I received some disheartening news this morning from a reliable source that Durwood Hill has dropped out of the school board director race. He was the only one who was getting my vote. Four seats. Four candidates. So that means there is no reason to vote. Meet our new school board directors:
Incumbent Mary Birks
Incumbent Dan Remely
Mike Riemer
Bill Moorhead
If he did drop out, then the local committee of the party that nominated him (the Democrats, right? I don't have results handy) gets to name a replacement nominee.--Neil Berch
ReplyDeleteThat is what I thought, Neil. It seems as though the D's are not asleep at the switch like the R's have been with a replacement nominee for Dave Brumfield's ward.
ReplyDeleteElaine
That is a shame. I'm with you Elaine, there is no need to vote for the school board candidates.
ReplyDeleteIf there is a democrat replacement nominated you can bet they'll be a clone of Birks, Reimer and Moorhead.
There are some upcoming kissues that the board will need to deal with and the union is getting its ducks in a row.
Please, please tell me the replacemrnt will have ties to youth sports!
ReplyDeleteCorrection--
ReplyDeleteNOT have ties to youth sports!
Is this the "fix" to guarantee a turfed field at Mellon, since it was meeting with heavy resistance in the discussion here?
Auditor general...auditor general...fraud...waste...violations of the sunshine act...
ReplyDeleteThe D's in this town don't want any kind of balance or alternative views in government. They'll not be happy until they consume every elected office everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, flop for a community that was predominantly republican and first in K-12 education.
ReplyDeleteThe D's are controlled by the teacher's union who will try to protect their education compensation advantage before paying for turf.
ReplyDeleteHere are the ratios of State and Local Union Compensation to Private Sector Compensation by budget item:
Defined-benefit pension 7.67 times as good
Health insurance 2.19 times as good
Paid leave 1.54 times as good
Wages and salaries 1.33 times as good
Other benefits 1.08 times as good
Defined-contribution pension 0.54 tines as good
Supplemental pay 0.41 times as good
Total compensation 1.45 times as good
Source: INSIGHT Volume XXIX August 2013
3:47 you can't blame the Ds for trying to win all the seats. After all that is what they are in the game for.
ReplyDeletePolitics isn't like youth sports where everyone wins, no one loses and no one has hurt feelings.
It not the Ds we should be criticizing they are, like it or not, doing a good job. The MTLRC on the other hand... is there even a R party any more?
What about the elected officials in State Government, what are those ratio's? The R's in state gov are NOT willing to give up their pensions.
ReplyDeleteThe late night pay grab by state legislators in 2002 or 2003 were partially responsible for creating the teacher pension crisis. They raised the pension multiplier from 2 to 2.5 to get the union to keep quiet about the pay grab.
ReplyDeleteRs and Ds alike voted for the plan.
Excuses don't make up for over payment to Public Sector Unions.
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't meant to be an excuse, just a reminder not to see any big changes from either party or Harrisburg.
ReplyDeleteIt is time for some alternate write in candidates. Hopefully four. Our community needs a choice. No more there are no problems with the schools and there are no accountability on school expenses.
ReplyDeleteI heard back from Durwood Hill, and sad but true, he confirmed the news that he withdrew from the race. He wrote that there was absolutely no pressure put on him by anyone to withdraw; this was his decision.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a strong write-in campaign or that Independents would step forward. If not, I should forget about blogging about MTLSD because I am just wasting everyone's time, including mine! Where is the democracy? I feel sorry for the kids and their parents. I feel sorry for the taxpayers. What a mess.
Elaine
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteDon't blame yourself. The unions have chased too many jobs out of our country and now they are choking the education system for all they can milk out of it.
General Motors makes seven out of ten cars in China and Ford has no plans for a new plant in the United States.
Most of the technology companies have already moved overseas for their manufacturing. Look at Apple's new ad. It says, Designed in California, not manufactured there.
In the end, the younger, better educated, teachers will be laid off by the grumpy old ones and Mt. Lebanon will become a high-priced mediocre school system with high taxes.
Thank the unions for stacking the Board with their candidates and thank the Dave Franklins of Mt. Lebanon for pulling the noose tighter around everybody's neck, even their own.
Keep up the fight Elaine, residents need to know the facts before they get mad enough to do something about a problem. One post here told us Public Sector Unions get 45% more compensation than the private sector. That is not supportable in our present economic condition and you are one of the commentators that knows that.
Good Luck to you.
Thanks for the try Mr. Hill, wish voters had given you more support in the primary, you sounded like a refreshing breath of fresh air.
ReplyDeleteElaine, its up to you, you've done a yeoman's job getting information out to the community. A big thanks for all you've with very little respect.