We thought it would be interesting to see who Progress Pittsburgh readers are voting for on November 6.
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The Trib notes that the Dem Committee fared ill this cycle,

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_508120.html

but chalks it up to people who are tired of business as usual and the Democratic Party. I don’t see this election, necessarily, as solely an anti-party vote. In fact, low voter turnout should benefit the party — supervoters tend to be older, long-term Pittsburgh residents who are accustomed to business as usual, and are used to it working for them.

The Post-Gazette gets closer, with observers pontificating on what might have caused all the change….

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07137/786784-181.stm

Mr. Ferlo said voter apathy allowed spirited challengers to win the day. In addition, Ms. Carlisle faces criminal corruption charges. “I think this is all progressive and good,” he said.

This makes no sense to me, since, as previously mentioned, low voter turnout should favor the old guard party structure….

“If there’s a significant amount of negative publicity, that can trump the endorsement,” said city Democratic Committee Chair Barbara Ernsberger. Mr. Koch, she noted, was swamped with stories about campaign irregularities in the race’s final week.

Also, doesn’t quite do it — as though there wasn’t significant negative publicity coming from the incumbents attacking the challengers? Also, let’s be honest, getting out information about the incumbents shenanigans takes work. The mainstream media doesn’t neccessarily have it’s pulse on what’s happening within public works, without a nudge from concerned/reformer citizens.

Mr. Peduto argued that the results represent “the transformation of Democratic politics” by a new infrastructure of progressive groups, campaign workers and candidates.

This, to me, is the most convincing argument, coupled with the idea that the Party structure, as is, is failing many voters. I don’t believe that the Democratic Party machine is spluttering on its own, but rather that it ends up looking like a Sony cassette player next to an iPod. It’s been around a long time, it’s reliable at what it does — which is to turn out a certain segment of the population that seems comfortable with the way things are because that’s the way it’s always been.

In some neighborhoods, it does this really really well. Voter numbers were low across the city, (as low as 18 percent) but with the hot race in Lawrenceville, some voting precincts had more like 40 to 50 percent voter turnout — and about 2/3rds of these voters were Bodack supporters. (Another strike against the “apathy” idea.)

But the party is not reaching out to new people who haven’t lived in Pittsburgh forever, and with its clearly undemocratic pre-primary endorsement procedure, it’s missing the fact that people who vote really like to know who and what they’re voting for — something a slate card handed out by someone in a Lenny Bodack t-shirt surely misses. The Democratic Committee seems nice, faithful; you keep it to play your old Men at Work tapes, but it’s not going to get the job done.

Pit that against a powerful progressive movement in Pittsburgh that has learned, outside of the party structure, to do good organizing work and is doing it well. It seems to me that the organizations and people that have been working to make change on a National and State level, combined with grassroots relationships created through local campaigns, have created a de facto progressive coalition of people who are providing the critical mass necessary to make real change.

Many concerned citizens met during earlier Peduto and Dowd campaigns. Kathryn Hens- Greco got others engaged. But those relationships don’t necessarily provide the long-term structure needed to get and keep voters and organizers engaged.

But now add the coalition of progressive orgs formed through America Votes for the 2004 and 2006 elections and Progress Pittsburgh — groups who are doing outreach to many more constituents on a regular basis, and you have the beginning of something big. Sierra Club, League of Young Voters, Stonewall Dems, Planned Parenthood and others worked together for good Dems in 06; it was easy to transfer that knowledge to local races.

Once you have a strong group of progressives who trust each other’s endorsements (and who are mostly endorsing the same peeps), groups of individual citizens who’ve met and hung out on other campaigns, as well as the knowledge base that comes from voter and volunteer identification in prior progressive races, the “outsider” candidates effectively have their own party. Dowd, Kraus, and Arnet didn’t seem to me to be just another ticket. They were the slate of progressives. With a team of progressives behind them. It’s not that the party is failing, it’s that it can’t compete with the energy and efficiency of people who’ve worked together to make statewide and national change — and learned how to do it outside the party. (Note, Dowd’s amazing campaign staff were both America Votes organizers!)

And of course, let’s not forget some rocking candidates who put themselves out there and worked incredibly hard to represent progressive Pittsburgh. Might the abundance of “leadership training” programs in Pittsburgh actually be working to produce, gulp, new leaders?!

If you choose other – feel

The machine is working and there’s proof. Yesterday the Post-Gazette reported that Jason Phillips was fired from his position on Deborah Todd’s judicial campaign for notifying the press about the illegal phone call he received from Jeff Koch’s Council office with regard to his campaign.

Boy, does this make Jim Burn look like a liar. The “new” Democratic Party sans machine is a sham. To quote the P-G article:

Today he received a phone call from the campaign, he said, and was fired. He said he was told that Democratic Committee ward chairs were upset about his actions.

I’m sure those Ward Chairs were upset but not because Mr. Phillips did something unethical or otherwise improper. His actions clearly threatened an agenda that the local Democratic Party is willing push no matter how corrupt.

To that point, a friend of Progress Pittsburgh reports that City Redd-Up crews were still violating city policy on Friday by wearing their Jeff Koch tee shirts:

Today, at 10:15 am, I was standing out in front of my building on Ross Street. A Public Works truck pulled up to the red light. I noticed the fluorescent Jeff Koch t-shirts. When I began to approach the truck, to inquire as to what they were doing, the driver smiled at me and said, “yah, still wearing them!” and then they pulled away.

Finally, to put the nail in the “New” Democratic Party’s coffin, a recent mailing from Jim Burn to committeepeople states:

Please remember that the Party Endorsement is binding on all Committee Members.

…regardless of qualifications, intelligence or integrity.

As if all of the press covering these illegal acts was not enough damage to the Koch campaign, The South Pittsburgh Reporter added fuel to the fire on Tuesday by releasing an endorsement of Koch’s challenger, South Side businessman Bruce Kraus. The SPR argues that Koch has not served the district well since he won a special election for the seat last year. Not only is Koch the face of criminal activity, but he’s a bad councilman. That’s not a resume to be proud of.

Meanwhile, Kraus has also been endorsed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The League of Young Voters, The Steel City Stonewall Democrats, and The Sierra Club just to name a few.

To quote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “Choose wisely.”

The story was first reported by Maria at 2PJ here and by Agent Ska here. It’s also being covered by the Trib and the P-G.

According to the Post-Gazette, Kevin Quigley–Redd-Up manager and 27th Ward Committeeman who no doubt is completely shocked, shocked that City Workers are using taxpayer time to campaign for ACDC endorsed candidates–came to the scene to administer strict discipline: “They were chewed out.” (Unanswered question: Chewed out for breaking the law or for getting caught?)

One of the workers was Ray Sansone, treasurer for Jeff Koch’s campaign committee.

Today is turning out to be a pretty bad media day for Koch, as the South Pittsburgh Reporter endorsed challenger Bruce Kraus in a scathing editorial and Early Returns reporting that Kraus raised nearly twice as much campaign cash over the past four months than Koch.

1. Eugene Zielmanski, District Judge for Wards 6 & 9, has an office in Lawrenceville, which he visits for approximately one-half day per week. If that. I understand he’s there reliably from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday mornings.

2. For the honor of having Zielmanksi in the neighborhood for less than 10 percent of the work week, taxpayers compensate the Bodack family to the tune of $1,000 per month.

That’s right, taxpayers pay $1,000 for an office that’s almost never occupied by the District Justice. I understand that I shouldn’t be shocked. The City Paper article (excerpted below) quoted the Bodacks’ point that they’re offering a ‘public service’ by creating appropriate quarters for the D.J.

Since they’re so community minded, it would be wonderful if they simply charged for the amount of time the building was in use — $100 a month, sounds about right.

“The Bodacks receive $1,118.75 a month in rent from the county for their property at 5153 Butler St., which has served as the courtroom of District Justice Ron Costa since 1989, according to County Controller Dan Onorato’s office. The senator and his wife also pull in $1,000 in county money monthly for 4211 Butler St., the office of District Justice Eugene Zielmanski since 1995.”
From http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/prev/archives/covarch/cov01/cv103101.html

Let’s clear up some of the lies the ACDC is throwing at us, I want to give you the skinny on what actually went down on this much publicized ACDC event. First of all, the boy mayor, the man of the year, the golden boy Luke Ravenstahl did not even show up to this event. He didn’t even stop by to say hello! Not that this is an uncommon for him. Secondly, the only local campaign to show up was Councilman Jeff Koch, without staff of course and no volunteers of his own.

Jim Burn definitely pulled double duty as he always does,schilling for candidates I know he wouldn’t even vote for himself probably takes a lot out of him. All that talk about progress and moving the party in a new direction while moving it backward– that’s double duty right? He showed up to tell everyone to go doorknocking and bring in a victory for “our” candidates and took off to peddle his party propaganda elsewhere.

Finally, and most importantly, this very legitimate publication (sarcasm) claims that ‘several dozen’ canvassers left ACDC HQ that day, which is complete nonsense. If you subtract Jim Burn (who didn’t drop lit), Jeff Koch (who didn’t drop lit), Ian Harlow (who didn’t drop lit), you are left with a Democratic Ward Chair, her Vice-Chair and a couple of Young Democrats (medium age is approximately 40), and that puts you at about 10 people. Which I guess if you are really bad at math is close to several dozen. Perhaps they need a counter over at the ACDC rather than a communications director. Just a thought.

Issue number 6 comes out soon. I can’t wait to find out what Jack McVay, candidate for Court of Common Pleas, biggest secret is. Stay tuned.

GLBT: A good crowd representing the GLBT community in the area met with a dozen candidates and discussed issues of concern within the community, raising health care partner benefits coverage questions among several topics discussed during the evening. Local GLBT bloggers called the forum “historic” and applauded the ACDC outreach into the community. Former Judicial candidate Hugh McGough served as moderator for the event and helped to usher along candidates new and familiar with GLBT community issues. Following the event, long discussions and networking occurred over far too many cookies and many in attendance asked hat these events become standard ACDC procedure.

Contrast this summary to the extensive summary that of Sue from Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents wrote.

While I am glad that the ACDC is willing to at least host a forum like this. It would much more helpful if they would tell us about the candidates, and it would be even better if the candidates would tell us about their positions. Here are a few of the summaries from Sue…

The Clueless

Bill Mullen, County Sheriff: Lives in a land of delusion where there are no problems between law enforcement and the rights of the LGBT community. He served on the Pittsburgh Police Force for a gazillion years and ended up as Deputy Chief but was never aware of issues. No comments on the need for sensitivity training for the sheriffs. Actually no comments at all about LGBT issues, just responses to direct questions. He did say he wouldn’t oppose negotiating with the Sheriff’s union about domestic partner benefits. He seemed distinctly uncomfortable and had no actual LGBT platform other than a need to secure votes for a tight race. But at least he showed up.

Laugh Out Loud

Len Bodack, City Council District 7: I have to give this guy props for having cohones. He showed up at an LGBT forum and admitted he’s not in favor of gay marriage because of his religion (Catholic). I think it was Tom that made the comment that Len did everything but show us his baptismal certificate to demonstrate how Catholic he was. Then he left early.

Sweet & Strange

Wrenna Watson , Common Pleas: The strangest surrogate testimony “She’s very sweet.” especially coming from someone who took pride in being the first woman in her position. No man running for office would ever want to be described as sweet. She also praised her for being orderly. It was more like an endorsement for Miss Congeniality than anything else. Very strange.

I really like that Sue gives a run down of who attended and who didn’t attend the forum rather than what the refreshments were. For more summaries of candidates check out her blog post.