DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
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Sunday, November 08, 2009
TROOPER SAVES MAN FROM BURNING HOUSE
(Hurlock, MD) – A Maryland state trooper possibly saved the life of an Eastern Shore man this morning after entering the man’s burning home in Dorchester County, finding him on the second floor and leading him to safety.
The man is identified as Jim H. Malone, 53, of the 100-block of Maryland Avenue, Hurlock, Md. He was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by EMS units from Dorchester County and is said to be in good condition.
Shortly before 7:00 a.m. today, Trooper First Class R. Singleton, of the Easton Barracks, was on patrol in the Hurlock area of Dorchester County. He heard a broadcast for fire and EMS units being dispatched for a house fire at the above address. TFC Singleton was nearby and immediately responded.
Arriving before fire personnel, TFC Singleton was told there was a man, later identified as Malone, still inside the burning residence. The trooper entered the fire and smoke filled house and began a search for the missing man.
TFC Singleton found the man in his bedroom on the second floor. Malone was coughing and choking from the smoke and had become disoriented from smoke inhalation. TFC Singleton led Malone through the smoke and out of the house to safety.
EMS personnel also treated TFC Singleton at the scene for smoke inhalation. He was found to be in good condition and returned to his road patrol duties.
A Call To Action
Crime doesn’t care if you’re conservative, liberal or middle of the road.
Crime doesn’t care if you’re Republican, Democrat or Independent.
Crime doesn’t care if you’re an employee or a business owner.
The question is…
Who DOES care about stopping the crime in Salisbury that threatens our lives and livelihoods, families, students, the elderly?
This Monday night, November 9th at 6 p.m., at the Government Office Building, face the Salisbury City Council 3-member majority and ask:
"Will you continue to support the rising crime rate or will you take action against crime, starting now?"
During Public Comment, state your name and full address, keep it civil, keep it brief, and speak from your heart.
No one else should have to suffer at the hands of criminals because three officials want to play politics.
Join Americans for Prosperity, Progressive Delmarva, and many other citizens in letting their voices be heard.
DEBATING THOSE DEDICATED TO SILENCING DISSENT
A rational person participating as one interested in the truth will evaluate that chain of evidence and conclude either that the links are solid and conclusive, that one or more links are weak and need further development before conclusion can be arrived at. It is the job of a disinformation artist to interfere with these evaluations....to at least make people think the links are weak when, in truth they are not. Another tactic of the disinformation artist is to slow the process, creating apathy with absurd rhetoric, causing confusion.
The disinfo artist MUST seek to prevent rational and complete examination of any chain of evidence which would hang them. Since fact and truth seldom fall on their own, they must be overcome with lies and deceit, but truth will still win out.
Joel
Brooke Mulford Update
MIBG scan is CLEAR!
Thurs afternoon Brooke had her MIBG scan and Dr. Weiser called me Thurs evening with the news that the scan was clear. Brooke had her Bone Marrow Biopsy on Thurs morning. Once again, like during her radiation, she came out of sedation with emergence delirium (screaming, crying, kicking...). She had asked me to have a McDonald's fruit and yogurt parfait ready for her when she woke up which she grabed from me-took a huge spoonful and launched it! Once she calmed down a little she wound up eating 3 of them-she couldn't eat them fast enough! I think donuts are out and McDonalds Parfaits are in now! She was given morphine for the pain and we headed down for her MIBG. She did a great job being still as a statue for almost the whole scan (she got a little antsy the last couple minutes when the Little Bill video she was watching cut off).
We will be heading back up to CHOP next week for some more tests. Thursday she will have a clinic visit for clinical trial labs and friday she will have an audiology exam and an opthomology appointment. I have noticed alot the past couple of weeks that she seems to be having difficulty hearing (prior to her transplants she had high frequency hearing loss and we were expecting more loss after her 2nd transplant due to the carboplatin). She is also way past due for an eye exam and has been lately telling me that her glasses aren't working as well.
Please keep Brooke in your prayers...she has such a long road still ahead. We are hoping that the bone marrow biopsy results are back on Monday and we hear the sweet words "No Evidence of Disease"!
God Bless,
Amy
Confirmed: Buy Insurance Or Go To Jail
A Michigan congressman has released a report from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation confirming that the House Democrats' health-care bill could impose penalties of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in jail for failing to buy the proper insurance coverage.
"This is the ultimate example of the Democrats' command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail," said U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.
"It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately," he said today.
The letter of confirmation from the Joint Committee on Taxation was signed by Chief of Staff Thomas Barthold. His analysis confirmed individuals who fail to follow the rules actually could be penalized both with civil and criminal punishments.
"The Code provides for both civil and criminal penalties to ensure complete and accurate reporting of tax liability and to discourage fraudulent attempts to defeat or evade tax," Barthold's letter said. "Civil and criminal penalties are applied separately.
GO HERE to read more.
McDonough Campaign
As Republicans wait for a decision from former Governor Ehrlich on whether he will run again for Governor, it is a positive thing for the party that other candidates are testing the water and building up volunteers for the 2010 campaign. Regardless of who our candidate is, we need to be building the grassroots now.
McDONOUGH CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR PICKS UP STEAM
One Republican candidate for Governor has fallen by the wayside, another remains undecided on the sidelines, but Delegate Pat McDonough and his “testing the waters” campaign for Governor keeps gaining ground and moving forward.
The three term legislator kicked off his campaign in August with an 11 day visit at the Pat McDonough Booth at the Maryland State Fair. His efforts at the fair resulted in signing up more than 2200 volunteers. The grassroots campaign continues with Delegate McDonough touring the state and speaking to various groups. Recently, he hosted a Pat and Pizza Town Meeting for the Governor’s Race supported by more than 300 enthusiastic volunteers.
The radio and television talk show host and producer has begun developing a strong policy plan which he calls, “The New Maryland.” Last month, Delegate McDonough held a news conference asking for an investigation of Governor O’Malley’s administration’s desire to spend 250 million dollars of taxpayers’ money on large luxury helicopters. Mr. McDonough termed the incident, “Chopper Gate” and maintained that the Medivac service could be updated for less than 75 million dollars.
Continuing to address the issues, the Delegate predicted that if Governor O’Malley were re-elected, he would pass a massive tax increase. Mr. McDonough called O’Malley’s plan, “The Ambush Tax of 2011.” Political columnist Blair Lee, in a public speech, said that Pat McDonough’s creation of the idea to expose O’Malley’s “ambush tax” was a smart move and should be used by all candidates running against the O’Malley administration.
Delegate McDonough’s campaign continues to gain momentum and is in the process of organizing three groups of volunteers dedicated to policy, grassroots, and fundraising. Next week, Delegate McDonough plans a major announcement at a news conference about his policies regarding illegal aliens and their impact upon Maryland.
“After two great victories in the Governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, I believe now more than ever that voter’s are ready for real change and honest leadership. I will continue moving forward with a vibrant, energetic, grassroots campaign effort”, Delegate McDonough stated.
For information or an interview, you may contact Delegate McDonough by calling 410-238-0025 or by sending an e-mail to Patmcdee@comcast.net.
Health Care: How Maryland Members Voted
Maryland's congressional delegation voted 6 to 2 Saturday night in favor of passage of the landmark health-care reform bill, with only first-term Democrat Frank Kratovil breaking with his party and voting no. In a statement, Kratovil called the bill too expensive and said: "I was not able to support the bill before Congress today because I do not believe it meets my criteria for a sustainable solution."
A complete list of how the delegation voted and recent statements and press releases can be found below. For a complete House roll call, click here.
MARYLAND DELEGATION
Frank Kratovil, Democrat, District 1: NO (Statement)
Dutch Ruppersberger, Democrat, District 2: YES
John Sarbanes, Democrat, District 3: YES (News release)
Donna Edwards, Democrat, District 4: YES (News release)
Steny Hoyer, Democrat, District 5: YES (News release)
Roscoe Bartlett, Republican, District 6: NO (News release)
Elijah Cummings, District 7: YES
Chris Van Hollen, District 8: YES (Statement)
OBAMACARE ENDORSEMENTS: WHAT THE BRIBE WAS
I have received a number of emails this morning ending in God Help Us. I just hope He believes America is still worth saving!
OBAMACARE ENDORSEMENTS: WHAT THE BRIBE WASBy DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN
Published on TheHill.com on November 6, 2009As the suicidal Democratic congressmen proceed to rubber-stamp the Obama healthcare reform despite the drubbing their party took in the '09 elections, the president trotted out the endorsements of the AMA and the AARP to stimulate support. But these -- and the other endorsements -- his package has received are all bought and paid for.
Here are the deals:
* The American Medical Association (AMA) was facing a 21 percent cut in physicians' reimbursements under the current law. Obama promised to kill the cut if they backed his bill. The cuts are the fruit of a law requiring annual 5-6 percent reductions in doctor reimbursements for treating Medicare patients. Bravely, each year Congress has rolled the cuts over, suspending them but not repealing them. So each year, the accumulated cuts threaten doctors. By now, they have risen to 21 percent. With this blackmail leverage, Obama compelled the AMA to support his bill...or else!
* The AARP got a financial windfall in return for its support of the healthcare bill. Over the past decade, the AARP has morphed from an advocacy group to an insurance company (through its subsidiary company). It is one of the main suppliers of Medi-gap insurance, a high-cost, privately purchased coverage that picks up where Medicare leaves off. But President Bush-43 passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered a subsidized, lower-cost alternative to Medi-gap. Under Medicare Advantage, the elderly get all the extra coverage they need plus coordinated, well-managed care, usually by the same physician. So more than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage, cutting into AARP Medi-gap revenues. Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP -- which supposedly represents them -- will make more money. (If this galls you, join the American Seniors Association, the alternative group; contact sbarton@americanseniors.org. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .)
* The drug industry backed ObamaCare and, in return, got a 10-year limit of $80 billion on cuts in prescription drug costs. (A drop in the bucket of their almost $3 trillion projected cost over the next decade.) They also got administration assurances that it will continue to bar lower-cost Canadian drugs from coming into the U.S. All it had to do was put its formidable advertising budget at the disposal of the administration.
* Insurance companies got access to 40 million potential new customers. But when the Senate Finance Committee lowered the fine that would be imposed on those who don't buy insurance from $3,500 to $1,500, the insurance companies jumped ship and now oppose the bill, albeit for the worst of motives.The only industry that refused to knuckle under was the medical device makers. They stood for principle and wouldn't go along with Obama's blackmail. So the Senate Finance Committee retaliated by imposing a tax on medical devices such as automated wheelchairs, pacemakers, arterial stents, prosthetic limbs, artificial knees and hips and other necessary accoutrements of healthcare.
So these endorsements are not freely given, but bought and paid for by an administration that is intent on passing its program at any cost.
REVIEW & OUTLOOK NOVEMBER 6, 2009
The Return of the Inflation Tax
The Pelosi tax surcharge applies to capital gains and dividends.
All of those twentysomethings who voted for Barack Obama last year are about to experience the change they haven't been waiting for: the return of income tax bracket creep. Buried in Nancy Pelosi's health-care bill is a provision that will partially repeal tax indexing for inflation, meaning that as their earnings rise over a lifetime these youngsters can look forward to paying higher rates even if their income gains aren't real.
In order to raise enough money to make their plan look like it won't add to the deficit, House Democrats have deliberately not indexed two main tax features of their plan: the $500,000 threshold for the 5.4-percentage-point income tax surcharge; and the payroll level at which small businesses must pay a new 8% tax penalty for not offering health insurance.
This is a sneaky way for politicians to pry more money out of workers every year without having to legislate tax increases. The negative effects of failing to index compound over time, yielding a revenue windfall for government as the years go on. The House tax surcharge is estimated to raise $460.5 billion over 10 years, but only $30.9 billion in 2011, rising to $68.4 billion in 2019, according to the Joint Tax Committee.
Americans of a certain age have seen this movie before. In 1960, only 3% of tax filers paid a 30% or higher marginal tax rate. By 1980, after the inflation of the 1970s, the share was closer to 33%, according to a Heritage Foundation analysis of tax returns.
These stealth tax increases—forcing ever more Americans to pay higher tax rates on phantom gains in income—were widely seen to be unjust. And in 1981 as part of the Reagan tax cuts, a bipartisan coalition voted to index the tax brackets for inflation.
We also know what has happened with the Alternative Minimum Tax. Passed to hit only 1% of all Americans in 1969, the AMT wasn't indexed for inflation at the time and neither was Bill Clinton's AMT rate increase in 1993. The number of families hit by this shadow tax more than tripled over the next decade. Today, families with incomes as low as $75,000 a year can be hit by the AMT unless Congress passes an annual "patch."
The Pelosi-Obama health tax surcharge will have a similar effect. The tax would begin in 2011 on income above $500,000 for singles and $1 million for joint filers. Assuming a 4% annual inflation rate over the next decade, that $500,000 for an individual tax filer would hit families with the inflation-adjusted equivalent of an income of about $335,000 by 2020. After 20 years without indexing, the surcharge threshold would be roughly $250,000.
And by the way, this surcharge has also been sneakily written to apply to modified adjusted gross income, which means it applies to both capital gains and dividends that are taxed at lower rates. So the capital gains tax rate that is now 15% would increase in 2011 to 25.4% with the surcharge and repeal of the Bush tax rates. The tax rate on dividends would rise to 45% from 15% (5.4% plus the pre-Bush rate of 39.6%).
As for the business payroll penalty, it is imposed on a sliding scale beginning at a 2% rate for firms with payrolls of $500,000 and rising to 8% on firms with payrolls above $750,000. But those amounts are also not indexed for inflation, so again assuming a 4% average inflation rate in 10 years this range would hit payrolls between $335,000 and $510,000 in today's dollars. Note that in pitching this "pay or play" tax today, Democrats claim that most small businesses would be exempt. But because it isn't indexed, this tax will whack more and more businesses every year. The sales pitch is pure deception.
As for the Senate, instead of the 5.4% surcharge, the Finance Committee bill raises taxes on "high-cost" health care plans. But this too uses the inflation ruse. The Senate bill indexes its tax proposal for the inflation rate plus one percentage point. But that is only about half as high as the rate of overall health-care inflation, i.e., the rate of increase in health-care premiums. So the Joint Tax Committee has found that a Senate tax that starts in 2013 by hitting 13.8 million Americans will hit 39.1 million by 2019.
The return of the inflation tax demonstrates once again the stealth radicalism that animates ObamaCare. In the case of inflation indexing, Democrats would repeal a 30-year bipartisan consensus that it is unfair to tax unreal gains in income, thus hitting millions of middle-class Americans over time with tax rates advertised as only hitting "the rich." Oh, and the House vote on this exercise in dishonest government will come as early as Saturday.
The Letter Everyone Is Talking About
GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:
"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.
There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seekrepresentation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legalimmigration.
Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereigntyfully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington . Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.
You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.
We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.
If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming."
After 950 Tries, Woman Passes Exam
GO HERE to read more.
2009's First Christmas Joke
'In honor of this holy season' Saint Peter said, 'You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven.'
The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. 'It represents a candle', he said.
'You may pass through the pearly gates' Saint Peter said.
The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, 'They're bells.'
Saint Peter said 'You may pass through the pearly gates'.
The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's panties.
St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, 'And just what do those symbolize?'
The man replied, 'These are Carols.'
And So The Christmas Season Begins......
Cheerios Seeds
Congratulations for acquiring these rare and productive South Dakota
Seeds. A genetic miracle made possible by the tireless efforts of the
Special Technological University Promoting Interest in Donuts. (STUPID)
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DONUT SEEDS:
1. Plant a least six feet deep in sponge soil for fluffy cake donuts.
2. Sprinkle sugar water on the soil for Sugar Donuts.
3. Sprinkle a yeast and water mixture for Raised Donuts.
4. Iced Donuts should be grown in Northern climates only.
It is advisable to plant close to a coffee shop or fast food place.
Use two people when planting, one to do the digging and the other to
clean the dirt from the teeth of the first one.
Some South Dakota people use manure on their donuts, however whip cream
has a better flavor.
Guarantee. If not completely satisfied, dig up the seeds and return in
this package unopened. Offer void after purchase. GOOD LUCK!
Little Johnny
The teacher asked the class to use the word 'fascinate' in a sentence.
Molly put up her hand and said, 'My family went to my gran-dad’s farm, and we all saw his pet sheep. It was fascinating.'
The teacher said, 'That was good, but I wanted you to use the word ‘fascinate, not fascinating.'
Sally raised her hand. She said, 'My family went to see Rock City and I was fascinated.
The teacher said, 'Well, that was good Sally, but I wanted you to use the word 'fascinate.'
Little Johnny raised his hand. The teacher hesitated because she had been burned by Little Johnny before. She finally decided there was no way he could damage the word 'fascinate', so she called on him.
Johnny said, 'My Aunt Gina has a sweater with ten buttons, but her breasts are so big she can only fasten eight.'
The teacher sat down and cried!
Rep. Frank Kratovil Opposes House Version Of Health Care Reform
Local organizations praise Kratovil’s decision.
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Frank Kratovil opposed HR 3962 and released the following statement. The legislation passed by a vote of XXX-XXX.
“I support healthcare reform, but it must be the right kind of reform that works for my constituents in the First District. I have consistently argued for healthcare reform that reduces long-term health care spending, improves quality, and expands coverage in a fiscally responsible manner. Our nation is facing an $11.9 trillion national debt, and we simply cannot afford a bill that does not lower healthcare spending. It is also essential for healthcare reform legislation to support, not burden, our nation’s small businesses.
I was not able to support the bill before Congress today because I do not believe it meets my criteria for a sustainable solution. While I recognize the need for reform and I applaud some aspects of this bill, I do not believe that this bill offers a sustainable solution. I will continue to work with my colleagues to pursue a better bill as this process continues, and I urge constituents to continue to offer their input.”
-Rep. Frank Kratovil
Praise for Rep. Kratovil’s Vote
“The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, our 847 business members, and the entire Lower Shore business community thank Congressman Frank Kratovil for hearing our concerns regarding the Health Care reform legislation currently pending in Congress. Like Rep. Kratovil, many of our members support reform but membership overwhelming feels that H.R. 3962 fails to address the issues critical to the citizens in our region. We support and applaud Rep. Kratovil’s decision to reject the current health care reform proposals, his courage and independent thought is greatly appreciated by our members. Our organization will support his efforts to update the health care system to provide quality medical care to all Americans at a reasonable price by using the free enterprise system in conjunction with fair and well thought-out government standards. The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce stands ready to work with Rep. Kratovil to help find a workable, win-win solution. Again, we thank the Congressman for seeking our input, hearing our concerns, and taking our input into consideration on this important issue. -J. Scott Robertson, President Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce
“We applaud Congressman Frank Kratovil for his statement opposing H.R. 3962, the House health care bill, which could wipe out more jobs, raise costs, and put employers’ and employees’ current health benefits at risk. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has strongly advocated for health care reform and shares the goals of Congress and the Administration to reduce health care costs, while increasing access and quality. But the current proposal in the House includes many provisions that are not consistent with those shared goals. The business community at large is eager to work with Congress to develop a workable product that garners broad bipartisan support and preserves the parts of the system that work in a fiscally responsible manner. We look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Frank Kratovil as this difficult but important process continues to move forward.” - U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Bruce Josten
“Small business owners in Maryland are adamantly opposed to healthcare reform that adds new penalties, mandates and taxes on job creators—particularly with unemployment hitting double digits. We are grateful Congressman Frank Kratovil recognized the needs of the small business community and decided to vote against the House healthcare bill. We look forward to working with him on a healthcare reform solution that expands coverage without forcing struggling small employers to pick up the tab. “ - Ellen Valentino, Maryland State Director National Federation of Independent Businesses
Four Year-Old Killed In Three Vehicle Crash
Date of Occurrence: Saturday November 7, 2009 on or about 1:10 p.m.
Resume:
Delaware State Police are investigating a three car crash that left a 4 year-old girl dead.
The crash happened when a 2007 Toyota Camry and a 2001 Honda Odyssey were stopped southbound on RT 1 in front of the Midway Shopping Center. That’s when a 2007 Toyota Tundra was traveling southbound behind the stopped vehicles failed to stop. The Tundra struck the rear of the Honda minivan causing it to plow into the Camry. As a result of the crash Victoria A. D’Souza, 4, of Springfield, VA was taken to Beebe Hospital in Lewes where she later died as a result of her injuries.
The driver of the Camry was identified as Ronald Reese, 77, of Harbeson, DE
The driver of the Odyssey mini van was identified as Malcolm L. D’Souza, 42, of Springfield, VA.
The driver of the Tundra pickup truck was identified as Lisa M. Drake, 37, of Summerville, SC.
The drivers were wearing their seatbelts and Victoria was in a child seat at the time of the crash. Alcohol is not suspected and the investigation is ongoing.
RT 1 was closed for about 2 hours while the crash scene was cleared.
What's Wrong With This Picture
This is currently making its way through the internet, and there are no truer words:
Let me see if I understand all this...
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET A JOB, A DRIVERS LICENSE, POTENTIALLY A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS, CREDIT CARDS, SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE, FREE EDUCATION, FREE HEALTH CARE, A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON AND IN MANY INSTANCES YOU CAN VOTE.
And we are the bad guys???
Landmark Health Insurance Bill Passes House
Tough fight still ahead in Senate, and two versions have wide differences
WASHINGTON - In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry.
The final vote was 220-215. Only one Republican — Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana — voted for the measure; 39 Democrats voted against it.
Obama praised the House in a statement and said he is "absolutely confident" that the Senate will pass its version of the legislation. "I look forward to signing it into law by the end of the year," he said.
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