Pat Ford Blows the Whistle As He Resigns

Honestly, this letter of resignation speaks for itself.

All I want to know, Mr. Ford is:

1. What happened the day the planning commission passed the plans for the Arena?

2. What happened the day the August Wilson home was supposed to go up for its Historic Designation (the first time)?

3. What else was being said when no one else was around?

Thanks.


Text of Pat Ford's letter of resignation as URA executive director

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
27 August 2008

Mr. Yarone Zober, Chairman
Board of Directors
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
200 Ross Street, 12th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2069

RE: Letter of Resignation Patrick B. Ford, Executive Director
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

Dear Mr. Zober,

I am resigning from my position as Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (No. 6 of contract) effective the end date of my contract term. Per the term of my contract, I expect to be compensated for the remainder of 2008 (No. 3 of contract).

When I returned to work for the late Mayor Bob O'Connor, I believed that great things were about to happen in this City. I hoped for those same things when I was promoted by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Unfortunately, I have not seen that to be the case.

To this day, my wife and I are being persecuted with no support from the administration I served, for no real reason whatsoever. Although I was cleared nearly two weeks ago by the State Ethics Commission, no discussion has occurred in regard to my future. Today, I want to set the record straight that I do not support the actions of what I believe to be a failed administration and no longer desire to return to a position where I will again be forced to serve as a scapegoat for the inappropriate affairs and activities of others.

Over the past two years I have told myself that I was a "good soldier," and that I did what was asked of me by the Mayor I served. I believed that by working together we could have a positive impact on this City, embracing all that it has to offer. But that vision never materialized, and as I have always said, "Where there is no vision, people perish." I have no desire to perish along with Luke Ravenstahl's Pittsburgh.

It is clear to me that as long as I continue to fight to have my name restored by this administration, I will only be further tarnished by this culture of deception and corruption. I have stood by recently and watched as you personally retaliated against those who tried to support me, and I cannot allow others to be penalized for not understanding that, when it comes to Pat Ford, honesty is not appreciated.

I have worked for 20 years as a city planner, zoning official and planning consultant, and I, as I have said from the beginning, want to get back to work. However, it has become clear to me that I will not be able to continue my career in this town, and I hereby tender my resignation. I will contact Rob Stephany to make arrangements to remove all personal items from my office.

Sincerely,
Patrick B. Ford

CC: Luke Ravenstahl
Don Kortlantdt

First published on August 27, 2008 at 10:36 am

Election Results in the Burgh

Okay, good people. Let's look at the FACTS:

In sum, lots of new registered voters voted. A ton of Democrats voted. Hillary won PA but Barack is still in the lead. Barack got more delegates from the Burgh and Jake made it rain.

STATISTICS REPORT-EL45 PAGE 001 VOTES PERCENT
PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 1321) . . . . 1,321 100.00
REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL . . . . . 913,628
REGISTERED VOTERS - DEMOCRATIC . . . 567,516 62.12
REGISTERED VOTERS - REPUBLICAN . . . 250,427 27.41
REGISTERED VOTERS - REFORM. . . . . 178.02
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . . . 377,631
BALLOTS CAST - DEMOCRATIC . . . . . 317,023 83.95
BALLOTS CAST - REPUBLICAN . . . . . 60,513 16.02
BALLOTS CAST - REFORM . . . . . . 95.03
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL . . . . . . 41.33 (this is still low, for shame, America!) VOTER TURNOUT - DEMOCRATIC. . . . . 55.86
VOTER TURNOUT - REPUBLICAN. . . . . 24.16
VOTER TURNOUT - REFORM . . . . . . 53.37

********** (DEMOCRATIC) **********
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (WITH 1321 OF 1321 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
BARACK OBAMA . . . . . . . . . 141,596 45.34
(Congratulations on closing that gap, Barack!)

HILLARY CLINTON . . . . . . . . 169,073 54.14
(Nice try, Hillary, just don't cheat!)
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 1,600 .51

ATTORNEY GENERAL (WITH 1321 OF 1321 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
JOHN M. MORGANELLI . . . . . . . 212,416 99.41
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 1,265 .59

AUDITOR GENERAL (WITH 1321 OF 1321 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
JACK WAGNER. . . . . . . . . . 254,773 99.73
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 690 .27

STATE TREASURER (WITH 1321 OF 1321 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
JOHN F. CORDISCO . . . . . . . . 55,570 23.27
ROBERT MCCORD . . . . . . . . . 106,608 44.65
DENNIS MORRISON-WESLEY . . . . . . 15,987 6.70
(Sorry, Dennis!)
JENNIFER L. MANN . . . . . . . . 59,973 25.12
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 646 .27

REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 19TH DISTRICT
(WITH 80 OF 80 PRECINCTS COUNTED)

DEIDRA L. WASHINGTON. . . . . . . 3,482 27.17
(Sorry, Deidra, they lied to you Sistagirl!)

JAKE WHEATLEY . . . . . . . . . 9,312 72.66
(Congratulations on a smashing victory, Jake!)
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 22 .17

DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION 14TH DISTRICT
VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN 7
(WITH 739 OF 739 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
NO CANDIDATE FILED . . . . . . . 0

DAN FRANKEL (M) . . . . . . . . 72,344 7.50
JAMES SHEPPARD (M) . . . . . . . 67,122 6.96
CLIFFORD B. LEVINE (M) . . . . . . 74,491 7.72
TONYA D. PAYNE (F) . . . . . . . 67,489 7.00
(Hillary Clinton supporter---just shameful)
ROBERT C. HAMPSHIRE (M). . . . . . 71,533 7.42
BETSY MAGLEY (F) . . . . . . . . 70,405 7.30
DOUGLAS A. SHIELDS (M) . . . . . . 74,182 7.69
KAREN ROLLINS-FITCH (F). . . . . . 71,405 7.40
(go head, Karen! You got more than our councilwoman!)
GARY A. VAN HORN, JR. (M). . . . . 64,612 6.70
SYLVIA C. WILSON (F). . . . . . . 64,771 6.72
HEATHER ARNET (F). . . . . . . . 66,782 6.93
(sorry, Heather, next time support Michelle Obama)
SUSAN GOLOMB (F) . . . . . . . . 73,285 7.60
ETHAN SMITH (M) . . . . . . . . 56,477 5.86
JOSEPH PRESTON, JR. (M) . . . . . 68,844 7.14
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 563 .06

And, by the way, folks. I will not soon forget these statements from this article:

But Deidra Washington, his challenger in Tuesday's Democratic primary, contends
Mr. Wheatley, 36, is out of touch with the concerns of people in the 19th District.

Well, 72% say Wheatley IS in touch.

Ms. Washington, a former site manager for the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, is also a Democratic committee member since 2002. She lost the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee to Mr. Wheatley by three votes in February, 55-52.

Such a showing for a first-timer, Ms. Washington said, gave her hope
that the district is ready to change leadership after three terms under Mr.
Wheatley.

The problem here, good people, is that the Democratic Committee's votes (and Tonya Payne's de facto candidacy via Ms. Washington) demonstrates that the Democratic Committee representatives are "out of touch" with the wants and needs of the District.

And it's a shame because Ms. Washington is probably a good person who got caught up in all of the negativity and mayhem Tonya was swirling around her. The reason for the division in the Hill District within the last two years is mostly due to Payne's poor leadership, petty politics, grudge-holding and a fanciful imagination. Certainly, there was division beforehand but she exacerbated and exaggerrated it.

My recommendation is that the Democratic Committee (along with everyone else) re-thinks its analysis and, for just a fleeting moment, consider that Tonya Payne's lies, manipulation and traitorous behavior to her community are coming to a swift end.

Jake Wheatley is "The Peoples' Rep" and "the people" have voted in overwhelming numbers to support him.

And next year, Tonya will receive a very Payneful reminder about whom "the people" DO NOT support --- her. Goodbye, Tonya!

And anyone else who still can't see the forest for the trees.

The 10th Annual Black and White

Summit Against Racism

The Power of One:

A Commitment to Individual and Collective Action

Saturday, January 26

Register and Get More Information Here!

Be There or Be . . . Uninformed, Uninvolved, Unconcerned...

Is that enough pressure for you? ;-)

We Won't Repeat the Defeat!: Speaking Truth To and About Power

Greetings folks,

Three important announcements where we request your attendance/participation:

1. One Hill CBA Coalition meeting Monday, January 07, 2008, Hill House Kaufmann Auditorium, 1835 Centre Ave, 6:00pm

2. City Planning Commission Hearing, January 14, 2008, 200 Ross Street, Downtown Pittsburgh, 2:00pm – Come prepared to support and to speak on our behalf for three minutes!

3. Watch our speeches from the last Planning Commission Meeting on Dec. 11, 2007:

“We Won’t Repeat the Defeat!: Historic Hill vs. Big Business”

Part I: Don Carter, Planning Consultant, Pittsburgh Penguins

Part II: Carmen Pace, George Moses, Tim Stevens

Part III: Evan Frazier, Sheila Petite, Carl Redwood

Part IV: Terri Baltimore, Rev. Foster, Bomani Howze

Part V: Marimba Milliones and Kimberly Ellis

Part VI: Rev. Glenn Grayson, Rev. Thomas Smith, Eugene Taylor

Part VII: Brenda Tate and Minister Jasiri X

A Bit of History

As many of you may know, the Historic Hill District community is in the middle of a revolution for the 21^st Century. The two major issues that have swung our neighborhood into action centered around the gaming applications for the State of Pennsylvania and the three gaming applicants for the City of Pittsburgh’s sole slots license---one of whom sought to place their casino right at our front door (and the only applicant seeking to place their casino in our neighborhood). This would not have occurred without the local nods that collaborated in thinking this would be a good idea. Due to the success of State Representative Jake Wheatley and the Hill District Gaming Task Force in informing the community and the Raise Your Hand! No Casino on the Hill Campaign (including the activist Hill ministers) in mobilizing the community to take a stand against the Isle of Capri Casino Company and the “Pittsburgh First” (Hill District Last) organization, we successfully defeated their plans on December 20, 2006, when the Category II slots license was granted to another competitor---Don Barden’s Majestic Star Casino, to be placed on the North Shore.

Today, our major point of contention is with some of the same group of persons who sought to place this casino at our front door but were granted huge public subsidy and public lands to build their new arena, also at our front door. A new arena, of course, is a totally different development from a casino, which could be much easily supported, however, the responsibility of a large, multimillion dollar corporation such as the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team (with a billion dollar owner-Ron Burkle), coupled with gargantuan public subsidy demands that we insist on proper reinvestment to the low income, working-class community that must host this arena---the Historic Hill.

Thus, in 2006, the Hill District Gaming Task Force insisted on a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) in its Ten Point Key-Reinvestment Proposal given to each gaming applicant. In January 2007, a small group of individuals representing Hill residents, organizations and clergy stood in icy cold weather at the present Civic Arena to demand a seat at the table and prevent the Pittsburgh Pens from signing a lease with the City and County with little or no regard for Hill residents whose neighborhood hosts the arena. In April 2007, many of these same persons issued a term sheet with a list of demands for reinvestment (based on the points of the 2006 Hill District Gaming Task Force), followed by the creation of the One Hill CBA Coalition (with the support of City Councilor Tonya Payne), which started a community process to develop planks, asks and a “Blueprint for a Livable Hill” document that shaped negotiations for the CBA.

Unfortunately, because neither the City, County nor Pittsburgh Penguins had produced or signed a CBA or a plan of reinvestment with the Hill District community, we all had to come together at the City Planning Commission Hearing on December 11, 2007 to request that the Commission vote “No” on passing the Pens’ plan for the arena until they responded to further community concerns around planning and signed a legally binding contract for proper reinvestment.

The videos listed above capture that hearing and Part I of our testimony. We have yet to sign a CBA or gain proper reinvestment for our community, so we ask that you support our cause by writing letters, making phone calls, hitting the streets and coming to the January 14^th meeting, in particular.

City, County and Pens Propose No C, No B, and No A for Historic Hill District

So, here's the PG article. And here's the Trib. Update: Here's the latest from the PG. I will go through every statement here to show the problems with this proposal.

Officials unveil plans for Hill District
Thursday, January 03, 2008
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl offered representatives of Hill District groups a seven-part community benefits agreement today that included new services, plans and facilities, but not a direct transfer of dollars from a new arena to neighborhood development efforts.

Once again, any discussion of shared revenue, shared prosperity, reinvestment and funding to indigenous Hill District organizations is described as "a direct transfer of dollars", one step above "cash payments".

Reaction from Hill groups was mixed, with the One Hill CBA Coalition issuing a statement that it was "pleased" that neighborhood concerns including a grocery store and job training center would be met, but adding that "vital planks have been expressly ignored."

Many of the vital planks are ignored and it's very disrespectful to the community. And there is no mention of a "job training center" in this proposal. CareerLinks referrals do not a "job training center" make.

The package is a result of "many meetings and discussions" and represents "significant benefit to the community," according to the cover letter accompanying the proposal.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree that there is any level of significance here. I see very little that is concrete in this process, very little guarantee of anything substantive for the community and much of it is also not what the community believes to be what it needs for self-determination. Newsflash: we do know what we need but have so often had little resources to do the types of things that would be holistically impactful. True, there have been "many meetings and discussions". And I think that's why this proposal is so sad---because it looks like the first step of something real and it's considered the last.

The package includes a master plan for Hill development, funded by the city and county.

This is necessary for all parties involved, anyway. In addition, the Pens are not adding one dime to the Masterplan for the rest of the Hill. The city, county and the Pens would be absolute fools not to do a Masterplan for the best location in the city, especially with Downtown's burgeoning development. Yes, this was a demand of ours but let's just keep perspective. We also specifically asked that the Pens pay for the Masterplan. And why not?

Officials will go to the neighborhood to detail social services and recreational and training opportunities available to residents, and to identify any gaps in the available services.

So, they want to give us a presentation to tell us what we already have in our community. And, they want to take two years to make an assessment of it all. First, there is already a list of the services in our community and, second, we can tell you how well they're all going because they're not all going well---hence, the need for proper reinvestment and a Community Benefits Agreement. I think the fullness of the insult has set in now.

The city and county will set up and operate a "resource center" to connect people to services and jobs, including those related to the arena project.

Ah, the "Hill District Resource Center". It sounds big!, exciting!, effective!, yes? The proposal states that this Center will be "in a central, easily accessible and visible location". Oh, yes!

What Rich Lord did not mention (and pardon me for laughing but you have to read the proposal to really believe it) is that there is to be ONE (1) staff person to refer the entire Hill District community to "appropriate existing human services, employment training, assessment and preparation programs, job opportunities and economic development funding programs. This center will be maintained for two years and then its effectiveness will be reassessed and reviewed".

Well, I can tell you now that this will not be effective in any real or substantial manner. Way too much work for one person in a very needy community, way too much stress, way too many phone calls, way too much paper work. This person will eventually break down and become ineffective. Then, when they ask for more help and resources to make the program (a Hill District organization) more effective, they will be told they're asking for "handouts" and "cash payments' and that the city and county will conduct a two year assessment to look at its effectiveness and gaps in the process.

In other words---this is insane.

Both governments and the Penguins would "support the establishment of a viable grocery store in the Hill District and . . . use good faith efforts to cause that to occur," in the words of the proposal.

Right. The "in good faith" effort is quite similar to the "concept" of a grocery store, which ultimately means "much later". And, folks, it's not that the community will not eventually get a grocery store. It's just that when it comes, it will be to make sure that it serves the people who live on the new developments on the 28-acre site and then Hill residents will be considered as part of a total population to make it extraordinarily profitable. In the meantime, we can continue to subsidize other communities and big business that don't give anything back.

Similarly, they pledge their support for a new YMCA in the 2100 block of Centre Avenue, and offer to help win state money toward its development.

Yes, that's right. The YMCA that is not even a member of One Hill, the one organization that is nationwide, already in the middle of a capital campaign and, you guessed it---not what the community asked for. The community asked for a recreation center that would be for the elderly and youth---like the Kingsley Center in East Liberty. Maybe, just maybe, the YMCA could come close to that but it still means that the community cannot control the kinds of programs, services and recreation, not necessarily shaped or defined by an overarching, national organization with its own agenda and priorities.

And, again, we must note the Mayor's revelation that he will be asking for a "handout" (he calls it funding) from the state.

There is no reference to direct funding for development groups in the Hill District or sharing of arena revenues, which some neighborhood leaders have sought. It isn't clear whether the mayor and executive believe they need community leaders to sign off on the proposal to make it official.

Laughable. I don't know if this is Lord's assessment or the officials' but in order to have a deal all parties must sign off. Any indication otherwise is just more paternalism, more racism, more of the same.

Just so everyone is clear, the Hill District community has explored what we need and want for at *least* the last two years---all of 2006 and all of 2007. The planks from the One Hill CBA Coalition from 2007 and the other group of clergy, residents and organizations is based on the terms from 2006 (outlined in the ten point key reinvestment plan of the Hill District Gaming Task Force). The cost of implementing or maintaining those programs and organizations is what makes up the community fund. As Mr. Eugene Taylor, a Hill community member, says in his statement to the City Planning Commission, "we are not asking for a handout. We just want our fair share".

One Hill's statement said that the city, county and Penguins have "drawn a line in the sand calling the [development] fund a 'hand out' and misrepresenting the concept of community control. One Hill is willing to negotiate on this plank, but it is a crucial part of the blueprint. . . .

Well, there is no doubt that any continued references to "handouts" and "cash payments" is just downright ignorant and a purposeful shaping of racist, classist perceptions designed to harm the Hill District community (further). It's also a subtle warning for anyone else in poor, working-class and/or communities of color who are thinking of CBAs and/or gaining proper reinvestment from development projects with public subsidy.

"Without some agreement on a Community Improvement Fund with some form of Hill District community control, there will be no agreement," One Hill's statement says.

Good for One Hill because the folks in my coalition didn't plan on settling, either. The motto is supposed to be "no one settles until we all settle", so it's good to see One Hill following its stated platform without capitulating to the weaker elements among the group that probably think this proposal is an honor instead of an insult.

The letter is addressed to Hill House Association Executive Director Evan Frazier, who was not immediately available, and Monumental Baptist Church Rev. Thomas Smith, who had not seen it yet.

Yes. And that is for "joint sign-off" folks, for the One Hill CBA Coalition and the Hill clergy, residents and organizations of which I am a part (including State Rep. Jake Wheatley). I support One Hill too, it's just that the political corruption and capitulation to the ridiculousness of Tonya Payne and her people drove us out of the process and the organization. C'est La Vie. We still live here and we are the ones who launched this cause on January 28, 2007 when we stopped the city, county and Pens from steamrolling us, so we weren't going anywhere and weren't going to stop fighting for what's right, anyway.

Maybe now we can all be on the same page. Because the fact that it was shared with the media even before the actual community representatives is just more of what I will call mayoral games. I don't know how much Onorato's office was in on that one.

In any event, stay tuned and also show up at City Planning on January 14, 2008, 200 Ross Street, 2:00pm to stand up and speak the truth about power (cuz speaking to them doesn't work the way one might desire).

Next up: my special focus on what the Pens have to offer.