!!PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! SOURCE SAYS GUARDIAN INSURANCE IS LEAVING PITTSFIELD
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 15-7, 2026) — Don’t tell anyone, because you’re not supposed to know. In fact, no one is supposed to know, not even THE PLANET.
According to a well-placed source, Guardian, the insurance company at 700 South St., will be will be leaving Pittsfield. THE PLANET has been unable to officially confirm the news, since it’s all hush-hush at the moment. Considering our sources, however, we have no reason to think it’s anything but true.
Guardian’s exit, of course, will mean the loss of a good number of high-paying, white-collar jobs — the last thing Pittsfield needs. Apparently, whatever efforts, if any, by the city to get Guardian to remain, obviously have not worked. That’s assuming that the city even knows about it.
What will happen to the iconic “John Hancock” building across the street from the Pittsfield Country Club? THE PLANET is hearing that HospiceCare of the Berkshires will be moving into the space. This will mean a huge tax loss, since HospiceCare is a non-profit company.
———- ooo ———-
We don’t know the reason for the move.
We do know this: Adding up the loss of jobs and tax revenue, Guardian’s exit would be a devastating loss for the city.
We wonder if the company is moving out because of the anti-business attitude of the Marchetti Administration, which has driven out countless business since the 2023 election.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
———————————————————
“The Kapanskis: Shipwrecked on an island of economic exploitation” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“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.
One word: SAD
If you follow the real business news and not the MSDNC or The View’s version of the democRAT propagan…. “news,” businesses are fleeing blue states (NY, WA, MA, IL) in record numbers.
It seems non-friendly, punishing, taxes levied on businesses is not good for biz.
Companies aren’t on board anymore with the green energy scams or using their taxes to pay for illegal aliens (aka-MA residents, not US citizens). It all results in fraud and everyone knows it now.
Trump has cut off their fraud game. democRATS are willing to sacrifice businesses for their continued financial grift.
As JM stated. “Sad.”
Dump the Lump
Building has been for sale for sometime now. Had a feeling they would look to move away from Pittsfield’s extremely high Commercial tax rate. Also high Electricity, Sewer and Water. Hopefully a Non-profit doesn’t buy the building. Time for Pittsfield to Cap the number of Non-profits in the City.
An examination and investigation of the “not-for-profit” situation in the city is LONG overdue.
When “not-for-profits” are the only game in town, the kickbacks have to come from somewhere. Drug rehabs are big business. It’s easy to launder, err, I mean treat addicts in this gig.
You know the GOBSIG’s don’t get into office (Bitchfield politics) for the nobility of serving their constituents.
It’s to fatten their bank accounts, get lifetime (city paid) health insurance, and a good $100k+ a year, plush gig, once they decide to leave Bitchfield politics to “spend more time with my family.”
Dan
LOL not going to happen, audit is forbidden in Taxatwoshits, ICUMI.
Nonprofit is demonrat Steganography, for patronage positions for elitists.
The administrators are paid lucrative salaries, in exchange for political contributions, be they propaganda, money or fraudulent hoax fabrication.
Bratt Random’s 133,903$ compensation, is absurd for a social justice warrior.
See how fast, Batory was discredited, to silence dissent?
Feel familiar? You got same treatment 2012 in Nilan scandal.
Seeing the pattern yet?
5/15/26@2:00pm
Tom
Good points Tom, resonates with hazzard, and good observation about the smear on Batory.
Chaz
Batory should have applied the 72 hr rule, but jumped the lunching bandwagon.
Fear
Of
Missing
Out
After Taconic Turning Point discrimination, Pittsfield school’s are quickly moving up DOJ to do list.
5/17/26@2pm
Tom
What’s the 72 hour rule? I’m certain she would not know it.
Public office is the school of hard knocks. You take some and you give some.
Well those golf course folk are sure as hell not going to let that place be turned into “affordable housing”. But on the other hand they might want it for some upper crust overnighters too boozed up to make it home.
we should all be so lucky as to get jobs in the Pittsfield Public Schools. Literally, you could sell cocaine, share your cooter pics, ignore safety protocols and let a kid drown, talk about the Golden Banana strip club and take your student to the prom (hi Mr. East!) and you probably won’t get fired.
You can let a POC drown, as long as you don’t blurt out the N word. Where’s the outrage that a child died?
Yep. Lumpy is sure doing a fine job. How was the mayors conference? Lumps got everyone pissed off at him now.
See the former principal had her charges dropped. This would be akin to a drowning as the lifeguard was asleep.
Only if the lifeguard explicitly didn’t know they weren’t supposed to be sleeping
Guardian has been primarily remote for years, even prior to the pandemic but really increasingly so after 2020. That giant building has been mostly empty space for a while.
Your “source” didn’t really uncover much, no one has been working there for years…
Fair points, TMZ, but the significance is that the property will be off the tax roles. That’s gotta be a chunk. Also, will workers, remote or office, retain their jobs? Thanks for the comment.
May 16, 2026
Re: Pittsfield politics is Pay to Play by corrupt insiders
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
Pittsfield outspends its peer small cities by tens of millions of dollars per fiscal year, such as outspending Westfield by over $52 million, and Fitchburg by over $40 million, in fiscal year 2027.
On Tuesday, May 19th, 2026, at 6 pm, Mayor Peter Marchetti and the City Council will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed fiscal year 2027 municipal operating budget and capital spending projects.
The reason why Pittsfield over-spends taxpayer dollars is because it is set up for Pay to Play by corrupt insiders who practice RETRIBUTION against Citizens defending the People and our purses from Earl and the 2-Pete’s Pittsfield politics.
Does anyone really believe that the upcoming PUBLIC HEARING on Mayor Peter Marchetti’s proposed record-breaking operating budget that begins on July 01, 2026, will see Citizens speak out about the city’s QUESTIONABLE fiscal practices?
Pittsfield has the second highest Commercial Tax Rate in Massachusetts with the number one spot being Holyoke. Pittsfield’s Residential Tax Rate and Fees are excessively higher than its peer small cities.
Mayor Peter Marchetti and the City Council are doing DISSERVICES to the common people and small businesses in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, by always spending a record-breaking amount of taxpayer dollars fiscal year after fiscal year.
The old saying that “You cannot fight City Hall” is true in Pittsfield politics because the small city is institutionally corrupt. When Citizens do so, the corrupt insiders practice RETRIBUTION.
The Berkshire Eagle, iBerkshires.com, and the like, do NOT care about the common people and small businesses in Pittsfield no more than Kufflinks cares for the dreaded FORENSIC AUDIT of the city’s cooked books.
Best wishes,
Jon Melle
JM:
The Berkshire Eagle, iBerkshires.com, and the like, do NOT care about the common people and small businesses in Pittsfield no more than Kufflinks cares for the dreaded FORENSIC AUDIT of the city’s cooked books.
You left out the only media that does care, the Planet.
Thanks for the shout-out, MULLAH.
Does it really matter? Lumpylinks will spend tax
money and flush it down the toilet anyway.
Bitchfield’s leadership will soon reach the wasteful and over spending bubble and will eventually meet the taxpayers pin because there will be no more money to give from the
taxpayers.
That’s impossible. Taxpayers are inexhaustible until they simply leave or revolt.
The building is and will still be on the tax rolls. The departure of a company doesn’t relieve them of their obligation to pay taxes on the property they own.
If they sell the building, which is what they are doing, the new owners pay the taxes. If said owner is a nonprofit they will not be paying taxes.
That’s the point. Or, they do what the others do when they leave and stop paying the tax. What’s the city going to do – repossess and sell it?
A Company is big as Guardian would not walk away from an asset that large and wouldn’t be dead beat owners. But, to answer your question, Yes the City should always repossess and sell properties. Unfortunately, the system is broken and takes way too long.
Thats true. I say the city repossesses residences no problem. They will want the guardian buildin, which the taxpayer will have to maintain and heat.
They are dumb enough to do that. But I would hope any building repossessed goes to Auction. Side note. Mayor Pete wants everyone to know that the Pittsfield PD did not help ICE apprehend the child rapist in the Burger King parking lot. Good job Pittsfield! Asshats.
If he had any balls he would demand PPD help ICE.
That was very law enforcemently good of them not to help arrest the child rapist. I second your huzzah
For example, that property long abandoned on outer W. Housatonic street. The one PLT wound up with. That guy cut himself a super deal, one that not too many regular folk could have touched.
Pays to be deeply connnected.
City politics is a case of the “ins” and the “outs.” Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski are the “outs,” the taxpayers. The corruption is rampant.
Gimme
Mayor Anne !
Enough said- DOJ is investigating Pot shop license manipulation.
Lucifero going to be answering lots of questions.
Pittsfield’s largest thieves, didn’t liquidate for nothing…
5/17/26@2:30pm
Tom
Joe
Guardian will write off the loss against profit, good luck suing,
It will only take 10 years.
While the property falls in to disrepair, and loses value.
Guardian will lease to a nonprofit , and property manager, will get a kickback on maintenance.
Same pile , shorter spoon….
5/17/26@2:30pm
Tom
There’s no way Guardian holds on to the building. That’s what the smart money says.
At best it makes a fine monument to Pittsfield’s economic past.
Housing for the house less.
May 16, 2026
Re: People are Pittsfield’s most valuable resource
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
I have a Master of Public Administration degree (UMass Amherst, 1999). I learned and studied for years that a community’s most valuable resource are the people who reside there.
I understand that it is NOT “Rocket Science”, but it is important to understand that the people are the ones who pay taxes, invest in their properties, shop at small businesses, enjoy their lives, and help one another out in times of need.
In return, the career politicians are SUPPOSED TO use our limited tax dollars to invest in the people and community by being effective public managers of our limited public resources and institutions. Investing in people and communities is good governance.
When institutional corruption takes place in small city governments such as the one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, then the people are being USED – instead of being SERVED – by the political insiders.
There is NO reason for Pittsfield to spend tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds per fiscal year MORE than its peer small cities. The political insiders uses of RETRIBUTION are really NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENTS of the failed and costly system they oversee for their own corrupt Pay to Play personal gain.
I am NOT writing to say that there should be a Utopia of perfection, but I am calling out the corrupt career politicians in Pittsfield for their DISSERVICES to the majority of residents who are struggling with their own personal financial situations in a time of high U.S. Inflation that is predicted to reach 6-percent later this year 2026.
Tuesday evening’s PUBLIC HEARING on Mayor Peter Marchetti’s proposed record-breaking municipal operating budget and capital spending projects is an opportunity for Citizens to publicly say that the city government will HARM the financial well-being of the common people and small businesses who are already excessively over-taxed in Pittsfield, Mass.
Best wishes,
Jon Melle
That would be a Monument at he Woodlawn wasteland of Jack Welch..
That Welch monument is the gift that keeps giving. But as Joe T says, stupidity is in excess on City Councils. The North Adams CC purchased a toxic site thinking it would make a lovely civic park. Pittsfield CC purchased the Hess Toxic site relieving its owners of EPA remediation expenses.
Don’t listen to Joe Ans Fritz Aurielus habe been magatised by the worst lying president in u s history.
Gas will be 5 oo soon.
Until recently, Democrats did everything they could to drive up the price of gasoline, hoping for a mass conversion to battery-operated cars. Biden actually bragged that as President, he would put the oil and gas companies out of business.
Perhaps the most telling indicator that the climate alarmists have lost the argument is that Democrats are the ones squawking the loudest about
high gas prices.
Some kind of breach at p h s …progress reports not available.
Pittsfield’s monuments to….
THE GE Jack Welch’s cancer cluster capped leaky landfills full of PCBs
The close to 3-decades PEDA debacle that costs millions of dollars for failures
Jimmy Ruberto’s notorious Rolodex
North Street’s 15 empty storefronts
North Street’s Social Services Alley
The Ring of Poverty inner-city neighborhoods that surround North Street
Barry and Linda’s Gated Community mansion (close to Nuciforo’s $1 million dollar mansion) close to the Hancock border
Earl and the 2-Pete’s record-breaking municipal budgets that spend tens of millions of dollars in excess per fiscal year
Level 5 public schools that cost the Kapanski’s well over $100 million per academic year
Kufflinks’ cooked books with the words FORENSIC AUDIT never spoken
Jon Melle the have-NOT’s pretend homeless sidewalk on the corner of First Street and Fenn Street whereby I give the middle-finger to the career politicians going to and from City Hall
Blogger Dan Valenti fighting for the voice of the little guy who he calls Joe Kapasnki and his moderate-income taxpayer family that is screwed by City Hall’s political insiders Pay to Play costly schemes
Life in the PITTS is WORSE than the would-be Afterlife in HELL unless one Runs the Show, but they will ultimately end up with Lucifer and Luciforo along with Carmen and company.
Chaz
It’s the Allendale sinking boat ,gateway welcoming monument replacement.
Now that homeless and undocumented demonrats have taken over Coatsville.
5/17/26@2:35pm
Tom
Dan
They have been replacing, higher paid Berkshire employees, with low wage data entry people, since the sale.
Same process General Electric employees, got when they sold .
With every transition, the pensions get raided, and benefits decreased.
The Rich already left Taxatwoshits, now it’s the middle class, who are being drained of assets.
lol
Went to Register car, the Commiewealth now charges 25$ , to use tax exemption form.
But refused to give an invoice,
Guess that’s why they now have 4 armed security guards, welcome to the Weimar Republic-
“Show me your papers”
Bread lines be the norm before 28 election cycle.with JD war on fraud, Taxatwoshits be broke .
The liberals are running out of other people’s money:)
Trump doing to China, what Reagan did to Russia.
History just repeating itself again.
Seeing the pattern yet?
5/17/26@2:20pm
Tom
It’s suitable for the police station.
Yes, put the police as far away as possible from downtown. They already have a perfectly fine police station with cells and police tech. Why would they want to spend 30 million to build another one?
Chaz
For the kickback
Tom
Must be. That station worked perfectly fine in Pittsfield’s heyday. The only problem is that they can’t use the firing lines because it became a toxic lead dump prohibiting the building from any new use or renovation. They should make a big purchase from concrete and fill the space.
It makes me lol do hear criticisms of bitchfield as a mekka of graft + corruption. The grifter in cheif and his family are raking it in hand over fist in emoluments with the only checks & balances being checks from Joe taxpayer and the negative balance of our national treasury. The fish rots from the head and so our cities take there cue from the fat tuna at the top.
jd vance is cute there I said it.