Corruption in Gov't - How Bad is it in Pittsburgh? (Philadelphia: home, taxes)

[Perryview22]

I have read comments from other posters on occasion about corruption in city government.

I do not have any personal experience encountering
such corruption in city gov't, however, I will say that PA state gov't is reeking with filthy corruption at the very highest levels.

I am a progressive. But I say that gov't is too big when there are offices and agencies that are not doing their jobs or fulfilling their missions. There are some agencies that have worthwhile missions but should be shut down for being corrupt. Basically, most of them are operating to protect powerful interests (including themselves). Some people would be suprised to find out which ones are the most vile. The very thought of my taxes funding this mess makes me deathly ill.

Most corrupt agency or dept of Pittsburgh City Gov't?

[Honest Bob]

Its the same as it is every where else.

People tripping over each other, trying to stuff as much government money into their own pockets as fast as they can before they get caught.

Nepotism is every where.

Here is a good example of your tax dollars at work.

Breitbart.tv » Bailed Out Union Auto Workers Busted Boozing, Smoking Weed

[Gnutella]

I'm sure there's some corruption in Pittsburgh, but I'd say it's child's play compared to the stuff you hear about in places like Chicago and Philadelphia.

[Benzman66]

A great topic!
And yes, I won't get started yelling on the soapbox, but my opinion is there is PLENTY in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Always has been, always will be.

[BrianTH]

There was just a big series in the Post Gazette about all the connections and repeat players among the powers that be. But interestingly, there wasn't much, if anything, that implied actual illegal behavior.

So I guess I am saying we have to define corruption, because you could observe a lot of things that would make you question whether local government is always serving the public as well as it should, without that arising to actual illegal behavior.

[rhondee]

I read in the PG the other day about the town in California where the mayor and city manager were arrested for paying themselves millions. They were investigating some city council members as well.

As far as Pittsburgh ,I don't know of any cases of corruption like actual embezzelment with local government, but I have to say many departments are not managed well, or as well as they should be.

[Blackbeauty212]

With Pittsburgh I think its more inept or incompetent government than corrupt, I'm sure there's some corruption though as it and government pretty much go hand n' hand now-a-days....

But full all out corruption that obvious to the eye like a New York, Philadelphia, Detroit or Chicago nowhere near that level....

[Honest Bob]

Detroit no longer has a tax base, so there is not a lot of money to steal up there. As a matter of fact, the city is so underfunded that they have something like 36 fires a day, and not enough fire companies to put them all out. So many fires are just left to burn until a fire company can get around to putting it out.

A lot of old, dilapidated, delinquent or abandoned properities burns and no one even cares anymore. It probably does more to improve the place to let them burn down then to have to pay someone to tear it down and haul it away.

Kid of like the steel mills that were torn down along the rivers 20 years ago.

A couple of times, Channel 4 followed around City managers and City employees and caught them shopping in Walmart, going home in the middle of the day. Out visiting their girlfriend for a little sex, all on city time, while using city vehicles. No one ever got into any trouble.

[RockLobster]

To me the real issue hurting the city is not corruption as much as we have a lot of dead wood and let's face it... stupid, non thinkers running the city. The lack of creative thinking and forward moving political minds in a city with many physical challenges has taken it's toll.

[pman]

incompetence is pretty high up there for philly as well. id say wilkes barre is probably the most corrupt, home of the kiddie jail scandal. pitt seems to have the same shady business stuff but seems more competent than philly. speaking of corruption, in philly the republicans are controlled by one family who fails to put up candidates in exchange for a cut of patronage, largely at the parking authority. whats the story with pgh republicans?