CONNELL, MORANDI BLAST MAYOR OVER ‘LIES,’ NEGLECT AT ANIMAL SHELTER … CALL CONDITIONS ‘DEPLORABLE’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 24-6, 2018) — Two city councilors have blasted Mayor Linda Tyer for the city’s mismanagement of the dog shelter. Their criticisms come after communications sent to this address regarding concern for the unfortunate dogs who find themselves in the facility. Tyer, feeling the heat, sent out a long, defensive e-mail, but it seems to have backfired. It’s certainly no way for her to begin her run for re-election.
When various sources from across the political spectrum got to THE PLANET about the atrocious conditions at the city’s Sonsini Animal Center, we took notice. When the mayor shortly after sent out a long e-mail telling the world how great the shelter has been doing since she kicked out the Sonsini people, we knew we had to act. It’s not good, folks.
As many on this board predicted in wake of our coverage of how Pittsfield botched yet another one at Sonsini, the city once again proved it couldn’t manage a no-car funeral for someone who hasn’t died yet. What makes it worse is the needless suffering of the poor animals who find themselves in the city’s “care.”
Holy dogshit, can’t the city of Pittsfield do anything without screwing it up?
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THE PLANET’s Secret Squadron reported the site in deteriorated condition. The city has not kept up the property. Weeds and blight are everywhere. More troubling, the dog runs show no sign of use, meaning the animals are not getting out for fresh air and exercise. This has to stop, though Tyer would probably disagree, since she doesn’t think there’s a problem at the shelter at Downing Industrial Park off Hubbard Avenue. That alone can be cited as proof she hasn’t been to the shelter for a while and has no clue on what’s going on there.
Here’s Tyer’s e-mail, in full:
From: “Tyer, Linda”
Date:08/20/2018 3:08 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: City Council , John Reynolds , luludogdaycare@gmail.com, Kimberly Conant , “Bradford, Jeffrey” , Lindsay Hermanski
Cc: “McCulloch-Dews, Roberta” , “VanBramer, Catherine” , “Chague, Joseph” , “Wynn, Michael” , ‘Richard Dohoney’ , “Kirchner, Matthew” , “Dawley, Thomas”
Subject: City’s Municipal Animal Shelter
Good afternoon Councilors,
An individual in our community has been making and spreading false accusations about the operations at the city’s animal shelter. This email is intended to set the record straight and provide you with factual information to refute these claims and also address the questions that have resulted.
The hours of operation for the animal shelter are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During this time, the Animal Control Officer (ACO) goes into the shelter to clean, feed, water, and exercise the animals at least two to three times a day, with the latter depending on the call volume of the day. The Pittsfield Police Department’s second Animal Control Officer is currently completing training and will assume a shift of 4-9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. We expect her to start once training is complete.
On weekends, holidays or scheduled days off, the ACO comes in twice a day – once in the morning and then in the afternoon to perform the above mentioned tasks. If the ACO is not available on those days, officers from the Pittsfield Police Department, including members of the Chief’s command staff, will attend to this work.
Additionally, the Animal Control Office is currently assembling a volunteer program to assist at the shelter. Those who would like to volunteer and be of service in this way are encouraged to contact the ACO office at 448-9750.
It should be noted that the city averages one to two dogs a day at the shelter. Currently, we have three dogs, two of which we are currently waiting for the owners to claim.
Since the city assumed management of the shelter in May, a total of 32 dogs have been impounded. Dogs come into our custody either as strays or lost dogs. The animal shelter does not accept surrenders or conduct adoptions. Among this number, here’s a more detailed breakout of their time spent at the shelter: 13 dogs have spent less than 24 hours, 11 dogs less than 48 hours, 3 dogs stayed two days and 1 dog stayed for three days. Four dogs stayed for seven days and were then transferred to the Berkshire Humane Society.
Regardless of the duration of time spent at the shelter, all dogs are appropriately and thoughtfully cared for. State law requires that the City of Pittsfield have an animal shelter and we are conducting our shelter in accordance with state law. To further underscore the latter point, in the wake of the recent accusations, the Animal Control Officer reached out to the state’s Department of Agricultural Resources – which has jurisdiction over shelters and quality controls – to visit the city’s shelter for their own reference. However, in recognition of the Animal Control Officer’s longstanding commitment to the animals in the City of Pittsfield, the state noted that they would not be conducting a visit of the shelter.
As to the exterior of the shelter, the former management vacated the shelter in May. The city agreed that they would have until Sept. 3 to remove their personal property – items which account for the visible debris that surrounds the building. City staff is conducting a cleanup of the property that includes mowing, raking and trash removal.
The City’s priority is, and will continue to be, the animals who find their way to the shelter. We encourage you to share this message with your constituents and all others who may benefit from hearing the facts of this case. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Linda
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THE PLANET doesn’t have any questions, mayor. We’re content to let your letter speak for itself. It strikes us as tedious and defensive. Over our long career, we’ve seen countless of these documents and have developed a seventh sense about them. This one strikes us as “CYA, damage control, and ‘doth protesting too loud.'” If you would visit the shelter grounds yourself, mayor, you might have write a second version of you e-mail. We would advise, most of all, thinking of the animals, who have no voice but ours.
The mayor’s report stands at odds with what we saw. It also flies in the face of two qualified sources, city councilors Chris Connell and Kevin Morandi. At our behest, we asked Connell and Morandi, known for their compassionate stand on this issue, to tell us what they saw at the shelter.
Connell didn’t waste a moment getting back to Tyer, refuting her e-mail. He wrote the following:
Mayor Tyer, with all due respect, the conditions outside of this facility were deplorable. Its obvious that the animals housed at this facility were not allowed outside due to the growth of weeds in the dog runs. If the city is going to continue maintaining a facility there then there should be proper follow up regarding the animals care. This obviously should include getting the animals out of the building for a walk either on a lease or in the runs. Thanks Chris Connell.
Connell told THE PLANET “the place was a dump. Talk about blight! The mayor’s e-mail was trying to cover-up the fact that she really doesn’t know what’s going on. She states lies being told [to her]. However, I observed the conditions myself.”
Morandi told THE PLANET that “what Chris described was right on the money. I saw a city shelter that looked like it hasn’t been maintained outside in quite awhile. The height of overgrown weeds and grass around the building and in the run areas is very troubling,” Morandi said, “especially since the city is responsible for the care of any animal in their possession. Animals need to be outside daily for exercise and they deserve better than what is being provided for them in the run areas.”
Morandi said he disagrees with the mayor’s communication: “I was there and saw it with my own eyes. This is a city animal facility that is in desperate need of a plan real soon. It is the responsibility of this mayor to provide this plan. It should have been in place first before the contract termination occurred. I really feel bad for our only ACO the city has had employed since this situation happened and it has put added responsibility on our city police also. This was not thought out at all and as the ward councilor for that facility and as a ACC member the way this whole thing went down with the lack of cooperation and communication from the city administration is very troubling.”
Tyer says she’s running for re-election? Neglecting animals is not the way to success in that effort. In the bye, we laud councilors Connell and Morandi. THE PLANET, on behalf of all the animals in need, backs their demand that the mayor address this situation at once and for real.
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“You can’t teach 7’2″ — Red Auerbach, on acquiring center Robert Parish.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Compared to many of the past Pittsfield politicians, I believe the lovely Linda Tyer is the best Mayor of Pittsfield EVER! She inherited a mess from the “Doyle debacle”, the “Hathaway hack”, the “Ruberto regime”, and the “Bianchi bust”! While I disagree with some of her actions as Mayor, I believe she loves her community and will lead Pittsfield towards a better future. While Pittsfield has a depressed local economy with severe economic inequality, the lovely Linda Tyer believes in social justice and human rights. To be clear, I don’t believe a miracle worker could do any better than Mayor Linda Tyer!
Dan. Someone called into the king of pctv on Wednesday and reported what Chris and Kevin stated to you. This mayor is even worse tan beer can and hathaway. If we stayed with a two year term we would be well rid of her by now.Everyone must realize that ground chuck is not filet mignon. In the next mayoral election we should aim to elect well seasoned tenderloin of beef. That piece of meat is ageing now and will be ready in november2019
The lovely Linda Tyer “is even worse than beer can and hathaway”.
Are you kidding me! Gerry Doyle started PEDA 20 years ago. He and Jack Welch signed the Consent Decree. He misplaced millions of still unaccounted for public dollars with the city health insurance scam. Sara Hathaway was Luciforo’s political puppet. She only served one term as Mayor. She called violent crime in Pittsfield an “aberration”. She later bowed out of the 2006 race for Pittsfield Registrar of Deeds so Luciforo could anoint himself to his 6 year long sinecure.
Jimmy Ruberto was the “King of the Good Old Boys” and he spent over $2 million of GE’s settlement fund on the arts and Pittsfield so-called downtown renaissance. He continued to same old traditions of raising taxes, increasing debts, while there were large losses in population, jobs, and businesses. My worst Ruberto memory was when he had Luciforo swear him into his 3rd term in January of 2008.
Dan Bianchi was more of the same! He, like Sara Hathaway, represented the other, weaker side of the two faction division in the Democratic Party that runs Pittsfield politics.
In closing, the lovely Linda Tyer inherited a big mess!
She did not inherit a dog pound mess Johnathon. this happened under her watch. If she was watching at all. But at least the PEDA site is doing well.
Thats why has stated she wasn’t the candidate for the job? Never was. Eric boyfriend clown was the instigator.
Tyer is a complete failure. She can’t even run a decent dog pound.
The Mayor is in way over her head here and everywhere it appears. The poor animals have no one to represent their needs and interests. Just like us taxpayers. The Mayors email raises more than a few questions correct that concerns. The City under this Mayor decided it was going to take control of the animal shelter. Before doing so did they not sit down and objectively discuss and decide the objectives for doing so? Didn’t anyone solicit from the stake holders here in the City any information regarding what do you want the shelter to provide for? Didn’t they sit down and decide beforehand how and whom would best do this? What would be both the best and most efficient way to do this? Did they document these things so that a 30, 60, 90 day review could be conducted to see if goals are being achieved or if the goals being set are too lofty? Didn’t they need to set a budget? Don’t they routinely do a 30, 60, 90 day quality review on all services let alone a new one? Just too simply understand what’s working and what’s not? What can we do better and more efficiently? To understand if the resources expended are correct both in human and financial terms? If your making chicken noodle soup you’re going to taste it along the way to ensure you have the proper amount of salt right?
In her email she speaks of things that will be happening I didn’t read things that have been happening. Read her words carefully. Why was the shelter taken over by the City before the trained staff was available? The fact that staff is currently being trained demonstrates that the decision to take over the shelter was made in haste and wasn’t thought through. Not to mention the poor or outright lack of management skill.
bottom line is she’s full of spit
JOE
Thanks for the trenchant response. You identify the many questions the mayor’s CYA e-mail reveals. THE PLANET appreciates your involvement with this board and with city issues. Regarding that e-mail, the mayor made a huge mistake. The missive is too long, too defensive, too uninformed, and too insincere in tone. It never should have been sent. What a leader does is investigate personally and order remedies. Instead, we have a paper pusher relying on the falsehoods of “yes people,” spreading the lies, and then getting burned. She walked into a trap that wasn’t there before she put it in her own path.
Are you serious? Now we have cops, including members of the chief’s command staff, picking up dog shit? I thought the cops had better things to do. Why the heck do the police have anything to do with this non-sense?
typical of when a union is in control: way too may people getting paid way too much to do simple tasks or nothing at all.
And are the police getting paid overtime to do this? And don’t forget that Tyer has said in the past that the police get so many calls they don’t have time for anything else.
Reply to Sister Golden Hair: Sounds like a perfect job for Kerwood or Tourocy.
In typical politician fashion the mayor is denying responsibility. Just for once I would like to see a politician own something. The letter she wrote looks like something right out of Donald Trumps playbook.
Who will step up to the plate, to make Pittsfield great again, that is actually electable? Haven’t had a really good mayor in my lifetime and I’m a senior citizen. I hear Trump may be looking for a job soon. Perhaps he can straighten out the Pathetic Economic Development Authhority (PEDA) mess.
Who is the worst mayor in the past 50 years? Reilly? Hideaway Hathaway? Beer Can Doyle? or Professor Whats er Name, or Bean Counter Bianchi, or Renaissance Ruberto?
Sister. None of the above The queen of failure is secretary Tyer. No doubt about it
None of the above. The queen of failure is secretary Tyer and the king of failure is Michael winning. Two piss pots
So the mayor can afford to give tax breaks galore, give the police and the almighty school department millions more, and yet the city cannot run a dog pound without paying the dog catcher overtime to clean, feed, water, exercise the dogs, And if he doesn’t want to work overtime, the cops have to do it? Gimme a break.
This is the worst case of incompetence ever! Mayor Tyer you have exposed yourself badly.
Wow – blatant lying from the mayor. Thank you Dan, Chris Connell & Kevin Morandi for exposing this issue.
“State law requires that the City of Pittsfield have an animal shelter….does not accept surrenders or conduct adoptions”. 2 dogs constitute an animal shelter? I guess in Pittsfield if you don’t really want to deal with something you do the least required to follow State laws.Does this dog pound actually meet minimum State law requirements? No cats- probably a good thing for the cats, but I’m pretty sure there used to be quite a few there. They got lucky and moved to Crane Ave with the Friends of Sonsini.
Pittsfield has cops quitting and transferring their experience and training ( all paid for by Pittsfield) to smaller Berkshire County Depts. Those that remain concentrate on road jobs or side businesses ( with rare exceptions). There is no transparency nor real citizen accountability in the furtive dream palaces filled with self serving demagogues on Allen Street.
Why not pick up shit ? The whole municipal government is shitty.
Just another fine example of city government screwing something up. I’m tyered of this horseshit.
Can’t manage a no-car funeral for someone who hasn’t died yet.
Great quote Dan!
One more thing to add to the long list of disasters made so far by the mayor.
Changing the mayor’s term to 4 yrs. was a big mistake.
The change was made during Dan Bianchi’s time in office.
So we have three emails and an editorial based on conjecture.
Would somebody please go take pictures of these ‘deplorable conditions’ since apparently Tyer, Morandi, and Connell are all too inept to use their smartphones to substantiate their claims?
Oh how you leap to unsubstantiated conclusions. We have a lot more than three e-mails, and we have a batch of photos that Councilor Connell took that substantiate the “deplorable” conditions. We also have reports of credible eyewitnesses. You might want to shake that Polaroid a bit longer the next time. Your picture is undeveloped to the point of uselessness.
Then why not include that evidence in the blog? In this case, a picture is worth 1,000,000 words.
Shake your ass. You continue to be the the same ass you have always been. Stick with topic or have you been barred there. On this board you have seen two separate confirmations of this topic No one cares what you think and people like you provide interference when we are trying to get the facts of the issue. I guess you believe truth isn’t truth. I close with the same last sentence in Dan’s post. You my enemy are real fake news
Shakes should change their name to Shaken Brian Syndrome. What else could explain his/her brain damaged, rambling, idiotic postings on this blog??
SHH
You or anyone else wishing to see the evidence can go to Councilor Connell’s Facebook page. For those who live in the area, they should make a trip there themselves.
and so what was the reason the original setup was changed? Why is that so much of a hush hush thingy?
the real reason
Regarding state law requirements for municipal shelters, all municipalities are required to have animal control but instead of operating their own “pounds” or shelters, they may elect to contract out the animal control services. See the specific law for detail:
Ch 193 MGL Sec 151(a)
The mayor of a city or the board of selectmen of a town may, instead of appointing an animal control officer, enter into a contract with a domestic charitable [nonprofit] corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse to perform the duties required of an animal control officer.
Friends of Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, Inc., a “domestic charitable corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse” was the nonprofit organization the City with with it contracted its animal services from 2006 until May 2018.
Please note that the Pittsfield Municipal Animal Shelter at 63 Downing Industrial Parkway is not named “Sonsini Animal Center.” The name and variations of Friends of Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, including Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and Sonsini Animal Shelter, belong to Friends of Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, Inc. The name(s) is(are) registered Trademarks of the corporation which relocated to 875 Crane Avenue in May 2008.
Thank you, Stacey.
Stacey, that is good to know. Being someone that used to help Ms. Sonsini with her tag sales on Taconic Ave to raise money for the animals many years ago I am sure she wouldn’t want her name associated with whatever is going on now in Downing Park.
The regressive republican party is about out of gas.Trump has shown all of you that he is the Swamp thing.
Tsc.manafort escaped ten charges by one vote.If it weren’t for that one juror he would have been found guilty on all counts.The prosecution knows that they can retry him on those ten counts and with certainty can get 5 or 6 convictions. That being the case .he will face life in prison and there still is another court case coming in Washington. I believe that manafort will sing like a canary and he better start realizing that there may be no pardon because trump will more than likely be indicted and not be able to give a pardon to anyone. I also believe that the second most important thing the special counsel wants to do is charge the trump kids but not until trump is indicted. So that he can’t pardon them.In a but shell trump is in deeper do do than he has ever been and his days are numberes
Go back to watching Matlock you old fool. No federal judge is going to give Manafort life in prison for financial crimes.
Manafort is 69. The prison sentence for what he has been found guilty of puts him in jail for the rest of his life. If Mueller charges him in the state court. He can not be pardoned by trump and further convictions will give him double or triple life sentences. Yes I am an old buzzard of 84 but I am feeling young again having found this site, I like all the different opinions of the people but please don’t call me an old fool. Remember you will have to be lucky to reach my age. I like to respond to just about every one. Where I come from we couldn’t have this free comunico. We need to cherish this opportunity. I will go on holiday most soon to look up the last of my relatives.
Manafort is a Russian agent working for Putin. If he says anything to expose Putin’s other agent (Trump) Putin will cut his pee pee off. Putin has the inside track now as he is inside the American government and Manafort does NOT want to screw that up. He will rot in prison before he talks shit about white house personnel or he will die a horrible death.
I think the President will give him a pardon anyway.
Why are cops leaving Pittsfield or working details/side businesses? Low morale, low pay, no support from the city leaders. Criticism and no appreciation. For all of you who like to claim that the cops are overpaid and underworked, I suggest that you do the work of a beat cop in Pittsfield for one week and tell me how underworked you are. Did Tyer and her lot ever consider that the reason the crime rate is up in Pittsfield is because the city has 30 fewer cops than needed?
How come Connell ;and Morandi are not “loyal” to Tyer like the rest of them? They need to have their asses fired and then be disrespected on twitter.
MAGA
(no collusion)
Let’s pray for a real american hero_John McCain. I myself being a war veteran I can’t imagine spending five years as a Pow. The orange haired ball of lard who never served in the mi!itary had the Gaul to say that McCain wasn’t a hero because he was captured. We know our brother is on his death bed and all I can say to you my brother is god speed.You are a hero and all deçent people know it. Good bye my friend.You distinguished yourself in you life time. The lord will welcome you with open arms
Very distorted fake quote
I said decent people!!!!!!!!!
No doubt about it, he was a war hero. But he sucked as a Senator and a presidential candidate. Way to Rino.
He was a war hero but he really sucked as a republican. Way too Rino and too eager to kiss democrat ass.
McCain is a globalist. He let illegals run amok in Arizona. He has consistently worked against our duly elected president. RINO!
McCain was indeed an American hero. No doubt about it.
I agree that Mr McCain is a rare breed today. He stood up to Trump when just about everybody else cowered. May his last days be painless and peaceful and shared with his loved ones.
Doomiedoger….. you’ve got to be kidding right? Connell, Morandi and Mazzeo are the only counselors who represent the people!!!!!! Krol, Persip, White, Moon, Caccamo and Marchetti are so far up Tyers butt, they can’t see the light of day. They are her rubber stamp. None of the 6 represent the people.
Why should they be loyal to her, especially regarding the shelter. I was there, I saw the mess and neglect first hand. Read her statement the SHE put out. There clearly was no plan in place for the animals, she talked about what will happen in the future because there hasn’t been anything in place for these animals from the time Sonsini was evicted! Why were they evicted? Tyer couldn’t get along with personnel, and the board so, as usual, played the power card.
I’m glad Connell and Mirandi were not loyal to her. They were loyal to the animals.
This whole mess could have and should have been avoided if the mayor had the ability to work with people, and run the city.
As for Animal Control, he has not done his job either.
It has been extremely hot and humid the last few weeks. No air flow in the building. If the animals are stressed, which, if anyone knows animals being placed in an unfamiliar setting with no contact with people, extreme heat and humidity…..that IS animal neglect and abuse. Shame on Animal Control and the Mayor.
People need to show up at the council meeting and not let this get brushed under the rug like so many other things that happen in this city.
Phyllis, please reread my comment and keep an eye out for sarcasm. Of course I am kidding.
Trumps doomed. You cannot take on the media, not nine tents of it amyway.Trump has certainly set up the ducks for a 20th century Civil War.
Dan, shakes and fritz most notably, continue day after day to ridicule posters. What gives?
So pointing out a hole in someone’s argument or providing a fact based rebuttal is now categorized as ridicule?
Aw, go cry to your momma!
Grow some stones – you are the poster calling those who disagree with you a-holes, etc. under various fake names.
Freedom of speech dude – if you want respect you need to give respect.
I hope the lovely Linda Tyer wins re-election for Mayor of Pittsfield in the Fall of 2019! She is the best Mayor of Pittsfield EVER!
P.S. No one is perfect, except blogger Dan Valenti.
Jonathan, I don’t know what you’ve been putting in your Kool-aid but you need to cut back. The Mayor is a complete failure on every front.
Jon you have no chance. She went down the isle with her sweetheart…Colonel Sanders.
Speaking of Colonel Sanders, remember Tyers’ photo op when she crucified Bianchi and stook in front of the delapitated KFC building on East and said that eyesore would not continue under her administration? Last time I checked, it was worse than ever. Kind of like when she held a press conference after a 4th of July homicide while campaigning and said that wouldn’t be tolerated when she was mayor, and then the fools voted her in, and a year later,or two, there is another 4th of July homicide.
But she did give millionaire Stanley and his movie theater another bonus tax break so that he could get new cushioned seats for his patrons. And while other less fortunate taxpayers, including fixed income seniors, had to make up that difference in revenue I hear that the seats are fine and the man is happy. It is more important to keep donors happy than run of the mill every day types.
I am happy for the lovely Linda Tyer and her husband Barry Clairmont. I wish them a happy life together. I don’t know much about Barry, but I support Linda because she represents everything I believe in with her political leadership. Mayor Linda Tyer is progressive, believes in social justice and human rights, and loves her community.
P.S. I never asked Linda Tyer to date me.
Dan it is ironic that Tyer hasn’t been exposed as the fraud she is. She is what I call the hiding mayor. No one can get an appointment with her because she is very shallow and insecure and would not be able to answer the most basic of questions. What a mistake it was to elect her mayor. The tragedy is we are stuck with this incompetent cheerleader for almost two more years. This is a good site with many good posters but we must realize that this city is filled with gobsigs who will come out in force to elect this clueless idiot to another term. We have her on the hook now as being a loud inhumane incompetent clueless gobsigs candidate and we must insure that these charges stick so that in the next city election she can be painted for the fraud she is. Jonathon ..please don’t insult our intelligence. You are gobsigs but you don’t know it so maybe wee can forgive your juvenile ideations.
Until a competent person who has the money and backing to run we are stuck with the likes of Tyer and her failed predecessors. And even if a good candidate with the money ran, the unions would do everything in their power to stop them from winning. The pig must be fed at all costs.
There is no democracy in Pittsfield. As Dan likes to say, the fix is in!
Did you bever rule it out?
Jon……you are clearly delusional. At first I thought you were kidding, but you make no sense. Better if you stop talking
Is the person getting paid on the weekends showing up.That is roughly 2 call ins at 4 hours pay on sat and 2 call in at 4 hours double time.
If the state of new York brings charges against Manafort and Cohen Trump can’t pardon them. I hear Canaries singing. If the state of New York brings charges against the Trump kids daddy
can’t pardon them either. Rudy advise is priceless. For all you Trumpeters your boy is in very very serious trouble. Any one care to take a guess when Trump will be indicted? What we need to do is all to agree what is the truth and what is a lie. 4229 confirmed lies can not go unnoticed. Truth is truth. We must all strive for the truth and speak out against lies. This is how we all should strive to live.
Very fake news. You sound like Rutberg.
This isn’t fake news it is fact. Anything I post on this site is based on a lot of research. Can you please tell me what i said was wrong? If I am wrong I will apologize immediately. Truth to me is everything. And you?
4229 lies to start, that BS. Did you get that from CNN?
You do a lot of research Art. But your sources are left wing lunitic sources. It’s like asking Tyer and the idiotic 8 their opinion and believing them.
Trump is on his way to restoring America to greatness.
Moon Bat TV stations and newspapers don’t count as research. You just become well misinformed.
Art – you spend way too much time in front of the boob tube watching mainstream news. Get a life!
Just what we need . Trumped up charges from another twisted NY AG. What a joke.
I am not a gob-sig! I detest the way public business is done in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In order to be a gob-sig in Pittsfield, you have to be politically connected. When I was a then young man living in the Pittsfield area many years ago, I could not find a job for one whole year of my adult life. I felt I had better odds winning the state lottery jackpot than earning a low-wage job in Pittsfield. I felt that the gob-sig mocked and laughed at me when I lived in Pittsfield.
I have a Master of Public Administration, and the one thing I learned above all else is that the people are the most valuable resource in a community. Why? Because they own homes/rent, work, live, and pay taxes. A healthy community would treat its people as very valuable customers who receive prime-rate public investments so they will in turn invest in their homes, local businesses, and government.
Pittsfield politics does the opposite with its people! The long-list of lousy Mayors have done nothing but raised taxes, increased debts, and saw thousands of people move out of the area, hundreds of living wage jobs disappear, and countless businesses shutter their doors. All that matters in Pittsfield politics is the shakedown of taxpayers! To be clear, Pittsfield has been a place of divestment instead of investment!
If I was a gob-sig, would I write my criticisms of Pittsfield politics?
– Jonathan Melle
Enema. The figure comes from an independent fact checker agency with no bias.Remember the truth will set you free.you don’t have to lie to protect trump he does that very well himself. This info is factual but you don’t know it because you get your info from fox and friends. I try to post info on this site so that those who only watch fox and friends can see what others are seeing elsewhere.And surprise I also watch fox news .I bet that surprises you. And of course 4 or 5 other reputable sources in print
Enema.the figure comes from fact checker,an independent origination whig has no political association
Art, you are talking to co-opted brains. These lemmings are going to be holding onto Trumps tail as he goes over the cliff so don’t waste too much time trying to make sense to them. They are not salvageable.
Doomie. So sad but true. Do you believe most of them think vaccinations are bad and that the earth is flat? I believe most of these Trump die hards are good people but with the preponderance of evidence to show that they may be wrong in their beliefs and for them to remain so commited to an individual who would flush them down the toilet like human waste it is beyond me. I honestly believe that this idiot in the oval office may cause fighting in the streets american against american.We all need to value the truth and that’s simply not happening and trump has brought this upon us. Things could get much worse but in the end we will get past this. Let’s hope it is sooner than later. In order to be really informed requires an open mind and to sek out as much information from as many sources as possible. This is not being done and it is leading to the dumbing down of the American. This is very sad but true. These are my thoughts but am willing to listen to others as I always do so that I can learn from others things I do not know.
Not sure how many people have an open mind!
Probably the same number as “honest men” the Greek philosopher (Thucydides?) found when he went looking.
Art, what papers and magazines do you read? Which tv stations do you watch? You seem to be very well misinformed?
Jon, why don’t you realize who the only candidate for the taxpayer. Gaetani, not lovely pand won’t give the taxpayers money away either. Plus he’s veteran, just as yourself.
Gaetani has no experience running a business, and doesn’t have the temperment to work well with people. We need an experienced, fiscally conservative businessperson in the corner office.
Au contraire,that would make him a perfect fit, you boob. We are beyond repair tax wise.
Yeah, I can see it now,Beacon and Covanta ask for tifs and the G Man says,he’ll NO. Now that’s the Temperment we DO need.
And his two posts, above, prove my point. Anyone who doesn’t agree with his point of view is a “boob”, a-hole or worse.
Gigi. Where have you been for the past three years? Gaetanis is a friend of mine. He ran Krofta companies globally, is a decorated Viet Nam vet. And represents you at all city council meetings. He was a high school Biology. Chemistry. And Physics teacher and was a adjunct professor of graduate level Environmental. Biological and Chemical engineering.He is a presenter to the American Water works association and has given many presentations to the World Health orginazation just to mention a few of the many groups he has addresses. Gaetanis tells me the thing he has done that he cherishes the most is representing the taxpayers when he tales on the mayor and the incompetent 8 council!ors as he calls them. Gigi. Can you name anyone who Gaetanis wouldn’t totally demolish one a one on one basis. And oh yes he is a dynamite host on his TV show and is not afraid of anyone .Do you think maybe you were thinking of someone else with your put down of gaetanis? And yes he gets along fine with intelligent people .He doesn’t get along with assholessuch as the mayor or
Why can’t you tell the truth?
Gotcha again Matt
Comey & Mueller have been running their own scam!
https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/08/23/seamus-bruner-comey-mueller-cash-in-swamp/
I stopped reading at breitbart
A closed mind is a terrible thing to waste. Read all sources, research their facts and sources.
Investigate the investigators.
True Gigi. Mueller and Comey are the SWAMP that needs draining.
another pair of sneakers on the wires on Onota St by Pittsfield cemetary. Perhaps a gang banger buried nearby. Any bets on how long this pair will be there. If it was the yellowbrick road called Upstreet they would be gone by sundown, lest the tourists realize it’s all a mirage.
You got that right. How many of the mayor’s campaign donors are North st business people? A lot. And they are very well compensated for their largess.
Lest we forget secretary Tyer and the incompetent 8 will raise water and sewer rates by a factor of 8 and then fully expect us to run to the polls to elect them. The only individuals who are trying to save us from this butchering is Gaetanis Mazzeo. Connell and Morandi and no one should forget this. It is very possible that we will see many new faces in city hall because the incompetence there is we!! documented and more and more people are taking note of it. Real Change is necessary. Where have we heard this slogan?
went back 2 years – the only one i recognized was scarafoni and his cash in came under bianchi
Stanley?
couldn’t find him but laurie tierney, aka hotel on north chipped in with 250
Lets give the G Man a shot at Mayor. What have you got to lose? The taxpayer has nothing to lose at this poi t. I want a man like him as Mayor one thing he will do is hold feet to the fire and clean out the algae!
What have we got to lose? Where have we heard that before? G could be the most brilliant man on the face of the earth, but I would never vote for such a disrespectful person.
He is against gobsigs period. Not the Taxpayer. Any time I’ve talked to him he s very polite.
.
It really doesn’t matter who he is looking out for. If he can’t deal with people, he should just waste his time.
Harrison..Mr Gaetanis is a peoples person. He definitely is a loner in his personal life but is a team player and always is the boss of any team he is on. He is a born leader and does not tolerate purposefully ignorance. My computer battery is low. I will address you later
Harrison. What makes you think G can’t get along with people.Heis a lifelong educator at the high school and graduate level. He had a stellar military career working for the highest civilian level President Johnson and the highest military level. Generals Westmoreland and Abraham’s and then Major Colin Powell. He still stays in touch with General Powell till this day. He worked so well with them that they gave him the Army Commendation Medal. He stays in touch with retired generals who were lieutenants and captains with him in Viet nam.He won the respect of the entire city when he pulled off the water deal in the 80s. G has secured a place in city history that no one will ever match. I would say that his accomplishments are attributable with his unique ability to get along with many many people. He is trying to save this generation of city residents the same kind of money he saved the last generation of city residents. He is positive a fortune can be saved but with the assholes who run this city they may prevent him from doing this. Yes the Assholes who run this city. He would call them this at city council meetings but he always likes to maintain a level of decorum. So Harrison you see the G Man calls them as he sees them. Tyer and the8 nitwitts are prim and proper and look what they have accomplished. NOTHING. I close on a very sad note. John McCain has just passed. RIP you good man. Mr Gaetanis told me that if he could be just a little bit like John McCain in his life time and if someone were to compare him to him that would be the greatest honor of his lifetime. They both have a common bond they knew the ravage of war and know very well the goal war takes. One last thing Harrison. Mr G is the co founder of chapter 65 Viet vets of America and started the sister city of cave de tierrini. Did you know this?
I agree these clowns fritz,Gigi,shakes et al,have an agenda against what’s the right thing to do and correlate personalities as being the opposition. Why would a single person or retired person! want to be burdened with excessive conforming water-sewer and water rates, it’s insanity, let alone paying for a new school and tif giveaways,like Covanta 500g,a privately held corporation in the black by the way.There are many others.
Linda Tyer answers only to John Krol, Barry Claimont, and Jim Ruberto.
Ask yourself, who would make a better Mayor, Krol,.Tyre-Clairmont or Gaetani. To me it isn’t even close.
None of the above. NOTA
NOTA!
Thanks for your faith in me.
Breaking news on teaparty.org – the Las Vegas shooter’s girlfriend WORKED FOR THE FBI!
The plot thickens….
No surprise there. I wonder if she worked with buffoon Hackubiwitz.
If Tyer is lacking in leadership just imagine what Trump lacks on a world level.Shes not Trump stupid yet.
Yes she is tsc. The only degree of smarts she has exhibited is refusing to debate Mr Gaetanis. She convinced the incompetent 8 not to allow him to address the council on how he saved the city over a 100 million dollars for the taxpayers in the 80s and how he could save many more millions now with updates at the sewer and water plants. She also convinced the i8 not to sign on to a letter co authored by him and Mazzeo. Connell and Morandi asking the EPA to come here and answer their questions at a city council meeting for all the city’s residents to observe. She and the i8 know that if Gaetanis gets to speak to the city’s residents it will be lights out for all of them. Can you picture any of them going one on one with the G Man? I would pay my hard earned money to see that show. Mr Gaetanis works in a slow methodical way much like a turtle. Once the prey is within sight and he is close he strikes like lightning. Ask Gerald beer can Doyle how sharp the wizards claws are. If the city does not follow the G Mans recommendations the city’s tax and rate payers will pay dearly and the blame will lie solely with the incompetent 8 and even more incompetent Tyer. The irony is that they will all run for re election. This is the Gaul of these lightweights and even more hauling is the gobsigs who will line up ten deep to re elect them but there might be some surprises for everyone in the Nov 2019 election. I spoke to Mr Gaetanis this morning. He asked me to inform you that he will have DA candidates on his Wednesday show. Knight has. Confirmed, Caccaviello can’t make it and Harrington after many attempt to contact her there has been no reply. If she sees this post please please contact Mr Gaetanis at 413 281 1089
Art, do you think he’ll ask knight if she was ever romantically involved with Rutberg?
Trump has the economy firing on all cylinders . Tyer can’t even get the key in the ignition. Trump is great. Tyre couldn’t even get a job as a cleaning lady in Trump Tower.
McCain wants Bush and Obama to speak about his life.Trump was a fool McCain did not want associated with him in death.
I thank McCain for what he endured in Vietnam but as a Senator he wasn’t much better than the hero of Chapaquidick. He was a RINO and doesn’t deserve to have real republicans eulogize him.
Cacciviello wins this with his 32 years of experience as a trial lawyer in the Dad office and Harringtons experience is walking around with Tyer and Farley B….Tricia wants another job as she has let WMECO and Eversourse steal from her voters….my bill has gone up 130% on Bouviers time in office
At least four more dead in Floida,eleven shot, trump mustt understand illegals aren’t the only ones killing people, you orange hair piece of lard. Most dead in U S under trump watch in history of U S.
How many are dead in democrat Chicago?
They’re baaaack. Trump scum.
Sounds like a gold digger and home wrecker, and the little guy thinking for the big guy.
Studying the constitution, I found that a president can be impeached even though he has not been found guilty of anything.I guess this is so because impeachment is a political process and indictment is a criminal process. So by this logic if Mueller sends a recommendation to congress recommending impeachment.,then the presidents fate lies with congress. Now I understand how very important these mid term elections are but regardless, if Mueller does find obstruction of justice or Russian collusion and recommends impeachment even without indictment. Trump is finished. Any legal eagles out there? Does this sound correct?
A president can’t be impeached for something he or she did prior to talking the oath of office.
Study this: http://www.magapill.com
Trump will go down as the greatest President in American history.
Get over your anger towards our duly elected President!
Gigi. Brietbart and magapill no wonder you can’t string two sentences together. Do you ever seek out other sources that aren’t boot licking organizations. The NY Times might be a start for you or BBC Global. Remember the truth will set you free and all others who can’t tell the truth from falsehoods.
The Times is a failing democrat newspaper. They make up news. Very fake.
Crack Pot will be known as the most disrespected, immoral, nasty bastard womanizer piece of orange lard, for starters.His economy is based on Tax break Corporations investing in their own Companies Stock, at the expense of the middle class.
The anti Trump crowd prefers fake D.C. swamp turds and can’t stand it when a guy like Trump shows up and has no regard for swamp turds. If you like swamp turds you’ll love most of the Pittsfield city council.
Trump suffers from a syndrome that keeps him deranged
By now, you’ve surely heard the story of Siraj Ibn Wahhaj—the man responsible for training 11 young, impressionable children to commit school shootings at a secret New Mexico compound. The children, who were rescued by authorities, were found to be malnourished, abused, and forced to submit to the violent whims of an Islamic extremist. One of the 11 was Wahhaj’s son, who lost his life after being the subject of an Islamic exorcism-a violent ritual that was performed by his father.
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Oh, you haven’t?
That’s because the mainstream media isn’t telling you the whole story-the true story. Headline after headline provided by the nation’s most influential outlets have misled the American people into thinking this is just another kidnapping story. This story has been advertised as merely a case involving 11 kidnapped children who were recently returned to their families after having been held hostage in the dunes of New Mexico by a middle-aged man.
The story is in fact much deeper and much more revealing than the superficial headlines make out. Siraj Ibn Wahhaj shares the name of another accused terrorist. Twenty-five years ago, Islamic extremists drove explosive-laden trucks into the lower floors of the World Trade Center, and one of the instrumental figures in the attack was a radical imam by the name of Siraj Wahhaj. Siraj Wahhaj of World Trade Center fame is the father of the man accused of training the next wave of school shooters.
It would be somewhat relieving if the shocking facts of this story ended there. But they don’t. Notorious anti-Semite, militant feminist, and ringleader of the Women’s March, Linda Sarsour, looked to Wahhaj Sr. as a “mentor, a motivator, and an encourager.” It’s not since Barack Obama’s open association with the Weather Underground and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers that a community organizer had such intimate ties with men overtaken by anger.
In the coming weeks, school bells will be filling the air, and parents, teachers and students alike will start the academic year with the fear that their school could be the next target. The threat of a school shooter is something that most Americans live with on a daily basis, yet the mainstream media are ignoring the glaringly important story that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was the warden of a school-shooting camp.
“In the coming weeks, school bells will be filling the air, and parents, teachers, and students alike will start the academic year with the fear that their school could be the next target.”
But instead of covering those important facts of such a jarring story, the left does what the left does best. Not journalism-no, not dissemination of the truth: they blame the NRA.
None of this should be surprising, though-not the nefarious methods of deception, nor the existence of a terror camp run by a homegrown jihadi. For a better part of the last decade, our Commander in Chief refused to call evil by its name, refused to secure our borders and refused to crack down on radical Islam, thus spreading militant Islamism from the hotbeds of the Middle East to the hot sands of the New Mexico desert. In fact, as of 10 years ago, there were reported to be 35 similar camps littered about the country, all of which were known to the FBI.
All five accomplices were arrested and put on trial. It was revealed during the trial that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj had been on the FBI’s watchlist for 13 years, but presumably because of political correctness, Wahhaj was allowed to roam free and radicalize young children.
Despite all of these facts-Islamic exorcism, terrorist ties, school-shooter training and all-liberal Judge Sarah Backus granted them bail, saying that “the prosecution failed to make the case that these individuals were a danger to the public.” Not only that, the defense lawyer of these five fundamentalists said the suspects in question wouldn’t have been arrested if they were “white, gun-owning Christians.”
With the media’s obsession with identity politics and the use of intersectionality, it is somehow ironic that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj’s ties to Islamic extremism are deliberately hidden from the American public by a mainstream media that are complicit in ignoring stories that could have dire consequences. Yet they jump at the chance to decry supposed double standards based on religion and race.
To combat the terrors of the day, to combat the lies of the mainstream media, you must arm yourselves with truth.
Excellent article – thank you for sharing this!
Dan, all due respect but i do believe that the Greek philosopher who searched for an honest man was the same guy that i chose my nom de plume from going back years. don’t know if Diogenes ever found one but i haven’t.
Yes, yes. It was Diogenes. Thank you. Peter Arlos and Chuck Garivaltis were the two best Greek philosophers in MY lifetime.