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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Where Is the $400,000?

If you listen to Wicomico County Liquor Control Board members Stewart Haemel and Ron Alessi (along with their minion Justin Collis) you would think the LCB has been donating over $400,000 per year to Wicomico County coffers. Have they?

In a word, NO! Here are the amounts contributed by the WCLCB to the Wicomico treasury each year going back to FY 2003:

2003 $508,104
2004 $253,300
2005 $386,050
2006 $321,550
2007 $320,000

Note the precipitous drop after FY 2003. Coincidentally, FY 2004 was Messrs. Haemel's and Alessi's first full year on the board. Since their tenure, the annual contribution hasn't even AVERAGED the $400,000 number that they love to throw around.

Outside of the insular world of Haemel and Alessi we would have a name for people like that. I think I now know why Gov. Martin O'Malley hasn't bothered appointing Democrats to fill their posts. These guys seem to fit right in with the "new regime".

cross posted at Delmarva Dealings

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing the truth concerning the $400,000. They are scrambling so hard that it wouldn't surprise me if they donated more than a half million this year so they can boast that in case this issue goes on referendum. All they need to do is open their books to confirm what they are professing. Business is being run correctly... Right.

Anonymous said...

Either the executive or the council needs to use their subpeona power to obtain their records. This board has stonewalled too long and someone needs to take charge and obtain all operational records. In the meantime, someone needs to check with the Attorney General's office whether it is illegal for the Board members to benefit from the dispensary system by providing services from their personal businesses. While asking for the records, request the bids for all services that their companies have provided.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how much money they have spent on advertising and attorney fee's over the same 5 year span? Look's like they will be spending some dough on attorney fee's this year to help cover their butts.

Thanks for that info G.A. and I hope you keep digging.

Anonymous said...

As much as I don't like saying it, I'm going to.

I TOLD YOU!

Where there is dirt, there is Ron Alessi. Look at the Zoo Commission. Look at the LCB. Look under his nails, you will find dirt.

Hold their feet to the fire.

VIVA LA REVOLUCION

Anonymous said...

Good post GA. Looks like they are the only ones who know what is really happening at the LCB and the outlets. And I thing money is only part of the problem. Time for a searching audit of their operation.

A. Goetz

Anonymous said...

I've said it before, $400,000 isn't enough. It should be WAY more!

Anonymous said...

The stores minimum markup is 25% on half gallons. Smaller bottles are structured where the smaller the bottle, the more the markup like many bussinesses. With $4,000,000 in sales yearly that should come out to $1,000,000 at minimum going into the county general fund.

Anonymous said...

The obvious question I see here is
why the big drop in money. It is obvious people are not drinking less. So what happened to the money.
Could it be that the three stooges have been skimming off the top. Oh well just a thought for your consideration. Seems like an audit should be done real soon along with some major house cleaning.