Howard: Parties’ policies stymie Pitt’s political expression on mayoral race

Next week’s mayoral election will have far-reaching effects on Pitt students, but the Pitt… Next week’s mayoral election will have far-reaching effects on Pitt students, but the Pitt College Republicans and College Democrats have done little to engage the mayoral candidates and involve students in the electoral process.

The election is our chance to hold the mayor’s office accountable for the city’s handling of the G-20 Summit. It’s an opportunity to address the proposed student tax, and it’s our chance to influence city policies that affect job growth and development in Pittsburgh.

But the College Republicans and College Democrats, who were so animated over last year’s presidential election, have been almost silent on the implications of this year’s mayoral contest. There has been no tabling on issues surrounding the mayoral election, no major voter registration drives or literature drops.

Of course, the mayoral candidates aren’t as glamorous as President Barack Obama, and local politics don’t grab people’s attention the way hot-button national topics do.

That said, policies implemented by the mayor’s office have a far greater effect on students’ everyday lives than does the war in Iraq, stem cell research or abortion.

The intriguing part of this is that the Pitt College Democrats and College Republicans understand the importance of local politics and have been active in other local races in this election cycle.

The Republicans campaigned in Ross Township for City Councilman Matt Drodz earlier this month, and the Democrats have been fairly active in support of Judge Jack Panella, a candidate for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Obviously, these groups understand the importance of local and state elections. However, there are reasons that Pitt’s major political groups are not involved specifically in the mayoral election.

First, the College Democrats are obligated by their constitution and their relationship with the Democratic Party at the state and national level to support only candidates nominated by the Democratic Party.

Ian Lauer, President of Pitt College Democrats, said that for these reasons, the Pitt Democrats have no choice other than to support Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in the mayoral election. Both Independent mayoral candidates approached Lauer about coming to Pitt and talking to the College Democrats, but the College Democrats are unable to host other candidates once a Democrat has been officially nominated, Lauer said.

Second, the mayor’s office hasn’t reached out to the College Democrats this semester. The last time the mayor spoke to the Pitt Democrats was last semester, and he’s canceled meetings with the Pitt Democrats multiple times since then, Lauer said.

Third, Pitt Democrats might be obligated to support Ravenstahl, but Pitt students in general are fairly hostile to the mayor as a result of his handling of the G-20 Summit and his proposed student tax.

Jim Sheppard, president of the Pennsylvania College Democrats, recognized that “Pitt students in general have their qualms with the mayor right now” and said that the Pitt chapter could focus on other races rather than supporting an unpopular incumbent in the mayoral election.

However, Sheppard said that any College Democrats chapter that failed to endorse the nominated Democratic candidate in a local race could face having its charter revoked.

Similarly, the Pitt Republicans have refrained from endorsing a candidate because there are no legitimate Republicans running for mayor, and the candidate closest to their politics, Kevin Acklin, was blackballed by county and state Republican Party because he wouldn’t run for mayor as a Republican, Pitt College Republicans President Zack Bombatch said.

For this reason, the Pitt Republicans have not made an endorsement in the mayoral election and have largely watched the race from the sidelines.

The conduct of both the Pitt Dems and Republicans demonstrates that the Independent candidates in the mayoral election are right: Solutions for local issues aren’t to be found along partisan lines.

Because of the two-party system and the control that both parties exert over their campus organizations, otherwise politically active Pitt students have been sidelined in an important mayoral election.

Rather than tepidly express the will of party bosses, student groups should explore all candidates and support the one that best represents their interests. By running as both a Republican and Democrat, Ravenstahl has made a mockery of local party identification to the extent that students should no longer feel bound by partisan identification.

This election cannot be about partisan politics. It must be about defending our interests as students and our place in this city.

Continue the conversation at Giles’s blog http://www.gilesbhoward.com/blog/, or e-mail Giles at gbh4@pitt.edu.