A. Interviews with Ward 3 applicants:
6:05 p.m. Elaine Gillen
6:15 p.m. James Cannon
6:25 p.m. ____________
6:35 p.m. Edward Goslin
6:45 p.m. Coleen Vuono
6:55 p.m. Andrew Reinhart
7:05 p.m. Steve McLean
7:15 p.m. Raymond Pan
7:25 p.m. _____________
B. Discussion regarding applications
I should have mentioned that the evening will start with ten minutes given to our deer doctor, Sandy Baker. Yes. Ten. Minutes.
OK, getting back to the applicants. I'm up first. I have a better shot at winning the lottery. James Cannon is Josephine Posti and Jim Cannon's father. I don't know Edward Goslin. At 6:45, former (D) Commissionette and Pro Kill Coleen Vuono. 6:55's Andrew Reinhart is the Democratic hopeful running for Ward 3, while Steve McLean at 7:05 is running on the Republican ticket for Ward 3. I don't know Raymond Pan. 6:25 and 7:25 backed out. I don't know who they were.
My guess is that the new Commissioner for Ward 3 will be Democrat Andrew Reinhart. You heard it here first.
If they were smart, everyone knows who the smartest choice would be.
ReplyDeleteProblem is they're not that smart.
What would make things interesting is if there were an equal number of votes between 2 candidates resulting in Steve Feller being the tie breaker.
ReplyDeleteNick M.
I agree with 9:57pm. The smartest choice both politcally and for the community would be a certain local government watchdog ...
ReplyDeleteBut I have not seen many smart decisions made around here in my 4 years, so I am not hopeful.
- Jason M.
Would a Dem ever vote for a R? I think not.
ReplyDeleteYou can be sure, whomever gets the seat is in for a lot of shit.
ReplyDeleteIf they vote pro-cull everyone will scream the fix was in and no one voted for them.
If they against culling everyone will scream and argue that no one voted them into office.
I don't envy the winner. We can thank a certain someone for building this "real" Lebo community.
11:28 pm I agree that Linfante was a serious troublemaker but John Bendel isn't innocent either. For example, he became trustee of the Blue Devils Club shortly before he created the SAB which then took the majority of our unassigned funds and assigned them to turf. Then the Moody's rating went down. Bendel was Bendel before he knew Kristin Linfante and he and Brumfield are the reason Mt Lebanon's obsession with sports will continue indefinitely.
ReplyDeleteIn this sports hopeful mecca, I just hope the buses from the other teams don't fall into sinkholes on our beautiful fairly hazardous tree-lined streets.
11:28 pm I think you might be making more out of the deer issue in Ward 3 than really exists.
ReplyDeleteI think the deer issue in Ward 3 and in most of Mt. Lebanon has been a fabricated and exaggerated issue by a handful of politically influential Mt. Lebanonites that want all the deer killed to protect their tulips.
I remember when a resident asked Commissioner Joe Deluliis (Ward 3) about how many deer complaints he received during his term in office. Joe said maybe 12 complaints in 4 years.
However, when Commissioner Linfante (Ward 3) was elected she said and wrote, "I can tell you that I have received literally hundreds of calls and complaints from residents about our overpopulation of deer." I believe she was making these kinds of statements 4 days after being elected.
So there was a unexplainable disconnect from Commissioner Deluliis (Ward 3) constituent complaints of 4 years, and Commissioner Linfante (Ward 3) constituent complaints. How could 12 complaints in 4 years skyrocket to "hundreds of calls and complaints" in such a short time? BTW, I believe a resident asked Commissioner Linfante for some evidence of these complaints; however, this evidence was never brought forward to support her claims.
Commissioner Linfante's mission from day one appeared to be to relaunch the deer killing program in Mt. Lebanon. Remember, ex-Commissioner, Barbara Logan, who appears obsessed with slaughtering the deer, served on Linfante's executive committee during her campaign, and Rob Papke, a gentleman gardener and apparently another deer hater, based on his Facebook posts, was Linfante's campaign manager.
When Mt. Lebanon held a well publicized special TOWN HALL MEETING ON DEER MANAGEMENT on July 9, 2012, out of 33,137 residents only 13 residents attended to complain about deer. Most complaints were about deer eating their flowers. I believe Nancy Smith, the library's gardening coordinator, supported deer contraception at that meeting.
So I think looking at the evidence, i.e. Commissioner Joe Deluliis (Ward 3) only received 12 deer complaints in 4 years, and only 13 residents out of 33,137 residents showed up to complain about deer at the 7/9/12 Town Hall Meeting on Deer Management, that one could conclude that this might be more of a manufactured issue by a handful of politically influential Mt. Lebanonites with a personal agenda, and not an issue for the majority of residents in Mt. Lebanon.
So the Commissioners, except for Kelly Fraasch, who didn't attend any of Sandy Baker's seminars, are giving her, a nationally renowned deer-resistant gardening strategist, 10 minutes at Monday's Commission session. What an embarrassment. Why bother. They obviously won't take or implement any of her recommendations. They are only committed to turning Mt. Lebanon into a private hunting club, and an AR-15 shooting gallery. The only way to stop this insanity and keep lethal weapons out of Mt. Lebanon is to remove these Commissioners from office
ReplyDelete4:25 AM, we can't remove them from office.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteWhile I think you do have the knowledge to be an effective commissioner I don't want you to be too disappointed with tonight's result.
In something like this, the D's will vote for D's. The only difference between this and the school board is that the school board voted for someone who wouldn't rock the boat. In your case, not only are you the wrong party, but they all know you will rock the boat.
My advice would be to kill them with kindness and use this as an opportunity to get them to a point of being able to listen to you again.
And most of all, just enjoy it. There's no pressure on you since you know they will all vote for Reinhart.
12:25 absolutely, but Linfante became the poster child for the divisive atmosphere that now prevails in this community. Of course there are powerful names that perpetuate the riff, it's highly evident in the Lebodeer committee.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago a group tried to start a dialogue through town hall meetings.
Rather than trying to make it better, Linfante and crew did everything possible to destroy the initiative.
Bendel, Silverman, Brumfield have no interest in healing the chasm in this community, just look at the naming rights topic coming up in future discussions. They need more money for their turf.
7:00 AM, of course I will be disappointed, not because I wasn't chosen, but it will give an unfair advantage to the candidate who is running in the election. I wish the two candidates did not submit their letter of interest for this temporary position. If a candidate is selected tonight, the odds are that he will be the winner of the November Election,
ReplyDeleteThat brings me to my pick for runner up. Coleen Vuono has it in the bag. She is a Democrat, a former commissioner, and spoke at the 11/11/14 commission meeting in favor of deer culling. That was the same meeting when I said that I saw a buck with an arrow in its side on MacArthur. In the commission minutes, it is recorded that I observed a deer with an arrow near Bethel Park. I could never get that corrected.
Elaine
740:
ReplyDeleteThe mistake made with the town hall meetings was assuming people like Linfante would participate. Hopefully there will be another attempt at local conversation. It should be designed without the commissioners. That way, if they want to participate, they can ask. But if not, thet send a very clear signal that transparent and openminded communication with the community doesnt matter to them.
Yes, that may be true, 1:06 PM, but have we heard anything about a candidates forum? Uh...no. The Mt. Lebanon residents who belong to The League of Women Voters are more interested in killing deer, like that is the only issue that is important.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we know about the candidates running for the commission in Ward 1, 3, and 5. What about the school board candidates? Can voters name the candidates who are running for school board?
I have posted Andy Reinhart's website, http://www.andyreinhart.com/
I know nothing about Steve McLean, except is is prokill and was all for the Taj Mahal on Cochran Road.
Ward 1 - I hear that McNichol was hand picked by Franklin and Brumfield, so there is no difference there. Here is McNichol's website: http://votemcnichol.com/ Seems pretty transparent to me!
We know the candidates in Ward 5 and what they believe. No surprises there.
But how about school board? Nothing. What are their views on education? Fundraising? The Wellness Policy? Teachers contract? Artificial turf?
Where is the transparency? What are their platforms? We have no idea.
Elaine
Elaine, April 27, 2015 at 5:40 AM. Well, we had an opportunity to remove two Commissioners from office, or remove one and replace one, but this bipartisan group never got anyone to run for office. Stopping this insanity is all about politics. So IMO, this was a major opportunity lost. We now have to evaluate the candidates running for office, and hope that we can find one to support.
ReplyDeleteElaine at 9:25 AM. I'm happy to see Elaine throw her hat in the ring. She is more than qualified, and deserves this temp Commissioner position, but she doesn't have a chance in hell, i.e. this is a Commissioner popularity contest, and they will elect someone who will vote to support their agenda. Plus, Elaine has been highly critical of the Commissioners making this selection, and all politics is personal. They aren't going to select someone who has criticized them. That said, I think Elaine could have won Ward 3 in the general election where the residents select their choice for Commissioner. I wish Elaine would have thrown her hat into the real campaign. We need someone to rock the boat and be a voice to power in Lebo.
Unfortunately, in review of the people who are applying for this position, I'm afraid that pro-kill Coleen Vuono will give the Commissioners what they want, i.e. a pro-kill vote in the fall. No doubt, that is the reason she is applying for this position. The puppet masters are hard at work again behind the scenes. That's how and why Bonnie VanKirk was selected to replace Raja as a temp Commissioner. She hit the ground promoting a deer cull. And then the deer hater's baton was passed on to Commissioner Linfante and she hit the ground promoting a deer cull. These were not coincidental occurrences, but strategically manipulated behind the scenes political strategies.
The anti-cull residents have been continually outmaneuvered by a handful of politically savvy deer haters on the political front, i.e. Barbara Logan (D) and friends, and they continue to win, because the bipartisan anti-cull residents have not organized to put up their own candidates to run for office.
So I'm afraid this will be like deja vu and ground hog day (the movie) again. The pro-kill Commissioners (D) will select the pro-kill (D) candidate that the pro-kill puppet masters have applying for this temp Commission position. And all of our bipartisan protesting against turning our community into a private hunting club, an AR-15 shooting gallery, and an inhumane slaughter house, will have been waste of time. Until this bipartisan movement gets serious about a political solution, a few political puppet masters will continue to outmaneuver the majority of residents in Mt. Lebanon who oppose lethal weapons and lethal solutions. It's very frustrating and disheartening to watch.
It is a shame that the town hall concept didn't fly, but perhaps it was for the best since the vacuum left was filled by Elaine's Lebocitizens blog.
ReplyDeleteThe closest thing we have to an open forum (without municipal control) to share knowledge, debate, and examine the community operations.
It's not perfect, few things in life are, but Elaine has done an incredible job.
If by the odd chance the commissioners appoint her to the commission, I hope her blog lives on.
Thank you, 1:26 PM and 1:31 PM. I didn't run in this election because it too, was Déjà vu. The Republican Committee is endorsing their good old boy, and who are never vetted. Look at who ran against John Bendel in 2011. And he has the nerve to criticize me on mtl Magazine's Facebook page. The good old boys network would never support a woman. They would support men who have anger management issues toward women or have For Sale signs in their yards. They made it personal.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I didn't run. I hope that the commissioners will not make it personal tonight, but it will be personal.
The only shot I have is to be selected tonight and that would help with a write in campaign, but those never work.
I see that the interviews are ten minutes apart. I could spend ten minutes talking about any single issue presented to me tonight. But we all know that I don't have a chance. So don't worry about the blog, 1:31 PM. I like being able to think for myself and not have to answer to any special interest group. I try to look into every issue and I learn so much along the way. When you stop learning, you're dead inside.
Elaine
"No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong." —François de La Rochefoucauld
ReplyDeleteElaine (et al.):
ReplyDeleteThere is very little that will be accomplished tonight in terms of opening the Commission to more inclusive representation. Frankly, I don't blame this situation on the current members of the Commission; they are, for the most part, statists and "progressives" who are simply acting in character. The statist sees the residents, as William Graham Sumner put it so well back in 1876, as "the forgotten man,"* whose chief role in any political subdivision is "to pay." And as long as any Commissioner is elected by a majority of those who show up at the polls to vote then each of them will claim to speak for the majority of his or her Ward's residents (even though, given the fact that only approximately 30% of any given Ward's registered voters bother to show up to vote, at best, that is an absurdity). I blame the current political situation in Mt. Lebanon on my fellow residents, most of whom cannot name their Ward representative, let alone the Police Chief, the Fire Chief, or the Municipal Manager.
Let's face facts; until an independent political body, very well funded, springs up in Mt. Lebanon nothing will change. While that is good news to the oligarchy that holds power in this community, it should be a wake-up call to the rest of us!
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*"The forgotten man. He is the clean, quiet, virtuous domestic citizen who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard of outside his little circle. ... He works, he votes, generally he prays, but his chief business in life is to pay"...William Graham Sumner
Mr Gideon - Are you saying that Mt Lebanon voters (and non-voters) got what they deserve? How could people have known we would have unethical, fraud promoting, and deceptive Commissioners? Are you saying that "progressives" endorse politicians with those characteristics?
ReplyDeleteIt would be a huge mistake for the Commissioners to choose someone who 'fits in' with their current view.
ReplyDeleteThey badly need diversity in thought (as well as in many other types of diversity).
This "D" here hopes they choose an "R" - the "R" that runs this blog. If not, I hope they choose someone else who will challenge them to think and vote differently. Also, if it's not Elaine (my first choice), it would be nice to see a non-White face up there as well.
- Jason M.
3:42 have you not been paying attention for the past 5-10 years.
ReplyDelete"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." — George S. Patton
ReplyDelete4:32 Here is it! Finally, I have found my "Insider's Guide to Mt Lebanon Municipal & School District Fraud and Btrayal: How to Survive Living in Lebo with Minimal Effort". It was tucked away with my Mt Lebanon Magazines.
ReplyDelete