Joint Maintenance Agreement Amendment: RESOLVED, That the Amendment to the Joint Maintenance Agreement dated as of July 1, 2010 is amended in the form presented, and the Superintendent is authorized to execute such Amendment on behalf of the District.David gave the following reasons:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Joint Maintenance Agreement between the District, the Municipality and the Youth Sports Alliance is extended for a period of six months, through December 31, 2012, with the District paying $35,700 to the Municipality for services similar to those provided previously, and the Youth Sports Alliance paying between $10,000 and $11,000 to the District (based on the number of participating children), and with other terms and schedules to be specified in an Extension Agreement acceptable to the Superintendent and the Solicitor, and to be signed by the Superintendent.
- The amendment is for an expired agreement.
- The Municipality is not a party to this agreement.
- The YSA's "contribution" is being reduced from $30,000 to $23,000.
- The Board is catering to the YSA's payment schedule, so that it is convenient for YSA.
Listen to Tom Peterson's explanation. I have not been able to provide an audio clip of this portion of the meeting, so tune in at the 38.5 minute mark of the podcast. Of course, Timmy was grateful for the YSA. Jan Klein also spoke. Josephine chimed in to say that since the YSA is made up of volunteers with turnover of officers, discrepancies could occur. The relationship is a collaboration, so the District will not come down on them punitively. The Board wants to work creatively with YSA so that they (the YSA) can continue to do good for our children.
The discussion resumed at the time of the vote. See 01:10:48 of the podcast. By reducing the YSA's contribution by $7,000, the taxpayers (or the students) will take the hit since there will be less revenue collected. Mary Birks needed help with that. We cut staff so that we could reduce costs, but since the YSA is collaborating with the School District and they do good for our children, it is OK to reduce their "contribution" by $7,000. The vote was unanimous.
Update August 21, 2012 9:30 AM Audio clip of both parts of the YSA discussion.
Criminals.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it's time to start posting the phone number to the attorney general again.
Peterson should be fired. Klein should be fired. Steinauer should be fired. Posti should resign.
ReplyDeleteIf the Board took Mr. Huston's advice and rejected the extension, would the headline of this post been "Mr. Huston is Costing the Kids $23,000"?
ReplyDeleteThe YSA is made up of volunteers so a number of discrepancies will occur. Oh yeah, the IRS will buy that one Josephine!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is we've entrusted the education of our kids to a person that thinks like that. Don't forget she's a volunteer! And the rest of the board made her their #%*+£% leader.
How many discrepancies has she let pass in her votes? How many discrepancies with the facts has she foisted on us. Following her activities on a couple of fronts it looks like many.
Hey parents, you heard it from the presidents own mouth, educating your kids is a hit and miss proposition.
Wouldn't the $7,000 be deducted from the total amount per player per sport that each registrant is charged? Doesn't the YSA simply collect from each sports group to get the total YSA contribution? So because the $30,000 is reduced to $23,000, wouldn't that mean that people are actually saving money now? Doesn't the YSA only have what they are given? Seems to me that the title of this thread is a bit off base.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Trib's Laurels & Lances column a while back:
ReplyDelete"The Mt. Lebanon School Board. It's going to spend more than $41,000 on a study to predict the success of a prospective $30 million capital fundraising campaign. Good grief. We'll bet most residents of already tax-strapped Mt. Lebanon don't appreciate the implications of picking their pockets one way to see how amenable they might be to having their pockets picked another way."
$30,000,000! Now the target supposedily is $15,000,000! A minor discrepancy right JoPo!
Rip apart one of neighbors publically in a letter to the Almanac with discrepancies with the facts.
If that is your approach to volunteering Ms. Posti I don't want you running my school district! Please leave.
You don't get it, do you? Peterson said that the net amount is off by $7000 since the reimbursement or "contribution" was reduced by that amount. The district paid the full amount to the municipality.
ReplyDelete8:59 AM, the headline would have been something to the effect that MTLSD would not be caving in to the YSA because that is exactly what they are doing. It is a "collaboration" so they are grateful for anything they can get from the YSA. I think they deserve the coveted "This town would be different without" award that Susan Morgans used to promote.
As soon as I can, I will be adding the audio clip as an update to this post.
Elaine
Elaine
8:59, Tom Peterson is still drafting the extension.
ReplyDeleteLast night, the board approved an amendment to the JMA contract that expired last month.
David Huston
9:05 are you a lemming? Or are you one of those volunteers that just can't get a grasp on the facts.
ReplyDeleteJust how does one increase spending $1,000,000+ on either new fields or turf and save money?
Please explain for us.
The district has already paid (and will continue to pay) about $83,000 annually to have the Twp perform maintenance on the district fields. The YSA contribution simply helps reduce that fixed, recurring expense for the district. The board could have certainly accepted Mr. Huston's advice, kicked the YSA out and paid the whole cost itself with no help from the folks who use the fields. Would that have been a better result for the district? As a parent who pays a YSA fee for a couple sports, I certainly wouldn't mind the savings.
ReplyDeleteIf the commissioners sign onto this they should have their heads examined.
ReplyDeleteIt's a 3 party agreement and it isn't in effect or extended until all 3 parties sign on.
Commissioners I'll pay my share of field maintenance thru my taxes until the YSa is replaced with something that can keep books and stands by their obligations. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXTENSION!!!!!
Many people on here think the YSA is something it isn't. It's nothing more than a conduit - albeit an unnecessary one. The TURF presentation should have been brought forth by residents and not the YSA. The fact that the presentation was made under that moniker made it seem like the YSA was something it wasn't. Disbanding the YSA would impact Mt. Lebanon less than removing bleachers from the Howe baseball field. Your time, efforts and breath are best spent elsewhere.
ReplyDelete8:59 the YSA and the board tell you something and you automatically roll over and drop your drawers. Wow, what a rocket scientist.
ReplyDeleteDon't you get it 8:59. The YSA and the school district cut their end by sticking it to the municipality to build either new fields or turfing old ones. We're not talking about $7,000 or $23,000, we're talking about $1 million and more.
Just a minor discrepancy.
I just don't understand how the union is sitting still for all of this. Cutting staff, giving Jan a 6.9% increase, and reducing the YSA's obligation because they do good for our children, to me, sounds like a recipe for another grievance.
ReplyDeleteElaine
9:43 are you insane. The YSA helps out! How much field maintenance would be required if the YSA didn't use the district fields?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, does the YSA have a printing press and printing their own money these days? (maybe so the police blotter says someone was passing a counterfeit $20)
Whether the school district pays the total amount or they get some "help" from the YSA it all comes out of our pockets.
First, if sports participation is escalating as the YSA proclaims they should have more and more money every year to contribute for repairing the heavily used fields, not less.
Second, how come the YSA has increased participation fees, but the yearly contribution to the district has remained the same thru the life of the JMA and now they're reducing the amount?
9:48 guess a $1,000,000 invention and thousands of dollars in maintenance isn't worth watching.
ReplyDeletePerhaps so we can all sit back and put our efforts elsewhere you cover the YSA obligations.
Take a look around at some other communities and their sports groups. You can find their records and ledgers with a click of a button. The YSA can't even figure theirs out for their own satisfaction.
The union is sitting still for it because where else are they going to go.
ReplyDeleteWork for a charter school? Transfer to another district? Yep, sure all those teachers at #1 USC are going to give up their positions so the MTL teachers can get away from Streinhauer/Posti/Klein.
They know they've got a good thing going, plus there's safety in numbers. They may lose a union brother here or there because of wasteful spending, but that's a small price to pay... If you not the one that gets the axe.
When it comes to laying off 40, 50 or more the sparks sill be flying, you can bet.
The YSA is a non-entity. It's like a Soviet-style paper position. And yet somehow, they convinced the school board to cover their financial obligation with (drum roll) PUBLIC MONEY! Yay!! Oh, wait a minute...if my tax dollars are going to fund soccer for eight-year olds, does that mean I now have access to all of their records? If I don't, perhaps filing a lawsuit would do so?
ReplyDeleteAnd where is Dave Franklin in all of this? Why has he disappeared? What's wrong, Franklin--gotta have the school board mafia cover for you? You're in bed with the wrong crowd, pal.
Check out Dave Franklin's petition. 231 signatures now. You KNOW we're getting that damn turf one way or another. Let's cut the YSA a break of $7,000 so that they can pledge $20,000 a year for the lights that Franklin now says we don't need.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could put my efforts into something else. I think I volunteer more hours than the YSA does collectively. Yes, Peterson, Jan, and Timmy should be fired. Let's first start with Josephine resigning.
Elaine
"I think I volunteer more hours than the YSA does collectively" - Elaine, you have lost your way. Come back E.T., come back!!!
ReplyDeleteIf the agreement expired and the terms have changed why is this an extension?
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't they just author a new 6 month agreement?
Any legal experts in contracts out there? What would be the advantages of calling this an extension?
Who wants Josephine to resign?... A new petition Elaine?
ReplyDeleteCrap if people will vote on something like Chick-Fil-A they can take time to vote on this one.
Commissioners, not one dollar or man hour of municipal employee time should be put toward field maintenance UNTIL all the discrepancies and details of a new agreement have been resolved.
ReplyDeleteThere is a matter of $60,000 or so in delinquent YSA payments for instance. There is the matter if poor accounting by both the YSA and district. And the terms of the agreement regarding who does what, who maintains records haven't been fixed.
The municipality (and the school district) do not operate for the YSA, although it's beginning to look that way.
Look at the hours Kelly has devoted to finding a solution to their field issues and they're still not happy.
10:47, I'll bet Elaine can tell you when she said wrote and can account for every dime she's spent on this blog and her run for commissioner and the petition against the taj mahal.
ReplyDeleteThat's more than the dunderheads running the YSA can claim, I think.
Besides JoPo said volunteers are allowed a few indiscretions any way right.
So kiss off trouble maker.
Games from the Little League World Series were on TV this weekend, how come our youth baseball doesn't compete? Williamsport is only a few hours away. Japan can send kids to compete but we can't?
ReplyDeleteThe Great Affluent Bubble, builder of athletes, maker of men can't get it up on the world stage?
Sad.
The dirty politics of Mt. Lebanon show their true colors when considering the leeway certain community volunteers are granted when it comes to financial oversight, while those who attempt to “disagree without being disagreeable” are held to a different standard. The small potatoes of the Cannon campaign financial reports, I was told by reliable sources, were gone over with a fine-toothed comb on several occasions.
ReplyDeleteOne report was called into question with Mark Wolosik, Division Manager of the Board of Elections in Allegheny County by our own School Board President, Josephine Posti. She wrote a complaint stating that one of my listed expenses did not contain a description. Interestingly, she copied the Assistant County Solicitor, MTLSD Superintendent, MLRC, ML Dem Committee, MTLSD Solicitor, and Board of School Directors on the letter, to name a few.
The letter spurred me on to submit an amended report (copying all those whom Mrs. Posti originally copied in addition to the county employee who reviewed the report for correctness before I submitted it) and I detailed that the expense paid to the Postmaster was indeed for STAMPS. I am sure we all felt much better after that. Never mind all those tax dollars going up in smoke.
The Josephine Posti’s of the world put their energy into the places where they feel it is most important, like undermining a volunteer’s credibility over some meaningless petty detail.
So, who is running for school board next time around?
-Charlotte Stephenson
This was against her own brother, correct, Charlotte? Posti needs to go.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, "Bingo".
I think it goes along with her commencement speech suggesting that one should surround themselves with others who think the same as they. We just can't have someone the Board who won't go along with the unanimous vote.
Charlotte
Wonder if the FBI would appreciate that speech in regard to the Rodella investigation?
ReplyDeleteHe was a Posti supporter I believe and the district did enter into some sort of agreement with PACyber didn't it.
Mr Huston (or Elaine), if you would have voted to not extend the JMA, how would you have come up with $23,000 for field maintenance? Or would you be content to have no contribution from the YSA and just have the District swallow the entire $83,000 maintwnance bill alone? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteIt was an amendment to reduce their obligation to $23,000 a year from $30,000. I guess you still don't get it, Mary.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Why is it either or, 1:50?
ReplyDeleteThe YSA has been delinquent or late on their obligations which has cost the district by them covering the shortages.
So, what happens the district rushes into extending the JMA didn't abide by when it was enforce.
Tell me you really aren't that stupid! Who enters into an agreement AGAIN with someone that didn't abide by the terms the first time around.
If you're not already one of our illustrious officials, promise us you'll never run for office. We do better electing a brick.
1:50 Mary Birks or whomever, a vote not to extend the expired JMA with a reduction in YSA contribution would not have automatically cancelled a YSA "legal obligation" for funding. It would mean that a $30,000 requirement was still on the table. If the YSA had then countered with a childish "if you don't agree to our terms, we won't give you any money at all", which you are apparently suggesting Mary, a fiscally responsive District looking out for taxpayers per-se interests rather than the demands of a gimmie minority, should reply with "fine, then there will be no maintenance done with District taxpayer money by the Municipality either,
ReplyDelete; and, if you want fields maintained to your standards, then fund it all yourselves. Maintained athletic fields in school districts to public user demand standards are not mandated in public education law. And besides, you have an unacceptable history of no, only partial and late 'legally obligated' payments to us, and as a result you have breached contracts repeatedly and are therefore unreliable and a credit risk".
Of course this stand would require strong wills and a collective sense of propriety on the part of the District & SB, which sadly are both AWOL here.
Charlotte Stephenson's comment concerning the Board - "We just can't have someone the Board who won't go along with the unanimous vote" - is the perfect entrée for me to publicly commend SCOTT GOLDMAN for his bravado at last night's meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe subject was the ridiculous "show vote" to "approve" teachers' salary increases; something that is already part of the ratified 2010 contact between the District and the Union. Mr. Goldman correctly said the vote was meaningless and a waste of time. He was descended upon by Ms. Posti and her allies; the claim being that only by making the vote an action item could the public be informed that the teachers are getting a raise this academic year, thus allowing residents a chance to comment or respond. This is nonsense of the highest order. Mr. Goldman recognized it as such and he cast a "no" vote!; a symbolic vote, to be sure, but he made his point, and he made it well.
This is a "must hear" portion of last night's meeting. It starts at 52 minutes and 47 seconds into the meeting. Pay particular attention to the convoluted logic used to justify this sham action item - it is embarrassing.
As a military contractor, I have awarded Mr. Goldman the PUT ON A PAIR OF PANTS citation with Oak Leaf Cluster for "Courage in taking a principled stand against the show vote for annual teachers' salary increases, which have heretofore been contractually stipulated."
11:50, you are my hero. That post is awesome.
ReplyDeleteElaine, I know you spend a lot of time on this blog but once a year, it woyld be fun to have a Best Of 20XX and include the top ten, smackdown, to the heart posts.
The acceptable resonse by the board, who are suppose to represent US not the YSA, should have at the VERY LEAST, we will extend the JMA contract by 6 months PROVIDED the YSA pays on time 1/2 of the annual amount specified in the original agreement - $30,000. meaning they owe $15,000 over the next six months.
ReplyDeletePLUS, the YSA work to provide proof of payyment of or proof of waiver for all years stipulated under the agreement just expired. Any delinquent funds will need a payment schedule arranged Promptly or the 6 month agreement will be terminated.
Had the YSA threatening in response, we won't pay or do any maintenance the district should then banish them from school grounds. The district has the legal authority to restrict access to any of their property.
For the board to let the YSA bully their way around is not what they took an oath to do.
The friggin' YSA keeps claiming THEIR USE and THEIR PROGRAMS are putting too much stress on our SD fields. Then kick the SOBs off and tell 'em to find their own facilities! Arrogant bastards.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that I like Scott Goldman better all of the time, and that began as we talked outside of the polls at Foster School last November.
We’ll have to keep that a secret, though, because if others on the Board feel that he won’t fall in line and, on top of that, if those of us who don’t support the Board’s spending habits or Chicago politics like him he’ll be their next target. Hopefully they won’t publically chastise and bully him as was done to Fraasch and Hart before.
(Thank you, Scott.)
-Charlotte Stephenson
I'm sure the assassins are already plotting their dastardly ouster of Mr. Goldman. One only has to look back at what they did to anyone that evens hints of not siding with them.
ReplyDeleteStay tuned, we'll soon see it coming. Thanks in advance Scott.
Here's the low down on the Little League from Wiki.
ReplyDelete"Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball, Incorporated) is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Founded by Carl Stotz in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Little League Baseball encourages local volunteers to organize and operate Little League programs that are annually chartered through Little League International. Each league can structure itself to best serve the children in the area in which the league operates. Several specific divisions of Little League baseball and softball are available to children ages 4 to 18. The organization holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code.[1]
The organization's administrative office is located in South Williamsport. The first Little League Baseball World Series was played in Williamsport in 1947. The Little League International Complex hosts the annual Little League Baseball World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium, and is also the site of the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum, which provides a history of Little League Baseball and Softball through interactive exhibits for children."
It's not an easy organization to belong too. You must obtain a charter and abide by it and tolerate audits by the governing organzation. The YSA would never fulfill their obligations there either I would imagine.
Ms. Stephenson:
ReplyDeleteMr. Goldman may find himself "on the outs" with not only some of his fellow board members, but with the MLEA as well. Voting for an already ratified teachers' contract is useful only for sending a signal as to who might be counted upon at the next contract renewal. This is all the more reason to commend Mr. Goldman.
His term is still young and there are more issues ahead so I'll withhold any final judgment; but he's a delightful change to the "me too" attitude we've seen of late.
Regardless of how Mr. Goldman fares with the Board, our town needs young, independent thinkers with Mr. Goldman's courage to advance to public office; people who are not beholden to the two major arms of the government party system.
I have not seen last night's meeting on TV;however, watch Mary Birks roll her eyes whenever Scott Goldman questions something. How disrespectful!
ReplyDeleteScott, you are terrific! I wish we had four more of you!
Elaine
Check out this sample constitution for a Little League charter and you'll soon realize why our kids will never play in Williamsport. Pay close attention to the Accounting regulations.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/Constitution_Sample_11.pdf
"Chartering with Little League for the first time is a quick and easy 3-step process that can often be completed in less than two weeks. For additional information about how to charter, you can also contact Little League International at (570) 326-1921."
What could we be thinking... The YSA accountable to anyone but themselves... Hahahahoohahahoohahaha... stop it you're killing me. Abide by a charter, these numbnutz can't even find their checkbook.
First, Goldman is a nice guy but about as strong as a bowl of warm milk. And don't forget he got elected by siding with one of the R crooks serving on the board. So who cares if he's a "target"?
ReplyDeleteSecond, unless we get people willing to step up and actually make a hard run at the school board cabal, all the complaining is worthless.
Third, I have seen the women on the board rolling their eyes making faces. It's like a bunch of bitter and homely teenage girls who are on the prom committee. It's pathetic.
Parents took $7,000 away from the kids and the commission wants . . . LOL
ReplyDeleteCareful, 5:49, if you criticize the YSA, Dave Franklin will cut and paste some legal language regarding slander. Nevermind that if his organization (and I use that term loosely) is joined at the hip with a public entity and using public facilities and being subsidized with public money he no longer has the same expectation of privacy.
ReplyDeleteI posted before and will post again...
ReplyDeleteThe YSA is a net benefit to the community. I understand people's grievances against the YSA and they are legitimate. However, it is my belief that due to the animosity directed at the defacto head of the YSA, that this conversation has gotten out of hand.
Instead of focusing on the monies that have been contributed over the life of the agreement by the YSA over the past decade, there is a group that has focused solely on the misses. Granted, those misses are certainly worthy of talking about, but my feeling is that the benefit of the agreement is tangible.
I'd much rather there be an organization that contributes $30,000 a year of private money to field maintenance, than have no private money at all.
It may be the case that the transgressions of the YSA result in its demise and that the agreement needs to be replaced by something else, something that binds the parties to actionable clauses. But, by and large, I would think EVERYONE on this blog would prefer that $30,000 be raised by private funds each year to pay for field use rather than no money at all.
I'd suggest that this blog might be better served talking about suggestions on what model for field use makes sense. If it isn't the YSA and their annual contribution, then what do you think that model should look like? Could the existing YSA and its structure be a part of that new model? Should the District and Municipality even maintain again agreement between the parties or should each entity take care of its own? I don't have all the answers but I'd like to hear some ideas instead of the piling on that is currently happening.
A good start is for the YSA to make good on its original agreement to pay the District $30,000 in full for 2011-2012. Now.
ReplyDeleteMoney talks, BS walks.
David Huston
I don't totally disagree with you 9:35. I could care less whom the heads of the YSA are so long as they run the organization in a responsible manner.
ReplyDeleteBut here is where we part ways.
This group is demanding that the municipality artificially turf fields for them. I suspect they were influential in the useless purchase of the MCNeilly property. And certain individuals representing the group have certainly cast their fair share if stones at anyone who opposes their wants. I think they also ought to own up to having played a role in the divineness now rampant in this community over just about every issue.
The YSA keeps touting how their "enrollments" are up and how overuse is destroying our fields. If that's true, where is the money going from the fees they charge the parents. One would think they'd be swimming in money.
Instead they skip payments and look for cuts.
I have no problem if providing sports to our youth and expect the community to provide decent facilities on which to play. Deciding how much we can afford to provide and maintain those facilities and how many sports we should support shouldn't be a battle. The YSA's approach is to put a gun to everyones head and proclaim you must do this!
That doesn't fit my definition of a good sport or a good citizen!
The first thing theholder whomever is going to runnyouth spblushes publish a comprehensive annual report. That way the community can see whether they are contributing to the JMA every year, and get an accurate picture of the number of athletes we need to provide space for etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteMaybe bring all youth sports under one umbrella though it seems some currently don't want to rub elbows with the YSA.
That would be a start.
I agree with 9:35. Anger and hatred seem to be clouding judgment and eliminating useful dialogue. Rather than suggestions, posters take shots at people like Dave Franklin. Perhaps disband the YSA and have sports participants pay user fees that are distributed to both the municipality and the school district based on actual field usage.
ReplyDelete9:35 don't start this whining. The YSA brought the piling on as you call themselves. Demanding turf, promising to contribute money to high priced projects then not accounting for missing money already pledged, attacking anyone that gets in their way tends to elicit that response.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the YSA is more than Mr. Franklin, at least one would hope so.
ReplyDeleteIf he is then at this point in time the organization might want to consider a different spokesperson. Just a suggestion.
Oh and a different accountant.
When did the YSA - "...put a gun to everyones head and proclaim you must do this!". When did the YSA "demand turf"? The YSA is useless but so is this thread.
ReplyDelete10:53 AM, Mrs. Franklin is the president of YSA. the person who made the YSA proposal is from Lacrosse and isn't a member of YSA. I don't believe Chip is a member anymore, but I am not sure. If you go back to the presentation, the first slide listed some key members of YSA. I remember seeing Matt Gould's name, right Matt? He just signed Franklin's petition. Franklin's petition is up to 256 signatures. That is an excellent start for fundraising, don't ya think? If they want turf, they should raise the funds and turf anywhere they feel could be the best location. Just like the Pitcher Park people are doing for skateboarding.
ReplyDeleteElaine
A figure of speech 10:59. Wasn't it discussed in the school board meeting that it was better to get get something out of extending the JMA with the YSA than perhaps getting nothing at all?
ReplyDeleteBut I'll accept your criticism, change that from gun to head to if we don't get what we want, we'll take our ball and go home. Better?
Now as to the subject of turf. Are you reading a different LeboFields than I am? Reads to me like that blog is emphatically suggesting, I'd call that demanding, but not being a professional linguist, perhaps you are right. Happy?
See I'm trying to disagree without being disagreeable. That's how we're suppose to work together as neighbors I'm told.
I am no longer affiliated with the YSA.
ReplyDelete10:59 I would also argue your point that the YSA is useless. Ours doesn't seem to be working well with other people at this time.
ReplyDeleteYouth Sports organizations seem to be working in other communities, there's no reason for all this animosity here.
The goal is to provide kids with the best sports opportunities we can afford. Only one way to do that is working together.
No reason? Where have you been? Empty promises doesn't ring a bell? Poor accounting practices? Are you serious?
ReplyDeleteElaine
Twin Hills purchase? McNeilly purchase?
ReplyDeleteIts about time we started another thread. I suggest that, at this juncture of our community, we examine the real reasons why we have the Board members we do, an why they hold onto the positions so tightly, And why certain public employees continue to remain employed, despite overwhelming justication for termination.
ReplyDeleteI'll start with an easy one:
Jo Posti: She ran for the Board initially as a protest of the Sable termination. Her real motivation was the pursuit of full-day Kindergarten at Lincoln school. Her later motivation was a relationship with the sports groups for the benefit of her kids. Later, her motivation was the high school project, and the support of the PTA folks to get herself a visible position on the Board and Democratic committees. Now, her pursuit will be another elected office, or appointment by the Democrats.
In short, every step and position she has taken has been for self-interest. Comsider this in light of all Board decisions and agendas.
In defense of Posti, this is not new to elected officials and politics -- but it help explain why Lebo has such bad record of school governance (and getting worse.)
The Board's decisions generally are (and have been) tarnished by personal agendas. And this Board is the worst in our community's history.
My post went thru with a word missing. It should read there SHOULD be no reason for all the animosity.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct, Elaine, there are plenty of reasons currently, but they shouldn't exist.
The lack of accounting for money, the lack of transparency, the conflict of interest have all transpired to tear MTL in two over something that we all together should be gleaming with pride over.
Bottom line is, if YSA can actually raise the money to fund thier projects, great. But stop standing around with your bib on ready to feast at the public trough. With current spending trends, this town will be insolvent in a few years and we won't have to worry about compromises and ideas and suggestions since there won't be any money left for anyting except maintenance.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference between what the YSA proposed and what Fraasch proposed? Her fields call for more money, right???
ReplyDeleteMatt Gould: ok, I'll bite. Care to elaborate on your decision to disassociate yourself from YSA?
ReplyDelete6:51
ReplyDeleteREAD HER PLAN before you go shooting off like that. Yes, it is MORE money but it is the pool, its the parks, its the fields, its the rec center, its the golf course...
Then give thought to what it means to develop Robb Hollow and what that means to McNeilly. Then and only then will you understand.
May I remind folks that the School Board has voted unanimously to subsidize the YSA with public money. Where is their 990 for 2011? Have 990's been posted for that year by other organizations?
ReplyDeleteAnd what ever happened in 2008? Was it Rodella? Was it Wilson? Was it Allison?
Have the SB Directors been fitted for their orange jumpsuits yet?
I am tired and I am cranky, but wait till you see the next post. It just gets better and better.
Elaine
Check out the MTLSD website and under Superintent-Stategic Plan the head announces:
ReplyDelete"Mt. Lebanon School District Strategic Plan 2010"
Would it be asking too much for one of the high priced exceeding expectation administrators to update the strategic plan to 2012. I know that's asking a lot, especially considering the pressure of a 28 hour summer work week, but gee it's almost 2013.