posted by Joe Polk at 4:20 PM /
Encouraging startup companies is key to bringing more jobs to Allegheny County, the newest candidate for county executive told about 50 cheering supporters this morning.
D. Raja, a Mt. Lebanon commissioner and founder of an information technology company, became the third Republican to announce a run for his party's nomination for the post.
Read the full article:
D. Raja, a Mt. Lebanon commissioner and founder of an information technology company, became the third Republican to announce a run for his party's nomination for the post.
Read the full article:
- http://www.postgazette.com/pg/11048/1126132-100.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Labels: allegheny county executive, election, politics, raja
7 Comments:
How many "start up companies" did Raja bring to Mt. Lebanon during the last 3.2 years of his term as a Commissioner ? It was one of his campaign promises for Lebo back then ! As well as a 20% tax reduction.....there has been a 4% reduction in millage rates due to balancing budgets by drawing down on undesignated General Fund balances (ie. the savings account) but that is *smoke & mirrors*.
Bill Lewis
The decay of our streets and the deterioration in city services from irate city workers aside, all Mt Lebanon residents should tour Bird Park and see the outcome of Raja's policies.
What redevelopment efforts were spearheaded by Raja?
How did Raja build a meaningful increase in the tangible value of Mt Lebanon real estate during his tenure?
Why doesn't Raja locate his company in Mt Lebanon?
Who is Raja's landlord? A school board director? Has Raja's landlord become a mouthpiece for Raja?
I'M VOTING DEMOCRAT!
John,
You revealed an interesting point...a business relationship between a Commissioner and a SB member...tenant and landlord....where the tenant voted without question or hesitancy to approve the landlords HS plan....some might consider that to be a conflict of interest, perhaps even more than just the appearance of a conflict.
That might be worthy of a PA Ethics Commission review ? Doubtful that the District solicitor can rule on such a question because the Ethics Commission might rule, as they have in the past, that an opinion in this type of situation by the solicitor would in itself represent a conflict of interest because the solicitor is hired and his fees are set and approved by the SB. I believe the landlord voted to approve the retention and fees of the solicitor last year.
Bill Lewis
P.S. The very same goes for the Muni solicitor and tenant.
Bill Lewis
Bill,
Thank you for your insightful comments.
I wonder... in the unlikely event that Raja does get elected to a county position, would Raja be in a position to direct county funds in a manner that the value of Remely's commercial real estate would be "enhanced"?
Hum,...
The County of Allegheny has a very, very liberal progressive subsidy history regarding any kind of real estate development in the county....the stadiums, convention center, hotels, PNC office tower....the list and history almost endless !
One of the most agregious and public abused subsidy enablers in private sector development is Tax Increment Financing (TIF)..the County TIF guidelines and criteria for required "blight" determination in order to "qualify" for TIF consideration are a sham of the first order.
Interestingly, the County has previously chosen not to participate directly in Lebo TIF projects (all of which have failed to materialize based on their lack of merit) however the County Redevelopment Authority has been more than happy to arranage and finance the TIF's (there's a fee involved).
It should be noted that the property owned and managed by the landlords real estate companies is all located outside of Lebo.
The SB president is currently putting back-door pressure on the Muni to enact TIF guidelines that will hopefully mirror her own TIF guideline draft that in itself has not been made public, both for reasons entirely unknown. Go figure !
Bill Lewis
Bill,
You have raised some very interesting points!
Not to digress, but part of the problem rests with a lack of new development and the other part rests with the mismanagement of the existing economic assets. The county airport is an excellent example. Our taxpayer funded airport was supposed to create an economic asset that would position Pittsburgh at the apex of an international and northeastern transportation corridor.Instead, because of mismanagement by County officials, we have a third class airport.
Similarly, Mt Lebanon could have chosen to develop a world-class community for ALL of the residents and not just those with children; but under Raja's leadership and Steve Feller's management we are on the fast track to becoming a white ghetto!
You know, most people don't know that the late school board solicitor Don Bush's law partner owned the farm that is now the site of the midfield terminal. Isn't that interesting?
What I would like to know is when our elected officials are going to start producing for the people who have given them so much! Raja's absymal track record aside, has he ever said how he intends to bring home the bacon for Mt Lebanon? The only thing that I am hearing is how his self-centered campaign will provide for himself, and perhaps a few others ...
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