The Hot Sheet

Important City Council update!

ACTION ALERT! Pittsburgh City Council plans to vote TOMORROW on a package of legislation that deals with lobbyist and campaign finance disclosure and no-bid contracts, introduced by Councilman Bill Peduto.

#1 Campaign Finance Reform bill would:

• limit Council campaign contributions to $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for PAC’s
• limit Mayoral contributions to $2,000 for individuals, $4,000 for PAC’s
• require the creation of a searchable database of all campaign contributions and city contracts.

#2  No-bid contracts bill would eliminate no-bid contracts with the city valued at more than $30,000

#3 Lobbyist Disclosure Act would require all Request-For-Proposal responses to disclose finder’s fee or payments to lobbyists or consultants.

#4 Lobbyist Registration Act would require anyone engaging in more than 30 hours of paid lobbying during a three-month period to register as lobbyists with the city.
The vote is scheduled for TOMORROW, Wednesday April 29th. This would be a major step for Pittsburgh towards good government practices and policies.

Call your city councilperson and ask them to VOTE YES for Councilman Peduto’s proposed good government legislation!

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council/

Tags: campaign finance, city council, legislation, pittsburgh, reform, transparency, vote

Check out our 2009 Voter Guide

See candidate responses for Mayor, City Council, School Board, County Council, and even the Judicial races here on our website:

http://pahotsheet.com/2009-voter-guide

We wanted to make sure we got answers from the candidates on important issues, so we collaborated with the Sierra Club Allegheny Group and Planned Parenthood of Western PA to come up with the questions for this voter guide.

Consider this one more tool in your arsenal to elect the most responsive and responsible government possible.  More voter guides are coming from groups like A+ Schools and the League of Women Voters, and we’ll link them here once they’re available, too.

And please join us for our Voter Guide Release Party, Saturday April 4th at Town Tavern on Carson Street from 9pm-Midnight.  A $5 donation gets you in for a make-your-own-taco bar with chips and salsa and also a cheese-and-veggie option, with $2 wine, beer, and well drinks.

Add in a DJ and the chance to meet and chat with some of the candidates, and you’ve got a great night and can help us with our mission to inform and turn out young voters.  (Roxanne and I are guest bartending!)

We’d love to get your feedback, so please leave a comment or send us an email with your thoughts and suggestions.

-Carly

Tags: allegheny county, candidates, city council, common pleas, commonwealth court, county council, election, judicial, local, mayor, mayoral, Pennsylvania, pittsburgh, primary, school board, superior court, supreme court, vote, voter, voter guide

Special Elections are Important

On February 3rd a special election in Pittsburgh’s City Council District 2 will decide the district’s councilor for the next eleven months. Over the next year council will be making decisions about the City’s finances that will have repercussions for years to come.

It is important for the neighborhoods of Banksville, Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, Duquesne Heights, East Carnegie, Elliott, Esplen, Fairywood, Mount Washington, Oakwood, Ridgemont, and Sheraden to think carefully in choosing their next representative.

Unfortunately, special elections are for a single office and fall on days when people are not accustomed to voting, and as a result are poorly attended even by active voters. The PA League is going to change that this year by talking to young people in District 2 and providing information about the candidates and then reminding them to turn out to vote.

This is the year that we show that special elections matter just as much as every other election.  Click here to sign up to volunteer.

Mac Booker,
PA League Field Director

Tags: city council, district 2, pittsburgh, special election