WICOMICO PAYING STEEP PRICE FOR NOT DIVERSIFYING INDUSTRY

Wicomico County has become increasingly vulnerable to economic downturns as a result of non-diversity in industry types. Listed on MACO - (Maryland Association of Counties) - Wicomico is the only County out of 24 Maryland jurisdictions that list Education as its primary industry.

http://www.mdcounties.org//counties/demographics.cfm

Despite what you hear about Agriculture or Poultry, Wicomico County's largest employer is in the Education Department.

So it should come as no surprise that when the revenue streams start to dry-up on news of any economic downturn in the US economy, that the Educational Industry will also follow suit. The only exception to this scenario is the Federal Government located in and around St. Mary's County or Southern Maryland. In that area they can just print more money and raise their debt limit masking the real economic realities. That's what helped to spawn the tea party rebellions held across America just a few weeks ago.

During economic downturns most all other Industries throughout our Country try to downsize, cut overhead, shave benefits, and that should be the same technique being considered here in Wicomico. What happened the other night with the BOE voting to increase their health care benefit package in the midst of the greatest recession since 1929 - has got to have ramifications for those of us that are primarily on the paying end - the Taxpayers. Moreover, the audacity to raise these benefits is discriminatory against the minions of other government agencies ranked in the system that are already having to make similar and even larger sacrifices.

A civilized society cannot exist by exempting certain groups based upon a system that ignores the economic realities of our Free Enterprise System. It didn't work when the British tried to imposed their will by imposing tax on the Colonies and it ought not work now.

So stay tuned Delmarva as we enter 2009 and prepare the budgets for 2010. I do not see any immediate economic relief in sight for the near future. Just this past week we saw Chrysler announce additional closures with GM following suit. Next week it is likely GM will file for bankruptcy protection. We've now seen failures of Citcorp, AIG, Bears Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, among many other industry giants. Oil is starting to rise again and the economic storm winds are starting to brew yet again. We now have a President that is assigning new Corporate salaries while simultaneously replacing CEOs. Socialism is on every channel - (exception CNN, NBC) - while GE's CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, is trying to cash-in for his supporting of Obama by riding on the administration's coat tails.

And just this morning it was announced that the Federal Governments stake in GM could be as large as 70%. That's right you heard it, the Federal Government will have a 70% stake in one of America's largest private industries. Now if that is not fitting the precise definition of Socialism I don't know what is.

Beezer