There is a grass-roots movement in the works. The group is called "Coalition for Coexistence." The Coalition represents Mt. Lebanon residents who believe that the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Government, including its Commissioners, (“Municipal Government”) should not be governing its residents through bloodshed. Further, the Coalition is opposed to violence, including the unnecessary and purposeful killing and wounding of deer within Mt. Lebanon. Regardless of its position on violence, the Coalition urges the Municipal Government to conclude that the high density of Mt. Lebanon’s population prohibits it from initiating or supporting all efforts and/or programs, the purpose of which is the unnecessary killing of deer.
The Coalition for Coexistence advocates a progressive and comprehensive non-lethal plan of action. I understand that this group will be attending First Fridays. More to come. I promise.
Update May 20, 2015 5:21 PM Someone wants that taco!
WOW. Great name. Thanks, Elaine.
ReplyDeletePS. How do I place an order for the food pictured on your blog. I am interested in one of those burritos.
Nice one ... would also advocate for encouraging some non-white people to move in for some co-existence too, but I definitely like the idea of MTL co-existing with the deer as well.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: Anyone who says they will vote for any sort of lethal means of 'deer management' should not be elected.
- Jason M.
On behalf of the ten-year old Coalition for Neighborhood Safety and Awareness, let me welcome another Coalition worthy of our time, efforts, and respect. (I especially like the positive nature of the name and its stated mission given the fact that the Garden Biddies have taken the name, Lebo Deer, as if they were concerned about the health, welfare, and general well-being of our community's deer, which clearly they are not!) It is time for the silent majority to be noticed. I hope there will be yard signs we can display proudly; if so, I'll buy two. I say it's time to be noticed!
ReplyDeleteBlack people would be nice, Jason. Don't hold your breath. Maybe you need to raise this issue with the local realtors. It is my understand that they play a big role in Mt. Lebanon's lack of diversity. An issue for another thread, another day.
ReplyDeleteMeantime, I think the Coalition for Coexistence organizers support coexistence with all among our community, including deer. Moving the culture to one of non-violence is a first step.
Because the C for C is doing its best to take the high road, we are looking for suggestions/ideas from residents about how to deal with life on life's terms. We must always accept and work with the reality of any given time. I certainly would not vote for a pro-violence commissioner. What we have now, however, is five pro-violent commissioners. Five of five. Let's deal with them. They will be deciding who gets shot next in our community.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbara. The feeling is mutual.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a couple representatives from the Coalition for Coexistence will be invited to be part of the May conference call during which Tufts University and others will discuss non-lethal deer procedures with the Municipal Government. It seems unfair that the only participants from Mt. Lebanon on the call will be pro-kill. Thoughts, anyone?
ReplyDeleteHere's a suggestion, it doesn't require meetings, petition signatures or anything else, except for a conscious decision by those opposed to deer kills, artificial turf, or newcomers tax.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is primary day, don't vote for any of the incumbents that you think don't represent your positions on municipal issues. GO TO THE POLL AND VOTE, JUST DON'T VOTE FOR THOSE INCUMBENTS THAT YOU DON'T THINK REPRESENT YOUR INTEREST.
They'll probably still win but they'll get the message that things are changing if say 30% or more of registered voters showed to vote but they only got 5% of the vote.
They'll start thinking about the implications for November!
So go to the polls and vote but not pushing a button or lever for candidates because they're the only ones there.
Sorry to side-track this discussion but a few comments here bother me.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the color of someone's skin matter in diversity? There's quite a few people from foreign countries who have different cultures that live in Mt Lebanon. Do they not matter? There's a very large Turkish diaspora in Mt Lebanon. Did you know that? Many Asians (south central and eastern) live in Mt Lebanon. Do these folks not matter in the diversity equation?
Get out and meet some of the people who live in Mt Lebanon and you'll see diversity. You may have to look beyond the color of that person's skin though.
23% of Democrats are expected to show up at the polls tomorrow.
ReplyDelete21% of Republicans are expected to show up at the polls tomorrow.
I would bet these numbers are lower in Mt Lebanon.
You want change? Run good candidates and show up at the polls.
--Tom the Tinker
Could the Coalition qualify for a field advertisement sign?
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see the group coming together.
ReplyDeleteTom, I agree but there's hardly time to run some good candidates by tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteSo, if people are seriously fed up then they need to change the game.
Staying away from the polls or going to the polls and voting for the same old incumbents is no message at all.
8:47: Would you like to join C for C?
ReplyDeleteMembership has its privileges.
Please contact Elaine or one of our membership consultants.
It is very exciting, 8:47 PM. New faces too. Some aren't tech savvy, so I believe it is divine intervention that they came to me to help them get the group started. I am honored to help.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the personal emails from those who made it possible.
8:33 PM, I doubt that they are interested in field sign advertising. Yard signs perhaps, but not field signs.
Elaine
Is the coalition teaming up with any neighboring densely populated communities in their efforts? Just curious because some counties develop their deer management plans comprehensively acknowledging that wildlife does not belong to one municipality nor does it recognize boundaries. Further, if Mt Lebanon employs sharpshooters, their work is likely to impact neighboring municipalities. Everyone deserves to know about and have a say in how our wildlife is managed.
ReplyDeletepack to those untended garden beds: is the coalition interested in gathering volunteers to take care of the neglected ones? they could put a little sign in each one that they adopt reflecting the fact that the plants are deer resistant and the care is provided by the coalition for coexistence.
ReplyDeletemaybe they need a "gofundme" so that those traffic islands/parklets can see some pretty flowers this summer that are deer resistant. all of those neighbors of those flower beds would surely be appreciative.
just a thought. i am sure there are lots of things on their agenda.
10:25 PM, thanks for a wonderful thought. The coalition may have to do a gofundme. Not in the same league as the prokill women.
ReplyDelete9:47 PM, unfortunately, no. For now, what goes on in the bubble, stays in the bubble. The commissioners are having a discussion session. That is a public meeting where the public can only listen and not speak. For the regular meeting, only Mt. Lebanon residents and taxpayers can speak during Citizen Comments. I don't like it, but those are the cards President Bendel dealt to us.
Elaine
I would hope that all democrats who vote today in ward 1 choose to not vote for Bendal - leave it blank or write in someone. Just because he's the only option doesn't mean you need to vote for him. They'll count how many dems voted and compare the difference at the end of the night.
ReplyDelete9:47 PM: Excellent idea. If you look at the density figures for our neighboring communities from Elaine's May 16th post, you will note that only two of our neighbors, USC and Bethel, have deer killing programs.
ReplyDeleteMath is not my forte. But, I think Mt. Lebanon needs to face this density issue head on. One of our pro-kill neighbors has only half the density of Lebo. The other one, about one-third of Lebo's density.
Maybe our best teacher will be Hudson-on-Hastings. Its density total is also much lower than Lebo's. What we hope to learn from them is how the community persuaded the mayor to abandon any use of lethal weapons in favor of birth control for their deer. Of course, HOH residents call themselves progressive and, therefore, non-violent. That does explain some of it.
I think Bendel has figured out that he's not about to win any popularity contests in Mt. Lebanon or the region.
ReplyDeleteExactly right 1:59. This is after all a primary and if you vote for him or vote straight democratic, you are essentially telling the party you're OK with him.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to give the party a message the simplest thing you could do is not cast a vote for Bendel if you're not happy with him.
That is reality a vote even though you didn't vote for a candidate.
Okay, fellow Americans. DENSITY is the Coalition for Coexistence's VERY BEST ARGUMENT against violence in Mt. Lebo.
ReplyDeleteWe're thinking about a t-shirt contest. No, not that kind.
The person who suggests the catchy slogan, graphics, or whatever about DENSITY gets a free taco.
Thank you.
6:38---Right. Use the numbers to win the commissioners' respect. We know that deer-killing will not be stopped for humane reasons.
ReplyDeletePUBLIC SAFETY is the key.
Has the date/time of the commissioners' call with Tufts, etc. been determined? That call is very, very important.
ReplyDeletenot a slogan, but an image idea for the density:
ReplyDeletedo you remember how kids enjoy playing telephone with tin cans?
you could have an image of neighbors in their windows talking on telephone tin cans and one could say: "operator?" and the other could say, "there are sharpshooters in your back yard".
just a thought.
(for reminder of how kids play this:
http://madebyjoel.com/2010/04/tin-can-telephones.html)
I looking at the Home Rule Chater, did all of the volunteers complete a background check in order to raise money for field signs? Who are these people! Mt. Lebanon has ordinances for all volunteers! It should be public knowledge for anyone selling any sign has to have a background check and clearance,!!!
ReplyDelete.
Wrong place to post a comment on field signs 8:39, but if the sports association people are expecting to control the disbursement of the sign revenue they are no longer "volunteers!"
ReplyDelete8:10---Thanks. You must really want that taco. You had the first idea.
ReplyDelete8:39: No offense but could we get back to the subject of this thread--the Coalition for Coexistence? Clearances? My, oh my, how our minds wander.
ReplyDeleteListen closely--- Because time tap dances, we will be facing D-Day for the Deer in the blink of an eye. Let's not wait until then to speak up. I can just hear it, "Why didn't the commissioners let anyone else on the call with Tufts about non-lethal methods? Will they ever tell us what was said in that call?"
ReplyDeletePlease contact your commissioner and tell him/her that two or three persons from the Coalition for Coexistence or its designees MUST have a seat at the table for that conference call.
To 9:20 PM: yes, everyone's minds wander, am I'm sure yours as well. There is no need to to act snippy. I'm sure you can always appreciate a break. Thank you!
ReplyDeletesince 1997, 4 fatalities have occurred in allegheny county due to a deer-mv collision as reported by PennDot. (that's 17 years)
ReplyDeletefor comparison purposes...
in 2014 alone, 299 fatalities in allegheny county via drug overdose (that's 1 year)
I love the "Don't Shoot" update. Is this the chosen slogan? Will it be available on t-shirts? :-)
ReplyDeleteWow. I see a taco in someone's future.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
2:27, so much for Bendel finding out he isn't going to win any popularity contest... he won the primary in his Ward.
ReplyDeleteAs did Fraasch.
If you're waiting for change, it isn't coming.
10:51: Fraasch was running unopposed. And, the other one, well.....
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should start establish an exploratory political committee. You need to start long before an election to run someone against an incumbent, or to run someone at all. If you start now, you can probably have some impact on the 2016, 2017
commissioner races.
Based on the outrage over artificial turf, over the deer cull, the HS enovation, the newcomers's tax and the fact that Bendel, Fraasch and SB incumbents won in the primary, I'm not optimistic that this community has the will to get involved in changing things.
ReplyDeleteGideon said it only takes as few as three to start a movement. Still waiting.
3:58--What are you waiting for? Stop crying and do it yourself. If you don't, stop complaining. We are looking for solutions, not just the same thing, different day.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you think I didn't try, 5:58.
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves, I don't remember you coming to any of the meetings!