By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, NOV. 11, 2014) — First off, a salute to all veterans on this Armistice Day. THE PLANET shall not mention at cliched’ length the debt we owe to those who served. Suffice it to say that the men and women of the armed forces sacrificed so that “government of the people, by the people, and for the people should not perish from the earth.”

We thank you. We honor you. We love you.

It’s unfortunate that in his actions stifling open government, transparency, decency in representation, the current mayor of Pittsfield has loogied all over Lincoln‘s great words.

The hits keep coming for the worst mayor in city history as share this news from the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT):

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MASS MAYOR HIT WITH ETHICS COMPLAINT OVER PIPELINE TIES

Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission Enforcement Division against Pittsfield Mayor Daniel L. Bianchi (D-Pittsfield) for conflict of interest and violations of state ethics law in his handling of the Kinder Morgan Northeast Energy Direct Project. [The allegations were filed yesterday with Kelly Downes, head of the State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division]

Bianchi has 30 years in the energy industry including his employment as a Manager for Global Montello Corporation immediately prior to becoming Mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 2012.

Bianchi left his position as Manager but has remained an employee of Global Montello Corporation while serving as Mayor of Pittsfield. Critics point out that the Mayor has maintained an office for his work with Global Montello, only one minute’s walk from City Hall, for most of his administration.

Bianchi has refused to discuss his continuing relationship within Global Montello, despite persistent questions from members of the Pittsfield City Council, local media, and the general public, and is the only elected official in Berkshire County to come out in favor of the controversial Tennessee Gas Pipeline extension.

The complaint asserts that Bianchi violated sections of Massachusetts law which call on any public official “who in the discharge of his official duties would be required knowingly to take an action which would substantially affect such official’s financial interests” to “file a written description of the required action and the potential conflict of interest with the state ethics commission”.

The complaint alleges that Bianchi violated legal provisions preventing municipal employees from being able to “directly or indirectly receive or request compensation from anyone other than the city or town or municipal agency in relation to any particular matter in which the same city or town is a party or hasa direct and substantial interest” and from being allowed to act “as agent . . . for anyone in connection with any particular matter in which the same city or town is a party or has a direct and substantial interest”.

The complaint charges that Bianchi failed to observe provisions of the law which forbid municipal employees to “accept other employment involving compensation of substantial value, the responsibilities of which are inherently incompatible with the responsibilities of his public office” or to “act in a manner which would cause a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to conclude that any person can improperly influence or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties, or that he is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank, position or undue influence of any party or person”.

The complaint also calls for an investigation into Bianchi’s relationship and compensation with Global Montello and communications between Global Montello and Bianchi as well as communications between Kinder Morgan and Bianchi.

The complaint notes that Bianchi continues to be listed as an employee and a contact on both the website of Global Montello’s parent company, Global Partners LLC, and the website of the Berkshire Gas Company.

The complaint provides documentary evidence to substantiate the longstanding business and contractual relationship between Kinder Morgan / Tennessee Gas Pipeline and the Global Montello Corporation. This supporting evidence includes both a System License Agreement between Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company and Global Montello Group Corp. and the e-mail addresses of the Kinder Morgan team handling the Global Montello account.

The proposed extension features 127 miles of pipeline construction on 2,000 acres of Masschusetts land. It would cross 85 acres of wetlands, including the Lenox, Massachusetts watershed; 118 bodies of water, including the Housatonic River; 1,139 acres of forest; 118 acres of farmland, 30 acres of federal land; 107 acres of state forest or parkland; 52 acres of wildlife management land; and 357 acres of land containing threatened or endangered species. It would impact 144 private properties located within 50 feet of construction, cross the Appalachian Trail, and affect seven acres of recreational sites.

Opponents maintain that construction of the pipeline is not necessary because shortfalls can be remedied by a program of increased energy efficiency, conservation, and maintenance of the existing delivery system. They argue that

the pipeline will not provide benefits locally; will slow progress toward renewable energy programs; and will contribute to environmental damage and climate change.

Jane Winn, Executive Director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team noted, “The Mayor needs to recuse himself from saying anything further on this subject given that he has worked for, and apparently still works for, a company that stands to profit from this pipeline at the expense of everyone else in the Berkshires.”.

Winn continued, “We need to be thinking about our Beautiful Berkshire Brand as a naturally clean, creative, and critter-filled place that should not be marred by the biggest gas infrastructure project we have ever seen. We want to be viewed as a pristine, protected, place of beauty. A pipeline perverts that image. If you want to change our demographics to have more young people living and raising their families here, you need to appeal to them. Just supporting the good ol’ boy network and their big business allies won’t work. That’s what the Mayor and his allies have been doing since GE left. It is time for a clean, progressive change. Keep the Berkshires Beautiful!”.

Michael Muadin, Advocate of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, observed, “Global Montello has been doing business with TGP since at least 2007. Mayor Bianchi served as a Global Montello manager at that time. If he didn’t know who his company was doing business with he was a bad manager. If he did know who his company was (and is) doing business with he is a bad mayor and a corrupt politician.”.

Muadin stated, “Mayor Bianchi remains in bed with the energy industry that is trying to force this pipeline on our people and our land. He needs to immediately recuse himself from any formal executive action related to this pipeline. He needs to immediately and publicly disclose the exact nature of his relationship with Global Montello and whether or not any communications concerning the pipeline, verbal or written, have passed between himself and Global Montello. He needs to disclose any compensation he is receiving from Global Montello and any other consideration, including stocks and stock options, that he may hold with the company.”

Muadin concluded, “The facts speak for themselves. The conflict of interest has already made itself felt and the ethics violations occurred when Mayor Bianchi stood before the City Council and the City of Pittsfield and argued in support of this pipeline. Only the public questioning, the media inquiry, and the formal investigation are needed.”

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This action speaks for itself. We have invited comment from the mayor.

THE PLANET, along with We The People and BEAT, demand that this mayor, immediately:

1. Discuss in a public press conference his relationship with Global Montello.

2. This includes his compensation since becoming mayor of Pittsfield.

3. Immediately disavow his previous public support for the pipeline.

4. Immediately recuse himself from further comment or involvement, formal or otherwise, in the pipeline.

5. Immediately release all communications to any party regarding the pipeline since he has been mayor of Pittsfield.

6. Reveal total compensation package from Global Montello, from taking mayoral office to present.

7. Formally apologize to the citizens of Pittsfield.

Short of taking these seven steps, THE PLANET advises concerned citizens of Pittsfield to join in a recall effort against the mayor.

There are concerned citizens who have expressed interest in forming, directing, and administering a recall effort. With little prompting, they will be ready to spring into action. THE PLANET asks you: Will you be will to support this effort with your time, talent, and-or treasure? Say so here or privately, via e-mail, to THE PLANET, care of this website or directly to danvalenti@verizon.net.

The city you save could be your own.

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“How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggily tail. How much is that doggie in the window. I do hope that doggy’s for sale.” — Patti Page, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” (1953).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.