Voices From The Readers – August 19, 2022

Voices From The Readers – August 19, 2022

Timing of Sports Complex Questioned

Editor:

Thanks to an army of volunteers and over 5,000 voters signing the petition, the citizens of Worcester County will have the opportunity to vote for or against the bond issuance to build the Sports Complex.

At first glance, the bond bill calls for a general obligation bond of $11,198,830. However, that is just the beginning. Buried in the bill is the figure of $15,584,381, which was to be the county’s total cost for the project. However, that is not accurate. The current County Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) was approved by the County Commissioners on March 1, 2022. The figure of $15,584,381 appears in that document as the estimated cost of the Sports Complex including land acquisition cost at $2,385,451.

On April 6, 2022, two weeks prior to the public hearing on the Sports Complex, the commission president signed a contract to purchase the land next to Stephen Decatur High School for $7,150,000, an increase of $4,764,549 over earlier estimates. As a result, the project will now cost at least $20.3 million. The commissioners knew the revised cost was over $20.3 million before they even held the public hearing on April 19 for they had a $7.15 million appraisal in hand in late 2021.

Is this the right time to build a Sports Complex? What will be the total cost?

Recently, the Town of Ocean City opened bids on some major projects. Due to what staff has described as the current market with price accelerations and supply chain issues, the bids came in considerably over estimates. The downtown recreation facility bid came in almost 76% over estimates. Two significant wastewater projects both came in above estimates, one over 31% and the other over 36%.

In the interest of transparency, I challenge the Commissioners to seek preliminary total estimates for the Sports Complex, and to publish the results prior to the vote on November 8th.

Vincent dePaul Gisriel, Jr.

Ocean City, Md.

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Parking Veto Applauded

Editor: As an owner of property on 13th Street between Baltimore and Philadelphia Avenue, I would like to commend Mayor Meehan and Council President Matt James for doing the right thing and vetoing the stacked parking change and making the developer of Margaritaville stay within the current laws and ordinances for all development in downtown Ocean City.  I can only hope that one more council member does the right thing and also supports Mayor Meehan and Council President Matt James.  All other properties have had to stay within the boundaries of the current ordinances.  Margaritaville has all types of different properties and development plans.  Why can’t they develop a property that fits the site and doesn’t have a severe negative impact on the downtown area of Ocean City?

Ross Rappaport
Ocean City, Md.

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Tougher Sentencing Urged

Editor:

As I written in before about this, we have lost another life due to the incompetence of the legal system that failed to be proactive. We just lost an officer because the legal system let a savage on the streets again. A criminal is criminal no matter what.

Enforcing is not enough. The judges, lawyers and anyone involved should be as guilty. They have the power to stop tragedies from going on. How many lives have to be lost?

And how many innocent families have to suffer the loss of a loved one before a protest that actually has a real damn meaning to it actually occurs?

My son’s name is Gavin. So, it made me feel some type of way as well. Stop protecting these criminals and start treating them as you do when a dog bites someone. No excuses. You can’t help everyone, especially if they keep repeating the mistakes.

That’s the problem especially here in the county is the slap on the wrist BS treatment.

Our hearts are with the Knupp family. RIP Gavin. You will be forever missed.

To the legal system, Be proactive, not retroactive. Do what you’re supposed to do.

D.T. Hagan

Ocean City

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Angry at Governor Primary Support

Editor; Senator Mary Beth Carozza is a RINO. Maryland Republicans embraced Delegate Dan Cox because we reject the RINOS in our party who refuse to accept the America First agenda. I was beyond angry that our State Senator, Mary Beth Carozza, endorsed RINO Kelly Schulz over Delegate Cox.

Any politician who would decline to support the endorsed candidate of President Donald Trump, as Mary Beth Carozza did, has insulted all Republicans who supported President Trump and isn’t a true member of the Republican party that believes in Conservative ideas.

Even several days after the primary, Mary Beth Carozza has still refused to congratulate Dan Cox and endorse him. If you want to take your toys and go home to be a liberal, Mary Beth Carozza. You will never get my vote, nor the MAGA movements’ vote this November.

John Smith

Berlin

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Administration Policies Questioned

Editor: A few issues that affect every American. I have a question for this administration. Why are we sending oil from our strategic oil reserves, which are supposed to be used for catastrophic events, to foreign nations instead of U.S. Citizens?

The past administration had refilled our strategic oil reserves because they have been depleted and never refilled. Why is this administration depleting these oil reserves when they are supposed to be used by our military and for catastrophic events? Now we are at an even lower reserve then before, this puts us in a serious situation.  I think this is another reason why you need to be very careful who you put in office,

This administration is not working for the American people.  Also, why are we asking other oil rich countries to provide us with oil, when we have plenty. If we are so-called worried about the world climate? The only ones feeling the pain of all this administration’s policies are “we the people,” not the politicians and the elites who keep telling us how we are supposed to live, not how they live.

For the past however many years we have been told by a certain group of elites that the world is coming to an end due to the climate heating. That didn’t work so it was changed to climate change, which can be any day of the week.

We have been told by Al Gore that there would be no more snow by the year 2000. All this has done is put vast amounts of wealth into their pockets and significantly cost the tax-paying American people. There are some summers that are very hot, and some are cooler, some winters that are cooler and some warmer, it is called Mother Nature.

This administration is an embarrassment to not only this country but the world. It appears the economy and crime has become unbearable worldwide. In most cases the rest of the world follow the U.S. Also, I wish this administration would stop touting how many jobs they have created, when we all know it is just the same jobs before refilled since the pandemic.

I’m so tired of seeing these protestors for abortion on the news harassing anyone that doesn’t agree with their opinion. If they don’t want children, because that is who they are aborting, then the so-called birthing people changed from a woman having the option of birth control pills or their tubes tied and the gentlemen a vasectomy and let us get back to what the rest of the American people are really concerned with- the economy. All the Supreme Court did was send this Issue back to the states so that the American people could decide. Nine judges. This issue is part of our Constitution.

Also, our politicians and so-called news journalists should not be giving up discourse. A politician’s job is to work for all of us not themselves and the news media’s job is to report the factual news accurately. I could continue but it is just a rehash of past issues. It appears ratings have overtaken our news media, not doing the right thing for their viewers, which is why they are rated 10 low.

Again, we are coming into a very important election. Think about you and your family’s future and do

your research before you vote.

JoAnn Roland

Berlin