MOON REMAINS IN TOTAL ECLIPSE
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION DEC. 18-20, 2020) — Lost in the panic over snow and the hours of snow plows — Imagine! SNOW! In the Berkshires! In mid-December! — just another vibrant, dynamic time in Pittsfield.
Submitted for your approval, as Rod Serling used to say, one of the latest arrests in the city presented by THE PLANET from the Pittsfield Police Department.
———- ooo ———-
Today [12/15/20] at approximately 11:00 AM, after a brief vehicle pursuit, foot pursuit, and K9 track, Pittsfield Police Patrol Officers effected the arrest of Lado Middlebrooks, age 40, of Bronx, NY.
Charges filed by Pittsfield Police today include:
- Fail to Stop for Police
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Operating After Suspended License
- Leaving the Scene of Property Damage Accident
- Trafficking Class B Crack Cocaine, 36-100 grams
- Carrying a Dangerous Weapon (Knife)
Middlebrooks was arraigned on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 in Central Berkshire District Court.
———- ooo ———-
Of course, Mr. Middlebrooks must be considered innocent before and until he’s proven guilty.
In Berkshire County, under the “Social Justice” champions reshaping our criminal justice system, sending this lad for trial and winning a conviction has about as much chance as THE PLANET has leading the National Hockey League in scoring for the upcoming season. Maurice “Rocket” Richard we ain’t. We predict that Middlebrooks, like the Rocket, will skate.
What has been the result of this new crop of District Attorneys who won election in multiple jurisdictions, including Massachusetts and Berkshire County? Soaring crimes rates and disdain for the police. You’ll recall it was D.A. Andrea Harrington’s campaign manager and “Director of Special Projects” who disrespected Pittsfield cop Darren Derby for the officer’s efforts to help disadvantaged children. This was the same “Director of Special Projects” fired by Harrington for unspecified reasons that remain hidden under a cloak of suspicion, innuendo, and rumor.
This was the same “Director of Special Projects” who bared her sharp claws after Harrington’s vehicular violations won her a tap on the pinky and a Little Debbie Scooter Pie. That “Ex-Director of Special Projects,” who is also Ward 1 city councilor, blasted the criminal justice system for letting Harrington pass Go!, and collect $200. That “Ex-Director of Special Projects” said Harrington skated because she is white and entitled.
The “Ex-Director of Special Projects” then shared what she claimed was her experience in victimhood. She told of how Boston Police stopped her, forced her out of her car at gunpoint, arrested her, and tossed her in the slammer, all because she’s a non-white female.
It made for a great soundbite, and the local media ate it up.
One problem.
Boston Police records show no such arrest of Helen Moon.
Helen Moon obviously is a woman of many talents.
Helen Moon managed the D.A.’s winning campaign. Helen Moon took on the daunting responsibilities of “Director of Special Projects. ” Heleen Moon still serves as a city councilor. Helen Moon can spin fiction worthy of 50 Shades of Gray
Helen Moon has never explained:
- Her specific duties as Harrington’s “Director of Special Projects.”
- Why Harrington fired her.
- Why the Boston Police apparently have no record of her arrest.
- Why she hasn’t produced proof of her claim.
These are subtleties, of course, to a woman of such talents.
Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski — all Pittsfield, for that matter — should be grateful to have such Helen Moon working for the good of all. At city council meetings, Helen Moon seems about as comfortable and capable as a lepidopterist in boxing gloves.
THE PLANET can in good conscience say we tried with Helen Moon. We have multiple times contacted Helen Moon for comment. We have offered Helen Moon editorial space.Helen Moon has never returned serve. You know the drill: When the phone doesn’t ring, we know it’s Helen Moon not getting back to us. Nonetheless, our offer stands. We would forgive all and welcome Helen.
Can you see the connection between Lado Middlebrooks and Helen Moon?
The Kapanski’s know only too well that the quality of individuals we grace with public office in a large way determine the quality of life in the community.
Take a good look at what’s happened to the once lovely city of Pittsfield. Make an honest assessment. Have things improved or have they gone into the Dumpster Behind Paul Rich?
Have a great weekend, everybody, and keep those nominations coming for THE PLANET‘s Coveted Orbit Award (COA).
————————————————————————————————
“Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home” — Journalist David Frost.
“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 and contained in 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.
There seems to be an elite group in Berkshire county of do as I say not as I do!
We The People
Corruption! The “CITY” where the bottom of the barrel rose to the top.
That Harris guy from Berkshire money mgt gave a quarter of the money Yuki raised. He’s the guy convicted of a bar assault and stealing from his employer. Nice people.
There’s a story here, along the lines of Nuclea Biotechnologies. The number of emails about client problems with BMM is “well above the norm”.
This was faked.
I am literally writing this letter to you on the morning of Juneteenth after receiving an anonymous note at the Berkshire Money Management office where I work. It reads: “All lives matter. No more business.” The message is scrawled — in bright red sharpie — across a page torn out from this very newspaper, where BMM has been running blackout space for the entire month in active support of Black Lives Matter. No return address, no signature, just the impotent scrawl of yet another coward who does not “approve” of our business taking a stand against the systemic racism that continues to plague our country, our towns, and our lives.”
DuPont is known to “borrow” work and make it her own.
It was designed to land and bring attention to their activism. It landed with a thud. Any police investigation?
If the Eagle cared about news and less about advertising dollars, they would not allow Harris or BMM anywhere near the pages of the Eagle.
All I know is $1k covers a year of books and fees at bcc – someone worthy could have benefited from that kind of contribution but let’s give it to a law breaking city councilor .
Nineteenth, what is that, Ebonics? Ya see, it’s not in spell check ! “Juneteenth” really…
I noticed his high ranking staff has bailed and started their own biz. I’d like to know the back story on this.
Isn’t he is the guy who bank rolled Kroll’s now defunct FB radio show? If this doesn’t get reported to campaign finance someone is asleep at the switch.
Stealing from employer? Where can I reference that? Interesting. Isn’t he the one who was a frequent guest on t b r morning show with Krol. Unbuttoned shirt,slicked back hair?
He said it was no big deal, people do it all the time so…
Friday February 12, 2010
PITTSFIELD — The organizers of next Friday’s Berkshire Job Summit at the Crowne Plaza each have contended with legal problems: Allen Harris said he got “really beat up” in litigation, and Sherman Baldwin said it was “like a scarlet letter.”
Harris is president of Pittsfield-based Berkshire Money Management, and Baldwin hosts “Talk Berkshires,” a weekday afternoon call-in show on Pittsfield radio station WBRK. Both live in Pittsfield.
In 2006, Berkshire Superior Court Judge Daniel Ford ordered Harris to repay his former employer, Dion Money Management, just over $2 million in a case in which Dion Money Management alleged that Harris had taken its client roster and lists of subscribers for its affiliated financial newsletter in order to launch his own company, Berkshire Money Management.
Ford’s ruling upheld a jury verdict against Berkshire Money Management and Harris. Ford also ruled that Harris had violated a non-competition and non-disclosure agreement.
Harris told The Eagle that “taking assets” from one money-management firm to another “happens all the time in this industry. So I did that. I took a bunch of assets from another company.”
Harris said he got “really beat up” in litigation, but considered it part of the “cost of doing business.”
Harris established Berkshire Money Management in April 2001, shortly after he left his position as chief investment officer for Dion, based in Williamstown and in Naples, Fla.
Seven years before that, he said, he pleaded guilty to an assault-and-battery charge stemming from a bar fight and was sentenced in Berkshire District Court to a year of probation, which was served without incident.
Don’t forget that group in the United States. Just happen to be trying to steal the presidency.
Inner-city Pittsfield is a place I feared ending up being stuck in when I was a young man decades ago. North Street is called “Social Services Alley” by day, and “The Shooting Gallery” by night. If I had to walk the dangerous downtown Pittsfield inner-city streets after hours, I would poop my pants in fear. My theory of how Pittsfield ended up with such severe economic inequality and entrenched socioeconomic poverty is that Pittsfield politics decided that they made more money off of social services agencies than investing in the working poor so they could have the opportunity to earn living wage salaries. I call my theory “Perverse Incentives” because it is parallel to the state lottery, which is really regressive taxation, because the lottery makes most of its money off of exploiting the financially illiterate working poor in distressed cities like Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In closing, when I was a young man decades ago looking in futility for work in my native hometown of Pittsfield, I felt I had better odds of winning the lottery jackpot than earning a salary in a living wage job in Pittsfield. Either way, I faced terrible odds in Pittsfield, which I felt was the whole point of how Pittsfield exploited someone who was a just another proverbial little guy like myself.
When you think republican do not think police or crime because they do nothing to support cities funding police as they are fantasy supporters with no financial support.Think large corporations like GE sponging off Sil Conte head of Ways and Means.Sil died and GE left town.Republicans support large powerful corporations.Think poison left by Republican supported chemical dumping and the lies that go with it.Think deregulation and a unresponsive EPA.Thing failure at every level except the accumulation of great riches for a small irresponsible group of white ignorant men….Have a good weekend.
It is Time for a School Superintendent of diversity. Now is the time because of the latest national political shakeup. We must,do it here.
Well the one that just moved his operation up north left one hell of a mess behind in Pittsfield. No one in their right mind would want to try cleaning that up.
Give it a rest. China Joe has money that he will give you.
Trump has collected 1.2 billion dollars in office and Trump family has collected 600,000,000 and you guys are cool with that because you are addicted to his fascist koolaid….Who is for ending America because fatboy is afraid to face the music like a innocent man
Of course it is just republicans that want to defund law enforcement.
https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2020/12/17/minneapolis-politicians-who-backed-defunding-the-police-suddenly-denying-it-as-crime-surges-n296094
He’s already hitting the eggnog
President Biden is going to do away with school choice putting 6 million back into our school budgets.Our Lenox students are coming home or Mom and Dad can buy a 500k house that sells for 325 in Pittsfield.We are also the hottest market in the berkshires.As one realtor stated we are the cheapest dirt in the berkshires.If you want to leave Pittsfield now is the time because you can sell you place today.When Biden brings back the failed republican fringe economy Pittsfield will be on fire.Good luck all the anti Pittsfielders and enjoy Florida Alabama,Louisiana, Kentucky North Dakota as you have all those places you may buy cheap housing.South Carolina is a good fit for you Trumpers as the have Beck Limbaugh Hannity with televangelist 24and 7 that you live your life by.Go south my Trumpers and join a religious hate group.
The leaders of Ge were all Democrat and Silvio was the most bipartisan congressman ever almost 50% of the time voting with the Democrats and yes look where it led us
Why poop your pants? Just go on the sidewalk like the rest of them.
Who can you trust if you can’t trust EFC & Berkshire DA’s office ?
You guys trust Trump
The Yuki story is a cover-up for the real story.
What ever happened to all the money from the sale of the museums art? Did the museum ever do any renovations?
Havent they been under construction for some time now? The front has been discombobulated for a while.
It will be reminiscent of the big dig or a Kufflinks kind of distribution. But the bottom line is to take care of special interest projects in the interim and occasionally delay appropriated projects for what the sale of the Art was supposed to be intended for. Ponzi Scheme.
They have been doing them. But they might have also got more money from the GE funding as well. Why would the mayor let them do that if their pockets were already busting at the seems. Correct me if I am wrong Barry.
They were given $500,000. from the G.E. Economic development fund
for more access for objects into the museum when they have been bringing art objects in for more than one hundred years. Norman Rockwell donated his art to this once great museum. Norman must be turning in his grave.
Pittsfield gave the museum 400k for climate control
Don’t forget the copper roof.
Well you know he thinks it’s a little sketchy anyway.
Pockets lined. 5 directors in twenty years.
And did they not say they were not going to make their books public? Even though they promised to?
Yeah,all you need is a degree. In fine arts.
Hey Dan, your not so subtle feelings about Helen Moon are on full display above in your choice of literary comparison! A little misogyny with your coffee maybe?
Just what she needs, more reasons to make her a victim. Thanks Mr. G any talk of discrimination and she starts salivating like a hound on the hunt
Now that the progressives are running the country Moon will be bigger and better than ever.
Mitch McConnell is running the country with those two crooked Republican Senators from Georgia the Trumps love.All this because whites fear minorities that work harder than you.
Seems she flat out lied to the public about a racial disparity – that’s a personal character flaw. She should own it. There was no good reason for it.
Please someone explain what exactly is White Guilt ? My father was white, served honorably in WWII, worked in GE for 41 years,(where he started as weld grinder), maintained a well kept home, worked a 2nd job when needed, never said a negative word against any group, won many awards for volunteering, helped all his friends and neighbors, joined the NAACP because Frank Walker was his friend, was honest to a fault, never ticketed nor arrested, served his church and generally minded his own business. Just wondering what he was guilty of ?
ST,
When they are removing Old Abe from the picture because he didn’t do enough, we are in real trouble. White Guilt is another word for let’s make some bank.
Open your mind to real information.
Who’s real information? The things I’ve seen with my own eyes or what I’m told I’ve seen?
White guilt is the basis for modern liberalism, the Left. It does not apply to all white people, not even the majority.
It dominates among the moonbat, trust fund crowd. Their families are sitting on mounds of cash–perhaps obtained through unsavory means, such as FDR’s father-in-law’s wealth from the opium trade, which really angered and embarrassed Eleanor.
Or possibly built from slavery, just ask Yale and Harvard. Then you got your oil, your stock market, shipping, minerals, railroads, transportation, etc.
Family fortunes built over generations and passed on tax-free (ask the Kennedys) to the present-day snowflakes. I hear that Peter Swietzer has a book on this kind of thing.
All that cash, connections, and opportunity then devolves on the ne’er-do-wells, who feel massive guilt about it.
In the end, the little white guy and gal, and most others, get screwed.
Some in here call them the Kapanskys.
Open your mind to the truth of who lied to you about history.We need to know 100% of American history because evetyone takes the journey together through time and its disrespectful to only tell 70% of Americas story.The real story is better than the filtered truth.Start listening.
Just who do you think is behind the removal and rewriting history in the educational system? And why?
It is additional history not a rewrite.Explain who is against additional history.
There is an actually a study out of Berkley (Bezerkly to the rest of the US) about how the term white guilt is so unhelpful as it shames people for being poor (see link below).
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_happens_when_you_educate_liberals_about_white_privilege
It’s probably a factor is why everyone wants to see themselves as a victimized minority rather than recognizing an unequal system.
There are a lot of factors for systemic poverty and in Berkshire Co it would be because of corruption and a lack of investment in jobs (due to the fact that no one with sense would want to invest here.) I’m sorry even in the growing pot industry most of the workers are getting just about minimum wage and probably no benefits.
This is why you guys love love love Trump because he was telling white men that you are victims of minorities and you love him for that.The Truth is You are victims of immoral wealth and corporate mind control.You get fd over because wealth is insatiable and power is satanic.Think Don Trumps royal dynasty they have planned.He is not leaving.With your help he will overthrow the United States our Dads fought for.
Hrmm, did you even read the article? It’s written by a woman professor at Colgate who wants us to talk about poverty – which by the way is a huge issue in Berkshire Co. I don’t love Trump. I didn’t vote for Trump. I don’t love discrimination. You are obsessed with Trump as the problem of all America and you make zero sense most of the time. Democratic places like Pittsfield have huge problems and more inequality than these places in Wyoming that only have Indian reservations and movie stars. You support this and it’s irrational. You get a teachers salary and support the whatever prison pipeline because you are pet of a corrupt school system.
I am against racism and bigotry but a missing part of the picture is self responsibility.
And also, poor people no matter what their color should benefit form help. But people don’t feel connected and White Privilege BS kills commonality. Unless we connect all people we will end with the status quo.
KF,
Well said. Self responsibility has become group responsibility for everything that others have had nothing to do with.
GE left and took 13k jobs.Corporate wealth and you dont see the obvious.
Wealthy white power with corporations were not our Dads or and family in most cities.Your father and mine had no information and no power.Thieves are always in control but I believe that is changing.
Bingo, you just made Dan’s point. Why when someone does something clearly wrong does some idiot play the race/gender card every single time? Middlebrooks will skate because he is black and crack is not his fault. Poor Helen took the fall, she wasn’t sneaky enough about how she ran the campaign from inside the office.
I have a feeling Moon isn’t going to be quiet when the elections get underway again. It seems like with her attitude, that she has some scores to settle.
Women want to be treated as equals to men in all things, at least that’s what the woman rights movement says and those who proclaim it along with them. The only time you hear not so is when they are in certain circumstances.
MR G
Actually, I chose that book because it contains the worst writing I have ever had the displeasure of reading. When the book was a phenomenon, I read three pages of what the author presented as consecutive prose. The worst! My comparison had nothing to do with the content of the book. Perhaps, my good friend, your thoughts on this reveal something about you and YOUR predilections? Thanks for the comment.
There was a black woman engineer (AI) just fired from google. She is brilliant and it’s an example of discrimination and gender bias. I work in technology and it’s a problem at so many firms to retain talented women’s did fo the bs they put up with.
I can’t speak for Dan’s bias but my bias against Moon raising discrimination is in my opinion (based from people who have worked owth her closely) a cover up for her incompetence and political maneuverings. I think it’s disgusting that Yuki pulls the bigotry card with all her violations. She runs a good bar but she should stop being the princess. These local professionals victims really hurt really competent professional women with this nonsense.
I will take a stab at your question about Lado Middelbrooks and Helen “Handgun” Moon. I will start off by saying that both are unfairly targeted by evil white men. In particular, the police.
So what if Lado had a little coke on him and led PPD on a high speed chase. He’s just a black-male, drug dealer, looking to feed his fam. No harm in that, right?
Helen Handgun Moon, well this story is a little hazy, so I’ll do my best to make it up. Handgun was driving around the Chinatown area of Boston, when two evil, white-male cops, decided enough was enough of this stuff. People appearing happy.
Unfortunately, Handgun Moon just happened to drive by these two evil, white-men, police officers. As Handgun meekly waved at them, they decided, “she’s Asian, she must be carrying the cartel’s mother load of dope, so they decided to pull her over. But, because Handgun is Asian and grew up in Chicago’s tough Cabrini-Green housing projects, they decided to take her out at gunpoint. All because (1) white men are the root of all evil, (2) police target minorities ever chance they get (if it’s white men police officers, that number goes up 10-fold), (3) Helen is Asian-the most violent group, this side of MS-13. She was arrested and booked, on charges listed as “TBD.” To be determined.
Is this similar to your dream Handgun?
Because like Dan, I too have tried to locate Helen’s “arrest,” only to be told “No record that you requested exists.”
Could our
DA find it if it existed? Or tell us if it exists?
Somebody should look into the DA’s criminal history, and I don’t mean recent law breaking.
They should also look into her problems with income tax and payroll taxes.
If there was a criminal history how would you go about finding it?
Sounds like you got more of a story to tell, if you’re posting on here anonymously I think you can skip the hypothetical.
Counting the hours until this blog is shut down permanently by the Neo-Stalinists.
Silly Dan, reporting on these things . . .
A libtard friend used the phrase “First Amendment signaling” the other day, as if the unwashed have any right to speak freely.
Is that a libtard thing now?
____________________________________________________
In other news, yeah, no need to give the traitor-cheaters more national security info just at the moment:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/breaking-big-pentagon-halts-biden-transition-defense-briefings/
If THE PLANET goes dark, it will be because I am moving on to other things, and for no other reason. Peer. Ree. Id.
Well if you do Dan it’s been a good ride. We still have all things local to dissect and your he only one left. I’m holding out hope you do it another Five! G man sends regards says he has a real shot at saving the tens of millions at the water plant. That would help. An old question? Do we need it or want it?
We don’t need it.
Time for the city to face reality. If the man can save us on bigger rates I’ll back him to the hilt. I have two three apartment rentals and would like to keep the tenants in there. A second Water project increase would be a killer.
Let’s hope not! Fritz for Orbit. It’ll ease his post Trump loss pains.
Re: the Gateway article, do you think the briefings were halted due to the recent giant hack, or election fraud litigation?
Answer: Yes.
Or Ed, you could just leave? that is an option for ya if ya ain’t happy here.
buh bye now …. buh bye
Speaking of libtards . . .
Been following on many social media sites in the past few months the “terrible” treatment that Helen Moon, Yuki Cohen, Dina Lampiasi and Andrea Harrington have been receiving. Boo hoo hoo, poor babies! You all choice to be in the public eye, grow up. Can anyone mention one thing that these elected officials have done to better Pittsfield. I also want to mention that the three councilors were hand picked by our Mayor to be on the Council to make HER life easier, evidently that is why they rarely speak during their famous ZOOM meetings. The Mayor also supported Andrea Harrington and even though the Mayor won another term she has to drag the election out and sue the other candidate. I am speaking as a hard working woman that has survived close to 45 years working successfully in the private sector. These five woman tarnish the very view of women in the work place. They need to spend less time playing “victim” and put their energies into actually doing their jobs. Life has many ups and downs and a strong person finds a way to survive and 99.9% of people don’t need a Go Fund Me account to do this.
omG F yourself should be meant for the downtrodden and disadvantaged not the glamorous on Facebook ie posers.
My experience with someone playing “the victim card” is that they usually are both the abuser and the victim, but they only tell their side of the story. It always comes down to who has more power than the person on the other side of the conflict. Hopefully, we can all be adults in the proverbial room and not say “I am a woman” or “I am black” or “I am poor” and the like. When will we ever grow up?
Now this kind of statement gets you in the running for the Orbit. But you have No Chance. My nominee is Johnny Absurd.
And “regular” not even strong people pay their bills and taxes too.
Merry and Bright you are brilliant. These are the weak girls that give women a bad name. “Under My THUMB” of the OLE BOYS including the mayor.
t
Rolling Stones.
MB orbit for this post alone!
These woman seem pretty good at making up stories and excuses. So I am wondering if you can believe anything they say. Do they think they are playing parts in a play or movie? What makes them think no one will ever check or question absurd behavior?
Almost like the “girl” that cried assault in GB
Moon, I was pulled out of a car at gunpoint by racist white police.
Edgerton, white racists stole my Harrington sign.
Edgerton, my nephew was a good boy, getting his life straightened out those 300 bikes of crack were for his personal use.
Yuki, I’m the victim of the white man and unfair policies.
Harrington, I did not sleep with my sons’ teacher.
Unknown black female, I was knocked out and dragged into the woods at Bard.
All lies.
Have you noticed, they are always “in the process of getting his life straightened out.” Always. That’s code.
Ken Matthews in for Rush today.
He played audio of a SCOTUS staffer, I believe, relating what he heard outside of the conference room last Friday as the justices talked about taking the Texas case.
Usually you can’t hear anything outside of that room–no phones, no computers, nothing, just nine justices inside the room. And they speak in civil voices.
But apparently this time, Chief Pussy Roberts went ballistic when Alito and Thomas mentioned Bush v. Gore.
Something to the effect of, very, very loudly: “I don’t give a !@@##$ about Bush v. Gore. We didn’t have RIOTS then!!!!!!!!”
So, as I’ve been saying, welcome to the New Stalinism, where the Left wins through violence and the threat thereof.
Might makes right, but just forget right altogether.
Nice country we got ourselves here.
Here is the video. Not sure, but this is in the Texas State House(?) chamber?
Speaker is a member of the State Republican Executive Committee, which Texas does have.
https://rumble.com/vbyxah-justice-john-roberts-accused-of-dirty-mole-tactics.-screams-at-other-justic.html
Read elsewhere that Roberts shut down Gorsuch, ACB, and Kavanaugh as junior members–shut up newbies, in effect.
This is more of the lie.They cant produce evidence that makes the lie true.
Methuselah Staying Alive Fund
$4,393 raised of $2,500 goal
Question: what is the extra money for, lipstick on a greedy pig?
Come on Yukihas to Style and Profile. Let’s hope she uses it to continue use her great tenure ship as City Council
If a Dentist can get relief money, why not a Councilwoman with two kids? I like Yukie,I also like people who are trying to make a family life and survive.
That is circular logic. A dentist should not get relief money in a town where there are homeless kicked into the parks.
Excellent point, EW.
Is it a campaign finance violation? I didn’t know a sitting council could beg for money.
Not bad for a girl who is getting tax breaks on top of city covid money on top of federal covid money on top of individual $1200 money… She knows how to play the game
Doesn’t her mate have a job? All she’s doing is following the lead of Dottie’s and getting it on both ends. It just doesn’t look good.
Easy Money. That was a fun board game. Someone mastered it for real.
10,000,000 MILION will be without a house or apartment in 45 days.Republicans always burn it down on the way out.
Does that number include the people who were burned out of their residences from the riots across the country?
Trump is asking for 8k or 45 bucks bulled weekly….I know most of this Trump board have sent money to the scammer in chief.
Dan, not sure if you actually want to go on facts or not? But fact 1. The Pittsfield crime rate is not soaring that is just not true. You can blame that on Covid or whatever you would like to speculate the answer may be 2.Fact the the crime rate in Pittsfield was heading for all time highs between 2011 until 2018 The DA at the time was??fill in the blank or blanks. The Crime rate actually fell in 2018 the year Harrington was elected. Now, not that the DA has any bearing on the crime rate or Harrington’s office had anything to do with that however that but seems to be the case you are presenting so…. Facts and the Truth still matter in Journalism Right?
YEAH
Mr. Middlebrooks agree 100% with your assessment. Pittsfield crime is WAY down. Yeah Right.
The reason Pittsfield crime rate is way down is because the police stopped taking reports on “life style crimes”, stopped going after petty crimes, thefts of items under $1,000 rarely if ever gets a report let alone investigated.
The only real crimes the police are going after, violent crimes, very very public crimes, and some of the larger drug crimes.
Statistical crime reporting is down (thanks Wrong Way and Wynn) not actual crimes.
Did anyone ever explain why that murder a short while back never hit the press? Could there have been others as well? I know muggings do not get printed.
I suppose crime can go down if you pretend it did not happen and don’t log it. And, Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite books as a wee child.
It is hard to learn anything of value from Trumpers just making it up.
Good one Dan!
One of the hanous crimes occurred on her watch. The morning after she was on the Stooge show? Talking about nothing.
Uninformed babble!
Facts: The factors that influence crime rates vary widely and include funding, local and state programs and economic conditions.
A strong mayor can help. An underfunded and undermanned PD is deadly. A weak DA will make things even worse, particularly if they refuse to prosecute crime or are not trusted to be able to be successful by other law enforcement.
Harrington is one of a group of “progressive” prosecutors who refuse to uphold the laws we elect a legislative branch to determine. She took an oath to support to execute the laws as written. Our police are not charging people with crimes because of her. Ask them.
BTW, if you are basing crime statistics on those crimes not reported, did they not happen? If they go unarrested did it not happen? If it’s reported, arrested and dismissed did it not happen? In any case, you ought to present the facts of crime rates or we will assume you are making them up.
This would mean and you answered your own summation. The Pittsfield crime rate was at all time highs the past 6 years so your saying Capeless was weak and so was Bianchi thanks for clarifying.
I bet our own little ladies here would have something like this happen in a secret vote. Not everyone around here is happy with the ladies. Most are too scared to say it though and play along in public. Behind the scenes yikes!
https://redstate.com/streiff/2020/12/18/democrats-hand-aoc-a-humiliating-loss-n296677
December 18, 2020
Hello Clarence Fanto,
I dissent and totally disagree with your op-ed today praising the EPA’s permit for GE to “cleanup” the polluted Housatonic River. Where are GE’s hundreds of millions of dollars, Clarence Fanto? Answer: Nowhere! GE has yet to commit to one penny towards a billion dollar, 13-year-long “cleanup” project. How can the corrupt EPA say in good faith that GE will “cleanup” the polluted Housatonic River without a financial commitment from GE, which is known for its fraudulent accounting practices that misled investors by over $6 billion that never existed. GE has tens of billions of dollars in debts. GE’s market capitalization is between $4 billion and $5 billion. The corrupt EPA should be reformed by the new presidential administration after January 20th, 2021 led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The corrupt EPA has made headlines all year (2020) long for allowing big business to pollute with impunity. I have read your op-ed columns on GE and the EPA’s settlements in Pittsfield and Berkshire County for decades, Clarence Fanto. You always side with GE and the EPA’s positions. If I lived in Lee and Lenoxdale (Mass.), and GE’s planned toxic waste dump full of their industrial PCBs chemical tanked my property value, I would be very upset with you right now, Clarence Fanto. I strongly believe that the EPA and GE settlement is horrible!
Best wishes,
Jonathan A. Melle
The GE has no intention to clean up the river.After 25 years they went from Lyman street bridge to Elm street Dawes then Pomeroy .Trumpers are good with fake cleanups.
Pittsfield has been run by Democrats since Don Butler left office genius.
Butler was the greatest mayor in city history.
Absolutely agree, Dan.
You lose perspective when you lower the bar for corporation to below ground level.GE has no intention of cleaning up anything.I would consider a new allendale school the number 1 priority from GE…..Allendale School is GEs legacy no matter how much they stall on the fake river cleanup.1and1/2 miles in 25 years.Wake up because its all show.There is no EPA
Fritz for the Orbitz Award!! Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! God Save Us, each and everyone (including Melle).
I donate all of my pay to Matt Kerwood’s +$10 million slush fund. Pittsfield politics is blessed by Matt Kerwood’s creative accounting and financial genius that rivals Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway multi-billion dollar holdings. Matt Kerwood is my hero!
Melee for Orbit. Although negative posts 100 percent of the time,someone is reading his comments.
No it’s scroll past, downvote. Same with Blare, Ed Morrow, etc.
Herringbone and her son’s teacher?
did the kid make the honor roll?
Elderly white people should not be getting the COVID vaccine before other races according to the far left. Is this also how they feel about elderly white people dying in the hospitals from COVID? That they are not a priority because of their race? Is this the future of socialist medicine?
https://www.theblaze.com/news/coronavirus-priority-list-nyt-white?utm_source=theblaze-dailyAM&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Newsletter__AM%202020-12-19&utm_term=ACTIVE%20LIST%20-%20TheBlaze%20Daily%20AM
And the children will be taught to agree with that and why.
https://redstate.com/alexparker/2020/12/19/seattle-public-schools-washington-christopher-rufo-critical-race-theory-n297133
The CDC just recently had their 12 week course on critical race theory. Does this explain their evil and ridiculous concern that the white elderly have led privileged lives and therefore they are due some suffering. Wake up call to these fools. Not all white people have led lives of wealth and glamour. Many white people live very difficult lives.
No its the white wealthy that control the white middle.You must figure this out.
And are prisoners getting before the elderly? That would seem weird.
They are and that is really outrageous. Prisoners over our elderly?
What possible justification could there be for that? Need to track that to the person whose idea it was and whomever might have supported the idea.
Not true
Not to the people that work there
Pat,
These are dark times. Groupthink and fear have been employed to great effect. Systematic deception has taken place right under our noses. With few questioning any of it, and those who do quickly shouted down as Covid deniers and assigned evil motives by the mob.
Pointing out that less than 1% of Covid deaths have been under age 35 is immediately equated to not caring about the elderly who ARE at risk, a conclusion completely devoid of logic. The flip side of acknowledging the vanishingly small risk Covid poses to the young is acknowledging the very different risk profile to the elderly.
Now that the CDC has shown its true colors, maybe people will begin to wake up. There is no rational, ethical or moral argument that could justify vaccinating ANYONE younger than age 50 before we vaccinate the elderly population. The differences in risk profiles are so incredibly lopsided. The decision to vaccinate younger “essential workers” ahead of seniors means we are consciously choosing to allow more people than necessary to die. There’s no other way to look at it. The fact that they justify this outcome with language about racial/ethnic “health equity” is appalling. And evil. But, such is the way of the world once a majority of a population allows themselves to become useful idiots.
On a positive note, our modest hero Dr. Fauci still has plenty of time to yuck it up in really important interviews. So cute that he takes questions from the kids whose lives have been so upended. Everybody, make sure your kids know that Fauci is their hero too! He vaccinated Santa! And he’s a fashion icon!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEil6VTzXdc
https://www.instyle.com/news/dr-fauci-says-with-all-due-modesty-i-think-im-pretty-effective
It could be that socialist big government doesn’t want anyone living past the age of 80 anyway since these people are simply too expensive for big government to maintain. Everyone will have to justify their existence past a certain age if they become too burdensome for big government to maintain. It is becoming a truly heartless cold and cruel world that would choose to allow our elderly to die using racial inequality as an excuse. I do remember a person in their 20’s pushing an elderly person out of the way during a violent riot this summer saying “your time has come and gone old man. It’s time for a different kind of world”. It will be different all right under these young Marxists, but not better.
Dear Pat, I hope your relative is ok. I read what you said about morphine at end of life so maybe not. I wish you all well and hope it’s better ahead. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas holiday and stay well.
Regarding socialized medicine countries – England was the first not authoritative country (china and russia had their own vaccine) to approve the Pzifer vaccine. The first people to be vaccinated there from news reports are nursing home residents, over 80s and people needing to have non covid related surgeries. I think I read health care workers are coming after those people. It’s not approved for under 16 usage.
The US is leaving it to states to distribute to whomever they want first so if Florida is dumb and greedy it’s about Florida. There is probably a reason for the ‘Florida man’ meme. The US could never have an effective public health system pbecause even with a capitalist monopoly BHS can’t get out of their own way. Too much incompetence and corruption.
I agree that the elderly, especially those in nursing homes, should receive the vaccine even before health care workers. That’s not what is happening here in Massachusetts. Over the weekend while out and about, I heard health care workers saying they just had the virus vaccine and were experiencing mild fevers. I haven’t heard anything about nursing home patients, the most vulnerable, getting it yet.
Stop being informed by Q and your life will change instantly
Right you are, Blare.
Fauci’s lost his marbles!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/crazy-dr-fauci-makes-honest-statement-year-tells-children-flew-north-pole-vaccinated-santa-clause/
Pat is on board with the takeover of our United States government by the Trump Royal Family
The Covid vaccine will be distributed to 87 million “essential workers” before the 50+ million elderly who are not in LTC facilities. The CDC has worked through the science of it all and decided that since the elderly are disproportionally white and essential workers are disproportionally racial and ethnic minorities, it is most ethical to vaccinate essential workers first in the name of “health equity.”
Given the absurdly lopsided stats on Covid mortality, the net result will be more old (white) people dying than necessary. But don’t sweat it. The science says that’s ok.
Also, recognize that none of this applies if you are wealthy, regardless of your age. The definition of essential worker will prove to be quite malleable, for a price. The mother of all corrupt markets. Don’t worry, you’ll get your vaccine.
Because it’s all about science.
Quick update: Florida just released data regarding it’s first batch of vaccinations under the federal guidelines.
Yep, exactly as advertised.
*Out of 32,707 vaccinations, only 3,140 recipients over 65.
*About the same number of vaccinations ages 16-24 as over 85, despite a 500x difference in Covid risk.
There is no conceivable moral justification for this. Don’t know what else to say. Anyone who dismisses it is unreachable.
http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/vaccine/vaccine_report_latest.pdf
So is Florida govenor Disantis addressing this? He is the Trump loyalist who has been fighting mask wearing, shut downs and social distancing. His state, because of its high retirements communities hould have been most careful of all but he did everything he could to make it worse. My guess is he decided who got the vaccine and most of them were probably his friends, family and aquaintances.
Front line workers and elderly patients 1st.Florida arrested the health data whistle nower.I believe there are like 9 to 1 frontline workers to help patients.
BMC is finally allowing a visitor wearing protective equipment to visit relatives dying of COVID. While my relative was there, you needed an expensive smartphone to see your relative. I complained that not everyone had these expensive phones that allow you to see your relative in their beds and one unfeeling BMC staff member said it would be worth the cost to get one. That may be true, but not everyone can afford it. Many people are telling me, and I’ve experienced it myself, that people are also being made to feel guilty if they don’t recognize that it’s time to give morphine to their relative because they are suffering so much. Poor communication from medical doctors to relatives of patients at BMC not to mention other errors at the hospital that are contributing to patient suffering. Maybe they have too many patients in this one hospital?
Pat
Lack of adequate staffing, nurses explained this ,when they went on strike.
Berkshire meat cutters is now losing several qualified talented doctors,due to managements greed and obscene salaries. All chiefs and no Indians, unlike the nurses they held hostage doctors flee. Much greener pastures an hour away in all directions.
Too late for many relatives of the deceased, BMC is now allowing one person wearing protective equipment to visit a dying COVID patient. Several weeks ago, you could only see your dying relative if you had an expensive smartphone. I was also told my relative was nearing end of life and should be put on drugs to ease their dying, but was never told how serious their pneumonia was even days earlier or I would have agreed to do so sooner. I thought my relative was having cognitive issues from COVID and some pneumonia that was being treated by antibiotics.
Pat,
I am sorry for the loss you experienced. Making end of life decisions for others in a time of emotional turmoil is difficult to say the least. I wouldn’t second guess yourself. You do the best you can at the time, with the information you have on hand, and that is all you, or any of us can do.
Thank you for your kind thoughts on this difficult issue.
Trump created and promoted infection.
I have found out that every one is using the same spokesperson that is involved with Pittsfield politics. Every inquiry I’ve made into DA’s issues from A-Z ,business Covid violations, Covid $ distribution to businesses, Covid deaths,Moons police episode,Museum, Slush fund and so many other non transparent issues. They all have told me to go to HELEN WAIT.
Now there’s a story to tell
FIGHT FOR TRUMP!
Don’t let the globalists destroy America!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/president-trump-releases-video-fight-trump-save-america-save-world/
Peter Navarro’s report on fraud.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/theft-thousand-cuts-assistant-president-trump-peter-navarro-produces-report-fraud-2020-election/
There is no one more honest than Peter Navarro.
There’s no one more grumpy than Thomas More.
You must be a real treat to live with!
GRRRR!
Trump will win by a landslide! MAGA! 8/15/20 Mr. Fritz
I smell a landslide win! Fritz 10/13 My prediction – landslide for Trump! 11/01/2020
Navarro is a clown.
Give it a rest Fritz. Anyone with half a brain new that Trump would have a lead in close states before mail in ballots were counted because the Trump convinced his followers no to mail in while large swaths of Democrats did use mail in ballots. It ain’t a plot and it ain’t rocket science. Your boy lost, period.
Oh, and by the way now that Russia has hacked our entire government and even the republicans and Pompeo are calling them out, Trump still won’t condemn Russia and is saying maybe it was China. What does Putin have to do to get a negative word from Trump? Putin clearly has something on him.
You love spinning these lies. Trump knows that China is the bigger threat to our country and Joe Biden has so many business deals with that country that he is compromised. China will own our country under Biden and the Dems think it’s just great.
Democrats not only used, but abused mail-in ballots to win the election. So easy to know ahead of time using this scheme how far ahead President Trump would be and then lo and behold they could fill out as many mail-in ballots as they needed behind the scenes to take the lead.
So Pat are you saying that Trumps Secretary of State Pompeo lied to Trump about who did the hacking? If so why doesn’t Donald fire the SOB for lying to him?
Does anyone know what voting machines are used here? Also who can go through and audit the voting roles? Would love to see how many dead people voted in Mass or people who moved away. I know an old white guy who was stating it was easy for him to vote for Biden in Mass and Florida
So why do you think Putin accepts the election results? He and Trump are so close they talked about having a baby together but he accepts the democratic process and Trump should too.
Corporations and the powerful wealthy elite went global under Reagan 40 years ago withhis war on unions and public education the tax code and enviroment.
Who let Melle back on here? Always talking about pooping his pants. Scat play
Mele is just being …ready? ………Smelly.
Yeah, I might recommend him for an “honorable mention,” orbit award, if he would 100% guarantee to retire “poop in my pants,” and “slush fund.”
It’s like the 6 year-old who wants to keep telling you the same joke, every time he sees you.
Sorry for my incontinence. I will wear an adult diaper for now on.
In other words don’t post the same shit all the time.
Do you mean like Ed M? Or Pat?
It is like in the movie Groundhog Day.
Ok, but who is going to change the diapers for you?
No one who posts with their own name should be attacked by posters who don’t have the guts to be held accountable for what they post. Keep up the good work Jonathan.
Yeah, Accountability for using your own name like losing your job or many other retribution avenues that comes with that from people in the power and connected circles. Many issues are brought to light that normally wouldn’t be.
I;m not asking anybody to use their own name.My criticism is of those who attack and call names to people who are up front. JMel puts his thoughts out there and puts his name right with them. Read what the brave posters have said about him. If you don’t like what he posts, don’t read it. He’s not a public person like Farley et. al.
Good points. Real names are preferred though not required.
Yeah he puts his thoughts out there, and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. He a broken frigging record.
Okay,, 17 – 3, Clemson over Notre Dame, half time. We have a minor league pro football team against a team of college kids. Let’s see how the second half turns out.
Hope Clemson gets Alabama. Always love to see Alabama taken down.
But Notre Dame, in my opinion, does not deserve the playoffs.
So random
There was no “Four Horsemen” to be seen in this game.
JS2
True, unless you count Mr. Ed, Francis the Talking Mule, Trigger, and Seabiscuit.
CHUCK
Didn’t get much better in the 2nd half. Final, 34-10. This was Clemson’s 6th straight ACC title. So much for my 1-10 Orange. The national championship semifinals in early January: Alabama (1) v Notre Dame (4) … Clemson (2) v Ohio State (3). I see ‘bama and the Tigers again going for the title on Jan. 11. Before than game, I hope we can get your thoughts. We’ll probably have a few sheckles riding on the outcome.
December 19, 2020
Hello Patrick Fennell,
Happy Holidays. The Boston Herald’s editorial states that Representative Russell E. Holmes is running for Speaker of the State House of Representatives against Speaker DeLeo’s anointed successor Representative Ron Mariano. I wonder who the 4 State House members of the Berkshire delegation to Beacon Hill will vote for next for Speaker next month of January of 2021? I read that Pittsfield State Representative Tricia Farley Bouvier is already committed to vote for Ron Mariano for Speaker.
The fiscal year 2022 Massachusetts State Budget needs the State Legislature to raise state taxes in the first half of 2021 to produce a balanced budget. Will these career political hacks hold public hearings or host Town Halls for public input on their planned tax hikes? Probably not, but they will most likely support future Speaker Ron Mariano to keep business as usual on Beacon Hill to fund their lucrative pay and all other public perks paid for by the same state taxpayers they will raise state taxes on.
Lenox State Representative Smitty Pignatelli will soon be entering his 10th 2-year term on Beacon Hill. He voted for Felon Finneran, and Felon DiMasi for Speaker of the House, as well as 12-year-long Speaker DeLeo, who is going to cash in on a $135,000 per year taxpayer-funded state pension and then take a 6-figure sinecure at Northeastern University so that they can shakedown Beacon Hill for more state funds.
Smitty Pignatelli is on the public record supporting Beacon Hill’s secretive “public” business. Smitty Pignatelli voted for his own 40 percent pay raise in early-2017. Smitty Pignatelli supports the corrupt EPA and GE putting a toxic waste dump in Lee (Mass.), which is in the heart of his legislative district he does great disservices against. A majority of Smitty Pignatelli’s constituents are protesting the corrupt EPA and GE’s settlement and permit, but Smitty Pignatelli only cares about himself. I wish Smitty Pignatelli would step down from pubic office and stop enriching himself at the public trough.
Pittsfield State Senator Adam Hinds and State Representative Tricia Farley Bouvier are both on the public record supporting state tax increases in the first half of 2021 to balance the fiscal year 2022’s Massachusetts State Budget. I believe that Beacon Hill’s career politicians should vote to cut their pay and all other public perks by at least 50 percent first before they vote to raise state taxes.
In closing, our politicians only do disservices to the people they supposedly represent. I hope that State Representative Russell E. Holmes will reform Beacon Hill, but that would turn our nightmare into a sweet dream that will most likely be stopped by the likes of career political hacks such as Smitty Pignatelli.
Best wishes,
Jonathan Melle
About 30% of hospitalized Covid patients are in the hospital for another reason. Including many very sick people, on the verge of death. No matter why they entered the hospital, once they test positive they are viewed as Covid hospitalizations.
A few states provide this data but most try to conceal it. A recent Globe article provided confirmation from Mass Gen.
I can’t find the policy in MA, but in NY a death within 60 days of a positive Covid test (PCR or not!) is counted as a Covid death.
Oh the deception. Please, people. Wake. Up.
To my mocking critics: With all the crises Pittsfield and Berkshire County is facing, Jon Melle is the real problem! I am like a 6-year-old man-child who gets dozens of thumbs down here. I write about Matt Kerwood’s huge slush fund over and over again. I write over and over again that inner-city Pittsfield’s social services and after hours violent crime would make me poop my pants in fear if I was still there. I think it is all a joke because I am very immature for my middle-age of 45-years. I should say that I am “Marxist Melle” because I believe in Human Rights over big government and big business screwing all of us over with their disservices. I am a hypocrite for writing about Hunter Biden’s “bad boy behavior” because I voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump. I should say that PAC-Man Richie Neal should represent K Street Lobbyists over the people who live in his Western Massachusetts legislative district because that is how the game is played down in the Swamp. I should say that Tricia Farley Bouvier, Smitty Pignatelli, and Adam Hinds work hard for Pittsfield and Lenox on Beacon Hill getting nothing accomplished all year – of 2020 – long. Jon Melle should grow up and stop being so immature and redundant.
What else you got Jon ? Surprise us.
GE has no intention of ever cleaning its toxic dumping.Chemicals are dumped into the air and they settle on your tomatoes or lettuce.You eat it and you get ill.
What about under the Hess forest? What is going on under those old gas pump sites and does the mayor have any idea what is down there?
How do you know that your thumbs down aren’t coming from the people you criticize or attack daily in your posts? They watch the board and you can bet the house on it.
Looks like a 900 Billion dollar stimulus bill will be voted and approved today. Thirteen weeks of unemployment of 300 dollars and a 600 dollar individual check. State and local aid also will be included.
Read some about it in a few sites that it could happen soon.
China prepares to dominate the world under a Biden presidency. Beijing is giddy with delight. We have 370,000 Chinese students in the United States and we do not know which of these are committing espionage against our country. Many of our companies have been bought off by China. The influence of China is so great in this country that our own media defends China while putting down our country as evil racists. Our media has been bought off by China.
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6216531442001#sp=show-clips
That’s probably the dumbest and most racist comment I’ve ever heard on the Planet. I personally have known Asian students who come to the U S that are brilliant and good kids and adults. To group them especially as espionage threats is nonsense. To do ‘that’ you wouldn’t have to teach them from here?
RHEY
In my many decades of teaching at two colleges, I would agree. My best students were international students, particularly from Eastern Europe, the Pacific Rim, and Africa. Almost without exception, they were light years ahead of American students in terms of preparation, maturity, work ethic, desire to succeed, willingness to learn, and every other measure. U.S. students were inconsistent. Some good, others entitled, lazy, wanted it handed to them, couldn’t take constructive criticism (in teaching composition, fatal), lacking in basics, arrogant, over-inflated view of their abilities, not willing to work … you name it. This was true especially after 2000 or so. When I started at LeMoyne in 1977, this was not the case. If a kid was in college, he and she came there with a solid foundation for success. That remained the case through the 80s and most of the 90s. There were many factors to explain the decline. Tops has to be social media and misuse of the internet. A killer. Thanks for the comment.
The majority of college students from China are smart. Nobody is denying that. Our country needs to worry about foreign influence so I disagree with your lack of concern. It’s not racist to worry about this issue. We have had similar problems training on our military bases when it was found that the technology learned for 9/11 may have been learned by a student who was in the United States as part of the U.S.-Saudi military training partnership. It does happen and we shouldn’t be so quick to blame everything on racism and let down our guard.
I agree. Too much far right propaganda seeping into peoples heads and they lack the ability to sort it out from reality. Very sad as they are contributing to the decline of their well being.
Also,
It is true that China is now in the drivers seat as thee world power. Part of it is a result of their own motivation but also Americas cutting it’s own legs out from underneath itself. America is a shadow of what it was even four years ago. Get used to it Pat.
JA ET. AL.
It’s interesting that you guys are writing about China, because that’s going to be THE PLANET’s topic on Monday. China will be THEEEE story for the next 25 years.
Puleeeze?
Pat,
This anti China schtick has been propagated by Trump to take the heat off of Russia. We’ve been worried about Russia since the cold war but Trump becomes President and now they’re our best friends? Meanwhile they’re committing the greatest assault on this country since World War Two.
As for the 370,000 Chinese college students, in theory any foreign national presents an espionage risk, but you can’t close the door to all foreigners. The reality is that those 370,000 Chinese students get exposed to what a true democracy looks like and they may someday be in a leadership position in their own country and be able to affect change.
Nobody said Russia isn’t an enemy of our country and nobody has been harder on Russia than President Trump. Recall Obama making deals in secret with Russia when he thought the cameras were off. China and Russia may be working together at this point to weaken our country. This isn’t a schtick against China. These people are serious about wanting to make themselves the new superpower.
The highest court in Massachusetts on Tuesday struck down a state law making it illegal for people to ask for money for their own support on public roads.
A decision from the Supreme Judicial Court found that the law violated free speech rights because it prohibited people from requesting money for personal support on roadways but specifically allowed the sale of newspapers or event tickets.
The court concluded that asking motorists for personal donations “poses no greater threat to traffic safety than engaging in the same conduct for other” purposes that are permitted under the law.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts challenged the ordinance in a 2019 lawsuit accusing Fall River of aggressive enforcement. The group represented two homeless men who were accused of violating the law more than 40 times by Fall River police.
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A request for comment from Fall River’s mayor’s office was not immediately returned.
The ACLU of Massachusetts urged law enforcement agencies across the state to take heed of the decision.
“This ruling is timely, as a growing number of Massachusetts residents may need to rely on support from the public to make ends meet in the face of our current economic downturn,” said Ruth Bourquin, senior and managing attorney of the group.
The civil rights group said similar “anti-panhandling” ordinances in Worcester and Lowell were ruled unconstitutional in recent years.
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/12/15/top-state-court-strikes-down-massachusettss-anti-panhandling-law
Was there anything in there about beg-a-thons for mismanaged resturant/bars? Can they please still be allowed to feed from the public trougth and then cry poor me and pass the tin cup amoungst the peasants?
Maybe the Pittsfield homeless can hang out in front of and around Meth bar? Yuki has no issues panhandling money for herself, why not others? This would show her “helping the citizens,” as a city counselor. She could do at least one thing to help others……maybe?
All I want for Christmas is my two frosssshhheeee
A 97 year old man from the county died recently. Apparently he had molested children 50 years ago at a middle school. The Eagle decided this was newsworthy probably shaming the family for a reason I am trying to figure out.
Meanwhile murder in their own city or fraud in local government is not worthy of their time. And that is why they are failing. Upside down priorities.
Yeah,but apparently none lately? Good reply J A !