Couple of items worthy of note this morning:
Councilman Dowd's letter (pdf) to commemorate his 8th week of legislatively holding Allegheny Riverfront legislation is a doozie:
Mayor Ravenstahl,
Your continued silence regarding the creation of a Lower Strip TIF District is stunning and revealing.
The legislation you want me to introduce would create a $35-$40 million slush fund. (Pdf)
Dowd also the asserts that "The Strip is Pittsburgh's grocery store," and recalls "the continuation of hazardous truck traffic in Lawrenceville" and other details. (Background)
Relatedly, there is a flash point of controversy regarding redevelopment in Homewood and East Liberty.
Councilman Bill Peduto, upon hearing the objections of five or six speakers during public comment period before Council's legislative session yesterday, and alleging that still more residents from Councilman Ricky Burgess's district have been calling his own office, motioned to hold back a bill that would convey properties relating to the culmination of Transit-Oriented development and Bridging the Busway.
This maneuver failed 7-2, though it provoked a torrent of criticism from the main bill's sponsor, Burgess, who accused Peduto of all manner of political machinations and hypocrisies while defending an allegedly years-long and inclusive community process undertaken to vet the East End redevelopment vision.
All I can say is, it looks like Pittsburgh's Third Renaissance is running up against its Age of Religious Wars. Nyuck nyuck.
ReplyDeleteWhat did the objectors say?
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:42 - Most of them said they had not been informed, that there were not any or adequate meetings, and that they had tried repeatedly to reach out to their Council rep and were ignored. General skepticism that this plan would be any good for the community. I can recall no specifics beyond that.
ReplyDeleteWhereas, in regards to the "political machinations and hypocrisies" -- these went something along the lines of 'Bill Peduto writes proclamations for poor people... and legislates for rich people.'
ReplyDeleteSnake in the grass Rev. Ricky! Said " Peduto's not the mayor yet", "STAY IN SHADYSIDE"! The day before he said the people in Homewood are now as sophisticated as the peopole in Shadyside. He know's what's best. Even Council Woman Rudiak didn't know the back story of this and he was condecending to her by saying " if you need to be informed, I would be glad to sit down and and explain it" This stinks of a back room, smoke filled room deal! Snake! He lay's down with dogs (Luke) he gets up with fleas!
ReplyDeleteWhat does the dog... what does Luke have to do with any of this? What are the fleas?
ReplyDeleteYes, Anon 5:20's sentiments were prevalent among the objectors as well. It has been whispered that political rivalries at the state and local level helped organize the resistance.
Oh, and it should really be pointed out that since it was National Minimum Wage Day of Action, Burgess and Peduto also clashed on the issue of long-shelved Living Wage legislation.
Hundreds of Regent Square residents have signed letters asking council to not move them from O'Connor's to Burgess' district, as per the current draft redistricting plan.
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, where would Burgess's district reach? Forbes? Biddle? All the way down to Swissvale?
ReplyDeleteIf I'm reading the map right, all of it.
ReplyDelete14/19 would, if the proposed changes were enacted, go over to Mr. burgess. now the white folks in 14/19 don't wanna be mixed in with a buncha dirty low down no goods.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, 14/12-14/15 and 14/17-14/18 are already part of District 9. This moves makes a lot of sense except in the minds of the fine white folk in 14/19. their excuse is they have a lot of really neat things going on in the white world and to make them part of the brothers district would mess up everything! Oh yeah and the East End Chief, he might talk Bloomfield, but deep down he's all Walnut Capital! All the time!
What's wrong with Walnut Capital?
ReplyDeleteExcept for the fact that its boss sits on the Planning Commission, which is like British Petroleum heading up the EPA?
Peduto is "all about" Walnut? All I know about Walnut politically is, they donate bargefuls of money to Ravenstahl and have hosted at least one snazzy Rivers Club fundraiser for Burgess.
Bram it was my understanding that Reidbord and Perlman were both finacial supporters of Peduto in his aborted mayoral race. You remember,that's when BP didn't have the guts to run because his polling numbers were poor.Simply because Walnut pays to play here in Pgh means nothing as to who they would prefer as mayor. They are by far more akin to BP than LR.
ReplyDeleteBut you dogged the glaring elephant in the room. That is the blatant racism coming from the progressive 14/19 council district that wants nothing to do with their brethren in council district 9! This is another example of liberal intolerance and the progressive community in Pittsburgh is consigning it!
Does anybody have any actual evidence for the number of letters complaining about the district switch? Because you'd think an elephant would have some kind of a trace somewhere more than a blog comment.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:51 - I'm sorry, was I expected to faint in disbelief at the suggestion of racial anxieties in humans or in Pittsburghers? "Whoa! Stunning! I never!"
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't necessarily doubt Anon's story MH, though "hundreds" seems like it would have to have been a somewhat organized campaign. I'd be curious to sample the contents of those letters. In total fairness Anon, do you think residents of a minority community would be any happier to suddenly find themselves subsumed by a largely white district?
Wow, can't imalgine what happened to my posting of the letter by Chris Zurawsky touting the letter writing campaign initiated by the board of Directors of the Regent Square Civic Assoc. signed by their 12 board members. it was there then it was gone.
ReplyDeleteAnd btw Bram, I really thot you were one of the good guys out their on the left. Your argument that blacks would be better served in a council district not dominated by a largely white majority is the epitome of racism.How disingenuous! And yet so typically progressive.
There weren't 500 votes from 14/19 in the 2004 presidential election (first one I hit with the right break down). I have no idea what the Regent Square Civic Association is plotting. I didn't even know it existed. But anybody who can get actual hundreds of letters from that group would be very well organized indeed.
ReplyDeletei received a letter from Comrade Zurawski forwarding a letter from the Regent sq. Politburo urging all to discourage the Commisars in charge of redistricting from mixing the races.Wheres OWS when ya need them?
ReplyDelete"Your argument that blacks would be better served in a council district not dominated by a largely white majority is the epitome of racism."
ReplyDeleteI certainly wasn't trying to argue that, or to argue anything really. I was suggesting that people of all creeds tend to feel more comfortable in districts dominated by people like themselves. I hope we can start over with me being less glib; being thought of as "one of the good guys on the left" is something I totally value, along with being one of the independent and, come to think of it, one of the moderate guys on that wing.
Btw, I didn't take down anything. Maybe it was too long? Sometimes comments that are too long get nixed by the system.
Boom, here was the story: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/2303580-74/district-council-neighborhood-minority-burgess-committee-districts-lavelle-president-racial
Hundreds it is.
ReplyDeletePeace brother...it did load and was there but next time comment it was gone... Anyway ya spin it, that letter sounds bad
ReplyDeleteSend it to me bram101@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHow the frack did Regents Square get so organized? Was it always that way or did it just happen for this? Is Squirrel Hill organized and I don't know because I never go to meetings? A lot of old people seem to know stuff that I don't.
ReplyDeleteFrom the neighborhood which brought you Treehouse of Horrors. MH, most communities boast a pretty impressive civic mob, you just need to know how to plug in. I'm intending to attend my first CASGED meeting next week, but of course I've been saying that every month for at least a year. I'll post a link to the RSCA letter next week, I guess it's open to interpretation. It's all a matter of spotting the elephant, which Bob Bauder at the Trib had no compunctions about identifying.
ReplyDelete