LETTER: BLOOMBERG HAS ‘REAL PLANS TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY AUG. 2, 2016) — The state rep’s race in in Pittsfield pits two Democrats —incumbent Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Michael Bloomberg — and and one independent, Chris Connell. The incumbent and Bloomberg square off in September for the right to battle Connell in November.
In presenting this endorsement letter for the Bloomberg candidacy, THE PLANET reminds one and all that we are open to letters of advocacy for all candidates.
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Bloomberg Will Fight for Citizens
“Although I have little faith that our legislators know how to improve the Pittsfield community in their elected roles, I do recommend we give our support and votes to Mike Bloomberg, running for State Representative against incumbent, Tricia Farley Bouvier. He has urban development knowledge, business world experience and connections sorely needed to get us in the right direction.
“His stance on Walmart has been unpopular, but his position is not as much about the company as what City leaders, politicians and business people have NOT done. If we took some of the millions that we have wasted in the City on irrelevant or low priority projects, we could have done the needed improvements on the GE property eyed by Walmart. Pittsfield needs a legislator that will go to Boston and do more than pose with dignitaries. We need to have someone fight for the $12 million (dished out elsewhere) or whatever is needed to clean up the GE site.
“In regard to the 18 or so years that PEDA has not gotten industry on the property, I think it is time to fire/dissolve PEDA, clean up the site, and bring in knowledgeable consultants besides Walmart promoters. With the prep of the property including drainage and with people who specialize in urban development (instead of the same old locals, many self serving who sit on PEDA), we should be able to attract the kind of employment Pittsfield needs.
“I have not been impressed with a committee of people sitting back, spending more and more money and waiting for a proposal for 18 years for a business that will locate and clean the property. This hardly seems like solving the problem of attracting tech business if it is primarily the clean up that is needed. Having a discount box store will not do much to combat the poverty and crime which our leaders continue to naively incubate as they allow more poverty in and increase taxes on the others living here. We have not broadened thinking, resources or options in 18 plus years.
“By the way what has Tricia Farley-Bouvier done in her years as a State Representative for Pittsfield? As near as I can tell, since 2012 she has sponsored 23 pieces of legislation (see attached), none of which have passed. I may have missed something, but I am not sure how the accomplishments she touts really help the serious problems we face.
“I know she was a strong supporter for unisex bathrooms and for drivers’ licenses for illegal residents. How has this helped the City’s need for employment, need to stop violent crimes, need to stop the growth of poverty and need to make Pittsfield a better community to live and work? There is no evidence she has helped to create a single job in Pittsfield or stop the loss of more than 500 jobs since she has been in office. Has she tried to do something anything about that mound of pollutants that haunts the City that is piled up near the Allendale area?
“She apparently is first in line for photo ops and ribbon cutting, and she rests on the coat tails of her party leaders. How does a representative of Pittsfield send her kids to Lenox schools, yet boasts about her role in bringing a tax payer paid new high school to her home town of Pittsfield? I wonder if TFB’s new high school will have classes in bagging groceries, stocking shelves and greeting shoppers for her new Super Walmart, should she eke out a win?
“These are the challenges for Mike Bloomberg. He is an underdog in a race that has been won in the past election more based on looking good when there is a photo-op than accomplishing anything important. Hopefully those voting in the September primary will look beyond the PR andidate and decide on the issues and real plans to improve the community.
MARK WAINWRIGHT, PITTSFIELD
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If you have letters of recommendation for any candidates, feel free to send them to THE PLANET for consideration.
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“All right, men. Line up alphabetically, according to height.” — Casey Stengel
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views expressed in the comment section or opinions published within the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not those of PLANET VALENTI or endorsed in any way by PLANET VALENTI; this website reserves the right to remove any comment which violates its Rules of Conduct, and it is not liable for the consequences of any posted comment as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and PLANET VALENTI’s terms of service.
If I still lived in my native hometown of Pittsfield (MA), I would attend tonight’s debate featuring Berkshire County State Senate Democratic Party candidates Rinaldo Del Gallo III, Adam Hinds, and Andrea Harrington!
For information about tonight’s debate:
Pittsfield: “Democratic State Senate candidates to debate”
The Berkshire Eagle, 8/1/2016
The Whitney Center for the Arts will be hosting a debate for the Democratic State Senate candidates at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 2nd.
The candidates include Rinaldo Del Gallo, Andrea Harrington and Adam Hinds. James Arpante, former Ward 2 city councilor, will moderate.
The Whitney Center is located at 42 Wendell Avenue.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/community/ci_30194066/pittsfield-democratic-state-senate-candidates-debate
Tricia Farley-Bouvier is a wonderful person, especially for Pittsfield politics. She cares! Rep. TFB cares about people, stands for human rights, and loves her hometown: Pittsfield.
For 4 decades, Pittsfield politics has been on a downward spiral of population and job losses. To blame a local/state politician for Pittsfield’s economic problems is unfair and myopic! TFB has only been a Pittsfield State Representative for 4 years.
Her 2 predecessors, Peter J. Larkin, and Chris Speranzo, left the Pittsfield State Rep. seat for more lucrative sinecures. Lobbyist Larkin is a bought and paid for GE lobbyist. Chris Speranzo is a lifelong Clerk of Courts in Pittsfield.
Larkin & Speranzo cared more about themselves than the public good! TFB cares more about Pittsfield than her personal pocketbook.
I also like Mike Bloomberg’s energy and ideas for Pittsfield politics.
TFB & MB are both good candidates!
This letter is a statement for a mayoral or council campaign. Near as I can tell, Bloomberg has zero concept of what state government does versus what the city government does. Crack a civics text book.
You are wrong as always. Well written letter
I’ve worked for local government for 20 years. I am correct.
Surprised you work. You are wrong
Surprised you work. You are wrong
on the books for 20 years….if there was much work involved, that’s another question.
Tricia Bouvier has not brouģht 1 job to Pittsfield and she does not want to be associated with its students….Next
The baby boomers who dont revise history went to college on many a mom and dads union wage.Union wages bought a 2nd car and a bigger home and paid for a vacation for mom and took them out to dinner…..Union wages created educated children built schools and a wealthy class that never wants to pay back….it also created yuppies who ruined almost everything.
yes!
Really?
Walmart isn’t a state rep issue. The City Council and Mayor will drive this process. Shakes is right, Bloomberg doesn’t even know what the job is supposed to be.
The letter writer thinks a 26 year old kid who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth has all the answers? Give me a break.
The job of a state rep is to bring back money. TFB hasn’t done a great job in this regards. I hope she wakes up and does a better job of getting along with the leadership and brings back the doe.
Bloomberg would piss of the leadership and also fail at bringing back money. Same goes for Connell. Connell is in this for himself. He is unterested in changing laws that affect landlords, of which he is one (slum I might add). Look at where his lawn signs are, rentals.
I dint like it, but I’m voting for TFB.
PEDA is a State Rep issue as it was established and managed through an act of the State Legislature.
I grew up in a single-parent household with a mother working two jobs and have worked every year since my first job as a 15 year old at the UPS Store.
My job is to be effective, not to piss people off, and being decisive is often necessary for being effective.
If you have any further questions feel free to reach out, 413-212-9386 or bloombergforpittsfield@gmail.com
Tricia Farley Bouvier has done NOTHING to help lessen the poverty in this area. Under her watch, poverty has become much worse along with all the issues that go hand in hand with poverty such as crime and increased child abuse. Berkshire County continues to go downhill and TFB has just watched this happen.
She says she does a lot for children, but not helping the parents of these children does not in the end help the children. The children are still growing up in poverty and all the stress that creates in their home environment. Truly helping the children means pulling their families out of poverty through job creation and creating a healthy economy in this area.
The issues that TFB has promoted such as bathroom usage and driving licenses for illegal aliens shows that her concern is not with the downtrodden of this area.
I will NOT be voting for TFB.
she was also a shill for the new budget busting high school…was against voters having a say
True, for that issue alone we should vote against TFB.
Really?
Maybe I should reconsider Connell. No way I’m voting for Bloomberg.
You should consider Connell. Good man. Hard worker, knows his way around business. He will be excellent on Beacon Hill and less likely to be 1000% OWNED the way TFB is by what DV calls The Bosses.
Bloomberg good but young. Maybe too young. Still in primary I’m voting for him. In general I’m for Connell.
I will vote for Connell.
State Reps do nothing except whore for the leadership. The wider your legs are opened, the more calloused your knees and the further over you bend – the more likely you will bring back a bead or a bauble to your district.
TFB gets nothing passed because she does all of that without asking. She’s Bob DeLeo’s guaranteed vote. and it’s a cost free vote.
She doesn’t get it. We don’t get ours unless it’s to bring in more money to support the ever expanding poverty industry.
What kind of experience can a 26 year old actually have? In the 4 years since college, how many jobs has he held? how many jobs has he ever created? how many significant projects has he stewarded through to completion? Probably zero.
We all have ideas. Ideas are like rectal orifices – we all have one. I don’t want an idea man or woman, I want a hard worker who listens, synthesizes the idea into a plan and then works that plan.
TFB has never done that, and neither has Bloomberg. Connell does it – but only to his own benefit.
I believe that the reason we get such lackluster candidates is because it takes a special kind of person willing to be a prostitute and then tell you they aren’t.
Really?
Well said. It’s a lose-lose vote.
Valid argument without the sexism/vulgar imagery.
the whole process is vulgar.
Right on, SE!!
It is Southeast. I am with you!
And if you wonder how really useless the Legislators and State Senators are – why does everything get done at the last minute of as 2 year session? Why can’t full time legislators manage the workload so bills can be debated and crafted rationally and in the public eye?
The answer is obvious: The leadership stymies progress and the bills chosen to pass move forward at the end. 160 legislators held hostage to the whims of 6, and then need to go back and spin it to make the folks back home believe they were actively involved in the hard, hard work of being a legislator.
Watching paint dry is probably less tedious.
TFB will be very hard to beat. She’s got her signs out and will be taking out the ads. Between now and Sept. 8 she’ll have her picture in the paper at least 20 times. She made the front page today. A week or two ago front page again praying away in the front row with Adam Hinds at some interdenominational gathering. Her image makes the Gazette every week, most weeks two to three times.
and that is a reason to vote for her???
She won’t get my Vote. Her record deserves nothing!!
Listening to constituents, connecting them with state services, writing and voting for legislation that benefits the district, working with state executive offices for outcomes that benefit the district – these are state representative’s tasks. Maybe she was overreaching on the SBNC high school planning? Maybe she should provide more outreach? Those may be election issues. Let the Commonwealth come in and take over policing and roads and schools. Think you don’t have a say about the high school now? Just wait.
I agree with you, Pat. I will not vote for TFB due to her pushing the transgender issue, drivers licenses for illegals, and new THS construction. She’s the watergirl for DeLeo. She’s had her four years in the sun. Connell has been ineffective on the city council – why would anyone think he would be able to get much accomplished on the state level? I will be voting for Bloomberg.
what were all these state reps doing when the state ran up a 4 billion dollar deficit?
grabbing their share, that’s where.
Doesn’t matter who Rep. Is, they vote in lock step, like scared sheep.
Really?
I just can’t bring myself to vote for Connell either. Here is why.
He was a huge Bianchi supporter, a long with that ditz Mazzeo. Now they are both anti Tyer, no matter what she proposes.
The state rep is supposed to go to Boston and get money for what the Mayor wants to do. Since Connell is anti Tyer, he won’t do the job. Then Mazzeo can run for Mayor and say the Mayor didn’t accomplish anything.
I don’t want to see three years of nothing getting done.
I’m sitting this race out. Try to send a message with no vote at all.
No way will I vote for TFB. 4 years was plenty.
Dear “Really?”,
I feel your pain and frustration, but when you decide not to vote at all – you are then allowing others to make the decision for you. Not voting does not send a message to anyone but yourself. And since you read Dan’s blog, you must care about your community, and so your presence at the voting booth is needed! Why not vote for Bloomberg? Yes, he’s young and inexperienced – but perhaps he brings a fresh perspective and desire to get things accomplished. We know what the other two candidates have done/haven’t done – why not try the new fresh face? There is no perfect candidate, for sure.
Really?
Because in my opinion, Bloomberg is an inexperienced Putz that is against Wal-mart.
I’m sorry, but I don’t have his kind of money. I need someplace inexpensive to shop.
He just moved back to PITTSFIELD. If he doesn’t win, I guarantee he moves out.
Anyone thinking of voting for Connell or Bouvier needs to have their head examined. One a city hack the other a state hack.
Right on. Stop Voting thesee same people in over and over!!!!!
Neither of the above two ever thought of giving the taxpayer a say on the THS Project. Iread in the Gazette that there is a court date 8-10-16 2pm Superior court to argue for the taxpayer to halt the Ths Project until the taxpayer has a vote. Ihope the suit is successfulfor all we taxpayers.
my brother who was a 35 year court employee once told me that courts exist to preserve the status quo. courts value precedent, courts value order. they rarely (but they sometimes will) upset the apple cart. they usually reserve that for big issues. in the scheme of the Commonwealth as a whole, our high school is not a big issue. it’s only big to us.
the charter gives the council the powers it exercised – meaning they had the authority to approve the THS project.
As much as I disagree with the outcome of their vote, it is pretty clear in the charter that was their vote to take.
no court will tell them to relinquish their authority so the community can vote on the issue. the proper resolution is to vote out those who voted for the new THS – and we had an opportunity to do so, and I believe as a group, we declined.
the lawsuit is a fools errand and a waste of the court’s time.
Government is rigged and it’s a noble thing when ever a citizen devotes time and treasurer to expose the GOB establishment and change it. If nothing else the corruption of the courts will be highlighted.
I am in a tuff spot. Neither Connell nor Bouvier are deserving of a vote based upon their performance in their current position. The mere fact that the State has to place someone in the Tyler street district to determine and advocate for the needs of that area speaks to the dereliction of her responsibilities.
SHH has outlined and articulated the responsibilities of that office. I am left to believe that the businesses and residents of that area have been clamoring for illegals to have driver’s licenses and transgender bathrooms. Or they haven’t been represented thus the State has installed someone to understand the needs perceived or real. Mind you they will now be dictated by the State not by the local representation.
Mr. Bloomberg is looking at the wrong office to accomplish his goals as shown on his website as well as in the letter above. I am certain his ideas play well with the younger generation the Dottie’s coffee crowd and such however much of what he advocates for is in the realm of the City Council. If he works hard towards those goals do we lose representation on the larger issues?
After this election when he is defeated I encourage Mr. Bloomberg to run for City Council learn how the system works, study it become a student of it at least be aware of what your responsibilities will be.
Just sayin
I was informed about an hour ago that there was a letter supporting me on Planet Valenti. I don’t Mark Wainwright but I thank him for his kinds words and support. I’m not going to get involved with the comments beyond this one so if you have any questions please feel free to email me at BloombergForPittsfield@gmail.com, I will respond with answers.
I will however address the silver-spoon rumors that seem to be making their way around. I grew up in a single-parent house with a mother working two jobs. I got my first job when I was 15 years old packing boxes at the UPS Store on Elm street and have worked every year since. In my family we work.
Mr. Bloomberg, I suggest you rethink your position about replying to the questions/concerns brought forth on this blog. You have the opportunity to invest nothing more than your time and address a wide cross section of the community that you wish to represent. I’ve looked over the comments and concerns and they are pretty rational and valid. If you can’t or won’t address them here how can we believe that if you were elected would take the time to listen to our concerns? Leadership isn’t about sitting at Dottie’s listening to those who support you, it is about listening to the concerns and anguishes of others and considering them as you develop positions on the issues. That is called respect. Now you could also address and assuage the anguish of others by simply articulating in a meaningful way your position why and how that was developed and why and how I should support it and why and how it will benefit the community as a whole both in the short term and long term. The people on this board IE the Citizens you wish to represent may not agree with your positions and thoughts however if you articulate them the people here will respect you and your positions.
There are Men and Women who have sacrificed their blood their treasure and some their lives so that we could vote, respect those that have sacrificed Face those you seek to represent!
Just sayin
If you bring a solid work ethic to the pertinent issues, then you may be successful. Take my comments constructively, please.
Good Luck.
PS. Dottie’s has great coffee. No shame in that game.
I am certain the coffee is good no shame in it and I’m not trying to shame him or the place but the vast majority of those he wishes to represent never or rarely frequent the place that’s all.
Just sayin
Your comments are not worth taking constructively
Steven I disagree. Joe Pinhead has given Mr. Bloomberg a calm, rationale critique. The young man should be grateful.
Joe has yes! I was referring to SHH
This person has a hard on for me. Can’t say as I really want their deviant attentions. Probably just another level 3 offender chasing children around Pittsfield.
Shakes,
There is one in every crowd please don’t let it bother you, I for one don’t always agree with all you say but always look forward to reading a different perspective. I find your posts informative, educated and well put together.
Just sayin
I will vote for whichever one I feel had the least GOB ties. I am pretty sure it is not TFB. Where is Mr Bloombergs campaign money coming from? Where is Connells coming from?
Like all small cities in ma. we are going no where….we just fell furthest. I hold out no hope for Pittsfirld and just want my city budget to reflect it in the schools.Less less less brick and mortar…and less learning while injesting pcbs and benzines….I would like and find it important that we at least have a safe city by running gangsters to dalton and lenox.If we are going to be poor lets be the safest city in the country….lets kick gangster ass…..The PCB burner never ran correctly and deposited many unburned PCBs into a prevailing wind directed into Dalton