Commissioners and Chief Lauth,
Joe Kramer from 327 Sleepy Hollow Rd. just rang my doorbell and asked me very politely to mind my own business concerning block parties on Sleepy Hollow. His wife is an attorney and understands that there is something on the books pertaining to block parties on Sleepy Hollow, but the children in his neighborhood relish the two block parties that they have during the year. He also parks his car in the street as a form of traffic calming and particularly enjoys having his section of Sleepy Hollow blocked off because the cars race by all the time. He asked me to back off and concentrate on other issues. He will not tell me who told him. I said that I feel very uncomfortable with him coming to my door and asking me to back off. He said that he will not come by again.
I said that this is another example of you coming up with ordinances and you never enforce them. Instead of coming to me, he should contact his commissioner, Dave Brumfield, and ask that this be taken off the books. I told him how you don't enforce dogs in the park (and there was a dog in Rockwood Park), you don't enforce the speed limits, you don't enforce the deer feeding ban, in addition to illegal block parties, and now you want to ban smoking in the parks.
Since Mr. Kramer, from 327 Sleepy Hollow, came to my house unannounced and refused to say where he heard about this, I can assume that... you...told Mr. Kramer about my email to you yesterday...I don't appreciate you sharing the information with him. I am especially upset since you are protecting the private property owners and hunters who are involved with the archery program. Mt. Lebanon residents are really concerned that you will not disclose these locations, citing in my latest Right To Know:
Aren't you doing exactly that to me? A man came to my door unannounced asking me to mind my own business. I have called 911 and an officer is on his way to speak with me.
Elaine Gillen
I have our commissioners to thank for all of this.
22 comments:
The commissioners like to try to silence us by giving information about us to other citizens for purposes of intimidation. If it is not criminal, it should be.
This is so creepy, Elaine. So very sorry that you are going through this.
This incident illustrates the reason why people need to educate themselves on the workings of their local governments. Not to diminish the power of the State of Federal powers, but the fact is that local government has more immediate influence on the life of a citizen simply because it IS local. State and Federal representatives deal with thousands of people; but local representatives usually deal with just a handful of people on any given issue, at any given time. It is much easier for them to try to intimidate those folks with whom they disagree, if they are in fact so inclined, because the "disagreeable" party may live "just down the street." After all, in the case of Mt. Lebanon six square miles isn't much of an obstacle if one is seeking a confrontation.
So true, Mt. Gideon. I wonder if this intimidation in order to block free speech is a matter to the ACLU. Denying individuals the locations of the private properties that are sponsoring archery kills may also be aimed at suppressing free speech, because any citizen to whom the muni would provide such information is more than likely to pass the information along to others because of the public's overriding interest in safety.
I have heard back from Kelly Fraasch, who only wrote, "I don't know him." That leaves four remaining commissioners.
Coleen Vuono, the person on the end, who looks like a propped up corpse and shows about the same emotion as one. She wrote to me and said that I should sell my house and move out of Mt. Lebanon.
Steve Silverman, the coward who ducks out of meetings to avoid talking with crying constituents.
Dave Brumfield, who is Joe Kramer's commissioner. Dave is also the reason why I had to hire an attorney since he threatened me with a lawsuit.
And John Bendel, who explained why Mt. Lebanon is disobeying Scott Township's ruling of no hunting or sharpshooting in Twin Hills, and was the commission liaison to the Sports Advisory Board and said at a SAB meeting that they have $750,000 to spend. Where do they want to spend it? Also, he wouldn't share the identity of the donors for the toxic turf.
Cue the Jeopardy theme song.
Elaine
I would not presume that a commissioner DIRECTLY contacted the person who showed up at your door, Elaine.
If at all possible, I would ask Mr Kramer who mentioned your name to him. I would bet it was Dave Brumfield because he is the local commissioner and because the new procedure for block parties on the oppressed streets is that they have to contact their commissioner to see if THEIR COMMISSIONER SUPPORTS THEM HAVING A BLOCK PARTY.
This block party rule was manufactured by horrible, terrible, no good people that never discussed this change in public, never made it an ordinance and just love to antagonize their own communities because they are %$&@!.
I had asked Mr. Joe Kramer and he said that it was not important. I said that it is important to me. He still wouldn't tell me. I asked him how he knew where I lived. He said that it is public information. Of course it is public information, because we are required to state our address every time we speak during Citizen Comments!
Elaine
Why are addresses redacted in Open Records Requests?
I know. It doesn't make sense. Consistency does not exist in Mt. Lebanon.
Elaine
Amazing! It certainly sounds like an attempts at intimidation/pay-back to me! I've long objected to being required to state my street address when speaking and this just drives home the point, doesn't it. This seems to be the way they like to play in Mt. Lebanon: they don't honestly address any serious questions posed of them, then they engage in tactics intended to discredit the individual or individuals posing the un-welcome questions. I wonder whether it is one of the Commissioners or whether a "staffer" is being helpful by taking the initiative. In any event, the whole thing is more than unnerving. I'm glad you filed a police report, Elaine. The Commissioners need to know what a hornet's nest they have uncovered by the ways they've empowered the deer haters!
A couple of new articles in the almanac about the deer:
http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20150914/OPINION01/150919966
Seems BP is fearing that it will become like MTL:
http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20150914/OPINION02/150919972
I am sorry to hear about this, Elaine. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I can't imagine going to someone's house with the purpose of intimidating them. This is disgusting behavior. It's sad that the "norm" in ML is to act like a bulley. They all need to go to counseling.
9:11 pm. MtL Commissioners and the staff that cooperates with their malevolent undertakings are beyond counseling.
I've experienced Mt Lebanon harassment before and I decided to combat it by joining with "the other side" rather than falling for their pitiful attempts to promote failure and torture in their citizens. I was fortunate, for the most part, in seeing that "the other side" in my case could also see that the municipality and commissioners have and continue to pit neighbor against neighbor, neighborhood against neighborhood and so on and so forth. This is their strategy and they will continue to employ it until everyone just stops listening to them and recognizes them as the weak, inept failures that they are.
"Power over others is weakness disguised as strength". - Eckhart Toile.
Jason at 10:25 and anonymous at 9:11. Both of you are correct, this should be criminal and it is disgusting behavior, to say the least. First off, I would demand an internal investigation to find out who communicated with Mr. Kramer about an email that Elaine sent to the commissioners in confidence and immediately ask for that persons resignation. Here is another example of gross negligence. When I want and/or need information regarding this township I need to file a right to know request. Apparently, one commissioner broke that rule by passing along information on their own without a right to know request. Commissioners do not have this power, only the person assigned to right to know requests who in this case is manager Feller. This also 9:11 is disgusting behavior. What else is this commissioner passing along on their own without going through proper channels that we don't know about? How can we as taxpayers express our thoughts at a commission meeting or send an email knowing that we have a rogue commissioner? Elaine doesn't know Mr. Kramer. God forbid, what if Mr. Kramer was a physically violent person? Mr. Kramer sure as heck is no angel, just look at how many speeding violations he has...in a school zone too. What on earth goes through a persons mind that he feels the need to get in a car, drive over to a strangers house just to tell them to mind their own business regarding a block party that was in violation of an ordinance in the first place, and they knew it was in violation. Sorry folks, I truly feel this is something that really needs investigated further...total disregard and recklessness toward the taxpayers of this community.
Nick M.
What might happen if his boss and coworkers learned that the cops were up at his house telling him to behave himself and to stay off of an elderly widow's property?
From what I've heard from someone close to him, Dave Brumfield knows how to permanently delete emails from the Mt Lebanon system.
From what I recall, last year this situation emerged when Elaine wrote an email to the commission about an extremely offensive and crude twitter posting by the high school student section. Almost instantly after she sent her email, Dave Franklin started following the offensive twitter feed. Thus, I believe Dave B or John B forwarded the letter to Dave Franklin. Thus, the guilty person(s) are most likely to be Dave Brumfield and/or John Bendel.
Elderly widow, 12:11 AM? ;)
Nick M., Mr. Kramer had his hands in his pants pockets, which I thought was weird. He was wearing nice jeans with his blazer, so I wasn't too concerned that he was hiding a weapon. But the thought did cross my mind. I wrote back to the commissioners last night:
"Commissioners,
I just placed my THIRD order of yard signs.
I have only heard from Kelly Fraasch concerning Mr. Joe Kramer and his unexpected and unwelcomed visit to my home. I have yet to hear from the rest of you. Is this what you learned to do in your training with the Local Government Academy?
I have been ignored again when I asked what would happen if a human being or pet was injured or killed or if there is a car collision involving a deer with an arrow in it. Would you stop the archery program?
Halloween is on a Saturday this year. I asked at the August 15, 2015 recruiting meeting about Halloween. Will the arrows be flying on October 31? I was laughed at.
Elaine Gillen"
12:15 AM, it could be Bendel or Brumfield. It could also be Silverman or Vuono. I have noticed through RTKs, that Silverman would give out information to deer haters. Vuono suggested that I sell my house and move. I wrote back to Vuono reminding her that selling a house in Mt. Lebanon is not easy, as she should know first hand. Her house has been on the market for 87 days now, with another Open House tomorrow from 6-8 PM. That is her 4th or 5th Open House. That is why she is in such a hurry to seal the deal with sharpshooters.
The countdown clock shows four days and two hours. I wish I could sleep while things are quiet.
Elaine
12:11 AM, you really threw me with the elderly comment, but I failed to say that I hope you have no intentions of contacting his boss or coworkers. Please don't contact his boss or coworkers.
Elaine
I'm betting it would unnerve Colleen if bunches of us showed up and signed the log sheet during her OPEN HOUSE.
I think it is time to start rattling the school super's cage.
Two down, three to go. Still haven't heard from John Bendel, Steve Silverman, or Coleen Vuono.
Elaine
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