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Old 01-05-2014, 05:30 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,200,378 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zman63 View Post
The larger city / county govts do not seem to hurt growth in las vegas, charlotte, miami and now philadelphia. The smaller redundant governments have more red tape. You will get 130 different answers in allegheny county.

Vegas has a 10% unemployment rate, and Philadelphia's is 11%.

Pittsburgh is doing better than both of those metropolises on the economic front.

As far as red tape, most of the smaller township governments around the Pittsburgh area run much smoother than the City.

Maybe if the whole area was merged into a greater North Fayette Township (instead of under Pittsburgh) and run the urban area as a first class township with part time commissioners instead of the professional politicians on Grant St., you might have an idea for simplification.

North Fayette can at least keep their streets clean in the winter.
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Old 01-05-2014, 06:16 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
6,782 posts, read 9,525,868 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam View Post
The larger governmental bodies are the ones with the most redtape, zman.

Consider Bottom Dollar- look at the hassle they had in Pittsburgh- while their stores in Scott and Ross got approved in a hurry.
I don't buy that. It depends on the context. For example, Whole Foods came into Pittsburgh with no trouble at all and yet still hasn't opened in the South Hills. They've were pushed out of South Hills Village in 2006 and I think one place before that.
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Old 01-05-2014, 09:20 PM
 
1,010 posts, read 1,388,484 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam View Post
Vegas has a 10% unemployment rate, and Philadelphia's is 11%.

Pittsburgh is doing better than both of those metropolises on the economic front.

As far as red tape, most of the smaller township governments around the Pittsburgh area run much smoother than the City.

Maybe if the whole area was merged into a greater North Fayette Township (instead of under Pittsburgh) and run the urban area as a first class township with part time commissioners instead of the professional politicians on Grant St., you might have an idea for simplification.

North Fayette can at least keep their streets clean in the winter.
You are citing high unemployment, yet this is only due to the recession and these areas haven't fully recovered yet. Pittsburgh has fully recovered and it is stagnant. Plus the high unemployment is probably due to more people moving into both of these cities and looking for work. Pittsburgh doesn't have population growth.

How about the large govt conglomerate of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County? They were able to lure USAirways hub from pittsburgh international because the dysfunctional redundant government setup here. They took 10,000 jobs that were once here. USAirways used to be the largest for profit employer in the region until the huge red tape conglomerate of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County gave a better business opportunity.

The popular website called groupon was started by a guy from Mt. Lebanon. His business is in Chicago and I don't hear him beating down the door to put an office in pittsburgh. Even with all of these world class universities and talent here.

Finally, North Fayette is a small pimple on the rear end of allegheny county. It wouldn't exist if Pittsburgh wasn't here and is irrelevant beyond the county boundary. There is no reason for it to have its own governing body and school district. It is a colossal waste of tax dollars.

I am also willing to bet there is just as much professional politicians in North Fayette. You pay all of that money in property tax and 1 percent wage tax. So where does it go? There is no paid fire department or ems out there. So many people run for those positions because it is an easy way to line their pocket. Sure they are unpaid politicians
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Old 01-05-2014, 09:52 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,200,378 times
Reputation: 3509
Quote:
Originally Posted by zman63 View Post
There is no reason for it to have its own governing body and school district. It is a colossal waste of tax dollars.

I am also willing to bet there is just as much professional politicians in North Fayette. You pay all of that money in property tax and 1 percent wage tax. So where does it go? There is no paid fire department or ems out there. So many people run for those positions because it is an easy way to line their pocket. Sure they are unpaid politicians

My point is that the city government of Pittsburgh and the school district have a difficult time enough handling the affairs within a very narrow geographic band they are charged with handling now.

Expanding their duties to encompass the whole county will be pressing them beyond their limits if they aren't their already.

I suspect that the southern townships of the county would want to join Washington, and the Northern to join Butler or Armstrong where they could maintain a higher level of municipal service and maintain their independence.
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Old 01-05-2014, 09:58 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
6,782 posts, read 9,525,868 times
Reputation: 10245
Quote:
Originally Posted by zman63 View Post
How about the large govt conglomerate of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County? They were able to lure USAirways hub from pittsburgh international because the dysfunctional redundant government setup here. They took 10,000 jobs that were once here. USAirways used to be the largest for profit employer in the region until the huge red tape conglomerate of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County gave a better business opportunity.
I'm not a mean person, so I'm going to wish Charlotte well on it's hub, but when it comes to "business opportunity" and US Air, history suggests caution.

"You can build us a great big airport at our request and when it comes time to pay for what you built at our request, we'll pull the jobs" isn't a very convincing proposal.

And the idea that US Air is somehow less dysfunctional than local government here suggests you never flew with them.
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