Opinion: Left still can't get over Trump's win UPDATED 2X

Letter to the editor: Left still can’t get over Trump’s win

As a former Republican from Mt. Lebanon, I think I can explain why there were no protests after Raja lost.

The Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee is a joke. Last I heard, they forgot to find candidates to run for Mt. Lebanon School Board, and two seats on the Mt. Lebanon Commission. The R's were focusing solely on another Raja campaign, his third attempt to get elected.

I am still on the Republican mailing list and laughed when I saw a postcard with Commissioner McLean and former Commission Kluck. They had no other Republicans in office to endorse Raja. Matt Kluck was Raja's campaign manager. Ward 3 Commissioner Steve McLean is not running again, so the Democratic candidates for Wards 1 and 3 have no opposition. Ward 5 Republican running is Bill Hoon. Again.

I ran in the 2011 Primary against Joe DeIuliis, the guy who had a For Sale sign in his yard. The Lebo Republican Committee is filled with a bunch of good ol' boys and don't have a clue as to what is going on. They have been known to forget about cross filing for School Board. Heck, I had to explain to McLean that he would receive a stipend as a commissioner. I'll never forget when Steve yelled over to Andy Reinhart, "Hey, Andy! Did you know that we get paid for this job?" So embarrassing.

Then there was the Ward 4 election, where the Republican candidate turned down any help because he thought he could win on his own merits. Great in theory.

The author described the day after Iovino's win as peaceful with no angry mobs or protests. I think they were just clueless.

Update April 16, 2019 9:43 AM Below is the Ward 1 Absentee Ballot. Ward 1 is Raja's ward. No Republican candidate listed. In fact, lots of blank spaces on the Republican ballot.

Update April 17, 2019 1:29 PM Here is one example of a Republican in Steve Silverman's ward, who is still keeping his obnoxiously large Raja sign in his yard.

Why do Mt. Lebanon drivers have so much trouble with deer?

Today's Letter to the Editor in the PG, Why do Mt. Lebanon drivers have so much trouble with deer?

The usual haters are commenting; ass Time, Hayley Greenberg.  Still waiting to hear from josh g, Maxwell, and Brennen Larkin. Such hateful people. Paul Vondra summed it up well. "Anyone who can summon such passion for hating a deer is not very well."

Where do the haters get their facts?

• 90+% want the deer killed? Where and when was this poll taken?
• The deer are starving to death? Merlin Benner, Jody Maddock and Tony DeNicola all said that our deer are not starving.
• The main opposition to the cull is from a small cadre of Republicans? Uh, I don't think so. I think there are more Dems opposing this than R's. Remember R's are backed by the NRA.
• Lyme Disease is from ticks on deer? Please read about that on the PA Game Commission and the Mt. Lebanon websites.  http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/9630 and http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Pages/LymeDisease.aspx Please check the links. I am not making any of this up!

Has anyone asked the commissioners to justify their spending of $9000 so that DeNicola can supervise the same archers on the same 12 private properties?  

Letter to the Editor: High School Renovation Accounting

Here are the latest figures for the Mt. Lebanon High School renovation (or reconstruction) project:
Total project hardware cost through the end of July, 2015: $86,390,431
Total project cost, including "soft costs," through the end of July, 2015: $102,375,450
(To put this in perspective, the total project cost through July, 2015, represents $3,089.46 for every man, woman, and child in Mt. Lebanon)

During the "Construction Update" of 10 August 2015 it was announced that there were no change orders (CO) in the pipeline for August, 2015. However, that does not mean the end of additional charges. We will likely see more change orders coming next month. Here is the latest accounting of change orders through the end of July, 2015:
Total Spent: $4,545,383.57 (includes refunds)
Average Transaction: $16,772.63 (includes refunds)
Median Transaction: $10,081.00 (includes refunds)
Count: 271 Transactions (total CO's and refunds)

The following table breaks out expenses and refunds separately
Average CO: $20,809.03
Average refund: -$36,762.79
Median CO: $11,064.50
Median refund: -$7,774.00
Total spent on CO's: $5,243,876.57
Total refunds: -$698,493.00
BALANCE: $4,545,383.57
Contingency Fund (FORMERLY $4,276,000.00 – add $538,000.00): $4,814,000.00
Available Balance: $268,616.43
% used: 94.42%

There have been 38 months of change orders, averaging $119,615.36 per month. For the first seven months of 2015 the monthly average is $73,773.57. The District spent all of its original contingency amount as of February of 2015, requiring an infusion of over a half-million dollars of additional cash. While it is true that the amount of money spent on change orders per month is decreasing, the project is not over and there are many unknowns associated with the upcoming building demolition. Despite assurances at the beginning of this project - oft repeated, at least until the late Fall of 2014 - the original contingency fund amount of $4,276,000 was not sufficient to cover the expected additional costs of construction. It remains to be seen whether the additional infusion of $538,000 will see the project through to the end.

Stay tuned.

Richard Gideon

The voice of democracy?

Remember Larry Evans? He was representing himself as a consultant to the commission. Larry strikes again. This time, Larry is representing himself as the voice of democracy.  His To turf or not to turf letter to the editor (saved in Google Docs) is in The Almanac today.

Larry's original letter was not published. His original letter was much more interesting. Larry, being the "useful idiot" that I am, I will reprint your original letter. You're welcome, Larry.

To Turf or Not to Turf  

By Larry Evans, Mount Lebanon (FYI: I am a Democratic Party Committeemen)
We Leboites should thank our lucky stars that the biggest concerns currently confronting our sleepy little suburb are 1. To coldly cull or just politely neuter our dancing and prancing (into traffic) deer population and 2. To artificially turf a couple perpetually soggy sports fields or stay grassy “green” but rather lean on our kids’ playing time. To keep things in perspective, we should appreciate that we are spared the more acute contentions raging elsewhere around the globe like civil wars, suicide bombings, kidnappings, “honor” stonings and the suing of the leader of the free world for being uppity about trying to actually accomplish something.
Presented to our municipality’s recent Commission meeting was the bringing of birth control to our deary deer breathren plus installing sensor-controlled street crossing technology. This wiz-bang of a caring idea only stops short of extending Obamacare to all of our domestic and wild furry friends…now that’s a move which would, overnight, make this healthcare breakthrough the most popular public policy since the New Deal. Humanely solving the deer problem beats the heck out of letting loose a posse of trigger happy “Pittsburgh Hunters” to lurk behind our backyard fences with bows and arrows, AK 47s and hand grenades. There occurred hardly any argument against this state of the art proposal despite its potentially pricy price tag and possible psychosexual disorientation inflicted on our horny Bambis looking to get duly laid in the wood. But we do what we can because that’s what we do constantly in America, unintended consequences taken care of later. We will not winnie the pooh this proactive action just because it is not 100% safe for neither our deer nor our ever more dear, speeding Beamer populations. It’s called progress, people since it will make our community a happier, more prosperous place for man and beast. Improvements always come with a cost but also a benefit to property values, doncha know. Just check out the spike whence that shiny spaceship of a renovated Mt. Lebo High School is finally unveiled!
To turf or endlessly mow was the larger issue at the meeting – cost and contention wise. The pro-turf people (grateful jocks mostly) were very nice while the anti-turf critics got rather testy. But, at the end of a very long day, turfing was supported by all the youth sports organizations with thousands of member families who put their money ($250 grand) where their mouths were and the project was passed on a 4-1 vote by the Mount Lebanon Commission. Work to install 110,000 square feet of synthetic grass on Cedar Blvd will begin in August, and be done by late fall. Will it be 100% safe since it is made of plastic compounds and has an infill of rubber pellets mimicking soil? – of course not. Nothing is, including grass which requires pesticides and much more maintenance since it is known to inspire mud.
But the vote wasn’t embraced as a great hop, skip and jump forward. A nest of begrudging Republicans led the charge protesting the turfing as too expensive and get this - not green enough for their sensibilities. This out of the mouths of folks who would probably - in a Range Resources minute - sell the fracking rights to Bird Park. Heck, Deer Lakes, you got nothin’ on us!
Confounding my Democratic sensibilities mightily was the fact that our usual GOP obstuctionalists (are there any other kind?) were fortified by an unlikely ally – our neighborly and well meaning environmentalists who while sipping their artificially flavored H2O from plastic water bottles, got all worked up over our Johnnys and Suzies ODing on plastic grass, what with rubber pellets clogging their nostrils and MRSA bacteria attacking their skinned knees. It was a fascinating marriage of convenience of the conservative “don’t spend a cent” right and liberal “why don’t we just have a referendum” left. And there I stood – in the middle of this debate – a space I am not known to inhabit. Before retiring, I have worked both as a labor environmentalist organizer in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley (the notorious Big Chem industrial area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans) and I have also been a salesman of Field Turf synthetic grass all over the East Coast. For the purpose of gaining some more perspective – that La. chemical alley literally reeks of some of the planet’s most dangerous pollution. While on that assignment, I was mentored by both the late irrepressible Studs Terkel and the late great union leader Tony Mazzochi of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Worker’s Union who was the guy Karen Silkwood was on the way to meet when her car got run off the road. While on the job in the bayou, I was repeatedly threatened to be fed to the alligators by some fun folks who really do feed people to alligators.
When I returned to Pittsburgh and started coaching my kids from our new Mount Lebanon digs, I managed a few indoor soccer complexes and became a synthetic grass salesman. I fashioned myself on a Johnny Appleseed crusade covering 22 states with the good news of a safer sports alternative to Astroturf’s nylon rugs. I sincerely believed that I was on the good side of a highly regulated industry and syn turf fields have proliferated to the point that today they are the rule rather than the exception. My biggest sale, btw, was to W & J College, - a 235,000 square foot multi-sport complex off of Interstate 70 next to the Washington Wildthings Stadium. At the time it was the largest continuous synthetic field in the world. That field is now over 10 years old and is still in pristine shape and I talked with their Athletic Department folks who would highly recommend it to our Lebo community. At the Commission meeting I suggested to all to venture on down to that field if they wanted to check out their Cedar Blvd field’s future. I even offered to drive but got no takers.
Nonetheless I gotta say that democracy in Leboland is alive and well and downright interesting - much like the challenging advanced courses taught in our blue ribbon school district where there is a 100% PTA participation and 99% college admission rates.
And luckily for me there are no alligators…yet.
Larry Evans

Brumfield says, "Corbett Sucks!" UPDATED

With Charlotte Stephenson's permission...

On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 3:05 PM, Charlotte Stephenson wrote:

Dear Mt. Lebanon Commissioners, Representative Miller and Senator Smith:

I am writing to express my deep concern and disgust regarding the unprofessional and destructive behavior on the part of Commissioner Brumfield during a recent public budget planning meeting. During the facilitated discussion around common tenants that our Democrat Commission holds, Mr. Brumfield clearly stated that one of them is that "Corbett sucks". The video of this disparaging comment can be reviewed on our municipal website at http://mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?NID=2151 Choose "Budget Pre-Planning Meeting" "May 19, 2014" Video and begin listening at 14:20 to hear Mr. Brumfield's comment.

As a Founder for the Denis Theatre Foundation's revitalization project and Advisory Board member, this public remark only undermines all of the efforts that our Board of Directors has made to secure financial support from the RACP funding [Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program] in Harrisburg. All inroads previously made to reach out to Governor Corbett could be completely negated by such a reckless remark by our Mt. Lebanon elected official should it be discovered.

Mr. Brumfield, I respectfully request that you resign your position as Commissioner. You have tainted the office, which you have agreed to uphold and may have caused harm to your constituents in the process. Those of us who invest our own resources and work tirelessly to protect and develop our community don't need you to undermine our efforts. Please demonstrate to our Governor's office that you stand alone in your derogatory statement by stepping down.

I look forward to knowing who Mr. Brumfield's replacement will be.

Sincerely,

Charlotte Stephenson

Cc: Denis Theatre Board of Directors

*******

On May 21, 2014, at 5:25 PM, David Brumfield wrote:

Ms. Stephenson,

I wanted to respond to your email since some of the recipients may not be aware of the context of my quote. During an informal budget planning retreat our consultant asked the group what democrats can agree about. My response was, as you said, "Corbett Sucks". I would confess that my statement was cruder than I would have said in a public meeting. I should have said that Democrats could agree that "Corbett's policies and administration have been disastrous for Pennsylvania as a whole and Mt. Lebanon specifically." I could have gone on and pointed to the indefensible withholding of Plancon H funds from the High School project, the cuts in the education budget, increasing funding to private corporations through school vouchers while cutting education funding everywhere else, the failure to address our crumbling infrastructure, unwillingness to address the property tax issues, unwillingness to tax the Marcellus Shale industry, opposing gay marriage rights, trying to disenfranchise voters with voter ID laws, refusing to accept federal medicaid dollars under the ACA, and failing to protect workers by making it more difficult to recover unemployment benefits. Yet with all of my reasons to rail against the job Corbett has done I think more of him than to believe that he would refuse to fund a worthy project such as the Denis Theater just because a Commissioner expressed a negative view of him. If you believe that Governor Corbett is such a man you clearly have a much lower opinion of him as a person than I do of him as a Governor. Should anyone ask I would readily apologize for the word I used but not for the sentiment that motivated it. That would include Mr. Corbett or any resident who just did not like my choice of words.

I believe it goes without saying but I will again decline your second or perhaps third request that I resign.

Dave Brumfield

*******

From: Charlotte Stephenson
Date: May 21, 2014 8:52:08 PM EDT
To: David Brumfield <dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>, Dan Miller <DMiller@pahouse.net>, senatorsmith@pasenate.com

Subject: Response to Request for Brumfield Resignation

Mr. Brumfield,

I wish to clarify some of your points because, like many other public statements you make, they are inaccurate:

Any recipient can simply watch the video to determine the context of your quote. It is a shame that you are unwilling to accept your attitude and behavior as potentially detrimental to the efforts being made on behalf of the Denis. Further, although you represent residents across the spectrum of political affiliations, your derogatory remark about Governor Corbett only serves to alienate those who do not agree with you.

I believe you are confusing my only request for your resignation with that of many other residents who have also requested this of you. While I admit that your support of the artificial turf project has been frustrating to me, I see this lapse of judgement as your prerogative for having been elected. As you know, the turf project will spend at least $750,000 of unassigned municipal funds when there are many other more worthwhile and economically beneficial projects to support in our great community,

What is egregious is your cavalier attitude and flippant remark about our Governor who we depend on in various ways, including the possible receipt of funding for the Denis project.

Charlotte Stephenson

Note: Please contact State Representative Dan Miller and Senator Matt Smith if you disagree with the course our current Commission has chosen.

Update May 22, 2014 11:57 AM Charlotte Stephenson has a Letter to the Editor in today's Post-Gazette. "Newcomer" tax and turf unnecessary

More on our "official community magazine"

When I had my little Market District get together last week, Bill Lewis was kind enough to share this letter to the editor of Mt. Lebanon Magazine.

Bill raised many concerns in his 2006 letter in regard to the July/August 2006 article, Around Town Community Endowment Launched. As usual, Mt. Lebanon Magazine only reported the entertaining part, and not the rest of the story of community issues.

• The Municipal government spent $36,000 in tax funds to create the MLCE. 
• The Commission wasted $40,000 when sports organizations backed out of funding support for McNeilly Field/Park.
• The Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association was to contribute $135,000 to the MLCE for the specific purpose of developing athletic fields. [Why is this sounding like déjà vu?]
• Public officials and youth sports leaders were claiming that people with children wouldn't move here and housing prices would fall if we didn't have more fields. [Remember, this was in 2006.] 
• When was spending $36,000 discussed in a public forum? 
• Why does the magazine taint the good thing it does with editorial and publisher hype and managed news?

Thank you Bill, for sharing this letter with me and now, the rest of the community. I looked in the Blog Lebo archives to see if anything was written about this. As usual, I got side tracked because of all the information in those archives and found this about Mt. Lebanon Magazine and the TIF issue for Washington Park. Laurels and Lances Some things never change. Anyway, I did find this post on Blog Lebo called, Donation Allows Endowment

As one reader pointed out, Mt. Lebanon Magazine is definitely not a news magazine. In the words of former Commissioner Humphreys, Mt. Lebanon Magazine remains the "house organ" and "propaganda tool" for Mt. Lebanon.

Observation - 2013 General Election

Letter To The Editor

-submitted by Bill Matthews


Re: Observation - 2013 General Election

Turnout for this election was again low, 22.5%. However, this is not the observation I find most interesting. 

About one third of the voters making time to vote, did not vote for any school board candidate. Further, more than one than one third of the total votes available to residents and taxpayers actually voting, were not cast for any school board candidate; remarkable to me.

Lebo needs to demonstrate fiscal responsibility

Mt. Lebanon resident and Lebo Citizens reader, Bill Matthews submitted a letter to the editor of The Almanac. Here is the link to his letter. The letter is published below in its entirety.

Lebo needs to demonstrate fiscal responsibility

Mt. Lebanon School District is embarking on the second bond issue for our high school renovation. As currently planned, the financing will cost more than it should for three reasons: 1: The renovation is too big and expensive. 2: The financing plan is to �wrap� the bonds. 3: The plan includes capitalizing interest in the early years.

It will not change anything now to discuss the size and scope of the project; but we should never lose sight of the fact that our board, when they thought there was room in the budget, added amenities not recommended in the space plan prepared by our former superintendent, yet did not delete these upgrades when the initial building bids burst our bubble.

One could see the proposed bond wrapping coming years ago. Nevertheless, its primary purpose is not to soften the millage impact as alluded to by the board. The bonds are being phased in to provide for actual future millage increases up to Act 1 limitations. Between the demands of this financing, and normal operations, we can anticipate experiencing maximum allowable millage increases for the next few years.

The capitalized interest is, however, an opportunity to demonstrate some respect for Mt. Lebanon residents and taxpayers. The plan includes about two million dollars in borrowed money to fill out the interest expense in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The administration has acknowledged it has three million dollars that could be used to reduce the total borrowing, to which the board turned a deaf ear.

Here is a suggestion, in lieu of hoarding these funds the board could demonstrate some fiscal responsibility by at least paying the interest expense with the available reserves. Effectively, it would do two things: lower the overall cost of the borrowing and consequently, lower our go forward tax burden.

Our school board will be discussing the bond issue on Aug. 12, and possibly give direction to our financial advisor to sell the bonds; taxpayers with similar concerns or even better ideas should contact the board, maybe they will listen.


Bill Matthews
Mt. Lebanon

The party left me

This morning, I received this letter to the editor from a Mt. Lebanon Republican. Perhaps the anonymous commenter on a previous thread had it right. "The time for a new Republican Committee that reflects the true heart of Mt. Lebanon Republicans has come."  Here is the letter to the editor:

Yesterday I received in the mail the Lebo Republican Committee candidate letter. The first thing I noticed was the ridiculous and pathetic writeup from Tommy Dunn. Here's the clincher--"most candidates of the opposite party sound like a Republican until they are in office, then their true colors come through". Uh, gee Tommy, you mean like Remely and Kubit? Or did you mean like Birks? I'm getting confused since they're all liars and nowhere near real Republicans.

Below that Tommy Dumm, oops, Dunn, includes his helpful tips. Again, he launches a real winner--"When you are in the voting booth, no one is looking over your shoulder, no one knows how you vote. Make your vote count". Aside from being totally patronizing (by virtue of voting it DOES count, Tommy Dumm) he seems to be suggesting that Republicans are afraid to be open with whom they're supporting. Given the candidates endorsed by the MLRC, I can understand why. But if he's aiming to motivate voters, he has failed. Big time.
Then I opened up the flyer. After tamping down my gag reflex, I noticed there are two people I've never heard of running for commission seats. I must be really out of it since I thought there was only one seat up for grabs. I can't blame the MLRC for that...on second thought, yes I can. They still don't get the whole communication thing. (Tommy, I don't know it worked in Alabama or wherever you're from but up here we have a thing called email. And if that's too complicated for you, try mailing out a monthly letter. You might even get people to start showing up at your meetings.)

So once again the MLRC is backing some candidates who will not only not make a difference but likely be a detriment to the party. I think we all know Remely's track record. Nice to see him so committed to a particular goal that he's running for two different offices simultaneously. Now that's dedication and integrity.

Then we have Krista Harris. First off, she's what we could call a carpetbagger. Second, she works as a "political consultant" in a firm that has a record of backing losing campaigns. Of course that fits well with the MLRC so maybe my criticism is redundant. Also, I got one of her mailers. Cute attempt with the whole mom and baby bit. But what are your ideas? Why are you running for County Council? Considering you already have a bad relationship with the county executive on a board dominated by Dems, just what do you think you'll accomplish? I'm suspect of someone unknown in the community. It all smells a lot like a certain pol named Obama.

John Ferguson is a nice guy. But come on. Isn't it time for someone new? Maybe nobody wants the job. Forget my opinion. Go John!

On the back of the flyer is a blurb "I am a Republican because...", and it lists five beliefs. Smack dab in the middle is this gem-" I believe in a limited government that practices fiscal responsibility and works to lower taxes so individuals can keep more of their hard earned money". Oh yeah? How's that working out for the community?

I've had a lot of conversations with neighbors in the last few months, both Ds and Rs. They all agree the R party in Lebo is a sorry shell of what it once was and it is basically dead. After the primary, where I will write in my own candidates, I will be changing my registration to Independent. The local committee is a joke. Notice I said local. The party seems to be doing relatively well outside our borders. Maybe someday I can be persuaded to come back. Remember this quote-"I didn't leave the party. The party left me".

The Annual Budget Ritual

The following letter is from Mt. Lebanon resident, Bill Matthews.

Letter to the Editor

The annual budget ritual on Horsman Drive is underway. As the Board and
Administration have done for the last few years, they will likely refuse to acknowledge and address the realities of our Community.

They will grimace ... They will offer up quarters like they are manhole covers ... They will lob grenades at “other” public officials ... They will diss those whom they feel are questioning their nobility.

I will be the first to admit we cannot save our way to prosperity. But spending our way to oblivion is no more of an acceptable proposition. The District’s budgets and forecasts (available on its website) project our “per pupil cost” will have doubled by school year 2017-2018, since 2001-2002.

This increasing encumbrance on the Community is simply not sustainable. The long term trajectories of “per pupil cost” and “earned income revenue” are clearly divergent, with the former far outpacing the latter.

Per pupil costs will have grown 4.59% per year.

Earned income revenue 2.74% per year.

Earned income while growing the least; is hardly the least important metric of our economic wherewithal. Earned income revenue is, in my opinion, a good proxy for the buying power of MTL taxpayers, yet it still does not tell the whole story. It is an average, which means by definition, not all families may have experienced even this modest growth. Many of our residents have no earned income to start. And, many are still recovering from double-digit setbacks in savings and investments.

The Board needs to get serious about cost reduction and stop dreaming about revenue enhancement. We are accountable for our own fortune. Immediately, we should chart a course where the average growth in total expenditures is less than the projected increase in earned income!

Yes, this may sound hard to some … but in the real world … leaders do what cannot be done … all the time.

A case for traditional math

Letters to editor/South
January 31, 2013 5:59 am
/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


A case for traditional math

Mt. Lebanon parents who have been raising issues about the elementary math program this year have concerns regarding content in the program, namely the late and sparse treatment of traditional algorithms in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and of traditional methods of computation with rational numbers (fractions).

The concerns are not about the methodology of teaching math in those classrooms, which is currently using a guided inquiry type approach framed by the sole use of TERC Investigations. This program incorporates positive improvements to the math classroom: problem solving, context and multiple strategies to analyze and discuss problems. However, traditional algorithms are not among those many strategies until fourth and fifth grades, and the students are therefore using less efficient algorithms (processes) to complete those problems for many years before advancement in the concepts can be achieved.

All of the positive aspects of the TERC Investigations program (conceptual foundations, group discussions, problem-solving strategies, mathematical thinking, mathematical literacy and positive disposition) can be incorporated into the teaching of traditional algorithms and fraction computations that include finding common denominators. Significant mathematics exist in the traditional algorithms and fractions, and these standard strategies can be used to extend the conceptual understandings of our students -- even in second and third grades. The avoidance of these traditional procedures until fourth and fifth grades serves no purpose in securing a conceptual understanding of mathematics, but does ensure that these traditional procedures are not the primary or fluent method of computation in problem solving for our students.

Regardless of future career choices as adults, the significant learning and education gained through both creative and enjoyable problem-solving tasks are no more important than the significant skills and training gained through mastering efficient procedural tasks.

Our students deserve a complete education in math, and with the positive elements of the TERC program, they can certainly rise to the challenge of mastering the traditional basics with a true understanding of the concepts behind them.

KRISTIN HAGINS

Mt. Lebanon

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/letters-to-editorsouth-672824/

MT. LEBANON TAKE-AWAYS FROM THE 2012 GENERAL ELECTION

The following letter to the editor was submitted by frequent Lebo Citizens contributor, Richard Gideon. Mr. Gideon also provided a companion piece to his letter, which can be found here.

MT. LEBANON TAKE-AWAYS FROM THE 2012 GENERAL ELECTION
by Richard Gideon

Our quadrennial exercise in national representative democracy is over and the robo-calls have ceased - thank God! Election 2012 was a good one for Democrats, generally speaking, although the U.S. House of Representatives remains in Republican hands. But do the national and state races portend what may be in store for the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon in 2013? Based on the reactions to the 2012 General Election on this Blog local Republicans seem torn between depression and hostility toward their own party, and fear a socialist takeover. But Mt. Lebanon voters are a combination of the fickle, the uninformed, the shewed, the principled, and the realists. Add a sprinkling of "coin-flippers" and you can get some surprising results at the polls. Let's take a look at the results of all the races on the 2012 ballot and see if there is anything worth noting, and what we might expect to see next year. All of the data presented comes from the Allegheny County Board of Elections, and is for Mt. Lebanon only.

First, there are 26,667 registered voters in Mt. Lebanon, of which 19,666 showed up on 6 November 2012 to cast votes (or sent in absentee ballots). This represents a turnout of 73.75%, and is down from the last presidential election in 2008. Next, there are five wards in Mt. Lebanon, and a total of 38 districts. In the race for President of the United States there were four names on the ballot, representing the Republican, Democratic, Green, and Libertarian parties. The County's website shows a place-holder for the Constitutional Party, but there was no candidate represented.

FEDERAL RACES
Looking at federal races, in Mt. Lebanon 19,599 people cast a vote for president, with 53.2% of the vote going to the Democrats, 45.61% to the Republicans, 0.29% to the Greens, and 0.71% to the Libertarians. In terms of DISTRICTS, 81.58% voted Democratic and 18.42% voted Republican; only seven of the 38 districts voted a Republican majority.

In the race for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania a total of 19337 votes were cast, with Democrat Robert Casey Jr. winning with 55.15% of the total. Republican Tom Smith picked up 43.32% of the total, and Libertarian Rayburn Douglas Smith received 1.47%. From a district perspective, four went Republican with 34 going Democratic. From this federal race onward there were no other third party candidates.

In the race for U.S. House of Representatives for the 18th Congressional District, Republican Tim Murphy easily defeated his Democratic rival Larry Maggi, picking up 56.94% of the 19,068 votes cast to Maggi's 42.86%. But from a District perspective, 37 out of 38 went Republican, with only one voting Democratic; a percentage of 97.37% to 2.63% in favor of the Republicans

PENNSYLVANIA RACES
As the races moved to from federal to state the results started to get more interesting. In the Pennsylvania Attorney General race, Mt. Lebanon cast 18,989 total votes, with 54.19% going to Democrat Kathleen G. Kane, 43.2% for David J. Freed, and 2.56% for Libertarian Marakay J. Rogers. Six out of Mt. Lebanon's 38 Districts voted Republican, and 32 voted Democratic.

In the Pennsylvania State Treasurer's race, Mt. Lebanon gave a win to Democrat Robert M. McCord over Republican Diana Irey Vaughan, with 51.92% vs. 44.2% of the 18,673 votes cast. Patricia M. Fryman won 716 votes and 3.83% of the total as a Libertarian. Eight Mt. Lebanon Districts voted Republican, whilst 30 voted Democratic.

In the race for State Senator from the 37th Senatorial District, 19,203 votes were cast, and Democrat Matt Smith picked up 60.4% of them. Republican D. Raja only managed to win 39.49%. All Mt. Lebanon voting Districts went Democratic. It is rather obvious that a significant number of registered Republicans and Independents voted Democratic, and that Raja was unpopular.

But the race for Pennsylvania Auditor General was probably the most interesting. Of the 18,854 total votes cast, Republican John Maher gathered 48.57% to Democrat Eugene A. DePasquale's 47.46%. Libertarian Betsy Elizabeth Summers picked up 3.91% - 737 votes - which made her a "spoiler" and the only third party candidate acting as such, the difference between Maher and DePasquale being just 209 votes! District wise, 17 went to the Republicans, 19 to the Democrats, and two were ties between the Republican and Democrat, making Summers a "spoiler" in those districts.

Finally, Matt Smith also ran for his seat as Representative from the 42nd District in the Pennsylvania General Assembly unopposed, gathering 16,836 out of 17,178 votes. The remaining 342 votes were write-ins. This was hardly a "race"; but it has the most "no shows," with 2,488 voters skipping it altogether. The fact that 342 people wrote in a selection is worth noting, as 342 represents more people than voted IN TOTAL in 34 out of 38 Mt. Lebanon Districts in 2011!

TAKE-AWAYS
1. Only seven districts in Mt. Lebanon gave any race 100% of the votes it could have received; that race was President of the United States. In all other elections there were always fewer votes cast for a given race than that race might have received. Across the municipality as a whole, no race received 100% of the ballots cast. Put another way, using the POTUS race as an example 19,666 registered votes went to the polls, but the POTUS race received a total of 19,599 votes; meaning 67 people didn't cast a vote for any of the candidates for President, nor did they use the write-in option. Also, as the race became more local the number of people casting votes dropped off. This can be seen by comparing the 19,599 votes for POTUS compared to 17,178 in the unopposed 42nd District "race."

2. Seven thousand and one registered Mt. Lebanon voters did not vote, which is more than the non-voters in the 2008 election (6,751). This is almost twice as many potential votes as the largest margin of any of the races; which was the PA Senatorial race in the 37th District. For most races it is three to four times the difference! In tight races even a few hundred extra voters might change the results of an election. Since "off-year" elections see a substantial drop in voter participation it means that new candidates for local office need to communicate to the community at large if they want to win.

3. While Mt. Lebanon voted the Democrats a majority in most 2012 races, the more local the race the more it came down to the candidate himself as opposed to a party ideology. Republican Tim Murphy handily won the 18th U.S. Congressional race in Mt. Lebanon by 2,646 votes over his Democratic rival plus 38 write-in votes. Conversely, Democrat Matt Smith's margin was an impressive 3,995 votes over his Republican opponent plus 20 write-in votes.

4. Up for grabs in Mt. Lebanon next year are the commission seats of Matt Kluck (Ward 2) and David Brumfield (Ward 4), and the Mt. Lebanon School Board "at large" positions currently held by Josephine Posti, Dale Ostergaard, Mary Birks, and Daniel Remely. Based on the results of the 2012 general election it would appear that Republican Matt Kluck's commission seat is vulnerable. Also, two "Republicans" on the school board, Dale Ostergaard and Daniel Remely, might be vulnerable as well. But while the school board seems to be an impregnable progressive plutocracy - and it certainly is as of this writing - it is not immune to the vicissitudes of the economy; and it is the economy more than any other issue that usually determines how people vote. The major party candidates (who cross-file and therefore run as "Demopublicans") may have a lock on local elections now, but a well-run independent campaign could very well win a Commission's or Director's chair. An independent's chances will likely depend upon a)the local economy next November, and b)the nature of the candidate himself or herself. It won't be easy or pretty, but it can be done.

Bottom line: Although things look rosy for the Democrats and Progressives in Mt. Lebanon, I would not let the results of the Federal elections predetermine the outcome of next year's local contests. The results of various state races seem to indicate that things are more fluid in "Club Lebo" than they appear. Local candidates for the Commission and the School Board that are true independents have a legitimate, although tough, shot at winning those seats. But such candidates need to be flushed out now if they are to have a chance.

Letter to the Editor: The Importance of Being Earnest UPDATED 2x

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Blog reader and Mt. Lebanon resident, Bill Matthews.

Several years ago, the Municipality embarked on a second journey to develop the property on Washington Road, across from where I attended first and second grade. We began our trip with an RFQ (Request for Qualifications). The thought was that by seeking out an established developer with the demonstrated credentials to build on this site, we would avoid the delays and ultimate failure experienced with the site's predecessor project. It was a good plan and we in fact received a response and proposal from one such firm.

Then we picked the other one. 

Zamagias Properties showed no experience developing residential condominiums when the firm was first selected to develop this property and handed more than $1,000,000 in TIF loan proceeds. Following a review of their website this morning, it appears not much has changed. Please see the attached letter I sent to the Commission regarding this project, more than six years ago. My letter includes the firm's original submission to demonstrate their competencies. 

The Municipality's web site indicates there will be a "Zamagias update" on October 22. It is time for the Commission to move on with a developer who maintains a successful track record for developing first class projects appropriate for this site. If the Commission elects to continue its partnership with this developer, it must also insist on the developer making good on the TIF loan. 

Bill

Update September 23, 2012 11:00 AM In response to today's 7:25 AM comment, Bill Matthews felt it was easier to post the documents rather than try to describe the repurchase agreement and extension.
Zamagias - MLPA Sales Agreement The repurchase section is on page 15 of the agreement.
Zamagias Agreement 6th amendment Note: The seventh amendment was in January 2012.

Update September 24, 2012 11:59 AM Here is supporting evidence of the conflict of interest mentioned in Bill Lewis' item number three of his 6:05 PM comment. Ballon Conflict of interest Ballon was the vice chairman of the Parking Authority and remained so until dismissed in July 2011.

An open letter to Mr. Broadhurst

The following letter to Brooks Broadhurst comes from Mt. Lebanon resident and Lebo Citizens blog commenter, James E. Cannon III.

Mr. Broadhurst,

Thank you for commenting. And to demonstrate the willingness to have an open and honest debate, something happening less frequently lately with our local elected officials, I am signing my name to my comment.

First off, I'm not sure a blanket indictment of anyone critical of the YSA "plan" is the best way to start a conversation. Stating that those opposed to the idea of artificial turf either don't value sports or don't understand them is rather simplistic and somewhat insulting. To the contrary, I submit that those opposed to a somewhat haphazard plan as the one that has been publicly delivered actually do understand organized sports and do, in fact, care about the well-being of the children who participate.

Anyone who lives in Mt. Lebanon has to at least acknowledge the emphasis placed on athletics here. While many of us believe that emphasis is entirely too strong at times, we accept it as part of the larger picture, as do residents in surrounding communities who live much the same way. That larger picture includes another major component--public education. I am a product of our local system and since graduating in 1987, have been thankful for the challenging curriculum I had to endure. While personnel come and go over time, our community's overall commitment to providing a strong academic base for our kids has not. For that continuity, and that alone, the school district should be commended.

There are many other aspects to living here that help create the notion it is an attractive place in which to reside. All that said, you and the handful of pro-turf folks are missing the point entirely. I have not heard one person thus far say they are opposed to organized sports. In fact, many of those involved in the discussion have or had kids involved in those activities. What we (the alleged sports haters) are against is using public money to pay for a pet project. Because in the end, that's really what this is.

The reality is there is no basis in fact that artificial turf is advantageous. I offer a letter with several links*  that point to just the opposite conclusion. That, Mr. Broadhurst, is far above and beyond any evidence offered in favor of the fields and the four “youth athletics experts”, whatever that means.  For those who live vicariously through their childrens' athletic performances, keep in mind that professional athletes, for the most part, prefer grass as it isn't as hard on their body. And while teens generally think of themselves as invincible and are typically more physically resilient, injuries do occur, so why risk it? After all, aren’t some parents and children really banking on their supposed superior athletic ability to carry them through life? If so, why take a chance on the investment bottoming out due to something as innocuous as the playing surface? One could say those of us opposed to the turf idea actually care more about sports and the kids playing them than those rallying around the idea. We’re simply looking out for their health and well-being. That aside, though, the big hurdle is how to pay for it. We've seen enough reckless spending in our community with little transparency and little actual input from the community And Mr. Broadhurst, I would submit that we all deserve better. All of us.

If the group in favor of turfing the fields delivered a realistic and viable plan outlining how the project would be funded without using tax dollars, and then maintained similarly, I would personally help dig the trenches for the drainage system as an act of pure benevolence. But unless that happens, the idea of spending more of our money on something that isn't necessary, and poses a physical risk to those using it, seems irresponsible, especially given the current economic environment.

I understand and appreciate your enthusiasm for youth sports. Yes, it instills teamwork and camaraderie and, one would hope, a more robust work ethic (as do other things in life like church or the military). But at the end of the day, it’s all still recreation. There truly are more important things in life than throwing a ball or catching one.  I would suggest the commissioners take a breather and focus on addressing issues that actually affect the entire community instead of a small interested group.

In the interest of fairness, as I have always offered, I’m open to a personal discussion regarding my views. If anyone would like to sit down and have a conversation regarding this matter, let me know. I prefer breakfast so if you’re an early riser, you go to the front of the line.

Respectfully,

James E. Cannon III

*Story links of interest:

1. http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/40/5/990.abstract

Study from the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Salient points are:

a. Results: The ACL injury rate during games (8.06 per 10,000 athlete-exposures [AEs] 95% CI, 6.80-9.42) was significantly greater than the rate during practice (0.8 per 10,000 AEs 95% CI, 0.68-0.93). Players were 10.09 (95% CI, 8.08-12.59) times more likely to sustain an ACL injury in competition when compared with practices. When practice exposures were analyzed separately, the injury rate was significantly greater during scrimmages (3.99 per 10,000 AEs 95% CI, 2.29-5.94) compared with regular practices (0.83 per 10,000 AEs 95% CI, 0.69-0.97) and walk-throughs (0 per 10,000 AEs 95% CI, 0-0.14). There was an incidence rate of 1.73 ACL injuries per 10,000 AEs (95% CI, 1.47-2.0) on artificial playing surfaces compared with a rate of 1.24 per 10,000 AEs (95% CI, 1.05-1.45) on natural grass. The rate of ACL injury on artificial surfaces is 1.39 (95% CI, 1.11-1.73) times higher than the injury rate on grass surfaces.

b. Conclusion: Between 2004 and 2009, NCAA football players experienced a greater number of ACL injuries in games compared with practices, in scrimmages compared with regular practices, and when playing on artificial turf surfaces. This latter finding will need to be confirmed by additional studies.


2. According to Reuter’s Health, April 30 2012:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_124675.html

Story includes a quote from Dr. James Bradley, chief orthopedic surgeon for the Steelers.

3. http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/Surface%20Survey%202010.pdf

Every two years the NFL Players Association surveys its members about playing surfaces. (You can see the entire surveyhere.) Not surprisingly, more than half (69.4%) prefer to play on a grass field as opposed to artificial turf. Only 14% preferred the artificial turf, while 16% indicated they had no preference or the question was Not Applicable.

For the first ten years of the survey the fields were ranked regardless of playing surface. The top three spots were always held by grass fields. In 2006 the survey began dividing the favorites into Best/Worst Grass Fields and Best/Worst Artificial Fields.

Recurring comments noted at the end of the survey include this one: “Artificial turf is much harder on the body with joint soreness and makes for tougher work. Southern grass fields are the best.” More than 89% of the players agreed, believing artificial turf to be the cause of more soreness and fatigue that playing on grass. The majority (82.6%) also believe that artificial turf is more likely to contribute to injury and almost 90% believe that playing on artificial turf is more likely to shorten their career.

But the NFL is obviously not taking the players’ concerns seriously, as almost 42% of the NFL stadiums have installed artificial turf. Who’s not listening?

New Meadowlands, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets

Cowboys Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys

Louisiana Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints

Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills

Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons

M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens

Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots

CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks

Edward Jones Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams

Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals

Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions

Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Vikings

Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts


4. http://www.bethelfarms.com/blog/tag/artificial-turf-vs-grass/
Artificial vs. Natural Turf – The Hard Facts

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

There is a risk of injury with every sport, on every surface. But the fact is that risk increases when the playing field is artificial turf. Studies have found a higher incidence of surface to skin injuries and muscle strains and spasms on artificial turf. We looked at the dangers of surface to skin injuries in the last two posts, with both sanitary and heat-related injuries.

In the 2010 NFL Players Association Playing Surfaces survey, over 82% of players indicated they agree that there is a higher incidence of injury on artificial turf surfaces compared to natural turf. When asked which surfaces contributed to muscle soreness and fatigue, 89% responded “artificial turf.”

It’s not just opinion however. A five year study of eight high schools reported that athletes incurred more injuries on artificial turf surfaces. Of every ten games played, athletes incurred injuries 15.2 percent of the time when playing on artificial turf versus 13.9 percent of the time when playing on natural turf.

As Anaheim Angels’ Troy Glaus said after sustaining an injury on artificial turf in 2004, “You can’t simulate grass. No matter what you do, you can’t fake it…”


5. http://www.synturf.org/playersview.html

This page has 44 different blurbs from news stories regarding artificial turf and involves both football and soccer, domestically and internationally.

6. http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2010/01000/Incidence_of_Injury_Among_Adolescent_Soccer.1.aspx

Conclusion: Adolescent players routinely training on AT for prolonged periods should be carefully monitored, even on AT conforming to new standards.

 

Writer takes issue with comments

The Almanac

February 15, 2012

I must take issue with James Cannon’s letter titled “ML moving ahead with upgrade.” 

As the “would-be politician” referenced in Mr. Cannon’s letter, I must step forward to clarify a few statements made by him. There are two James Cannons residing in Mt. Lebanon.  One is James Cannon Jr., a young, honest, hardworking man who ran in the General Election for school board director.  He happens to be school board President Josephine Posti’s estranged brother.  

Then there is James Cannon Sr., who is Posti’s father.  Though the letter writer did not specify which James Cannon he was, James Cannon Sr. confirmed to The Almanac editor that he was the author. 

A little background information is in order. I got involved in this community when the high school renovation project was not put up for referendum.  I was a concerned citizen of Mt. Lebanon walking through 24 inches of snow two years ago gathering signatures to cap the renovation project to $75 million. We gathered close to 4,000 signatures. I felt that there was a lack of transparency in our school district, so I started a website called Lebo Citizens. By uploading actual recordings to this website and providing links to important documents and articles, I was trying to hold our school board directors accountable for their actions.   

It became apparent that Mt. Lebanon residents needed another avenue to vent their frustrations, so I started the Lebo Citizens blog. Sure, we have School Board President Posti’s blog, but comments are not accepted. 

Unbeknownst to me, my blog was nominated by CBS Pittsburgh for 2011 Most Valuable Blogger. The description of my blog, as listed on the CBS Pittsburgh website is, Lebo Citizens “is informative, truthful, and starts insightful discussion. People are not afraid to comment about local municipal and school government.” I don’t see any reference to “Lord of the Flies.”

Yes, I ran in the Primary Election last May against the incumbent and ran a low budget campaign, but I walked all 71 streets in my ward and had a respectable amount of votes, for which I am thankful. But please don’t call me a “would-be politician.”  The word “politician” has a negative connotation. Dictionary.com defines “politician” as “a seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles.” I will leave it up to the readers to decide if any of the school board members fit this description. 

I would like thank James Cannon Sr. for crystallizing in my mind why comments like his lead more to divisiveness instead of discussion.  I don't care if people disagree with me; I am content knowing that I give people the opportunity to vent and to hear “the rest of the story.” 

Elaine Gillen

Mt. Lebanon