And so it begins in earnest...

It’s unfortunate Mayor Tilghman has lowered herself to engage in the politics of personal destruction again. In her press event today, she accused Jim Ireton of lying about crime and disparaging city employees.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

So what did Jim say Tuesday that has the Mayor so infuriated? Watch for yourself.

Crime Speech PART ONE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDJ3yLkNMU  

Crime Speech PART TWO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbcY9uJ5_c  

Here’s most of the data he cited Tuesday:
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We stand here today in a city that was second in 2007 only to Baltimore City among municipalities in violent crime incidents. A city second only to Baltimore City among municipalities in forcible rape incidents. When looking at acts of violent crime per resident, Salisbury is actually ahead of Baltimore City. As of 3 weeks ago, we are still seeing more Part One crimes year-to-date than we have seen in the last two years in the same time period. 

What does that mean to us? Part One crimes, year-to-date for January and February: 2007, 495 and in 2008, 489 and now in 2009, 522.

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That’s what he said. EVERY WORD IS TRUE. Every. Single. Word. And the per capita statistics he cited were true, too. No apologies needed.