!!UPDATED!! MAZZEO RELEASES STATEMENT … SAFE SPACES: VOTE RECOUNT MONDAY … DA WANTS SHOOTING GALLERIES FOR JUNKIES … PPD ‘PRIORITIES’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION NOV. 22-4, 2019) — Two days ago, a Pittsfield Police officer delivered a letter to Melissa Mazzeo. The letter said the mayoral recount will begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday in City Council chambers. As you know because THE PLANET scooped all media, Mazzeo disputes the legitimacy of the Nov. 5 vote, believing voter fraud flipped the outcome.
A recount is a form of “audit,” and it’s helpful to receive an official accounting of a close vote where one of the candidates thinks she has reason to distrust the tally. Mazzeo is seeking the recount mainly to preserve her ability to take the matter to court, which will ask her if she first has exhausted available remedies. The recount will satisfy that requirement. In court — with the power of depositions, subpoena, and the oath — the circumstances dramatically change. After consulting with attorneys and combing over election data for 10 days, Team Mazzeo feels it have enough to find the votes (213) that would flip the outcome. They believe there was voter tampering and that they have to evidence to prove it.
Mayor Linda Tyer said she supported Mazzeo’s right to take this action, although she reiterated she won fairly. Other than that, Team Tyer has kept low and quiet. Many of Tyer’s supporters have taken to social media, but the mayor has distanced herself from their strident and sometimes hateful tone. These “supporters” exhibit a panic we doubt the mayor shares. They go on Facebook and puke on their keyboards, ranting against anyone not in lock-step … or is it goose-step? Facebook being a public forum, they become fair game. Right, Tim Kushi, Kathy Austin Davidson, and Nan Bookless? No wonder Team Tyer privately expresses embarrassment over such “followers.” With “friends” like that …
ADD 1 NOV. 22 afternoon — Melissa Mazzeo issued a press statement. We present the text unedited, in full:
Pittsfield, MA – Today, Melissa Mazzeo issued the following statement regarding the upcoming recount of the November 5th Mayoral Election in Pittsfield.
“After speaking with state elections officials and legal counsel, my campaign went through the formal process of requesting a recount in Pittsfield in order to ensure that all votes were accurately counted and all voters had their voices heard. This is not a decision that I took lightly. However, I have been advised that it is a necessary step in the process that keeps all viable options open to address the significant concerns my campaign has about the integrity of the election here in Pittsfield. Leading up to and including Election Day, we were informed of a series of events that we believe must be investigated.”
They include, but are not limited to:
- An individual closely related to the Tyer Campaign had unauthorized direct access to ballots inside City Hall. Numerous voters complained about this individual to us. Upon hearing this, we officially contacted Secretary Galvin’s Elections Division and reported the issue.
- An individual reached out to the Mazzeo campaign because they were told that their name was marked as “voted” on the voter roll at their polling location when , in fact, they had not voted.As a result, that individual was prevented from casting his vote..
- There were abnormally high amounts of absentee ballots that exceeded any previous Mayoral Election in Pittsfield and we intend to look carefully at all the absentee ballots for irregularities.
“As a candidate and voter in Pittsfield, I am seeking to ensure that issues like this are brought to light and never happen again. Until we are provided answers to these issues, I will continue to pursue every avenue necessary to ensure that the people of Pittsfield can be certain that their votes are protected and counted properly.”
———- 000 ———-
Be safe. In these odd times where so many get so “offended” by so little, it’s time for Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski to get riled. They do, as you know, about so many aspects of their worrisome lives in Pittsfield. Their anguish, however, matters little to The Suits, who would rather take care of the likes of “Gimme” types.
Heroin addicts, c’mon down!
From the Berkshire Eagle:
PITTSFIELD — If drug users could inject themselves under medical supervision and without the threat of getting arrested, it could save lives. But would the community support such a bold step, rife with moral and legal questions on both sides of the issue?
The county’s top law enforcement official, District Attorney Andrea Harrington, says bringing supervised drug consumption services to Berkshire County is a conversation worth having because it’s “an idea that maybe would work.”
Earlier this year, Harrington and elected prosecutors from elsewhere in the United States visited Portugal to witness that country’s progressive drug policies.
Portugal’s medically supervised injection services … have helped cut back the country’s drug mortality rate.
Harrington acknowledged hurdles to clear in terms of building community support for the service in Berkshire County.
“There would need to be a much bigger conversation,” she said.
———- ooo ———-
See the problem?
DA Andrea Harrington wants the Kapanskis to pay for air conditioned, “safe spaces” for junkies to shoot up. They won’t be arrested. If they overdose, they will be treated. It led Mr. Fritz, one of THE PLANET‘s more prolific commentators, to mockingly tout “Heroin Tourism” in the Berkshires thanking Harrington and “her philosophically aligned supporter,” Mayor Linda Tyer.
“Somehow in her brief tenure as DA,” Mr. Fritz writes, “Andrea Harrington got a medical degree. With her heavy case load of criminal prosecutions and trips to everywhere except superior and district court, it’s amazing what she can come up with.”
Drug users choose to dance with the demon, in spite of all the educational efforts, publicly funded programs, parental heartbreak, and good deeds by loved ones. Once hooked, they continue choosing to stay there. Why should it be on society to clean up after their self-chosen messes? THE PLANET respects a junkie’s choice to shoot. We likewise respect the often deadly consequences. Recently, an outraged do-gooder asked us what we should do with drug users with OD, as if its our problem.
“Simple,” we replied with a straight face. Let ’em die and strengthen the gene pool.” We call this Modest Proposal our “Shot-for-Shot Plan.” In the long run, it has much to recommend.
———- ooo ———-
Extending our discussion of “safe spaces,” with all the crime bursting Pittsfield’s seams, it’s incredible the Pittsfield Police Department under chief Mike Wynn wants to devote time, attention, and resources to keeping safe — are you sitting down? — citizens who buy and sell goods online. Safe? Just last night (Nov. 21), thugs broke into Devaney-Condron Funeral Home, stealing a necklace. In Pittsfield, not even the dead are safe. In other good news, the PPD’s Lt. John Soules announced the arrest of Luis Mallett, 32, charging him with the attempted robbery at Cumby’s a few night ago. Police say Mallett is not from Pittsfield.
THE PLANET kids you not — With all hell breaking loose, Wynn thinks priority should go to online trading. Here’s the text of a press release he authorized:
As the number of residents buying and selling goods online continues to increase and grow, so too do the potential risks associated with these types of transactions, which can involve meeting a stranger in unfamiliar surroundings. In an effort to keep these transactions as safe as possible, the Pittsfield Police Department is introducing a designated “safe exchange zone” in the lobby area of Headquarters at 39 Allen Street. This area is monitored via video surveillance and is available 24 hours a day.
A few tips to keep in mind when conducting transactions at the Pittsfield Police Department:
- Pittsfield Police personnel will not be present or assist with any transactions.
- Pittsfield Police personnel are unable to give legal advice or settle disputes between parties involved in these transactions.
- The exchange of drugs, weapons, alcohol, and other illegal items is not permitted.
- The “safe exchange zone” is meant for person to person transactions. Property may not be dropped off and left unattended.
- Sellers are required to take their property with them if the buyer does not show up.
- Be wary of people unwilling to meet at the Police Department.
- Insist on meeting in a public area like our “safe exchange zone.”
- Only conduct transactions with local buyers/sellers.
- Do not conduct a transaction alone.
———- ooo ———-
No, Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore. We aren’t even in Pittsfield — not the one most of us remember, at any rate.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
———————————————————————————————
“A phalanx of lies provide the best bodyguard for truth” — Winston Churchill.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Maybe I’ll start shootin up. Is it free?
Maybe they could come up with scratch needles. Make it fun for the junkies, let them win a prize now and then to boost their self esteem.
Welcome to Berkshire County’s daily competition on who can tolerate the most dose deliveries of Naioxone (e.g., Narcane). Rule 1. Competitors must bring their own drugs and paraphilia. Rule 2. Competitors are only permitted to inject themselves with their favorite opioids (flagrant violation(s) of this Rule will automatically disqualify an entrant(s) from final consideration). Rule 3. Competitors must retain all Narcane delivery paraphilia after each dose, to qualify for final consideration. Rule 4. Competitors who are rushed to a hospital by any means of transporting will be disqualified from final consideration. Rule 5. When finished with Narcane deliveries, competitors must dispose of used needles with (non-court) judges to be used at a later date but must retain proof(s) of Narcane treatment(s) for final consideration. Rule 5. Competitors must adhere to opioid injection protocols at all times to qualify for Narcane treatment(s) (flagrant violation(s) of this Rule will automatically disqualify an entrant(s) from final consideration). Rule 6. Competitors are allowed eight (8) hours to maximize the number of Narcane treatment(s). Rule 7. Competitors should be alert and upright when the competition ends after 8-hours (flagrant violation(s) of this Rule will automatically disqualify an entrant(s) from final consideration).
Good luck, junkies!!
It’s Narcan, dammit. I took pharmacology at BCC.
Narcan, Narcan, Narcan,” e.i.: Narcan.” You need to brush up on your latin. Study the Greeks, read the Romans.
You may start with Life of Brian, which provides solid introductory material. I voted you up. That post did not deserve high marks.
Since Mazzeo loaned out 27K to her losing campaign, might I suggest she withdraw an additional 5 or 6k to cover costs associated with her ridiculous recount?
Anyone else understanding Mazzeo’s South Street ristorante to be swimming in red ink?
I am a staunch defender of smugness, pomposity, lying, and groupthink.
And that’s the bottom-line!!
Mazzeo’s Ristorante is our favorite restaurant . My bride and I celebrated our 50th anniversary there. Always seems busy and hopefully it will be there for many more years. As far as the recount goes, there is a cost to live in a free country. We need to know that the election was conducted properly and the $5,000 is the cost I alluded to before. Seems like a small amount when you consider our current municipal budget is over $140,000,000,
CHUCK
We have had many a great meal and experience there, for private and family occasions. The current budget, by the way, is pushing $170 million.
What’s thirty amongst friends Dan?
Mazzeo”s is a great place.
Nicely stated, Chuck!!
Oz,
We’ve never had a bad experience there . My son and daughter in-law had a great small pre wedding get together there with at least 40-50 people. Family and their college friends enjoyed themselves very much. Food and service was excellent. When any business does well, it helps the whole community in one way or another. I don’t think the recount will change the final results. Maybe they feel what is the cost if they didn’t pursue a recount.
I love how you give Mazzeo crap for using her own money. Money earned through building an actual business/working as a dental assistant all those years.
Meanwhile Linda has earned her paychecks as a politician off the taxpayers teat and her sugar daddy Barry.
Better watch it Brian, you’ve caught the ire of Cant Close My Mouth Jim Woitjkowski
Don’t dismiss Melissa’s sugar daddy, Tony! I doubt she could raise beyond 8k if not for the financial assistance of her “Sugar daddy”. But do I know, right?
I thought her and Tony were married?
Go figure! Another lunatic takin’ to social media.
Mazzeo employs over 100 people.That number is larger than all the GE fund giveaways by Tyer and Ruberto combined.How many jobs were created by Hankock Shaker Village shakedown…..zero
If Tyer had to do this, she’d divorce Hubby #3 and find a Hubby #4 that could fund her.
Tyer earns over 100K a year without hubby’s contribution; Mazzeo’s earning potential is that of a twelve dollar-an-hour dental hygenist, and an 8k city councilor. You do the math!!
The only way Mazzeo could ever level the playing field is by suing for divorce, entitling her to half of hubby’s overall personal and business assets (including his bank account(s)). That’s what some refer to as a financial windfall.
This is a no fuzzy math zone!
Which one is it Brian?
Mazzeo is not relatable to the majority of working class Pittsfield because of the amount of personal campaign contributions?
Or she’s nothing better than a minimum wage, dental hygienist level low life?
You can’t even pick which point you are trying to make.
You sound like your aware of misdeeds
Whichever one suits the moment; I’m good with either/ or!!
Brian, my sister has been a dental hygienist since 2016. I can assure you they are not making $12 an hour…
I think it is a stretch to say Tyer “earns” it. It is more like a taxpayer handout if you ask me. Kind of like the ones she hands out.
Stop the bullshit Brian. You’re making a fool of yourself and your family will be paying the price. Just stop!
Brian,
Er, with -12 votes, does that mean that you got everyone’s attention?
There are two functions to every behaviour: to AVOID something (i.e., sensory input, activities, or attention) or OBTAIN something (i.e., sensory input, activities, or attention). You choose which function best suites this moment, levitan?
By the time all of the litigation is over with, it will be 2023, and the lovely Linda Tyer will be planning her retirement. Many thousands of dollars of taxpayer’s money will be spent on a contentious court case that may go on with years of appeals. Pittsfield politics will be in the news for years over allegations of a fraudulent 2019 mayoral election. Meanwhile, municipal taxes and the debt-load will get increased, while the Kapanski family lives in fear of their corrupt government ran by useless and do nothing political hacks.
Kapanski is the whistleblower? Prove me wrong!
Sunday morning and Tyer is going to spend 20 k on the roads today as they are plowing asphalt at 7am.We will be owing highway another 2.3 million.Its double time today and rain is in the forcast…..WTF
And here’s the guy that would LOVE being “the lovely Linda Tyer’s” #4.
This is what they demand before the next step.
What about drunks and drunk drivers? To be fair perhaps we can set aside certain hours that drunks can use the roads legally I would suggest 10pm-2am. So if a sober person gets clobbered by a late night bar hopper between these hours, restorative justice jumps in in place of a lawyer for the drunk driver and he gets to move one with his life. And, he has the right to sue the sober guy for getting in his way.
How about putting the shooting gallery right on North Street perhaps where Jim’s House of Shoes is, a nice ground floor space – we know there can’t be an elevator right? And pay a cop overtime for security and it can double as a safe space for private business transactions. Use the rest of the GE Kapanski cash to fund it. Hold a nice big ribbon cutting ceremony and Harrington and Tyer can each hold one end of the scissors. A real economic engine right there!
Leave Jim’s out of this.
Have you been to Jim’s Shoes? They are selling actual Reebok from 1985. It’s like the Russian nuclear attack happened and their stock is the same, just dusty. Are they a front? How can they possibly make any money to pay the rent. I hope they own the building.
You mean, Jim’s Hous of Shoes.
Dan,
Looks like the Corpus delecti of the Devanney crime was the body itself, if you are suggesting somebody broke into the place and stole jewelry off a corpse.
It wasn’t stolen off a corpse, according to our information. It was stolen in a jewelry box upstairs at the place, from jewelry used to dress up the bodies for presentation. Its good looking stuff but not authentic. The thief or thieves got away with costume jewelry.
Or twas it a family piece destined for a corpse, and a jilted family member broke in to get it. Things get personal at times like that. Just Sayin.
Just last night, Tuck Carlson was speaking of the opioid epidemic and said it has claimed 400,000 lives in this country, in the past 20 years. Big pharama, and our own government, not only let it happen, but actually facilitiated it happening. While ultimately, a user chooses to use, a fatal drug overdose has a rippling effect on a family and community, and a little empathy can go a long way here.
Did you know that Medicare put out a notice in one of its updates that providers should not hold back prescribing opiates for pain medication where necessary? A few weeks back, and yes, I get them via email as they are available.
The doctors are in on it too.
Newest group of growing addicts are 60 years of age and older getting hooked by treating the chronic pain
is that why they are putting them in elderly housing? Their living in Wahconah Hieghts now a dead body was pulled out there about a month ago .
The safe shooting space idea is flawed. Drug dealers will be less willing to sell to people they know are bringing their drugs to a government sponsored place to get high. The addict becomes too much of a liability.
Shooting up isn’t a systemically planned activity. Addicts want to get high. They get high when they get the drugs. They get the drugs when the dealer can supply them. The addict then immediately uses. He or she doesn’t look for a ride, travel across town, check into a facility, etc. The whole plan places too much responsibility on the addict, responsibility we already know they don’t have in any other parts of their lives. The impact would be minimal.
Although heroin use is at epidemic levels, I do think it will level off and drop over the next few years. Let’s not forget that this “public health issue” has only emerged over the last decade or so. It won’t last forever and I don’t think there will be a much higher a peak. We are not coming up on a new generation of naive, uniformed newbies who get hooked because no one knew better.
There will always be addicts, and the old ones will eventually die off or shrivel away if they don’t get sober. Upcoming generations will know better. Sadly, Dan’s natural selection theory isn’t that far-fetched.
You have made an important point – where ever the ‘safe space’ goes so go the drug sellers. They will be outside and nearby. If we concede they are all around already then maybe that doesn’t matter. It’s heart breaking either way and offensive too.
The safe alcohol injection space is the local bar and the injection tool is a bottle of beer.
Do you think alcohol is the same as opioid? I am not sure I do. I get your point, but I don’t think the plan is a favor to addicts. Or helps law enforcement. It’s giving up.
TSC,
There once was a time that alcoholism was so rampant and destructive, and the political power of the alcohol lobby so strong that a Constitutional Amendment was required to combat it. The consequence, uncomfortable and awkward, likely saved a generation from ruin.
In time, we may need a prohibition amendment for weed given the political implications combined with universal abuse we are already seeing in 01201.
Knock on 100 doors, and count on one hand the number who are sober. It’s that bad out there.
The Planet knows what the returning vets of Vietnam were dealing with in terms of drug abuse.Many of the vets in the front lines got hooked in the jungles of that country.The synthetic drugs today are I read are 20 times more addictive.The addicts need help to maintain a sense of normalcy so that their skin does not crawl and they are so desperate for medication they commit crimes.
TSC
THE PLANET indeed knows what happened to some vets in Vietnam. We agree that some addicts need help. We have never and do not argue otherwise. That said, we don’t see publicly funded needle exchanges and safe shooting spaces as advancements of treatment. They are perpetuators of addiction.
That first paragraph is satire, correct? What a ridiculous take on prohibition.
Blare, which statement is ridiculous? Why do you think there was a national movement to prohibit the trade in alcohol?
Oh God. Do you seriously think that prohibition was the result of “rampant and destructive alcoholism” which caused people to rise up against the booze political lobby? Saving a generation from ruin??? These are quite honestly some of the most ridiculous sentences I have ever read.
The entire temperance movement arose out of puritanical religious fervor. Nothing less, nothing more. Their push for Prohibition was finally successful for many reasons – not one of which was because the U.S suddenly became a country of alcoholics on a path of destruction.
I assume you are a member of the Prohibition Party? The literature they put out is comedy gold.
Resentment of the political power of the Beer lobby and the rise of alcohol abuse was the driving force for Prohibition. What else could drive a national movement culminating in ratification of the 18th amendment in less than 13 weeks?
You speak of temperance movements. Those were many, and ultimately worked in support of the Anti Saloon League which powered through the Prohibition Admenment. The League’s strategy lay in massive propaganda targeting various complaints of alcohol’s impact. Their language was very similar to that which is used today to discourage tobacco and narcotics. With WWI, the League experienced political success by manipulating hatred of German-Americans to attack the brewers who had strong ties to the German American community. To quote W. Wheeler, leader of the Anti-Saloon League, “We have German enemies in this country, too. And the worst of all our German enemies, the most treacherous, the most menacing, are Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz and Miller.” There also were racist drivers. But, I fault you for lumping all supporters of Prohibition together; many had genuine intentions and came from diverse groups including African Americans.
The Prohibition movement has its roots in the temperance movement which started in the 1830’s. It was not inspired by puritanism but instead it was driven by the impact of alcoholism on women and children due to dysfunctional husbands. Women lacked political power, independence, and protections from abusive husbands, and they had no recourse to divorce. Perhaps, their only support were found in their religious organizations. Understand that the temperance movements,( there were many, )were generally women’s movements, not puritanical religious movements.
The alcohol industry was politically corrupting. The Federal Gov was largely funded (40% maybe more) by beer liquor taxes, and saloons were omnipresent. The brewers had visible power and control over legislators. Yet, I do not claim that the the Anti-Saloon League was a universal movement. It found its support disproptionately in rural areas. The leaders of the movement anticipated the growth of urban populations with increasing representation in Congress. With more representatives under their influence, the alcohol ‘barons’ would enjoy increasing political clout.
As to ‘saving a generation’: you find that excessive language, but the cities of the 19-early 20 centuries were the cities of sweatshops and dense slums. They are well cataloged by Jacob Riis if you need to get an idea of the times. The saloon culture was devastating, and that generation suffered the same catastrophe that inner cities faced with crack throughout the nineties. Alcoholism produced the poignant sight of bodies strewn on the sidewalks and asylums for the inebriated. To say temperance was “puritanical religious fervor. Nothing less, nothing more” ignores the prohibitionists’ reaction to the experiences of ruined families, impoverished women, and starving children.
To assume I belong to any party, no less a fringe one, is quite a leap for even you.
That’s a pretty serious word salad, but it doesn’t help your case. You have a bizarre and factually incorrect understanding of the causes and consequences of prohibition. Far too much to parse it all, but here’s a hint. Anyone who tries to link “saloon culture” to “sweatshops and slums” loses all credibility. Immediately.
Religion underpinned all temperance movements. Protestant tea-totalers had been decrying America’s drunkeness since the nation was founded. Favorable ebb and flow of religious revivalism and WWI were the factors that finally allowed Prohibition to pass. Curbing the power of the “beer lobby” had zero to do with it. The income tax was passed years before Prohibition.
I have little control over the site’s presentation. Score one for you?
Your argument suffers from anachronistic bias and possibleobvious falsehoods, such as religious fervor during WWI enabled Prohibition. As Americans were trashing sauerkraut, Wheeler was linking the Beer Barons to the German cause.
Make ay argument that you can, Blare. Where’s the evidence that the temperence movement was puritanical? The Puritans drank too. Why wouldn’t religious leaders be sympathetic to parishioners whose households are collapsing. You do not account for the Suffrage movement, which expressed women’s dissatisfaction with the tomfoolery of disenfranchisement and dysfunctional husbands.
Saloons, the trade name for a bar, were ubiquitous in the cities, and we know from Labor’s rise and books such as The Jungle that urban life was nasty, brutish, and short. Alcoholism compounded the misery.
My arguments are mainstream per the literature on Prohibition, and I take no creative license. You take a very unusual position, and I doubt you can back up any of your assertions.
Hey, whaddaya know. A somewhat local school has a primer online that might help! It overviews the causes of Prohibition, one of which most certainly was NOT that alcohol consumption had spiraled out of control and the survival of a generation was at risk. Seriously, man. What hooey.
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~bernt22l/classweb/Liana/Causes.html
That link seems to point to a weakly referenced and very thin multi-page student project pertaining to the temperance movements and the activities of the the Anti-Saloon League. It lacks analysis.
The student references OKernt, but does not cite his book, The LastCall? I suggest you watch Ken Burns’ PBS series “Prohibition.” https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/
As said, my understanding is of settled history, not creative license. Also, I am not justifying the 18th Admendment and apologizing for the excesses that followed. But, to ignore the catastrophic conditions enveloping the nation is unjustified.
You take great exception to my references to the Beer Barons and their political clout. I find your focus interesting.
For what it’s worth, how would you grade this writing?
Those two sentences span 5 social strata, Prohibition, and what makes America great. I say it needs development.
All of the “direct” causes cited in that student project are echoed by nearly every serious Prohibition scholar. People like Sinclair – from a 1950’s/60’s perspective – explored other pathologies that informed the mindset of Prohibitionists, but that is a different matter. Sinclair’s take is interesting, probably largely correct, and not one bit contradictory to the facts of what happened.
Prohibition was an abject failure on every level. It didn’t save a generation from ruin, it incubated organized crime as we know it today. That was and is the only lasting effect.
That’s better.
To claim that Prohibition was a failure at every level is deny the historical truth that it was succeeded. The Beer Barons lost their influence and their the ‘Free Lunch’ ended, the amendment passed, and the ubiquitous impact of alcohol was reduced. Alcohol abuse declined substantially. Alcohol abuse obviously was not eradicated, but the scale reduced.
Recall this: alcohol consumption and posession was not prohibited. Only the sale of alcohol. Further, the scale of the prohibition exceeded the range desired by many in the movement, further eroding the ‘religious’ portion of your argument.
The price for the policy was high in terms of the obvious opportunity for crime, as well as those things you do not mention such as the switch to methylated ethanols resulting in deaths and permanent damage from consumption of industrial spirits, rise of the Police State (hi Hoover!), and of course the strong IRS. Organized crime was alive in spite of Prohibition, and graft and corruption was strong behind the counters of city saloons. There sat many ballot boxes, and you filled yours out under watchful eyes.
You say the only lasting influence of Prohibition and by extension the movements leading up to it is organized crime. You omit the lasting impacts including models for social reform movements now commo. You also omit the model for electoral strategies developed during the conflict now in use. And those things that stay the same should not be disregarded. What hasn’t changed is that the City still despises the country folk, and outlawing things that people enjoy is risky.
I made my original point to say that perhaps things have not changed that much since 1920, and at this point I feel my position to be even stronger than originally presumed.
Thanks!
Finally we have found the place to be creative. Additional legacies of Prohibition:
Can you find some that I missed? Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. May you enjoy nature’s bounty and a moderate amount of fine wine and beer. Be careful with the bourbon. “Boys, the first drink is a boon, the second is a gamble, the third is poor judgment.” – G. Keillor (now banned humorist.)
You raise an interesting point. If an addict has that much self control perhaps they can get clean? As for the rest of us, Harrington does not care if they do. She only wants to pander to the people who are supporting her career. This needle thing is a sticking point because the people here won’t stand for it. Classic politician. “I will take whatever stance will make me more popular.” She went all the way to Portugal and came back with no proposal or plans of any consequence.
JAMES
Yes. As I wrote, on the Flipchart, this sounds great. In practicality in drug-addled environment such as Pittsfield, this falls apart like toilet paper in a waterfall. Not for one minute to I think Harrington is serious about this. As you say, she has yet to offer a concrete plan. No proposals. She admitted as much when, speaking in code, she said there would first need to be much “community discussion.” We all know what this means. So why did she raise this issue? For favorable press, PR, propaganda, and photo-ops. Admittedly, the office of D.A. is political. But to make politics the priority makes a casualty of law, order, and public safety — as we are now witnessing.
Dan, are you speaking of Harrington or Trump? ” to make politics the priority makes a casualty of law, order, and public safety” applies to both!
A. Phil,
As you say, this isn’t the first heroin epidemic, and others before have come and gone. But, this one is of a higher scale with more players in the field, so it is not fair to say it will go on it’s own.
The problem that I have with sponsored shooting galleries is that it addresses mortality, but not the addiction. Consuming heroin may be described as a disease, but it also is a serious crime involving blood and property. So to treat as both is logical and proper. Addicts should experience both treatment as well as punishment to account for public harm. What harm? Consuming heroin supports organized crime and likely involves criminal activity beyond the abuse of the drug. Further, it is the addiction and attending behavior that is painful for families and relations.
The DA speaks of reducing the mortality rate as justification for her policy. Yet, mortality is not the whole of the situation, and it may not even be the climax in many cases. Death by heroin is the terminal end of the disease/crime process. Focusing on the terminal event of this condition ignores the fundamental problem which is the destructive features of addictive behavior, the support for murderous cartels and gangs, and diminishing the well being of family and the Pittsfield community. The DA is appealing to an emotional response, but the safe spaces will provide no comfort to those feeling the pain and give no comfort for those resenting the public acts of violence perpetrated by the criminal behavior driven by drug addiction.
Why do you say so-called shooting galleries “address mortality, but not addiction”? That is completely false. One of the intriguing aspects of injection sites is the potential for interdiction. In my view, that’s THE strongest argument in their favor. Designed the right way, they might provide an opportunity for skilled interventionists to make an impact.
As DA Harrington has said, this is a conversation worth having. Personally, I believe the risks/negatives are probably insurmountable, so I doubt I would ever support such an idea in the end. But the status quo sure ain’t working, so I think it’s pathetic to try to end the conversation before it begins by invoking “air conditioned junky lounges” and such.
A lot of people around here need to either grow up or shut up and stay out of the conversation.
Lucky me, I get to continue the argument on a different foot! We both know that DA Harrington is too busy prosecuting law-breakers to be conducting serious social programs such as methadone clinics and ‘shooting galleries’ as you call them.
The potential for intervention is the only consideration worth studying. This idea is classical and settled, just as the facts I raised about the origins of Prohibition are settled history. So there are no call-outs for you for making the suggestion.
The question is how to build a successful drug-administration program. Which models of needle assistance is the DA going to pursue, and does she have any which pertain to urban USA linked to drug corridors? If not, you are not going to have a conversation but an ass-backwards project. ‘Mortality’ are Harrington’s words as she defends using her office as a social service department, not as the place where Massachusetts laws are prosecuted against the crime waves involving the purchase and sale of heroin.
Ugh, more word salad to obfuscate the completely false statement you made earlier – that injection sites and the like can only address mortality and not the underlying problem of addiction. That is a straightforward and straightforwardly wrong statement. All the other secondary questions you raise would constitute part of the “conversation” that needs to be had. Go figure. The problem is, you don’t wait for answers. You just assume the most objectionable version you can conjure up in your mind is what DA Harrington wants, then rail against her for it. I don’t know what you think that accomplishes. It’s an obvious tactic.
Enough with Prohibition. I know you’v been frantically wikipedia-ing to try to enter facts into the record by way of demonstrating your knowledge on the topic, but that train has already left the station. Your opening reference to Prohibition – “There once was a time that alcoholism was so rampant and destructive, and the political power of the alcohol lobby so strong that a Constitutional Amendment was required to combat it. The consequence, uncomfortable and awkward, likely saved a generation from ruin.” – is so completely ridiculous that you lose all credibility. Sorry.
You have not proven a single point in either dispute, and a student paper that lacks academic sources does not help your case. That is unfortunate, and I feel poorer for it.
Wikipedia is not so bad, come to think of it and I would use it if needed, but I can suggest better sources such as Andrew Sinclair. Why go second-hand?
I am certain that DA Harrington is much too busy with court proceedings to conduct sociological health policy studies. If you object to my reference to ‘mortality,’ take it up with her not me.
What causes you to be so riled that you find yourself compelled to heap abuse on top of broad assertions?
Hehe, Andrew Sinclair, eh? Are you saying that his words support your ridiculous proposition, that “Resentment of the political power of the Beer lobby and the rise of alcohol abuse was the driving force for Prohibition”? Wow, just wow. How funny that you try to impress by mentioning a source I have actually read and you, quite plainly, have not.
Also funny that you quote Hobbes in your description of urban life in the 1900’s. If you had actually read and understood Era of Excess, you would understand why.
Sinclair’s Era of Excess is a profound anthology of the history of alcohol. His understanding of urban/agrarian culture is conventional knowledge these days. I assume it was not at the time of his writing. What’s the joke?
Out of Hobbes comes revolution.
From your first sentence from the prior argument, you have been primarily expressing Anger. Anger is always self-induced, not the product of someone else. As such, you come across as yelling, and I cannot have a conversation under those circumstances. I’ll leave you to cool off. When you’re ready to resume, you know where to find me.
Dan,
Is your college now being Smolletted like Simons Rock was – post some racist graffiti, get your demands met, get outta going to class.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/11/21/more-racist-graffiti-is-reported-syracuse-university/
J2C
Yes. SU is being “smolletted.” The alleged “White Nationalist Manifesto” that was supposedly sent electronically to “Everyone” in the SU system never was sent. It never existed. Never happened. There has been one arrest for the dozen alleged “racist” graffiti instances (including a swastika written in the snow!). The perpetrator? A student in the pro-Black student movement. We have a Simon’s Rock-Bard College hysteria and witch hunt supplanting reason. SU will ride this out and come back stronger than ever.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/how-to-tell-a-campus-hoax-crime-from-the-real-thing/
Let’s hope so Dan. Once the colleges start caving to these hoaxes, there’s a snowball effect, and next thing you know, everybody’s doing it. In fact it’s already happening.
Dan,
You claim that
Mazzeo only has to flip 213 votes. Can you elaborate on that please? If a vote is taken away from Tyer who says it automatically goes
To Mazzeo? Also I’m not sure how Mazzeo gets more than a handful of votes at best. We’ve seen with prior recounts with these machines they are accurate. I believe in 2009 Lothrop gained a vote and Joe Breault lost by 8 instead of 7. I don’t get how you seem to think 213 votes will be enough to change the outcome.
DALE
Good point on the 213. We also agree about the recount. Perhaps one of two votes might change. From our discussions with them, Team Mazzeo knows and expects this. They think, however, that a bunch of votes might be tossed or restored when and if the matter of tampering or fraud gets addressed in court.
Mazzeo is required to take this next step recount.She can then file a voter tampering charge.She may even lose votes but that is not the point when you may have proof of something more sinister going on here and its your desire to expose it……I want to know what went on.
TSC
In the research I’ve done (not extensive, admittedly) in cases where the courts found that votes were altered, tampered with, fixed, tainted votes — no matter how many — can flip the outcome.
What about cocaine users? Where is their safe space? How do you think they feel about being left out of all of this concern? Yes, it’s irresponsible behavior to destroy yourself on drugs, but cocaine taken to excess can cause serious health issues too.
Coddling drugs users of any kind encourages more drug use. You are creating a safe haven for them to indulge in a bad habit. It should be dangerous to use dangerous drugs. That is natures way of telling us “Don’t use that substance. You might die”.
Cocaine use is not nearly as an issue as heroin. If heroin is a 10, cocaine would probably be a 4.
You would be very surprised to know how many people in Pittsfield and Berkshire County use cocaine – including crack and powder – on a regular basis, all of their lives. They are not strung out junkies. They are regular, maintaining people with money to spend on drugs.
That may all be true, but too much cocaine in certain people can cause a heart attack. No, I am not shocked that cocaine is very popular in this area.
No, Pat.
Cocaine use by some people can cause a bullet in someone’s cerebellum which had no relationship to the user.
There is too much focus on the user, too little on the innocent victims.
It’s OK, if you become addicted to opiates you can get free methadone with your gas mileage reimbursed too!
Use medical marijuana and you’ll shell out hundred a month for relief. Need Insulin? Just die already
You also get free taxi service to and from your doorstep. “Free” for the junkies. Not free for the Kapanskis.
Bar room parking lot was always safe for everyone snorting cocaine during the 1980s and getting drunk by alcohol
TSC:
Someone hated you there. Why?
I find more than a tad of irony that we need a safe place for people to shoot up but Pittsfield roadways are a an exercise of Russian roulette. Would any of these do gooders care to get behind some traffic control maybe? How about a safe place for people trying to shoot up while driving?
JA
Irony is a commodity in Pittsfield public life and in the city’s politics.
Still not one mention in any other media site about the vote fraud angle. Just the recount that should be over in a day… blah blah blah… waste of money etc etc…
STILL
Yup. Only here. The alleged fraud angle is only THE ENTIRE BASIS of Mazzeo’s actions. The recount is a formality to preserve her rights in court.
This is what makes The Planet a great forum for discussion. Try having this conversation on Facebook, you either risk being publicly attacked or put down.
I do give credit to the names mentioned. We may disagree, but at least they aren’t afraid to put their names out there. Unfortunately, for many of us, we aren’t allowed that luxury.
Nicely stated, Hendrix.
When you can’t prevail on the merits, attack one’s character; when you can’t prevail on character, attack the merits; when all else fails – insult, injury, criticize, marginalize, and berate.
That’s the essence of an intellectually bankrupt mind!
Good point. We may disagree. We may poke fun at each other (as I often do). But I don’t think anybody here has that mean streak where families actually come apart over Facebook posts.
TRUTH
I agree. Our discussion here are more debate and deliberation. Compared to Facebook and other social media, this is a walk in the park on a sunny, mild, day in May.
JIMI
True, dat. Real names are always encouraged. As you say, it remains a “luxury” for many. We have a lot of contributors who “know stuff.” If they use their real names, they may face consequences.
Using real names in Pittsfield is employment suicide for anyone. That is the equivolent of testifying against Trumps bribe scandle.
Dan Valenti, I am appalled at your views of human beings suffering opiate addiction . Writers tend to get educated and research before writing on a subject but it is obvious your comments reflect opinion rather than fact. Contrary to your non-medical educated views, it is recognized that opiate addiction is a disease. I would find it hard to believe you do not have a relative or a friend that has been touched by opiate addiction and if you have then I feel sorry for them if they read your comments. I’ve seen your comments arguing opiate addiction is not a disease and I understand as many people do not understand it. Even doctors are confused about addiction and often find themselves in a quandary now in treating pain vs. causing addiction because many primary physicians have not been educated appropriately. Ask any medical resident how much training they receive in their training regarding addiction, very little will be the answer.
Unlike many of the posters here, who will flog the shit out of me for my comments, I am not afraid to use my real name and share my views because it is the stigma that you and others here making comments that is hurting rather than helping the opiate problem in America. I have 3 immediate family members suffer from opiate addiction. One of those family members who just took his own life by suicide because he couldn’t take the suffering any longer. Yes, I said suffering because opiate addiction isn’t about catching a high or escaping daily problems, it’s about keeping the suffering from withdrawal or dope sickness away so you can merely exist. And believe me, not one person who suffers from this addiction wakes up one day and says “hey I wanna try heroin and throw away my life, waste away whatever finances I have and lose most if not all of my family members and friends because they will be secondary victims of my addiction.” No, rather many of them will become victims of this because of a medical/injury that resulted in them being given opiates to manage their pain and being told that there’s no harm in using them and not being appropriately weaned off those medications. All of my family members became addicted due to injuries and medical problems they were being treated for many years ago and prescribed copious amounts of pain medication.
I’m not going to spend time arguing who is to blame, doctors, big pharma, FDA, DEA or whomever rather I am imploring people to get educated from reliable sources about addiction. As I said, stigma by the uneducated also contributes to this epidemic. It is a sad day when you have family members who now won’t even get medical or dental attention they need because of the stigma and bias they will suffer even today at the hands of medically educated professionals. My son spent more than 1 time in a hospital emergency room bed dying from diabetic ketoacidosis while a health professional blamed there medical issue on withdrawal and not complications of their insulin dependent diabetes. It’s a sad day when I have to intervene on his behalf to get the medical treatment he needed to save his life because a nurse chose to blame addiction rather than his diabetes but I don’t totally blame the nurse because as a medical professional myself I understand how you can begin to suffer compassion fatigue due to treating overdose after overdose and not understanding the disease process of addiction. I was forced to become educated because I had to and still today have to deal with those around me suffering addiction.
On the subject at hand, don’t bash the concept of safe places for injecting or overdose prevention sites as I refer to them because you don’t like our current DA Andrea Harrington. Have you even ever spoken to Andrea Harrington?? I have and find she has some very good ideas on a variety of issues our society is currently facing. These sites you refer to are designed to help save lives not make it easier for the addicted to use drugs. People who suffer addiction do not seek recovery until they are ready for a variety of emotional, mental and physiological reasons so by having safe injection sites we help them from dying until we can get them to the point they are willing and able to seek recovery. I understand that this can be a difficult concept for the layperson to accept and I am willing to help educate anyone who wants to talk realistically and civilly to the best of my abilities and believe me I am far from an expert on this subject. Having safe injections sites allows intervention to save their life if they overdose (which can happen from a variety of factors) as well as offer them education on other harm reduction because there are secondary hazards from injecting drugs such as infectious disease. This also allows an opportunity to educate the addicted on recovery options available. Believe it or not not all addicted people are educated on all the recovery options and support that is available to them.
I could go on but I’m sure some of the people who lack compassion and understanding have already stopped reading. I am more than happy to have frank and honest discussions with anyone regarding this subject at any time, just be prepared to drop your bias and political affiliation at the door so we can have a productive discussion. I am not hard to find especially on Facebook.
BRIAN
Thank you for this great response. It’s a magnificent testimony. First, that you use your real name is always appreciated. I too never have posted a view without my name attached. Second, I understand, perhaps not as intimately or as personally as you, the issues involved with addiction. I do not have family or friends who are incapacitated or who have died because of drug, and that does remove me from many of the emotions. What trumps the “disease” theory for me is the salad notion of freedom, choice, and free will. They will always be supreme in my world view. Third, the people who became addicted “due to injuries and medical problems” and were treated with “copious amounts of pain medication” are undeniable. That said, I have had loved ones and friends who experienced this then stopped taking them once they recovered. Just this summer, a friend fell off her horse and suffered a horrible broken femur. It punched well through the skin. She was in agonizing pain and took the relief to endure the operation. Well into her recovery, she still have the opiates doctors gave her. She stopped taking them because of the danger. She endured what she calls “tolerable pain” for her overall well being. Not all people do this, of course, but it can be done. Fourth, you ask “Have I even spoken to Andrea Harrington?” The answer is “yes, many times.” When she ran for state senate against Adam Hinds, she eagerly met with me and communicated with me many times. When she ran for D.A., too, before she declared and early after, we were in touch. Sometime during that campaign, after our reports, she decided to cut off all communication. I tried several times to reach out, since a D.A. is a valuable source. She has thus far refused. I stand ready and open to receive her at any time. I rely now on several sources within her office to try to get more accurate and truthful information about what’s going on as opposed to the official propaganda. Fifth, I will bash the concept of safe spaces because most of the data suggests they don’t work. What may work in Portugal does not necessarily translate well to Pittsfield or Berkshire County. For one thing, Europeans are lovers of life and more civilized. When I am there, I realize I am a European at heart. Sixth, your offer for discussion on Facebook is a good one, sincere and open. Feel free to engage the cause here. Finally, perhaps a debate on this issue of safe spaces would be in order. If one could be arranged, I would gladly take up the “against” side of the argument. Just let me know.
I doubt that more than a small percentage of opiate addicts start with prescription nowadays.
A Doctor gave a mans son 28 pills for a broken finger 20 years ago .Elderly hip back knee injuries keep patients on the pill.Seniors are driving and falling down.Its not just young people.
As of a few years ago at least 75% started with prescriptions.
Dan, Please!! go back and read your Archives and read the Horrendous things you have said About DA Harrington. And you wonder why? Really?
You mean that Harrington has done nothing to be qualified for the job, that she’s out for her own political advance and has stupid ideas while hiring idiots like Deputy Da DumDum – and dresses inappropriately? You’re the one focusing on “horrendous” things like clothing.
Is there heart disease if you eat and eat and eat.Is there high blood pressure and cancer caused by smoking cigars.Yes to all.Its a disease.
You can eat like a pig and dangerously risk your health. You can drink so much water that you drown. “Dis-ease” results. Getting sick because of one’s conscious, freely chosen decisions ends up in dis-ease merely as (un)intended consequences. You could have avoided the risky behaviors and not gotten heart dis-ease or other conditions. When you catch a flu, though, you didn’t choose it. When your genetics condemn you to illness, you didn’t choose it. Those are diseases. What you call “disease” are the effects of causes that are borne from dumb CHOICES. I make a distinction between a junkie who chooses the horse and a 3-year-old who dies from leukemia.
I get it Dan but let’s remember there’s a genetic component in obesity and heart disease too
Food choices create 80%of disease and we treat it.
Spoon cause obesity. BAN SPOONS!!!
Thank you for your response Dan. I am glad you related your story of your friend because this is an excellent example of why not everyone who takes an opiate becomes a victim of it and as I said I am not an expert just someone that has had to learn all he can about this subject. There are certain factors that put people at higher risk for opioid use disorder and addiction. History of severe depression and anxiety and living in stress, history of substance abuse or exposure to substance abuse by family or close friends. Unemployment and poverty are also big factors as well as problems with past employers family and friends related to mental issues. And even having all these risk factors doesn’t necessarily guarantee a person will become addicted. To take it a step further of people that use heroin only 23% become addicted. And we still don’t know everything about this subject and are constantly learning more. I myself was on high dose opiates for a serious medical issue and when they were no longer needed I stopped taking and was not addicted. That helped me understand that there are many factors that are part of the disorder.
I know you are too important to have a friendly debate about this and the safe injections sites subject but I would love the chance to try and change your mind.
And when I referred to Facebook I was only referring to the fact I am easily found on there to make contact, I am less inclined to debate back and forth on there as a matter of preference.
Part of the change we are seeing now is that responsible doctors are not prescribing opioids in as great an amount and for as long as a time and as frequently as they had been in the last 20 years. They are no longer prescribing heavy narcotics to children and instead choose meds like doubling up in ibuprofen and Tylenol with codiene. It’s still a lot of medication, but it’s not as dangerous as the potential for opioid addiction.
BRIAN
All fair and good comment. I too don’t know as much as I need to about the subject. Like you, I am always learning. I am not “too important” for a friendly debate, by the way, and I would not “debate” this on Facebook. A community debate might be helpful. I respect your personal experience with addiction and would, in personal conversation, yield to that.
If there is one thing I have learned from Tyer’s Facebook crew, it’s that no matter what argument or information is presented, they absolutely cannot think outside their own small minded positions.
The Tims and Toms, the Kathys with a K and the Cathys with a C, they are like bad pennies, turning up everywhere to continue their rants.
They like higher taxes, by the way. They are okay with paying more because that’s how government goes. The mayor must raise taxes to pay for services. No questions asked.
After the recount announcement there was a lot of feedback from The Crew, but some of them got noticeably quiet shortly thereafter. I wonder if Tyer told them to pipe down. Their incessant drivel was not helping at all.
PHIL
You’re right about higher taxes. As to the other point, I heard from Team Tyer that they were told to “pipe down.” That’s good advice.
They are Trumper like
Barry,give us some oxygen. Make a statement on here.
The Republicans National Committee just bought 100,000 dollars worth of Juniors fake book. Republicans are the most irresponsible political party in the world….the Tyer attack team was professionally trained how to do it.
His lawyer told him to clam up.
Barry could say if he was in an area? If they have witnesses and he defuses it,he’ll be in worse shape. This is what Melissa is doing,one altered voted equals intent,one. Come on Barry?
Barry already said he will take a lie detector test against any accusation of wrongdoing…thats pretty brave
So he did something! Accountants don’t lawyer up.
I think Barry has that lawyer who hangs out at Burger King and spends time smoking on North St.
John? No way. Is Barry denying he was behind the counter.
Just say no….to that lawyer.
Well great. What’s a CPA doing behind the Counter,period,or Anyone? What if Tony Mazzeo was behind the Counter? This thing smells Dan.
If Dan Valenti we’re behind the Counter? This is crazy. This could get interesting. Lawyered up? Dont blame you,ha.
This thing reminds me of the Untouchables. The Accountant was Capone’s downfall.
Told not to make any statements
Worse.
Dan,if you don’t hear from Barry,it’s still not,Barry.
Say Dan goes to Mazzeo’s restauarant and jumps over the counter and starts cooking in Mel’s kitchen? Will Dan be arrested,thrown out,or get a good housekeeping seal of approval? No, Dans gonna get his ass dragged to the curb. Barry,please,for the sake of our City don’t lawyer up, we need to go forward and want the truth. And the answer?
Dems still got nothing, but, as I’ve said, it doesn’t matter for impeachment. Impeachment is an indictment, and as Dershowitz likes to say, “You can indict ham sandwich.”
I was able to get a look at the four articles of impeachment. (For some reason dated Wednesday, November 9, 2016.)
Article 1: We hate Trump.
Article 2: Trump is evil
Article 3: Trump is Hitler, fascist, tyrant, you get the idea.
Article 4: We hate Trump. Oh, right we already have that one. OK, how about we’re really, really pissed off that Trump won.
If this ever gets into and out of the House Judiciary Committee and to an actual floor vote, it’ll be a great trial in the Senate.
“Hang loose, ’cause someone’s fixin’ to score.” And probably not the Democrats..
Trump has made criminal behavior Great again
You are clueless in Pittsfield…
Anyway,Melissa must have proof otherwise Barry would be talking. Barry fess up.
Usually a sign of guilt or involvement. We know how Barry plays. No surprises here. If a when it is proven, like someone else stated, lovely Linda will move onto #4 or they will run to Colorado. Either way, the last 3 elections have brought forth many questions. I’m glad Melissa is pursuing this. We, the taxpayers have that right
What would anyone be doing in the voters office all week long to begin with? Let alone Mr. Clairmont. Just isn’t normal.
Id rather have Schiff interrogate me before Valenti. Please own up to these charges. I’m sure you don’t want the Planet up your ass Mr. C.. I wouldn’t.
Trump 2020
Make Liberals cry again!
“Just remember this, …when you look up in the sky
You can see the stars and still not see the light (that’s right)”
“ So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key”
– Fly like an Eagle (I’m already gone)
“ A bird can spend its entire life in a cage with the door wide open
And never even know it can Fly”
– CC The Exit to the Maze
So, Brian being very forthright and personable does not in any way sway my belief that the Planet was talking more about the ones who refuse to get straight, as opposed to the ones who really need the help and want to get the help. Everything Brian A said is correct,and so is The Planet.
So Dan, is one of your Z agents going to be first with the scoop on who’s monitoring the recount for camp Tyer and camp Mazzeo? Will you scoop it?
Dan,
There are those days where you cheese me off right fine. Then, you produce this:
That’s good!
Let police chief Wynn know this that when I have something to sell, you can meet me in front of the service desk at Home Depot. There’s no one who’s been been shot or stabbed at the service desk at Home Depot that I can recall.
There’s no way in hell I’m presenting at Allen Street, day or night, to conduct business without PPE. Not even the criminal lawyers meet their clients there. Lawyers meet their clients at the corner of North and Fenn (another safe space.)
The best one on crime was the Vigilante appearing on the scene at a hot spot (cumbies)stating no crime worries here….then a few days later the joint is robbed at screwdriver point? Actually,cumbies has more police presence than any other business I know of.
He was correct at that time. Lucky guess, BC!. The crime was happening somewhere else, wherever that meth head was shooting up.
Police need to make traffic violations a reality. Isn’t it against the law to drive twenty miles over speed limit,pass on double line,run stop signs. Red light is different because the lights come up quickly. But these drivers that continually drive like jerkoffs has to stop.
Investigate the Bidens!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/11/22/report-hunter-biden-linked-firm-received-130-million-in-federal-bailout-loans/
And now grandpa Biden won’t acknowledge his out grandchild that his son denied. Both Biden’s should be ashamed for that. Uncle Joe is done, as I posted way back when, he just doesn’t know it yet. And yet he’s gonna Jeep punching away at
Domestic violence.
Gee, no one congratulated quid pro quo Joe at Wed. nite’s debate, on being a grandpa again. I can’t imagine why!
I think that J Biden needs to win the presidency to save his hide from the Feds.
The 1st thing Trump tried to do with the anti corruption Eukraine President was to corrupt him.
That was the year Bushs republican economy went belly up with a universal financial melt down.Obama then spent 8 years rebuilding it and handed Trump a great growing wall street.
Financial meltdown which was the result of Bill Clinton’s abolition of Glass-Steagall.
I didn’t see much optimism for the future at the end of Obama’s term. I do recall Democrats saying that the economic and security sky would fall if Trump won. That also did not happen.
Watch this video, TSC and grieve your heart.
WATCH ME!
The Speaker of the House makes one very clear simple statement.Everything they investigate about Trump and the people around him lead them to Vladimir Putin.Our patriotic civil service state department are warning Americans at every level that the deep state is inside The White House and Trump is running 2 seperate goverments.Trump is lying to eradicate the connection of Russia from the 2016 election.I see what most on this board cant see.With Trump all roads lead to Russia.Our country is a mess.Trump is in control of the Senate and the Supreme court.He has weakened journalism…..The scary part is if he starts telling his followers the Holocaust never happened in time you will believe him….Jonestown was real and can be repeated.The Holocaust was real and can be repeated.
Our country has NEVER been better thanks to President Trump. Progressives have destroyed Berkshire County and now they are working on destroying the rest of the country. Be warned America. Berkshire County fell down the Progressive rabbit hole very early and has been taken over by crime and more dope, high taxes, poor schools that just exist to indoctrinate the kids to far left causes, lack of jobs, deteriorating roads and sidewalks, and a large loss of retail stores. This deterioration is heading to your city and town if the Progressives win in 2020.
Thanks for the heads-up Pat
How do people actually die from opioid use? I’m serious. I don’t think it is from taking just oxycodone and such.
Or is it that they graduate to fentanyl, heroin, etc?
I find it hard to believe that those 15- to 30-pill prescriptions are what’s killing people. Maybe if you take 30 at a time?
Again, this is a serious question, and I never seem to see it answered in the media.
Thanks.
Even heroin is not that dangerous, they die from consuming various drugs and alcohol. Came out of a doctor’s office with a prescription for a sore back and the next thing they knew they were partying all night, very tragic
Almost all the street heroin and even cocaine now is tainted with fentanyl and the fentanyl is mostly coming via US postal service from China and it is 50 times more powerful than heroin and many of the street pills are tainted with it.
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/fentanyl.html
And If word goes around that there’s a hot batch, some of them seek it out for a better buzz, and bang, they OD.
Most of the intelligent folks I speak with in the treatment and mental health fields say that narcan and needle exchange are two different birds and they’re in favor of the former and against the latter. It makes sense to me because saving a person who has already overdosed is not the same as enabling one who hasn’t.
Correction: safe injection sites not needle exchange
Donald Trump should release his federal tax returns! What is the Prez hiding? I want Trump’s tax returns to be part of his Impeachment.
If a stranger asks you for your tax returns, JM, I strongly advise you to refuse.
As if JM pays any income tax.
Mele s living the dream.
Yeah, the lovely Linda wet dream.
Who really gives a crap besides you?
Sally,
Judging by votes, I ‘d say that you win.
After reading the news article about Pittsfield politics’ two factions who hate each other, I believe both sides have failed Pittsfield! The Del Gallo/Ruberto/Tyer side are notoriously called the “Good Old Boys”, while the Wojtkowski/Hathaway (Nuciforo)/Bianchi/Mazzeo side are the anti-establishment naysayers. To be clear, both factions shutout the grassroots voices of the people of Pittsfield.
I have followed Pittsfield politics for decades. GE cut its workforce in Pittsfield about 3 decades ago. Currently (2019), there are zero GE jobs in Pittsfield. When the bypass was introduced in Pittsfield in the 1950’s, the city government blocked it. In the 1950’s, downtown Pittsfield was once a nice shopping and dining business district, but it all started to fall apart in the 1960’s when urban renewal tore down historic buildings, Berkshire Community College was moved from First Street to outer West Street, the proposed downtown mall was blocked in the 1980’s by the Good Old Boys faction, many thousands of people moved out of the city due to job loss, and North Street became known as “Social Services Alley” full of empty storefronts. Then, anti-establishment naysayers faction blocked the proposed downtown ballpark about 2 decades ago. Also, we must not forget the recent shakedown by the Berkshire Museum when they sold historic and valuable pieces of art for tens of millions of dollars, which was led by Good Old Boys Jimmy Ruberto and Gerry Doyle.
My experience with Pittsfield politics is that you have to kiss the dirty behinds of the Good Old Boys. Pittsfield politics is totally corrupt because it is always a fix with the same political insiders who fight to run the show. If one speaks out about how Pittsfield politics really operates, they will find a way to take away your job. If one continues to fight the local political system in Pittsfield, they will blacklist you from ever finding any job in Pittsfield. Moreover, they will make up false allegations to the police and district attorney’s office, and when that form of intimidation fails to be effective, they will spread vicious rumors against you so you will feel paranoid and uncomfortable to live in Pittsfield. All of the above is what they did to me and my family when we lived in or near Pittsfield many years ago, and it even continued after I moved away from Pittsfield. Also, I believe Pittsfield politics is ran like a Mafia! Many of the local politicians in Pittsfield come from multigenerational, interrelated Pittsfield families. To be clear, the “Good Old Boys” are mostly related to each other. It is all in the family when it comes to Pittsfield politics.
In closing, Pittsfield politics has driven the city into the proverbial ditch. Year after year, they raise municipal taxes and public debts, some of which are not being paid in full, as they make interest-only loan payments on the new Taconic High School multi-million dollar bond, while the tax base shrinks. Thousands of people have moved out of Pittsfield over the past decades due to the thousands of living wage jobs that have been lost over the years in Pittsfield. Once jobs are lost, they aren’t coming back in our lifetime. Sadly, the people, who blogger Dan Valenti proverbially calls “the Kapanski family”, have no chance to get ahead against the two-headed monster also known as the Democratic Party controlled warring political factions or machines that runs Pittsfield politics.
– Jonathan Melle
This MB’s up J!
Imagine if some bum went into where the votes were? After looking up the laws concerning this,they are very strait and narrow. There are also stiff penalties in place if someone is allowed to have an unfair advantage by unauthorized parties. There is also the problem letting someone in a restricted area,especially during an election. This is almost like the current Trump quid pro quo in many aspects and just as serious.
I agree Jonathan, but the Ruberto camp is particularly arrogant. Ruberto said he didn’t want to sound arrogant, but it was the younger and smarter neighborhoods who voted for his candidate Linda Tyer. Wow, that really is arrogant. I remember when we had the train in Pittsfield and citizens were given free rides on the train. Ruberto was there, but he made sure he was in the section of the train that was the most luxurious. He did not mix with the common folk. This is just another way of calling people who do not vote for your ideas “the deplorables”.
You mean the Ruberto who campaigned on tax relief and jacked taxes 8 years straight? You mean the Ruberto who declared he would hold a community meeting every quarter in a different part of the city, and held just 1. 1 out of 32 is a deplorable record. You mean the Ruberto who tried ridding is of Columbus Ave? The Ruberto who chased Chief Riello out of town, then failed to follow the law,in replacing him?
Here’s the piece you referenced Dan., Drane saved the best for last, and you made the most sense by far. Astute and accurate observations and reflections Dan. The piece is woefully inadequate overall though; Doyle wasn’t apparently interviewed but Brindle was, and of course Brindle should have been but so should have Doyle, Hathaway too, and anyone the article pigeon holed into a faction should have had a photo too lsuch as Brindle, and Doyle. Ruberto made a lot of sense and removed any remaining doubt about Tyer being in Jimmies back pocket. And she didn’t have the decency to comment. And her photo doesn’t look quite like the glamor pic I got in the mail with sparkling green eyes, teeth as white as snow, and skin as smooth as silk. Brindle came to a keg party back in the 70’s, at Roddies farm property in West Pittsfield, and made a campaign pitch for votes in front of a bunch of boozing and drugging teens. And it was a great pitch, so I’ve been told, and he went on to win. And why was Barrett the go to man for the article? Not even a Pissfielder. Should have spoken to Angelo. And why no mention of the civic authority vote and the vote for the mall twice, other than what Dan said. Krol to his credit had some good observations too.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/a-tale-of-two-pittsfields-what-defines-its-political-divide,590989
I agree that Dan’s comments summed up the political situation in Pittsfield today. What the article seems to be glossing over, so as not to anger anyone, is that Pittsfield is a freaking mess irregardless of which faction is in charge. And it is a mess because the political situation is set up more for self enrichment and if the taxpayers catch an occasional benefit that is OK as long as it is a small one. One side wants progress and the other side wants to be more considerate of the taxpayers? Really? Every time Pittsfield makes “progress” some people wind up with a ton of money in their pockets. And it is often the same people.
Pittsfield portrays itself to have a democratic form of government but I would suggest a better term would be parasitic form of government. The head is devouring its own body and you only have to look at the pathetic school system, the crime, the deteriorating infrastructure, apparent dire need for more and more social services. More and more homeless, more and more beggars, prostitution and addicted souls roaming aimlessly about.
It is not really government at all is it? It is more like charades. A sad pathetic game of charades.
DelGallo and Brindle were two of Pittsfield’s better mayors and both suffered the same emotional weakness. They shot from the hip. Paul really wanted the city to move forward with the downtown mall and Dobelle had garnered 14 million dollars to build a parking garage. The winter of ’79 was a snowy one and a large March storm was followed by rain. School was called off and Brindle who was pissed off at the teachers suggested that they should be made to get off their butts and go out and clean out the drains so the water could run off. While the comment was well received by some it irritated about 500 others. In the world of politics when you make enemies you must make just as many friends. Brindle lost and any hope for a mall in Pittsfield vanished.
THOMAS
Agree with your views of Paul Brindle. Great guy, good mayor, honest intentions. I wasn’t in town for the incident with the clogged drains and the teachers and just hearing it now. Cool story.
Why didn’t Amanda interview No Klew Lew and his companion the Stooge?
In essence Remo did the same thing, that’s why I used the shoot from the hip analogy. During his term the first union contract was agreed upon. Comparing the contract with what went on before the teachers cleaned up. They had a super negotiator while the school committee did their own negotiating. A short time later state test scores were published and Pittsfield didn’t do so hot. Ray blasted out in not so veiled terms, “here’s the money, where’s the results?” As in Brindle’s case, he pleased some who had forgotten this by election day, but not the offended who never forget.
Arlos was the mayor when DelGallo held the office.
Again. If Dan Valenti or Tony Mazzeo we’re behnd a voting counter what would happen? Someone,anyone,please answer this. It’s very serious..
What’s next when this doesn’t work? Impeachment?