Candidates Clash At Somerset NAACP Forum

If you were looking for excitement, read no further.  The title, while misleading, is the closest thing to “red meat” you will find in this post.

Tuesday evening, the Somerset Branch of the NAACP hosted a candidate forum at UMES.  In what may have been the most well run example of a VERY LARGE candidate forum (11+ offices, over 40 candidates) that I have ever witnessed, the Somerset NAACP and UMES have set the standard by which all other similar forums should be judged.

Because of the large number of offices and candidates it was difficult to handle many questions or get into specifics.  However, attendees were able to walk away with a good sense the candidates and their approaches to various issues.

In the race to replace Maryland Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-38), candidates Jim Mathias and Michael James provided an overview of who they are.  Unfortunately, because of time constraints we were unable to grab a true sense of the differences between the two candidates – even on the broad strokes.

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Cannon, Democrats Approve Enviro for Planning Commission

Things are back to usual at the Wicomico County Council.  Nominal Republican John Cannon returned to where he appears most comfortable – on the left leaning side of the council.  By a 4 – 3 vote, Cannon and his Democrat allies approved County Executive Rick Pollitt’s nominee for the Planning Commission – Jacob Day of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.

With outgoing councilman Bill McCain carrying water for Pollitt, Cannon spoon fed Day a series of leading questions designed to make Day appear to have no bias against development in Wicomico County.  Cannon even went so far to admit:

“I want to dispel any view of bias”.

That’s dandy John.  There’s just one problem.  While any reasonable person will concede that Mr. Day could offer certain expertise to the commission, any reasonable person also realizes that Day’s employer is a strong proponent of stripping county farmers of their property rights through down zoning.  Are we to believe that the ESLC would employ Mr. Day if he does not share those same views?

This is from ESLC’s own website:

ESLC has developed the Regional Landscape Initiative, a program that focuses on one of the greatest landscape protection tools available: strong, proactive planning and zoning.

Translation – down zoning of agricultural lands.  Farmers don’t want to develop their land.  However, to deny them that option reduces the value of their land and in some cases has forced farmers off of their land.

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Gotta Spend Those Tax Dollars in Wicomico County

In the spring of 2008, Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt proposed that the county spend Maryland “Open Space” money to purchase land for a park on Crooked Oak Lane.  Amid charges of insider dealing and bad appraisals, the Pollitt administration told the public that we had to do it.  Gotta spend that tax money.  If we don’t spend it, someone else will.  Fortunately, a majority of the county council saw fit to continue looking for a piece of property that cost less.

Move forward one year …

In April of 2009, the county council saw fit to purchase 100 acres on Levin Dashiell Road for approximately $1 million.  All council members, except for councilman Joe Holloway, voted for the purchase.  While the approximately $10,000 per acre paid out of state coffers (read “YOUR POCKET”) was substantially lower than the cost of the Crooked Oak property, many still considered the price too high.  While continuing to emphasize the supposedly “free” money coming from the state, the Pollitt administration and their allies on council could never overcome one giant hurdle – why is Wicomico County taking more land off of the tax rolls when they free admit that they don’t have the money to develop this park.  The Pirates Wharf purchase continues to sit undeveloped despite promises of a park when it was purchased years ago.

Move forward 10 more months …

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Julie Brewington Doesn’t Know What District She’s Running In!

THE SCHIZOPHRENIC APPROACH TO RUNNING FOR OFFICE

Julie Brewington, candidate for the GOP nomination to replace the late Page Elmore in Maryland District 38-A has a “unique” approach to running for office.  While her opponents (Crisfield attorney John Phoebus, Wicomico councilman John Cannon (R-AL), and Somerset County farmer Charles Otto) are out meeting voters and getting signs put up Brewington is taking a somewhat bizarre approach to electoral politics.

Hypocrisy At Pecan Square

According to Brewington’s own blog, she attended two events for other candidates yesterday evening.  The first event, a fundraiser for 37-A candidate Dustin Mills, was also attended by Cannon, District 2 councilwoman Stevie Prettyman, and SbyNEWS publisher Joe Albero.  She attacks Cannon for a variety of fictional offenses and then plays the victim card:

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Another Grand Turnout for a RARE Wicomico County Council Night Meeting

Last night we, the people who actually pay the taxes in Wicomico County, were given the RARE “privilege” of being able to see out county government at work.  The council had one of their quarterly night meetings.  Around 50 citizens turned up; far more than their usual 10 AM crowd.

A New Library – Another Multi-Million Dollar Pipe Dream

Admittedly, it was a long one; but we were able to see a few important issues discussed.  Tops on the agenda for many was a presentation by library director Tom Hehman on the Library’s proposed acquisition of land on Beaglin Park Drive.

I’m a strong proponent of a new library.  That is why I am especially saddened by the approach being taken by Hehman and the library board.  They are asking the county council to agree to purchase land out of the downtown core, with no plan of how to pay for a new library (other than to load more debt on the taxpayer).  In addition, we also found out during public comments that Mr. Hehman and the library folk aren’t being totally open about other potential sites.

One remark from Hehman sealed the deal for me:

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Saturday’s Conway / Mathias Meeting

Much has already been written about Saturday morning’s Salisbury town hall meeting held by Del. Norm Conway (D-38B) and Del. Jim Mathias (D-38B).  Michael Swartz of Monoblogue provides a very factual, blow-by-blow account.  Julie Brewington of Right Coast Girl weighs in with a little more opinion.  My friend Joe Albero, uncharacteristically, is taking a “can’t we all get along” approach.

There are two things that almost everyone seems to agree on.  One is that we appreciate Conway and Mathias taking time to meet with constituents.  Yes, I know it’s an election year AND that it’s part of their job.  Yet, not every member of the legislature takes the time.  The second thing is that both Conway and Mathias are “good guys”.  I concur.  Wicomico County Exec Rick Pollitt is a “good guy”; so is Councilmen John Cannon and Dave MacLeod.  Councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes is a “good person”.  Hell, I’m sure there are even a few people who like Salisbury Councilwoman Louise Smith and Wicomico Councilman Bill McCain.  Regardless, taxpayers need to ask themselves if they can afford to continue supporting these “good guys”.

BIG GOVERNMENT CONSERVATIVES?

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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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Looters Loose in Wicomico County …

… County Council Proposes Plunder in the “Name of the People”

If you have ever read Frederic Bastiat’s The Law you are familiar with concept of legalized plunder.  If you have ever read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged you are familiar with the looting class.  If not, I heartily suggest you read them FAST.  THEFT in the name of “public good” has come to our little corner of the world.

Last Tuesday, the Democrat majority of the Wicomico County Council (sorry John Cannon, you no longer qualify as even a “Republican in Name Only”) voted to move forward with legislation that will strip farmers of their property rights.  The council’s proposal would reduce the number of lots which a parcel may be subdivided into.  It also ends the dreaded “cluster provision” which allowed farmers to sell parcels of land for development at greater density by requiring that more open space would be preserved.  The net effect of this proposal is to drastically reduce the value of a given parcel relative to its value if still developable.

Translation – the farmers pay so that certain developers and special interest groups may prosper and the lefty fringe can feel good about themselves.

Council members Gail Bartkovich, Joe Holloway and Stevie Prettyman stood their ground.  If Ag District landowners are to lose value in their greatest asset, they need to be compensated.  Additionally, the legislation itself appears to be seriously flawed.  This doesn’t seem to bother the socialist majority of the Wicomico County Council.

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County Council Moves Forward With Land Theft Bill

The Democrat majority of the Wicomico County Council moved forward today with legislation to strip Wicomico farmers of their property rights.  Council members Gail Bartkovich, Joe Holloway and Stevie Prettyman demanded that their names be removed from the legislation after noting that there was no mechanism to compensate farmers for the proposed land grab.

Moving the legislation to public hearing was approved by council members Bill McCain, Dave MacLeod, Sheree Sample-Hughes, and the council’s newest Dem John Cannon.  Sample-Hughes was at least honest enough to admit that there would NOT be any compensation mechanism in the legislation.

We’ll have a more detailed report tomorrow.  We are also waiting for a response from County Executive Rick Pollitt.  Pollitt has stated on at least two occasions that he would not support a bill that failed to compensate land owners for the loss of development rights.  I’m hoping that he sticks to his guns.

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