Task force population

==Task force population expected to hit 300 million in the city==
:By Eric Heyl, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, October 20, 2006
PITTSBURGH (Exaggerated Press) -- Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday appointed a task force to study the growing number of task forces that have been appointed to study various issues impacting the city.
"This is an issue we really need to address," the new mayor said at a news conference. "Do we have too many panels studying too many issues, or just the right amount? That is the central question this independent panel will examine."
After that brief announcement, Ravenstahl excused himself to attend another news conference, this one with Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. The pair jointly announced the formation of a new task force to study the possible merger of various city-county services.
Across town, meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force announced it was close to announcing its preferred bidder for the city's sole slots casino license.
The task force was established two mayoral administrations ago and has no authority to mandate or influence in the least the state Gaming Control Board's decision on awarding the license.
Consequently, task force members were surprised by the extensive media attention their completely irrelevant announcement received.
"Thank you all for coming, but I don't think there's enough coffee cake to go around," panel co-chair Anne Swager said at the group's news conference.
Ravenstahl's task force task force will be chaired by former state Rep. Allen Kukovich, Gov. Ed Rendell's director of southwestern Pennsylvania operations.
Kukovich said he hoped to convene the task force's initial meeting as soon as he finishes his duties on a panel currently examining Pittsburgh Film Office operations.
"That's unless some unexpected Pittsburgh Riverlife Task Force activity requires my immediate attention," said Kukovich, who sits on that organization's board of directors.
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg applauded Ravenstahl's task force task force, saying, "It's a great idea to have this new entity study a possible reduction in the overwhelming number of task forces we seem to have here in Western Pennsylvania."
Nordenberg was approached by Ravenstahl to sit on the new panel but was forced to decline the invitation.
"I don't have the time," he said. "I'm already chairing the city-county services consolidation task force."
==Links==
* Eric Heyl