Progress Pittsburgh

Voters in parts of Shadyside (7th Ward) and Bloomfield (8th Ward) may not be able to vote, unless people sign on for open slots in the district Boards of Election. (These are the people who have you sign in and set up the machine for you to vote. They are also the ones who count the votes.)
 
For info on what these jobs entail, go to http://www.alleghenycounty.us/elect/volunteer.aspx.
 
To find out where workers are needed the worst, call Jeanne Clark at 412-736-6092 or jeannekcc@aol.com and she’ll put you in touch with the folks at the County Elections Department.

When campaigns begin to sputter and hemorage support close to Election Day, this is the time when they often begin to engage in disgusting and illegal tactics.

Exhibit A:  At least one elderly woman was reportedly harassed at her door for telling a Coghill-canvasser that she was suppoorting Natalia Rudiak in the District 4 City Council race.  After telling the canvasser repeatedly that she would be supporting Natalia, the woman had to then ask the canvasser multiple times to leave her alone.  No–she wouldn’t take her sign down, no–there was nothing that the person could do to make her vote for Coghill, no–she didn’t care who else was supporting Anthony and “needed” her to vote for him, and “how many times do I have to ask you to leave?”

Also–suspiciously–nearly all Rudiak for Council signs disappeared from one section of Beechview the same night that the Coghill signs appeared.

According to the Trib piece about the hundreds of signs in Coghill’s own yard, he is in violation of city zoning laws.

It’s unclear exactly how much support a campaign should expect to be able to pick up in a district through intimidation and theft, but you may remember that we have a history of seeing desperate, illegal campaign tactics punished at the polls on Election Day.

The annual conference for lefty political bloggers – Netroots Nation – will be held in Pittsburgh in August 2009.

If you are in Pittsburgh and want to learn more about getting involved – please join the PghRoots Google Group to connect to others and share info about the conference.

Subscribe to pghroots

Email:

Visit this group

This important bill for equality is receiving some resistance from local residents. Please call your representative to demonstrate support for the bill:

PROPOSAL/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This legislation would amend the act of O ctober 27, 1955(P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for findings and declaration of policy, for right to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation; define “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression”; and further provide for unlawful discriminatory practices, for powers and duties of commission, for education program and for construction and exclusiveness of remedy.

Requiring voters to show ID every time they vote is a barrier to voting. Contact your state representative and senator, and members of the relevant committees, and ask them to vote against such a requirement.

You can find your representatives’ contact information here.

The Senate Bill in question can be found here.

Here are some helpful talking points on the issue:

It makes sense that voters identify themselves at the polls.  In Pennsylvania, we already require first-time voters to do that.

• Voter registration is up in Pennsylvania.  We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder.

• Photo ID laws discriminate against the elderly, disabled, poor, and minority voters, many of whom do not have the kinds of identification required by the proposed law and may not have the resources to get it. Thousands of otherwise eligible Pennsylvanians could be disenfranchised by this law.
• Pennsylvaniaalready has a commonsense voter identification law that ensures that eligible voters are who they say they are on Election Day.
• There have been no documented instances of in-person voter fraud in Pennsylvania and adopting an overly-restrictive, burdensome law here in Pennsylvania doesn’t make sense. The legislature would be dealing with a problem that doesn’t exist in Pennsylvania.
• The photo ID law amounts to a poll tax. Costs can be a significant barrier to obtaining a photo ID. Even when the ID itself is free, there are hidden costs such as transportation to various agencies and fees related to acquiring supporting documents like birth certificates.
• Elections cannot be fair if eligible voters are not allowed to vote.

From the folks at PUMP:

A+ Schools and PUMP believe that the City and the region rely on an excellent public school system in order to prosper. But the school system will only be as good as its leadership demands.  Board Watch is an effort to engage and inform the community about school board governance in order to insure that improved student achievement is the number one priority for the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Board Watch is a grassroots effort established by A+ Schools involving volunteers who are trained to observe Pittsburgh Public School Board meetings.   All Board Watch volunteers participate in a training session that includes an overview of the state policies that created school boards, the structure and function of our local board and gain knowledge of how to recognize good governance in action.  Board Watch volunteers are then asked to observe one school board meeting per month for at least six months.

A+ Schools welcomes all concerned citizens who are residents of the City of Pittsburgh and share our commitment to student achievement and our expectations for effective School Board governance. A+ Schools is working with partner organizations, such as PUMP, to recruit volunteers who reflect the diversity of the city’s population – including racial, socioeconomic, gender and geographic demographics.

If you are interested in learning more about Board Watch and/or in becoming a volunteer please contact A+ Schools (412)258-2660 , info@aplusschools.org, or www.aplusschools.org.  Or contact Erin Molchany erin@pump.org for information on PUMP’s collaboration with A+Schools.

While PUMP’s civic engagement activities have not always passed muster with this progressive, this joint effort with A+ Schools is a unique, positive, and engaging approach to local government accountability and transparency. Additionally, it draws attention to elected positions that don’t get much of it; the people in those positions make important decisions, not only about how our children are educated, but also about how our communities develop. This gets an A+ for effort. It will be interesting to see the results.

Remember the big debacle last year regarding a certain LED billboard on a certain transportation center (at the corner of Grant and 11th Streets in Downtown Pittsburgh)? (See this, that, or the other post from last year.) Well, lucky for us, we have a say in the issue. As the City prepares to develop policy to regulate activity involving digital billboards, a public hearing will be held on March 11th to allow citizens to provide input.

The issues involved with digital billboards are as follows:

• Where should they be allowed? They have a greater impact on their environment than traditional billboards because they glow rather than being flat images.
• How many should be allowed? They are being used to replace traditional billboards because they bring in more revenue and cost less to operate than traditional billboards.

Please consider voicing your opinion on LED billboards on Wednesday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the first floor conference room of 200 Ross Street. Think about is this way: would you want to see an LED billboard from your house?

For more information, see this post.

From Agent Ska

I received the following email from the Duquesne Democrats. 

“…The second opportunity available is something *name* pointed out to me earlier this week and that is a few unpaid internships within the mayors office: “The campaign is looking for several hard-working, and self-motivated unpaid interns for this semester.

Though unpaid, they are willing to do it for credit, and according to *name*, “a kickass letter of reccomendation from the Mayor.”

Now, am I the only one who sees some technical errors? Such as HELP WITH THE CAMPAIGN  and INTERN in the MAYOR’S OFFICE? 

State Budget Basics 101: What Every Progressive Leader Needs to Know

With the current economic situation, understanding Pennsylvania’s revenue system, tax policy and budget is a critical priority for people involved in progressive advocacy, politics and policy. Join Susan Gobreski, Executive Director of Education Voters PA and Sharon Ward, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center for a primer on Pennsylvania’s budget and tax system and the implications for policy priorities, including education funding and up to the minute information about the impact of the stimulus package.

Founded in 2005, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) is a nonpartisan, statewide policy research project that provides independent, credible analysis on state tax, budget, and related policy matters, with attention to the impact of current or proposed policies on working families. The Budget and Policy Center analyzes and disseminates information on short-term budget, policy and revenue proposals as well as long-term trends and challenges.

Pittsburgh Brown Bag Lunch
Thursday February 18th, 11:30 am- 1pm

United Steel Workers Building
5 Gateway Center
Stanwix St & Boulevard of the Allies
Pittsburgh PA

Join Education Voters PA on Facebook and rsvp : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=709937891#/event.php?eid=63384611487

or rsvp through email: anne@educationvoterspa.org

or phone: 215 -564- 2299

Sponsored by:

Education Voters PA is a non partisan organization working to promote a pro-public education agenda to ensure that every child gets an excellent education, including working to elect people who support public education. Education Voters Institute is working to engage the public in public education policy issues.

The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL) is a national political training institute that develops diverse leaders who can effectively advance progressive political and policy change.

Who: YOU!
What: Petition Party and P2PAC Fundraiser ($10 contribution requested)
Where: Over The Bar Bicycle Cafe (2518 East Carson Street)
When: 02/17/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
Why: because Pittsburgh deserves better

We will have drink specials until 7pm!

Over The Bar is accessible by the following PAT buses- 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D, 51G, 54C, and 84C. It is a non-smoking establishment.

Click here for more information.

According to Pop City, Dan Onorato will hold the second in a series of cyber town hall meetings tomorrow, in which constituents can ask direct questions of the County Executive and receive answers via streaming video:

During the first cyber meeting, Onorato addressed hard-hitting questions on why property assessments have increased, the need for better public transportation and the consolidation of city and county services.

You can participate by emailing questions to askonorato@alleghenycounty.us prior to tomorrow’s webcast. See the Allegheny County website to view the prior webcast.

Ready to be Heard: Advocacy Training

Seize your opportunity to communicate with government on behalf of your community, organization or small business!

A great workshop for community activists, organizers, students, business owners, or just voters, designed to empower and educate you to influence government.

The new administration in Washington, brings new opportunities and challenges, now is the time to learn to shape your message and refine your advocacy techniques.

If women from all sectors of society were trained to identify, articulate, and advocate for themselves as well as other women, girls, and the those in the region could we be our own voice for change?

The answer is yes.

Ready to be Heard Advocacy Training
Chatham University, Shadyside Campus
Friday, February 20, 2009

Registration due by February 13

Registration accepted by mail (PCWPPP, Chatham University, Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232),
fax (412-365-1515) or email (pcwppp@chatham.edu).

Checks or Money Orders may be made out to Chatham University.

Download the application form from our website by clicking HERE!

Training provided by:
PA Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy
at Chatham University
Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
412.365.1878

Tuesday February 3rd, 2009 is the Special Election to for Pittsburgh City Council District 2.  After reading this article from the City Paper about the lack of interest in the District 2 Special Election – we thought it was worth shedding some light on the fact that Tuesday is an election day.

Help Progress Pittsburgh Get Out the Vote on Tuesday with Facebook.  We are not advocating for a particular candidate – this is just an opportunity to use the Facebook platform to generate some buzz about the Special Election on Tuesday.

We have created a Facebook event about Election Day – please RSVP and invite your friends who live in District 2 to attend too.

Click here to join the City Council District 2 Special Election on Facebook.

You can also be a fan of Pittsburgh City Council District 2 on Facebook and invite your friend who live in the district.

The 4 candidates on the ballot are:

• Georgia Blotzer
• Brendan Schubert
• Theresa Smith
• Chris Metz

More information about each of these candidates is available here on the Post-Gazette’s website.

(Also you can be a fan of the Pittsburgh City Paper on Facebook here.  We know Chris Potter will appreciate the love.)

This looks like a great opportunity if you are working on a green project.

Greenworks, a company that makes green cleaning products, the Sierra Club, EcoFabulous and The Lazy Environmentalist are sponsoring a contest to give away 5 $10,000 grants.

We want to recognize and reward you for your efforts to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Enter The Green Works™ Green Heroes Grant Program and you could be one of five Green Heroes who’ll each receive a $10,000 grant to help your eco-friendly community project grow and flourish!

Click here for detailed information about the Green Hero’s Grants.

Who do you think is doing a good job of promoting green in Pittsburgh?  Here are just a few projects and organizations that are worth a look.  What other groups or businesses would you add to this list?

YERT – Year Long Environmental Road Trip – Mark Dixon spent a year driving around the USA to see what people are doing to go green around the country.  Mark now lives in Pittsburgh and is still working on YERT videos and all things green.

BikePGH – is a bicycle advocacy group that is a doing a great job of making Pittsburgh a friendly place for bicycle riders.

Oh Yeah Ice Cream and Waffles – Oh Yeah offers organic and vegan ice cream and waffles, the shop is constructed out of reclaimed materials and uses recyclable or reusable cups and utensils. Check out this Huffington Post article about Oh Yeah.

Fresh Heirlooms – Fresh Heirlooms is a shop in Lawrenceville (and online) that offers gifts and furniture made from recycled and reclaimed items.

E-A-Poos – Pittsburgh company that makes cloth diapers.  Check out the Post-Gazette profile on E-A-Poo’s from last summer.

More »

Image by Archie McPhee Seattle via FlickrAs we have been circulating the invite for the Innauguration Party we have been getting a few questions about this website and the PAC

What is Progress Pittsburgh and P2pac?

Progress Pittsburgh is a group of people that got together after the 2004 presidential election to talk about how to take the energy of the presidential election and get people involved in local politics.  Read more of that story on the About  page.  Currently Progress Pittsburgh exists as a website and blog to share information about groups, events and issues in Pittsburgh.  We invite everyone to read and join the discussion about issues in Western PA.

P2PAC is a political action committee that supports candidates whose districts touch the City of Pittsburgh and whose agendas are consistent with its mission: good government, sustainable development, and social equity. P2PAC endorses candidates who meet these criteria and provides resources to advance their leadership. We see leadership as the primary vehicle for positive change in service of our mission.  Lots more information about the pac is available at P2pac.com.

Inauguration Party and Monthly events – when Progress Pittsburgh first started we would hold occasional happy hours to get like minded people together to discuss politics in the same room. In the past many volunteers have rallied around a particular issue or candidate – after the election these networks are often forgotten and contacts are lost.  One of the goals behind the P2pac is to plan a consistent monthly event for people to gather on a monthly basis.  In 2008 we were successful in hosting an event on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.   In 2009 we are lucky that the 3rd Tuesday is also inauguration day!  We hope that you will join us to celebrate and support the PAC.  We are asking for a suggested donation of $10.  All of the proceeds of the monthly events go to the PAC to support electing candidates in Pittsburgh.  If you can’t attend please consider a donation to help us kick off 2009 our challenge to raise $2009 for the 09 elections.

Who: YOU!
What: Inauguration Celebration and P2PAC Fundraiser ($10 contribution requested)
Where: New Amsterdam (4421 Butler Street, Lawrenceville)
When: 01/20/09 @ 5:30 p.m.
Why: because Obama rocks and Pittsburgh deserves better

RSVP on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=41852859445

We will have beer specials and free food!