The letter Mayor Murphy has a duty to send to all area residents

Yes, we have many fine examples of wrong-headed efforts that have blow up in the city's face.

To make an effort as to WHY so many people leave -- well -- would be to call for a brutal self-examination. The people on Grant Street can't even be honest with the passing of a city-budget yet alone introspection. The fluff is going to continue as there isn't much depth.

People vote with their feet. Or, they don't vote. The opportunities for freedom and real self-determination are better elsewhere.

Living in a one-party town is undesirable. Seeing big money subsidies go to the corporate elite is undesirable.

To reverse the trend, develop democratic (small "d") communities again. Put citizens on the same level again among themselves and among the corporations and institutions. When actions are not fair, and when justice is thin -- people see this and depart.

When the Citizen Police Review Board can't meet bacause the Mayor and Council have NOT put enough members onto the body -- something is so wrong that flight becomes the best option.

When council votes to wait and NOT investigate the policies of SWAT -- because the Chief is away -- we have no hope of INTROSPECTION. We can't even look at ourselves in the mirror. We can't assess what we are doing as the power grabbers have trampled common-sense duties.

To get a legitimate tax base again, don't make more TIFs, more back-room deals, more red-tape.

Sure, the failures of the city schools need serious attention. But, for Grant Street to do that -- no way. The Mayor's Commission on Public Education is a classic example of pond scum thinking. The process was a joke and sorry -- I'd have to say that starting there is not prudent. We'd need to get there, but we need a system that is capable of being engaging and straight.

The dismal quality of the public services are in dire need of a benchmark system. Many here don't know what we are missing and should be able to receive.

The city is not a place working families want to live anymore, until that changes nothing will be resolved. -- YES.

Here is a great Tom Murphy Type Excuse:

"White flight to suburbs was/is a problem everywhere and wasn't necessarily caused by any bad policies the City of Pgh made."

The City of Pittsburgh is full of bad policies. The rest of the nation didn't shrink in size by 50% in the past decades. Many, many of our woes are our own doing. If you think otherwise, you must not be in Pittsburgh much.

Here is another flash of falsehood:

"However, the politicians have seemingly little to do with the Board of Ed tax and spend policies."

Board of Ed members -- like previous Board of Ed cronies (Barbara Burns and Valerie McDonald) are politicians. Politicians have nearly EVERYTHING to do with the tax and spend policies. The board makes up the policies.

When a discussion goes so far off the radar of truthfulness -- I sense a MOLE.

Ta.