Submitted by PublicCommenter t3_11x56x9 in pittsburgh
ktxhopem3276 t1_jddg5nl wrote
Reply to comment by dlppgh in Let's pour one out for the developers of Pittsburgh by PublicCommenter
> Dude, they were residents of the Run...people who lived there.
The people living there wanted the money to go to their problems instead. Their houses are built on a drainage channel and will never stop flooding. It didn’t seem to me like they made any compelling arguments about how the MOC would negatively affect them besides spend the money on bailing out their basements instead. There are two sides to every project and also a lot of shill involved so everyone has to think for themselves about who is telling the truth and who isn’t. There was a pile on affect of every activist in the city jumping in to hate on upmc and cmu and they took advantage of the local residents to get their chance in the limelight. The project was probably a waste of money and I don’t think cmu or anyone with influence really cared about it anyway. But I think it was more about using the schools as a punching bag than it was about actually helping the run. Now that the project is canceled, the activists have moved on to other nonprofit bashing efforts while the run is still in the same shit condition and always will be because saline street should be a stream instead of a street
dlppgh t1_jddrsmc wrote
>It didn’t seem to me like they made any compelling arguments about how the MOC would negatively affect them besides spend the money on bailing out their basements instead.
I'm not touching this mess, other than to say that you've done an awful job understanding their concerns. I'm certainly happy to note that your conception of the concerns wasn't relevant in how that whole thing went down.
ktxhopem3276 t1_jddux2a wrote
The residents of the run have been insufferable and have shit on anything and everything as PWSA attempts to improve drainage in their neighborhood. It’s been clear for a while now that they expect special treatment and a bailout because they chose to live in a drainage ditch
> “It doesn’t do enough given the severity and the frequency of flooding,” he said, referencing PWSA’s presentation that showed projected reductions in 10-year floods. “[Flooding is] going to increase with climate change and out of control development.”
> The project’s manager Tony Igwe said there will be reductions at other levels, too, but that no city in the country has built infrastructure to withstand 75-year flood levels. He added that PWSA is constrained by what the agency’s ratepayers can afford.
> “Whatever we provide for Four Mile Run we have to provide for the rest of the system,” he said, adding that part of their approach in planning is to create infrastructure that can adjust to future realities. “But we have to pick something that people can actually afford.”
dlppgh t1_jde7ydt wrote
You've got it backwards. No one in The Run objects to necessary storm infrastructure improvements. They object to them being paired with a silly, inadequate, poorly planned and extremely unpopular autonomous project.
ktxhopem3276 t1_jdelufu wrote
They only care about themselves. They are mad that PWSA won’t spend more money on them. $36 million is $500,000 per house in the run. They think PWSA has some sort of obligation to make up for the fact that their houses are in the worst possible location for flooding. Blocking the MOC was simply because they wanted every last cent to go toward them.
As I said before, the MOC project was mediocre. My point is the conspiracy around cmu being a power broker trying to screw over people is exaggerated. Cmu has put a lot of effort into storm water management on campus with green roofs rain gardens and underground cisterns. If you are looking for an evil non profit go look at upmc.
Peduto was never shy about proposing audacious projects and some were good and some were bad but at least he had is heart in it and I got no impression he was just doing it for special interest groups. But activists couldn’t stand that he wasn’t a flame thrower directed at every for profit and non profit business in the city.
Meanwhile, during snowmageddon, ravenstahl was hiding out in seven springs and spent days refusing to tell the public where he was bc he was staying in the condo of one of the largest real estate developers in the county. somebody in hazlewood died because an ambulance couldn’t get through the unplowed streets. I met ravenstahl once while he was at a penguins game in the box suite of the law firm representing burns and scalo. Ravenstahl never saw a corporate handout he couldn’t refuse like the $9000 sponsorship from upmc for a golf tournament.
I don’t know if gainey will be a better mayor but it’s not like peduto was unpopular. He lost to gainey 26,000 to 22,000 in a city of 300,000 people. Which is impressive that peduto managed to last as long as he did. He wasn’t afraid to take risks like when he pushed for removing parking from schenly plaza and added bike lanes and round abouts. These sort of changes drive reactionary people crazy even though they were the right way to go. He lasted 20 years in city politics so in my mind he deserves a pat on the back. Gainey is quickly finding out how hard and intense the criticism is when you are mayor versus just a state legislator.
dlppgh t1_jdepghy wrote
>somebody in hazlewood died because an ambulance couldn’t get through the unplowed streets.
I was in the City County Building that day. Ravenstahl was heavily affected by that and he had a meeting with Public Safety officials in which he was losing it - loudly screaming. It's not fair or accurate to say that this wasn't on Luke's radar. You don't have to tell me or anyone else who worked for the city at that time about it.
I spent about a month's work of work focused specifically on Snowmageddon. I can tell you more about how it affected the city organization than you probably want to hear.
That much snow would have paralyzed the city no matter who the mayor was. Yes, Luke was in Seven Springs, but that's irrelevant. Snow removal operations are/were the specific task of a specific manager in DPW. And guess what - that manager during snowmageddon was the same manager tasked with the same responsibility until he retired during the Peduto admin.
Any changes that took place after snowmageddon started taking place immediately in 2010. They weren't appreciably improved under Peduto. The snow tracker was NOTHING except a costly CYA move that did absolutely nothing to improve snow response times or efficiency.
I have a few things I credit Peduto for...but he also earned my disrespect. He worked hard at it and he finally broke me.
I am going to politely tell you that Googling up a few stories in 2023 isn't an adequate replacement for knowing what you're talking about.
ktxhopem3276 t1_jdeqjjb wrote
> Yes, Luke was in Seven Springs, but that's irrelevant.
You don’t leave town to have a birthday party with a wealthy developer at his ski condo while the city is facing the worst snow storm in decades.
> I have a few things I credit Peduto for...but he also earned my disrespect. He worked hard at it and he finally broke me. I am going to politely tell you that Googling up a few stories in 2023 isn't an adequate replacement for knowing what you're talking about.
You are so special and have earned the privilege to talk down to everyone that isn’t a government employee.
dlppgh t1_jdje390 wrote
You can weep about my tone all you want, but I don't see you addressing substance even for a moment.
For the record - seeing you lambaste residents of The Run for daring to care about their community, and then trading in silly childish whining about my condescension...is uniquely goofy.
If someone actually condescends in their tone to you, you'll have earned it many times over.
ktxhopem3276 t1_jdjip4q wrote
You’ve been attacking me for days because I said something positive about peduto. Most people have some pent up emotions about their boss. You might need therapy if hearing something positive about your former boss is so upsetting.
They are entitled to care about their community and voice their concerns. But it’s fair to be on the lookout for selfish nimby opposition to a project. The neighborhood people were being ignored and only got attention when people saw the opportunity to dunk on a large nonprofit and the mayor.
dlppgh t1_jdds0oy wrote
>Now that the project is canceled, the activists have moved on to other nonprofit bashing efforts while the run is still in the same shit condition and always will be because saline street should be a stream instead of a street
just...wow...
I wish you a good day, and lotsa luck.
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