Letter: Gaetani Running Write-in Campaign

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To the editor:

Let's analyze the [preliminary],

The voters on September 22nd, consisted of A) a few GOB network people and their money and, B) special special interest groups; The police department, fire department, and city workers and their family and relatives.

This voting block represents just under 18 percent of the total number of registered voters who could have voted. Some 27,460 did not vote.

For every city and town in America, the special interest groups come out in force during primary elections and always narrow the field no matter how large the candidate pool down to two special interest candidates.

By doing so they ensure that the only candidates that will be elected will be the ones who continue to provide raises and support for them.

The special interest groups have forced every city in town in America into the fiscal mess they find themselves in today.

Many communities are very near bankruptcy due to the high salaries and medical and retirement benefits promised to the special interest groups.

Things got so bad in Detroit and Sacramento, Calif., that they did indeed file bankruptcy. Now these two cities can start over again.

What bankruptcy does for a community is to allow it to renegotiate contracts with special interest groups. The community can establish new salaries, benefit and retirement packages that the community can afford to pay the special interest group.


We can clearly see that the most important election in any election cycle is the primary election.

Most voters do not understand this they skip the primary election and vote in the general election where they have no real choice because the special interest groups have their candidates in place having them elected in the primary.

Knowing this, is there an alternative in Pittsfield's upcoming mayoral election? Yes, there is every one of the 23,000 registered City of Pittsfield voters who did not vote in the primary who can vote for a candidate as a write-in candidate on Nov. 3.

All a voter has to do it is write in the name of the candidate they wish to become mayor. It is as simple as that.

I am announcing my candidacy as a write-in candidate. I hope that the 23,000 of you Pittsfield registered voters who didn't vote in the primary election will vote for me as a write-in candidate on Nov. 3.

You 23,000 voters who didn't vote for the GOB, special interest group candidates now have a real opportunity to vote for a non-GOB special interest group candidate, Craig C Gaetani.

You can see and listen to me every Friday on PCTV Channel 16 at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

I would ask that you watch my show and please vote for me as a write in candidate on Nov. 3. My platform is simple – return the city to its rightful owners, the taxpayers. What you want you will get and more importantly, what you don't want won't be shoved down your throat.

Please vote on Nov. 3. I, a decorated Vietnam veteran and all others who have served in all American wars, especially our fallen military have paid for your right to vote. Please don't squander your vote. We fought hard to give you that right.

(Mr. Gaetani was eliminated from the ballot in the preliminary election for mayor.)

Craig Gaetani
Pittsfield

 

 

 


Tags: #PittsfieldElection,   election 2015,   letters to the editor,   


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North Street Parking Study Favors Parallel Parking

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes.

The city, by request, has studied parking and bike lane opportunities for North Street and come up with the proposal staged for implementation next year. 

While the request was to evaluate angle parking configurations, it was determined that it would present too many trade-offs such as impacts on emergency services, bike lanes, and pedestrian spaces.

"The commissioner has been working with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and my office to come up with this plan," Mayor Peter Marchetti said during his biweekly television show "One Pittsfield."

"We will probably take this plan on the road to have many public input sessions and hopefully break ground sometime in the summer of 2025."

Working with Kittleson & Associates, the city evaluated existing typical sections, potential parking
configurations, and a review of parking standards. It compared front-in and back-in angle parking and explored parking-space count alterations, emergency routing, and alternate routes for passing through traffic within the framework of current infrastructure constraints.

The chosen option is said to align with the commitment to safety, inclusivity, and aesthetic appeal and offer a solution that enhances the streetscape for pedestrians, businesses, cyclists, and drivers without compromising the functionality of the corridor.

"The potential for increasing parking space is considerable; however, the implications on safety and the overall streetscape call for a balanced approach," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales wrote.

Bike lanes and parking have been a hot topic over the last few years since North Street was redesigned.

In September 2020, the city received around $239,000 in a state Shared Streets and Spaces grant to support new bike lanes, curb extensions, vehicle lane reductions, and outdoor seating areas, and enhanced intersections for better pedestrian safety and comfort.

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