Pittsburgh must not be a pawn for ideological extremists

Pittsburgh’s government exists to serve its residents — not to be a playground for ideological activists. Yet once again, a special interest group is trying to drag our city into a divisive political battle, using our resources and institutions as props in their campaign.

At the center of this latest fight is the group Not On Our Dime, which is pushing a ballot referendum under the guise of holding the city accountable for its spending. But beneath the marketing, this initiative is a reckless and discriminatory attempt to force Pittsburgh to sever ties with businesses they personally disapprove of, even if it means breaking the law, harming public health and crippling essential services.

One of the most shocking consequences of their proposal? It would limit Pittsburgh’s access to life-saving medication like Narcan, a crucial tool in fighting the opioid crisis. The reason? Because Not On Our Dime doesn’t like the fact that some pharmaceutical companies that produce Narcan also do business in Israel. Their message is clear: Their political agenda matters more than the lives of our neighbors battling addiction.

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This is the third time inside of a year that activists have tried to force their ideological purity test onto city policy. But now, City Council has a chance to put an end to these political stunts and get back to the important work of governing our city. Two new ordinances — 1425 and 1426 — would ensure that Pittsburgh’s government cannot be hijacked by special interest groups pushing illegal, harmful, or discriminatory policies. These bills, introduced by Councilmember Erika Strassburger and supported by a large group of her colleagues, are designed to protect our city from being repeatedly dragged into costly, unnecessary political fights that do nothing to improve the lives of Pittsburgh residents.

Yet, despite how obvious it should be to support these protections, one council member has refused to take a stand. Barb Warwick, who represents Squirrel Hill, Greenfield and Hazelwood — including the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community — has remained silent on the blatant discrimination embedded in Not On Our Dime’s proposal. While she backed one of the two City Council ballot measures, she has failed to forcefully oppose a group whose activity singles out Jewish institutions for special scrutiny.

The targeting of Jewish businesses, schools and organizations under the pretext of “moral purity” is nothing new. For centuries, Jews have been subjected to the same double standard: constantly required to prove our morality to be considered full participants in society. And we know from our history that this type of discrimination and purity test often begins with the Jews but never ends there, ultimately paving the path to scapegoat and target other minoritized groups.

It is disgraceful that a City Council member representing a district with such a strong Jewish population would refuse to stand up against this. It is even more disgraceful that she would side with activists who are pushing an agenda that harms all city residents while discounting the very people who elected her and whom she represents.

This May, voters will have a chance to send a message. By supporting 1425 and 1426, we can make it clear that Pittsburgh is not a pawn for outside activists, that our city’s policies should be shaped by what is best for our residents, and that we will not tolerate attempts to weaponize our government against any minoritized community. The question isn’t just about governance — it’s about whether we allow Pittsburgh to be defined by fairness and common sense, or by ideological extremism that punishes the very people our leaders are supposed to protect. PJC

Jeremy Kazzaz is executive director of the Beacon Coalition.