BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 14, 2020) — The new Pittsfield City Council met for the first time last night to the adulation of throngs and as the righter of wrongs.

Well, something like that.

The new lineup: 1 Moon, 2 Morandi, 3 Caccamo, 4 Connell, 5 Kavey, 6 Lampiasi, 7 Maffuccio; at-large Marchetti, White, Persip, Cohen. It’s “diverse and inclusive” — 8 men, 3 women; 2 Asians; 4 gays/lesbians; 1 man of color (colored? black? African-American? “of color?” J’quell Baraka? Select the designation that puts you in your safe place. THE PLANET doesn’t want to “offend” anyone). Of course, if the panel were truly representative, there would be seven poor and on welfare, two retired taxpayers, one worker, and one insider Suit.

Given the ever-widening fissure between Pittsfield’s two political camps (all Democrats but of the same persuasion; think Tony Soprano of the Jersey mob vs. Johnny Sack and the NYC wise guys), it’s not surprising to see the vindictiveness continue. Too bad that it’s the worst thing that could happen to a city in so much financial, economic, and social trouble.

That said, THE PLANET, ever the optimist, hopes the newbies especially prove their love of the city they were not shy about expressing during the campaign. Pat Kavey, Dina Guiel-Lampiasi, Tony Maffuccio, and Yuki Cohen, you have the chance to shine. You have the chance to prove your independence. Did you mean what you said during the campaign? Dig deep before you answer.

Retribution will comes in many ways this term. One of the first — one that negatively impacts the working poor and middle class, taxpayers, and small businesses — comes to Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski courtesy of Peter Marchetti, council president.

The council president names members and chairs of the body’s committees — Ordinance & Rules, Finance, Economic Development, Public Health & Safety, Buildings & Maintenance, and Public Works. That is the president’s right and duty. It is perhaps the most important determinant in revealing the president’s true intentions. Is he or she interested in doing the best for the city, or is carrying out the will of The Masters and Suits more important?

The most vital committee is Finance. If the politicians want to mess with the numbers, they stock Finance with a majority that will support the sort of money mysteries that have abounded these past five years. Don’t go to the city’s website if you want to know the new committee assignments. It still hasn’t been updated.

Marchetti stripped Chris Connell of his leadership post on Finance.

THE PLANET reached out to Marchetti, council VP Peter White, Connell, and Morandi. White said “Councilor Marchetti asked my input earlier in his process in putting together committee assignments, although I didn’t see a final version until it was sent to us in our Council agenda packets for tonight’s meeting.”

Marchetti swears, but to what and to whom? The Suits or the Kapanskis? His committee appointments provide convincing evidence.

Marchetti admitted politics was a factor: “The political piece of this is that I think it is vital for the City Council to conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner. My past experience has been to change chairmanships as I have each term.  Not for all committees, but the precedent is there. The decisions were mine alone.” We asked him if it would increase tensions. He replied, ” … it remains to be seen. As for me I look forward to the new elected City Council and hopeful for the next 2 years.” All well and good, but in all our years watching Connell perform his business, he’s been nothing but respectful and professional. Eye of the beholder, apparently.

Connell told THE PLANET he spoke to Marchetti, the latter “promising to reconsider” the assignments [ED. NOTE: We did not hear back from Morandi as of press time]. That has about as much chance as Peter beating Ken Jennings on Jeopardy. Marchetti told Connell he demoted him because Connell “was rude to department heads” in his questioning. Nonsense. He nixed the straight-shooting Connell because he didn’t swallow the Kool-Aid. He has the nerve to ask questions when people like Kufflinks Kerwood, city finance and slush director, and other department heads give the runaround and provide misinformation, as for example during this year’s Tax Classification hearing when Kufflinks provided three different figures of the stabilization account.

Taking Connell off Finance will help the Suits sleep easier but will have serious repercussions for the Kapanskis. The Finance Committee sits on the front lines of the city’s budget. It receives monthly and quarterly reports on the finances of each department, providing a filter through which the council as a whole receives budgetary recommendations.

CHRIS CONNELL: Caught on to Kerwood’s  money shuffling.

A City Hall source says Marchetti dumped Connell because the latter was “on to” Kerwood “deliberately understating” the dollar amounts [in the budget]. “[Kerwood’s] been tucking money away for years, for example, not including hotel tax and meal tax revenues.” Connell agreed saying this year Kerwood underfunded at least $1.2 million. As a member of Finance, Connell said he noticed a divergence in the hotel and meal taxes, which, when the game is played on the level, parallel each other. Makes sense: People who stay in hotels don’t take their kitchens. They eat out. This past FY, “they went in opposite directions,” Connell said. That was the tip-off for what he called the “constantly shifting money around. It’s hard to keep track of the shuffling.”

How much more of this is Kerwood pulling? Where is that money going? Who’s going to call him on it?

Today, you have much less chance of finding out. Chris Connell is not a member of Finance. The Kapanskis lost a Big Voice. Connell has a business degree with a specialty in finance from St. Michael’s College. He has managed a budget of $100 million as a regional manager at Cumberland Farms for 20 years. But Marchetti took him off Finance because he was “rude to department heads?” Seriously?

Connell says he will redouble his efforts: “Until I’m no longer on the council, I’ll keep swinging the bat. I might strike out. I might single. I might hit a home run. In any case, I’ll keep battling.”

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“Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, color by convention. Atoms and void [alone] exist in reality” — Democritus, ca. 400 BC.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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