By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 9, 2012) — Why did Mitt Romney lose the elections. The Monday Morning Quarterbacks, operating as they always do with the benefit of Williamsesque hindsight, have plenty of good reasons: Paul Ryan, 47%, loss of the Hispanic vote over his immigration policy, […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY +1, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 2012) — We won’t belabor the point, but We The People — their electors, at any rate — have re-elected Barack Obama President of the United States. One could see it coming, despite a credible effort by Mitt […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY, NOV. 6, 2012) — Get out and vote, for the right reasons, or stay away and don’t vote, again, as a strategic decision. Don’t vote because you “have to.” Don’t NOT vote because you’re too lazy. Whatever you do today, Election Day, […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY NOV. 5, 2012) — Tomorrow, We The People go to the polls and pretend to elect the next president. The winner will pretend to govern us. That’s the way of the ballot box exercise in these here Joonited Sticks of Americant. Big Money […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 2, 2012) — Today, THE PLANET concludes its four-part examination of how and why Pittsfield slammed its doors on the Berkshire Carousel. To be more precise, GOB Pittsfield did the slamming. Most ordinary citizens wanted to see the carousel come to town […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Third of a four-part series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 2012) — Those who grew up in and loved the Pittsfield of the 1950s and 60s didn’t realize, of course, how the three Ps — politics, power (of GE), and pollution — would come to transform […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Part Two of a Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 2012) — On all Hallow’s Eve, THE PLANET continues our investigation into the Berkshire Carousel project. We shall explain the “how” involved in the final disposition of this fabulous civic gem ending up in Lanesboro and […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, OCT. 30, 2012) — Now that Sandy didn’t do anything around here, not even muss up anyone’s hair, THE PLANET presents the inside details on how Pittsfield blew it again, this time coming full circle on missing out, this time on the Berkshire […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, OCT. 29, 2012) — When you experience folks in other parts of the country, as THE PLANET did this weekend on sort of a whirlwind journey through more cities than we can count, one is immediately struck with the observation that rudeness, hostility, […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, OCT. 25, 2012) — This summer, THE PLANET published information questioning the competency of the city of Pittsfield’s veterans’ affairs agent, Rosanne Frieri (see PLANET, June 12 and June 14, archives). The columns drew a lot of attention, since Frieri is politically connected. […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24, 2012) — In response to several questions about the veracity of the state law that prohibits fire fighters and police officers hired in or after 1988 to smoke on or off the job, yes, that law is on the books. It’s […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, OCT. 23, 2012) — A new development in Contractgate suggests the pattern of inside dealing to receive free student labor from the vocational department goes back for years, according to the testimony of two sources. The first is a former school department employee, […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, OCT. 22, 2012) — It has happened again. The sharpest, most astute readership on THE PLANET has put forth an idea eminently doable with exactly the right means … if this was a fair fight, that is, if power rested where it belongs […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 2012) — The next mayor of Pittsfield can and should run on the following platform and should possess the following qualities: (1) Taxes: The tax rate in the city shall be lowered — not raised, not frozen — for both households […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, OCT. 18, 2012) — How ironic, that on the day the Boring Broadsheet kills more valuable news space with a “feel good” picture of the men of the Pittsfield Fire Department wearing hot pink in support of breast-cancer awareness month that THE PLANET […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17, 2012) — In applying for up to $150,000 in free construction work courtesy of Taconic High School vocational students, Lynn Whitney didn’t have to expend even as much as a postage stamp. Welcome to Contractgate. “I’m gonna sit right down and […]
