Thread by @GaineyForMayor

🚨Happening Now🚨

Follow along during @PghUNITED's Mayoral Forum.

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Opening Question: "As mayor, what would your top priority be, and how do you plan to accomplish it?"

Answer: "I want to thank all the People who helped organize this debate. Today was Holocaust Remembrance Day, to our brothers and sisters. We just fight hate and discrimination every day and #NeverForget" (1/4)

A: "One of the biggest issues in this city is police community relations.
We've seen it for far too long and we've had too much conversation. And it's time to change. We needed to demilitarize our police force and really focused on communities" (2/4)

A: "There was a report that came out not too long ago that over 60% of arrests are African Americans -- That's over policing.
And we need to change that policy.

Lastly, we need to talk about social workers to be able to deescalate. (3/4)

"We have to build trust between police and community, that's the number one issue. And we have to work to ensure that we improve that. Thank you.
" (4/4)

Q: Over the past year, we've had one of the most devastating pandemics and the public health crises in our lifetime.
What would be your plans to lessen the impact on so many pittsburghers due to Covid-19?

A: "I think we lost a great opportunity during this pandemic, to really bring this city together. We didn't see nobody come down from downtown to talk about the most vulnerable communities that we always talk about.
We didn't see a plan for testing or vaccines." (1/?)

A: "And right now, when we talk about the recovery Act, just passed by Biden. They're putting that money in the rainy day fund, well it's raining on people right now.

We could use some of that money to fund some of our small businesses in the community.
" (2/?)

A: "We can use this to uplift black women and the black community since we talked about the gender and equity report that can help them establish businesses.


We can work with small businesses students recover." (3/3)

Q: How will you address the rise in gentrification and protect Pittsburgh residents?

A "We know the,the impact of gentrification and what is done to the community.

When we need inclusionary zoning to ensure that we can make it affordable for the people in Pittsburgh and make sure that we're doing it appropriately that's number one.
" (1/?)

A: "Number two, everybody talks about how we've grown the tax base in the city of Pittsburgh.
But, that's not growth when its on the backs of 7000 black Pittsburghers leaving and only 3000 coming in." (2/?)

A: "It continues to isolate us and keep us in a situation instead of bringing us together and being able to do things to move the city forward, it continues to create an isolation and divide us" (3/?)

A: "We need affordable housing and we need it in a desperate way. My administration will be totally focused on affordable housing in order to stabilize our neighborhood and bring our residents back to the city of Pittsburgh.
" (4/4)

Q: On economic development. Dr. King would often refer to budgets as more documents as a reminder to elected officials that the decisions that are made regarding these document, typically disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
(1/2)

Q: With that in mind, how would you make the budgeting process more transparent and shaped by public input? (2/2)

A: "We can break down the procurement packages, create more contracts across the board to give us the ability to have more MWBOEs be able to bid on these contracts, we can increase the workforce development." (1/2)

We need to create workforce development programs that create an infrastructure to job access because that gives people real meaning.
We got to change the course
from decades of people intentional on keeping people of color out. We have to be intentional about bringing us in.

Q: What will you do to ensure that economic development is equitable and inclusive of (disability, immigrants, religious minorities, latino, black, etc) all populations?

A: "[Equity] It's never been a priority.
If it was a priority, there would be funding, you will see it in the budget.

It's just been an issue that we talked about over and over again without giving access and opportunity to black and brown people.
" (1/?)

A: "We know what it takes, we know it takes capital to be able to build communities and help them get the necessary funding that they need to operate a business to run the business, but it's never been a priority in this city.
" (2/?)

A: "Instead of talking about it, we need to have actual results to talk about how we got there and we never did, or what went wrong.

That's the top priority.


We have to diversify the city in a way that we're open for business, breaking down the procurement processes." (3/?)

A: "The rainy day money from the recovery act... let's get it out in the community.

Let's help black and brown people, particularly the women, start businesses and move forward. That's how we do it." (4/4)

Q: Are you committed to supporting and passing a Pittsburgh lead safety law that requires the city to proactively inspect for lead hazards and address the lead crisis in Pittsburgh?

A: "Absolutely. We have to, not just because it's campaign season, but because it's the right thing to do.


We should have been doing this. If it was a priority, not just in the campaign trail, it would've been done.
But, this is how we save lives. That's how we say thank you."

Q: If elected, how will you utilize the American Jobs Plan's funds to make lasting sustainable changes for our environment, the health and safety of everyone in Pittsburgh, and commit to keeping our assets such as PWSA public?

A: "One is public works. This is a great opportunity for us to make sure that our public works department has the equipment and technology that they need to be able to do the jobs correctly.

We noticed one of the reason why some of them want to go to work is because..." (1/?)

A: "...they didn't have the right equipment to be able to go to work.

Secondly, our raw sewage runoff, you know that's working with the county and Uncle Sam, but I think that with this infrastructure money coming this is a great opportunity to talk about how we go green
" (2/?)

A: "We have a great opportunity right now and number three I think this is the time that we can really talk about how we build our communities.

We got a lot of Vacant lots with the weeds are up to our hips. We got a chance to do some things to really beautify our neighborhoods"

Q: How would you Hold UPMC accountable? for the workers pay? for their duty to the city?

A: "Thank you for the question. I believe that everybody has to pay their fair share. I've been very vocal on this.
I've seen what happened at the state level, our state attorney general,, made it that how more patients could use the access to UPMC in a lawsuit" (1/?)

A: "UPMC has to pay their fair share, even if we have to go to court to make that happen. I know some people on here said that we'd do it and then once they got elected it changed once they said they did a deep dive and now all of a sudden, they don't want to
." (2/?)

A: "But in order for us to be a city where everybody's getting involved then everybody must pay their fair share, so yes there should be some taxes.
Secondly, they should be allowed to form a union.
Third is they should be able to fight for better benefits for healthcare..." 3/?

A: "...workers particularly after the pandemic that we came off. We have to guarantee that they have safe and affordable insurance all year long. So I think there's a lot that we can do, but UPMC has to pay their fair share.
" 4/4

Q: Keeping in mind the current between the police and the African American and brown, black and brown communities throughout the country.

Do you support a democratically elected civilian oversight board over the police with expanded powers over hiring... 1/2

Q: discipline, investigation, firing, budgets, and any purchases of infrastructure related to Policing?
Would you please explain your answer. 2/2

A: "I'm gonna say I would definitely have to see the language and see what's in the language to make a decision but I am in favor of it, but I will want to see the language.
" (1/?)

A: "The other thing is just couple weeks ago you had a Facebook private Facebook posting, where you had officers that work in the city of Pittsburgh, talking
about how deplorable Black Lives Matter was, how deplorable the LGBTQ community was..." (2/?)

A: " deplorable and that a another black female officer who walked with BLM, that if if she called for backup, that she shouldn't shouldn't receive it.
They should be disciplined and fired." (3/?)

A: "I don't want that in my community that's not the kind of police officer I want. Let the FOP defend themselves as the races Institution they are if they so choose" (4/4)

Q: Would you apply to be in the UBI universal basic income pilot program? Why or why not

A: "Yeah that's going to help the situation but I've been in Pittsburgh my whole life, and the reality is this is about access and opportunity, and how we lift ALL of us in the right direction.

It has to be a priority of have any mayor." 1/?

A: "If you want to see everybody in your city have an opportunity to grow and stay here and start a business and the joys of family, we need investments in equity.
And that's why you heard me talking about the procurement package and opening up opportunities. 2/3

A: "We have to be in a situation where we're moving forward, where we see that when we come to the public, that we're transparent about the progress that we made.
If we haven't done it in 8 yrs it's not going to happen w/ this admin. We need someone who every day its a priority."

Q: A lot of the candidates have been talking about women, black women specifically, how would you use your office to support expanding and protecting access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare?

A: "Everybody should have access to reproductive healthcare. This isn't even a question. We have to do more to expand it and partner with organizations in tis fight to do it best. Regardless of whatever community we come from, everybody understands the need for good healthcare."

A: "That's one of the major disparities in the community and we all have to fight every day for everybody to have health care and that we can take care of ourselves and people's reproductive health care."

Q: What are you going to do about the city owned vacant and abandoned properties and lots that are creating health and safety issues?

A: "We know what we have to do and Homewood has to remain affordable. We have to rebuild, but we can't do it at market rate. We have to affordable rentals and we have to have affordable for sale units.

We have to make homewood affordable that's what a homewood is scared about.

A: "We got all these properties in the land bank that haven't moved at all. Homewood is worried about being gentrified. And the way we stop that is being committed to ensure that we bring affordable housing to the community.
That's how you stabilize homewood."

Q: How would you prioritize funding for different types of transportation while keeping in mind environmental concerns and goals?

A: "We have to look at the city fleet and make sure to electrify it. For Port Authority we have to partner with the county exec. What we can't have is not let any private company that wants to build transportation is not let them skip over neighborhoods, they have to help all."

Q: Where do you stand on gun laws and the restrictions therein for the city of pittsburgh?

A: "This is a huge issue for me. At the state level I have introduced bans on assault weapons. We have to keep partnering with the state reps and work through the republican state houses to ensure we can get these weapons off the street." (1/2)

A: "In order to save lives we have to ban them. We don't need assault weapons on our streets. It's hurting our communities. It's hurting our schools. We have to band together, stand up people who would stop us, and save lives" (2/2)

Final Remarks from @gainey_ed: "First I want to say thank you again to everyone who helped plan this event.

We have to make sure that all ships are selling in the right direction and everybody has access and opportunity. That's how you grow a city." (1/?)

"But we have to move away from these broken promises. We were promised more affordable housing - broken promise
We were promised better Police Community Relations -broken promise.

We were promised major nonprofits would be held accountable - broken promise" (2/4)

"Broken promise after broken promise does not build a city.

You have to go to work every single day to want to see a city that is built for all of us.

If you are in office for so long, and you're just coming to an understanding that we have a tale of two cities problem.."3/4

"Then you ain't been going to work every day.


We need a Mayor who every day wants to see every ship rise in this city.


That's what I bring. That's what I do. And that's why I'm asking you for your support to be Pittsburgh's next mayor" (4/4)

Thank you to everyone who joined along with #GaineyForMayor tonight,

want to ask Ed your own question? Join us TOMORROW @ 7 PM for our weekly town hall ➡️➡️ bit.ly/MeetGainey4May…