BLACK IS BLACK, AND SO IS BISSELL; GREYLOCK PREZ POST-FLOYD LETTER PROVES HIS BIZ ACUMEN
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 1, 2023) — Who’s that dancing round the Maypole?
Why, it’s THE PLANET‘s good friend, John Bissell.
Bissell is Boss Man Greylock Federal Credit Union, the county’s #1 repository of fiat money at $1.4 billion.
The bulk of THE PLANET‘s fractured fairy tale today is the burning question: How “woke” do you want with your dough?
John Bissell
———- ooo ———-
Before that, let’s give a basic primer on Greylock.
It began humbly in 1934 as the General Electric Credit Union and it stayed that way until 1995, when GE booked. That’s the moment the black and white film turned to color, aborning Greylock.
Unlike private banks, Greylock is a “nonprofit” institution. Right.
“Nonprofit” means Greylock is exempt from federal taxes and is eligible for subsidies. Unlike private banks, Greylock doesn’t have to worry about taxes or pleasing shareholders. The board of directors, well, reports to itself. Is that how it ended up with CEO Angelo “Biddeford” Stracuzzi?
When Stracula resigned in 2010 due to “ill health, diddling” it triggered a series of steps that led to the installation of Bissell to the $1.4 billion throne. He got there Oct. 1, 2015 after what massive.com called with a straight face “an extensive national search.”
THE PLANET was shocked, SHOCKED!, to find no mention of Stracula in its comprehensive “Greylock History” at greylock.org.
Stracula: “Tell ’em HE sent you.”
It was during Angelo’s reign that Greylock executive Mike DiCenzo loaned millions to real-estate developer Jeffrey Pierce in exchange for $134,773 in kickbacks. Merry Mike got off with received probation.
Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!
———- ooo ———-
Today, Bissell wants to make sure he’s on the left side of woke, the only way to survive and flourish in Benigno Numine.
After fentanyl-ingested drug-user George Floyd died nearly three years ago after a police officer restrained him on a charge of passing a counterfeit Jackson, America erupted with “peaceful protests.”
Bissell jumped at his chance. With the backing of his directors, Bissell used Floyd’s death to drum up new business. Talk about making lemonade from lemons!
Here’s the letter:
“In the past week we have all witnessed tragic events across our country. Even as communities work to recover from COVID-19, we are now confronted with the aftershocks from the brutal death of George Floyd, and from the countless murders of other Black Americans through the months, the years, and the centuries of our national struggle with racism.
The truth is that the daily brutality of racism is not confined to law enforcement or the criminal justice system. The insidious force of racism pervades every system in America and Berkshire County, from housing to education, to government and media, and to the business community and the financial system. So while we must confront and mourn the reality of Mr. Floyd’s horrific death, all of us in positions of influence must also commit every ounce of our energy to changing our own practices inside of our organizations and industries.
I am grateful for the leadership of our volunteer Board of Directors and employees at Greylock Federal who have committed to long-term change across the domains of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. We have made progress in changing our hiring practices and policies, and we have expanded access in many meaningful ways. But we know that we have a long way to go to achieve true financial inclusion, and I deeply appreciate the counsel of Black leaders, advisers and mentors in helping us shape our approach.
At a rally this past weekend I heard a group of young protesters chanting, “No justice, no peace.” Achieving real, sustained social justice requires achieving economic justice. And economic justice relies upon an inclusive financial system, and upon inclusive business practices. This work starts with me, and people who look like me, who are in positions of leadership.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” So, people of Berkshire County, where is our voice? Where is our action? What are we willing to do to assist people of color and show our belief that we are all truly created equal?
We need to listen respectfully to our Black neighbors and colleagues, and we need to act, now and for generations to come. Precious lives depend on us making real and systemic changes.
This letter is offered with the full endorsement of Greylock Federal’s Board of Directors.”
John L. Bissell
President/CEO
Greylock Federal Credit Union
THE PLANET hopes the letter paid off.
And remember, when in doubt, capitalize the “b” in “Black,” lower case the “w” in “white, and “Tell ’em Angelo sent you!”
——————————————————————————
“God is dead. He did it for the children” — Sir Donald Turnpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Copyright (c) 2023 By Dan Valenti, PLANET VALENTI and EUROPOLIS MANAGEMENT. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. Those who leave comments own all the responsibilities that are or can be attached to those comments, be they rhetorical, semantic, or legal. Such commentators remain solely responsible for what they post and shall be and remain solely accountable for their words. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in, but not limited to, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. We serve as a marketplace of ideas, without prejudice and available to all. All users of this site — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else — hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice and their use of/participation in this site. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.
Angelo Stracuzzi was part of Pittsfield politics’ Good Old Boys club that put the city into the ditch. He was a big supporter of Jimmy Ruberto’s 8 years as Mayor from 2004 – 2011. Pittsfield’s Good Old Boys club invested tens of millions of dollars in “Ruberto’s Renaissance” that supposedly revitalized downtown Pittsfield into an arts and cultural center that would (sarcasm) rival Paris, London, NYC and L.A. During and after Angelo Stracuzzi resigned in disgrace from running Greylock Federal Credit Union in 2010 and Jimmy Ruberto retired from Pittsfield politics at the end of 2011, large artistic photographs of downtown Pittsfield became the focus of art exhibits in upscale art galleries and museums in London, NYC and L.A. that was billed as “Pittsfield: A City in Decay”. The Dirty Bird (Berkshire Eagle) recently reported that North Street hosts 15 empty storefronts. For decades, North Street was sarcastically called “Social Services Alley” by day and “The Shooting Gallery” after hours, and the distressed inner-city neighborhoods that surround downtown Pittsfield are sarcastically called “The Ring of Poverty”. Over 1,000 gang members now call inner-city Pittsfield home. Greylock Federal Credit Union’s CEO John Bissell is promoting Pittsfield politics’ DIE policies under Mayor Linda Tyer, who herself lives in a mansion in a Gated Community within a few feet from the Hancock border. Pittsfield’s public schools are rated Level 5, Pittsfield is always listed in the top 10 cities by population in Massachusetts for Violent Crime by the FBI’s annual reports, many young adults have to move away from Pittsfield because there are little to no living wage jobs for them in Pittsfield, and in return for all of these substandard outcomes, Pittsfield politics charges the fictional family called Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski top tax dollars to the tune of over $200 million per fiscal year in “Pickleball” spending.
What has he said about all the black crime victims in Pittsfield? What has Obama said about all the black crime victims in Chicago? Nothing. Why? And can he give us concrete examples of all the pervasive racism in the county???
Excellent representation at the public health and safety committee by councilor Kronick.
One thing I saw a few weeks ago was a one wheel contraption going down west street at least thirty mph and no helmet, although I don’t think it would’ve helped him if he ever crashed.
Those things are dangerous.
Attorney Kemphorm was out of line trashing officer Magdalena because he hadn’t returned a phone call to her?
Police do a great job and lately they’re pulling over many vehicles and speeders.
Have you ever heard of end of the month quotas?
Could it have been Barry or Linda on their way home?
He has said nothing, and the reason is it ain’t the white man doin’ all the shootin’, it be da people of color, so he and Obama stay silent and collect the big bucks. How much does Bissell get paid? And notice he said nothing about the racial hoax at the college in Great Barrington, even before it was a known hoax. And how much are they charging us middle class folk for a used car loan? 9 percent. Another phony who probably didn’t even write the letter he signed.
Just read an article about how some banks are screwing their customers on bank account interest. CD rates are OK but savings interest rates are ripping folk off. Is Greylock being fair on interest rates?
Just open your account elsewhere.
True, but it is not a good situation when the banking industry starts charging customers to take their money and invest it in loans and markets.
They are supposed to pay us to use our money.
FGlCU!
Seriously. These electric one wheel contraptions do 60 mph.
Now, now let’s not be too negative, Mr. Bissell is just confusing Christianity with Capitalism!! He hopefully at some point learns how to be a Capitalist in his work life and a Christian in his private life. He must learn that he is responsible for keeping Greylock financially solvent so his workers can help put food on the table and a roof over their head. I must say he does know how to play politics as he hired his and the Mayors DIE poster girl!! I wonder how he was able to get on some city committees while others were denied.
Lotsa banker folk on city committees. Two on the city council (embedded types)
Anyone know how much taxpayer paid interest on city loans banks in Pittsfield are making and which banks in particular are making the big bucks? This would be a great question for a mayoral candidate or his campaign manager. Can you just imagine the thousand mile stare Marchetti would give you if you asked him this question?
You missed the very fitting inclusion of Roberta Mcculloch-Dews recently being hired as Greylock’s Vice President of Marketing.
It’s hard to imagine she got the job based on her performance as Pittsfield’s lead marketer.
I wonder if her and Linda are still friends?
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city of pity, can I take a moment to voice my concern for Counselor Pete White? Has anyone noticed how he seems to be drinking a lot more? His social media is adorned with selfies from bar stools on the regular now. He also started showcasing the beer he buys to bring home.
Whether he’s developing a drinking problem or not, someone should let him know that it’s not a great idea to promote the image of a constant bar fly. And a fancy growler doesn’t make you less of an alcoholic.
Good point. Roberta was perhaps taking stock of the lame-duck status of the office, and she made alternate plans. I’m sure there was another nationwide search before she got hired. As for Mr. White, do you think he’s trying to resurrect Barroom Politics, ala the Doyle Era?
Ms. Dews made a smart move and probably doubled her salary. She also chose to raise her family outside of Pittsfield. Sounds like a person with good judgement to me.
Maybe she did not think Krol would keep her on anyway.
Gavel boy would have kept her on Krolyroller not so much. He’s got his own hacks to take care of. Mrs. Yabba Dabba Dews knows Marchetti’s going to lose.
Talking WAY off the record with one of The ‘Players,’ there’s a worry that Peter will lose for the same reason he lost to Dan Bianchi, that indefinable “it” that makes it look like he doesn’t REALLY want it. Look for a mysterious “Third Man” to emerge in late summer fully backed by The Money.
Gotta have the signature papers in sometime in July
Yes. July 28. Good point. Let’s revise “late summer” to “late spring.”
Sounds ominous.
Maybe he wants to be the Gerry Doyle of city council fame. Plus he is in line for a run at mayor next time around.
Gimpy Pee Pee White fancies himself to be Pittsfield’s most ostentatious neanderthal. Luckily for gimpy white J. Elmer Chester Melle doesn’t reside in Pittsfield anymore. Otherwise, those two would be battling for the title of short bus bachelor.
Some years back when an especially odorous abomination of a city councilor proposed an increase in the stipend for useless city councilors, Gimpy white seconded the increase. Gimpy attempted to justify the stipend saying something along the lines of city councilors needed this stipend so they can rent tuxedos for all those special events city councilors are required to attend on behalf of the taxpayers. Foody Gimpy Pee Pee white is a domestic geek among Pittsfield’s bottom feeders. Gimpy white lives vicariously through himself. His hands are gelatinous jellied Moose nose. Panhandlers give him money. His preferred cologne is Eau de Limburger. So, adding constant Barfly to his resume would not be a surprise.
How does one live ‘vicariously through himself.’ It’s poetic, but I don’t think that it means anything.
A clothing stipend – that really is funny. Ears tuned – petition for stipend for wigs coming up.
Could you put it in simple terms, what’s GFCU got to do, got to do wid it ?
I’m not comprehending the heart of the matter.
Does Rutberg own that too?
Or, his clients do? Is he the lawyer for the plantation, I believe… … … …. …..
If Rutberg owned it he’d be pan handling for $$ like he does at the Eagle.
When I hear the term economic justice by financial institutions I generally run in the opposite direction. How solid could their lending practices be, with such a policy? Racist for sure. Recent ads of theirs are completely woke and disturbing. As they say, go woke go broke. When their rainbow flags appeared at their Elm St. branch I found another competitor bank to do business with. They also had inconvenient operating hours for working people and not enough tellers.
I have been on the fence. He may have pushed me to shop around.
Bissel could use some digestive justice as he’s full of crap.
Millions of dollars given to her over the years for the ROPES course. There is not ONE single documented success story of a person, after attending her ROPES course, who has gone on to achieve any level of success and credit Shirley or ROPES for it.
Feel-good stories like the one I posted about the cultural competency coach getting ARPA money, must warm the hearts of guys like John Bissell.
Continuing to buy into this fake racism grift and fondling underage boys seems to be the GFCU mantra.
Pittsfield’s ROPE Program Guides Young Women to Success / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
$550,000 in ARPA money she received.
Perhaps we can start a DOPES course, Mark, and rake it in like we wiz ROPES. Or maybe a ROPE-A-DOPE course. All we need: Some “representative class” minorities to front it for us.
DEI stands against EVERYTHING we believe as a free society. Equal opportunity DOES NOT GUARANTEE equal outcomes. Each decision made by the individual in a society has weight and value in determining his / her outcome. Maybe these people
need to take another logic course.
I believe folk like Mr Bissell have misjudged the size of the sub-set of people who are buying into this hyper wokeness. And in doing so may be turning off a much larger group who may be vital to their business. I think they could have gotten their message across as equal opportunity lenders without coming across as apologists for past white behavior having nothing to do with most of us on earth today.
I agree, FIZZ, and it’s the point I in my response to TRUTH HURTS, who asked a reasonable question. Going “woke” is taking a risk with deposits and outflows.
Have a Bud Light Bissel boy
AntiWoke bullies try to deflate a person’s social status by demeaning the weight of their societal contributions.
I’ll always remember the “summer of love, 2020”
Burn
Loot
and Murder
So what is the point of this did John Bissell do something to you Planet ? I’m not catching the drift here
TRUTH
Thanks for the question. No. I don’t bank at Greylock and have no relationship with John. He’s a sharp businessman and he answers to a board of directors. The point of the article is that mixing social philosophies/politics with finances when you’re a financial institution is not good policy. I want my bankers to concentrate on one thing: earnings. My impression (I have no inside knowledge of this) is that John had no real choice in issuing the letter. If that’s the case, to me it doesn’t bode well for the institution. If that’s not the case, it doesn’t bode well for the institution. As we’ve seen with SVB, Signature Bank, and First Republic (now owned by J. P. Morgan), large financial outfits are often prey to their own greed and foolishness. Making policy with a social fad such “woke” can be as risky as greed. Appreciate the inquiry.
Thank you for clarifying
May 1, 2023
Re: Hunter Biden’s “Bad Boy Behaviors” and his day in family court
Hunter Biden attended his first in-person family court hearing in Arkansas this Monday morning, May 1st, 2023, because he is requesting that his monthly child support payments be reduced for his unplanned for and unwanted four-year-old girl to a young woman who was half of his age who attended college in the Swamp where she also worked as a stripper and was listed as an employee at his law firm. The family court Judge ruled that Hunter Biden must answer written questions about all of his personal finances, answer questions under oath at a deposition in mid-June 2023, and attend a bench trial on July 24th, 2023.
Why is Hunter Biden doing all of this? First, Hunter Biden lied to a family court Judge in 2019 by saying that he is not the father of the baby girl, but a court ordered paternity test proved otherwise. Second, Hunter Biden wrote and published a book in 2021 stating that he used to smoke crack cocaine every 15 minutes, drown himself in alcohol, and spend his money on strippers and sex workers. Third, Hunter Biden says that he has no memory of having sex with the unwanted mother of his unplanned for and unwanted baby girl. Fourth, despite it being public knowledge that the wealthy Biden family are multimillionaires, along with Hunter Biden being investigated for alleged tax fraud and related alleged criminal activities, Hunter Biden is trying to convince the family court that his monthly child support payments to the unwanted mother of his unplanned for and unwanted 4-year-old girl be reduced.
U.S. President Joe Biden should make his middle-aged son, Hunter Biden, apologize for all his aforementioned actions and then set up a financial plan to pay the unwanted woman mother of his unplanned for and unwanted 4-year-old girl the monthly child support payments that is mandated under the law. If Hunter Biden were my son, I would explain to him that whenever his penis is erect and his sperm is ejaculated near or into a woman’s vagina, his sperm will fertilize the woman’s egg and she will become pregnant and then she will have a baby. I would explain to him that while his sperm doesn’t not know any better, he as the man who should know better than to have sex with a woman with the consequences he now faces as a sexual partner and father. I would tell him that now that he has at least 5 children by at least 3 women, at this point in his middle-aged life, he should get a vasectomy to stop having children, including the 4-year-old girl that he doesn’t want to pay monthly child support payments for that is mandated under the law. I would tell him to comply with the family court’s ruling and pay the unwanted mother of his unplanned for and unwanted 4-year-old girl the full monthly child support payments that is mandated under the law.
Jonathan A. Melle
If China Joe Xiden runs against Donald Trump in 2024, are you voting for Trump JM?
John, please tell us that YOU are not going to have any children.
If I had children, they would have grown up in the underclass. I will be 50 in mid-2025. My father is not the U.S. President like Hunter Biden’s old man Joe Biden. I have a dog.
Thanks for the sex ed post. I had no idea. Any parent that has to sit down with a middle aged family member (like yourself) to explain about doing the right thing on such an issue, tells me all I need to know about the person.
With apologies to Anne Murray, you have the dancing on a string Jonathan. You have 7 thumbs down so far. That means at least 7 people have taken the time to read what you wrote. You post long and varied opinions, just like Dan Valenti. Keep up the good work.
“County Councilman Triggers Woke Liberals and Gets Them to Protest Their Own Ideology by Proclaiming He Is Now a Lesbian “Woman of Color” (VIDEO)”
“An Indiana Republican politician caused woke leftists to lose their minds when he reintroduced himself as a “woman of color” and “a lesbian” because he is attracted to women.
Earlier this month, Delaware County council member Ryan Webb posted a photo to his Facebook account showing him with a pistol in his waistband. The caption read “Ready for an awesome day! Hope everyone has a great day!”
The “awesome day” he was referring was him “coming out” as a black, transgender female.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/county-councilman-triggers-woke-liberals-and-gets-them-to-protest-their-own-ideology-by-proclaiming-he-is-now-a-lesbian-woman-of-color-video/
Maybe he’d/it/thing/mam would consider moving to Pittsfield and running for office….
He is satirizing the absurdity of using ‘choice’ as a qualification for gender id. What is surprising is that the medical industry is on board. They’ll dispense gender ID’s as easily as medical pot prescriptions.
I am wondering if all this wokeness at Greylock is the reason Adams Community is growing so fast and Lee Bank is moving into Pittsfield. I am also wondering how Pete M’s bank is handling all this wokeness? I can’t see Jay breaking from his “macho” ways. Banks and governments are never here for the Kapanski’s. If banks are regulated and regularly audited why do many crash “all of a sudden”? Also, why is it that loan rates go up in a fast manner yet the savings rate stays in the toilet? Currently the government should be telling everyone to save their money but they are doing the exact opposite. Banks would help if they raise their savings rate closer to the inflation rate,,,,what is it now Brandon 10%?
Good questions, SHIRL. And with the failures of SVB, Signature, and First Republic banks, President Biden saw fit to rush in with the bailouts. As you say, depositors suffer. The banks do not.
Will the Boss Man John Bissell tell his customers that Biden will soon be crashing the dollar and the money in their savings account will take a big loss when he switches everybody over to a global currency? Somehow I doubt it. So he will go on and on about racism to show that he is woke while hiding the current and upcoming problems in our monetary system of which he is well aware. I’m sure that Greylock Federal is also using ESG scores to promote the Biden globalist agenda.
Banks are also having trouble getting employees. This stuff may be to attract the attention of potential workers. We luv ya….we got your loans and by the way…..come work for us. Whitey won’t.
If that’s what he is doing, which is questionable, then fine, but he and other financial institutions have as their first duty the job of protecting the money of their customers and in these tough financial times, I don’t see any of them rising to that challenge. They should be informing customers on how to protect their hard earned money and what challenges are in the future for our monetary system. They will all have more information on this than the general public, but they are not sharing.
Is that why the tellers dress like bums and have piercings and tats?
How is the CI/Plea Bargain working out for LE. Hmm, yes, not so great for We The People.
The neighbors do not realize they live next to criminals, because of the ol’ plea deals….
Mending Justice: Sentinel Event Reviews https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247141.pdf
*2016 / subsequent ~
https://theberkshireedge.com/news-brief-great-barrington-woman-re-arrested-heroin-possession/
2022- nothing changes if nothing changes~
Connecticut police say they found 510 packets of heroin in car driven by … https://www.berkshireeagle.com/crime/pittsfield-drugs-heroin-drug-bust-connecticut/article_dc838824-ce18-11ec-a919-17eb3624aa67.html
Think it through – it is intricate/ involuntary servitude.
You know what, especially if the CI is the only one with an income source.
There’s your systemic racism. For one.
Mayor spent a shit ton of taxpayer money on a fancy dog park. Now, of course, she is looking for volunteers to “clean it up”, because I imagine, like everything else she builds, there is no money to maintain it?
Who will maintain the bike track or pickle ball courts or Pontoosuc Lake emporium?
This is a good question for those running for mayor and city council. After the door hits Tyer in the ass the new mayor will have to do cleanup in isle LINDUH!