To the Editor:
This September 4th, Berkshire voters have the opportunity to elect the next District Attorney. For a county that has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic and economic downturn, we have seen first hand how the criminal justice system is working not for our community, but against it. We have seen that the old way is simply not working and we need to take a new approach to criminal justice in Berkshire County. We simply cannot afford to continue supporting a broken system that perpetuated high recidivism. Our families cannot afford to continue losing their loved ones to the “system” nor can our tax base continue to fund this broken and bloated system.
I hope that voters will join me in fully assessing who each candidate has shown themselves to be throughout this process, their work ethic, and commitment to making a healthy and thriving Berkshire County.
This elected position is not one of entitlement, as the acting District Attorney Caccaviello presents. The language used by his campaign and supporters reflect the privilege and disconnect that we have seen from Capeless. With his unethical appointment, his blatant flouting of conflict-of-interest laws at his campaign announcement and the recent harassment of local businesses by his family, he has shown the voters what kind of campaign he is running as well as his true nature.
On the other hand, Judith Knight cannot be the progressive she portrays herself to be. This is evident by her continued coziness with the Caccaviello campaign. This candidate has repeatedly made favorable statements about the regressive acting District Attorney, as was seen in her interview on the John Krol Show. This activity coupled with Ms. Knight’s campaign infrastructure puts her candidacy in question. Ms.Knight’s campaign finance reports reveal a less than serious effort to win this race.
For too long, Berkshire County has relied on the good-old boy network to make decisions that impact us now and in the future. These decisions have shown themselves to harm our most vulnerable populations. We desperately need change, which is why I will place my vote with Andrea Harrington for District Attorney. She has experience and a vision for the future that will bring about the reformation we need.
Sharon Winsett
Pittsfield, Mass.
