BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 9, 2017) — Corporate rates hikes, whether millimetrical or magnitudinal, always rankle the rank and file. That occurs with good reason, especially when the increase coincides with a loss or degradation of service. Case in point, the recent switch in local cable from Time Warner to Spectrum.

The change came with the usual promises of better service, more channels, and complimentary continental breakfast. The reality, as bedraggled prisoners of Big Bro cable have attested in droves, delivered the opposite. You can blame Spectrum if you wish, but you would best to finger the feckless gaggle of feral phonies that as an asinine aggregate consist of local politicians, city, state, and federal.

Capt. Linda Tyer, commanding H.M.S. The Good Ship Lollipop in a brand new sailor’s suit (from the Shirley Temple line), did her part by disbanding Pittsfield’s moribund cable commission. The Lovely Linda got her orders not from CINCPAC but from the City Democratic Committee, who got them from the bosses in Boston, who got then from Richie Neal, who got them from Elizabeth Warren. … or a chain of evidence bearing a reasonable facsimile therof.

THE PLANET shall not go into the avalanche of complaints from customers. We only have our own limited anecdotes of evidence, horror stories such as the friend who has had to call Spectrum every month since the switchover because of one glitch or the other involving TV, internet, and who knows what else. We also have received missives from customers who, having no other place to turn, have turned to us.

When you have to come to the Fortress for problems with your cable, you know the politicians have spit the bit. We supply a sympathetic ear, sometimes make a call or two, but there’s not much to be done when the company has a monopoly. The lack of competition combined with the carelessness of your allegedly “go to” guys (mayor, state reps, congressional reps) makes up a combination almost as lethal as Kim Jung Un and nukes (coming soon to a region near you).

Word from spies has it that in a series of meetings go up the political food chain, Spectrum outlined its plans, including its worse-than-arbitrary channel line-ups, dictated terms, and the pols — your “leaders” — caved on every demand.

So where does the blame lie? Or perhaps “blame” isn’t the right term. How about “complicity?” Much better, since it supplies just the amount of “getting in bed together” aspect. Not with Warren or Neal. They’re on the federal level, with much bigger fish to ignore than cable service in Podunk, Mass. Not even with the local reps, who warm the back bench in Boston. That brings us locally local, o the office of mayor.

Tyer made her statement when she dissolved the cable commission. She flat-out, plain, jut didn’t care. Granted, that board had not me since forever and took little interest in how Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski were, with every cable contract, steam rolled by the greed and carelessness of Time Warner and now Spectrum. A true leader, however, would have:

1. Declared that the cable situation wasn’t satisfactory
2. Declared that there would be changes
3. Revamped the cable commission
4. Ordered it to life
5. With the insistence that, for this one time at least, someone in power give two spits about The Little Guy.

Instead, Tyer rolled over, ate crepe suzettes in Montreal, and quaffed $12 lattes in Vail.

“Let ’em eat Twinkies.”

In past years, with a municipal election coming, you would have a chance to make a mayoral statement at the ballot box. Not this year. Pittsfield, you’re stuck with a four-year mayor.

Carry on.

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“It goes without saying, so I’m not going to say it.” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

The Usual Disclaimer.