Tweeting the Mayor Meeting with Council

Here's my Twitter coverage of Mayor Ravenstahl's appearance before City Council to discuss the Act 47 financial recovery plan. For those not used to reading tweets, the entries below are in reverse chronological order, with the most recent listed first. Please pardon the typos, these are thumb-typed in a rush.

I did correct one embarrassing typing error: some comments were attributed to Councilwoman Burns instead of Harris. Of course I know better. That's an interesting subconscious slip; using the name of a former North Side council member instead of the current one. At least I didn't call Doug Shields "Jeep".

The tweets follow:

1. Mayor tells reporters his side comment was to the effect the proceeding was a joke. Remark was in a moment of frustration.about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry
2. Peduto says it's not a threat, but council will not pass plan as is. Done w mayor.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
3. Mayor at Council meeting for more than 2 1/2 hours. Still going.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
4. Shields tells mayor he wants to work with him to fight in Harrisburg for city.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
5. Shields: says this mayor cares about this city -- he has no doubt about that.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
6. Shiellds: this plan is a little screwy if you ask me.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
7. Councilman Kraus, I am told, thinks he heard the mayor mutter that kraus "is a joke".about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
8. Mauor expresses concerns that expections are being created there can be widespread changes in the Act 47 plan. Doesn't think it's the case.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
9. Some here think the mayor's muttered side comment was "this is such a joke".about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
10. Kraus apparrently thought he overheard mayor mutter "joke" as Kraus was talking. Kraus called him on it, Mayor said he was talking to Huss.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
11. Mayor to Kraus: he was highly offended by council's criticism of his being away on vacation last week. Kraus said problem was timing.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
12. Peduto notes his sense is that council will not support the Act 47 plan as is.about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
13. Dowd tells Ravenstahl he cannot suport raising taxes as the plan's "failsafe option"mabout 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
14. Mayor says plan provides options .... Says not passing it is "a blueprint for disaster".about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
15. Dowd: concerns about whether mayor can implement in time to get budget without tax increasesmabout 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry
16. Burgess says that will put city in "state receivership.". Calls for meeting with council, mayor, Act 47 team to reach unity.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
17. Burgess says if don't adopt plan by June 30, may as well not adopt it ever. Says not approving by then leads to union arbitration costs.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
18. Burgess says his concern is unity. Suggests working together to craft agreement.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
19. Councilman Burgess says he doesn't like to do policy "under the lights".about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
20. Peduto: the plan is bad for Pittsburgh if council doesn't amend it.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
21. Peduto tells finance director council will put the options the mayor describes into the plan in writing because "they're not in there".about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
22. Peduto: Act 47 "failsafe plan" increases local taxes. Mayor says he's pursuing leasing parking garages instead.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
23. Peduto to Mayor: do you support closing the Greenfield fire station. Mayor: "yeah".. But says at end of day it's Act 47's plan.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
24. Pedutoh plan leaves only options of raising property taxes and wage taxes and real estate transfer taxes on city residents.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
25. Peduto to Mayor: legislators say $145 a year isn't going anywhere. Peduto says voting this plan today will raise taxes on city residents.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
26. Peduto to mayor: hope you had nice vcation. Mayor jokes "firefighters are asking for 5th week of vacation, I can't even has one"..about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
27. Mayor's chief of staff Yarone Zober tries to interject during Shields' questioning of Ravenstahl. Shields tells Zober he's out of order.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
28. Mayor: I'm sitting her talking to you nowm Shields: under motion to compel. Mayor: it has nothing to do w/ motion to compel.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
29. Shields complains of mayor's past "resounding silence". Mayor : "I'm here". Shields how do you build relationship if don't meet?about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
30. Shields says mayor did not answer his repeated requests to discuss problems. Tells mayor unity is built before, not after.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
31. Mayor: not his plan, would he draw on differently...it's the Act 47 team's plan. He's asking council to approve it.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
32. Mayor to Shields question on call foe council unity: mayor says need to act to approve this plan. Says will work w/ council afterward.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
33. Council Prez Doug Shields to Mayor: bottom line is the plan has a $15M hole. Says Act 47 and ICA doesn't have weight to carry city's case.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
34. I'm going to ease off of tweet-by-tweet coverage now, but if anything big comes up, I'll let you all know.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
35. Harris: we've had 5 years for the state to come in and do something and they haben't done enough.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
36. Councilwoman Harris continues to press City Solicitor Specter: show in writing where June 30 is deadline for Act 47 and contract talks.about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry
37. Mayor: says if if state legislature were to approve increase in LST tax from $52 to $144 and payroll prep tax on non-profits., won't be backabout 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
38. Mayor: doesn't necessarily disagree. But says he's a political realist. Says still facing uphill battle in Harrisburg.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
39. Mayor notes local services tax apply to everyone who works in cituy, not kust city residents. Payne says she'd like commuter tax.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
40. Councilwoman Payne: hopes he's not saying will still raise taxes, but not just those city residents alone pay.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
41. Huss: says he'd rather deal with provisions of plan than eliminating jobs.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
42. Councilwoman Smith: asks for info on impact of potential public safety retirement. Director Huss and administration provide.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
43. Kraus: tells mayor wants cooperative relationship, door is open but says mayor hasn't used it yet.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
44. Mayor: choices are extremely limited... Again points to his proposal to monetize assets to put large influx of cash to pension fund.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
45. Mayor: we have to think outside the box. Need $ for pension fund.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
46. Mayor to Kraus: nobody is losing their jobs here. Kraus: says his concern is ability to recruit and retain workers, including police.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
47. On labor issues, in response to Kraus, mayor supports plan as is. Says plan should be approved by June 30th.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
48. Councilman Kraus to mayor: says he personally has had no communication from him. Doesn't want to hear by press release.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
49. Mayor: if don't approve plan, everything city's accomplished will go up in smoke.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
50. Says guarantees he won't support tax increases . Says if none od other options are implemented, will be back with cuts.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
51. Mayor: depends more on council leadership more than anything he as mayor will do.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
52. Dowd to mayor: you need the $15M by the time you present budget by Sept?about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
53. Kunka: any combination of these totalling up to $15M will do job.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
54. Dowd: how do you do this in 2010 without avoiding tax increase? Mayor defers to finance director Kunka.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
55. Tells council not to delay approval......failure could bring state sanctions.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
56. Option E: staff reductions, services cuts, tax increases that he does not support.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
57. Another option: surcharges. Poss. On garages, hospital bed fees, head tax on college students.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
58. Another option; apply payroll prep tax to non profits.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
59. Another option: increase local services tax from $52 a year to $144 a year. (Would need state legis. approval.)about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
60. Mayor element one: "monetize assets"....that's selling or leasing parking garages.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
61. Mayor: four elements to his plan to raise revenue to meet long term obligations.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
62. Mayor will not support tax increases that are solely on city residents.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
63. Mayor: Not like cuts other cities are seeing now. Need to be able to make difficult decisions now.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
64. Mayor says city workfoce is overworked and underpaid. Plan woulg give bonuses, modest raises.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
65. Mayor says time to approve Act 47 plan is now.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
66. Mayor says his powerpoint presentation will answer. Says has sufficent savings to get through next 5 years. Plenty of work still to do.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
67. Dowd to mayorh do you support this plan, if so, why? Can you implement. Will you have a tax increase?about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
68. Dowd tells mayor plan is a mountain of service cuts combined with tax increase or increases.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
69. Mayor says he has presentation, but Dowd wants to start with Q&A.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
70. Mayor allowed to table with staff.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
71. Dowd asks for Mayor alone, not staff. Burgess says if that happens, he'll invoke right to block mayor speaking.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
72. Burgess motion to approve Act 47 plan fails for lack of 2nd. Dowd moves to reject, asks mayor to come to table.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
73. Peduto: no issue more important -- affects everything, including public safety for next 5 years. Mayor will go first.about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry
74. 10:59: mayor back in room, last public speaker wrapping up.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
75. Darren Kelly (sp?) Of fire union: points to closing of fire station, elimination of deputy chief positions.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
76. 10:50: mayor and his bodyguard just stepped out and headed into his office as unrelated citizen public comment continues.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
77. 10:40: Mayor sitting in audience as citizens speak out on other concerns during public comment period.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
78. O'Hara says pool of potential applicants is falling. Says council should think about safety implications.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
79. Police Union prez Dan O'Hara: public safety is first, not looking to raid coffers. If you vote for plan as is, city will see deterioration.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
80. Finance chair Peduto apologizes but keeps King to the 3 minute comment for now. Union will get to say more later.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
81. Fire union prez Joe King: there is not a time limit for you to pass this by June 30th. Says current Act 47 plan would still be in place.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
82. 10:18. Mayor Ravenstahl just entered. Meeting about to start. Public comment normally comes first.about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry