Jim Ireton’s “Scary” Rental Legislation

Questionable land deals, millions of taxpayer dollars thrown at “FOB” developers, persecution of citizens who dared disagree with the mayor; these are just a few of the exploits citizens were forced to endure under former mayor Barrie Tilghman.  Yet, none of these were deemed worthy of a multi-part series in the Daily Times.  Current mayor Jim Ireton attempts to keep a campaign promise, bringing Salisbury’s slumlords under some sort of control, and the DT staff seems to be bucking for a Pulitzer.

Yesterday, we noted that our biggest concern about Ireton’s plan was that it was at least as much political ploy as it was substantive policy.  Today, the DT’s “ace” reporter Laura D’Alessandro gives us part two in a five part series “about Salisbury’s RENTAL CRACKDOWN”.  The imagery makes us believe that D’Alessandro really aspires to pen gothic romances – “hulking historic homes” (I thought I loved alliteration) and “boarded-up homes”,  Daphne du Maurier she isn’t.

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Ireton’s Slumlord Proposal Appears DOA

NEXT STOP – CITY ELECTIONS

Elections for three Salisbury City Council District 2 seats are less than a year away.  Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton seems to believe that his sledgehammer approach to slumlord regulation is his ticket to a more pliable city council.  Buckle up Salisbury, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Vacuous Salisbury councilwoman Louise Smith is already whining that she wasn’t part of the process that drafted the legislation.  It doesn’t matter that former mayor Barrie Tilghman threw legislation on the council without consultation, or even time for review; Smith supported it anyway.  Now that Tilghman is gone, I guess the rules changed with her too late exit.

Regardless of councilman Gary Comegys’s health status, he’ll be present to oppose any attempts to regulate SAPOA.  Shanie Shields knows where her bread is buttered.  That’s three votes against (if the legislation ever gets a public hearing) and then we’re heading for next spring’s elections.

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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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Aydelotte Farms Developer Owes Salisbury $410,000

Remember Salisbury’s NE Collector Road?  You know, the road that was supposed to cut travel time to the mall in half and not cost the taxpayers a dime.  At least that’s what Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Lynn Cathcart, and Gary Comegys told us (Shanie Shields just votes they way her masters instruct her to).  I’ll admit, it’s a nice road.  I use it from time to time myself.  I just know that there’s no such thing as a free lunch … or a free road.

Well, it appears that the chickens are coming home to roost on that little ribbon of asphalt.  First, the developers stated that they were giving the road right of way to the city.  Then they demanded payment, despite the fact that the city was providing a TIF subsidy for the road.  NOW the developers are in arrears both to the city of Salisbury AND to the TIF bondholders.  According to Salisbury finance chief Pam Oland:

…an update related to the Aydelotte TIF.  Currently for FY 10, all taxes (including special taxes) have been paid on all properties within the Aydelotte TIF, excluding the large parcel still held by the developers.  That parcel owes regular taxes as well as special taxes for FY 10.  The total amount currently due is $410,106.99.  Meetings are currently being held between the developers, the bond holders and the City to discuss how to use the remaining funds in the project account and what are the updated estimates for sales.  If the taxes are not paid by June 16th, the property will be auctioned during the tax sale.

What happens IF the property can’t be sold?  It surely won’t be enough to cover the back taxes AND the bond principle.

Remember, the bonds were issued by the city of Salisbury!  The taxpayers were promised that they would NEVER be on the hook for this blatant subsidy of another developer.  I sincerely hope that this is one instance where the usual suspects actually told the truth.

Thanks Barrie.  Thanks Mike.  You might be gone, but the taxpayers just keep on paying!

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Ireton’s “Slumlord of the Week” – Policy or Sham?

Today’s front page story in the Daily Times regarding Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton’s new “Slumlord of the Week” policy fails to answer several questions:

1. Is this “policy” meant to accomplish anything?
2. Why doesn’t Ireton actually do something to fulfill his campaign promise “to ‘close loopholes’ in the city’s municipal codes and get crime out of neighborhoods”?

IF Ireton was actually doing something to close these loopholes and to actually enforce the spirit, as well as the letter, of the city’s zoning laws that would be one thing.  Instead, we have seen one woman loose her rental income because of zoning (last Sunday’s DT), but we’re not seeing any progress in taking care of the scores of non-conforming uses in the city.

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Scandal Brewing At PAC-14

We haven’t written much about PAC-14, Wicomico County’s public access cable channel in quite some time.  Because of that, many of you may think that all is well there.  Sadly, you would be mistaken.  The crew running PAC-14 (along with some of the vocal “supporters”) are just as conniving and deceitful as always.

We have to admit that we made a mistake.  We tried to be fair and allow PAC-14 Executive Director Mike Goodson and a majority of PAC-14’s board the opportunity to do what they said they were going to do.  Instead, this merry little band has decided that giving Wicomico taxpayers the “middle finger” is the best route to obtain their goals – and those goals have little to do with providing viewers an opportunity to watch their government in action and providing citizens the opportunity to produce local content.  No, the goal of the PAC-14 board is to siphon money from the taxpayers and build an entity that will eventually be handed over to Salisbury University so that taxpayers will no longer have even a marginal say as to how a portion of their tax dollars are being spent.

Thanks to elected officials like Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton, Salisbury council members Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields, along with unelected “volunteers” such as Phil Tilghman, Elizabeth Bellavance and WCBOE President Mark Thompson, expect PAC-14 to blossom into an organization which wastes money (your money) on consultants and plans for grand schemes while refusing to adhere to the basic rules of transparency (which are in their own by-laws).

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In Salisbury, Working People Need Not Apply

As Salisbury councilwoman noted on the radio this morning, today’s Salisbury City Council work session is “relatively meaty”.    While I haven’t talked to councilwoman Debbie Campbell today, it’s a decent bet that she won’t be there.  Why?  Campbell has to work for a living.  So does Cohen, but fortunately she is self-employed.

The “council majority” of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields don’t work for a living.  They live off of the teat of the taxpayer.  Therefore, why not move work sessions to the morning.  The meetings aren’t televised.  Working citizens can’t attend.  Campbell can’t attend many.  Cohen will undoubtedly miss a few because she has to earn a living.

By this action alone Smith, et al provide an excellent argument for not allowing anyone on a PUBLIC pension to hold elected office.  No – I’m not advocating that action.  I’m just noting that there is an argument to be made when people like Smith, Comegys, and Shields behave as they do.

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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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Goose Stepping Down West Main Street

If anyone in the environs of Salisbury, MD thought that the days of the fascist state of Barrieland were over … THINK AGAIN.

Imagine an employee of your local government coming into your home or office – WITHOUT A WARRANT.  Imagine that same person taking photographs of your home or office, WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.  Now imagine those photographs showing up on a local blog as part of some bizarre attempt to demean you.

If your name is Joe Albero, you don’t have to imagine it.  It’s already happened.  Before Christmas, an employee of the Salisbury department of Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance (NSCC) made a stop at Mr. Albero’s property at 300 West Main Street.  Supposedly, this individual was there to inspect Albero’s property because of reported code violations due to the recent rain storms we have suffered in the area.

During the reign of Queen Barrie Tilghman Salisbury’s NSCC department was infamous for handing out citations and harassing businesses and residents alike who weren’t part of the political “in crowd”.  Albero certainly qualifies.  However, Mayor Jim Ireton promised that those days were over when he was sworn into office.

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