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PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 14-6, 2025) — Hang on to your wallets.
Both hands.
The wannabes running the city have begun noodling on the budget, which has ballooned to $215 million and counting.
You would probably join the Kapanskis and THE PLANET in thinking that with nearly $1 billion in long-term liability and declining services, the Bitchfield braintrust would finally realize it’s time for some serious belt tightening.
Well, no.
The budget is going to rise again, and taxpayers–homeowners and small businesses–are going to get crushed. “Leadership” will invent all sorts of gobbledygook to justify MORE CITY SPENDING, but ordinary citizens, taxpayers, and especially readers of this board know the true reason: Mayor Lumpy, Kufflinks, councilors, the school committee, and the rest of the policy makers don’t care about you. When it comes to facing the public in a serious and substantial manner, they panic, which explains why they keep to themselves with back pats and fanny slaps.
It’s a perfect financial storm:
- Uncontrolled city spending
- Lack of fiduciary responsibility
- More useless programs and initiatives, including DEI.
- A cut in federal spending because Bitchfield is in Massachusetts, which leads the nation in anachronistic, woke defiance of President Trump.
“So we win some, we lose some,” said Lumpy.
By the first “we” he meant himself and the rest of The Suits. The second “we” referred to the Kapanskis, and the loss will be enormous.
———- ooo ———-
These jokers are setting up Bitchfield citizens for a Whopper. Kufflinks said the cost of health insurance premiums taxpayers provide to city employees will be going up between 9 and 19%, 14.8% on average. During this present fiscal year, the premiums jumped 5.5%, Kufflinks said. So what do you think the solution will be? Common sense would say that the generous 85-15 split, with taxpayers picking up the 85, is no longer sustainable.
State law requires municipalities to provide at least a 50-50 deal on health insurance premiums. This begs for the split to be changed. THE PLANET suggests a minimum of 60-40, which is still better than what you will find in the Dreaded Private Sector. A 60-40 split would absorb the premiums increase, save millions, and leave money in the treasury.
Unfortunately, Lumpy, council president Voltron, and the rest of the “players” fear the political backlash of public employees more than they do the silent rage of beleaguered taxpayers. You think your fuel costs are up? Wait until you see your tax bill.
———- ooo ———-
Pictures at an Exhibition
THE PLANET‘s strolling photographer filed these pictures taken in downtown Bitchfield prior to the storm. They depict the all-too familiar faces of a dying city that neither the mayor nor council care to recognize. And to think these spaces only a few short years (decades?) ago were showcases of civic pride.
We hope city “leaders” are haunted by this.
THE PLANET hastens to add that these weren’t isolated instances. Such indigence was by our correspondent commonly seen. We wish it were not the case.
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“Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent” — Calvin Coolidge.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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