D.A.’s ‘TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE’ POLICY WILL WORSEN PITTSFIELD’s CRIME WAVE … MAZZEO WANTS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SOMEWHERE-ANYWHERE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 13-15, 2019) — One of the great lies being shoved down the gullets of Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski is the counter-intuitive approach to crime being championed by the radical left — politicians, jurists, social activists — in Massachusetts. Don’t you wish they’d all stand at Onota Street and Columbus Avenue t 3:22 a.m. any day of the week?
[ED NOTE I: At that location, 80 Onota Street, Thursday morning at 10:31 a.m., a woman held against her will had to risk her life, jump out of a second-story window, and flee to escape a man (later arrested, Dominick Simonetta, 46). The house contained “numerous weapons,” according to the Pittsfield Police Department. PPD charged him with assault, kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, witness intimidation, and two counts of intent to commit crime. Conte, Crosby, and Hillcrest schools were put on alert. Can we call it a “vibrant, dynamic, and collaborative effort” on the part of the Pittsfield Police Department and the Berkshire County Special Response Team?]
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In other breaking news, mayoral candidate has issued a press release questioning the accountability of the corner office.
In a statement released Friday, Mayoral candidate Melissa Mazzeo is calling for stronger oversight of the City’s infrastructure plans.
“Strong infrastructure is at the heart of keeping and bringing people and businesses into Pittsfield. Our residents deserve clean, well kept streets,” said Mazzeo. “Trash picked up on time without paying for capital improvements on private company garbage trucks. And, most importantly, they deserve a deeper look into the wastewater treatment plant upgrade before the water/sewer bills rise even more.”
In the January vote, Mazzeo was one of the three dissenting City Council members: “It took years and years of debate to approve $45 million in funding to build the new Taconic High School yet it took us only weeks to approve $74 million for the wastewater upgrade. How can this be and how can so little accountability be acceptable?”
Mazzeo says city leaders must take a more active role in ensuring the project meets EPA standards with the lowest cost possible. As mayor, Mazzeo says she will bring the EPA to Pittsfield and walk through the wastewater treatment plant with the public service commissioner, city councilors, and herself so everyone can get a better understanding of what is required.
In addition to the wastewater treatment plant, Mazzeo is calling for stronger accountability for keeping the streets clean and safe. “There must be direct oversight between contracting with private companies for plowing, creating street cleaning schedules, and planning pothole and paving repairs,” said Mazzeo. She says she will work with city leaders, examine how each of these services are provided, and create a more organized plan that can be understood by residents.
“This year alone, we went over budget by $2.1 million in salt and snow removal, which represents an exponential increase from just four years ago,” said Mazzeo. “As your Mayor, I will be directly accountable to you, the citizens.”
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Accountability focuses the spotlight, doesn’t it?
Lightweight district attorneys, mayors, councilors, school board members and others — backed by their hidden masters and lured on by the carrots of salary, benefits, position, and the counterfeit of power — continue to drive a political agenda that, at least in Pittsfield, can be seen as proof that those in charge have been cemented in their tracks by an unprecedented surge in youth violence, gang infiltration, the drug trade, and the influx of a vast population of human scum, con artists, gimme groups, and assorted low-lifes (many of them the collateral for all the grant money the city receives from Boston). Unable to intelligently address these problems, The Suits have turned these lemons into lemonade for their own selfish gain, typically in the form of fat salaries, bloated benefits, no-show positions, and make-work jobs.
A generation raised on graphic video games, electronic murder, misogynistic hip hop, single moms, absent dads, gun play, loss of personal responsibility, lack of respect, mind-eating social media, the Kardashians — in other words, all destructive social accelerants from minor to major — has left “the community” with a crop of youths with no concept of good and bad, right and wrong. They do what they want and expect no consequences. When things get tough, they demand — or they co-opt the law to demand — Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski to bail them out and pay for their housing, EBT cards, drivers’ licenses, cigarettes, smart phones, lottery tickets, drugs, and booze. Helpless officials stand on the sidelines, living the good life.
Public school administrators, for example, remain frozen in place while middle schoolers run wild. The 7th and 8th grade mules are already doing their part for the local drug “lords.” The response from Authority? Give up. Wave the white flag at the invading hordes of youth, minorities, bangers, and other such children of the night. Extort more millions from the public. Keep raising school salaries and benefits. Hire more staff. Let performance slide. Punish the good students. Permit the punks do what they will in the classrooms, locker rooms, rests rooms, corridors, and on school grounds.
The bacillus has infected many offices and department heads.
Police chief Mike Wynn ($140,000 a year plus bennies) handles the situation in abstentia, forever on an endless vacation of sandy beaches, Chateau Lafitte 1960, and the back-slapping “conference” circuit. School superintendent JIV McCandless ($157,000 + B) handles it by confiscating more of the public treasury for his sinking, stinking department. Mayor Linda Tyer ($100,000 + B) handles it by not admitting it. For her, civic life is “vibrant,” “dynamic,” and “the community” is coming together in a “collaborative” group hug — for instance in the ill-advised social engineering taking place on drug- and crime-infested Tyler Street. And then there’s the Berkshire County district attorney ($185,000 + B). [ED. NOTE II: Salaries approximate but close enough.]
Take Andrea Harrington.
Please.
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Harrington has bought into the “transformative justice” racket, aka “reformative justice,” a ravenous political wolf dressed in a little lamb’s mantle foisted off as a judicial remedy. This isn’t Squeaky’s idea. Harrington’s most recent original idea came when she convinced Adam Hinds to shave his head, grow an orifice-ringing goatee, and drink gayjuice from a flowered tea cup, little finger down, middle finger up. You last saw Hinds standing behind the D.A., to her left, inhaling her scent, au de condone, as she announced what iBerserkshire called an “ambitious” program on youth crime.
Here, THE PLANET initially listed the crimes that the local office would not prosecute. The list, however, taken verbatim from the “declination policy” of the Suffolk County District Attorney, according to Rich Dohoney, assistant district attorney for Berkshire County.
“In fact,” Dohoney tells THE PLANET, “there is no such policy in [our] office. We are currently prosecuting 15 disorderly conduct charges, 20 receiving stolen property charges, 68 possession charges, and another 10 possession charges with intent to distribute.”
We thank the Harrington’s office for the correction. We are glad to correct the record as well as state our full support for the D.A.’s aggressiveness with respect to the list.
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To be clear, the following list of “don’t prosecute” crimes is from Suffolk, not Berkshire County.
— Trespassing
— Shoplifting (including offenses that are essentially shoplifting but charged as larceny)
— Larceny under $250
— Disorderly conduct
— Disturbing the peace
— Receiving stolen property
— Minor driving offenses, including operating with a suspend or revoked license
— Breaking and entering — where it is into a vacant property or where it is for the purpose of sleeping or seeking refuge from the cold and there is no actual damage to property
— Wanton or malicious destruction of property
— Threats – excluding domestic violence
— Minor in possession of alcohol
— Drug possession
— Drug possession with intent to distribute
— A stand alone resisting arrest charge, i.e. cases where a person is charged with resisting arrest and that is the only charge
— A resisting arrest charge combined with only charges that all fall under the list of charges to decline to prosecute, e.g. resisting arrest charge combined only with a trespassing charge.
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THE PLANET wonders:
- How will “restorative justice” address Pittsfield’s rampant crime wave? (Murders, shootings, stabbings, robberies, and all the rest)
- How will this make it safer for citizens and visitors?
- How will this encourage businesses and industry to consider the area?
- How will this help the failing public schools?
Take a deep breath, because the public safety situation in Pittsfield is about to get much worse. We hope we are proven incorrect.
Have a great weekend everybody.
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“God guard us from thoughts men think in the mind alone” — W.B. Yeats.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE”
LOVE TO ALL.
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DA Andrea Harrington is tough on crime
Imagine you are an officer with the Berkshire County Drug Task Force. In your warrant service meeting, your “round up” you are told you’ll be serving a warrant on a location with two known bad actors.
They are accused distribution of drugs and are known to be armed and dangerous.
In the team today you are first man though the door, that funnel of death, the guy that goes in right after the breacher and today it will be a dynamic entry. It will be a conspicuous display of an overwhelming amount of dominating force. The hope is that while the bad actors are still processing via their OODA loop, you will have them secured. In layman’s terms, they won’t know what hit them, full shock and awe. It’s the best way to make sure the subjects are captured, the evidence is secured, and everyone goes home (or to booking and jail) alive and unhurt.
It’s a complicated tactical ballet, lots of moving parts, with very little room for error.
After all of the planning and the work, you actually secure the subjects, the evidence, and go home and the case is forwarded onto DA Andrea Harrington’s office.
Here are just some of the charges:
Possession of heroin with the intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute
Three counts of improper storage of a firearm
One count of illegal possession of a large-capacity weapon
Three counts of illegal ownership of a firearm
One count of possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card
On the weapons and ammunition charges, you could easily get six years. On the weight of the drugs (327 bags of heroin cut and packaged for distribution) you could get two years.
What does DA Andrea Harrington’s “tough” on crime office do?
They pleaded the entire ride down to 2 1/2 years with a credit for 141 days time served while being held prior to trial.
There is still a case pending against his brother for some of the same charges but expect that to max out at maybe and it’s a big maybe 1 1/2 years with credit for time served (if that).
Sounds horrible, sounds like it couldn’t happen. No one would be incompetent enough to do that.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/pittsfield-man-headed-to-jail-after-admitting-to-gun-drug-charges,584465?
PITTSFIELD — A city man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail Tuesday after admitting to weapon and narcotics charges stemming from a 2017 raid.
Kareem King, 25, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to nine counts, including charges of cocaine and heroin possession and illegal weapons possession.
But we need more gun laws! I got a silly idea…..let’s enforce the ones we have.
“There is still a case pending against his brother for some of the same charges but expect that to max out at maybe and it’s a big maybe 1 1/2 years with credit for time served (if that).”
At the time of the arrest, Kareem King was 22 with a clean record. His older brother Derrick was 39 and had three prior convictions. Yes, Kareem King’s case was pled down to 2.5 years, but your “insider’s view” that we can expect an even lighter sentence for big brother is just plain stupid. Don’t be so obvious with your misinformation.
Weapons charges alone should have got “poor Kareem”, 5 years in state prison.
Then another 5 years, for drug distribution, consecutive.
Q: What is a Mandatory Minimum Sentence?
A: In Massachusetts, certain offenses carry statutory “minimum mandatory sentences.” That means that if convicted, the defendant cannot be sentenced to anything less that the mandatory minimum jail, state prison sentence, or fine required by the governing statute. The only exceptions are “alternative dispositions” for operating under the influence charges, and in very limited circumstances for drug offenses, based on the nature and mitigating factors involved, in which case a judge may be permitted to sentence the defendant to 2/3 of the mandatory minimum sentence.
Not exactly how it works. The DA can just drop the charge outright or refile charge under non mandatory minimum provision – whether it be gun possession unlawfully or selling dope – when the gutless legislators added the mandatory minimum laws (which have been gutted like a fish ), they kept the non-mandatory ones on the books, so the DA is not beholden to the charge the cops bring.
In effect Squeaky is giving LTCs to these knuckle heads. Why should anyone follow the law?
“Kareem”. Would he be a minority by any chance? You know the kind of victim who shouldn’t be held responsible for his actions because of the oppression of all those of privilege?
Or maybe he should be treated by the system as a “juvenile”?
Derrick King has a pretty significant criminal record and it was his operation, not his brother’s. I predict he gets 5-8.
Wasn’t there a third co-defendant as well?
I may have read the report wrong but wasn’t the house in Kareem’s name?
Perhaps it was. But the younger King isn’t/wasn’t a hard core criminal. Derrick King copped to the drugs immediately.
“Derrick King told police any drugs found were his. He said he was carrying some drugs, and that he was forgetful and wasn’t sure if there were any more drugs in the house.”
There was not a third defendant. I just refreshed my memory. Word on the street was that everything actually belonged to a third person, not caught up in the raid.
I predict DK will take the fall for everything. I’m still going with 5-8.
Thank you XXXL.
I cannot agree with the unfair and myopic view that Linda Tyer, Andrea Harrington, and TFB are to blame for making Pittsfield’s social problems worse than prior to 2016 when the lovely Linda assumed the Office of Mayor!
Pittsfield has a dangerous downtown. It is nothing new. I believe there are two Pittsfields in one. During business hours, downtown Pittsfield has nice people, but after-hours, it does not. Pittsfield politics has long raised taxes on Senior Citizens and the like, while the tax base shrinks with losses in population and jobs. The elitist Berkshire Brigades are negligent in responding to Pittsfield’s social issues. The Good Old Boys, such as Jimmy Ruberto, run Pittsfield politics.
I support Mayor Linda Tyer. She has done a good job after inheriting a mess from prior mayoral administrations. Andrea Harrington is changing the way the Berkshire D.A.’s office does business. Only time will tell if she will be effective in prosecuting criminal behavior. TFB is part of the progressive caucus on Beacon Hill’s State House. TFB voted for Speaker for Life Bob DeLeo’s huge pay raise in January 2017, while Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski dodge bullets from a murderer on the loose in Pittsfield.
You’re right, they didn’t make it bad. It was pretty bad already.
Your team have taken it from bad to significantly worse.
DA Harrington is changing the way the DA’s office does business? She’s rarely in the office, and when she is in, she is a useless buffoon. She is so totally incompetent that she is certainly failing to perform her requisite duties as a DA. A BAR complaint needs to be filed and she needs to be disciplined.
Tyer? I sat next to her at a dinner. Pleasant person but NOT qualified to be mayor. Just my opinion.
Tyer is not qualified to be a waitress at any dinner. Maybe a dish washer.
She has QBG
Qualification By Genitalia
Too many people used their lady parts to vote. I hope they cleaned the polling machines off afterwards. Gross
Only your mother, Shakes
Her milkshake brought all the kids to the yard
wow, so my post is deleted and yours directly insulting my mother remains. ‘Tis a sensitive and vengeful snowflake violating my free speech today.
This comment about a poster’s mom is totally out of line and should be deleted.
According to my Friend who has worked in that office for 15 years say’s it has never been better so save the fake news!
Good Morning Pittsfield,
Dan, you’re a shoe in for the Pulitzer Prize in journalism after topping off your crime series with this stellar piece!
Tom Sakshaug wrote a letter to the editor of The Eagle which was published in yesterday’s paper. I almost choked on my ham and eggs reading it. I quote his letter verbatim, below, followed by a free reality check.
“Do we want change in the mayor’s office? Are we still doing things the way we always have?”
Yes, we want change. Tyer has been an abject failure, and yes, she is still doing things the way we always have – giving tax breaks for movie theaters, private developers, and free cash to private enterprise.
“Linda Tyer was and still is the change we needed from doing things the same old way. Over the nearly four years of her stewardship, Pittsfield has gone from being a financial basket case to having a hot real estate market, better property values and new growth with lower tax rates.
Is he serious? We are worse off financially than before, and the budget is out of control. Taxes and fees have skyrocketed, and yet he claims, “lower taxes”. My taxes went up hundreds of dollars, so how is that lower taxes?
The real estate market values are not even close to what they were 10 years ago. My house appraised for less last year, than it did in 2008, and I put thousands into it.
“New market rate housing at the Powerhouse Lofts, and more being created at St. Mary’s, widens our tax base and allows new workers to both live and work here in the city.”
Plenty of taxpayer money went to help St. Mary’s, which is a private endeavor. There was already plenty of housing for workers in Pittsfield. About 60,000 people used to live here, and now less than 40,000 do not counting the illegals, so we don’t need more housing, which will only drive real estate prices down. It’s called supply and demand.
“We have gone from being perpetually understaffed at the Police Department to hiring more officers with an ongoing effort to hire more. ShotSpotter is helping our police react to shooting incidents with amazing speed.”
Hat’s off to Tyler for giving the police more money, but did it reduce crime? How many more patrol officers did it get us, and why was overtime over a cool million in one year? Shot Spotters’ a complete waste of your tax dollars, and could have paid for more cops. It hasn’t prevented a single shooting, has it? How many has it solved? But we sure do have amazing speeders. Why doesn’t Tyler demand the marijuana tax money go to build a new police station if she cares so much about the police?
“The Westside Neighborhood Community Outreach Office is bringing police and the community closer together in the fight against crime.”
Not exactly. Can you read? Another waste of money. And didn’t Tyer say when she ran against Bianchi that they weren’t the answer???
We’ve had new, brighter, energy-efficient street lighting installed throughout the city in the past year. “
Bragging about replacing light bulbs? Seriously??? At least the shooters can see each other better when having middle of the night gun fights, or are we not supposed to know about the gunfight at the Pittsfield corrall?
“These improvements and efforts under Mayor Tyer make us all safer than we were when we were doing things the way we did in the not-so-distant past.”
Puke, double Puke. Light bulbs, a community coffee klatch, Shot Spotter, and more cops made us all safer??? Tell it to all the shooting victims, at least the ones still alive. How many murders on her watch? How many killers on the loose? How many shootings? How many overdoses? How many crimes by junkies to support their habit??? Where’s the data to back up her “investment” bs???
“Mayor Tyer created the position of business development manager and assembled the Red Carpet Team to attract and ease new businesses to the city and assist existing businesses to expand in Pittsfield. The old roadblocks to creating new jobs are being pushed away. By the end of this year, over 400 jobs will have been created with the Tyer administration’s help.”
So not counting Wayfair, which hasn’t even happened, and didn’t come here because of Tyer’s help, how many jobs have really been created due to the Red Carpet Team, and how much does the team cost, and how many businesses expanded because of the team? How about some data to back up your bs?
“Change can be positive or it can be negative. Linda Tyer is already making the positive changes you are looking for.”
It sure can be positive or negative, and Tyer has utterly failed to make the positive changes I am looking for, like lower taxes and a reduced budget, clean and smooth streets instead of crater filled ones like the surface of the moon, and less crime, not more coddling of criminals, which is precisely what she supports by backing Harrington and her progressive non-sense. That stance alone, should cost her the election.
“Let’s continue the change we began four years ago by re-electing Mayor Tyer and help Pittsfield continue to move forward from the old ways of doing things.”
Only a fool would want four more years of Tyer’s kind of change. She had her chance, and I really was rooting for her. She talked a good game on the campaign trail, but failed to deliver. She has no real accomplishments to speak of, which is why he didn’t write about any, and the budget jumped over 10 percent in the 4 fiscal years since she has been mayor, and just wait until after the election when we get the tax increase for the current fiscal year. Oh, and he forgot to mention the free home improvements, with my tax dollars.
“Please vote on Sept. 17.”
I’ll be voting all right, but it won’t be for Tyer, But don’t worry. She’s a real nice person and her heart’s in the right place, she has no real competition, and she’ll coast to victory. And even if Mazzeo wins, you’re just swapping lions in the den. She as liberal, as progressive, as clueless, and as much as a tax and spender as Tyer Taxes.
I like the paragraph where he talks about all local business that are getting tax breaks from the mayor while everyone else makes up for that loss of revenue. He even lists all the beneficiaries.
WHAT?? You say he did not go into that at all? Was it because these business are embarrassed and have asked the mayor not to reveal their names because their customers may be pissed off and boycott them a bit?
Oh, well that explains the secrecy part anyway. Good to know.
When Wayfair’s call center opens in October, I believe they will have hired and trained approximately 25 new employees. It will start as a small operation, I cannot see 188 people hired by the end of 2019 (per BE article Sept 1).
Training begins Sept 23rd and lasts five weeks, so a functioning operation is not likely to see independence until late October. There is no way it will employ the numbers quoted in the article in the year 2019.
Lets be clear, it is a call center, there are prompts they must follow, it is not rocket science. Probably more difficult to find people willing to work for Wayfair’s garbage wages.
Wait, isn’t Tom SackofSomething on Tyers campaign? Shouldn’t the BB disclose this? The poor suffering public, insert swear word here …
Of all the downtrodden minority populations in Pittsfield the senior citizens are one of the most taken advantage of. They need to be constantly vigilant from those who would prey on them, as everybody from hearing aid hawkers to doctors pushing pills want to get into their pocketbooks.
So, in fairness to those who have given so much I would request that they too, are put on the list of citizens immune from criminal charges should they misstep and walk out of a package store with a bottle of chardonnay. I would go a step farther and suggest that once a senior hits the golden age of 65 they be shrouded in a cloak of total immunity for any and all crimes they may commit, which would be no different than the shroud all politically connected folk seem to enjoy in Pittsfield.
Meanwhile, the normal honest hardworking mASSachsetts citizen, must jump through a maze of hurdles to obtain a permit, for a Constitutional RIGHT.
That is a God given right, the right to protect ones self.
And IF, you can secure, and afford , a permit, for a RIGHT. It does you little for protection. Your firearm must be locked up, even in your own home, and in a car cased and/or locked in the trunk.
Heaven forbid the honest working man gets caught with an improperly stored firearm, even if he has a permit, as DA Harrington will throw the book at him and ruin his life. Most likely be jailed and loose his job and home.
Got to be TOUGH, in THOSE Criminals. I.e. those that are NOT :THUGS, minorities, or those with sexual perversions. The latter get the get of jail free card
BTW, Vermont has been Constitutional carry ever since being a State. You don’t need to, obtain and pay for a permit, for your RIGHTS. You can carry, open or concealed. And Vermont is one of the safest States from gun crime.
NH and Maine also recently became Constitutional carry states. The Liberals screamed and moaned that violence would ensue. In fact crime went DOWN.
How are the “tough gun laws” in mASSachsetts working in Pittsfield?
Can you please show me where in the bill of rights or in the Massachusetts Constitution it it is written that any person has a right to have a gun?
Didn’t think so. Get off my lawn, idiot.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Amendment #2
do we need to spell out infringed for you in crayons too comrade?
Mass constitution
Article XVII.
The people have a right to keep and to bear arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the civil authority, and be governed by it.
Shakey, you idiotic fool.
That would be the the 2nd amendment of THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
“The People’s, right to bear arms shall not be infringed…..”
Are You really that lame and stupid?
Wait, YES YOU ARE!!!!
And MASSachusetts had bashed those rights too.
ALL States should be Constitutional carry.
A State can give you MORE rights, but not infringe upon those in the US Constitution.
mASSholes in the Statehouse should be removed from office, for violating their oath of office, to our Constitution.
In the context of a well regulated militia, which explains why there are laws about firearm ownership.
What decades did You attend Pittsfield grade schools Shakey?
Your ignorance, is quite becoming you.
Maybe you should TRY reading the Federalist Papers, and those of those “racist white men” you hate so much that founded our nation.
SCOTUS has already clarified 2nd amendment is a personal/individual right, just like the rest.
I did not attend Pittsfield Public school.
So in one hand you claiTo be a constitutional constructionist but in all the other hands you really don’t wanna follow the Constitution.
Classic Flip-floppier.
That’s what you get when you bring a knife to a gun fight.
Shakey, right to bear arms/2nd amendment is a personal /individual RIGHT.
Asserted by SCOTUS in Heller decision.
I know You only want thugs to have firearms, not law abiding citizens.
It’s so liberal of you!
I don’t know, if you didn’t attend pittsfield grade schools for 3 decades, where you failed floundered trying to learn to read write and do basic math.
Ummmmmm, you haven’t read the Heller decision. Not what it says at all. Are you and the water boy canoodling tonight?
Schlitzie, do you remember a muscle bound buffoon by the name of laycock?
What will be happening at the jail? Lots of empty cells or will we be importing bad guys from places far away to keep capacity and full funding?
Will there be no need for parents to teach the kiddies right from wrong since there will be no wrong?
Will Singapore adopt this policy and stop beating litterers even though that has been very effective for them?
Plenty of THUGS in Springfield they can import to Cheshire crow bar hotel. When they see what a fine place that Pissfield is, set up to be for: drug dealing, murder, gangs…… When released, They will find a section 8 unwed mother to move in with, and “set up shop”.
Concerning the Schools, my Mother taught there. It was a shithole in the 1960s and she left, disgusted. She had a science BS and advanced teaching degrees (MS/PHD). Said was a hellhole back then. The administration was corrupt and inept. That is nothing has gotten better.
Distributing drugs is fine and we have a drug crisis here in Pittsfield? People can now steal from stores? Injuring police officers while resisting arrest is ok? Who would want to become a police officer under these conditions?
This isn’t just Berkshire County, though, since it actually started with far left District Attorney Rollins in Suffolk County here in Mass. and has since spread to other far left District Attorneys with a political agenda.
Pat,
VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!!
Sturgeon is interviewing restorative justice D A . He went to a break an called her Andrea Mitchel.
He must have caught what Biden has.
I’m not worried as Trumps wall will stop people and will finally end the entering of drugs into America.I am confident the wall will rid us of gangs and their drugs.
I came across a site which listed this link in the article. This is a group that is at the forefront of restorative justice. Scroll down and see their goals on electing DA’s.
https://realjusticepac.org/
If you want to know who Harrington is beholden to, here is her list of commitments to the ACLU. A district attorney is supposed to use experience, intelligence and discretion to make decisions on a case by case basis. DAs are elected to represent us. Being beholden to any group, especially one with a political agenda, goes against the purpose of the position. We must vote out those who are responsible for her being in office. https://dadifference.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DaDifference_Questionairre_AndreaHarrington.pdf
The police found numerous weapons in the house on Onota St. yesterday after the arrest of Mr. Simonetta.
Reliable sources tell me that he has a long history of mental problems. Yet he was able to get weapons? So much for background checks!
And it also points out the problems society faces when facilities to house those with mental issues no long exist.
The report is that he had several non firearm weapons.
Mostly swords, knives, batons, nothing really that would require a license.
The concern here is that he’s done this, or things like it, a number of times. At least twice he’s threatened the same family member and done time for it.
It’s only a matter of time before he kills someone
The romans killed many with out firearms.
Dan, an awesome piece. I’m glad you’ve got the guts to simply tell it like it is.
Harrington is incompetent. Dig into what local politico is her mentor.
I think all this opinion does is show The Planet is too lazy to research the topic properly. The right-wing nutjobs, racists, and bigots that feed off white nationalism are breaking their arms trying to pat The Planet on the back.
Tis a shame really. Incarceration costs taxpayers a huge amount of money. I would think fiscal conservatives should reduce crime through modernizing the system rather than feeding the industrial prison system hog.
Sorry. Progressive school policies have failed our kids and they’re falling way behind.
You eliminate the threat of punishment for committing a crime and you simply encourage criminal acts even if they’re petty.
You can still prosecute and punish but not incarcerate. To simply say prosecution and therefore punishment is out the window is an encouragement to low level crime.
Think Harrington’s policies are working? Talk to anyone who does duty at the House of Correction and ask them what prisoners are talking about. It’s about getting out and going back to the crime they did because there’s Harrington’s not going to do a thing.
These Progressive policies are asinine.
Shakes has such faith in the Progressive run schools in Pittsfield that he sends his own kids to the schools where the local wealthy people send their kids.
You mean that thing has bred and has foul spoor offspring?
As you know, since you worry about my personal details, I have two children, one is a college freshman with a nearly full scholarship at a small liberal arts school and the other is a senior at a NATIONALLY ranked public high school (TOP 25, US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT). If I still lived in Pittsfield I would make sure they did not attend public schools because to my knowledge PPS does not participate in the IB curriculum.
If you’re interested in a modern, cutting edge education curriculum, inform yourselves here: http://www.ibo.org/
I know you idiots cant read or use the internet, so my hope is miniscule.
Schlitzie, be calm.
Would I rather have my tax dollars used to keep a rapist or murderer behind bars, or just let him go….hmmmm, let me think about that….Really?
The trees have grown back in park square after we lost the elms.
Why jail them, get a rope, and for the crunchy feelies, you can recycle the rope many times.
Maybe have it on 3rd Thursdays!
Should we start the public executions with all the white sex offenders that are in Pittsfield?
Shakey, don’t be a racist liberal.
Hang ALL the sex offenders
Since 90% of them are white, I’m happy with that.
“Don’t come around here no more
Don’t come around here no more
Whatever you’re looking for
Hey! don’t come around here no more……….
Stop walking down my street
Who do you expect to meet?
Whatever you’re looking for
Hey! don’t come around here no more”
– Tom Petty
Outstanding column Dan!
Great analysis Johnny99 of the Sakshaug letter.
Based on the collusion issue (alone) between the three amigos – Harrington, Wynn and Tyer – who in their right mind would vote for Tyer?
Thankfully there are 3 others running for mayor so for goodness sakes – vote her out!
Thanks Fritz. Wait till I post and parse Tyers’ huge campaign post card I received today while repairing my home that I can barely afford due to high taxes, and because I don’t want a government freebie home improvement loan. The picture on it doesn’t even look like her and the entire card is full of fluff n nuttin, but a bunch of misleading numbers. Perhaps by nightfall I will get to it, but I have lots of home improvement projects because I didn’t get a 10 percent raise over the past 4 years like her budget rose, and I can’t afford to pay someone. 31 new cops my ass. Most of that was through attrition. And she failed to mention all the shootings under her watch and the homicides. And how are the cops being deployed????
How many shootings, how many homicides since she took over, how many new city positions are we paying for, and how stupid does she think we are?
How much is her pension going to rise if she is re-elected?????
She should be ashamed for aligning herself with that despicable criminal cuddler Harrington.
Maybe you should down size rather than living beyond your means?
Can’t – upside down because values’ in the tank.
Sounds like you made a dumb decision to buy a property that would lose its value.
In my heart of hearts I voted for the Mayor last time and as a heavy taxpayer and water rate payer like everyone else feels he could have done more-now I would have to be an idiot to vote her again. She has lead alright,right into the abyss.
Just remember that before Chief Wynn was a police officer he was the first civilian director of the newly formed Westside Neighborhood Resource Center, this was way back in 1993-1995.
Chief Wynn has been doing a disservice to the Westside for almost 25 years. You would think in all that time he would have come up with something better?
Maybe he’s having difficulty fulfilling his role as Police Chief because he’s so busy doing so many other things.
Adjunct Professor
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
October 2018 – Present 1 year
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Area
Chief of Police
Pittsfield Police Department
December 2007 – Present 11 years 10 months
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Area
Chief Executive Officer of a progressive law enforcement agency of approximately 120 members, protecting a city of approximately 44,000.
President
Victory Force Options Training, Inc.
March 2007 – Present 12 years 7 months
Pittsfield, MA
VFOT, Inc. provides training and education in Use of Force, Defensive Tactics, Firearms and other physical skills disciplines, as well as Leadership, Supervision and Management Training.
Adjunct Instructor
Justice System Training and Research Institute
April 2006 – Present 13 years 6 months
Deliver courses in leadership and management to law enforcement supervisors.
Developed curriculum on generational issues in the workplace.
Follow his blog so you’ll know what he’s up to.
https://victoryforce.wordpress.com/
Director
Westside Neighborhood Resource Center
October 1993 – October 1995 2 years 1 month
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Area
Served as first civilian Director of a joint Police Department/Community program directed at improving communication and police services in a drug impacted neighborhood.
He protected the abuses of Dale Eason when he was called to protect citizens and instead victimized the victims I know for a fact because I was one of his victims. In fact we only know of two that were made public because he responded to the wrong address and abused a 88 year old women and another was recorded on video tape I believe he had charges against him for having sex in a police cruiser with a victim of domestic violence who was also special needs. Police records are purged regarding Eason. I know for a fact because my record is expunged.
There were two cops that used to boff each other down by the Pittsfield wastewater treatment plant.
We caught them ~2 AM, all of a sudden two heads pop up in backseat of the cruiser.
It came out back then when The Left Winger Parrot still did news.
One was called the copsucker.
MT, gives a new meaning to jacking up a car
Didn’t someone tell you not to discuss your fantasies here?
creepy blog for sure
Do not forget how bad the roads were allowed to get under Tyers four years of oversight. It took a near revolt of the citizens to get her off her duff and do something. But there is still garbage all over the city and a daily plethora of automobile accidents mostly due to folk running red lights and stop signs. Whose job is it to curb that? Anyone?
I am not sure this mayor even cares about Pittsfield. Anybody can talk out their ass or have someone do it for them. (thanks Tom) but as bad as Pittsfield was four years ago everyone will admit its decline has accelerated considerable. And she well knows it.
maybe if Coco ran the traffic division better than he did stealing from the police union?
Ex Mayor Tyer said she created 300 jobs at Wayfair and 35 at Covanta…….This is Trump delusional
Hess Forest, Gas blight, and others still stand. Bull doze the firehouse dump on Tyler.
Can’t decide which is worse, Lovely Linda’s post card of lies I received in the mail today or Chief Wynniethepoo’s company blog that Police Report just shared. Both of these so called “leaders” are totally delusional, no wonder Pittsfield is such a scary mess.
But I’ll bet shakes enjoyed the chief’s bare chested selfie.
The police blog cannot be the Club Med Police Chief’s fault. He was blinded by the light at one of his weekly beach respites while someone else composed it. Nothing too good for couples sucking at the public, state and municipal trough along with a city vehicle and credit card. Easy to be Wynning at Life….Sooooo Gooood !!!!
Tyer gave us..
two cents off tax rat
An amazing assessment of homes
Left Hess Forest Standing. Fourth year
Krazy Parking format
Beautiful trash cans on Tylers September. With weeded curbing
Covanta got a new boiler
Beacon some new popcorn with seats
Potholes stayed intact
Millions plus spent for an easy winter (aggressive snowplowing)
Another needed mega million water-sewer plant
Shoddy contracts with B F I toter system and overall plan
Road line painting a joke
Fire hydrant issues-off line?
170 plus million budget highest in history of city
Blight issues remain
City Hall steps crumbling
West St.Left on North disaster waiting to happen
Same on First street by D D when there is a function at the common traffic back up at both spots
City not safe Cumbies,Amart, nuisance spots
Jaywalkers,safety negligence issue
Sprinside Park sinkhole
Allendale school dump
So over Lake Boulevard weed laddened
Filthy streets
Cumbies is perfect for those times when you need a gallon of milk and a hooker.
I would add that hundreds of parents are sending their children out of PIttsfield for school. Many, if not most of them are parents who work in or for the school department and know just how bad the schools really are. Nobody but nobody, is moving to Pittsfield so that their child can get a decent education. Bad schools and gang related crime are not drawcards for potential business s. And doctoring statistics only fools the really ignorant because teachers talk and police talk and eventually most everyone knows how bad things really are.
I’m watching a rebroadcast of morning drivel . Boy Harrington is a squeaky whiner. Stooge can’t stop playing with his phone in between ass kissing sessions.
He bragged about being on Harrington ‘s advisory board. Wasn’t he on the board for sewer upgrades? How did that work out for everyone? Look at your water and sewer rates. Now he’s on another board and I’m sure that it will be as useful as the sewer one.
So, do the new shoplifting rules apply to Harrington’s husband’s store, The West Stockbridge Public Market?
Berkshire Eagle had all the sad inside details about the incident on the Columbus/Onota st story. Isn’t it amazing how sometimes they seem able to tell a story and other times they play dumb?
Is it because this guy had no connections to the power structure and so got approval from the administration? This is one of the main reason many people would never buy this paper. It is NOT your friend as much as it pretends to be.
What in the GD Hell? I just clicked on the link to the Police Chief Mike Wynn’s blog.
https://victoryforce.wordpress.com/2019/08/31/installment-15-new-adventure-new-opportunity/
No wonder this city can’t control it rising crime rate. In the week following another murder in the city, the police chief has had the time to:
-Leisurely read 3 books
-Attend orientation for his Adjunct Professor Role(teaching in the fall)
-Teach Active shooter training
-Attend a 2-day Jui-Jitsu retreat in Maine, six hours away (WTF?)
-Start thinking about his upcoming Grad School enrollment
Oh, and update two blogs. And that was just the week following the murder. The previous week has its own blog, which, ironically, I don’t have the time to read…
and you left out the part about making time to sunbathe and eat lobster…
And get a large chest tattoo??
Don’t get shakes all excited.
Some of you Kapanskis are a little too hard on the chief, it’s a difficult and thankless job with high stress, and the chief needs down time, and time away, time to recharge the batteries. The esteemed jounalist and professor Dan can attest to the importance of that for all of us, if the chief decides to spend his off time bettering himself, or teaching, or writing another book, more power to him. Forest bathing and lake house retreats ain’t for everyone, The city fathers and mother let this city go down the shitter for the past 30 years and so you all shouldn’t blame the chief because he’s not responsible for the root causes. Police report sounds like a disgruntled cop or ex cop, but perhaps not because he thought Tyer took the chiefs job out of civil service.
Then you’ve misunderstood the point.
I think Chief Wynn is a good man, a thoughtful man, a man who is interested in personal, professional, physical and spiritual development. I have no doubt he is thoughtful and loves his family and cares about his community. That all said he is a horrible Chief and his policies have led Pittsfield, and in part by extension, Berkshire County rapidly downward.
My point was to illustrate that Chief Wynn has had 25 years dealing with the Westside. He was the first person to actually have a government funded job via the police department, dealing specifically with the Westside. He’s been the de facto chief for nearly 12 years, in that time crime has gone up in Pittsfield. Crime has actually gone up in Pittsfield while a good portion of the state has seen an opposite trend (MA has seen an average reduction in violent crime of 3.3 percent, in that same year Pittsfield has seen an average increase of 2.6 percent) . Pittsfield is over double the violent crime rate of the MA average (8.8 v 3.8).
The point is with his two plus decades of direct involvement with the Westside, his 20+ years as a police officer and 12 of those as Chief, he’s led us to this. One of the top ten most violent cities in MA. A city that, despite not reporting any number of crimes, is still one of the most violent in the state, a city that is trending up in violent crimes while most of MA is trending down, a city that suffers from over double the violent crimes as the state average.
My point was to illustrate that this thoughtful man, although learned, conscientious, and truly a person who cares about his community is just not suited for this job.
It is what has been said before by any number of people, he might make a great Chief in a less crime ridden city, might be great at the Cape or in a city with less violent crime, maybe should have stayed in administration or moved to education (former Chief and professor). He is not what Pittsfield needs as a Chief now.
I completely agree, PoliceReport. Well said.
Well, it’s nice to know it’s not personal PR, but you sure had a couple good insults wrapped in your compliments there, and wasn’t it you not two blogs or so back that said the chief should have never been more than a sergeant, and now you’re saying he’d maybe be a great chief, but not here.
Irregardless, appreciate your input. Just sounds like some sour grapes to me.
I said in Pittsfield he should have maxed out at a Sargent or maybe at most a Captain in administration, meaning he would have limited command.
Based on his education could certainly be a Chief in a department but not one that has high crime or one that is required to do much enforcement.
He could certainly be the chief of police of a college, a small town, Mayberry.
It’s a critique of where he has led us today -25 years on the west side, 12 years as Chief an Pittsfield and we are top ten for violent crime, with things getting worse not better.
My professional interaction with him, he has no supervisory role in my work, has been limited but he lacks imagination, critical thinking skills, and makes for a good “paper pusher” but is not someone that should be in command of anything but a schedule or equipment.
What people don’t understand is that for all the things you see, there are dozens of problems that people don’t see.
Ask yourself, if Chief Wynn and Mayor Linda Tyer are doing so well in Pittsfield, why must the State Police schedule patrols and take over day to day operations traditionally reserved for local police departments?
A good example, school security is abysmal. While Chief Wynn is off teaching other departments and schools how to react during a school shooting, he’s left the Pittsfield school system extremely vulnerable to active shooters and other security breaches.
If the job is too stressful, too difficult, or too unsatisfying to have 100% dedication, maybe it’s time to transition the role to someone who has the full commitment.
Much needed downtime/vacation is understandable. Pursuing a million other career and personal outlets while the city is headed toward becoming the most violent city per capita in Massachusetts seems unreasonable.
Am I really being too hard on him? Are all those extracurricular activities acceptable in these times of high crime? If others think it’s reasonable, I have no problem rethinking my opinion.
Well, yes that’s a darn good, logical reason to vote Melissa Mazzeo for mayor:
“As mayor, Mazzeo says she will bring the EPA to Pittsfield and walk through the wastewater treatment plant with the public service commissioner, city councilors, and herself so everyone can get a better understanding of what is required.”
A walkthrough? She’s a candidate for mayor based on a walkthrough pledge? Are you kidding me?
I’m just wondering why as an incumbent City Councilor-at-Large she’s never taken a closer examination of the wastewater issue – after the hoopla ignited such fury amongst her colleagues? And when I refer to ‘colleagues’ I’m referring to her block of obstructionists – to include Chris Connell, Kevin Morandi, and Tony Simonelli. (Connell should be panicking by now, with Mike Merriam topping the polls amongst likely Ward 4 voters).
Melissa Mazzeo brings absolutely nothing to the mayor’s contest. She’s a Bianchite whose day has come and gone. Too bad she and Bianchi didn’t give a damn about the wastewater treatment plant’s disrepair when both were City powerbrokers – in a position to make those necessary upgrades without facing EPA oversight, and numerous threats of hefty fines levied against City taxpayers.
On jobs: Mazzeo nixed the Super Walmart proposal; now she’s breathing fire as Wayfair is expected to ramp up its 300 plus workforce something in October.
How many jobs has Mazzeo been responsible for bringing to Pittsfield? Zero! Her incumbent opponent? Three hundred good-paying jobs, and then some. That’s a fact most here are ignoring!
No one’s responded yet, but how many avatars on Planet Valenti have applied and accepted a position with Wayfair? Interesting.
As an aside, if Dan could cease from referring to Andy McKeever as a former iBerkshires reporter, that’d be great. McKeever’s a hack who misused his ‘reporter’ status to further the best interest of Andrea Harrington’s political campaign. He’s is a disgrace; proving himself as less than a respectable mouthpiece!
And that’s the bottom-line!
The starting staff for Wayfair will be around 25 people when the call center goes live in October.
There is no way the projection for 188 new employees in 2019 will pan out. Projections are for an additional 112 employees (300 total) by the end of 2021.
They are paying $16 per hour plus bonuses/OT.
These jobs will employ Pittsfield residents. They will not draw in new population because of the great job opportunities. They are not careers for families or individuals to make a great living, buy
a home and pay for their children’s college off of.
Pittsfield won the Wayfair contract because it’s a gateway city. It’s a poor city, jobs of this caliber just perpetuate the poor culture. It’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t move Pittsfield forward in leaps and bounds.
Mayor Linda Tyer, 1Berkshires, and the rest of the Pittsfield “economic and red carpet” team had zero to do with Wayfair coming to Pittsfield.
In this installment Andy McKeever can’t even keep the story straight within 1,000 words
MEACC offered $31.4 million for new jobs in MA.
Shah is a Pittsfield native.
The jobs aren’t for the people of Pittsfield, they are jobs meant to lure people to Pittsfield.
It was a lot of “work” for Coakley but Pittsfield offered no incentives, and Wayfair was more interested in the quality of life in the Berkshires.
So what part was work? Was it showing Niraj around a city and county he grew up in? Were the dinners that they took the management team on too hard to eat?
The call center was always going to be in Pittsfield if it was going to be in Western MA. It was a foregone conclusion from the get go. It was a directive from Niraj from the start. The executive team traveled to Lenox, Great Barrington, Lee, Lanesboro, Dalton, Adams, North Adams, and Albany. The did timed drives and met with real estate agents to make sure that there was enough housing outside of Pittsfield to accommodate incoming employees.
Wayfair already has 9 other call centers, if Pittsfield were such the lure, they would have been first in line for a call center. The real incentive is the fact that Shah is from here and MA is giving up $31.4 million in basically unsecured tax credits.
Want to thank someone, thank Jay Ash who fought to give taxpayer money via tax credits to Wayfair.
“We could not be more excited to expand our operations to the western part of the state with the opening of a sales and service center in Pittsfield – my hometown.” – Shah
“They are good enough jobs that people will travel and move to Pittsfield.”
Coakley said the company is expected to open its Pittsfield location in the third quarter of 2019. Wayfair’s expansion into the city is the first “big win” for Coakley since he was brought on in January. He said this is a great way to end the year.
“I’m feeling great. It was a lot of work and it took a lot of time,” Coakley said. “It is a big win for the city.”
The Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council this morning approved $31.4 million in tax breaks to the Boston-based retailer. Wayfair Inc. will in return add up to 3,000 jobs in the Boston area and establish a call center in Pittsfield.
Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah is a Pittsfield native and said he was excited to bring the operations west.
“We are proud to continue to build our business in the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Shah said in a statement.
“They weren’t really interested in the incentives the city has to offer. They were more interested in the quality of life in the Berkshires,” Coakley said.
The mayor said the expansion into the city began with Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash, who introduced the company to city officials. From there, the mayor said there was a “collaborative” effort to help the company. That included 1Berkshire, the mayor’s economic development council, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, the Massachusetts Office of Housing and Economic Development, and Coakley.
And they have got to be getting a huge long tax break which is being left out of the discussion. How much are the taxpayers putting in to support this company? HUH???
They are getting $31.4 million from the State.
There has been no disclosure if they’ve received anything directly or indirectly from Pittsfield. If there will be worker trading contributions, tax credits, or a waiving of tax liabilities.
Taken at face value, Wayfair wasn’t concerned with incentives from Pittsfield. If that’s true then Pittsfield did and offered nothing of value to get Wayfair here.
who moves for a $16 an hour job?
Walmart jobs cost taxpayers money, Walmart jobs are low wage, part time jobs with no benefits. Thank god Mazzeo said no to a super Walmart.
Isn’t it funny how Tyer said the innovation center was a waste of money but now she thinks it’s an economic engine?
Econ 101 . . .
Walmart’s pledge to clean up a highly toxic site “cost taxpayers money” how, exactly? Their proposal included toxic site cleanup (at their expense), a new Super Center, and hundreds of jobs, and a freshly needed revenue stream.
But you’re right, who the hell needs a job at Walmart or Wayfair?
Econ 101, a failed treatise written and practiced by the Mazzeo-Bianchi years.
Mazzeo-Bianchi years: Bad for Progress. Bad for Workers. Bad for Pittsfield.
=====
Mazzeo’s so desperate for lawn sign locations she’s planted one right next door to us in Lanesborough. Yeah, that’ll generate interest and votes; a half-mile off Route 7.
People should know when they’re conquered!!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/#5b7e93c2720b
Walmart’s low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.
“The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs,” reads the report, available in full here.
“It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers.”
Americans for Tax Fairness then took the mid-point of that range ($4,415) and multiplied it by Walmart’s approximately 1.4 million workers to come up with an estimate of the overall taxpayers’ bill for the Bentonville, Ark.-based big box giant’s staffers.
Four out of five part-time black, Latino and Asian hourly Walmart employees who participated in the survey described themselves as “involuntary part-time” employees – those who would prefer to work full-time – the survey showed.
About 60 percent of the part-time workers surveyed also said their hours declined after Walmart launched a new scheduling system in 2016.
Arianna Smith, a Walmart employee in Barstow, California, said her hours had been cut. “I went from working more than 40 hours a week at $11 an hour to being scheduled for only 16-24 hours each week.”
Guirlene Mazarin, who works at Walmart’s store in Miami Gardens, Florida, said her part-time schedule is random.
Econ 101 . . . you and Mazzeo must live in a silk-stockings environment; what I am reading here is nothing shy of short-selling Pittsfield workers. Who the heck are you and Mazzeo to decide where locals work?
Not everyone married a sugar daddy or earned a Ph.D., enabling them to live like a queen or earn exorbitant salaries and benefits. Some workers are happy working at Walmart or Wayfair. Exercising dominance over where people work is offensive. Further sabotaging business interest in Pittsfield to protect the status quo is equally aggressive.
That’s pretty frickin’ arrogance of you to suggest otherwise. But I’m guessing by your sheer ignorance – your true identity is that of a Mazzeo minion.
Mazzeo lied about the contents of her phone exchange with Andrea Harrington last year; and
Mazzeo lied about her business relationship with hubby and Michael Mazzeo.
Your candidate for Pittsfield Mayor brings absolutely nothing to the table (but her past inactions and inattentiveness). Besides, Mazzeo’s never met a tax increase she’s not supported. Now all of sudden she’s wailing about taxes?
Get a grip; taxes go up because that’s what happens when services are expanded, and union CBAs demand more in wages and benefits.
Mazzeo’s campaign is intellectually bankrupt, just like your copy and paste from an unreliable Walmart hater.
In case you’ve forgotten, our economy is essentially the sum of our collective choices. It’s about the social sciences that’s concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Aligned with the use of products is a job to consume those goods. Without a job, any job, there’s no consumption of goods; taken in its totality, that creates a crippling & rippling effect on our microeconomy.
Mazzeo’s version of Econ 101 is an outdated and misleading treatise. That’s why she and Dan Bianchi couldn’t bring home the beacon years ago. Both deserve to mothballed.
And that’s the bottom-line!
Walmart bailed for 1 reason ,corporate decision to stop expanding stores and invest that money in internet sales .Amazon created the interest in a bigger online business.Walmart was basically moving from Coltsville to PEDA like Mountain One and Stevenson transferred from North street.
I saw Barry at the cemetery with a clipboard registering voters for Titanic Tyer.
Brian,
I couldn’t disagree more with your comments.
Mazzeo, Connell, Simonelli and Morandi are the more conservative members of the CC. The others did very little research into many of the issues facing the city this past year and merely rubber-stamped many of Tyer’s proposals including the “At Home in Pittsfield Fixer Upper Giveaway of Taxpayer Money.” Specifically, Simonelli voiced opposition to using the GE Economic Development Funds for this giveaway to a select few city residents, which was the RIGHT thing to do. The other three councilors mentioned above voted with Simonelli, thus saving the GE account from being pillaged by Tyer & Ruffer.
Vote Tyer out of office! She’s had 4 years and that is ENOUGH!
M A G A and the World,p… Osama has been Laden son has been killed. This has been a Planet News Special report.
Linda Tyer has killed Pittsfield.
Wayfair call center will be obsolete in three years. Workers will have to be retrained at minimum. And Wayfair ain’t paying for it. Sounds like Covanta? Mazzeo should be in on negotiations before anything is signed. Wal Mart would have taken us to the cleaners. And that’s the bottom dollar. Sturgeon did refer to D A Harrington as Andrea Mitchell.What a dope fiddling with his App not even looking at The D A while she was talking half the time. I watched about twenty minutes. PCTV is a political patronage statin not unlike WAMC like someone else mentioned.
“It’s Late, it’s very very Late”
– White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)
I have received a forwarded email from the Mayor Linda Tyer Campaign, and yes Chief Wynn’s wife is actively working on the campaign to help direct resources and letters to the editor.
When writing a letter to the editor
Be concise, try to limit your letter to 2-5 paragraphs.
Don’t be negative
Don’t mention any other candidates by name only mention Linda and use her full name and title Mayor Linda Tyer.
Highlight the positives:
Wayfair
31 Police hired
ShotSpotter
Westside Initiatives
Job creation
Business Development
Red Carpet Team
Lower Tax Rate
Increased Property Values
Try to focus on one thing per paragraph, remember to say vote for Mayor Linda Tyer or that you will vote for Mayor Linda Tyer.
Include the date September 17th.
It’s one letter per person per month
Nepotism is alive and well in the city of Pittsfield!
Stop the collusion – vote Tyer OUT!
I suggest someone send that directive on letters to the Eagle as an actual LTE.
shame on the Tyer campaign for getting organized and effective LTE’s. what are they thinking?
Those letters are so fake that the only people who would be fooled are too dumb to read. But it’s not really about getting votes, it’s about giving the appearance that their is a campaign when the mayor is really just appointed by a criminal conspiracy that siphons 100s of millions (soon to be billions) of dollars out of the city and the state
I’m buying stock in Alcoa because you’re wearing a lot of aluminum hats.
Schlitzie, did you use the money from your empty beer cans to buy the stock?
And y’all were concerned about Mayor Linda Tyer’s achievements and accomplishments. This schedule appears less than complete, but it’s a start.
Wayfair;
31 Police hired;
ShotSpotter;
Westside Initiatives;
Job creation (over 400+);
Business Development;
Red Carpet Team;
Appointment of a Permanent Fire Chief;
Appointment of a Permanent Police Chief;
Lower Tax Rate;
Increased Property Values.
And where’s Mazzeo’s schedule of achievements and accomplishments? Exactly!
Mayor Linda Tyer’s not the problem, y’all are!!!
Strong Leader. Real Result. Bold Progressive. Advocating for progressive priorities and populist opinions.
If this is a list of accomplishments it is vague, misleading and short on reality. If I were Tyers campaign manager I would tell her to offer a heartfelt apology to the people of Pittsfield and tell them she would try to do better if given another chance. Considerably less people are going to believe her lies this time after the experience she just put us through. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me
that is the bottom line dude
The lovely Linda Tyer is the BEST Mayor of Pittsfield, EVER! Please vote for Linda Tyer!!!!
Here is a list of Tyer’s alleged accomplishments, as listed on her cardboard mailing. After almost 4 years her alleged accomplishments are presented below, quoted from her mailing, followed by some fair questions us Kapanski’s have.
“WORLD CLASS EDUCATION”.
“State-of the-art career technical education high school.”
“High-quality preschool” for 3 and 4 year old’s.
“Most improvement on the state’s comprehensive assessment tests”, for English language learners.
How many students are choicing in because of the new school we can’t afford and don’t need? How many Pittsfield students stopped choicing out because of the new school? How many Pittsfield students don’t go to Pittsfield public school besides Farley’s? And What did Tyer have to do with the new high school as mayor anyway? It was a done deal before she was sworn in. Now we are paying to baby sit more 3 and 4 year old’s, thanks to Tyer. And to brag about improvement in English language learners tells me we have a bunch of people here who can’t speak English. You don’t really think anyone is moving here for ‘WORLD CLASS EDUCATION” do you?
“JOBS,JOBS,JOBS
“300 new jobs coming this fall.”
“Covanta – saved 25 jobs”
“Created 113 additional jobs”
If the 300 Wayfair jobs come this fall, and that’s a big if, how is Tyer the one responsible for making it happen? Saved 25 private sector jobs? At what cost to us taxpayers? And can someone please explain the 113 jobs??? Does this count the bloated school department and other added city positions, and the cops she replace through attrition? How many government jobs did she “create”, which translates to raising our taxes? How many real private sector jobs? How much did all this job creation cost us Kapanskis’, either on city, state or federal, level??? Does this include the big giveaway for the Beacon Bomber???
“SAFER NEIGHBORHOODS”
“Shotspotter acoustic technology to quicken police response times and boost evidence collection”
“Opened Westside Neighborhood Community Outreach Office staffed by police and volunteers”
“5,300 brand new energy-efficient LED streetlights for brighter neighborhoods”
“Hired 31 new police officers”
Shotspotter. Seriously??? I bettcha a dozen donuts shotspotters’ the laughingstock of the police department. How many shootings were solved because of it? How many shooters were caught by Pittsfield cops because of it? Why doesn’t she tell us what it cost, and where’s the data to justify the return on the investment? And come to think of it don’t we want these gangbangers to kill each other before the police arrive? Tying up police in a community center?? And how much did this cost? Perhaps staffing this is part of the million dollar overtime budget? And didn’t Tyer say when running against Bianchi that these places weren’t the answer? 5,300 new light bulbs? Bragging about replacing light bulbs??? Seriously? It’s not like she added additional streetlights. So shooters can see better, because who in their right mind would be out after dark in Morningside or Westside beside people with guns??? Well I guess if they kill each other, it’s a good “investment”, but how much did this project cost? 31 cops. Didn’t Tyer call Bianchi out on the number of cops hired while he was mayor, and point out that most were through attrition? How many cops jumped ship during Tyers’ 4 year tenure and why did they leave? How many actual new positions were added, versus filling openings, and how much did they cost us and what did we get for our investment? How many actual boots on the ground, versus staff jobs, and how are they being deployed?
It sure as hell aint driving crime down, Madam Mayor. Why don’t you give us the numbers for all of this, mayor? Why don’t you tell us how many shootings have occurred on your watch and how many homicides? Did you forget you campaigned on crime and said this was unacceptable and wouldn’t stand when you were mayor? Its worse now than when you were elected.
And the icing on the cake??? Tyer fully supports, threw her weight behind, and was literally standing behind, Harrington, who by law, is elected to enforce the law, WHEN Harrington announced her latest get out of jail free cards. That alone should be enough to cause Tyer to lose. Remember folks, Tyer said her and Harrington think alike.
The only real accomplishment that can be laid claim to here, is actual number of “new”, versus replacement officers, and where is the data to support the “investment” and to lay out the cost benefit ratio? How much did they cost, and did crime go up or down, and by how much? Why doesn’t she undertake a proper management study of the police department, instead of buying into the bullshit about how we need 120 cops? And why doesn’t she push for the marijuana tax money to fund a new police station???????
“SAVING YOU MONEY”
“Lowered taxes for the first time in 25 years for the average single-family homeowner.”
“Private investments generated 2,000,000 in new tax revenue”
“Fought the Eversource rate increase and started the Community Choice Power Supply Program brining; bringing the benefits of renewable energy and electricity savings to 16,000 residences and businesses.”
She raised taxes 3 of her 4 years, which is a several hundred dollar increase for the average homeowner, and an absolute increase for every homeowner, over 4 years. So even if the average Kapanski got a little cut in one year, they went up the other 3 years, so how is that “SAVING YOU MONEY”. She backed the community preservation tax, and wants to piss some of that Kapanski cash away on Pickleball, while the ship sinks, and she increased the operating budget over 10%, and millions of dollars, in 4 years, and has the gall to say she is “SAVING YOU MONEY”. My taxes went up every year. And why doesn’t she tell us about the huge increase in water and sewer rates? It all adds up to hundreds more per year in cost of living for people that live here. We are not saving money. It’s a lie, plain and simple. And how is Tyer responsible for 2,000,000 in new tax revenue, or did she give a way some more Kapanski cash to make that happen, and if so, how much, and to whom? She fought the Eversource increase? I would expect no less. That’s her job, not an accomplishment. How much savings did the average homeowner save with this Community Choice Power Supply Program, because my electric bill has risen every year, and she enrolled me in it without my consent.
“BUILDING A STRONGER CITY”
“Secured $12,000,000 in Mass Life Sciences funding to build the Berkshire Innovation Center”
“Facilitated new market rate housing at the historic St. Mary’s Morningstar and Powerhouse Lofts”
“Advanced Community Preservation projects for historic preservation, open space, and recreation.”
“Paved 41 miles of roads”
Us Kapanskis’ taxes paid for the $12,000,000 boondoggle and how many jobs is that going to create again? Or has it not created any, besides two – the con job and the snow job, as Dan would say? And by the way, this building was happening before Tyer became mayor, so it’s not hers to claim as an accomplishment, even if it were one. New market rate housing, that will only drive my home value down? How is that an accomplishment, and how much of our tax dollars to “facilitate” this private investment? How much did she spend, and why is she not telling us that? How specifically did Tyer advance these community preservation projects for historic preservation, open space, and recreation projects and at what cost? She paved roads, did she? Gimme a break. That is not an accomplishment, it’s called doing your job. It’s a basic function of city government, like plowing streets, and policing them. Maybe when re-elected, she can fill potholes too. You shouldn’t be bragging about doing your job.
After 4 years, I see no real accomplishments, unless you consider raising your taxes and increasing our budget by millions, to pay for pre-school, numerous other unnecessary school positions, and an unknown number of more cops, that haven’t been shown to reduce crime, at all. Perhaps throwing money at these problems isn’t the answer after all. And Missing Mazzeo is making issue out of almost none of this. If the shoe were on the other foot, Tyer would be crucifying Mazzeo for 4 years like this, just like she did to Bianchi’s 4.
Just imagine, 4 years ago, Tyer stood out at a press conference on the west side, and criticized Bianchi on crime, and said it was unacceptable, blah, blah, blah, and here we are 4 years later, and what have we to show for her efforts, besides a Shotspotter, a taxpayer funded coffee klatch, an unknown number of more real cops, and new lightbulbs? More crime, more shootings, more homicides. How many more? She left that off her mailing.
If Tyer is a “strong Leader” and these are “Real Results” …”and we’re not done yet”, as her flyer claims, I’ll be selling my house at a loss, and getting outta Dodge city, “real quick”, as they say.
This is the most comprehensive and realistic post I have ever read on this site over the years.
And if you do leave the city please write up a procedural report on the steps one needs to go through to leave because I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands who would follow you out the door but are terrified of the process. I personally, having watched the city decline of just the last ten years, do not see any (ANY) hope for revival and a lot of that has to do with the lack of political will. Our leaders are cannibalizing what remains of Pittsfield.
My opinion.
Pittsfield going to the dogs
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/pittsfield-eyes-dog-park-at-burbank-park-interim-site-a-nonstarter,584825
It’s unfortunate that Jim McGrath, Pittsfield’s park and open space program manager, doesn’t know that capped landfills are difficult and expensive to deal with. It would seem that knowing what land use requirements are for waste sites would be part of the job, but not under Mayor Linda Tyer. It’s also unfortunate that Pittsfield is going to waste $300k on a dog park and $75k is going to come directly out of our pockets.
The city had hoped to get an interim dog park off the ground at the East Street Softball Complex this summer, but it was forced to bag those plans, said Jim McGrath, Pittsfield’s park and open space program manager.
Because the city hoped to upgrade fencing on the site, which is a capped landfill, he said requirements imposed by the Department of Environmental Protection would have been too much to bear. The department needed updated post-closure documents and air quality monitoring from the city, he said.
“Right off the bat, it appeared the project would be a nonstarter,” he said, “because the DEP was requiring some additional testing and plan development, which didn’t work within our favor or time frame.”
McGrath said the project will cost about $300,000. He plans to apply for a $225,000 construction grant, which requires a 10 percent match from the city.
“The city would need to make up the difference,” he said.
It’s nice to know that DOGS will be getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in investments to upgrade their quality of life while adolescents and preteen children are hanging around, restless, popping each other with BB guns and cracking eggs off cars on First Street.
Dog parks, Water parks and Pickle Ball parks.
How about putting some money into traffic enforcement? Why is this woman not dealing with all the crazy driving in her city?? It is a high concern with everybody in the city except her. WHY??
Why is she so obsessed with giving contracts for parks but not the basic necessities? Something is weird and scary about her priorities. Can we track who is getting these contracts please so we can make some sense of this nonsense?
Tyer is just not that bright. However, she does have her dog Kenzie that she walks in the gated community where she and Barry live. Maybe her “well to do neighbors ” don’t want any more doggie poop on their lawns so she is using taxpayer money to fund a park for Kenzie, in the same way she uses taxpayer money for her undeserved salary funding her lavish lifestyle, while the everyday taxpayer, especially our seniors, do NOT feel safe in their once great city.
SallySays that’s an uncalled for comment, a low blow, and her family life should be outta bounds and is not indicative of whether or not a person cares for the future of the city. The mayors’ a good person and I give her an A for effort. Just a Ruberto led tax and spending progressive. But let’s keep the personal stuff out of it.
When her ineptitude effects peoples ability to support their families properly that is personal in of itself. She needs to care about others if she expects them to care about her. And I do not see it.
No, the “personal stuff” is part of the package, Sally. The Chief of Police’s wife works for Tyer’s campaign, Harrington is a friend of the mayor – all “personal” relationships that factor into decisions made at the ballot box.
Vote Tyer out of office! Stop the collusion!
Fritz, I was referring to a sentence Dan removed after I posted – the sentence was familial, personal, irrelevant, and a low blow, henceforth Dan removed it and we’ll leave it at that.
SallySays .
Taxes Tyet can easily absorb an extra 5 k in new taxes but while the rest of the hard working poor people can not absorb another nickle.There are 2 Pittsfields the well to do have the CCand Tyer and the working poor have Mazzeo ,I hope.
So the real question is can Mazzeo be the Mayor of Pittsfields poor?I would rather lose an election for Mayor representing poor hard working people than win and give up on poor people as Tyer sold her soul for the cocktail crowd.
Sold her soul. Sure looks that way.
Memories – When Ruberto was running for Mayor he was at the annual Berkshire Humane Society Woofstock and was telling the crowd he would make a dog park. So is he the one that is telling Lovely Linda to complete his promise? I am a major dog lover and would love to see this, but, how about first this Administration prove to the hardworking tax payers that they can take care of the “people” parks they all ready have. The last time I brought my dog to Burbank Park I ended up carrying her as the grounds had so many used needles laying around. As recent as this past Friday a friend was watching her 7 year old son’s game at Springside Park and sat scared while the juvenile gang started to congregate and were yelling obscenities at the families watching the game and little children playing in the swings. Parents have to mow and keep up athletic fields, which should be done by the Parks Department. It seems to me that money is asked for in all of this Administration’s departments, approved but there is no documentation as to where this money has gone. Isn’t this the Lovely Linda and Bowties responsibility to ask? Just look at the millions spent on salt for a mild winter and Turocy does not know where it all went! In any successful business monies being spent are examined constantly and questions are asked, they don’t wait a year and then wonder why there are massive overages. An audit of all of Lovely Linda’s books should be demanded of by the taxpayers. We are owed an explanation of where money is going.
Put that on a referendum for this election and I will vote for it.
You mean the mayor that campaigned on tax relief and crime. What a effing joke he was and wasn’t he the one that was gonna take his suitcase in hand and go get the jobs with his great sales skills?
And Don’t Forget HIS ROLODEX. And while we are on the subject of Jimmy, HIS RENAISSANCE of North St. is 21 empty storefronts failed businesses including Spice and the Beacon. It would be 22 empty storefronts but Linda has her campaign headquarters there on the corner of Dunham Mall and North.
Yes, we keep hearing about all the new jobs, most of which are government jobs or government subsidized but how many were lost during Ruberto mirage rennisance and how many since Tyer elected?
Judging from Tyer’s lack of accomplishments old stink breath turned it over to Tyer.
September 15, 2019
Re: Wall Street bond issuers are the real winners from Massachusetts supply-side economics!
The Eagle’s editorial on the outdated “Taxachusetts” name for Massachusetts omits the fact that Massachusetts is one of the top per capita debtor state governments in the country. Over the past 4 decades, Massachusetts went from high taxes to super-high public debts! You either get “tax-and-spend” Democrats or “tax-and-borrow” Republicans as Governors of Massachusetts. The real losers of Massachusetts supply-side economics public policy has been the municipalities and regional entities. In Berkshire County, there have been huge state government funding cuts to municipalities, school districts, and an abolished county government on July 1, 2000. The Berkshires has seen huge losses in population and jobs, which made matters worse by causing a shrinking tax base with increasing costs for local and regional government. In closing, the Wall Street bond issuers are the real winners from the many billions of dollars in borrowing by Beacon Hill’s state Legislators and out-of-touch mostly Republican Governors!
– Jonathan Melle
Andrea Harrington should absorb this bit of wisdom. .“An ancient Talmudic adage warned: ‘Those who are kind to the cruel will be cruel to the kind.’
Mayor Linda Tyer has put out her list of accomplishments. So let’s break them down.
Wayfair
She had nothing to do with Wayfair in fact it’s well known that Shah was coming back to his hometown. Wayfair was given $31.4 million in tax breaks. They were actually looking at other states to move to, MA just ponied up the most money.
31 Police hired
They’ve lost 26 (+3), one is on unpaid leave for criminal activity. Another was allowed to retire after criminal activity, one settled with the city after being fired and it cost us over $250k (settlement, overtime, interest, legal fees)
ShotSpotter;
$300k+ failure. It has not singularly led to one arrest, one conviction, in court. In fact it is rarely mentioned in proceedings as it is so inaccurate.
Westside Initiatives;
They were forced into revamping “Westside Initiatives” Mayor Linda Tyer is on record as saying how ineffective many of those initiatives were and are. Now as she scrambles for something to say that she’s done.
Job creation (over 400+);
Unless Mayor Linda Tyer has a company she hasn’t created any jobs, she has used taxpayer money, over $3 million to artificially prop up failing companies and subsidize jobs.
Anyone saying she’s created 400 jobs, should list those jobs specifically.
Business Development;
Done nothing
Red Carpet Team;
Done nothing
Appointment of a Permanent Fire Chief;
Because the old one retired
Appointment of a Permanent Police Chief;
Made the worst choice she could, at least prior administrations knew to keep Chief Wynn as acting in case something better came along.
Lower Tax Rate;
The tax rate was a manipulation of how the tax rate is set.
Most saw an increase in actual taxes paid, year to year.
Increased Property Values.
A manipulation of assessors information. Anyone can say your house is worth more, the real question is what can you sell it for.
Mayor Tyer created zero new jobs.Anyone associated with creating jobs must go.New jobs will come when the streets are safe.
Shakes – in regards to your comment about Wayfair’s call center and it not being rocket science. I understand your sentiment, but they are actually looking for a level of ability that isn’t just answering the phone (not your “basic” worker).
The employment advertisement requests a bachelors degree. Actually, the ad says it’s “required” but in fact, it is not. You have to pass an online computer assessment in order to be considered for an interview. The assessment is about 45 minutes long and requires computer knowledge, understanding of customer service conflicts, management roles, ability to navigate online databases similar to theirs, accurate data entry, etc. You must pass a personality test, a work experience test, a grammar test, etc. Everyone is assessed online and then if you pass you are granted a phone interview. If you pass the phone interview, you interview with hiring managers in person.
All this being said, it doesn’t appear to be a case of any old biddy off the street is getting in. It appears they are looking for quality, competent workers. I will not be surprised if they have very high turnover.
I guess Tyer can’t work there after her defeat.
Police Report – are you saying we lost 26 (+ the 3 that retire or were fired) and the mayor is saying we hired 31. Does this make a net gain of 2 police officers during her tenure?
Where did the 26 go?
Since 2019 the department has “lost” 26 officers (some reports will say 22, however 26 seems to be the more correct number)
I don’t have the breakdown exactly but most of the 26 were retirees as Pittsfield pulled a number of police from calluses in the 80’s and 90’s and now those officers are set to retire.
Some officers have left due to relocation of spouses, other job opportunities.
Hiring of police is generally cyclic, except in departments that have high turnover or are good at administration and force planning.
Chief Wynn, if he were good at his job, would have requested a personnel report and started planning for retirements and “force loading” 12 years ago.
You look at projected retirement dates, mandatory retirement dates, and plan the hiring of new officers at a minimum of two (three or four is better) years out. The further out you can hire officers prior to existing staff retiring allows a transfer of knowledge. It’s also important to have your “eyes on classes” as Pittsfield is not desirable so many candidates won’t want to work here. That’s the problem with the Pittsfield Police Department now. Candidates are going elsewhere because of the reputation of the department. Is that reputation deserved? Not entirely but given a choice of working in Pittsfield under Chief Wynn, many are opting for other departments.
There has been, in the last two years a very large migration of knowledge and experience out of the department.
That should read 2018.
Rest In Peace Eddie.