FACT: They’ve got AT LEAST 3 brand new fully loaded Ford Explorers that on a good day get 13 MPG!
FACT: They have spent MILLIONS of taxpayers dollars for unnecessary items, i.e. stadium and icerink
FACT: The MILLIONS that has been or will be spent on these frivolous “amenities” could have been used to get the kids out of the trailers at the schools or to help those without indoor plumbing!
FACT: The $70M plus, that they “plan” to spend on the Cross County Connector extension will come from ONLY the Charles County taxpayers, since the State has REFUSED to fund any of it.
FACT: According to MGS it is likely that Charles County may experience serious WATER SHORTAGES by 2030.
FACT: By virtue of inaction, the Commissioners allowed the property taxes to increase in Charles County despite the fact that we are in an econmic slow-down (or recession, depending on your point of view) which is contrary to the advice of every economic genius in the country.
FACT: The Commssioners allowed Maryland Baseball (now Opening Day Partners, LLC) to back out of their agreement to fund a third of the new stadium with private funds putting CC taxpayers on the hook in the event of financial failure.
FACT: The Commissioners agreed to purchase the Capitol Clubhouse for $8M after a private venture had purchased it for $2M and failed to make it run properly.
FACT: The Commissioners continue to approve plans for massive residential growth in Charles County despite legitimate warnings regarding the water supply, a complete lack of infrastructure and no advanced industry for employment.
FACT: When questioned about the purchase of SUVs as opposed to hybrids, the Commissioners indicated that the initial purchase price of hybrids was “cost prohibitive” displying their incredible shortsightedness given the cost of fuel.
FACT: Commissioner Patterson indicated in a news article that she did not attend the community meeting regarding the proposed “low-income housing” for the Nanjemoy area because “[she] was not invited.”
FACT: The Commissioners routinely violate their own “Strategic Growth Plan” for the county as evidenced by the fact that it was exceeded by 61% rendering the document not only useless but a waste of taxpayer money to produce!
FACT: According to a recent list compiled by Ask.com of new all-wheel drive cars currently on the market there were NINE models under $24,000.00, from Dodge, Ford, Mercury, Pontiac, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota!!
ALL of the models achieve EPA ratings of 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway or better.
(the above info was from the June 6 Maryland Independent article “Commissioners’ SUVs draw fire” by Jay Friess)
Looks to me as though neither the Commissioners nor the Çontracting/Purchasing officials bothered to obtain COMPETITIVE BIDS.
Also, hybrids are initially more expensive, BUT with gasoline continuing to escalate, the long term savings would be significant!
But hey, why should they care? THE TAXPAYERS WILL PAY UP!!
Fact: here is a post from a newcomer to the Duck posted:fedUp Posted: 14 September 2007 07:01 AM
The most recent craze at the Charles County Government offices is just a new form of slave trade. Over the last few months, several employees have been told that they have to give up the job they have and move to another department to do a similar job. No asking; just telling. The entire Commissioners office now has a new slate of ‘support staff’ faces. The old faces have been shuffled off to other departments. Did they want to leave? It doesn’t matter, they weren’t asked. Did the new ones want to come in? It doesn’t matter, they weren’t asked either. Apparently, ‘support staff’ is interchangable at county government.
What happened to the process of counseling employees if they were not performing up to par, although that is not the case here. Here, we just have a power hungry leader who has chosen the individual with the worst people skills ever (albeit a hard worker) to be his henchman (oops - that’s Chief of Staff).
People at Charles County mean about as much to Wayne Cooper, Paul Comfort and Joyce Schmidt as a deck of playing cards. Shuffle them up and deal them out. Or maybe just play a game of 52 card pickup. What does it matter? They’re just employees.
THIS ABOVE REFERENCE is a very prime example of the heavy handed leadership is being relied on by the Commissioners now that they look down on the` employees…. not happy campers anymore- that is a FACT
FACT: They’ve got AT LEAST 3 brand new fully loaded Ford Explorers that on a good day get 13 MPG!
Actually, per the information posted in the “Frequently Asked Questions “thread, the SUV’s get 19 mpg on the highway. So, on a “good day” they really get 19 mpg, not the “bad day” rate of 13 mpg.
Remember though, this is the EPA Estimated MPG, not the actual MPG; Not too many people ever achieve the MPG listed on the sticker. Here’s some facts on the EPA’s Estimated Fuel Economy(Red Comments added by Quack 6/9/08 at 0504.)
The statement “At most” implies the extreme upper limit. To say the vehicle will never achieve above 13 mpg under any conditions is sheer speculation. to post it as a “FACT” is misleading at best.
I completely agree with that.(Red Comments added by Quack 6/9/08 at 1649.)
FACT: The $70M plus, that they “plan” to spend on the Cross County Connector extension will come from ONLY the Charles County taxpayers, since the State has REFUSED to fund any of it.
It’s often repeated here that the state “refuses to fund” any of the CCC because the state has determined “it isn’t necessary.” When I asked someone to provide the source for that determination by the state the response was “I think it was in the Indy. Go look it up.” To this day, no one has provided a shred of evidence the state is actually on record saying this. Anyone care to provide the source document for this assertion? It may actually be true, but someone really needs to show the proof or stop repeating the assertion
The most recent craze at the Charles County Government offices is just a new form of slave trade. Over the last few months, several employees have been told that they have to give up the job they have and move to another department to do a similar job.
Also, anyone who thinks employees being moved from one position to another without their approval is tantamount to a “new slave trade” is so completely ignorant to history that I’d never take anything he says seriously. That’s about as pathetic and extreme analogy as I’ve seen since an NBA player make millions of dollars a year likened himself to a slave.
In regard to the last comment, it is obvious that this individual is not involved in any of the ‘employee passing around’ that takes place at county government. If you could talk directly to the people who were part of these trades (and if they weren’t afraid to talk honestly) to see how they feel, you would agree that the original posting was not quite as ignorant as claimed.
However most individuals won’t talk honestly right now as employees in many departments (mine for sure) have been told to stay off of the delusional duck site and refrain from talking about Charles County Government activities to non employees.
Employees in one department were clearly told that they could no longer speak of the fact that compressed schedules were eliminated.
And finally, in regard to the $75 million that NBA players are paid and then passed around from team to team… uhh… don’t know if you’re aware, but most county employees are just making enough money to make ends meet and are praying that their jobs are not eliminated or outsourced. Pay me $75 million for a one year contract (or a two year, or a three year or a 10 year!!) and I’ll happily move from department to department and won’t complain one little bit!
However most individuals won’t talk honestly right now as employees in many departments (mine for sure) have been told to stay off of the delusional duck site and refrain from talking about Charles County Government activities to non employees.
The more you are told to keep your mouths’ shut, the more you shouldn’t! Government is supposed to be operated in a transparent way. Don’t let them “reign” passing things through in secrecy! If any county employee is afraid to post information you feel the public should know, send it anonymously through the duck hotline. Let’s expose all their dirty deeds. That’s how we take back our power.
“—most individuals won’t talk honestly right now as employees in many departments (mine for sure) have been told to stay off of the delusional duck site and refrain from talking about Charles County Government activities to non employees.”
fedup1- if you use your own personal computer and you’re not on Government time or property, NONE OF THEM CAN STOP YOU FROM POSTING ON ANY WEBSITE - including the Duck!
If you’re not using your real name, how would they know who you are?
As CCCitizen said, anyone can post anonymously on the Duck Hotline and there’s no way they can “trace” you if you’re using your own PC.
It seems to me that the Commissioners and their ilk are using “intimidation tactics” and I have to wonder WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE??
Well, I don’t think many are able because those who know some things can’t say at all because of the nature of what is being said- only a few would really KNOW that info and then the “Leak” could be traced back.
Intimidation rules supreme down there and Cooper -Comfort & Schmidt (the unblessed trinity) know how to do it quite well.
Too damn bad we don’t have some way of YouTube footage and we could really blow them up…
I don’t know about the state saying the CCC isn’t necessary—I’m still looking for it, but I’ve found this:
According to a 2003 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning branch report, the proposed development in the Mattawoman watershed, with its ‘‘obvious increases in impervious surfaces, phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment loads,’’ would have a ‘‘severe’’ impact on the creek, including more than 50 percent higher pollution within 20 years.
Calling the prospective consequences to the stream’s quality ‘‘dire,’‘ Corps transportation program manager Paul Wettlaufer told the reporter that he will examine the 2003 report, newer data and input from other sources before deciding whether the county can destroy seven acres of wetlands along the creek to build a key six-mile segment of the connector, which would also claim 74 acres of forest.
The county also needs the same permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment to proceed, which means the project is far from certain.
Between 1975 and 1997, the reporter observes, the state purchased 2,509 acres along the stream to save it from nearby development and protect wildlife.
In 1998, Governor Parris N. Glendening approved $25 million for another 2,225 forest acres to stop a proposed 4,600-home Chapman’s Landing subdivision north of Mattawoman Creek.
Governor Glendening, now Washington-based Smart Growth Leadership Institute President, said the constant development in the creak watershed illustrates the need for strengthening state power under his 1997 ‘‘Smart Growth’’ law.
‘‘The danger is we’re going to lose these areas for all future generations,’’ he stressed. ’‘The state is buying up land to preserve it, but it doesn’t work unless the local government enters into the same philosophy.’’ —Baltimore Sun 4/7/2008
I don’t know about the state saying the CCC isn’t necessary
I’m hearing from people who have followed this longer than I, that it goes back to an article in the Indy as long ago as 1987. I don’t know how far back the Indy online archives go…
I don’t know about the state saying the CCC isn’t necessary
I’m hearing from people who have followed this longer than I, that it goes back to an article in the Indy as long ago as 1987.
Jim Long of the Mattawoman Watershed Society would have an answer http://mattawomanwatershedsociety.org/default.aspx I, too, have heard that the state of Maryland, the Maryland Dept of the Environment along with the Army Corps of Engineers all said the CCC is not needed and would be detrimental to the health of the Mattawoman which is why the bull-headed Commissioners are trying to finish building the damn thing solely on the backs of the Charles County taxpayers. Talk about a bunch o’ one-trick ponies!
I don’t know about the state saying the CCC isn’t necessary—I’m still looking for it, but I’ve found this:
According to a 2003 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning branch report, the proposed development in the Mattawoman watershed, with its ‘‘obvious increases in impervious surfaces, phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment loads,’’ would have a ‘‘severe’’ impact on the creek, including more than 50 percent higher pollution within 20 years.
Calling the prospective consequences to the stream’s quality ‘‘dire,’‘ Corps transportation program manager Paul Wettlaufer told the reporter that he will examine the 2003 report, newer data and input from other sources before deciding whether the county can destroy seven acres of wetlands along the creek to build a key six-mile segment of the connector, which would also claim 74 acres of forest.
The county also needs the same permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment to proceed, which means the project is far from certain.
Between 1975 and 1997, the reporter observes, the state purchased 2,509 acres along the stream to save it from nearby development and protect wildlife.
In 1998, Governor Parris N. Glendening approved $25 million for another 2,225 forest acres to stop a proposed 4,600-home Chapman’s Landing subdivision north of Mattawoman Creek.
Governor Glendening, now Washington-based Smart Growth Leadership Institute President, said the constant development in the creak watershed illustrates the need for strengthening state power under his 1997 ‘‘Smart Growth’’ law.
‘‘The danger is we’re going to lose these areas for all future generations,’’ he stressed. ’‘The state is buying up land to preserve it, but it doesn’t work unless the local government enters into the same philosophy.’’ —Baltimore Sun 4/7/2008
FWIW, I do oppose the extension of the CCC, at least in its current alignment, specifically because of the negative environmental effect it will have. Based on the information available, the Mattawoman watershed seems far too important a resource, and far too easily destroyed, to warrant the construction of the road. Whether or not the road is “necessary” really depends on what one is hoping to achieve. Is it “necessary” in order to continue to experience a certain rate of growth, or to funnel growth in a certain direction? Most likely. So, to the commissioners, who have a specific development curve in mind, it probably is necessary. I would think that to the state it is neither necessary nor unnecessary, since it is purely a county road intended to meet county objectives. I would think that it is irrelevant to the state from a transportation perspective. Now, if it is relevant to the state from an environmental preservation perspective, then that’s the direction opponents should probably pursue in trying to block it.
