Spin and Bubbanomics

I think that Mr. Duvall is right. Someone obviously wrote Salisbury Councilman Gary Comegys’ little op-ed for him in this morning’s “Tilghman Times“. Personally, my money is on John Pick. It reads well, is persuasive on the surface, and it packed with more misstatements, spins and truth stretches than one of Barrie Tilghman’s addresses. Read more

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A Revenue Cap for Salisbury?

As most of you know, I am firmly opposed to the Wicomico County revenue cap. As the county grows, how can needed infrastructure and and county services be paid for when revenue from property taxes can only rise 2% per year? I strongly support a rate cap, but we’re stuck with what we have for the foreseeable future.

Salsibury, unfortunately, may be a totally different case. Since Mayor Barrie Tilghman and her dirty little guild believe that funding bureaucracy is far more important than adequately funding essential city services such as public safety perhaps an argument can be made for a revenue cap in the city.

If you are not going to be adequately protected from crime and there is no guarantee that an ambulance is going to show up on time when you dial 911, why not benefit from declining tax rates? While I’m still opposed to revenue caps on principle, it might be something to think about.

Technorati Tags: Salisbury, politics, salisburypolitics, revenuecap, taxation, fiscalpolicy

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The World’s Most Famous Dry Cleaners

$65 million for a pair of pants? I’m sure you’ve read about or seen coverage of the DC lawsuit requesting $65 million in damages for a dry cleaner losing a pair of pants. Nothing in America surprises me anymore, but one question that doesn’t seem to be asked, much less answered, is “What judge would even allow this to go to trial?”.

This only adds more evidence that there are two eternal truths in the world - the Bible and Shakespeare.

TORT REFORM NOW!

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Bureaucarcy Wins! Taxpayers Lose.

Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman wins again! That was the gist of the Salisbury Council’s adoption of an FY2008 budget that includes a 14% property tax increase, raises for cops, minuscule raises for city firefighters and plenty of pork to continue funding the Barrieland bureaucracy.

I will have to give Councilman Gary Comegys credit for one thing, he is the first person in the Mayor’s cabal to properly use the word “consensus”. Up to now, Princess Louise and Gary have been content with the colloquial definition of the word (majority) when the correct definition means unanimity. Way to go Gary! That “Executive Vocabulary” program seems to be paying off. Read more

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Stall Defeats Williams in Primary

Conservative activist Patricia Stall defeated incumbent Virginia Sen. Marty Williams in the 1st senatorial district GOP primary Tuesday. In what should be a wake up call to moderate Republican legislators Stall defeated the incumbent chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee 54% to 46%.

Williams blamed his defeat on rising real estate assessments and low turnout. He refused to concede that his transportation plan had anything to do with his defeat. Anecdotally, I happen to know that many voters (including my in-laws) wanted to vote for Stall Tuesday but were turned away from their regular polling places and did not know where to go. Read more

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Media Monday 070611

Sometimes you just have to give the devil his due.  Sure, I love to criticize the “Tilghman Times”, but we are seeing more balance in their coverage and on the op-ed side of the paper.  The most recent example is their publication this morning of an excellent column by Salisbury Councilwoman Debbie Campbell concerning the city’s budget budget and overall fiscal management.  There recent publication of a column by former Councilman Bob Caldwell is another example. Read more

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Don’t Let a Few Facts Get In The Way

In Salisbury bureaucracy and cronyism are the twin pillars upon which rests the throne of Barrieland. Cut public safety but not the Asst. City Administrator. Don’t hire needed paramedics if it means inconveniencing a Tilghman acolyte like Ron Alessi and his Zoo Commission. Sure, a couple people may die, but we’ve got our priorities.

For those who think that the Zoo Commission and its ancillary units are doing all they can to raise money for the zoo, think again. Just look at these numbers from a very diligent reader and ask yourself, “What if the zoo charged a little?”.

REMEMBER FOLKS, if you live in Salisbury the Zoo ain’t free! It’s costing you around $33 / year.

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The Commanding Heights

Hopefully you watched the little video clip on yesterday’s post about the Salisbury budget and its seeming disregard for the market. The clip, via YouTube, was part of a PBS series title “The Commanding Heights”.

This series should be part of every high school and college curriculum in the nation. Despite the misgivings of my leftist friends, this is a non-partisan issue. It doesn’t matter whether you are a “tax and spend” Democrat, a “borrow and spend” Big Government Republican, a corporatist, or a socialist; a free market is a requirement for a free society. To paraphrase one of the interviewees on the show, a free market is necessary (but not sufficient) to a Democracy. Read more

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Markets Work, Governments Don’t - Even In Salisbury

Wednesday the Salisbury City Council will adopt the FY 2008 budget. It appears that the council will adopt the “Bubba Plan”, authored by announced Nobel Laureate Gary Comegys.

Under the Comegys plan Police officers will receive a raise this year, but with no plan to bring them to parity over the long term. Fire Fighters will receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) plus a miniscule raise. Again there is no long term plan to bring these public safety personnel to parity with area jurisdictions. Other public employees will receive COLA increases and, I believe, step increases. The “logic” behind this plan is that public safety employees are not worth more than other public employees. Read more

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Yes, Virginia

There are Poodles who can read and write. Read more

Gingrich Predicts Defeat If GOP Nominates a “Four More Years” Candidate

In a Friday speech at the American Enterprise Institute, former Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted that the GOP will lose the White House and additional seats in Congress if the Republican nominee is perceived as too “Bush-like”. Gingrich said that GOP officials must offer a dramatic, idea based platform for remaking government.

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“We’re Moving to the County”

That will likely be the theme song for a greater number of city residents (at least those that can afford to) after the Salisbury City Council passes a 14% property tax increase on Wednesday. A few people don’t like to pay taxes at all. They will never be satisfied if Salisbury had the lowest tax rate in the nation. Others will make the economic judgment to seek the biggest bang for their buck and move to an area where services and lifestyle are similar, yet the cost of living (which obviously includes property taxes) is lower. Another group will resent their money being wasted. Read more

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The American Foreign Legion

Why not? The French do it. Of course the same people screaming for our government to allow illegals to serve in the military are also screaming for amnesty. Next we’ll be reading that we’re allowing poor immigrants fight the rich white man’s war.

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Gary and Louise Claim Victory!

Salisbury City Clerk Brenda Colegrove has rejected the petition to take the Tax Cap Charter Amendment to referendum. Of the 2,562 signatures submitted, only 2,141 were accepted. 2,277 signatures were needed to force a referendum. According to Ms. Colegrove signatures were rejected for one of two reasons - the signer was not a registered voter or they were “out of district”. After repeated questioning, Ms. Colegrove explained that “out of district” meant that the person was a Wicomico County registered voter but not a Salisbury voter. This is particularly strange since the vast majority of signatures were gathered door-to-door using lists of city registered voters provided by the Wicomico County Electoral Board.

Councilman Gary Comegys, smiling like the proverbial cat during the event, said that the Council is now likely to vote for a 14 percent tax increase. While taxes will rise for city homeowners and business, needed paramedic positions and a pay increase for firefighters will not be funded; unless certain members (Smith, Comegys or Shields) change their minds between now and Wednesday.

Council President Louise Smith is “pleased” with the results.

I only wish the taxpayers of Salisbury could say the same thing.

Technorati Tags: Salisbury, politics, salisburypolitics, petition

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Only in Louisiana (or DC)

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is considering a run for Louisiana Governor. The conventional wisdom may be that he doesn’t stand a chance. Of course I’m still scratching my head over his re-election as Mayor. Or William Jefferson’s re-election to Congress.

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