Is there any hope for Pittsburgh? (Philadelphia, Penn: how much, purchases, school)

[mattjd]

When I see stories about how Ravenstahl spends over $250k for 250 trash cans (yes, over $1,000 per trash can!) with his name on it, it really makes me sad. I used to get upset, but I know the score. He's a Democrat, he will always win. It's a one party system in Pittsburgh and he can urinate on the Clemente statue and nobody can do anything about it. I love Pittsburgh, but knowing that this clown is guaranteed to be re-elected really makes me question how far the city can go if we allow this sort of corruption and insanity to continue. We can talk like we're special, but when it comes down to it we're no different than Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark, etc. We'll all vote for whatever Democrat crook is there until they retire or get arrested, then we'll vote for whatever Democrat crook takes over for them. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by mattjd

When I see stories about how Ravenstahl spends over $250k for 250 trash cans (yes, over $1,000 per trash can!) with his name on it, it really makes me sad. I used to get upset, but I know the score. He's a Democrat, he will always win. It's a one party system in Pittsburgh and he can urinate on the Clemente statue and nobody can do anything about it. I love Pittsburgh, but knowing that this clown is guaranteed to be re-elected really makes me question how far the city can go if we allow this sort of corruption and insanity to continue. We can talk like we're special, but when it comes down to it we're no different than Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark, etc. We'll all vote for whatever Democrat crook is there until they retire or get arrested, then we'll vote for whatever Democrat crook takes over for them. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Pittsburgh is very different in that we basically already had our economic downturn. Pittsburgh is in position to weather the times better than a lot of other cities. If you look at the education, health care and technology companies in Pittsburgh we have a much bigger potential for growth than other cities.

Just my 2 cents.

[raynist]

It is great that they are putting in more trash can's, but $1000 each?? That is absurd. They better be really nice

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by raynist

It is great that they are putting in more trash can's, but $1000 each?? That is absurd. They better be really nice

True, but I wonder what the life of a trashcan is? Do we want a $30 trashcan that has to be replaced every year or a $1000 trashcan that will last for 50 years?

I agree with you, it DOES seem absurd and the last thing we need is trashcans when there are potholes the size of nebraska on every other road, but I just wonder how much it really costs for something that will last AND can't be ruined/thrown through a storefront when the Steelers win the next superbowl

[JoeLeaphorn]

Originally Posted by mattjd

When I see stories about how Ravenstahl spends over $250k for 250 trash cans (yes, over $1,000 per trash can!) with his name on it, it really makes me sad.

Pennsylvania has a history of allowing elected representatives to use taxpayer funds to put their names on public works. Why this is remotely legal is beyond me. If any politician was serious about reform they would ban the use of taxpayer money to put the name of a politician on any public works project for at least 30 years after the leave office.

But good old West Virginia to the South does it as well, which is why we have a Robert Byrd highway.

[PeterRabbit]

The cans are ugly. They look like the River City Collection on this site:
Trash Can Depot - Garbage Cans, Waste Receptacles, Trash Containers, Witt Industries Trash Cans

In the photo I saw they are brown and even the sign on them is ugly. For that price they should have been black and gold. The nicer looking cans are cheaper. It looks like he just wanted to blow some money and get his name out there in time for the primaries in May... at taxpayer expense. He could have bought them locally and didn't.

"The Trib found that Cincinnati ($500), Philadelphia ($118) and Minneapolis ($323) each spent less on recent purchases of public trash receptacles."
Ravenstahl challenge: Got a better trash can? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[Geeo]

If I remember correctly, Mayor Sophie Masloff was criticized in the late 80s or early 90s when the city bought trash cans that cost about $1,000 each at the time. Seems that's the going rate for these almost indestructible concrete behemoths that weigh about 1,000 pounds. Stories like this make nice teasers on the local news to generate moral outrage among the taxpayers, but it's part of the cost of running a city. Pete Flaherty had his name on them ("For Pete's sake, keep it clean,") as did Masloff ("Sophie's Choice for a clean city").

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by mattjd

When I see stories about how Ravenstahl spends over $250k for 250 trash cans (yes, over $1,000 per trash can!) with his name on it, it really makes me sad. I used to get upset, but I know the score. He's a Democrat, he will always win. It's a one party system in Pittsburgh and he can urinate on the Clemente statue and nobody can do anything about it. I love Pittsburgh, but knowing that this clown is guaranteed to be re-elected really makes me question how far the city can go if we allow this sort of corruption and insanity to continue. We can talk like we're special, but when it comes down to it we're no different than Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark, etc. We'll all vote for whatever Democrat crook is there until they retire or get arrested, then we'll vote for whatever Democrat crook takes over for them. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Trash cans are VERY expensive, and the personalization of them adds to the cost. They have to be very very heavy (theft proof) and able to withstand people kicking and beating them and bumping into them with cars and trucks.

[dugdogmaster]

First everyone complains about the trash, now everyone is complaining about the trash cans being bought to limit the amount of trash everyone sees.

[mattjd]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

First everyone complains about the trash, now everyone is complaining about the trash cans being bought to limit the amount of trash everyone sees.

As another person pointed out, other cities have spent considerably less on trash cans. Come on, over $1,000 per trash can! Don't you think that is insane? People are hurting financially and this is how he takes care of our tax dollars? That's $250k out of our school system, it could have hired more policemen, they could have fixed pot holes or laid another inch of the mon-fayette expressway. I just find it kind of sick to see him spend that kind of money, then go to the mayors meeting with Obama and say he will make sure non of the stimulus money will go to waste. What a loser.