I know most are wondering what in the "L" that means. Well, it means that I've never seen any money come from Tommy of any real significance in Lancaster or anywhere else. Sure there's alot of property jockeying and plenty of meetings with home builders and property scouts but where's the money? I often wondered why we had to constantly wait for this or that person to "cut a check" but now wonder if it wasn't because the guy isn't what he seems in more ways than we know. Try looking up Tommy Tompkins via Google. You'll find very little that can actually be attributed to the man and conversations with people in the business reveal an almost comical cheapness that leads one to question just how "liquid" this guy really is.
I think that the killing of two consecutive projects on his land at Bear Creek is rendering this old fart broke as a three wheeled wagon. Furthermore he can't sell it! You see, Tommy has put so much poison out there about Lancaster that commercial and residential developers alike are weary of what might be a long process of delays in building anything there. Need proof? Okay, take our preelection meeting held before the 2005 elections. Marc Audet, Prince McDowell, and Ben Barnes were all asked to meet at Sullivan's Steak House to discuss potential funding for the up and coming elections at that time. They literally gave speeches and answered questions before a table of top developers and builders so that funding determinations could be made. Granted, many of the people in attendance that day never gave a penny toward the "cause" because they were too cheap or too scared, but many did. Oh, and as for the proof, the receipt for their meals is among the paperwork copied and turned over to the IRS.
Also take into consideration that Marc Audet didn't KNOW any of his campaign staff! I hired them all from people that I met while in Lancaster. The most common problem during the election? The folks on the street didn't know who they were talking up for election. Most had never even seen him. I recall asking a gentleman ( Sammy ) to help out with putting out signs. A job he did very well and without hesitation. Upon seeing him after having received payment for the job from Marc, this young man commented," I didn't know this cat was white!?" Imagine that, three hours of sign posting, talking up the guy as the next hope of Lancaster, and he didn't even know the guy's face. Now, Ben stayed out of the fray. I applaud him greatly for that. He simply told them what they wanted to hear, took his check, and away he went! LOL
Prince was a different story, he needed some guidance and who better to offer it than a RV salesperson, a dubious preacher with legal issues, and a womanizing head of the Black Chamber of Commerce that incidentally was extorting money from local banks in an elaborate scheme to "hold them hostage" to their community obligations vs a threatened federal review process. Yet of them all, Prince was the brightest when finally left to his own.
Yes Lancaster, I do believe that the tide has changed and the stench of Tommy is beginning to fade. But he still has close to 800 acres of useless ( in his eyes ) land strapped to him. Be aware that he WILL bring another pitiful plan to Lancaster and I'm willing to bet someone else will be writing the checks. Remember who said it and when but you'll hear these words from some young sharp business type soon, "Tommy? Oh he's gone on to other things. I own the land now and here's what I want to bring to Lancaster..." Meanwhile Tommy will sit in his disgusting car bathed in second hand smoke while he waits for his second rate cell phone to wail out that God awful guitar rift from the 70's. As if he ever was young or good looking enough to have taken advantage of that decade! As usual I'll sign off with a consistent wish that Lancaster thrives in the new year and that Tommy chokes on a chicken bone.
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