Just so you know, I’m speaking for myself here. No one puts words in my mouth.
During the week, a website purporting to be a local news source placed online this post about a scandal involving a now-former employee of a local business. Let me begin by noting that I am an employee of the company in question and have been for the past 3 1/2 years. The man accused of shifting money out of the HOA account into the company’s account was also my campaign treasurer in 2006. However, that account was a non-continuing account (at the time, this practice was allowed by election law) so it was closed shortly after I was elected to my current office. In 2010 I’ll simply ask someone else to be my campaign treasurer.
If you read the comments to the Tony Tank post, many are under the belief that the company who employs me is practically at death’s door. Did we have to let go employees? Yes, there were two good men who we had to lay off, and everyone involved has had to make sacrifices. However, we are continuing on and new projects keep coming in the door for our reduced staff to do. One could even argue that we’re now lean enough to be ready to pounce when the inevitable upturn in business comes. I’ve been in the architectural field for over 21 years and, like most other construction-related businesses, my chosen field is quite cyclical. But people have to build and improve at some point. We still have three registered architects (myself included), a registered engineer, and a LEED-Accredited Professional (again, that’s me) on staff along with others who do their jobs pretty efficiently. If the doors closed Monday, I’d be as shocked as the dozens of clients we serve.
This brings me to a discussion of the Hobbs Road development, another favorite target of the commentors. It’s true that there’s not been dirt moved at the site, but I can attest to the fact that permits are still being sought to do so – otherwise, I’ve been drawing roadway and infrastructure plans and details over the last several months for naught. Perhaps one should question instead the wisdom of those who developed the still-vacant office park near the intersection of Old Ocean City Road and Beaglin Park Drive or the spec building that is an unoccupied shell without even a floor in the Sweetbay subdivision. Again, it can be argued that the timing will be right for the infrastructure at Hobbs Road to be completed just about the time building begins to boom again. Unlike the other office parks, the Hobbs Road development will feature other uses including hotels and restaurants to take advantage of its location. Imagine the synergy between any possible restaurant/nightclubs and Perdue Stadium during summer evenings like tonight promises to be.
One of those comments to his post was to “ask Michael Swartz” since I work for the company involved. No one asked me but that was my response anyway. Now I’m going to turn my attention on how this “news” was gathered.
The root of the post was a comment, apparently from a previous one. The lead author of this “opinionated only” blog is one who’s been known to do what I term “fishing expeditions” (not to be confused with phishing for identity theft). Knowing there’s a topic out there where he may not have all of the information he wants or needs to run with his story – or with his vendetta – this blogger will put up an innocuous post and rely on whatever (anonymous) comments he gets to fill in the blanks and advance the story line. Of course, if the comments are found to be untrue he can always make the excuse, “well, it was a commentor on the post – it wasn’t me writing that.” Or he may have missed it going through all of the comments we’re told he has to run through.
Regardless, in running with this particular story he’s besmirched the reputation of a company that has served the public for over 15 years at a time where it’s already reeling because of one bad apple in the business. Further, he’s allowed solely speculative information that could do harm to this company’s core business and that of one of its prime clients to be aired. There are still legal matters to be settled in this affair but apparently the original victims have been made whole. I also happen to serve with the attorney in question on our county’s Republican Central Committee and whether you agree with his means or not he’s doing the task his client assigned him to do.
I know that in the press much of the news is made through the mining of anonymous sources, and that’s not really the issue here. But when news leaves the realm of what is and moves into the areas of rumor and innuendo, those actions put all of us who take the time to express our thoughts on the internet with websites like mine into the same category. Some readers may recall about two years ago the local bloggers here in Salisbury were called a “cancer” by one local politician and I’m still a little angry about that brush tarring all of us, deserved or not.
When I take the time and put on the reporter’s hat, my goal is to relate what really happened at the event I’m covering. At some point we’re going to find out all that actually occurred in the Tony Tank affair and hopefully those guilty will be the ones who pay the largest price. In the meantime, it may be best to cast a skeptical eye toward news that’s simply made rather than reported.
Crossposted on the Pro-Maryland Gazette.
