Choosing our next mayor

[TheGerbil]

Who do you want to see as Pittsburgh's next mayor? I know O'Connor is the frontrunner, but I consider him to be more of the same-old same-old. I want to see Bill Peduto win! He connects with young people, thinks innovatively, and is truly not a typical politican.

I think the city has an opportunity here to elect someone who would really make a difference and make the place more attractive to young people.

Thoughts?

BTW, I have been away from this site for a while. Did they ditch the Pgh-only board in favor of this all-PA one? Or did I miss something?

[Kasper]

I am supporting Peduto as well. This city has been losing businesses and people for too long. The economy here should not be struggling the way it is right now. I think with good leadership it would take very little to get this city back into the fold. But we need someone who is willing to make the tough choices, willing to do what is needed even if it is politically unpopular.

O'Connor is typical of the old-boy Pittsburgh network that has kept this town in a state of atrophy. He caters to the unions, the elderly and people who want public handouts. I want someone who is looking towards the future. I want someone who is looking out for the young people who want to stay in Pittsburgh and see it revitalized. I want someone whose #1 concern is bringing business here, not someone who spends all his time p*ssyfooting with the unions. (Although I am not in a union so it is easy for me to talk )

[PghUSA]

Although I would like to see Lamb (maybe Peduto) I think O'Connor has it in the bag. O'Connor is not all bad, but yes he is NOT the change this city needs.

We really do need another Lawrence or Caligiuri to take this town to the next level, I just don't see that in any of the candidates yet.

[Death To Johnstown]

If I had a vote - right now, it'd probably be Lamb just ahead of Peduto.

Pittsburgh is not just a city...it's also a region. It needs to succeed or the entire area fails and continues to erode. More people need to realize that fact.

Hopefully, voters think Lamb or Peduto before even fathoming O'Connor...

[PghUSA]

In a few short months the mayor might just be Onorato anyways . . . thats my hope, one county wide city government.

[TheGerbil]

What do you guys see in Lamb? I have nothing against him, but he seems so blah to me.

Peduto seems so energized and youthful, so ready to make a difference. He cut his own salary to save the city money (nobody else on city council did). He started an internship for young people to give them a chance to make a difference in the city. He seems really innovative, and I think he is the one who would really help the city (and region) to move forward.

[PghUSA]

^^Gerbil that is exactly what scares me some of Peduto, the one TV debate the guy just kind of froze up and broke down some. He is very green--which isn't a bad thing considering the alternative (an old pro good-ol-boy) but Peduto seems like Jimmy Carter in some ways, well meaning, good, a rock solid believer in Pittsburgh but in WAY over his head. I think Peduto has a great future in this area and some of his ideas are real winners but I don't think he is strong enough yet to "carry the team" so to speak. Politics sometimes is about compromise and biding your time, taking a little now and a little later etc. Greatest comparison I could give is Carter (who I felt was the "perfect" man to lead this country and Reagan--a man I admired but had some problems with) Carter's green eye optimism and passion for making this a better place was great but then 2 years in you had a government that was doing 150 different things but none well, you had a president who was passionate and optimistic but in a way very politically naive and fell into trap after trap with Congress, the Bureaucrats etc. by the end of it he was almost a puppet of savvy politicos behind the scene. In some ways I feel Peduto is just too green right now.

Doing 1 or 2 things right and to completion like Reagan did in the 1980s is much better for the U.S. and for Pittsburgh (while compromising on almost everything else and biding your time on all other issues much like David Lawrence and Caligiuri) then taking on the world and ending up beat into submission.

I could be totally wrong but thats just my impression (I do know some said the same thing about Caliguiri back in '77).

Interested in this discussion alot but I don't think O'Connor is gonna get beat again by anyone outside Grant Street (Murphy won't be running against him).

It's not what I hoped for Pittsburgh but O'Connor won't be all bad . . . he won't be what we need either

[PghUSA]

just one last thing on the O'Connor steamroller . . . when you are dealing with only 55 very urban--mostly very poor and dependent on government assistance--sq. miles, the majority of voters think O'Connor is a genius. A good way to elect what this region needs is to consolidate get the lawyers and doctors and computer programers living in Shaler and Franklin Park and Upper Saint Clair a chance to vote for Grant Street and the O'Connors of the world won't stand a chance. It's the lack of metro vision and metro government that is letting O'Connor and his ilk feed off of power in the old neighborhoods near the city center.

[Kasper]

just one last thing on the O'Connor steamroller . . . when you are dealing with only 55 very urban--mostly very poor and dependent on government assistance--sq. miles, the majority of voters think O'Connor is a genius.  A good way to elect what this region needs is to consolidate get the lawyers and doctors and computer programers living in Shaler and Franklin Park and Upper Saint Clair a chance to vote for Grant Street and the O'Connors of the world won't stand a chance.  It's the lack of metro vision and metro government that is letting O'Connor and his ilk feed off of power in the old neighborhoods near the city center.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could not agree more.

[PghUSA]

This is an important topic and I'm interested in some spirited debate on it . . . but as a comical aside for a moment found this floating out there in cyberspace . . . SPARKY wants to win the mayor's race too (feel free to browse around and click the links). Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. ( http://www.pittsburghclo.org ) With the way O'Connor might run away with it . . . just goes to show you how the overall process has degraded into a joke. Might as well laugh some then get ready for metro government.

http://www.clocabaret.com/platform.html

[TheGerbil]

Your points about Peduto not having enough experience are interesting. But we must remember that his 4 years on city council are not the only thing on his political resume. He worked on numerous campaigns for years before he ran for council.

I think his energy and desire to help the city may come across as naivety, but really it's just soemthing we are not used to seeing in politicians. He actually cares. He wants to be mayor so he can makea difference. I am willing to bet that if he loses the race, he will be dissappointed because he's missing a chance to make a difference, not just because he missed out on a job. If O'Connor loses, he'll probably just be dissappointed about losing a job. Know what I mean?

[Death To Johnstown]

KDKA is airing their moderated (Dem) Mayor Debate tonight around 7, correct?

[Death To Johnstown]

PPG endorsing O'Connor:

ENDORSEMENT

[PghUSA]

^^lol that was a piece of work lol

I'm pretty resigned to an O'Connor serving, it won't be great but I don't think it'll be terrible . . . not the man that history is demanding for the Pittsburgh of 2005 though I don't think. Who here is thinking about Weinroth?

[TheGerbil]

I cannot believe the PG endorsed O'Connor... Okay, I believe it, I just think it stinks! He is so... just more of the same-old thing.

I will strongly consider voting republican in November if O'Conner wins in May. Because at least then we'd get something different.

[Kasper]

I went out to dinner with some friends this weekend who had watched the NAACP sponsored debate. None of them are into local politics at all and knew nothing about any of the candidates before the debate (they all just moved to Pittsburgh within the past year - not from here originally).

They all agreed that both Lamb and Peduto sounded 100 times more intelligent and informed than O'Connor. They said O'Connor came off as slow, dodgy and not very intelligent at all.

I have yet to see a debate but this concerns me....

[PghUSA]

I will strongly consider voting republican in November if O'Conner wins in May. Because at least then we'd get something different.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I'd be interested in what a Wienroth could do down at Grant Street . . . hey it was the year of the woman on the Apprentice maybe its the year of the Republican on Grant Street (first time since 1932!).

Check out what the always insightful Brian O'Neill has to say about that possibility:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05114/492894.stm

. . . . I don't know enough about Republican candidate Joe Weinroth. But the "change for the sake of change" argument should not be dismissed so easily, since the Democrats have been in charge of the City-County Building nearly as long as the Soviets held the Kremlin. This seems as good a time as any for revolution.

Others say it's a strange time to suggest Republicans know anything about balancing a budget. The surpluses of the Clinton years have disappeared in Washington, and the national debt is soaring at the rate of $2 billion a day. It's nearing $8 trillion for the first time. Each American owes more than $26,000.

The Republican-ruled Pennsylvania Legislature isn't any profile in fiscal restraint either. America's Largest Full-Time State Legislature has been in elephantine hands since 1994, and state spending has increased 37 percent since then, according to nonpartisan IssuesPA. That's 10 percentage points ahead of inflation.

It's farcical to see members of this bloated body emerging from those taxpayer-financed SUVs to preach about belt-tightening. I favor Democratic mayoral candidate Mike Lamb's proposal to cut the size of City Council from nine to seven members, but the real money would be in shrinking the Legislature from 253 members. Did you know our state House is 2 1/2 times the size of California's?

Despite the absence of spending discipline in Washington or Harrisburg, I still believe a Republican mayor could make a difference. He could call party leaders in Harrisburg and say: "Have any of you noticed that all of Pennsylvania's cities are failing?"

Suddenly they'd have a reason to care.

[pointbreeze]

I read the PG endorsement of O'Connor several times. There didn't seem to be a real reason behind it. In fact, they seem to feel that Lamb or Peduto would be equally as good.

I think O'Connor will handle the job, but I would like to see a mayor that is younger and more in tune with the people that are driving the economy.

Based on yard signs, it looks like Peduto is close to O'Connor, but most of what I see is in the east end. I'm not sure how the candidates are playing out in the rest of the city.

[TheGerbil]

Peduto is focusing on the east end primarily, since I guess he knows he can do better there, and in theory winning the east end could be enough since it is so populous. The upshot of that is there are a LOT of Peduto signs in the east end, but not very many in the rest of the city.

I think Peduto has a good plan really. He knows how many votes he needs to win, and where he is most likely to get them.

[PghUSA]

The city's OTHER paper is coming out for O'Connor too now! (Well Steigerwald is at least)

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review...d/s_329403.html

"'Aggressively Pittsburgh'

By Bill Steigerwald

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Sunday, May 1, 2005

The best thing about Pittsburgh mayor-in-waiting Bob O'Connor is that he's the anti-Murphy.

As he proved when he visited with the Trib's editorial board the other day, O'Connor is a likable, non-delusional, prototypical Pittsburgher. He's right when he says his No. 1 political skill is "relationship-building and people skills."

O'Connor, who everyone knows will win the Democrat primary this month and crush his token sacrificial Republican opponent in November, acknowledges that his one-party town has been left in ruins by his predecessor. . . . "

[TheGerbil]

Just because he ran against Murphy before doesn't mean he is the anti-Murphy. Stupid Trib. I would have thought they would not like O'Connor very much. He's probably got the newspaper unions in his camp.

And may I add, I think people are way way too hard on Murphy. He wasn't the best, but I don't believe it is his fault the city is in financial trouble. I blame that on Harrisburg. In fifty years Murphy will be remembered as the mayor who got us the amazing convention center and spurred the North Shore development, imo.

[PghUSA]

For those not in the region this is the breakdown:

DEMOCRATS:

Long time City Councilman and Governor Rendell's W.PA. Advisor:

Bob O'Connor

http://www.boboconnorformayor.com/

County Row Officer (Elected):

Michael Lamb

http://www.lambformayor.com/

City Councilman:

Bill Peduto

http://www.billpeduto.com

Citizen Candidate:

Les Ludwig

http://www.domorewithles.com

REPUBLICANS:

Attorney:

Joe Wienroth

[Death To Johnstown]

Caught some of WQED's televised Mayor Debate last night. Everyone seemed to make at least one strong point - even "Hop" and Ludwig. Wienroth claims his campaign will kick the heat up a few notches after Tuesday, when he knows who his opponent will be.

My mind is made up 100% on who I would vote for - if i had one, that is.

Lamb is the best candidate there's offered, IMO. His platform, attitude, and demeanor is just what Pittsburgh needs.....Peduto would still be my second choice, strong.

If O'Connor--who has everyone who is important's endorsement, it seems--does indeed win as expected, hopefully he does indeed seek advice & council from both Lamb & Peduto as he hinted last night on television...

[PghUSA]

Just because Lamb or Peduto or any of the Dems lose the primary to O'Connor doesn't mean they can't run in November.

Remember that the late great Caligiuri served as an "independent" his first term because Doug Forrester won the primary . . . but Caligiuri got the last laugh in November.

Caligiruri went on to win three elections in a row and have his likeness grace City Hall's entrance.

Things could get interesting if Peduto or Lamb REALLY have a passion to lead--even as an independent on the ballot in November.

[Death To Johnstown]

KDKA is airing another debate tonight at 7. They aired a snippet of a heated discussion between Lamb and O'Connor over campaign contributions.

Lamb claims Forrest City Enetrprises has given O'C. $30,000 in campaign money to assure that the new Pittsburgh casino is built at Station Square. O'C. claims the Stabill family has lined Lamb's pockets (Lamb said it was $500 each from father & son) to get the casino built on the North Shore.

I remember O'Connor ranting months ago about how much land you can build up on the river from Station Square to house a new casino, hotel, etc. Not saying anybody's accusations are factual, just saying that some of this stuff (to paraphrase Arsenio Hall) makes you go hmmmmmmmm....