SCAMMERS GET A FREE, $75,000 YEARLY RIDE ON BACKS OF MARY JANE AND JOE KAPANSKI
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 2016) — Welfare deadbeats, cheats, scammers, moochers, mo’fos, and other assorted free-loaders who have made Pittsfield their one-stop shopping center have it right: Why work for a living when you can pull down $75,000 a year in benefits for doing nothing?
How is this done? THE PLANET presents this “typical” case, from information submitted by John Taab:
A guy and girlfriend with two kids can make $75Gs by following these proven steps:
- DO NOT GET MARRIED. This is key.
- The guy buys a house, preferably in a neighborhood where property values are plummeting.
- The guy “rents” out the house to his girlfriend and their two kids.
- The guy uses a different address for his mail, for example, his mother’s address or a P.O. box.
- The girl applies for and receives a Section 8 housing voucher, which will pay her $900 a month for a three-bedroom home. Due to volume, the Pittsfield Housing Authority Section 8 waiting list has been shut down. Not to worry, though. The PHA provides “portable vouchers.” The landlord and the PHA enter into a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. HAP sets up a payment schedule. The landlord (her boyfriend) and the girlfriend enter into a lease agreement. The $900 a month payment comes from HAPLESS taxpayers.
- Girlfriend signs up for free health insurance through Medicaid.
- Girlfriend attends college free, because she is a single mom.
- Girlfriend gets $600 a month in food stamps. She can go to the store, buy a $1 candy bar and $100 in junk food, and get $499 in cash to spend on cigarettes, booze, drugs, and lottery tickets.
- Girlfriend gets a free cell phone.
- Girlfriend gets free heat and electricity.
- Guy moves into the home but continues to use his alternate address for mail.
- Girlfriend claims one kid and boyfriend claims the other child on separate tax forms. Both receive $1800 tax credit for “head of household” status.
- Girlfriend develops an illness. Best ones are mental health claims and the always-reliable “bad back.” She never has to work again and receives $1,800 a month in disability.
This plan is legal and many people in the city are employing it in this form or its many variations. If the couple marry and the woman becomes a stay-at-home mom, taxpayers cough up ZERO dollars. If they do as outlined here, the unmarried couple with a stay-at-home mom gets $21,600 in disability, $10,000 in free housing, $6,000 of free health insurance, $6000 in free food, $4,800 in free utilities, $6,000 in Pell grant money for expenses, $12,000 a year in college tuition from the Pell program, $8,800 tax benefit for being a single mom.
The total haul comes to $75,000+ a year.
The Onus is on the Tyer Administration to Help the Kapanskis
Consequently, don’t wonder why the bedraggled middle class is being taxed out of existence, having to support thousands of freeloaders in “poverty.” And do not wonder why there is so much anger in the city of Pittsfield and the rest of the country.
In the city, the anger has no official outlet in a dictatorial political system owned by The Suits. The city’s offices, boards, and commissions have shut out Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. These offices will keep The Suits in caviar and champagne, send millions to the moochers, and present the bill to the Kapanskis.
How long will that anger remain capped? Will it be recognized by the new administration? You’ll be able to tell by two barometers: taxes and schools.
Taxes — Will the Tyer Administration make any attempt to provide tax relief to ordinary citizens and small businesses?
Schools — Will the new administration go after the Pittsfield School Department? The city side of the budget has been trimmed bare. If the new administration wants to show it’s on the right side of the fight, the PSD must take a hit. It doesn’t all have to happen in the FY’17 budget, but there damn well better be some sign of it there.
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“It won’t be long, till I belong to you.” — The Beatles, “It Won’t be Long,” from Meet the Beatles, (1963).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Speaking of waste mbta paid out 71 million in overtime last year.
The waste is colossal at the state and federal levels, where we have no say. But on the local level, where The Suits have made their play for the easy, corrupt money, it can be stopped. It just takes will and unity, We The People asserting their ownership of government.
Another one you can add to the list: N. girl has a baby. She lists father as “unknown” on birth certificate. This way she gets food stamps (the more kids, the more $$). The reason why she lists “unknown,” the “baby’s daddy” doesn’t have to pay child support this way and her benefits are not affected. This is Pittsfield, so it is possibly she doesn’t know who the father is.
A friend of mine works at BMC. That friend told me about a white female a few years back that had a white child. The kicker, she had slept with so many black guys, so didn’t know who the “baby’s daddy” would have been. Turns out, she only slept with one white guy during this time. My friend told me the girls family was both “shocked” and joked about it all the same. My friend wasn’t laughing, as we knew we would be supporting that child. hey, it’s only Pittsfield, right?
Are we really reduced to shaming people for their sexual decisions?
I think it stands for itself. I’m just sick and tired of paying for these free-loaders.
I am sick and tired of racists and bigots, but I can’t really stop that either.
And I sick and tired of liberal hypocrites.
Don’t you know that telling the truth is racist?
I guess that we are only allowed to try to shame people when you believe they are mentally ill.
Seriously? Shaming people for shameful activities like promiscuity is not “reducing” anything. Its elevating actually. Called “morality.”
Shakes,
Holding someone accountable financially for their decisions is not bigoted or racist. It is proper and moral. For every penny I give to someone to pay for their choices in life is a penny taken away from another. I remove from that person the ability to attend a better school, or spend more time with a child or an aging parent. Or worse to be dramatic I remove from the payee to opportunity to eat better to put their children in a better place, to take all the medication at full prescribed rate. That’s immoral and wrong. If we don’t have an expectation of some responsibility for personal behavior then we no longer have a society, we have a pack of animals where rule will come by force and fear. To sum it up In a few words Baltimore, Chicago and I hope not but soon Pittsfield.
just sayin
I think it’s Kate’s second paragraph that Shakes objects too. There was no need to bring race into the discussion. The point could have been made without that part.
Barry
For all of you light weights, I only added race to show the irony of the story-not to demean anybody. My point was I’m sick of paying for these free-loaders.
Shakes: you add nothing to this forum, other than to find posts and contradict what they say. Where did I say anything racist? I’ll gladly wait…..
Lin….I mean Barry, you better grow thick skin my friend. Again, what did I say about race that offended you? The story would have been she slept around…..nothing more. Wow!!! Barry, that would have been a great story. I see your point. Thanks!!
You are glorifying a hateful and bitter attitude as somehow expecting it to be okay. I am sure in my life or your life we make choices the other disagrees with. And we are allowed to make those choices because they are our rights. And as a society we have decided that we take care of the impoverished and the ill, even if it is caused by their own actions.
What you pay for has so little to do with ‘free loaders’. If every tax we paid was a use tax or fee the schools would go broke, the parks would fall to shambles, and our roads would not be drive able. Welfare abuse, although it exists, is such a small fraction of the system that in order to strictly enforce it would cost more than it would save. The elderly and children would be the ones to suffer most. I’d gladly pay double if it would help more of our children out of poverty.
Make.school administration prove any money spent actually worked and don’t fund it.the following year if it didn’t work,school committee has no idea what’s going on….Joe curtis is a student of the eberwien years
…..it is all explained in micro graphic presentations
Dan, don’t forget about the WIC program and then the same bunch hits up the food pantry to. Another convenience they enjoy is the school system feeds their kids 2 meals a day, even in the summer!
A question for the new mayor. Who owns the land the city school buses are parked on? Do the taxpayers pay rent for this property and if so how much?
If an incredibly wealthy entity owns this land would they consider donating it to the city and if not could the city buy it? I once heard that the city rented it for $80,000 per year just to park buses on and that looks like a situation begging for a fix. Assuming there was real concern for cutting waste which I do not remember being a campaign promise for the new mayor.
Where is the land located?
Pretty sure the City rents that spot from the rich and powerful Petricca family…they are the last people who would give a break when it comes to making money
Multiply DV’s example by millions and that’s what we got going on nationwide…bill payed by the overworked and overtaxed shrinking middle class
Looks like Cuomo over in N Y wants to educate the prisoners when they get out. If you’re looking to do a crime you can’t count on free College when you get out.
Isn’t it amazing that after the Mayor election Nuclea is reorganizing and leaving town, thank gawk we didn’t but into this clowns act.
Add the “Economic Engine” scammers, replete with all levels and types of “grants””
Nuclea is a classic example. It was embolden as the second coming and continually promoted by the politicians. The life style of its CEO was lavish. All on investors and taxpayers.
Btw, there are no employees nor jobs at the Nuclea computer lab on Kellogg St., just a group of playstations purporting to provide worldwide technical service. It was opened in the PEDA offices to great fanfare and discounted rent and remodeling.
Hit and Run…….Big Time.
Con Man
Yup scammers line up. Mayor Doyle had EV World Wide Bus Batteries, Mayor Ruberto had Spice and gave other North st advatages (movie theater), Mayor Bianchi had Nuclea . The cash box is now open!
Let’s hope Gaetani throws a monkey wrench I to the Kumbaya tonight.
People who bring up Mr. G’s name are as crazy as he is.
There are eighteen people in Pittsfield who can raise your taxes and throw your money away. He is not one of the eighteen.
That doesn’t change the fact that he’s crazy.
Do not make fun of Mr. G’s mental illness.
You are a child to make such a post. You have no place here with adults. Posts like this just shouldn’t be allowed.
nor does the fact that you are a child change
And you my friend bring him up.
Shakes didn’t bring him up…and I think his post was funny! Just snarky enough to be perfect here.
yeah, bullying someone for PTSD and depression is so, so funny.
I did not post anything about him being crazy, I said do not make fun of a legit issue.
To initiate her campaign promises and agenda there was no proposal that was to reduce anything. To initiate one third of her promises she will have to increase taxes. Unless something has changed?
If a woman with two kids goes on welfare and is given a set amount of money each month…..she should be informed that no matter how many more children she may have, the amount per month will not change.
And I bet she would suddenly discover “birth control”.
But that would never happen because it makes sense.
Millions of illegal aliens have flooded into the country from our southern boarder with Mexico. Obama wants as many as 650,000 Syrian refugees here. Many thousands already brought in.
Businesses laying off and closing all accross the fruited plain. Obamacare is not only not working but is indeed bankrupting this nation.
There is no economic recovery. Its all an illusion. Smoke and Mirrrors. If not for the printing of money backed by nothing, welfare, food stamps and Obamacare, people would easily see that we are in a full blown depression.
Russia is starting their own oil cartel. They are not accepting US dollars. China has ordered its banks to stop using US dollars.
You cannot borrow your way to prosperity. The money we’ve spent on war, war on drugs, war on terrorism, would have made this country great if used here at home.
Government corruption is rampant. This is usually the last sign a society is about to collapse. The collapse of this society will be catastrophic indeed.
They have to remove guns from the people to try and prevent a revolt or revolution. They know what’s coming. Obama is using a boil the frog approach to gun control. Hitlery or Jebb will turn up the heat after Trump is put out of the way.
Syrian rape fest here we come
It will be Colligiate and Grant Night acceptance Funds at the not so O. K. Corall tonight.
About 70% of local Pittsfield residents live in poverty and are dependent on welfare and social services benefits. The # is 80% in North Adams. There are no living wage jobs in Pittsfield and North Adams! What would you do if all you had was a part-time, $10/hr. thankless job with no benefits? Would you live on the street? I feel sorry for the underclass. I also feel bad for the hard hit taxpayers. Pittsfield is a very unequal community. There are a few rich residents and many poor ones. Pittsfield politics is totally corrupt. The G.O.B.’s make a mockery of democracy. There are either uncontested or G.O.B. elections. The political hacks only serve the vested interests at the expense of the taxpayers. Pittsfield politics will not change under the lovely Linda Tyer’s new administration. She will ensure yearly 5% tax hikes.
That is not the number anywhere. Stop fabricating.
In the entire school system, the percentage of students from low-income households was determined at 55.89 percent, but in the eight elementary schools, the level was set at 63 percent, triggering the higher level of federal reimbursement through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The new certification for levels of poverty, which is set for a four-year period and can cover some or all schools in a district, is based on a household’s eligibility for participation in other assistance programs, such as SNAP, or food stamps.
The new “economically disadvantaged” designation for schools also is expected to eventually become a factor in determining state Chapter 70 aid, as well as Title 1 and E-Rate funding to schools.
These are just the numbers of households not the total number of residents so Melle’s stats are pretty accurate.
Ever since the East Side put in wi fi Shakes has been a problem.
figure it this way… the less jobs we have here, the more impoverished families. The more impoverished families, the more low-income students in the schools. The more low-income students the more state/federal funding they get and the more excuses the school district has for failing since that’s the main reason the schools are in such disarray.
vicious circle
The 70% underclass number for Pittsfield is from me reading about Pittsfield politics over the decades. Pittsfield is a very economically unequal community. That means that there is a shrinking middle class in Pittsfield because there are few to none living wage jobs in Pittsfield. The wealthy few don’t mind Pittsfield politics because the annual 5% tax hikes don’t impact them much. The 70% underclass number don’t mind Pittsfield politics because they receive “free” welfare benefits and social services. That leaves about 15% to 20% of the remaining middle class in Pittsfield paying their hard earned money on Pittsfield politics. Pittsfield is a post industrial community with no new economic growth. Rather, Pittsfield is continuing to experience economic losses. Pittsfield is in a downward spiral.
That fuzzy math.
One thing for certain, let’s not have the 1% accountant check the math
If you work at the hospital, the school dept., or a city job you are golden.
Anyone up for an occupy Pittsfield rally….are you tired of the 1%ers who suck up all the wealth in Pittsfield?
Or the 3% snakeoil salesman.
Also 800 Billion a year to fund illegal immigrants..Medicaid, food stamps, earned income credit,public housing, supplemental security income, temporary assistance for needy families, public education, 12,500 a year national average. Not to mention Population based services, police, fire ect. Once you get into the illness or medical category for these immigrants you’re talking 100 thousand and up annually for these immigrants alone, that’s where the cost trumps these bums with kids and food stamps. It’s better than housing them in prison, I guess?
America needs to take care of its own people first.
Bill, New York 60g N J 40g a year as of 2012 Ma 31g ? Trump wants to export them, he’ll actually save the taxpayer money doing it. There are some immigrants that are good citizens though, that’s where there is disagreement with the Trump plan.
Shelly, what happens to the children that are born here, from immigrants, what happens to them?????
Even though they are the spawn of criminals – they should have choices. If they are over 18, they can stay. if they are under 18, they can stay with LEGAL US citizens or they can go with their parents and when they turn 18 – since they are citizens (although I doubt the 14th Amendment contemplated this), they can come back.
45 million people in the USA are collecting food stamps/ebt card.
45 million people!
If there were bread lines as in the “great deppression” it would be very easy to see the State of our Union. However, because of ebt cards, its snot.
45 million people are in poverty and cannot afford to put food on their table.
patriotrising.com/2016/01/11/45-million-americans-now-on-food-stamps-thats-45-million-people-who-will-erupt-into-social-chaos-when-the-free-money-stops-flowing/
How do you pay off 20 $Trillion dollars in debt?
You don’t.
You borrow more and more just to pay the interest on that massive debt.
Ah but to be politically correct, the real issue is global warming and we need a carbon tax.
http://Www.patriotrising.com/2016/01/11/45-million-americans-now-on-food-stamps-thats-45-million-people-who-will-erupt-into-social-chaos-when-the-free-money-stops-flowing/
And the majority of those that get these benefits, by FAR, are Caucasian citizens.
The looming back breaking money wasters are a new THS and an upgrade a the waste water treatment pant. Both projects need to be re-evaluated. Let’s be certain the plant treats waste water not wasted money. Council and Mayor the ball is in your court.
Recording every phone call that comes into every city office is incredibly expensive. New phones, new wiring, new switch, new server, extra backup, new software, consultants to install.
Plus Hawthorne, West Housie, other offsite offices… each need all the same equipment or a big fat (read expensive) secure connection line capable of handling voice calls.
This idea is antithetical to the entire G campaign.
I’ll bet the entire phone system for all city phones could be connected to a common server/switcher with minimal expense.
ALL landline calls actually take place in the central office on Federal Street. Anyone from the phone company care to weigh in?
Recording every single phone call to the city would not be expensive. May in the 1960s when all you had was tape recorders. With today’s technology it would be easy and cheap. They can fit 1 TB of data on a chip as small as you thumbnail. Very inexpensive.
Recording every phone call is a good idea, providing the people have access to them if need be, through a freedom of information act. Any disputed conversations could be recalled, transcribed and made known.
Both parties would be respectful, professional and courteous, knowing they are being recorded.
The meeting should be a real gas
Sadly, your statement is wrong on almost all points.
There are several telephony providers out there(invoca.com, callsource.com etc) where you can port your phone number for a low one time fee(about $100) to them, and then they put it into their platform that includes services like call recordings, caller ID, date, time and length of call reporting..it even has robust features like automatically directing calls to certain extensions based on the zip code that the phone number calling is billed to. These features are all low cost, and turn key.
If there is an existing telephone line infrastructure in place, all of these functions can be applied with a flip of a switch.
Not sure where you get your information.
I don’t want calls recorded – except those to the EMS services (not the administrative parts of PFD/PPD). I think waaay to many folks work for Government at all levels – but I certainly do not believe that folks that do their job as its described to them need to be treated any different than I am at my job, The key is to evaluate how many people we employ, and if we have too many, eliminate the job.
Good response Kathy, are you going to speak at the meeting tonight? I like your ideas!
I’ll be there. I speak when I need to. Some think it’s not often enough, some think it’s too often. Right now the electorate has stated how they feel and I’ll respect that while continuing to learn and staying involved. Speaking doesn’t get things done, action does and I’m always doing. 🙂
Speaking does publicly highlight issues. The council and mayor regardless of who they are need to be kept on their toes. They are elected to represent us. We can never say “well you just got elected so go to it.” I don’t think people want to admit how close Pittsfield is to sinking.
Solid point DF. I have to skip tonight and watch tomorrow on my laptop. 🙁 Looking forward to it then.
If a citizen feels the need why can’t they record the calls? Just tell the person on the other end that this is a recorded line
Dan, don’t forget…later on, if a single mom can get the school district to grant her child an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the child now has a documented learning “disability”.
Then she files for social security disability for the child, and guess what? More money comes in to the household (tax free). In addition, the school district now has to provide more specialized services and testing. All because mom at home never did anything to help her child read when junior was a preschooler. She was probably too busy watching Jerry Springer and texting her friends on her taxpayer provided smart phone. This extra educational assistance may even continue into college if the student goes to college.
What a mess this country is in. And people wonder why Trump’s campaign is popular. They see him at least addresing some issues that everyone sees, but no mainstream politician will address.
Right on Deep! I agree 100% I’m voting Trump all the way.
Obama wants to give everyone free College, it won’t matter where the funding comes from. The government need to keep ssi solvent instead of borrowing from it to pay billions in programs outside of what it is was meant for.
I might be at the meeting too
Watch all school money spent on behavior s,300,000 to add 4 school adjustment councilors this year,make curtis explain.how well that worked. …morningside school is now a zoo,he was desperate to get out ….business office assistant got a 20,000 raise,find out why
Who is John Taab and what makes him a reliable authority on bullet points A-M?
Who do you want your news from, Planet, Dick Flimsy or Mr. G??? J Mel?
The story reminds me of the student who got caught stealing candy had 30 thirty grand in his pocket and attended B C C?
Watching the Bianchi Tyer debate with the Planet, it was pretty pathetic as Tes was seen off camera while Tyer was speaking and looked like a Puppy asking for a bone. With all due respect to the Planet, a haymaker would have been in order if it were me, vut this incident is not as cowardly as the Embrace between LOw and Missy at the second to last Council meeting.
Did they conversate?
Jody’s timing is incredible, take someone ps ob at General Dynamics for seven years and return anytime she wants to her old hack job.
That should be someone’s job.
Chris Connell is running against Tricia?
How could anyone? Think of running against someone who has done so much to make Pittsfield a utopian paradise?
Dahoney would only be here three days a week? is that what was stated?
We need a solicitor who is there 3 days…..yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Gaetani said he had a stroke during the meeting. Now that is guts!
The new city council “filed” all three of CG’s petitions with no discusssion.
Also, sorry to hear the H20 wizard say at the meeting that he did suffer a stroke. On PCTV he thought it was a case of Bell’s Palsy caused by a virus. Get well,sir.
I hope the changes in the Pittsfield police Department are going to help get crime under control time will tell
It is hard to get anything under control when you have internal strife.
Melissa Mazzeo really showed her Bianchi colors tonight. She does Not represent the people. She is self absorbed…already giving the Mayor a hard time right out of the gate. She needs to go in my opinion.