I attended the District 5 community meeting for Greenfield hosted by Pittsburgh City Council Member Barbara Warwick. In his column “Progressivism killing the party, the city” (Feb. 22, TribLive), Joseph Sabino Mistick sets up two false dichotomies: incompetent progressives versus competent moderate traditionalists and “new” progressive residents versus deep-rooted residents with traditional family and union values. Remember former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, a traditionalist supported by the party establishment, who stumbled badly in office.
Progressivism is not a new phenomenon, and Pittsburgh’s trailblazing unionism could be considered part of a larger progressive movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern-day progressives are not solely “new” Pittburghers, but also those who trace their neighborhood lineage far back.
Mistick should leave this routine meeting, which Warwick hosts at least annually in her district’s neighborhoods, out of his panic that the more conservative Democratic Party establishment is losing its tight hold. He should also refrain from the broad and false characterization of newer neighborhood residents as having been welcomed, but then not contributing anything but rancor.
Local Democrats are going through a period of angst and anxiety brought about by a trend of increasing bottom- up democracy in the endorsement process. It used to be that higher-ups in the party reliably had great sway over how rank-and-file committee members would vote in the endorsement, and that influence has loosened. All Democrats can argue on the merits of candidates, but settle intra-party conflict through the established committee process and at the ballot box.
April Clisura
Greenfield