Wicomico Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2) seems to have raised the ire of certain members of the Wicomico County Liquor Control Board. Mrs. Prettyman had the audacity to question a board member, Ronald G. Alessi, performing over $50,000 of work for the board. Good for her, and shame on Mr. Alessi and any other member of the LCB that supports his position.
Mr. Alessi refused to answer questions posed by Daily Times reporter Joe Gidjunis yet doesn't hesitate to engage in a written monologue riddled with factual errors. If Alessi's little op-ed piece in Tuesday's Daily Times is any indication of the board's performance then the public would be best served by more scrutiny, rather than the "leave us alone" attitude of Alessi.
It is true that the liquor control board is appointed by the Governor and does not answer directly to the county government. As an agency operating under a state mandate they are held accountable to state ethics guidelines which hold that behavior such as Mr. Alessi's is highly questionable (at a minimum). Even an appearance of conflict is to be shunned. The very fact that Alessi serves on the board and is then paid to perform work for that same agency is certainly an "appearance" of impropriety. That assumes that everything else which Alessi states is true.
This is a big assumption. Alessi states, "we went to the market at a time when construction was booming and received bids for work to be done that were outrageous". The logical inference from Alessi's own statements is that he reviewed the bids from other contractors and then underbid to get the work. I wonder if the other contractors who bid on this business would have enjoyed having the same benefits as Mr. Alessi?
Not only is such a practice unethical, it may be criminal. IF the other members of the board, Stewart Haemel and Cecilia Dennis, were aware that Alessi was accessing bid / estimate information prior to submitting his own bid they, along with Mr. Alessi, should be forced to resign in disgrace rather than wait for Gov. O'Malley's new appointees to take their seats. At a minimum, the Governor should ask for Alessi's immediate resignation based solely upon Alessi's own statements.
Alessi claims in his piece that ALL profits from the Liquor Control Board are given over to the Wicomico Country treasury. This is simply not true. As Councilwoman Prettyman pointed out at the last meeting of the Wicomico County Council, the profits are split between the LCB and the County based on a formula that must be approved by the County Council. Perhaps Mr. Alessi misspoke, but the factual error remains.
Mr. Alessi makes multiple references to his belief that the Wicomico Liquor Control Board should be run like a business. He and I would both agree on the words, but evidently not on the meaning of those words. I believe that a business should be run to maximize the benefit to its shareholders. In the case of the LCB, those shareholders are the citizens of Wicomico County. Alessi seems to believe that a business is to be run to provide benefit to its shareholders while also helping to line the pockets of the "good old boy network" of which Mr. Alessi is a member. The benefit to shareholders (citizens) is merely a means of keeping the "great unwashed" at bay.
I was amused at Alessi's claim that LCB Chairman Stewart Haemel was "ambushed" at the last County Council meeting. Again misstating facts, Alessi argues that this matter occurred in past years. This is only partially true. When the Council received the audit for FY 2007, it was noted that Mr. Alessi had performed work for the LCB in FY 2007. Mrs. Prettyman also noted that Mr. Alessi had done work in the previous year as well. This is hardly an ambush. If Mr. Haemel wasn't prepared to answer questions about the FY 2007 audit he should never have asked to be appointed in the first place.
Alessi also serves as a member of the Salisbury Zoo Commission. I would hope that the Salisbury Council begins to ask if Mr. Alessi, or any business which he is associated with, has done any work for the Zoo. If it turns out that Alessi benefited from this relationship as well, we will truly know his definition of "public service".
Mr. Alessi's parting comments may tell the greatest tale of all:
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Wicomico, Salisbury, politics, Wicomico politics, Salisbury politics, Liquor Control Board, Wicomico Liquor Control Board, Stevie Prettyman, Ron Alessi, Salisbury Zoo, ethics, unethical conduct
Mr. Alessi refused to answer questions posed by Daily Times reporter Joe Gidjunis yet doesn't hesitate to engage in a written monologue riddled with factual errors. If Alessi's little op-ed piece in Tuesday's Daily Times is any indication of the board's performance then the public would be best served by more scrutiny, rather than the "leave us alone" attitude of Alessi.
It is true that the liquor control board is appointed by the Governor and does not answer directly to the county government. As an agency operating under a state mandate they are held accountable to state ethics guidelines which hold that behavior such as Mr. Alessi's is highly questionable (at a minimum). Even an appearance of conflict is to be shunned. The very fact that Alessi serves on the board and is then paid to perform work for that same agency is certainly an "appearance" of impropriety. That assumes that everything else which Alessi states is true.
This is a big assumption. Alessi states, "we went to the market at a time when construction was booming and received bids for work to be done that were outrageous". The logical inference from Alessi's own statements is that he reviewed the bids from other contractors and then underbid to get the work. I wonder if the other contractors who bid on this business would have enjoyed having the same benefits as Mr. Alessi?
Not only is such a practice unethical, it may be criminal. IF the other members of the board, Stewart Haemel and Cecilia Dennis, were aware that Alessi was accessing bid / estimate information prior to submitting his own bid they, along with Mr. Alessi, should be forced to resign in disgrace rather than wait for Gov. O'Malley's new appointees to take their seats. At a minimum, the Governor should ask for Alessi's immediate resignation based solely upon Alessi's own statements.
Alessi claims in his piece that ALL profits from the Liquor Control Board are given over to the Wicomico Country treasury. This is simply not true. As Councilwoman Prettyman pointed out at the last meeting of the Wicomico County Council, the profits are split between the LCB and the County based on a formula that must be approved by the County Council. Perhaps Mr. Alessi misspoke, but the factual error remains.
Mr. Alessi makes multiple references to his belief that the Wicomico Liquor Control Board should be run like a business. He and I would both agree on the words, but evidently not on the meaning of those words. I believe that a business should be run to maximize the benefit to its shareholders. In the case of the LCB, those shareholders are the citizens of Wicomico County. Alessi seems to believe that a business is to be run to provide benefit to its shareholders while also helping to line the pockets of the "good old boy network" of which Mr. Alessi is a member. The benefit to shareholders (citizens) is merely a means of keeping the "great unwashed" at bay.
I was amused at Alessi's claim that LCB Chairman Stewart Haemel was "ambushed" at the last County Council meeting. Again misstating facts, Alessi argues that this matter occurred in past years. This is only partially true. When the Council received the audit for FY 2007, it was noted that Mr. Alessi had performed work for the LCB in FY 2007. Mrs. Prettyman also noted that Mr. Alessi had done work in the previous year as well. This is hardly an ambush. If Mr. Haemel wasn't prepared to answer questions about the FY 2007 audit he should never have asked to be appointed in the first place.
Alessi also serves as a member of the Salisbury Zoo Commission. I would hope that the Salisbury Council begins to ask if Mr. Alessi, or any business which he is associated with, has done any work for the Zoo. If it turns out that Alessi benefited from this relationship as well, we will truly know his definition of "public service".
Mr. Alessi's parting comments may tell the greatest tale of all:
Maybe the best way for these council members to serve the citizens of Wicomico County would be to better monitor the assets of Wicomico County, instead of meddling in a business that is so very beneficial to all of the citizens of Wicomico County.I've got news for you Ron. Real public servants like Stevie Prettyman are doing their job. Since a portion of the LCB's profits go to the County the Wicomico County Council has a responsibility to see that profit maximized. While their "meddling" may not be good for your business, it should prove beneficial to the citizens of Wicomico County.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Wicomico, Salisbury, politics, Wicomico politics, Salisbury politics, Liquor Control Board, Wicomico Liquor Control Board, Stevie Prettyman, Ron Alessi, Salisbury Zoo, ethics, unethical conduct
14 comments:
Boffo post there, Harrison! Someone should write Alessi up to the Ethics Commission!
The person bidding on a job cannot be the one (or among those) deciding to whom to award the bid. How can Mr. Alessi not think that is crooked? I agree with Joe about what the other members were doing while Ron was stealing the job. They couldn't tell that was at least unethical and probably illegal?
I am confused here. Alessi claimes the County has no jurisdiction over conrtol of the WLB. They are a private company is what I get out of his editoriel. They can do what they want. Is this true? Do they have to post bids in the papers for work that needs to be done? If they are a private business why do they give all profits to the county?
Seems to me Wicomico ought to change their rules and go the way PG and Worchester does and allow private owners to sell liquer. Get out of it it altogether and just collect the taxes.
And extend the buying of beer until Two AM like most counties. Some of us do shift work and work late.
Just my opinion.
JIM
GO CAPS
(nice trades the Caps made today... Goalie Huet from Montreol will force Olie the Goalie to be on his game) Federov will be a great fill in for the injured Nylander. If the Caps make the playoffs MCFee will keep his job much to my dismay. He should have been fired long ago, as Hanlon never should have started as our coach this season.
Sorry to digress... carry on...
Ron Alessi used his position to get money for himself from the county. That is just like the central office at the Bd. of Ed. giving themselves 10% bonuses for retiring and then staying on the job. Work the system to benefit yourself is the motto. Does anybody look out for the taxpayers of this county?
Speaking of the Daily Times. If anyone reads their blog section, check out TechnoBabble. The guy writing that section is a real dick. His bio says he's going to write about consumer electronics, but his last 9 entries have been a bash-the-people fest. What an ass.
This outrageous escapade is right up there with Alessi's treatment of that tugboat company. That he was the Republican's candidate for County Exec. in 2006 speaks volumes about the local leadership of that party and the Wicomico power elite -- Chamber of Commerce, "Greater Salisbury" and so forth -- that supported him.
Hmmmm:
Zoo Commission . . . Liquor Board . . . does Alessi run the County landfill too?
Joe you Idot!!!! he saved the tax payers money not letting some wild bid go to the overpriced tune raping the tax payer. He did the work, it was done well and the tax paying public saved money. If it cost a fortune youwould bitch about spending too much.
FUJA
Prove it. Prove Alessi did the County a favor. Ron Alessi has screwed the City Taxpayers at the Zoo for years as well.
Show me the letter Alessi wrote to the ethics board BEFORE he did any work. I'll bet you big money he never wrote one and used the Good Old Boy system. Go on Mr. Investigator, show us the goods.
FUJA has to be of the same ilk as Ron Alessi and friends. All out to screw the tax payer and fill their own pockets! Time for the area to revolt against such goings on and dump people like Alessi from any and all Boards.
A. Goetz
Anonymous said...
...Does anybody look out for the taxpayers of this county?
12:34 AM
Yes, his name is Ray Lewis!!
Anonymous said...
That he was the Republican's candidate for County Exec. in 2006 speaks volumes about the local leadership of that party and the Wicomico power elite -- Chamber of Commerce, "Greater Salisbury" and so forth -- that supported him.
6:47 AM
Yes i agree and we need to get rid of Dr. DooRag and Brad BellaFreako.
I agree with 12:34. I don't think the Bd. of Ed. higher ups should be able to give themselves 10% raises for retiring and then not retire and keep the money. Why isn't somebody looking at that? Are they all planning to take these huge gifts from the taxpayers? What a crock about retaining teachers and planning for vacancies. Those getting 10% for three years and retiring in 2010, I'm sure we're doing alot of planning for their openings three years down the road. Fraud. Investigate it.
Saying he opened up what are supposed to be sealed bids and decided he could do it cheaper seems to me he just implicated himself in his own editorial.
He should have submitted a sealed bid of his own. They should have all been opened in a public forum, there are even ethics questions taking that route.
If they took other bids who were they? Why didn't the chairman of the WCLCB have any knowledge of such bids when he was questioned by the Stevie?
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