A BAD WEEK FOR OBAMA, BUT MUCH WORSE FOR JIM IRETON

There’s no need to recount details of the debacle that last week was for Barack Obama because the mainstream media has lost its rapture over this sorry imitation of a leader and begun to report facts not fiction about him. The military conflict that was his weapon during the campaign is now his nemesis, not to mention his performance in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

It was likewise a week of woe for Jim Ireton in his role as part-time mayor of Salisbury, beginning with the City Council meeting on Monday, May 24. The members flatly rejected his plea to restore certain items that they had decided to cut from his proposed budget, which they sliced and diced. Items that were cut include substantial pay raises for certain employees. But the battle of the budget was just the opener for the week’s main event.

During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, two landlords confronted Ireton, pointing out that he has not responded to attempts by SAPOA to have a working relationship with the City, and instead has attacked with his “Slum Property of the Week” feature on the City’s website. Stu Leer said that many of the citations attributed to his property and tenants are bogus. During the comment by SAPOA’s president she was rudely interrupted by Ireton, whereupon Louise Smith pointedly told him to (in effect) shut up. We reported that episode the next day:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/ireton-loses-self-control-at-salisbury.html

Ireton then launched a massive retaliation against Mr. Leer by posting lists of hundreds of alleged code violations and police calls (and other matters) that Ireton referred to in his press release as “Leer’s violations.” Almost immediately it was pointed out that Ireton’s lists include numerous items that are not pertinent to his claim about Mr. Leer, who has responded with an analysis that largely refutes Ireton’s claim. We covered this sequence of events as they occurred with several posts and also ran posts that pointed out that the City owned property could be cited for numerous code violations:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/iretons-overt-hostility-to-landlords-is_28.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-practice-what-you-preach.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/stu-leer-responds-to-mayor-ireton.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/salisburys-next-slum-property-of-week.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-says-properties-draining-city.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/iretons-overt-hostility-to-landlords-is.html

And we have urged Ireton to at least meet and discuss matters with landlords, as has former City Council member Bob Caldwell. We posted his letter offering advice to Mr. Ireton:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-now-hear-this.html

And other matters occurred to beset Ireton. As soon as the budget had been passed, the fire department announced a major administrative shake-up in staffing and crew assignments as a result of having to furlough personnel. This move, which may be modified, together with Ireton’s failure to select a permanent fire chief, continues to devastate morale among fire personnel. We will be following this rapidly deteriorating situation:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/sfd-shift-changes.html

After the Council adopted the budget, Ireton again asked for various items to be added, and his request was flatly rejected by the Council, as we reported:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/council-rejects-iretons-requests-to.html

At a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, Ireton refused to answer questions by SBYnews, and that may have been his biggest mistake since taking office last year:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-meets-with-camden.html

Since becoming Salisbury’s mayor Mr. Ireton has managed to create or compound a growing number of concerns and problems. That and his attitude when questioned or criticized, which is much the same as that of Barrie Tilghman, is making many folks wonder if they made a major mistake in the last City election.