Friday, February 06, 2009

District 4 City Council Race: Ho Hum...Natalia Dropping the Ball!!!

Thanks to Mark Rauterkus, I listened to Natalia Rudiak's introductory campaign speech. Ho Hum.

As a long-time, fairly active member of that community, I can honest say I never heard of Natalia or her family surname. The good news is, Natalia is now involved in the Carrick Community Council, the same organization I tried in vein to bring any life to for about five years. Good luck to her, a huge mess has been left behind.

Now I Googled her and it took a little while to find out what the young lady looked like. Ms. Rudiak is a looker. With the possible exception of Chelse Wagner (who really knows...the almost never spotted Ms. Wagner is an urban myth in my estimation), Ms. Rudiak might just be the most attractive figure in Pittsburgh politics. That's with all due respect to Mr. Rob Frank, the hardest-working Democrat the corrupt system doesn't want.

Her campaign website, until recently, contained only a link to donate. Now you can find a marginally better site. When I watched the original podcast of her speech, I held my breath when I heard her jam union rhetoric down our collective throats. That's because that 10% of the voting population is given the weight of the world in our little corner of the planet. (However she did mention empty storefronts and entrepreneurship. Those terms were non-existent in possible DJ-to-be Jimmy Motznik's jargon.)

Next up, Facebook. In 2009, a young, presumably dynamic and smart candidate doesn't have a Facebook page. Nor does she have a MySpace presence. Pittsburgh's friend Bill Peduto still updates his, or has someone do it for him. Rumor has it that Rudiak has supporters who are also pals with Mr. Peduto. You'd never know it on the technological front.

This is a race the Wagner family wants to control in the worst way. And that means planting their contractor-in-the-hole Anthony Coghill on Grant Street. The seat is almost always controlled by the Brookline and Beechview contingent of the district. Communities like Rudiak's Carrick are generally underperforming bystanders. That being noted, Motznik barely squeaked by in his re-election bid against Coghill because of Carrick voters. He in turn thanked his blue-collar, union supporters by snubbing them when it was time for the city's infamous walking around moneys. His potential District Justice seat doesn't include Carrick.

Rudiak may split the ticket with Anthony Mosesso, a decades-long mover-and-shaker in the tiny hamlet of Bon Air. Mosesso is the candidate who would take the District 4 City Council seat seriously. It's historically been nothing but a stepping-stone for young Democratic whipper-snappers. No one has taken the post seriously in many, many years. Mosesso would. Mosesso runs laps around all of the other candidates when it comes to visibility and accessibility. The guy lives for the neighborhoods.

Rudiak is THE candidate who could inject spunk into the race. It's hard to tell where School Board member Jean Fink stands. It's even harder to determine if she has any political sway whatsoever when it concerns this race.

The District 4 City Council race promises to be a good one...IF some people get into the 21st Century. It's just too bad that the district, with its huge amount of hard-working, loyal Pittsburghers, haven't been treated to a candidate who cares about them for more than 20 years.

Let's hope that changes. The RIGHT candidate has not yet stepped to the forefront.

7 comments:

Mark Rauterkus said...

I saw Pete Wagner at Theresa Smith's victory party on Tuesday night. I asked him about his thoughts on candiate Natalia.

Contrary to your posting with mention to Anthony Coghill, Pete Wagner said he has a candidate that he likes, a young guy named Reilley.

???

I don't know the spelling or anything else. But, I have it on good authority that now, sorta early in the race, the Wagner camp is going to go with the guy with the Irish sounding name.

Anonymous said...

ANY D candiate is a retread and NOT progressive or different or a different point of view that WE need. Same old, same old for Pittsburgh City Council.

Anonymous said...

"Pittsburgh's friend Bill Peduto still updates his, or has someone do it for him."

Peduto does his own Facebook page.

"This is a race the Wagner family wants to control in the worst way. And that means planting their contractor-in-the-hole Anthony Coghill on Grant Street."

Wrong. Anthony Coghill is not being supported by the Wagner family. Coghill is backed by Wayne Fontana & the Ravenstahl administration.

Pete Wagner is backing Reilley who works in Chelsa Wagners office and Chelsa is backing Rudiak in this race.

Michael Diven is going to get into the DJ race against Motznik.

Thomas Leturgey said...

I admit not knowing that the Wagners were not backing their long-time candidate, Coghill. Democratic "change" in Pittsburgh occurs as quickly as icebergs form.

Is Chelse's support like a tree falling in a forest...does anyone hear it?

Mosesso is the candidate who will treat the seat as a career. Rudiak would assuredly wait for state Representative Harry Readshaw to retire.

Anonymous said...

Pete Wagner is a crooked thug and should be locked up.

I think we've seen enough of the Wagners. It's time for new blood...with integrity.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Mr. Wagner is not going to go away soon. For starters, his brother, Jack, is gearing up for a run for Governor.

Furthermore, a younger generation Wagner, Chelsa, is in the State House.

The best medicine is to groom and support good people in community work with vibrant networks so talents can be witnessed and works bear fruit. Natalia is a bright person with proven involvement.

Nothing beats first hand experiences.

Anonymous said...

Well, let's hope that she stays away from the Wagners. I too heard that Jack is running for Governor. I hope to see him lose to Onorato.