The Pittsburgh Foundation

Blog Archive

Community Matters

In memoriam: Dan Rooney—1932-2017

When I first moved to Pittsburgh 18 years ago, I was struck immediately by what a distinctive, almost unique community it was. And it wasn’t just the inimitable Pittsburgh landscape, with its rivers and hills and tightly built sloping neighborhoods. It wasn’t just the distinctive architecture and the unique Pittsburgh dialect. It was the character of the place.

Community Matters

Tough love

If you want a prime example of how blind obedience to party ideology spoils opportunities to improve Pennsylvanians’ lives, look no further than the late, could-have-been-great “Protecting Excellent Teachers Act.”

Even the title of the bill follows the tired practice of both Republicans and Democrats naming legislation not to describe what it will accomplish, but more to promote a partisan political argument.

Community Matters

A thank you for good government

We’re fresh from an off-year election in which only 25 percent of Allegheny County’s registered voters went to the polls, and we’re also weary from four months-plus of a bitterly partisan state budget stand-off.

But just when we’re convinced that citizens don’t care enough to get involved and that government will never be able to get its act together, along comes a shining example of the opposite.

Community Matters

Aylan, the pope and Pittsburgh

One of the most important images connected to Pope Francis’ trip to the United States last week actually happened, from my view, several weeks before his arrival. It was the profoundly tragic and heartwrenching picture of a lifeless 3-year-old boy, Aylan Kurdi, his tiny body dressed in a red T-shirt and long shorts washed up on a beach resort in northeastern Turkey.

Community Matters

Elsie Hillman: in memoriam, 1925-2015

One of the things that attracts people to Pittsburgh--that brings young people here to work, that keeps people here who were born in the Pittsburgh region, that attracts companies to bring their business here, that convinces retirees to stay in the region--is the distinctive character of our place.

Community Matters

Enough

The funerals are being completed and the grieving is continuing for the nine members of Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, S.C., who were shot to death June 17 as they studied the Bible, sang and prayed.