Comment Archives: stories: Blogs
Re: “Arts Funding Protest Draws Mayoral Candidate”
Dear readers, you can make your voice heard on this issue by signing the petition at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/enforce-p…. Our final day is for signatures is Monday, Tuesday, election day, the petition will be delivered to sitting officials and all candidates. Thank you and yes, we are on Twitter @PGH4ART.
Re: “The Composure covers "Closing Time," plays Altar tonight”
Did you even listen to that whole CD Andy? Have you forgotten about singing in my sleep!?! that was SOLID GOLD! If this paper wasn't so free I'd ask for my money back! Love, @kidurango http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MELV6h9JPE
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
"Mr. Peduto is afraid to see a day in which all Pittsburghers are realizing prosperity.."
What an outrageous statement from Wheatley. Loosing more and more respect for him by the day.
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
Thanks. She was i.d.'d as Cross Barden and Cross Bolden down in the story. I missed the first reference to her as Maureen Bolden.
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
@ Chris Zurawsky -- I did ask her whether she was related to Frank Bolden. She said she was not.
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
Is Cross related to former famous Courier journalist Frank Bolden, or failed casino owner Don Barden? Either connection would be interesting.
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
"And we as an organization don't like to be brought into the political arena as pawns. That’s not what we’re about."
That's because the FOP prefers to go into the political arena as kings. But that shouldn't be what Pittsburgh's about.
I don't know if there is a more disgraced institution in the Pittsburgh area than the Pittsburgh police. Their endorsement should be poison to anyone who encounters it. Imagine if the Turnpike Commission endorsed someone.
Re: “War of words escalating in final days of mayoral campaign”
Wheatley is polling at 8% and is partially (somewhat significantly) bankrolled by Chairman Ravenstahl, who is also running the campaign's most desperate and silly attack ads against Peduto. And he's part of Ravenstahl's Stadium Authority, and has toed the line on its exclusionary development practices. So you figure it out. Peduto actually has put forward more concrete proposals for addressing segregated opportunity in Pittsburgh than has Wheatley. That's one real reason Ravenstahl hates Peduto so much, that and the corruption allegations Wheatley has never bothered to make about this administration, scandal-plagued and stained though it has been.
I believe Pittsburgh is going to see a black Mayor in my lifetime, maybe soon, but in my opinion State Rep. Jake Wheatley does not remotely have the stuff.
Re: “In mayor's race, intriguing footprints on the money trail”
why would this contractor make a donation to jack wagner's campaign if they have no relationship, as the campaign spokesman said? it makes no sense. i think rogers wants the gravy train that luke gave him to continue and is supporting luke's guy. i wonder how the wagner campaign got the employer wrong and listed the law firm of a person who said he didn't support the campaign. that seems a little fishy to me.
Re: “In mayor's race, intriguing footprints on the money trail”
"And in a race where Peduto's camp has denounced attack ads financed by interests friendly to Wagner, is it hypocritical for Peduto to receive backing from an outside group financed by his backers?"
Aren't all candidates' funds from outside groups who back them? Can we make the comparison of what they say in their "phone banks" to the content of those negative ads? And does the PAC deny support for Peduto as Ravenstahl does of Wagner?
Re: “New Wagner ad appeals to young voters”
I'm sold. Sara Wagner for mayor!
But seriously (no, seriously) my gut reaction was that, at least subconciously, this is an ad for the parents and grandparents as much as the young'uns--Sara's so darn proud of her old man that she's not afraid to say it publicly. And gosh darn it, dad's proud of her, too!
Re: “Analyzing Keystone Analytics”
Bram, I really an not sure what you are arguing. If you have some analysis of the 2005 election I'd be glad to comment on it. But if you just comparing voter participation in 2005 to what is anticipated this year there are lots of issues with just comparing one percentage. For mayor there were more candidates in 2005 and more candidates (with pretty independent bases) will always drive up turnout. Older voters vote pretty consistently each election cycle so any variation in voter participation is going to be in younger voters. I actually believe there was some turnout bump in that election because of the 2-3 DOZEN court candidates that year. Judge races are not usually a draw, but many of those folks had niche support that came out for that race and many may not even have voted in the mayoral race. Given so many of them it adds up pretty fast. The demographic changes in the city since then are another matter. Today a larger proportion of the population in the city under 30 is made up of enrolled college students which generally vote less than non-students, but that is a topic unto itself.
Anyhows... You have probably seen this before since I have posted it a bunch of times in the past. Here is most of the major election returns for the city going back to 1999 or so. If you see any other relevant patterns feel free to use:
www.briem.com/data/CityPittsburgh_Election_Data.xls
Re: “Analyzing Keystone Analytics”
Chris, what's your explanation for 2005? Did John Kerry energize the young people in a way that carried over to the spring?
Re: “Analyzing Keystone Analytics”
Misexplained that once sentence. D registration under age 35 in city of Pittsburgh looks to be down a bit over 5% over last 4 years.
Re: “Analyzing Keystone Analytics”
Since that was kind of direct. I concur that City of Pittsburgh Democratic Party votes cast in the 2009 primary works out to 12% under age 35. I'd be a bit cautious about casting aspersions for a number of reasons. That election came immediately after the fall 2008 general which had very anomalous impacts on younger voter participation. Current Democratic party registration in the city of Pittsburgh looks to be down over 5% from the time of the 2009 primary. Elderly registration looks to me to be down under 4%, so that may be close to a wash, but number registered between 40-64 looks much unchanged. So the weights are not going to match 2009 no matter. If you try to reweight results from a credible poll (and I'm not characterizing this poll any one way or another) you are doing exactly what the 'unskewed' guy did last fall. That didn't work out so well. It if is not a credible poll to begin with, then it makes no sense to use it at all, reweighted or not.
I'll try and address the registration by district later.
-CB
Re: “Analyzing Keystone Analytics”
Keystone Politics (a blog not to be confused with the outfit Keystone Analytics) points out that KA projects 18-34 year olds will make up 7% of the electorate next Tuesday, when they have comprised 12 and 13% of it in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Percentages being what they are, that means more mature groups are also being overrepresented in the poll. That doesn't mean KA is skewing things intentionally, but it's an odd decision on their part meriting an ask.
Peduto's base has enough experience with Ravenstahl that it is inoculated against complacency.
Re: “Wheatley spokesman on Luke's $10k gift: "We were just as surprised as anybody"”
Walking like a duck (Wheatley and staff assailing Peduto while ignoring Wagner) and quacking like a duck (funded by Ravenstahl who is also running attack ads on Peduto). That's a duck... specifically, a duckling trailing behind this lame duck regime.
Re: “Inside SCI-Wexford (AKA Joan Orie Melvin's House)”
It is her house. This is the address on every court-related document.
Re: “Arts Funding Protest Draws Mayoral Candidate”
For readers who would like to see the visually engaging and fun-filled event, here is a photo album: http://tinyurl.com/AllEyesOnArt