Wicomico County Liquor Control Board members Ron Alessi and Stewart Haemel claim that the LCB, after paying for legitimate expenses, contribute over $400,000 per year to the Wicomico County government coffers. We're going to tackle the veracity of that claim in a later post. However, their claim raises an interesting question. WHAT is a legitimate expense?
Now that we have the LCB's disbursements journal from March, 2004 - March, 2008 (we'll be putting it online as soon as I've finished scanning it) we are forced to ask why the LCB is spending money in certain places AND whether they are legitimate expenses.
We all know that Alessi has been a recipient of the LCB's largess during his tenure on the board. Did you also know that Haemel's firm, PAPCO Printing, is also doing business with the LCB?
Why is the LCB spending money at Kitty's Flowers? They're a great florist. I'm an occasional customer myself. However, is this a legitimate expense for the county dispensary?
Kuhn's Jewelers? Ditto.
Probably the greatest transgression appears in the form of "charitable donations". Remember, all monies after legitimate expenses are public funds. While the Wicomico County Council has finally wised up and stripped similar funds from County Executive Rick Pollitt's budget, this unelected body has seen fit to hand out public funds to groups ranging from the Boy Scouts (a pet Alessi charity) to the Crisfield Pride Elks Lodge (in Somerset County).
I certainly don't have an issue with the Boy Scouts. I can't have an issue with the Crisfield Pride Elks Lodge, because I didn't even know they were an Elks Lodge until I searched for them online. What I do have an issue with is public funds being donated by an unelected body to groups who are not vital to the mission of the LCB.
If Mr. Alessi, or I, want to donate to the scouts - we should cut PERSONAL checks. If Mr. Haemel wants to give money to a fraternal organization in another county, fine. The funds should come from his coffers, not the public's.
When I've completed my analysis, I'll post the complete disbursements journal and a list of the questionable checks. Let it suffice that there appear to be numerous expenditures of a suspicious nature as well as evidence of poor internal controls on the part of the LCB.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Now that we have the LCB's disbursements journal from March, 2004 - March, 2008 (we'll be putting it online as soon as I've finished scanning it) we are forced to ask why the LCB is spending money in certain places AND whether they are legitimate expenses.
We all know that Alessi has been a recipient of the LCB's largess during his tenure on the board. Did you also know that Haemel's firm, PAPCO Printing, is also doing business with the LCB?
Why is the LCB spending money at Kitty's Flowers? They're a great florist. I'm an occasional customer myself. However, is this a legitimate expense for the county dispensary?
Kuhn's Jewelers? Ditto.
Probably the greatest transgression appears in the form of "charitable donations". Remember, all monies after legitimate expenses are public funds. While the Wicomico County Council has finally wised up and stripped similar funds from County Executive Rick Pollitt's budget, this unelected body has seen fit to hand out public funds to groups ranging from the Boy Scouts (a pet Alessi charity) to the Crisfield Pride Elks Lodge (in Somerset County).
I certainly don't have an issue with the Boy Scouts. I can't have an issue with the Crisfield Pride Elks Lodge, because I didn't even know they were an Elks Lodge until I searched for them online. What I do have an issue with is public funds being donated by an unelected body to groups who are not vital to the mission of the LCB.
If Mr. Alessi, or I, want to donate to the scouts - we should cut PERSONAL checks. If Mr. Haemel wants to give money to a fraternal organization in another county, fine. The funds should come from his coffers, not the public's.
When I've completed my analysis, I'll post the complete disbursements journal and a list of the questionable checks. Let it suffice that there appear to be numerous expenditures of a suspicious nature as well as evidence of poor internal controls on the part of the LCB.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
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19 comments:
I guess we gotta have SOMETHING to bitch about, right?
I guess we gotta have SOMETHING to bitch about, right?
9:27 AM
Would you like me spending YOUR money from YOUR checkbook? If so leave a reply and I will find a way to contact you for youe donation to my favorite charity...ME.
Are you stating that you believe it is OK to spend public money at the florist, or jeweler?
Do you honestly believe that non-elected individuals should be able to dole out public monies to their pet organizations?
Do you really support board members awarding themselves contracts with public funds?
Perhaps you should move to Chicago. I understand that this type of thing is quite popular in the Windy City.
Are you kidding, G.A.? Nobody has to move to Chicago for this crap. My guess is, if you go over the last 10 year's of City of Salisbury expenses, especially the mayor's discretionary funds, you'll find the same type of thing right here! And the next year should prove interesting too, with the "buckets of money" budget her bobbleheads passed!
My comment is short and simply. If it is factual that the board has been benfitting through their businesses, the MD Ethics Commission should be notified immediately. Wicomico taxpayers deserve better than this.
Give me a break. No wonder they haven't wanted to give up their records. Donations to an organization in Somerset County. Who knows who to make that happen? And a check to Kuhn's, what in the world is that for and how much of our money has been wasted on this garbage?
Who has jurisdiction over this business? Should this be sent to the Attorney General's office or the Comptroller of the Treasury or even maybe our local DA? Certainly, disbursements like this shouldn't be happening. What is the fox minding the henhouse?
Do a quick google search and you will see how many billions or your tax dollars our own Govt gives away freely to other countries.
No, I dont have a problem if some of the money I spent on a luxury such as booze goes to help some young boy scouts right here in my community.
The florist: Maybe someone that worked for LCB was sick or died so they bought flowers. Any good boss would do this.
Kuhn's: They sponsor charity events all the time, maybe it was a charity donation. I have no problem with my drinking money going to that. I'm sure the County execs waste enough of that money on luncheons and dinners etc anyway. How much do they spend on bottled water annually?
Like I said in the first post "I guess we gotta have SOMETHING to bitch about!"
Does this board get paid and by whom? If so, how much?
Lock down the entire county. Everything is out of control. Lock it down and bring in the feds. They can find all they need in one building the GOB. They better bring 3 teams. The city will require 1 team for Internal Affairs and the other for the mayors office.
If Ron Alessis hand is in it, you know there is dirt under his nails.
I thought Crisfield Pride Elks was where they have those street parties and shootings and other undesirable habits in Crisfield. Maybe it's because they are a good customer and don't buy their whiskey in Somerset County
I wonder how much the dispensary spends on advertising. I see ads everywhere and I don't understand why. They don't have any competition.
What would you all think if I told you that about 11 years ago, two complete daily deposits went missing? They also swept that under the rug along with a lot of other dirt.
They also tried to frame a black fellow co-worker, we know who was stealing and it wasn't him.
I've heard that there are shortages in the cash drawers often and there is never any solution for the missing amounts.
Screw the state officials. CALL THE IRS. Nobody wants them crawling around in their drawers. They're like fleas, once they bite it's a long time before the itch stops.
Well, Its time to close down this operation and give it to local businesses. If they are spending money that should go to the county on frivilous things like jewelry and flowers, (no matter whose sick or died), they should be fired on grounds of mismanagement of state/county resources.
A. Goetz
The county dispensary's don't have to file taxes. Sorry the IRS can't touch them either.
Anonymous said...
What would you all think if I told you that about 11 years ago, two complete daily deposits went missing? They also swept that under the rug along with a lot of other dirt.They also tried to frame a black fellow co-worker, we know who was stealing and it wasn't him. 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
I've heard that there are shortages in the cash drawers often and there is never any solution for the missing amounts. 9:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Screw the state officials. CALL THE IRS. Nobody wants them crawling around in their drawers. They're like fleas, once they bite it's a long time before the itch stops. 8:03 AM
The county dispensary's don't have to file taxes or pay taxes except the sales tax that goes to the state. Sorry the IRS can't touch them either. The state doesn't care about it, LCB won't answer county council questions.
There is only one way to end that ancient regime, do away with them flat out plain and simple.
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