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Sunday, June 18, 2017

You Can't Put Lipstick on this Pig!

By Thornton Crowe

In response to A Viewer Writes: Not the same town I grew up in:

Before ECI was built, many residents raised caution about having a maximum security institution in the area but all the legislators yammered about more jobs for the community. Look what element it brought with it. You have the inmates' families and 'homeys' coming down from large cities to be close for 'visitors' days' and then you wonder why things fell apart? Really? Seriously, were the jobs really worth the headaches brought to the area? You be the judge.

Salisbury residents were also warned in the Eighties by an economics professor (whose name escapes me) at Salisbury State University (at the time) about the price the area would pay should local government continue to not foster businesses in the area and encourage new business. This is around the time when many companies in town experienced strikes which led to many losing their jobs (lifelong in some cases with nice pensions until...) He said in his op-ed that Salisbury couldn't just depend on one or two big businesses, but must keep companies like Chris Craft and others because they were the bedrock of our community. Yet, nobody listened.

He warned should landlords continue to foster mass rentals in the City limits, the rental class would slowly dissolve the neighborhoods and then the town. The reason was because there is a vast difference between renters and homeowners when it comes to pride and care for one's dwellings. This we've seen is abundantly clear should you walk down College Avenue between Camden and Riverside Drive. How many times have you seen garbage cans sit out on the street for days because no one from Rinnier comes by and pull the trash dumpsters back to the side of their rental houses where four to five college students live? How many times have you seen broken beer bottles liter the sidewalks after they've had parties or had your front light destroyed in retaliation for turning the noisy students into the college for discipline?

The same economist also warned about becoming a retirement community for the Northern folks who could come live here much cheaper would come with their demands for equal infrastructure to those cities, would literally break the City's bank. Why? Because while these new residents pay taxes for property, they don't have income taxes like young workers. Hence, he warned the tax revenue would go down while tax paid demands would escalate. And as we've seen, he's absolutely correct.

Now, you have the young professionals moving away right after graduation because the area has high rent (due to landlords raping them while in college with said rents requiring four to five people living in a house), no jobs in the area of merit and a dilapidated infrastructure City Hall refuses to address, while opting for fancy plans about low income housing in the downtown area. Hence, you lost your most promising wage earners under the guise that progress was being made for the area when in fact, you scared them away!

Therefore, Salisbury was warned that should it take certain paths it would lead to the city's destruction. The leaders at the time chose to ignore it and just careen towards these end results with eyes wide shut. You voted for these leaders election after election without paying any attention to the metamorphous of their legislative and attitude changes which didn't happen overnight.

Whose fault is it really? The City Council? Past Mayors? Residents? Or all of the above?

58 comments:

Rebel Without a Clue said...

I vote for "All of the Above"! Well-said Thornton!

Anonymous said...

All of the above. As a whole the City and County have long been a rock-bed of Democratic control and under that leadership we've crumbled. If not for the growth of Salisbury University and Perdue electing to stay "home"...the city/county would be done. Sure over the years there's been new businesses that brought a glimmer of hope, but by and large the city has evolved into what we reap today. 75%-80% rentals and a decaying infrastructure almost beyond repair. Instead of been known for something of notability....we are known as the last bigger city before you reach the beach.

JoeAlbero said...

My two cents...

It's articles just like this one that really piss off the Good Ol' Boys locally. Here's why.

When Salisbury News was a nothing, a tiny little hobby blog, they really didn't care what we said. As we grew they started filing lawsuits against me to try to shut me up.

Now we surpass 250,000 hits in one day and they're freaking out because they cannot control us.

They have controlled the local media for decades and still do today. The masses are coming here now because they know other media sources are LIARS. They know they will cover things up. They now run around trying to convince people Salisbury News doesn't have the traffic we claim to have, they are LIARS.

So why are they so scared of Joe Albero and Salisbury News, because we have the largest local audience of ANY form of media. They're afraid because we are EDUCATING the public and challenging these leaders.

Their END is getting closer and closer and they know it. It's Idiots like the current and past Mayors who know, give them 4 to 8 years of BS legislation and when things start falling apart they'll be long gone and they can point the fingers at someone else.

Yeah, they'd LOVE for me to run again for Mayor and guess what, this time they'd let me WIN. Why, because there's no turning things around, as this article suggests. In the mean time certain special interests will make millions and they too can laugh and just walk away at YOUR expense.

Great Article.

Anonymous said...

"The reason was because there is a vast difference between renters and homeowners"

I take a small issue with this statement.

If you are referring to the college crowd, yes.
The landlord sets the tone - if his place in disrepair, why should the tenant think they should care more than the owner
I have seen houses not cleaned between tenants, up for rent because they expect the new tenant to clean and paint it.
I do not believe it fair to lump all renters into one label. My neighbors thought I owned my home, but I lease.

It is sad to experience the 20% ignorant and racist mentality this community holds over 80% of its population.

Anonymous said...

I know the stretch on College Ave. you're talking about because I used to live over there. Houses renting for $2000 a month and what did you get, you had to do most of the maintenance yourself and you have to navigate walks with your dog around the broken glass and other trash all over the place. If Rinnier took care of their properties like that lady who owns the rentals on the block, it would be one thing but the slumlords don't care. They just the trash build up and then when kids move out, their TVs and disposed trashed Salvation Army finds liter the sidewalks, making a once-nice neighborhood into ghetto. Up until the nineties most of those places were privately owned homes or one-family rental homes. It was a nice neighborhood where you could walk at night and not be afraid. Currently it s a place for gangs to cruise looking for rich college students and professors to rob and assault.

Anonymous said...

If only the other 79.9% of renters felt the way 9:54 does....thank you for your contribution

Anonymous said...

954 you didn't read the whole article. TC refers to the college kids and the ECI families in it. He even calls out Rinnier who is the area's biggest offender of negligence. There are a lot of responsible owners but they don't rally the numbers like the kids and ghetto from Baltimore and western MD. You know that. Please don't be choose to be ignorant to this because its a growing problem.

Anonymous said...

We rented property on Forest in the eighties but my family took care of the property and even made improvements like planting flower beds and keeping the outside nice like the rest of our neighbors. Probably why the landlord was sorry to see us move. I did a drive-by to check our old house now and it looks condemned. Shutters falling off the side of the house and its been vacant so long the driveway is completely grown over with grass. In other yards, there's cars pulled up in the side yard where there is no driveway. Keeping it classy. Just so sad.

Anonymous said...

$2000 per month in rent? What is this? Fing New York City? Jesus. No wonder kids think they can do whatever they want. They pay a handsome price to do whatever they want. Rinnier should be ashamed of themselves. It's slumlords like them that have ruined the city not the kids.

Anonymous said...

Y'all sit around bitching about topless beaches while your sh&&hole town falls down around you. Can't even go to Acme after 8pm without being harassed by some homeless person or go to Dollar General for the same reason. When I was in school at Bennett you could walk to school from Camden but you can't do that anymore without a concern about harassed by someone.

Anonymous said...

Salisbury has turned very ghetto. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

10:04 AM I read the whole article and I fail to understand your effort to be rude, because you failed to understand my comment.

People like you are part of the problem.

Anonymous said...

Jake Day just ordered all Salisbury City Flags to be flown at half mast in honor of Brook Mulford. He is sending out tweets left and right.

No disrespect to that precious little girl but you don't just pick certain people that you feel like and say the flags will be lowered at half mast. What about all the children who have died in Salisbury recently and in the past. What about all the tax paying citizens that die in Salisbury are we going to lower the flags for them? This is nothing but political grand standing! Disgusting ploy by the boy mayor!

Salisbury, MD‏

per Mayor @jacobrday all City flags to half-mast until further notice in honor of Brooke Mulford. Tonight 7:30-8:30 vigil at Park fountain

Pissed OFF said...

Mr Albwro,

I would like to make a Huge complaint about X Gov Omalley I wanted to build a new home in wicomico county but because of FIRE sprinkler regulations its a Addotional $15000 on top of a $8000 water well this additional expense put me over budget my unferstanding is before this job killing idea there was over 60 applications for NEW HOUSING this year in the county 1 that right 1 applucation thanks DEMOCRATS for killing dreams and JOBS OFF TO VIRGINIA.

Anonymous said...

10:13 It certainly has and don't blame college students because obviously they can afford the rent. Blame the landlords. There are rentals houses close to where I live that are vacant and the grass is three feet tall. Cars drive down this road all day looking at these house and turn around and leave.

Anonymous said...

You can tell that college area neighborhood used to be nice. The homes certainly look like they used to be nice. I started to buy a house on S. PInehurst. Cute house but the next door neighbors (renters) had their cars all over the yard and the upkeep on the house is less than adequate so I decided not to pursue it. Think a professor bought it so it'll probably be for sale in a few years. Nobody wants to have their little kids playing in a neighborhood where there's loud rap music blaring and sneakers on the front porch on game days. In fact, decided against buying anything in the area and I'm moving my family out of here as soon as my wife and I find jobs in another area.

Anonymous said...

I rented an apt on College. It was cool but the landlord didn't insulate the place so my gas heating bills in the winter were over $500 a month. After I graduated I had to move because I couldn't afford to pay the rent on anything I'd make around Salisbury. I really loved living there and my landlord was cool but if you can't find a gig with good pay, you have to make sacrifices.

Anonymous said...

Don't blame residents. There appears to be nothing we can do.

Anonymous said...

1040 they vote don't they? Yes, 1040, the residents are just as much to blame as everyone else concerned.

Anonymous said...

I rented a place on one of those streets and the landlord hated fixing anything in the house. Even pitched a bitch about the yard when it was her responsibility ultimately to clean it up. Thought the city had ordinances about yard maintenance but she didn't care. She only wanted to get her over-priced rent.

Anonymous said...

Salisbury is a sewer that stinks more every day. You can't go anywhere and really feel safe. There is not one decent grocery store. Crimes are not reported by the media. This town seems to be in a continuous downward spiral. No jobs. Is it any surprise decent people don't want to stay in the area?

Swamp Drainer of the Shore said...

1018 your statement didn't make any sense if you read the article. You're the exception to the general rule as you see from other comments here. Get over yourself.

Anonymous said...

Even with an economy that's starting to show promise, Salisbury is still bottom on deal table because this area's residents and government don't give a hoot about economy. They think its all fun and games with their dippy commercials and home invasions bearing free smoke detectors. It's not. Jobs is a key ingredient to a thriving community. There are no opportunities here and if they do get them, they go to offspring of the privileged like Blair Rinnier and Jake Day. They don't go to the regular citizens. Perdue can't employ all of Salisbury and with all the bitching about manure smell it seems the locals don't want the company here anyway.

Promising jobs in the building industry are fleeting and short-lived because eventually projects get finished. You also have a hard time getting college grads doing manufacturing and building jobs. I know a kid who went and got his education in welding and he left the area for places where welders get paid well.

Can you imagine Magical Molly with a welding torch?

Anonymous said...

1020 a child died and you didn't think Jake Day wouldn't take the opportunity for a photo op? Are you kidding? Day lives for this kind of crisis so he can rush in and look like some GD hero.

Anonymous said...

The headline said you can't put lipstick on this pig, I thought the article was going to be about Molly.

Anonymous said...

I haven't had a chance to read all the comments yet so maybe this has been mentioned but not only do family/friends come to visit, it's not uncommon for the wife/girlfriend to move down here to be closer to their inmate. When the inmate is released they stay.

Anonymous said...

Jake Day makes me want to vomit!

Did anyone see the "article" on the front page of the DT this morning? Complete with large photo. It is blatantly obvious that the DT is firmly in Jake's corner on EVERYTHING.

Wrt his formal education: I am not impressed. If he were any good, he would not be in SBY. During my professional career (high level engineer), I have met many who may be able to perform academically, but not in the real world. Based on Jake's performance to date, he would be low on my list of potential hires.

Anonymous said...

1020
I agree with your completely.
It appears like the Mayor is using the little girl's death as a political event (attention getter).
That is disgusting, and leaves a bad taste in most people's mouths.
I did not know the girl or her family, but my guess, they are not interested in that kind of attention.

I know her soul is in heaven.

Anonymous said...

Day has always been disingenuous. Why would this time be any different? Shameless PR whore.

Anonymous said...

Hope that little girl's mother isn't foolish enough to think Day and his clown car actually feels anything for her loss. He's using it as a gimmick to make it appear he gives a hoot about the people in this area. He doesn't. It's a photo opportunity to pose with the family.

Anonymous said...

Joe, you, and some others in your circle, whose political leanings are known and similar, should begin to grow your numbers by invitation, forming a group large enough to go a significant way toward electing and financing a Mayoral candidate (and perhaps a cohesive Council) and then approach someone to run.
There is a lot of distrust in the voiced v voted temperature and initiative of the electorate

Anonymous said...

1128 sounds like a good plan but there is one prob with it. How do we know Salisbury isn't beyond the point of return? Look at everything the area has lost due to politicians like Day, Pollit, Tilghman, Ireton and the city administrators like Glanz who just ignore the big ticket items and do stupid little maneuvers like cashing on a kid's death or proposing big splashy section 8 projects downtown. People buy into this nonsense while they wear their p&&&y hats and sing kumbaya in front of city hall.

Common Sense with your Coffee said...

One issue is many businesses around town don't know what customer service truly is. Like someone said on another article the brick and mortar stores are disappearing because online sales are easier and most places other than Amazon don't charge sales tax. Why go to a local place to get crappy customer service when you can stay home and order you book or whatever online from the comfort of your own living room. Another example is I've gone to the same hairdresser for the last 3 years and then I started going to another place. She's never called to see what's up or even asked me on Facebook why I don't come in anymore. Good customer service in the trades like hairdressing, reaching out to customers and engagement are key ingredients to keep people spending and in turn, help businesses to grow.

Anonymous said...

Don't run for Mayor again Joe. I remember when you ran - moving into your building for a year to establish residency, knocking on doors, etc. And they still didn't get it. You don't need the headache.
What you are doing is far more important than Mayor right now anyway.
There are many of us who care about Salisbury and the information you provide is priceless.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

10:58 am
Really? A welding torch would blow her eyebrows right off, no helmet would cover that!

LastMohican said...

Very nice article and so true.

Swamp Drainer of the Shore said...

Day is only using Salisbury like Ireton to curry some political tread so he can move onto bigger political offices. He doesn't give a toot suite about this area. He probably thinks being mayor of Salisbury is really beneath him but a necessary evil to get to a more desirable position. Think that might be the reason for the shameless photo ops and all the it's happening yammer?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
1020 a child died and you didn't think Jake Day wouldn't take the opportunity for a photo op? Are you kidding? Day lives for this kind of crisis so he can rush in and look like some GD hero.

June 12, 2017 at 11:01 AM

You are correct. What a piece of crap Democrat that he is always trying to look like the hero.

Bless her heart, but what makes it any different than other children that passed away. Oh wait, it's because of the publicity this child has gotten over the past couple of years.

I actually cried for this child when I read the news, but I became angry when I saw that Jake Day is making a spectacle out of her just for some free publicity. That guy makes me sick!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The headline said you can't put lipstick on this pig, I thought the article was going to be about Molly.

June 12, 2017 at 11:02 AM

Or Laura Mitchell, but she is gone! Thank God!

Anonymous said...

1037 I know exactly what you mean. I'm looking outside Salisbury now, too. Since graduation I've been unable to get a job here even as a secretary because employers here don't want to pay for degrees. They'd rather have a high school or Worwic associates grad to do the job so they can pay them $25,000 a year. They don't want college grads. In this area, that's a curse not an asset. I would have stayed here because of my family but just can't. Even my parents are encouraging me to move to a better place to get work for my experience and degree.

Anonymous said...

Yeah 1235 I forgot about Mitchell. Will Jake start a go fund me for this poor child's mother? Wouldn't be surprised at all if he did. He's a poser that way.

Anonymous said...

Only prob w/this article is I wouldn't retire here. This place sucks all the way around. I can't wait to leave either.

Anonymous said...

These college kids have money coming out there ears and rent means nothing to them. We have a rental next to us from a large college renter in Salisbury. In the county. It's 4 bedrooms. He gets $600.00 a month, plus a $2400.00 security deposit, which he usually gets to keep because the animals from college destroy the place. Once they didn't get trash service and there were over 130 bags of garbage, over 50 empty beer cases, and liquor cases in the garage... the health dept. found when we got them here.
They drive car or Crossovers we could only dream of. Live like kings and queens. We have the State police on Speed dial as they cause so much trouble.
One night we called the police on them, and their parents were there partying with them, underage kids, one of their parents a heart surgeon at the University of Maryland. Their parents saw no problem. Say what?
Thank goodness the state police shut it down and went after the parents.
Thats what we live with.

Anonymous said...

Correct me if I'm wrong; Wicomico County has one of the highest MD State piggyback tax rates, and one of the lowest ranking for county public schools. What are Salisbury and Wicomico County taxes going to?

Anonymous said...

1249 this is exactly what I said. They're paying a fortune to live in these homes which in their minds allows them to do whatever they want. The landlord class in this area is ultimately responsible along with SU. They have a mutual suck-up relationship which keeps local slumlords very happy because they can get big bucks for the homes at your expense. Rinnier isn't the only one who rents here but they're a big culprit. Remember that huge party at those places on Onley Road? Owned by Rinnier. They did nothing about all the trash leftover from the party and the mayor went to the houses (supposedly) and ask people to pick up their garbage. Why didn't he go down the street and get Blair to hire a cleaning company to do it. Ultimately its HIS responsibility but God forbid to call out the chosen son to be held accountable for his company's liability. Maybe you should find out the owner of that house and it's management company and sue them 1249.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Don't run for Mayor again Joe. I remember when you ran - moving into your building for a year to establish residency, knocking on doors, etc. And they still didn't get it. You don't need the headache.
What you are doing is far more important than Mayor right now anyway.
There are many of us who care about Salisbury and the information you provide is priceless.
Thank you.

June 12, 2017 at 11:53 AM

I think a lot of people "got it" and actually voted for Joe. I did and a lot of people I knew said they did. There was talk about someone flipping the votes in the computers and I think that happened.

Think about this. Where were the voting polls? One was on Cypress Street at the new fire house. Isn't that a city building? Who has access to city buildings? Don't you think Jim Ireton had access to the computers and his buddy Chuck Cook was very high up in the Democrat Party after working for the Governor's Office. Since the city runs their own elections don't you think that Chuck Cook and his operatives got in there and corrupted the voting computers? Voter Fraud is very prevalent with elections and I have a strong feeling that there was voter Fraud in da 'Bury!

Anonymous said...

You know something 1:45. I believe you. How very sad that my hometown (I do not live in Salisbury any longer) has evolved into such a sorry city.
I don't know what the answer is but I feel like this is happening. Since Donald Trump was elected and has started "fixing" things there are folks that fight him and folks who understand how bad things were. We are the Trump Warriors who are working to make sure he succeeds. Given some time going forward perhaps positive changes will occur at all levels of our society. One can only pray.

Anonymous said...

You've gotta leave it all on the field. To not try is to lock in your losses.

The shortcomings, condition and very slim, but last chance nature of a reversal should be thoroughly acknowledged at the time of the campaign to inform and measure the voters temperature, patience and resolve. Don't wait until after an election success (or defeat)

Anonymous said...

The BOE and Sherriff need to be dealt some austerity

Anonymous said...

Look at what the Rinniers did to Oak Hill. Those townhouses are right on the river and they could be very cute. Just enough space for roommate or a couple with a kid, they could be a great place to start a family. They are ghetto. Drug dealers and their customers coming in and out at all hours of the night, a pool that's almost never opened because the Rinniers won't foot the bill for a lifeguard to be there during normal hours most pools are open, lights aren't changed when the go out, and a host of other issues over there. Its sad to see that place go to crap. My grandparents lived over there in the eighties and it was a nice place to live. They had a view of the river from their patio door and it was always nice to visit them because their place was spacious enough for all of us to celebrate without being on top of each other. Bill's kids aren't doing a very good job at managing their properties at all because Oak Hill is only one of several that have gone down hill in the last thirty years. You expect Bill, Blair and Lisa to feel bad about jacking Salisbury citizens? Yeah, they care about as much about Salisbury as Jake Day and JIm Ireton. What does that tell ya?

Anonymous said...

Rinniers have been slumlords for years what do you expect. They aren't the upstanding citizens everyone thinks they are but to talk to Lisa you would think she's from royalty. Too much coddling.

Anonymous said...

sounds like the Davis bunch

Anonymous said...

$2000 per month? Near me a landlord charges each student in his houses (4 bedrooms) $725/month with no paid utilities. Each house generates $2900/month from September through May, bringing in over $26,000. This landlord has six houses in just a one block area and about 75 in the city and in Fruitland..... you do the numbers.

Anonymous said...

ECI is a medium security prison. Just saying.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Memo Diriker's article from the Daily Times.

Anonymous said...

The kids are taking over Salisbury because now days that's the only people in town with money to spend. When are you people going to finally resign yourselves to Salisbury being a college town and stop whining about it?

Anonymous said...

Here's how you could start to fix the problems... Wicomico and Somerset band together with citizens to demand that the prison be closed. Enlist other Shore counties in the fight. Do whatever it takes to shut it down. As an economic generator, it's not worth the revenue it produces against the overall cost of having it here. Put drug dogs at the CBBT and MD/VA state line on the shore and supercharge water patrols along that corridor (disrupt the drug market in a BIG way). Now we can get back to encouraging homeownership, driving out the slumlords, Improving schools and attracting jobs.

Anonymous said...

1022 that's a great idea. Wonder how you can begin to implement this and would the local government be on board. We all know the Salisbury government is worthless but counties may be interested in hearing your proposal. Have you thought about how to approach the County Executive/Council to request this from both Somerset and Wicomico?