Bond Rating Never Changed After
Board Junket to New York City
(March 15, 2005)  LEONARDTOWN --- Despite the expenditure of more than $12,000 by the St. Mary's Board on a junket to New York City where they stayed two nights in a swanky Manhattan hotel in the financial district, dined out at a top spot in city where "specials" go for $75 each, the Hambone McKay show didn't result in the hoped for lowering of the county's bond rating.  Changes in the interest rates, changes not influenced by the presentations of the St. Mary's Board, resulted in savings on selling of county bonds.  The board could have stayed home but instead, the four commissioners, along with Commissioner Tommy "Hambone" McKay's girlfriend, accompanied county staff on this junket which had no effect except to blow taxpayer's money.  Commissioner Kenny Dement didn't go on the trip, but he did vote (along with Democrats Dan Raley and Taxing Tommy Mattingly) to raise the county's tax on phone bills from 50 cents to 75 cents, a tax they collect on every phone line you have, every month, every year.
Thus the trip to Manhattan for 5 county staffers and 4 county commissioners was for nothing, except of course, the fun and frolic of the Commissioners, and for Commissioner McKay and his girlfriend who got to live it up in New York City at the expense of the taxpayers.