Democratic mayoral candidates debate in Oakland

Pittsburgh nonprofit organizations hosted a forum for the Democratic candidates for… Pittsburgh nonprofit organizations hosted a forum for the Democratic candidates for mayor.

But one candidate, Carmen Robinson, noted that two prominent nonprofits were left out of the discussion: colleges and hospitals.

“When I think of taxing nonprofits, I certainly don’t think of the arts or music,” Robinson said. “I think about taxing large hospitals and universities, and I know that’s not popular. But the only reason that I do think of those two entities is because they share probably 50 percent of the property in Pittsburgh, and that’s not taxable.”

She said citizens must pay more taxes to compensate.

Robinson and fellow candidates City Councilman Patrick Dowd and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl gathered in Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland to discuss their plans for Pittsburgh and its nonprofits this afternoon. David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, addressed each candidate individually and asked them all the same questions.

Ravenstahl noted that nonprofit organizations paid a 2.5 percent tax when he took office, but he reduced that amount to 1.25 percent the next year and eliminated the tax altogether the following year.

Shribman asked Ravenstahl whether he would increase government support of the food banks in these harsh economic times.

Ravenstahl replied that his administration contributes a greater percentage of funds for the food banks than those of the mayors before him. He also noted his personal contribution to hunger organizations.

“[City Council members] took their raise. I, instead, donated my raise — my 2.5 percent raise — personally out of my pocket for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank,” he said.

Dowd had the advantage of speaking last so he could respond to Ravenstahl’s comment that City Council took their raises. He joked that he took the City Council’s salary increase because he has five kids and didn’t want to “put more pressure on the food bank.”

Like Ravenstahl, Robinson also expressed her support of Pittsburgh’s food banks.

“If we do not have food pantries, our crime rate would go up. That’s the truth,” she said.

Robinson, an attorney who served as a city police officer for 14 years, reiterated that her first priority is public safety and added that education and art keep kids off the streets and reduce crime rates.

She took a jab at Ravenstahl saying he boasts that crime rates were down in 2008, but he forgets to mention that homicide rates are at a 10-year high.

Ravenstahl cited the merger of the 911 call system as a victory in efficiency that took several years.

Robinson, who is the only Democratic candidate against political city-county consolidation, countered that statement, citing the three police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call last month.

She paused briefly.

Then she explained that the city police used to have a 911 call center staffed by civilians and police officers who better understood how to relay calls.

“When you consolidate services just to save a buck, you wind up with a debacle,” she said.

Dowd advocates city-county consolidation and redesigning how the city government offers services.

“If you listen to the council meetings, if you listen to the rhetoric coming out of state government, you’ll hear colleagues of mine saying that we need to tax nonprofits,” he said. “And you’ll hear me say that we shouldn’t take one single tax dollar from anybody first.

“I guarantee that at the end of the day, if we do our job redesigning city services, we won’t need new taxes.”

If there’s still a need for a new tax after assessing the city’s allocations for wasteful spending, Dowd said he would be careful not to tax smaller nonprofits.

Misti McKeehen, of the nonprofit organization Coro, said she hopes that there’s a sliding scale to protect smaller nonprofits if nonprofits need to be taxed. Though she could not comment on which candidate she favored, she said the event was a good opportunity to see the candidates’ personalities.

“I think that personality does play a part in who you’re voting for, but unfortunately, I think for some that it matters too much,” she said.

Shribman concluded each interview by asking if the candidates would promise to attend performances of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Ballet and Pittsburgh Opera as well as visit other cultural institutions.

“Is that a trick question?” Ravenstahl asked. “Because I don’t want your newspaper to write a story about me accepting a ticket from them.”