Monday, April 24, 2017

Think before you vote

I am frequently asked about the status of my Right To Know case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. My case is concerning the identities of archers and the locations of the private yards where killing deer is taking place.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth. It is also the oldest appellate court in the United States. There is no guarantee that the PA Supreme Court will hear my case. My attorneys had to file a request, known as a Petition for Allowance of Appeal, that explains why my case is important enough to justify review in the Supreme Court.

I understand that approximately 2000 Requests for Appeal are filed each year.  The Court grants review in 2-3% of these cases and is decreasing every year.

The PA Supreme Court has not decided yet if they will hear my case.

Why am I saying all of this? There are two candidates running in the 2nd and 4th wards' commission race who want more killing of deer. Steve Silverman voted to appeal the PA Office of Open Records' Final Determination and wants to keep all records sealed about killing deer in Mt. Lebanon. We don't have the right to know if our neighbors are granting access to archers and those with high powered rifles being discharged in their yards. Craig Grella is afraid of deer, but has no problem with anonymous killers with lethal weapons in undisclosed private properties.

Unfortunately, this decision is in the hands of Ward 2 and Ward 4 voters only. 

There is an election that is community wide, which is also critical. The Timmy Ticket (Caste, Cappucci, Remely, and Birks) will continue to block transparency and open government with their backroom deals and shenanigans. 

Please mark you calendars to vote on May 16.  I am spending my own money to appeal the courts' decisions to keep records private. Let's get Mt. Lebanon back on track to open government. 

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