THE JOE ALBERO VERSION OF THE CAMDEN FORUM

If I were running for Mayor, here's how I would have responded to the questions being asked.

1. How would I handle crime in the City of Salisbury?

Let's get right to the beef of this question with a confident answer. I would immediately terminate the Chief of Police, contract or not. Your Wife, Daughter, Son, Mother, Father or even your own life is far more important to me than the legalities of his contract. I believe he has not performed his duties to a level in which we as citizens can be comfortable with. I know for a fact he is not willing to work as a team with other law enforcement agencies and I want a partner who will work with everyone to make Salisbury a better and safer place to live.

The SPD is too top heavy with Chiefs and not enough Indians, period. Our Chief would not be an executive. He or she will be a cops, cop. Sub Stations, give it a rest. I want our Officers on the streets knowing who everyone is, not inside of a building waiting for someone to knock at the door. I want them on bicycles and foot patrol. If you don't like where I'm going, don't vote for me because that's the direction I'm heading in.

2. Boards and Appointments?

No special interests. Let's take the Zoo for example. How many acquisitions and dispositions have there been in the past 30 days. I'd want that report every single month. Ron Alessi, GONE! Richard Insley, GONE! I believe it doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to understand what's going on out there. I would request a letter of interest explaining how you feel you could serve each Board. As far as a resume, a letter will do just fine. I will share these Candidates with our City Council and gain their wisdom by asking them to participate as well. However, I would hold the final answer. There needs to be only one head of household on answers like this one.

3. Views of fiscal budget 2010? Line item budget?

Line Item Budget, period! There will be no games played. We WILL break down every department and fine tune your tax dollars. Many say I'm tighter than a ducks a$$ and that's waterproof. I didn't get to retire at 40 years old by spending, spending, spending. I saved, saved, saved instead. As far as getting my hands on short notice to the current Budget, I'd do everything I could in the mean time to cut corners but not jeopardize quality of service. Look, every one is going to have to give and take, including the taxpayers. However, if YOU want a break anywhere along the line, we're going to have to cut things in the mean time.

4. Mall TIF, Developer subsidies? No More! Let's just look at the history of past experience. The people have spoken and I will work for the people.

5. Surplus Assets? I love this question. I believe, (considering my past business history) I could create a department of perhaps two people who could market and sell ALL of our surplus items. I believe I could easily have that department paying for itself within the very first year and probably much sooner. Selling items on EBay and or arranging certain items to be sold at local auctions would certainly bring in more money than unloading lot items for next to nothing. I would also encourage items to be inventoried like all the equipment left over on a Fire Truck, (for example) to be inventoried and sold, rather than given away or sold at a Department Heads pleasure.

6. Repairing infrastructure? The first few things that come to mind are of course road, curbs, sidewalks, pipes, the Zoo, Station 2, I'm sure there are more. Look, our City is starting to look like crap, let's face it. As many of you know, I used to own the old Fire Station in Pittsville. They took that structure and added on, rebuilt the old portion and created an incredible Restaurant inside for LESS than what they want to spend to rebuild Station 2, NOT GOOD ENOUGH! I smell a skunk on ALL of these projects and I for one will not stand for things like this any more. I think back the the almost $100,000.00 to REPAIR an elevator in the GOB. I happen to be business savvy enough to know a brand new elevator, including the shaft for a three story building cost around $100,000.00. The buck stops here! The Zoo, every ounce of spending will immediately STOP until they can proven they can become self sufficient. Every other Zoo in America is, we should be no different. Sidewalks and curbs, let's find a Contractor that wants to work with the City and or use our own Public Works to at least get out there and repair key areas within our City. Roads, I'd ask ALL citizens to come forward with the worst roads first and satisfy their needs immediately. I would ask for state money wherever I can find it and create a program whereas we can get back on track with our roads and cutting millions of dollars from the Zoo and Fire Departments would be a great start. Pipes, we must get up to speed as well there and maintain this City the way the taxpayers expect and deserve it to be.

7. Position of Richard Insley on Landlord Board? Again, the Mayor serves the Public. The public has spoken and the City has spent entirely too much money on additional lawsuits referencing this man. He would be terminated immediately and a fair and just board would be recreated.

8. Campaign Contributions, 1 candidate has all large donations while others are small. Too much is being made of this issue, IMHO. If it is the will of the people to change those rules, I am all for supporting the will of the people. For now, no one is breaking any rules. I would have no problem as a Candidate to make each and every donation posted on my Website every single day, if that would please the people. I have absolutely nothing to hide.

9. Stand Pipe, it's stable and determined to be safe. Is it historic? We cannot afford it, grant money or not. I will be just as responsible to the State of Maryland as I will be for the City of Salisbury. Same goes with a Fire Boat and other ridiculous spending currently going on with the Tilghman Administration. The structure is secure and with times as hard as they are for ALL taxpayers in the state, I'm not going to ask for things that are not NEED items. Wants are simply out of the question. If you want to vote for another Candidate who will take advantage of the rest of the Taxpayers, cast your vote for them. I will be responsible and accountable, period. As for its history, it's a pipe people. Isn't it like putting lipstick on a pig?

10. How much time can you devote towards being Mayor? Fortunately I can afford to work full time as your Mayor and I'd be honored and proud to do so. I will agree with Mr. Ireton, there are others who would qualify for this position and could better represent most of the Candidates currently running for Mayor if the job paid properly. Fortunately I'm in a financial position I could afford to be paid what the Taxpayers are offering but while I'm in Office I would NOT ask for any increase. I understood what the pay was coming into this election and I will stand behind that pay for the next 4 years. If YOU believe I deserve more money after 4 years because I have turned the City around financially and saved you enough money, the compliment would be well received. For now, it is what it is and I accept that.

11. How will you stimulate the economy? I'd start with working closer with the Economic & Development people in the City & County. They must perform or they must be replaced. Incentives to relocate Downtown is a plus but I cannot in good conscience ask the owners of those properties to lower their rents to encourage others to relocate there. Instead, I would create a plan that would make people want to be a part of the Downtown area. I would encourage people to bring in attractive businesses that can cater to the Downtown wants and needs. It's not that difficult to look at your surroundings and realize that the Downtown area is mainly lawyers. An Office Supply Store would be a great asset for starters. I would encourage business people Downtown to tell us what their wants and needs are and go from there. In a forum where there's not enough time to provide expanded answers I would suggest everyone to go to my Website where details of such a complicated subject could be expressed in great detail because Salisbury is not just Downtown. There you would find answers thought out years in advance as to all of the wants and needs for our economy.

12. Do you believe there are Gangs in Salisbury? Heck, everyone knows, I'm the one that brought Gangs to the forefront in Salisbury. While this Administration and Chief of Police was in denial, while the local Media, (MSM) refused to expose this problem, I brought it out and forced everyone to recognize there is in fact a serious problem with Gangs. We need a Task Force to work hand in hand with ALL of the local Police Departments and truly take a bite out of our crime and Gangs. I can tell you first hand, walking the streets at night in Downtown Salisbury put the Graffiti to an immediately halt. Recognizing it years ago could have prevented the growth of these Gangs but they ran free and as the stats continued to climb and crime became so bad, ignoring it was probably the worst thing that could have happened. The County wanted to create laws to remove Graffiti within 24 hours and the City refused to work with the County on such a law. I will work with the County and I will turn the Gang situation around. Gang members start out very young. I believe working with our schools and tackling the problem head on there first would be a great start.

13. Should the City draft legislation for doing business with LLC's and expose who the players are? This is a no brainer. The City of Salisbury will never again do business with an LLC not willing to expose the Principals within that LLC or any other Corporation trying to be protected from being known by the general public.

14. Transparency & Open Government? If I can get it, YOU can get it. I would use the exact same policy Rick Pollitt uses. I would immediately demand that ALL Department Heads answer to our Council. Does it take time away from their job, absolutely. However, we need to stop covering everything up and bring everything to the table because this is YOUR City. In 4 years from now when you're wondering who to vote for as Mayor in the next election, I'd be proud to run on my record and NOT give you answers like other politicians have done to you in the past.

My closing statement would be as follows. You have seen me at almost every City Council Meeting for the past 4 or 5 years. You have seen me at City and County events and I have a pretty strong handle on who's doing what and where. You have seen me get involved with Salisbury News and expose the rights and wrongs in Salisbury. You know where I stand on these issues as well as many others not asked or touched in these forums. For example, what would I do with Station 16, the old Fire Station. I would make it a First Response EMS Station, period. I would KEEP that building and use the upstairs for more space for any department outgrowing the GOB. If this was not the will of the people I would then suggest a children's library and offer FREE Parking around that building with additional Handicap spaces, which are extremely limited right now within the City. As your next Mayor I would make you PROUD to live in Salisbury and follow in the footsteps of Mr. Jim Mathias in the sense that our City is the finest City in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! That in itself would rebuild our economy and want others to relocate to our HOME. I'll end with, has everyone else answered your questions, or did they fluff their answers?

There was one question I believe I missed and that was Salisbury University Students not feeling welcome here. The students are one of the biggest life lines in Salisbury. I would embrace them. I would even encourage one of them to run for our City Council and or possibly create a 6th seat on the Council. One way or another, I would find a place in the City to welcome them to be a part of our lives in such a way. Have you ever gone somewhere or some place you knew you weren't welcome, yet you were paying big bucks to be there? Enough said.