There’s really only one man between us and the full funding of Pennsylvania’s public transit system — Gov. Tom Corbett.  The task force Gov. Corbett created, the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC), has a plan to fund public transportation.  Gov. Corbett won’t follow his commission’s recommendations!

Corbett is standing in front of our buses.  We need him to get out of the way!

Why should one man hold up thousands of people who depend on transit?  Why would he want to cut off people’s means of getting to work, school, houses of worship, grocery stores and doctors’ appointments?  Why would he want to increase traffic congestion and air pollution, and stiffle the region’s economic recovery/progress?

Don’t let one stubborn man hold up your bus, your T or your Access ride.  When we, the thousands of people who recognize the importance of public transit, all join together, we have power.

What can you do?

• Join us at the PIIN Prayer Vigil for Transportation Justice on Thursday, May 10 from 6:30-7:00 p.m. at Bidwell Presbyterian Church on the North Side, 1025 Liverpool Street Pittsburgh, PA 15233.  The free event is open to people of all faiths.We will share testimonials, get fired up, pray for strength and justice, and demand that the key decision makers do what’s right and act to stop this crisis.  A gathering like our Prayer Vigil is a great way to meet like-minded transit supporters and create the political will to affect real change. This free event is open to people of all faiths.

•  Come with us as we take our message to him in Harrisburg on Tuesday, May 22.  We’re taking the fight for public transportation and public education funding to Harrisburg!  Join us to send a message to Gov. Corbett that he is the key to preventing the 35% service cuts and investing in the education of young people – the future of our region!  Make your voice heard and your presence felt!  8am departure.  Don’t miss the bus!  Contact the PIIN office for more details and to reserve your seat.  412-621-9230 or office@piin.org

Want to do something right now?

• Tell Gov. Corbett to stop standing in our way; fund public transportation!  Call him at 717-787-2500between 8:30am and 4:30pm and demand that he implement the TFAC recommendations!

The PIIN Education Task-Force has been building our power base in the past few months and has made some significant leaps towards a more equitable future for students in Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS). We have been working tirelessly with our partners, A Plus Schools, and others, to identify key areas of concern within PPS and how to overcome them. To this end, we have been meeting with key allies, staff members in the District, and families to organize more effectively to achieve our goals. What we have found is astounding.

In PPS, the racial achievement gap was a 33.1% difference in reading and 30.7% difference in math. There are differences in course availabilities as in one PPS high school, only 2.6% of students participated in AP courses, and in another 23.4% of students participated. And we also found that the average counselor is responsible for 340 students! And to top this all off, PPS must cut millions of dollars from its budget! In light of this, the PIIN Education task-force asked Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Linda Lane, that she align with us in our campaign to push for a more equitable future for all 28,000 kids in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Already, with our growing power and zeal, Dr. Lane agreed to our respectful demand to equitably allow for art, music, advanced courses, foreign languages, librarians, counselors, athletics, and access to career and technical education for every kid in PPS.

Two hundred folks from all over Pittsburgh came together on February 23^rd at Bidwell Presbyterian church to see the progress the Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools made towards a more equitable future. It was an exciting and riveting experience, with the call to action being led by Teen Bloc, a youth initiative, asking parents to pay their taxes, the Superintendent to follow an equitable future with better teaching standards, and for kids to do their best at school. Now we shift our focus State-wide, as the Governor’s budget cuts create more problems for those invested in a great Education system for all of Pennsylvania’s children.

Where are the Minority Police Officers?

Bias and Discrimination against minority candidates

A community Event

Tuesday March 27

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 

Bethany Baptist Church

7745 Tioga St 15208

Join us to hear the real story from community members who participated in the hiring process about why the Pittsburgh Police force is not diverse and only 1 in 38 officers recently hired are racial minorities.

Over the past year PIIN and other community organizations have been attempting to work in cooperation with police department and the City of Pittsburgh to Diversify the police force. This event will be moderated by Vic Walczak, Legal Director for the ACLU of PA.

Featuring Keynotes Speaker Rabbi Jonah Pesner of Temple Israel in Boston (full bio below)

Sunday, April 22

Westin Convention Center

1000 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh PA 15222

$50 Single Admission

$450 For a Table of Ten

Reservations required by Monday April 2, 2012

Reserve your seat by contacting 412-621-9230  fax 412-621-1057  office@piin.org

Checks should be made payable to “PIIN”

Mail checks and reservation information to PIIN, Manor Building, Suite 808, 564 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15219

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Rabbi Jonah Pesner of Temple Israel in Boston is the founding Director of Just Congregations. He works with synagogues pursuing social justice across the country and teaches on all three campuses of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He has led efforts to engage thousands of members of congregations to join together in successful campaigns for health care access, affordable housing, public education, nursing care workers rights, and living wage. As a leader of the greater Boston Interfaith Organization, Rabbi Pesner was the chair of the GBIO effort in the Massachusetts “Affordable Care Today!” coalition that successfully secured health care for more than half a million uninsured residents of the Commonwealth.  Rabbi Pesner chairs the board of the Jewish Organizing Initiative.

On December 8th Mayor Ravenstahl summarily removed civilians from the Police Oral Review Board, despite the promise he made to us after more than a year of working together on this. PIIN Leaders and Community members stood up and demanded a change.   (Click here for background and talking points)

Community Group Wants Citizens Reinstated for Police Recruit Interviews

Essential Public Radio

Police chief says hiring panel process moved too quickly
Connellsville Daily Courier

City drops civilians from police review – New Pittsburgh Courier

Group demands response from Pittsburgh on police interview panels
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rev. Chad Collins of Valley View Presbyterian Church and co-chair of the PIIN Gun Violence Task Force addressing the media at the PIIN press conference opposing the city’s decision to remove community participation on the police oral exam panels – Friday, December 9, 2011. Also present (from left to right): Bob Maddock, Vic Walczak of the ACLU, PIIN President Rev. Richard Freeman, Greg Patrick, members of Bidwell Church, Rev. Dave McFarland, other community members, Rev. Glenn G. Grayson, Rev. John Welch, Blanche Bennett, Rev. Mike Stanton, and Marlene Milik.

United States Representative Mike Doyle couldn’t join PIIN for our public meeting this year. But he sent a message for us:

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the leading voice for Immigration Reform, joined us for a town hall meeting in the Hill District on June 16th. We heard from many PIIN members and allies who have experienced problems thanks to our broken immigration system and from Congressman Doyle before Rep. Gutierrez took the stage and talked about the need for immigration reform.

Read about it here.

City Council finally passed the Clean Air Act on June after several years of work by PIIN and allied groups through Pittsburgh UNITED. The act is the third in a series that ensures that publicly funded development in the City of Pittsburgh brings benefits back to the community including Prevailing Wage Jobs, Clean Water, and Clean Air.  The Clean Air Act specifically requires construction equipment, which contributes a significant amount of diesel particulate matter to our air, be retrofit to reduce these deadly emissions.

Read about it in the Post Gazette

PIIN led a march and protest of nearly 200 people calling for tighter gun laws to get illegal guns off the streets as the National Rifle Association came to Pittsburgh on May 1st. We called upon the National Rifle Association, which is holding its convention here this weekend, to open a dialogue about ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and the mentally ill.

Read the coverage:

Post Gazette story

Post gazette video

Post Gazette Editorial

Tribune Review Sunday Story 

Tribune Review Saturday online story

WPXI

KDKA

KDKA Video

WTAE

City Paper

WDUQ

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