The Marina Commission Meeting

"CITY VEHICLES ONLY NO EXCEPTIONS EXCEPT DELIVERIES"

With all the crap I've had to put up with referencing the Mayor and Police Chief Webster, there was absolutely no way I was going to drive past this point and attend the meeting I went out of my way for to attend, the Marina Commission Meeting.

The question is, would YOU drive past that point, after it clearly tells you not to? I may have considered it if I had a white hard hat with a blue sticker on it, but I didn't have it with me at the time.

I had never been to a meeting for the City of Salisbury at this location, so I had no idea that I would be confronted with such signage. Why are these meetings held here, to intimidate people from attending? Why is the City for the 3rd or 4th year in a row throwing money into the pockets of businessmen that attempt to run a business that keeps losing money every year? Why are the taxpayers of Salisbury funding such a losing business? Who are we to tell this money isn't going into someone else's pocket instead?

Then again, if citizens can't attend these meetings where they know they're welcome, we'll never really now, will we?

You know something else Folks. I wonder just how easy it would be to be a politician and front money to developers and business people and let's say pocket some of that money through kickbacks? I mean, didn't the City do away with that department that does all the checks and balances of inventory items that belong to the City? I'll bet you that citizens from all around the country could come up with examples of situations where money was spent on jobs a local municipality used contractors for that bid too high but the officials actually used these contractors because they could get a kickback of some sort?

Fortunately we have had a Mayor over the past 12 years that wasn't Mayor for the income. Fortunately she hasn't had any special interests, thank God. Fortunately the City has carefully spent $84,000,000.00+ on a new WWTP, $19,000,000.00 on a new Fire Palace, Collector Roads, Developer Reimbursements in the millions, you know the drill. If we had a crooked Mayor, wow, just imagine how things COULD have gone! I just wish she would have left that department together so the checks and balances, bidding and so forth could have been left a little more accountable, especially towards the end of all of those major projects. Nevertheless, that was her choice and I'm sure she has her reasons.

Some complain about the trash on the Plaza, the landscaping, paved roads, you know, the stuff citizens really care about. I have personally asked the many thousands of people visiting this Site every day just what it is that Mayor Tilghman has done good for the City? I guess those things I mentioned above are some of them but doesn't it surprise you a little bit that not one person came back with anything positive?

Well, anyway, fortunately we don't have the problems places like Chicago and Baltimore have. Hey, who knows, maybe Gary Comegys will get into Office and provide the exact same kind of service Mayor Barrie Tilghman has delivered. After all, they seem to be really proud of all of their accomplishments, as they should be, right?

I don't mean to be so long winded but again, I have to wonder what would happen if a whole new administration with a whole new style would bring to the City of Salisbury? What if things were really different? Let's look at that for a second, if you don't mind.

Let's say we get a new Mayor who fights against the Landlords and actually enlarges the Code & Compliance Department. What would happen if we stopped spending money on the Fire Department and actually concentrated on more Police Officers? Here's a bold idea. What if we had a new Mayor who thought outside the box and actually brought back the purchasing department like it used to be and lets even say we had someone that allowed Department Heads to speak on on one with City Council Members? What would happen if we had a Council President that refused to bring anything to the table that they didn't have a week ahead of time to review, instead of two hours before the Council Meeting? What if we even had a Mayor that acted more like Rick Pollitt who says, If we can get the information, YOU can get the information? I just wonder on those small examples how much different Salisbury would be?

Then again, Rick Pollitt makes a whole lot more money than the Mayor of Salisbury. I personally feel that if the City Taxpayers accepted the fact that there were a lot of could be's out there, they might actually save a whole lot of money by paying a Mayor a decent salary than ever wonder about the what ifs. Well, the choice isn't up to Joe Albero, I don't live in the City. The choices are up to those residents who are qualified to vote in the City. If they like the way things have been run and trust the same kind of administration as Barrie Tilghman has provided, Gary Comegys is probably your best choice. If the Citizens would enjoy feeling more like they have someone in Office speaking up and protecting the Taxpayer for once, well, your best choices IMHO are Bob Caldwell and Jim Ireton.

Me personally, if it were my choice, taking the risk that you might be interested in my opinion, I'd put my two votes in the primary for Bob Caldwell and Jim Ireton. The way I see it is, I think Salisbury has seen enough of the spending and closed style of Government. I truly think people want change. I know I'd want to finally see me get something for all the money I'm spending every year in taxes. Comegys has already brought a Stimulus Package to Salisbury. I mean, look at it. You have non taxpayers dropping off their trash on the Downtown Plaza every single day and YOU pay salaries to have Public Works pick up their trash and then YOU pay for the vehicle to do so, then the maintenance and fuel on that vehicle and then YOU pay to actually discard it into the Landfill. Like I said the other day in a Post, Comegys and Dunn knew about this two and a half years ago and now all of a sudden its important to him again, yet nothing was ever done about it. Oh, and it still hasn't been brought up and or resolved. Sounds like a Stimulus Plan to me, eh?

Yeah, IMO I think it's time for a change. Meetings need to be held when the Citizens and Taxpayers can actually make it to the meeting. Take the Salisbury Zoo for an example. They meet the third Wednesday of every month at 12:00 Noon. Isn't it time they change that, considering YOU pay the bill for every single thing in that Zoo? How about meetings that are held in locations where you won't feel intimidated driving through gates that tell you to stay out? How about a Mayor that would say NO to something like a Marina Commission that wants $30,000.00 a year because they allegedly can't survive? Better yet, how about a Mayor that accepted Board Members who actually docked their Boats and Yachts at that Marina and know what changes would be necessary to make it a better place? How could I forget wanting a Mayor who actually felt a First Response Ambulance EMS Team might better serve the community from the old Station 16 and still leave ONE Ambulance at the new Fire Station to take care of the West Side of the City just in the rare case the Bridge is up? For me personally, I'd rather see them put the old Fire Station into good use than attempt to gift it to an Arts Group that has failed in every single attempt they have ever tried to open their own facility.

I see light at the end of the tunnel but it's going to take YOU the Taxpayer/Citizen to get to the Polls for this Primary to make any difference whatsoever. You lost a great man in Tim Spies because they beat you once. I wouldn't let them beat you again. I'd send a clear message that this race needs to be between two individuals, Bob Caldwell and Jim Ireton and let the best man win in the end. Heck, who knows. If you actually elected either one of these two gentlemen into Office, we might even see the Real Estate Market go crazy watching all those Landlords selling off their properties at prices they used to be just so they could unload them all. You might see renters converting to buyers if the prices were right. I just don't see the economic and development rising upwards with Gary Comegys in Office, do you?

By the way, the Marina Commission will be a part of tonght's City Council Meeting at 6:00 PM.

Don't forget to look at this Post. http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2009/02/should-salisbury-continue-to-subsidize.html