IT’S ABOUT TIME!

Former House Ways and Means chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) will finally face ethics charges for myriad offenses.  Rangel, who was forced to step down as committee chair earlier this year over other charges, is being investigated for filing false financial disclosures and income tax evasions.  The details of the charges will be made public next week.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called on Mr. Rangel to resign.

"Today’s action demonstrates that the notoriously lax ethics committee has found substantial reason to believe that Rep. Rangel has violated federal law, House rules, or both. Now the question is whether Rep. Rangel will resign or endure a public trial that promises to be filled with detailed and undoubtedly embarrassing revelations of wrongdoing," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the watchdog organization. "The time clearly has come for him to resign."

Republicans took no time to remind the public of Nancy Pelosi’s promise to “drain the swamp” and to end the “culture of corruption”.

"Today’s announcement is a sad reminder of Speaker Pelosi‘s most glaring broken promise: to ‘drain the swamp’ in Washington. Instead of presiding over ‘the most honest, most open and most ethical’ Congress in history, Washington Democrats have presided over a string of bailouts, job-killing government takeovers and other backroom deals," said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican.

I was never a big fan of Bush era AG Alberto Gonzales, but I’ve go to say that he doesn’t even hold a candle to the man who currently holds the job.  Right out the box, Holder forces career DOJ attorneys to drop the case against the New Black Panther Party; a case they had ALREADY WON!  Then Holder transferred those same attorneys so that they would be out of reach of subpoenas issued by the US Civil Rights Commission.

Now we find out that Holder deliberately withheld key documents from the Senate during his own confirmation:

We must leave al-Qaeda terrorists at liberty unless there is enough admissible evidence to convict in civilian court: That was Eric Holder’s argument in two briefs submitted as a private lawyer in the case of “dirty bomber” (and, now, convicted terrorist) Jose Padilla. We must accept the risk of catastrophic attack, Holder told the Supreme Court, in order to avoid the true evil, an overly powerful president (translation: George W. Bush). These views should have sparked aggressive questioning when Holder was nominated to be attorney general, but they were not asked, because Holder did not disclose the relevant briefs, and others, to the Senate. As Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) observed, Holder’s claim of an accidental oversight “strains credulity.” Holder submitted only a handful of Supreme Court briefs as a private lawyer. Moreover, in February he defended his handling of the “Christmas bomber” case in a letter that tracked the argument in his briefs. Perhaps DOJ can offer Holder a refresher course in legal ethics.

What happened to all of that transparency and honesty the CANDIDATE Obama promised?

McCarthyism … That dirty little word from the 1950’s.  We shouldn’t persecute people for their political beliefs.  (NO, we should PROSECUTE people because of their political beliefs) Well, it’s back.  The NEW face of McCarthyism – Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the congressman from 90210.

Waxman has decided to haul several corporations before his Energy and Commerce Committee to attack them.  Why?  They had the audacity to restate their earning because of the future impact of ObamaCare.  Their crime?  Obeying the law.

Corporations are required to restate their earning in a timely fashion when circumstances warrant.  Corporations are also required to include the present value of future healthcare liabilities on their balance sheets.  Because companies like AT&T, John Deere, Caterpillar, Valero, and others, commit the unspeakable crime of providing drug benefits to their retirees, they have been forced to write down earnings because of an increase in their future health care liabilities.

Paradoxically, if these same companies did not restate their earnings in a timely fashion, Waxman’s pals – the nation’s trial lawyers – would be rushing to court to file class action suits against these same companies.  But that’s OK.  Just don’t blame ObamaCare for the evaporation of billions of dollars of wealth.

As the Wall Street Journal puts it:

In other words, shoot the messenger. Black-letter financial accounting rules require that corporations immediately restate their earnings to reflect the present value of their long-term health liabilities, including a higher tax burden. Should these companies have played chicken with the Securities and Exchange Commission to avoid this politically inconvenient reality? Democrats don’t like what their bill is doing in the real world, so they now want to intimidate CEOs into keeping quiet.

Of course they should have.  To people like Waxman, corporations are merely props in their bizarre little kabuki world. It doesn’t matter that they employ people, pay taxes (lots of taxes), and create wealth (the true engine that drives our economy).  No.  Theses evil, overpaid CEO’s should merely have kept their mouths shut and paid off the lawyers in the lawsuits that surely would have ensued.

RedState’s Erick Erickson hits the nail on the head:

This is behavior that can indisputably be described as soviet behavior (my emphasis). If McCarthyism was about hounding out communists and their sympathizers, the left seems intent on creating their own version of McCarthyism, which we can call Waxmania — silencing capitalists.

To the left capitalism IS the NEW COMMUNISM.  They can’t even admit to what they aspire.  Instead, they wish to bring their brand of corporatism, their LIBERAL FASCISM, into our culture right under the very noses of the workers who will be most heavily affected.  To do that, Waxman and his ilk feel that they must persecute (and even prosecute) corporate CEO’s who dare obey the law … if obeying the law means admitting that schemes like ObamaCare will strip shareholders and employees of the wealth they have worked so hard to accumulate.

Yes, McCarthy was a populist ass, but he was right more often than he was wrong.  Waxman can’t even claim that.

When elected officials waste your tax dollars your recourse is limited.  You can complain.  You can lobby your officials.  Ultimately, you can vote those persons out in the next election.  One of the wonders of our great nation is our willingness and ability to replace politicians with the ballot rather than the bullet.

Sadly, there are instances in our local, state, and federal governments when officials steal from the taxpayer – either through embezzlement or spending public monies that are not lawfully appropriated.  Do we resort to the bullet?  Of course not.  This is America; that’s what prisons are for.

During the fascist regime of the former Queen of Barrieland, Salisbury taxpayers witnessed a constant, and consistent, stream of spending public funds without lawful appropriations.  When current Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton ran for his present post he promised voters that this type of behavior would not be repeated under an Ireton regime.  Sadly, this has proven NOT to be the case.

At last Monday’s Salisbury council meeting, Councilwoman Terry Cohen presented a chronology of the illegal spending of almost $100,000 for a dump truck.  While the Barrie Comegys faction of council heaped abuse on Cohen, the Ireton administration has stood idly by and refused to accept responsibility for the lion’s share of this debacle.

Yeah, I know.  It’s not even $100,000.  When Jim Ireton proposes raising your taxes in a couple of months, I hope you’re still smiling.  These little boo-boo’s add up.

Some folks want the head of Councilwoman Louise Smith.  Sadly, I have to report that Smith’s share of the blame is minimal – in this instance.

According to Cohen’s documentation, Smith signed off on the contract for purchasing a 3 ton dump truck.  The award of bid was approved by council.  Yes, Cohen notified  City Administrator John Pick that she thought a budget amendment would be required.  Yes, Pick confirmed that one would be needed.  Yes, I’m confident that Smith received copies of these emails.

Here’s the rub.  It was Internal Services chief Pam Oland that affirmed on the contract that an adequate appropriation existed.  IF Pick notified Oland that a budget amendment would be needed, Oland is chiefly responsible and should forfeit her job.  IF Pick DID NOT notify Oland, then Pick bears the brunt and should be sacrificed.

Yes, Smith probably should have known.  However, Louise Smith is “dumber than a sack of hair”.  She can’t even follow her own council rules.  Oland and city solicitor Paul Wilber have provided Smith with adequate cover.  No one would like to see her hang for something like this more than I.  However, I believe that we are better than people like Smith and Barrie Tilghman.  Therefore, let’s hang her for something with a little more substance.

Some have pointed with glee to Wilber’s signature as proof to his complicity in this brewing mini-scandal.  If you are a longtime reader, you are well aware that Delmarva Dealings has never hesitated to express a negative opinion of Wilber’s supposed service to Salisbury’s taxpayers.  That said, it’s not Wilber’s job to check the budget every time he reviews a contract.  I’m assuming that this contract is legally correct (outside of the lack of a legal appropriation).  Therefore, Wilber did his job regarding this matter.  Regardless of how much abuse I would love to heap on Wilber for past sins, he doesn’t appear to be guilty of anything in this particular case.

SO – who is really to blame in the GREAT DUMP TRUCK DEBACLE OF 2010?  As noted above, the real blame seems to rest with either Pick or Oland.  Sadly, Ireton has decided to turn a problem into a full blown scandal.  Rather than finding out who is to blame, getting rid of the problem, and apologizing, my friend Jim has decided to take a darker path.

Much to their credit, Cohen and fellow Councilwoman Debbie Campbell refuse to vote for an ex post facto budget amendment.  As we witnessed in the infamous Chief Webster affair, Ireton lacks the intestinal fortitude to point out the culprit and dismiss them.  Now Ireton has a new toy for his public works department, purchased illegally with public funds.  The truck is titled and tagged.  It appears that Ireton is waiting things out until the fourth quarter so he can move the funds WITHOUT council approval.  This is where my friend Jim has lost my support forever.

OK.  Jim’s a nice guy.  Jim doesn’t like to fight.  I though Ireton told us that he would “speak truth to power”.  I guess that means anyone EXCEPT the despotic bureaucracy he inherited.  Ireton’s refusal to tackle this matter makes him NO BETTER than the tyrant he replaced.  Ireton’s version of fascism may be kinder and gentler, but putting a smiley face on despotism does not negate the tyranny.

I know – it’s ONLY A DUMP TRUCK.  As noted above, THIS IS AMERICA.  Contrary to the protestations of Ireton hero’s like Barack Obama, we are EXCEPTIONAL.  One of the principles that make America exceptional is our belief in the RULE OF LAW.  Without the rule of law, we revert to Thomas Hobbes’s “state of war”.  Without the rule of law, we are no better than some tin horn, third world dictatorship.  Is this Ireton’s vision for Salisbury?

Sadly, the evidence is mounting.  Taxpayers are already footing the bill so that one incompetent and possibly corrupt official is being paid to fade into the sunset.  Now monies are being spent without being appropriated.  Are we sure Barrie Tilghman didn’t just cut her hair and change her wardrobe?

Americans were promised a TRANSPARENT process in health care reform:

What did Americans receive?  Senate Republicans literally being locked out of the negotiations.  BRIBERY for votes from the likes of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA).  And now a secret backroom deal to reconcile the House and Senate bills.

In other words … we got OBAMACARE!

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon will leave office on February 4th.  in exchange for dropping her appeals, no jail time, and keeping her government pension.  Why not?  It’s only the taxpayers’ money.

After four years of probation, Dixon will be eligible for a state or city job.  This is Maryland at its finest.  It almost makes Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton’s buying off of Police Chief Allan Webster look tame by comparison.

H/T:  Adam Pugnucco @ Maryland Politics Watch

Each year Judicial Watch publishes a list of the 10 most corrupt politicians of the year.  While bi-partisan, I’m sure that Dems will be crying foul:

1. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
2. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
3. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
4. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
5. Attorney General Eric Holder
6. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) / Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
7. President Barack Obama
8. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
9. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
10. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

I thought that the “culture of corruption” ended after the 2006 elections????

H/T – Charlie Copeland @ Resolute Determination

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD)

What do these folks have in common?  They’re Democrats.  They’re left wingers. … and they all support ACORN.

While Barack Obama’s former employer is using YOUR tax dollars to assist child prostitution rings, YOUR representatives in Congress are doing all that they can to make sure that these criminals stay on the Federal Gravy Train.

Mikulski (see video), Cardin and Kratovil have all voted to keep YOUR tax dollars flowing to this merry band of mobsters.  Why?  Because ACORN helps to get them re-elected.  It’s that simple.

If you haven’t already seen the video from the Baltimore office of ACORN, check it out here.  It will turn your stomach.  When you stop to realize that YOUR hard earned money is going to subsidize this behavior, grab a bucket.

It doesn’t matter how much each of these politicians claims to do for you.  Their votes to give tax dollars to an organization that commits voters fraud, mortgage fraud, and now promotes child prostitution, should be proof that they don’t deserve to hold office.

Salisbury has become one of the most dangerous cities in America.  The spendthrift policies of the Barrie Tilghman administration has led Salisbury to the its own fiscal crisis.  A newly elected mayor has shown an inability or unwillingness to control his own police chief.  You would think all of these would make important and interesting stories.  However, Salisbury’s own Daily Times (and one of its reporters) has become “the story”.

Salisbury councilwoman Debbie Campbell held a press conference Thursday afternoon to answer attacks by former(?) mayor Barrie Tilghman and Salisbury police chief Allan Webster.  As Campbell was preparing for the press conference she received an email from Tilghman Times reporter Laura D’Alessandro.  While the first half of D’Alessandro’s email sounded almost like a journalist, it was the last half that showed her true vocation – sleazy attack dog for the Barrie Comegys party :

According to a letter from Chief Allan Webster to former Mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman on April 3, 2009, you told the Chief you didn’t know anything about the issue. This information is false.  Are you aware this is a misdemeanor under section 9-501 of Maryland state criminal law?  How and why were you able to install surveillance equipment in your office as a private citizen?  Is this a standard service offered by SPD?  What is on the tape?  Are you covering the burglary? (all emphasis mine)

How does D’Alessandro know that the information from Campbell is false?  If D’Alessandro is to be believed about the memo from SPD officer Mark Tyler then there is a sizable credibility gap between Campbell and Tyler.  Campbell has faithfully served the citizens of Salisbury while (again, according to D’Alessandro) Tyler has admitted to violating police procedure and possibly committing an illegal act.  Sorry Laura, the objective reader will have to side with Campbell on this one.

However, if you are the Tilghman Times you aren’t appealing to the objective reader.  In the case of D’Alessandro’s work I doubt that they are appealing to the literate.  Rather than report the news, the Tilghman Times has sought to shape the it.  In this case we are not talking about the bias which is, unfortunately, par for the course at the Tilghman Times.  In this case we see actual collusion between the Tilghman Times, Webster, and his allies.  Now, thanks to D’Alessandro, they ARE THE NEWS.

Throughout D’Alessandro’s tenure as the Tilghman Times city reporter we have documented work that can only be described (charitably) as shoddy.  Disgracefully biased is a kind description as well.  However, with her “coverage” of Webster’s whining and TapeGate, I can confidently state that D’Alessandro has hit a new low.  Given the notoriously low journalistic quality of Gannett, in general, and the Tilghman Times, in particular, that is quite a claim.  Regardless, it is a claim that I will back up if you continue reading.

Think this through logically

Webster called Campbell regarding this matter on April 3, 2009.  This is 11 years AFTER this incident supposedly occurred.  At the time, no mention is made of a memo supposedly written by Tyler that very same day.

In June, Campbell requested a copy of any police reports regarding this matter.  Webster replied, “Major Jeff Livingston researched the information you provided and found no report for the Baptist Street address.”  Notice that there is NO mention of Tyler’s memo.  Yet, this “memo” miraculously appeared yesterday.  If you didn’t know better, you would have thought that you were in Lourdes or Fatima rather that Salisbury, Maryland.

Webster might try to claim that this memo was “evidence” in his so-called investigation of Campbell.  There are just a few problems with that.  Police are supposed to investigate crimes.  Even if the evil Debbie Campbell did everything that Webster claims, waiting 11 years to “investigate” makes it a moot point.  There is no crime that could be prosecuted.  Remember, the impetus behind this phony “investigation” was so Webster could claim that he was a “whistle-blower” and cower Salisbury’s new mayor into letting Webster keep his job.

Back to the Tilghman Times

Using an obvious fiction (the Tyler memo) as its linchpin, D’Alessandro and her employers have attempted to weave a tale of intrigue.  In reality the facts are relatively simple:

• You have a councilwoman, recently re-elected by an overwhelming majority, who has been beyond reproach in the conduct of her public affairs, who claims that she never saw this tape.

• A police officer, Mark Tyler, who admits in writing to having violated police procedure and possibly having committed and illegal act, claims that (on his own volition) he handed over police evidence to a private citizen (Campbell was not on council at that time).

• Perhaps the police chief should be the tie-breaker?  Allan Webster has severe credibility issues of his own.  Webster has deliberately filed false information in court documents (no one would believe that he didn’t know where he lived) and has even made provable false claims to the very newspaper that holds him up a a credible source.

To date, the only persons publicly supporting the veracity of Tyler are D’Alessandro, the Tilghman Times, Webster, and Barrie Comegys party mouthpiece Jonathan Taylor.  If you were in a court you would rather have the leaders of the Crips, Bloods, and MS-13 as character witnesses.

In Friday’s article we see the bias and collusion between the Tilghman Times and Webster (Tyler is in all probability merely acting as a witless stooge for his boss):

Notice the headline.  The “Officer states” while Campbell “sticks to … claim”.  No Bias there!

Campbell “admitted during a news conference Wednesday that she did request that the Salisbury Police Department install surveillance equipment in her SNHS office, but denied any knowledge of a tape alleged to be in her possession.”

This is a complete fabrication on the part of D’Alessandro.  Campbell didn’t “admit” to anything.  Campbell clearly stated in her remarks (of which D’Alessandro has a verbatim copy):

When it became clear that my office had been broken into and my computer searched, I reported the matter to the police. After several break-ins, the investigating officers requested my consent to install video surveillance equipment in my office. It is important to note that I was not present when the Salisbury Police installed the camera. Frankly, I do not even know where the camera was, or what type of camera was used. (emphasis mine)

D’Alessandro was prodded, by me, to ask if Tyler had been disciplined for violating police procedure.  However she attempts to imply that Tyler did so at the directions of a superior -

Webster could not answer whether Tyler could face consequences for releasing police evidence to a private citizen, but Tyler’s memo said he was instructed to execute the investigation by former acting chief Ed Guthrie, who no longer works for the city and did not return calls for comment.

No it does not.  The Tyler memo clearly states that “The writer (Tyler) agreed and immediately returned the tape to Ms. Campbell unviewed.”  The memo only mentions Guthrie in the beginning of the memo, claiming that Guthrie told Tyler to meet with Campbell regarding the break-ins and to assist in the investigation.  Of course, even IF Guthrie had ordered Tyler to hand over the tape, that would have been an illegal order.  I guess “the writer” doesn’t understand that the Nuremburg defense isn’t very successful in the United States.

It should be noted that D’Alessandro gave very little coverage to Campbell’s press conference.  Why?  The reason is simple.  Half of Campbell’s statement was referring to the deplorable job D’Alessandro has done in writing about these matters, including discussion of D’Alessandro’s email where she called Campbell a liar and a criminal.

D’Alessandro and her employers at the Tilghman Times have gone from biased coverage to actually working with the Barrie Comegys party in an attempt to discredit those who are attempting to bring about positive change in Salisbury.  They already have Mayor Jim Ireton cowed.

They aren’t going to stop until their readers and advertisers let Gannett know what is going on.

Salisbury City Councilwoman Debbie Campbell held a press conference this afternoon to respond to the baseless, manufactured, charges lobbed at her by political detractors:

“In an attempt to put some of this foolishness to rest, I am here today to answer questions regarding this matter. I have decided to stand up for myself and refute the false accusations and half-truths that the Daily Times feels are worthy of multiple front page stories. I am confident that my answers will allow the public to gain a better understanding of the lengths to which some groups will go to avoid honest, civil debate AND to prevent meaningful change for Salisbury and her citizens.”

Campbell responded to false allegations that she was in possession of a surveillance by categorically stating:

“I do not have this surveillance tape in my possession. I have never seen this tape. I do not even know that such a tape exists.”

Campbell attributed these malicious and fabricated attacks to a desire to intimidate her and put a stop to positive change for Salisbury and her citizens:

“Are we getting close enough to substantive, positive change in Salisbury that those who oppose reform have nothing left but to resort to these types of attacks?”

Today, Laura D’Alessandro of the Daily Times contacted Campbell and accused her of lying and criminal conduct. Campbell responded to the allegation:

“According to her (D’Alessandro), Mark Tyler of the Salisbury Police Department claims to have handed over the tape to me. Let me be perfectly clear about this. Mark Tyler never gave me any tape at any time whatsoever. I have not seen the April 3, 2009 memo in which Capt. Tyler allegedly makes the statement, though my attorney has requested a copy from the reporter. Because I have not seen the memo, or heard Capt. Tyler make such a statement, I can only hope that the reporter is mistaken, or has misinterpreted the memo, because it would have very, very serious implications if a member of the police department misrepresented the truth concerning an investigation or official police matter.”

Campbell, serving her second term as a Salisbury council member and representing District 2, was re-elected by a 2 – to – 1 margin this past spring. During her tenure on council she has been a relentless advocate for her constituents, particularly in the areas of crime, neighborhood blight, lower taxes, and financial accountability.

MORE TO FOLLOW

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To view a copy of Campbell’s prepared remarks as well as the supporting documents, CLICK HERE.