Gary Comegys’ New Found Respect for the Rule of Law

After six years in office, Salisbury councilman Gary Comegys seems to have found some respect for the Salisbury city charter and the rule of law.  At Tuesday’s council meeting Comegys correctly argued that Mayor Jim Ireton’s last minute budget amendments were contrary to the city’s charter.  I would have stood up and applauded Comegys if not for the fact that he is one of the parties responsible for making the Salisbury city council an irrelevant body.

To date, Comegys has been one of those who disagreed with my stance that rules are to be followed.  When his mistress, the Queen of Barrieland, was in power Comegys argued time and again that Salisbury’s form of government dictated that the mayor was to be given the widest latitude (if not absolute power).  If the recent mayoral election had swung Comegys’ way I am confident that he would still be arguing his bizarre interpretation of the city’s charter.

However, just because the guy I supported is in power does not negate the fact that the city’s budget belongs to council until approved.  Any amendments must emanate from, if not originate in, the city council.  Yes, Ireton was correct regarding the city’s health insurance plan and the inclusion of city council members.  However, any amendment still needed to be adopted by council prior to its inclusion in the final budget ordinance.

While councilwoman Terry Cohen made a persuasive argument that Ireton’s actions were correct, she was wrong.  Simply because there is a precedent for the mayor acting unilaterally does not make it legal or right.  If a majority of council were truly interested in being a relevant body they would simply require all but emergency legislation to come before at least one work session prior to consideration in a legislative session.  Cohen would probably agree with this.  However, the Comegys-led majority simply could not entertain such a notion.  If they adopted this under a Mayor Ireton they would be hard pressed to go back to the old ways if Ireton failed to win re-election.

Perhaps Comegys can learn a lesson from this.  You reap what you sow.

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A Call for Thought Over Emotion at the RPV Convention

Former gubernatorial candidate Wyatt Durrette makes an excellent case for an end to the emotionalism and desire for retribution apparent among some Frederick supporters.  Norm Leahy at Tertium Quids argues that there is a distinct disconnect between the Virginia party’s grassroots and the “establishment”; but the fault lies in political consultants and not in those elected to public or party office.

Leahy’s argument will hold up better over time.  While I respect Durrette, he lost me with:

Exchanges like the recent verbal jousting between Colin Powell and Tom Ridge on the one hand, and Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh, on the other, highlight part of the problem.  The idea that two men of the caliber of Powell (former Secretary of State and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Ridge (former head of Homeland Secretary and former PA Governor) who tout the Republican banner would be banished from GOP ranks by some is poisonous nonsense.

It is not for me, or anyone else, to “banish” the likes of Powell or Ridge from the GOP.  However, Republicans were only able to see growth and strength when we were the party of fiscal conservatism and social responsibility.  Now that we are the party of spendthrifts (in a false hope to curry votes) and theocracy (to help keep the socially conservative wing on the reservation) we are out of power.

While the fall of Soviet-style communism may have been the loss of the glue which held us together, Obama-style economic fascism may be the new Gorilla Glue to bring us all back together.  Unfortunately, as long as consultants and moderates preach about a Republican “brand” rather than ideas, victory will remain just outside our grasp.

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Wicomico BOE Swaps Dollars Rather Tighten Belt

Yesterday, in what was probably the most important work session of Wicomico County Council’s FY 2010 budget deliberations, the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) showed even more disdain for Maryland and Wicomico taxpayers.  To meet a $2 million shortfall the WCBOE proposed a multi-million dollar bait and switch that would land Supt. John Fredericksen and his crew in prison if we were talking about a private company rather than a government bureaucracy.

Here are the basics of the “grand scheme”:

• Last year, Wicomico County funded the WCBOE with $700,000 ABOVE the state mandated maintenance of effort (MOE).  The WCBOE proposes to transfer that money BACK to Wicomico County and then have the county transfer the funds back to WCBOE.

• A few years ago the county passed legislation enabling the WCBOE to establish a “School Construction Savings Plan” (SCSP).  Any surplus left at the WCBOE is supposed to go into the SCSP.  The WCBOE proposes that $1.3 million be taken from this fund, transfered BACK to the county, and then transferred back to the WCBOE.

Only in government would such a scheme be considered “savings”.
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Wicomico Board of Ed and Daily Times Attempt to Scam the Taxpayers … AGAIN

Never fear.  The government is here to help you.  In today’s case, it is the good folk at the Wicomico Board of Education (WCBOE) who are colluding with our own local version of Pravda to pick the pocket of the average, hard working citizen of Wicomico County.

The folks over at the WCBOE are going to scrimp and save to help fix a problem of their own making – a $2 million shortfall in the county budget which the board and Supt. John Fredericksen exacerbated by fighting the county’s request of a waiver of the state momentum of effort (MOE) rules.  The Daily Times wants us to somehow believe that the WCBOE are the champions of our children.

It’s interesting.  Just last week the WCBOE voted to increase the taxpayer paid portion of retiree healthcare benefits from 55% to 70%.  Only board president Robin Holloway dissented.  Yet, the $357,000 of taxpayer money to be spent on yet another juicy benefit for government workers and retirees would amount to almost 18% of the $2 million budget hole.  The county’s budget will have been adopted before the public even gets a chance to find out whether Wicomico County teachers and staff will receive a pay increase next year, and how much.
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Wicomico MOE Waiver Denied – State Gives Finger to Wicomico Citizens

The Maryland State Board of Education has denied Wicomico County’s request for a waiver of the state’s Momentum of Effort rule.  County Executive Rick Pollitt, along with the Wicomico County Council will now be forced to come up with approximately $2 million in additional cuts to the county’s budget.

Council Joe Holloway (R-5) responded to the state’s decision:

I’m disappointed.  I was hoping that as a county, the Board, Rick Pollitt and the County Council could work as a team to solve our current fiscal dillemma.  Unfortunately, Dr. Fredericksen’s efforts seem to have derailed our attempts to weather the county’s current financial situation.

Councilwoman Gail Bartkovich believes that the WCBOE should find a solution within their own budget:

I think that the board of education needs to find those cuts in their own budget.  Our county departments can’t make any more cuts this year.  While county employees are receiving no pay increase this year, and we’re even talking about furlough days, the board is able to increase benefits for their retirees.

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Education in Wicomico County – Is It Really “For the Children”?

The next time you hear a public official, any public official, claim that we need to spend more on education in Wicomico County, grab your wallet and run in the opposite direction.  The Wicomico County Board of Education is worried about catering to its four unions, not about providing a quality education to our children.

Tuesday night I attended my first Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) meeting.  After witnessing the complete disdain in which Wicomico taxpayers are regarded by this merry little band, it won’t be my last.

The reason I chose to attend the meeting was twofold:

• To comment on my extreme disappoint with Superintendent John Fredericksen’s decision to use taxpayer dollars in opposition to County Executive Rick Pollitt’s decision to request a waiver from the state’s Momemtum of Effort (MOE) rule.

• To state my oppositon to the Board’s proposal to increase the taxpayer share of retiree health benefits from 55% to 70%

While there may not appear to be a link between the two issues, in fact there is a very strong tie.  The majority of the WCBOE seem to be far more concerned with appeasing their “bargaining units” (government jargon for the teachers’ union, administrators union, classified employees’ union, and maintenance / custodial union) than in ensuring a quality education for our children or being faithful stewards of our tax dollars.

According to the board’s self-proclaimed fiscal conservative – Brian Kilgore – this proposal isn’t going to cost the taxpayers any money.  This is only one area where Kilgore and I differ on this subject.  Approximately $357,000 (of the estimated $430,000 that this benefit will cost NEXT year) is to come from “savings” that are to come from merging the Salisbury, Wicomico County, and WCBOE plans.  These “savings” are the taxpayers’ money.
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