Different Rules

The Old Line feels that the General Assembly won’t curtail Gov. O’Malley’s hiring practices too much. Ya think? With all of the criticism over Ehrlich’s appointment of “at will” employees does anyone honestly believe that the leadership of the General Assembly will be as concerned when Republicans are fired?

Dem Governor, different rules. Personally, I’m of the belief that “at will” means just that. Busch and Miller think that it only applies to Democrat governors.

Technorati Tags: Maryland, politics, marylandpolitics, patronage, hypocrisy

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Worcester County - From the Right

We now have a Worcester County blog that is unabashedly on the Right side of things. You can check out WorcesterRight here. I haven’t found much local content, but this guy is either a very fast typist or he’s somehow managed to install an aggregator on Blogger.

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Where’s The Audit?

Has anyone been wondering about the audit of Salisbury’s finances?  Barrie Tilghman and her brilliant “council leadership” hired a new finance director who was supposed to fix all of those pesky little problems like balancing the books.

According to their own rules, the audit should have been completed and presented to council before October 1. They are almost four months past due and they still aren’t done. Why do they even bother?

I guess it must be those irritating state statutes.

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Salisbury’s Nobel Laureate

Salisbury City Councilman Gary Comegys is a lock for the Nobel Prize in Economics. At Monday’s city council work session Comegys stated:

Taxes are going to have to go up or the assessable (tax) base has to change. That’s the only way the general fund can raise revenue.

That was brilliant Gary. There’s just one minor problem. Thanks to you and the rest of Queen Barrie’s “council leadership” the assessable base can’t go up very much. The two big projects on hand - Aydelotte Farms and the old mall project - were given TIF’s. As the assessable base of those projects rise the money will go to pay off bonds, not increase the general fund.

I guess that only leaves an increase in taxes. I’m sure you’ll be telling folks that while your asking for their vote in April.

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Them Commuter Tax Blues

Crabbin’ speculates that Queen Barrie and her court may attempt to implement a commuter tax to put a patch on Salisbury’s fiscal woes. I hope the man is wrong.

Another name for commuter tax is “job killer”. The only businesses that will want to move into Salisbury are the fictional ones that Barrie Tilghman pines about in her little (but expensive) newsletter. The prevailing wage rate in the city will have to rise to compete with wages outside of the city.

Unfortunately, Mr. Crabb may be right. The current administration doesn’t seem too interested in recruiting businesses. They are more interested in recruiting residential subdivisions. They love development that costs more in services than it pays in taxes.

Would someone please give Barrie a calculator and sign her up for a basic accounting class at Wor-Wic.

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On Evangelicals and Politics

Bearing Drift has a great post on McCain’s run and the effect evangelical Christians will have on the nominating process. Even more interesting are some of the comments.

Evidently, Dr. James Dobson has stated that he won’t vote for John McCain under any circumstances. Many economic conservatives may cheer such a statement. Unfortunately, whether you agree with social conservatives or not, they are the grassroots army that win elections for the GOP. Read more

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Spouses Exempt From Lobbying Reforms

All of the grand pronouncements regarding lobbying and ethical reform specifically exempt spouses of members of Congress. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) has proposed a ban on spouses of senators lobbying any Senator, unless that spouse was lobbying at least one year prior to their spouses election to the Senate. You don’t want to bet on the success of this rule passing.

Technorati Tags: lobbying, politics, campaignfinance

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Check It Out

Thanks to Joe Albero and Salisbury News for pointing out a pretty good Maryland political blog, Maryland Politics Today. The blog’s author, P. Kenneth Burns, seems to be taking a fairly balanced approach to things from what I’ve read so far.

I particularly enjoyed today’s post on Del. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore). Sure she’s a Dem, and a pretty liberal one at that, but she’s one of my favorite Maryland legislators. From what I’ve seen, this woman is afraid of no one and seems to care more about her constituents than she does herself. She might wind up the next mayor of Charm City.
Technorati Tags: Maryland, politics, marylandpolitics, JillCarter

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The View from Across the Mason-Dixon

Delaware Representative John Atkins (R-Millsboro) has been getting lots of attention in Maryland recently. Most of that focus has been on his more than favorable treatment by the Ocean City PD. Just see what happens to you if you blow a 0.14 on the Breathalyzer.

Delaware Grapevine is dishing from north of the line. It’s an interesting read. If you thought that politics was strange (and corrupt) south of the Mason-Dixon, you’re missing out. Up until Atkins’ recent bouts with the law he chaired the Corrections Committee, while his wife is working for the Department of Corrections. His punishment seems pretty severe though. He is now chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Pretty boring right. It happens to be one of the political plums of the Delaware House.

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McDonnell Challenges Kaine on Immigration

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell has criticized Gov. Tim Kaine for not seeking federal authority to detain illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

“I don’t see the great additional burden on local law enforcement,” McDonnell said at a news conference. We can’t keep saying (illegal immigration is) a federal issue and we’re helpless in Virginia to do anything about it because we’re not,” McDonnell said.

Technorati Tags: Virginia, politics, virginiapolitics, TimKaine, BobMcDonnell, immigration, crime

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What A Contrast

The “Tilghman Times” doesn’t seem to like the Wicomicio County Council too much. Most people think that this is just because our new county council had the gall to deny Barrie’s buddies a multi-million dollar subsidy in the form of a TIF. I happen to think that it goes a little deeper than that. Read more

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A New Worcester County Blog

I was just made aware of a new (they started last month) Delmarva blog. Check out Worcester. We wish the author well.

Technorati Tags: Worcester, politics, news, worcesterpolitics, blogging

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The Responsibilities of Government

“A government ought to contain in itself every power requisite to the full accomplishment of the objects commmitted to its care, and to the complete execution of the trusts for which it is responsible, free from every other control but a regard to the public good and to the sense of the people.”

– Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 31, January 1st 1788)

What is the probability that Barrie Tilghman and her “council leadership” have ever read the Federalist?

Technorati Tags: Federalist, Hamilton, BarrieTilghman, DunnDeal, government, responsibility

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Gangs, What Gangs

Always count on the “Tilghman Times” to tell it like it is. On Monday, and again this morning, we were treated to articles on the gang problem in Somerset County. I guess there aren’t any gangs in Salisbury, at least until after the City Council elections.

Technorati Tags: TilghmanTimes, Gannett, Salisbury, Somerset, politics, media, salisburypolitics, crime, gangs

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Media Monday - 070115

You can always count on Laren Hall Hughes and her editors at the “Tilghman Times” to prove our contention that the local rag is the house organ of the Barrie Tilghman administration and not simply a unit of Gannett. Sunday’s edition provided more ammunition. Read more

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