Saturday, March 05, 2005

Wheaties

The slogan for the breakfast cereal, Wheaties, is breakfast of champions. The PG reporter was right. The menu was with eggs over easy. I'm not sure if anyone broke a yoke. I'd love to talk about this race, point by point. However, it is too late and the recap would put readers to sleep.

Mayoral candidates meet over breakfast He said he was the only candidate who has managed a large public office amid budget constraints. In terms of consolidation, he said he was the only one to have 'actually walked the walk, going so far as to recommend the elimination of my own position.'

Lamb isn't walking the walk in terms of speaking about the county charter's violation. Why have row-office reform when the ones in office don't behave as they should. We don't need reform, we need to read, comply and be fluid.
Les Ludwig did do a wonderful job. He nailed home the points on creativity.

The Ludwig answer to a question about development and the role retail has in that mix was astonishing. He blew me away. I expect the leaders in the audience got the points. Others on stage didn't. This was a clever, as Les didn't use the word retail, development, nor subsidy once in his answer. He talked about the customer base that is needed to make retail work. He talked about the money and a multiplier effect when we have people of all ages living here. It was as if the word "retail" was not even worth a breath of his attention.

To the uninformed, one could listen and think he was off-target and scattered in the delivery.

Then Peduto went right into the Ludwig trap. Peduto talked about the past studies that looked at the region and the six or eight core strengths: robotics, bio-tech, eco remediation, blah, blah, blah. A study was cited, something Bill Peduto can do well. But all in all, Peduto's tight focus on the business marketplace allowed him to ignore the one factor that Pittsburgh has above all others -- seniors. Pittsburgh is what it is. Pittsburgh is a mecca for growing old. with grace. Les said that there isn't one master plan that deals with home health care for the city. Zippo.

That was a great exchange for what was said, and what wasn't said.

As soon as the others learn to chew up their food and their opponents, Ludwig will be wearing the champion's belt, as awarded from the ringside judges.

In a four, five or six way debate, given the big guys with so little to say, the soaring numbers is going to be with Ludwig. But, there is a long way to go from zero.

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