The time is now to say NO!

Does the Civic Center need more parking?  Yes.

Do we need to spend this money now?  No.

Pollitt makes an eloquent case for his folly.  The Civic Center needs a additional parking.  The money will come from state, not local, coffers.  He even admits that we will probably be overpaying for the property, but …

Sadly, Pollitt once again shows that he just doesn’t get it.  This is the TAXPAYERS” MONEY.  Yes, we all understand that the funds for purchasing the land will come from a “particular” state program.  However, does Pollitt REALLY want to be held to his own logic?

Remember that state funds pay all of the associated purchase costs. Some say, "It is still our money."

No, it is not. Not unless you bought or sold property in an agriculture district recently. Program Open Space is funded by a state transfer tax paid only by parties so engaged. It is not general taxpayer money. Nor can the money be used for general government purposes. It cannot be used to pay teachers, equip police or pave roads. It can only be used for projects such as the one we’re discussing.

According to Pollitt, we have no “skin in the game” and shouldn’t worry about this.

Well, using Pollitt’s logic:

• Amusement tax monies should only be used to benefit, of with the consent of, those who attend movies, or go to a Shorebirds game.
• The use of room tax funds should be governed by those who stay in hotels or motels in the county.
• Those who rent should not have a say in how property tax dollars are spent.
• Since children seldom pay income tax, should they benefit from the use of county income tax dollars which help to fund public schools?

Ridiculous?  Of course these questions are ridiculous.  They are just as ridiculous as Pollitt’s eloquent, but specious, argument that we shouldn’t care how state tax dollars are being spent because we didn’t pay directly into the fund from which this “grant” comes.

Attend this morning’s meeting.  Speak out against another one or Rick Pollitt’s follies.

Ironically, O’Malley has chosen to deliver his address on Groundhog Day.  Griffiths draws an appropriate parallel between O’Malley and the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.  If you remember, the premise of the film is that Murray’s character lives the same day over, over, and over again.

Under O’Malley, Maryland citizens have endured the same things over, over, and over again.  We have suffered the same:

• Excuses
• Calls for Tax Increases
• Calls for Expanded Government Services

While O’Malley is expected to call for a sweeping new jobs program.  Yet, thousands of Marylanders lost their jobs because of O’Malley’s historic tax increases.  Why should our fellow citizens be expected to pay for a problem caused (in part) by the very policies O’Malley has foisted on us during the last three years?

O’Malley is expected to call for a freeze on tax increases.  IT’S AN ELECTION YEAR!  Did we expect O’Malley to hit up the taxpayers again?  Of course not.  However, we should expect a litany of tax increases NEXT YEAR if O’Malley is re-elected.  A vote for Martin O’Malley is almost surely a vote for:

• HIGHER Income Taxes
• HIGHER Sales Taxes
• HIGHER Gas Taxes
• HIGHER Alcohol Taxes
• HIGHER Cigarette Taxes

in 2011.

Griffiths is absolutely correct.  Rather than a handout to the usual special interest group (unions, public employees, etc.), Maryland citizens deserve a hand up by allowing them to keep more of what they earn.

Griffiths may be shocked to find out that the Washington Post, of all publications is in agreement with him when it comes to education.  Maryland parents and children deserve:

• School Choice
• Merit Pay
• An End to Teacher Tenure

What have we received from O’Malley and his liberal cronies?  The same rhetoric – over, over, and over again.  Griffiths is right.  We deserve better.  While Griffiths may be too young to remember, he asks the appropriate question from Ronald Reagan’s one and only debate with Jimmy Carter:

Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Four Years Ago?

We should all ask that question and then demand LEADERSHIP:

• Leadership that takes responsibility
• Leadership that does the right thing
• Leadership that spends our money wisely

Griffiths is right.  2010 is TIME FOR A CHANGE!

As O’Malley’s poll numbers have dropped over the past year, the Governor’s press office has excluded media and citizens from press conferences in the Governor’s Reception Room. They have also established new barriers for obtaining press credentials for the State House press corps.

Reporter Hassan Giordano of the Baltimore Independent Examiner describes his frustration with the Governor’s interference of an open and transparent government in Maryland and, specifically, the lack of access to the Governor unless you are one of the few favored media representatives known to write or produce pro-Administration pieces:

"While certain members of the Press, including myself, have been stalled and consistently delayed our press credentials, due to some new process the O’Malley administration has put in place, many are questioning why now? As if not already known as the liberal oppressor of all things conservative, Governor O’Malley is now playing games with certain reporter’s credentials, who are too closely tied to conservative publications."

Maryland voters shouldn’t be surprised.  Sunlight has always been considered a powerful disinfectant.  When you are playing fast and loose with the taxpayers’ dollars, as O’Malley has been doing for three years, sunlight is the last thing you want.

What is really depressing is that the liberal Maryland media is putting up with this.

H/T:  Maryland Senate Republican Caucus

Sunday, the paper ran a front page story – “Wicomico School Travel Expenses Scrutinized”.  This piece was in obvious reaction to pieces ran last week by both Delmarva Dealings and Salisbury News outlining just a few of the abuses found by Wicomico County Councilman Joe Holloway.  Holloway has spent months attempting to get this information from the WCBOE and has been stonewalled every step of the way.  He has requested copies of the receipts for specific line items and has still not received those!  Yet, what was Mr. Latshaw’s lead for this puff piece?

The Wicomico County school system is viewing every out-of-town conference or business lunch with increased scrutiny as it prepares for big budget reductions.  "We would anticipate the (seminars and conferences) budget to be substantially and significantly reduced," said Superintendent John Fredericksen.

The WCBOE has refused to cut this year’s travel budget – instead choosing to cut from SPECIAL ED!  They have been caught using taxpayer funds for trips to Hooter’s, junkets to Vegas (including tickets to a Toby Keith concert), and dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse!  It appears that the taxpayers have even been charged for Superintendent John Fredericksen and Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt to have lunch.  Yet, Latshaw (and his boss Erick Sahler) want the public to believe that the WCBOE is attempting to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers’ money.

Fredericksen Lies … Again

Quite possibly the biggest whopper in this work of fiction is a quote from Fredericksen:

Fredericksen said the school system is pleased to comply with Holloway’s request for more detailed information and will likely have the information to him by the end of next week.

That’s right John, you’re PLEASED to comply.  That’s why you stonewalled Holloway for months in his attempt to receive a printout of WCBOE travel expenses.  The only reason he received those was because one of your bureaucrats let it slip (at a council meeting) that the only thing required to fulfill Holloway’s request was to enter the necessary codes for travel expenses into the computer and hit “PRINT”.  Fredericksen has previously issued a letter to Holloway claiming that it would cost thousands of dollars to provide the information.  I guess those folk over at the central office are getting paid $1million an hour.

Holloway requested copies of receipts of a small number of transactions WEEKS AGO.  If you are so PLEASED to comply with the request, why hasn’t he received them yet?  If you were so PLEASED to provide the information, why did you call Council President Gail Bartkovich and ask if Holloway’s request was JUST from Joe Holloway or was it from the entire council?  Why did Bartkovich consider it necessary to have the council hold a vote DEMANDING the information?

Sure John, you’re PLEASED to comply.

Fredericksen also claims that overnight travel has been “frozen”:

We’ve frozen all national travel.

Last year, Fredericksen told the county council the same thing.  Yet, when it was brought to the board’s attention that a few members of council had uncovered instances of overnight travel they were told that a “freeze” simply meant that all instances of overnight travel were being “scrutinized”.

THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ALL ALONG!  A “FREEZE” means that the practice has been stopped.  These bureaucrats just don’t get it.  The money they spend doesn’t fall from the sky.  Hard working men and women sweat and toil to provide those dollars.  The least these people can do is spend that money with some sense of respect as to where it came from.

Sadly, the board, Fredericksen, and his top bureaucrats seem to believe that taxpayers exist for one purpose – TO FUND THEIR FOLLY.

IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN

The WCBOE argues that their primary concern is “the children”.  Yet, as Holloway pointed out, teachers are being forced to spend their own money on supplies.  Taxpayer money is thrown away giving retirees INCREASED benefits.  Travel funds (whether needed or not) are being squandered.  Parents are denied school choice and the WCBOE’s four employee unions seem to dictate policy.

This problem is not unique to Wicomico County.  When the Washington Post, hardly a leader of conservative thought, admits that the MSEA (the state teachers’ union) is more concerned about lining their own pockets and featherbedding their own jobs than providing a quality education for Maryland’s children, then you know that things have really gotten bad in the Once Free State.

SPIN, SPIN, SPIN …

Latshaw’s article causes more questions to be asked than provides answers.  Why did Latshaw use up over 1/3 of his article attempting to defend training for WCBOE employees?  I don’t recall anyone saying that there shouldn’t be any training.  Why didn’t Latshaw address the questions that have been asked by some officials and the public, namely wasteful use of travel dollars (concert tickets, dinners at VERY expensive restaurants)?  Why did Latshaw print obviously false statements?

As the 2010 elections become closer, perhaps the WCBOE should give Tracey Sahler another pay increase.  As they become a leading issue of the county elections, they will need for the Daily Times to continue “getting their back”.  Taxpayers are tired of excuses.  They want to see our children educated.  They don’t want to see money wasted on junkets to Vegas.

“Over the past few years I have seen state budgets continue to grow while our families’ budgets are stretched to the breaking point in many cases,” said Kenton.

“It will be no easy task but it is time to look for practical ways to hold the line on state spending and at the same time fostering the ability for our small?businesses to grow and flourish in a sluggish economy."

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we must keep government out of the way of their future,” Kenton said.  “By listening to what they need we can quickly get Delawareans back to work and grow our way out of this downturn.”

Kenton, 68, is a Navy veteran and a lifelong Milford resident.  He has been married to his wife Jeanne for 45 years.  They have three children and five grandchildren.  Kenton serves as a director for the Delaware State Fair, Peoples Place II, The Felton Bank, Greater Milford Boys and Girls Club and the Milford Community Cemetary as well as being a member of the Milford Church of God and the Cedarfield Ruritan Club.

However, it is my further opinion that such prohibition does not restrict fundraising activity related to a campaign for federal office. Finally, it is my opinion that federal law pre-empts Virginia’s fundraising prohibition when a General Assembly member solicits or accepts contributions solely for a federal office.

This opinion is in line with the practice in other states – states with far more stringent campaign finance laws than those of the Commonwealth.  However, some of Hurt’s opponents for the GOP nod are not convinced:

"Although it may be legal, it certainly isn’t ethical," said Laurence Verga, a private real estate investor from Ivy and one of Hurt’s rivals in the June 8 primary. "The American people are tired of career politicians like Senator Hurt who put their personal aspirations above their ethical obligations."

Verga said the intent of the 1997 law that forbids Virginia lawmakers from accepting contributions was to "prevent lobbyists from buying votes."

While Delmarva Dealings has not been a supporter of Hurt’s campaign, Cuccinelli’s opinion was the right call.

Fair enough.  Reasonable people can differ on the advisability of this particular use of the public’s money.  Many Wicomico citizens, like myself, will oppose this acquisition despite our agreement that the civic center needs additional parking.

Why?  It’s fairly simple.  This is one more example of the complete disdain county officials and bureaucrats have for the citizens of Wicomico.

RICK POLLITT

County Executive Rick Pollitt appears to believe that those who elected him are among the dimmest bulbs on the tree.  His arguments for this purchase AND his handling of the matter show Pollitt to be more bureaucrat than leader.

Yesterday, appearing on Bill Reddish’s Delmarva Talks (on WICO-AM) program, Pollitt argued that voters shouldn’t oppose this because “none of their money will be used”.  This is the same foolish, disingenuous argument we hear from those arguing that unless YOU paid a specific tax, you shouldn’t have any say over how the money is used.  If Mr. Pollitt was actually sincere in this belief, he would have no choice but to ask council to abolish the county rooms tax unless a hotel room is being used by a county resident.

Pollitt argues that only those of us who actually paid an ag transfer tax have any skin in this game because Maryland’s “Program Open Space” is paying for the property.  It is true that state monies are to be used.  That does not negate the fact that Pollitt proposes to grossly overpay for the property.

Pollitt also claims that it doesn’t matter if we are overpaying.  After all, it’s “free money”.  The fact that Pollitt has made this argument on multiple occasions forces me to question Pollitt’s fitness for any office that spends public monies.  These are tax dollars.  A responsible county executive wouldn’t care if the money was coming from his own pocket or that of a developer in Washington County.  Pollitt just isn’t very responsible (as evidenced by the county’s recent audit).

Pollitt has also stated that he’s not interested in charging civic center patrons to park.  This is particularly interesting because Pollitt also argues that the civic center is “self-sufficient” (the county budget doesn’t offer any proof of this) and would even turn a profit if they could peddle alcohol at events (a direct violation of the property’s deed of gift).

Rick needs to make up his mind.  Who does he work for – the taxpayers or the bureaucracy?

GAIL BARTKOVICH

I have a great deal of admiration for Wicomico County Council President Gail Bartkovich.  While a tad moderate for my tastes, Bartkovich is the most prepared member of the council and (I thought) was a great choice for president.  Sadly, Bartkovich has failed a major test by her decision to allow this public hearing to occur during a regular daytime meeting.

Bartkovich is ultimately responsible for the council’s agenda.  I respect her desire to garner consensus and not force a nighttime meeting on members that don’t want one.  However, at a minimum, Bartkovich should have forced a vote as to when the hearing would take place.

While this council has steadfastly refused to hold regular evening meetings more often than quarterly, they have always held public hearings in the evening if the subject was even marginally controversial.  Sadly, Bartkovich and some of her council colleagues have chosen to try sweeping this under the rug and below the public’s radar.  I’m reminded of John Adam’s appointment of the “Midnight Judges”.

SHOW UP TUESDAY

Because of the deliberately (?) poor scheduling of this public hearing, Pollitt and certain members of the county council expect a light turnout dominated by those advocating for this multi-million dollar boondoggle.  Prove them wrong.  Show up Tuesday and let your elected officials know that you care whether or not we receive value for our money – regardless of the source of those funds.

McDonnell’s message will prove important because he expressed the ideas upon which this great nation were founded and those ideas which have made our nation the greatest on earth.  While Obama wishes to continue throwing hard earned tax dollars (and even more money borrowed from the likes of Communist China) at problems, McDonnell’s message was one of self-reliance, self-sacrifice, liberty, and innovation:

Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector’s ability to create new jobs.  We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world.  What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class.  It was Thomas Jefferson who called for “A wise and frugal Government which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry ….and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned…” He was right.

Today, the federal government is simply trying to do too much.

While most Democrats and far too many Republicans seek enhanced personal and corporate power through the overreaching hand of government, McDonnell’s message was one reminiscent of Ronald Reagan:

The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.  Without reform, the excessive growth of government threatens our very liberty and prosperity.

School choice and educational opportunity based on merit and need rather than bureaucratic fiat are cornerstones of a conservative education policy.  McDonnell used a portion of his national address to promote those ideas.  McDonnell also asserted a belief held by the vast majority of Americans, but not those in the Obama administration or a majority of Democrats in Congress – constitutional rights belong to American citizens, NOT foreign terrorists:

Americans were shocked on Christmas Day to learn of the attempted bombing of a flight to Detroit.  This foreign terror suspect was given the same legal rights as a U.S. citizen, and immediately stopped providing critical intelligence.  As Senator-elect Scott Brown says, we should be spending taxpayer dollars to defeat terrorists, not to protect them.

Americans believe in equality of opportunity.  We know that there can never be an equality of outcomes – unless we aim for the lowest common denominator.  We also know that hard working and innovative Americans, free to excel and unhindered by unnecessary government interference are what made this nation great :

Here at home government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents in liberty to pursue the American Dream. Republicans know that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all.

That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise, economic growth, strong families, and individual achievement.  Many Americans are concerned about this Administration’s efforts to exert greater control over car companies, banks, energy and health care.

Over-regulating employers won’t create more employment; overtaxing investors won’t foster more investment.  Top-down one-size fits all decision making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our Founders clearly stated, and we Governors understand, government closest to the people governs best.

McDonnell’s conclusion summed up the ideas upon which our nation was founded and became the greatest nation on earth:

Some people are afraid that America is no longer the great land of promise that she has always been. They should not be.  America will always blaze the trail of opportunity and prosperity.  America must always be a land where liberty and property are valued and respected, and innocent human life is protected.

Government should have this clear goal: Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone.

Our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to create this nation. Now, we should pledge as Democrats, Republicans and Independents–Americans all—to work together to leave this nation a better place than we found it.

Unfortunately, these ideas are foreign to the American left and far too many who claim the cloak of conservatism.  We need more leaders like McDonnell; men and women who understand AND believe in these core concepts.  What we do not need are those who merely mouth words in an attempt to gain votes and power.  McDonnell’s address should remind us of what we believe, AND of the danger posed by those who claim to represent us, but really represent themselves.

For a copy of the full text of McDonnell’s address, CLICK HERE.

I was wondering if Obama was going to hand out any “cash from his stash” while visiting Charm City.