Open Letter to Bill Peduto from Mark Rauterkus:Now it the time to re-open prior discussions on campaign finance reform.

Dear City Council Member Peduto,

A few years ago, as a citizen and former candidate for mayor, I reviewed your legislation about campaign finance reform. I called for the public hearing about your bill. We talked about some of the fatal flaws in council chambers. The bill was tabled.

Furthermore, I was part of a committee that was established in the aftermath of the failed legislation offering. I was happy to be included in that effort. My begging plus some insistence from other members on council at the time helped to get me into those meetings.

Some of us were willing to deal with a wide range of issues concerning Pittsburgh's campaign finance reform. The committee was stacked with excellent people. Some of the best and brightest organizations in the region were represented and concerned. We came together to work in hopes of advancing solutions. All cared a great deal about our shared democracy. And, we kept true to the wishes of the bill's prime sponsor.

To this day, the work product of that committee has not been revealed. I've been disturbed, as you know, by the lack of action and silence for so many months. Our committee, in my opinion, offered some fine outcomes. These have been kept under wraps.

Now is the time to unleash those discussion about democracy in Pittsburgh, in advance of the 2009 campaign season. Let's re-kindle and begin to reclaim the discussion about campaigns in Pittsburgh.

You said yesterday, "The campaign to reform Pittsburgh continues." Well, that's good news. But, it is clear to me, the next step on this process of reform should include a new look at campaign finance reform. We've done plenty of work. The group was ready to make some suggestions. Plus, I have two specific side-line suggestions that go beyond what was offered by the committee.

In the days to come, I'd love to see you put the ordinance back onto the table with an attached call for an official public hearing in council chambers. Let's address the materials developed by the committee in the past and allow for additional citizen comment.

I feel certain that if some of the solutions I proposed back in those discussions would have been implemented, yesterday's news could have been avoided. Serious, system-wide reform can be accomplished. But, action is necessary.

Introduce a "place holder bill" called "campaign finance reform" so that we can quickly proceed to a public hearing.

Thanks for all you have done and are yet to accomplish in these regards.

Finally, for scheduling, in May and early June I'll be in New Zealand.