It seems that every liberal worth his weight in salt has been pushing for the latest buzz-term — “regionalism.” In a recent Joe Mistick column (" Enough already ," Opinion and Commentary, Nov. 24), he claims that “anyone who knows anything about business or government has acknowledged that the 130 municipalities that comprise Allegheny County must be consolidated.” Is this true• Is everyone stupid who has moved away from big-city government and its tax-and-spend flaws, bureaucratic nightmares, crappy service, and general mismanagement• I think not. No, what we need is a new push — for localism . So what is this “localism” I speak of• Well, it is the result of acknowledging reality and the marketplace of ideas. When people and businesses move away from Dahn-tahn instead of trying to annex themselves back into Pittsburgh's dysfunctional, inside-the-parkway family, we should be figuring out what they are moving to . People and businesses are moving to lower taxes, better service, smaller municipalities, better schools, and simply put, more room. People like sprawl, as it is pejoratively called. Sprawl is really localism. You have independent localities trying to do their best to compete for businesses and residents. This competition forces them to keep taxes low while maximizing the services they offer. Outside the City of Pittsburgh, people raise money locally for these services and charge user fees. It is this dynamism which people trust versus the Tom Murphys of the world trying to use eminent domain (or the threat thereof) as a personal legacy builder. In localities, you know the mayor (maybe personally) and local pressure comes to bear so the little guy is not exploited. Joe Mistick is right when he says that the tax base has shrunk in Pittsburgh and he rightly points out that 40 percent of the land in the 'Burgh is tax-exempt. The question that comes to mind is, "Why?" The answer is simple: Special-interest power and the pitfalls of a city government only remotely related to the localities they control. Money has been spent on a myriad of projects — from Lazarus to the stadiums to the convention center — while things like garbage collection and the police force have received marginal help. All crime statistics show lower crime in external localities. Mistick argues that these are lies based on (no, I am not kidding) anecdotal evidence of police departments massaging their numbers. A contortionist would blush at this attempt to twist facts to support the unsupportable. Now, the answer for Pittsburgh, according to Mistick and other assorted liberals, is said to be "regionalism." To sum up regionalism, it is the duct-tape answer. They propose to tax the heck out of everyone who moved out of the city to make up for the city's shortcomings. They want to put duct tape on the problem to cover it up and “solve” the problem temporarily. The problem is that this will only create a bigger moral hazard for regional “leaders.” They will see this inflow of cash and no doubt think they are in port to party while the taxpayer foots the bill again. Far from centralizing regional government, we need to devolve city government. As a start, simply offer localities the freedom to secede from the city and fend for themselves. I think a lot of localities would see this as an opportunity to improve their lot. This process would enhance the overall attractiveness and competitiveness of the region because of the local competition mentioned earlier. If you want to be a “world-class city, then offer the liberty and environment that promotes it. I see the 21st-century city as a logical devolution of the urban center qua Pittsburgh. The new city is regionalism by default, not by mandate. It is sprawl townships and the people who live in them making their lives better. It is localism . As cities evolved, they were centralized by necessity. Modern transportation and things like the Internet were not an option. Now they are and local leaders should realize the world has changed and embrace it. Pittsburgh and the “region” will be better off. Sean Eckenrod, a computer consultant, lives in Bridgeville.

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