So here is what I got for $1.25.

As I reported yesterday, I had to prepay $1.25 for missing receipts that should have been included in Nick M.'s RTK. See Getting nowhere quick! to read the ration of you know what that our disrespectful school board president dished out to me. Jeanine emailed the five receipts to me today. Here they are. Pursuant receipts

The five receipts must have come from the general fund. They are not earmarked Fund 27 Capital Campaign like the others were.

It was brought to my attention today to look at the footnote on Timmy's Capital Campaign Timeline. 

Jan Klein usually reports that the monthly bills are typical for this time of year. As we know from the school board president who is under investigation, items are approved through monthly bills without the school board directors taking the time to read the list of bills. Timmy always recommends that the monthly bills be approved.


I'm getting the feeling that the $923,530.02 loan/investment/heist is just the tip of the iceberg. How can these funds be co-mingled? How much money has actually been lost or mismanaged? Seriously, Jan Klein needs to go. We must hire different auditors. The school board needs to get rid of the Capital Campaign Director and her cabinet, even though Mary thinks it is a 100 year plan. They need to give Timmy his walking papers. Promote Dr. Davis to Superintendent. Go back to one assistant superintendent. Make "How to win friends and influence people" required reading for the board majority and the Timmy Ticket. And we need to get Mary Birks the heck out of there.

Meet & Greet Tailgate Event Canceled UPDATED

Normally I wouldn't give this a second thought, but in the past 24 hours, this is what I have been learning through a Right To Know.

Capital Campaign Catering Receipts

The Mt. Lebanon Alumni Association has been holding Tailgate BBQs for the past several years (2014, 2015, and 2016) and the receipts were run through the Capital Campaign.

As Lebo Citizens Readers know, I graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School. When I was looking through my Alumni Directory last night, I found this introduction.

Look who signed it.

Board of Directors

Update September 28, 2017 10:50 PM I wonder who is paying the bill for the 2017 Mt. Lebanon Alumni Tailgate BBQ. 

More non-education money to be spent

The School Board meeting agenda for Monday, September 11, 2017 has been posted. Ironically, two agenda items that eat up our tax dollars with zero dollars going to education will be discussed.

3. Capital Campaign Disbursement - As part of our Capital Campaign, we evaluated the needs of the District and considered the wishes of our donors to identify a number of uses for campaign funds. The equipment list to be funded has been reviewed and approved by the committee overseeing Campaign allocations. The Board is being asked to approve the Capital Campaign disbursement of $25,000 for Middle School Auditorium and Music Classrooms Sound Equipment. Once the budget is approved, we will proceed with purchasing the equipment in accordance with any applicable bidding requirements, State Law and Board Policy. 

4. Options for High School Practice Field Playing Surface – The Board will review options for the playing field surface at the high school practice field. (And there it is. Turf for the practice field.)

Dan Remely and Elaine Cappucci, both running for re-election were co-chairs of the high school
renovation project and successfully kept the practice field option (as well as other amenities) out of the renovation to trick the taxpayers.

And then there is the Capital Campaign. Nick Meduho wrote to the school board with the following questions:


Can someone please explain the following:

From http://www.mtlsd.org/uploaded/District/MLFE/Images/CURRENT_one-pager_0217.pdf, it states:

As of July 31, 2017 a grand total of $621,473 was raised as shown here:

If $6 million is the goal and 25% has been raised, like it states, where’s the rest of the money?

25% of 6 million is 1.5 million but only $621, 473 has been raised. I’d like to add too, the document was last modified in February 2017 so the $621,473 is high, around $21,000 higher.

Thank you,

Nicholas Meduho
Mt. Lebanon, PA


Here is the response by President Mary Birks, under investigation by the PA Ethics Commission, and also running for re-election.

From: Mary Birks <mbirks@mtlsd.net>
Date: Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: capital campaign
To: Bill Cooper <wcooper@mtlsd.net>, Bill Moorhead <wmoorhead@mtlsd.net>, Dan Remely <dremely@mtlsd.net>, Hugh Beal <hbeal@mtlsd.net>, Larry Lebowitz <llebowitz@mtlsd.net>, Mike Riemer <mriemer@mtlsd.net>, Nicholas Meduho Jr, Sarah Olbrich <solbrich@mtlsd.net>, Stephen Strotmeyer <sstrotmeyer@mtlsd.net>
Cc: Tim Steinhauer <tsteinhauer@mtlsd.net>

Dear Mr. Meduho, 

The Capital Campaign will be discussed at length at our next board discussion meeting, September 11th. 

For the Board, 

Mary D. Birks

Katie Caste, candidate running on the Timmy Ticket, claims that $1.2 million dollars has been raised. Wow! She hasn't been elected yet and she is giving us false numbers. Double wow!

Bottom line is that Monday's meeting at 7:30 PM should be attended by every member of the media. It will be interesting how these candidates spin this $6 million capital campaign where zero dollars have been spent on education.

Timmy, do you have an original thought?

Tomorrow, the Mt. Lebanon School Board will vote to approve Timmy's annual salary of $205,492, for doing a SATISFACTORY job. School Board Meeting Agenda for August 21, 2017. The agenda does not reflect the percentage increase for Timmy, as they do for the other approved salaries. The teachers are getting a 3.38% increase, while the food service employees will be getting a 2.89% increase. Timmy is getting a 5.5% increase.

Evaluation of Superintendent: RESOLVED, That the Board rates the performance of the Superintendent as satisfactory and approves the salary of $205,492 effective July 1, 2017.

For $205,492 this year, do you think we can get an original thought from you? Now that Mr. McFeeley has Twitter and we learned that from your Retweet from Dr. Davis, you are now retweeting his Tweets.

Your blog no longer exists, even though I do miss your captivating stories about shiny water fountains, pizza lunches, Post It notes, and bathroom construction updates. It would be refreshing to see an original thought about education in Mt. Lebanon.

What exactly do you do besides block taxpayers from your social media? Looking forward to less work from you next year when you get your 6% raise.

There is a lot at stake on Election Day. I hope Lebo Citizens vote wisely.

Called it!

In my last blog posting, I had mentioned that I asked when the agenda for Monday's meeting would be posted. Well, the agenda has finally been posted. *Timmy is getting his contracted 5.5% increase, but no bonus this year. Timmy's salary for 2017-2018 is $205,492. You can thank the Timmy Ticket - Dan Remely, Mary Birks, and Elaine Cappucci for that crazy contract.

What is exceptional about this agenda is that money is finally being spent on students with special needs. Could that be, in part, due to Jason Margolis' Behind the Bubble August edition? We will never know. What I do know is that setting aside $100 for the homeless, from the Federal Title 1 grant of $381,959, is pathetic.

*The agenda was created last Thursday morning, more than enough time to have it posted on Friday.

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.

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.

Anonymous letter from the inside

This is post #2,200!

I got an anonymous letter sent in a MTLSD envelope. Why do I get a sick feeling when I receive a thick envelope from them? It usually meant trouble- either for my kids or taxes (never got letters about either), but it still makes me nervous. Today's letter was about the Timmy Ticket.

Here is a copy of today's letter. 

A few things off the top of my head...

I see that I was not the only one who thought the 2015 Great Alumni Awards were shameful with Lebowitz and Posti being recipients. Shaking my head I was so happy to see that my former priest was recognized, but Lebo Larry and JoPo? OMG. And then Mary Birks was honored last year? Come on!

Also, why would these jerks expect a guy who had a kidney transplant to donate to the fund? Weren't there fundraisers held for him? Why would Timmy only donate $5,000 when he earns thousands, thanks to the Timmy Ticket? That was also mentioned in my link Shaking my head. 

Yeah, why weren't Riemer and Strotmeyer asked to be on their slate? The Timmy Ticket is not endorsed by either party and all have been shunned by their respective parties.

I have a feeling much more will be exposed before the May Primary. Why don't they just back out now and save themselves a lot of embarrassment?

Think before you vote

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interesting connections, observations, and more mail UPDATED with link

It looks like we are off to the races, that is the commission and school board director races. Readers continue to send me particulars about candidates running in the May Primary.

Craig Grella (D), Ward 4 candidate handled Mt. Lebanon Democratic Committee chair, Michelle Zmijanac's digital campaign.

Craig supports lethal culling methods. White Buffalo president, Tony DeNicola is now recommending non-traditional lethal methods which include trap and bolt, the most inhumane way to kill deer. Craig rents his home and lives next door to a neighbor who has fruit trees. We will all pay the price to have the deer, who are attracted to those fruit trees, killed.

Steve Silverman's Accomplishments Steve believes he has improved Pedestrian and Vehicular Safety by voting for killing deer with high powered rifles in our community 30 minutes after our elementary school children are dismissed from school. Pedestrians continue to get hit in cross walks, DUI's are on the rise, and supports breathalyzer tests for people on bicycles while showing his support to the Friends of the Library. His Facebook page, Vote Steve Silverman features photos from the Beer Bashes and Brews held at the library. He is also taking credit for our Fire Department achieving an ISO Class I rating and Spring Hill Suites opening. Steve also supports taking grandmothers on Social Security to Common Pleas Court to appeal the PA Office of Open Records decision. Silverman tends to leak private emails, within a few hours, to his friends. The friends, in turn, pay an unannounced visit to the homes of those same grandmothers on Social Security. You will see many of Steve's yard signs on every corner in Ward 2.

Anonymous letters continues to show up in my mail box. The ones I got this week include a suggested political sign for the Timmy Ticket, as well as more "scoop" on Birks and Cappucci.

"Unethical" is printed in yellow ink.

Click on "scoop" link above for scanned image.

Will we get any more information on former school board president and newly appointed Girls' Volleyball Coach Joe Rodella and the Timmy Ticket's' association with PA Cyber? Federal judge sides with prosecutors in unsealing Trombetta case records