In the face of a budget crisis and eviction wave due to the pandemic and economic recession, Mayor Peduto and the City Council are currently discussing a budget that proposes cuts to jobs and essential programs—slashing the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (-16.6%), Emergency Medical Services (-16.7%), Office of Equity (-24.3%), Public Works (-26%), Fire Department (-8.1%)—all while mostly preserving the budget for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. How does this address the COVID-19 crisis, systemic racism, and widening inequality in Pittsburgh?

This is despite huge, ongoing local and national movements calling to defund the police and reallocate those funds, both in the streets and on the doors: over 60% of hundreds of households door-knocked by Stop the Station think the City should put less money into the bloated Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and police-related infrastructure projects, and more money into affordable housing and social services like childcare, mental healthcare, and drug prevention programs.

The only opportunity we have to engage our representatives over the budget are City Council meetings scheduled during the day, when most people are at work or in school. We call on Mayor Peduto and the City Council to schedule a City Council budget meeting accessible to more working people, and to open up all budget hearings to public comment, so that we can participate and make clear our vision for a truly anti-racist budget that works for working people. 

We want elected officials to engage with our priorities and concerns directly and openly.

What does an anti-racist budget look like?

• Immediately halt all police-related infrastructure projects and purchases in the Capital Budget, including the relocation of Zone 5's police station to East Liberty! Instead invest in democratically owned, permanently affordable social housing.
• Cancel the cuts and decrease the Pittsburgh Police Bureau budget by at least 50% instead! Peduto has raised the police budget by over 50% during his administration alone. Reallocate these funds to save hundreds of other public sector jobs and further fund housing, social services, and public health initiatives.
• Tax big businesses and corporate developers, and strip UPMC - which received a jaw-dropping $1.1 billion in federal COVID-19 aid - of its tax exempt "non-profit" status to address an ongoing budget crisis and fully fund well-paid union jobs, housing, and public education.

We're tired of establishment politicians passing the buck, saying their hands are tied by red tape or state laws, while doing nothing to change the playing field in our favor. This speaks volumes about the lack of political will and leadership, and more about City's political allegiances. Pandemic profiteers, and the police who protect and serve those interests, are allowed to aggressively gentrify our city, as black and working class communities face unemployment, rising rents and healthcare costs, a severe disruption to education, and deepening poverty. Enough is enough. 

We're organizing our communities, and inviting residents, unions, students, and community organizations to join us in demanding the anti-racist budget we need and deserve.

What supporters of this petition can do to help build our movement:

1. Sign & share this petition widely! URL: change.org/pghbudget2021
2. To make these priorities clear, we need residents, workers, students, and organizations to call Mayor Peduto and City Council members to demand an accessible City Council meeting and an anti-racist budget. Find the call script and contact information here.
3. Join us to pack the December 14 City Council public budget hearing and sign up for public comment at 10am!
4. Learn more about our movement by viewing our November Town Hall online!

You can also get more involved with Stop the Station, a volunteer grassroots organization that is fighting against to re-location of the Zone 5 Police Department to East Liberty; we believe this City project intends to protect private and corporate interests and serve to further push out black and working class residents. We're committed to protecting our communities from racist police brutality, mass evictions, and gentrification. We're fighting for a Pittsburgh that is truly livable and safe for all its residents, which we believe starts with accessible and affordable housing, education, healthcare, and social programming - not more policing - and full community control over the police, through a democratically elected civilian public safety council.