In February of 2011, Hot Metal hosted the first installment of a monthly forum discussion titled “Tony Norman vs.”
Each month, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman engages with various leaders and thinkers in the community on a number of topics important to the city of Pittsburgh.
On February 24, Tony’s first special guest was Bruce Kraus, the Pittsburgh City Council member representing our own South Side neighborhood as well as Allentown, Arlington, Beltzhoover, Carrick, the Mt. Oliver neighborhood, Oakland, Knoxville, and St. Clair.
While the conversation eventually ranged into a number of major issues - Marcellus Shale, Pittsburgh economics, the challenges of the nightlife economy in the South Side - Tony got things going by asking Bruce about himself and his entry into the world of politics, which gave the entire conversation a personal vibe.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to the audience members, who asked Bruce some challenging questions about UPMC's role in the Pittsburgh community, his views on the current mayor, and alcohol-related crime in the South Side. In response to a question about the drunk-driving death of 7-year old Lexa Cleland on East Carson Street, Kraus passionately connected the tragedy of drunk driving to the Responsible Hospitality Institute. He urged the audience to call Mayor Luke Ravenstahl with their response to his decision not to sign legislation about an RHI initiative in Pittsburgh.
