Mark DeSantis or Ravenstahl for Mayor? (Pittsburgh: place to live, to move, office)

[kpoeppel]

Anyway...back to the mayoral election...I hope DeSantis wins...but I don't think that will happen.

[PPG]

The only one who knows how the city should be run is Bill Peduto. Everyone else spouts rhetoric.

[VALT]

I thought for a moment that the statement "everyone is leaving the city" could have meant everyone is leaving the city for the suburbs, which is an interesting argument, but outdated and also not true, because people are moving into the ciy from the suburbs - at least that is what I think.

Under DeSantis we may end up combining the city and county governments anyway, which would end the distinctions once and for all.

This is an interesting proposal that I hope passes after DeSantis is elected -those against it would hopefully come to realize that a vibrant but safe city with its act together is the only way to have growth in the suburbs.

[pureproduct]

I have to agree with those saying that people are actually staying. I went to CMU, and back in my early undergrad days (as recent as 2001), staying in Pittsburgh was a joke, not even in the conversation. Now, when I ask my friends who are graduating if they stay, even if they say "no," they don't scoff. And a lot say they are or are considering it. They respect it as a tech research hub.

I know that's anecdotal, but I can't say I haven't noticed the shift. I have lots of CMU alum friends in Pgh now.

Also: DESANTIS. PLEASE.

[guylocke]

This article was in the news about 3 years ago. Here is quote.

The elderly population is shrinking because of a combination of factors. Natural population aging along with a steady stream of retirees seeking warmer climates are the main causes.

The remaining population decline is still something for public policy and local officials to address. Labor shortages now and in the future are a real inhibitor to growth and we need to find ways attract more people to come here. That is a very different problem from how we normally portray the situation, which is that current residents are leaving the region en masse because of a lack of opportunities here or unsatisfactory local amenities. The collective Pittsburgh psyche has been harmed by a negative self-image fueled by a history of outmigration that we cannot forget. We need to consider the possibility that large-scale outmigration is the history and not also the future of the region.

The rate of younger workers fleeing the region is a small part of the change in population. The rate of net migration of those in their 20s is perhaps something on the order of 0.1 percent per year, a very small fraction of what it was 15 years ago. That means for every thousand 20-somethings we count here this year, we will expect to count 999 a year from now. Is that what we are getting so upset about?

Even more shocking is that when compared with other large metropolitan areas, we actually are retaining a relatively larger percentage of our current population each year, more than Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit and even Miami to cite just a few examples. Try to convince the average Pittsburgher that we are doing better than other regions at keeping people here. He or she will surely think you have been living on the moon.

I also have a news article floating around that is more recent that shows that even in the last few years, Pittsburgh's graduate/attachment rate (meaning those who go to Pittsburgh schools of higher education stay here once they graduate) has been steadily increasing. So much, in fact, that we have a graduate/attachment rate much higher than the national average.

Seeing young people leave in certain percentages isn't alarming, anyway. Young people are fickle. In every city across America, there are usually young people who are leaving their cities for this reason or that reason, most to spread their wings, to see something new, to get away from "home" for a while. Hell, I AM one of those young people.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by guylocke

EXACTLY.

(ouch - that really is a crisis)

And she is crying over the fact we saw less than a 5% drop???

It's only a crisis if you want or have to sell.

My zip code also saw a ton of speculation and riskier interest only loans. I got realty signs with reduced price and short sale signs all OVER the place -- and NOTHING is moving. When I 'zillow' my home, the only new sale is about a year old.

Silly me -- I was over on the SF CA board last year talking about how this wasn't going to be so bad and to quit being so pessimistic... guess I was wrong! LOL

[MMD93]

I have been a Republican for the last eight years. I was always a Democrat until Liberals hijacked the party. I am a resident of the city and have seen it improve very much in the last two years. If you lived in the city as I do, you would see this at all of the children's sporting and community events that we as city residents attend. The Mayor attends many of these getting to know the people.There is a strong sense of pride amongst the residents of Pittsburgh, and quite frankly we are tired of hearing from people in the suburbs who have either lived in the city and left because of status, or from people who have never lived here and don't have a kind word to say.

I, like others thought we needed a change. I was set to vote for Mr. Desantis until the residency issue came up. So much for keeping people in the city. It is not right, and once again a politician has decided that the taxpayers should just pay their taxes and like being slapped in the face. I will take a couple mistakes that had no impact on the city then someone who is about to ruin it.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by MMD93

I have been a Republican for the last eight years. I was always a Democrat until Liberals hijacked the party. I am a resident of the city and have seen it improve very much in the last two years. If you lived in the city as I do, you would see this at all of the children's sporting and community events that we as city residents attend. The Mayor attends many of these getting to know the people.There is a strong sense of pride amongst the residents of Pittsburgh, and quite frankly we are tired of hearing from people in the suburbs who have either lived in the city and left because of status, or from people who have never lived here and don't have a kind word to say.

I, like others thought we needed a change. I was set to vote for Mr. Desantis until the residency issue came up. So much for keeping people in the city. It is not right, and once again a politician has decided that the taxpayers should just pay their taxes and like being slapped in the face. I will take a couple mistakes that had no impact on the city then someone who is about to ruin it.

The residency thing is somewhat of a red flag for me as well.

[guylocke]

The residency thing is somewhat of a red flag for me as well.

What are you guys talking about? I've not heard about this.

[fleetiebelle]

DeSantis said in the debate last night that city workers shouldn't be required to live in the city.

Residency sparks mayor debate