Audition forMurder "a comedy murder mystery dinner show"
PofE T the WEEK
Oct. 25 O
7
PM
att
1614 COURSIN ST, MCKEESPORT, PA 15132
All proceeds benefit the Pittsburgh Penguin “Mighty Pengiun’s” sled hockey team for adaptive hockey equipment for handicapped children.
Order tickets online: www.eatdrinkmurder.org
Comes to
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 10.16/10.23.2013
SEEKING COUNCIL, CONTINUED FROM PG. 08
and my own supporters. No one has ever accused me of being a pushover.” “How can you expect someone to be independent when she’s getting that kind of help?” Ceoffe counters. “If she wins, it’s going to be a pure rubber stamp on council.” Ceoffe, by contrast, promises to be a “check” on Peduto, and to promote “government transparency.” If it seems odd to hear the independent-minded Peduto praise party loyalty, skeptics may be surprised to hear Ceoffe complaining about it and calling for government transparency. Ceoffe was also a ward chair in the Allegheny County Democratic Committee until he stepped down to run as an independent this year; his day job, which he also gave up to campaign, was in placement services for the city Housing Authority. “A lot of people may chuckle when I say I’m against the nepotistic form of government,” he says. But, he says, “You can’t say that just because you’re a ward chair, you aren’t qualified” for a government job. Ceoffe’s brother, Justin, was hired in early September as a fiscal auditor by City Controller Michael Lamb, who ran against Peduto earlier this year before calling off his own mayoral bid. “We went through the regular process; he was on the Civil Service Commission list” of eligible hires, says Lamb spokesman Doug Anderson, who denies political ties played any role. Ceoffe says his brother
is “well educated and well qualified” for the post but adds, “My brother is not a candidate, and [his hiring] has nothing to do with the campaign.” Concerns about Ceoffe’s political ties seem increasingly moot. Earlier this month, the county committee ousted Justin Ceoffe for signing his brother’s election petition: Party bylaws require commiteepeople to support the nominee. Party officials also ousted three members of the Turpin family, a prominent bloc in Bloomfield’s 8th ward who supported Ceoffe with yard signs. Ceoffe calls it “unfortunate” that the party is “trying to take away people’s choices.” He adds, “There are committee members who were handing out Romney/Ryan stickers in 2012.” The Turpins ascribe their ouster to Peduto and Fitzgerald’s efforts to remake the party in their own image. “Bill Peduto does not have the moral stature to be mayor,” Mike Turpin says. Peduto bristles at the notion that there is anything wrong with backing an ally. “If we don’t build and organize, then we lose,” he says. In any event, he says, the candidates’ merits stand on their own. Voters in District 7, he says “have a candidate who has supported a progressive, versus a candidate who has stood against all that. Tony Ceoffe can’t point to me and say, ‘It’s all Bill Peduto’s fault.’” C P OT T E R@ P G HC I T Y PA P E R. C OM
{BY MATT BORS} #PGHMash
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