FAT MAN AND PLANET GO FOR TWO HOURS, SAYING AND UNSAYING … REMEMBER PETER MOORE BENEFIT FEB. 26 … plus TICKING TIMEBOMB OF PITTSFIELD’S UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES A LITTLE CLOSER TO GOING KABOOM AND KABLOOEY
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
[EDITOR’S NOTE: We have experienced some technical Martians backstage today. We lost some paragraph formatting about halfway through. We apologize for any inconvenience it causes for your glazzies. Our technical wizards are even as we speak at work on the case.]
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2012) — Today, THE PLANET did almost two hours of live talk radio with Bill Sturgeon on WBRK. Lots of people wanted to hear discussion of the Nilan-Moore Case.
We asked Sturgeon off the air how he wanted to play the Nilan-Moore. The gabmeister replied first off, then on the air as a pre-emptive announcement, that it was his policy not to discuss court proceedings that were being adjudicated. Bill made the point that the commercial airwaves over which AM stations broadcast are administered by the FCC, which has rules about what you can and cannot say.
Our reading of FCC regulation would suggest it’s perfectly fine to discuss court proceedings, no matter the stage, adjudicated or not. This would be protected under the radio station’s obligation, as in duty, to keep the public informed of relevant events that effect the good and the interest of the community at large. That being said, though, The Sturgeon Show is not The Dan Valenti Show. We had our daily run, for 14 years. We understand Sturgeon’s rationale, and we support the right of any talk show host to run his or her ship the way they see fit.
THE PLANET expected and received the same when we had the Chair. As guest, we adhere to the rules laid down by the host.
The Fat Man and I did talk, and not in flinching terms, about several topics, including the performance of the school committee, the PEDA board, Silver Lake and Hill 78, the bat-awful GE consent agreement, corruption in government (yeah, stop the presses!), and even the appearance of the Pittsfield band QUARRY — led by my brother Mick at Woodstock.
Bill’s show, and any talk radio in general, provides a great public service. I would include not just the Sturgeon Show but “Good Morning, Pittsfield,” hosted by my Right Honorable Good Friend John Krol, Larry Kratka’s shows, all of the PCTV’s broadcasts. All public access is good public access. Some take advantage more than others, and some do it better than others. Be that as it may, fact is that without public outlets for We The People’s voices, democracy has no pulse.
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REMEMBER … 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 at Chameleon’s at 1350 East St., Pittsfield, Mass. … The REAL Pittsfield Benefit for Peter Moore … Let’s generate an overwhelming show of support for this innocent man, gravely injured by the carelessness and callousness of a hit-and-run driver. Let’s show the world The REAL Pittsfield.
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Oohh, Those Pesky Unfunded Liabilities are Making the News Today
Today with Bill Sturgeon, The Fat Man and THE PLANET talked about the ticking time bomb known as municipal unfunded liabilities. This gigantic amount that taxpayers owe to retired town and city workers continues to grow in a staggering way.
These are the monies it will take, in today’s dollars, to pay every dime that public service employee unions won, begged, borrowed, or stole from cities and town to pad their retirement. The biggest single cost is for health care. Think of it as a huge charge to the municipal credit card. In Pittsfield, for example, each year (though sometimes not that) the city will pay a minimum amount of the debt. The rest gets carried over at ruinous rates, similar to what happens when you have a $2000 credit card bill and elect to pay the monthly $20 minimum. In the short run, you think you are OK. In the long run, you are screwed.
The average single-family homeowner in the city of Pittsfield faces a grim choice: Either pay an astonishing lump sum $10,404 today or get hit with a devastating 20 percent property tax increase over the next 30 years. Why? The answer is unfunded municipal liabilities.
Pittsfield taxpayers will have to choose one or a combination of those options to subsidize hundreds of millions of dollars of unfunded health care benefits for public-employee retirees, if local and state lawmakers do not institute pension reform. We based this conclusion on research from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which recently issues its latest report. You can read the full report here.
Retiree health care liabilities are so large because these benefits are almost universally available to municipal employees in Massachusetts, despite having eroded sharply in the private sector. Virtually every community in the state contributes at least 50 percent towards the cost of retiree health care premiums once an employee— including most part-time employees who work at least 20 hours per week—completes just 10 years of service. By comparison, according to a 2010 survey by the state, only 14 percent of all Massachusetts employers offered health care benefits to retirees over age 65, including those employers that do not contribute anything to premiums.
What can you say,Pittsfield along with those other communities do not like change.That is how we have always done it.Anytime there is a proposal to try and save money it is shot down.Switching over to toter system for trash,closing one of the 5 fire stations,merging some of the many school buildings,hiring some part-time employees, to get a handle on over-time. Yes police and firemen too ,sell-off all city properties that are not needed or used.Pittsfield’s tax base and population are shrinking if they cannot get a handle on expenses taxes will continue to go threw the roof.But thats how we have always done it,lets not stop now.
Did I miss it? Is Grunin in or out?
I heard mr. Valenti on the radio today for the first time (i”ve only moved to the city within the year). I thought I was listening to a national talk show. He’s is a most impressive and persuasive speaker. The issue of the pension liabilities I had no idea how bad it is in Massachusetts. Thank you for this information, particular the MTF which I have downloaded.
Dan:
Thanks for coming on the show, today. I always enjoy our discussions. While my other two colleagues have “talk shows” they do not have call-in element and one of the show is pre-recorded.
Dan, you can attest to the difficulties of a “LIVE” call-n talk show. Once again, thanks for coming on today, I thought it was a great show!
“The Fat Man”
Always a great show when you guys get together
Yes. Planet and the Fat Man. Wow. Nothing better on the air, anywhere. Great show fellas!
DV-
Great article. Thank you.
The Liberal mindstate that pervades around here is destroying the balance of private sector growth vs. Public sector entitlement. We have few private sector jobs that offer a living wage. Yet, the tax payers are expected to fund deals made with anti capitalist unions that were made in times of much greater prosperity.
I would not want to defund those who were promised a pension or health care. They entered into a contract, it should be honored.
But, if you can not pay your bills, you downsize to a point that allows your household to be solvent. The city must find ways to reduce spending, all of the feelgood money wasting such as the skate park, the rebuilding of the Common, the disaster of the North Street construction etc must be halted until the city can pay its debt.
The average citizen sees costs for food, heat, transportation and property taxes increase at alarming rates. Meanwhile the city spends and spends.
So goes Pittsfield and America. It is sickening to see the waste that politicians are willing to put on the backs of the average taxpaying working individual.
The special interests/unions own the tax burdened workers.
Hey Dan,
It is not just Pittsfield.
LENOX IS WAY UNDERFUNDED.
HOW IS THAT, GREG FEDERSIEL??>
TELL US GREG!!!!!
IS THAT YOUR PENSION??? OR ALL THE PEO[PLE YOU SCREWED ???
TE3LL US GREG??????
WE WANT TO KNOW!!!!
As I stated in an earlier blog…even Dan Valenti’s appearance on the Bill Sturgeon show could get me to listen to it. But, I’m not surprised to read that Sturgeon refused to discuss, or allow discussion of the hit-and-run. I drive Newell St. almost daily during the noon hour. A white car with “WBRK” registration is frequently parked (as it was today) in the lot next to the Democratic GOB’s meeting place. I can’t help wondering if there’s a connection?
Regarding the unfunded pension liabilities…..I would imagine this would have a huge negative effect on the local real estate market fairly soon. Home valuations should plummet even further and selling to get away will become difficult. Who would lbuy into an area with that kind of tax rate?
Yeah, Move to Pittsfield!
If taxes don’t kill you, chemical contamination will!
Bill Sturgeon what the hell are you talking about, the FCC has rules that don’t allow you to talk about the Nilan case. Is this what your telling us, please tell me your not blaming your cowardness on the FCC. Your covering this up more than the courts!!!!!
Of course its not the FCC. Radio stations talk about alledged crimes every day. The station owners have told him its his job if he discusses it. Why can’t he just tell the truth and get on with the things his listeners really tune in to hear. 50 minutes talking about a dress shop, an hour with Kate McGuire talking about an upcoming play, Liam Geddes singing at the Union Square et. al. These are the I and most reasonable people like ti listen to. For myself, I’d much rather listen to what a fabulous education you get in the Catholic school or how much money you would save if you rent a pick ax at Carr Hardware rather than buy a pick ax.
Right on target, ambrose. Love the biting wit cuz you just show the flaw of that show three hours of trying to stretch one hour of material into three. its like when you came home for lunch with a bunch of friends and your mother had to somehow triple the amount of soup she made. Gets way watered down. when Valenti had the show an hour the length was perfecdt and he almost never tossed a dud. If im sturgeon i cut back to two hours and talk about Nilan case.
As I heard it explained, it sounded like Bill was saying he had a rule (a house rule if you will) that he would not discuss cases in adjudication. I admit his references to the FCC clouded it and he didn’t need to say that, but I think Bill can run his own show. I would prefer he allow discussion of the case but respect him any case.
wouldn’t his not discussing fall under the category of a “moral coward”?
Mazz is starting to falter.
how so,
tito
@Rick….accident happened on her street, where is all the safety concern and hullabaloo the council advocated during election debate?
also note that mazz hasn’t commented at all publicly. now why is that? little too close to home, maybe?
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
You should put together a web-site for Pittsfield like the U.S. Debt Clock web-site. That would be awesome.
Hi Dan,
The “WEALTHY” town of LENOX has a similar debt crisis.
The Town Mis -manager, Federspiel, has has his head in the mud concerning this. Is his pension money in a different place?
@ Beacon Hill Mob…
I have worked with Greg Federspiel thru my involvment on the finance committee and I assure you he is very well aware of the unfunded liability situation and has in fact been trying to educate others on it for years…Lenox started an OPEB trust this past year and began funding it with $100k. Not the $500k annually we need to to keep up with our obligations, but a start.
Do you life in Lenox?
sorry I meant , Do you live in Lenox?