When I hear Laura Mitchell prattle on about the need for a Council that exudes civility in its actions, I’m reminded of the “fab four” – Dunn, Cathcart, Comegys and Smith – who mouthed that same mantra in their campaigns. They who praise and promise civility if elected often (as in those cases) are unwilling or unable to deliver after being elected, when they must play in the real arena of elected politics, where reasonable compromise requires talent and temperament they lack. Such candidates tend to interpret their election, despite however close it was, as a unanimous appointment as a dictator – do it my was (“civility) or I’ll blast you for not being “civil.”
We know almost nothing about Ms. Mitchell’s personality or her positions. In that sense she seems much like Louise Mitchell four years ago: trust me, I want to play nice (if it’s done my way).
This just feels like Louise Smith all over again. I remember hearing Louise say over and over how she would go over the City budget with a "fine tooth comb" and audit if need be. Fool me once.....
ReplyDeleteI have met Laura a few times through a group at SU and she is an extremely nice person, and is someone who comes off as just that, an actual person that you can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI agree. She is a smooth talker. But the clue here is: she is talking a lot about nothing. I have listened to her, Boda and Dryden (!) positions and still can not find any "meat" there.
ReplyDeleteShe was at the meeting last night - hanging with the SAPOA crowd.
ReplyDeleteIf elected, she could be trouble for city resident homeowners, and Dryden definitely would be. Not sure about Boda, but very concerned.
10:25 you dont know the "real" laura.this woman is a wack job.i wont post facts about her here because its not the right thing to do ,but i dont mind saying she is a wack job.most liberal left wingers are.
ReplyDeleteThis lady is a beautiful fair person. I have come in contact with her on more than one occasion and each of these times she has been anything but "wack".
ReplyDeleteActually, I think 7:45 hit it on the head.
ReplyDeleteThough I don't know if she's a 'whack job', liberals are emotion-driven, and her near-obsession with 'civility' is an emotion-based thing.. a tip-off.
Being married to a university prof is another big flag.
And 12:17 nails it right down:
"She was at the meeting last night - hanging with the SAPOA crowd."
What was that robot's name on 'Lost in Space"?
"WARNING! WARNING!"
Joe, you mean "much like Louise Smith." Innocent typo...or Freudian slip?
ReplyDeleteI'm not for or against Laura Mitchell, but I'm so sick of politicians talking about civility. Stop talking and just do it.
Terry Cohen is the first candidate I ever met who actually took time to have a meaningful, no bull conversation with me at my door. And she didn't mind all my complaining. She was interested for real. Now I've had a similar experience with Tim Spies. All the other just seemed to stuff general blah-blah in my door.
Voting for two.
Still don't understand why a left wing liberal would be controlled by a conservative group like sapoa. Doesn't make sense. Funny how Sapoa makes it into every thread. Give it a break. People on here act like sapoa is a bad thing. They provide more jobs and pay more taxes then anyone of you on here...and you wonder why they are concerned with how their city is ran. Yea I said their city. Just cause you can't vote doesn't change the fact that it's their town too. Everyone in this city is tired of the sapoa crap. Too bad no one votes or we would see a city truly represented. FYI, every business man in town knows this town went to shit when people in county lostt their vote. No one in the ghetto (which is most of Salisbury now) votes. So what you get is a small group in control...and their doing a crap job.
ReplyDelete9:21 PM I am with you. Voting for two - especially after seeing Camden Forum on PAC 14. Boda is stuck with his answers, Dryden????? Geeeeeeez..
ReplyDeleteSkipping all the conjecture and guessing about SAPOA.. just look at the candidates they've backed in the past and what those people did.
ReplyDeleteTHAT TELLS THE STORY.
All the rest that we're seeing here is just talk.
If Debbie, Terry and Tim aren't your majority on the new council, Salisbury's gonna be screwed.
Look what ireton has done...was he backed by sapoa? How about safe streets, 4-2, increased water/sewer, registration fees, etc...were those all ideas back by sapoa? Give a break, property owners get the shaft around here. If they have had control then they must love screwing themselves. Debbie and Terry will focus on rentals and not the real problems, the actions of the people that live in them. I'm not sure about spies..heard he is a nice guy and I don't know much about Mitchell. But this crap that sapoa is to blame for our towns failures is a joke and is getting annoying. Every property owner I've spoken with hates how this town is ran..yet people think they have control. Why? Because they campaign for candidates? Fyi, all the candidates suck.
ReplyDelete"Debbie and Terry will focus on rentals and not the real problems,"
ReplyDelete8:06, do you have your head up your ... sweater?
Debbie and Terry didn't restart the rentals issue, Ireton did, and they have tried to get it dealt with well.
You so-called business people don't recognize that these two have fought the good fight for fiscal sanity and sound business development forever.
And look around. Since Salisbury has become more rental, is it prospering more? Doesn't look like it to me.
Ride down the streets of our city...try Charles St. or Maryland Ave. and see if you think that a more code compliant rental housing stock would benefit the city and the families who rent those homes. If you live in a neighborhood where zoning laws were being broken and homes illegally converted to boarding houses, ask yourself what would be left if brave souls hadn't stood up and stopped the practice. Let's talk about the comprimise that was made because those same neighbors are fair and didn't want to displace people (a high number of students) who were living in those homes. That's what 4 to 2 was about. Enforcing a law that was being broken to stop further damage with a comprimise on how the legislation would be written in a way that reining in an illegal practice would not displace renters has stopped or slowed the cyle. It was a little painful for everyone concerned, so was probably fair. Anyone who has lived here for very long knows that SAPOA backed candidates ALWAYS do the same thing - tax and spend, borrow and spend, and spend some more, taking the city deeper into debt, pass laws that can't be enforced, and give millions city taxpayerin perks to developer friends. Their annointed candidates turned a blind eye to crime and stood idly by as gangs and crime gained a strong hold on our city. Cohen has been very fair and practical, not to mention strong on anti-crime, and Spies has a good track record with anti-crime, military leadership experience, and is a MENSA member. I take smart and hardworking over bought and paid for any day of the week. Cohen and Spies for me.
ReplyDelete9:11, illegal converted homes are already ILLEGAL. Hence the word illegal. The city is attacking LEGALLY converted homes. 4 to 2 made housing less affordable for students and struggling families. Wasn't just limited to college areas. 4 to 2 is laugh at by most people outside our town. Crime is high because our city doesn't address it...they address the homes not the people. Sapoa doesn't want crime and shitty tenants...bad for business and bad for their property values. What you say doesnt add up or make sense. The city spends a fortune on rental compliance issues that can only be described as a waste of time. Drive down church or booth street and you wont see cops but instead someone writing a ticket for grass in the sidewalk. Rental complance should he complaint driven but instead they spend all day harassing property owners and passing out outrageous fines. All the cops are busy pulling over people in an attempt to generate revenue. Crime is high because of the people our city attracts...has nothing to do with housing. Stop pretending that pretty homes and green lawns make good neighborhoods. Wake up and stop blaming others.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the police just pull people over for kicks and revenue.
ReplyDeleteLook how many arrests they make for outstanding warrants, drug and weapon possession just pulling people over.
Approaching a pulled over vehicle is a dangerous situation for any officer.
Police pull cars over because it generates revenue. Under no circumstance should a cop sit on the side of the road and run radar. That's doesn't solve our city's issues...the occasional drug bust doesnt make it worthwhile. They should be on the streets more...on foot walking around investigating. There is no presence in the bad areas. There is a presence on rt 13 and eastern shore dr but church st and booth...not so much. The sub station looks abandoned on church st. At least focus your traffic stops in bad areas. If you own a business in salisbury you prob been broken into or vandalized at least once. Was anything down about it? You get a little claim paper and no one gets in trouble or follows up with you. The city's resources need to be refocused on real issues not housing.
ReplyDeleteShanie did not want any police substations in any district. Even those which worked. She does not have any problem with crime, since "they (the criminals) know whom they want to kill" - her words. I just hope I (or anybody else for that matter) will not be in their way ...
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