Specific quotes from Pgh City Paper article: The Third Degree -- Third-party candidates say their perspectives deserve airing too

THE THIRD DEGREE (Main Feature Extra)
Third-party candidates say their perspectives deserve airing too
By: Charlie Deitch, Melissa Meinzer and Chris Young - October 25, 2007
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws//gyrobase/Content?oid=37509

The specific points about me in the article are re-typed below. The article starts on page 26 and ends on 27.

Meanwhile, probably the best known of the city's third party candidates, Mark Rauterkus, is running for two offices simultaniously, city controller and city council district 3. (He abandoned a mayoral run.)

Rauterkus, a South Side political advocate and vice chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, doesn't deny the third party curse.

"Conventional wisdom says my chances are not very good," he says, hit tie almost completely shielded by a name tag and two large "Elect Rauterkus" pins. "But [Libertarians] have to fight the good fight and not give up. We help to keep the other candidates honest."

For Rauterkus, that means raising questions about corporate tax incentives and other big-dollar development initiatives that have often failed to deliver the promised benefits.

"The first thing you do when you dig yourself a hole is you put the shovel down. You can't keep digging the same hole."

In his council race against endorsed D, ... Rauterkus says he could provide new energy and leadership to council's Citiparks and Youth Policy committee. Boasting his experience as a swim coach, Rauterkus says he is "phenomenally more qualified" to oversee Citiparks from a council seat than any other candidate.

As for the city controller position, Rauterkus says his opponent, Prothonotary, ... is a "Bureaucrat who won't rock the boat" while Rauterkus calls himself a "tireless, vigilant watchdog."

While he hasn't spent much money campaigning, Rauterkus say he has used his blog, Rauterkus.blogspot.com, as an open-source campaign tool.

"Mo opinions are up there for peer review," he says. "My advisers are everyone. In fact, a lot of my ideas are really just other peoples' ideas."

The article was written by three reporters: Charlie Deitch, Melissa Meinzer and Chris Young. I guess it is no wonder I get so little ink. It takes three of them to cover the third party.

BTW, my buttons are not so large. They are very attractive. Each is different. And, the text of the button is my website, Elect.Rauterkus.com. The new website and the new DVDs didn't get mentioned. But the song, "Lay the Shovel Down" -- did get great exposure.

Updated from 10 pm on the 24th.