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Bissonnette formally launches mayoral campaign

Date: 10/2/2015

CHICOPEE – Former Mayor Michael Bissonnette told a story during his speech at his campaign kick-off on Sept. 30. He spoke to a Chicopee resident while campaigning who described Bissonnette’s administration as “the good old days.”

Bissonnette said with a laugh, “It was only two years ago!” The capacity crowd at the Munich Haus got the joke.

He later called the current administration of Mayor Richard Kos as “pale imitation of the good old days.”

Bissonnette recalled his triumphs and the accomplishment of his eight years in office and said there is much work left to be done. He cited the expansion of businesses such as A.M. Litho, the acquisition of state and federal funds that helped increase the number of apartments at Ames Privilege, the additional parking in downtown with the demolition of the former Market Square Billiards building as some of his accomplishments.

He discussed the economic impact of Chicopee Crossing on Memorial Drive, a development made possible by working with the Commonwealth on funding for a new traffic intersection and light. The result, he said, is $6 million in new taxes from the businesses that are now there.

His proudest achievement was the redevelopment of part of the Uniroyal/Facemate site and the construction of a new senior center.

Bissonnette said the mayoral election is “more than a difference in personalities.” He charged the Kos administration as a “caretaker administration” which is “satisfying the political agenda of people who wanted to see me out.”

He asserted that Kos has increased taxes and water rates and there has been an increase in crime. He expressed incredulity about the announcement that police were addressing “12-year-old [gang members] on bikes” and pledged to work with the police chief on decreasing crime in the city.

“I’m not going to stand here and tell you Rickie Kos is a bad man. He’s not,” Bissonnette said. He added that Kos has just not kept his promises.

He charged the Kos administration is not doing enough to seek federal and state funds and business development is not moving forward. He said one businessperson told him the mood in the city is like “the air has gone out of the balloon.”

Bissonnette said, “We can’t afford to let this go on for two more years.” He said he has met recently with representatives of two unions and “the dissatisfaction with the Kos administration is rampant. People are starting to see the light.”

Thanking his wife for her support, Bissonnette referenced two of the stories that made headlines about him. “We know no documents or files were missing. We know no online voyeurism was going on, at least not after I met her,” he said with a smile.

Bissonnette issued two challenges to Kos. He pledged that he would serve out his term in office if elected, implying that Kos is looking for other employment.

He also said that as of that day, he is scheduled for two debates with Kos – one on TV22 and the other on Western Mass News without the public being able to attend. He repeated his offer to Kos to meet five times with the public in neighborhoods throughout the city, an offer so far Kos has yet to accept.

Reminder Publications contacted the Kos campaign about additional debates and was given the following statement: “Over the course of the next several weeks, our campaign anticipates receiving a number of invitations for the candidates to engage in a discussion about issues here in Chicopee. Debates are an important part of the election process. It is our intention to consider all offers for debates and to make decisions on them as we move forward and as the campaign develops. At no time has our campaign stated that we would not be willing to engage in public forums. Any statement or representation to the contrary is inaccurate. Our campaign has issued two statements addressing the issue of debates. To be clear, we would expect that any public forum would involve participation by the media.”