Wicomico-Salisbury Connection: It's All Just One Big Movie Plot

By Thornton Crowe

There's a hilarious legal eagle sleeper flick from the 80s called, From the Hip, where Judd Nelson plays a hotshot lawyer who makes an arrangement with his nemesis - a prosecutor - to turn a simple misdemeanor assault trial into a First Amendment case over using the word 'asshole' in a court of Law. Of course, in humorous antics, it becomes a huge courtroom drama, leaving everyone laughing! In truth, their stunning 'performance' is to progress both their careers - which it does - and no one else is the wiser.

These kinds of arrangements are always on the hush-hush and seldom are people witnessing the facade, aware there's any connection between the two opposite parties. Much like a play, it's scripted with plot twists and turns where you'd think the two actors were almost at odds, when in fact, they are conspiring together to make things appear differently than they truly are.

Couldn't we say this is what's going on with County Council President John Cannon and Salisbury Mayor Jake Day?


A brilliant example is the property tax game where the County lowered taxes while the City raised taxes. In this one plot, both Cannon and Day come out smelling like American roses! To the voters looking on, it appears the County Council, namely Cannon, is the good cop and Day is the even better cop.

Sound like a familiar scenario to all my movie-watching readers? Cannon comes off as the caring councilman, in it to help the little guy save more of his hard-earned cash while Day appears to be going after that big bad landlord class (like Cannon) with a higher hit to the wallet. They both win and we're none the wiser!

Another example of this good cops is when they work to create the bad guy. Both have sided against County Executive Bob Culver in his effort to help the volunteer firefighters - not because he's pandering for votes but because he wants to provide faster Emergency Services to the Wicomico residents. Yet, the only guy actually doing something for 'the people' is getting slammed every which way but loose. Meanwhile the toxic twins dynamic duo sit back and hold their elaborate volley - taking pop shots left and right through a variety of ways. They've even gone so far as to pull firemen into the fray and added a couple of other community players into the mix.

Mike Dunn and Bill Chambers have chimed in with their own little good cop duo double play, stating in their "Letter to many Editors," we don't even need another fire district. Bear in mind, neither are versed in firefighting or emergency services, so their opinions are not necessarily based on any fact or  professional expertise. And by the way, you're supposed to forget the Fire Chiefs Association actually voted for the new district.

4-D ping pong and you are the ball...

We, the voters go to and thro, weighing in with probably only about an eighth (if that) of the whole picture colored in with twisted crayons by nefarious plotters. This is how politics work - a zero-sum game where there are winners and losers - but it's seldom by happenstance.

The politically savvy spot these shenanigans almost from the beginning while the pedestrian voters, meaning most of us, wallow in the milieu, wondering "What in the world is going on?"

It's quite a spectacle that has all the local media jumping through hoops to see who can beat the chosen nemesis to a bloody pulp.

Elections are already beginning and you're being played like an exquisite 17th Century violin...

Why do they do it? Well, the answer seems obvious - or so we think. At first blush it seems they are doing it to score political points and oust whomever they have in their target. However, when you look below the surface and observe timing, the seeming barrage is, in fact, a smokescreen to keep you, the voters, from realizing just how much is not getting done and forget all those campaign promises made in the last election that just haven't come to fruition.

As we round to the local primary cycle, you can expect to see more of these 'ganging up' on others by Cannon and Day as their friendship is no secret to those whom are paying attention. Even though they are supposedly on the opposite sides of the political fence, they are acting in unison to wreak havoc on those who they don't deem as a 'part of their little club.'

One thing you can take to the bank is, your best interests (and those of the whole community) are far from paramount in their machinations. (Of course, you're not supposed to know this because it's a big secret.)

We're surely in for some exciting times... At least, now, you can eat your popcorn as you watch the drama unfold with your eyes wide open!

Let the games begin!