Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Somerset County Plays By Salisbury Rules


This is a Somerset County Dog Cotrol vehicle out side the County on Monday January 14 at 10:13 am. It would appear that the Somerset Co. Gov has some of the same issures with there Government vehicles that Salisbury City does.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you seriously presenting the presence of this Somerset truck at a regional Wicomico County Walmart Super Center as evidence of some sort of malfeasance or misuse of county property? If they needed something at the Walmart are they supposed to turn around at the county line?

You are really getting to insane levels of pettiness with this nonsense.

Anonymous said...

anon 7:53...its not in Salisbury, its the walmart in pocomoke, which is what 5 minutes out of somerset county...Joe you are really getting ignorant and pathetic..I would love to beat your ass myself, if only my job would not be compromised i would come right to your little neverland ranch and do it.

Anonymous said...

What if this guy was on duty for dog control calls? I don't see a big problem here.

You've yet to say anything about the Wico Board of Ed that provides administrators with vehicles-- with no govt marking on them-- for their personal use.

Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work Joe.

Anonymous 7:53 PM must have been the driver of this truck. Busted, LMAO

I can't imagine anything a dog catcher in Somerset County needs at the Salibury Walmart while on Somerset County gas and time. Damn thieves.

Anonymous said...

It's Dog Control vehicle. They go there to purchase dog food because they get it cheaper at Wal-Mart.

Joe, a little investigative reporting wouldn't hurt before you put up this crap. You see, that's where any credibility you could have goes right out the window.

You'll never be half as good as you could be.

A.C. Woods

Anonymous said...

Maybe they are buying some dog food?

G. A. Harrison said...

Get a grip anon. Calling name will still not prove your point.

It doesn't matter whether it's police or any other public employee, taxpayers should not be providing vehicles for them to go shopping. That also applies to individuals like Salisbury Asst. Fire Chief Bill Gordy using his city vehicle to conduct personal business.

That is why the federal, state and local governments should prohibit the use of government vehicles for personal purposes. If the state of Maryland would do that with agencies like the state police, O'Malley's structural deficit would probably evaporate.

Anonymous said...

Fucking prove they are doing personal shopping .....

Anonymous said...

I can understand police agencies using police vehicles on there off duty time. It continues to show a command presenst of police force.

On the other hand the use of Gov. vehicles by public agencies serves no purpose unless on offical business for that agency.

Anonymous said...

Get a grip yourself GA.
How do you know this vehicle wasn't on business for the agency it represents. Instead on posting half-assed accusations on this blog, why not call the agency involved and inquire about it's presence or make a formal complaint with the county of Somerset.

Oh I know---everything is a cover-up with you people. Nice try Joe posting under GA's name. Since when does GA concern himself with this pettiness?

Anonymous said...

G. A. Harrison said...
Get a grip anon. Calling name will still not prove your point.

It doesn't matter whether it's police or any other public employee, taxpayers should not be providing vehicles for them to go shopping. That also applies to individuals like Salisbury Asst. Fire Chief Bill Gordy using his city vehicle to conduct personal business.

9:18 PM


The state of Maryland requires take home car drivers to pay mileage, maybe Salisbury ought to get smart and require the same. Has anyone ever got a list of the take home cars and their drivers?

Anonymous said...

G.A., I don't know long it has been since you or Joe worked in an office, or with other people in a group work environment, but here's a newsflash for both of you.

Walmarts are often the destination of choice, both in terms of price and availability, for all sorts of office supplies, janitorial supplies, coffee station supplies etc. etc. They're only the biggest retailer IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!

To point an accusing finger at a truck that comes from another county, and lacking ANY information about what it's doing there, assume the driver is misusing the vehicle when a host of perfectly plausible reasons exist for them to be shopping there on work business is petty in the extreme.

Anonymous said...

I have seen one of the employees use this truck when he was oncall and he drove it everywhere as if it was his personal vehicle. On one occasion this same operator had just left a party after haveing a few drinks (not drunk). I am sure that Somerset Co. has rules in regards to drinking while oncall...

Anonymous said...

Anyone familiar with the local Wal-marts can see by the background this is not a Wal-mart in Salisbury.

That leaves Pocomoke, Cambridge or Berlin (West OC if you prefer) as the store pictured.

My best guess is Pocomoke as it is only a couple of minutes across the line.

Anonymous said...

berlin/w.oc walmart is NOT a supercenter.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see you being unfair and ignorant to someone other than firefighters, Joe!

Anonymous said...

We too have seen State, County, and local vehicles at places that were questionable.

We as tax payers certainly have the right (we are paying them) to question, but I feel that we do not have the right to accuse.

I drove a state car for many years, and the rules were (at that time) that if I were finished State business, driving back to the office and I needed to pick up my laundry it was fine, If I had
"shopping" to do it was not fine.
One should know the difference.

I think most that have a vehicle are 100% aware of where the line is, and yes, I agree that if you see a taxpayer's vehicle in a questionable place, call their boss. Ask. Some people (all of us know them) always abuse the system, and should be fired for blatant mis use of taxpayers money, no matter what the offense.

Just like Santa, make a list. Give it to the supervisor. I certainly like to know where my employees are during work hours. However, in my opinion, it is not up to a person to judge. Only question.

Anonymous said...

There are many pet supplies that you can purchase at Walmart at a reduced price to save tax payer dollars.

dog food, cedar shavings, towels, first aid supplies etc.....


Get a grip people...

Anonymous said...

If this truck was there so that the dog pound could get food for the animals, then a big (and equally prominent) apology is in order.

Anonymous said...

Joe:

Since this photo was not posted until 6 days after it was taken, did you ask the Somerset County folks why it was there in the first place? If not, you should do so and publish the response if there is one. Or did you ask the driver of the vehicle?

joe albero said...

First of all, I didn't take the picture, therefore I wasn't present. Secondly, I wouldn't have called even if I had. The abuse of County vehicles is unreal. I sit back and LMAO at those of you CLAIMING they have the best deal on Dog Food. Bullshit! Sam's Club has the best deal on Dog Food, so perhaps we'll see your vehicles cruising there next?????

Also, you can make contact with the manufacturers and have food delivered in skids and buy direct. I have friends who do that now.

Anyhow, that would take a smart and experienced businessman, all of which you obviously are not.

Anonymous said...

Whether the person on site is there legally or not has little to do with the appearance of malfeasance. Why not leave the truck or state/county car in the garage at the office and jump in your own vehicle and avoid such looks of impropriety? I have even seen , on more than one occassion, a fire truck, parked illegally at the rear door to Giant and I know one of the guys is in buying food for dinner at the Fire House, coming off a false alarm run probably, but this just looks quite bad to the tax payer who pays for that truck. So, why not insist that they use their own vehicles for such purchases and pay them mileage, if you have to?

A. Goetz

Anonymous said...

as of the last I knew Somerset Co. Dog Patrol purchased there dog food and supplies from Southern States on RT-13 just before the Pocomoke River bridge. (still in Somerset Co.)

Anonymous said...

So burn more gas...wasting taxpayers money to drive to Sams Club in Salisbury (way out of their county) to save a few bucks on dog food...if thats what they were purchasing.

Thats real smart business to me.

Anonymous said...

Also...Mr. Albero. The Wal-Mart pictured is POCOMOKE. Home of Boss Hogg. That Wal-Mart is roughly 3 miles outside of Somerset County. THREE MILES. Now tell me Mr. Business Genius...why would they drive ALL THE WAY TO NORTH SALISBURY when Wal-Mart's prices on Dog Food are just a few cents more and gas is 3.00 per gallon and they would have to drive roughly 20 more miles. You're a joke Albero. A BIG JOKE. And Harrison, you're actually a BIGGER farce than Joe. Now that's saying something.

Anonymous said...

Joe:

If you didn't take the picture, how can you know that it is even genuine or when it was taken? And that does not explain why you didn't ask the County to explain the situation before trashing it and the driver.

Anonymous said...

Ok. Well... First let me inform the public that misuse of tax dollars is a very common concern for Somerset County taxpayers. For being such a so called "poor county", it seems like anyone that works for Somerset County other than the people that ride the trash truck have their own vehicles to ride around in to handle personal business. Explaining why the operator of the dog control vehicle left a party in a county vehicle after having some "drinks" is going to be pretty hard but,one of the most difficult things for the county decision makers to explain would be why the county's sheriff rides around drunk every day in the county's "Eddie Bauer" edition Ford Explorer? Oops...My mistake. I think they've bought him a new Dodge Charger to patrol the liquor store parking lot with while on duty. You might think im kidding about that but, im serious. The sheriff attends every community function, political gathering, fundraiser, or any event where they serve liquor (Lord Calvert And Cola) gets behind the wheel of that county vehicle and drives home and around town wasted...And I say "wasted", I mean to the point where he cant even walk or barely get himself to his police vehicle. The sad thing is that everyone watches it happen and says nothing. Now, as far as the Fire departments, I would go a little easier on them. They may be seen parked at the grocery store or riding around town but I can say very little taxpayer money goes to support those firetrucks going down the road in Somerset county. Most of the Fire and Ambulance Departments there recieve less than $35000 per year(Vs. Worcester and Wicomico County Fire Depts. that recieve anywhere from $100,000 to Millions per year)which doesn't even pay the fuel bill yearly.