Parking Rejects Bond Review Proposal

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority Board has put the breaks on City Council’s plans to fund the pension program by selling its parking assets. By a 3-2 vote, the board rejected a proposal by Pittsburgh City Councilwoman and board member Natalia Rudiak that would have sent out a request for proposal to get bids to review the viability of a $220 million bond issuance. Specifically, the RFP would have asked for bids to appraise the assets, hire a consultant to look at what rates could be charged, hire a financial advisor to review the viability of the bond and hire bond council to look at the tax status of such a bond. Some members of council and the Pittsburgh Controller believe it would be a tax exempt bond but the mayor’s office disagrees. The City Council was hoping the Parking Authority would approve the proposal and then eventually let the bond and purchase a city owned garage, 5 surface lots and miles of parking meters. Rudiak reminded board members that they were only voting for an RFP, not to purchase the assets. Board member and City Finance Director Scott Kunka called that a “ruse” and voted no. Christopher D’Addario followed suit and board member Linda Judson voted no saying she did not think the Parking authority was where such a review process should begin. Judson says council could do the work but she added that if the city council were to hire consultants she hopes the board would have input into the review process. Natalia Rudiak says the idea is not dead and she will return to council members to look at other options. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says he is drawing up a budget that assumes the pension will be taken over by the state. During the public comment portion of the meeting Mayor Ravenstahl told the board that he would not support any plan that put the city further into debt. “It is irresponsible to open a new credit card to pay for an old credit card,” says Ravenstahl. He says the vote was a waste of time.

Market Square Opening

Although it never fully closed, Market Square was fully reopened at a small ceremony on Tuesday morning. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl joined Rob Stephany of The Urban Redevelopment Authority, Mike Edwards of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Jason Capps, owner of Bella Sera- Urban Trattoria and others to celebrate the completion of the renovation.

"Today our vision for this public space became a reality," he said, referring to the closure of the roads that ran through the historic space, widened sidewalks, tree plantings and making the square more of a public space with plenty of outdoor seating.

The renovations cost $5 million dollars.

Council and Mayor Spar Over Pension

More than four hours of debate, lecturing, name calling, and posturing in Pittsburgh City Council Chambers today all boiled down to a single question. The question posed to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl by Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Krauss came more than three and half hours into the meeting, “So we are at a stalemate?” Ravenstahl answered, “That’s a fair word, sure.” That short exchange may have made all of the other talk around the conference table moot.

The council has rejected the Mayor’s plan to fund the pension program up to at least 50% through the lease of parking assets for the next 50 years and the Mayor says he will not support the council’s plan to sell assets to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to fund the pension program. If the city does not get its pension program up to the 50% funded level by the end of the year state law will force the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System to seize control of the pension’s assets and layout a schedule to make the plan fully funded within the next 30 years. Everyone agrees a take over by the PMRS will lead to higher minimum payments. How large those payments will be should be known by the end of next week but the Mayor’s office has estimated it will cost the city an additional 27 million dollars next year.

The meeting opened with Mayor Ravenstahl outlining why he thought the council’s plan was irresponsible. He says it is based on what he believes to be an erroneous assumption that a bond floated by the Parking Authority would be tax exempt. If the IRS deems the bond to not be tax-free it would increase the interest rate by 2 to 3 percent. The council disagrees. While pension bonds are usually taxable, City Controller Michael Lamb and Councilman Patrick Dowd argue that it is would be a bond to purchase an asset, not a pension bond. The Mayor also believes the plan puts the parking assets at risk. Council moved its plan partially based on the argument that it keeps “public assets public” while the Mayor’s plan would give control of the assets to a private company. Ravenstahl says the poor financial condition of the city and the parking authority, coupled with the poor condition of the garages means “it is a very real possibility” that the authority would default on the bond. “That means that the public assets would become the assets of Wall Street,” says Ravenstahl. Under the lease deal the assets return to the city in 2051.

The meeting nearly disintegrated after the Mayor’s presentation when he began to asking councilwoman Natalia Rudiak questions about the viability of the plan and its chances of being accepted by the Parking Authority. Council President Darleen Harris scolded the Mayor for asking questions saying a post agenda meeting is intended to help the council gather information, not to launch a debate.

After cutting to the heart of the mater with his question to the mayor, Councilman Bruce Kraus suggested that the council should stop looking at either plan and instead begin talking about how to best deal with a state pension take over. “So lets be honest and call it what it is and begin to do our due diligence and make certain that however the state is to administer this plan it become administered in the most efficient manner with the least impact on services that need to e delivered and the least impact on city employees,” says Krauss. Councilman Ricky Burgess says all of the council’s efforts to derail the mayor’s plan were aimed at forcing a state takeover and them put the blame on the mayor.

At one point Councilman Bill Peduto suggested that the city should look at a hybrid plan. He says the city should consider increasing parking rates on the same schedule as is suggested under the Controller’s plan and then use those funds to help cover the increased pension payments that would come following a state takeover.

Council Rejects Parking Lease, Angers Firefighters

On a 7 to one vote with one abstention today, Pittsburgh City Council officially rejected Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposal to lease parking authority assets to a private company in an effort to shore up the underfunded pension fund. The 50-year lease would have resulted in more than $450 million dollars for the city. $220 million of it would have been used to raise the pension program above the 50% funded level to avoid a state takeover. After the vote the firefighters who had packed the council chambers gathered in the hall to listen to their president Joe King. King rallied his members by painting a picture of a city budget that he says will be 25-32 million dollars in the red. “All of this debt is going to fall on the
Home owners and the employees and the businesses of this city, “ says King, “ and I’ll tell you who should be held accountable, those nine people in there.” King says the firefighters will remember the vote when they go to the poles next year. He then called on council to reduce the city’s budget by reducing the size of city council. King warned his members that he believes the city will begin to “brown out” the department. He says the city cannot layoff firefighters so it will selectively, temporarily close firehouses to save on overtime. King says, “this is not about safety, this is about money.”

Council still has several options before it. A plan created by city controller Michael Lamb and sponsored by Council members Darlene Harris, Natalia Rudiak and Patrick Dowd calls for the city to sell the parking garage lots and meters it owns to the Parking Authority for $220 million dollars. That money would then be used to shore up the pension fund. The Authority would have to issue a bond to cover the cost. The proposal also gives the authority the ability to set rates without council approval. Dowd admits that it will lead to hire parking rates but he says the increase will be much less than if the assets were leased to a private company. “Given the choice between handing over the assets to a private company or a public authority, I’ll take the authority every time,” says Dowd.

Councilman Doug Shields says he will listen to the details of the controller’s pan at a meeting and debate it in council tomorrow but for now he still likes the idea of a state take over of the pension plan. He notes it is the only option that puts the pension plan on a 30-year path to being fully funded.

Voting for the lease deal was Ricky Burgess. Theresa Kail-Smith abstained.



LAZ Parking issued a written statement following council’s no vote expressing its disappointment. It reads in part, “Our expertise in operating, investing in and managing parking systems around the country would have provided great benefits to the City, its residents, visitors and downtown commuters…. Over the past several weeks we have had the opportunity to speak with members of Council and made several suggested amendments to be sensitive to the matters raised by Council Members.” The company says it will have other opportunities in other cities looking to better manage their parking assets and tackle fiscal challenges. The statement ends, “Our hope is that the City of Pittsburgh and other municipalities and government agencies around the country learn how important it is in a process like this one to have alignment between City Council Members, the Office of the Mayor and other important stakeholders.”

Police Review Board to Pursue Charges Against Harper

The Ravenstahl Administration and Pittsburgh City Council remain at odds with the Citizen Police Review Board (CPRB) over the board's attempt to force Police Chief Nate Harper to surrender police documents regarding the G20 summit last fall.

The board wants the papers to complete an investigation into the police department’s handling of the September 2009 summit. 188 people were arrested and according to the CPRB at least a dozen people filed complaints against police.
City Council this week passed a resolution urging the review board to "align" its pursuit of documents with the legal process of pending lawsuits.

City Council and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl say releasing the documents could put lawsuits involving the G20 Summit in jeopardy.

But CPRB Executive Director Beth Pittinger says that’s irrelevant – Harper is bound by a Common Pleas Court order to relinquish the documents. She says the city shouldn’t worry about the information leaking anyway:

“Their disclosure to us is not disclosed to the public. We’re bound to confidentiality in the ordinance with a long-standing agreement with the city regarding confidentiality. It’s not their place to decide what, and when, and where we get information.”

Pittinger says the CPRB will continue its attempt to find Harper in contempt of court. She says that would probably put daily fines of about $600 on the city until the documents are released to the board.

CPRB has a court date for that action on Friday.

ALCOSAN Nomination to be Reviewed

The Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board has agreed to review Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's nomination of his brother, Adam Ravensthal to the Allegheny County Sanitary Board. Councilman Bill Peduto asked the ethics board to determine if the appointment is legal. Sister Patrice Hughes, who chairs the ethics board, says they will discuss the nomination at their June 11th meeting. The mayor nominated his brother May 19, a day after Adam Ravenstahl won a special election to serve out the term of former State Representative Don Walko, who is now an Allegheny County judge. City Solicitor says the nomination is lawful because it's up to council whether to approve it or reject it.

Chatham Students Protest Electronically

Chatham University students took to their cameras today to protest Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s proposed tax on college tuition.

More than 100 of the school’s on-campus population of about 600 wrote personalized messages on white boards and sent photos of themselves to the mayor’s office.

Chatham Class of 2010 President Jenn Hollern says the students were tired of being politely ignored.

“We’ve written letters, written editorials, written to the newspapers. We’ve talked with members of Council, tried to talk with the mayor but haven’t been successful, says Hollern. “We’ve called with emails. We’ve done all of these peaceful, not-so-aggressive tactics and obviously gotten no results, so we wanted to organize a protest.”

Hollern says they were too busy with final exams to organize in the flesh, but she says this electronic version only helps the students’ appeal by showing their ingenuity and value to the city.

“This way of organizing shows that beautifully,” says Hollern.

She says the students have been taken as "financial hostages" to get the city's educational institutions to pay more to Pittsburgh in lieu of taxes.

The students’ protest pictures can be found on Facebook, and a 30-second video clip has been sent to all City Council members and the mayor.

Bill Would Require Good Wages at City Developments

A bill that would provide good wages and benefits to workers employed at new city-subsidized developments has been introduced by Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields.

Janitors, food service workers, grocery store employees, and certain hotel workers stand to gain from the bill, which seven of nine council members sponsored.

Shields says one opponent of the legislation is Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office, which he says put forth propaganda against the bill as soon as the idea was brought up.

Shields says many developers also oppose his bill, but he respects their position.

“It’s a fairly risky business, now more so than ever,” says Shields. “But at the same time, you’ve got to look at the big picture. You’ve got to look at the overall health and welfare of this community.”

A public hearing on the legislation will be held Thursday, December 10, at 2:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

A final vote on the proposition could come as early as Tuesday, December 15.

Solicitor Nominee Gets Grilling but no Public Hearing

Despite a long list of signatures on a petition the Pittsburgh City Council has decided to not hold a public hearing on the selection of a new city solicitor. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has nominated 34-year-old Daniel Regan to replace George Specter who is moving to the Urban Redevelopment Authority. South Side residents asked for the public hearing after they learned that Regan is one of three partners at the law firm of Caputo and Caputo. That firm represents several bars on Carson Street including one that has a case pending against the city contesting an ordinance to limit the number of bars in a neighborhood and another bar that Councilman Bruce Kraus, who represents the South Side, says is flagrantly defying liquor laws. The petition had the required number of signatures to call for a hearing but missed the deadline by weeks. A hearing request must come within three days of a bill or nomination being introduced. In the past the council has ignored the time restriction but by a split vote decided to enforce the rule in this instance. Before the vote was taken council members asked a few questions about qualifications including time practicing the law and experience with municipal law and issued a few warnings about how political the position could become with the mayor’s office and nine council members all placing demands on the legal department. Kraus grilled Regan on his dealings with the bars and questioned his ability to set aside those allegiances. He says, “I have an attorney who is presently suing me at the table asking me to hire them as my attorney and I’m struggling.” Regan repeatedly told Kraus that he did not feel there was a conflict of interest and if there ever was a conflict he would take steps to make sure safeguards are put in place to prevent even the appearance of impropriety. He says, “I can defend the ordinance and I will defend that ordinance.” Council is expected to take a vote on Regan’s appointment next week.

ICA Gets New Budget

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has submitted a revised 2010 budget to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. The ICA board rejected the first budget submitted by the mayor in September saying it was not based on legal and reliable revenues. Board Chair Barbara McNees said at the time the 1% tax on tuition was not allowed under state law and could not be included I the budget. The mayor reportedly found $15 million in cost savings and revenue enhancements including upward adjustments to some existing revenue streams and the addition of some new one-time income sources. ICA Executive Director Henry Sciortino says the authority has 15 days to review and vote on the budget. He says staff has begun the process and he sees no reason why the deadline would not be met. If the ICA rejects the spending plan the Mayor will have to continue to resubmit budgets until he gets the needed votes. After the ICA approves the spending plan city council must approve the budget by December 31st.

Public Hearing Held On Proposed Student Fair Share Tax

Pittsburgh City Council today held a public hearing on the proposed 1% student fair share tax. Over 100 hundred students from Pittsburgh Colleges and Universities packed the Council Chambers and spoke out against the proposed tax. City Councilman Jim Motznik addressed the students before the hearing began and told them that Pittsburgh is only targeting them because the non-profits and universities in the city are not giving their fair share. Councilwoman Darlene Harris shared that sentiment saying that she doesn't want to have to tax students but has to find a way to fill the $15 million budget gap. Students who spoke at the hearing tried to paint a picture of a future Pittsburgh with less students attending college as a result of the tax. Many students spoke about how education is a right and not a privilege. University of Pittsburgh Student Government Association board member Charles Shull says it is obvious to him that Pittsburgh has mishandled its budget and is taking it out on students.

Council is set to take a preliminary vote on the measure December 9th and final vote on December 15th. The proposed student fair share tax is Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's attempt to fill a $15 million budget gap to fund the city's ailing pension fund. The proposed tax would apply to any student that attends a university or college in Pittsburgh and would vary student by student depending on the amount of their tuition. City Council is split on the legislation but currently has enough support to approve it by a 5-4 vote. Riefenstahl's budget, which included the proposed tax, was shot down by the state appointed Inter Governmental Cooperation Authority. The Mayor has urged members of Council to approve the tax even though questions on the tax's legality abound.

Ravenstahl: We’ll Pass The Tax

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says he is going ahead with his 1% tax on tuition paid to Pittsburgh colleges and universities and he will let the lawyers sort it out in court. Ravenstahl says he will be separating the 2010 budget and the tuition tax and moving forward with both at the same time. The mayor will build a balanced budget without the $16 million from the tax and submit that to council and the oversight boards. He says that budget will be full of one-time revenues sources and Band-Aids but it will not include major cuts to city services. At the same time, the 5 members of council (Ricky Burgess, Darlene Harris, Theresa Kail-Smith, Tonya Payne, Jim Motznik) on his side will pass what he calls the “fair share tax.” In the New Year the city will try to collect the tax and Ravenstahl says he expects the schools to file suit to stop him. He says, “We will win that fight.”

The administration will also have to submit a 5-year plan. Ravenstahl says that document will also not include the tuition tax but it will have to include cuts to public safety, parks and public works.

The mayor and the 5 council members say they are willing to negotiate with the non profits in the city to find a way to add $16 million to the $1.6 million already expected in the form of payments in lieu of taxes. They say if that happens they will kill the tuition tax altogether. Ravenstahl says, “I hate the tax,” however he says he feels he has no other choice. To his critics, Ravenstahl says if they have a better plan he wants to hear it.

Ravenstahl says he is focusing on the universities because they use more city services than the hospitals and other non-profits. He will not be asking the state legislature to approve the tax. He is not taking that route partially because he feels there is no need to get the authority and partially because he feels there are better options if the legislature is to get involved. He lists an increase of the commuter tax from $52 to $144 a year and an extension of the payroll prep tax to non-profits among them.

Councilman Jim Motznik says if students and their parents want to be mad they should not look at the mayor or council, they should look to the universities that have not been paying their fair share.

Penguins Rally Pumps Up Fans

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato hosted a Pittsburgh Penguins rally today at Market Square, in addition to deeming this Tuesday “Black and Gold Day” for the city of Pittsburgh. The event was in support of the Penguins’ first home game of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins’ mascot, Iceburgh, joined Gateway High School Cheerleaders and the mayor in leading a hearty “Let’s go, Pens!” chant. Also at the event were the band Kardaz and the Jimmy Adler Band, who played classic swing tunes with a Penguins lyrical twist. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank was on the scene collecting food and monetary donations as well. Penguins fan Robin Douglas says she’s not worried about being down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final series. “I believe the Pens can come back... They have the spirit, they have the guts, they have the game plan, and their strategies are intact. I think if they remain confident they can pull it out tonight,” says Douglas.

Mayor Not Happy About Reporters Laughing at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says he was “somewhat insulted” when he heard that reporters were snickering when Pittsburgh was announced as the host location for the G20 meeting in September. Ravenstahl says the city has been trying to overcome that image for a long time and this event will help. He says the battle is getting people to Pittsburgh because once they visit they always leave raving about how great the city is. Ravenstahl says work on forming a host committee for the event is underway. He says the committee will include “the leaders of Pittsburgh” including corporate leaders, non-profit leaders and government officials. He says the planning for an event like this needs to be very detailed. He says that ranges from logistics and public safety to selecting locations to take visitors outside of the summit’s meetings. He says there are plenty of things in the region that he would like to highlight for the visitors but he will leave the final choice up to the host committee. Ravenstahl says he has already started getting calls from businesses and community leaders who say they are excited about the potential income tat will be generated by the event itself and the potential for stronger businesses ties with the rest of the world.
Ravenstahl says the selection process started about three weeks ago and it was hard to keep it under wraps but he says the White House said if there was a leak Pittsburgh would fall out of contention.
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Michael Huss says he is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and will be calling in support not only from federal agencies but from other police departments in the region as well. He says they will be ready to handle the security needs of the officials and the potential crowd control needs. He says at this point he is not going to tell people to avoid downtown during the meeting. He says he “sees no reason why the city should stop just because we are having this event.” Huss says all officers are being informed that they should plan to be on duty during the two-day event. Right now there are no plans to change the date of the Great Race. It is scheduled for just two days after the last G20 session.

Ravenstahl Not Magnanimous in Victory

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl grabbed 59% of the vote in yesterday’s three way democratic mayoral primary for the city of Pittsburgh. Councilman Patrick Dowd came in second with 28% and Lawyer and former Pittsburgh Police officer Carmen Robinson rounded out the field with 13%. Ravenstahl says keeping the budget in the black will continue to be a top priority of his administration but he has an 11-point blue print for the city that includes other items such as public safety, diversity and government transparency. Ravenstahl says the city is poised for a third renaissance and he is looking forward to rolling up his sleeves and getting to work like those who have come before him for the last 250 years. He says its residents have built the city in the past and the residents will do it again. At his election night party, Patrick Dowd, told supporters he wants to "continue the conversation" that began during his mayoral campaign. Dowd was a schoolteacher before he entered politics and he says this election was kind of like taking a test. He says he's looking forward to seeing the final tallies so he can see where voters liked him, and where he could have done better. It's all a learning experience, he says. And one thing Dowd says he's already learned is that it's hard to compete when your campaign war chest is so much smaller. Dowd says the candidates had their differences and that was a good thing. He says, "it was important to get in and take a stand on these issues, and make sure Pittsburghers had a choice on these issues. And I think we had three good choices in this election." Carmen Robinson says she is also ready for more after running her first campaign. She says she was pleased with the campaign she ran but was disappointed at voter turnout levels. She says running for office is “in her blood” and she cannot wait until four years from now to try again. During his acceptance speech Ravenstahl congratulated Carmen Robinson for her campaign but did not mention Patrick Dowd with whom he clashed regularly on the campaign trail and on Grant Street over the last several months. Ravenstahl says his mother taught that if he had nothing nice to say he should say nothing at all and that is what he chose to do election night.

Dowd Campaigns to End "Pay-to-Play" Politics

Mayoral candidate Patrick Dowd wants voters to "wake up and smell the coffee." The Pittsburgh City Councilman gave away cups of coffee this morning to raise awareness of unethical politics he says occur in city government on a regular basis. Dowd attacked current mayor Luke Ravenstahl for awarding no-bid city contracts in return for campaign contributions. He says these types of policies hurt taxpayers and the city everyday, and are not enough to win re-election. "You can sell city contracts," says Dowd, "but you can't buy votes." Dowd's campaign will consist primarily of canvassing and talking to voters. The primary election is set for May 19th.

Meals from Your Mayor

Eighteen local mayors, including Luke Ravenstahl, have signed up to be part of the "Meals on Wheels" program of southwestern Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, the officials will put in hours with the regular volunteer staff by hand-delivering food to area seniors. The Meals on Wheels program is run locally by the Lutheran Service Society(LSS), who puts out over 2 million meals each year. LSS President and CEO Marc Bloomingdale says "Mayors for Meals" is aimed to raise awareness of the service in local residents and possibly ignite interest in volunteering or donating to the program. These meals come with a suggested donation, but no actual price tag. "We don't send folks away hungry," says Bloomingdale, "and that's part of why we have to be so diligent in raising both volunteers and money to be able to support the program." LSS Director of Volunteer Services Leslie Montgomery says the mayors are setting a good example for their respective communities. "Many of them, obviously, are very busy... and I'm hoping that they can illustrate to other people who are also busy that there's always time to volunteer and help your community."

Pot Holes becoming Not Holes

Pittsburgh leaders have announced an aggressive effort to kick off pot hole fixing season on city streets and roads. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says involved residents are integral in this project, since the work being done is based on their filed complaints with city government. Ravenstahl says his goal is to have all complaints addressed within five working days. He blames the problem on the freeze/thaw cycle, but also this year, aggressive winter plowing made matters worse.

Residents can file a report by calling the city's 311 response line or by going to www.pittsburghpothole.com. For local residents who live outside city limits, call (412) 255 - CITY.

Ravenstahl says he hopes to receive money from the infrastructure stimulus package to strengthen these efforts, in addition to money allotted from Pittsburgh's infrastructure budget.

Pittsburgh to open a new curfew center in Oakland.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says this one will be more successful than the one that closed in 2004. The city has reached a deal with three rivers youth to run the center for a year at the cost of half a million dollars. The 24-bed facility in and old home on Dithridge street in Oakland will not only take in youth who are violating the curfew and hold them until their parents arrive or the sun comes up but the staff will also go through an assessment process and offer each child a long list of services. Ravenstahl says the goal is to get the kids off the street before they become the victim of violent crime or commit a violent crime. When the parents pick up their children they too will be evaluated and offered services. In the past the centers have been under used. Officers complained that they had to give warnings every night before they could take in a child. That rule has been changed to allow officers to take in a child they believe has knowledge of the curfew law. The officers also complained that it took too long to process a curfew breaker. The director of the center says that process will start while the officer is in route and her staff will take over quickly upon arrival to get the office back o the street. Youth taken into the center will be issued a fine but that fine could be reduced if they enter into treatment programs. Curfew will run from 10pm to 6am weeknights and 12-6 weekends during the school year and then change to 11-6 and 12-6 during the summer.

Ravenstah says he is not investigation target

When suspended Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Pat Ford resigned his post he did so with a fiery letter claiming there was a culture of corruption in the Raventsahl administration and he no longer wanted to be part of it. Later, rumors of an investigation into charges of corruption surfaced and during a news conference mayor Luke Ravenstahl said as far as he knows that is not true. He says neither he nor anyone else in his administration have been contacted by investigatory authorities. Ford’s attorney Lawrence Fisher says his client “has cooperated with authorities on maters of mutual interest.” He refused to elaborate on that comment. It has been reported that lowest responsible bidders were passed over for city contracts in favor of firms close to the Ravenstahl administration. Ford has been suspended with pay since allegations that he improperly accepted gifts from Lamar advertising surfaced.