BIANCHI BUDGET A COLOSSAL FAILURE … TAKES CARE OF THE SUITS, SPITS ON ‘THE LITTLE GUY’
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015) — THE PLANET has been warning you for years, yet each year, the electorate of Pittsfield — defeated by disgust, angered by apathy — allow it to happen.
We could cut-and-paste most any of our columns on the Pittsfield municipal budget from almost any year, and we would get the same story:
1. A robotic increase in spending.
2. A disproportionately lucrative haul for the school department.
3. A decrease in services.
4. An increase in taxes.
5. Millions added to the debt.
6. Hoary cliches from lying politicians about how “responsible” the budget is.
7. Little advocacy from the city council for ordinary taxpayers, at best lip service.
8. No action whatsoever on sending the budget back to the mayor telling him to trim the fat, especially from the schools.
9. Rubber stamping from the city council.
THE PLANET could go on. You get the point. And so it came to pass that at last night’s city council meeting, the mayor submitted (dictated is more like it) his new (veddy old, actually) spending plan. Councilors received it. At the budget votes early next month, We The People will get token lip service from a cuppla-three councilors or maybe more. When it comes time, however, the results will essentially be the same. Nearly everything will be the same, and the largest single element of the budget will be left untouched.
THE PLANET refers, of course, to the sacrosanct school budget. It goes up precipitously every year, while “learning outcomes” — the euphemism now in fashion — plummet. Only when the city gets a grip on the folly of foolish spending on a public school system that clearly is dysfunctional can Pittsfield ever hope for a reasonably sound glimpse of a vital economic future.
Until then, the numbers do not and will not add up.
Mayor Thinks Record School Spending is ‘Deficient’
As we said, this week, mayor Dan Bianchi sent a larded $145.27 million plan to the council, up from last year’s $141.23 million. On the city side, the budget jumps 1.76%. On the school side, double that amount to 3.5%. Even with that, the mayor called the school appropriation “deficient,” implying that taxpayers were skinning the poor schools of their “fair share of the pie.”
Few among the electorate believe this lie, but not to worry. Even fewer will translate their knowledge into voting. The Suits‘ worst nightmare, in fact, is that turnout in September and November tops 65%. Civic involvement would put an end to their thievery. Until that number is reached, however, The Suits have the perfect scam going — pay technical adherence to “democracy” while slamming the door on ordinary citizens.
On top of the drunken spending plan, the mayor wants to borrow well more than $10 million for a variety of city projects, including $3.5 million for repairs for the new airport runway. That is, to all discussion of the municipal operating budget, add $10.2 million to get a more accurate picture.
In 1990, the city budget stood at $61,669,440. In 2000, it had risen to $85,607,771. It topped 100 million for the first time in FY2002. When Bianchi became mayor, he inherited a budget of $126,922,754. Thus, in four short years, this clueless mayor has added almost $19 million in new spending not counting capital expenses despite a drop in general population, a broken economy, a lack of good jobs, a drop in school population, and a loss of services (or did you think the roads were well maintained this past winter?). That’s an increase in spending of 15%. With capital expenses, the figure easily tops 20%.
The Suits’ idea of “economic development” is simply this: “Bleed the taxpayer a little bit more. We’re under the levy limit.”
As the wisest man we ever knew said of this type of politician: “Goddamn phony bastards.”
What did The Little Guy Get? Nuttin’
Ask yourself: What did you, The Little Guy, receive for this massive waste of millions of dollars? If you did not benefit from the added spending, then who did?
The answer to these two questions should alone doom the mayor and every other incumbent in their bids for re-election. The winner of every contested race should be “Anybody But.” Every previous mayor going back at least 30 years has failed the budget test, but no one has failed as spectacularly as Bianchi. He is a tax-n-spender supreme. He has enriched The Special Interests and spit on Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.
Simply put, when it comes to spending, Bianchi can’t be trusted.
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“How you laughed when I cried, each time I saw the tide take our love letters from the sand.” — Pat Boone, “Love Letters in the Sand,” (1957).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Pittsfield politics’ municipal finances are unsustainable over the long-term. Pittsfield will go insolvent in a few years. Pittsfield is spending over $150-million per year by increasing taxes and fees by over ten million of dollars per year, with hundreds of millions of dollars in debts and unfunded liabilities. Meanwhile, Pittsfield’s most valuable resource: the local residents – some of whom actually pay local taxes, are moving out of Pittsfield to more tax-friendly communities. The people who stay in Pittsfield are either on welfare or they are fixed-income Senior Citizens who can’t afford to pay more and more for the voracious city government’s spending. Young adults move out of Pittsfield out of necessity. They go to college, graduate, and find careers in other areas of the state or nation that will pay them a living wage. If they stay in Pittsfield, they would be lucky to work at WalMart for $10 per hour. If WalMart doesn’t work out, they would join the underclass by going on welfare. There is always the Pittsfield jail. Three hots and a cot. Pittsfield politicians are totally corrupt for increasing taxes, fees, spending, and debts by millions of dollars each and every year. No one can change Pittsfield politics for the better without losing their job and reputation. Mayor Dan Bianchi wants to make a career out of being Pittsfield’s Mayor. He will go down as the man who bankrupted Pittsfield!
This is a great letter about the failures of Pittsfield politics!
“Lack of jobs, hope are root causes of poverty”
The Berkshire Eagle, Letters, May 27, 2015
To the editor:
In response to the Sunday, May 17 editorial on poverty, we lack blue collar jobs and industry in our community. I call us a $10 an hour community, as do those blue collar workers who find it difficult to survive on two or more jobs in a family.
I wonder how many recall the land being surveyed in anticipation of a quick north-south route to the Mass Turnpike? That never happened. Industry is usually located close to an interstate highway.
Taxes, energy costs and transportation kill industry here. The high cost of living drives workers and families out of our town. I say “town” because we are losing, if we have not already lost, the advantages of a city. Our population is declining, and tourism is not the answer as that means low-paying jobs.
Poverty in our schools results in more than 60 percent of our students receiving free or reduced price lunches. Experts say that this could be the only hot meal of the day. Those students have difficulty learning. For our students to excel in schools, even schools such as the proposed new Taconic, nutrition is paramount.
Speaking of the new Taconic, we are told its footprint will be about equal to the current one. How will we able to accept students from other districts? Will the vocational shops have the room, especially with shops from PHS moving to Taconic? Perhaps if this can be done, exodus from the school system will be limited.
Ed Stevens, Pittsfield
Where and Who are the candidates running for office? It’s going to be the same old.
“Same as it ever was, same as it every was. Talkin heads.
Barry Clairmont, Jonathan Lothrop, Chris Connell, after lambasting Collingwood last night, and rightly so, why didn’t the 3 of you say NO to the request for funding the repair for City Truck that was misused by the City employee? Whining doesn’t send the message to this incompetent director, the Mayor, or DPW employees.
Lots of talk and no action….the request for funding should have been turned down by ALL the councilors. And no one asked if the employee had at least been disciplined. Or did I miss that?
The tough talk was for our benefit, but our council members as a whole are weak individuals controlled by the admin.
can you say “Lame Duck” twice?
Chris asked the question about any action against the employee. Bruce, rightfully, refused to answer because you can’t talk about employee issues in public.
Barry
Councilor Clairmont did vote against it as did councilor Connell. Someone did ask about the employee and calling wood said he couldn’t comment cuz it’s a personnel matter
I did vote no, as did Chris.
Barry
I suppose the mayor had to submit a budget. It is part of his job. He’s a one-trick pony. Tax & spend. Its all he knows. He is out to get all he can with total disregard for the people. That will never change.
Perhaps a low voter turn out and a dissatisfaction with Bianchi will get Linda Tyer elected. Although she is more than qualified and would do a great job as mayor, I don’t think you’d see these massive budgets shrink by any significance. More than likely she would also be a tax & spend politician also.
Craig Waterman would be quite a wildcard. I don’t think the people would elect him but if they did, Pittsfield would have its best chance for change. He would quickly be smeared by the BB and the suits would crucify him. Much like they did to Terry Kinnas. However, he would listen to the needs of the people and with advisors like Dan Valenti may prove to be the best mayor of all time.
Every election its always “vote them out”. People in office do change but the suits always win. It always ends up being the government against the people. Corruption is deeply ingrained in Pittsfield politics. The school department is the cash cow they get their milk from. The wasteful airport project is going to suck another 3.5 – 6 million dollars out of the people. Then the new Taconic begins a whole new era of riches for the suits.
But we get so much in return for this huge budget. We get an unlimited amount of potholes other towns don’t get; unplowed, unsanded and unsalted streets during winter, water I would never drink without filtering it first, a joke of a school system, unsafe sidewalks, and a city council that does practically nothing but cash their checks. And we also have the privilege of being required to shovel and plow propetry in front of our homes that belongs to the city. I just cannot believe anyone complains about all this!
You forgot the crime and unsavory downtown district Deflator. How could you forget the crime?!?
I too was miffed. The councilors were right to get all over Collingwood then just when you expect some action they fold, they approve funding for the wrecked truck. The worst part, no disciplinary action for the employee, no consequences.
Same old same old. When is this ever going to change? If I wreck an expensive machine on my job (plastics) I’m out of a job. For the city wreck it and you get a promotion.
I am still confused about, and completely dissatisfied with the explanations offered for the runway repairs at the airport. What did they do for the last 5 years?!? Wasn’t that a major runway expansion? Did they forget to include the paving part? Or did they build an entirely new runway and neglect the other one? There needs to be some better explanation for this one still.
At last nights city council I LET IT BE KNOWN, that if I were the mayor right now, I would not approve any raise for the school dept. In fact I made it clear that I would tell the school admin. to come back with a budget which is two million dollars less than their existing budget. The school dept. can cut this amount and should not have to hurt any of the CHILDREN,. which has been their catch phrase for over three decades. I told the council that the school budget in this city and every city in the U.S. HAS NEAR BANKRUPTED their communities. This reduction will be for the fiscal 2115-2016. In future fiscal years there will be further deep cuts in the second thru the last and final year of my term as mayor. After my one term as mayor I plan to level l every dept to the bare bone and reduce taxes very significantly. The mayor who takes over after me will come into office with some fighting chance of being successful by following my strategy. I know there will be special interest groups coming at me and saying you cant do this or that and my reply will be why not?. We tried the other way for over thirty years and look where it got us THE DAYS OF DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF GETTING A DIFFERENT RESULT IS OVER.WHAT REALLY DID YOU EXPECT AT LAST NIGHTS COUNCIL MEETING? Might I loose the election?, maybe but what can you expect if I don’t win? That’s the really scary thing. I learned in the army that if there is the will you will find the way. It is as simple as that. WE have to stick together as there really is not a lot of time before the upcoming election. I am out there every day and will be right up to the election. IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR ME, DONT HESITATE TO CALL ME 442-5466.SINCERELY CRAIG
Great post Craig! This is gonna be s great election!
Did I miss the new rule that states: “If you are a Male, it’s above 80 degrees and you’re walking on North Street, you must take your shirt off?”
Just saying.
It is just possible, that many of the males on North street in Pittsfield, do not OWN shirts.
and if you have checked lately you would see that the prices for a shirt at the Salvation Army are no longer cheap.
In Pittsfield the bar rooms have to put up signs saying “No service without shirts and shoes.” Wonder how the Rich folk at HON will like the locals in d.t. Pitts?
Anyone notice that police foot patrols have started on North st. in the last 2 weeks. I have seen them out until at least dark. I am no where near North st after dark, so I don’t know if they are out later than dark. Its funny how just before HON opens they find money for patrols.
Dusty. Sell your house yet?
I’d go shirtless, but the ladies would be all over me.
Wednesday, half off
A new runway for the airport? Who would that benefit? Only the rich that’s who. Bianchi is all about doing for the rich. He made sure his street and the streets of the well to do in the city were fixed. It’s the poorer neighborhoods that he could care less about and it shows as they look like streets in war torn cities.
Supposedly the unemployment numbers are down a full percentage point in the Berkshires. I believe its because people continue to move from the area in droves. Why? Lack of jobs is a major reason. These are not people without skills or a college degree who are leaving the area either as the local propaganda would have you believe. They are people who are highly skilled and have degrees, but still cannot find employment. The line used by the GOB’s in the area is that there are tons of jobs needing to be filled, but people in this area just don’t have the skills. That is so much hogwash. The truth is that they won’t hire you unless you are somehow connected to their friends or relatives in the area or are completely new to the Berkshires. They are willing to take a chance on outsiders rather than locals with the same job skills. We see how that has worked out for Berkshire Works and The Boys and Girls Club. The outsiders didn’t work out well at all. In fact it was a disaster.
If someone ask me, Would you have a better chance finding a full time, living wage job in Pittsfield, or would you have a better chance winning the multi-million dollar lottery jackpot?
Without a doubt, I would answer that I have a better chance winning the lottery than finding a good job in Pittsfield!
When I was a young man and a Veteran, I spent over one year of my adult life looking for a job in Pittsfield, and no one hired me. Why did I even bother!
Pittsfield only hires people who kiss the behinds of the Good Old Boys network. And if someone stands up to the failed and corrupt public policies of Pittsfield politics, they will lose their job faster than one can snap their fingers.
Jon I still don’t get why are you a disabled vet? And will you always live off the government teat? Did you ever go to Iran or Afganistan? Please tell us
It’s almost the end of the school year. If you want to see where your school budget goes just look in the school dumpsters. You will be shocked at what the teachers and custodians throw away. The last 2 weeks or so is the best.
They say the B C C attack dog is the nicest pet. The neighbors and friend of the Family never had any problems with the pooch.
Dan,
I think Jimmy Gee asking Melle about his disability is out of line… what do you think?
Russell
Russell My tax dollars pay his government pension. I think we all deserve a explanation .
I am with you Russell. Melle served his country and was disabled while doing so. The government deemed the disability severe enough he get a pension. I can assure you he is not getting a huge sum. He and all that are serving now and served in the past, put their lives in harms way so we can have our freedom and liberty and I thank you.
If he bothers you so much just scroll down past his posts.
So the real question is what if a younger Veteran (25 years old) was able to get on the ballot?
Would the people support a former soldier who isn’t worried about the politics and “how things look” but rather bring to the local government a “get it done right the first time” attitude?
We just recently saw a young lady who hasn’t even attended college make it to a political position because she wants to fix the problem rather than talk about it.