
What went wrong?
Not a clue.
What does Petite have to say?
“I definitely think I’m the most qualified.” He plans to reapply for his position.




George Specter, Acting City Solicitor
Specter heads the City Law Department which acts as attorney for the City of Pittsburgh and its officials.
What went wrong?
Plenty. Either Specter gave Ravenstahl bad advice which blew up in the mayor’s face or Ravenstahl disregarded Specter’s good advice and then had things blow up in his face. Either way, it appears the mayor is holding Specter personally responsible for the hits he took during the McNeilly and Regan debacles.
What does Specter have to say?
He’s probably taking the Fifth.



Howard Stern, City Information Services Director
CIS plans, acquires, installs and supports the City’s proprietary and open computing environments as well as develops software programs for Public Safety, Finance and other departmental initiatives.
What went wrong?
Not typically a high-profile position prone to controversy, the worst we can say about Stern’s approach to the information age might be that it was more “dial-up” than Comcastic. In an attempt to “professionalize” the city workforce, Stern placed time restrictions on each employee’s use of the internet. Not much thought was given to the fact that extended internet access might be necessary to perform one’s job. Worse yet, this faux pas was jumped on by Mark DeSantis. And then there was the fact that the City’s new 311 line worked very well at first except for cell phone users. But maybe the straw that broke the Ravenstahl’s back was the city’s computer-driven pavement management system which appeared to have been abandoned in favor of “eyeballing” road conditions by the likes of Motznik and other unbiased parties.
What does Stern have to say?
Not a bit nor a byte.



Greg Tutsock, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Executive Director
PWSA produces and supplies the water for City of Pittsburgh residents, maintains and operates the water infrastructure as well as the City of Pittsburgh sewer system.
What went wrong?
The federal government is finally getting serious on compliance with the 1970 Clean Water Act. Yes, nearly 40 years later, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are just about to start the necessary sewer system repairs and upgrades that are needed to clean up our rivers and streams. We’ve racked up millions of dollars in fines and penalties for doing nothing about it. Literally nothing. Tutsock and company should have acted years ago. Then of course there are all the embarrassing water main breaks.
What does Tutsock have to say?
The s**t may have hit the fan.


It appears the City of Pittsburgh might be better served if many of the above administrators find employment elsewhere. The mayor is undoubtedly correct in cleaning house, but since this is do or die time for our fair city, it is crucial that each position be filled with exactly the right person for the job. Pulling this off once or twice in 90 days would be a job well done. Batting 10 out of 10? Good luck, Mr. Mayor. You will need it.

Local Reaction To The Latest Purge

From the Post-Gazette:

"One of the advantages of getting older is that you get a little perspective on life. I appreciate that the successes that I might have had were built on the efforts of people like Sophie Masloff and Dick Caliguiri. Luke was 15 [years old] 12 years ago. So maybe he needs to recognize there's a certain perspective he needs to get.
--- Former Mayor Tom Murphy

"I guess it's becoming a pattern. It's now three purges in less than a year. That's greater change than the Italian government."
--- Councilman Bill Peduto

"I definitely think I'm the most qualified."
--- Fired Director Phillipe Petite


From the Trib:

"Just chopping heads is not management. I don't know what that is."
---Republican Mayoral Candidate Mark DeSantis

"I think it's great."
--- Councilman Jim Motznik

The Blogs:

"Any attack made by the Rebels against this Administration would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the region. I suggest we use it!"

--- Angry Drunk Bureaucrat

"When the ax swings and no agenda is reflected in the swinging -- it is a hatchet job. And, when the ax swings and the no agenda is reflected, it is just a power play."

---Mark Rauterkaus

"When he launched his first multi-player shakeup, I blogged that "the mayor hints he's not done, saying there could be 'perhaps a reshuffling of the entire fifth floor.' "

--- Bob Mayo

"I can understand -- even this late in Luke's so far indefinite transition process -- seeking to replace officials that are central to the policy-making and planning for the city's growth, but it is a bit troubling as a bystander to see names such as Emergency Medical Services Chief Robert McCaughan, Bureau of Building Inspection Chief Ron Graziano and City Parks Director Duane Ashley on the chopping block without scandal or glaring deficiencies in their performance."

--- Lie Lie Luke

"In organizations and companies I am familiar with, one reviews the job performance of an individual against the responsibilities and goals of that position to see how that individual adds up. You don't ask for resignation letters and then review their application for their job."

--- The Skipper

Mayor Diagnosed With Rare Disease

Results Just Preliminary, Prognosis Uncertain

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s physician, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, held an afternoon press conference to announce his preliminary diagnosis of a malady which has troubled the young mayor since he took office in September 2006. “We think it’s a rare case of Political Munchausen Syndrome but we’re still trying to confirm this” Dr. Gupta reported.

Munchausen Syndrome—named for Baron von Munchausen, an 18th century German officer who was known for embellishing the stories of his life and experiences —is the most severe type of factitious disorder. Munchausen sufferers are also known to fabricate illness so as to garner attention and sympathy from others.

Dr. Gupta went on to explain that Political Munchausen varies only slightly from the core syndrome. “Yes, Poli-Munchers fabricate and embellish their political accomplishments with fantastically impossible tales knowing very well that no one within earshot actually believes them. They do this because they enjoy the attention. But in addition, these individuals will purposefully place themselves in politically disastrous situations just for the thrill and challenge of trying to wheedle themselves out of it.”

The mayor was first suspected to suffer from the disorder when, as a councilman, he got into an altercation with a police officer at a Steeler’s game and later denied the incident although it had been witnessed by hundreds. After taking office as mayor, Ravenstahl immediately laid claim to accomplishments not his own, even those which occurred when he was still a young boy or on another continent. He proceeded to hire the wrong people, fire the wrong people and rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and penalties for doing so. He flew to New York City, in public and amidst scores of people who could easily attest to his whereabouts, but denied going nonetheless. “This is all typical behavior of a Poli-Muncher,” Gupta elaborated.

Concern for the mayor escalated when he crashed a private party at the Oakmont Country Club in an attempt to meet golf great Tiger Woods. The sand trap dust had not even settled from that flap when Ravenstahl abruptly fired ten of the city’s department heads. “We knew we had an unstable situation on our hands,” Gupta continued, adding that a full-fledged intervention was not possible until the mayor marched into a televised City Council session demanding the resignation of each councilperson. Hostilities nearly spiraled to the point of physical blows when a quick-thinking cameraman abruptly cut the picture to black, sparing the viewing public the worst of the melee.

Some people with Political Munchausen Syndrome suffer one or two brief episodes of symptoms. In most cases, however, the disorder is a chronic, or long-term, condition that can be very difficult to treat. Mr. Ravenstahl appears to have a very aggressive form of the disease, one that does not respond well to treatment. Even with treatment, it is more realistic to work toward managing the disorder rather than to try curing it.

He Is "Master Of The Universe" After All

I wonder how long it will take before Mayor Luke Ravenstahl finally crashes and burns? Twanda is well on her way. Motznik has simply gone to the dogs ...er, cats.

And as for the Mayor’s apologists …..I thought even they would have a hard time redefining what the meaning of “is” is. Or with this incident, the difference between invited and uninvited, dignified and shameless, a citizen of Earth or just completely Off Planet.

But I was wrong.

Commentary: Let's Force Those Seniors To Downsize!

So much Ravenstahl nonsense has peppered the news as of late that I put off commenting about a Post Gazette commentary regarding the need for and value of property taxes. This is such an important issue.....one without an easy answer .... I thought taking a late look at writer Mark Dixon’s point of view still seemed apropos.

While reading Mr. Dixon’s article, my mind immediately went back to a significant lesson I unwittingly learned from my high school geometry teacher, Mr. Humphrey. Yes, Mr. Humphrey was incredibly boring. And yes, most every day his monotone voice hypnotized me into a near stupor. But I did come away with a valuable message from that class, one which surprisingly had little to do with angles or shapes. After reading Mark Dixon’s PG property tax commentary, I wonder if Mr. Dixon could have missed something vital in his own geometry class.

Mr. Humphrey relentlessly drove home the importance of logical thinking. Arriving at the correct answer was not as important to him as the route you took to get there. If it took a dozen or more successive theorems and postulates to solve a problem, and if my logic was just the slightest bit off somewhere in the process, I learned that my “solution” could end up being wildly wrong, glaringly off the mark.

A corollary to the above lesson was just as important to learn albeit harder to appreciate: Sometimes two or more wrong turns did coincidentally lead me back to the right answer. But oh how I howled when Mr. Humphrey still marked my “correct” answer as “wrong” because my reasoning was flawed!

Post Gazette writer Mark Dixon would have benefited greatly from a semester of Mr. Humphrey’s stern grading practices. In his commentary, Mr. Dixon veers from the “logical” path early on and often as he tells us why property taxes are necessary and good. Following Mr. Dixon’s “logic” we find HIS doctor father was able to afford a four-bedroom colonial with “French pretensions.” That HIS parent’s Frenchly pretentious home is far too big for their current needs and their ability to care for it. And that if HIS parents sold their too-large home, they’d net enough money to either pay for a small condo with affordable property taxes and monthly fees or a stay in a decent senior’s facility.

From here Mr. Dixon somehow leaps to the conclusion that property taxes remain “the best way to fund schools”, that the “quest” to reduce property taxes is “demagogic” and “destructive”, that Pennsylvanians should stop whining, and that seniors should sell their homes and just be done with it.

????

Maybe some/all of Mr. Dixon’s conclusions are valid, and then again, maybe they are not. Unfortunately we will never know based upon the colorful, anecdotal family experiences he puts forth as the rationale supporting his position. Maybe he is unaware that many Pennsylvanians raised their families in small ranches which were too crowded at the time but are now just the right size with the children gone. That these same seniors have no “need” to downsize, rather just a fervent desire to be able to hold on to the home they worked hard to pay off. In essence, maybe Mr. Dixon doesn’t realize that HIS particular family’s past experiences and current situation may not be typical or the norm for the majority of Pennsylvanians and therefore may be a moot if not irrelevant point in the property tax debate.

Maybe, just maybe the “whining” Mr. Dixon hears has nothing to do with cheap, socially unconscientious seniors selfishly denying the next crop of children a good education. Earth to Mr. Dixon: Many seniors are already “downsized” as far as they can go. They are not concerned with sheltering their “wealth” so they can “enrich” their heirs. No, they simply worry that their “wealth” will last long enough to feed, clothe, shelter and yes, pay for property taxes until they die. Maybe the “whining” is actually all Pennsylvanians, not just seniors, asking school districts and local governments to exercise a little fiscal restraint when considering pork projects and patronage bloat, demanding that our children actually learn something when they go to school, expecting basic services like navigable streets, bridges and highways for the taxes they already pay. These are NOT the outlandish demands of selfish seniors bellyaching for “public subsidies”. They are just reasonable expectations from taxpayers who are tired of being duped, scammed and robbed.

Now maybe things are different in Wayne, PA, just outside of Philly where Mr. Dixon resides. Maybe roads there are more than a patch-quilt of potholes that have been strung together with disappearing asphalt. Maybe most of the kids in Wayne who finish high school can actually read and write by the time they graduate. If so, we congratulate Mr. Dixon on his good fortune and wholeheartedly join with him in calling on his folks to be socially conscious and sell their posh digs by golly!

But if life in the east half of the state is anything like it is here in the west, I have to wonder why the Post Gazette saw fit to burden the folks in our region with the “whinings” of the son of a retired physician who lives in a four-bedroom colonial with French pretensions, who can afford to sell and move into a retirement community but whose wife would prefer to remain caretaker to the “shrines” of her children’s bedrooms and won’t listen to her son and husband when they tell her it is time to sell.

Around here, the “big problems” facing the Dixon family might be referred to as “blessings”.

Snapshots From The Mayor's Photo Album

Ravenstahl Announces Discovery Of Monongahela River
"Who's The Smart One Now?" He Taunts Peduto













Ravenstahl Impresses Sarah Jessica Parker With Tales Of Letterman Visit
Mayor Hoped It Would Be His Best Pick-Up Line Ever













Ravenstahl Impresses Dennis Quaid With Tales Of Letterman Visit
Pick-Up Line Reportedly Fizzled With Quaid Also













Ravenstahl Entertains Elderly With Tales Of Letterman Visit
Letterman Anecdotes Fall Flat As Pick-Up Lines But Prove To Be Pure Gold Garnering Senior Vote













Ravenstahl Challenges Mario To A Little One On One: "Mano y Mano"













Ravenstahl Announces Results Of His First Heart-Lung Transplant













Ravenstahl Busy Inventing The Internet


















Ravenstahl Starts "Houses For Humans"
Jimmy Carter Steals Idea, Changes Name to "Habitat For Humanity." Ravenstahl Decries New Name As "Pretentious."













Ravenstahl In "Time Out" Session













Ravenstahl Poses With Twins He Personally Delivered In Back of City FlexCar
Proposes Trial Use of FlexCars To Supplement EMS Vehicle Fleet













Kick-Off Meeting Of The "I Like Luke" Fan Club
Club Members To Be Used As Alternates For Ethics Board "As Needed"













Ravenstahl and ARL Employee Beat The Streets Looking For Stray Cats














Ravenstahl's Last Year As City Councilman













Ravenstahl Press Conference: "Mom Unhappy With Mean-Spirited Bloggers"
Mayor Told To Go Straight Home From Work; Not To Talk To Any Strangers Wanting An Interview

Our Own Forrest Gump

Wake up, Pittsburgh. We’ve got a veritable demigod in our midst and haven’t been paying proper homage. The Honorable Luke Ravenstahl’s life has paralleled that of William Jefferson Clinton for all these years and we backward Burghers have not even taken note. Like our very own Forest Gump, Luke has been right smack dab in the middle of every important juncture in this city’s recent history and we owe him big-time for his stellar public service.

Ravenstahl has been mis-underestimated and misunderstood since 1989, when at the tender age of nine, the young master counseled the URA to declare the area around the Garden Theater blighted. His brilliance went unreported and unrecognized at that time because Pittsburghers are loathe to recognize a political prodigy when they see one. Thankfully, Luke has been able to put his name on the Garden coup. Sadly, too many of Luke’s exploits still remain unacknowledged.

The Pist-Gazette therefore intends to do the right thing and set the record straight. The following list of “Accomplishments Luke Has Seized” is extremely abbreviated. There just isn’t enough space herein for all this young wonder has already done:

* Wi-fi Downtown Pittsburgh? Forget that small stuff. It was Luke, not Al Gore, who invented the entire internet.

* Only Ravenstahl was wise enough to vote against Act 47 before he voted for it.

* Ravenstahl invented the “Thank You Pittsburgh” sign. In fact, it was Luke dressed up as O’Connor who flashed the famous signs at various intersections giving the impression that “Bob O’Connor was everywhere”.

* Ravenstahl’s baby bib was the inspiration for Myron Cope’s “Terrible Towel.”

* Ravenstahl was the ghost writer for all of Sophie Masloff’s speeches. He wrote them during recess breaks and after his evening homework was completed.

Amazing. Simply amazing. All of this and "Most Livable" as well. We Pittsburghers are truly blessed.