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.

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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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A Boring Forum, With A Few Nuggets

Wednesday night’s candidate forum for Salisbury mayoral and council candidates was quite possibly the most boring event I have ever attended.  It wasn’t because of the candidates, the questions were actually better than the typical tripe thrown at events like the PACE forum, the sponsors did a good job.  No, the problem was the format.  You simply can’t ask good questions and then try to limit responses to one or two minutes and not give candidates a chance for rebuttal.

Despite a high boredom level, there were a few interesting nuggets of information to be gleaned from the evening.  We’ll start with the two mayoral candidates, Gary Comegys and Jim Ireton.

I hate to keep saying this, but despite my heartfelt belief that Jim Ireton remains the better candidate of the two, Gary Comegys was the hands down winner.  Ireton’s style simply doesn’t translate into debates.  He likes to tell stories and deal in platitudes.  These may be great in grassroots campaigning (if you have the time), but they simply don’t work with serious questions and a limited time frame.
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It Ain’t Over Yet Salisbury

After the humiliation of a 13 point loss in yesterday’s Mayoral primary, don’t expect Salisbury Councilman Gary Comegys to slink into the shadows.  The fight has just begun.

While it is still possible for former councilman Bob Caldwell to oust Comegys with 200 absentee ballots still out, the probability is less than 50-50.  Given that, don’t think that the special interest who have invested so much in Barrie Comegys will go into that good night.

Because Comegys’ lost to Ireton in the primary by over 13 points, Salisbury voters can expect SAPOA to pull out all the stops.  They will attempt to put their ticket (Gary Comegys, Muir Boda and Shanie Shields) over the top through a variety of methods.  Voters can look forward to the following:
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Salisbury Needs to Vote on Tuesday

Tomorrow, voters in Salisbury have an opportunity to take the first step in bringing out real change.  The choices are simple:

Do you want to continue paying higher property tax rates (or higher rents)?

Do you want Salisbury to continue its current path of bureaucracy run amok?

Do you want Salisbury to continue subsidizing the privilege few at the expense of its citizens?

If you answered no to these questions, then your choices are clear.  You need to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote for Bob Caldwell and Jim Ireton for Mayor.  If you live in District 1, you need to vote for Tim Chaney and Cynthia Polk for city council. (Remember, there is no District 2 primary.  Voters will choose between Muir Boda and Debbie Campbell on April 7.)
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