KDKA TV and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette are reporting Mayor Tom Murphy wasn't the only candidate courting the support of the city firefighters union in the closely contested 2001 Democratic mayoral primary. Former City Council President Bob O'Connor, who is running for the mayoral nomination in Tuesday's primary, acknowledged yesterday that he promised firefighters in 2001 that he would not close fire stations if elected.
Murphy's dealings with the firefighters union are the subject of a current federal investigation into whether the mayor illegally traded contract enhancements for the union's political support in 2001, when he narrowly defeated O'Connor. The investigation was begun last year at the behest of O'Connor's former chief of staff, Doug Shields, who is now a member of council.
Last year, Shields called for an investigation after firefighters union President Joseph King wrote a letter to Murphy saying the mayor had agreed to contract demands worth $10 million to $12 million during the 2001 campaign in exchange for the union's political support.
May 17th is the primary election. Will the people of Pittsburgh wake up and elect a real Mayor or another talking head who owes all his buddies and will continue to oversee the demise of a great city?
2 comments:
PowerBall the sad thing is poeple like me don't get to vote for the major, since I am a Republican, I don't get to vote for mayor. True there is a "formal election" in November, but this is pittsburgh we all know the 2 parties in Pittsburgh are democrate and "Out of Office", and I can not change my party to the party of death (aka the party of abortion, aka the party of murder, aka democrates)
While understand your sense of resignation, our elected representatives are to REPRESENT US! I don't care what letter is in the brackets after your name. If you are elected you represent ALL the voters.
I no longer live in the city either. But it pains me to see a really fantastic city so corrupt and mismanaged. We must demand a change for the common good.
Post a Comment