Monday, January 30, 2006

Closing remarks. OMG: HE said: "I am sworn to represent your well being before the city of Pittsburgh." Think again!

These were my words from my closing statement from tonight's candidate forum hosted at the City Theater.

It is hard to strike up a conversation and do a mind dump in a minute-and-a-half or two minutes. One of the things that we've prepared with my campaign is a CD. It fits in 30 or 40 minutes. We'll be doing new ones as well. It has music and message. It has the Platform.For-Pgh.org on there. It is an internet web site with more than 300 pages.

My blog is very active. I publish a lot of my thoughts out loud. Finding out where I stand on issues from years ago to now is very easy.

A lot of the things that were said tonight I'll be blogging about in another half hour or so. I'd like you to take a listen to this (holding the CD in my hand).

One message is "Lay the Shovel Down."

It is not about constituent services any more. We are broke. No money is left. You can do a nice little hug, but that is about it. Okay? We have to "Lay the Shovel Down." We have to get back to the basics of being free, to have some liberty, and justice for all. And then we can take back our city and have more command of things.

It is not about, as I heard, "taking over properties." Having the city take over more properties is the wrong way.

I've called for a moratorium on all non-profit land expansion.

One other thing is that this week on Thursday, I'm hosting a house concert over at our house on 12th Street. Everybody is invited. There is a handout with the details. This is something we need to talk about. There is a lot of things going on. I hope to have a conversation with all of you. Keep your minds open as to the way this whole campaign is going to occur for the next couple of weeks. Thanks for all of your attention.


Bruce Kraus gave this close, and spoke these words. The text below is retyped from the transcripts.
Bruce Kraus said in his closing statement:

There is one thing that was said this evening that I disagree with vehemently. And that is that this is not about constituency service. This election is about you. Each and every one of you. I want to set the standard for constituency service. I want to be held up as the hallmark of constituency service.

It is easy to stand here and say what I would like to do. I would rather stand here and say what I have done. I have worked diligently my entire life in this neighborhood. This neighborhood is in my blood. It is in the air I breath..To serve this community and to make this community better for each and every one of us whether it be neighborhood cleanups, fighting for police protection, having my business here and investing in my home here, my neighbors here.

I am sworn to represent your well being before the city of Pittsburgh.

I would like to say that the date of the election is March 14. I hope each and every one of you come out. Please come out and vote. It is a very important election. This is a very important position. And we must exercise the utmost care in who we select to do this job before you. So I respectfully ask to vote for me, Bruce A. Krause, on November 14 and thank you very much for your interest in this election and for taking the time to be here tonight.



Bruce. Sigh. I do not want you to represent my well being. No thanks. For starters, I want to be self reliant. For closers, you got it all wrong as to the duty and the sworn oath.

This is a show stopper.

Listen to this .wav file. Listen well. There is a fundamental problem. The job of being on city council has an associated oath. The sworn duty isn't about what you claim it is.

Sworn duty is ... exactly this.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My Man Mark,

Why on Earth are you giving Bruce A. Krause ANY publicity?

I don't remember which is which: one is a Chamber guy and the other is a leftist guy who constantly showed up on the old Doug Hoerth "Doug and the Group." I sat in with him on one of those shows and was utterly and completely unimpressed with his grasp of Patriotism, or politics as a whole.

At this point, I don't remember which is which.

AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS RACE SHOULDN'T BE REMINDED THAT THEY'RE EVEN IN IT!!!!!!!!

Especially the leftist paper hanger!

TL

Mark Rauterkus said...

Good question. Really good question.

Some of these answers from some of the others need to see the light of day. One, for what they are. Next, for the sake of Pittsburgh and our community.

I get to pick, a bit, as to what I blog about because I want to make a sustained conversation that goes to the roots of our troubles.

If this race is just about picking a candidate and LESS or NOT about making a reversal in the FLOW of things around here -- we are going to stay in the deep mess that they have put us into.

A lot of the fuel for change comes from those who want a change -- but can't see what in the world is going on now. Blind change isn't going to cut it. Bold change that hugs us to death isn't going to cut it either.

We need to be sure that the right solutions come out on top in the end. And, as we come to those realizations and decisions, we'll need to have a significant backing to push with me on those fronts for real change once I'm elected.

My message is different and the contrasts need to be put out there for others to read and witness.

Furthermore, these candidate events and the replies being put out there need to be viewed by the others from around the region. The assembled audiences are often just the friends and family of the candidates. We need to take this political discussion to a greater audience -- such as with the internet.

My supporters have kids to raise, parents to care for, jobs and studies.... Many can't come out to a dozen debates, naturally.