BROOKLYN’S BEST GETS BITCHFIELD’S WORST … SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW FOR DOWNTOWN FROM THE CITY’S POISON POLITICS?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 20-22, 2026) — As THE PLANET celebrates the Rites of String, we bring attention to this week’s mystery, “The Strange Case of Brooklyn’s Best.” As a Holmesian classic, it may not rate, but as an exemplification of Pittsfield politics, it bears a view.
THE PLANET doesn’t know all of the waves and wrinkles of this case, but we have heard and read the arguments on both sides. We thus feel comfortable enough to issue a preliminary judgement based on our institutional unrivaled knowledge of Bitchfield, especially with respect to the lamentable situation of small business owners and creative entrepreneurs looking to make it downtown.
That said, we remain open to more information, particularly from the “inside.” Our spies are at work even now.
We have been in contact with the company, and Brooklyn’s tells us that “we are looking for legal representation, once we have it, we will be in touch.”
Hmmm … looks as if a lawsuit might be brewing.
Brooklyn’s Best, THE PLANET is open for business 24/7.
Now our judgment:
———- ooo ———-
BROOKLYNs BEST has been doing business downtown for a dozen years. They spent THEIR OWN CAPITAL to put in kitchens. Imagine: A business operating in the Dreaded Private Sector using its own money to establish a beachhead and, based simply on its service and the quality of its product, building a successful operation. How unlike the countless enterprises of the Dr. Smart’s Magic Elixir type who:
- Though scouting see that it’s political “leaders” have just gotten off the turnip truck
- Make a bunch of promises
- Ask for generous handouts
- Get them
- Only to pull out well before the expiration date.
Simply put, The Suits in this town play favorites. Under Mayor Lumpy, Bitchfield City Hall has in utterly bizarre fashion acted in a way that an outside, neutral visitor from Uranus would call deliberately hostile. That’s the mystery here. Why? Wouldn’t you want to keep a company like BB? As a consequence, downtown has suffered and turned into the empty, lonely, undesirable place of madness. Because of all this, THE PLANET believes Brooklyn’s Best version of this sordid tale, and here it is, in their own words:
———- ooo ———-
From this small North Street space, a thriving business rose. But city politics got to work. Then it was Lights Out!
Now on sale at amazon.com, SANITY. Just $14.95 paperback, $4.95 ebook.
———- ooo ———-
Truth? That why THE PLANET exists.
We’d love to hear your views.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
—————————————————
“A tiger does not proclaim its “tigritude.” It pounces” — Wole Soyinka.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Copyright (c) 2026 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.
North Street in Pittsfield (Mass.) has rows of empty storefronts, has a long-list of business closures, is sarcastically called Social Services Alley and it is surrounded by the distressed inner-city neighborhoods called The Ring of Poverty, is a so-called “Creative” District that rivals the homeless areas of NYC, L.A., London, and Paris, is a place most people avoid, especially after hours, and finally, is a place that brings many negative feelings to all who know what it is like to have been there….in the PITTS.
Mayor Peter Marchetti is another failed leader in Pittsfield politics. He is a provincial political insider who plays favorites for the few, while dishing out retribution to the many. His fiscal year 2027 municipal budget proposal will be a record-setting spending document that will bring additional financial hardships to local taxpayers.
I don’t know which is worse: North Street’s DECAY or Mayor Peter Marchetti’s FAILED leadership?
Heating oil just went up to over 5 bucks a gallon. Heating 40 city buildings including schools is going to be ginormous. Electricity going up as well. But Marchettis is still prioritizing his 30 million dollar ballpark for special interests that no one is going to have money to afford anyway.
With this added burden how many more taxpayers will default on their property taxes? Is Marchettis sealing the city fate? And how in the holy hell did this man ever get a job handling money anywhere? And does Kerwood ever whisper in his ear that things are getting shaky and if so does Marchetti even listen to him or care what he might say?
Also reading that home prices are going to nosedive by the end of the year. How will this effect that taxes?
As to the main topic, in just a few months only a very few of the wealthier types will be able to afford to eat out. Look for the number of eateries to drop significantly. And thus the tax base. Perhaps giving out all those tax breaks will start to look like a bad idea.
I’m not buying it. What does he mean “charged higher rent” the city doesn’t charge rent, the owner of the building does and the tenant AGREES to the terms. Nothing is forced upon us except higher taxes and utilities. The food there was excellent for sure but the owner was arrogant. He claims that he is more successful than every other restaurant downtown. Let’s compare that to RJ’s, District, Hot Harrys,The Lantern(old owner), and Ottos. This guy cannot effectively communicate and should have hired an attorney to apply for the grants or money that he thought was due to him for some reason. This scenario sounds like he’s fed up alright but will not look directly into the mirror.
Yes, the City does not charge the rents. Although the City’s huge Commercial Property Tax and Water and Sewer fees that increase every year, lead to Landlords increasing rents.
and they don’t be gettin kickbacks either buster..so don’t go there
March 20, 2026
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
Pittsfield has the 2nd highest Commercial tax rates in Massachusetts only behind Holyoke.
Pittsfield’s residential tax rates are a lot higher than peer cities. To illustrate, Westfield is a similarly sized small peer city to Pittsfield in Western Massachusetts. Westfield’s fiscal year 2026 municipal operating budget is over $62 million LESS THAN Pittsfield’s one.
Today (Happy Friday, 03/20/2026) is the 1st day of Spring, which means that the Mayor, Peter Marchetti, will soon publish his proposal for Pittsfield’s fiscal year 2027 municipal and school operating budgets that begins in a little over 3 months from now on July 01, 2026.
Will the Mayor and City Council continue with Pittsfield’s 2nd highest in the state Commercial tax rates?
Will the Mayor and City Council continue to outspend Pittsfield’s peer cities by tens of millions of dollars per fiscal year?
I hope NOT, but like you, I will NOT be holding my breath!
Jon Melle
P.S. Earl and the 2-Pete’s predictable Pittsfield politics pounds people’s purses.
Sounds like this comment is meant to hide the intelligence of the poster. Just guessing.
What ar yuu sum kinda sicyatrist or sumptin?
That guy is a whack job. In one of his posts he claimed the city was charging him rent on his table and chairs which was then clarified that the “rent” was municipal taxes.
You have to read all the posts, He seems unstable.
The premise of the entire thing seems to be that they wanted to open a larger space and they wanted the city to pay for it. I don’t think that’s how it works.
BUSTER
Thanks for the comment. Push back is healthy. If you would, please send THE PLANET some posts that make you conclude this about “that guy’s” mental state. Seriously. I haven’t seen any. Also, when did you get your psychiatric license?
Rent is a better term for it than tax, since tax is more commonly based economic activity. Anyone who opens a business in Pittsfield is certifiably insane, so I’ll trust you on that point.
The City of Pittsfield is the bigger whack jobs, going back decades. Build a Elementary School abutting a Jail, put a PCB dump site on a hill next to another Elementary school, turn the Public Library, into a homeless daycare center, give Millions away to Millionaires, spend Millions to attract homeless people to come to Pittsfield, have our Police stand down and give out verbal advisements and trespass notices to criminals. That’s just the tip of the insanity.
Look… he’s not fully wrong. He has said some very distasteful things.
He just has absolutely none of the communication skills you’d want attached to a message like this.
There are real points buried in what he’s saying. Legit concerns. Stuff other business owners are quietly nodding along to. But then he floods it with emotion, goes full keyboard spiral, and completely tanks his own credibility in the process.
It’s like watching someone have the right argument and still lose the room.
And honestly? At this point someone needs to take his phone away for a few days before he gives himself a heart attack.
Because part of the problem isn’t the message. It’s that he cannot effectively communicate what he’s trying to explain. So instead of people hearing the substance, all they see is the delivery… and the delivery is chaos.
And chaos is easy to dismiss.
Vendetta – I think you nailed it. Great observation.
Agreed.
This guy is crazy as crazy gets even if he likes the mayor or not this is not the mayors fault this business was never open if you’re leaving Brooklyn then go don’t let us hold you back
I see where the mayor’s “friends” have been given the notice to send in “friendly” comments on the situation!
The guy from BB sounds reasonable. Nothing he writes is over the top. Plus, he accurately describes the business climate downtown. There’s no business growth in new building, just shuffling speculative pipe dreams in and out. The business tax rate is outrageous and does warrant being called rent. What else could it be?
SIR CHAZ
Yes, YOU get it. Your first two sentences say it all. This one nails it: “Plus, he accurately describes the business climate downtown.” This is why The Suits are in the midst of an outbreak of wedgies. They HATE the truth being told about the downtown they have ruined.
I really don’t understand why they care. They have everything, everyone, and forever.
The dude got 35k for his business he never once applied in this administration he was never open he ruined his own business
He was “never opened.” … “never” you say. Consider the meaning of the word and let us know if you wish to retract or reconsider.
His business has ropes in the front and he looks closed. He may be open but it’s not inviting at all. His food is good but moving to where he is was a bad move. Why move there if he wanted a dining room? If he’s making so much money why not invest in himself. He is looking for
Free money and mad because others got it and he did not
POT
From what I hear, they’re largely a takeout business at this point, and this makes sense on two points: (1) Takeout is much more profitable than table service, and it appears they do heavy business with that model. (2) It lowers overhead. Perhaps it’s a remnant of the COVID ridiculousness. I should point out that I am most familiar with the Brooklyn’s Best in Syracuse, the one on Burnett Street off of Teall Avenue. They have several locations in Salt City. We agree on the quality of the food … first rate.
how much did barry get for his accounting business for no good reason?
This is where the disconnect is. That reaction is coming from someone who hasn’t actually navigated commercial space downtown. Because if you had, you’d already understand what’s really happening here.
*These grants are not about the businesses.*
*They’re about the buildings.*
They’re about increasing property value, upgrading spaces, and strengthening the assets of the people who own them. The business is just the temporary occupant. The justification. The front-facing story that makes it sound like economic development instead of asset development.
And once you understand that, the whole picture shifts.
Suddenly it makes a lot more sense why certain properties keep getting improvements, why turnover doesn’t really matter, and why the same names keep circling back into the conversation.
It’s not confusing.
You’ve just been looking at it from the wrong side of the lease!
Of course. Some folk would call it corporate welfare. Washing each other’s hands is what some politicians excel at. Some think it is why some business owners contribute generously to political campaigns. they know it will come back tenfold and the evidence seems to overwhelmingly support this.
Yes.
And it’s not just political campaigns. It’s the same playbook running through local nonprofits too, including DPI.
Let’s stop pretending DPI is some scrappy, small business driven organization. It’s not. It’s run by property owners, for property owners, under the polished disguise of “supporting downtown businesses.” That’s the part people don’t want to say out loud.
Because the second a small business owner actually speaks up, calls out what’s happening, or points to real patterns, the tone shifts fast. Suddenly you’re labeled difficult. Unprofessional. A problem for the community.
Berkshire Eagle isn’t having a slow news day, they were just following orders to help destroy the next victim.
And just like that, the doors start closing.
You’re removed from programs. Pushed off boards. Cut out of opportunities. And if that’s not enough, they work to damage your reputation so no one takes you seriously. Make you look unstable. Discredit you before you can even finish the sentence.
Meanwhile, what are they actually offering the businesses they claim to support?
Marketing. That’s it. And not even anything exclusive. Just recycled promotion through channels any business owner could run themselves with a phone and a few spare minutes.
So let’s call it what it is.
This isn’t about helping small businesses thrive. It’s about controlling the narrative, protecting property interests, and keeping anyone who challenges it quiet.
VALE
You have precisely described the corrupt mechanism at work in the city. Many thanks.
Dan – if I try to like or dislike a comment it is saying that I can’t comment on “my” comment. Evidently still a snag with the website.
Maybe you didn’t get the go f uself memo.
Man,you really are a buffoon.
Taconic grad. Can’t spell & can’t compose a complete sentence.
Dan had an issue with the server. Doesn’t anyone get it ? Stop complaining when windstorms do certain things to a server. Dan. Is that the pct guru that is to be sentenced for that sad infant death ? I don’t know what’s worse a body being dragged under a car for four miles or a baby suffering for weeks ?
Umm, excuse me, Buffune?
Dan also asked for anyone having issue to let him know. Asshat.
Test
Thank you for your feedback. This has been addressed. You should now be able to upvote or downvote comments.
Great article, DV. Ive eaten there. Love the food and service. You’re the only one who could fix this mess for Brooklyns Best. Thanks for the truth.
Thanks, GIRL.
Oh he absolutely has a point. That’s the part everyone keeps missing while they’re busy watching the meltdown.
There are legitimate concerns here, and a lot of business owners feel the same way. Grants should be going to people who have already put skin in the game. The ones who invested their own money, their own time, their own future. The ones who have proven they can survive and are ready to grow, hire, and actually contribute to the local economy.
But that’s not how this circus runs.
Instead, we see money handed out to businesses that barely exist, while the bulk of that funding quietly benefits property owners. The upgrades, the renovations, the improvements all stay with the building. Not the business. So when that small business inevitably folds, and many of them do, they walk away with nothing… while the landlord walks away with a freshly upgraded asset.
Follow the trail and it always leads back to the same names. Allegrone. CT Management. Capital Square. The usual suspects cashing in while everyone else fights over scraps.
And let’s talk about the “support” piece. Because handing someone a check without real guidance, training, or infrastructure isn’t empowerment. It’s optics. It’s setting people up to fail while pretending you gave them a shot.
Call it what it is. A performance. A feel good narrative that masks a system designed to keep the same people on top, and the same people dependent.
And yeah… he’s not wrong to be pissed about it.
But my god, someone needs to take his phone away.
Because when you wrap a valid argument in chaos, threats, and unhinged behavior, you don’t strengthen your point… you hand your critics an easy way to ignore it.
Excellent, VV.
Call it what it is indeed. These organizations receiving large doses of taxpayer monies actually suggest, encourage and help finance political campaigns in an effort to stack governments with friendly candidates, who will at some point be called upon to grease the gravy train wheels.
Many politicians do not just come out of the woodwork because they “want to give back to their community.” (an old Kerwood saying) They are groomed from the community by special interests based on their pliability and potential to follow a particular agenda which will in turn pave a path for a more lucrative career of their own. And that is why you sometimes see one, or a group of them vote for what seems like an absolutely asinine agenda item which defies common sense and is horrible for the taxpayer. And when this happens out in the open it outs them as, not a representative of the people who elected them but rather a tool of special interest agendas. i.e. someone who might push for an outrageous, money sucking, and completely unnecessary “ballpark” and financing it with monies from an already beleaguered taxpayer base.
A ballpark which assumedly the city will technically own and maintain, but behind the scenes be operated and controlled by a mysterious group from outside the area.
To be clear, there are many politicians who do run for office because they want a better city or state and work hard to move that agenda forward. And some go in with good intentions but get attracted to shiny objects held out before them and lose their way. But in the overall, the right intended ones are almost always in the minority and so the intended purpose of “representation” for those who elected them is wishful thinking and it shows every day in a spectacularly dysfunctional display for all those who are not too blinded to see.
GIMME
This quote should be highlighted, for it delineates how defiled the entire electoral process has become. It produces two destructive effects: (1) It keeps many good, qualified people from running for office, for who would want to mix with this kind of duplicity. (2) It attracts the very people who shouldn’t be allowed near public office. Here is your statement. I hope everyone keys on this:
“Many politicians do not just come out of the woodwork because they “want to give back to their community.” (an old Kerwood saying) They are groomed from the community by special interests based on their pliability and potential to follow a particular agenda which will in turn pave a path for a more lucrative career of their own.
Spot on!
Still not fixed.
Fixed now. Thanks for the feedback.
Unable to vote on comments. I’d guess that this is intentional.
DEMOCRATS are responsible for the DHS shutdown!
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/03/20/dem-sen-blumenthal-well-hold-firm-on-dhs-shutdown-republicans-will-be-held-accountable/
Do the post comment work?
I have NOT been able to post a comment today.
Good.
Best news I’ve heard all day!!!!!!!!!
May 22, 2026
Re: Why would any rational person support anything that happens in Pittsfield politics?
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
“The Corrupt Mechanisms that run the city [Pittsfield, Mass.]”
“The [Pittsfield, Mass.] politicians are groomed for their pliability to support a predetermined narrative and agenda”.
“If one does not fall into these prescribed lines in Pittsfield politics, then one faces RETRIBUTION”.
What is the agenda of Pittsfield politics anyways?
The 2nd highest commercial tax rate in Massachusetts only behind Holyoke.
Residential taxes that are a lot higher than peer small cities to the tune of ten of millions of dollars MORE per fiscal year.
Level 5 public schools that are bloated with administrative staff, high faculty turnover, 6-figure cover-ups and NDA’s, 679 students per academic year who choice out to neighboring school districts, etc. It is “SYNTHETIC”.
Career politicians and bureaucrats who represent NOBODY but themselves and their special and vested interests. The Kapanski’s pay taxes to have NO voice in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
A distressed inner-city with around 15 empty storefronts, a couple hundred homeless residents, a myriad of social services agencies and not-for-profits, etc.
Pittsfield’s violent crime rate that more than doubles the statewide average since at least 1980. Pittsfield scares me!
Capped leaky landfills full of GE’s PCBs that make Pittsfield a cancer cluster area. Corrupt legal settlements in return for “30 pieces of silver”.
The Berkshire Eagle blacklisting “Jon Melle” over the past 22 years.
Like the Soviet Union of old, Pittsfield politics is all a SHOW. There is no real government that represents the people there.
To illustrate, when Jon Melle stands up to the likes of my Enemy #1 named Andrea Francesco Nuciforo Junior, then Jon Melle experiences a SHOW TRIAL(S) in Absentia because I live in New Hampshire.
I liken Pittsfield politics to episodes of The Twilight Zone. I feel like I am one of the main characters in my/our native hometown who has been persecuted for close to the past 30 years of my 50.5 year my adult life by Luciforo and his EVIL conspiratorial network of abusive bullies.
JON MELLE
Yeah. Check out the council school joint meeting. Bullshit up to your ears.
So, what type of “behind the backs” of the taxpayers favor/tif did Mayor Pete give the Eagle for this article? Funny how this issue hits the front page, yet absolutely no press on the two City owned school bus accidents in the past month. One of the accidents closed down Lampiasi’s favorite street, West Street. Administration doesn’t want to admit they have screwed up another major street. Does Mayor Pete decide what is and what isn’t disclosed to the taxpayers, of course he does. He really does feel the taxpayers are stupid.
Off subject, but why do all the newly paved streets have HUGE cracks in them? Every new manholes are also cracked. Where does the City find these contractors. First the brand new air conditioner at Taconic High that doesn’t work, the new boiler at PHS not working properly and now the streets. Unbelievable.
And if this results in yet another city lawsuit what then would be the ongoing total? And who if anyone is the current city solicitor? Is there anywhere one can go to see lawsuits involving the city or is this restricted access?
There’s been a revolving door when it comes to legal counsel for the city, and we’re all just supposed to nod along like that’s normal. It’s not. The last solicitor didn’t just leave because he suddenly wanted a shorter commute. That’s the public version. The private version, the one said out loud, is that he couldn’t ethically or morally align himself with what was happening inside Pittsfield.
And let’s talk about that for a second. When your own city solicitor is struggling to reconcile his job with his conscience, that’s not a staffing issue. That’s a systems problem.
The camping ordinance alone reportedly put him in an impossible position. Trying to navigate that alongside Peter Marchetti wasn’t just difficult, it was, by all accounts, a breaking point. But sure, let’s go with “closer to home.” Sounds cleaner.
Now fast forward to today. Instead of maintaining a full time, stable legal presence, the city is outsourcing major legal work. Which means big money. Which means inconsistent strategy. Which means no long term accountability tied to one person willing to stand behind the decisions being made.
But yeah… nothing to see here. Totally normal that a city can’t seem to keep a lawyer.
And then there’s the part nobody wants to talk about publicly: the lawsuits.
Not just one or two. We’re talking a pipeline. Intentions to sue that have already been filed and are sitting in that required waiting period. Others that have been served and are quietly moving through the process. And then the ones that never even make it to court because they get handled, buried, or discouraged before they ever see daylight.
I personally know of four. Not rumors. Not guesses. Four. And at least three of those have already been formally served as intent to sue and are just waiting out the clock before they can move forward. Two of them? You’ve already heard pieces of those stories floating around.
Which makes you wonder how many more are out there that haven’t surfaced yet.
Because here’s the truth: the number of people with legitimate grievances is growing. And eventually, there’s a tipping point. You can isolate one person. You can discredit two. You can pressure a handful into silence. But when it becomes dozens? When people start realizing they’re not alone?
That’s when things shift.
And honestly, the most interesting stories aren’t always the ones that make it to court. It’s the ones that don’t. The ones that disappear before filing. The ones that get resolved behind closed doors. The ones where someone decides it’s safer, easier, or necessary to just walk away.
Those are the stories that tell you exactly how the system actually works.
This should be bumped to the next day..think it is missing the audience
The city Council I don’t think I understands what a housing crisis is the housing crisis is the people currently living in their homes that can’t afford them because of the taxes here not for the people that can’t pay taxes and want free housing. that’s the housing crisis.
Since you brought this up.
The The Berkshire Eagle loves to position itself as the watchdog of this city, but let’s stop pretending. They have sat on more than one legitimate story because they don’t want to upset Peter Marchetti. That’s not speculation. I’ve personally seen three separate corruption stories brought to three different reporters. All of them had substance. All of them had evidence. All of them would have embarrassed entire departments. And all three were shut down for the same reason: maintaining a comfortable relationship with the mayor mattered more than telling the truth.
One of those whistleblowers even had it in writing. Running the story would create “friction” with Marchetti. Let that sink in. Not “we need more verification.” Not “we can’t substantiate this.” No. The concern was access. Optics. Relationship management. Journalism, apparently, now comes with a loyalty clause.
Meanwhile, the things that don’t get reported would make your stomach turn. We’re talking about a supervisor having an affair with a subordinate social worker. That subordinate gets arrested in another city while under the influence, and the same supervisor steps in to help clean it up. Quietly. Internally. No headlines. No public accountability. The supervisor is allowed to “retire” to protect his benefits, and she’s fired. Wrapped up nice and neat so no one has to answer questions. So no one’s spouse finds out. So no one looks too closely.
And if you think that’s a one-off, you haven’t been paying attention. This kind of thing happens more often than people realize. Why? Because this is the culture. This is what’s tolerated. Play the game, protect each other, keep your mouth shut. Do what you want, just don’t get caught and don’t expose anyone else.
But the second someone does speak up, the second someone tries to shine a light on it, watch what happens. They become the problem. Suddenly there are complaints about them. Write-ups appear out of nowhere. Union issues magically surface. They get edged out of boards, organizations, even their own social circles. Rooms go quiet when they walk in. Doors close. Invitations stop. You’re no longer part of the club.
And then comes the ending. You’re pushed out, forced to retire, or handed a quiet resignation deal if you just agree to go away without making noise.
Enter Michael Taylor, who will do exactly what you expect: the bare minimum to check a box while ultimately protecting the city. Not the employee. Not the truth. The city. Because at the end of the day, he answers to the same system.
And here’s the part people don’t say out loud. You’d think Taylor and Marchetti would be aligned, given their shared spaces, boards, and community circles. But from what insiders say, that’s not how it works. The dynamic isn’t partnership. It’s pressure. It’s control. And it’s been that way for a long time.
So when people ask why nothing changes in Pittsfield, this is why. It’s not that people don’t know. It’s that the system protects itself, the press looks the other way when it matters most, and anyone who dares to challenge it gets erased.
Bump to next day
The sidewalk in front of the Common is ridiculous
The brick inlays are now at in some places almost an inch lower then the surrounding concrete sidewalk.
It is dangerous for us locals and sadly given my,and maybe your, lived experience here in Pittsfield it won’t be until a farmer’s market customer is injured that this gets addressed.
The common has come a long way since I first arrived back in Pittsfield over 20 years ago and has pretty much something for everyone.
Hope the city redoes the brick but my fear is that they’re just going to tear it up if there are complaints.
Just do it again and do it better.
You know, like we did with the scohols.
Saw pictures of the Adams Thunderfest yesterday, looked like a great community event. Well, saw a great Pittsfield event today on our notorious North Street, one of the City’s finest with her pants down relieving herself in the gutter. Congratulations to the Mayor and City Councilors for supporting these folks and NOT supporting the merchants on North Street. As usual they have their priorities ass backwards. Wonder why North Street has turned into a bleak mess? Even with the newly published pothole plan, they seem to have forgotten all the potholes on North Street.
I’m sorry… did you just casually mention that one of our officers was out here pissing in public?
We’re talking full grown, sworn, badge carrying, taxpayer funded professional… and the only option available in that moment was the street? Not because they wanted to, but because there was nowhere else to go?
Sit with that for a second.
This is what happens when a city starts cutting off access to basic human needs and pretends it’s policy. When bathrooms disappear. When “loitering” becomes a reason to deny someone entry. When safe spaces get reduced to “not our problem.”
You don’t stop people from having needs. You just force those needs into public view.
And now it’s not just the underserved feeling it. It’s everyone. Including the people enforcing the system.
Because here’s the reality nobody wants to say out loud: if even our own officers don’t have reliable access to a safe place to relieve themselves, what exactly are we expecting from everyone else?
And let’s be honest about the gender piece too.
How many women do you know who could even do that if they had to? How many would feel safe enough? Or physically able without exposing themselves to risk, humiliation, or worse?
This isn’t about one officer.
This is about what happens when dignity is stripped down to convenience, and access becomes conditional.
You don’t eliminate the problem.
You just decide who has to suffer through it in public.
Thanks to the Demonrats, air travel is a nightmare…….
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/travel-nightmare-400-tsa-officers-quit-2-5/
Maga is upset. Why aren’t you Frito?