In one last mayoral debate before Tuesday’s election, Democrat Ed Gainey said he believes Pittsburghers can work together to create a safer, more diverse and more affordable city, while Republican Tony Moreno insisted that real progress starts when career politicians are ousted.
Over a 30-minute stretch of questioning that aired Sunday morning on WPXI-TV, the candidates were scrutinized on specific issues — including two items they’ve rarely talked about from the same stage — with an underlying thread of how to address crime, equity and affordability in a city once named America’s most livable.
The debate started with an exchange about a local political committee called African Americans for Good Government, whose treasurer was charged in September with a misdemeanor for failing to report contributions in excess of $250.
WTAE-TV reported earlier this year that the PAC had paid thousands of dollars to a longtime political adviser of Mr. Gainey, a state representative, and that in 2018, the PAC had sent out the invitation advertising the kickoff to Mr. Gainey’s re-election campaign.
Asked by moderators about his connection to the PAC and whether it should be a concern for voters, Mr. Gainey said it shouldn’t. He said he has nothing to do with the PAC’s bookkeeping and is not a target of an investigation.
“I’ve never been under investigation. I have nothing to do with the PAC. That’s the bottom line. That’s the reality. That’s the truth,” Mr. Gainey said.
His campaign told WPXI in September that Mr. Gainey supported the PAC and its effort to increase Black turnout, but “he was never an officer of the PAC and has never played any role in its bookkeeping or campaign finance filings.”
Mr. Moreno countered that the name of Mr. Gainey’s longtime political adviser, Moses Nelson, was in the affidavit for the case and that it should be cause for concern.
“I believe Gainey hasn’t been interviewed [by investigators] for this because he’s the target,” Mr. Moreno said on the debate stage.
The candidates also were asked about the death of Jim Rogers, a 54-year-old Black man who died in October roughly 24 hours after a Pittsburgh police officer used a Taser on him during an arrest for allegedly stealing a bike in Bloomfield.
Mr. Gainey said policy needs to change and the city needs to send social workers on emergency calls — particularly when dealing with mental health. Social workers know how to de-escalate situations, Mr. Gainey said, and having them respond to these calls would “save lives.” The situation with Mr. Rogers “should have never happened,” he added.
Mr. Moreno, a retired city police officer, said he’s the “subject matter expert” on this because he used to train officers in de-escalation. He deemed the case of Mr. Rogers a “leadership failure from top to bottom” and said people need to be held responsible for his death.
Responding to a question about gun violence in the city, Mr. Moreno said it’ll take championing the police, not defunding them, to solve the problem. He said the problems are financial and that there need to be parallel tracts of stopping immediate violence with law enforcement and helping the impacted residents with their socioeconomic issues.
Mr. Gainey remarked that teenagers are waking up with murder on their minds and noted that he’s asking local universities, nonprofits and foundations to come together to help create a public health plan to eradicate violence at its roots. There’s no waving a magic wand to fix violence, he said — it’ll take a public health blueprint.
Mr. Moreno responded that a mayor can put a stop to violence immediately and that it would be his main priority if he wins.
“The reality is, if it was that simple, it would be solved already. This is a real-life situation, and we will deal with it,” Mr. Gainey countered.
On how to make Pittsburgh most livable for all of its residents, Mr. Moreno said he’d create a neighborhoods department that caters policy changes and solutions to specific neighborhoods, rather than instituting “umbrella” policies over the whole city. Every neighborhood has its own issues, he said.
“I will listen to your individual needs and give you the resources you need to cure your own problems,” Mr. Moreno said.
Mr. Gainey said it will take a multipronged strategy, including a focus on public safety; making sure abandoned lots and buildings are taken care of; diversifying city contracts; improving workforce development; and investing in affordable housing, including passing inclusionary zoning to ensure affordability is a prerequisite for new housing developments.
In a line of questioning about COVID-19 and the city’s recovery, Mr. Moreno said he doesn’t believe in vaccine or mask mandates for city employees, but he believes it’s a smart choice to get a vaccine “if you haven’t had” COVID-19 already. The city should make all the right information available and let employees make their own choices, he added.
Mr. Gainey said everyone should get the COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks. He said if he wins, he will listen to experts in January and make a determination about mandates at that point.
Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952 or Twitter @julianrouth.
First Published: October 31, 2021, 2:56 p.m.