Category: default || By jt3y

On Thursday night, against my better judgment, I watched the televised debate on WQED between the seven candidates for mayor of Picksberg. After reading about their records, watching their commercials and now, seeing them in action, I can say confidently to all of the Pittsburghers I know that no matter what happens on Tuesday, you are hosed.

Aw, I don't mean that. Actually, it was quite entertaining --- particularly interesting were Lester Ludwig and Louis "Hop" Kendrick, who I hadn't seen on TV during this campaign before. Kendrick is one hell of a powerful speaker. I don't know if that qualifies him to be mayor --- maybe a talk-show host --- but he sure can talk, although he lost me several times. Kendrick made the point that if he were elected, the state Legislature --- controlled by Republicans --- would be more willing to cooperate with him than any other Democratic candidate. Something about his independence, despite the fact that he's running as a Democrat. I couldn't quite parse that, but maybe you can. Anyway, I think it would be great for the second-largest city in the sixth-largest state to have a mayor people call "Hop."

Lester Ludwig is an interesting bloke, too, despite his unfortunate resemblance to Christopher Lloyd in the Back to the Future movies. I kept expecting him to leap from his chair and shout, "One-point-twenty-one gigawatts! One-point-twenty-one gigawatts!" Ludwig seems like a very sincere gentleman, but he seemed to be answering questions like a kid who had crammed for the exam on the school bus. "Pittsburgh has a strong mayor type of government, not a city manager type of government," he said at one point, and then proceeded to explain what the difference was. Well, thanks for the civics lesson, Les, but what's the point? And the bad attempts at name-dropping. Oy! "I was talking just the other day to the head of transportation in Allegheny County," Les said. Allegheny County has a "head" of transportation? Who he?

That brings me to the Big 3 --- Messrs. Lamb, Peduto and O'Connor. Kendrick, bless him, nailed Bob O'Connor on several issues --- most notably on his fund-raising. The O'Connor campaign machine, it should surprise no one to learn, has raised about twice the folding green that the next nearest challenger (Lamb) has collected. And several times, when quizzed about the big cash pile in his coffers, and what his donors might expect in return, O'Connor looked like he wanted to throttle the moderators, Chris Moore and Stacy Smith. (Both of whom, incidentally, didn't allow the candidates to weasel out of answering the questions. The people who moderate the presidential debates should be as good.)

I like O'Connor, but he has the habit of finishing different sentences than he started; on the other hand, since malaprops and non sequiturs didn't disqualify Dubya from being President of the United States, I don't see that some fractured syntax should prevent O'Connor from becoming Mayor of Pittsburgh. I also happen to think that O'Connor is one hell of a politician, and in a lot of ways, what Pittsburgh needs right now is a hell of a politician to start repairing some of the severely strained relationships between different government agencies, labor unions and residents. Whether he's independent enough from the old guard that's been in power in Pittsburgh since Jesus was in kneepants is another question. I'm not sure O'Connor would be able to make the kind of politically unpopular choices that need to be made --- more about that in a minute.

Peduto is the favorite of the smart set. He's done a great deal of networking with young people, high-tech whizzes and the artsy-fartsy crowd. But I some how doubt that the babushka- and fedora-wearing senior citizens who form the biggest block of voters in Pittsburgh feel all that connected to the high-tech and arts communities. Indeed, a lot of older Pittsburghers view young newcomers with suspicion. Now, I happen to think that's one of the problems around here, but it's a political reality, and Peduto hasn't really addressed that weakness in his campaign. Peduto has mentioned the strong support that he's received in the East End of the city, but he's not running for Mayor of Forbes and Murray. Still, watching Peduto, I can't help but think, he's got a lot on the ball, and he'd make one hell of a city manager. If O'Connor wins --- and all of the "experts" seem to think he's a lock --- he could do a lot worse than choosing Peduto for that post, or as a deputy mayor.

I'm actually a little bit disappointed that Michael Lamb hasn't gotten more support. He seems to combine Peduto's best risk-taking qualities with some of O'Connor's hale-fellow-well-met political skills. It's unfortunate for Lamb that he's spent much of his political career in the prothonotary's office, which is the closest thing to a witness protection program that Allegheny County has to offer. (Quick! Name the last three prothonotaries.) Most people can't spell "prothonotary" or describe what one does, much less name who that person is. So when Lamb talks about his efforts to reform the prothonotary's office, he might as well be describing the theories of Wittgenstein.

I know next to nothing about the Republican, Joe Weinroth. Despite not being a resident of Pittsburgh, I will endeavor to find out more. From his appearance in last night's debate, he struck me as a thoughtful guy, and I won't even hold the fact that he's a Republican against him. If a Republican can't get a decent shot at becoming mayor of Pittsburgh this year, than it may never happen. And likewise, if the party doesn't throw some serious money behind this guy and give the Democratic mayoral candidate a race for once, then it doesn't deserve the office anyway.

You know what nobody said, though? And they danced all around the issue. It was alluded to, hinted at, whistled past, and crawled over, but never addressed head-on. They all talk about how the City of Pittsburgh has to protect its employees, but what about its taxpayers? Who says that city government is supposed to be a full-employment program?

They call Social Security the "third rail" of national politics? Well, that's the "third rail" of Pittsburgh politics. The candidates don't want to say "our labor costs are too high, we've got too many employees for a city of our size, and we need to cut back," because whatever union (or unions) that's about to be gored will crucify them, and I say that as a union man.

I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs, but at some point, someone has to use some common sense; the City of Pittsburgh can't keep employing the same number of employees (and politicians!) that it did when its population was twice the current number.

Anyway, I've got no dog in the fight, so whomever wins, I wish them the very best of luck. I just have to worry about the election for mayor and borough council of North Bittyburg, and I don't know who any of the candidates are.

Instead, I'm going to use the time-honored method handed down to me years ago by my grandfather: "Jason," he said, "always vote for the guy with the Hungarian name, and if there isn't anybody, vote for the Democrat."

This being a primary election, all I can do is vote for the Democrat, but if there's anyone running for office in North Bittyburg this year with a first name of Laszlo, Janos, Imre or Ferenc, he's got my vote.

...

To Do This Weekend: McKeesport Little Theater, corner of Coursin and Bailey streets, Our Fair City, presents Neil Simon's "Jake's Women," tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Call (412) 673-1100. ... McKeesport Symphony Orchestra presents "Golden Moments from the Silver Screen," 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium of McKeesport Area High School, 1960 Eden Park Blvd., Our Fair City. The concert will feature flautist Stephanie Miller, winner of MSO's "Young Artists Competition." Call (412) 664-2854.