MAYOR, COUNCIL : ‘”UP YOURS” AGAIN, TAXPAYERS’
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION DEC. 6-8, 2019) — They did it again.
They did it to anyone who owns property in Pittsfield — a home, apartment building, business, or set of 1964 Topps Beatles trading cards. If you own it and you’re not one of the Special Interests or part of the not-for-profit scam, you will P-A-Y M-O-R-E for the privilege of seeing the waves wash away the sand foundations standing between you and fiscal ruin.
Thank you Mayor Tyer. Thank you City Council minus Tony Simonelli. Thank you School Committee. Thank you municipal unions, led by the School Department.
It could have been worse.
It always can be worse in Pittsfield. “Worse” only needs time, a commodity the universe adds in liberal measure — once a year, when mayor and council work “together” to set the new tax rate. With the exception of last year, in which Tyer manipulated the numbers to reduce the Kapanski’s levy during an election year, taxes have gone up each year since fiscal forever. Even then, as Auto Phil noted in comments yesterday, they got the penny and then some into this year’s increase.
IN EFFECT, THERE NEVER WAS A PROPERTY TAX DECREASE!
THE PLANET won’t give a play-by-play on the hearing. You don’t need more lessons. You know city government has not stopped its reckless spending. You know the tax base keeps shrinking. You know the city has become Handout Haven for Bums, Hookers, Cheats, and other Children of the Night. They’re unlike you, who schlepp it to work every morning … who pay your own way and have to decide each month what to pay among health care, food, shelter, transportation, and prescriptions. You don’t get The Free Ride.
Don’t you love how it works?
- You work hard for your money.
- Then, before you see a cent, the feds take their cut: Social Security, FICA, payroll taxes, whatever.
- Of the remaining amount, you pay your bills.
- Maybe, just maybe, you manage to save a little.
- The mayor and council set the tax rate, always AFTER the November election, even though law and common sense say the rate could and should be set in June when they pass the FY budget.
- Taxes rise.
- Services decrease.
- Meanwhile, The Suits see that the Special Interests make out “swell,” as Beav used to say. Maybe certain home assessments go down, as the mayor’s did, even though more than 98% of assessments increased. Perhaps they grant Not-for-Profit status. Maybe you get a TIF or tax favors. Maybe you get free money a-la Mr. Beacon Cinema, who left town forgiven of more than $2 million he owed the Kapanskis.
- THEY make out.
- You get screwed.
The local press played the tax rate ping-pong as Mayor v. Council. Tyer alloted $500,000 from “free” cash — the amount by which the city overtaxed you — to ease rates. Council wanted more. In the end, they said the mayor “blinked.” She didn’t blink. She winked. They had $10 million in excess tax money. They could have applied all of it to lower taxes. Then bow-tied, tongue-tied Kufflinks Kerwood mumbled in tongues about the need for a “rainy day fund.”
“Slush fund” is a more apt description.
Other strange words dotted the hearing: “stabilization” (the pretense of a steady ship) and “shift factor” (deciding who gets screwed the worst, the Kapanskis or small business owners). Homeowners will now pay $19.71 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Business will pay $40.36. It doesn’t take Drs. Milton Friedman or Charles Trzcinka to tell you these rates are ruinous.
According to the city, the “average” home is worth $194,288, the average at $189,500. THE PLANET will leave it to you to ponder the significance of this $5,788 disparity. We would use it as an exhibit when arguing how UNFRIENDLY Pittsfield is toward business.
Cheer up, Mary Jane and Joe. Laugh and be merry, Mr. and Mrs. Business. It’s the weekend.
Have a great one, everybody.
————————————————————————————————-
“Collecting more taxes than absolutely necessary is legalized robbery” — President Calvin Coolidge.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Pittsfield politics’ public financial management makes no rational sense to me. The lovely Linda Tyer has around ten million dollars in reserves, plus she will be receiving millions of additional dollars in state aid for public education in 2020. There was no demonstrable need for a tax hike on Pittsfield’s diminishing and hard hit taxpayers. Pittsfield politics will not be able to ask for a Prop 2.5 override because the municipality is near its levy limit and levy ceiling. There is no more wiggle room for future tax hikes in Pittsfield, but they always find a way around it and raise municipal taxes anyway. The vested and special interest groups always win in Pittsfield politics, while Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski always loses!
Wow Mr Melle, you actually make perfect sense.
John,
You got a thumbs up on that one!
Except I wouldn’t call Linda , lovely, fugly, might be better given what she has done to the city
If your house was 190k and the new assessment is 220 it can be taxed at 2.5 % oh the new rate or 25 per thousand on the extra 30 k.So multiply 25×30 and your taxes could go up 750 bucks. Pittsfield is at 20 bucks per tousand on residential so 600 bucks. PITTSFIELD will get a windfall of new money
Thanks, JONATHAN! Points well taken.
And when are the new assessments being published which are expected to increase home values 3 to 4 percent? Any day now, and they will be on the new tax bill which will be The Kapanskis Christmas present in the form of a double penetration – once for the usual, annual screwing and once for the re-evaluation increase the city tried to storing arm its way into your home for, which will increase your taxes further.
When is the list of city hall friendly millionaire business owners continuing tax breaks going to be published? The rest of us are subsidizing the mayors rich friends and apparently we can’t afford to properly plow our streets now. Maybe some of them will contact her and offer to pay taxes out of sheer guilt? But maybe not.
If I recall, the ten year Measure and List effort to reassess property values will not have an impact until Dec 2020.
So while your bills this year may show an increase in value “based on the market”, the new city assessments done by the guys driving around, harassing residents will not show up until next winter. Get ready for the royal screwing next year. This year is just a poke.
Yes. Excellent point, PHIL. One year from now, assessments will produce their full impact. One finance guy, an accountant not in city government but familiar with city finances, tells us that this may be the one that breaks the camel’s back.
It has the potential to be catastrophic for a segment of the population, at least troubling for most, and just plain maddening for everyone.
And I would really question any vague claims that the market is up. I do not think the data suggests that, and I consistently see houses or properties that can’t be sold at original asking price, which I assume is based on recent comparables. The market in Pittsfield is falling in overall value.
PHIL
The market is up, true dat, but that general fact dissolves when considering local area and their economies. Pittsfield is heading for the rocks, and asking prices go wanting. And yet … and yet … the city just claimed it rose more than $44 million in value over the last FY. That stunning figure came out at the to set the tax rate. It’s an incredible claim, one that can’t be supported by any data of which I am aware.
Dan,
Yes I suppose I’m thinking of Pittsfield-specific market, currently. It seems the 2019 sale prices have dropped, but it could just be my perception. If it’s in fact true, it will be interesting to see how the newly assessed, higher values play out in a less robust local market…either way, we’re screwed.
Zillow considers the Pittsfield market very hot.Price is the biggest factor.150 to 250k is good.Over 250 forget it.That price range is trading houses for what they bought them for 10 plus years ago.The upside is you can get fantastic home cheap in Pittsfield and lower end type house will cost 300 k in south berkshire.The number 1 problem in Pittsfield is leadership.What good is it to pay a Superintendent considered pretty bright in the area of education if he doesnt understand the the limitations of poverty in the town he serves.A leader must connect the two situations.Anybody can spend money.Both Tyer and Mccandless are nice people but have no compassion or maybe they dont even consider the inability of so many who cant afford them.The problem with educators is that on the surface they seem pretty bright and like our CC its when you dig below the surface there is a intellectual immaturity that keeps Pittsfield a ongoing financial mess.
What will the Berkshires do without Pittsfield is the real question.If BHSystem goes under where do people in Lee Dalton Lenox Stockbridge Richmond.Work?If General Dynamics moves tomorrow where does anyone make 100k.Country Curtains closed and 200 people lost their jobs.There are 8 foreclosures in the little town of Great Barrington. Lenox entire downtown is about to change forever and without a TIF.Lenox is the SPA capital of the North East with over 100 million in investments in a couple of years time.Most of Lenox old resident families are being gentrified.
TSC
Most interesting questions, the kind that truly “advance the discussion.” No clear answers yet, but the gentrification model for north and south counties seems most likely. The fate of Pittsfield? Probably some version of receivership, state takeover, cancelation of union contracts, and a true new beginning. The bums would have to be thrown out, however, replaced by true public servants. Problem is, where would you find such people? Perhaps when current set-ups are wild from the face of the earth, it will encourage a better caliber of person. Eliminate compensation (or greatly reduced) is one way to see who is in it for the money and who is in it for the service.
When it comes to pretty much anything in PIttsfield government these days, it’s best to borrow Chevy Chase’s line from “Christmas Vacation.”
“Bend over, I’ll show you!”
“Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
Don’t ask me what I want it for (Aahh Mr. Wilson)
If you don’t want to pay some more (Aahh Mr. Heath)“
“There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play THE GAME!”
“Boy, you’re going to carry that weight,
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you’re going to carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time”
I have a few friends who started their own businesses or are continuing on their parents/grandparents business. I can hear the frustration when they talk about “red carpets” or the GE fund. They work tirelessly day in and day out, get hit hard on commercial tax, then go home to their middle class home where they get hit hard on the residential end of it. They don’t complain about it because they know it takes money to run a city. The frustration stems from that money they work so hard for being distributed to businesses that fail, or worse, compete with the existing business they spent their life building.
Sucks when your obsolete business is in an area of declining population and economic activity. Should probably think about innovating or moving to a stronger market.
How do you know the specific business to which Hendrix refers? Or is it simply that you saw the name of the poster and had to diss, regardless of the content of the message.
The businesses I speak of are far from obsolete and actually do very well with the exception of one because he recently became disabled and is unable to work. There is actually a strong demand for many different businesses in the Berkshires. The point I was making was it isn’t fair when the city or government in general decides which ones to prop up or support.
“Declining economic activity?” From what stuff did you cook that line up?
Let’s get started. What do you call ‘areas’?
The Berkshires?
The NYT’s and other marketers can imagine a place called ‘The Berkshires’, but anyone living here would be at odds to define their town as typical.
Break it down. Berkshires is too general and so is ‘economic activity.’ What sort of activity is declining? Jobs are resurgent in academia, healtcare, and sales. Where is the economic activity declining, and in which locations?.
Resurgent compared to what? Academia in the Berkshires? Healthcare? Sales?
Resurgent compared to 2016 when unemployment was high and job opportunities were few. There are more jobs, house values have risen. Which economic activities fallen, and where have they fallen? Academia, healthcare, sales/marketing/merchandise are simply my suggested categories. Feel free to add if you have an argument.
Shakes comments above annoy me, along with his other comments about lazy Berkshire people who can’t get to work in the snow. Let’s hire illegal immigrants then! That is what loads of businesses do in Great Barrington as they can’t make the enormous margin required for their progressive lifestyle by paying living wages to employees so that said employee can buy a decent car. So many of the big Democrat types around here completely rip off their employees. And if we are talking about obsolete businesses – maybe Canyon Ranch should be cancelled? 10k to get your colon washed and to by a dingbat to eat fiber. The workers there are like indentured servants too. The Berkshires has the worst income divide and the big progressives are so fake – they do not give a shit about poor working people at all. I wish Michael Moore would make a movie about working in South Country. He could show the desperate employees getting screwed by their employees and treated like dirt and then show the employer and such decked out in finery at their progressive fundraisers.
I don’t remember lazy bershirians not getting to work in the snow. Sure go ahead and close the businesses that employ undocumented workers. Makes no difference to me.
HENDRIX
This is a classic but sad tale in the city: If you’re an entrepreneur making it on your own sweat equity, you get hosed with a positively ruinous tax rate of more than $40/thousand. Then you go home to find your property taxes rising. Your water ands were bill is about to double or triple. The full affect of re-assessments will nail you in one year. What do you do? On the other hand, if you are part of the new wave of “immigration,” the of-choice poor, a welfare cheat, a drug addict, a preggers single mom, or a member of any of a number of other protected, non-productive categories of free-loaders, Big Government can’t do enough for you.
I will make the point that poverty designation can be 2 very hard working people.How hard people work has little to do with how much a person is paid.You would describe hardworking people on food stamps as freeloarders.I respect those freloaders so much.Its the overpaid royalty of College Professors sheduled 28 weeks per year of work that are freeloading. State pd healthcare state pd retirements of 80% of 300k…now thats good socislism
Good article Dan. Not only did the Mayor say “Up Yours” with taxes she also seems to have done it with snow removal. She keeps getting more monies from the hard working middle class but we seem to be receiving less for our buck. City is a pitiful shameful mess. Crime is up, drug trafficking and prostitution is flourishing, traffic signage is either missing or faded, pot holes have still not been repaired from last winter, lines still not painted (Mayor Barry said last Spring they were trying to find paint) funny surrounding towns have found some, but then again surrounding towns also plow ALL their roads. The speeders and red light blasters are still out everyday. So Wynn cracked down on this for one night this year, guess I shouldn’t complain. What exactly are we paying taxes for?
Thank, M&B. The snow-plow woes mount. Lots of grumbling and dissatisfaction with and in the DPW. It’s both a management and a talent issue. We’re learning more and hope to have a report. We heard one of the DPW “associates” was harassed by management, accused of being one of THE PLANET’s sources there. Fact is, the fingered person is not, repeat NOT, part of our Informants Team. THE PLANET posts this for all interested parties and to protect the innocent.
Looking forward to the real story on why the roads are not getting plowed.
Did Pittsfield not know winter was coming? It has to go back to the mayor because she could get those plows out. IF she wanted them out. And they are not out. So draw your own conclusions. What is the procedure for drawing up rules of impeachment again?
The mayor can’t be impeached. 4 more years of impunity.
There is a provision for recall however.
Can you please enlighten us?
Charter 9-4
I can’t believe how many roads in Pittsfield right now are covered in snow and have become sheets of ice. The ones fortunate enough to have been plowed are now backing out of their driveways and turning on to streets with their fingers crossed because the banks are so high you cannot possibly oncoming traffic. For all of our safety lets hope for another mild winter.
The pursuit of happiness
“How’s that hopey changey thing working out for ya?”
– Sarah Paylin
“You can ignore the government, but the government won’t ignore you”
– Charles Trzcinka
“Just a song before I go
To whom it may concern
Travelling twice the speed of sound
It’s easy to get burned
A lesson to be learned
When the shows were over
We had to get back home”
– Crosby, Stills & Nash
Unemployment at 50 year LOW. Two hundred plus Thousand jobs created in November. Trump will have a plan for Student Debt for sure,big topic. Thank you President Trump.
Yes the numbers on my nemployment just came out. The panel of haters on C N N were very upset in there faces. The moderator did say it’s a tough one for the DemocRats to absorb.
If the far left Progressives win the presidency in 2020 (that means any of the candidates including Joe) big government will be extremely centralized in Washington. City and state government will have little control over anything and big Washington government will be controlling every aspect of our lives. Liz Warren says the transformation of American “Will not be Easy”. Translation: it will be a nightmare since we have already seen a small part of their plan with the Green New Deal. Vehicles eliminated. Everyone on public transport. Buildings ripped down. Government in total control of your healthcare. It will be truly horrific. They literally want to change every aspect of life in this country with everyone dependent on big government for our every need. This gives them lots of money and control. President Trump absolutely must win in 2020 to avoid this complete destruction of our beloved country.
Don Trump wanted the Ukraine to publicly announce they were investigating Bo Biden….so stupid.Yup then the whistleblower info got released then Trump released the 400 million knowing the investigation was going to happen. Th he perfect call….no quid pro pro I want nothing….he was caught red handed.
“Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Friday said that he has spoken with a “handful” of Republican colleagues who would consider voting to remove President Trump after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the House will move to impeach him.”
Does “Murphy” mean “liar” in Gaelic?
Yeah, just like a friend told Harry Reid that Romney didn’t pay his taxes.
But, lying is synonymous with the Left.
Apropos of some of the discussions and my own comment in here in the last couple of days about (no) diversity opinion allowed on the Left:
https://nosafespaces.com/
A must see for many in here, and most in general.
There is an interesting post on a comment thread belonging to Councilor Pete White on Facebook in regards to the PPS school budget.
It looks like for the past 4 or 5 years, the actual expenses for the PPS budget has been consistent around $69-70 million dollars. But each year the allocated amount in the municipal budget has risen.
Overall, the revenue exceeds expenses by close to $40 million dollars total for the past four years.
Where did all the extra money budgeted/received go since 2015?
Inflation like his head,.
Is it true that school bus drivers are freaking out about the bad road conditions? Could the superintendent use some of his clout with the mayor to deal with this serious safety issue regarding children?
Scanner just reported school bus stuck in snow off First st. Be careful kids. You are on your own.
Ah, um, getting dirt on a political opponent, quid pro quo. No, ahh, bribery. Er, maybe extortion. Yeah, that’s it. No, wait, um, let’s see, witness intimidation. No, hold on, back to Ukraine.
But, “Ukraine is really about Russia,” says Nancy, who either needs a drink, or has had too many today, or needs meds, or too many meds.
Yeah, that’s the ticket, Boris and Natasha inferred with our election and somehow convinced idiots in PA, MI, Wis., Ohio, etc to stay home or vote for Trump.
Yeah, whatever–that is, whatever your daily focus groups tell you what the hell you should be doing and saying.
Bill Clinton held a focus group every day for 8 years–what leadership.
And hey, you “journalists,” no more questions on impeachment.
Just shut up and do what we say (not what we do). Because we’re better and smarter than you are.
Apropos of shut up, go to https://nosafespaces.com/ for a must-see movie.
Red Handed…..wait….Why do republicans parrot every lying fox reporter?
I forgot obstruction of justice. No, obstruction of Congress. No, obstruction of my bowels. No, wait, that’s something else. But I do have my pipes in quite a twist.
Well, whatever I say you need to listen to, even if I change it every day.
At any rate, impeachable offenses are in the penumbras of the emanations of the minds of Nancy and Adam.
J Mel are you near Exeter. Check out Exeter brewing Co.,fairly new.
Someone is missing at the Tree Lighting tonight. Guess who?.you can’t make it up,no it’s not Mike Mcpuke.
You know your not safe when three weeks into the school year buses breaks start screeching. Who does ths breaks anyway?
City updates:
Contract plow drivers are again taking sand and salt and doing private jobs on city time. They are timed for plowing so they are rushing jobs and doing “end of street corner pushes” so they can rush to private jobs.
There’s one operator in particular riding around in a black pickup getting paid cash to do side jobs while on the clock. You’ll see him driving super fast around town.
The salt is flowing to private contractors freely. There’s no real monitoring of the salt and they’ve uncapped and unlocked the fuel pumps
BIC
The BIC has several large problems with the rushed construction. There are problems with the wiring on the second floor, the tiling and floor install was done so poorly it will have to be redone. There’s actually ripples in the concrete.
EMA
EMA is looking for funding to build out their office space, present bids have come in way higher than they expected, they will come back to the city again for money. They hope to pin some of it on poor construction.
DA’s Office
Besides not trying a crime at all and being an ineffective DA (she can’t even manage cases or the office) her concept of budgets has even flummoxed her most ardent in office supporters.
They are running out of money very quickly they also seem to have a LOT of paperwork problems cases and victims are suffering.
One of the mayors confidants continues to privately talk about being the next mayor. At a recent dinner party he was saying he hopes to run before he “gets too old”. Competence doesn’t seem to be a concern.
There’s another scandal brewing in the PPD. It centers around an inappropriate relationship and a supervisor and scheduling detail work. Will it become a full blown public issue or buried under the rug.
The school is already manipulating the budget for 2021. They have learned to use SPED costs to hide inflated costs and to act as a slush fund. They are budgeting for SPED students they know are no longer in district.
When they don’t use the money for SPED they shift it to other uses. They have also learned to front load staffing through SPED as that budget can fluctuate dramatically year to year and they can attribute staffing directly to it.
SPED is the slush fund of Pittsfield Education.
Parks and Rec
Clapp park is horribly behind schedule and a number if part of it will have to be redone because of the failure to finish critical portions before the snow and freezing ground. Since the contract was poorly written and bid, many of the repairs will end up as change orders. Another lack of management issue for Pittsfield.
Beacon
The beacon is posting record low numbers as the restaurants and retail fades less and less people are showing up. Also they are now having to deal with deferred maintenance on the building and those seated are falling apart. Whole rows of seats are out of order and the building is leaking horribly.
They have not kept up with their wide screen and ultra def subscriptions so now all the movies run smaller and in lower definition.
Thank you, PR. Please keep the info flowing and the pipeline going. BTW, you are the current front-runner for THE PLANET’s coveted Orbit Award.
Join the discussion…
My vote also goes to PoliceReport
PR, are you suggesting private contractors take salt or sand to treat city roads, and use some of it for private jobs? Are there no controls? Who’s watching the store?
Who is watching the store indeed! Is Mr. Turocys retirement official yet? And if so is the position vacant and might explain the ginormus snow plowing kerfuffle? Does the school dept have their own plow people? If the police dept weighed in on road conditions would someone be fired? Did all city employees sign a do not disclose kerfuffle agreements?
The school department has their own plows. The green cabs. They also do a better job. Maybe the school plow operators could train the city operators. Couple of years ago I saw a school plow stop and tell a city contractor not to block the sidewalk.
Take the plate number of any plow driver like the black truck and send it into authorities. The guys a cowboy. This mayor cannot find a respectable department head if she went searching with Sherlock Holmes.
There are private contractors that load up at the shed. They are then assigned a location, they go to that location with city provided mix, they will “light sand” the streets and then plow private properties and use the mix on private driveways.
If you’ve noticed a number of side streets have large corner piles, many of those are streets being serviced by contract plowers. It’s a way to get things done quickly to move to the next “job”.
To effectively manage a plowing operation when there’s heavy snowfall, it requires a DPW head to be out driving the streets. It also requires a DPW head that has half a brain. Sadly Pittsfield has neither.
Wasn’t Mr. Turocy fired from a municipality from “the other side of the state” before he landed this lucrative public servant job in Palookaville?
PR
On Monday, we will expose some of the “funny business” taking place from within and without the Department of Public Services. One of the problems has indeed been piling up snow at intersections, traced to hired guns who are doing a half-assed job for the city (and taxpayers) to get to their private customers. DPS is acing like a department gone rogue.
Acting like a department gone rogue. Is ROGUE. The results of Laissez-Faire leadership. The Gerry Doyle mayoral mentor program
Gerry would never let a plow pile snow at the corners all over the city.Only a moron would do it.I believe they conspired to do it.
Somebody will die because the corners are piled high.Number 1 rule is dont block the sight of the driver.The worst mayor ever.
SAL
That’s exactly what’s happening, according to our sources there.
Does anybody know exactly what is being done at clapp park and why it’s taking forever and a day? It seems like the big dig has been happening there since summer. Back in the day it was a nice park. Now it has a crooked track and it looks like hell near the playground. Let’s hope little Johnny doesn’t slide down the hill into the new, ugly, and misplaced concrete structure and suffer a head injury. Oh, and the entrance has more potholes than Hookers at Cumbys.
Clapp park went out to bid twice both times it came back too high. They revised the plans and still came in $150k over budget. So they funded it anyway and cut back the project.
The problem is now it’s going to come in $200k or more over budget because it was so poorly planned that they executed change orders, at taxpayers expense, to fix deficiencies.
A good example would be that curved pathway. That’s the handicapped access path. To meet the rise and run they had to extend the ramp very far and it’s actually too high above grade to not have railing.
That means more money and more change orders.
They original idea was to build a two tied ramp with concrete landing pad, that was much more compact. They planned poorly and came up with this. It will actually cost more.
That block building is a bathroom. It was supposed to be done in August. I predict it will become DA Andrea Harrington’s first city shooting gallery for drug users.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59798/Pittsfield-Council-Backs-Clapp-Park-Plan.html
This is actually an excellent and fairly detailed article on the issues. People at city hall say that it’s going to be well over $200k over budget. Having seen the plans and the way they piecemeal’d the project I am sure that’s a conservative number.
One thing that really delayed the project, the city screwed up procurement of materials which substantially delayed the project.
PR
How many more times can these incompetents be allowed to screw up Clapp Park. I go back to when Charlie Garivaltis was on the Parks Commission, protesting the first “makeover” — after we doled out $65,000 to a “consultant” Who Knew Somebody.
Or how about the Pickleball “studies” trying to place a series of Pickleball courts in a park in violation of the long standing master plan.
Remember in Pittsfield we had a parks commissioner Clifford Nilan and a parks and open space manager James McGrath and consulting firm(s) Berkshire Design Group all working at the cost of $65k in design and study of pickleball in a park that had a standing master plan.
They split resources across projects and can never get one done correctly. We waste so much money on studies that go nowhere. It is understood these consulting fees and study fees that lead nowhere are just forms of political payola. That the hiring of Nilan, a probation official mired in self-dealing and nepotism with his daughters “accident” as a parks anything is just payola in the form of appointment.
Neither Nilan or McGrath know anything about parks or planning.
Here’s a quote from McGrath in September.
“The Clapp Park project is well under way,” he said. “Everything is moving right along.”
McGrath gave some more project updates and said the Clapp Park project is moving along and should be completed in five to six weeks.
This was in September, so that would make completion in late October/November. Well it’s now December and the project is stalled and has at least two months worth of work left. It was supposed to be done in August of 2019. It will be lucky to be don in May of 2020.
Much like the DPW, Parks and Rec is filled with incompetent people who lack the basic skills for the job. The city has spent over $230k in design fees and studies for projects that have gone no where.
Pickle ball, Pontoosuc Lake Park Beach, Tucker Park, Clapp Park every project McGrath touches ends in cost overruns and a failure of some sort.
He planned to put a new dock in a highly restricted wetland. He planned to put pickleball courts in a park with an existing master plan, he tried putting courts in another park that was in the middle of a gang infested neighborhood.
This is what happens when the Mayor hires and or keeps politically appointed incompetents who think CPA funds are a personal piggy bank.
The mayor herself is incompetent In a time in our city’ history when leadership, knowledge and comprehensive understanding of municipal government is of critical importance and is the key to our city’s growth and success we have an uneducated symbol of political incompetence occupying the corner office. She was the chief election official in the city when she was elected mayor in 2015. Coincidence I don’t think so.
How is Cliffy’s Daugther doing?
Meri-DEATH?
Run anyone over lately?
All this shady stuff and the mayor wonders why the taxpayers feel the need for an election investigation and forensic audit of all city finances going back ten years. The city needs its own “Anonymous” person to write a book detailing how the city and taxpayers have been and are, being taken to the cleaners by the very people supposed to watching over them.
I remember when Nilan voted against a Vietnam Memorial for Park Square.
Great information. The city seems to be dying from the equivalent of a flesh eating bacteria. This is what happens when you put friends in charge instead of qualified people. A house of cards can go just so high before it collapses.
Thank you for the great info, Police Report! I hope you win the Orbit!
I support your support for Mr Police Report.
Does the mayor ever get off her ass and drive around the city and actually see how well or poorly the plowing is being done? Or is intimidated by the DPW buffoons?
No
Reliable sources tell me [REDACTED].
BCM
THE PLANET has redacted your libelous posting to save you some big trouble. Also, be careful about threats. They have a tendency to backfire. You have been warned. Incidentally, there is no truth to what your “sources” have allegedly claimed. Says much about your “sources.”
“Oh Danny Boy” Methinks you need to leave the postings of the BM so that freedom of speech can be heard. I missed the post by 3 minutes ago. Curious.
He’s deleted three followups but keeps his public rebuke. What a guy!!
Dan should have let BCM flounder in his mire. Get sued for libel.
I’m glad POS like BCM can speak, but libel is libel.
Ask Adam Schiff, Pelousey, et. al…….
That’s the third reply you deleted – to-day. If you’re not going to allow any of my commentaries or follow-ups then delete the original post. There is no need to publicly humiliate me in the name of Mazzeo la familia.
And you should be careful about lobbing empty threats at me; they have “a tendency to backfire”. I ain’t no bandleader!!
Be the man I think you to be; stand up and let freedom of expression prevail. Only cowards curl up in ball and roll into a corner!
Whhaa……. cry like a baby.
Brian, panties in a big bunch?
ROFL !!!!
BCM
As you know, I have always welcomed your posts, whether we agree or disagree. The redacted comment went over the line with an unsupported accusation that is patently false. You are still welcome here, but keep in mind that free speech on this board is a privilege and not a right. There are no constitutional guarantees here. Fortunately for 99.99% of the participants, we adhere to “constitutional” principles. We monitor speech ALWAYS on the default position of allowance. Then there is the tiny % that requires more than moderation. No one, including you, can argue that freedom of expression does not prevail on this site.
And you know by now I never post anything I can’t support (with tangible evidence). While I appreciate the many opportunities afforded me to post written comments on your site – I would request, if a particular post or comment and same runs afoul of your blog’s policy, you delete it in its entirety – not leave lingering a [REDACTED] version; which tends to invite idiotic responses from avatars like a Mad Trapper, for example.
I can post with a high degree of certainty, that two people have suffered adverse employment actions by their employers due to their support for Mazzeo’s challenger. If you question my claims, so be it, but I’m ready, willing, and able to defend any written comments or posts I publish on your site, at any time.
You have a keen intellect; I hate seeing it overwrought and contaminated with bloated anti-Tyerisms. That’s counter-productive to encouraging good citizenship. You’re a college professor who at times has waged war against liberal biases on our college and university campuses, yet you foster like biases on your blog. Should my oldest, who’s off to college next year, enroll in your course at BCC, and risk that of a subliminal-liberal-indoctrination outcome, or should he not (rhetorical).
You foster hatred by continuing this senseless quest to tarnish Linda Tyer, Dan. The election’s over; Linda Tyer won the general election and after a petitioned recount – she emerged victorious – again. She’s in office the next 4-years, whether you and your avatars like it or not. Y’all can either get with it or spend the next 4-years crying about something you can’t accept. If I can accept Andrea Harrington as DA, y’all can come around and embrace Linda Tyer as Pittsfield’s mayor.
“Can’t we all just get along?”.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, Dan Valenti.
BCM
(1) I have no way of knowing how much of your assertions you can support, though I trust you can with most of them. I can only speak for my sources. (2) Yes, I’ll delete posts in their entirety if they violate our rules. That’s an easy one. (3) By all means, send your lad my way if he’s in need of an expert, guiding hand with his writing. (4) But you have my relationship with the mayor all wrong. We have good one. During the campaign, she and I communicated regularly. She asked for my views, and I shared them at length with her, including strategy, some of which she employed. I did the same with Melissa. I do accept that she won. At the same time, when I get exclusive information from the other side that it doesn’t accept the outcome as fair, I will report it and go with it as the big story that it is. I will continue to do so should Mel take this to the courts. I fully embrace Linda as mayor. My criticism of her are ALWAYS policy related. My suggestion to you is that you need to disengage emotionally from the mayoral campaign. (5) And yes, we CAN all get along … in theory, at least. (6) Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and yours, BRIAN.
My posts are deleted in full.
No, you’re wrong, TDB. This will be Exhibit A.
Duly noted, Dan!!
I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death – Thomas Paine.
BCM
Yup. Your posts usually advance the discussion. And keep the Paine coming!
Define “advance the discussion” pls- like, the particulars needed to meet this criteria… Such a storied and reputable institution as the Planet should have a very public, plain, and true list of rules for the “discussion”. I know that confronting you directly it obviously outside the bounds of that, however, but curious to know more on how I and others can “advance the discussion”.
TIM
Haven’t you figured it out by now?! You’re a smart lad. We can only say, as Justice Potter said of porn, “We know it when we se it.”
I nominate Police Report and Auto Phil for the Orbit Award. Both had great comments. Obviously comes from “the inside.”
I’m voting for Pat this time,or rooting for her. I don’t want the Orbit,I have enough awards.
okay snince we are allowed more than one nominee how about 1. police report 2. Pat 3. Dan Valenti without him we have no Planet!
I’m going with the police retort.
The Planet can’t get his own award……or can he?
MOTHRA
No. We eliminate ourselves from contention.
Was surprised at the no shows of dignitaries at the Christmas Tree lighting. Mayor must have been under the weather.
Elections over
Maybe Lovely Linda was afraid to drive to the Tree Lighting since the Pittsfield roads are so bad. Or, maybe since she is elected for 4 more years she could care less about attending.
At least tell us Mayor why you can’t attend? Haven’t seen or heard anything. Friday night?
Also wonder why she did not make sure the area was shoveled for the Tree Lighting. It is shameful that local veterans had to shovel the area. She is really sticking it up our butts!!!
They didn’t want anything to do with the word Christmas. It’s too un PC.
Great info on the Clapp Park situation. I also give a nod to Police Report for the Orbit!
I still alternate a cringe and a giggle reaction when I remember Mayor Tyer at one of the debates.
“How do we make Pittsfield a better place to live?” (Or something to that effect).
[With a smile and a fist in the air]
“Pickle ball! Blah blah blah”
Yes, voting yes for Pickleball was her answer to combatting Pittsfield’s woes. Good thing the City Council voted no. It probably would have cost twice as much and taken twice as long, to be used by probably No One.
Pickleball nonsense was bad enough but Clapp Park consultant for $65,000.takes the cake.- almost. Clapp Park bum job makeover for about $400,000.wins top prize. Now we are doing Clapp Park again for even more money. First time around it was Larry’s money from a generous donation to the city. This time it is only taxpayer money. Great job fellas!
CHUCK
Oh, how we all wish you were back as a commissioner. You were there, ringside, fighting gamely against the utter stupidity evidenced at the “makeover” of Clapp Park. First it was the Bossidy Bucks, then the $65K for the “consultant,” then the bad reconfiguration of the ballfield and track, now the — what is it they’re doing exactly? They tore up the basketball court and all the land in front. They’re putting up a rest room (?) that’s taking longer and costing more money than The Beat Pyramid in Egypt. As you say, “Great job, fellas!”
The “pickle ball” comment was one she later regretted, I’m sure. Nothing wrong with pickle ball per se, but to select that as the Cause Celebre of your plan to make the city a better place to live, well …
Off topic. Read in the BB that ex-Officer McHugh’s sentencing has been delayed again. Seems to be following in the foot steps of previous cases of Nilan, Capitanio, Dicenzo and Muraca just to name a few. I am sure the “Kapinski” family members would not benefit from the treatment these found guilty members of the “Pittsfield Society” are receiving. Just wasting more taxpayer monies.
MB What about Dale Eason, the rogue cop? Protected by Wynn. He was on paid administrative leave for I believe 3 years and ended up with a handsome pension from our beloved city. I don’t think McHugh was gifted the same monies or benefits. A city with a corrupt chief is a city in serious trouble.
Very true, I am sure there are many others. As Wynn stated in the BB sometime last week that McHiugh’s future with the PPD is not settled yet, so watch for the next handout.
Chief Wynn did not protect or like Dale Eason AT ALL.
He did everything he could to sideline him and to fire him. Chief Wynn wasted over $300k in legal fees, extra payments, and interest going after Dale.
Chief Wynn was told that Dale would win at arbitration because Wynn well exceeded his authority in trying to fire Dale. He didn’t care because he was only spending tax payer money.
Thank Linda for pushing on McHugh.
With 53 million in the bank from the art sale, the Berkshire Museum is holding an “Annual Fund Appeal” to solicit support from the community. Are you kidding me? If 53 mil isn’t enough to support the museum…….why not cut back SPENDING? Personally I will never set foot in there again!
If anyone is thinking of donating to the Museum Anal fund appeal they need to have their collective heads examined. Why not just send a check to Mr. Stanley of Beacon Theater complex fame as well? Or the Berstein Phantom food emporium enterprise? Or the Haddad Poor Me I need more money fund? Or the Hotel on North So Sad Help Me Handout Beggathon?
You forgot The Workshop Live scam.
and the Tyler St. Lab
JA
THE PLANET agrees. Not a penny for the Museum, which decided to ignore its civic duty and plunder its own best treasures.
They will be looking for Kapanski Cash next to replace the sewer line.
In other news, how’s the “transformative effort to prevent domestic violence” with the task force featuring Hinds, Tyer and Harrington going? I’m asking for a friend who got so frustrated with the DA’s office he only got somewhere with his family’s case after leaving a message threatening to go the press. How’s the incident that “remains under investigation” in Sheffield? Here’s your DV du jour: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/pittsfield-man-denied-bail-in-lanesborough-apartment-break-ins-assaults,591996?fbclid=IwAR3vffgj1b9sXx8oEgAMWMzda8Oskwq1zANUdCdpuGMS-uMnUzvonu5y1Pg
Paid well to wring hands and do nothing, that’s how it’s going.
Actually, not hand wringing, just “imagining.” News update: An incredible statement from a DA who jettisoned the most comprehensive and effective crime prevention and education program in the county so she could provide cushy jobs to her political cronies who bring nothing of substance to the tax payer who pay them. The final statement shows our DA has given up the war on drugs.
Berkshire DA’s office’s FB page. Andrea Harrington: “Meg Bossong I have been imagining what would happen if we put the same level of training, funding, & expertise into prevention efforts as we put into drug trafficking investigations. Even DOJ knows the war on drugs has failed miserably.”
Thanks for sharing, JAMES.
D-Rats house of cards is tumbling down.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/update-bill-barr-indicts-8-including-mueller-top-witness-for-funneling-millions-in-foreign-donations-to-adam-schiff-hillary-clinton-and-top-senate-democrats/
“UPDATE: Bill Barr Indicts 8 Including Mueller Top Witness for Funneling Millions in Foreign Donations to Adam Schiff, Hillary Clinton and Top Senate Democrats”
“The Liberal Media Is Covering This Up!…
HUGE DEMOCRAT MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGN DONATIONS SCANDAL BROKEN UP!
On Friday The Gateway Pundit reported on the news that Democrat operative and Robert Mueller chief witness George Nader was indicted for his involvement in illegal campaign contributions from foreign entities to the Hillary campaign in 2016
Nader was one of Mueller’s top witnesses and he is a top Democrat donor and convicted child molester…..”
MAGA
Trump 2020
Make Liberals Cry Again!!!!
Clintons?
Child molesters?
Epstiens doctor and financier, just died sort of strangley?
“Arkancide” strikes again?
The Trumps
Trump loved Epstien and his parties.It on video how chummy they were.Trump threw him under the bus.
Threw him out of Mara Largo….Clinton a frequent guest on diddler express.
BOTH CLINTONS, were frequent flyers on the Epstien “lolita express”!!!! Proven, records show them there.
Think H-Beast brought along HUMA and Little Tony’s Wiener?
“Recall, Nader was previously indicted on June 3rd 2019 on child pornography charges.
According to a 3-count indictment unsealed Friday, Nader was charged earlier in July for possessing child pornography and for traveling with a minor to engage in illegal sexual acts.
Nader is accused of transporting a 14-year-old European boy to the United States for sex in the year 2000.
From the Web”
Yes, I seen that,incredible.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-ceo-and-seven-others-charged-multi-million-dollar-conduit-campaign-contribution
New movie out Trap about a hero named Richard Jewel who save many lives at he 96 Olympics. C N N slandered him and I think he took them to court and sued for a false story. God help President Trump, and pray for Pelosi who is the one in need of it.
FYI, this was reported in multiple national news outlets including the Associated Press LONG before this article you reference. Does anybody EVER read multiple news sites or does everyone just go to whatever BS site that supports their personal opinions. Frankly, I think that all of our entrenched personal positions whether they be right or left have really caused this country to crap the bed. Sadly, nobody knows where have the crap we read online comes from, but I can guarantee 100% for certain that our enemies are playing us and laughing over drinks at the dinner table. Maybe it’s time that we stopped hating our fellow Americans and turned the hate to our real enemies. As for Nader, he’s just another child diddler like a boatload of priests and others.
I really don’t think we fought in the mud and trenches, landed at Normandy, fought uselessly in Korea or Vietnam, or sucked up tons of desert sand in the Middle East so that we can fight among ourselves like pitiful little kids who can’t get their own way. I for one am fed up with both right and left wing jackasses making a buck off our entrenched stupidity. Want to MAGA? Meet your political “enemies” in the middle and get something done for a change.
This comment without a doubt deserves the Orbit award Truthsayer. We are being played against each other. Destroyed from within. It’s Only going to get worse. China is growing bigger and more powerful, laughing at us. And Russia is just stirring the pot. Hold on to your Hats.
Get over TDS.
It’s been 3 years now
lets see an AP post on this before or since 12/5/2019
Show me an AP post?
They have Hillary et. al. The link above
And Bill Clinton, is just another rapist. How many Willie?