On May 3, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto wrote a letter to the state of Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission, which had recently levied an $11.4 million fine against Uber for operating in the state without permission.
The letter, which is also signed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, is an impassioned plea for leniency. It defends Uber in strong terms and notes that Pittsburgh’s position as Uber’s self driving car testbed could be at risk if “state regulators continue displaying such hostility.”
Uber “is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is poised to invest millions more. However, all this could be lost if we send the message that Pennsylvania is not a welcoming place for 21st century businesses and other job-creators looking to make our state a home,” the letter begins.