On June 27, 2015, I forwarded a comment posted on this blog to the Commission, asking for the Sandy Baker report to be added to the municipal website. (I also asked if my commissioner was going to stay in Ward 3 when she sells her house, but that is a topic for another time. I asked her again this morning if she plans to stay in Ward 3.)
The first to respond was Dave Brumfield. He did not find the recommendations effective and/or feasible relevant to our stated goal.
Next, I heard from Kelly Fraasch. She felt all they discussed was the presenter's options on Monday and had little time to discuss much else.
This morning, I received this email from John Bendel. The Sandy Baker report is now available on the municipal website here.
I have not heard back from Steve Silverman or Coleen Vuono. It is only hearsay, but allegedly neither Steve Silverman or Coleen Vuono would sign the thank you note to Sandy Baker.
13 comments:
I've been in a self-imposed monastic-type commenting exile in response to Mt Lebanon's documented cruelty toward both humans (Lacrosse) and animals (Deer Corrals). I just hope everybody can see that a) these types of cruelty are related and b) Brumfield is involved with both. It's not clear how to get the info about Brumfield into the right hands. Where should people who know what happened with lacrosse send their info?
When you say, "in the right hands." do you mean the plaintiff's attorney or MTL lacrosse's attorney? Their addresses are on the court records.
Is it in digital form, 6:04 PM? You could always email to me at EGillen476@aol.com. If it is in hard copy, mail it to:
Elaine Gillen
PO Box 14873
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
(with instructions on what to do with the information.)
Elaine
WHAT A JOKE!
Under pressure from Elaine to publish Sandy Baker's DEER REPORT, which includes a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the deer "problem" and recommended deer management solutions, to demonstrate that Mt. Lebanon isn't biased in support of only lethal solutions, Mt. Lebanon publishes Sandy Baker's DEER REPORT under the following link, "Follow-up information from Sandy Baker" in what appears to be an obvious attempt to diminish and hide the fact that this is a COMPREHENSIVE DEER MANAGEMENT REPORT, once again demonstrating their bias and censorship toward non-lethal solutions. All other REPORTS on their Deer Management page from Wildlife Specialists LLC, and DeNicola (White Buffalo) etc. are designated as DEER MGT REPORTS.
Obvious discrimination in light of transparency. When are the Comissioners going to grow up and start doing what is RIGHT for the community and stop playing politics? None of them have any ethics! I am disgusted with all of the BS!
Kelly Fraasch has no power. Her position on the deer killing, which is at best ambivalent, is also irrelevant.
Brumfield's email response raises more questions than it supplies answers. I will comment on it, after I completely wrap my brain around it.
Kelly Fraasch couldn't find any time in 4 1/2 hours to bring up Sandy Baker's report and recommendations, which were the only recommendations that didn't turn Mt. Lebanon's parks and neighborhoods into an insane private hunting preserve and shooting gallery. She knew that this deer forum was a total scam and scripted to get resident buy-in for a deer killing program. She was the only voice present and allowed to speak up for the residents who stood against lethal weapons that were censored. Why didn't she speak up to expose this deer forum charade? Why didn't she speak up to summarize Sandy Baker's recommended solutions for the public? She was the Commissioner responsible for bringing Sandy Baker in to Mt. Lebanon. Why did she ignore Sandy Baker's report and recommendations? I can only hope that she will speak up at the next deer forum. Oh, that's right, this was the only deer forum scheduled. The Commissioners gave Sandy Baker 10 minutes to present to the Commission when she was here. The pro-kill vendors were given 4 1/2 hours to present to the Mt. Lebanon public. BTW, why wasn't Sandy Baker or Laura Simon, The Humane Society of the United States' wildlife biologist invited to present at this forum? Laura Simon was invited as a panelist at last years deer forum. Why wasn't she invited back?
Dave Brumfield didn't find Sandy Baker's recommendations effective and/or feasible relevant to their stated goal. Sandy Baker's recommendations were pretty much identical with Laura Simon's, The Humane Society of the United States' wildlife biologist and renowned deer expert. I'd be interested in hearing Commissioner Brumfield expand his explanation as to why he thinks that Sandy Baker's and Laura Simon's, both renowned deer experts, recommendations are ineffective and not feasible.
On the other hand, maybe Brumfield does think their recommendations are effective and feasible, but thinks Mt. Lebanon's stated goal is unrealistic and unattainable.
BTW, everyone knows that their stated goal of reducing car-deer collisions by 50% has little to do with the push for this deer killing program. The car-deer collisions justification is a total sham and everyone knows it. This is all about a handful of elitist Mt. Lebanonites who want to kill the deer because they eat their tulips. They refuse to plant deer resistant plants, because they don't think it will allow them to properly show off their homes on the annual Library Garden Tour. That's what this insanity is all about.
Commissioner Brumfield promised his Ward 4 constituents that he will never vote for a bait-and-shoot deer killing program, because it's too dangerous. However, he voted for a bait-and-shoot program last year that had contractors running around shooting AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles.
BTW, Commissioner Brumfield, if you check Rochester Hills, one of Sandy Baker's references, you will see that they decreased car-deer collisions by about 40% through a resident education program, and the strategic placement of deer warning signs, and their program only costs $5,000 - see Rochester Hill's biologist, Lance DeVoe's quotes below.
"Lance DeVoe, a biologist with the city of Rochester Hills, discussed a non-lethal deer management program created and implemented in his city, arguing low-cost methods such as education of residents and improved road signage have been successful. ... 'There's been about a 40 percent decrease in car-deer accidents and a 75 percent decrease in the complaints coming into the city', he said, noting those results have been achieved even as the deer population has stayed pretty much the same. ... Rochester Hills tried a culling program a number of years ago and brought in sharpshooters for about a month, DeVoe said. 'It was not very successful', he said. 'It was met with a lot of opposition from residents.'"
So it appears that Commissioner Brumfield is now neck deep and committed to this sham, and the only way to change his vote and support for a deer killing program is for Ward 4 residents to remove him from office.
6:04 PM, Bill Labovitz said he would be happy to speak with you. He can be reached at wlabovitz@elliott-davis.com.
Dave may not admit it, but Sandy Baker's 10 minutes had a positive effect. The flower islands were planted with deer resistant plantings. We learned from the unfortunate motorcycle accident on Connor Road that having food available close to roads attracts wildlife, in that case, turkeys.
What I don't understand from that dog and pony show geared toward killing is how we need a deer management plan. We have had many deer management plans. Here is a link to Merlin Benner's $12,000 deer management plan. Notice how he says, " Mt. Lebanon does not have enough areas open to hunting for this to be a meaningful contributor to reducing DVCs. Also, this option could generate significant opposition in a highly-populated suburban area like Mt. Lebanon." I don't see his deer management plan listed on the municipal website anymore.
Elaine
Regarding hunts in Mt. Lebanon, Benner summarizes, "Safety Zone issues make it unfeasible." We paid $12,000 for that advice.
Elaine
That advice cost #2,000 per word.
If car accidents are truly a concern here in Mt. Lebanon, then this article should raise red flags:
More than 80 percent of drivers exceeded the speed limit past tracking devices in Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park recently, some as fast as 77 mph in zones with posted limits of 25 mph and 35 mph, data show:
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8618268-74/speed-lebanon-drivers#axzz3eVvKtOfj
re 10:43
Why should the commissioners be confused by factual studies? They weren't on toxic turf, and won't be on deer-car accident reduction with more safe driving.
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