Barrie Comegys Party Wants to Waste More Tax Dollars

When will they ever learn?  The Barrie Comegys bloc on Salisbury’s city council wants to throw more tax dollars (potentially millions more) down the drain.  Since Mayor Jim Ireton vetoed their attempt to take a notorious property owner off of the hook for cleanup, their response was tried and true (at least in Democrat circles) – they played the race card.

BARRIE COMEGYS WANTS YOUR MONEY

I understand the argument for acquiring the Lake Street property.  It could serve as a means to jump start the proposed North Prong redevelopment project.  As someone who supports redevelopment of the North Prong (just not the ham fisted Barrie Comegys approach), acquiring the property could have some merit.

However, to call this property a “brown field” is probably being generous.  Given that no one has any idea what kind of clean-up problems will be encountered if the city took possession of the property, it makes good sense to find out BEFORE the city is on the hook.  In fact, Councilwoman Terry Cohen made such a specific motion to amend the agreement before council last Monday.  Councilman Gary Comegys stated that he would support such an amendment ONLY IF it did not stop the city from acquiring the land.  Councilwomen Louise Smith and Shanie Shields (the other two legs of the Barrie Comegys Party stool on the Salisbury council) also voted down the amendment.

Let’s try this again.  NO ONE knows what the clean-up will cost.  It may me $10,000.  It could be $1 MILLION!  For all anyone knows, it could be more.  YET, Comegys stated that it was more important to acquire this piece of land.  Basically, the Barrie Comegys position is that this land is worth ANY PRICE.

Why not?  The taxpayers are footing the bill.

RACE PIMPING IN THE ‘BURY

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Waller Landing on the Block

It appears that the developers of the proposed Waller Landing development in Hebron have placed the parcel up for sale.  The asking price is reported to be approximately the same amount as is owed against the property.

The project has met with opposition from the start, primarily from those living just outside the Hebron town limits.  However, as the project has moved forward, opposition appears to be increasing.  This is probably due (in part) to Hebron’s admission that they now wish to include areas across US 50 as part of their “growth area”.  There are additional concerns regarding traffic, the cost of new wastewater / water infrastructure, as well as the affect on nearby residents.

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Wicomico Property Rights Under Attack Again

If at first you don’t succeed, try to slip one under the table.  That appears to be the mantra of the likes of Wicomico County councilman Bill McCain and his spendthrift pals.  After losing in the “Great Land Grab” of 2009, McCain and company are looking to have another go.  This time they will claim that the county will lose state funds if they don’t go along.

As usual, the interesting stuff on tomorrow’s council agenda will be in the work session.  Under “MALF Certification”, McCain and his land grabbing buddies will make a pitch to bring back the proposal to steal farmers’ land rights without any compensation.

For the uninitiated (don’t worry, I had to look it up), MALPF stands for the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.  This body is supposed to compensate farmers for giving up their development rights.  We should note that there is NEVER enough money in MALF to compensate all of the farmers who have their property rights stolen by their state or county governments.  However, that doesn’t stop the mindless Marxists in Annapolis from playing out their little charade.

 

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Why Looters Would Rather Steal From You

Yesterday we ran a post highlighting a proposal by the unholy troika of local / regional enviros, the socialist majority of the Wicomico County Council (led by John Cannon and Bill McCain) and County Executive Rick Pollitt (who is attempting to PUBLICLY straddle the fence as usual).  This legislation would legalize the theft of land from Wicomico County farmers.

In our post we discussed why enviro groups such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) need to participate in socialist schemes rather than actually solve problems as they claim.  Today I noticed further evidence of this from the Commonwealth.

Oyster packers and waterman wish to expand the planting of Asian oysters.  The CBF and other lefty enviros vehemently oppose this.  Their claim is that there could be “unforseen consequences” of introducing a non-native species into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  I would agree, except that these oysters are STERILE.  They can’t reproduce.  Of course, there may be “unforseen consequences” of the sun rising tomorrow.
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Daily Times Shows Same Lack of Leadership As County Executive

Today’s Daily Times publishes an editorial exhibiting the same lack of leadership, vision, and understanding of the issues as we discussed Wednesday in our post on the Wicomico “State of the County” address.  Politics is obviously more important than facts; government spending more important than taxpayers.

Whining over the revenue cap is not going to solve anything.  While an opponent of the revenue cap, I realize that the voters of Wicomico County do not (and should not) trust County Executive Rick Pollitt with a repeal.  Now Pollitt, and the paper, are asking for a revision.  This is not politically viable either because bold action requires leaders.  To date we have none, either in the County Executive’s office nor at Gannett’s new digs in Northwood.

The Daily Times‘ argument about county revenue proves that they have no understanding of the real problem and seem to believe that government should just keep raising revenue to meet expenses, rather than solve the problems of spending AND the source of that spending:

The housing boom was in full swing, the economy was sailing along and property tax revenue from new construction was not affected by the cap for the first year. So any shortfalls were made up by the taxes collected on new construction, which was not included in the pot that is limited to 2 percent –or less, depending on the rate of inflation –more than the previous year’s revenue.

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The Long March Toward …

… Almost Every Socialist Scheme You Can Think Of

I know.  I’m a conspiracy freak… a wing nut … a simpleton … a Luddite.

Our federal government has basically nationalized some of our largest banks and insurance companies.  While the Senate may have postponed a “bailout” (read “nationalization”) of the big 3 automakers, the Treasury (under a Republican administration no less) is prepared to step in with TARP money (meaning OUR money).

Now, even a solid conservative like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is admitting that socialized medicine is probably inevitable.  Phillip Klein’s piece in the American Spectator outlines the Long March that Barack Obama, Tom Daschle, and (our own newly elected) Frank Kratovil want to take us down.

On Wednesday night I attended a Wicomico Planning Commission hearing
and listened to a small army of left wing activists attempt to explain
that property rights are simply subservient to the “common interest”. 
Landowners have NO RIGHT to be compensated for their land being taken
for the betterment of the collective.  I had to chuckle at the irony of
these mostly well meaning folk wearing red flags or ribbons pinned to
their clothes.  I thought I was at a meeting of the Young Communists’
League.

While mouthing “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”, the new crew in town plans on using fear – much of it false – to scare a majority of Americans into finally capitulating as they become servants of the state.  The long march down the road to serfdom is not a single road.  It appears to be winding through Washington, our state capitals AND county courthouses like Salisbury and Centreville.

I know.  I’m just simplistic and paranoid.

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Live Coverage of Wicomico Planning Commission Meeting

We’re going to try something a little different tonight.  We’ll be Tweeting from tonight’s Wicomico Planning Commission land grab AND using FriendFeed.  For those of you with Twitter accounts, use #wcc (Wicomico County Council) to comment.  If you want to use FriendFeed, go to Delmarva Dealings’ FriendFeed room.

This is my first attempt at using a FriendFeed room for live blogging.  Let me know how the system works on your end.  I hope you enjoy it.  I won’t be able to moderate comments on Delmarva Dealings until later.  Please comment as to whether you like this system or not.

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The CBF Wants to Steal Your Land!

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation wants to STEAL YOUR LAND!  No, this is not a joke.  No, this is not “satire”.  The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) wants to take away YOUR property rights … and they expect you to help them do it!

The CBF, along with the Wicomico Environmental Trust (WET) and a host of other well meaning enviro groups, want to down-zone agricultural land outside of the Salisbury “metro-core”.  The result will be a reduction in the value of theses lands.  After they’ve done it to the farmers, we could be next!

Their argument is both simple, and appealing:
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Jim Ireton Announces for Mayor …

… With a Unique Blend of Rhetoric and Substance

Anyone who attended Jim Ireton’s announcement that he was running for Mayor had to be impressed.  Ireton’s well thought out speech hit on the major problems facing Salisbury and Ireton presented common sense solutions to solving them.

The most important thing to note about Ireton’s speech was an almost unique blend of persuasive rhetoric and substantive policy recommendations.  Ireton accomplished this because he is truly passionate about Salisbury and in solving the problems facing a once great city.  There was nothing “over the top” about anything he said.  Instead Ireton focused attention on 5 issues:

• The Wicomico River

• Growth and Development

• Housing

• Fiscal Policy

• Crime

Ireton’s approach is well studied, without any rash proposals.
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Impact Fees – There May Be Something That Salisbury Does Better

Wicomico County is hardly famous as a hotbed of government efficiency and innovation.  Fortunately, county officials have Salisbury to kick around; a city of high taxes, higher crime, and the inability to balance its own checkbook without outside help.

There are two things that Salisbury’s administration does do better than Wicomico County’s:

• Salisbury has a zero-based homestead tax credit to protect homeowners from rising assessments.  County assessments are allowed to rise as much as 10% per year.  To even claim that Wicomico County even has a homestead tax credit borders on the ridiculous.

• The Salisbury City Council provides citizens with the opportunity to download and review the briefing books of each council meeting.  This may not seem like much, but to those concerned with local government, this is a big deal.  Wicomico County doesn’t provide this information to citizens online.

Salisbury is now thinking about adopting a measure that would mean that there would be three (3) things that the Salisbury administration does better than its county counterpart – a comprehensive schedule of impact fees.  We can only say that it’s about time!
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