DEGREES OF SEPARATION: LINDA THE LOUNGER, TOTERS, AND PAT MURACA
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY DEC. 20, 2017) — The lines of separation are thin, and proximity is often closer than you think.
When mayor Linda “The Lounger” Tyer slipped back into the Beacon Cinema‘s Craft*Matic chaise, she exhibited the same tone deafness that she dragged to the Tyler Street ribbon cutting for Trashcans (yes, Virginia, until Linda The Lounger goes off into her well-recompensed retirement, “trashcan” must take a capital “T” in any Pittsfield usage). The comfy chairs — lousy for watching movies, by the way — and the artsy Trashcans provide the perfect metaphors for an administration that floundered early on good intention and of late on bad intent. LayZBoyz for inaction, Trashcan’s for actions that would have been better suited for the circular file. That led to …
… the fast-tracking of an ill-thought-out and unnecessary plan to replace Trashcans with toters the size of Hummers. The Lounger, citing figures from her guru of a finance director, claimed the behemoths would “save” taxpayer money. Translated from the Trashcan lexicon, that means, of course, that it will cost them — nearly a million and a half just to buy the stupid things, before interest or any other costs get tacked. In addition to proving that movie-chair loungers induce brain damage via gravitational blood-rushing, it also suggests what happens when government assumes the attitude of Big Brother, as it does in totalitarian Pittsfield. Or should that be “totertarian?” We Know Better Than You Do. Just Trust Us. Which leads to …
… a federal grand jury indicting Pillsbury dough boy Patrick Muraca, who is to the word “entrepreneur” what the digital clock on a 10-year-old coffee maker is to accurate time. Prosecutors brought to a grand jury allegations of wire fraud and lying about his involvement in Nuclea Biotechnoligies and Fish Oil Co. Evidently, the jury came away convinced. Muraca was released after putting up a $100,000 for a personal recognizance bond. The lovely touch is this: Court papers show he secured the bond after putting up the titles of his two Corvettes. Oh, the humanity. He also had to surrender his passport. Thus, no Muraca to Morroco. Funny how when city officials repeatedly welcomed this flabby pile over the better part of the last 10 years, no official thought of investigating Muraca to see, for instance, if all the college degrees he claimed were legitimate or purchased. Fish oil does leave a stench. This led to …
… information relayed to THE PLANET from a woman who had the unfortunate distinction of having crossed paths with Muraca. The woman at the time got a bad feeling, she said, did some investigating, and she said she found out Muraca’s college diplomas were bought, not earned — Five years ago, in the midst of the city’s love affair with the accused shyster. She wondered: If she — a humble, simple, ordinary person — could so easily find the red flags, how come the city didn’t? We would have to ask that question of Jimmy Ruberto, Dan Bianchi, and Linda Tyer.
Be clear. Muraca is to be considered innocent until proven guilty. That’s how our judicial system works, as well it should. Which brings us to …
… Just a question, based on scuttlebutt from certain qualified channels. If Muraca did what he is accused of doing and he cuts a deal with prosecutors in exchange for what he knows about the operation and actions of Pittsfield politics, which officials or former officials if any will be doing the most worrying?
As Robert Frost never wrote, good lounge chairs make great neighbors.
————————————————
“Ever on the move, a great army does not have time for movie chair loungers” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW,” AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
Despite her flaws, which everyone has, I believe the Lovely Linda Tyer is the best Mayor of Pittsfield in over a generation! She is tolerant and she fights the good fights for social justice. She doesn’t owe anyone. She did not come from one of the Good Old Boys’ inbred, multigenerational families. She is an independent voice in a provincial community.
I wish Dan Valenti would explain that the Lovely Linda Tyer inherited a myriad of problems from the past 4 failed administrations: “The Doyle debacle”, “The Hathaway hack”, “The Ruberto regime”, and “The Bianchi bust”.
How could the Lovely Linda Tyer accomplish good things for Pittsfield when she inherited so many failures over the past 2 decades of Pittsfield politics’ downward spiral?
Well let’s see Jonathon. Maybe if she did not lock herself into the good old boy crowd that works together for self enrichment? That would have been a nice start and an obvious one since the past failed mayors you mentioned walked all over the taxpayers with this theme.
But when that is the framework of your plan to run a city it can only get worse for the people trying to eek out a living. She is no different from the last four mayors except that she has a shot at actually becoming worse. And that is a low bar my friend.
As always, dusty…. you are on the heartbeat. The past Mayors are very tainted. Mayor Tyer came in on a promise, but fell weak to the pressure.
Reply to Dusty–I do agree with you! Moreover, personally–I believe she is the Worst Mayor already for
her totalitarian Dictatorship style.
She keeps assaulting landlords/tax-payers, proposing one Ordinance after another, while never asking landlords opinion!
Linda Tyer keeps increasing property taxes to sky level again and again!
She was never independent even in the Beginning, since she was picked up by Old Boys Club members–Barry Clairmont, John Krol and Co.
Mayor,Linda Tyer (who has never worked in her life for any private company–Zero business/Zero Corporate experience)
plays bolls with Boston Dems appointing extremists Left wing/ Progressive Liberals to Human Right Commission.
I wrote her 5 times requests for short Meeting–never got even One reply from her Majesty’s Office.
Incompetent, Arrogant, selfish, fake Democrat , corrupted by Old Boys Club who helped her.
Jonathan, you should be on SNL because that post is funny as hell.
Bravo, Paul!
She is in tight with the Good Old Boys crowd and doesn’t think for herself. That is the problem Jonathan.
Or is she an actor and disingenuous, really a good old boy in meek entrapments?
Again, you have nothing to add. Sad.
I know you are, but what am I?
That is a pathetic comeback.
I know you are but what am I?
Wow you are so sad.
I’m rubber you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off kecand sticks to you.
You are a sad little man
You don’t know who I am, nor will you. Get over yourself and your stalker obsession with me. Focus on contributing to commentary on the blogs’ posts.
We all do
Actually I’m a happy large manly man. Something you only know when you fondle little boys.
Not what I hear loser
Angelo… is it you?
you dont contribute
Stop stalking me, creep. You do not know who I am.
Sure. go away now
Shakes His Head is none other than George Costanza.
George Costanza is a happy large manly man.
Mr. Melle,
You are out to lunch on Recliner Tyer, and as usual Dan is spot on. She is the queen of the good ole boy network and a huge tax and spender. How dare she say how irresponsible it is not to tow the toter line, when she had to lay off teachers. In reality, she jacked her first budget throught the roof with extra millions and then has the audacity to talk about finding savings in every department. How about axing the extra millions she added, for starters, and then how about stopping the tax breaks. And why are we still paying rent on North St for city hall office space if that was such a bad idea? She sucks as Mayor Melle, you are just in love and love is blind.
Pittsfield politics has not changed during the Lovely Linda Tyer’s brief tenure as Mayor. While that is a sad reality, I cannot blame the current mayor for Pittsfield’s problems. I see a person who cares about Pittsfield and all of the people who live in the community. She is the first mayor in a long-time who will be an independent voice for positive change for Pittsfield. The obstacle in her way is that she inherited a mess!
Could we stop saying the lovely linda,its immature and pointless.
Please stop with the Lovely Linda crap. On a scale from 1-10 she’s at best a 4.
Provided she doesn’t smile directly at you. or it falls in to the negatives
SisterGoldenHair! I agree–you spoke the truth! Bravo!
Jonathan,
Everything that you need to know about the Mayor is freely available at the bar next to the courthouse.
Blame it on Barry Clarmont Tyer. He’s the one calling the shots.
Rocky Creed! Super! He tells her what to do!
By the way, sometimes he is right:))
Muraca had a good thing going….. until he got caught. He needs a magician for an Attorney.
Tyer and Muraca are trying to hard to get into the Can. Muraca would be had pressed to win this one, unless Super Timmy gets involved. A couple more Bette’s should do it.
Regular employees for much lower paying positions in this city are put through the ringer to check for that all important 4 year degree (which many in City Hall do not have) and up to date first class references, but someone like Muraca who is given so much and his background is ignored? Very fishy.
So Muraca put up the titles to his corvettes? Um the same corvettes that were probably purchased with the alleged swindled money? Mark my words this bullshit artist will get away Scott free the same way the Clintons have for years. For some odd reason this country and county seem to worship all these glorified car salesmen knowing that they well could be crooks.
They like the D
How the hell does Monica fit into a corvette.
He stuffs himself into a 95 gal tote and the garbage truck lifts him into it.
Hey NIB,
That’s a good one right there. Very good.
I’m assuming he cleaned the Cigar Ashes out of the Vettes before he turned them over.
Agree. A honest table of organization of Pittsfield politics would contemporaneus to a furtive money trail.At the top would be a well connected contractor replete with private jet and a disgraced former college president, then trending to a Florida domiciled ex-mayor and a barstool negotiator mayoral legend and their gofers who now are in positions of well paid power; etc.,etc.
Bianchi and Larkin loved this Muraca. Many photos of them together.
Credit Ruberto for giving him the bum’s rush.
Maybe Trump will pardon Muraca and hire him to take Omarosas place. The guy has the credentials to work in this White House, believe me!
I wouldn’t hire him to work in the shit house
Can someone please answer what the hell John Krol actually does aside from his GOB funded PR show on facebook live and getting free health insurance?
Here we are, face to face, a couple of silver spoons (well not me)
I think he’s a professional politician. The other radio guy is a bootlicker.
LGM- John Kroll is delusional and actually believes he is too special to have a real job. He thinks his facebook live show will bring him national accolades and uses facebook and the taxpayer funded radio station as the basis of his so called marketing company. He actually charges “clients” to promote them on those shows. He had an office at 100 North Street but as always, didn’t think rent and bills had to be paid because he is…well, John Kroll!
I heard that Kroll charges people $400.00 to be on his facebook show.
Can we confirm that?
$400.00 for all 93 viewers? I watch the show, I need a laugh. Yesterday someone gave him a bad review and its gone today. Ego burn!
Can’t confirm the amount..but can confirm that he does charge rates comparable to legitimate media. Charging fees for mentions on an educational high school radio station has to be illegal.
There’s a sucker born every minute.
Two Cents! I agree 100%! He acts like he is above anybody and that’s why he feels OK to insult his opponents openly.
He smiles like giving a message–What can you do to me?
Nothing! I am John Krol!
John Krol insulted wrong man on City Council…
Mr. G got him in his cross hair, so stay tuned, John:))
Krol is a Sophisticated International Playboy.
Dear Liberals, Fear not. After this tax reform bill is signed by Trump you are all free to voluntarily pay the old, higher, tax rates & you’re free to surrender more of your money to your government idols. But you won’t, because you’re a steaming pile of ideological hypocrisy.
@dbongino MAGA!!!
This isn’t funny. People “literally” died when that bill was passed. Or, due to unionized public education, “figuratively” people died. They both mean the same thing now because of rampant stupidity being legitimized during the Obama administration
Joes going to Disney on the healthcare bucks
With the dissolution of the Insurance Mandate, I predict that at least one entire floor of the IRS will be vacated. That shrinkage alone may afford a battleship and even open the possibility of rental income, or low income housing for underperforming Obama hirees.
Trump has outdone himself and any President in a generation this year alone. You are witnessing the death of Boss Politics in Washington.
Will Muraca be able to run BIC from prison? You can run many things over the internet nowadays.
Maybe, he’ll need the broadband, but I think his buddy Larkin is working on that.
Only if he shares a cell with Bernard Madoff.
Come on Gerry Doyle has to fit in this somewhere, this is his usual mo.
He can turn in the beer cans and keep the deposit refund.
Why does Trump want the FBI to go away?so odd
Cuz they are fingering his bosom buddy Putin. You know…the ex KGB agent who spent most of his life trying to screw over the USA.
But now Putin is helping Donnie Make America Great Again!! That is right folks… a Russian KGB agent is helping our president fix America. Finally Pat, we have a president who cares.
Putin–Russian President is not ordinary Man.
Yes, he was KFB officer and still is, since it is for Life time.
However, he was and still is Exactly for Russian people need.
He improved Russian economy, increased seniors pensions, salaries to teachers and doctors(still state occupation mostly).
Corrupted? Yes! So what? For Russia this is a Norm of reality for Centuries. He took Crimea from Ukraine–brought it back to Russia–correctly.
Crimea was part of Russia from 1783, when the Tsarist Empire annexed it a decade after defeating Ottoman forces in the Battle of Kozludzha, until 1954, when the Soviet government transferred Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federation of Socialist Republics (RSFSR) to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Putin was involved with the KGB, but our own Bouvier made trips for Ruberto to KFC.
Tom Brady ight be looking for a new treatment guru, maybe snake oil salesman muraca could do a work release deal?
Medicare just gave 25 billion towards taxcut for billionaires,You OK with that Pat….huge cuts is education,state jobs….where do you spend taxcuts if you dont have income…..Wall street will be great
Getting people off of food stamps will be a great start. Jobs means people can pay their own way. I lost my job in 2009 during the housing crisis that nearly destroyed the country. I never found a job as good as the one I lost in 2009 that had dental benefits and good pay. If this economy can recover then people will have more options. More options means a better economic future for all. There are still too many people out of work or like me who want a job similar to the one lost. Progressives couldn’t deliver that for me or for many others because Progressives are not business friendly. I am rooting for Trump’s plan.
Never trust a corporation unless you.are regressive .Take away all tax payer funded employment Pat and you dont have employment in Pittsfield Ma.The Reagan regressives of the 1980s were the fathers of NAFTA….good bye American employment…..they all went overseas where the dont trust goverments
Lets get corporations off Welfare
Trump doesn’t have a plan, his ‘plan’ is to create more wealth among the already wealthy and have workers like you, Pat,depend on whether or not you survive, cart before the horse. Why would you give a trillion dollars to corporations that were doing just fine, and a stock t that has been gaining daily, for some time now? Corporatioms are beholden to investors. Answer: Because they can.
Trump doesn’t have a plan, his ‘plan’ is to create more wealth among the already wealthy and have workers like you, Pat,depend on whether or not you survive, cart before the horse. Why would you give a trillion dollars to corporations that were doing just fine, and a stock marke that has been gaining daily, for some time now? Corporatioms are beholden to investors. Answer: Because they can.
Koch brothers would like to thank the taxpayers who will be giving their successful operational 187 million dollars Chrismas present, most of you next year will receive around twenty dollars a week and maybe less with ncresed property taxes here at home, and such hikes, anyway thanks from people like the brothers.
Progressives say that Trump shouldn’t do anything because the economy is great. Really? Maybe for Pittsfield School employees with built in raises every year it is great, but not for the majority living here in Berkshire County and in this country. Poverty has been increasing for years here in the Berkshires. Progressives have no answers or solutions for the skyrocketing poverty. The local media covers it up.
It’s about JOBS. Many with jobs are not working at the same salary as they did before the housing crisis nearly destroyed the country.
The % in poverty is finally shrinking, down to 13.5. it was in the GWB administration that the poverty rate skyrocketed from ~11% to nearly 14%. The BHO administration sees it hold steady there, then start to recede to where it is now.
The numbers just don’t support your story.
Just this year alone the number of people who couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving meal rose by one hundred families here in Pittsfield. They needed to go to a local church to get their dinner. Your figures are wrong. Your loyalty to your party is very scary when you will not face reality. Many local people are suffering.
The local media needs to focus on people who have lived here all their lives and their economic struggles.
Trump was blue collar,lets start with cutting income tax on everyone under 90k ,then infastructure jobs bill hiring 2 to 3 million people,cut the millitary 10% and hiking SS 5k per year then raise minimum wage to 15bucks and telling corporations to move out of America permanently
Fake news again. Your figures are made up.
Figures cited are from the US Census
No you made those up
https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states
uc davis know purveyor of fake news. Next.
Maybe in Pittsfield poverty is growing.
Maybe Pittsfield is given more than ample resources to try to guide its direction and time and time again fails.
Maybe Pittsfield should ask for outside help that can truly effect change, but it won’t. The reason it will not is that then no one locally may take credit for a success, and we already know that Pittsfield will not acknowledge the massive failures.
Also, maybe a bunch of greedy people just wanted a free turkey?
And I’m a registered Republican.
No you are not. stop lying.
RINO
I work in a republican community for a republican administration. I vote republican and am a registered republican.
All lies. You do know such thing.
Shakes, you forgot to say that you’re a large manly man.
If you have no dental, what does one do when they have a toothache?I was talking to a gentleman at the store the other day, didn’t know what answer to give him, his jaw was swollen, I felt bad.
Well don’t look to Donnie Trump for help because he and his whole family will line up in a circle around you and laugh in your face. He is in the process of kicking millions of kids off health care and he thinks is just the funniest thing he has ever done.
Dusty get a grip. State some facts for a change. Under Trump, the stock market is setting new records, the military is being upgraded, a giant tax bill has just passed which has lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, business regulations have been slashed, and 80% of middle America will see a reduction in their taxes etc etc. If President Trump showed up on your porch with a bag of gold bars for you – you will still find something to gripe about! What’s wrong with “America First?” If you disagree with that slogan – you might be a socialist!
I notice ya didn’t mention kids getting kicked off health care Mr Fritz. Do you have any gold bars for them? Or the DACA folks?.
DACA go BACKA.
Dusty, right on, this is an autocrat family. Trickle down economics doesn’t work, markets and sustainable income are driven by debt and debt alone. Our kids will never be ableto make up the deficit we now have, especially when you give trillions of dollars to corporations,period.
What about the doubling of the deficit under Obama’s reign? Were you screaming about that?
Why do leftists think that all money belongs to the government?
I am happy that Trump & the Republicans have allowed me to keep MORE of the money that I HAVE EARNED.
Go Trump!!!!
I do agree Pat. Go Trump. Go anywhere, just GO and don’t come back. And take the still born spawn with you.
Fox Fake News is looking to overthrow America,Murdoch’s family are british
More gibberish.
The school committee needs to improve his IQ 50 points before his posts reach the level of gibberish.
TSC gets his information from the Penske File .
Sure looks that way. Is Murdoch working fer Putin? As we can see by the congress everybody is for sale.
St. Mary’s will be redeveloped as housing! Of course the mayor is already saying that we must forgive new taxes for 5 years and then phase them in. I’m so sick of corporate welfare. I doubt it was even asked for, but she’d offer it anyway.
http://www.iberkshires.com/story/56282/Carver-Buys-Former-St.-Mary-s-in-Pittsfield-Plans-29-Housing-Units.html
Good news … market rate housing and not low-income. Tyer needs a new speechwriter. Getting tired of hearing “vibrant energy.”
There is probably no kickbacks, donations or other favoritism being played here. There is not even any evidence of it.
Pittsfield is losing population. Why do we need more housing?
What are they going to name it?
It’s kind of a fake hill so name it after Krol.
St. Mary’s on the Hill?
Trump in vibrantly energetic
Damn right he is!
Agree!
A must-read regarding Trump’s accomplishments in year one;
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/year-one-list-81-major-trump-achievements-11-obama-legacy-items-repealed/article/2644159
Excellent job President Trump!!!
Berkshire County was all set to get many potentially “dangerous” refugees and that has been stopped by Trump and Trump voters. That won’t stop the logically challenged politicians and voters in this area from trying to bring them in again. Let’s not forget Tricia Farley Bouvier and her band of merry Progressives wanting to make this area a sanctuary city so the dangerous people will flock here. You think we have crime now?
Paranoid much Pat?
Who wouldn’t be worried with the crazies we have running this area.
The St. Mary’s market rate apartments should be called Hail Mary, so it is said and will be written.
When Krol pushes Marchetti out of the CC Pres job he’ll put in Beacon style recliners for council meetings.
He needs one more vote.
Lol
Warning! Gibberish below.
Trump worship is very scary, even his family had to send him to military school to keep his behaviors secret
Where was Bill Clinton sent to keep his behaviors secret? Oh, that’s right, he married Hillary and did all his bad behavior right out in the open.
So glad that b&tch lost. We would be in such a bad place.
So much hate. Why are you so angry at women?
I own you. Go away, you add nothing.
did your mother show you no love?
I own you. All the time. Its over just leave.
Loved the Trump – Clinton debate where Trump had Bill’s girlfriends/rape victims seated in the front row. Priceless!
Trump and Bill were great New York sleezebags,Trump was good when they perved together at the international levels….I know ,not true
I guess you missed that there was an election last November Pat. A guy name Trump is now president and geekers how long can you and Kelley Anne make excuses and diversions for him.
Even Bannon just said in an interview with Vanity Fair that Trump is like an eleven year old and Bannon is his best friend.
SHH and Dustin really need to get a room together. The sexual tension between them is palpable.
Lol NIB!
Most everyone here idolizes the perv Trump
Gibberish above