Last week the Greater Salisbury Committee brought together some of the greatest minds, business people and influential citizens on the Eastern Shore. I was one of the 150 or so people initially honored to be invited.
What started out as a very interesting meeting, quickly became one of those, just what am I doing here meetings. Allow me to explain.
When I was invited, I thought the meeting would be based around what we could do as a whole, offering wisdom in answering many of the challenging subjects that face us. I personally felt that IF the question came up about what the Eastern Shore represents to all of us, Poultry and Agriculture would be the key topic at hand.
What I didn't see there was Farmers, (agriculture or poultry). There's been so much talk recently about Farm Land and the County's interest in improving the value of property INSIDE the Metro Core. If the County is successful in making farm land more difficult to develop, properties inside the Metro Core will skyrocket because MOST people do not want 2 acres or more of land to take care of, let alone be taxed on.
Let me get back to the point. As you can see from the images above, this was yet another one of those "Break Out" meetings. There was a remote control at every seat in which they'd ask the questions you see above, everyone would vote and then they'd show a chart of what the majority thought on each topic after a 20 minute discussion.
To me, the meeting was carefully based around what THEY wanted to hear. Look at the questions. Where does it say, considering the Eastern Shore's biggest Industry is Poultry and Agriculture, what can we do to enhance and preserve our biggest industries?
Instead, they want to talk about math and science because Wallops Island is now sending rockets into outer space and we need more scientists. The first thing that came out of my mouth during that position of questioning was, who didn't want to be an astronaut when they were a kid. How many could fit into a capsule. The odds of someone actually making it to the Moon was probably 50,000,000 to 1.
This is the Eastern Shore Folks. I believe many of us came here for a simpler life. We came here to get away from the Bowie, Frederick, Rockville, Baltimore areas because the taxes were crazy, especially in our retirement years. Some came here because they saw the low cost of housing and residential taxes. Mind you, some came here to take advantage of developable land and even rental housing opportunities, such as Salisbury.
So why is the Greater Salisbury Committee interested in polling a hundred plus people with specific questions provided above. Because the County is losing revenue. The only way to quickly increase that revenue is to make others believe we're actually behind. It's to make us believe we should be better than what we are. I came here because I enjoy the simpler part of life at this stage in my life. I too have made real estate investments and have done extremely well at it. However, I'm not interested in developing many of the parcels I own. I'm more interested in preserving the land that I own and I have made those investments for those exact reasons.
We have raised children here and they have relocated out of this area to make something of themselves. We weren't kidding ourselves into thinking the Eastern Shore would one day become the next Rockville of Maryland. While we want great things to happen for our children, I'd personally prefer they go to where Industry is and perhaps one day return to take over what we have left behind when they retire.
I for one support agriculture and poultry. Will they be here in the next year, absolutely. Will they be here in 5 to 10 years. Well, I doubt that very seriously. The USDA Regulations are driving the poultry industry further down south, yet the bigger marketplace is north of us. It has always been a "convenient" place to raise chickens, (for example) but there's no question bigger government will in fact drive Jim Perdue and others out of here.
Many years ago there was around 15 big poultry companies. There are only 5 left today. In 5 to 10 years you will without a doubt see less and less chicken farmers because of government regulations. Now let's look at the reality of this happening. IF they go away, (as predicted) what will be left? Manufacturing has almost disappeared. Retail is dwindling away. The biggest industries, (even by the Greater Salisbury Committee's stats) will dry up, poultry and agriculture will be driven away, what's left here on the Eastern Shore to support turning farms into Industrial Parks, Malls and Residential Housing? Rocket Scientists???
Again, you can only go 30 miles east of Salisbury and the Unites States ends at the Ocean. At least in Bowie there's BWI Airport, convenient to take you anywhere you need to be. There's a north, south, east and west. Industry is striving and people know what to expect when they get on Rt. 50 into Washington, or the Beltway around it. Are you getting my drift?
If YOU want to become the next Bowie, Rockville, Baltimore or Washington, MOVE THERE! Stop pulling together people into the Break Out Sessions and using these stats to make people believe we deserve better. Look around right now and see what's right in front of your eyes!
Salisbury is the 10th Most Dangerous City in America! The biggest WWTP on the Eastern Shore that just cost taxpayers $82,000,000.00 is failing! The local Zoo is falling apart at the seems and costs the local taxpayers more than $3,000,000.00 a year and they refuse to charge a dime at the door. What positive impact financially has come out of Sassafras Meadows or Westwood Industrial Park? How's that $14,000,000.00 TIF working for you? I could go on and on but I'm confident you're starting to see the light.
While certain committee's can certainly be a good thing, what's the good in creating false stats in the hopes of creating something that can never be. Like I said, we're not Bowie, Rockville and so on. Preserve what we have NOW. Support our way of life as we believed it would be when we moved here. Do we have less Rocket Scientists, YES!
However, do you know what comes with better education, better roads and beltway's, more shopping, BIGGER TAXES! MORE CRIME! MORE PEOPLE!
If you want that kind of lifestyle, go back to where you came from. I personally do not believe our children are not getting a good education. I do believe in Year Round School. The Teachers may not but I most certainly do.
One of the final group of speakers and topics was crime. Mark Thompson and Sheriff Mike Lewis delivered very powerful speeches. Unfortunately Chief Webster wasn't present but CLEARLY what we have right now, we cannot control. Look at what's happened in the City of Salisbury. Crime is through the roof, yet we cannot find the money to increase the amount of Police Officers on the streets. The State is giving Wicomico County less and less money to survive on, yet these groups want to see us grow in all the ways Bowie & Rockville are growing.
Look, to me it's quite simple. Accept what we have here. Get more involved in government. We have thousands upon thousands of citizens that want to blame Teachers for a poor education, yet we pack 30 or 40 kids into a classroom while developers continue to build developments without new schools and teachers. Schools are becoming the new war zones, yet many parents aren't spending the quality time they must provide to raise our children with much due respect.
Participate in PTA. Bombard the BOE Meetings every month and rather than waiting until it come out here or in the Daily Times, know what direction they're heading in. Go to City & County Council Meetings and participate before it's too late.
If YOU believe the Greater Salisbury Committee is headed in the right direction, good for you. However, when the North Prong gets redeveloped and your taxes go through the roof because of poor planning, don't come back here complaining. It all sounds and looks good on paper but do tell me what businesses are going to fill those new waterfront buildings. You only have to look across the Draw Bridge to see very few condos being sold and projects on hold because nothing is moving. HELLO!
When the farm land continues to disappear because of new Malls, McMansions, Industrial Parks and so forth, again, don't come here and complain. For some there's great money in such future developments. However, just remember that there's not enough schools to house our children. Crime is already out of control and rising. I want a better life for our Grandson. I believe America is well on its way to failing in these areas, Malls, Manufacturing and so forth. The Eastern Shore will never become the next Rockville or Bowie, face it.
If you want to look at something positive for the Eastern Shore, look into entertainment like Disney or a Major Theme Park. A big Water Park that will pull from the Ocean City area. Piggyback on what we already know is a draw to our unique area. IF we see things like that coming our way, then you might see some eventual growth in Distributors and so forth.
Our growth needs to be much smarter than it is right now. Like I said earlier, poultry may disappear simply because of government regulations and restrictions. However, while tens of thousands of jobs disappear over the next 10 years, building more houses, industrial parks and so forth will not be self supportive, especially while this group already admitted last Friday that retail and manufacturing are dwindling.
I'm sorry for the long Post. There's so much more I want to add but hopefully everyone can start discussing what I have provided, good or bad. I firmly believe while their intentions are good, I truly feel they are headed in the wrong direction. I also feel the stats that they have created are false and I hope every one will see down the road why I feel that way. Perhaps someone can change my mind. Perhaps many saw this meeting through different eyes and ears. I walked away thinking I had much better things to do with those 7 hours, with all due respect.
It was stated that there has been more growth already on the Eastern Shore in the past 30 years than there has been in the past 300 years.
39 comments:
Joe
The GSC has two employees. Examine the website and see who the "directors" are.
The agenda is visible for those who will look.
who is greater salisbury? Seems like a cloak and Dager group
BWI is not in Bowie. It's in the Baltimore region. One time Bowie was like Salisbury-rolling farms, horses, low crime. Now it's just a DC/Baltimore suburb, with traffic, crime and overcrowding. It is heartbreaking to see what has happened to that area, and southern PG and Charles Counties. Wicomico is on the way there, and I don't think it can be stopped.
Greater Salisbury is anopther one of these self annointed "shadow government" groups. The questions raised and the issues considered by this group are those that are supposed to be addressed by our elected representatives, not by some self serving group of people who think they are better postioned to consider the issues than the citizens of the county.
A few years ago I had seriously considered joining this group, but changed my mind for a couple of reasons:
1. It is more a social club than anything else.
2. Most of the participants are progressives and tend not to approach and solve problems that are politically charged, i.e. an elected school board, an autonomous water and sewer authority and the rlocation of the civic center just to name a few.
3. In my opinion they are nothing more that a "dog and pony" show consisting of some pillars of the community and lot of "wantabes". It is an organization that is as useless as teats on a boar hog.
In conclusion, Joe your assessment was most accurate.
No One was there from the Daily Times. While WBOC was there at he very end, they could NOT educate themselves as to what had taken place for the 7 hours we were there. Fortunately for WMDT, Kathleene McLean, (sp?) attended the entire event.
Again, I'll say it again, the television news cannot dedicate enough time to properly educate the public on most issues, especially one like this.
Granted, while I could have taken more time to better draft my message here, Blogger kept kicking me off line for a few hours and when it did, many times it didn't save what I had been writing and it took at least 7 times to write this article. For that I apologize. After a while I almost dumped it and said forget it but it is what it is. Hopefully every one gets my point here.
Oh, I should add just for the heck of it, the Post is entirely too long for the Fat Man to do anything about. He can't read, write or understand what the entire point is, nor is he anywhere influential enough to be invited to such meetings. Not that I'll be invited to any more, after this Post. At least I'm honest and tell it like it is.
I agree with you, Joe. People should stop trying to turn the Eastern Shore into the Western Shore they left behind. There are many fine things about this place to make the most of without doing that.
Tonight's budget session...is there going to be the usual Dream Team leftover skullduggery?
Kathleen is... or was the Chair of Greater Salisbury....hence her attendance.
The lower shore is not really in danger of the incredible growth we have seen in the Baltimore Washington suburbs because we do not have the employment base to support that rate of growth.
Sure, there will be growth as Boomers retire but nothing that approaches what happened across the bridge.
That said, we still need a well thought out plan to ensure that our growth, at whatever level, is well managed and well thought out.
That is why we have county and city government. They need to be showing leadership and tackling these issues rather than sitting around at meetings with these kinds of organizations.
Unless the elected government officials participate; who actually have the means and ways to get things done then nothing will happen.
Focus of one thing at a time.
It doesn’t seem like anyone listed any priorities for Salisbury and the surrounding areas. Everyone needs to list 5 priorities and then get professionals to come up with a plan.
New Random Post: Everyone list your top 5 priorities for the Eastern Shore.
Mine are:
1)lower crime rate
2)repair Rt. 13 business corridor (get rid of abandoned properties, enact property standards)
3)bring in SU as a community partner, SU should have a spot on the council (SU signs shall be seen all across Salisbury)
4)create or offer incentives for new businesses
5)get rid of the "come here, from here" attitude
"It was stated that there has been more growth already on the Eastern Shore in the past 30 years than there has been in the past 300 years"............no brilliant insight there.You can say that about almost anyplace int the country.
anonymous 3:06, my guess, the Fat Man. They allegedly read the entire article and then only comment on the last sentence. Yeah, that's his speed alright.
The Greater Salisbury Committee is a committee of bullies who attempt to demand that the gov't make decisions by their recommendations. Same garbage like the last hot issue.... down zoning ag land. McCain and Burnett were the leading bullies in that fight. Thank goodness they lost! When will this community wake up and realize the GSC has no clout. It is a group of wannabees.
3:06 is me and I am not The Fat Man( whoever that is)...I was trying to make the point ( apparently not well) that those kinds of comments are red herrings. Hyperbole that is intended to shock but when analyzed tends to lose it's shock value.Think about it. Do you honestly think that Wicomico is unique in experiencing more growth in the past 30 years than in the previous 300? Those demographic trends will be found almost anyplace in the country where it is desireable to live.But I suspect that the comment was intended to make us feel that we have some unique challenge.Just more proof in my mind that these organizations are a waste of time and agenda driven.
What proof do you have that poultry is on the way out of the shore? I think chickens are here to stay for a long time. There's been steady expansion of kill capacity at my plant. And, Allen's just built a new feedmill in Bridgeville. Perdue built a manure processing plant in Blades, DE about 10 years ago to deal with environmental issues.
I agree. If people want to live in an area like the western shore they should move back there. I have lived on the eastern shore my entire life and grew up on a chicken farm. I lived in New Jersey for four years while attending college and hated it. There are to many people. I love where I live and am proud to be from a small rural community. My husband and I bought a farm of our own in hopes of preserving that way of life.
3:32 must not be a realist or not understand the target that the poultry industry is at this point. Bobby Kennedy and the Waterkeepers conducted a meeting last year at Wor-Wic and set the stage for the demise of the poultry industry. Ask some of the growers who were inspected by EPA a couple weeks ago and what their opinions on the regulatory agency's attack. The environmentalists have targeted the poultry industry. They simply don't want poultry on the Eastern Shore.
anonymous 3:32, when you get to be in my position you have contacts just about everywhere. I know what's going to happen and just because someone built something 10 years ago doesn't mean they won't be leaving.
I can assure you, you will not see new chicken houses going UP in 5 years, let alone 10 years. Any fool foolish to even consider it deserves what they get.
Also, when is the last time someone wanted to completely move an industry did they tell you in advance? They want people to continue building chicken houses right now, even though they won't be needed when they are finally paid off.
The poultry industry was a huge part of my life growing up. Almost everyone knew, or was related to someone that either raised chicks, or worked in the industry. As more transplants moved into the area over the years you would always hear the same question every spring "Whats that smell???" That "smell" was manure that everyone in the know used to fertilize their gardens. to catch a whiff of manure brings back a flood of memories.
In the 20 years since I left, everything there has changed and its hard to find even a glimpse of what I can now admit was a great place to grow up. I had always had hopes of returning, but after visiting over the holiday, I'm not sure why I should.
It really is true that you can't go home again.
Far From Home
This is another scam by the Greater Salisbury Committee (a/k/a the "House of Lords") to feather the nests of the local power elite. If they had their way, Bubba Comegys would have been elected "R Necks Mare" and Debbie Campbell defeated by Muir Bonehead in the recent City election.
And now they are hacked because the local ag landowners stopped their effort to kill development rights so that the "smart money" that have land in the metro core will have a monopply of new development.
And what did our local leaders and assorted luminaries have to say about the "tax cap"?
Reference to 4:38 Post
The revenue cap was reportedly working wonders for those demanding Accountability, Credibility, and Restraint in Local Government. That being said, the general attitude was that it needed to be expanded to now include the entire State of Maryland. A Statewide Revenue Cap was discussed as to being implemented.
In the 20 years since I left, everything there has changed and its hard to find even a glimpse of what I can now admit was a great place to grow up. I had always had hopes of returning, but after visiting over the holiday, I'm not sure why I should.
It really is true that you can't go home again.
Far From Home
3:54 PM
Very well stated. My wife was born in Mardela Springs and I lived there from 1959 until we retired and moved to Florida in 1996. I was very active in the community and feel that I am entitled to my opinion. My wife and I feel the exact same way as 3:54 and in talking to a number of friends still residing in "Smallsbury" they share my feelings. It will always be home to us but as mentioned, "you cannot go back home" Nothing is the same, not that other towns and cities haven't changed also. I and many others yearn for the days of Johhny's and Sammy's, English Grills, Shore Maid Ice Cream Parlor, the Fashion Shop, the National Indoors Tennis Tourney, the old Mall, a booming downtown area and a group of politicians devoting there energy to improving the city not squabbling like kids.
As I said, Salisbury will always be referred to as our home but we have absolutely no interest in returning there to live.
Those that want all that growth should move to the other side of the bridge. Thank you for allowing me to vent.
Realize that crime seems to be of great importance but I would love to know where it is stated that Salisbury if #10 in crime in the whole country. Certainly there is a caveat there somewhere
jackkcharl@aol.com
3:32 You need to become more informed on the persons Gov. OMalley, Sec of Environment Shari Wilson and Bobby Kennedy. Also you need to understand the CAFO provisions that the above 3 individuals are determined to implement and enforce. Then you will understand the sentence that Mr Albero said "I know what is going to happen". Keep paying close attention to the remaining poultry companies for the next 5 years or sooner.
I am from here.....and if those of you that did move from Baltimore, Rockville, Bowie, etc don't like what's happening here or how we handle things...then pack up and move on again. It's that simple. Don't come down here and try to tell us how, when and where to do what we want. There are other places that might actually WANT you there. But honestly, we have had enough of you western shore know it alls. You can still come for vacation....just don't live here.
Joe, I'm not here to nitpick, but claiming "there used to be 15 big poultry companies" is misleading to say the least. As someone who has worked in the poultry industry for 35 years, I am here to tell you, there is only one and there only has ever been one 'big' poultry company on the Delmarva Peninsula. Perdue Farms is about 17 times larger than the next closest poultry company in the region. That said, it is accurate to say Perdue only employs on the Shore a few dozen more people than Mountaire or Allen's. But in terms of sales, employees, market share, or any other measurement, none of the others have ever even been medium sized companies.
BTW Joe and everyone else out there, this wasn't an invitation only event. Anyone could go. It was $25 bucks. Maybe you were invited as 'press' but that's probably only because the GSC recognizes your influence, regardless of whether or not you should be considered press.
If we don't work on Strengthening not hindering, the few industries we have left on the shore, we might as well shut down the bay bridge and throw away the key....
Let me say up front that I'm a teacher. Now let me add that this post makes me very sad. Every day I'm working hard to educate the young people of this county. Young people who realize very early that they most likely will have to move away to pursue a career because of many of the reasons Joe points out here. Unfortunately, as they go away to college they will be competing against students from across the bay for grades and for jobs. Let me share the analogy that I use with my students. In ATHLETICS our local teams do well and sometimes they go to state level competitions and win. More often than not, however, they know that teams from across the bay are tougher competition than what they've seen locally. They draw from a bigger population. They have more year-round programs available because there are more participants and more money. Our students compete hard and sometimes win but it is a challenge. WHAT makes you think it is any different with respect to academics?
The best future we can provide for our children and for Delmarva is an education that will prepare those future college students and equip a strong, intelligent local work force to attract industry. I really is unfair to reduce the argument (and options) to chicken farming and rocket science. There's a nearly infinite continuum in between.
The greenies need to leave the poultry industry alone-they provide many jobs and contribute heavily to the local economy.DPI and other agriculture interests should dig in and fight to preserve this way of life that has sustained many families here.
5:05 --
I guess that Bill McCain (he's a Mr. Big in that Greater Smallsbarrie group) was AWOL at that meeting if the assembled moguls are all for the tax cap.
As much as I support the University why should a student be "Given" a city council seat? That's absurd. First, we still live in a democracy last time I checked and said person must be elected. Secondly, who do they represent, the students or a district?
If one runs and has a good platform I'd most likely volunteer to help the person get elected.
I spoke against sprawl many years ago at city council meetings, then they made me go stand in the corner with the dirty dozen ; )
We need educated growth, planning on bringing new jobs and markets here or we will not survive. A water park is a great idea, expand on what we have first and build it stronger so you can expand into other areas. This area blew off Disney years ago and desperately needs it now. I was raised here but do wish we had more "upscale" people and business to deal with. Crime is so high because the typical person to commit crimes is very high here; the educated, business savvy people leave to other markets. They normally do not come back. My high school class was around 200, I think only about 50 are still here and that is pushing it. 10 or those are in prison, 10 are manual labor workers, 10 are office workers, and some are in business but normally their family business. 1 that I know of created a new business here. This area will never survive or get out of the 10th worst place to live until we give a reason for better people to live here. For all those "come heres" like Joe that have some great experience of big business or leaders elsewhere, step up start a committee or group and get things going. Joe, buy the land and start approaching the water parks, building is cheap now, materials are cheap now, better labor is easier to find. Look at the market that drives to OC every week, what do we have to even get them to stop and spend $5.00. Nothing that I can think of, we have underutilized our waterway, now it is unattractive and undesirable to build on. Joe, thanks for brining the issue, is there anyway you can make a poll on ideas for this area and let the "powers" to be know.
One thing to think about is that this area has a high cancer and heart disease rate, past experts has said it could be from the chicken waste and farm chemicals that go straight into our water system without the benefit of land filtration like elevations have.
The eastern shore's cancer rate has also been tied to a much higher than average level of radon.
Anon 6:44
Can you back up that statement? I was told you had to be invited to the GSC function.
8:58
I never said a student shall be given a seat. I said we need an SU representative. This could be the president of the college. The rep wouldnt have voting rights because they wouldnt be elected. SU needs to have voice at council meetings due to massive impact it has on the community.
Joe,
That's one of the most interesting and insightful posts I've read on your blog. The number of replies which continue the debate, on a higher intellectual plain than many readers often post, suggests that lots of other folks think it an interesting subject,too.
Keep up this kind of work.
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