Polk vs. Shields – Rubber Match Moves to Friday

While the overwhelming margins of victory won by both Salisbury Mayor-elect Jim Ireton and Councilwoman Debbie Campbell sound the death knell of the Barrie Comegys party, hope remains in District 1.  There, incumbent Shanie Shields is tied with Cynthia Polk after last Tuesday’s election, the Absentee I canvas and the Provisional canvas.  Friday’s Absentee II canvas, with five (5) District 1 ballots will prove to be the rubber match.

Voters throughout the city are asking, “How can this election possibly be so close?”  Scandalously low turnout is one obvious answer.  However, it is our opinion that turnout is only part of the answer.

While no charges of electoral impropriety have been leveled by the Polk camp – yet – there is certainly the appearance of impropriety on several fronts.  A family member of Shields served as an election judge – at the sole District 1 polling place.  Voters from the east side of District 1 were deliberately disenfranchised when the Tilghman administration and its rubber stamp council refused to allow those residents the opportunity to vote at Harvest Baptist Church – literally blocks from a very large block of District 1 voters.  The city electoral board, Barrie Tilghman appointees all, refused to segregate challenged absentee ballots.  Not leaving SAPOA out of the mix, one witness has come forward claiming that they were paid to vote and hauled to St. James AME Zion Church (the District 1 polling place) by their landlord.  This is in additon to the persistent rumors of such behavior by Salisbury’s leading slumlords.

Even if Shields manages to scratch out a 1 vote win, what little credibility she had maintained is effectively gone.  If the Barrie Comegys council bloc of Louise Smith and Gary Comegys acts to stop the change voters clearly want it will take little more than a warm body to defeat either in 2011.

Hold tight Salisbury.  Friday should be interesting.  While Polk could challenge a defeat on multiple fronts, Shields cannot challenge.  To date, Shields has failed to send a single representative to the Electoral Board canvasses.  Perhaps she assumed that City Attorney Paul Wilber and the Tilghman appointed electoral board would serve as her proxies.  Perhaps they did.  Unfortunately for Shields, I doubt any would publicly admit to error or wrongdoing to help her out.

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Barrie Comegys Blog Gets Even Scummier Post-Election

Jonathan Taylor, the “mind” behind the unofficial blog of the Barrie Comegys ticket of Gary Comegys, Muir Boda, and Shanie Shields is on a tear.  While I didn’t think it was possible to sink lower than they did during the recent Salisbury mayoral and council races, I was wrong.  From calling the spouse of one individual a “Bitch” to posting derogatory comments about the spouse and child of Councilwoman Debbie Campbell, it is obvious that the Barrie Comegys team will continue to be practicing the politics of LIES, HATE, and FEAR for some time to come.

While we should expect this from individuals like Mr. Taylor, going after someone’s kid is low even for the likes of Jonathan and his sleazy pals.  This is particularly so AFTER Taylor promised to stop attacks on Mayor-elect Jim Ireton and re-elected councilwoman Campbell.

I have been thinking today about what direction I want to go in now that the
election is over. I have finally made my decision. I will no longer make any
more personal attacks on Jim Ireton or Debbie Campbell, I will reserve those
for Joey only.

That was on Wednesday.  I can only conclude that in the sub-70 IQ world of Jonathan Taylor “I will no longer” means “I won’t do it NOW”.  On Thursday, the chief scribe of the Comegys, Boda, and Shields ticket was going after Campbell’s husband Bill and their son Billy.  Bad move Jonathan.  Billy Campbell may just be the smartest person you’ve ever been in a room with.
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Muir Boda – Louise Smith with a Beard?

As Tuesday’s Salisbury municipal election approaches, certain things are becoming clear and more questions are being raised.  Mayoral candidate Gary Comegys and his supporters are showing their desperation by disseminating the most vile and hateful trash about Jim Ireton; that is clear.  The city’s slumlords are throwing thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars to illegally benefit the Barrie Comegys ticket of Gary Comegys, Muir Boda, and Shanie Shields.  District 2 council candidate Muir Boda continues to make statements which raise multiple questions.  However, they can all be summarized by this – Would Muir Boda simply be a younger, more masculine version of Louise Smith if elected to council?

Remember back two years ago.  Louise Smith ran for office promising to bring some financial sanity and accountability to Salisbury government.  We were told that Louise Smith would ensure that the city’s audits would be done on time and that city contractors would be held accountable.

What did Salisbury citizens receive?  Over $10 million of taxpayers money was improperly accounted for.  The city has yet to deliver an audit on time.  Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars have been thrown at contractors for change orders for the WWTP and we now know that it doesn’t work.  Smith’s first two concerns as a council member were to cut a deal with Gary Comegys in order to be council president and to vote for a charter change enabling a 17% tax increase.

Much to my shame, I actively supported Smith’s candidacy.  While I like Boda personally, I’m not willing to make the same mistake twice.  I’m a huge believer in the old adage:

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

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The $1.3 Million Endorsement

Salisbury’s slumlords simply LOVE Barrie Tilghman.  Unfortunately, Barrie realized that she couldn’t be re-elected.  So the slumlords and their dirty little guild, SAPOA, are placing all of their hopes behind Barrie’s chosen successors – Gary Comegy, Muir Boda, and Shanie Shields (aka the BARRIE COMEGYS ticket).

Why do Salisbury’s ruling class love Barrie and her heirs so much?  Tilghman has basically refused to enforce city zoning and building codes (at least regarding her SAPOA pals).  What’s a double-digit tax increase among friends when you can rape the city like the Vandals in Rome?  SAPOA is quite confident that Comegys, Muir, Shields (along with Princess Louise Smith) will continue to deliver.

… This is especially true if your name is Rinnier.  Besides all of the special treatment afforded SAPOA, the Rinniers were able to pocket a cool $1.3 million at taxpayer expense thanks to Barrie Comegys.  Remember the Marley Manor lift station?

Perhaps that’s why the Rinniers have illegally spent money to benefit the campaigns of Comegys, Boda and Shields.  Keep in mind, that you can only spend $250.  I find it hard to believe that the Rinniers were able to print all of these letters and paid people to distribute them throughout the Rinnier rental empire for $250.

Maybe they expect another fat subsidy if their candidates prevail on Tuesday.  We think the taxpayers of Salisbury’s have paid enough.

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That Slumlord Cash Just Keeps Coming for Comegys, Boda, and Shields

While the legal, over-the-table cash from Salisbury’s major and minor slumlords continues to be heaped upon the head of the Barrie Comegys ticket – Gary Comegys, it’s the illegal, under-the-table money that I find most interesting. Billing themselves as “a group of concerned rental owners”, a group of anonymous slumlords has spent thousands of dollars on a mailing to benefit the candidacies of their chosen ticket – Gary Comegys, Muir Boda, and Shanie Shields.

Little more than baseless lies, this mailing appeals to fear:

If you don’t vote for Comegys, Boda, and Shields we’re going to raise your rent!

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