“WHEN I FELL DOWN,” CONTINUED FROM PG. 06
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER 04.01/04.08.2015
pghcitypaper
down, I fell hard because it was a public fall get a job and somebody tells you, ‘You can’t and not only did I fall, but it hurt my family. do that job,’ well, you served your time and I’m still trying to get back up, and every day you should be able to get that job now. PeoI look in the mirror and say, ‘Do better than ple should be able to do what they love to you did yesterday.’” do, if they know how to do it well.” Carlisle spoke to City Paper recently Carlisle says she is running to represent about her past service, her legal troubles all of the district’s constituents — even and her decision to run again for council. those who might not have a voice because But when she talks about that time, she of their pasts. doesn’t use those actual phrases. For ex“I don’t mind talking to the young men ample, she refers to her conviction as “fall- with their pants hanging down to get their ing down.” She calls her prison sentence perspective because that’s somebody’s “time away.” child. We have to start changing how we But that doesn’t mean she’s running perceive our community and being scared away from that part of her past. In fact, in our community. These are our kids,” these experiences, she says, have given Carlisle explains. “When I went away, I her the ability to relate to her constituents saw people who don’t really need to be on a different level. District 9, which en- there; they need help.” compasses Homewood, Garfield, Larimer, While her history might be hard to Lincoln Lemington-Belmar, Point Breeze, live down, Carlisle says people should reFriendship, East Hills and parts of East member her work on council to fund Liberty, has some of the highest community programs in her disrates of poverty and unemploytrict and secure contracts for ment in the city. African-American developers. Take a k at “I’ve been through the And this time around, Carllook bac sle’s Carli a fire and know what it feels d isle says, she would be more n a Tw l history like to be burned and be hot. committed than ever to crimina ghcity I say with all due respect to transparency on city council at www.p om paper.c the entire community, someand in her personal life. times you have to feel what There are many constitupeople are feeling,” Carlisle says. ents without personal ties to Car“Right now I can tell you what it feels lisle who remember her for the posilike to owe everybody. tive aspects of her tenure on council. As CP “Anytime you pick up the telephone, informally canvassed Pittsburgh’s eastern there’s a bill collector on the telephone and neighborhoods last week, it’s obvious she you’ve got to try to make payments. You’re still has her supporters. robbing Peter to pay Paul.” “She was good before,” says James Perry, And Carlisle can also relate to constitu- owner of Perry’s Honeydipper grocery store. ents who are passed over for employment “She always cared about what the commubecause of their criminal history. Since nity wanted. I’m going to vote for her.” she announced her candidacy, her abilWhether Carlisle has enough supporters ity as a convicted felon to legally serve on to win an election is another matter. After city council has been called into question, all, she has lost an election to incumbent though none of her opponents challenged Burgess before. After she was indicted in her election petitions. 2007, she lost the May primary to Burgess, While nothing in state law bars a who nabbed 50 percent of the vote. felon from running for elected office, Carlisle says the result of that election they are prohibited from serving. After does not reflect her record on council. they are elected, their position can be Instead, she claims, voters were swayed by challenged in the courts. But the official media coverage of her indictment. is not automatically blocked from serv“In fact, on the day of the election, the ing, and a challenge cannot be made until media showed me going to the magistrate the official takes office. and a lot of my senior citizens said they If elected, Carlisle says, she’ll take the thought I was being taken to jail right fight to retain her seat to court. And she then,” says Carlisle. “It was the day of the says similar battles elsewhere have seen election, how it was portrayed on TV, that elected officials serve out their terms before swayed a lot of people.” courts were able to reach a decision. For While there was a lot of media coverage example, in Montgomery County, Pa., of Carlisle’s legal problems, it’s still a pretty Conshohocken Borough Councilor Pete good bet that it was the actual allegations of Cianci served a full four-year term despite misusing public money that turned voters a 1993 conviction for drug possession. against her. A former aide of Carlisle’s tes“It’s not just about me, it’s about all of tified that she was hired in exchange for us,” says Carlisle. “Anybody who’s had a giving Carlisle a portion of her salary. Other problem with the law and you’re trying to charges included paying consultants for CONTINUES ON PG. 10