From the District website:
Mt. Lebanon School Board Elects New Leadership at Reorganization MeetingThe Mt. Lebanon Board of School Directors held a reorganization meeting on December 3, 2012. In a unanimous vote, Elaine Cappucci was elected Board President and Lawrence Lebowitz as Board Vice-President for a term of one year. The School Board also took action to appointed Thomas P. Peterson as School Board Solicitor and set the Board calendar for 2013.
109 comments:
At least the reign of the queen is over.
Now we get to see if Cappucci is smarter than she sounds at the meetings.
She is of course the one that still believes to this day that we did all the financials in a transparent way for the high school project. She even argued that the board was not trying to avoid a referendum in any way.
I'd say we need new blood but I don't think it matters anymore.
I can hear them talking behind closed doors. "We must look unified." I'm sure it was all decided many weeks ago. I'll bet there was some fighting behind closed doors about who would be king or queen.
Wonder if she'll bring that just $18 a month latte fix to the meetings...
I could've sworn I heard 'someone' whisper: "God bless us everyone."
It must have been Tiny Tim.
I believe that Ms. Cappucci will be a good president. she is smart and she does her homework.
Thank you lil Susan Wzlker: "I believe, I believe."
I recollect that Ms. Capucci didn't voice any concerns when she voted to send out the project for the first bid, believing that it would come in under $100 million.
Nor did she show any hesitation in handing PK a $41,000 contract in search of $30 million in donations.
"I believe, I believe"
I hope our studies yield better results than one of our top 25 universities.
Copy and paste for results,
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=w-dyMsXNHx4
She clearly didn't do her homework when it came to financing the high school project.
Which is really kind of strange since she ran the high school construction committee for the last six years.
Please, Im willing to hive her andr. Libowitz a chance, but, don't try to pass your trite BS on us, 1:34. She has a record.
One only has to revisit the CAC's presentation to see that she neither a thinker or receptive to knowledgeable, professional advice.
Twelve experienced professionals in architecture and construction, something Capucci isn't, advised the board not to pursue their plan. It went through her head like a sieve and there is nothing in her recent votes to suggest she learned anything from the experience.
So, she gets a chance to prove she's the deep thinker and intellect your suggest. But, if the board is going to continue to operate as it did under Posti, I doubt the animosity directed toward the board will stop.
As far as I'm concerned, I see no difference in leadership. Just listen to the only copy of the Joint Discussion Session recording. When I spoke at that meeting and compared it to a boxing match with the SD winning every round, Cappucci (do we call her ElCa? I hate writing Elaine.) ripped off her glasses and threw them down on the table.
Elaine
11/34 when I was in school and made a statement like that in any subject, my teacher's used to instruct me to show the proof to see if 'I' had done 'my homework' or was was just blown' smoke.
Care to back up your claim?
Ms. Cappucci has a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Environmental Management, yet holds herself out as an Environmental Engineer.
With her educational background, she isn't even able to sit for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
Is this the kind of person we want as a leader in Mt. Lebanon?
Capucci is a MTL teacher's kid and a Lebo grad so it's all good.
I don't think degrees override just plain ol' common sense. You can have a PHD and if you have absolutely no common sense the degree wasn't worth a damn.
Take a look at all of our elected officials. I am not seeing a lot of common sense running through those veins.
MS in Environmental Management, eh? Didn't she vote in favor of the Michael Mann textbook that has been debunked. It's not that she approved the book but that she didn't suggest including anything in the curriculum that presented opposing scientific findings.
4/15/2009 from Bloglebo:
Science Textbook Questioned
At the recent Mt. Lebanon school board meeting, at least two directors were also curious about an item near the bottom of the agenda--a student textbook on the 2009-2010recommended book list.
"Dire predictions: Understanding Global Warming--The Illustrated Guide to the Findings of the IPCC" by Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump was recommended for a high school environmental geoscience class. The IPCC is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
By law, the school board is required to approve all student texts. There are seven books on the list. Board members Mark Hart and James Fraasch, however, questioned this book selection. "Why is this on the list?" Hart asked. "And is there another book used in the class which shows the other side-that science is not in complete agreement about global warming?" "I'd like to see what other materials are used in this class," Fraasch said. "If you research Michael Mann, you will find there is not complete agreement about his theories."
And so another reason to examine 11:34's claim.
Among Ms. Cappucci's goals are to
increase focus on student achievement, complete the high school renovation project on time and within budget, craft a new strategic plan and better manage the school district's finances.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/election-2011south-mt-lebanon-keeps-three-on-school-board-323117/
What has Ms. Cappucci done to fix the broken math program?
Ms. Cappucci said on the record she is satisfied the 18% complete project is only 16% through the contingency fund.
How is this better managing the District's finances?
Is she going to appoint an Audit and Finance Committee this year?
OK, so now we have a real thinker as school board president- an environmental manager correct?
I can't think of a more appropriate person considering the inordinate amount of time being squandered by both theboard and commissioners on fields and artificial turf.
Since the board is committing 3 people to the investigation in cooperation with the municipality and YSA one of the first things President Cappucci should share with everyone is her homework on the longterm environmental and financial impact of artificial turf.
That's my opinion of course, but 11:34 claimsshe is a thinker and does her homework. So, it's not like this subject hasn't been front and center for some time.
Stop complaining and start campaigning. Let's see some of you step up and make a run at the school board. Apparently it doesn't matter what party you are since you can change when convenient (eh, Mary?).
Sorry 11:34 said smart not thinker, though I'd suggest to be smart one would have to be a thinker and therefor interchangeable.
Elaine Cappucci is not qualified to be an engineer.
When she was running for office she said she was an engineer.
How does lying about her credentials make her fit for duty as a public school director?
What has changed? While I would certainly not criticize her as board president (she hasn't held office for 24 hour yet!), she is accountable as one of the majority members of the current board who voted for the $93 million (or $103 million?, or $113 million?) monument to themselves, under the guise of being a high school. So while I will wait and see what she does as president, I believe that past actions are the best predictors of future actions and am therefore not optimistic.
Periniquus decuria.
The board did rely on her expert testimony as an engineer when she was appointed to the facilities committee.
Ms. Cappucci has never said that she was an engineer. Whoever said that "she holds herself out as an engineer" is lying.
Will we be predicting Commission leadership next?
3:17, it's from the Post-Gazette:
http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/07311/831788-181.stm
Right you are Richard, nothing to date has changed and we certainly can't be critical of either Cuppucci or Lebowitz as president or VP.
respective skills to work and communicate same to their constituents.
Turf appears -still- to be the #1 issue so hopefully the president can educate us.
From one website they define--
"Environmental managers have an extremely varied Environmental managers have an extremely varied workload, which usually entails working at a corporate and strategic level to identify significant environmental effects. Typical work activities include:
developing and implementing environmental strategies and action plans that ensure corporate sustainable development;
taking the lead on sustainable procurement for all goods and services;
coordinating all aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling, environmental health, conservation and renewable energy;
leading the implementation of environmental policies and practices;
ensuring compliance with environmental legislation;
auditing, analysing and reporting environmental performance to internal and external clients and regulatory bodies;
carrying out impact assessments to identify, assess and reduce an organisation's environmental risks and financial costs;
promoting and raising awareness, at all levels of an organisation, of the impact of emerging environmental issues, whether legislative or best practice, on corporate, ethical and social responsibility;
managing the development and implementation of an environmental management system;
coordinating public hearings and consultations on environmental matters;
managing relations with the board of directors, senior management and internal staff;
training staff at all levels in environmental issues and responsibilities;
participating in environmental education and research;
negotiating environmental service agreements and managing associated costs and revenues;
writing environmental reports, assuming the lead responsibility with the company;
leading on corporate social responsibility issues and action.
, which usually entails working at a corporate and strategic level to identify significant environmental effects. Typical work activities include:
developing and implementing environmental strategies and action plans that ensure corporate sustainable development;
taking the lead on sustainable procurement for all goods and services;
coordinating all aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling, environmental health, conservation and renewable energy;
leading the implementation of environmental policies and practices;
ensuring compliance with environmental legislation;
auditing, analysing and reporting environmental performance to internal and external clients and regulatory bodies;
carrying out impact assessments to identify, assess and reduce an organisation's environmental risks and financial costs;
promoting and raising awareness, at all levels of an organisation, of the impact of emerging environmental issues, whether legislative or best practice, on corporate, ethical and social responsibility;
managing the development and implementation of an environmental management system;
coordinating public hearings and consultations on environmental matters;
managing relations with the board of directors, senior management and internal staff;
training staff at all levels in environmental issues and responsibilities;
participating in environmental education and research;
negotiating environmental service agreements and managing associated costs and revenues;
writing environmental reports, assuming the lead responsibility with the company;
leading on corporate social responsibility issues and action."
I don't remember Ms. Capucci claiming to be an engineer, but her Environment manager experiencecould be valuable inthe turf discussion.
Clearly nobody commenting on this thread has any idea who provided the seed money that started the environmental movement. You will all be very surprised when you discover the answer. Don't count on the schools to educate your children on that issue.
5:09 couldn't open your link. Is this the info: "With nearly 100 percent of the vote in, newcomer Elaine Cappucci, 46, an environmental engineer, was the top vote-getter in the race for five open seats on the board."?
Keep in mind the papers have been known to screw up in their reporting.
5:42 don't know who started it but it's obviously who profits from keeping the issue in the mainstream.
Face it guys - No matter who "won" every Mt Lebanon resident loses!
Did anybody see Bill O'Reilly tonight? He raised an interesting point about having a balanced political perspective at state funded educational facilities.
Would Cappucci support a more balanced approach to political orientations in the school district, or have we resigned ourselves to hearing the ultra-leftwing big union communist orientation that percolates through every academic discipline? Excuse me, I forgot - the english curriculum is based on Freud.
An interesting read:
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2008/09/does-spending-more-on-education-improve-academic-achievement
A question.
Each and every year the board(s) have lavished praise and accolades on the administrators and specifically the superintendent before handing out raises and more vacation time.
The usual refrain is... "met or exceeded expectations."
The question is, what were those expectations?
Higher test scores? Higher graduation rates? Lower utility bills? Serving.more students?
From all I can find every benchmark is relatively flat. Sure, there are spikes up or down but the numbers remain fairly constant.
What does remain constant is the budget. In 2009 expenditures were $71,600,000. Today we're hitting $82,000,000.
So for that $10,000,000 more this year over 2009, what are we getting that we didn't get in 2009?
Did we expect that the district scores wouldn't be as good as '09 and the administration blew us away by keeping the scores level?
Inflation is almost nil, shouldn't salaries reflect that?
5:53 your comment about "who profits" is correct.
Now you need to figure out who that is.
11:35 PM, I posted this under the municipal budget thread, but wanted you to see this. Sorry for the cross post, but I just can't get over this.
The municipal staff is set to receive a 3% increase across the board. Their increases are not based on performance. So our fabulous fire chief is set to receive the same increase as our semiretired PIO. Does that sound fair to you?
Elaine
Cappucci needs to be reminded:
We avoided a referendum by:
1) Approving the issuance of $69 million worth of bonds prior to Act 1 passing
2) Splitting the project bond floats into multiple floats (there was a scenario at one point where we were going to do three separate bond floats to avoid a referendum)
3) Approving an Act 34 project cost about 2% under our Nonelectoral Debt Limit
Oh, yes, but the Board will swear up and down that there was no intentional referendum avoidance.
As for 12:04 - why don't you just come out with it? Who has an environmental business that is benefitting from the Board's decisions? If there is a conflict of interest, it's time to take action.
12:04 - ultimately, the Mt Lebanon taxpayer certainly is not the winner. If you don't believe me, just look at our history over the last 30 years.
11:04
Now the board is going to try to avoid a referendum a fourth way...or Avoid an Act 1 referendum Part 2!
When they float their next round of bonds they can't raise taxes over the Act 1 limits which should be less than 2%.
Or course, with this school board they will just cut supplies and curriculum again and through the magic of budgeting, nobody will notice.
They could still go to referendum when they realize how over the barrel they are and at that point they will argue the tax increase is "FOR THE TEACHERS!"
Thanks for the cross reference on the muni raises.
Sickening!
In this economy where people have lost jobs, or gone without ANY pay raise or had to assume additional duties as the company downsized staff any across the board raise is an insult.
What is the rational behind it... we're obligated? No your not, commissioners. Freeze their wages then look for the exemplanary employee the truly exceeded expectations and give them a 2-3% raise.
As for the PIO see what the private sector's paying for the same job. In this economy many private sector employees have taken cuts, there is no reason it shouldn't ever happen in the public sector.
I keep hearing that MTLmagazine is a profit center. If that's truly see if the PIO wants to buy it!
3% is still a heck of a lot less than what the school district administrators Steinhauer received.
An interesting viewpoint...
"We’re No. 1
By David Warlick
I hear it frequently: “The ‘A’ students in my school do not like student-directed learning! They’ll say, ‘Please don’t make us be creative today.’ ”
They’re good students.
They know how to play the game.
They pay attention, study (depending on their facility for memorization) and they apply themselves to learning what their teachers want to see and delivering it. They get good grades, good GPAs, go to good colleges, graduate and then start their lives.
For me, I want to see the data that shows that this path, traveled by these successful and celebrated students, is the way to the innovative, risk-taking, critical thinkers we claim to need for a rapidly changing and increasingly global world. Or might there be an alternative deserving of respect and support?
Formal education is a system that is comfortably predictable, shaped by institutional rules and easily gamed by people who like predictability and the security of rules [LIKE ALMOST GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE REVIEWS & RAISES LIKE WE HAND OUT IN LEBOVILLE :-)]. Sadly, as success in this world depends increasingly on inventive resourcefulness and a lifestyle of active continual learning, formal education has become more reliant on rigid standards-based instruction and a punitive reward system.
It’s a game that’s based on a contrived organization of competition, within the context of boundary defining rules, and depending on the unambiguous demonstration of knowledge and skills, selected for their suitability for easy measurement.
It’s a game, where our team clamors to “Race to the Top” and “be No. 1.”
To be sure, life is a game. The competition is largely between the least and the best that each of us can be. If there are referees, then they are a well camouflaged part of the landscape. The rules are discovered along the way, they can change and sometimes be changed, and they’re designed to be used, not followed.
Releasing our children from the school-as-usual game board and saying, “Game On” to authentic world-relevant learning, requires a new discussion that is completely and irrevocably separated from elected politicians and their ridiculous campaigns. It’s a discussion that is part of the greater conversations of living, loving and working people.
We are all engaged in education. We learn every day and we learn effectively from the experiences of accomplishment, from the mistakes we make, and the relationships we discover and cultivate. We leave formal education behind because it wasn’t real. We need to switch off the virtual realities of overbearing standards, constraining curricula and high-stakes one-answer tests, and reinvent classrooms and learning experiences in the image of the world we’re preparing our children to own."
David Warlick (@dwarlick) is a 35-year educator. He has been a classroom teacher, a district administrator and a staff consultant with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. For the past 15 years, Warlick has operated The Landmark Project, a consulting and innovations firm in Raleigh, N.C.
If you don't agree with her she will rip you a new one. She is very rude and offensive if you disagree with. Trust me she has gone after me. I was once at a school board meeting where I watched her and another school board member screaming at someone. It was after the school board meeting and they didn't know I was watching and listening. I tryed to video it with my phone but my battery was dead. I won't say who they were yelling at so as not to embarrass them. If only my phone was charged that late night in the high school parking lot.
Who was the other school board member?
2:36 and keeping your job at tthe present salary is a lot more than being laid off.
It's all relative.
2:36- 3% is a lot more than the reported increases the Baldwin, Bethel and USC supers got!
They voluntarily took zero increases.
10:21 retire staff to cut costs.
If they're just coasting waiting for pensionville then sure to bring in hungry, hardworking new bloof.
If they're vibrant, hustling and smart absolutely not get rid of them.
That illustrates the problems with collective bargaining, tenure and across the board pay hikes.
There's no reason MTL magazine needs full-time staff. None, and especially not at their current salaries. Plus, it's just fluff. I'm tired of the stories about gardent tours and whose kid is playing in the New Zealand string quartet. Who cares? Get out of the 80s and try producing stories of substance. And put it all online.
I get mire info here on Lebocitizens than I do from the MTLfoo-foo press.
Get rid of it, there are more efficient means of distributing information to the community. Before handing out raises or continuing the publication why not ask the community if they'd pay a $2 or $3/month subscription fee ($20 or $30/year) to get it.
Kind of like the stormeater 'tax' except you give the end user a choice if they want it.
If subscriptions come in great, the ragazine continues, if not it goes away.
10:23 agreed. While to rational for starting the magazine was probably a good idea, its morphed into something completely diffetent.
Im addition to your examples, Im feed up with Ms. Morgans editorials on her perspective of life eithin the bubble. I don't really care about her childhood, hrr travels or opinions on the high school renovation.
Its not unbiased information, it skewed to promoting the status quo govt operatiobs and spending and never once publishes anything that prrsent the opposite opinion. Get rid of it, privatize it.
If the municipality neefs to get info into print it can put it in the Almanac, the PG or Trib or send out a monthly 4 page newsletter, plus put it online for free.
Elaine and Joe Polk do all the time.
Does anyone else remember when MtL was a joint publication of the school district and the municipality?
Back then, it was just a community news letter, printed on regular paper that was folded in half and mailed to the residents.
WOW! How things changed!
Some people may enjoy reading it - and if they do, then they can pay for a subscription. Those of us who don't care to read it wouldn't receive it because we won't pay for it.
Doesn't that sound fair?
I remember Mt. Lebanon News, looking like The Almanac. I thought it came out weekly, but I could be mistaken. We do have In Community, which comes out quarterly. But we have had this conversation already.
There are things going on in this community which we have no control. A Taj Mahal high school project, turf on its way, guns shooting deer in our yards and parks, taxes going up, raises across the board, storm water fees, block party fees, a publication that nobody reads, beer fundraisers for Outreach,elected officials ignoring emails, residents being scolded at meetings during citizens comments, fixed advisory boards, hmm, did I miss anything?
Pretty soon, elected officials will be black balled when they don't go with the program. Oh wait, that IS happening on both sides of our local government.
Elaine
You raise some interesting points Elaine.
Let me offer this suggestion - why not have Mt Lebanon adopt the practices that CA and VA residents face when using local parks? ... Paid parking.
It is fair because so many of our neighboring communities freeload off the largess of our community parks.
Has anyone ever seen that woman with the dog sitting service who brings her 10-15 dogs to Bird park everyday and lets them run loose? I've seen her drive down the trail to the field and let them loose. God forbid an innocent child is walking home and gets mauled by a pack of 10-15 dogs running loose!
What's wrong with the idea of a pay-per-use approach? If the residents want to use our parks, then they can pay for parking. Those that don't use the parks won't pay.
Seems fair to me.
On the subject of local parks, Mr. Kendrick asks, "What's wrong with the idea of a pay-per-use approach?" In fact there is nothing wrong with this approach; we libertarians call it: "User pays, user benefits." A toll road is an example of the concept.
The counter argument goes something like this: because Mt. Lebanon's fields and parks are public property the taxpayer is a "stakeholder" in them, and my neighbors and I are all "owners" of these pieces of real estate. That is pure bunk. Ownership implies property rights. What portion of Mt. Lebanon's fields and parks do I own? May I sell it? The only thing the taxpayer "owns," as far as "public" property is concerned, is a portion of the bill - and I question whether "owning a portion of the bill" is even correct, since I did not contract for it, and, depending upon the degree of escalation, could be confronted by men with guns if I do not pay up!.
EG: Sorry for straying off topic, but Mr. Kendrick raised an excellent point.
Really, Mt. Lebanon has existed for 100 years and suddenly in the midst of a major recession and sluggish recovery, we have to build a dog park?!!!!
What's next a Puppy Sports Alliance? How about a doggie wading pool?
Then of course, there will be a need for public dog schools, because heaven forbid Lebo dogs be any less obedient than USC dogs.
It will have the obligatory motto- The best obedience training possible for each and every dog!
I'm bummed, there's nowhere in Lebo where I can romp and play with my pet iguana!
Richard and I think alike on this point, but I am asking users to pay for parking, not for the use if the park. The advantage to this approach is that people who travel to the park, like a resident from a neighboring community who visits to walk their dog here, will pay to park. Mt Lebanon residents who can walk to the park won't pay to use the park because they are not paying for parking.
The iguana comment sounds like it came from the municipal building. I don't know anything about where to walk an Iguana but I've never bought a goat at an auction either.
Mr. Kendrick:
I should have written, "On the subject of parking at local parks,...". I had that in mind when I was typing, but it didn't make it into the comment box. My apologies.
However, the idea contained in the second paragraph, which was meant to transition from the first, stands. The concept of "everybody's property" is the same as "everybody's money" - which becomes nobody's money, and therefore becomes easy to spend.
Mr. K I like your idea, sort of. If we're going to charge residents for things like rain water, what is so abhorant about parking meters at the park.
If I want to get a double mocha on Washington or Beverly, I've got to feed meter.
Of course, I could just as well go the Banksville Plaza or Souhpark Starbucks and park for free and with the savings opt for a scone.
The iguana comment was tongue-in-cheek. Is the municipality obligated to build facilities for each and every residents special interest.? Will we need a cat park soon?
Seems we've gone way off the topic of the new school board officers and mixed in the municipal budget conversation.
Mr. Kendrick,
Does $2.00 per hour sound fair for athletic parking and teacher parking at the high school? What about $3.00 per hour for reserved administrator parking spaces at the high school?
I am shocked - no, appalled - by the image you chose to accompany "The Results are in".
Maybe you are just unfamiliar with common decency. One day, perhaps your mother, your wife, your sister, or your friend will be rewarded for years of volunteer work by finding herself portrayed as the Wicked Witch of the West with a house dropped on her.
And that would be a shame.
Way to keep it classy Mt. Lebo!
Rob
Excuse me, but the house dropped on the Wicked Witch of the East.
Elaine
I don't have a problem assessing a parking fee to either the deadbeat athletic supporters or anyone in the school district.
10:53 come on these are tough economic times the administrators didn't get nearly as much in raises as they thought they deserved... do you really want to suggest they pay for parking like the students.
You're talking heresy, don't you know these people are doing it all for the kids!
Hey Rob 11:33... So on the other hand it's perfectly OK for your female friend to publically mock and discredit a volunteer's credentials and resume!
Bob
Rob,
Then I hope you are also appalled at the lack of civility shown many residents of this community by Jo Posti.
Wait, I didn't hear you speak up when she plagiarized did you? Wasn't that appalling? Doing something that would have gotten a kid kicked out of school wasn't enough for you to be appalled?
Quick, who else can come up with an example of the appalling behavior of Posti?
Going to PTA meetings and telling parents not to vote for her brother.
Posti constantly derides charter schools but never recognizes that Mt. Lebanon simply doesn't have the means to service some of the student that attend these schools.
She'd rather close all the charter schools and save a couple bucks than allow these students to get the education they need.
OH I have one.
She campaigned on a promise to bring all-day kindergarten to Mt. Lebanon but she never fought for a single day to even try it.
That counts as two, Rob. Broken campaign promises and not doing right by the children.
Sending emails to the commission that completely disrespect its authority...
Posti liked executive sessions without the public listening, Rob
At Yale, one of eight private schools in the U.S. Northeast that make up the Ivy League, eight students drank so much at September’s Safety Dance -- an annual 1980s-themed party -- they had to be hospitalized. That prompted the school in New Haven, Connecticut, to ban the event in the future. Let's not send any more kids to Yale WWE.
Rob, Thanks for explaining the picture with the feet. I had no idea.
Jason
I got one! How about when Jo publicly (on Facebook) went after a Lincoln mom for moving her child to a charter school.
See who WWE goes after.
Was that the athletic building or building C that fell in the picture?
Com on Rob, stand up for yoursel, your insinuation that you are holier than thou and last but not least Ms. Posti.
Don't engage in your usual hit and run, doagreesble tactics to hijack the conversation and lay your cards on the table.
Several people have listed their reasons for having no respect for Posti's reign.
Here's your chance, convince us why we're wrong.
C'mon Rob show us the proof that she deserves more. Because she's a woman, a mom, sorry buddy that doesn't cut it my book.
What she did to several of her neighbors in public, in the media was despicable.
You may have found it admirable, but I'd argue that is exactly why Mt. Lebanon isn't as classy as it once was, people like you and Posti.
Prove me wrong.
Sorry, forgot to sign that The challenge was thrown down by Bob to Rob.
Before we go into one of our usual rants over anonymous post, I don't care what Rob's last name is. All I want to hear is for his snide comment that he believes he is classier than any other blogger here.
Do your best, PR worst Rob... let's have it right between the eyes why you believe you and Ms. Posti hold the moral high ground here in the bubble!
For the want of just a lousy 38 votes we could have had Alan Silhol instead of Jo Posti.
I believe he was much easier to talk with and open to evaluating opinions other than his own.
Keep that in mind neighbors cone next election when you believe my vote doesn't count.
38 lousy votes might have made all the difference.
Ms. Post is gone from leadership of the School Board. Ms. Cuppucci may or may not be better. What about the other side? The Commission hasn't voted on leadership for next year. What are we looking at there?
If you're asking for opinions...
this blogger would prefer Matt or Kelly, although I'm not sure if Matt is planning on re-election.
As for Bendel, Blumfield or Linfante for president, give me Linfante as she'll make for a very active and entertaining blogging season and there will be so much history to present.
Bendel or Blumfield, you could just as well bring in Eastwood's empty chair to run the commission.
Here is how it is going down.
Matt Kluck is VP now, so logically, he is on board for President. That is how they usually do it over at the Commission. Here is where it gets sticky. Since Ward 3 has not had the presidency since David Humphreys, my commissioner is on board to be VP. She is the least qualified, but if she isn't made VP, she can turn around and say that Matt shouldn't be president, that it should be her. Of course Brumfield will vote for Kristen and Bendel will vote the party line. There are the three votes for old Kristen to be president. Matt Kluck, the only R on the Commission, would be outvoted. So, from where I see it, Matt has to take Linfante as his VP. And if you folks thought Posti was bad, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Elaine
All Alan had to do was ask for a recount. I heard that if he had done that...her party was not going to pay for it. Yes folks it costs money to recount. Alan was too much of a gentlemen to request a recount. She thought she lost. Was anyone in the same room with her? What was her reaction when she thought she lost. Anyone at molly branagins that night?
Hopefully Pooch (the other Elaine) has been paying attention to Imelda Marcos Posti over the last two years. It takes quite a bit of practice for a newbie to nail the sour facial expressions, dismissive tone, snide comments and overall arrogance displayed by our former tiny empress.
As for the commission, Linfante in charge would be nothing short of farcical. Like all politics, the pendulum has to swing all the out to one side for it to start swinging back toward sanitt. For some reason, maybe the tilt of the earth or global/climate/whatever change, the only time we get the extreme is to the left. I digress. I say let's encourage her to grab the seat. I'm guessing if we get just loony enough in the bubble, voters will finally wake up.
Rob,
Face it, you allegiance to JoPo couldn't be more misguided. Did anyone mention her writing a malicious pre-election e-mail under a fictitious name?
Really, Rob, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee!
Pooch won't have trouble picking on people because she thinks just like Posti . . . the only problem is a referendum . . . so the board will remain dismissive of all public comment . . . just like the dysfunctional commission.
Pooch can also invite her buddies from liberal lane and let them speak last.
I wish we would've allowed Rob time to chime in on Jo's redeeming qualities and why we should hold her up on a pedestal.
You see I'm about 100% certain my mother, wife or sister wouldn't have engaged in the same deceitful, skuldugery as Jo did in their volunteerism.
But maybe I'm just to jaded to see the same redeeming qualities that Rob does.
So let's give him room, maybe we can all learn some lessons from the discussion.
Especially Cappucci and Lebowitz, as in what went right and what went wrong over the past two years.
Did Posti, the wife, mother, sister, friend bring us together or drive us further apart?
I would have written again sooner, but I keep re-reading my post in search of the part where I said we should build a Jo Posti statue.
My urging of bubble-dwellers to unite in fealty and adoration is also missing.
So is the part where where I asked everybody to chip in for some flowers.
Let me make myself perfectly clear: I wrote because the picture depicts your political opponent suffering a violent death, and that is not okay. NOT OKAY. Not for Jo Posti, not for anybody.
Depicting her as a Wicked Witch is mean, but acceptable. Casting aspersions? Check. Questioning motives? Fine. Accusations of malfeasance and fondness of barnyard animals? A bit of a gray area there...
Hinting of violence against people you disagree with? That's just plain ugly and civilized people shouldn't miss an opportunity to condemn it.
Not THAT Rob
Not THAT Rob: Would you feel better if Elaine puts up the Witch melting? Is melting considered violent in your mind? Lighten up.
Oh that's rich, now 12:16 is the imagery police.
Satirist and political cartoonist have been using imagery, guns to heads, knives in backs, stakes thru hearts for centuries.
Oh sure, it's everyday we read in the news that someone has dispatched an unwanted witch by dropping a house on her.
Grow up "not that Rob!"
Well, it seems apparent "not that Rob" is short on accolades for Ms. Posti.
12:47, I forgot to add that politicians have also been portrayed as everything from vampires, snakes, rats, devils, jackasses, transvestites and about every other disparaging image you can think of.
Look up Thomas Nast, he once portrayed President Lincoln dressed as a woman.
I certainly hope "not that Rob" is an example of a Mt. Lebanon education.
It started with disbelief but quickly morphed into acceptance of the fact we truly do have idiots amongst us. Someone took issue with the wicked witch picture? In a community where we have a commissioner who has likely never fired a gun advocating for the shooting deaths of deer because they interfere with garden tours, the athletic mascot is simply a cartoonish rendering of Satan and the school board president has broken the law to engage in character attacks against fellow residents because they dared voice their opinion...and some loser is worried about a picture from the Wizard of OZ?? No wonder people on this blog are so frustrated. You can fix illegal and you can swap out incompetent but there's no helping stupid.
I'm throughly confused now in earlier 11:33 and "not that Rob" and Anonymous Not Rob comments.
I absolutely agree with Anonymous Bot Rob's last comment. Residents are frustrated, and if we just swapped out incompetents with Cappucci and Lebowitz things are going to get much, much worse on the blogsshere and in exorbitant tax increases.
Here's a warning for Lebowitz, if he starts off one more of his analytical speeches on anything to do with increased school district spending with "I'm excited" thecommunity's sewer system is going to overwhelmed by mass flow of vomit when the community throws up in unison.
As far as Cappucci is concerned, if you liked how she handled the volunteers on the CAC, you're going to be very happy should you offer her your opinion.
We should have a poll on the worst of the school directors....I have a better idea.
Name that director:
1. First campaigned against spending $120 million on a high school project but then as President sent out a FAQ defending the $113 million project.
2. Campaigned on a reduced school project in the $95 million range, voted AGAINST the Act 34 motion but then voted for all the spending associated with the project.
3. Campaigned on a reduced school budget based on bids coming in lower on other projects and was surprised when said bids did not materialize two years later for our project.
4. Your soon to be president who had no idea that the district had manufactured ways to get around a voter referendum on the project.
5. Plagiarized dozens of blog posts even though, as an English major, knew what is was and that it was completely unethical.
6. Spoke openly on how to outsource US jobs by advertising them unethically here in the US before hiring someone else from overseas due to not finding "qualified workers" here in the US.
7. Used position as PTA president to campaign for school board elections and influence leadership votes.
8. Was arrested recently for public drunkenness.
9. Retired teacher looking forward to negotiating teachers contract in a few years.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2012-2013 Mt. Lebanon School Board!
Can you name them?
To be fair, the Bleu Devils were a military force that helped us win a war. The problewm is we took the uncreative way out and dressed our mascot up as a blu Devil instead of staying true to the origin of the name.
#8 in my opinion is unfair based on the little this read knows of the incident.
Taken at face value the director did the right thing walking home from a celebration, party or whatever.
Who among us has not gone over the ecge at one time or another. Hell I know people that are Ina constantly pickled or drugged daily.
Even our brloved president admits to bring stoned and doing illegal drugs and we reelected him.
And if the facts in that case were identical except possibly the name was changed--to LeboLips, say, or JoPoPoPoPoPo, or Poochie Pooch Pooch, or Wittle Timmy--then I'm sure they would receive the same respectful treatment here, right? Nobody would mention it at all, right? Respect their privacy. Fair. Balanced.
See 9:05 AM? I published a "Fair. Balanced." post from you after all. I know you keep trying to bring it to the forefront, but I am going to continue to ignore your comments. But keep on trying, buddy.
Elaine
I can't speak for any one else 9:05 but yes if everything else were equal I would give the others the same respect.
You won't believe that, but then that's your problem not mine.
Oh, poor little Scott Goldman. Gosh, he was just minding his own business...hammered...yeah, because the cops always cite adults for being intoxicated when they're doing nothing wrong, right? Please. He's just as bad as the rest of them. He also went along with JoPo and Scary Mary and Ed "Haskell" Kubit when they rigged the election and had Ds working for Rs and Rs working for Ds. ALL of them should be tossed out of their respective local committees. Lebo has become what so many residents here look at with disdain. Bunch of backwater rednecks fixing elections, letting corruption run wild and pointing fingers at taxpayers instead of taking responsiblity for their actions. Every one of them needs to be voted out and any new candidates associated with these slimeballs should lose.
12:16 I don't disagree with much of what you write. But unfortunately name calling, ridicule etc, etc., isn't having any affect.
Now Mr. Goldman may not be our ideal board member, but at least he's made some effort to be open and inquisitive. Let's give him some credit and let's see gowned can get some more people on the board.
As for throwing out the current gang, we haven't had much luck to date, nor do we have any candidates yet for the next cycle.
The trouble with the last election was the R's didn't work for the R's. If the R's endorse a school board member for the State legislature we will know the R party is the problem.
If you're counting on the local R party a visit to their web site is a perfect example of how oblivious they are.
Sue Rose is still listed as a school board director. Their support for Romney and other R candidates was non-existent. They let Posti banter incessantly that Corbett is under funding education.
The last sentence at 8:29 should read-
They let Posti banter that Corbett is under-funding education without offering any rebuttal.
Of the two governing bodies in Mt. Lebanon, the school board is the 800lb gorilla in the room. The nine members of that body are neither R's nor D's in the traditional sense, but their actions and public words demonstrate that they are in fact progressive collectivists (a type of socialist) - with perhaps one or two exceptions; and I for one would have more professional respect for them if they would admit it openly. They believe in executive privilege under cover of "the greatest good for the greatest number of children," disparage individual freedom (their opposition to school choice), and prefer the taxpaying public be obsequious. The very sad thing is that a simple majority of Mt. Lebanon voters apparently agree with them.
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