DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Attention
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Mayor Tilghman Won't Drink The Water! SHOULD YOU?
Those City of Salisbury employees that work at the Police Department Firing Range, Neighborhood Code and Compliance Department, Fire Departments, and the Waste Water Treatment Plant can't drink city water. Well, on the Firing Range's defense they would have to drink well water, so that's why they have bottled water. Apparently well water is bad for you. That means that my wife, Grandson and I should all be seriously sick very soon. The real kicker is that there is a yearly price tag of over 2 grand spent to keep bottled water available to those who work, or visitors of those departments. And the poor employees at the WWTP can't drink their water because of contamination! I wonder what folks living in those close neighborhoods would have to say? Harbor Pointe, Turtle Creek and the rest or you folks had better start listening up.
The only employees not on the list are Public Works, City Hall, Water Plant, and the Zoo. They all have water fountains plumbed in somewhere in their work environment. Why, because it is required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
So my question is since the average city taxpayer is paying a small fortune for that same water that few city employees are drinking, why doesn't the city purchase, instead of leasing, it's own water coolers? Sam's club and plenty of other vendors sell them. These same vendors sell the bottled water too. But I guess that would be fiscally responsible and we can't have that in the City. The City can't say that the bottles are too heavy to handle since every job they post has at least a 40 pound weight requirement.
Better yet, lets have these same departments try something really environmentally friendly and purchase some ice trays and a couple of plastic pitchers and have them provide their own water. How much time can that take? They have to have indoor plumbing! And I can guarantee that they all have refrigerators available, so what would the harm be?
Just a little effort on the departments part and look at what they can do for the environment and taxpayers who work so hard for that money. How about the city start practicing what they preach? Fiscal, environmental responsibility, and of course lets not forget the Mayor's quote, "the city does not pay for bottled water." Maybe she just meant City Hall?
While the question, "Does the City pay for bottles water" was brought out on PAC14 addressed to the COUNCIL, the Mayor immediately butted in and said the City did NOT purchase bottled water. Considering this Mayor has been in Office for some 10 years, I'd say with confidence she knows what she's talking about, right? WRONG!
Not believing and or trusting what she said, I filled out a PIA Form and asked for all receipts of bottles water. Here's what happened. Not only did it take LONGER than the State Mandated 30 days to deliver me this information, (as mentioned in another Post weeks ago) I just got my hands on it yesterday. The 100 page, (+ or -) report not only showed the Mayor didn't tell the truth, it showed the City is buying bottled water from all sorts of companies and they're paying a fuel surcharge on each and every delivery above and beyond the cost of the water.
The request included the reason as to why each department was purchasing the water and when I saw the WWTP claiming their water had been contaminated, I sh*t a brick just like I'm sure ALL of you are doing as well.
Now, the "Dirty Dozen" continue to challenge this Mayor and in the end we're not only spending hard earned money, we're learning we're regularly right in doing so and the Mayor is regularly wrong and loses. Remember the Old Mall Case? Yes, the "Dirty Dozen" won that one too, while the Mayor PAID the Developers expenses for legal fees to defend illegal activities.
OK, so this is bottled water. Granted, it's not a major expense but I was forced to pay out close to $52.00 in fees to get the information and I can assure you that this had nothing to do with the $160.00 per hour expense towards Attorney Paul Wilber. I wonder how it's going to look in Court when my Attorney asks this question again under oath and holds the CD of the PAC14 Council Meeting showing her real answer?
I want my $52.00 back and don't think for a second that I won't be taking this to Annapolis because the process for receiving this information was also illegal. They are supposed to warn taxpayers ahead of time if it's going to take longer than 2 hours. It's supposed to be delivered within 30 days and the Mayor of a City is not supposed to mislead or lie to the Citizens and cost taxpayers money to get to the truth.
Is This Like A Time Share
Have you ever come across a telemarketer offering free gifts if you''ll just come by their new Condo Buildings and take a look?
Now our Local Government is willing to spend from the restitution fund money they collected to offer free comedy clubs? I think I'll go and stand out front smoking a HUGE Cigar. It will be like picketing, yet without a permit! Oh, I'm so sneaky!
IMO, they would have gotten far more mileage out of sponsoring Movies At The Park than getting BAD PRESS from sbynews.com. This is almost as bad as the Zoo collecting money to feed the animals and then buying catered lunch with those funds for the Zoo Commission.
I Know, Let's Dump $36,000,000.00 Into The Zoo
Ladies & Gentlemen, once again, this is yet another Post you will NOT see in the Daily Times! Why, because that would be WORK! That would mean you'd have to get out there and pound the streets to GET information, rather than it coming in over the phone or walking through their door.
What you're seeing above is the Salisbury Zoo in the 100 Year Flood Plane Zone. The second photo is more of a close up and that kidney shaped area on the left is actually picnic island, the Zoo is to the right.
As you can clearly see, the Salisbury Zoo is 100% under water. There's no getting away from the FACT that the location of the Zoo has got to be one of the worst is all of Salisbury. There's no denying this and there's no denying there's no way they can save these animals when this flood occurs. You can't pick up the Bison and just move them, if you get my drift?
All that being said, why is the Council moving forward with a bond for $500,000.00 for an Animal Quarantine Facility after they just spent $350,000.00 renovating the current building they already have on location, only to get flooded out and destroyed when the flood does happen? Let's NOT forget this is only 1/3 the overall expense. Let me add, the Mayor is smart enough to lead people to believe this building will cost $1,500,000.00 to construct, NOT! Then when it comes in at $1,000,000.00 instead, OH LOOK, they just saved the taxpayers all that money. NOPE! She got the taxpayers to front 1/3 the cost up front so the Zoo doesn't actually have to go out and raise their share of the $500,000.00 because they CAN'T! They've been scamming people for years with this crap.
There was yet ANOTHER meeting held Monday night, (same time as the Council Work Session) by the ESRGC. Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative affiliated with SU. They are the ones that produced these charts and expressed their massive concern over the Salisbury Zoo as being the most damaged and expensive loss for the City.
Gary Comegys had no interest in reviewing these charts and simply walked by this room as he left the Work Session to go home. Lore' Chambers walked with me and shared her knowledge of the 15 maps on the walls of the meeting room. Council Woman Cohen also walked in and spent quite a bit of time getting a better understanding by EXPERTS who were seriously concerned over the Zoo's location and why they haven't considered relocating it.
Before you the taxpayers pay out ANY more money into that Zoo, know whatever you put in there will be a complete loss when this flood occurs. I'm sorry but there's no way I'd throw good money after bad money, especially if I knew this could happen in advance. THINK ABOUT IT!
Around The Blogosphere
With so many Blogs closing down recently, (especially the Anti Albero Blogs) not having Delmarva Dealings around is like having no sugar in your coffee every day. No GA, you're NOT that sweet but you offered an unbelievable service to this community and now you seem to be gone for good once again.
Duvall offers the CLICK HERE, GO THERE links to anything and everything he does any more. I'll bet it would be exciting in an Old Folks Home but for the rest of us who don't want to grow up and be just like Billy Duvall, Homey Don't Do That!
Chris Llinus, the attorney recently released from Jail put up an inspirational post about his life, his addictions and his road to recovery. The road is longer than you think Chris and everyone is remorseful in the beginning. When you can't get a job because you're a convicted criminal, it gets tougher and tougher. When you can't Vote because some Idiot is running for Office again, you come to realize you're worthless to society. This is NOT kicking someone when they're down. This is reality.
Joe Perdue put up an excellent post about how everyone should lay off my Wife, Children, Parents and Grandchild as they're off limits. Thank You again Joe. He also has some more Fire Department posts that have few to no comments. Although his Blog came out as part of the Tilghman damage control against Albero, Joe burned his bridges long ago and seems to be desperate to get back in the good graces of the upper management of the Fire Department. Not many trust him but they'll use him to go after me. Just another Puppet or shall we say, Pawn?
The Anti Albero Blogs have pretty much petered out. The only time they get any comments is when I go on there and tease them and they come back like little piranhas that haven't eaten in a week. It is the funniest thing you've ever seen.
Kenny Burns, (Maryland Politics Today) our Western Shore News Partner has also been off duty for quite some time. He must be tackling School again?
Well, that's about it. There's no one else out there putting up the volume of posts as sbynews.com and as you'll see later this morning, we deliver the good stuff. Not GO HERE, GO THERE links.
Monoblogue Can Now Be Sued
As Michael Shwarts steps into the advertising business on his blog, he best be careful of those not agreeing with everything he now says.
Michal has found a sponsor and excitedly admits he's no longer in the red. As I'm happy for him, I'd still strongly suggest he carefully watch his P's & Q's from here on out. With the likes of Barrie Tilghman and Chiefy Webster out there just looking for any opportunity to sue anyone they can, Michael could be an easy target with all that new cash! LOL
Congratulations on the Sponsor Michael. You better be extra good to me or who knows, I might even be the first to have to sue you and go after all that green you're now making. ;-)
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