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PLANET TO BIANCHI ON PAY RAISE: “Oh wow, what a surprise!” TAXPAYERS UNITE: SHOW UP AT O&R MEETING 7 P.M. CITY HALL TONIGHT … MAYOR’S GREEDY PLAY DEMANDS ANSWER: ‘IS HE A ‘FULL TIME’ MAYOR? EVIDENCE SUGGESTS HE ISN’T

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By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

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HOUSE AD: Tune to Access Pittsfield, PCTV, Channel 16, this coming Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m. Are you ready for PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION: PVTV? Well you better be, because it’s coming your way that night, live and in poison. We shall be taking your phone calls, so tune in, turn on, and dial up. You won’t believe who will be our Very Special Guest, from a Corner Office near you! PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION, 7-8 p.m., Thursday, May 8.

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(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MAY 5, 2013) — In pushing for a near-40%, retroactive pay hike for himself ($87K to $119,887) and in his attempt to buy political loyalty by extending raises to all department heads, managers, and exempt city workers retroactive to July 1, 2013, Mayor Dan Bianchi wants to add untold millions of dollars each year on the taxpayers breaking back, in perpetuity.

The extra money won’t buy a single additional filled pothole or any other extra productivity for city dwellers. It will, however, hasten the inevitable municipal bankruptcy which Bianchi’s policies, if left unchecked, will help hasten.

For the reader who asked, “What is an ‘exempt’ employee?” For the answer, we turned to hr.ucsb.edu: There are three categories under which an employee may be considered exempt.  They are administrative, executive, and professional.  These categories generally define an exempt employee as one who customarily and regularly exercises discretion and independent judgement in the performance of his/her duties.  Exempt employees must pass a Salary Basis Test, i.e., they must be compensated at a minimum salary that is at least $455/week (or $27.63/hr for exempt computer employees). 

 

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The city council’s Ordinance & Rules committee shall take up Bianchi’s pay-hike request Monday, 7 p.m. in council chambers at city hall. It is imperative that all citizens who rightly oppose this shameless money grab show up at O&R and let their voices be heard. Don’t them pass Bianchi’s ruinous request. You might want to bring an “Oh, Wow, what a surprise” sign with you, as many of our correspondents suggest. If citizens remain apathetic, remain meekly on the sidelines, the skunks will win. If, however, there is heavy involvement, it will die withering on the vine. Show up. Be heard. 

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Do-Nothing Mayor Dan Bianchi, putting people to sleep at another “fluff-n-puff” photo op.

What Bianchi may not have realized, however, is that the new city charter he was so anxious to see passed may come into play in the pay raise discussion and not in a way the mayor will like.

For someone who fancies himself a shrewd politician, Bianchi of late has been demonstrating a political IQ of “below room temperature.” It might help Mayor Ribbon Cutter if he re-reads the charter — that is, assuming he read it in the first place. He may have just taken the word of his “yes men and women.”

Apparently, that’s what he did with this egregious, even “sinful,” pay hike. He told The Boring Broadsheet that there’s never a good time to put in for a pay raise. THE PLANET agrees. Never, and “never” includes now and this one. Bianchi then hid behind the skirts of “the consultants” — after an exhaustive 15-city study — that advised him to jack up his haul of lucre. Right. And Donald Sterling has applied to head the Human Rights Commission.

Not once has the mayor or the administration told taxpayers how much the 40% pay raise is going to cost each year. This, of course, is the administration that ran on “transparency.”

The BB, like a good little lap dog, printed the official press release. As an aside, the only reason The BB presented any coverage at all was because, once again, THE PLANET forced them into it. As our coverage drove thunder and lightning, The BB got “the phone call” from The Suits, with orders to present the mayor’s “spin” and try to sell this stinking bag of guano.

The BB scribe didn’t ask the questions even a cub reporter would know to ask, nor did his editor(s) send the story back so that these gaping holes might be plugged, such questions as: “What consultants? Name them,” “Give me the name of the 15 cities they looked at,” and “How much will this cost taxpayers each year?” Also, “Can I have a copy of the consultants study?” And, “Why should I believe this consultant isn’t telling you what you want to hear?” Plus, “How much did you pay the consultant?” And, “You mean you couldn’t determine this in-house?” These are only a few of the questions a good newspaper would be sure to ask.

The BB thought not to ask any of these questions or to include the information in the story.

The Little Guy has added a few questions of his own to the list: “C’mon, you’re not going to expect me to buy this bullshit, are you.? You’re jacking up your pay and all the others because ‘a consultant‘ told you to do it? How about telling the truth? How about talking of greed and buying votes? How many of us bedraggled and depressed taxpayers do you think see right through this con job?”

——- 000 ——-

New Charter Specifies Job of Mayor is ‘Full Time’

The new charter, unlike the one it replaced that kept silent on the question, defines the position of mayor as a full-time job. This means that in pressing for his pay raise, the onus will be on Bianchi to prove he is full time at the position. He can’t just claim to be, as he does now. He must prove it. How does he do that? THE PLANET shall get to that in a moment. Let’s take this step by step.

The mayor has made his request for for the additional millions needed for his pay hike. By law, he must make the request for money to and through the city council. The mayor proposes, and the council disposes. This he has done.

The city council, in turn, takes the request and considers it though discussion, debate, and deliberation. The council, in other words, acts as the fiduciary safeguard of taxpayers’ dollars. (EDITOR’S NOTE: We are speaking of the way it ought to work, not necessarily of the way it will work in politically corrupt Pittsfield).

Council review means that our Right Honorable Good Friends must be sure the mayor meets the requirements of the charter that defines his job. Correct: The city council has a fiduciary responsibility to demand that the mayor prove that he is and has been “full time.”

This is not the perfunctory task it might seem, since there is considerable circumstantial evidence and a ton of anecdotal reports that Bianchi is anything but a full-time mayor. Credible reports of his work for Global Montello have persisted almost since the day he first took office. The company still lists Bianchi as a regional manager. Conveniently, his Global office in Suite 301 at the old First Aggie building at 100 North St. is probably two minutes by foot, if the mayor doesn’t hoof it over. He has been spotted on numerous occasions, far beyond counting, ducking into 100 North Street, particularly on Mondays and Fridays.

——- 000 ——-

For The Little Guy, the mayor’s “Bridge of Dollar Signs” gets steeper and steeper.

This will all go away easily if Bianchi provides to the council (therefore to citizens) honest information on his work day. Does he work for Global? If so, how many hours? LEt’s get it all out in the open.

And for the $87,000+bennies he takes from taxpayers, which he wants to bump to $119,887 — is he putting in a full work week?

The time has come for taxpayers, citizens, and the city council to get verified information on these questions. Since Bianchi has come to the council for this money grab, someone on the council — better yet, unanimous consent of the entire 11-member body — should demand certified copies of Dan Bianchi’s work schedule, as verified by his calendar, going back to January 2012. That’s how you prove or disprove the mayor’s claims of being full time. The council also must demand information on his other work outside city hall, for Global and anyone else. This isn’t just Bianchi’s business. It’s The People’s Business, and the council, as The People’s Reps, have the fiduciary responsibility of doing this job.

It is up to council president Melissa Mazzeo to lead by example. If she won’t do it, then others must perform the due diligence. How about O&R chairman Chris Connell asking Bianchi how many hours a week he works at his job as mayor and how many hours does he put in at Global? How about any member of the council?

Of course, even if Bianchi is “full time” as mayor, the pay raise should be rejected out of hand. The city is in too much financial trouble. Under Bianchi, the budget has risen to astronomical heights, likely topping $148 million for FY15. There is a nearly-$400 billion payment handing over the heads of taxpayers for unfunded post-employment benefits for city retirees. He’s just committed citizens to $5 million a year for five years to pay for school buses. He’s given the teachers a $1.5 million pay hike. He’s asking for $1 million more for the school department. Meanwhile, there are too many citizens out of work or underemployed. Now is not the time to grant exorbitant pay hikes to the mayor and his buddies.

——- 000 ——-

Finally, let THE PLANET share the language of the new charter from Sec. 3-1: “Mayor Qualifications; Term of Office; Compensation; Prohibitions.”

(a)

Mayor Qualifications – The chief executive officer of the city shall be a mayor, elected by the voters of the city at large. Any voter shall be eligible to hold the office of mayor. The mayor shall devote full-time to the office and shall not hold any other elective public office.
 
(b) 

Term of Office – The term of office of the mayor shall be four years, beginning on the first Monday in the January succeeding the mayor’s election, except when that first Monday falls on a legal holiday, in which event the term shall begin on the following day and shall continue until a successor has been qualified.
 
(c) 

Compensation – The city council shall, by ordinance, establish the compensation for the mayor. No ordinance increasing or reducing the compensation of the mayor shall be effective unless it has been adopted by a two-thirds vote of the full city council. No ordinance increasing or reducing the compensation of the mayor shall be effective unless it has been adopted during the first 18 months of the term for which the mayor is elected and unless it provides that the compensation increase or reduction is to take effect upon the organization of the city government following the next regular city election.
 
(d) 

Prohibitions – The mayor shall hold no other compensated city position. No former mayor shall hold a compensated appointed city office or city employment until one year following the date on which the former mayor’s city service has terminated. This subsection shall not prevent a city officer or other city employee who has vacated a position in order to serve as mayor from returning to the same office or other position of city employment held at the time such position was vacated; provided, however, that no such person shall be eligible for any other municipal position until at least one year following the termination of service as mayor. This prohibition shall not apply to persons covered by a leave of absence under section 37 of chapter 31 of the General Laws.
——- 000 ——-

There, now. My Right Honorable Good Friends, make us proud, beginning Monday night at O&R. Don’t forget to bring your “Oh wow, that’s a surprise” sign.”

The Suits have sent your their message. now it’s your turn, Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski:

SEND THEM A MESSAGE IN RETURN. TELL THEM WHERE THEY CAN STORE BIANCHI’S PAY HIKE REQUEST.

To any Bianchi bum kisser or mayoral apologist who tries to defend this defenseless measure, say: “Oh, wow! What a surprise!”

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“I see Indians draggin’ and empty covered wagon, when scalping settlers was the latest craze. And that glorious morn Jack the Ripper was born — ya ha ha haaaaa — those were the good old days.”Ray “Uncle Martin” Walston, “Those Were the Good Old Days,” from Damn Yankees, (1955).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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Matt
Matt
10 years ago

Did I read this correctly that the city charter says that no change in compensation can take effect until after the next city election? If that’s so how can a raise be retroactive for almost a year?

This is crazy enough on the surface of it. It also seems that there is inadequate time for the city council to have absorbed the detail of the monstrous nature of this money grab.

Dan, where is the money coming from to fund this huge and ongooing increase in the city budget? Will it lead to layoffs of the indians who do the city’s work while the chiefs sit around the campfire and ponder new ways to reward their friends and punish their enemies?

dusty
dusty
10 years ago

There may be enough entertainment value in this mayoral term for an SNL skit.

Maybe the citizens can rent the Colonial for a few nights and do a parody of this ongoing circus. Or maybe Koussevitsky. Dan perhaps your English class might enjoy an extra credit assignment and I think the public might pay $10 a head to fund it. T-Shirts could be sold at the door.

It covers the “it’s for the kids” angle as well as the cultural aspect. The mayor might be willing to play himself if he gets 40% of the take.

amandaWell
amandaWell
10 years ago

Citizens might want the phone numbers for the Ordinance and Rules committee, if you cannot attend. Members are the following:
Chris Connell
Kathy Amuso
Kevin Morandi
President Melissa Mazzeo

Spider
Spider
Reply to  amandaWell
10 years ago

The only one who might possibly object to the raises is Morandi. The other three are in the mayor’s pocket.

Nota
Nota
10 years ago

Is Dannie Dollar going to be the guest? What’s the number at PVTV?

Jamie
Jamie
10 years ago

Here is contact info on members of O&R (all 413 numbers)
Chris Connell chairman 443-6779 home…822-6008 cell
Kathy Amuso 442-1976 (lives on Leona Drive same street as Bianchi)
Kevin Morandi 499-0108 home and work…429-7936 cell
Melissa Mazzeo (council president) 443-4079
Jonathan Lothrop 281-0994 cell
email for all follows city form of
cconnell@pittsfieldch.com
that is, initial of first name then lastname @pittsfieldch.com. no spaces.

Spider
Spider
Reply to  Jamie
10 years ago

Didn’t realize that Lothrop was also a member. To my disappointment, he has become another “yes” man to the mayor. I thought very highly of the “old” Lothrop. Miss him!

Tom Sakshaug
Tom Sakshaug
Reply to  Spider
10 years ago

Lothrop is neither a Yes man nor a No man for the Mayor. He has his own mind.

ed shepardson
ed shepardson
10 years ago

Valenti launching call-in television show
POSTED: 05/05/2014 10:11:11 AM EDT0 COMMENTS
UPDATED: 05/05/2014 10:11:17 AM EDT

STOCKBRIDGE — The Planet is coming to television.

Stockbridge-based author, journalist and blogger Dan Valenti is launching a new, locally produced call-in television show that will debut on Thursday.

“Planet Valenti Presents: PVTV Starring Dan Valenti” will be broadcast live from the studios of Access Pittsfield from 7 to 8 p.m. It can be seen on Channel 16 over the Time Warner broadcasting system.

Beginning in June, the show will be broadcast from 7 to 8 p.m. every Thursday night. Two shows will be broadcast this month, on May 8 and May 23.

Co-produced by Valenti and PVTV director Dan Bubriski, the show will be centered on viewer phone calls. In the future, Valenti hopes to expand the focus of the show to include musical guests, comedy, satire and the unusual.

Anyone interested in becoming involved in the show is welcome. The staff at PCTV will offer free technical training to anyone who wants to learn TV production.

Valenti operates Planet Valenti, a journalistic website of news and commentary regarding events in the Berkshire, with an emphasis on Pittsfield politics. The site is available online at http://www.plantvalenti.com.

Politics 101
Politics 101
10 years ago

OR
The city council can approve a 25% payraise.

Thus claiming that they “saved” the taxpayers tons of money.

includng those singing songs and carrying signs
mostly say hoo-ray for our side
everybody look whats going down

B. Clairmont
B. Clairmont
10 years ago

To all:

There is a lot of misleading things being said about the pay raises. There should have been back-up materials supplied with the ordinance change that were apparently not ready at the time.

I will make an attempt to clarify things tonight at the open mic, as I am not on the O & R committee.

If anyone wants a copy of the materials, email me at bclairmont@pittsfieldch.com and I’ll forward what I have received.

I may not get it out today, but you will get it. I have a lot going on at the day job.

The charter is going to come into play here. I don’t think everyone in City Hall realizes this.

Barry

Payroll Patriot
Payroll Patriot
Reply to  B. Clairmont
10 years ago

This xss backwards. Will they need high chairs? Just post the link here. Thanks

B. Clairmont
B. Clairmont
Reply to  Payroll Patriot
10 years ago

There is no link.

Tom Sakshaug
Tom Sakshaug
Reply to  B. Clairmont
10 years ago

There is no link, but there should be.

billy
billy
Reply to  B. Clairmont
10 years ago

Barry way off the mark.If a senior maximum yearly social security is 24000 ,it does not mater if they get bigger percentage increase when a municipal. Employee make 63000 and at the end of their career will make 80percent of that pay plus benefits .that will not happen with the senior or anyone outside government .Please show me where in the private sector you can go from 87000 to 119000. Don’t ever call these guys public servants their not fiscally responsible.The woman who spoke tonight hit the nail on the head,and JLo said the info was not current and did not give a accurate aces spent of the shape of the city that would carry another money grab from “our public servants .

billy
billy
Reply to  billy
10 years ago

Assessment. I meant

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
10 years ago

I don’t understand how Pittsfield politics finances its budgets because taxes increase way above the rate of inflation every single year, while a majority of residents are either low-income or on welfare assistance. Who is paying the bills in Pittsfield politics? The math doesn’t add up!

DowagerHat
DowagerHat
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
10 years ago

The last of THE G.E. Retirees, are bearing the brunt of this burden, most of whom are in their late 80’s or early 90’s. In the next five years many of these good souls will be gone and if the mayor, the finance guy doesn’t shape up and focus on innovation and economic development this CITY will be going the way of Detroit.

Mike R
Mike R
10 years ago

Look. We lose valuable smart people every year in Pittsfield because the other city jobs pay a lot more. This step looks to rectify that by increasing their pay to the AVERAGE OF OTHER CITIES. Right now we are below and have been for years.

So we can have a better chance of not having incompetency in administrative positions.

I strongly dislike the Mayor. Personally and Politically. But I’m reasonable and this is not a bad move on his part. It’s overdue.

The retroactive piece however is a bad move. Key is these raises will take out from other places in the budget. Watch that issue more closely. Where they take the money from could be your real issue.

Rafael
Rafael
Reply to  Mike R
10 years ago

Mike,
If their pay is increased to the average of other cities then wouldn’t Pittsfield will be paying more than about half the other cities? And to what cities are they comparing Pittfsfield to? Boston, Worchester, and others much bigger than Pittsfield, I suspect.
Also, where is the evidence that Pittsfield is losing employees to other cities? How many are leaving? How many are leaving because of the pay, or is it for other reasons? Considering the fact that most of the city employees I run into have been working for the city for many years (even decades) I find it hard to believe.

Observing
Observing
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

Raf, I think Mike is playing fast and loose with facts here.

Politics 101
Politics 101
Reply to  Mike R
10 years ago

Yeah because other part time do nothing mayors in other cities bilk their citizens out of $120,000.00 per year and Pittsfield needs to match that.

nobody’s right if everybodies wrong
young people speakng their mind
getting so much resistence from behind
everybody look whats going down

MaryKate
MaryKate
Reply to  Mike R
10 years ago

Mike

If pay raises are warranted to prevent incompetency, then please, get rid of the incompetent people first!

Why have there been four to five accountants in the past five years?

Have the private and state auditors been asked for their input on this pay raise? Maybe they should be and which department heads actually deserve these raises.

Daniel O
Daniel O
10 years ago

Mike R is off base. The people getting the raises don’t deserve them. The mayor is part time and giving out raises like this only rewards incompetence. Let the employees earn their raises.

What the city should be doing is tightening its belt. All areas minus public safety should be cut

Spider
Spider
10 years ago

Mike R: If only it was true….that incompetency could be prevented by higher salaries. That is not the case.

You know the saying…”Screw up….move up”. Believe me, I see it all the time. And the move up is with a big salary increase.

I could care less what other cities pay….many of them are going down the drain. I only care that Pittsfield keeps it’s head above water. And any percentage of raises should be out of the question!

Rafael
Rafael
10 years ago

Technically, Pittsfield even isn’t a city anymore, with a population below 50k. Therefore, shouldn’t they be comparing the pay to the small towns instead of cities?
I also know of plenty of people who would really like any job vacated as they are either unemployed or underemployed and really could use a cushy city position.

Mark
Mark
10 years ago

Everybody please show up tonite!!

thomas more
thomas more
Reply to  Mark
10 years ago

Their there in force Mark. That’s me sitting between you and the planet.

Bill Sturgeon
Bill Sturgeon
10 years ago

Thanks Barry, for trying to get the “facts” out to the peeps. I don’t think that people of Pittsfield are objecting to giving the employees a raise. I think from what I have been hearing the people object to:
1. Retro piece
2. There is “No” breakdown of who going to get what % of increase
3. Who set the rate of increase (the mayor)??
4. Who did the evaluated the employees who are going to be given raises or are the raises just a gift from the taxpayers??
5. Where is the money coming from for these raises???
I will be watching. I hope that they O&R think this through and get all of the facts. I am in favor of awarding performance bonuses rather than actual increase in the base pay. Once you increase the base pay the only direction it can go is up.
We need to phase-in base pay increases for the Department Heads that deserve it and there are a lot of them. Just my thoughts – again.

I

B. Clairmont
B. Clairmont
Reply to  Bill Sturgeon
10 years ago

I hope you get your answers. If not tonight, maybe when we do your show. I have them all, but not sure how long I’ll get to talk tonight.

C. J.
C. J.
Reply to  B. Clairmont
10 years ago

Hey, Mr. Vacillating and Dancing Barry. Your strong support for this abberrant and simply Wrong, retroactive pay raise issue at the expense of the city taxpayers and your skewed rationale justifying it, just cost you 17 votes and that will be more than enough to defeat you in the next election. Remember Donna Todd Rivers’ margin of defeat ?
Don’t give up your day job. And yes, my family voted for you, but never again. You are a hypocrite and a mistake.

B. Clairmont
B. Clairmont
Reply to  C. J.
10 years ago

I understand your point and I knew the risk I am taking. I’ll always vote my thought and will not cave to political pressure. I know it may cost me. If that is the case, so be it. I’ll sleep at night.

Barry

Spider
Spider
Reply to  Bill Sturgeon
10 years ago

Well Bill…..I do object to any and all pay raises. Look around you and see what is really happening in this city. These city employees have jobs and should be thankful for that.

These raises are going to dept. heads or exempt people …..not your lower grade hard working city employees (fire fighters, police, etc.) I personally know of too many private sector friends who are either without jobs or about to.

Bill…open your eyes!

ed shepardson
ed shepardson
Reply to  Bill Sturgeon
10 years ago

Anyone have any idea on what positions are not filled, or the city has trouble filling, because of pay?

Nota
Nota
10 years ago

When they give you the spiel tonight: We haven’t given out raises to our employees and we want to bring up our pay to our workers in line with other cities, blah, blah, blah. The rebuttal should be, well, we haven’t had a raise either, which pays for you’re pay raise, and then the stumper, a lot of us aren’t working mayor and those that are barely scrape by.

Mark
Mark
10 years ago

Right on my brother!

Nota
Nota
10 years ago

He should take the money from free cash. Decrese not increase,higher productivity. If these department heads are so smart, why can’t they cut a nickel off there budget each year?

Terry Kinnas
Terry Kinnas
10 years ago

There are some questions I will be asking at the meeting. The format change in software does not allow me to present it in an
expanded format. Additionally, of the two councilors on the O&R
subcommittee I talked to this afternoon, one just received a copy of the study and the other did not have a copy yet.

What productivity gains are the taxpayers going to get? Will the personnel departments of the school department and city be combined? Will the two Business/Accounting functions be combined?

What is the real potential cost of each position including benefits? Benefits such as health care, Medicare, pension liability, length of work year, length of work day, vacation days, indemnification, etc

Using the first entry of Accountant grade 6, there is no present pay given. Yet in the next section(page 2) the City Accountant M6; from the Management Pay Scale chart :

Grade M6
Minimum 1/3 Midpoint 2/3 Maximum

Learning Achieving Exceeding
$57,267. $62,990. $65,852. $68,713. $74,437.

What do each of these terms really mean? WHERE WOULD PEOPLE BE PLACED ON THE SCALE? What professional measurement criteria would be used?

Terry Kinnas
Terry Kinnas
Reply to  Terry Kinnas
10 years ago

The software took out all the blank spaces below Grade M6 and compressed the lines.

thomas more
thomas more
Reply to  Terry Kinnas
10 years ago

Who pays for your health care Terry? tell us.

Terry Kinnas
Terry Kinnas
Reply to  thomas more
10 years ago

Medicare and me,

Spider
Spider
10 years ago

Allow me to predict tonight’s mtg. We will hear much rhetoric from councilors both on and off the O & R committee, and in the end they will decided on a much lower pay raise….maybe 25% or less or more. And we will all be so grateful for what they have done for us.

And just like with the school budget….we taxpayers will shout for joy….remember instead of a $2 million increase, it was on $1 million.

Wait and see!

Gene
Gene
10 years ago

I am against all pay raises. If you look at the salaries of the dept. heads, managers, etc you’ll see them way ahead of private sector jobs. If we have incompetent people because the city pays too low then get rid of the incompetents as said earlier.

Also if things are so bad working for the city no one is forcing workers to stay. I would encourage them to try to private sector in Pittsfield with all the robust jobs the mayor has created. See how that works out for them.

Pay raise–reject, reject, reject.

dusty
dusty
10 years ago

If councilors on the4 O/R committee are just getting the info the prudent thing to do would be to table it

Nota
Nota
10 years ago

Table it? He has a Consultant and Presentation…KIck a Buck!

thomas more
thomas more
10 years ago

Great job Dan! you really got the folks out tonight. Went my self but couldn’t find a place to sit.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  thomas more
10 years ago

I think most people called their elected rep for their district and gave them an ear full of how they didn’t like the pay raises. This way if they couldn’t be there in person, the rep would know their opinions beforehand.

Tom Sakshaug
Tom Sakshaug
10 years ago

The O & R meeting looks pretty empty. I haven’t seen a sign yet.
One general rule to keep in mind, though I have mixed feelings on this whole thing, is that you get what you pay for.

joetaxpayer
joetaxpayer
Reply to  Tom Sakshaug
10 years ago

Money doesn’t guarantee anything. I feel dept. heads should come up with savings in there departments before any raises are even considered. Par time Mayor Daniel Sissorhands should be a leader and take a pay cut.

Nota
Nota
10 years ago

Gene, it almost seems like this mayor wants to give bonuses not raises. Also, doesn’t the administration know already what they make when they run for office or take on a job through step raises already? Decrease not Increase.

Edconnect
Edconnect
10 years ago

Well I was watching it, then it just shut off around 830. Anyone know how it turned out?

pjmh
pjmh
Reply to  Edconnect
10 years ago

Tabled.

“I think. You know. Um. I think. You know. Um.” Repeat 100x’s. So painful.

amandaWell
amandaWell
10 years ago

It’s amazing how bias the consultant is. Shouldn’t she be neutral, and I don’t care for her tone, at all!

Pat
Pat
Reply to  amandaWell
10 years ago

I agree. No positive emotion. She acted like a machine. She seemed angry.

amandaWell
amandaWell
10 years ago

Looks like a table job, Ed. They’ll probably pull a tulle, come back with more info and that’ll make it ok, game. I really think this could be Lothrop’s Waterloo, he was impressive. A plus!

Pat
Pat
10 years ago

The consultant works for the Mayor. The public pays for the fees for the consultant and should remember that the consultant is on the side of the person who hired them, in this case the Mayor. She is fighting for what the Mayor wants and is only looking out for his interest. Nobody is looking out for the taxpayer. They are like glorified lobbyists.