Current council member Honiss Cane
In a class by himself - a class I hope no future Pocomoke council member would aspire to reach.
It is perhaps best if I relay incidents I have observed and been told over the last 17+ years.
You will recall that the former Pocomoke police chef was found guilty for obstruction of justice in office. A Pocomoke police officer fixed tickets for Mr. Cane's son. Mr. Cane said he did not ask for the tickets to be fixed. I worked in Pocomoke city hall during the time of this trial and I know differently. In essence the former police chief "took the fall." I heard much discussion of this during that time in the city manager's office. Mr. Cane should have insisted that the tickets be paid. As a council member he should have known better than to allow the tickets to be fixed on his son's behalf.
Mr. Cane purchased a home in another district yet maintained that he still lived in District 2. Yet his neighbors say he in fact lives in this new home. Perhaps his not running again is his acknowledgement of this.
Further, when called on this during a council meeting, he verbally attacked the citizen doing so and berated her for having unpaid medical bills. Unbelievable!!
Especially so if you consider that he was always at least 2 years behind in paying the taxes on his Pocomoke properties during the time I was in city hall. He was drawing a city salary! He apparently felt entitled to be delinquent. The same was true for the city manager and another council member. All of them should have known better.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
My thoughts on current Pocomoke council members
For what it is worth (may not be much) I offer my opinions of our current council members, starting with 5th District, my district.
Rob Clarke
The one council member I trust. He is honest, respectful, forthright, intelligent, logical. I trust him far more than his predecessors. He listens to me and considers my opinions. This does not mean he agrees with me. But he listens. I think he would do this for any Pocomoke citizen without bias. He does not play games like his predecessors did and does not let emotion or favoritism get in the way. What you see is what you get. Very decent man. State Forester for Worcester County.
District 1, Robert Hawkins
Basically a good man. But he has been there too long. Goes along to get along. The fence sitter. Needs more backbone. Not as straight forward as I would like. Retired from NASA.
District 3, Bruce Morrison
Another basically good man. I lived next door to his mother for seven years. She was very kind to me and a good mother. Based on that I believe he cares about Pocomoke.
District 4, Tracey Cottman
I have limited knowledge of Tracey, just what I read in the paper and council minutes and what I observed on election day in 2009. She was the director for the Local Management Board in Somerset and is coordinator for Somerset Safe Schools, Healthy Students. She reportedly does very good work there. Rob Clarke tells me she is not in Cane's back pocket. But even the mayor was quoted as saying she was not always responsive to her constituency.
And last, District 2, Honiss Cane . . . .
More later.
Rob Clarke
The one council member I trust. He is honest, respectful, forthright, intelligent, logical. I trust him far more than his predecessors. He listens to me and considers my opinions. This does not mean he agrees with me. But he listens. I think he would do this for any Pocomoke citizen without bias. He does not play games like his predecessors did and does not let emotion or favoritism get in the way. What you see is what you get. Very decent man. State Forester for Worcester County.
District 1, Robert Hawkins
Basically a good man. But he has been there too long. Goes along to get along. The fence sitter. Needs more backbone. Not as straight forward as I would like. Retired from NASA.
District 3, Bruce Morrison
Another basically good man. I lived next door to his mother for seven years. She was very kind to me and a good mother. Based on that I believe he cares about Pocomoke.
District 4, Tracey Cottman
I have limited knowledge of Tracey, just what I read in the paper and council minutes and what I observed on election day in 2009. She was the director for the Local Management Board in Somerset and is coordinator for Somerset Safe Schools, Healthy Students. She reportedly does very good work there. Rob Clarke tells me she is not in Cane's back pocket. But even the mayor was quoted as saying she was not always responsive to her constituency.
And last, District 2, Honiss Cane . . . .
More later.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Hoping to see real change
Getting to be time for another Pocomoke City election. Thank the Lord we have new faces in both districts up for election this year. I am especially thankful that Honis Cane is no longer in the picture. Now maybe there will be some semblance of proper elections.
I wish the new candidates well in their efforts. I hope those that are elected will truly remember they serve the people and their focus to that end is maintained while in office. Hopefully they will not buy into the old status quo as our current mayor has. Hopefully they will remember their promises to citizens throughout their term(s) in office.
I pray it is so.
I wish the new candidates well in their efforts. I hope those that are elected will truly remember they serve the people and their focus to that end is maintained while in office. Hopefully they will not buy into the old status quo as our current mayor has. Hopefully they will remember their promises to citizens throughout their term(s) in office.
I pray it is so.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Practice what you preach
The following is from the Sunday Salisbury Daily Times, July 5, 2009
Is it important to celebrate the Fourth of July as the birthday of our nation?
Independence Day serves to remind us who we are as a people. Our Declaration of Independence, delivered to King George, provided insight into our collective soul. No longer would we beg for crumbs from the king's table. What we "declared" to the king we must continue to declare to each other -- chiefly, that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government. We declare our rights are inalienable and given by God, not the product of government. Yet we did not stop there; we put all future government on notice that we would not suffer the yoke of bondage as a free people. From the day we declared it until now, we have been a vigilant guard of liberty's torch. Let us remind our children that we celebrate with fireworks that which is secured by the blood of patriots past, present and future.
This is the response to the posed question by Michael A. McDermott, Mayor of Pocomoke.
I cannot help but find Mayor Michael A. McDermott comments both insincere and not credible. One of the freedoms we celebrate on July 4th is the right to express our opinions, whatever they might be. Yet he stood on the steps of Pocomoke's city hall and told a candidate up for election and her husband they should stop their blog, the Pocomoke Tattler, and should move away because he does not like their opinions. He says the "right things". His actions, however, just do not back up what he says. How are we to believe him!
Maybe he should realize this incongruence between his words and his actions does not support his seeking of “intellectual” discussions. Pocomoke certainly could use an elected Mayor that understands “that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government,” to use McDermott’s words. The understanding of this concept is a rare occurrence in Pocomoke’s City Hall, at least when you disagree with City Hall.
Is it important to celebrate the Fourth of July as the birthday of our nation?
Independence Day serves to remind us who we are as a people. Our Declaration of Independence, delivered to King George, provided insight into our collective soul. No longer would we beg for crumbs from the king's table. What we "declared" to the king we must continue to declare to each other -- chiefly, that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government. We declare our rights are inalienable and given by God, not the product of government. Yet we did not stop there; we put all future government on notice that we would not suffer the yoke of bondage as a free people. From the day we declared it until now, we have been a vigilant guard of liberty's torch. Let us remind our children that we celebrate with fireworks that which is secured by the blood of patriots past, present and future.
This is the response to the posed question by Michael A. McDermott, Mayor of Pocomoke.
I cannot help but find Mayor Michael A. McDermott comments both insincere and not credible. One of the freedoms we celebrate on July 4th is the right to express our opinions, whatever they might be. Yet he stood on the steps of Pocomoke's city hall and told a candidate up for election and her husband they should stop their blog, the Pocomoke Tattler, and should move away because he does not like their opinions. He says the "right things". His actions, however, just do not back up what he says. How are we to believe him!
Maybe he should realize this incongruence between his words and his actions does not support his seeking of “intellectual” discussions. Pocomoke certainly could use an elected Mayor that understands “that government exists to serve the people, not for people serve the government,” to use McDermott’s words. The understanding of this concept is a rare occurrence in Pocomoke’s City Hall, at least when you disagree with City Hall.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day 2009
Here it is already, July 4, 2009. How time flies! Time to pause and reflect on the value of our freedoms and the hard fought efforts, which continue even today, to preserve them.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_12752907) has an excellent piece on the Declaration of Independence. The article is a modern day version of pertinent sections of the Declaration.
As Pocomokians we would do well to read the Declaration of Independence more often. Especially the powers that be in our City Hall.
Sections especially pertinent to us in Pocomoke:
"... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights ..."
...that God created every person equal, and He gave each person specific unchanging rights that should never be trampled upon...
"... that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness ..."
these include the right of the people to live life in freedom without undue harm, and pursue their dreams and goals.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ..."
The very reason we have man-made governments is to protect these rights, not to interfere with them. Furthermore, whatever power and authority governments have are given by the people's permission and limited to their protection.
"...that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ..."
When any government starts to undermine the very purpose of protecting the life, freedoms, and happiness of the people, then they have the right to change the government or even to pull the plug on the government if things get too bad.
"...and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
The people have the right to set up a new and better government based and organized upon tried and true principles that protect, rather than threaten, their safety and happiness.
"and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
And, in fact, history shows that people are more likely to put up with unbearable evil they even get used to it!, than they are to correct the problem. In other words: Put a frog in hot water and he'll jump out. But put him in cool water and gradually turn up the heat, and he'll fry to death.
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
But when a government becomes tyrannical and abusive with consistent, repeated violations of the people's rights, with the intent to make them slaves of the state, then the people have the right -- in fact, the duty -- to revolt and put new safeguards in place to protect their future rights.
Yes, there is still some work to be done in Pocomoke.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_12752907) has an excellent piece on the Declaration of Independence. The article is a modern day version of pertinent sections of the Declaration.
As Pocomokians we would do well to read the Declaration of Independence more often. Especially the powers that be in our City Hall.
Sections especially pertinent to us in Pocomoke:
"... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights ..."
...that God created every person equal, and He gave each person specific unchanging rights that should never be trampled upon...
"... that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness ..."
these include the right of the people to live life in freedom without undue harm, and pursue their dreams and goals.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ..."
The very reason we have man-made governments is to protect these rights, not to interfere with them. Furthermore, whatever power and authority governments have are given by the people's permission and limited to their protection.
"...that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ..."
When any government starts to undermine the very purpose of protecting the life, freedoms, and happiness of the people, then they have the right to change the government or even to pull the plug on the government if things get too bad.
"...and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
The people have the right to set up a new and better government based and organized upon tried and true principles that protect, rather than threaten, their safety and happiness.
"and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
And, in fact, history shows that people are more likely to put up with unbearable evil they even get used to it!, than they are to correct the problem. In other words: Put a frog in hot water and he'll jump out. But put him in cool water and gradually turn up the heat, and he'll fry to death.
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
But when a government becomes tyrannical and abusive with consistent, repeated violations of the people's rights, with the intent to make them slaves of the state, then the people have the right -- in fact, the duty -- to revolt and put new safeguards in place to protect their future rights.
Yes, there is still some work to be done in Pocomoke.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Value of the Internet
The CBS Early Show news had a story about cyber censorship in Iran this morning. The Iranian government is attempting to block opposition websites and the use of social networking sites such as Twitter to control the flow of information about what is happening in Iran.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante went on to say the impact of Twitter hasn't been lost on the U.S. State Department, which called on the company to put off planned maintenance to enable that Web site to stay up.
WOW! A government entity that recognizes the value of the internet and the free flow of information on a global, macro level!
Lets go micro with this concept. In Pocomoke our officials try to control and, in fact, block the free flow of information and opinion when it is negative. We should learn from the U.S. State Department.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante went on to say the impact of Twitter hasn't been lost on the U.S. State Department, which called on the company to put off planned maintenance to enable that Web site to stay up.
WOW! A government entity that recognizes the value of the internet and the free flow of information on a global, macro level!
Lets go micro with this concept. In Pocomoke our officials try to control and, in fact, block the free flow of information and opinion when it is negative. We should learn from the U.S. State Department.
Value of All American City designation
For a good post of the value of All American City designation, go to
http://www.globalerie.com/blog/2009/06/15/does-erie-really-need-all-america-city-honor/
The comments are very insightful, particularily the June 16 one by Jim.
Wouldn't it be a better use of our officials time AND Pocomoke tax revenue if they redirected the efforts and funds being used to seek this award to addressing issues here. They can start with an open discussion and re-write of Pocomoke's election policy and procedures.
http://www.globalerie.com/blog/2009/06/15/does-erie-really-need-all-america-city-honor/
The comments are very insightful, particularily the June 16 one by Jim.
Wouldn't it be a better use of our officials time AND Pocomoke tax revenue if they redirected the efforts and funds being used to seek this award to addressing issues here. They can start with an open discussion and re-write of Pocomoke's election policy and procedures.
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