Saturday, January 31, 2015

It's really bait and switch UPDATED

It looks like our Public Information Office was hard at work yesterday, putting together FAQs about Mt. Lebanon's "Capture and Euthanize Project." Yes, Susan, that sounds sooooo much better than bait and kill. You are so good at that. [Think Field Enhancement Project, Lebo Citizens readers.] WHERE is this taking place? What we are told is, "Corral traps will be built and baited in safe public areas." Steve Feller assured me during Citizen Comments that the locations will be posted on the Mt. Lebanon website. Kelly Fraasch asked if affected neighbors will be notified and the answer was no.

FAQ's about the Capture and Euthanize Project

Q: What are the goals of the project?
A: The overall goal of Mt. Lebanon’s deer management program is to reduce deer/vehicle collisions within the municipality by 50 percent within five years. The capture and euthanize phase for 2015 will take place in February and March. Does that make this a five year project?
Q: Who determined the goals and the course of actions?
A: The Mt. Lebanon Municipal Commission, representing the residents, voted to trap and euthanize as part of the comprehensive deer management plan. They received much input from residents at public meetings and other means and also solicited input from a variety of professionals and interest groups. Oh puleeze.
Q: Explain the methods to be used. Why is trap and euthanize effective?
A: Corral traps will be built and baited in safe public areas WHERE? over a period of several days. The bait will attract deer to the corrals. Trail cameras will monitor the corrals, sending real-time images to the trappers. Will Mt. Lebanon have access to the videos? Will the cameras be rolling when the deer are killed? When large groups of deer are inside a corral, a text message will activate the closure of the gate. Immediately, a crew will dispatch to shoot the deer using suppressed, small-caliber rifles. Most of the shooting will take place at night. This method should be more effective at capturing large numbers of deer than either the clover traps, which capture single deer at a time, or possibly even sharpshooting, where larger groups of deer can’t be taken without the possibility of some escaping. These traps were designed for wild boar, not deer.
Q: What will happen to the deer meat?
A: Euthanized deer will be taken to a local processor, which will process and package the meat and deliver it to local food banks and shelters through the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program. Is Mt. Lebanon paying the processing fee as once offered at a Commission Discussion Session?
Q: Who is conducting this project, and what are their qualifications?
A: Wildlife Specialists, LLC, has been selected to provide the capture and euthanization services. The company has a strong team of wildlife professionals who have broad experience within Pennsylvania and beyond. Why did I just think of Buzz Lightyear? All individuals assisting with this project in the field are permitted through the Pennsylvania Game Commission to conduct these activities. For more information on Wildlife Specialists, visit their site atwww.wildlife-specialists.com. Yeah, visit their site. Also check out their experience listed on page 14 of their proposal; Mt. Lebanon and The Forestland Group. 
Q: Why is this being done instead of hunting?
A: As first step in its deer management program, Mt. Lebanon had planned to conduct an archery hunt but was unable to get the program in place this season in time to obtain the required permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Note additional factors listed on page 23 of my 1/29/15 RTK. The high density of homes in Mt. Lebanon and the Safety Zone requirements for hunting in Pennsylvania make hunting, when not combined with other methods, a ineffective option for achieving a meaningful reductions of the deer population here. Mt. Lebanon does intend to use limited archery hunting to supplement the deer control program in future deer hunting seasons.
Q: Why can’t the deer be captured and transferred to another location?
A: The Pennsylvania Game Commission and similar wildlife agencies across the United States have decided to discourage the transfer of white-tailed deer for many reasons. The primary reason is to minimize the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease. Other reasons include not transferring problems of deer overabundance from one area to another. Often people cite low deer populations in another area as being a reason to move deer into those habitats, but most often those low populations are a result of poor habitat caused by historically unbalanced deer herds, where the high populations degraded the habitat, and the habitat is taking time to recover. Read what the hunters are saying about that in Mt. Lebanon, Making own hunting rules?.
Q: Is this method more humane than other options?
A: The stress on the deer will be minimized by not handling them (which is inherent to other capture methods or even tranquilization) and because the shooting will take place under the cover of darkness. Huh? Death will be immediate and painless. The very close range will prevent misses or wounding. Dave Brumfield promised that he would never vote to bring guns into Mt. Lebanon.
For additional information on white-tailed deer or municipal deer control, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website at www.pgc.state.pa.us.

1/29/15

Update January 31, 2015 8:45 AM In this week's letter to the commission and staff, Steve Feller writes:





Mt. Lebanon needs to submit another permit application for this process. It really is bait and switch!

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's comforting to know that our PIO is such a deer expert. Hell, we should have just had her advise the Commissioners on the most effective solutions to address the deer "problem", and saved who knows how much money wasted on Merlin Benner's consulting services. We could have also save taxpayers dollars by having Commissioner Linfante and the exCommissionettes, Barbara Logan, Caroyn Byham, and Bonnie Vankirk have the pleasure of blasting away at the deer that they hate so much for eating their tulips.

Anonymous said...

What will happen to the deer meat

I hate to burst Mt. Lebanon's "humanitarian" feel good justification for slaughtering the deer and feeding the poor venison, but here are some safety facts about eating wild venison, that should alarm any municipality getting into the deer killing and donating venison business.

The dangers and health risks of eating wild venison:

* Wild deer (venison) doesn't originate from an approved USDA inspected food source.

* The meat doesn't go through a USDA inspection to make sure it's safe to eat.

* The field-dressing (gutting) process subjects the meat to environmental contamination and temperature abuse, i.e. E-Coli and other bacterial contamination.

* Recent CDC studies show that eating (rifle shot) venison significantly raises lead exposure to dangerous levels, especially for children and pregnant women .

* Wild deer (venison) typically has high levels of herbicides and pesticides from browsing on treated grass, i.e. True Green applications. Eating the golf course deer will probably kill you.

In Rochester NY the USDA made an exception and inspected deer meat from a bait and shoot culling. They wrote, "All of the venison which was salvaged from the bait and shoot operation in Rochester was found to be unfit for human consumption ... The intention had been to donate this meat to the NYS prison system to be fed to prisoners. We have seized it and will oversee its destruction."

At risk are low-income beneficiaries of venison donation. While the rich can choose between their USDA inspected meats, the poor are being fed uninspected meats with the high probabiliy of disease and bacterial contamination, and dangerous levels of lead and pesticides poisoning.

This issue has become even more serious with the lead poisoning guidelines being recently revised.

Lead poisoning guidelines revised; more considered at risk
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-16/cdc-blood-lead-level-standard/55005258/1

Some additional articles for reference:

Lead found in donated venison at food shelves
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/17072096.html
Minnesota food shelves will halt distribution of venison donated by hunters after lead particles were discovered in ground venison at North Dakota food shelves. ... Authorities urged that any donated meat that had already left the food shelves not be eaten.

Eating venison, other game raises lead exposure
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/lead-in-game-meat

Wild game source of lead for those who eat the hunted meat.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org:80/ehs/newscience/lead-from-bullets-ends-up-in-wild-game-and-people/

So if anyone gets sick or worse on Mt. Lebanon donated venison, will Mt. Lebanon be liable for damages.

Anonymous said...

PIO says that, "Death will be immediate and painless. The very close range will prevent misses or wounding"

"This plan is inhumane. When the corral gate shuts, the deer will panic and slam into the fencing. The result will be broken legs and necks. If the city goes ahead with this misguided plan, we highly encourage residents to demand that an objective observer or the press be allowed to see this spectacle." Laura Simon, HSUS Wildlife Biologist

Who do you believe?

Anonymous said...

PIO, Susan Fleming Morgans, says that, "Death will be immediate and painless. The very close range will prevent misses or wounding"

RIGHT!!! Are there any volunteers to test the truthiness of her statement? For sure the deer won't be able to dispute it. The Humane Society of the United States doesn't agree, and calls this plan inhumane.

First, how in the world can you shoot deer with a brain shot, which is the only way to kill a deer quickly, if you are on a platform next to the corral (close range), with panicked deer running wildly around the corral? It's impossible. They will have to take multiple body shots to wound and disable the deer and then try to get a lung or brain shot when the deer hits the ground in pain and suffering. It's gonna be a total free-for-all shoot fest and blood bath.

Second, how can you effectively use a rifle with a scope (likely a night vision scope) to aim effectively to shoot deer so close that are running around in a panicked state? Do they want us to believe that the deer are going to pose and stand still for them to shoot?

Third, how safe does this sound? The rifle typically used in these deer killing programs is the .223 caliber bolt-action rifle with 55-grain bullets. The maximum range of this ammunition is 2.20 miles. However, some culling firms are now using the .223 AR-15 magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, a civilian version of the M16 military rifle, considered an assault weapon. A missed, ricochet, or misfired shot poses serious safety risks to all Mt. Lebanon families, children, and pets

Fourth, they are going to do this during the day time too!!! However, during the day, they will put or wrap screening around the corral so residents don't see the killing being done. Of course, the deer will take a siesta while Merlin and friends put or wrap screening around the corral. Again, the deer will be bouncing off the fence breaking legs and necks. Then loop back up to 1 and 2 to figure out how they will get brain shots from the platform with deer running around in a panicked state.

Nothing about this killing plan seems immediate or painless to me. Unless, I'm missing something.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard anyone ask this important question: where will the "trappers" be? PIO states they will be "nearby" and will spring into action once the trail cam signals a deer has entered the corral. So, will some scumbag be sitting in his pickup truck on the street outside my house with his loaded rifle until (s)he gets the call? How do we differentiate this person from someone, like recently in USC, that is casing our home/neighborhood for a home invasion? I'm interested to hear MTL's explanation, especially an official statement on what to tell our kids to expect while they walk to school. Gotta love the dipshits who rush these policies through, which is the only way they can be effectuated in the first place- through a low information and hurried campaign to keep the true motivation masked from public view.

Anonymous said...

Video of deer being head shot. If you are the slightest bit squemish-- don't watch!!!

We should demand that it be made the PIO's screen saver, so she can see how absurd her writing is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJSriuiBMzg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Lebo Citizens said...

Don't miss my update. In Feller's Administrative Report, the Game Commission is asking Lebo to submit another permit application for this revised plan. Should there have been another RFP for this?
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Elaine, how can that be????
This was the Trib headline---
"Game Commission OKs deer culling in Mt. Lebanon
By Matthew Santoni Staff Reporter
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, 3:18 p.m."
 
Perhaps we should start an alert system where people that own Sony video cameras with Night Vision capabilities can be notified when a corral is full of deer so they get out and document these corrals and the eventual kills for posting on the web.

We'll then see how humane and painless it isn't.

I vote that Morgans and Linfante make the first shots.

Anonymous said...

"I saw a cat with a machine in his brain 
The man who fed him said 
He didn't feel any pain 
I'd like to see that man take out that machine 
And stick it in his own brain 
You know what I mean 

I saw a rabbit with its eyes full of tears 
The lab that owned her had 
Been doing it for years 
Why don't we make them pay for every last eye 
That couldn't cry its own tears 
Do you know what I mean 

When I tell you that we'll all be 
Looking for changes 
Changes in the way we treat our fellow creatures 
And we will learn how to grow 

Well I tell you that we'll all be 
Looking for changes 
Changes in the way we treat our fellow creatures 
And we will learn how to grow 
When we're looking for changes 

I saw a monkey that was learning to choke 
A guy beside him gave him cigarettes to smoke 
And every time that monkey started to cough 
The bastard laughed his head off 
Do you know what I mean 

When I tell you that we'll all be 
Looking for changes 
Changes in the way we treat our fellow creatures

And we will learn how to grow "

— Paul McCartney

Anonymous said...

How will these corrals work.
They're 8' x 30'. If they corral multiple deer at one time, does anyone believe the others aren't going to panic when they see the first go down from head shot?
Yeah sure, the group will stand around thinking-- the top of Bambi's head just blew off, I think I'll stsnd around here motionless and see what happens next.

Anonymous said...

"A: The overall goal of Mt. Lebanon’s deer management program is to reduce deer/vehicle collisions within the municipality by 50 percent within five years. The capture and euthanize phase for 2015 will take place in February and March. Does that make this a five year project?"

The goal is to reduce the MTL herd by 50% "within five years" to reduce deer/vehicle collisons.

Do they have any idea of how absurd that claim is?
They've limited the corraling to 150 deer max and to the months of February and March.
150 divided by <5 years is about a reduction of 30 deer/year. Would you notice if the were 30 less deer in Lebo every year?

The Aerial survey shows a reduction of over 100 deer from 2013 to 2014... and Linfante doesn't believe it. Thirty deer a year is a drop in a bucket. They won't be   reducing your odds of hitting a 
deer in your car by one iota and it's only costing us $500/deer.

Anonymous said...

This plan won't even save flower beds!
It's ludicrous!

Anonymous said...

I would still question the actual experience Mr. Benner has with putting on a trap and euthanize program himself. In addition to the RFP response which indicates no experience, I went back and watched some of the discussion sessions and he still cannot provide any actual experience he has other than advising. Even Kelly asked him on September 22nd about any experience he has with sharpshooting and he said he was involved in a program where he weighed and measured the deer. This man is only a biologist, he studies wildlife and animal behavior but apparently has no actual experience with any sort of deer management program even though he states on his website that he provides this as a service. I wonder if he works with a 3rd party company.

Nick M.

Anonymous said...

Questions not answered by the PIO!

Q: How do we authenticate that Benner's company is actually killing the number of deer they'll be billing us $500 each for?

They're doing it at night and don't want anyone watching, so how will we know their actual take?
The aeral survey says we have 196 deer, Linfante claims 600 so it's not like we can-- in the end do a count and say for certain Benner took out 150 deer.
Perhaps we could have Benner show up at the Treasurer's office with scalps or pelts to claim his bounty!

Q: Does Benner's company get to claim the tax deductible donation to the food banks, therefore in essence making more than $500/deer off us taxpayers?

Q: How do we know the processed meat is actually making it to the food bank and not being sold commercially?

Anonymous said...

"The overall goal of Mt. Lebanon’s deer management program is to reduce deer/vehicle collisions within the municipality by 50 percent within five years. "

Q: Exactly how many deer/vehicle collisions have occurred in each of the last 5 years?

Q: Why is 50 percent of this number acceptable?

Anonymous said...

http://www.venisonsteaks.com/

Why don't we start selling Blue Devil brand venison steaks, chili and jerky. Thar's gold in them thar hills, ladies! Aren't you always looking for ways to fund crown jewel artificial turf and Taj Mahal school buildings?

Anonymous said...

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=331

Figuring a doe yields 40lbs of usable meat and imagining venison goes for around $3.50/lb one of our deer would yield $140 conservatively. $140 x 150 deer = $21,000.

A helluva sight better than the income from that lame-ass field sign ordinance the commissioners instituted.

Anonymous said...

Hell, 50 percent of 2 shouldnt take five years...

Anonymous said...

January 31, 2015 at 11:36 AM

"The overall goal of Mt. Lebanon’s deer management program is to reduce deer/vehicle collisions within the municipality by 50 percent within five years. "

This is a total disingenuous sham. This deer killing program has nothing to do with car-deer collisions. The ex-Commissionettes pushed for this deer killing program, because the deer eat their tulips, and they want the taxpayers to pay to kill the deer in their back yards. In addition, their elitist gardener friends who like to showcase their homes on the annual library garden tour don't want to plant deer resistant flowers, and so they want all the deer killed. All the Commissioners know what this is about, and they are complicit in the sham for supporting it.

Anonymous said...

January 31, 2015 at 11:36 AM

Reportable car-deer crashes in the last four years are as follows:

A reportable crash is one in which someone is injured or one or more vehicles cannot be driven from the scene. There was (1) reportable crash in 2011 (tracked since Sept.), (5) in 2012, (2) in 2013, and (3) in 2014. Of all the deer reportable crashes in Allegheny County, Mt. Lebanon's crashes would be less than 1%.

Lt. Lauth said that Mt. Lebanon's car-deer collisions have been very consistent since they started tracking them.

Anonymous said...

January 31, 2015 at 10:48 AM

This isn't a 5 year project, this is a permanent annual project. Once you start killing deer, you have made a commitment to kill deer annually for infinitum.

The 50% reduction goal in 5 years was a rediculous unatainable goal purposely set so that the deer killing program will go on forever.

Rochester Hills Michigan decreased car-deer collisions by 25% through a resident education program, and the strategic placement of deer warning signs - this program costs $5,000. This is a proven effective and safe solution. Why doesn't Mt. Lebanon implement a similar program?

Anonymous said...

If car-deer collisions really was the reason for this deer killing program, why won't the Commission plant deer resistant flowers in their 30+ flower islands, and reach out to ask residents to plant deer resistant plants and flowers, and hold deer proofing seminars. It's the planting of this smorgasbord of irresistible flowers that is the major food attractant drawing deer into Mt. Lebanon, i.e. crossing the roads to get access to this abundant food source. Instead, the Commission continues to plant irresistible flowers that deer love in their flower islands, and they don't reach out to residents to ask them to plant deer resistant flowers, or hold seminars to show them how they can have beautiful gardens planting deer resistant flowers. WHY, because they are implementing this deer killing program to satisfy the elitist tulip lovers and the gardeners - that's WHY.

Anonymous said...

If Mt. Lebanon was serious about reducing car-deer collisions why haven't they put up any blinking deer crossing warning signs, or any deer crossing warning signs in Mt. Lebanon?

Lebo Citizens said...

4:53 PM, there are deer crossing signs in Mt. Lebanon. A Mt. Lebanon resident asked Tom Kelley for a count of the signs, but now that he has retired, and there is no one to replace him in Public Works, I don't know if that information was ever given to the resident.

I did see an electric sign on Gilkeson Road, one fall weekend, urging motorists not to swerve to avoid hitting a deer, but that was the only time.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

Tom Moertel did some fact checking late December, which I posted here. Game Commission Requires Archery? UPDATED
See Update December 31, 2014 3:18 PM
Linfante's numbers are greatly exaggerated. Why the commission is believing her lies, is beyond me.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Why is Susan Fleming Morgans' (PIO) propaganda campaign trying to make this slaughter seem humane and painless? Why is she now calling it "capture and euthanize".

These are all intentional manipulative strategies to sell the deer killing campaign to the public, and to get public buy-in to the inhumane animal cruelty that Mt. Lebanon, "a community with character" is committing. Any time you see someone using euphemisms, you need to look closer to see what they are trying to hide.

A good example of this strategy is the Nazis' holocaust propaganda campaign. The Nazis frequently used euphemistic language to disguise the true nature of their crimes.

"The final solution to the Jewish question"

"A Nazi euphemism, "euthanasia" referred to the systematic killing of the Jews."

"People identified for extermination in official Nazi documents were listed as those to be given ‘special treatment’ "

Anonymous said...

So the PGC says MTL can't have an archery program bc of the license shortage but it says it's ok for one company to profit from killing them all during a lengthy (poaching) season? Yes, this is Pennsylvania where corruption, stupidity and cruelty are par for the course.

Anonymous said...

That hunting requirement could easily be canceled by the Pa Game Commission (PGC) if Mt. Lebanon stood firm and told them that there are no safe places to hunt in Mt. Lebanon, and that's WHY they are requesting a sterilization or contraception program. That they are not going to put Mt. Lebanon families, children, and pets at risk. We have two state reps. and one senator in our area that would totally support deer contraception or sterilization, and would put pressure on the PGC to approve these programs, i.e. State Rep. Dan Miller (D), Senator Matt Smith (D), and State Rep. John Maher (R). I have no doubt that Mt. Lebo could get contraception or sterilization programs approved in w/o allowing hunting on municipal public property. However, the commission has to stop kowtowing to the PGC, and represent the best interests of their constituents. The commissioners have to deal directly with the PGC, and stop using Merlin Benner as their representative. M. Benner doesn't want the PGC to approve sterilization, because then he won't get Lebo's annual $75K killing contract. Remember, conflict of interests. Bottom line, Mt. Lebanon could easily remove this hunting requirement and get sterilization approved if the Commission stood firm, and got State Reps Miller, Smith, and Maher on board to put pressure on the PGC. The only question remaining is why won't they?

Anonymous said...

Let's get some facts straight:

The Commission does not actually represent the people (except for Kelly Fraasch). If they can push something through for power players, they will. Then they will turn around and make life very difficult for large groups of non power-player residents -- no matter the reason -- there are NO ETHICS.

Their strategies: wondering about how much support the "others" have, distraction, obstacles, suppression of information, not responding, dismissal, high and excessive demands, etc.

The elected reps/senator get involved if they can push for something on behalf of the "Commission Majority" as noted in the RTK. All the politicians are connected and they know how to manipulate at the state level. Again, ethics are not a consideration.

This is your government, Mt Lebanon.

Lebo Citizens said...

Because nobody has asked them. It takes more than just writing to the blog. Has anyone file a RTK for Benner's invoices? I doubt it. Has anyone filed an ethics complaint against Linfante? Probably not. At the last commission meeting, there were only three of us who spoke against deer killing. How many are planning to speak at the next commission meeting?

Seriously folks, bitching here isn't enough.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Mt Lebanon needs to hold a funeral for the truth.

This article states that there are THOUSANDS of deer in Mt Lebanon causing a public safety hazard.

Should this article cause laughter or tears?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2015/02/01/Outdoors-notebook-Trap-and-euthanize-in-Mt-Lebanon/stories/201502010155

Jack said...

Sorry "Off Topic" but does anyone know what really happened Saturday on Washington Road? I've heard 3 different stories and read another. I've lived here since the early 80's and remember atleast 5 fatal accidents around the same area of Washington Road and Mt Lebanon Blvd. There might be another fatal one yesterday.

Lebo Citizens said...

OMG, 12:45 AM, it does say THOUSANDS. What the hell? Here is the hyperlink. Trap and euthanize in Mt. Lebanon

John Hayes also reported that Benner will only be killing does. How does that work? If a buck is captured in the corral, he is released?

Hayes also writes that the Game Commission has never approved the "current untried program" before. The GC will approve or reject it.

And who recommended the "current untried program?" Why our deer expert/consultant/deer killing contractor.

You are so right, 23:45 AM. Mt. Lebanon needs to hold a funeral for the truth. This is sickening. Meanwhile there were TWO four car collisions yesterday and not a deer in sight.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

PG's John Hayes gets his information from Susan Morgans, PIO. See page 197 of my RTK. Why do I never see anything to the Trib or Matt Santoni?

Also, in my RTK, I only saw Kristen's claim that the sterilization program was denied. There were never any official statements announcing that the sterilization program was denied.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

From Kristen Linfante
To Dan Miller
12/23/2014

I don't believe anything has been approved or denied on the state level at this point. I believe the county plans to make the recommendation to the state to approve bolt but not sterilization. That is all I know.

p234 Elaine's RTK

Lebo Citizens said...

8:12 AM, caught in a lie, Kristen followed up with Dan at 8:30 AM, "Just to clarify, we have not officially heard back from the game commission on either method." See page 240 of the RTK.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Thousands? Are you kidding me? "Thousands" is plural - so how many thousands are we talking about? Let's see; 2,000 deer divided by six square miles is about 333 deer per square mile; 3,000 deer divided by six square miles is 500 deer per square mile; 4,000 deer divided by...ah, FORGET IT!

Anonymous said...

While reading through the documents it appears that Kelly caught Kristen in another lie and that is the cause of Kristen's angst with Kelly in the emails. It appears Kristen begins attacking Kelly via email while writing to Dan and others as a retraction of what she wrote to the full Commission just hours before. Why does this representative of the people lie all the time?

Anonymous said...

I contacted Kelly Frasch a couple days ago and asked about Create a Frame being hit by a deer. She said she didn't know anything but followed up with store owners and they said that nothing hit the store.

Anonymous said...

That area where the accidents are occuring is an accident waiting to happen area. Almost every time you drive thru there near misses occur.
Why they don't prohibit left turns from say 7 am to 7 pm from Washington Road onto Terrace is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

Is hysterics contagious?
We've gone from an aerial survey that found 196 deer in 2014, to Linfante's 600 and now the Post-Gazette's thousands!
Next we'll read about giant herds of deer thundering through the landscape like the bison on the pairies of the Old West in the 1800s.
I guess we can cross off the Post-Gazette as one of those - what did Morgans call them - credible news sources.

Anonymous said...

"And who recommended the "current untried program?" Why our deer expert/consultant/deer killing contractor."

You forgot to add the most important part of that paragraph, Elaine.

"And who will be making $500/deer using this "current untried program". Surprise! Surprise! Merlin Benner, the only bidder for it!

I beginning to wonder why we bother sending a representative of senator to the state house, they're certainly not looking out for their constituents back home. Ethics are being violated here, elected officials are lying to the public and nothing happens.
What is the old saying-- "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

Anonymous said...

wasn't Benner signing up for the untried program at a $75,000, flat fee?

It was only the staff or commission that thought a per head bounty was more appropriate. Thanks whomever that was.

Lebo Citizens said...

Thank you, Tom Moertel, for questioning John Hayes' claim in his PG article.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

To attempt to answer Tom Moertel's question to John Hayes.
Maybe he got the number from Ed Kubit who personally talked to or got email from thousands proponents of the HS renovation.
Maybe Ed talked to thousands of deer as well.

Anonymous said...

Our local leaders and employees credibility has been completely thrown out the window!

Lebo Citizens said...

12:14 PM, I think Steve Silverman was the one who said that he didn't want to pay $75,000 only to kill 6 deer. Benner said that the fee was to provide a service. Benner later agreed to go with $500/deer killed with a cap of 150 deer or $75,000.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

But they get away with it, 12:53 PM.

Has anyone filed an ethics complaint? No.

I am at this day and night, exposing their crap, and nothing is done to stop them.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Yes they do, Elaine, and that they did and will continue too is on us, their apathetic constituents.

Wonder if anyone is enjoying that additional February game time availabilty on the crown jewel turf yet?

Anonymous said...

John Hayes, the Post-Gazette's pro-hunting outdoors columnist, is the mouth piece for the Pa Game Commission's efforts to promote "hunting" in all of Pittsburgh's suburban neighborhoods. Today's article is just one of a series of articles promoting hunting and deer killing programs in Mt. Lebanon. His biased articles typically include misinformation and propaganda.

In addition, I believe he's been posting on Elaine's blog too.

I always wondered where he was getting his Mt. Lebanon info from, because I've never seen him at a Commission meeting. The RTK info provides the answer to that question - Susan Fleming Morgans (PIO). He is also the mouthpiece for Mt. Lebanon's pro-kill administration. What an evil twisted web going on here.

Thanks Elaine for the RTK info.

BTW, the picture heading his article with an 8 yr. old boy posing and smiling with the dead doe is disturbing. Hayes regularly promotes teaching children how to kill. This is child abuse to me, and I find it disturbing that the PG allows this to go on.

As I understand, the recent articles in the Post-Gazette and The Almanac by Laura Simon, The Humane Society's wildlife biologist, has Linfante and Morgans' panties in a bunch, and so I guess they're trying to get their planted columnists to write articles responding using their typical scare tactics trying to get resident buy in for their deer killing program.

Anonymous said...

12:14, not only untried like you wrote, in addition Mr. Benner is using a system he has no experience in with deer. He had to make a personal phone call to the makers of the Jager Pro gate to see how successful it was with trapping deer. He also states in his response that only 3 gates will be used with 8 corrals which makes one wonder how effective this trapping of deer will be with only 3 gates being used at one time. And we still have the issue with how the high powered rifles will be used. How high will the platforms be? How will this work at night? I see shortcuts being taken here.

Nick M.

Anonymous said...

Yep and if deer ticks are such a hideous danger why would anyone allow their child to sit on the body of a recently killed deer?

Anonymous said...

The photo associated with the recent article about Mt Lebanon deer by John Hayes promotes animal cruelty and is in poor taste; the picture depicts a child straddling a bloody deer that he has shot. Contact the Pennsylvania SPCA for info on legal action: info@pspca.org

Anonymous said...

From the RTK, 12/22/14 email Morgans to Feller:

“I also gave him (reporter from the Post-Gazette) Kristen’s contact information. there is a ton of misinformation swirling around.

Might as well have referred him (reporter from the Post-Gazette) to Fake Lebo (https://www.facebook.com/fakelebo)!

Anonymous said...

Referring Linfante to the Post-Gazette regarding deer in MTL is like referring Hillary Clinton to the Huffington Post on the Benghazi embassy attack.