By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014) — PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION — PV-TVapologizes for

This life-sized statue of THE GENERALISSIMO will be placed on city hall steps after the successful coup is fully implemented.

the posting of Episode 5 on YouTube.

Unlike the first four episodes, which were posted there in their entirety, the final 14-15 minutes of Episode 5 didn’t make the transferal.

THE PLANET and our techies are trying to determine why. Why we do, and if we can, we shall post them.

Those minutes are among the best we’ve done and feature The Generalissimo‘s visit to city hall. His Excellency applies for a “permit to dicate,” otherwise, as he tells the clerk, he shall “tahk over da govor-ment by force.”

Be sure to watch this week (Thursday, 7  to 8 p.m., channel 16, Access Pittsfield), because Da Gen will be making another appearance. We will probably show the clerk’s segment again, by popular demand, plus further adventures in city hall and as he tours the city.

Like  The Empty Suit (TES), The Generalissimo has been a hit with viewers. We think he stays.

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Did The Mayor Really Say That??

That being said, we move on to more serious matters, such as TES’ hilarious malaprop at the microphone during Taconic High School‘s graduation ceremonies. Our spies tell us that the mayor actually used the word “saludictorian” to describe one of the student speakers. Can you believe that guy? What a dope.

Normally, we follow the dictum first shared with us in 1975 in the newsroom of The Syracuse Post-Standard by editor Lou Rappaport: “Don’t edit speech.” In this case, however, we point out to the ignorant mayor that there is a valedictorian (the student with the highest academic standing from the graduating class, who gives a parting speech) and the salutatorian (second highest, who also speaks). There is not, never was, and never shall be a “saludictorian.”

Way to set a good example for our young people, TES.

Actually, THE PLANET can suggest a good reason for TES’ malaprop. He must have been watching PV-TV, seen The Empty Suit sketches, and, last week, The Generalissimo bit where His Excellency takes over city hall in a coup. He had The Generalissimo as the dictator on his mind, and “salutatorian” came out “saludictorian.”

Glad to know Bianchi is such a huge fan of Planet Valenti Television!

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The mail piles up, and let’s carve into the stack a little bit with these missives.

Questions on Caccamo Resignation

PLANET,

As you have already heard our ward 3 city councilor has resigned from his school job so he can vote on the budget. 

My question would be is there not a waiting period of some kind before he can vote on a school issue? He has resigned at the end of the school year, so is he eligible to collect unemployment benefits? If he does then would that not disqualify him from the $8,000 pay he now wants and voting on the budget?

Another question would be: If he is entitled to the full $8,000, wouldn’t the city have to to pro rate his pay and deduct money for the time he served as a school department employee?

Something smells funny in Pittsfield once again. I am sure you are on top of this one also, keep up the good work. — Mirage

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Here’s another one on the same topic:

‘Shocked but Not Surprised’

PLANET,

I am shocked but not surprised at Mr. Caccamo’s resignation. It comes just before the vote on the budget and now he’ll also be able to vote on the new school. The city clearly doesn’t need a brand new multi-multi-million gleaming new school building with population dropping due to demographics and school choice. This tells me that there has been push-back to Bianchi on his requests. He figures he needs every vote he can get just to be safe. I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Caccamo has been promised something big to quit a $50,000 job with the school department. I don’t trust Bianchi or Caccamo as far as I could toss them. — Bull Levard
 

THE PLANET RESPONDS: To the first writer, we don’t know if there is a waiting period that the Ward 3 councilor must serve. There should be. It would be wise if there is one, just to eliminate the perception that there is some kind of corrupt quid-pro-quo going on with the resignation.

Nick Caccamo responded to our questions this way: “Yes, I did resign from PPS. My last day of compensated contractual work was June 6. I have a few things in the hopper. For the immediate future I will be able to put addition hours into being a ward councilor and maybe a few more afternoons on the golf course.”

There will be lots of people watching where he lands. If it’s on his feet in another one of those miraculous coincidences that about in political Pittsfield, the suspicions and perhaps investigations shall commence.

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Is Glockner the Right Choice for Arts Commish?

City has selected Jennifer Glockner to be new Director of Cultural Development as the City said that she has been the City’s Tourism Director in the past. The fact is that the Tourism Commission is run by volunteers and it has never had a paid Director… which is very confusing.

THE PLANET RESPONDS — We would agree. The matter is confusing, but that should not surprise us. Practically everything The Empty Suit’s directs is loaded with confusion, disorganization, shoddiness, perplexity, and lack of transparency. This is but another example. Glockner might be the next P.T. Barnum, but the mayor sure has an odd way of selecting people and “selling” them. Here’s our question: Does Glockner have true ability in the cultural field, or has the mayor just bought more political loyalty?

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On a final note, our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council meet this evening at 7 p.m. Consider showing up and making your presence felt. It is, after all, your government. On the agenda:

— Glocker’s appointment

— The mayor’s pay hike proposal (agenda item 9) where he goes looking for a 40% pay hike for himself as well as huge increases for all his department heads and managers. Guess what the peons in the trenches get if this plan flies? Nothing.

This is your government, but they are acting as if they are the owners. We The People have given The Suits this license by apathy. It’s time that people begin translating their anger at and disaffection with city government into action.

Consider getting involved. If enough of you do it, things would change in a quick hurry.

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“Thus, though we cannot make our sun / Stand still, yet we will make him run.” — Andrew Marvell, final couplet from “To His Coy Mistress,” (1681).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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