LIKE McARTHUR, THE PLANET RETURNED, BUT WE DO HAVE QUESTIONS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
ED NOTE: We are dealing with a technical issue with respect to comments. Please be patient. We expect to have it resolved in a moment. Thanks for all those who have notified us via email (danvalenti@verizon.net)!
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 4, 2023) — We said we would return today, and so we have. Not much on the docket today, except to check in and see who remembered our return to THE PLANET.
Who remembered to check in? Have we been forgotten? Are you still there? Do you want this blog to continue? Is this site still valuable to you?
These are a few of the questions we’d like to answer before moving forward, so if you would kindly check in and, should you wish, sound off, we would be glad to hear your thoughts.
Our brief hiatus (seven weeks, is it?) has done wonders from our perspective. How about yours?
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Today, the Republican House of Representatives tries once again to name a speaker (it will be McCarthy in the end), Berkshire County swears in its new D.A. (Tim Shugrue), and Pittsfield begins a mayoral year with the two likely candidates council president Peter Marchetti and former Ward 6 councilor John Krol. This assumes that mayor Linda Tyer decides not to seek re-election after two four-year terms.
Congress, meanwhile, late last year rammed through more new spending, to be paid with more printed pieces of paper known as dollar bills, plus loans from foreign investors. The spending includes $772.5 billion in domestic spending and $858 billion for the Pentagon. The war machine, disguised as “defense,” must be fed. Lots of hungry mouths to feed across the globe.
America’s southwest border continues its hemorrhage intake as thousands of illegal immigrants daily pour into the land of milk and honey. This includes murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and all sorts of decent, hard-working people who will come here to be supported by U.S. taxpayers. President Biden and V.P. Harris, the border czar, continue their fantasy that “all is well and under control.”
Figures from Enforcement and Removal Office shows that in 2021, the ERO bagged 12,000 illegals. Among them were 1,506 murderers, 3,415 guilty of sexual assault, 2,717 robbers, and 1,063 kidnappers. No figures were available on how many of these Boy Scouts and altar boys the ERO did not catch and who are running loose in our country.
Our foreign giveaways included another $50 billion given to Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian comedian, after he visited the U.S. and shook down Congress in his tee shirt. THE PLANET guesses Zelensky must have some dynamite jokes, as his recent net worth has been pegged north of $800 million. What a country! To show how much he loves democracy, Zelensky just decreed “press reform” in Ukraine. The media regulations will make content of radio, TV, internet, and print subject to government approval. Already, the threat of licenses to publish are being held hostage. At stake: (as always) Truth.
Included in the new reforms is prior restraint, outlining what local media can and can’t cover. What a democracy! Few stop to consider the Russian viewpoint and its justification for the annexation drive to the east.
China, which continues to make military overtures at/to/with Taiwan, markets “The Middle Way,” and, given its remarkable history in the most recent quarter century, who’s to argue? It’s lifted the standard of living there to unprecedented heights, actually creating a middle class and a market of internal consumers. It offers, in the words of President Xi Jinping, “a new order for other countries … a Chinese approach to the problems facing mankind.” The Middle Way is basically what in America we call “Best Practices.” It combines the market freedoms of capitalism with the social guarantees of socialism, picking what works from each of these economic approaches.
So much for the state of the world.
Let us know if you’re still there.
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“Genius of that order requires certain penalties” — Richard Westfall on Newton
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
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The three potential candidates for mayor are gobsig hacks who will continue to lead Pittsfield’s downward spiral. Will a real candidate emerge?
nope
The planet was missed greatly
Thank you, 12 G. Your post means that we finally got the tech aspects in working order!
Welcome back.
I went through Planet Valenti withdrawal syndrome, but now I am getting my fix again.
Hi Dan, welcome back. The Planet was missed so much that I had to find another board to sound off on. It wasn’t Twitter. I won’t mention the name of the board, but it had a lot more people and I prefer smaller sites like this one. On the larger boards people just say what they have to say and there is very little interaction between people so no real dialog in my opinion. So glad the Planet is back!
Absolutely missed. Much to talk about locally.
Very missed
I did my welcome back to the Planet on another message that is waiting to be posted. So disgusted with the Omnibus bill. The Republican RINOS that voted for it should be ousted from office. Some of them are leaving office so they don’t care what their voters think about them.
Pittsfield continues to fall apart. The plowing or lack of plowing fiasco was horrible with 70 accidents in a 48 hour period. Supposedly Pittsfield lacks the materials to properly treat the roads. Really? Other town and cities nearby don’t have that problem. Why Pittsfield?
Supposedly the city has some private contractors. One of the larger ones claimed to have had all trucks out all weekend. But no one, even police, saw them. Is this contractor responsible for the wholesale failure? Were his trucks really out there or not? Mayor and Marchetti want to hold off talking about it so that public fury will wane.
Does the city even have sand or salt?
How much money did the mayor save on the last three mild winters and where did this money wind up?
Should have saved a half million bucks so far this winter because they only really plowed for one and a half storms.
Look for typical Tyer and Marchetti dodges and excuses. Mayoral candidate Marchetti, will promise it will never happen again. But no one believes anything he says anymore.
There certainly was fury afterthat storm. Mother Nature has pretty much eaten it away with mild temps and rain, but while it was snowing, the city basically gave a large middle finger to its citizens and anyone who depends on safe roads, streets, and byways.
And I think a bunch of them gave my expose comment a thumbs down. hee hee
Agree.
If they were out it was they were plowing and sanding their private accounts on our dime. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Welcome back Dan! Missed your columns!
The city council is taking up the issue of snow plowing at its Jan 10th meeting. The snow plowing effort by the DPW has been horendous the last 2 years and the commish should be replaced. 70 accidents including a seven car pileup on the outer Williams St. hill. I didn’t see a city owned plow for 4 days following the storm.
Thanks, LEN.
Thanks Lenny.
Christmas Eve, I almost wound up in the Housatonic River in my car, with my granddaughter, coming down East Hous to Elm. Instead of returning to my home, I spend Christmas Eve at a nearby relatives’, rather than risk my life driving back home. The city is a disgrace, starting with Tyler, right down to the public works department.
I agree. That sounds terrible what you had to go through. I didn’t go out until Monday morning which was 3 days after the storm and the roads were still icy. 15 mph was all I could do on many roads and that was frightening.
I’m so glad you are back Dan! Hope all is well and believe me you were missed dearly. Your value is unmeasurable for what you bring to us, the readers.
Did anybody see this coming? If not, you should have. Massachusetts forcing the RMV to pass on information from those getting drivers licenses so they can register them to vote. Preparation for Biden making all of these immigrants citizens for the 2024 election? Supposedly this is to insure voter registration even if people can opt out, but it brings to fruition Biden’s open border plans to win elections by overwhelming the system with all of these immigrants. It’s to give Democrats the power. It’s what the open border policy has always been about.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/rmv-voter-registration-opt-out-rule-ends/article_e8816fe0-89e0-11ed-81fa-af13df0e0560.html
Yep! Our local rep who pushed for licenses for illegals and many other politicians sure saw it coming! She and they were banking on it for future voters.
glad you are back
Welcome back Dan! Hope you are refreshed and reinvigorated!
Praying Jon Melle took the pipe and won’t be returning
I tried to comment earlier today. Happy New Year. I cannot wait to read all about Pittsfield politics and beyond in 2023 on Planet Valenti!
The man, the myth , the legend.
Jonathan certainly enjoys getting some pipe. He’ll always return like feeding a feral cat once.
Any chance the mayor or the two other clowns running for mayor might have a comment about the storm failure?
Vice chief White says not to blame anyone? Sort of like the school gymnasium fiasco. Or the scohol fiasco. Or the rotary fiasco. Or the bike lane fiasco. Or the a r p a fund fiasco. Or the water sewer fiasco. Rumpus,your cup running over.
Or all the kids riding scooters in and out of moving traffic. Using the kids to promote a product in a dangerous situation is deplorable.
Bike lanes for safety but not worried about children zig zagging in and out between cars and trucks. Wowser.
Others…..tamarac rd. Nightmare…overflow of sewage and contingency upgrades at the sewer plant…. Pecks road bridge…..flooding continually at big y insectins,and Wahconah park…and you want to. Spend millions on a park we have a Sunin your eyes for 10 innings and no parking because of a lake? Dump this idea before opens up a can of worms you’ll never be able to close.
Not a peep from the city officials about their failure.
Those in charge are working together on the “cover your ass talking points “ on why the storm was handled the way it was to present to the citizens as we post.
How was your stay at Jones II? I do sincerely hope you are better now Danny.
None of your beeswax.
No way in hell wimpy Marchetti would put his hat in the ring without Tyers handlers permission. She will not endorse him however because she (and he) know that would be the kiss of death for his candidacy. He has gone along with and promoted every huge tax hike and failed policy she has ever put out. And there are many.
Krol is no better but is not carrying the heavy failed council president baggage that Marchetti has. If only one non lying candidate could emerge who knows something about budgets, wasteful spending and integrity. Not holding my breath for one short second here.
Get out if you can.
Snark, they are both one and the same. You forgot to mention that Krol is the golden boy of Rolodex Ruberto.
Ruberto was the one who put this whole Pittsfield plan in motion. Linda Tired continued it, Krol (and/or Marchetti), will be the final nail in the coffin.
With DA Wrong Way losing her job, recently minted millionaire, PPS employee and cultural competency coach Shirley Edgerton, has lost a partial in on her (1) tax payer funded grifting, (2) and a heads up on any criminal case her esteemed family might be involved in. You know, the esteemed family WW’s “white only” tea-party in Lenox had. None were invited to attend or chose not to attend? WW only you can answer this.
Shirley needs a Krol or Marchetti to keep the gravy train full speed ahead. A guy like Chaz would disrupt that.
Krol has a terrible work history and can’t keep his “gavel” in his pants. People remember Krol’s philosophy of “marriage is only a piece of paper.” He angered a lot of people. His ex is a teacher, correct? They are Pittsfield’s biggest union too. Not good for Loverboy.
Welcome back Dan!!
So much to unpack too. Ricky Rumpass is on the future radar too.
Shirley likes to be addressed as Dr. Shirley Edgerton now. Almost dropped when I saw her mention as such in a recent article.
Doctor of what? Giftology? Or is it Griftology?
I have heard talk around the city of Melissa Mazzeo possibly running for Mayor, but I don’t know how credible it is.
She is no longer a Pittsfield resident.
You were definitely missed by the Kapanski’s of the city Dan. Welcome back and I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season. The mayor, clowncil and rumpass all enjoyed the early present you gave them because they ran all over the Kapanski’s while you were recharging the soul. Hope all is well and Happy New Year!
The hiatus was grand, well planned, and NOT bland! The Kapanski’s were indeed tromped and stomped. We feel like the cavalry in for the rescue. Lots of anger out there. If a candidate can manage to tap into it and address the concerns, its electoral dynamite.
Exactly,Dan,you’ve hit nail on the head. No More Retreads. These candidates are there to keep shoveling money into the schools and special interests and that’s all it is. That’s where the votes lie.
But is there really a sincere candidate that has not voted for every tax hike that came before him or her? One that is not part of a hidden political machine? If so they have yet to emerge.
Biden finally deciding to visit the border. Why now? Does he figure he now has enough people in the country to win all future elections? If he makes them all citizens, with chain migration, the immigration population will really expand. Is the pressure just too great for him to avoid going to the border in anticipation of the 2024 election?
Pressure? Trumps buddy McCarthy can tell you about pressure. The spiral continues.
What amazes and disappoints me about this blog is the ad hominem nature of the likes and comments. By that I mean reactions are so often based on who said it rather than what is said. Case in point: reactions to Jon Melle. Participants in this blog seem only interested in echo-chambering their own beliefs rather than hearing the other side and having a true dialogue, despite Pat’s claims to the contrary.
JUST
Fair point and a crucial one. THE PLANET allows comments, and we lean as far as possible without tipping toward the “Absolute free” end of the scale. Unfortunately, this is the internet. It seems no amount of policing, cajoling, begging, or scolding will induce true dialog, even though that is always out intention and hope. Comments tend to work their way down to the lower ends. Our wish: ELEVATED DISCUSSION. The reality: “Say what you will” free for all. Is it all worth it? Right now, we lean to “yes.” Allowing a public “bitch box” serves as a pressure escape valve on the “sealed steam pot” of the public’s anger. At least it does that much. Thanks for your good counsel, JUST.
Dan I wouldn’t change anything except if they diss you. It is your set up..The truth lies here (The Planet ) in my humble opinion. If you want a bias for the non truth concerning Pittsfield,go to other outlets. Just the reading here is exceptional,great columns and transparency. FREE! And you hardly ever see real names from Planet detractors either,so stop bitching about the alias names on here.
I didn’t say there was lots of dialog on this board, but compared to some others I have been on these last few weeks, there is more dialog here than on those sites. The larger sites are like rapid gunfire with the messages coming fast and furious and nobody really seems to be reading the blogs. So consider yourself lucky to have Planet Valenti.
Only good point about the larger boards is that I could delete, make as many mistakes as I wanted and go back and correct them and my message was accepted on the first try.
Lots of dialog on this smaller board as opposed to the larger boards, believe me. The people not dialoging on here are usually because they can’t defend their position and they know it or they just choose not to.
Look. Many more people the are anti-planet read this blog. Don’t let the numbers fool you. I know 20 people alone that read him daily and do not comment here.
Wish you could share this larger board location.
How do you know why posters are given an up or down?
That’s why.Stop Worrying about ups and downs, the 50% of the discussion is the city and the way it has been run,then it’ll be all downs. I’ve got word that there were serious graft and ethics violations concerning the politically based show at one of your radio!? Shows,locally. Details when I receive them.
Rino/globalist McCarthy loses 7th vote for Speaker!
And this guy is the top Republican political “negotiator?”
Cheering on the 20 patriot republicans who refuse to vote for him!
update: lost 8th vote!
Maybe there will be another raid?
Desantis is our only hope. He has a real chance.
Don’t forget Glenn Youngkin. He is a great traditional conservative.
I don’t think McCarthy is as bad as some think, but if only we could get rid of Mitch McConnell, now that would be a great day!
On the local law enforcement scene I was glad to finally see the new DA sworn in. As we all know criminal activity will always be around, but now it sounds like there will people being held accountable for that activity. Especially the illegal possession and use of guns, drugs , drug dealing and so forth that Harrington wouldn’t prosecute which caused a bad situation with crimes that was already bad to get worse under her tenure.
Anybody but Harrington. Shugrue will do a fine job, but it was a bad look trying to hire his wife for chief of staff. Even if it were ethical, it would have been just plain stupid, and a big unforced error to start the game.
I completely agree. Unforced error indeed.
Squeaky out of office is something to celebrate though!
Someone please post the legal definition of “black/brown person”.
B Lackish?
Da ba dee da ba di
Situation Comedy
Silly goose up in that office
Welcome back and thank you! The Berkshires need this forum. It is unique in the country.
Please put this in this is too rumpus you’re gonna get the same velocity of rain snow whatever slash it’ll turn into this weekend the temperature is above 30 which it’s going to be you don’t need to put any freaking salt down so I’ll be wasting salt and then say well the people were complaining and blah blah blah continue to watch the snow and precipitation and if it gets colder say like Sunday overnight or Monday overnight then you put the damn snow down this isn’t rocket science you moron
Dan,
Professor, welcome back from you sabbatical. I absolutley remembered to check in, and was on this site when the clock struck 0000 hours on 4th. You hadn’t posted then, and when you had, as you pointed out, a glitch wouldn’t allow comments, but here I am, one disgusted Joe Kapanski. I have thought of you and your blog often during your absence, so you have never been forgotten, and never will be, by us Kapanski’s. We absolultely want your blog to continue. My wife will even be posting more this year, in the name of DIE (Diversity, Idiocy, and Exclusion). Your site is invaluable to us. It is to Pittsfield, what Fox News is to America – Fair, Balanced, and Unafraid.
As to the state of the city, Pat summed it up nicely “Pittsfield continues to fall apart.” I could write a diatribe worthy of a Melle post in length, about all the issues and what not since your sabbatical, but let me just say this for now – Tyer is not running, and Marchetti knows it and so does Krol, and neither one is the answer.
Welcome Back,
Joe
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So: many damn problems here. So many useless characters in office and Clowncil. Dan? What about the school committee lack of confidence in the gymnasium stink hole and the air that kids and teachers breathing that stink. And zero accountability? They accepted the resignation of the a d. Something ain’t right?
You nailed it.
On another subject what’s on the horizon for Ms. Squeaky?
You mean Harrington? I thought she would land on her feet with a do nothing job in the Healy administration. She obviously can’t be a working lawyer, certainly not a criminal lawyer anyway. I wish her the. best and hope she moves far, far away.
Perhaps she should focus on being a better mother and wife.
Welcome back! You were missed. I enjoyed today’s article and look forward to all forthcoming pieces from public and you. I was looking forward to your return.
Chuck
Many thanks, CG. And welcome back to you! This board isn’t the same without you.
Lisa Murkowski getting sworn in for Senate. She looks so blonde and happy. Nobody would guess she sold the country down the river by voting for the Omnibus bill. A RINO and she seems really close with Kamala. She was voted in over a Trump candidate and this is what we end up with…the DC swamp spending us into disaster. Nobody understood that Trump was trying to clean up the swamp. Now the swamp is out of control again.
https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-sworn-in-for-new-term-at-start-of-118th-congress
Walking the dog at 7pm Thursday and you will never guess what Rumpass has the crew doing, yup pretreating the roads with the product they said they didn’t have. To make matters worse the storm isn’t suppose to come until after midnight meaning the salt will be mostly gone by all the traffic going down the road. Forecast is for an inch……
R u serious?
What they do is experiment
It isn’t right that rumpus is still behind the wheel here. And the superintendent excuses to the silly council won’t bode well for all the lawsuits against the school results from breathing those hazardous chemicals that treated the gym floor.
It is a school day. There will be utter panic if one school bus starts sliding. Is the mayor still out of town? Or just out to lunch?
Tyer has been outta touch for years!
How was your driving? Did the city need to waste the salt, ie our money for a rain storm. They need to learn to read weather radar and maps, not that difficult. Also in case the weather turned bad the schools are all set to run school from home, all the kids were given computers….it’s a new world time to get on the train, ha,ha