Look, I'm not kidding around when I make the statement, these two need to be recalled. We have two City Council Members who are not only clueless, they are living off the dole of the taxpayers and being led around by the Mayor doing exactly what he instructs them to do.In the mean time, Laura Mitchell is spending the majority of her time, (believe it or not) in Annapolis. Now, this woman can recite ALL of the bills being passed in Annapolis but comes back to Salisbury stating she hasn't had enough time for this or that. Well no crap, Laura. Start spending time where you belong and STOP pestering people in the general assembly or the MML where members, (quite frankly) are sick and tired of her presence, especially since she doesn't even belong there.
The citizens of Salisbury are sick and tired of nothing getting done because these two clueless puppets refuse to do what they are paid to do and quite frankly they need to be recalled and two productive members need to replace them.
Let's take the most recent attorney funding issue from last night as an example of why these two need to be recalled.
If you take the AVERAGE attorney expenses over the past SEVEN years it comes to $236,000.00. The Council purposely under budgeted this year, knowing they would have to meet again to discuss legal fees during the year. Last night the Administration brought forth a budget amendment ordinance for consideration of passage by the Council. That amendment represented (around $70,000.00) to bring them to a TOTAL for the year of $240,000.00. Mind you, this is a $4,000.00 increase above the average but some years are higher and some years are lower.
In order to get through the current fiscal year they need the $70,000.00 and a majority council vote to do so. Because Laura Mitchell and Shanie Shields seem to be CLUELESS they only agreed to move forward with $30,000.00, which only gets them through February and March, not even enough to make them CURRENT! At first they voted down the amendment and left the City with NO legal funding at all.
Now, you cannot run a City without an attorney, that's a fact. However, because the Mayor, Laura Mitchell and Shanie Shields are so pissed off that the City changed legal council, this is their way to retaliate. It has to be the most childish behavior I have ever seen. BUSINESS MUST GET DONE, yet these three will act like babies out of spite and do everything to harm others along the way.
I have sat back and listened to both sides of the City's business and quite frankly I have to be very honest with you, both sides can be ridiculous at times. Call it passion, call it retaliation, call it ignorance or even immature, I am personally sick and tired of the ridiculous behavior of a special group of individuals stirring the pot because they're not getting their way ALL the time.
For far too many years we have watched the former Mayor Barrie Tilghman claim she was running to get rid of the good old boys in Salisbury, all of which was a complete load of crap. That administration ran on making claims they wanted the bickering to end, yet they created more fights and arguments than ever before.
Today it is the current Mayor Ireton who quite frankly acts like a 12 year old child not getting HER way. It would also seem that Laura Mitchell has picked up the torch in the bickering department. I have been asked many times to please come up with positive things for Salisbury. While I'd love to agree, come on now Folks, enough is enough! The City needs $70,000.00 to finish its legal business for the year. STOP playing games, STOP grandstanding and START spending some time OUTSIDE of Annapolis and do what you're being paid to do.
I find it absolutely amazing that three council members understand 100% of what is going on in the City. I find it amazing that all of this is discussed in Work Sessions well before the formal Council Meeting, yet two council members always seem to be clueless on a regular basis.
Do your damn homework and do what we are paying you to do or simply step down and let others who care about the City's business do what you are clearly not capable of doing. To Laura and Shanie, they are more interested in an Obama Re-Election than they are anything that is currently going on in the City.
If it wasn't clear before, it's certainly clear now, the two of them are doing everything in their powers to stop the City's business from getting done. These two need to go, along with the Mayor.
New Posts to fall below.
38 comments:
Something about Laura and Shanie give me the creeps. I don't trust either one of them.
Laura's a loser. She should be dumped along with the Camden Clowns.
All 5 need to go home, Joe. Please be frank about the city council. None of them are representing the people well.
Last night's performance by the two of them was just shameful and an obvious put-op job.
"When You Rise in Life
Your Friends Know Who You Are!"
When You Fall Down,
You Know Who Are Your Friends."
Joe, Halellujah and Amen!
Every once and awhile Campbell or Cohen will irritate me on something, but never ever have I thought these women weren't doing their jobs or were trying to stir things up for spite. For them, I'd call it passion.
But it was very clear last night that Mitchell was just screaming literally for attention and had not done her homework. She was trying to blame everyone else for that, including the proverbial dog.
Cohen popped right out with what this year's budget was for the city attorney and what the added amount would bring the total to. Mitchell made sure everyone knew she asked for the last several years budgeted, but I guess she wasn't happy that the numbers didn't make her case.
Cohen was a saint last night and her cool head probably kept this city from being sued into oblivion for lack of legal representation.
Spies went up two points in my book last night when he told the ladies to get on with it, nicely, but he spoke my irritation exactly.
If Laura Mitchell is spending all her time on state and national party work, she needs to resign. We don't pay her for that, you are right!
Shields and Mitchell are clueless. All they ever do is cause trouble. Laura is totally unwelcome in Annapolis and is wrong to think that they like having her in any of the MML meetigns or sessions. They laugh behind her back about how she shoots off her mouth and inserts herself where she doesn't belong and tries to look all important.
First, Laura lives in MD so she has every right to go to Annapolis.
I agree there should be a recall. The five Council members and Mayor have proven time and time again they will not get along, or even try. Recall them all - which is impossible, Both sides should be thinking what is best for Salisbury - stop the bickering and blaming each other. The Camden trio should stop blaming the ones in office before them.
The Camden group, in my opinion, pulled a fast one with the lawyer, so I lost my faith in them to be good leaders. Has anyone given any thought of how to pay the lawyers when the money runs dry, I am interested it learning the answer to that. The city does not have a bottomless money pit.
Shanie and Laura give the appearance of saying "no" to anything suggested by Camden - and vice versa.
anonymous 10:06, while I agree that Laura lives in Maryland and has every right to visit Annapolis, does she work for the City, or not?
My point here is not to bash Laura Mitchell but in fact challenge her and Shanie into their ability to understand the information brought forth to them in Work Sessions and STOP claiming they weren't aware or haven't had enough time to understand certain things.
I believe that Laura and Shanie ran a campaign promissing the citizens they would work hard for their vote and deliver once elected. Can you honestly say they have delivered?
Laura has every right to visit Annapolis, but not on my dime. She can go as many times as she wants if she resigns her position and stops acting as if she has done any ounce of good for this city since she has been in office. No one is saying she does not have the right to visit Annapolis, but what is being said is she has no right to do that when she spends no time in the county she is elected in and the little time spent there is not used to read and understand what is going on. If she did not have enough time to understand would it not make sense for her to spend less time traveling and more time doing her JOB @ 10:06?
Laura ran a campaign for civility.
Period.
I have seen nothing civil about this woman. She is constantly in attack mode.
Shanie has had that seat so long it makes me wonder if the Westside has anyone better to fill that seat. If they do, they must not care about Salisbury, if they keep voting for Shanie and or keep up the poor election numbers in election years.
10:06, "The Camden group" did not pull "a fast one." They did what needed to be done. I am one of the people Laura Mitchell says does not exist. I did ask about the city attorney while the campaign was going on. I think he is part of this sewer plant problem and it just galls me that he is making money off what is probably at least in part his mistakes.
I also do not think this lawyer thing was planned at all, despite what creepy people like Mike Dunn say. Cohen gave a very responsible answer to my question. As much as I wanted to hear he would be fired, what I heard was recognition of concerns, credit where it was due, and possible ways to improve the situation.
I'm glad I don't live in Camden, but my dear friend is one of the "invisible" ones there. That neighborhood has been blamed and insulted ever since Mike Dunn declared war on them.
A few weeks ago I talked to a Salisbury council person, I ask how do you guys get anything done with all the conflict going on? The reply was, we dont, and I am sure thats true. How should the council act when they see the mayor runing around with his thumb is his mouth screaming somebody took my icecream, ledership starts at the top, if your leader is a crybaby, the chances of it flowing downhill are great and thats a sure sign of weekness. A council doesn't need to agree but they need to get along or they are useless.
Note To ALL:
STFU Please!!!! You are the ones whom voted for these nut jobs, yet you then complain... Well you lost your right to say squat if your the ones whom keep voting for these losers...
I think now it is time you opened your eyes, and stop voting for people whom tell you what you want to hear just so they can get your vote and screw you in the end...
Every Person running for an office is or will be corrupt so keep that in mind when you hear your favorite candidate trying to stroke you with words...
What they never tell you is how hard it is to do exactly what they campaign about... They never tell you how corrupt they have to get to have any one senator sign on to their bills...
If I were any of you, I wouldn't vote for ANY DEM or REPUB... I would oddjob it to a different party or not vote at all...
"Anonymous said...
First, Laura lives in MD so she has every right to go to Annapolis."
No she does not! She wanted to be elected to the Salisbury City Council, so that's priority. If she's out of town and it's interferring in her position as councilperson than she has no right to be anywhere else but getting herself up to speed on what's going on in Salisbury or she can get the hell off the council and let someone who is serious have the position.
11:21, your rant is one big contradiction and ignorant of the city elections. You say EVERY person running for an office is or will be corrupt, then you tell us not to vote for a Dem or Repub.
The city elections aren't held by party.
Then you tell us not to vote at all, but you tell us to "stfu" because we voted for these people.
First of all, you don't know who the hell I voted for, and second of all, if you DON'T vote at all, then you TRULY have no right to complain.
All you did was take up space here. Congrats.
11:33 agreed.
It's pretty clear between her running to Annapolis and her running as an Obama delegate that she didn't run for city council out of concern for the city. She ran for council to further her political ambitions, whatever they are. This also explains why she tries to get her face in the paper every day.
I sure wasted a vote on this one.
In novemeber , these two idiots will be running for cover. Obamie will be gone and the left will rule. No more hand -outs or entitlements.
Ireton wants to split the City up into more districts so that there will be more council members like Mitchell and Shields.
NO WAY!
Ireton, Mitchell and Shanie are Obamanistas,
Unfortunately the other three members (Cohen, Campbell and Spies) are too.
But then, it's really the "Peoples' Republic of Salisbury."
Not many of you were paying attention when Jim Ireton said he would "get" Terry Cohen, did you? He said it a number of times and in a number of ways.
Who cares! This is so obvious with
the last election. They all need to go is what I'm hearing. I am starting to believe that as well. The city of Salisbury has been declining and in blight for several years. Just look at Easton, Cambridge, Snow Hill and Berlin as examples for progressive thinking. They didn't try to live are want the past. They moved forward with a vision.
Is it time to switch to a City Manager form of government???
This "strong-mayor" nonsense is killing Salisbury.
Saliabury mayor is a part time job, we got what we paid for, a part time mayor who thinks he's the King of England.
Cohen and Campbell have a loooong history of keeping party out of it and protecting people's pocketbooks.
And they are shirking their council work to run for national delegate of anything. I don't care whether it's Obama or Romney or Mickey Mouse.
Mitchell needs to stop complaining that it's everyone else's fault she isn't informed when the problem is she is too busy with her national politics to do her local duty.
Its time to repeal the Charter and do away with the City altogether. Why do we even need the City? Can someone explain?
Campbell and Cohen have kept their promises to the voters. I have know because I have been involved in local politics andhave lived here for years. They have to deal with the damage and correct the mistakes that were made in the past in order for the city to move forward. They inherited the financial problems of what Campbell called the tax and spend/borrow and spend mindset of Tilghman, Dunn and their buddies. It's a wonder they are making progress, but they are. Look at where the audit and the city's financial accountability were 4 years ago. If someone starts a recall petition for Mitchell please post here so that we can help.
No one likes Laura at MML. We wish she would stop thinking that she is so important and that we like having her butt into our conversations.
Until you get business people elected,you will always have this type of tit for tat government.
" Anonymous said...
Ireton, Mitchell and Shanie are Obamanistas,
Unfortunately the other three members (Cohen, Campbell and Spies) are too.
But then, it's really the "Peoples' Republic of Salisbury."
It really looks like this commenter has no clue about Campbell, Cohen and Spies. They're just the opposite of what he or she says - they don't believe in and don't support the kind of entitlement giveaways that Mitchell and Shields do, both of them true Obamanistas.
Somebody that wants to use a local office as a springboard to larger things has to be at the end of the board making some movement, not near the ladder whining about how unfair it is that the board won't move when she's standing still.
What about the $50,000 to $60,000 wasted on the Fitzwater Street pump station that absolutely had to be designed and completed last year. If I remember correctly, the original award was to one of the more expensive firms. The high price would insure that a lot of time was being spent, which in the City's mind means high quality.
3:42, best comment so far.
3:56, wanna bet the council doesn't know what you are talking about(i.e., kept in the dark)?
Multiple comments, you are right that there is a lot to fix, and that is why I voted for them. The progress isn't photo op material, but it's the kind of stuff that keeps the car running.
To the person who said it all begins with Ireton, you are dead on. A dear friend of mine who knows local government was telling me how a mayor can wreak absolute havoc with a council through control of the staff, vetoes, and more.
Everything my friend described is what looks like is happening in Salisbury.
Watch the circus at 10 a.m. on PAC14 tomorrow (Wed.) if you haven't seen it. My wife and I could not believe our eyes and ears.
It is 'who' not 'whom' you freaking idiot. You tell everyone to stfu, and it is YOU that needs to do that.
Are you a product from wicomico co. schools?
I understand all of the frustration. However, recalls are not permitted in Maryland. So you have to seek some other solution
Realls certainly are permitted. The city clerk can provide the requirements, but Dunn et al made it very difficult to achieve.
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