STOP-AND-FRISK: AN EFFECTIVE SAFEGUARD OF AND FOR THE LAW-ABIDING PUBLIC
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY FEB. 24, 2020) — The ascendancy of Democrat latecomer Mike Bloomberg has put stop-and-frisk back into the searchlights.
As mayor of NYC, Bloomberg authorized the policy for his city’s police. The move helped clean up a decaying city — or don’t you remember Times Square in the 70s and 80s? Crime dropped by one-third. Streets were safe again. Orchids bloomed in sidewalk cracks.
Now, the extreme left, in their unending desire to overthrow sanity in a once-great political party, paints Bloomberg as a “racist,” a word that’s so casually applied today as to become meaningless. It’s the other side of saying “the N word” when referring to “nigger,” a lamentable practice for an even worse word that has ironically given the word the power of an H-bomb. There’s a reason that comics before social media freely used the word on stage — to emasculate it and rob it of power.
Stop-and-frisk refers to a police power to halt people based on an officer’s suspicion. Under Bloomberg, the NYPD used the policy in a way “that was not remotely racist” (NY Post). Instead, it did what Bloomberg said in his recent flip-flop on the issue: “I was totally focused on saving lives.”
Mike’s unconvincing reversal, of course, is more proof he’s running to win. He’s mouthing what the wayward Democrat establishment wants to hear from any presumptive nominee. In his heart, he knows the policy evidenced strong, fearless leadership — and it worked. Sure, an overstepping federal judge later ruled the practice illegal but only after that judge barred data on the department’s racial breakdown on crime from being introduced. Hmmmm … wonder why? Let’s explore.
In the Big Apple and Chicago, cities with liberal mayors who have discouraged stop-and-frisk, 98% of shootings are done by blacks and Hispanics, mostly young males, ON blacks and Hispanics, also mostly young males. Blacks comprise 16% of the nation’s youth population but commit 52% of all violent crime, 58.5% of all homicides, and 67% of all robberies. Gang membership consists of 46% Hispanic, 35.5% black, 11.5% white, and 7% other. The homicide rate (those committing murder) for blacks and Hispanics is 16 times higher than it is for whites (Sources: FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Justice Department statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, National Youth Center Gang Survey, and writer James Unnever’s 2011 book A Theory of African-American Offending: Race, Racism, & Crime).
Every police officer technically has “stop-and-frisk” power and well they should. The policy, with reasonable application, provides law enforcement with an invaluable tool to protect public safety.
That saves lives.
The practice either allays the cop’s suspicion and prevents an unnecessary arrest, or it takes a criminal off the streets. Win-win. The policy makes total sense, especially in today’s data-based policing. A police department armed with the data on crime and the intelligence to read the data correctly (leaves out Pittsfield) pretty much knows who the bad guys are, what they look like, where they hang, and generally when and where they are most likely to strike. Preventing police from using this power gives the criminals the advantage and puts Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski at higher risk.
Fact is, crime’s racial, gender, and age disparity has to be something any good police officer should know. The data show — the data, not THE PLANET — that young blacks and Hispanic males commit a wildly disproportionate amount of crime. If you’re Officer Gunther Toody on patrol and you see people in these categories acting suspiciously, you have damned good inductive reason to check it out. If they turn out to be good, upstanding lads who do their homework and love their moms, no harm/no foul. If, on the other hand …
Do we have to continue? The Kapanskis say “no.” They know only too well how it turns out.
More than ever do they know in the city of Pittsfield under a not-present mayor, a purely political district attorney, and a police chief more interesting in karate, vacationing, and giving talks out of town than in busting it for citizens.
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“The minute you are born — the MINUTE — you are running out of time” — Mickey Rooney.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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“Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?
People’d call, say, “Beware doll, you’re bound to fall”
You thought they were all kiddin’ you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin’ out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
You’ve gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You said you’d never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?”
Buffoonberg now disavows the only gun control program that ever worked.
He’s got to do this to win. More power to him. He and Bernie are proving to be the shrewdest and best campaigners, far ahead of the rest of the field. I am growing more intrigued by the day.
He will self destruct the minute he’s unable to hide behind his ads.
“You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discover that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything he could steal
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They’re all drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you’d better take your diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse
When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You’re invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal“
– Bob Dylan
To counter Dan Valenti’s focus on racial demographics and its correlation to violent crime, I believe privileged white youth are treated less harshly by law enforcement and the court of law. To illustrate, the marijuana issue targeted minorities in the past, but now white politicians and businessmen are heavily invested in the (predatory) marijuana industry. Bill Weld was born with an $80 million trust fund, and he was from an old wealth New England family where over 20 generations of Welds attended Harvard University. Bill Weld prosecuted minorities for violating marijuana laws in the 1980’s. 40 years later, Bill Weld is invested in the marijuana industry. What if the tables were turned on privileged white people like Bill Weld? What if black and Hispanic people were the “Haves” and had positions of privilege in government and business? I believe the racial demographics would correlate white people to violent crime. The answers to reducing violent crime start with shrinking our nation’s huge numbers of the Underclass. The way to reduce poverty is to educate youth so they understand that violence is not the answer to their socioeconomic problems. Our nation needs to provide the means for all people to live in safe communities with safe streets, live in affordable housing, have living wage jobs, have affordable healthcare, and be able to save their hard-earned income in savings and retirement accounts so they have financial security. Right now, the only people who have these amenities are middle and high income wage earners. The rest of the people in our inequitable economy have to “swim or sink” from paycheck to paycheck. I wish every youth had a loving and united family and a caring community. We should be compassionate towards disadvantaged people. In closing, I believe everyone deserves a fair shot at a good and rewarding life, especially our youth.
You’re nuts. There’s millions of young urban male scumbags that wouldn’t take Jobs paying 100000 per year even if all they had to do was show up. They want to no around with pants on the ground and knock up,white bitches and rob and steal. They. Ain’t interested in a job. You are out to lunch.
You sound like Hitler! Just substitute “millions of young urban male….” with “millions of Jews”.
Would you please stop with the Hitler crap? Anytime someone doesn’t agree with you, you throw the Hitler label at them. It’s false, it’s tiring, and it’s overused by YOU.
Fritz,
When someone has no reasonable response, Hitler, Racist, etc.. will suffice. These words have become so over used that people ignore them when they really are justified to use.
Amen, brother!
The real problem is with the president .
Trump hate speech of one group of South Americans is very concerning. It needs addressing by his supporters not addressing it is wrong.
JONATHAN
To quote you: “I wish every youth had a loving and united family and a caring community. We should be compassionate towards disadvantaged people. In closing, I believe everyone deserves a fair shot at a good and rewarding life, especially our youth.” We are in total agreement.
To counter your argument about “white privilege,” that you have been brain-washed to think-JM, your an older white male. The Dems don’t like you. I digress, remember the “poor white kid,” who DA Dave Capeless sent to jail for a school zone violation a few years back? I do, the kid had a small amount of weed and got “caught,” in a school zone. He did two-years for that. So, instead of using the Dems term of “white privilege,” let’s just call it what it really is, “choices in life.”
I looked up the defendant: Kyle Sawin, was the “white privileged youth,” JM talks about.
That student was made a example by judge Ford who was enforcing the regressives school zone violation
That is completely false. It was Capeless who had the option to charge him under the school zone statute – or not – with it’s mandatory 2 year sentence. Once he was convicted, Ford had no choice but to assign the statutory minimum. Capeless ruined a life over a nothing-burger of a crime.
JM,
We’re in trouble if we have to educate people that violence and other crimes aren’t the answer for the problems they maybe be facing no matter who they are. The education people are receiving in today’s school system and elsewhere teaches people that society’s shortcomings make it ok for their behavior .
To be clear, stop and frisk is not a policy, a program, or even a tactic really, but rather a body of constitutional law (terry v Ohio), that authorizes police to stop people based on reasonable suspicion they are up to no good and ONLY if there is additional reasonable suspicion the person is unlawfully armed or armed and dangerous, to be pat frisked for the officers safety. No gutless mayor can legally increase or decrease it. It’s all up to the officer and the individual case. If is greatly misunderstood body of law, even by most cops, and that contributes to its misuse.
Yes. It is a power inherent in the fabric of a police officer. I mostly implied this in the column but did state it once: It’s not a political policy or program, as you reinforce. It is simply one of the tool of good police work, equivalent of their utility belt.
Stop and frisk is a guliani idea- broken windows policing. Where small infractions lead to decreased crime. 10% of perpetrators commit 90% of crime. If they are locked up they are not perpetrating more crimes. Doom berg just let rudys policy continue. Mini mike was made rich by China. How is that going to fair against trump? He will be like a deer in the headlights.
Unfortunately the police tend to abuse this power, and fabricate reasons, for unreasonable searches.
Yes you are correct Dan and have an understanding most lay people don’t. Well said about “a power inherent in the fabric of a police officer”. Cops need to protect themselves out where the rubber meets the road and Not be afraid to do their job because of the war on cops, all started with the beer summit.
Yes, don’t they need reasonable suspicion? In New York it was just black guys walking down the street who randomly got stopped. Not much reasonable suspicion apart from skin color. Any mayor was afraid to give up the abhorrent tactics started by Giuliani because they had seemed to work. Also, police refused to take reports which also made stats low. I have heard demographics in NY is the big factor. It’s reasonably safe now in regard to risk of bodily harm. Mayor Bloomberg has a bad record in this frisk policy and on treatment of the homeless. He has an excellent record on getting NYC schools usable by middle class families – schools are good in many areas now. This was considered impossible. He also got the finances in order. Back in the day, Giuliani was a bad ass prosecutor who stood up to the mob and did a lot of good. I think he’s become a bit of a senile pastiche of himself. I care a lot about people of color feeling integrated into society and being treated fairly as it’s the only way forward, but I would still vote for Bloomberg. I think he’ll! break the system in the way it needs to be broken to come out the other side with something workable. I don’t think Bernie is that bad though. His approach on gun control shows he is not a puppet.
Bernie is “not that bad?” What the hell are you smoking? He wants to turn the U.S. into a socialist satellite of Russia! Geez….
I don’t think so. I think compared to Warren he is more transparent and equitable. His comments about Russia were fair – his support or our troops is consistent. He may have bad polices but he is not a crook – that would be refreshing.
Wake up Froggy!!
He DOES have bad policies and he IS a crook! Read Peter Schweitzer’s book “Profiles in Corruption” – the large chapter about the Bern.
Thanks. I will have a look.
Trump beat Bernie to Putin
With most of the snow gone we can see an incredible amount of trash on the roadsides. I would ask the city councilors to plead with the mayor to address this situation and not wait until some dignitary may be visiting. And if this ugliness is not addressed in a reasonable time every citizen should bombard their councilors with emails and phone calls. NO EXCUSE with the taxes we pay to have to look at this. Perhaps some of the business s getting huge tax breaks could contribute some ideas or motivation.
People wont even clean the curb in front of.of their homes.How lazy is that.Go out and pick it up.Many people in nice neighborhoods are plain lazy.
Name a Dictatorship that did not have law abiding citizens. Would you also allow stop and frisk in Stockbridge today. Whom do you give that right?.How about stop and frisk driving a car down your street.Nobody believes in stop and frisk for white people who are walking down the street.Anytime 2 or 3 times a day everyday.You believe in this stop and frisk as a profiling tool.If you look a certain way.People who believe in this should say what you really mean.
Off topic,but someone said the morning pct show was bad. And it is, you should have heard him. He is out there.
They don’t care what kind of crap goes on the radio or tv station. They are assured a revenue stream if the shows are good or bad. It doesn’t matter, they get there money.
their money
I agree with Bloomberg’s use of stop & frisk, but his arrogance in other issues alarms me, such as banning large sodas, denying medical services to ill seniors, etc. I also believe the dems will have a brokered convention with Hillary as the nominee.
Off topic: once again Mayor Tyer wants to subsidize a privately owned brewery/taproom with $150,000 from the GE Economic Development Fund. Watch & see which city councilors approve this request. This is crap!
I think we should have a daily North St report to demonstrate how dynamic and vibrant our city is every day! Just today, I was walking to get a breakfast sandwich when a guy walking down the street was just screaming “F*ck you! F*ck you!” I am certain this surely awoke everyone in the Linden/Wahconah community getting ready for work.
Hendrix, you had better be careful, when I wrote about this kind of behavior on North Street awhile back I was accused of lying by Bare Bare Clairmont, Lovely Linda’s honey bun. If you want to survive in Pissfield you have to pretend that everything is dynamic and vibrant. Seriously, I couldn’t agree with you more. I have seen quite a few times a character dancing around with an umbrella and then stops to french kiss the traffic light walk buttons on North Street and Fenn Street. But I guess that is just another figment of my imagination. The City is a mess, especially North Street and our elected politicians have either blinders on or are wearing rose colored glasses. I would suggest that Lovely Linda stop giving these TIF’s to her friends and possibly give some TIFS to the taxpayers that are paying her salary. How about fixing the streets, clean up the garbage, dealing with the traffic issues, prostitutes, crime and the wackadoodles that are allowed to walk the streets. Still wondering if she is going to clean up East Street before the great grand opening of the BIC building. I also see on IBerkshires that the City thinks it a great idea to grow pot around the area of the BIC building. Pissfield will now be famous for their PCB laced pot. Proud with Pissfield!!!
Saratoga and that area of NY have drugs and crime but does well because the Governor and State invested in the Hudson river valley.Maybe one day the Governor and State of Ma.will invest in the Berkshires.PEDA should go full marijuana cultivation and research on the site.Lets be the marijuana cultivation capital of the world.It is a huge growing capitalist business…..Northhampton Main street is one ugly street.North street has a parking problem.Its a good problem.I think Pittsfield needs a parking garage that fronts on North Street that is well lit and secure.The Beacon Cinema needs more outside lighting.If you want people to give you money please make all night business as well lit as you can.Light up the streets downtown……Begging the mayor to light up your downtown streets.The Beacon is the worst lit area down there.The bank needs lighting.The buildings and side alleys need lighting.Come on you guys wake up and figure this very small problem out.Get it done in this month.
Ruberto and the city have put a half billion dollars into North street and it needs lighting? They should have gotten the parking kiosks that throw a beam of light in two directions. By the way, would kickbacks show up in a forensic audit?
So we got bump outs that serve zero purpose and totally screw up snow plowing, parking kiosks that infuriate people and poor lighting which is a major safety concern. Somebody did an awesome job up there by the looks. Congrats to the city that is “rounding second base.” I think this runner is rounding second base but running in the wrong direction.
Lying Liz trying to resuscitate her dying campaign, now jumped on the pro marijuana train. Which is another losing issue for doomberg,watch him flip flop on this issue today. Mini mike is just a spineless shill, Being exposed more daily.
From hero to zero- very Caccaviello esc. Bernie wins nomination, gets crushed in November as the pillager of Burlington.
She is on her way out. It will interesting to all riding her coat tails what happens – Healey, Farley Buffet, etc.
I think you need the weed to believe that the Innovation center and the new brewery are economic development.
Kermit
You forgot Harrington & many local judges,court staff,law,enforcement, correction officers and department of children and families – the defendants about to be indicted by very effective lady federal prosecutor.
Imagine jeanne Kompethorn got tipped off. Look into her history 🙂 she always seems to be with the winners. While Durham busy in swamp the ladies finish job he started with whitey Bulger – msp-13 & FBI
Think the Medicare loss hurt Massachusetts bottom line?
Thats only 2,4 billion $
Wait until whole msp-13 are indicted. Zero federal money for Massachusetts equals mass evacuation. Think trump playing with our pissant state? 7 marines murdered – highest rates of child abuse, opiate addiction and the smallest corrupt democratic poop hole in America. Only going to take months to clean up,and trump takes credit for another win! Just in time for November
Chicago may vote trump 2020.
Relax
Don’t worry the medical supplies China can’t deliver due to Coronaviris – will be coming from India.
125000 people at a trump rally 8,000 miles away in a democratic country of 1.4 billion people. All wearing MAGA hats.
just a coincidence
Massachusetts could never keep up with the great Republican states of Alabama Mississippi Louisiana Kentucky ect.They are annually number 1 in ignorance.
LOOK AHEAD, PITTSFIELD
BIC, brewery plan highlight city’s development push
The much-anticipated Berkshire Innovation Center opens this week to much fanfare. The grand opening ceremony for the public-private partnership on Friday will cap a week colored by Pittsfield’s economic development push.
Earlier in the week, Mayor Linda Tyer will request that the City Council approve $150,000 from the city’s Economic Development Fund to support a new brewery and taproom planned for the former J. Allen’s space at 41 North St.
Restaurateurs behind the new venture own 51 Park St. in Lee, and now plan to invest $1.7 million into the downtown Pittsfield space, creating 30 full-time jobs. The city’s investment would subsidize the purchase of brewery equipment.
Drane fromtheEagle
I hope Dan Valenti publishes his long list of failed companies who received tax breaks from Pittsfield politics.
He will then tell us that the city is not business friendly.
Janette and the rest of the mayoral bobbleheads have been instructed to tune in three times a day and offload their thumbs down. Brownie points are awarded at the end of each week.
JA – Totally agree with your comment. Have been noticing that when there is any logical legitimate comment sent in pertaining to anything about Lovely Linda, Bare Bare or the terrible state of the City, the likes go from 8 or 9 likes to -1 real fast. The Tyer trolls are at it again. Hope Lovely Linda doesn’t fart because they all will go flying.
What the actual fuck! This is why they should fight the GE agreement – these jerks are just going to give every sent away while kids die of cancer. Good job Linda and PED!!
Don’t forget that Matt Kerwood has $10.1 in reserves, plus GE plans on giving him another $8 million when the Housatonic River cleanup settlement is approved. Matt Kerwood will have an +$18.1 million slush fund. It may be in your interest to kiss up to the lovely Linda Tyer and Matt Kerwood. You may get that long wished for check in the mail without winning the lottery jackpot.
How bar back minimum wage jobs are economic development is beyond me. What a full stop rip off. Great Barrington can’t fill its low level service jobs – can’t see how this will be different. They are thieves and the CC are accomplices.
We can agree on that, Froggy.
The state will add 6 million more for taxpayers relief
If I were mayor I would take the rest of the GE money and fix the effing roads. And I think the taxpayers would applaud me for it. But she has to take care of her supporters and friends and money folk. Sell now people. Sell now and take what you can get cuz it will be worth a lot less by the time she leaves office.
Could Barry take walk around Coltsville on the Cumbys side up a short ways toward the mall and look at the trash on the streets? OMG! I would be embarrassed to be the ward councilor for that area. And I would be embarrassed to stand up and invite business s to the area if I thought they might come and look the city over. Great job mayor, the place is a pigsty.
Big time trash on Onota apartments on hill near curb all over the place. Tired of city looking like crap.
Onota apartments should clean their curbs
JA, I noticed that mess also. Tyer does not care. My City Councillor told me that not only does she ignore taxpayers that try to contact her she also will not respond to some of the City Councillors. There are only a chosen few that she will converse with. She is totally unreachable and wants it that way. I have a friend who volunteers their time working on the plants and flowers around City Hall and North Street. She said the Mayor just walks by the volunteers and does not even acknowledge them. Doesn’t show much for her character. she walks around like her Sh** doesn’t stink. But we taxpayers are stuck for the next four years. Only option is to move. She has done nothing for Pittsfield but cause it to spiral downwards. Yet she is laughing all the way to the bank and we are paying for it.
If they can invest 1.7M they can invest 1.85M. Is the mayor insane?
City council needs to put a stake through the heart of this proposal.
Walter E .Williams articles are worth a look see. Not saying he is right about everything.
https://www.annistonstar.com/the_daily_home/walter-williams-crime-stats-show-blacks-are-pawns-of-liberals/article_c3a78e14-f1f9-11e6-9868-af9c720df8af.html
Walter Williams is a Rush Limbaugh suck up.
He has his PhD and is a retired college professor. You must be a racist for making such a disparaging comment, since he is also African American.
The Planet is right. Stop and Frisk worked. In New York it was often Black cops stopping black kids. I have heard repeatedly (and don’t know the source) that 9/10 kids were innocent but that means 1/10 were not. Even if it was 1/20 who were not innocent, it cut the crime rate dramatically. Having said this, New York was evidently far too aggressive and perhaps Bloomberg should have scaled it back but the groveling apologies he is giving are offensive.
We know what the cops were doing.
WHY is the city funding private enterprise?
The mayor is requesting the City Council approve $150K to the new Proprietors of the former JAllens location.
Pittsfield truly deserves to be the stupidest city in Massachusetts. Who is in charge here?
If the largely senior population is going to be forced to fund these business s they should be given some sort of remuneration. What is going on is highly questionable. Part of the reason Beacon theater failed was because people were so resentful of the handouts Stanley was grabby that people went to movies elsewhere. And I will not do business with any other of the well to do business people who want the elderly population to fund their business.
Let’s get the names of all these places and start a boycott until the mayor gets the message that the taxpayers should not be bankrolling the business community.
Clint Eastwood will be 90 soon. Do you feel lucky? Well do you?
Dirty Clint has senile dementia. He endorsed the little tyrant the Bloomingidiot
Beacon is failing for the same reason that the Capitol, Palace, Union Square, Strand and Show Place closed There aren’t enough people going to the pictures as was said in the old days. For a few bucks you can get Netflix, make your own pop corn, drink your own beer and not have to figure out a kiosk. We elect asses to lead us and they are more interested people who promise great things than the businesses that are already here.
Regal at the mall is doing just fine. I love it there. They did not go looking for handouts and freebies from the taxpayers. They do not run their business by being a parasite attached to the community they are selling their product to. Too many Pittsfield business should have the word “parasite” on their logos. Again, lets get the names out so the mayor can join in the celebration of their success.
Anybody remember when Dicks Sporting Goods came in and TURNED DOWN a tax break they did not even ask for? Guess they did not want to be parasitic but thrive on their own business model. What a novel approach huh?
Why would I want my money to fund another bar. Put that money into a space for the Carousel.
They are going to provide 32 jobs.
I am dying to see where these 32 jobs come from. Some of the top breweries in the Northeast only have a handful of people working for them. Even the breweries that have food and do other things, don’t employ NEARLY that amount of people.
We had a brewery / restaurant right off North St. that failed. Who wants to venture downtown after dark, fool with finding a parking kiosk and risk being mugged? I hope the city council votes against funding this private enterprise from monies in the GE fund. 32 jobs? I doubt it.
There are many thousands that go downtown at night.
February 24, 2020
Re: Smitty Pignatelli is a failure!
The following is Lenox State Representative Smitty Pignatelli’s horrible public record:
He supports closed-door Legislative leadership meetings that are exempt from the open meeting law. He is on the public record for not support proposed “Sunshine Laws”. He even believes it is a good thing when he runs unopposed for re-election.
In late-April of 2019, he the voted in favor of the state House budget with over 1,300 pork barrel amendments with no debates and behind closed doors and with no transparency!
He voted for the Legislative leaders pay raise bill in January of 2017. There were no public hearings or citizen input, and it could not be repealed by a referendum vote. It doubled the pay and pensions of the House Speaker and Senate President on Beacon Hill. It cost taxpayers over 18-million dollars.
He always votes for Speaker for Life Bob DeLeo, who is a de facto dictator who has more near unanimous votes on his legislation than Communist countries, past and present. Smitty Pignatelli also voted for convicted Felons Tom Finneran and Sal DiMasi for Speaker of the House.
He went against the will of the people on marijuana by proposing to give youth criminal records if they possessed a small amount of marijuana at or near a youth center.
He writes op-ed pieces explaining that Berkshire County has lost many of its past top employers, and has decades-long trend of population and job loss without Smitty Pignatelli looking at himself in the proverbial mirror as a nearly 2 decades-long career politician as Lenox’s State Representative. He wrote that over one dozen factories in his south county legislative district have closed. Municipal taxes along with a aging and diminishing population is financially constraining local governments and school districts. Major employers like GE and Sprague are long gone. Sabic Plastics moved to Houston, Texas.
He supports the recent EPA and GE settlement to cleanup the Housatonic River that would put a toxic waste dump in Lee, Massachusetts, without a financial commitment from GE to pay for the decades-long project; GE is in serious financial trouble. The people of Lee do not want GE’s cancer causing industrial chemicals in a leaky toxic waste dump. The people also know that without a financial commitment by GE, the settlement is nothing more than an empty promise.
It is an election year in 2020, and Smitty Pignatelli is running for his tenth term. I hope someone will challenge him this year. He is a study of the banal and nothing more than a bureaucratic voice of the top-down, corrupt leadership on Beacon Hill’s State House. After nearly 18 years of Smitty Pignatelli, it is clear that he has sold out the people of his legislative district over and over again.
Please vote out Smitty Pignatelli in 2020!
– Jonathan Melle
Pittsfields heat solution at phs is to open windows in the winter. Get that photo of money being thrown out the window Dan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szwclmmKwLg
Good one.
Everyday it’s bash the Mayor the city council etc.. Wake up people!!! Toxic dumps in our towns really? Do you see Smitty, Adam Hinds, Richie Neal Screaming from the rooftops to stop this? NO!
I hear that Tyer wants to give away $150,000 for a self service brothel on Park Square.
We already have people on North Street who stop and frisk themselves.
Maybe 150,000 thou for a pocket pool hall downtown, like the ole hi q.
It could go near Warren Dews’ Cigarber shop.
So, what is the deal with the clown on pctv saying no there is black ice on east street? There’s no black ice? What a liar.
Dick, that was just Pete White.
Was reading about the heating issue at PHS and how it is so hot that reptiles died in the heat. How about the City Council and the School Committee hold their meetings there this week, and they are not allowed to take a break. Lovely Linda keeps giving TIFS to her friends. How about taking the latest $150,000 “beer money” and put it towards the heating system at PHS. This is a health concern and it is sickening that once again the taxpayers are being ignored. People complain about students opting out, this is why. Wonder how much secret money she gave to Dews for his cigar kingdom?
Maybe they could take the money from the fireworks account.
Diversity.
Its a 250000 square foot building built in 1930 and added to in 1975 or 45 years ago.Original boilers that have never recieved a multi million dollar upgrade at this point.To many unqualified people maintaining them to save money.Pittsfield has as always walked away from maintenance of their property.
Allowing citizens their right to freedom is an intolerable carte blanche to commit a crime & [it] is too high a price for society to pay.
A company named Johnson Controls was brought in decades ago in an attempt to fix the heating issue at PHS. It sounds like whatever they installed to regulate the heat back then has bit the dust.
Something seriously wrong with the boilers, but the negligence is beyond me?
Well you just know the repair money will not come from the school account.
Biden is now stating that he’s a candidate for…….wait for it…….” the Senate.”
Poor guy, he’s lost his marbles.
Pittsfield has a family returned from China staying quarantined in their home for 2 weeks. They are not showing any symptoms, but they wouldn’t for at least 2 weeks even if infected and they could still infect others even if not showing any symptoms. This family should be quarantined somewhere other than their home. A safer location would make much more sense. Why is Pittsfield following this dangerous way of dealing with the corona virus?
If they don’t leave their house, period, how is anyone else going to be put at risk? Where would you put them?
Mc Landless Tyer,and Yon should resign. Animals are dead for krist sakes. If your kid has respiratory problems sue their asses.
What & where are animals dead from the virus? The only place that I am aware of is China, and they died after being sprayed with sanitizer – not from the virus. Ridiculous comments.
If you watch the news, you would see other cities putting them into special quarantine units until the 2 weeks are up.
Pat,
The death rate for coronavirus is 3% – is it any different than a flu virus? I’m not sure. Seems like a lot of hype.
Like any disease, it’s the elderly and the weak immune systems who are hit the hardest. Unfortunately I have several of those in my own family so I am scared for them to get this virus. One is in a nursing home and if viruses hit the area, they usually somehow get into our nursing homes and infect our most vulnerable. The truth is that even young people in their 30 have died from this corona virus. Two of them were doctors who obviously knew how to take care of themselves from this virus, but they still died.
You need to get off Fox news and get some real news. Things may be getting a tad inconvenient for all of us for some time. This is no time to play games. Listen to people who actually know something about viruses and pandemics.
Hello Dan
Longtime reader, first time writing in. First, keep up the good work. Second, could you inquire to the City and BMC about both the City’s and BMC’s preparedness and plans regarding the coronovirus threat. There should be meaningful plans in place, including but not limited to testing, response, quarantines, and reporting of information to the public. My guess if that both the City and BMC are largely unprepared. Thanks.
Don’t catch it J P And you’ll be fine
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the CDC’s national center for immunization & respiratory diseases, is fanning the flames about a pandemic. She just happens to be the sister of disgraced Asst AG Rod Rosenstein. I believe this is more of a political stunt than a pandemic, as the death rates are similar to flu. Most at risk, as in cases of the flu, are the elderly and infirm.
So didja hear the part about many many people being too sick to work and places of business shut down and necessities not available? You need to avail yourself to the ramifications of a pandemic besides people being sick and dying.
Not to mention that in China, people who were quarantined in apartments ending up spreading the virus to others in the apartment building. It seems the virus was infiltrating the plumbing system and getting to everyone in the building.
Also scary that we get 99% of our antibiotics from China and with businesses shutting down over there, could we end up with a shortage of antibiotics. Very stupid that for years and years we do not even make our own antibiotics in this country.
You probably know antibiotics do not work on coronavirus.
Biden will provide America with the stability we need.Experienced seasoned wise global leadership.We need to not worry about what time Trump goes to his toilet everyday.A moron tweeting very dangerous thoughts to his cult.Trump fears people who are dying to have a home in America.Why would any leader never mind the President of the United States speak that the most vulnerable egoless people are nothing but criminals and gangsters.He is empowered by his hate messageing.
I cannot believe that you cannot see that JB is slipping. He does not seem to have all his faculties. About the border, it seems obvious that people who do not have the proper paperwork need to be denied entry. Just my opinion.
He never was that sharp to begin with
Biden literally doesn’t know who he is where he is where he’s been what he’s done or what he’s running for. He’s an idiot and an embarrassment.
There was a gang of kids after school at Hull Ave area, was disrupted and put off for another day. No resource officer at Reid,school Hess no problem killing animals and kids getting sick,potholes everywhere,strewn garbage in streets, on property and gutters, police-shortage,water rates getting higher, blighted buildings still stand..Hess,for instance. There is a person that calls police two- five times or more a week,so evidentially cops here have no clue about mental health to keep letting someone call like that,shame.But the latest situation at the High School with the animals dying is not correct,someone has to account for this one? And when is he Traffic problems and maniacs who drive like maniacs going to be held accountable
We have had some pretty clueless mayors in the past. But NEVER one like this. We are in bizzarro world at this point.
Does anyone know why the moron president was cutting the CDC?
President Trump is doing everything he can to keep the virus out of this country and has been very angry in the last few days at people NOT taking the required precautions to avoid a full blown epidemic in this country. The idea of a Corona Virus tsar put forward by Chuck Schumer is stupid. How many times have these tsars of this and tsars of that shown themselves to be totally incompetent? I do agree that anyone coming back from China should be in quarantine for 2 weeks in a safe facility, not their own homes or apartment buildings.
Donald will fly in with his cape blowing in the wind and he will save us one and all. Godspeed sir Donald, Godspeed.
TSC-Obama has been out of office for a few years now. Hope that answered your question.
Your three minutes are up Buffet.
Please tell Trump.Don suffers Obama success.Trump wont let go.Obama laughing his balls off at Trump.
Who punched clueless Lou in the face?
Hey, No Klew Lew. Put a Kork in it.
Allendale school on a chemical swamp.Nobody cares. Caccamo?Yon?Elias?Moon?Tyer?Cohen?…..White?
Trump stated if you have a corona beer laying around the house get rid of it.