The G20 Impact on Pittsburgh: The Countdown Has Started

Anyone that lives within the city limits has already started to see a stronger police, Secret Service and military presence. Even if you don't see them, they are there. With the final plans put in place last week, transportation was one of the biggest concerns of residents. Anyone working in the downtown are will need to pass through checkpoints to arrive at their place of employment but that is not the only area that will be under close watch. Hotels, banks, eateries, local hot spots, telecommunications and investment firms will also be closely guarded.

While most Pittsburgh Public School students are ecstatic about their early release on Wednesday and the cancellation of classes and sporting events on Thursday and Friday, I doubt they will be happy when they have to make up those days in the form of shortened Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. The Pittsburgh Public School District decided on a complete cancellation of classes due to the number of students that enter the downtown area to transfer busses. That is just the tip of the iceberg; everyone within a 25 mile radius of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will end up with a ripple effect from traffic, closed businesses and checkpoints.

I for one am not the least bit impressed with how the Pittsburgh management team has handled this headline-grabbing event. So many things were put off until the last minute when they needed a lengthy planning process to be able to create something that will show the world that this city was financially, morally and logistically prepared for such a huge scale event. Financially, the city is teetering on dangerous ground thinking that the influx of foreign dignitaries will mean an economic boom. With the money that has been spent so far preparing for the G20, they would need an estimated twenty million dollars in revenue to make up for what has been spent in regards to modifications, police and private security pay and overtime, renovations to areas that will be used, loss of airport revenue when the summit is taking place and businesses that are being strong-armed into closing.

Past G20 gatherings have taken place in India, Mexico, Brazil, China, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Canada. This will be the first time that a summit has been held in the United States so all eyes will be on our fair city. This puts pressure on Luke Ravenstahl to pull together the loose ends that are painfully dangling in plain site. Ravenstahl, the youngest Mayor in the history of the city, is no stranger to the public eye. He has been under scrutiny since he took his seat after the death of Bob O'Conner. Ravenstahl's questionable past has led to more than a few raised eyebrows and has left residents wondering if "the best man" is in charge. For the city of Pittsburgh, the G20 could be an incredible way to show the world that it more than just a former "steel city". Likewise there is also a grave chance that rioting, protests and a strong police presence could give way to complete anarchy.

With so many open spots around the Convention Center, the Pittsburgh Police and Task Force will be stretched to its limits during the G20. While the Secret Service will be handling the security for the delegates and their respective entourages, the Coast Guard patrolling the rivers and military reservists called in for potential riot control - a bulk of the day-to-day security issues will be left in the hands of the Pittsburgh Police. Where does that leave residents outside the hot zone? What happens if riots break out in other areas? What will the response time be if something happens on the North Shore, Polish Hill or Bloomfield? Even if every officer on the police force were on duty, it would still leave huge blankets of unprotected or unsecured areas.

From the standpoint of residents, protests and riots are the biggest concerns. Instead of worrying about what the front of the Hilton Hotel looks like, city planners should have been studying past G20 Summits and the tragedies that have occurred. My personal take on all of this is simple. Pittsburgh was not financially ready to undertake something as massive as the G20. They can't even contain college students during a post-game Super Bowl or Stanley Cup celebration yet we are expected to feel safe when the city is besieged with the summit.