Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

While over one hundred city residents packed Council Chambers to discuss issues of domestic violence and the police, Luke went golfing.  Jeremy Boren at the Trib has the story:

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl played at a celebrity golf tournament rather than face more than 100 women angered by the promotions of three police officers linked to accusations of domestic violence or disturbances in their pasts.

“I can confirm that he was there both days,” said Nancy Angus, director of the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which organizes the annual Mario Lemieux Celebrity Tournament.

“He played as an amateur. He didn't play as a celebrity,” Angus said Tuesday.

David at 2PJs does an excellent job skewering the hypocrisy.

Wait a sec! He was denying he was there as recently as Sunday – and it was a charitable event?? He's denied he was at a charitable event and then when it was confirmed that he was – THEN he says criticising him for it “smacks of crass politics and yellow journalism”?

Here's what I want to know more about.  According to the Mario Lemieux Foundation website, the cost for an amateur to participate in the two-day golf event is $27,000.  This includes:

One golf group each day (three golfers per day) of the Pro-Am at the exclusive Laurel Valley Golf Club

Breakfast/lunch in private dining area

Pro-Am gift bag

Team prizes awarded to 1st-3rd place teams on each day

Commemorative money clip

Evening Social for Pro-Am participants, Laurel Valley Golf Club

So, Luke spent $27,000 to go golfing for charity rather than attend a public hearing on police battering women. 

Where on earth did he get the $27,000?  Maybe he can pull out that “commemorative money clip” and come up with a comparable donation for the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime, Women's Center and Shelter, and PAAR. 

He's a despicable excuse for a leader.