"For we cannot tarry here,
We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger,
We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend,
Pioneers! O pioneers!"
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855
There is a pioneering spirit in Pittsburgh. It permeates everything from the way we construct our buildings to the way we use technology. We don't shy away from innovations, or wait until another city tries it first. Here in the 'Burgh, we embrace our progressive thinkers, and use their discoveries to forge our city's future. The research done at our hospitals and universities makes us an incubator for new ideas, and in the last decade, these ideas are beginning to flower. Perhaps this is why the spotlight currently shines so brightly on the 'Burgh.
One of the leaders of this pioneering pack of Pittsburghers is none other than my very own councilman, Bill Peduto. I suspected my councilman was fairly progressive when he friended me on Facebook. Suspicions were confirmed when he spoke at this years Pod Camp Pittsburgh 4.
When I reached out to Bill (via Facebook naturally), to request an interview for the 'Burgh Living Blog, I knew he would respond because of how approachable he is to his constituents, but was blown away when a not only a response, but an answer of "Yes!", appeared in my inbox within 5 minutes. You see, Bill also reciprocated my follow on Twitter, and it seems we formed a bit of a virtual bond over our mutual love of Kelly's Mac and Cheese.
We met at Bill's office in the City County Building, which in itself is a testament to his love for the 'Burgh. There is a table piled high with media Bill has collected from meetings with some other forward-thinking pioneers here in Pittsburgh, and if you were to dig through that pile, I suspect you would get a glimpse into the future of the 'Burgh. Bill just doesn't meet with his constituents, he takes action. His enthusiasm for his District and the city as a whole is pretty awe-inspiring. I could barely write fast enough to keep up!
PEDUTO'S PATH
This enthusiasm also reveals that Councilman Peduto is pretty well suited to his career choice, and I wanted to find out what led him down this path. Although my interview was more with Bill Peduto the Pittsburgher, I wanted to first uncover what created Bill Peduto the politician. Throughout the course of my interview, I realized it is fairly impossible to separate the two, since he pretty much stays synced-up with the heartbeat of his constituents 100% of the time. It turns out that unlike many other politicians, his family was not a particularly political one. So, he didn't take over the "family business", so to speak. He forged his own path, which began as a strong interest in History in the second grade, and evolved into a passion for Government and Politics at by the time he reached college at Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State. Says Bill, "I created my own jobs". He owned and operated a consulting business from 1991 - 2000, and helped other politicians with their images and campaigns. Ironically, he mentions how now, as a political figure himself, he does not heed much of the advice he formerly gave. This experience led him to a position as Chief of Staff to former District 8 councilman Dan Cohen. Since 2002, Bill has been the crusader at the helm of this large district, which encompasses the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Bloomfield, Friendship, North and West Oakland, Point Breeze, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.
ENGAGING TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE "E-DEMOCRACY"
The consulting business that Bill operated was crucial in forming the councilman he is today. He is a pioneer, in that he was the first to use a computer in a political campaign in western Pennsylvania. His 2005 campaign was the first to use a podcast in Pennsylvania to reach the public. This should come as no surprise, as Bill is the instigator of many firsts here in the 'Burgh. iBurgh (which is an
app that all of Pittsburgh iphone users should have), is one of his greatest accomplishments. In fact, it’s the first mobile app for local government in the
United States. In conjunction with the creators of
YinzCam (which is another must-have app that revolutionized hockey games for you oh-so-lucky iphone users!), Bill developed iBurgh as a tool to streamline how people in Pittsburgh can report issues. Potholes, broken streetlights, you name it, iBurgh users can snap a photo and send it along to be tracked and resolved. With the inclusion of GPS, iBurgh can also be used to target problem areas where issues are consistently being reported, and more intensive corrective action can be taken.
Bill is also the driving force behind the
Reform Pittsburgh Now website, which he describes as a "Website that lobbies for policy, not a political website". The tenants of the Reform Pittbsurgh movement were posted on City Council doors at the website launch a la Martin Luther, a move that put the exclamation point on Bill's proclamation of making local government more accessible to the locals. The next step? Beginning January 4th, 2010, City council meetings will now be available for viewing online. Want to know where your councilman stands on a particular issue? These broadcasts will be searchable, not only by subject, but by councilmember name as well! You can go right to the portion of the broadcast where your councilmember speaks directly on matters dear to your heart. Bill points out that to obtain this information only a few years ago would have required days of research at the City County Building, and likely some dollars out of your pocket. Now you can research away, free of charge, in your jammies.
Bill also utilizes social media better than any local politician. This was how he reached out to me, and I am sure many others. Bill says that, although he avoids the "too personal" realm of updates, that social media allows him to be himself. His
Facebook and
Twitter statuses will often be about hockey, or an important social engagement. Frequently however, they will give us insight into how Bill Peduto the Pittsburgher feels about the issues. Ultimately, this makes him feel like the most accessible guy in town, and that seems to be one of his goals. It plays into what Bill calls a system of "eDemocracy", an answer to how you can make people feel that they have "more of a stake" in their local government by directly engaging them online.
OUR ROOTS AS A "GREEN" CITY
Much ado was made during the G20 about the "re-invention" of Pittsburgh as a green city. Bill is quick to point out however, that this movement was put in motion long ago. In 1945, David L. Lawrence became mayor of our great city. He is often called the Renaissance Mayor, because he is credited with revitalizing the steel industry in what was considered a dying town. Perhaps less cited, he also paved the way for other Pittsburgh activists, such as Rachel Carson, by fighting to improve our air quality by requiring the use of smokeless coal. Now, Bill credits Pittsburgh Foundations, such as the
Heinz Endowments and
Richard King Mellon Foundation, for helping us keep our "head above the water" in the mid to late 90's. According to Bill, if we "lean on green initiatives", they will contribute to our economic success as a city.
As I write this article, Bill is at the official ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the Grand Opening of the brand new Giant Eagle Get Go on Baum. What does a gas station of all things, have to do with the green movement? Well, you have read how much I love my Giant Eagle Market District, I now love them even more for opening a Silver LEED certified Gas Station, complete with Bio-Diesel. I wonder if
nice dairy lady was there?
In fact, a key component of the Baum/Liberty corridor revitalization is LEED certification. The new Fidelity bank on the corner of Centre and Morewood is LEED certified, as will be the new building going up in place of Taco Bell on Baum.
WHY PITTSBURGH? CULTIVATING THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
If ever a council member had a mission statement, this would be Bill Peduto's. As a Real Estate Agent, I find that people relocating are frequently first confused (working out where one neighborhood ends and another begins takes some practice for a newbie), and then charmed by the many neighborhoods contained within our city limits.
Each of these neighborhoods, no matter how small, offer their own special flavor. What is Bill's hope for the Pittsburgh of the future? That each locality continue to cultivate that uniqueness. What is Bill's personal answer for my favorite question, "Why Pittsburgh"? Because of this focus on locality, "Pittsburgh has everything, but on a scalable size. I knew this was where I could live my life. It's home"
EPILOGUE
ONE PERSON/GLOBAL IMPACT
In the course of our interview, I asked Bill what his proudest accomplishment as a council member was. His story surprised me, but given the kind of person he is, upon reflection I realize it shouldn't have. His proudest accomplishment has nothing to do with the path he has forged in opening local government to the people, nor his role as a leader in our city's green movement. Instead, he shared a touching personal story with me. One where he used his reach as a local politician to make an important impact on one person's life.
Cailu Xu was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2003, his wife, back home in China, was arrested for passing out flyers for the "Falun Gong" movement. Also called Falun Dafa, the movement began in China in 1992, and raised the ire of the communist government as it frequently produced tremendously large gatherings of people. Viewed as a threat, practitioners of the movement were frequently imprisoned.
Taking on the Peoples Republic of China is no small feat. Bill took it upon himself to draft a proclamation, sent to Tianjin, our sister city in China, in support of the Falun Gong movement, and demanding the release of Xu's wife. Other letters followed, as Bill used his political clout to garner additional support from council members.
After 18 months of not hearing his wife's voice, Cailu Xu received the phone call he had probably almost given up hope he would ever have. The Chinese government released his wife. Thanks to a pioneering local politician in the City of Pittsburgh.
I would like to extend a very special thank you to Bill Peduto, for taking time out of what is likely a very busy schedule, to talk to me. In addition, Bill and Council President Doug Shields took the time to give me a tour of Council Chambers, and an impressive history lesson on the city itself! If you have not been inside our grand Council Chamber, I suggest you make the trip and ask for your own tour. It was pretty spectacular, with grand ceilings, inlaid wood, and each part of the room whispering a little piece of Pittsburgh history. It was an experience I am not soon to forget, and I thank them both wholeheartedly.
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