WILL THE REAL MAYORAL CANDIATES PLEASE STAND UP?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2019) — What makes for a viable mayoral candidate in Pittsfield. It’s an interesting question, given that each cycle produces two types of contenders: legitimate and disingenuous. It makes the selection easy.
THE LEGITIMATE
There are two legitimate candidates in this mayoral race: incumbent Linda Tyer and challenger Melissa Mazzeo. Keep in mind we’re writing this in May, and much can change before November. Much can, but it likely won’t. Tigers keep their stripes; so do zebras and candidate types.
HOW TO SPOT A LEGIT CANDIDATE:
- Organization — This includes
- Ward presence — Captains and workers in each ward.
- A campaign headquarters — An actual, equipped location, where they pay rent. The location has visibility so that, even when no one is there, signage promotes the candidate.
- A campaign staff — The manager determines strategy and acts as a producer would on a radio or TV show, making arrangements and deals, securing bookings and appearances. The staff carries out the day-to-day grunt work, including phone calls, knocking on doors, distributing campaign materials, stuffing and mailing literature, and many other tasks.
- Marketing and promotional materials — Most notably:
- Lawn signs — By far the most important item. A good, quality lawn sign announces “arrival.”
- Campaign web site — A dedicated, interactive location on the internet that features a variety of content.
- Literature — Some combination of
- A brochure with a brief bio and an outline of the campaign’s vision.
- Doorknob cards and placards.
- Bumper stickers.
- Pins, buttons, lapel stickers.
- Campaign cash — This means one of three things:
- The candidate supplies her own funds.
- The candidate borrows money.
- The candidate solicits and receives donations.
- Some combination of these three.
- Buy ads on radio, newspapers, TV, the internet — anywhere that attracts readers or viewers.
- That might include billboards, though billboards are ineffective and, at their cost, a waste.
- Throw fundraisers, which will in turn generate more funds.
- Ceaseless Effort — 24/7 campaigning entails:
- Appearances at coffee hour in private homes and commercial locations.
- Appearances at public spaces.
- Showing up for everything, turning down no request for an appearance, knocking on an endless succession of doors.
So much for the legit. Now let’s turn to the pikers.
THE ILLEGITIMATE
They are defined by a lack of all or most of the above. They are fakes, though not frauds, a key distinction. These people run for any number of dubious reasons. It could be an ego trip. Maybe they believe they are making a difference. Some want their 15 minutes. One thing is certain: When you see someone conducting a “solitary campaign,” you can dismiss them out of hand unless you want to waste a vote. A better choice would be not voting at all or casting a “none of the above” tally in the form of a write-in name.
A “fake” bid is characterized by the kind of safe “campaigning” that isn’t campaigning at all, for example, “the lone wolf” who stays within his or her comfort zone. Debate appearances and harangues at city council meetings change nothing, since the casual voter pays no attention.
THE PLANET well understands that there may be multiple mayoral candidates for the September primary, but, barring an act of Charlton Heston, there will only be two for November: Tyer and Mazzeo. Both are Grade A Prime Legit, a battle of true heavyweights. All others will have long been dismissed to their own private, political Fantasy Islands.
As a matter of policy, we will not devote coverage to or waste time on the marginal characters. As in poker, if you don’t ante up, you’re out.
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“A wonderful fact to reflect upon: that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other” — Charles Dickens, opening of Chap. 3, A Tale of Two Cities.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Mazzeo better hire a professional campaign consultant like Harrington did, loan her campaign 100,000 grand, and get going. She’s the undisputed underdog and will have her hands full because Tyer has the progressive market cornered, a great organization, plus she’s likeable, and has the power of incumbency, and rightly or not, Mazzeo is seen as linked to Bianchi, who was a great councilor but a less than stellar mayor.
The stuff you mention doesn’t kick in until the candidates are actually on the ballot. Although the smart candidates are thinking ahead.
I don’t vote for lawn signs always been that way. Pete Arlos never campaigned with much,he just did his job, and was a great orator. I won’t vote for a popularity contest, whether lawns signs or spending more is the answer to winning. I won’t sell my soul.
Look at the current DPW Commissioner,complete failure,they don’t answer the phone over at City Hall lately,called three times this week,no answer. Roads aren’t great and they don’t have a plan. Schools should be educating top rung with the money they get. I’ve always thought the Mayors position was a popularity contest,but until you get someone in there with qualifications,you will have Just Another Four Years. Upward 170 mi I believe. Ruberto has turned the city into a Broadway N Y arts and doper community with a few restaurants and a twenty plus million dollar movie theatre,that’s what we have.
It’s not about “selling your soul.” It’s about getting off your ass and showing the city how much you want the job by spending time & energy & effort in WORKING to win the seat.
I agree 100% with Dan’s remarks.
I find it interesting when campaign donors give money to both campaigns. Also, sometimes a third candidate plays the spoiler in favor of another candidate. Pittsfield politics always has two Democrats running against each other. It is a matter of who is the biggest political hack for the vested and special interests. Less than 20% of voters actually vote. Wealthy Ward 4 decides the Mayoral and At-Large City Council elections. The “big wheel” candidates play to the wealthy part of Pittsfield, while the rest of the community gets the shaft. The lovely Linda Tyer is married to a millionaire named Barry Clairmont. The lovely Melissa Mazzeo is well off, too. Pittsfield is one of the most economically unequal communities in Massachusetts and the nation. City Hall uses “perverse incentives” that puts federal dollars for welfare, social services, and public education over having living wage jobs for its working class. PEDA turns 21 years old this summer of 2019, and it is a big failure with zero private investment in its polluted land. $7 million out of $10 million has been spent from GE’s so-called economic development fund, while Pittsfield has lost hundreds of living wage jobs and thousands of its former taxpayers to population loss. Downtown Pittsfield still has poverty, drugs, violence, and empty storefronts. The Good Old Boys still run the show in Pittsfield. I wish the lovely ladies named Linda Tyer and Melissa Mazzeo good luck trying to turn all of Pittsfield’s lemons into lemonade.
– Jonathan Melle
Good morning Jonathon. Please untangle a puzzle for me. You say that the good old boys still run the show in Pittsfield and at the same time the lovely Linda is the best mayor ever. How can both be true? Is she running the show or is she being told HOW to run the show?
Thank you in advance.
Bianchi was the anti Ruberto, Doyle,Massimiano,Hickey, Marchetti,Amuso,Yon ,Caccamo,Moon,Kroll,White,,Rivers,Mayor.Tyer was the Ward 4 Ward 3 candidate.If you want high taxes support Tyer.
Mazzeo is one of the people responsible for the meals tax since she fully supported it and still supports it. We have never gotten rid of the meals tax and it has increased over the years. It was supposedly only going to be a temporary tax according to politicians at the time it was passed, but trusting politicians is NOT a good idea.
The pol’s know full well any tax they propose as a temp one will become one to stay on books. They have to sell it like it will go away after a period of time in order to soften the people up to accept it.
Jon is out of breath. He just blew up his Linda love doll. He’ll respond when he catches his breath.
So your saying Lovely Linda is the best political hack mayor ever?
I have a feeling that. Mayor Mazzeo can consolidate schools.He business skill require quick informed on the fly correct decisions all the time along with he intellectual curiosity to ask questions about a problem.I have a feeling she is a Mayor who will become aware of a problem then go to the problem tell the public what the problem is and who Pittsfield is going to fix the problem.
Problem 1 is School safety and I’m guessing Mayor Mazzeo will not tolerate her teachers being verbally harassed or students being intimidated by other out of control students which is an extension of City safety.Number 2 problem is budgets that need a time out on growth and that brings us back to the schools irrational spending to solve problems they created years ago.Mayor Mazzeo needs to be the the low income budget Mayor not the coctail party Mayor.
Tyer had a chance and I could not be more disappointed in a candidate that ran on how to control budgets.I have no doubts that Mazzeo can be the best Mayor this city will ever have a chance to elect.Here is why ,she has the ability to humble herself and ask question and that says alot about her inteligence.The school department spending is understood by no one on the school committee because they dont want to appear ignorant.Would love to see Mayor Mazzeo grill the schools on spending.I can see Mayor Mazzeo walking the halls of Herberg school to correct a problem and then recruit our student in other towns to come home again.
Doomster-
Trust me the good old boys are firmly in charge, led by Ruberto and newcomers Mr. BC Tyer. and his BFF Tom Shaggy.
I agree. Just wanting Jonathon to explain why he thinks she is so great but at the same time being a puppet of the shadow government. Is it possible to be both?
PEDA and Mountain One lets find out more about how this thing was built and sold.Again not new jobs just transplanted from North Street Stevenson Insurance employees.Walmart project for PEDA was not new employees but a transfer of Walmart Coltsville to PEDA…Mazzeo radar was up for this one
Did Mountain One get the land free and a TIF? Heard something to that effect but city hall is not talking about it.
Mountain One doesn’t own the building or the land. They lease it from Pittsfield Stanley Works LLC, owned by Eric Taylor. Here is the press release from 2012:
https://www.mountainone.com/content/mountainone-expands-eye-catching-new-facility
Just read yesterdays BB and there was an article saying Mountain One is in the process of buying the building from Pittsfield Stanley Works LLC.
So very few differences between Tyer and Mazzeo. Both believe in high taxation. Both are big progressives so are all about the progressive agenda. Both support lots of money to the school department. The only difference I can see is that Tyer supported Andrea Harrington for District Attorney and Mazzeo did not support her. Mazzeo scores some points on that issue.
Pat,tax breaks for rich people cost poor people a tax break.You did not get a tax break.
Please tell me what type of income taxes poor people pay?
I respect Mazzeo. She is smart and organized. She delivered her ward to Cacc. on his second effort for DA office – impressive work from Mazzeo given the fact that he lost the primary. Tyer appears to me to be merely a puppet of Ruberto & Co. I don’t think Tyer has the intelligence and courage to be a leader.
First of all, Melissa Mazzeo is an at-large councilor. Which means her “ward”, as you put it, is the entire City of Pittsfield.
Second, Cacc won Pittsfield by 600 votes in the primary, but lost every Ward and Precinct in the general; he also lost every city and town in Berkshire County. Now do you “respect Mazzeo”, Canem Bonum?
And from where I’m seated – Linda Tyer is well equipped to handle the job of Pittsfield mayor; her intelligence and foresight is beyond reproach.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
My memory is that he won Mazzeo’s home ward in the general. And, I’m sorry but Tyer is a mere follower. The interest free home improvement program was just shameless election cycle vote grabbing idea and a real misuse of GE funds.
One more time:
Melissa Mazzeo is an at-large councilor; which means she represents Pittsfield, as a whole (all Wards and Precincts).
In case you missed the general election results, Cacc lost Pittsfield, as a whole. So following this logic, deductively, Cacc lost Mazzeo’s Pittsfield, as a whole.
—————–
No, what’s “shameless” is silk-stockings Mazzeo doesn’t give a damn about anybody below her class of one per-centers.
Sadly, she’s never amended or offered a real alternative to Mayor Tyer’s home improvement initiative. That’s shameful!
P.S. Is Mark Tully straddling again after Barry asked if he would help on LInda’s re-election campaign, or will he sit with Mazzeo, who worked side-by-side with him on Cacc write-in effort? Of will he work on Mazzeo’s campaign on behalf of Linda Tyer? Stayed tuned . . . . .
Mr. Marquis, You are being deliberately obtuse. Mazzeo delivered the ward she lives in to Caccia. for the general election.
Brian,
You are wrong about Mazzeo “not offering an alternative” to Tyer’s home improvement initiative. Mazzeo, Connell, Simonelli & Morandi brought up a petition at last nite’s CC meeting showing support for the program if another source of funding can be found. GE Funds cannot be used for home improvement to a select few.
As a side note, I completely disagree with this petition, as I don’t want the financially challenged city sponsoring hme improvement projects – this should be left to the banks. This is just a politically motivated scam in an election year. The city isn’t maintainng its own roads and properties!
Pay close attention to who’s who on various campaigns. During Cacc’s write-in effort most who infiltrated his committee were from Tyer’s political network. And since Tyer openly supported “Andrew” Harrington for DA, that left most like Mark Tully, Kathy Amuso et al at odds with working on Cacc’s behalf or on behalf of “Andrew”.
Given all the turbulence and cognitive dissonance inside Cacc’s write-in effort – it should come as no surprise to anybody that that’s what sunk the poor guy.
The most notable Tyer supporter, Tully, came on board (not sure why) to take over Cacc’s effort. When Cacc decided to adopt a winning pathway, contrary to Tully’s, Tully quit; only to return if – and only if Cacc agreed to his terms.It’s still hard to digest that Cacc would place his complete trust in the guy!!!
Remember, Tully led the effort to set aside his wife’s re-election campaign to make room for Helen Moon(shine) to replace her as Ward 1 Councilor. All at the behest of Barry and Linda.
What’s the bottom-line? Dual loyalities is a candidate’s worst nightmare. If you don’t believe me, just ask Caccaviello and Bianchi.
Melissa Mazzeo’s no different. She’ll play both sides of the fence to further any of her abstract causes.Case in point is the alleged contents of a phone call between herself and “Andrew”, where she claimed the caller (that would be “Andrew”) threaten her political future if she didn’t support her. Afterwards a major firestorm erupted on Planet Valenti over this incident; without even a scintilla of evidence to support Mazzeo’s version – everyone ganged up on poor, defenseless “Andrew”.
When it’s all said and done . . .
At least Linda Tyer still enjoys a solid, loyal base that’s with her 100%. Dual loyalities among them appear nonexistent (with exception of a few fence straddlers).
Linda Tyer deserves a second term as Pittsfield mayor.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
Brian,
I’d like to clear up of a few of your points.
While Mark Tully did support Linda’s first run for Mayor, he was not a part of our campaign. He wasn’t on the committee. To my knowledge, he never even held signs. So I don’t think it is correct to label him as being in Linda’s “political network”.
Also, Mark did want Paul to win the D.A. race.
As to Lisa not running and handing over her seat to Helen Moon…I have no idea what conversations took place between Lisa, Mark and Helen. I find it hard to believe that there was a hand off as you put it. I didn’t even meet or know who Helen was until after she was running. I know there weren’t conversations concerning a “hand off” between Linda, Mark, Lisa or myself.
Barry
Barry . . ..
If I recall, correctly, Lisa Tully turned on Dan Bianchi to support Linda’s 2016 campaign for mayor. In fact Lisa’s name appeared in The Berkshire Eagle as a city councilor supporting Linda’s campaign.
I attended more than my share of Bianchi rallies. At each of them to see Lisa, only to discover afterward she was in your camp (and that’s okay, too). So, don’t try to sugar coat it with a bunch of nonsensical nonsense.
With regards to Lisa yielding to Helen Moon: my knowledge of this came directly from Mark Tully, during a early evening phone conversation, about mounting distrust with Lisa joining the write-in effort. Especially after Lisa dissed Bianchi for Linda – there was great concern as to where her loyalities lain.
At the time, Bianchi and Melissa Mazzeo were reluctant to come aboard because of Lisa Tully’s support for Linda (and Helen Moon, to a lesser degree). He didn’t trust her nor did others (including Bianchi’s wife).
Just so we’re clear – it was Mark who revealed the deal between Linda and Lisa. It’s not something I picked up or overheard second or third hand. This came straight from the horse’s mouth (so-to-speak).
Great to hear from you, Barry. Give my best to Linda!!
Brian,
I did not deny that Lisa supported Linda in her first run.
This is the first time I’m leaning that she attended Bianchi rallies. I knew early on she was supporting Linda. I stand by my comment that I knew nothing about a “hand off” of Lisa’s seat. In fact, I stand by everything in my last post.
Barry
Barry . . ..
Understood!!
One caveat: you certainly don’t need this hack to give you guys advise, but be very careful who’s invited into your upcoming campaign. I can tell you, based on past experiences, from the last two campaigns, the ones you trust the most are the ones who’re protecting their interest elsewhere.
Remember, more than a few of Linda’s supporters were also Mazzeo supporters in 2016. Voting one and the other in a closed booth was easy when both candidates were scheduled in different contests. Now you’re confronted with overlapping interests.
(Although Mazzeo is giving up her at-large seat to run for mayor, all those known and unknown fence straddlers are leveraging everything against a Mazzeo or Tyer victory).
BCM
Best thread of the week.
nonsensical
nonsense? OK but I prefer sensible nonsense
Moon is dumber than Balance Rock.
Hey Dan, next time just send Gaetani an email.
If you have a son or daughter that is thinking of going into the armed forces anytime soon be sure to let them know they may get themselves involved in a nasty foolish unnecessary war in the mid east. I would advise all such young folk to hold off on their decision for another year at least.
Johnny A, in case you haven’t noticed that’s business as usual for the military.
If you are afraid of going to war the military life is not for.
Tyer is a cliche queen. The woman has nothing to say so she just blathers cliches. Not a sign of intelligence.
When she first ran, my voting thought process was “anybody but Bianchi”. NOW it is “anybody but Tyer.” And I mean anybody!
Tyer’s been in office 3 1/2 years with not much to show for it. Basically she’s served 2 terms under the old city charter. I’d like to see what Mazzeo could accomplish as mayor – time for a new approach to the city’s financial issues, crime, delivery of city services, underperforming schools, etc.
And 4 years from now it will be ANYBODY but Mazzeo because it’s the Progressive philosophy that’s the problem. They all believe in high taxation, big government control, and promoting their agenda takes precedence over any practical considerations.
Well said Pat. My thoughts exactly. Mazzeo is a feminist liberal progressive that believes in free home improvements too, and in fact wants to spent thousands more in them.
Bottom line is Mayor Tyer wants an extra 7 million dollars.I want to know if Mayor Tyer supports 2 High Schools.I want to know if Mayor Tyer knows the number of student who wont attend education in her City.I want to know if Mayor Tyer know what the average AS check amount is.I believe The new Mayor Mazzeo will know the answer to these questions.I believe Mayor Mazzeo will expose how things are covered up.As Mayor Barrett said ,get away from your desk and go to the problem.Herberg is the number 1 problem right now….This is still a secret in Pittsfield and it won’t go away until Mazzeo takes over
Sadly enough, silk-stockings Mazzeo’s been a city councilor at-large since Moses came down from the mountain, and yet she’s said nothing about or offered anything tangible to help curb your issues at Herberg Middle School.
Go figure!!
What has Tyer done in regards to the failing schools?? She’s been sitting on the school committee for the past 3 1/2 years!
What gives you the impression that Pittsfield schools are “failing”?
How many are graduating from Taconic? How many are graduating from PHS? And how many, collectively, are going off to public or private (elite or otherwise) colleges?
As schools find themselves addressing more belligerent & challenging behaviours, that doesn’t equate into districtwide failures.
What should be happening is more funding from policymakers so school administrators can move ahead with hiring more qualified behaviorists; and to encourage & support more professional development in the area of classroom management. The psychological flow begins and belongs to the classroom teacher.
Silk-stockings Mazzeo is a blast from Pittsfield’s ugly past.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
How many Pittsfield kids are graduating from schools outside of Pittsfield? And why would they be graduating from schools outside of Pittsfield?
Tyer has had four years. The equivalent of two terms of any past mayor. Her friends may be better off as she herself, but the average smuck is much worse off. Her biggest failure is not controlling the budget. She is a spendthrift, always looking for things to spend taxpayers hard earned money on.
My kid is graduating next year from a US News and World Report top 10 high school in the Country. It is a public school. It has students that are from poor and struggling families as well as families that are well off. The benefit to my child is that there will likely be full scholarships and little student debt. It saddens me that there are many great students in PPS that do not have opportunities like my child. There are no easy answers.
Brian, what is your take on ward 6. Your Facebook says guiel will win, but she’s a product of your nemesis krol, even buying the house across the street from him on trova for the handsome sum of $300,000.
What kind of candidate would you like to see there?
Guiel will follow Krol’s classic mode of announcing her candidacy close to the deadline. Krol used to do that by keeping prospective challengers at bay until the final hour.
Once he announced at the eleventh hour, it proved beneficial to his re-election campaign – since everyone else found themselves scrabbling to find signatures, volunteers, support – and money.
Ballsy move if you ask me!!
Re: Brian Marquis’ deliberate obtuseness regarding Melissa Mazzeo’s capacity to deliver. Indeed, my memory is correct, Melissa Mazzeo delivered her home ward (3B) to Paul Caccaviello in the general election for DA -a resounding 828 votes (write-in, no less) to AH’s 644. Paul also won wards 2B and 4B. Mr. Marquis might wish to verify by going to electionstats.state.ma.us
In the meantime, I say BOOM. I respect Melissa Mazzeo. Courage, intelligence and energy.
! Parse the issue all you wish, but it doesn’t matter which Wards Cacc won – he lost Pittsfield and Berkshire County.
Again, Mazzeo represents all of Pittsfield. Winning a Ward here and there is not worth honorable mention if you can’t cross the finish line – first.
And that’s the bottom-line
Brian
Caccaviello lost because he lacks integrity or credibility,selectively prosecuting and fixing cases for his campaign donors and friends. Leaving his witness David Glaser unprotected, to get bigger headlines, shows his moral bankruptcy.
Caccaviello,capeless and even their wives attempted to intimidate anyone critical of his performance, in violation of mgl c 265 s37, I will be filing a criminal complaintt tommirrow,as he had myself maliciously and retaliatory arrested for asking why he allowed my son Aiden ( whom he has known since he was 3 in 2006, as Paul’s daughter Grace and Aiden are classmates and close friends)to be punched in the right eye at his mothers home, and covered it up. Paul “ no probable cause Caccaviello “ will be the first of many ,The dozens of sexual assault victims at Williams college and MCLA will also be exposing the actions of the former administration. Which is why I assumed Harrington chose Karen bell a former federal prosecutor to facilitate the prosecutions
Rich Donohy will also be receiving.
At this point I am unable to deduce if Andrea Harrington is involved in, or being kept uninformed by capeless/Caccaviello loyalist holdovers , she naïvely trusts with her reputation and future. As she naïvely ? kept the perpetrators who covered up more than just the sexual assault scandal created by the previous administration.
Mazzeo And I are former classmates,she was always smart and driven sadly she may just not be able to overcome the stain of backing Caccaviello. Melissa unfortunately backed a candidate who is devoid both morally and ethically. Which will also cost Tom Bowler his position.
I’ll be interested to see if & how Melissa extracts herself from the mess she created for herself, and wish her well.
As she could still have a bright political future.
Mayor Mazzeo asks the rights questions and she respectfully gets to the answers.Mayor Tyer has been on Tons School committee for 200 mettings over 4 years.Has gone along with all budgets.When will Marchetti and the Mayor ask what money is spent the make them prove the y need it and they need to report follow up success at get rid of job and the program.Send these verbally violent kids home.
I don’t judge people, including the lovely Linda Tyer, by who her friends and allies are. I do, indeed, dislike Jimmy Ruberto and Carmen Massimiano, but I don’t fault the lovely Linda Tyer for her political coalition with the Good Old Boys.
I support the lovely Linda Tyer because she stands for everything I believe in when it comes to politics and government. She is progressive and fair. I was a fan of the lovely Linda Tyer since 2003 through present time.
– Jonathan Melle
JON
Good point about coalitions. Unless an outside candidate is willing to spend a lot of money and campaign relentlessly and approach issues differently, machine politics are the only way one gets the corner office.
And that is exactly how Trump won. But he is so nutsso he will probably blow his re-election.
So Jonathon you are in favor of tax and spend policies? Giveaways to the Beacon theater millionaire? Failing schools? Pot holed roads into May?
Because this is what she is standing for right now
Oh, where to begin. First I voted for Tyer and am very disappointed by her lack of accomplishments for the city
I support Mazzeo and I think she is most certainly capable of defeating the mayor.
But it’s not so much a vote for the mayor’s challenger but rather a VOTE AGAINST THE MAYOR! And I have heard this from numerous others.
The list of failures by this mayor is too long to list all of them here. The toters, North St. parking meters, tin cans on Tyler St. for just a few. Fill in the rest of the blanks.
Bottom line: Tyer most certainly can be beaten.
I think you left out the big one: Tyer actively campaigned for Harrington, a sham of a DA with an vastly over inflated sense of her accomplishments and abilities. A certain judge refers to the office as a “Gong Show.” With crime at disaster level, we have an incompetent as the lead law enforcement officer of the county. Blame Tyer. Vote accordingly.
PITTSFIELD — Mayor Linda Tyer endorsed District Attorney candidate Andrea Harrington for the office at a news conference this afternoon.
“My endorsement comes with the strong belief that Andrea and I share similar values and we are like-minded,” Tyer said, standing beside Harrington at her East Street campaign headquarters with about 25 supporters. “We both believe in creating opportunities for social justice and for thinking differently about entrenched problems.”
Harrington, 43, of Richmond, will face off against sitting District Attorney Paul Caccaviello and Judith Knight in the democratic primary Sept. 4.
Tyer noted similarities between her leadership style and that of Harrington, and said they share ideas on how to bring Pittsfield into the future with progressive ideas.
“I especially admire Andrea’s plan to create a citizens advisory committee, her balanced perspective of vigorously prosecuting crimes, protecting victims and seeking new ways to disrupt criminal culture,” the mayor said. “These are bold, new ideas for our modern challenges.”
Thanking the mayor for her endorsement, Harrington said Tyer has been an inspiration for her campaign. Together, she and the mayor will work to get “dangerous people off the street and to modernize policing by fighting the underlying causes of crime like the opioid epidemic, Harrington said.
“Mayor Tyer has tackled tough issues facing the city with candor and determination,” she Harrington said. “She has broken with the go-along-to-get-along politics that have prevented progress, and I will do the exact same thing as your next District Attorney.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER THESE ADS
One criticism of Harrington from supporters of other candidates has been a lack of trial experience. At the endorsement announcement, Harrington and Tyer made an effort to emphasize the experience she does have, which includes legal work in Florida, Berkshire County and, currently, Springfield.
Harrington raised questions from the public at a recent debate when she mentioned post-conviction work she did with defendants on death row in Florida.
When pressed about the nature of her work at Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, where she worked after a short stint at a corporate law office out of law school, Harrington acknowledged that for more than two years she and a team of other lawyers and investigators reviewed the cases of clients on death row and sought to have their convictions overturned or to get them a life sentence instead of execution.
“Those cases, they take years, if not decades to resolve, so any kind of success that you have in one of those kind of cases is a result of a lot of people working very hard for a long period of time,” Harrington said.
“Which is going to be important in the district attorney’s office,” Tyer interjected. “That’s where the experience matches up.”
When asked how the city will work with the District Attorney’s office if Harington is successful, Tyer said that when the “dust settles,” public officials come together to do the best they can for the people they represent.
“So I will extend my hand to whoever the successful candidate is — it’s going to be Andrea Harrington — but whoever that is I will extend my hand to them and hope that hand extends back to me,” Tyer said.
Good article. Still not sure what the difference between fake and fraud is, but think other candidates will take away votes from both, not just one in particular.
Contrary to what a previous poster implied, I think the engaged Pittsfield voter can go either way in this election, and only the engaged voters will be voting. I don’t believe there is anything else on the ballot.
It will be as close as the last mayoral election.
H
Here’s the difference. The “illegitimate” candidate, defined as we did in the column, runs for a reason. We spelled some of them out. They are self-justified. The candidacies are “fake” in the sense that they have no chance — zero — of winning. They are not fraudulent, however. Gaining enough signatures to be on the ballot entitles them to their place there. Hope that helps.
Dear Dan,
Thank you for the work you put into this website. I find your articles informative and entertaining. I also enjoy reading the comments that are insightful, truthful and intellectual. With that said… I am a private citizen, not a public official, and do not find it newsworthy to be the subject of an unstable and obsessed poster.
MARK
I appreciate your comments. They are taken with due concern.
Just curious, Dan . . . which “due concern[s]” are you referring to?
If you don’t appreciate my opinions, then ban me from your blog.
It seems overly common to-day for sites to block posters whose opinions don’t mess with the theme of the day. Or others taking pride in ganging up on someone who’s merely expressing an opposing opinion. Why is that?
Unlike most, I do harbour opinions that span everywhere from A to Z. And you know who I am and where I stand on each of those given issues!
I never attack personalities, and I’d never label anybody I disagree with as “unstable”. Mark Tully’s nice guy, and I would never speak ill of him – in public or private; but his recent attack, direct at yours truly on your site, is troubling and totally without merit.
In the final analysis: most who think ill of me these days were the same ones who used me as a patsy during the Bianchi and Caccaviello campaigns. I now understand the errors and missteps of my past.
Alas, now the roster has come home to roost and everyone’s running for cover, by attacking my character.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
BCM
Ban you? No. And why would I due that? Your remarks are within THE PLANET’s guidelines. Plus, you write under your own name. Ban? Not a drop of it. Your remarks about Mark are part of the crossfire between you two. Both of you have now expressed concern about attacks from the other on your respective characters. That’s where my “due concern” originates. Note, though, that “due concern” doesn’t rise to a point where we need to ban free speech. If and when that point is crossed, it becomes another matter.
Understood, Dan.
If only Mark was as tough on Harrington during the write-in effort, as he’s so eloquently demonstrated on this platform, Cacc might have had a better chance of prevailing.
But that was then and this is now!!
Not nice, Mark Tully.
We all know what happened and what didn’t happened with Cacc’s write-in campaign.
Oddly enough you and wife joined the write-in effort with open arms, right? You thought highly of me then, right?
The old adage certainly applies here:
when you can’t win on the law, argue the facts; when you can’t win on the facts, argue the law; when you can’t win on the facts and the law, attack your opponent’s character.
The difference here is I stuck to the facts, you hit me personally.
And to think I’m the “unstable” one. Go figure!!
He is out of control and goes way too far
Mayor Tyer want 7 million more dollars and she needs to ask herself who will pay?
Mayor Tyer ran on controlling budgets and giving you better service.Her department head at schools is out of controll.Is he controlling budgets?Tyer is spending her way to another term on the backs of SS income retirees.
I may have been the only one who has noticed but it is mid May and there are still about 943 pot holes and many are of decent width and depth. And many are on heavily travelled roads. Has the mayor addressed why this is? Lack of money, lack of man power, lack of responsibility, misplaced priorities???
It hasn’t stopped raining.
The roads are terrible still. Why is nothing being done?
Maybe she has a legitimate explanation. But what the hell is it? Is she hiding in the same closet Bianchi did?
You cant properly fix potholes when there is water in them.
It hasn’t stopped raining for most of the spring.
Barry
Purchase a propane fueled “dragon style” torch. Evaporate the water via vaporization. It also dries the pothole and softens the asphalt for bonding to new fill.
Not a difficult fix. Think out of the box (or pothole)
BC Marquis-
Looks like Mr. Tyer and C. Bonum put you in your place just like Leo Rivers did back in the day. Now you’re attacking Mark Tully. Get a life and time to stop being your #1 fan.
First, no one’s attacking Mark Tully. All I did was re-litigate some facts that came to light during Cacc’s write-in effort. Which of them do you not understand.
And I’m not sure which part Kevin ‘Leo” Rivers plays in this drama. But Leo, as you name him, never put me in “my place”.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
Tyer is only addressing feel good look at what I did for low income neighborhoods.Mayor Tyer look at how many homes are for sale in really nice neighborhoods.You must solve school problem one and for all,the philosophy of keeping abusive kids in school will never work.Pittsfield taxpayers can not run a therapeutic school system on the backs of the elderly. Our taxes are higher than Lenox,why live here?You must go to the Herberg school to solve it.
Mayor Tyer budget will not get her elected.Work with councilor Moon to find a project that Moon can put together at the courts to fully fund a delinquent 12 year old at the courts.They are well underway to a jail cell and outside the ability of people teaching Science,Math,English,History….Ask the state how much is spent by us to raise the MCAS score of a already delinquent child.
While some communities in MA have banned marijuana sales, the pot shops continue to pop up in Pittsfield under the present administration. Perhaps our city officials are not aware of the cannabis-psychosis link. Interesting article by Coulter based on Alex Berenson’s book “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence.”
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/15/ann-coulter-these-are-real-high-crimes/
Most communities have retail stores. This community should be ashamed at best. Money and greed.
I agree. This city is encouraging pot shops. We will soon have fewer retail stores, but lots of pot shops…..this is not only boring for shoppers, but not good for the mental health of the youth of this city.
The birthrate in this country has hit a 32 year low. We need to encourage women to have children and not keep promoting abortion. We need to stop scaring American women to stop having children because we are all going to die in 12 years from climate change. It’s a ridiculous idea and few believe it, but it sends a message of doom and gloom and not hope for the future.
Most aborted babies are by mothers who could not or did not want to take care of them. Many of them wind up being supported by the taxpayers. If you just want bodies to keep up the population I am not sure that is a good thing.
Dust off your cooter and pop out some kids!
Abortion is murder and if it’s going to be legal, the least we can do is really rock and roll with capital punishment- let’s get rid of these really bad apples once and for all and that will save money right there, when you stop feeding and housing them for life.
The liberal progressive feminists are largely responsible for the death of the traditional family nucleus in America – its cheaper to stay single after you get knocked up, be a welfare rat and suck of tax payers nipple with the free phone, cheap apartment, food stamps, cash card etc.
Eliminate welfare, food stamps, and especially the free cash.
And by the way Johnny, there are plenty of Americans who would adopt American babies if the women would stop killing them. Why do you think so many Americans adopt foreign babies?
These comments about women’s right to speak with her Dr in private are astounding.Would any one of you tell us about your last Doctors visit and how much jail time was involved..Amazing
I read with interest the comments from our mayor in today’s BB regarding the home rehab program she wants
All home owners are faced every day with finding the money to keep their homes repaired. For some it can be a major struggle.
But I am opposed to any program such as this one. Let’s face it. It will benefit only a “select few”. And how those few are selected will most certainly be questionable.
If they didn’t have to pay such high property tax it would be easier, hilarious these politicians claiming they will improve the quality of life when their theft of resources is the #1 drain on people’s standard of living.
Exactly, Wilson & Spider -lower taxes and decrease city spending, and perhaps residents could afford to upkeep their homes.
Leave the “ loans” to the local banks!
I agree. For some time now I have been suspicious of corner office do gooding. Often there is a hidden motive where a friendly connection winds up with a small bonanza. History tells me to be suspect of Pittsfield city govt. and I might not be the only one.
The hidden motive is the votes they seek to gain from specific target areas. This is the motive I feel is happening from those seeking or already in office on this issue.
This is very true Wilson. Property tax is a boondoggle in MA and much worse in NYS. There you find communities paying property taxes of 10-20k a year on houses they can’t shift for 250k. And the govt still can’t stop spending. Rafts for the firemen so they can bbq on a lake – no problem. Armor plated police cars even though they can’t prevent crime – go ahead why not. The schools are next to empty and yet the budgets go up every year. We reward failure in the schools by giving the teachers raises and increasing budgets. Imagine what a family could do for home education if they had 20k a child? And the schools are supposed to have an economy of scale.
Has the existing city home repair program been part of any of these discussions? While federal CDBG funding supports it, additional dollars could certainly be allocated to the current program. I wonder why the performance of nearly $500,000 into home rehab and repair hasn’t received mention?
The Department of Community Development administers housing rehabilitation programs (almost $500,000 per year), and provides Fair Housing assistance and information.
https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/city_hall/community_development/community_development_and_housing/docs/3.%20Home%20Improvement%20Program%20Application%20updated.pdf
If you look in today’s paper, there is an interesting story about our local DA and her “criminal justice reform.”
It appears that children of wealth (i.e.-white children mainly), are losing a vital program in their schools: STRIVE. In the article, Harrington and her puppet Helen Moon, mention diverting funds from this program, to benefit “at risk youth.” Harrington/Moon even spoke to the NAACP about this in the spring. Much to their pleasure.
So, it seems, Harrington is taking away money from a program that works for kids, who actually enjoy going to school and learning, and throwing it away to a bunch of kids, who could careless about being in school. School is a burden between sleep, gang-banging, selling drugs, and having/giving birth to numerous (soon to be) tax-payer funded kids.
Enough is enough. The DA’s job is to prosecute criminals and protect the victims of crimes.
This is the “new approach” — reward failure, waste money on kids who have zero interest in improving themselves, and take funds away from children on whom the money will be well spent.
It’s worth pointing out, the program is in every school all over the county, regardless of color of the student. Please don’t make it about race. Harrington killed a program that’s working well for school children so she can fund her political agenda. She has no vision. She’s solely focused on self aggrandizement to make her a more viable candidate for whatever office she seeks next.
I remember during the DA campaign, someone I know who is/was heavily involved in the STRIVE program posted things on Facebook about Harrington along the lines of “well, her old high school classmates all say she was a total bit**.” This from a woman whose career involves guiding working with high school kids!!! If she is any reflection, I’m guessing there is plenty of room for improvement in that program.
Every kid should be given a trophy at birth and that should be the end of it. Even if he or she is aborted just to be fair about it cuz it weren’t their fault after all. Ya got a heartbeat ya gets a trophy. Even the religious right would vote for that.
Wait until you hear or read her interview done today on WGBY.
Liberals/Progressives are so often totally out of touch with reality. They always think they know best and the rest of us are just plain stupid.
I think in Harrington’s case, DA stands for Dumb A**.
The reality is that almost all of the kids who get involved in the STRIVE program beyond the bare minimum are already on the right path. It is a good program, but that doesn’t mean the money is not perhaps better spent elsewhere. I don’t now enough on the matter to make that call and I doubt you do either. Regardless, I’m pretty sure that Harrington wants what’s best for the kids, as do you and I. We differ on the ways to get there, but the end goal is the same. Maybe you should try to remember that.
P.S. Your “white children” comment does not read well.
P.P.S. “Children of wealth” of any color do not need programs like STRIVE.
Blare,
My comment might not read well to you, but tell me, what percentage of kids are white in the Lenox, Lee, Dalton, school districts versus non-white students? I was just making reference to the article. See, it’s this thing they taught me in school called reading comprehension. And I furthered it with deductive reasoning.
The large majority of students who will lose funding for the STRIVE program in the Berkshires are a very large majority white. Like it or not facts are facts.
Junketeering for Social Justice is the Herald’s headline for the DA’s boondoggle. Good God, Dan, Can you even believe this?
” Studying the European approach, said Rafael Mangual, deputy director of legal policy at the conservative Manhattan Institute, is an “apples to oranges” comparison.
“The assumption there is that those policies would translate well here, but the reality is that our criminal class is very different here than in those countries,” Mangual said, adding there is a lot more violent crime in the U.S. than in Europe.
“It reflects some pretty misguided notions about crime and incarceration,” he said.
CHARLIE
The only smidgeon of respect this junket could muster is the admission that it’s just a “see Europe on our dime.” To pretend ANYTHING of use will happen to the American D.A.s is to take us all for idiots. Oh wait, they have already done that. It gives AH some PR and photo- and air-ops, which seems to be the extent of her interest in the office (that and the salary/bennies).
Mess on third thursday,mayhem of some sort.
Yep, ya can’t be driving vehicles in a crowd. Who Is the producer that is suppose to get these vehicles out of the way in time?
Is it a crash as reported in i berkshires concerning the man that was rolled over at Third Thursday. There will be at least five versions and twenty sceneries before the investigation is complete. Lawsuit for sure.