Today in the Post-Gazette, in stead of solving city problems, figuring out how to unfuck itself, they are having the all-important hearing about Lamar’s ridiculous LED billboard which may be put at the corner of Liberty and Grant and thus becoming a distracting blight on the downtown landscape.

I’m really hoping this falls through.  I’m also hoping that someone, somewhere will hack into this thing and flash Goatse to the unsuspecting public.  That would be the only reason to put up such a terrible thing in the city would be to scare the public with a distended anus.

Again, it comes down to public process:

Members of the administration repeated their arguments today that no public process was required because the city has established a precedent of allowing Lamar to replace multiple vinyl billboards with smaller LED signs.

Most members of the public would probably prefer there to be no billboard signs anywhere at all. And this is where representative democracy fails for the most part.  I don’t know one councilman who discussed this “public” matter with any of their constituents.  Most probably just saw $$$.  Even the mayor.

“Whatever needs to be done, we’ll do,” Mr. Ravenstahl said, minutes before the start of today’s council hearing on the billboard. “We feel that we acted appropriately. If, for whatever reason, we have to go back through the [Zoning Board of Adjustment], for example, that’s something I’d be comfortable with and fine with.”

Luke, stop ending your sentences with prepositions.  You sound like a damn fool.

Councilman Patrick Dowd objected to the interrogatory tone of parts of the meeting. “This feels like we’re playing attorneys on television,” he said.

This is when, unexpectedly, Lenny Briscoe entered the room wielding a katana and challenged Councilman Dowd to a duel.

Dowd backed down and Briscoe said,”Yet another one cowed by my mere presence.”