The Great Salisbury Election Date Scheme

Monday’s editorial in the Daily Times calls for a change of Salisbury’s municipal election dates back to November.  This seems to reflect the sentiment posed by former city council candidate Muir Boda in a recent letter to the editor.  This all works for me, but I would suggest that both Mr. Boda and the staff of the Daily Times do a little research before they dive headlong into this fray.

Contrary to the claims of the Daily Times, the real purpose behind moving the elections back to spring was not some half-hearted attempt to drive voter turnout.  Only imbeciles buy into an argument that a spring election, following a winter campaign, increases turnout.  Simply look at the turnout numbers from the last city election held in November to see.  Then research other areas that have done the same.  Spring elections depress turnout.  Former mayor Barrie Tilghman was masterful in her drive move the elections.  The city didn’t want to comply with federal and state deadlines.  They moved to non-partisan elections.  The Wicomico County Board of Elections had problems with the Tilghman-imposed scheme.  Therefore, Tilghman had ample excueses to move the elections to spring.  Depressed turnout worked in her favor, until her opponents learned how to target voters.
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Salisbury Ethics Commission Show Trial

Displaying the cowardice to be expected of someone who attacks children, Barrie Comegys stooge Jonathan Taylor failed to show up for the Salisbury Ethics Commission show trial precipitated by his own actions.  While thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted in this spiteful and ridiculous action, Taylor (who already lives on the generosity of taxpayers) hid from view while Barrie Comegys stalwart Lynn Cathcart was on hand to take notes for the wannbe “Powers That Be”.

To be fair, the Ethics Commission ran a fairly clean meeting.  The attending members:  Donna Forgash, Norman Lyster, Bob Gladden, and Fran Kane all asked valid, thoughtful, and polite questions.

While several people at the hearing asked the same question, “What the hell are we doing here?”, the Ethics Commission serves a theoretically important role.  It has been suggested that the board should have examined the complaint prior to today’s hearing and ruled that it was frivolous.  However, if a complaint had been filed against Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, or Louise Smith and the Commission had done so (ruled it frivolous in a private meeting) I would be one of the first to scream fraud and cover-up;  so would many of the same people asking that question today.

Was the complaint frivolous?  It turns out that it was.  Councilwoman Terry Cohen made a presentation that not only proved the claim specious, but shamed City Solicitor Paul Wilber for his complete incompetence on these matters.  While not named specifically today, Cohen also proved Councilman Gary Comegys to be a liar, a fool, or both.  You’ll have to decide.
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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.

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.

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.

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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PooGate Continues … Why Doesn’t Barrie Tilghman Want to Save Money?

PooGate Continues …

In the wake of Monday’s news that the city’s new waste water treatment plant (WWTP) may be an $80+ milliion white elephant, new facts come to light that raise far more questions than provide answers.  It appears that Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman holds the city’s taxpayers and ratepayers with less regard than even I thought … or that even then Tilghman was trying to hide the truth about the WWTP from the public.

Citizens need to think back about a year when Tilghman and her rubber stamp council majority of mayoral candidate Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields and puppet-in-chief Louise Smith voted to hit water and sewer ratepayers with an increase of 50% spread over several years.  We have learned that prior to this the Tilghman administration was contacted by a company offering their services in managing the city’s WWTP.  That company SPECIFICALLY mentioned the proposed rate increases and offered its services with the expectation of saving ratepayers money.
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Barrie Tilghman, PooGate, and Putting Lipstick On That $80+ Million Pig

We’ve Heard All This Before

“Ahead of schedule and under budget.”  How many times have we heard outgoing Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman and her ace partner-in-crime Gary Comegys make that claim regarding the city’s new waste water treatment plant (WWTP)?  Unfortunately for the water and sewer ratepayers (and possibly the city’s property tax payers), the facts are starting to “leak” out.

I’m reminded when SbyNEWS’s Joe Albero revealed to the public that Salisbury was operating an illegal sludge lagoon at the WWTP.  First, the Queen of Barrieland denied it.  As pictures kept coming, she admitted that the lagoon was there, but everything was legal.  When the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) came forward and said that the city did not have a permit for it, Tilghman said that it was a minor technicality and that it wouldn’t cost the taxpayers a dime.  Finally, Salisbury citizens had to pony up for a nice fine.

It all started Monday morning with Councilwoman Debbie Campbell’s appearance on WICO’s Bill Reddish show.  Reddish asked about the problems with WWTP and gave Reddish some straight answers.  This was followed by Campbell posting correspondence from city administrator John Pick on her own website.  This was followed by a scathing story on SbyNEWS.

Tilghman couldn’t run.  She couldn’t hide.  So what did Barrie do?  She blamed someone else.

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