“Words matter,” says Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, in an essay detailing the agency’s new “branding” effort, dubbed “The future of travel is here.”
“Our story and how we tell it matters,” she continues.
Well, yes it does. But honesty and accuracy matter, too. And the Cassotis missive, found online at Blue Sky News, the authority’s house public relations organ, skirts each and is hip-wader worthy.
Harsh? Unfair? You be the judge.
Here’s the crux of Cassotis’ essay:
“The Pittsburgh region has come a long way in the past two decades. Our 21st century economy is vibrant, driven by technology, education and healthcare, finance, energy and advanced manufacturing. …
“But for some, the perception of Pittsburgh is still based on a bygone era and an outdated narrative,” Cassotis writes; we must tell the story better, she says.
But it’s quite obvious that it’s Cassotis in need of a narrative update – and more.
“Ms. Cassotis needs an economics lesson,” says Jake Haulk, president-emeritus of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy.
“Private employment in the Pittsburgh MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) was up a scant 5.8 percent from 2000 to 2019.
“Nationally, private employment was up over 15 percent,” reminds the Ph.D. economist. “And because most ‘blue’ states did relatively poorly, that means many metro areas in Sun Belt states, Upper Midwest and some Western states had gains of well over 20 percent during that time.”
By comparison, let’s break down some of those private employment gains in other metro areas in that same 2000-2019 period:
There’s Atlanta, up 24.6 percent; Jacksonville, up 31.4 percent; Charlotte, up 31.9 percent; Salt Lake City, up 36.8 percent; Bismarck, up 38.2 percent; Nashville, up 45.7 percent; Boise, up 49.4 percent; Raleigh, up 50 percent; Austin, up 71.1 percent.
And metro Pittsburgh’s 5.8 percent private employment growth from 2000 to 2019 is indicative of “our 21st century economy” being “vibrant,” Ms. Cassotis?
Haulk further notes that Pittsburgh’s high-tech sector has not kept up with many other places; “Carnegie Mellon (University) cannot do it alone,” he says.
“Nor does Cassotis acknowledge the awful public education system in the city (of Pittsburgh) and many other school districts,” Haulk adds.
And there are other omissions of convenience, says Frank Gamrat, the think tank’s executive director.
“Cassotis conveniently leaves out the fact that we need to subsidize, or bribe, airlines to come here and then once they do they see that the market she promises isn’t there and quickly pull up stakes and fly away.”
But, “Those are minor details,” says Gamrat, also a Ph.D. economist.
“We’ll have a brand spanking new (airport) terminal that will revitalize the economy — just like the stadiums, convention center, arena, hotels, skyscrapers, department stores … .”
Ahem.
Cassotis’ narrative and rebranding effort, of course, are a public relations effort to justify the $1.4 billion (at least) terminal project at Pittsburgh International (PIT).
She says the “we” – whoever that is – “have a responsibility” to change “the (outdated) perception of Pittsburgh.”
“We know that narratives do in fact drive economic impact,” Cassotis writes. “That’s not me saying it—this comes from world-leading economists who know that the stories people tell affect economic outcomes. And we have a great story to share.”
But “we” also have a responsibility to not attempt to snooker everybody – including “ourselves” – with fiction gussied up as fact. It’s the proverbial same old pig with a new shade of lipstick.
Cassotis, concomitantly citing Pittsburgh’s storied past then lamentatiously bygone-ing it, offers that “Pittsburgh has entrepreneurial innovation in its DNA.”
Sadly, Pittsburgh also has denial in its DNA, believing its own “progressive” public relations spiel that urges the public to not look behind the curtain for the facts.
Cassotis says the coronavirus pandemic “has reset business in a way that moved most regions and airports back to the starting line to compete on a near-level playing field for flights, business and jobs.”
“Now is the time to tell our story in a new way so we can boldly and proudly sell Pittsburgh to the world,” she says.
But if the story is not told honestly and accurately – if the “narrative” has been false, as it has been told for so many years – the storytellers are doing the public, sound public policy and themselves a grave disservice.
After all, Ms. Cassotis, words matter. Facts matter. The truth matters.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
