KQV AM 1410

KQV Editorial

The Case of Mary Conturo…Handmaiden for Pittsburgh’s Sports Bosses!

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     You may have noticed that the name – Mary Conturo – has popped up on a number of controversial issues here in Pittsburgh.  Mary Conturo may or may not be familiar to you, but her fingerprints loom large on some of these issues.

     For the record, Mary Conturo has tow power-packed jobs – she’s the Stadium Authority Executive Director and she also heads the City-Count Sports and Exhibition Authority.  It would be interesting to know how she got those jobs which are political in nature, but the bigger question is – how well has she handled those jobs.

     You might remember how Ms. Cunturo was in the spotlight when major construction problems cropped up at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center which is controlled by the Sports and Exhibition Authority.  The stories were in the headlines when part of the building collapsed and other construction errors surfaced.  Ms. Conturo was in the center of the charges and countercharges and the finger pointing began.  There is no question but that there were serious construction mistakes and whether there was proper oversight became an issue and she took a lot of heat when the fiasco surfaced.

     Now, the most recent controversy involving her centers on 3.62 acres of taxpayer-owned property on the North Shore.  It’s known as lot 6 and it became known that the Stadium Authority had authorized the sale of that property to the Pittsburgh Steelers for $1 million, well below what developers and landowners believe it’s worth.  In fact, Merrill Stabile, president of ALCO Parking Corporation, had offered $10 million for the property.

     Who authorized this sale to the Steelers?  Mayor Ravenstahl places the blame of the sale on Ms. Conturo, apparently acting in her role as Executive Director of the Stadium Authority.  But the plot thickens.  It seems she apparently took it upon herself to authorize the sale without telling members of the board.  If so, speaking for Pittsburgh’s taxpayers, we want to know why?

     If the allegations involving this near giveaway prove true, she must be removed immediately from her responsibilities on both authorities!  Enough of these taxpayer largesses to those well heeled North Shore and Penguin Sports franchises!  To this end, this $1 million near giveaway sale must be aborted now!

Robert W. Dickey                          

President

1410 KQV Newsradio

Broadcast: May 9, 10, 11, 2008

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