Bad luck?

[TheGerbil]

I sometimes feel like a lot of Pittsburgh's setbacks are just plain bad luck. For example the buyout of Mellon. Or the ALCOA move. These things aren't really the city's fault, they just happened. It seems like whenever things seem to be going well, something happens that is outside the city's control. Bad publicity at the wrong time, companies being bought out, etc. And don't even get me started on the whole casino/arena thing.

The city and region work hard to make good things happen. But for every step forward it feels like there is a step back. I wonder sometimes why this is. Why do we grow a great company that has been here for a long time, and then a greedy CEO just decides he'd rather be in New York? I am sure this happens everywhere, but I sometimes feel as if it happens to our city more. Sometimes I feel like we just grow companies here in order to have them bought out.

I try to look at the bright side. We have some great companies here. But I would have never thought we'd lose the ALCOA headquarters and then *poof* it was gone. Sure we still have the jobs here, but the company is based in NY now, and that's a blow.

So I guess I am just rambling here, but I am curious what other people think about this.

[NewBurgh]

I agree with this, but only to a certain extent. It is unfortunate that Alcoa and Mellon have left, but I also think that these stories get much more media attention than all of the positive things happening in the city. Our local media jumps on and sensationalizes bad news... I think this is something that happens everywhere, though.

I unfortunately left the city for a few years between 1998 and 2002. Upon returning I was really happy to see all of the positive changes that seem to be occuring in our neighborhoods, and I think this has continued because of the growth of many smaller businesses. But of course the Westinghouse and Google news is good, and a few more large businesses coming would help.

[Anewpittsburgh]

I definitly agree with you on this point of special interest was going on the business news stories of 05-06 on the PG website broken down by month. THe exact phenomenon you describe "step forward-step back" was in place. and another story that will look to be a step back will be the lost of the US Airways center to phoeniz considering they doubled the bid PA offered. I must say though I am almost happy the county and state are not going to get in a bidding war, US Airways has been nothing but a problem and this is just another example.

I also find it interesting to hear the perspective of newburgh as far as leaving the city, I sometimes feel as If I need to leave Pgh for a litle while just to gain some perspecitive and deeper appreciation, although I really enjoy Pittsburgh as of now.

As far as that article in the PG I think it was from the jan 1st edition.

[mjcatl2]

I am all for aggressive measures to lure business, but USEless Airways is Lucy pulling the football again. Screw 'em. They can take it or leave it.

[Evergrey]

One day it's Bechtel moving 300 engineering jobs from NY to PGH... the next day it's Senator Hilary halting that move. One day it's PNC making record profits... the next day it's NY buying Mellon. One day it's Westinghouse choosing us over Charlotte... the next day it's US Airways choosing Charlotte over us. One day it's the state government squandering millions on the Mon-Fay road to nowhere... the next day it's Steve Bland cancelling 60 percent of bus routes... oh wait... that's 2 steps back.

[TheGerbil]

I'm going nuts here over this transit thing. If only they took all of the money earmarked for the %&@ Mon-Fay and gave it to public transit agencies...... But that won't ever happen