Look what I found in my mailbox from five years ago

Some things never change.

RE: Eblast 

From	Nancy Dapper ndapper@verizon.nethide details
To	egillen476 egillen476@aol.com, rkang174 rkang174@comcast.net, katiecaste katiecaste@yahoo.com,skccreations skccreations@aol.com, hunz176 hunz176@gmail.com, mkressler mkressler@verizon.net,turnpike73 turnpike73@gmail.com, johnstonhouse johnstonhouse@verizon.net,themaselkos themaselkos@gmail.com, kubits kubits@verizon.net, 4saxtons 4saxtons@comcast.net

Since I don't "do" blogs, I'd rather that you not post my reply. That would require me to start to follow and possibly respond to others. It just isn't something that I feel the need to do.

I removed the other folks because I don't think they would need or want to be bothered by this kind of dialog. I did include you since you had sent the original email.

-----Original Message-----
From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 1:11 AM
To: ndapper@verizon.net; rkang174@comcast.net; katiecaste@yahoo.com; skccreations@aol.com; hunz176@gmail.com; mkressler@verizon.net;turnpike73@gmail.com; johnstonhouse@verizon.net; themaselkos@gmail.com; kubits@verizon.net; 4saxtons@comcast.net
Cc: cmcdonough@mtlebanon.org
Subject: RE: Eblast

Nancy, I am not sure if I was to receive this since you had removed other email addresses from your reply. Of all the people I sent my letter to, your response was the only one I received personally.
Because you don't read my blog, I should tell you that Kim Ressler responded on my blog. Thank you for your response, Kim.

Do I have your permission to publish your response? If not, I do understand.

I copied Chief McDonough so that he is in the loop.

Elaine Gillen

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Dapper <ndapper@verizon.net>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>; rkang174 <rkang174@comcast.net>; katiecaste <katiecaste@yahoo.com>; skccreations <skccreations@aol.com>;
hunz176 <hunz176@gmail.com>; mkressler <mkressler@verizon.net>;
turnpike73 <turnpike73@gmail.com>; johnstonhouse <johnstonhouse@verizon.net>; themaselkos <themaselkos@gmail.com>; kubits <kubits@verizon.net>; 4saxtons <4saxtons@comcast.net>
Sent: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 10:53 pm
Subject: RE: Eblast

I must be missing something. PTSA warns parents that they may get a ticket if they disobey the drop-off rules on Lebanon….and somehow that translates into an apology being owed to someone? All ML PTAs have a long history of notifying parents of unsafe drop-off / parking / driving situations around the schools. Telling people to observe the road signage rarely results in a widespread habit change ~ but telling them that a ticket might be forthcoming often does the trick. The mentioned eblast is no different than countless messages that have been sent to parents over the years at the various schools. I don’t read this blog so I don’t know the history of what these folks are complaining about. Seems like they have it in for Council PTA and PTSA for some reason. Thankfully that doesn’t affect our day to day operations. We will just keep doing the best that we can in our volunteer capacities and hope that the bloggers can manage to get past their grudge. From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 6:44 PM
To: rkang174@comcast.net; katiecaste@yahoo.com; skccreations@aol.com; hunz176@gmail.com; mkressler@verizon.net; turnpike73@gmail.com;johnstonhouse@verizon.net; themaselkos@gmail.com; kubits@verizon.net; 4saxtons@comcast.net; ndapper@verizon.net
Cc: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net; bmcfeeley@mtlsd.net; schoolboard@mtlsd.net
Subject: Eblast
Dear Mt. Lebanon PTA Council and Mt. Lebanon High School PTSA,

I think you know how I feel by reading this.
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2395310382514169324&amp;postID=3683433117241749776&page=1&token=1334010818566
I believe the PTA owes an apology to the Mt. Lebanon Police Department and the rest of the community.

Elaine Gillen

Police Investigating Anti-Semitic Message In Mt. Lebanon

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017/05/30/anti-semitic-message-found-mt-lebanon/

Another fee from our friendly Municipality

Mt. Lebanon looks to change overnight street parking policy

Want to park overnight in front of your house? It will cost you. Even with permission, it will soon cost you. You think it is your right as an American? Ha! You have no rights here.

Ticketing vehicles parked on the street overnight without permission also provides a source of revenue, with $162,105 collected in overnight parking reinforcement in 2016, according to Lauth.

 Our commissioners are looking into changing the overnight street parking. Aren't you glad you voted for them?

The Municipality will be thrilled to hear this.

Mt. Lebanon residents do not have the right to know where lethal weapons are being discharged in Mt. Lebanon. The PA Supreme Court will not hear my case. My request has been denied.

Petition for Allowance of Appeal is denied per Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

I want to thank those who contributed to my legal bills when the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon first took me to Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County to appeal the PA Office of Open Records' Final Determination.

The fact that the courts, from Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas all the way to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, do not believe that Mt. Lebanon residents have the right to know where lethal weapons are being fired in their neighborhoods is quite sad. Today, we take chances going to concerts, flying, and now, walking our dogs on the streets of Mt. Lebanon seven months out of the year.

What's this I hear about PTA? UPDATED

Someone asked me if I heard about the shake up on the PTA. Something about the president and the treasurer quitting at the same time.

What's the scoop?

Update May 25, 2017 8:06 AM Here is the scoop. Council PTA President Jodi Kubit and Council PTA Treasurer Jennie Bhojwani have resigned.

Not what I asked for. UPDATED 3 TIMES

On May 15, 2017, I filed a Right To Know seeking "All records, including but not limited to emails, texts, and interoffice memos related to modifying the job posting dates for Middle School Social Studies Teacher - 8th Grade US History - Contract 2016-2017 JobID:471. Dates modified include: Date Posted & Closing Date."

Here is what I got.

Response Letter They located a copy of the job posting as it currently exists. No kidding!

The records sent (redacted, yet free of charge. How about that, Keith McGill and Bonnie Cross?!!)

The cover letter from MTLSD  - check out all the people who were cc'ed!

And finally, my response to the MTLSD ORO. I enclosed the original and modified job postings.

Timmy is not giving up the information!

Update May 22, 2017 6:12 PM If you read the fine print at the bottom of the redacted emails, it appears that M Mikesell applied for the position. According to the staff directory, Matthew Mikesell teaches Grade Six Social Studies at Mellon. http://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=632 Elaine Cappucci's son won out over an internal hire, a social studies teacher from Mellon.

Update May 23, 2017 5:46 PM I wrote back to Jeanine Szalinski, Timmy's administrative assistant/Open Records Officer asking for clarification concerning my RTK.  Well, that's all she wrote. That is all I am getting, even though it is not what I requested. So here are my options. Accept it at face value or appeal it to the PA Office of Open Records. Been there, done that. Still waiting for the PA Supreme Court to hear my case on the last appeal. I lost too much money on that deal, thinking that we have the right to know where lethal weapons are being fired in Mt. Lebanon. Ha! OR one of the million attorneys in Mt. Lebanon that isn't on Team Timmy can get a subpoena, or help me FOR FREE. I can file an appeal with the PA OOR, but their decision means nothing to Mt. Lebanon.

Update May 25, 2017 5:53 PM I decided to file an appeal with the PA Office of Open Records. Here is the correspondence MTLSD and I received today: the email and the confirmation letter from the Office of Open Records. I agreed to a thirty day extension, so their final determination will be on or before July 24, 2017.

A friend's new business

Our Director of Finance works for free!

Not only does Susan Morgans work for free, it has been pointed out to me that Andrew McCreery also works for free. Andrew McCreery Statement of Financial Interests

One would think that the Director of Finance would be a little more mindful filling out financial disclosure statements. Our municipal employees sure go above and beyond working for us. They donate their services - just like the hunters and property owners donate their properties!

Key words: "Exceptions...if commissioners approved an increase unanimously"

The sky's the limit, thanks to uninformed Mt. Lebanon voters. 3,865 voters voted yes to give commissioners the power to raise taxes at any amount, if there is a unanimous vote. Voters thought they were voting to limit property tax increases.

 

The Post-Gazette reported  

In the race for the two-year seat, Mr. Riemer secured the Democratic nomination, and Ms. Cappucci will be the Republican nominee.

Way to go, Republicans. Elaine Cappucci is a Democrat and running for the seat that she resigned from or as an anonymous comment from May 17 succinctly stated, "Mt. Lebanon Republicans voted for Cappucci to appear on the November ballot for the two year term ... which is the very same seat that she gave up so that her son could get his (in through the back door, ill-deserved) job." You couldn't even support DePlato, a Republican!

Janice Crompton also reported,

Ms. Birks was the subject of recent controversy over accusations of a conflict of interest involving her role as executive director of Outreach Teen & Family Services.

No worries! Republicans voted to keep Mary Birks on the ballot, as well as the rest of the Timmy Ticket. As a Republican, I hang my head in shame.

Aaugh!!! UPDATED

I can't get on any sites for election results. I received a text that Bob Lee lost, but I haven't been able to confirm that.

I understand that Mary Birks is completely out. Mike Riemer finished first. So far, that's all I know.

Sorry that this post is in piecemeal.

Try this site for County results:
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/PA/Allegheny/68994/Web02/#/

It looks like Cappucci won the 2 year term on the R ballot, and Riemer won the 2 year term on the D ballot.

Total votes (adding both R & D)

Cappucci 2194

Riemer 2642

Diamond 2270

Strotmeyer 2423

Caste 2038

Remely 1588

DePlato was only on the R ballot with 328 votes.

On the Dem ballot for 4 years: 

Riemer 

Diamond

Strotmeyer

Cappucci

On the Rep ballot for 4 years:

Caste

Cappucci

Remely

Riemer

Here are the updated unofficial results. The County has to certify the absentee ballots in the next week or so.

I do know that Mt. Lebanon voted yes for the commissioners to raise taxes. Shaking my head.

Update May 17, 2017 5:04 PM The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission received additional information concerning my complaint against Elaine Cappucci this morning at 10:41.

We don't pay her enough; she's homeless! UPDATED 2X

I would bring this to the attention of our manager, but he has said that he is not responsible for gathering the correct information, only getting the form. Through a Right To Know, close to eighty statement of financial interests forms were filed in the municipality. Of all the SFIs submitted, only one came back incomplete. You guessed it. Susan Morgans.

The poor girl is homeless. Susan has given herself an interest free loan from Susan F. Morgans Card Services. She collects no income. Wow, Susan, I owe you a huge apology. All along, you have been donating your services getting information out to the people. Just like me!

The form is considered deficient by the PA State Ethics Commission. Perhaps someone else can contact them, since I have been busy with Mary Birks and Elaine Cappucci, and soon, another individual.

Update May 17, 2017 4:37 PM Email sent to Manager Keith McGill.

Update May 18, 2017 8:26 AM My guess is that Susan Morgans is in Wine Country again. I heard back from Keith McGill. 

So pathetic

Remember how the MLRC (Tommy Dunn) gave Jim Cannon and me a hard time in 2011 about posting our signs on the "Republican" board at Foster School? And how Tommy gave me a hard time about putting up one of my recycled signs when I ran in protest for the last election for the Ward 3 Commission seat?

This is the Republican board at Foster School today, May 16, 2017. So pathetic.

Here is what you will see on Tuesday's ballot for school board

There are four open positions for a four year term and one open position for a two year term. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you will see Mike Riemer, Stephen Strotmeyer, Aviva Diamond, and the Timmy ticket on the ballot. They all cross filed. Justin DePlato is only on the Republican ballot. Democrats will have to write in his name, if they wish to vote for him.

For the two year term, pick only one of those candidates. You will, most likely, be voting for one candidate twice for the Primary.

I hear the weather is going to be nice on Tuesday. Get out there and vote. Choose wisely. Please.

ADMINISTRATION CAUGHT IN COVER-UP UPDATED

The 2016 job posting for Elaine Cappucci's son has been altered since Cappucci announced her candidacy for school board.

Original posting and altered posting

Who has the authority to do this? Who do you think?

Update May 13, 2017 10:03 PM Now that I am back in town, I am sharing the copy of the online job posting which was sent to the PA Ethics Commission. I downloaded it on April 21, 2017 at 1:42 PM. The Administration changed it after they found out about the ethics complaints. I learned long ago to make pdf's of the MTLSD website because things mysteriously change. I will be sending in the new evidence to the PA Ethics Commission.

Fiery Resignation Tonight

Paradise’s  Bad Attitude

May 9, 2017

Paradise has a bad attitude toward the environment says the resigning Chairman of the Mt Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board.   

Andrew Baram, an executive at a major bank, is resigning in disgust from the Board  tonight (May 9) at a Mt Lebanon Commission meeting at the Mt Lebanon Municipal Building during the public forum at 8 PM.  

Baram has chaired the ESB for several years, and for those years his advice and that of the Board itself has been “ignored and blatantly misrepresented.”

Baram accuses one of the Mt Lebanon Commissioners of using “alternative facts.”  But he charges the Commission and the town manager with manipulating a student and “junior” commission’s attitude questionnaire, she crafted for the local high school, to fit their own agenda.

Baram contrasts Mt Lebanon’s poor record on the environment with Cranberry Township’s focus on sustainability.

 Statement of Resignation

Mt Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board

Andrew Baram, Chairman

Before the Mt Lebanon Commission

May 9th, 2017

I’d like to start by thanking you. Thank you for teaching me many valuable lessons over the last several years, and more importantly, giving me a gift few have given me, the gift of time.

I have learned that it was not a good use of time to contribute to the town’s comprehensive plan, as I have not once heard anyone reference it, especially the part regarding the environment.

I have learned that unplanned expenditures that are associated with pet projects don’t always have to follow guidelines for being a formal agenda item, for example, the forgotten fence for the turf field.

I have learned that you can nominate anyone to a task force, including a neighbor, who has no interest in having an open dialogue. You can also give said neighbor a captive audience of the Commission without telling others on the task force and allowing one point of view to win the day.

I have learned that a Commissioner can send something out to all of his constituents that is biased and even contains information that is false. For example: the rate of recycling has increased every year. But in this day of alternative facts, why should I be surprised?

I have learned that just about every time the Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) has suggested something, it is almost always met with a “why we should not do that” instead of truly considering the possibility of the suggestion.

We were ignored and blatantly misrepresented regarding the turffield. Our suggestions concerning pesticide notification and reclamation of bricks in the streets were instantly challenged. Even something as simple and symbolic as not using disposable water bottles goes unheeded.

Thankfully, we have not weighed in on the deer, not that it would have mattered. A simple suggestion of trying to save our local businesses’ money by pooling their resources and getting better waste removal contracts, in addition to trying to reduce their waste, was never of real interest.

Speaking of waste reduction, considering Pay As You Throw (PAYT) was an exercise in futility from the beginning. I should have known that when the first task force convened and one of the few documents that was shared with us was the ill-fated high school PAYT questionnaire. This survey was crafted by a former junior commissioner. But she was forced by the former town manager and others to change it to make it completely biasedagainst PAYT and brought the junior commissioner to tears on several occasions.

This commission’s reactions always seem to be about finding ways any new scenario could be bad. The latest nail in the coffin was regarding how homes of lesser value could be negatively impacted. No one stopped to question the analysis, as I am still not convinced it is very clear. But even if it isfinancially sound, did anyone even think to suggest that we could do something to offset those who might lose? Of course not.

I am South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) board member. SHIM serves the needy and the disadvantaged. Would I endorse a program that was structured to negatively impact those in need? Of course not. Did anyone ask how the other thousands of towns with PAYT programs handle this situation? Of course not. Has anyone besides Kelly actually taken me up on my offer to speak with another town who has adopted a successful PAYT program to understand it more? Of course not.

It was always about “I received so many phone calls from residents who did not like this.” Do you think there is a reason that residents in PAYT towns, who were polled by an independent company, actually really like PAYT? Could our residents with negative comments just simply be misinformed or afraid of progressive change, just as so many of our current leaders seem to be?

I hope that as you move forward you truly consider why you have an Environmental Sustainability Board. You have great men and women who care about this town and the environment, but feel like they have no real voice. Other than using the Board discussions about storm water to count towards your Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) requirements, our efforts have been largely ineffectual.

I know you feel our views are extreme (yes, I watched the video of your discussion of the Sustainability Board on April 24), but anyone I know in this town who truly cares about the environment would vehemently disagree with your reactions and words that night. They would never mistake our town for Cranberry, who was recently on the front page of the Post-Gazette, not for its approach to four-legged creatures, but for its leadership in sustainability. They also would not mistake our town for one that wants to “raise the bar for environmental sustainability,” something I should have realized long ago doesn’t matter or guide the actions of this Commission in any meaningful way.

I want to thank the ESB’s current Commission liaison, Steve McLean, for at least listening. And I would be incredibly remiss if I did not thank, Kelly Fraasch, who has always been a great advocate for the environment, has never been afraid to stand against the majority, and has shown the type of leadership this town needs to move forward.

So, I will end where I started. Thank you for giving me the gift of time. As a smart municipal employee recently told me, “government moves slowly and maybe I would be better off taking my talents and energy elsewhere.”

I will heed that advice, so please formally accept my resignation as chair and member of the Environmental Sustainability Board, as I plan to take my “extreme” views elsewhere.

Bill Matthews | MTLSD 2017-2018 Budget

Many of you may have seen Bill Matthews' letter to the school board.

Members of the Board:

First, thank you to the Board Members who pressed the Administration to hold the line on property taxes this year.  I have a pretty good idea of who you is, and who you isn’t.

Secondly, this is really not such a monumental feat, nor deserving of all the accolades that no doubt will be passed around to Dr. Steinhauer and his team.  We have been over taxed for years and when you combine this with all the funds being generated from bond refinancing and other sources, the District remains in a very strong financial position.  With the cash-on-hand, there is really no need to pad the surplus.

Please see the General Fund Budget summary attached.  Since Dr. Steinhauer took the reins, the District has landed under the Expenditure Budget (excluding Transfers to Debt Service and the Capital Fund) by more than $7 million.  The Revenue Budget has been essentially on the money.  

Please note, the reason Debt Service and Capital Fund transfers are excluded from my analysis is that the Capital Fund transfers are made from available General Fund surplus and very often are not reflected in the approved budget number.  Consequently, transfers may appear as a budget impairment, which could ultimately be misinterpreted as a “miss”.

Lastly, it sure would be nice going into finalizing the budget to know how the Administration forecasts the current year spend.  We used to routinely see forecasts similar to the attached. Just because the Audit & Finance Committee was disbanded, there is no reason another outlet for the information could not be employed (like the website). 

Fiscal transparency has been a general disappointment under the Steinhauer Administration.

Best regards,

Bill

cc: Mt. Lebanon Community

MTLSD Budget Analysis 05-07-17

MTLSD 2011-2018 Budget Summary

MTLSD 2013-2014 Year End Analysis 05-07-17

Complaints filed with PA Ethics Commission against Birks and Cappucci UPDATED AGAIN

Press Release

On April 26, 2017, formal complaints were filed with the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission against Mt. Lebanon School Board President, Mary D. Birks and former Mt. Lebanon School Board President/current Mt. Lebanon School Board Director candidate, Elaine Cappucci.

Cappucci, Birks, School Board Director Dan Remely, and newcomer Katie Caste are running on the same slate in the May Primary.

Documentation submitted to the PA Ethics Commission include:

Summary of ethics complaints

Complaint filed against Elaine Cappucci

Complaint filed against Mary D. Birks

Steinhauer Amended Contract

RTK response cover letter dated April 24, 2017

RTK response to April 10, 2017 request

Outreach vouchers, minutes, and votes

https://www.applitrack.com/mtlsd/OnlineApp/JobPostings/view.asp?Category=Teacher/&AppliTrackJobId=471&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail&AppliTrackViewPosting=1

Elaine Cappucci, longtime Mt. Lebanon school board member, resigns


The PG picked up the Mary Birks story here:

Mt. Lebanon school board president to refrain from votes for nonprofit


Remember how VP Bill Moorhead said that it wasn't a conflict? and Schoolboard President and Outreach SECOND REQUEST Well, it is.

Update May 5, 2017 10:47 AM As I explained to the reporter, the copy of the complaints was not notarized. I scanned the complaints before they were notarized, got them notarized, and then mailed them. Here are copies of the receipts. Track the number 7016 0910 0002 2878 8566 at usps.com for proof of delivery. Notary receipt is also available.

Proof of delivery click here

Notary and postage receipts

Also, I did not file the RTK as stated in the article. It was sent to me by a Lebo Citizens reader.

Update May 6, 2017 7:31 AM A RTK was filed (not by me) for the Statements of Financial Interests for those required to file by May 1 in the School District. It can be found here. Check out page seven. It is the SFI of Elaine Cappucci's neighbor on Roycroft. She was PTA President, and is now Dean of Students. 

Not to take away from the school board race...

I will be moving this post below the ethics complaints post later on, but I wanted to share this article with Lebo Citizens readers. Borough electric systems have better rates, are more reliable  

Each Borough Council shops for the best electricity and the cheapest rates for the entire town. This is a buying pool run by borough council. A non-profit pool is just like a farming co-op. And it works all over the Commonwealth.
Borough electric systems have better rates, much better reliability, are managed by local elected officials, are responsive to local concerns, employ local employees, buy local services, do not send tax money to Harrisburg, and operate far superior and much more reliable electric systems than our for-profit competitors. Any legislative action to change this century old system is unneeded.

Since 2011, I have brought up this idea multiple times at municipal meetings, but was always told that it couldn't be done. I even had the name of an energy supplier who could make it happen.

This idea is the reverse of PAYT. We get the best rates and the best service possible for garbage collection when going through SHACOG. If it works for garbage collection, why not electric rates? Yes, I said that PAYT = higher rates and not-the-best service.

Perhaps our commission candidates can consider this option, if elected.

PTA questionnaire

PTA questionnaire of school board candidates is available:
http://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=563 

The FIOS guy is coming Friday morning since I don't have TV, internet, or phone. This is impossible to do on my iPhone.

I will add more when I am back in business. Sigh. 

Behind the Bubble | Special Primary Double Edition

Special note: Due to the upcoming primaries, BtB will appear in May as a special double edition.  We will then be taking June off, and return in July with the second half of this year’s BtB.

Craig Grella to Run Unopposed in Primary – To Face Bob Fischer for Open Ward 4 Seat

By Jason Margolis

For Grella, this election is as much about decision-making processes as the decisions themselves.  As Commissioner, Grella plans to use his technology background to make the MTL government more transparent and responsive to the community as they work through important community issues.

Grella believes that the MTL Commission needs to do an overall better job of communicating with the public.  He commented, “They do this when they make a decision, but they need to do a better job of communicating not just the decision but the thought process leading up to the decision.  They need to do this more often and more open.”   Specific areas Grella is targeting for improvement includes more letters to the public, more open forums, and improvements in a “website that needs to be much better … it is outdated, and needs to be more open and accessible.”

While Grella has recently worked with technology in the non-profit community, the Pennsylvania State Democratic party, as well as volunteering for the ACLU, he is now ready to serve the MTL community he has lived in for 5 years.  With his children now here in the MTL community, Grella said he “will be best be able to have a say in and impact local policies through the commission.”  Additionally, sitting commissioner Dave Brumfield is not running again.  Grella described Brumfield as “relatively popular and has done a pretty good job” and that he would not have challenged him in the primary.

Grella on the Issues

On the issue of deer management, Grella says he has “No issue with lethal control of deer,” although at the same time he believes that “As a commission, we can do a better job of exhausting non-lethal options.”  Nevertheless, Grella has “no problem with the way the commission has voted so far.”  At the same time, Grella is open to a change in policy if the data is there to support it.  He said, “We need more measurement and analytics in place to understand what is working and what is not.  DVCs are going up, we need to know more.  If it isn’t working, we need to pivot.  We should not just stand on ceremony.”

As for taxes, Grella compared MTL to his experiences on Long Island, saying, “In Suffolk County, we had more taxes.  And we get more here in MTL in terms of services and school district.”  Grella said that when considering issues like taxes, you must weigh: risk vs. reward and benefit to the community vs. cost.  “Some services you have to pay for,” he added.  In regards to the highly controversial MTL Newcomers Tax, Grella said that “The Commission needs to be clear when they are going to re-assess, and the real estate agents need to be clear that a sale can trigger a reassessment.  And it should be in the documents.  Also, people need to understand what their rights are.  The Commission needs to tell people how to appeal, and assist them.”

On the issue of artificial turf, Grella said, “I probably would have voted for it – I was an athlete myself.”  He sees the investment in artificial turf as similar to the investment in Mt. Lebanon High School.  He added, “We have to do some things like that to maintain [MTL’s] stand-out status.”

As for PAYT, Grella said that while he is “not completely against it,” he has many concerns.  These included that it “doesn’t pay except for a small subset of people in MTL,” and that without the collective bargaining MTL can have with other municipalities, there can be astronomical increases for individual residents down the road.  “I have lived in areas where this happened,” Grella added.

The Bigger Picture

As Commissioner, Grella is looking to increase communication – with the individual resident and with the entire community.  As for individual residents, Grella said that “A Commissioner must get back to the resident no matter what, even with a past history.”  More broadly, Grella said he “would love to see a community forum – an on line community forum that is moderated by the commission.  With community input, and partnership with community leaders.”

Grella added, “We need more interaction between the community and the commission – and not just at the meetings.  But not for bitching – to move things forward, with break out groups.  To build coalitions, which is not happening, but it should … We’d find we are not so different, but right now we are very polarized.”  

Emphasizing that most of the issues the community faces are not partisan issues, Grella said he believes that “Even though we live in an increasingly partisan world, we have to be able to separate that when we come to make sure our communities are safe and economically viable.”

Behind the Bubble – May – Special Primary Double Edition

Behind the Bubble – May – Special Primary Double Edition

by Jason Margolis

Special note: Due to the upcoming primaries, BtB will appear in May as a special double edition.  We will then be taking June off, and return in July with the second half of this year’s BtB.

Bob Lee, Democratic Candidate for Ward 2, Forced to Work Around Own Party While Promising to Re-work Local Government

The comparisons between Bob Lee and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns in relation to the Democratic Committee structures are striking, and Lee is not running away from them.

As there is now ample proof that Sanders was undercut by National Democratic Leadership, Lee says he has been similarly “let down” by the MTL Democratic Committee.

A former Independent, Lee says he joined the Democrats because he “thought he could make a difference.”  But the local MTL Democrats did not listen when he and others asked them to endorse their candidate after the Democratic primary.  Instead, according to Lee, they endorsed Silverman in a vote only conducted amongst the endorsement committee, and then proclaimed that any Democrats on the larger committee must support Silverman. This left Lee feeling “kicked off” the local Democratic committee which he is no longer part of (although he is still a member of the Democratic party).

Yet Lee does not feel this incident has hurt him in terms of his hopes of becoming the local nominee, and in fact, has instead energized his supporters.  Lee said that as soon as candidates could file in January, he received 41 phone calls in 10 days from local Democrats encouraging him to challenge Silverman.

Ironically, Lee campaigned for Silverman just 3 years ago.  He said he did so because “[Silverman] said he was going to be an environmentalist … but he has not been.  He went wrong on deer, PAYT, and artificial turf.”  Lee also feels that Silverman could be stronger in terms of representing his constituency, and in the strength of his leadership.

On The Issues

Lee launched into his thoughts on deer management before the question was even asked.  His position is complex, as he said that deer density did need to be reduced by “culling of some kind.”  At the same time, he expressed his distrust of the sharpshooting process in terms of safety and effectiveness, and explained that a longer-term policy was needed.  He also said that in some ways MTL was a “sanctuary city” for deer given its ample food sources (plants, hostas), water sources, and parks with little traffic.  One new solution Lee offered was to sterilize the bucks (who can impregnate many) instead of the does.  He added that many of these does are now having twins in the “bounce-back effect.”

On the issue of taxes, Lee said that he himself faced the Newcomers Tax and, if elected, will advocate for “fair assessment … Someone’s going to have to pay the debt and bonds eventually.  It shouldn’t be on the backs of Newcomers.”  He also explained how more grant funding (as opposed to increasing taxes) can come to “a community that is a leader … people feel we are a well-to-do community, but people forget that many [residents] are not.”  Lee added that MTL needs to think more about the ongoing “overhead” on things they spend money on, and he believes that in many cases MTL has “over-extended” themselves based on “short-term thinking.”

One specific area where Lee believes MTL could be more as a leader is in garbage collection.  He expressed strong support for what some call “Pay As You Throw,” which he believes was mis-packaged to the public.  He added, “Marketing slogans should not start with the word ‘pay’.”  But his passion on the issue was clear, as Lee expressed, “If we start when they are little, and teach them every bit makes a difference [for the environment] – and they make a difference …We should be leaders in the MTL.  Cranberry has this.  Over 9,000 communities have it.  We need to promote it as leadership.  We like to be the #1 in things … which is a good thing … it increases property value and the income base.”  

As an example of what he sees as the frequent short-term thinking by the MTL Commission, Lee turned to the issue of artificial turf.  While acknowledging that as a soccer player he “likes the way it feels,” Lee cited numerous problems with MTL’s turf: “It has a drainage issue.  There are higher banks around there.  We had problems with the other turf, and yet we still built another.  They should have put it on hold as all these bad stories came out about turf.”  Lee also proclaimed that our local government needs to think more about “longer term costs” and that he would “think about the next 10-20 years, not just the 4-year term … In a township, you must think beyond your lifespan.”

More broadly, Lee believes a greater number of local issues should “go through referendum rather than hierarchical managers – civil or commission,” and used PAYT as an example.  He also expressed concerns about the slant in MTL Magazine, and that overall the MTL local government needed more transparency as “transparency is what makes government legitimate.”  

Bob Lee the Person

Lee is running because “I have helped people all my life, my grandparents were deaf mutes.  I was their representative.  It feels good to help people.  That is part of who I am.”

Having grown up in a poor family, and then joining the marines, Lee hopes that “we will get back to what I thought I was defending on those ships.  We have to go in as if we are all trying to get to the same place, just through different means.  We have to talk and listen.  Rs and Ds must learn to work together to solve a common problem … that’s the world I want my grandkids to inherit.”

A self-described “IT geek,” Lee built his own first solar power radio at 8-years-old, and realized “you can change the world with technology.”

Lee and his family have lived in MTL since 1995.