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Friday, July 17, 2009

Legendary Anchorman Walter Cronkite Dies


Legendary anchorman Walter Cronkite has died at the age of 92, according to
several reports.

GO HERE to see a nice tribute to Uncle Walter.

Gangs Tag Salisbury Track






Don't let Chiefy Webster ever make you think Gangs aren't a problem in Salisbury. Gangs = Drugs = Crime = Murder.

UPDATE: We're told by Gang Specialists that this tagging was not from Gang Members. More than likely teenagers acting like they're from a Gang.

What's Worse?


"Whats worst, this lady reading the daily slime while driving or me taking the
pic while driving?"

This was sent into me by a reader.

Can Bill Gates Control The Weather?

Buy A Car, Get A Free AK-47



Want a new car, but also want an AK-47? Head to Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, where with any new car purchase you'll receive a voucher good for $450 to spend at a local gun shop. It doesn't have to be an AK-47, but you don't have to be a red-blooded man either, you big city sissy.


The logo at Mark Muller's dealership is... an old west caricature pointing two pistols at those who pass by. He said it's a nod to what he calls "big city" ways. "We really are different than the big city dealers."

GO HERE to see the video and more.

OCPD ADVISORY: Check Bank Statements For "CHEAPEST THEME.COM" SCAM!!!


The OCPD is warning citizens to watch your bank statements for any surprise debits from "www.Cheapestthemes.com". Several people are reporting that their bank statement was debited with the amounts of $2.81 and $4.81 and $6.81.

If you "google" the company "Cheapest Themes" you will find a few links. The site itself doesn't allow you to send them email, and the phone number listed immediately forwards to a recording.

If you have been a victim of www.cheapestthemes.com then contact your bank and explain that there has been fraudulent activity within your account and you did not authorize "Cheapest Themes" to charge you. Different banks will have different policies regarding the action that will be taken in the event that you were charged.

DON'T MISS HISTORICAL MOMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER


Don't miss "historical moments by George Chevallier" tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM sharp.

Warning! The National Guard Is Coming To Downtown Salisbury


It has been reported that the National Guard building on Rt. 50 will be undergoing renovations in the near future and they are trying to set up shop at the old Fire Station 16 in Downtown Salisbury.

It will be nice to see someone making use of the old building as it has flooded out several times since they abandoned it about two years ago. I wonder if the City will charge them rent for using the building? They should. Just because they own it doesn't mean they should give it away.

One Year Ago Today


It was one year ago today Sheriff Mike Lewis and Chiefy David See held a press conference on David Cox, arrested and accused of impersonating a Police Officer. While Chiefy claimed in the Press Conference this was the first time in the history of the SFD that anyone had been arrested, he was far from telling the truth.

After the Press Conference we all went outside to review the vehicle Cox was using, (a former police cruiser) very similar to the vehicle Gordy is now driving.

His case was supposed to be heard last week but it was extended for another 30 days. It doesn't look very good for David Cox. Cox was hired immediately after I had put up the Post about how the SFD discriminates against black fire fighters. Cox had quite a history but See was so desperate to get someone in there they bypassed his former history and hired him anyway.

How's it working for you now Chiefy? Oh, that's right, you couldn't care less because you're no longer with the SFD. You're Delmar's problem now.

"Captain Jim" Whittemore Has Passed Away


Jim Whittemore was an outstanding cameraman and floor manager at WTTG/Channel 5 and WBAL/Channel 11 in the 1970s and then moved to Ocean City to pursue his dream... a radio career. He was best known as "Captain Jim" - the sidekick to Hitman McKay on WKHI/Ocean City in the late '80s and early '90s. Jim was also heard on WRXS, WTGM, WJDY, and WKHZ. Jim called the Delmarva Shorebird games for quite some time, and was also the stadium announcer at Delmarva Downs. He also had an unsuccessful mayoral bid in Ocean City in the late '80s"

Jim also did the SU Football games on WICO and was a HUGE voice for the Optimist Club. I worked side by side with Jim in the Press Box at the Shorebirds Games as well as Radio Shows on WICO. He was a fantastic man, loved by all.

R.I.P. my Friend.

Yard Sales 7/18/9

GO HERE for the lastest yard sales.

Have a good weekend.

The "Chappaquiddick Incident” Also Happened Then!


The mainstream media is deluging us with coverage of the “moon landing” that occurred forty years ago next Monday (July 20). But have you heard similar reminiscence about yet another momentous event that occurred just two days before Neil Armstrong told the world that “Eagle has landed” – the “accident” that resulted in the drowning death of Mary Jo Kopechne, an attractive young woman who was a passenger in the car that Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (no doubt somewhere between sobriety and total stupor at the time) drove off a bridge and into a pond on Martha’s Vineyard. Only the great bloated one managed to escape from the submerged vehicle.

According to Kennedy the accident occurred after he made a “wrong turn” but was unaware that had. His behavior both before and after it happened is incredible. He was competing in a Yacht Club regatta and one evening attended a party for young women who had served in Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign, including Ms. Kopechne; Kennedy’s wife was not there. He left the party with Ms. Kopechne – afterwards stating to public officials that he was taking her back to her hotel, and told his chauffeur that his services were not needed. His actions after the accident are even more perplexing. He did not report the accident until he learned that her body had been found inside the car. The diver who removed it testified that she may have survived long enough to have been saved had he contacted the police promptly.

Kennedy was charged with only minor offenses and given a suspended sentence. Despite blood on Ms Kopechne’s skirt and in her nose and mouth, her body was not autopsied. Her family received payment’s of $90,904 from Kennedy and $50,000 from his insurance company. At Kennedy’s request, the inquest was conducted in secret.

It is widely believed that the event resulted in Kennedy’s not becoming President of the United States – he ran against Jimmy Carter in the 1979 party primary. But it did not harm him in Massachusetts, where he was reelected with 62% of the vote (a real “landside”) one year after the Chappaquiddick and many times thereafter.

This Saturday, July 18, is the 40th anniversary of Ms. Kopechne’s death.

OBAMA STRIKES SENIORS AGAIN

CMS PROPOSES PAYMENT, POLICY CHANGES FOR PHYSICIANS SERVICES TO MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN 2010

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today proposed changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year (CY 2010) by over 1 million physicians and nonphysician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The MPFS sets payment rates for more than 7,000 types of services in physician offices, hospitals, and other settings.

CMS is making several proposals to refine Medicare payments to physicians, which are expected to increase payment rates for primary care services. The proposals include an update to the practice expense component of physician fees. For 2010, CMS is proposing to include data about physicians’ practice costs from a new survey, the Physician Practice Information Survey (PPIS), designed and conducted by the American Medical Association.

The Medicare law requires CMS to adjust the MPFS payment rates annually based on an update formula which includes application of the Sustainable Growth Rate or SGR that was adopted in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This formula has yielded negative updates every year beginning in CY 2002, although CMS was able to take administrative steps to avert a reduction in CY 2003, and Congress has taken a series of legislative actions to prevent reductions in CYs 2004-2009. Based on current data, CMS is projecting a rate reduction of -21.5 percent for CY 2010.

As part of health care reform, the Administration supports comprehensive, but fiscally responsible, reforms to the physician payment formula. Consistent with this goal, the Administration announced in the FY 2010 President’s Budget that it would explore the breadth of options available under current authority to facilitate such reforms, including an assessment of whether the cost of physician-administered drugs should continue to be included in the payment formula. Thus, while working with Congress to develop a more appropriate mechanism for updating physician payment rates, CMS is proposing to remove physician-administered drugs from the definition of “physician services” for purposes of computing the physician update formula in anticipation of enactment of legislation to provide fundamental reforms to Medicare physician payments. While the proposal will not change the projected update for services during CY 2010, CMS projects that it would reduce the number of years in which physicians are projected to experience a negative update.

CMS is also proposing to stop making payment for consultation codes, which are typically billed by specialists and are paid at a higher rate than equivalent evaluation and management (E/M) services. Practitioners will use existing E/M service codes when providing these services instead. Resulting savings would be redistributed to increase payments for the existing E/M services.

Doctors Pay

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) analysis of Remuneration of Health Professions, OECD Health Data 2006 (October 2006), available at http://www.ecosante.fr/OCDEENG/70.html.






Democrats Drop Key Part Of Bill To Assist Unions

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

A half-dozen senators friendly to labor have decided to drop a central provision of a bill that would have made it easier to organize workers.

The so-called card-check provision — which senators decided to scrap to help secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes — would have required employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. Currently, employers can insist on a secret-ballot election, a higher hurdle for unions.

The abandonment of card check was another example of the power of moderate Democrats to constrain their party’s more liberal legislative efforts. Though the Democrats have a 60-40 vote advantage in the Senate, and President Obama supports the measure, several moderate Democrats opposed the card-check provision as undemocratic.

GO HERE to read more from the New York Times.

Can The Economy Recover?


Paul Craig Roberts
Infowars


There is no economy left to recover. The US manufacturing economy was lost to offshoring and free trade ideology. It was replaced by a mythical “New Economy.”

The “New Economy” was based on services. Its artificial life was fed by the Federal Reserve’s artificially low interest rates, which produced a real estate bubble, and by “free market” financial deregulation, which unleashed financial gangsters to new heights of debt leverage and fraudulent financial products.


The real economy was traded away for a make-believe economy. When the make-believe economy collapsed, Americans’ wealth in their real estate, pensions, and savings collapsed dramatically while their jobs disappeared.

The debt economy caused Americans to leverage their assets. They refinanced their homes and spent the equity. They maxed out numerous credit cards. They worked as many jobs as they could find. Debt expansion and multiple family incomes kept the economy going.

And now suddenly Americans can’t borrow in order to spend. They are over their heads in debt. Jobs are disappearing. America’s consumer economy, approximately 70% of GDP, is dead. Those Americans who still have jobs are saving against the prospect of job loss. Millions are homeless. Some have moved in with family and friends; others are living in tent cities.

Meanwhile the US government’s budget deficit has jumped from $455 billion in 2008 to $2,000 billion this year, with another $2,000 billion on the books for
2010. And President Obama has intensified America’s expensive war of aggression in Afghanistan and initiated a new war in Pakistan.

There is no way for these deficits to be financed except by printing money or by further collapse in stock markets that would drive people out of equity into bonds.

The US government’s budget is 50% in the red. That means half of every dollar the federal government spends must be borrowed or printed. Because of the worldwide debacle caused by Wall Street’s financial gangsterism, the world needs its own money and hasn’t $2 trillion annually to lend to Washington.

As dollars are printed, the growing supply adds to the pressure on the dollar’s role as reserve currency. Already America’s largest creditor, China, is admonishing Washington to protect China’s investment in US debt and lobbying for a new reserve currency to replace the dollar before it collapses. According to various reports, China is spending down its holdings of US dollars by acquiring gold and stocks of raw materials and energy.

The price of one ounce gold coins is $1,000 despite efforts of the US government to hold down the gold price. How high will this price jump when the rest of the world decides that the bankruptcy of “the world’s only superpower” is at hand?

And what will happen to America’s ability to import not only oil, but also the manufactured goods on which it is import-dependent?

When the over-supplied US dollar loses the reserve currency role, the US will no longer be able to pay for its massive imports of real goods and services with pieces of paper. Overnight, shortages will appear and Americans will be poorer.

Nothing in Presidents Bush and Obama’s economic policy addresses the real issues. Instead, Goldman Sachs was bailed out, more than once. As Eliot Spitzer said, the banks made a “bloody fortune” with US aid.

It was not the millions of now homeless homeowners who were bailed out. It was not the scant remains of American manufacturing–General Motors and Chrysler–that were bailed out. It was the Wall Street Banks.

According to Bloomberg.com, Goldman Sachs’ current record earnings from their free or low cost capital supplied by broke American taxpayers has led the firm to decide to boost compensation and benefits by 33 percent. On an annual basis, this comes to compensation of $773,000 per employee.

This should tell even the most dimwitted patriot who “their” government represents.

The worst of the economic crisis has not yet hit. I don’t mean the rest of the real estate crisis that is waiting in the wings. Home prices will fall further when the foreclosed properties currently held off the market are dumped. Store and office closings are adversely impacting the ability of owners of shopping malls and office buildings to make their mortgage payments. Commercial real estate loans were also securitized and turned into derivatives.

The real crisis awaits us. It is the crisis of high unemployment, of stagnant and declining real wages confronted with rising prices from the printing of money to pay the government’s bills and from the dollar’s loss of exchange value. Suddenly, Wal-Mart prices will look like Nieman Marcus prices.

Retirees dependent on state pension systems, which cannot print money, might not be paid, or might be paid with IOUs. They will not even have depreciating money with which to try to pay their bills. Desperate tax authorities will squeeze the remaining life out of the middle class.

Nothing in Obama’s economic policy is directed at saving the US dollar as reserve currency or the livelihoods of the American people. Obama’s policy, like Bush’s before him, is keyed to the enrichment of Goldman Sachs and the armament industries.

Matt Taibbi describes Goldman Sachs as “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentless jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.” Look at the Goldman Sachs representatives in the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. This bankster firm controls the economic policy of the United States.

Little wonder that Goldman Sachs has record earnings while the rest of us grow poorer by the day.

Source

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases


Location: Wicomico County

Narrative: Recently the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office has received both inquiries and complaints about the recent sales of alarm systems here in Wicomico County. We have identified a third party marketing company who is selling theses alarms on behalf of Vector Security, a company based out of the Washington, D.C. area. We have been in contact with Vector Security at both their Washington D.C. office and their corporate office in Pennsylvania. After being alerted to the inquires and complaints that we have received, we have been informed that a representative of Vector Security will be contacting each and every individual who has signed a contract and purchased one of these alarms.

Any further inquiries may be directed to Vector Security at 800-688-0150

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 15 July 2009
Location: 11300 block of San Domingo Road, Mardela Springs, MD
Suspect: Female Juvenile, 16, Mardela Springs, MD

Narrative: On 15 July 2009
at 7:07 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded for a reported assault that occurred at a residential youth facility in the 11300 block of San Domingo Road. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered that a 16 year old female became enraged and began attacking another juvenile in the facility. According to staff at the facility it took all available staff members to restrain the juvenile.

The deputy completed a request for Juvenile Charges that will be sent to the Department of Juvenile Services for future action.

Charges: Assault 2nd degree

Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 16 July 2009
Location: Salisbury Blvd. at North Point Drive, Salisbury, MD

Suspect:
1. Daniel M. Ligon, 27, Franklin Park, NJ
2. Jamon N. Ligon, 35, Franklin Park, NJ

Narrative: On 16 July 2009
at 1:56 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Daniel Ligon for driving erratically on Salisbury Blvd. Upon making contact with Daniel Ligon and the passenger, Jamon Ligon, the deputy observed indicators that led him to believe that illicit activity was taking place. A WCSO Drug K9 team responded to scan the vehicle for the presence of the odor of illegal drugs, during which the K9 alerted positively to that odor. The deputy then searched the vehicle and located two baggies of what the deputy recognized as marijuana inside the center console. Both Daniel and Jamon Ligon, who were the only occupants of the vehicle, denied any knowledge of the marijuana.

The deputy placed both Daniel and Jamon Ligon under arrest and transported them to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After their initial appearances, the Commissioner detained both in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

St Frances De Sales Dedicates Philip & Barbara Long Parish Center




































I was honored this week to be invited to the dedication of the new Philip & Barbara Long Parish Center at the St. Frances De Sales Catholic Church on Riverside Drive.

630 people attended the cerimony and Father Ed told me it had been the biggest attendance they had ever experienced. On a Tuesday evening to boot.

They spent about an hour inside the Church expressing their thanks, (far to many to mention here as well as the brief Church Cerimony) but Lt. Governot Brown and other dignataries spoke briefly before all 630 people left the Church and walked over to the new building.

In the next Post I'll show you the inside of this magnificent building.

Inside The New Philip & Barbara Long Parish Center























UNBELIEVABLE! The new Philip & Barbara Long Parish Center takes your breath away, especially for those of us who were and or are in the restaurant business. The kitchen is to die for.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!


"Joe,

I believe that Scott and Amy should win this pool. Here's why:

Scott and Amy have 12 kids. 3 of which are their biological children. The rest of the brood? Adopted. Their first adopted child was "Peanut". A little bundle of joy they adopted some years ago from a mother that was a crack addict. Then came the next brood. After being their foster parents for a few years to 8 children from the same family, they filed for adoption. These kids also came from a very drug infested, dysfunctional family. Having suffered mental abuse and being subjected to pornography at a very young age. While they were in the process of adoption, the mother became pregnant again, bringing the total to 9 children. Not wanting to
separate a family, Scott and Amy decided "what's one more?"

These kids range from the ages of teen to infant. Having these many kids placed in one home is almost unheard of. In almost all cases the family is usually split up. Not for Scott and Amy. Their BIG hearts welcomed them all. Scott works hard everyday which allows Amy to stay at home and raise these kids. Together, the two of them are building a strong, nurturing environment these children so deserve.

Living on a farm, the kids divide up all the chores that it takes to run a house with that many kids. Did I mention that Peanut's biological mom is pregnant? Yep that's right. Scott and Amy are hoping to add lucky #13......

God Bless them. They deserve this pool......."

I spoke with Amy yesterday afternoon and informed them that they were the winners of the new Pool. We'll deliver the pool to them some time today. Amy did inform me that they are in fact adopting the 13th child, (as mentioned above) and are trying to raise the $15,000.00 it takes, (believe it or not) to go through the adoption process. They have $3,000.00 of it but will be struggling to raise the additional $12,000.00 to complete the process.

In the mean time, Amy mentioned they had purchased a $15.00 pool for the kids to play in and while they had discussed buying a pool, they could afford either a fence, OR a pool but not both. Low and behold, here comes the free pool and now all they have to do is purchase and install the fence. Amy asked if I could just drop it off because she didn't want it installed until they had the fence up.

So Mr. Billy Hill, you asked me to find a Family who really needs a pool and had lots of kids, Salisbury News has delivered. To Reconciled1, who nominated this Family, you're a good man my friend and Scott and Amy are lucky to have you in their lives.

Thank you for sharing this story and I look forward to delivering this pool to their home today.

Remember Folks, if YOU would like to "Give Back" and do something special like this don't hesitate to contact us. There are a lot of Families in need. I want to thank ALL of you for writing in. The response was overwhelming and as you can all see from this message it was a clear winner.

CHUCK’S DAY AT MARKET STREET INN

CHUCK’S DAY AT MARKET STREET INN

West Market Street, Salisbury



FUN DAY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
KIDS’ ACTIVITIES & LOTS of RAFFLES


SUNDAY, JULY 19

10 am – 4 pm




Market Street Inn will donate a full 50% of sales to Chuck's transplant fund!!!



Come out to enjoy Market Street Inn's excellent lunch menu and help Chuck too!



Plus see the brand new Mercedes Benz SL that will be given away with the beautiful Sarasota, Florida townhouse

Visit www.newlungsforchuck.com for details.

The Barber Shop

WBOC TV Celebrates 55th Anniversary


SALISBURY, Md.- Wednesday, July 15, 2009 marked the 55th anniversary of WBOC TV's broadcasting on the air to Delmarva.

When WBOC TV first started broadcasting on July 15, 1954, the name WBOC was already a household word to Delmarva residents. That is because in 1954, WBOC Radio had already entered its 14th year of existence and it was the first successful radio station on Delmarva.

There had been other attempts, but it was not until a group of prominent local businessmen joined together to form the Peninsula Broadcasting Company did Delmarva enjoy its own, local radio station. And enjoy it they did: by the time WBOC began broadcasting television, WBOC radio was one of the most successful local radio stations in the country, having been on the air since Sept. 13, 1940.

WBOC's entry into television was as the home team, and when the first black and white signal was broadcast from Salisbury that July 15, Delmarva was more than ready to watch it, support it and make it their own. Early programming on WBOC was nothing like it is today.

GO HERE to read more from WBOC.

Former Fire Chief David See's Retirement Party Update

Fire Chief David B. See's Retirement Gala
Let's Help Honor 30 Years of Faithful Service
Host: Salisbury Fire Department
Type: Party - Dinner Party
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Salisbury University Commons
Street: 1101 Camden Avenue
City/Town: Salisbury, MD

Phone: 410-548-3120
Email: pjones@ci.salisbury.md.us
Description Fire Chief David B. See's Retirement Gala at Salisbury University Commons- August 15th, 2009

This is a ~Gala~ event!

Tickets are $35 each
Dress is Class A uniforms if available.

Please contact Mrs. Paula Jones at the Salisbury Fire Headquarters to put your name on the list prior to July 15th!!!

Tickets do not have to be purchased prior to July 15th!!

She will also be able to answer any questions you may have about the event details.

We hope to see you there to help honor a true "Firefighter's Firefighter"!

Confirmed Guests
This event has 1 confirmed guest

Stephen Gay

Mark Thompson Becomes New WCBOE President


During a reorganization Tuesday night, Mark Thompson became the new President of the Wicomico Board of Education while Michelle Wright became the new V.P..

Robin Holloway chose to not run for President another term, therefore opening the position, yet she'll remain on the Board.

As we have stated in the past, Robin ran a tight ship and some of the best meetings Salisbury News has ever attended, she'll be missed.

Mark Thompson is well known throughout the community and we look forward to working with Mark in the future.

Town Hits Economic Jackpot To Become 'Kia-ville'

WEST POINT, Georgia (CNN) -- A community that seemed on the road to becoming a ghost town has taken a turn toward prosperity despite the recession, thanks to an automaker.

Korean car manufacturer Kia plans to open a sprawling automobile factory in tiny West Point, Georgia, by the end of the year. The boon has already spurred economic growth -- and just plain excitement -- among residents, said Mayor Drew Ferguson.

"We jokingly call it Kia-ville," said Ferguson, a 42-year-old dentist helping to oversee expansion of West Point, population 3,500. The announcement is drawing workers and businesses to the community about 80 miles south of Atlanta.

"The revitalization of the community is touching every aspect," Ferguson said. "We have infrastructure projects, new subdivisions going up, hotel professional services that are all needed to support the massive manufacturing."

GO HERE to read more.

Gay Penguins Split After One Goes Straight



Gay penguins break up

Harry and Pepper, the two male penguins who had shared a six-year relationship, have parted ways.

GO HERE just in case the video doesn't pop up.

House Poised To Defy Obama On Car Dealers

Bill to press General Motors, Chrysler to restore closed dealerships

WASHINGTON - The House is considering a break with the Obama administration over a key part of auto industry restructuring by pressing General Motors and Chrysler to restore dealerships shuttered by the car companies’ bankruptcies.

The House was poised to approve the car dealer measure Thursday as part of a spending bill. It would force General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC to restore franchise agreements with dealers as a condition of partial government ownership.

Car dealers have lobbied lawmakers to support the bill, arguing that the government and the automakers have trampled over state franchise laws and knocked out hundreds of dealerships with little warning. They warn that up to 200,000 workers could lose their jobs.

GO HERE to read more from MSNBC.

Obama Tells Blacks To Own Their Futures

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, AP

NEW YORK (July 17) - President Barack Obama on Thursday traced his historic rise to power to the vigor and valor of black civil rights leaders, telling the NAACP that the sacrifice of others "began the journey that has led me here." The nation's first black president bluntly warned, though, that racial barriers persist.

"Make no mistake: The pain of discrimination is still felt in America," the president said in honoring the organization's 100th convention.

GO HERE to read more.

Blue Dog Statement on Health Care Reform Legislation

Washington, DC - Today, Representative Mike Ross (D-AR), Chairman of the Blue Dog Health Care Task Force, issued the following statement after the introduction of health care reform legislation in the House.

"The skyrocketing cost of health care is not only bankrupting American families and businesses; it is leading this country down a path to fiscal disaster. We can never balance the federal budget again without reforming the system to hold the growth of health care costs to the rate of inflation.

"The Blue Dogs are committed to passing health care reform. However, reform that does not meet the President's goals of substantially bringing down costs is not an option.

"Over the past several months, Blue Dogs have put forth substantive policy proposals aimed at achieving this objective, and we look forward to working through the legislative process to incorporate these cost cutting measures."

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 52 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/.

Read the Blue Dog letter on responsible health care reform...

July 9, 2009

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:

As members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, we write today to express our strong reservations about the process and direction of the draft tri-committee health care reform proposal. We share President Obama’s deep commitment to passing comprehensive, deficit-neutral health care reform that lowers costs for American families and businesses, increases the quality of care provided, and expands access for every American. We also believe that the process by which we get there is critically important if we hope to develop responsible health care reform legislation that accomplishes all of these goals.

After reviewing the draft tri-committee health care reform proposal, we believe it lacks a number of elements essential to preserving what works and fixing what is broken. Following are our initial thoughts, and we hope to see a draft at some point that substantially addresses each key item:

For More -- http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/Letter%20on%20HCR.html

Blue Dog Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

The Wedding Night

Mike was going to be married to Karen, so his father sat him down for a little chat.

He said, 'Mike, let me tell you something. On my wedding night in our honeymoon suite
I took off my pants, handed them to your mother,and said,
'Here - try these on.'
She did and said, 'These are too big, I can't wear them.'
I replied, 'Exactly, I wear the pants in this family and I always will.'
'Ever since that night we never had any problems.'

'Hmmm,' said Mike. He thought that might be a good thing to try.
On his honeymoon, Mike took off his pants and said to Karen, '
Here - try these on.'
She tried t hem on and said, 'These are too large. They don't fit me.'
Mike said, 'Exactly. I wear the pants in this family and I always will.
I don't want you to ever forget that.'

Then Karen took off her pants and handed them to Mike.
She said, 'Here-you try on mine.'
He did and said, 'I can't get into your pants.'
Karen said, 'Exactly. And if you don't change your smart ass attitude, you never will.'
And they lived happily ever after.

Indian River Inlet Bridge Annual Inspection & Roadway Approach Work Restricts Route 1

Indian River -- The Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) Bridge Management Team will be conducting its annual inspection of the existing Indian River Inlet Bridge Monday, July 20, through Thursday, July 23, 2009. The work will start on the Route 1 southbound side and will require the right lane and shoulder of the existing Indian River Inlet Bridge to be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 20. On July 21, crews will move to the northbound side of the roadway, and Route 1 northbound will have a right lane and right shoulder closure to allow for completion of the inspection. July 23 is identified as a raindate, if needed.

Also during this time, DelDOT's Materials and Research staff will be taking core/boring samples along the approaches in the northbound right lane and right shoulder of Route 1 over the bridge. This work is needed to gather information about the road materials in this area which will be used as engineers design the contract for the removal of the existing bridge and roadway approaches. All work is weather dependent. There will be no lane impacts on Friday, July 24.

This regular, annual bridge inspection will consist of a hands-on type inspection to check the beams, bearings, portions of piers above water and the decking under the bridge. The closures allow the inspection crew to also fully check the condition of the bridge rails, sidewalks, joints and riding surface of the deck. In addition, DelDOT monitors the existing bridge via:

1. Underwater Dive Inspections: DelDOT performs annual underwater dive inspections. The next inspection is scheduled for September-October 2009.

2. Bathymetric Surveys: DelDOT continues to conduct annual bathymetric/fathometer surveys to examine the streambed area around and between the piers until the new bridge is complete. A fathometer study was recently conducted in April. The study indicated that there have not been any significant changes over the last year. This routine survey will be completed again in spring 2010. Additional surveys are conducted after severe storm events. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers has provided DelDOT with their periodic bathymetric surveys, the most recent from 2007. The technology has improved over the years allowing the viewer to essentially see an underwater picture of the site. These renderings are posted on www.irib.deldot.gov.

3. Land Survey Equipment: Land survey equipment is used to monitor movement on the existing bridge on a regular basis (monthly). These readings have indicated little to no movement of the bridge. Any movement indicated is a result of normal expansion and contraction due to temperature effects.

Healthcare

Diamond Rio: In God We Still Trust

Pope Breaks Wrist In Fall During Alps Vacation


VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI broke his right wrist in a fall during his vacation in the Alps, hospital officials and the Vatican said Friday.

Tiziano Trevisan, a spokesman at the Umberto Parini hospital in Aosta, told The Associated Press, "The pope will be held for a few hours as the doctors treat his fracture. He will then stay for observation."

Trevisan said doctors had taken an X-ray of the pope's right wrist and found a small fracture. The pope is 82 and has been healthy during his five-year pontificate.
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Iran Names MIT Graduate As New Nuclear Chief


TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has appointed a new chief for the country's nuclear program, following the abrupt resignation of its veteran head, the official IRNA news agency reported Friday.


Ali Akbar Salehi, a U.S.-educated physicist who was Iran's former envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, is replacing Gholam Reza Aghazadeh as the new vice president and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, IRNA said.


Officials gave no reason for Aghazadeh's resignation, but he has long been close to reformist opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to be the victor in June 12 presidential elections and has called Ahmadinejad's government illegitimate.


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