Election 2009: Marciano Wants to Clean Up City Hall

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PITTSIFELD, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Mark Marciano has issued the following statement on his goals if elected and his reasons for running:

Fellow Resident,

If you are like me, you care deeply about "Our" Pittsfield. You care that "Our" families thrive. You care that that good careers are abundant. You care that "Our" businesses prosper. You feel that "Our" government works for us, "the people" — not the other way around.
 
That our schools are breeding grounds of leaders to lead our future nation, even our future world. That our streets are safe and no one feels threatened in their own home. We must encourage growth and stop goverment from reaching its sticky fingers into our hard-earned savings.
 
Our state is struggling in these tough times, and you can't help but wonder if our current government body is doing anything to help us in our pursuit to happiness. The current mayor and counselors are raising taxes and defending "hack holidays." Ethics violations and corruption has engulfed current town hall, and new policies get debated in secret, behind closed doors, out of the public view.
 
It's time for a new direction for Pittsfield. It's time to clean up the political mess in our government. The solution to the problems in Pittsfield is not new taxes or laws, the solution is new lawmakers.
 

I ask you to support me by electing me as your new, vibrant, ethical mayor for our city of Pittsfield, as well as help to clean out current councilors. There are a good number of councilor candidates dedicated to restoring good and efficient government, and this can only begin with changing the leadership and cleaning up the political mess on Allen Street.
 
As a resident, I have begun to focus on industry professionals with projects to create careers so we can take advantage of our great strengths, such as dedicated and impassioned activists, accomplished and willing volunteers, and a resonant message that rings true and clear with Pittsfield voters. You will hear more about this project in the weeks to come.
 
Together, we will grow this community from the grassroots up, building a strong base from which we can launch winning environments for all to enjoy. I will continue to be the voice for common sense and honesty in our Pittsfield. By promoting honest, hard-working residents and defending our values, the Mark Marciano Mayoral Party will try to deliver a brighter future to the residents of Pittsfield. We need to start now. Please allow me the honor and pleasure of serving you as your mayor.
 
We need city employees that exercise "CARE" — Courteous, Attentive, Respect and Enthusiasm — when it comes to the handling of our concerns as residents. I would use CARE as your mayor. I would also be the first mayor in the country to put Web cams in ALL City Hall offices and I would streamline City Hall so that it would be the consortium that would be open to the needs of our residents at their convenience.
 
Together we can accomplish many things. On Sept. 22, 2009, vote for Mark Marciano. I am No. 4 on the preliminary ballot. If you have any questions, you can reach me at 413-464-2494 or at manasotatap@yahoo.com.

Submitted by the Campaign to Elect Mark Marciano
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Berkshire County Sheriff's Office Warns Public of Phone Scam

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler is warning members of the community about an ongoing phone scam involving individuals falsely claiming to be employees of, or affiliated with, the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office has received an increased number of calls from community members reporting that they were contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the Sheriff's Office from numbers with 413 area codes that sometimes show up on a caller ID as Berkshire County Sheriff's Department. During these calls, the caller claims the resident owes money for various reasons and attempts to collect payment. Scammers may request money orders, cashier checks, gift cards, or other items. Sometimes scammers will say a courier will come to a house to pick up the item or will request that account or gift card information be read over the phone.

The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never call a community member to demand or collect payment, request gift cards, or ask for. The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never send a courier to a resident's house. Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID.

Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID. The scammers are also spoofing the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office phone number, causing the legitimate number to appear on the recipient's caller ID in an effort to make the call appear authentic. Spoofing is when a scammer disguises a phone number, email address, or website to look like someone they know or a trusted agency's number.

"Scammers use fear, urgency, and the credibility of law enforcement to convince people that their demands are legitimate," said Sheriff Thomas Bowler. "If you receive a call like this, hang up. Do not provide personal or financial information, and do not send or transfer money."

Residents who receive a suspicious call should independently contact the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office at (413) 443-7220 to verify whether the call was legitimate. Do not use a phone number provided by the caller to verify their identity.

Sheriff Bowler urges residents to share this information with family members, friends, and neighbors, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.

 

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