Jim Ireton’s Respect for the Salisbury Taxpayer – Part 2

Giving YOUR Money Away to a Select Few

Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton LOVES to spend other people’s money.  OK, he’s a liberal.  Actually, Jim’s politics are somewhere to the left of Karl Marx.  Ireton has seldom seen a government program he didn’t love.  If Ireton is re-elected, AND if Jake Day is elected to the city council, Jim has a plan to spend some MORE of YOUR hard earned money. It involves re-developing downtown.
Ireton wants to sell the downtown parking lots for a song, subsidize them by waiving the capacity fees for water and sewer, and HOPE that Salisbury will somehow be re-born.
Does anyone believe that adding 500 “affordable housing units” downtown is going to re-vitalize Salisbury’s local economy?  Evidently Ireton, along with Jake Day, councilwoman Laura Mitchell, and councilwoman Shanie Shields do.

The “logic” goes something like this:

1. You build X “affordable housing units” downtown.
2. Businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers will RUSH to build stores.
3. Downtown will be MAGICALLY re-vitalized.
4. The world will be a better place.

Does that make sense to you?

500 Affordable Housing Units

OK, we sell off the parking lots, take EDU’s (water and sewer capacity) away from industrial development that could actually create jobs that pay a living wage, and 500 more housing units appear.  Do you think that businesses will then flock to downtown?  Ireton and his pals do.

Grocery Stores, Pharmacies, and Boutiques … OH MY!

Before a retail business decides to invest in a site they look at certain things, including traffic count and parking.  Would you build a grocery store based on a target population of less than 2,000?  Of course you wouldn’t!

But wait, wouldn’t people from outside the immediate area come?  Would they?  I live to the southeast of downtown.  There are at least  three grocery stores and at least seven pharmacies closer to my home than the downtown plaza.  Well, maybe the people who live over on the west side will come?  I can think of at least two grocery stores and two pharmacies that are closer.  Well maybe the folks from Newtown?  Maybe.  Where are they going to park?  Remember – Jimmy, Jake, Laura, and Shanie have sold all of the parking except for the parking garage.  Do you really believe that those folks from Newtown are going to walk across US 50 and then schlep their groceries back on foot?

OK, I’ll agree that one convenience store might succeed under the Ireton plan.

It’s MAGIC!

The notion that this will re-vitalize downtown, much less Salisbury’s local economy is too ridiculous for real comment.  Downtown CAN be salvaged.  It CAN be re-vitalized.  It just won’t happen by throwing subsidies at a few developers.

You need a solution that drives traffic.  Business people will then be willing to invest their own capital.  Look at Joe Albero’s plan.  It not only makes sense, it offers a REAL, free-market driven solution for downtown as well as a plan for the city’s entire economy.

Subsidizing residential development was a failure during the real estate boom!  Salisbury borrowed millions of dollars that were handed over to a select group of residential developers.  What did that yield?  Temporary construction jobs.  Subsidizing retail doesn’t yield jobs that pay a living wage.

The key is to allow development without unnecessary government interference.  The key is show potential employers - not just downtown, but throughout Salisbury – that the city will treat businesses, and residents, like valued customers.

Why can’t Jimmy Ireton learn from past mistakes; both his own and his predecessor’s?

Part 1 – Thrift Travel Inn

G. A. Harrison is a former editor of SBYNews and a regular contributor.  He also writes at the DelMarVa Observer.  This article was originally posted at the DelMarVa Observer.

Joe Albero Announces Economic Development Plan

ALBERO RELEASES PLAN TO GROW SALISBURY’S ECONOMY
Salisbury Cannot Tax Its Way Out of Current Fiscal Problems

SALISBURY, MD – Salisbury mayoral candidate Joe Albero has released his plan to revitalize Salisbury’s stagnant economy. By attracting new businesses, and encouraging existing businesses to expand, Salisbury’s local economy can become a job creation engine which positively impacts the city’s overall quality of life by increasing home ownership, reducing crime, and providing needed revenue to improve the city’s infrastructure and to improve the level of service delivery.

Albero stated, “Today I have release a detailed outline for improving Salisbury’s local economy. Some may view this plan as broad; and it is. Unlike our current mayor, and his predecessor, I refuse to take a ‘my way or the highway’ approach to policy. While I have outlined the direction I believe Salisbury needs to move, I will ask for input from all relevant stakeholders. This includes the business community and the members of the next city council.

“From the day I declared my candidacy for mayor, I have talked about the need to improve the city’s attitude toward and our reputation with the business community. Successive administrations have had a schizophrenic attitude towards business. Some businesses receive direct taxpayer subsidies while others are viewed as entities to be taxed, fined, and charged fees.

“This view ends on the first day of an Albero administration. Successful businesses deliver superior customer service. The city of Salisbury, and its employees, need to view the city’s businesses and residents as valued customers. Our motto needs to be, ‘How can we help you?’, NOT ‘Write us a check and we’ll get around to it when we can.’ Permitting and requests to public works must be carried out in a timely fashion. Doing business in the city needs to be predictable. Bureaucratic red tape can be hallmarks of communities we compete with but cannot be tolerated here if we are serious about growing Salisbury’s economy.”

Albero is challenging incumbent mayor Jim Ireton. Salisbury voters will choose which direction they wish the city to move towards on April 2^nd.
VIEW THE COMPLETE PLAN HERE

By authority of Luke Rommel Treasurer

Thanks Jim!

I guess that Joe Albero and SBYNews should view the Daily Times’ front page article yesterday as an example of the old adage: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.  I doubt that Salisbury’s incumbent mayor will view it the same way.

While Sunday’s flagship article, an excellent piece by Jeremy Cox, has surprising similarities to an SBYNews post just a few days before, there’s one thing missing – any discussion of Jim Ireton’s involvement in this mess!

No, we don’t blame Ireton for the state of the national economy, but the national economy isn’t in the same shape as Salisbury’s either.  While Ireton has held lots of press conferences attacking others during his nearly four years as mayor, what has he done to attract any jobs to Salisbury?
While Ireton claims that he has “revitalized” downtown, just take a stroll down the plaza.  Notice that Ireton never discusses the REST of the city.  THAT’s where the jobs are!

For almost four years Ireton has “borrowed” ideas from others in the city and claimed them as his own.  Since Joe Albero declared as a candidate it’s ironic that NOW Ireton wants to streamline the city’s permitting process and finally start to treat businesses as something other than people to be TAXED, FINED, or charged FEES.  Naturally, we question his sincerity because he’s had FOUR YEARS to accomplish some rather COMMON SENSE tasks.

If Salisbury’s economy was growing rather than BLEEDING JOBS, it wouldn’t be experiencing such a high vacancy rate.
Thanks Jim!

Direct-Sales Businesses Boom As Economy Lags

When Cristina Prince's husband was laid off from his IT job last fall, the Pasadena woman turned to Tupperware.

Prince, a Severna Park Elementary School teacher and a Tupperware consultant, shows off some of her merchandise. Prince started selling the kitchen accessories to compensate for some of her husband's lost income, but has continued with Tupperware since her husband's return to work.

The Severna Park Elementary teacher held her own Tupperware party and was initially motivated by the promise of free merchandise for party hostesses. Then Prince started thinking that maybe she could start selling the kitchen accessories and compensate for some of her husband's lost income.

"I wanted to pick up the pieces from his not having a full-time job," she said.

READ MORE …

Virginia’s Jobless Rate Up Slightly in July

Virginia lost 47,800 jobs last month, underscoring the slow and uncertain economy in the state and across the nation.

Seven of 11 major industry sectors lost jobs, pushing up the state unemployment rate to 6.1 percent in July from 6.0 percent in June, according to a report released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

"Overall, the report depicts an economy that continues to struggle," said Christine Chmura of Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond. "This is a slow recovery. Most major sectors contracted in July."

The slight bump in the seasonally adjusted rate is the first increase in Virginia since the peak rate of 7.2 percent in February 2010.

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Moody’s Puts Maryland, Virginia Localities on Credit Watch

Moody's Investor Services is threatening to downgrade the credit ratings for dozens of local governments in Maryland, Virginia and 29 other states, based on how the federal government's negotiations concerning the U.S. debt ceiling affects financial markets.

The ratings agency placed more than two dozen counties and cities in Virginia and at least seven local governments in Maryland on its credit rating "watch list" on Thursday, citing concerns over the federal government's presence in those areas.

Affected governments include Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William counties in Virginia, as well as Rockville, Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland, as well as smaller incorporated cities and towns in the Washington area.

"The ratings of these local governments, particularly those with a high economic dependence on federal activity, would be vulnerable to a downgrade of the U.S. government," said Moody's Senior Vice President Matt Jones.

The action comes after Moody's placed Maryland, Virginia and three other state governments that have AAA ratings on its "watch list" last week, pending a possible downgrade to the federal government's credit rating as a result of congressional budget action.

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Webb Urges Tea Party Not to Risk Economy in Debt Debate

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) on Wednesday put his support behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's debt-ceiling plan, offering a lecture to tea-party Republicans on the dangers of just saying no.

"There are, in the other party, some individuals who view themselves as revolutionaries in the best sense of the word," Webb said in a floor speech.

While offering praise for the type of reform the tea party advocates, Webb said it need not come at the cost of another recession, which many predict would be the result of failing to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday's deadline.

"The first rule of good governance is to do no harm," Webb said. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't make cuts … but it means be careful when you're dealing with the fragility of national policy at a time like this."

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GOP Bill Would Prioritize Payments to Interest, Social Security and Military Pay

WASHINGTON - A group of congressional Republicans unveiled the “Ensuring the Full Faith and Credit of the United States and Protecting America’s Soldiers and Seniors Act” on Tuesday. The legislation would require the Treasury secretary to prioritize payments on interest on the national debt, Social Security and military pay.

“What our bill would do is it would instruct the Treasury secretary in the event that the debt ceiling is not raised prior to August 2 to make certain obligations priorities so that they will be paid in full, on time, and without delay,” Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA) said during a Capitol Hill news conference announcing the legislation.

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Harris, Mikulski Outline Differing Views on Debt Limit

WASHINGTON - During a speech Wednesday morning in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., urged her colleagues to reach a decision to prevent a default and downgrade of U.S. debt. In the meantime, the House of Representatives was tweaking its plan on how to raise the nation's debt ceiling.

"We are less than one week away from reaching our debt limit. If we fail and we falter, the United States of America will be irrevocably fractured," Mikulski said. "We're destroying ourselves by a self-inflicted wound because of political dysfunction, political rigidity and political ideology.

"Let's stop being Democrats. Let's stop being Republicans. Let's really call us what we should be called: Americans. Let's make the tough decisions. Let's put politics aside, put America number one, and get us back on track."

Political wrangling continued Wednesday in D.C. during legislative efforts to fund U.S. debt and to keep the federal government working. At stake is the country's bond rating and status in the financial markets of the world.

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Federal Budget Cuts Could Devastate Maryland Economy

Maryland’s economy would suffer disproportionately from the likely downsizing of the federal government in coming years, perhaps losing 150,000 jobs if the 22% reduction in spending recommended by the president’s budget commission were implemented, a new report says.

The report commissioned by business group Blueprint Maryland and done by Anirban Basu’s Sage Policy Group paints a bleak picture of state economy that “has come to rely heavily upon the federal government as a source of economic vitality.”

“The state has arguably taken prosperity for granted,” said the report. “The business climate has become unappealing, which has translated into outmigration from Maryland to other states of both people and businesses.”

“The business climate is associated with high taxes, high energy costs, high land costs, collective bargaining, health insurance mandates and a poor reputation,” the report said. If the federal government downsizes, “Maryland will need to attract significant private sector investment to offset the loss in economic activity.”

But that will be difficult because “Maryland is not properly positioned to take advantage of its array of economic developments amenities, including its scientific and technical talent, its highly competitive public school system, intermodal transportation network, phenomenal spending power, and high quality of life.”

These should make the state appealing, “but conducting business here has become far more difficult than it should be.”

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More Americans Unhappy With Obama on Economy, Jobs

More than a third of Americans now believe that President Obama’s policies are hurting the economy, and confidence in his ability to create jobs is sharply eroding among his base, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

But Americans’ discontent does not stop there. The survey also found that Americans harbor negative feelings toward congressional Republicans. Roughly as many people blame Republican policies for the poor economy as they do Obama. But 65 percent disapprove of the GOP’s handling of jobs, compared to 52 percent for the president.

The dissatisfaction is fueled by the fact that many Americans continue to see little relief from the pain of a recession that technically ended two years ago. Ninety percent of those surveyed said the economy is not doing well, and four out of five report that jobs are difficult to find. In interviews, several people said that they feel abandoned by both parties, particularly as debates over the debt ceiling gridlock Washington.

READ MORE…

Federal Stimulus Money in Palm Beach County Failed to Live Up to Expectations

The largest stimulus-fueled road projects in Palm Beach County have created less than 20 percent of the jobs once promised, a Palm Beach Post analysis based on federal job-creation standards shows.

Though the Obama administration pitched stimulus projects as “shovel-ready,” only half of Palm Beach County’s 12 road projects were complete entering July, more than two years after Congress’ approval in February 2009. And the region’s biggest project, the Indian Street Bridge in Martin County, has barely begun.

Local officials forecast nearly 600 jobs at five of Palm Beach County’s largest projects in early 2009. At least that many people got paychecks. But the hours worked amount to slightly more than 100 “full-time equivalent” jobs, based on 40-hour work weeks.

from Charles Elmore @ the Palm Beach Post News (via the Daily Caller)

ATHENS - Ratings agency Moody's cut Greece's sovereign debt by three notches on Monday to Ca, just one notch above default, saying the new bailout set a negative precedent for creditors of other debt-burdened countries.

Euro zone leaders agreed last week to offer Greece debt relief through a new rescue package of easier loan terms, with private creditors shouldering part of the burden via a debt exchange.

The downgrade means Greece now has the lowest rating of any country in the world covered by Moody's, which, like Fitch last week, said it would offer a new rating after the debt swap was completed.

"Once the distressed exchange has been completed, Moody's will reassess Greece's rating to ensure that it reflects the risk associated with the country's new credit profile, including the potential for further debt restructurings," it said.

Last Friday, Fitch Ratings said Greece would be declared in restricted default due to the steps taken in the new euro zone rescue package but that new ratings of a low speculative grade would likely be assigned once the bond exchange is completed.

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Price of Gas Jumps 8.5 Cents in Last Two Weeks

NEW YORK — The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose for the first time since early May following an increase in the price of crude oil, according to the latest nationwide Lundberg survey released Sunday.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was slightly more than $3.70 on July 22, an increase of 8.58 cents in the past two weeks, according to the survey of some 2,500 gas stations in the continental United States.

The increase per gallon is nearly the exact same as the rise per gallon of a barrel of crude linked to the benchmark West Texas Intermediate, which jumped to $99.87 per barrel, up from $96.20 two weeks ago.

"It is crude, period, that did this," Trilby Lundberg, the survey's editor, told Reuters.

High unemployment and a general weak economy has been affecting demand for gasoline.

"If it had not been for the recent crude oil price hikes, we would have seen prices fall at the pump because of that weak demand and the economy," Lundberg said.

A year ago, the price per gallon was $2.73, about 96.72 cents less than the current price.

At $$3.28 a gallon, Tucson, Arizona, had the lowest average price for regular gas, while Chicago drivers paid the highest at $4.07, the survey found.

from Reuters / MSNBC

Oil Falls Below $99 As Debt Talks Stall

Oil prices fell below $99 a barrel Monday in Asia amid investor concern that the lack of an agreement among U.S. lawmakers to raise the country's debt limit could trigger a default and damage the global economy.

Benchmark oil for September delivery was down 95 cents to $98.92 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose 74 cents to settle at $99.87 on Friday.

In London, Brent crude slid 68 cents to $117.99 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Talks stalled during the weekend as an Aug. 2 deadline looms for Congress to raise the government's $14.3 trillion debt limit. Without action by that date, the Treasury will be unable to pay all its bills, which could lead to a debt default and undermine the global economy.

from Alex Kennedy @ the AP

Visualize the National Debt

The photo above is of JUST One Million Dollars!

CLICK HERE to get a real feel for our national debt. You’re probably not going to believe it.

Then ask yourself who we’re going to pay that money back.

A Short Civics Lesson ...

from Ellen Sauerbrey

Ludwig von Mises, one of the greatest economists of all time (1881 -1973) wrote, "There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as a result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved." This is the choice that the nation faces today. Which decision will prevail? As the nation bumps up against the debt ceiling, the news media continues to babble about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush, and Obama continues to blame Bush for the problem.

So once more, a short civics lesson. This is so important and unreported that I urge you to pass it along to everyone in your address book.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress from January 2007 until January of 2011 is the Democratic Party.
Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for FY 2008 and FY 2009 as well as FY 2010 and FY 2011.

In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.
And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009. Let's remember what the deficits looked like during that period: (below)

If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.
If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is, I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I expanded that deficit four-fold as President.

There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! This is your chance to make a difference.
Stay Focused, Connected, Informed & Inspired... And don't forget to forward to everyone you know...

Virginia Unemployment Holds Steady at 6%

The slowdown in the economic recovery showed up in Virginia's unemployment figures for June.

The state's jobless rate held steady at 6 percent from May to June. Yet the number of unemployed people increased by 1,534 and the state's overall labor force declined by 2,848 after nine months of expansion, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Friday.

"We have had a deceleration the last couple of months," said Ann Lang, senior economist for the commission. "The recovery is just slow."

The 6 percent jobless rate is an adjusted figure accounting for seasonal fluctuations.

When not adjusted for seasonal factors, the state's jobless rate rose from a revised 5.9 percent in May to 6.3 percent in June. The commission attributed the increase to students and new graduates looking for work, which helped swell the number of unemployed by 17,674.

The seasonally unadjusted figures also showed nonfarm payroll employment gains of about 11,100 in the state. Yet June's job gains were the weakest in five months, and the number of jobs added in the state in May was revised downward from 18,800 to 14,200.

The leisure and hospitality industry led the hiring in June by ramping up its employment by 16,600 for the summer travel season. Other industry sectors adding jobs in June, according to the unadjusted figures, included manufacturing, construction, and professional and business services.

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On Friday we reported that Maryland’s unemployment rate had risen to 7% and that MD was tied with Kansas for the highest rate of job loss.

Corporate Profits Booming, Labor Market Still Weak

Strong second-quarter earnings from McDonald's, General Electric and Caterpillar on Friday are just the latest proof that booming profits have allowed Corporate America to leave the Great Recession far behind.

But millions of ordinary Americans are stranded in a labor market that looks like it's still in recession. Unemployment is stuck at 9.2 percent, two years into what economists call a recovery. Job growth has been slow and wages stagnant.

"I've never seen labor markets this weak in 35 years of research," says Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University.

Wages and salaries accounted for just 1 percent of economic growth in the first 18 months after economists declared that the recession had ended in June 2009, according to Sum and other Northeastern researchers.

from the AP

Hospital Construction Offer Lifeline

In a recession that has hit the construction industry particularly hard, Delaware has a building bright spot -- in the medical sector.

From north of Wilmington to Sussex County's coast, hospital construction is booming, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars of spending into an economy still struggling to replace a moribund housing market.

Health care is a rare growth area in the struggling economy, with the U.S. Department of Labor last year projecting the field will add 15 million jobs this decade to accommodate growing patient volume and the aging population.

Fueling the hospital boom is an aging population and the need to replace aging facilities while housing new technologies.

A formula used by federal officials says each $100 million of hospital construction creates 350 to 500 construction jobs, said Tim Duggan of RSMeans cost-engineering research in Connecticut. By that formula, Delaware's hospital boom is creating at least 2,146 to 3,065 construction jobs.

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