By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8, 2014) — You know you have hit a nerve when The Suits attack. “They” never do so honestly and in the open. They don’t use their true names. They avoid facts. They make unsupported claims, counting on the gullibility and stupidity of the general public. That’s what happened with our coverage of the Deborah Sadowy/RSVP situation.
The Sadowy hit was supposed to take place in secret. However, keeping things secret has gotten much more difficult to do. Score it as a small win for The Little Guy.
As we shared with you in our two-part series on Sadowy/RSVP, THE PLANET contacted mayor Dan Bianchi, his administrative assistant Julie Sabourin, and RSVP board director Carolyn Valli. The first two did not return our inquiries. The mayor only speaks to media that take his propaganda without question and print it verbatim. That would include every local media except this one. We still have hope for Sabourin. She is young and obviously wants a future in politics. At some point, she has to realize she’s hitched her star to a red dwarf, one that’s about to implode.
Valli: Inconveniently Incommunicado, Conveniently in Thailand
We did hear indirectly from Valli via Susan Slattery, her mouthpiece at Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity: “Carolyn is currently in Thailand visiting her daughter. She will not return to work until Oct. 20.”
Thailand? Must be nice.
THE PLANET can only marvel at the timing. Valli does the mayor’s bidding acting as hatchet lady on Sadowy at RSVP, and then she high-tails it halfway across the world. We at least assume she is traveling on her own dime and not the taxpayers’. While she’s there, we hope she says hello to one of THE PLANET’s long-time business partners, Joe Wallachy.
Meanwhile, THE PLANET shares an additional comment from Sadowy:
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Just thinking more after your article, which was extremely sensitive and well thought out. I guess I keep wondering why they didn’t choose to do a performance review, to at least protect themselves against just this kind of situation? If the mayor is so sincerely wishing me well, why didn’t he ask them to just hold on a few minutes and say, “Let’s look at this; let’s look at the bigger picture and the fall out for RSVP in this matter.” That is what a good leader would do.
I can’t help thinking that we are all still doing [Mayor Bianchi’s] bidding regarding RSVP. He can still blame me for the downfall. I’m only hoping that RSVP continues to grow. It is a wonderful organization and has helped many people to enhance the quality of their lives.
I am not sure why Carolyn [Valli] said that they would have to close the doors in March. The funding continues until June. The likely explanation is that she just isn’t connected to what is really happening. I have an e-mail from her saying, “well we will just have to do more fund raising” after I told her about the grant. Dan [Bianchi] cut the funding this last budget, but I think MAyor Ruberto was the one who helped RSVP become more solid. Actually the Federal government (CNCS) cut funding especially this year.
As I was completing the report, one performance measure was that [the Pittsfield RSVP] would publish a resource booklet. The amount in the grant was $10,000. They only made $5,000 and only delivered $2500. There was suppose to be a evaluation completed for the end-of-year report, and none of that was done. So I was expected to write an end-of-the-year report on a goal that minimally was achieved. Almost every performance measure was unaccounted for.
The Volunteer Coordinator actually told Carolyn and Eric on the day I was fired that they [the executive board] had no idea what goes on there. She as well told me that she finally was understanding what her job was. I was trying to empower the staff more to be able to give me the support I needed to do the job. One executive board member, Vinny Marinaro, told me he wanted to be sure that I delegated more and was freed up to do more out reach and not work more hours than I should.
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Sadowy also sent this:
I was told today [Monday, Oct. 6] that Carolyn [Valli] brought a bunch of emails over to the Mayor’s office before she left for [Thailand]. She claims she offered to help me and I refused. I only know of one e-mail, in which she said that she and [RSVP vice president] Eric [Wilder] were here for me. But that was lip service. Even on the night the grant was due, I called her right away when it was late. She didn’t return my call till around 8:30 or so that night. It’s one thing to write it in an e-mail and another to physically help. She asked me to send her my workplans for the grant, and I sent them to her and she made minor additions and made more work for me on the Monday before the grant.
You may not be interested in that info and it is ok. I am just getting sick of the lies, but I actually called Brenda Carpenter [executive board member] and said that Carolyn hadn’t helped other than to give me more work.
I also found out that Shelia Pia is staying until after the first of the year. I was told today: “Who would want the job after all this publicity and no funding?” But I heard that [councilor] Barry Clairmont says that they will look for money and don’t want this program to fail.
Thanks for you reporting. You have been thoughtful and through.
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THE PLANET thanks Sadowy for her service to the community and her cooperation on this story. Meanwhile, we continue to work on other stories that push the bounds of belief on how corrupt and secretive local politics have become. Daylight come, and we wan’ go home.
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“I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I’d love you to love me.” — Cheap Trick, “I Want You to Want Me,” (1977)
OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
City Council is all set to give the City Dictator a raise.
Unbelievable, No wonder they needed new busses. There are not enough to throw people under.
Great line, RK! Wanna job as one of my writers?
Dan,
The police in Pennsylvania no longer need a warrant to search your car.
http://xrepublic.tv/node/10712
New law just passed by that State supreme court.
How long do you think its going to be before this is extended to people’s homes?
Not long at all. The noose on freedom is tightening.
As said at the O and R meeting,double dipping LOw was the mouthpiece for the Mayor raises and stipend for the S C M.
Lo knows what it takes to get to Boston and he is laying the groundwork.
She was a disaster from the first day. She said no one would or could give her training. Well Boo-Hoo. She was the Director! She was in charge. She tried to blame anyone else but couldn’t.
She missed a grant deadline that gutted her organizations budget.
Buh Bye!
No wonder your still wondering. You have no clue!! Deb was the best thing that could have happened to RSVP. She wasn’t told anything, no procedures, not even the political problems. As DV said set up to fail.
Thank you for your input Mr. Mayor
@ Still wondering:
Technically you are correct. Hooray! You must be so proud of yourself.
Deborah was punished for not getting the grant to the fullest extent of the law. Even after receiving the full force of the Nazis army she still speaks highly of RSVP and what it does for the people. That’s dedication.
She keeps her integrity. Your open sewer comment is consistent with that of pond scum. Good thing you don’t have provide the means of payment to keep your job. Deborah will rise above this but you will always remain the person you are. I bet she did more work in one month on that grant than you have done your entire lifetime.
I would be willing to bet your income is based on taxpayers in some form or another. Perhaps even connected to the corner office.
“Its not what goes into a man that defiles him, its what comes out”
– Jesus Christ
You are pathetic.
What’s the big deal. The Mayor found money to give himself and department head big fat raises and he can’t find 40,000 dollars to help RSVP?
and further more how many employees have gotten away with ripping off the city and either left quietly or are still employed.
What a joke.
Okay, Dan has done a great job in fleshing out this story and we have enough info to come to our own conclusion. But can we move on! There are many more important issues that can benefit from the public discussion that this site provides.
We definitely got all of the she-saids.
What are some of those other “more important” issues?
Dan,
Have not been able to catch your TV show for over 2 months.
I guess whoever was in charge of uploading it to youtube dropped the ball and gave up ????
Let me check. There was a period when for four of five weeks, we could only do one new show. That’s most likely what you’re referring to. Our YouTube staff has been good about getting the shows on there. Let me know, though, if you still have trouble.
Sorry Deborah but we needed to divert attention from the move to 100 North St at $100,000 plus the fact that the 80% reimbursement touted for the new Taconic is closer to 65%, another 15 million plus for the taxpayers, the new raise for the mayor and pay for the school committee, over $50,000. but as the mayor has said before sacrifices must be made! But thank you Deborah for being the lamb-mission accomplished.
The Dictator.