Monday, January 5, 2015

What is so special about tonight's discussion session?

I have received a few emails asking about the latest LeboALERT.

From: LeboALERT <noreply@mtlebanon.org>
To: EGillen476 <EGillen476@aol.com>
Subject: LeboALERT: There is a special o...
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2015 11:15 am 
This is an important notice from LeboALERT. 
There is a special open Commission discussion session at 7 p,m. tonight in Room C, municipal bldg., prior to the reorganization meeting at 8.
Normally, the organizational meeting is light and upbeat with no other business scheduled beforehand. But tonight, there will be a deer management discussion at 7:00 PM.

Following the discussion session,  we will move into the commission chambers where we get to hear from all the deer hating gardeners telling us about how the deer are the number one threat to our public safety. The good news is that Kristen will no longer be presiding and John Bendel will be more professional.

We'll wrap up by watching the commissioners make a tough call as to whether to grant Kristen a leave of absence. Will Kristen be able to collect her stipend even though she has collected it every summer when she is in Jackson Hole? Will she bully her fellow commissioners again? We'll find out tonight.

25 comments:

Kim Ressler said...

I'm sorry, Elaine, but this latest post will be the last I read. I have admired the amount of time and energy you expend in obtaining and transmitting information. You have a true passion and act on it - something many of us are too apathetic to do. I have commented quite infrequently but have been a somewhat regular reader whether I agreed with the viewpoints expressed or not. However, your recent apparent glee at the hardships of Commissioner Linfante are tasteless, and to me, unbearable. No matter what your opinion of someone's leadership in the community, it is beyond my understanding that you rejoice in the need for a member of our community to take a medical leave of absence and that you continue to aim your ruthless jabs at her.
I wish you well.

Lebo Citizens said...

Glee? Rejoice?
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Bye, bye Kim and take your hissy fits with you as you back out the door.

Lebo Citizens said...

Kim has set the stage for tonight's meeting. If you dare say anything negative about Kristen's request, you will be labeled as a terrible person. Based on Kim's reaction, I doubt that there will be any commissioners voting no.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

You know who takes gleeful pleasure in the hardships of others? None other than The Wicked Witch of Mt. Lebanon herself, Kristen Linfante. I dig deep to find any empathy, sorrow and pity for the woman, but I can't find an iota.

Lebo Citizens said...

3:31 PM, want to bet no one says anything during citizen comments about this? The Republicans are asleep at the switch. The Dems aren't going to say anything. The deer haters are going to turn this into something that it is not. I don't stand a chance. I'm not going tonight. Good luck, Mt. Lebanon.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Forget Linfante the person. Just ask yourself what is all so damn special about the Ward 3 Commission that they must be excused for 1/4 of the year?
Will the sun not rise tomorrow?
Will the rivers dry up?
Will the Steelers lose another playoff game? Oooops, sorry that already happened.
My opinion... if whatever is going on with Linfante that she needs 3 months to strp away from her obligations as commissioner it would probably be better FOR HER if she gives up the problems that obligation places on her.
She did her duty, thanks a lot Kristen.
Mt. Lebanon will survive with someone in her seat, there are a lot of smart people in her community.
Fare the well, Kristen.

Anonymous said...

"I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid" — Shakespeare

Anonymous said...

Lets look at it another way. Would Kristin Linfante approve a leave of absence for..Idunno..Kelly Fraasch?

Anonymous said...

Good point, 4:30.
Thinking about on her history of protesting or snickering at people with opinions that differed from hers, I doubt it.
Let's just-- "what the kluck" what is the reason for keeping her on?
There isn't one person in Ward 3 capable of filling in her spot?

Anonymous said...

Doesn't excusing a commissioner for 1/4 of a year point out just how ineffectual a commissioner really can be?
Think about it. A number of important issues coming up and the remainder of the commission believes- hell screw it - Ward 3 doesn't need a voice.
Surprised at Kelly's stance on this one.

Lebo Citizens said...

Hold on, 4:48 PM. We don't know ANY of the commissioners' stance on this. I am only going by how Kim made me look like a schmuck. Why would the commissioners want to take that chance?
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

And I keep stressing that we lose our commissioner EVERY summer. This year, it will be longer than 1/4 of the year.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

Will someone email me tonight after the vote and let me know how it went down? EGillen476@aol.com
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Elaine: You can sue Ms. Ressler for libel.

Anonymous said...

Sincere apologies to Commissioner Fraasch, my mistake. I thought I read or was told she would be presenting the recommendation to approve Linfante's leave.
Sorry Commissioner!
This brings up a question. Who makes the recommendation in the agenda item. The municipal manager? If so, does he make it in his own self interest knowing how Linfante votes? Damn Linfante's constituents.
The Commission President? Did Linfante as president make the recommendation for herself.
To Ms. Ressler, a commissioner's seat isn't like domeone's occupation. It's not like she's a teacher that once giving up her job will have to go through the process of finding another.
A commissioners seat is a temporary occupation limited to a term. If the commissioner is good they may get re-elect if they choose to serve again, though maybe not.
If she can't fulfill her duties she should step aside. Even the President of the US if incapacitated gets a substitute.
Given that the Code and Charter doesn't provide that scenario she should serve her constitutents and allow one to be appointed.

Lebo Citizens said...

Yes, Feller is the one who sets the agenda. That would be a good question for tonight. When was Feller told? I wonder if Feller was the first to know. When did the commissioners find out? But wear your fireproof suit, if you ask.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

So apparently, it is damn her constituents, Feller wants to maintain the status quo.
Got it!

Anonymous said...

I can see tomorrow's - well maybe not tomorrow's, but someday - LeboAlert.
'Attention Ward 3 residents, if you have a problem, issue, comment or suggestion concerning your neighborhood, your representative on the commission won't be available for the next three months. Too bad.'

Anonymous said...

And I still go to my comment I left in the other thread. What is preventing her from participating by phone at the meetings? That counts as a quorum and is permitted under Pennsylvania law, and would allow her to still be in "attendance." So, why is this not even being attempted, unless the real issue is she doesn't want to attend, not that she cannot attend......

Anonymous said...

I'd agree with that 9:13 except for one thing.
If this was a one meeting absence or a matter of inconvenience, say work demanded she miss a night's meeting.
But this is a known three month absence due to a medical problem. If that's known now it is a good bet she won't be focising on community issues.
Therefore resign should be the proper course if she is truly interested in serving the community.

Anonymous said...

Maybe we should have a public review of Feller. I know he struggles to keep track of many important matters, numbers, budgets, contractors, etc., but he was somehow able to arrange this special topic for a discussion session. Seriously? Steve Feller is the last person a resident should ever have to depend on... but he has Kristen's back? Sketchy. Sketchy. Sketchy.

Anonymous said...

Kim Ressler 1:36 PM, I don't know if your post is an honest misinformed comment of disappointment, or just a mean attempt to try to damage Elaine's honor and integrity. Regardless, below is my response to your post.

I have no idea why Commissioner Linfante is asking for a leave of absence. However, this is a public official who has an obsession with promoting the inhumane slaughter of sentient animals, i.e. the doe, her fawns, and even pregnant doe, without the slightest expression of empathy, compassion, or mercy for their suffering, orphaned fawns, or their horribly cruel deaths.

Not only is she obsessed with slaughtering the deer and showing no empathy, but she has demonstrated a perverse sense of joy and glee (your word) in getting the slaughter approved - see earlier TV (WPXI?) post.

The Humane Society of the United States voiced their firm opposition to Mt. Lebanon's proposed deer killing plan. If animal cruelty laws extended to wildlife, which they should, Mt. Lebanon could be charged with animal cruelty.

In addition, Commissioner Linfante has done everything in her power to bring high powered rifle shooters in to Mt. Lebanon, which puts all Mt. Lebanon families, children, and pets at risk. These shooters have caused Elaine extreme personal stress and emotional trauma in the past and fear for the future, which Commissioner Linfante has joked about.

Furthermore, Commissioner Linfante has ruthlessly attacked Elaine with some of the most personally cruel, ugly, vindictive, and mean attacks that I have ever seen.

So with all due respect, I think your personal attack on Elaine's integrity and honor is totally misguided and inappropriate. Elaine's integrity and honor are intact and unimpeachable.

BTW, please reference Elaine's comments that you claim are gleeful and joyful, because I must have missed them, which makes me question the true intent of your comment.

I wish you well.

Anonymous said...

Items five and six on this link are very significant.

http://mtlebanon.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2210

Anonymous said...

4:58, don't wait for proof of Ressler's gleeful and joyful claim.
She won't offer proof because in her world it isn't necessary that something must indeed be fact.
They believe it and that is all that counts.
Similar to Linfante's 700 deer count. She has no proof, surveys suggest much lower numbers, but damn it, Linfante wants 700 deer so there are 700 deer.