Your local poll will be open from 7am to 8pm.  
Not sure where to vote?  Check your polling location here.

There are several important races on the ballot that will help decide the future of our City.  Voting is the biggest way that you can let your voice be heard - don’t forget to go out and support your candidates!

 
Come out and join us for an evening of live jazz by Matt Ferrrante, refreshments, and the Guided by the Ancestors quilt display by Tina Williams Brewer.  If you have been thinking about donating to the Peduto for City Council campaign, now is your chance!

The editorial praises Councilman Bill Peduto for his willingness to take action and push for campaign finance reform during the opportune moment.  Voters are paying attention now more than any other time of the year to the actions of their elected officials, which means that Councilman Peduto’s push for campaign finance reform was not unnoticed by the residents of Pittsburgh.  With the Mayor facing challengers in the upcoming election, Councilman Peduto chose the right moment to push for reform, and his efforts were successful.  

The reforms passed in Pittsburgh City Council last Tuesday could not have happened without those that spoke out in support of change.  Thank you to everyone who called, emailed and wrote to Council Members.  This bill would not have passed without the army of supporters that fought for it.  Councilman Peduto’s re-election campaign has worked to build the largest field army for reform in the City of Pittsburgh, and will continue to work to empower citizens through information and technology.  Everyone, especially those who worked to make it happen, should be celebrating this victory!

The blogosphere weighed in on the importance of this vote in local politics - Chris Schultz’s from “Thoughts on government… and other stuff” had this to say.

Thank you to all of the Peduto volunteers who took the time to help beautify our neighborhood!  If you would like to help with a WPC garden planting in your neighborhood, check out the planting schedule and sign up today!

The passage of the reform legislation on Tuesday was the largest action taken against pay-to-play politics by Pittsburgh City Council since the adoption of the Home Rule Charter, but Pittsburgh’s First Reformation of Local Government will continue with the 10 theses of reform introduced on Tuesday.  This theses on the Structure and Reformation of Government details areas of emphasis to continue to bring true reform to Pittsburgh, such as attacking waste, fraud, and abuse, and creating a firewall between politics and government.  Reform Pittsburgh Now also provides a report card, which tracks the votes of every City Council member, and the Mayor on progressive government reform issues.

Reform Pittsburgh Now was originally launched in 2007 by Councilman Bill Peduto, and the re-launched website works to empower the citizens of the City of Pittsburgh by giving them the tools to track the actions of their elected officials, and speak out for change.  The website provides an email forum that allows users to voice their opinion to all members of Pittsburgh City Council and the Mayor with the click of a button, and will also be a source of information about progressive issues.  

Visit Reform Pittsburgh Now today, and be a part of Pittsburgh’s First Reformation of City Government - it cannot happen without the involvement of citizens like you! 

Read about Tuesday’s press conference, Reform Pittsburgh Now, and the passage of Councilman Peduto’s reform bills:

• Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Council Passes Government Reform Package
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review - Limits on Pittsburgh Campaign Donations Approved
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh Council Approves Reforms; Peduto Pushes for More

These 5 bills are the largest reform initiative taken since the adoption of the Home Rule Charter in Pittsburgh.  These reform bills will:

1. Cap contributions by individuals at $2,000 for Mayoral and City Controller Races, and $1,000 for City Council races
2. Mandate the creation of an online, searchable database of all campaign contributions and city contracts
3. Ban all no-bid contracts over $30,000
4. Create the Lobbyist Disclosure Act, which would require all lobbyists to register annually with the city
5. Create the Lobbyist Registration Act, which would require all contract bidders to disclose any payments to lobbyists and consultants
6. Strengthen the city’s ethics code to greatly limit gifts to government officials

Thank you to everyone that spoke out for reform and lobbied City Council - we could not have done this without you.

Guests enjoyed breakfast food and warm coffee, made signs for their favorite runners, and cheered on the record number of marathon participants.

Guests also enjoyed live music from national recording artist Emily Rodgers, and Pittsburgh’s own Lohio.

Check out the Flickr page for even more photos.

The Penn State Hershey Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion’s program nrg Power by Choice is a campaign that encourages teens to get active, with the goal of combating the growing problem of childhood obesity.  It encourages teenagers to pay attention to healthy eating habits, and healthy physical activity habits.