The Queen Anne's Torch

Divide and Conquer?

2011-06-07T18:20:00.004-04:00

In case you've missed it, two items have featured prominently in local news here in Queen Anne's County.

First, the county commissioners have sent out mailings alerting of a series of budget hearings. Of particular note in that notice is the advertised a tax increase of up to $.12 above constant yield.

Second, the Maryland Transportation Authority has announced it is considering massive toll hikes, particularly on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

For obvious reasons both of these issues are of major interest to Queen Anne's County residents and thus we've all been eagerly looking forward to the hearings for both. Well I imagine you were as shocked as I was when those dates were announced.

The county was out first, with word that there will be three hearings, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, in Kent Island, Centreville, and Sudlersville respectively.

Then the MDTA came out with the announcement for all of its own hearings. And lo and behold, the Queen Anne's County meeting just happens to be scheduled for June 15th, at Kent Island High School.

Now, then far be it from me to suggest anything sinister, but it does seem awfully convenient that the toll hike hearing just happens to be scheduled on the same night as what are well known to be contentious hearings. And it seems even more convenient that it happens to be located as far away as possible from that budget hearing while still being in Queen Anne's County.

But hey, coincidences happen, right?

They Doth Protest Too Much

2011-05-18T10:03:00.001-04:00

The Centreville Taxpayers Association is alleging opponents of proposed low-income housing are the victims of “dirty tricks.”

Now we have seen anonymous posting of letters on the web, attacking some of those citizens who have signed the petition. Without knowing the source of these anonymous attacks, they are clearly from those in support of the project, whether in government, development or simply other citizens. In one instance, an anonymous letter has been sent to the employer of a signer, suggesting the employer should know of the anti-development sentiments of his employee. The employer, as you may have guessed by now, is a firm specializing in commercial property development and ownership.

These anonymous writers have named and attacked one signer because he is currently unemployed, another who experienced financial difficulties, another for personal problems of another nature. One writer stated, “You are a bunch of snobs. Stop attacking Council members who actually try to make things better.”

Curious that CTA provides no evidence of these “anonymous attacks” on the web or provide the email sent to the employer of the petition signee. CTA only provides a response to the allegations.

Check the comments on the petition site http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/centreville_low_income_housing/signatures?page=1

Where are these anonymous attacks on petition signers? Were they removed? If so, why?

Seems to me CTA would want to show proof of such dirty deeds. After all with a couple taps of the keyboard screen capture technology allows them to insert such visual evidence into a Wordpress blog post.

Speaking of the Citizens for Greater Centreville blog, that is a Dan Worth project.

You may remember Worth as the guy who impersonated a Centreville Town Council member to make her look bad and “drag her name through the mud.”

That these allegations—with no evidence provided—were made on Worth’s website should cast doubt on the veracity of such claims, and bears the mark of a half-assed false flag operation, which given Worth’s history and the less than honest track record of his compatriots is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Bay Bridge Safety Legislation in Trouble

2011-04-09T14:53:00.001-04:00

EJ Pipkin has sponsored a bill SB458, which would codify best practices for the Maryland Department of Transportation to adopt for its safety inspections of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The bill passed the Senate 47-0. However, Delegate James Malone, vice chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee is holding up the bill in that committee.

Time is of the essence, the end of the legislative session “sine die” is midnight Tuesday morning.

Please call Malone’s office (410) 841-3378 or email james.malone@house.state.md.us and let him know you want this bill brought to the full House for a vote.

Pot, Kettle, Environmentalist

2011-04-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

Recently I commented on a Center Maryland piece on the origins and culprits of the fiscal mess in Queen Anne’s County by my fellow county resident Clayton A. Mitchell,

Now, Center Maryland has published a response by Jay Falstad, Executive Director of the Queen Anne’s County Conservation Association (QACA).

Falstad—a nominal Republican—jabs Mitchell a Democrat for invoking William F. Buckley Jr. by invoking Patrick Moynihan’s famous dictum that “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

Falstad should heed his own advice.

Falstad claims that the traffic from the proposed Four Seasons development on Kent Island would outweigh any economic benefits. Yet the only “facts” Falstad cites in his keen economic analysis are the number of potential cars that may be added to the traffic on Route 50/301.Given that Queen Anne’s County is facing a budget deficit between $18-21 million, it’s hard to argue that traffic concerns outweigh the benefits of jobs, money injected into the local economy, and the expanded tax base the project would bring.

To paraphrase the aforementioned Buckley, I won’t insult Falstad’s intelligence by suggesting he really believes what he wrote.

As for the FASTC project, again I was not as sanguine on the economic prospects as Mitchell, but Falstad mangles the truth about the facility. Going by Falstad’s absurd logic, picnickers at Tuckahoe State Park would need to don hurt locker suits.

Falstad’s ally, the execrable Sveinn Storm, uses similar hyperbole to demonize any growth in the county as tantamount to turning the Route 50 corridor into the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

But alas that type of deception is the modis operandi of Falstad and the environmentalists.They say they are for “smart growth” which merely a euphemism for no growth, because they in fact oppose all attempts to grow the county.

Witness the signature measure of their puppet commissioners, county ordinance 08-25, which would have restricted the transfer development rights of farmers, rendering the value of their land—which they use to obtain credit to finance their operations—worthless. Naturally, QACA offered a report full of cooked statistics to support their case for 08-25.

Falstad accuses Mitchell for being a mouthpiece for “developer interests.” However, that begs the question for what special interests is Falstad playing useful idiot?

How about Allan Griffith, the former executive vice president of the Bank of New York and head of BONY’s international banking sector. Griffith lives on a million dollar waterfront estate in Centreville. Griffith was named in a federal lawsuit involving bank executives and Russian mobsters laundering billions of dollars through BONY accounts.

Griffith is a board member of Falstad’s employer QACA, and a generous donor to the web of political action committees that fund the anti-growth movement, including the Republican Environmental Alliance PAC Falstad used to chair. Falstad had to resign his chairmanship of the PAC because he violated state ethics laws by making illegal transfers while being a registered lobbyist.

And, interestingly enough, Griffith also happens to own Falstad’s mortgage.

Then there is former Freddie Mac fraudster Leland Brendsel, a prolific donor to Falstad’s PAC, QACA’s PAC, and anti-property rights candidates. In 2005, Brendsel who, leased his home at the historic Wye Hall property in Queenstown from the state, came under state scrutiny forviolations of the terms of the lease by performing illegal landscaping and paving to the ecologically sensitive property.

Note the irony of Falstad the statist, who would restrict what property owners can do with their own land, taking money from a man who feels entitled to do whatever he pleases with land that he does not own.

Lastly, QACA has received nearly $150,000 in grants over the last four years from the Easton based Town Creek Foundation. Town Creek is the same radical environmental donor group, which provided funding to the Center for Climate Strategies, the global warming alarmist outfit to which Governor O’Malley outsourced state climate policy. Town Creek paid CCS to recommend a menu of tax increases, burdensome regulations, and economy killing land use restrictions.

Falstad’s screed would be laughable if it weren’t such a cynical ploy to hide the fact that he’s as much a tool for well-funded special interests as he accuses Mitchell.

It's About Economic Growth

2011-03-24T12:17:00.001-04:00

While I am loath to link to anything from Center Maryland that den of rent-seeking corporatists masquerading as a straight “news” site, this piece from Stevensville attorney Clayton Mitchell, Jr. is worth reading. Mitchell highlights the tough fiscal issues Queen Anne’s County faces as a result of anti economic growth policies pursued by the last set of county commissioners and the know nothing/no growth special interests, who pulled their strings.

On November 2, 2010, the Queen Anne’s County taxpayers said, “We are cutting government to the bone because we are tired of being pushed around”. We were pushed around when the preservationists shut down the Four Seasons development (and kept millions of additional property tax dollars from the County’s coffers) because the prior Commissioners lacked the political will to do what was socially and fiscally responsible in order make it happen.
The prior Commissioners were prepared to let a small vocal minority of protesters organize and prevent a multi-million dollar Federal training center from locating in the County – a project which would have yielded 500 new jobs, transferred in 500 additional taxpayers and which would have brought with it a catalyst to jump start and fuel the local economy. Because of the loss of these and other large economic development opportunities, the County consequently pushed us taxpayers to dig deeper and deeper into our pockets (every time our homes were re-assessed) to fund its penchant for ever more government services.

While I disagree with his call for tax hikes to fund county education budget—education spending cuts won’t hurt as much as he thinks—Mitchell is dead on here. I only wish he had mentioned that it was Governor O’Malley—whom Mitchell effusively praised—who cast a no vote against the Four Seasons project at the Board of Public Works. And, while I was not as sanguine about the federal training center (FASTC), there is no doubt a vocal minority of political bullies tossed their weight around and pulled the puppet strings attached to the previous commissioners.

Mitchell and I have our disagreements, but we both recognize the key for Queen Anne’s resurgence is economic growth. We must not let a small cadre of thugs stop the needed growth while frittering away our rights and prosperity on a bag of magic beans called “preservation.”

Anatomy of a Smear

2011-02-23T22:01:00.005-05:00

The Baltimore Sun, and even the Drudge Report picked up the total non-story that is MDGOP First Vice Chair Diana Waterman’s black angus cow “Oprah.” There is, of course, a lot of bovine waste floating around this manufactured tempest in a teapot, but none of it is coming from the cow.

The real story here isn’t the cow as the Sun thinks, but about Queen Anne’s County ne'er-do-well, Sveinn Storm ginning up a controversy where none exists to smear Waterman in order to sink County Ordinance 11-02, which the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners approved Tuesday night.

Storm and his pack of shrieking anti-growth harpies were opposed to the measure, which allows the party central committees to fill vacancies on the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners. A similar system exists for vacancies in the General Assembly. The governor appoints replacements recommended by the county central committee of the party holding the particular seat.

Duly elected pro-growth Republicans dominate the Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee. Waterman is not only First Vice Chair of the Maryland GOP, but a member of the county central committee as well. Get the picture.

Storm and his ally Dan Worth claim that their opposition to the ordinance is all about democracy. Worth writes:

I don’t know about you, but I would rather have an opportunity to vote to fill a County Commissioner vacancy rather than have the selection made by who knows who.

Does Dan Worth, an active ally and neighbor of Sveinn Storm really think he can fool people into thinking he actually doesn’t know who is on the Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee? Quite cheeky for a guy who was busted for impersonating an elected official to be talking about “who knows who.”

In a letter so full of specious legal reasoning not seen since William O. Douglas wrote about emanations from penumbras, Storm demanded the committee turn over documents under the Maryland Public Information Act. An official from the Attorney General’s office assured me that county political central committees are not subject the law.

What Storm, Worth and the anti-growthers are really worried about is power. The commissioner’s election didn’t go their way, so they’re left with nothing but juvenile tricks and smear campaigns.

Storm and his anti-growth crowd are a fifth column, in what Senator EJ Pipkin and, Delegate Mike Smigiel call the war on rural Maryland.

Economic growth no matter how sensible or how needed is spat upon, and property rights are held in contempt--except their own of course. They know no boundary of decency or propriety, opponents are to be demonized at all costs.

Old Dog, Old Tricks, Same Old Bullshit

2011-02-19T09:20:00.005-05:00

Sometimes old dogs can’t learn new tricks they just repeat old ones. Case in point Dan Worth, or Gait Keeper/Gate Keeper, or Sentinel Whispers or whatever anonymous moniker he chooses to hide behind

Worth you will remember ran afoul of the law six years ago after impersonating former Centreville Town Council member Donna Turner, in order to—as he admitted to the Maryland State Police—drag her name through the mud and make her look bad.

Here is the entire police report on Worth. Truly something to be proud of.

MSPReport

Now, it appears Worth is back in the impersonation game. After the 2010 county elections, the administrators of the 2010 QAC County Commissioner's Race Facebook page, changed the page name to 2011 QAC Open Forum. Shortly thereafter “Gait Keeper” one of Worth’s nom’s de cyber, created a Facebook page with the exact same name, and negative of the same photo of the steamed crabs used by the real 2011 QAC Open Forum administrators.

One would have figured that after being exposed by the Maryland State Police for identity theft, Worth and/or his accomplices would forego the impersonation scheme.

Juvenile tricks aside, what this does prove is that the anti-growth—more accurately the anti-liberty crowd—can’t stand on the merits of their own arguments and are reduced to such childishness. For example, using false statements to gin up accusations of racism.

Holy Cow(pie)

2011-02-18T09:52:00.008-05:00

"every word she writes is a lie, include 'and' and 'the"

--Mary McCarthy on Lillian Hellman

McCarthy's famous zinger on the Stalinist sympathizing Hellman could well apply to Sveinn Storm, who appears to have fired up the steamroller to pave over the tattered remnants of his integrity.

Storm’s too-clever-by-half attack on Diana Waterman over her black angus cow “Oprah” contains two blatant falsehoods.

First, Storm claims Waterman named the cow. She didn’t. Perhaps Storm was too busy working on illegal renovations to the property he owns on Commerce St. to pick up the phone and call Diana to get his facts straight.

Second, Storm claims Waterman abused her position as Vice Chair of the Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee by campaigning for Robert Mansfield during the primary. As the Torch has documented this is completely false.

The only problem with Storm’s clever little conceit is that Waterman wasn’t campaigning for Robert Mansfield, and wasn’t acting in her capacity as vice chair of the QAC GOP Central Committee. Furthermore, contrary to his claim, there is no provision in the Queen Anne's County Republican Central Committee bylaws, which proscribes a member for campaigning as a private citizen for a certain candidate.

In fact, Waterman organized the door knocking effort on behalf of Queen Anne’s for Ehrlich, and the Andy Harris campaign. Furthermore, she wasn’t “campaigning for Mansfield.” As the email alert she sent out clearly contains the addresses of anti-growth candidates David Dunmeyer—Mansfield’s opponent—and Frank Frohn in the distribution list.

Diana also specifically states “Candidates bring your literature (and your volunteers) and we’ll hand it out too.”

The invitation was open to ALL Republican candidates.

Storm is free whine about promoting a “positive image” of the Republican Party, only he should conduct his spoon banging tantrums in front of mirror. Going by the long search return of his name in the Maryland Judiciary database, Storm is as about a positive image of a Republican, as President Obama is a centrist.

But let's not be too hard on Storm, he did reiterate for us the definition of the word racist... a conservative who is winning an argument.

What Does Racism Really Look Like?

2011-02-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

It looks like this.

After allowing Queen Anne's County to enjoy a period of relative peace and quiet, Mr. Storm has painfully reminded us all of his continued existence (perhaps he's spent the last few months dealing with those possible EPA violations of his?).

In a recent post of his he accused Diana Waterman of being a racist for owning a cow named Oprah. Yes, having a pet named after a black celebrity makes you a racist in Storm's book.

Well, here's a message from the Torch to Storm - look to the speck in your own eye first.

As an aggressive opponent of any and all growth in Queen Anne's County and other rural areas, Mr. Storm has promoted policies explicitly designed to drive up property values by artificially restricting the supply of homes and buildable land.

Driving up prices like that has consequences. And considering that whites on average make about $25,000 more per year than blacks, chief among those effects is that it becomes that much harder for people who aren't white to buy homes here in Queen Anne's County.

Queen Anne's County did see its white population shrink from 2000 to 2009. But in that same time the black population dropped at 7 times the rate the white population did! For some reason, I can't help but think that the fact that the commissioners during that same period consistently adopted Storm's policies probably had something to do with the disproportionate shrink in the black population.

So you tell me which sounds more like racism to you, owning a cow with a celebrity's name or aggressively supporting policies that make it significantly harder for a black or a Hispanic family to buy the house next door?

What Kind of Republicans Support Neal Jackson?

2010-10-30T09:44:00.014-04:00

Answer: The kind who have been rejected by Republican voters and don't have anything in common with Republican principles or policies.

Everyone remembers Wayne Gilchrest, right? He was our district's congressman who couldn't win as an incumbent in a three-way primary. And then after losing he went on to endorse Democrat Frank Kratovil.

Or perhaps you remember how as our Congressman he pledged to us that he would vote against tax increases and then repeatedly broke that promise? Or maybe you remember how he has come out in full-throated support of Martin O'Malley, our Democrat, tax-hiking governor? Or how he came out in support of Obamacare?

And how about Frank Frohn? Remember him, he's the guy who tried to convince Queen Anne's County he was a real Republican even though he had made multiple large donations to Frank Kratovil, our Democrat congressman who votes with Nancy Pelosi 85% of the time and supported economy killing measures like the Stimulus and Cap & Tax.

In fact, he hasn't just donated to his buddy Kratovil, but not counting his own campaign, he's only donated $330 to Republican candidates and organizations over the last 8 years while he's donated $2445 to Democrats over the same period. Some Republican.

And then finally there's David G. Smith of Church Hill, MD, a guy whom no one has heard of.

The fact that these are the only Republicans Neal Jackson can roll out in support of his campaign should make clear that he and his ethically deficient, kiddie porn defending attitude aren't right for Queen Anne's County.

Neal Jackson's Shadow PAC

2010-10-29T15:41:00.012-04:00

UPDATE

Republicans for Jackson is now listed on the state's campaign finance website. However, the committee lists no contributions or expenditures. The committee was probably formed after the last reporting deadline, therefore allowing it's controllers to send mailers without the chance for the public to know who funded them until after the eclection. The committee chair is David G. Smith, the unknown Republican who is mentioned in the post above this one.

Not only is Neal Jackson ethically challenged but so are his financial/political benefactors.

Today I received this mailer titled "Republicans Support Jackson"

If you look up Republicans for Jackson in the Maryland State Board of Elections campaign finance database you will see no such committee is listed on it's list of registered PACS

However, note the mailer's authority line: "Republicans for Jackson, Sherry Adam Treasurer" and the 1636 Ruthsburg Rd, Centreville, MD address.

Sherry Adam just happens to also be the treasurer for the Republican Environmental Alliance PAC, formerly chaired by QACA chief Jay Falstad.

Thanks to our reporting on his illegal activity, Jay was forced resignas chair of that PAC. At least Jay has that sweetheart mortgage from anti-growth money man Alan Griffith.

What this unregistered PAC means by "Republicans for Jackson" is in reality Jay Falstad for Neal Jackson.

Neal Jackson & Ethics, an Impossible Combo?

2010-10-27T14:04:00.006-04:00

During his campaign to become a county commissioner Neal Jackson has repeatedly stated that ethics are important…but apparently not when they refer to his own actions.

Jackson served on the QAC Ethics Commission until April 2 of this year. Through that position he learned confidential facts about a local citizen through Ethics Commission discussions about an Advisory Opinion issued in January. The Ethics Code requires the members and staff keep confidential any information that could potentially identify the person it concerns (§8-10,F). It's an obligation most of its members take seriously, redacting or otherwise masking the identity of anyone in an Advisory Opinion and keeping confidential any details of any complaint.

Not Mr. Jackson though. An important man like him couldn't be bothered to worry about the Ethics Code so he took the initiative to not only discuss the details of this case but to name the individual and disclose personal financial details he was legally required to keep confidential in the local newspapers as well as in campaign stump speeches and answers to various questions at forums.

It seems pretty obvious that Jackson thought these violations of his obligation to confidentiality would somehow benefit his political aspirations. And that’s another big no-no. In addition to binding its members to confidentiality the Ethics Code Jackson is eager to invoke specifically prohibits using confidential info obtained via a county position for personal gain.

§8-11,A. In general. Queen Anne's County officials, board and commission members, and employees, as provided in § 8-5, are prohibited from the following:
Intentionally using the prestige of their office, or confidential information acquired in their official County position, for their own private gain or that of another. The performance of usual and customary constituent services without additional compensation is not prohibited under this section.

As an important aside, §8-13,F of the Ethics Code is explicit that any individual must file a financial disclosure within 30 days of leaving office “for any reason other than death.” Apparently Jackson thought that didn't apply to him. He did file the disclosure, but not in the prescribed time period, and not even during the next month. I guess when you are above the law absolute deadlines don’t apply to you.

Jackson Disclosure

The Ethics Code is a simple document that is only several pages long. As Neal Jackson is so fond of reminding people he served on the Ethics Commission and was a big shot career DC attorney before that. There is no possible way that Jackson was not aware of these obligations. That leaves only one possible conclusion - he does not care about the law, the impacts of violations on those affected, at least when it comes to him and and his other fellow liberal elites.

Considering how recently he transplanted himself in QAC, we don’t know a whole lot about Jackson, but what we do know isn’t good.

He rushed to defend the right of a convicted kiddie pornographer to trade pictures of sexual abuse on the internet because he was “writing a story.”

He eagerly accepted large sums of cash from Henry Sears, a man who seems to have bought his way out of one environmental law violation after another.

He is proudly supported by Sveinn Storm, a thug who calls government on everyone else but works on his own properties without permits and in violation of EPA lead regulations.

And he himself has flagrantly violated the County Ethics Code on multiple points, even though he complains of others’ supposed tin ears on the issue.

It is clear that this is one heck of a guy and given a little political power would be one heck of a politician. Such politicians sometimes get lots of press, just not the kind we want in Queen Anne’s County.

Trust Svienn Storm?

2010-10-26T21:48:00.008-04:00

Centreville's infamous ice cream man/political bully, Sveinn Storm, has a sign up in front of his house asking "Trust Developers?"

Whatever.

However, if you look across South Commerce street you will see Storm's decrepit property, you know the one he is renovating without a town permit and in violation of EPA regulations.

Someone tell Sevinn we have all three of those already or did I imagine the recent budget deficit and proposal to raise taxes--with his preferred anti-growth commissioners.

Sveinn Storm, paving his integrity one sign at a time.

Above the Law?

2010-10-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

If you read last week's Bay Times you know that Dr. Henry Sears is one of the single biggest donors to the campaign of Neal Jackson, the county commissioner candidate who has argued that reporters should be allowed to legally trade kiddie porn on the internet if they say it's for a story they're writing. For a guy who claims to have high ethical standards...why wouldn't he refuse to put his name on that? Is this the moral compass we want leading our county?

I guess we shouldn't be surprised then that Jackson, a liberal D.C. lawyer, has other supporters that also think they're above the law. As the self proclaimed "environmental candidate" we suppose that he means he favors enforcement of environmental laws only as they impact people who are not his friends and supporters??? We would sure like to hear his outrage about what follows...

It's a widely repeated rumor that a local DNR officer was ready to bring the hammer down on Dr Sears' LLC for cutting down a large amount of timber without a permit a few years back - something that everyone must do to assure environmental protections.

As the story was related to us, the word was passed down from on high that Sears wasn't to be touched. The reason? Sears owns large amounts of land in the county and was in the process of negotiating a Rural Legacy easement AFTER he had developed 32 lots on his property and subsequently collected a cool 9.9 million of taxpayer dollars for "preserving" the land he had just developed and logged.

But if that gets you angry, just wait till you hear about his latest escapade.

Sears happens to have a prescriptive right of way or some nebulous legal right across a portion of land belonging to his neighbor. In any event there is land that Dr. Sears does not own, but uses as access to property he does own across the narrow existing road that crossed a large wetland and stream. Recently, the owner of the wetland noticed a huge amount of concrete, old building parts, and farm equipment debris dumped off the edge of the road and well into the wetland and covered with dirt - all left un-stabilized. And just before the huge rain storm we had last month that washed tons of this un-stabilized dirt and trash downstream.

Now we don't have MDE's records yet, but dumping trash into a wetland, covering it with dirt left un-stabilized, and greatly widening an old road as shown in these pictures - all without the actual owner (who likely would have had to sign any permit) knowing about it sure seems
like this was done without permits.

For those who don't know, you need a permit to fill-in a non-tidal wetland, something Sears obviously didn't have since the owner of the wetland, would have had to sign off on any such permit and was completely unaware of the pollution of the wetland until he came across it in person.

Filling in a non-tidal wetland without a permit is a serious crime. Large fines and jailtime for willful and intentional violation are not uncommon. But nothing has happened yet.

That the neighbor confronted Dr. Sears and tried to stop the dumping on his land, and was told to move his tractor blocking access or Dr. Sears would bulldoze it, and that the neighbor contacted ESLC who holds the conservation easement on the land for help and other than a site visit, nothing has happened ...only goes to prove the point that some people apparently don't have to follow the rules everyone else does.

Where is Neal Jackson's outrage over this environmental disaster? With Mr Jackson's background and history, isn't it a legitimate concern that as County Commissioner, he will continue to help his friends and supporters remain above the law...do whatever they want
with reckless abandon?

No one should be able to buy immunity from the law. Here at the Torch we certainly think it looks like Neal Jackson and his supporters disagree. We hope they will clear the air on this issue because on something like this silence can only be interpreted as acceptance.

Ice Cream Man, Heal Thyself

2010-10-15T06:20:00.004-04:00

We here at the Torch, along with our readers, are enjoying a hearty laugh at Sveinn Storm's latest spoon banging tantrum.

Storm chastises the so called "developer cartel" candidates for lack of a moral compass.

Yes you read that right. This so-called envrionmental activist who violated EPA rules and proceededwith renovations without town approval had the temerity to lecture others on morality.

We wonder if Storm ever considered the moral compass of his compatriot and neighbor Dan cough-Sentinel Whispers-cough Worth, who impersonated an elected official.

Looks like the only thing this environmentalist recyles are worn out, clichéd arguments.

PS

We're still tracking down evidence of Storm allegedly pumping sewage out of his flooded ice cream shop into Annapolis Harbor during the rain storms last month.

Neal Jackson: Child Porn Enabler?

2010-10-14T11:31:00.004-04:00

For those who didn't know, Neal Jackson, Democrat candidate for County Commissioner At-Large, used to be a lawyer. A big-shot, D.C. trial lawyer to be specific.

It's easy to understand why people might not know. Jackson doesn't talk about it much, and certainly hasn't provided any details as to any of his cases as a lawyer.

Now we know why.

Back in 1999 Neal Jackson, along with some of his fellow D.C. trial lawyer buddies, signed on in defense of convicted child pornography distributor Lawrence Matthews.

Jackson Kiddie Porn Defense

Jackson may think it's perfectly fine for someone to collect and distribute kiddie porn without punishment, but is that really the kind of thinking that Queen Anne's County wants from one of its commissioners?

Storm's a Brewing?

2010-10-07T13:53:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of an anonymous tip the QAC Torch has discovered that everyone's favorite political gadfly, Sveinn Storm got it into his head to do some renovation work on a house he owns in Centreville.

210 S Commerce Street 2

While it's nice that he's cleaning up such an eyesore on one of the main roads in Centreville, he should probably make the next person he attacks on Pave Our County himself.

First, he began this work before the town had granted him permission to do so. As you can see near the bottom of one of the pages of pictures, they were sent on September 15.

210 S Commerce Street 1

However, a quick call to the Centreville town office revealed that Mr. Storm had not yet received a permit for any of those renovations - as of September 22 he still hadn't received a permit since it was still awaiting final signatures.

Second, the town office says the permit indicates that Storm plans to do the work himself. That's another big no-no. Back on May 6th the EPA issued a ruling revising the regulations for renovations on buildings built before 1978.

That ruling specifically prohibits anyone from doing renovation work, interior or exterior, on a house built before 1978 unless they are specially certified for it by the EPA.

The house in question? Built in 1918 - but there's no record on the EPA's website of Storm having completed the necessary certifications. Illegally doing renovation work without certification is a serious offense, one punishable by a civil fine of up to $25,000 and a criminal fine of up to $25,000 and up to a year in prison.

If you're interested in notifying the EPA of these violations, you can use their online complaint/tip form, located here to submit info on Mr. Storm and his flagrant violations of the law.

Now personally, we here at the Torch might not care for these sort of regulations, but if Storm plans to attack others for their law violations he ought to look to his own house first, both figuratively and literally.

What is at Stake

2010-09-14T07:44:00.004-04:00

Although the quote below deals with a national issue it is relevant to the stakes in the Queen Anne’s commissioner’s race.

But we’re still in this wrestling match with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell about the last 2 to 3 percent, where ...we’d be giving them on average $100,000 for people making $1 million or more.

--Barack Obama on extending Bush tax cuts to Americans in upper income brackets.

NO Mr. President “we” meaning the government wouldn’t be giving those people anything.

Obama crystallized the central economic fallacy in progressive rhetoric. A tax cut isn’t a handout to the wealthy. A tax cut is the government prohibiting itself from taking more from what these people already earned. It wasn’t the government’s money to give—to anyone—in the first place.

As Rick Moran noted on the difference between tax cuts and entitlements:

To not see how that concept turns the idea of freedom on its head reveals a moral blindness that makes it easy to posit that all property is subject to government approval and control. It justifies eminent domain and host of other egregious threats to human liberty that used to be a concern of liberals but is now seen as an impediment to government management of most every facet of people’s lives.

The anti-growth/anti-property rights crowd in Queen Anne’s County has turned the idea of property rights on it’s head and seeks—and has sought—to make our property rights subject to government approval.

If the words liberty and property rights do indeed mean something to you, then choice today and in November couldn’t be clearer.

A Weak Storm

2010-09-13T16:30:00.002-04:00

Evil puppet master of the quote developer cartel unquote Mareen Waterman refutes serial straw man killer Sveinn Storm's lies and distortions.

Water Men Lte

The Two Franks

2010-09-13T10:52:00.008-04:00

I'm sure before they head into the voting booth tomorrow, Republican primary voters would like to know that alleged Republican Frank Frohn gave Democratic soon to be ex-congressman Frank Kratovil $1,250.

Why is a local Republican candidate who bills himself as a "fiscal conservative" supporting a Democratic incumbant voted with Obama and Nancy Pelosi 85% of the time and her agenda of bank bailouts, cap and trade, and the stimulus.

Do As They Say Not As They Do

2010-09-13T08:59:00.005-04:00

From a 2005 Washington Post piece on anti-growth money man and former Freddie Mac fraudster Leland Brendsel and his wife losing their lease on the state's historic Wye Hall property.

Hershey [former DNR official] said that he gave the Brendsels until the end of the year to harvest crops that they had allowed a local farmer to plant on the land. The parcel then will be put up for bid, and Brendsel can try to lease it again. If he is outbid, he may have to remove some of the landscaping.

Hershey had also been reviewing whether the Brendsels violated the terms of their lease by making cosmetic changes to the ecologically sensitive property.

The irony, is as they say, delicious.

Here we have a big donors to the statist candidates who would have government dictate what private property owners may do with their land, doing whatever they please on land that does not even belong to them.

The Mansfield Documents

2010-09-11T21:10:00.007-04:00

Rob Mansfield responded to the charges made by serial strawman killer Sveinn Storm. Mansfield says the record will prove him correct. It does. See for yourself.

Mans Field Court Docs

When most would seek to hide their past, Rob was honest and open with voters about it.

The same can't be said for the hacks who are attacking him through anonymous blogs with half truths and slander.

Why Sentinels Whisper Anonymously

2010-09-10T21:47:00.008-04:00

A funny thing happened while dumpster diving in the archives of Sentinel Whispers, the anti-growth/anti-property rights blog run by the anonymous “GateKeeper.”

A security login window popped up on my screen with asking for the login and password for the cgc.centreville-md.net server.

Of course, that server is the home page for Citizens for Greater Centreville, run by Dan Worth. A quick look at Dan Worth’s Facebook page shows that his email address is dan.worth@cgc.centreville-md.net.

Citizens for Greater Centreville, also appears to be a conduit organization for contributions to Jay Falstad’s employer the Queen Anne’s Conservation Fund. The CGC membership application form directs applicants to make checks to QACA.

Also, Dan Worth just happens to be next door neighbor to serial straw man killer Sveinn Storm.

Given the cgc.centreville-md.net login popup window and Worth’s email extension it’s not a stretch to say Dan Worth is the mysterious “Gatekeeper.”

Why would Worth want to act anonymously? Perhaps it is because in 2006 Worth resigned from the Centreville Planning Commission after sending emails impersonating then Town Council President Donna Turner’s name.

According to a Dec. 31 Maryland State Police investigation report, Worth set up an e-mail account with Verizon using Turner’s name. He sent an e-mail using the address, donna.smith.turner @verizon.net, to two other people, according to the report.

Turner said she does not have an e-mail address.

The incident allegedly occurred Sept. 21 and a police report was filed Dec. 3. Turner said she was given a copy of the e-mail.

On Sept. 21, an e-mail allegedly from Turner was sent to Sveinn Storm and Larry Mort that read: “I can’t believe that you guys are spreading lies that I am somehow going to resign. I do not need this kind of pressure. My grandmother died less than
two months ago and now my grandfather is in poor health. I plan on continuing my term and doing all that I can to make sure that Dan Worth does not get elected.” It was signed Donna S. Turner President, Centreville Town Council.

Mort’s wife, Jodi, replied to the e-mail from the Turner account (allegedly set up by Worth) on Sept. 22. Copies of Jodi Mort’s reply were sent to Worth, Storm, and Centreville Town Council Vice President Mary T. McCarthy. McCarthy sent copies of the e-mails to Town Manager Royden N. Powell III with a message that read, “Just received this today and thought you should be aware of this.” The postscript said, “(p.s. my opinion, off the record: she should have kept dan out of it- he didn’t start it)….”

During a phone interview by Maryland State Police on Dec. 19, Worth said the e-mail was a joke. According to the police report, Worth was asked if he intended to make Turner “look bad and to drag her name through the mud, ‘He said ‘Yea, I guess.’

Classy.

Worth and his wife are also avid supporters of noted birther, U.S. Senate candidate, and current county commissioner, Eric Wargotz.

An ally of QACA, Wargotz introduced county ordinance 08-25, legislation that is an affront to property rights and would have removed the intrinsic value in their land that farmers use to borrow against in order to finance their operations. It should be noted QACA offered a “report” with cooked statistics to justify 08-25

Worth’s wife Temple, is treasurer of Wargotz’s campaign committee, which according to FEC filings has paid the couple $4,600 for consulting and computer services. No wonder they’re such big Wargotz fans.

Trolling through Wargotz’s contribution receipts reveals large donations from anti-growth money men Alan Griffith and Leland Brendsel, and anti-growth commisoner candidate Bob Simmons.

Understand Property Rights in 3 and a Half Minutes

2010-09-10T18:40:00.007-04:00

The anti-growthers here in Queen Anne's County would do quite well to take a few minutes and watch this video explaining why we have property rights and why it matters that they are protected.

Please feel free to share this with your friends, it's an important message that seems to be understood far too poorly in Queen Anne's County, at least by some.

Falstad's Intellectually Dishonest Mailer

2010-09-10T14:28:00.004-04:00

Jay Falstad’s latest mailer from the Republican Environmental Alliance—paid for by Falstad’s mortgage holder, Alan Griffith and Freddie Mac fraudster Leland Brendsel—urges voters in the September 14th Republican primary to “vote for 3 Conservative Republicans” and features an image of Teddy Roosevelt.

Apparently Jay is as unfamiliar with history as he is with state campaign finance and ethics laws.
Teddy Roosevelt is no conservative. In fact he is widely regarded as progressive. Roosevelt was avid devotee of Hebert Croly one of the four horsemen of American progressivism. TR was a statist through and through.

In his New Nationalism speech Roosevelt said:

We grudge no man a fortune in civil life if it is honorably obtained and well used. It is not even enough that it should have been gained without doing damage to the community. We should permit it to be gained only so long as the gaining represents benefit to the community. This, I know, implies a policy of a far more active governmental interference with social and economic conditions in this country than we have yet had, but I think we have got to face the fact that such an increase in governmental control is now necessary.

Roosevelt also practiced corporatist economics. From Jonah Goldberg’s indispensable book Liberal Fascism:

Since the dawn of the Progressive Era, reformers have constructed an army of straw men, conjured a maelstrom of myths, to justify blurring the lines between business and government. According to civics textbooks, Upton Sinclair and his fellow muckrakers unleashed populist rage against the cruel excesses of the meatpacking industry, and as a result Teddy Roosevelt and his fellow Progressives boldly reined in an industry run amok. The same story repeats itself for the accomplishments of other muckrakers, including the pro-Mussolini icons Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens. This narrative lives on as generations of journalism students’ dream of exposing corporate malfeasance and prompting government-imposed “reform.”

The problem is that it’s totally untrue, a fact Sinclair freely acknowledged.“The Federal inspection of meat was, historically, established at the packers’ request,” Sinclair wrote in 1906. “It is maintained and paid for by the people of the United States for the benefit of the packers.” The historian Gabriel Kolko concurs: “The reality of the matter, of course, is that the big packers were warm friends of regulation, especially when it primarily affected their innumerable small competitors.” A spokesman for “Big Meat” (as we might call it today) told Congress, “We are now and have always been in favor of the extension of the inspection, also to the adoption of the sanitary regulations that will insure the very best possible conditions.” The meatpacking conglomerates knew that federal inspection would become a marketing tool for their products and, eventually, a minimum standard. Small firms and butchers who’d earned the trust of consumers would be forced to endure onerous compliance costs, while large firms not only could absorb the costs more easily but would be able to claim their products were superior to uncertified meats.

If Roosevelt is a conservative then the word has lost all meaning.

Interestingly enough Falstad’s mailer goes a long way in proving BQA correct that the anti-growth crowd’s candidates are indeed wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Falstad is free to invoke Roosevelt in his appeal, but he should at least be intellectually honest with voters and properly identify Roosevelt as a progressive.

Paving His Own Integrity

2010-09-09T12:39:00.000-04:00

Sveinn Storm of Pave Our County blog is paving over his own integrity. In his latest post they accuse Diana Waterman of “abusing her position” on the Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee by campaigning for county commissioner candidate Robert Mansfield on Saturday September 4th in Symphony Village.

The only problem with Storm’s clever little conceit is that Waterman wasn’t campaigning for Robert Mansfield, and wasn’t acting in her capacity as vice chair of the QAC GOP Central Committee. Furthermore, contrary to his claim, there is no provision in the Queen Anne's County Republican Central Committee bylaws, which proscribes a member for campaigning as a private citizen for a certain candidate.

In fact, Waterman organized the door knocking effort on behalf of Queen Anne’s for Ehrlich, and the Andy Harris campaign. Furthermore, she wasn’t “campaigning for Mansfield.” As the email alert she sent out clearly contains the addresses of anti-growth candidates David Dunmeyer—Mansfield’s opponent—and Frank Frohn in the distribution list.

Diana also specifically states “Candidates bring your literature (and your volunteers) and we’ll hand it out too.”

The invitation was open to ALL Republican candidates.

If Dunmeyer and Frohn don’t want to support the effort to help Bob Ehrlich oust Martin O’Malley—the guy who stripped Queen Anne’s County of it’s road maintenance funds and enacted the largest tax increase in state history—that is their right. However, I’m sure most Queen Anne’s Republicans won’t see the virtue in that.

Given the utter lack of credibility to Storm’s argument, his notion that Waterman “gave every appearance of hiding from our camera” doesn’t hold water.

Pave Our County? Really Svienn? Seriously, that’s the worst straw man argument this side of an O’Malley campaign speech.

Following the Money: The Men Behind the Curtain

2010-09-09T11:56:00.000-04:00

During the last week voters in Queen Anne's County received two mailers of note. One came from David Dunmyer, another from Frank Frohn.

Now what's interesting is what happens when you look at them next to each other.

Now maybe the fact that their fliers look nearly identical is simple coincidence, but in politics there's usually more than meets the eye. And it certainly looks that way here.

If you take a look at their campaign finance reports, the same names and same amounts show up on both.

Leland Brendsel, a Freddie Mac chief who got a golden parachute at taxpayer expense, donated $500 to David Dunmyer and $500 and then another $3000 to Frank Frohn.
Sveinn Storm donated $100 to David Dunmyer and $100 to Frank Frohn.
And both candidates received $250 (David, Frank) from Jay Falstad's Republican Environmental Alliance PAC.

Take things a little bit deeper, and you'll see that Jay's PAC is funded by:

Leland Brendsel, $1000 and $4000
Alan Griffith, $1000 and $2000
Robert Simmons, $4000 (former CATSOC chairman and current County Commissioner candidate)
Earl Chambers, $250 (also donated $850 to Frohn, here, here, and here)
Edward Walls, $100 (also donated $100 to Dunmyer)

With fliers and donations this similar, it's hard not to think that both of these candidates have some money men pulling the strings for them.

Following the Money: Who Owns Jay Falstad?

2010-09-09T10:32:00.000-04:00

According to the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association’s 2008 990 return, Alan Griffith is listed as a board member.

Alan Griffith is a former executive vice president of the Bank of New York and head of BONY’s international banking sector. Griffith was named in a federal lawsuit involving bank executives and Russian mobsters laundering billions of dollars through BONY accounts.

Griffith and his wife are generous donors to candidates and web of PACs, which fund the anti-growth crowd, as well as to county commissioner and U.S. Senate candidate Eric Wargotz.

It also appears that Griffith is in the mortgage business. Griffith owns QACA lobbyist/PACman Jay Falstad’s mortgage. Also, Griffith has given $3,000 to Falstad’s Republican Environmental Alliance PAC—including the most recent contribution of $1,000 on August 26.

So the question now is: Who else owns Jay Falstad?

Jay Falstad: Too Busy Attacking Property Rights to Obey the Law

2010-09-08T17:09:00.001-04:00

Among the members of the anti-growth movement, Jay Falstad's voice has been one of the loudest and one of the ones most often heard.

Jay happens to be the paid lobbyist for Queen Anne's Conservation Association, a key part of the web of front groups organized and maintained by the I've Got Mine crowd.

Now, overall, I think reasonably well of Jay. Unlike most of the others anti-growthers, he honestly seems to believe what he says. That makes it both better, because he's honest, and worse, because he truly doesn't care about property rights. But as much as I disagree with him, I respect him.

But that doesn't excuse him for flouting state ethics law.

Back in 2007, Jay was a lobbyist registered with the state of Maryland. As such, he was obliged to adhere to the State Ethics Code.

At the same time, Jay was also the chairman of the Republican Environmental Alliance PAC, a group he started in 2006 and still chairs today.

That's where the problem starts. Two problems actually.

First, there are Jay's actions as chairman of the PAC. On two separate occasions he made transfers of funds from the PAC to political candidates, once to a state senator and once to a delegate.

This is a very big deal. Section 15-714 of the Maryland Code clearly states:

(d) Restrictions on activities. --
(1) A regulated lobbyist who is subject to this section or a person acting on behalf of the regulated lobbyist may not, for the benefit of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or Comptroller, or a member of the General Assembly, or a candidate for election to the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, or member of the General Assembly, engage in the following activities:

(i) soliciting or transmitting a political contribution from any person, including a political committee;

A lobbyist transmitting funds from a PAC to the campaign of a state senator or delegate, which is what Jay did, is unquestionably a violation of state ethics law.

That's the first problem. Here's the second.

Going back to the ethics code, section 15-714(d)(ii) and (iii) state that lobbyists are also prohibited from:

(ii) serving on a fund-raising committee or a political committee;
(iii) acting as a treasurer for a candidate or official or as treasurer or chairman of a political committee;

If one checks the definitions listed in section 15-714, it states that "political committee" is defined by section 1-101 of the Election Law Article. And section 1-101 has this to say about PACs:

(ff) Political Action Committee. - "Political action committee" means a political committee that is not:
(1) a political party;
(2) a central committee;
(3) a slate;
(4) a political committee organized and operated solely to support or oppose a single candidate; or
(5) a political committee organized and operated solely to support or oppose a ballot issue.

Since a PAC is clearly a political committee in the eyes of the code, it certainly looks like Jay violated ethics law on this count as well.

On two counts then Jay has violated state ethics law. That should make everyone in QAC suspicious of his work, as a lobbyist for QACA, as chairman of the Republican Environmental Alliance PAC, and as a player in local politics in general.

In particular we ought to be wary when it comes to the current election. According to Frank Frohn supporter Paula Kougores, Jay has raised $3000 for Frohn's campaign.

With those kind of ethics law violations, it makes one wonder if that was all on the up and up.

Following the Money

2010-09-08T16:41:00.000-04:00

Lester Freamon the wily detective from HBO’s The Wire once said, “you follow drugs you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money... and you don't know where the fuck is going to take you.”

Following the money for the anti-growth crowd in Queen Anne’s takes you to some interesting places.

Money doesn’t travel on it’s own. People who have it need to give it to the people and organizations that will use it. The first place to look for the anti-growth crowd is the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association. QACA is an IRS registered 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. You can view QACA’s IRS 990 returns for 2005, 2006, and 2008 the latest available on Guidestar. QACA also has a related 501(c)3 the Queen Anne’s Conservation Fund, which is “operated for the exclusive benefit of the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association Inc.” Form 990s available for 2006 and 2008.

The returns tell us that QACA raised and spent a lot of money on lobbying, consulting and legal fees to stop the Four Seasons on Kent Island. While QACA is not required to disclose the identity of their donors, the names on the board of directors and listed addresses provide interesting leads.

Richard Altman is listed as QACA’s “Senior Planning Consultant” and is a registered lobbyist for QACA. Altman is also the former chairman of the Citizen’s Alliance to Save Our County political action committee. QACA board member James Campbell is the former treasurer of CATSOC and anti-growth commissioner candidate Bob Simmons is another former CATSOC chairman.
Altman’s wife is vice president of QACA.

QACA’s available 990s show that QACA paid Altman’s firm RSA Associates over $248,000 over those years. Only on the 2008 filing does QACA disclose the payments to Altman’s firm under “payments to “interested persons.” The disclosure lists the payments as providing “executive management services to QACA.” This is curious as Altman is an architect and his firm specializes in construction design rather than “executive management services.”

The 2800 Bennett Point Rd. address on the Queen Anne’s Conservation Fund’s 990s is the same address as Altman’s RSA Associates.

It is highly suspicious that the firm of QACA’s “senior planning consultant” and paid lobbyist just happens to be the same address for the 501(c)3 “charitable and educational” entity charged with benefiting QACA.

Is QACA merely Altman Inc.?

Just Who Are the Anti-Growthers

2010-09-08T10:42:00.002-04:00

As we've noted, there is an anti-growth movement in this county.

It's not an overstatement, it's a simple fact. In spite of their claims of supporting what they term smart or sensible growth, the reality is that this crowd is opposed to any and all growth occurring within Queen Anne's County.

Don't believe it? Ask any growth opponent to name one project they supported. Odds are they won't be able to. They have opposed all proposed projects located outside the growth area because that's not smart growth, and they simultaneously have opposed all projects inside the growth areas because that would make things too dense.

They hold no concern for the property rights of the people of Queen Anne's County and they consistently play by one set of rules yet hold their opponents to another. They'll say whatever they need to in order to stop their opponents and they'll spend however much money it takes to enforce their agenda - all the while doing just as bad and worse as what they condemn their opponents for. But no more!

Queen Anne's County has suffered long enough under this elite Got-Mine Gentry of trial lawyers, trust funders, bankers, lobbyists, egomaniacs, and others who have gotten their piece of the Eastern Shore dream and are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure the little people don't spoil their fun.

But no more! It's time to let Lady Liberty's torch shine brightly and take back our county and take back our property rights so that all can have the opportunity to live here in Queen Anne's County, not just the old and well-off.

Be sure to check back for more info on the men and women who think it's their place to steal your property rights and your children's future in this county.

Mission Statement

2010-09-08T09:24:00.000-04:00

Hello, and thanks for taking the time to come and check out the site. We wanted to take the time to let you know just what we believe and why we're writing. So here's our mission statement:

The Queen Anne's Torch exists to spread light on the uncomfortable truths the anti-growth movement in Queen Anne's County would rather you not know and counter the darkness and deception they are working hard to spread in support of their anti-property rights, anti-freedom agenda.

We hold a simple philosophy here. People have rights, not because government gave them to us, but because we were naturally and inherently born with them. Key among these rights are property rights, and as history has shown, where property rights are not respected, other liberties are soon to follow.