Editor:
The City of Aberdeen has for too long struggled to get out from under the financial burden of the Ripken Stadium. Each year the taxpayers of Aberdeen pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the debt.
I don’t know what Mayor Bennett thinks he’s doing, but he was certainly fibbing when he travelled to Augusta, GA. Ripken wants the taxpayers of Augusta to build them a stadium down there, and they paid to bring Bennett down as a lobbyist. Bennett told a room full of people that the Stadium has not hurt Aberdeen financially at all, contrary to the facts. Why would the Mayor of Aberdeen lie about this financial drain? And we found out through the Augusta newspaper? Seriously?
We have an election on November 8 at the Senior Center in Aberdeen, and I’m voting for Patrick McGrady because he wants to end this corrupt behavior at City Hall and make sure the taxpayers no longer subsidize the very profitable Ripken Baseball Group.
Richard Meinert
Aberdeen, MD 21001
About time, I am writing the attorney general of maryland and the county states attorney to investigate this. This seems to me to be a clear conflict of interest.
Mr. Meinhart, thank you for your letter. Fact is, Bennett and Ripken Baseball were trying to mislead public officials in Augusta, GA earlier this month. They called those of us who raised concerns over a new publicly financed stadium based on the history in Aberdeen as, spreading “misinformation and rumors.” It looks like it was mayor Bennett and Jeff Eiseman from Ripken Baseball who were telling tall-tales in Augusta. I can say we do not appreciate it. We would also appreciate it if some of you citizens in Aberdeen could write the Augusta Chronicle and give your perspective of the stadium deal. OUr local media is only interested in covering the fluff and propaganda being forwarded by our mayor and Ripken Baseball officials. People in Augusta need to hear the truth, not the spin.
http://chronicle.augusta.com/help/letters
Obviously, Bennett must have something to gain from all of this. My guess is financial gain of some sort and I doubt its a gain for the citizens of Aberdeen.
He be on the take. Stankin corrupt politics. We be knowin it. I heard that!
Damn carpetbaggers.