Ravenstahl: I'll Use Whatever Car I Want

October 4th, 2007, posted by Stanley

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl found nothing wrong yesterday with his use of a police vehicle paid for with Homeland Security Department grant funds that he used for business and personal trips.

The mayor also said he supported the safety director’s decision to overrule the police chief’s recommendation to discipline the sergeant who blew the whistle on that practice.

While saying he stopped using the vehicle when he learned that it was paid for with restricted federal funds, the mayor said he is “not going to change my life to appease the media or appease somebody who wants me to be somebody I’m not.”

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Pittsburgh

Luke is a major embarrasement...

On October 4th, 2007 piltdownman said:

Luke Ravenstahl, the “oops” Mayor who got his job by dint of parliamentary happenstance, is heading for a fall. Big time.

From the start, there were hints of his hubris, but most people (for good or ill) were willing to “give the kid a chance.” That attitude may now be shifting; downshifting.

His statement above, in which he flares out and announces he’ll do it “His Way” is very Sinatra. Very Brat Pack. But it is not very smart. And the Allegheny County Democratic Party had better wake up and smell the beer. This kid is out of control and he’s a major embarrasement to all Democrats within shouting distance. Luke, if he keeps stumbling at his current rate, may single-handedly hand Grant Street to the GOP.

Admittedly, it won’t happen this round….but four years from now, can you imagine how much trouble this punk will have gotten into? I know it’s out of favor for this generation, but Luke needs a spanking…and good.

Pilt

Well Pilt, I have to say I

On October 4th, 2007 Anonymous said:

Well Pilt, I have to say I still don’t like the tone you take when talking about him, because I think that it cheapens the very real argument you are making.

“From the start, there were hints of his hubris, but most people (for good or ill) were willing to “give the kid a chance.” That attitude may now be shifting; downshifting.”

That’s the core of your argument, I think. That his hubris is going to bring him down. I buy it, and I even buy that the initial goodwill is now clearly fading. What I don’t buy is that it’s because he’s a “child” or a “kid.”

Stanley

old timers

On October 4th, 2007 LVDem said:

I can point to a number of old timers who have hubris… namely some folks in Harrisburg. Yet I don’t mock their position by calling them old. Arrogance knows no limit, be it age, race, sex, religion or party. My guess is that if he was 50 he would be acting the same way.

I am suitably chastened.

On October 4th, 2007 piltdownman said:

I am suitably chastened. You can be as PC as you like, but I will continue to call him a “kid.”

This isn’t about my choice of invectives or snarky, satiric descriptions, it’s about the future of my city, being run by….a kid.

By the way, it’s not his age that makes him so; it’s his behavior.

Pilt

exactly

On October 5th, 2007 LVDem said:

his behavior is not what it should be, but start the laundry list of folks in harrisburg that more than double his age. And what was the age of the last mayor (not the one who died in office, the one before that). I seem to remember a bunch of generally bad behavior.

Well Said Pilt...

On October 4th, 2007 Anonymous said:

Now will somebody fetch Luke his bottle?