Tube City Almanac

April 28, 2006

Electoral Dysfunction

Category: default || By jt3y

The Post-Gazette has endorsed state Rep. Marc Gergely for the Democratic nomination for re-election to the 35th District seat, calling George Matta's campaign one of "lies and deception."

I didn't realize this --- shame on me --- but Matta's billboards and literature claim that Gergely took a "34 percent pay raise." The P-G correctly notes that Gergely's pay raise (which he voted against, but took anyway) was only 16 percent.

And the P-G, like the Almanac last Wednesday, calls "bushwah" on Matta's claim that he's the "reform-minded and independent" candidate. Matta, notes the P-G, "was one of the party leadership's outspoken foes of the row-office reform approved by voters in 2004."

The P-G also says that Matta has fabricated the newspaper clipping shown in a TV commercial he's running (I haven't seen it). According to the P-G, the supposed headline about Marc Gergely is a complete phony.

And, according to the newspaper, Matta is also grossly distorting the amount of money that he accuses Gergely of "taking": It wasn't "taken," but was actually "legitimate expenses incurred by running a legislative office," including payments for office furniture, supplies, and rent.

"Under that twisted logic, how much money has George Matta 'taken' to operate the clerk of courts office?" editorializes the P-G, which concludes that Matta's advertising is "dim-witted" and that his "campaign mastermind" should resign.

Uh, ouch.

Matta, incidentally, has one of his billboards on the Dravosburg end of the Mansfield Bridge, and had a bunch of signs at the top of Dravosburg Hill, near Bettis Laboratory, last time I looked. That's nice attention to detail: Someone might want to tell him --- or his campaign workers --- that Dravosburg isn't in the 35th District.

...

Meanwhile, state Rep. Ken Ruffing, running for the Democratic nomination against perennial candidate C.L. "Jay" Jabbour and newcomer William C. Kortz II of Dravosburg, tells the newspaper he regrets voting for that pay raise.

Ruffing adds: "I don't want to be held accountable on that one vote. Judge me by my record."

Sure thing, Mr. Ruffing. What the heck is your record?

...

Hey! Come to think of it, which legislators from the Mon-Yough area besides Mr. Ruffing voted for a pay raise? Let me see ... oh, yeah! I remember!

Voting "yes":
Paul Costa, Democrat, Wilkins Twp.; Pete Daley, Democrat, Coal Center; Joe Markosek, Democrat, Monroeville; Ken Ruffing, Democrat, West Mifflin

Voting "no":
Jim Casorio, Democrat, Irwin; Marc Gergely, Democrat, White Oak; David Levdansky, Democrat, Elizabeth; Harry Readshaw, Democrat, Carrick

Did not vote:
Ted Harhai, Democrat, Monessen

Just remember, folks: Judge them on their records!

...

What's New: Appropos of the Almanac I'm writing for Monday, I've added a new story to Tube City Online's "History section."

Hi-Way Tux was a landmark on Route 30 near Irwin for more than two generations. The story is re-written from notes and interviews I did when the store closed a little more than five years ago.

...

To Do This Weekend: North Huntingdon Township holds its spring wildflower tour from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday in Braddock's Trail Park. The tour is free and the guides are Norwin school superintendent John Boylan and local nature photographer Warren Gardner.






Your Comments are Welcome!

I grew up five minutes from there, been there a few times in my life for rentals and dry cleaning. Sad to have seen that it closed. Haven’t been into the flag store though.
Scott (URL) - April 29, 2006



Re: Electoral Dysfunction, Marc or Matta?

Talk about a question wrapped in a conundrum — what’s a voter in the 35th to do? Sage Keystone Poll Director Dr. G. Terry Madonna (http://fandm.edu/politics/xml) has said that the only hope for reform in the legislature is to unseat a significant number of incumbents. We need a turnover well into two digits. Sorry, Marc.

Then again, we do value character and integrity, don’t we? There’s the court deposition of George’s alleged use of an abusive noun (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_160788.html), that was addressed at some level here: (http://www.georgematta.com/endorsements.html). And, of course, the lie that came to my mailbox (so it’s politics, does that mean there are no standards?). Obviously, the Post-Gazette thinks there are. Sorry, George.

Do I sit this one out and vote for the Republi…whoops, there isn’t any. I guess I’ll write-in Elmer Holland. Sheesh!
aka Strisi - April 30, 2006



I have to say, Strisi, you make excellent points. I should note that I don’t live in the 35th District, so I won’t be voting for either one.

I think we need more than just unseating the incumbents or electing new people to the seats. We need to change the fundamentals of how the state is governed —- legislative seats were not meant to be lifetime appointments or full-time jobs.

I believe we need a constitutional amendment to at least halve the size of the legislature —- maybe even eliminate one of the two bodies.

Unfortunately, to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution, you first need to get the amendment passed in the House and the Senate:

http://members.aol.com/DKM1/C11.html

How likely are Bill DeWeese, Vince Fumo, David Brightbill, Sam Smith and the rest of our power brokers to eliminate their own jobs? Not very.

Barring a complete collapse of the state’s finances or some other crisis, I don’t think any change is likely to come. Instead, Pennsylvania will just continue to stagnate.
Webmaster (URL) - May 01, 2006



Ruffing was recently overheard saying “et tu Brute”.
terry - May 01, 2006



I have never been more embarrassed to be a resident of West Mifflin. Between the insipid orchestrations of our now Lame Duck State representative who has difficulty defining the term charity and the antics of his former mentor now West Mifflin councilman, politics here certainly isn’t dull. It is, however, obviously not serving the electorate. We are spending an inordinate amount of effort seemingly picking fly excrement from pepper while the other bedroom communities of Pittsburgh are attracting new businesses. If anybody has a true leader with vision to spare for our borough, please send him or her this way.
West Mifflin Mike - May 26, 2006



The Matta/Gergely race was disappointing from a tactical perspective. George’s campaign was guilty of stretching the truth about Gergely’s pay raise involvement. First rule of Politics, NEVER stretch the truth, it will always come back to bite you.

Gergely’s campaign, with a lot of money from the State Democratic Commitee, (Wasn’t Matta the endorsed candidate? Go figure…) , carpet bombed households in the 35th with anti-Matta attack ads. Then there where the idioitic Stop Matta signs (Why ever mention your opponents name? Rule #2 violation) and the even worse web-site and suspicious and ficticious emails sent out.

I like both George and Marc as people and as fathers. Both campaigns could have been run better and less maliciously.

I’m glad I live in the 38th. Bill Kortz is a hard working and honest reform minded candidate. He doesn’t need the job but I’m confident that he will do a fine job for all of us. Bill stayed positive and just outworked his opposition. Funny,I think that philosophy worked last May in McKeesport….

Great site! I thoroughly enjoy it.
Sluggo (URL) - July 14, 2006



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