!!ELECTION DAY PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! CANDIDATES ON CRIME: MAZZEO ‘WANTS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FREE FROM TYRANNY’ … TYER CITES ‘COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN PPD AND D.A.’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
[ED. NOTE: When THE PLANET went to press late Sunday evening with the first edition of this story, we had not heard from the Tyer campaign. Our initial story reflected that. At 9 a.m. Monday, Mayor Tyer got back to us with her responses. We present them here in the updated version]
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 16, 2019) — With the Columbus Avenue murder still not showing and signs of being solved, on Sept. 13 THE PLANET reached out to the two major mayoral candidates, incumbent Linda Tyer and councilor-at-large Melissa Mazzeo for comment. They will advance to no one’s surprise in tomorrow’s preliminary election.
We asked them the same set of questions. Mazzeo responded with a ringing declaration: “I want out neighborhoods free from tyranny.” Tyer:
Here is what Mazzeo said:
THE PLANET: Regarding the unsolved murder on Columbus Avenue. We’re hearing that the perpetrators are “hiding” in plain sight and terrifying witnesses from saying anything.
MAZZEO: As I have heard a number of rumors myself, I can’t imagine what our officers are hearing or learning. For me, I’ll stick to what I know. There needs to be accountability from the mayor’s office to press for answers and to be proactive in taking steps to make sure crime does not continue to escalate. It’s unacceptable.
THE PLANET: What is your assessment of the way the D.A. has handled this case?
MAZZEO: Frankly, my hope for the DA is that she learns that while justice reform is both real and needed, it can not come at the expense of our residents and communities. There is a time and a place for everything, and unfortunately many of the DA’s efforts towards justice reform are ill-suited to actual, real-life scenarios. But I hope when I’m mayor, we can sit down together and find a reasonable way forward. I want our neighborhoods protected from tyranny.
THE PLANET: Can you comment on the DA’s proposals for “restorative justice,” raising the “juvenile” age to 21, and giving 16 years old the vote.
MAZZEO: To be frank, I’m still wrestling with this, Dan. We allow our young men and women at 18 to go to war, fight for our country, carry our flag, and yet we want to have criminals be considered as adults at age 21. I really struggle with this because I want any young person to have opportunities, but how can we ask our youngest to die on a battlefield at 18 and have a different measuring stick for 21-year-olds? But once again, as Mayor, the increasing crime rates and what the outcome is for those carrying out those acts will receive a lot of my attention and time. I will extend a hand to anyone and everyone who can help and curb our crime. All officials must work as a team, work smart, and follow through on the duties of the role we hold.
———- ooo ———-
MAYOR TYER’s RESPONSES:
Thanks for the inquiries and for giving me a chance to respond. I’ve had a very busy weekend campaigning throughout the city. We’re gearing up for Tuesday’s preliminary election.
THE PLANET’S QUESTIONS RE: a) The unsolved murder on Columbus Avenue. I’m hearing that the perpetrators are “hiding” in plain sight and terrifying witnesses from saying anything. (b) The way the DA and Chief Wynn have thus far handled this case.
My response here will cover questions (a) and (b)
While I cannot comment on the specifics of the investigation, I can assure you and your readers that the Pittsfield Police Department investigators and the District Attorney’s office are working aggressively and tirelessly. It has been a highly collaborative effort between the Pittsfield Police, the State Police Detective Unit, the Sheriff’s Office, and the District Attorney. In fact, the District Attorney has assisted in accelerating certain evidence analysis of this case. The process for building a solid case can seem slow but for justice to be served it is critical that a strong case is made.
(c) The DA’s proposals for ‘restorative justice,’ raising the “juvenile” age to 21, and giving 16 years old the vote.
Restorative justice programs are a vital component for helping people of all ages to build empathy, strengthen conflict resolution skills, and accept responsibility for their actions. In addition, restorative justice is designed to support victims by giving them a voice in how their cases are handled and giving the defendant an opportunity to make amends. Depending upon the circumstances, restorative justice does not preclude criminal or civil accountability for someone’s actions against the individual and society. The Pittsfield Public Schools has a very sizable program of restorative justice activities for school based conflicts. This creates a continuum from early childhood until young adulthood for strengthening community life.
Regarding raising the juvenile age to 21, certainly the District Attorney can advocate to raise the juvenile age and lowering the voting age but ultimately this requires state legislative action. Both issues need to be thoroughly examined before it can be determined what’s best. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings because I can see the finer, nuanced pros and cons.
———- ooo ———-
THE PLANET thanks both candidates for their views on this vital issue.
Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski slog on with their day-to-day lives, wondering if they can pay the bills and stay safe. Tyer and Mazzeo now move on to the final weeks leading up to Election Day. Tyer’s strategy for the prelim was essentially play with the lead. She said little and relied on campaign literature, which is like eating bonbons all day. Whether she has the lead or not is another question. Mazzeo has kept her power dry to a lesser extent, but in last couple weeks she has displayed some firepower.
Does Tyer continue to duck and play a “Pree-vent Defense?” Does Mazzeo let loose and press for advantage? Their arguments for and against both.
We shall see what we shall see.
———————————————————————————————————
“I love you, cuz you tell me things I want to know” — The Beatles.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Giving the vote to 16 yr olds is bizarre as is raising the juvenile age to 21. Kids know that the court system continually accommodates them until they are 18 when they will be treated more harshly. Having a DA who thinks in terms of “restorative justice” rather than justice, who thinks that 18 year old should be accommodated and who thinks 16 year olds can vote shows she is an inconsistent fool. If a 16 year old can vote, then they are an adult when they commit a crime. If a 18 year old is a juvenile, they should not vote. You need a DA who can think rather than pander.
Blame Linda!
Johnny,
Move on, or up Lynda’s skirt. Where you can hide safe from light of day.
Prior to 2016 before the lovely Linda Tyer assumed the Office of Mayor, Pittsfield had many socioeconomic problems. Mayor Linda Tyer inherited a mess! I believe it is unfair and myopic to “blame Linda”.
I support the lovely Linda Tyer for re-election as Mayor of Pittsfield in 2019.
Wow, Mazzeo spoke up on crime. It’s about time. She better light it up like the Christmas tree on Park Square or she’s done.
If Tyer answers even 20% of the quesitons I posed in weekend edition, us Kapnaskis’ would be thankful.
Lets start with 2 simple questions – How many of the 31 cops are new positions, versus jusrt filling vacancies, because thats the true number of “new” hires. And is she counting these 31 among her job creation numbers?
As to Mazzeo’s statement that justice reform is needed, got damn right it is needed. Laws need to be toughened not weakend, and anyone caught with an illegal gun should be going away for 5 years minimum, and if they use it in a shooting 10, and if they hit someone 15, and if they kill someone electrocute the bastard.
How about 3 million over budget at the highway department in 12 months.How about department of schools going crazy with 5 million more bucks this year.How about Pittsfield losing students to the tune of 8 million lost at the department of schools.How about our High Schools are so small now they are in lower division sports.How about our police department needs to be at a level of around 135 .Yes ,I blame Linda as it impossible to think where we will be in 4 more years.
At some point you must call in the school and tell them we need police and your schools are not spending money wisely.We need school consolidation at the High school to save money.Mrs Behnke as a responsible city employee should update Citizens on TV what they do with the money.If the poor knew how they spend there will be a Audit called for.We have a administration that allows teachers to be verbally abused,yes they allow it .
Tyer cannot afford to talk too much. Her lists of “achievements” is insulting as it suggests her constituency is beyond stupid. Pretty much anything she says can be exposed as hyper flatulence.
I personally do not believe Mazzeo will be much better but Tyer is just plain clueless. If she really cared about the city she would step down and let the other candidates duke it out.
At election time, I like counting lawn signs. The very neighborhoods that had a plethora of signs for DA Squeaky Clouseau Harrington are the same wards that she carried.
On Saturday, a cruise through the city had Mazzeo lawn signs outpacing Tyer at roughly 4 – 5 to 1 dependent upon the area. I believe there are two essential problems that are eating at voters.
First, high taxes with pretty much nothing to show for them. Second, a significant uptick in crime.
I’ve spoken to a few of the now former ardent supporters of Squeaky. They’re all pretty much disillusioned with her, and many have begrudgingly had to admit that it was a mistake to have backed her. The comments have been the same: too inexperienced and all of her promises were made to advance her political future.
As Mark Twain put it, “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
With Tyer and Harrington, the load is too large for any diaper to hold.
I voted Tyer to the 1st 4 year term.Mayor Tyer had enough time to tell department heads their decisions are hers.You cant possibly not know about 3 million over in salt and OVERTIME so even Kerwood could not possibly have not been informed.Mazzeo will participate with departments job expectations.I also want Hancock Shaker and The Berkshire Museum to pay back our money.
Cavalier owns numerous properties. But do signs indicate residents’ interests or their landlords?
Tyer and Mazzeo both promise to be good stewards of keeping up appearances.
The crime stance is just more of the same. With all due respect, Mazzeo’s answers regarding tyranny are what any given person should say. The same was uttered by Mayor Tyer in May 2016 at her circus show press conference.
https://www.masslive.com/news/2016/05/pittsfield_mayor_linda_tyer_to.html
“I want to be very clear: I have had enough, and I will not allow the City of Pittsfield to be overrun by this or any other criminal element,” said Tyer, a former city councilor and clerk who began her first term as mayor in January.
“To all who threaten our city, I am not going to stand down while you terrorize our neighborhoods,” she said. “We are going to make it very uncomfortable for you to engage in criminal behavior. If you endanger a child or interfere with Pittsfield’s aspiring youth, we will intervene.” – Mayor Linda Tyer 5/23/2016
As of May 2016, the PD was operating with 82 officers. It was stated that that summer (2016) numbers would be at an all time low with retirements and transfers. It was not stated what the all time low is/was.
My question – how many officers are there now in 2019?
Some unspecified assessment put our needs at 120 officers. What is this based on? Population continues to decline and crime continues to increase. How is that rectified and what do we actually need?
——————————————-
“We are going to make it very uncomfortable for you to engage in criminal behavior. If you endanger a child or interfere with Pittsfield’s aspiring youth, we will intervene.”
Ironically, it is now probably the most comfortable time to commit crime in the city as it’s ever been.
-Reduced and inexperienced police force
-No cash bail, no pre-trial detention
-Less prosecution of lower level crime
-Diversion of youth criminals
-Raising juvenile age to 21
-Exploration of legal heroin injection sites
It’s a glorious time for felons and wannabe felons in the City of Pity!
I think last week on WBEC she said there are 87 officers and the budget is for 99.
By next year at this time Pittsfield’s nickname may be “little Chicago”. Besides the crime reference Chicago is famous for its iconic mayors, just like Pittsfield.
I Absolutely believe that Mazzeos competitive spirit will not allow out of town gangsters to continue to Run our Citiy.The courts and the Prison and Judges should be aware that the gangs will use the juveniles to shoot the guns and deliver the drugs.Tyer ,Harrington,and Moon are so unprepared for this onslaught of get out of jail free in Pittsfield Ma.The Berkshire Eagle needs to assign a reporter right away for crime reporting and follow what juvenile Violence is going to do to us.
I’m wondering where the Mazzeo-Bianchi axis was when Pittsfield’s crime rates and taxes were on the uptick? Bianchi was in office for 4-years; while Mazzeo played City Council president during 2 of them.
Now all of a sudden Mazzeo gives a damn about Pittsfield’s crime rate and taxes – after years of sitting on the City Council – voting continuously for budgets that included tax increases (including the most recent one)? Are you [expletive] kidding? And Bianchi’s yearly resistance to hiring more cops on the street, applauded by Mazzeo? Are you [expletive] kidding?
You recall those years when her beau, former Mayor Dan Bianchi, was at the helm and Mazzeo sat as City Council president (a slightly awkward Venn Diagram)? What happened? Pittsfield voted overwhelming to oust both Mazzeo (from her City Council presidency) and Bianchi (as mayor) in 2015. They didn’t get it then, and they still don’t – to-day!
Mazzeo is using the Planet because no one out here, in real-time, gives a damn about her Nitpicking Dumpster Campaign.
Linda Tyer’s smart about not participating in this site’s junket of foolishness. Your comments are inflammatory and factually incorrect. And the sad part most on here don’t give a damn about the inaccuracies of their content.
And besides . . .
I’m wondering how many here share-alike identities. I can think of two or three Cacc supporters who posted on this site under four different pseudonyms. And now they’ve come to Mazzeo’s aid in the same fashion from the same failed political playbook. Yippee!!
Bianchi’s people relied on the Planet and lost;
Cacc’s people relied on the Planet and lost; and
Mazzeo’s people are relying on the Planet, and she’ll lose.
That’s the way it’s gots to be!!
I’m wondering where Mayor Linda Tyer was?If you honest you know that Tyer had a great amount of time to get this done. Mazzeo is running because of the complete lack of attention on this matter.Pittsfield neighborhoods are not safe.Nobody can argue that.When anyone says it was Mazzeos fault its ignorant name calling.
You do realize that Melissa Mazzeo sits on the Pittsfield City Council, as an at-large Councilor (since first elected)?
At-Large councilors represent every quadrant in Pittsfield, not just the west side, east side, south side, and north side – but all of Pittsfield. Crime rates (positive (two arrows up) or negative (one arrow up and one arrow down)) and especially taxes affect all of Pittsfield. As an at-large councilor, I would’ve expected Mazzeo to fully grasp (or embrace) such a construct. If not . . .
That indicates to me that she either lacks a basic understanding, is blatantly ignorant, or totally blind to Pittsfield’s crime rates and taxes. So, now she’s qualified to wail about both during an election cycle? Is that the thrust of your argument, The School Committee.
Don’t forget about Mazzeo’s and Bianchi’s resistance to hiring more cops when they both ran Pittsfield. What happened after both were booted as City powerbrokers: Tyer comes in and appoints Wynn permanent police chief, hires additional cops on the street, and initiates a community policing hub on the west side. From I’m seated, that’s a proactive mayor, not a blast from Pittsfield failed past.
Collectively, Tyer and Marchetti (as City Council president) have made substantial differences affecting each of Pittsfield’s neighborhoods’ growth, community spirit, and economic prosperity – along with supporting and encouraging property ownership and business (startup and relocation) development. Her administration’s footprint is seen and felt everywhere in Pittsfield. That’s a proactive mayor!
Where’s Melissa Mazzeo? Exactly!
Mazzeo-Bianchi years: Bad for Progress. Bad for Workers. Bad for Pittsfield.
Read it. Learn it. Live it.
Brian,
Where are the hard cold facts which support your assertions that Tyer & Marchetti have “made substantial differences affecting each of Pittsfield’s neighborhoods’ growth, community spirit, and economic prosperity blah blah blah…”?
My neighbors are continually bitching about the coming tax tsunami, the poor condition of the roads, the crime, and the outrageous amount of tax dollars being gobbled up by the failing school system.
Why would a common sense voter support another four years of Tyer?
“Live it”… Just like you live and vote ( unless fraudulently) in Lanesborough. Remember ??? Where do you work Marquis ? Do you have the intestinal fortitude to detail how you gained employment ? And we all know the real bottom line.
Mr Marquis, you have posted many stupid comments but this one takes the cake.
No candidate “relies” on any one media source and you are obviously ignorant of the many winning ones who have earned Dan’s backing or cooperated with him.
You are also too dense to consider the long list who tried to shut out Planet to their demise.
The only way its “got to be” is that you either need to step up your game or admit to being the dunce in the classroom. Geezus stop embarrassing yourself.
Good one, Barbados.
Melissa Mazzeo and her campaign flunkies should be very proud at how carefully thought out your response is.
When you can’t argue the law, attack the facts; when you can’t argue the facts, attack the law; when you can’t argue either, attack ones character.
Another zero from Mazzeo’s Nitpicking Dumpster Campaign.
I talk with G-man . He say you very, very big buffoon.
Well Brian seeing as how Mayor Tyer responded to The Planet and did so with such insight shows how off base you are here. Also if you go back to her win over Dan Bianchi, you will find that Team Tyer “relied” (not the word I’d use but your word) heavily on Dan V. Not just on this site but also the debate on TV that Planet hosted. That was the clincher for the Mayor. In these 3+ years, Mayor Tyer has shown great leadership. That’s the only thing we agree on. Actually I don’t think your support helps the Mayor at all. Her campaign wishes you’d just stay out of it. And that’s as close to “official” as I can make it.
“I pick a moon dog
Well you can radiate everything you are
Yes you can radiate everything you are”
I don’t think you can refer to the Westside COP as a community policing hub.
There is no police work being done there. There are no police officers staffed there. There are no crimes being solved, investigated, or prevented out of their office which is open 3 days a week from 8a-2p.
There have been Westside groups since the 90s. Apparently Chief Wynn was head of one of the early ones. 25 years of community groups, initiatives, etc. sadly hasn’t curbed the crime.
Westside Resource Center
Westside Neighborhood Initiative
Westside COP
And a new one, PNAT – Pittsfield Neighborhood Action Team
And also, the Morningside Neighborhood Initiative
None of these are law enforcement agencies.
What ever happened to that Crime Wagon?
The best way to highlight Mayor Linda Tyer’s ineffectiveness as Mayor is to hold her to her own attacks on Bianchi.
Let’s hear it from Linda
https://www.facebook.com/1490352314409117/posts/2232422136868794?sfns=mo
Interestingly Bianchi, while mayor for four years, with a smaller police force and holding Chief Wynn to a higher standard -being an at will employee – didn’t lead Pittsfield into being a top ten most violent city in MA two years running.
So,I’m in traffic going to lebanonsn Ave from west hour and this assclown offers cer directing traffic is letting trucks go through where there is no room? We can’t even direct traffic in this city.
Dan,
Sally Says,
Now that you have the mayor’s attention, please consider taking some of the many good questions raised in the weekend edition of The Planet, and asking the mayor to respond. And be sure to include the one about how many actual new police positions were added, versus filled because people are jumping ship, and what the current staffing level is.
Bad and Worse, just like rest of mASSachsetts “selections”.
Take your pick.
Pissfield is screwed either way.
The smartest thing I’ve seen here lately is the gentleman that was arrested over at Onota at Columbus. He surrendered practically naked. Now that guy was thinking. You can’t get shot if youve got nothing on you.
He has the right to bare arms not a bare ass.
Absolutely no question about it.
The 2018 Police Report
http://www.pittsfieldpd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PPD-Annual-Report-2018-18-month-02012019.pdf
Tyer is done.No excuses .She had 2 tetms.Goodbye.
City workers get to comfortable. We hired some dispatchers at ppd awhile ago and they were very good…annunciated well and respect in their voices. Now heir barely audible most times with lack of interest. Look at the Mayors assistants, called five times over there last week, and got a recording leave a message. Isn’t one of her assistants making around Sixty g?
The smartest thing Melissa Mazzeo could do is to offer the following:
As mayor she should immediately hire an outside audit firm to review the books of the city. She should hire a firms not associated with the city.
Hire a forensic accountant/service to review the DPW. It’s well known amongst those that know that the city allowed contractors to fill up privately owned trucks with salt and sand, and in some cases fuel. That salt and sand and fuel was supposed to be used for city contracted service but was used for their private businesses.
Since very little records were kept, this might be a hard one but one contractor routinely brags about how he and others soaked the city last winter.
Initiate a study of moving the city charter to that of a weak mayor and strong city manager.
Ask the DOJ and or an outside law firm to review and make suggestions on all disciplinary records of the Pittsfield Police Department. Dohoney put the “Doh” in the office and was ineffectual.
She could do that as mayor and should if elected. She should promise it now and it would garner her many votes. Yes it costs lots of money but look at all the money the city just paid in overtime and other millions they can not even account for.
But I say as a councilor right now she would run the idea up a flagpole and so we could see the backlash from the administration. It might be fun to watch some of these people duck and run and babble about why it is a bad idea. I am sure people no longer associated would come out against it. Something about dirty hands as they say.
Do it Melissa and I will vote for you along with a few thousand others. Show some courage and conviction to prove you are not part of a cabal yourself.
And I would add….an audit of the school department! ALL the books!
And where do you think Melissa Mazzeo has been for 10 years. On a Council that has aided and abetted.
The feds would not get involved in local politics.
The DOJ routinely is asked to, and sometimes requires to, investigate and audit police departments for malfeasance, criminal behavior, civil rights violations.
It’s called a pattern or practice investigation, happens all the time.
PR, a management study is one thing, and that would etiher back up, or refute the story we’ve been told about 120 cops needed.
But are you suggesting there are grounds to investigate and audit the police for one of the aforementioned reasons, and is so, which one/s?
It does not ‘happen all the time’. Fake news
Out of the twenty eight thousand registered voters how many are eligible to vote?…..all twenty eight that registered or are eligible,big difference Dan.
They didn’t even ask Stanley about his own seats he sold to himself.
There were pictures of the Mayor and Krol sitting in them.
There is also a picture of Tyer at a leather and feathers function at the BerkshireMuseum .
Noticible was a picture of Van Shields who gave Helen Moon three hundred dollars for her initial campaign and a picture of skinny legs Ruberto holding a cocktail with, you got it, with the Mayor,wearing a headband and black feathers adorning her shoulders.
We’re Ruberto and Tyer ever an item? They did look quite lovely standing with the Petriccas
It is looking like the mayor Tyer + Barry show have promised B Marquis a janitorial job if they are reelected, or possibly one of the parking meter enforcement positions. Why else would a 60 something year old man continually put out the same dribble against a candidate who is in an election that he isn’t even eligible to vote in. Melle + Marquis rowing the same boat.
There both rowing in Silver Lake.
I have it on good authority that BM is the mastermind behind the Tyer campaign and the one who convinced a reluctant Tyer to seek re-election. She had her heart set on being a Wal-Mart greeter before Marquis jumped in.
Speaking of BM, there are some folk who think this whole mayoral term has been one big BM.
Pittsfield Police staffing levels:
May 2016
82 police officers
End of 2017
89 police officers
End of 2018
88 police officers
Currently Sept 2019 (according to an interview on WBEC)
87 police officers
The dept is budgeted for 99 and according to a 2016 assessment, our needs are measured at 120 needed. Instead of numbers going up, they seem to be declining…
The assertion that 31 new officers have been hired seems like a really huge misrepresentation.
I have never seen a Mayor blame a councilor for not solving our crime problem that our current Mayor is running from.Tyer has turned into Trump.You cant avoid that you had two terms Mayor Tyer.
I cant help but laugh at Mayor Tyers attempting to blame Bianchi.Tyer just not ready for prime time.If I’m a department head I’m voting Tyer and if I’m a hard working poor taxpayer I’m voting Mazzeo.If I’m a voting gangster I’m voting Tyer and if I’m a War veteran I’m voting Mazzeo….If I’m in the Elite crown I’m a Tyer voter and if I’m a mom who wants a safe morningside neighborhood I’m voting Mazzeo
Tough on crime DA Andrea Harrington let’s a mentally unstable man with a knife who threatened to slit people’s throats out on $250 bail.
I’m glad this restorative justice is being applied to people threatening murder.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/man-accused-of-threatening-to-kill-people-outside-great-barrington-restaurant,584962
Man accused of threatening to kill people outside Great Barrington restaurant
Posted Monday, September 16, 2019 8:09 pm
By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle
GREAT BARRINGTON — A South Egremont man is facing numerous charges after police say he chased, assaulted and threatened to kill people with a knife outside a restaurant Friday night when they tried to stop him from driving drunk.
Donald Schneider Jr., 50, was arrested in the parking lot of Bogie’s Restaurant & Pub after brandishing a folding knife, assaulting two people, and threatening to slit the owner’s throat, according to a statement released by Great Barrington police on Monday.
Schneider was released on $250 bail and charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of threat to commit a crime — murder, disorderly conduct and vandalizing jail property.
If you are kind to the cruel, you will end up being cruel to the kind.
Harrington is tough on crime. I saw her slap the Crap outa Corn Pop.
Vote Mazzeo and anyone but Tyer.Many people will have to consider moving if Tyer gets in. More of the same.School consolidation will bring higher quality schools under one roof of services.We have a very very expensive watered down school department…..Tyer paid 1 million of poor people tax dollars over budget for snow removal and in 12 months she gave highway another 2 million over .These guys were sanding on Sundays with no snow on the road…..
You cant raise taxes forever chasing failure.McCandless is voting Tyer.Sne is throwing our cash away.
Tyers taxpayers have become a money funnel. And the special interests are on the other end of her funnel. Right Stanley? Right George?
Get off your keysters & vote today! Polls open 8am-8pm.
Send Linda to an early reTYERment! Vote Mazzeo, Kalinowsky or Graves for mayor.
My choices for candidates..
Ward 1: Moon
Ward 2: Morandi
Ward 3: Caccamo
Ward 4: Connell
Ward 5: Lothrop
Ward 6 Gaetani
Ward 7: Buddy Hacket
At- Large: White,Blumin,Marchetti, Persip
Mayor Linda Tyer has not delivered on any of her initiatives or promises. For however bad the city was when she took over, it is now much worse.
Millions lost or wasted on municipal misadventure, crime is up, so much so they have just quit investigating and reporting on a whole series of lie quality crimes. Mayor Linda Tyer’s job created fantasy is just that, a fantasy, she hasn’t created job one. She has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on patronage projects with no or minimal requirements for “pay for performance”.
A perfect example, Beacon Cinema. Millions of dollars written off to “create” 5 FTE minimum wage positions with little or now benefits.
Pittsfield is vibrant and dynamic if you live miles away in a gated community and filter the world through lying and deceit.
Here here. Police it would be interesting knowing how many of our police officers do not live in the City of Pittsifield and/or send their children to school in neighboring towns because they know first hand how dangerous these streets really are. Vibrant and dynamic with escalating crime rates and drug overdoses and deaths. Recently a 26 year old woman’s death THE vibrant and dynamic Ruberto RENAISSANCE and she IS his protege. THE Doyle and Ruberto Regime is alive in well.
If your poor or on low fixed income you must remove Tyer.The cocktail crowd must be removed to save our city.We also need to get control of landlords in the neighborhoods through the Health Department.Some of these places are unhealthy to live in and dangerous to be around.
Speaking of the Health Department, this is another department that is a failure under Lovely Linda’s administration. Wonder exactly what this Health Department does? So many of the stores and restaurants in Pittsfield are filthy dirty, why is this allowed to go on. A prime example is the dollar store on Merrill Road. The aisles are cluttered with stock and it is so dirty that it is a safety and health hazard, you can barely see through the windows they are so dirty. Stop & Shop on Merrill Road is also filthy dirty. Is it not the Health Department’s job to monitor this? I honestly can’t see where Lovely Linda has made any of her department heads accountable. She seems to have a wait, find out the major issue and than hide from it, cover it up or have a snarky response to the taxpayers. Found it funny that when I went to vote today, there were several supporters of Mazzeo holding signs, but there was one Tyer sign leaning against a post in the midst of very overgrown grass. Kind of ironic. This administration has ignored the up keep of Pittsfield and I guess her supporters are hiding also.
You are probably wondering where your DA is while Pittsfield is emerging as one of the most dangerous cities in America. Look no further than Selma, Alabama. You can see her in the video here. Civil rights and racial injustice and clearly priority one. Impeach this idiot for failure to perform duties NOW. https://www.wsfa.com/2019/09/16/prosecutors-across-us-walk-edmund-pettus-bridge-selma/
Harrington you fool get back to Pittsfield and do you job.
Why is Bill Cameron running for school committee? Give a younger candidate a chance,you old goat. Why don’t you retire to Florida like all the other galoot suckers.
DTR has turned into a real fruitcake. Sold out.
Doyle is on the C P A Committee and his softball-complex received money? It ain’t kosher.
I would like to know how Gerry Doyle got on the CPA Committee. The city was missing big big bucks during his tenure as mayor. He shouldn’t be anywhere around taxpayer funds!
Doesn’t beer can Doyle work with dead people now? The conversations must be interesting but not for the stiffs.
If Mayor Linda Tyer felt that Parks and open space is so important, why does she continue to employ Jim McGrath?
Jim has tried to create $600k Pickleball courts in a park who’s charter doesn’t support that. I think he wasted tens of thousands on a study to do so.
He tried creating a dog park on a capped dump. Clearly he didn’t go to a school that explained capped landfills require monitoring and retesting and testing “forever” if you plan on digging up parts of the area serviced by the cap.
He’s wasted tens of thousands of dollars on doing “beach studies” on a parcel that was not useable. A fact a two minute conversation with the conservation agent, with the ConCom, or 5 minutes with the GIS system would have told him. But no he wasted tens of thousands of dollars having SK Design study drainage in a wetland in hopes of building a beach.
Mr McGrath, anything near a body of water is a wetland, things sort of close to a wetland, probably wetlands, things near things near a wetland, border vegetative wetlands.
Maybe as SK design how much it will cost and what needs to be done to create a new beach BEFORE you spend money looking at new potential sites. Most every site will come with the same conditions and one of those conditions will include replicating the wetlands you disturb, and locating them someplace else.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Preservation Committee has given the city its blessing to continue working toward a Pontoosuc Lake beach.
Parks and Open Spaces Manager James McGrath asked the committee Monday for permission to spend down the balance of the city’s Community Preservation Funds to find a new location for the beach.
“I think it is just too important to the city and is a valuable park space,” McGrath said. “This is a site that I think is not living up to its full potential and, at one point in time, that was a premier location.”
Over a year ago, Friends of Pontoosuc Lake were approved for $15,000 from the Community Preservation Act funds to re-establish a city beach at Pontoosuc Lake Park.
McGrath said the city hired SK Design Group to look at drainage issues that have deteriorated the city beach over the years.
“It was a very popular spot where there was in fact a lifeguard station and a changing hut and a series of docks but over time a lot of that went away,” he said. “What we were left with was simply an old beach at the bottom of an old staircase … there is no more and over time this was taken over as grass and maintained as grass.
McGrath said the project would help the city understand drainage issues that led to the deterioration of the beach. He said the study would inform new drainage that could intercept the water and drain off in the lake and dry up the area.
SK design did some survey work but ultimately it was found that the proposed beach, which is about 200 feet long, is now a wetland and therefore has to follow wetland restrictions.
(FYI These rules have been in place for decades)
“There are now rules that prohibit us from converting this back into a beach,” McGrath said. “It would be the taking of a wetland so we are sort of at a stopping point.
No actually anything close to a body of water is not a wetland. Dumbass.
You would be incorrect yet again.
Large bodies of water (lakes ponds) – the subject of the beach is a large body of water, rivers, streams (perennial and some intermittent), bogs, marshes, wet fields, and border vegetative wetlands where the indication is at least 50% BVW plants per square yard or with local options as little as 25% per square yard or per designated impact area.
The simple point is, as you continually seem to falter on very simple concepts, you don’t do subsurface drainage studies on land that you don’t know their designation. You also don’t need to hire SK design to tell you land within 100 or 200 feet of a lake or pond needs a NOI or will be designated as a wetland impact area. It’s shoreline.
About six years ago maybe more,I was driving to down North Street coming from east. I saw two incredible incidents, the goof ball known as some kind of great local boxer Todd something.was doing a u turn in front of the old Pittsfield National Bank. Simultaneously Jim McGrath was right behind him a spit out of his vehicle ,big,big Louie,(lunger). I only know McGrath from watching Parks meeting. He seems to be a Ruffer Like disciple.
Dan tons of Mazzeo supporters st polls and telling me she’ll win prelim easily. Tyers on tired tired legs.
What would McCandless do if he was in private business and his boss said cut your budget by 10% and make more money.The CC pretends that consolidation does not work and America does it everyday.School committee is just on a leash and Mccandless takes them for a walk and tells them where to crap.If school budgets were a question on the MCAS ,How do we stop failure in education in Pittsfield Ma. Easy ,spend more money
https://www.cbs42.com/news/alabama-district-attorneys-march-in-selma-to-bring-light-to-unjust-prosecutions/
Saw Harrington’s face there. What a buffoon.
This just in: Our DA is in Selma, Alabama holding hands and singing songs with other “progressive” justice wingnuts and social networking it like it is going to have any impact here.
See the video above. Somehow it went under the School Committee comment.
It’s not like DA Andrea Harrington has a heavy workload. It’s not like she’s trying to help solve murder cases here or working collaboratively with the PPD or Mayor Linda Tyer on safety initiatives in the county Or state paying her salary.
Her office runs smoother the less she is in it, so there’s that.
Must be fake news because Tyer told Dan that the DA was working aggressively and tirelessly and collaborative on solving latest homicide.
Harrington was being dynamic and vibrant too!
In trying to find out what jobs Mayor Linda Tyer has created, it should be easy as there are over 400 of them, I’ve run into a roadblock.
I would ask that others that are interested send requests to the Mayor’s office to get a list of jobs.
I’d also suggest that you contact the PPD and ask for a list of hires/retires/separated employees.
In one email the mayors office could only point to the Wayfair jobs, Covanta(?), “rehired” teachers, police (not specific), Beacon jobs, and a job very specific Senior Marketing Specialist job at 1Berkshire
Here is Harrington marching in Alabama today with other far left District Attorneys. You can see her in the video.
https://www.cbs42.com/news/alabama-district-attorneys-march-in-selma-to-bring-light-to-unjust-prosecutions/
Is it fair to count jobs that haven’t yet been created?
Jobs created should only include positions in which people are actually employed and receiving paychecks!
J Lo must have burned his bridges not his telephone lines.Way to go Patrick!
Mazzeo 2860
Tyer 2571
The other two candidates got 624 votes
So, for Tyer 2571
Against Tyer 3484
It will be a close general election in November. The lovely Linda Tyer has to make up a couple hundred votes to win re-election. She will have to win over one out of every 12 voters to switch their vote from the lovely Melissa Mazzeo to her vote column.
Mazzeo still has her power dry Mr. Melle. Your lovely lady better start shakin in her boots and call Harrington back from Alabmam to get cooroborating and working agressively and tirelessley on the latest homicide.
For an 4 year incumbent bragging of strong leadership, real results, and hundrreds of jobs, its not a good showing, at all.
Linda won’t be getting any of the Graves or Kalinowsky votes.
JOBS,JOBS,JOBS,
300 – WAYFAIR
31 – POLICE
25 – COVANTA
5 – BEACON ESTIMATE
27 – SCHOOL DEPARTMENT ESTIMATE
1 – RED CARPET CZAR
1 – SNOW JOB
1 – CON JOB
= 391
Can anyone come up with 54 more to = the 437 total on her campaign cardboard, not counting the jobs you get an CuMby’s with your gallon of milk?
Is there a ward by ward count out yet on the mayor’s race? That would be interesting to see. If Mazzeo did well in the Westside that would be telling I believe.
Results by ward are on Live 95.9 website –
https://townsquare.media/site/920/files/2019/09/Results.pdf