Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, January 18, 2010

Wicomico County Circuit Court Purchases $500.00 Trash Cans


Last Friday we posted this article stating there was going to be some serious fireworks at Tuesday's Wicomico County Council Meeting.


Being a man of my word, I assured my source that I would not express what was about to come this Tuesday but in today's Daily Times article, they exposed the trash cans, yet they were a bit off. They claimed the trash cans were $407.00 each, yet they didn't include the shipping and handling, ($89.00 each) which brings the total to almost $500.00 each.


During these harsh economic times, spending almost $500.00 a piece for several 33 gallon trash cans, (bronze in color) with flip lids is more than just a bit excessive. In fact, the Auditor stated this was an abuse and red flagged it to County Officials.


Tuesday's County Council Meeting should be quite interesting as taxpayers want answers.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

God bless the cap.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it ironic that governments (local state and federal) will spend so much money on something like this bronze garbage can where they can dump even more taxpayer money.

It should be the State, Federal, or Salisbury's symbol!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure much more of this goes on then is exposed. Thanks for the news! Now , let's see who approved it & let it come out of their pockets & fat little salaries!

Anonymous said...

Frankly, my dear, that 5 acres of land that Pollitt wants to buy for $300,000 per acre (and that's taxpayers' money, too) is a much bigger boondoogle than this stuff. And now he wants to spend even more to buy another 10 acres for parking at the Civic Center.

Anonymous said...

They deserve top of the line trash cans in the Circuit Court.

Anonymous said...

wow! it is a nice trash can. maybe I'll buy one. Oh wait I can't I live on a budget.

Anonymous said...

They should have just got some empty 55gallon steel drums.

Anonymous said...

Please make sure everyone knows that this is the COURT ROOMS where the court cases are heard. It is not in the Clerks office where the paper work of the cases are processed.....The Clerk of Court section in the old building has economical flip lid trash cans.

Anonymous said...

Before you pass judgment get the facts straight. It is called fact checking Joe. A national trend in security is leaning towards explosion proof trash cans which would make sense in a court house. These trash cans tend to be expensive.

joealbero said...

anonymous 10:49, Nice Try! However, no one is getting past the metal detectors to get to that part of the Court House with any type of bomb. Thanks for the laugh though!

Anonymous said...

Why didn't the auditor Flag the price of the desk that were purchased in the last year for the offices in the Circuit Court they weren't for the judges either. My understanding is the county HAS to give that court house about $90,000
a year whether there is a need to spend it or not...so they spend it when it is given for items of this value and employees are given furlough days....hhhhhhhhhhmmmmm
check into that

Anonymous said...

10:49 (both):

How long will it be for some of the people who sit in the courtroom while their friends and relatives are pleading guilty decide to take them for the scrap metal value?

Anonymous said...

and they are going to cut the MAGNET program so they can dumb down the kids, but lets waste money like this!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, maybe it's time to judge the judges for a change!

Anonymous said...

Joe sometimes it doesnt pay to hold your word. Someone leaked it to the RAGTIMES ANYWAY.Pro. PIO. Ricky Boy knew about it too.

Anonymous said...

When I first saw this I remembered that a couple of years ago when I worked for a local developer we were required to buy a specific trash can for the outside...they had to be able for the city trash trucks to pick them up. Those cans were almost $1000 each. Just big old rubber cans with hinged lids. Expensive (and you could only buy them from one vendor, which made price shopping impossible) but I guess we understood the need for those specific cans.
THIS however, is just making me mad.
Unless there's some magic property to these, THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH TO PAY. Once again, they're spending it like they've got it to spend. THAT'S MY MONEY! While I'm trying to live within my budget and buying generic food items, you're buying fancy stuff for the county with MY TAX DOLLARS. These people need to be held accountable. Then, and only then, will the economic woes of the county be reined in.

Anonymous said...

These cans are the perfect recepticle for those $23 pens!

Nothin' but the best for Wicomico County, including pleated toilet paper, too.

Anonymous said...

At first glance this does appear to be alot of money for a trash can, but when you factor in the actual value of the dollar, these trash cans really only cost the taxpayers $150.00 dollars each, plus shipping!

mark said...

And how much does the person get paid to empty it?

Anonymous said...

WTF?!!!!! UGH!!!!

Anonymous said...

Is this one of the reasons they got rid of the internal auditor? Was she uncovering to much of the good ole boys wrong doings? All of this is happening on Pollitts watch. You let Rai Sharma get away scott free, who will you allow to get away scott free this time Rick Pollitt?

Anonymous said...

They need them for all the cases that dont get tried! The "I dont have faith in 12 jurors" file!!

There's more money than that being circulated through the Courthouse and it's not hidden in some high dollar trash can either!!!

Anonymous said...

They do spend it because they have to...if they dont their budget for the next year is reduced...just like ALL the other gov budgets, thats right EVERY local, state and fed gov., every branch of every entity. Waych any of these budgets threw the year....they only spend as necessary, then when the physical year is near end...bam...they spend it all and scream for more! Thats exactly why our taxes are so high! All they have to do to fix the abuse is change the budget rules/laws so that their budgets would not be reduced if needed the following year...give them incentive to NOT spend it all! They wont do it because they want every little excuse to raise taxes, whether its needed or not.....

Anonymous said...

This is all a bunch of crap.
Why in the hell should any trash can cost $500.00?
Unless you are a drug dealer in south america and they match your sink.

Anonymous said...

And liberals and Democrats want more government involvement in our lives...No thanks..This kind of reckless management happens all the time at every level. It just goes with the $900,000 fire boat and the expensive ladder truck. Yet these are the same dumb asses that complained about joe participating in the red kettle campaign. Now that is transparency. They are made because the Government and their cronies can't control this money and use it to buy $500 trash cans. The senate special election tommorrow will start fixing the federal problem, now it is time to fix this local mess

Anonymous said...

Who knew about it? and, do they want to eliminate the tax cap becuase they don't have enough money? What do they want to buy next? Golden toilet seats? Lazy boy seats? You get my drift

Anonymous said...

Im going to go steal mine from the courthouse.

Anonymous said...

I can only bet they have a top of the line trash can in the private room over there where they store all the alcohol in the refrigerator and have "private" meetings. brrt brrt chigga chigga brrt.

Anonymous said...

It's kind of ironic how some of the locals bash some of the bigger cities, yet salisbury is making headlines in those bigger cities for being so shady! Ahh the irony of pointing fingers when so much lays hidden in ones own closet.

Anonymous said...

I think Rick Pollitt needs to audit the Purchasing Dept.

Anonymous said...

There is more going on behind the scenes in Wicomico county than we will ever know. 1:15 you and so many others know what is really going on behind those ivory towers on Rt 50 and the other so-called government buildings that house our county employees. Hey, big wigs, don't think the lowly hourly employees aren't going to tell the story when they lose their jobs and benefits!

Anonymous said...

Hey at least there is ONE nice thing on the eastern shore now?

Anonymous said...

PERFECT! Insert judicial corruption HERE!!

Anonymous said...

When do the Auditors move down towards Princess Anne and Pocomoke City! This will be a drop in a Trash can in comparison...

Anonymous said...

RIDICULOUS!!!! Now I know how my real estate taxes were spent. Guess they can't be returned because they are used. Put them on E-Bay and be some other municipality will buy them!! LOL!!

Anonymous said...

500 dollar trash cans so inmates that dump them can spread there mursa germs to the general public. this imate work detail in wicomico county is way out of hand and soon gonna bite them in the a$$.whats next? a 1,000 dollar cigarette buttcan.

Anonymous said...

i guess the same person approved these 500.00 trash can that approved the ugly medal statues on 13 by the courthouse parking lot

Anonymous said...

this is going to be an unpopular post..but.. i have been purchasing for housekeeping supplies for over 20 years.. the fire regulations, the local regulations and etc regulations dictate the type of trash cans that need to be placed in public places... regardless if there is a metal detector or not.. i had to purchase new trash cans for my facility and was floored by the cost of $375 each.. i shopped around and this was the best COMMERCIAL can i could find.. sometime the hands of the buyer are tied by the rules, regulations and distributors they have to abide by...is it a lot of money.. hell ya.. but sometimes the buyer is not able to go to BigLots and get whats on sale

Anonymous said...

The circuit court gets 96,000 every year from the County to spend on whatever they want. Many employees have repeatedly complained about this but its all in the politics so, of course, the finance director will never touch that one. Especially now, with ole Ricky being so in the family with all of the judges.

Anonymous said...

couldn't Ray Lewis donate some?

Anonymous said...

6:30 -

What kind of facility - an AIDs clinic perhaps?

Anonymous said...

and don't the County employees have to take a boat load of furlough days?

Anonymous said...

Remember - they fired the County Internal Auditor...and still haven't hired a replacement. That means this auditor was hired from the outside...and cost the taxpayers even more

Anonymous said...

Who ever ok the purchase should be fired immediately. No questions asked. YOU'RE GONE! This is why no one trust our gov. They all need to be keep in check.