Pittsburgh Promise Controversy Continues; Time Running Out

POSTED: 4:35 pm EST December 20, 2007
UPDATED: 5:23 pm EST December 20, 2007

PITTSBURGH -- The controversy over UPMC and its financial commitment to the Pittsburgh Promise continues on Thursday.

Some Pittsburgh City Council members who backed away from swift action on the issue now want to fast track a public hearing on whether UPMC should get protection from future city taxes in exchange for contributing to the scholarship fund for city school students.

Unless things change, there's just one City Council meeting left before the New Year to take on the Pittsburgh Promise issue.

The Pittsburgh Promise was established last year to give tuition assistance to any city student who graduates from a public school with good grades and a clean disciplinary record. The scholarships would help pay up to $5,000 annually for tuition at any state institution or accredited institution in Allegheny County that offers two- or four-year degrees, including many trade schools.

Councilman Jim Motznik is a strong supporter of UPMC and the Pittsburgh Promise.

He's gotten four other council members, for a majority of five, to urge a public hearing on the controversy the day after Christmas. That would be one day before the last chance to vote.

"The Pittsburgh Promise, the future of the Pittsburgh Promise, may be at stake," said Motznik. "And we want to make sure there are no delays if there doesn't have to be."

Patrick Dowd will be a new city councilman after the first of the year, replacing Len Bodack.

Dowd joined in criticism of what Bodack described as potential tax credit strings attached to the UPMC offer.

"If we're going to sort of throw potshots at the Pittsburgh Promise, it's very easy to do that," said Dowd. "But what's more important is that we start to figure out how do actually we make this work?"

So, does Motznik's five council member petition for a Christmas week hearing on the Pittsburgh Promise mean that he has the votes to approve the UPMC deal?

"It doesn't mean that we have the five votes for anything," Motznik said. "But it suggests that there's a majority of us here in council know the importance of the matter here in front of us."

Council President Doug Shields was not available for comment Thursday on whether he'll schedule a hearing on the UPMC-Pittsburgh Promise agreement before the end of the year.

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