BREAKING DOWN THE FED SHUTDOWN (IT’s AN AUTOPEN SPECIAL) … plus … LATE ELECTION THOUGHTS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 24-6, 2025) — As the federal government shutdown passes the three-week mark, THE PLANET is still wondering if anyone has noticed? We saw our first sign yesterday at the post office, when Taylor Swift showed up on the face of the new “forever” stamp. Can the apocalypse be far behind?
All seriousness aside, as Steve Allen used to say, how many understand the crux of the matter? Most people know it has to do with the Democrats wanting to extend Obamacare health insurance subsidies past their December expiration date. The Republicans want to let the provision expire.
It’s clear to anyone with more than seven working brain cells that the subsidies of Medicare premiums constitute a fraud of the first order. Let THE PLANET explain.
The subsidies were part of the ARPA scam when in March 2021, President Joe Autopen “signed” the measure into law. Everything free in America, as the song goes. The idea behind U.S. taxpayers underwriting the insurance premiums for the non-taxpayers was to ease the shock of the economic shutdown caused by the COVID “pandemic,” which Autopen’s handlers used to close nearly every working shop, store, and sector in the Dreaded Private Sector, to say nothing of schools.
Do you see the irony? “No Kings” Democrats issued a unilateral fait accompli: Boarding up the economy simply by royal order. Then, to “ease” the economic pain they caused for those who could least afford it, Dems ordered taxpayers to pick up the slack through Obamacare extensions.
Let’s see, now. The “pandemic” has been over for years. Logic and common sense tell us, therefore, there’s no need to extend the insurance subsidies. To do so will cost taxpayers $350 billion dollars, every cent of which will go to the insurance companies and brokers whose lobby is behind the dirty scam.
The GOP has put several reasonable proposals on the table to keep the federal government going until the end of the year. The Dems, a party still caught in the iron claws of a tiny number of the Loon Left who have stolen disproportionate power, have rejected every offer.
It’s on them. The Democrats own the harm and damage.
———- ooo ———-
In little more than a week, Bitchfield will conduct its own regularly occurring fraud known as a municipal “election.” It’s not a serious matter but a rigged game. With the corner office sewn up by the Suits with Lumpy, their marionette, all they need is to prevent no more than three free-thinking citizens from winning a seat on the council. Corruption can put up with three honest people, since it means maintaining control over a supermajority. For school committee, with the mayor holding one seat, it’s a little tighter. The Suits must own at least three of the remaining six seats.
With that, allow a few stray thoughts.
CITY COUNCIL
Who cares?
Combined with ward incumbents unopposed, not much matters there. THE PLANET recommends write-in votes for Taylor Swift, Alger Hiss, Whitaker Chambers, Jonathan Melle, Yogi Berra, Buffalo Bob Smith, and Cy Young.
Bitchfield need this person to run for office
At large, you got incumbents Kathy Amusing, Dumpster Earl, Voltron the Porkchop, and Costa Plenty looking to extend their reign of mediocrity. But jeezuz, voters, look at your two “challengers” — Sara Miss Jane Shoegum, leaving the socolh committee, and Appalachian Kal, who wants to pad her bloated pension from 32 years on the police force and two on the council in a previous incarnation. Talk about your Butch Hobson’s choice. THE PLANET ADVISES: Bullet vote Casper the Friendly Ghost.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Bullet vote Celia Batory. She’s the only one who’s demonstrated the spine and spunk to take on the most corrupt department in the city, one that eats up 75% of every dollar that Bithfield picks out of the push and pockets os Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
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“The chief value of art is in its creation, not its consumption” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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The Left truly believes they can legislate their way to Utopia at every level of government, fed, state and local. The problem is
“free costs a lot of money.”
Hence they spend all their time trying to figuring out how to capture and spend the taxpayers dollars to get there.
Leftists/Democrats want to continue funding CRIMINAL ALIENS, US CITIZEN Taxpayer paid benefits, to the tune of $1.6 BILLION, as part of the Schummer/Jefferies hissy fit.
Take it out of Chu Ki’s and Joaquin’s benefits, not mine.
Socialists never learn lessons which is why socialist destroy everything in almost exactly the same way each
time.
Bullet Vote Donald J Trump. That’s if you want to Really Change things. Also Bullett vote Kufflinks Pet if he has one. And what ever happen to Angie-blow?
October 24, 2025
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
My – Jon Melle’s – campaign promise for Pittsfield City Council in the Election Season of 2025 would be to cut Pittsfield’s fiscal year spending by $62 million to align it with Westfield’s current annual operating budget. Please note that Pittsfield and Westfield are 2 similarly sized small cities in Western Massachusetts.
But I live in Southern New Hampshire, while Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is my native hometown, so I also like the other candidates: Taylor Swift, Alger Hiss, Whitaker Chambers, Buffalo Bob Smith, and Cy Young.
In 2027, I hope that the famous football QB Tom Brady would run for the Mayor of Pittsfield. I believe that would-be Mayor Tom Brady would work well with would-be City Council President Taylor Swift.
When I had my dog, Chocolate, from mid-2008 to mid-Spring 2025, I used to tell him that I would vote for him to be the next President of the United States of America. I wondered who he would have chosen to be his Vice President.
Best wishes,
Jon Melle
Jon, is your disability a Section 8?
It is Section GR8.
New warning stickers on the back of semi-trailers.
Caution:
Driver given a license by Gavin Newsome.
MassHolers also giving out Licenses to illegals too. California wannabes.
CA is giving out CDLs, to ILLEGALS who can’t read/speak English.
Is D-Gov Healey doing that too?
Yes.
So you & Lisa are moving to Pittsfield?!
Running for mayor?
Who you talking to dic..h…buffoon.
Appalachian Kal — I laughed so hard I nearly filed a motion for contempt of common sense.
Even when I don’t align with the politics here, I’ll say this on the record: some of the humor in these blogs (and even more so in the comment threads) is absolutely hysterical. Credit where it’s due — there’s talent in wit. Humor, when used well, is far more persuasive than hate. You’re not going to convince anyone by foaming at the mouth, but you might actually reach someone when you make them laugh. Hatred shuts ears. Humor opens them.
That doesn’t mean we won’t get sharp or nasty at times — if you give a damn about what you stand for, it’s inevitable. But the ability to find humor amid chaos? That’s what keeps me reading. It’s what makes this circus bearable.
Now, about Karen… what an absolute trainwreck. She’s never had police support in any of her runs — there’s a reason for that. And that billboard? I genuinely thought Spirit Halloween had gone into politics. The image alone is terrifying, but the real horror is her lack of comprehension, her absence of logic, and her inability to process basic information. This is not a woman guided by intellect or empathy — just ego and boredom. Amuso’s not far behind her; same delusion, different outfit.
There are two kinds of people who run for office — those who want to serve and those who want to be served. Pittsfield seems to have an overstock of the latter. The Ward councilors clinging to their seats like moss on a stone? That’s not dedication; it’s stagnation. If you’ve sat in that same seat for years and never once had the courage to move up or challenge yourself, you’re not there for your city — you’re there for yourself.
Sarah… bless her heart, but someone please hand her a hobby before she runs out of steam pretending to care.
The Klein father/son duo — charming concept, but not exactly a power combo.
Daniel Elias — please, retire both him and that tragic toupee. We’ve suffered enough.
Heather McNeice — no real complaints other than her sign, which looks like it lost a battle with Canva.
Kathy Moody — appropriately named. Sugar one minute, vinegar the next. Approach with caution and maybe an umbrella — she spits when she’s passionate.
Beurger — honestly, I like the old-school teacher energy. I’ll give him a fair chance.
Carolyn Barry — seems engaged, actually listens to her constituents, which is refreshing. But she’s still finding her footing — too easily swayed by the crowd at times. Needs to lead, not follow the loudest voice in the room.
Maffuccio — ineffective and carrying more baggage than a Delta carousel. Domestic violence and cocaine rumors aren’t exactly résumé builders.
Yon — Yawn. Enough said.
Michael Grady — smug, abrasive, and still trying to play tough guy. Must be hard to hang up the badge when you’re used to bending the rules.
Matt Wrinn — if anyone can name one accomplishment, I’ll buy them coffee. Silence speaks volumes.
Left, right, or somewhere in between — doesn’t matter. The ship’s still sinking; we’re just arguing over who gets the wheel.
VEN
Spectacular! Nothing more to say!!
We don’t often agree VV, but this post was a home run.
If we had a true press, I’d love to have them pin down Heather McNiece, about why she REALLY left Bitchfield Pubic Scohol Syctim.
Not the tried and true, “I’m tired of the lack of transparency and accountability.” And nothing after that.
A follow up question of “List some examples, please?”
As you stated above VV, it’d separate her as a “leader” or a “follower.”
It’s amazing Pittsfield is still a city with the wack-a-doodles that are supposedly the leaders:o! The “citizens” that live here are also very “special”. In my interactions, not one could voice how Trump is supposedly a King and why Schumer has shutdown the government so the working slugs can’t receive their hard earned paycheck! During my travels I am thanking all the airport personnel for showing up and doing their job even if the Democrats don’t care about them.
I often think of running for office but after I interact with the people I would be trying to help I ask myself, why bother? I would only be vilified in the press and blogs for trying to bring common sense, fiscal responsibility and logic to the government. As I look at who is running I do not see any candidate worth backing.
I hope everyone has a good weekend!
SHIRL
If you ran and tried to bring common sense, this is one blog where you would NOT be villainized. Just the opposite, in fact. Good post.
October 26, 2025
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
I had Sunday brunch with close family members. One of them returned home from a family visit in the beautiful Berkshires last week. One of them told me that they drove around North Street, Park Square, First Street, and other inner-city streets. One of them told me that North Street actually looked good with new facades, but they saw the poor people on Park Square, and saw the homeless people, too. One of them said that areas such as Lincoln Street looked terrible.
I replied that it was a good thing that we moved away from the Pittsfield area many years ago. If we still live in Pittsfield (Massachusetts), then we would want to help, rescue, advocate for, and so on, the underclass residents, and the distressed inner-city streets alike that need targeted assistance.
I replied that Pittsfield always declined progress to rebuild its postindustrial GE economy. The new ballpark, the downtown mall, a children’s museum, and the like proposals, always got shot down. Instead, North Street is sarcastically called “Social Services Alley” with the inner-streets that surround it are sarcastically called “The Ring of Poverty”. There are over one dozen empty storefronts on North Street.
I replied that the political class in Pittsfield lives in mansions in Pittsfield’s elitist Gated Community west of Berkshire Community College, including Barry and Linda, as well as my Enemy #1 who is sarcastically called “Luciforo: Pittsfield’s Pot King (of lawsuits). Mayor Big Beer Belly lives in a big home, too.
The thing that truly bothers me about my native hometown of Pittsfield is that most of the well-to-do politicians would be nobody special anywhere else. I believe that the Pittsfield privileged people are one of the reasons why I received the aforementioned feedback today. They take care of themselves, while the rest may eat cake.
JON MELLE
Mass Taxachusetts is a Left Loon Liberal State. It was very popular when Kennedy was President because we were a wealthy Nation. The problem is Taxachusetts never adjusted after that. Massataxa stayed the same economically and taxonomy.
It (Taxachusetts) became a lazy liberal self defeating greedy State. Those in power only advanced through give outs,handouts and taxouts,
Remember this guy involved with O – Care?
Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economist and key ACA architect, who said that the law’s passage relied on “the stupidity of the American voter” and that certain features were obscured to
ensure political viability.
Democrats created Obamacare,
Democrats established ACA subsidies,
*Democrats extended them for everyone no matter their income level,*
Democrats then set the deadline for their expiration.
This is a problem of their own making.
Democrats own this!
i’m betting the reason dem senators are fighting so hard to keep the subsidies in place are the ACA kickbacks to their 501c accounts. oops “donations” to their 501c
non-profit charities.
Dan,
You hit the insurance companies making the money.
https://x.com/SenTedBuddNC/status/1981721305821950146
Thanks, OPIE.
Good stuff Dan, I use to vote for the candidate with the most comedic value thinking it wouldn’t matter. But, to steal a Bob Dylan line the times are a changing, The mayor of NYC will most likely be the Commie Mamdami and the choices in Pittsfield aren’t much better. The Bernie, AOC, rally is as serious as a heart attack. Reminds me of my PHS days where we shouted SMB instead of PHS and Larry Murphy either didn’t know what was going on or ignored it on purpose. Did you catch Kathy Hochul when they were shouting Tax the Rich and she thought they were saying Let’s Go Jets, yeah sure Kathy. AOC proved white girls can’t jump too. She’s the one telling Reilly Gaines if she trained harder than she could of beat a 6’4 ” man pretending to be a girl. Instead of chanting USA the crowd was pretty enthusiastically yelling DSA. We have to make our next elections count because the so called Democrats are telling us who they are now.
RON
Excellent comment. Perhaps in 2027, THEEEE candidate will run with the simple platform of rescuing the city from this ongoing political disaster. There is someone in mind who could do just that. And you made me laugh out loud with the “SMB” remark. I remember it well during assembly in the auditorium. I don’t think Murphy had a clue.
Any person who worked for the federal goverment state and city or their spouses gets taxpayer subsidized healthcare at a minimum of 80% from the Walmart worker who does not get what you FOX viewing hard right Trumpers get.Please raise your hand on Dans right wing board and tell us how good the socialist healthcare is.You need to be honest and tell the Walmart employee you thank them for their contribution to your health. The right wing is radical because Trump took that Obama healthcare money and gave it to billionaires.If you continue to watch FOX tell us what the word WOKE means .You idiots do not know.