Tube City Almanac

November 07, 2007

Those Oldies But Goodies

Category: Cartoons, Politics || By


Yeah, who didn't see that coming? Show of hands?

The real problem is that Opie "Luke" Ravenstahl is going to be one smug so-and-so for the next two years. If you thought Dubya was bad after the 2004 elections, you ain't seen nothing yet.

To heck with the Homeland Security SUV. I predict that the Mayor of Picksberg will demand a Life Flight helicopter to take him to his next concert.

But seriously, folks ... in other news, "complete but unofficial" returns from the Allegheny County Department of Elections indicate that 29 percent of registered voters bothered to show up. That's right: One in four of us exercised our democratic (small "D") franchise.

People in Pakistan are getting beaten in the streets for demanding the right to vote for their government; here in Pennsyltucky, we sit at home and watch "Family Guy" reruns while polling places stand empty.

Of those who voted (again according to the Elections Department), about 68,000, or 26 percent, voted a straight ticket, either Republican or Democrat.

Wilco Tango Foxtrot, who still votes a straight-party ticket in 2007? Good gravy, people! Use your brains for something other than a place to store your lottery numbers.

The election results don't mention how many people thought they were voting for Hoover or Roosevelt, but I suspect a lot of 'em did.

At least those people weren't watching "Family Guy." They did get home from the polls, however, in time to see "Wheel of Fortune." Then they put their teeth in a glass of water and went to bed.

Here's your thought for the day: "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

And with that, Mr. Mencken and I are going to bed, too. Wake us before the next Stiller game, and phooey on your electoral process.

. . .

P.S.: To see the original "Bloom County" strip, which is one of my all-time favorites, click here. The mayor of Pittsburgh was four years old when it ran.






Your Comments are Welcome!

Spent the day visiting nearly all the polls in McKeesport yesterday and keeping up with the pulse of the voters.

People are very frustrated with McKeesport and our elected officials. Worried that Foodland will go away for a “bridge to nowhere.”, sick of the blighted properties in their neighborhoods and generally distrustful of our local government.

I’ve got my work cut out here.

I don’t have actual numbers yet but I think that Mckeesport’s turnout wasin the 20% area. People have given up hope here! That’s where we’ve got to start. Getting people hope and bringing back faith in our elected officials. We haven’t found a political Messiah yet, nor will we. We do have to get our best people involved and stop having different people make the same mistakes inMcKeesport we’ve seen for 30 years!

The Mayor will tell you people didn’t vote because they are so “content” with what is going on. Regular Daily News readers might even believe that.

That’s not the feeling I got from the folks yesterday.

Far from it.

-Councilman Shelly
Paul Shelly (URL) - November 07, 2007



Does anyone know how to get a building permit in McKeesport. I thought I knew how: you know go to the city building fill out application of course hand over money. My receipt for this application is Sept. 23, 2007. Detailed phone messages including name, property, and request for information on when the permit will be issued result in curt phone messages yielding: This is so and so of Mckeesport City Gov. returning your phone call or are ignored. Is there some Tube City god I need to pray to? Or is this town where you need to “know someone” to get basic services? Thanks for any help.
doug
doug - November 07, 2007



Doug,

Go see building Inspector Chris House at City Hall. If you can’t, or don’t get satisfaction, please email me all the info and I will handle it personally! sluggo@paulshelly.com

-Councilman Shelly
Paul Shelly (URL) - November 07, 2007



Doug:

From the Uniform Construction Code (UCC):

section 403.43. Grant, denial and effect of permits.

(a) A building code official shall grant or deny a permit application, in whole or in part, within 30 business days of the filing date. Reasons for the denial shall be in writing and sent to the applicant. The building code official and the permit applicant may agree in writing to extend the deadline by a specific number of days. A building code official may establish a different deadline to consider applications for a permit in an historic district.

Failure on the part of the code official to act in a timely manner results in the “deemed” approval of the permit. As long as you have fulfilled all the requirements for securing the permit, notify the code official in writing that you will be commencing the work. It should get his attention.
terry - November 08, 2007



Thanks for the replies to my bleg. Thinking about the matter more I am curious why a building permit for renovations to an existing property couldn’t be issued at the time of payment. All the government is selling is a piece of cardboard that proclaims to the world that the owner has the government’s approval to work on his property.

The other blind alley I went down was a mistaken notion which I took away from my initial interaction with McKeesport Gov. that I needed to obtain an Allegheny County plumbing permit before my building permit was issued. Having spent a few weeks looking for a plumber to look at and accept to do the work, the response from McKeesport Gov. was it wasn’t necessary to obtain this permit. So, I don’t need the plumbing permit to get the building permit and I still don’t have the building permit.

Having the flu allowed me to call McKeesport Gov. today. Mckeesport Gov. told me that when I paid my fee I then had a “building permit”. Noooo. Permits are legal documents issued by governments. I know this because I used to write air pollution permits for county and state governments. I also know that McKeesport Gov. issues these permits because I see them posted on a few buildings near my property.

I have a thought. I’ve downloaded and installed apache and php on my computer. I could set up a site to process all building applications in Mckeesport, collect the money, send out the permits, and send Mckeesport Gov. their cut. Forgive, thoughts from a fevered mind.
regards,
doug
doug - November 08, 2007



I see this is an older blog but figured I would add my two cents

I agree that McKeesport’s Building Inspector office needs some help. I am in a drama with a project on my own house and am asking the building inspector for a simple letter stating that I had, in fact called his office numerous times inquiring about the status of the building permit on my hosue that the contractor was SUPPOSED to pull and never did….just looking to cover myself there…..Instead, I was told that the City Solicitor advised him that there was nothing he could do. I called back and asked for the city solicitor’s name and number as he had offered, but two weeks later, no call back with that info. I am VERY disappointed right now with the City of McKeesport in a number of areas but this is on my front burner.
Unhappy homeowner - October 03, 2008



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