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A QUARTET OF ITEMS — STRAW POLL: WHO WON THE MAYORAL DEBATE? … CITY OF SECRETS … FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE … DUMPSTER EARL GETTING BUSY AGAIN?

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BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 16, 2019) — The more things remain the same, the more they will eventually change. And so it is with THE PLANET. Next week we will unveil our new and improved site. It will load faster, feature a more refreshed look, and incorporate new features designed for the reader, including the long-asked-for “thumbs up/thumbs down” feature. We’ll share more Friday.

Now, let’s do some housekeeping.

STRAW POLL: Who “won” last night’s “debate” between Melissa Mazzeo and Linda Tyer? We want to hear from you. Unlike on Nov. 5, your vote on THE PLANET counts!

———- 000 ———-

CITY OF SECRETS — On Sept 30, 2019, councilor-at-large candidate Alex Blumin filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for “any and all communications” the city had with Electro Magnetic Associates, the space angels looking to set up a radioactive “empire” at the BIC — courtesy of funding by Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. On Oct. 11, Michele Benjamin, city clerk and record access officer, got back to him. She included information from the city council packet. In other words, public information that had been readily available.

As to Blumin’s request for the private stuff, the city responded twice with a straight face: “The city has no documents meeting this request.” It’s clear city “leaders” interpreted Blumin’s request technically to not include relevant documents, including e-mails and texts. The city wants you to believe that in all the dealings with Spacely Space Sprockets, not one e-mail or text was sent that has not been made public. That’s what The Tyer Administration thinks of you. And you wonder why the no-shows will be the majority on Election Day.

———- ooo ———-

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRETHE PLANET received this “take” on the campaign from a Veddy Qualified Source. Our Insider writes:

“The firefighters may have endorsed Linda Tyer, but that doesn’t mean they’ll fall in-line for Tyer’s rubber stamper Helen Moon. Moon officially represents ward 1, but in reality, she represents any interest that she believes will further her political career. The rank and file fire fighters are particularly pissed about a recent call to Moon’s neighborhood. The fire trucks were attending to a call from across the street, presumably doing what firefighters do: like say, saving a life, putting out a fire, doing a well-being check…the kinds of things we expect them to do.

“But on this occasion, whatever our good fire fighters were doing was clearly not as important as the beauty sleep being enjoyed by Moon’s live-in boyfriend. Let’s call him, Moon-Boy, to protect his identity and that of his family. Anyway, Moon-Boy strolled out in his pajamas, complaining that the lights and noise was just too much. After all, he must have had a very busy day planned out, and it must be quite stressful being the male counterpart of a woman who is so knee deep in #MeToo-ism that she hasn’t met a man who she can’t label a misogynist. Either way, the fire fighters’ endorsement for Tyer (if that’s even relevant) certainly doesn’t apply to her rubber stamp Moon.”

Fire Department sources tell THE PLANET that the rank-n-file are indeed pissed about Moon Boy’s diva act. They say this will drive votes to MelMaz and away from the mayor. And remember this: Fire fighters vote.

———- ooo ———-

DUMPSTER EARL AT IT AGAIN? — We close with this tidbit from one of THE PLANET‘s Z-Agents:

“Attention Mazzeo supporters, keep an eye on dumpsters around town. ‘Mazzeo for Mayor’ signs may be at-risk! Earl Persip may be at it again. Last council meeting, Persip’s forced back-and-forth with Mazzeo was clearly a contrived effort by the ever-more-desperate Tyer enclave to drag MelMaz into an embarrassing confrontation at a council meeting. The effort sputtered out with Earl’s uncreative ‘maybe you can Google it’ quip –a knock on Mazzeo’s own description of how she often researches issues (‘I googled it’). Long story short, Persip seems to have a special axe to grind with Mazzeo, so again, keep an eye on those dumpsters.”

You will recall during the last campaign, the evidence fingered Dumpster Earl disposing rival campaign signs in the now infamous Dumpster Behind Paul Rich (DBPR). Dumpster Earl will have to look for a new repository, however, since the DBPR has been turned into a wildly popular tourist spot, yet another “economic engine” for “collaborative, vibrant, dynamic” dying downtown Pittsfield, where J. Allen’s at 41 North Street has just closed.

———————————————————————————————————–

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t peel a carrot with a butter knife” — Sally Rogers’ Aunt Agnes.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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Mr. X
Mr. X
4 years ago

James—no doubt BC has been the acting mayor—before the primary LT and BC were going door to door—my buddy told me when she answered the door the 1st words they said were from LT—“ok so how are we doing?”

And Mr. Marquis has been told to shut up by BC-LT campaign because he has been hurting them

Brian C. Marquis
Brian C. Marquis
Reply to  Mr. X
4 years ago

Just so we’re all crystal clear:

No one, but no one has “told” me “to shut up”.

I don’t direclty or indirectly communicate with anyone working on behalf of Linda Tyer, nor do I know anyone seated on her re-election committee; or any of her campaign workers or affilatiates. That’s a fact!

No one, but no one puts Brain in a corner.

Since selling my Pittsfield property, all ties to your lovely City have been servered. The only connection now is a boundary line, that’s it.

This is for sure: When Tom Bowler is up re-election, I’m pledging the maximun amount of cash to any opponent who thinks s/he has a shot in hell in knocking him out of office. Bowler’s a countywide elected official; thus, his re-election gives me all the standing I need to meddle in that contest.

Again, just so we’re clear: No one, but no one puts Brain in a corner. And that includes associates working on behalf of either candidate / campaign!

Frankly, I stil think silk-stocking Melissa Mazzeo is bad for Pittsfeild. But since I’m no longer enjoy ties there, good luck with electing the same ‘o same ‘o politics of yesteryear! Simply stated, Mazzeo’s a phony, and a liar!!

P.S. I do thank-you eveybody for evaluating me to a sphere far above my pay grade. I had no idea my involvment in your silly, dysfunctional politics swayed so many votes. Then again, when the highest grade level most in Pittsfield have achieved is third grade, I’m not surprised.

Yeah, me!!!

And that’s the bottom-line!!

Tom Betit
Tom Betit
Reply to  Brian C. Marquis
4 years ago

Brian
Welcome back
While I agree with your assessment
Being what I have learned recently
About mazzeo-Bowler -Caccaviello political team
May I suggest you dial down the tone just a bit?
I share your outrage , and do I believe the majority also does also. You diminish your message with the diatribes, which although I don’t always agree with, they do spark needed conversations.

Brian C. Marquis
Brian C. Marquis
Reply to  Tom Betit
4 years ago

Thanks, Tom Betit.

Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavoured to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us – Thomas Paine, Common Sense.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
4 years ago

JIV a finalist for supt. job in Silver Lake School District. I hope he gets it. Definitely a time to move on – the PPSchools are a mess!

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
4 years ago

And I hope he takes Joe Curtis with him.

Johnny Absurd
Johnny Absurd
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
4 years ago

Curious as to the criteria of the hiring district. Do they actually look at the performance of his schools or just take the school committees word for it that the guy is a genius?

Are they aware that parents are bailing right and left to get their children out of his schools? Things like this might be of interest to some people, unless he is just posturing for another pay hike.

Spagirl
Spagirl
Reply to  danvalenti
4 years ago

Good riddance. And now to the School Committee!!

Hell Toupee
Hell Toupee
Reply to  danvalenti
4 years ago

Now the question is, who’s the next buffoon that Pittsfield hires?

Bradford North
Bradford North
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
4 years ago

Where on Earth is the Silver Lake School District?

PoliceReport
PoliceReport
Reply to  Bradford North
4 years ago
Ichabod Crane
Ichabod Crane
Reply to  PoliceReport
4 years ago

Silver Lake! I taught there for a year–I think 30 kids were expelled the year I was there.

Had all kinds of things I called the place:

“Cleveland” (as in “Mistake on a Lake”).

Students were FCA–“Future Convicts of America”

“White Trash Nation”

A bit of zoo, to be sure.

Boys were smoking in the bathroom across the hall from my room and the smoke was coming in through the door–usually too hot to close the door.

I told the principal and he told me to roust them out of there.

I replied that I can watch the bathroom or teach my classes–but not both.

There is some money in that area (as is most any place compared to the Pitts)

Gordon Noseworthy was the Super at the time–and I think he showed up around here lately, didn’t he?

They were building a new school, which opened the year after I left. I understand that the kids didn’t waste any time trashing it.

Auto Phil
Auto Phil
4 years ago

Mayor Tyer has accused Melissa Mazzeo of making false statements about school safety on her Tyer for Mayor FB Page.

At the debate, Mazzeo had stated that PPS do not do Live Action Shooter Drills.

The day after the debate, PPS families receive a newsletter with a “letter” from Erik Lamoureaux, District Emergency Management Coordinator regarding school drills.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZR6b4EaF0UL3e9NefzPm5vknMaR_yw9Vcjns7qogGgk/mobilebasic

The letter breaks down the different drills and what families can expect to come regarding ALICE drills.

ALICE / live action shooter drills are highly controversial for their impact on the psychological and emotional impact on children as well as the level of training and preparation needed to pull off.

They are not to be taken likely. In fact there are pages of guidance available to conduct them properly. Mr. Lamoureaux knows this of course. And one would imagine he is to be a trusted source.

Trusted, except for the fact that the letter he wrote to parents is actually mostly plagiarized from the active shooter publication linked below.

Maybe people would have more faith in PPS if their official leaders had the integrity to either pen an original letter, or properly cite its sources, not plagiarize – word for word – an existing publication and try to pass it off as their own.

I get it though. Mayor Tyer needed that letter fast. Copy and paste must have seemed like a reasonable way to get it done.

https://www.nasponline.org/assets/Documents/Research%20and%20Policy/Advocacy%20Resources/BP_Armed_Assailant_Drills.pdf

(Page 5, part II)

Shakes
Shakes
Reply to  danvalenti
4 years ago

That’s absurd. An elected official has wide latitude to use language in the public real. It’s not like this was Melania stealing Michelle’s speech.

The school committee
The school committee
Reply to  danvalenti
4 years ago

He is not a professional and school safety is to important for him to be in charge of.More bad incompetent hires and promotions.

Blare
Blare
Reply to  danvalenti
4 years ago

Dan, this is a very serious matter. I think you should write a formal letter of complaint to NASP and NASRO. Tell them that the lockdown drill “guidance” they compiled has been plagiarized. The next step might be actually implementing that guidance. I am sure NASP and NASRO would be anxious to put a stop to that, so best get cracking with that letter.

PoliceReport
PoliceReport
Reply to  Auto Phil
4 years ago

Chief Wynn and Erik Lamoureaux are horribly and hopelessly incompetent when it comes to school security.
The schools are not secure in even the most minimal ways that are effective.
I do not want to go into too many specifics but I will give a few examples.
The building rooms are not numbered in a most buildings. During an active shooter, outside communication with those sheltering in place is essential. In every instance schools are quadrant or at least room labeled and those labels are displayed as cards in the window. This allows police outside the building to coordinate with dynamic entry teams as well as victims.
In a meeting Chief Wynn and Erik were clueless to this procedure and were reluctant to even implement it. Look at any school and municipal building in Pittsfield, few if any of the windows display room numbers.
Chief Wynn and Erik don’t know what “redlining” is when it comes room security. They argued over the effectiveness of window laminates to limit access entry points. It is a proven technology, it turns glass into a very robust anti shatter laminate that delays active shooters.
The only hope Pittsfield has is to bring in trooper Andy Canata and let him take over, or at least Chief Wynn and Erik should shut up and do what they are told.

GHOST RIDER
GHOST RIDER
Reply to  PoliceReport
4 years ago

PR:
You are spot on w/SWAT/SRT tactics.
Look at what the The Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee is up too.
“It’s a 360-degree visualization tool, a highly specialized camera. They literally go around and film the entire physical campus and all the interiors of the buildings,”
It’s 100% better than sending a Logistics Officer to a City, Town or private office bldg and requesting a diagram of the bldg(s). Esp on a weekend or holiday weekend OR sending a team in to reconnoiter the area.
I’m a big supporter of Chief Wynn, but he needs to get on the cutting edge PPPPP (Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance), a cancer that has affected the PPD & County SRT for a long time!

Merry & Bright
Merry & Bright
4 years ago

Let’s hope that the School Committee tells them he is genius so we can get rid of him and hopefully find a replacement that will get our schools back on the right track, Maybe he is afraid that Mazzeo will get in and make him accountable for his budget. Tyer has never questioned his budget spending just like she loss track of Turocy’s millions of dollars over spending for salt last winter.

Johnny Absurd
Johnny Absurd
Reply to  Merry & Bright
4 years ago

and seriously….how many kids just do not show up half the time?

What is the graduation rate? How many times do police need to interact with students each week?

How many kids opted out of Pittsfield schools in 2018 and 2019? How many teachers have left the system in those same years?

What is the cost per student in Pittsfield including everything including busing and other things the school system likes to pretend are city costs?

Is anyone in the city or school system assigned to keep track of such things and if so is said information public or hidden due to late stage embarrassment?

Johnny99
Johnny99
Reply to  Johnny Absurd
4 years ago

How dare you Johnny, expecting data from your government. The only data you get is the self serving lies Tyers’ serving up on her cardboard meal – 3 courses so far. Notice she is not including real data like actual crime numbers during her tenure compared to Bianchis.

A good mayor would demand and publish the true numbers on schools and public safety, not the fairies and unicorn crap she’s peddling.

The school committee
The school committee
Reply to  Johnny Absurd
4 years ago

C Behnke is in charge and know exactly how msny and how much.There is 17 people screening calls to her.Always at a meeting…no never.

think about it
think about it
4 years ago

McCandless takes the job,Tyers off the hook,if Mazzeo is elected. McCandless stays Mazzeo is off to he hook.

Vag Abonde
Vag Abonde
4 years ago

Lady Boots has it under control. Trust in Boots.

Terump Sup
Terump Sup
4 years ago

Trumps tuff love Curds speech revelled that of Kennedy,Churchill and Martin Luther King. God a Bless Our President! A Deal is a Deal !

The school committee
The school committee
4 years ago

As Mazzeos mailing pointed out was that highway was 2.1 million over budget and Tyer and Kerwood dont have any public statements as to why and add 1 million over the year before and it is clear they are not budgeting truthfully as the 2020 budget is higher by 100k so still artificially keeping it low to say she cut taxes.Tyer is using a state allowed loophole to later balance the City budget with highway being used as a pawn.You dont need to be a genius to figure out they need at least 1.5 million more if being truthful is important.Lamerouex cant teach cant get along with people and cant keep kids safe.

Boyfriend X
Boyfriend X
4 years ago

Tyer doesn’t have control of the City. And that’s was her choose no.

jaxson meld
jaxson meld
4 years ago

I knew Mulvaney was a fruitcake.

jim H
jim H
4 years ago

you asked about the debate on the 15th of oct. clearly mm took the whole debate tyer is a phony she has 1 lie after another she does not care about the tax payers all she cares about is a pay check she thinks she can fool us again NOT HAPPENING!!!!

The school committee
The school committee
Reply to  jim H
4 years ago

I voted Tyer.Not again ,not happening

Aerin
Aerin
4 years ago

BREAKING:
Portugal Mayor Supports Recriminalizing Public Drug Use

– “Drug decriminalization “is not possible,” he said in the meeting, adding that such policies have “consented” to illegal drug trafficking. The mayor expressed he is “a little tired of hearing just about the dignity” of people who use drugs, adding that the policy of decriminalization “simply does not protect the overwhelming majority of the population.”

Talk of drug decriminalization is buzzing in the United States as Democratic presidential candidates, like Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang, throw their support behind a model innovated by Portugal, one of the few countries that has axed policies criminalizing personal possession and replaced them with more harm reduction and treatment resources.

But what’s been a beacon of hope for North American drug policy reformers could be regressing towards punitive approaches that Americans are all too familiar with. On September 30, Rui Moreira, the mayor of Porto, contradicted his past pro-harm reduction positions, like the ones made at the 2019 Harm Reduction International conference in his own city, when he endorsed reintroducing criminal penalties for drug use in public spaces during a municipal assembly meeting.

Drug decriminalization “is not possible,” he said in the meeting, adding that such policies have “consented” to illegal drug trafficking. The mayor expressed he is “a little tired of hearing just about the dignity” of people who use drugs, adding that the policy of decriminalization “simply does not protect the overwhelming majority of the population.” To address this problem that he says is “everywhere,” Rureira is advocating for the installation of over 100 new video surveillance cameras to monitor public streets in an attempt to clamp down on drug use.

The mayor’s perceived pivot comes after he made a surprise announcement earlier this year before an audience of harm reductionists that drug consumption rooms would be arriving in Porto.

“That this statement was made by a mayor who has previously demonstrated support for a health-centred approach to drugs, is particularly concerning,” said Naomi Burke-Shyne, executive director of Harm Reduction International. “Political expediency must not outweigh the safety and security of people who use drugs in Porto.”

https://filtermag.org/portugal-mayor-criminalization-drugs/amp/

PoliceReport
PoliceReport
Reply to  Aerin
4 years ago

The biggest mistakes that uneducated people, like DA Andrea Harrington, about Portugal is that the decriminalization was about drugs, it wasn’t.

Portugal decriminalized the possession of heroin in response to having the highest HIV rate in the EU. It was their way of implementing a “Say No!” To shared and used needles.
You have to remember, Portugal has state sponsored healthcare, so paying for care for HIV and AIDS patients is a LOT more expensive than drug treatment. Also understand that their “Say No” program was marginally effective.

The “success” of the program is debatable.
The one study, paid for by a pro drug, think tank of sorts used very selective data over a short period of time to elicit results that supported their position.
Most initial success have climbed back to old levels of failure.
Drug related deaths are back up, HIV/AIDS via injections and shared needles is still extremely high, and has climbed up in recent years.

The policy changes actually mimicked what was being done by the police. Cops weren’t busting casual users in the first place. Less than one percent of the prison population was casual users of heroin. What the law change did do, it made convictions for trafficking much harder. The numbers didn’t really change, the number of possession offense just shifted from criminal to administrative, nearly one to one.

Tom Betit
Tom Betit
Reply to  PoliceReport
4 years ago

Police report
Very informative post
Thanks
Traffickers will just keep being replaced, as they are caught and hopefully convicted. I’m all for increased sentences.

The problem seems to be the increasing rate of addiction.
Take away the demand and suppliers and related criminal behavior will deminish.

Perhaps Ms Harrington was attempting to learn what has been tried, and what has succeeded.
I agree she should publish her findings, unless it was just a sight seeing your.

Zeb MacClayhen
Zeb MacClayhen
4 years ago

Why do I feel like a child when listening to Tyer? She sounds like the no place like home chick in the Wizard of O Z .

And Mayor,being a longer resident than either you or the Colonel, we are not that great. In the world of reality we are a beautiful laden lake city,everything else just plain.

A Cheshire Cat
A Cheshire Cat
4 years ago

Winner? I would give participation ribbons to both ladies.

Tom Betit
Tom Betit
Reply to  A Cheshire Cat
4 years ago

Feline
Welcome to the everyone gets a trophy era
Soon you will receive the same 15$ an hour payrate
As it will insure your need for government subsidies and dependence
Welcome to socialist America

flenn livers
flenn livers
4 years ago

I was told that clueless lew was on the Stupi Stooge show today promoting marchetti,maffucio and Low throwup? There has to be an election candidate law for equal time on a taxpayer school sponsored show? Then there was Dina Lampiasi Guiel during Stooge commercialsat beginning of the show giving herself a selfie and unaware she was on camera.