EPA LETTER TO MARCHETTI A TEST IN COURAGE FOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 14, 2014) — First things first. Remember on this day that you can’t spell “Valentine” without “Valenti.”
THE PLANET puts it directly to city council president Peter Marchetti: Opportunity knocks. Are you going to answer?
On Feb 12, Marchetti received a letter from the regional office of the EPA. It’s a bullying letter sent by oddly nervous EPA bureaucrats threatening the city of Pittsfield to play ball with the $80 million water and sewer upgrade — or else. Thus, we wonder, will Marchetti be bullied, or will he finally step up to the leadership role he has pretended to far too many times in the past.
Technical gremlins at press time prevented THE PLANET from presenting the full text of the letter here, something we hope to remedy later in the day. Please keep checking back, because you won’t want to miss this doozy of a pen-pal note. One might in a moment of frankness combined with the resolve of license call the EPA’s note blackmail. Thuggery apparently comes in many varieties.
Will Marchetti be a leader here and do what’s right for his constituents and the city as a whole by politely telling the EPA what it can do with its threat? Or will he do as he has done so many times before (as a councilor, a mayoral candidate, and council president), that is, cave in with the coward’s sniveling compliance?
The EPA’s order can and must be properly challenged through the appeals process. Filing of a COMPETENT appeal will put a halt to the Aug. 1 construction deadline, have a great chance of winning in court, and save the city millions. Marchetti can lead the way. He can win the battle he has with his conscience and decide to lead the fight against an arbitrary, outdated EPA order. To do so, he will finally have to say “no” to his political masters, cut the marionette’s strings, and for once act like a man. That’s what citizens, taxpayers, and small businesses need, desperately.
——– ooo ——–
The EPA has strayed far from its well-intended mission of helping the environment, morphing instead into a bloated agency too full of make-work, patronage jobs so easy to hide in bureaucracy. President Trump has put the agency on notice, basically telling it to stop hassling cities like Pittsfield. That most likely explains why middle-management nerve bags in Boston’s EPA office have sent Marchetti a “death threat.” Do we have to draw you a map? Very well, then. It unfolds in two parts:
(1) EPA nerve bags are looking to justify their fat but unnecessary jobs, the ones paying six figures and huge bennies.
(2) At $80 million smackers, there are Fat Cats — local names you probably hear in the news and out of the news every day — mighty interested in seeing taxpayers pay all this money.
Gosh, now why on earth could that be? Huh, Peter?
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“I once knew a glass blower who got the hiccups. He produced 300 percolator tops before he could stop” — Fred Allen.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
Just that Dan. Fear. letter is comical. Any Citizen can take the EPA to court and hold up this nonsense compliance for years. Phosphorous in the Housy? Uh, What is that other stuff that seems to have been omitted from their standards?
Send our sewage to the Atlantic Ocean it wont make a pinhole of a difference.
Well Dan, Marchetti dropped the ball at the last minute,Connells Charter objection did him in.Planet should get a Pulitzer,Marchetti’s spots haven’t changed color,very disappointed with a Councilor I won’t mention.
Small government works best and the most honestly. Layer upon layer of bureaucracy is what happens when government grows out of control. Corruption runs deep in big government. All Americans need to demand small government for everyone whether Republican, Democrat or Independent.
and Pat the really good news is that Mr trump is going to let the cities and states fix their own infrastructure. How great is that?
There is one little downside though as most of the states have no money for such things…but they can always raise taxes and fees so we are all good.
Yeah, the $1T additional investment POTUS wants is to flip the federal highway funding formula. So instead of an average 80% Federal 20% state/local split, the states and locals will have to get a 20% grant by putting up 80% of the money. See, instant investment!
you just dont understand finances do you
Lots of states have money, lots of them have a surplus in the black too.
Unfortunately, we live in Massachusetts which is run by a single party full of fulls who’s only solution is to continuously tax the citizens at progressively higher rates, squandering the money on pet projects and consultants then blaming everyone else when they are broke and won’t be fully subsidized
And that’s why people are heading West and South.
Most states are not run like Massachusetts so, yes, they have a lot more money than our state.
You see the priorities here in Pittsfield and they sure haven’t included doing anything to help local falling apart roads. We know where the money is going locally and it’s NOT to help the general public.
Actually, Massachusetts is a fairly wealthy state. 45 states have balanced budget provisions in their constitutions. Chuck Baker,(R) has line item veto authority within the budget.
Maybe the City should ask residents where they should spend money?
Pat, would you be in support of a tax increase if you knew which streets specifically it would pay to repave?
Dustin, just so every one, including you, is perfectly clear, The Planet politely requested that I ignore your useless trolling.
I’ve been rude, childish, repetitive, insulting, and kind in my responses to your consistent attempts for manipulation.
As a result of my agreement to no longer respond to you, which commences with this comment submission, The Planet assures me that if you continue assaulting my commentary with false or demeaning accusations, then your posting privileges will cease. I expect him to keep his word because I am keeping mine.
Massachusetts has a republican governor and a democrat legislature. It is not run by a single party. It is number two in health care and number one in education. Over 90% of its citizens have high school diplomas. It is ranked as the best run state in New England and 12th best run state of the 50 states. If you want to live in the most prosperous state, move to North Dakota.
and what was that you said about the financial state of the state of Mass.? Lots of money for roads and bridges?
Well alrighty then let’s get building and creating jobs…whadda we been waiting for?
Road construction in New England is very expensive relative to other parts of the country. There are limited people, equipment, and materials available to perform work, especially in rural places like the Berkshires.
Charlie Baker is the ONLY Republican politician in the state who matters since he is Governor so, no, we are definitely run by a single party!!!! Name any other significant Republicans in Massachusetts politics.
How many times was Baker’s veto overridden? Single party!
Reply to Thomas More.
I disagree with you completely! Massachusetts is most ridiculous, most left wing Liberally turned state, run by totalitarian Democratic Party which tolerates Republican Governor only for propaganda reason.
For state and local jobs only Dems are hired.
How many Republicans work in Pittsfield City Hall?
None!
Massachusetts is Totalitarian State of Dem/Liberals.
Trump is going to build a wall too. Mexico is not going to pay for it.
And to be a Republican governor in the Commonwealth, where the legislature borders 90% Dems, is to be a “Republican” give … In name only. There are exceptions. Mitt Romney comes to mind.
As a government employee, I’m sure whatever your career is, you are more corrupt and self serving than I am.
Two Important qualifications when applying for jobs,must be from out of town or have a history of corruption.
Pittsfield is polluted!
Pittsfield should market itself as “chemical city”!
It’s clear that many people do not know that there are two projects potentially costing 160 mi,if we send any more letters to the EPA, include Mr. Gaetani because he has the experience dealing with these types of clowns,to get the sand floats approved he had to deal with a lot of assholes, he was finally able to get them to see things his way,and he won approval to build the Water Plants,we need somebody like him to be dealing twitch the Federal E P A and DE Q E we must realize that he may be the only person to put an end to these ridiculously high cost projects. What do we have to lose, one additional thing thing the man loves Pittsdield and it is very evident, look at the high cost to him? for running for office in Pittsfield, it rivals the Planet court room escapacade concerning the Nylons
Great post you are spot on!
Chris Connells Charter objection threw the Peesident’s decision for a loop, and kudos to Melissa for piggy backing against the Presidents response to vote, Mazzeo was correct. Agree, on Gaetani, we could definitely use his expertise on drinking water, we’ve had zero problems with that.
SHH, a tax increase is hardly necessary to get money to improve the roads. If the city gov’t would close a school or 2 and at least one firestation, and stop pouring so much money into an already bloated, failing school system and use that money for infrastructure instead we’d have some of the best roads in the state. They can also get rid of all the other useless departments like Downtown Inc, PETA, and BIC.
We’d have so much money left over that taxes could be cut for a change.
Chapter 90 is the state aid for Roads, the City pitches in over $1M a year to pave the politicians’ neighborhoods, and the state pays the Federal match for local governments in Mass.
The better argument for Pittsfield when it comes to roads is that they haven’t made the best use of the resources they have. Take care of that first, then look to put more money into the program.
DeVil Patrick’s Road had to be paved, odumber was coming to visit.
Obviously you don’t see the need to prioritize, a political bedfellows comfort, far outweighs the commoners daily needs.
Perhaps the city needs to hire more consultants to study water treatment, after arriving in no conclusion
they can re-engineer the wheel.
Like peda or nuclea but bigger!
Where has pat been? The eagle is normally praising his Many degrees.
The William Stanley business park, was an amazing success
For the connected also.
Another casualty of the terrible Pittsfield economy…On A Roll Cafe has been closed since early January. I just heard about that today. On A Roll had been on North Street for a long time. Don’t remember reading about it in local media.
Well Donald is going to throw a $20 million dollar parade for himself. Too bad cause that money could have gone toward the opiod crisis or fixed a bridge or two.
Does Tyer set his priorities for him?
Pat, there was an article, but I don’t remember where I saw it. They gave the same exact excuse as Baba Louie’s gave for leaving. They said running 2 restaurants was more work than they thought it would be. Neither got a tax break and left the city in the rearview mirror.
Someone I knows poke to Baetani this morning and Gaetani says it appears a forgone conclusion that the city council will cave in and vote to appropriate the seventy five million for the sewer plant. He states that the o ly way for the city to signicantlyreduce the costs of this uneccessary project is to fire both Turocy and the consultant, then have the city deal directly withthenew P A and the D E Q E, I forming them that the city is broke. He feels that tithe city does this and explains to the D E Q E and E P A that the city is going to further investigate newer and less costly alternatives, it should satisfy the D E Q E and E P A.
Gaetani states the city should consider a turn key project similar to the way he used to deal with private sector clients. Most importantly Gaetani states that turn key projects are always fifty percent less costly then public sector projects.
Gaetani is doings a six p m call in show Tonight on channel 16 in hopes of educating those councilors who seem hell bent on wrapping an 80 million dollar collar around the necks of the tax and rate payers of this city. I think the show should be tuned in tonight for all of us to see, it will be one of the most important shows Gaetani will do
A turnkey or a turnkey project (also spelled turn-key) is a type of project that is constructed so that it can be sold to any buyer as a completed product.
The ownership of a turn-key project will not affect the price. Therefore saying that a turn-key project is different for private industry versus government is confusing terms that do not have the same foundation/denominator.
Obviously we are struggling for answers and ideas Shakes, and your comments are welcomed, that is, when you bring you’re A Game, unfortunately on this one we have little expertise involved other than the consultants who were payed millions,and quite frankly I have to agree with some people on here, nobody outside of the former
builder of the Plant, really knows or has the knowledge to go up against these paid gunslingers. I have to put my faith in someone who has the taxpayers wallet at heart,my wallet, that would be you’re nemesis, sorry. Shakes I do agree with you on many things, but not this one,sorry.
I believe the intent of the discussion is to steer the city to have a wastewater treatment project based on desired outcomes, not a construction project based on a set of conventional (and potentially more expensive) plans.
Here would be my suggested steps:
1. Describe the circumstances and state of the existing wastewater treatment facility.
2. list the specific outcomes required by the NPDES permit.
3. Issue a request for qualifications that requires the respondent teams of designers and builders to say why and provide examples of how they will meet the specific outcomes required.
4. Negotiate a performance based contract with the selected design/build team that includes bonuses for fast and cost efficient project completion.
I bill at $155 per hour, let me know where to send the invoice.
That is not correct
If your phone doesn’t ring it’s me.
@ Steven Dean, Please elaborate what is incorrect?
Your comments about the water plant.
A dollar fifty five shakes?
Just a troll.
Gaetani is correct, this body doesn’t want to look silly for the money that they already dumped into the consultants and probably don’t have a clue going forward. His show should be interesting.
and perhaps “this body” actually belongs to “another body” who is really making the decisions behind the scenes? Sometimes politicians are just front people for special interests operating in the shadows. I saw it on TV once.
Think you hit the nail on the head
They are even more in the dark now and Mr. G is turning the light on, a bit embarrassing for them to be sure
The council and mayor is lazy. Teroxxhi is a beaut. Connell for Connell for Mayor.
politics has ruined Pittsfield…no mayor..no council…no consultants
Studies show that apes (our very close cousins I might add) get along just fine without an elected government and I would submit that if we were to go back to our roots things would improve like a whole lot and stuff
Mississippi has small goverment,they do great.
They sure do.
GE would poison the air at night 40 years ago,they did not want the light of day to see what the pittsfield sky looked like.Those smoke stack looked like a 12 rockets taking off a nd they would shut down around 1 hour befor sunrise,Without the EPA we would all look like China.Im amazed at the at the amount of poison people will tolerate for their kids and grandkids….remember the thick dust on your screens when every child in town went to sleep in the summer and breathed GE poison all night.Its one thing to be ignorant of pollution quite another to have the information and not give a dam.No kids should today have to grow up in the soup of poison that was lakewood or breath that air at night .
What did they put in the air?
Smoke
Just a question to SHH: our governor does have a budget line item veto but how many of those vetoes have been sustained? I don’t think we would agree on much but your comments seem to be well reasoned.
Why not use the veto and confront the out of control legislature?
Ultimately the governor has the same constituents as the state house.
In Massachusetts the speaker of the house has more power than the governor. The governor can veto bills all day long but the speaker can muster his lemmings and override any of the governor’s vetos.
Then why do they all end up In
Prison?
Must you ask?
Broward County Florida has all their priorities right. They should be a model for the Country. Washington should be embarrassed watching these professionals.
Two of the biggest bullshitters are currently on P C T V Jiv and the Bootlicker.
Exactly BB, he always ends his show with take care of each other bla bla, that is Jerry Springer’s mantra? Jiv,he simply wants everyone to be poor and kids hungary so he can take care of them, with our money of course.
The EPA came into existence under Nixon. He was not the conservative some thought him to be, although he was anti commie, and that’s why the left hated him.
if we are going to rely Marchetti for leadership we are in deep doo doo. Anyone else wonder if Bear Bear Clairmont peaks at this page ? Does he cringe or stand in deep denial ? Asking for a friend.
Trump looked like a fool trying to pay respects in the Florida Shootings. And now has herpes and std’s from Stormy reported by Breitbart and has colored his hair,according to ny times.
I thought President Trump gave a very sensitive speech on the shootings. I loved how he spoke directly to the children.
On his watch more Americans have died in the U S by gunfire, time to do something,period.Senator Rubio?
This blog is mostly good on poison.,GE was bringing pcbs to town to burn for cash and only one problem it was 10%efficient so the blew 90 %into the air as winds took most of that over Dalton.
Why did Persip ask what the increase was for SS recipients this year when told that the raises for city managers would be 1.5%? What the hell comparison was that? Doesn’t the idiot know that most of that increase in SS (2%) was removed for a large increase in their medicare insurance preminums. DUH!
Don’t laugh spider,he got four thousand votes.
And I was one of those votes. Sorry now!
Does anyone have a scanner to hear what is going on in Pittsfield today? Sirens going on and off all day…ambulances, fire trucks, police cars….just a regular day in Pittsfield or is something else happening?
He is so warm and sensitive.