All Things Marcellus Shale

Pittsburgh City Council will hold a preliminary vote today on Councilor Doug Shields' legislation "that would put a referendum on the November ballot, asking voters whether they want to amend the charter to include the drilling ban that council enacted for the city last fall."

Via the P-G: "In an email to reporters, Mr. Shields said Mr. Fitzgerald, the Democratic nominee for county executive; Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development; Barbara McNees, a conference official and one of Pittsburgh's state-appointed financial overseers; and Richard Stanizzo, a union official and another state-appointed overseer, were "putting significant political pressure on council members" to vote down the referendum bill." (Also in the City Paper here and Early Returns.)

The email was also forwarded from Shields to at least one blog -- this one -- you can view it here.

Marcellus Shale Protest (via Facebook) urges city dwellers to email City Council to vote for the referendum/show up at Council today.

Via the Trib: "Increased production and higher fuel prices helped natural gas producer Range Resources Corp. drive profit up 466 percent to $51.29 million, or 32 cents a share, for the second quarter compared to $9 million, or 6 cents, a year ago." The increase in profits was credited to "outstanding" drilling results the Marcellus Shale.

Via Keystone Politics: "20 Year Old Worker Dies at Fracking Site" in PA.

Finally, some levity. From Gab Bonesso: "Frack Yeah!" (the movie).

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More Follow-up On Shields/McGough

First off, I still haven't heard from the Shields Campaign regarding this.

Second, the story's bubbled up onto the letters page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Letter one:

Untrue mailer

On Monday, I received Doug Shields' negative (and false) campaign mailer regarding Hugh McGough, the front-runner for the district judge race in the East End. The mailer's claim that Mr. Shields is the only candidate who intends to serve full time if elected is not merely a disgusting campaign tactic, it is wrong.

Hugh McGough is running for district judge and will serve admirably in that position full time when elected. Mr. Shields has no basis for his claim, and it is disappointing, to say the least, to see him resort to such measures.

Unlike Mr. Shields, Hugh McGough is clearly qualified for the position, having nearly 20 years' experience in the courtroom as a lawyer and judicial clerk. Furthermore, Hugh McGough is the endorsed Democratic candidate for the position of magisterial district judge for District 05-2-35 in the East End and has earned my vote.

DOUGLAS RABUZZI
Point Breeze

The writer is a member of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, 14th Ward.

Letter two:

Negative Shields

I am so disheartened by Doug Shields' move to go negative in his race against Hugh McGough for judge of the magisterial district court of the 14th Ward. What Mr. Shields is claiming is flat out not true. He says Mr. McGough is planning to work part time while taking a full-time salary. This is just wrong. What can Mr. Shields be thinking?

Here's an example of Mr. McGough's character. I was asking him what he thought I should say to my neighbor to persuade her to vote for him. "Should I tell her that Shields is not an attorney?" I asked, and he said, "No, let's focus on the positive qualities I have, not the negatives of Mr. Shields." This was before he saw Mr. Shields' mailing.

BECKY BURGWIN
Squirrel Hill

So right now I am thinking it probably wasn't a good idea to send out that mailer.

A Follow-up On The Shields/McGough Story

It's a follow-up on this.

This weekend voters in the east end of Pittsburgh received a mailer reportedly sent out by the Shields campaign claiming that Hugh McGough:

wants the full time $82,303 salary of a District Judge but only wants to work part time.

A charge McGough has denied. As I wrote in my initial blogpost, I sent the Shields campaign a request for a comment via their "contact" page. So far, I've had no response.

In response to the mailing, McGough has written a letter to Councilman Shields:

Dear Councilman Shields,

I write to advise you that the "Pledge" you advance in recent mailings appears at odds with the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges, which apply equally to candidates for the office. I refer you to Rule 15(D)(3), which states as follows:

"Magisterial district judges or candidates for such office shall ... not make pledges or promises of conduct in office other than the faithful and impartial performance of the duties of the office."

Consistent with the Rules, I have long pledged, if elected to the bench, to perform the duties of the job with faithfulness and impartiality. I hereby do so again.

In light of your recent mailing, I also assure you that, if elected, I will be a full time District Judge. Indeed, I never conceived of the position of Magisterial District Judge as anything but a full time position. I was curious where your campaign was headed with the professional "push-polling" it conducted by phone on this issue in recent months. Now we know it was headed into fabrication and falsehood.

In this regard, I direct your attention again to the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges. The same section quoted above prohibits a judicial candidate from misrepresenting his "qualifications, present position, or other fact." Your demonstrated inability as a candidate to comply with these Rules reflects poorly on your prospects for adherence should you be elected to the position.

Sincerely,

Hugh Fitzpatrick McGough

I'll let you know if anything else happens with this.

Campaign Shenanigans

Something's happening in the race for Magisterial District Judge.

From his facebook page, candidate Hugh McGough posted this this evening:

Today, some voters received a sleazy mailing from Doug Shields, one of our opponents in the race for Magisterial District Judge in the East End. In the mailing, Shields asserts that “Hugh McGough . . . wants the full time $82,303 salary of a District Judge but only wants to work part time.” This is false.

I out out some feelers for a description of the mailing. And an astute reader sent this description in:

front side shows a guy laying on the beach and the text "Wouldn't it be nice to get paid full time, but only work part time"

2nd side left shows a black and white picture of Hugh with a red X over his picture and text "Hugh McGough agrees. He wants the full time $82,303 salary of a District Judge but only wants to work part time.

2nd side right shows a picture of Doug with a check mark on his picture "Doug Shields is the only District Judge candidate who has pledged to serve full time." Then it shows "The Shields Pledge - I pledge to the people of my district that I will serve as a full time District Judge."

McGough's comment:

I have no idea on what basis Shields makes this assertion, but he is wrong. I have never conceived nor wanted the District Judge position to be anything other than full time.

Via his contact page, I put a request for a comment from the Shields Campaign. I'll post whatever I get.

Huge Turnout for “Fighting For the American Dream” Rally

Looks like a huge turnout for the “Fighting For the American Dream” Rally. Here are some photos and texts from David who was on his lunch break:


"Delano interviewing"


"huge crowd"


"So many people they have speakers outside"

"Shields, Kraus, Dowd are here"

"Tons of people there. Delano said they were expecting 700"
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On the announcement that Corey O’Connor will seek his Dad's old seat

Infinonymous has it about right.
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