Wicomico County – Page 16

The video speed trap: an investigation (part 1)

According to a published report, the city of Fruitland has lightened the wallets of unsuspecting area drivers to the tune of nearly $4,000 by using speed cameras in school zones – even when school isn’t in session.

Late last year, a bill passed in the 2009 General Assembly session allowed local counties and municipalities to begin collecting revenue from people speeding through school zones. If you’re caught doing 12 m.p.h. or more over the posted speed limit, you get a citation in the mail which costs you $40. Sure, you can fight this in court, but unlike in criminal cases you’re presumed guilty until you can prove either the plates were stolen or someone else was driving the car – in that case, the fine accrues to them. The phrase in the law, “(a)djudication of liability shall be based on a preponderance of evidence” is one best known for civil court.

The measure itself has an interesting history – it lost in third reading 23-24 but was resurrected by a rare motion to reconsider the third reading by Senator Ulysses Currie (D – Prince George’s). Four Senators (all Democrats) changed their votes to pass the bill 27-20 – local Senators Colburn and Stoltzfus voted no. Subsequently, the House passed the bill 94-41, with local Delegates Cane, Conway, Elmore, and Mathias voting yes while Eckardt and Haddaway properly voted against adoption.

With the prospect of an October change in the law, some jurisdictions chomped at the bit thinking about this “free” revenue stream. The city of Fruitland was no different, convening a special meeting September 15, 2009 as a demonstration of the camera equipment. (Note that Councilmen Carey, Lokey, and Ortiz were “extremely interested.”)

Needless to say on November 10, 2009, after a brief public hearing, all four Fruitland council members voted in favor of adopting the ordinance allowing speed cameras in school zones. In February, the contract with RedSpeed and Brekford Corporation to operate them was finalized and operation began March 23rd. Noted their release:

The State of Maryland’s significant expansion and implementation of speed control systems throughout the state is estimated to generate $65.3 million in new photo ticket revenues by 2014 and an estimated $9.8 million opportunity for private sector companies servicing the public safety landscape. (Emphasis mine.)

RedSpeed bills itself as, “a leading provider of turnkey traffic enforcement solutions,” while Brekford specializes in “upfitting” law enforcement vehicles. In this case, a garden-variety Ford Escape SUV has the camera equipment installed within. I’ll have more on the vehicle in part 2.

Unfortunately, it appears we’re stuck with these cameras for the time being, and they may be spreading across county lines because Princess Anne is considering them for school zones in their community. An initial effort to bring the law to referendum last year fell short of the required number of signatures and died. With majority Democrats in charge of the General Assembly (and that estimated $65.3 million at stake) it’s doubtful any other rollback can be done on the state level. One website devotes itself to the abuses of speed cameras in Maryland, with each offense being more proof that communities are in it for the Benjamins.

Of course, some may ask why it’s such a big deal – if you don’t want a ticket then don’t speed.

The problem with this approach of fundraising is similar to that of “sin” taxes. Revenue rarely meets expectations, so having this camel’s nose under the tent is going to lead to expanded use of speed and red-light cameras in the name of safety. And while this purportedly frees up police officers to combat other crime, in truth they’ll mostly be running a different manner of traffic enforcement.

In part 2 I’ll describe the situation on the ground in Fruitland and possibility for abuse.

District 38B hopeful Kenney a rare political breed

In this year of the political newcomer it seems that most of these neophytes became interested in the process over the last few months as groups like Americans for Prosperity, Campaign for Liberty, and 9-12 Patriots evolved in great part from Tea Parties held in the spring and summer of 2009. Many of these political newcomers have shaped the 2010 Maryland electoral landscape, particularly in local races.

But District 38B hopeful A. Kaye Kenney states right up front, “let me assure you that I am not nor have I been a member of the Tea Party movement.” Instead, her political upbringing comes through a more traditional route.

(continued on my Examiner.com page…)

One question which occured to me as I wrote this piece: was she for or against privatizing the Wicomico County Liquor Commission? I don’t recall.

Update: Kenney responds, “I served on the study committee and our committee was unanimous that it should be privatized. I still believe it should be privatized. The situation was that in the last couple years, the dispensary’s contribution to the county has increased and we couldn’t find the funds to replace their contribution. The county believes at this time they can’t do without those funds.”

Thanks!

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.

A tale of two celebrations

It was a memorable Memorial Day weekend, and the many methods of celebration provided a contrast in styles.

Yesterday I found myself at an American Legion post outside Millsboro, Delaware for the Concert for a Random Soldier.

Just as the sign says, this is the Concert for a Random Soldier. A total of nine bands participated, with some players also doing some solo work.

From the reports given, this concert gets more participation and attendance each year.

It was a pretty full house under the pavilion at American Legion Post 28 in Millsboro, Delaware.

Some people got up and danced the day away. Later this week I’ll do a separate Weekend of Local Rock post, but here’s the reaction to one of the bands, 8 Track Flashback.

This couple enjoyed the oldies played by one of the participating bands, 8 Track Flashback.

It was a pretty day and venue.

Looking at the venue from the parking lot. The pavilion is about three years old and proved to be a fine venue on a sunny day.

Yet there was more to do than just listen to music. They had plenty of food for sale as well.

How about some bratwurst? This was just one of the things you could eat at the Concert for a Random Soldier.

Or you could take in the car show; this one was my personal favorite.

Aaaaah, the era before OPEC raised its ugly head. This is a sharp Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 convertible from 1972.

How about buying a shirt? Actually, this is what I wore today to the following subject of my post.

For a donation, you could buy an event shirt. The nice thing is having the band list to see who helped out.

The beneficiary foundation was named after a local soldier who was killed in action.

The foundation gets the money, but the proceeds from this event were going to a group called Guitars for Vets.

His mother, Terri Clifton, spearheaded the event after Chad was killed in 2005. From humble beginnings it’s grown over the last 4 years.

Event organizer and Gold Star Mother Terri Clifton.

In truth there were actually nine bands since one dropped at the last minute, but it made for a full day of music. Nor is this the only event the Chad Clifton Foundation holds.

A 5-K run in July might not be the first thing on my to-do list, but for those in military shape it should be a piece of cake.

The final picture in my Concert for a Random Soldier story is just because.

I just liked the picture of the tank and flag, that's all.

Perhaps it leads me into my description of this morning’s events at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. Unlike the growth and change in the Concert for a Random Soldier over the last four years, Wicomico County’s commemoration ceremony changes little from year to year, even to the point of many participants being longtime veterans of the event itself. One example: Tony Sarbanes as master of ceremonies.

As has been the case each year, former County Councilman Tony Sarbanes served as master of ceremonies.

The Junior ROTC provides the manpower to lower the flags to half-staff.

JROTC cadets stand at attention after lowering the flags at the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

Unfortunately, the oppressive heat claimed one of their numbers as a casualty, but she was relieved quickly and the ceremony carried on without her. Seemingly the event is always held on a warm, muggy morning.

Those who are various members of the military are recognized, along with elected officials. We also get representatives from the offices of Maryland’s Senators and Congressman Frank Kratovil.

County Executive Richard Pollitt (center) looks on during the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

After prayers to represent each branch of the military, we moved on to the tolling of the Red Knights Memorial Bell and reading of the names of Wicomico County’s fallen. These tasks have always been done by John Lynch and Ed Tattersall, respectively.

John Lynch always doubts he'll see the next year's ceremony but he hasn't been right on that yet. He tolled the Red Knights Memorial Bell at the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

Ed Tattersall recites the names of nearly 190 Wicomico County citizens killed in war since World War I at the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

While Matthew Wallace plays ‘Amazing Grace’ a wreath is brought forth to a place of honor.

Matthew Wallace plays 'Amazing Grace' on his bagpipes during the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

The wreath used at Wicomico County's Memorial Day ceremony.

The Wicomico County Sheriff Department has a detail which handles the volley of arms.

The volley of arms is performed by a trio from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Department.

One change comes in the duo playing “Taps.” This year it’s Isaiah Oakley and John Jochum doing the honors.

The mournful sound of 'Taps' being performed at the Wicomico County Memorial Day ceremony, May 31, 2010.

With that, we hear the benediction (as always, performed by the Reverend J. Harvey Dixon) and we move on.

Most linger a little while to catch up with old friends; sadly, in more and more cases each year’s ceremony is the last for a certain number of World War II and Korean War veterans, with Vietnam veterans not that far behind in getting older and grayer. Soon it will be up to those who have survived the wars of my generation fought in the Middle East to carry on the tradition – including those contemporaries of Chad Clifton.

They will inherit a tradition left in good hands by those who fought decades or even a half-century ago. But even they simply carried on a line of honor unbroken since the aftermath of the War Between the States and I’m faithful in my belief that the torch will passed on to yet another Greatest Generation. While a concert may break from a solemn tradition, it is one way to remember the fallen and a reminder that there’s no “right way” to honor those who served.

State bails out Wicomico County (for now)

First the release:

Following a 9:30 A.M. appearance (yesterday) by Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. and Director of Finance Patricia Petersen before the Maryland State Board of Education in Baltimore, the Board voted 8-to-4 in favor of granting a waiver on the county’s Maintenance of Effort requirement for education funding. The Wicomico County Board of Education will now receive an additional $1.5 Million in state funds.

Upon receiving the news of the positive vote, Mr. Pollitt said, “Against all odds, we were able to persuade the Board that Wicomico County would not be able to provide its required share of funding to our K-12 school children in next year’s budget. I suggested to them that they could mitigate the impact of county cuts somewhat by granting the waiver. We are delighted that the State Board agreed and that our school program will receive the extra funding.”

Of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City, only Wicomico and Montgomery counties sought the MOE waiver.

But the long-term answer isn’t going to begging hat in hand to the state because as you may recall the waiver was denied last year – luckily the BoE “found” the money to keep itself running with its full budget. Instead, we need to adopt a two-pronged solution to addressing this problem long-term.

One part would be to minimize the budget where possible, starting with lopping off a top-heavy administration. Perhaps the idea of lengthening the school day but shortening the school week so fewer bus trips are required is worth exploring. And I don’t think increasing the class size is a bad idea, either. Why not see where private schools succeed while public schools fail?

But the second part of the solution lies in the state of Maryland. Someone needs to stand up to the court which dictated the funding formula to our state (and led to the Thornton Commission law) and ask the plaintiffs (a group which included ACORN) to prove that more money equals a better result. Put them on the defensive because their “stunning victory” is burying the average taxpayer.

The problem with having to deal with Maintenance of Effort (as I understand it) is that education spending can NEVER go down – the amount of money required is equal to the previous year’s. In cases where funding for the next year is dependent on the spending for this one, nine times out of ten (and maybe even 99 of 100) the agency or bureau will spend money at the end of the fiscal year on wasteful items just for the sake of spending it and not losing its allocation.

As we’ve proven with this recession, throwing money at a problem does little to solve it but instead discourages innovative thinking. Yes, Wicomico County dodged a bullet this time but the long-term solution is to disarm those who are robbing the taxpayers blind.

Living with our library

In a post last week, I detailed how the Wicomico Public Library put its plans for a new main branch on hold. While there’s a segment of the population who would dearly like to see a new library – to many of them, preferably located in downtown Salisbury – the reality finally struck that economic conditions aren’t conducive to Wicomico County putting themselves another $30 million or so in debt.

Via communication with WPL Director Tom Hehman, I received a copy of the evaluation done on the main library building downtown a couple years back. Bethesda-based Grimm+Parker Architects (couldn’t a local firm be found?) did the study and looked at three options: renovating and adding to the existing library, replacing the library with a new building on the same site, and building a new facility on a remote site.

The first bone of contention is that:

Library space needs should be based upon a nationally recognized standard of providing between a minimum of .8 sf to 1 sf of library space per capita.

It doesn’t say whose standard that is – it could be the standard made up by someone who wants every library to be the Cadillac of libraries. Even so, the number arrived at by Grimm+Parker came out to 72,361 square feet if the existing building is renovated, where the existing library building is 55,175 square feet. So a simple renovation wouldn’t be enough.

One piece of the puzzle I wasn’t aware of (not being native to Salisbury) is that the main WPL building itself is comprised of two pieces – the original armory building which dates from 1917 (renovated to become the library in 1969) and an addition built in 1979. Newcomers like me wouldn’t realize that the old armory was included because the 1979 addition encompassed almost all of the original armory, which comprises just under half the space.

The major deficiencies found by the Grimm+Parker study were:

a structural system insufficient to meet modern code demands for library stack space
outmoded HVAC systems (for the most part installed with the 1979 renovation)
lack of compliance to ADA and accessibility codes

Obviously the architects of the 1979 renovation would have built the library per the codes in place at the time, a time which preceded the advent of combined, international building codes stressing energy efficiency and handicapped accessibility. This is the deceiving part of the study – while the building certainly shows its age (just by looking at it I could tell it was a building from the 1970’s without knowing its history) there’s little chance of a catastrophic structural disaster occurring in the next 5 to 10 years since building codes have always factored a margin of safety in with the calculations done to write them. If the structure currently shows no outward signs of failure the building should remain serviceable (if not the utmost in efficient) for the next decade.

In fact, the impetus which almost compels the county to eventually build a new library isn’t the condition of the old building but the fact that the county is boxed in by those very building codes which keep pushing the envelope farther in terms of energy efficiency, accessibility, and structural requirements. The Grimm+Parker study comes to this conclusion:

Any renovation that attempts to resolve serious building code or programmatic deficiencies will require full compliance with the 2006 IBC. The existing structures were designed to the building codes in place at that time and as such they were fine at that time. However, building codes have evolved significantly. IBC 2006 requires that the library structure be brought up to contemporary structural codes which require the building structure to withstand lateral and seismic forces that it was not originally designed to withstand.

Remedial structural reinforcement will be extensive throughout the structure and disruptive within the spaces because it will be adding on to an existing structure that will need to be reinforced to carry the new loads.

(Note: since the study was done in 2008 the 2009 IBC was released; the library will have to comply with whatever edition has been adopted by the state of Maryland when the building permit is applied for.)

In the meantime, the library will have to make do with what it has, with the extent of renovations which are possible being dictated by the building codes in place. They establish a line the library cannot step beyond without creating the requirement for full compliance.

Since we will eventually be forced into building a new library facility, it leads to two questions.

One, what will a new library really cost?

One recent example of new library construction I found was in the city of Novi, Michigan which is just wrapping up construction on a $10.1 million, 55,000 square foot facility on land they already owned. Perhaps I’m comparing apples and oranges to an extent, but $185 or so per square foot for a 73,000 square foot building is a LOT less than $30 million. (Extrapolated out, that comes up to a shade over $13.5 million.)

Wicomico County doesn’t need a Taj Mahal for a library, just a serviceable, attractive, and energy efficient building to house the library and associated administrative functions. We’re pretty unassuming folks here who like to be wise with our tax dollars.

Unfortunately, unless a suitably large single-story retail space becomes available for the library’s temporary relocation (something perhaps along the lines of the former Giant/Super Fresh adjacent to the North Pointe Walmart) it’s likely the library will be forced to move from its current location.

The second question then: what happens to the old building?

Some have speculated the City of Salisbury has its eye on it for office space, allowing them to vacate the Government Office Building it shares with Wicomico County. Obviously this usage would not be as taxing structurally as the old functions were, but the building would still need to be brought up to code in a number of other areas and may not be the inexpensive alternative the city may think it has by making such a move. (I like the idea of streamlining government operations to fit the building they have myself.) In essence, they trade one set of problems for another since the buildings are of similar age and presumably upkeep.

If the library building was torn down, though, what could be placed at the site? Obviously it’s a pretty lucrative piece of property with a partial river view. Those who prefer open space would likely envision it as a small park but the smarter play could be residential (assuming there’s a market for it) or an entertainment venue along the lines of Brew River if a suitable amount of parking can be found. In either case, it could help transform that part of downtown away from a 9 to 5 usage to more of a 24-hour development and has the added benefit of returning a piece of property to taxable status.

All these plans will probably have to wait until the latter part of this decade for fruition, though. For better or worse, the Wicomico Public Library will have to coast in neutral until economic conditions dictate construction of their new facility. While they can complain about that which they have, the truth is that most basic functions a library serves can be carried out in their existing facility and it’s only external forces which compel new construction.

Wicomico Rutledge fundraiser a success

Once you found the road, the event was tough to miss. Just to make sure this display was left out by the road.

On Saturday I went to a secluded farm hard by the Worcester County line in order to attend a fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Jim Rutledge. Looked pretty well packed from here.

A panoramic shot taken during the Jim Rutledge fundraiser outside Salisbury on May 22, 2010. About 70 people attended.

I think the Daily Times did a decent piece on the event but underestimated the crowd a little bit. Perhaps one can count the number of people in the picture.

Rutledge gave about thirty minutes’ worth of remarks.

Candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Rutledge spoke for about thirty minutes before supporters.

Jim pounded on a number of his campaign points, including:

Lowering taxes – “at heart, I’m still a Ronald Reagan conservative.” Jim vowed to repeal the tax code in its entirety if elected and replace it with a flat tax with few deductions. To spur investment Jim would also dump the capital gains tax.
Limited government – “the (federal government) beast is out of its cage.” On the other hand, “the Constitution is a forgotten document” and “the family is the fundamental unit of government.” One thing he could do to limit government would be to defund Obamacare – “we still have the purse strings in Congress” – since the political reality is that Obama is President until at least 2013.
National security – this includes border security. Jim excoriated Barbara Mikulski for applauding Mexican President Felipe Calderon for trashing our laws before Congress but otherwise being “missing in inaction” on the full scope of national security.

After he gave his remarks, Rutledge invited those attending to ask their own questions. Among them were some which touched on other issues he didn’t bring up during his remarks.

U.S. Senate candidate Jim Rutledge answers a question posed by an observer at his fundraiser held outside Salisbury May 22, 2010.

On how to attract conservative Democrats: he’s launched campaign operations in Democratic strongholds already. Among issues, illegal immigration is a “huge issue” in the black community and school vouchers are also a winning issue. “Bold talk will bring across independents.”
I asked about the impact of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. Why not convene the best and brightest to attack the problem, asked Jim back. He attacked the federal government, saying their bungling made them co-responsible. Turning to energy in general, Jim criticized the “unreasonable fear” of nuclear energy but still supports additional oil and natural gas exploration, calling it “a matter of national security…life and death.”
Regarding immigration, Jim opined the Arizona SB1070 bill is “constitutional” and noted that blanket amnesty would be a reward for breaking the law. One idea he floated seemed acceptable to those attending – “when folks want to come (to America) they need to post bond.” If they overstayed their visas, there could be a process of finding scofflaws for a reward just like those who skip bond in criminal cases.
Why not the FairTax (a consumption-based tax)? The flat tax needs to come first because it can be adopted faster, said Rutledge. We only need “a revenue source for necessary services” but if the Sixteenth Amendment isn’t repealed as a consumption tax is adopted we’ll be stuck with both.
Government cuts Jim would make: stopping overseas commitments like what we’re pledging to help out Greece, abolishing Congressional pensions, and “we have to get out of the grant business.”
Regarding the Middle East and Afghanistan, Jim struck a bit of an isolationist tone. Because the mission isn’t well-defined, “we’re in a world of hurt” in Afghanistan. It is our job to defend our own sovereign state.
Jim predicted parts of the Obamacare bill will be struck down in court. It’s not among those items authorized for Congress to do in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
Someone asked how illegal immigrants have court standing. They have due process, stated Jim, but the immigration courts are “broken” and the message from our government is “a green light” to illegal immigration.
How do we fight teachers’ unions? Jim believes in “strong” schools but the unions “serve themselves.” He pointed out that he’s been endorsed by the National Right-To-Work organization.

Yet we didn’t just stand around and listen to Rutledge speak. There was good food, too.

Yes, the organizers let us eat cake. But there was seriously good pulled pork as well as other culinary delights, too.

We also had the chance to arrange for ourselves a mini-vacation as well as other silent auction items.

You could buy everything from the potted plant to a week in Florida. Yes, the potted plant was a bit cheaper.

Participants also had the chance to take a hayride, ride around the farm on all-terrain vehicles, pitch horseshoes, or just gab among themselves regarding the events of the day. This wasn’t one of those stuffy fundraisers where the candidate zips in and zips out, or you had to buy access by being a VIP – Jim was accessible to all comers and many took the opportunity. Plus they got to meet a number of other local candidates who attended.

Jim took the time to speak to a lot of folks at this event. I think people came away impressed with his openness to discuss ideas with them.

Now I like Jim, but perhaps the best thing he’s done in this campaign is make my heretofore apolitical significant other believe in a candidate. If he can inspire more like her Jim has a great chance of making it through the primary and knocking off a Senator who’s been there too long to stay in touch with her state.

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.

Wicomico budget meeting finds little contention

I took this just as the hearing was concluding, just to show the lack of attendance.

Two hearings for the price of one.

Perhaps this was an exercise in civility or people are just resigned to their fate. But tonight’s public hearing concerning both the constant yield rate and FY2011 budget drew only about 70 people and little if any fireworks.

The legalese of the constant yield hearing. Translation - your taxes could be lower but we won't lower them.

Let’s begin with the constant yield hearing, where Director of Finance Patricia Petersen carefully explained the legalese which in essence told us that the county was choosing not to lower the property tax rate to that where the revenue yielded would be the same (constant yield) but instead maintaining the same rate as last year. Instead of lowering the rate to 74.91 cents per $100, the rate will stay at 75.9 cents per $100 – that extra penny gained by keeping a stable rate will net Wicomico County $683,364 in additional revenue, yet no one commented. That state-mandated hearing was over in about three minutes. So while Rick Pollitt can say he didn’t increase the tax rate, it proves the old adage that “your results may vary.”

Wicomico County Council was ready and waiting to hear comments but didn't get a lot of them.

The remainder of the meeting was conducted by Council Administrator Matt Creamer. In essence, Creamer went through each department heading and solicited comments on each, saving the school budget for last. He also reminded us the budget process allows County Council to either pass the budget as is or pass it with cuts. They also can change allocations to increase the share for education (per state law) but the total budget has to remain the same by making cuts elsewhere.

Aside from education, the largest reaction came to the library budget. Library head Tom Heyman noted that 40 percent of the public relies on the library for government information, and that social media was even having an impact on the budget – a Facebook petition to save Pittsville’s library branch had garnered over 750 signatures.

Perhaps the most self-serving portion of Heyman’s remarks was his bringing up the videos being made at library locations to beg for sparing from the budget axe. By encouraging “victims” of library cuts to make this sort of scene they’re playing for emotion rather than hard facts.

On the other hand, local observer Kim Trenka used a car analogy of a Lexus versus a Honda to make her point about funding for a new library – however, there’s no money in this operating budget for a new library. (The capital budget may be a different story.) Yet Michael Calpino, another local resident, mentioned that branch hours aren’t being cut equally – the Bivalve library branch is proposed to be open just 12 hours a week. Taking 4 hours from the Centre branch and the Pittsville branch would bring the Bivalve branch back to 20 hours, a number Calpino would be “happy with.” He also suggested a fee could be charged for those out-of-county residents who use their services, particularly at the mall-based Centre branch.

After the rest of the budget was brought up, the floor was opened to general comments and Matt Trenka stepped up. His message was that the county needed to do more with less just as the Strategic Air Command did once the BRAC Commission made its recommendations. He also chided the County Executive for having a budget which was “worthless” in its lack of specificity and documentation and warned County Council not to “drink the (executive branch) Kool-Aid.”

While she didn’t dispute the lack of budget documentation, which was the subject of what she termed an “honest article” in the Daily Times last week, County Council president Gail Bartkovich mentioned that information was now more forthcoming.

In what seemed to be a much more conciliatory tone, both Board of Education president Mark Thompson and superintendent Dr. John Fredericksen pledged to help out as they could. Thompson noted the BoE was “working diligently” on addressing the budget needs while Fredericksen added, “we’re in this together.” Both were mindful of trying to minimize the effect on what Dr. Fredericksen called the “teacher-learner interaction.” Fortunately, thanks to a number of retirements the BoE was confident they could avoid layoffs.

Even local citizen Kay Gibson, a frequent critic of the BoE, was “impressed” with the board’s willingness to make painful cuts.

But not every citizen was pleased. Local political blogger and gadfly Joe Albero was disappointed that Delmar’s experiment with year-round school would come to an end as kids didn’t tend to retain knowledge over a long summer. John Palmer repeated his call that the two at-large County Council positions be eliminated.

Despite the best efforts of Creamer to close out the hearing before I had my say, I wasn’t denied. (I think he didn’t notice I was standing in the back patiently waiting my turn.)

The points I wanted to make were regarding two things: the lack of foresight I see in the budget presentation and the idea that, if this were to be considered a rock-bottom budget, perhaps now would be a good time to adopt TABOR rules. This would limit future spending increases to a factor comprising the growth of population plus the rate of inflation, computed as a percentage – for example, if population grew 1% and inflation was 2% spending could jump no more than 3 percent. It’s a legacy I believe we can live with.

Even with my closing comments, the meeting only ran 70 minutes – compare that to previous budget hearings and I think the people know that the die is now pretty much cast. There were only a dozen speakers, including myself.

As is usual practice, County Executive Pollitt did not attend the meeting but Public Information Officer Jim Fineran did represent the office.

AFP continues to build momentum

Despite the naysayers who criticize how the meetings are conducted, the local Americans for Prosperity chapter continues to grow and even attracted its biggest critic last night. He just can’t stay away.

After poking fun at Julie for her previous rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance, we got the meeting underway by looking at Wicomico County voter data. It’s interesting to note that, unlike the state at large, Democrats do not have an absolute majority in registration here, and independents, minor parties, and unaffiliated voters comprise about 1/6 of the electorate. These are the swing voters everyone craves and many lean conservative. “We must drag politicians back from the brink,’ noted WCAFP co-chair Joe Collins, “…tell them what you want.” This coming from a former two-time Perot voter who thought Obama would govern from the center – obviously recent events have made him wiser. (Hey, I voted for Perot once too.)

Dustin Mills spoke briefly for one of our scheduled speakers, Maryland Senate candidate Michael James – James needed to postpone his appearance. Mills noted that Michael was active in the Worcester AFP chapter and is a “strong, strong, strong fiscal conservative” while repeating James’s mantra of being proactive rather than reactive.

Our other featured speaker did appear. District 38B Delegate hopeful Mike McDermott went over his background and family before bringing up the fact that he was elected mayor of Pocomoke City in a non-partisan race and had to build a coalition with Democrats to get things done – it was a “well fought first year and a half.”

Having spent a brief period of time running a chicken farm, Mike thought the lack of support for the agricultural industry from Annapolis was “outrageous” and perhaps MDE needed a budget cut “to get their attention.”

He asked what the country has done with Reagan’s legacy and reminded us that there’s been two generations who haven’t had such leadership – Reagan grew up in the era of our grandparents. As for the roiling, passionate debate we’ve had over a number of topics nationally, McDermott counseled us to “simmer over the summer” and hold on to that passion until closer to election time.

When I asked him about the prospect of working with Norm Conway, he said “I can work with him.” Norm’s a nice guy, but he’s a tax and spend liberal too.

We also need conservatives in the General Assembly to help change the tax system, opined Mike, and told us that “Maryland needs to sell some land” rather than continue to spend Program Open Space money (hear hear!)

Julie returned to the rostrum to go over some ideas for an organizational structure and seek out leadership volunteers. “We are the engine driving change,” she said, but it was getting to be too much for just a few people to handle.

We then had a series of speakers briefly go over being an election judge or poll watcher as well as reports on county and city government and a brief wrapup of state activities by Nick Loffer.

Kim Trenka called the county’s budget problem “a spending problem” and said we need “to challenge our county leadership.” While Rick Pollitt equated our low tax rate with reduced services, Trenka had some ideas on positions which could be eliminated, such as the two at-large County Council members and Pollitt’s public information officer.

S.J. Disharoon saw the city’s freshly revealed budget as having some “strange numbers” and called it “a big sieve…money’s being wasted.” He also criticized Mayor Jim Ireton for leaving the fire chief position unfilled so long and reminded us that Ireton said to him, “I’m going to make government smaller.” Apparently this is more by chance than by choice.

With the absence of Council member Gary Comegys due to illness, Disharoon saw this as an opportunity for members Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell to “exert their power” – a 2-2 tie vote means measures do not pass. S.J. ended by warning, “if you don’t pay attention…(the government) will fool you.”

Loffer did alert us to an upcoming grassroots training on May 12 at our Brew River location.

As always, the meeting ended with what’s called “vent and purge,” and one observer made the point that we don’t need a family history as much as we need issue-based discussion from candidates – after all, no one is going to stand in front of us and tell us he or she is a scoundrel. However, character is a trait we should know about, yet it also has to be about keeping one’s word. Our job is to keep those in office flying right and place their feet to the fire if they stray.

I’m not sure who will be speaking next time around, but we are trying to get another U.S. Senate hopeful for June.

Are Conway and Mathias trying to buy votes?

One of my fellow Examiners, J. Doug Gill, brought up the point about the $15 million of state largesse going toward “bond bills” this session, but after looking at the projects funded I wanted to bring the point closer to home – so I did a little bit of investigation and simple math.

The state approved a number of projects in the State Capital Budget Bill, and one thing I was curious about was how the money was doled out. First, though, I had to see what the “proper” proportion of funding was based on population. The sequence below covers each Maryland county (and Baltimore City) and its percentage of the state population based on 2009 estimates. The (parentheses) is what percentage of the $15 million the county in question received.

Montgomery – 17.05% (13.23%)
Prince George’s – 14.64% (17.93%)
Baltimore – 13.86% (7.63%)
Baltimore City – 11.18% (14.03%)
Anne Arundel – 9.14% (7.33%)
Howard – 4.95% (5.93%)
Harford – 4.26% (1.33%)
Frederick – 4.00% (2%)
Carroll – 2.98% (1%)
Washington – 2.56% (1.83%)
Charles – 2.50% (2.33%)
St. Mary’s – 1.81% (1.4%)
Cecil – 1.77% (1%)
Wicomico – 1.65% (2.73%)
Calvert – 1.57% (1.67%)
Allegany – 1.27% (1%)
Worcester – 0.86% (1.67%)
Queen Anne’s – 0.84% (1%)
Talbot – 0.64% (0.07%)
Caroline – 0.59% (0)
Dorchester – 0.56% (0.87%)
Garrett – 0.52% (1.33%)
Somerset – 0.46% (0)
Kent – 0.36% (0)

Most counties get a smaller share than their population because there were a number of “statewide” projects funded like the Maryland Food Bank. But it’s interesting that both Wicomico and Worcester did well, and that’s perhaps because Norm Conway faces a tough election (as does Jim Mathias, assuming he runs for the open District 38 Senate seat.) On the other hand, counties which were shut out are represented by Republicans in Districts 36, 37, and 38. Nothing like a little slap at the minority, who weren’t as well-rewarded as certain Democrats.

Granted, I think the $15 million may have been better zeroed out given our state’s fiscal circumstance but it seems that many in the General Assembly leadership use this as a slush fund to help their most vulnerable incumbents, particularly in an election year.

Undoubtedly the projects selected can be considered worthy – in Wicomico County state dollars will assist the Salisbury Zoo and the Parsonsburg VFD; meanwhile, Worcester County will enjoy improvements to Pocomoke City’s VFD facility (which just so happens to be in GOP challenger Mike McDermott’s backyard.) But are they worth the taxpayer money or the $14 million-plus where we had to scratch the rest of the state’s back to get these crumbs? The Senate approved $210,000 for the two counties while the House gave Conway and Mathias $450,000 this time around.

By comparison, the House allocations to Wicomico and Worcester counties in 2009 totaled $250,000; in 2008 they were $145,000; and in 2007 $450,000. The Senate granted $150,000 in 2009; $275,000 in 2008; and just $50,000 in 2007. It’s something which makes you go, “hmmmmm….” doesn’t it?