Topic: Politics -- Local.
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posted by G.M.Heller at Friday, March 25, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
About Me
- Name: G.M.Heller
- Location: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., United States
Hailed by Berkshire cognoscenti as that "crank on the grassy knoll".
Previous Posts
- Topic: Child molestation and abuse in Berkshire Co...
- Topic: Violent street crime in The Berkshires.
- Topic: The Pittsfield drug scene.
- Topic: Domestic violence in The Berkshires.
- Topic: GE Plastics -- Local management.
- Topic: GE Plastics -- Innovations.
- Topic: General Electric Company -- Corporate.
- Topic: Berkshire County's Farms.
- Topic: PCB's and other chemical pollution.
- Topic: The Housatonic River.
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NEWS ARTICLE:
THE PITTSFIELD GAZETTE ONLINE
Sticker shock hits school cafeterias
26.APR.07
Inflation has become a regular on the menu in Pittsfield’s school cafeterias.
For the third time in as many years, the school committee this week approved an increase in lunch prices.
Effective September 1, student lunches in Pittsfield cafeterias will cost $1.75.
“It just keeps going up,“ said Taconic High School senior Andy Bonin.
Lunches currently cost $1.50; one year ago, the meals sold for $1.25. The year prior, the price was $1.
Upon learning of the pending price hike, Taconic senior Brittany Mason said teens are being squeezed. “We have enough stuff to pay for without having to pay more for lunch,” she said after purchasing a meal from the Valentine Road school’s salad bar.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” added Becky Clark. She also cautioned that the frequent price increases are prompting some students to skip lunch.
“Some people can’t afford it,” Clark said. “$1.75 is just something that some parents can’t give to kids... Some kids can’t afford it and they don’t eat.”
The school committee voted 7-0 in favor of the price hike after receiving a memo outlining increasing costs for the self-sufficient cafeteria program.
Sylvana Bryan, the director of food services, said that the increase would generate approximately $90,000 during the 2007-2008 school year. Without the hike, she projected a deficit in the account.
Bryan reported that food prices have increased five to seven percent this year, while cafeteria employees are in line for a two to three percent salary increase once a new contract is finalized.
On the revenue side, the cafeteria program has been adversely impacted as the city schedules ten “half-days” during which students only have morning classes, with no lunches served. This schedule deprives the cafeteria program of both lunch revenue and federal funds that are paid for each meal served. In addition, a new high school “exam week” has aggravated the revenue drain because students can leave after taking morning exams.
Another drain on revenue is a new “wellness policy” that has reduced sale of profitable a la carte items in the high schools.
Sally Douglas, business manager for the school department, reluctantly recommended the price hike. “We hate to do this, but unfortunately with all the rising costs we feel we have to do this,” she said.
Douglas said that food costs for 2007-2008 haven’t been confirmed — a bulk countywide bid process will occur next month — but increases are likely.
“We spend over $200,000 a year on milk alone,” she said. A four percent increase would boost the cost by $8,000, she noted.
Douglas said that even at $1.75 the city will have one of the lowest student lunch costs in the county.
In Adams, lunch costs $1.75 for elementary students and $2 for middle and high school students; in Dalton, lunch costs $1.55; in Lee costs are $1.50 for elementary students and $1.75 for older students; in Lenox, lunch costs $2 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and higher schoolers; in North Adams, elementary lunch costs $1.25 and middle & high school lunch costs $1.50.
Douglas said that federal guidelines also suggest that the city keep a surplus of six weeks of expenses in cafeteria accounts. She said that’s essential because the bulk of funds comes from federal and state reimbursements that “don’t come in a timely manner.”
“We have to have those operating moneys in our account to maintain payroll,” she said.
The price hike will not affect students who receive free meals based on meeting federal family income standards. More than 40 percent of Pittsfield students qualify for free meals.
School committee member Dan Elias expressed displeasure with the impact of the lunch-less half days on the cafeteria program. “I just wanted to mention another reason why I don’t like half days,” he said.
Committee member Dorothy van den Honert recalled when lunches cost 25 cents. But she said the price of a school meal has gone up at a much lower rate over time than other programs.
“Someone is doing an awfully good job,” she said.
Committee chairwoman Kathleen Amuso said that rationale for the price hike is sound but the change will impact families. “It does have a significant financial impact,” she said.
As a parent of active middle school boys who purchase “double” lunches, Amuso said she appreciates that “they get good healthy lunches” but is aware of how the lunch bills add up.
Mayor James Ruberto said “it’s unfortunately time that we have to make some adjustments.” But he concurred with van den Honert’s assessment that the cafeteria program is well managed and that the price hike is justified.
“The data here is very compelling,” said Ruberto.
[A Boston] GLOBE EDITORIAL
What cities and towns need now
June 27, 2007
A BILL passed by the Massachusetts House this week offers the prospect of greater uniformity and rationality in the purchase of health insurance for municipal employees. The House will demonstrate more good sense today if it approves a bill to bring lagging local public employee pension plans into the state system. Still, neither measure offers a complete fix for the fiscal troubles of Massachusetts cities and towns.
The health insurance bill would allow communities to move their workforces to insurance plans supervised by the state's Group Insurance Commission, if they can obtain the support of 70 percent of the workers and retirees. This plan would give cities and towns the opportunity to tap the greater expertise and plan flexibility of the commission, but the transition could take a couple of years. Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, figures that many towns would stay out because they would not save money by switching. The Senate should also approve the bill, but this is no panacea for rising health costs.
The pension bill would mandate that communities with underperforming pension plans put their assets in the care of the state Pension Reserves Investment Management Board. Beckwith estimates that more than half the local plans are doing well enough so that they will not have to make the switch. PRIM has an excellent investment record, but savings in the communities that do benefit from joining it would be unlikely to offset annual increases in the costs of schools, public safety, and other municipal services.
Many communities have approved override votes to Proposition 2 1/2 to close the gap, but the property tax should not have to shoulder so much of the local burden. The House Revenue Committee is considering two new revenue sources: a local option increase in meal and hotel taxes, and the closing of a loophole that exempts some telecommunications equipment from local taxation. Beckwith estimates the meals and hotel taxes would bring in $250 million and the telecom tax $78 million.
The meals/hotel proposal is an imperfect solution, since not all communities contain either, but at 2 percent for meals, and 1 percent for hotels, the local taxes would be an unobtrusive supplement for cities and towns with many such businesses. The telecom proposal would merely tax telephone poles and switching equipment like other business property. It may have made sense to encourage the spread of telephony generations ago, but it's time to equalize the tax load.
In Massachusetts, by tradition, state government sharply circumscribes the powers of cities and towns. Given that reality, the Legislature is wise to give communities access to its skilled insurance and pension managers. Local government, however, needs money as well.
By the way...Berkshire County is still the #1 region in the commonwealth for JOB LOSSES!
Extra, extra, read the propaganda!
Revitalization tour
Berkshires: the model cities
Fall River officials visit Pittsfield, North Adams
By Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff
The Berkshire Eagle
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
PITTSFIELD — It was a long, hot walk from the Colonial Theatre north through downtown Pittsfield to the Maplewood, then south to the Central Block, but it was an enlightening experience for five economic development officials from Fall River.
They were here to learn how Pittsfield and North Adams had been able to come back from the economic brink and create economic growth, where just a few years ago there had been stagnation.
Fall River, with a population of about 92,000, has been suffering from a severe downsizing of its main manufacturing company, Quaker Fabrics, and the job migration that came with it.
"This has been beyond enlightening for us," said Alan Amaral, president and CEO of Yomega Corp. — a manufacturer, importer and distributor of yo-yos — and president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, after the Pittsfield tour. "We came here with the hope of getting a glimpse of what Pittsfield has accomplished, and we got a great deal more than that."
He said the elements of the strategy that were of particular interest included:
The role cultural attractions play in economic stimulation.
The arts overlay district being used to foster office, retail, cultural and residential land uses in an urban environment.
The variety of other zoning strategies to help with everything from signage to reinvigorated land use.
The importance of a downtown business association.
Deanna Ruffer, director of Community Development for Pittsfield, noted during the tour that Fall River is the second city to come through Berkshire County to see firsthand the results of the economic development strategy. Officials from Fitchburg, N.Y., have visited twice in the past two years, she noted.
"It's interesting when a city like Pittsfield, which had considered itself down and out for years, has someone come to us looking to emulate what we've done. It represents a turning point in our revitalization," Ruffer said, while walking past City Hall through the intense sunshine.
"This kind of thing gives us outside confirmation what we, internally, have been recognizing and trying to foster," Tyler Fairbank, president of the Economic Development Corporation, said of the visit. "But at the same time, we have to constantly check ourselves and recognize that this will always be a work in progress."
The officials were led through the North Street corridor by Fairbank; Michael Supranowicz, president and CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce; Ruffer; Megan Whilden, director of Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development; and Yvonne Pearson, director of Downtown Inc.
Visiting from Fall River were Amaral; Steve Parr, financial officer of the Office of Economic Development; Jeremiah Donovan, a Fall River property owner and developer; Patrick Norton, a representative of U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and the Narrows Center for the Arts; and Steve Horvitz, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and owner of a furniture gallery.
The group heard an introduction by Mayor James M. Ruberto in the lobby of the Colonial Theatre, then toured the restored facility.
From there, they headed out in the near 90-degree heat for a walk past Park Square, through the financial district on North Street, through the pedestrian walkway to City Hall and on to the Storefront Artist Project in the Howard Building. From there, they walked down First Street to Melville for a quick tour of the Sam Kasten Handweaver plant in the old Notre Dame School and Crispina in the basement of the former Notre Dame Church. Then they went on to the Maplewood for a tour conducted by developer Beth Pearson.
On their way to the Central Block on North Street, they stopped at Spice for a look at the new eatery.
Once at the chamber offices in Central Block, the group had lunch, exchanged questions and answers, then left for a tour of North Adams and Mass MoCA.
Whilden noted earlier in the day, while trailing the group along Fenn Street, that the Massachusetts Cultural Council has been recommending that inquiring cities contact Pittsfield and North Adams to glean economic development strategies that might work for them.
She added that helping other cities to economic revitalization won't hurt Pittsfield by making the market more competitive because "every town is unique. And the more towns that succeed in the commonwealth, the better off we all are."
mid-September of 2007
Political rally at school raises questions
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The state Ethics Commission is investigating top administrators at Pittsfield High School. The group wants to know if taxpayer funds were misused just before last year's elections.
The incident in question took place Nov. 1, 2006. That's when the Democratic candidate for governor attended a rally at the school.
NewsChannel 13 obtained a letter sent to the Ethics Commission. It accuses the city, specifically the school, of using taxpayer money to put on the campaign rally for Deval Patrick.
School administrators will only say they can't really say much.
But the issue has people on both sides of party lines talking plenty.
There were campaign signs, the school band played and city workers helped set up for the event.
The law says taxpayer money is not allowed to be used for campaign purposes. Terry Kinnas, a member of the Berkshire Republican Group, says that's exactly what happened at this event.
"You should know the laws in the environment you work under," Kinnas said.
Ten months later, the Ethics Commission is questioning school Superintendent Dr. Katherine Darlington and former Principal Jake Eberwein.
Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, D-4th Berkshire District, says the city should have known the law.
"I think it was an innocent opportunity to take advantage of the governor in the Berkshires and the last thought was, 'Is this a violation of the campaign finance laws?'" Pignatelli added.
Darlington and Eberwein said they're not really supposed to comment because they don't want to get in trouble with the commission. But they did say any candidate, no matter the party affiliation, was always welcome at the high school.
Kinnas says even in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans three-to-one, it's about taxpayer money.
Pignatelli says this event was a rare opportunity for students and thinks when this is all said and done, the punishment will be a slap on the wrist, though there is the potential for fines.
It's expected the mayor will also be questioned by the commission at some point. He's out of town right now and unavailable for comment.
NEWS ARTICLE:
Nonprofit group doing its part to put a buzz in local economy
By Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle Staff
The Berkshire Eagle
Sunday, October 28, 2007
GREAT BARRINGTON — Very soon, if all goes as planned, BerkShares will be a staple currency throughout Berkshire County, not just of towns south of Pittsfield.
BerkShares is the local currency launched in September by the Egremont-based E.F. Schumacher Society and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce to stimulate the local economy. BerkShares Inc., a local nonprofit, was created to distribute the notes, which are vended by local banks, who in turn sell $100 worth of BerkShares for $90.
For several weeks, the Schumacher Society and the chamber, with help from several local businesses, have circulated a survey for BerkShares users and nonusers to assess how the program is working and how it can be made better, according to Schumacher director Susan Witt.
The results of that survey will be presented on Oct. 29 at 9 a.m. at the Route 7 Grille.
"BerkShares is a membership organization," Witt said. "So part of this is an effort to get feedback on how we're doing and how to shape the program. We believe the users can best tell us what we're doing right or wrong."
So far, there doesn't appear to be a lot of wrong. There are basically two criticisms of BerkShares: There are not enough stores vending them, and the 10 percent discount is too big a break for some stores to grant.
One local restaurateur explained that, although many may believe that business is booming in the Berkshires," for some of us, a 10 percent discount is our whole margin."
Witt said she realizes that it is a problem for some.
"But the 10 percent (discount) is not the issue for us," she said. "Supporting local businesses is the issue for us."
What Witt means is not that BerkShares Inc. does not care about problems with the 10 percent discount, but rather that supporting local businesses is the priority. If, for some reason, the discount becomes a deal breaker, then it would be reduced or eliminated.
"The businesses only lose 10 percent if they have to cash the BerkShares at a bank. If they continue to circulate them, the discount is a wash."
At some point, she said, when BerkShares are more fully integrated into the area's business community, the 10 percent won't be an issue, or at least not as much of an issue.
To date, said Witt, a total of $1.2 million in BerkShares have been circulated, with about $178,000 in continuous circulation.
And as for getting more businesses to use BerkShares, well, said Witt, that is the next step. The currency soon will be expanding into Pittsfield and North Berkshire. The issue there, according to Jennifer Sahn, a member of the BerkShares board of directors, will be hiring a person to do the legwork to educate Pittsfield and North Berkshire businesses and residents about the advantages of the program.
And what are the advantages? It's not, Witt said, just that people get to pay their grocery bills with money with cute pictures of local people on them. This is a way of ensuring that local dollars stay local. (Which is why none of the chain stores will touch BerkShares, she said. Because a lot of their money does not stay local.)
With local dollars staying in local hands, according to BerkShares President Asa Hardcastle, local businesses are strengthened and supported. It's a simple economic formula, Witt said. The issue often has been how to make sure the money stays local. BerkShares make sure the money stays local.
Also, Witt and the rest of the board call BerkShares "slow money." That is, money that requires face-to-face transactions. When you spend BerkShares, you usually have to hand it over to someone.
"It's a personal thing," Hardcastle said. "You get to know the person you deal with."
And, said Witt, the more one uses cash, the less one uses credit cards, and that, too, is a good thing.
Hardcastle's business, Zenn New Media, a Web-based software development company, accepts BerkShares from clients and pays its employees partly in BerkShares. Hardcastle himself takes some of his pay in BerkShares.
"To be honest, I have no trouble," he said. "I spend most of my money locally anyway: food, clothing, car repairs — that's all local."
He estimated that about 40 percent of his purchases are with BerkShares.
These are heady days for the BerkShares board of directors. Film crews from the United States and overseas are in town to record the success of the program.
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