Category: Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 7, 2023

PITTSBURGH – Joe Rockey today criticized Sara Innamorato‘s plans to conduct a countywide property reassessment that could force seniors and the middle class from their homes, a move Rockey called “a divide and tax scheme.”

Rockey, who is challenging Innamorato for the post of Allegheny County Executive, said Innamorato’s threat to reassess properties would lead to a wave of higher tax bills for seniors and working families, trigger a tidal wave of appeals, and disrupt an already broken property tax system.

“Nobody believes that a reassessment won’t trigger higher property tax bills,” Rockey said. “With office vacancy rates at record highs and inflation eating into incomes, a reassessment can only result in one thing: a higher tax bill for homeowners.”

Innamorato has promised to enact yet-to-be-defined “protections” that she says will exempt homeowners from a bigger tax bite but has offered no explanation for how the county would make up the difference when thousands of property owners pursue appeals once reassessed. She couched her argument in language pitting middle-class and working families against other groups.

“Plain and simple, Sara Innamorato’s claim that we can reassess and hold down taxes doesn’t hold water. In fact, seniors and working families will be drowning in higher tax bills and many will head for the Butler and Washington County borders,” Rockey said. “It’s a recipe for continued decline.”

The Rockey-Innamorato divide on reassessment was highlighted this week in an extensive article in PublicSource.org, where Innamorato, who began her political career through the Democratic Socialists of America.

Innamorato’s proposal includes a veritable wish-list of programs to somehow hold down property tax bill increases, with no indication that the general assembly or county will act on them. 

“We can’t risk becoming Philadelphia, where the PublicSource article points out how one woman’s side garden was assessed at $408,000,” Rockey said.

→ Read more: Property taxes divide Allegheny County executive candidates, and Philadelphia’s experience looms large (PublicSource.org)

Rockey, a Certified Public Accountant and retired chief risk officer at PNC, one of the nation’s leading financial institutions, said he would avoid another reassessment. Rather, he said, the foremost fiscal duty facing the next executive is to repair the broken Common Level Ratio formula which was thrown out by the courts after it was discovered that the ratio was set artificially high.

At present, more than 30,000 property tax appeals are on the books, partly as a result of the CLR snafu. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 30, 2023

PITTSBURGH – Joe Rockey, Republican nominee for Allegheny County Executive, hit the airwaves this week with a 30-second television spot introducing himself to voters and outlining his focus on public safety, jobs and commonsense leadership. 

The spot, titled “My Street,” begins with the candidate outside the North Side home in which he was raised, the son of a union Democrat who worked his way through school. Speaking directly to the viewers, Rockey first lays out his origin story and then focuses on his plans for Allegheny County. 

Rockey, a retired top executive with PNC, enjoys the endorsement of one of the region’s largest blue-collar labor unions, as well as multiple law-enforcement unions. 

The spot, produced by Downtown-based ColdSpark Media, began airing on local channels today. 

The candidate outlines his platform: “A ‘no’ to tax-hiking reassessments. A sensible middle ground, because extremism doesn’t work. More jobs. And a commonsense plan to fight crime.”

The ad draws attention to the differences between Rockey and the political extremes of his Democratic opponent, whose anti-growth agenda poses a threat to job expansion in a county that has lost 50,000 jobs in the past five years. 

A copy of the script and link to the broadcast advertisement is attached. 

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“My Street”

I’m Joe Rockey. I’m a North Side kid – grew up here. Had one of my first jobs here. I worked hard, played by the rules and learned by giving back. Now I’m running for County Executive, and here’s my plan: A “no” to tax-hiking reassessments. A sensible middle road, because extremism doesn’t work. More jobs. And a commonsense plan to fight crime. That’s the Rockey agenda. I’m Joe Rockey. I’d be honored to be your next county executive.

Click here to view or follow the link below.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 22, 2023

PITTSBURGH – Joe Rockey, the Republican nominee for Allegheny County Executive, visited Mellon Park today to warn that unsafe and unsanitary conditions threatening businesses and residents downtown could become the “new normal” under his opponent, Sara Innamorato.

“Sara Innamorato has openly spoken about making Allegheny County “a laboratory for progressive ideas,” Rockey said. “We’re already seeing the results of this kind of experimentation. Instead of moving homeless people off our streets and prosecuting public drug use, the left is following a policy that tolerates anything.”

Rockey stood alongside several Smithfield Street business owners who say their clientele has been hesitant to come to the neighborhood because of open drug use and human waste in the streets. They said the City of Pittsburgh sweeps and hoses the area every morning, amid garbage and debris left strewn by people who continue to congregate outside a now-closed shelter at the Smithfield Street Church.

“My building’s still occupied, But it’s only a matter of time,” said Yuriy Berkman, who owns Yuriy’s Jewelry as well as another building across the street. “One of my tenants, Dennis, said he’s going to close the business.”

Several once vibrant businesses line Smithfield next to Berkman’s store.

Rockey participated in the founding of Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter and serves on the board of St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, said permitting open drug use and disruptive behavior are not sensible strategies for dealing with homelessness.

“This is the path that San Francisco and Portland have taken under far-left leaders. It’s what will become the new normal for Pittsburgh if we allow our county to be used as a ‘laboratory’ for these dangerous experiments.”

Rockey spoke at Mellon Square Park, which earlier this summer was the scene of a knife fight that drew a plea for help from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy CEO Catherine Qureshi, who called conditions at the park “grotesque and unsafe,” describing feces and urine in the public spaces and 30 individuals “who appear to be highly intoxicated.”

Local businessmen provided photographs of used needles, rubbish and human waste strewn throughout Smithfield area.

“It helps no one – poor or otherwise – to allow this situation to fester. We cannot allow the county’s commercial core to disintegrate under social experiments that are so obviously failing our citizens,” Rockey said

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 22, 2023

PITTSBURGH – Joe Rockey, the Republican nominee for Allegheny County Executive, visited Mellon Park today to warn that unsafe and unsanitary conditions threatening businesses and residents downtown could become the “new normal” under his opponent, Sara Innamorato.

“Providing public safety is the number one priority for any local government,” Rockey said. “What we have now is a dangerous condition that helps nobody: not local business, not the workforce, and least of all the homeless individuals who have been abandoned as part of a social experiment that is clearly not working.”

Sara Innamorato has openly spoken about making Allegheny County “a laboratory for progressive ideas,” Rockey noted. “We’re already seeing the results of this kind of experimentation.”

Rockey stood alongside several Smithfield Street business owners who say their clientele has been hesitant to come to the neighborhood because of open drug use and human waste in the streets. They said the City of Pittsburgh sweeps and hoses the area every morning, amid garbage and debris left strewn by people who continue to congregate outside a now-closed shelter at the Smithfield Street Church.

“My building’s still occupied, But it’s only a matter of time,” said Yuriy Berkman, who owns Yuriy’s Jewelry as well as another building across the street. “One of my tenants said he’s going to close the business.”

Several once-vibrant businesses line Smithfield next to Berkman’s store. Rockey has pledged previously to make Pittsburgh “the safest city in America” by stepping up enforcement and addressing the underlying poverty and neglect that have led to Downtown’s decline.

Rockey participated in the founding of Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter and serves on the board of St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, said permitting open drug use and disruptive behavior are not sensible strategies for dealing with homelessness.

“This is the path that San Francisco and Portland have taken under far-left leaders. It’s what will become the new normal for Pittsburgh if we allow our county to be used as a ‘laboratory’ for these dangerous experiments.”

Rockey spoke at Mellon Square Park, which earlier this summer was the scene of a knife fight that drew a plea for help from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy CEO Catherine Qureshi, who called conditions at the park “grotesque and unsafe,” describing feces and urine in the public spaces and 30 individuals “who appear to be highly intoxicated.”

Local businessmen provided photographs of used needles, rubbish and human waste strewn throughout Smithfield area.

“It helps no one – homeless or otherwise – to allow this situation to fester. We cannot allow the county’s commercial core to disintegrate under social experiments that are so obviously failing our citizens,” Rockey said.

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Pledges to make Allegheny ‘Safest County in the Nation’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2023

PITTSBURGH – Coming off the release of a plan to address crime in Allegheny County, Republican nominee for Allegheny County Executive Joe Rockey toured the South Side, described in the media as an “epicenter of crime,” and met with local business owners.

“What I saw today was a neighborhood that has, after long years of bad policy, reached a breaking point,” Rockey said. “The crime problem calls for law-enforcement solutions. As County Executive, I’ll work to make sure that county police join in the fight to win back this neighborhood.”

Rockey went on to pledge that he would make Allegheny County “the safest county in the United States” by implementing a plan to fight crime on multiple fronts, from police work to building a stronger economy.

Rockey’s visit came days after he picked up the endorsement of two more police unions, these representing the 4,300-strong Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 47, representing troopers in the state’s southwest.

The tour began at the now-closed Carson Street Saloon, whose owners, Brian and Frank Vetere decided to end business rather than face the growing violence nearby. A man was shot to death near Carson City Saloon in July.

“We need strong, consistent law enforcement to restore the South Side to its status as a vibrant, culturally diverse community where families can thrive and visitors can socialize safely,” Rockey said in announcing the tour.

The Republican nominee traveled by foot down Carson, sharing thoughts with local leaders before hosting an eight-person roundtable in which local residents and business owners shared their concerns and ideas on how to confront the problem.

Standing outside a vacant building in the 1900 block of East Carson, Rockey stood next to a poster quoting the late Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller: “It ain’t perfect, but I don’t mind, because it’s worth it.”

Richard Cupka, a local restaurateur, told Rockey that in past years, the building would have been remodeled and put back on what was once a thriving real estate market in the neighborhood.

“There’s a direct correlation between the violence and the increased vacancies,” Cupka said. “The lack of public safety is crippling the whole neighborhood.”

At a roundtable discussion at Cupka’s shop, Rockey pledged as county executive to oversee a concerted effort to stem crime and disruption in the South Side.

“People came here to enjoy themselves,” Rockey said. “That’s what we need to get it back to.”

 

Steelers legend endorses Joe Rockey for County Executive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2023

Republican County Executive nominee Joe Rockey today announced the formation of a Veterans for Rockey committee to be headed by a Vietnam veteran and gridiron legend, retired Steeler Rocky Bleier.

“Let me tell you one thing: this man is rock-solid,” Bleier said standing alongside the candidate. The pair met a week ago and Rockey impressed Bleier with his strong, commonsense stands on county issues.

“Rocky Bleier is an example of what can be done in life by overcoming adversity. He returned home a wounded combat veteran and, through sheer force of faith and will, went on to win four Super Bowls,” Joe Rockey said. “I can’t imagine a better partner in spreading the word about Allegheny County’s opportunities and values.”

Bleier will head up Veterans for Rockey, standing for the more than 66,000 military veterans living in Allegheny County.

“I’m delighted to add to the endorsements of local labor unions and law enforcement, the support of a legendary man who embodies this county’s come-back spirit,” Rockey said.

Co-chairing the committee are two Iraq War veterans who serve Allegheny County in the general assembly: State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, and State Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Pine. Robinson, in addition to serving two tours of duty in Iraq, also served in Afghanistan. Mercuri served in an intelligence unit in Iraq.

“He’s a natural choice for veterans,” Robinson said. “As a combat veteran, I know how much our veterans rely on Allegheny County’s Department of Veterans Affairs. And I’ve heard Joe Rockey make the case for providing the best for the men and women who kept our nation safe.”

Mercuri, a West Point graduate with two tours in Iraq, praised Rockey’s character and competence.

“Leadership and character are traits I value highly in elected officials,” Mercuri said. “Joe Rockey, exemplifies both traits, and I have seen his character and leadership quality up close for many years as a colleague, and now as a candidate.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27, 2023

PITTSBURGH – County Executive nominee Joe Rockey today received the endorsement of three unions representing 3,500 members of law enforcement in Allegheny County and highlighted his commitment to public safety by unveiling a five-point plan to bolster law enforcement and reduce crime.

“There is no question that people in Allegheny County feel less safe given the current level of crime and public disorder, particularly in Pittsburgh’s Downtown and South Side,” said Robert Swartzwelder, President of Fort Pitt FOP Lodge No. 1. 

“Joe Rockey is the only candidate who has put forward a plan to confront this problem, and he is the only candidate in the race who is seen as unambiguously pro-law enforcement. Joe is the only candidate who’ll give us the tools we need to make Allegheny County safe.”

Among the police unions endorsing Rockey during a press conference at FOP headquarters in West Homestead:

• Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1, representing the City of Pittsburgh’s 1,800 active and retired police officers.

• FOP Lodge 91, representing more than 100 municipal police departments in Allegheny County, comprising 1,300 active and retired law enforcement officers.

• Allegheny County Prison Employees Independent union, representing the county’s 400 correctional officers.

Union leaders said Rockey’s public safety plan could help to turn the tide against growing street crime and public disorder.

Laurie MacDonald, president and CEO of the Center for Victims, also attended the event, praising Rockey’s commitment to standing with victims of crime.

“The plight of victims is often overlooked and it’s important for them to have a voice. Joe Rockey’s plan includes our voices. It’s been a long time coming and very much needed,” MacDonald said.

Matthew Feldmeier, endorsement chairman for FOP Lodge 91, said his union’s endorsement was unanimous.

“Joe Rockey is the only candidate in the race who has been clear and unambiguous in his support for law enforcement and in having an actual plan for public safety in Allegheny County,” Feldmeier said.

Rockey, a retired business executive who has been active in charitable causes, thanked the unions for their endorsements.

“As a candidate, I am grateful for their support. As a citizen of Allegheny County, I am grateful for their work to keep us safe. And as Allegheny County executive I am fully committed to supporting the men and women who do the hard work of keeping us secure on our streets and in our homes,” Rockey said.

The Public Safety Proposal

Rockey’s plan for public safety proposes important changes in a number of areas, notably the reopening of a juvenile detention and rehabilitation center to house underage youth accused of serious crime. The county closed the former Shuman Juvenile Detention Center two years ago after it lost its state accreditation.

Rockey’s opponent in the general election, Democrat Sara Innamorato, has opposed such a center, despite incidents in which underage assailants were back on the street within hours of arrest. Those charged with serious violent crimes have been housed either at the Allegheny County Jail or lodged in centers outside the county.

Another notable departure from the status quo is Rockey’s pledge to be hands-on in dealing with continuing problems with the Allegheny County Jail and to push past the political gridlock that has overtaken the Jail Oversight Board. Chief among his pledges is one to bring the jail up to a full staffing level while expanding medical and mental health services to inmates.

Among proposals in Rockey’s plan is the addition of 20 more officers to the Allegheny County Police Force, “designated to provide support to law enforcement agencies currently overwhelmed battling criminal activity.”

Rockey also proposed a Safe Streets Task Force, joining forces with city and county police, the office of district attorney, and various other stakeholders through the county.