Blogger Shuts Down

All Blogs were shiut down for a few hours today but are now back up and running.

Local Salisbury Business Owners Frustrated & Afraid

I was just speaking with a major local Salisbury Business Owner who was wondering how the Recall Drive against the Mayor was coming.

This particular person can't afford to get his name out there in fear of retaliation from the Mayor and expressed concern from other business owners having the same fear. So what do they do?

Their biggest concern is the tax increases that weren't necessary, yet the Council and Mayor have said nothing about pulling the increase after finding $10,200,000.00, not including the other $8,800,000.00 from the Water and Sewer fund they so conveniently found after Councilwoman Campbell questions these balances.

It seems like I, (Joe Albero) am the only one not afraid to confront the Mayor and believe me, even though she can't harm me business wise, she does cost me money through attorney fees to protect me against lawsuits.

I'm not so concerned about that. I'm more concerned in stopping her from hurting others who cannot afford to protect themselves from this kind of retaliation. This is what my Blog has been all about.

My hope is that they are doing a good job with the Recall Drive and they succeed in taking Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields out of Office and turn the City of Salisbury around.

Think about it. How sad is it when big local businesses are afraid to step up to the plate simply because this Mayor could easily destroy their business. Are we to now go in fear every day like we lived in some communist Country? This is America Ladies & Gentlemen and something must be done about this right away.

Recall these people and this time GET OUT AND VOTE!

PLEA From Commissioner Bobby Cowger Jr. To The People of Pocomoke City ASKING TO HELP HIM HELP US FIGHT CRIME!

This message from Worcester County Commissioner Robert 'Bobby' Cowger Jr. of Pocomoke City is in response to the recent murder of long-time resident William 'Nib' Niblett and the rampant crime combined with the open air drug market supported by the Pocomoke City Government. Note at the bottom of this post is another plea from Pocomoke City Councilman Rob Clarke to send in OUTSIDE law enforcement help including the FBI. Pocomoke City has long been known as being one of the most openly corrupt city governments in the USA.

I have known Nib for as long as I can remember. He was a very hard working man and enjoyed life. Anyone who has had some plumbing work done in Pocomoke has most likely used him one time or another. This was a terrible thing that had happened to him.

When I decided to run for commissioner I campaigned on the drug problems in Pocomoke. However I took alot of grief for attacking the Pocomoke Police Dept. After I was elected, I went to the Sheriff and said I wanted something done and the people elected me did to.

I was told the County Sheriff's office did not go into Towns unless they were asked by the local police dept. As we know they were not asking. As your local representative I am asking you to flood me with letters of request to have the sheriff's office and county task force come in and help clean up our town.

I do know they are just waiting for a request to come in. If I can receive enough letters of request we could make it happen. I have lived in Pocomoke for 50 years this year and i am also disappointed with our town.

Please send me letters so we can hopefully get started to make a change in our town. We don't need this kind of thing to happen to anymore of our friends or family. 2 murders now is enough.

Thanks,

Bobby Cowger Jr.

Worcester County Commissioner for the Pocomoke Area

2417 Lakeland Drive
Pocomoke City, Maryland 21851
(H) 410-957-0950 (W) 410-957-6797 (Fax) 410-957-67

This was originally posted as a response to the report of 'Nibs' murder this week. Click here to read it as posted

Pocomoke City Councilman Rob Clarke responded by adding this message:

I agree with Commissioner Cowger. Please send emails / letters to me as well. We need the Sheriff’s Office, WCBI, State Police, FBI, in town. Whatever it takes to straighten this mess out.

PCPD needs to stay off of US 13 with their radar traps and stay in the core area of town so they can keep on top of these hooligan's.

rob@cityofpocomoke.com
or
1400 Cedar St.
Pocomoke City, MD 21851-9526

Love The New Daily Times, NOT!

Once again, talk about a disaster! Upside down pages, smudges everywhere and believe it or not, MY image on some of these pictures actually improved what was in print.

Keep up the good work Greg Bassett. I see you and your Wife don't go to work any more.

Salisbury Police Make Serious Busts

On March 4, 2008 at approximately 10:18 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department responded to a residence on the one hundred block of Second Street to attempt to locate a wanted subject (below suspect # 1). The officers were given consent to search the residence and as a result located the wanted suspect, and the below listed additional subjects. Recovered during the consent search of the residence was a quantity of suspected crack/cocaine, a quantity of suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded .38 caliber handgun.

ARRESTED #1: Shawn Randall Jones, 18 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)
Possession of a regulated firearm in a drug trafficking crime
Possession of a firearm
Possession of a firearm while under 21 years of age
Possession of regulated ammunition while under 21 years of age
Possession of a regulated firearm after a conviction

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking

ARRESTED #2: Brandon Dontrae Fountain, 19 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Same charges as above # 1

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking

ARRESTED #3: Keoshia Rochelle Johnson, 18 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)
Possession of a regulated firearm in a drug trafficking crime
Possession of a regulated firearm
Possession of a regulated firearm while under 21 years of age

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800007778

On March 6, 2008 at approximately 12:15 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations in the area of U.S. Rt. 50 and N. Division St. Upon making the stop, the officers detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle. While investigating possible alcohol violations, the officers observed a smoking device containing suspected crack/cocaine residue.

ARRESTED: Carl Warner Brown, 51 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Possession of cocaine

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800007923

Hackers

Believe it or not, someone has been attempting to hack my Blogger Site for a week or so now. I have been receiving password confirmation e-mail messages. I've even been receiving things from Site Meter asking for confirmation on things.

Blogger is a pretty tough nut to crack but honest to God, some people are so desperate to shut me down, it's amazing. I even get those e-mail messages with the codes in it, when you click on it, it sends a virus to your hard drive and crashes you immediately. Do they think I'm that stupid? I guess it's worth the try for them, eh? Like I don't have three computers anyway, duh!

To me the idea would be, if I don't like a particular Website, I just don't go there. How about you? Instead, I believe Barrie has her peeps doing whatever they can to shut me down because she knows I'm kicking butt. Someone will be her hero, for an hour! Think about it. Even if they did hack into me, how long do you think I'll be down? Besides, I could use a little vacation anyway.

Slots?

The other night I met up with a friend in Harrington to play the Slots and get a good meal. The entire place has changed since the last time I was there. More open, quieter and several restaurants, it was far more pleasant.

However, as Ocean Downs sits almost dormant waiting for slots to arrive, will it be worth driving to Ocean City and pay 6% Sales Tax on everything else you purchase? For now we have no choice but even when we do, I'd still go to Harrington.

By the way, I walked out 25% ahead of the game that evening.

Redneck High Rise

The Wayne Gilchrest Staff Won't Go To Work

The Wayne Gilchrest Office remains closed since the election. There hasn't been a day since the election I have actually seen this Office open for business. The pouting "don't let the door hit you in the a$$" Congressman doesn't seem to care much either.

Oh, you want proof? Has he been hack to the WWTP in Hebron? Did he come inspect the "spill" at the Salisbury WWTP? Has he been to the Wicomico County Landfill for ANYTHING? Nope, Nope, Nope!

Wayne Gilchrest may be a nice guy to some but IMO, this guy is a pouting little baby who refuses to act like a man. Suck it up and get your work done by representing the people. We'd be better off if they simply fired the guy and didn't give him time to waste space like they are at One Plaza East.

Greg Bassett's Wife must be at home cooking and cleaning and making him samiches, at taxpayers expense to boot. Oh well, we should be used to stuff like this in Wicomico County. It's business as usual and you're watching your tax dollars hard at work, NOT!

Line Road Sunset

My Thoughts on the Claude Holland Case

OK.....here we go.

I have read countless court syllabi. There is one thing I know for sure. When reading court syllabi, we must break them down into smaller parts and decipher each part. Once each piece is digested, we can get a better view of the bigger picture. (we can't forget the footnotes)

According to the first paragraph on the first page, Claude claims that he was wrongfully terminated because he exercised his first amendment right to free speech. In the footnotes I see that there were other claims which were either dismissed or for which the plaintiffs were ordered to replead. That order and related memorandum are not included with this post. It is EXTREMELY important to note that this case only relates to an alleged violation of a first amendment right.

Part one lists the names of the involved parties and their roles. It lists some degree of background and the basic facts of the case. This includes statements made during deposition.

Part two lists the details of the claims made by the plaintiff and how the court must, in it's opinion, view the claims in light of relevant case law, etc.

Part three is the final opinion of the court.

I find it interesting that the Judge never once mentioned that Nelms broke labor law by ordering Claude to go out on comp time until he decided what to do with him.

I quote Findlaw for legal professionals:

Following Heaton v. Moore, 43 F.3d 1176 (8th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, 515 U.S. 1104 (1995), the court concluded that, under Section 207(o), "compensatory time off must be consumable by the worker on the worker’s terms.”

It seems to me that the only legal way to get Claude to stay home in that circumstance would have been to suspend him.....right? Looks like a de facto suspension to me.

I guess the Judge never mentioned it in his opinion because it is irrelavent to the first amendment claim.

The court ruled, in essence, that the first amendment right protects citizens from being punished for speaking out against the govt. when it relates to a matter of public concern, not an employee speaking out against a supervisor.

The court DID NOT say that Claudes termination WAS lawful. It just said that a wrongful termination suit had no merit in this case because, as a matter of law, there was no first amendment violation.
The court DID NOT say that Claude is mentally defective in any way. The Court NEVER addressed whether or not Claude was unfit for duty, and in fact it never came into play in this case. Statements taken during deposition relating to a psychiatrists opinion were submitted to the court, but the judge never mentioned it anywhere in his decision. It's a non-issue.

I don't think you will EVER find a psychiatrist who would be willing to give a guarantee on the future of ANYONES mental health. Regardless of your past. That could be career suicide. My opinion is that Claude was instructed by an attorney to go out on medical leave due to stress and depression. (happens all the time) Hunter set out to make an example of him because Hunter has an ego as big as a house. Hunter justified the termination by stating that it was in the best interest of public safety. A giant stack of horse shit if you ask me. The biggest mistake made by Claude was that he underestimated Hunter.

In the end, though, I don't feel a first amendment violation occurred. I think the court was proper in it's judgement.

I find it interesting that after relieving Claude of his position within the DRILL academy, bad things began to happen which resulted in the dismissal of Bob Van Meter. In my opinion, Hunter would have been smarter to get rid of that ass kissing, no good, backstabbing, lying SOB Van Meter and kept Claude.