PART 1, COUNCIL’S SPECIAL SESSION — IT’S STILL BIZ AS USUAL: SPEND, SPEND, SPEND
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
First of Three Parts — In this series, which will run this week, THE PLANET looks at Monday’s (6/30) special meeting of the city council. We examine what happened, the implications, and other aspects of the conditions arising from councilor Charles Kronick’s charter objections from the previous meeting.
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 3, 2023) — THE PLANET can state.
It isn’t Mayor Linda Tyer’s fault.
It isn’t Matt Kerwood’s fault.* (note the asterisk, which is explained later).
Going around the dais horn from left, it isn’t the fault of Tony Maffuccio, Patrick Kavey, Earl Persip, Jim Conant, Peter Marchetti, Peter White, Karen Kalinowski, Kevin Sherman, Charles Kronick, or Dina Lampiasi.
It isn’t the fault of Craig Gaetani, Dan Bianchi, Jimmy Ruberto, Terry Kinnas, Ken Ramsdell, Jim McCaffrey, Peter Arlos, Tom Hickey, Gerry Doyle, Churchill Cotton, Ray Haughey, P. J. Rourke, or William Pitt.
It isn’t the fault of the process.
It isn’t the fault of the procedure.
Whose fault is it?
Gotta mirror?
———- ooo ———-
Citizens and taxpayers who filled council chambers for Friday’s special meeting (June 30) disguised as empty seats, that’s who bears the blame.
Only a tiny handful of citizens attended, including supercitizen Gaetani, who spoke at the open mic portion, as did a candidate seeking a council seat. So did Kronick.
That’s it.
Kronick, whose four charter objections at the council’s regular Tuesday meeting over the Administration’s last-minute accounting necessitated Friday’s emergency session, was the Maytag Repairman. He stood alone.
Three of the items involved large sums of money:
- $620,000 for retroactive snow removal
- $850,000 for last year’s police overtime (total: $1,470,000) to be taken from “free” cash, and
- $75,000 for last year’s unpaid sludge removal. The fourth was the reappointment of the Wahconah Park Commission.
The shocking thing about these amounts relate to time. Presented by the Administration at the last second prior to the close of FY23, the surprise submission forced the council to rush through the extra money — not that there could be any doubt on the part of Kerwood or Tyer that the requests would be rubber stamped.
The fact that 95% of the money will be taken from the amount the city overtaxed citizens in that year applies a straight shot of salt to the infected wound.
It’s almost as if the mayor, the finance director, and the complacent, compliant councilors sat down and asked: “Now that we have just passed a record-setting $205 million FY24 budget, how can we make it worse for our citizens, especially now that they think that at least the shock from our new-year spending is over?”
———- ooo ———-
What more could Kronick do?
He argued from the dais, and, in an unusual step, signed up to speak during the Open Mic session which precedes each council meeting. The only thing left that he could have done was to stand on the dais, waive a paper bag over his head, and scream like a chicken. He might have done this but probably thought better when he realized that even that would fail to arouse a somnambulant public out of its zombie-funk.
————————————-
Not other city including Boston has higher debt than we do! Yet we continue to spend, spend, spend — Charles Kronick
————————————–
Sir Chaz was defeated in the final vote, but he didn’t fall, which causes THE PLANET to become philosophical.
- (1) What if a tree toppled in a forest with no one around to hear it?
- (2) What if they gave a war, and no one came?
- (3) What if YOUR government conducts meetings involving millions of YOUR dollars, and you weren’t there in meaningful numbers?
- (1) No one would hear it, but it would still make a noise.
- (2) The war wouldn’t start, and the weapons wouldn’t be needed.
- (3) The skunks would do whatever the hell they wanted to do.
For a generation now, ordinary citizens have tuned out of their co-governing responsibilities, leaving their elected reps to do what their bosses wilt.
Ordinary citizens and their legislative reps serve as a safeguard to power- and money-hungry executives, and without this tag-team of checks and balances, republicanism (small “r”) in government dies. We end up with one-party rule, in short, a hidden form of totalitarianism hiding behind the great words in the Founding documents. They use these words as mere covering, which, in its own way, is a sacrilege akin to flag burning.
Isn’t that the best way to describe government in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the city of Picklefield? A form of totalitarianism.
———- ooo ———-
The current state of the city bears witness to the steep cost of such citizen absence and indifference. You can name any problem you wish, from drugs to gun violence, from downtown bike lanes to poor snow removal, and they all share a commonality: They stem from Pickefield’s finances and its thoroughly f****d-up budgeting process.
Without your careful attendance at meetings and to issues, and without the presence and pressure a MAJORITY of citizens can bring on representatives, why should anyone expect elected and appointed officials to represent anything but themselves and the special interests that get them elected year after year?
In Picklefield, the electors are not Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski nor We The People. It’s the special interests, primarily the Big Three public employees unions led by the Picklefield Scolho Department + a handful of “Players” consisting of a small consortium of business people, politicos, and the monied interests who handle most everything in secret.
In the absence of citizens, the Special Interests and Suits have put in place a majority of city councilors and school committee members who will do their bidding, The Kapanskis be damned.
Ask yourselves: Is that the kind of government you want?
Coming up on Wednesday: Part 2 of this series.
————————————————————————–
“I believe that all government is evil, and trying to improve it is largely a waste of time” — H. L. Mencken.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Copyright (c) 2023 By Dan Valenti, PLANET VALENTI and EUROPOLIS MANAGEMENT. All rights reserved. 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. Those who leave comments own all the responsibilities that are or can be attached to those comments, be they rhetorical, semantic, or legal. Such commentators remain solely responsible for what they post and shall be and remain solely accountable for their words. 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, but not limited to, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. We serve as a marketplace of ideas, without prejudice and available to all. All users of this site — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else — hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice and their use of/participation in this site. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.
Bob Plant sucked the air out of Tanglewood. Worst concert EVer. Wicked bad.
Joe, I thought it was tremendous.
Agree to disagree. Very short, not very engaging to the audience. Tremendous waste of money and time.
Played until 10 but didn’t start until 0830. He did engage though, and I thought it was well worth the money.
But then, you heard Bob Plant live for almost two hours! That’s a win. And, that’s two hours more than I have.
AK rivals RP in performance skills.
Eagle gave it a good review.
Tanglewood takes full page ads in the Eagle
Did he play any Led Zep?
Yes, Battle of Evermore, Gallows Pole, and When the Levee Breaks
This holiday, was made possible by citizens with guns.
God bless America.
Happy 4th to all.
And the men and women who knew what they were about.
was made possible by militia with guns
Armed citizens were the militia.
Dan you couldn’t make it any clearer than you just did. I have been trying on my TV show for over 5 years to get people to come to the CC meetings and at least try to show the suits that there is opposition to their complete strangle hold they have over this city. I believe we need to have a citizens group of concerned citizens who will lend their voice to oppose the utter and destructive force that the gobsigs who sit on the city council have over this city.This would entail getting good people together who have empathy for the poor bedraggled tax and rate payers of this city. We could build and lead this group to be voices for every single vote that comes out of city hall. Here in becomes the problem. Where are we going to be able to find such persons? You and I have banged our heads against the wall begging people to come to CC meetings and look how this has turned out.me and another candidate for office were the only people representing the people in addition to Charles who also spoke in the public session. What the he’ll kind of people are we dealing with here in the city of pittsfield who will roll over and play dead and let a gang of 6 gobsig elected councilors work to Burry the same people who pays all the city’s bills. It’s insanity. I say to 99.9% of the sheep in this city that have allowed this to happen that you are a disgrace to your ancestors who built this city. You are of no use to yourselves and I am talking to some of the same people who are reading this right now. Dan and I and Charles have led the good fight but what do you think would happen if we tossed the towel in also.i will be looking for change on your parts and if I don’t see it I will just quit the mayoral race and head to the French riveria to spend the few years I have left. Thank you Dan and Charles and the few others who show up at CC meetings who try to help the taxpayer. I tried to save this city 165 million dollars of not needed u p dates like I did in the 80’s and I got ,ero help from the taxpayers. Now they are crying their eyes out but there is little I can do for you know because you didn’t support me when you should of. I like Dan and Charles put the blame on your shoulders. We are the generals who know how to win a wR but we have no troops. You are all a disgrace.whzt else can we say other than we care and WE TRY but you all dont. Now come on and throw stones at us. We are use to it but for how much longer, time will tell. In closing don’t be part of the problem. Be part of the solution. Get your bottoms to CC meetings and be heard. Good night.
If you want change get ~100 angry citizens at each CC meeting carrying tar and feathers.
Or – 100 citizens to do the job of their representatives (who either “know and don’t care or care but don’t know”) and dig into where their tax dollars go. Most is legitimate, a lot is unaccounted. And ARPA is proof of graft.
Graft: ” Political graft occurs when funds intended for public projects are intentionally misdirected in order to maximize the benefits to private interests.” Merriam Webster online
Someone needs to appoint a special master.
The city has very little oversight (2-3 city councilors who get stomped on when doing their actual job)
Do you think these people would be so bold as to blatantly give the finger to the city if they thought anyone was looking over their shoulder?
Any why is it that they get sooo upset when someone asks a question? That is just weird man.
On a side note….Does anyone know what an authoritarian government is? I heard like Russia or Hungary may have one.
Tyrannies are states where the bureaucratic bodies govern.
Think Kafka, Orwell. In practice: General Gates: bureaucrat extraordinaire!
Think the Biden administration.
A stranger from a different ward called me today to commiserate. He refused to give his name. Fear of retribution is the rule. That’s also tyranny. Tyranny exerted from the city’s numerous bureaucracies.
Not a bad idea trap. Who can we get to do this?? Bet you can’t find another person other than yourself to do this
The only way to get change in this town is to get a roll of dimes from your bank
Attendance at a CC meeting is fine but if the citizens elect Tyer iron and her seven lug nuts the city is doomed
Craig, what you are demanding from the taxpayers is reasonable. But it comes from a process. The fundamental difference between our Baystate ancestors and us is that they were a self governed people. They had a plethora of civic institutions that were solely managed by volunteers and locally driven. Militias, churches, Public Safety, social groups were all grassroot.
The days of self governance is long gone and today, we are collectively a well governed people – sheep. Instead of forming our local institutions, local solutions for homelessness for example, Pittsfield takes money from the State. In turn, that money is managed by ServiceNet as a requirement. And the people who get the assistance are picked by Boston – often not local.
To get back to where you want to go, that will take work and persistence. Start demanding that Councilors reinstate civic review commissions of public business.
Charles thanks for the. Info.it is very valuable to the kapanskis. we who must start to do this should realize it is the only way to escape the large cloud put over our head by the five rubber stamps plus valley girl who doesn’t even know what we are talking about. At every step of the way we must challenge this group of six that we are not going to take their s–t any more. Charge!!!!!
What the difference between a politician and a flying pig?
The letter “F”.
Pittsfield politics has been and is totally predictable for the past 30 to 40 years now. Every fiscal year, the Mayor and City Council raise municipal taxes, fees and spending by at least 5 percent or more, they borrow at least ten million dollars or way more per fiscal year, the municipal debt load is over one hundred million dollars plus the hundreds of millions of dollars in unfunded liabilities called OPEB debt, the 25-year-old polluted PEDA debacle has millions of dollars in always increasing unfunded liabilities – the exact definition of INSANITY, the city’s public schools are rated Level 5 with over 650 students per academic year opting out of Pittsfield’s school district to attend neighboring public school district, Pittsfield is always in the top 10 cities in Massachusetts for violent crime year-in and year-out, the state and local politicians use retribution against the citizens to retain their power, the city’s one party political factions all report to the same Democratic Party bosses in Boston, the city spent millions of dollars on many failed businesses over the years, over the past 50 years, Pittsfield and the Berkshire region has lost many thousands of people to population loss, as well as many thousands of living wage jobs to the highly financialized postindustrial “rust belt” economy of the 21st century – the city’s shrinking middle-class tax base, North Street currently has 15 empty storefronts in 2023, North Street is sarcastically called “Social Services Alley”, the distressed inner-city neighborhoods that surround North Street are sarcastically called “The Ring of Poverty”, upscale art galleries and museums in London, England, NYC, and L.A. have long featured large artistic photographs of Pittsfield that were billed as: “Pittsfield: A City in Decay”, there once was a sinking ship in the Coltsville Shopping Center parking lot that symbolized Pittsfield’s downward spiral, the outgoing Mayor, Linda Tyer, lives in a mansion in an elitist Gated Community within a few feet from the Hancock border with her third husband, the multimillionaire CPA Barry Clairmont, who is suing Melissa Mazzeo for allegedly defaming his character over the 2019 mayoral election that his second wife, Linda Tyer, won, Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr.’s Pittsfield Pot Kingdom called “Berkshire Roots” on Dalton Avenue is the single largest grower of marijuana in Berkshire County that stinks up nearby residential neighborhoods with his firm’s unpleasant pot growing odors, Jimmy Ruberto never owned his own home (he lived in his mother’s Pittsfield home as a man who was in his 50s over 20 years ago), nor rented an apartment, in Pittsfield, but as Mayor, he spent tens of millions of public dollars on his failed downtown “Ruberto Renaissance” that sarcastically rivaled Paris, France, London, England, NYC, and L.A.’s arts and cultural venues – more like its homeless shelters, Tricia Farley-Bouvier’s number one priority in Boston in 2023 – 2024 is to decriminalize prostitution, Paul Mark recently voted against affordable housing, Richard E. Neal rakes in millions of dollars per year from K Street’s corporate lobbyist firms (which has nothing to do with his Western Massachusetts C.D.), the supposed Green New Dealer Ed Markey supports GE’s plan to put a toxic waste leaky landfill inside of a watershed nearby the October Mountain aquifer in the polluted Housatonic River in Lee, Massachusetts, the supposed Main Street public advocate Elizabeth Warren supports Joe Biden, who takes in more money from Wall Street and K Street than any other politician in U.S. history. In summary, Pittsfield politics charges top dollar for rock bottom outcomes, and the people who live in Pittsfield have rock bottom politicians representing them in the government!
Damn, Jon!
Pete Marchetti has no business being mayor of the city after his 20 years of financial abuse of the elderly tax payer trying to keep their home.Pete needs to retire and watch FOX all day.
Actually, the image of P.M. glued to Fox News is quite amusing. Somehow, that sets things right for the week.
Do you really think Matchetti is a FNC fan?
Eye Roll, if you have to choose between the teddy bears and the cynics, always go with teddy bears. I think it’s fun to imagine Marchetti raptly watching Hannity go on and on and on
I summon the image of him glued to Hannity sitting in his overstuffed leather chair, feet on a matching footstool, a crumpled newspaper, bag of chips and a slumbering dog at his feet.
May Fizzlehead, TSC, and Mad Trapper have a laugh and be friends..
More likely that he’d be watching Gilligan’s Island reruns
Nah, Marchetti has more brains than that.
Trump is still leading the blind who just won’t give up on Corp white male domination of the country using racism promoted by Putin and Trump and now you all have the fever….
Any buyers remorse on Biden yet, TSC?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/07/steal-number-1-amazon-new-releases/
The Steal – Volume III: The Cover-Up – reached #1 at Amazon in New Releases in General Elections and Political Process.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/07/left-dealt-another-blow-majority-americans-approve-scotus/
Left Dealt Another Blow as Majority of Americans Approve of SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision: Poll
“On Thursday, Biden said “today’s Court decision is a severe disappointment to so many people, including me,” according to a White House transcript of his comments.
However, the majority of Americans feel differently, according to ABC.”
No…Biden or the fascist do nothing conspirator to have a violent Coup to overthrow our government.Anyone voting Trump is a moron.I also love the full employment and my 401 recovering after the failed Coup by the obese punk….he is the dumbest mother fer ever to run for president.Ivank Trump got 2 billion from Saudi terrorists
You must have a Master’s in English
Every time Biden speaks, 401Ks loose more money.
There was no violent coup. It was staged by the left. For instance, Ray Epps. He did incite violence, but was never charged and the DOJ won’t acknowledge he even exists.
None of the people, let inside the Capitol building, by the capitol police were armed. DOJ made up charges out of line with the citizens actions.
Some are still held in the DC Gulag without due process, over two years now. A retired teacher, a grandmother, was given prison time for simply walking inside the building, after being invited by the Capitol Police.
Biden has accomplished something, Jimmy Carter is no longer the worst President since 1900.
Such outright distortion. I guess you don’t care to know what really happened.
I’ve seen the video footage that has been partially released by McCarthy, and citizen cell phone videos.
I’ll believe my own eyes. Not the edited/censored stuff the DC kangaroo courts has let the corrupted DOJ DAs present.
“On Saturday Donna Fiducia and Don Neuen co-host Cowboy Logic on Real America’s Voice released evidence that the Biden DOJ edited footage from January 6 in order to convict innocent January 6 protesters and Oath Keepers members.
This is a very serious charge and Don and Donna provided all of the evidence on their show.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/07/oath-keeper-kelly-meggs-reacts-news-that-government/
3 years ago today:
Gasoline was $2/gal
Eggs were $1/doz
Mortgage rates were 3%
Inflation was <1%
We had full employment
Illegal immigration by criminal aliens was falling
And we had peace
Way to go TSC.
Democrats are furious that the Supreme Court outlawed racism in college admissions.
We haven’t seen them that worked up since they took away their slaves.
Trump conspired to take possession of every voting machine and declare Marshall Law and you watch FOX and you don’t know the facts of Trumps strongman dream….Anyone voting Trump is a FOX viewer getting fed hatred.Trump voters are still fighting minorities and women.You guys just don’t get it.
Democrats can’t tell us what a woman is. Democrats think women have schlongs
Once again TSC speaks the truth.
The Dominion voting machines were tampered with.
https://www.westernjournal.com/government-admits-dominion-voting-machines-vulnerable-hacking-16-states/
Eye roll
I happen to agree 100 percent that the fact that the taxpayers do not show up and raise hell while being legally robbed is the biggest part of the problem.
In all seriousness. What are the real reasons the people of Pittsfield do not show up at council meetings? I will give a few.
Many of the people who are actually aware of the dysfunction of Pittsfield’s leadership or lack thereof, are older and feebler and not able to make the trip or feel they could not articulate their positions in three minutes while under the condescending gaze of superior attituded councilors.
Many of the people living here are immigrants, legal or not, who do not even understand how their local government works and are not incentivized to do so.
Another large group is just poorly educated renters who do not feel exorbitant taxes effect them.
And the rulers of the city have no interest in educating people to become involved in their government unless it is to abet the side that works for the special interest agenda. They actually have a venue to educate and shepherd them in a certain direction.
Then you have people like city council presidents who snarl and intimidate anyone, councilors or citizens, who speak against the authority. Not too many people like being chastised by a snarly embedded holier than thou magoo character on public television. And do not think for one minute that this intimidation is by accident. It is intended to discourage citizens speaking against special interest agendas. And of course they would deny this.
And I really do not see any of this changing anytime soon which is why I advocate people packing up their belongings and finding a community with more hope and less authoritarian control over its people. Think or read about the colonists who left England many years ago for some of the same reasons.
The political grass isn’t greener, but the financial state of other communities is.
They cannot all have as little oversight as Pittsfield does. Pittsfield has suffered an almost total collapse. It is almost like not having a city government at all. At least not one that represents the best interests of the people that elected them. A massive void if you will. A black hole of honest enthusiasm for doing the job elected. A rabbits hole of dysfunctional characters much like the ones Alice hung around with. An abyss of intellectual deformity.
Help me out here. I seem unable to find the right combination of words.
(and they know it)
Fizzlehead. You found all the words you need.good job
FH: no problem with your wording. The fact that the only groups that speak at City Council are summoned by the Mayor’s teams is proof that groundwork needs to be done for the taxpayers. They simply do not know what to do and feel trapped and hopeless.
I propose that speaking at open mic is a show of strength, Getting informed however is gaining strength.
Fizzy! Do you live in Pittsfield?
Which is a big reason why the far left wants so many immigrants in this country. They are easily controlled and will not engage politically unless told who to vote for and they won’t question what they are being told.
We will not be able to form the consensus required for a group of people with diverse political opinions if everything local is tied to the national parties.
Self governance, Pat! The colonists of 1775 were already free from London. Some Friends of Liberty hated the King. Others loved the King. All understood that the King was irrelevant.
Maybe now, three years post Trump and three into Biden we can bury that hatchet and get to work.
Very good, Charles.
Educated renter here, and I know that the increased cost to the taxpayers water bills could cause my landlord to absorb the increase by raising the rent, which could cause me to move, but move where?
Remain in this shithole city in another shithole apartment? I spent years moving up and out, into increasingly less shithole-y apartments, and finally, at 60 years old, I’m in the one that is home, not a temporary stopover on the way to somewhere else.
Or so I’d like to think.
The reason so many of us do not show up in City council meetings is because city council mostly does not show up for us; there is just no there there to show up FOR.
I think the two woman closed door ARPA thing is what really brought home for me how futile it is to show up and try to advocate for equitable outcomes for the Kapanski’s.
We read the comments on here about the torches and the pitchforks, about the tar and the feathers.
If we really want to scare the council into acting right and if we really want to actively foment change it will not come from showing up at council meetings that’s a bit of cart before the horse, at least right now.
Where we can best come together is for a group of us, whatever our political leanings, to come together and do the hard work of getting our friends and neighborhoods, and entire neighborhoods to the polls.
When I lived in Morningside I used to joke around about putting together a group called Morningside Votes! And going door to door knocking on people’s doors encouraging them to show up and leaving voter registration materials for them.
And then knocking all those same doors again, to remind people.
Can you imagine the difference in outcome in Pittsfield elections if just Morningside increased the amount of votes cast?
Because in this town it is not votes cast that win elections; it is voter apathy.
I was joking around then but I’m not joking now.
So let’s do this. Not tell people who to vote for or what to vote for, let’s just go door to door through the neighborhoods with the least voter turnout and encourage our community to f****** vote.
Outstanding, FOX! It’s not those who vote that win elections but those who DON’T vote. You should get together with Sir Chaz and share your idea.
Do you still live in Pittsfield?
Yes, I still live in Pittsfield
Totally agree.
Being in your 60’s and never able to pull yourself up to home ownership is really telling. Apartments are for people in their teens and 20’s LOL
what a sweeping generalization about a life about which you know nothing ! Never desired ownership, and while it is none of your business my first spouse and I traveled for work, and when we split I wanted to have the freedom of movement that homeownership prevents.A
Also no desire to be out there mowing the lawn and shoveling the walk especially now that I’m getting older, and really really glad that I never invested in ownership in Pittsfield!
You’re just jealous.
haha jealous, project much you rentiod
The people who don’t show up get the govt they deserve.
But if 12,000 people show up and vote and then they elect Krol or Marchetti the city is still screwed three ways to Monday. All the rhetoric about who votes and who does not vote will be immaterial if we wind up with the same back room politics that are eating taxpayers alive.
Just vote for change. Not change of people but change of the people who are puppets of the special interests. And make no mistake, both Krol and Marchetti are pocket puppets and will do the same to you as Tyer is doing now. That is the undeniable reality despite what cover stories you may be seeing. Everyone knows it. Even those who are campaigning for them.
I don’t want this type of government that’s for sure. I want the traditional type of government that takes as its first responsibility the priority of protecting the people. I hear many people saying that government should stay away from everything and let people do what they want. I don’t agree with that. I’m not a Libertarian. With fireworks, for example, which are now big business and out of control in this country, I think backyard fireworks should be banned. That makes me not very popular with some who think that would be government interference, but this is a dangerous situation that can cause loss of hearing, fire, and other trauma since mortar fireworks are being set off in tightly packed neighborhoods. The BB ran an article on this yesterday and my jaw dropped at how much money people are spending and the way they think about blowing their neighbors away with noise who live many streets away from them and blowing off fireworks till the day after the 4th. What about your neighbor right next door to you? It’s a shocking article and shows that government or somebody should step in. I still think that professional firework displays are fine, just NOT backyard fireworks that are now much too powerful for residential neighborhoods.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/residents-travel-across-state-lines-to-area-51-fireworks-in-chesterfield-nh-in-anticipation-of-the-fourth-of-july/article_f4c262e6-190a-11ee-95de-4b4572d48223.html
The reason why state and local government has failed Pittsfield, Massachusetts, over the past 40 years now is because of “The Iron Rule of Oligarchy”, which means that the Oligarchs want all of the money and power, while the rest of us have to pound sand. The corrupt career politicians serve the Oligarchy instead of the people and taxpayers. Beacon Hill lawmakers, the Governor (Maura Healey), and the state court system of injustices all operate in complete secrecy under the state law. Beacon Hill lawmakers give away many billions of dollars in state tax breaks and give aways per fiscal year to their wealthy campaign donors. The flaw in the corrupt career politicians serving the Oligarchy is that most regions of Massachusetts do not benefit from the reverse Robin Hood policies and politics and the 40-year trickledown economics SCAM.
Pittsfield is a prime example of a distressed “Gateway” city that, I believe, is systemically mocked by the elitist snobs in Boston. To illustrate, the multibillion-dollar state lottery SCAM is really a (voluntary) regressive taxation scheme by Boston that targets the underclass, working class and even middle-class residents of Pittsfield (and distressed and very unequal places similar to it). The bigger the lottery’s revenues, the more tax breaks will be given out from the wealthy special interests to the fictional Massachusetts State Representative Sellout Shakedown’s campaign coffers. Some registered lobbyists on Beacon Hill earn 7-figure per year salaries pushing SCAMS such as growing the state lottery and other regressive taxation schemes for their wealthy big business clients’ huge and lucrative state tax breaks and give aways.
Over the past two months of May and June through today, July 3rd, Beacon Hill lawmakers have not held any Formal Sessions. That means there have been zero roll call votes, a late pending fiscal year 2024 state budget, and state taxpayers funding their do-nothing State Representative’s extended vacation. To be clear, the corrupt career politicians are only in government for the Almighty Dollar and Power so they may enrich themselves and their wealthy campaign donors at the public trough, while the rest of us have to pound sand.
Who will support the Republican states if Blue Massachusetts wont.Republican states a very poor.
Red states are gaining many Blue states industries along with people leaving the high taxes, crimes and policies behind that are destroying blue states. Won’t need much from blue states if things keep going the way they are.
Maybe you could teach writing in a Red State
Thumbs up, Jon
Bike lanes limit the accessibility and safety of disabled people.
Bus accessibility advocates sound alarm about bike lanes (wcvb.com)
So busy that I forgot to thank the military and all social agencies who support the military around the world 24/7. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by a thankful nation who understands your sacrifices. Thank you for all you do
Thanks Mr. Melle for your outstanding KP duty.
Social Policy Rule #1: Fixing one problem will always cause another.
A policy is not correct unless the sum of detriment and good = 0.
If you fix it when it ain’t broken that’s even worse
Tyer has been fixing many things that were not broken. And it is costing tens of millions of dollars that citizens that stay here (and are not getting special tax deferments) are going to be paying for the rest of their lives. Their children will as well.
Spending like a drunken sailor with someone else’s money. Putting it on the taxpayer tab knowing she will not be around to pay any of it herself.
Government at all levels are also good at creating problems to fix when there’s none that need fixing. They are even better at pretending they are going to fix problems around election time.
“They are even better at pretending they are going to fix”
That defines the term ‘controlled delusions.’
Pittsfield has the peculiar tradition of electing weak city councilors who then select a weak president. And these presidents seem to think they work for the mayor. When is the last time a city council president challenged a sitting mayor in Pittsfield? Not in this century I suspect. In other cities it happens all the time.
We have a remarkably weak City Council. It has only a few options to balance the Mayor, and this one has deliberately stripped its tools – the ability to form public bodies and it is completely dependent on pre-approval from the Mayor to be provided prior to council meetings.
I want the Council to request the Mayor, as a body, to allocate Free Cash. The President says, just ask her yourself. So, she says no to me and then the President concludes verbally for the taxpayer that the matter is settled. What legislative body behaves like that?
A body led by marvelous Marchetti and Pete the wizard White.
That cannot be disputed. Watch the 6/30 meeting.
I watched the meeting. I have one question. Did the batteries come with Persip’s sport coat or were they extra? Looks like he shops at the Ray Charles factory outlet.
It happens in other cities because challenging a sitting mayor is the JOB of a city council. Do they realize they asked for votes from the taxpayers and were expected to honestly represent them? In Pittsfield it seems ass backwards. You have councilors who for some reason think they were elected to rubber stamp the mayors agenda. If only there were a way to get across to them that that is NOT WHY THEY WERE ELECTED.
But to ask for and accept votes from the community and then turn around and stab them in the back is a really shitty thing to do to people especially taking advantage of elderly like they do. There are some really shitty people on some city councils and they know who they are.
Most taxpayers that I have spoken to feel that the City Clownsil is totally useless under the Flat Tyer Administration. Name we one thing positive they have done for the taxpayers in eight years. I have watched my Ward’s Councilors, both Morandi and now Kronick fight for the taxpayer to no avail. Look how Chris Connell was treated by his fellow Councilors. Both Karen K. and Kronick have been completely shut out by the Flat Tyer ass kissers. Taxpayers do not attend meetings as they know they are going to be rudely and arrogantly shut down by gavel happy useless PeePee Petie. He has stated publicly that he finds the Open Mic useless and would like to stop it. Look how he treated Craig the other night. He did everything in his power to shut Craig down. That very comment sends a message to taxpayers, why bother!
Prime example, look how the Clowncil treated the children of the Ward that now holds the cell tower. These children, who by the way were better spoken than most of the Councilors put together, were ignored meeting after meeting for at least a couple years. This behavior by the Clownsil is shameful. Have often wondered if any elected officials have ever reached out to these children. Terrible lesson in politics to young upcoming voters.
Until we have a Mayor that will listen, which our present Mayor has NEVER done, people are not going to attend. In watching the Clownsil meetings and observing how Kalinowsky and Kronick are treated, why would anyone choose to put themselves through that harrassment? The City Clownsil is toxic and this behavior would not be tolerated in the private sector.
Every citywide election in Pittsfield is decided by Ward 4. Wards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 will be irrelevant to the mayoral candidates in 2023. Ward 3 has some pull in citywide elections, but only on a marginal level. Peter Marchetti will appeal to the voters of Ward 4, he will notice Ward 3, and he will say rhetorical words to the rest of the city’s wards. Over the years/decades, many of the citywide elected office holders lived in Ward 4. Linda Tyer started out as a Ward 3 City Councilor 20 years ago in 2003 when Jimmy Ruberto won his first term as mayor. Ward 2 Charles Ivar Kronick pointed out that his ward was shafted by Mayor Linda Tyer’s administration when it came to its funding needs. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier’s home is in Ward 4 (and she sent her children to the nearby Lenox public school district). The bottom line is that if one wants to win a citywide elected position in Pittsfield politics, one has to appeal to the voters of Ward 4 because Ward 4 has decided every citywide election going back years. Ward 4 holds a majority of Pittsfield’s middle-class to upper middle-class households. These are the households where residents vote in the highest numbers. Inner-city Pittsfield doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of having a real voice in the city government. I hope this explains why Peter Marchetti is hostile to dissenting views of the mayoral administration. Peter Marchetti knows where the votes are in Pittsfield politics.
3 & 4
Jon your memory is 100% good. Impressive. Your arg. is textbook valid. But then there are strategies to correct the over representation of Ward 4.
A good strategy to start with might be getting citizens in all the other wards to get out and vote like they do in #4.
A chip off every block.
“Look how Chris Connell was treated by his fellow Councilors”
1) Slandered as a racist
2) Tried to kick him off the Council on account of personal family health issues. (Guess who lead that effort. It is hypocrisy walking on two legs)
I remember those.
I would claim those two acts alone were highly destructive and irresponsible, juvenile acts.
“He has stated publicly that he finds the Open Mic useless and would like to stop it.”
That will never happen. They are completely reliant on using open mic to stuff their followers into their agendas. Remember the Bike Lane petition. Suddenly all these city workers and business owners earning cash from CPA, Mayor insiders, show up to support the Bike Lanes.
They will never get rid of Open Mic. But if you are not on the inside, 3 minutes = 2. Anything over 2 is rattling.
“Rattling.” It’s a word that might have legs during this campaign.
Robert Plant played “Rattle On” at Tanglewood.
Love it! “Now’s the time, the time is now, on my way.”
Shake, rattle and roll to the poll and vote for Karen the sincere soul.
Marchetti announced that he’ll be spending the day reading his autobiography to orphans. That’s what love of community looks like.
Lumpy Marchetti is good that way. The man has a heart of gold.
Pittsfield needs a city manager and needs get rid of all the councilors at large.Marchetti will continue to financially abuse senior citizens.Stop spending money to subsidize North Street bars or businesses….IT DOES NOT WORK….the elderly can not afford Marchetti and his very personal retirement plan.Because North Street has floundered in empty store fronts for 30 years we need to stop.Look at the GE property…..Nothing.The state of Massachusetts has failed Pittsfield. It gave GE 400 million to move to Boston and not one dime to Pittsfield Ma.Just imagine why Red Republican states stay in poverty.Its all a money grab.
Maybe we could officially change the mayor’s title to City Mismanager?
What did you think of Lumpy Marchetti’s parade?
That’s how you democrats do things . Keep the gravy train running for the local hacks.
Massachusetts cities and towns are quickly signing up the illegal immigrants for drivers licenses. It’s so strange too because the far left really wants everyone to be on public transportation and how will these very poor people afford vehicles when everything goes electric when even most Americans can’t afford electric vehicles? They want to sign up everyone in the family for drivers licenses so they can VOTE because they have tied the drivers licenses into voting. So clever of the far left because you didn’t really think they were bringing all of these people into the country for humanitarian reasons?
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/help-onsite-at-pittsfield-rmv-for-undocumented-immigrants-seeking-licenses/article_5a16c252-19c6-11ee-975e-1b810e44118f.html
And they didn’t mention the cost, $30 million just this year, millions every year for more RMV staff, and the billions it will cost to support the now documented foreign voters.
WILSON
In addition to the price tag, the legislators wrote it up so that validation of all proofs of identity (two are required) will be left to front-line RMV workers, the ones you see at the windows. Other than the boom in suppliers of fake IDs and false docs, what could go wrong?
Even if the illegals don’t get to vote the Massachusetts Moonbats will get more seats in Congress and more electoral votes because illegals will be counted in the census.
You’re right. The Moonbats have it all planned out to keep power.
Holly Mackerel, did anyone see Shirley Edgerton and Mayor Tyer?? Word is they were headed for a hotdog eating contest at Wahconah Park. A lotta woman with those two.
The Berkshires: Where the sublime isn’t always a pretty picture | WBUR News
Will Dan and his Secret Squadron be out tonight filming what really happens in Pittsfield on the 4th of July? I have to get to bed early tonight, if I can with all the noise, but will try to do my own showing of what really happens in my neighborhood on the 4th of July. We should then put it online. It will not be a good look for Pittsfield.
We won’t be out, but we will have some undercover members of the Secret Squadron here and there. THE PLANET hopes you will supply a report. We greatly appreciate your participation on this board.
Fireworks are great cover for gunfire. Be careful out there.