Holloway Uncovers MORE Wasteful Spending at the BOE

Wicomico County Councilman Joe Holloway isn’t very popular with the bureaucrats over at the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE).  He politely asks for information on their spending habits, they attempt to stonewall him, Holloway keeps fighting for the information, the bureaucrats are embarrassed.  At least the taxpayers get to find out how their dollars are being wasted.

Speaking last night at the monthly meeting of the Wicomico chapter of Americans for Prosperity, Holloway gave a brief re-cap of his term on the county council.  Holloway made one thing crystal clear – despite the protestations of people like Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt and several members of the county council, Wicomico County doesn’t have a REVENUE PROBLEM.  Wicomico County has a SPENDING PROBLEM.

One piece of evidence for this belief is some spending at the WCBOE recently uncovered by Holloway.  It took months of requests to the board and stonewalling by Superintendent John Fredericksen, but last night Holloway shared just a few examples of where Wicomico tax dollars are going:

• Hooters (that’s right, the bar famous for chicken wings and busty barmaids)
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity love the place, why shouldn’t we pay for lefty bureaucrats to enjoy it as well)
• Junkets to Las Vegas, including tickets to a Toby Keith concert
• Fager’s Island (another high end restaurant in Ocean City)
• Starbucks (bureaucrats are too special for regular coffee, plus why worry when the taxpayer is footing the bill)

Holloway has requested copies of receipts for these and many other examples of apparent wasteful travel spending by the WCBOE.  In addition, there are left coast junkets by Fredericksen and WCBOE board president Mark Thompson.

It should be remembered that Holloway asked the WCBOE to pay for a budget transfer last year with money out of its travel budget.  The BOE’s response was to take money out of SPECIAL EDUCATION rather than use travel dollars.  It’s obvious where the priorities of the WCBOE are – and they clearly are NOT “FOR THE CHILDREN”.

Holloway also noted that the Daily Times also received copies of the same information in Holloway’s possession.  We can only wait to see if the WCBOE’s pals at the Daily Times ignore the issue or attempt to put some lipstick on this bureaucratic pig. (Remember – WCBOE “Public Information Liaison” Tracey Sahler is the spouse of Daily Times Managing Editor Erick Sahler and recently received a 33% pay increase)

A little background -

Holloway is serving his first term on the council.  During that time, Holloway has been a leader in ferreting out wasteful spending by the county government and the WCBOE.  Sadly, he is usually ignored or ridiculed by both the press and a majority of his council colleagues.

Holloway, along with Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman, has been one of only two members of council to argue for tax relief during this council term.  Holloway has proposed a reduction in the county income tax.  Prettyman has argued for a more robust homestead tax credit for Wicomico homeowners.  Neither proposal could get sufficient support from the other members of council to move forward.

Holloway was one of three council members (along with Prettyman and Councilwoman Gail Bartkovich) to call attention to wasteful practices by the Wicomico County Liquor Control Board (WCLCB).  Sadly, a proposal by Prettyman and Holloway to abolish the WCLCB could not garner sufficient support to move forward.

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