Communications with UPMC

Below is a letter that was sent to UPMC President/CEO on December 16, 2008. He has never responded directly to any of our communications, and to the best of our knowledge, he has never met formally with any of South Oakland’s community organizations since his leadership began in 1992.

“Mr. Jeffrey Romoff
President and CEO UPMC

This is a courtesy letter to inform you of some of our community’s future actions. To date, we have written more than 11,000 words concerning the trash and litter problems in South Oakland, so this letter will be brief. Our desire to resolve these problems is now even greater.

On November 2, a request for seed money for The SOUL Program was made to Mr. __ (A UPMC administrator), and when no reply was made by him, a follow-up letter was sent on December 2. Our community has still not received a reply. Chancellor Mark Nordenberg has taken the position that the university has no money for this program and our community now assumes that this is also your position.

The following are some of the actions our community will take:

1) In 2008, our community placed paid messages in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and in university publications. In 2009, the paid messages in those publications will increase.

2) A website about this issue was being created and was then halted, because of the summer cleanup activities and the possibility that funding for The SOUL Program would receive the support of UPMC and Pitt. That website will now be completed, put online, and brought to the attention of national television and print media.

3) Our community will call for an independent investigative report of the impact UPMC and Pitt have had on the community of South Oakland regarding this matter.

4) A request will be made to the proper government authorities and to the media for a full investigation of the financial status of Pitt and UPMC for the past 7 years. Perhaps all of us will then have a greater insight into UPMC and Pitt’s assets, revenues and expenses.

5) Any new ideas that we believe will end these embarrassing and shameful conditions and create a new environment for South Oakland will be implemented.

Here is a cursory look at the funding given to our community by UPMC and Pitt, and also a few financial details of these two entities.

The University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh gives no funds to the Oakland Community Council, Peoples Oakland, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, and Community Human Services. These are organizations that serve our residential community.

In the summer of 2008, Pitt gave $15,000 to (A non-profit organization) for a cleanup program in South Oakland. The university administrators then took the position that they had no money to continue the program. The university pays one-half of the salary of a city Bureau of Buildings Inspection officer to enforce code violations in South Oakland. The university gives $50,000 to the Oakland Business Improvement District because of its “for profit” businesses in South Oakland. Our residential community organizations receive no money from that amount.

In the “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax” forms for the years 2004 and 2005, the university showed a profit of $386 million dollars. That is the latest available figure.

The university spent $2 Billion Dollars in new construction from 1996 to 2005 according to an item in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

UPMC gives no funds to Peoples Oakland and Community Human Services.

UPMC gives the Oakland Community Council the sum of $15,000. UPMC gives the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation $85,000 - $105,000 for a program that teaches 9th-12th graders about career options.

The profits for UPMC in 2006 & 2007, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, were $1.2 Billion Dollars.

In 2006, the latest year for which figures were available, UPMC in a 501 (c)(3) Public Charity filing, paid its top 50 employees salaries totaling over $20 Million Dollars – ($20,515,873). The top six employees, including yourself, were paid over $5 Million Dollars – ($5,011,847). In contrast, the six youths for The SOUL Program, who would be providing a tremendous benefit to UPMC, Pitt and our community, would each be paid $10,000 a year for a total of $60,000.

You and Mr. Nordenberg seem to have beliefs and feelings about this issue which are not in harmony with those of the elderly long-time residents of South Oakland. Let us take the high road and bring this issue to the attention of a wider audience in a manner that is dignified.

Sincerely,
Carlino Giampolo”
(Words in “bold” are as in the original letter).

The above letter was written because there had been no response to the following letter that was sent to a UPMC administrator on November 2, 2008. In this letter, below, we were asking for assistance in the form of seed money for THE SOUL PROGRAM. This letter has been highlighted and is also slightly edited to protect the privacy of individuals.

“Dear Mr. _____

It was good to hear from you once again. I trust that our communication will result in future actions that will be favorable to the community of South Oakland, as well as UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh.

Our community appreciated the help of UPMC and that of Mr. ____ (A Pitt administrator) with the summer clean-up in South Oakland. However, it was unfortunate that the program did not continue. As you know, there is nothing being done now on a daily basis to resolve the pervasive litter problem in South Oakland.

You probably have seen the photographs I presented with my City Council testimony. It is not the kind of environment you, UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff or Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg would want to have in your own neighborhood. I feel certain that if those photos were taken near any of your homes, each of you would be as persistent as I am in advocating for a cleaner and more livable neighborhood.

I agree with you that much more needs to be done by the city concerning the trash problem in South Oakland. I am working together with Mr. _____ (City of Pittsburgh official) who has given our community the services of an enforcement officer for two days a week. I have seen some improvement and I am happy with the city’s attitude and willingness to help. I agree that more cases should be taken to the judicial system where heavy fines should be imposed for violations and that those fines should not be rescinded.

UPMC is to be commended for the initiation of the Pittsburgh Promise program, giving financial assistance to students who are ready to enter college. UPMC’s $100 million dollar commitment to this wonderful program will generate a wealth of personal accomplishment in so many ways for our young people.

The young workers that will be employed in The SOUL (South Oakland Urban Litter) Program also deserve a promise. They are the ones who are falling through the cracks in our society. They are not yet ready for college or do not yet have the skills for a profession, but they are searching for a meaningful way to live their lives. We also need to inspire these young men and women to “Dream Big” and “Work Hard.” Those youths who do not receive the necessary help can easily be led into a life of decline rather than a life of success.

The SOUL program will have the support of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation and the Oakland Community Council, once funding is found. It also has the support of Community Human Services. Also, we will draw upon the expertise of the Oakland Business Improvement District.

With this promised support of Oakland community organizations, I am making a request for funding on behalf of The SOUL Program. Seed money of $30,000 is needed to get this program off to a good start. That modest amount will give our community six months to acquire additional funding to make this an ongoing, long-lasting program. That is the minimum amount of time we need to find additional sponsors. None of us would want this program to end as the summer clean-up program did. This money would be well invested in our community and in the future of these young workers.

I feel confident that, just as others have come forth to make additional contributions for the Pittsburgh Promise, so others will do the same for The SOUL Program.

The money from UPMC would be given directly to (A non-profit organization) and earmarked specifically for The SOUL Program. If a more formal request for these funds needs to be made, Ms.____ can provide that request for you.

The SOUL Program, originating in a grass roots movement in South Oakland, can be used as a model to be duplicated in other neighborhoods throughout the city of Pittsburgh where community organizations and supporters can come together to resolve their environmental problems. As the initial sponsor of this program, UPMC can once again be an inspiration to environmental groups, foundations, institutions, corporations and individuals to step forth to keep programs such as this one alive and thriving.

The support of this program by UPMC can also go a long way in healing the anger and frustration of so many of our community residents who feel that much more needs to be done by our local institutions to assist our community.

The tremendous success of UPMC is well known and praiseworthy. Our community believes that the modest amount of seed money we are seeking for our very worthwhile program can be granted by institutions like yours. You have the opportunity to offer the funding alone, or to partner with others. The last thing our community would want to hear again from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh is “we have no money.”

We are at a defining moment in this important project for South Oakland. Changes are coming. Let us embrace those changes and work cooperatively for a new future in South Oakland, one in which the esteemed institutions situated in our neighborhood proudly take part in assuring the well being of the community we all share.

Sincerely
Carlino Giampolo"

On December 22, 2008, we received a letter from UPMC denying our request for $30,000 seed money. That position by the leaders of UPMC has not changed.