TYER’s TIRED, FAKE ‘CONVERSION’ TO ‘BETTER STEWARDSHIP OF RESOURCES’ RINGS HOLLOW, SCRIPTED OR UNSCRIPTED
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JUNE 14 FLAG DAY, 2016) — Unscripted, Linda Tyer is about as interesting to listen to as a hyena with its foot caught in a steel trap. Scripted, she is about as pleasant as a hyena with its foot not caught in a steel trap. Forgive THE PLANET for being so kind.
Scripted
Allow one brief example. In her wince-inducing speech to Taconic High School graduates on Sunday, the mayor spoke of the successful graduates in their “Hobbit holes smoking their pipes.” Uneasy murmurs rippled through the audience. The grads, hip to drug references, especially the unintended ones, nearly laughed the mayor off the stage. It’s not for nothing they spell embarrassment with “ass” stuck in the middle.
Unscripted
After campaigning on fiscal responsibility, and again, after calling for more than $18 million in new spending (including capital expenses), The Lovely Linda had either the temerity, cluelessness, or gall to say to city councilors, “We need to be better stewards of our resources.”
What the flying pheasants!?
Tyer just hiked school spending by nearly $2 million, kept the 85-15% health insurance split intact for another $1.35 million in higher insurance costs, and nearly another additional $1 million in police resources without a public safety plan, and she talks about “stewardship” of finances.
THE PLANET can tell the mayor in all honesty that as a fiduciary figure, she has been a flop, failure, and flat-faller. We go by actions, not words. In the council appearance, Tyer went into her cliche-ridden babble as if she had channeled a hyphenated Suze Orman. She talked about “initiatives” that will “contain costs” for “the future.” Handy, because the “future, you know, never arrives.
We could call it a cheap, political stunt, but stunts come with at least some surprise and entertainment value. Instead of following through on her campaign promises, the mayor did four things:
- She increased spending by $18 million
- She then blabs about being “better stewards” of public money.
- She makes inferences to “the future,” when things will be somehow different.
- Instead of taking charge of this budget and cutting spending, mayor announced the city had joined something called “a Community Compact with the state.” Tell us if that eases your pain, Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski, or helps you sleep at night as try to figure out how you are possibly going to come up the money to pay an adjusted tax hike of 11%.
Community Compact goes the consultant route, the scam we outlined yesterday by which the city can advance unpopular initiatives with the cover of a consultant’s report. In this case, the consultants will be from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — yes, the very state people who care only about The Berkshires for their foo-foo summer junkets to Tanglewood and that the county (especially Pittsfield) delivers compliant bobos as state reps who will do as the Bosses order and not rock the boat.
Think here of the current Pittsfield state “rep,” Tricia Whats-her-name, who is big on hypens, the Queen of the Photo Op. Trish took up an ample footprint at the mayor’s “crime” press conference that wasn’t a press conference and has done nothing substantive to address the issues on the city’s mean and getting meaner streets. Trish will haul her ample derriere to Park Square this evening 5:30-7 p.m. for a Vigil for Orlando & Against Violence and Hate, joining various Suits and others making sure to politicize this horrific tragedy.
That’s why we posted on Facebook that we hoped when the Carousel breaks ground July 1, neither Trish nor any other “come-lately” sticks their craws into the picture. The carousel got built because of Jim Shulman and his wife. Jim dug deep into his own retirement funds to build this incredible community project. He didn’t get 14 years of tax breaks. Instead, he spent $73,000 of taxes on an empty lot for nine years while his vision came true. That’s a man who loves his community.
The Lovely Linda told councilors about efforts “to better manage obligations … We know that there is much work ahead of us.”
Sorry, girl, but nothing you have done to date has convinced THE PLANET you believe a word of this, scripted or unscripted.
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“That which we want less of in society should rarely be privatized, and that which we want more of often should be.” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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What would Doyle do?
Drink
indeed
Perhaps Tyer should too.
Why of course Doyle would have another drink, with a gerb.
Great analysis of Tyers’ spin Dan but you are wrong about Faraway Farley – she does care about crime aroud these parts, which is why she favors drivers licenses for illegals – so they can come out of the shadows and report crime – puke/double puke. Gee maybe that is why wynn really got the award from the Berkshire immigrant group.
For those unaware there IS another newspaper in the Berkshires and it covers a lot more Pittsfield news than that regurgitation slapped together at the clock tower. It is called The Berkshire Courier. And it is free.
It is a weekly and the latest edition June 6-10 has interesting articles about Lee police chief Joe Buffis, Linda Tyer, police chief Wynn and Rinaldo Del Gallo.
I find free copies in various places but it seems like when they are gone they are gone. It might be a good thing to call them and find out when and where they leave these copies so that the Pittsfield people can get some local news. Who knows, with support and encouragement perhaps they could take over the local market.
Perhaps someone knows more about this and can illuminate us but do find a copy and try it. Dan?
They seem to hit the stores on Fridays. I find it at Price Chopper/Market 32 as well as Stop & Shop on Dan Fox Drive.
Dan,if the election were today Bianchi would beat her by 2500 votes easy.Every senior citizen she lied to.
I would vote for ex mayor Doyle tomorrow over Tyer .Mazzeo was on target when first elected but decided selling pasta to teachers made more financial sense and shes right.
I do not see any local politician who could cut 1 red cent.But one day a very smart guy will start to think about if hes willing to tackle the school brick and mortar problem .
Tyer,Benke,why in gods name did we vote for Tyer and why is Behnke given superintendent title.We have only one superintendent…we keep watering down the responsibility of whos in charge….
Pete White is still lobbying for the C D cuts. Pete, just say NO.
I agree that Tyer is not living up to what was expected of her which was to be fiscally responsible. Tricia Bouvier is always on hand for a photo op or to promote some far left political cause, but is always absent when it comes to doing anything to actually help local residents. Just another useless politician which we have far too many of here in the Berkshires.
Horrible to politicize the Orlando tragedy. I’m sure it will be all about removing guns from law abiding citizens to prevent the violence from radicalized individuals. (I’m fine with limiting assault rifles which was done in the past, but not for taking gun ownership away from everyone which Hillary seems to be promoting). There will be no mention of the real issue of how to prevent these people from becoming radicalized.
If long guns can be taken away there is certainly no basis for handguns: your position is weak, Hillary’s is strong
Yes let’s leave Americans to be shot like ducks in a shooting gallery by terrorists looking for “soft targets”. Let’s wait for the police to show up to save us. If terrorists want to turn our streets into “war zones” then taking guns from law abiding Americans isn’t the answer.
Most of the people who died in that night club bled to death.
The initial bullet strike did not kill them instantly. If it didn’t take the government three hours to get there many would still be alive.
If government insists on doing nothing to save us from radicalized individuals except to want to take our guns, then it’s on us to save ourselves from not only the terrorists, but from the incompetence of this government.
Get rid of guns and the next thing will be dynamite,there is no way of stopping these scoundrals.
You’re right Bill Q, the weapons used in Orlando were just the most convenient for the killer. If not guns it would have been something else like in Oklahoma.
Obama just sat there yesterday with absolutely no passion for anything he was saying. He looked like a cold stone as he talked about this worst attack in American history (except for 9/11). At least he didn’t do the “wave” like he did after the last terrorist attack.
He has no plan other than taking guns from law abiding citizens. He want to keep bringing people into this country whose background we know nothing about and he has no plan for preventing those who have lived here for a long time from becoming radicalized. Our country is in big trouble. Hillary is no different from Obama.
Dan Valenti is right about Pittsfield politics’ unsustainable municipal finances. The lovely Linda Tyer took Pittsfield politics’ high finances to a new level of record tax hikes and debts. There is no rational reason why she would increase spending by over $18 million in one fiscal year. It is always the vested interests (Public Schools, Police, and Fire Unions) that win, while the hard hit local taxpayers lose.
I don’t understand the favorable view of the Doyle debacle. Mayor Gerry Doyle bankrupted Pittsfield politics and sent the municipality into state government receivership. Millions of taxpayer dollars are still unaccounted for 15 years later. Moreover, Doyle signed the corrupt Consent Decree that sold out Pittsfield’s health to Jack Welch’s GE. I strongly believe the Consent Decree is a fraudulent document that left Pittsfield polluted with cancer causing PCBs!
The Doyle debacle, the Jimmy Ruberto regime, and the lovely Linda Tyer are all part of the Del Gallo political faction that ran Pittsfield into the proverbial ditch.
Has anyone noticed that Doyle has not needed to hold a steady job since leaving office?
I never realized that we had so many agencies doing the exact same thing….for the same people. One by one they appeared before the CC with the same scripts.
If they are all doing their jobs, we shouldn’t have any endangered youths!!!
Cut last years school budget 1 persent and your well on your way to lower taxes.We have at least 600 million gun s and some believe as many as 1 billion.
Its not unreasonable to want to keep this terrorist from buying this gun.
I watched the first budget hearing last night. The interminable conversation about minutiae. We need to cut dollars and these folks are looking at pennies. If we need $6 million, and 60% or so needs to come from the schools – that means we need $2.5 million from the City.
No need to slash someone’s p[ay by $2 or $3K, just eliminate the entire $52K.
Why does a mayor making about $100K per year need to worry about spending a few hundred to travel to Worcester for a monthly meeting? If they can’t Skype these things – and they are that important, can’t she foot the $20 in gas and tolls herself?
And if the CC tells me that it’s “only” a $4.43/week tax increase, I guess I can tell you that a 2% cut in your pay is “only” $3.08/week. Can’t you give that up for the cause?
Peter White, I don’t ask you to spend $150 on gala events. I ask you to be an advocate for the community. If you can afford some charity – great. If you can’t, then just listen to me if you seem in the market or at the gas pump or wherever.
Again, being redundant… You ain’t seen nuthin yet !!! Much more to come over the next 3 1/2 years. Wait til Peda runs out of GE money and the city picks up the enviromental testing, salaries,insurances,etc.tab. Closer than you think. And it’s only one of many ominous forecasts.
Mayor $91,540 $95,000
by the end of the session, the council ended up asking for $61,213 to be added to Mayor Linda Tyer’s proposal.
So i gess it is obvious we cant count on the city council to watch our pocketbooks. The mayor is no more looking out for seniors than people with disabilities.
Pittsfield is run by selfish, greedy kibitzers who are only out for themselves. Mayor, council, school committee: down with you all.
We have two realistic choices. Stay and be robbed blind by our city government or leave. There is no in between unless you can marry in to the establishment. Bernie Madoff would have been proud of the people running the city of Pittsfield, Ma finances. Let us all raise a toast to personal bankruptcy as an economic engine for our fair city.
Really?
What was up with Rivers trying o cut $16,000 from building maintenance one moment then trying to add two full time jobs to the budget the next? That was like a $70,000 increase.
Is she right in the head?
she believes that two extra people would be able to handle all the work subcontracted out. she doesn’t seem to get it that those guys are already working full days.
Subs ion this case are cheaper. Their hourly rate is the limit of what they cost you. New bodies are the gift that keeps on giving (retiree health, pensions, unending Bennie’s while they are working, a truck, etc). she seems to believe that we sub it out to lighten someone’s load.
If it were up to me, we’d lay everyone off and sub all the maintenance work out. The hourly rate might be higher today, but once the check clears – you are done.
on another topic entirely, but in a round about way germane: did you see that N Adams is spending $4 million on a new airport building which many claim is needed.
But – and here is the kicker, the airport’s maintenance operator, TurboJet, Inc. is kicking in the City’s 5% share (about $200K).
Oh if Pittsfield’s FBO had such initiative and concern to keep the place where he earns a small fortune in top notch condition…..
To say we can’t sub out the operations of the PMA and ask the FBO to put up their own cash in exchange for the profits is not so crazy after all, is it?
I could be wrong so I’ll use a fictitious budget. It seems the leader of the cut movement was the one who enabled the Budget to Sky-rocket? Now the ones who have been advocating cuts are now against cuts, or anything meaningful..
There should be a flat percentage cut across the board. Lyer’s Core funding is fine but we all know that if each department is cut 3 percent that would be fair as the schools are millions compared to others.
Every city department is a joke! Incompetent, uncaring, belligerent clowns. Doesn’t matter weather it’s the PD that don’t want to get out of their cars or FD that takes a million dollar truck to Big Y for lunch supplies. HELLO bring your food to work like every other person. City hall employees that act like they are doing you a favor by just acknowledging you are there. What about building maintenance that let Taconic become so bad that it has to be replaced?
AGREE! You don’t understand that’s how Pittsfield has always done it. Bull Sheet, time for a Forking change. Gently pull your moon bat heads out of your ashes and come up with a fiscal responsibile plan. Increase all u want, but you must also decrease somewhere else. That’s what normal people do. Then again not sure you folks are normal people.
AGREE! You don’t understand that’s how Pittsfield has always done it. Bull Sheet, time for a Forking change. Gently pull your moon bat heads out of your asheso and come up with a fiscal responsibile plan. Increase all u want, but you must also decrease somewhere else. That’s what normal people do. Then again not sure you folks are normal people.
I am told from my bud that Mayor Behnke and Joe Curtis cant stop thinking about building custodians…he said it may sound crazy but they are both consumed by them…Behnke is out of her league trying to add numbers ….She needs to spend time with the Dalton school. Dept…..the woman up there has to account for every penny and MayorBehnke cant play in her league,she simply does not know what shes doing
Dan what happened to the biggest health grant given in the country through sherrifs department…10 million …..that thing needs an audit….im told pittsfield has the world record for hula hoops 3 for evert student…..check with Jake Mccandless on this….there is no way they could explain where the money was wasted….Mayor Behnke could come in handy if she handled the money…….
If Mayor Yon read this I will bet she never asked one question as to what Linda was doing with that money…..Mercer building will play dumb on this one
Where in the real world dose someone get a raise after not even being on the job not even a year? The mayor hasn’t even proven she is worth her presents wage. The City Council should have refused her increase.
I want to know who Okd Mayor Behnkes raise….someone presented this to Mayor Yon and they gave her the raise….it had to be assist superintendent Mccandless and if he didnt then is was Behnke who presented her own raise….she should be fired.
Someone asked Mayor Behnke how much of a raise she got and she informed them that it was none of their business….none of the taxpayers business..really. and that is how she thinks……her and joe curtis are bullies to janitors
Little or nothing will be cut. These people were not prodded on to this council to be making budget cuts. They are just trying not to look too stupid pretending they are considering it. Pretend you are watching a Saturday Night Live episode and at the same time figure out how you are going to scrounge the extra tax money out of your own budget. You can probably get along with Basic Cable for starters. think Price Rite and Aldis instead of Price Chopper. Dollar store and Salvation Army for clothes.
Do it for your city…they need you more than ever right now. The mayor is asking you to make sacrifices. Oh, no not you Mr Stanley…not you. Other people, You know…the ones who don’t own mansions and boats and condos in cities far away.
When Mayor Behnke took Clairmont to the cleaners during a discussion in which Clairmont was clearly out of his league,with the magnificent Behnke. it was clear after Tyer became Mayor that Banky could not be replaced, no matter what she did to the Mayors Love.
Level-fund the entire budget. If the school dept. owes raises – make them cut somewhere else. Close an elementary school. How can this large increase in the school budget be justified when we have a shrinking student population, and poor academic performance compared to other schools across the state? Freeze city wages and hiring for several years. LEVEL-FUND! Grow spines, councilors and mayor! Get it done!
Council is bizarrely grilling the highway guy and airpot guy…the whole thing is a sham ….1/2 hour is nuts….cc is very bizzar
This council is a sham. You have to own it P Marchetti. If I heard right the snow budget was over 450K. This was an El Nino winter we had zero storms. I used my snow blower once and that was not necessary.. K Morandi did object to this abuse
but I think the other 10 had their mute button on. Pathetic display by this council. Pittsfield taxpayers are close to having the same chance of survival as George Custard.
farley is larger than MM and DTR together
All I can say to Mayor Tyer and the City Council is, start saying yes, box plaza at William Stanley, yes Dounkin D’s at First and Tyler yes. If you want to spend like a fool, you must accept all. If that doesn’t fill the coffers, strip clubs, nuclear power plants, meth clinics,whore houses and anything else that will feed the machine.