South Oakland Update:
October 2009

(Sent to political representatives, media, community organizations, concerned individuals.)

I mentioned in a previous update that a letter was written to President Barack Obama asking that he sign the online petition of our grassroots movement, and I promised to keep you informed.

Here is the reply from Mr. F. Michael Kelleher, Special Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence:

“Dear Mr. Giampolo:

We received your request for President Obama’s support for your organization, and we appreciated hearing from you. Thank you for your kind message.

We are unable to fulfill this request, but we appreciate your interest and wish you the best in your endeavors. Please note that all Americans are welcome to visit www.Grants.gov to apply for Federal funds.”

I responded to Mr. Kelleher, saying in part:

“Our grassroots movement will not seek federal moneys. It is important that the funding come from Pitt and UPMC in order to send a clear signal to everyone, especially Pitt students, that these two institutions are beginning to care more deeply about our community.”

In contrast to the response from the White House, five letters to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl have been sent about this issue, and we have not received any response.

The SOUL Program (Described at the end of this email) is a workable plan for creating a clean and healthy environment in our community. We are asking all politicians through this update, whether they represent our community or not, to take whatever action they believe is most efficacious to have Pitt and UPMC provide funding for this very worthwhile program.

Below is testimony given by me to the Pittsburgh City Council on September 29. (Note: I strive for accuracy. The Syria Mosque site which is now a parking lot is owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and not the University of Pittsburgh.)

• Our community, South Oakland, is “home” to the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
  
  
• Expansion and the earning of billions of dollars have taken precedence over human dignity.
  
  
• On just 8 streets in our community, Pitt and UPMC together have acquired over 125 parcels of property. On one residential street alone, Oakland Avenue, Pitt owns 17 parcels of property.
  
  
• The epitome of these acquisitions occurred when Pitt and UPMC were outbidding one another to see who would acquire and then demolish the Syria Mosque. That beloved entertainment venue for all of us was purchased by Pitt and is now a parking lot.
  
  
• Efforts to save historic Forbes Field and the Schenley Theater were to no avail.
  
  
• UPMC’s executive office building on Meyran Avenue and Atwood Street was once the site of numerous businesses that served a vibrant residential community.
  
  
• Pitt has accumulated an endowment of $2.2 billion.
  
  
• Pitt has earned an average surplus of over $200 million for each of the past three years from its business activities.
  
  
• $2 billion has been spent on construction by Pitt in the past ten years.
  
  
• Scam artists stole $65 million from the university while our community was being told by administrators that there was no money for a daily maintenance litter program. Only $1 million of that stolen money would have funded our litter program for 10 years.
  
  
• UPMC has grown to become the seventh largest health center in the country with yearly revenue of $7 billion.
  
  
• UPMC has earned $1.1 billion in profits for the combined years of 2006 and 2007 as reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  
  
• The top 50 executives at UPMC earn over $21 million.
  
  
• Our grassroots movement has suggested a daily maintenance litter program known as The SOUL (South Oakland Urban Litter) Program that would assure a clean and healthy environment in our community.
  
  
• We have been denied funding by both Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff for this program. The amount of funding requested is equivalent to only $4 (Four dollars) per year of a student’s tuition fee which ranges from $13,344 - $47,346.
  
  
• An OAKLAND IMPACT AID LAW is needed whereby Pitt and UPMC would be legally required to provide greater financial support to the community of Oakland which they have impacted so greatly. I request that such an ordinance be initiated and that it be supported by all members of this council.
  
  
• The elderly long-time residents of Oakland deserve to live with dignity in a clean and healthy environment. They need your support and they need it now. Enough is Enough!

THE SOUL PROGRAM

The SOUL (South Oakland Urban Litter) program is one that will employ 10 youth workers to assist in the effort to keep the sidewalks and streets of Oakland free of litter. These workers will be employed Monday through Friday, for four hours per day. The salary for each worker would be $10 per hour. For some of these young people, this will be their first employment opportunity; and for all of them, the program will help them develop the social, ethical and personal skills necessary for increasing their opportunities for success in life. There will be approximately 35 streets in Oakland serviced by this program.

The employees will work under the direction of YouthPlaces, a non-profit organization located at 2934 Smallman Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15201. YouthPlaces will work in collaboration with Oakland organizations. The Executive Director is Lori Schaller.
The mission of The SOUL Program is to create and promote a clean environment in Oakland, while providing its youth workers with an opportunity to be involved in meaningful employment. The program benefits the residents and the landlords of Oakland, as well as businesses and institutions such as UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. It also provides a positive visual enhancement of the neighborhood for the thousands of people who visit and travel through Oakland every year.

The SOUL Program complements the efforts of other organizations engaged in the attempt to eliminate the trash and litter problems in Oakland, organizations such as the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, Oakland Community Council, Community Human Services, Peoples Oakland, Oakland Transportation Management Association and the Oakland Business Improvement District.

We are asking for a 10-year, $1.2 million commitment of $120,000 per year by Pitt and UPMC for The SOUL Program. This amount will allow YouthPlaces to hire ten youths at a combined salary of $100,000 per year. The additional amount of $20,000 would go towards beautification projects and other environmental causes in Oakland which our residents, student supporters and community organizations would agree to implement.

Carlino Giampolo
(808) 926-1752   
www.oaklanddignity.com