Progress Pittsburgh

We have been trying to keep tabs on the Race for PGH 2009 here and noticed that there are some interesting posts from not the usual political bloggers about the upcoming mayoral race.  Here are a few of the new blogs who are stepping into the Pittsburgh political blogosphere…

• Politics and Place - A Rare Foray into the Political: If He Loses, This is How He’d Lose
  • Let me be perfectly honest. I don’t think Luke will lose. But, I think he couldlose. And if he does, this is how he would lose:
• What Would Vannevar Blog – G-20 in Pittsburgh: Luke’s Real-World Moment
  • If I may, the conditions described set the stage but don’t ring the bell; they’renecessary but insufficient. For Luke to not be elected, there needs to be an event, either (1) a significant, understandable scandal (a bag of cash rather than complex financial derivatives), or (2) an obvious failure of leadership attributed to the Mayor’s office.Holy Cow, Batman! What’s that? The G-20 in Pittsburgh on September 24 and 25th? Zowie!
• Pittsburgh Polemics – The Mayor’s Race: Strange Football Connections
  • Luke Ravenstahl, the incumbent mayor, rode along with the Pittsburgh Steelers during their Super Bowl Victory parade last February. Camcorder in hand, looking somewhat dwarfed beneath the Steeler’s Quarterback, “Big Ben” Roethlisberger.

Know of any other blogs who are writing about Pittsburgh politics – please share the link below in the comments

This just in from the Harris Campaign…

Harris Mayoral Campaign Raises over $105,000 - Says fundraising total shows vast support for campaign

Mayoral candidate Franco “Dok” Harris today announced that he has raised over $105,000 from over 200 individuals to date. Harris is the only candidate who is employing campaign contribution limits, which are modeled after the Federal rules.

“I am greatly honored by the outpouring of support we are receiving,” Harris said. “With the strong financial backing – in spite of self-imposed contribution limits – and the vast number of people supporting our cause, we are building the momentum necessary for victory this November. ”

Harris said that the broad base of support is a sign that Pittsburghers want to depart from the politics of the past and are ready to forge ahead with new leadership.

“Pittsburghers want a mayor who represents them, not big campaign contributors,” Harris said. “They want a leader who will fight to reduce violent crime, and create a city which embraces small business. As your mayor, I will be committed to transparency and good government – our City deserves better than business as usual.”

Well it looks like things have been pretty quiet in the Race for PGH.

Rumor has it that Dok Harris was out an about at Pridefest and the Artsfestival.

Ravenstahl’s campaign managager has tweeted that he is bored and that he is only working 2 days a week.

Acklin is hosting a happy hour fundraiser this Thursday at the Firehouse Lounge – $20 gets you in the door and 2 drinks.

And in the world of Facebook Fan Pages:

• Kevin Acklin – 534 Group Members
• Dok Harris – 628 Supporters
• Luke Ravenstahl – 438 Supporters

Dowd Statement on this Morning’s Water Main Break in Northside.

May 14, 2009 – PITTSBURGH -     In response to this morning’s water main break on Chateau Street and the similar incident earlier this week on Liberty Avenue, PWSA Board Member and Mayoral Candidate Patrick Dowd issued the following statement:

    ”This morning’s water main break and sewer collapse on Chateau Street

    present another example of the havoc wreaked by the Mayor’s poor

    judgment.  Just last week, the PWSA board voted to shift $46 million

    away from critical maintenance projects protecting our water system

    and to what end?  Covering potential losses on a risky bond deal this

    Mayor championed – the same kind of bond deal that bankrupted Jefferson

    County, Alabama.

    ”Conveniently, and after repeated calls to more thoroughly review this

    deal,  this bond issue will finally be the topic of an Executive Board meeting

    the week immediately following the election.  Unfortunately for

    Pittsburghers, the Mayor is playing games with our infrastructure, and

    the citizens never win.   Who is he kidding by forcing us to wait until after the

    election to figure out how much this deal is going to cost the taxpayers?

“We can’t afford another four more years of Mayor Ravenstahl’s reckless quick fixes.  

We need responsible decision-making about basic public services.  This is not a good way to 

run our city. This is a good way to run our city into the ground.”

###

Just an FYI that we have updated The Big Endorsement Chart with the endorsements from the Sierra Club and the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club.  We will also be adding interviews with the candidates to the Interviews column.  If you are a local blogger who has interviewed a candidate please leave a comment here with a link to the interview.  Click here to see the entire table of endorsements.

All 3 Candidates are scheduled to appear in both of these debates.

KDKA –  Saturday, May 2, 7 to 8 PM
PCNC -  Monday, May 4, 7 to 8 PM

Well it is a busy day in Pittsburgh politics.  Here is a press release from the Dowd Campaign…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dowd calls for sweeping reform: ‘cut waste to fund cops, youth programs, and jobs.’

Touts record on School Board increasing accountability and raising test scores.

Councilman Patrick Dowd today addressed his record as a reformer, and called for broad changes in order to fund a variety of city services that will improve the quality of life for Pittsburghers.

“In this economy, we can’t afford to have any waste and mismanagement. We need a new approach that saves tax dollars and focuses on our priorities, like public safety, youth programs, and economic development,” said Dowd.

“I’m proud of my record of reform on the School Board and the Council.  That’s why I’m running for Mayor – to put our money where it’s needed, professionalization of city services, growing the job base of the city, reducing violence and improving the quality of life for all.”

More »

Looks like there is another public forum that all 3 candidates are planning on attending the African American Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum

Thursday, April 23, 2009

4:30P.M. – 7:00P.M.

Rivers Club

One Oxford Centre

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Join us and hear candidates running for Mayor and City Council District 6, and District 8 respond to questions that can impact your business:

1.    What has been your involvement to advance procurement for African American business owners and professionals?

&

2.    If elected, what will you do to advance procurement for African American business owners and professionals?

Candidates for Mayor:

Patrick Dowd     Mayor Luke Ravenstahl     Carmen L. Robinson

Candidates for City Council District 6:

Mark Brentley, Sr.    Robert Daniel Lavelle

Councilwoman Tonya Payne     James A. Williams

Candidates for City Council District 8:

Greg Neugebauer    Councilman William Peduto

Open to the Public

RSVP by: April 21, 2009

(412) 392-0610 or information@aaccwp.com

Light Refreshments

Photo of Luke Ravenstahl from the African American Chamber of Commerce Website:

Here is the press release that was sent out from the Dowd Campaign today.

Dowd Slams Ravenstahl’s Half-hearted Campaign Finance Legislation:  ‘Luke’s Half a Million Dollar Veto Says it All; Outlines reform agenda.

March 25, 2009 – In response to yesterday’s post agenda on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s campaign finance bill, Democratic Mayoral candidate Patrick Dowd called the Ravenstahl bill “a hollow gesture that falls short of real reform.”

Last year, Ravenstahl vetoed a bill supported by a majority of council that imposed federal contribution limits, $2,300 per person per cycle, on municipal elections.  Since his June veto, Ravenstahl has raised approximately $500,000 according to public filings.

“Luke’s attention to reform is a year late and $500,000 short,” Dowd said.  ”When the council passed sweeping reform in June, he blocked it, only so city contractors could keep funneling cash into his campaign.”

Ravenstahl’s current proposal is a watered down version of the legislation he vetoed last year. It allows for double the limit for individual contributions, and fails to provide for transparency in electronic reporting.

More importantly, Ravenstahl’s legislation places no restrictions on the awarding of no-bid contracts to contributors. In light of recent press coverage, this means the legislation fails to address the rampant pay-to-play politics currently going on in Pittsburgh.

In response to what he termed a “complete failure of leadership” on campaign finance and eliminating the appearance of impropriety in contracting, Dowd outlined his campaign finance reform agenda:

In a Dowd Administration

1)    I will introduce comprehensive, common sense campaign finance legislation that is tied to federal contribution limits within the first 100 days;

2)    I will end the practice of awarding no-bid contracts to campaign contributors;

3)    I will ensure that every contract over $25,000 will be competitively bid;

4)    As an incumbent Mayor, I will not solicit campaign contributions from any firm that does business with the City of Pittsburgh or its Authorities;

5)    I will make all finance reports electronically available to the public on the state and county filing dates;

6)    I will ensure the creation of and integrate searchable electronic databases of all city contracts and all campaign contributions of all city elected officials;

7)    I will publish my public schedule on the city’s website so that any Pittsburgher can see who I am meeting with.

###

Re-Elect Peduto to Council in ‘09 has just sent an invitation to the facebook group for Bill Peduto’s campaign kick-off.

Peduto Campaign Kick-Off Party: Peduto, progressives, pastries

Friday, March 13, 2009
7-9pm
Schenley Ice Rink, Banquet Room
RSVP on peopleforpeduto@gmail.com or Facebook

Related blog posts…

• Hold that Press Release – Street Lights Not Just Luke’s Bright Idea (progresspittsburgh.net)
• PeduTube – Peduto to Host Monthly YouTube Night (progresspittsburgh.net)
• Bill Peduto Re-Election Campaign Kickoff Reception Fundraiser (progresspittsburgh.net)

Yesterday Bram at the Pittsburgh Comet wrote a post about Twitter – so we decieded to see what else people were saying about local politics on twitter.  A quick search and we learned about LukeForMayor.com.

Check out this tweet, from a guy in North Carolina -  looks like Luke Ravenstahl has a new campaign website http://lukeformayor.com.    The website is being desinged by New Media Campaigns which is based in North Carolina.  The guy who posted the tweet is origonally from Cleveland, it doesn’t look like this firm has any Pittbsurgh connections.

It also looks like the new campaign slogan, in black and gold, is Getting It Done.

Related blog posts

• The Pittsburgh Twitter Community on Luke Ravenstahl and the Steelers Parade (progresspittsburgh.net)
• Bill Clinton to Participate in Luke Ravenstahl Fundraiser (progresspittsburgh.net)
• Pittsburgh Mayor Asks to Remove Ravens From His Name (nytimes.com)
• Dowd to Run for Mayor – There will be a Race for PGH 2009 (progresspittsburgh.net)

We originally  posted this video back in March of 2007.  Doesn’t look like it got many views, so of today – Progress Pittsburgh is 4 of the 5 sites that link to this video.  Does it apply to the race in 2009?

Patrick Dowd’s press conference to formally announce his candidacy for mayor of the city of Pittsburgh, 2/19/2009.

Part 1

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Race for PGH is the tag we have been using here on the Progress Pittsburgh blog to refer to local races.  With Doug Shields out of the race it was looking like we wouldn’t have much of a race for the mayor of PGH.  City Councilman Patrick Dowd has just announced that he will  run for mayor in the may primary.

From the Post-Gazette

“I am going to announce that I am running for mayor some time this week,” he said. “I believe that the city needs leadership and vision, and we’ll be talking about what we mean by that later this week.”

and from the Tribune Review

Dowd, 40, of Highland Park, said Pittsburgh needs greater “leadership,” but he wasn’t willing to talk specifics.

He would not pinpoint when or where he plans to make an official announcement about his decision to challenge Ravenstahl, 29, of Summer Hill. Ravenstahl has been mayor since September 2006

More »

With the City Council District 2 Special Election just days away its time for another Progress Pittbsurgh poll.

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