By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015) — Time to empty out THE PLANET Mail Bag. These are messages (mostly e-mails) that have come into THE PLANET and that have yet to be published. Here goes:

‘For Crying Out Loud’ (or Softly, for that Matter)

TO THE PLANET:

You don’t know where of you speak…. How can potholes be filled in another manner at this point of time?  For crying out loud. Folks complain about any thing. What? Do they want GOLD?  The residents should be glad that these potholes are temporarily fixed during this time of year. And debasing the city employees is just out right wrong. Just saying. — Janis A

THE PLANET RESPONDS: Thanks for the criticisms. As for an alternate method of how potholes can be filled, review our post from last week where we listed the process, step-by-step. No, citizens do not want gold. Their gold is being robbed out of their pockets by those who are meant to be “representing” them. All they want is good service for their hard-earned tax dollars. Finally, city employees who fail to provide good service should be called on the shag for it. It’s called accountability.

——– 000 ——–

Mayor Or Not?

TO THE PLANET:

Do you intend to run for mayor of Pittsfield this year as the rumor has it? If so can you win? And will you move to Pittsfield? Incidentally I hope you do give it a go. — RR

THE PLANET RESPONDS: Let us answer your three questions directly, in the order asked. We haven’t made that decision yet. Yes, we can win. Yes, we will have a Pittsfield address. Appreciate the questions and the tacit support.

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Pomeroy Potholes Perplexing

TO THE PLANET:

A reader  [on THE PLANET] recently mentioned the bad state of Pomeroy Avenue. I have to fully agree. My family has lived on Pomeroy going back to post-WW II. I have never seen it this bad. Coincidence or not the road has basically deteriorated since Mr. Bianchi took over as mayor. Then I read where [former Ward 4 councilor] Mike Ward posted [on this site] saying the mayor’s costly survey of roads gave Pomeroy a good grade. I was flabbergasted. Why do we even need a consultant to tell us about our roads? How could anyone who knows anything about roads say Pomeroy is well maintained? It doesn’t make sense. Sounds like the consultant told the mayor what the mayor wanted to hear. Terrible. I have twice called the mayor’s office and two times Mr. Collingwood. No response. Not a return call, nothing. I voted for Mr. Bianchi. Never again. This time, anybody else. — Disgusted on Pomeroy

THE PLANET RESPONDS: The letter speaks for itself. We drove down Pomeroy this week. You are right. It’s one of the worst streets in Pittsfield. We also applaud your involvement. Calling city officials is to be recommended, even though the mayor and the director of public services apparently think you are not important enough to call back. We suggest you contact your ward councilor, Chris Connell. He does an excellent job of responding.

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THS: When Was Decision on Regionalization Made?

 TO THE PLANET:

Let me begin by saying the city cannot afford to build a brand new high school. Even if it could it would be an extravagant waste with not enough high schoolers to fill even PHS. I will be basing my city council vote in this year[‘s] election mainly on how they vote [on the THS proposal]. I’ll vote against any councilor who supports this wasteful spending we can’t afford. I have a question when you brought up the vocational aspect. You asked who made decision to build a new Taconic rather than a regional vo-tech? Did you get an answer? Thanks for all  you do. — Arnold from the Pitts

THE PLANET RESPONDS: We agree. The school should not be built. As to the question about regionalization, we never got an answer. We checked the minutes of relevant meetings (School Building Needs Commission, School Committee, City Council) and did not find that the question ever officially came up. Notice we say “officially.” We have not unearthed a formal vote on this matter. When we asked former school committee member extraordinaire and “Supercitizen” Terry Kinnas, he said that while he served on the committee, then-acting-Supt. Gordon Noseworthy admitted in public session that the matter was decided hush-hush at one of the local superintendents periodic (and highly informal) bull sessions. If that information is correct, it strongly suggests that this basic decision, which the state required the city to make early in the process, was never properly (that is, legally) vetted and decided. It calls to mind the proverbial “smoke-filled back-room” politics. Fact is, the impetus to build a new THS has not passed the smell test almost every step of the way. There’s an old saying in journalism: “Follow the money.” The final cost of between $116 million and $200 million will provide mighty temptations. For all we know, some may have already succumbed. Why else would The Vested Interests so desperately want to avoid a People’s Referendum on this matter? The process on making this key decision has reeked DD from the start: Done Deal.

——– 000 ——–

Ain’t It a ‘Bitch’?

TO THE PLANET:

DV you made me laugh yesterday [post of 3/4] when you wondered if the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) should be called BITCH. I got the “t” and the “c.” Berkshire Innovation Technolgy Center and Hornswoggle (BITCH). What dya think? — Geo

THE PLANET RESPONDS: Geo, you got a job as one of our writers. Pay is “upper six figures.” Funny stuff.

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That pert-near empties out the PV Mail Bag. Keep the cards and letters coming, and we shall publish then again after the pile becomes too cumbersome to ignore.

See you tonight on the television, live, beginning at 7 p.m.

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“The day becomes more solemn and serene / When noon is past.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty,” Stanza VII, lines 73-74, (1816).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.