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Information is Power!

Shall Pittsburgh have Open Government?

ittsburgh's decline and its huge financial problems did not happen overnight.   It's from decades of bad policy and mis-management by elected and appointed officials.   Pittsburghers are suffering and we're paying for something which has occurred behind our backs.

How could this happen?  There's been no effective mechanism for residents to learn what is really going on inside City government.   We always find out after it's too late.   We have been unable to give our informed consent or to object.   As a result, we remain unable to hold our public officials accountable in a timely manner.

What can we do about it?  The best answer is the Open Government Amendment to Pittsburgh's City Charter (printable flier), but it needs to be approved by Pittsburgh voters for it to take effect.   In order to for that to happen, we must first place it on the November 2010 ballot, and that's where you come in ...

The City of Pittsburgh is a Home Rule municipality.   To amend the City Charter, a question must be placed on the election ballot for voter approval.   For that to occur in Pittsburgh, we must collect and turn in a mininum 10,000 good signatures of people who are registered to vote in the City of Pittsburgh (actually, we'll probably need upwards of 15-20,000 to be safe).   These can be collected only during an official 7 week Initiative petitioning period beginning June 15th for the fall General Election.   Since getting 10,000 signatures is an awful lot of people to talk to in a very short time, it helps to have you let us know that you want to sign.   We can then get back to you quickly to collect your signature or let you know where you can go to sign.

Your signature and any other assistance you care to give can help to make the Open Government Amendment possible.

  Learn more about the Open Government Amendment to Pittsburgh's' City Charter.