MAYOR DEFENDS CHOICE OF DONOVAN & O’CONNOR … SUPPORTERS CLAIM RIVAL FIRM ATTEMPTED AND FAILED IN ‘A WEAK PALACE COUP’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
Last of Three Parts
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 5-7, 2016) — In making the selection of Donovan & O’Connor (D&O) city purchasing agent told Darren Lee of the competing firm Courtney, Lee, & Hamel (CL&H) the main reason was D&O’s greater experience with municipal law. Lee disputed that, saying his firm not only offered equal service at a lower price but better service at that same price. CL& H supporters say Mayor Linda Tyer made the selection based strictly on politics.
THE PLANET asked the mayor . She responded at length. Here is the full text:
MAYOR LINDA TYER:
“Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the information that you received regarding the city’s legal representation. I believe it will be helpful for you and your readers to have the background on the process. Unlike any of my predecessors, I decided to conduct a full, fair, and open public process for the selection of legal services for the city. I went before the City Council and requested an ordinance change allowing for either an in-house city solicitor or a contract with a law firm for legal services. The ordinance was passed with a majority of the City Councilors supporting it. I then posted the position of City Solicitor for open applications. While there were 284 on-line views there were zero applicants. At the same time, I posted a request for proposals for firms to provide legal services to the city even though legal services are exempt from the public bidding requirements of Massachusetts General Law. We received two responses. My administration evaluated the proposals and conducted interviews of the lead attorney from both firms. Procurement Officer Colleen Hunter, City Clerk Jody Phillips, and I were on the evaluation committee, and the decision to select Donovan & O’Connor was unanimous.
“Donovan & O’Connor was clearly superior on every objective measure. First, they have deep municipal and government experience. They have decades of municipal law experience representing cities, towns, school districts, and state agencies throughout Western Massachusetts including the City of North Adams, the North Adams Housing Authority, the towns of Great Barrington, Egremont, Sandisfield, and Clarksburg. In addition, Attorney Dohoney, the lead attorney from the firm, has represented the City of Pittsfield under three mayors – Hathaway, Ruberto, and Tyer. From my perspective, the thing that was most attractive about Donovan & O’Connor’s proposal was that they are able to provide complete wrap-around services including all litigation. As you may recall, under the last administration, while Darren Lee was the Assistant City Solicitor, the city had to pay out significant fees to defend the Dunkin’ Donuts lawsuit even though we were paying two in-house attorneys. With the arrangement with Donovan & O’Connor we will have access to some of the best litigators in the state without having to pay any additional fees to outside attorneys. Under this arrangement with Donovan & O’Connor, I am confident that the city solicitor budget will finish FY17 at or below the amount approved by the City Council.
“Attorney Hamel from Courtney, Lee & Hamel was identified in their proposal as the lead attorney, not Darren Lee. Attorney Hamel has no experience representing municipalities. The assertion that Attorney Hamel and Attorney Lee have more than 40 years of municipal law practice is not really accurate. At least, that information was certainly not reflected in their proposal. They may have represented clients before boards and commissions, but Attorney Hamel, to my knowledge and in accordance with his submittal, has not represented any cities or towns. Attorney Lee has only four years of experience representing the City of Pittsfield. And, to make the point again, Attorney Lee was not listed in the Courtney, Lee & Hamel proposal as the lead attorney.
“Finally, Attorney Lee abruptly resigned his position as Assistant City Solicitor within days of my election. I was led to assume that he wasn’t interested in sticking around for the transition. Quite frankly, I’m surprised that he is now so eager to work for my administration. As we moved through the transition and into taking office, City Solicitor Degnan was not a plausible member of my administration. Therefore, after assuming office, I reached out to Attorney Dohoney and Donovan & O’Connor. I am thankful that they were willing to step in and provide legal services for the remainder of FY16 within the budget left by the prior administration. Securing legal services for FY17 and beyond then became a priority for my administration.
“I believe the end result exemplifies what I promised to the voters – a commitment to process, transparency, quality, and value. In the end, the best value is not always the lowest cost. The City’s legal services have garnered a lot of attention in my first six months in office and that process is now concluded. I am eager to now turn my focus to issues that directly impact our constituents.”
——– 000 ——–
Again, as we did with CL& H, THE PLANET talked with various inside sources who spoke off the record about the selection process. One pointed out that Tom Hamel is the personal and business attorney for Tony and Melissa Mazzeo, and that Darren Lee is represents Chris Connell. Another source said, “Linda may be a rookie mayor, but she wasn’t going to let her political enemies insert their legal team into her administration. This was nothing more than a weak attempt at a palace coup.”
Another source told THE PLANET, “Why didn’t Darren Lee intervene when the Spectrum issue was being so badly handled by Kathy Degnan? If he’s got so much municipal law experience, why didn’t he have the gravitas to influence Bianchi in this matter? Remember he was part of the legal team that instead of continuing to fight on behalf of the city against the location of the methadone clinic in our downtown, they rolled over, gave them the location and significant and unnecessary tax payer dollars by offering to settle with Spectrum. Ridiculous! After that legal debacle, the city hired an outside attorney, Marc Browbroski, to defend the city’s denial of a special permit against Dunkin’ Donuts. More tax payer dollars! We won that one by the way. Furthermore, I’ll suggest that Darren Lee’s immediate resignation upon Linda’s election was highly unprofessional.”
——– 000 ——–
There you have it. This !EXCLUSIVE! three-day series has exposed the process of legal services selection to the light of day. You now have the facts and the opinions. We leave it to You The People, to decide if the city made the right decision.
The Comment Line is now open. Have a great weekend, everybody!
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“Courage is the commitment to begin without the guarantee of a successful outcome. It’s the press on, knowing that you might fail.” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views expressed in the comment section or opinions published within the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not those of PLANET VALENTI or endorsed in any way by PLANET VALENTI; this website reserves the right to remove any comment which violates its Rules of Conduct, and it is not liable for the consequences of any posted comment as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and PLANET VALENTI’s terms of service.
Why bother going out to bid if she didn’t have to and wasn’t going to take the low bidder unless it was the GOB firm? She should have just hired the firm she wanted from the get go. Talk about a waste of time. At least she replied to The Planet. The bird cage paper will run the story next week. Yesterdays news tomorrow!
I am pleased that the mayor took the time to give a detailed answer. I would love it if she would give a lengthy detailed explanation of what is the current status of the new Taconic high school dig out. Or, what was the outcome of the Pittsfield airport commission review on airport revenue.
It would be very helpful if there was a way citizens could just post questions and the mayor would give detailed answers. Just two or three a week for all to see and read. I know there would be a lot of trivial stuff so it would have to be prioritized.
Just a Friday thought
You must have missed the airport story. Everything is A-OK. Nothing to see here. Here is the story.
http://www.iberkshires.com/story/52463/PERC-Presents-31-Page-Document-Supporting-Westwood-Lease-Agreements.html
In my opinion, Barry Clairmont is a very intelligent, articulate Professional. The City is less without Barry on the Council with the weak rubber stampers. Barry was always prepared, and delivered precisely, he was a hawk. Thankyou, Barry for your service.
Really?
I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m just glad that women wearing her fathers suit is no longer representing the City. What an embarrassment she was.
The Mayors explanation makes sense to me. Dan, can you find out how much the City spent defending the Dunkin Donuts case?
The woman wearing her Fathers Suit was the most unprepared, unprofessional puppet I ever saw. Just thinking about the Clown act with the Empty Suit at the City Council Meetings makes me regurgitate. I support Mayor Tyer on this appointment. It was the right choice.
In the end it all sounds very normal shuffling of jobs as one new mayor begins with how she would like her team to look.
Did on the other hand we see Mayor Tyer at work.I cant wait to see next years budget.
Pittsfield and its leaders demand that 350 kids get educated at the Allendale school which is built on a toxic swamp and every media has a block that will not allow them to even think about what we are doing on this issue.
“The middle class is getting screwed in this country”, these are words from Progressive guru Alan Chartok on his radio show yesterday. We all know this bit of information is true, but for the progressive like Chartok who has loved Obama from the very beginning (“The man is a genius”) to utter these worlds shows that even the progressives cannot deny the sad state of the middle class. All of the economic indicators are saying that the country is teetering on the edge of another economic meltdown. The media will keep quiet about all of this unless a Republican takes office in which case they will blame him for the mess within the first days of his administration. Hillary will get a pass throughout her administration if she is elected as the media will continue to paint a rosy picture of the economy so as to not reflect badly on a progressive Democrat in office.
Really?
Pat, we need to tax the s**t out of the 1% that are getting a free ride. Those hedge fund managers that make billions and get taxed at a lower rate than you and me. Neither the Dems or the Republicans will do it, that is the problem.
As far as blaming people early on their administration for things that aren’t their fault, or they haven’t had time to fix, it happens on this site all the time. Happened to Ruberto, Bianchi and now Tyer. Melle did it just the other day, blaming Tyer for Taconoc, something she had nothing to do with.
Just read an article online (Newsmax) reporting on a HildeBeast speech. She actually declared her goal to raise tax on the middle class when she becomes president.
She and Mayor Tired are cut from the same silk cloth.
With regards to the tax the 1%. Stop the class envy. If their money is from income, they are taxed quite high already. If their “billions” are from long term gains and dividends it is a lower rate. I don’t envy or desire to punish the wealthy or producers in this world, we need to reign in an out of control government (at all levels) spending problem.
The rich are not our enemy, bloated government is the real problem.
Ed: I also saw Hillary say that she would raise taxes on the middle income. I couldn’t believe my ears! And she hasn’t retracted that statement. But I’m still waiting!
I think what you saw was a Donald Trump warping of what she really said. He is a sneaky desperate guy right now. Verify everything that comes out of his campaign so that he does not make a fool out of you.
No, Dusty….what I saw (and several times) was the actual speech that she gave. If I hadn’t actually seen it and was simply told about it, I certainly would have questioned it. Obviously I wasn’t alone.
If he is smart, he will use it over and over in ads.
Sorry Ed, but the rich, the 1%, have become our common enemy. They control the government; bought and paid for. They control the institutions. They control the banking and investment systems. It is now ALL a rigged game. And they are definitely NOT the producers. When a CEO makes more than 1000x what workers in the same company make they are definitely not delivering 1000x more value. I believe in hard work. I believe in being rewarded for my productivity. I do not believe that some hedge fund guy deserves to pull down $100 million plus per year for moving his friends’ money around. The distribution of wealth in this country is by far the largest problem, now and into the foreseeable future, with water shortage being a close second. Government size pales in comparison.
I could not agree more MrG
I am not worthy to criticize the lovely Linda Tyer and her wonderful administration. After all, Pittsfield politics is the model municipality with low taxes, plenty of living wage jobs, growth in both population and small businesses, and Pittsfield is the cultural mecca of the Western World that rivals Paris, London, Manhattan, and L.A.!
The lovely Linda Tyer rulz! Linda forever!
Really?
Points are lost on you, as usual. You don’t even live here, so why your beef with anything?
I agree he has no business sticking his nose in our business…
If I totally lived somewhere else I would just read and keep my big mouth shut….
I thought Nuciforo funded a project on Park Square dedicated to his hatred against me and my family. I remember he had put up a statue of me standing in front of Jimmy Ruberto, Carmen Massimiano, Angelo Stracuzzi, Peter Larkin, Jack Welch, Gerry Doyle, and Nuciforo. I believe they called it, “Pittsfield’s future in front of the legendary Good Old Boys”. I thought I was famous! But, I must be a legend only in my own mind. I was dreaming. There is no statue of me in Park Square. But, I know Nuciforo still hates me.
I disagree. Jonathan has every right to post here. He often adds a great deal of insight and info.
As for legal stuff I thank DV for getting and sharing the story.
Just a side note: D & O have beaten the City of P multiple times in and out of court (millions). Now citizens cannot be represented by D & O against the city. Were either Hamel or Lee ever in conflict with any issues involving Connell and/or Mazzeo?
P.S.: Delgallo roughed his elderly parents a few years ago and was arrested/charged according to Eagle archives.
Jonathan M is an allie of Ralph Delgado the candidate. Coes he approve of his rough housing?
I like Rinaldo. I think the establishment is behind Adam Hinds, along with Tricia Farley-Bouvier. Andrea Harrington, along with Mike Bloomberg, are also good candidates. We will know who wins the primary election in a little over one month from now.
Is either Bloomberg or Delagdo married, Kids? Are they for working families?
Does anyone marry anymore?
Whenever someone tells me they are for my working family, I think what they are really after my wallet!!
I think all working people have similar concerns. We want to have the opportunity to advance, we want a safe community, we want housing we can afford, and other stuff.
Having kids or not having kids shouldn’t mean you don’t care about good schools that are effective, opportunity to get a good job no matter what level of education you achieve – though not getting a good education is self limiting, there should be jobs out there no matter how far you go.
Now I care about the grandkids though.
Donald Trump has 5 children from 3 mothers!
Shocker!!! He took responsibly for all of them and put them thru top notch colleges.
No EBT cards, no welfare, no section 8, no free cell phones, no methadone clinics…….must I go on?
just a lot of bankruptcy
So now the useless clowns at our Health Dept have decided that there will be no smoking within……..wait for it……..500 ft from day care facilities. Keep in mind that this includes the day care facilities in residential neighborhoods!! So tell me who is going to go to the neighbors of these neighborhood daycares and tell them they can no longer smoke on their own private property?
In the mean time I dined at the second Pittsfield restaurant this month that had no hot water in the mens room. Out health dept is not doing their job. What a joke!
Niceone Pauly.That clown Blaisdell issued my Uncle a shoveling citation during the one day freak snowfall we had last year, everyone else got a pass? And the walk was clear, go figure.
I live on the east side and the day care in my neighborhood is run by a mom that smokes……pot. this will be fun.
Trumped Up, well thats probably ok because it is not tobacco. In addition they more than likely have no credentials or licenses. Kinda like criminals and gun laws.
Does the Health Board have outsiders on it, someone was telling me it has members from out of town. Is that even legal?
Get with the program.
it’s legal. one from Dalton, one from Lanseborough.
Are you referring to Gina Armstong ? Director of Public Health and full time, paid dept, head, who safely resides in Clifton Park, New York, some 55 miles distant from the city and taxpayers which support her paycheck and bennies.
I know it’s open comment Friday but does anyone actually find these Wiz advertisements helpful?
Again with the Wiz advertisements. Delete them all.
?Lamesbourough?
Fair question Harlan. Maxwell is out of bounds.
Did Trumps kids go to Trump University?
No Eddie, they went to real colleges. Trump U was basically how to seminars much like Stores on Line and many other how to operations. There are tons of these. They are all the same, they provide the tools but the students have to do the building. Some are successful but most expect easy money and crash and burn then wine they were ripped off.
I think they studied at that internet music school that was based in Pittsfield.
How is the fight on “Blight” going? I have seen a lot of “jungles” out there so hopefully the owners are paying their fines! It will help pay for the lawyers! By the way have we moved out of the scarafoni building?
Pontoosuc lake is full of weed killer this week so fill up a fire engine with lake water and spray the be weeds
The family had a great outing at Planet Valenti Orchard at KFC on East Street. One kid got lost in the woods there, but he was found safely.
Wasn’t tht the place “Mayor” Tyer said she would clean up first when she was campaigning? Or is it me?
My nephew went to school with Ivanka at Wharton, one of the other Trump kids went there also.
Chicago Cops shoot another Black Man, it doesn’t look good.
Hillary is saying she might have short circuited?
Shirley….Blight is in,now that the Mayor has decided to ignore it. the Mayor does go to opening ceremonies however for new basketball courts and has been seen singing the Banjo Joe down at Wahconah Park Lake at Valenti Parking Lot Pond.
Rumor has it that she hosted a big party at her new compound last weekend. Who was invited?
Oh no!!! Mayor Tyer has friends she invites to her home?? Really, you’re actually posting that? Who doesn’t, maybe you? Sad
I might have been there and I might know who got sloppy drunk;-)
Why doesn’t the City spend on security Cameras active’ put them in strategic places throughout the City, instead of hiring officers we cannot afford and probably won’t reduce crime anyway. First, orchard Madison,Dewey linden elm,west everywhere. Do it.
Yeah, good idea, that way when I need an a ride to the emergency room they can just call the ambulance and send cops to do more important assignments.
Dan,
I would like to tell I’m surprised by this story but I would be lying.
Dan Bianchi & Melissa Mazzeo are political intertwined even having there fund raisers together at Mazzeo’s Restaurant .There have also have loyal supporters of both of them . Connell, Amuso, Morandi,walked in lock step with what was ever bought forward by Bianchi and Mazzeo.Tully got religion at the last minute.
Connell was picked as Mellisa Mazzeo Vice President on the council cementing his insider status with Mazzeo and Bianchi and forfeiting any possibility he was ever free thinker by that appointment . This “Dream Team” ( Pittsfield’s version of Karl Rove,Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, brought a laundry list of accomplishment that were embarrassing to say the least.
1. Spectrum had been defeated three times in court by Dohoney and was in negotiations .Bianchi replaced a proven competent lawyer with Degnan &Lee. They managed by the lack of competency to snatch defeat from the mouth of victory.
2. They also were incapable of dealing with a lawsuit involving Dunkin Donuts franchiser. Requiring a outside attorney and costing the city even more legal fees due to their limited scope of legal competency .
3. Berkshire Works:When Bianchi assumed leadership of the city he took a organization that had been working well under John Barrett and in a few short months replaced him with a individual he said he vetted. In the following months his choice became Embroiled in sexual harassment with multiple employees. Where was the leadership there? More law suits mounted.
4. Crime: In 4 years the dream team did nothing and focused there efforts on political enemies instead of building consensus and move a beleaguered city forward . They did nothing to beef up a depleted Police department and seemed oblivious of the crime and drug abuse destroying a city trying to find its feet
Since Mayor Tyer assumed the office she has :
1. She has reestablished legal competency in a city that a deep legal bench is vitally needed to move it safely through the many challenges it faces going forward.It can ill afford a ill prepared B” team.
2. She has come in and in few short months has moved to beef up the Police Department to full contingent .
3.She has returned Berkshire Works to doing its job and steadied the ship from its lack of good leadership.
Mayor Tyer is well aware that Pittsfield needs to move forward and to do that successfully it needs a law firm that extremely flexible and able to assist her on many fronts as we transition from a industrial economy to a multifaceted 21 century economy.
The lovely Linda Tyer is part of Jimmy Ruberto’s Good Old Boys’ club! She hired the same law firm used by Mayor Ruberto. She is allied with all of Jimmy Ruberto’s supporters.
The lovely Linda Tyer increased her first municipal budget by $6 million and passed a nearly $12 million capital budget. Pittsfield politics is now at record spending and debts.
The average Pittsfield homeowner is unable to afford the current tax rate. Moreover, Pittsfield is at its tax levy and a couple million dollars short of the tax ceiling under Prop. 2.5.
The lovely Linda Tyer will not be able to increase next fiscal year’s municipal budget by another $6 million without an override vote under Prop. 2.5.
Pittsfield politics is in financial trouble under the lovely Linda Tyer’s watch! She has done NOTHING to plan for the possibility of financial insolvency and near future bankruptcy or another round of state government receivership since the Doyle debacle in 2001.
Add to all of this financial mess, the financing of the new Taconic High School, which is be bonded out at $45 million! Pittsfield’s operational and capital budget will be over capacity.
Again, NOTHING is being planned to deal with the possibility of defaulting on Pittsfield politics’ budgets and debts.
How much debt does Pittsfield have or will have during the 4 year term of the lovely Linda Tyer? It is safe to say Pittsfield’s debts are in the hundreds of millions of dollars when you include OPEB figures.
Pittsfield’s debts will never be paid off in our lifetimes!
Phonies like southeast can’t help it
Billy,
1. Ruberto would have cost the city way more than Bianchi settled for. You can’t just say no and get away with it.
2. Why doesnt Tyers team let the business in?
3. Barrett was a political hack whom Roberto annointed for that job after Ruberto cost us thousands by hiring him for “neighborhoods” when he got trounced up north. Monterroso was well qualidied. Why don’t you ask Taxes Tyer to release the settlement details and update us on the lawsuits?
4. Bianchi gave us more cops including an administrative lieutenant, and a crime analyst. If that was a waste why doesn’t Tyer do away with the positions?
Since assuming office Tyer has:
1. Brought in her own legal team but wasted months on the process unnecessarily.
2. Given the police over a million more dollars but for what exactly and why? She did not fill the chiefs job through civil service properly like she campaigned on and there were a record number of shootings this year. And she is silent about the big youth crime prevention plan she campaigned on too.
3. What exactly has she done with berkshire works and who has she hired to right the ship and what is she doing about the move from city hall basement offices to north street or the blight she campaigned on?
Pittsfield will never be a multifaceted 21st century economy unless you define multifaceted as death, crime, drugs, whores, welfare, food stamps, cigarettes, scratch tickets, booze, and the hotel for sick people at 725 North and related medical jobs that make a killing, pun intended, off the people that are smoking, eating and drinking and drugging themselves to death. Oh and I almost forgot the almighty school department and the economic engine of a new high school we can’t afford and don’t need and the scooters for the fat people that I pay for because they are too lazy to walk. Oh did I forget the creative economy.
Now we may have a needle exchange to pay for, Tyer is considering it. How about free heroin to hurry their demise.
Meanwhile businesses continue to close in the area. I am shocked at all of the closings I continue to see not just in Pittsfield, but throughout the Berkshires. Tricia Farley Bouvier even has the nerve to say she has been working on job creation? Really? When? Where?
So what is the deal with the mess at Taconic high school? did they find a chemical dump or what? Are the workers still forced to wear muzzles or lose there jobs if they tell what they see? Update please.
the silence is deafening
Of course it’s a dump and full of ledge. I grew up out there and said it on this site before they ever put a shovel in the ground.
You grew up?
lol….
Does Tyer see that having 500 thousand square feet of High Schools is extreme for 1650 kids and if she doesnt shes not looking.There is millions to be saved in brick and mortar decision s.
Where is her plan on school buildings…go 5 years out Billy and tell us how Tyer sees the schools…..See,being a mayor just got harder……Nobody will touch the schools.
Really?
I’m going to give the lady a chance. She has only been in office 7 months. The taconic mess wasn’t her doing. The previous council and Mayor are responsible for that mess. She has no power to stop it.
As to sistergoldenhair’s comments, Barrett didn’t cost the city $100,000 by sexually harassing women like monterosso did.
Dan will tell you ruberto’s legal team, now Tyer’s team, won three times in court against Spectrum. You can’t say they wouldn’t have kept winning.
The council, I believe it was Missy Mazzeo, insisted the legal work go out to bid. Tyer kept her promise. Something we rarely see in Mayors. I support het transparency and her choice over waa waa Darren Lee.
I’m glad she is beefing up the police force, something left in shambles by Bianchi.
I heard we are stuck in 100 North because Bianchi signed a deal with the union preventing them from moving back unless the city spends a $1,000,000 on some kind of air device down there.
I’ll bitch about her when I see HER screw up, not leftover messes from Bianchi.
I’d bet my life that “Billy” is either Barry Clairmont or Sakshaug. the mayors guard dogs. Can’t wait for 3 more years of them.
Linda Tyer got elected because people hated Dan Bianchi. This city is going down the toilet and we just elected a clerk.
I’ll be moving to Lenox. Will come visit Pittsfield to get my cheap junk from the new Walmart and my social services checks from the 90% of businesses downtown. Is it too late to go back to 2 year terms? Maybe that can be the first task of the new lawyers or maybe Hammerin’ Hamel and the gang want to go find out.
Shawshank is the man
It’s great to see my name spelled correctly, Frank! Thanks.
Guard dog? Cool. I might have to start pumping iron.
Yes, Bianchi was not loved. But Linda Tyer was more than a clerk. Why not give her a year or two before rendering judgment?
TS
THE PLANET is requiring all citizens to spell your last name, correctly, 1,000 on the white board. I took that cure, and it for the most part worked. “S-A-K-S-H-A-U-G … S-A-K-S-H-A-U-G … S-H-A …
It seems like a reasonable choice of legal services. I really would not put too much stock in employees who grumble about things being “political”. Of course they are, this is government.
I wonder why there were no applicants for the position of City Solicitor? It seems like a nice position for someone with a few years of experience who wants to distinguish themselves. Maybe the pay was very low. There were only two respondents to the “request for proposal” which also strikes me as strange. This also may have something to do with compensation.
Again,you now have a mayor with a 4 year term who should have a 5 year transparent plan on Pittsfield schools…..if you dont address a 5 year plan then you get a 4 year term to keep running a city as if you need to run every 18 months…..She must must must do better….she like every other 2 year mayor is afraid of the schools.
If you thinkthe cost of Taconic is high then 150 million for phs……that will be 275 million for two high schools…..dumb dumb dumb
She and the Ity Lowncil messed up by not cutting the budget.
We sould not throw stones here, it’s not our blog.
Just wanted to let you guys know that I am the second coming.
If memory serves me (which may not be the case) linda tier was on the school needs committee which need up saying we need a new high school. A funny (really sad) story about the new tacaonic. The bridge they built to get on to the soccer field has its cement casing in a puddle of water especially after rain. How is this cement suppose to last? Berkshire works doesn’t do much so they should just close it. Haven’t seen police involved with crime fighting (but I think I’m usually in bed when all the activity is happening) but I do see cruisers put their lights on so they can drive through red lights. Still trying to see which politician (ha,ha never going to happen) has enough fortitude to close an unneeded school and cut a few administrators.
Totally agree about Berkshire works. They never did anything to help me find a job. So much political nonsense goes on there. The levels of bureaucracy there is such that helping somebody find a job seems to be way down on their list of concern. As an example, I remember having to jump through so many hoops to speak with disinterested people who really didn’t act like finding me a job was their first concern. Instead they worried about the red tape their supervisors were forcing them to deal with and the demands of their superiors and worrying about losing their own jobs. Berkshire Works just seems like they have lost sight of their main mission.
Cement (actually concrete) in water?
Wow, remember when that Golden Gate bridge collapsed in 1945?
Me neither.
I was watching the Fire Truck giving the Berkshire Farce Softball Team (hope it ain’t City taxpayer funded ride) then the tree branch hit them, if someone got hurt what happens.
The City attorney will handle it. Speaking of softball can any ordinary citizen use Doyle Field at Planet Valenti Springside Gardens?
Tyer will announce what schools will look like in 5 years.Tyer will tax elderly into poverty….Tricia wants a job with Hillary Bouvier…….Tyer will announce 350 students must learn at GE toxic dump elementary.Sheran will announce his union members must teach on a toxic dump
The Key’ to a four year deal is to live In a gated communitie away far away,from the crime.
…The Mayor will announce how many Social Security recipient s lost their home s or could not buy their grandkids a birthday present so that Kristin Behnke could immorally give herself a $ 30,000 raise.
Marchetti ,White,Tyer will announce its nice not living in the hood which is any street off Tyler and any street off those streets.
If Mayor Tyer White and Marchetti would at least turn on a light in those very dark and dangerous streets so if a little kid looks out the window after the gunfire he can feel safer that he can see …..Please light up the hood and cut tree limbs away from the street lights….White should drive the hood at night and get this done….not every answer cost a lot of money.
If you would like to run for city council and dont feel your qualified to spend taxpayers income just watch Yon Caccamo White Marchetti Elias Taylor Mazzeo …Amuso the queen of spending and Kroll the King…also Pat Bouvier and Connell….Tyer oversees this kingdom of fools……Dont tell me PCBs have not affected the obvious decision making of our leaders
They are all partying on the Titanic and next year Kroll is hoping we will do something about Circuses being abusive to animals but not councilmen being abusive to seniors making end of life decision s on 1300 a month
Yon is not on the council…she was replaced by Tell Lies Tully
Yon Taylor Elias are on the School Spending committee much more power than the city council that cant tell them how to spend it but could tell them like a responsible person would how much they have to spend.
Yon is there to say yes…Amuso has overseen every yes dollar in the last 10 years…you name it Amuso and Yon said yes…..Pittsfield decisions are made by spending addicted people….for some its booze…others tobacco….herion and the root of all evil is the addiction to spending money.
Where did White and Marchetti move
white – Jason st.
marchetti – valentine rd.
Thanks TM
Sounds like a he said she said kind of thing. The Eagle article was not well written, but no surprise there.
Pat Bouvier knows shes not winning and is scrambling all over town today working Williams street……Pat knows she must win ward 4 in a huge way and its not going to happen .Pittsfield is going broke because of Tricia being Tricia
August 7, 2016
Open letter to Rinaldo
Dear Rinaldo,
I read your most recent op-ed about being a true economic/financial progressive in your campaign for Berkshire County State Senator. Your fiscal positions match those of the populist leaders U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
In my years of studying and trying to understand economics and finance, there are two significant points to building an equitable society for poor, working and middle class families. The first point is for someone like you who is running for political office is to get the public and private sectors to “Invest in people”. The second point is bring transformation or real change to “the vested interests” that shape the political agenda in local, state, and federal government.
Point 1: The people are the most important resource to a community, state, and nation. The only way to build this resource is for business and government entities to use part of their financial resources to invest in their citizens or customers.
It is not enough to change the tax code from a regressive to a progressive one. It is not enough to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. It is not enough to have a single-payer healthcare insurance system, which our nation does not yet have. Those are all good ideas!
We need to do more than change a few public policies. We need to ensure that the poor, working and middle class people are given the resources to achieve an opportunity for financial success via a fair political system that funds programs that invest in their lives. We need middle class and affordable housing, quality public schools in all communities (rich or poor), healthcare insurance that everyone can access, safe streets free of violent crime, financial security through living wage jobs, safe retirement accounts, and the solid foundations of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
Point 2: Changing the vested interests that set the political agenda is the tougher of the two points to bring an equitable society for the common person. Usually in business and politics, the vested interests always win, while the masses usually lose. The reason is that the vested interests control the government that is supposed to represent the people.
In Massachusetts, and New England, the financial institutions dominate the region’s economy. When U.S. Senator John Forbes Kerry ran against U.S. President George Walker Bush in 2004, I read that it was really big banks versus big oil, but either way “Skull and Bones” would be represented in the White House for the next 4 years.
The irony for Berkshire County and many other areas of Massachusetts is that Boston’s big banks and wealthy insurance companies are not part of these communities. Pittsfield already had a Berkshire State Senator working both for the state government and the financial institutions, but Nuciforo had to step down from the State Senate one decade ago for his corrupt and illegal conflicts of interest.
Changing the vested interests’ political agenda in Massachusetts politics could actually help places like Berkshire County. The vested interests could go from advocating for their business interests to funding programs that invest in people.
Good luck! I am rooting for you, as I did in 2003 when I lived in Pittsfield and listened to you run for local political office 13 years ago. Back then, I believed that your platform of bringing living wage jobs to Pittsfield instead of the WHEN movement that failed Pittsfield’s tanked local economy would have helped matters.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Melle
If you the Prosecutor what wold you go after a trumped up title-car charge, a phone call with no evidence other than a phone call unexplained? Or an acting and ranking Firefighter accused of smashing someone’s skull in a drunken rage?