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Saturday, March 15, 2008

Louise Smith Can't Stand Being Held Accountable


Predictably, after her tell-it-like-it-is comments at the end of the city council meeting Monday night, Donna Ennis got a "Dot Truitt Letter" from council president Louise Smith. (Dot Truitt, you'll recall, was the grandmotherly lady who took city attorney Paul Wilber to task for "letting us down" on the Hearn annexation. Oh, that was SO MEAN of her! Take a shawl and whip her!)

Let's look at the letter Louise Smith sent Donna:

1. Smith quotes extensively "according to the tape." Wow. Is this how Louise Smith spends her time? Listening to tapes so she can send scolding, even threatening letters to citizens, instead of watching your tax dollars? Smith's mentor, the mayor, is known spend time quoting tapes and writing nasty letters to citizens. Or did Smith squander staff time to listen to the tape and transcribe it for her? (It's a question, Louise, not an accusation.)

2. Yep. Donna Ennis said all that. Except that last line was much later, specific to Smith and her campaign lies, as Ennis talked about how she stood out in the cold campaigning for Smith on the basis of her campaign promises.

3. Smith said: "Including this President in accusatory statements that Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Cohen were involved with this recent recall or people dissatisfied with the elections bears no truth at all. This was confirmed yesterday by the reporter that wrote the article, Greg Latshaw."

Awww, c'mon, Louise. You stopped just a gnat's behind from out and out accusing Campbell and Cohen. The innuendo was strong enough when Greg Latshaw reported you saying: "'I would hope the petition is not a concentrated attack (on one part of the council) because I'm trying to do something completely opposite and bring all sides together,' Smith said." It was plugged right in with the stronger innuendo from your underlings, Comegys and Shields.

Why would you worry about sides, Louise, if casting the shadow of blame on the other side wasn't the intent? If you were really interested in bringing "sides" together, you could have just asked Campbell and Cohen if they were involved. In fact, Cohen had already publicly stated that she hadn't approached the college student. You could have said something unifying, but fed the fires of divisiveness instead. Please, enlighten us. Just what have you done to bring "all" sides together?

4. Smith said to Ennis: "Continuing at the podium with, 'you lied to us all along..." is unacceptable.'

Why is it unacceptable, Louise? Because it was directed specifically to you? Check your record. You told people that you weren't aligned with anybody but the taxpayer. Then in your first few months in office, you voted for a tax hike and a water rate hike, even before attempting to get the facts.

You promised government in the sunshine, but you have cut meetings and speakers short. You've asked few questions and none were of any light-shining quality. You even got upset in the newspaper with Campbell and Cohen for doing outreach to constituents about open government.

You promised fiscal responsibility and accountability. You're "woodshed talks" with the mayor over the audit are as meaningful as her saying, "I take full responsibility." You campaigned on the same principles as Campbell and Cohen practice, but your performance has been the exact opposite. (Not to beat up the Recall Kid too much, but this is much like Jordan Reisman who is touting those same principles, but started out inciting SU students to riot over tough noise ordinances and neighborhood housing laws. Funny thing is, if Reisman went after you seriously, you'd be the easiest to recall.)

Tell us again, Louise, what's unacceptable about Ennis saying you lied all along?

5. Smith said: "To use a public forum for disrespectful discourse...."

Louise, is the Daily Times a public forum? Answer: Yes. Is falsely insinuating that two of your council colleagues are in cahoots with the Recall Kid disrespectful? Answer: Yes.

6. Smith then goes through all her old emails from Ennis to draw out some peppery phrases that basically say Louise lied and is a tool of the mayor. Again, THIS is how your council president spends her time, Salisbury, while the administration overspends account budgets containing your money?

Ennis, a veteran of the military and of 18 years on the road as a trucker, picked up a few colorful turns of phrase, but there are no obscenities. She wasn't out of control at the podium. As discussed above, there's no slander here, either. In fact, Louise, you came a lot closer to slander with your innuendo about Cohen and Campbell in Latshaw's hatchet piece on the recall.

By the way, Louise, did you write a similar scolding letter to that paragon of virtue supporter of the zoo who stood at the podium last year at budget time and said Campbell and Cohen had sold their souls to the devil for 30 pieces of silver? No? Well, why not?

Alas, the Empress Smith has no clothes. (I gave her a promotion from "princess," as G.A. Harrison used to call her.) Her letter to Donna Ennis reads more like an effort to intimidate than it does a call for civility. Donna Ennis' only "crime" was that she told it like she sees it, in plain-speaking words, to hold Louise Smith accountable for her very own words and deeds. "Accountability." Remember that term, Louise?

All just my opinion, of course. I wouldn't want to get a nasty letter or anything.

16 comments:

  1. Louise thinks she is the ultimate authority regarding matters of the City Council. The people have that honor, as well as the right and obligation to voice their opinions. Many have no respect for her feeble attempts at governance. It is further proof of her incompetence that she not only resents democratic interchange, she would like to end it. Someone needs to explain that the First Amendment does apply in Salisbury. One who has no respect for opposing views should not run for office in a free society. They should hope to be born into a royal family.

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  2. Joe:

    A boffo post it is, but: Please reserve "Empress" for Barrie and let Louise remain "princess".

    Kudos for Donna, too, and now I see how she got to be such a true trooper (and why she can't tolerate Louweasel) -- keep on truckin, kid, and illigitimi non carborundum.

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  3. Anon 8:06, they can both be an "Empress." They're interchangeable parts, clones of each other.

    Look at quote #3...Louise is admitting Comegys and Shields made accussatory remarks against Campbell and Cohen.

    Did Louise call them on it or send them a letter? If not, then there's yet another example of her doing NOTHING to promote "unity," whatever the hell that means.

    Hey, Joe...do we get to see the actual letter? Thanks for the post, and GO Donna Ennis!

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  4. Unfortunately, as in Louise's case, stupidity isn't a crime. However, the incompetence that results can lead to negligence, a chargeable offense.
    We can only hope.

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  5. Louise, because she is an elder, I believe thinks that alone will exempt her from any dissenting remarks. But she should know that in order to get respect you have to give respect. Mrs. Smith--you really need to shed the school marm tactics. Also, please do itemize what you personally have done to better the council, the community, government in the sunshine, etc. I hate to say it, but every council meeting you look like you dread it more and more. I feel sure you rue the day when you decided to run and also accept the president title. I really think it is all getting a little too much for you. It has ended up to be quite a bit more than a ceremonial position, something I don't believe you were quite ready to handle. If you do not resign before your term, I hope you do not consider running again---unless you are just a glutton for punishment. The citizens are not school children, and this is America, and until we are no longer free, we will continue to speak out.
    Nalagirl.

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  6. Where is the letter this references? Is there really a letter or is this more of your bs so called news. Another method of attacking Mrs Smith and the council majority. Show the letter, if there really is a letter, wiseguy.

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  7. Hit refresh smart ass and look at the new Post. Oh, and Bite Me!

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  8. Joe
    be careful with accusing a college student (Jordan Reisman) criminal activity(RIOTING, or to incite that)...That is grounds for a lawsuit
    slander...

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  9. I've been trying to decide just how much more posting on SBYNEWS.com it would take to have me cancel my comcast. This is entertainment at its finest....news, drama, comedy, reality, reruns. What else could you ask for, especially for free?

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  10. Anyone that knows me knows, I call a spade a spade. I say things in a manner in which there is no question about what I say, everyone understands it. I have called Louise Smith a liar many times, because she is a liar.

    When I stated you lied, it had nothing to do with the recall or the comments made in the Daily Times on March 9th. It was quite clear I was making reference to the campaigns for which I said "I stood out in the cold, holding your sign and YOU lied all along." I think that was made quite clear.

    Merriam-Webster defines a lie as:
    Main Entry: 3lie
    Function: verb
    Inflected Form(s): lied; ly·ing \ˈlī-iŋ\
    Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lēogan; akin to Old High German liogan to lie, Old Church Slavic lŭgati
    Date: before 12th century
    intransitive verb
    1 : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
    2 : to create a false or misleading impression
    transitive verb

    Merriam-Webster defines Liar:

    Main Entry: li·ar
    Pronunciation: \ˈlī(-ə)r\
    Function: noun
    Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lēogere, from lēogan to lie — more at lie
    Date: before 12th century
    : a person who tells lies

    Sounds like Louise to me. I was not disrespectful to Louise or any other council member. You first have to respect them to be respectful. They, with exception of Campbell and Cohen, have done nothing to earn respect. I did not call any of them the things I would like to call them. I do not think my opinion voiced at the podium was personal, impertinent or slanderous. I was not boisterous and there were few people remaining at 8:30pm to be disrupted or cause a disruption of the meeting. The meeting was over. Public comments were the final words allowed and had no impact on any decisions made during the meeting. I simply stated my opinion and the fact that Louise lied. Did she write a letter to Bill Lange or George Chevallier when they were on Reddish show stating how she violated the sanctity of their homes with her lies?

    This letter which I perceive to be an ego booster for Louise is lost on me. Her power plays are lost on me. I've had tougher nuns while in school, so her classroom antics are lost on me, actually they are laughable.

    So Louise wasted postage to send me a letter because she was called a liar, yet again, by me. Louise, I will continue to call you a liar as long as you continue to deceive. Here's the deal. You stop lying and I'll stop calling you a liar. Until then, LIAR.

    Donna

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  11. Absolute power corrupts and that is what Mrs. Smith has accepted as her vice with the city council. Her nice campaign promises, that got us all voting for her and helping in her campaign, were apparently calculated statements from the "Dream Team" builders of a few years ago. My girl Donna did all of us a great service with her statements at the council meeting. She sure laid them out, all of them!

    A. Goetz

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  12. Louise Smith needs to be recalled. I don't have any faith in the current effort. But maybe we need to plan a real one! That woman is a disgrace in so many ways.

    Look at that letter. I am embarrassed for our town.

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  13. (Dot Truitt, you'll recall, was the grandmotherly lady who took city attorney Paul Wilber to task for "letting us down" on the Hearn annexation. Oh, that was SO MEAN of her! Take a shawl and whip her!)


    Ms. Truitt is also the wonderful lady that Michelle Dunn, I mean Michael Dunn (I keep forgetting gayboy's name) assaulted with a wadded up flier when she was supporting Louweasel for election.

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  14. I don't think Joe was accusing Jordan of anything. It was a bit tongue in cheek, given that he said he didn't want to beat up on the kid too much (again "beat" in a figurative meaning).

    People like Donna Ennis and Dot Truitt are my heroes. Tell it like it is, Ladies!

    Salisbury has become an obscenity under people like Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, and Louise Smith.

    Louise Smith, without question, misrepresented herself in the campaign. She didn't "turn" over the "Debbie or Louise for President "flap. All the evidence points to her having used people by saying she was against the Dream Team and the Mayor, when she was really working in concert with them. Louise said too much to too many people in private. Those people KNOW she is a liar.

    May the day the truth gets out and Louise is turned out come sooner rather than later. She has done nothing to improve things, only to make them worse.

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  15. Her letter to Donna Ennis reads more like an effort to intimidate than it does a call for civility.

    I don't think you have to worry about Donna being intimidated.

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  16. I think Louise done that because the mare's on vacation right now and she thinks shes 2nd in command.
    It amazes me how they cant see how many laws and charters they break, they cant be that blind or nieve, its got to be on purpose. There are also laws in place for those using their positions to intimadate and harrass. Donna, I seriously think you should send that letter and have her prosicuted...to the fullest.

    Thank you for contacting the Office of the Attorney General. Any information
    that you have regarding the alleged misconduct by the Salisbury Council should
    be forwarded to the Office of the State Prosecutor, 300 East Joppa Road, Suite
    410 Hampton Plaza, Towson, MD 21286.

    Citizen Response Coordinator

    ReplyDelete

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