The drink tax is looking more and more like a pair of cement political overshoes handed to Mr. Onorato by those (from either side of the aisle) who do not favor his gubernatorial candidacy.
He jumped into those concrete galoshes with both feet, of course, so it's hard to blame others for his political nightmare.
The strange part is why at least some of those who support/need him must be counseling him to defend this drink tax to (political) death. Bad advice, if you ask me, and hard to understand.
Not the first time he has received and accepted bad advice on this issue. He obviously was told this problem would go away long ago, yet . . . front page of today's P-G . . . KDKA during drivetime this morning . . . then on Kevin Miller's show (I caught only about two minutes) in the afternoon . . . referendum on the way. Bad, bad juju.
Mr. Onorato's stubborn streak and his gubernatorial aspirations may prove to be incompatible.
Sure, Dan.. ram the consolidation through without a referendum, have the s**t-ass City crammed down the throats of those in the suburbs and see how many votes you get in 2010.
I agree with The Burgher. Show us the Plan and allow a referendum. 'Course, the politicians will do anything they want if it approved. "Well, things are different now and we know things we didn't know when the referendum was proposed and passed. yadayadayado." (Shades of Clinton when he proposed a tax increase right after taking office.)
I've gone on record as opposing ANY merger/consolidation that, in any way, shape or form, even allows a miniscule chance of the City's debt be assumed by the County and residents outside the City... as well as extension of bloated police, fire, EMS, public works union contracts to suburban governments. I'm outside the City for a reason.
BTW, I'm in my early 50's, spousal unit is now working in another (Southern) city due to the USAirways merger, daughter unit is in college and I can work from anywhere that has a fax, high-speed Internet, and an airport. I'd take a bath on my house if need be (but that won't happen; mortgage balance is FAR below any low-end sale price.)
Noooooooo way anybody in the city suppoprts the merger while the county is bordering on BANKRUPT and we are in the positive. All the munis merge or none. Otherwise it is just a short-term suburban cash grab so Dannyboy can lift the drink tax to save his gub goals and Lukey gets the Allegheny Conference campaign funds.....who pushed people to his 500 fundraiser? Who says this boy's not bought......The report said 'The Conference' will have zero tolerance for duplication...but it is okay to have 128 OTHER police chiefs, mayors, tax collectors.....Gimme a break. If people swallow this swill they will get what they deserve.
eastender hit the nail on the head there. Consolidation will be non-starter for tax paying city residents who will give up representation to exurban residents who seem to have nothing for animosity for anyplace that isn't on a half acre in a former cow pasture. It just will not pass unless political consolidation involves the ENTIRE county.
Although, perhaps it doesn't pass? Then the elected leader who opposed some rational form of political consolidation can just leave the status-quo and blame the failure to reform on the people.
oh danny boy
the pipes (Allegehny Conf)
the pipes (Allegehny Conf) are calling
from glen to glen
yadda yadda uadda.
Land grab
Threats "huge property tax increase."
Dan O: Hey, I just wanna tax the drinkers and car renters. Why should taxation be equitable?
Dan O: Hey, you have a real report from some guy who runs a school that says CONSOLIDATE (eliminate) THE CITY.
(Minus any detail at all). Long Live Wilmerding! Down with Pittsburgh!
I always wanted to live in a place caled the "urban service district!"
There you go...the urban service district...where the plebes live and grind out the luxuries for the noble xurban ruling class...I can't wait to serve! (oh, wait I already do. paying taxes to the county but receiving NO services)
Reading the Philly piece makes one thing apparent: the grass is always browner on your side of the fence.
Anyway, I have a hard time seeing how the sub/ex-urbanites will really go for this other than their inherent prejudice against all things urban. Fiscally they don't necessarily win out. Politically, while they get to vote for the leader of the USD, they have to deal with city machine politics again - one of the few things I can't disagree with them for escaping.
And, following a nosedive back to earth post-referendum, I doubt this will be forced on the populace a-la RRI. There is just too much political electricity here to get legislators to approve such a bill. You need some pretty fundamental rewriting of PA codes (and our Constitution, I believe) to allow a county and a municipality to merge. If the referendum fails miserably, no way people like Orie or Markosek - or even Wheatley or Ferlo for that matter - will allow such a fundamental rewriting of PA code at the risk of losing office. It would be our own mini re-enactment of the pay raise.
Well yeah but just exactly how many of the Democrats that voted for the pay raise suffered any consequences for it?
Markosek, Wheatley and Ferlo especially can do what ever he want cause he knows the true believers will turn out and pull the D lever every time no matter what they does.
Orie is the only one who needs to consider her constituents wishes. Still, the case of Melissa Hart shows that even when you act on their behalf the brain dead zombie Democrats in SWPA won't give you respect.
I'm not so sure about that. Pistella was booted. Closer to home, Kraus and Dowd beat endorsed incumbents.
The machine ain't what it used to be. It's getting harder to find parts to fix it because they're more and more obsolete by the day.
Melissa Hart? Her work on the Huge Tax Exemptions For PA Companies Paying Their CEOs $4MM Annually Act was enough to merit retirement even before she reached D.C. Running ethical interference for Tom DeLay once she got there wasn't much of a recommendation either. She wasn't the worst legislator in the history of these parts, but she never rose above mediocre. When Rep. Altmire outworked her, she lost. But all that cost her was one term, because she would have had an exceedingly difficult time surviving Election Day 2008.
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