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POLICE BUDGET CUT: INSIDE THE LABYRINTH

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BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 19-21, 2020) — You’ve heard the old joke about the definition of mixed emotions: Seeing your mother-in-law drive over a cliff in your new Cadillac (THE PLANET can relate!). Well, we have mixed emotions right now.

Lordy, we have actually lived to see the day when a city councilor had the balls to propose and the council approve an actual cut in one of the Big Three city departments. The concept! Requiring a favored child have to do what Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski have been long forced to do — squeeze more performance out of fewer dollars. That’s reasonable, welcomed, and long overdue.

THE PLANET loves the idea of reducing the cost of government, and Ward 1’s Helen Moon’s initiative will take $100 grand out of the Pittsfield Police Department operating budget (she wanted $275,000) and reallocate to mental health “clinicians,” whatever the heck that entails. The problem is that Moon took it out of the wrong department and gives it to the wrong people. It should have been, the school department feeling the ax with most the savings not reallocated but sent directly to Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. It’s THEIR money, after all. The cuts should be $17 million — 10% of the city budget and $13.6% of the PSD’s part of that budget ($125 million out of $175 million, in the time of shrinking school population). Taxpayers could get a break and the police could receive the funds to improve public safety.

In case you haven’t realized it, society has been rent asunder in Pittsfield. THE PLANET can’t go into the countless factors. That’s a topic we’ve well covered elsewhere. The point is, each day and night the police are run ragged by the new influx of human debris that have flocked to Pittsfield to “make a living.” Welfare cheats, gang-bangers, the drug trade, gimme girls pushing out babies from different dads because it pays well, group homes — you get the picture. If you believe dreamers such as Nick “Data Source” Caccamo, Pittsfield doesn’t have a crime problem. He hasn’t seen the “data.” Patrick Kavey doesn’t seem convinced, either. Guess he hasn’t seen the “longitudinal data.”

Instead, Moon and her backers will send the bulk of the “savings” into a nebulous, ill-defined area of “psychological clinicians.” To whom will these ghosts report? From whom will they take orders? What is the qualification of a “clinician?” How do they propose to deliver services? Will they be armed?

And this just in, which provides the key clue in trying to solve the mystery of what’s behind all this: Moon coincidentally lobbied for the school department budget to be sent back to the school committee for (you sitting down?) INCREASES!

You can be sure the big-awful TSC will add millions, unanimously.

This piece of information helped us peel back the layers of the onion to find what appears to be the End Run of All End Runs. The aim: to put huge additional dollars into the porked hands of the the city’s most expensive, worst performing department. The national turn of events since the say George Floyd died provided the opportunity. Those involved have the motive.

Sometimes there are no words.

———- ooo ———-

Did Moon do all this on her own initiative? Is this the same Moon who hardly peeps during council meetings? The same Moon who has ducked THE PLANET‘s fair questions since being elected? Or is she being used as a willing pawn for her own selfish reasons to feed the Lady McBeth ambitions of others? If so, which others?

The only relevant facts in this case are these:

  • Moon’s proposals on the police department budget. She wanted to take out $275,000.
  • The council’s actions (technically, 6-5 to cut. Actually, 8-3 because Kavey and, ironically Moon herself, voted “no” with Connell, Caccamo, and Maffuccio. They did it because the move to cut $100 grand from the cops WASN’T ENOUGH for them.
  • The council’s action has the PPD enraged, particularly at Moon’s shot at officer Derby, whose community liaison work has won the department acclaim, improved police-citizen relations, and given the department some important information and tips. Understandably, beyond Derby, nearly every officer and staffer took Moon’s attack as a kick in the groin.
  • Moon made a comment about her representation of the city’s “black and brown community” that had the council’s lone black, Earl Persip, call her out for racism.

What is the sum when you place the facts into the likely actions? The ones we’ve heard from exhaustive investigative work.

What happens? You enter a labyrinth, that’s what. We feel like Theseus finding Ariadne’s clues and discovering in the twists and turns a few Minotaurs, some of whom we have slain. There are more monsters lurking, however, so we remain on guard.

Why would Moon do this? Why would eight councilors agree?

Here’s what THE PLANET thinks happened based on our contacts with the district attorney’s office, sheriff’s department, court familiars, state police, retired state police, PPD, PCTV, school department, council, city officials, retired city officials, and other “interested parties.”

The national situation played right into the hands of the “Let’s get the cops” mentality that has gripped the far left. It provided the perfect cover for what one source connected to the D.A.’s office called “a coup of the police department.” Who would want to do this? The prime players in this game of Clue include Moon of course, D.A. Andrea Harrington, school superintendent, Jason “JIV” McCandless, Kathy Yon, and John Krol, with a supporting cast that resembles a Cecil B. DeFonebone epic. The cast does not include Col. Mustard.

Our theory based on an inductive analysis of the available information (think Sherlock Holmes in the parlor of the old, dark house telling the gathered suspects: “One of you here is the murderer”).

  • “Defunding the Police” gave Harrington the idea to strike. The national hysteria might provide good “smoke” to launch the plan to “Defund the Police.”
  • Harrington gave Moon her marching orders for the move. Harrington is Moon’s boss.
  • JIV huddled with school committee chair Kathy Yon.
  • JIV announces 140 teachers will have to go if he doesn’t get money money. This is the same, tired ploy used by the PSD and teachers every budget session. Create panic among parents, arouse the minority who control elections, and magically set into motion the mechanism for more millions.
  • Harrington and either JIV or Yon got together through go-betweens (Behnke and Moon most likely) to collude on a plan that would give in a series of moves a.) let the culprits buy into the politically hot DEFUND THE POLICE hysteria; b.) let Harrington slap the cops in the face, something she would probably want to do given the nearly insurmountable friction between the D.A and local law enforcement; c.) Send millions more to the Pittsfield School Department, which would d.) Buy lots of political support from the corrupt teachers’ union.
  • In doing so,
    • the D.A. could undercut Wynn’s authority
    • embarrass the police department at a time where cops are like priests after the child-rape scandal broke
    • give her more leverage in her interactions with local and state cop — a huge miscalculation. One unanswered question is how to courts are viewing all this. A prominent local attorney thinks this is going to hurt the already bedraggled process of bringing criminals to justice. Not good for already-imperiled public safety.
  • Krol, remember him?, enters the picture on an allegation he is also “mentoring” Moon, perhaps independently of Harrington, prompting her to propose the cuts. Krol denied THE PLANET that he has a mentoring relationship with Moon, let alone a Svengali one. Why would Krol do this? According to the “other side,” to further his ambitions of returning to city politics, with his eye on the corner office (thinking ahead to Campaign ’23). This line of thinking proposes that Krol wants to curry favor with the teachers’ unions. THE PLANET doesn’t give it much credence, although we could be wrong. It’s been known to happen. Does Krol want to keep his options open? Certainly. Most politicians do. We are, though, privy to information indicating that Krol has other pressing priorities on his plate at the moment — not an election 2.5 years from now. That information stays between the two of us. No, in our view, it’s far more likely that Harrington would be the puppet mistress, perhaps with JIV, Yon, and others in her camp offering “assistance.” This raises the question: Who, if anyone, gives Harrington orders?
  • The move would also a way to stick it to mayor Linda Tyer and her camp. The once close relationship between the mayor and district attorney has chilled itself into an Ice Age. From Harrington’s point of view, cutting the cops will weaken the mayor politically, show Wynn who’s boss, and hurt both of them.
  • To allow Moon opening cover for her maneuvering at the budget hearing, she persuaded 14 “concerned citizens” to call into PCTV for the 30-minute comment period prior to the budget hearing. They were all “plants,” likely teachers, and other Kool-Aid drinkers who have a vested interest in seeing the cops defunded. None of them were black.
  • Moon and some or all of the other seven councilors who want to cut the police met illegally in violation of the Open Meeting Law to the team in goose-step unison.

Quite a tale, eh? So far, though we’ve heard other scenarios to explain these bizarre events, mostly but not all the same one’s you’ve seen or read about in the lame stream local media, we haven’t seen one that fits the known facts and the available clues as well as of better than ours. THE PLANET isn’t putting this forward as definitive. We could be wrong, but, and it’s a big one, if anyone’s got a better explanation, we’re all ears. We asked around. When it got “real quiet … too quiet,” we knew we were at least on the right trail.

Oh, one last note. Only Harrington and Moon didn’t respond to our requests for comment.

You know the drill, when the phone doesn’t ring, we know its them not getting back to us.

Blue Lives Matter. Pittsfield Blue needs support now more than ever. There are far more good cops than bad. Think the police have that support now in Pittsfield?

Not in a Blue Moon.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

——————————————————————————————–

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock …”The Book of Revelations.

“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.

 

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BlueFU
BlueFU
3 years ago

If you want to defund the police, don’t call us.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
3 years ago

Harrington doesn’t care about law & order – she is in it to advance a political agenda.
Ditto for Moon.
Wait till there are no resource officers in the middle & high schools. The PPD is already short of needed officers.
Will an ethics complaint be filed over the violation of the open meeting law?
DEFUND the schools and hire more police officers!

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
3 years ago

Fritz,
Moonbeam only voted down the cut to the police department because she wanted $250 grand cut from the PD budget. 100 G’s wasn’t enough for her. Best part is Moonbeam wanted to give it to the JIV FUND.

Tug Spoolex
Tug Spoolex
Reply to  Johnny2Shoes
3 years ago

Wasn’t it Krol who led Harrington by the hand campaigning door to door. And wasn’t it Krol and Moons megaphone rally against the B H S nurses strike awhile ago? I’m thinking BHS pissed on Johnny’s career and revenge was in order.

truthsayer
truthsayer
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
3 years ago

A bit off in your theory. Harrington could give a whit about a political agenda. She’s trying to advance herself politically. The rest of us can let our bullet ridden bodies rot in the sun for all she cares about protecting us.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
Reply to  truthsayer
3 years ago

Fakesayer,
Get your head together man. You are repeating exactly what I said. It’s POLITICAL!

BlueLivesMatter
BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

Dan, here’s a link I thought you would appreciate. More cancel culture non-sense. People can’t handle the truth.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/syracuse-student-journalist-fired-institutional-racism-myth

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

Wow, good for her to stand her ground. This stifle it, unless you think and do as we want crowd has to be stopped. These people think “one lane” fits all.

truthsayer
truthsayer
Reply to  BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

When Fox got caught digitally doctoring photos of protests, had to admit to it, and pull them down, I’d say they’re no better than any other news outlet you all like to label as fake news. If you missed the fact that they did this, I’d suggest you go look online.

Gutt Chec
Gutt Chec
3 years ago

So, are schools essential or emergency funded? Neither,with greater productivity larger class rooms less teachers they’ll survive with lower numbers. Of course that is why you have all these layers of departments in the City. It looked like a couple City Councilors were reading what to say at the recent meeting.

Pat
Pat
3 years ago

We need our police force and nothing changes that fact. Crime is increasing across the country in these cities where people want to get rid of their police. The criminals are all for it and are just biding their time until there is total anarchy. Small business owners in California and New York have been devastated by the looting and their destroyed businesses and they are people that support the far left cause, but they are seriously questioning why they should support people who obviously do not care about protecting them.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

The lovely Linda Tyer will put in her time remaining as Mayor of Pittsfield, and then she will be off to a nice retirement with her millionaire husband Barry Clairmont. She will have a nice life ahead of her.

Big Penshun
Big Penshun
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Just like Carm..

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
Reply to  Big Penshun
3 years ago

She is a decent person! Carm is anything but.

Benigno Numine
Benigno Numine
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Pot Pays

Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
3 years ago

THe Mayor can fix some of the damage to police morale by offering a $500 bonus like was JUST done in Atlanta. Please mayor use my taxes for that!! Who is with me

BlueLivesMatter
BlueLivesMatter
Reply to  Cheshire Cat
3 years ago

No thanks. It would be too divisive and we’re making a killing, no pun intended, on overtime now. Besides that, Tyer has been real good to the police. She has given the chief millions more each year and tons of new positions. More money than you can shake a stick at, so to speak. Just like some women can’t keep a man, ppd can’t keep cops. Here’s what Tyer could and should do and it won’t cost her a red cent- hold a press conference in Park Square sans mask, with black chief by her side, declaring her support for BlueLivesMatter, and declaring her full support for the PPD, and declaring that there is no institutional racism in the PPD, and declaring that any suspect who steals a cops taser and shoots cops with it deserves to be shot.

BlueLivesMatter
BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

Dan, thanks for sticking up for the Pittsfield Police. So sad our elected officers aren’t. Now some woke wing nut politician somewhere is eliminating “chief” in titles of all government positions. Apparently she deemed it disrespectful to native Americans and claims it is cultural appropriation. Tyer better leave the police and fire chief titles alone. Next thing you know they will want to eliminate the chief master sergeant rank in military too.

Chief
Chief
Reply to  BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

I will call myself Chief all I want. Last I knew we still had a first amendment right in this country. Whether I am a real police chief, an indian chief, a fire chief, or just a make believe chief is irrevelant. Maybe I am just The Chief Cook and Bottle Washer in my tent under the bridge by the river. Maybe I am Bill Bratton. Maybe just an acting chief. What’s next, taking down the Washington and Jefferson Monuments because they owned slaves?

Branch Covidian
Branch Covidian
Reply to  Chief
3 years ago

History and Etymology for chiefNoun and Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef head, chief, from Latin caput head — more at HEAD

Chief
Chief
Reply to  BlueLivesMatter
3 years ago

I hope chiefs in the 18,000 police departments in this country, and the fire chiefs, and all the military officers with chief in their titles, rise up and denounce this:
 
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/duluth-minnesota-mayor-remove-chief-microaggresion
 
 

the school committee
the school committee
3 years ago

I would not write a Trump column about his worst week as President. Two Supreme Court decisions went against him.Tulsa rally for Trump is making people sign a waiver not to seek legal action against Trumps re election team.And they are handing out mask to everyone.What does that tell you.Jon Bolton said he was a witness to the Trump crime of trading 400 million bucks for a public statement that said they would investigate Biden.Begged China for help in beating Biden……HE is the best

Markus Aureluis
Markus Aureluis
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

Dan-i completely agree with you about Biden. I’m sure the left-controlled media, will start pushing for another COVID-related “economy shut down.”
 
Do the Dems really care about our health? No, the know thatBiden is a huge liability on the debate stage. They do not want debates. President Trump shredded Hillary, and she was sorta on her game.
 
When Biden chooses a black female as VP, I hope the first debate ?? VP Pence asks her, did you think the comment Biden made “you ain’t black comment,” is racist? Just paint them right into a corner.
 
** Dan, on a side note, I know you liked the “middle age Karen/starbucks,” quip on Moon. I agree it was great. But I would like to nominate the comment of: “Tricia Country-Buffet chasing down the closing restaurant with a fork.” I will never forget the Eagle’s picture of her when they announced their closing. It’s the most troubled I’ve ever seen her.

the school committee
the school committee
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

Dan,you have Tulsa recording highs today of the virus.You have a President with 1 million request to attend this Tulsa rally on this date.You have no knowledge of the significance of the black massacre of over 300 blacks by whites…..He is kicking off his campang in a historically murderous way.Whites murdered 300 blacks on this day.Did you guys all see Trump wink .Trumps a very odd leader of a very ignorant following

the school committee
the school committee
Reply to  the school committee
3 years ago

Please speak to Trump knowledge of the Tulsa massacre and Trumps picking this date and place for his coming out of his bunker party.I cant wait for him to tell you moonies that John Boltons a liar.

Markus Aureluis
Markus Aureluis
3 years ago

Have you ever noticed when an issue with the “black and brown,” communities, they always seem to reach out to Helen Moon ONLY.
 
Remember when Reid Middle School was having all the trouble there, pre-COVID? There wasn’t a school resource officer (SRO), seemed to be the crux of the matter. Just about everybody wanted an officer there, except the “black and brown student,” who reached out to her (Moon), because they were “fearful of a cop being in the school.”
 
Now, when I went to school, the only ones who were “fearful,” of cops at the school, were usually the ones who had things in the locker/on their person, which were illegal (drugs, alcohol, weapon). Also, as a young elementary school student, I was always taught police officers were there to help us. What school taught Moon they were bad?
 
Now today’s issues. Again, the “black and brown community,” reached out to Moon and Moon, only. Not Persip, but Moon. From all the photo-ops with Shirley Edgerton and at Durant Park, Helen Moon has the pulse of the “black and brown community.”
 
I’ll be the first to call Helen Moon a liar. I don’t believe her for one second.
 
BTW-on another note, Harrington, Country-Buffet, Tyer, Smitty, can all stand in large masses of people with Dennis Powell, no reason for write-in-votes. You can get off your asses for that, you can get to the polls.

Chief
Chief
3 years ago

It’s getting sick out there now. Dan, thanks for supporting the local cops. Where is the mayor in her support for the police? Where is the effing DA?
 
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/law-enforcement-families-face-harassment-vandalism-and-threats-at-home

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  Chief
3 years ago

It shouldn’t take very long for them to come out in support of not defunding our police force, but when everything is political the politicians are politicians first. When campaigning they can’t wait to answer questions posed, afterwards not so much.

Maggie May
Maggie May
3 years ago

Dan, I don’t agree with a lot of the bashing that goes on here and so much is total BS without fact. I am very surprised that you didn’t get the facts well at least most of them anyway. Moon is on a self made island now she went by her own choice rogue on the city council the Mayor and the DA. Police officers can do the same, as well as doctors even journalists. The Mayor would not defund the police and the DA’s office is in lock step with obtaining funding from the state. Sorry to disappoint but that makes absolutely no sense. Now your JK theory is right on point.

James
James
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

The DA is in lock step with funding herself. Everyone knows she never showed the least interest in racial issues or any of the other things she lied to the public about when she campaigned on them. She wanted the job so she could collect the salary and do nothing. Since she is now unelectable, what job will she go after next. I’m guessing an appointed one.

Maggie May
Maggie May
Reply to  James
3 years ago

Sorry when you lost your job that’s on you! the last 30 years in that office have been a disaster the Bernard Baran case should have been enough awful! the office affairs the wink wink school outreach program by the way what did they do when school wasn’t happening oh yeah going to the cape gardening ?  I could go on but you get the picture. I may not agree with everything Harrington does but she won in a landslide and she is more electable then ever and yes the local NAACP endorsed her as well James so yeah the libs love her again sorry but facts.Really the bitterness is going to get to you.
 

Last edited 3 years ago by Maggie May
Flunk off
Flunk off
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

Defund Police is to reallocate those monies elsewhere,like mental health, psychologists. Do not defund police. Defund the Brien Center.

Yuar Farred
Yuar Farred
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

Got a feeling something bad to happen in Tulsa rally. Gut feeling.

gotcha22
gotcha22
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

Maggie is a fool, Dan, don’t waste your time. You asked long time ago for anyone with dirt on prior DA’s to come forward on here and it’s been Bupkis. Back when there was integrity in the DA office and collaboration with police and sheriff it was a safer place. This what happens when public safety takes a backseat to people driven by greed. It makes me sick.

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

No way in hell is Moon acting on her own. She knows better because she was quick to learn the game in her current surroundings.

James
James
Reply to  Johnny2Shoes
3 years ago

This is why having not one but two people who work in the DAs office on the city council is a bad idea. I bet the average voter doesn’t even know.

Johnny Absurdo
Johnny Absurdo
Reply to  James
3 years ago

Collaborative collusion colliding with confoundment and confusion

James
James
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

Sure, but it is not going to solve the problem in the DAs office. Harrington is a politician. She is a follower not a leader so that is why she hops on the fad of the day like no bail or injection sites. She doesn’t have any beliefs herself.

Bunco Squad
Bunco Squad
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

They should do a Vulcan mind meld with Caccamo and Pete White privilege so the four of them could have a full brain.

Tony Blair
Tony Blair
3 years ago

It’s very evident that Krol is mentoring BOTH Moon and Kavey. I thought this guy was in Boston??

Roe Bertamoe
Roe Bertamoe
Reply to  Tony Blair
3 years ago

The King’ sleeps all day and is on the computer till midnight calling the shots in his bathrobe.

Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
Reply to  Tony Blair
3 years ago

Isn’t he mentoring Yuki and Dina too?

TellitLikeItIs
TellitLikeItIs
Reply to  Tony Blair
3 years ago

Krol moved away months ago people.

Kermit Frog
Kermit Frog
Reply to  TellitLikeItIs
3 years ago

‘Just when I thought I was out! ….’

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
3 years ago

This quote is so appropriate in these times. Local, State and Federal.

The most perilous moment for a bad government is one when it seeks to mend its ways.

Alexis de Tocqueville,

Bunco Squad
Bunco Squad
3 years ago

When Moon is chairing a sub committee meeting Marchetti is in the audience texting moon shot telling her what to do.

Johnny Absurdo
Johnny Absurdo
Reply to  Bunco Squad
3 years ago

As per the plan when she was asked to run for councilor and deliver for the mayors agenda

Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
Reply to  Johnny Absurdo
3 years ago

Now I’m lost. Marchetti is the one coaching Helen to defund the police? How many far left counselors do we have???

Ron Kitterman
Ron Kitterman
3 years ago

Now is the time to stand up for the Cops. The social worker is already involved in the process. That’s a great idea calling in a social worker for situations as suicide and me mental health issues, Now is not the time to be defunding one budget and allocating it to another. I’m familiar with both agencies as a retired officer and a part time employee with the Brien Center. This isn’t the time for social justice warriors to grab power. It is two different and distinct roles.
 

Agent 86
Agent 86
Reply to  Ron Kitterman
3 years ago

Maybe if cops showed up with fresh bluberry muffins or a nice bundt cake that would help.

Be The Change
Be The Change
Reply to  Agent 86
3 years ago

Girl Scout Cookies & Wedding Cake.

Last edited 3 years ago by Be The Change
BackTheBlue
BackTheBlue
Reply to  Ron Kitterman
3 years ago

BackTheBlue

Be The Change
Be The Change
3 years ago

Perspective is a hell of a mistress.

Mark Tully
Mark Tully
3 years ago

I watched the City Council / School Department budget meeting and it was clear that their plan to instill fear and teacher protests by sending out 140 pink slips backfired. This was a game the school department used to play in order to keep the City Council from cutting their budget. Peter Marchetti even admonished them for playing this game.  It backfired because the PSD and School Committee did not want the budget back even if it was for increase. They wanted it approved that evening. After all, they have a $1.5 million surplus they plan to keep. I didn’t know city departments can hold money over from prior fiscal years. 
 
Also I found it totally irresponsible that no one asked the PSD why so many students choice out of Pittsfield schools. They included the numbers in their 138 page budget book. For FY20 the state charged Pittsfield $6.4 million due to students leaving. This money is not taken out of Chapter 70 funds (school), but from state money to the city. The FY21 charge is estimated to grow to $7.1 million. When it comes to students choosing to leave the Pittsfield schools, every year the number grows as fewer students choice in. Statewide, Pittsfield is second only to Springfield for the number of students who choice out. Parents and students are voting with their feet. This is not a sign of a well performing school department and yet our answer is to fund them more.

The Realawe Dittir
The Realawe Dittir
Reply to  Mark Tully
3 years ago

Exactly. Jake the fat man throws out of fear an unseeingly number just like kufflinks does with the city budget.

Lenny
Lenny
Reply to  Mark Tully
3 years ago

I agree, Mark.
They choice out because PPSD chooses to focus on the slowest learners, and also because there is no discipline in the schools.
No one on the School Committee or City Council is interested in doing the right thing for the taxpayers by closing 1-2 elementary schools. This is the prime time to do it, and should have been done 5 years ago due to declining population. The state does not have the resources to fund the PPSD bloated budget, but McCandless & company have their eye on the 10 million dollar city free cash account.
Aren’t the schools borderline level 4? Close to a state takeover due to poor performance?
It is truly unfortunate that our city councilors & school committee members don’t want to ask the hard questions, dig deeper into the PPSD bloated budget, and take action to control this beast!

Lenny
Lenny
3 years ago

Pittsfield has a crime problem. More money for police, less for the schools. The schools spend like drunken sailors with little to show for their outrageous budget. The progressive DA is releasing the criminals, Moonbat works for the DA – and the councilors who got in line behind Moonbat and supported taking money from the police budget must be voted out of office next election.

Pat
Pat
3 years ago

The “Summer of Love” has led to one killing and another in critical condition in the Seattle neighborhood taken over by anarchists. Police were unable to get into the area after being stopped by a violent mob. Peaceful people do not take over neighborhoods. Coming to a neighborhood near you if the craziness of defunding the police spreads across the country. No city will be immune especially if the radicals win in November with Joe Biden. They want mob rule to replace the police force. The Democrat governors and mayors in these states are backing the anarchists.

TellitLikeItIs
TellitLikeItIs
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Will we have a summer of love in Da Pitts? Or a summer of shootins?

Auto Phil
Auto Phil
3 years ago

The Tyler Street Lab rises from the dead! The City Council is poised to receive nearly $45,000 in grants for the Lab at the next CC meeting. The good people do wonder on what this money will be spent…As far as I can recall, the Lab has no home, no staff, and no programming… Will the city just be paying itself “to administer” the grants they receive (to pay themselves)? Hmmm…

Speaking of old news, what ever happened to the William Stanley Rocket Man project? Do we still anticipate PEDA and Pittsfield being a first-class world traveler destination? Have any rockets been built yet?

In current news, 6 campaign staffers who worked to set up Trump’s rally have tested positive for coronavirus in Tulsa…the fun is just beginning!

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Auto Phil
3 years ago

AOC cheering on far left young people who made reservations for the Trump rally tonight in Tulsa. AOC thinks it’s just great when young radicals do stupid things and AOC has no trouble calling our president a white supremacist. She had no concern about COVID-19 during the weeks of protesters flooding the streets. Sad that she is a role model for these young people. Despite the violence and the nasty tricks of the far left, the Trump rally was great.
 
The AOC tweet:
 
“Actually you just got ROCKED by teens on TikTok who flooded the Trump campaign w/ fake ticket reservations & tricked you into believing a million people wanted your white supremacist open mic enough to pack an arena during COVID.
shout out to Zoomers. Y’all make me so proud.”
 

Pat
Pat
Reply to  danvalenti
3 years ago

Unfortunately AOC and Ilhan Omar are using these young people to change America into a place none of us will recognize. Not a nice place, but a lawless place. I agree with President Trump about Somalia which is where Ilhan Omar comes from and is this the future she wants for our country? Omar complains constantly about how the United States is horrible and racist, but this is a description of the country where she grew up:
 
“Somalia has not had an effective national government for more than 20 years, during which much of the country has been a war-zone.
Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the government in the aim to reorder society in accordance with Islamic law, or Sharia.”

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Omar should be stripped of citizenship and deported. Somalia fits her well.
 
She got here by committing immigration fraud, she’s a bigamist was married to two people at once, one being her own brother in another immigration fraud scheme. Her brother then defrauded the government by taking illegal student loans.
 
She has made her congressional district (Minneapolis) a worse shithole, if that is even possible.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Mad Trapper
3 years ago

Minneapolis is turning into a very violent place. Omar does nothing to help the situation there. Whenever she is criticized, her response is that you are a racist to even question her agenda for this country.
 
https://www.weau.com/content/news/1-dead-11-others-wounded-in-Minneapolis-shooting-571407041.html

Free Bird
Free Bird
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

It proves the radical Dems have no scruples whatsoever, and will attempt to rig the election any way possible. With any luck she will lose her own primary.

RN
RN
3 years ago

It’s not that complicated. Moon and Harrington are playing to their base. Watch when that Tyler street thing pops up and also Edgerton. She still needs to get paid for her votes.

The school committee
The school committee
3 years ago

Rally in Tulsa.It is time to smell the coffee men.It will be an overwhelming victory for Senator Vice President Joe Biden.Trump …Send more money.Who will he blame and who will he fire.So predictable

Da Gettoh
Da Gettoh
Reply to  The school committee
3 years ago

Get those ghetto checks out Mr. Prez…..yesterday…

Tomolex Cobaruto
Tomolex Cobaruto
Reply to  The school committee
3 years ago

Very true words.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  The school committee
3 years ago

Marxists, anarchists, and terrorists are trying to take control of our country from within whether as is currently happening in Seattle or with the terrorist attacks on our military bases a few months ago by our own soldiers with terrorist ties. Joe Biden is very close with China and doesn’t see them as a threat. President Trump wants to keep our country strong and successful. Joe Biden will weaken our country and let outside influences have too much power over us. These outside influences want to tear our country down. The choice in November is clear!
 
So great that we will soon be making our own medications and not being dependent on China. This should have been done a long time ago.

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
Reply to  The school committee
3 years ago

I’m Joe Biden, I don’t understand, and I forgot this message…………

MrsMiaWallace
MrsMiaWallace
3 years ago

Many local police departments have officers certified in Crisis Intervention Training. Based on the nationally-acclaimed Memphis model, officers attend a 40-hour training on responding to calls involving those with chronic mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries, autism, and suicidal thoughts. Many community members have a dual-diagnosis and suffer with substance use disorder. CIT seeks to improve outcomes for both the public and the police by teaching officers to recognize when folks are in crisis and how to approach and communicate with them so as to de-escalate the situation; the idea is to move people into treatment and not the criminal justice system. Chief Wynn was very much a proponent of this program and by the time it ended in 2018, over half of PPD officers had been trained. Other local police departments, correctional officers, college security, dispatchers, and EMTs were also trained over the years.
 
The training was a collaboration between NAMI-BC, BCC, Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department, and the Berkshire DA under Dave Capeless. Sending officers to a 40-hour training is extremely expensive, even though presenters and organizers [this writer included] donated their time to the training. Training participants were given a pre- and post-training assessment test, the results of which were examined by a Williams College PhD on the level of comfort and confidence officers had in dealing with individuals with lived experience; each year the results revealed that officers went away from the training with the confidence and knowledge they needed to improve these outcomes.
 
Of course PPD took this one step further and hired a clinician to ride along on certain call where subjects were in crisis. I believe that this practice continues.
 
For those who were not aware of this program, you are not alone. Clearly Ms. Moon is unaware of it. During the last DA’s race it was clear that Ms. Harrington was unaware of it. Why is that? I suspect that it is because unlike the current “administration” the prior DAs did not view everything as a photo opportunity, staged, packaged, and displayed on social media or the subject of a press release or interview. The DA’s Domestic and Sexual Violence task force [which has its own FB page] is not a new idea–there have been various iterations of such a task force for decades; the previous participants were not the DA’s political pals, but rather direct providers. Diversion of mental-health cases? Absolutely, both in district and superior court. Evidence-based prosecutions of domestic violence case? The DA doesn’t realize the prior administrations successfully used this approach for decades and all new ADAs and VWAs trained to prepare for cases like this. Vertical prosecutions of serious district court cases? Nothing new. Domestic violence, child-abuse, and juvenile units working together? Of course. My point is this–just because the prior office didn’t trumpet each and every event, training, and task force doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. So the fact the the new comers think they invented this stuff is just wrong. And kind of pathetic.
 
This is just one example of why the Moon maneuver to unfund [because that’s what it is as far as she’s concerned] is without any thought to public or community safety, understanding of history, or perspective on what actually works.
 
The premise of The Planet’s column is both absolutely feasible and completely terrifying. This new cabal of johnny-come-lately players is entirely obsessed with political power, because with it comes the promise of money, status, and influence. Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong hates the cops, because they see her for the amateur she is. Oh, to the press she praises their work because she has to. But she will never forget or forgive those who were against her; she will reward her friends and punish her enemies.
 
And, lest you think otherwise my gentle readers, this writer is pro-cop and pro-black lives matter. You can be both, you know.
 

BackTheBlue
BackTheBlue
Reply to  MrsMiaWallace
3 years ago

Well stated Mrs. Wallace. And one can be black lives matter and blue lives matter, but we don’t support the Marxist and racist Black Lives Matter organization.

BlueLivesMatter
BlueLivesMatter
Reply to  BackTheBlue
3 years ago

Black Lives Matter, the organization, hates cops, and no self-respecting cop would have anything to do with them, even if black.

JohnnyComeLately
JohnnyComeLately
Reply to  MrsMiaWallace
3 years ago

LIttle Miss Can’t Be Wrong. Gotta love that nickname.