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Thursday, August 07, 2008

In All Fairness to the WCLCB ...

Wednesday I had an interesting conversation with someone affiliated with the Wicomico County dispensary. This individual confirmed that the dispensaries on the north and east sides of Salisbury were closed so that employees could attend Tuesday's Wicomico County Council meeting. However, this individual was emphatic that employees were not paid for their time while attending the meeting.

Note - this is neither a retraction, nor a correction. As I stated, "If they were paying those dispensary employees in the audience they were (embezzling from the taxpayers of Wicomico County)." As I have no reason to believe that this person lied to me, we can only conclude that they weren't.

Does this mean that I no longer consider the WCLCB a "corrupt dinosaur"? Of course not! IF the members of the dispensary board stop doling out your tax dollars for their own selfish ends ... or IF the the board miraculously becomes good and faithful stewards of YOUR money ... then the dispensary may cease to be corrupt. It will remain a dinosaur none the less.

cross posted at Delmarva Dealings

Salisbury Firefighters Are Pissed!

The Bill Gordy and Chief See slick tactics never seem to end.

If you're not affiliated with the Salisbury Fire Department, Deputy Chief Bill Gordy has a Son names Jeremy. Throughout his time in the Salisbury Fire Department as a volunteer he has been suspended so many times it isn't funny. His slick tactics and refusal to follow the rules has continuously kept him in deep trouble regularly and he certainly does NOT have the respect of the majority of the other Firefighters working hard to get their time in and earn different positions within the Fire Department.

There was a recent announcement made that See & Gordy have PROMOTED this young man to acting lieutenant, all of which he does NOT have even the basics to fill those shoes. In order to fill that position you must have the following.
3 EMT Classes, he allegedly flunked out whenever he went into these courses.
Officers Course, he does not have this.
Inspector 1 Course, he does not have this.
Instructor Course, he does not have this.
A Driver Course, he does not have this.

There isn't a Firefighter, (so I'm told) in the Fire Department that isn't royally pissed off at Bill Gordy right now. There is a process to make things equal for all Firefighters and they bypassed that entire system to get this kid into this position and believe me, no one is happy.

The way the system is set up, if you're one week shy of having enough time in and a position opens, you CANNOT get the position and must wait for the next one to open. NOT in the Gordy case!

See & Gordy have gone too far this time Folks. Expect to see MANY Volunteers to simply walk away from Station 16. I don't know who these guys think they are but they have screwed every taxpayer as well as the Volunteer Staff and hopefully this time they follow through with their threats and teach the SFD a lesson that they aren't going to take it any more. However, I have learned in the past that most of these guys are all talk and bellyache about things. Hopefully this time some of these young men grow a set? Time will tell!

And everyone wonders why I have an attitude towards many of the leaders in Salisbury. Come on now, this guy has been suspended more than anyone ever has in the SFD. He's even had to allegedly take a Anger Management Course to boot. Yeah, another great leader in the City of Salisbury, NOT!

Fruitland Police Department Press Releases

FRUITLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT
401 E. Main St, Fruitland, MD 21826

CrimeSolvers 410-548-1776

Chief Michael J. Phillips
Phone: 410-548-2804
Fax: 410-548-2808

PRESS RELEASE

Case #: 08-2140

On 08/05/08 Officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for a speeding violation on W. Main St. A check through MVA revealed that the operator’s driving privileges were revoked. Search incident to arrest led to the seizure of a large amount of suspected marijuana.

Charged: Daniel Sullivan, 30 yoa
Quantico, MD

Charges: Possession of CDS
Driving on Revoked License and Privilege

Disposition: Released to Central Booking


Case #: 08-2152

On 08/06/08 Officers met with a female victim who advised that she was assaulted by her boyfriend. The victim relayed to them that she and her child sustained injuries which were visible to officers. The following individual was subsequently charged:

Charged: Irvin Daniel Diggs, 30 yoa
Fruitland, MD

Charges: Assault – 2nd degree (2 counts)
Reckless Endangerment (2 counts)

Disposition: Released to Central Booking

Assistant Fire Chief Arrested For Viewing Child Porn At Fire Station


ODESSA, Del. - Police say an assistant fire chief was arrested on Monday after viewing child pornography at a fire house in Odessa, DE.

GO HERE to see the full WBOC Story.

An Anonymous Comment Came In About The Sheriff's Department

"Well Joe since you decided to post this story, how about you write a story about how sheriff's deputies are pissed because Mike Lewis is letting Jason Chance come back to work after all of his comments he made back during the whole Davis Ruark incident. Where is that story Joe???? I thought you were supposed to expose all that was corrupt in the city and county? Didn't Mike Lewis make the comment that one his deputies would be fired no questions asked. Grow some Joe and post a story about that!!!!! But you won't because you're all buddy buddy with Mike and god forbid you get on his bad side." The "story" they're referring to is the Gordy story.

Let me answer that question point blank for you. The Officer you mention was suspended WITH PAY! This Officer was bragging to EVERYONE about how he was out ENJOYING his paid time off surfing at the Beach and all sorts of other activities AT THE TAXPAYERS EXPENSE!

Sheriff Lewis got wind of this going on and made a fiscally responsible decision to get his a$$ back to work pushing paper because this Officer was smacking everyone in the face and laughing at them.

My hat is tipped to Sheriff Lewis for making such a responsible decision and if ANY of the Officers, (as you claim) are pissed off because Sheriff Lewis brought him back, they need to look for work elsewhere.

Now get back to work Lordy!

The Isabella Street Fiasco!


Let me first start out by telling you who was on this little board called the Process Action Team. BARRIE TILGHMAN, JENNY CLEARY AND MICHAEL DAY'S WIFE! What does that tell you for starters? The details of their findings never went public. That is, until now!

The Marina Expense


Since when has the City ever boosted the economic & development in the City without it being at the cost of the Taxpayers? If they sold the Marina it would still serve the Public just as well, probably better the more I think about it. Last year and the year before, I believe the City gave back almost $35,000.00 a year because the company operating the Marina lost money!

The New Fire Station Expenses


The question said he wanted an itemized expense list. Furniture and Fixtures is NOT an itemized list. Nevertheless, here's your breakdown Folks.

Bottled Water In The GOB


I have already proven this to be a lie several months ago.

The Tawes Clam Bake Expense


Perhaps we should consider all of the other Regional attractions like the Ward Museum and so many others involved. I should add, S.J. may not have asked his question properly. You see, the Zoo could have been billed separately for the Zoo through the Zoo Commission and the expense could actually be twice what they're claiming? Either way, that was an expense close to $2,000.00, add at least another $2,000.00 in salaries for everyone to be there.

WARNING! IF YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DON'T READ THE NEXT FEW POSTS


S.J. Disharoon went before the City Council and asked a series of questions he believe the Taxpayers would like answers to. These were the questions and responses.

YOU, the Taxpayer just spent more than $5,000.00 to be informed of such a report. The question I have is, IF this report hadn't been allegedly so favorable, would you have received such a notice? To top that off, how many other reports are done by the City you don't hear about?

Your Tax Dollars Again, Hard At Work!

John Robinson Is In The News Again Today



The infamous legend in his own mind John Robinson made it into the news again today as his trial has once again been postponed. Not that I believe anything will happen to John, accidents do happen.

Broadway Comes To Wicomico County!


(Salisbury, MD) The Wicomico Youth and Civic Center and Theatre Council Productions of Chicago, Illinois are thrilled to announce a new entertainment opportunity for the Delmarva community. Together, they will bring a full season of first-class, official Broadway road show productions to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center as part of the first season of “Broadway in Salisbury.” The coming season features five Great White Way Tony-winning blockbuster productions.

The 2008-2009 “Broadway in Salisbury” series will showcase top-quality touring Broadway productions direct from New York. The series will feature five spectacular shows including Chicago, Oliver, Movin’ Out, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy and Lord of the Dance.

The inaugural “Broadway in Salisbury” season demonstrates a commitment by the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center to bring the Broadway arts to Delmarva. “I’ve been here long enough to remember when theater fans had to travel 200 miles or more to see professional productions. Thanks to the efforts of Gary Mackes and the Youth & Civic Center staff, this is no longer the case. ‘Broadway in Salisbury’ will be a great plus in our cultural and economic lives,” said Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., Wicomico County Executive.

In honor of Wicomico County’s local arts organizations the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center and Theatre Council Productions donated the first three inaugural subscription packages to the Salisbury Wicomico Art Council. Director James Gillespie accepted the donation at a press conference held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, August 7. “The Arts Council is honored to be the recipient of this generous gift. Attracting quality performances to Wicomico County provides accessibility to the arts that might otherwise not be available to residents bound by travel or budgetary limitations.”

The three season tickets will be used as a first prize gift incentive for a new SWAC program called "Bookworms for Broadway." All Wicomico County middle school students will be eligible to win this first prize by reading books throughout the month of September. Information will be available in the schools when classes begin. Program is in partnership with the Wicomico County Public Library. 410.543.2787 for more information.

Broadway in Salisbury Season tickets range from $137 to $228 and will be available in two package options. The Classic Package features Chicago, Oliver, Movin’ Out and Cirque Dreams. The Platinum Package includes all five shows and ranges from $168 to $228. Purchasing a subscription package can save subscribers over $32 per seat versus buying individual tickets. Dinner packages by Encore Catering are also available for purchase and range from $100 to $125.

Season tickets go on sale to the public on August 11. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (888) 610-BWAY (2929) or visit us at www.BROADWAYINSALISBURY.com

This is very exciting for the residents of Wicomico County! The idea of paying almost $4.00 a gallon for gas and traveling to Washington, D.C., Wilmington, New York and other locations to see a Show, this is a great deal!

The Theatre Council Productions will ask Middle School Students to read as many books as possible and the top three winners will win $1,000.00 worth of tickets as well as a Limo Ride to the first Show. Their project is called, "Bookworms For Broadway."

Remember, tickets go on sale MONDAY, so if you want good seats and hopefully any seats at all. get on board right away. Again, another possible once in a lifetime opportunity.

New Meter Rates

"Good morning, Joe!

I was downtown yesterday and as I was dropping my quarters in the meter, I noticed they were only registering 20 minutes a pop! Since when did that change from the usual 30 minutes? And I can’t remember the last time I used a meter that actually registered every quarter I dropped in-I’m guessing I could take a small vacation with all the money I’ve LOST in those things! I actually took the time to go in the Government Office Building one day to let them know a certain meter was not functioning-can you guess if they seemed to care?"

This has been in the news for quite some time. However, I wasn't aware that it already went into affect. Someone has to pay for the Fire Station.

Wayne Gilchrest's Extreme Makeover


You want to talk about ironic politics. What if I were to tell you to expect Wayne Gilchrest to endorse Frank Kratovill? That's right, a Republican will jump ship in the very near future and pull a Bill Duvall, cross the line, (which we all knew who he really was in the past anyway) and this man is now going to start wearing dresses instead of pants.

Greg Bassett, do you see the real man you stood behind all those years now? There's a very strong reason he was voted out of Ofice and because your Wife worked for him, you just couldn't open your eyes wide enough to see the reality of it all.

Nevertheless, you heard it here first Ladies & Gentlemen. Gilchrest will endorse Kratovill and I can't wait for all his Republican Supporters to see who this man really is and has been. A RINO. Or should I say, another Louise Smith?

New Council Room Table


Here goes another Exclusive by Salisbury News, will the Mayor get pissed off at my knowing about this in advance too?

It turns out, (and I agree) the table the City & County Council Members sit at was a VERY poor design. All too often you see Council members leaning as far forward as they can, (some have to see around the likes of Shanie Shields) in order to see their face.

This new layout/design will allow each Council Member to see one and other as well as the audience. I mentioned this to some associates of mine and boy were they ticked. It surprised me, so let's see where this Post takes us?

Question of the Day, Thur 8/7

This question brought to you by Ben:

There are only 4 months and 16 days until Christmas.

That's 20 paychecks. For those of you who get payed bi-weekly, it's only 10 paychecks away.

So, have you thought about Christmas?

Mayor Tilghman Takes A Leak, Seriously!


Mayor Barie Tilghman is furious over my having the "heads up" on a recent spot inspection at the Chesapeake Inn Motel last week. Word on the street is, she blew another gasket and is demanding to find out who leaked the information to me.

You have to wonder, why? What does it matter? Each article gained very high praise by Salisbury News as to how they were handled and the mere fact the facts were exposed.

Tom Stevenson handled himself professionally as well as Susan Philips. However, I will say to all of you, the Salisbury Fire Department refused to back up Code and Compliance and even after numerous calls to the Fire Station when they were needed, no one ever showed up. They were asked two days in advance and one individual is claiming he simply forgot.

Do you know why that's not true? Because we called in while the Thrift Inn Motel Sweep was going on to ask for backup and they still refused to come out. That's right, you pay $10,000,000.00 for their new Fire Bunkie Station and now they're too god to do their jobs, just like the 5 minute rule with the City Council. Pay them more, get far less.

Anyhow Mayor Tilghman, don't get your panties in a twist over me knowing so much. You're going to get blown away in a Court Room in the near future with even more information I know of that hasn't been exposed and boy, let me assure you, you're going to look like you belong behind bars.

Besides, you should see what I know about the Salisbury Police Department! Lord knows that if I say a word about any of that the people I respect most would be suspended, demoted or even fired, right Chiefy? I have to be careful because the Chief knows I have Intel Information weeks ago about the recent murder in Salisbury and was sweating bullets thinking I was going to expose what I knew.

So Barrie, go to a plumber the next time. They're the best place to take a leak.

Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

Excerpt
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney

Had Enough?

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them—or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader

I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points—not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President—the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't.

Leadership is all about managing change—whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths—for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION—a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President—four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know—Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job-Brownie-mission-accomplished Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world—and I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day—and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq—a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen—and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises—the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/iacocca.asp

You Won't See One Of These At A Tiger Mart Any More


Other Gas Stations are enjoying pickup and delivery service of CASH because people are choosing other Stations for their needs. People are becoming more educated and choosing to save money wherever they can today. The only unique vehicle I ever found at a Tiger Mart was a Hearse.

Classified Ads

It's been so busy this week I have forgotten to mention the Classified Ads. If you have items you'd like to sell, contact me at alberobutzo@wmconect.com with your items and we'll get them posted for Saturday.

I can tell you, there's an unbelievable deal coming up Saturday for a really nice Harley Davidson, very low miles and a steal of a price!

SPD Press Release On Murder Case + Editors Note

On August 6, 2008 at approximately 10:20 am, Detectives of the Salisbury Police Department received a communication from the Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office that a positive identification had been made of the female body found in the Northwood Industrial Park on July 28. Utilizing dental records, the victim has been identified as: Audrey Lee Jurewicz, 26 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

Detectives were advised that the cause of death of the victim is homicide. The method of death will not be released at this time due to the continuing investigation. The victim had a prior arrest for prostitution in June of this year, in Salisbury.

Detectives have not identified a suspect in this investigation, however while conducting interviews with known area prostitutes it was revealed that three (3) other women had been assaulted by the same subject, operating the same vehicle. The initial contact between these victims and the suspect occurred in the area of Route 13 and Philadelphia avenue, including the side streets.

This suspect has been described as:
Black male, approximately 25 to 35 years of age, operating a silver sedan with a partial Delaware registration containing the numerals “1882” as the first four digits or displaying a temporary registration.

If anyone has any information concerning the homicide or the assaults of the other victims, they area asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165 or to contact Crime Solvers. CC# 200800026818

Editors Note: First of all, it would be nice for the SPD to provide the Crime Solvers Telephone Number with their Press Release, like the WCSO always does.

Secondly, The information provided here has been well known for more than a week now and quite frankly, I have issues with this Press Release. Like it or not, these women have been on the streets doing what they do, WITHOUT any knowledge as to what they might be looking for. At any time, any one of these women could have also been picked up and murdered as well without ever knowing what to look out for. I'm sorry but I personally feel this is BS! I have withheld this information as I did not want to interfere with their investigation, so I made the judgment call to not release the information. Hopefully all of you can tell that this was NOT an easy thing for me to withhold because I personally felt the color of the car, the type of car, the fact that the man they are looking for is a black man and a certain age. To me this is vital information. I am not a Police Officer, a Police Chief or a professional on how to handle such a case. I simply feel it was wrong for them to hold back this information for what, almost two weeks now? They're damn lucky no one else has been killed, THAT WE KNOW OF. What do YOU think should have happened?

SPD Meets The (CALEA) Standards For Re-Accreditation

On July 26, 2008, the Salisbury Police Department was advised that it had met the requirements for re-accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This was the Salisbury Police Department’s fifth re-accreditation since the original accreditation award in 1987. As a result of uninterrupted accreditation since that date, the department was given Meritorious status.

The re-accreditation represented the successful completion of a continuous process of thorough agency wide self-evaluation, concluded by an exacting outside review by a team of CALEA independent assessors. This recent evaluation and review took place in December of 2007. The Salisbury Police Department is the only department on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that has attained accreditation.

The Salisbury Police Department was the 45th police agency earning accreditation status in the United States. There are now 747 departments that are accredited in five (5) different countries. A Department’s continued accreditation status reflects a continuing quest for professional excellence by remaining in compliance with CALEA standards. CALEA accreditation has become the primary method for a police agency to voluntarily demonstrate its commitment to excellence in law enforcement.

PROJECTED GASOLINE CONSUMPTION FOR WICOMICO

Wicomico County is soliciting bids for 190,000 of 87 Octane gasoline and 190,000 gallons of diesel fuel for FY 2008-2009.

http://www.wicomicocounty.org/purchase/SEALED%20BIDS/MOTOR%20FUEL%202008.htm

Now that is an astronomical amount of fuel being consumed by our County government. Not to mention, an astronomical amount of money being spent from the taxpayers coffers.

One would think that a central terminal would be in order in increase efficiency and streamline process.

Would This Be Acceptable In Your Residential Neighborhood?



While visiting the Playground that got completely fenced in the other day, right next to the residential homes are commercial properties with all sorts of violations in and around them. Moments before I took this picture a City Pickup Truck passed right by this property and didn't look twice. This is why NEW BLOOD needs to come into power in Salisbury.