Group to offer chance to step up, speak out
For 15 years, the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project has worked to keep young and "young-thinking" people in the city by getting them emotionally invested in it.
Whether PUMP is touting the city's benefits, connecting people socially or encouraging discussion of political issues, it does so with the idea that "we'll have a more dynamic and diverse region if we can retain the population," said Erin Molchany, the group's executive director.
Tonight, PUMP hosts its first Political Open Mic Night at the Shadow Lounge in East Liberty to discuss Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposal to lease 12 Downtown garages and 9,000 surface spaces to a private company for 50 years. Ravenstahl hopes to generate $300 million by the end of the year -- $200 million to avoid a state takeover of the city's pension funds and $100 million to erase debt at the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.
Paul McKrell, a member of PUMP and Ravenstahl's government relations manager, will speak in favor of the mayor's proposal, while Dan Gilman, councilman Bill Peduto's chief of staff and also a PUMP member, will speak in opposition. Members of the public will have five minutes to propose their own solutions before a question-and-answer session. KDKA-TV transportation reporter Jim Lokay will moderate.
"This will give PUMP members and community members the chance to get on their soap box and speak their mind," Molchany said.
Gilman, 28, said the 50-year agreement will have an impact on multiple generations and needs to be examined thoroughly.
"Anybody who lives, works or plays in the city will live with this decision," he said. "It's important for everyone to know the details of the plan, understand the problem we're trying to solve and develop their own ideas to finding a solution to the long-term pension crisis."
McKrell, 34, did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment. Mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said McKrell is looking forward to presenting the mayor's proposal.
PUMP -- which has 6,000 members, most of them professionals from 25 to 35 -- has supported a dedicated funding source for mass transit, the construction of PNC Park and Heinz Field on the North Shore, and the 2008 statewide ban on smoking in public places.
"We want to remind people that this demographic does care about what goes on in the city and the region," Molchany said.
Additional Information:
Voice your opinion
What: The Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project's first Political Open Mic Night, to discuss the mayor's proposal to privatize the city's parking system
When: 6:30 tonight
Where: Shadow Lounge, 5972 Baum Blvd., East Liberty
Cost: Free
On the Web: www.pump.org
