Once upon a time, I wrote this letter to the editor.
Pittsburgh's City Paper
Published on page 6 on April 21-28, 2004.
Would you hire this man?
Please? Re “A Case of the Runs’ [Potter, April 15): When one can't move an agenda, it is time to resign. Tom Murphy needs to not only not run, but he needs to step aside, now.
Pittsburgh hired Tom Murphy to be a steward and operate our programs, places and public services. When he chooses to not do his job by closing swim pools, rec centers and such, Murphy is choosing to get in the way. His abandonment of stewardship means he must go now.
However, the real wild card is the corporate community. One top executive at PNC, Mellon, Federated or even FreeMarkets should do the right thing: Go to Tom Murphy and offer him a corner office, secretary, parking spot, hefty salary, long-term contract, travel budget and some nifty job title. And the deal might need shorter gigs for Tom Cox and a few others [in the Murphy administration). Murphy needs to be yanked off of Grant Street before the tar and feathers arrive. And the yanking must stem from some in the Allegheny Conference circle. It might take $200,000 per year for a decade.
Upon Murphy's departure, I'll be the first to float a petition to rename both the Liberty. Bridge and Liberty Tunnel after him. Motivating a move takes more carrot and sticks to sway his ego.
MARK RAUTERKUS,
South Side
Written by Mark Rauterkus about Mayor's Stewardship in Pittsburgh
