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Friday, March 19, 2010

Fernando Guerrero Coverage: The Middleweight Division

With the amazing success and popularity of Fernando Guerrero, it is no surprise that Delmarva sports fans have begun to pay a lot more attention to what writer AJ Leibling labeled "The Sweet Science". Sensations like Guerrero tend to turn non-boxing fans into his fans. The next step on the way for many Fernando fans is to embrace the sport as a whole. Certainly with great young talents like Shawn Porter also fighting in Salisbury, many are probably well along that path. I've spoken to a lot of people that had quit being fans of boxing during the Don King/Mike Tyson train wreck, but have now had their interest and passion in the sport revived by our local blue chip middleweight prospect.

In the very near future I will weigh in on the upcoming Fernando Guerrero vs Michael "The Midnight Stalker" Walker middleweight bout. However, first I want to give a larger perspective of Fernando Guerrero's spot in boxing.

Today's post will be about his weight, middleweight. Here are some random facts about the middleweight class:

  • The middleweight division dates back to the 1840s, but an exact date of its origin is unknown.
  • The maximum weight limit is 160 pounds, which is 72.64 kg for our metric fans.
  • Light middleweight's maximum weight limit is 154 pounds- making the traditional middleweight class from 155-160 pounds.
  • Sometimes promoters/fighters will sign contracts with a stipulation for a "catch weight" allowing both fighters to come in at a different weight then the traditional weight class would allow.
  • The boxer nearly every boxing expert rates as the greatest of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson, was a middleweight champion (though his best work took place at welterweight).
  • Since 1904 only 5 Americans have won the Gold as a middleweight at the Olympics the last was Michael Spinks in 1976.
  • There are four major belts in every division. The current champions of the middleweight class are: WBO & WBC champ Kelly Pavlik, WBA champ Felix Sturm, IBF champ Sebastian Sylvester.
  • Fernando Guerrero is the WBO NABO champion, which is an important junior title to hold, but is not a major title.
  • The first recognized world middleweight title (back when there was only one belt per weight class) was Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey on July 30th, 1894. Thirty years later a young man named William Harrison Dempsey would fight under the name Jack as a homage to the middleweight and eventually become the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Both are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
  • Mixed Martial Arts have different weights associated with their middleweight class. For UFC and Strikeforce middleweights must weigh between 171-185 pounds.
It is my firm belief that the middleweight division is one of the best in boxing right now and historically possibly the greatest of all time. At 160 pounds the athletes are combination of lightning speed and Herculean strength you just don't find consistently in many other weight classes.

Be on the look out for future articles on both Fernando Guerrero and his worthy opponent, Michael "The Midnight Stalker" Walker (writer's note: am I the only one that finds his self appointed moniker a bit creepy?).

Charges Filed In Prison Guard Assault

Resume: Ruben Porter was formally charged today on the charges outlined below. Although he is already incarcerated, bail was set at $305,000.00.

Charges Filed in Prison Guard Assault

Suspect: Ruben Porter, 25 years of age, currently at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Facility

Resume: State Police detectives have completed an arrest warrant for Ruben Porter charging him with the following offenses stemming from the assault of two prison guards on Tuesday night: Attempted Murder 1st (felony), Assault in a Detention Facility (felony), and Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony (felony).

Mr. Porter is already incarcerated, and thus, the arraignment will take place on an undetermined day in the near future.

Another School Bus Accident


This accident happened on Wetipquin, (sp?) Road. There was one child on the bus. We're told a pickup truck pulled out in front of the bus and the bus hit him on the driver's side door. More to come.

Enjoy Downtown Salisbury This 3rd Friday


This being the nicest day of the year so far, why not get out tonight and enjoy Salisbury's 3rd Friday Celebration. It's been a long winter for all these local shops and businesses and they could sure use the additional business.

265 Comments So Far Today

Its only 3:00 PM and we've already had 265 comments so far today. Each day when I review the comments I'm always amazed at the great participation we receive from our viewers.

Remember Folks, your comments are what really makes all the difference with our local politicians. For example, if you only knew just how pissed off the WBOE is at the County because Salisbury News got our hands on PUBLIC INFORMATION!

The Board of Education has enjoyed the Good Old Boy Network for far too long and it's about time there's some accountability. The Taxpayers clearly deserve to not only know, they deserve better with their tax dollars.

One thing I can assure you of, there will be more articles next week about the WBOE. We're nowhere near done with this group. Pout and threaten all you want Mr. Fredericksen, we're not through with you yet.

So keep those comments flying Folks. You made a difference with Legislators in the Sarah Foxwell murder, you're also making a difference with our local politicians as well.

How Can Anyone Still Be On The Fence?


By Senator Andy Harris, M.D.

If anyone had doubts before, they shouldn't now: Washington is broken. The latest scheme to get health care legislation through the Congress has polluted an important debate and caps off a shameful display of politics that puts elections before good public policy. For any of our elected representatives to still be undecided on this monumental issue is shocking and disappointing.

For more than a year, health care has been debated inside and outside the Washington Beltway. From holding a Christmas Eve vote in the Senate on the bill that included a "Cornhusker Kickback," "Louisiana Purchase" and a Florida "Gatorade," to failure of Congressional leaders to post the 2,700 page bill for adequate public review, to the use of the Slaughter "deem and pass"maneuver, it is clear to most everyone outside of the Congressional Majority Leadership that this corrupted process is unacceptable and out of sync with how Americans expect their government to operate.

As a physician, I work every day with the health care system. In the more than 30 years I've been practicing medicine, American life expectancy has increased significantly and our health care quality is far superior to that of any other nation. Whenever I enter a hospital, I see firsthand the superiority of American health care. I also know how it can be improved through reforms such as removing lifetime caps on coverage, opening up insurance purchase across state lines, reforming medical malpractice to protect health care providers from frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs, stretching malpractice awards over the lifetime of the victim rather than in lump sums, and lowering costs through more price and cost transparency that let patients know what they're getting for their care. These are important reforms that are absent from any of the health care bill versions being considered.

The unseemly political deals included in the legislation, coupled with the huge price tag as taxpayers deal with both a recession and the devastating cuts to senior care, demand that Washington's ruling class take a step back and reassess if pushing through a flawed government takeover of health care outweighs the damage being done to the public trust. What was supposed to be a debate about improving our system and providing lower costs and more access to quality care has now become the epitome of a corrupted legislative process and the disregard of the will of the American families and taxpayers that will be forced to foot the bill.

Reorganizing one-sixth of our nation's economy must be done with the care of a surgeon's scalpel, not with the hatchet of political leaders. What was started as a way to lower costs and cover more people has devolved into manufacturing a political win. That decision does nothing for patients, doctors and taxpayers-and works to further divide our nation. The fact remains that U.S. taxpayers cannot afford this massive legislation right now at a time when they are struggling to pay their bills, keep their jobs and put food on their family table. For our elected representatives to still be undecided as to which way they will vote on this health care bill is unconscionable.

For Immediate Release

Incident: RRE Incident
Date of Incident: 19 March 2010
Location: Wetipquin Road Boat Ramp, Quantico, MD
Suspect: Pending

Narrative: On 19 March 2010 at 7:44 AM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into a RRE (Race, Religion, Ethnic) incident. Deputies were called to the area of the Boat Ramp on Wetipquin Road because a worker from the County Roads Division had discovered that an unknown suspect (s) had spray-painted racially disparaging terms on the road and several signs in the area. At this time this incident is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office and the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation.

The spray painted signs were able to be cleaned off or removed. County Roads personnel were also able to clear off the roadway where the spray painting took place.

Anyone with information in reference to this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891.

You may also contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776 to provide information in reference to this case. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.

WCBOE – Who Bought the Doughnuts (Part III)

Sunning in San Diego.  Dinners billed to the taxpayers as a “professional meeting”.  These are just two examples of what we’ve discovered so far about the WBOE’s use (or is it abuse?) of tax dollars.

Today we’ll be looking at what I consider the perfect example of how the educrats view you and your hard earned money.  Before you read the rest, just ask yourself - How much do you tip the guy who delivers pizza or sandwiches to your door?

BTW – It was really subs instead of doughnuts.  But you know who paid for them.  RIGHT?

READ MORE …

Also … Don’t Forget -

Part I

Part II

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE PASSAGE OF PUBLIC SAFETY LEGISLATION IN HOUSE OF DELEGATES

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 19, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following the unanimous passage of legislation mandating lifetime supervision sentences for sex offenders.

“I want to thank the members of the Maryland House of Delegates for unanimously passing important legislation to protect our children from dangerous sexual predators.

“Katie and I would do anything to protect our four children and I know that’s a sentiment all Marylanders share about their own families. There is a lot we do better than we used to as a state with regard to public safety, and there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The O’Malley-Brown Administration has been proud to stand with Maryland families to champion a number of public safety legislative initiatives, and has made equally important changes administratively. The Division of Parole and Probation has focused its attention on known violent and sexual offenders. All sex offenders are assigned to specially trained agents, required to be under the strictest probationary terms, and placed on GPS monitoring at intake. Violent offenders are placed in the Violence Prevention Initiative and, along with sex offenders, are strictly monitored for violations. Parole and Probation has been using GPS to monitor sex offenders under supervision since February of last year, and as of this month, 231 sex offenders and 1,300 total offenders have been placed on GPS monitoring.

Market Street Inn Opens Riverfront Dining





With the weather change, it was time for Rob Mulford to pull everything out of storage and set up their outdoor dining in Downtown Salisbury.

Folks, if you're looking for a great place to eat, watch March Madness and or get together with friends and family, the Market Street Inn is the place to go.

It's been a tough winter for everyone, so please support our local businesses, especially those who give so much back to the community.

Buses to DC Tomorrow: Back to the Hill to Kill the Bill

Back to the Hill to Kill the Bill - Rally in DC Saturday, March 20th High Noon
An update from yesterday We have filled up 2 buses and are starting to take reservations for a third bus leaving the Eastern Shore Saturday (that's tomorrow) from Ocean City and Salisbury with a pick up in the Cambridge/Easton area. The cost is just $10 per seat. Come join us at the last stand to tell congress to "KILL THE BILL" and stop this hostile take over of our health care and 1/6th of our economy.

OCEAN CITY/WORCESTER COUNTY: Leaving STEER INN on Rt. 589 at 8:00 am sharp be early!!!

SALISBURY/WICOMICO COUNTY: Leaving Boscov’s by 8:40 am sharp be early!!!


Reserve your seat now! Call Ken Nichols 410-726-2546 or Tom Cook 480-567-8480

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE PASSAGE OF JOBS LEGISLATION IN HOUSE OF DELEGATES

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE PASSAGE OF JOBS LEGISLATION IN HOUSE OF DELEGATES

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 19, 2010)
– Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following the passage of Jobs Creation and Recovery Tax Credit legislation.

“I want to thank the members of the Maryland House of Delegates for supporting this important legislation to create jobs in Maryland, and support small business throughout our State.

“There is no government program that is as important and empowering as a job that allows a family to raise their kids with dignity and respect and a roof over their heads. Our task as public servants is to continue making the choices and connections that will allow our families to get through these tough times even stronger.

“The times we live in call for less partisanship and more citizenship, and as Marylanders, we have a history of coming together in times of great adversity.”

AFP-Maryland Encourages Citizens to Rally In DC To Oppose Congressional Health Care Bill

-Hundreds of Marylanders will bus to Capitol to have their voice heard-

ANNAPOLIS
– The Maryland chapter of Americans for Prosperity is urging all citizens to have their voice heard at an “Emergency Rally” at the Capitol in Washington, DC. Actor Jon Voight and others will be attending a Noon TEA Party to oppose the passage of a government take over of our health care system. Hundreds of Marylanders from Ocean City to Hagerstown will be making the trip via bus to Upper Senate Park.

“With a vote, or a questionable procedural move imminent, we are encouraging all citizens to attend this rally and visit their representatives to make sure they have their voice heard,” state Maryland state director Dave Schwartz. “It appears that Speaker Pelosi is a few votes short of passage. AFP-Maryland activists will be doing their part to make sure they don’t get the necessary 216 votes.”

While AFP-Maryland firmly opposes HR3590, we advocate a free-market approach to solving our health care crisis. Tort reform, purchasing insurance across state lines, and promoting Health Savings Accounts are just three ideas that would cut costs and expand coverage.

Maryland Bus Stops:

Ocean City (Steer Inn on Rt. 589) – 8am
Salisbury (Boscov’s at Center @ Salisbury) – 8:30am
Bel Air (Green Turtle Parking Lot on Main St) – 10am
Hagerstown – 9am

Public Awareness On Fraudulent Phone Scammers

Public Awareness on Fraudulent Phone Scammers

Resume: The Delaware State Police wants to make the public aware of phone scammers.

Recently there has been a rash of phone calls to elderly persons from someone claiming they are with Publisher’s Clearinghouse. These callers are requesting the person to verify their Social Security Number as well as date of birth to claim a large sum of money. In order to receive their winning prize, the individuals are asked to transfer money from their account to the caller’s account. Once the transaction is made, the scammer not only receives the money, but now has the victim’s information to commit identity theft.

Under no circumstance should anyone give out their Social Security Number or any vital information such as bank accounts. If you receive a call of this nature, inform the person that you are not giving your information to them and call the police.

Please inform you elderly family members as well as friends and neighbors of this deception and urge them to call their local police if they encounter any suspicious phone calls.

**See the attached Safety Tips:

**New Castle County Police Release from March 4, 2010:
http://nccde.org/webadmin/home/userfiles/policeNewsReleases/image/304elderlyscam.doc

Progressive, Help Flo


One of our own (Salisburians) is in the Progressive insurance contest to appear with Flo in a commercial. Just thought you might like to give her a shout-out since you're such a big supporter of the community. (Also, Laura is a local business owner in Salisbury.)

Today's Survey Question

If You Could Move, Where Would You Relocate?

SALISBURY ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY TO FILL OUT CENSUS FORM

Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Jr., encourages everyone to fill out their census forms.
An accurate count is so important for the state of Maryland. An undercount of 100,000 people translates to a loss of $1 billion dollars in federal revenue over the next decade. “We need to make sure all residents of the Eastern Shore are counted in this decennial Census!”

Need assistance filling out your Census form? This is a free service. Please select "Questionnaire Assistance Centers" in the following site: http://www.2010census.gov or call:
· English - 1-866-872-6868
· Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
· Korean: 1-866-955-2010
· Russian: 1-866-965-2010
· Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
· Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010

2010 Census: It’s in our hands.

U of MD TERPS ARE OUTSTANDING IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

But not in a good way, sports fans.

Of the entire men’s field, Maryland has the lowest graduation rate for members of its basketball team – a whopping 8 percent – according to a recent study. The top-seeded University of Kentucky has a somewhat higher rate (31 percent), and 12 of the 65 teams in the tournament have graduation rates of less than 40 percent.

The Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who played intercollegiate hoops at Harvard, has proposed a ban on postseason play by teams with a graduation rate of less than 40 percent. That, of course, would change the nature of the game.

The source of the data stated above is a report that aired on the PBS Newshour recently – http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sports/jan-june10/basketball1_03-18.htm

According to the report, the University of Maryland disputes the graduation rate attributed to its team.

UPDATE:


Maryland coach Gary Williams told The Washington Post that such rates are insignificant:

"Obviously, those years we had players leave early and they're millionaires now, and they're coming back to get their degrees, just like other guys have come back and gotten their degrees."

He has a point. If a player has success in the NBA, hasn't the college experience worked well? And why don't late graduates count in these numbers? A degree is still a degree no matter when it's attained. Still, the fact that Williams equates academic success with money is disconcerting.

Low graduation rates are nothing to be proud of, but they're no surprise. Most big-time college basketball players have long since stopped being student-athletes. For many, it's athletics first, academics second. If you're Gary Williams, that's acceptable. If you're Arne Duncan, it's not.

Now For The Slaughter-- On The Road To Demon Pass

[Peggy Noonan, March 18-- a must-read..]

Excuse me, but it is embarrassing—really, embarrassing to our country—that the president of the United States has again put off a state visit to Australia and Indonesia because he's having trouble passing a piece of domestic legislation he's been promising for a year will be passed next week. What an air of chaos this signals to the world. And to do this to Australia of all countries, a nation that has always had America's back and been America's friend.

How bush league, how undisciplined, how kid's stuff.

You could see the startled looks on the faces of reporters as Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who had the grace to look embarrassed, made the announcement on Thursday afternoon. The president "regrets the delay"—the trip is rescheduled for June—but "passage of the health insurance reform is of paramount importance." Indonesia must be glad to know it's not.

The reporters didn't even provoke or needle in their questions. They seemed hushed. They looked like people who were absorbing the information that we all seem to be absorbing, which is that the wheels seem to be coming off this thing, the administration is wobbling—so early, so painfully and dangerously soon.

Thursday's decision followed the most revealing and important broadcast interview of Barack Obama ever. It revealed his primary weakness in speaking of health care, which is a tendency to dodge, obfuscate and mislead. He grows testy when challenged. It revealed what the president doesn't want revealed, which is that he doesn't want to reveal much about his plan. This furtiveness is not helpful in a time of high public anxiety. At any rate, the interview was what such interviews rarely are, a public service. That it occurred at a high-stakes time, with so much on the line, only made it more electric.

I'm speaking of the interview Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Special Report With Bret Baier." Fox is owned by News Corp., which also owns this newspaper, so one should probably take pains to demonstrate that one is attempting to speak with disinterest and impartiality, in pursuit of which let me note that Glenn Beck has long appeared to be insane.

That having been said, the Baier interview was something, and right from the beginning. Mr. Baier's first question was whether the president supports the so-called Slaughter rule, alternatively known as "deem and pass," which would avoid a straight up-or-down House vote on the Senate bill. (Tunku Varadarajan in the Daily Beast cleverly notes that it sounds like "demon pass," which it does. Maybe that's the juncture we're at.) Mr. Obama, in his response, made the usual case for ObamaCare. Mr. Baier pressed him. The president said, "The vote that's taken in the House will be a vote for health-care reform." We shouldn't, he added, concern ourselves with "the procedural issues."

Further in, Mr. Baier: "So you support the deem-and-pass rule?" From the president, obfuscation. But he did mention something new: "They may have to sequence the votes." The bill's opponents would be well advised to look into that one.

Mr. Baier again: So you'll go deem-and-pass and you don't know exactly what will be in the bill?

Mr. Obama's response: "By the time the vote has taken place, not only will I know what's in it, you'll know what's in it, because it's going to be posted and everybody's going to be able to evaluate it on the merits."

That's news in two ways. That it will be posted—one assumes the president means on the Internet and not nailed to a telephone pole—should suggest it will be posted for a while, more than a few hours or days. So American will finally get a look at it. And the president was conceding that no, he doesn't know what's in the bill right now. It is still amazing that one year into the debate this could be true.

Mr. Baier pressed on the public's right to know what is in the bill. We have been debating the bill for a year, the president responded: "The notion that this has been not transparent, that people don't know what's in the bill, everybody knows what's in the bill. I sat for seven hours with—."

Mr. Baier interrupts: "Mr. President, you couldn't tell me what the special deals are that are in or not today."

Mr. Obama: "I just told you what was in and what was not in."

Mr. Baier: "Is Connecticut in?" He was referring to the blandishments—polite word—meant to buy the votes of particular senators.

Mr. Obama: "Connecticut—what are you specifically referring to?"

Mr. Baier: "The $100 million for the hospital? Is Montana in for the asbestos program? Is—you know, listen, there are people—this is real money, people are worried about this stuff."

Mr. Obama: "And as I said before, this—the final provisions are going to be posted for many days before this thing passes."

Read the rest here...

Martin Sanchez

BERLIN- Worcester Prep soccer standout Martin Sanchez last week recieved his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and will take his game to Annapolis next year. Sanchez, who was named the Mallards’ most valuable player after a stellar senior season last fall, has accepted the appointment to the Naval Academy and will play soccer for the Middies next year. The standout defender and prolific scorer said this week he is excited about the opportunity to play Division I soccer at Navy in the Patriot League, which also features other schools such as Army, Lehigh, Colgate and American. Sanchez said he is looking forward to the rigors of the Naval Academy both on and off the soccer field.

“I’ve always wanted to attend the Naval Academy because I’m one who appreciates order and structure in all that I do,” he said. “The program the Academy provides is an excellent one for me.” Sanchez’s soccer career extends far beyond his playing days at Worcester Prep. He has also played for the Upper 90 Soccer Academy, Casa Mia Bays, the Freestate Elite and was a member of the U.S. Regional team. He is an Adidas All-American and participated in their ESP Program last year. His natural position is centerback and he will likely have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at Navy next year. He has the opportunity to play for new Navy coach Dave Brandt, the winningest soccer coach in NCAA history. After seeing Martin play in a tournament in North Carolina last February, Coach Brandt offered a spot to Martin and he excepted without hesitation. In his four years at Worcester, Sanchez was an important component of several highly successful Mallard teams. Worcester Coach Tom Westcott said Sanchez’s skill and leadership will be difficult to replace, but voiced confidence the Mallard standout would thrive at Navy. "We are really going to miss Martin on our team next year, but I know he’ll make his mark on the Navy team,” he said. “He is a quality player and a quality person.”

One Year Ago Today

Local Firefighters show their support for the candidates they chose to endorse.

Old Mall Owners face Planning & Zoning once again.


Clear signs of a bad economy.


Back on the Ranch in Delmar, signs of spring were upon us. The ducks and geese have returned again this year, as well as the turtle.

Two Years Ago Today

Chief Laramore faced the Ocean City Mayor & City Council.


Chief See opened the new Fire Station 16 to the public.

Md. Lawmakers Not Feeling So Southern Anymore

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland's official song may include a line about "Northern scum" left over from the Civil War era, but the state isn't feeling so Southern anymore.

Though Marylanders live just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, their attitudes and even their accents straddle that border. These days, leaders feel they've got more in common with states to the north.

In one sign of the shift, lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, where they'll be able to trade ideas with fellow officials from Pennsylvania, New York, and other states they consider more like-minded.

GO HERE to read more.

16,500 More IRS Agents Needed To Enforce Obamacare

MORE GOOD NEWS FROM OUR “REPRESENTATIVES”
16,500 more IRS agents needed to enforce Obamacare

By: J.P. Freire

Associate Commentary Editor03/18/10 4:32 PM EDT

New tax mandates and penalties included in Obamacare will cause the greatest expansion of the Internal Revenue Service since World War II, according to a release from Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.


A new analysis by the Joint Economic Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee minority staff estimates up to 16,500 new IRS personnel will be needed to collect, examine and audit new tax information mandated on families and small businesses in the ‘reconciliation’ bill being taken up by the U.S. House of Representatives this weekend. ...


Scores of new federal mandates and fifteen different tax increases totaling $400 billion are imposed under the Democratic House bill. In addition to more complicated tax returns, families and small businesses will be forced to reveal further tax information to the IRS, provide proof of ‘government approved’ health care and submit detailed sales information to comply with new excise taxes.


Americans for Tax Reform has a good breakdown of the bill by the numbers.
Isn't it reassuring that at a time of recession, government will do what's necessary to ensure its growth?


Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/16500-more-IRS-agents-needed-to-enforce-Obamacare-88458137.html#ixzz0icuGiHoK

Thank God Its Friday

What Will You Be Doing This Weekend?

Obama Surrenders Gulf Oil To Moscow

Can any sane person really believe that this administration is acting in the best interests of the United States? ON ANYTHING???


Originally published 12:04 a.m., March 18, 2010, updated 05:24 a.m., March 18, 2010
EDITORIAL: Obama surrenders gulf oil to Moscow
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The Obama administration is poised to ban offshore oil drilling on the outer continental shelf until 2012 or beyond. Meanwhile, Russia is making a bold strategic leap to begin drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. While the United States attempts to shift gears to alternative fuels to battle the purported evils of carbon emissions, Russia will erect oil derricks off the Cuban coast.


Offshore oil production makes economic sense. It creates jobs and helps fulfill America's vast energy needs. It contributes to the gross domestic product and does not increase the trade deficit. Higher oil supply helps keep a lid on rising prices, and greater American production gives the United States more influence over the global market.


Drilling is also wildly popular with the public. A Pew Research Center poll from February showed 63 percent support for offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Americans understand the fundamental points: The oil is there, and we need it. If we don't drill it out, we have to buy it from other countries. Last year, the U.S. government even helped Brazil underwrite offshore drilling in the Tupi oil field near Rio de Janeiro. The current price of oil makes drilling economically feasible, so why not let the private sector go ahead and get our oil?


The Obama administration, however, views energy policy through green eyeshades. Every aspect of its approach to energy is subordinated to radical environmental concerns. This unprecedented lack of balance is placing offshore oil resources off-limits. The O Force would prefer the country shift its energy production to alternative sources, such as nuclear, solar and wind power. In theory, there's nothing wrong with that, in the long run, assuming technology can catch up to demand. But we have not yet reached the green utopia, we won't get there anytime soon, and America needs more oil now

.
Russia more sensibly views energy primarily as a strategic resource. Energy is critical to Russia's economy, as fuel and as a source of profit through export. Russia also has used energy as a coercive diplomatic tool, shutting off natural gas piped to Eastern Europe in the middle of winter to make a point about how dependent the countries are that do business with the Russians.
Now Russia is using oil exploration to establish a new presence in the Western Hemisphere. It recently concluded four contracts securing oil-exploration rights in Cuba's economic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. A Russian-Cuban joint partnership will exploit oil found in the deep waters of the Gulf.


Cuba has rights to the area in which drilling will be conducted under an agreement the Carter administration recognized. From Russia's perspective, this is another way to gain leverage inside what traditionally has been America's sphere of influence. It may not be as dramatic as the Soviet Union attempting to use Cuba as a missile platform, but in the energy wars, the message is the same. Russia is projecting power into the Western Hemisphere while the United States retreats. The world will not tolerate a superpower that acts like a sidekick much longer.

Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009

Washington, DC

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2009 list of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians." The list, in alphabetical order, includes:

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT): This marks two years in a row for Senator Dodd, who made the 2008 "Ten Most Corrupt" list for his corrupt relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for accepting preferential treatment and loan terms from Countrywide Financial, a scandal which still dogs him. In 2009, the scandals kept coming for the Connecticut Democrat. In 2009, Judicial Watch filed a Senate ethics complaint against Dodd for undervaluing a property he owns in Ireland on his Senate Financial Disclosure forms. Judicial Watch's complaint forced Dodd to amend the forms. However, press reports suggest the property to this day remains undervalued. Judicial Watch also alleges in the complaint that Dodd obtained a sweetheart deal for the property in exchange for his assistance in obtaining a presidential pardon (during the Clinton administration) and other favors for a long-time friend and business associate. The false financial disclosure forms were part of the cover-up. Dodd remains the head the Senate Banking Committee.

Senator John Ensign (R-NV): A number of scandals popped up in 2009 involving public officials who conducted illicit affairs, and then attempted to cover them up with hush payments and favors, an obvious abuse of power. The year's worst offender might just be Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign. Ensign admitted in June to an extramarital affair with the wife of one of his staff members, who then allegedly obtained special favors from the Nevada Republican in exchange for his silence. According to The New York Times: "The Justice Department and the Senate Ethics Committee are expected to conduct preliminary inquiries into whether Senator John Ensign violated federal law or ethics rules as part of an effort to conceal an affair with the wife of an aide…" The former staffer, Douglas Hampton, began to lobby Mr. Ensign's office immediately upon leaving his congressional job, despite the fact that he was subject to a one-year lobbying ban. Ensign seems to have ignored the law and allowed Hampton lobbying access to his office as a payment for his silence about the affair. (These are potentially criminal offenses.) It looks as if Ensign misused his public office (and taxpayer resources) to cover up his sexual shenanigans.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA): Judicial Watch is investigating a $12 million TARP cash injection provided to the Boston-based OneUnited Bank at the urging of Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank. As reported in the January 22, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Treasury Department indicated it would only provide funds to healthy banks to jump-start lending. Not only was OneUnited Bank in massive financial turmoil, but it was also "under attack from its regulators for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses, including owning a Porsche for its executives' use." Rep. Frank admitted he spoke to a "federal regulator," and Treasury granted the funds. (The bank continues to flounder despite Frank's intervention for federal dollars.) Moreover, Judicial Watch uncovered documents in 2009 that showed that members of Congress for years were aware that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were playing fast and loose with accounting issues, risk assessment issues and executive compensation issues, even as liberals led by Rep. Frank continued to block attempts to rein in the two Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs). For example, during a hearing on September 10, 2003, before the House Committee on Financial Services considering a Bush administration proposal to further regulate Fannie and Freddie, Rep. Frank stated: "I want to begin by saying that I am glad to consider the legislation, but I do not think we are facing any kind of a crisis. That is, in my view, the two Government Sponsored Enterprises we are talking about here, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not in a crisis. We have recently had an accounting problem with Freddie Mac that has led to people being dismissed, as appears to be appropriate. I do not think at this point there is a problem with a threat to the Treasury." Frank received $42,350 in campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac between 1989 and 2008. Frank also engaged in a relationship with a Fannie Mae Executive while serving on the House Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner: In 2009, Obama Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted that he failed to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001-2004 on his lucrative salary at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an organization with 185 member countries that oversees the global financial system. (Did we mention Geithner now runs the IRS?) It wasn't until President Obama tapped Geithner to head the Treasury Department that he paid back most of the money, although the IRS kindly waived the hefty penalties. In March 2009, Geithner also came under fire for his handling of the AIG bonus scandal, where the company used $165 million of its bailout funds to pay out executive bonuses, resulting in a massive public backlash. Of course as head of the New York Federal Reserve, Geithner helped craft the AIG deal in September 2008. However, when the AIG scandal broke, Geithner claimed he knew nothing of the bonuses until March 10, 2009. The timing is important. According to CNN: "Although Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told congressional leaders on Tuesday that he learned of AIG's impending $160 million bonus payments to members of its troubled financial-products unit on March 10, sources tell TIME that the New York Federal Reserve informed Treasury staff that the payments were imminent on Feb. 28. That is ten days before Treasury staffers say they first learned 'full details' of the bonus plan, and three days before the [Obama] Administration launched a new $30 billion infusion of cash for AIG." Throw in another embarrassing disclosure in 2009 that Geithner employed "household help" ineligible to work in the United States, and it becomes clear why the Treasury Secretary has earned a spot on the "Ten Most Corrupt Politicians in Washington" list.

Attorney General Eric Holder: Tim Geithner can be sure he won't be hounded about his tax-dodging by his colleague Eric Holder, US Attorney General. Judicial Watch strongly opposed Holder because of his terrible ethics record, which includes: obstructing an FBI investigation of the theft of nuclear secrets from Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory; rejecting multiple requests for an independent counsel to investigate alleged fundraising abuses by then-Vice President Al Gore in the Clinton White House; undermining the criminal investigation of President Clinton by Kenneth Starr in the midst of the Lewinsky investigation; and planning the violent raid to seize then-six-year-old Elian Gonzalez at gunpoint in order to return him to Castro's Cuba. Moreover, there is his soft record on terrorism. Holder bypassed Justice Department procedures to push through Bill Clinton's scandalous presidential pardons and commutations, including for 16 members of FALN, a violent Puerto Rican terrorist group that orchestrated approximately 120 bombings in the United States, killing at least six people and permanently maiming dozens of others, including law enforcement officers. His record in the current administration is no better. As he did during the Clinton administration, Holder continues to ignore serious incidents of corruption that could impact his political bosses at the White House. For example, Holder has refused to investigate charges that the Obama political machine traded VIP access to the White House in exchange for campaign contributions – a scheme eerily similar to one hatched by Holder's former boss, Bill Clinton in the 1990s. The Holder Justice Department also came under fire for dropping a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party. On Election Day 2008, Black Panthers dressed in paramilitary garb threatened voters as they approached polling stations. Holder has also failed to initiate a comprehensive Justice investigation of the notorious organization ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), which is closely tied to President Obama. There were allegedly more than 400,000 fraudulent ACORN voter registrations in the 2008 campaign. And then there were the journalist videos catching ACORN Housing workers advising undercover reporters on how to evade tax, immigration, and child prostitution laws. Holder's controversial decisions on new rights for terrorists and his attacks on previous efforts to combat terrorism remind many of the fact that his former law firm has provided and continues to provide pro bono representation to terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. Holder's politicization of the Justice Department makes one long for the days of Alberto Gonzales.

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)/ Senator Roland Burris (D-IL): One of the most serious scandals of 2009 involved a scheme by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to sell President Obama's then-vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. Two men caught smack dab in the middle of the scandal: Senator Roland Burris, who ultimately got the job, and Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, emissaries for Jesse Jackson Jr., named "Senate Candidate A" in the Blagojevich indictment, reportedly offered $1.5 million to Blagojevich during a fundraiser if he named Jackson Jr. to Obama's seat. Three days later federal authorities arrested Blagojevich. Burris, for his part, apparently lied about his contacts with Blagojevich, who was arrested in December 2008 for trying to sell Obama's Senate seat. According to Reuters: "Roland Burris came under fresh scrutiny…after disclosing he tried to raise money for the disgraced former Illinois governor who named him to the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama…In the latest of those admissions, Burris said he looked into mounting a fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich -- later charged with trying to sell Obama's Senate seat -- at the same time he was expressing interest to the then-governor's aides about his desire to be appointed." Burris changed his story five times regarding his contacts with Blagojevich prior to the Illinois governor appointing him to the U.S. Senate. Three of those changing explanations came under oath.

President Barack Obama: During his presidential campaign, President Obama promised to run an ethical and transparent administration. However, in his first year in office, the President has delivered corruption and secrecy, bringing Chicago-style political corruption to the White House. Consider just a few Obama administration "lowlights" from year one: Even before President Obama was sworn into office, he was interviewed by the FBI for a criminal investigation of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's scheme to sell the President's former Senate seat to the highest bidder. (Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and slumlord Valerie Jarrett, both from Chicago, are also tangled up in the Blagojevich scandal.) Moreover, the Obama administration made the startling claim that the Privacy Act does not apply to the White House. The Obama White House believes it can violate the privacy rights of American citizens without any legal consequences or accountability. President Obama boldly proclaimed that "transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," but his administration is addicted to secrecy, stonewalling far too many of Judicial Watch's Freedom of Information Act requests and is refusing to make public White House visitor logs as federal law requires. The Obama administration turned the National Endowment of the Arts (as well as the agency that runs the AmeriCorps program) into propaganda machines, using tax dollars to persuade "artists" to promote the Obama agenda. According to documents uncovered by Judicial Watch, the idea emerged as a direct result of the Obama campaign and enjoyed White House approval and participation. President Obama has installed a record number of "czars" in positions of power. Too many of these individuals are leftist radicals who answer to no one but the president. And too many of the czars are not subject to Senate confirmation (which raises serious constitutional questions). Under the President's bailout schemes, the federal government continues to appropriate or control — through fiat and threats — large sectors of the private economy, prompting conservative columnist George Will to write: "The administration's central activity — the political allocation of wealth and opportunity — is not merely susceptible to corruption, it is corruption." Government-run healthcare and car companies, White House coercion, uninvestigated ACORN corruption, debasing his office to help Chicago cronies, attacks on conservative media and the private sector, unprecedented and dangerous new rights for terrorists, perks for campaign donors — this is Obama's "ethics" record — and we haven't even gotten through the first year of his presidency.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): At the heart of the corruption problem in Washington is a sense of entitlement. Politicians believe laws and rules (even the U.S. Constitution) apply to the rest of us but not to them. Case in point: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her excessive and boorish demands for military travel. Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Pentagon in 2009 that suggest Pelosi has been treating the Air Force like her own personal airline. These documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, include internal Pentagon email correspondence detailing attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker's 11th hour cancellations and changes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also came under fire in April 2009, when she claimed she was never briefed about the CIA's use of the waterboarding technique during terrorism investigations. The CIA produced a report documenting a briefing with Pelosi on September 4, 2002, that suggests otherwise. Judicial Watch also obtained documents, including a CIA Inspector General report, which further confirmed that Congress was fully briefed on the enhanced interrogation techniques. Aside from her own personal transgressions, Nancy Pelosi has ignored serious incidents of corruption within her own party, including many of the individuals on this list. (See Rangel, Murtha, Jesse Jackson, Jr., etc.)

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven: Rep. John Murtha made headlines in 2009 for all the wrong reasons. The Pennsylvania congressman is under federal investigation for his corrupt relationship with the now-defunct defense lobbyist PMA Group. PMA, founded by a former Murtha associate, has been the congressman's largest campaign contributor. Since 2002, Murtha has raised $1.7 million from PMA and its clients. And what did PMA and its clients receive from Murtha in return for their generosity? Earmarks -- tens of millions of dollars in earmarks. In fact, even with all of the attention surrounding his alleged influence peddling, Murtha kept at it. Following an FBI raid of PMA's offices earlier in 2009, Murtha continued to seek congressional earmarks for PMA clients, while also hitting them up for campaign contributions. According to The Hill, in April, "Murtha reported receiving contributions from three former PMA clients for whom he requested earmarks in the pending appropriations bills." When it comes to the PMA scandal, Murtha is not alone. As many as six other Members of Congress are currently under scrutiny according to The Washington Post. They include: Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-VA), Norm Dicks (D-WA.), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS.). Of course rather than investigate this serious scandal, according to Roll Call House Democrats circled the wagons, "cobbling together a defense to offer political cover to their rank and file." The Washington Post also reported in 2009 that Murtha's nephew received $4 million in Defense Department no-bid contracts: "Newly obtained documents…show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual power with the military."

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY): Rangel, the man in charge of writing tax policy for the entire country, has yet to adequately explain how he could possibly "forget" to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income he earned from his off-shore rental property. He also faces allegations that he improperly used his influence to maintain ownership of highly coveted rent-controlled apartments in Harlem, and misused his congressional office to fundraise for his private Rangel Center by preserving a tax loophole for an oil drilling company in exchange for funding. On top of all that, Rangel recently amended his financial disclosure reports, which doubled his reported wealth. (He somehow "forgot" about $1 million in assets.) And what did he do when the House Ethics Committee started looking into all of this? He apparently resorted to making "campaign contributions" to dig his way out of trouble. According to WCBS TV, a New York CBS affiliate: "The reigning member of Congress' top tax committee is apparently 'wrangling' other politicos to get him out of his own financial and tax troubles...Since ethics probes began last year the 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee who are charged with investigating him." Charlie Rangel should not be allowed to remain in Congress, let alone serve as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and he knows it. That's why he felt the need to disburse campaign contributions to Ethics Committee members and other congressional colleagues.

Source

Rep. Flake Presses On In Earmark Probe

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is vowing to continue to hammer the ethics committee about its review of a pay-to-play earmark scandal in the wake of a Democratic attempt to silence his inquiries.

Democrats on Thursday evening used a parliamentary maneuver to refer a resolution Flake authored to the ethics committee on a near-party-line vote of 397-0, with 12 members voting present.

The move was an attempt to shut down Flake’s scrutiny of a recent ethics committee report exonerating lawmakers with ties to PMA Group, a lobbying firm known for showering members with campaign cash in return for receiving multimillion-dollar earmarks for clients.

Flake has expressed deep frustration over the brevity of the ethics panel’s PMA Group report. His resolution called on the ethics panel to show its hand and produce the work behind the report, including how many subpoenas the committee sent out.

Ethics watchdogs have criticized the five-page report that includes no documents; evidence of interviews conducted as a whitewash of a serious and wide-ranging pay-to-play scandal involving members of the Appropriations Defense subcommittee; the tens of millions of dollars in earmarks they doled out to PMA Group clients; and the campaign contributions they received in return.

The ethics panel never announced an investigative subcommittee to look into the matter. According to ethics observers, the panel cannot issue subpoenas without convening an investigative subcommittee first.

More

Rep. Paul Ryan: Obama’s New Budget Will ‘Literally Crash The U.S. Economy’

Rep. Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, told CNSNews.com that the new fiscal year 2011 budget proposed by President Barack Obama will “literally crash the U.S. economy” with the additional debt it plans for the federal government.

“They literally crash the U.S. economy, if these kinds of deficits that he’s proposing persist,” Ryan said, referring to the fact that the Congressional Budget Office has reported that the president's 2011 budget proposal would nearly triple the publicly held portion of the federal debt over the next ten years.

CNSNews.com interviewed Ryan Monday evening during a break in the Budget Committee’s consideration of a 2,400-page health-care “reconciliation” bill that the House Democratic leadership is crafting to make changes that Democratic House members want in the health-care bill that passed the Senate in December.

Ryan pointed out that the Government Accountability Office recently reported that the federal government already faces a “fiscal gap” of $76 trillion, meaning that over the next 75 years the cost of the benefits promised in federal entitlement programs exceeds the tax revenues expected to pay for those benefits by that amount. That works out to almost $250,000 for every single American and about $650,000 for every American household.

The new debt President Obama plans for the federal government to incur over the next decade would come on top of this existing $76 trillion "fiscal gap."

More from CNSNews

Guess Who's Laying Off Good People?

Joe,

I really don't think the economy's getting any better. This week where I work(ed), they told me they were eliminating my position. I was told I could "apply" for the new job, in which, they were combining my old job with more duties. I had to submit a resume and interview with my boss and her boss for the job.

My boss came to me yesterday and told me they hired someone with better qualifications. Joe, we are talking a job that pays less than $10 an hour! There aren't many of them out there and I feel like I got a really raw deal. So here's the riddle...What proofreader at what newspaper is now unemployed where the CEO made $4.7 million last year? Capitalism is good? Look where it got us so far. (Not far at all.)

Anonymous

Obama

"I think it's remarkable that the press can find every woman Tiger Woods has had an affair with the last few years; with photos, text messages, recorded phone calls, etc. They know not only the cause of the family fight, but even know it was a wedge from his golf bag that she used to break out the windows in the escalade. Not only that, they know which wedge she used. This is the same press˜or is it˜that cannot locate Obama's birth certificate, any of his college papers, financial records, or transcripts, or what passport he used when traveled to Pakistan when travel there was prohibited for U. S. citizens."

Bus Trip To Washington, D.C. This Saturday, AFP

One Last Trip to DC This Saturday 3/20 UPDATE UPDATE!! We have a bus to go to DC Saturday!! Details to follow.....

I am calling to all of you freedom-loving Americans to come once again to Washington D.C. to gather on the Capitol steps on Saturday, at 12 o'clock noon.
We must come by the thousands.Speaker Pelosi will stop at nothing to fulfill her corrupt conquests. She will bring all of the corrupt ACORN liars to try to bully all the Democrats that may be having pangs of guilt knowing quite surely what their votes can and will do. If they're bullied into saying "yes," it will destroy America.

Be there in Washington DC at 12 noon EST so we can give all the Democrats who know what the end result will be the courage to say: "No, do not pass this destructive bill."I'll see you there.

*UPDATE UPDATE!!** We have a bus leaving from Salisbury on Saturday Morning!! Details to follow!! We just HAVE to fill it!
Please call Ken Nichols ASAP at 410-726-2546 if you think you'd like to go with us.

Please call now so we can secure the bus!

For more information please see this link from Tea Party Patriots.

The Conservatives Are Fixing To Strike Back

Landmark Legal Foundation to File Suit to Stop President’s Health Plan if ‘Slaughter Rule’ is Used

(LEESBURG, VA, MARCH 17, 2010
Mark R. Levin, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, today issued a warning to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives about the possible use of the so-called “deem and pass,” “self-executing,” or “Slaughter Rule” to enact H.R. 3590, the legislative version of President Obama’s healthcare proposal that has been previously approved by the Senate. If this tactic is employed, Landmark will immediately sue the President, Attorney General Eric Holder and other relevant cabinet members to prevent them from instituting this unconstitutional contrivance.

“Landmark has already prepared a lawsuit that will be filed in federal court the moment the House acts. Such a brazen violation of the core functions of Congress simply cannot be ignored. Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution is clear respecting the manner in which a bill becomes law. Members are required to vote on this bill, not claim they did when they didn’t. The Speaker of the House and her lieutenants are temporary custodians of congressional authority. They are not empowered to do permanent violence to our Constitution.”

A draft of the complaint Landmark will file is available at:

Landmark's Draft "Slaughter Rule" Complaint

Founded in 1976, Landmark Legal Foundation is a nonprofit, public interest law firm with offices in Kansas City, Missouri and Leesburg, Virginia. (END)

A Subtle Modification To The Healthcare Bill To Be Voted On

I read this as essentially levying Medicare taxes (1.45%) on the capital gains realized from selling a house that amount to as little as $250k or more. One may be exempt from the capital gains tax because they are purchasing a replacement home or for other reasons but this new tax will still apply. For a gain of $250k, that's $3625 in new taxes on individuals who are not necessarily rich.

Sec. 1402. Medicare tax. Modifies the tax to include net investment income in the taxable base. Currently, the Medicare tax does not apply to net investment income. The Medicare tax on net investment income does not apply if modified adjusted gross income is less than $250,000 in the case of a joint return, or $200,000 in the case of a single return. Net investment income is interest, dividends, royalties, rents, gross income from a trade or business involving passive activities, and net gain from disposition of property (other than property held in a trade or business). Net investment income is reduced by properly allocable deductions to such income.

Derivative Markets Explanation

EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE EXPLANATION OF DERIVATIVE MARKETS

Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Detroit . She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later.

Heidi keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers' loans). Word gets around about Heidi's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in Detroit .

By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Consequently, Heidi's gross sales volume increases massively.

A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes that these customer debts constitute valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral.

At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders figure a way to make huge commissions, and transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then bundled and traded on international security markets.

Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses.

One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. He so informs Heidi.

Heidi then demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Since Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations she is forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and the eleven employees lose their jobs.

Overnight, DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS drop in price by 90%. The collapsed bond asset value destroys the banks liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in the community.The suppliers of Heidi's bar had granted her generous payment extensions and had invested their firms' pension fundsin the various BOND securities. They find they are now faced with having to write off her bad debt and with losing over 90% of the presumed value of the bonds. Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a family business that had endured for three generations, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 150 workers.

Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses and their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion dollar no-strings attached cash infusion from their cronies in Government. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers who have never been in Heidi's bar.

Now do you understand?

Single Vehicle Crash Claims Life Of Maryland Man

Location: Still Road, half mile west of Mahan Corner Road and 2 miles north of Sandtown, DE

Date of Occurrence: Thursday, 3/18/10 at approximately 11:20 pm

Operator: Jason Ray Eyster, 28 years old, of Henderson, MD

Vehicle: 1998 Ford F150 Pickup

Resume: The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit was called to the scene of the single vehicle crash which took the life of Jason Ray Eyster, 28, of Henderson, MD.

The Ford pickup, operated by Eyster, was eastbound on Still Road when it traveled off the south edge of the roadway. The truck returned to the main portion of the roadway, crossing both lanes of travel, before exiting on the north side of the roadway into a wooded area. Upon striking several trees, the vehicle overturned and came to a rest on its top.

During this collision Eyster, who was the lone occupant, was not properly restrained in a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.

It is unknown if alcohol is involved and this collision is still under investigation.

Still Road was closed for approximately 2 hours.

Don’t Worry, It’s Coming

Sorry for the delay on Part III of WCBOE – Who Bought the Doughnuts.  I didn’t get back from a job in Cape Charles until late.

Expect it a little later this morning.

Just so all of you know, your voice is having an impact.  The educrats at the WCBOE are screaming bloody murder and even want to cut a deal with the County Council that any future document requests will be withheld from the public.

Hey, I wonder if the WCBOE puts me on the payroll would Joe Albero stop printing stories that are unflattering to the bureaucratic party line?

NO! Thank goodness.

MBTPI Upates "The Md Budget Game"

How Would You Balance the State’s Budget?
MARYLAND BUDGET AND TAX POLICY INSTITUTE UPDATES “THE MARYLAND BUDGET GAME”

Governor Martin O’Malley: “…the people of Maryland can see, through their own experience, the challenge of balancing a budget...”

BALTIMORE:
The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute has updated its on-line “Maryland Budget Game.” State lawmakers in Annapolis have completed their hearings on the budget and are making their final budget decisions. The budget options available to players in the Maryland Budget Game now include proposals actually made by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley in his proposed budget, and alternatives suggested by GOP legislators.

For example, players may choose to fund a $5000-per job tax credit for employers, impose furlough days for state employees, or a transfer funds out of a reserve out of local income tax revenues, all features of the Governor’s proposed budget: all features of O’Malley’s budget plan.

“In these tough economic times, maintaining fiscal responsibility has been challenging but necessary for the long-term health of Maryland’s economy,” said Governor O’Malley. “We’re very pleased that the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute and the University of Baltimore have developed this unique tool so the people of Maryland can see, through their own experience, the challenge of balancing a budget, protecting our shared priorities, and maintaining fiscal responsibility in this economic climate.” The Governor’s office has included a link to the game from the Governor’s Internet Homepage.

Players may also require local governments to share the cost of teacher retirement payments, eliminate the Chesapeake Bay 2010 fund, or eliminate 1000 state university jobs and 500 other state jobs, alternatives proposed by Republican lawmakers.

The game includes other options that are pending before the legislature, discussed in the media, or formulated by the Budget and tax Institute’s staff, like raining the alcohol tax by 10 cents a drink, abandoning the Inter-County Connector highway project, or cutting funds for replacement police cruisers.

“’The Maryland Budget Game’ is not ideological,” says Institute director Neil Bergsman, a former state director of budget analysis under Governors Glendening and Ehrlich. “I’d love for other officials and groups to link to the game as well. We tried to include the most talked-about and the most realistic options in the game. Of course it’s simplified so that you can play it in a reasonable amount of time. But I think it gives you a sense of the challenge the Governor and legislators face, regardless of their politics.”

Players assume the role of Maryland’s Governor in making decisions to balance the state budget. Players travel to different locations to view budget options related to different policy areas: the schoolhouse for education, a hospital for health and so on. Based on the player’s decisions, the state’s near-term and long-term budget status improves or deteriorates. At the same time, ten different simulated interest groups react to the players’ every decision.

The Maryland Budget Game was developed by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute and students in the University of Baltimore’s Applied Information Technology Program. Its purpose is to provide an appealing, interactive way for Marylanders using the Internet to learn about the state budget and the trade-offs that need to be made to achieve a balanced budget.

The game is available on the Internet at http://www.marylandpolicy.org/. This project was made possible through a grant from the Stoneman Family Foundation.


About the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute
The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute is a nonpartisan research organization that provides timely, accurate and accessible analysis of state budget and tax issues. In addition to general budget and tax research and analysis, the Institute examines issues affecting low-income Marylanders and other vulnerable populations and the important community programs that serve them. For additional information, to be added to our e-mail list, or to make a tax-deductable contribution, please visit our website at http://www.marylandpolicy.org/.

The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute gratefully acknowledges the Ford Foundation, which provides financial support for the Institute under its State Fiscal Analysis Initiative. Additional general support for the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute is provided by the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the Fund for Change, the Moriah Fund, and the Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund, and generous individual donors.

The Institute is a project of Maryland Nonprofits, http://www.mdnonprofits.org/.

Berlin Fire Company Events

Mr. Albero:

If you would consider putting these two events on your website, we would greatly appreciate it as we try to raise funds for our operations.

Texas Hold-em this Saturday, and Fried Chicken Dinner, this Sunday. Posters are attached and on our website www.berlinfire.com


Thanking you in advance,

David A. Fitzgerald, President
Berlin Fire Company, Inc.

Celebrate Spring At Pemberton Historical Park

(Salisbury, MD) Pemberton Historical Park will be holding a Spring into Spring 5K Run & Walk on Sunday, March 28 at 9:00 A.M. Participants can enjoy the park’s blooming nature trails of Eastern Shore wetlands, forests and meadows. All proceeds will benefit PHP’s Education Programs. The first 50 registrants will receive a race t-shirt. Early registration is $15; day-of registration is $20. Check in begins at 8:00 A.M. To register, please visit www.wicomicorecandparks.org.

Pemberton Historical Park will also hold their annual Eggstravaganza event on Sunday, March 28, from 1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M. Enjoy egg hunts for ages 2-12, Easter crafts, egg dyeing, games and storytelling. As a special treat, a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown will make an appearance at the event. During the egg hunt, children will also have the chance to search for eggs containing a free ticket voucher for the upcoming circus performance at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on April 1-4, 2010. The Eggstravaganza is $6 per child and guardians accompanying children are admitted free of charge.

Pemberton Historical Park is located at 5561 Plantation Lane in Salisbury, MD. For more information, please contact Kerri Liming at (410)860-2447 or email pembertonpark@wicomicocounty.org.

Coastal Hospice

Recently we had a dear friend whom was a patient at Coastal Hospice at the Lake. We always heard how wonderful this organization was. Wonderful was an understatement. To us, Coastal Hospice is the gateway to Heaven. As soon as you walk through the doors there is an ambiance of total comfort. You are welcomed with the open arms of angels in disguise. You find yourself enveloped in the warm embrace of the Coastal Hospice workers. The myriad of employees are from all walks of life and treat each patient with the utmost compassion and respect.

Each individual that dedicates their time to Coastal Hospice, from the volunteers, to the aids, to the chaplains, the music therapist, the nurses, doctors, the social workers, even the cleaning crew, and anyone else in between should be applauded. Their inner strength is astounding and should be recognized. They are courageous medical warriors who go well past the call of duty. Not only do they ensure the comfort of the patients, they provide the comfort and understanding to the families as well. Your questions are always answered, whether medical or spiritual.

The patients who come to Coastal Hospice are ending their journey on Earth aided by the angels of Coastal Hospice on their voyage to Heaven. Death is taboo. To some it is unspeakable but those at Coastal Hospice face it every day without a complaint. They have a compassion for their fellowman. They stop to comfort you when you need comfort, and go out of their way to guarantee that all is well. It is not ever day, nor every person that will go to such lengths to help people in need. Coastal Hospice is an amazing organization full of amazing people.

Coastal Hospice is a non-profit organization. Any charitable contribution to Coastal Hospice is greatly appreciated. If cannot afford to send money, they are in need of volunteers.

If you or a loved one is stricken with a terminal illness, Coastal Hospice will make your journey’s end a little more tolerable. The experience that my family had with Coastal Hospice speaks for itself. Coastal Hospice is truly a Part of Heaven.

The Friends of Joanne Hill, a Coastal Hospice Patient.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases


Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 18 March 2010
Location: Priscilla Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Keith Dewayne Harris Jr., 23, Hebron, MD


Narrative: On 18 March 2010 at 2:22 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Keith Harris of Hebron, MD for erratic driving on Priscilla Street in Salisbury. Upon approaching the operator, the deputy detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Harris. After administering roadside field sobriety tests, the deputy made a determination that Harris was under the influence of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle and placed him under arrest.


During processing at the Sheriff’s Office, Harris was belligerent to deputies and repeatedly impugned their integrity. The arresting deputy transported Harris to the Central Booking Unit where he was booked and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Harris on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Driving While Impaired by Alcohol
Negligent Driving
Reckless Driving
Failure to Drive Right of Center
Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device


Incident: Obstruct and hinder
Date of Incident: 14 March 2010
Location: 700 block of Richmond Avenue
Suspect: Kyle M. Colon, 18, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 14 March 2010 at 10:51 PM a deputy on patrol in the 700 block of Richmond Avenue stopped to talk to a ground of individuals that were walking in the roadway in the path of his police vehicle. Instead of stopping to speak with the deputy, all of the individuals began walking away from him, ignoring his requests to speak to them, except for one, Kyle Colon who began running up the street. Upon observing Colon running away, the deputy became suspicious that Colon might be trying to avoid either contact with or identification by law enforcement, so the deputy decided to pursue Colon and chased him on foot. The deputy managed to catch Colon on an adjacent street where Colon refused to submit to an arrest and struggled against the deputy’s efforts. Upon apprehension, the deputy discovered three open Circuit Court Warrants from the Circuit Court of Wicomico County for Colon’s arrest.


The deputy transported Colon to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Colon on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Obstruct and Hinder
Resisting Arrest


Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 16 March 2010
Location: 5000 block of Elliott’s Court, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Troy A. Ayres, 33, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 16 March 2010 at 7:00 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office met with a female victim who told the deputy that she had been assaulted by her live-in boyfriend, Troy Ayres. The deputy learned the couple had been embroiled in a verbal altercation that turned physical when Ayres put his hands around his girlfriend’s neck. While speaking with her, the deputy observed signs of physical injury that corroborated her account.
The deputy placed Ayres under arrest for assault and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Ayres was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center in lieu of $3,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd degree