| Allegheny County, PA | May 19, 2009 Election |
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Small business growth stabilizes PittsburghBy Carmen L. RobinsonCandidate for Mayor; City of Pittsburgh |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
Bring Grant Street to Main street in Pittsburgh's neighborhoodsBloomfield's business district is a small-business model for other Pittsburgh neighborhoods to follow. It puts most of life's necessities, and several luxuries, within an easy walk of neighborhood residents. Besides the two churches and a hospital, there are many safe bars, various ethnic fare restaurants, a supermarket, two Italian markets, hair salons, a barbershop, gifts and card shops, several gyms, two cobblers, fashion boutiques, a sweeper repair shop, and much more. More than anything else, small businesses are what we need to make Pittsburgh's economy run. Small businesses take the risks, often with little start-up money and nothing to fall back on. They do most of the innovating in this city, as well as most of the hiring. For people of every background, small businesses are the path to success and to the American dream. In addition, they are the lifeblood of every local economy. In this very tough time for our economy and for workers and families across our city, job creation among small businesses is crucial. It is just one reason why city government should never take the hard work, sacrifices, and earnings of small business owners for granted. As mayor, my goal will be to get our economy running at full strength again, and a major key to achieving that is supporting small businesses. Unfortunately, small businesses have been neglected in recent years. Many small-business districts across Pittsburgh are in distress because our city has focused on supporting big businesses and large developers. City residents' tax dollars have too often been used to supplement projects that benefit non-Pittsburghers. While others speak of attracting new residents to increase the city's population and tax base, that single-minded focus amounts to little more than speculation -- the kind of speculation that has allowed large businesses to locate in the city, do business, and then desert the city without paying a dime of taxes. This is unfair to our many hard-working, taxpaying citizens and to the thousands of small business owners who faithfully pay their share of taxes. The same sort of tax abatements that benefit commercial property owners Downtown and in the Strip District ought to be granted to those who want to open small businesses, especially in distressed neighborhoods. The stimulus would be conditioned on the property owners supplementing commercial rents. As mayor, it would be one of my first initiatives after taking office. My plan would stimulate small-business growth, create a healthy environment like in Bloomfield, and help reduce the violence that characterizes too many of our distressed neighborhoods. This plan can work for Carrick and for Homewood, for Beechview and for Larimer, for Brookline, Manchester, and Lincoln-Lemington as well as for any other neighborhood that desperately needs city government's support. This plan is just one way I would aid our city neighborhoods as Mayor. As we all know, Pittsburgh is a city of many wonderful and diverse neighborhoods, and they all deserve the help that can make them as vibrant as Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Bloomfield. |
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pa/al Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 17, 2009 19:00
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