“We see no value to Mt. Lebanon residents of releasing daily reports,” said municipal spokeswoman Susan Morgans. She said officials worry about inflaming those opposed to the culling and don't want them to “put themselves in harm's way” to protest or disrupt the program.I wrote about it in the blog posting, "We see no value to Mt. Lebanon residents of releasing daily reports,".
Through a recent Right To Know, on March 16, 2015 at 8:46 AM, Steve Feller gave Wildlife Specialists three hours to get the daily reports to him or he was going to terminate the program. So Susan "I never lie" Morgans told Matt Santoni from the Trib that she sees no value to Mt. Lebanon residents of releasing daily reports, when in reality, she was lying to the Trib reporter. The Public Misinformation Officer was covering Wildlife Specialists' asses because they were continually violating "a key permit requirement." (Fellers' words, not mine.)
Susan, I know you are always trying to trash this blog, but please answer this question for me. How do I get Steve Feller to write all these lies for me in the Right To Knows?
46 comments:
I suppose that, if her employer allows it, Ms. Morgan can lie to anyone and everyone.
Once the media finds out that Ms. Morgan is not a reliable or truthful source, they will stop asking her questions.
The Almanac's response to Ms. Morgan' threatening email (in the prior post) was as unprofessional and downright cheesy as the contents of the email itself.
Message to the Almanac: This is not Malaysia. You are not a state-run newspaper. Why are you acting like one?
Cancel those subscriptions, folks. What Morgans did was wrong, yet expected. Nobody is really surprised. The Almanac's reaction was reprehensible.
Yep, take the focus off Mt. Lebanon's inept municipal management. The Almanac is not a REAL newspaper, obviously.
I don't think The Almanac is the problem here. The new editor probably never dealt with the likes of our Public Misinformation Officer.
Elaine
The Almanac is in no way the villan here, but they shouldn't roll over on this.
If they called the municipal office and didn't get a pick up they have every right to report it.
In the companies that I worked for phones not being answered was dealt with harshly. It was established protocol that phones be picked up by the third ring. If a department had something going it it was the department heads responsible that someone be available to at least take a message or route the call to another department.
I am not contending that the Almanac and staff are villains. Not at all. But their response to Morgans showed that they are not a first-rate newspaper. (I think that is rather well-known.) Perhaps the new editor should have checked with her publishers/owners before she started to retract news at the request of anyone or any organization, Susan Morgans included. (Granted, Susan Morgan is not a statesperson or a finely tuned ambassador for Mt. Lebanon, but its not like she threatened the Almanac with an air strike.)
Has anyone on this blog contacted Green about the incident? If so, what was her reply?
This post is about Susan Morgans lying to the Trib. I hope Matt Santoni realizes that our public misinformation officer is not a credible source.and deserves that title.
When Susan Morgans pushed her cell phone in my face at one of the last commission discussion sessions I attended, she told ME to stop lying. I wrote to Steve Feller about that incident, but as usual, that email, like all emails about Susan Morgans, was ignored.
Elaine
Elaine: I get your point. But as long as Morgans' employer does not require that she make truthful statements to the press, she is free to do so. Morgans isn't going anywhere, is she? They are all in it together and third rate news organizations like the Almanac don't care. They are just looking to fill their pages with enough copy to satisfy their advertisers. I don't think the Almanac cares about quality control.
The Susan Morgans topic is now stale and boring. Let's move on to things we can change.
You are not a liar, Elaine. Because of that, you will always have Susan Morgans types to contend with. Suck it up and move forward.
All governments lie. Luckily in this country we have a free press to publish the news. Some are better at it than others, though.
Well 2:51, please define what the implied message was in the first line of her email to The Almanac?
For a small community newspaper whose business model is dispensing community news, while it may not have been an air strike, it certainly was a shot across the bow.
As far as Morgans describing the tweet as "rubbish" was she lying or telling the truth.
Some how I find it hard to believe that the Almanac reporter had some sort of vendetta against the Public Info Office that they'd make up a story about phones not being answered.
I'll bet they reporter thought they were being stonewalled and reported it.
The Almanac is not a newspaper..it's a local advertising sheet with local PSA'S..so what are you people complaining about? They don't have the circulation or the staff to be a real newspaper. But your Post-Gazette and Tribune Review aren't that much better. They certainly don't compare to the Dallas Morning News..or even the Cleveland Pain Dealer. Your Pittsburgh newspapers might actually have to do some investigative reporting..and that's too much like work for them.
Bob D.
The only REAL newspaper in Pittsburgh is City Paper.
No argument here with your comment, Bob, except that I'd give The Almanac slightly more credit.
It does report news occasionally like this headline on today's paper: "South Fayette gas ordinance rejected." Their coverage iss probably just as good as the PG or Trib on that story.
They also occasionally write a good Op-Ed like they did on the Home Rule Charter change regarding municipal ads.
Which by the way, I don't remember reading anything on whether the charter change was legal or not from any media outlet including MTL magazine.
Just wondering, based on info like that at the beginning of this chain, does anyone agree that we should change the PIO title to Ringmaster.
One online dictionary provides this definition- "Ringmaster noun, : a person whose job is to introduce the performers in a circus and to talk to the audience between performances"
Seems very appropriate.
How much $$$ has Lebo spent on resources and attorney's fees to answer all of the RTK requests in this 8th grade cat fight?
Does anyone know how much the Mt. Lebanon Magazine costs the taxpayers, i.e. the staff to run it, etc., and why this cost is justified?
Most surrounding communities put out a nice quarterly newsletter at very minimal costs, and they don't have to pay a full time staff with retirement benefits to report or produce it.
So why do Mt. Lebanon residents have this unnecessary taxpayer burden to deal with. Why does Mt. Lebanon feel it necessary to have a full time staff for this magazine.
Why not spin it off, and let it go into the private sector. Let it sink or swim on its own merits.
Just happen to think, while we've been focused on the PIO and deer, where do we stand to date on the $1.2 million expenditure down at the crown jewel?
Public information has been rather scant on the progress and where the kids have been playing.
The whole justification for this boondoggle was that we didn't have enough fields and therefore game slots.
It's June 4th, where have the kids been playing with two big fields out of the system.
Inquiring minds want to know, Ms. Morgans.
5:34 PM, thank you for raising the question. Public Act 563 of 2014 ("Act 563") amends the FOIA to impose a number of new regulations on public bodies. All municipalities will need to review their FOIA practices and procedures to ensure compliance with Act 563 before it takes effect on July 1, 2015
Mt. Lebanon charges 25¢ per copy. Effective July 1, 2015, they are not allowed to charge any more than 10¢ per copy.
So save your questions, folks. It will be cheaper in a few weeks.
5:34 PM, no worries. My last one cost me $81.25 and it was never funded by the person who requested it. I got stuck paying for that too. Consequences, you know.
This RTK isn't about an eighth grade cat fight. More is coming. Not everything is about Susan, 5:34 PM.
Elaine
The topic here is Susan lying but I'm more concerned with the failure of Benner et al to adhere to the permit mandates. Many people here suffered through this ridiculous showcase of animal cruelty and behind the scenes the circus of fools were failing to report on the basics. Were there any aspects of the permit that they actually got right the first time?
Damage control, 5:34?
Anyone else notice the KDKA piece tonight on the dog attacked by a deer? Poor little dog can't walk. State guy says that it's common for deer to attack dogs at this time of the year. Those peaceful deer....
I have sincerely bad news. CBS has a story about a dachshund attacked by a deer in Mt Lebanon, as reported by a resident. So the next story will be about protecting small dogs from deer. The same dogs that can't be walked through most of our parks because they are a danger to children. So kill the deer, then the dogs, round up the kids and then... what?
Sterilization would have prevented this.
State guy says deer attacking dogs is common this time of year.
Can anyone tell me when was the last time KDKA covered one of these common deer attacks, especially in any other community?
Just think, this attack coincidently happens a couple of weeks before the commission deer discussion.
Not to say this woman's dog wasn't attacked but if you look at her lawn, it's a smorgasbord of plants deer love.
I'm guessing but I do speak deer. I think that the reason why deer "attacks" may be common this time of year is because the fawns were born in end of May. Deer are not predators but they are great moms. My sense is that these deer are protecting their fawns.
https://bloomington.in.gov/m/viewPage.php?docType=document;document_id=5673
Good point about the garden.
Seems the Indiana Depart of Natural Resources disagrees with the PA State expert.
"White-tailed deer are not inherently aggressive animals. In fact, given the choice of fight or flight, white-tailed deer use flight as a survival strategy. However, like most animals, a white-tailed doe can become aggressive if she perceives that her young are threatened. Indeed, most reports of aggression tend to happen around fawning areas. Instances of a buck attacking people are rare. The IDNR has characterized the much-publicized attack on area dog in 2009 as a "very rare and isolated incident."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pets/2007/06/14/Incidents-of-aggressive-deer-can-multiply-this-time-of-year/stories/200706140246#http://ppgmobile.libercus.net/pets/pet-tales/2015/05/23/Pet-Tales-Study-hunts-cause-of-cancer-in-golden-retrievers/stories/201505230005?&_suid=1433461006472029524105973541737
Funny, KDKA failed to mention the rest of the story on deer/dog incidents from the PA Game Commission.
"I would suggest we all be very careful, and very observant. The Pennsylvania Game Commission does not discount reports of deer attacking dogs. Officials say that can happen at this time of year.
By the time you read this column, the danger may have passed. Once the fawns are big enough and strong enough to run with their mothers away from what they perceive as danger, the does will not be so aggressive, the game commission says."
So by all means, let's slaughter all the moms... er, ah I mean does, in Mt. Lebanon for the crime of protecting their children... er ah fawns.
Wonder who has the pull with KDKA and that a circus wagon calliope I hear coming up Washington Road?
WILDLIFE EXPERTS ON DEER ATTACKS
Larry Hawkins, a legislative and public affairs officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said, "nationwide, deer attacks are rare"
Wildlife Conservation Officer Kenneth Packard said, "Deer almost always flee from people, and deer attacks against people are extremely rare."
Anne Bull, a spokeswoman for New Brunswick's Department of Natural Resources, said "attacks by deer are extremely rare."
Howard Burt, the region's Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Biologist said "[deer] attacks are extremely rare unless a deer perceives they are being threatened or defending a fawn."
Even these rare events can be minimized through appropriate resident education. As part of such an education program on wildlife, residents can be informed of ways to peacefully and safely coexist with deer and other wildlife.
Contrast these expert statements with 350,000 dog bite victims requiring emergency room attention yearly, with 30-35 fatalities in each of the past several years, and you have some perspective.
If a doe defends her new born fawn from a dog, the dog most likely was loose, off lease, and unsupervised in the yard and going after the fawn. A doe is not going to seek out a dog to attack. So all the facts need to be looked into in any of these kinds of incidents, and typically it's the dog owners fault. During the first few weeks of fawning residents need to take some extra precautions on supervising and keeping their dogs on lease in areas where there are deer.
Draw down, deer haters. The fawns are able to run without their moms, as of today.
I can see the pro-kill trolls are back trying to demonize the deer again. Elaine, I don't understand why you continue to post comments from the pro-kill trolls.
I remember when Commissioner Linfante was saying that two dogs were attacked and killed by deer on her street, but when asked for evidence and police reports, no evidence was presented.
BTW, I don't believe any anecdotal Mt. Lebanon resident calls about a deer attacking their dogs, unless I see evidence. I don't put anything past the lovely pro-kill ladies making up these incidents. Plus, I want the details of the event. Was the off lease and loose in their yard, and did the dogs first attack the doe with her fawn, etc.
BTW. isn't this off topic for this thread?
How does a dog/deer incident qualify as mainstream news on KDKA? Not enough murders to report? How did this story get to KDKA?
I feel very sorry for the poor dog. It would appear that the dog was left outside, unleased, and unsupervised, and somehow a deer got in the yard, and the dog likely ran after the deer barking as unleased dogs will do, and the deer defended herself.
People should not leave their dogs outside, unleased, and unsupervised. People need to be more responsible. You can't blame the deer for defending herself.
BTW, killing deer won't prevent rare incidents like this from happening again in the future; i.e. you'd have to kill all the deer, and then build a wall around Mt. Lebanon. Residents need to be educated about the risks of leaving their dogs outside, unleased, and unsupervised.
7:21 PM If this woman's back yard is a smorgasbord of plants deer love, and she left her dog outside unleashed and unsupervised, then the dog's owner is responsible for this incident. Planting deer food in your back yard, and letting your dog out w/o a leash and unsupervised in an incident waiting to happen.
Irresponsible pet owners are typically the cause of these kinds of easily preventable incidents.
3:11 a.m! That's a lot of "if's". It appears that her yard is fenced in, the doe jumped the fence. If I had a fenced in yard I would allow my dog out without a leash. I would also allow my kids to play in the yard unsupervised.
I'm trying to figure out what we're suppose to take away from this KDKA deer/dog report.
Live in fear of deer? There are thousands of yards in Mt. Lebanon- fenced and unfenced- in which kids and pets have played in for years.
Are we to live in fear that the next time we step out our door Fifi will be stomped to death by some rogue deer.
I'm sorry, I'm not going to live in fear. History has told me such incidents are rare and I'm not going to kill every deer in the municipality because something like this occurred.
It's a shame the dog was attacked, but such is life. Had the women been walking her dog on a leash on the street and by some freak accident her dog was hit by a kid on a bike... would we kill every bicyclist because it happened?
How did this story get on KDKA? - easy!...Marty Griffin/Kristine Sorensen. Any questions?
Kdka is a tabloid to me now.
Maybe there is something in our Mt. Lebanon water that makes some people bitchy and want stuff killed!
http://boredomtherapy.com/dog-and-deer-play-ball/
10:19 AM I included "ifs", because this was a sensationalized story, and none of the facts were reported. I'm very familiar with deer and deer behavior. This event is exactly why deer and wildlife education is so important, and why incidents like this could have easily been avoided.
1) Deer do not attack dogs unprovoked, but will run away. Deer fear dogs, i.e. they're considered predators like wolf and coyote. Deer are prey, not predators.
2) Doe are extra protective and defensive during the first few weeks of fawning season. If this was a doe that just delivered a baby fawn, she likely had left the fawn on her own close by, and so she was still in protective mode.
3) 7:21 PM noted that the woman's back yard looked like a smorgasbord of plants deer love. I didn't notice what was planted in the woman's back yard when I saw the clip, and so why I included an "if". However, if the women is planting irresistible deer food in her yard, she is inviting deer into her yard.
4) I didn't get a good look at the fence. However, at quick glance it looked like an old small 4 ft. wooden fence, that was either a single panel fence with spaces between the panels, or a sandwich style wood panel design with space between the panels. Point being, it was a small fence and not a fence that can keep deer out of her yard, especially if she is planting abundant deer food in her yard. If it did have spaces between the panels, then the deer can easily see and smell the flowers in her back yard.
5) If this women lives in an area that are frequented by deer, this wasn't likely the first time a deer jumped her small fence and got into her yard, and so she would have been likely aware of this issue.
So the likely scenario was that this women had a smorgasbord of flowers in her back yard (deer food) that deer find irresistible. This deer food caused the doe to jumped the fence to eat. The dog was in the yard unleashed and unsupervised, and attacked the deer, i.e. chasing and barking. Or the dog was left out while the deer was already there browsing, and attacked and startled the deer. I doubt that this poor dog could have done any or much damage to the deer, but the deer doesn't know that. The deer felt threatened and panicked; i.e. she was being attacked, and defended herself. Finding herself cornered in by the fence probably didn't help, i.e. she couldn't easily run for safety.
This could have easily been prevented if the women took reasonable precautions and preventable measures.
1) Planted deer resistant flowers in her yard.
2) Especially during fawning season, take some precautions. Check out your back yard before allowing your dog out. Take your dog out on a leash to go to the bathroom. Go out with your dog and supervise your dog. Don't leave your dog loose in your back yard for extended periods of time.
3) Enhance the fencing in ways that will prevent deer from jumping over the fence.
People need to be responsible pet owners, and take reasonable actions to keep their dogs safe and out of harms way.
None of this would have happened, had the deer been sterilized.
Elaine
Can someone tell me why this story should be believed? I have pictures of my injured dogs, too and I could easily say that a deer stomped them. But I am not "sick in the head" (as my mother used to call such people who acted without regard for others or morality).
In fact, my normal dog chased a deer about 4 years ago bc I walked her at dusk in a very wooded area and we unexpectedly encountered one. That deer took off and my dog cut open her underside on a serious rock ($750-1000 repair).
But at least I can say my dog is normal and isn't afraid of deer. She keeps them out of our yard and probably the entire neighborhood.
It is truly sad that there are so many "sick in the head" people in Mt Lebanon lying to the public on the taxpayers dime.
On June 13, 2012, my dog was pushed down the steps and cornered at the bottom of the driveway by a doe who was protecting her newborn fawn. We made an emergency visit to the vet where my dog was treated for cuts and scratches, nothing serious - thank goodness. Two hundred dollars later, I still understood that the deer was doing what mothers do naturally.
Elaine
KDKA has some explaining to do. To me. To the public.
A doe does not jump a fence to take company with a yapping dog.
If the doe jumped the fence, it was because she sensed that the dog was yapping at her fawn.
How did the fawn get into the fenced in yard? It didn't. The fawns are now one-foot tall. They are still a bit shaky in the back legs. Fawns at this size and age do not jump fences. (The fence appeared to be about five feet tall to me. Even if it was shorter than five feet, a fawn did not jump it.) These fawns were born last week. They do not yet have wings on their heels like their graceful elders.
As a member of the Coalition for Coexistence, I call upon my fearless brothers and sisters in the Coalition and elsewhere to confront KDKA and insist on a retraction and apology, no later than Monday, June 9. This is simply yellow, cheesy journalism.
I am appalled.
Also, Ms. Cowles, Honey's owner, told Highfield that she did not see a fawn. His story, though, was built on the premise that a doe was protecting her fawn in Cowles' yard. Disturbing reporting.
And, once the story made it back to Gateway Center, a producer should have labeled it an outtake. That is what a respectable producer would do.
The story is malarkey.
Let's stop this horrible reporting in the media right now. We need to take our case to KDKA. Call them, write to them, visit them in person. Whatever you can do to let them know that we are done with the crazy deer stories, please do it. More of these stories will ultimately lead to more violence in Mt. Lebanon. We will not allow that to happen.
The C for C
I'm not sure, but from the quick view available in the KDKA clip, that fence in the background doesn't appear to comply with zoning ordinances.
If it did comply perhaps the deer wouldn't have felt cornered by the dog.
Post a Comment