DONALD F. MUNSON SUCKER PUNCHES HAGERSTOWN VOTERS

"I’ve been knocking on doors almost every day since December the 21st. I’ve had no more than 45 people tell me they support the stadium. I’ve had thousands of people tell me that they do not support the stadium and that they’re incredibly upset with it. Sometimes you have to work for the people. They pay the bills.”

~Donald F. Munson~

 October 3, 2012

“I took a stand in opposition to the stadium during the campaign; a stadium downtown. I favor revitalization, rebuilding the stadium where it’s (currently) located ... or some place elsewhere if it’s possible.”

and...

“I do not support it downtown. I’m doing my job of representing the people ... and I’m going to stay firm on it. I haven’t lied to my constituency in the past and I’m not going to start now.”

~Donald F. Munson~

The Herald Mail, November 7, 2012

     I clearly remember hearing Don Munson say that he knocked on about 10,000 Hagerstown doors and that only 45 people wanted the stadium downtown. This is why I can not believe that this is the council member who has decided that the voter does not matter and who will single handedly with his vote allow the stadium to be built downtown...that is if the Suns decide to bless us with their presence. (Thought I was gone, didn't you. I still own a home in Hagerstown!) Yes, I feel like I've been sucker punched. 

    I say that I am surprised, but I'm not really. This is the same politician that lost his seat as state senator because he never saw a project that the taxpayer couldn't afford. He never saw a bloated budget that he couldn't vote for. He never saw a Liberal Democrat that he couldn't support. He was finally identified as a Republican In Name Only and ran out of Annapolis by the voters of Washington County. Following that election he was BFFs with Delegate Donoghue, who is a Democrat and the most liberal member of the Western Maryland delegation, and who's district is the city of Hagerstown (Could this have been their plan all along?). Why did the Hagerstown voters believe him? Not only will it be his vote that allows the stadium to be built downtown against the will of the voters, but he will also allow it to be financed almost entirely by the taxpayer. That is Donald Munson! Of course he will!!

   I have always said that I really do not care where the stadium is located. I only care about the financing, but I am furious that those voters who did not want it downtown have been betrayed in this manner. So before I move on to the finances...although my friend Council Member Metzner had been for the downtown stadium during his election campaign, after the election he said, "The voters have spoken and clearly they do not want a stadium downtown." I have to be a bit disappointed that Metzner is also acting without regard for

 the voters.

    I am stunned that not only are they going to ignore the voters regarding the location of the new Suns stadium, they are also going to ignore the risk and unfair burden to the taxpayer. The Herald Mail stated that the mayor and council will proceed with the same funding formula which is almost entirely public funding. Have they not heard that Fredericksburg had the good sense to reject that funding strategy? Have they not heard that when Fredericksburg rejected that funding strategy that the Suns found a private investor to pay for the project? Have they not heard that Fredericksburg would only have to pay for a parking garage? I am sure that they have, so why would they continue down the path of public funding? I will tell you why. It is because investors know that it is too risky to build it in Hagerstown. Investors think that they will lose money. This city council is giving in to the noise of a small group of baseball fans, the Suns who have everything to gain and nothing to lose, and those who consider themselves the movers and shakers (but not investors) in Hagerstown politics. They want what they want.

    The Herald Mail says this about the funding formula:

"Financing remains a major concern for city officials, who still plan on a funding formula that calls for one-third each coming from local sources, meaning the city and county, as well as the state and the private sector."

This statement couldn't be more vague with the private sector thrown in at the end for those of us who care about the taxpayer. What does this actually mean? It seems to imply that the city and county taxpayers will pay one third, the state taxpayers will pay one third, and the private sector will pay one third. Even at face value that doesn't seem fair. So that means that Hagerstown residents will be paying through their taxes to the city, through their taxes paid to the county, and through their taxes paid to the state?  Who is this private sector that they speak of because as far as I know they have no investors?
    In regard to the county's contribution, the HM reports:

"[Munson] said he would also work to get a recommitment from the Washington County Board of Commissioners, which previously pledged indirect support of about $400,000-a-year over two decades to the project."

This recommitment was not a commitment at all. I was approached at the State of the County presentation by Commissioner Ruth Anne Callaham and she wanted to talk about this so-called commitment. She wanted me to know that the $400,000 a year for 20 years that was being reported as being "indirectly pledged" by the county was not a pledge of actual money. She said that they voted on "the concept" of pledging money in support of the project. She claimed that at the time she thought that she was voting for actual money that would be in the next budget. She said that she later realized that the money would not be in the budget, but that they were voting on a budget that would come after the next election when the next board of commissioners would begin their terms! The next board may not agree with this board's "concept" and choose not to fund it. Weird, huh? I was floored. So, at that very meeting I publicly asked Greg Murray if this was true, without naming names or stating why I was asking, and he said that the money would be in the 2014 budget. Somebody is either misinformed or not telling the truth.
    Now Munson has pledged to do what Munson does:

“I’m going to work and spend a great deal of time in Annapolis during the upcoming General Assembly session to get the state’s share of about $10 million."

Changing his profile picture from that gnarly-looking man with a scowl to the giddy-looking man with a maniacal grin changed nothing about the way that he governs.  He is going to get every cent of the taxpayer's money, regardless of the burden that the taxpayer is already carrying, and he will expect you to thank him for it! That is what he thinks politicians are elected to do...spend money! In fact I would bet that his measure of a good politician is the one who spends the most money on projects. It does not matter to him if we can't afford it. It certainly does not matter to him that the voters do not want it.

 "...sometimes you have to work for the people. They pay the bills.”

Donald F. Munson 

	FYI, SUCKER PUNCH, as defined by the Urban Dictionary:
	1. Easily confused with a punch defined as a "bitch move" a true sucker punch is quite a bit more complex than a simple unannounced attack.  It primarily involves a closed fist contacting the soft underbelly of a person (beneath the rib cage) at a high velocity, causing the ensuing force to press upward on the victim's diaphragm, leading to a sudden expulsion of air from the victim's mouth and lungs. This opening blow leaves the victim open to various other attacks, often leading to what would be called "bitch moves" because of the defenseless nature of the victim.   2. This occurs when someone hits someone else from behind, usually when the person being hit doesn't know it until afterwards. Usually considered shady or a "bitch move".



      

  

  





HAGERSTOWN NEEDS A P4: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND PATIENCE

   Today was the big day for the City of Hagerstown. There was a mayor and council special session where a verbal presentation was given by Bruce Poole and Dane Bauer of the written report that the Sora "dream team" had submitted to mayor and council. I think all of Hagerstown had been on the edge of their seats waiting to hear back from them after the city signed a letter 5-weeks ago giving them permission to represent the city in meetings with interested parties regarding the revitalization of downtown. This was followed by a presentation of  Ripken Report Part II on two alternative sites for a new Suns stadium.  I will post blogs on these presentations separately, beginning with the dream team's. Both presentations had tense moments, but overall I walked away with a good feeling about the future of Hagerstown. I'll tell you why, but first I want to give a brief description of the verbal presentation.

THE USUAL PLAYERS WERE ALL THERE

   There was a good turnout of government and community stakeholders in attendance: State Delegate John Donoghue, County Commissioners Ruth Ann Callaham and William McKinley, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Brien Poffenberger, Greater Hagerstown Committee Executive Director James Kercheval, a representative from CHIEF, and others, including residents of the community. 

 LETTERS OF INTENT?

   Bruce Pool and Dane Bauer gave a quick verbal presentation of what was in the 8-page report that was submitted to mayor and council yesterday. I personally thought that they would have specific projects that each of the stakeholder entities that they met with had agreed on some level to act on with the proposed P3.  Instead it was a very brief and very vague presentation of talking points. Dane Bauer talked of a consensus building process saying that each entity felt that their individual projects depended on the action of all of the other entities. He named the BOE/BISA and the Maryland Theater and that they are interested in having an arts center all under one roof, he said that a hotel is needed downtown, that Meritus Health was interested in a clinic or wellness center downtown and that they "would be OK with the old hospital site to be used for the new stadium." However, when I read the so-called letters of intent from these entities I read a different story. To summarize what the BOE said, it was nothing more than nice to meet you, we aren't moving downtown but we are already invested in downtown [as was already stated in a Herald Mail article prior to their announcement to purchase the Allegheny Building], and we look forward to seeing what you can do downtown...we'll talk. The WCPS stated being encouraged and impressed with their efforts but made no real statement of intent to participate in anything specific except to explore opportunities that may come up...we'll talk. Meritus Health made no mention of starting a clinic downtown (in fact they recently closed the one that was on Antietam Street), but clearly stated that "our immediate objective is the sale of the old hospital site." The Maryland Theater stated that they believe that the dream team can help them achieve preliminary concepts already defined with the BISA...and they are hoping that Sora can tell them how to get a hold of some money. 
   Oh, and guess what the written report plainly states regarding the stadium site? 

"Our Team's relationship with Meritus Health will promote and advance opportunities to use that site for the new stadium..."

That's right. Here we go again. It's a foregone conclusion before Ripken even publicly presents the report! At least somebody thought so, but later the mayor and council claimed that is not the case. 

WE WILL DO THIS WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

   In the written version of this report, the dream team is selling themselves from every angle as thee only viable option for the city to engage for the revitalization of downtown. It goes so far as to say, in essence, we will do this with or without you. They claim that,

"...all parties have indicated that if for any reason the City would not agree to pursue the recommended approach described later in this report, that they would pursue these initiatives with our Team directly to implement desired outcomes and to use our Team to network with the other groups mentioned above."  

This is a pretty bold and arrogant statement from people who are trying to form a partnership. That would get my back up and make me question the dream team's ability to work respectfully and cooperatively with our elected officials. Although Dane Bauer has come off as a big shot at times in prior meetings, I have overlooked it out of respect for his record and hope for the future of our city, but I think that this was out of line. I looked at the letters of intent, and only the Maryland Theater made such a claim in writing. However, the Maryland Theater immediately  followed that statement with:

" ...the Maryland Theater reserves the right to explore all options independent of this initiative..."  

This attitude enforces the need for the advisory committee formed to advise the city on forming the P3. I know that the city was mocked by the Herald Mail for forming this committee, but it is now obvious that it was a good move. 

  NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP ALONE

   I suspect no one wants to take that first step alone because they don't have the money to do so. But that said, it makes sense that in a master redevelopment plan all entities would work together and collaborate throughout the entire process. 

   Dane Bauer talked about forming an Advisory Team or Steering Committee of 12-15 members. In the written report those interested and being considered for this committee are mostly the same ones who "steered" the first stadium proposal and who steers just about everything else that the city or county attempt to do: Joe Ross, Ron Bowers, Justin Harding, and Don Bowman, in addition to representatives from CHIEF, Greater Hagerstown Committee, Washington County EDC, State Office of Planning, MD Department of Economic Development, local business owners, and "community leaders." I heard or saw no mention of Neighborhoods 1st. 

    

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Isn't it always? Bruce Pool said it is time to turn it over to DMV to lead the next phase because "time is of the essence." He argues that although the legislative session just ended, things are already in the works for next session. Besides that this will be the last year of 4-year terms and there will be turnover. New relationships are very difficult to start the process again. The next proposed step is for DMV and the city staff to work together as another team to perform certain tasks that make up Phase I of the master plan. Overall the entire plan would take up to a year to complete. The written report points out it is time to start paying the dream team and some of the terms that they would like to proceed on immediately following the meeting. 

MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS 

This is where it usually gets fun. I was not disappointed. 

Council Member Munson:

1. Were there any conversations with the University of Maryland?

Dane Bauer answered regarding a medical center not the college. Bruce Poole answered that there were talks, but the university feels that with there current financial situation they can not talk about expanding at this time, but maybe in the long term after other projects progress and after "we get the streets cleaned up and secured."

2. If we use the hospital site for a stadium, will the hospital [Meritus] bring serious facilities downtown to help us grow the city? Will they play ball with us?

Bruce Pool said that more discussion is needed. Joe Ross was already interested in downtown project. He's not clear on what the vision is and needs a plan first. [As I revealed earlier, he is only interested in selling the hospital site at this time. This makes me wonder how much of the other claims are sugar coated. Again, we had a clinic on Antietam Street and they recently shut it down.]

Council Member Brubaker:

   Brubaker wants to be a big-spending Liberal, but I am often surprised when he states exactly what I myself want to say. He seemed to be laboring over what is meant by a plan. He indicated that much has already been done. "We have taken great risks buying up properties and we're not even sure what we are doing with them. [Whoa!] We are not starting fresh. We have plans. We need imaginative investors." 

   Poole and Bauer jump in and state that we need a plan first and that we need government investment first. Investors don't want to invest here. There is no security, no longevity, and they think that it is going to get worse. We have to show them a noticeable difference that says that things are going to be different. 

   Brubaker is almost screaming at this point, "We had a clinic and it closed! We don't need government. We need private investors! [Woo hoo!] We need a strategy for reaching out to outside investors." Bruce Poole said, "That is not good enough. The Maryland Theater is a gem and they can't get anyone to fund them. Investors need details."

   I seem to remember the first time the dream team presented to mayor and council that Bauer was claiming that he had piles of money. Now...not so much. 

Council Member Alshire:

   When Alshire speaks I listen. It is always entertaining to me how he just lets it rip. This led to some tense moments today. He begins by scolding the dream team for not living up to the agreement as spelled out in the letter of intent. They were supposed to provide weekly reports and he hasn't seen any. All he has is an email where the dream team chastised the city for not being grateful for their work thus far and another email 40-days after the letter was signed that asks to meet with city staff.  He said that they gave the council this report in writing only yesterday. He does not so far have any confidence in a trusted cooperative partnership with them. He can't believe that the dream team wanted the $100,000 after a vote tonight with no pubic bid process. "The LOIs, the basis of which you want to proceed with an aquatics center and a stadium on the hospital site, and nothing has been presented to the public so far?" 

***crickets***

Bruce Poole said that he frankly didn't want to spend too much time on this or "it could deteriorate relationships. We have worked for 12 months and we are delivering results. The voters want results."

Council Member Metzner:

   Metzner stated that the city has been working on downtown for two decades and that they were making progress until the housing bubble burst. Hagerstown is having the same issues as many other towns due to the bad economy. He again acknowledged the momentum that was building during the initial stadium proposal, and the excitement of the business community that was apparent. [Not with investment money. Just saying.] He also acknowledged that the community and the voters did not want it. It was a huge disappointment. [The past administration should have asked the community before they made the initial plans.] He points out that the city is now at a crossroads. Will we move forward and keep the momentum building or do nothing. He wants us to move forward with the dream team. "RFPs yes, but I firmly support this effort." I'm sorry, but that seems a contradictory statement. 

Council Member Nigh:

   "I want to see a plan and investors. I want it to move forward, but you need a private entity to invest."

Mayor Gysperts:

   "I talk to people in the community and when I mention Sora it puts stars [money signs] in their eyes. The community seems to rather work with a private partnership than the city. [They are hoping for money.] Are we worth $30M in investment? I think we are. We are having an executive session next week with the legal team and we will have an RFP draft. The budget has to be finalized by May 21st, so something will be decided by then." 

Dane Bauer:

   We did keep in touch with the mayor. [That's not a weekly report.] Eighty percent of the work we have  done in the past has not been by RFP. We have done our part. Together we have spent $250,000. The city should match it. [Really? No formal agreement yet.] Sole source is acceptable with our special services, our contacts, and our networks. In the past, "we just did it!" We are offering 80-years of combined business and contacts. No RFP can provide that. I am just asking for the opportunity for Bruce...not the money. [Another one claiming he isn't in it to make a profit, which everyone knows is nonsense.] 

   I said in the beginning that I left the meeting with a good feeling about the future of Hagerstown. This was messy. It is supposed to be. I still feel,  5 months after the election, that we have a great balance with this mayor and council. I think that we need every one of them even though I don't agree with some of them most of the time. We need the spenders and we need the thrifty. We need the Pollyannas and we need the second-guessers. We need those who just see the big picture and those that are down in the details.  I believe that this mayor and council care about this city and will be successful at revitalizing downtown. It may be a messy, sometimes uncomfortable but necessary process, and the result will be what they were able to negotiate and deliberate until they got it right. It's not the one-party spending spree that happens in Annapolis, and it's not the grid-lock that we see in Washington D.C. It is just the way it is supposed to be, and I like it. 

   

IS THE HERALD MAIL HOLDING A GRUDGE AGAINST THE CITY OF HAGERSTOWN?

 The Herald Mail was a huge proponent for the new stadium to be built partly on property that they own. 

   The Herald Mail published an editorial in their newspaper today that was in my opinion harsh and unproductive, criticizing the current Hagerstown mayor and council for the "loss of the BOE," among other things. I have written several posts that questioned the city, mostly during the last administration and almost entirely about the proposed new Suns stadium that was to be located on Summit Avenue and W. Baltimore Street. The Herald Mail was a huge proponent for the new stadium to be built partly on property that they own. You can imagine their disappointment when the voters decided in the recent election that they did not want a stadium at that location and they did not want the taxpayer to almost exclusively pay for it. It seems that they may be carrying a grudge.  

"If, like a scorned lover, the city is looking for reasons why the school board was hesitant to commit, it need only cast a glance into last week’s mirror." 

   The editorial begins by blaming the new administration for the Board of Education deciding to relocate outside of the city limits. The mayor and three of the five council members were newly elected only five months ago. The BOE has been talking with previous administrations about relocating downtown since February of 2000. They began talks with the most recent past administration two years ago, commissioning a task force established by the Greater Hagerstown Committee to explore possible locations downtown. Apparently, it took GHC two years to present a report. By then it seems it was too little too late. How can they expect this administration to do in 5 months what previous administrations did not do in 13 years or even the last two years? If they erred at all it was having confidence in the groundwork laid by the outgoing elected officials and the GHC, and assuming that the BOE was communicating honestly with them and truly interested in downtown. Just look at the facts:

Feb 12: The GHC presents their report after be commissioned two years ago.

Feb 19: Mayor and council make their pitch to the school board to relocate downtown.

Feb 19 (3 hours later): The school board voted unanimously to enter into a purchase agreement to explore buying the former Allegheny Energy headquarters off of Downsville Pike for its administrative offices.

The school board did not communicate to the city that it was seriously looking elsewhere, and did not even give them the courtesy of letting them know that they were ready to sign an agreement with Allegheny Energy. At this point I think everyone knew that the board had no intentions of moving downtown. The BOE then asked for hard figures. I am not sure how much more they wanted in addition to what GHC provided in their report. The mayor became visibly angry with me when I asked him that question at a meeting of the Citizens for the Protection of Washington County. In hindsight, I understand why he did. 
  
   The Herald Mail editorial went on to say,   

"Yet individual council members seem more concerned about justifying questionable actions of the past. Councilman Kristin Aleshire in particular has taken to public message boards trying to explain why the decision to let the Suns stadium proposal die was not really a mistake."

   I think this quote is very telling about what really motivated this scathing editorial. They obviously think that not building a stadium on property that they own needs justification. They show no respect for the community or the taxpayers who did not want it. Just a reminder: the mayor and council are elected to represent the people who elect them. They are not crowned; they are elected. 

"...the problem is that not enough people are profiting [in Hagerstown]."

     The editorial then mocks the city for signing a non-binding agreement with Sora to allow them to develop a plan and seek private and public funding on behalf of the city. It is non-binding because you can bet that they would be writing editorials about how it was unethical to make Sora exclusive without giving other developers the chance to bid on the master plan wholly or on individual projects within the plan. They further mocked them for developing a task force of individuals who have nothing to gain and who have had experience in P3s to advise them in their possible partnership with Sora. They imply that the city is afraid that Sora, or anyone else, will make money in this town. Actually, they are making sure that Sora or anyone else, including the Herald Mail, does not profit at the expense of the taxpayer. They are doing their jobs! 

   Finally, they use a small unrelated matter to somehow prove that this administration is unwelcoming to businesses. They refer to the task force that was formed and reported to the mayor and council regarding a dog park for downtown. It is a dog park not a business. The mayor and council want a dog park and one will be approved. It is simply the location that is in question and certainly the city has a right, no a duty, to question the data provided, and based on that data deliberate and decide on a location that the community will appreciate and that will not become a burden to any of its citizens.

Get over it!

   This mayor and council listened to the voters and decided not to build a stadium on Herald Mail property. If the Herald Mail has a grudge about losing out on the possible sale of their property for a stadium, it is misplaced. Their issue is with the community and the taxpayer who support their business. That is not a good idea, so I suggest that they get over it!