THE CITY’S SLIP IS SHOWING: ADMITS ‘ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT’ IS REALLY ALL ABOUT SOCIAL ENGINEERING
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 9, 2019) — Allow THE PLANET to present a most interesting press release, this from the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corp. (PERC).
Betcha didn’t know there was a PERC! There’s also the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, the Office of Community Development, the Office of Business Development, 1Berkshire, the Office of Extended Handouts to the Politically Connected, and a host of similar “economic development” outfits, all supported by Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.
These groups are known for job creation — snow jobs and con jobs. Pittsfield “economic development” enterprises create jobs for the executive director and the hand-chosen minions — almost always someone’s relative, spouse, or other politically connected person. Note, for example, the “Media Contact” on this release.
THE PLANET is sure Laurie is good at this job and her appointment was entirely above board, but wasn’t Andy Mick the publisher of The Boring Broadsheet before the newspaper formerly known as The Berkshire Eagle was run into the ground? Correct us if we’re wrong.
Please read this release in its entirety. See if you can spot the hidden news that provides are rare insight into the true purpose of these public-money giveaways. Hint: It’s buried, so you might not notice.
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PITTSFIELD
ECONOMIC
REVITALIZATION
CORPORATION
Media Contact:
Laurie Mick
413-499-9378
lmick@cityofpittsfield.org
PERC Awards Technical Assistance Grant to
Shire Acupuncture
Health and wellness floor takes shape at 55 North St.
October 7, 2019, Pittsfield, MA – The Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation (PERC) has awarded a $5,000 Technical Assistance Grant to Shire Acupuncture, LLC of Pittsfield to support computer and software purchases to manage medical records and appointments. Shire also will receive assistance for professional guidance and services of a technical nature, such as financial, architectural, legal, engineering, or specialized business planning.
“The purpose of the technical assistance grant program is to not only provide monetary support but to help small businesses expand, grow, improve their operations and create jobs. This program provides tremendous opportunity to strengthen and revitalize our community,” explains J. Jay Anderson, President of PERC. The program is targeted at businesses with 20 or fewer employees.
Shire Acupuncture, LLC, a full-service acupuncture clinic, will provide natural and effective healing modalities. Owned and operated by Kacey Boos, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, the business will offer a variety of treatments, consisting of acupuncture and adjunctive therapies along with herbal and nutritional consultations. She plans on opening her doors in October.
“The creation of Shire Acupuncture could not have happened without the enormous help from City Hall, especially PERC staff. I am forever grateful for this generosity,” explains Ms. Boos.
She added, “Helping people feel better has always been my greatest passion in life. For me, the best part about starting my clinic is that I get the opportunity to help people feel better right here in my own backyard, in the beautiful Berkshires.”
Shire Acupuncture is located on the second floor of 55 North Street in Pittsfield, the home of the Beacon Cinema, and will be part of the transformation to a health and wellness center.
About The Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation
PERC’s primary purpose is to further the economic development and social welfare of the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire County to increase employment opportunities and facilitate growth and development of small businesses. PERC offers assistance programs to entrepreneurs locating or expanding businesses in Pittsfield and Berkshire County. Each program has project eligibility requirements and most require a job creation commitment.
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Did you pick up on it?
Look what it says about 55 North Street, “the home of the Beacon Cinema.” The acupuncture service “will be part of the [building’s] transformation to a health and wellness center.” Are the rumors are correct, that the long-term plan for the cinema is to shut it down? After, what, how many millions of public dollars wasted on it? We wonder what Mr. Stanley thinks about all this?
THE PLANET also points to the release’s final paragraph: “PERC’s primary purpose is to further the … social welfare of the City of Pittsfield.” There is it in black and white, a frank admission that the true reason such organizations exist in the city is to engage in social engineering. The words make up one of the rare times where a city official has openly admitted this.
You realize that this constitutes an admission of failure: a failure of the city to create a private, capitalistic, entrepreneurial economy.
We wish Mr. Boos success with his acupuncture business, with a friendly warning. When you deal with skunks, don’t get too close.
———- ooo ———-
Finally, a relevant anecdote.
When THE PLANET moved back to the Berkshires in 1980 to set up shop as a writer, we rented a one-room office in what was then the Elglo Mall, now Crawford Square. Within a year, we had four employees, working from a larger suite of offices. In 1984, we outgrew that space and moved into the historic Shipton Building, where we rented the entire left side of the second floor. Over 28 years, we employed more than 70 people, full-time with benefits, plus countless free-lancers. We contributed millions to the downtown economy.
And you know what? We didn’t ask the city of Pittsfield, or any government entity, for a dime in public money. We wanted no part of government control or red tape. If we were to fail or succeed, we would do it on our own. We would risk our own start-up capital and go from there, the same as we’ve done with this web site.
We put our capitalist leanings to work and earn a profit … or not. As it turned out, we were profitable beyond our dreams, all because we took a chance, believed in ourselves, and thought we offered a service (writing) that would find customers in the free marketplace.
We didn’t do “an EMA,” asking for public money to set up a branch simply because its only two employees live in Pittsfield. We also didn’t deal in radioactive waste or Strontium 90.
Food for thought as this stupid request for $140,000 in PEDA money comes for a vote.
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“In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous” — Aristotle.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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. 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 Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. All users of this website — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else making use of its information, hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.
Here’s the truth on Tyer’s latest phony and pitiful cardboard accomplishments round 2, received today:
It claims “Strong Leader. Real Results.” and has a nicely doctored photo of her on the front, along with photo of a Pittsfield Police car us Kapanski’s’ paid for, that says Pittsfield POLICE on it, with flags in the background, parked in a no parking zone, on Bank Row, with Park Square in the background. The messaging is clear, and smacks of staging, desperation, and despicableness. Let’s hope the cop car wasn’t put there to stage this campaign add, because then it may indeed be an ethical violation, because not only did someone like a cop drive it there, us Kapanskis paid for it. I strongly suspect this is a staged photo and if so she is using government resources to promote her candidacy.
On the back, it reads “Under Mayor Tyer’s strong leadership, protecting people and neighborhoods has, and continues to be, the top priority in the City of Pittsfield.” Really?????????Seriously??????????????? Top Priority? Why was it hardly mentioned during her second inaugural farce?
Her “leadership” in not strong, and she has utterly failed to protect neighborhoods or people, and not just the ones shot and killed, but the hard working taxpayers too, with all her tax breaks and giveaways to the connected class. Here is what she is claiming:
“Hired more police officers”. Yea, every mayor hires more, as cops quit, eff up and get fired, and need replacing. How many new positions and how many of those are now filled, and where are they – how many chiefs and how many Indians? How about some truth in numbers? Note how she is no longer claiming 30 new cop positions. And what difference did it make? Is she suggesting there would have been even more murders and shootings if she didn’t hire more cops? If so, how so? And how much did it cost? How is she holding the police accountable for reducing and preventing crime?
“Brought SpotShotter technology to the city – a critical resource for gathering 270 pieces of evidence directly leading to multiple arrests and gun seizures.” How many arrests? How many gun seizures? What types of evidence and how exactly did these 270 pieces lead to multiple arrests and gun seizures? And how many of these are directly attributable to the shot spotter? And how many of these only came in because of shot spotter? How many false calls? How many other city’s dumped it because of unreliability? And how many cases led to convictions that her fem friend Harrington didn’t dump? And how much did all this cost? How about some real numbers around this ridiculous purchase?
“Expanded community policing and created a new Citizens Review and Advisory Board.” The board is a complete and total waste of police time so far, that would be better spend reducing and preventing crime. And how did she expand community policing?
“Partnered with Habitat for Humanity and resident volunteers to open a new Westside Community Outreach Post.” Another waste of tax dollars. How many? She’s not telling you. Oh and didn’t she say these weren’t the answer?
“Collaboration with Pittsfield Community Connection to provide vital mentoring/job training for struggling teens and young adults.” So she kept a program in place that was already there, but again, and what cost to the taxpayer? And how did this reduce or prevent crime exactly?
“A Brien Center counselor provides on-scene support enhancing police response to domestic violence and mental health incidents”. This is basic, and something the mayor shouldn’t boast about because not only does it not reduce or prevent crime, it’s got nothing to do with her.
The second half of her phony accomplishments speaks of basic equipment for the fire department, and talks about what she is going to do, during her second 4 years, assuming you’re stupid enough to vote for round 2, including “Expansion of crime prevention strategies” and a “violence prevention grant”, that will “bolster school safety measures”, which tells you we have a serious violence problem in the schools. Tell ya all ya need to know about her school department. Then she caps it of writing about “Demolishing of vacant properties, investing in home improvements, sprucing up outdoors spaces, and medically treating substance abuse disorders” and saying they “all contribute to a safer Pittsfield.”
So the truth is, after campaigning on crime first time around, and crucifying Bianchi over his failure to fix it, she had the same amount of time he did, and she threw millions more at the problem (how many more, she won’t tell you), and crime is worse now than when she took over, with more shootings, murders, overdoses, and this is what she has to show it??? A Shitspotter that’s the laughingstock of the police department, an outpost she criticized Bianchi for, a toothless and useless board wasting the cops time, and if re-elected, she will make a renewed push for free home improvements, restorative justice, and a free pass for the druggies. C for Crime, O for Outtacontrol, A for effort, F for performance. M for Mazzeo. N for Next.
Dude. Relax, Breathe. Come on up out of the basement and get some fresh air. Have a Snickers Bar and pet a Puppy. Y’all gonna pop a vein….
When you can’t attack the message, attack the messanger. Basic defense lawyering 101, and classic Pittsfield Politics. Marshall is one of the internet Trolls that BC wrote about that comes out around election time. Notice how he doesn’t dispute any of J99’s points? Why
doesn’t your candidate announce the crime stats and provide real answers to Johnnys’ questions? Surely the crime analyst can spin some facts Tyler’s Way.
I agree Joe Pesci. The fire marshall is a troll trolling for Tyer. I don’t know whos calling the shots for the mayors campaign but this mailing has backfired completely.
And another great article DV on the real meaning of economic development in the Pitts.
I don’t live in my mother’s basement or anyone else’s and I work my ass off like I did all day today. Had a Coke and some chocolate after work. And I’m calm as a cucumber. You’re obviously a Virgin Planeteer if you think I need to relax. As the song says, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Get me wound up I’ll post some more facts. Funny how Tyer didn’t put any actual reported crime stats on any of her mailings. Why not?
J-99
Well stated, sir.
Reply to Johnny99: Bravo! Nicely said! Tyer is a Liar!
Wow ! Has Tyer also discovered the fountain of youth or does she simply photoshop well through purchased technology ? Didn’t recognize her in this latest political mailing.
If she did discover it, you can be sure she will be luring the fountain drink here with a massive tax break, more Kapanski cash, and a free building to use, while your taxes go one effing way – UP
As to the photo, everything on that cardboard mailing, both of them acutally, is fake, phony, or doctored up.
It’s called smoke and mirrors.
Notice the absence of any meaningful statistics?????
SallySays,
More government handouts for private business in a building paid for by the Kapanskis. Kinda rings a bell eh?
I agree with Dan Valenti on the con job on “job creation” in Pittsfield. You have to be politically-connected to receive a plum. If you are not part of the Good Old Boys club, you are thrown into the brutal Pittsfield economy where you are lucky to make near minimum wage work. Pittsfield is under the control of a group of useless political hacks and insiders.
I have a theory about post-industrial areas like Pittsfield. It is that they do not really want economic growth! Rather, they want economic inequality where they can receive as much federal tax dollars as possible for social services. The more poverty, welfare, teen pregnancies, underperforming public schools, social services, not-for-profits, and the like, means more federal money for the corrupt political elites who can control their disadvantaged population.
I believe real economic growth, with living wage jobs, small business investments, and middle class families, would scare the so-called leaders of Pittsfield politics because it would mean less federal funds for social services.
In closing, Pittsfield will never change for the better because it wants federal dollars over living wage jobs!
– Jonathan Melle
“And now my life has changed in oh so many ways
My independence seemed to vanish in the haze”
Nice catch Dan, thank you for sharing with us. It’s a full time job trying to keep track of all the games this crew plays. The mayor’s husband is the treasurer of PERC and may be the PERC member that Ruffer referenced that did due diligence on the EMA financials…
Here are a few of the things I think about when I think of Pittsfield’s last four years under mayor Tyer.
The roads were allowed to get so bad the people had to rise up and beg for someone, anyone, to do some repair work as hundreds of car owners spent tens of thousands of dollars on car repairs due to the abysmal condition of the city roads.
Crime, assaults and murders hit all time highs. People became even more afraid to walk on the main street. Altered stats may not confirm this, which is another subject for concern,
Car and truck accidents are out of control as traffic control seems to have been abandoned. If you drive in Pittsfield you take you life in your hands every time you drive. Just yesterday I saw a sheriffs van go through a red light from 200 feet away. And I point that out because I see city vehicles, school buses, tractor trailers, teen agers and even some elderly running red lights as if it is the normal thing to do. It is common talk around town how dangerous and scary it is to drive in Pittsfield.
This mayor spends money as if she has a ginormous budget surplus while a large elderly population struggles with high property taxes. Meanwhile some well to do business owners are getting tax breaks. Not a nice thing to do.
Homelessness has become in your face. Panhandlers are everywhere. Prostitution has gained a foothold.
Information from city hall has been skewed and or hard to obtain.
These are just a few things the mayor left off her swanky mailer which seems aimed at stupid people and those who are clueless as to what is actually happening around them.
Ex Mayor Tyer never mentions the taxpayer. GE retirees of which there are thousants in Pittsfield just had their retirement FROZEN and we would like Tyer to acknowledge this publicly. Also the working poor who own modest homes are seeing their taxes and water bills exceed 3 thousand per year and going up 200 every year.
Tyer Marchetti and White are the 3 most irresponsible politicians in the history of our city.Mazzeo will serve our neighborhoods better than the Caccamo Moon imature politicians will.They must have huge mortgage s and unbalanced checkbooks.
Trump has made America accept mental illness in its president.
As a people, we need to consider the future. Ten years from now, do we want our president to be able to
– meet one-on-one with world leaders with no one else present?
– not have regularly-scheduled news conferences?
– make foreign policy and military decisions without input from Congress and expert staff?
– make bureaucratic decisions for personal financial benefit?
– ask foreigners for help to defeat domestic political rivals?
– keep personal income tax returns secret?
– ignore subpoenas from our Congress?
These are the things we need to consider as we move forward.
“– meet one-on-one with world leaders with no one else present?”
YES! Check Federalist 70 or so on secrecy in the executive with respect to foreign policy. And look what happens when it is not one-on-one. Any rat can call themselves a “whistleblower” and play that game.
Releasing the president’s calls to foreign leaders sets a very bad precedent.
“– not have regularly-scheduled news conferences?”
By whom? Trump is more accessible than probably any other president. And how did Obama do on regular news conferences?
“– make foreign policy and military decisions without input from Congress and expert staff?”
Executive branch runs foreign policy; Congress has some oversight, of course, as to personnel and especially budget, but how many monkeys you want trying to agree on a course of foreign policy?
Again, vide The Federalist on this stuff.
And, who’s an “expert”? How have the “experts” done in the last 70 or so years?
“– make bureaucratic decisions for personal financial benefit?”
This has been going since the beginning of the republic–that’s why we (try to) have checks and balances. But your huge government creates even more of this, ipso facto.
“– ask foreigners for help to defeat domestic political rivals?”
Sort of like the Dems did in 2016? Is it OK to investigate this and ask other countries to shed some light on what the hell went on in 2016?
“– keep personal income tax returns secret?”
Why not? Show us yours. I don’t know, did/does Obama hold a US passport?
“– ignore subpoenas from our Congress?”
If so, then call them on it, Take it to court. Plenty of options.
Or make that an article of impeachment–if they ever get the gonads to do anything.
So your answer is ‘yes.’ Then so be it.
I’ve been looking all morning for where the Federalist Papers were ratified by the electorate… cannot seem to find it.
Federalist Papers were the argument presented for ratification of the US Constitution, and they were, of course, successful.
They remain the first place to look for any explanation of the Constitution, after reading the Constitution itself.
ERM
Agreed. The Papers are must reading for anyone who wants to understand the Constitution. Hard to imagine anyone talking about the U.S. government without having read them. They were written in 1787-8. Interestingly, they were meant for voters of New York State, arguing in favor of them ratifying the nascent country’s Constitution. Yes, there were arguments, and good ones, against ratification. The better arguments prevailed, though, through the Papers. There were 85 essays, written for NY newspapers. Oddly, no one is certain of the authorship. They were signed with a pseudonym. Most believe Hamilton (52), Madison (28), and John Jay (5) wrote them. They should be REQUIRED READING for every U.S. public school student, along with the Constitution itself, and the Declaration — none of which is taught today.
Federalist papers explain why the structures of the Constitution are critical for a stable and lasting Republic. History has seen numerous examples of representative style governments, yet all had failed and disastrously. The Founders hotly debated and read the history of government in order to build a Constitution that would last indefinitely, enduring the stress of hardship and expansion of time.
Shakes mentions lack of electorate support for Federalist Papers. Indeed, what worried the Framers was the potential of populist appeal of demagogues. This appeal causes sectional and regional divides and result in divisions. That is why the Electoral College was produced – to protect the interests of States from regional opposition, i.e. the mob, perturbed by demagoguery.
I find it interesting that a critic of the Fed Papers is also a supporter of regional majorities dominating the interests of small States.
I think it’s stupid that someone pro republic doesn’t understand that majority rules.
Constitutionalists read the constitution strictly, not guess the context based on other documents. Or are you attempting your own social engineering? Better call the EPA. Lolololo
Shakes,
It’s not the notion of a lonely majority, but of majorities. Majorities rule. Majorities in this Republic are identified on a State basis, not across State lines. Mob rule proponents argue against the Electoral College because demagoguery – the favored tool of mass appeal, tends to lack regional support. Demagoguery is the prime fear that Madison and others held as the largest threat to a free society. Hence, you will find these words introducing the arguments for the Constitution:
“Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter may readily be distinguished the … the perverted ambition of another class of men, who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions of their country, or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies than from its union under one government.
An over-scrupulous jealousy of danger to the rights of the people … will be represented as mere pretense and artifice, the stale bait for popularity at the expense of the public good. It will be forgotten, on the one hand, that jealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the noble enthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrow and illiberal distrust. On the other hand, it will be equally forgotten that the vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informed judgment, their interest can never be separated; and that a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.” (-Introduction, Federalist)
Since Gore Vs. Bush, Americans increasingly grew to feel that the most holy aspect of the Constitution is the ballot, and that it is a National Sacrament (not state), and they have forgotten about the sin of demagoguery. I predict that if the sentiment leads to Constitutional abandonment or dismantling, we will enter a reign of increasing repression. The return to tyranny will not be on the hands of the Constitutional defenders but on those who defy it or change its essential protections.
(Unredacted version
Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter may readily be distinguished the obvious interest of a certain class of men in every State to resist all changes which may hazard a diminution of the power, emolument, and consequence of the offices they hold under the State establishments; and the perverted ambition of another class of men, who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions of their country, or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies than from its union under one government.
Followed by
An over-scrupulous jealousy of danger to the rights of the people, which is more commonly the fault of the head than of the heart, will be represented as mere pretense and artifice, the stale bait for popularity at the expense of the public good. It will be forgotten, on the one hand, that jealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the noble enthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrow and illiberal distrust. On the other hand, it will be equally forgotten that the vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informed judgment, their interest can never be separated; and that a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.
Instead of cleaning things up, crushing crime, and encouraging the growth of retail stores and restaurants to revitalize North Street, all of which take roll-up-your-sleeves actual hard work, Tyer and Company always seem to go for things funded by tax dollars. It’s always these crap programs that do nothing. Big whoop!
Time for a change. At least Mazzeo built a successful business that’s been around for years and has grown and grown.
Well Well, Whattaya know. The PEDA peddlers finally got a legitimate business to come to town, a real job creator. And a perfect fit for a drug infested city, a marijuana grow facility, facilitated by the taxpayer. And it will blend nicely with the community college’s new bud tender certificate. Do the cops still teach DARE, and is there still a war on drugs? How many more marijuana places coming to town?
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/28m-cannabis-cultivation-facility-planned-for-pittsfields-william-stanley-business-park,586882
Marijuana grows are against federal law. It is classsified in the same way as heroin by the feds. Is PEDA, and by extension Pittsfield, going to violate federal law?
On the Eagle’s Facebook page, I asked them to comment on how this grow facility is in accordance with the Use Restrictions (Attachment D) of the Consent Decree https://semspub.epa.gov/work/01/10668.pdf
Anyone can publish a press release, it takes history, knowledge and curiosity to be a journalist. Every press release must be viewed with a skeptic eye, especially during election season.
I do seem to remember something about nothing related to food could be sold on the property so this crop seems to need some further research. Maybe Miss Moon will ask questions this time.
(unless she has been told not to)
It’s not a Federal legality question because the parcel will be sold.
It’s more a question of legality when it comes to zoning and the convent decree.
Both projects, EMA and this seem to be problematic because of the consent decree. With the grow facility there also is a question of do you want that near the ballfields.
A similar question can be posed for EMA. If they place that chamber, what impact will it have on future tenants and the viability of that building.
I thought with all the pollution still in the ground there they future development excluded food items and consumables? You can’t have a bakery there but you can grow pot?
Theo,
I don’t think the city leaders really care if people glow in the dark after they smoke some “Pittsfield PCB Bud.”
Hell, If Mayor Tyer can get enough people smoking and glowing at night, maybe she can save the taxpayers on street lighting costs? An “economic engine,” has to start somewhere?
Voted for Mazzeo in the primaries but now reconsidering because of inane comments from her campaigners.
“Inane comments,” such as people having concern about a substance people will ingest into their bodies (and possibly a growing fetus), that was grown in PCB contaminated soil?
If that’s inane, then I’m willing to bet your the type to dislodge the ice/snow ball formed on your snow blower, with your bare hands.
A growing operation would use specialized soil. They sure as hell wouldn’t be growing it in the ground beneath the facility or using any of the native soil. You people are clueless.
BLARE
As I understand it, the objection is from ANY migration of PCBs or other toxins into the soil or any of the other biological products used to grow the stuff. This would include the plants themselves. As POLICE REPORT said, while the actual risk of this is unknown, the activity is a sitting duck for law suits.
Blare just can’t keep up.
GE and the consent decree excludes food handling, processing, and sales on that site because they are worried about litigation tied to cross contamination of any kind.
It would probably be even worse with cannabis as it’s either concentrated down for shatter or tinctures or smoked.
If you can’t handle and sell food on that site, you can’t grow and sell cannabis.
I don’t think they care at all about the well being of the pot consumers. They really don’t care at all and just want the tax money. Pot enthusiasts are a lower common denominator but not my enemy and I defiantly don’t want them eating PCB edibles.
The local leaders seem dumb about about what the pollution on the former GE site means. PCBs can be airborne. The BIC as far as I know hasn’t fixed its deed to allow people under 18.
This is why Walmart left the site as well. It’s all a huge liability and if the NY guys are so desperate to grow pot there I understand why wouldn’t want to stop them as it’s money in their pocket, but it’s a bad idea.
I am keeping up just fine. Multiple commenters have referred to the dangers of weed “grown in PCB contaminated soil.” Dopes – even without the weed.
Comparing growing weed to a food operation is equally stupid. Please stop.
Pot on top of toxic waste.
Did anyone else see that there now is a vaping associated death reported to the CDC?
It’s sad as all of this appeals to the trash of society at the top and bottom economic strata.
Those involved in the marijuana industry should be held accountable for what’s happening right under our noses. That includes increased visits to emergency rooms, addiction treatment for highly potent weed, contaminants causing lung disease and increases in psychosis and depression/suicide. Car accidents including serious injuries and fatalities are happening on our roads and across the country and still we’re letting these dangerously unqualified budtenders ruin our community health. Anyone with a conscious and concern for the greater good should stand up against it.
Marijuana is an addiction business. They have a clear strategy: legalize it, normalize it, play up the “health” benefits,” increase use and profit from dependency. That is the only way to maximize profits.
I doubt the public thought when they wanted to decriminalize weed that they wanted it everywhere with less restraint than booze. We all know an old hippy smoking weed in his or her house was not a danger to society but this mass production and marketing is grotesque. And the old goats who were conducting themselves in their homes are now out on the streets impaired.
It’s sad and awful and I hate trying to explain to young people why some folks have all day to wait in a line forming out to the street for their drugs.
The government could have done this differently but their greed is a disgrace.
Good words Kermit.
So true Kermit Frog. Don’t get me started on skunk pot which is a stronger version of pot for people who really want to get seriously stoned. It’s disgusting. Try being behind them in traffic. Not pleasant.
Frog,
As you well know, the people of Massachusetts VOTED to decriminalize wacky weed.To his credit, former DA David Capeless held info sessions to try to educate the locals on the dangers of legalizing this drug. One only has to look at Colorado and how this drug has driven a 33% increase in DUIs. Local cities and towns can opt out – but Pittsfield has chosen to open its arms to growers and sellers, a big mistake. While many scream about the opioid epidemic, many ignore the dangers of marijuana and the fact that there is a correlation between heavy smoking and violent behavior. Edibles are a danger to the unsuspecting consumer, many of them children.
There is nothing good that will come from the legalization of this drug.
The only thing heavy marijuana smoking induces is a nap.
Everybody has different reactions to substances. Some people take a nap on weed and get so mellowed out they can barely navigate their car in traffic (very dangerous) while others are so sensitive to the stuff that they have mental health issues. This isn’t one size fits all.
The lines of people waiting for their government pot is disgusting. I only tolerate pot for people who need it for medical reasons. Recreational pot will be a nightmare for this country. The far left hopes so since all these helpless, dependent and addicted people will cry out for government assistance. All the people injured in car accidents from pot users will mean more people dependent on big government.
A 33% increase in DUI’s in Colorado? That would be very false.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/publicsafety/news/colorado-division-criminal-justice-publishes-report-impacts-marijuana-legalization-colorado
A correlation between weed and violent behavior? Ridiculous.
My favorites are the paranoid pot heads. A few of them post here.
Thanks.
I knew that about Capeless but it didn’t outweigh the accusations that he manipulated or mishandled evidence. I don’t anything could take me back to respect for him after that.
The towns that want the pot and are going full speed are the worst towns, the ones that need help as their police can’t handle the basic things already like traffic enforcement. How many deadly accidents this summer in Pittsfield or Berkshire Co?
We all know moderate drinkers and moderate pot users but all day every day pot is bringing out the worst. And the can’t stop spending towns won’t care. I could be wrong but I understood that towns can only opt out if they voted against it. Is that correct?
Sounds like somebody really took Reefer Madness to heart. What a bizarre screed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26961342/
RESULTS: Multivariable logistic regression revealed that compared with never-users, continued exposure to cannabis (use at age 18, 32 and 48 years) was associated with a higher risk of subsequent violent behaviour, as indexed by convictions [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19-23.59] or self-reports (OR 8.9, 95% CI 2.37-46.21). This effect persisted after controlling for other putative risk factors for violence. In predicting violence, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling further indicated that this effect could not be explained by other unobserved time-invariant factors. Furthermore, these analyses uncovered a bi-directional relationship between cannabis use and violence.
CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results provide strong indication that cannabis use predicts subsequent violent offending, suggesting a possible causal effect, and provide empirical evidence that may have implications for public policy.
PMID 26961342 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Hysterical! That’s the most famous longitudinal study ever, I studied it in school. It followed a few hundred poor English working class kids born in the 1940’s.
Anyway, you need to learn the difference between correlation and causation. Of course there’s a correlation between weed and violence – along with all other drugs, most especially booze. To date there is no credible evidence of causation, which is of course what matters.
None of which suggests that people should just start firing up joints willy nilly, or that kids’ exposure, public usage, etc. shouldn’t be carefully addressed. But describing it as though it’s angel dust is dumb.
One of the symptoms of weed addiction is distorted perception, one of the many reasons it’s impossible to argue with potheads.
I spent a month in Denver once–I’ve never seen so many people drunk/stoned/high in broad daylight in my life.
8 am on a Sunday a couple of tipsy Mexican guys wanted a dollar for the bus–I gave it to them.
Girl gets on the bus holding a large bottle of mouthwash and a pack of Marlboros, totally out of it–and off the bus because she has no money.
Drunk guy at the park loudly screaming obscenities at his dog.
At dusk coming back from the public links on the bus I walked to my room holding a 9 iron in plain view, just in case.
Crazy.
Actually Blare, my earlier post of a 33% increase in Colorado DUIs due to driving under the influence – is most likely very low and out of date.
According to this article in the Denver Post, “the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes testing positive for marijuana rose 88% from 2013 to 2015, FARS data show.”
The point is, it is a disturbing trend.
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/colorado-marijuana-traffic-fatalities/
There’s been at least 18, 1 in Mass. trump wants to ban flavored vapes, Obama to blame for allowing flavored vapes
Was that Richard Gere sitting in the audience during the Electro- Magnetic presentation?
If he was the i’m Sandra Bullock
It is alleged that the victim and woman of color that was allegedly attacked at Bard College has retained counsel and is no longer cooperating fully with police and investigators.
State police and the last DA’s office would have had the full details in under 10 minutes. This is what we can expect from the weak and squeaky. Get used to it.
I think the students at a college that begins with a W would strongly disagree.
DA Andrea Harrington is using her vast criminal justice and legal experience to bring cases to trial.
Her first appearance in court as DA took only 9 months.
Giver her time. I know she’s diligently working on the Williams College sexual assault cases. One down and 85 more to go.
Pucci has several clients that signed up for the book club.
I am trying to figure out your point regarding the Williams sexual assault issue. Are you saying that there have not been many SA accusations at Williams over the years? Or are you saying there WERE many accusations, but the DA’s office was never made aware of them so it’s not their fault? Or are you saying that the DA’s office WAS made aware of them, but diligent investigations found them all to lack credibility, or are you dismissing them as lacking credibility without any investigations? Show some courage and state your real argument before you taunt the women behind the Williams SA statistics with your “book club” comment.
The only facts we know for certain are that 1) during the previous DA’s tenure SA accusations at Williams went through the roof as the years went by, and 2) Capeless, Caccaviello, etal. never noticed or cared, as evidenced by their failure to prosecute any cases, as well as the conflicting explanations they provided during the DA’s race as to why that was the case.
Interestingly, there is a complaint before the U.S. Dept. Education Office of Civil Rights that touches upon certain of these facts. I just found it by searching the Williams Record, the campus newspaper. Ironically, the complaint is brought by a male student who received a harsh punishment from Williams through their internal discipline process.
https://williamsrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/FOIA-Response-19-01847-F-Williams.pdf
The interesting part is on Page 3, where the complainant refers to the federally filed data regarding SAs at Williams. Such as: 14.5 rape reports each year; 7th highest rape rate out of 1,600 colleges with over 750 students; 9x the average college rape rate. He presents this as evidence of a hostile environment for men, but that’s irrelevant – the point is that the numbers are real, they are part of the historical record.
Nobody but the impacted parties can speak to individual cases, so your fixation on the lawyer who brought up a single case during the DA race seems bizarre to me. What is important is that there have been very many accusations of rape at Williams, all of which escaped any evident notice of the criminal authorities.
Then again, maybe in the end we will learn that Williams was so good at hiding these cases that the previous DAs don’t deserve the blame. But even if that’s the case, why make taunting statements about these accusations getting another look?
Feel free to explain but I’ll be expecting crickets. Your stance is indefensible.
I hope and pray it isn’t another hoax. I think it takes away from those who have legitimate complaints.
https://www.takimag.com/article/hair-hysteria/
Boos receives $5000 to create one job.
EMA needs $140,000 to create 6. Maybe we should offer $30,000 and tell them to make it work.
Was there a public list of pesticides that will be used in the crop duster flying over the Maryjane fields and will the pilots be trained to pull up before spraying the children playing ball?
Will these Maryjane croppers be getting a tax break from the mayor and how many immigrants will be hired at harvest time? Why are the people in Great Barrington upset about this sort of thing down there? Is it because they had a chance to discuss it before it was a done deal?
How much were the kickbacks and will this operation reduce the taxes for residents?
And have we ever been told where the tax dollars that the city is getting from these dispensaries and now growers is going. Hasn’t brought my taxes down, how about yours?
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/whistleblower-trial-pits-former-pittsfield-teacher-vs-principal-city,586921?fbclid=IwAR1syXOUkEKm36tCJvXFYxIwCbjx1Db7Gjr_cyF26bY-O_TPfGdByXB3bx8
I wonder if JIVE will blame this on “poverty” and lack of funds. It’s no wonder this district is going to hell.
Force a teacher into a position she isn’t ready to teach, nor qualified for because she found out an administrator was in the wrong… confronting her in front of students. Totally professional. I know it’s all alleged, but from past experience filing grievances both myself and my former colleagues.. this is a rather common occurrence. Keep your mouth shut, toe that line. Vote how Brendan and the union tell you.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/whistleblower-trial-pits-former-pittsfield-teacher-vs-principal-city,586921?fbclid=IwAR1syXOUkEKm36tCJvXFYxIwCbjx1Db7Gjr_cyF26bY-O_TPfGdByXB3bx8
It’s for the kids….
Rumor has it that you don’t question any city authority or you may receive a similar reception. Is that a reason many hesitate to use their real monikers on this or any other site? You betcha baby!
The only thing that shocks me about this story is that it made the papers. Most of the school lawsuits are not publicly reported and swept under the rug….. which would make an interesting study in itself.
I too did a double take when I saw this story. Most lawsuits against the city never see the light of day. It seems to me the public has the right to know about such things but why is this rare case out there? anyone??
Just an FYI: state law prevents any chemicals what so ever from being used in the cultivation of marijuana-including pesticides. This is assured through on site inspections and lab analysis.
And have we ever been told where the tax dollars that the city is getting from these dispensaries and now growers is going. Hasn’t brought my taxes down, how about yours?
You must have missed Tyer’s campaign facts: thanks to her both taxes and crime at an all-time low in Pittsfield!
Yes Wilson, support a D.A. that does not prosecute crimes and crime statistics go way down.
Please just show us where the DA’s office doesn’t prosecute crimes? please some examples
No you show us the f-ing data like the transparency your DA promised. How many domestic violence cases is her office scuttling because she and her expert staff can’t get the witnesses together? Unless we have a bug inside the DA’s office we won’t know.
The easiest way to tell is conviction rate versus arrest rate. That’s a traditional determination of success.
Another, but police based, is total cases/calls versus closed cases (cases referred to the DA) or open cases (cases not referred to the DA).
The confounding factor here, the police have stopped investigating and of the petit crimes.
Property crime will go down because the police no longer take a report.
Shoplifting and petit theft, those crimes just “don’t happen”
At a meeting on Monday, a number of Pittsfield retail businesses were discussing writing a letter to Chief Wynn and DA Andrea Harrington to ask that they step up enforcement of shoplifting because it has gotten much worse.
One business installed a new camera system, called in a shoplifter, the police didn’t even want to come out and look at the video. They told the manager of the store “we don’t do that” you can file a report, take out a no trespass Oder on a John Doe, if he shows up again you can call us and we will come out if we have time.
All shoplifting under $250 is being ignored, any car break-ins ignored as well. So crime will go down on the front end report side because you now have to drive to PPD, find parking, and file a report.
Another yardstick of success, conviction rate.
If there are excessive pleadings, if cases are dismissed, if people are found not guilty, that all go to the success or lack there of of the DA’s office.
We’ve had one alleged murderer go free so far this year.
Magic, good question and the answers no and you can guarantee there’s a magic plan to piss it all away rather than cut your taxes – so I say let’s earmark it for a new police station rather than pissing it away on a secret till the last second GOBSIG giveaway. Tyer is a big supporter of the chief and marijuana and the police station was needed way more than a new high school.
Let’s hope this question is asked at a debate.
Aerin, you only have yourself to be mad at for losing your job
I did not work at the DA’s office but a lot of excellent people got fired for political reasons. Many are now working against this DA who they do not respect. As far as anyone tells me, no one good got hired and many are flat out disasters. Great situation for victims.
No one good got hired? That’s funny, multiple people have told me that Jeanne Kempthorne is brighter and more capable than anyone who has served in that office in decades, DAs included. I would call that a good hire.
That doesn’t make a lot of sense since she is in charge of appeals yet DA Capeless and ADA Pieropan are handling the triple homicide appeal.
Kurds are being slaughtered as we speak. Vote Mazzeo and Kavey. Dump White and Persip
I must admit I hope Kavey wins. He is definitely the dark horse in that race and I think has a fighting chance.
Haven’t heard too much about Hamlling for At-Large
Yuki I know more than enough NOT to vote her way
Big big photo opportunity tomorrow at Wayfair. Expect the usual suspects to be there. And uh p,fix the wallpaper for the photo shoot.
The usual suspects may be there on your dime but if Joseph Taxpayer tries to set foot on the property he will be summarily removed. Private event ya know. But look for the big write up in the Eagle with the smug mug of captain Ahab grinning back at ya. “I did it. I brought all these jobs to my constuents and stuff, Vote fer me ok… Vote fer me!”
Loved the “Welcome Wayfair” banners that span across North St. coincidently out side of the re-elect Mayor Tyer campaign office.
Dan, my boss back in the Day was Wayfair CEO’s Father ,a genuine soul,and a great man. If the son is as good as the Dad we are in good hands. Vote Hamling,Kavey,Mazzeo,Marchetti,Moon. No White, No Persip.
Planetites, and normal Pittsfield voters. If you want a reason to not vote for eitherPetee White or Dumbster Diver Earl watch last nights City Council Meeting when it shows again. Even D T R was making faces at Whites comment ‘doesn’t see any issues’ concerning the South Church Street Parking. Incredible.
Just Vote these in…Hamling,Connell,Morandi,Mazzeo, Marchetti,Kavey,Caccamo,Cohen, Moon, Al Blumin, and of course Buddy Hackett Pope,in Ward seven. It’s not ideal but it is a good mix.
You-would think though that this D T R would have had a concern about the Parking before anything went Down with Fair? Vote Pa5 Kavey..
Really good man.
Goodbye Politics Bernie. You gave it your best shot.
Has anyone seen B C C. President Ellen Kennedy’s Platinum Blonde Hair-doo ..it is beautiful,I must admit. Way to go Ellie!
Mayor Tyer used 3 million in free cash to balance budgets over two years which tells me she is purposely under funding certain departments to artificially keep City budgets lower than they should be.
TSC
As you know, the one department she is not underfunding is the school department, despite continual substandard performance.
Planet you exactly right as they underfund this department I believe on purpose to bring in a more desireable budget.
Marijuana is not a food. A grow facility does not make or handle food.
The plants grow in specific, regulated, strict conditions. This isn’t a field of pot blooming in the sunshine next to silver lake. It is a very controlled environment, and the plants need special care to grow properly.
I’d love to know where everyone see any PCB contamination infiltrating the process.
The psychoactive component of marijuana, THC, is only effective when its original chemical plant form – THCA – is combusted. Upon combustion (burning), the carboxylic group (COOH) is separated from the acid and THC is free. This is why marijuana is smoked or vaped in order to feel the effects of getting high.
If you eat a marijuana in its natural form, you’ll get a stomach ache and a yucky taste in your mouth, you will not get high. You could eat a whole plant and it would be pointless.
In order to make edibles – food products that deliver a THC high – the weed has to be decarboxylated – heated to a temperature hot enough to break the bonds between the THC and the carboxylic group. That form of the plant is then used, through more cooking steps, to make edibles. My point, you can’t make pot brownies by just mixing weed into your brownie batter. That’s not how it works.
Auto Phil:
Thanks for your articulate explanation of the chemistry. This argument should not be a sarcasm 101 vs sarcasm 201 showdown. I agree that the mechanism of PCB contamination is a valid question, but I suspect that the guidelines for the site will overshadow either side of the divide.
Perhaps the stomach ache would induce a higher state of enlightenment and agitation? Some people may be actually seeking a purge as opposed to false sense of clarity and peace.
Back in the day, we understood that frequent use == abuse, and mind-altering drugs were likely harmful if used(abused) frequently. We did not need data tabulating outcomes, not that they disprove the assumption, but accepted logical arguments, such as if someone needs a drug to feel happy throughout the day, is that person as able as one who does not? The ‘need’ is not a biologic one since it was not present before the introductory exposure. The need is a result of an inner dialogue between one’s automatic pilot though process and the more powerful though often weaker rational center. The argument runs along the lines of “A) I must get a hit. B) I feel like I need to get high. 2) I want to get high. Since my want doesn’t go away I must do it.” The feeling is strong enough that the rational processes do not weigh in, since it is not generally sensible to disregards one’s needs. As a result, cravings and impulses are elevated to Needs. (Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Dr. Albert Ellis)
My concern is that we now need to undertake complex arguments and tasks of psychology to contend with maladies that once were largely headed off by taboo. If we abolish the taboo, should we consider replacing it with education in rational behavior science?
hey anyone know what is going on?
Sheffield murders, where’s the final report?
Simons Rock attack, where is the description of the attacker?
Most recent shooting in Pittsfield? Any description of the shooter? Why didn’t shot spotter nor work?
Beacon Cinemas, why did the city spend $60,000 to repair their sewer connection last week? Is it true they have lost $150,000 since taking ownership? That they’ve laid off most employees?
What’s going on with the investigation of Da Harrington’s campaign? Over $40,000 in unaccounted funds and missing receipts.
If there’s a ban on vaping products, why are they sill being sold on Tyer street?
Is it true Wayfair can’t find minimum qualified employees for its offices and plan to scale down the facility to 100-150 employees?
Awesomely interesting questions. But save yourself some time looking for answers by NOT asking anyone at city hall. Trumps doppelganger, Tyer, don’t know nuttin bout that stuff! Nuttin I tell ya.
PLANETEER ALERT. FREE LEGAL ADVICE
City is sending out letters, UNDER THEIR LETTER HEAD, requesting citizens make an appointment to have their home inspected by assessor firm,TYLER TECHNOLOGIES. They want to get inside of your home and measure it and snoop around. They cannot do this without your express consent, or a court order. A court order can only be issued for a crime if there is evidence of that crime at your house. This is NOT REQUIRED AND without a court order, i.e. A SEARCH WARRANT, they can’t get into your home without your consent. Don’t be a fool. IGNORE THE LETTER. Don’t let them in IF THEY COME A KNOCKIN, unless you want them snooping around your house, and RAISING YOUR TAXES.
Until they fix the damn road as you turn on to Flintstone off Ann Dr. which has been a mess for sometime now,they ain’t getting inside! Thanks for the info.
They will raise your taxes if this firm can conjure up real OR phony upgrades.
But if your house has lost value due to neglect because you can not afford to make needed repairs your taxes are not going down. It is a one way street fellas.
But I will let them in and then follow them around and then demand an immediate copy of what they write down to make sure I am not blindsided with something like a “finished basement” that does not exist. Or the ever elusive second toilet which is actually only a old canning jar I use to piss in in the cellar when I can’t get into the bathroom.
In the past they worked on commission and they are looking for improvements real or imagined. Keep in mind that if you do not let them in you need to get a copy of your report because you are a sitting duck for a phony upgrade. A friend of mine had a finished attic tacked on and the reality is that it is all rafters and junk with insulation falling from the inside of the roof. He never knew and found out by accident.
Just a formality, Tyer told them how much she wants and their software changed values in a millisecond. The contractor already cashed its check and would like nothing more than to avoid spending time in Pittsfield
JOE
Thank you for this alert. Good advice.
On the snoopy assessors,where were they before assessments-were raised year after year. I want a rebate. And no I’m not letting them in. The City illegally raised assessments. Tyers screwed.
Keep the f away from me Tyler -Tyered Or whomever you are. Tyer and the City should have a class action lawsuit against it for illegally and irresponsibly raising homeowner assessments. This smells of the Marcel- Skinny Legs Rob Bertoo regime another questionable assessment raising from when he was a Mayor. No one sees this?
What’s going on here. Chairman of homeless committee wearing a baseball jersey? Gets some class you buffoon.Word has it he has an illegitimate kid on the government dole. Tyer appointee.
Sally Say why do we even have a homeless committee?
How about a committee to rid the city of people holding up cardboard signs and harrassing motorists while looking for a handout. Lock em up. Come to think of it, isn’t Tyer harassing homeowners with her carboard campaign mailings?
And he’s been known to stiff landlords.
Finance subcommittee discussing the EMA proposal on PCTV. Ruffer seems very nervous.
Tune in now, channel 1303
Thanx Fritz.Got it, Mel is talking.
Tyer is so desperate that there is no possible way she can make up 1000 votes.The people of the hood hate her for not turning on the lights or cutting tree branches .School kids getting up to gunfire in the drug berkshires is a sin.
Was that Barry I saw registering voters in Pittsfield and St. Joe Cemetery?
So is the purpose of the BIC to provide leased office space?
Why would the GE Funds be used to support a private business?
If radioactive materials are used in the BIC, and God-forbid an accident should occur, who is responsible for the cleanup – EMA or the city?
Dr. Kronick brought up some good points about the gaps in the proposal.
If there’s a fire, the safest place in the building is inside the vacuum chamber.
Similar to an airplane. Everytime I’m on one and it’s going down, I squeeze in tight to the black box.
Radiation Safety Supervisor?
The DA needs to read up on the broken window theory. Failure to prosecute crimes like shoplifting just leads to more of the same and worse. I’m all for giving a troubled youth a first time break, but if you never enforce lower level crimes you’ll never encounter that youth until he commits a higher level crime and at that point the time for a break has passed.
And as for panhandlers holding up signs at intersections begging for money; they should be forced to move along. Its an embarrassment for the city. Just like the homeless hanging out at White terrace at all hours of the night. I’m not heartless but it’s time to enforce vagrancy laws. Society rises or falls to the levels people will accept, it’s that simple. New York city was a cesspool years ago and they cleaned it up by not tolerating all the crap that we are now turning a blind eye to. Very sad.