By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015) — The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred in Pittsfield when a snowstorm blew in and the city “brain trust” did nothing to prepare or treat the roads. They were barely plowed.

The roads, that is.

70 Accidents, Two Days = ‘Where the Hell Are You Guys?’

Compared to snows of the past and given typical conditions, where two feet and more have fallen and competent personnel on hand to deal with it, such a storm would hardly have registered notice. The Massacre, though, did not occur under “typical” conditions. It occurred during an Administration brain drain, one in which the mayor and the Public Services commissioner evidently do not care and the Highway Department director is in way over his head.

During The Massacre, nearly 70 reported accidents occurred in a little more than two days. That does not include the countless cases of cars sliding into snowbanks, vehicles skating through intersections, and other incidents and accidents that were shrugged off  and simply weren’t reported. It got so bad that the Police Department placed a frantic call into Highway, asking, “What the hell’s going on over there? Are you guys working? Why aren’t you on top of the storm?” The pity is that Highway and Public Services have efficient, dedicated workers, but they have to take the heat because of mismanagement from the “leaders,” a word impossible to use these days in Pittsfield without the quote marks.

In The Bumstead Administration, the atmosphere among city workers in general is one of intimidation and fear of speaking up. Keep that in mind this coming election — That’s what your taxes are buying.

That is not right.

The Bride Wears White

It’s not like the storm came in unannounced. Anyone with a TV or any form of technology higher than two cans linked by string knew Pittsfield would be getting done over in white. When the bride wear’s snow white in this kind of mismatch, you know it’s a shotgun wedding.

The city “brain trust” for roads consists of Mayor Daniel Bumstead, Public Works Director Bruce Colonwood, and Highway director Kevin Fail (rhymes with Swail). The latter two are, according to one informed source, “fishing buddies.” Could that explain how and why Fail succeeded the ever-capable Peter Bruneau as Highway chief when the latter retired after 40 years service to the city in May, even though he, Fail, knows as much about highways as Broderick Crawford, who’s now dead? And could the colossal incompetence of these three political lug nuts explain the huge raises each received courtesy of Bumstead and an acquiescent city council? In most cities, incompetence leads to the sack. In Pittsfield, it brings giant pay hikes.

The Intelligence Keeps Coming into THE PLANET, Where Other Media fear to Tread

THE PLANET has continued to hear from sources familiar with the operations inside City Hall and Public Works.

During the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Fail unilaterally made the decision not to put down either salt or sand. That’s nothing new. Anyone who was on the roads realized as much. Outside of directly involved, however, only THE PLANET knows why.

Would you believe it’s because the mayor has placed politics over public safety?

This is FY16 budget time. Sources say Bumstead recently beat up the defenseless Fail over the Highway Department spending. The mayor wants to keep the Highway number as low as possible for the FY16 budget follies. He put so much pressure on Fail to lower his number, sources say, that the Highway manager panicked when the St. Valentine’s snows came. Instead of doing the right thing by citizens and with neither the mayor nor Colonwood available, Fail ordered workers not to treat the roads. He did this, sources say, to save precious dollars for the mayor and his FY16 budget. In other words, his fear of Mayor Bumstead overrode his sworn duty to citizens and taxpayers.

Bumstead and Colonwood bailed out on St. Valentine’s Weekend, leaving the overmatched Fail on his own. Swail had his orders from the mayor: “Don’t spend money,” which translates as “Don’t treat the roads.” Thus, the ultimate cause for the hazardous roads lies not with Swail, not even with Collingwood, but with the mayor.

The flat-out truth is that the mayor put people’s lives at risk for political reasons. Does that not fit the definition of “high crimes and misdemeanors?”

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“Come here, sister. Papa’s in the swing. / He ain’t too hip about that new breed, babe. / He ain’t no drag. / Papa’s got a brand new bag.” — James Brown, “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag,” (1965).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.