Progress Pittsburgh

Joe Hoeffel just released a new web ad (included below) on Health Care today.  Here is a look at the 4 candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination and the health care related information from their campaign websites

Chris Doherty – no mention of health care on his website

Joe Hoeffel – has a page of information about health care

Dan Onorato – 2 mentions of health care on his issues page

As Governor, Dan will create the new jobs we need, drive down the cost of health care and higher education, and bring real reform to government.

Health care costs are too high, a college education is moving out of reach for middle-class families and property taxes in many parts of the state are out of control. As County Executive, Dan has cut property taxes twice and changed the system to prevent unfair reassessments in the future. Allegheny County is one of only a handful of counties that has not raised property taxes in the past seven years.

Jack Wagner – no mention of health care on his website

14th WARD CLUB TO HOST GUBERNATORIAL FORUM

The 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club will host a Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Wightman School Community Building, 5604 Solway Street, in Squirrel Hill.

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and the Pitt College Democrats are co-sponsoring the event. KDKA-TV Political Editor Jon Delano will be the moderator.

All of the Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania governor have been invited to participate, and three candidates have confirmed their attendance: Chris Dougherty, Joe Hoeffel and Jack Wagner. Audience members will pose questions, and the candidates will have an equal opportunity to inform voters of their views. The panel discussion will begin at 1:30.

This event marks the first Pittsburgh-area forum for candidates vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor. The primary election will be held on May 18.

With more than 18,000 registered Democrats, the 14th Ward is the largest ward in the City of Pittsburgh and second largest in the state. The ward includes all or part of Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, North Point Breeze, Regent Square, Park Place, and Swisshelm Park.

The club, which is not affiliated with the Democratic Committee of Allegheny County, formed in the mid-1960s and is the oldest, continuously operating independent Democratic club in the country.

Here is an email that was just send out by Dan Onorato’s campaign. Not really sure what the point of this email is – maybe something like – hey you should be excited about the G20! Also interesting that the header is “DAN ONORATO: Democrat”

Dear friends:

This week, Pittsburgh’s renaissance will be on full display as my hometown hosts leaders from the 20 largest economies as the G-20 meets there. We’ve worked very hard to prepare for the two-day meeting and I am excited for Pittsburgh to receive the recognition it deserves.

But even before the meeting starts, being selected to host the G-20 has already given Pittsburgh an opportunity to shine and show the world how far it has come since the difficult days of the 1970s. As the <em>Washington Post </em>wrote on Sunday, “As locals know, the ‘Burgh’s latest incarnation, clean and green, pulls its rivers, hills and past into a handsome present.” The city’s rebirth has been featured in magazines, newspapers and radio and television shows across the country.

This is a big week for Pittsburgh and the entire southwestern Pennsylvania region. As a Pittsburgh native, city resident and as Allegheny County Executive, I could not be more proud. We could not have gotten here without the hard work of thousands of people. Everyone owes them a debt of gratitude.

Sincerely,

Dan

P.S. I will have some big announcements coming up in the next few weeks, but until then, thank you for all the support you have given me already and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Well since the race for PGH 2009 is creeping along – the only headlines there are – Luke Ravenstahl skips meetings to go to training camp – and Dok Harris seems to be getting alot of blog coverage – we thought we would take a moment to see how people are feeling about the 2010 Governor’s race.  The PG’s early returns links to a Patriot News article which  mentions who is in the race or thinking of getting into the race

Hoeffel is exploring a Democratic primary bid against Auditor General Jack Wagner, the only declared candidate; Allegheny County Exec Dan Onorato; Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox and Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty.

The Seenter has heard conflicting thoughts about Dan Onorato – some people love him and think he has been great for Allegheny County.  Others in the region can’t stand him and are fed up.  What do you think about of Dan Onorato for Governor of PA?

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Please feel free to leave a comment about who you would like to see as the next Governor of PA.

I was wondering if any of the coverage of Dok Harris’s campaign kick off would pick up on this last week. (Post-Gazette coverage – Franco Dok Harris kicks off mayoral bid, July 28, 2009.)  But this post on Schloss in the burgh – Please explain this to me – reminded me that no one has mentioned the significance of Vento’s Pizza yet.  It has been so long that I almost forgot about it – and there isn’t much out there on the web – the Vento’t story occurred before every news item was posted to the web. But thanks to the website Castle Coalition (whose tag line is Citizens Fighting Eminent Domain Abuse)- we found this article from their 2003 report.

Home Depot Decides to Include Local Pittsburgh Pizzeria in its Plans Rather than Try to Have it Condemned

In 1998, Home Depot announced plans to build an $8 million, 131,000 square foot store and garden center on the former site of an old Sears store in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. However, a number of local small businesses would have to be displaced in order to accommodate the Home Depot and adjacent parking lot. These businesses included a bar, a dry cleaner, a nail salon, and Vento’s Pizza, a popular pizzeria that had been in the area for over 50 years.1 The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Agency (PURA) hoped to avoid using eminent domain for the project, and promised to find suitable, nearby locations for the displaced businesses. The relocation effort was a success, except in the case of Vento’s Pizza. Vento’s objected to PURA’s plan to relocate the pizzeria from its prominent location on Highland Avenue to a less traveled side street. A bitter local controversy followed, pitting proponents of the redevelopment against a fiercely loyal pizza constituency.

This little pizza shop has a big political history – here are some of the other articles from the Post-Gazette that reference Vento’s pizza. I think that the issue between Home Depot and Vento’s even made the cover of the Wall Street Journal but I have not been able to find the article online.  This pizza shop has been a significant stage for politics of development in Pittsburgh.

Local leaders say mayor’s energy will help him, July 10, 2006

Every Saturday morning after buying a Starbucks coffee in his Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Mr. O’Connor drives to East Liberty to shoot the breeze at Vento’s Pizza on Highland Avenue and run his car through a car wash. He often leads walking tours in the area.

Chief executive candidate Onorato not known for backing off quietly, October 19, 2003

One of his best-known blowups came at the end of his tenure in a council debate over city aid to Vento’s Pizza near the old Sears in East Liberty, which had to be moved to make way for a new Home Depot.

Gene Ricciardi mentioned speaking to owner Al Vento about the matter in Italian, and Sala Udin, smarting from council’s recent approval of a development plan in the Hill District that he didn’t like, said city residents “shouldn’t have to speak Italian” to get aid.

Letters to the Editor, No Thanks to Murphy, April 11, 2001

I take exception to Steve Leeper’s comments regarding my business (”Ad Watch: O’Connor’s TV Ads Are First to Air,” April 6). Mr. Leeper claims Mayor Tom Murphy saved my business and without the new Home Depot in East Liberty, I would have been “done.” Nothing could be further from the truth. While I appreciate Home Depot’s willingness to accommodate me after City Council President Bob O’Connor brought us together, my business was thriving before it came along.

Ad Watch: O’Connor’s TV ads are first to air, April 6, 2001

O’Connor is rotating two ads, one that offers a list of promises on issues. The second emphasizes O’Connor’s theme of neighborhood commitment by portraying the challenger as savior of Vento’s Pizza, an East Liberty landmark dislocated by development of a Home Depot store on Highland Avenue.

With the Race for PGH 2009 moving very slowly this summer (Is there even a race or does Ravenstahl have it all locked up?).  Looks like some things are happeing in the next years Race for PA.

Don Cunningham, who is currently the Lehigh County Executive, has dropped out of the race for governor.

From the Post-Gaezette – Dan Onorato ($4 millinion +) has a lot more money than Jack Wagner ($325,000) in his PAC.

Here is the latest email from Dan Onorato’s campaign manager Kevin Kinross…

Dear Friends,

As Dan Onorato continues to prepare Southwest Pennsylvania to host this fall’s G-20 economic summit and lay the groundwork to run for Governor, I wanted to give you a quick update from the campaign trail:

Building Strength in Southeast Pennsylvania

Today, we picked up a major boost in the Philadelphia suburbs when Senators Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) said that Dan Onorato should be Pennsylvania’s next Governor.

Sen. Dinniman said that: “In this recession, it is absolutely critical that our next Governor understands how to create the 21st Century jobs that will make us leaders in the new economy.  That’s why I’m backing Dan Onorato.”

And Sen. Leach said that: “Even if it means challenging members of his own political party, when Dan sees corruption or government inefficiency, he will get in peoples’ faces and demand change.  That’s exactly what we need in Harrisburg.”

Both Senators also said that Dan would be the strongest Democrat to take on the Republican nominee.  Read more about these key endorsements

Taking a Strong Stand Against Discrimination

Last week in Allegheny County, Dan signed the region’s strongest anti-discrimination ban into law – sending a clear message that discrimination against anybody is wrong, always.

The new law bans discrimination on the basis of gender, race, mental or physical disability, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, educational status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

All of our citizens need to know that they are fully protected when it comes to employment, housing and public accommodations. This law doesn’t infringe on anyone’s religious rights, but it does make sure that everyone feels welcome to work here, raise a family here and be part of our community.

Expanding Our Fundraising Lead

Thanks to your help, when it comes to raising the resources needed to win statewide, Dan continues to outpace his potential opponents. In fact, Dan has raised more than all of his potential Democratic and Republican opponents – combined.

Check out this recent article: “Onorato far outpacing Wagner in the money game.”

But we know this race will soon be targeted by the national Republicans, so your help now is critical. Please help us expand our grassroots base and make a contribution today – every little bit helps.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kevin Kinross
Campaign Manager
Friends of Dan Onorato

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.

As the PG’s Early Returns points out – Mayor Luke Ravenstahl participated in the Steeler’s Parade today like he was one of the team – standing next to Ben, wearing the sweatshirt and video taping the whole thing.

Here is what the response to the mayor was on Twitter….

More »

From the PaHotsheet.com…

Make sure every cote is counted correctly!  Write a letter to the editor urging County Executive Dan Onorato to have voting machine software verified ASAP!!!

Electronic voting machines have been in PA for a few elections now, but the Allegheny County hasn’t certified the authenticity of the software, which can be hacked or replaced fairly easily.

The Everest Report, commissioned by the Ohio Secretary of State, showed that these voting machines have almost no security features. The voting machines are stored in an unwatched and unlocked warehouse, where it wouldn’t be hard for someone to tamper with them. If we can’t have a paper trail, THE LEAST we can have is the assurance that our electronic voting machines have been checked by a third party for software authenticity.

County Executive Dan Onorato is on the three-person county Board of Elections for Allegheny County.   The other two members have publicly stated that they are in favor of certifying the software.

Follow this link to send a Letter to the Editor
encouraging Mr. Onorato to get our voting machines verified!

Read more:

• Debate hot over e-vote security, Tribune-Review, Oct 6, 2008
• County says it can’t audit voting machines, Post-Gazette, 10/4/2008
• Trusted votes: The public needs confidence at the polling place, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 23, 2008

More »

Here are some blog posts, article and links that you may have missed.

• WTAE-TV gives Sally Wiggin the door. « BurghBoy Blogs – Sad news to report from Ardmore Boulevard.

  WTAE-TV news director Bob Longo has kicked Pittsburgh’s television news matriarch, Sally Wiggin, to the curb, downgrading her to just a noon anchor effective Monday.

• Merger morass: City-county consolidation has run aground – the post-Gazette says the merger is more talk with out walk from Dan Onorato and Luke Ravenstahl
• The Burgh Report: Cutting “vacant” jobs is not enough – a look at the Pittsburgh city budget with an interesting comparison of Luke and Yarone's current plan with Mark DeSantis's proposed ideas from last years mayors race.

Again, there’s a really interesting conversation about transit going on over at Nullspace: http://nullspace2.blogspot.com/2008/09/transit-tuesday-metrics-to-be-proud-of.html

Chris B. deconstructs some of the “facts” touted in a recent Forbes.com report and P-G article about Pittsburgh being in the top 5 commuter-friendly regions.

He points out that the figures that put us in the top 5 are ridership numbers from BEFORE LAST YEAR’S BUS CUTS.

Where once we were ranked pretty high in transit usage, the only question at the moment is how far we have fallen. Will have to wait for some more data for answer that for sure, but that was the cost we will pay for the route cuts last year.

Some highlights from the comments—

• Downtown business scribe, Ken Zapinski,  asserts that increasing ridership and serving populations who don’t have cars shouldn’t (necessarily) be  goals of public transit.

Underlying your premise is that more ridership is the appropriate goal for the Port Authority (or any transit agency.) All things being equal, the more passengers, the better. But all things are never equal.

Thanks for finally putting it out there Ken!

• Blogger Ed Heath wonders what the “public” part of public transit is supposed to mean.

• Chris argues that prioritizing the commuter market over the transit-is-their-primary-transportation population will lead to even more residential segregation in our region.  And he reminds us how segregated we already are:

http://www.briem.com/gis/AA_county.pdf

Please feel free to join the conversation here or there.  Just please, join the conversation!

Here are some blog posts, article and links that you may have missed.

• Onorato holds firm on withholding Port Authority subsidy – Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is standing pat in his vow to withhold nearly $28 million from the Port Authority until a new labor agreement is negotiated, even if it it forces the mass transit agency to shut down.

  Mr. Onorato told members of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce this morning that without a competitive labor agreement, the Port Authority is headed for bankruptcy, even if it gets the $27.7 million. The release of the money would only delay the inevitable, he argued.

• Gov. Rendells Newsletter – Dog Law Action – So we are in the middle of a major economic crisis – even George Bush cancelled a trip to make some statement to make us feel better yet the Governor Rendell's weekly newsletter is about dog laws. Interesting.
  "Pennsylvania's current dog law, written in 1982, is no longer applicable in today's dog world. The current law treats all types of dog breeding businesses the same, whether they sell or breed 26 dogs or 5,000. Most importantly, changes to the law are needed to address the conditions in Pennsylvania's commercial breeding kennels. Under current Pennsylvania law, it is legal for breeding dogs to live their entire lives in small, cramped wire-floored cages, stacked one on top of the other. Dogs in these situations may never have the opportunity to play, socialize, run, jump or even walk about. A lifetime of sitting, standing and lying down is all they know. "
• Shadyside’s Prantl’s, Mancini’s take Jenny Lee’s spot – Yeah – for local businesses. This seems like a great solution.l Congrats to the people who made this happen. The space vacated by hometown favorite Jenny Lee Bakery in Market Square has two new tenants that may also be familiar names to Pittsburghers with a taste for baked goods — Prantl's Bakery and Mancini's Bread Co.

Here are some blog posts, article and links that you may have missed.

• GOP paid more than $1 million for additional voter data – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – State House Republicans spent more than $1 million on extra features for a computer tracking program that were scrapped last year after they weren't being used, a GOP spokesman said.

  The Republicans spent $1.8 million in 2006 on a program from Aristotle International in Washington, D.C., that in addition to tracking constituent contacts enabled lawmakers to get detailed information on voters.

• Pittsburgh Hoagie: All meat no filler: Black out – Even Matt H. is not happy with Pat Ford – "I don't agree with the "buyout" he got from the URA. If Ford has something to say about URA or the inner workings of government he should say it. This reeks of hush money. It just doesn't look good at all. If people are willing to let this story fly it makes you wonder what type of information Ford had on people.
  "
• Onorato withholding transit funds to pressure union – Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is prepared to withhold millions of dollars in key county funds and allow Port Authority to go bankrupt — possibly by year's end — if the union representing bus and trolley workers does not reach a satisfactory agreement that must include significant concessions on post-retirement benefits.

Dan Onorato and Mayor Nutter – Denver PA Delegate Breakfast

Originally uploaded by progresspittsburgh

Two former Hillary supporters. Onorato: ‘Obama and Biden got the issues right.’ 9/25/08