Thursday, March 03, 2005

Rauterkus Requests Required Resignation of Fontana for good of Allegheny County

Allegheny County's Charter calls for the resignation of county council members who are candidates for other public offices.

Wayne Fontana, D., a member of Allegheny County Council is a candidate for State Senate. Rauterkus said, "I expected Fontana to push the ethical limits and resign his council seat on Monday morning at the latest." Sunday, the prior day, Fontana got the D party endorsement, and since this is a special election that insures he'll be on the ballot. He filed his papers to officially become a candidate the prior week.

Mike Wojcik, the county controller, (voice phone: 412 350-1125), Dan Onorato, the county executive and higest ranking member of the democratic party, and Rich Fitzgerald, D, council president, should pull Fontana out of his seat and tell Fontana his time on council has concluded.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

This is the third bailout. Transit bailout not a long-term solution.

Transit bailout not a long-term solution - PittsburghLIVE.com: "Transit bailout not a long-term solution

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell's bailout for the cash-strapped Port Authority of Allegheny County and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia gives the mass transit agencies two years to solve their financial problems.

A Beaver County official on the SPA who needs to approve the bailout has said "NO." He was on KQV today. His point was that the bailout only gives those in Harrisburg some cover and allows them to get off the hook. They have a duty and responsibility that is being ignored.
I am not in favor of another bailout. I hate to see the same band-aid fix being called a solution.

My approach is to go to the roots of the problems. It's broken. Lots of things are broken. The process is broken too.

I'm running to fix matters. We can't reform our ways without replacing the same old people.