Citizen lawmaker: Ms. Smith goes to Grant Street: "Theresa Smith has spent years working to improve her city and her Westwood neighborhood, always from outside the government looking in."Well, that isn't true.
Theresa worked for Pittsburgh Public Schools as one of five directors of a PERC, Parent Education Resource Center. The PPS budget is larger than that of the City's budget. So, she wasn't in city government, she was a government employee in a neighborhood.
The experience issue here is that the P-G, as journalist and news reporters, doesn't get it right.
Theresa was also experienced by helping Dan Deasy's campaign in his quest to become a State Rep.
Sure, there has been countless hours as a volunteer. Sure, she has been tireless. But she is no novice.
Sadly, the P-G editorial board folks are just too far out of touch. I don't care about their opinions. But, I do care that they weave them from facts and awareness. I wish they'd work to get out of the bubble in the bottom of the "Main Stream Media" river.
Well wishes are fine. But, just as it is going to take more than Grant Street to solve the problems of the city, it is also going to take 'watchdogs' of the fourth estate to be better clued into the reality of our landscapes. The P-G needs to help too. Too often it has been on the wrong side in the struggles of bettering our city.
My statement on the day after the special election win of Theresa Smith.
(Updated from 9:30 am.)
Posts
3 comments:
full article:
Citizen lawmaker: Ms. Smith goes to Grant Street
Monday, February 09, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Theresa Smith has spent years working to improve her city and her Westwood neighborhood, always from outside the government looking in.
That changed Tuesday, when Ms. Smith, 49, decisively won a special election to Pittsburgh City Council, filling a seat left vacant when Dan Deasy moved to the state Legislature. The sounds of Steelers fans celebrating on the streets of Downtown drowned out her transition from candidate to councilwoman-elect, but we have no doubt this tireless and enthusiastic volunteer will make her presence known.
After her election, she made clear that she doesn't think solutions to the city's problems all must come from inside government, telling an interviewer, "We have to take some responsibility for what's going on in our community."
Her resume includes being president of the Crafton Heights Westwood Ridgemont Community Council, secretary for the 28th Ward Democratic Committee, vice president of the Westwood Oakwood Athletic Association, and working for city schools in jobs focused on parental involvement.
Before the election, although we expressed reservations about her view that the city might soon be ready to forgo state fiscal oversight, we were impressed by her knowledge and extensive community involvement.
The citizens of District 2 have a council member who may be a novice but who is well-versed in how the city operates and in the organizations that are active throughout the district.
We wish her well in her first elective office, one that, because it fills a vacancy, she will have to win again if she is to serve a full, four-year term. That race comes up quickly, with the primary in May.
Mark:
Video is slow - I tried watching it via blog and youtube directly - slow.
The video is nothing, really. Camera just points into space. It is the audio that matters.
Did the audio play?
It should really be a podcast or else have a lot of post-production.
:/
Post a Comment