3 way, 2 way, 1 way -- highway

One can fight, fold or flee. Everyday citizens see this (see the letter to the editor below) and wonder why in the world would anyone want to enter this pile of poop. Most of the time, after it is seen once or twice, people understand. It just isn't worth it. Political life can really stink around here. So, "at the end of the day," as the cliche says, most folks resolve to say little, do little and seek the next available opportunity elsewhere. Then when the time is right and something better is evident, they leave. They flee. They vote with their feet. They hit the highway and move away.

Thanks for sharing the insights in the letter to the editor.

Speaking of tactics

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07090/773997-110.stm

I wish to respond to Dennis Roddy's statement in his March 22 article "City Candidates Removed From Primary Ballot," in which he insinuates that I, as attorney for the Patrick Dowd campaign for City Council, might have been "engaged in a tactical maneuver to winnow the field and give their candidate better odds against
the incumbent."

Apparently the incumbent's political maneuvering seems to have escaped Mr. Roddy's attention. It should be clearly noted that Leonard Bodack Jr., through Anthony Lisowski, initiated ballot challenges against both Patrick Dowd and Tom Fallon on the basis of errors in their statements of financial interests. (How much better can the odds be than to remove all challengers?)

When Mr. Bodack learned that his effort to knock Mr. Dowd off the ballot was unsuccessful, he then withdrew his challenge against Mr. Fallon. Did he suddenly change his opinion about the value of information omitted from Mr. Fallon's statements of financial interests? Or did he decide that, with Mr. Dowd now remaining in the race, a three-person contest would be more advantageous to his campaign?

These tactics, sadly, are an unfortunate misuse of the judicial system for political purposes. Mr. Bodack should be ashamed of himself and the voters in City Council District 7 should remember this on May 15.

ISOBEL STORCH, Highland Park

Pittsburgh has a brain drain, in part, because of the acts described in the letter.

The the second play in the playbook from the un-democratic democrats is shown above. The first play in their un-democratic playbook is to knock off the top challenger. Second play: don't knock off a minor challenger when there is a major challenger on the ballot. Two challengers are easier to beat than one.

Bodack's play didn't work. It backfired.

Bodack is very good at counting when you only need to use one hand.