WTAE TV: Pgh, PA Residents Petition to Impeach Mayor

[JM]

Sorry, no link yet.

Pittsburgh residents are petitioning the courts to have Mayor Murphy impeached for mismanagement. The city is facing a $60mm shortfall and has laid off 700+ workers to stay solvent through the end of this year.

According to the news report, only 20 signatures are required to start the process, which is to file in Common Pleas Court in Allegheny County. I am not certain what the next steps are.

This sucks. I do not like Murphy as a Mayor, but I don't like putting people in only to remove them when you don't like their decisions either. I am wondering if it can be challenged based on voting record of the signators on the petition. There has to be something unconstitutional about someone who did not vote in the election to put someone in office having the right to override the vote of someone who did vote.

Later,
JM

[Girlfriday]

1. I agree with you

but this has been coming for quite a while. This petition popped up right after he was re-elected. I can't remember all the ins and outs but I do remember someone saying that the effort is more trouble than it is worth. Some people just can't stand the one party rule that the Dems have enjoyed for so long. And if we are honest, the city's political landscape is pretty screwy. But I totally agree that
this recall BS has got to stop!

[JM]

6. The real problem...

...recall or not, is the Western PA political landscape is so inbred there are no candidates coming in with new ideas. The same retreads keep circulating around until a position opens up above them.

Later,
JM

[Lars39]

2. It only takes 20 signatures!!!! That just shouldn't be.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

4. That has to be wrong

Give me a couple cases of beer and I could find twenty people who would sign damned near anything.

[JM]

7. Screw that...

...Go to the Heinz field parking lot an hour before a Steeler game and I can guarantee you over 20,000 signatures for just about anything. You wouldn't even need to buy the beer...

Later,
JM

[bleedingheart]

3. I agree with you, Murphy was elected to serve now let him serve

and then boot him.

I also think this will fail when cheap western Pennsylvanians find out how much it will cost to run a city election for just a recall.

Did you hear what they said about Hafer endorsing Onorato? Basically Roddey has been sitting on his ass and he hasn't gone to the state for needed funds for the city...

[JM]

5. Agreed

Roddey's success has been on the back of Allegheny County homeowners. He would have had no budget to play with if he hadn't screwed up the assessment program so badly. My property taxes went up a total of about 120% under Roddey.

Later,
JM

[anti_shrub]

9. Roddey's such a punk-ass

His blatant lying in his campaign ads and his "I'm shocked you would think I make stuff up" attitude sicken me.

[JM]

10. I can't tell you how many moderate...

...Repubs I have talked to in Allegheny County who are voting for Onorato...

He is a punk, but until the AC Dem Committee gets of it's collective ass and actually DOES SOMETHING, the Repubs will keep banging on the door.

Later,
JM

[benfranklin1776]

11. Yep. The ones who should be recalled are the Republican leadership

...in the state legislature. They elected to take the entirety of the month of August off even though a final state budget has yet to be passed. The city has requested help numerous times and has been rebuffed. Murphy is faced with a not so unique problem in that a growing number of people live outside the city but work in it. Also the legislature in their "infinite wisdom" has granted some of Pittsburgh's biggest corporations exemptions from business taxes that other less politically connected businesses pay and there is huge chunk of real estate in the city (approximately 40%) which has been granted tax exempt status by the legislature since it is owned by large non profit corporations and foundations. This has created a perfect budget storm.
Real relief will have to come from the legislature in the form of allowing an increase in the occupational privilege tax, which I and other non city residents pay, and stands at a ludicrously low ten dollars and hasn't been raised since 1966. Also the tax exemptions for the big companies have to go and there has to be some form of revenue sharing to compensate for the loss of revenue from the tax exempt land as the legislature has granted to counties which contain tax exempt state parks. Murphy, whom I have no great love for, since to me he is a DINO, is nevertheless not to blame. He is now cutting to the bone and through it in terms of spending. He is down to laying off police, firefighters and EMS personnel. Even if you removed him the problems still exist and will not be solved until the legislature ceases to be obstructionist.

[JM]

8. Link

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/2546035/detail.html

[chookie]

12. I will vote for impeachment *if*:

and only if Viggo Mortensen will run for Mayor of Pittsburgh.
:evilgrin:

Gee, I wonder if Richard Mellon Scaife is bankrolling this one? And I bet it can't wait until after the 2004 presidential election either, huh?

I have not lived in Pittsburgh long, but although I have heard that government here is as inbred and stagnant as it can get -- I am a bit wary of the kind of change that the promoters of this impeachment drive *really* have in mind. I'll take stagnation over jackboots any day....

BTW -- smirky's man Mike Fisher was rejected by the electorate, so I guess Rendell will have to go to.