P-G Endorses Republican Hillen Over Motznik

Pittsburgh Post Gazette actually takes a stand "outside the box"

Pittsburgh Post Gazette Editorial: Hillen for council / The city can no longer afford business as usual

Wednesday, October 26, 2005Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

We wish we could endorse Pittsburgh Councilman Jim Motznik. He's bright, he's outspoken and we backed him last May in the Democratic primary (which he nearly lost). With almost five years as the District 4 representative, the incumbent from Overbrook will be the senior member of a relatively novice council come January -- and possibly its next president.

But we're not able to recommend Mr. Motznik, 42, for re-election for several reasons. His votes on cutting the budget -- a necessity when the city's finances are under the thumb of two state agencies -- have been all over the landscape. Two years ago, he pushed for bigger cuts than the rest of council; later, he became one of the holdouts who stalled approval of the Act 47 survival plan.

This month, when city-based nonprofits offered Pittsburgh $12.1 million in aid over three years, he said the gift was not good enough. A former public works employee, Mr. Motznik is also no fan of outsourcing, which could save the city money. Specifically, he doesn't believe using a private hauler for a portion of trash collection, as the state overseers recommend, will benefit Pittsburgh.

The alternative for voters in District 4 -- Brookline, Beechview, Overbrook, Carrick, Bon Air and part of Mount Washington -- is Bob Hillen, 47. The Beechview painting contractor is the city's GOP chairman and a council prospect who would be tougher with a buck. He is active in community groups like the Boy Scouts and the Beechview Merchants Association and, like the incumbent, he wants to improve neighborhood safety and business.

A critical difference is Mr. Hillen is willing to face the music of state oversight. He realizes the city can no longer afford business as usual and that it needs to rethink its approach to budgets and spending.

In general, Pittsburgh would benefit from a healthy two-party system in which Republicans challenge Democrats on the old ways that have impeded the city's progress. A good place to start would be in District 4, where Bob Hillen has earned our endorsement.

O'Connor Gets Greedy, Handlers "Justify" Illegal Parking

Taking free parking without having a job with the city is just plain bush league. No ands, ifs or buts about it.

Bob O’Connor’s spokeshack Dick Skrinjar (who never refused to defend a PennDOT boondoggle) says that the former city councilman needs to park illegally because he has bad knees and had replacement surgery in June. Skrinjar offers no apologies: O’Connor should have the free parking just because he’s a great guy.

Why is there no integrity or responsibility anymore?


Presumptive Mayor Taking Premature Parking Perk

By the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Free parking for the mayor is a perk Bob O'Connor has decided to take early -- even before he attempts to win the general election in November.
O'Connor's car has been seen several times this summer parked in permit-only spots on Fourth Avenue between Ross and Grant streets.
The free, city-owned parking spots are a few steps from the City-County Building, Downtown, and are reserved for delivery trucks, the nine Pittsburgh City Council members, Mayor Tom Murphy and a few top city officials such as City Controller Tom Flaherty.
Cars that park there must display a special permit issued by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. The rented maroon Chevy Malibu O'Connor drives had only one of his blue-and-white campaign business cards sitting on the dash board visible through the front windshield while it was parked in one of the spots Tuesday
O'Connor, 60, a Democrat from Squirrel Hill, hasn't worked for the city since he left his seat on City Council in early 2003. But his spokesman, Dick Skrinjar, said the mayoral front-runner started to use the convenient parking spots after he underwent surgical knee replacement surgery June 6.
"It's too far for him to walk," Skrinjar said of O'Connor's need to park close to his frequent appointments Downtown.
Skrinjar said O'Connor typically drives to an appointment and arranges for a staff member to pick up his car and drive it back for him later. A campaign staff member was supposed to have picked up O'Connor's car yesterday afternoon within a few minutes.
That didn't happen, as the car sat in the restricted, special parking permit space for more than 30 minutes.
"It's like a relay race and somebody dropped the baton," Skrinjar said.
Even so, O'Connor's car was ticket-free yesterday. A parking enforcement officer who patrols the street on Tuesdays and Wednesdays said she regularly permits him to park on Fourth Avenue for short periods.
A car that didn't have a parking permit one space away had a ticket on its window.
Fines for parking in an illegal space are $42.50, according to the parking authority's fee schedule.
Pittsburgh Parking Authority Director David Onorato said the street parking on Fourth Avenue is by special permit only. If O'Connor isn't displaying a valid permit, he should be ticketed, Onorato said.
"I would have to say yes. It should be enforced," said Onorato, who promised to look into the matter further today.
Chester J. Malesky, assistant director of the city's Department of General Services, said he doesn't believe O'Connor has been issued a special permit to park on Fourth Avenue. The department issues special parking permits through the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.
Joe Weinroth, of Squirrel Hill, O'Connor's Republican opponent for mayor, visits the City-County Building almost every work day, but he doesn't park in one of the special permit spaces, nor does he park for free.
"I pay through the nose for parking. It's killing me," said Weinroth, who typically pays about $14 a day to park in a lot next to Kaufmann's department store.
Weinroth said he wasn't surprised O'Connor was using the special parking spot without a permit. "What city office does he hold again?" he said.
Political odds-makers give Weinroth little hope of an upset. The Pittsburgh mayor's race has been settled in the Democratic primary for seven decades, as registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 5-1 ratio in the city.
--30—

Bob O’Connor is a good guy but I’m glad that the Trib is trying to hold him responsible for these shenanigans.

Rogues Meet This Saturday

The Rogues are a really cool group of Pittsburgh area Republicans and Independents (there were probably some Dem's sneaking in too from time to time) that blast the weak-kneed liberals and other goofs.

The group usually meets at the Holiday Inn at South Hills Village around 9 ish. Group organizer Herb Ohlinger (who is also running for Allegheny County Sheriff on the Republican ticket) sent the following email Wednesday.

Dear Tom,

This month I will be discussing my recent trip to Iraq and we will be inviting all candidates for county and local office to speak.

Please Rsvp by Friday so Ican get a count for the Holiday Inn.

See you there.

Herb

Interested in going? Give it a go.

Pittsburgh Still The Straw

With all due respect to one of my all-time favorite sluggers, Reggie Jackson, the city of Pittsburgh remains the straw that stirs the drink in western Pennsylvania.

Even for Republicans.

When Republican Melissa Hart is called a rising star, betcha she’s referred to as a Pittsburgh Republican, even though her Bradford Woods address may not even be in the right area code.

Republican candidate of Mayor Joe Weinroth deserves to be heard. He wants four televised debates with Democrat Bob O’Connor, the “front runner.” The more the two would debate, the more Joe would win. Now I’m not saying that a tide of epic proportions would occur at the voting ballots next month, but things might be a little closer than some would want you to believe.

Mr. O’Connor, one of the friendliest guys you’d ever want to meet, has said some absolutely incredible things while on the campaign trail. He has said repeatedly that he would eliminate open air drug dealing in the city. That’s an unbelievable statement, and one that the “mainstream media” has barely called him on, for whatever reason. He wants to open all city pools, allowing patrons to swim for free, and he offers no real plan to pay for it. Inconceivable.

I swam at Phillips Park this summer and paid something miniscule, like four bucks, to swim for the afternoon. Year-long passes for a family are around $60. That’s still very inexpensive and should stay in place.

As far as I can tell, Bob O’Connor hasn’t spent a dime on the campaign this fall when it comes to advertising. Don’t think Joe has much to spend. I haven’t even received a phone call or mailing piece asking for cash.

Pittsburgh city council even has some impressive candidates. With Perry and Hillen, there are two guys who’ve been established in their communities. If competency means anything, Perry should win by an incredible landslide. He actually should have been the Mayoral candidate. He’s that damned good.

I could go on forever, but won’t.

Don’t forget to vote next month for the general election. If there’s a chance you want real change, you won’t vote for the same old faces and names.

And don't forget for a minute that being a city council or mayoral candidate in the city surely beats a Republican candidate for some high-falutent suburb that tells friends from out of town that he's from "Pittsburgh."

Only Pittsburghers are Pittsburghers.