John Fetterman and Braddock

[Bonkbonkslap]

If you google map Braddock and go to the city hall building on street view he is outside speaking with youth. It speaks volumes about a man you would be proud to have as a neighbor and friend. forward motion begins with the desire to change. He is a better man than most of us and light years ahead of trolls. Do anything to make something better or just quietly step aside.

[Chloeradke]

If none of you live in or around Braddock than shut up. I live right next to Braddock, and it's a dump. It's horrible. I hope he does help, because we all need it. I don't understand how somebody can be so rude.

[scottvska]

How did a goon like this get admitted to a Harvard grad program?

[Pacmanknapp24]

Really this guy is making a great effort, people who put this man down needs to give him the benefit of the doubt he loves his town, which i live in Pittsburgh, and he is making a effort

[hasbeengilbert]

Mayor Fetterman is a man that all Americans should look up to and support.

He came from a well-to-do family, graduated from Harvard. Did he go to Wall street and exploit?, NO, rather, he chose the poorest area in the country, and helped to educate, and re build. HE LIVES THERE! He could live anywhere he wants, but he chose Braddock.He has a heart of gold, and balls of steel!

This is the type of leader that just might save this messed up country.

He makes me proud, and gives me faith.

[DJayMcCracken]

Mine is Red

[heebedee]

my brother is blue

[worldindustriesfreak]

holy shit thats my school in that video Good Shepherd!!!!!! :D

[worldindustriesfreak]

my mom is from braddock

[MrFalconford]

Thankyou john for not leaving. Those who stayed will have to clean up the mess regardless of all the promises that were made. It's an exciting challenge that will take a long time to reverse.

[toolff83]

He is probably the town hall's mayor and bouncer.

[vegbreath]

"i've eaten houses before, but none like this. What a great borough."

-Mayor John Fetterman, upon seeing Braddock for the firs time.

[WAQWBrentwood]

Lessons Never Learned. Braddocks glorious past was when it was run by Capitalists. Braddock (and place like it) were done in by policies of "The New Deal" and worse "The Great Society" A look at all of the beautifull archetecture that still remains is a clue to what Capitalism meant to Braddock. Every thing good in Bradock was built from 1867-1939! All "central planned" efforts since. Fetterman is an ego-maniac who likes to get on TV. Braddock wil be the same or worse in 20 years.

[h2bizzle]

He sincerely FIGHTS for Braddock! ...God bless 'im!

[JackDaScarecrow]

Harvard Grad avid Community leader aw man you really cant judge a book by it's cover if I saw this guy on the street I would think he was a giant biker or something

[TrueSake]

I'd like to see this guy as president

[WAQWBrentwood]

@TrueSake I'm sure people in Cuba said that about Fidel Castro circa 1958!

[bloodcumulus]

@pghhustler paying or not, the final choice is yours.

[mbair22]

Keep up the hard work. He truly believes in this city. Keep going strong.

[megalisstudio]

good for this dude. Great vision and commitment. Bravo.

[irenecreva]

DEAR JOHN FEDDERMAN..................

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. KEEP DOING

WHAT YOUR DOING AND TRY TO MIX THE BLACK WITH WHITE

AND YOU WILL HAVE GRAY THAT GOES WITH EVERYTHING!!!!

[tubmanrichard]

homeyboy went to Harvard. 

[bjc97]

The answer for your community, and others, is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and a total rethinking of dem-style entitlement programs.

If you CAN WORK and get govt. entitlements, then you should have to DO SOMETHING for the $...OTHERWISE, you become lethargic and good-for-nothing.

How about having all your welfare residents CLEAN UP THE TOWN in return for the taxpayer money they get? Then, and only then, will you be able to attract new businesses and residents.

[WAQWBrentwood]

@bjc97 YOU ARE RIGHT! No one brings up the fact that the decline of industrial jobs effected THE WHOLE region, Not just Braddock. Look at Wilmerding,PA. It was a 1 industry town that DID NOT "go Braddock" when the plant left. Wilmerding never had a County Housing Project to encourge the "Non-Working" class to move enmasse there. Given a shared industrial fate, Would any sane person say Wilmerdiing compare to Braddock today! I'll take the worst house in Wilmerding before the best one in Braddock

[bjc97]

@WAQWBrentwood Agreed. Wilmerding, while not ideal, is an Oasis compared to Braddock. I admire Fetterman for his effort...his "carbon cap" solution is just plain wrong. He should start by forgeting the "carbon cap" idea and instead get the lazy welfare recipients off their asses and employ them in cleaning up the town. Then, and only then, can Braddock attract new business.

[bjc97]

have the utmost respect for what you are trying to do BUT I must say the following:

You have blinders on. Cap and Trade and so-called green jobs are total BS.

[bjc97]

To the mayor: I was in Braddock last week; had not been there for 30 years. Unbelievable. It's like a war zone, and typical of the urban decay that has been rampant in the country for the last few decades.

I

[Jeeters87]

He's a big inspiration for me because aside from the fact that I'm from Pittsburgh and he's helping the community, but he shows that it's not at all about what you look like or how you "play" the role, but what you do. I would vote for him to be president if he ran, he's got a good head on his shoulders.

[pinksockpuller]

All of you negative fucks should keep your mouths shut. What have you done jackass?

[jldella99]

Amen! Maybe it's a lack of kindness and support for others, coupled with complacency that enables things like police beatings, rape, murder, etc. You can bet your ass that if we all came together and looked out for eachother, then corrupt people wouldn't be able to victimize anyone. It wouldn't be tolerated. It's a simple enough concept, so why does it always seem to escape people? Goes right over everyone's head, it seems...

[boatkitten]

Our community is going through a very simliar situation. We also have a forwarding looking mayor, and we are improving our neighborhoods while other communities only care about cutting budgets/taxes. Where would you prefer to live? A place that invests? Or a place that demands we bring a halt to infrastructure and allow decay? It's a no brainer. Fetterman is a smart man.

[reece45]

John, have another look at the cop beating video....get real how can you refresh a community with cops that do what this animal did...great example for the youth and projects you speak of.....

[Vercettislugger]

Did you expect anything less from the dirty piece of shit?

[anonymous0s0egion]

Same goes for you, you half assed fuck.

[anonymous0s0egion]

Dude you get fucking real, just because he's the mayor doesnt mean he can make it so people dont do fucked up things.

People like you are why this world sucks, all you do is focus on negative shit all day and blame everything on the people trying to make a difference.

You're a drag on society and I'd put a hundred dollars on you not being to own up to your own fuck ups in life as well.

Think in the real world dude.

[jldella99]

We all need to take responsibility, support others and at least listen to new ideas and start giving things a try. What we're doing now isn't working. Waiting around for the Second Coming of Christ to turn it all into rainbows and unicorns isn't helpful. Horrible things will continue to happen on a much larger scale than they would if we all decided to work together and turn atrocities into rare occurrances rather than the norm. Time to man up.

[poulin91]

I read about Fetterman in the May Rolling Stone and I thought it was absolutely amazing and inspiring that he was so passionate in restoring Braddock to its former glory. I hope his efforts prove successful in the near future.

[raydome]

They remove anyones comments that don blow this guy.

[gokinsmen]

I've been reading up on Fetterman recently and his efforts on behalf of Braddock...simply amazing. Somehow he manages to discuss and address these seriously infuriating issues without ever sounding preachy or contemptuous. And he's really starting to make a difference.

This guy is becoming my hero.

[12itscoredawg]

So you guys don't trust a guy who has a bald head and some tattoos? Shows how ignorant and shallow you really are. He's not a nazi, he's never said he was or anyone else for that matter. Just what graboyes said, read the new Rolling Stone issue and you'll see that he really means well.

[jldella99]

Perhaps none of these shallow hell-bent-on-nothing-useful-co­ming-out-of-their-mouth jerks realize that Fetterman is a HARVARD GRADUATE? Who else here went to Harvard? Anyone?

[graboyes]

i feel sorry for you guys who dont have any feelings... this guy is doing more than you will ever do to help people and a community... read the article in the may rolling stone about this whole thing and itll make you see what you are bashing is actually something better in this world... stop being so fucking negative

[trzop42]

After seeing the commercials on this topic, I simply have to laugh that someone would believe this straw dog. From the video, I guess when you have nothing, then it better to hope on something. They just chose something will cause even more harm to the economy.  But if it helps them, and hurts the Country, so much the better right? I still contend this is a psychological study.

[metropool]

Fetterman is an enviro-nazi that has been taught to appeal to people's emotions in order to take advantage of them. He graduated from Harvard? So did all the morons on Wall Street who have sacked the economic system with their lunatic ideas of derivatives and CMBS', MBS', etc., etc. This clown's support of carbon cap n trade policies will be just as bad to the economy because business will go where it can make a profit it will never be in Braddock until this environazi dissapears.

[adamstivala]

why don't you stop crying and do something, instead of just complaining, you baby

[dumpgrump]

keep the exposure up. keep the youth involved.you have great looking buildings,and a good base to start with.never give up!!

[coppertop41]

Don't Give up Man!!

[oxlajuj]

You have got to be one of my favorite people... I am from El Salvador, does anybody have John's email, how can I contact him? I have no money, my country has problems of its own, but man you are awsome!!! ONE vote!!! that can change the world.

[JoeCfb]

His email address is

JKF99 @ post. harvard. edu

Just remove the spaces.

[oxlajuj]

Thanks, I hope he reads his email

[rdsoxs86]

I come from a big area that has more office area than downtown Phoenix. But go to school in a rural college town. I have no idea how a town can survive without a university or jobs. Unfortunately, both require money which isn't available. The town is right outside of Pittsburgh.

[brucepatman]

I response to whoever said merge Braddock with Braddock Hills, this would be the worst idea ever. Have you ever been to Braddock Hills? It is a senior citizen community which is not zoned for rental property- that is why it hasn't gone bad like Braddock and North Braddock has. It is an amazing community with great leaders and is very, very safe. A merger would mean distruction for Braddock Hills.

[WAQWBrentwood]

@brucepatman Agreed, Braddock Hills has about as in common with Braddock as Mount Oliver does with Brentwood. Sure, They are close by but MANY WORLDS apart. People who built Braddock Hills up in the 1940s did so TO GET AWAY from Braddock Borough! (Bad enough that B.H.,Swissvale,Edgewood, Churchill Etc. got screwed with the Woodland Hills fiasco in 1981!)

[jeff7069]

The only hope for Braddock PA is to bulldoze the entire town and start over.  You will need to change the name of your town, since it has a toxic reputation. I wonder what General Braddock is thinking these days?

[a7241982]

Good luck.

[BigHater007]

A list of a few things they can do to attract attention to the town:

1- Attract the attention of film makers. Its an excellent premise for a horror flick for example and it will be cheap.

2- Open up a Casino. Crappy option but it works.

3- Tourist Attractions.

4- Establish a College of Arts.

Just my two cents.

[oeufgwoieu]

i just saw mr fetterman on the colbert report & i want him to consider another option than subway for its 1st restaurant, he should consider attempting a community owned & operated healthy place to meet & eat, if subway makes a profit it will likely leave town since it will likely be owned by outsiders and the young people working there will likely b in danger from thugs unfortunately

[masandjacksmom]

I like this video. I just caught this guy on CNN. I love his ideas. I would like to be able to contact this guy. I moved to a working class community two years ago and would love to use some of his ideas here... I also like to see educated politicians, mush like Obama, forward and positive thinkers are essential to the life of the country and our communities.

[fetterfool]

you sir, are way too scary looking, for me to trust my vote to you. sir

[oeufgwoieu]

your mind is 2 small, he probably wouldnt want your vote

[Goochball]

I don't think people would mind Braddock if there wasn't murders and robberies all the time. Braddock is great, its the inhabitants. My pizza delivery man got bricked in the face and almost killed over a few dollars down there. He was probably 60 years old! Who would want to bring thier kids to Braddock with people like that running around everywhere. Get rid of the crackheads and murderers!

[RandyCasey]

As a former mayor, I can share with you that one of the keys to success is to have a committed leader. Mayor Fetterman has the drive, passion and dedication to make things happen. It won't happen without leadership. Mayor Fetterman is on the right track. His enthusiasm is infectious.

[stbd]

Anything that helps Braddock become re-attached to Pittsburgh proper is a good thing; it has the unfortunate perception of being an area few locals want to explore, so getting the city back on the cultural map is key.

Also, good to see Pop City doing video!

[DBR96A]

Maybe Braddock has some hope after all. I'm not sure where the mayor stands on this issue, but I think the Mon-Fayette Expressway and a commuter rail line would help the area too.

One thing that should probably be considered in the future is the merging of Braddock with North Braddock and Braddock Hills. That'd give the "new" Braddock about 11,000 people, and would also help reduce red tape and government expenses for all three boroughs.

[Austindaniel2428]

You go, Braddock.