Page 46 FROM PAGE 45 ering for their move out of town. “If Frank wins, we will buy or rent a place in town,” Mary says. Yeah but will they live there as is required? Doubtful. Frank, who I consider complicit in all the council’s current mismanagement, says he wants to fix the mess, he just doesn’t want to live in it. Rather than listen to the banter, I would rather follow the money. According to property records, Frank and Mary borrowed $550,000 from Taylor Bank in August to buy a property at 10107 Sweet as Sugar Lane (what a name) in Glen Riddle. Their money speaks louder than Frank’s words. He intends to work on the current problems of the town but just doesn’t want to live in town. The new kid, Nico Eastman, beat everyone at the Maryland Coast Dispatch’s candidates’ debate online. If you haven’t seen it you should watch it. Nico, short for Nicholas is 25 years old. He received a criminology degree from West Virginia University in 2016 spent two years working in Gaithersburg the best
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR run city in the State of Maryland. Gaithersburg is the only city in Maryland I know of with a large surplus and no debt. Nico presently works for the Salisbury government. When asked about back room politics, he said. “You don’t have to worry about me I have a day job till 5 p.m. I won’t have time to meet in a backroom,” Nico says. Daniel Hagen also held his own among seasoned politicians. Facing a room full of seasoned politicians, he emerged as the clear winner. Unlike the union endorsed four Buas, Knight, Deluca and Gehrig, who embraced hiring 10 new police officers as a solution to the town’s decline at a huge expense, Nico Eastman and Daniel Hagan talked about returning to a vibrant economy as an antidote for crime, not pandering to the unions. Nico talked about the “broken window theory” having a vibrant e-
conomy that eliminates all vacancies, no graffiti, a well-lit town, getting rid of the rust on the rails at the Boardwalk and, of course, no more broken windows. This will be achieved by reducing government not adding 10 more police officers which the mayor and the four union endorsed candidates for council embraced reaffirming the status quo at a time we need change. From 1987-91, I ran a small breakfast luncheon dinner in Northeast Washington DC at Dupont Circle in the NRECA building called US Deli. We were open from 5:30 a.m. till 4 p.m. and were very busy. During those years Washington DC had the most police officers of any city in the nation and the highest paid police. Washington DC was also the Murder Capital of the Nation. Nico and Dan are right contrary to what the mayor and council are pushing
October 30, 2020 the mess we had this summer can’t be corrected by more police. In academia it is no secret that more police and higher paid police do not reduce crime. I was robbed three times at US Deli. Broken window theory in part says a vibrant economy is the best way to fight crime. Vacancies, graffiti, unlit areas and yes “broken windows” need to be eliminated. The rust on the rails on the Boardwalk would be a start. The vacancies at Gold Coast need occupants. Come to a meet and greet this Sunday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Johnny’s Pizza (see ad on page nine) let Dan Hagen and Nico Eastman explain what we need to do to restore vitality, bring families back and reduce prices in Ocean City and, of course, no more closed backroom politics. The local union is endorsing four candidates for council. All four plus the mayor are advocating for hiring 10 new policemen and raising the room tax to cover for their mismanagement. Take it from an Ocean City cop, 1972, hiring 10 officers is just passing the buck for the political class’s mismanagement of the city. I was at a fund raiser for Peter Buas at Omega Eats last week. I donated $200, mostly Greeks attended. I got Nico in after overcoming objections from Pete. I was shocked to see that Ryan, the union head, was Pete’s campaign manager. At one-point Nico and Pete, (two half Greeks make a whole right), were standing close enough that I wanted to get a picture. I stood up with my phone, immediately Ryan cut me off by physically getting in my face to prevent a photo. “I said what do you think I am going to do with the picture Ryan?!” Ryan said, “I am not talking.” I had not seen Ryan since giving him free tickets to our children’s concert last December. We also gave police, fire and EMT free tickets. Then Peter Buas chimed in, “I am running independent not with anyone else.” Really Pete with the union as your campaign manager, independent really?, I said. Two final points that totally surprised me that I would like to make the electorate aware of regarding the other rich young councilman, Matt James. Matt allowed the four union endorsed candidates for our council to put signs up at 118th Street along the Carousel parking garage, so I took our two candidates for the people Dan and Nick up to put signs. I had worked with Matt a number of times and never would have imagined what was going to happen next. I helped Dan dig pilings and we put his sign and Nick’s small signs up, never thinking Matt would discriminate against these two young fellas his age. I am 71. Matt called me within 20 minutes his minions had removed these two young men’s signs, so disrespectful. I was surprised by his behavior given all the support I had given him, I guess he gets it from his dad. In September, Matt was thinking of running for mayor. I decided not to run after changing residence to Ocean City to support the young man. My daughter and wife did not want me to run but I was preparing to do it. I believed the mayor should not run unopposed. In early OcSEE NEXT PAGE