Media Monday – DT Wraps A Scam In the Flag

A notorious slumlord lies on his application for a building permit of a boarding house.  A shady “counselor” acts as his front man and claims “it’s for the veterans”.  After the fact, the city government learns that city solicitor Paul Wilber has a lawyer / client relationship with the same ‘counselor”.  The shady “counselor” is now represented by a neighbor and political ally of councilwoman Louise Smith.  The slumlord also happens to be councilwoman Shanie Shields’s landlord (and gives her a “really nice break on the rent” according to Shields).  Ace Daily Times reporter Laura D’Alessandro leaves the council meeting before this issue even comes up on the agenda.  So … What’s the headline in Sunday’s Daily Times?

COUNCIL TIE THWARTS VETS CENTER  Discrimination complaint filed with HUD over block by Salisbury

What can I say?  It’s classic “journalism” from the good folks over at the DT.  The problem is, this piece wasn’t written by D’Alessandro.  At least Laura can always fall back on the fact that she’s incompetent.  No, this future Pulitzer winner was penned by Greg Latshaw.  He’s neither stupid nor incompetent.  He’s just biased.  Therefore, we are forced to ask why Latshaw would put his name to a piece that is not only grossly biased, but shot full of half truths and factual holes.

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Does Paul Wilber Have A Conflict?

Paul Wilber is Salisbury’s city attorney.  He is also an attorney in private practice.  Therefore, it is logical that a conflict may arise from time to time between one client (the city of Salisbury) and another client.  I wouldn’t think that this would be a particular problem – provided that Wilber discloses such a conflict to all parties (and the public) as soon as that conflict comes to Wilber’s attention.

Next Monday the Salisbury City Council is expected to consider a request for a special zoning exception for a property at 505 Collins Avenue.  This property, which was permitted as a single family residence, now claims (or I should say, the owner claims) to be a “Veterans’ Home”.  Translation – the owner wishes to put a boarding house in a district zoned for single family residential properties.  OK, this kind of stuff happens all of the time.  What’s the problem?

Well, it seems that at least one of the parties involved, a Mr. Jerry Black, happens to be a client of none other than Paul Wilber.  That’s right!  The same Paul Wilber who currently serves as the Salisbury City Attorney.  Mr. Wilber serves as the registered agent for the corporation operated by Mr. Black.

So far, Mr. Black has appeared before the city planning commission.  The matter has been discussed in council work session.  The matter is due to be considered in a council legislative session in four days.  YET, Mr. Wilber has not bothered to inform the planning commission, the city council, or the public that he has an attorney / client relationship with Mr. Black.  I have no idea whether he has informed Mr. Black about both relationships, although I’m confident he is aware of the situation (he is using another law firm in this matter).

This isn’t the first time that there have been apparent conflicts between Wilber’s duties as city attorney and his private law practice.  About 2 1/2 years ago, Wilber’s firm represented a party in a dispute with the developers of the Old Mall project.  Given the city’s TIF financing of the project, one would argue that this may cause a problem.

To be fair to Wilber, I have neither heard of any actions by Wilber that were not in the city’s best interest in this matter, nor do I have any evidence of double dealing by Wilber.  However, that isn’t really the point.  The Salisbury City Council needs to demand that Wilber answer some questions IN PUBLIC:

1. What is your relationship with Mr. Black?  Is it ongoing?
2. Is Mr. Black aware of your relationship with the city and has he waived any potential conflict?
3. Why didn’t Wilber disclose his relationship with Mr. Black prior to any involvement on his part on behalf of the city of Salisbury?
4. When, exactly, was Mr. Wilber planning on disclosing his relationship with Mr. Black?

I’m quite sure that councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen have a few other questions.  Needless to say, the Barrie Comegys bloc doesn’t have much concern with little matters like this.  Shanie and Louise still want to give everyone raises and spend money on “worthy projects” like “The Bricks” and that brown field known as “Linens of the Week”.

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Despotism Returns to Salisbury

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.

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Ireton Vetoes Lake Street Land Deal

Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton exercised his first veto today, by returning a resolution to “accept” environmentally damaged land fronting Lake Street and the North Prong of the Wicomico River.  For this action, Ireton deserves kudos.

However, beneath this issue lies a problem that is equally as serious as putting the taxpayers on the hook for an environmental mess of unknown magnitude.  This matter involves City Attorney Paul Wilber.  As noted in SbyNEWS, Wilber has had no problem with his lord and master (former mayor Barrie Tilghman) vetoing resolutions.  However, the city charter is pretty clear.  Resolutions do not require the mayor’s signature.  According to the Tilghman Times, Wilber has invented a power that gives him the power to decide whether or not a resolution is meaningful enough to require mayoral approval:

… Wilber said only resolutions which relate to significant action may be overridden. Recognition as significant city business is an opinion by the city attorney made on a case by case basis due to vague language in the city charter, Wilber said.

Given Wilber’s approach to interpreting law, I’m surprised that the Obama administration hasn’t nominated him for a federal judgeship.

 

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Salisbury Ethics Commission Show Trial

Displaying the cowardice to be expected of someone who attacks children, Barrie Comegys stooge Jonathan Taylor failed to show up for the Salisbury Ethics Commission show trial precipitated by his own actions.  While thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted in this spiteful and ridiculous action, Taylor (who already lives on the generosity of taxpayers) hid from view while Barrie Comegys stalwart Lynn Cathcart was on hand to take notes for the wannbe “Powers That Be”.

To be fair, the Ethics Commission ran a fairly clean meeting.  The attending members:  Donna Forgash, Norman Lyster, Bob Gladden, and Fran Kane all asked valid, thoughtful, and polite questions.

While several people at the hearing asked the same question, “What the hell are we doing here?”, the Ethics Commission serves a theoretically important role.  It has been suggested that the board should have examined the complaint prior to today’s hearing and ruled that it was frivolous.  However, if a complaint had been filed against Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, or Louise Smith and the Commission had done so (ruled it frivolous in a private meeting) I would be one of the first to scream fraud and cover-up;  so would many of the same people asking that question today.

Was the complaint frivolous?  It turns out that it was.  Councilwoman Terry Cohen made a presentation that not only proved the claim specious, but shamed City Solicitor Paul Wilber for his complete incompetence on these matters.  While not named specifically today, Cohen also proved Councilman Gary Comegys to be a liar, a fool, or both.  You’ll have to decide.
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Barrie Tilghman’s Dog Ate the Spreadsheet

Now that Salisbury residents officially live in an authoritarian city-state, there should be no surprise that the Tilghman administration is in no mood to provide citizens, or elected officials, with information that isn’t to Tilghman’s advantage. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Tilghman has city solicitor Paul Wilber working overtime (using unappropriated tax dollars) trying to figure out how to get around pesky little things like the state’s public information act.

If you listened to Tilghman apologist and protege Gary Comegys on Monday night you heard the party line that requests for detailed information on the proposed water and sewer rate increases were submitted too late by Salisbury Councilwoman Terry Cohen to be delivered in time for the June 2nd work session. Unfortunately, Comegys was proven to be wrong, and possibly lying about it. Read more

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Conflict and Cover-up?

Eight days after being reported in the “Salisbury News“, the “Tilghman Times” finally got around to reporting that K. Hovnanian wants to pull out its contract to be the primary home builder in the old Salisbury Mall project. In the middle of the article you will find mention that Hovnanian’s local counsel just happens to be a partner of Salisbury City Attorney Paul Wilber.

It should be noted that Salisbury Councilwoman Debbie Campbell asked for the council to discuss this apparent (if not obvious) conflict of interest at their Monday meeting. Needless to say, the Barrie Tilghman rubber stamp of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields would have none of that. Despite the fact that Mr. Wilber has acted as the de-facto counsel for the old mall developers, Salisbury Mall Associates, in their failed attempt to defend the legality of their first re-zoning there seems to be no need to discuss this matter.

There is also the question as whether Mr. Cornbrooks, Mr. Wilber’s partner, will provide full representation to Hovnanian. When the original re-zoning was brought before counsel Mr. Wilber assured council and the public that he had thoroughly researched this matter and there was no question that the zoning was legal. Of course a small cadre of homemakers and retirees were somehow able to convince a judge otherwise. You would think that such a fact would part of Hovnanian’s case since SMA evidently used Mr. Wilber’s expert opinion rather that retaining more competent counsel.

Additionally, don’t be surprised if Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman winds up putting additional city tax dollars to work in coming to the aid of SMA.

Technorati Tags: Salisbury, politics, salisburypolitics, BarrieTilghman, PaulWilber, LouiseSmith, GaryComegys

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