BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 2-5) — On his website, Democrat state senate candidate Adam Hinds advertised Aug. 26-28 as the “Weekend of Action.” By the time the weekend was over and then some, his campaign had more “action” than it wanted. The campaign had been caught breaking the law twice, the candidate bailed out of two televised debates, froze in the flip-flop headlights on a key campaign issue, had his equivocating on key issues called to task, and had claims on his resume questioned.

Since then, it has sucked to be Adam Hinds. Where does THE PLANET begin? How about his resume?

Claims Without Evidence Are Suspect

ADAM HINDS (look closely in the background) (PHOTO: iBERKSHIRES)

Education — His website tells us that Hinds “studied at Wesleyan University before studying international law and negotiation at … Tufts University [THE PLANET‘s emphasis]” Elsewhere, he has said he “attended” these schools — but did he graduate? Did he earn degrees? Where’s the sheepskin? THE PLANET has seen no information substantiating that Hinds successfully completed the degree requirements of these schools. As of press time, The Committee to Elect Adam Hinds ignored our request for documentation. Is this what Adam Hinds is hiding?

Pittsfield Coalition Connection — Hinds claims to have “started” this anti-gang initiative. The PCC website, however, makes no mention of Adam Hinds, either as its founding father or as being involved in any key manner. Odd in the extreme. There’s no doubt Hinds cashed checks from the non-profit supported by taxpayers funds, but what else?

Northern Berkshire Community Coalition — Do you notice a pattern? Since moving to Pittsfield, Hinds has not held a private sector job. He has only held feathered offices with no accountability (has Pittsfield’s gang situation improved? How about Northern Berkshire’s  dreadful situation with respect to jobs, poverty, and drugs?) but lots of political connections. Is this all John Olver‘s doing? THE PLANET is certain it wasn’t Kofi Annan.

A Plethora of Political Suck-Up Positions

The “About Adam” section of his website had this vapid gem: “Adam understands what it takes to make the region thrive.” The paragraph explaining this topic sentence reads as follows: “He is working to keep young adults in the area through his work on the Steering Committee of the Berkshire Youth Leadership Program, a program of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, and as a Member of the Berkshire Compact for Education. He is committed to our high quality regional institutions and is a Corporator of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Foundation and a Member of the Access and Benefits Committee of Berkshire Health Systems, the region’s largest employer. On a state level, Adam is on the Board of Directors of the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, and he is a Truman National Security Fellow.” The common thread continues: Hinds gets himself appointed to countless organizations that exist mainly to provide networking for political cringers looking to advance. Trust us: You don’t meet too many Mary Jane and Joe Kapanskis in such hob-nobbing.

How does that mish-mash of non-sequiturs illustrate that “Adam understands what it takes to make the region thrive”? And what does such a vague claim actually mean? If he understands this, why isn’t he sharing the knowledge that has eluded the best minds for more than a generation.

Hinds claims working for the United Nations for 10 years “on issues at the heart of US national interest in the Middle East.” He has produced no specific evidence. He claims to have been “a team leader” of a UN negotiation between the Kurds and the government of Iraq. “Team leader?” That could be telling a couple interns when people needed coffee or fetched papers. Again, the claim is unsubstantiated. None of this means it didn’t happen, just that, when pressed for details, The Committee to Elect Adam Hinds clams up.

Let’s Have Another Cup of Kofi

KOFI ANNAN, not to be confused with Coffee Anon. (PHOTO: UN ARCHIVES)

Then there’s his twitchy penchant of invoking the name of Kofi Annan, former UN secretary general. Hinds claims he and Annan personally and together tried to broker a ceasefire in Syria, but where is the documentation?

Kofi Annan or “Coffee Anon.?” The “About Adam” part of his official website ends with this sentence: “He … has a strong appreciation for a good cup of coffee.” THE PLANET is guessing that “Coffee Anon.” (Coffee Anonymous) is the closet Hinds got to “highest-level” negotiations with Kofi Annan and other “world leaders.” And no, we don’t count selfies of the sort that groupies produce to show they once actually breathed the same air as Britney Spears. THE PLANET has asked the campaign but has received no reply. We will share the substantiation the moment we receive it from The Committee. Of course, when the phone doesn’t ring, we will know it’s “The Committee” not getting back to us.

ADAM HINDS, with his, uh, high-level negotiators (PHOTO: The Berkshire Edge)

That’s the other creepy thing about Hinds’ campaign. His handlers seem to be doing everything they can to keep him from any sort of public events where their boy can face tough questions or actually have to think on his feet. One of the key people on his campaign, deep off the record, told us about the “thick binder with a ton of tabs” that Hinds needs on hand so he can “memorize his talking points.” That person also told THE PLANET that his primary strategy includes, and we quote, “At no point should you engage in public questioning with Dan Valenti.” If that is not accurate, THE PLANET will be more than happy to relay that information.

Money, Money, Money … It’s a Rich Man’s World

We leave on this note. On Aug. 31, the candidates filed their campaign finance reports. Andrea Harrington, who has won THE PLANET’s endorsement for the Thursday, Sept. 8 primary, raised $20,850 during the reporting period ending the last day of August and spent $15,221.54, leaving her with $5,628,46. Hinds raised $74,916.91 and has spent $54,680.95, leaving him with $20,235.96. Two questions:

1. Do you think his backers are trying to buy the election?
2. Who are his backers?

The first question we can leave up to you to decide. As for question two, click on this tab: http://www.ocpf.us/Reports/DisplayReport?menuHidden=true&id=582486#schedule-c

You will find tabs for “Summary,” “Receipts,” Expenditures,” and “In-Kinds” (the value of donated goods and services). You will find a practical Who’s Who of  “The Usual Suspects”: His donors include the Maxymillians of construction fame, Mary K. O’Brien, John Olver, Richard Stanley, Joyce Bernstein, Mike Supranowicz, Chris Farrell, Brian and Tyler Fairbank, David Bassaillion (of Hotel on North fame), and Kathy Yon. You get the picture or “nuff ced.”

DONNA TODD RIVERS, left. The sign says it all. (PHOTO: iBERKSHIRES.COM)

A curiosity in the expenditures are payment of $1,000 (May 22); $1,000 (May 30); $1,000 (June 27), and $1,000 (July 19) to Ward 5 city councilor Donna Todd Rivers. Reason for the expense: “Campaign Consulting Services.” Right. On Aug. 21, Hinds paid Rivers $2,500 for “Field Director Staff Pay.” Right again. DTR also received “reimbursements” of $180.99. These “reimbursements” were not documented.

That’s nearly $6,700 for less than three months of service. This would be innocent enough except that, the last time we checked, we did not see DTR listed in the Hall of Fame of Political Consultants. DTR is a failed attorney, a failed small business owner, and a huckster-slash-entrepreneur for the way she can get women of a ceratin age and/or mindset to all drink wine and paint the same boring picture of happy flowers in a sparkly meadow.

Obviously, she has others areas of expertise along lines with which THE PLANET is not familiar nor do we wish to be. Moreover, we find it a bit unsettling that a city councilor should be in so deeply, financially, with a man looking to be the district’s senate rep. For a sitting politician to donate money is one thing. Receiving money is another. THE PLANET can’t call it a conflict of interest, exactly, but nonetheless, something doesn’t seem right.

With that, let us open The Comment Line, encouraging intelligence and dissuading ignorance.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

———————————————————————————————

“For a divided house is not a den of thieves. It is only a divided house.” — Kahil Gibran, from The Prophet.

“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.