Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Screwing Around With Campaign Finance Reform

Just yesterday, I received a press release from Kevin Evanto detailing how Dan Onorato now supports the stricter campaign finance reforms that Pittsburgh city council has passed. Instead of just ignoring this issue, he's picking up the ball and following the city's lead. This is also in spite of county council members like Amanda Green who say: "It's not a priority for me. I'm not hearing from constituents that it's a priority for them either." I'm happy that Dan has decided that ethics are a priority for the county.

However, it's only fitting that within hours of making me pleased, I learn that precious Dan bursts my bubble by giving a "loan" from his campaign war chest to the war chest of precocious Lukey. Thanks to PGH Comet for pointing this out. Lukey, whose million dollar safety net had previously dwindled to around $350,000. If the way he's managing this campaign is indicative of the way he's managing the city, he definitely needs to be displaced by Dowd who is working with a war ottoman of less than $75,000. But more importantly, how can you take a "loan" from the county executive while both of you are claiming to support campaign finance reform? Am I sensing that a loophole to the new law has already been found? Or is this another thank-god-i-vetoed-the-campaign-finance-reform-bill-last-summer exception?

Maybe Doc Harris or another independent will have a chance in this race as poor Lukey will be out of money and all he'll have to show for it is a black and gold themed website built in North Carolina and some tired commercials.

Or maybe Dowd or Robinson (who both happened to use Pittsburgh design firms to build their websites) will pull out a victory in this David and David and Goliath race.

Whatever the case, Danny-boy is clearly rooting for Lukey, leaving us all to wonder why. Does Danny like posing with Luke that much? Is he afraid Dowd or Robinson won't issue nice soundbites with him? Is he trying to stop Luke from moving on to the Governor's race? (hahahahaha) Or maybe he just wants someone in his pocket when he reaches the highest office in the state? Whatever the case, it's another week of questionable ethics in Pittsburgh. But wouldn't Peduto be out of a job if everybody started playing by the rules?

2 comments:

EdHeath said...

Yeah but Onorato didn't give the Mayor money, he loaned the Mayor a $150,000 dollars. So, in our City of 300 some thousand, which probably has maybe 150,000 adults actually working (or collecting social security), if we hold a job or get a government check we need to give the Mayor a buck, so he can pay Dan back. Otherwise the Mayor might have to pay for his own Steelers tickets.

Bram Reichbaum said...

I'm impressed. I don't get stuff from Onorato. One too many wisecracks, possibly.