a Unionsa actions stick in craw

This day I am livid after reading about the North Adams union leaders' complaints as to insurance packages and retirement benefits.

[anon]

$600,000 = a few pennies. Um. Right.

And what happened to Mr. Carbin in 1981 has very little to do with what is happening now, but I'm glad he got that off his chest. I hope he feels better now.

[The union part again]

and mine is someone who wants all of us to be proud of North Adams!He has given his all during these trying times these last few years and just won't quit because of his passion to lead. He has taking on the special intrest groups here and in Boston even though most wouldn't touch these issues because of being P.C.. He has gone to bat for the citizens over the local unions attempts to rake the tax payers across the coals with demands that the average working Joe aren't afforded in their employment.He has been one of the biggest supporters of the elderly and down and out people who have lost their jobs with being fiscally concerned for them.He has kept taxes from large increases even with a global $ meltdown. There are so many positves he has done while mayor that would require much more space to report them. I urge all to attend one of his fundraisers and listen to someone with passion and knowledge of how a city should and needs to be run.

[Church Street Resident]

- Crime rates rising every year for the past 10 years (even as the population recedes)
- A police force cut to the bone, with no more than 3 officers on duty on a Friday night to police 12,000+ residents.
- A school district near the bottom in every category statewide.
- 40+ Vacant storefronts in the downtown area
- Property tax assessments outpacing actual valuations

These are the things that I see. And these are facts, not opinions or feelings. This IS what is happening in North Adams today, and has been for quite some time.

And if there really is a $600,000 liability (which needs to be investigated), that's the final straw.

[anon]

Just for full disclosure: Phil (the author of this letter), is the John Barrett's neighbor.

[Arnold Sziphill]

No one eats cat food.That is a lie.You can buy three bags of Roman dehydrated soup for a buck at Wal Mart and there are many other things in the food dept. that cost way less than cat food. I do agree that the fire department has it's problems and one is the large amount of "bums" who are scamming the tax payers with phony disability claims. But then again this is North Adams and we seem to have our fair share of massholes.

[hrh]

Church Street Resident wrote:

- Crime rates rising every year for the past 10 years (even as the population recedes)
- A police force cut to the bone, with no more than 3 officers on duty on a Friday night to police 12,000+ residents.
- A school district near the bottom in every category statewide.
- 40+ Vacant storefronts in the downtown area
- Property tax assessments outpacing actual valuations
These are the things that I see. And these are facts, not opinions or feelings. This IS what is happening in North Adams today, and has been for quite some time.
And if there really is a $600,000 liability (which needs to be investigated), that's the final straw.

40+ vacant storefronts in downtown? Did you walk through the wrong downtown? Please, name them all. I guess you didn't see Moulton's Pizza, Computer Bug, Edward Jones Investments, McLellands, the General Store, The Hub, Cup & Saucer, Verizon, China Buffet, BrewHaHa, Man's World, Gramercy Bistro, Sleepy's, Radio Shack, Greylock Credit Union, Label Shopper, Staples, the Cineplex, Peebles, Papa Gino's, Legacy Bank, Holiday Inn, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Christo's Pizza, Taylor's Fine Dining, Boston Seafood, Angelina's, Hoosac Bank, the nail salon, tanning salon, TGL Photoworks, Big Y, Family Dollar, Village Pizza, yup, you're right, the downtown is just plain empty, like your head.

[anon]

hrh wrote:

<quoted text>
40+ vacant storefronts in downtown? Did you walk through the wrong downtown? Please, name them all. I guess you didn't see Moulton's Pizza, Computer Bug, Edward Jones Investments, McLellands, the General Store, The Hub, Cup & Saucer, Verizon, China Buffet, BrewHaHa, Man's World, Gramercy Bistro, Sleepy's, Radio Shack, Greylock Credit Union, Label Shopper, Staples, the Cineplex, Peebles, Papa Gino's, Legacy Bank, Holiday Inn, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Christo's Pizza, Taylor's Fine Dining, Boston Seafood, Angelina's, Hoosac Bank, the nail salon, tanning salon, TGL Photoworks, Big Y, Family Dollar, Village Pizza, yup, you're right, the downtown is just plain empty, like your head.

If it weren't for all the free rent that Scarafoni was giving to the temporary galleries, the downtown would look a lot different.

And 40 does not seem like a high number. Drive down River, Eagle, Ashland, etc... There are lots of empty storefronts. A whole lot.

[hrh]

anon wrote:

<quoted text>If it weren't for all the free rent that Scarafoni was giving to the temporary galleries, the downtown would look a lot different.
And 40 does not seem like a high number. Drive down River, Eagle, Ashland, etc... There are lots of empty storefronts. A whole lot.

Again, please name them! I listed a whole bunch of the businesses that ARE in the downtown, so please, give me your list! If you want me to include Ashland Street - Red Sauce, Elf Parlor, the new Burrito place, Cumberland Farms, I already mentioned the businesses in the Oasis Plaza, Landmark Credit Union, the laundromat that's being renovated finally. Eagle Street has Jack's, a new photo studio, the restaurant that went in near Village, the new motocross store (I wouldn't go there, but it IS a store), the gift and sweets store. River Street, Porches, the market, a couple of car repair places, not the best retail area, but you can also thank the likes of Joe Lora and Mike Deep for how awful places like the liquor store and the old Dex Moore property look. As I said, sure sounds empty to me. Every downtown in America is hurting in one way or another, ours is not completely full, but it has a lot to offer.

[Church Street Resident]

hrh - There are 23 galleries open for downstreet arts in vacant spaces right now.

Twenty-Three.

Eagle Street has 8 vacant store fronts.
Ashland has 5.
The antique store on main is empty.
The L-shaped mall is missing a large one.
The Peebles building has 2 empty (undeveloped) store fronts.

The General Store is for sale. McLellands inventory keeps getting smaller and smaller.

And I'm not even stretching the concept of "downtown" that far.

Please don't insult my intelligence. All you have to do is count.

[Church Street Resident]

Of course every downtown is hurting right now, in one way or another.

The problem many of us have is that it has been like this for years, through uptimes in the economy and down.

[Mr Underhill]

hrh wrote:

<quoted text>
Again, please name them! I listed a whole bunch of the businesses that ARE in the downtown, so please, give me your list!

I've gotta agree with Church Street on this one. I could probably count that many if you include the extended area of downtown. And some of those are big - the car dealership across from Aces that is gone for example. I bet if you took a walk downtown (including rt2, ashland, church) you'd come up with 40...

Which is not to say that there aren't some wonderful businesses in town. But you can't deny the high level of retail vacancy (downstreet art makes it look better temporarily).

[Insight]

hrh wrote:

<quoted text>
Again, please name them!

You want the businesses that WERE there or just addresses?

C'mon. 40 is not unreasonable. There is both good and bad in North Adams retail, but the trend is not good.

[PROGRESSIVE]

I don't know how this thred got for unions to storefronts but then again this is NA.

While unions are needed to protect workers from being taken advantage of, lets face it unions are greedy and don't give a darn about anyone or anythig but theeir wallets, there are times that unions should step back and give the taxpayers a break and this is one of them, and I don't mean only the city employees but the gas co employes shoud back off for now to. It's to b ad these things always come up before an election and the disapear right after.

[watching you]

Arnold Sziphill wrote:

No one eats cat food.That is a lie.You can buy three bags of Roman dehydrated soup for a buck at Wal Mart and there are many other things in the food dept. that cost way less than cat food. I do agree that the fire department has it's problems and one is the large amount of "bums" who are scamming the tax payers with phony disability claims. But then again this is North Adams and we seem to have our fair share of massholes.

Give it up, this city has moved on. Oh yeah, keep insulting the firefighters, that will help you a lot during this unions trouble. Fire department keep notes of WHO is calling you "scammers"I bet Alcombright has a lot of respect for you guys, not this so called "Arnold" (take a guess)

[Arnold Szyphill]

watching you wrote:

<quoted text> Give it up, this city has moved on. Oh yeah, keep insulting the firefighters, that will help you a lot during this unions trouble. Fire department keep notes of WHO is calling you "scammers"I bet Alcombright has a lot of respect for you guys, not this so called "Arnold" (take a guess)

Do you deny that several young men went out on disability and most went right to work somewhere else? Connecticut did away with this heart and lung law and Masachusetts should do the same.High blood pressure can be controled with drugs and I know of one con man who stoped taking his pills during his disability hearings and he is on the dole for life. As a condition of being hired they should not be allowed to smoke cigaretts for a start. And like in the private sector if they are drawing disability they should not be allowed to work.How about Dennis M ? This guy is supposed to be disabled and he runs marathon races? You are either a fireman or an idiot and probably both. Never in the history of this city has a fireman died. How many Sprague workers died of cancer? Hero's???? I doubt it.How about the volunteer fireman plan? Remember when a certain fireman called him on the phone and made threats? That should have caused this guy to lose his job and be arrested....P.S. not only do you not know what you are talking about but you don't have a clue as to who I am even though you constantly elude too such.

[interesting]

anon wrote:

Just for full disclosure: Phil (the author of this letter), is the John Barrett's neighbor.

Interesting! I predict we will expect more "letters to the editor" from neighbors, friends an others as election day approaches.Interesting election times...

[action jackson]

interesting wrote:

<quoted text>
Interesting! I predict we will expect more "letters to the editor" from neighbors, friends an others as election day approaches.Interesting election times...

For barrett that should read friend, as in singular, and that may be a stretch. JB doesn't have any friend(s).

[working man]

Arnold Szyphill wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you deny that several young men went out on disability and most went right to work somewhere else? Connecticut did away with this heart and lung law and Masachusetts should do the same.High blood pressure can be controled with drugs and I know of one con man who stoped taking his pills during his disability hearings and he is on the dole for life. As a condition of being hired they should not be allowed to smoke cigaretts for a start. And like in the private sector if they are drawing disability they should not be allowed to work.How about Dennis M ? This guy is supposed to be disabled and he runs marathon races? You are either a fireman or an idiot and probably both. Never in the history of this city has a fireman died. How many Sprague workers died of cancer? Hero's???? I doubt it.How about the volunteer fireman plan? Remember when a certain fireman called him on the phone and made threats? That should have caused this guy to lose his job and be arrested....P.S. not only do you not know what you are talking about but you don't have a clue as to who I am even though you constantly elude too such.

Can you name those young men? I'd like to know who they are. I'd sure like to meet those guy's who never die, I'd like to be one. Most of the firemen who DID! die, died from cancer or heart attack. Most won't live be be that old. If you did any reading, you would know that world wide, both are the leading cause of fireman deaths. anyone in the private sector who has been disabled from any job, can still work, but there is a ( cap ) on how much they can make in a year. So for example, if you fell off that chair you always sleep in at work & went on disability, you could still work some type of part time job, to supplement the difference between what you made while sleeping in that chair, and what you make on disability. You really should check your facts before you call someone an idiot. By the way, Massachusetts has four S's, controlled has two L's, cigarettes has two E's, & stopped has two P's.

[Irate Taxpayer]

working man wrote:

<quoted text>
Can you name those young men? I'd like to know who they are. I'd sure like to meet those guy's who never die, I'd like to be one. Most of the firemen who DID! die, died from cancer or heart attack. Most won't live be be that old. If you did any reading, you would know that world wide, both are the leading cause of fireman deaths. anyone in the private sector who has been disabled from any job, can still work, but there is a ( cap ) on how much they can make in a year. So for example, if you fell off that chair you always sleep in at work & went on disability, you could still work some type of part time job, to supplement the difference between what you made while sleeping in that chair, and what you make on disability. You really should check your facts before you call someone an idiot. By the way, Massachusetts has four S's, controlled has two L's, cigarettes has two E's, & stopped has two P's.

Typos are not spelling errors and he does know how to spell scam. Most of their deaths are from drunks and smoking and don't say otherwise because you guys do nothing 99% of the time.This isn't a large city with several fires a day.

[Good Grief]

Good Grief! I hope Irate Tax payer doesn't think that all firefighters do is put out fires! They respond to every accident in town, do educational programs for children, and probably much more. I am sure a firefighter could give you a very long list of all they are responsible for. I certainly wouldn't want just a volunteer fire dept in this city.