Letter: Kamala Harris' Visit Was for the Money

To the Editor:

I hope the Harris campaign thanked iBerkshires for the free advertising you gave them about her visit to Pittsfield for a lavish fundraiser at the Colonial Theatre. Make no mistake, Kamala didn't come to the Berkshires because she cares about what average people are struggling with in the 413 area code — she came because privileged followers donated $1.4 million.

I am under no illusion that she will keep us out of World War III, curtail the impending climate catastrophe, raise the national minimum wage, significantly reduce crushing student debt, or fight to get us Medicare for All. She takes big money from superPACs including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and such donors will heavily influence her policies. Martin Luther King said that people should be judged "for the content of their character," and this should apply today to Kamala Harris, who superficially might seem like a good leader for our troubled country. Let's not forget that as Attorney General of California she prosecuted the impoverished parents of truant children while not prosecuting investment banker Steve Mnuchin for his role in the 2007-8 financial crisis.

The election of 2024 is not just a contest between the two corporately controlled political parties. I strongly reject both the Democrats and Republicans, neither of which work to significantly improve the lives of average Americans. Both are corrupt and support needless wars and a genocide in Palestine. Trump has been convicted for his payments to a porn star, but every high level member of the Biden/Harris administration should also be prosecuted for being partners in the Palestinian Genocide. And it is not anti-Semitic to say that Israel is an apartheid, racist, settler colonial state whose foundation was based on land theft and forced displacement of an indigenous population. Many American Jews like me share the conviction that anti-Zionism is not a form of anti-Semitism, and that the phrase "never again" must mean never again to anyone.

There is another choice that should be reported by our media, assuming that balanced reporting is the goal. Jill Stein is seeking the Green Party nomination, she doesn't take big donor money or have a superPAC supporting her, she is pro-labor, pro-climate, pro-peace, and anti-genocide. It's time to put the lives of ordinary people over corporate profits by voting for her for president.

Henry Rose
Dalton, Mass.

Dalton Elects Incumbents, Write-in for Planning Board

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
09:06PM / Monday, May 11, 2026

The last-minute write-in campaigns for Planning Board resulted in higher than normal write-in votes — 306 — for Monday's election. 

DALTON, Mass. — The unofficial results for the town's annual election indicate that Planning Board registered candidate William Striebel III and write-in candidate Richard Hall have secured the two seats.

 

Some 413 voters cast their ballots at the Senior Center on Monday. There were 82 mail-in ballots.

 

The Planning Board race began with just one candidate for the two available positions, leaving one vacancy initially unfilled, but as Election Day approached, two additional candidates launched write-in campaigns, transforming it into a competitive contest.

 

The Planning Board saw a significant number of write-in votes, totaling 306. Striebel secured 238 votes, Hall 163, and Mary Tresa Devereaux with 133. 

 

Both Hall and Devereaux have been endorsed by the Dalton Clear Air Coalition, of which Hall is a member, and Democratic Town Committee. 

 

Hall decided to run for Planning Board last Monday inspired by the Berkshire Concrete situation wanting to ensure that the company follows the town's zoning bylaws. 

 

"Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I look forward to helping the town. It's a privilege being on the Planning Board," he said.