Allegheny County Council

Allegheny County Council Testimony – December 5, 2012

My public comments today pertain to UPMC but will also focus on the University of Pittsburgh which may very well be the largest property owner in Allegheny County that enjoys tax-exempt status.

I would like for members of this council to think about the following questions. Would you want a university to impact your community the way that the University of Pittsburgh has impacted Oakland? Would you want university administrators to take ownership of 90 buildings in your community, build 8,000 dormitory beds, increase enrollment to 27,000 students, persuade state authorities to invoke eminent domain thus evicting you and your neighbors from your homes so that university buildings could be erected, give your residential organizations a paltry $23,000 a year in direct funding, and then have them tell you to start a Neighborhood Improvement District to resolve your problems such as binge drinking litter and trash?

Let me offer a concrete example of Pitt and UPMC’s influence. Prior to the invocation of eminent domain on South Bouquet Street in 1967, there were approximately a dozen students and 210 long-time residents, mostly of Italian descent, living on that street. Today there are over 700 students and only two long-time residents.

That is just one illustration of the domination that Pitt and UPMC have on the community of Oakland. Over the years far too many individuals in government and in the media have allowed this domination to continue.

For the past five years, our grassroots movement has attempted to create a new beginning for the community of Oakland. Our efforts have led us to understand that human dignity is not a priority for Pitt and UPMC administrators. We have called for the resignations of Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff when we experienced their indifference to the pain and suffering of the long-time residents of Oakland. We make that call again today.

This hearing provides members of this council with an opportunity. We urge you to make the choice to be champions for the people of Allegheny County by lifting your voices in calling for new leadership at Pitt and UPMC. Be the mapmakers for a new chapter in the history of Allegheny County. Stand tall. Stand proud. Stand out.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Carlino Giampolo

—

Update: On June 28, 2013 Chancellor Mark Nordenberg announced that he is retiring on August 1, 2014. It is our hope that the chancellor will move his retirement date forward to the present.