Pittsburgh's real problems (Washington, Indiana, Beaver Falls: home, dangerous, safe)

[VALT]

I was a Pittsburgh booster before our move from VT, and remain one now that we are here, enjoying it very much and finding myself overwhelmed with things to do, but -

1) there are billboards with pictures of coal miners and a headline saying "we power the nation" - which is scary considering that coal burning power plants are causing something like 40% of the global warming

2) a related problem is the litter which the city does not seem to take as seriously as it could, given the fact that this would be the cheapest way to attract businesses and people to underdeveloped areas and show off its many parks, trees and historical buildings

Other problems like ethnic relations or lack of, might be worth noting, but the good seems to outweigh the bad.

What do you think?

[Elder18]

I second the litter point. It seems like they're junk everywhere (except Shadyside, of course).

Yesterday my wife and I were in East Liberty on Penn AVE, the supposedly nicer area of East Liberty, and I almost walked on a soiled diaper that someone had left in the middle of the sidewalk. It was disgusting. And there was a ton of litter everywhere else too.

Litter is something I've really noticed about Pittsburgh and it's kinda turned me off the city. Personally, I have to really not like an area to litter in it. If other people feel the same, then there are some unhappy people in the 'Burgh.

It's time to Redd Up!

[VALT]

is a perfect example - there are tons of little parks, historic buildings (especially that church on penn ave) and they are truly trying to atttracty businesses. You could follow a 12 year old with a can of soda and count your steps to 25 before he chucks it on the ground.

In that case, it would be great if you said to him, pick that up you should know better, but more effective to say hey pick that up, or I'll call the cops - I don't think the city has done anything in this regard.

[Katiana]

One thing my parents always remarked about when they came to Denver to visit was how clean it is (compared to the Pgh area). This was 20+ years ago. A diaper, yuck!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by VALT

1) there are billboards with pictures of coal miners and a headline saying "we power the nation" - which is scary considering that coal burning power plants are causing something like 40% of the global warming.

I've never seen those billboards.

Pittsburgh really isn't a coal mining town. Pennsylvania might have coal mines, but not Pittsburgh itself--a few, if any. Pittsburgh was mined ages ago.

I don't think billboards promoting the coal industry in Pennsylvania (430 active mines in the state) has much of anything to do with Pittsburgh.

Originally Posted by VALT

2) a related problem is the litter which the city does not seem to take as seriously as it could, given the fact that this would be the cheapest way to attract businesses and people to underdeveloped areas and show off its many parks, trees and historical buildings.

Litter has become a problem as a result of budget cuts over the past years.

Funding has always influenced this issue. It gets better, then worse, depending on if there is money available.

Hopefully, litter management will improve again soon.

Originally Posted by VALT

Other problems like ethnic relations or lack of, might be worth noting, but the good seems to outweigh the bad.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

Originally Posted by VALT

What do you think?

I think we could make a list for any city.

[guylocke]

Pittsburgh was mined ages ago.

Yeah and everything else is too dangerous to get. Remember when they tried to mine the wealth of coal under Mt. Washington? What a disaster, LOL.

[TRO Z]

Hopes,

If you go out the ft pitt tunnel, and get on banksville rd...they have one of those billboards...and at night, lights actually shine from the guys helmet...Console energy If I can remeber it correctly..

Speaking of garbage, have you ever gone to the southside on a sunday morning...TERRIBLE...

[VALT]

1) Pittsburgh is the intellectual capital of western pa, and is home to the senators and the other influential people that have lobbied to give the power companies the green light to burn coal as dirty as they wish. The people of Pittsburgh suffer the effects worse than most because they are the closest - VT only gets part of the after effects of global warming but enought to nearly ruin the ski industry

2) Keeping the city clean is a priority, as important as giving out parking tickets and keeping people safe - I am sure there are enough smart people to figure out how to do this, at this point it is just a question of will power and resolve more than anything else

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by VALT

2) Keeping the city clean is a priority, as important as giving out parking tickets and keeping people safe - I am sure there are enough smart people to figure out how to do this, at this point it is just a question of will power and resolve more than anything else

I agree, and this is not a new problem. Even Beaver Falls is fairly clean, and they don't have much money at all!

[guylocke]

The people of Pittsburgh suffer the effects worse than most because they are the closest

Actually a great amount of Pittsburgh pollution is from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. We burn very little of our own coal.

2) Keeping the city clean is a priority, as important as giving out parking tickets and keeping people safe - I am sure there are enough smart people to figure out how to do this, at this point it is just a question of will power and resolve more than anything else

I agree completely