COUNCIL’S TOP-DOWN BAN ON PLASTIC PISSES ON THE ENVIRONMENT, SLAPS THE KAPANSKIS IN THE FACE
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY APRIL 3, 2019) — Back in the day, we had “Ban the Bomb.” Today, liberal lightweights have “Ban the Bag.” And so it came to pass that Pittsfield’s City Council culminated six years of intensive effort to make life more difficult for Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. No more plastic bags.
Great. While the council could have devoted the time, effort, and expense to addressing other issues (out-of-control city spending, rogue city departments, the OPEB time bomb, moon-surface roads, and others), it imposed a bag ban. These types of edicts come from the “we know better than you do” mentality that has gripped city politics for a generation. It relies on emotional appeal, that great tool of demagogues.
When such as Helen “Nurse” Moon, Earl “Dumpster Behind Paul Rich” Persip, and Nick “Tee Time” Caccamo back a proposal, it’s best to vote the other way. That’s not how politics work, though, in a “people’s republic.” The bosses command, the slipper-getters fetch, and the people suffer. Try to remember this come September and November, when They come schlepping for your vote.
The facts show that in the plastic v. paper debate, plastic wins.
- Plastic bags are multi-purpose, multi-use. There is no such thing as a “single-use” plastic bag, the council’s pet phrase.
- Paper bags easily rip and act like blotters for spilled liquids.
- Plastic bags generate less than 5 to 7 times fewer greenhouse gasses.
- Plastic bags have a much smaller “carbon footprint.”
- Paper bags kill trees, removing oxygen, cooling shade, and increasing carbon dioxide levels.
- Paper bags cost more to manufacture.
- Paper bags weigh up to 7 times more than plastic, adding 7 times more mass and weight to waste streams.
- Paper bags are more “resource intensive” v. plastic.
- Plastic bags are more cost-effective for stores. The added expense of paper bags will be passed to customers.
- Study after study as well as life-cycle assessments show plastic has a much less harmful environmental impact.
- Compared to paper, plastic requires more than twice the energy to manufacture.
- Plastic bags use 4.7 times less water and reduce greenhouse gasses by a factor of 3.1.
A tree falling in a forest makes a LOT of noise, particularly when “harvested” by loggers whose polluting equipment guzzles gas and oil. The paper plant processes wood using a witch’s brew of toxins and energy-hungry machinery. Paper making is noisy, dirty, and uses technology little improved since the 19th century. Plastic bags, on the other hand, are blow-molded in clean, technologically modern facilities at pennies the cost.
Contemporary waste management uses landfills to “cap” materials and NOT let them decompose because of the gasses given off as materials disintegrate. Huge advantage: Plastic.
Proponents of the ban, which passed the council 6-5, substituted fiction for fact. That’s the only way they could get this stupid measure passed. The budinskys on the “Green Council” weighed in with its nonsense, and various council committees checked in as well. Which sets up a great punchline: “How many city officials does it take to pass a measure designed to harm the environment, penalize store owners, and inconvenience citizens?” THE PLANET knows that you know the answer.
In the end, the most exasperating aspect of this ban is its origination and imposition — from top-down. Recent history shows that these bans invariably fail, because grassroots support isn’t there. We’re not talking from young people who have been brainwashed about the environment, but the honest schmucks trying to live and survive in actual, day-to-day existence.
In Pittsfield, that’s become a much tougher proposition of late.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
“Never underestimate the power of a ham sandwich” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. All users of this website — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else making use of its information hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.
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I find plastic bags quite useful and convenient and use each one at least twice.
But I think they are an environmental disaster. It should not be too big an adjustment for people to carry a heavy duty reusable cloth bag or two with them when shopping. If you can talk on the phone and drive a car at the same time then mastering cloth bags is probably within your learning curve.
It has been proven that cloth bags are a health hazard. Unless you wash them very often, meat juices can leak into the bags and contaminate other items on your next shopping trip and cause sickness. You need to double or even triple the environmentally friendly plastic bags like they use in Walmart because they are so flimsy that all your groceries end up in your driveway.
I agree Dan V. just more nonsense of save the environment which has no basis in fact. People worship the environment while ignoring the value of human life.
Speaking of the value of life Pat. Your Guru Trump is putting humans in cages and going to close the Mexican border to make your life better. So be happy, you have a lot going for you. The really good news for you is that Trump hates clean water and the rest of the environment as much as you do.
Your post is asinine. Pat posts something about local politics, which Dan’s article is about, and you yet again spout off on Trump with a bunch of Dem talking points that are BS.
Stick to the subject, if you are capable.
I know LW and they are always blaming me for not keeping on topic.
Sometimes I wonder if bots are loose on Dan’s site.
Talking on a cell while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. Why doesn’t the council pass a local law outlawing that?
Plastic causes cancer and plastic drink bottles therefore should be outlawed, starting with milk bottles.
Plastic bags blow everywhere and kill wildlife. Anyone caught littering should be tarred and feathered at
Park Square!
We need term limits for councilors and mayor – like 6 years each. Same for department heads.
Make Pittsfield Great Again!!!!!
And bring back the lions.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken building is down, for those of you who didn’t know. And, it didn’t cost the city one cent.
Barry
Okay, attack….
Seriously? Where are all those rats going to go now? Now we are going to have a hantavirus crisis on our hands. Jesus lordy!!
Send them to the nearest liberal’s house. They will feed them and count them in the next census.
One less issue to complain about, one hopes.
Now, back to taxes. Y’all know all those pesky taxes which support City supplied services Pittsfield residents have come to enjoy – and rely on.
Let’s do a tax & service comparison with where I come from: Town of Lanesborough. You remember that little dumpy Town just north of Pittsfield?
So, here goes:
I bought property in Lanesborough in 1999, when taxes were less than $2,000. Services, you ask:
a) volunteer fire department;
b) two person, per shift police department;
c) Town Hall open less than twenty hours;
d) residential septic service – only;
e) residential funded trash removal;
f) spendthrift Select Board;
g) and the schedule goes on and on . . . .
To-day, you ask? My taxes exceed $6,000. Services, you ask:
a) ditto;
b) ditto;
c) ditto;
d) ditto;
e) ditto;
f) ditto;
g) ditto;
And to-date, no new or upgraded services to report.
Same cracks in our roadways, and on our sidewalks. Town Hall is still out-of-touch with local townies, and pols still spend like a bunch of drunken sailors on a century-long binge. In other words, they enjoy spending at Mach speed other people’s money (OPM).
The moral to this idiotic rant: at the very least Pittsfield offers and provides more bang for the buck. Your taxes may go up annually (or fiscally) but at least you can count on fully staffed police and fire departments. A City Hall open to its residents 40-hours per week. A City sewer system delivering services to each household. And that’s just the short schedule!!
So, boo-frickin’-hoo your taxes go up each year. At least you have a nominal return on your investment. Yours truly, the return on my investment is a nightly street light that stays lit longer than on our Town Hall remains open (each week).
And that’s the bottom-line!!
P.S. if you find any syntax and/ or semantic errors, I drafted this w/o my glasses on.
You’re comparing apples to cow dung. Lanesboro is a small town, keeping town hall open isn’t necessary nor desirable. And if they did keep you’d whine that it’s a waste of money to do so.
And how’s the crime rate in Lanesboro compared to Pittsfield? I’d say the Laneboro police and fire department are doing a pretty good job, no?
The other thing you conveniently left out (aka telling half truths, aka lying) is that your property in Lanesboro is worth more than a comparable one in Pittsfield and that’s a major reason why your taxes are higher.
Lanesboro has just about 3,000 residents. They are definitely NOT PITTSFIELD and they are very proud of that.
LW, so sad.
You missed the point, as usual. I’m attempting to juxtapose taxes with public services provided.
I pay over $6,000 for one acre of land in Lanesborough.; this includes a main house and detached garage.
My mother-in-law, in comparison, on Pecks Road in Pittsfield – with a main house, barn, and fairly large storage shed, and five (5) acres of land – is taxed less than $5,000.
You do the mathematical comparison, “LW” Einstein.
P.S. With regards to our PD: we don’t need to spend a couple mil on a department when SP can do a comparable job (given our population and geographical topography).
Count your blessings your Pittsfield taxes are spend on tangible services. If you don’t like Pittsfield’s tax rate, relocate to Lanesborough where services are nonexistent and taxes are exceeding high.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
My mother-in-law’s tax rate is less than $5,000. She’s taxed on five (5) acres of land, a main house, a detached garage, a barn, and a fairly large storage shed.
I inadvertently omitted her detached garage from her taxable scheduled.
Is your property worth more $$ wise? What is on each property is irrelevant, it’s what it’s worth that counts. And you seem to have forgotten the astronomical sewer bill that is coming that you don’t have to pay in Lanesboro.
And you do know you can move to Pittsfield and get all those services?
Is your mother’s property worth less than yours? It’s the value that counts for taxes, not what’s on it or how many acres it is.
And you should be thankful you won’t be paying the exorbitant sewer fees we’ll be getting here. And with zero improvement in service. Nada. None.
And if the council gets their way we’ll be paying for trash removal too over 64 gals.
Forgot to add – if your mom has owned her property a long time she’s not being taxed at its real value. This is very common with homes that have had one owner for a long time.
Average property in Lanesboro: $225,438
Average property in Pittsfield: $186,600.
CPA tax – Pittsfield: 1%, Lanesboro: 0%
Quality of life – Lanesboro: good Pittsfield: downright scary.
Lanesboro school system: good. Pittsfield: below average
Lanesboro’s commercial tax rate is $17.31 less than Pittsfield.
When/if you sell your home you’ll get much more than a comparable property in Pittsfield.
Now do you understand why you pay a little more in taxes?
Brian,
Is the small mobile home still there. I remember it from years ago.
LW, again you’re missing the main thesis: taxes juxtapose public services. Let me know when it sinks in!!
Lanesborough doesn’t come close to offering or providing public services to what Pittsfield does – for such an astronomical property tax investment.
LW, might I encourage you and others to run for mayor if life in Pittsfield is less than Utopian.
Every candidate vying for that office is big on outside promises and pledges until they’re elected and discover just how monolithic and burdensome government can be.
And to think you (LW) and others on this site still live and probably work in Pittsfield. Go figure!!
And that’s the bottom-line.
Barry, thank you for the info – can you explain how it didn’t cost us anything?
The owner took it down.
Game. Set. Match. Barry Clairmont!!
Anything else, LW? Exactly!!
Is the owner going to take down the Hess station?
Is the Royal Cleaners site contaminated? Can you sell edible pot there?
If there were 4000 plastic bags buried near Allendale school would it be better or worse than the PCBs that are there now?
Odd reaction to a simple question being asked and answered. You do know it was just a simple question because I did not know? If you didn’t I just don’t know what to say.
Kudos to the owner.
To put up a marijuana distributor operation so more kids will get addicted to drugs but it’s creating jobs right?
So will they pay less tax now?
Is it down because the mayor made relentless efforts to get the property cleaned up like she suggested she would when campaigning and if so what efforts were made over the past 3 years???? Or is it because new owner wants property to sell dope to the dopes in Pittsfield and surrounding communities?
Gee Barry, woke up rather defensive this morning! Amazing that the building was taken down within a day of the Mayor taking out re-election papers. Only took almost 3 1/2 years for it to happen. Just another great Tyer Pot Shop. Great Economic Development. Sometimes the truth hurts.
Not defensive at all. It is just the anti-Tyer vote is so predictable. If it didn’t come down, you would be saying she campaigned against blight and look, the KFC is still standing. It’s a no win situation with you anti people.
I recognize it for what it is.
Barry
I recycle 80% of what passes through my home.Easily 3/4 of that is plastic.It is a obvious problem to bury plastic in dirt.Reusing it is the only answer or do not manufacture it.Im feeling we are wasting our time recycling and its exhausting to have to fight people at every turn just to make logical changes.Im considering throwing this crap in the garbage a just burn this chemical concoction into our dirty air.Sometime you got to let the I’m against everything crowd win.
Will Del Gallo return wirh a “ban paper bags” proposal later this year?
I agree with most of your comments, Dan.
What annoys me is that stores are now asked to offer “compostable” plastic bags, which cost our retail stores more to provide and which end up in the incinerator anyway!
Krol, White, Caccamo and Persip wanted to impose on retail outlets the price to be charged for bags. Thankfully Chris Connell’s common sense prevailed and the requirement was eliminated from the final document. That would have been a complete over-reach by the bureaucrats on the City Council.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the final vote in favor of the ban (with compostable plastic bags ok’d) was approved unanimously.
Me. Fritz,
I’m waiting for a tax/charge on the paper bags just like I heard NY is looking and talking of doing. Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
At least a charge is not mandatory, at this point in time – under the current approved ban.
I won’t be voting for this Mayor and it has Nothing to do with KFC My taxes are the highest ever,increase,and stop acting like a child with the two cents is an insult. Property tax and water rates are in the stratosphere of negligence to those paying. When exactly will Wayfair starting interviewing? When will crime rate decrease? When will Roads be stable? When will the tax giveaways to the rich, stop?
When will Government stop growing and why must taxpayers pay for babysitting, and bottle feeding? When will sending kids out of the community, many of them from local city employees? Candidates for City Council and or Mayor have cannon fodder to the sky on how not to run a government and City Council.
Plastic straws are next. You know, because that’s on top of everyone’s priority list now. Who needs good roads, low crime, a cost effective school system when you can ban plastics?
So “Environmental Justice “ is the newest one I’ve heard to go along with all the others ending in you insert ( _____ Justice). I’ve heard it discriminates also. The plastic bags have finally received environmental justice.
Plastics have been killing our whales.
Democrats have been allowing the killing of babies.
You have source for this fake news?
Not one word from the mayor about the hit and run last week.
I shop at Aldi almost exclusively. They have a great selection of organic and vegan/vegetarian products. They charge 5 cents for a paper bag and 10 cents for a fairly durable plastic one. I do eat fish and none of their fresh fish has ever leaked, but if it did I just throw my cloth bag in the wash with my clothes.
The Berkshires have an incredible litter problem. Garbage is everywhere. My heart breaks to see trash blemish a beautiful corner of these United States. While imperfect, the plastic bag ban is an incremental step towards fixing how the residents trash your community.
You nailed it Shakes @ litter problem, but banning bags, straws, ect. will not stop the problem of littering. Even $3,000 trash bins didn’t help.
Peter Strzok…
Rod Rosenstein…
Andrew McCabe…
Fellow American, we’ve filed lawsuits against several government agencies to uncover communications by each of these individuals and other government officials to get to the truth about the Deep State targeting of President Trump.
https://www.judicialwatch.org/
Judicial Watch, Inc.
425 Third Street SW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20024
These are truly historic times. What we are witnessing is the complete meltdown of democracy in America. Scares me to think what it might be like for the grand children.
We all know our gov’t is corrupt but this was beyond compare. The Deep State actually tried to take a sitting president down with lies and fake info. They’ll all probably get zero jail time too.
Why wouldn’t they just assassinate him? Sure is a lot of trouble to go through to be rid of somebody.
You under estimate the deep state. If they wanted Trump gone, he’d be gone. In fact, he fits into their globalization plan perfectly. It’s the deep state that is funding the progressive movement-which by the way is not exclusive to USA-through PACs. From the chaos will the deep state’s next move come. The world will change soon. Never have the sheeple been so easy to manipulate.
The deep state has tried, however President Trump has patriotic military backing. He has also replaced many deep state security people with America first military security personnel. There is a war going on behind the scenes. Many of you are just too brainwashed by the deep state/CIA media to understand.
If the hit and run driver is to be charged why not a photo?
Thank you Barry. You mean my chicken lickin days are permantely over. Lol.
http://www.stopjoebiden.com
Binda Tymont announcing the demo of the KFC building during tax season…must almost be re-election time for his boo !! yay !!!!
I put in an application to Way Fair about the time they announced opening here,haven’t seen or heard anything since. It says when I googled it,that they were no longer accepting applications,I dunno? Also my posts aren’t getting in here? And that is something I’m not sure of either.
Joe Biden 76 years old. Now he gets it.
Oh, there it is thank you,
A lot of these Trump posters are angry at democrats, maybe a couple three that post on here. How is the discussion different from before. The same people basically are name calling on here worst than before. To shut someone down because of name calling was the reason they are not here anymore, but the ones that are left do the same thing with a free pass. Am I wrong? We have a very dire problem right here in the City, every facet and turn there is a problem. We need to start paying attention Mr. Valent to what we can control here
Recently, police officers in Albany area were found to be beating individuals which was caught on tape with body cams,and are in hot water,clear footage, looked like a Rodney King repeat. Why don’t we have body cams here.Don’t say there isn’t any money? This is just one problem which is ass backwards
I just want one thoughtful conversation from the Mayor and CC on what tax hikes every year mean to people on the low end of the economy.I want McCandless and Yon to have a long public conversation about what the school budget tell low end workers how next years taxes will treat them….Just 1 meeting where the evening was about how to stop spending money we don’t have…..just once,just one time….begging these 1%ers
Planet has been telling us for decades, it’s not going to happen ):(school spending cuts) and certainly not in an election year.
Doesn’t anyone see what is going on with the Mueller report. Mueller had no decision or opinion,Barr, he’s the rat, but clearly within his pervue on a non decision. Barr and Mueller are great friends, and this is going to continue and Barr will continue to protect the President, within the law, something the previous clown would not have been able to do. Trump was very smart nominating him to replace Sessions because it makes Barr look like Honset Abe. I think that both gentleman M and B want these findings to end up with the real decision making venue, Congress, of course the Senate will play Barr again and Congress will be Mueller. My summation, they’re all in it together. Nothing but a bunch of millionaires player God.
Trump has little chance now to complete his cover-up of this report.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Ahhh…apparently some Democrats are not too happy about Uncle Joe running for president!
https://howiecarrshow.com/2019/04/03/whos-behind-joe-bidens-takedown-try/
I agree Gigi. The far left doesn’t think that Joe is enough of a Marxist to run for president while the other candidates they have running are definitely Marxist enough. If Joe did win, however, I think he would be easily indoctrinated by the far left.
Rightwing nutjobs in 2016: Only someone in the middle will win.
Moonbat Democrats in 2016: Okay, we will run Hillary Clinton (AKA Republican moderate), not Bernie Sanders.
Rightwing nutjobs in 2016: Trump, MAGA, crazy far right!
Moonbat Democrats in 2016: How could Hillary lose?
Rightwing nutjobs in 2018: Only someone in the middle will win.
Moonbat Democrats in 2018: Okay, we will run Joe Biden (AKA Republican moderate), not Bernie Sanders.
Rightwing nutjobs in 2020: Trump, MAGA, crazy far right!
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If the Democrats actually want to win, they should put an actual liberal candidate forward.
More Russian collusion – with John Podesta!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/03/collusion-russians-gave-35-million-to-company-with-john-podesta-on-board/
We get it. You love Breitbart. But maybe you don’t have to promote the site here EVERY FREAKIN DAY. Just use your head, man.
Ted,
Are you the new blog monitor? I’ll post whatever I want. Remain in your ignorance – go back to reading the Berkshire Eagle!
You sure must love The Left Winged Parrot.
Does it help your TDS syndrome?
You still don’t get it. I can get world and national news anywhere. I don’t need you offering up your favorite flavor of national news. The Planet posts are usually about Pittsfield topics but many of you have co-opted the public comment section to belabor your own agendas. And it’s boring. So yes I am the blog monitor.
Ted,
Do you understand the concept of free speech?
You don’t have a political agenda?
Dan routinely covers local as well as national news.
Stop whining – if you don’t like Breitbart – no one is forcing you to read it!
Typical Socialist – opposing points of view are not welcome!
I love the fact that people can comment on any and all issues, including national ones.
And you still don’t get it. This isn’t about Breitbart. Most Americans are sick of both the rabid left and the rabid right. Unfortunately those elements have taken over the Planet. Please, take your endless boring ideological battles somewhere else.
Hey Ted, it’s not up to you to decide what’s OK on this site. It’s Dan who does that.
Was everybody in Sotero’s house sleeping with the Russians and Ukranians, not just the Clintons?
Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute and senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News, recalled how Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s second son, received millions of dollars from Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings while his father directed $1.8 billion in aid money to Ukraine as vice president during the Obama administration.
Despite the Robert Mueller-led operation’s ostensible pursuit of “collusion” between President Donald Trump and the Russian state, Schweizer noted actual financial dealings between the Biden family and foreign interests.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/03/exclusive-peter-schweizer-joe-biden-steered-1-8-billion-to-ukraine-while-his-son-bagged-sweetheart-deal-from-their-government/
Instead of banning plastic bags, the suits should reopen the consent decree with GE, and fire the PEDA leaches.
There is more poison just in Silver Lake then they cleaned from Love Canal.
Then there is the plume running underground East Street, the toxic lagoon behind “Plastics”, and the uncapped/unlined dump behind Morningside.
That’s right! Perhaps Tyer will appoint a special council to dig up the dirt, literally and figuratively, on the GE PEDA scam.
With the number of women coming out accusing Foul Mouth Joe of perversion stuff, you’d think Trump had nominated him for a SCOTUS seat!
Good one, Trapper.
Between the groping acts caught on video, and his shady deals while VP – no wonder Uncle Joe is having trouble securing big donor money for his campaign.
I will take into consideration voting for any new candidate who will post here or in the Eagle, a complete list of recipients of TIFS for the last ten years. Better yet, would be if the mayor, in alignment with her open government policy, publish for all taxpayers to see, all business s that got tax breaks from the GE monies.
This seems a reasonable request for what should be public information and I hope the mayor will volunteer this soon. I thank her ahead of time and hope I do not have to keep asking why such information is not coming out.
When the state legislature passes MA H4234, the new law will preempt local ordinances. The petition should have been tabled to save the councilors from wasting their time.
But wasting time is what our council does best.
I’m all for investigating left right independent.Now let’s get this investigative report out to the American people then let’s investigate Clinton again and again.All for it.No more coverups,do we all agree.
The consent decree did nothing for Pittsfield as it on went down the river 1 and a half miles in 22 years.Wasting our time.Put a fence around PEDA and Allendale demand a new school and move on.
McCandless is at 158k and Tyer is at 110k so we on the low end can see why they never cut taxes.
The Berkshire Eagle’s editorial wants Dalton area voters to vote “Yes” on building a new Wahconah Regional High School. Is there a tax increase the Eagle’s Editors don’t endorse?
I thought it was humorous that the Eagle Editors wrote: “we urge our legislative delegation to seek ways to protect the district’s most vulnerable taxpayers from burdensome increases”.
The 5 useless Berkshire state Legislators are a bunch of do nothings who always vote unanimously for their dictatorial, top down, very intimidating and feared Speaker for life named Bob DeLeo! Since when did Adam Hinds, Smitty Pignatelli, Tricia Farley Bouvier, Paul Marx, or John Barrett III protect their district’s vulnerable taxpayers from burdensome local tax increases? Answer: NEVER!!!! However, they do always vote for their own self-serving legislative pay raises!
The Eagle’s Editors are disingenuous to endorse tax increases on the local government level, while asking the 5 do nothing Berkshire delegates on Beacon Hill to protect vulnerable local taxpayers from those same tax increases.
– Jonathan Melle
Wow Johnathan, well said and I agree totally. Too bad you don’t share the same sentiment towards Pittsields’ tax and spend politicians.
Sarcasm: I am all for Pittsfield’s tax and spend politicians!
This is for Mr. Clairmont, in reference to his “you anti people” post yesterday.
It may be a no-win situation with some, but some of us are just anti- tax and spend, and anti-giving our money away to the private sector, like The Beacon Cinema. The handouts and tax breaks are ridiculous and the spending is out of control, particularly in the school department and you know it more than others. You tried to cut a smidgen as a councilor and you were practically crucified. Schools should be closed and consolidated.
When the mayor had her picture taken standing in front of the old KFC property while campaigning and said blight like that is unacceptable, and then the property sits in shambles for 3 years, it is reasonable and proper to ask, as I did yesterday – Is the building down because the mayor made relentless efforts to get the property cleaned up like she suggested she would when campaigning and if so what efforts were made over the past 3 years???? Or is it because new owner wants property to sell dope to the dopes in Pittsfield and surrounding communities? What is the answer???
I am glad the “barrier to inspiration” has been removed. I am sure that building a brand new shiny marijuana distribution facility will be a wonderful inspiration to our dope smoking Pittsfielders and the tourists the mayor wants to attract, because I did see she had another photo in the news in another pot shop on opening day, and besides unlike the PEDA mess, that will create at least a couple of jobs right?
If the mayor is responsible for the “barrier to inspiration” being removed, then she deserves credit, and she should take credit for it. It’s pretty disappointing though, that she campaigned on crime and blight first time around, and second time around, marijuana sales operations are creating the jobs, and crime is no longer one of her campaign mainstays, and now it’s all about “programs”, “initiatives”, and “investments”, which basically means tax and spend. You can’t spend your way to prosperity, and now that she owns the crime problem, she doesn’t make want to highlight it. Whatever came of her call for “a collaborative of law enforcement professionals to implement new strategies for crime fighting.” because it seems like the millions more each year for the cops, and shot spotter isn’t brining the crime rate down???? I must have missed that in her re-election announcement. I must’ve also missed where she created “a committee of housing developers, real estate agents and landlords to develop a
program to salvage properties.”, which she advocated for that day in front of KFC, along with an ordinance requiring landlords to register with the city. Now she wants to give landlords free home improvements. But don’t sweat it, I’m only one vote, and as a female, 4 year incumbent, even Jesus couldn’t beat her now.
The Vietnam vets were NOT happy with th mayor doing the emceeing over at the ceremony for Vets the other day. The word amongst the Vets was it was all about her, watching planes come in and wearing a bracelet as a kid. Word is there will be something in the beagle about it. It was clearly a political stunt.
Another political stunt that reminded me of Donald Trump. Using the veterans and their pain to promote a political agenda is offensive. Nothing surprises me in politics anymore.
Stunts are always in fashion in an election year. Look for more of them.
What was the four year term supposed to be for? Now it becomes we need at least eight to get things done,anything she did in the last half year could’ve been accomplished in her second year. She lost me literally,when she hired retread for the license board, half the time he’s absent,talk about dead wood.
When I delivered meals for Meals on Wheels in Southern Berkshire
County, in communities where plastic bags were banned… I put each meal in a plastic bag like those that are to become banned in Pittsfield, to keep each meal hot.. as plastic bags insulate. The clients I served appreciated getting a plastic bag each day because
they were low income and used each bag many times over for all
kinds of purposes. This ban will hurt the elderly and the low income more than it will save a whale.