MAYOR, KUFFLINKS, AND ANOTHER SLAP IN THE KAPANSKIS’ COLLECTIVE FACE … or … HOW TO USE “FREE” CASH TO KEEP THE SLUSH FUNDS SLUSHY
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 3-5, 2023) — Pittsfield’s sitting on a load of money taller than Hill 78, that Everest of Toxicity bequeathed by GE, with Pittsfield’s OK, directly next to a grammar school.
THE PLANET refers to “free” cash.
Of course, we know that “free” cash isn’t free at all.
Boston’s Division of Local Services (DLS) defines free cash as “the remaining, unrestricted funds from operations of the previous fiscal year, including unexpended free cash from the previous year, actual receipts in excess of revenue estimates shown on the tax recapitulation sheet, and unspent amounts in budget line items.” That’s a bureaucrat’s way of saying the bastards overtaxed you. Again.
Free cash is YOUR money.
———- ooo ———-
At the recommendation of city finance director “Kufflinks” Kerwood, mayor Flat proposed and the council approved a request to send $6 million in this excess theft — $2 million each — to Pittsfield’s general stabilization fund, the public works enterprise fund, and the OPEB trust account.
In his justification for the transfers, Kufflinks wrote “The City shall set a year-to-year goal of maintaining its free cash in the range of three to nine percent of the annual budget.”
Let’s subject this to the lie detector. The city’s current FY budget is $180,616,624, up $22 million from four years ago. According to Kufflinks’ “shall,” Pittsfield should have had anywhere from 5.4 million (3%) to $16.3 (9%). This year, the DLS certified $17,130,565 in free cash, almost a million bucks in excess of the highest limit.
Translation: Flat is killing you on taxes. Wipe out city. Custer in Montana. The Bad Guys on Bonanza.
The Allocations
Flat tells us that the $17.1 million is a freak, a side-show attraction up there with the sword swallower, the fat lady, and the disappearing “no show” mayor. She says the amount is “a one-time windfall” owing to the ARPA graft (grift) fund (right, Shirl?) and the state paying the last of its reimbursements for the building of the new THS campus.
What she doesn’t say is that every cent of that $17.1 million was upfront money put up by YOU, THE TAXPAYER. Flat then cites Pittsfield’s “Use of Reserves Policy” to justify the transfers to Tom (the stabilization fund), Dickwad (public works), and Hairy (OPEB) — everyone but the taxpayers themselves.
- $2 million for the general stabilization fund: Why? That fund has enough “stabilization” as it is.
- $2 million for public works: To buy new equipment and vehicles. Why? Rumpus can’t manage what he already has.
- $2 million for OPEB: Why? That obligation is nearing half a billion (with a “b”). It will never be paid. This token $2 mill is literally throwing away money into an open sewer hole. The only way for Pittsfield to meet its obligations to retirees is to renegotiate more realistic terms with the unions. Now we both know the unions won’t stay for it, and that’s okay. Such action will force receivership, and that will cancel all past agreements. Pittsfield can then start with a blank slate.
To complicate this financial shell game, both Flat and Kufflinks cite “outside auditors” in wanting to hike the free cash amounts to a minimum of 7% and a max of 10%. Enough is never enough for that type of greedy fiduciary irresponsibility.
The Reader’s Digest version of all this can be given in one sentence: City “leaders” are taking steps to ensure the sleazy slush funds are overflowing at the expense of its citizens and businesses … or … graft before goodness.
THE PLANET says you can take that to the bank.
One second thought, maybe that, too, should go into “free” cash.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
———————————————————————-
“Since when the local government’s first rule change from “Protect the People and let them prosper” to “Let’s ruin their lives?” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Sarcasm: The other day, I took Matt Kerwood and Mayor Linda Tyer out to lunch, and I told them that they are both financial geniuses for building their secretive multimillion-dollar slush funds. They didn’t even bother to thank me for the compliment and paying for the lunch tab. Then they said to me that I can buy a property at the PEDA site. I asked “Kufflinks” and the “Gated Community Mayor” how much money would it cost me? They told me only $1 with a lot of fine print. I asked them what is the fine print? They told me that I would be on the hook for PEDA’s millions of dollars in unfunded liabilities, and that my commercial tax dollars would go towards the city’s “Free Cash” account along with other secretive slush funds. I asked them if there is an opt-out clause? They said that the only way I could opt-out is if I moved to New Hampshire. I told them that I already did that a little less than two decades ago. They told me that Naples, Florida is a lot warmer in the winter than living in New England. I told them that the same is true for Colorado. I thanked them for all of their wisdom and then I ran out the door as fast as I could to get away from them!
How could you see them out to lunch? I heard you will be arrested as soon as your cross the state line.
Kufflinks & Linda asked me to pass on the following news article:
Pittsfield Local Receipts Trending High, Cannabis Revenues Dropping / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
I must be having a difficult day because I didn’t understand the whole article. The day when no plows came is the day that we our charges plowed through the budget line? I think that was the only thing besides the Kapanski’s wallet that was plowed that day! How many accounts does the city have for savings? It seems like they have a stabilization account, free cash account, Kufflinks hair account, Linda’s jet account…… Can they publish and mail to all citizens the actual budget and where all the money goes? This was standard practice in the past and I think it is time to return to it
And this is reason number 414 to pack up your family and your belongings and get on the road. Your city reps are in your face telling you that your financial future in Pittsfield is a trail of tears. Remember that every extra dollar they take from your hard earned paycheck, for one of their feel good projects, is one less dollar you have for necessities for your family. And they are shamelessly right in your face telling you they will continue to claw ever more from you.
Partner that concept with the city becoming an ever bigger drug hub. Scohools with borderline learning environments. Long neglected infrastructure like roads. Do you know anyone who did NOT have to pay for front end damage to their vehicle this year? I don’t.
But the darkest cloud is the people pretending to lead the city. You know who they are and you have seen what they have and have not done. And they are telling you what you have and don’t have to look forward to. Get yourself a piece of paper and start making a list of all lthe things this adminstration has done to benefit you personally and your family in the last seven years.
Now go to google and research where you want to relocate.
FIZZ
“Remember that every extra dollar they take from your hard earned paycheck, for one of their feel good projects, is one less dollar you have for necessities for your family.” GREAT sentence.
a house in dalton that is valued at 290,800 dollars pays a property tax of $6552.20 and has to pay someone to take their garbage
.
a a house in pittsfield that is valued at 290,800 dollars pays a property tax of $5938.08 and garbage pick-up is included.
and how are the schools and how are the roads and how many gangs are roaming their town? How much does it cost to park on their main street? How many beggars and shop lifters swarming about? Pittsfield has many other taxes and fees and fines they get you on. AND pretty sure you are going to bad news about the garbage any day now.
I wrote much the same, FH – it’s in the decontamination tank.
How many shootings in Dalton? There been hundreds in Shittsfield. Only a fool would raise kids in Pittsfield if he could afford to move!
Good to see you again, TM.
Three challenges:
1)Not clear the comparison stands without an adjustment for economies of scale.
2) Just about everyone I talk to sees declining value for their tax dollars. That indicates waste and incompetence, and that is the point! If we had good roads, good schools, safe neighborhoods, no begging, theft of public property (tent cities), muggings, prostitution, drug trading, and thriving commerce, people would also be wealthy and ok with $200,000,000 budgets that work.
3) Who claims that Dalton cannot be doing better? Mr. Crane and the other captains are gone.
Dan, why so negative this weekend towards our city leaders who only have the poor middle class Kapanski’s in their thoughts and hearts. The city leaders know the Kapanski’s ould just blow any money they have on food, fuel or doctor bills so they don’t really want it. They know the Kapanski’s live and stay in the Pitts because it is Vibrant and Dynamic!! Where else can you peddle your heart out in sub zero weather without worrying you will get hit by any cars because you ride on the sidewalk not the buffer lane, oops I meant bike lane down NON. I hear the city is looking at ways to tax homes where people work remotely as commercial property so they can get a higher rate, which means more slush for them!! Oooh don;t you just love the Pitts!! Anything for the suits and connected!! This money grab is also happening with the state. Just read where the Legislature is trying to figure out how to spend the Millionaires tax. I still have the flyer that said it was for roads, bridges and education. How things change once the “leaders” get their grubby hands on the Kapanski’s cash!! Well to all the readers stay inside and cover up if you must go out!! Take care and have a great weekend!!
SHIRL
You are right. I am such a cad. Don’t know what got into me!!
Dan, you must have been reading my mind about Hill 78 in the Allendale neighborhood. In the past few months have heard of several residents being diagnosed with cancer in close vicinity to Hill 78. In doing a bit of research online, former Councilor Morandi had filed a petition asking that more testing be done on the effects of this pile of unknown crap. This petition was bounced around the Tyer Administration during Morandi’s terms, then held over to the current City Council. This Council is now going into their final term and the petition has yet to be addressed. From what I can find it has been sitting in the Public Health & Safety Standing Committee. This committee was chaired by Moonbeam who never addressed it during the last City Council, and now it has been sitting under the Committee Chair Councilor Sherman who has yet to call a meeting and has now announced it is his last term. Why is the Tyer Administration ignoring this issue? Why is Andy Cambi ignoring this issue, is he too busy testing our Covid sh**? Then again look how the Administration is currently ignoring the Cell Tower issue in Shacktown. As President of the City Council why is Marchetti not checking in on the Committee chairs (who he assigned) to make sure they are doing their jobs? Is there some back handed payoff to these elected officials? This once quiet neighborhood is not only having to deal with Hill 78 they also have to deal with the constant skunk order from the commercial pot growing facility on Dalton Avenue. Tyer’s Administration only cares about the money, NOT the taxpayers of Pittsfield. Taxpayers deserve answers from Tyer and Marchetti!
Answers from anyone would be helpful. Your not going to get them from this city council or mayor. Hess still stands.
M&B
These are vital questions that you raise pertaining to Hill 78, Shacktown, and the (in)actions of the council and council president. At very least Mr. Marchetti should be doing exactly what you said: On the committee chairs for reports and action. Pete want to run for mayor, and this would be one way he could begin his campaign, by doing something for the long-suffering citizens who must put up with such garbage as Hill 78.
Thank the late Mayor Barstool & Pittsfield’s Pot King Luciforo for Hill 78 & stinky pot odors!
Indeed
Too late for Marchetti as far as I am concerned. His actions as President of the Council during the Tyer Administration has shown his true colors! The only accomplishment he can show is the fact that he thoroughly enjoys banging his gavel in attempt to shut the taxpayers up. No wonder no one shows at the meetings, why bother. He has also stated he would do away with the Open Mic. My opinion is he can take his gavel and stick where the sun don’t shine.
Pat your spot on
Correction. Merry and bright. You are spot on
Tyer has been Marchetti’s dominatrix as far as his council leadership goes during her time as mayor from the beginning and until she goes away.
The only way we can handle OPEt is to increase the contribution of retirees ,this is the only way we should handle this ball of fire. Think about it, the president school administration are making over 100 grand a year and will retire with pension in excess of $100,000 We have a terrible protocol with the schools associated costs.
OPEB accounts will strangle every city and town in Massachusetts,the cities four gobsigs ;school/ fire/ DPW , and police, need to step up and fund OPEB, after all they created this mess and should work to create a method to keep salaries and benefits from reaching into the stratosphere as it is presently.
TL-I have to disagree with you on this. The unions have no obligation to “step up.” That’s the job of the mayor and elected officials.
I have no skin in this game. I’m not a Pittsfield employee.
If I’m a union member or retiree, do you think I’m offering up a penny to the city?
Especially after I just watched a non-existent company, BBEC, get awarded $750,000 of my tax money based solely on a fake cause. No business ventures or trainings to date by the BBEC.
The cultural competency coach, aka-a city employee paid to indoctrinate white kids that they are racist if they don’t conform to her “teachings” has been given over $1,000,000 taxpayer money to recruit black teachers in NC and for her ROPES course. Not a single documented success story of either from Shirl after all that money was given to her. Just a trip to Africa.
See where I’m going with this TL? You’re barking up the wrong tree.
I agree with you, MARK. It’s not up to the unions, it’s up to the city.
What’s up to the city. You stated earlier the two million the city] threw at opeb is a pittance? You two are barking up a tree also. You two now the only way to fix this,say it? Otherwise the unions will have to do something,they’ll have no choice. Bottom line is what are the new Council more importantly the mayoral candidates going to do about it. If you have an ounce they’re running for mayor so it’s asking her opinion on it why do we have to wait?
With all due respect, this message makes no sense. For example, “You two now the only way to fix this,say it?” … “If you have an ounce they’re running for mayor so it’s asking her opinion on it why do we have to wait?” The thoughts may be there, but your words are expressing it.
BBEC, handed out I believe 6 grant’s each of $4,000 from the thousands of dollars they took in. What a sham!! The bunch with control of the dough are just trying to make it look like they are helping and care.
Cities and the state will continue to buy time with OPEB. Those staggering amounts will NEVER be paid without deep remedial actions on the part of the parties involved. Unfortunately, that includes the very politicians who agreed to ruinous deals with unions in the first place, to secure their runs for office. These gutless pols will continue to play that game … until they can’t. That, however, might be years or decades away. No one with power DARES handle OPEB strategically. They are happy to handle it tactically, strictly short-term if at all.
PPD Andrew Couture 2021 – $185,869
PPD Marc Strout 2021 – $186,942
PPD Matthew Kirchner 2021 – $177,114
PPD Jeffrey Bradford 2021 – $176,065
PPD Mark Trapani 2021 – $167,897
PFD Daniel Aitken 2021 – $173,181
And TAILGATE-GATE Double Dipper “Road BOSS” Vinny B. 2021 – $133,860
Medical doctors and engineers don’t make that kind of money.Their pensions are what contributes to the swollen opeb accounts. Someone must come forward and put a brake on this runaway train. What will it take to break up the local gobsig network that is ruining our city. We all must vote in November to get rid of these useless gobsigs
Do you live in town? If so, consider running for office.
When reasonable people start pulling papers and running, people will start voting.
Spot on Merry. I think your mayor has retired from office, along with most of the comatose councilors. If mayoral candidate Marchetti is alert, he should step in and at least fight for a reduction in taxes.
Are you ok?
Too funny. Momma says don’t you be touching my tax money Peter. Go sit in the corner until you smartin up. Get you head on right boy.
AOC throws a hissy fit because Omar was booted off the Foreign Affairs Committee. Omar does nothing but put down Jewish people so she is clearly racist and shouldn’t be on a committee dealing with foreign countries and even MSNBC agrees. AOC and Rasheed were crying and screeching giving women a bad name of being too emotional and in need of smelling salts. The racism is coming from Omar and not from those booting her off the committee. AOC is unhinged to try to play the racist and woman card for Omar.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ocasio-cortez-explodes-vote-boot-omar-slaps-notebook-against-podium-targeting-women-color#spark_wn=1
Truly disturbing that the Biden admin is not shooting down the Chinese spy balloon!
Would take a long time for the U.S. to recover from an EMP attack as it would disable all electronics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/balloons-called-top-delivery-platform-for-nuclear-emp-attack
I agree. The Chinese are up to something. Flying over our nuclear facilities. The military is giving the excuse that they don’t want debris from the balloon to fall on Americans, but isn’t there a safer way to take it out before all of our intelligence in our nuclear plants goes to China if it isn’t already too late. Why wasn’t it shot down when it was over the water before it even entered our airspace?
You know the answer to that, Pat.
Biden & company are in bed with the Chinese. We’ve been sold out.
I know this is unbelievable. One of the reporters asked that question, of why not take it out over water before it was floating over our country gathering intelligence, and our fearless leader said he couldn’t answer that. Really? They have no good excuse that I can see.
What if it is a Chinese pinata loaded with Nike sneakers and is intended to be a gift to the American people? Don’t be so quick to judge Pat.
You can gather more information from Google Earth Rube. Go find your safe space with your blanky
We know you feel safe around sheep. The sheep…. Not so much.
Get your head out of your McDonough
What if they shoot it down and then find out it is loaded with nuclear waste China was trying to get rid of?
What if my aunt had ball$? She’d be my uncle Snark. The what if game…
I’m sure if this was happening under the last president, you’d be typing treason and impeachment everyday on here.
Give it a rest. It’s an invasion of OUR airspace. The Chinese are up to no good. Bought and paid for by the D’s.
With Joe’s blessing. Take all the intelligence you need China. Joe and the globalists may be letting China think they are getting away with something and hoping they attack us. A show of strength by our country of shooting down the spy balloon before it even reached our shores would back them off, but Joe doesn’t want to back them off. These globalists do want WW3 to reset the global order in their favor.
No sure you actually CAN shoot down a balloon. It’s an odd thing to poke. Sounds like a new R&D project for DARPA.
Busting That Chinese Spy Balloon Is Harder Than You Think (Updated) (forbes.com)
My point is, it should have never gotten to where it’s at in the first place.
The Chinese, Iran, and North Korea, know Joe Xiden is weak and he has made the country and our military even weaker under his watch. They are taking full advantage of our bought and paid for administration.
Russia used to buzz our naval warships under Barry. Don’t recall it happening under Trump.
But I know, “China flu,” mean tweets, 1/6, and “the (unarmed) insurrection,” make all of what’s happening today acceptable.
Isn’t it time for you D’s to mask up and get that 17th booster shot to keep you healthy from the fl…I mean covid?
I’m a Whig.
(It’s not a good thing to lose your sense of humor whether you are a D or an R)
The resurrection of the Whigs? Or perhaps the No Salt Party?
First need to mask up with moon suits and stage a Pittsfield salt party.
I’ll bring a table, you bring the salt and we’ll have a party.
Masked up, wearing space suits while being out in public, you only need to pitch a “defund the police” mantra, and you’re talking Helen “Handgun” Moon’s language.
Handgun’s an old-friend of the Planet’s.
She spoke the D’s platform. But being the platform seeking narcissist that she is, she killed her political career. She posted on social media about an arrest that never took place at the hands of Boston’s finest.
Stop me if you heard this one before, “stopped for being a POC,” “both cops were white makes,” “thrown in jail for a few days,” “paperwork lost,” being the reason Handgun was sprung free.
Of course no case number, false arrest lawsuit, etc.
I believe the booty is now up to $2,000 for Handgun to give a report number, docket number, some way to verify this.
MARK
If something didn’t happen, it can’t be verified.
I agree Dan. But being in the “participation trophy” era, I had to give Handgun an out.
Being the low IQ person that she is, she didn’t take it.
Putin never should have gotten into the Oval office. How did that happen?
I think you meant Xi. And he is in office, China Joe Xiden.
I’m shocked China Joe and his crackhead son Hunter, didn’t offer up for sale classified information on Craigslist.
Marchetti pledged to get the balloon in this year’s 4th of July parade.
Maybe he should pledge to Be the balloon.
Ooooooh, and Gasbag PEE PEE was sure it was going to be his BIG surprise. FAT chance of that now. As you’ve guessed, GASBAG PEE PEE will have his FAT ASS up in the air on the 4th of July. This year’s theme, All Things LGBTGQIAPK, because it isn’t enough that these freaks took over the Rainbow, now they’re taken over the alphabet, and they obviously can’t even spell it. In compliance with the DIE Law of Inclusivity, the main attraction for Pittsfield’s 4th of July extravaganza will be PEE PEE marchetti, the Buffoon Buggery BALLOON. And because name recognition is so important, mayoral candidate GASBAG PEE PEE plans to blitz the MILLIONS of spectators who flock to NOTHING ON NORTH with giant silicone gavels shooting out of his rectum, emblazoned with his mayoral slogan VOTE FOR THE PETER. To his credit, GASBAG PEE PEE promises that if he is elected, a good time won’t be had by the taxpayers. And it’s a threat you can bet, PEE PEE will absolutely keep.
Shooting it down is easy – the problem is making the hole just small enough to bring it down softly.
NASA , with the help of Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin company could simply rendezvous with this thing, tie a rope around it and drag the sumbitch back to earth. An AWAC has reportedly already x rayed it and found it to be loaded with high tech snooper equipment and Ramen noodles, both of which the American government would like to get their hands on.
Bezos will shoot his dildoe rocket at it
I hear it’s a valentine from Fang Fang to Swalwell
Turns out you are right!
Snark and I are wrong. It’s both easy and it’s not filled with ramen noodles. I read it landed in a backyard in South Carolina and destroyed a BBQ.
According to our advanced weather systems this balloon is following very strong high level winds and will be passing over Pittsfield by Monday morning. What size sneakers do you wear?
I declare Snark’s and Rule 5 comments the cream of the crop for balloongate.
You don’t want to shoot it down because at 60k altitude it would destroy the components, making it harder to suss out its function. They’ll figure out a way to give it a soft landing so they can analyze its contents.
Well, I don’t think there are any surprises up there unless there’s something that we didn’t know they have thieved from us.
The best offense here is to buy American.
How about sticking a pin in it so it deflates nicely and falls to the ground. I think our woke military could handle that.
Maybe it will become even harder now for presidents to argue that the CCP is actually a good business partner for the US.
More reasonable would be poking a 9mm hole in it – not two, just one.
I’m just glad she’s gone and we have a real DA who will bring back tough love to our youth. Dropping these charges was the right decision. https://www.berkshireeagle.com/crime/boy-scouts-court-case-update-adams/article_d0c8716e-a31c-11ed-b164-5b240297db57.html
Off topic here…Does anyone know why Andrea Harrington’s Bio on LinkdedIn still says she is District Attorney? It’s her personal account, yet her position title still says she is DA. I pointed it out to her and she blocked me. Oh well…
She’s in major denial.
Might be coldest out I’ve seen for decades.
How about some real questions for these so called announced candidates?
How are you going to put a handle on opeb
Well it says homes or property tax continue to skyrocket
Or any of the current comments in this administration be let go and whom
Will either of you except The next contribution to ema company
Is vocational the way to go Taconic
Plan for PEDA going forward
Reductions in schools by numbers or buildings
Do you believe in dumb dumb councilors climate change theory on the roads
Forensic audit
Current configuration on North Street agree or disagree
Should we find shot spotter better known as spotty
Many many many more questions, you don’t even have to lift a pencil Dan. I’ll give you the questions because at some point they’re gonna have to answer and let us know where they stand.
It will totally be same shit, different mayor, regardless of which one gets in. Pete is a has been GOBSIG who is cut from the same cloth as Tyer, Ruberto, etc. Krol is much the same, and was Ruberto’s waterboy back in the day. He is charasmatic, and charming, but said to be smarmy and lacking integrity, and can’t hold a job. That makes him qualified for mayor in this town. Even if he is a choir boy, he is not going to cut the budget, cut taxes, remove the bums on every corner, hire a lock em up and throw away police chief, etteffingcetera.
That’s why I want to here either of them say that. Since they have announced? What we will hear is I can’t answer that because until I get in there as mayor….. blah blah blah no,absolutely that’s the point,they can’t and won’t do anything to offend the status quo.
Answers are meaningless unless they are true. If you go back and read Tyers campaign rhetoric you will see where I am coming from. Her reality has been a total 180 from what she promised. My point being that words, especially from a politicians mouth, are MEANINGLESS. WITHOUT MERIT. NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT ALL.
Here’s another one: Who will, upon taking office, no later than Day Two, authorize a forensic audit, beginning with the ARPA giveaways? Who will pledge that during the campaign. That alone would earn the vote.
Gaetani
The straight shooter
I would like to know if a candidate would be willing to take a lie detector test before and after any debates with their opponents.
I think it’s interesting that she blocked him.
CHAZ
That’s been her pattern for the past four years. Say one thing that OutTheDoria doesn’t like, and you’re blocked. What childishness. Thank God she’s gone.
Did you ever meet her at Juice & Java?
No
She has more people blocked than the Philadelphia Eagles O line.
Did she take any classified documents?
Just rolls of toilet paper, pens and paper clips. They had to send someone to Big Y so they could make it through until supplies arrived.
If she did, I’m sure the cultural competency coach has already viewed them.
Luckily, it’ll be old news soon the way the gangs operate and drugs flow in Pittsfield.
If you run for mayor G, remember walking beats on North Street are a thing of the past.
With DA Shugrue in office now, it needs to go back to zero tolerance details with MSP, sheriff, and local task forces, to slow it down.
Who cares. She’s done, kaput.
So you are stalking her?
Probably keeping an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t come back.
The only stalker / doxxer here is you.
Pittsfield Panel Supports GE Funds for Optics Company / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
$455,000 for the Berkshire Black Economic Council Business Incubator in Pittsfield to improve and expand the quantity and quality of community economic development services in Berkshire County, as well as develop a business incubator responsive to the needs of Black-owned businesses and Black entrepreneurs.
Markey, Warren, McGovern, Neal Applaud More Than $13 Million in Federal Funding for Community Projects Across Western Massachusetts (senate.gov)
Thanks JON. This award is total pandering B.S.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/victor-davis-hanson-race-everywhere
The Biden administration continues to do nothing but watch the shiny balloon make its way across our country collecting our military and nuclear intelligence. It’s so pretty. Just watch it do its job. We don’t want to offend China after all. Get used to these shiny objects in our skies from time to time. No worries. It’s just China spying on us and being more creative in how they gather information to take us over. China is already buying up huge amounts of our farmland so this is just a natural progression of their control over us.
China spots an easy markBefore becoming the 45th president, Donald Trump’s efforts to develop businesses in China were most notable for their failures. A 2008 deal with the Chinese Evergrande Group to develop an office complex never came to fruition, and a 2012 deal with the electric utility State Grid Corporation of China to develop property in Beijing fell apart after State Grid was found to have been illegally using public land for the project. In October 2016, Chinese news media quoted Trump Hotel’s—formerly Trump Hotel Collection’s—CEO Eric Danziger telling attendees of a hospitality conference in Hong Kong that the group was still planning to open Trump hotels in 20 to 30 Chinese cities, as well as Scion—the brand Trump’s sons are planning to expand—hotels in other cities. These comments showed a remarkable level of ambition given Trump’s stalled efforts in China up to that time.
” Donald Trump’s efforts to develop businesses in China were most notable for their failures.”
He probably refused to pay bribes and put CCP friends and relatives on his boards.
Well, Stormy Davis got hers so I do not know why you would say that.
Wrong lawyer?
But I agree that Stormy probably does run successful businesses with the CCP by pimping herself out.
If you look on the web, you might even be able to buy a pair of Stormy Daniels game worn panties.
You’ll be a hit amongst your buddy’s snark. A good forearm workout for you in hopes.
and you know about this how?
Go Donald Trump or any politician who thinks like Donald Trump. Trump says he wants to make it a law if he becomes president again that we only have 2 genders – male and female. Anything else is craziness.
Hope poor Barron does not turn out to be gay. He has got some people wondering ya know.
Adults are worrying if a juvenile is gay? Why are you worried about that Snark?
This is what’s known as grooming Snark.
I know if you voiced your concern to me about my juvenile child being gay and you aren’t my wife, you’d get your answer when my fist landed on your nose.
The Chinese have learned more about us through our phones then any balloon ever could Rube. But hey Newsmax said it was true ROTFL
I feel bad for your sheep
In Da No more farm animals for you.
Sounds like you watch News Minimum
Your ignorance is astounding.
It was so cold last night that kufflinks and linduh had their hands in their own pockets!
Hopefully it stays cold out until this administration is gone if that’s what it takes to keep them out of our pockets.
Yes Dinuhdunce and Muffunscalps climate change is in effect.
Rule 5 is on fire!
It was so cold that Wrong Way keyed Shugrue’s car with her nipples.
Microsoft News Headline:
“After 2 years together, my partner transitioned into a woman. It’s helped us better connect, and she now better understands my endometriosis.”
That’s what women want in a man.
Not all women. Just the ones who have been brainwashed which is a high number I will agree.
the mirror does not lie
It was so cold and icy last night that Morales started to salt his nuts.
PHUNNY!!! Wanna job as a writer?
If you think it’s cold in Western MA – check out Mt. Washington – minus 47F, wind chill minus 109, lowest ever. Must be global warming.
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/mount-washington-observatory-cold-mars-record-breaking-wind-chill
Now that you know what you think it is. Dress warmly.
Why not shoot the balloon down? No what is in it. No airspace debris is good for anything,especially if it’s from Asia. Hell it could contain In vitro fertilizer.
I understand from studying climate maps and oceanographic data that we are entering a terrible ice age. The glaciers are returning in some places so quickly that entire villages in Canadian have been entrapped and buried.
The end of the world is coming, and it’s an ice age.
We are still in the declining stages of the last ice age.
Just last night on HF that got carried by an aurora, I picked up a distress call from a research lab 150 north northwest of Ft McMurray Alberta. In a nutshell, overnight a 80′ glacier slid in. They woke up to it a wall of ice that miraculously spared them but they are completely trapped. All access is severed and temperatures have plummetted to -60F. They are requesting urgent evacuation.
The ice age is coming!
That quick glacier movement is what happens when it is receding. We are at the tail end of the present ice age (which began its decline about 31K years ago; 29,000–14,000 BC)- evident in the continued receding of glaciers.
The Spy Balloon is finally shot down after taking the grand tour of the country and traveling over many of our sensitive military sites getting coordinates and pictures and instantly sending them back to China. I’m glad it was finally shot down, but this is NOT a win for this country. It should have been shot down before it even entered our air space and began transmitting intelligence to China. That would have made sense and would have been what any sensible country would have done. Just as we have woke globalists that have infiltrated the top of our FBI, we also have woke globalists at the top in our military. Biden said he told them to shoot it down on Wednesday. He’s the Commander-In-Chief, but the pentagon did what it wanted? Chuck Schumer came out to toot Biden’s horn of what a great leader Biden is, but Chuck has his own issues with being honest with Americans especially after that Trillion dollar payout to big government and big companies that he just pulled off on all Americans before the Republicans took control of the House so Chuck is not a reliable person for judging anyone.
Excellent post. Agree that thing could have contained anything. And now China knows how far into the U S space it can reach. A free bee spy and intelligence exercise with no consequences supplied by sleepy Joe”. Had Kim done that during the Trump Presidency the Democrats would have crucified him.
Hopefully the Gang of Eight will get to the truth on Monday or am I being too hopeful? The Democrats would have crucified Trump for demanding we shoot it down and as Commander-In-Chief he could give that direct order and it would have to be followed unlike Biden’s weak, “I gave them authorization, but will leave the final decision up to the military” response. Or did Biden even say that and was he ignored by the military after giving a direct order? The Gang of Eight needs to find out. The chain of command needs to be followed. We would have heard “Trump is trying to start WW3” trumpeted from the entire liberal news media if Trump dared to give a direct order of “shoot down that spy balloon”.
Exactly. The DPR woulda attached a fake nuke.
Pat in all fairness all the players from both sides (see Mitch and his pals also)who were in on that trillion dollar scam upon the taxpayers. Hardly any really work for the taxpayers. Every time a 5,000 page bill with a couple days to read through and they do it on purpose.
That doesn’t let Chuck off the hook. I know there are too many RINOS in Washington. That’s why the Speaker of the House nomination was so contentious. The RINOS need to be ousted from their positions for acting like progressives and they needed to get the message that they need to stop getting cozy with the far left Democrats. The Trillion dollar fiasco was the swamp acting out before fiscal responsibility was hopefully brought into the House and many RINOS voted for it also.
I didn’t mean to down play Chucks actions just wanted to bring attention to how sometimes you can’t tell the difference between those policies who say they are for the taxpayers.
Our military would be idiots if they didn’t have a global perspective.
On Tuesday, February 7th, 2023, the 50-year-old Massachusetts State Lottery will start selling its newest symbol of voluntary regressive taxation: A record-setting new $50 scratch ticket! The millions of dollars in pure profits for the state government from the inequitable lottery SCAM’s new $50 scratch ticket will allow Beacon Hill lawmakers to give away millions of additional tax breaks to the wealthy Boston area big business who are the corrupt career politicians’ biggest campaign donors, which will also make greedy Beacon Hill lobbyists such as Daniel Bosley very happy and even more special interest money for himself. To be clear, this ongoing and always growing larger lottery SCAM symbolizes everything that is WRONG with Beacon Hill politics!
Don’t forget some of the monies will be used for pay raises for themselves.
Does anyone remember when the Mass. lottery first started in the early 1970s? Part of its promotion was that it would bring in so much money that property taxes would be pretty much eliminated because the money would go to schools, which feed on money like piranhas feed on raw flesh. That turned out to be the biggest lie ever as not only have my property taxes NOT been eliminated but rather have MULTIPLIED by a factor of 10. And consider that they had no idea just how much money it would bring in.
The Massachusetts State Lottery produced $1.112 billion in net profit, breaking its previous record set in 2019.
“This is the highest net profit total in the Lottery’s 50-year history, surpassing the previous record of $1.104 billion set in the 2019 fiscal year,” the lottery said in a statement.
Its revenue also set a record at $5.829 billion, which is the seventh consecutive increase.
And yet our schools have declined in quality of education.
Go figger
FIZZ
Excellent reminder. Same with the Turnpike. Opened in 1958 and built with the promise that by 1984, the loans would be paid and it would become a toll-free road, with gasoline taxes paying for maintenance. How’d that one turn out. The pols are lying bastards and, because of the system now has become institutionalized, there’s no actual path to authentic change, short of something drastic which, let’s face it, will never happen.
Remember it well when lottery started. I also remember the politicians touting the funds would go into specific accounts for what you mentioned and low and behold they put the funds into general funds so they could get their hands on the funds to do as they pleased. Eddie Stutz of Garfield St. off Longview Terrace hit it big in the 70’s when it came out.
The lottery is just a way that politicians discovered as a way to tax stupidity
Whose they ? No mention of who it is directed at, but Tyer administration maybe?
Accountability? How about some of their own with the same they are writing about and add accountability for the thousands $$ these people are involved with in other groups they are involved with and promoting?
Berkshire Eagle today
Commentary
Dennis Powel,Antony Haynes,
Shirley Edgerton.
It’s time we talked about your diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plan.
It’s time we talked about your diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plan.
You’ve been patting yourself on the back for a job well done. You’ve had endless consultants and speakers educate and inform your staff and executives on best practices. Your human resources department got a gold star for cultural competency.
Yet there is still a gap. Somehow your organization has yet to transform. Your leadership is still encountering the same old DEI issues, especially around race and ethnicity. What your DEI plan might be lacking is accountability, particularly around racial inclusion. Your organization could benefit from publishing on its website a racial inclusion scorecard to hold itself accountable.
Every organization should publish its racial inclusion scorecard as part of its accountability for DEI. The scorecard would include information on recruitment and retention by race and ethnicity for entry-level workers, middle-management and senior executives. For example, the scorecard could show the racial breakdown of attrition rates for entry-level positions, for example attrition rates for white and Black employees.
This data would help inform your organization about whether it is meeting goals around enhancing corporate culture, being more inclusive and providing mentoring to improve retention of historically underrepresented groups. Ultimately, publishing a racial inclusion scorecard would help your organization avoid having a DEI plan that is more of a marketing and PR tool than a driver of cultural change.
Too often, we have seen organizations “talk the talk” of DEI but fail to “walk the walk,” particularly when it comes to racial justice, and especially for Black and brown workers. With great fanfare, organizations publicize the hiring of a chief diversity officer or the creation of some DEI plan or initiative, but then there is little or no concrete change around the recruitment and retention of people of color. A basic principle of PR is to only publicize positive information and to remain silent around negative information. The silence around the data for recruiting and retaining people of color at your organization is deafening.
Actions speak louder than words. Too often, we have seen organizations “talk the talk” of DEI but fail to “walk the walk,” particularly when it comes to racial justice, and especially for Black and brown workers. With great fanfare, organizations publicize the hiring of a chief diversity officer or the creation of some DEI plan or initiative, but then there is little or no concrete change around the recruitment and retention of people of color. A basic principle of PR is to only publicize positive information and to remain silent around negative information. The silence around the data for recruiting and retaining people of color at your organization is deafening.
Actions speak louder than words. A few years ago, when the Southern Poverty Law Center confronted a workplace culture
hostile to women and people of color, the organization took concrete steps, including appointing a black woman as its interim president, to change its workplace environment. In contrast, technology companies for several years have released basic data on racial and gender diversity while showing little or no increases in their percentages of Black employees. Similarly, in the legal profession, law firms continually tout their commitment to DEI, but the percentage of African-American lawyers has not increased in more than a decade. For many organizations, DEI has become a “flavor of the month,” with little or no commitment to actual change, merely a way for organizations to market their virtue and signal their “goodness” without having to put in the hard work of dismantling systems of racial oppression. We don’t see our communities moving in the progressive direction suggested by the proliferation of DEI plans and by the adoption of new acronyms like “JEDI” (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) and “DEIB” (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging). What we instead see are workplaces toxic to Black employees, criticizing their hairstyles for being “ethnic,” calling them “angry” when they object to injustice, saying they are “overqualified” or “not ready” when they’re suited for a job, or firing them by email for no cause after years of exemplary work. What we see in the numerous complaints we have received from people of color is one standard being applied to white workers and a different standard being applied to Black workers. What we do not see are DEI plans that are effective. Organizations should publish a racial inclusion scorecard to hold themselves accountable for change and to provide empirical data supporting their commitment to the racial justice aspect of DEI.
OP
Yes. They talk about accountability. Where are the books, the REAL books, for the ARPA and grant money they’ve received? Only then can they talk about being accountable.
I’ve heard about some people in the community they supposedly serve are starting to ask questions about the money and feeling not all are being treated as well as those close to those with control of the funds. Maybe if more in the community started asking more questions they might get some insight into the workings$ of who, what and why.
I’ve asked that question numerous times.
Over a million dollars ($1,000,000) has been given to Dr. Shirley Edgerton, PhD-Race Hustlin’ en Griftin,
for her black teachers recruiting and ROPES course.
Not ONE documented success story after all this time and money.
Shirl did bring her fam and friends on a trip to Africa though.
If the black community leaders in Pittsfield want accountability, then they should demand that the city’s public school district NOT be rated Level 5 by the state year after year. Also, Pittsfield is always in the top 10 cities in Massachusetts for violent crime, according to the FBI’s annual report. Inner-city Pittsfield now has over 1,000 gang members living there. Pittsfield is described by the Boston Federal Reserve as a postindustrial city with a distressed economy with severe economic inequality with an over reliance on social services. Over the past 50 years, Pittsfield has experienced a lot of population loss and the loss of thousands of living wage jobs. The insider and corrupt career state and local politicians have long been part of the problem in Pittsfield. My accountability report card for Pittsfield politics is “F” for the generations of failed leadership! Nonetheless, I still root (in futility) for my native hometown. I am told it is due to sentimental reasons from my youth.
Dan. I did not know Smokey Robinson was still alive.
One of the best!!
That’s the uproar. They forgot tell everyone that it’s only for the connected.
Here’s your scoreboard 0
https://youtu.be/-ER2FEenPH4
Linduh in her own words. Priceless.
It never made sense what the military was saying about not wanting to shoot down the balloon because of danger to Americans on the ground. Risk Assessment should have said that allowing a spy balloon to surveil our missile sites could result in far greater loss of life if we were attacked by China due to their military intelligence spying. Even if what they said was true, the balloon should have been taken out over the Pacific not the Atlantic Ocean when it first appeared on radar. If they didn’t see it on radar until it was traveling over land, then that’s an even bigger problem. Places with wide open spaces like Montana would have also been fine for taking it down.
I kinda leave stuff like that to the people who were trained to deal with it. It is just possible that they have information I don’t.
Then again, you can’t beat Fox news for knowing everything about every thing all the time and more than anyone else in the world. Even more than our CIA which has intelligence people all over the world.
Lotsa blabbering mouths eating crow today.
(and tomorrow)
Top military officials have been coming out and saying the same things I did so it’s not just FOX news.
Yeah the CIA told us all about the WMD in Iraq.
Right. Colin Powell at the UN, lying through his gums.
An article in the Eagle says Persip & Marchetti want $2 million put into DPW “stabilization fund” instead of being put in “general stabilization account” for a total of $4 million to be used for “roads & sidewalks.” The DPW can’t effectively manage the funds allowed in their budget as seen during the Christmas snowmageddon! Persip wants sidewalks built? What the heck is wrong with him?! The double-wide diva is tone deaf to the residents crying for a tax break.
If Marchetti is serious about running for mayor, he should pay attention to the fact that taxpayers expect some tax relief, especially since the city has overtaxed by $17 million sitting in free cash!
The Biden administration is spreading the lie that spy balloons from China were over our country while Trump was president. Trump and top intelligence leaders are coming out to refute that claim. The Daily Beast and other liberal media are pushing the lie.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-top-national-security-officials-refute-claim-chinese-spy-balloons-transited-us-under-last-admin
The WEF & WHO are openly broadcasting warnings about the complete collapse of the grid from a cyber attack. A balloon carrying a nuclear device could trigger such an event.
Cars would not work (electronics destroyed), gas pumps would not work, power stations would be shut down, water pumps would be inoperable, supply chains shut down, etc.
Think about it. The country would be shut down for YEARS! End of story.
Waaaayoff
Dumbest statement I’ve ever heard on the planet
So a balloon might start w w 3 ? Ha ha ha.