CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS: YOU WANT A VOTE ON THE THS BUILDING PROJECT? HERE’S HOW YOU GET IT
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JAN. 15, 2015) — We have been asked about how to force a vote on the building of a new Taconic High School. It’s a reasonable question, given that the project is being advertised at $115 million and will in all likelihood come in well in excess of that number.
As most of you know, The Suits engineered the process to shut out citizens from having a direct say in this exorbitant project because they fear a “no” vote. They fear the same thing that happened in South County when The Special Interests down there tried twice to commit taxpayers to a renovation of Monument Mountain High School that would cost them nearly $60 million. South County voters got to weigh in directly, and both times shot it down. They were the ones, not the proponents, who were doing the right thing by The Children.
As far as THE PLANET understands, yes, Pittsfield citizens can force the measure on the ballot through the petition process. The city council could also pass a petition to do the same thing. A citizen petition would take longer. The council could do it in one meeting of it wanted to.
Does the council want to? ___________INSERT ANSWER HERE________________.
Citizens and taxpayers should remember that this is an election year. They therefore have a bit more leverage than typical. If enough citizens galvanized around the school construction issue, they could put enormous pressure on the mayor, council, and school committee. They could say that unless citizens get a direct say they will against any incumbent that voted for building the unneeded school.
Citizens to Council: ‘Vote It Down, or …’
There is an even easier way for the city council to act, and that is to vote the new school down when it comes before them this spring.
If the council does not do that, citizens can take recourse through either an initiative measure or by a referendum.
Here are the rules for that process.
* Click on the link to the city charter below.
* You will see a page that is headed with the the bold-face “Chapter C”. On that page, click “DIVISION 1 THE CHARTER (C-1-1 — C-11-4).
* Scroll down to “Article 9 CITIZEN PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS.” There you will find how to enact “Citizen Initiative Measures” and “Citizen Referendum Procedures” (Sections 9-1 and 9-2 respectively). You will also want to look at Section 9-3, “Ineligible Measures,” particularly (g) and (h), which THE PLANET finds dangerously vague and ambiguous. We would be interested in your interpretation of (g) and (h).
Also, take a close look at Section 9-6, which reads: “The city council may on its own motion and shall at the request of the school committee, if a measure originates with that body and pertains to affairs under its jurisdiction, submit to the voters at a regular city election for adoption or rejection a measure in the same manner and with the same force and effect as are provided for submission by initiative or referendum petitions.”
Here is the link to the City of Pittsfield Charter:
City of Pittsfield, MA THE CHARTER, SPECIAL ACTS AND …
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For It to Happen, Someone Has to Step Forward and Take the Lead
In sum:
(1) The Suits seems bent on pushing through a project that will cost well in excess of $115 million, one that is not needed and one that the city cannot afford. Why? Follow the money.
(2) The Suits have rigged the process so that citizen taxpayers shall not have a direct vote.
(3) There are mechanisms in the city charter that would enable citizen taxpayers to force a vote on the school building project.
(4) If all else fails, the electorate has within its power the means to punish any office holder who votes for the building of a new Taconic High School. Yes, the electorate is sleeping. That’s what’s allowed The Skunks to get away with robbery for a generation, a time span in which we saw the local economy vanish, the population decrease, the city budget grow exponentially, and the bone-crushing taxes that go with such growth. The big question is — What will it take to send a loud “WAKE UP!” call to the electorate, one that cannot be denied?
THE PLANET knows this much: For (3) above to happen, several Joan of Arc type citizens will have to step forward and take the lead. We put it out there as a direct challenge: Who among the vast, dissatisfied, bedraggled masses is willing to organize a committee that would force a vote on the school project?
As for (4), THE PLANET is open to all ideas. How do you awaken The Sleeping Giant?
If the snooze goes uninterrupted and the hibernation continues through November, guaranteed, Pittsfield shall elect More of The Same, and the final death march shall have begun.
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“Tell men of high condition / That manage the estate / Their purpose is ambition, / Their practice only hate: / And if they once reply, / Then give them all the lie.” — Sir Walter Raleigh, “The Lie,” (1608).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Dan
We are spending ourselves into oblivion.The city is going the way of North Adams.We couldn’t afford to pay for our buses? Hello? Red flag!!!!.They want to privatize Water so the citizens loose say over that? What has not turned to s*** that these guys have touched with the line it will benefit the city.This mayor and his trained seals have shown that they are wasteful spendthrifts and are slowly taxing people out of the city and emptying the schools of students. The only person I have seen benefit from his time in office is the mayor himself by raising his own pay.
Consider it done.
I’m on board……. Lets go ! Set a time and place to coordinate..
VOLTAIRE
Then SET the time and place. Do it. Yes, YOU and a like-minded core committee. THE PLANET would lend support to any such effort.
This would be a first for me…. Do u have a contact that knows the rules and logistics of such an effort ?
Barry Clairmont and Jonathan Lothrop are very aware of citizen protest of being shut out of a vote for Taconic High. They represent the taxpayer interest. Do they have the guts to present a petition.
SG: If this is indeed their position, why did Barry Clairmont clearly state on the Planet’s television show that he is Not in favor of a citizen’s vote on the building of a new Taconic high school ? Don’t grasp the contradiction in position.
Didn’t say this was his position. The Councilman can petition the Council for the citizens. This is my position.
How about Councilor Morandi, he claims to be for the people? Come on councilor, you submit the petition.
This is the same guy who spent a hundred thousand plus to put floors in city hall that people can’t walk on without falling? Because someone close to him said they look nice?
Also. This is the mayor that let a twenty million dollar grant go bye bye for our schools that might have teachers to work longer days or be accountable for their17 automatic pay increases excluding raises they would go work to rule for.While other districts see students leaving and expenses skyrocketing and are working on consolidation,our school department has never been bigger while the student population has never been smaller. Yet not one school has been closed to save money when we have lost enough students to close two or more
Billy….the Voting Booth can eradicate him and all his sheep.
If you read section 9-6 of the charter, a Council petition to put something to a vote can only happen at a regular City election. This MAY cause a timing problem with the timing of this project. Remember, I said MAY, I’m not sure. Also, the question remains is this an issue that originates with the School Committee? If yes, the way I interpret the charter, we can’t put forth such a petition without a request from the school committee.
Section 9-2 of the Charter allows the Council to schedule a special election to deal with a citizens petition. This MAY be the best way to deal with getting this on the ballot. If you want to vote on this, this may be the way to accomplish what you want.
Barry
Thankyou for clarifying, Barry. This is clear and important.
Barry: Are you saying that only the School Committee can initiate a petition for a vote on the new school? It’s beginning to look lately like our City Council has no power at all.
Since the entire city will be paying for it (not just the members of the SC), I would like to think that our representatives on the CC would have a say.
Spider,
That MAY be correct. the way I read it, if it is a school committee matter, it has to start with them. I’m not sure if a new school is a school committee or not. It may not be. I don’t have the answer to that question.
Barry
The School buildings have and still do belong to the City not the school committee . The renovations done a few years ago required council approval and a vote to bond the citys share . It is a council responsibility unless the council want plausible denial. How about standing up for the electorate
Agree with Olga. It appears that the mayor and School Committee have more power than our City Council and I don’t like it! And the school bldgs. DO belong to the city and not the School Dept.
Why have a Council if they do not have a say in something as crucial to the taxpayers as this?
Olga,
I tend to agree that this isn’t under the school committee. I think it falls under school building needs commission, which I THINK falls under the mayor. But I don’t know for sure. That is why I used the word MAY, because I don’t know with 100% certainty.
Barry
Oh Lord….do not enter Degnan the Solicitor.
I think there is a long-term plan in process for the new high school. People understand that there is no need for 2 public high schools in Pittsfield. The baby-boom of the 50’s and 60’s will never happen again even if new jobs miraculously appear in the Pittsfield area. People simply do not have large families anymore (unless you are a welfare queen).
But, there is a deep feeling among Pittsfield natives for the high school they attended. I don’t think Pittsfield natives can ever let go of that allegiance and any ballot measure to consolidate the high schools will be defeated regardless of how good an idea it is.
So what do you do?
You build a new high school at the Taconic site. After all, the Taconic site has the acreage for all of the playing fields etc. Pittsfield High does not and everyone acknowledges that.
Then, after the new high school is built, a great clamor will then arise about the inadequacies of the present Pittsfield High School. Since Pittsfield will have virtually bankrupted itself by building a new high school, ANOTHER ONE simply can’t be. Convenient political cover will be provided by the state school buildings committee.
So then, and only then, Pittsfield will close the campus on East Street and the new high school will become Pittsfield High.
Got it?
By the way, you will be quizzed every 2 years in November to ensure your cluelessness.
Well if that were the case and we move city hall , the police dept, the fire dept administration and the inspectors to the east street campus I might be swayed to be in favor. A whole bunch of birds with one (expensive) stone
Dear Councilors, there is no MAY on the Planet,or off, for an opportunity to vote on IT? Councilor is starting to sound a little bit like the solicitor, uncertain and for certain.
Heres what I’m taking from this discussion. The details may not be entirely certain biut there DOES seem to be a process to force a vote. What we need is clarification on what that is and then get it done quick. Its time the people to get back in the drivers seat..Appreciate Counc. Clairmont for his responses here..
Right.
You’re forgetting one detail. Nearly all the councilors support the new school. Just call or email and ask them fit yourselves.
“I’ve got to admit its getting better….It can’t get no worse”.
– Lennon/McCartney
I would think the mayor and his legal buddies are running around slamming doors on any efforts to short circuit their pork project. i.e. money for any special election or vote.
Since we probably cannot trust Degan for helpful knowledgeable advice where can we go as to how to do this? I would think that Mr Lothrup has researched this but he may not be on our side of the issue. Perhaps we can solicit help from the Gt. Barrington team that got justice for their town.
We DONT need Degnan or any lawyer. Read the language of the charter. It spells out what has to happen for the petition or refereudum to be legal. If the process follows that language it’s legal. No need for lawyers.
Raises for mangagers, stipends for school committe, raises for mayor, for what? I would like to see what these increases were for? It certainly wasn’t for performance!
I don’t blame the Mayor nor the Manager, or any employee for wanting a raise. Who would not want to make more money? I hear it all the time. They try and they got it. It was up to the City Council to vote it down. They and only they could have avoided these increases. The same for the school. If any of the councilor did not want the school, we would have seen something on the agenda.
And one grand irony is that some of these people pushing for the new school are sending their children out of town, and will probably continue to do so, new school or not.
Atta girl, Joan of Arc! Where you lead WE will follow.
The Joan of Arc reference was serious. If people want to challenge this, then they need to step forward and put it on the line, the way it was done to force a vote on establishing a Civic Authority (that vote was never about building a stadium).
Wasn’t it the former Counicilor turned Rep. Who sent her kid out of town that our schools didn’t fit her needs. Now she is leading the charge for a new school. WHEN will we ever learn? This council and administration are not and have not served all the voters and taxpayers.
Every dog has their day. There is Nothing more Powerful than your Vote in the Voting booth. Clean house. Top to Bottom.
There is no doubt in my mind the new school was never intended to be voted on.
Those in high places who favor a new school are very much aware that it would be rejected by the voters…..the same way South County did.
Regarding Section 9-3 (h) INELIGIBLE MEASURES of the charter, it is my interpretation that a referral to the voters at an election is not constrained by Section 9-2 Citizen Referendum Procedures which has a 15% petition requirement placed on the citizens of Pittsfield to for force a general or special election vote. The wording under Section 9-3 seems to render Section 9-2 requirements (especially the “15%’) inoperable if some group wants to challenge this further. I may have voted for the charter but I certainly did not know that it could mean that I voted to take my right away from voting on a new school in an election. If the Mass. School Building Authority wants to limit their funding on the new school why should’nt the responsible city taxpayers have their say on the funding of this important matter via the election process.
Excellent points, RD.