The new guard

BYLINE: By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire County's state legislative contingent had a combined 37 years of experience at the beginning of last year. Starting this year, it's down to seven.

Thirty years of legislative experience disappeared when state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley resigned to accept an economic development position in Gov.-elect Deval L. Patrick's cabinet last month and state Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr. chose not to run for re-election in November.

State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, is now the senior Berkshire legislator with four years of experience. Meanwhile, state Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton, just completed his first two-year term. State Rep. Christopher J. Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, is four months shy of having served two years in the Statehouse.

Then there's 25-year-old state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, who comes from a politically active family, but whose only political experience so far has been a stint as an aide in U.S. Rep. John W. Olver's office in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, Bosley's seat becomes vacant this week, and the Speaker of the House has not set a date to elect his successor. A handful of candidates, a few with local political experience, have signaled their intentions to run for the seat.

So where does the loss of legislative experience leave Berkshire County's constituents heading into 2007? How will it effect Berkshire-centric projects, such as continued funding for the $5.3 million Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative, aid for workforce development, and funding for higher education?

Local politicians, educators and representatives of the county's business community say the current crop of Berkshire legislators appears to be smart, aggressive, savvy and connected enough to make up for what they lack in experience.

"You know, experience is overrated," Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto said. "Obviously, it counts. The seniority system is the gold standard in Boston and every other legislature. But we have a tremendous group of legislators who are smart and know how to listen. I think we'll be just fine.

"The value of seniority lies in the positions on committees and, obviously, we suffer," Ruberto said. "But this is really offset by the quality of the people we have elected to offices in the Legislature and the Senate. That makes me feel comfortable."

"We have very good legislators," added North Adams Mayor John Barrett III. "Yes, they're inexperienced. But it doesn't take long to get experienced down there."

Committees important

Barrett said seniority is not as important in the Legislature as moving up enough to be placed on a committee.

Pignatelli is a member of the joint committee for higher education, and has a good relationship with the committee chairman, Kevin Murphy of Lowell, according to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' President Mary Grant.

Barrett believes that Downing, whom he calls "a precocious young man," should be chairing a committee sometime during his two-year term.

"I think he'll do well," Barrett said of Downing. "In that environment, you learn quickly."

Local voice in cabinet

Bosley, who served 20 years in the Legislature, will be difficult to replace.

"He was the door opener for getting to the speaker (of the house)," Barrett said.

On the flip side, however, the North Adams Democrat's new position as Patrick's special adviser for economic development gives Berkshire County a voice inside the governor's cabinet.

"He's going to have the governor's ear," said Michael Supranowicz, the president and CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, who is also co-chairman of the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative. "I think having him close to the governor can't hurt us at all and is a real benefit for us."

Suzanne M. Bump of Great Barrington, a former state representative and current partner in a Braintree law firm, has been named Patrick's secretary of labor and workforce development.

Unlike outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney, Patrick is much more familiar with this area of the state. He's building a home in Richmond.

Ruberto was an early and avid supporter.

"Not only does Deval Patrick know Berkshire County, he knows Pittsfield," Ruberto said. "He knows where the Christian Center is. He knows where PEDA (the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority) is. He knows where Wahconah Park is. This governor-elect has more of an understanding of the community development initiatives going on in Pittsfield than probably any governor in the last 16 years. And he hasn't even been sworn in yet."

On Legislature's radar

Regarding Berkshire projects, such as the wireless initiative and Pittsfield's proposed downtown cinema center, Ruberto said state legislatures are more familiar with this area than ever before.

"We are no longer unknown in Boston," Ruberto said. "The renaissance taking place in Pittsfield and throughout the Berkshires has been well-publicized."

Barrett is not as confident as Ruberto.

"I'm worried about that," he said, when asked how the dearth of leadership among the current Berkshire legislative contingent would effect county projects. "Dan Bosley has to make sure that it stays the course. That is critical."

Both Grant and Berkshire Community College President Paul Raverta said Patrick's decision to emphasize the importance of education during his campaign bodes well for the Berkshires' higher education institutions.

"I think what the problem has been in educational funding is having a friend in the corner office," Raverta said. "Gov. Patrick is saying he's going to be that friend for us. If that's the case, I think it will be a benefit for all of Massachusetts education, not just BCC."

Grant said that each member of the county's state legislative contingent understands that without education there can be no economic development in the Berkshires.

"We have a delegation that gets it and understands that education is important," Grant said. "We can count on that to continue."

Pignatelli, Guyer, Speranzo, and Downing will be sworn in on Thursday.

Tony Dobrowolski can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or at (413) 496-6224.