Pittsburgh youth movement underway

[PghUSA]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06003/631821.stm

Luke Ravenstahl, only 25 years old, has been elected to a two year term as City Council President, a post in which he filled in for the departing Gene Riccardi since early December. For those of us that thought that the best thing for the inner catacombs of Grant Street was some Gen X type leadership and perspective this is very good news. I am also encouraged by O'Connor's "open goverment" movement recently!

[blueblackcat]

Pittsburgh politics are so weird! Him being the only nominee and then his father the judge swearing him in, that seems like something of a non-event in my book. Somehow he doesn't strike me as fully representative of this generation's perspective, but that's just my hunch. Why did he actually get selected? Did nobody else want the job, or is he really a rising star? Then again, with some of the recent leadership on the City Council, including O'Connor, it wouldn't take much would it? I have heard some great things about him, that he's very logical and pragmatic. I hope he can make a real difference, because the council really needs to start playing a different role than a holding pen for scared stodgy old men.

BTW, 25 yr olds don't belong to the Gen Xers anymore, altho I've heard a dozen different names and dont know what we're actually supposed to call ourselves. The Gen Xers are the last generation who were expected to live better off than their parents, while we're pretty much past that point. So how about getting more of a working class kid with a good education up there, since that's what our generation is turning into? While the Gen-Xers in their heyday were the Slackers and Day Traders and BMW 3-series drivers, we are the corporals and barristas trying to make it through college cos being middle class isn't what it used to be. The recession has stiffled this generation from gaining prominence fast and easy, but we are definitely going to be a tougher and smarter bunch than the last. IMHO.

[PghUSA]

^^blue, from what I heard there was fixing to be a fight over council presidency (after all it is a heartbeat away from being mayor).

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05341/618241.stm

My biggest beef with being tougher and smarter then the last generations is every time Uncle Sam reaches into my paycheck for Social Security contribs, I've made more in the stockmarket then Uncle has made with my SS, and that is never coming back to me. Fatsturds!