Our Opinion: Mayors message - dont challenge party line The Berkshire Eagle Posted: 11/14/2014 03:34:39 PM EST3 Comments | Updated: about 18 hours ago Pittsfield Mayor Daniel Bianchi stepped up to the microphone before Tuesdays City Council meeting to criticize councilors for being obstructionist and The Berkshire Eagle for being irresponsible. Translation: Toe the City Hall party line and dont go poking around in any dark corners. This is nothing new from the mayor, who doesnt like criticism or critics. What was new was that — coincidentally enough — a contingent of Bianchi acolytes showed up at the open microphone session to offer a preview of the mayors remarks. They also formed a cheering section that ignored Council President Melissa Mazzeos pleas for an end to the applause that marred the session. The mayors calls for cooperation and an end to negativity on the part of the City Council were richly ironic coming from someone who was consistently negative and a lone no vote during his tenure as a Ward 6 city councilor. Mr. Bianchi was among the leaders of the opposition to a new downtown ballpark — a terrible loss for Pittsfield. He was late to the game on downtown cultural development in general and the Colonial Theatre restoration in particular. Back then, Mr. Bianchi described himself as a council watchdog. However, city councilors who adopt that role now that he is mayor are regarded as traitors. Councilors who ask that they and the city be kept informed of the mayors plans and actions or challenge them are only doing what Pittsfield voters expect them to do. It is obvious that the mayor and his supporters dont want to read any bad news coming out of City Hall, but The Eagle is obligated to pursue and report it. The BerkshireWorks debacle, for example, involved taxpayer money and disrupted an important agency. The Eagle owes it to its readers to explore what happened and why. Blaming the messenger wont make this issue go away. We trust that members of the City Council wont be intimidated by the mayor or bullied by his supporters no matter how often they show up at meetings to scold the councilors and make a ruckus. Voters didnt elect them to be City Hall rubber-stamps any more than Councilor Daniel Bianchi was elected to be a rubber-stamp. Mayors who are confident in themselves and their policies dont have to resort to the kind of theatrics witnessed Tuesday night. Rather than look for scapegoats, Mr. Bianchi would be better advised to accept criticism, work with all city councilors, and in general take a more positive, constructive approach to his position as the citys chief executive.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 02:31:49 +0000
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