Christopher N Speranzo, Pittsfield Massachusetts Democratic State Representative...also see Peter J Larkin!

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Chris Speranzo
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State Legislator representing Pittsfield, Massachusetts from the Spring of 2005 - (?). Peter J. Larkin annointed Chris Speranzo to his legislative seat after Larkin resigned six days after taking the oath of office in January 2005 to become a high paid, special interest lobbyist. Chris Speranzo, like Pittsfield Pols Peter Larkin, Jimmy Ruberto, Carmen Massimiano, Andrea Nuciforo, Mary O'Brien, John Barrett III, and the like, are part of the Good Old Boy Network. Chris Speranzo played inside politics to beat out 2 women--Rhonda Serre and Pam Malumphy--in the Democratic Primary Special Election and then Republican Terry Kinnas in the General Special Election. The only real reason why the election was "Special" is because Chris Speranzo winning Larkin's seat was predetermined from day one!

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"Legislator Profiles: Speranzo, Just a Hometown Boy"
By Jen Thomas - iBerkshires.com - October 09, 2007

Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo

PITTSFIELD - A born and bred Pittsfield native, Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo couldn't be happier representing 12 of the 14 precincts in the city.

"Being a born and raised Pittsfield man, I love it here," said Speranzo, 34. "It's a city, but with a small-town feel. In this one district, you get it all."

From urban neighborhoods with drug and crime problems to expansive farmland with agricultural needs, Speranzo gets to see it all in his hometown. Tackling such a variety of issues is a challenge for the Democrat, who has been the 3rd Berkshire District's representative since defeating Republican Terry M. Kinnas in a 2005 special election.

"There's a lot going on in this one small city and there's a lot of different focuses," he said. "But on the other side of it, there are benefits. I have the one city council, the one mayor, the one fire department. Everything is centralized."

Coming Back Home

Speranzo, now in his second term, returned to the Berkshires after attending colleges in Boston and Cambridge, England, and began working as city solicitor under Mayor James M. Ruberto in 2004.

"I was the city's lawyer and I loved it. I was so happy to be back in Pittsfield and I got involved in a lot of issues important to the city," he said.

As city solicitor, Speranzo represented the city on key issues including preventing the proposed move of a transfer station to a location off South Street and ensuring that the city not engage in a hostile takeover when considering the expansion of the municipal airport. With experience on city topics already under his belt, taking the plunge to becoming state representative seemed like the next logical step.

"It's a big jump to state government and it's tough to make regional issues known, but it's my job to make our voice a little stronger," said Speranzo.

Working closely with the other members of the Berkshire delegation made the transition a little bit smoother.

"With the exception of [Rep. Daniel] Bosley, we have a young delegation," Speranzo said. "All of us being new legislators together helps and we all work very closely together. Because we all work so well together and we are so vocal, we can make a difference in our districts."

Serving on three critical committees - the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business and the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing - has Speranzo completely immersed in the issues that are most pertinent to his small city. As the only member of the Ways and Means Committee west of Worcester, Speranzo has to work to keep valuable state dollars in the area.

"These budget hearings gave me a window into the state budget. Even though I'm only in my second term, being able to have that firsthand access through the Ways and Means Committee allowed me to learn a tremendous amount about the budget and the Berkshires," Speranzo said.

Speranzo said the city has struggled to reshape its image from an industrial center to a more diverse landscape where many different kinds of businesses can thrive.

"The focus of the city has changed. The real concentration the last few years has been on diversifying and it's really affected the way we go after funding," said Speranzo, using the development of the Cultural Facilities Fund as an example. This year, the county received $2.3 million in grants to support organizations and projects that increase tourism, create new jobs, leverage private funding and expand arts and cultural activities in communities across the state.

Speranzo is also proud of his role in securing $150,000 from the state budget for the Berkshire County Drug Task Force, which had never before seen any state funding.

"As a lawyer, I'm specifically interested in crime and crime prevention issues," said Speranzo. "The drug task force never had any funding and this new money paid for the police officers to work on the task force. Now, it's an established line item."

Working for the Berkshires

Speranzo also detailed his legislative plans for the upcoming year.

"There's so much to work on but regional education in a whole variety of fashions is my priority. I'm working on the development of the downtown, on getting critical funding for infrastructure, on healthcare issues, and on bringing small businesses to the area," he said.

Specifically, Speranzo named the challenges of enforcing the state's comprehensive health-care reform as a legislative priority this year. The Health Care Reform bill, which requires all state residents have health insurance by the end of the year or lose a tax-return deduction, was enacted in 2006 but still 330,000 people are uninsured, according to Speranzo.

"How do we tackle this?" he asked.

Additionally, a lack of primary-care physicians in the commonwealth exacerbate an already strained system.

"If we had everyone covered, we'd have a shortage of doctors across the state, especially in Berkshire County," Speranzo said.

To address this problem, the Legislature will consider the best ways to recruit doctors and retain them, using a host of incentives.

"Massachusetts is at the front line of this. If we can make this work, other states will adopt our model," Speranzo said.

Making Home a Destination

Just a hometown boy who loves his city and cares about its future, Speranzo wants others to see the Berkshires as a place to be.

"I want this to be a destination for people. I want them coming to places that they hadn't thought of going before," he said. "I want them to be here when they could be anywhere."

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Pittsfield Awarded $2.85M for Affordable Housing
iBerkshires.com - January 26, 2008

PITTSFIELD - The state has pledged nearly $2.85 million in funding toward two projects offering affordable housing in Pittsfield.

The combination of private and public funds awarded by the state Department of Housing and Community Development was announced this week by Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, and Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield.

In total, the state agency announced its intention to provide more than $100 million in assistance to support two dozen developments that will yield 908 new rental apartments in 21 communities across the state. Some 771 of those apartments will offer long-term affordable rents for low- and moderate-income families.

The New Amsterdam Project on Bradford Street in Pittsfield will receive $1 million in Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, a $525,000 in Federal HOME Funds and $750,000 Housing Stabilization Fund for a total of $2.75 million toward low-income housing.

The developer, New Amsterdam Project LP, plans to build a 67-unit housing complex on Bradford Street that will also feature retail and gallery space. The project offers solutions to the housing gap often noted in Berkshire County by providing a attractive option to families, young professionals, artists and others. City leaders hope New Amsterdam will encourage people to take a second look at Pittsfield's downtown as they consider their housing options.

"This project is another leap forward in Pittsfield's revitalization. Once it is constructed and when families and young professionals start to move in, New Amsterdam will serve as a residential gateway to the city's downtown," said Downing.

The project has long enjoyed the support of Pittsfield's leaders, on both the state and local level. Downing and Mayor James M. Ruberto arranged a meeting with DHCD and the project proponents in July to discuss its merits and importance to the city.

"This project provides needed workforce housing and creates an additional link between our revitalized downtown and the Westside neighborhood," said Ruberto.

Beth A. Pearson, principal of New Amsterdam Partnership LP, expressed her gratitude for the help and support she received while working to advance her vision.

"I have to express my huge thanks to my wonderful development team as well as to the guidance and support provided by Senator Downing, Representative Speranzo and Mayor Ruberto," said Pearson. "I look forward to breaking ground to provide this crucial housing in the Berkshires."

The balance of the state and federal funding, $569,999 will be awarded to Berkshire County ARC's Traumatic Brain Injury Residence. The money comes from the Housing Stabilization Fund.

Berkshire County ARC is constructing a single-family, ranch-style home for six people suffering from a traumatic brain injury. This funding completes budget requirements to build the home, which will be designed by native son and Taconic High School graduate Barry Buchinski of Blackstone Block Architects.

Buchinski designed another Berkshire County ARC residential facility on First Street.

"Berkshire County ARC has a strong track record for providing important services to the community and it is wonderful to see them receive the necessary funds to get this project off the ground," said Speranzo.

Berkshire County ARC Executive Director Kenneth Singer said, "We are thrilled to move forward with this housing project and to serve these people with specialized staff and around-the-clock care. We appreciate all the support we received from Senator Downing, Representative Speranzo and all our elected officials."

"We are pleased the commonwealth is providing critical financial support to two organizations that have proven track records for developing high-quality housing in the city of Pittsfield," said Ruberto.

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"Boosting state businesses"
The Berkshire Eagle - Editorial
Monday, January 28, 2008

Inspired by a local business owner's struggles, two members of Berkshire County's state delegation are sponsoring a bill that would favor Massachusetts businesses that bid on state contracts. The proposal, co-sponsored by state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, both Pittsfield Democrats, would extend the existing Uniform Procurement Act, which gives preference for locally grown agricultural products in state contracts to other kinds of businesses. In fairness to taxpayers, the state must have some flexibility if a firm in a nearby state can do a far better job at a much-lower cost. On balance, however, this initiative should help small businesses in the state grow, and it will especially benefit the Berkshires, which is full of small businesses fighting a tough economy.

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"Transit choice alarms board"
By Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Friday, February 08, 2008

NORTH ADAMS — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority's search for a new administrator is nearing an end, and some members of the agency's board aren't pleased with the final nominee.

They wonder why, out of three final candidates, the only one who has been investigated by federal authorities, fired from his job, and is suing his former employers is being recommended for the post with the apparently unanimous backing of the local legislative delegation and the mayors of the county's two largest cities.

Gary Shepard, the former administrator of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and former Adams selectman, was put forward by a search committee of three board members. Three candidates were interviewed, but only Shepard's name was recommended to the full board with little information to substantiate the recommendation, according to some board members.

Shepard, who took the PVTA post in 1997, was fired in 2006 amid an investigation by the FBI into charges of bid-rigging and mishandling of federal funds.

No charges ever resulted, and on Jan. 4, Shepard filed suit against his former employer for unpaid contractual obligations, back pay and to get his old job back.

Several sources have noted that during his interview, Shepard characterized the events at PVTA by saying he was used as a scapegoat for the agency's financial difficulties.

'It's not something I'd support'

Margaret Ware, a BRTA board member from Williamstown, said she was disappointed that the search committee didn't provide more information on all three candidates so that all the board members could make an informed choice on whether to hire the committee's recommendation.

"Right now, it's not something I'd support," Ware said. "I really expected a formal report from the search committee — who's their choice, what's the reason. We didn't even get any résumés."

The board voted last week to delay the final vote on hiring Shepard for two weeks, until Feb. 14.

"We need more lengthy discussion, and now people (board members) are having to do their own research," Ware said.

There is a move afoot to allow the vote to be weighted equally for each board member, said Joseph R. Dean Jr., the board member representing Adams.

Normally, each member's vote is weighted differently, depending on the population and ridership of the community he or she represents. That means the bigger cities and towns have a bigger vote on the board. So if Pittsfield and North Adams vote for one side, it would take the votes of nearly all the other 21 board members to vote the other way to win. But many board members don't attend the board meetings.

'That's when I expect a complete report'

So defeating North Adams, represented by Sandra Lamb, and Pittsfield, represented by Deanna Ruffer, is nearly impossible in a weighted vote process. Dean and others hope this vote will be more equitable, considering the gravity of the decision.

"If somebody doesn't have a crystal clear résumé, that's when I expect a complete report with logical argument supporting the nomination," Ware said. "At this point in time, I'm not prepared to give him my vote, although he doesn't really need it at this point."

In support of Shepard's application, state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and state representatives Daniel E. Bosley, William "Smitty" Pignatelli, Christopher N. Speranzo, and Denis E. Guyer signed a letter that was sent to the search committee.

"The Berkshire delegation has worked very hard over the years to bring to the region the tools to expand our county's employment opportunities," the letter reads, in part. "One of the foremost barriers to economic growth has been transportation. We have great trust that Mr. Shepard, former RTA director and former assistant secretary of economic affairs for the Commonwealth, is uniquely qualified to broaden job opportunities and operate our BRTA."

Shepard was elected to the Adams Board of Selectmen in 1978, at the age of 23, defeating current Adams representative on the BRTA board, Joseph R. Dean Jr. He served there until 1983. In 1982, Shepard was the Berkshire County coordinator for the Michael Dukakis gubernatorial re-election campaign. Dukakis appointed him to head up the economic development effort for Western Massachusetts in 1983. He later served as director of the Springfield Economic Development Corporation.

Mayor John Barrett III said if Shepard is the best-qualified applicant, he should get the job. The mayor wondered why an investigation that produced no charges should even be an issue in the deliberations.

"I would look very carefully at this," he said. "I don't believe in witch hunts, and I think that's what's happening here. The bottom line is whether Mr. Shepard is qualified to do the job."

Dean noted that the Pittsfield and North Adams board members were two of the three members of the search committee and both supported advancing Shepard's name to the full board for hiring. Dean's was the lone dissenting vote.

Pignatelli said he has been acquainted with Shepard since he was a teen working on his father's political campaigns. He also remembers that Dukakis and Shepard were instrumental in attracting Canyon Ranch to Lenox.

"I think he should be considered innocent if he's never been charged or convicted of any crime," Pignatelli said. "I never had dealing with Gary professionally, but because of my knowledge of Gary Shepard personally, I signed the letter. I didn't really give it much thought at the time."

Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto also expressed support for Shepard.

"When you see a résumé like that, you have to look carefully at it and give it due consideration," he said. "The fact of the matter is that this guy is capable and qualified — probably over-qualified — to do this job."

Dean said that while Shepard has a hefty résumé, there are reasons for further discussion.

"My concern is that the day after we interview him, we find out he is suing the PVTA for his former job back and for $300,000," Dean said. "That never came up in the interview."

He added that while Shepard may be well connected with some members of the Legislature, he is not well connected with everyone.

"I have people calling me and saying, 'Are you people crazy?' " Dean said.

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"Pittsfield ARC lands $570K grant: Will build home for residents with traumatic brain injuries"
By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Sunday, February 10, 2008

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire County ARC has received a $570,000 grant from the Massachusetts Housing Stabilization Fund to build a single-family, ranch-style home in Pittsfield that will house six people with traumatic brain injuries.

The state grant completes the financing for the project. Berkshire County ARC also has received funding from U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for this initiative.

Two years ago, BCARC received a $1.39 million HUD grant to tear down two old houses on First Street and Maplewood Avenue and to replace them with a residential structure to house people with developmental disabilities.

"We are pleased the commonwealth is providing critical financial support to organizations that have proven track records for developing high-quality housing in the city of Pittsfield," Mayor James M. Ruberto said in a written statement.

"Berkshire County ARC has a strong track record for providing important services to the community," added state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, in a written statement. "It is wonderful to see them receive the necessary funds to get this project off the ground."

In a telephone interview, BCARC Executive Director Kenneth W. Singer said he expected construction on the ranch house to begin by either spring or early summer.

Barry Buchinski of Blackstone Block Architects of Boston, who designed the First Street building, also will design the ranch house.

Singer said there is a need within the Berkshires to supply housing for people with traumatic brain injuries. "There's a huge need for people with traumatic brain injuries due to car accidents."

The residents will be selected with help from the Massachusetts Rehab Commission's state head-injury program. BCARC has contracted with the program to provide 24-hour residential services for individuals who have traumatic brain injuries. It's possible that a returning war veteran could reside in the home.

"We don't know," Singer said. "I'm not going to say no because it's possible."

The ranch house will be the sixth residence for people with developmental disabilities that BCARC has established throughout the Berkshires, Singer said.

Founded in 1954, Berkshire County ARC is a nonprofit human services organization based in Pittsfield that offers a large range of community-developed services to more than 400 people with developmental disabilities in Berkshire and Hampden counties. The agency operates 34 residential programs as well as day and vocational initiatives.

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"The power of endorsements: How much does a name really mean?"
By Hillary Chabot, Eagle Boston Bureau
Monday, February 11, 2008

BOSTON — Did Oprah Winfrey fizzle? Has the court of Camelot crumbled? And did Gov. Deval L. Patrick's grassroots campaign wilt?

Despite three high-profile endorsements in the Bay State, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama failed to win Massachusetts in his bid to become the Democratic presidential nominee. Obama's showing left some local politicos questioning the power of endorsements.

Reid Cherlin, a spokesman for Obama, said the endorsements helped Obama walk away with 41 percent of the vote and 38 delegates.

"When we came to Massachusetts, we were down more than 30 points. We didn't close that gap entirely, but we made great strides and Senator Kerry, Senator Kennedy and Governor Patrick were instrumental in doing so," Cherlin said. "These public figures resonated with voters."

Democratic analyst Mary Anne Marsh begged to differ.

"This year, endorsements don't mean what they used to. The endorsements that matter are the ones that deliver votes, and people who deliver votes tend to be more local or people with really active political operations who work it day in and day out," she said.

Case in point: former acting Gov. Jane M. Swift, who appears to have delivered several Williamstown votes to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

But no matter their influence — or lack of it — on the electorate, an endorsement from a sitting member of Congress, the governor or center party VIPs can have a tangible benefit at the Democratic nominating convention: Each is a so-called "super delegate," able to vote for the candidate of his choice, regardless of the outcome of last week's Super Tuesday primary. There are no "super delegates" in the Republican party, thereby rendering an endorsement less weight.

Politicians such as Kerry and Kennedy, who run every six years and often don't face serious challengers, find their voter base a little rusty, said Suffolk University pollster David Paleologos.

Kennedy had more sway than Oprah, with 43 percent of Bay Staters polled pointing to his endorsement as the most influential, according to a poll conducted by Suffolk University in Massachusetts released last Monday. Bill Clinton was next, with 23 percent believing his endorsement was most influential, and Oprah came in dead last with 9 percent.

"My experience is endorsements matter in smaller races. The more you head up the food chain, the less people pay attention," Paleologos said.

North Adams Mayor John Barrett III seemed to sway residents to back New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who swept by more than 30 points in communities such as North Adams, Adams and Savoy.

"The endorsement only helps if you get an endorsement from an elected official and you get their people to work for you. If you endorse a candidate and you do nothing, it's not worth the paper it's written on," Barrett said.

The more local the endorsement, the more weight it carries, Barrett said, which proved accurate in Pittsfield, where Mayor James M. Ruberto and Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, both backed Clinton, who won by nearly 30 points.

But the endorsements swayed voters by only a couple of points, if any, Paleologos said. He pointed to other factors, such as the fact that 62 percent of women went with Clinton in Massachusetts.

Clinton also pulled a slim majority of the youth vote, but the support of residents 60 years old or more in a landslide.

State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, is not sure whether voters are following the lead of local politicians or if local politicians are simply reflecting their constituent base with their endorsements.

Obama managed to nab 13 of the 32 communities in the Berkshires, and another healthy chunk of Obama's support came from nearby Franklin County.

Romney's recent ties to Massachusetts pushed him over the edge in the state, but in the Berkshires, McCain won in all but two communities.

Peter Giftos, executive director of the Berkshire County Republican Party, said the results are indicative of bitter relations with Romney.

"This is Jane Swift territory, and they were all soured on the way Jane was squeezed out of the gubernatorial race," Giftos said. "Others resented the fact that Romney spent no time at all in Berkshire County."

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2/23/2008

Dear Honorable State Rep. Chris Speranzo:

How did yesterday's Q&A at EPOCH go?

What are the key issues facing your constituents? How are they being addressed on Beacon Hill's State House?

-Jonathan Melle

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"Politicians to hold Q&A at EPOCH"
Community, Thursday, February 07, 2008

PITTSFIELD — State Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, who both maintain Pittsfield district offices, will hold a town-hall style question-and-answer session at EPOCH at Melbourne, on Friday, Feb. 22 at 10:30 a.m.
Schedule permitting, state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, will join the meeting.

The politicians plan to discuss key issues the legislature that face this general court session, in addition to fielding constituent questions. EPOCH at Melbourne is located at 140 Melbourne Road.

This event is free and open to the public.

Information: (413) 499-1992.

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"County banks on science bill: MCLA, Pittsfield set for funds"
Berkshire Eagle Online, Staff and Wire Reports
Thursday, February 28, 2008

BOSTON — House lawmakers gave initial approval to their version of Gov. Deval L. Patrick's $1 billion, 10-year life sciences bill yesterday.

Legislators will continue today to debate the bill, which includes more than $55 million in projects for the Berkshires.

Funding for a new science building at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams netted $49.5 million in the bill, while state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, managed to secure $6.5 million for a life sciences incubator building at the William Stanley Business Park in Pittsfield.

"Having an incubator building at the William Stanley Business Park will give Pittsfield the ability to attract life sciences and high-tech businesses and encourage the redevelopment of Pittsfield," Speranzo said.

The multifaceted bill is designed to make targeted investments in education, research and business to spark a long-term development of the life sciences in Massachusetts.

MCLA's Center for Science and Innovation will receive the nearly $50 million that state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, promised to handle a 10 percent boost in science majors. The building will mark the first major construction project at MCLA since the Flagg Townhouses were built 30 years ago.

Bosley, co-chairman of the Economic Development Committee, is one of the bill's chief supporters. He said life sciences is not just about creating good jobs but coming up with therapies for some of the world's toughest diseases.

"We have the largest life science cluster in the United States," Bosley said. "This is an industry on the move in Massachusetts, and it's an industry that can only grow."

The bill was not trumpeted by everybody throughout the Bay State, as many of the state's long-standing smaller businesses said they are feeling jilted. They said putting money into the state's existing businesses would be a surer, road-tested use of limited state resources rather than investing in an uncertain, cutting-edge technology.

"To focus so much of our resources on this particular industry doesn't seem to give us the bang for the buck," said Bill Vernon, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.

s said the state instead should focus on smaller businesses, the true powerhouse of job creation. Small businesses in Massachusetts employ about 1.5 million workers — nearly half the state's work force — and create two-thirds of new jobs, he noted.

He said the state should spend the money cutting unemployment insurance, business taxes, health insurance, energy, wages and development costs.

"It's not the role of state government to be picking winners and losers," he added. "That's up to the venture capitalists."

House lawmakers gave the bill initial approval on a 134-13 vote and could pass a final version of the bill as soon as today.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Eagle reporter Hillary Chabot contributed to this story.
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Massachusetts
"Cracking down on tax deadbeats"
By Matt Murphy, Eagle Boston Bureau
Monday, March 03, 2008

BOSTON — Tax season rolls around every April, as sure a sign of spring as the melting of the snow.

And yet as roughly 3.5 million Massachusetts residents prepare to file their tax returns this year, some simply won't bother.

The Department of Revenue reports that there is just under $2.2 billion in delinquent taxes that the state should have in its coffers but doesn't, enough to pay off the projected budget deficit in 2009 and still have $1 million left over.

Subtract the $200 million under agreement with scofflaws to be paid back over time, $213 million deemed uncollectible and almost $1 billion tied up in litigation, and the state estimates that there is roughly $874 million out there to be collected.

"We have a problem, but we're addressing it," said Navjeet Bal, the new commissioner of the Department of Revenue. "We're doing a much better job of enforcing people's existing obligations to us."

Berkshire County residents and businesses accounted for a relatively small portion of the outstanding taxes, given the size of the region, totaling only about $2.4 million.

The Bijou Restaurant Corp. in Dalton and Rene L. Champoux, of Pittsfield, topped the list of Berkshire business delinquents, each owing $141,456 in back taxes.

Garry Burris, of Dalton, meanwhile, ranked eighth on the state's list of most-wanted scofflaws, racking up $950,677 in unpaid debt. Another debtor in Berkshire County is Paula Nolin of Richmond, who owes the state $131,968.

As long as there have been taxes, undoubtedly there have been people who refuse to pay up.

Bal said her department uses a variety of techniques to go after tax deadbeats, including late notices, garnisheeing wages and seizing bank accounts.

Since September, the Department of Revenue has hired 87 additional auditors and collectors to go after money owed to the state, an investment Bal said she and Gov. Deval L. Patrick hope will generate an extra $60 million in revenue.

The DOR also has made an effort to electronically target scofflaws, more aggressively mining federal tax databases and comparing names with their own databases.

As part of this get-tough policy, Patrick has included a new weapon in his budget that would allow the state to strip tax delinquents of their driver's licenses if they refuse to pay their taxes.

Bal said the Department of Revenue would move to suspend someone's driver's license only if all else fails.

"It's a way of getting people's attention that we otherwise haven't been able to get," Bal said.

Delinquent taxpayers first would receive a series of notices over six months detailing what they owe. If they do not appeal, ask for an extension or enter into a payment agreement, they would be notified that their license would be suspended in 30 days if they do not respond.

Massachusetts has taken a similar approach to deadbeat parents, threatening to take away the driver's licenses of those who don't pay child support.

Since adopting that policy in 2001, the state has managed to collect about $125 million in delinquent child support payments.

The Patrick administration hopes that the threat will be enough to generate at least an additional $7 million in fiscal 2009, including it in a package of tax reforms in next year's budget intended to collect $166 million in new revenue.

House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi has embraced the concept, including the governor's reforms, in his own plan to close the projected budget gap for next year.

State Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, said that, as a former city solicitor, he understands the difficulty of getting delinquent taxpayers to settle up.

"There is no doubt this is a serious problem," he said.

He said he has no problem with the driver's license proposal as long as the state is careful not to take licenses away from those who drive for a living, thus impeding their ability to pay.

Not everyone agrees.

Barbara Anderson, director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, compared this latest proposal with threats in the past of stripping licenses for overdue library books and other violations.

"If you're going after delinquents, you have to find a way to make them pay their taxes. But this has nothing to do with their driver's license," Anderson said. "That comes from this assumption out there that driving is a privilege, not a right. Driving is a right until you do something behind the wheel to give that up."

If approved in next year's budget, Massachusetts would join states including Rhode Island, Louisiana and the District of Columbia, which suspend driver's licenses to help collect taxes.

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Photo by John Suchocki / The Republican. State Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, left and state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, look over budget papers during a budget hearing at Westfield State College today.
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"State brings budget road show to Westfield"
By The Republican Newsroom, &, ALEX PESHKOV (apeshkov@repub.com)
Thursday February 21, 2008

WESTFIELD - Gov. Deval L. Patrick's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 contains some good news for people with disabilities, Judy Ann Bigby, health and human services secretary, said at a state budget hearing today at Westfield State College.

"We are very excited about this budget. We feel that it provides a balanced funding for community based services," she said.

There is a 5.6 percent overall funding increase for MassHealth, as compared to the current fiscal year, she said.

"Most importantly, we have a very large investment in what we are calling Community First, a $45.8 million new MassHealth line item," she said. "This money is for the purpose of making sure that people with disabilities and elders have a choice of staying in their community even if they have a medical problems or disabilities that require a care detention.

"By putting that amount of money right up front for community-based home services, we think it will prevent people from going unnecessarily into nursing homes and other institutions," Bigby said.

Officials from the state Department of Social Services, the Department of Youth Services, the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Mental Retardation, the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, the Rehabilitation Commission, the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Commission for the Blind presented their projected needs for the coming fiscal year at the college's Woodward Center.

Bigby said that Community First represents a serious commitment to long-term care reform. Nursing facilities have historically been the only choice after acute care for many senior citizens and people with disabilities, she said.

During the first half of the hearing, the administration testified about its portion of the state's proposed $28 billion budget, followed in the second half by testimony from the public.

"I think it's important for the administration to come to Western Massachusetts," said state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

"This is a big state. We are a hundred miles from the capital and these regional hearings are critical for the citizens to understand the budget process," he said.

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"(Red) Sox Trophy Tour Coming to Pittsfield(, Massachusetts)"
By Tammy Daniels - March 06, 2008
iBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD – When the Red Sox finally broke their 86-year-old drought to win the World Series in 2004, their faithful fans were rewarded with a close-up view of the long-awaited trophy.

The 2004 World Series trophy appeared in nearly every city, town and hamlet in the Bay State in the months following the historic victory. Thousands turned out to see it and to have their pictures taken with the symbol of victory - no doubt a few thinking it could be generations before such an event could happen again.

Well it did, or at least the victory happened again as the Red Sox went on to capture the Series again last fall.

But where was the grand tour for the trophy? Didn't happen.

Instead, it was decided to bring both trophies - 2004 and 2007 - to three select cities.

On Thursday, Mayor James M. Ruberto, Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, and Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, announced that Pittsfield was one of those cities.

The trophies will visit the scene of baseball's birth on Sunday, March 9, (2008), from 10 to 4 p.m. at Taconic High School at 96 Valentine Road.

"We are proud to be one of the three communities to have the Red Sox in Pittsfield, 'The Garden of Eden of Baseball,' with the World Series trophies," said Ruberto in a statement released late Thursday evening. "I hope that all Red Sox fans can make it to Taconic on Sunday to take pictures and be a part of baseball history."

The other two towns to host the trophies are Athol and Shrewsbury.

Residents from throughout Berkshire, Hamden, Hampshire and Franklin counties are encouraged to come to Pittsfield to view the two trophies and have their pictures taken with them.

Who knows when you'll see them again.

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This reporter gets her Yankees son to pose with the 2004 trophy.
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2004 World Series Trophy
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Members of the Department of Social Services protest yesterday in Pittsfield. Similar protests were held across the state. (Ben Garver / Berkshire Eagle Staff)
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"DSS protests lack of staff, funds"
By Jack Dew, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

PITTSFIELD — Claiming that inadequate staff numbers are placing abused and neglected children at further risk of harm, Department of Social Services workers held noon protests across the state yesterday.

In Pittsfield, about 20 social workers gathered at Park Square during their lunch break to urge the House and Senate conference committee to include $5 million in the state budget to hire 100 new social workers. That money was in the House version of the budget but not the Senate's.

Carrying cardboard signs that read, "Smaller caseloads" and, "More social workers," the protesters walked the oval sidewalk that rings Park Square, waving at honking cars.

Social worker Jonathan Lothrop said that the Pittsfield office — which covers all of Berkshire County — has seen a sharp rise in cases. A year ago, he said, it averaged between 175 and 225 reports of abuse or neglect a month. Each must be screened, perhaps investigated, and may require DSS intervention. Now, he said, the office gets about 300 reports a month.

"We are really getting hammered," said Lothrop, who also is a Pittsfield city councilor. "If you want these conditions to change, you have to give us the money to fund (the office) properly. We are saying that we really need help in the state budget."

Lori Kays, a family resource worker, said the rally's goal was to make the public and legislators aware of the number of kids that social workers are handling. The Pittsfield office has a record number of children in foster care, she said, and is overseeing more than 300 children.

"It is a ripple effect, with the economy and everything else that is happening," she said.

"It means stuff just doesn't get done," Lothrop said. "You are always in crisis mode, always trying to prioritize, and you are putting out fires instead of doing social work."

The Child Welfare League of America — an association of nearly 800 public and private nonprofit agencies that work with children — recommends that social workers carry a caseload of 12 to 17 families, depending on the nature of the cases. In Massachusetts, the average is about 20. In Pittsfield, Lothrop said, it is about 21.

Joyce Johnson, a spokeswoman from the Child Welfare League, said higher caseloads mean less time spent with each family. More problems fall through the cracks, and the chance of a tragedy goes up.

"Every locality struggles" with caseload numbers, Johnson, based in Virginia, said in a telephone interview yesterday. For some states, the Massachusetts average of 20 cases is a goal, she said. Others have passed legislation seeking better ratios, and still others have been forced to change by lawsuits.

Floyd Alwon, also of the Child Welfare League, said Massachusetts is among the better states in terms of caseload, "but there are some states in pretty sad shape, with much less financial resources and less of a commitment to case work."
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To reach Jack Dew: jdew@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6241.
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To Watch: Eagle video on the DSS protest: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n1YBhkMrU4
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"Help DSS, families"
The Berkshire Eagle - Editorial
Thursday, June 26, 2008

For whatever reason, perhaps the strain a bad economy is placing on families, the Berkshire County office of the Department of Social Services is experiencing a dramatic increase in cases of child abuse and neglect. All of these cases must be screened, and perhaps investigated, and the social workers in Pittsfield's office are seeing several more cases than are recommended by The Child Welfare League of America. We strongly urge the Legislature to include the $5 million to hire 100 new social workers that was included in the House budget but not in the Senate's. The state's social workers, and the families and children they serve, need help.

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"Budget hangs on golf course plans: Legislators discuss rescuing Canton links"
By Matt Viser, (Boston) Globe Staff, July 2, 2008

As Beacon Hill talks on the $28 billion state budget wound down yesterday, one of the most dramatic moments turned not on healthcare, corporate taxes, or education spending, but on a prized, if dilapidated, recreational jewel. Top lawmakers huddled into the evening to come up with a rescue plan for the Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton.

Nonduffers, scoff not.

The storied course has a rich history and was designed by renowned links architect Donald Ross. But while under management of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, it has fallen into severe disrepair, with dead grass and swamped, sunken fairways.

Last night, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi agreed to lease the course to a private manager who would restore it to its former glory, or at least reasonable playability, according to two sources who have been briefed on the content of budget discussions.

But it also could mean more expensive greens fees that could turn Ponky, as it is affectionately known, into a more exclusive course.

The agreement, reached after an hourlong meeting in Murray's office, will be included in a compromise budget that could be presented today, followed days of wrangling between House and Senate budget writers.

What to do about the golf course, which was the subject of a June 16 Globe report, was one of the last remaining items holding up budget negotiations and was among the top reasons the state began the fiscal year yesterday without a budget in place.

For weeks, a committee of six lawmakers has been meeting behind closed doors to try to come to agreement on the different versions of the budget. Details of their discussions were guarded so closely that rank-and-file lawmakers were unaware of the sticking points.

Sources who were briefed on the talks said Murray was pushing hardest for a lease of the course. When approached yesterday in a State House hallway, however, Murray adamantly declined comment.

"Who told you that?" she said. "No comment on the Ponkapoag. I don't talk about what goes on in conference."

DiMasi, an 8-handicap who is a member of Ipswich Country Club, also declined to comment, but then seemed to scoff at how bad the course has become.

"Have you ever been to Ponkapoag?" he said, laughing as he repeated the question. "Have you been to Ponkapoag?"

Nine of the 36 holes are currently shut down, and it has long been pilloried as a symbol of state mismanagement. The Globe reported last month that the state was laying the groundwork for a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the course, including a new drainage system to stop chronically soggy fairways from flooding and importing truckloads of peat to raise holes that have sunken from years of neglect.

But officials at the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation are supportive of leasing the course out, instead of running it themselves.

"We believe there is some interest in the private market in having that happen," Commissioner Rick Sullivan said in an interview yesterday. "This would allow us to run that process and see if there is any interest out there."

The state also operates another golf course, the Leo J. Martin Golf Course in Weston, although that course does not have the maintenance problems that Ponkapoag does. At both courses, it costs $25 to play golf Friday through Sunday, a price some fear would not be preserved if Ponkapoag is privatized.

Attendance at Ponkapoag has dropped by 20,000 starts since 1985, to 60,000 last year, according to state figures.

Golfers at the course had mixed reactions yesterday on whether the course should be privatized.

"It could be a better course," said Matt Donahue, 20, of Westwood, who said higher fees could discourage the sort of golfers who play without shirts or drink beer on the course. "I'd just like to see it where it could be."

Others wanted to keep it state-owned because they were afraid prices would go up.

"If you take the public course away from the people, it's going to be difficult," said Rita Hubner, a Newton businesswoman who would like her son, Kyle, 11, to become a professional golfer. "For the next generation of golfers not to have this is kind of tough."

Senator Brian A. Joyce, a Milton Democrat, has been pushing for years to lease the course, arguing that some of its loyal golfers have abandoned it because it has deteriorated so badly.

He wants the course to bring in state revenue by leasing Ponkapoag for 25-year terms to Canton or to a private management company. Joyce's proposal was included in the Senate budget, but was not part of the House version, which led to the impasse.

The standoff ended when the Senate agreed to a more-defined bidding process to decide who will run the course, sources said.

Despite protests from House lawmakers that greens fees would soar if a private company took over, the agreement includes no price restrictions, but there are certain standards for the state to decide who gets to lease the course. A prospective operator, for example, would have to spell out ways to promote public access and discount programs.

Canton would be allowed to take over the course before it went out to private management companies, but lawmakers do not expect the town to be interested.
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Globe correspondent Ryan Kost contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
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"Showing off the Berkshires: Legislators tour local sites: Delegation makes rounds at attractions."
By Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Thursday, August 07, 2008

Yesterday was tour day in the Berkshires for several state legislators.

In one caravan, Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, was showing Rep. Robert A. DeLeo, D-Suffolk, some of the projects DeLeo helped provide funding in his role as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Speranzo is a member of that committee.

Another junket carried Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, as he introduced Rep. John A. Lepper, R-Attleboro, to some of the attractions Berkshire County has to offer.

The tour included stops at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Hancock Shaker Village and the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield and Mass MoCA in North Adams.

"At the end of every legislative session the (Berkshire County) delegation has traditionally brought out legislators to sort of get a feel for the Berkshires," Speranzo said. "It's also an opportunity to talk about the projects that are important to us, and make them understand how they affect the Berkshires."

Speranzo said DeLeo expressed interest in seeing some of the entities that received funding from the state in the latest budget sessions — some of which were vetoed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick and had to be preserved by legislative overrides.

"This year we had a veto of the money for the museum, and we overrode the veto. And this morning, Bob DeLeo wanted to take a look at what the money from the state did, what's so important about the Berkshire Museum," Speranzo said. "So we jumped in the car and made an visit to the Berkshire Museum."

They also visited the Joseph R. Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center, which received $100,000 to make it appropriate as an extension campus for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Berkshire Community College.

"It's something that's the first of its kind — it's not being done anywhere else in the commonwealth," Speranzo said.

They also visited Wahconah Park, and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown.

"We had a great trip looking at some of the items that we placed in the budget to see exactly how they're working out and get a better idea about the importance of keeping these items in the budget," DeLeo said.

He noted that he had been the subject of recent criticism regarding state funding earmarked for Berkshire County purposes.

"After visiting the Berkshire Museum, Shaker Village, Tanglewood, the Clark, and I see how much money they're bringing back to the county and state economy, it really just gives me a better opportunity to say these are good investments," DeLeo said.

"We basically were taking a look at some of the Berkshire projects that are important and that state funding has helped to make a difference," Speranzo added. "This is a committee that funds these local projects in the budget, so I think it's important to bring the chairman out to look at projects and really understand how important they are."

Meanwhile, Bosley took another group through the Williams College Museum of Art, the Clark, and Mass MoCA, largely for the same reasons.

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"Samuel Harrison Society hosts a groundbreaking ceremony"
iBerkshires.com - August 20, 2008

PITTSFIELD – Friday, August 22 at 10 a.m. the Samuel Harrison Society hosts a groundbreaking ceremony for the Samuel Harrison House, 82 Third Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

The house, longtime home to renowned African-American equal rights advocate Reverend Samuel Harrison (1818-1900), is a National Register of Historic Places landmark, a National Parks Service “Save America’s Treasures” Preservation project, and a Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation project. The ceremony is free and open to the public. State Senator Benjamin Downing and State Representative Christopher Speranzo are expected to attend.

The preservation and restoration of the Samuel Harrison House began in May 2004 when Ruth Edmonds Hill, great-granddaughter of the Reverend Samuel Harrison traveled with her husband, Dr. Hugh M. Hill, to Pittsfield from Cambridge by train to meet with a small group of Pittsfielders interested in saving the Samuel Harrison House, including Mayor James M. Ruberto, Ivan Newton, historian of the Second Congregational Church, and Susan Denault, archivist from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Ruth’s intuition that her family homestead had historic value saved the modest 19th century house in one of Pittsfield’s oldest neighborhoods known as Morningside from the wrecking ball. She had notified the Massachusetts Historical Commission of her great-grandfather’s lifelong pioneering spirit and they, in turn, denied the city’s request to demolish the deteriorating structure. At just about the same time, filmmaker Mike Kirk was producing a documentary “A Trumpet at The Walls of Jericho: The Untold Story of Samuel Harrison” which aired on PBS in February of 2005.

Rev. Samuel Harrison, an African-American minister born into slavery and living from 1818 to 1900, was a pioneering civil rights activist, an ardent abolitionist, and an eloquent orator and writer. Rev. Harrison was the first minister of the Second Congregational Church, Pittsfield, founded in 1846, a church exclusively for persons of color.

Rev. Harrison interrupted his ministry at the Second Congregational Church when he was commissioned by Governor John Albion Andrew who encouraged President Abraham Lincoln to create the first black Civil War regiment. During his service, Rev. Harrison learned that the paymaster refused to pay the men of the 54th Regiment the same amount paid to white troops because they were of “African descent.” Rev. Harrison immediately pleaded their case to Governor Andrew who vigorously and repeatedly petitioned President Lincoln to honor the claim for equal pay. In June 1864, legislation requiring equal pay was passed in the army appropriations bill. In his autobiography, Rev. Harrison writes that it was suggested during his brief military service that he was “the victim upon whom the whole matter of equal pay would turn.”

Two years after his death, a tablet commemorating his forty years of ministering to Pittsfield’s African-Americans was placed at the Second Congregational Church with the inscription: “A Wise Leader, An Honored Citizen, An Ardent Patriot, A Beloved Messenger of the Lord; he wrought well for his people, his Country and his God.”

The Samuel Harrison Society’s very first champion was U.S. Congressman John Olver, who secured a Save America’s Treasures matching grant in the amount of $246,000. Congressman Olver’s significant support validated the Society’s belief that that the house is an historic asset that needs preserving and launched a collaboration of efforts by Mayor James M. Ruberto, State Representative Christopher Speranzo and State Senator Ben Downing.

“The Samuel Harrison Society is extraordinarily grateful to Ruth for trusting our stewardship of her family homestead. We are committed to honoring Harrison family history by restoring and preserving Reverend Harrison's homestead; using it as a place to teach the values embodied in his noble life, his enduring beliefs, his extraordinary writings; and to define a chapter in the story of us as a people by providing greater insight into African-American history. We have a significant, yet still undiscovered, piece of national history and civic pride right here in Pittsfield, Massachusetts,” states Samuel Harrison Society President Linda Tyer. She continued, “It is with great pride that we have achieved this milestone – a groundbreaking. And we anticipate with enthusiasm a day in the not too distant future when we welcome our first visitors to the Samuel Harrison House.”

For more information on the Samuel Harrison Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the Samuel Harrison House, please visit www.samuelharrison.org.

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"Question 1: Berkshire Chamber of Commerce opposes tax measure"
By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Wednesday, October 08, 2008

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's board of directors has voted to oppose ballot Question 1, a measure that would eliminate the state income tax.

The board decided that the measure, if it passes, would adversely affect residents and the business climate in the Berkshires, according to Chamber President and CEO Michael Supranowicz.

"We think the elimination of the income tax is going to cripple the state when it comes to public services," Supranowicz said.

Supranowicz surmised the state would likely raise fees, and cities and towns would increase property taxes to compensate for the projected loss of $12 billion in state revenue. That $12 billion represents 40 percent of the state's current budget.

Voters will be asked to consider whether the state should eliminate its 5.3 percent income tax on Nov. 4. Approval of the measure will slash the state income tax by half, to 2.65 percent, next year, and eliminate it entirely in 2010. A similar ballot question was defeated by 55 percent of the vote eight years ago.

Those in favor of Question 1 believe that state taxpayers would receive $3,700 in annual savings if the state income tax were eliminated. They maintain that eliminating waste in state government would make up for the $12 billion in state revenues.

Berkshire Community College's Board of Trustees recently voted 10-1 in favor of opposing Question 1.

The chamber board's vote was unanimous, but just more than half of the board's 36 members attended the meeting, according to director of marketing and communications Christina Barrett. In order to vote, the board was required to satisfy its quorum requirement, which Barrett said is half the board's current membership plus one member.

"I believe there were 19 (members) in the room, and no one opposed it," Barrett said.

The chamber represents 1,200 Berkshire County firms and 35,000 employees. More than 80 percent of the membership is made up of small businesses.

Supranowicz said eliminating the state income tax would create a ripple effect on chamber members since businesses would adjust their practices if the state cut essential services and became more frugal in its spending practices.

"It would just compound, and compound, and compound," Supranowicz said.

If the law passed, employers would be reluctant to bring businesses to both the Berkshires and the state.

"There wouldn't be anything to attract them to this region," he added.

But Supranowicz said those savings would quickly disappear if the state raised property taxes and increased fees.
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To reach Tony Dobrowolski: tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com, (413) 496-6224.
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"City's timely celebration"
The Berkshire Eagle - Editorial
Thursday, October 16, 2008

At a time when bigotry has marred the presidential campaign trail, Pittsfield is in the middle of a celebration of its cultural diversity, while also recognizing a work, "To Kill A Mockingbird," that speaks to the responsibility of the average American to stand up against fear, ignorance and racism. The timing for these celebrations could not have been better.

The appearance at the Colonial Theatre last night of the Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa anchored a celebration of Pittsfield's African immigrant community. Immigrants from Ghana, Ivory Coast and Gambia are among those who have enriched Pittsfield and the Berkshires, and organizations like the Berkshire Immigrant Center and the United Africans of the Berkshires, among others, are striving to ease their transition to the area while maintaining their cultural roots. These newcomers and organizations are also working to highlight the poverty afflicting these African nations that the United States and world community must be willing to confront.

Jazz, a distinctively American art form, is being celebrated through Oct. 24 as "Jazz Fortnight" in Pittsfield, which also marks the fourth birthday of Pittsfield's CityJazz Festival. More than 14 jazz ensembles have been playing at restaurants and clubs throughout downtown in a celebration that is linked to Pittsfield's ambitious Jazz in the Schools program, which also serves as a reminder of the importance of arts education in the schools.

Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird," the story of small-town Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch's defense of a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman, at considerable risk to his livelihood and family, is a focal point of the Big Read, a National Endowment for the Arts program to encourage reading. Readings of the book have been conducted throughout the city, along with a screening of the Gregory Peck film of the same name, the presentation of a play at Barrington Stage based on the book, and related art exhibitions, including tonight's Mockingbird Project jazz improvisation, a co-production of the CityJazz Festival and City Big Read Project, conducted by Evan Lurie at the Berkshire Museum.

In Pittsfield, people are coming together for good causes while learning and having fun. That is worth emulating everywhere.

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"Berkshires brace for budget cuts"
By: Jessica Layton, WNYT.com, October 16, 2008

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is ordering hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts.

That will significantly affect towns and cities in the Berkshires.

Local mayors are desperately searching for ways to reduce their own budgets without laying people off. But North Adams Mayor John Barrett says he's cut as much as he can.

“We will be able to limp through this year, but next year will be brutal,” Barrett said.

In his 25 years as mayor, Barrett has served through three major economic downturns. He says this is the worst yet. This time, Barrett can't imagine what he'll cut from his city's already bare bones budget.

“The fire department is 40 percent of what it was 10 years ago. Police department down 35 percent. Public works, 50 percent. Cuts that have been made and jobs that haven't been filled,” the mayor said.

But Patrick is asking local cities and towns to tighten the budget belt even more. The first-term Democratic governor announced he will eliminate 1,000 state jobs. He's asking state agencies to cut spending by $750 million.

“I know you are anxious. There is cause for concern, but not for panic,” the governor said Wednesday.

Patrick promises the cuts won't affect local aid for cities and towns yet. Still, Pittsfield Mayor Jim Ruberto is asking department heads to try to slash about five percent of their budgets.

However, Ruberto says city workers shouldn’t worry about their jobs.

“No, we're building a community, not subtracting from one,” he said.

Meantime, Barrett says it's time the state gives cities the tools to make money. He says adding a two percent tax for hotels and motels would generate $125,000 for the city. He also says it's time for the telecommunication tax.

“Allowing us to tax cable companies and phone companies, that would generate 110 to 115 thousand dollars more in the city,” Barrett said.

The North Adams mayor says the combined money is enough to fund several teacher's salaries -- positions he's worried will eventually be cut.

If implemented in Pittsfield, those same taxes would give that city an additional $1.5 million.

Source: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S621324.shtml?cat=10114

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"Pols feel $ting from Deval Patrick’s ax"
By Hillary Chabot, Friday, October 17, 2008, www.bostonherald.com, Local Politics

The brutal $1 billion in budget cuts delivered by Gov. Deval Patrick in response to the worldwide economic crisis prompted howls of pain across the state yesterday as officials and agencies were left licking their wounds.

“I understand we’re in a crisis mode, I just wish some of these items could have been reduced and not eliminated,” said Rep. Jim Miceli (D-Wilmington) about a $90,000 special-needs camp in Tewksbury that was slashed.

Municipal police departments were cut by more than $9 million in community policing and training grants.

“I understand the fiscal climate, but everyone who has a stake in the matter is pretty disappointed,” said Lowell police Superintendent Ken Levalle.

Lawmakers huddled for nearly two hours to sort through the various cuts and figure out how badly their communities were impacted.

Legislators hadn’t decided whether to come back into formal session before January, although more than $300 million of Patrick’s cuts require legislative approval.

Patrick chopped 1,000 jobs from the state’s 450,000 work force and hacked $1 billion in various line items to make up a $1.4 billion budget gap Wednesday.

While town officials were pleased local aid was untouched, many were still hit in the wallet either by losing a dam safety program or reimbursements for special-needs programs.

“We probably took a $100,000 cut right there,” said North Adams Mayor John Barrett.

Most understood everyone needed to share the pain, but some felt they had been cut a little deeper. Environmental programs took a $17 million hit, and higher education was slashed by more than $25 million.

“We haven’t recovered from the cuts back in 2002, so we hope once things get better that we’ll be among the first agencies replenished,” said Lora Wondolowski, executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters.

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"State fiscal problems may worsen: Stock market plunge could widen deficit"
By Casey Ross and Frank Phillips, Boston Globe Staff, October 17, 2008

This week's announcement of 1,000 state employee layoffs and $1 billion in budget cuts may just be the beginning, as financial forecasters say that Governor Deval Patrick's predictions of revenue shortfalls are as much as $500 million too low.

The reason: the continuing plunge in the stock market is dragging down capital gains taxes that have kept Massachusetts flush in the boom times.

The state has already factored big projected losses into this week's budget cuts. But if the stock market continues its downward slide, the state could face an additional deficit of more than $400 million to $500 million in capital gains and income tax losses, state officials and specialists said.

"Unfortunately, I think it's going to get worse," said Representative John J. Binienda, a Democrat from Worcester and House chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue. "People will not be filing for profits this year, they'll be filing with losses."

A Patrick spokesman said the governor consulted with economic analysts and others to predict that tax revenues would fall by $1.1 billion. But the administration acknowledged that the extreme volatility in the stock market makes forecasting a difficult exercise and that the state's financial picture could change.

"Our approach was responsible and thoughtful and we will continue to monitor the economic situation throughout the remainder of the fiscal year," said spokeswoman Cyndi Roy.

Patrick's revenue commissioner, Navjeet K. Bal, said she is relying on a forecast that the state will lose 30 percent in capital gains taxes. Binienda predicted that revenues could drop more than 50 percent, citing the last two stock market crashes in 1987 and 2001, when capital gains collections dropped 57 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

That more pessimistic view is echoed by analysts at the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization that closely monitors state finances.

"The governor has taken a strong first step, but I fear it is only the first step," said the group's president, Michael Widmer.

During the past four years, taxes collected on capital gains have risen steadily, from $1.49 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $1.9 billion last year, according to the state Department of Revenue. The windfall has allowed the state to increase spending on key areas like education and healthcare without dipping into the state's cash reserves, known as the rainy day fund.

But the sudden drop in the stock market - the Dow has lost nearly 18 percent of its value since Sept. 15 - has left the state veering toward a financial crisis not seen since 2003, when Governor Mitt Romney made sweeping cuts in local aid to cities and towns.

The Dow Jones industrial average yesterday rallied 401.35 points, or 4.7 percent, to close at 8,979.26, but it remains about 30 percent down for the year.

"You can't count on capital gains being a stable source of revenue this year and probably beyond that," said Karl Fryzel, a partner in the tax practice group at the law firm Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge. "No one knows when this is going to end."

Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics for Moody's economy.com, said Massachusetts relies on capital gains more than other states because it has a wealthier population that derives significant income from investments. That means tax collections are particularly susceptible to swings in the stock market and real estate values, causing a precipitous drop in revenue when those assets lose value.

"Capital gains have been a big contributor to Massachusetts in recent years, but that's about to come to a screeching halt," Faucher said.

Economists also fear that worsening economic conditions will continue to attack other categories of tax collections. If the economy falls into the expected recession, businesses will earn less money, resulting in lower corporate tax collections.

A sharp reduction in profits could also lead to widespread layoffs, which would mean a drop in payroll taxes. The turmoil could also hit taxes on retail sales, meals, cigarettes, and gas, all revenue sources that could drop sharply.

"The question is how big this problem is going to be," said Alan Clayton Matthews, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Thus far, Patrick and legislative leaders have avoided any talk of imposing fees or new taxes, such as an increase in the gas tax, to help balance the budget. Observers say this is because the governor and lawmakers don't want to risk angering voters who will be asked in a Nov. 4 ballot question whether they want to eliminate the state income tax - which generated $12.5 billion last year.

"With that on the ballot, any talk about raising taxes will take place after the election," predicted Senate Republican leader Richard R. Tisei. "But I am sure they are looking at ways to raise revenues."

"That's the elephant in the room that no body wants to talk about," said former state senator and 2002 gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman.

Fees and taxes have been part of the equation in the major budget crises of the last 30 years. House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran used taxes as part of his budget balancing plan in 2002. Romney raised hundreds of million of dollars in fees to deal with the fiscal downturn he faced in his first year in office. Governor Michael S. Dukakis signed tax bills to deal with two of the state's worse fiscal crises in modern times, in 1975 and in 1989-90.

Asked yesterday about raising taxes, Patrick said during a press conference that it was not on the table.

"The time to go to the public for broad-based taxes is just not now," Patrick told a press conference Wednesday. "I don't think taxes are evil. . . . But I think people are squeezed right now."

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"Budget cuts alarm state lawmakers"
By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Friday, October 17, 2008

Members of the Berkshire delegation to the Statehouse are worried that some of Gov. Deval L. Patrick's massive cuts to close a $1.4 billion shortfall in the state budget could severely hurt public higher education, tourism and health and human services in Berkshire County.

"While I'm not surprised by the cuts, I'm bitterly disappointed," said State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox.

Pignatelli was particularly concerned with the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism taking such a deep cut that will "devastate the Berkshires."

"We are practically wiping out funding to organizations the (state) supports," Pignatelli said referring to the local tourism agencies and organizations. "They will have a more difficult time ahead."

While tourism dollars have increasingly driven the Berkshire economy in recent years, so has investment in Berkshire Community College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, said he fears cuts to those institutions will affect the colleges' ability to collaborate with the business community.

Under the governor's plan, MCLA will lose nearly $719,000 and BCC $464,000 in the fiscal year that ends June 30.

"Those institutions have already done an incredible amount of work with incredibly less money," Downing said.

"Having gone to MCLA and BCC myself, I understand the great education they give at an affordable price," added state Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton. "These cuts may force them to raise fees and tuition."

State Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, said he worries about the impact the cuts will have on state agencies that mental health and child services in the Berkshires.

The legislators are pleased Patrick didn't touch local aid to cities and towns or Chapter 70 funds for public school systems — at least for now.

Downing also praised the governor for leaving alone essential services like veterans programs, dealing with homelessness, feeding the hungry and providing heating fuel assistance.

The lawmakers further credit Patrick with anticipating that the state budget crisis will last until June 30, the end of fiscal 2009.

"It's a smart move to do the cuts all at once," said Pignatelli. "We can always put money back in if revenues improve."

Speranzo agreed, saying making cuts throughout the fiscal year "leaves people waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Downing said the state budget crisis "cries out for further examination" of ways to make government spending more efficient.

Pignatelli said cities and towns should be more frugal with their budgets, too.

"I would encourage (that) they proceed with caution and be conservative with their spending," he said. "We anticipate problems for two — possibly three — more fiscal years."

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Jim Agostinelli and Barbara Drew, who are blind, in Stoneham yesterday. They are losing their jobs because of state cuts. (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)
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"Protests loom over state cuts: Disabled, blind said unfairly hit; Mental health programs affected"
By Matt Viser, Boston Globe Staff, October 18, 2008

A fierce backlash is brewing over social services budget cuts imposed this week by Governor Deval Patrick, foreshadowing potential hazards as the first-term governor attempts to navigate the economic crisis.

Advocates for the blind are planning a protest next week of Patrick's elimination of funding for Ferguson Industries for the Blind, a state-run business in Malden, which will lead to layoffs of 25 visually impaired workers. The advocates are also objecting to reductions in funding for basics like magnifying glasses and talking clocks for poor, elderly blind residents.

This morning, a group of mental health advocates was expected to demonstrate at a state conference of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Danvers over cuts to training programs for the mentally disabled.

"I've been doing this work for 40 years, and these are the most dramatic cuts I've seen to people with mental disabilities," said Stan Connors, president of Bay Cove Human Services, which serves about 14,000 people with mental health disabilities such as schizophrenia, chronic depression, and bipolar disorder. Bay Cove is losing about $3.5 million annually from a $63 million budget, and will lay off 40 of its 1,400-member staff. It estimates the cut will prevent it from serving about 760 people.

"This is really breathtaking," said Connors. "Frankly, many of these people will end up in the hospital. Some will end up incarcerated, and, I believe, some will die."

The protests are building as social workers and nonprofit advocacy groups pore over the details of Patrick's 1,000 layoffs and $1 billion in budget cuts and spending controls, which were required to make up for revenues lost in the economic crisis. About $625 million of those cuts were made unilaterally by the governor this week across dozens of accounts, using his power to balance the budget, and went into effect immediately. He is preemptively denying another $146 million in anticipated spending requests from his departments. He needs legislative approval for the remainder.

The state's financial problems, for instance, have required $9.3 million in cuts in the Department of Mental Health budget.

Administration officials said they wanted to preserve services that provide homes and medical care to mental health patients, but transitional programs that help mentally ill residents get training and find jobs will be scaled back.

"I'm very concerned about every one of the cuts we put on the table," said Barbara Leadholm, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health. "We're cutting programs that we believe are important, effective, and support our consumers' recovery. That being said, we still had to make these cuts. We're having to prioritize in a way none of us wants to do."

The administration yesterday gave department heads several options for cutting back on staff, including delaying comp time and offering one-time payments of up to $7,500 to employees who accept layoffs.

Services for Employment and Education, a program that helps reintegrate adults with mental illnesses into the workforce, is being eliminated as a result of the budget cuts. The program, which relies on $6.6 million from the state, will shut down on Dec. 31 and leave about 2,000 people statewide without job support.

Next month, Ferguson Industries for the Blind is scheduled to close, and 25 blind workers were told on Thursday that they would lose their jobs. Another seven workers at the facility are state employees, most of whom will be relocated to other areas of state government.

The 102-year-old manufacturing facility employs blind workers who make brooms, office supplies, and linens.

"With a stroke of the pen, they eliminated us," said Jim Agostinelli, a 59-year-old from Stoneham who has been legally blind for about 13 years after glaucoma gave him pinhole vision.

Agostinelli has been calling state representatives and members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, hoping anything could help prevent the center's closure. He and others are planning to come to the State House next week to protest the cuts.

The budget cuts the governor announced this week included few winners, with veterans programs and antigang grants for police officers being among the few areas that were not cut. The governor also decided not to cut local aid to cities and towns, which has won him plaudits from municipal officials.

Even high-profile initiatives important to the governor were cut, including $5 million that was going to bolster the state's life-sciences sector; $3 million to expand full-day kindergarten classes; and $4 million for putting new police officers on the streets.

The governor also cut into pet projects that state lawmakers boast about in their district, although many in the Legislature so far have been accepting of the governor's plans. Even House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi was not immune. The North End visitor center in the heart of his district will be all but eliminated, one of his aides said. But some have criticized the fact that one of the governor's pet projects, the $3 million Commonwealth Corporation, is only taking a 5 percent trim.

"This is obviously a sacred cow," said Senate minority leader Richard Tisei. "I don't know how you can cut mental retardation and mental health services and leave boondoggle like this."

Joe Landolfi, a spokesman for Patrick, said Patrick has made numerous cuts throughout his favored programs, including a 17 percent reduction for his own office budget.

Meanwhile, workers from Ferguson Industries will have to start looking for new jobs.

Barbara Drew, a legally blind, 42-year-old Haverhill resident, used to work at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, delivering meals to patients, until she mixed up the 8 and the 6 on one of the rooms and gave a meal to a patient about to go into surgery. Embarrassed by the mixup and fearful she could have endangered someone, Drew said, she went home, cried, and quit her job. About 14 months ago, she was hired at Ferguson Industries.

She has four children in college and her salary is dedicated to helping them stay there. She just doesn't know how.

"We live check to check," Drew said. "We're looking at not sending one or two, or trying to work something out. It's not good. It's not good."
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Frank Phillips of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
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A Slippery Winter Looms
"It's salt into the wound: The cost of keeping local roads dry has skyrocketed"
By Jack Dew, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Sunday, October 26, 2008

Get ready for a slippery winter.

The price of road salt has skyrocketed nationally, forcing Berkshire cities and towns to scale back on their use of salt this winter or face a big deficit in their snowplowing budgets in the spring.

"Unless we get lucky with a mild winter without a lot of storms, people can anticipate less clear roads," said Gregory Federspiel, Lenox town manager and director of the Berkshire group purchasing program that buys salt for the county's communities.

This fall, the group purchase price rose by nearly 40 percent over last year, with rock salt going for about $69 a ton, up from about $50 a year ago.

In Lenox, Federspiel said, the town spent about $100,000 last year on salt. This year, it budgeted $125,000, but is now facing a $140,000 bill. While snowplowing is the one account in which communities can run a deficit, Federspiel and other administrators said they are loath to dig a financial hole in an already slumping economy.

"Then you have to make up that deficit the following year in your tax assessment," he said. "Instead, we'll look at ways to try to trim (salt usage) back. This is New England; people should anticipate slippery roads."

Road salt — which is sold in large crystals and often treated with an anti-caking agent to make applying it to roads easier — is rising this year after the nation used a near-record 20.3 million tons last year, largely because areas from the Northeast to the Midwest had heavier-than-average snowfall.

A spokesman for Morton — the salt company giant — told the Associated Press that the company had increased production at its mines when orders rose between 8 and 28 percent.

"We're producing at the highest practical safe level we can," the spokesman said.

The rising cost of gasoline and diesel is also adding to the price, with distributors paying more in fuel costs to ship salt from mines in Kansas, Louisiana and Texas and even Chile in South America.

In North Adams, Mayor John Barrett III said the higher price is just another rising cost in an already difficult year.

"It's just adding to our woes," Barrett said.

To cope, he said his hilly city will mix more sand with the salt and try to do the best it can.

"We have to put (salt) down. We are a city of hills, and our worse driving conditions are when we get a half inch or two inches of snow and the entire city turns into a skating rink," he said. "We have been mixing (salt and sand) for years, but does it do as good a job? No."

In Pittsfield, the Public Works Department spent $409,000 last year on salt. If last winter's tough weather repeats this year, that figure could easily jump to more than $570,000.

Public Works Commissioner Bruce Collingwood said he's hoping instead for a repeat of the winter of 2007, when the city only used about half the amount of salt.

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Berkshire Athenaeum
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Kathleen Reilly, supervisor of the local history department of the Berkshire Athenaeum, peers into the stacks in the history vault.
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"History lover's delight"
By Conor Berry, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Tuesday, October 28, 2008

PITTSFIELD — Bibliophiles, politicians and patrons of local history were among those who flocked to the Berkshire Athenaeum yesterday to mark the grand opening of the library's refurbished local history and reference departments.

The renovation was the result of a public-private funding collaboration and was completed during the summer. But yesterday's gathering was a formal acknowledgment of the project's success, according to officials.

More than $750,000 in public and private money was raised for the effort, and the result of that financial investment was evident yesterday.

Officials and guests converged in the library's revamped reference section and toured the rejuvenated Melville and Berkshire Authors rooms.

"The Athenaeum never closed during the renovation," said Ben Smith, president of the Trustees of the Berkshire Athenaeum. Smith praised library personnel for persevering throughout the project.

Smith was joined by about 50 people, including Mayor James M. Ruberto, state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, all Pittsfield Democrats.

Upgrades include moveable shelves, a climate-control system, additional storage, and better security and accessibility features, among other improvements.

Ronald B. Latham, the director of the Berkshire Athenaeum, first approached city hall about the renovation project. City funding constitutes more than 90 percent, or $923,820, of the library's fiscal 2008 operating budget of $1,018,319. The private, nonprofit Athenaeum provides library service to the city through a contract.

"I think that what you accomplished, Ron, far exceeded my expectations," Ruberto told Latham.

In the well-appointed Melville Room, for example, visitors can experience a creative oasis that conjures the essence of Herman Melville, the author of the classics "Moby Dick" and "Billy Budd." In fact, the mahogany desk at which Melville sat when he penned "Billy Budd" is on display in the room.

Major funding for the renovation came from the Trustees of the Berkshire Athenaeum ($500,000), the City of Pittsfield ($150,000), the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund ($84,000), and the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum ($25,000).

The Athenaeum was incorporated in 1872 and moved to its current Wendell Avenue location in 1975.

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"Thar she goes: Bill honoring 'Moby-Dick' advances"
The Boston Globe Online, October 10, 2008

Call me Speranzo.

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill - sponsored by Representative Christopher N. Speranzo - that would make "Moby-Dick" the official "epic novel" of Massachusetts.

"It really did open a lively discussion," said Speranzo, a Democrat from Pittsfield, where Herman Melville wrote the novel in a study with a view of Mount Greylock. "There's different viewpoints."

Some questioned whether, in a literature-rich state like Massachusetts, there were better novels.

A legislator from Salem suggested that Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" or "The House of the Seven Gables" might be a better choice.

"I am appalled!" said Representative Cory Atkins, who contends her district in Concord has "more authors per square mile than any other."

"What about Louisa May Alcott? What about Hawthorne? How am I going to face my constituents?" she said.

A compromise was agreed upon.

"Moby-Dick" will be the state's "epic novel" instead of the "official book," leaving a loophole for other novels to be recognized.

State lawmakers, after all, have found room to honor five different rocks: an official rock (Roxbury Puddingstone), historical rock (Plymouth Rock), explorer rock (Dighton Rock), building rock (granite), and a glacial rock (Rolling Rock).

Speranzo filed the bill at the request of fifth-grade pupils at Egremont Elementary School so they could follow the bill through the legislative process.

"I would have to say 'Moby-Dick' would not be my favorite kind of reading," said Karen McHugh, who taught the class. (They read an abridged version of the book.)

Those pupils are now in the seventh grade, and the bill still isn't law. It needs to pass the state Senate and get the signature of Governor Deval Patrick.

Oh. And yes, Speranzo said he has read "Moby-Dick," in college. Asked whether it was his favorite novel, he was diplomatic. "As a representative from Pittsfield, I am very proud 'Moby-Dick' was written in Pittsfield," he said.
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MATT VISER
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"Q&A: Sizing up a whale of a tale"
October 10, 2008, 11:43 AM
By Roy Greene, Boston Globe Staff

The state House of Representatives has approved a bill that would make "Moby-Dick" the official novel of Massachusetts. Boston.com asked Boston University's Maurice S. Lee, an assistant professor of English and an expert on 19th-century American literature, about the historical significance of Herman Melville's epic work.

Q. What makes "Moby-Dick" a great and enduring novel, even though it can be daunting to some readers?

A. Besides women, the novel has everything a big novel should have: compelling characters, moral complexity, philosophical depth, heightened emotion. What particularly distinguishes "Moby-Dick" is its strange mix of powerful and playful language and its wildly experimental form.

It also is a weirdly prophetic text: The passages about bloody wars in Afghanistan and tyrants taking oil-seeking ships to their doom are obvious and painful examples for today.

Q. How does it stack up historically against other notable books based in Massachusetts, such as works by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, for example, that have their vocal proponents?

A. Hawthorne and Alcott were certainly better received in their time than was Melville, and they remain important figures. You can even argue that they are better representatives of Massachusetts literature (Melville wrote "Moby-Dick" in the Berkshires, and the novel begins in New Bedford, but he was born in New York and spent most of his life there).

That said, "The Scarlet Letter" and "Little Women" don't have nearly the same international reach today as does "Moby-Dick," perhaps because they are more local to Massachusetts. "Moby-Dick" is at once local and global, rooted in a Calvinist, whaling mentality but also pre-post-everything (that is, Melville seems to anticipate post-modernism, post-structuralism, post-nationalism, etc.).

Q. What is one of your favorite passages from "Moby-Dick"?

A. "There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own."

Q. What about this region stirs authors so? Could it be the brooding, rugged landscape and sullen, flinty Yankee characters? Could it be the stellar fried clams?

A. The clams help (Ishmael waxes poetical over them in the "Chowder" chapter of "Moby-Dick"). It also has something to do with Puritanism, transcendentalism, Boston's intellectual culture and printing industry, and the hegemony that Harvard has exerted over the study of American literature (kidding, kind of).
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"Local food pantries receive critical funding"
iBerkshires.com - November 20, 2008

PITTSFIELD, Mass - State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) and State Representatives Daniel E. Bosley (D-North Adams) and Christopher N. Speranzo (D-Pittsfield) announce Project Bread’s The Walk for Hunger has awarded a total of $17,500 in emergency food program grants to six local organizations.

“Widespread economic constraints have touched everyone’s lives, especially our most vulnerable populations,” said Downing. “These emergency funds will provide critical cash supplements to sparse food pantries and help countless families keep food on the table.”

Local Recipients:

Berkshire Community Action Council - BCAC Food Pantry $4,000

Salvation Army, Pittsfield $3,000

Berkshire Food Project, North Adams $3,000

VFW Post 10338 Veteran’s Food Pantry, Lanesborough $2,500

Salvation Army, North Adams $2,500

Vietnam Veterans of America 54, North Adams $2,500

Representative Bosley said, "These grants come at an imperative time as days grow colder and those on a fixed income in particular are tasked with paying for fuel and food. The continued efforts of volunteers and of community participation in the annual Walk for Hunger have allowed this program to flourish each year. With the assistance from Project Bread's Walk for Hunger, these local organizations will be able to serve more people in Berkshire County."

Representative Speranzo said, “No family is immune from the tough economic times that we are facing and any amount of money that we are able to provide to these important food pantries goes directly to help a need in our community.”

These grants are funded each year directly from Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger. This year’s 40th Walk for Hunger was a great success and included over 40,000 walkers. In 2008, over 400 emergency food programs and 128 communities will use these grants to provide approximately 43 million meals to hungry families and individuals across the Commonwealth. Guidelines require that 75 percent of the grant be used for food and related supplies, and that up to 25 percent can be allocated for operating expenses.

To learn more about Project Bread’s programming and donation opportunities, please visit www.projectbread.com or call 617-723-5000.

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Massachusetts State budget
"Officials gird for more budget slashing: Berkshire County legislators plan to adjust to the governor's second round of cuts."
By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Friday, January 02, 2009

PITTSFIELD — Gov. Deval L. Patrick's second round of state budget cuts, totaling $1 billion, came as no surprise to Berkshire state legislators.

In fact, they said it may not be enough.

"The $1 billion on top of (what was cut) last time, might not cover the revenue shortfall," said State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox referring to the spending reductions made in October.

Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwin will release revenue figures for the second quarter of the current fiscal year by Jan. 15 and lawmakers aren't optimistic.

"Capital gains is way down and the sales tax is flat," said state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley. D-North Adams.

Patrick's first round of cuts came at the expense of human service agencies, but Bosley and Pignatelli said the additional reductions would have to be more far reaching.

"Local aid is definitely on the table," Pignatelli said. "Human services can't take any more cuts. They've already taken it on the chin."

While Patrick did avoid reducing direct aid to cities, towns and school districts the first time, some municipalities did take a hit on state grant funding. The Pittsfield Public Schools, for example, had state funding for its Teen Pregnancy Prevention program reduced from $125,000 to $67,500.

As communities across the commonwealth hold their collective breath awaiting how the latest state budget cuts will affect them through June, many have begun preparing their fiscal 2010 budget plans — which take effect July 1, 2009 — expecting less state aid.

Richmond Town Administrator Bruce Garlow is using as a guideline House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi's projected 5 to 10 percent cut in state aid.

"We're taking that figure seriously," said Garlow, who noted a 10 percent reduction translates into $50,000 — roughly the salary of a Richmond public works employee.

"That's more than enough to pay for a highway worker for a year, including overtime," added Garlow, who noted the town isn't planning any municipal layoffs.

Preliminary state aid figures will be released in late January, when Patrick releases his state budget proposal.

Lenox Town Manager Gregory Federspiel is already assuming a 10 percent cut, or $300,000 less state aid to spend in fiscal 2010.

"I'm very nervous my assumptions are not Draconian enough," said Federspiel, fearing the state aid reduction could be more.

How much state aid will be allocated will depend on revenue projections for 2010 and according to state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, that will be a tougher task than usual.

"We are so far down on revenues that taking last year's model and reworking it for fiscal 2010 and 2011 won't make sense," said Speranzo, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee.

He added revenue projections are hard to make because they rely heavily on the capital gains tax "which is so volatile."

Lawmakers are also encouraging cities and towns to save money in the long run by joining the state pension fund or enrolling their municipal employees in the state health insurance.

In October, Pittsfield opted into the General Insurance Commission beginning next July, saving taxpayers an estimated $2.7 million.

"If communities are looking to cut costs, they should look at the GIC," Guyer said. "Health insurance is a huge cost factor, whether it be a town or school district."

But local lawmakers said the state, too, must find ways to save money over the long run, likely by streamlining or consolidating state agencies.

Speranzo said certain human service departments could join forces without impacting the people they help.

State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, said the time is right for government reform, including the possible merger of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and MassHighway into one agency, which has been a hot topic on Beacon Hill.

While the new legislative session begins Jan. 7, Pignatelli is ready to return to Boston now.

"I can't wait to get back to work," he said. "I felt we should have been called back sooner to deal with the budget crisis."
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To reach Dick Lindsay: rlindsay@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6233.
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"Quick action in Boston"
The Berkshire Eagle - Editorial
Friday, January 02, 2009

"State to trim another $1B" read the front page headline in Wednesday's Eagle. Happy New Year. 2009 is going to be a difficult one economically in Massachusetts, with tough decisions facing Governor Deval L. Patrick, the Legislature and local elected officials.

Tax collections continue to lag, in large part because Wall Street's ongoing struggles have severely reduced revenue from the capital gains tax, and while the governor managed to avoid cuts in local aid when he trimmed a billion dollars from the budget in October, that may not be possible this time. Cuts in local aid to already financially strapped cities and towns would be painful in the extreme.

All the more reason why Beacon Hill must be aggressive in the weeks and months ahead in finding new ways to generate revenue and make savings. President-elect Obama is promising an ambitious economic stimulus plan after he is sworn into office in three weeks and the state must be prepared to make its case for "use it or lose it" funding. If the state wins federal funding for infrastructure improvements, to go along with the state's own plan to put people to work on long-neglected highway and bridge projects, that money must be shared equitably with the Berkshires, where the funding drain caused by the Big Dig was sorely felt.

The state should hike the gasoline tax by 10 to 15 cents a gallon to generate further revenue, with the majority of it designated for infrastructure improvements. The tax has been 23.5 cents a gallon for nearly 18 years and an increase that will produce tangible benefits for the state is readily justified.

The state can save money by merging the Turnpike Authority with the Highway Department, as proposed by Mr. Patrick. It is a complicated process, but one that will eliminate a costly bureaucracy. The governor should continue his campaign to replace police officers with civilian flag men at most highway construction sites, and not just because of the savings that can be gained from doing so. Perhaps more significantly, that will symbolize that the days when perks were handed out to favored groups are nearing an end in the state.

Beacon Hill must aggressively pursue ethics reform in January through the governor's task force and efforts by individual legislators. House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, embroiled in a controversy over his connections to Richard Vitale, a friend and personal accountant who is the subject of a grand jury investigation, is likely to be re-elected as speaker, but ethics issues hang over the Legislature far too regularly. The year will get off to a good start if ethics laws are toughened and given teeth in terms of enforcement before spring arrives.

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Pittsfield, Massachusetts
"Policing grant program faces a cut"
By David Pepose, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Saturday, February 07, 2009

PITTSFIELD — With the Pittsfield Police Department already understaffed due to budget constraints, city officials are worrying about proposed cuts from the state level that could eliminate the community policing grant program.

"That's my biggest concern with the state grants right now," said acting Chief Michael Wynn. "If our community policing grant goes from our current budget to zero, that's going to be devastating."

Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto agreed.

"If (the cut) is to happen, the impact would be considerable," he said. "The policing grant is used for any number of things, from training to the DARE summer camp to salaries for administrative assistants to certain types of overtime for work in the community."

The proposed cut comes from Gov. Deval L. Patrick's first proposed House budget. Wynn added that the community policing grants were cut from $325,000 to $228,000 last fall. "Now they're contemplating cutting that to zero," he said.

Pittsfield's state representative, Chris Speranzo, said that while this recommendation was only at the beginning stages, the zeroing out of the program was "obviously a serious concern to all of us in the Legislature, and something we'll be looking at in our hearings in the next few weeks."

That said, these funds will not be impacting typical "reactive" policing of the 86-officer crew, Wynn explained, but more proactive community engagement such as enforcing drug- and alcohol-free proms and placing additional short-term details on local problem zones.

Other items to be cut include educational programs for officers with advanced degrees, as well as a $23,593 statewide cut in protective vests. While the police chief said Pittsfield has replaced their vests within the past three years, the cut may further impact the city budget when the force is required to replace the gear.

Wynn said that the state police chiefs association was "doing their due diligence" in lobbying to keep some of the grants. In addition, Speranzo said, "I know we'll be bringing up our concerns at the Ways and Means (committee) meeting in the next few weeks, and I hope the mayor and police chief do, too."

Ruberto, meanwhile, said he planned to have the city budget ready by Tuesday to keep local services above water.

"This is not a time, whether its with the police or with any other municipal department, this is not the time to wring our hands," he said.

Yet with the city already considering a $548,000 budget cut, and the police struggling to quash layoffs by instituting a hiring freeze, the situation is far from sunny.

"We're already looking at a restructuring for our local budget issues," he said. "If that budget goes, we're going to have to eliminate some of the things we've been doing the last few years."
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"Eggs, coffee, budget talks"
By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Saturday, March 7, 2009

PITTSFIELD — The Massachusetts Municipal Association on Friday briefed a group of local and state officials on its positions on fiscal 2010 budget issues during a legislative breakfast at the Berkshire Athenaeum.

The MMA's views on local revenue options such as the closing of the telecommunications tax loophole, municipal health care reform, and local control over the rooms and meals tax were discussed, along with problems with charter school funding, according to Mayor James M. Ruberto, who hosted the meeting.

The presentation was followed by a short question-and-answer session. Members of Berkshire County's state legislative delegation, officials from various county communities, and representatives of Pittsfield's Police, Fire and School departments were in attendance.

The MMA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association that provides advocacy, training, publications, research and other services to state cities and towns.

"Today was a good exchange between our municipal partners who provide services on the front line and the Berkshire delegation to talk about where we are with the budget coming up, and the budget that we're closing out," said State Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield.

With the state facing the possibility of a $4 million budget deficit, Speranzo said it was important for the legislative delegation to hear what local officials have to say.

"You can't tax your way out of this problem; you can't cut your way out of the problem," he said. "When you look at fiscal 2003, which was then unprecedented, we had a $2.3 million budget hole after (the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks), and we could be up to twice that.

"We've started the ways and means hearings," on the budget, Speranzo said, "so it's important for us to hear from our mayors and selectmen about what they need as we go into this."

Councilor at large Matthew M. Kerwood attended the meeting in his capacity as Richmond's town administrator. He said that he asked the state legislators to support a joint amendment on local aid, so that communities will have some assurances of what state aid will look like as they craft their fiscal 2010 budgets.

The state legislators agreed to support the resolution, according to Lenox Town Manager Gregory F. Federspiel.

"It was a good opportunity to come in and speak candidly with the delegation as to what cities and towns are feeling as everybody tries and deals with the issues at hand," Kerwood said. "I don't envy the positions that the legislators are in. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made.

"But as we sit here as local officials the more assurances and the more understanding that we can get from them as they wrestle with all these issues is what we're looking at in terms of local aid," he said.

Besides Pittsfield, the MMA also held legislative breakfast meetings on Friday in Belchertown and Newburyport.
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To reach Tony Dobrowolski: tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6224.
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"State secretary of education calls for reform in local school systems"
By DAVID A. VALLETTE, dvallette@repub.com, The Springfield Republican, Tuesday, March 10, 2009

MONTAGUE - Waiting on federal stimulus funds to deal with school and municipal government money woes is not such a good idea, according to the state secretary of education, Paul Reville.

"It's not a substitute for taking tough reform actions," Reville told members of the state Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means, at a state budget hearing held at Turners Falls High School.

Reville said Massachusetts can expect from $6 billion to $9 billion from the stimulus package, but it is not clear when it will arrive, or the limits on its use.

"We're awaiting guidance," he said.

Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins, who appeared before the committee as part of a delegation from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said that although her city has "a $6 million problem" regarding its fiscal 2010 budget, and federal money could help, she said that the stimulus and its uncertainties right now are "a distraction."

She said many hard decisions have to be made, and the sooner the better, yet many of them are being put off out of stimulus hope.

State education officials offered little information to the legislators about what the federal money will pay for, but said a spending plan will be ready, and the intent is to see that the funds are quickly spent.

The hearing was held here at the urging of two local legislators, Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, and state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield. Other Western Massachusetts legislators on the joint committee were Sen. Michael R. Knapik of Westfield, Rep. Christopher J. Donelan of Orange, Rep. James T. Welch of West Springfield, Rep. Christopher Speranzo of Pittsfield, Rep. Michael F. Kane of Holyoke, and Rep. Denis E. Guyer of Dalton.

Reville said the state will continue to push for more collaboration and regionalization of schools.

He said he realizes, however, that while there has been general agreement "at the top" regarding the need for collaboration, at the local level it has not been so simple. The state is therefore providing funds to school districts to help study possible collaboration with each other, from sharing administrators and programs to regionalization.

Geoffrey C. Beckwith, executive director of the municipal association, said that municipal governments will be hit hard by proposals in the 2010 budget.

"Overall, we predict thousands of layoffs of teachers, police officers, firefighters, public works employees and many other key workers," he said.

Aid to cities and towns is slated to drop by $369 million from this year, he said.

Among other things, the association is pushing the state to allow municipalities to impose sales taxes on meals in their restaurants, and also drop the requirement that changes in health insurance for municipal employees must be negotiated.

Others presenting a budget case to the legislators included Bernard R. Kubiak, Deerfield's town administrator, who called for "a halt to the expansion of charter schools," until a better funding system can be worked out. Currently, charter students are students lost to the local school system, thereby decreasing the amount of school aid from the state. He said state aid to cities and towns has dwindled, while costs have gone up.

"State aid has not kept pace with inflation, let alone local need," Kubiak said.

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"House gives OK to ethics reform"
By Matt Murphy, Berkshire Eagle Boston Bureau, Friday, March 27, 2009

BOSTON — Tainted by several high profile corruption scandals, House lawmakers passed a broad ethics reform bill last night that expands the definition of a lobbyist and increases fines for foul play.

Local leaders said the bill, passed unanimously, marked an important step toward restoring the public's trust in the Legislature at a time when the state faces unprecedented financial challenges.

"We need to restore public confidence, and hopefully this will do that. It's hard to move other important issues forward if the public doesn't trust you," said Rep. Denis Guyer, D-Dalton.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo made ethics reform a top priority this session, and the bill passed last night became the first major piece of legislation to advance during his tenure.

The Senate will tackle ethics reform next, before a final version heads to the governor's desk for his signature.

The bill would double the penalty for violations of lobbying laws to $10,000, bar any gift from a lobbyist to a public official and increase the penalty for bribery from $5,000 to $100,000 and 10 years in prison.

The legislation expands the definition of a lobbyist by lowering the threshold before someone must register as a lobbyist from 50 hours or $5,000 in salary to 25 hours or $2,500.

The House unanimously approved an amendment by Rep. Lewis Evangelidis, R-Holden, which would prohibit officials from paying ethics fines out of their campaign accounts.

Publicly lawmakers applauded the move, but privately some grumbled that the bill imposed unnecessary reporting requirements and would limit public input on lawmaking by broadening the definition of a lobbyist.

Others said the bill made a strong statement, but does not change the fact that bribery and corruption have always been illegal.

Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, supported the bill, but said its effectiveness will depend on the ethics commission's ability to enforce it.

He said the state must also be careful not to infringe on people's first amendment rights to discuss laws with public officials.

"If someone's going to take cash they're going to fins a way to do it," Bosley said.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick appointed a task force on ethics reform in 2008 after ex-Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's arrest on federal bribery charges.

In a response to Wilkerson's defense that money came from friends to help pay off her personal debt, the bill passed by the House includes an explicit ban on gifts to public officials by people who may try to influence business before the Legislature but aren't registered lobbyists. That provision, which lowers the burden of proof in court, was originally left out of the House version, but was later added in as an amendment.

The bill would also give the attorney general the ability to call statewide grand juries to investigate local corruption and gives the secretary of state subpoena power.

However, the House avoided making decision on whether to give the state attorney general wiretapping authority in corruption investigations, a key provision in Patrick's recommendation.

The House bill instead establishes a special commission to study the proposal.

With regard to campaign finance laws, the bill increases the number times candidates must report donations in off-election years, increases fines for late filing and authorize the removal of a candidate's name from the ballot for failure to file a campaign report if the Office of Campaign and Political Finance has filed a legal complaint.
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"Officials chime in on fiscal trims"
By David Pepose, Berkshire Eagle Staff, Friday, April 17, 2009

PITTSFIELD — Just a day after the House of Representatives released its fiscal 2010 budget, the Berkshires delegation gave mixed reactions to the spending plan, and vowed to fight for individual amendments they plan to submit later today.

The $27.4 billion House budget is $532 million less than the budget proposed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick three months ago and $700 million less than the budget approved by lawmakers last year. The House's bare-bones budget slashes local aid to cities and towns by 25 percent starting July 1.

"I think we are doing our best to manage what is a very difficult and catastrophic revenue situation for the state," said Rep. Denis Guyer, D-Dalton.

"The deficit after 9/11 hit was somewhere just under $2 billion," Guyer said. "Our deficit (now) is somewhere around $4.5 billion to $5 billion. ... We're basically managing a fiscal crisis that is almost three times as large as the last one."

Today, House members can submit amendments to the budget plan. A final vote will occur in the coming weeks. Once the Senate adopts its budget, the differences between the House and Senate versions will be ironed out, resulting in a state spending plan for fiscal 2010.

The Berkshire delegation is in agreement on restoring funds for the Department of Developmental Services.

"That is one area where I think the House recognizes the most vulnerable in our community still need to be taken care of, even in what is a very catastrophic fiscal crisis," Guyer said.

Guyer plans to file a budget amendment today restoring the $60 million line item for regional school transportation funding, which now stands at $30 million. If Guyer's amendment passes, it would reimburse 80 to 85 percent of costs rather than 40 to 50 percent.

"That is a six-figure loss from some of our districts," he said. "That money would have to be made out at the local level, and would have to come out of the school budget."

Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, said that while few groups were left untouched by the budget cuts, they sustained a deeper hit because 30 to 40 percent of the state's budget is beholden to contractual obligations.

"There were some earmarks we didn't get that I think are very important for the Berkshires," Bosley said, including funds for the Turner House in Williamstown and the Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund.

The most important amendment, Bosley said, deals with the cut funding to the Regional Transit Authority, which is not forward-funded like the MBTA.

"Every budget is a reimbursement from last year," Bosley said. "Now that budget has been cut, and that's money we have to restore because we've already spent it."

Meanwhile, Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, said he was "very concerned about the devastating cuts in local aid."

"A 25 percent cut in local aid on top of the governor's 10 percent cut a couple of months ago could be devastating to many communities along the Berkshires," he said.

Regarding amendments, Pignatelli said that he and Rep. Christopher Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, were "leading the charge" for funding the Drug Task Force operated through the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office.

"It's predominantly focused on Pittsfield, but we need to realize that it's a countywide problem," Pignatelli said.

Included are programs with Railroad Street Youth to combat drug abuse as well as to reinstate the governor's original $2 million for dual enrollment. The latter program would allow students to take college courses for credit while still in high school.

"This is saving families in the state a tremendous amount of money in the long term while allowing kids a jump-start on their education," Pignatelli said.

One topic many of the representatives touched upon were the comments of North Adams Mayor John Barrett III, who told The Eagle Tuesday that legislators "(took) the easy way out" by not tapping into the state's reserve funds.

"He's dead on. ... He hit the nail right on the head," Pignatelli said. "We need to provide some relief for some of these drastic cuts."

Guyer disagreed with Barrett.

"The problem is, from a budgetary perspective, what's the bottom of this crisis? If we were to spend out our entire rainy-day fund to fix this $4.5 billion problem, we would still be $3.5 billion short," Guyer said, adding that the Statehouse has already committed $1 billion in reserves to cover this year's deficit.

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"413 Youth Conference set for Friday"
North Adams Transcript - 5/5/2009

NORTH ADAMS -- The Berkshire Youth Development Project (BYDP), a collaborative effort of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, the Pittsfield Prevention Partnership, and the Railroad Street Youth Project/South Berkshire Youth Coalition, is hosting its third annual "411 in the 413 Youth Conference" on Friday, May 8, 2009. While registration for the conference has closed, the public is invited to a concert later in the evening on that day that serves as the capstone event for the conference day.

The conference will bring young people together to explore, debate, and address topics of interest. All Berkshire County public high schools were invited to send up to 10 students each to participate at no cost. More than 100 high school students from across Berkshire County will gather at Hancock Shaker Village from 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. They will experience a variety of dynamic keynote presentations from local youth and nationally-recognized speakers on youth empowerment. At 7:30 p.m., the event will open to the public as conference-attendees transition into a unique music event featuring youth talent from across Berkshire County. The concert, which costs $5 and is open to all ages, will be held at the HSV Round Barn. Proceeds from the concert will support next year’s youth conference.

This event is made possible by support from the Berkshire County Legislative Delegation, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Hancock Shaker Village. For more information about this event, contact Kate Merrigan at 413-663-7588 or kmerrigan@nbccoalition.org.

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"Neglecting state parks"
The Berkshire Eagle, Editorial, Friday, May 29, 2009

Budget cuts are affecting many aspects of the state, but the cuts leading to the decision of the Department of Conservation and Recreation not to staff two Berkshire County parks are indicative of a far larger problem — Boston's indifference to the declining quality of our wilderness recreational areas.

The DCR has been forced to eliminate about 330 employees, or 15 percent of its work force, which to the Berkshires means that Berry Pond in Pittsfield and Windsor State Forest will be closed to camping and swimming for the indefinite future. As there is no real way to make a forest inaccessible, the concern of Barbara Giusti, chairman of the Windsor Board of Selectmen, that there could be a drowning in the unsupervised Windsor State Forest should be taken seriously.

The state's indifference to its parks is personified by the farcical situation in which one park ranger serves the western end of the state while more than 60 range around the Statehouse in downtown Boston and the city's urban "parks." This is a product of eastern selfishness along with a residue of 9/11 paranoia, as the unarmed rangers ranging the Statehouse are supposedly on the lookout for terrorists.

Meanwhile, the true state parks of Berkshire County are wide open to damaging off-road vehicles and partiers, who trash the parks with activities violating laws that are unenforced because there is no one to enforce them. Now, as summer looms, Berry Pond and Windsor State Forest will be officially off limits — though people who choose to ignore the rules will find a way to throw beer bottles around or tear up the wilderness on ATVs. If, however, Boston doesn't care enough about state parks to protect them or staff them, why should the louts who ruin the parks care either?

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News & Notes: "No State Money for Flood Damage"
By Larry Kratka, iBerkshires Staff reports - June 26, 2009

PITTSFIELD, Massachusetts — The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency announced earlier this week that there would no state money available to cover damages to Pittsfield or homeowners in Pittsfield following the June 15 flash floods.

The Berkshire News Network asked state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, and state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, if they had anything to say about the issue. Speranzo said in a statement that damages to municipal and private property caused by flash flooding in Berkshire County on June 15 underscore the importance of ongoing negotiations in the Legislature regarding the establishment of a permanent disaster relief fund under the jurisdiction of MEMA.

Downing said he fully supports Speranzo's proposal, authorizing such a fund. Downing also said he is ready to work with federal representatives to advocate for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to help Massachusetts communities during states of emergency, and his casework staff is always available to assist residents to ensure that their insurance companies are meeting their obligations. State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, also supports the Speranzo bill.

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