Ravenstahl is a Petulant Baby

If there is one thing Luke Ravenstahl knows how to do it is ruin a good thing.

From the PG:

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wants to attend the Stanley Cup Finals, but isn't yet sure how that can happen

...

He agreed that the appearance in the finals is an event at which the city should be represented. "I think it is important for the mayor to be there and support the team and their efforts, but that also has to be balanced with the realities of the political climate that we're in today and some of the issues that have been raised," he said Monday, referring to a brouhaha over his attendance last year at a high-dollar charity golf event as a guest of the Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Oh yes, the city needs to be represented, your royal highness. Please, you must support the team. They can't win without you. How will Pittsburgh get by if you don't attend the game from your royal luxury box?

You know what I do when I want to go to a Pens game?

I buy tickets myself.

And if that weren't bad enough ...

From the PG:

A proposal by the Penguins to put large banners depicting team stars and featuring the Reebok logo has apparently become a casualty of Pittsburgh government's ongoing sign debate.

...

Mr. Ravenstahl said he believed "one or two council members" were intent on "making [a Penguins sign] a political issue."

Councilman Bruce Kraus, who authored the sign moratorium, said the administration engaged in only "some initial discussions with members of council. My understanding is that the administration pulled it."

One, there isn't a person on the planet who would oppose temporary banners to honor the team's Stanley Cup run. And from the looks of it, Ravenstahl never asked. He prefers to just make up issues to make himself look good.

"Look at me, I'm so brave when I'm attacking non-existent strawmen."

Luke Ravenstahl isn't above taking a source of city pride -- the Pens playoff run -- and using it for political games.

When you are incompetent you have to hide behind the popularity of others.

Heads Up To City Council: Another Ravenstahl Irregularity Coming Your Way

By Char


Well, Susan Tymoczko is at it again. Along with Luke, the Steelers, and the normal cast of characters.

The Administration’s antics are often long-running and convoluted, so it might be best to refresh our memory as to the salient points of this one:

o As part of the deal regarding the Steeler’s publically financed stadium, the sports team and their developer (Continental) were awarded the right to develop North Shore land, owned by the Stadium Authority, between the Pirates' stadium and their own. The was one major contingency of this Land Option Agreement, however: development due dates.

Varying tracts of land had to be developed by various dates, and guess what? The contractual dates were missed, nothing was developed, and there is now a question as to whether Continental and the Steelers have any claim to the land at all.

o In November 2007, Ravenstahl tossed the Steelers a sweet, sweet deal in order to get them to settle their lawsuit against casino owner Don Barden. The city, Steelers and Barden would share the cost of road improvements needed for traffic management on the North Shore. Steelers would contribute $1.5 million, Barden, $1.27 million, with the taxpayers generously picking up the remainder of the tab estimated between $8 - $15 million.

o Not quite done gifting the Rooneys, Ravenstahl threw North Shore Lot 6 into the deal. This is a prime riverfront parcel with what some say is the best view of the city. Ravenstahl's deal said the Steelers could “buy” Lot 6 for $1 million, which is a fraction of its true worth. This payment for land the team really, really wanted anyway would then count toward the Steelers “traffic control” obligations to the city. Once the Steelers developed the land, they'd get an additional perk .... A larger share of stadium parking revenues from the city. The team could therefore use their new parking revenue, obtained from the city, to pay the remaining half-million they owed the city for “traffic control” improvements. Yes, this was in fact the best kind of deal possible. A deal whereby you use city money to pay the city what you owe it.

o But guess what? Ravenstahl “sold” Lot 6 to the Steelers when it was not his (the city’s) to sell. It was owned by the Stadium Authority, and the Authority knew nothing of this deal.

o When the Authority did get wind, they balked. They wanted a legal opinion as to whether the Land Option Agreement with the Steelers had expired when the team defaulted on the last land development due date. They additionally wanted a true market-value appraisal of the land’s worth suspecting that $1 million was dreadfully low. (Merrill Stabile of Alco Parking offered to pay $10 million) And lastly, they wanted to consider a community development agreement (CBA) for North Side residents. In fact, Authority board member and City Councilman Bill Peduto informed all parties his ‘yes’ vote to sell the land at such a discounted price would be conditioned upon a CBA for Northsiders. And Peduto’s vote was reportedly the tie-breaker.

o But guess what? Ravenstahl booted Peduto from the Stadium Authority board before he could cast his vote.

So that brings us to the present where the city’s Planning Commission just approved plans for a Hyatt hotel, built by the Steelers’ developer (Continental Real Estate), on land they have not yet purchased from the Stadium Authority. Sound odd? Citizens group Pittsburgh United thought so. They protested the Planning Commission’s go-ahead precisely because Continental does not own the land, may not ever be able to buy the land, and because a CBA has not been put into place yet.

Enter city zoning administrator Susan Tymoczko of the famed Lamar-not-a-sign fiasco who calmed Planning Commission fears by issuing a report saying the hotel project had Stadium Authority blessing (maybe now that Peduto has been booted?) and that the commission is not supposed to consider the presence or lack of a CBA as part of their deliberations.

Well. That was good enough for everyone involved. Except for Barney Oursler speaking for Pittsburgh United who is calling for a special session of city council to investigate this latest Ravenstahl mess.

Okay, council…… Heads up!

City Code is Dirtier Than I Thought

Larryville brought to my attention something that may cause a little headache for the Ravenstahl Administration if a few code-worn councilmembers want to return fire:

This seems a little strange to all of a sudden promote/hire someone to a new position in the middle of a budget. Doesn't Council have to approve something like that? If not, why not create a whole bunch of new Assistant Directors after the Budget process and give all your friends promotions without any process.

In fact there is a provision of the city code -- the sacred, inviolable city code that one must never breach lest they be subject to forfeiture -- that addresses this issue directly. Section 111.01(d) of City Code:

1. Any and all changes to the rate of compensation of employees as defined numerically in the official budget document, known as the annual resolution, during its effective period shall be prohibited, except as provided for in Article V of the Pittsburgh Charter.

a. Step and Grade classifications listed in the annual resolution shall match the corresponding numeric representation as published in the annual resolution.

2. City Council shall approve of any and all promotions, job changes, job reclassifications, title changes, transfers, demotions, reinstatements or other type of salary/position changes.

A new assistant director position + not in the budget = illegal. I expect Councilmembers Motznik and Dowd to be extremely concerned with Kevin Quigley's potential ultra vires promotion.

I've been told by a lot of "in-the-know" types that we have a dirty city code -- a code riddled with obsolete and/or ignored provisions. So I took a look. In fact, the City Code is dirty, but in a City Paper kind of way. I direct you to Chapter 613.01(b)(5) of the City Code:

(5) SADOMASOCHISTIC ABUSE. Flagellation or torture by or upon a person clad in undergarments, a mask of bazaar costume, or the condition of being fettered, bond or otherwise physically restrained on the part of one (1) so clothed.

Of course the rules of council have never really made much sense to me ...

I really want to know who had the good fortune of drafting that."Flagellation"? "A mask of bazaar costume"? So if a mask is normal it isn't subject to the code?

(As an aside, I think what ADB, Prof. Madison and Nullspace have been harping on this week is far more important than your weekly dose of Ravenstahl Administration incompetence. I will post my thoughts on this issue soon enough.)

(As an aside to the aside, I've been told by some legal eagles that the recent recusal/forfeiture opinion is subject to criticism more for what it leaves out. There seems to be a HUGE omission that will make the entire opinion seem like shoddy work, and I'm waiting to hear back from some people in the know before I post about it.)

What about the Code?

Politics on the job = get promoted.

From the PG:

Kevin T. Quigley, who has headed the city's Redd Up Campaign since its 2006 inception, has been promoted to the role of assistant director in charge of properties in the Public Works Department.

Mr. Quigley, 44, of Brighton Heights, will continue to run the Redd Up Campaign and the related Green Team, charged, respectively, with cleaning up city landscapes and transforming them into attractive mini-parks or open spaces. He also will pick up responsibility for maintaining city facilities, in-house construction, removing graffiti and running community clean-up efforts, said city Director of Operations Art Victor.

The promotion is effective May 12 and boosts Mr. Quigley's salary from $60,607 to $71,084. He has worked for the department since 1990.

More on the controversial Kevin Quigley here: LINK.

Step 2: Tell Us the Plan

Dan Onorato has had a lot of darts tossed in his direction lately. His inevitable coronation as the commonweal's next resident of a gubernatorial manse in Harrisburg have been put on hold. I'm going to shock some people sometime this week with a little pro-Onorato piece, but until then ... here's another dart.

From the PG:

Consolidation legislation by year's end is the newest target set by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on their way to seeking a voter-approved merger of their respective governments, the two leaders said today.

They met Saturday with state legislators from throughout the county, and found receptiveness, if not enthusiasm.

"No one said, 'Let's block this,' " said Mr. Onorato. "They agreed that if the two of us want to push this, they shouldn't block it."

The next step is to identify a handful of local legislators -- both Democrats and Republicans -- willing to work with the mayor and executive on the language of legislation allowing a consolidation vote. Those legislators would serve as advisors and let the rest of the General Assembly know what the city and county are trying to do.

I'll try not to snark too much by pointing out that "no one"saying no isn't the same as a resounding "Yes." Maybe Harrisburg gives Onorato what he wants because they think it might not be too popular for him in long run ... say 2010.

"Drink Tax? You got it, Mr. County Executive. Anything Else?"

The second thing that jumps out: is anyone going to tell us what the consolidation plan is going to look like? I might be for it. I might be against it. I don't know because I haven't seen it.

Shouldn't "the next step" be to let the citizens in on what is going on behind the scenes?

Otherwise, this referendum could be seen as just another one of those top-down referendums crafted in the dark by those that know better -- free from public input, of course.

And those always turn out great.

The Most Effective YouTube Political Ad I've Seen All Year

I think this is the most effective YouTube political ad I've seen all year. I suppose a similar cut quote ad could be done for any candidate, but I think some of the contrasted quotes are so incongruent that even the staunchest GOP stalwart would have to concede the advert's effectiveness.

Tax Increment Financing: Better Than We Thnk?

by Bram R
I'm very curious what our readers think about this Tribune-Review article by Bonnie Pfister.

It certainly informed me about the other side of the coin -- future property tax revenues are used to pay off bonds for infrastructure improvements, and apparently with more success than I would have thought.

However, there seem to be open questions as to who really benefits from any particular "improvements" -- not to mention which developments would have gone forward and been lucrative without TIFs.

Across the Monongahela River on the site of another former J&L facility is one of Pittsburgh's most publicly visited TIFs. SouthSide Works is drawing on a $25 million TIF bond -- the city's largest. Approved in 1999, it has financed infrastructure and parking for a sprawling complex that includes upscale shopping, loft apartments, local FBI and Homeland Security offices and UPMC's Sports Performance Complex.

The good.

Among the less-heralded TIFs are those tied to resurrecting Downtown as a retail destination. A $9.3 million TIF in 1995 paid for a 600-spot parking garage under what briefly was a Lazarus department store at Fifth and Wood streets. The building is being converted to luxury condos called Piatt Place.

The bad.

At the request of developer Walnut Capital, City Council determined that only the first floor of a planned hotel -- as well as the parking garage, offices and shops -- would be in the TIF district. From the second floor up, the hotel is a TIF-free zone, council agreed.

That allows Walnut Capital to skirt a city ordinance requiring hospitality operations getting tax breaks to allow unions to organize.

The not so pretty.

Amazingly for the Trib, our new PNC skyscraper does not come in for consideration. We do learn about some Bill Peduto legislation coming down the pike.