Ludwig refuses to leave race

Les Ludwig has become a “household look” for those in attendance at Pittsburgh City Council… Les Ludwig has become a “household look” for those in attendance at Pittsburgh City Council meetings.

The 2005 mayoral candidate’s signature yellow shirt, black pants and consistent attendance can’t be missed, said friend and Editor in Chief of Conscience newsletter, David Adams.

Ludwig has been attending meetings since 2003.

“Les focuses on the issues that real people are really concerned with,” Adams said. “He thinks outside of the box and is concerned with the issues that other politicians tend to blow off.”

After losing the democratic primary to Bob O’Connor, Ludwig said he was prepared to step out of the race. He went to O’Connor – who had offered the other candidates jobs – and was turned away.

“He made a promise and could’ve done something positive,” Ludwig said. “But really, there were no jobs.”

Ludwig, 72, grew up in Philadelphia. He attended Temple University and transferred to Delaware College of Agriculture and Science, where he received his degree in food industry. He planned on going to MIT for his masters, but was drafted into the Army.

“That was the end of my educational life, except for hard knocks, and there were lots of them,” Ludwig said. He has since worked in business – from jobs as a food processing technologist in the U.S. Army, to working through the ranks of management of Supreme Dairy Products, Inc., in Pittsburgh.

His experience in business has taught him to deal with issues like bankruptcy and job creation, both of which coincide with issues Pittsburgh’s future mayor will deal with, he said.

Ludwig funds his campaign. The only substantial contribution he has received is the private donation of his campaign car, he said. The car – which pictures Ludwig in a woodsman’s shirt with an ax, “chopping down the problems of the city of Pittsburgh to size” – is hard to miss, he said.

“I am not owned by anyone,” Ludwig said. “Mr. O’Connor is owned by everyone.”

Although admitting that in private life, O’Connor is “a very nice guy,” Ludwig said that his opponent is running on popularity.

“When are we going to vote for people who can make a change?” Ludwig asked.

Ludwig bases his platform on his programs. The most pressing issues that Pittsburgh faces are financial ones, said Ludwig, and he plans to alleviate these issues through a more watchful form of spending and with cooperating budget plans.

He plans to use alternative funding, along with taking a more careful stance on spending.

“Mr. O’Connor doesn’t know where to find the money,” he said. “Les Ludwig does.”

He cites the $25 million donation by the Bill Gates Foundation to the city of Philadelphia as an example of the type of alternative funding Pittsburgh should seek.

Ludwig said that with a little bit of common sense and some clear-cut programs, Pittsburgh can face its financial troubles head-on.

“We need new thinking and creativity so that young people will want to stay here,” he said. “I have programs for building jobs, for changing racist issues and decreasing debt. I am the only candidate with programs.”

And this is the difference between Ludwig and his opponents, he said.

“Joe Weinroth has nothing to say,” he said of the Republican candidate. “He speaks in broad generalities.”

Ludwig’s plan includes using non-tax sources to provide alternative funding to reduce taxes, encouraging seniors to return to Pittsburgh to maintain its rank as seventh best city for retirement. and encouraging public participation in government. He supports unions and desegregation, and he wants to heal Pittsburgh.

“We have to heal violence and despair, heal the economic playing field of life and we have to make people feel they’re alive and worthwhile again,” Ludwig said.

With his policy that “two heads are better than one,” Ludwig plans to use his own ideas and resources to follow his campaign slogan: “Do more with Les.”

He said that Pittsburgh can do more with less money, and lower taxes all at once.

“Every day there’s more history and more problems to solve,” Ludwig said. “I want to write my chapter in history.”