One Year Ago Today

Former Mayor Barrie Tilghman met with the Camden Neighborhood Association to discuss a "laundry list" of ideas in the hopes of feeding Mayoral Candidate, (at the time) Gary Comegys with ideas to help his campaign. I doubt the "laundry list" ever made it to Ireton's desk but you never know.

Nightly News At 6 PM

House Of Delegates Members, Norm Conway & Jim Mathias Presented House Bill 56

Slot Machines for Nonprofit Organizations, today, to the MD Senate Budget & Taxation Committee.

House Bill 56 has been passed favorably by the House of Delegates each year since 2008.

This bill, granting Worcester County the equal opportunity to allow its’ service club organizations, the privilege, the other eight Eastern Shore service clubs enjoy, enabling up to five slot machines in the service clubs primary meeting places failed 2008 and 2009, in the MD Senate Chamber. Delegate Norm Conway gave a summary of the bill’s elements and Delegate Jim Mathias stated he was hopeful this “third time in the charm”.

Joining the Delegates was Sarge Garlitz, Adjutant of The American Synepuxent Legion Post 166, and representing the Ocean City Elks Lodge #2645, Thomas T. P. Simons, Exalted Ruler, Jim Flaig, Treasurer and Niles Edwards, Past Exalted Ruler of Elks.

For further information please call:
410 841 4129 Delegate Conway
or
410 841 3431 Delegate Mathias

You Have Until Midnight Tonight To Buy Your Raffle Ticket

As I stated earlier Folks, I made the trip up to Pohanka and purchased my tickets for a chance to win a brand new Mercedes Convertible and a Town House on a Golf Course in Florida.

As you can see from the images above, volunteers are working their butts off trying to process all of the orders and the phones are ringing off the hook.

Chuck Campbell is in need of a double lung transplant and rather than just asking for your donation, the wonderful people of Pohanka have offered the Town House and the Mercedes in order to help their friend.

The raffle will be televised on the Bonnie Hunt Show on April 17th. If you'd like to purchase a ticket, GO HERE. You can do so until midnight tonight.

Good Luck Everyone and THANK YOU for your support.

TMS President Jim Lentz Discusses Toyota’s Progress At Automotive Forum

1. TMS President Jim Lentz Discusses Toyota’s Progress at Automotive Forum Toyota dealers have repaired nearly 1.7 million vehicles under the floor mat and sticking pedal recalls, and the company expects U.S. sales to rise up to 35 percent for March versus a year ago, TMS President Jim Lentz told reporters and others in New York Tuesday. "I can't overemphasize the job dealers have done," Lentz said at a panel discussion hosted by the New York International Auto Show. "That's where the rebuilding of trust begins." During the panel discussion and in conversations afterward, Lentz also expressed his confidence in the quality and reliability of the electronics in Toyota vehicles. “We have 40 million cars (worldwide) with electronic throttle controls, and not one case of failure of ETCs that has resulted in unintended acceleration,” he said. Lentz also noted, according to the New York Times, that the company welcomed efforts by specialists from the National Academy of Sciences and scientists from NASA to study whether electronic issues had been involved in instances of unintended acceleration. “The more discussion of science and facts, the better,” Lentz said.

To read the New York Times report on Lentz’s comments and related issues, please click on: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/business/global/31toyota.html.

2. TMC President Akio Toyoda Emphasizes Regional Input in Safety Decisions Speaking at the first meeting of the Special Committee for Global Quality that he heads, TMC President Akio Toyoda said the company will improve internal communication on safety issues. “We discussed several things: an especially important subject was the decision-making process for recalls and other safety matters,” Toyoda said at a news briefing after the committee meeting Tuesday in Japan, according to The Detroit News. “We agreed to build a framework to ensure that regional input receives full consideration in that process.”

To read the Detroit News report on his comments and related matters, please click on http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103310334.

3. Prius, Two Lexus Models among Forbes’ Toughest Cars on the Road Forbes Tuesday released its list of the “toughest cars on the road,” and despite recent recalls, the Toyota Prius and two Lexus models – the RX SUV and the LS 460 sedan – made it on the list of top vehicles. The Forbes article highlights the Prius specifically, saying, "Anxious drivers may take comfort that the Toyota Prius…is among the country's sturdiest cars.”

To read more about the Forbes list, please click on: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/29/toyota-prius-power-lifestyle-vehicles-toughest-cars.html.

4. MotorTrend Ranks Camry Best of Best-Selling Midsize Family Sedans While MotorTrend’s editors liked aspects of some of its rivals, they gave Camry top honors because it “Seemingly excels at nothing, yet it really excels at everything.” MotorTrend tested the Camry, Subaru Legacy, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata. Their goal was to “determine which of these solid-citizen sedans deserves to be a best-seller by best delivering the space, utility, comfort, and quiet that today's families expect.” Among the editors’ comments in a video on the magazine’s web site: “You know, this is a car that just really does everything for the family perfectly.” “…the ride is by far and away the best in this group.” “Everything about this car is very simple, easy and user-friendly, and that’s why we think it’s the best-selling car of all time.” Noting that Camry is involved in the unintended acceleration recalls, the editors said: “Having studied Toyota’s electronic throttle system, we find it difficult to imagine that electromagnetic interference or natural electrical shorts could outflank the system’s double-redundant circuits and parallel control systems, even though wily college professors with patch boards certainly can when TV cameras are rolling.” The magazine concluded, “For now, this Camry remains one helluva sedan that may never sell for less than it is right now.”

To read more the article about the Camry, please go to: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_1005_best_selling_midsize_family_sedan_comparison/2010_toyota_camry.html.

To read the main article, go to: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_1005_best_selling_midsize_family_sedan_comparison/index.html.

5. Fox News Poll: Most Parents Would Let Their Kids Ride in a Toyota Despite numerous news reports questioning the safety of Toyota vehicles, a national telephone poll of 900 registered voters conducted for Fox News found that 73 percent of parents would allow their children to ride in a Toyota, while 26 percent would not. The numbers are even higher among Toyota owners, with 92 percent saying yes and only 7 percent saying no.

To read more, please go to: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/30/fox-news-poll-parents-let-kids-ride-toyota/?test=latestnews.

Yes, There Will Be A Primary

Dear friends,

Thank you again for your continued support. As expected, it appears the former Governor will join me in the Republican Gubernatorial Primary. Our campaign to grow Maryland's economy is unwavering, and we look forward to making our case with Maryland voters.

Check out our latest blog and follow our event calendar. Follow us on Facebook and help us spread the word. This is an exciting time for our State, for our Country, and for our Party. The Republican Party is still the party of ideas; let's make Lincoln, Douglass, Reagan and Kemp proud.

Very best regards,

Brian Murphy

Worth A Look

GO HERE

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO WIN!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about any of you but I'm heading up to Pohanka right now with a check for $1,000.00 to support Chuck Campbell and hopefully win a Golf Course Town House and Convertible Mercedes.

Now let's see. What can I lose, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! If you haven't taken a chance with $50.00 to try to win, well, you're crazy. I know some cannot afford to do this but can you afford NOT TO? Your money will go towards purchasing a new set of lungs for Chuck Campbell, so its "GOOD MONEY AFTER GOOD MONEY.

I'll be there by 1:30 today. So if I don't moderate comments for a while, now you know why. I'm on my way Chuckster!

Another Facebook Question

Women seem to enjoy posting pictures on Facebook where another woman is in the same picture, side by side.

Now, the question is, how are we supposed to know which one is the person asking to become friends?

Have any of you notice that before?????

Rutledge For US Senate Request For MD GOP Senate Debate At Convention

March 31, 2010

Via Email and First Class Mail

Ms. Audrey Scott
Chairman, Maryland Republican Party
15 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Chairman Scott:

Next month, the Maryland GOP’s spring convention commences in Ocean City, Maryland. This is an historic year that warrants bold action to energize the party. I kindly request the Maryland Republican Party to schedule a debate among all of the Republican United States Senatorial candidates at the convention in Ocean City and open that debate to the party and the public. There is no substitute for a good old-fashioned, hard-hitting public debate. I trust you will recognize the opportunity to embrace our Constitutional heritage in the tradition of the Lincoln-Douglas debates that gave birth to our party.

The democrats in Washington just locked the America people and the Republicans out of the debate on the most sweeping legislation passed in our lifetime. Not hosting a debate for the US Senate race would be hypocrisy. President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi left the American public out in the cold. Now is the time for the MD GOP to invite the public in. The Ocean City convention will provide an opportunity to show that our party will open its doors to all Marylanders including Democrats, Independents, and Republicans to see our first amendment and democracy in action. Unlike the Democrats, Republicans do not shy away from open debate; instead, we embrace it and make it happen.

I also suggest that it is very important in this political climate for the Maryland Republican Party to go the extra mile to show a sense of fairness to all candidates by providing a US Senate debate at the convention. This sense of fair play is important in building party unity to help achieve the ultimate goal of electing Republicans in November.

If you need any assistance with establishing a debate format, I recommend that you consult with Eli Gold of the Harbour League or the leaders of the 42nd District Republican Club in Towson. Both hosted excellent debates for the US Senate candidates, which sadly were not attended by all of the candidates. A debate at the convention will assure the participation of all candidates.

I look forward to your acceptance of this proposal for freedom. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jim Rutledge
United States Senatorial Candidate

A Jennifer Foxwell Comment Just In I Thought I'd Share

"All of you disgust me and you speak of God? Read the Bible. Joe you won’t post this because you are a coward, but truly think before you attack someone. Joe Albero needs to get psychological help for being a Douche bag!"

This came in after someone challenged me by stating I must have contacted Jennifer for her to send me the message she did. I responded stating I have NEVER contacted Jennifer Foxwell in any way, shape or form.

Anyway, the ONLY coward I see here is the coward using anonymous. You should practice what you preach, or perhaps you never read the Bible yourself.

China In Uproar Over Dumped Dead Babies

Parents unable to afford funerals paid morgue staff to deal with bodies

BEIJING - Chinese officials have sought to contain public outrage after workers at a hospital dumped 21 dead fetuses and infants' bodies near a river bank.

The corpses were discovered near a bridge in Jining, a city in Shandong province on China's east coast, abandoned there by staff at a local hospital morgue, according to Chinese news reports that have stirred sharp public criticism.

Authorities have not said how the infants and fetuses died, but news reports said some of the fetuses had been aborted.

GO HERE to read more.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SPECIAL MEETING


In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority of the City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Monday, April 5, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. for consideration of Ordinance No. 2104 (Jane E. Lawton Conservation Program loan) for first reading.

The meeting will be held in Conference Room 306 of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

WILLIAM MCCAIN: SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER TONIGHT

It is difficult to view Mr. McCain’s event tonight as anything other than an effort to push the agenda that he shares with his fellow tax & spend Democrat, Rick Pollitt, to kill Wicomico County’s tax revenue cap so that more tax dollars can be extracted from property owners. McCain, who has decided not to run for reelection to the County Council, is now carrying the ball that Pollitt has decided not to touch before this fall’s election.

In his single term on the Council, McCain, a professional property appraiser, has been notable for approving the purchase of land by the County for outrageous prices – most recently the land across the street from the Civic Center. The County’s budget and tax revenue have increased greatly during his (and Pollitt’s) term.

These questions that should be put to him during the rally he is staging:

1. Do you know whether any business firm or family has ever decided to leave Wicomico County or not to locate here because of the County’s tax revenue cap? If so, please explain who and when.

2. Would repealing or changing the tax cap so that County taxes could be raised cause businesses or families to decide to remain in Wicomico County or to locate here?

3. How much has the County’s tax revenue and budget increased since you have been on the County Council? Please state both the total dollars and percentage increase if you know.

4. Have you asked Mr. Pollitt to take any action in regard to the County purchasing agent who ordered those $400 trash cans – if so, what has happened?

5. Will you vote to eliminate funding for the County Executive to have a “public information officer” if Mr. Pollitt includes that funding in his next proposed budget to be submitted in several weeks?

6. How could that land across the street from the Civic Center possibly be worth $300,000 per acre?

If you can think of additional questions that Mr. McCain should answer at tonight’s meeting, please post them here.

What's The Word On The Street??????

Many talk about some of the moves County Executive Rick Pollitt has made during his almost 4 years on the job. Some are saying it will cost him his job.

That being said, I'm curious. What's the word on the street as to who may run against him?

If you're going to Talk The Talk, who's going to Walk The Walk?

Private Sector Cuts 23,000 Jobs In March: Report

Economists expected that the industry would add 40,000 jobs this month

NEW YORK - Private employers shed 23,000 jobs in March, missing expectations for an increase in jobs although fewer than the adjusted 24,000 jobs lost in February, a report by a private employment service said Wednesday.

The February fall was originally reported at 20,000.

The median of estimates from 35 economists surveyed by Reuters for the ADP Employer Services report, jointly developed with Macroeconomic Advisers LLC, was for a rise of 40,000 private-sector jobs this month.

GO HERE to read more.

5 Day Delivery May Not Save USPS

Lost in the Mail
The U.S. Postal Service is on track to lose $23 billion a year for the next decade. Can reducing delivery to five days a week really save the system?

This year, the U.S. Postal Service will turn 235 years old. For most of its history, the USPS has not only delivered mail, but profits, too. Though not any more. In 2008, the agency began losing money. By the end of this fiscal year, it will have lost another $7 billion and will owe the government $13.8 billion. By 2020, the USPS will have lost an eye-popping $238 billion.

Today, the Postal Service went hat in hand to its regulator with a plan to save itself. It's a plan the agency spent nearly $5 billion developing. And the solution it has reached, to stop delivering mail on Saturday, is so simple, it's almost stupid. The Postal Service claims that by only delivering mail five days a week, it will save $3.5 billion a year. Its regulator, the Postal Regulatory Commission, thinks it'll be more like $1.9 billion. Either way, its peanuts considering the agency is projected to lose an average of $23 billion a year for the next decade.

GO HERE to read more from Newsweek.

Today's Survey Question

Who Will Win The Governor Race, Ehrlich or O'Malley?

Joe Albero Adds 50 New Friends Yesterday To Facebook

Have you checked out the new list of extremely beautiful women that continue to join my Facebook Page? It's amazing Folks! I'm a fortunate man to be surrounded by so many beautiful women, inside and out. Thanks for asking everyone, I'm honored.

If you're interested in seeing who's now on board, GO HERE.

Caption This Photo

POLLITT DIDDLES WHILE WICOMICO COUNTY BURNS

In the past several days, the Daily Times has run both an editorial and an article trumpeting the proposed new library facility that the library board wants to build on the edge of Salisbury, for which it wants approval by the County and (of course) a commitment for future funding for a $31 Million building that has all the ambiance of a dealership in southern California. It’s long past the time that Rick Pollitt should tell them that this is not the time to be buying land or asking for any funding for a new library to replace the facility in downtown Salisbury, and suggest that the board make plans to do appropriate repair and maintenance of the existing library facilities and, if funding can be found, to open branch facilities in the Fruitland area and on the west side of the County.

Mr. Pollitt: your silence is deafening! You seem to lack the stones to “just say no” to inappropriate spending, so I’m beginning to wonder if you should be reelected

Economics For Dummies

Y ou probably missed it. But a new school of economics was unveiled last week shortly after health care reform passed the House of Representatives. Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped to the podium in the House chamber and said the legislation will “unleash tremendous entrepreneurial power” and create millions of jobs. “Our economy needs something new, a jolt,” she said. And she and her Democratic colleagues had just delivered it.

Pelosi, author of the new departure in economic thinking, said we should now “imagine a society and an economy where a person could change jobs without losing health insurance, where they could be self-employed or start a small business.” With health care reform, “their entrepreneurial spirit will be unleashed.”

That’s not the half of it. While insuring 32 million more people, making insurance “more affordable for the middle class,” producing “a healthier America through prevention, through wellness and innovation,” and a whole lot more—in addition to all that, the legislation creates “4 million jobs in the life of the bill and [does] all that by saving the taxpayer $1.3 trillion.”

The proper response if you believe Pelosi even a little bit is, “Thank you, Nancy!” or perhaps simply, “Wow!”

But restrain yourself. Pelosi has a gift for economic lunacy. This wouldn’t be especially worrisome, except Pelosi is second in line to the presidency and would be prime minister if we had a parliamentary system.

So far as I know, Pelosi is the first person in the universe to regard the lack of portability of health insurance as a deathblow to entrepreneurship.

More from The Weekly Standard

GOP Leaders Seek To Distance Themselves From Michael Steele

Republican leaders in Congress have moved to distance themselves from GOP national chairman Michael Steele, but that job will become more difficult as the spotlight on the midterm election intensifies.

A GOP lawmaker who requested anonymity said the Republican National Committee chairman’s relationship with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is "not good at all."

The legislator added, "Steele lacks a base of support. The donors, the activists will all drop him if they sense he might squander the electoral opportunity of the decade."

The RNC did not comment for this article.

In an interview with The Hill earlier this month, Boehner said he only talks to the RNC chairman "every month or two." Asked if Steele will have a role in Boehner's effort to release another policy document like the Contract with America, Boehner replied, "No."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) criticized Steele for holding an RNC retreat in Hawaii while also taking issue with the chairman's initial prediction that the GOP would not take back the House in November.

At the time, Cantor said, "Chairman Steele has a role to play in these elections. Obviously, I have said that I disagree with his statement that we can't take back the House. So, do I want voters to think that Republicans do nothing but go to beach resorts in January? No."

Meanwhile, McConnell declined to defend Steele a couple months ago after the RNC chief made some controversial remarks. McConnell said, "Chairman Steele will be judged on the basis of how much money did he raise and how many candidates did he elect."

More here

Obama Slams Tea Party 'Core' As Fringe Radicals, Birthers

President Barack Obama says he believes the tea party is built around a "core group" of people who question whether he is a U.S. citizen and believe he is a socialist.

But beyond that, Obama tells NBC he recognizes the movement involves "folks who have legitimate concerns" about the national debt and whether the government is taking on too many difficult issues simultaneously.

During an interview broadcast Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, Obama said he feels "there's still going to be a group at their core that question my legitimacy." But he said he didn't want to paint tea party activists "in broad brushes" and he hopes to win over members who have "mainstream, legitimate concerns."

Obama told NBC’s Matt Lauer that "there's some folks who just weren't sure whether I was born in the United States, whether I was a socialist, right?

“There is a broader circle around that core group, of people who are legitimately concerned about the deficit, who are legitimately concerned that the federal government may be taking on too much."

Obama said he hopes to allay these fears as time moves on.

And those core tea partyers? "That group we're probably not going to convince," Obama said.

The comments come as the debate over Obama’s healthcare overhaul continues to anger a sizable majority of the American public.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll reveals that the tea party movement is resonating with U.S. voters. This is despite attempts on the part of many mainstream and left-leaning media to label the tea party as a fringe group.

The poll specifically asked voters to express their opinions about the tea party compared with Congress. Among the findings:

* 47% reported that their own views are closer to the tea party than to Congress
* 26% said their views are aligned more closely with Congress

* 46% reported that the average tea partier is more ethical than the average member of Congress
* 27% believe that members of Congress are more ethical

* 52% reported that the average tea partier has a better understanding of the issues facing America than the average member of Congress
* 30% believe that members of Congress have a better understanding of the issues

More here

HR 3400-- The GOP Health Care Bill

H.R.3400 Title: Empowering Patients First Act

Sponsor: Rep. Tom Price, MD [GA-6] (introduced 7/30/2009-- 8 months ago) Co-sponsors (52)

Latest Major Action: 10/22/2009 Referred to House subcommittee.

Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
[Translation: rotting in a committee chairman's drawer-- Editor]


EMPOWERING PATIENTS FIRST ACT
A Solution from the Republican Study Committee for Access to Affordable, Quality Health Care for All Americans

Pillar #1: Access to Coverage for All Americans

Makes the purchase of health care financially feasible for all – Extends the income tax deduction (above the line) on health care premiums to those who purchase coverage in the non-group / individual market. And, there is an advanceable, refundable tax credit (on a sliding scale) for low-income individuals to purchase coverage in the non-group / individual market.

Covers pre-existing conditions – Grants states incentives to establish high-risk / reinsurance pools. Federal block grants for qualified pools are expanded.

Protects employer-sponsored insurance – Individuals can be automatically enrolled in an employer-sponsored plan. Small businesses are given tax incentives for adoption of auto-enrollment.

Shines sunlight on health plans – Establishes health plan and provider portals in each state, and these portals act to supply greater information, rather than acting as a purchasing mechanism.

Pillar #2: Coverage Is Truly Owned by the Patient

Grants greater choice and portability – Gives patients the power to own and control their own health care coverage by allowing for a defined contribution in employer-sponsored plans. This also gives employers more flexibility in the benefits offered.

Expands the individual market – Creates pooling mechanisms, such as association health plans and individual membership accounts. Individuals are also allowed to shop for health insurance across state lines.

Reforms the safety net – Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries are given the option of a voucher to purchase private insurance. And states must cover 90% of those below 200% of the federal poverty level before they can expand eligibility levels under Medicaid and SCHIP.

Pillar #3: Improve the Health Care Delivery Structure

Institutes doctor-led quality measures – Nothing suggested by the Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research can be finalized unless done in consultation with and approved by medical specialty societies. It also establishes performance-based quality measures endorsed by the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI) and physician specialty organizations.

Reimburses physicians to ensure continuity of care – Rebases the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and establishes two separate conversion factors (baskets) for primary care and all other services.

Promotes healthier lifestyles – Allows for employers to offer discounts for healthy habits through wellness and prevention programs.

Pillar #4: Rein in Out-of-Control Costs
.
Reforms the medical liability system – Establishes administrative health care tribunals, also known as health courts, in each state, and adds affirmative defense through provider-established best practice measures. It also encourages the speedy resolution of claims and caps non-economic damages.

Pays for the plan – The cost of the plan is completely offset through decreasing defensive medicine, savings from health care efficiencies (reduce DSH payments), ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse, plus an annual one-percent non-defense discretionary spending step down.

(Source)

Billy Burke Lies Again

Hello Joe,

I ran across this post on the Pocomoke Liars, can you please post that this is an absolute lie.

No Pocomoke school has ever done a Scar Face play, nor would our teachers and admin allow such garbage to be portrayed in our schools.

It is disgusting that a blogger would post such a blatant lie about our schools and our youth, Joe they (the children) actually have been taught to substitute the work F--k by the word fudge in this play.

read this article and watch the disgusting video.

here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uovMpapeCJQ&feature=player_embedded

Starner Jones

I was looking at this blog recently and I came across something that Starner Jones, MD sent in. He was talking about how his patient with Medicaid had gold teeth, tattoos, and nice clothes and shoes. As someone that works for the Dept of Social Services, I would like to clarify a few things that Mr. Jones felt was necessary to send in to you. 1st, it is a breach of confidentiality for him to release any information about a patient, regardless of whether it is her name or not, that can identify her in public. By giving a description of her personal appearance he has given us a way of identifying her and her gave out confidential information by stating that she received Medicaid. 2nd, his opinions about Medicaid are totally unfounded because while yes, as tax payers we do fund most of the welfare programs; however, it isn’t truly your money because the feds took it in the first place and would continue to take it even if it did not go towards the welfare system. 3rd, as a doctor he took an oath to do everything within his ability to help heal people. If this woman wants to smoke and drink that is her business and I would never ever go to him for my needs, because who is he to judge. Does he know that woman personally? Does he know the circumstances of her life? Can he say for certain that she doesn’t have just cause for being on Medicaid. How does he know if she isn’t a widow and her husband just died? Maybe she worked for 20 years to pay for all the stuff she wants only to be laid off by her job and now she has to be on TCA to feed her kids? He doesn’t know these things and if I were this woman then I would sue his pants off and make a MAJOR issue out of this SEVERE breach of confidentiality.

Today's Nature Photo By Scott Phoebus

'Right-Wing White Brothers' May 'Attempt To Kill' Obama

President's extremist pal calls for protection, rips America in 'decline'

Speaking at a televised roundtable alongside Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan, a personal friend and recent adviser to President Obama decried "right-wing white brothers" who are attacking Obama and who "could even attempt to kill him."

Cornel West, an extremist race-relations instructor at Princeton, was speaking last Saturday at the "We Count! The Black Agenda is the American Agenda" conference in Chicago organized by talk show host Tavis Smiley. The event was broadcast on CSPAN.

Stated West, "There are a number of highly misguided right-wing white brothers and sisters who are engaged in assault and attack and could even attempt to kill him (Obama). So we have to protect our brother. There's no doubt about that. And we have to keep track of those forces that will lie and degrade. ... He is our brother. He needs to be protected."

GO HERE to read more.

Canada tells Clinton troops are leaving

OTTAWA (AP) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that Canada's military mission in Afghanistan will end in 2011.

Clinton went on Canadian television on Monday and said the U.S. would like Canadian troops to remain in Afghanistan past 2011 and suggested they could switch from a combat to a training role.

But Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Harper, says Harper told Clinton on Tuesday that after 2011 Canada will be involved in a civilian mission focused largely on aid and reconstruction.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon also ruled out any form of a military mission post-2011 at a news conference late Monday night following Clinton's remarks.

Harper and Clinton met for 20 minutes on the sidelines of the Group of Eight foreign ministers meeting.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO MEET WITH ANDREWS BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ALLIANCE IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will meet over lunch with business and community leaders of the Andrews Business & Community Alliance today. The Governor will meet with the Alliance to discuss opportunities for businesses and job creation in Prince George’s County.

This meeting is open for media b-roll and photo opportunities.


WHAT: Governor O’Malley to meet with Andrews Business and Community Alliance

WHEN: TODAY, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mama Stella's Pasta House
7918 Old Branch Avenue
Clinton, MD

Spring Into Action: Build A Rain Garden

Looking for a simple, outdoor project this spring that includes the whole family?
Build a rain garden.

The Worcester County Development, Review and Permitting Department invites area residents to attend one of six upcoming rain garden sessions to learn how rain gardens work, how to build one and how their own garden can help clean up the bays. Participants will receive a free rain garden design manual, Rain Gardens Across Maryland.

The sessions are free, and are as follows:
• April 6 -Ocean Pines Library from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
• April 13 -Snow Hill Library from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
• April 20 -Ocean Pines Library from 10:30 a.m. –12:00 p.m.
• April 22 -Delmarva Discovery Center in Pocomoke from 11:00 a.m. –12:30 p.m.
• April 27 -St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Berlin, MD from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
• April 29 -Stevenson United Methodist Church in Berlin from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

For more information or to register for an upcoming session, contact Keota Silaphone at (410) 632-1200, ext. 1304.

Magnet Program Update: Statement From Dr. Margo Handy, Assistant Superintendent

Statement on the Magnet Program from Dr. Margo Handy, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Student Services, Wicomico County Public Schools:

Over the past several months, teachers, principals, school system administrators and Board members have received many comments and inquiries about the status of the Elementary Magnet Program for the 2010-2011 school year. At this time, the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on High Performing Learners is in the midst of a comprehensive, research-based examination of the Magnet Program and many answers are not yet available, but I would like to address a few key points.

Current Magnet Program Students: Students now in grades 3 and 4 at the North Salisbury Elementary and Pemberton Elementary Magnet Centers will continue in the Magnet Program at the same school next year.

Magnet Program Criteria for This Year’s Second-Graders: A criteria subcommittee of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on High Performing Learners is evaluating the existing criteria and drafting suggested changes. The full committee of approximately 42 parents, teachers, Board members, and school and district-level administrators will discuss the criteria and could recommend changes to criteria to the superintendent this spring. If the school system adopts new criteria at the direction of the superintendent but there is not sufficient time for the criteria to be changed for consideration of this year’s second-graders (next year’s third-grade class), then the criteria for the Magnet Program would remain the same as the criteria used to determine eligibility for the 2009-10 school year. The current criteria take into account math and reading benchmark scores, end-of-year Leveled Reading Passage Book performance level, and a 15-item teacher checklist, and other factors including grade point average and Primary Talent Development.

Expansion of the Magnet Program: The Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on High Performing Learners is actively working and has not yet made any recommendations on the Magnet Program, including whether to expand Magnet-type services to other schools. This discussion began in November, when an expansion of the Magnet Program was discussed as part of the Superintendent’s Task Force on Redistricting, and again in December, when the centers-based Magnet Program was included on a list of potential budget reductions for the next school year. The Magnet Program is no longer on the list of potential budget reductions for the fiscal 2011 budget.

More details will be shared with parents and guardians and the community when the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on High Performing Learners makes its recommendations to the superintendent. Information will continue to be posted at http://www.wcboe.org/boe/high_performing_learners/ as the committee continues its work.

Edit Draft REVISED SCHEDULE FOR GOVERNOR MARTIN O'MALLEY

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will attend remarks by President Obama tomorrow at Andrews Naval Air Facility in Prince George’s County. Due to the schedule conflict, Lt. Governor Brown will represent the Administration at the rally to celebrate health care reform at Lawyer’s Mall.

The Lt. Governor will be joined by DHMH Secretary John Colmers, health care advocates, and Marylanders who will benefit directly from recent reforms.


WHAT: Lt. Governor Brown to attend health care reform rally

WHEN: TODAY, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Lawyer’s Mall
Outside Maryland State House
Annapolis, MD

Autism Awareness Day On April 2, 2010

Dear Joe,

Could you please post some information regarding Autism Awareness Day on April 2, 2010. Autism affects 1 in 91 children and 1 in 58 boys.

http://www.generationrescue.org/autism-facts-statistics.html

My name is Heather Edwards.

I was born and raised in Salisbury. I left in January 2000 to join the United States Air Force. In January 2004 my husband and I came to live in Virginia to be near my husband's family. In February 2006 we were blessed with the birth of our little boy, Sean Liam.

My son, Sean, who is 4 years old was diagnosed with Autism (by a pediatric neurologist) when he was 2 years old. When my husband and I discovered his Autism we were filled with guilt, however we knew we had to do everything we could to help our son. We started him on a Gluten Free/Casein Free diet and a few vitamin supplements. After we started his diet, he completely stopped spinning objects. (this was a CONSTANT thing he had to do) He has also started following directions, making eye contact and making noises. Sean is non-verbal and can do 3 signs in ASL (more, eat and thirsty). He has a few sensory issues, such as the need to chew on something and he snaps his fingers (very fast) while flapping his arms. He goes to speech therapy 3 times a week and music therapy 1 time a week. Just like any 4 year old he has his good days and bad days. Sean will be starting preschool in the fall! He is very loving, intelligent, stubborn and energetic. Some of his favorite things are listening to music, guitar hero, jumping, dancing and swinging! All of this is just a portion of our story with our amazing son! He is our blessing, our sweet angel.

There are many families affected by Autism with many stories like ours. Please help us spread awareness! The Empire State Building will be lite up blue on Thursday for the start of Autism Awareness Month. Everyone is encouraged to wear blue on Friday, Autism Awareness Day, to help us spread awareness.

Thank you for your help in spreading the word of Autism Awareness.

Heather Edwards

IDIOT SIGHTINGS

IDIOT SIGHTING #1

My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a R 5 note. Our total was R4.20, so I also handed her a 20 cent .
She said, 'You gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me R1 back.' She sighed and went to get the Manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the 20 cent and said 'We're sorry but we do not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back 80 cents in change.. Do not confuse the clerks at MacDonald's.....

IDIOT SIGHTING #2

We had to have the garage door repaired. The GARADOR repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener.
I thought for a moment, and said that we had the largest one made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.'
I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4 and he said, 'NOOO, it's not. Four is larger than two..' We haven't used Garador repair since.....

IDIOT SIGHTING #3

I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the Highways Department to request the removal of the 'DEER CROSSING' sign On our road.
The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars on this stretch of road! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'

IDIOT SIGHTING #4

My daughter went to a local Kentucky Fried Chicken and ordered a Taco. She Asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.'
He said he was sorry, but they only had Iceberg Lettuce.

IDIOT SIGHTING #5

I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'

IDIOT SIGHTING #6

The traffic light on the corner buzzes when it's on red and safe to cross the road. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged friend of mine.
She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth
are blind people doing driving?!'

IDIOT SIGHTING #7

When my husband and I arrived at our local BMW dealer to pick up our Car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the Service Department and found a
mechanic working feverishly to unlock the Driver's door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the Fitter/Mechanic, 'its open!' His reply: 'I know. I already did that side.'

One Of Those Days

Fruitland Football

Football played on a new irrigated and sodded field with lights and new player equipment

3 Age Groups:
Age divisions are determined by a player's age as of September 1, 2010

6-8 year olds
9-10 year olds
11-12 year olds

Summer Camp (3 available weeks, must attend 2 weeks):
July 26 – 30, 5:30-7:30
August 2 – 6, 5:30-7:30
August 9 – 13, 5:30-7:30

First Day of Season:
Monday, August 16th

1st Sign-Up
1st Sign-up date is opening day of the Fruitland Little League:
10% Discount will be given
Date: Saturday, April 17th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Fruitland Baseball Complex, Brown Street

Other Sign Up Days
May 8th, May 22nd, June 5th, June 19th
9a.m- 11a.m at the Football field on Brown St. in Fruitland

Opening Day
August 27th, 28th, 29th

Visit our website at http://www.fruitlandfootball.com/.
Email us at fruitlandfalconsfootball@comcast.net

Join us on Facebook at Fruitland Falcons Football

Sarah Foxwell Memorial Ride/Benefit

Support the Snyder Legal Defense Fund

On March 3, 2006 Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was killed in Iraq while serving his country.  When he was returned home for burial members of the “Westboro Baptist Church” protested at the burial.  NOTE the URL for this supposed “church” – www.GodHatesFags.com

Al Snyder, Lance Corporal Snyder’s father, sued these despicable human beings.  He has now been ordered to pay their attorney’s fees while also attempting to carry his fight to the US Supreme Court.

I’m as strong a supporter of free speech as the next guy.  Ditto with our right to worship as we (as individuals) see fit.  However, can you imagine burying a loved one while these people were picketing?  I can almost sympathize with an atheist after seeing these claimants to Christianity at work.

Al Snyder needs our prayers, and our support.  Help him out any way that you can.  He has been ordered to pay $16,500 to the attorneys of this scum.  You can help by visiting here:  www.MatthewSnyder.org

You can go directly to the donation page HERE.

The Funniest Video I've Ever Seen

Folks, I just couldn't resist using this video from Jonathan Taylor. The first thing that came to mind was, with all that government subsidies your sucking on Jonathan, don't you think you can sponge a little more to get some of those teeth replaced! I mean, you can fit a Thanksgiving turkey in-between the gap in your front teeth alone.

Then the image of filming yourself from the chin, up! OMG, thank God I'm on a carpeted floor because watching the walls and ceiling with this HUGE head speaking was just over the top. Then there's the content.

You talked about me lying. Do everyone a favor here Jonathan and do tell everyone ONE single lie I made. You can't Jonathan, because I never once lied to anyone.

You took the mask and gloves off. Do everyone a favor, (especially yourself) put it back on. Oh, go into a much larger room so you can widen the lens, if at all possible. Might I suggest the Civic Center. LMAO

Nightly News At 6 PM

Thank God Crown Vic Parts Are A Dime A Dozen & No One Was Hurt

This morning a Wicomico County School Bus was driving backwards on Old Ocean City Road and backed directly into a Sheriff's Cruiser.

JUST KIDDING!

This is an update of this morning's Post where a School Bus was in an accident and through comments we quickly learned it involved a Sheriff's Deputy.

We have not received a Press Release from the Sheriff's Office in reference to the details of the accident but no one can deny, the Sheriff's Department has seen its unusually high share of accidents over the past few years.

Rumor has it that Sheriff Lewis is considering Bicycle Patrol for his Staff if they can't stay clear of BIG YELLOW BUSES!

Ehrlich Will Run Against O'Malley

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Anne Kramer and the Associated Press

Former Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich says he will challenge Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in November's election.

Ehrlich told reporters on Tuesday that he'll run for his old job.

His announcement sets up a rematch between Maryland's two biggest political foes.

Ehrlich, 52, says he arrived at the decision within the last two months after an awful lot of thought.

In 2002, he became Maryland's first Republican governor in a generation when he defeated then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

In Maryland's 2006 governor's race, Ehrlich lost his re-election bid with 46 percent of the vote to 53 percent for O'Malley, who was then mayor of Baltimore

Don't Miss Our 6 PM News Broadcast Tonight

Flooding In Tyaskin

Audit: Former Del. School Administrator Took $151K

DOVER, Del. (AP/WBOC)- A state audit has found that the Laurel School District's former finance director fraudulently boosted his own pay by more than $151,000 over an 8-year period.

The audit follows the admission of former finance director William Hitch Jr., who resigned in December, that he had found a payroll system flaw allowing him to adjust his pay.

The audit released Tuesday also found shoddy record keeping and accounting practices. Auditors determined that six administrators were underpaid a total of about $41,000 for the 2009-2010 school year, and that employees who did not have sufficient sick leave accrued to cover their leaves of absence owe the district more than $39,000.

The allegations regarding Hitch have been referred to the attorney general's office.

Source-WBOC

Tennis Anyone?

Joe, again I know that this doesn't belong here, but my emails to you bounce back.

I was over on Onley Road earlier today and decided to check out the new Bennett High School. I noticed that they went a little overboard on building the tennis courts over there. Now I understand that a high school needs tennis courts, but they don't need to rival Wimbledon! They erected 6 athletic lighting poles with 10 lamp fixtures each to illuminate the 6 courts they built! Is that really necessary?

I did a little bit of research on what it cost to build these tennis courts:

$17,100 - (60) 1500 Watt Fixtures
$1,200 - (60) Lamp Reflector Visors
$1,170 - (6) Tennis Court Nets
$168,000 - (6) Asphalt Surfaces
$12,000 - (6) Aluminum Light Poles
$33,000 - 10' Fencing
----------------------
$232,470

Now granted, I got these prices off the internet, but I can't imagine that it would be must less; if anything it would have cost more. Plus you have to figure in labor! Regardless, the tax payers of Wicomico County just spent almost a quarter million on TENNIS COURTS! Salisbury University's tennis courts aren't even this nice!!

Now here's my big problem with these courts. Tennis is a Spring Sport-what is the need for lighting on these courts? There is plenty of daylight in the spring for practices and matches and when I was in high school, sports started promptly at 3:30 or earlier! There was absolutely NO NEED for lighting, but the BOE splurged with our tax dollars. This economy doesn't support this kind of spending-if they wanted lights then I would suggest that they run the wire and MAYBE install them when times are better or the school raises money for such an expense. I can only imagine what the football and baseball fields are going to look like! None of the other schools in the County have facilities like this, what makes Bennett High so special; because it's new? I don't think so!

People, listen! It is time to step up and get control of the County's spending; especially over at the BOE! They do things like this at their own discretions all the time. Just imagine all the frivolous spending that happens behind the scenes that we don't see. I can't believe that we actually let them get away with this stuff!

Toyota Safety Probe Taps Rocket Scientists

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators said on Tuesday they will tap the expertise of the country's top space and aeronautics experts to analyze Toyota Motor Corp's electronic throttles to see if they are behind the reports of unintended acceleration that have hounded the automaker.

The news that NASA scientists will join the probe came as Toyota, reeling from a recall crisis sparked by the acceleration reports, launched a task force aimed at regaining consumer trust and pledged to give its regional operations more clout to speed up decisions on quality issues.

"We are determined to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in an interview with Reuters.

The Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is just beginning its review of Toyota's electronic throttles, which have come under heightened scrutiny following the recall of millions of Toyota and Lexus vehicles over the past six months for unintended acceleration.

GO HERE to read more.

Pro-Life Democrats Who Switched Vote For Health Bill Request Billions In Earmarks

The 11 House Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak who dropped their opposition to health care reform mere hours before the final vote have requested $3.4 billion in earmarks -- and one watchdog group wants to know whether the money represents business as usual, or a political payoff.

The 11 House Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak who dropped their opposition to health care reform legislation mere hours before the final vote have requested $3.4 billion in earmarks -- and one watchdog group wants to know whether the money represents business as usual or political payoffs.

The Sunlight Foundation says it plans to track the earmark requests, which were put in one day after health care reform cleared Congress, to see whether they're approved and whether it appears lawmakers are being rewarded for their vote.

GO HERE to read more from FOX News.

My Facebook Friends Continues To Grow Every Day

I have commented in the past how my Facebook Page has more beautiful women than any other person I know, it's true. In fact, ever since I made the Post about Jennifer Foxwell yesterday, even more beautiful woman have asked to become friends and the list continues to grow.

I'm not really up on the real advantages of Facebook but clearly there's a LOT of people using it. GO HERE and check out who's on my Facebook Page. There are 312 people on there and it just keeps growing.

That being said, what do you feel are the biggest advantages of Facebook?

Supreme Court Restricts Whistleblower Lawsuits

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday placed new limits on whistleblower lawsuits claiming that local governments misused federal money.

The court voted 7-2 to hold that a technical, though important aspect of the federal False Claims Act applies to local governments. One section of the law prohibits whistleblower lawsuits when public disclosure of the alleged fraud occurs through a court hearing, a news report or congressional or administrative audit.

In an opinion by Justice John Paul Stevens, the court ruled that the language on administrative audits refers to a report prepared by any government, not just a federal government document. The question had divided federal appeals courts.

GO HERE to read more.

Maryland Lawmakers Need To Stop Coddling Drunk Drivers

MARYLAND'S GENERAL Assembly, which has coddled drunk drivers for decades, is once again busy gutting legislation that would end the policy of forgiveness for those who get sloshed before getting behind the wheel. This is no great surprise given the overweening power of the alcohol industry and its lawmaker pals in Annapolis, many of whom hold day jobs that include defending drunk drivers in court. What's more surprising is that for once, there is serious pushback from those who are serious about getting tough with drunk drivers.

What's at issue this year is legislation that would require the installation of a device in the cars of convicted drunk drivers. The device, called an ignition interlock, would block drivers from starting their car until they blow into a mouthpiece that analyzes blood alchohol level to determine whether a driver is sober. If he is, the car will start (and the driver will be retested randomly as he drives); if not, the information will be stored and be accessible to the authorities.

GO HERE to read more from the Washington Post.

How To Make Easy Contact With Your Maryland Leaders

Civic Action eMail SystemThis system will enable you to:

Send an Email message to any or ALL of the Maryland State Senator(s)
Send an Email message to any or ALL of the Maryland State Delegate(s)
Send an Email message to any or ALL members of listed committees
Send an Email message to any or ALL members of listed county coucils

Contact Your Elected Representatives Today by Choosing a Link Below!
Maryland General Assembly
Senators: Click HERE
Delegates: Click HERE
Committees
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: Click HERE
Senate Education, Health & Environmental Affairs Committee: Click HERE
House Judiciary Committee: Click HERE
House Environmental Matters Committee: Click HERE
Prince Georges County Council
Contact Prince Georges County Council Members concerning TDR's: Click HERE

The Tan Tax And Government Power

One of the more outlandish provisions of the health care legislation is the 10 percent tax on indoor tanning. When it was introduced into the Senate health care bill in December, it injected a bit of humor into the political and policy debate. But to a segment of small businesses across the country, it's no laughing matter.

A local news station in Seattle has spoken to Mark Willard of a salon called Desert Sun Tanning. "Families, you know, these are people that have invested their life savings into these businesses and that's how they make their living," he said. "Unfortunately, now, that tax is going to be passed onto them...It could be very detrimental to their business, and certainly our customers that are going to bear the brunt of this tax."

Another station in Indiana finds Fun Tan, which employs "a total of 40 people and the owner says they will likely have to let some people go from the salon."

Dan Skwarcan, the owner, said, "“It’s huge. Think about the total revenue and having to write a check for ten percent of everything you make and give it to the federal government. That is tough.. plus on top of all of the taxes we are already paying today.”

People might dismiss stories like this that are being replicated throughout the country because a tax on indoor tanning only affects a relatively small segment of the population. Yet the point is that this is a perfect example of the arbitrary nature of government power. Indoor tanning has absolutely nothing to do with health care. But in December, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was scrambling to find ways to raise revenue to pay for a massive new government entitlement. An earlier tax on cosmetic surgery was dropped under protest from the Botox Lobby. And poof, just like that, families who depend on indoor tanning for their livelihood are forced to pony up for the greater good. Liberals always like to portray themselves as more compassionate. But remember, liberal compassion is rooted in a willingness to take other people's money and have government spend it for them.

Source

RSC Update

From the Chairman

Many on the Left seem to think the public debate over health care should end now that the Democrats’ plan has become law. They could not be more wrong. The need for reforms that put patients in charge is now greater than ever. As we look to the future, members of the RSC will be leading the way with a common sense strategy to put individuals back in control of their health care and protect our economy:

1) Highlight the Real World Consequences – This law will impact Americans’ access to care and place huge financial burdens on employers. Already, companies like AT&T, Caterpillar, 3M, Verizon, Valero Energy, John Deere, and others are predicting they will be hit with higher taxes and could very likely change or drop some of the health insurance plans they currently offer.

2) Repeal and Replace to Empower Patients – We will work for a full repeal of ObamaCare and replace it with patient-centered solutions like H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act.

3) Support Legal Challenges – There are legitimate constitutional concerns about the individual mandate and other aspects of this law. While working to repeal this takeover of health care, conservatives should also support the efforts of governors, state legislatures and attorneys general who seek to block or overturn it.

4) Restore the Consent of the Governed – No governing majority can last in our Republic if it lacks the consent of the governed. Democrats have flagrantly ignored the will of the American people, and conservatives stand ready to restore your voice to its rightful place in our system of government.

The Democrats’ health care takeover is unconstitutional, bad for patients, and bad for the economy. Let’s fight to repeal it and start over with patient-centered reforms.

Judicial Elections Bill Stalled In Committees

Judicial elections bill stalled in committees

A group of black lawmakers appears to have blocked Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's effort to end voters' ability to choose Circuit Court judges.

Gansler's proposal, which aimed to replace contested elections with retention elections every 10 years, is languishing in key committees in the House of Delegates and the Senate. The chairmen of both said Monday that the Legislative Black Caucus' strong opposition has doomed Gansler's bill.

"That spelled its demise," said Sen. Brian E. Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, who does not plan to forward the legislation to the full Senate.

Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr., a Prince George's and Calvert County Democrat who leads the House Judiciary Committee, said he would not bring the proposal up for a vote because "there's just not support for it."

If lawmakers do change course and approve the plan in the final two weeks of the legislative session, it would be put before voters this fall because it involves a change to the Maryland Constitution.

Currently, the governor appoints Circuit Court judges, who preside over jury trials. To win their full 15-year terms, their names must appear on the ballot for the next general election. Attorneys practicing for more than five years can also run in those elections.

GO HERE to read more from the Baltimore Sun.

Analysis: Is Maryland’s Attorney General An Unimpeachable Source?

Will the House of Delegates impeach Attorney General Doug Gansler?

That’s the question Del. Don Dwyer has promised to ask the House to consider Wednesday. Dwyer, a socially conservative Republican from Anne Arundel County, believes Gansler broke the law with his February opinion that Maryland courts would likely recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, despite their prohibition in Maryland law.

The question that has stymied Dwyer, and will likely derail his attempt tomorrow is: Can the House of Delegates impeach an attorney general?

The answer so far is no. Who says so? The Attorney General’s office, which acts as counsel to the legislature.

You can understand why Dwyer might not have full confidence in the three different opinions the legislature’s lawyers, who work for Gansler, have issued in the past month.

They give House Speaker Michael Busch little choice in ruling Dwyer out of order when he moves to impeach.

GO HERE to read more from the MarylandReporter.

Senate Approves Self-Defense Bill

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Senate has endorsed a measure that would protect people from lawsuits if they use deadly force to defend themselves at home or work in certain circumstances.

Senators voted 45-2 Monday in favor of the bill. The legislation says a person must “reasonably” believe the lethal force is necessary to fend off the attack. It also stipulates that the amount and nature of the force must be “reasonable.”

Current law in Maryland says a person must not use deadly force unless they believe they are in danger of serious bodily injury.

The bill now moves to the House of Delegates for consideration.

Source

Team Harris Lower Shore Organizational Meeting

Are you TIRED of Nancy Pelosi controlling Congress
and your family’s future?

Are you TIRED of Congress stripping away America’s Identity?

If so, it’s time to take action!!!

It’s time to invest in your future by becoming an active volunteer for
State Senator Andy Harris
Say NO to Nancy Pelosi by saying YES to Dr. Andy Harris for Congress!

Come Join
Harris for Congress Campaign Chairman
The Honorable Ellen R. Sauerbrey
Saturday, April 10th to see how you can help Andy WIN back the 1st Congressional District seat and take back our Congress!

Who: Lower Shore Volunteers

What: Grassroots Meeting

When: Sat April 10 @ 11:00am

Where: Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce
144 E. Main Street
Salisbury, MD 21801
RSVP: Pat Daly 240-925-7462 / pat@andyharris.com

HELP!!!

Someone dial 911, I'm being mauled by a troll!

Jennifer Foxwell's Message

This is a screen shot of the actual Facebook message I received yesterday from Jennifer Foxwell. I have received messages questioning whether or not the information I posted yesterday was actually from Jennifer. This should clarify that it is.

Two Years Ago Today

Dough Rollers in Ocean City was completely destroyed.

Last Nights Broadcast Gets Close To 1,000 Views Already

If you didn't get the chance to watch our 6 PM Broadcast last night you may want to take the time, (perhaps at lunch) to view what we offered yesterday.

I want to thank so many of you for your support and understanding on the matters we provided last night. I have received quite a bit of e-mail from others who seem to have been victimized by these very same people and while it's very unusual for us to receive so many visits, many came to learn the truth and understand as to why I chose to provide the information we did in this Broadcast.

We'll see you again tonight at 6 PM.

Caption This Photo

Arizona Rancher's Slaying Spurs Calls For More Border Aid

The apparent slaying of a prominent Arizona rancher on his property near the Mexican border has inflamed tensions over illegal immigration and intensified calls for the federal government to ramp up protection along the increasingly perilous southern border.

Robert Krentz, 58, was found fatally shot Saturday. A helicopter crew with the Cochise County Sheriff's Office discovered his body inside his Polaris all-terrain vehicle along with his dog, which also had been shot and critically wounded.

Authorities say on the day of his death, Mr. Krentz sent his brother a message via radio phone, but his brother could only understand the words "illegal alien" and "hurt." Mr. Krentz is thought to have fled from the site of the shooting, eventually coming to a halt about 1,000 feet away.

Search teams from the sheriff's office, the Border Patrol and state Department of Corrections followed foot tracks from the site for about 20 miles in the direction of the border but failed to capture any suspects. Mexican authorities have been notified and are cooperating with the search, said Cochise County spokeswoman Carol Capas.

"It's a big deal. It's something that could be a turning point here," said Ms. Capas following a Monday press conference by Sheriff Larry Dever in Bisbee, Ariz. "People in the area are on heightened alert. They're grief-stricken, saddened, and they're extremely angry."

Speculation was rampant that the killer was connected with Mexico's violent drug cartels, which have laid siege to communities south of the border. The drug lords may have used the remote 35,000-acre Krentz Ranch to ferry drugs into the United States.

The day before the shooting, Mr. Krentz's brother found eight illegal aliens on the ranch. They were taken into custody by Border Patrol, along with several hundred pounds of marijuana, said Ms. Capas.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona Democrat, whose district includes the Krentz Ranch, called on the Obama administration to heighten enforcement along the border.

"If, as suspected, this tragedy was connected to smugglers or drug cartels, the federal government must respond appropriately," Mrs. Giffords said. "All options should be on the table, including sending more Border Patrol agents to the area and deploying the National Guard."

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who's challenging Arizona Sen. John McCain for the Republican nomination, issued a statement calling for a greater federal role in protecting the border. Mr. Hayworth, a border-security hawk, has made illegal immigration a major issue in the primary campaign.

Here's more

Border-Guarding Minutemen Disband

The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, which posted hundreds of civilian volunteers along the U.S.-Mexico border over the past five years, has disbanded, citing what it called "rising aggression" in the country and decisions by lawmakers in Washington who have "pushed amnesty down our throats."

"The mental attitude of many Americans is turning meaner … and we are concerned that this could cause problems," MCDC President Carmen Mercer told The Washington Times on Monday. "You see aggression surfacing even at the tea party marches. We just did not want to deal with the liability anymore.

"We have to protect the ranchers as well as the volunteers," Ms. Mercer said, noting the killing on Saturday of Robert Krentz, a prominent Douglas, Ariz., rancher who was shot along with his dog on his ranch by a suspected illegal immigrant who fled into Mexico and remains a fugitive.

Born in April 2005, the MCDC — originally known as the Minuteman Project — called for the U.S. military to be assigned to protect the southwestern border from terrorists, illegal immigrants and drug smugglers; sought increased manpower for the U.S. Border Patrol; and opposed the granting of amnesty to the millions of illegals who already have entered the country.

The MCDC vowed to fight a proposal by President Obama to try to get a bipartisan immigration bill passed this year that would establish a path to legal status for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

At one point, the organization had a roster of about 12,000 members. In May 2005, then-U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner praised the Minuteman movement, saying it was aiding the effort to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country by reducing the flow of illegal immigrants and disrupting smuggling operations.

Mr. Bonner said the volunteers brought significant press attention to the issue of illegal immigration and proposed that the government work with the Minutemen in patrolling the border.

Within days, the Department of Homeland Security rejected the proposal outright, saying it wasn't going to happen.

The MCDC announcement that it was dissolving came as a surprise to many in the movement, particularly in light of pronouncements by Ms. Mercer earlier this month that the organization was looking for more volunteers this year to show up on the border "locked and loaded."

More
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Small County Jail In Upstate New York Has Big Problem With Suicides

At the 680-bed Erie County Holding Facility, a small jail on the shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo, N.Y., six inmates have committed suicide in the past five years, as many as at Rikers Island, the sprawling New York City jail that typically houses about 14,000 inmates.

In 2007, an Erie inmate killed himself by diving off a 15-foot railing in full view of sheriff's deputies. That same year, an inmate took his life after officials removed him from 24-hour suicide watch and put him with the other inmates. In 2008, two detainees used bed sheets to hang themselves from air vents, raising to 15 the number of inmates who had committed suicide this way, or tried to, since 2002.

County jails, most of them originally designed to hold low-level offenders, now serve, to some degree, as de facto psychiatric wards. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca famously referred to the jails he oversees as “the largest mental health institution in the country.”

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Postal Service Edges Toward Cutting Saturday Delivery

Washington (CNN) -- Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night may stay the nation's letter carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, but e-mail and the recession may stop their Saturday deliveries.

Under a plan to be delivered Tuesday to its regulator, the U.S. Postal Service announced Monday it would cut Saturday delivery beginning in the first half of next year.

"If the Postal Service takes no action, it could face a cumulative $238 billion shortfall by the year 2020," the service said in plans given to reporters.

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Losing Their Religion? Catholicism In Turmoil

Sex abuse scandal prompts soul-searching across the globe

WARSAW, Poland - An Austrian priest avoids mention of Pope Benedict XVI in his Masses. A Philadelphia woman stops going to confession, saying she now sees priests as more flawed than herself. British protesters call for the pontiff to resign.

As the faithful fill churches this Holy Week, many Roman Catholics around the world are finding their relationship to the church painfully tested by new revelations of clerical abuse and suggestions Benedict himself may have helped cover up cases in Germany and the U.S.

There are fears that for those whose commitment is already wavering, the scandal could be the final blow, and a growing chorus is clamoring for the church to embrace full transparency, take a hard line against pedophiles, and reconsider the rule of priestly celibacy.

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Caught The Liberals Cheating BIG TIME

A volunteer cleans up the broken glass Tuesday at the state Democratic Party headquarters south of downtown. (John Sunderland, The Denver Post)

One of two people suspected of shattering 11 windows Tuesday morning at the state Democratic Party headquarters has an arrest record and a history of helping a Democratic political candidate, public records show.

Police said that about 2:20 a.m., 24-year-old Maurice Schwenkler, now in custody, and an at-large accomplice took a hammer to the picture windows displaying posters touting President Barack Obama and his health care reform efforts.

Early Tuesday, Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak said the damage to her building in Denver's art district was a consequence of "an effort on the other side to stir up hate." She tempered her statement after Schwenkler's political history was revealed.

"What I've been saying is there is a lot of rhetoric out there from both sides of the spectrum," Waak said. "That's what's been disturbing to me. People are saying a lot of things not appropriate for civil discourse."

For weeks, people on both sides of the health care debate have rallied across the country.

Schwenkler is charged with criminal mischief and is to make his first appearance in Denver County Court today.

He is accused of doing an estimated $11,000 in damage and could face a felony conviction.


On the last day of the 2008 Republican National Convention, he was charged with misdemeanor unlawful assembly in St. Paul, Minn.

Court records provided through the St. Paul Pioneer Press show he was jailed about 2 a.m.

Schwenkler received $500 in November 2008 to walk door-to-door in support of Democrat Mollie Cullom, who lost her race to Republican state Rep. David Balmer of Centennial.

Waak, who was not involved with the group that paid Schwenkler, said she's never heard of the suspect and pointed out that just because he canvassed "doesn't mean he's a good Democrat."

Schwenkler was one of dozens of paid canvassers bankrolled by the Colorado Citizens' Coalition, a political 527 committee Schwenkler has worked for Democratic causes. funded by labor groups and well-known, wealthy liberal donors.

In those disclosures, Schwenkler's address is listed as Derailer Bicycle Cooperative, a free community bicycle collective that operates just around the corner from the Democratic headquarters. Multiple volunteers at the collective declined to discuss Schwenkler, though they said he was affiliated with the group.
Balmer said he suspects the vandalism might have been aimed at making the GOP look bad.

"This sounds like the type of Democratic tactic from the left fringe trying to make Republicans look mean-spirited," Balmer said. "In this case, it blew up in their face. He was caught red-handed."

Schwenkler allegedly tried to conceal his identity while committing the crime by wearing a shirt over his face, a hooded sweat shirt and latex gloves, according to police descriptions.

When a Denver police officer on patrol spotted two people smashing windows, the suspects fled on bicycles.

Schwenkler was arrested after a short foot pursuit, but the other suspect sped away, police Detective Vicki Ferrari said.

She declined to release further details.

Staff writers Joey Bunch and Felisa Cardona contributed to this report. Jessica Fender: 303

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