2019 Primary election: Spinelli campaigns for seat on Lehighton Area school board
Spinelli
Rita (Bortnick) Spinelli was born in Hazleton and raised in Lansford, graduated from Marian Catholic in 1971 and attended Millersville University. She graduated from LCCC with an AAS in accounting in 1988 and worked in various industries as a bookkeeper and retired as a Realtor in 2015. Spinelli is married to Louis Spinelli and has two children, Maia and Lou, both graduates of Lehighton.
The family moved to Franklin Township in 1980, where Rita became active with the Lehighton Area School District, including the Franklin PTO, classroom volunteer and the middle school transition team.
She served as a school director from 1993 to 1999, during which she negotiated four contracts to completion, started two more and served as board treasurer for two years.
“I was appointed to the LASD board by the court in March of 2018 when a vacant position was unable to be filled. During my interview, I promised to keep the district moving forward and treat it as you would a child — with support, encouragement and respect. I believe in public education, being honest, learning how things work before making changes and following the law. School districts are dynamic entities and rules change, but those rules should not be changed without thought.
“I have never been arrested or fired and I pay my bills and taxes. I have strong roots in Lehighton and will not promise anything I know can’t be accomplished. Experience teaches you that. What I know can be accomplished is a district that continues to improve.
“Lehighton Area School District, like all districts, is a work in progress that, in my opinion, is providing students with what they need in the best way possible. The building is done. We have great facilities, caring and professional staff, and I look forward to having a caring and professional board of directors. Please vote on May 21. LASD is at an important crossroads, and your vote will give needed direction.”
Comments
Good afternoon. The simple fact that NO ONE got a chance to voice their vote in a citizen-based referendum PRIOR to the massive consumption of funds, or massive debt obligation, with an escalating interest rate should give you pause. According to PA School Code, the referendum vote is defined in the law for such decisions. ONLY if the board chooses to ignore the referendum vote ans host a hearing can they chose to ignore the people's voice.
So Proud Papa of 2, the idea of a voice, as you describe is EXACTLY what the people like myself feel is necessary for our district. And as a proud papa of four, as it more is any different, your two children are saddled with the generational debt this board IMPOSED upon them, and not even their parents were able to protect them. Parents try to leave the world a better place, sadly, incumbents fail to understand that the parents know best, and therefore should be given a choice.
Before you retort and cast me as the bully fighting as we fight for the rights of people to make a choice, ponder this, you were apparently happy with someone deciding your future. Will you fight to give your children the right to have a choice, or should the government decide what is best? And since this debt extends out decades, with there be any money when their needs are defined.
Shortsighted gifts, taken from your neighbor without their input sounds a lot like the actions of a government-sponsored bully. Pray that this government is replaced with public servants, we have had enough of the rubber stampers. When they abdicate their authority to those they were appointed to oversee, the voice of the people is diminished.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, SR.
Good afternoon. Remove the incumbents. Think about the stadium for a second. Beautiful, right?
If you had $7m could you get it built? Hypothetically, let's see:
OK, $7 million. Give a million for the plastic field (+1), one million for a set of home team bleachers(=2), another million for the visitors(=3), a million dollar field house(=4), million for the scoreboard and fencing (=5). Ridiculous I know, but you are still would have TWO MILLION left. Give half a million to the abyss of government waste. OK, what do you do with the did the other million and a half? Now with cost overruns, the total was really about $7.8M.
Now you can see why these incumbents fight transparency tooth and nail and will hire attorneys to even fight $100 sunshine violation wiht immunity.
Well, how fun would a forensic audit? As a minority, working for the community we can only do so much. We need your help to remove the rubber stamping incumbents and bring justice under the law back to Lehighton.
I pray the people are watching. We are exposing it, but are they seeing it?
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Good afternoon. Please remove this incumbent.
Appointed as a director to oversee the administration, she has a history of block voting since her installation.
Watch her in action. The oath of office requires fidelity and does not include rubber stamping to the administration.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.
School Board members are to work collaboratively with the superintendent and community not be their judge and jury as Citizen Bradley stated at the last board meeting.
A vote for "Build the Board candidates" is a vote for Build the Bradley Board which will only continue the mistrust and misinformation Mr. Bradley spouts and has spouted for the last several years.
Let's bring back civil governance on our board and vote for candidates who support respecting their role as a board member. Mrs. Spinelli has my vote.
Good afternoon. Here are some fun facts to share. According to PA SCHOOL CODE, your elected board is FULLY responsible to be judge and jury over all school policy. This government is all three branches of government, they write the policy, administer it, and adjudicate school law at the local level. This is why RUBBER STAMPERS and those that abdicate their elected authority to those this board was elected to oversee are both ironic and destructive.
Remove the incumbents, elect (hire) people willing to do the responsible thing a be a public servant
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Bid documents
Appraisals
Free eye exams
Legacy of debt
FTAA lease
Emails erased
Personal email for district business
Insurance broker decision
Hiring
Violations of privacy
Rubber stamper
Wasting taxpayers money
SLAPP resolution
Twisting the facts
sIncumbent
Block voting
Private meeting with Superintendent
Name Clearing hearing
Referendum
Bond interest escalates
Taxes at all time high
Huge fund balance
Track lanes
Press box dedication
Sunshine Act
Favoritism
Have the community had enough?
After her voting history is reviewed and her OFFICIAL ACTIONS AS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL are on full display, please ask how I really feel. Great person, poor politician.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley Sr.