Today’s front page story in the Daily Times regarding Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton’s new “Slumlord of the Week” policy fails to answer several questions:

1. Is this “policy” meant to accomplish anything?
2. Why doesn’t Ireton actually do something to fulfill his campaign promise “to ‘close loopholes’ in the city’s municipal codes and get crime out of neighborhoods”?

IF Ireton was actually doing something to close these loopholes and to actually enforce the spirit, as well as the letter, of the city’s zoning laws that would be one thing.  Instead, we have seen one woman loose her rental income because of zoning (last Sunday’s DT), but we’re not seeing any progress in taking care of the scores of non-conforming uses in the city.

Ireton isn’t pushing the issue in the appropriate forum – the city council – because he knows that the “council majority” of Gary Comegys, Louise Smith, and Shanie Shields are owned by the city’s slumlords.  Instead of exhibiting a backbone, my friend Jim is doing what liberals do best – making a show without accomplishing anything.

Does he really believe that a slumlord is going to be shamed?  It’s time for a little reality check Jimmy.

Because Ireton is unwilling to stand up to either the Barrie Comegys bloc on council or the bureaucracy within his own administration, Salisbury’s citizens are being forced to pay for Allan Webster’s six month paid vacation, watch city officials spend money that has not been appropriated, and now they are being given a “show” rather than real solutions to the rental problems that have faced Salisbury for years.

In just over a month, Ireton will present his first budget.  I am confident that it will include a sizable tax increase.  I can’t wait to see what kind of show Ireton will put on to justify that “policy” as well.

Jim needs to learn that the people who elected him expect solutions, not a “show”.  Jim needs to learn that voters want him to DO SOMETHING rather than just claim to “feel their pain”.

We haven’t written much about PAC-14, Wicomico County’s public access cable channel in quite some time.  Because of that, many of you may think that all is well there.  Sadly, you would be mistaken.  The crew running PAC-14 (along with some of the vocal “supporters”) are just as conniving and deceitful as always.

We have to admit that we made a mistake.  We tried to be fair and allow PAC-14 Executive Director Mike Goodson and a majority of PAC-14’s board the opportunity to do what they said they were going to do.  Instead, this merry little band has decided that giving Wicomico taxpayers the “middle finger” is the best route to obtain their goals – and those goals have little to do with providing viewers an opportunity to watch their government in action and providing citizens the opportunity to produce local content.  No, the goal of the PAC-14 board is to siphon money from the taxpayers and build an entity that will eventually be handed over to Salisbury University so that taxpayers will no longer have even a marginal say as to how a portion of their tax dollars are being spent.

Thanks to elected officials like Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton, Salisbury council members Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields, along with unelected “volunteers” such as Phil Tilghman, Elizabeth Bellavance and WCBOE President Mark Thompson, expect PAC-14 to blossom into an organization which wastes money (your money) on consultants and plans for grand schemes while refusing to adhere to the basic rules of transparency (which are in their own by-laws).

A Little History -

The scandal which has surrounded PAC-14 began when Goodson and a couple of bureaucratic thugs from SU refused to meet with the legally appointed board and instead engaged in secret negotiations with Pollitt, Smith, then mayor Barrie Tilghman and Wicomico councilman John Cannon to engage a “transitional taskforce” to make PAC-14 “independent” from the city and county governments while still being the recipients of the taxpayers’ largesse.

Once this became public Pollitt, Smith, and Cannon all ran for cover claiming that they knew nothing about these “goings on” and definitely never took part in these meetings.  Despite contrary claims from members of the “transitional taskforce” we made the mistake of taking these upstanding citizens at their word.  After much hand wringing and shirt tearing, Pollitt and Ireton appointed a board largely composed of the same people want a PAC-14 which sucks scarce resources from taxpayers while refusing to allow any transparency or accountability to the same public which is expected to foot the bill.  Tilghman also appointed board members, but we never expected her to do the right thing.

Bellavance Calls for Deceiving the Taxpayers -

Oddly, the nastiest piece of work on the PAC-14 board has come in the form of Elizabeth Bellavance.  Bellavance, the joint city / county appointee and a member of the library board has argued that board members who serve on the Wicomico and Salisbury councils should deceive both their fellows on council AND the taxpayers.

Last summer, it was pointed out by Salisbury councilwoman Debbie Campbell that the proposed budgets for PAC-14 (both for the current fiscal year and their long term planning budget) did not include ANY sources of revenue other than from the taxpayers and in-kind contributions from SU (also from the taxpayers).  Campbell noted that the primary purpose given by Phil Tilghman, et al in their argument for making PAC-14 “independent” from the city and county governments was the need to fundraise.

Bellavance responded that this was the problem with having elected officials on the board.  She then admonished Campbell (and Wicomico councilwoman Stevie Prettyman) that they had a responsibility as board members not to share this with either their council colleagues OR the public.  Prettyman immediately tore into Ms. Bellavance explaining that she had NO intention of deceiving either he colleagues on council or any member of the public.  Campbell concurred.

It should be noted that while Bellavance was having her little tirade, PAC-14’s $20,000 consultant, Sue Buske, was chiming in agreeing with Bellavance.  A majority of the other board members, including the WCBOE’s Mark Thompson, were either nodding in agreement or speaking out in favor of Bellavance’s malignant statement that the public should be lied to.

At a later meeting Bellavance claimed that ANYONE who though that she meant that the public should be deceived was mistaken.  Sure, Liz.  I was there.  You said what you said.  Oh – and the recording from that meeting  ironically doesn’t work either.

It is also reported that Bellavance has threatened that PAC-14 should cease to broadcast Wicomico Council meetings if the county DARES to cut their appropriation this year.  This may sound radical, but I’m not surprised.  I have personally heard Goodson make the same statement to a group of supporters after a Salisbury City Council meeting.

If You Put the Taxpayers Before PAC-14 … Leave -

Sadly, I haven’t been able to attend any board meetings since this summer.  However, it looks like I’ll have to make time now.  The taxpayers of Salisbury and Wicomico County no longer have anyone looking out for their interests on the PAC-14 board and I have learned that a majority of the board cannot be trusted to keep their word.

It seems that Phil Tilghman and the PAC-14 executive board have decided that both Campbell and Prettyman have to go.  According to Tilghman (in emails to both Smith and Pollitt):

… during the past few months, actions taken by this Board member clearly demonstrate intentions that are counter to the vision and goals of the Board. Thus, we request that the Council appoint another representative who will find our respective visions and goals for the future more compatible with his/hers.

In other words, Prettyman and Campbell believe that the PAC-14 board should be held to the promises made by Tilghman, and others, that PAC-14 would begin raising money on their own AND would stick to their core mission.  Instead, Tilghman, et al, want the taxpayer to foot the bill while they pursue such pie in the sky proposals as a “Community Media Center” (which would duplicate many of the services of the public library).  Perhaps, PAC-14 should be placed under the control of the library?

In addition to Tilghman’s claim that neither Campbell or Prettyman share the same “vision and goals” as he does (thank goodness for Wicomico taxpayers), Tilghman falsely claimed that Campbell missed three meetings in a row and that Prettyman missed excessive meetings.  Of course, when Tilghman moves board meeting dates around – including scheduling them in conflict with council meetings – I’m not surprised.  I also find it ironic that Tilghman had to cancel the last meeting because he would have had to resign if he missed this last meeting.  Needless to say, rules only apply when you don’t share Phil Tilghman’s “vision and goals”.

Campbell has been forced off of the board.  Louise Smith intends to appoint Shanie Shields to Campbell’s spot.  It will be interesting to see if Phil screams to have Shanie removed after she fails to show up.  Shields doesn’t have a very good record of attending the meetings of boards which she has been appointed to.

Tilghman is vainly trying to get Prettyman off.  Fortunately, I understand that Wicomico Council President Gail Bartkovich has made a stand.  If Pollitt possessed a spine, he would demand that Tilghman and Bellavance resign or threaten withdrawal of all county support.  Tilghman forgets that the channel belongs to the citizens of Wicomico and Salisbury.  PAC-14 is merely the steward.  So far, they have proven to be no better a steward of taxpayer funds than their pals Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shainie Shields, and Jim Ireton.

Sadly, we should pay much closer attention to the actions of PAC-14 from now on.  Tilghman, and cronies such as Bellavance and Thompson have proven that they cannot be trusted.  They have proven their disdain for those that pay the bills – namely the taxpayers of Wicomico County.  It’s time for them to go.  They clearly don’t share the same “vision” as the taxpayers.

As Salisbury councilwoman noted on the radio this morning, today’s Salisbury City Council work session is “relatively meaty”.    While I haven’t talked to councilwoman Debbie Campbell today, it’s a decent bet that she won’t be there.  Why?  Campbell has to work for a living.  So does Cohen, but fortunately she is self-employed.

The “council majority” of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields don’t work for a living.  They live off of the teat of the taxpayer.  Therefore, why not move work sessions to the morning.  The meetings aren’t televised.  Working citizens can’t attend.  Campbell can’t attend many.  Cohen will undoubtedly miss a few because she has to earn a living.

By this action alone Smith, et al provide an excellent argument for not allowing anyone on a PUBLIC pension to hold elected office.  No – I’m not advocating that action.  I’m just noting that there is an argument to be made when people like Smith, Comegys, and Shields behave as they do.

Coupled with their action to make work sessions difficult for Campbell (and Cohen), these shining examples of public service are also attempting to void Campbell’s and Cohen’s access to health insurance through the city.  The city’s ethics commission has asked the city government to specifically include health insurance within the portfolio of the compensation commission which recommends the salary of both the mayor and council.  Sadly, the “council majority” has recently refused to do that as well.

I can make an excellent argument for not providing the mayor or council members with access to the city’s health insurance.  I can also make an excellent argument for allowing them access, but making them pay full freight.

However, that’s not what this is about.  As soon as Shields discovered that she could get her insurance through the state pool it was time to go after Campbell and Cohen.  Why not?  The taxpayers are footing the bill for Smith, Comegys and Shields – just not on the same account.  They got theirs, so why not screw their political opponents?

Here’s the message coming from the city council offices – working people need not apply.  Only those who are retired or living off of the taxpayers should be able to hold public office in Salisbury.

As I noted above, I can make an argument for taking away health insurance from Campbell and Cohen.  However, if the city wants to do that they should also not pick up the tab for any travel – particularly Comegys’s MML expenses.  There is one thing for certain.  The taxpayers of Salisbury benefit far more from the presence of Campbell and Cohen on council than they do by paying for Comegys to glad hand around Maryland.

Salisbury citizens need working people to be able to serve on the city council council.  They also need retired men and women to be able to serve.  They just don’t need vindictive individuals like Smith, Comegys, and Shields.

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?

If anyone in the environs of Salisbury, MD thought that the days of the fascist state of Barrieland were over … THINK AGAIN.

Imagine an employee of your local government coming into your home or office – WITHOUT A WARRANT.  Imagine that same person taking photographs of your home or office, WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.  Now imagine those photographs showing up on a local blog as part of some bizarre attempt to demean you.

If your name is Joe Albero, you don’t have to imagine it.  It’s already happened.  Before Christmas, an employee of the Salisbury department of Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance (NSCC) made a stop at Mr. Albero’s property at 300 West Main Street.  Supposedly, this individual was there to inspect Albero’s property because of reported code violations due to the recent rain storms we have suffered in the area.

During the reign of Queen Barrie Tilghman Salisbury’s NSCC department was infamous for handing out citations and harassing businesses and residents alike who weren’t part of the political “in crowd”.  Albero certainly qualifies.  However, Mayor Jim Ireton promised that those days were over when he was sworn into office.

Why then, did a picture apparently taken by someone from NSCC appear on a local blog whose primary purpose is to attack and demean Albero?  Unless the publisher of this local cesspool trespassed onto Albero’s property and took the picture, I don’t have a problem with them publishing it.  The first amendment applies to the nasty and dimwitted as much as it applies to you and I.  However, it appears that this photo came from a CITY EMPLOYEE!

In a sense, this was amusing.  It showed that Salisbury city employees don’t have enough to do so they harass local businesses and use city resources to attack political opponents by conspiring with people like Jonathan Taylor.  Jonathan Taylor showed that he lacked the basic intelligence to discern the difference between electrical wiring and a telephone hook-up.

Unfortunately, this issue is a tad more serious.  Any credibility that the city possessed concerning code compliance is now out the window.  At least former mayor Barrie Tilghman was a little more discreet in the way she used NSCC to intimidate city residents and businesses.  It always boiled down to “he said, she said” and Tilghman (often successfully) dismissed victims who came forward as mere conspiracy theorists.  In addition, I never heard of the NSCC under Tilghman actually entering a premise without permission or warrant.

Under the current mayor – Jim “Hope & Change” Ireton – we are learning that good intentions won’t even get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  An ineffectual and insubordinate police chief is allowed to pick the taxpayers’ pockets to the tune of $50,000 because Ireton lacked the backbone to dismiss him.  Now, city employees are being used to harass a local businessman. If Ireton ever hopes to wrest control of the city government from Tilghman’s minor league fascists he would give NSCC director Tom Stevenson 30 days to find and dismiss the culprit responsible for this attack on basic liberties … or dismiss Stevenson.

Sadly, we shouldn’t hold our breath.  It’s only one more reason why businesses should be reluctant to move into Salisbury.

Attend this evening’s Salisbury City Council meeting.  During public comment ask this simple question:

Will you continue to support the rising crime rate or will you take action against crime, starting now?

Let the Barrie Comegys bloc – Gary Comegys, Louise Smith, and Shanie Shields – know that you want change!  This means letting Police Chief Allan Webster go and putting someone in the job that is more concerned about fighting crime than attacking Mayor Jim Ireton and Councilwoman Debbie Campbell.

  When Jim Ireton was running to be Salisbury’s mayor there was no question that crime was a TOP concern of voters.  Things don’t seem to have gotten much better since his election.  At Tuesday’s meeting of the Salisbury Crime Taskforce Ireton provided some hint as to his solution for the crime problems – GRANTS.

While Jim’s FRIENDS – Frank Kratovil, Barbara Mikulski, Ben Cardin, and Barack Obama – may be doling out taxpayer dollars by the bucket full, at some point in time Ireton is going to have to DO SOMETHING about fixing the problems facing Salisbury.  That means Ireton needs to understand that crime is one of, if not THE BIGGEST problem facing his once fair city.

At Tuesday’s meeting a member of the taskforce asked Ireton what was the status of a grant Salisbury applied for to replicate a highly successful crime initiative in Annapolis.  Ireton’s reply was a song an dance about how “competitive” the application process was and how applicants were being “scored”.

“What will we do if we don’t receive the grant?”, asked the member.

Ireton’s response?  “Well, I guess we’ll just have to apply for another grant.”

WRONG ANSWER!  If this program is worth going through the hassle of applying for the grant, and it is truly effective AND if it will only cost approximately $150,000 to implement, then I’m quite sure that Ireton can find budget cuts to fund such a program.  In fact, this is basically what councilwoman Terry Cohen told Ireton.

There are two problems in this scenario.  The first is that Ireton just doesn’t get it.  His record to date seems to be one of “Let’s spend the taxpayers’ money”, but he’s certainly not very big on getting results.  The other problem is that Ireton lacks the courage to put someone in charge of the police department who will get results.

“Jim’s Friends” could lavish millions of dollars on Salisbury, but would the taxpayers actually see results as long as Allan Webster remains in charge of SPD?  Given Webster’s overall record and his seeming desire to spend more time attacking elected officials than fighting crime, I seriously doubt it.

Ireton needs to wake up and smell the coffee.  The citizens who put him in office will just as quickly throw him out without concrete RESULTS!.  Salisbury voters aren’t interested in press conferences and ribbon cuttings.  While cleaning up the river may be an important issue to many, it is strictly second tier when a majority of city residents can hear gunfire at night.

Jim Ireton defeated Gary Comegys in last spring’s mayoral election because he wasn’t Barrie Tilghman.  Unfortunately, that’s precisely what the citizens currently have – Barrie Tilghman in a coat and tie.  The people running the city are the same, and Jim Ireton is only there half a day to supervise them.  Of course, Ireton doesn’t appear to have the backbone to tell them what to do anyway.

Start with doing something concrete about the crime problem Jim.  Voters don’t care about grants.  They care about results.  Don’t come asking for a tax increase next spring without something to show for your efforts.

Salisbury city councilman Gary Comegys smells blood in the water; so does the Tilghman Times.  Sadly, they can’t quite figure out whose blood it is.  Is it Councilwoman Debbie Campbell’s?  How about Mayor Jim Ireton’s?  Therefore, Comegys is trying to play both sides against the middle, while Councilwoman Louise Smith simply peers over the side of the boat in her typical demented haze.

Evidently SPD chief Allan Webster was warned by the people actually running Salisbury that Ireton would fire him if he spoke to the press again regarding his campaign against Campbell.  Therefore, the Tilghman Times is using Comegys as the current attack dog for the Barrie Comegys party.  Unfortunately, Comegys doesn’t have the mental capacity to keep all of the lies straight in the Barrie Comegys party’s little soap opera we have all come to know as TapeGate.

According to Comegys, Campbell’s call for the release of ALL SPD information regarding this matter amounts to a “political stunt”:

"She first says she doesn’t know anything about (the tape). Then she says she did know all about it, but denies being in possession of police evidence; it all just seems like a political ploy," he said. "And, really, what would be accomplished by releasing what she wants released? The evidence everyone’s talking about is missing from the evidence locker."

Gary must know something that Campbell and Ireton don’t know.  According to correspondence from Webster, there is no report on any break-ins at the former address of Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Service on Baptist Street.  There hasn’t been any claim by Webster that “evidence” went missing from the SPD’s evidence locker.  Perhaps Webster is sharing information with Comegys that he is withholding from the Mayor?

In addition, Comegys asserts that Ireton is “re-opening” a “closed investigation”:

"The mayor all along has hid behind this being a personnel issue, and now that his ally, Mrs. Campbell, has asked that evidence and documentation be made available to the public, he’s going to do it?" he said. "(Ireton) told the police chief not to talk about it publicly; (Ireton) ended the chief’s investigation into this matter. And now, just because Mrs. Campbell says so, (Ireton) is going to re-open this case?"

Comegys needs to get his stories straight.  Unfortunately, when you are depending upon serial liars that can prove a little difficult.

The “personnel issue” Comegys is referring to is regarding Campbell’s letter to Ireton regarding Webster.  TapeGate is a separate matter and is only related to the first in so far as Webster attempted to claim “whistle blower” status as a ploy to protect his job.  Unfortunately for the citizens of Salisbury, Tilghman Times reporter Laura D’Alessandro is either too biased and / or too dim witted to grasp the difference.

Unable to stick to a story that even has a hint of truth, the Barrie Comegys party even used its house blog to hint that a “copy of the tape may exist”.  This would almost be interesting (fictional) story telling, except that Comegys has already stated that the supposed tape is “missing from the (SPD) evidence locker”.  Can anyone wonder why this “gang that couldn’t shoot straight” was trounced at the polls this past spring?

What will be next from the Barrie Comegys crew?  Cries of a cover-up?

This would be supremely interesting given that Webster claims that this supposed tape exists, yet all of the supposed evidence has disappeared from SPD.  It is Campbell who has called for the release of all material, not Webster or his cohort Gary Comegys.

I thought that elections were held last spring.  However, the person who was elected mayor of Salisbury certainly isn’t the person running the city’s government.  If Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton really is in charge, he must be schizophrenic, because he publicly states that one thing will happen and voila, the opposite occurs.

Here are just a few recent examples:

Investigating Debbie -

Police chief Allan Webster claimed that he was investigating Salisbury councilwoman Debbie Campbell over a “surveillance tape” that Webster claims was in her possession.  Let’s forget the fact that this supposed incident occurred 11 years ago!  Let’s forget the fact that there is no prosecutable offense EVEN IF Webster is telling the truth; and that’s a REALLY BIG IF.

On September 1st, the Tilghman Times (another big if in the veracity department), Ireton ordered Webster to cease his “investigation”.  Of course, the next week another document from Webster’s office regarding this fiction shows up in the newspaper.

Way to control your department heads JIm!

The Non-Interview Interview -

On September 11, we were treated to another bit of hilarity on the front page of the Tilghman Times:

When asked Wednesday for permission to interview the police chief for this report, Ireton said:  “(Webster was not allowed to comment again Wednesday) because the chief is my employee.  There isn’t any reason the chief has to defend himself.”

Of course, the paper did interview the chief and he certainly talked to them.  I wish I was good at Photoshop.  I’d have another photo – of Webster standing over Ireton, rubbing his face in excrement.

Rogue Chiefs and Rogue Cops -

We now have evidence of a police captain admitting, in writing no less, to violating police procedure and possibly committing an illegal act.  Has this officer been suspended?  No.  What’s worse, this guy has managed to make it to captain, yet he is stupid enough to admit in writing that he (at best) violated procedure.  If he made such a statement under oath, he’d be committing perjury.

Keep It All In The Family -

It has even been reported that Webster has refused to serve the house blogger of the Barrie Comegys party with criminal charges.  If this is true, I want to know why Webster hasn’t been brought before a judge and locked up for contempt.

While it has also been reported that Ireton has ORDERED Webster to comply, we’ll just have to wait and see.  Won’t we?  One thing is for sure, every day that Allan Webster continues in his position is another day of Jim Ireton as a laughing stock.

***************************

These are, sadly, just a few examples of how Ireton has failed to take control of his office.  It’s a shame, because those of us who supported his candidacy expected so much more.

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.