We need shirts like that and on the sleves we'd be able to put Elect.Rauterkus.com and Platform.For-Pgh.org.
Peduto eyes changes for city appointments Democratic mayoral candidate William Peduto said yesterday that he wants to 'professionalize' appointments to city agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority or the zoning board by choosing candidates from a list developed by a third-party panel.
The two other major mayoral candidates, Michael Lamb and Bob O'Connor, have also talked about the mayor's appointment powers on the campaign trail, saying they would use them to add more minorities and women to boards.
Peduto, a city councilman from Point Breeze, said if he were mayor, anyone could apply to be on the city agencies, and a third-party panel would study the candidates and issue recommendations on appointees to the mayor.
My solution is more democratic, more elegant, more effective.
Retention votes should be a regular part of our politcal landscape in terms of boards, authorities and voter participation.
Board members should face retention votes to remain in their positions.
Furthermore, term limits make sense in most situations.
The proposed measures insert accountability into the process and inject election opportunities. These are short and mid-term steps as overall evaluations occur for each and every authority. The best long-term solution is the outright elimination of all the authorities.
With the proposed plan, the appointment powers of council, mayor, county executive (and such) would continue. However, to stay in the job, the voters would need to certify the board members with positive votes for retention.
Peduto wants to appoint a new, third party pannel to pick the appointments. Who picks the pickers? Is the third-party pannel really made from those of a third party? (joke)
Peduto could be on to something if the Green Party and Libertarian Party got to pick all the people to the various authority boards. That is an idea that could energize this city. Sadly, I suspect, Bill's idea of third-party is really just more of the same hand-picked sillyness that chokes the region.
When the elected official makes appointments to boards, then the elected official is accountable. When the boards are picked by a picking authority, then nobody is accountable.
City council gets to pick a member to the Citizen Police Academy. That person, so goes the press reports, has NOT been to a meeting of the Citizen Police Acadmey for the past year-and-a-half. That board appointment is the responsibility of the city council. City council is fumbling. The others on the board have asked for a resignation. The city council members should toss out the culprit as soon as possible.
It is time to toss the bumbs out and make accountability a real part of our public landscape.
Posts
1 comment:
Peduto eyes changes for city appointments
Thursday, April 07, 2005
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Democratic mayoral candidate William Peduto said yesterday that he wants to "professionalize" appointments to city agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority or the zoning board by choosing candidates from a list developed by a third-party panel.
The two other major mayoral candidates, Michael Lamb and Bob O'Connor, have also talked about the mayor's appointment powers on the campaign trail, saying they would use them to add more minorities and women to boards.
Pittsburgh's mayor has wide appointment powers, which can be used to push -- or block -- initiatives, largely according to the mayor's wishes. The mayor appoints all members of the URA, zoning board, planning commission, city Housing Authority, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, Stadium Authority and parking authority, and some members of Alcosan and the Sports & Exhibition Authority.
There are additional mayoral appointments to regional economic development bodies and to agencies the mayor creates on his own.
Peduto, a city councilman from Point Breeze, said if he were mayor, anyone could apply to be on the city agencies, and a third-party panel would study the candidates and issue recommendations on appointees to the mayor.
"These authorities spend hundreds of millions [of dollars] each year. We must take politics out of this process to create boards that accurately represent the interest of the citizens, not the special interests," Peduto said at a news conference yesterday.
O'Connor, the former City Council president from Point Breeze, also has said he would name professionals to city boards and try to have minorities or women fill at least 50 percent of all board seats. He also says he will name a search committee to find board members and will enforce term limits on the appointments.
Lamb, the Allegheny County prothonotary, has not made appointments a major plank of his campaign but in a related note has said he will push women-owned businesses as a part of his economic development strategy.
His campaign director said yesterday that Lamb also is committed to naming women and minorities to 50 percent of board seats.
The Democratic primary for mayor is May 17. Others seeking the party's nod include Gary Henderson of East Liberty, Hop Kendrick of Lincoln-Lemington, Les Ludwig of Squirrel Hill and Gary Repovz of Shadyside.
(Tim McNulty can be reached at tmcnulty@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.)
Post a Comment