Carlisle Petition Probably Won't Go Anywhere

From our friends at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, it looks like city Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle will continue to remain in the news. For those of you outside of the Steel City, Ms. Carlisle has dolled out nearly $200,000 in city funds to consultants, some of whom seem to be just friends and extended family members. While the petition and resulting actions are admirable, Ms. Carlisle will ultimately be judged by her peers. And many of them don't want their spending to be put under a microscope, so they'll never throw her to the curb. Don't know if any of the organizers of the petition are Republicans, but they must nonetheless be admired for their courage.

Jeremy Boren's story is pasted below.

Impeachment petition filed against Carlisle

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

East End residents filed a petition with 40 signatures this morning that seeks to begin impeachment proceedings against City Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle, who is being investigated by county prosecutors regarding taxpayer-funded payments she authorized to at least 23 outside consultants.
Pittsburgh's City Code says 20 signatures from residents of a council member's district are required to begin impeachment proceedings. If the signatures are valid, a judge could appoint a "citizen investigating committee" to review the case against Carlisle and issue a report. City Council could be given a chance to review the citizen committee's report, according to the City Code.
"We don't think there's a snowball's chance that she'll be impeached," said Phillip Martin, of Homewood, who gathered the signatures with Ora Lee Carroll, executive director of the East Liberty Concerned Citizens Crop. and submitted the petition to the Allegheny County Prothonotary's office at 9:30 a.m. "They'll never impeach one of their own," Martin said of the City Council. "We just want an investigation. We want to show people how they can use the system."
Martin and Carroll plan to submit copies to Carlisle and the Court of Common Pleas president later today.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. is investigating about $177,000 in payments Carlisle authorized between 2002 and 2006 to consultants from two taxpayer-fed discretionary accounts that council members are permitted to use. Carlisle had personal and political connections to some of the consultants.
Council passed new rules this month that restrict such spending as a result of the investigation into Carlisle's spending.