Does any other city have this issue??

Seriously, when this "news" story (and I use the term lightly...oh so very lightly) broke, I thought to myself....you have got to be kidding. I'll spare you the entire original story - long story short - Pens have made it to the Stanley Cup finals (YAY!) and the Mayor (who previously was criticized for taking a vehicle that is CITY PROPERTY to a concert as well as accepting tickets to a charity function) wants to go to the games but he wasn't sure where he would get the funding for these tickets. Luke is all of 27 years old...and has been sitting on City Council for some time, prior to becoming Mayor. Now - I don't have an Accounting degree, nor do I have a Political Science degree. But I do have a Common Sense degree....

Mayor will pay his own way to Stanley Cup games
Thursday, May 22, 2008
By Mark belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has decided to pay his own way to Detroit to watch the Penguins battle the Red Wings in the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday and Monday.

Spokeswoman Joanna Doven said today Mr. Ravenstahl will pay for his tickets to both games, at a cost of $350 each, plus all other expenses associated with the trip.

The mayor had asked the city Law Department for a ruling about the tickets. He wanted to go to the games, but city code bars him from taking anything of value from anybody with business before the city, with exceptions including official travel and sporting event tickets worth no more than $100.

Before the law department could rule, Mr. Ravenstahl decided to pay for the tickets and other expenses out of his own pocket, Ms. Doven said.

"He's pretty sure it's legal to pay for it himself so he preferred to go that route," she said.

Mr. Ravenstahl became embroiled in a controversy last year when he attended a high-dollar charity golf outing as a guest of the Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.