It is unfortunate, but Mike Riemer, Stephen Strotmeyer and Aviva Diamond will not be able to attend the candidate forum scheduled for October 26th. Earlier this month, when initially contacted through email by the PTA Council Secretary to schedule this event, we were told that there were three possible dates on which it may be held. When we received the emailed invitation from the League of Women Voters a few days later, we were only given one date and was told no alternate date was available.
As many of you know, Mr. Riemer serves in a leadership role with the Salvation Army. With the recovery efforts still taking place in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, their resources are stretched incredibly thin and, after serving in Texas for two weeks in September and October, Mr. Riemer is once again scheduled to be sent to other locations in the weeks to come. Unfortunately, on the date of this event, Mr. Riemer will be in New York working on distribution efforts related to the recovery in Puerto Rico. Drs. Strotmeyer and Diamond are similarly limited in that Dr. Strotmeyer has evening teaching commitments and Dr. Diamond a family commitment that both conflict with this event.
We believe that these events, when planned with care and input from all sides, play an important role and represent a wonderful opportunity for the community to engage with all of the candidates. However, in this instance, the short notice and the lack of alternatives provided prevents such a forum from going forward. We do not feel a forum consisting solely of members of one slate will serve the public good.
If you have questions about the Friends of Mt. Lebanon Education slate, we urge you to visit friendsofmtlebanoneducation.com, Facebook page or reach out to us directly via Facebook.
Most importantly, no matter which candidates you support, remember to vote on Tuesday, November 7th. If you do choose to support our slate of candidates, please vote for Mr. Riemer, Dr. Strotmeyer and Dr. Diamond for the four year terms and Mr. Riemer for the two year term.
12 comments:
They were invited by email? "The invitations must be sent to all candidates and must be sent by certified mail with return receipt requested." That is according to the link I posted from the School District/PTA website
http://www.mtlsd.org/uploaded/District/PTA_Council/Candidate_responses/PA_PTA_Nonpartisan_Policy.pdf
Elaine
Of course the PTA will be able to provide the signed certified mail receipt from each candidate.
Very, very disorganized - either intentionally (malicious, the fix is in again in MTL) or out of ignorance and ineptitude.
If they weren't served via certified mail, then the forum should be cancelled. Ugh.
-Mary E
What kind of a candidates' forum will that be when all the candidates are on the same ticket? It's a joke.
Anyone up for a protest outside of the forum? Right on Bower Hill Road. The media loves protests.
Elaine
Not to sound snipish but how many times does everyone have to experience this kind of nonsense without anticipating it? If you're going to run for school board in Lebo, it is a given there will be games played including the PTA tossing aside their charter and acting as a front group. Yet time and again, everyone is shocked--SHOCKED--when it happens.
Too bad the local R party is so weak and has been for a long time. Hey, Lebo Rs, here is some advice: the go along to get along, taking the high road, mamby pamby approach obviously doesn't work. So either stop running candidates altogether, or start acting like a political committee that wants to win. Being "nice" is how we ended up where we are.
4:04, not unless Jan Klein or Dr. Steinhauer have side jobs at the post office.
The time for a protest is on Election Day... do not vote for Birks, Cappucci, Caste and that will be all the protest needed.
Remember two of these candidates were part of the crew that did this...
“The Mt. Lebanon School District was approved for $17 million in exceptions, the most of any school district in the county. It was followed by the North Allegheny and Pine-Richland school districts. All three are among the state’s 40 wealthiest school districts.
However, those districts also demonstrate the differences between how often the exceptions are actually used.
Even though Pine-Richland was approved to raise property taxes above inflation six times in nine years, it increased its property tax rate three times. Mt. Lebanon increased property taxes at least six times and requested a hike above inflation every year.”
One does need to attend a forum to learn what tax hikes mean, just look at your property taxes.
Want to know more about Caste - just look at the results and transparency of the fundraiser.
8:09 AM, it is the perfect time. You don't have to attend. We would be reaching the undecided or uninformed voters BEFORE the election.
Elaine
I know it is hard to believe, 8:09 AM, but not everyone reads Lebo Citizens. ;)
Elaine
If you’ve ever attended one of these candidate forums they very rarely attract more than 20 or 30 people, so very few people will see the protest in person. Will it make the media and therefore reach more people than your blog, perhaps!
It still remains people that are upset about their property tax bills, existing rising and new fees at the very least need to show up and vote.
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