County Council recognizes racism as ‘public health crisis’

PIttsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Council members spent much of their roughly 30-minute regular meeting expressing support or concern on a symbolic motion to designate racism as a public health crisis.

The motion’s language drew on data from the 2019 city-commissioned report that revealed staggering disparate health and economic outcomes across race and gender in Pittsburgh compared with its counterparts across the U.S. That University of Pittsburgh report became the basis of Pittsburgh City Council’s similar declaration.

“This is not just a black issue; this is a humanity issue as we heard in the many statements that came before [the meeting],” said the measure’s prime sponsor, Councilwoman Olivia Bennett, DNorthview Heights, referring to several public comments submitted on the issue. “... I appreciate the confidence and the recognition that this is important work that needs to be done throughout the county.”

Members Anita Prizio, D-O’Hara, DeWitt Walton, D-Hill Distract, and Paul Klein, D-Shadyside, cosponsored the measure.

While the motion passed 12-3, several members took issue with language in the bill.

“I do have a problem with the language. It seems that they’re calling out whites as a collective and claiming that whites are responsible for this ... racial classification scheme and things like that,” said Sam DeMarco, the Republican at-large member of council. “And I’m sorry, that language, I just can’t support it. To the folks on the right, we believe that white privilege is something that’s just something created by the left to try to create division.”

In other business, members referred to the Budget and Finance Committee County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s bill on the reissuance of $172 million and refunding of $390 million in municipal bonds.

Councilman Nick Futules, D-Oakmont, said he wants council to discuss the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including lost Allegheny Regional Asset District revenue and casino revenue.

“We haven’t talked about that much,” Mr. Futules said. “... I think we should focus at the council on what are we as this county going to do to help business people.”

No motions or bills to that effect were introduced.