Photo courtesy of Larry Rippel

Last night, we made history, and today, we are a step closer to a New Pittsburgh.

Our New Coalition was built from the ground up. It encompasses ordinary Pittsburghers from North, South, East and West. Pittsburghers from labor to environmentalists, from women’s groups to youth, from the LGBT community to a broad base of elected officials. We built our support from every race, gender and corner of this city.

And, we could not have done this without you.

You who knocked on doors, who phone-banked, who donated, who spoke to your family and friends whether in person or through social media. You took the power back from those who have run this city for decades and put it squarely back in the community and the people who live in it.

You saw the potential that Pittsburgh has and know that we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to build our great city once again.

Thank you.

Together, we will make Pittsburgh the city we know it can be.

Bill

Photo courtesy of Larry Rippel

CMU-MoveIn 022_edited-1, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Jim Peel’s photostream

In 1907 some of the world’s preeminent social scientists embarked on what would become the most comprehensive and impactful study of urban life in the history of our country. The Russell Sage Foundation of New York City funded the Pittsburgh Survey of 1907. The Foundation was a philanthropic fund designed to identify the challenges of urban life and reform city government in a progressive direction to address these challenges head on. The voluminous results of the Pittsburgh Survey were compiled in four books and became a blueprint for the ills of early 20th century urban life and how to solve them. The Survey exposed rampant government corruption, deplorable working conditions in the early factories and mills, poor living conditions for most working-class families, inadequate water and sanitation, and deep divisions among ethnic communities that led to mistrust and exclusion. The conditions exposed by the Survey played a major role in the political activism that led to the hard-won reforms of the Progressive Era and the enactment of labor laws, government reforms, and our social safety nets.

While the challenges today’s Pittsburghers face are different, some common themes remain. Part of the beauty of the original Pittsburgh Survey was that it was conducted during the arc of Pittsburgh’s transformation from a small fort town to an industrial titan. We are at a similar turning point today. Our economy is changing rapidly, we’re seeing development like we haven’t in 40 years, and we face significant challenges in lifting people out of poverty, creating family sustaining jobs, and educating all of our children to the highest level. It has been 106 years since the original Pittsburgh Survey and I believe that it is time for an update. As mayor I will work with some of the preeminent social scientists of our time, many of whom are located right here in Pittsburgh, to develop a 21st century Pittsburgh Survey. We need a comprehensive look at our problems and a new Progressive Coalition to address them.

1. A 21st Century Pittsburgh Survey

Groups like Pittsburgh Today and the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social and Urban Research are already doing fantastic work in documenting the conditions and challenges of today’s Pittsburgh, but I want to go even farther. I want to pull together a team that rivals the original Pittsburgh Survey team to comprehensively investigate the political, economic, and social challenges of today and develop policy recommendations for how to address them.

A modern Pittsburgh Survey could be one of the most significant experiments in civic participation and sociological investigation in our generation. I envision sitting with groups from every neighborhood in our city to talk about their lives and the conditions of their neighborhoods and developing ideas for how to do things differently. We need to talk to workers, to entrepreneurs, to people who ride public transportation, to community leaders, and to the corporate and foundation communities – people of all stripes throughout Pittsburgh – to find out where we are now and where we could go and to put it into metrics that we can use to make positive change.

We also need to look inward at city government and trace the weaknesses that have led to the scandals and failures of recent years. We need a new era of Progressive reform in government that begins to truly address these problems.

And most importantly, we need to seriously investigate the opportunity gap that exists between black Pittsburghers and white Pittsburghers and work collaboratively to close it. We need to bridge the divide between the two Pittsburghs and become one city with opportunity and prosperity for everyone. But before we can do this we need to truly understand the roots of the problems and what government can do to address them.

Health, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from 401(K) 2013′s photostream

The pension crisis that rocked our city in 2010 was a defining moment. It forced City Council to band together to take quick action to prevent a sell-off of our parking assets that would have badly hurt our city. The plan we put together to prevent that sale was not perfect but it has provided us some real breathing room and a real pathway towards pension solvency. But the 2010 crisis had been brewing for a long time. In fact, Pittsburgh’s pensions have never been fully funded. During the 1970s there were even periods of time when our pension fund was at $0. The pledge of parking tax revenue to shore up the pension fund was only the first step, though. We will have to take further action both at the local and state levels to truly solve the problem. And we have to do it in a way that protects our workers and honors the promise we made to them of a safe and secure retirement.

1. Following the Plan

The pension rescue plan passed by City Council in 2010 has never been fully implemented by this administration. In my first month as mayor I will work with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to draft a Memorandum of Understanding to finally implement the plan.  This will add an additional $10 million dollars to the pension system every year and will justify the meter increases that were a part of the plan. Right now the Parking Authority is just keeping that money for their own use.

2. Increasing the Asset

There are additional steps we need to take to infuse more money into the pension fund.  We should start by following the guidelines of the second Act 47 Recovery Plan that we drafted in 2009. I will create a facilities management plan to help us evaluate the buildings the city currently owns and prioritize selling off underutilized or vacant properties. Part of the proceeds will be dedicated to the pension fund. I will also ensure that we do not make the mistakes of past like borrowing money to increase the fund. Finally, in 2018, when our annual debt payments shrink by almost 50%, we should increase our annual pension fund contribution. Independent financial analyses have shown that by increasing the amount we pay every year starting in 2018 we can stabilize the pension fund and have it fully funded within 15 to 20 years.

3. Diversifying the Portfolio
We must begin to look for new opportunities for investment that will increase the rate of return for our pension fund.  In California and in New York City pension plans have invested in small business loans that have outperformed Wall Street.  Pittsburgh has an opportunity to use our pension funds in ways that could also help us to restore local business districts, neighborhoods, and our tax base.  We need to be much more creative with how we invest. Instead of just putting all of our funds into the market we should be creating new markets right here in our communities that need investment.

4. Setting Realistic Goals

We need to reexamine our assumptions about how well our pension fund performs in the market.  Right now we use an assumption of 8% return every year.  This is even down from the former 8.75% assumption.  However, 8% is among the highest rate of return assumption in the nation and over the past 10 years our fund has performed at an average of 6%.  We need to get real about our pension fund and putting an artificial 8% return assumption on paper doesn’t help us do that.  If we are going to solve this problem we need to know where we really stand.  I will work with the pension board and a new city finance department to change this rate of return assumption to a more realistic percentage. When we have set realistic, achievable goals we will be able to go to Harrisburg and ask for common sense statewide reforms.

5. Common Sense Reform – Act 111

I have been engaged in the statewide conversation about pensions for years as a member of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and their Core Communities in Crisis Task Force. I have also been working with the bipartisan coalition, the Coalition for Sustainable Communities, to develop common sense pension reforms that can achieve bipartisan support. For example, there is a growing consensus at the state level that we need to reform Act 111. Act 111 is an important piece of legislation in that it ensures that Police and Firefighters do not go on strike in exchange for a system of binding arbitration in contract negotiations. However, given today’s circumstances we need to update Act 111 and make some changes to how arbitration works. First we should establish statewide standards for awards. In arbitration, it is important that a municipality’s ability to pay become a consideration in awarding pension benefits.  Creating unsustainable pension systems that cities cannot afford and states will not assist, becomes an unfunded mandate, crippling pension funds and making it unlikely for them to survive long term.  Next we should open the arbitration process to the public.  People should know where their tax dollars are going and the services they are getting for them.  It should not be a mystery and they should not be left with the bill when they don’t know how it happened.  Transparency is needed in all parts of government and these common sense reforms will allow sunlight into the process.

6. Common Sense Reform – Act 205

We also need to look at reforming Act 205. This law sets the present system for reimbursement from the state to individual cities.  However, as the system is currently designed, those with legacy costs and shrinking tax bases are penalized and wealthier suburban communities with few legacy costs are rewarded.  It is critical that a new funding formula be created that is based on need.  The present system is based on number of current employees and doesn’t take into account legacy costs for retirees; legacy costs which newer suburban communities don’t have.  An unintended consequence of the current Act 205 funding formula is a subsidization of suburban sprawl core city decline as people move further out in order to escape from the higher taxes and legacy costs of 40 years ago.  Additionally, we need to require all employees to contribute to all local pensions. Statewide funds should only be used for matching funds to employee and local government contributions.  Presently, many newer communities pay nothing into their local pensions while the state covers 100% of the costs.

7. Moving to a Statewide System for Pension Administration

Right now over 25% of all municipal pension systems in the United States are located in Pennsylvania. We have seven times more pension plans than the next closest state. Other states have realized that pension plans are not a part of local governance and can be better and more equitably administered at the statewide level.  It is time for Pennsylvania to move to a system where all new hires are part of a fiscally responsible, statewide municipal pension system. Taxpayers are currently covering the cost of inefficiently administering thousands of small pension plans across the state of Pennsylvania and it’s costing us tens of millions of dollars every year. We need to take advantage of economies of scale in investment and pool our pension plans to maximize efficiency and lower taxes.

Burgers, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from basheertome’s photostream

Three times the fun at three great events. Come on down for some summer eats and rally to show your support for Bill in the final days of the campaign.

NORTHSIDE COOKOUT

Grill, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Fadder Uri’s photostream

Everything’s better when it’s grilled. Enjoy a FREE cookout on the Northside at our Brighton Heights campaign headquarters. Sunday, May 19th from Noon to 2:00 PM at 3631 California Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. (Facebook event page here.)

HOMEWOOD BAR-B-QUE

Bar B Que, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Mr Noded’s photostream

You know you want some sweet, sweet Bar-B-Que and it tastes even better when it’s FREE! Sunday, May 19th from 2:00 – 5:00 PM at the Greater Pittsburgh Homewood Coliseum at 7310 Frankstown Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

STRIP DISTRICT FOOD TRUCK RALLY FOR BILL PEDUTO

Double Trouble, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from mrdestructicity’s photostream

Come rally for Bill Peduto in The Strip District with great food trucks like Franktuary, BRGR, and Dozen, and musical entertainment provided by King Fez! The food will cost you, but the music is free! Monday, May 20th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Bayardstown Social Club, 3008 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. (Facebook event page here.)

East Liberty Public Housing, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Matt Niemi’s photostream

The Housing Authority of Pittsburgh controls nearly 6,000 public housing units and administers more than 6,000 Section 8 vouchers throughout the City of Pittsburgh. Our Housing Authority was the first created in Pennsylvania and one of the first in the nation. Many of the units and communities were constructed many years ago and are badly in need of modernization and better service provision. A recent independent audit revealed some serious concerns about how contracts are awarded by the authority and how services are provided. Public housing residents should not have to live in substandard conditions. They should not have to wait for an audit to see improvement in their communities.

As mayor, I will take several steps to improve the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh. First, I will make it a priority to ensure that all newly constructed units are built to the highest environmental standards to reduce energy use, improve their design, eliminate the use of toxic chemicals, and increase the use of green spaces. I will also work with the board to reevaluate facilities maintenance plans to ensure that repairs and retrofits are made to those units most in need. Finally, I will meet with residents to find out what changes are most important to them and how we can work to make these communities cleaner, greener, and safer.

1. Greening Our Public Housing

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has begun pushing housing authorities around the country to prioritize more sustainable construction when new units or built or older units are renovated. I want Pittsburgh to become a model city for sustainable design and construction of public housing. Our Housing Authority properties should meet the highest standards of energy efficiency, storm water control, and indoor air quality. I will work with HUD, the Housing Authority board, and developers to begin to develop a strategy for greening our existing properties and ensuring that new ones meet at least LEED Silver standards. Not only will this provide a better quality of life for residents but it will help us with our larger challenges like reducing combined sewer overflows and flooding problems and improving our air quality.

2. Clean and Safe Communities

As I visit public housing communities across our city, from Northview Heights to Glen Hazel to Bedford Dwellings, I frequently hear from residents who feel that they aren’t provided the same level of services as people who live in other neighborhoods. I plan to meet with residents of all of these communities to find out how we can do a better job of meeting their needs and reducing crime and violence in their communities. We also need to reexamine our facilities maintenance plans to ensure that repairs and renovations are taking place on the units that need them and that community spaces like parks and playgrounds are well maintained. Residents of Housing Authority units and communities deserve clean, green, and safe neighborhoods and I am looking forward to working to improve conditions and make our public housing a model for the country.

Upper Lawrenceville, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from joseph a’s photostream

Pittsburgh has always been a patchwork of neighborhoods since the early days of industry and immigration. Neighborhoods like Polish Hill, Bloomfield, Brighton Heights, and the Hill became ethnic enclaves where new immigrants came to settle near relatives and strong cultural identities took hold. As industry and immigration have evolved and changed, neighborhoods across the city have changed with them. As neighborhoods like Lawrenceville, East Liberty, and the Central Northside are seeing development booms and many new residents moving in, we need to start thinking about how to preserve a diverse, mixed-income population in these neighborhoods and make sure that longtime residents are not priced out. As development spreads to other neighborhoods that haven’t seen it in many years, it will be critical to develop strategies to ensure that new housing is accessible to people of all income levels and that we are neither concentrating poverty nor concentrating wealth.

1. Building Diverse Neighborhoods

Cities and counties across the country have put in place zoning requirements and incentives to ensure that neighborhoods remain economically diverse even when they are experiencing building booms. Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, was the pioneer in this effort nearly 30 years ago. Since then, cities across the country have employed incentives and zoning changes to encourage or mandate that housing for low- and moderate-income people be included in market-rate housing developments. Most set a percent target (usually 10% or 15%) for housing priced for people making 50% or less than the area’s median income. So if a developer planned to build 100 housing units, 10 or 15 of those should be priced for lower-income people.

Developers are encouraged to do this through zoning and development incentives that could allow them to build more units or build a slightly taller building. Not only do these zoning tools promote more economically diverse neighborhoods, they also encourage greater density, which we should target for transit-rich areas. For most developers, the incentives provided are enough to defray the costs of providing below-market-rate housing. Coupled with financial incentives from the federal government that would allow our Housing Authority to purchase and manage some of the newly-constructed affordable units, these tools could be a good fit for some Pittsburgh neighborhoods seeing an increase in market-rate or high-end housing development.

One of the keys to a stronger Pittsburgh is diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods where new development benefits everyone. As mayor, I will work with City Council, the URA, and private developers to come up with zoning and development incentives that will provide housing opportunities for people of all income levels.

P6170083, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from jsugalski’s photostream

Our permit parking system for residential neighborhoods was developed in the 1980s and is long overdue for an overhaul. As more large institutions and job centers move into areas bordering residential neighborhoods residential parking pressures have increased and longtime residents are fighting for neighborhood parking with commuters. We want to make the city viable for increased economic development and job growth. We also need to find better ways to preserve parking for long-time neighborhood residents. If we’re going to fix this issue, we need 21st century solutions. The one-­size fits all residential permit parking system currently being employed is not working for everyone. Neighborhoods throughout the city have different needs, and a cookie-­cutter RPP program does everyone a disservice.

1. A Multi-Pronged Approach

We need to make sure that the installation of residential permit parking on one street will not simply push parkers onto the next block. This domino effect just exacerbates the problem. We need a plan that keeps the parking situation in check. A concerted effort to provide increased public transportation assets, increase public parking facilities, and adjust our residential permit parking is the only way to tackle these issues.

As mayor, I will start by implementing the recommendations of the Responsible Hospitality Institute, which lays out a holistic approach to parking issues in residential neighborhoods with entertainment districts. These programs will particularly focus on communities where nighttime parking availability is an issue. But not every neighborhood faces parking pressure from bar patrons and diners. Many neighborhoods are becoming, in effect, park-and-ride lots for commuters who drive in from the suburbs, park in residential neighborhoods for free, and then hop on the East Busway to get to their jobs downtown or in the East End. We need to develop a more flexible residential permit parking model for these neighborhoods that limits commuter parking without unnecessarily impacting residents or patrons of the neighborhood business districts.

2. Making the System Work for Residents

When I am in the neighborhoods, one problem that frequently comes up is the need for parking for home health care aides and childcare providers. Currently, our residential permit parking system makes it very difficult for these day-to-day workers to drive to work. Until we are able to expand our transit system and offer better connectivity, we can’t simply suggest transit as an optimal alternative. Similar to a successful program in San Francisco, I will bring residents, childcare providers, and health care companies together to craft a policy to make sure workers can get to the residents who need them. I also want to make sure that other aspects of the program, such as visitors passes for houseguests or contractors, are reformed to make the process simpler for our residents. Several cities, such as Arlington, Virginia, have multiple guest passes that residents can purchase for single day use and extend for longer periods. We need to find ways to make the program more flexible and less of a burden on people’s day-to-day lives.

3. Enforcing Our Parking Laws

Ultimately, reforms to the mechanics of the program mean little without a concerted enforcement effort. I will work to make sure our parking enforcement program is adequately staffed, particularly during the times of peak demand. Using 311 data and performance targeting, we will make sure our enforcement agents are in the communities they are going to have the most impact in and that face the most residential parking pressure.

Rush-Hour Peduto Rally at Prevailing Wage Construction Site

Pittsburgh- A diverse alliance of labor, community and environmental groups rallied in support of Bill Peduto this morning.

Peduto supporters from groups including 32BJ SEIU, The Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, UFCW, Ironworkers, IATSE, Clean Water Action, and the League of Conservation Voters gathered at the Gardens at Market Square—the first development which will be fully covered under the 2009 Service Worker Prevailing Wage Bill strongly supported by Bill Peduto.

Why:
Bill Peduto was a strong supporter of the 2009 Service Worker Prevailing Wage Bill. The $81.8 million project, The Gardens at Market Square, will be the first Pittsburgh development covered by prevailing wage and clean construction legislation. The construction site represents Peduto’s fight to ensure that new development benefit more than just developers and big banks by using clean construction and ensuring good jobs “from shovel to broom.”

Department Of Truth, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Watt_Dabney’s photostream

MAY 16, 2013 – A group of ministers gathered outside of the City-County Building Thursday to urge Jack Wagner to stop using deceptive tactics in his campaign for Mayor. All four ministers who spoke have worked with Bill Peduto on a variety of issues over years.

An activist and Presbyterian Rev. Ken Love said he knows “for a fact that what Wagner is saying in some of his ads is wrong. If you’re going to speak, let’s speak the truth to the people.”

Love stated that Wagner’s claim that Peduto didn’t take a voluntary pay cut in order to save police jobs was particularly troubling.

“It’s documented,” he said.

Rev. Maureen Cross Bolden, who is active in several community organizations, spoke to Peduto’s character. “I have seen Mr. Peduto over the years in circumstances and situations struggling with trying to make the right decisions and standing up for the people of Pittsburgh.”

Regarding Wagner’s television commercials and claims, “Any time you have to lie to make your point, something is wrong. I would rather that Mr. Wagner and the powers that be would say what they are going to do to upgrade and help instead of using their time and money and resources to beat somebody down, especially with falsehoods.”

Imaam Jibril Abdulhafith had this to say: “I am tired of this deception. If we want to represent people, we don’t have to put hate in the media. We talk about all the crime in the community level, but look at what’s happening on the upper level.”

The need for civility was the focus of Imaam AbduSemi’h A. Tadese’s comments. “I have known Mr. Peduto personally for many years…and I know these things that Mr. Wagner is saying are lies. Those who have something to say should say it based on facts.”

Photo courtesy of RRN

One of the core responsibilities of government at all levels is to ensure opportunity for all of our constituents. However, government as in our society as a whole often falls short of this goal and doesn’t adequately reflect the true diversity of our citizenry. The City of Pittsburgh has made strides through initiatives like the Personal Department’s DiverseCity 365 that seeks to attract more minority job applicants. But we still fall short when it comes to equal representation on boards, authorities, and commissions, as department heads, and as minority contractors on city-sponsored projects. The city’s Equal Opportunity Review Commission is charged with working towards greater representation and has recently been further empowered via legislation that I gladly voted for on City Council, but we need to double down on our efforts to make Pittsburgh city government reflect the diversity of our city and provide opportunities for everyone. To further these goals I will create an Initiative on Equity and Diversity led by a cabinet-level appointee who will serve as the city’s “diversity auditor.”

1. Mayor’s Initiative on Equity and Diversity

The Mayor’s Initiative on Equity and Diversity will be designed not to duplicate functions already being carried out by the Equal Opportunity Review Commission, the DiverseCity 365 initiative, or the Citizens’ Police Review Board but to serve as a liaison to all of them and a direct line to the Mayor’s Office on these issues. While many of the factors that hold back minority advancement are structural in nature like poverty, racism, sexism, and homophobia, there are many things we can do at the city level to begin to overcome these ‘isms’ in our own professional practices.

I envision the Initiative on Equity and Diversity to serve two important roles. First, the staff of the Initiative, including a cabinet-level appointee, will work collaboratively with the city departments and initiatives listed above to advance their work and provide legislative support. They will also be the public face of these initiatives to the community and will work directly with community groups focused on social justice and equity issues to support their work and be an official sounding board for challenges, opportunities, and new initiatives. Community groups and advocacy organizations should have one dedicated person they can reach out to in the city to help advance their work.

Second, the staff of the Initiative should serve an ‘auditing’ function to ensure that the city is meeting its own goals, policies, and ordinances when it comes to minority hiring, minority representation, and minority contracting opportunities. Though we have passed some great ordinances and instituted some strong policies over the years we are not doing a very good job of tracking our own compliance with them or allowing them to adapt and evolving to changing circumstances. The staff of the Initiative will report directly to me and to City Council on our progress towards meeting these goals and will propose policy and legislative changes needed to achieve them. We can’t truly say we are committed to advancing diversity in our city unless we are holding ourselves publicly accountable to it.