Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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JOHN BREASTED: The Great Barrington Selectboard’s credibility gap

Transparency does not require officials to reveal legal strategy. It does require them to tell voters when the town has been sued.

I WITNESS: God save us from white Christian nationalists

According to my understanding of Christianity—a Christianity based on the teachings of Christ—there is nothing “Christian” about white Christian nationalists.

Trump knows the value of a broker in real estate deals. Why not in diplomacy?

Donald Trump should know better than to send JD Vance, the person one heartbeat from the presidency, to be the lead negotiator with the Iranians.

Is Trump faking it?

Could this pattern of behavior—the grandiosity, the erratic statements, the apparent detachment from reality—be laying groundwork, consciously or not, for a future claim of mental incompetence as a shield against legal accountability?

Who does our congressman represent?

Our congressman gets thousands from the insurance industry as town after town in the county is searching for money and solutions to large insurance increases at annual town meetings.

STEPHEN COHEN: Faith and hypocrisy

Why can so many devoutly religious individuals support such hatred of others, based solely on religion, culture, politics, and their location.

Some residential tax exemption realities

We need to be able to have sincere discussions backed up with real-world examples in order to make informed decisions about policies that can have serious effects on our financial lives and the cultural life of our town.

PETER MOST: Three kinds of lies (updated) — Lies, damn lies, and town budgets

The fiscal 2027 budget process has been, in a word, theatrical. Next year, Town Hall can leave theatrics to the Mahaiwe across the street.

More than a mascot

This week, as a Lenox resident with a child in the Lenox school district, I received a survey in the mail presenting three options: keep “Millionaires,” change it, or “I don’t care.” On one level, it may seem like a small question. On another, it asks something larger.

I WITNESS: Ladies First

Tulsi Gabbard might want to start dusting off her resume.

STEPHEN COHEN: Reflections on a tzadikim on the 800th anniversary of his death

St. Francis of Assisi has always been an example of a tzadikim and a man of peace—and we need St. Francis now more than ever.

Why doesn’t the state step in and fix Housatonic’s water problem?

If I am told, "This is not the way it works," my response is that the system isn’t working.

To the residents and taxpayers of Great Barrington: a note of gratitude

This is a long-overdue note of gratitude to the residents and taxpayers of my beloved Great Barrington.

BRIGHT SPOTS: Week of April 8, 2026

“Americans don’t want foreign wars, they want cheaper health care, groceries, and gas at home.” Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO).

Potty Mouth

The president's latest assault on good taste is not so likely to go away politically, unless the shooting war he has initiated permits him to change the subject.

PETER MOST: Is the Residential Tax Exemption a House Divided (by Assessed Value)?

What follows is a roundtable discussion between those who favor and those who oppose the Great Barrington Residential Tax Exemption.

VIEWPOINTS: Trump’s Insurance Policy?

People should start thinking seriously about what might happen between now and January 20, 2029.