LUMPY, KUFFLINKS USING A LIE CALLED “TRUTH” IN INITIAL BUDGET SOFTENING-UP
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTR$ESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 21-3, 2025) — When Mayor Lumpy and city treasurer Kufflinks Kerwood soft-shoed their preliminary remarks on Bitchfield’s finances, they claimed that during the most recent five years, the city tax rate had DECREASED 6.8%. The hilarious part of the joke is that they were telling a (not “the”) “truth.”
Cue the dancing girls! Bring on John Kiley on the Hammond organ to play “The Night They Invented Champagne.”
Their statements actually revealed the budget scam that’s been going on now for all that time (and before). THE PLANET refers to assessed values. Yeah, the tax rate “decreased” but in that same time period, tax bills for the “average single-family home” (they’re talking The Kapanskis) leaped 40.8% (rise in a rage from FY21 $3,925 to FY25 $5,298). That’s because valuations increased nearly 50%.
The valuation scam has made homes unaffordable, burdened home owners and small business owners with devastating tax bills, and perpetuated a lie pertaining to civic health (i.e., life in the community must be great or else property values wouldn’t be rising). It even has Kufflinks proposing an override of Prop 2 1/2, as if officials haven’t been routinely jacking up taxes well in excess of 2.5.
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Lumpy and Kufflinks tout 6.8% fake “drop” in taxes … Actually, taxes are up 44.8%
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Lumpy and Kufflinks spoke every word of their presentation to THE PLANET‘s Right Honorable Good Friends on the City Council in code. Councilors have their secret decoder rings, and when they got done with the transcribing, the message to them was clear. They will be expected to approve without question the Administration’s FY26 budget “request.”
You can be sure the council president clearly understood his orders. Consequently, in a few short sunsets, the actual budget farce will be played, a moth-eaten production that promises only one thing for the Kapanskis: More financial pain.
Councilor Earl Persip III tipped the council’s hand. At the presentation, Dumpster Earl said there was no place in the entire budget that could be cut.
Yes, he actually said that. Remember come November.
Welcome to Easy Street, everybody!
THE PLANET invites you to offer feedback to Lumpy, Kufflinks, Dumpster, and all the others who will be sticking it to you once more this year. They and/or their bobos read this blog.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
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“Corruption: A condition highly favored by public officials when dealing with the common treasury” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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And cue the usual Melle psychotic rant from New Hampshire with absolutely no stake in Pittsfield while collecting hos disability checks in 5.4.3.2.
Pittsfield is one of the municipalities in Massachusetts that has NOT spent a majority of its opioid settlement funds.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/opioid-fighting-windfall-sitting-unspent-massachusetts-municipal-coffers/63854693
I wonder where the money is/went to? Answer: FORENSIC AUDIT, please.
Did you click on Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on the map of Massachusetts on the wcvb.com web-page?
It states that Pittsfield received $1,100,815 in the opioid settlement funds, but spent zero-percent of the money. It says that in 2023, Pittsfield had 24 fatal overdoses.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/opioid-fighting-windfall-sitting-unspent-massachusetts-municipal-coffers/63854693
I hope that blogger Dan Valenti publishes a blog post about Pittsfield’s over $1.1 million in unspent opioid settlement funds.
Interactive map shows
Pittsfield spent $0%
of a Total
$1,100,815 received .
2023- 24 Fatal OD’s in
Pittsfield.
I have a feeling the dough isn’t/wasn’t being used for intended purpose.
Letter: Pittsfield should announce trash-pickup delays earlier
The Berkshire Eagle, February 21, 2025
To the editor: Pittsfield and Casella Waste Management should be ashamed of themselves, and I expected better from the two organizations.
On Jan. 16, [2025], The Eagle reported about ”early successes” of the rollout of the new collection system (“Pittsfield’s new trash toter program is seeing early success, but challenges remain“). On Feb. 11, The Eagle reported numerous problems with the rollout during a City Council meeting. I have another issue that needs to be addressed (“Casella, Pittsfield public works chief outline plans to improve the city’s new trash collection program“).
Before this present storm began, the emergency phone message stated that trash collection would not be delayed and the normal schedule would be adhered to. When the new rollout began, as stated in Pittsfield’s online how-to guide, we were instructed to have our toters roadside by 7 a.m. Batting the snow in my driveway on Monday morning, I had my toters out by 7:15. At 8:16, an emergency telephone message stated that trash collection would be canceled today and delayed by one day. (“Pittsfield trash, recycling collection delayed due to storm,” Eagle, Feb. 17.)
Why was the telephone message issued after the 7 a.m. deadline? This needs to be added to the public works chief’s plan to improve the city’s new trash collection program.
Ned Kirchner, Pittsfield
I think the taxpayers of Bitchfield should prepare for the shock factor of progressive democRAT policies are going to hurt them in a huge way financially in the next year or two.
The next time you see the MA illegal aliens rep, Tricia Farley-Country Buffet and/or former failed-mayor Linda “Flat” Tyer-Clairmont, you can thank them for dumping 100+ illegal Haitians in Bitchfield, because it “added to our diversity and inclusion,” Tyer. I included a link of Flat gleefully talking to the media about the illegals.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/great-barrington-pittsfield-migrants-immigrants-haiti-emergency-right-to-shelter-families-hotels/article_7efa0840-7a74-11ee-b969-6337e1e074eb.html
President Trump is ending all deportation protections for illegal Haitians on 8/3/25. What does that mean if they stay beyond that date? We, the taxpayers, will pay for them until they get deported. No more federal money, state grants, nothing.
The ER becomes their primary care doctors, so they wait times go up. The “houseless” population will increase, as WILL CRIME.
https://x.com/AntiWuCoalition/status/1892781894468558928
If MA Gov Maura Healey and Mayor Lumpy think President Trump will back down from their defiance of his EO’s, they can take a peek up north to Maine.
President Trump just let the state of ME know that they are losing federal funding, because they allow boys in females sports.
https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1892747488638955979
Weren’t democRATS the ones screaming about Trump “taking away women’s rights?”
TSC? Marxist-Melle? You both made numerous posts during election season stating that exact point. Care to comment.
The Democrats in this area are mainly concerned with money and will look the other way regarding the insane policies of the far left. Women being beaten up by men in sports and all of the other insanity you mentioned regarding illegal immigrants is ignored by most locals.
There are always ways to cut expenses taxpayers do it all the time. Remember when the government said they couldn’t cut expenses, but they do it now.
Taxpayers can’t believe a word out of the two useless Pete’s mouths. It’s bad enough they keep “reassessing” our homes to raise taxes, but, we can’t see ONE thing we are getting from these tax increases. Crime out of control, businesses leaving, pothole filled streets, under staffed police department, lack of learning in schools, panhandlers on every corner, could go on and on.
The latest out of Mayor Lumpy’s office made me almost barf my breakfast! In the upcoming City Council meeting it states he is naming Linda Clairmont (alias ex Mayor Linda Do Nothing Tyer) to the Economic Development Authority Board. EXCUSE ME!! She did absolutely NOTHING in 8 years to help the economics of this failing city. Just another butt kissing appointment that will get us no where.
For a member of the city council to come out and say there was no way to cut City budget is an absolute falsehood. There is always ways to cut. They just don’t wanna do it. They much rather just put a stamp of approval on it and pass the expense off to the taxpayer yet again that’s why these members of the city Council all should be removed ASAP.
We are fucked going forward yah? No help in sight either.
These same people will all be at the common tonight as they set off fireworks celebrating the coming highest ever tax increase in the history of the city. They would love for you all to be there so they can laugh in your helpless faces.
Don’t forget to wear your Marchetti for mayor hat.
And bring some left overs in a doggie bag for White.
Where’s the beef?
Trump is right. I don’t want some man with a dick taking showers with my daughter in a locker room? What don’t these Governors understand ABOUT THIS.
On the ppd police log it says breaking and entering? Aren’t they open at night?
Is shot spotter still being paid for. Useless.
It’s concrete. Falling at the Ma. Pike. No injuries.
Sounds like Bitchfield also needs a “chainsaw for democracy!”
Also sounds like Persip is gonna hide behind the DEI policies infecting the city & schools. He’s obviously in denial of the feds scrapping these racist policies.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/elon-musk-given-chainsaw-bureaucracy-javier-milei-cpac
Prolly got a “talkin to” regarding his role on the council. He was not put there to ask questions and now that he has been reminded he will behave better.
MA Family Institute is warning parents about the upcoming “National Day of Reading” on Feb. 28th – “a nationwide effort to push transgender ideology on young students. Many MA schools will participate.”
Read more on http://www.mafamily.org
Maine’s woke guv totally humiliated by Trump……
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/president-trump-completely-destroys-far-left-maine-governor/
Defense department is cutting 50 million from their budget, but Pittsfield can’t find anything to cut
You cannot even buy a wing for a fighter jet for 50 million. Big whoop.
Instead of a Lie Detector, what Pittsfield needs is a Truth Detector.
Ron,
The Truth is you do not have a government. It’s a cult.
So much so that I am not allowed to post certain names here.
Free Speech, but not when I write about certain political hacks & failed leaders in Pittsfield politics.
I proudly support politicians who Dan Valenti opposes, and vice-versa.
As cults go, even the some detractors of cult leaders here are just cult members howling for abuse. You can see them by their signatures that call out for whipping.
Did lumpy need 90 days to do what he’s done for the last decade?
One that sprays red dye on anyone who lies answering its questions.
CQ Brown FIRED!
Christmas in February!
If Mayor Lumpy and the City Clowncil won’t cut Bitchfield’s budget, what’s the next logical step?
Increase taxes for your constituents, but mask it under “public safety,” such as traffic enforcement cameras.
In the latest, Kenny Warren wants to bring speed cameras to Bitchfield to help slow down drivers. This appears to be a decent proposal, until you look into it further.
Does it bring in unaccounted for revenue? Initially it does. But after a while when people get smart and quit paying the fines; or better yet, unless the ticket arrives in the mail as a certified letter, just simply ignore it and never pay for it. “I never got it,” should be the response if asked. It’s the states burden of proof to prove you actually received the citation, not the violator.
This now creates an added burden and/or expense on the Bitchfield Police, because they will either have to take someone off patrol to serve the tickets in-hand to the violator or they will have to hire process servers to find the violators and serve them the ticket.
PPD will now have to store the additional video they accumulate, plus they will have to dedicate an officer or three to review all of the “violations” and get those tickets ready to be mailed out.
Pittsfield to Consider Speeding Cameras / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
There are already cameras at major intersections, like Allendale. The cameras are all over North St.
Kenny is great at spending other people’s $$.
Again I ask, how much does he owe in back taxes?
How many other city councilors owe back taxes?
Stop the spending! Audit Pittsfield!
Whatcha gonna do about the people who run red lights, or pass school buses or take down telephone poles while on their phones?
And what if these speeders have no license or insurance or registration? They can deny having ever been in the car.
I think the 5000 pot holes are working just fine slowing peeps down. Speeding is not the biggest traffic problem. Assholes are.
Suddenly, in heading to the second half of the 21’st century, Councilor Warren determines the need for new technology and cloud storage to enforce speed.
Where were the camera’s in 1980 and how did we manage to have speed limits then?