ANOTHER WAY TO HAVE YOUR SAY: THE PLANET OPENS THE LETTER BOX
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 23, 2019) — It’s been a while since THE PLANET dipped into the Letter Box. These are comments sent to us (usually by e-mail) that aren’t posted here but are also not submitted as off the record. We ALWAYS respect a writer’s call for anonymity and “not for publication” requests. When given the green light, we also from time to time share communications that we judge to be informative and of interest to the community.
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TO THE PLANET,
It would be nice if you wrote about City Hall Employment Corruption in the form of nepotism. Whole Families work there like it’s their own feeding place. Here’s but one example.
Rosaura Roman — secretary of the City Solicitor
Her sister Norma — Manager in the Health Department
Her niece — secretary in the Development Department
Her nephew — senior inspector in the Health Department.
Her husband worked as a street worker in the Engineering Department.
Michael Tyler, director of personnel, sees nothing wrong with this practice. He just nods his head and smiles.
signed,
A Citizen.
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TO THE PLANET,
Great discussions on your site re the City and the Beacon.
The whole Beacon fiasco was engineered by Ruffer, and Stanley who was/is/and soon will be so grateful to her. It is typical of Pittsfield’s good ole boy organizational incest where real cutting edge ideas from experienced experts (who have brought Cities Back From the Edge) are sacrificed in favor of small town knowledge (?) and relationships. When the City under Ruberto wanted a downtown cinema, they needed to issue a request for proposal or even a request for information from cinema companies and experts. They went after Stanley seducing him thinking he was the gift of God to save downtown.
Gotta love this video
Since the Beacon has been in existence, how many downtown businesses closed? How many new ones then opened and closed? What is the sum total of new businesses minus those closing, since the Beacon? How many are going to close next year?
My understanding is the $10 million GE economic stimulus money was to create businesses and jobs…..with it and / or tax breaks Pittsfield has spent about half of it or more and/or given tax breaks to the Beacon, the Colonial, the Barrington, 20 years of PEDA (with gobs of new jobs), Spice, the museum’s $11 million renovation (pre Van something or other), deals with Carver to create “visitor” condos, etc. Pittsfield has a new high school that will help those who learn skills migrate to communities that have jobs and of course adding to the indigent rolls.
(signed) Markie Marks,
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TO THE PLANET,
Interesting dodge ball game by the City claiming it doesn’t own the Stanley business or property in order to do a competitive bid.
Initially the City courted one small time party put together a 22 million dollar package to buy and renovate a building, create a business and arrange for financing instead of doing research to find a national company with greater experience and bargaining power to make a sixplex theater work. Now the claim is we have no say so.
Has anyone reviewed the tax returns of the owner to see if he really failed as he claimed?
What efforts have been made to see if there are better deals with other theater chains?
Does the State have any specific laws effecting such a sale of a building in which a State grants are used. For example cultural arts grants expect paybacks if non profits sell a building to another entity if not a non profit. I wondered if there were any strings attached to the State piece.
It doesn’t matter what administration runs Pittsfield. None are seriously doing what needs to be done BRINGING JOBS TO THE CITY.
It strikes me as sad that the City (and banks) can’t afford to keep the Osceola rope tow open for use by locals, but can put so many $$$ into a cinema that they believe “brings tourists and those with affordable budgets downtown.”
Remember when the City and banks did things for locals that did not cost millions, e.g., skating on five play grounds and winter carnivals. If a fraction of the money for the Beacon went to Friday serial movies at the Boys Club, we wouldn’t have to buy pop corn for $6.
(Signed) Roundabout
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TO THE PLANET,
Dan thanks for this site. It’s my “morning paper.” No one digs out the stories like you do. Yeah your Rolodex must be bigger than Jim Ruberto’s!
I am so sick of politics as usual. In a way I blame the city and the politics for driving my son and daughter out of town. They both graduated college, saw that not every community is as bad or corrupt as Pittsfield and didn’t want to return. Both have good jobs now (son in Boston, daughter Rhode Island) something they could not get here. My wish is that someone like you would run for office. [We need s] traight shooters who genuinely care about people like me, the middle class, [the people that] you call the Kapanskis. We don’t need any more wannabes or grandstanders with no people skills who just want to get their own pathetic little dose of notoriety by showing up at all the meetings and ranting about how great they are. That’s not helpful to regular citizens.
Where are the solid people who really care? If you’re out there please consider a run for office.
Thanks,
Tired from Ward 7.
THE PLANET Responds: Thanks. We share your concerns about the caliber of those who run for and inevitably win office in the city. We would only add that in our shared hope for a better quality of candidates, we don’t get any more who take out papers simply to get some cheap publicity. You recognize the type by their inability or refusal to raise money or invest their own in the campaign. A serious candidate has to play the game: Lawn signs, literature, door-to-door, fund-raisers, coffee hours, website, and the like. Someone like that who can also show he or she is independent and can think would win. Such a candidate could excite enough of the electorate to counter the stranglehold public employees and The Suits have on elections.
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TO THE PLANET
A murder Sunday night? Guy stabbed nearly to death Monday morning? Your blog is how I keep up with my home town from here in Naples [FL] area. Lots of us [Berkshireites] down here. We all read [THE PLANET]. We don’t even recognize our native community.
(Signed) Tim and Dee
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That’s all we have time for now, but we’ll let the missives accumulate and then present another Letters feature. We thank all those who care about good reporting, investigative journalism, and commentary by going to THE PLANET.
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“Trying to get a fastball by him was like trying to sneak a sunbeam past a rooster“ — Elden Auker, on pitching to Ted Williams.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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As I drove down Tyler street yesterday I noticed that almost all the sidewalks had been shoveled by the business owners or residents. Glaringly not shoveled was the long stretch in front of the new church renovation. Kids walking in the road.
uh oh…connected and so gets a mulligan
Call the health department,they’re in charge of sidewalk shoveling.
I think someone read the post and got it taken care of.
Dan,
Perhaps the time has come for an Orbit App, so us Planeteers can get even quicker access to your blog. I hear the lines are long for the reefer. The tokers could be reading and posting while waiting to get wasted.
How much money will Tyer,Yon,Marchetti and McCandless get from my friends SS check of 1700 bucks a month in the next 5 years….My mayor could turn to people in private and ask him if she should start looking at budgets from the fixed income point of view rather than from the 1%.Some cities have locked in real estate tax obligations when people reach the age of 66 and there it stays.This limits free forever money without considering impact on Seniors tax rates with People of certain incomes.There are retired school personnel making over 50k in their retirement check
Excellent post. Tyer is busting the backs of seniors just trying to stay in their homesteads while giving tax breaks to her friends under the pretense that their business s are vital to the city.
And that is horse crap. Deep horse crap Deep smelly horse crap. It is simply a matter of people with the power taking care of the people with the money that keep the people in power in power.
maybe your friend should work or should have saved more money? They must plan to pay their fair share and not get a free ride.
Shakes has made another great point.A very simple thought from Shake
For Linda and Barry money is of no concern. She moved from a $72,000 house on Ventura Avenue that she bought in 2001 with her second husband to a $750,000 house on Pheasant Way in Pittsfield’s only Gated Community on outer West Street. No drug dealers or crime out there. Eating out of the public trough.
You guys are so damn phony. The only ones who ever comment using their true identities are Dan, John, Ron, and yours truly.
If you have tangible solutions to Pittsfield’s ills – go for it – in public. Do this by taking out papers and declaring yourselves a candidate for elected office. Or stand in front of the Pittsfield City Council and air your differences – in a face-to-face confrontation.
If you could, reveal yourselves to the rest of us so we know who you are, enabling us to evaluate your credibility and the merits of your arguments.
You folks are part of the problem; you’re part of the problem because you hide from public scrutiny so no one can hold you accountable. Right or wrong, it is what it is because of cowards like y’all.
Name-calling, character assassinations seems to be everyone’s favorite method of communication, here. Especially Cicero! Who seems to take pleasure in knocking people with opposing opinions down into the gutter. Someone whose GMAT and LSAT scores are neither nonexistent or below acceptable admissions levels.
I am accountable for my postings and comments. You know who I am, and where I am on social, economic, and political issues facing Pittsfield and Berkshire County. But I don’t know who you are!!
Just so we’re clear:
Pittsfield Mayor Linda M. Tyer deserves a second term in office.
And Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington is an utter frickin’ disaster, who should never had entered the DA’s contest in the first place. She won her job through a political process, not a merit-based one. There’s a difference that most probably wouldn’t understand or care to give a second thought about.
Oh, and lastly, your G-man belongs in jail, not sitting in a corner office suite overseeing a monolith bureaucracy .
That’s accountability.
And that’s the bottom-line!!!
Brian,
While you put together a somewhat cogent statement today, you are generally unhinged and I’ve seen you dox (or attempt to) several posters on this board. That is why I do not post under my name. I have credentials, experience, and a public service career. That is all you need know.
SHakes was made for the new call center. Might be over qualified though.
What a sick burn. You got me.
Share your “credentials, experience, and public service career” with the rest of us. Enquiring minds want to know the ingredients in such “SHakes”.
Another one hiding behind a pseudonym!
I don’t know who you are and have never followed your career but you are nieve.You can not repeat can not use your name here to dissent because you pay a price.Mayor Tyer said she could handle the money problems of Pittsfield better that Dan Bianchi.She has FAILED and I’m in shock that she is not efficient with other people’s money.She has the great advantage of 4 year yo make hard choices in the School department.The Beacon is a story waiting to be told.Ruffer Tyer and Ruberto are giving away money because of desperation in failure.
TSC She is only a secretary. What can you expect. In the 2015 mayoral election a corporate executive and a secretary ran for mayor. The secretary won. That’s all you need to know about pittsfield. Now we all know what a mistake that was. It could be repeated again because this is pittsfield. It will prove lightning can strike twice on the same dime. Sad so very sad
Cicero is Rinaldo del Gallo. That is also all you need to know.
Brian,
You spent the last 6 months dredging up dirt on dozens of people and smearing them, simply because they were Harrington supporters. Much of the info was fed to you by Capeless’s wife, but it was you who did the dirty work. You called them out by name. You brought up legal entanglements connected to anyone in their families, even if they were decades old. You insulted people for their physical appearance, mocked them for their personal or business financial struggles and even brought up divorces.
You are unhinged, completely disconnected from reality and only a fool would ever share his/her name with you given your past behavior.
Post more pics of your legs, start a club for sexagenarians who want to compare test scores – hell, maybe even get a job. Find something else to do. Anything else.
yes I want to give my name to the guy that likes to smear people
It is Upyer Colonboil
You and Cicero are cowardly cowards!
It’s really sad you’ll not hesitate to take aim, under a pseudonym, at Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer or City councilors – at-will? Be accountable, reveal your true identity. Coward!!
And that’s the bottom-line!!!
Good or bad; right or wrong: You know who I am.
I do not hide behind a pseudonym like the coward you are, Cicero. And it’s always comical when the pot is calling the kettle black.
Every post or comment you disagreed with you insulted, marginalized, and embarrassed. You’re no different that I, Cicero. The only difference is, again, you know who I am; your identity is hidden like the cowardly coward you are.
Frankly, my postings were all nurtured outta oppo research, facts which have been or are all part of the public record.
It still remains to be seen where I fudged the record when I reported Andrea Harrington owes the IRS a sum total of $20,000, or how many times she screwed up by submitting many campaign finance errors; and just imagine this if you can – she’s still making those same stupid errors, unabated.
And Andrea Harrington’s legal history came directly from Westlaw. If you have issues with their databanks, you might wish to call them to clear the record. Other info came from legitimate, named sources!!
My advise, Cicero: keep your identity concealed from us; you probably couldn’t withstand the same scrutiny I put to Andrea Harrington, anyways!
Betsy ‘John Citi” Capeless is a figment of your imagination. What if I revealed John Citi is not Betsy Capeless but someone high in Pittsfield’s political structure? Exactly!!
I am guessing you enjoy tossing around falsities more than any one else. The difference, again, my postings and comments were and are factual.
Game. Set. Match. Cicero!!
Finally, any time you wish to sit and match wits – call, email, or IM me, I’m yours at the begging.
And thanks again for the legs plug.
Oh, tell Lucas Jackson I said hi.
Welcome to Pittsfield politics.
Brian,
You have several degrees from UMass and have taken the GMAT and LSATs. I can’t compete with that. Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
I bow my head in shame.
Gotta love it when the pot is calling the kettle black.
Thanks for the leg plug, Cicero.
Incidentally, John Citi is not Betsy Capeless.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
Brian, your last statements are the exact reason one doesn’t use a name. And you left out several who do, Dr. Trzcinka, Chuck Garivaltas, Barry,Mike,Shakes,fritz sic….Citizens like you don’t make sense. You want us to stand side by side with you and on one side you’re for Tyer, on the other against Harrington? You would have to be a complete fool to have opinions of either one of those choices intersect without some kind of discrepant debate, which often turns into a verbal fist fight on here.
And Until the Planet puts the brakes on using names here.I love the read here and that should be the bottom line. It’s enough for me.
Neither one interacts with the other.
Although they’re both elected to a public office, there is no common denominator. The only common numerator is Ms. Tyer endorsed Andrea Harrington’s campaign; and I suspect that was more political than personal.
Linda Tyer and Andrea Harrington are two totally different personalities. Take it from someone who knows both ladies.
And when you drop the “Bill Q” pseudonym and reveal your true identity, then we can engage in a productive dialogue. Until then hide behind your avatar like the rest on this blog.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
I would assert neither is competent nor should hold the office they do.
Tyer has no clue how to run a city just as Harrington has no clue how to run the DA’s office or to litigate.
These are elections based on a twisted sense of affirmative action and “change”.
The social justice warriors are running the show now. I’m sick of all the ism’s that are given to everyone who disagrees with what they determine is the cause of that ism.
Buffoons 101 both.
Your post is required reading. Absolutely
Mr Marquis, how do know DA Harrington? Do you know her personally ? I understand not caring for a persons choices or political decisions .Your personal attacks on the Da and her family ,again are concerning.Facts speak for themselves,Rage just scares people.
So Shakes is his/her real name? And Art Seller is Gaetani’s real name? Who woulda guessed
Long. I am art Seller and only Art Seller. I asked Dan to confirm for me. I am waiting.
So now the Mayor is requiring city employees to take cultural competency courses. Is this even legal? And the City Council?
I would imagine it isn’t. The other question is, who’s paying for it? I realize that Edgerton needs to make money but this seems to be a “make work” project for her.
Are they going to bid the job out? Seek three competitive bids?
Agent in this city they try to turn nobodies into some bodies. It doesnt work. This is why the city is filled with nobodies. Three in particular: tyer Harrington and Edgerton. Three buffoons
Valley true
Carl,
To clarify, the petition came I believe from Helen Moon and was written by or with Dennis Powell and Shirley Edgerton. The Mayor had nothing to do with it. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t support it, but she didn’t bring it forward.
If you are going to “blame” her or “credit” her with something, please try and be factual. I don’t think that is asking to much.
Barry
While you are correct B.C, I think what Carl is referring to is the Mayor’s own admission that she has has made the cultural competency course a requirement for some city employees not the petition submitted to the council.
Really two cents? I mean what I State and stand behind it. Barry is Not correct in his reply. Never said it was the Mayor’s petition. Yes, he is correct on who initiated it, but again,I never said that…done…..just sayin
Barry seems to have trouble understanding English today. Probably a result of having taken the cultural training.
Carl,
You are correct, I miss read what you said. I thought you were talking about last nights petition.
You have my apology.
Barry
Worse she made it required for municipal employees she’s greasing the palms of Edgerton with tax payer money.
Can you say kick back? Ruberto’s corrupt protege. He appointed her city clerk. While on the council she never saw anything Ruberto promoted that she didn’t support, especially the now failed Workshop Live. Oh by the way where did that $750,000 of G.E. Economic Development monies go? Hum.
It’s political payola. Use tax payer money to help secure the African American vote at the next election.
This is Shirley Edgerton who’s family members have been involved in gang activity, drug dealing, and at least one has been murdered because of it.
This is Shirley Edgerton who claimed her Harrington signs where vandalized by Cac supporters when all her neighbors agreed it was the wind that blew their trash cans over and blew both Harrington and Cac signs around.
The LAST thing Edgerton should be talking or teaching about is racial bias or “cultural competency”.
This is a page out of the sharpton shakedown playbook.
Helen Moon wants “more tools in her tool box”. I thought Kerwood beat this old spin phrase to death long ago and that I would never have to hear it again.
Sad!!
Agent,
Your right about the Sharpton playbook part. It’s all about the upcoming election and the votes needed. I recently read an article that mentioned how every single democrat that has declared they are seeking the democrat nomination for president has sought out Sharpton to kiss his ring to get the African American votes. For many of them they called or visited him prior to announcing. I also saw where Sharpton sold his story for $500,000 to his own political organization which he owns and runs. Wonder if Sharpton will use the proceeds to pay his back taxes?
Tawana Brawley will always agree with Sharpton !!!
Johnny moon needs as many tools in her tool box as she can muster. I dont know whether she or parsnip is the council dunce? Disgusting no matter which one is elected for the award.
BM, for what it’s worth James Michael Curly was re-elected while he was in jail.
Gotta love the former mayor of Boston’s politics.
Those were the days when political bosses, like Curly, helped the poor find homes and jobs. They also built parks, funded auxiliary police and fire department, and constructed roads and sewage lines. All this came with a price: bosses expected them to vote as they were instructed. But at least people had homes and jobs!
At times, though, bosses required donations to help fund community projects and other socially acceptable programs.
All in all, JMC was everything he campaigned on!! Promised made, promised kept.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
Brian,
Sorta like Trump “ everything he campaigned on!! Promises made, promises kept.”
MAGA
Doxing is extremely serious. By exposing people online Brian will create an atmosphere of harassment, identity theft, you could have your job contacted, schools, or your financial information stolen. A regular poster on here is serving a sentence for impersonating a sitting judge and intimidating witnesses.
No Brian. Take your ball and go home. I will not give you my name.
Clearly no one running the DA’s office has a clue about law enforcement, criminal procedure or what a dangerousness hearing is for.
First they want to let a alleged armed robber who used a gun to rob 4 stores in a weeks time off, with conditions and no dangerousness hearing. You know because it’s not like he might rob a 5th store or a 6th. No danger to the public there.
Then, a woman who has a history of being abused, who’s known to the police because the person she allegedly attacked has been called out for abuse prior, actually defends herself, is running down the street to flag down the police, admits she stabbed the man with his knife while trying to escape from him. He’s actually chasing after her until he sees the police car and he tries to run away…. and SHE is being held over for a dangerousness hearing?!?
Andrea for the sake of Berkshire County and the safety of its citizens and those that visit RESIGN!
According to court files, About 10:42 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to Madison Avenue for a report of a disturbance and a possible stabbing. Officers saw Peltier-Tarrance running east on Madison, waving down the police cruiser and followed by a 34-year-old male wearing a heavily bloodstained shirt.
Peltier-Tarrance immediately told police she had stabbed the man in self-defense.
The man was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for treatment. He was listed in stable condition Monday, according to Pittsfield police. An update on his condition was not immediately available Tuesday.
Police said the man had at least two stab wounds to his chest.
While being taken to the police station, Peltier-Tarrance told officers the man attacked her and she had to stab him to get away.
During their investigation, including interviews with witnesses, police determined the stabbing took place at a house on Tierney Place. Peltier-Tarrance said the man wasn’t letting anyone leave the house and attacked her during the argument.
Peltier-Tarrance claimed the man grabbed her by the throat and hit her in the head. Police took photos to document any injuries. Peltier-Tarrance said the man dropped a knife, which she picked up and used against him.
She then ran to Madison Avenue and went into The Madison Cafe asking someone to call police because she was being chased by the man.
He entered soon after, claiming he’d been stabbed. Witnesses said Peltier-Tarrance left the knife on the bar before leaving.
AGENT
Thank you for sharing the information.
Did the guy order a bloody mary?
So the alleged domestic violence victim allegedly acted in self defense and is in jail and the alleged armed robber x 4 is not? It’s upside down week. Did Moon handle that investigation? Maybe the crime rate is why no one wants to go to the movies, poor Phoenix. Does anyone know how long till the mall goes belly up for good? Maybe it can be a honking big indoor marijuana cultivation loco? They can hire some VIPs to be product testers…
Re the cultiral competency – that is interesting that everyone employed by the city had to take the class. That is some good money made. Almost as good a gig as Rivers got with her job czar nonsense. I’m having too much fun being anonomously insulting – please accept my apology.?
I should add – people like smaller government because when government spends your money the likelihood that it’s wasted is high. Schools, roads, welfare, police etc we need and somehow everything else (and even chucks of tmecessary) often ends up in some friendly pocket.
Yes, KERMIT. Smaller government is better government, as the Founding Fathers well knew. Bigger government is a license for political corruption and repression of citizens, mainly by punishing tax burdens.
Ha, funny how you left out the last few sentences of the Beagle article. Did you think nobody would notice?
“During a check of the back of the cruiser in which Peltier-Tarrance was transported, police found a bag which appeared to be crack cocaine, leading to a drug possession charge.
Peltier-Tarrance was arraigned Tuesday in Central Berkshire District Court where she entered not guilty pleas to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B drug.
She is also facing a hearing in February to determine if her new charges violate her probation conditions from several cases of hers from late last year.”
It’s like the telephone game with facts. Bleh. I still hate the Beagle.
Bimmer [Brian]….. the word was intersect, not interact. See, if I use my real name i’ll not only get chastised,they”ll know what a boob I am.
Typo.
Chill-out, avatar!!
I mean, we all know not getting his way inflict “emotional distress” on Brian and will only add to his “dismal record of non-achievement”. I’m violating his constitutional rights by not complying with his demands.
This board attracts folks that like filing frivolous Federal lawsuits and wasting taxpayers’ time and money. Who would have thunk it?
Good one. I’m guessing you were the smartest one in your class?
Yup, I filed a lawsuit, and won!! Gotta love the legal system.
You might research how many students sue colleges and universities when civil rights, property rights, and other rights have been violated. We have a legal system for a reason.
Only namby-pambies stand by and permit higher ed. administrators dump on their rights!
And to think I might have more court time than your current district attorney, Andrea Harrington.
Yeah, me!!
I’m not seeing where you won, only that a federal judge dismissed the suit.
You filed a personal injury lawsuit. Sounds like you have a lot of participation trophies at home. What law school did you attend?
A rebuttal of sorts for Brian.
In a perfect world, everyone would use their name and people would engage in civil discourse. There would be no threats, false allegations, doxing, lies, accusations, petty reprisals.
It is unfortunately not that world.
Part of the information I get is based on the fact that I will anonymously disiminate it. If people knew who I was, it would be inconvenient for me but probably detrimental for them. In my business, it’s not just the information that matters, it’s the flow of the information that can be equally as telling.
Lastly, and probably most important, by not knowing names, one is judge solely on the content of their posts.
Instead of being a cult of personality based on name recognition, I judge posters purely on their posted content.
Their names mean nothing to me. Further the use/abuse of the power that is afforded in this pseudo anonymous environ is even more telling as to the character of a person.
I give everyone a chance, I can disagree with a person but I can still respect that person. Here, there are many who can’t abide by that and they sling arrows and spew vitriol because the feel protected behind a screen name. They are not persons of good character or worth. I just ignore them.
I applaude you for your use of your name but I don’t think it need be mandatory.
Yup, that works well for me.
Agree 100% I don’t use my name in posts here but Dan has my real name because it’s in my e-mail address.
Well said AgentSmith. I agree. It’s the ideas that matter not who is saying them. Too many people are more interested in who you are than in what you are saying. That is wrong and not how it should be. That doesn’t mean people can say anything on this site. There are limits and Dan V. does a good job of monitoring his site.
Social media is out of control because people go overboard on those sites. Threatening people happens all the time on many social media sites because they are not properly monitored.
PAT
Thanks for acknowledging the policing of this site. Of late, certain posters have gone a bit too far. We haven’t banned anyone yet, and that is ALWAYS a last resort. The very essence of THE PLANET — its purpose — is to provide ideas, information, and commentary to serve as starting points for debate, dialog, and discussion. We believe free speech, even when it is bruising, is always the best default option. That said, we do have limits. If the limits are exceeded, mainly through personal insults and comments that add nothing to the discussion except to trash, we will not hesitate to ostracize. We want more comments of the type you give (and others such as Chuck Garivaltis, Chuck Trzcinka, Ed Connect, Joe Pinhead, Mike Ward, Barry Clairmont, and others): to the point, moving the discussion forward, and responding fervently but also fairly.
A person of good character or worth would not edit out portions of a news article in order to paint a false picture and deceive people. You are a fraud.
So you are your own judge….just sayin. And so am mi.
Barry, here is the comment to which I referred the Mayor requiring.
Mayor Linda Tyer recently ramped up her efforts to do the same on the city side and said some 200 employees have taken the course. Tyer said the administration has made it a requirement of all employees.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59148/Pittsfield-Councilors-Requested-Not-Required-to-Take-Cultural-Competency-Training.html
“Blumin called it “Democratic Party training” and declared it unconstitutional.” I think that says it all.
I can teach this course in 30 seconds: Be respectful, listen to other’s points of view, and be honest.
Oh, now I see why it’s being required. Progressives don’t know how to do any of that.
Brumin seem valley smart. He tell opinion like Gman.
Blumin no onion.
For Linda and Barry money is of no concern. She moved from a $72,000 house on Ventura Avenue that she bought in 2001 with her second husband to a $750,000 house on Pheasant Way in Pittsfield’s only Gated Community on outer West Street. No drug dealers or crime out there. Eating out of the public trough.
Now that is a “Pittsfield Stride” we can all watch from a distance.
MAGA Linda.
Johnny. MAGA now means. Moron And General Ass Hole. Jeest seeing.
Yeah, as in MAGAetani.
No concerns and keep the poor in their place. Barry just had crow fed to him on a response, good job Carl. All the more reason when you get egg on the face, huh Barry?
Funny how Dem politicians are against border walls but they all live behind walls.
This is proof positive that if you are a gobsig boot licker you will be able to fleece the rest of the city residents big time. Maybe not so next time. Stay tuned. I despise gobsig elected buffoons. We sure have our share of them here in city govt.
Shirley Edgerton an expert on other cultures? Please.
Question for Rivers. How did the training help you to overcome language barriers?
TSC. Quite recently the Gman had a petition to do something similar to what you speak of here. That freak Marchetti canned it under rule 27. His petition stated that veterans over 70 years of age should pay NO property taxes at all. Mr Gaetani just called me and asked me to post that he will submit a petition for the next city council meeting stating what you have posted here today. He thinks it is a good idea. He will also submit the veteran petition again also
I’m thinking a freeze at a given age 66 gives some stability to Seniors that have retirement incomes under 50k arbitrary number.It would put controls on Mayors,Councilors who need that over 60 voter.
Sounds like some sort of diversity manifest.
To Agent. She just said that to confirm that she’s on board with edger 10 . If Tyer is working the floor by agreeing to do what she’s told by edger 10, and flip flop Diva cowtows you got that vote. Maybe those 200 or so employees required to do this wont vote for the mayor. It’s a wash. This tells me Westside Johnny won’t run for a Mayor.
Isn’t Edgertons kid working in the same building as flip flop?Some kind of mother motivational gig.
Pittsfield will never change! It is useless to do anything but bitch about Pittsfield politics.
Population loss, Job loss, tax hikes, huge municipal debts, Good Old Boys, unethical Jimmy Ruberto, empty PEDA “business” park, vested interests (Big 3 unions), cheap Suits, sad and dangerous downtown, teen pregnancies, welfare caseloads, economic inequality, overpriced/under-performing public school system, non-competitive state and local “elections”, low voter turnout, career political hacks, one political party rule, negativity, industrial toxic waste chemicals called PCBs that cause cancer and learning disabilities, empty GE buildings, post industrial waste, the Berkshire Museum shakedown, tax breaks to out-of-town millionaires while senior citizens struggle to pay their bills, over reliance on culture and arts tourism venues that consumed millions of dollars from GE’s settlement fund, no living wage jobs, part-time, low-income jobs, preferential treatment to insiders like Nuciforo’s pot shop, Pittsfield is #5 for violent crime in 2017, according to the FBI.
No rational middle class family or small business would choose to invest in Pittsfield given the above facts! Pittsfield is in a never-ending downward spiral!
I guess it is all the lovely Linda Tyer’s fault because she was a secretary, city clerk, and now Mayor, as well, she was married 3 times, and moved from a $75k home to a $750k home owned by accountant businessman Barry Clairmont. It seems like people are unfairly blaming Mayor Linda Tyer for inheriting a big mess!
I still believe in the leadership of the lovely Linda Tyer. I believe she will be able to change things for the better in Pittsfield during her next term as Mayor. I believe Mayor Linda Tyer is the best Mayor of Pittsfield EVER!
– Jonathan Melle
Jonathan. good thing the secretary has you there but not many here. Tyer is the worst politician who has ever held public office in pittsfield and we have quite a few very bad ones like ruberto and Doyle but she wins the booby prize hands down.
Johnathan,
Why don’t you tell us how ya really feel, and update yours Street list which is outta date by a couple of homicides.
Why are you uplifting the Mayor and always trashing Renaldo and Andrea?
Jonathan should sit down and smoke the peace pipe with Andrea, The pipe will be filled with some good top shelf Andrea weed,
Well, she’s gone & done it again……TFB has filed legislation entitled “Work & Family Mobility Act” to give ILLEGALS drivers licenses. These illegal aliens are breaking our immigration laws, draining our welfare system, burdening our hospitals & schools, and bringing diseases with them. This legislation failed before, so let’s make sure it fails again. Contact her at 413/442-4300, or Tricia.Farley-Bouvier@mahouse.gov
Then they can drive to Art’s house
Anyone can come to my house. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Any color any sex any any religion creed or nationality. Makes no differerence to me .They are all humans like me and want to live like me. They are all welcome at my house. Just like all the people were welcome at my mothers house when she was alive.
What’s your address art? I’ll have some cards printed up in various languages inviting there.
Lounge your fascination with fox news has placed you well behind the 8 ball in news you need to know. It is a very well known fact that the immigrant population has a far less criminal foot print in the US than naturalized American citizens. I’m sure you dont believe in climate change and you believe the planet is flat and most airplanes are propeller driven. Your way out of your league but it doesnt have to be that way. You can do much better but you must recognize fact from fiction. [SENTENCE REDACTED] Just saeing
Lounge. Send them to the Gman home on the French Riviara. They will love it there.
Art, do you live in Pittsfield? What’s the address?
It’s official – you heard it first right here on the Planet. Art’s home is now a sanctuary house for illegals. One-stop shopping for ICE!
Mr. Fritz don’t forget Gov. Baker signed a new law in Aug 2018 that starting in 2020 when you do a transaction at the RMV or are enrolled in MassHealth you will be automatically enrolled to vote. So would that mean the illegal alien would be able to vote?
Yes, I’m wondering the same thing. Will the Motor-Voter law automatically register them to vote? Perhaps someone else can answer that for us?
Fritz Do you need a licences to get to and from work?? I like you consider butterball to be lacking in nervous tissue big time In this day in age one almost always needs to have a licence. There is a better chance they can get a job if they can drive. Also they need a car to do all the things you do with your car.They are humans like us and 99.9% of them are decent people like you.
Art, you’re the one always whining about taxes and saving the taxpayer money. These people have broken our immigration laws and are NOT eligible to hold a job in this country without a green card or visa. They are sucking away public assistance monies. Where is your nervous tissue? How many undocumented workers are maintaining your palace? Guess who pays for illegals when they show up at BMC needing assistance? Who pays for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in the public schools? Look in the mirror, sucker!
Fritz. I know a lot of people in pittsfield. I have never known an illegal immigrant in my entire lifetime and I am almostv80. How many illegals do you know??? There are a lot more american citizens who are bad apples than bad apple immigrants. In fact they have a lot lower criminal records than Americans. Go figure.
I have to call fake news here. Whats your source on claiming lower criminal records for illegals?
Fake news is right X-Lachs…..Art claims to have debating skills, but he never answers questions and never has facts to support his outrageous claims. He’s an empty shell. I hope he does debate Tyer – then all will see the truth…..
Notice Art’s pivot……he always changes the subject instead of supporting his claims with facts……
It appears that Nancy has taken the wind out of scumps sail. This is one woman he won’t grab by the_____y I predict she will burry scump. Scump loosing more and more of his base daily. Fact checker 8519 confirmed lies. How can anyone support this miscreant and call themselves an American?? I just dont get it . Am I missing something that I dont get????
It’s apparent that you don’t get much.
Compared to you lounge I’m stupid. It shows!!!!!!
Art I get your point. As long as the license holder has insurance in case of accidents and can be held accountable if at fault. But that doesn’t answer the question about automatic voter registration.
When they get a license send em to honest Art’s used car lot for a real deal.
Who cares. The democrats say the world will end in twelve years.
Herb let’s get serious for a moment. Fossil fuels yield a massive amount of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide does not let heat from the earth escape the way it should into the atmosphere. In the history of the earth never has there been as much Carbon dioxide present surrounding the planet as there has been in the past 100 years due to the burning of fossil fuels. To the average citizen they dont see this build up of heat because they dont live long enough to see the detrimental affect of these rising temperatures. That being said let’s now turn to scientists like the Gman. Their training is such that with their measuring gadgets etc they can SEE the impending doom on the way. We lay people can do one of two things. Believe them or not. I certainly believe them and I know that climate change will not affect me in the few years I have left but what about my great great great great grand children?? They will Definitely experience the catastrophic affects. It doesnt have to be this way if we start to address it now. Everyone needs to know this is real. Unfortunately a lot of people dont but their famalial lineage will for Certain.
Global Warming is a scam. The answer to solve it is always Marxism. If you choose to buy into the cult here are some facts. uS carbon emissions have gone down under trump.
What the US puts out is minuscule compared to china and india.
Lounge climate change has to be adressed by the entire world. Did I have to tell you this???? Please your testing my patience!!!!!!
Yes,that is how you lead the world.You lead by doing.Are you stuck in your commie stage .
Correct and right on target, X-lachs. I totally agree. It’s amazing how many suckers have bought into Al Gore’s phoney “science.”
Art,
You should try posting less on this blog. With every post it becomes even clearer that you are not fit to lead.
TSC. How fortunate we are to have fritz,lounge, and trump train on this board. How could we survive without their wisdom??? I have learned so much from them.
Yes, CO2 is a product of combustion, unfortunately all the data collected does not show carbon dioxide (CO2) causes temperature increases.
As a matter of fact, just the opposite, as temperatures rise, then CO2 increase follows afterwards. BTW, plants need CO2, so when it is higher, agricultural growth is improved.
So what really causes “climate change”? Answer…solar activity! Source: MIT professor that has tracked mean temperatures versus sun spot activity. He has shown a direct correlation to this.
What can we do about this? Absolutely nothing. Just adapt, or whine, or if you are the government, use it as an excuse to tax something else.
Sorry I cannot give you the scientists name, I am out of town on business, and don’t have access to my home library.
Please do. I have a lot of good deals
So Art, when you start your campaign for mayor – you’ll be releasing your tax returns, right?
Fritzy. You are a consistent liar on this board.. Show me any post where I said I was running for mayor??? You show your ridiculousness with posts like that. Áre you an educated man???
Anyone have a federal worker suffering from the wall issue. Also, can a city worker also have a state job, or can a city worker holding a political paybig job also work fo the state.
Blind item:
What Pittsfield teacher settled a sexual assault and harassment suit quietly and with an NDA . This teacher was accused, and admitted via a letter, to sexually assaulting a student and then threatening her and her mother with “grave bodily harm” if she reported it. There seems to be another lawsuit in the works as it was “known by staff” that this teacher would have sex with the student. This teacher was caught by staff kissing and fondling the student at a number of school functions and nothing was done.
He used his connections in law enforcement to further cover up his crimes, getting information from local police about any reports filed.
Can you narrow it down a bit, which school are we talking about?
It happened over 20 years ago, less than 35. Student was in high school at the time. Pittsfield School system.
AGENT
Do you know this person’s name? THE PLANET would be receptive to any information on this or any other such information. You can send it to me privately at danvalenti@verizon.net.
Will do.
AGENT
The info didn’t come through. The e-mail was blank. Please re-send along with a good return address. Thanks.
Since teachers and administration are mandated reporters, why is this not directly reported to police?
It’s hard to say why sometimes people that should care, don’t.
Agent If what you are saying is true. A lot of individuals within the school dept. Have a lot of explaining to do and so do the police. Is this a recent incident or very past incident. You must be very careful in what you say as peoples reputations are at stake. You seem to have very accurate information in your posts which are verifiable and I think you have picqued everyone’s interest. The so called Gob network in this city is alive and well and I wouldn’t put anything past them including this most serious incident you describe. I guess we will have to wait to see what you report.
Is it your belief that this “cover-up” could have taken place without the knowledge of anyone in the DA’s Office you defend so ardently? Please.
Is this Pittsfield teacher still working in a Pittsfield school and if so were they given a pay raise or promotion?
Is this one of the reasons parents are sending their children out of the local system? Should a superintendent or mayor be covering for a sexual predator and if so should they also be given a pay raise and promotion?
Which district attorney would have been associated with this case?
No, although he may sub or work for another system or day camp. He is retired as far as I know.
I don’t know, I think better education opportunities are more a driving force for choicing out of Pittsfield.
No
This was in the range of 20-25 years ago, who was the DA at the time. It’s not exactly on point because it was never reported so the police and DA were not involved.
Situation is decades old. It was never reported and the statute of limitations on the criminal case has expired so there was no law enforcement or DA involvement. The school and administrators didn’t report anything either. The civil case still has some legs as there’s a 35 year limit on civil cases.
Teacher does not work in the system any longer and left the system with no penalty as this was never reported. It’s not a part of his record and the civil case was only recently settled with an NDA.
The apology letter is pretty much a “sorry not sorry, my life/marriage was bad, blame the victim”.
Issues outstanding for any further civil case, what school personnel knew, how long did they know?
It seems it was fairly blatant the teacher in question would drive the student to school, would specifically chaperone events, it was obvious evidently to students as well. Threats of real violence against the girl and her mother by the teacher prevented her from coming forward. The teacher in question made it known he had guns and some form of law enforcement connection, to the point of flashing some sort of badge. Fake or Auxilary or a “donation” badge it is hard to say.
If you have access to PACER you can probably find an initial filing but it may have been removed because of an improper filing issue. I believe they filed, then went to arbitration. A reporter with some effort could really blow this case open.
The worst part is he is unfettered by any criminal action so he’s free to take jobs at other schools and camps. The hope is a civil case against the school system will bring his name to light.
Some would blame the victim for not reporting or taking money under an NDA, but let’s all agree not to go there. The psychological damage can change a person, bad legal advice can limit options for disclosure.
Just to clarify one item: the threats were made to the girl, not the mother. The girl was told her mother would be hurt if the girl ever said anything. This, in part, prevented the girl from speaking up before.
so why is this being dug up now????
Civil suit just went through. Years of therapy brought her to this point. It’s no different than any other case, it often takes decades for survivors of sexual abuse to come forward.
Blame the victim. As a victim of domestic violence and the abuse and violence of a Pittsfield police officer, when I called the police for vandalism to my property I have experienced first hand this injustice. I have spoken and will continue speaking out, especially regarding the Pittsfield Police. Maybe the Feds need to come into this city and clean it up and out.
I think it would be great to find out how many and how much money was paid out over lawsuits against the city & schools – and not just sexual misconduct lawsuits – over the last ten years. Do you have access to that info, Agent?
That would be an eye-opening expose. It would also go a long way to improve government transparency and accountability.
Many of these settlements involve incompetent administrators (not always sexual harassment or student sexual issues), so they always seem to be settled quietly, and with a NDA. Most times to protect the teacher that was wronged. The teacher’s reputation is not tarnished, and they may still be working in the district.
However, an accounting could be disclosed with naming any individuals. Dollar amounts alone would be interesting to see.
Every citizen has access to that information via FOIA requests. No settlement of a town, city, municipal entity, or officer is confidential. Certain items may be redacted where the privacy of the individual outweighs the public’s right to know but beyond that it’s public info.
Any settlement is open to an FOIA request, as are discipline records for employees of the city. The Berkshire Eagle knows this and has been want in their filing of said requests. The most recent was to municipalities for employee settlements due to a Sandisfield DPW employee.
They have completely ignored the school system and generally ignore the police departments.
Thank you Agent. Good info!
Until we get the Mayor Tyer,President Marchetti,School President Yon and Our 160k School Department Head to say in unison we need to redirect money to law enforcement by School consolidation.Our square footage in buildings served 9,500 kids now at 5400 and shrinking.This crime issue now is one of honesty and truth telling.We watch the denials of a massive problem.Lets get control of the city as the number 1 problem then when we do education will be in a much better place.
Eric Trumps wife was reportedly to the 1,000,000 fed employees that the pain they expierance is for a good cause….A wall that will have tunnels under it.
and that is easy to say when you are eating caviar and living the life of a princess.
good for her for rubbing it in the faces of the unfortunates who probably do not deserve to have food anyway
That is why you also put vibration sensors on the wall (on the US side) to detect tunneling.
You can not do that now, they would be removed or destroyed.
They should put a box on your tax return that allows you to donate extra money to this idiocy. Then you can waste your money all you want.
Tricia Farley Bouvier fighting, as usual, for the rights of illegal immigrants. Immigrants, regardless of their status, should have drivers licenses according to her. Americans are going through a long process of getting their drivers license. I know people making three or four trips to the DMV because they do not have the proper documentation…marriage licenses, social security cards, bills showing your current address, birth certificates, etc. How are illegal immigrants going to have access to those documents?!?
The same way the illegals get their kids into the schools without proper id, without immunization & health histories, without speaking English.
Butterball Bouvier continues to work AGAINST American citizens.
Tricia Country-Buffet wants to ensure the illegal vote with this, plain and simple. These people fear deportation as it is. Does Country-Buffet really think illegal citizens are going to go to a government building, where in their minds, they could be rounded up and shipped out, and get ID’s? C’mon, really?
And exactly what “government documents” does Country-Buffet propose the state use to actually verify these people are who their papers say they are?
This is a big ploy people. I’m telling you, Country-Buffet has her eyes and greasy fingers on that job currently occupied by Sheriff Bowler. Sheriff Bowler is a lifetime, dedicated law enforcement officer. Country-Buffet is a useless, political hack.
But Country-Buffet and DA Harrington are the “Progressive Law and Order Team.” They can bring social justice to the corrupt criminal justice system that actually (or in theory any way) holds people accountable for their actions.
How would have thought when you are arrested for a crime, your race/gender, not the crime, play a role in prosecution/confinement.
Congrats to rep bouvier for the little guy, they have to live also.
Not about helping the little guy. It’s about helping brings voters into the country for the far left. Far left California wants people obtaining a driver’s license to automatically be enrolled to vote. That’s the reason for the urgency for illegal immigrants to be able to get drivers licenses!! That’s where this is heading. This as another caravan heads to the border.
Democrats care more about illegals than citizens.
2020 your becoming a bigger liar than scump. Is this by design or sheere insanity???
Simple solution to completely solve illegal immigration (during & after a barrier is built)….
1) eliminate ALL entitlements to undocumented (illegals)
2) jail and fine any employer that hires such a person
3) 30% tax on all wire cash transfers by individuals out of the USA
The start with Trump. He’s headed for prison anyway.
Great points TT. No. 3 is especially interesting – the tax on wire transfers alone could fund a lot of projects, maybe even the wall.
How is that going to work when many states and cities are run by traitors?
Make it a federal tax.
Hasn’t this administration raised taxes on us enough? or did you forget that US consumers are paying the tariffs he imposed is his trade tantrums?
Since when did the republicans become the tax and spend party?
Unless you are an illegal sending your illegally earned money via wire transfer back home to your relatives in Mexico, Guatemala, etc. then this proposed tax would not apply to you.
Butterball Bouvier’s proposed travel tax would apply to you. Get upset over THAT tax!
So now the federal government will require immigration status for wiring money? How about sending a check? Money order?
How about a little respect for our elected officials or don’t you have a problem with people insulting the man in the White House?
You don’t want to have discussion, you just want to feel better about your own impotence.
TT: Love all three of these suggestions!
Trump has admitted to hiring illegals to work at his golf courses and resorts. He has admitted to hiring thousands of illegals to work on his construction sites.
He also has put 12 thousand children in cages to be used on his work sites when they grow up. This is why he is a self proclaimed genius who out thinks everyone else. MAGA
Johnny. You know none of this means anything to scumps base. If over 8500 confirmed lies doesnt move them they are immovable. Scumps base. Doesnt that have a nice ring to it?????
Because these lies are made up by the propaganda press that is CIA controlled. They have either done a great job in brainwashing you, or you are quite the fool.
The Alt-Right and white supremacists took over this discussion.
Providing a license to dive is important for all vehicle operators on the roads so they can drive registered, inspected, and insured vehicles. These are state functions and they must occur regardless of the vehicle operator’ legal status.
That said, the public discourse from the legislature is pretty inadequate regarding the issue, but when you have a majority, you don’t always need to explain, just ask Merrick Garland.
I completely disagree, Shakes. Illegals cannot hold jobs legally without proper documentation. Having a drivers license is a citizen privilege, not a “right” for all. As others have pointed out – this leads to illegals on the voter rolls which is also unlawful.
Ridiculous, say a guy escapes from prison, should he be granted permits and licenses because they are “state functions”? Your argument applies to people here legally
So a busload of 46 nuns and orphans is hit by an illegal driving and all 46 suffer debilitating injuries that require a lifetime of medical treatment and care. No criminal negligence, just happens to be a tragic accident. He has no insurance. Since he is illegal, he gets swept up by ICE, and placed in Federal custody prior to deportation. After his 4 months in jail are up, he goes back to China and is never heard from again.
Sucks to be those nuns and orphans, huh?
Eric Trumps wife would tell these self aggrandizing nuns and orphans to suck it up and be thankful Trump is even allowing them to live in his country. There is nothing more irritating than a bunch of nuns and orphans playing the pity card. I would not be surprised if some of them were litterbugs or card cheats.
so sick of it
MAGA
The majority of the undocumented get auto insurance for the first month/quarter (if that), to get a car registered initially to get a plate). After that, all bets are off.
The license then becomes an ID so that they can get a job, benefits, etc.
See what happens to you in most countries if you try and enter without a passport.
SHAKES
To be against illegal immigration has nothing to do with “white supremacy.” It has everything to do with the integrity of a country’s borders. Without secure borders, we have what has happened to Britain and other countries: increased crime, poverty, and strain on public treasuries. A world without borders, of course, is the Platonic ideal. That blue earth seen from space shows no borders whatsoever. Humanity, however, hasn’t evolved past its insecurities and fears. Nationalism requires nations, and nations require secure borders. The U.S. has a process to admit and welcome people’s from foreign lands. Follow that process and prosper. Enter illegally, and you are a law breaker.
Changing the subject to border security has nothing to do with any tangible problem – especially when the vast majority of undocumented workers are on expired documents. My point addresses vehicles on the roads that are safe, responsibly driven, and insured.
Implying that undocumented are voting in Federal elections, something that zero states in the Union can allow by law or otherwise and is an infinitesimally rare occurrence, as a position against sound public policy that has nothing to do with voting is an alt-right/white supremacy tactic and implicit fear mongering that stokes the uneducated electorate. Many of these uninformed people post on this page.
I also reference the “black vote” described above in comments about municipal employees and training them to not be racist or otherwise bigoted as the fulfill their duties and job responsibilities as public servants. Western Massachusetts is overwhelmingly Caucasian and I don’t care how many of you say you ‘have black friends’ you refuse to acknowledge institutional disenfranchisement. Those posts are evidence.
Undocumented voting in federal elections is an “infinitesimally rare occurence” Shakes?? Really? What factual evidence do you have to support that claim?
What factual evidence do you have to refute my claim?
YOU made the claim, not me. It’s up to you to support it with facts.
Grow up. If you have evidence otherwise, any findings that undocumented people or non-citizens voting in Federal elections occurs, post it, If not, STFU and GTHO.
No facts Shakes? Gman has the same problem – he never has any facts either, to support his outrageous claims.
You’re garbage.
Here’s an example, in Arizona. 22 cases in 10 years.
In the past decade, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has prosecuted 22 voter-fraud cases, including at least 11 from Maricopa County, and four from Pinal County.
All of those cases involve voters prosecuted for casting ballots in two states and most ended up paying fines ranging from $2,500 to $13,800. Two of the cases stem from the 2012 presidential election and are still pending
Now you are confusing apples with oranges. The info you just posted concerns PROSECUTED cases of illegal voter fraud.
When you look at nonprosecuted illegal voter fraud, keeping in mind that Juducial Watch has estimated 43 million illegals currently in this country – we are talking about a tremendously higher number. The Washington Times estimated that 5.7 million noncitizens voted in the 2008 election. The same paper estimated Hillary gained 800,000 votes from noncitizens in the 2016 election. Judicial Watch just won their lawsuit against the state of CA over their failure to purge ineligible voters from their books. That state has a registration rate 112% ABOVE their adult citizen population!
In states with motor voter programs – a high rate of noncitizens on the voter roles exists.
I could write a book but I’ll stop there Shakes.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/21/illinois-counties-have-mo_n_852141.html
Lol, you’re an idiot if you think Maricopa County wouldn’t prosecute undocumented aliens trying to vote.
But you’re an idiot regardless.
Who’s Mantainng the mud and muck across from park Sq. Mud and muck with ice. So, to get to the kiosk you have to go through that crap. And Big Y south west side, when are they going to fix the lake in the road, Center at west just as bad.
So the illegals are going to have a tough time getting to your sanctuary house on foot? They will need hip boots to navigate the muck and also the horse manure which you post daily on this site.
Cicero is not Rinaldo DelGallo. Cicero is way too intelligent in his posts to be Delgallo.
Brian, All elected persons are elected based on politics, not merit. Has been and will always be that way. Considering that, it is a wonder this country ever became as great as it did.
Most people won’t use their own name here becasue the GOBSIG will get em.
Barry made an erroneous claim in a post and aplogized. No biggie, but he was big enough to a.) post under his own name, and b.) apologize, so let it go – we are getting valuable information from him, whether you agree with it or not.
Cultural competency training? You gotta be kidding me. Maybe for the cops, but for every city employee???
Driver’s licenses for illegals, and Far A Way Farely is proud of sponsoring this???? Ridiculous. Anyone here illegally should be deported, whether visa overstay or a snuck in, with the exception of crashed beings from other planets who can’t get home. Do I make myself clear???
If the poor white high school kids from Kentucky were black, and the people making the racist comments where white supremists, instead of black racists, and told the black kids to go back to Africa, and the fake indian walked up to the black kids and beat the drum in their faces, this entire social media pukefest would have been turned around, and fake indian (and fake war veteran) and the white racists would be crucified, and the black high school students would be the heros. But because the kids are upper class white kids, and they are wearing MAGA hats, they get the shaft.
Wake up America. Wake up Pittsfield. Make America Great Again, regardless of who is president, and make Pittsfield at least a good city once again, instead of a shitty one, regardless of who is mayor.
For people who are upset with all the complaining re the mayor. I can say she is not worse than the others. Seriously, that is a low bar. Being a secretary is no insult, Kroll was a secretary too, no?
The parking execution was well done. That could have been a way bigger headache. It was reasonably smooth. She picked up the turd that was the innovation center and made it less of a turd, no small feat.
I like the painted garbage bins or whatever they are, they are cheerful.
The Beacon, I can’t get around that. Imagine if 20 young entrepreneurs each got 500K what kind of exciting incumbator we might have. The money has to stop funneling to special interests or nothing will get better and they rich jerks will eventually leave with all our money!!!
Lastly, buy JM a coffee or better for constantly saying nice things about you. The ‘lovely Linda Tyler’ is in all our brains from repetition. Put it on a bumper sticker if you run. No scaracm, it’s endearing.
Johnny u can start by cutting your nonsense.
Kermit. Everything you stated didn’t have a ring of truth in it. I believe the lovely Linda stamp wasn’t J M’s at all, it was Nota that tagged the phrase years ago.
May Hem – I really struggled to be positive. I was scraping it together. I’m generally a grumpy, critical person. I expect it all sounded hollow. Ha!
Rep.Bouvier should know better there are many problems with what you seek for aliens, feds can’t watch them anymore,so there is something wrong with her nonsense because she Has no problem with it.A few years ago a little girl was found dead, where were the state agencies on that one Representative?????? The schools?
this country has much much bigger problems than illegal immigrants right now
please reformulate and start from the beginning
I think our own people are worst than illegals. People around here are phony and not friendly.
We have a drug crisis in this country Dusty and the drugs are coming over an unsecured border!!!!
Wrong the drugs are coming thru legal entry points. Your not aware because your media sources are poor. Fox and breitbart
there is a whole bunch of water out there…hearing lots of booms…cellars flooding all over….Hubbard ave may be closed under bridge please update from your position
over
I’m the liberal and the liscense law in so ignorant.She needs a better motivation than she wants them to pay fees.I want 100 % Secure boarders and believe the Wall is a diversion and they dont work.The tunnels would start immediately. Bouvier has her name on this as usual.Shes famous for doing this attach of her name.Regressives state that liberals want the border open which is so nonsense but the leader keeps saying this for you…..Trump already stated democrats build walls….we are not secure right now
TSC The situation in Washington is deplorable. The Republican party which use to be a good party has completely disintegrated over this fairy tale wall and the talk that the democrats want open borders is as assanine also. The one and only person responsible for this shutdown is scump. He owns it.
The question is Bouvier,why no inherent problem with aliens,that’s trump thinking. Harrington,how are you going to stop crime in he street? Never seen your platform. It just doesn’t stop by magic.
What we should be talking about is how are we going to get this secretary and council to stop spending our hard earned tax dollars on all these special interest groups who are sucking us dry. The last people these phonies care about are we the taxpayers. We no longer elect city officials The special interests elect them. The only criteria demanded by the special interests is that the puppets feed the pig. This is what politics in pittsfield has morphed to. How do we change it???? You have to get involved people. This PAC idea sounds like a good idea. The Gman has made the first pledge amount of 200 dollars. I wish everyone on this board would do the same. If we did this it would show we are serious and Mr. Valenti says he knows a few people who might be interested in being our PAC leader. The Gman knows Mr. Garavaltis and Mr. Kitterman and feels either of these two would be great leaders. Also he wonders if Mr. Kinnas might be interested or possibly Alex blumin. I wonder Dan if you might be interested. Is there anyone on this board who would help us out by serving in this capacity. We can’t wait. We must try to organize now because we have an election in 10 months. Is there anyone on this board thinking of runing for any elected position??? There is no group like we who post daily and WE must take the lead. I think we need to start talking about this soon. The Gman would take this position but he already has enough on his plate and soon may be leaving the country on business and the projects he works on take many years to construct. So he will be gone most of the time in the near future. Some one must step up please we need someone desperately who can do this work.
I’d send money to get it off the ground. But who will lead?
Art,
What’s this “we” stuff? You said a PAC would be a failure. You were nonsupportive when Dan first brought this idea up. Now you want to be a part of it? Go take care of your water issues overseas. Please.
Gigi I still hold to my premise that it won’t work out. I pray it works out but I am a realist. Are you pledging 200 dollars like the Gman??? The stage is set and now all we can do is pray and wait. Mr. Gaetani has been carrying the ball for everyone and I have been calling for action from everyone ever since I started posting on this board and we all know that there hasn’t been a single person on this board who has come forward with action to match the Gman efforts. If there are individuals who have come forward I am not aware of them. I have seen Mr Valenti post many times that the kapanskls must unite and act and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Who knows maybe we will get a big response but I am old enough to know that there are very few people who will put themselves out there to take the abuse the Gman takes including from people like you. Leaders are far and few between.
“Maybe this new group can be of some help to him” – quote of the day from Art. This PAC group is not about you Art, nor is it about your close personal friend the Gman, and therein lies the problem with your thinking.
The PAC doesn’t need any narcissistic members, nor does it need negative, defeatist attitudes.
Go overseas and take care of your water business.
Gggi You have a comprehension problem. The PAC will more than likely not get off the ground because of people like you. Throwing stones at the ones trying to help you. That’s why good people won’t get involved. Your all talk and no action. Where do you you people come from. Can we at least count on you 200 dollars????
ART
Well done on the pledge of $200. Yes, I know a few qualified people who might be interested. Something might happen in the early spring, depending on a lot of factors. THE PLANET would match your pledge.
Do not give in to trump.
Socialism spells disaster for any country. Venezuela used to be extremely wealthy. Now they can’t afford toilet paper and the country has descended into chaos. Thanks to President Trump, our country is the ENVY of the world. We are the ONLY country doing well right now. Progressive France has descended into rioting. Germany, Greece, Italy all doing horribly. Thank you President Trump!!!!
Only far left radicals want to destroy our country with their socialist agenda. With their open borders agenda that will allow drugs and crime to destroy our people. With their abortion even at 6 months as they are allowing now in New York while they complain we don’t have enough people in this country so we need illegal immigrants. Shouldn’t they be encouraging people to have children if we are so low in population. It’s not American children they want, however, it’s illegal immigrants who they can easily control since the illegals would be given all sorts of freebies if they don’t question the far left agenda. Many Americans have wised up to how dangerous the radical far left agenda has become.
Fake news of the day. Switzerland is doing great.
“income inequality and debt are both quite low in Switzerland. This reality persists although Switzerland’s wealthy have the lowest tax burden in the world; the richest decile in the country pays only 20.9 percent of the country’s taxes. Remarkably, even though the tax burden on the wealthy is minimal, Switzerland’s national debt as a percentage of its gross domestic product is lower than Finland’s, Sweden’s, and Denmark’s.
Switzerland is the closest to “paradise” of any European country, yet it remains one of the most capitalist economies on Earth. Its success is a powerful antidote to socialist claims about the benefits of progressive taxation, and all but destroys the assumption that Scandinavia as a bastion of socialism shows that only collectivism can produce success.”
The capitalist pyramid has apparently made you money and no debt.Good for you as you are well up the pyramid.The rest are struggling to get healthcare,pay a rent or mortgage, automobiles usually 2 and food.Average electric bill is 2k and heat is 3k car insurance is 1.2k food is 12k….healthcare 18k unless you work for the state then it 3k……Socialism is not working for a for proffit and private company.Half this country works for the country or state or city so stick the weird capitalism philosophy where it belong.Take social money out of your capitalism and you guys fail.Private companies dont pay .
Trump wants to send troops into Venezuela to take the focus off his government shutdown and Russian collusion trial.
Can you just imagine, with all the shit that goes wrong in a regular war, what would happen trying to fight a war with half your government shut down?
Only Trump would do something like this.
MAGA
Two people that lead and take no prisoners Dem. Rep. Bouvier and Rep. Donald J Trump. MAGA MMGA
Nobody is sending troops into Venezuela and you know it. This partial government shutdown will end very soon and you also know that. Our economy is the ENVY of the world which is why caravans of people want to come here. The latest caravan consists of 4,000 plus people and the far left would love these future voters to enter the country to become voters for their side. Give drivers licenses to the illegals with no documentation to prove who they are as they are doing in California and, oh yeah, we might as well sign them up to vote while we’re at it. No, there’s nothing fishy going on there.
Now Tricia Farley is trying again to do the same thing here. First make sure they get drivers licenses and the next step would be automatically registering them to vote at the same time. Yet they tell us the far left isn’t interested in allowing illegal immigrants into this country for their votes. I think we can see the truth for ourselves.
Yes Pat, New York is a disaster under Cuomo. God help us for the abortion policy that state has adopted. We only have to look at Venezuela, which 12 years of Socialist rule has destroyed, to see what could happen to the USA if nutjobs like AOC, Bernie Sanders, etc. take over our country.
Excellent post Art. Post of day, and agree.
Fritzy. There is no sense trying to reason with you. You admire a pathological liar and I despise a pathological liar. People generally throw their lot in with people like themselves. Try to figure it out!!!!! Oh yes one more thing. Tell us how you can forgive a pathological liar??? I have never been able to figure it out. Maybe you can provide some tips on how to trust a liar. Jeest saeing
You mean Rasputin poll sic. Anyway, trump continues to be so unpopular some republicans are jumping ship.Cohen should take his time and let the trumps threats subside…..just sayin
Wealth understood=1000 people,33 people have as much wealth as the other 967.Not sustanable.Capitalist pyramid scheme
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Again the Mayor is requiring 200 employees to take a cultural training course. Is this legal? I guess if the employees don’t care maybe I shouldn’t,NOT. I’m a taxpayer who belonged to a Union and don’t feel my hard earned tax dollars should go to employee education.Period. Are City Councilors required to do it? They are employees?
Just reported on several very reliable news sources that 30 people who were deemed not eligible for security clearances and are trump friends and family were given clearances any way by a trump appointed individual who over sees the group who are career screeners. Not fake news by any stretch of the imagination. Every day we are seeing the erosion of our institutions by this moron in the oval office. I’m sure this is not troubling to any of scump’s disciples but it is very troubling to decent people who are sickened by this miscreant in the oval office who’s every other word is a lie. God help us all.
Great inquiry Carl, I don’t know, ut someone here will, hope we can get the answer. I was thinking the same thing on the City Council. Looks like Mrs..Edgerton has a lot of pull to get this through.