2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 TELLS IT LIKE IT IS … MASSIVE COINCIDENCE: POLITICIANS GIVE YOU BACK YOUR MONEY A WEEK BEFORE ELECTIONS … plus … PITTSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN’T COMPETE, TO THE TUNE OF $3.2 MILLION; SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE TERRY KINNAS COMMENTS
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011) — THE PLANET came across an interesting verse from the New Testament this morning, one that is eerily prophetic to The Shape of Things As They Are, present-day division. In 2 Timothy 3: 1-7 we read:
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Who, among them, are we? It brings to mind the book Freddy Nietzsche said no one would have the courage to EVER write, even though it would be a huge seller: A truthful autobiography. Thought for food.
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POLITICIANS GIVING YOU BACK YOUR MONEY, PART 1
The president today declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts. President Obama ordered federal aid to supplement the Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the severe Saturday snow storm.
The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA will coordinate disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on local residents and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures.
Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk and Worcester counties will all see some type of federal aid.
- This is YOUR money in the first place. The Commonwealth took at least $65 million more from you that it should. It then returns a tiny fraction of your money so that the incumbent politicians can vaseline their hindquarters telling us how hard they had to work to bring this dough back home. It’s all nonsense, of course, and part of the game royally rigged against taxpayers and ordinary citizens.
- Odd, not, that the “windfall” of YOUR money is released one week before election day. A mere coincidence, I’m sure, that I intend to bring up with my buddy Deval at out dinner tonight at Blantyre.
- Here’s the kicker. the state makes clear that the money can be used as “estimated receipts when setting the FY12 tax rate.” In other words, it can be used to lower taxes. It can also be stuffed into the “free cash” account, which is basically a city slush fund to be used for legal payola. What are the odds, ladies and gentleman, that not ONE DIME of this money will be used to lower the taxes of Joe and Mary Jane Kapanski in Pittsfield but will be added to the slush fund?
(THE PLANET apologizes for the initial formatting problems, which occurred at this end and not in the missive from Kinnas).
This
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is the 10th grade school district ranking from the Boston Globe.
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I went through the Boston Globe’s rankings and took the Berkshire County schools
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out to compare to Pittsfield. I added the “% of Districts Ahead” and “Pittsfield standing to show
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what the ranking means from a percent standpoint. Basically, the higher the rank number,
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the lower you are. 1 is the highest and 289 the lowest for math and English, 286 for Science.
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The reason I’m sending this out is let the taxpayers and voters know what we
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get for our money, and to try to find out why we in the City of Pittsfield are
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sending about 3.2 million dollars to other schools in Berkshire County. The
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charter school in Adams receives about one million dollars from Pittsfield
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taxpayers. If you look at the 10th grade comparisons, you will notice that Pittsfield
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is ranked higher in science, close in math, but much lower in English (only 31
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students took the 10th grade English test at the charter school). My personal belief
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is Pittsfield did OK in the comparison with the charter school when you take into
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account that the charter school has more days in its school calendar and more
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hours per day. No one has made a competitive distinction between the two until
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now.
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The Boston Globe should be thanked by the taxpayers of the state, in this case,
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for the public service the Globe provided. Also, in the past the Boston Globe has
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used the educational ranking to rate a community’s schools as good, poor, etc.,
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when the Globe does a community profile
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As part of a full disclosure, the city council, school committee, both high
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school principals, both mayoral candidates and some other candidates have
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received most/all of this information. Tomorrow, I will send in the two Pittsfield
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high schools with their comparison to the rest of the state’s high school classes, as
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well as each other.
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2011 MCAS SCORES:HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT RANKINGS
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Boston.com ranked them by adding the percentage of students who scored either
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advanced or “proficient” in English and Math.
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GRADE 10
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FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE BOSTON.COM
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2011
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2011
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2011
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DISTRICT
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RANK
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TOTAL
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% of Districts AHEAD
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Pittsfield standing
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PITTSFIELD
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ENGLISH
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270
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289
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93.43%
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6.57%
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MATH
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235
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289
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81.31%
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18.69%
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SCIENCE
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243
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286
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84.97%
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15.03%
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DISTRICT
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RANK
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TOTAL
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% of Districts AHEAD
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DISTRICT standing
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BART
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ENGLISH
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16
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289
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5.54%
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94.46%
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MATH
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215
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289
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74.39%
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25.61%
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SCIENCE
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253
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286
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88.46%
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11.54%
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McCANN
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ENGLISH
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184
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289
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63.67%
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36.33%
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MATH
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209
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289
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72.32%
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27.68%
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SCIENCE
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142
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286
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49.65%
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50.35%
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LEE
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ENGLISH
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213
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289
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73.70%
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26.30%
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MATH
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193
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289
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66.78%
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33.22%
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SCIENCE
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102
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286
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35.66%
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64.34%
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WAHCONAH
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ENGLISH
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132
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289
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45.67%
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54.33%
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MATH
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132
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289
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45.67%
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54.33%
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SCIENCE
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36
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286
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12.59%
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87.41%
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LENOX
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ENGLISH
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99
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289
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34.26%
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65.74%
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MATH
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92
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289
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31.83%
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68.17%
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SCIENCE
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93
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286
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32.52%
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67.48%
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BERKSHIRE HILLS
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ENGLISH
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114
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289
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39.45%
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60.55%
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MATH
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132
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289
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45.67%
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54.33%
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SCIENCE
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189
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286
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66.08%
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33.92%
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MOUNT GREYLOCK
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ENGLISH
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99
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289
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34.26%
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65.74%
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MATH
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224
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289
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77.51%
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22.49%
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SCIENCE
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200
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286
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69.93%
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30.07%
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SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE
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ENGLISH
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184
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289
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63.67%
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36.33%
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MATH
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81
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289
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28.03%
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71.97%
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SCIENCE
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116
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286
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40.56%
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59.44%
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NORTH ADAMS
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ENGLISH
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263
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289
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91.00%
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9.00%
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MATH
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277
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289
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95.85%
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4.15%
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SCIENCE
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218
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286
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76.22%
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23.78%
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ADAMS/CHESHIRE
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ENGLISH
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157
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289
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54.33%
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45.67%
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MATH
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259
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289
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89.62%
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10.38%
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SCIENCE
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243
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286
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84.97%
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15.03%
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web add :
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COMMENTS, AS AWALYS, ARE WELCOME, AS WELL AS SIGNED GUEST ESSAYS AND EDITORIALS.
—————————————————–
ADIOS, AMIGOS. THE PROFESSOR MUST LESSON PLAN NOW AND BEGIN LECTURING SOON, SO PLEASE,
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
I know this is off topic but I just read in the BB that there were 2 more armed roberies. I guess the cops are busy directing traffic on N. st. This getting out of control and it’s just a matter of time someone gets hurt! What is chief Wynn doing about this problem? What do the candidates for mayor think about this? Crime is out of control and we need a zero tolerance policy! It would also help if the judges throw the book at these “people” destroying our town!
Not only have we had numerous robberies, we have had a triple homicide and numerous shootings. We have had a major scandal in the police force involving both drug use and overtime. The city employees have been reported to be involved in theft. Thousands of dollars stolen from a teacher’s desk and little consequences. I probably missed a lot.
Seems like the DA should get his priorities straight and set a tone that corrects this problem.
Seems like the biggest motivator to the DA is someone selling or smoking joints.
It is fair to say that attitudes are a trickle down from those in power.
We have an ethically challenged mayor, major business personalities involved in soliciting young boys for illegal sex and the major local newspaper whitewashing everything, including the toxic mess we have in the river.
We need a real change.
We need a hero.
Who will stand up and agree to be that hero and fight the good fight?
Who is capable and willing to lead us out of this sewer we are becoming?.
Pittsfield just forgave a $500,000 loan that could have been put to extra police or some kind of crime control like cameras in the hot spots.
Wow! Terry Kinnas gets right to the guts of things. Wish I could cast a vote for him. It seems to me if he were elected to the school School Committee he would elevate the other members to do a more thourough job because he really is on the ball. He is Pittsfields’ Joe Friday. “Just the facts ma’am.”
yeah we need a mr. everything, once these pols get in its the same old thing, go along to get along. They should start with less housing and a curfew at night.
Tito-
Less free housing? Hell yes. Wrecking ball for Dower, Wilson etc.
Curfew? If you want to live in a police state, move elsewhere. Do you honestly believe that criminals give a shit about laws? Your curfew would restrict a free people of their mobility.
Look at the “gun control” here in Mass, those of us who follow the laws have to jump through hoops to exercise our God given right of self preservation.
All this just to match force with force against those who don’t give a shit about the laws.
We have so much control in this society already. This control does nothing to stop those that operate outside the law.
Seems that your heart is in the right place, but curfews are usually targeted at a particular segment of society, perhaps males, or those under a certain age. I believe in the individual, not the collective. The bad will commit their crimes no matter what restrictions you put on them. I don’t want my freedom restricted because of others actions.
Remember this one? “A society that trades liberty for security, deserves neither”? (I know its not a direct quote, ideal is the same).
Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness are things for each person to attain, on an individual basis.
You advocate curfews? When that doesn’t work, what is next? Any regulation of peoples ability to come and go as they see fit, is a quick path to more and more restriction.
Certain drugs, and certain actions should certainly be subject to restrictions under the law. But mobility, self defense, right of assembly of the people and ability to voice any and all opinions must remain unrestricted.
The notion of curfews makes me picture East Germany and the USSR.
That’s not what America is supposed to be.
Curfews on drinking establishments might not be a bad thing. If they have trouble, cannot maintain order, penalty should be they close earlier. Is there really a need for a bar to be open until 1 or 2 AM? Nothing good happens that late at night.
Yeah and they should totally have rubber bumpers on all the corners so people don’t get hurt if they drink too much and fall down .
js,
Well said. Love it!
LV-
Thanks, call it like it is. Freedom is not a gift. It is a belief we fight for.
Scott-
As always, you nail it.
SW-
You my friend, are an A class Troll. [REDACTED]. You offer nothing, same as the leaders of Pittsfield.
I agree welcome to the welfare police state.
I find Mr. Kinnas’ figures, through the Globe, to be very telling and very different from what Howard [REDACTED] has been spouting. It takes someone who really cares about telling the truth to bring this to our attention. I commend Terry Kinnas for being that person. You’ve got my vote Terry.
I think I’ll vote for him too Jimmy. Maybe he won’t be a go along to get along type. It’s time for sunshine and accountability in Pittsfield.
Oh good Terrys got the Janitors vote!
Mr. Wade might I remind you that when a citizen casts a ballot all are equal Mr. Gleason is as powerful and means as much to the community as even a Steve Wade. Mr. Gleason from one citizen to another thanks for voting
Joe
I agree. Its so arrogant and presumptuous to speak trash about anyone casting a vote these days. Well done Jim Gleason. And Joe Pinhea.
I agree. It’s all smoke and mirrors from Howie (“Jake”) and the school committee just eats it up.
Go, Terry!
Chief Wynn has no clue. Remember he said once he couldn’t do anything about rowdies on North St. because the laws ain’t there.Which is pure crap, there are laws for rowdies Chief, look them up. Then the DA’s always are over charging. Specially in domestic crimes. A person blocks a door and tell his girlfriend she is not leaving, both are drunk. They arrest him ( which he should have been) BUT KIDNAPPING, you got to be kidding me. Thats only one small example of over charging. No wonder Judges release people on low bail, juries are finding them NOT GUiLTY.
CONCERNED
It’s especially galling that the acting chief can’t figure a way to handle staffing to make foot patrols on North Street a priority.
plus he hads 3-4 Captains 2-3 Lt”s maybe 12-14 Sargents come on what is going on here. I’m pro Police but I see a big problem in the leadership in this department.
Were there not reports on the huge payrolls of officers involved in the drug taskforce? The payback does not equate with the results.
Drop the “war on drugs” philosophy and concentrate on old fashion crime control. Decriminalize drugs and the profit for the illegal trade goes away and then the incentive. Spend the billions now spent on the “war” on education and treatment. The “war on drugs” has been a huge drain on our society as leaves huge opportunity for abuse by the huge machine law enforcement has become.
The first to protest will be the law enforcement community.
Yeah but when some nut job calls the cops on her boyfriend because she can’t control him anymore and the Eagle plasters a cop on the front page breaching an apartment with an assault weapon don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Dan Have you ever asked him about this? If you have what was his answer?
Concerned Sounds like you have had expirience at this.
I think Bianchi just gave Doyle an attaboy. genius… WTF
…what genius by Dan giving Doyle due diligence for the Clownial theatre. Equate that to slapping ones mother in the face. Mr. Marchetti had to be taken aback by that one.
The list of Pittsfield crimes includes all the unreported drug cases, domestic abuse (probably the #1 reason for cop calls), and lots of fights, beatings, knives and stabbings. I will vote for Terry kinnas on school board at least he’s not afraid to question and he seems to be well prepared.
Terry Kinnas doesn’t have a clue! He’s a rambling fool!
i was listening to local news yesterday and heard the news of the robberies, then came an ad for marchetti with lees voice promoting him, so once i heard lee talking i said good ,finally lees going to talk about crime and how petie is going to don a cape and save our city .nope, nothing about the crime in the pitts from the old cop lee….just how everything is fine and it must go forward with marchetti… are these fools hitting the bottle hard or what…here is a old cop who should be telling us how the gay guy is going to bitch slap the bad guys and make our streets safe,,,,,,instead i hear how hes going to keep going on north street…. wow
Should have known the “GAY” word would come out!
maybe if the bad guys start robbing the stores on north street they will wake up and start addressing the issue…. i have listened to all the discussions or forums with the people running for office and have come to the conclusion we are screwed. the only one who makes sense is ferrin.
Robbing Storea on North Street? There would be no place to park the getaway car.
Dave. You are wrong on not keeping up the fight against drugs. They stop fighting the drug war and we are in big trouble. It will no go away but law enforcement can not stop going after the drug trade. These men/woman are working hard and putting there lives on the line everyday, let’s keep backing them and go after the leadership to run the department better. Steve you can have experience in this in a lot of ways like having family friend there, or victim, or addicts
now that is funny…and sadly true.
steve, i thought the bitch slapping gay guy would lighten up the conversation a bit…… whats everyones opinion about a gay mayor? i just thought when i heard the ex cops voice on the radio, that lee was going to talk about the crime in pittsfield and how marchetti was going to solve it… but instead he says what a dedicated guy he has been to pittsfield and that we should name a park after him(just kidding about the park)… after talking to a couple of good old boys, i came away with marchettis all they got and bianchi went against the stadium…….. these people are about spite and negatism while using a guy for their benifit. if i hear the words g.e.leaving and the stadium one more time out of these fools i will never vote again…its time these fools move forward……like the parade guy says “one pittsfield” while he tries to divide it…..what an ass.
Well now its official Dan quoting from the Bible means he really thinks he is GOD!
it’s ok to quote scripture just don’t change it to fit your warped ideas.
bianchi wins another debate this morn. on the kratka radio show.marchettis on the defense constantly during debate. bianchis power points right on target for the city. vote bianchi and eliminate the rubberstamping that marchetti lead for roberto.end the nonesense and send the gobs back in the hole they came out of.
Wasn’t talking about America..Pittsfield. meant bar curfews, we can agree to disagree..just saying!
I will be casting my vote for Terry Kinnas, Terry has proven himself to be dedicated to both the city and the citizens of it. I urge everyone to vote and I hope you support Terry Kinnas.
The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA will coordinate disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on local residents and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures.
Load your gun and say your prayers.