SOME PITTSFIELD FY’16 BUDGET TRUTH, AND, FOLKS, IT AIN’T PRETTY
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 8, 2015) — As its finances are managed, or in the case of Mayor Dan Bianchi‘s FY 2016 budget mismanaged, so goes the city of Pittsfield. If the city had a finance director who Warren Buffeted the job to bail out the mayor, it might have half a chance. However, when a city’s CFO (city treasurer Sue Carmel) is a “yes (wo)man” with no power or economic discipline, the action gets fishy. The budget and the city with it rots from the corner office down.
It’s Politics, Not Economics
For the fourth straight year, Bianchi has handed in a political document rather than a fiscal spending plan. His FY16 budget is more peculiar than pecuniary, more breaking than banking, more divestment than investment. Another 3-4% spending hike is in the works for a four-year total that tops 15%. Have city services have gone up by 15% or more? No, the opposite has occurred. As taxpayers’ costs have skyrocketed, city services have declined and in some cases (schools, public works) plummeted.
Take public works — please. At one of its four budget reviews (3 and 4 will be this week, tonight and Thursday, council chambers), our Right Honorable Friends on the city council tabled 7-4 the public works spending request after Bianchi skinned the department, not leaving enough money to maintain city roads and infrastructure. You got a taste of this during the past winter, where roads were often unpassable and still bear the scars and potholes of four years of neglect. In Bianchi’s four years as mayor, Pittsfield’s infrastructure has alarmingly deteriorated.
Sing Along with Snitch!
Ah, were the budget run like a Monopoly game. With the blessings of a vaporous school committee and a political hack of a superintendent, the mayor has asked the council to approve millions more for an already bloated, under-performing-and-getting-worse school department (Body by Jake). He’ll get it, too, thus hoping to buy his re-election by keeping the school unions happy. Even with the added millions, Bianchi essentially said the taxpayers were gypping the schools, which he said were “struggling” financially on a pittance. Reminds of of the 1962 Johnny Crawford song, “Your Nose is Gonna Grow.”
Everybody! Sing along with Snitch!
Go ahead, explain
But remember, if you lie
The boogie man’ll get you
And your nose is gonna grow
So remember, if you lie
Everyone will know
Remember, if you lie
Your nose is gonna grow
And everyone will know.
100 North, and Other Rip-Offs
At council request flogged forward by a recalcitrant Barry Clairmont, the mayor also “explained” $80,879 of the at-least $206,879 “needed” for the move of permitting at City Hall. Let’s see:
* $33,441 for “communications systems”
* $18,482 for “moving services”
* $20,658 for “office supply, fixture, or equipment installations.”
* There was no line item for “kickbacks and bribes,” THE PLANET is pleased to report. We have outdone Diogenes of Sinope, who searched all of Greece for one honest man and found only rascals, thieves, cheats, and liars. The Bianchi Administration, heaves be praised, is not like that at all. Repeat: Not like that at all. You get the idea, Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. Assume the position.
Oddly missing from the mayor’s 100 North figures was the cost of renting the 9,000 sq. ft. from his buddies at Scarafoni Associates. The mayor first reported months ago it would cost $126,000 in the first year ($14/sq.ft). Only after Jonathan Lothrop questioned the missing item did Bianchi offer a “dog at my homework” explanation. Bianchi and his PR gal Julia “Scopes Monkey Trial” Sabourin told J-LO and company the first-year’s rental was “approximately $100,000.” And the extra $26,000? The city didn’t have to pay it, the dynamic duo reported, because the city didn’t move in until after the lease began.
And on the eighth day, God coughed.
Blind Squirrel Finds Chestnut
For the record, Bianchi wants to pick the pockets of Pittsfield taxpayers for … for what? Even that is not clear. Officially, it’s reported as $145.27 million: $86.77 million city side and $58.5 million school side. Initially, when The Boring Broad Sheet reported on the mayor’s budget request, it reported $86.77 million for schools, $58.5 million for city side. Talk about a blind squirrel finding a chestnut once in a while. Scribe Jim Therrien‘s editors much have choked on their picas. Part of the school-side “scam” is that it buries about $45 million in costs (school health insurance, transportation costs, maintenance) on city side. Thus, the true — as opposed to the “technically correct” and “official” — listing is $103.50 million schools, about $40 million city side. This does not include the $10 million or so the mayor wants to borrow for capital expenses, nor the $121 million borrowing for the new high school.
Only when you present the city budget in its truthful form, as THE PLANET has just done, does it become clear that the school department is bankrupting the city.
But cheer up.
It’s for “The Children.”
What a bunch of durned fools.
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“Welcome to my world. Won’t you come on in. Miracles I guess still happen now and then.” — Jim Reeves, “Welcome to My World,” (1965).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
LOw should have been as thOrough concerning the budget for Taconic. I have yet to see renovation numbers other than Kathy Yon’s, only a small l difference. Be careful when progressive, especially progressive, say they wanted to give them more. Bouvier is nothing more than a PPS and WHEN pawn. She’ll probably be the next Jane Swift.
Renovation figures for Taconic were never realistic that’s why the public hasn’t seen them.
Remodeling was never an option. Bouvier is a joke utterly owned by the suits as DV calls them. Hope someone runs against her next year.
as for mayor’s budget, terrible. He doesn’t care about me…as an ordinary citizen not connected Im a nobody in his eyes. Im voting for Mr Gaetani.
Perhaps we should totally embrace the idea put forth by Jimmy Gee in this election year’s campaign slogans.
For instance:
Your vote for Craig Gaetani for mayor sends a powerful message to the current mayor; a giant FU to Dan Bianchi.
Voting in Tammy Ives to replace councilor Tully is like painting FU on your fence; the side that faces Tully who is running for reelection after betraying you.
Hey, come on, we can go places with this.
When Taconic was built, there was no political correctness agenda. The name Taconic High School is perhaps deeply offensive to native Americans. In light of the democratic process used to push through this new school, perhaps they can change the name to “Freedom University”. Its shortened form “FU” more accurately reflects what was done to the taxpayers of Pittsfield.
Or perhaps name it after a king of Egypt. “Farouk University”. Farouk U. Yeah, that kind of rolls off the tongue, Farouk U. Which can also be shortened to FU to befit the way it was forced on the taxpayers.
In replacing the entire city council:
The entire city council was unanimous in denying the voting public a vote on the new high school. Let us return this FU this election year by replacing every single one of them.
70% of every dollar you pay in taxes goes to the school system. The school committee hides behind “the children”. Don’t pay your taxes and the city takes your house. This election year, lets deliver a huge FU to this committee by voting them all out and bringing in new.
“Tire tracks all across your back, I can see you had your fun.
But a darling, can’t you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead”.
-James Marshall (Jimi) Hendrix
When I was listening to that terrible interview with John Krol last Friday he brazenly said that the school budget meetings would need to become even quieter which I take to mean more secretive in order to keep the evil doings from the public. When they go even more underground than they already are, taxpayers hold on to your money even tighter. This school department, mayor and his councilors are corrupt and city taxpayers are being scammed.
Yes, absolutely. Taxpayers voices and wishes are being trumped. It is imperative that Citizens wakeup and vote.
I also forgot to add the school unions to the list of corrupt entities in the city. These are the ones who go to the polls to ensure that the corruption continues. The only way to fight them is for enough of the good people to go to the polls and get politicians in office who answer to the taxpayers not the special school interests. This city has created a monster in the form of the Pittsfield schools. It was quietly created over the years when taxpayers were not paying attention, but just trusted in local government. Well, taxpayers and other GOOD citizens are paying attention now and not trusting local government so let’s hope it’s not too late to save the city and ourselves in the process!!!!
Wow that’s a lot for the schools. Don’t they also get chapter 70 aide from the state also? Maybe Mr. Kinnas could chime in. I think it is a significant number.
I lost my previous comment, and this is a test to see if I can find out what went wrong.
Pittsfield politics is on the road to bankruptcy. There is no rational way Pittsfield politics will be able to repay approximately one-half billion dollars in debts! I wonder what the ratio is between debt per taxpayer? It must be more than what the median taxpayer’s home is worth. Maybe China will buy Pittsfield politics after its bankruptcy. It would replace the current one party political system with another one party political system. The Chinese version of Pittsfield politics may even be an improvement!
The demographics of Pittsfield politics are as follows:
* Thousands of people have moved out of Pittsfield
* Thousands of poor people are dependent on welfare in Pittsfield
* The Pittsfield taxpayer is shrinking and is a minority among its poor and disenfranchised neighbors
* Pittsfield politics’ taxes/fees, spending, and debts are the only economic growth in Pittsfield
* Pittsfield politicians are totally corrupt (or just plain IDIOTS!)
AS promised here are some of my ideas for the 2016-2017 fiscal budget; THE first budget I will submit will be at best a level funded budget. Because I will be replacing many dept.heads with my own people ,I will task them to provide me with a budget of 5-10% reduction to the existing budget. I will review their input and what we can cut we will. As I have stated many times before that in my admin. there will be some very serious sacrifices for everyone. .THERE is no other way out, the budget has to come way down. IN my remaining years of my one and only term I plan to cut the budget by at least 30%. Because I will onlY serve one term I will not have to worry about re-election.THIS reduction of the budget is the only way to save the city from bankruptcy because OF the OPEB ACT. WHICH . is short by some 40;000;000 dollarS THERE is no way to make this up in the short term but it has to be tackled now to insure that the entire city doesn’t collapse and lead us into bankruptcy. IT is the only way out TEACHERS AN all other city workers should understand this when contractual talKs come up and be prepared to give back because if they don’t it could be total collapse and they and all of us will be swept away in the frenzy.THE upcoming election is the most important election of all time, IF this fiscal mess is not addressed you can kiss Pittsfield good bye. EVERY incumbent must be voted out, CC and SC because there is not a bit of technical expertise in the entire lot and they have no capability to under stand that what I have to do is a must. REALLY this is not that complicated. ITS like your home budget. If there is less coming in than going out ,you have to sacrifice Its as simple as that. WITH the media so biased against me we have to work together on the planet to get our ideas out and WIN this election. I feel very confident we can overcome all this corruption and take back our city. IF WE GIVE IT OUR ALL WE WILL BE SUCCRSSFUL. HAVE A NICE DAY EVERYBODY SINCERELY CRAIG.
I MADE A MISTAKE IN THE ABOVE POST. THE OPEB IS SHORT BY ALMOST 400 MILLION . I WISH IT WERE ONLY 40 MILLION.
How will Pittsfield politics ever be able to pay off one-half billion dollars in debts? It is impossible! Pittsfield will go bankrupt!
it will take a love for the city to save it. Equaling sacrifice? can remember a certain councilor stating were we’re in pretty good shape with the opeb. Yup, it was said, guess who?
The O P E B and the city going broke, is the do nothing’s out. Big wigs can afford a tax increase, so they stay here. Citizens employed by the city don’t mind tax increases either, they have jobs. Actually compared to states like New York, Pittsfield taxes are relatively lower, however income and jobs are more abundant in other states. The little guy is being abused and misused, for sure.
I’m sure the water wizard with Tammy Ives’ help, will certainly balance the budget. I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also the Mayor’s estimate of 40 million for the Cities share is off by 8+ million. I’m sure he’ll find it somewhere. Just wondering how low the enrolment in Pittsfield public schools has to go before they finally make some adjustments to the empire.
That’s the whole idea of the new school. They hope to lure outsiders to the new school to justify throwing more and more taxpayer money at the Pittsfield schools. Outsiders will in their game play boost student enrollment so they can continue to cry poor and demand more money for the empire.
Just wondering where are these students going to come from. I have been noticing small graduating classes in county. St Joe 30, Hoosac and Grey lock in the 80’s, Wahconah 149. These numbers are only going to go down.As most people know the county’s population is shrinking dramatically.
Dan, you consider it a “scam” that the city-side includes the health insurance for school employees. Fair enough, but you present your own creative math by intentionally failing to mention that state funding covers the majority of the school budget. It’s significant because you place great importance on the ratio of school-side to city-side spending, implying that 71% of our property taxes goes to the school system when that’s not the case.
It is the case that way too much taxpayer money goes to the school system. There is barely enough money to repair our dangerous roads!!!! That’s a fact!!!!
MIKE
Thanks for the comment. Now, who’s being disingenuous? First, glad you agree with my major point, that the school health insurance tab (probably around $15 million) is not included school side. Ah, but what’s $15 million to a “progressive” such as you? Talk about “creative math.” Second, as has been pointed out by at least two of THE PLANET’s commentators (sharpest in the business!), uh, where do you think “state funding” you mention comes from? Oh yeah, I forget. Liberals think it “droppeth from the heavens, upon the place beneath” (Billy Shakespeare, from “The Merchant of Venice”). Third, I know it pains you, but there’s no way for you to get around it: 71% of The Little Guy’s tax bill goes to the schools. Nice try, though.
The Pittsfield school dept is a bad investment. Remember that the teachers who claim they do it all for the children don’t hesitate to pull their “work to rule” crap. How many of the children they care so much about were hurt by that? Our teachers are a bunch of underperforming money grabbing people who laugh at the taxpayer.
Who the hell do you think pays state taxes?
Yeah, we pay state taxes also Mikey!
I agree with Nota and Pat. All taxes whether state or local are all paid by the same individual! The hard working people Mike.
Another cop beating on a young girl in Texas. Where does this rage come from?
I have been watching the budget hearing tonight. Am I the only one who finds it annoying to watch Sue Carmel constantly fiddling around with her wig of the day. Moving the mop from one shoulder to the other, all the while answering questions from the councilors.
This goes on every time she appears before them. She is so vane!
Just Curious, but at certain schools on weekends, work is done of some sort, anyone know.Is overtime paid for this, is it contract or custodial work?
Just what you want, millions in investment at the Airport and the Main Runway, basically sucks?
Anyone NOt get the street swept yet? yes or no? NO,
Councilor Tony is grilling the Bulgarian weight lifter. Tony always knows the answers to his questions, though. But that being said, is probably the best Councilor we have.
Looks like the DPW guy is replacing the whole freaking fleet. And a .Propane vehicle. Real nice, but dangerous!!!! NO PROPANE! you fools.
Sue rocks! What about Tes and his furrowed Brow,concerned look?
JONATHAN, IT CAN BE DONE .REMEMBER I SAID TACKLING OPEB IS A LONG TERM PROBLEM AND WILL TAKE TIME TO ADDRESS . The biggest problem in addressing opeb lies with city employees past and present When they are aware that they could loose everything they might decide that they need to get involved. THIS is not a if or but topic. . THIS could drive the city into bankruptcy. DETROIT is regrouping and city salaries are in the range that taxpayers can afford. PEOPLE HERE DONT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF A CITY GOING BANKRUPT. IFit happens houses here wont be able to be given away as no one buys a house in a bankrupt city. THAT will only be the tip of the iceberg as blight and crime will follow and eventually the city character will completely disappear. I know what I have to do to save the city. I believe everybody now believes that I did save the city well over 100 million dollars when we built the water plants and will save another 30-40 million more at the sewer plants to comply with new state standards.I hope this instills confidence with the people as saving millions for communities was my lifes work.TO save the city will require radical surgery but it can and will be done. WE will do it together and we will all live better afterwards being frugal and fiduciarally responsible. THERE IS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE, IT WILL BE ELECTIVE PREVENTIVE SURGERY TO SAVE US ALL. SINCERELY CRAIG
Make sure the scalpel is clean when you do the cuts.
And don’t cut things that may offend, you won’t be elected.
Why wait for Craig to be elected, now is the time to move the hell out? Why suffer?
http://massopenbooks.org/payrolls/
If your concerned about state taxes I suggest you go to this site and check out BCC’s payroll. At least 11 people are hauling in over 100,000 hard ones. Ellen Kennedy, the president is raking in $184,000 (plus bennies) this year, up $34,000 from 4 years ago when she took the job. It claims an enrollment of 6000 students yet it handed out diplomas to less than 300. You’ll never hear it criticized here because you know who’s got his snout in the trough. While visiting this website go to state teacher pensions and check out which supercitizen is slurping away (plus bennies).
TM
“It’s not about the money.” — Giancarlo Stanton
I like Collies. Honest Abe look. All he needs is an Axe.
He wants council raises, school stipends,Airport maitenance increase, road increase, ect. It’s a bird, a plane, no, it’s progressive man, the tax increase councilor, taking from the poor taxpayer..AGAIN!
The last time I check, Pittsfield politics is adding to its approximately one-half billion dollars in debts. Pittsfield politics has no rational plan to pay off its massive debts! Every year that passes, Pittsfield politics is accruing more and more debts. Pittsfield politics is going to go bankrupt.
Well, it’s not difficult to figure out why Tes was the Finance Director in his previous political CAREER. Is it me, or did I once hear Tes, as a City Councilor once say….’nobody enters the political arena as a Career. Yeah, I did hear that a few years ago,yup!
AT Tommy, Check out the pensions! You think the payroll is huge.
Spider, Mother told me when a woman gropes the hair it is a form of preening, just saying!
In my observations of Ms. Carmel at other mtgs, she has an attitude when answering the councilor’s questions. Last night the camera caught her making a face at one point, and she has been very curt with Clairmont in the past.
She has learned well from her boss!
No one ever loved it’s City more than me. I had the same fate as Jonathan Mele but endured and survived by not giving in to politics and cronyism. I considered Pittsfield the greatest place ever to live at one time. Years ago, the Pittsfield that I knew, changed. Blame it on losses jobs, good ol boy greed, drugs, whatever, it has changed, a cliche….. it’s not the Pittsfield our Father and Mothers knew.
Do I believe Craig Gaetani is the answer, I don’t know, but He gets my vote, the reason…..Entertainment value, I guess. The only thing I truly know, my kids are to smart to stay here!
AMANDA, THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT .I PURPOSELY TRY TO BE ENTERTAINING BECAUSE THE LOCAL SITUATION IS A REAL JOKE..BE REST ASSURED, I KNOW WHEN TO BE VERY SERIUOS AND YOU WILL SEE IT IN THE DEBATES. THE SHOW OF THE YEAR GETS CLOSER EVERYDAY. GET READY TO LAUGH WHEN I PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER THE GOB NETWORK. BRING YOUR OWN POPCORN AND SODA .ENJOY THE ENTERTAINMENT. I AM . I AM GOING FISHING FOR A FEW DAYS. I HAVE BIGGER FISH ON MY MIND THAN BIANCHI. .SEE YOU ALL SOON AND REMEMBER HAVE FUN DURING THE CAMPAIGN. YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY TO LAUGH AT DURING THE CAMPAIGN. WE WILL HAVE TO GET DOWN TO SERIOUS WORK AFTER THE CAMPAIGN. LOVE TO ALL PITTSFIELD RESIDENTS AND ESPECIALLY TO ALL PV POSTERS. SINCERELY CRAIG.
Jonathan makes a great point. The point of no return,and you can’t pay the obligations, you will go bankrupt. Another question? What happens if children do not want to attend the new school in droves, oh I know, P H S Will go to Taconic, why? We don’t need two schools to begin with.
I have an interview in the state of Oregon Thursday. No, I will not risk flying out of crummy Pittsfield Airport.
AMANDA
Pittsfield Airport is a dead zone. Except when Bob Kraft flies in to consult with us on marcomm or when we fly out on Mitt Romney’s private jet to write speeches for every Republilcan candidate in the race.
Pittsfield Airport is a huge waste of taxpayer money. As you stated, private jets use the airport and very few others. If we had responsible leaders in this city, to privatize this cash drain would be the only realistic choice. Putting it under state receivership is another way to increase state taxes. While it would relieve Pittsfield taxpayers, they would still pay more to the state. Privatization is the only real choice.