Too many people and businesses have left our city. We need to
foster an environment that is uniquely Pittsburgh. We need to foster
creativity and entrepreneurship while providing the jobs our people
need. We need to capture what is best about the heart of this great
city. We need to build on the best instincts of our citizens, and
eradicate racial injustice, sexism and homophobia. Each time justice
is denied to any of us, all of us are held back. When we support our
local businesses instead of selling ourselves out to corporate
welfare and when we take care of ourselves the best we can with what
we have, we will create a city that people will want to live in and
when people want to live in our city, businesses will want to be here.
Then we will reverse the trends that have kept us down and turn to
a future in which we can all prosper. These are the first steps we must take to
accomplish this goal. As always, your thoughts, concerns, comments
and suggestions
are invited and appreciated. -Josh email
Josh
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development:
- Real support for local business. No tax breaks to out-of-town businesses for short term developments.
- Support small business development, that is uniquely
Pittsburgh, not like a suburban shopping
mall
- Make sure minority owned firms are not discriminated against
for City contracts
- End "Pass Throughs"
- Renovate abandoned buildings and brown fields for business,
industry, housing and the arts.
- Require any business receiving economic aid from the city to
adopt an equal opportunity hiring policy and pay a livable wage.
Social Justice:
- End police brutality
- End racial profiling -- record racial statistics of all police
arrests, pullovers, etc.
- Gay rights -- amend the City's anti-discrimination ordinance,
making it illegal to deny benefits to committed same sex couples
- Focus on rehabilitation, rather than imprisonment, of
non-violent drug offenders
- Repeal restrictive costs for permits for political
demonstrations and public performances
- Add circular posting boards (similar to those on the Pitt campus) for
posting flyers, posters, and such throughout the city
- Do away with the law which bans posting on telephone polls
Basic Needs:
Expand Our Infrastructure:
- Work with PAT and our commuters to create more effective bus
routes and service
- Build more parking garages
- Work with local ISPs to provide better broadband internet access
and create a wireless internet network
The Arts and City Beautification:
- Create New Art Spaces For Cutting Edge and Local Art.
- Begin annual city wide Theatre and Music Festivals.
- Publicize and Promote the diverse arts already thriving through
out the city
- Use abandoned properties to plant trees.
- Expand public art.
Citizen's Forums:
- To be held once a week, each week in one of the cities nine city
council districts.
- Citizens set the agenda and have a chance to talk directly to
their mayor and council member.
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