THE REV. DENTON: IN PRAISE … BUREAUCRATS?!? OUCH!
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, APRIL 17, 2024) — One of the most astounding pieces of faux fiction to grace the pages of the Boring Broadsheet has to be the recent letter to the editor in praise of … ya’ll sit-in’ down? …
… bureaucrats.
The Rev. Mike Denton, pastor of United Church of Christ (South Congregational) Church, authored the misguided epistle.
Oh Lord, spare us from the do-gooders.
The Rev. Mike Denton, Note the “RESIST” banner in the background. Tells a lot, doesn’t it?
The Rev. Mike might be adept at saving souls, and THE PLANET would bet he is, but he should leave the written politics and the prose to the pros. Praising bureaucrats is like pointing out that Stalin commissioned symphonies from Dmitri Shoshtakovich or that Hitler gave us the Volkswagen Beetle.
Denton, who at first glance resembles Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, rightly points out how easy it is “to give bureaucrats and bureaucracies a harsh word. The words themselves are used as insults.”
THE PLANET sooooo agrees, and did the reverend stop to think that there might be 1,001 good reasons why bureaucrats have come to be so maligned?
Anton La Vey
When you have a steaming pile, you can’t rightly call it a trip to the moon on gossamer wings, now can you?
Denton doesn’t stop there with his gushing. He sees bureaucrats as “the humanity of the systems they are part of.” Talk about Deus ex machina. Truth be told, bureaucrats represent a part of humanity that has sacrificed humanness to “the system they are part of.”
Spotlight on Tex Behnke
To personify his glorification of these red-tapers, he selects Kristen “Tex” Behnke. Years ago, they would have called Tex the school department treasurer. Period. Today, however, in the Land of Big Government, she’s the “Assistant Superintendent and Dominatrix for Business and Finance of the Pittsfield Public Schools.” That 13 words replacing one, or what bureaucracy does in general to clarity and simplicity. It’s mucks them up.
Kristen “Tex” Behnke, with the 1000-yard STARE.
Denton’s selection of Behnke deserves the spotlight. Tex, in case you don’t know it, duplicates the same function Kufflinks Kerwood, another Bureaucrat, performs (and we used the word advisedly) for the city. Yes, instead of having one treasurer, Bitchfield has long had two. The insanity doesn’t stop there, however. Tex Behnke has nine, count ’em nine, assistants. Kerwood has three.
To administer the most corrupt and bloated aspect of Bitchfield’s obese budget, eating up 75% of $182+million, the Temptress Ten cost the Kapanskis about a million bucks in salary and bennies. In a properly managed municipality, city and school finances would be under one office of, pick a number, four people instead of Bitchfield’s two offices and 15 troughers.
McFly praises Tex with flowers not seen since the bureaucrats fed hemlock to Socrates.
“Through her good work,” he writes, “we learned of a statewide undercounts of low-income students that, if unchecked would have resulted in millions of dollars of cuts. … “It will unlock another $2.4 million in aid.”
Let’s stop the good father right there, lest we embarrass him further.
———- ooo ———-
Being the trusting man he likely is, Denton doesn’t recognize the annual Socohl Budget Scam (SBS). Allow THE PLANET to educate him.
Each year, the Socohl Department issues dire warnings about millions of dollars that need to be cut, resulting in, God forbid, belt tightening. Then, somewhere in or approaching the 11th Hour, they find the millions. “Found money,” you know, like the manna that dropped from heaven on the Israelites during the Exodus. This time, Benhke came to the rescue, saying she found a “technical error” that sends and additional $2.4 million to the Socohl Department to waste.
Hoo-rah and whoop-de-dee! We can hear John Kiley on the organ belting out “The Night They Invented Champagne!”
THE PLANET saw this one coming a month ago, and we predicted the “found millions.”
Denton’s bureaucrats, those “protectors of well-being, defenders of shared assets, guardians against costly errors,” are the ones whose actions have led to the demise of a once-thriving, postcard-perfect small city: runaway spending, excessive taxation, and grease for The Suits and Fat Cats.
These modern-day saints can always use the Nuremberg defense. They are only following orders.
————————————————————-
“The bigger the government, the greater the bureaucracy, the larger the corruption” — Sir Donald Turpentine, 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.
April 15, 2024
I agree. Bureaucrats and bureaucracies are banal micro-managing cogs in an inequitable and corrupt system of government.
I agree. The Level 5 Pittsfield Public School System has an excessive number of bureaucrats. Over the years, the enrollment numbers decreased, while the costs have increased. In the land of bureaucratic financial formulas, it is a net loss.
I agree. Matt Kerwood (“Kufflinks”) is a true to form bureaucrat who plays financial shell games with the state that most people don’t understand, while increasing city spending by between 5 percent to 10 percent per fiscal year. It has been this way in Pittsfield politics since the early-1980’s after the misguided state law named Proposition 2.5 went into effect in Massachusetts.
Bureaucrats are NOT about right versus wrong, fairness versus unfairness, equity versus shoving it up peoples’ asses with their SCAMS such as the state lottery regressive taxation scheme, and so on. Rather, bureaucrats are about serving “The Twilight Zone” views of their political bosses so that they can earn lucrative public pay plus perks for life.
Jon Melle
When was Pittsfield a postcard- perfect small city?
1958.
I had family that used to visit in the early 1980’s and they loved the small town look and feel.
A few were in town after the Scamdemic for a wedding and were stunned at the cesspool Bitchfield has become.
They didn’t exude the same excitement about “diversity and inclusion” from those “looking on the outside,” that the Barry “Flat” Tire administration and MA Illegal Aliens Rep. Tricia Farley-Country Buffet (D-Illegal aliens), proclaimed to the people of Bitchfield that it was.
Only in liberal-loons and “social justice warriors” worlds, do drug addicts, halfway (back into prison) house members, and bums, does it add to the “vibrancy” of any place.
Unless of course we’re talking about Walpole Prison. Then I said add all that “vibrancy” to their types of derelicts.
That explains it. I was born after that, have been here for the duration, and I don’t recall Pittsfield ever being that way. Before my time, as they say. Thank you. I imagine Clapp Park was nice then, without all the nips, needles, bums, and human shit, and nice trees that Mr. G carved his initials in. Now the place is a mess. Same as just about all of them I have been to in the past couple of years.
What a wonderful postcard! Just lovely!
Looks like one lane back then.
Where are the bums holding the cardboard claiming they are “clean and sober” – got a big kick out of that one, or “disabled vet”, or other such lie.
I don’t see any bike lanes!
What makes it worse is Kerwood’s people do Behnke’s payroll for her. No need for nine assistants.
Excellent comment, MR. W! Didn’t know that K does B’s payroll. Amazing!!
I thought computers were supposed to make things more efficient? Maybe the IT department should go as well. Still think the school adjustment counselors can go and be replaced by Brien seeing how everyone has insurance now and they can foot the bill. Still wondering if these bureaucrats can find the itemized bill for $50,000, committee notes from the ARPA grift and those darn green houses!!!
Amen Dan!! When I read his letter I thought it was complete satire. I felt no one with an ounce of intelligence could possibly believe this crap but then I realized where I lived and he must be one of the kool aide drinking corrupt insider of the Pitts aka Bitchfield. I wonder if during confessions the parishioners get “The slap” because that is what he is extolling towards the Kapanski’s!
Fight or Flight – yikes. Send back up.
This was is for TSC, snark, JM and the rest of the TDS crowd. Just released yesterday that Congress has a $17 million slush fund that has been used since 1997 with no records being kept as to who used it. The only account they have is it has been used 267 times. Senator Conyers (D) used it as he was on the Judiciary Committee and was proven to use sex as a way to get promoted in his office. Hmmmmmm and to say illegitimate isn’t using the DOJ to attack his opponent. Also Fannie in Georgia is refusing to disclose information to the press about her visits to DC before charging Trump illegally. Hmmmmmmm Also todays hate rag the Berk Eagle was full of misinformation again, when will they be charged???
The Left Winged Parrot is for: TDS sufferer’s support, and entertainment and amusement purposes only
Hush money slush fund.
No wonder the world of the normal sees this blogsite as something they’d rather not communicate with. Gratuitous insults and glasses half empty are the coin of the realm here.
Not long before your glass is empty. Hiccup.
Nothing is normal in Bitchfield.
Wish it was half empty. Over flowing at the School Department.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWBhsiBMOIo
The “Rev” absolutely does look like LaVey. The letter to the editor does smack of naiveté. Can’t imagine what liberal bs is preached to that congregation!
Dead on about the bloat in the Pittsfield School Department. The student enrollment declines and the Administration expands. WTF, someone give them a Midal.
Behnke is smart and she’s very good at her job. That job is to serve the interests of the school district, not tax relief advocates. She would be a good town manager if we could ever get out of this Peter Principle system we have now.
The only thing I’d hire her for is to run a Ponzi scheme. That’s what the psychic chick said.
She must be damn good at conversation as to be able to convince the school department that she needs all those assistants. She must be able to talk with others and prove her point or it wouldn’t be this way. There have been many people who are smart and probably would be great at a job that just don’t have the ability to talk with others in a respectful way or in a way to be able to influence another’s support for their point of view when there is a disagreement. Gaetani? Probably a smart guy but zero ability to play with others. I give her credit for her being able to surround herself with people to help her do her job and lighten her load while collecting a huge paycheck but I cannot stand the bloated school budget at the same time.
Think someone is inhaling some of that funny cigarettes stuff. That would be the worse idea ever taking the role of city leader out of the voters hands, especially with a connected clown!! Instead of telling the PSC to tighten its belt and look at the obvious she was playing computer games to look like a hero to the suits!
https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/southern-ocean/trial-date-set-in-ocean-county-child-murder-case/
She got a new DCF job here in Berkshire County.
I told ya.
https://www.newsweek.com/biden-war-cannibals-pennsylvania-1891478
Masticate on that Pete White.
Does anyone believe with this new 2.4 million found for the school budget they won’t want the full school budget that was requested to begin with from the taxpayers? They will find away to keep and use it all. 9 assistants for what purpose?
What most people do not understand that Pittsfield’s annual operating budget is not about funding municipal services and public education, municipal debt servicing, and so on. What it is about is the municipal bureaucrats playing financial shell games with the state in order for the city government and Level 5 public school district to receive tens of millions of dollars in state aid funding per fiscal year. That is what the tax rate and operating budget is really about in Pittsfield politics.
The Eagle’s editorial praising the Pittsfield public school district’s financial bureaucrat for fixing an error that resulted in a couple millions of dollars in additional state aid to Pittsfield misses the point. To illustrate, similar to the state lottery being an inequitable scheme for the state to collect regressive taxes from the underclass residents who don’t understand what is really going on, the local bureaucrats are over-taxing local residents to receive as much state aid funding as possible.
I call the financial shell games in government a form of Perverse Incentives (and “The Twilight Zone”) because the ruling, corporate and financial elites are all using the financially unaware taxpayers to enrich themselves at the public trough, while the rest of us pound sand. The state lottery SCAM makes a systemic mockery out of the underclass residents and the economically distressed City of Pittsfield alike. The Pittsfield public school district has the WORST rating – Level 5 – by the state government in Boston, but nonetheless, they are using the underclass students to qualify for additional state aid dollars.
Jon Melle
So disgusting. This is why they want to totally eliminate God and religions because these bureaucrats want you to bow down to them in worship. This is why people came to America to get away from the authoritarianism of bureaucrats. We are going seriously backwards.
Why isn’t “God” over in Gaza, watching over the children? Hath he forsaken them? What secret holy message is he sending his faithful flocks that over ten thousand children have been so far mercilessly slaughtered by the Israelis? Whatever it is, it has gone way over my head.
Humans are creating the problems NOT God. Atheists will not understand.
Humans are creating the problem? Who created the humans Pat? And if they are broken, why does he not fixed them instead of making them worse by the day?
What are the Hamas Barbarians STILL doing to the hostages in Gaza?
God? Ever heard of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Heard of it? He vacations there.
Whatever happened to the hostages that Biden left in Afghanistan???
Bottom line Kerwood needs to go
He is deeply embedded and knows a lot of stuff. Plus he wants to be around later this year when the forensic audit takes place so he can point out all the savings he has put in place.
Today is Thursday. The peace hippies will be at Park Square this afternoon. Their signs will ask you to honk to end war. Please drive by and honk your horn. This will save lives and bring peace on earth.
God bless the dumb asses. Honk Honk!
I think The Bible meant to say “Pizza on Earth”, but it was erroneously translated to “Peace on Earth”. At least we have Pizza on Earth, but we also have to live in a world full of NUKES.
I didn’t know that books could be cooked, but then I followed the creative accounting work by government and business financial managers alike, which led me to realize that money is only for the ruling, corporate and financial elites, while the rest of us have to pound sand.
I thought that Pittsfield (Massachusetts) would cost a similar amount of taxpayer dollars to operate per fiscal year compared to similar sized small cities. Then I realized that the city government’s tax rate and operating budget is a Bait & Switch shell game with the state for Pittsfield to receive as much state aid as possible.
I thought that the multi-billion-dollar Massachusetts State Lottery SCAM was for public education, local aid, and other good causes. But over the years, I have followed the public record of greedy lobbyist Dan Bosley and others like him who see the lottery for what it is – a tax on all of the financial fools in the underclass – while the greed-ball lobbyists in Boston use the regressive state revenues to get huge state tax breaks for the big business clients in the Boston metro area, but let us not forget that big businesses don’t exist in most other areas of Massachusetts like they do in Boston. Does that mean that the lottery is really an inequitable scheme to redistribute Massachusetts commoner residents’ money to Boston area big businesses in the form of lucrative state tax breaks?
I could be wring about all of these matters, but I do enjoy eating Pizza, I read that the super-wealthy HAVE received most of the income gains over the past 50 years, while the Have Nots have received a whole $5 per week pay raise since the early- to mid-1970’s, I know that Pittsfield politics increases its annual spending by at least 5 percent all the way up to 10 percent per fiscal year for state aid funding, despite all of the decades of large losses in population and living wage jobs in Pittsfield, and, lastly, that during last Summer 2023, Massachusetts Officials had the nerve to brag to the public about the lottery’s record profits in fiscal year 2023, which ended on June 30th, 2023, and now, less than one-year later, the same state bureaucrats are complaining about declining state revenues, while the greedy lobbyists in Boston are earning up to 7-figure per year salaries by legally bribing the fictional Massachusetts State Representative Sellout Shakedown.
Jon Melle
P.S. PIZZA, PIZZA
If you don’t trust the translation, then read it the original.
If they want peace then they need to vote out the war mongers. People keep voting D then complain about the policies they voted for.
Satellite images reveal the destruction of hospitals in GazaAJLabs and Sanad Verification Agency
The medical crisis in Gaza’s hospitals, or what remains of them, is catastrophic. Hospitals can barely treat patients, and staff don’t have the equipment, medicine or even beds necessary to take care of Palestinians in the enclave, who are struggling to survive under relentless Israeli bombing.
The hospitals themselves have come under repeated attack, with several being partially or totally destroyed. A medical team sent to Gaza by three aid groups described the situation in the hospitals as having reached “unimaginable” levels.
To understand the scale of the physical damage to the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency analysed satellite images captured between October 22, 2023, and March 27, 2024.
The squad has put in the Israel bill now before the House that Gaza should received 9 billion dollars from us. Is Gaza our ally? 70% of the people in Gaza would still vote for Hamas if another election was held even though Hamas kept them living in poverty while they took all the money. Hamas would surely take control of 9 billion dollars. The bill is supposed to be for Israel NOT Hamas and Gaza. We are and have been helping the people of Gaza, but only if Hamas agrees to a ceasefire will the war stop. Israel wanted the ceasefire, but Hamas has turned it down repeatedly. Biden tried to blame everything on Israel while sparing Hamas any responsibility or criticism for stopping the war and for starting the war in the first place.
That’s where the Hamas Nazis hide. So it’s on them.
Al Jeezara is a propaganda machine for the Islamist I hope you realize. But if Hamas would stop putting their offices in hospitals and schools then they would not be a place that is bombed. Don’t forget Hamas started this war. They were residing in Palestine peacefully before their attack on Israel, If there were issues they had countries around them they could have worked with for assistance but they decided to pick up weapons and kill and rape innocent people,
Khhhhweieiexhaaa [static] reports of miracle over first street [static] papers floating down no source [static] Saint Benke floating in mandorla illuminated [static] flaming paper. Don’t panic. Stay in place. Governor Healey is informed of situation. This [bkkkkkjhhei] developing story. Stay tuned to this station
It makes zero sense to keep sending billions of dollars to Ukraine because Russia will win eventually. This is just dragging the war out over many years and the money is going into a black hole. If our government didn’t insist that Ukraine give up its nukes, this war would never have happened. I listened to the speeches in the House today from both Democrats and Republicans and nobody mentioned that this massive amount of money will NOT win the war for Ukraine.
Meanwhile our hardworking seniors in this country may lose their social security because the money won’t be there in less than 20 years. Some of those billions would come in handy to save social security. In 2041, not that far away, the funds will be depleted.
Never mind Ukraine Israel has got us into world war 3
Hamas started everything cuckoo bird