From: egillen476@aol.com [egillen476@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 10:12 AM
To: School Board Email list
Subject: YSA payment schedule
School board directors,
Would one of you be so kind as to share a copy of the YSA payment schedule which Dr. Steinhauer passed out to you at last Monday's meeting? Since Mrs. Szalinski is working on so many other RTK's that are coming her way, perhaps you can lighten her workload a tad and share this information with me informally.
Elaine Gillen
Mrs. Gillen, In accordance with Commonwealth law, please send in a Right to Know request and Mrs. Szalinski will process your request. For the Board, Josephine Posti President Mt. Lebanon School Board 412.667.1479 http://jposti.blogspot.com/ Mission: To provide the best education possible for each and every student ________________________________ MTLSD DISCLAIMER: THIS TRANSMISSION IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE ADDRESSEE AND MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT IS PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL, AND EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. IF YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, OR THE EMPLOYEE OR AGENT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE MESSAGE TO THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY DISSEMINATION, RETENTION, DISTRIBUTION, OR COPYING OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR, PLEASE NOTIFY THE SENDER IMMEDIATELY.
So it looks like I have to file another Right To Know.
While I am on the subject of RTKs and the YSA, a RTK was granted today with these results.
RTK George Wilson/YSA
RTK George Wilson/YSA
So that puts a hole in the story that Jan Klein told the Trib.
21 comments:
Why isn't the Trib verifying their own stories?
A Trib reader
I can't respond to that. I did submit a new RTK asking for the YSA payment schedule.
Elaine
There are no records of the Superintendent of the District reportedly "dismissing" a $30,000 "legally bound" payment requirement by the YSA because of a false reason that the YSA did not have the funds ? ? ?
And the YSA federal tax return shows the YSA actually had roughly $30,000 in cash at both the beginning and end of the year ?
And the District, in an unbudgeted, unauthorized move substituted taxpayer funds for the YSA non-payment in the Districts required payment to the Muni ?
And the YSA federal tax return shows that they had paid $3,597 to the District that year that the District now says they did not receive ?
Hello U.S. Attorney "Hotline", hello PA Atty. General "Fraud Hotline"....anybody there ? Anybody monitoring this blog ?
Bill Lewis
Bill,
Dr. Steinhauer said that they received $30,000 in 2008.
So many stories...
Elaine
Just an FYI, the hotline now says that it is confidential and on the tape, you must leave your name and phone number. I'm just sayin'.
"The phone line — 412-894-7515 — is being maintained by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Citizens may report potential abuses anonymously if they choose. Once potential abuses have been reported, the Office will work with appropriate law enforcement agencies in response to the information."
Elaine
I'm cancelling my subscription to the Trib. This is the sort of story of the press is suppose to follow up on. Otherwise it's just another feel good media outlet like The Almanac.
Where are our local representaives, Mr. Smith and Mr. Pippy. Don't they work for us?
Aren't they bomnd by their oaths to investigate these types of issues that involve a PA entity?
The PA Attorney General hotlines may be found
here.
Elaine
For Education, call 800-525-7642.
Elaine
Anonymous 5:43 PM - you ask where is Mr. Smith? Why he was in Harrisburg escorting Josephine Posti (& family)and Mr. McFeeley to the House chamber where a resolution was passed unanimously recognizing Mt. Lebanon School District's 100th anniversary. That is why Josephine was not present at the last school board meeting.
Mt. Lebanon School District Honored by State House
Elaine
Atta boy, Matt "I’m working hard in our state Capitol and at home to make government work for you and our community" Smith.
Those photo ops are tough duty.
Elaine, Joise wrote:
"Mrs. Gillen,
In accordance with Commonwealth law, please send in a Right to Know request and Mrs. Szalinski will process your request."
Apparently Josie hasn't read the part of the Sunshine Law that allows verbal requests.
Of course, if you file a verbal request you forfeit your right to appeal a denial of the RTK to the Office of Open Records and the Solicitor can't collect legal fees when he takes you to Court to block your successful appeal [like he did with a Mom not long ago].
Talk about squandering legal fees, folks!
John Ewing
Do you actually need to file a right to know request for every piece of paper that is passed out a school board or commission meeting? Holy cow does this sound ridiculous! This is like a jobs program to keep the attorneys busy. How could it be confidential if it was passed out and talked about in public?
It's definitely not the first time Ms. Klein has been caught in a outright lie.
Remember the, "oops, innocent mistake, I confused the 25 year enrollment projection with the 25 year bond reimbursement". She just made up numbers to justify a 25 year student enrollment projection that does not exist.
It is possible there was a verbal agreement for this YSA thing but how silly would that be? I guess that is how serious the Board took the agreement. There is not a single person on the Board who served in 2008 so there is no history for any one of them to pull out. They just go by what they are told.
Well, they were lied to once and now Ms. Klein can revise history however she likes. I would love for Ms. Klein to get upset about this post. Nothing would please me more than to dig up the RTKs and emails that prove her slight-of-hand when it came to the student enrollment projections.
Please rest assured the MTL Commission and Municipality are not of the same cloth as the "what's ours is ours, and what's yours is ours" school board.
(There are school board members who are down right decent people, regular folks like the rest of us. Yet, when they are marching in formation -- it is very hard to remember that.)
The Commission, Municipal Manager and staff are open, approachable and responsive. They will graciously provide documents discussed at a meeting -- before, during and after.
The Municipality responds to RTK requests on their form, your form and no form.
If you are in the audience during a Commission meeting and near a staff member that has the "document" being discussed -- they will pass it over for a glimpse.
Most importantly, they (the Commission and Municipal staff) get that debate should be about the substance of an issue ----- not the protocol.
During Mrs. Posti's 2012 commencement address, a student was quoted as saying "she sounds like she owns the place." Yes, she does.
Not that I would ever defend the actions of Jo Posti since she has demonstrated a compelte lack of respect for anyone else in the town...But could this just be a case where they need time to compile the records and don't want to risk violating the law by not being able to fulfill the request within the allotted time? Just asking. If that's the case, though you would think Jo would put to use some of her alleged PR background and spell that out in a response. It's called manners. she should look into it.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. That is hysterical. I am not being disrespectful towards your comment. I am laughing because I had to file a RTK over one document that was already prepared and printed in duplicate for the SB. It was handed out at the SB meeting, for crying out loud!
Elaine
Ah...to quote Gilda Radner, "Nevermind"...
Under section 708 of the RTK law, I didn't see any obvious exemption for the data requested, especially if it was already distributed to all the SB members. If it's denied, make sure you file an appeal.
Did or didn't Dr. Steinhauer say this?
"Now we have Dr. Steinhauer reporting that the Joint Maintenance Agreement has served us well. In fact, the YSA had paid $30,000 in 2008. Huh? Listen for yourself on the podcast. It starts at approximately the 58 minute mark. June 11, 2012 School Board Meeting"
And we really need to file RTKs to get home to produce the evidence for "facts" he presents in anopen board meeting!
He either has the documentation to back up what he's saying or he doesn't. If he does then apparently the YSA fulfilled the agreement in 2008 and 'they' have issues with the IRS.
If he doesn't have proof to back up what he said- he lied. If he'll lie about a simple account, what else will he lie about.
If he indeed lied, he should be dismissed immediately. I don't want a superintendent 'working for us' and our kids we can't trust. We don't serve the school district, it serves us.
The board should be asking the questions, not residents.
According to the PSBA Standards & Codes for Pennsylvania School Boards they should:
"Monitors results by:
a. Using data appropriately to make informed decisions."
The question then regarding the JMA and the YSA is:
how does the school board use the data on the YSA payments to make informed decisions as to whether to continue to work with the YSA?
Seriously what data will they use? Jan's first data that the YSA paid only $3,800 in 2008? Or that Wilson waved off all $30,000? Or perhaps Dr. Steinhauer's revelation that the YSA paid the total amount?
With 3 different stories how do they make an informed decision? And if they don't have accurate data... don't pursue accurate data, then they are negligent in their duties as prescribes by the PSBA, to which they are members.
Don't be surprised if you find out different board members have different information. Several different boards had that problem with a former superintendent.
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