These Comments Were Made From The Podium By Governor O'Malley

This was from an annual Agricultural Dinner held Thursday night.

Gubernatorial criticism of a Charles County farmer and the executive director of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. on Thursday night brought rebuke from the Eastern Shore delegation on Friday. Several members, including delegation chair Addie Eckardt and Somerset County Delegate Charles Otto, said the governor should apologize for singling out those two individuals during the annual Taste of Ag dinner.

Gov. Martin O’Malley mentioned Delmarva Poultry Industry’s Bill Satterfield by name and questioned his truthfulness during his speech Thursday.

“Bill Satterfield, you have not always been straight up with me on our dealings on the phosphorus index, but you know what my friend, I’m going to continue to work with you,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley also challenged president of the Charles County Farm Bureau David Hancock Jr. over comments he made in a newspaper asserting that O’Malley was the largest threat to agriculture in the state.

“Honestly, David, I don’t think so,” O’Malley said.

During Friday morning’s meeting of the Eastern Shore delegation, Eckardt said she would send a letter from the delegation to the governor’s office.

“I thought his comments were totally inappropriate and out of line,” Eckardt said.

Otto, who is also a farmer in Somerset County, said Satterfield isn’t untruthful.

“I think he deserves an apology from the governor or at least someone in his administration,” Otto said. “I was quite perturbed.”