TUCKER AND THE VULCAN MIND MELD … POWELL, KA-POW! … METH’S PUNISHMENT … FORENSIC AUDIT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 3, 2021) — Time once again to clean out the notebook.
‘Not Quite Dead’ — Matthew Tucker, the once- public access coordinator at Pittsfield Community Television and now free on bail in connection with the district attorney’s charges of manslaughter and reckless endangerment in connection with his 10-month-old foster child, has a curious link on his Linked-In page going back three years ago. It seems to THE PLANET oddly prophetic. The fantasy superhero worshipper wrote this three years ago: “…things are very bad, but the patient isn’t quite dead yet — there are some cures that are still possible.” Perhaps the Trekkie is more advanced in the Vulcan Mind Meld than anyone knew.
Powell with the Ka-pow! — After the Pittsfield School Committee selected Jumpin’ Joe Curtis as the new school superintendent, member Dennis Powell resigned. Powell wanted Portia Bonner from Connecticut. He said race should be a major consideration. Powell and Bonner are black. After the 4-3 vote, Powell resigned from the committee, leveling a most serious charge. Powell said the fix was in for Curtis, who had been interim super. This would imply illegal meetings in violation of the Open Meeting laws and who knows what else, but since when it that news in Pittsfield. THE PLANET agrees with Powell that Bonner should have been the choice, not based on race but qualifications. An outside view would have been encouraging to bedraggled taxpayers, who have watched three out of every four public dollars eaten up by a department that year after year gets worse. With Curtis and the fix, Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski will get a full helping.
30 Days in the Hole — The 30-day suspension ordered by the Pittsfield Licensing Board against Methsuleh’s Tavern after the infamous screening of two wild videos taken inside the joint strike us as fair to both sides. Board member Kathy Amuso argued for a total shut down, but one shouldn’t rob someone of their livelihood except for the most serious of reasons. This didn’t qualify. Losing 30 days worth of business (May 1-30) extracts significant financial consequences from owner and city council member Yuki Cohen while giving her time live up to her promise of dramatic reform in the bar’s operations. The board also extended a longer ban on music there.
Forensic Audit — THE PLANET has long advocated microeconomics when it comes to the finances of every city department. We’re speaking of the urgent need to implement a forensic audit done by an outside firm with stellar reputation and complete independence. What other way can taxpayers find out if city spending has been on the level? To find out how our fearless legislators feel about this issue during this upcoming election season, we queried all 11 of our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council, asking them to take a stance: Tell us, “Forensic Audit, Yes or No and Why?” Councilors have until Thursday to get back to us with their responses. We plan to public them in The Weekend Edition. So far, THE PLANET has responses from Chris Connell and Tony Maffuccio. We wonder if any of them will be foolish enough to ignore this innocent yet vital request? We got the hammer ready just in case.
That’s it for today. THE PLANET bids you all adieu.
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“Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where’s it going to end” — Playwright Tom Stoppard.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
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I’m singing in the ran.
Forensic Audit, Yes
Where’s Guy and Peter when you need him
Disagree on the punishment. The key ingredient to her judgement is she broke license laws,many times. Her coveted license has no value when an owner violates that privilege,is taken away,which it wasn’t . Restauranters aren’t being treated equally. Her bailout would be to sell her license if she can,doesn’t it have value! Who wouldn’t break laws and not responsible if you knew you could ignore violations.
Yuki for Mayor!
The Lovely Linda will present her fiscal year 2022 municipal budget to Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski on Tuesday, May 11th, 2021. Beacon Hill has yet to negotiate and pass the fiscal year state budget, which means that Pittsfield politics can only guess on how much state aid the city and public school district will receive. I do not understand why municipalities and public school districts have to pass their fiscal year 2022 budgets prior to Beacon Hill passing the state budget that provides tens of millions of state dollars to each respective local government similar to the size of Pittsfield. It makes no sense to me.
I wonder how Matt Kerwood’s creative accounting schemes, shuffling city dollars around various city accounts, and slush funds that are estimated between $10 – $15 million would stand up to an independent forensic audit from early-2016 through the first 4 months of 2021 – or 5 years and 4 months? My guess is it would show that Matt Kerwood is deferring a majority of the city’s huge debt load and other hidden liabilities decades into the future, while making Pittsfield’s financial statements look good in the present for the Lovely Linda to be able to falsely say she has stabilized Pittsfield’s public finances.
Dennis Powell has it right about Pittsfield’s failing public school district. In Pittsfield politics it is always, always, always, always business as usual where the incestuous group of political insiders put themselves first, while everyone else comes in last. Pittsfield politics rules by fear and retribution. When one speaks out about it, such as Dennis Powell, they know they have two losing choices – stay in office and face retribution or resign his office in protest.
Like I said before, Matt Tucker, who is out on bail for the alleged manslaughter death of his 10 month foster child, is part of a failed bureaucratic state system that systemically fails foster children over and over again. It doesn’t make him right, but the whole social service system has also failed the innocent baby who lost his young life to weeks of neglect.
Yuki Cohen is not the problem with Pittsfield politics. She has made mistakes, which she is facing consequences, but Pittsfield politics has real issues and problems that are lot bigger than Yuki. Typical Pittsfield politics picks on the small fish, while the big fish screw over the Kapanskis year in and year out.
Why does the Planet call him Jumpin’ Joe Curtis rather than plain Joe Curtis? Also, “the fix was in.” Where have we heard that before? It seems that any time our side doesn’t win nowadays “its fixed’.
THOMAS
“Jumpin'” is an allusion to his remarkable tendency for rapid upward mobility. He’s not “plain.”
I think what it really means is when Jake said jump,Joe asked how high.
I wonder if the current owners had a complete and thorough audit done before they purchased the Berkshire Eagle. I don’t think you could find a CEO of a reputable Fortune 500 company that does not think forensic audits are vital to their operation.
Finance 101 in the business world. (Barry knows this but his job is to downplay its necessity)
I imagine there are about 9 city councilors shitting their collective undies this morning, caught between the wrath of the adminstration and actually doing the job the were elected to do.
DEPENDS ANYONE????
It’s called Backfnding.
Five things to summarize with the Yuki suspension. If you didn’t watch the licensing board meeting on PCTV you should
1. Maffuccio statement was absolutely pathetic sounds like he was half in the bag.
2. Judy Knight is God awful! Unprofessional and inept. People of Lee you will have a dumps in your town with her at the helm. Go get Erin Brockovich stat.
3. Letting a lawyer speak for the group of restaurant owners at this meeting was highly unprofessional and grounds for an appeal.
4. Not redacting customer s names on receipts during this circus really??
5 Some of the restaurant owners may want to look in the mirror if we want to talk about bars over serving customers who in turn cause fatal accidents capeesh? But I guess when you close an establishment the Victim’s family can’t collect. The old glasshouse theory should apply here.
Ask Yuki if she gets a tax break from the city on her business? Yes? No? Rather not say?
Dan, Before you opined about the suitability of Dr. Bonner, did you read this?
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20100509/NEWS/5090334
I disagree with you Dan on Bonner being the top candidate.
Thanks for posting that article, Namaste.
Based on her resume and other online articles, she didn’t have the experience, communication & political skills for the Pitt job. Not that Curtis does, either – he quite frankly has zero human relations skills and is more of a data hound than a guiding light.
I do agree Dan that uniforms are needed in the Pitt schools.
Thanks, FRITZ. And you could very well be right. Not being on the committee and lacking the intensives, perhaps Curtis was the better of the two. If that’s so, it would then mean a choice between two weak candidates. Curtis has shown no inkling to address the fundamental problems facing the PSD. And uniforms? 1000% yes!
Without dicipline, those who are there only because they have to be, will drag everyone else down with them. The teachers and school administrators see this in person and that is why most of their kids go to school out of Pittsfield.
I wonder if all those New Yorkers moving into the area are finding this out too late. Cuz they gonna be grabbin up all the opt out seats.
Maybe the committee also spoke to some other local school districts as well. According to an iBerkshires article, she was also a finalist for Mount Greylock and Lee Public Schools.
Thank you, NAMASTE. I was not aware of this article.
N
You know what, after reading this article, I am again convinced that Bonner was FAR superior to Curtiss, not even close. Two things specifically: 1. She wanted to implement school uniforms. 2. She was urged to “play ball” more with the school board. The first tells me she cares about what happens in the classroom. The second tells me she’s not afraid to implement a vision. Once again, Pittsfield blew it. Kudos to Dennis Powell for his principled stance.
If she refused to sign a non disclosure she may have shot herself in the foot.
All 4 finalists were mediocre.
The Pitt needs to get back to hiring on the basis of merit, not skin color.
And how far back woud they have to go to hire someone on merit?
even if she was the better candidate (that’s debatable and Curtis sets the bar LOW)
The way Dennis Powell is handling this is resemblant of a clown. He is unprofessional and essentially whining like a petulant child. His letter to Michele Benjamin was disgustingly whiny and it’s no surprise Josh Landes, local woke joke extraordinaire blasted it throughout facebook.
Powell purposely sent that to NPR for the publicity. As I stated above, like him or love him… Powell is a clown and has no business having any say in local government
Dan,
Bonner had problems in 4 districts. In one district when she learned her contract wouldn’t be renewed she told them she was going to sit on her a.. and do nothing for the next year.
Bonner finished 3rd out of four, only receiving Powell’s vote. She should have finished fourth.
Hire her because she is black…if the pendulum swings too far how this not exactly what Powell whines about daily. A wise man once said “be careful how much you hate someone, because sooner or later your hatred will turn you into that person.”
Nietzsche – “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster, and if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back at you.” I much prefer “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.” And Sun Tzu – The Art of War “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles…
If we are going to talk about equity we need people with disabilities in teaching and administrative positions too. Equity is more than just skin color. Where’s all the blind, deaf, and on the spectrum teachers?
Hello blogger Dan Valenti and blog readers and posters,
As I explained in the Planet’s weekend blog about economically distressed cities like Pittsfield, the regressive voluntary lottery tax or financial scheme/scam, and greedy lobbyist Daniel Bosley doing the bidding of big business on Beacon Hill as a North Adams State Representative and now a Beacon Hill registered lobbyist, the same goes for Pittsfield’s public school district, which is a huge cash cow for Pittsfield politics. It is so obvious to me that it hurts me to think that others don’t understand it: how state and local government operates via financial schemes/scams. The Lovely Linda and the 3 of the 6 Pittsfield School Committee members chose the inside candidate over the minority outside candidate for Superintendent because he will use Pittsfield’s Level 5 (or failing) public school district as a cash cow for Pittsfield politics instead of reforming the broken, overpriced and underperforming Pittsfield public school district. It is always about MONEY to state and local politicians in cities such as Pittsfield (Massachusetts). I wish I could get everyone out there to understand that state and local politicians use economic distressed cities such as Pittsfield, the state lottery scheme/scam, the overpriced public school districts, and corrupt politicians turned greedy lobbyists like Daniel Bosley as financial schemes/scams to enrich themselves instead of helping the working poor and underclass, more state money for cities and towns and public education, educating the common children, and serving the average taxpaying citizens such as Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. It is all about financial schemes/scams that take advantage of the proverbial Kapanski family and enriching themselves – the ruling and corporate elites – without the Kapanskis realizing what is really going on in City Hall and the Boston Statehouse. I see it as class warfare and mocking the ignorance of most of the people and taxpayers who don’t understand what is going on. It is all so very WRONG on so many levels.
Best wishes, Jonathan A. Melle
Just wondering why the school committee and city council refuse to meet in person!! The kids are going to school and workers are going to work, so why can’t our government? Peter at Pittsfield Co-Op has to go to the bank, why not city hall? Or they could do it outside in the grandstand at Wahconah Park. If they can do their jobs at home let’s kick them out and sell the buildings. Heck with hybrid learning the city could set up an every other week schedule for the High Schools and Middle Schools. PHS would go one week and then THS. It could all be done at our new HS. The Middle schools could follow and the sold schools would be for housing and go on our tax roles…it’s a win/win!!
Seems like they have found an even easier way to not do their jobs. Trying to understand why the mayor pushed to open resturants and get those kids and teachers back in the classroom but somehow 11 councilors spaced out behind a long desk are vunerable? Typical self serving Pittsfield govt. logic. It would be funny if it were not so sad.
It is with deep disgust that we inform you our District Attorney is so politically pandering that she has to post something like this on the official office FB feed about a murder in Boston. Maybe just focus on the murder victims here in Berkshire County. There are plenty.
Berkshire District Attorney’s Office
·
We are heartbroken by the loss of Jahaira DeAlto. We send our condolences to her family, her friends, and the entire LGBTQ community. She was such a powerful voice uplifting the transgender community.
Who does she speak for when she says WE are heartbroken? This well worn politician speak comes across as blah blah blah and probaly hurts more than helps because of its phoniness. Sometimes it is better to just be quiet.
It comes across as hollow. Stop doing it people. You did not know the person. You are not heart broken. It is recognizably phony.
The DA is a phony so does that make it authentic?
In the office she asked. “Was she a guy before?”
Nipples has no clue, she’s just pandering to the LGBTQ community. She doesn’t really care about them, or any other victim, except when they offer a photo op.
African Americans ✅ photo ops galore
Homeless✅ Photo op in the park
Police ✅ only when they die and Kroll tells her to go to the funeral
Rape victims ✅ still waiting on those hundreds of Williams cases to be prosecuted
Drug Addicts ✅ if it gets you a free trip to Europe
Alcoholics ✅ unless they are white men. If they are white men they need to be friends of her family.
Abused Women ✅ until they start asking for help or victims services.
Still waiting on Asians, handicapped, mentally impaired.
Brian Marquis farted and out came you.
They were good friends you seem to have a black heart grow up.
She should be looking into the Craig Swinson home fire.
I’m no fan of the DA but, the murder victim she’s referring to was from Berkshire County. She graduated from BCC in 2019 and worked as a counselor at The Elizabeth Freeman Center. Their paths have probably crossed. The victim relocated to the Boston area to continue her education.
Wrongway didn’t cross paths with her ever.
Wrongway has a tremendous amount of disdain for the LGBTQ community, as she does for the African American community, and illegal immigrant community.
If you heard what she has said in private about those communities, you’d know exactly why she’s the biggest phone in all of western MA
Ohh tell us? you sound like a 12 year old little girl on snap chat.
That point will go right over his head.
No she was from Boston not from here. What is the DA’s track record working with lgbqt persons before getting elected? Zip, right? It’s pure politics.
I’m pretty sure she wasn’t commuting from Boston to go to BCC or to work at The Elizabeth Freeman Center. The DA is, reportedly, very involved with the Freeman Center. Their paths would have probably crossed there. Doesn’t necessarily have to be an LGBTQ issue. Jahaira was continuing her education in social work at Simmons College at the time of her murder.
Another video from Meth
https://youtu.be/SjbPi00k_ME
Senator Mitt Romney met apparently for the 1st time the KKK Qanon Fox News followers.That party is sick and if you identify with that stuff your nuts.Go Joe,we need to spend 20 rebuilding infastructure. Americans who feel good about 2021 is at almost 60% and the other 40 can be explained
Willard Mitt Romney ran for Prez in 2012 with tax shelter accounts in the Cayman Islands. Joe Biden ran for Prez in 2020 with his troubled son Hunter’s business taking in many millions of dollars from China. Hunter Biden is under federal law enforcement investigation for money laundering from his business dealings with adversarial foreign countries such as Russia and China. The Romney and Biden families are all fabulously wealthy from their political connections and business/tax schemes. It must be nice to live in the Swamp with all of the corruption and big dollars. Sarcasm: $100 is still a lot of money to someone like me, but I don’t live on Wall Street, in the Swamp, or in China or Russia.
JM nice reply, yet you still vote and support the Democrats. It is difficult to move past your idealistic look at the political parties to see what they actually do in the real world. Look at how the parties operate with open eyes and you won’t ever vote for the Democrats again, unless they make a drastic change
Romney’s claim to fame and his fortune was to saddle company’s with debt and extract millions from those same companies. Wasn’t K B Toys one of his victims?
That is the key word….swamp,it’s back to the swamp.
TSC, the KKK is affiliated with the Democrats. They have a long history of sending KKK people to congress, like Senator Byrd. Racist Byrd was good friends with the Clintons, Biden, even Barry Sotero. Many congress critters from both the RINOs and liberal/socialists don’t care if you are associated with the KKK, if supporting them fits their agendas and goals. Dingy Harry Reid for one.
The Twitt/Mittens was a urine poor governor for mASSachusetts, the reason Sotero won re-selection in 2016, and since 2019 has served as a two-faced RINO senator from Utah.
The main reasons he is in the senate are, he’s a faux Mormon, and is currently serving Utah.
As the council gets together to talk budgets I am waiting to see if or “good councilors “ listen to their constituents, aka the Kapanski’s, and cut the budget so our taxes will be lower. This will even help TSC who is looking for tax relief. If they want to start easy eliminate the CPA which I still haven’t figured out how it passed. If they need more ideas they can come to the Planet and ask for ideas or help. BTW seeing how Dumpster Earl listens to his constituents I expect him to lead the charge
“How three major news organizations all got a story about Rudy Giuliani wrong”
Well, isn’t that a fuckin’ surprise.
Here’s the rule: Distrust the media/”journalists,” because you’ll never verify, and neither will they.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/how-three-major-news-organizations-all-got-a-story-about-rudy-giuliani-wrong/ar-BB1gkiZd?ocid=uxbndlbing
Will Marchetti lead the charge to get his constituents a forensic audit? As someone in the banking industry who vets business s for loans he knows well the value of the forensic audit and may have initiated a few in his time. Do it Pete. Do it for Pittsfield and all the wonderful hopeful people who keep voting for you. You work for them. NOT the adminstration.
THE PLANET asked councilors about this issue. Our deadline is Thursday 6 p.m. So far we have heard from Chris Connell, Tony Maffuccio, Kevin Morandi, and Yuki Cohen. All are in favor. Earl Persip replied asking for a clarification of the question. The others have remained silent. They have another day to respond. Our full report will be posted in the upcoming Weekend Edition.
Can’t wait to see their responses!
Thanks for surveying the City Councilors on this issue!
Dan.Last info on G E. BUY. A Steal.
Ask them if they support telling Curtis to try school uniforms. What’s the harm? It can’t be any worse than these North Street experiments.
Let’s see if all of their resposses seem a tad boilerplate. Simliar and possbily having been thrown together for them in the corner office. The mayor can’t get mad at ya if she wrote your answer for ya Pete.
That means Parsnip doesn’t know what forensic audit means.
?
Easier to look the other way. Do you think fudgey is going to go along with a forensic audit….come on man.
Dan. Helen Moon is not running for re-election. What a loss.
Helluva loss? Like losing your hair kinda loss. Or pulling it.
First hundred days under Biden stock market up over 9 %. But that’s because of the stimulus money injected the second time. One more round is need though,in my opinion
Gas prices up 33%, wood 200%….
Moonbeam is out Nipples got to her. The threats are real.
Did she move to Dalton?
I see Helen Moon isn’t running for a third term for councilor.
Don’t think she’d be re-elected anyway.Don’t think Barry would have been elected a few years ago either. I’d send them all down the road. I’d like to see the current Mayor run again….Matt Kerwood.
Dans question pushed her over the edge,
So. While she won’t be a candidate for City Council this year, Moon said she is ready to assist other candidates for office, particularly women of color, and hinted at someone she would like to see succeed her in the Ward 1 seat.
“If you are someone who is interested in running for office, especially if you are a woman and woman of color, a person of color, I would love to talk to you,” Moon said. “And if you are in Ward 1 and a woman of color, cough cough [Pittsfield Public Schools Cultural Competency Coach] Shirley Edgerton, I am, I’m all in.”
Check out her racist and sexist rank on facebook.
I don’t know to much about to much ,but went down North Street today and if those bicycle lanes aren’t the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen?Seriously Mayor?
What is our diversity and inclusion leader going to say
TSC did you see where the judge in MI ruled the election was illegal!!! I hope you are taking your medicine tonight