Council Votes to Continue Corruption - Part II
As we noted yesterday, the discussion and vote over Resolution 110-2008 (to ask the legislature for a binding referendum to abolish the Wicomico County dispensary) was confusing to say the least. Last night I had an opportunity to review the proceedings on PAC-14 and was dismayed to discover that Wicomico County Councilman John Cannon had indeed abused his authority as council president.
Cannon’s tenure as council president has been relatively smooth. As a rule, Cannon runs a good meeting. He follows the rules. Both he and the other members of council treat each other, and the public, with respect. Compared to the Salisbury City Council’s under both Mike Dunn and Louise Smith, this Wicomico County Council is a joy to witness.
Why then did Cannon use a variety of bush league, Louise Smith - type, tricks to railroad the defeat of the referendum bill? You’ll have to ask John Cannon. I can only explain what he did and why it was not only improper, but an abuse of his office as chair of the council.
Councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes moved the resolution and it was seconded by Councilman Joe Holloway. Councilwoman Gail Bartkovich immediately moved to postpone the motion.
Abuse #1
Bartkovich argued that the council “needs to get its act together” before asking the county’s legislative delegation to put a referendum bill before the Maryland General Assembly. This is an argument for another day, but we should assume that Mrs. Bartkovich is sincere in her motivation. This is evidenced by what she does a little later AND by comments she made at the end of the meeting.
At this point Cannon asked whether this is a motion to postpone indefinitely or to a certain date. At this point Bartkovich stated that she would be willing to change her motion from a “Motion to Postpone” to a motion to “Lay Upon the Table”.
Cannon immediately shot back that she couldn’t do that. Cannon claimed that “there are other criteria to table” a motion. Cannon is mistaken. There may be better circumstances, but such a move to table is not necessarily invalid unless the intent is to kill a motion without adequate debate. This does not appear to be Mrs. Bartkovich’s intent.
Because the Wicomico County Council has not adopted any special rules of order (nor should it), the County Charter and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised govern their meetings. While a motion to “Postpone to a Certain Time” is the preferred method of dealing with a question like this (because it is debatable AND because the motion has to be brought back up again for continued debate), a motion to table can be used. In fact, Resolution 111-2008 had to be tabled, albeit for more conventional reasons.
Cannon can make a valid arguement that his refusal to allow a motion to table was not abusive. However, given his subsequent conduct, this claim loses merit.
In any event, Bartkovich’s motion to postpone died without a second - after a confusing merry-go-round conducted by Cannon.
Holloway asked County Attorney Ed Baker what the deadline was submitting a request to the delegation. Baker stated that it probably be late November to mid-December.
Bartkovich argued that Legislative Services - the department within the General Assembly that marks up bills - started marking up bill in mid-August. However, this is irrelevant to a deadline.
Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman stated that she did not want to see this resolution postponed. Instead she offered a motion to make the resolution contingent on further addressing the issues brought forward by Mrs. Bartkovich, such as revenue, licensing fees and the other items addressed in the Worcester County referendum bill of several years ago.
Abuse #2
Cannon asked Ed Baker if “we could do that”? Baker confirmed that such a motion was in order. Cannon then commenced to demand more specifics. Council Adminstrator Matt Creamer offered a solution - using the specifics of the Worcester County bill as a guide.
This did not suit Cannon. At this point I doubt anything would have. Prettyman made a perfectly valid, if ineloquent, motion. If seconded, and the council felt that it wasn’t specific enough, it could be amended. Cannon was abusive in his bait and switch attempts to confuse and bully Prettyman and other council members.
Prettyman’s motion should have been allowed to go through. If it had died without Cannon’s excessive editorializing, so be it.
It appears that the council is split on this issue. That’s fine.
I was shocked to hear Sample-Hughes state that she is opposed to allowing the citizens of Wicomico County to vote on this matter. We all know that she is opposed to closing the dispensary. I’m just surprised that she wants to deny citizens the right to decide.
That’s fine. She was elected and at least she’s taking a stand. I just wonder if she opposes all legislation by referendum (as I do) or is it just that she doesn’t trust the voters to keep the current corrupt system which she currently endorses. The other two Democrats have hinted at their opposition, but appear to be hiding in a corner - along with Cannon and possibly Bartkovich. They’ll vote against it, but they want some political cover.
Cannon’s behavior on Tuesday points to a classic “fence straddling” move. He likes to claim that he wants to close the dispensary but fights any definitive action being taken.
If Cannon is accurately paraphrased in the Salisbury News, it is obvious that he is spending too much time with Louise Smith. There is ample time to address all of these concerns. However, there are only two legislative sessions between now and the 2010 elections - unless Gov. O’Malley wants to get in and additonal tax increase.
In the post, Cannon claims that the county council would have to give “very good, well thought out, well investigated reasons as to why it (the dispensary) should be abolished.” Hogwash!
Mrs. Bartkovich’s argument for postponement is much sounder. The legislative delegation may desire additional information, but it isn’t NECESSARY. I haven’t heard anyone demand reasons WHY the dispensary should be abolished. However, if they want them, there are plenty:
- The people who run this corrupt, archaic monopoly steal from the taxpayers of this county by using taxpayer dollars on disbursements that are not legitimate dispensary expenses.
- Board members contract business with the dispensary.
- It is a monopoly. Monopolies are wrong. We don’t even have electrical power or telephone monopolies any longer and there is a much stronger argument for them than for a government-run booze monopoly.
- Government is seldom a better purveyor of goods or services than the private sector. Given the proliferation of privately run liquor wholesalers and retailers throughout Maryland, and the nation, no one can make a straight-faced argument that a government run liquor monopoly is the most efficient actor in an economy.
Cannon’s claim that the county needs to provide reasons for eliminating the dispensary is simply specious. That is what a referendum - and the campaign leading up to it - is for. If the members of the General Assembly need “reasons” in order to approve a referendum, then we don’t need to have a referendum. Let them decide the issue.
And let’s face it. They just want a referendum to provide them with political cover.
Bartkovich is, perhaps, the toughest to read. Some observers are claiming that she is in the same corner as Cannon, McCain, MacLeod. Perhaps she is.
However, during council comments Mrs. Bartkovich stated that she sincerely wants to see this resolution move forward. IF she supports pushing this to a conclusion, BRAVA. In the meantime, we should all giver her the benefit of the doubt and see if she aids Prettyman and Holloway in pushing this matter to a conclusion.
In conclusion, I can only hope that we have seen the beginning - and the end - of John Cannon doing his Louise Smith imitation. It doesn’t suit him well. He is not a stupid man. Therefore he shouldn’t pretend to act stupid. While never appropriate, it more genuinely fits a person with a below average IQ - like the Salisbury Council President.
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