-----Original Message-----
From: DRW <raja@ceiamerica.com>
To: egillen476@aol.com; jdeiuliis@mtlebanon.org
Sent: Sun, Jan 30, 2011 6:03 pm
Subject: RE: Advice
From: DRW <raja@ceiamerica.com>
To: egillen476@aol.com; jdeiuliis@mtlebanon.org
Sent: Sun, Jan 30, 2011 6:03 pm
Subject: RE: Advice
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for your interest and email. Joe is the Chair of the Committee in RCML that interfaces with local candidates => please contact him directly at (412) 953-7048. Please also discuss with Joe the topic of his running again. Thanks.
Raja
From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com?]
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 12:02 PM
To: DRW; jdeiuliis@mtlebanon.org
Subject: Advice
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 12:02 PM
To: DRW; jdeiuliis@mtlebanon.org
Subject: Advice
Hi Raja and Joe,
As a registered Republican, I wanted to come to you for advice. I live in the 3rd Ward as you know, but upon hearing Joe's decision to not run again, I am interested in running for Commission. Can we get together at some point to discuss this?
Elaine
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteLets see if I'm reading this correctly....Raja appointed Joe to Chair an RCML Committee to vet and recommend endorsement of R candidates....Joe became an R candidate, like you, for 3rd. Ward Commissioner...Joe was endorsed and...SURPRISE, SURPRISE...you were not....nor either was James Cannon, R candidate running for SB, who was the only SB candidate who did not crossfile, but happened not to support the HS fiasco that his opponents and RCML Committeemen/SB members did support unconditionally.
If I'm reading all this correctly, the RCML needs to be turned upside down and fumigated. And, it tells volumes about Raja.
Bill Lewis
Yes, Bill, that is pretty much how it went down. I do have one regret - writing that email to Raja and Joe.
ReplyDeleteBut like everything else, there was no conflict of interest with Joe DeIuliis. There never is. He can vote on the high school project, bid on it, and meet with Dr. Tim on how to get the cost down, but never a conflict of interest. He "interfaces" with local candidates, but in his usual style, never returned my call or email. No conflict of interest there either. He can tell the media and the courts that he is moving far away, but says just the opposite at the RCML meeting, violates the 10 foot rule at the polls, keeps his yard signs up after the deadline, stores rusted junk on his property, still not pay his property taxes, beat the county assessment, claim he reduced taxes -but doesn't tell the rest of the story that it came out of our reserves, never returns calls or emails, falls asleep at commission meetings, puts up yard signs showing his political committee that was closed in December 2008 and plants them without getting permission from many home owners, and had no committee registered with the County, but for some reason the RCML still endorsed him. Both James Cannon and I gave it our best shots at the RCML meeting. Yes, this does speak volumes about the whole bunch.
As I said, it is going to be another long four years. Then, I will try it again.
Elaine
Gee, it appears Raja is crooked enough to be the Executive in Allegheny County.
ReplyDeleteHis sidekick Joe might even get some County contracts if Raja is elected.
However the joke is the R Committee in Lebo that endorsed these two clowns. Oh Well, the R Committee is becoming meaningless anyway; they just lost a school director seat to the Dems as R's voted for a D to be appointed to the school board.
Other endorsed candidates, by the R's, were responsible for Mr. Hart leaving the Board.Too bad!
How long until the R's lose another commission seat?
John Ewing
Here is another bit of trivia. James Cannon and I were the only Republicans who reported a political committee. And yet most of them had signs.
ReplyDeleteThe Dem Committee gave nice donations to their endorsed candidates. I see the donations varied from $500-$1000.
I checked one form and saw that Ed Kubit donated $100 to the Rep. Committee. I didn't think it worked that way, but what do I know?
All I know is that James Cannon and I couldn't even REST our signs at the base of the School District owned boards at Foster School. Those were for "endorsed candidates only." I don't know how it was at other polling locations.
Coincidently, Jim and I have not been supporters of the HS fiasco, as you pointed out, Bill. Where is the bug spray?
Elaine
Correction:R candidates Kubit and Goldman also reported a political committee at the local level.
I just changed from Republican to Independent. Here's the web link if anyone is interested in changing their party. http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/applications_and_forms/13509
ReplyDeleteSue Dixon
Sue, the system is set up so that only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in the Primary. That is unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Sue, everyone can vote in November; regardless of party affiliation. Candidates who win the primary are not permitted to change parties between the primary and general elections.
ReplyDeleteThe way to correct others who are wrong is to bring it to light and demand they change.
There is no need to run away from a political party if the leaders are wrong and you still uphold the core values of that political party. David Huston
As I see it, the issue is not so much that anyone can vote in November; it's more about the choices we have when November rolls around! This is particularly true at the local level in Pennsylvania, where it seems the two government parties have melded into one – the “Demopublicans.” Will we see any independent or Libertarian candidates on the ballot this November? Not likely. Pennsylvania makes it extremely difficult for anyone outside of the two government parties to appear on a ballot – just ask the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania! As Nick Gillespie of the Reason Foundation (full disclosure – I'm a supporter) said, “Something has gone horribly wrong with a country where we've got more choice at the coffee shop than we do at the ballot box.”
ReplyDeleteMs. Dixon: There's a new book coming out June 28th entitled “The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America,” written by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch of Reason. If you believe in free markets and free choices you might want to get it.
Richard Gideon
David,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, the two party system is completely broken / corrupt. Try all you like to petition for change, but I prefer to vote with my feet.
Sue,
Welcome to the club :)
With all due respect, I don't think many Mt. Lebanon voters even think about endorsements etc when voting. And I don't think the Republican Committee, regardless of its makeup, had much to do with the fact that Elaine's opponent got twice as many votes as she did.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it, Elaine has some very strong and very public opinions. During the course of her campaign, she has openly criticized the sitting Ward 3 Commissioner, other members of the Commission, pretty much the entire school board, the performance of her Ward's middle school, the performance of her Ward's elementary school, the school district's administrators, the community's athletic boosters and a host of others. She is certainly entitled to those opinions, but perhaps they aren't the best way to influence voters and win an election.
Dave Franklin
Thanks, Dave. I wasn't it in for the votes. I was standing up for what I believe in. Instead of sitting back and attacking, as you tend to do, I was trying to make a difference. I didn't see you at the Candidates Forum like you said you were going to do. You have let down a lot of people because we are all waiting for the car washes and the gas tanks filled, as you promised.
ReplyDeleteYou have some very strong and public opinions, but you tend to just observe from the bleachers. You have submitted some pretty nasty comments, and like Mr. Kendrick's comments, I chose not to publish yours. I am willing to bet that you will play the transparency card, but I am a proponent of government transparency. I don't have to publish every single comment that is submitted. At least I have the guts to stand up for what I believe in. With Raja resigning, here is your opportunity to give it a shot, Dave.
Elaine
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteLet Mr. Franklin play the transparancy card. He did say that you have very public opinions. You have been transparent all along. You never made any false promises to get votes. We respect your honesty.
Suzie Kelly
Thanks, Suzie. I don't like when I hear campaign promises that I know can't be met.
ReplyDeleteFor kicks, you should read Fake Lebo right now. They are talking about all the false promises that were made about the high school renovation project, fees -not taxes, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/fakelebo
Elaine
Why are the folks who dislike me for my opinions, my support of athletics and just about everything else all of the sudden urging me to apply for the opening on the Commission?
ReplyDeleteElaine, I don’t think I’ve ever suggested that you didn’t have the guts. In fact, I just said you certainly have a right to your opinions.
I'm also pretty sure you've published all of my comment, except perhaps one that was critical of your campaign and one involving Mr. Cannon's finance report filing (which turned out not to be rumor). And maybe one or two others concerning our friend Mr. Good (talk about a bleacher sitter).
I was not at the Candidate’s Forum . . . guilty as charged. I thought my time was better spent trying to get a muddy field in shape for a little league baseball game.
Whether or not you were "in it for the votes" is for others to decide. After all, I don't get a vote in your Ward. However, someone who goes outside of their party to challenge another candidate's nomination petition certainly sounds like someone who really wanted to win.
Can I put a "Franklin for Temporary Commissioner" sign in your yard?
Dave Franklin
Mr. Franklin, once again you shoot off your mouth.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me and from your comments I have no intention or desire to have a coffee with you. There are people that know I'm involved and not a bleacher sitter.
Posting on the blog as I've said before is a way to confirm observations or read an opposing view, then formulate an opinion.
Acting on that opinion is something to be done in the proper venue, not neccessarily here.
Of course there are those that will accuse people of hijacking the community and VOICE opinions that a school board member that published an opinion they don't like should be censured for misleading the public. Funny, I don't read any calls for Kubit's, Remely's or Cappucci's censure. After all-- how misleading were their claims about the project being under $95 million?
Show up at a meeting sometime and ask the questions you promise to ask and maybe we'll meet sometime!
Otherwise don't talk about someone you know nothing about!
My comments sure, go right ahead, its still a free country last I heard.
- Giffen Good
As long as you notify the Elections Board about your committee and how that sign was paid for, sure, go ahead. As far as challenging a nomination petition, I followed the rules and expect others in the same position, to do the same. I had no idea that I had to be a Democrat for the judge to continue looking at it. He felt badly having to tell me that. That had nothing to do with getting votes. That person wasn't even my opponent. Did I want to win? Of course. Doesn't everyone who runs for an office? It wasn't the end of the world that I lost. In the scheme of things, there are bigger losses in this world, than losing an election. You have to keep things in perspective.
ReplyDeleteAnd there were comments submitted under your name that were not published, other than the ones you mentioned. You went after David Huston, Giffen Good, Dick Saunders, and me, for starters. It just kills you that you don't know Giffen Good, I know. But there are people in this world that you like to attack and Giffen Good doesn't feel comfortable using his real name, because of people like you. Don't say that he is a bleach sitter when you don't even know who he is!
Elaine
Elaine, if my comments are an attack, are your comments and posts something different? Frankly, many people view my comments as defending those who you and the angry mob like to "attack". I usually only "go after" someone if I think they are telling less than the whole story or being unfair. If that's an attack in your opinion, so be it.
ReplyDeleteMr. Good, I can't possibly know you because you are the only person on this site who (for whatever reason) is permitted to use a "pen name".
I must admit though, I often envision you as a caped crusader (with a big "G" on your chest) living in a secret cave in Bird Park and looking to rid our community of corruption. It makes me feel me safe. Thank you.
Dave Franklin
For a guy who promises car washes and free gas fill ups, I am not sure that you are as credible as you think you are, Dave.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that you spend so much of your work day criticizing me. I am flattered, Dave. But remember, I don't have a job. I can do this all day.
Elaine
You're welcome Dave!
ReplyDelete- Giffen Good
It sure seems like Mr. Franklin never has anything nice to say.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why links aren't working properly in the comments, but here is the link that Sue Dixon was trying to share with us.
ReplyDeletewww.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/
register_to_vote/13518