HOW DOES SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVE ONCE THIS IS ALL OVER?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION APRIL 17-9, 2020) — The headline asks the most pertinent question of all.
THE PLANET thinks it’s a more important question than “Will consumer spending return?” That spending dropped 30% in the first quarter. Analysts anxiously awaited the figures, since they reflect only the tail end of the virus’s financial impact. The second quarter will summarize a full-blown pandemic affect.
Auto dealerships, restaurants, shopping centers, mom-and-pops, taverns, spas, yoga studios and fitness centers, gift shops, and cultural centers — plus a multitude of other small companies — have seen overall revenues drop 70% from the same time last year (all statistics derived from the Fed, the World Bank, and the Wall Street Journal). These firms are perilously close to extinction, and in a city such as Pittsfield, where recession became an economic way of life, they may as well seed a petrified forest, not to mention the whiff of the economy depended on the Memorial Day to Labor Day tourist economy.
Kiss it goodbye.
The long, grey line of failed city restaurants, to take one category, extended to the lost horizon during the highly touted Pittsfield Renaissance, what passed for the good times in the city. How do you think they will weather the pandemic? Of course, for The Kapanskis, the “renaissance” never got beyond slogan status, “It’s Happening” and all the rest of the feeble marketing crud. As we use to say on our talk show, “Renaissance? Well, we ain’t seen Michelangelo or Da Vinci lunching at Spice.” Even in a failed city such as Mayor CRAYOLA-19’s burg, the barrel’s bottom still holds scraps to be scraped.
Mayor CRAYOLA and council president P.P. Jell-O just stole $300,000 of YOUR “free cash” for a COVID-19 relief fund. Of course, you can expect with Kufflinks Kerwood overseeing the program, there will be the usual strict oversight and accounting one expects of the public till in Pittsfield. Councilor Pete White called it “clean accounting.”
“Free cash,” incidentally, consists of dollars you were overtaxed. It goes into their slush fund.
During the ridiculous Hollywood Squares virtual council meeting, only councilors Chris Connell and Kevin Morandi voted against the proposal, not on principal but because there was too much rush-rush and too many unanswered questions. Yeah, they’ve been around city finances enough to understand and care. Final score, puppets 9, citizens 2.
———- ooo ———–
How long will America be in lockdown? Guesses wander unrestrained, ranging from the over-optimistic predictions of the President to two years. The full effects of COVID-19 have just begun their rippling through health care, politics, economics, society, education, religion — in short, every aspect of world culture. Nothing like this has happened for 102 years. A century+2 can build up a lot of false confidence and foolish pride.
Consensus seems to be about 18 months, the figure cited by Ned Kashkari, head of the Federal Reverse Bank in Minneapolis. Under a “Best Case” scenario, the GDP for 2020 will drop 4%, worse than the Great Recession of 2008, and unemployment will hit 12%, its worst level since 1940, when the rotten-egg smell of The Great Depression hadn’t yet been aired from the room. That’s “best case.”
Ouch.
Politicians run the show with Kapanski Kash, so you know if there’s a way to screw it up while stealing the public blind, they’ll find a way, as THE PLANET just exemplified with Mayor CRAYOLA’s latest under. Or do you feel confident in city, state, and federal “leadership?” Locally, it’s time to wave the white flag, surrender to the enemy,and watch a continuous loop of the film On the Beach.
Nationally, a great example of bad politics just occurred.
As part of the $2 trillion rescue bill Congress passed, a provision included $350 billion for small businesses. This took the form of “friendly” loans that would be forgiven if the receiving companies met the terms and metrics spelled out for each respective entity — number of jobs created, growth, that sort of thing. Problem is that the Small Business Loan Program, launched just weeks ago, has already burned through the bulk of the money. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin went back to Congress and asked for more relief. The Senate quickly went to work. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it as easy. The Senate wanted a “clean” bill. As McConnell explained to reporters, the new bill would literally replace the “$350 billion” with the new figure, “$600 billion.” That’s as complicated as brushing out two numerals with white out.
Put the new number in, get quick votes in both houses, bing-bang-boom. Immediate additional help on the way for struggling small businesses, right?
Not so fast.
House Democrats decided to play politics, their beady eyes looking through the telescope trying to find the November election.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saw her chance, declaring that “everything is an opportunity.”
At least she was honest about it.
Pelosi and Chuck Schumer demanded that the new bill be loaded with $250 billion more for aid to cities and towns as well as “community-based lenders.”
Uh-oh.
She’s speaking in code. She means free money for exclusively for businesses owned by minorities, women, the dreaded “not-for-profits,” food stamps, and welfare — a piñata for the “gimme groups” whose votes the Democrats are trying to buy.
McConnell countered with reason, saying that these other needs would be addressed in the next major rescue package. For now, America needed fast action.
Pelosi was not moved.
Suddenly, the bill collapsed in a dissolving perspective.
———- ooo ———-
Economically, which has been somewhat of a theme on THE PLANET this week, what with Dr. Charles Trzcinka’s great analyses on Wednesday, what gives?
For us, the amount of debt being carried by industry, business, and households provides consternation. There’s not enough cash flow. Weeks ago we heard tales of people living paycheck-to-paycheck. The average small business has about two weeks’ cash reserves. They’re burning through cash.
THE PLANET shares Dr. Trzcinka’s optimism for the end game. There’s going to be a ton of hardship before we get there, but we will get there.
Don’t bet against America.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
————————————————————
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get” — Benjamin Graham on the stock market.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. All users of this website — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else making use of its information, hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer. Copyright (c) 2020 by Dan Valenti.
This life ain’t good enough. Waiting to die. I can not worry for one more minute- I can’t
The Mayor should-set priority by letting one of her two assistants go. There will be little tax monies coming in the near future. Spend as we go LadyCrayons. Another idea would be the School stipend and Council pay, put a freeze on any pay increases also on the city side.
control, pray on what you can’t. If times are real tough there’s enough government assistance never to work again.
Mundane – we all want to matter in our life.
I hope the coronavirus ends sooner than later. Nursing homes have become death camps. The poor, disabled, elderly, and sick are most vulnerable to get sick from and/or die of coronavirus.
Matt Kerwood’s creative accounting is horrible! He should NOT have a +$10 million dollar slush fund! Pittsfield politics’ financial system will collapse in fiscal year 2021 without a federal bailout.
Mayor Linda Tyer should be doing more. So should BMC’s CEO Dave Phelps. I believe the top “bureaucrats” are not being truthful about Pittsfield (Mass.) being in the top 10 worst areas in the World for coronavirus. Something is really wrong! It is time for the truth to come out!
U.S. Congress is on a 5 week recess that ends on May 4th, 2020, while “Rome is burning”. Trump is in over his head. The U.S. and global economy has record debts and the financial system is on the brink of collapse.
If we don’t solve this all encompassing crisis, we will be in the same or similar situation we were in during the early-1930s when Hitler rose to power. I hope we will learn from 20th Century history and help each other from seeing the people we love and our friends become starving and desperate. If we can be strong and compassionate to each other, love will prevail over hate.
I hope we win this battle and things go back to normal soon. I always believed in “reversion to the mean”. I believe that things will get better over time.
Jonathan,
It is absolutely clear to anyone who reads any of your posts that you are infatuated with and have a perverse admiration of Hitler. You compare everything to either Hitler or NAZI Germany.
It is completely irrational and insensitive to so many to compare the Nursing homes to “death Camps”
The very people you purport to represent and attempt to speak for are the very people wo are the Nurses, Aides’ Housekeepers Dietary staff and so on who are dedicated caring people who give of themselves every day to EARN a paycheck. Obviously anyone who is unable or unwanting to work would not understand or even consider the sacrifices being made by these people let alone appreciate it from a societal point of view. They are not “death camp” workers on a mission to exterminate a subsection of the population based upon an age demographic. It is clear to see your disdain for anyone or thing that is successful or helpful to a society that embraces hard work. I suggest you rethink your analogy and your position on the value of hardwork, risk and success actually means to all in the society.
And by all means I hope you have a great day
Thanks 5th,
My daughter works in a nursing home and does private care also. We are worried sick for her and our grandkids. She is one of those workers on the front lines. We talk by phone daily because we cannot see her in person right now. I can’t stand the Death Camp and Hitler comparisons.I have family that felt the effects of these things. I’m a supporter of free speech though and understand why it is good.
20% of coronavirus deaths are nursing homes. Trump had neo Nazis work for his campaign and administration. Trump called neo Nazi protesters in Charlottesvile, Virginia “very fine people”. Trump used to keep a copy of Hitler’s speeches by his bed stand. You, “the 5th Dentist”, are trying to gaslight me.
I am a 100% service connected disabled Veteran. I did work for many years of my life. I am nearly 45 years old. I am vested in the VA care system now. If I took a low wage job, against clinical advice, I would go back to being at risk of being a homeless Veteran.
Please stop picking on me over and over and over again for not working due to my disability based on a psychiatric condition. I believe my critics are being very mean-spirited!
– Jonathan Melle
False information. You are not to be taken seriously. You are a joke.
Here are the official Coronavirus guidelines:
1. Basically, you can’t leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won’t help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it’s important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my..
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it’s better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It’s better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don’t go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can’t go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can’t go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn’t wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with “I don’t want to trigger panic, but…”
18. You can’t see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don’t live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn’t say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air – well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don’t know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were “almost dead” to find out if that’s what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications).
Here are the official Coronavirus guidelines:
1. Basically, you can’t leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won’t help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it’s important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my..
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it’s better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It’s better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don’t go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can’t go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can’t go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn’t wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with “I don’t want to trigger panic, but…”
18. You can’t see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don’t live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn’t say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air – well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don’t know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were “almost dead” to find out if that’s what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications).
25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?
Ignore the doom and gloomers. For those interested in the future — immediate, intermediate, and long-term — this is one of the best times to invest in the U.S. stock market since 2008-9, 1987, and 1932 — take your pick. Plenty of high quality, blue-chip companies in which to invest, their stocks beaten way down. There are some really amazing values out there.
I am in complete agreement with you. Does anyone seriously think the cost of a gallon of gas is going to remain at $1.80 or thereabouts?
This is now gut check and reality check time for the City as well as the County in a lot of ways. Dan your weekend column is so appropriate. What will become of our fair City and County to an extent. At this very minute would hope City leadership is currently surveying and truly understanding the functions abilities and capacities of the industries within the City and County Borders. Think regionally.
After the smoke settles there will be a loud call for not only medical but for a large amount of manufacturing to be pulled back from overseas. It is already happening and large companies are looking down to their smaller suppliers to see what can be brought back right now and what they may be able to do in cooperation with the smaller vendors to insure sufficient supply stream of material, product etc. The leadership of not only the City the County and state better be moving as companies sure as hell are.
We should be putting our “feelers” out and seeing what the larger companies need from the smaller suppliers and see where we can fill and or match. Who we can work with and what’s needed.
I know that the City and County will be looked at hard by any company to ensure they are making a wise investment and they will have a quality workforce at a reasonable price point. That those employees can and will enjoy a safe, nurturing, community to locate relocate to with plenty of opportunities for their employees to enjoy a quality of life they define not one forced on them.
The City will also need to take some of the $300,000 and earmark it for infrastructure improvements that these companies might need Water for manufacturing as an example. We should be thinking business segments. We have a fairly strong maching base what couples with those? Ventilator parts? Health care consumables. Think of a base that could (I Will Use CITY Speak) collaborate with in an dynamic way the existing industrial base to help the community grow those companies to ensure the region as whole prospers not just a chosen few.
thoughts?
5TH
We thank you for advancing the discussion in such a thoughtful, meaningful, and penetrating manner.
Without better leadership – and with most of our current leaders none of those improvements will happen I am afraid. No one with any sense wants to put up with the ceaseless politics, greed, and corruption in the Berkshires. I know I am out as soon as my house sells and would encourage anyone who asked about the region not to settle on the area. Special interests, bad schools, crime yuck yuck yuck.
Got any tips for us Kapanskis?
Maybe stop giving out cash to individual businesses? Cut school budget? Use school budget money saved for summer camps for kids as the summer break is way too long and underprivileged kids are running wild with no structure. Maybe provide a find for small businesses (all of them not special friends) to get health care for employees. Cut properly taxes?
Hopefully Mr. Kerwood will put that $300,00 back in the till when all the fed money starts rolling in. Cuz we need to put that towards the forensic audit we are going to insist on this year. People are getting in a pissy mood with all the restrictions on their lives and may just take it out on city hall. No one is more deserving and over due.
Nope! Any savings went on computers.
According to the Eagle write up.
School costs saved in utilities, as well as other building-level savings, have been redirected to purchasing computers for students, totaling about $500,000 to date.
Sorry, posted in wrong place.
Why are computers being purchased for students, if the school is closed for the rest of the year? I believe someone commented that hooking up student homes to wifi would take months due to the volume & backup of requests. Will they be teaching online thru the summer?
Yes and can we see the itemized ill for those computers and accessories as well as to whom received them? NO? Didn’t think so.
Which is why we want the audit.
They’re getting computers so they can play video games and surf porn, of course.
Pelousey, and honest describing that traitor is an oxymoron
Democrats should find the actions of Pelousey ( I like that, Trapper) & Schumer despicable. Had the Dems not porked up the last relief bill with millions in handouts to the Kennedy Performing Arts Center, NPR etc. – there would have been more money for small business loans (which just ran out of funds). Now the Dems are refusing to pass a clean bill for small business loans. Who’s on your side, America?!
The wicked witch from the West strikes again. Another bucket of water, please!
Got a match
NPR always manages to get more government money since they are so connected to the far left. That money could have gone to more small businesses, but Nancy is more concerned with her rich friends. Did anyone see Nancy showing off her super expensive freezers loaded with all kinds of ice cream? She is so phony. As usual, more money for the people who want to live off of big government is Nancy’s first concern and not people who want to work for a living.
Mrs. Obama was just given a show on PBS , which is pretty much an arm of the democrat media.
magiilia gorilla show?
Charlie is a great friend of the Chi-Coms, like Slick Willie and his H-Beast thing, I call him Chu Ki Hsumer
Mitch Mc’Connels wife is Chinese. Maybe she brought the bug in after a visit with her family. And Ivanka has big business over there and she is back and forth all the time. If she loves them it should be ok for others to love them? Or no?
Mitch McConnell’s wife’s family is worth a bundle do to shipping. Let’s face it , there isn’t a politician or family member that isn’t connected to the Chinese economy there or here. Our politicians from both parties sold out the USA long ago because of the cheap labor and the huge profits that came with it.
re-elect NOBODY 2020!!!
the Bidens and Clintoons do more business in China.
Ask Joe’s son, Hunter Biden. If you can find him. He got 1.5 billion from China, but claims he’s broke.
Hunter married his dead brothers wife, cheated on her with a stripper, he knocked the stripper up. He’s been on the lame for child support since. Seems finances come into play, something about Ukraine and QuidProQuo , father Joe bragging about his extortion…… That is ALL proven fact
And senile Joe still talks about “family values”…..
Not sure Ivanka goes to China all the time or at all. Sounds like fake news. Of course the comment about McConnell’s wife is just dopey.
Guess you missed the part where right after her dad got elected Ivanka was given special patents to sell her products in China. You can look that up. Cheaper child labor over there ya know.
I once saw Schumer holding a presser in Penn Station as I passed within 10 feet of him. My brother and I had we we could do to refrain from rearranging his glasses that hang off his face as he was reading about spending more Kapanski cash.
anyone else regret draining the gas out of the snow blower too soon?
Tire chains are still on the tractor, a REAL tractor. Almost did it last week
Now Pittsfield schools closed for the rest of the year. 21 covid patients in the hospital. Can you say OVERREACTION?
The extended time off should give the administrators plenty of time to decide which elementary schools should be mothballed.
Think McCandless will give back to loot since the schools are shut?
School costs saved in utilities, as well as other building-level savings, have been redirected to purchasing computers for students, totaling about $500,000 to date.
in a pandemic an overreaction is good.A Trump reaction is bad.2,700 people died today of this virus in America.Cuomo gives more information on the birus in 25 minutes than Trump does in his 2 hour campaign update.
In NY State you have a 1 in 1600 case of dying from CoVid. That is for the whole state I think. If you look at the numbers in Columbia Co and in Berkshire Co per person it is pretty darn high. It’s shockingly high for the population so small. I saw Richmond and Beckett had a high # of deaths — that is probably representative of those persons seeking medical help in the Berkshires. And maybe that the populations are elderly with lots of travel to NYC.
Re computers – Are there 500k school age kids in Berkshire Co? I thought is was less than 3k kids. Why 500k computers. Maybe Linda and Barry put in a new surround sound mission control system in their Chequers-basement bunker. I am sure it is fully supplied with a weed popcorn machine so they can keep themselves properly motivated for CC meetings.
Kermit future planning report – Fire 1/3 of the teacherS. Alternatively fire 1/2 the teachers and 1/2 the paras. Most of the paras couldn’t pass a test to be a lunch lady. Throw them out and maybe they can move to Boca with the rest of the gang. No one will notice the difference. School performance would go up. Also, what the holy hell happened to Richmond School – I just looked and its performance is equal to Capeless now. I’m not sure who to complement or who to criticize. Didn’t that used to be elite?
Btw, has Melissa gone into her own bunker? Did she get threatened from party big wigs after the voter tampering allegations? The fake choice is only allowed to go so far as long as it doesn’t interfere with the regular ‘families’ getting their money.
pelosi was not going to let that small business bill which she fully supports move forward without support for Americas front line hospitals and support for our city and towns.Again the truth makes sense if you tell it the way it happened. McConnell was against financial support for hospitals and local budgets.
Well, pass this bill as a clean one and then she can put another forward for her wishes and see if It fly’s. More bills coming she could try to stuff with her nonsense.
Nancy wants to promote her far left agenda. More control for big government because people would be dependent on big government. Very little concern from Nancy for those who want to work. They just do not fit in with the agenda. The last bill that was passed was full of money for Nancy’s rich friends like NPR and the arts crowd.
I agree Pat that the democratic agenda was hospitals and towns financial support.Your republican party has always favored strickly business while democrats do both.We need great capitalism to help Americans.We need great wealth. Regressives are only focused on guns and business. You must broaden your thinking.I like watching Fox news myself and I listen to Limbaugh Beck Hannity but that closed minded one way thinking is only one part of America and there is also some other thoughts you may one day consider.
I’d feel different if Nancy and crew really wanted all the money for the hospitals and such if the entire amount was spent on just those kinds of things. We know that doesn’t happen and monies are siphoned off for things that aren’t related to the specific problems they want the money for.
Nancy also does not consider herself an essential employee. She is holed up in her California mansion when she should be at work on these serious issues facing the people of this country. Forget the far left agenda Nancy and get to work!!
Nancy is now known as Sub Zero after her clip on tv showing her 2 $25,000 ea. appliances in her mansion. Sub Zero matches her cold calculating demeanor.
She has a lot of nerve showing off all of that expensive ice cream while people are in food lines for their next meal.
Trump was told to go to work today by Cuomo .Told him to stop watching TV
It is a waste of time to watch Cumo.
Pelousey and her ROTTEN HUSBAND, don’t give a rats Azz about America nor Americans.
When BOTH are in hell I almost wish I could watch.
They will probably be standing right next to you so watch all you want.
I say my prayers each evening. I love Jesus and what he died for.
It’s not me, that said you can’t do safe distance, Easter services, DEMOCRATS!!!!
YOU Democrats WILL rub elbows with Lucifer, in hell. But you’ll get a pitch fork and more….
Only if I go to hell. I have repented my sins. I try not to commit more
The Pelousey are still pushing killing unborn and such mortal sins……..
It is kinda sad to see someone so utterly bitter about their life even after three and a half years of having a president get them a job. I hope things get better for you cuz this is really sad to watch.
Nancy has not been sober since Trump was acquitted.
She been on a toot drinking the Kapinski’s funded booze.
Don’t forget her booze run to SF “Chinatown” (how many scorpion bowls Nancy?), where she called our President racist, for stopping flights to the Chi-Coms.
That was right before the witch realized Trump was correct, and said POTUS was “not doing enough”
Lying, drunken, hypocrite, that sums up Pelousey
The illegal Mexifornians will still vote for her, twice, with corrupt Gov Gavins backing and support
There will be an agreement in 72 hours.Testing supplied by the federal goverment is so failed that it is the number 1 problem to opening thing up.You guys know this,Right.Until Trump gets the testing nothing going to open.Hes a mess
We don’t have the supplies as of Slick Willies “most favored trading status” signed by Slick Willie Clintoon…” Medicine, masks, ………it’s all Chi-Com Democrat approved.
He sold us out to Chi-Coms , get it?
Get over it , or just put yourself down TSC, TDS has You bad…….
LTDS…Loving Trumps Derangement
You need help.
More help than is possible.
People bitch about anything he does no matter if it’s good or not. If he walked on water they would complain about it because it wasn’t deep enough.
Pelousey has not been sober since Trump ACQUITTED!!!!
The sot Pelousey ,has not been sober, since POTUS was aquitted
TSC
As my column points out, McConnell said this bill was emergency shore-up of the Small Business Aid Program, which has burned through more than half the money. The other needs, such as hospital assistance, would be taken up separately. As you say, “the truth makes sense if you tell it in the way it happened.”
Not true.
Its funny here because facts get a thumbs down.
I am a small business owner and have been for 30 plus years. Luckily, we are on the list of essential businesses. Like most small business owners, I don’t get a paycheck until all the employees and bills are paid. Last year, the good old folks at TD Bank let somebody into my bank account and I had to make up $28K out of my savings. TD has yet to put the money back. The way I look at it, I have 7 families that rely on me and they’re all long term employees. Customers are receiving product but they have no ability to pay right now, but if I cut them off, they’re out of business. Factually, I know of several small businesses that are not coming back. They were making it, but just barely. We all applied for the Payroll Protection. Some got it, most did not, and it was so delayed that it was too late for some. The emergency money offered never came for anybody. So, some furloughed are now permanently unemployed as are the owners of the now defunct businesses.
We all agree that we need to get back to work. This virus just didn’t suddenly pop up in March. It’s been around for at least 6 months prior, but once it hit the news it blew up. For years, there was an abundance of everything in stores and markets. Once announced, 126,900 Berkshireites started shopping like 700,000 people hoarding everything. Then, came the mask fiasco. Contractors can’t get dust masks because people hoarded them, and they’re useless against corona. Unless you’re wearing the proper mask, have goggles and ear plugs (because the virus can be absorbed by eyes or ears), you have no protection. As someone said, “Masks keep out corona the same way your underpants keep in a fart.”
True.
When we go back, a lot of places that we shopped and ate at are gone. Contractors that you could rely on are gone. Older owners (like myeself) will have just retired because enough is enough. It’s sad. But we are all to blame. It’s easier to buy at Walmart, Home Depot, or Amazon than paying a few pennies more at a local business because we are essentially cheap, are willing to settle for imported junk, and want it right now. Most of us aren’t spring chickens and remember what it was like to shop at locally owned businesses for everything. When this is done, the downtown of Pittsfield, North Adams, Adams are going to look like a scene from “The Walking Dead.”
So, for most of us small business owners, our businesses were flirting with the undertaker. COVID-19 has slammed the lid and put the final nail in. That’s a loss for not just the small business owner who really wanted to be successful. That’s a tragedy for all of us because we’re at the mercy now of big box survivors.
Lock your car doors at night the next couple years. Poor Arts venues of n y go back to soho.
Well written. This was a once great industrial small city that has been hanging on by a small thread. I am afraid this pandemic is he nail in its coffin. As a small Pittsfield business owner I feel your pain. Godspeed to you in your next journey
When I say that some will retire, I’m not one of them. I’m stubborn and as I have said to my employees, “I’ll retire when they take me out of here in a body bag.” The one thing that I hope for in all of this is that we will come to the realization that we need to support local everything when it comes to our buying habits. That we’ll come to the realization that our right versus left political attitudes helped get us to this point.
Remember one thing, you can’t clap unless right and left come together in the middle. Stay safe everybody.
But when you look at the label, is ANYTHING, made in America?
The fact that essential things, like medical supplies/antibiotics, our only source is China.
What if we went to a REAL war?
WTF! Our elected officials ARE to blame for this, re-elect NOBODY!!!
Next thing will be food.
How’s the garden getting started?
My late father and I had a “discussion” (read as argument) over my buying a stainless steel American made toaster for $40. At the time, he was buying a cheap plastic toaster at Walmart for $10 a pop. It was made in China and he had bought 3 already in that year. Well, my dad has been gone since 2008 and that discussion took place in 2007. Dad’s gone. The toaster is not. Go figure.
Hope all of you are safe. Keep in mind that the gloves and masks do nothing. If you’re sick in any way, stay home. If you have trouble breathing get to the ER ASAP!
TRUTH
Great, great comment. You have captured the essence of Pittsfield’s situation — failed politics, non-existent “leadership” leaving the city full of zombies and low-lifes. Good, hard-working, decent citizens such as yourself? Screwed. We admire your spunk and spirit. If you wish, send me a private e-mail about your business and situation.
Who actually believes in the ability of Pittsfield administrators to go rogue and design their own education plan outside of state guidance?
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/62057/Pittsfield-Not-Planning-on-Reopening-Schools.html
Good god no.
Most small businesses are not going to reopen. I believe the restaurants and small businesses that have been in the Berkshires from the get go will survive. You know the ones, they tend to be quiet and don’t run around looking for a handout out to open or expand. The ones that were propped up by the taxpayer are finished. We are going to look back in a couple years when we have still not economically recovered and ask ourselves was it really worth it to gut businesses, put a record number of people on unemployment, and cause families to lose their medical & dental insurance, etc. I have a lot of friends right now that themselves or their families manage chronic diseases that are now without health insurance due to be laid off. How many people will die because they were unable to afford blood pressure medication, cancer treatment, or insulin? Don’t worry though, keep listening to the Facebook police making sure you keep your 6 feet of distance.
And wearing homemade masks that wouldn’t protect you from someone’s bad breath let alone a contagion…
Take yer Hanes/BVD/jockey/Fruit of the Loom boxers, with skid marks on them and sling them over yer mutt.
You’ll get a better than 6-foot berth in the markets
Dennis Miller: Biden wearing a cup as a N 95 mask. Confused Joe doesn’t know the difference.
Best the Democrats can do! ROFL!!!!
That’s where the push for mail in voting along with ballot harvesting comes in into play.
As i said, a mask is as effective against corona as your underwear is holding back a fart.
We have been supporting a local restaurant through takeout. 2 meals cost us $35 yesterday with salad, appetizer, the meals, dessert. We had so much food that they’re toinight’s dinner as well. I spoke with the owner’s mother-in-law as I couldn’t imagine them making money on such huge meals. Factually, they’re making more now than ever. We need to all band together to support our local businesses through this. We also need to stop being such jackasses to each other over our political views.
As I said, right or left, you can’t clap until they come together in the middle. So, respect each other’s views no matter how hardcore you’ve been in the past. We need to move past this as soon as possible. God bless!
What place?
Zucchini’s has some excellent food and delivery at a reasonable price. Mazzeo’s also.
Mazzeo’s has free delivey over $50
Your right. Forgot.
Meanwhile, there are Democrats about to be indited…..
DOJ/FBI corruption of FISA court applications…..
“The declassification and release includes some seriously interesting documents the DOJ submitted to the FISA court, as far back as July 2018, which completely destroy the prior claims made by Lisa Page, Peter Strzok, James Baker, James Comey, Andrew McCabe and their very vocal media and Lawfare defenders……”
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/04/16/big-declassification-begins-documents-from-senate-judiciary-committee-including-bucket-five-documents-and-less-redacted-carter-page-fisa/
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/04/17/declassified-doj-letter-to-fisa-court-highlights-severe-institutional-corruption-doj-blames-fbi-for-spygate/
Thanks MD,
Great articles. I see John Solomon who has been in on a lot informative articles out in the news also has a site called Just The News.
It’s interesting that the country of Sweden decided to be the lone black sheep and handle things differently. While doing some common sense things like banning large gatherings, life otherwise goes on as normal- businesses are open, people can eat in restaurants, and you don’t see anyone wearing masks. Thus far their death rate from the virus is very close to ours. If there is such a thing as herd immunity from covid-19 they will likely achieve it before us.
There are 10.3 million people with a population density of 57.5 people per square mile. Versus Manhattan at 66,940 people per square mile.
Pittsfield is 1,078 people per sq mi.
Sweden is white and healthy, NYC is not.
And they let immigrants/muslims rape their women. Refute that. Common sense?
Yea, life goes on………all the Vikings seem to be neutered/dead
Since the start of the virus pandemic can’t help but notice Mayor Crayola’s defiance against Gov. Baker. From her snotty facial expressions during his visit to Pittsfield at the beginning of the pandemic. To a few days ago she and Gina Armstrong giving Anne Selke at Pine Cone Hill a hard time about her business being open even though she has permission from Gov. Baker. Don’t try to be grateful for Anne’s donation of bedding for the homeless shelter at St. Joe ladies. Pretty nice stuff to be donated, I know I can’t afford that type of bedding. I think Mayor Crayola and Gina should be checking on places like the overcrowded filthy dirty Walmart or overcrowded Market 32. Now, she and JIV seem to be bucking Gov. Baker’s suggestion on date to open schools. If Mayor Crayola keeps the schools closed, is she going to take the money saved and reimburse the taxpayers? All towns around us seem to be saving money and watching their budgets and caring about their permanent residents, not Pittsfield they are spending like little kids in a candy store and giving a free handout to non-residents.
My last email asking what bunker Melissa is in got deleted. Re Selke – if someone is calling in favors to stay open that is kinda crappy, no? You get to make money while other people can’t? The mayor probably only cares because Selke isn’t her friend or paid her dues but it’s still not a business I would want to support after this.
KERMIT
FYI, THE PLANET did not delete that email. We couldn’t. We never received it as far as the backstage records indicate.
It showed up several hours after I posted it. It must have gone to Narnia on the server.
I was skimming through the Eagle, when I saw that the Pittsfield Public Schools are going to have to lay people off. The first pink slip should be handed to Shirley Edgerton. The kids are out of school, so what exactly does a “Cultural Proficiency Coach,” do during all of this? In fact, what does she do period? Next would be the administration. To many chiefs. Time to cut the administrative fat. But, we all know JIV and Mayor Crayola-19. They will threaten to cut teachers and teaching support staff to try and gain fear among the voters. This time, I say we, the voters, should tell them TOUGH SHIT. If you cutback on teachers, there are plenty of asst sup’s who can teach a class or three.
This brings to my next ??? Is Mayor Crayola-19 still giving that $150k of our money to the beer garden on Depot Street. If she hasn’t already, it’s time to make a big-girl decision and call them up and tell them not this time-sorry, we’re broke.
And of that $300k, will Kufflinks (i.e.-Eddie Munster-when he used to sport hair), provide the tax-payers a spread sheet to show that the half-mil really went into computers for kids, and not the GOB’s are having financial difficulty paying their second mortgage’s in other states.
The paraprofessionals will be the first to go. They may just stop there because that’s what they did last time when there was a budget crunch and then they hired them all back afterwards. This is a more serious situation though so who knows.
I meant of that “of that $500k….”
MARKUS
We agree. Edgerton has a “do nothing/make work” job. First one to go. Hired because she’s got the right demographics, black and female. Oh, that the voters would finally shout your proscribed response! As the the $150K for the beer joint on North Street, yes. Rescind. Even if it’s been given, take it back. Ah, but you’re talking about Mayor Crayola-19. Nuff Ced. Same with JIV. Same with Kufflinks.
The administration needs to furloughs 50%
The Cultural Racism Coach isn’t going anywhere because who better than a woman of color to to teach racism classes.
There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the [black] race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the [black] to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”
― Booker T. Washington, 1911
The far left media continues to put down hydroxychloroquine even though a doctor treating 38 very elderly and very ill patients suffering from Covid-19 had huge success. They all recovered even those in their 90’s and 100’s. The patients all recovered. Seems that the far left media doesn’t want people to have any hope for potential medicines that might help them.
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/texas-elderly-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-treatment-texas-city/287-7383185c-940c-4cb2-82ea-c4a5ffad3ffb
Pat, it didn’t work in a test of dozens of patients. In fact, several died. Crazy as it may seem, an oral medication for head lice did work. My aunt is 94. She got COVID-19 in a local nursing home. She beat it. No meds needed. I’m a big science guy because my small business is a necessary business involved in the medical industry. The fake news is the article you linked to. Sorry about that.
I’m glad that your aunt has beat the virus. I’ve heard of some 107 and 106 year olds who have beat it too. If they are relatively healthy, even if they are old, it seems they have a good chance at survival. Good genes help too and I don’t think they would live to be in their 100’s if they didn’t have good genes. Head lice medication? Wow. The doctors should be told about that possible cure.
Patent ran out on hydroxcloroquine.
NO MONEY TO BE MADE BY BIG PHARMA……… and THE POLITICIATINS in their pocket
Better let humans die, than not run a profit.
BTW, drugs are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude in USA than third world. For the math challenged, that is 100 to 1000 times as much.
Rahm Emanuel said it best. in response to the 2008 financial crisis, he said, “NEVER ALLOW A CRISIS TO GO TO WASTE.” This is a perfect opportunity for a Pittsfield elected official to take a leadership role and start doing something that is positive to Pittsfield’s long term financial health. Lenox has shown the way by proposing a spending freeze, furloughs, and a hiring freeze. Yet we have not one word from Pittsfield officials about freezes, cutbacks, or budget-cutting. It is encouraging to see Pittsfield school superintendent McCandless laying the groundwork for budget cuts that surely are forthcoming. He has courage enough to step forward when others are hiding. But it is going to be the responsibility of elected officials – who make from $8000.00 to $12,000 year and medical – to do something, like closing unneeded schools because of declining enrollments, to say something like they will respond to the financial worries of citizens and, dare I say it, take a 20% pay cut. Now they are no show jobs. Connell and Morandi are, at least, questioning why some things are being done. I’m surprised Maffucio wasn’t with them. Tony usually does the right thing. My point is, do something, and don’t tell us filling vacant hotels with migrants from all over the state is a solution.
So are politicians, on half or less pay/rations yet? If not, WHY NOT!
Does Pittsfield politics’ GOBs really own second homes in other areas of the state and country that Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski of Pittsfield (Mass.) pay for? If it is true, that means the GOBs have been raising municipal taxes, fees, and debts/liabilities for decades so they can vacation in places like Naples, Florida.
On another topic, I watched NH news on WMUR TV-this afternoon, and the newsman said that Massachusetts has more coronavirus deaths than New Hampshire has coronavirus cases. It doesn’t look like Governor Charlie Baker is doing a good job containing coronavirus in Massachusetts. I feel fortunate not to live in Massachusetts anymore.
If I was in either NH Governor Chris Sununu or Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s shoes, I would spend every hour of my working days telling U.S. Congress, which is on a 5 week recess until May 4th, 2020, and President Donald Trump that if they don’t pass a bill to bailout state and local governments soon, the economies of NH and Mass. will collapse.
I recently explained to my mom how the Revolutionary War started in Massachusetts. The then English Colony of Massachusetts went bankrupt. The Founding Fathers asked King George III of England for a bailout for Massachusetts. The King declined to bailout Massachusetts. Instead, the King raised taxes on the people of Massachusetts. The Founding Fathers objected and used an old Irish protest saying: “No taxation with representation”. The Founding Fathers raised an Army to fight King George III’s Army. The rest is history.
It all began with Massachusetts going bankrupt and asking the King of England for a bailout. All of these centuries and decades later, things have gone full circle. Massachusetts needs a bailout from Capitol Hill or else the Commonwealth (of Mass.) and the other state governments (some former Colonies) will go bankrupt. I hope U.S. Congress and President Trump won’t follow King George III’s lead!
– Jonathan Melle
Jon,You wouldn’t spend any time working in Congress because you don’t work period?
For many years of my adult life, I tried to find a living wage job. When I was in my 20’s in the Spring of 1996, my dad was a Pittsfield (Mass.) area politician. We faced years upon years of retribution from both the GOBs who run Pittsfield politics and the corrupt pols on Beacon Hill. In June 2007, I was arrested in Manchester NH and wrongly indicted on 2 felonies for nearly 3 years of my life. Who would hire me when the State of NH is accusing me of 2 felonies? The 2 misdemeanors I was ultimately convicted of were annulled by the State of NH last Summer of 2019. I am a 100% service connected disabled Veteran who served our great country Honorably in the U.S. Army. That is where my financial well being is vested. I did not choose my difficult circumstances. If I didn’t receive my Veterans benefits, I would be at risk of being a homeless Veteran. I am thankful to live in the U.S.A. where I am honored by my beloved country.
My uncle and my dad were both wounded in battle. They endured handicaps. One became a lifelong farmer and the other had a long career as a machinist. You choose not to work. And ‘That’s’…the bottom line.
I am thankful for your dad and uncle’s military service in battle, and I am sorry for their respective loss. I hope they lived happy lives, despite their handicaps.
I keep telling you and everyone else that I tried to find work for years of my adult life. It did not happen for me. I am vested in the VA system now. It is not that I choose not to work, but rather, it is that I don’t want to become homeless in my mid-40’s. I take my VA care seriously. I am thankful for what I have in my life.
I think you are very unkind and mean-spirited!
I agree with Suzy. Anyone can work? They actually have programs that allows disabled to that want to work. I believe you want to only pick and choose,anything else is beneath you. So you are vested now and would lose money and made a good decision as it turns out. But don’t keep telling us you couldn’t find a job?
22 million U.S. unemployment claims since the coronavirus outbreak, but you unfair and mean-spirited critics focus on me. I have no words!
Maybe we can actually use those garbage cans on Tyler Street this summer instead of the tonnage that’s been tossed into the streets. Good job by the mayors team putting barriers out at the Onota Causeway.
What kind of barriers?
Cement. Horizontal in front of where they would fish. They look like prefab.
Are the barriers stopping anyone?
Sherman and Peabody?
If I am a first responder or a nurse or doctor in a city or town which decides to open up their economy and let everyone run loose, and then you show up at the hospital with the virus, I would say “screw you people. If you want to risk your own lives by being careless then you go right ahead but I am not going to risk mine because you did” You would be on your own as far as I was concerned. Find yourself an “open economy” nurse or doctor cuz I ain’t touching your ass.
So you would advocate staying shut up in our houses for the next 18 months? Even the CDC says people have to try to go back to normal at some point because more people will die from starvation, poverty, suicide, and depression than will die from the virus.
Not at all. You have the right to go about your own business as you see fit. But if you get the virus while ignoring disease experts advice not to congregate, don’t come crying to me as a doctor because I feel like you got what you asked for and so why should my life be put at risk because you were foolish?
I feel the same way about gang bangers. If you get shot up while selling your drugs and you wind up on my surgical table you might have to wait till I finish my latte. If you bring bad things on yourself through your own bad decisions I have trouble getting motivated to help you.
Actually, we have to apply herd science. In order for the herd to be healthy, some of its members have to contract a disease and spread it so that the herd gains immunity. I don’t advocate staying shut in. Social distancing yes. Masks, no. Sanitizer before getting back into your car, yes. However, as far as your point on economics, you are correct. This can’t go on.
In other words, REASONABLE SAFEGUARDS. We agree. A bit too late, though, to reverse the incalculable damage to the economy. That said, it makes sense to try to limit the damage.
Tune in to Cuomo and he understands we need to get back to work.He is smart and his experts have kept him well informed.Testing is key to opening then follwup.Controlling the facts.Public safeguards and respect for others so you never infect anogher.Business and brains will give you a path.Pat even Trump has recognized its their call but hes not providing cash or testing.This is one country under God…Yes?
I wonder what the infection rate is at so called essential businesses? Is Wal mart an infection hot spot? Home Depot? Local hardware stores? Super markets? Stores that sell booze and lottery crap?
We will need widespread targeted testing to open up.You heard Trump say he has no test.That a fact.
Excellent questions.
Does that apply to drug goes and drunks too?Listen John, people are fed up. Just yesterday I had half a mind to rip off the yellow tape at the swingset and set little Johnny on it. When the weather breaks that’s gonna be happenin city wide believe me.
As the weekend is upon us, as a change of pace from the CORONA virus news, if anyone at the Planet is interested about the drug scandal involving the two MA State Police chemists in 2012 and 2013, check out “How to fix a drug scandal,” on Netflix. It evens mentions Pittsfield and North Adams as places that sent a lot of work (drug cases) there way.
If you do watch it or have seen it, which of the two chemists do you think was worse, in terms of misjustice?
Have a good weekend and stay safe all.
MARK
We intend to check it out. Thanks for the tip.
Be careful Mark.
Besides fixing cases MSP , they have a “shit list”, you might be on it now.
Me just to mention it, it does exist
MARK
Last night we watched Pts. 1 and 2 of the 4-part series. Excellent production, highly recommended. As for the two chemists, both were incredibly stupid and selfish in their actions. As for “worse” I go with Chemist 2 for the way she cozied up to prosecutors, her providing a certificate on samples she hadn’t even tested, and her blind ambition.
Sounds about right for Massachusetts.
Dan, I agree. I thought #2 caused much more damage than #1 did. Faking the certificates-wow!!
MARK
Thanks for directing us to this excellent production. It shows in a rare manner the corruption that has a stranglehold on the Bay State. #1 was a drug addict from the moment she began work at the state lab in Amherst in 2004. She went undetected until 2011. No oversight, no supervision, no accountability (sound familiar, Pittsfield?). When the state found out about her and chemist #2, it tried to limit the damage and hid exculpatory evidence from defense attorneys (sound familiar, prosecutors of Bernie Baron?). The corruption was only uncovered by a tenacious, courageous defense attorney. Without him, it goes away, no harm no foul. Now, can you imagine what’s going on in “official Pittsfield, nearly all departments,” with a generation of no oversight and accountability. If there was a shred of integrity at the local daily, they would assemble a large investigative team and let them at it. There would be a Pulitzer for their efforts. THE PLANET comes across many tantalizing bits of info from scared people who work from the inside, but without the time, personnel, and resources, they can’t be examined. The tenacity, doggedness, fearlessness — those we’ve always possessed in large quantity and have enabled us to do what little we have done to force “come clean.” Government at all levels, but especially unaccountable local, must be considered corrupt as the default position, until demonstrated otherwise. We need to bring back politicians and office holders who have a combination of honesty and courage. We have some of the first, but without courage, otherwise good people become complicit in the corruption by not speaking out. We need more people such as Mayor Dillon, Chuck Garivaltis, and Sam Landa, for example, to form a majority. Only that would put an end to what is presently happening.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-04-16/new-york-drops-below-one-new-infection-per-victim-cuomo-says
“New York State’s lockdown has reduced the rate of spread for the coronavirus to under one new infection for every existing one, an important milestone that could mean the outbreak is shrinking, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.“
You can certainly bet that Pittsfield’s and the Berkshires’ rate is lower than that…
And if there are so many asymptomatic carriers walking around as they say, common sense tells you that the one person each person potentially infects also has a good chance of being asymptomatic or only mildly sick. This is how we achieve immunity.
PHIL
And it also suggests that the entire shutting down was an overreaction. Only history will be able to know for sure. Thanks for being a key part of this discussion.
Ve r y few people feel that shutting down was overreacting.
They are not lower than that, in fact they are much higher. They just stopped testing in any real quantities.
If you asked them how many new tests done by BHS you’d find they did only three today (not including existing in patient)
Question: since the Guv has not decreed that MA schools are closed for this year – how can Supers of state school districts close their schools? Is this legal? Does the state education czar have to sign off on this?
FRITZ
My guess, and it’s just that, would be that the power of superintendents to do this is a remnant of the local control that used to be in place fully.
Schools have been told they do not have to meet the 180 requirement, they have been closed for over a month already. There is no MCAS this year.
With those two state requirements waived schools are free to do whatever. God help the idiot super that opens a school and kids start getting sick.
The Governor is not the authority in this case, it’s the local school committee.
April 18, 2020
Re: Open letter to Patrick Fennell
Hello Pat,
Please google “56 deaths at Holyoke Soldiers Home”. This is a tragedy! How could this happen to our country’s great Veterans?
I do not believe the people are being told the full truth about the coronavirus pandemic! I believe things are a mess!
I can’t understand why U.S. Congress is on a 5 week recess that ends on May 4, 2020 when tens of thousands of Americans have died and tens of thousands of addtional Americans are predicted to die this year, over 700,000 Americans are infected by coronavirus with hundreds of thousands of additional Americans are predicted to become infected, tens of millions of Americans lost their jobs and health insurance during this coronavirus public health crisis, hospitals lack PPE and capacity, and the like.
Let us not forget what happened in the 20th Century during the Great Depression in the 1930’s decade! People watched their loved ones starve, become desperate, and lose hope. That is how Hitler rose to power and created the Nazi Germany regime that saw the nightmare known as the Holocaust against the Jewish People in Europe.
We must not go down that nightmarish road in the 2020’s! We need a new Winston Churchill and a new FDR. We have to help and love each other. We have to be strong and caring. We must reject hate. We need to return to Human Rights.
Best wishes,
Jonathan A. Melle
Hello Pat,
President Obama did say that VA healthcare was one of his biggest failures. To be fair, Obama did work to pass legislation to reform VA healthcare after the VA’s healthcare debacle where dozens of Veterans died due to substandard VA healthcare.
Our Presidents and U.S. Congress vote to send American Soldiers to serve and/or fight in global conflicts, and they should all know that the cost of military force does not end in the combat zone. At times in our recent history, the VA can be a horrible bureaucracy for our country’s Veterans. Thousands of Veterans commit suicide every year in America. Military families and Veterans families have high rates of both domestic violence and divorces.
State and local leaders should also take care of our nation’s Military families and Veterans. When a Soldier returns home, there should be programs to help them as Veterans. When I go to the VA, my Veterans peers all say that there should be no homeless Veterans anymore.
Years ago, and I was living in neighboring NH, a man working for Congressman Richie Neal’s district office called me and asked me if I needed any help with my Veterans case. Senator Elizabeth Warren said that her brothers all served in the U.S. Armed Forces and were Veterans.
President Donald Trump had 5 deferments and chose not to serve in the Vietnam Conflict. When I go to the VA Hospital, my Veterans peers say that “bone spurs” really stand for “bullshit”. To be fair, I am thankful for Trump’s support of Veterans.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
How interesting. I just got off the phone with an old friend I haven’t spoken to in years, whose daughter attends the College of Wooster in Ohio. My friend is a lawyer who represents non-violent drug offenders who have received overly harsh treatment from the criminal justice system. Lo and behold, he is very familiar with our former DA David Capeless. Here’s where the story comes full circle – whose kid do you think was arrested for weed a few years back when he went to school in Ohio? Any guesses? His penalty was a $100 fine. How very fortunate for him the karma was not at work, given that his own father would have used every means available to send him to prison and ruin his life.
After that call, the word evil keeps popping into my head for some reason.
P.S. The arrest took place a few days before Capeless suddenly resigned. Odd coincidence.
I have heard some dirt about how Downing was chosen to run and why and what it was a trade off for. I almost never spill my dirt (even when I can support it with solid evidence.).
We are all ears Kermit
The basic outline is that the kid got supported from powerful folks in exchange for no prosecution (against a different person) in another matter. That was the rumor. There can be dirt slung going back to the dawn of time. How much is true? Maybe it’s all a bit true, maybe we aren’t surprised anymore at dirty elections just clean ones.
Well I never heard diddly but I found it awful suspicous how Downing couldn’t find the Bernard Baran case file and then when he kicks the can and Capless takes over, the files miraculously appear, kinda like Hillary’s lost files showing up on and end table in the white house.
And we all know Baran was innocent and railroaded by Ford.
Pittsfield’s hypocritical Catholic leaders persecuted the late Bernard Baran. The late D.A. Gerry Downing knowingly and illegally hid exculpatory evidence from the 1980’s trial and later appeals. The exculpatory evidence were audio tape recordings of children’s testimony. Gerard Downing died of a heart attack in 2003. After Gerry Downing died, D.A. David Capeless handed over the illegally withheld tapes To Baran’s defense team and then Baran was released from state prison. I also read that now Judge Daniel Ford and the late Gerry Downing used homosexual stereotypes of the 1980s as prosecutors during Baran’s unfair trial.
I heard rumors over the years that Pittsfield (Mass.) Catholics who were pillars of the corrupt community I grew up in during the 1980s all led double lives as homosexual deviants. I heard that Baran, who was a teenager when he was falsely accused of sexual abuse against children, was in the know about it all. Pittsfield’s Catholic leaders wanted Baran out of the way, so they hypocritically persecuted him.
I read all about former Berkshire County Sheriff Carmen Massimiano on blog pages and in The Berkshire Eagle. I read that Carmen Massimiano was an alleged sexual abuser of children who were young boys from his teenage years through his 20’s (and possibly beyond). Carmen Massimiano was a camp counselor at the Boys Club Camp Russell in his teenage years where he allegedly sexually abused young boys. The Berkshire Eagle reported that Carmen Massimiano allegedy sexually abused a 7 year old boy at the Pittsfield (Mass.) Boys Club when Carmen Massimiano was in his 20’s. I read that one man committed suicide due to Carmen Massimiano’s alleged sexual abuse from when the mentally ill man’s childhood. I read that the man Carmen Massimiano sexually abused at the Boys Club when the man was 7 years old, and again when the man was 11 years old, went through years of psychiatric help.
Then there is Angelo Stracuzzi who was arrested in Maine in connection with an allegation of sexually abusing underage teenage boys. As part of his sentencing, which included one year of jail time (suspended), Angelo Stracuzzi had to go through 2 years of psychological counseling for sexual deviant behaviors towards underage teenage boys. Superior Court Chief Probation Officer Cliff Nilan, who took over his position from Carmen Massimiano a long time ago, got into trouble with the Massachusetts Superior Court system for not enforcing Angelo Stracuzzi’s mandated mental health counseling. In closing, the Catholic leaders in Pittsfield (Mass.) who persecuted Bernard Baran were all moral hypocrites who lived double lives as homosexual deviants.
Well Jm the cover up has gone on around the world re poor kids with priests and catholic schools etc – it has reached the pope and Vatican. Something was definitely set up in the Baran case, a framing and scapegoat. Downing JR was down in DC working for Neal (I think) when his Dad was hiding evidence in Pittsfield.
Your friend is a lawyer who represents drug dealers then, and they do not receive overly harsh treatment, far from it. Why don’t you come right out and say what you are insinuating, and tell us if it was simple possession, or actual drug dealing? I guess you don’t have the balls. Sounds to me like a simple possession charge which in non jailable in Mass for first offense. And unlike your honey Andrea, who couldn’t prosecute a squirrel stuck in a paper bag, Capeless was a professional and competent prosecutor who understood his job was to enforce the law, and not drop cases willy nilly like that prgressive nit wit you support. And Capless retired, rather than resigned. Big difference blow hard.
Capeless sent seasoned narcs to infiltrate groups of kids, convince them to sell him a joint, then tried to put several 17 year-olds in jail as a result. He was successful in one case, i.e. one life ruined. Capeless’s kid was 19 and was charged with possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. You may celebrate a kid like Mitchell Lawrence doing 2 years while Capeless’s kid’s case amounted to nothing, but that’s because you’re likely one those old-school, mindless cops who Capeless had a field day manipulating. Also, in response to a few comments above, if you think Capeless suddenly “found” those Baran tapes once Downing died and Capeelss became DA, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Once Downing was gone and Capeless’s name was on the door, he would have been the one in deep shit if the tapes were discovered later, by someone else. So he suddenly “found them.” A miracle! Then against any sense of decency, he continued his quest to keep Baran in jail. Which probably means nothing to a mindless thug with a badge like yourself, but it means something to decent people.
State is selling dope now, while kids are sitting in jail
Nuciforo is one who has done so.
Capeless is a criminal, like some cops/ex cops. How is his daugther, MERIDEATH doing? Running anybody over?
If the DAs and Cops/ex Cops were all honest, we wouldn’t have rotten apples making the good ones STINK!
According the a local paper the mayor of Pittsfield has something like a one million dollar economic recovery program which will cover a multitude of things including money to pay your mortgage or rent. Not sure what the criteria is but if you were a campaign donor that might be helpful.
Ya know I really do hate to be this negative but I have been around this berg a long time and my experience tells me to trust nothing about this city government that cannot be verified.
And for whatever reason, information can be very hard to get from them especially where it involves expenditures or personnel issues. Anyone in the bowels of this government knows exactly what I am talking about and would be negative as well unless they were benefiting from things that cannot be discussed publicly.
THEE only local paper, my cat won’t pee on, if I line her box with it.
This verifies a figure THE PLANET first published. Of course, The Boring Broadsheet never gives us credit for the stories it steals from us. That amuses us to no end.
Well Dan,
At least they can’t steal the intellectual property between your ears. They can’t stand being out scooped by you .Your tactical superiority really blows them away when it comes to stories
City blew half mil on computers for kids and jake the snake already whining about next year how he wanted to hire dozens and won’t be able too. Tough luck pal. Raise May taxes a few hundred more Linda and you’ll have a mutiny!
JOE
Mutiny would be an improvement. The half mill for computers = TOTAL waste of money. Little to no accounting suggest massive fraud.
What about books.
First nice day there’s gonna be a run on the parks and playgrounds we have had enough. Time for the yellow tape to disappear. Kids wanna play and they are going to. If you are sick stay home.
Agreed.
Kids were out in droves yesterday, riding bikes, walking, families are itching to get out and about. Protests nationwide and coming to a city near you soon. It’s despicalbe not to let children play.
No fishing on the causeway. Good job mayor!
Why does the State stock trout in Onota. I guess fishing is only for those who have the money to buy a boat. The kids are out of luck. Everybody just stay home and drink.
If you get yer head out of yer rectum, there are lots of places to fish, undisturbed nor close to anybody, shoreline. I’ve done that >50 years now….I also go where wild trout still run, then get leeks and forage…..
But You have yer head stuffed where Democrats want it….
Can’t fish, cuz it aint safe to be outside fishin, but it was okay to free some jailbirds, even though jail was Covid free. Oh well, one less place for people to get robbed I guess.
Sunny and 60’s tomorrow Had. We’ll see what happens
Today, Sunday, is going to be a great day to wing on the swings, shoot some hoops, and go down the shootie shoot.
This in in reply to RN who stated that BMC only tested 3 people yesterday. I have worked the covid-19 tent for the last 4 weeks and we test 50-100 people a day. Yesterday we tested 60
Thanks for the inside report, LISA.
I think we have determined that RN is spreading a lot of panic and false information on this site. His/her “inside info” contradicts every other piece of data, reporting, etc. from every other source possible.
He/she only provides reports on the giant conspiracy that only he/she has the inside info on.
Stay well Lisa
If you were testing that many a day (which you aren’t)
And retesting the same people over and over on a daily basis on interval doesn’t count, why don’t the kiosk numbers reflect that? Why are you coding know local cases to unknown.
Look at the historical data here.
It doesn’t come close to supporting what you are saying
https://www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/coronavirus
Then look at the discrepancy
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-cases-in-massachusetts-as-of-april-18-2020-accessible/download
That difference in number is the code out. BHS numbers should be lower than the states reporting of cases because the state collects data from all reporting facilities in Berkshire county.
The number of cases in Berkshire county is wrong, the reporting of cases is wrong. BHS counts retests for inpatient as their count of new patients and even their own kiosk doesn’t make the claim that they tested between 50-100 people a day.
Just read the damn numbers.
I believe RN and I think they are making some people very nervous by pointing out what they are pointing out. Keep posting RN.
Lisa, 4 weeks times 7 days times 50 people would be minimally 1400 tests. And that does not count any done before you. The Pittsfield dashboard is saying they tested about 926. So not everyone is on the same page or I am missing something.
Like I’ve said the math is all wrong. Even the BHS kiosk doesn’t support 50-100 a week. It’s absurd.
Also why, if the state reports all tests in Berkshire county and BHS reports only their tests, are the states test numbers LOWER than BHS? The states numbers should be higher because it includes ALL of Berkshire county
Today: State said at 4pm 385 cases
Today: BHS at 10 AM said 389 cases
Also between the state, BHS, and Pittsfield, the death numbers are very different.
BHS counts every test, including calibration tests, retests of in patient, existing COVID+ patients, and redundant testing of first responders as “new tests”.
So if an patient in the hospital gets tested 5 times in two weeks, it’s one COVID+ case and then three new tests with no determination.
Bmc testing site is open Monday through Friday usually usually 9-1230 depending on tests needed to be done. They will add hours when needed. That is the drive in testing. We also do nursing homes etc. the bmc kiosk says 2669 tests have been. That’s about right for what I see
9-12 three hours
That’s 20 tests an hour if you did sixty
That’s a test every three minutes.
There’s no fucking way Lisa, you and I know it, the sample collection alone and the drive up confirm takes longer than that.
100 tests in 3 hours is 33 tests an hour
That’s a test every 1.8 minutes. Really Lisa are your going to lie for BMC that much? What did they offer you.
Tell them how many real new patients tests are being done.
Why doesn’t the kiosk even come close to reflecting that? Tel them how many tests are redo tests for inpatient and staff.
926 is the number from Pittsfield, 2669 is the number from BHS which includes the entire county and others out of the are. Lisa’s replies are awaiting moderator approval.
Imagine all the ppl who won’t die in an oui crash. There’s probably stats, I’d like someone to post that data.
I’ll make the prediction right now.Pittsfield will be number in crime this year. There is no doubt about it. Better shore-up now Mayor. Cut it off at the pass. Traffic must be a high priority also. Start issuing Citations.
just for the hell of it, March, 2020 was the first March in 18 years that there was not a school shooting
Wasn’t R N three a day said, tongue in cheek?
Here’s the reality:
None of the numbers match.
Not the States to BHS
Not the Cities to BHS
NOt the Cities to the State
Not a one, not the daily count of cases, not the deaths, not the positives, not the recovering, nothing
Do you really think there are only COVID+ 385 cases in Berkshire County? That’s what the state says.
Why does BHS, who isn’t in charge of all the testing for the county, have HIGHER numbers today than the entire county reporting is?
They are slow rolling the numbers to the State.
10am this morning the BHS system said 389. The state at 4pm said 385. So that means BHS is not reporting to the state. What does that do? It flattens the curve. It makes it look like the cases are slowing.
If they are testing so many a day, why don’t any of the numbers reflect that? The kiosk numbers don’t reflect it.
Dr. Lederer even did a PR piece trying to say our surge was ahead of the state. Why? So they can push to open businesses and to excuse the failure and lack of preparation. COVID spiked here because of BHS failure. The hospital wants to get back to elective surgery as fast as possible because it brings in revenue and it gets management bonuses. They were super slow to recognize the COVID disaster they created, they were slower to implement changes to protect the public, they put revenue and bonuses over public safety, they tried denying workman’s comp to nurses, they didn’t have enough ppe eventhough they were “planning for months”.
https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/04/16/covid-19-coronavirus-berkshire-county
New Pittsfield virus death numbers. First change in three weeks. (but ya gotta look for em)
The numbers are all wrong, there’s 11 more deaths, there’s well over 500 cases, and now since Pittsfield allowed the homeless hospital any new cases that are not backlog testing can get shifted to the unknown category for location.
I don’t know where you are getting your numbers. Stop by Monday and you can see more then 3 cars and make sure you wake to me
Wave to me.
Are you in administration or I tLisa?
Hello Lisa Tully RN, I followed your political service in Pittsfield when you were on the City Council. I think you are very intelligent about public policy. I also like to read your husband, Mark Tully’s, essays on public finances and Proposition 2.5. I agree with his belief that Pittsfield politics should have a new democratic system of government given the city government’s excessively high levels of taxes, fees, and debts and how it negatively impacts the shrinking middle class and population.
I see that you are a Nurse in Pittsfield. Did you know that coronavirus testing has a 33% rate of false negatives? Did you know that America has a shortage of testing supplies? Did you know that ventilators are useless without sedation medications? Did you know that Governor Charlie Baker had to dispatch 2 Epidemiologists to Pittsfield due to the coronavirus outbreak that is in the top ten for per capita coronavirus cases in the whole World? Did you know that the state and local governments need billions of federal bailout dollars to be able to fight the coronavirus pandemic, but U.S. Congress is on a 5 week recess until May 4, 2020? Did you know that there is no coordinated federal leadership, which means everyone is fending for themselves to get PPE, medical supplies, and the like? Did you know that there is no way for the public to know the truth about the coronavirus infections, deaths, and spread of COVID-19 until we have widespread testing and tracing? Did you know that long term care facilities are where most of the coronavirus dealth happen? In closing, Lisa Tully RN, I believe this is a mess and we need to be told the truth about what is really happening. Thank you and your husband Mark for all of your good work in public service. Best wishes, Jonathan Melle
Johnathan. I do know most of questions you asked but there are a few things I didn’t know. I have been watching the news, following articles written by qualified MD’s etc. thank you for your kind words and stay safe
BHS still not bothering to give correct information on their own fucking COVID kiosk.
So how prepared and corrrct are their numbers?
They are a fabrication.
It’s fucking APRIL and they are saying wear a mask.
They are requiring masks in lots of places
Should I wear a mask when I go out in public?
As of late February 2020, the health risk in the United State remains relatively low compared to other parts of the world and, at this time, neither the CDC nor MDPH recommends that people wear masks when they are in public simply to protect against being infected by the viruses. Ordinary surgical masks may not be effective against spreading the COVID-19 virus. Specialized masks can be useful in some settings, such as a clinic waiting room, to prevent someone who has a respiratory illness from spreading it to others. Berkshire Health Systems clinical offices plan to have such protective devices available for use when necessary. There is, however, no meaningful evidence that wearing a mask protects the wearer in settings other than those where ill persons may be present in close quarters, such as a healthcare setting.
Still haven’t updated the kiosk with testing hours and new information.
How do you test a person for COVID-19?
Testing for COVID-19 was initally only available through a limited number of authorized sites in the country, but more recently commercial laboratories are receiving specimens and conducting tests. In the Berkshires, as of March 18, 2020, testing is still somewhat limited, but is being expanded to, in the near future, include drive-thru testing, with a physician order. This will also expand to localized testing capabilities in local labs. As this new system is developed and implemented, we will issue more information
Pittsfield Administration doesn’t have the money anymore to fund any special interests other than a few.. This budget session ought to be very interesting. We’ll see how workers react when they lose their jobs. It won’t be pretty. And this has to be done very soon.
Now Tyer plans to use property tax money and federal tax dollars to give freebies to GOBSIG businesses and cultural institutions, and pay people’s rent with my effing taxes. She should be thrown overboard with the got damn tea.
https://live959.com/pittsfields-covid-19-economic-recovery-program-details/
The criteria is o keep the workforce? For ten g. A business can’t guarantee that. Take back the two million they threw away on forgiveness loans doesn’t sound like a bad idea now. What is a the criteria with free mortgage and electric bills and payments? Is there an income limit?
She’s as phony as her makeover.
Yup. Fake photo pops up, her campaign makeover, looks nothing like that up close and personal, as they say.
It is effing immoral that any business, person or politician should be taking advantage of people caught up in a health crisis. Charter/Spectrum seems to be one example of a business gouging and kicking people when they are down. (and no one is surprised)
Someone needs to get their hands on any and every list of local business that get “assistance” from the Pittsfield mayor or her slush fund administrators. And that includes any “administrative” costs involved. Looking for any honest city councilors like Helen Moon to be on top of this. Hopefully she will provide the list as soon as possible as we know the mayor will be her usual tight lipped self. How about the Berkshire Eagle? Will they prove to their customers once again that they work for city hall or will they do what real newspapers are suppose to do?
Moon honest?
We will see.
I’m thinking Dottie’s is on the list. The connected will get help pronto and to make it look like they care about all, they will sprinkle a little help to others.
BHS and the significant undercount.
https://www.propublica.org/article/theres-been-a-spike-in-people-dying-at-home-in-several-cities-that-suggests-coronavirus-deaths-are-higher-than-reported
RN,
The article points out nothing of Conspiracies to under report or hide information. It speaks to what I said a few days ago in a post. As time goes by a more accurate count will reflect the proper number. And that number will be higher. Your evidence of some malfeasance on the behalf of BHS speaks to people who have died at home from COVID those who did not seek testing and or medical attention. Are you now saying BHS and the City should form some task force and go house to house kicking in doors if need be and forcibly testing everyone in the city? Will this advance whatever agenda or cause you are promoting?
Please be intellectually honest don’t tell us your numbers of tests that are heavily disputed and countered by one of the Persons who has took a giant step forward in both the courage and the leadership areas and is actually in harms way doing the testing. Tell us what is your true agenda?
So First off Thank you Linda Tully for all your doing and sacrificing.
I am a proponent of agitation it is a helpful counter to the mainstream narrative and to keep it honest. However baseless accusations that are both patently false and harmful to the public safety during a pandemic speak volumes of both you and your cause.
On a separate note throwing in a steady stream of “F” bombs does not add validity, or strengthen your argument it diminishes it and demonstrates a lack of class.
And please Have a great day
Well written and thank you
These loans and what is proposed by the mayor is just the next round of crony capitalism. I can not believe that loans go to Places like Main St Hospitality instead of small places. Have the executives of those places been asked to forgo bonuses? In other countries banks are expected to cut dividends and execs are meant to cut salaries. I won’t spend a red cent at any of the places that take Federal or City money and don’t offer to cut executive salaries, cut bonuses, and cut dividends. It’s basically big companies who can afford to use assets to help themselves Godzillaing all the little guys. Go Pittsfield!!
Will Dotties, Beacon., or Hotel On North he first in line?
They will be in the Red Carpet express lane.
To connected to fail.
Lisa Tully I am sorry for the incorrect name above
Hello “the 5th Dentist”, I am sorry for you that you are a mean-spirited judgmental finger-pointer!!!!
That’s ok. Dan Valenti used to call me linda all the time to get my goat. Inside joke. Thank you again
And the lead Corona Vaccine researcher at the CDC is a raciss who is openly posting about how the white man gonna let da black man die from Corona. She should be fired.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/coronavirus-researcher-pandemic-genocide-blacks-nih
Very scary that she thinks like this and is in charge of a vaccine that millions of people will want to have.
Shameful! I read an article on her racist rant. Fired is right. Racist virus ?
Yea. Obesity, high blood pressure, poor diet, lack of exercise has nothing to do with outcomes blacks are dying more because they are forced by the white folk to live in places that don’t sell healthy food so they are forced to eat junk food.
When questioned by Mike Wallace about people protesting across the country to open their states, Nancy Pelosi said “That’s unfortunate. People will do what people will do.” No emotion from Nancy. Just a flat typical politician tone when confronted with the frustration of people in this country. The only time Nancy Pelosi can get some fire in the boiler is when talking about her hatred of President Trump. Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have any idea, nor does she care to, about the current situation in this country, especially in states where the rate of infection is very low and people want to get back to some normalcy. Nancy Pelosi cannot relate to these people. She is completely out of touch.
Putting her hatred towards the president once again before the people who need the money badly in her latest stunt to get her way and hold up the money shows she will hurt anyone to get her way.
Unfortunately she swung for the fences with a toothpick hoping to get a grand slam and fouled out instead. These same people vote in droves.
The New York Times continues to push the story that the United States has the most deaths from corona virus because we can trust the numbers coming out of China. Why it’s so important for the New York Times to keep comparing China and the United States, nobody knows except that it seems they want to, once again, make China look like the better country despite the fact that China let the virus spread to the rest of the world while making sure to contain it in Wuhan to protect their own country. China never stopped international travel from their country. If we can believe China’s death numbers (very doubtful) it is because they protected their own country, but could care less about the rest of the world.
The New York Times writes of President Trump: “On Friday, however, he posited that China must have the most deaths from the coronavirus — the United States does — and later said, “I’m not happy with China.” He repeated the assertion on Saturday, saying that China had many more deaths than it had reported, and that the virus “could have been stopped in China. Before it started.’’
Most Americans agree with President Trump and not the New York Times. China could have stopped the virus spreading from their country and we can’t trust their numbers of dead from the virus.
Just curious Pat. How do you know what “most American” people want? Is it a “hunch”? Does your gut tell you that? It’s like when you say “We all know…”. Who’s we?
Hannity says, “we all know” about eighty times per half hour on his show every day. It is a well worn propaganda phrase.
At the very least, tell us your opinion rather than making fun of the facts. You may believe that China is very trustworthy. If so, why? Why does the liberal media seem to protect China? Why is America always the bad guy even when we didn’t release the virus? Why no praise whatsoever for the massive resources that President Trump has gathered to try to get aid to New York City and other hot spots across the country? If you can’t answer those basic questions, then people have no choice than to question the motivations of those who are constant naysayers.
I know a lot of people.
What is up with the “homeless Hilton” on south st? How many Covis-19 + housed there now?
Call/email your hiding out State Repesentatives!!!! THEY DID THIS!!!
I don’t feel well going to Stop and Shop, nor nearby Price Chopper anymore
Is this fake news or is it true homeless are being shipped in? If so how many and from where and what does Tyer and Faraway have to say about it?
Of course it’s true
https://www.wamc.org/post/hilton-garden-hotel-pittsfield-serving-covid-19-center-homeless
Tyer and TFB and Hinds all worked to make it happen! 79 COVID positive at the Hilton Garden did they increase the city count or Berkshire count? NOPE.
When all three come online you will have over 300 more cases of COVID+ homeless in the area.
They can leave at any time.
There’s another one in GB and another going to be downtown Pittsfield.
It’s big money.
Has the eagle reported on any of it? No. Try and find an article about it.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/62043/COVID-19-Recovery-Center-Planned-in-Great-Barrington.html
I can’t even find the article about the one in downtown Pittsfield. I think it was on Boston.com.
Everyone of those patients is coded “unknown” when it comes to what county but they are all here.
Illegals? So they are not quarantined?
They are not quarantined. There is one one enforcing that they stay. If you drive up there may are wandering about on the property. Smoking outside.
They can walk to the store, they can wander off, they can buy drugs.
If you go behind the bank where the old blockbuster used to be you can see them walking over. There’s a nice man from NY who stops there to deliver drugs
Thanks for the info. Shameful that Tyer keeping this hidden. What hotel downtown? there are only two
About 100 last week behind GUIDOS, no restraints covid-19 +, I saw one pandlhanding at Price Chopper lenox
Smitty and Hinds know about this they don’t seem to care at all.
Twice last week while the wife and I waited at the lights to the entrance of Market 32 and other stores around 8:30 am ,a young lady was there with her sign and collecting $$, we both noticed she had brand new looking sneakers on with a pair of jeans that looked pretty new. All around she looked like someone who wasn’t homeless. Some of them must be making a decent haul.
Don’t give a plug nickel
Prolly said, “how many of them can we get and how fast can we get them here? And, are there more where they came from? And, don’t tell them about the little fortress at the bottom of the mountain with the bubbling brooksand NO ZOMBIES
I just got roboted by Dan’s robot
not posting again wait to Dan’ robot to say hi
He say “hi” TRAPPER. He hopes you’re doing well. We do too! We’ve said it before, but the Robot is the only way that we can keep The Comment Line open and flowing. What puzzles us is that if THE PLANET can invest in this “firewall and monitoring” technology, why can’t The local daily, iBerkshires, and other sites that have shut down your ability to participate in the marketplace of ideas. THE PLANET thanks you for your participation on this board.
Dear Dan,
Thanks!
This is the only place left to air concerns, and have free mentions of what is news worthy.
Masslive/Republican is soon to go way of, the Left Winged Parrot, the former is asking for donations online, soon I see them like the latter Rutberg publication.
I thank you very much for an open unbiased news.
Best regards,
MT
Thanks, TRAPPER! And let me point out that we have NEVER hit up our readers for money — handouts (the worst) or subscriptions. When we invested more in our tech systems to keep The Comment Line open, our plan was to open to advertising. It’s worked out well, because we have a stronger readership than the sites you mention. The others take ads too, but online ads pay the same way that ads do in print: You need circulation. We have it. They don’t. Also, we refuse local advertising because we don’t want to be beholden to or have to court local businesses.
Rag bag TYer won’t tell you $#!t nor city council.
Lets have a party at their house soon
This is a quote from Alice in Wonderland that seems to apply to our new way of living. “It Would Be So Nice if Something Would Make Sense for a Change”. Went to Target last evening to pick up a few grocery items. A small kitchen rug caught my eye on the way to the register. Was told that the State does not find this little rug essential so I could not purchase it. I could although go home purchase it on line and then drive back up to pick it up. I admit to frustration and a bit of anger, I did just that, went up this morning early to pick it up. Looked around, practically none of the Target workers were wearing any masks or gloves, yet I had mine on. Saw one clerk who was suppose to be working stocking shelves playing with her phone and picking her nose with bare hands. When picking up my order I nicely asked how many Target employees had handled this little rug with their bare hands before it got to me? They looked at me like a deer in headlights. There was another customer that stated she had a 2 year old toddler, was working from home and thought this would be a great time to start potty training but she couldn’t purchase undies for him, unless she went home, order them on line and drove back to get them. We both pointed out that if we were able to purchase these items our self we would be the only ones touching them, Seems to me that priorities are really messed up. What gets me the most is that the State can tell me what they feel is or is not essential in my life, but Mayor Crayola can spend our tax paying monies any way she wants and they is not a frigging thing we can do about it. Just does not make any sense at all.
Clearly the state is overstepping its authority. Good for the peaceful protestors in Ohio & Michigan who are standing up against their governors unconstitutional decrees. We may need to protest as well unless our Guv eases up on the restrictions in the next several days.
Who’s we?
Me and my kids.
It’s crazy that you can’t buy a rug at Target but you still can at Home Depot.
That’s Lanesborough versus Pittsfield
That is bonkers.
That is probably an internal Target policy, not a state policy. You can buy anything you want at Walmart.
Auto Phil, I asked them and they said it was not a Target policy but it was put in place by the Lanesboro Police on behalf of the State. Lanesboro is enforcing the new policy put out by the State but the Pittsfield Police are not. If you haven’t noticed by now, the Pittsfield Police Department are also not providing traffic control. Dalton Avenue has been a 65+ MPH speedway all weekend, not a Pittsfield cruiser to be seen. Have seen State Police stopping some of them.
Amazing that DA Andrea is letting another 22 inmates out of jail, but the average hardworking, taxpaying citizen can’t buy a little rug or undies at Target. Gets better every day.
That’s not true. It’s a local BOH rule adopted by Lanesboro selectmen. It’s about unnecessary shopping.
Pittsfield hasn’t adopted the regs.
The state gave every city and town the option to limit sales.
No it’s a Lanesboro policy, no shopping for no -essential goods per locally BOH and selectmen. Target is in Lanesboro.
This might be worth checking out if your looking for a change of venue. If your a basketball fan and watched MJ play then tune in.
https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/04/19/michael-jordan-documentary-how-to-watch/
Believe all woman or just certain ones? Me Too Biden problems are heating up. Will the Me Too movement and politicians give the Joe the Kavanaugh treatment? Personally I think the facts should determine the outcome before one is presumed guilty and treated as such.
https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/04/18/democrats-grappling-tara-reades-allegations-joe-biden/
Just like Mike Wallace gave the softball treatment to Nancy Pelosi today. He asks Nancy why she says that President Trump had a weak response to the virus? Isn’t that political and shouldn’t you be holding off on that kind of thing during this time? That would have been a good question, but it wasn’t enough for him to ask that question though, since he had to qualify it by saying, “I know that the insults go both ways”. What Mike fails to mention, as usual, is that President Trump went out of his way to try to work with far left Nancy, but she had no interest in doing so unless he was all for her far left agenda. Nancy just smirks and gives some lame answer like, “I listened to my spirituality and I just had to speak up”. He let’s her get away with that weak answer and also let’s her off the hook on her very weak answer about her gathering in Chinatown on February 24th while the virus was raging. I had to show that I didn’t discriminate against Chinese people, Nancy says which was such a stupid answer and sounded like Italy having “Hug a Chinese Person Day” while the virus was raging in that country.
He asked enough for Pelosi to prove herself to be a phony.
Biden is a 100% pervert.
Who will DNC Jackasses put in his place? They put in the H-beast last time.PUT, not elected… that’s DNC
Pickings are slim given their primaries. All offal
Too bad Moe ,Larry, and Curly have past, I’d take either over what Democrats have to offer
TRAPPER
I’d take Shemp. Did you hear that Bernie says he might vote for Trump? That’s how much he averse to a Biden presidency.
If the newspaper was told NOT to print anything about the “hotel people” it shows that someone in power knew it might not go over well. Who is this person and why do they have so much power over the fourth amendment people. No one is going to want to buy a newspaper from a vendor who is obviously been co-opted by the special interests. Sealing their own fate.
BHS 396
https://www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/coronavirus
State Website 387
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-cases-in-massachusetts-as-of-april-19-2020-0/download
Berkshire Eagle uses the State website to track our peak, because it’s suppose to include all of the county and be more.
BHS is slow reporting cases to the state to make the curve look lower.
They also have reported over 150 cases as unknown location.
What exactly is your theory here?
A discrepancy of 9 between BHS and the state? Could this have to do with the timing of the reporting? Is a difference of 9 really cause for extreme panic?
And you’re saying that BHS has reported 150 positive results they’ve done locally as UNKNOWN? Why?
This sounds a little far fetched, RN. It’s a pretty hard conspiracy to believe that BHS has some evil ulterior motive in deliberately misleading the public, the state government, and the local community to such an extent.
Impossible, no. But to what end. What would they gain? What good does it do to deliberately create a false sense of safety?
And please tell us, what is your intention on constantly reporting all of these miscalculations? What goal are you trying to achieve? Honestly.
I’ve explained it.
BHS was responsible for our huge spike in COVID.
They were not properly monitoring patients coming into the hospital.
They also were not monitoring the very vulnerable infusion patients. With cancer treatments your immune system is compromised.
BHS then waited a week before telling anyone, they tried to do the contact tracing quietly and that didn’t work because there were random non-patients or transient patients involved.
They also put patients at risk by not closing the hospital to elective surgeries. In an effort to boost revenue as long as possible they put the public at great risk. They put their staff at great risk.
What they are t saying, and a number of people allege, it was a staff person who was patient zero. That it was medical treatments and visits to BHS that bright COVID to the nursing home. It was an exam and elective procedure that took COVID to Williamstown.
There’s HUGE pressure internally in the hospital to get open for business. They want the money, and administration is still expecting bonuses.
So by slow rolling the count on a daily basis it looks like we are ahead of the state flattening the curve and on a plateau and downward trend.
That makes it easier to justify opening up the hospital.
The Eagle has a chart on its website about cases and deaths. If you look at cases, if you added in just the “official” reported numbers we would be ahead of MA on the steepness up of out curve.
If you added in the numbers I allege that are under reported we would lead the state i per capita cases.
This is all about trying to spin the damage and open up the hospital quickly. It’s also about Pittsfield saving face and maybe the Berkshires having a tourist season.
Why are there now over a hundred new cases in Berkshire county and no one is reporting on them?
Why hasn’t the Eagle reported on the homelessCOVID Hilton? Or the one in GB or the homeless holiday inn?
I’m waning the public that despite things looking great and ya being on a downward trend, I’m saying it’s still not safe. Stay home, stay safe, don’t risk your lives because the danger is still there.
So many people think it’s safe, it’s still a dangerous environment.
If we relax social distancing and try and go back to normal too quickly many more will die.
So many here think COVID is a scam or are in a rush to get back to work. It’s not worth risking your life.
People are taking their kids to parks, shopping for junk, stay home and be safe.
Berkshire Eagle, aka Left Winged Parrot, stopped doing news when the Millers left town, 1996.
The rag got worse under new management/owner
Road rage is on the uptick and will get worse. Job loss and permanent cabin fever create mucho havoc. Traffic citations must be taken seriously. Send the fucking message.
April 19, 2020
Re: Open letter to Clarence Fanto
Hello Clarence Fanto,
I read you weekend column about the coronavirus hitting Berkshire County’s tourism industry hard. I agree with you that the loss of tourism this Spring and Summer of 2020 will cause a lot of economic pain.
I believe that Berkshire County’s state and local politicians spent way too much taxpayer money on the arts and cultural venues over the past couple of decades. The facts remain that Berkshire County’s loss of population and living wage jobs have been a reality for many years now. That means the municipal tax bases in Berkshire County are all shrinking. Yet, so many Berkshire County politicians have taken their respective turn in the spotlight about reinventing the region’s post-industrial economy to a creative economy. The fine print was that the region’s shrinking and distressed tax base had to pay tens of millions of dollars on arts projects over the years.
I think you are very intelligent about public policy and Berkshire County’s distressed economy. However, I never hear you advocate for the financially constrained households and small businesses who pay the bills. I believe the arts and cultural venues are very valuable assets, and it is better than nothing. But, I also believe it went way too far. This tourism season, it will be all for nothing due to extraordinary circumstances.
Berkshire County has a never-ending shrinking middle class. Communities like Pittsfield (Mass.) are one of the most economically unequal areas in the state and nation because there are scarce living wage jobs. The tourism economy produces mostly low wage jobs for the working class. For at least 3 decades now, I believe that Berkshire County politicians did absolutely nothing to create living wage jobs for the working class, while the area’s ruling elite (Good Old Boys & Girls) took good care of themselves and their cronies.
On the news, I saw that N.Y. State has a $10 billion (and counting) state budget shortfall, while Massachusetts has a $4.5 billion (and counting) budget shortfall. The billions of dollars the states are losing in revenues do not include their local governments’ budget shortfalls. The bottom line is that the 5 weeks off U.S. Congress in recess “absent an emergency” and the President who is in it over his head should bailout the states and local governments very soon.
In closing, the tourism industry brought in billions of dollars to Berkshire County, but now it has backfired this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The only way for Berkshire County to financially survive is to receive a federal bailout.
Best wishes,
Jonathan Melle
Let me give an optimistic senario: Stanford medical school developed a random sample of 3,330 people from 1.93 million in Santa Clara county on April 3-4 when the official count of positive tests for the virus was 956. They gave them all a test for the virus and found that 2.4% to 4% were infected which means that 46,000 to 81,000 residents would actually test positive if the test was given to all 1.93 million. How is this possibly optimistic you ask? Well, if having the virus means you will not get it again (a big IF) then the virus will die out in the summer and not come back. A highly contagious virus where most people show mild or no symptoms and become immune after means that it burns out fast.
But unfortunately we do not know how much immunity having the virus gives.
Corona viruses have been around for a long time. The common cold is a corona virus. Are you immune to the common cold? No. You may build an immunity to certain strains, it’s been in humans so long that your body can fight it effectively but there’s no real immunity.
Influenza, people get flu shots every year, some years it works, some years they guess wrong and get the strain wrong, and it’s not that effective.
Your genetics play a part too. If you have testicles you can bet you are going to have a problem with covid19, 20, 21 and whatever ones come next.
There will be a COVID season next year and for many years to come. It mutates enough that it will end up like influenza.
A similar study in Massachusetts tested 200 people in Chelsea, MA. 1/3 of them had the antibodies.
They are starting antibody testing in NY. COVID antibodies don’t mean much.
You can have antibodies because you are actively fighting of the disease but not yet healed, you can have antibodies because you’ve recovered and were asymptomatic.
People have to understand that just because you have antibodies it doesn’t mean you have immunity.
There are two strains of COVID and there are now tracked over 100 mutations. The ode mutations are adapted to certain genetic markers, and their genomes are varied enough to be infectious to groups that haven had them.