Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Efforts to obtain emails about Mt. Lebanon deer hunt raise legal questions

Efforts to obtain emails about Mt. Lebanon deer hunt raise legal questions

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Months back I thought I recalled seeing a map of the municipality with the 50-yd archery safety buffer superimposed upon it. It highlighted the dense nature of the community and showed that there is very little room for hunting here. Anyone know where that can be found.
The reason I ask is because there is an awful lot of presumption that the hunting going on is "legal". If there is bow hunting within the safety buffer, that is not legal. My guess is that this map of the buffer would enlighten many a citizen with regards to how close hunting may be occurring to their property.
The same goes for rifles when that comes about. I realize there is talk of suspending safety regs for that one but a map showing the 150-yd buffer could go a long way toward informing the public of what is currently and about to happen.

Lebo Citizens said...

The maps are available on the municipal website, but you have to know how to find it. It is really buried. Here is the link. Park maps for archery Scroll about 2/3 down.
Elaine

Unknown said...

What must be emphasized is that the release of the emails is not just about where the hunting is taking place, but will be an insight into the likely ugly governmental processes MTL engaged in - in making DECISIONS about deer management. I just made this comment on the PG article.

It is also very offensive that John Hayes uses the descriptor "anti-hunting citizen" for Elaine twice in the article... The real descriptor should be "pro-journalistic integrity citizen " ... but I guess that phrase is not in Hayes' lexicon.

Lebo Citizens said...

"When an anti-hunting citizen sought emails from Mt. Lebanon, seeking to out people cooperating with a deer hunt."
That is how Hayes' article begins. I filed the RTK in July for communication from June 18 to July 30. I don't think they had much of a list in July for me "to out." Their August 15 and August 17 recruiting meetings in the commission chambers, which Hayes himself attended on August 15, were set up to recruit people who would be willing to cooperate with a deer hunt.
Elaine


Anonymous said...

Elaine - You probably have a defamation case with Hayes.

Did the muni actually file the appeal yet? They have until Dec 24, right? Did they vote on it last night?

Lebo Citizens said...

Not that I am aware of, 11:58 AM. They did not vote on it last night. I understand it had been done when Susan Morgans called John Hayes with the news.

They're having a good old time over at the PG.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

I have been trying to find out who John Hayes reports to. He is deleting comments again. I see that he has deleted Jason M.'s latest comment. He was deleting comments made by "groad" and deleted half a dozen or so of Jason's comments in his last column of lies.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

The Post-Gazette is headed by Publisher and Editor-In-Chief John Robinson Block and David M. Shribman, who became executive editor in 2003.

Anonymous said...

here's a short bio I found on John Hayes from the Western PA Mushroom Club..
: John Hayes grew up in the suburbs east of Pittsburgh in a rural culture steeped in fishing, hunting, camping and hiking. Since 1980 he’s covered news, features, entertainment and outdoors for local newspapers and magazines, served as editor of Pittsburgh City Paper and was hired by the Post-Gazette in 2000. He’s been the paper’s outdoors editor since 2007.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

12:43--Hayes was the editor of THE Pgh. City Paper (the only newspaper I read)? For how long? That baffles me.

Anonymous said...

I love Groad's comments! Keep it up, Groad!

Anonymous said...

I don't think Hayes was at the City Paper. Anyone see an article written by him there? He isn't even listed on the Post Gazette's webpage as an editor. If they could, I am sure the Game Commission would *Pay* to have him write for the Post Gazette. Given that this is Pennsylvania government we are talking about, it's worth considering.

http://www.post-gazette.com/contact/editors

Anonymous said...

Ok, so maybe he was at the Pittsburgh City Paper but his "departure" may have been a result of his incompetence.

http://citypaper.net/articles/082897/article064.shtml

Anonymous said...

He's definitely incompetent and biased. He can't even report the entire story. He needs to go.

Lebo Citizens said...

Here is what I was doing at 3:10 AM this morning:

John,

I am writing to you concerning your latest "Hayes-ing" in your December 9, Efforts to obtain emails about Mt. Lebanon deer hunt raise legal questions

You start out with "When an anti-hunting citizen sought emails from Mt. Lebanon, seeking to out people cooperating with a deer hunt..."

I want to remind you that my Right To Know was from June 18, 2015 to July 30, 2015. You may recall that the informational meetings for residents, who may be interested in participating in the archery program, were on August 15, 2015 and August 17, 2015. At the August 15th meeting, which you attended, Jody Maddock was trying to recruit private property owners. As late as the August 17th meeting, Jody Maddock was still seeking names.

I am demanding a retraction of your defaming claim that I was "seeking to out people." I will be adding a copy of this email to my legal files.

Elaine Gillen

Anonymous said...

Well done, Elaine.

Anonymous said...

Shame on the PG. I've lost all respect. For the record, I delivered the Pgh Press as a kid.

Lebo Citizens said...

No response from Hayes, not that I expected one. I'm sure that he chuckled when he read my email. It is sad that someone in his profession isn't more interested in RTKs and constitutional rights.

No word on the appeal yet. I hate that I am being treated as the bad guy here. Today was not a good day for me.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your day, Elaine. They will do anything to make you feel like you are the bag guy.

I learned about a book that I think you and your readers might want to peruse because I am feeling as if the Mt Lebanon government has been built on it. It is called the Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944, CIA) and it has been declassified. Recently, other authors wrote a book, available on Amazon, that provides suggestions for how to overcome work situations in which these sabotage strategies are being used. So, for residents, the challenge is how to overcome sabotage by the local government.

http://www.openculture.com/2015/12/simple-sabotage-field-manual.html

(links provided on the open culture page to the original document)

The new book with workplace suggestions...
http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Sabotage-Detecting-Behaviors-Undermine/dp/0062371606