CLUES REVEAL BLUES FOR CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS OVER CITY’S ‘FREE’ e-SCOOTER PROGRAM … PLANET’S INVESTIGATION HINTS AT SECRET DEAL
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2022) — While other cities — large, metro areas such as Memphis, TN; Dallas, Texas; Paris, France; and Syracuse, NY — have either tried-then-banned e-scooters or did the right thing in the first place and not allowed them at all — Pittsfield, MA, ever days late and dollars short, is just catching up with the delirious stupidity that periodically catches municipalities in webs woven from fake tales about environment and convenience.
Pittsfield justified the decision by painting it as an offer it could not refuse. Yeah, well let’s look into this e-scooter impending disaster and the city’s claim that it would be offered free to the city.
There’s one born every minute, as W.C. Fields used to say.
———- ooo ———-
Ricardo Morales, the tin-badger officially known as “Commissioner of Public Works and Utilities” but known to the city as “Ricky’s Rumpus,” said the one-year program wouldn’t cost the city a cent. He said “micromobility” company Bird is “partnering” with the city “at no cost.” Scooter users will pay $1 up front and 39 cents a minute thereafter. Of this, the city gets 15 cents. Every sucker who’s ever been taken knows the meaning about offers that are too good to be true.
Ricky conveniently left out the dimensional reality of the finances. He did, however, inadvertently leave a clue, probably owing to his innocence of not realizing how he’s being played as a bag man by and for the Tyer Administration. Rumpus said “a local company” will manage the fleet of scooters.
Warning! Warning!! Danger, Will Robinson!!!
That “local company” will have a private contract with Bird and will be responsible for charging them. Yeah, but what about maintenance? Safety checks? The myriad of other headaches that come with mechanized devices? He didn’t say.
Did you get the clue?
“A local company.”
Great.
What local company? Again, Rumpus didn’t say.
Why didn’t the city mention the “local company” who got the contract?” Why hasn’t it offered details on how the deal was constructed? What, if anything, is the city hiding?
———- ooo ———-
Once again, Tyer & Co. choose obfuscation over transparency, forcing THE PLANET ferret for information. Here’s what we have heard. Mind you, there’s no official conformation, but also has been no denial.
THE PLANET‘s Z-Agents in the public works department and city hall say it wasn’t Bird who contacted the city but the other way around. Sources allege that someone within the city administration asked an employee to approach Bird through their spouse, providing culpable deniability if some snoopy ink-stained wretch and reporter-type should ever ask if the city invited Bird to be transportation’s White Knight. Scooters are good the the environment, all Al Gore and Green New Deal.
More like All Gored and Green Day’s “American Idiot.”
Sources say this person contacted Bird and set up the deal for the city, acting as a “well compensated” middle man (or woman). Since Company Fillintheblank will have a private contract with Bird, the terms — the real terms, not necessarily the ones publicly mentioned in the city’s PR, propaganda, and puffery — can be and remain undisclosed.
How nice. No way to know what kind of dollars were and will be exchanged once this foolish and dangerous program gets under way.
THE PLANET puts it squarely to mayor Linda Tyer and Rumpus: What is the name of the company? And does this company’s principals have any connection, direct or indirect, with the city?
When the phone doesn’t ring, we will know it’s Tyer and Rumpus not getting back to us.
———- ooo ———-
“We’re planning on the future of transportation for Pittsfield, we recognize that micro mobility plays a key role in that future by providing a bridge to get trips that are further away and are not quite feasible or comfortable by walking, bringing them closer,” Rumpus told iBerkshires‘ Brittany Polito.
Yeah, and the name of the bridge is The Brooklyn Bridge, because that’s what Rumpus is trying to sell.
Correction: We mean, “has already sold.”
——————————————————————————–
“Rats and roaches live by competition under the law of supply and demand” —Wendell Barry.
LOVE TO ALL.
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I’m betting the first E Scooter accident will be because of drug and alcohol use. I’m also betting the first drive by on a E Scooter will happen by Linden St.
First e-scooter accident, North and Fenn streets. First drive-by: John Street. Other predictions, anyone?
Accident, First and Fenn
Drive by North and Bradford
First and Fenn and Linden and Francis.
First E scooter accident, will be on a sidewalk. First drive by First Street, in front of Cumbies.
On the railroad tracks at the bum smoking park and on the YMCA dumpster.
First accident: Seymour and Linden
Drive by: John Street and West Union
First body of water you’ll find a bird tossed in: West Housatonic River, Columbus Ave bridge.
I had those streets down for where the first E Scooter jacking takes place.
What’s the over/under on when the first scooter has its brake lines severed by vandals? Also, the over/under on when the first scooter will end up in the Housy or Silver Lake?
I’m betting on them being tossed onto the railroad tracks. I don’t think they can make it to silver lake.
How soon before they are cut for scrap?
Should be amusing when these things appear.
(Joking): I can picture a 300-pound Homer Simpson like stoned Pittsfield dude on an e-scooter passing the Lovely Linda driving her Lexus around Pittsfield.
Sounds like you’re describing Barry
Who will pay for the electricity?
(Joking): Dan Valenti will pay for the electricity from the profits from his awesome blog.
Help Dan out then! Contribute from your awesome blog profits?
We shall take this up with our board. On the table: THE PLANET give 99% of our profits to the e-scooter program. It will be “an economic engine” contributing to the “renaissance” of the city.
“It’s Happening”
Pittsfield politics FACTS:
* Pittsfield is always in the top 10 cities for violent crime by population in Massachusetts every year, according to the FBI, which doesn’t attract small business investment
* Pittsfield’s failing Level 5 public schools are the WORST in the state, which doesn’t attract middle class families
* Polluted PEDA will turn 24-years-old this Summer of 2022 and the debacle has millions of dollars in always increasing debts/liabilities, which doesn’t attract Fortune 500 companies – even Wal Mart
* Pittsfield taxpayers pay record high municipal taxes and fees for substandard public services and failing public schools – what a rip-off! No wonder why Pittsfield has lost thousands of people to population loss, as well as thousands of living wage jobs, over the past 50 years.
* Mayor Linda Tyer is sitting on tens of millions of dollars in city cash from her Biden Bucks and Kufflink’s Slush Funds, but she is still raising municipal taxes and fees to record high levels, which Ward 2 City Councilor Charles Ivar Kronick pointed out in his letter about the Mayor shafting his mostly poor, inner-city, post industrial, distressed Ward out of its equitable share of the state’s Chapter 90 road funding
* Mostly middle class and wealthy Ward 4 decides the outcome of every citywide state and local election, which means the other 6 Ward don’t really matter to City Hall’s powerbrokers, especially on election day
* Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer lives in a mansion valued at over $800,000 in an elitist Gated Community within a few feet from the Hancock border, and she takes her marching orders from Pittsfield’s failed former Mayor also known as Godfather Jimmy Ruberto who lives in wealthy Naples Florida, which is totally disconnected from Pittsfield’s distressed economy
* Pittsfield State Representative Trippy Country Buffet has been in Boston for a little over one decade now, and she has accomplished nothing there since the Autumn of 2011
* Pittsfield’s lame duck State Senator Chrome Dome Adam Hinds lives in a $690,000 home in Amherst, Massachusetts which is represented by State Senator Jo Comerford
* PAC Man Richie Neal only represents wealthy K Street corporate lobbyist firms in Washington, D.C., Ed Markey lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Elizabeth Warren hasn’t yet delivered for Main Street (and she never will)
Jon Melle
While they are digging for this information perhaps they can find out how much the parking meters are costing the taxpayers. Is it true that they make more money from parking tickets than from the meters themselves? Well that would not be very welcoming to a downtown would it?
Local media recently had some graph depicting the amounts of money spent on road repair for the last 8 years or so and, guess what? The graph seemed to indicate that Pittsfield spent more on road repair in the last several years than ever before. What that reaffirmed to me is that you cannot believe one goddamn thing that comes out of this city hall. And I say that because I have eyes and I can see and I have been around quite a while. This administration has seen the power of alternative facts and is throwing them out there hoping the ignorant majority will absorb them.
With the initial purchase of the kiosks and the upkeep plus cost of employees in the parking dept not to mention vehicle for the parking patrol , I doubt any claimed revenue. But kerwood can use creative accounting to cook the books.
Doing the Biden
I would like to know if the contract was awarded legally? Doesn’t it have to go out to bid? Also what about the union’s shouldn’t they be involved in construction and maintenance? Something smells. Now if these motorized vehicles can drive in the bike lanes does that open them up to other motorized vehicles? So many questions. Where will they leave these motorized things?
There is ZERO oversight so we will never know.
The financials are in a double lock box in a vault in a cellar under the sea. And if you think there is going to be a forensic audit to look at them you have not been paying attention.
The city of Pittsfield, and specifically the board of health, is really trying to get the city sued.
They’ve issued an cease and desist order to Verizon over a properly cited cell tower.
The legal address of the property is based on frontage and access and is an address assigned by the city.
If something is amiss with a permit, special permit or otherwise, any abutter has 20 days to file an appeal.
The health issues related to cell towers are not the purview of the board of health, and they know this or at least should. The board of health issued a cease and desist order with no legal right, no legal path forward, no lawyer, and without funds to hire one.
No matter where you stand on the health issues of cell towers, the process by which the BOH approached this is completely wrong. They will end up costing the city thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in a countersuit.
and little linda is the unqualified leader? of our city she is both unqualified and incompetent PALOOKVILLE is a nightmare.
Linda is convinced Pittsfield has not hit the bottom yet.
But, she feels confident that she and her pals can find it.
her ass is so padded she wouldnt know when she hit the bottom
How about the moo moo she wore at the council meeting?
The Berkshire Eagle will run an article showing people carrying a bag of groceries while precariously balancing on their scooter and call it “The future of Transportation in The Berkshires”. Don’t let all of that ice scare you off from riding your scooter in the winter because your scooter will have winter tires. The climate activists will justify any broken bones or deaths from the scooters as “Taking one to save the climate”.
The Ayatollah John Kerry will be proud. Remember, “climate change” and “white supremacy” are the two biggest issues according to Xi Xiden and the rest of the democRATS.
Now they will want a scooter lane in addition to a bike lane. Then a transgender scooter lane.
Yes, and then a bipolar scooter lane, a POC scooter lane, and a gender-equity scooter lane (not the same as the transgender one).
Which lane will hipster doofus Caccamo use?
When shit goes terribly wrong & litigation ensues, the Commonwealth is the benefactor- not the victims. Opiates, Misconduct, Malfeasance….. Class Action Scooter Injuries the Ass-Monkey-Mayor gets paid. Not Joe.
So they got the guy who broke into the courthouse and turns out he is also a multi-repeat offender out on bail for serious crimes. Who is this guy connected to and how was he able to break into the courthouse in the first place?
He will face time if Milltown says so. The clown broke into the Gateway Inn owned by them. Stole $8 G’S and credit cards and used them from there.
It is curious how the Eagle can do a deep dive into some innocuous story like how many Easter eggs will be at the big hunt this week but then do a touch and go on a story like that. Just weird huh?
For some clarification, the company Bird is the contract holder with the local “gig” company to reclaim the scooters. By doing it that way, the contract to the third party maintenance company does not have to be bid out.
This contract is not a “for bid” contract as it doesn’t actually have an outlay of capital by the city.
Well there’s some time involved by DPW workers making bike and scooter lanes, setting of the “nests” but that’s already been done as part of the grant for the bike lanes. The bike lanes are now a maintenance issue, not a capital expense.
This has the stink of Kerwood all over it.
Where this is a huge disservice to the community is in the subrogation and diversion of resources to maintain this program by DPW staff. A good example was the recent lane painting on north street. Would you rather that money be spent on lane painting or on road repair?
If the city actually cared about “micro mobility” they would try and make it as affordable as possible. The city, like many others, would reduce its profit to zero.
One other problem with this program, since it’s a project program, the city did not competitively bid it. The city should have contacted all micro mobility companies and asked them to bid on the “right and privilege” to operate in Pittsfield. My understanding from a person in kufflinks office is this did not happen. The contract was entered into because on the backend the “gig” contractor is a friend of the administration.
LAWYER
You information from City Hall aligns with mine. Finance told THE PLANET no other “micro-mobility” firms were approached. Also, as our column indicated, the principal in the local company handling maintenance is, as you put it, “a friend of the administration.”
Be that as it may who will ride the scooters and where will they go? Maybe I’m missing something but I see this as another Pittsfield flop. Will the North St. Street urchins even have credit cards to activate these contraptions?
Now we know why they moved 3rd Thursday, although I would have loved seeing a “human obstacle Ricky Rumpass “!!
EBT/Cash plastic cards? Wondering if that would come into play?
Does anyone google these e-scooters? Europe is throwing these companies out of their cities and these are places where tourists would actually want to go. The whole thing is baffling.
https://www.wired.com/story/escooters-accidents-europe/
Yes I did . Here is a report from CNN from 2019 similar to the above story but a bit more in depth.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/electric-scooter-bans-world/index.html
Speaking of the stink of Kufflinks, has he organized his books for the forensic audit yet? I would like to see it finished by budget time.
Also, is it true that the last Charter “revison” was done based on the boiler plate for the Civic Authority”? And the reason I ask is because it seems to have accomplished the Civic Authority goals. Right Matt? (whenever I hear or see the name Kerwood I think of the Civic Authority…… because he was so deeply involved in its rollout.)
THE PLANET will have something on this for The Weekend Edition. You won’t want to miss it because it’s another example of Pittsfield fiction.
Ask Sherman he was the one who snuck it through when no one was looking
Under Ronald Reagan and Republicans the mortgage rate in the mid 80s was 14%.Money markets CD s paid 17%.Reagan sucked.Clinton fixed that mess and got impeached for lying .The World financial collasped happened under Bush Junior in 2008 so Obama fixed it as Trump said he was not an American.Trump took over after losing the popular vote as Obama to the 8500 MARKET to 19000 k.Trump then took 2 trillion out of the economy for the elite.Biden is now trying to clean up Trumps COVID mess…..its a cycle of failed republicans….BOOM
The only thing Obama fixed was his nest, which he feathered mightily during his duration.
You are not aware of how the Bush term ended.
Wrong President, those rates were in the 70’s with Peanut farmer as POTUS
By 1985 the mortgage rates under Ron were going down.You could get a 3 year variable at 12 1/4 and the fixed was much higher.You don’t have the facts
Don’t know where you were getting your mortgage but mine was at 7% in early 80’s. Maybe it had something to do with your credit rating. Early 80’s after Reagan got to work fixing the Stagflation that Carter and the Democrats controlling Congress caused rates started tumbling. Go back and read the right papers TDS and stop watching CNN and MSNBC. You are definitely brainwashed
I will show you……Google….Morgage rates in 1985…Boom
FOX is going crazy about mortgage rate at 4.75%…..The planet remembers the oil shortage of 1970s undet Nixon….then rationing…..We have oil price gouging
Very fake information
You are not allowed to say fake news to the truth.
no truth comes from tsc
Common Sense is the problem
https://theliberalpatriot.substack.com/p/the-democrats-common-sense-problem?s=r
Even pigeons are wise to Biden
Harrington, pictured at a anti police bullying rally dressed in wifebeater outfit perfect for the psych ward. Now says investigation into PPD will take until Oct, convenient for after the primary election.
https://www.wamc.org/news/2022-04-12/da-harrington-says-estrella-killing-investigation-could-take-as-long-as-six-months
It does not say the reason for the delay. What are the excuses? Covid?
She needs more time to figure out who she is going to side with. She and team are going over data on gaining/losing votes from each group. Keeping her job is priority #1.
She looks great.
If you are white trash at the Big E
You and Melle-Oi
no nips?
Eeeegads….she needs a stylist!
Where’s the camel toe?
We’ll do some more digging and find out. She has dodged you before.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/editorials/our-opinion-when-will-the-pittsfield-community-have-the-answers-it-needs-in-estrella-shooting/article_f453aa62-bb42-
11ec-a309-f312e0006cf6.html
Doing it and doing it and doing it well
Doing it and doing it and doing it well
Doing it and doing it and doing it well
The evidence probably clears the cop and Squeaky doesn’t like it
The investigation will not clear the police. It was very clearly negligence and negligent homicide
It’s all going to hinge on why the officers didn’t take him into custody the first time, self-harm is a mandatory hold. Then it will move to the second contact of taser training and the delayed 2 shots.
It was stupid of her to even be part of this investigation, they should have used a different DA’s office to lead the investigation or asked the AG’s office to do it.
Surprised if she is not required to recuse herself / office per conflict of interest.
Is this the same lawyer who assaulted his elderly father? Asking for a friend.
No. He should have been disbarred for that.
If anyone attacks me with a knife I hope a ninja lawyer comes to my rescue and kung foos his ass
Hey, F Lee Buffoon—were you there?
No flimsy dick but I have seen enough of the videos from that night from “interested parties” to know it’s going to go poorly for the police. It will go poorly for the DA as well.
Bare facts of the case; police interjected with an individual self harming with a knife.
Police had that person in custody and are required by law to hold that person for eval.
Police let that person go under the presumption of him refusing medical treatment. The legal requirement being, Estrella was not competent to refuse treatment and the police were responsible for his care.
Calls to the crisis person were answered and then were unanswered.
The sun one set of police set upon Estrella from different directions often issuing different commands. They did not have command of the scene nor did they appropriately work together.
The taser deployment was not by policy.
The officer that fired their weapon shot one round, you can clearly see Estrella stop. It’s hard to tell but it sounds like the knife actually hit the ground and then the officer fired again, after the knife hit the ground. This evidence is not being shared with the local DA but will be shared with those doing the civil rights investigation.
In either instance it’s bad for the police, the first set of officers negligently failed in their dusty which set forth a course of events that would have been wholly avoidable if not for their negligence.
The second contact, the officers violated about a dozen procedural rules regarding use of force. The double tap by the officer with the long delay is quite damming.
Police totally innocent. As well they should be.
Sounds like someone is withholding evidence.
There is no requirement that private citizens turn over video to the police, especially of those police or the DA are either subjects of the investigation or citizens are worried about the incompetence of the DA. This would not be a case of spoliation as the intent is to turn it over to federal authorities due to concerns of corruption or incompetence at the local and state level.
BCDAO Attorney’s have been promoted into the DOJ. There is no Justice System. Not on any level.
As an officer of the court aren’t you required to provide evidence you’re aware of?
The police have contacted the individual(s) that recorded the video or at least those individuals are known to the police. If the people in question don’t want to share the videos with a DA’s office and the police who were at the center of this shooting that is up to them.
I am not a court officer in MA.
You are not much of a lawyer because you clearly do not know the section 12 law that says “may”, not “shall”. Absent a signed pink slip the cops are not mandated to transport for psych evaluation. So grind you axe into another tree!
I think there’s some cases that have said that’s not true. Police and first responders have been sued and have lost their jobs. I think it happened even in Dalton
My money is on the police. They tried tasers. Game over.Harrington should recuse based on incompetence.
My money’s on your theory, Agent!
Are you kidding? The DA is absolutely fetching in that look. You may not like her politics but you don’t have to lie about her effortless beauty.
Let me guess, you’re actually the King of Gotcha stories and self promoting your race baiting garbage, sorry, journalism
You people really voted in a doozy.
Playing politics with a police shooting – kick her ass to the curb in the primary!
Pittsfield Councilor Objects to Appointments; Police Remove Men With Petition / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
Very few “volunteers” get put on “commissions” without being connected to city management, official or otherwise. And your independent thoughts on any given subject can just stay in your head because you are not there for your opinions. You are there for your approval vote. i.e. “We want to spend 2 million more dollars on unspecified Clapp Park renovations. Vote up or down please. Thank you. Everyone has voted yes per prior agreement. Matt? Get out the checkbook please”
Joking: The “Volunteer” Commission to screw over Mary Jane & Joe Kapanski.
Who should the Lovely Linda nominate?
Jon Melle for the Cap and Gown committee
Any board or commission membership currently staffed. Of course, they’re are already doing the job.
What is the difference between an authoritarian government that doesn’t allow free speech and a local government where speech is free but ignored?
It’s telling that Persnip said that he “knows these people”.
And that’s what matters to them, he knows that they will toe the line.
Thanks for sharing, JM. Once again, Councilor Kronick was spot-on with his objections to the tired, same-old-same-old for boards and commissions. Marchetti’s calling Kronick’s excellent questioning “a public flogging” suggests he needs to revisit the Rosary’s Second Sorrowful Mystery. Instead of reappointing retreads and appointing the “connected,” the city should ask the question of why so many average citizens, Kapanskis, don’t bother. Could it be that if you don’t go along 100% with what The Suits want, you get harassed and abused? Kronick is the only one earning his keep on that dais.
Pete likes rubber stampers. He thinks the council is there to lick Tyer’s boots.
The smart money says that Tyer sends text messages to Marchetti and other boot lickers during CC meetings
Kalinowsky put the mayor on the spot regarding her appointments.
Marchetti is having trouble controlling her. It is upsetting to him when they do not fall in line behind him and the mayor. He was taught that ducklings follow the Momma duck, and he gets confused when one or two ducks step out of line. He is absolutely dumbfounded that a sitting Pittsfield councilor would question anything his mayor puts out there.
“That’s not how we do things in Pittsfield. We do as we are told”
Finally councilors who understand they represent the citizens and not the mayor.
Kronick, Kalinowsky. Special K, the Breafast Food of the Kapanskis (they’re Ks, too, and almost always KO’d by government at ALL levels).
Actually I have volunteered for decades but of course I am never found to be the cane they want. Many ward councilors, at-large councilors and mayors have always said I will get you on a committee, but as you always say Dan when the phone doesn’t ring we know who it is
It’s like my mind to your pen here. I am even prepared words to these points Wed. morning.
You got a spy in my home office? I’m riffling through my rolodex (way too good a deal on ebay which makes me wonder what I bought) and my xmas cactus.
Pittsfield SentinelDavid Engel · p
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No mention of Miguel Estrella during last night’s meeting and Mayor Tyer herself tabled the appointment of new PPD Officers at the meeting.
Why did it get tabled? Is their a problem with some of them?
Lazy Linda knows if the officers are appointed, it is tradition to welcome the new officers with applause from her and the crowd. She can’t be seen welcoming new police officers like this. What would the chief race-baiter himself, Dennis Powell, think of Lazy Linda then?
Dennis doesn’t give a rat’s a$$ that most of the violent crime in Pittsfield is being committed by young black men. Nope, Denny knows when cops deal with POC who happen to be large in size, the first reaction of the cop (wink, wink, for YT) is to hunt the POC. Denny speaks with his years of experience arresting armed felons to offer this opinion too.
The Tzar of Race, Shirley Edgerton, could quit her position of indoctrinating young white children that they are born racist and will always be racist, unless the agree with her racis….progressive views. What would vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive Pittsfield do without Shirley?
And the new DIE office chief, OB, could take offense too. He’s getting paid $100k plus bennies to, I’m not sure what he does? There’s still no job description.
That’s why she tabled it last night.
I doubt it. Courtney shouldn’t have been a candidate to begin with. He’sva liability before being considered. Who dropped the ball on that. Wake up Pittsfield.
I think his grandpa used to be the sheriff…..GOB family.
I don’t care if his grandpa was President. He’s a liability.
Parking officer arrested | Archives | berkshireeagle.com
and
Officer gets deal on disorderly case | Archives | berkshireeagle.com
Berkshire Eagle, Tuesday February 15, 2011
PITTSFIELD — An aspiring cop challenged a Pittsfield police officer to a fight outside a city bar over the weekend, according to law enforcement officials.
Shaun Courtney, 24, a Pittsfield parking control officer, was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with Sunday’s incident at the Home Plate, an East Street bar.
Courtney, who denied all charges Monday, is free on personal recognizance and due back in District Court for a Feb. 24 pretrial hearing.
Courtney works for parking superintendent Francis Annello, who didn’t return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment Monday. Personnel Department officials declined to respond to questions about Courtney’s employment status and deferred comment to the mayor’s office, which directed all inquires to city solicitor Richard M. Dohoney.
“I can confirm that he is an employee,” Dohoney said of Courtney.
But the attorney couldn’t say whether the parking officer is facing any disciplinary action by the city.
“Employees have privacy rights that we have to protect,” Dohoney said.
It remains unclear whether Courtney has returned to his job, ticketing motorists who park illegally on city streets.
Courtney was represented by attorney Mark T. Brennan, who couldn’t be reached for comment.
Police were called to the Home Plate just after 2 a.m. Sunday for a report of a patron who wouldn’t leave after the bar had closed for business.
Officers Christopher Whitney and Michael Murphy said they encountered Courtney at the rear of the bar, where a staff member had blocked Courtney from re-entering through a back door.
Bar owner Francis Mangiardi told police that Courtney stated “he was going to be a police officer and was on the Civil Service list.”
When the officers confronted Courtney, they claimed he refused to give his correct name, first calling himself “Mike” then “Robert Horne.” Police said the latter is the name of a dispatcher for the Pittsfield Police Department.
Police offered to give Courtney a ride home, while Mangiardi offered to pay for a taxi. But Courtney said he was “going back into the bar to finish drinking,” according to a report by Whitney.
Police said the situation grew tense when Courtney began staring at Whitney’s gun, then allegedly stated, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to get your gun.” Courtney then shifted his focus to Murphy, telling the officer, “I’m bigger than you. You want to tassle [tussle]?” police said.
After Courtney assumed a “fighting stance,” police said, the officers cited Courtney’s “challenging and aggressive manner” as sufficient grounds for an arrest. Courtney continued to be uncooperative back at the police station, prompting officers to halt the booking process several times.
Courtney blew a kiss at Whitney as officers attempted to take Courtney’s mugshot, police said.
No Courtney to much scrutiny.. Can you say lawsuit?
You can hire someone who has already broken the law and is lawless to begin with. Evidentially your mayor ignored the list to begin with.
Let’s not forget that Mr David Engel’s reaction to Miguel’s death was not at WOKE as he’s playing it now.
‘Woke’ is a cursed-sanctimonious excuse to avoid Goliath. It’s a grave human failing.
After Pittsfield City Council never mentions Estrella killing, Marchetti tells WAMC: “We probably should have” | WAMC
Maybe they should mention it when a POC kills another POC.
Over 100 people sign petition to equip Pittsfield Police with body cams | WWLP
You have to love our State Legislators? Massachusetts is sitting on a huge surplus of tax revenue (or in other words the citizens money). What do they decide to do? Will they lower our tax rate to what the voters voted on at the turn of the century? No they know better, they want to spend it on pork barrel items and increase inflationary pressures. Why can’t they lower the tax rate? Why are they looking to increase the tax rate when they are flush with money? Now if they would put the money towards fixing roads and bridges I could see it but where they are spreading our money is ridiculous. Where are all the intelligent, logical leaders that have common sense? Right they all left!
Chrome Dome Adam Hinds, Shitty Pigpen, Trippy Country Buffet, and Paul Marxism all voted for their own 40% legislative pay raise in early-2017, but they are doing nothing with the billions of dollars in state surplus cash over 5 years later.
Berkshire prosecutors missed two deadlines to respond to a motion for a new trial by Cascone, the arsonist who killed three children, according to today’s Eagle. Okay, the DA effed up, no surprise. What is also pointed out is that this person was convicted of felony murder. Fair and Just Prosecution, the group driving Andrea Harrington, is on a junket to eliminate felony murder. They are going through old cases and nitpicking them through the eyes of modern technology. Any convict associated with murder of people who “neither intended to kill nor anticipated a death” is fair game. The DA is pretending she is doing her ethical duty to rexamine the case. They have already stated in a filing with the court that they question the evidence. The DA is participating in this campaign. Connect the dots. Don’t be fooled.
https://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2022/03/the-sentencing-project-and-fair-and-just-prosecution-produce-felony-murder-an-on-ramp-for-extreme-se.html
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/northern_berkshires/new-call-for-release-convicted-arsonist-pending-new-trial/article_6af6d10c-bb80-11ec-994f-8f6ec4063016.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ogZ0N6ZOmRvzORxPE5-ZBKtEwM0E5i1suOojtR65FBTVr97C9S8UCFS8#Echobox=1649928058
This is part of the plan, nullification by procedural defect or in the case of wrong way, nullification by incompetence.
Who will stand up for these children? .
We the Citizens of the community need to stand up for them. They were given a death sentence. This is why voting matters. The Defendant can be released 100 times the children will always be dead.
Five years into the Reagans Prez mortgage rates were 12.5 %….Boom
The road at the bottom of Charles Street and Wahconah was nearly collapsing in this morning. Huge holes. Finally at lunchtime I see that somebody has put an enclosure around it. Does this mean they will fix it today? Both sides of the road at the bottom are a disaster area and the road should really be closed except that it’s a major entrance to a hospital which you would think would have been a big reason for fixing this road long ago.
Avoid the road at the bottom of Charles and Wahconah next to the hospital. It’s a disaster. I think they are attempting to fix it today, but who knows whether they will complete the job.
This could be Biden
Longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein is showing clear signs of cognitive decline, according to a new report, leaving her colleagues in Congress scrambling for ways to persuade her to retire before her term expires in 2024.
“It’s bad, and it’s getting worse,” one Democratic senator told the San Francisco Chronicle, which also reported that a member of California’s congressional delegation who has known Feinstein (D-Calif.) for 15 years recently had to reintroduce themselves to her repeatedly over a discussion lasting several hours.
These people should have retired long ago. They are just holding out for more and more money. Nobody ever told them that you can’t take it with you.
It’s just an expansion of Ricky’s Rumpus.
I’ve been to Paris twice within the last 8 months. They call the scooters a scurge. There have been lots of accidents and some deaths. They are a huge problem for pedestrians as the fly down sidewalks.
So don’t expect it to go well in Pittsfield. I think we all know who we will see on them. I’m sure the Mayor believes the users will be wonderful citizens that will obey all the rules therefore making the program a huge success.
Thanks for the personal report, PAUL.
This is the jackass that runs the Fair and Just Prosecution group that DA Harrington belongs to. She’s complaining about how much budget the police get to protect citizens compared to how much public defenders get. It is literally the cops vs. criminal defenders and she runs a PROSECUTOR’S group. There is something very wrong with Andrea Harrington and this group.
Miriam Krinsky
@miriamkrinsky
Our criminal legal system is only as strong as the weakest link. Yet in Philly “the mayor proposed a $27 million-dollar increase for the…Police Department [&] the Defender Association… got $0.”
The entire “defund the police” fraud, cooked up by the Liberal Loons who have hijacked not just Massachusetts but the entire nation, is a movement backed and funded by nefarious interests who wish to destroy America and embraced by simpleton “do-gooders” who have fallen for the illogic that has replaced common sense and sound policy. Harrington epitomizes this, as does Krinsky and the vast majority of local pols and office holders. They do it not so much out of conviction but out of fear. In doing so, they are replacing democracy with authoritarianism. The uber-left (a redundancy, since there is no moderate left) is creating the very system they claim to loathe. We have lost America. This country is something else, now: The United States of Amnesia, as a prescient Gore Vidal called it.
I am not certain which ” Defenders” are being spoken about however I do believe PA is the only state or Commonwealth where Public Defenders are founded by County Government not City or State so how could the Mayor increase funding its not in their scope.
Pa. only state that requires counties to fund public defense | News | dailyitem.com
however the Police budget appears to be. I am not an expert in Phillies spending, budgeting, spending or pitching. Do they use a DH? but I can read
City Council approves Philly’s 2022 budget | Philadelphia Politics | phillypressreview.com
Correct me if I am wrong please show me the errors of my thinking
This group is screwing over victims. Why would a prosecutors group even care what the defenders budget is or who manages it. Irrelevant. Not their lane.
I do not get how Biden could appoint Rachael Rollins, a direct slap in the face to Massachusetts law abiding citizens. I hope voters wake up to this nonsense but I’m not sure most people have the first clue.
Rileyed,
I agree my concern is the fact this was retweeted by someone who should know how the funding works. Passing along misinformation is unacceptable from a person in that position.
Why did she not mention the budget item of victims assistance? It appears that does not matter.
It’s a lobby group. It’s by definition of fountain of one sided misinformation. These are radicatl pro-criminal rogue prosecutors who have no business holding office. Yet our DA is one of them and has never once been called to answer for her participation in it.
Nearly $6M to be distributed in first Pittsfield ARPA awards | WAMC
Tyer playing philanthropist with taxpayer money while stuffing her own pockets
Philanthropissed away
Extrapolate this across America, and the colossal waste of money tells you what’s wrong with America. Record high inflation and the government is pissing away trillions more. Your disability check will be worthless soon Melle, and you might actually need to get a job.
Exactly, in Keynes theory now is the time to take money out of the market not flood the market with new money. This isn’t a new theory and I don’t want to believe the so called leaders are idiots, so what is their endgame
So is this the way Pittsfield is repaying the black community? All the money seems to be heading in the direction of the black community, can you say reparations paid?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/business/polzin-ppp-loan-fraud-prison/index.html
So sad
The piss away begins
https://www.iberkshires/
1.2 million going to establish organizations that exclusively help black people, not even POC. Sorry brown folk and YT
And once these organizations get the dough in hand who will enforce its use for intended purposes?
it’s intended to go into the pocket of some yahoo that is connected and black
How can one drive an e-scooter on these third world potholed streets of dynamic Pittsfield?
How many of the tens of millions BLM members would approve a white cop candidate with a previous record history? Probably @ll. Does that include you Dennis Powell?
Sidewalks
Peter Marchetti, we know you want to run for mayor. But you best put some distance between you and Linda. The last thing you need is to be covered in her stink when you run. One other thing. Cut out the texts between you and Linda. The night has a thousand eyes.
Kronick for city manager!