NAACP forum well attended – except by candidates
On my Examiner site I have pictures as well, but quite honestly they serve to record some of the participants for higher county office.
There are 46 total candidates on the primary election ballot for county offices here in Wicomico County. Perhaps it was the somewhat late notice for the event – as a candidate I received an invitation earlier this week - but barely half could be bothered to attend. (Granted, the thirteen Republican Central Committee aspirants make up a large percentage of the ballot and there was a competing event in Ocean City. But none of the four Democrats for their Central Committee showed either!) Many of the so-called “Tea Party” candidates locally were absent as well. In fact, aside from the County Executive race there weren’t a whole lot of challengers present – all but one District Council forum participant was an incumbent member of County Council.
Of course, being an NAACP forum many questions focused on race, but the audience of nearly 100 seemed to be most interested in economic issues. The audience-supplied questions tended toward that part of the platform. And since local NAACP head Mary Ashanti demanded respect in order to avoid trouble with the national organization, the candidates and audience were fairly well-behaved and polite.
In looking at each individual race, some differences were clear from the outset.
Right off the top, speaking in his opening statement, Tom Taylor told the crowd he was running on a “strict” fiscal accountability ticket for County Executive. On the other hand, incumbent Rick Pollitt said as the first County Executive, “we needed to concentrate on getting the citizens more engaged,” and talked about his efforts at diversity in employment and appointments. And these guys are both Democrats. The Republican in the race, Joe Ollinger, pointed out his lifetime of business experience and vowed to bring new, refreshing ideas to the table.
Even the books which best exemplify their approach to government (yes, this was a question) were radically different. Rick Pollitt chose John F. Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage,” while Joe Ollinger selected “The Genius of the People,” which is a look at the trials and tribulations of our Founding Fathers as they drafted the Constitution in 1787. Tom Taylor preferred Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” which also happens to be one of my favorites.
Two related questions talked about disparity and inequity. While Joe Ollinger spoke about hiring the most qualified people, he also noted “the great equalizer” was public schools. Conversely, Tom Taylor said that government’s sole purpose was to protect individual rights, not provide services – it’s “the great umpire” but governs best when it governs least. And once again, Rick Pollitt brought up his contention, “the government had to reflect the face of the community” but not, as Ollinger said previously, a quota.
When the question turned to harmony between the executive and County Council, Ollinger promised to “work very closely” with County Council; Pollitt also thought “we’ve established a good relationship.” Meanwhile, Taylor related his experience with PAC-14: he tapes each County Council meeting for the community access cable channel. Taylor vowed to continue to attend County Council meetings if elected.
The final question dealt with quotas as moderator Orville Penn wanted to ask if the officeseekers would promise a particular percentage of minorities in county government. Of course, Rick Pollitt said, “I will try my best.” Joe Ollinger would hire the most qualified person since “the most important job” is to make sure money is spent wisely. But Tom Taylor not only would hire the best person, he spoke about us being “all one race – the human race.”
It’s unquestionable that Democrats have a choice in their primary race, as Taylor described himself as a libertarian Democrat while Pollitt spent the first three years of his term making the case the revenue cap was handicapping him. In some respects Taylor could even be considered to the right of Ollinger, who believed his business background would hold him in good stead for running the county.
Democrat John Wayne Baker, who would be described as a Tea Party candidate for County Executive, did not attend the forum.
The forum turned to the three (of six) County Council members who were present – Democrats Ed Taylor and David Cowall and Republican Bob Culver.
In his opening statement, Taylor talked about the three terms he’d already served on County Council, and remarked people asked him, “why are you crazy enough to run again?” He wanted to, “be part of the solution.”
Political newcomer Cowall said County Council was, “a job that needs doing right” and a place for “logical, nonpartisan decisions.” Culver, the Republican who ran for County Executive in 2006, simply cited his upbringing and business experience in his remarks.
The first question regarded the revenue cap, which Culver favored but Cowall thought “needs a new look” and Taylor opposed – he claimed that in 2002 he calculated the county would lose $50 million under the cap.
Another question concerned how minorities “get the axe” when budgets are cut. Culver contended that core services have to have “first consideration” while Cowall believed we needed to “set our priorities and set them right” – across-the-board cuts were a “bad idea.” Taylor would leave education and public safety alone.
A final question asked about jobs for the minority community. I thought Bob Culver had an interesting point, one that encouraged minorities to take low-paying jobs now because of the prospect for advancement as the economy rebounded. This generation expected what his already had without working its way through life as he had. He also had the idea of subsidizing job creation through grants which would defray part of salaries for new hires. (Of course, what happens when the grant money is gone?)
Cowall, who said we “need to support our farmers,” pointed out that jobs are being created in certain sectors like health care and by Salisbury University. Green jobs were also a possibility within our ability to create them, and he was upbeat about our future. Taylor thought we needed to add more economic development staff and try to draw construction back in.
Honestly, none of the three excited me a great deal and it’s a shame that Mike Brewington (another “Tea Party” Democrat), Matt Holloway, and Chris Lewis (a “Tea Party” Republican) weren’t in attendance to express their ideas and make the forum a little more rousing.
The final major portion of the debate dealt with district Council members, with most of the stage time devoted to District 1 council candidates. Not only was that the only district which was represented by both candidates in the running for the seat but it’s a district which serves a large part of the black community and is represented by the sole black member on Wicomico County Council, Sheree Sample-Hughes. Her opponent, Dave Goslee, Jr., is white.
In their opening statements, Sample-Hughes talked about “having a seat at the table” and her interaction with the community through quarterly meetings. On the other hand, Goslee touted his business and farming experience.
Of course, some of the questions involved NAACP and civil rights issues. Sample-Hughes played up her membership in the organization, calling it an “educating” organization, and discussed an incident which occurred in a local barbershop where patrons were told to hit the floor by police. The African-American community was “not as respected as it should be,” she opined, but added, “there should be a point in time where we are okay.” Meanwhile, Goslee spoke about his “endeavor” to attract talented people to the business he helps to operate and believed that Biblical principles should be the basis of our relationships.
One interesting interchange was the candidates getting to ask questions of each other. Goslee asked Sample-Hughes about her charitable works – which mainly involved working with the American Legion auxiliary – while Sheree asked Dave about what he could bring to the table in partnerships? Goslee cited his work with the Delmar Fire Department, the United Way, and the Joseph House as examples.
Since the other candidates were unopposed at the forum, they were allowed an opening statement before getting into group questioning.
Stevie Prettyman of District 2 told the crowd her “commitment is to conservative principles” and talked about her favorite books: a tome by fellow Councilman Taylor called “Just Me and God” and her mother’s journal. Her opponent, Mike Calpino (another local Tea Party participant and the lone Libertarian on the county ballot) did not participate.
District 3 Council member Gail Bartkovich talked about the importance of the upcoming county comprehensive plan and related how she and Sample-Hughes, who serves as Council vice-president, work out the weekly agenda together. Bartkovich has served as Council president for the last year. Her Republican opponent, John Hamilton, was not in attendance.
David MacLeod of District 4 was more blunt: “I need four more years to get it right.” He related his life experience, which including time living overseas in Africa, and said he would concentrate on crime – “a cancer” on the community – if re-elected. Opponent Bob Caldwell, a Republican known for community involvement, surprisingly missed the forum.
Joe Holloway of District 5 is in the catbird seat since he is unopposed. So he talked about Council’s role as a “filter” between the County Executive and the people and termed it the “last line of defense” against overlegislation.
The questions by this point were more simple, perhaps because the evening had grown long and there were still more candidates who were on the agenda.
On the revenue cap:
- Sheree Sample-Hughes thought a modification (a 3% increase) was needed because she could see the constraints from sitting at the table.
- Stevie Prettyman voted against the original tax increase which set off the drive for the revenue cap and instead said “we have to create job opportunities (and) get out of the way.”
- David MacLeod noted the “community expressed themselves…I have to learn to live within that.”
- Joe Holloway is deadset against removing it because the revenue cap acts as a control on spending.
- Gail Bartkovich described the “mistrust” caused by the original situation and called for more transparency.
- Dave Goslee would honor his constituents’ wishes.
Reagrding the comprehensive plan:
- Goslee related his business experience with making short- and long-term plans with his employer and vowed to create “the best county in the state of Maryland” by stressing jobs and public safety.
- Bartkovich sought public input and described the plan as a “vision of (the county’s) look and growth.”
- Joe Holloway wanted to make sure we didn’t tackle the “downzoning” issue before the comprehensive plan was complete.
- MacLeod sought a “balance between growth and agriculture” and also stressed public participation.
- So did Prettyman, who saw the plan as a method of expressing our, “hopes, dreams, (and) vision.”
- Sample-Hughes saw the plan as a foundation to preserve agriculture but also as a work which could enhance employment and public safety.
Speaking of downzoning, the last question was regarding the candidates’ position on the subject. While Sample-Hughes thought it best to study the approach other counties have taken, MacLeod was “very concerned” about the possibility of state involvement, and Bartkovich said she wouldn’t consider the subject until the comprehensive plan was finalized.
Even more hardened in their opposition were Prettyman, who demanded any downzoning plan include adequate compensation, and Holloway, who contended there was no good compensation method. Dave Goslee was very much opposed since part of his plan for retirement involved selling pieces of his farm - an option which Holloway also remarked saved some of his farmer friends from bankruptcy.
Since the hour was late, remaining candidates were briefly introduced. The two present State’s Attorney candidates answered a question about the role of the State’s Attorney – Seth Mitchell saw it as one of “seek(ing) justice” and demanding responsibility while training young staffers properly, while incumbent Davis Ruark saw his role as being a leader in the community, seeking justice, and assuring fairness. Newly-minted (and perhaps former) candidate Matt Maciarello was not present.
Other candidates who attended the forum (and absentees):
- Mark Bowen (Clerk of the Court) who remarked he’s unopposed for the first time in 16 years.
- Norma Lee Barkley, Melissa Pollitt Bright, William Smith, and Pete Evans for Judge of the Orphans’ Court. Barkley, Bright, and Smith are incumbents, and Smith is the sole Republican. Barkley remarked she was seeking her last term and the three incumbents work well together as a team regardless of party. No candidates were absent.
- Sheriff Mike Lewis is unopposed but was called away before having the opportunity to speak.
- Three officeseekers (of 13) for Republican Central Committee were there: myself, Dave Goslee Jr. and G.A. Harrison. Harrison has his own thoughts on the proceedings. Political bloggers running for public office: whooda thunk it?
- Amazingly to me, none of the four members of the Democratic Central Committee came up to speak. Each Central Committee member (by this point it was two, Goslee and I) were allowed 30 seconds to speak and I took about 15.
A future forum is in the works for state candidates (District 37A incumbent Rudy Cane and his Democratic opponent Von Siggers were in attendance) with a date to be determined. Hopefully they do a better job of showing up than a number of county officials did.
Pollitt files to retain County Executive seat but draws a rematch
It certainly wasn’t unexpected that Rick Pollitt would file to keep his County Executive seat, and today he did. But in a case which Yogi Berra would call ”deja vu all over again” his Democratic challenger from 2006 also filed today.
T. Anthony “Tom” Taylor, who only won 23% of the vote in that challenge four years ago, is back to face Pollitt in the September 14th primary. But this time Pollitt has a record for Taylor to criticize, and Tom is going to make this campaign one about, “…financial responsibility and ending the expansive intrusiveness of government.”
(continued on my Examiner.com page…but come back for more analysis.)
One thing about having a blog is having an archive. On September 10, 2006, just before the primary, I said the following regarding Tom Taylor:
On the other side in his self-described “David vs. Goliath” matchup is Tom Taylor. Taylor is what I would describe as a Reagan Democrat, stressing private property rights, citizen preparedness, and allowing citizens more of an ability to defend themselves as they see fit.
Taylor fits in with Wicomico County in many ways. Our county is one where the Democrats lead in voter registration, but where the Democrat party has not had a gubernatorial or Presidential candidate carry the county since William Donald Schaefer in 1986. Essentially, it’s a conservative hotbed where voter registration means less than it does in most places.
(snip)
Wicomico County, based on its overall voting record in races for executive positions and its overwhelming approval of the revenue cap just two years ago, is no place for a “taxer and spender.” Because he provides an insurance policy against government overwhelming the masses in Wicomico County, I’m urging our county’s Democrats to follow the age-old example and let David slay Goliath. Tom Taylor is your best pick for County Executive.
That still rings true today because, quite honestly, we needed a belt-tightener when times were good to make the bad times easier to work through. Certainly Wicomico County did set some money aside, but as we see by the example of the man Pollitt is local campaign chair for (Martin O’Malley) no wallet is truly safe with a Democrat like Pollitt or O’Malley in charge.
It should be an interesting campaign.
Dropping Delaware
It was a tough decision, but today I decided for space reasons to drop the links to Delaware political races.
Not counting party offices, in Wicomico County we are affected by four statewide races (governor, comptroller, attorney general, and U.S. Senator), two State Senate races, four races for Delegate, and contests for seven County Council seats, County Executive, Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Register of Wills, Clerk of the Courts, and three Orphan’s Court posts. It’s over 20 races for which to post candidates and links so something had to give.
Perhaps a blogger across the line like Chris Slavens or Elbert Collins can take up my slack and try to keep my Delaware readers informed. (Lord knows Salisbury blogger Joe Albero – who actually lives in Delaware – won’t do so.) Similarly, there should be a blogger or two in each county who aggregates the links for their home county and tries to keep readers informed about the political races. It could even be a job for the local hometown newspaper given the power of the internet and their presence there.
I don’t know how many local politicians read my site (my guess is most GOP officeholders do – Democrats, not so much) but if you have an event for my upcoming Political Calendar I’d appreciate a shout out – e-mail me or leave a message on my Facebook page. The better my calendar is the more readers, and the more readers there are the more people know about the event. And I won’t bury it among press releases, old jokes, and stories which are disproved by Snopes.com. Hey, I’ll even take advertising from the right people.
So again, I apologize for disappointing my First State readers for needing to be more Maryland-centric but this is the year to change Maryland’s policies. Your chance comes in two years.
Two planks to question
On Wednesday I announced that Joe Ollinger had entered the race for Wicomico County Executive, with a followup post on Thursday regarding his platform. It’s a platform which dealt extensively with the subjects of fiscal responsibility and education and included two interesting planks:
- Empower the County Executive to appoint the county’s school board, which is one of the few remaining with members appointed by the governor. Most Maryland counties have adopted an elected school board.
- Create one county-wide law enforcement agency, consolidating the efforts of the existing Sheriff’s Department with existing municipal police forces in Salisbury, Fruitland, and Delmar.
As you may or may not know, the Wicomico County Republican Party (the one Ollinger is supposedly a part of) has made its case for electing (as opposed to appointing) the Wicomico County board of education; a case similar to one I made back in March.
Yet Ollinger is trying to shift a system which depends on input from a Governor’s office generally at odds with the people of Wicomico County and artificially rigged to reflect a majority of the party holding that office to one which would perhaps better reflect the will of the people based on who they elected County Executive but still not directly accountable to the electorate - sort of a half-step solution which combines the worst of both worlds. Perhaps it’s a plank which Joe can be made to reconsider if and when he’s elected because, while he may hold conservative educational values, it would certainly make the teachers’ union more of a player than it already is for the County Executive race – they would have a direct stake in the outcome.
As a Republican Party we believe an elected school board is the way to go and, unlike a GOP Congress which was forced to carry water for some of President Bush’s ill-considered ideas, neither our central commitee nor Republicans on County Council (or outside conservative groups like AFP) may sit quietly and allow Ollinger to proceed with his scheme.
Similarly, the fiefdoms which are the various local municipal police departments may not be willing to have themselves absorbed into the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department. While these departments work together on a regular basis, the logistics of such a change need to be studied carefully and most likely placed on a timetable beyond the term of the County Executive – I think such a process if undertaken would take at least five years to adopt from initial planning to final outcome. There’s also the risk of alienating bargaining units like the Fraternal Order of Police and assuredly the Maryland State Police may have to have some say as well.
In truth, we may find that the assumed efficiencies in combining departments are outweighed by unforseeable costs or a lack of coverage of rural areas as municipalities would be especially cognizant of reduced patrols and complain if the crime rate increases.
I know that there are already shared resources between local law enforcement agencies, and perhaps Joe will elaborate further on the subject as the election draws near. But it’s a plank certain to draw as much attention as his educational ideas, which can be taken at face value for what they are worth. There’s little doubt who the educational lobby in this county will support so Joe needs to take his case above them and to the people.
Library proposal put on shelf
This just in from the Wicomico County PIO:
Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., announced today that he has received a letter from Valerie Murphy, Chair of the Wicomico Public Library Board of Trustees, in which the trustees recommended suspending consideration of a site for a new county library headquarters in order to concentrate on the delivery of basic library services. Ms. Murphy stated, “With great reluctance, the Library Board has voted to withdraw from its $375,000 site acquisition grant award from the state and allow the funds to revert while reserving the right to reapply in the future. The Library’s 39% cut in County Operating Funds has created a crisis which makes even this preliminary step toward construction of a new Main Library impractical and inadvisable at this time.”
Mr. Pollitt reacted to the statement by saying, “Under the circumstances, I agree with the Library Board’s position and understand our immediate priority is to continue to make our county library viable and accessible to our citizens. I see this not as abandoning a noble cause but, to use a sports metaphor, it is a ‘rain delay’ until the project can resume when economic conditions warrant. I applaud the hard work and dedication that has brought us to this point and I continue to strongly believe that it is our duty to develop and work toward a vision that improves the quality of life for our residents. That part of the effort will continue.”
Pollitt stated that he will not pursue acquisition of a site for future library operations at this time but will work with the Library Board to make short-term improvements to the existing facility.
Obviously that will come as a relief to those who try and figure out our capital budget, but it would also be worth following up as to what the library and county consider “short-term improvements.” I have the question in to Library Director Tom Hehman regarding this priority list.
On the other hand, I could’ve done without the complaint about a 39% cut in county funding since everyone needs to tighten their belts. I don’t think anyone is going to get their full wish list in this county budget, and the library likely has pondered several areas where it can cut back or raise a little bit of revenue. You might have to wait a little longer to borrow that best-seller and I wouldn’t hold my breath on a fine amnesty, that’s for sure.
So it looks like local fiscal conservatives have carried the day on this front. While the Wicomico Library may need a new facility sometime in the future, the future isn’t now. Of course, I’m sure the state doesn’t mind getting back $375,000 in the short term either. In a time when priorities are the key, having an older library isn’t going to tip the “quality of life” scale all that much to the negative.
Pollitt warms up the local campaign
You wouldn’t expect Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt to be a “one-and-done” termer if he could help it, so this news is not unexpected. From Progressive Delmarva:
Rick Pollitt will kick off his re-election effort to return as Wicomico County Executive with a fundraising dinner this Saturday.
The beef and dumplings dinner will cost $30 a ticket at the Pittsville Fire Hall from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Mat Creamer. Tickets are available at the door.
Rick has started a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, and a website with donations accepted by PayPal.
That scant description by “Duck Around” (who I presume is one of Pollitt’s 80 or so Facebook fans, since two have the surname “Duck”) is pretty much the whole post, and there’s little to Pollitt’s website yet either. It’s a shame, because I’d love to see what Rick thinks are the issues facing Wicomico County and what he’s done to recommend a second term.
However, if any Republicans are seeking the seat they are keeping their cards close to the vest. (Then again, Pollitt was first to file in 2006 and it was right about this time on the calendar.) Conventional wisdom holds that the leading contenders to make such an announcement would be County Councilmen John Cannon or Joe Holloway, but as I recall none of the three main GOP contenders last time came from an elected background (nor did Pollitt, as it turns out.) We could see a local business leader step into the ring once again, on either side.
Depending on your perspective, it’s either fortunate or unfortunate that I’ve been through this rodeo once before and my archives go back beyond the 2006 election. Here’s some golden oldies where Pollitt spoke during that campaign, like the NAACP forum, the Pittsville forum, and his response to my analysis. As an added bonus, I have an overview of the 2006 CE race and its key issues, and how he did his initial budget. Maybe if he’d said “no” a little more during the fat times the lean times would have been easier to deal with – in other words, a little “proven leadership” would have gone a long way.
But we can change the leader, and perhaps this November is a good time to do so. (Or even September - wonder if Tom Taylor will run again?)
Wicomico County can do better. Being first to hold the County Executive’s seat is certainly an honor but it’s not a license to remain there for life.
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