Another Great Success

Folks, we just can't thank you enough. I am pleased, (once again) to announce this dog has been returned to its owner. I want to thank Dianne Wagner for sitting up through the night last night keeping this animal company as it missed its owner horribly. They were reunited this morning. I have been away all day in Annapolis today and this has been my first opportunity to share the news.

Repeal the Revenue Cap in Wicomico County

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt wants to end the revenue cap.  His staunchest ally – councilman Bill McCain – is not seeking re-election (nor could he be re-elected without a “one shot”).  Councilowman Sheree Sample-Hughes is on record as an opponent of the cap, but lacks the intestinal fortitude to fight the popular measure.  But, things are looking up for Pollitt’s merry band of tax and spend wannabes.

Former councilman Ed Taylor has decided to come out of retirement to seek an At Large seat on the Wicomico County Council.  His platform?  REPEAL THE REVENUE CAP!

That’s right folks, you need to be taxed more:

Taylor said he felt compelled to return to office because of the problems the county has with the economy and crime. He said he would do everything in his power to help eliminate the county's revenue cap, a provision that restricts how much new property tax revenue the county can collect.

"I'm a strong advocate for the removal of the revenue cap," Taylor said.

This is typical of so many Democrats in Wicomico County.  If only we could spend more …  If only we could tax more …

While Board of Ed employees fly around the country and eat out on the taxpayers’ dime, Taylor evidently thinks the solution is to spend more.  While taxpayers are struggling to pay their bills, Taylor evidently thinks we should be taxed more.  While Wicomico citizens lose their jobs, Taylor evidently thinks county government should grow.

Thanks Ed.  It seems that the only difference between you and Bill McCain is the hair style.  I’m sure that voters will be very receptive to your message.

from Delmarva Dealings

West Side Collector – Much Ado About Nothing

Today’s Daily Times op-ed chastising Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt for delaying the opening of the new West Side Collector Road is truly much ado about nothing.  As someone who seldom hesitates to criticize Pollitt, I believe that running an editorial on this issue is little more than a waste of ink.  The guy tried to do the right thing AND the public isn’t really being harmed by his action (or inaction).

The road is in Prettyman’s district.  She worked hard for its construction.  Pollitt thought that it would be appropriate for Prettyman to be present at its official opening.

Yes, it would be nice to have the road open.  Yes, councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2) never requested that Pollitt delay the opening because she was out of town.  Yes, Pollitt should probably open the road for use and wait for Prettyman to return for the “official” opening.

However, opening the road from US 50 to Brick Kiln Road isn’t going to relieve much congestion from Nanticoke Road.  If it was actually going to provide some relief, both Levin Dashiell and Brick Kiln Roads would be saddled with far more traffic than either road was intended to carry.

I am confident that Wicomico citizens living down Nanticoke Road will be pleased with the COMPLETION of the West Side Collector.  However, to criticize Pollitt (or Prettyman) on this matter simply does not pass muster.

Idiots

Those of you that have nothing better to do than send in comments pertaining to the death of the president and then turn around and want to report Joe to the Secret Service, you really need to get a life. Go ahead and turn him in to the Secret Service because once Google gives them the IP address from your computer it will be YOU that has to deal with them, NOT JOE.

And you wonder why people refer to you as idiots.

Updates to Jessica's Law Passes Unanimously

Joe is in Annapolis this morning. He just reported that the updates to Jessica's law has passed unanimously 136-0. Now if they would rewrite the death penalty laws so animals like Thomas Leggs would be guaranteed lethal injection once proven guilty, then they could say they accomplished something.

Sunday And Holiday Sessions Of Congress

Does it bother anybody else that we have had two if not three sessions of Congress on Sundays and holidays? With Cap and Trade there was a long weekend push for a Sunday vote, then there was a push for a vote Christmas Eve and yesterday there was a weekend push again culminating on another vote on Sunday.

Does anybody out there remember a little phrase from Article 1 Section 7 of the Constitution which states "Sundays excepted". Another reference to people's memories is the fact that during William Jefferson Clinton's impeachment hearings, they met on Saturday but did not meet on Sunday.

Why is this Congress pushing for not just weekend but having Sunday and holidays as their objective for pushing major votes?

States Move To Block Obamacare's Unfunded Mandate

Less than 24 hours after the House gave final approval to a sweeping overhaul of healthcare, attorneys general from several states on Monday said they will sue to block the plan on constitutional grounds.

Republican attorneys general in 11 states warned that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers and usurping states' sovereignty.

States are concerned the burden of providing healthcare will fall on them without enough federal support.

Ten of the attorneys general plan to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

"To protect all Texans' constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional framework intended by our nation's founders, and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the State of Texas and other states will legally challenge the federal health care legislation," said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, in a statement.

The Republican attorneys general say the reforms infringe on state powers under the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights.

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who plans to file a suit in federal court in Richmond, said Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he said.

"If a person decides not to buy health insurance, that person by definition is not engaging in commerce," Cuccinelli said in recorded comments. "If you are not engaging in commerce, how can the federal government regulate you?"

In addition to the pending lawsuits, bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures seeking to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

So far, only two states, Idaho and Virginia, have enacted laws, while an Arizona constitutional amendment is seeking voter approval on the November ballot. But the actual enactment of the bill by President Barack Obama could spur more movement on the measures by state lawmakers.

More

Worthy Post

The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.? -- Author Unknown

White House Plans Propaganda Blitz To Boost Acceptance Of Health Care Bill

It's not enough for Democrats to have passed their health care "reform" bill. Now they want everyone to like the bill that was rammed through Congress without a single Republican vote.

The Washington Post reported on Monday that President Obama will begin an "immediate public relations blitz aimed at turning around Americans' opinion of the health-care bill."

The newspaper said the P.R. effort will proceed in three stages: the immediate aftermath of passage, the months leading up to the midterm election in November; and the next few years leading up to the 2012 presidential election.

"The Republicans have way overshot the runway in their criticism of health reform," the Post quoted White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer as saying.

On Monday morning, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius she believes people who dislike the bill will feel better as they learn more about it.

But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday denounced what he called the "government takeover" of health care.

McCain said Republicans "will challenge it every place we can," and he called the legislation "terribly wrong for America." McCain said he was repulsed by "all this euphoria going on" and argued that "outside the Beltway, the American people are very angry. They don't like it and we're going to repeal this."

More

We’ve Crossed The Rubicon

by Victor Davis Hanson

Pajamas Media

President Obama has crossed the Rubicon with the healthcare vote. The bill was not really about medicine; after all, a moderately priced, relatively small federal program could offer the poorer not now insured, presently not on Medicare or state programs like Medicaid or Medical, a basic medical plan.

We have no interest in stopping trial lawyers from milking the system for billions. And we don’t want to address in any meaningful way the individual’s responsibility in some cases (drink, drugs, violence, dangerous sex, bad diet, sloth, etc.) for costly and chronic health procedures.

No, instead, the bill was about assuming a massive portion of the private sector, hiring tens of thousands of loyal, compliant new employees, staffing new departments with new technocrats, and feeling wonderful that we “are leveling the playing field” and have achieved another Civil Rights landmark law. (NB: do the math: add higher state income taxes in most states; the new Clinton-era federal income tax rates to come; the proposed lifting of limits on income exposed to FICA taxes; and now new healthcare charges — and I think you can reach in some cases a bite of 65%to 70% of one’s income.)

So we are in revolutionary times in which the government will grow to assume everything from energy use to student loans, while abroad we are a revolutionary sort of power, eager to mend fences with Syria and Iran, more eager still to distance ourselves from old Western allies like Israel and Britain.

There won’t be any more soaring rhetoric from Obama about purple-state America, “reaching across the aisle,” or healing our wounds. That was so 2008. Instead, we are in the most partisan age since Vietnam, ushered into it by the self-acclaimed “non-partisan.” But how could it be anything else?

Partisanship All the Time, Everywhere

GO HERE to read more.

Wargotz Not Surprised by Mikulski Vote, Disappointed By Duping Of Pro-life Democrats

Annapolis, MD (March 21, 2010) – Today Queen Anne's County Commissioner Eric Wargotz, candidate for U.S. Senate, expressed concern over the health care legislation the U.S. Congress passed today. Wargotz is a physician by profession.

After more than a generation of bad votes in the U.S. Senate, Commissioner Wargotz was not surprised by Senator Mikulski's previous vote in favor of one of the largest intrusions into the private lives of Americans in history. "The Senator failed to listen to the people of Maryland during the summer and even failed to listen to the voters of Massachusetts this past January. She apparently only listens to Harry Reid," he said, referring to the Senate Majority Leader.

The Commissioner agrees with most Americans and knows firsthand, as a physician, that we are in need of health care reform, but not as passed by the Democratic Majority in Congress. Wargotz believes that government reforms should provide for more options like health savings accounts, portability, the ability to purchase policies across state lines and tort reform. "Competition and flexibility will reduce cost and increase participation," Wargotz said. "The Democrat's plan is about mandates and consequences, which will be meted out by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS), which is not known for having a compassionate bedside manner," he concluded.

Addressing what he called the biggest duping in history, Wargotz said, "At least native Americans received something of value for Manhattan. Pro-life Democrats only got a worthless piece of paper," he said, referring to the promise by the President to sign an executive order. "The executive order will not trump federal law," Wargotz continued.

Wargotz said, "Today's health care vote overrules long-standing settled law by gutting the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of taxpayer funds to pay for elective abortions. Americans are split on the issue of abortion, but a large majority continue to support the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of taxpayer funds to pay for elective abortions.

Commissioner Eric Wargotz, M.D. is a candidate for U.S. Senate (Maryland). Dr. Wargotz and his wife Cheryl-Ann and their three children live in Queen Anne's County. Dr. Wargotz is the elected President of the Queen Anne's County Board of County Commissioners (2006) and practices medicine in Prince George's County.

Today's Nature Photo By Scott Phoebus

Taser "Victims" Yeah Right

Funny how they clean up their act

These videos were taken during the arrest of the suspects without their knowledge.
They are not the usual ones you see of a guy getting Tasered. The video is part of the Taser itself and it records what happens leading up to zapping the suspect.

Hard to dispute video evidence. Shave, haircut, shower, and new suit is what the public sees, the media reports, and the lawyers thrive on........

...sometimes it doesn't work.

Click Here

The Heat Is On: Congressman’s Office Says Constituent's Calls Are ‘Harassment’

by Capitol Confidential

Yesterday, I decided to call Rep. John Garamendi’s (CA-10) office in Washington , DC . He’s my representative and I wanted to voice my opposition to the Senate Health Care Bill. I spoke with a female staffer and politely told her that, while I support health care reform, I oppose the Senate Bill because it wasn’t true “reform.” She said the Congressman thinks it’s a good bill and that he campaigned on health care reform. I told her I knew that. I also mentioned that I voted for him. When I tried to give her specific reasons why the Senate Bill would harm our system rather than reform it, she refused to listen. She said she was very busy and hung up on me. Being the persistent person that I am, I kept calling back. Each time I tried to finish my point, she hung up.




I called one more time. This time she said, “If you call one more time, we will notify Capital Police.” I asked why my conduct warranted involving federal law enforcement agents. She said I was “harassing” her. I tried to explain that trying to convince a representative to change his or her vote didn’t constitute “harassment.” Before I could fully explain, she hung up again.

I called back. This time, I asked to speak to her supervisor in order to report her repeated hanging up as well as the threat she made. I was placed on hold. Thinking I was holding for her supervisor, I was shocked when a Federal Agent with the Capital Police picked-up the telephone.

At first, the Agent was curt with me. He claimed I was harassing Mr. Garamendi’s staff by continually calling after being told to stop calling. I asked him when it became a federal crime to lobby a congressman. He said that it wasn’t but it was a crime to “harass” congressional members and staff pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 223. I told him I was an attorney (which I am) and that I would research the statute he had cited.

After researching 47 U.S.C. 223, I called Mr. Garamendi’s office again and asked to be transferred back to the Capital Police Agent. The Agent picked up the phone and I explained to him that the statute he cited was not controlling since it only prohibits people from calling with the specific intent to harass. I further explained that I was simply trying to voice my concerns with the intent of getting Mr. Garamendi to change his mind, not to harass his staff. The Agent eventually agreed with my position and said he would call Mr. Garamendi’s office and instruct his staff that I was within my rights to call my congressman and voice my concerns.

After I hung up, I realized that this story should be told. Besides being an attorney, I’ve also had the privilege of serving this great country in the United States Marine Corps. Having seen the ugly legislative process the Senate Bill had been through, I saw this as not just another tactic to pass the Senate Bill at all costs, but also as an affront to our liberties.

While I’m fortunate enough to be able to legally challenge what happened today, others aren’t. The sad part is the democrats know this. They know that Americans unfamiliar with federal jurisprudence can easily be silenced when threats to involve federal agents are made. They know that most Americans don’t want trouble and they’ll go away rather than face the possibility of having to explain themselves to federal agents. That’s why I found this tactic appalling, as a Marine, as an attorney and as a proud American.

During my final contact with Mr. Garamendi’s staff, it was confirmed to me that he would vote for the Senate Bill no matter what. I was told that I was wasting my time by calling. Mr. Garamendi is a junior member of the House of Representatives. He was just elected via a special election last November. He has made it clear that he is willing to forsake his constituents in order to please the Speaker of the House.

Speaker Pelosi has said that she will stop at nothing to get the Senate Bill passed. She publicly stated that she would “pole vault over a wall” if barriers stood in her way. While that may be an amusing spectacle, it is indicative of what happened to me today. Apparently, threatening Americans with federal crimes to silence them is the latest tool in Speaker Pelosi’s dirty bag of tricks.

In the coming days, I’m sure more stories will develop illustrating the “win at all costs” tactics being employed by democrats. It’s these tactics that have appalled a majority of Americans to the point that the Senate Bill has overwhelmingly been rejected by the American people. When we try to explain that to Speaker Pelosi’s Caucus, we are threatened with criminal sanctions. We are told to shut up or face federal agents. Such treatment may be acceptable in the former Soviet Union , but it’s repulsive in the country I love and served. Is this hope and change? (It certainly isn't hope but it sure is change!!!)

Obama Praises Committee Vote On Wall St. Rules

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is praising the Democrats' massive Wall Street regulation bill as it heads to the full Senate.

The Senate Banking Committee approved the measure along party lines Monday.

The legislation would give the government unprecedented powers to split up firms considered a threat to the economy, put together a council of regulators to watch for risks in the financial system, and create an independent consumer watchdog.

Obama says in a statement that the nation is "one step closer" to passing financial reform that he contends will bring oversight and accountability to the U.S. financial system.

Obama says the proposal will ensure taxpayers don't have to pay the price for Wall Street's irresponsibility.

Source

THIS SHOULD MAKE YOUR DAY!

AMERICAN SPECTATOR
AmSpecBlog
Obama Restores Cash-Strapped ACORN's Funding As Reward For HealthCare Support

By Matthew Vadum President Obama has quietly moved behind the scenes to restore full funding to the radical group ACORN, which was his former employer and legal client.

In a move ignored by the media, OMB director Peter Orszag circulated a directive to federal agencies ordering them to begin funding ACORN again. ACORN is the hyperpartisan lead group in the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition and has long supported a government takeover of the U.S. health care system.

The fiscal floodgates will soon re-open for ACORN despite a congressional ban on funding the activist group that has long been a practitioner of election fraud.

In a March 16 memo Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Peter Orszag ordered federal agencies to resume funding the group whose employees were caught on hidden camera videos last year condoning and encouraging a variety of crimes including child prostitution and tax evasion.

The memo came a week after renegade federal judge Nina Gershon of the Eastern District of New York made permanent her temporary injunction prohibiting Congress from cutting off funding for ACORN. The memo also came despite the fact that the Department of Justice is planning to appeal Gershon's ruling and seek a stay pending appeal.

ACORN is under indictment in Nevada for election fraud. Jury selection in set to begin in the summer in Las Vegas.

ACORN is also teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The New York Times noticed this fact only today and got around to reporting it four months after I reported it right here at TAS.

Brilliant Clock Design

A different way to display time on the green time line.. This is a really interesting clock! It comes from a Dutch web site. Here is what you will see when you look at this clock.

Don't do anything. It's automatically adjusted to your time zone. Just look at it and study it. It gives you the EXACT TIME of the DAY in seconds, minutes, hours, the day, month and year.
Just read the green line. Everything's there. Study it for a few seconds and it will all come clear to you.

Remember these definitions:
1st Line is Seconds
2nd Line is Minutes
3rd line is Hours..
4th Line is Days
5th Line is Months
6th Line is Years
This is the COOLEST clock

Click on:
http://home.tiscali.nl/annejan/swf/timeline.swf

Inacom Announces Delmarva Technology Expo

Salisbury, MD, March 10, 2010: Inacom Information Systems has announced that the 4th Annual Delmarva Technology Expo will take place on April 22, at the Fountains Wedding and Conference Center in Salisbury, MD from 10am – 4pm.

This 6 hour event will allow local business and technology decision makers to explore many technologies that are being used throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. These solutions offer a high return on investment, allowing organizations to significantly boost profitability by reducing expenses and increasing productivity, even in a down economy.

An expo-style trade floor will feature product information and demonstrations from a number of the Technology Expo’s co-sponsors, including Inacom, Sharp USA, Cisco Systems, Hewlett Packard, Avaya, Comcast, and AT&T Wireless.

Breakout sessions on special topics include Internet marketing, network virtualization, IP telephony solutions, Microsoft software, and computer networking. By pre-registering for specific breakout sessions, attendees are provided the opportunity to explore specific technologies on individual topics.

A special appearance will be made by the Cisco Systems Network on Wheels (NOW) van, a mobile demonstration vehicle containing Cisco’s latest technology products that tours the country showcasing solutions created by the world’s largest networking company.
“Over the past three years, the Delmarva Technology Expo has provided more than 500 business leaders the opportunity to see real-world solutions to their IT challenges. Our Tech Expo sponsors look forward to another exciting event this year, as we continue to offer one of the top business technology events on the Delmarva Peninsula.” states Travis Fisher, Executive Vice President of Inacom.

To ensure adequate space for event attendees, registration to the Delmarva Technology Expo is required. Those persons interested in attending can find more information and complete their registration at http://www.delmarvatechexpo.com/.

Obamacare Isn’t Inevitable

"Nil desperandum” — never despair. That is a sentiment that conservatives need to take to heart now that Congress has narrowly passed a bill that simultaneously undermines life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It takes some ingenuity to add to the costs, inefficiency, and dysfunctions that government has already bequeathed to our health-care system, but the Democrats have proven themselves up to the challenge. Almost nothing about this legislation is free of dispute, but we are convinced that it will increase taxes, increase premiums, and increase debt, while decreasing economic growth, job growth, and the quality of health care.

The Democrats had no mandate to take these steps. In 2008, the president campaigned both against forcing people to buy insurance and against taxing their benefits. The legislation runs counter to the campaign on both points. The president promised to change Washington. He has made its stench more noisome, winning this vote by using every kind of deceit and (legal) corruption, and over the objection of a bipartisan coalition representing most Americans.

We are now being told that the campaign to repeal this legislation is over before it has even begun, that Americans will come to appreciate the benefits that a bountiful government is giving them, and that the growth of the welfare state can never be reversed. We understand the odds against repeal. We understand, indeed, that complete repeal of every provision of the bill is impossible. The doughnut hole — a gap in Medicare’s prescription-drug coverage designed to encourage seniors to economize — has been filled, and it is not going to be re-opened.

But the larger thesis seems as superficially plausible, and as ultimately convincing, as were earlier predictions that state socialism or secularization were our inevitable future. It is quite possible that the majority of America that rejects this legislation will get its way in the next few years — if it is given the right leadership. And it is worth the effort to try.

Here's more

Repeal-- A One-Word Agenda For Republicans

By William Kristol, The Weekly Standard

The editors of National Review sensibly counsel conservatives, in the wake of last night’s victory for Obamacare: “‘Nil desperandum’--never despair.” I agree, though I’m more inclined to the mock-Latin motto of the Harvard band: “Illegitimi non carborundum”--don't let the bastards get you down.

Why not? Because we can repeal it.

As National Review’s editors explain, this legislation “will increase taxes, increase premiums, and increase debt, while decreasing economic growth, job growth, and the quality of health care.” So it will--if it is allowed to go into effect.

Luckily, key parts of Obamacare--especially the subsidies--don’t go into effect until 2014. So what Republicans have to do is to make the 2010 and the 2012 elections referenda on Obamacare, win those elections, and then repeal Obamacare.

Of course that can’t be the whole message in 2010 and 2012. Of course there will be other important issues. And even on this issue, the message will have to be not just repeal but also replace--replace Obamacare with sensible reforms. What’s more, working out exactly how to repeal and replace the parts of the legislation that will already be in effect is an important task, one to which I know Paul Ryan has already given some thought.

But the details of the replacing and reforming are secondary. Repeal is the heart of the matter. It should be the heart of the message. Think of it this way: This year Obama has handed Republicans a one-item Contract with America, an item a majority of the public supports--opposition to, and therefore repeal of, Obamacare.

Barack Obama was able to muscle his health care plan through, and therefore avoided a legislative defeat that Sen. Jim DeMint had said would be his Waterloo. But Waterloo was always an imperfect analogy. Leaving aside the injustice to Napoleon of comparing Obama to him, the better analogy is Borodino.

Napoleon invaded Russia in June of 1812. On September 7 of that year, the Grande Armée under Napoleon’s command attacked the Russian army near the village of Borodino. Napoleon won the battle, the greatest of the Russian campaign, but at a terrible cost--about a third of his soldiers were killed or wounded. The Russian army was not destroyed, and while Napoleon occupied an abandoned Moscow a week later, the French army was never the same. It soon had to begin its disastrous winter retreat from Russia, and Napoleon finally did meet his Waterloo almost three years later.

Last night’s victory was the culmination of Obama’s health care effort, which has been his version of Napoleon’s Russia campaign. He won a short-term victory, but one that will turn out to mark an inflection point on the road to defeat, and the beginning of the end of the Democratic party’s dominance over American politics. Last night was Obama’s Borodino. Obama’s Waterloo will be November 6, 2012.

And then comes repeal, and the opportunity for renewed and revitalized conservative governance.

(Source)

Worth Repeating

The Dept of Defense briefed the president this morning. They told President Obama that Two Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq. He collapsed onto his desk, head in his hands, visibly shaken, almost in tears. Finally, he composed himself and asked, 'Just how many is a brazilian?'

This is not surprising, since he obviously has no understanding of billion or trillion either.

WSJ: A Landmark Of Liberal Governance Whose Price Will Be Very Steep

House Democrats [Sunday] night passed President Obama's federal takeover of the U.S. health-care system, and the ticker tape media parade is already underway. So this hour of liberal political victory is a good time to adapt the "Pottery Barn" rule that Colin Powell once invoked on Iraq: You break it, you own it.

This week's votes don't end our health-care debates. By making medical care a subsidiary of Washington, they guarantee such debates will never end. And by ramming the vote through Congress on a narrow partisan majority, and against so much popular opposition, Democrats have taken responsibility for what comes next—to insurance premiums, government spending, doctor shortages and the quality of care. They are now the rulers of American medicine.

Mr. Obama and the Democrats have sold this takeover by promising that multiple benefits will follow: huge new subsidies for the middle class; lower insurance premiums for consumers, especially those in the individual market; vast reductions in the federal budget deficit and in overall health-care spending; a more competitive U.S. economy as business health-care costs decline; no reductions in Medicare benefits; and above all, in Mr. Obama's words, that "if you like your health-care plan, you keep your health-care plan."

We think all of this except the subsidies will turn out to be illusory, as most of the American public seems intuitively to understand. As recently as Friday, Caterpillar Inc. announced that ObamaCare will increase its health-care costs by $100 million in the first year alone, due to a stray provision about the tax treatment of retiree benefits. This will not be the only such unhappy surprise.


While the subsidies don't start until 2014, many of the new taxes and insurance mandates will take effect within six months. The first result will be turmoil in the insurance industry, as small insurers in particular find it impossible to make money under the new rules. A wave of consolidation is likely, and so are higher premiums as insurers absorb the cost of new benefits and the mandate to take all comers.

Liberals will try to blame insurers once again, but the public shouldn't be fooled. WellPoint, Aetna and the rest are from now on going to be public utilities, essentially creatures of Congress and the Health and Human Services Department. When prices rise and quality and choice suffer, the fault will lie with ObamaCare.

While liberal Democrats are fulfilling their dream of a cradle-to-grave entitlement, their swing-district colleagues will pay the electoral price. Those on the fence fell in line out of party loyalty or in response to some bribe, and to show the party could govern. But even then Speaker Nancy Pelosi could only get 85% of her caucus and had to make promises that are sure to prove ephemeral.

Most prominently, she won over Michigan's Bart Stupak and other anti-abortion Democrats with an executive order from Mr. Obama that will supposedly prevent public funds from subsidizing abortions. The wording of the order seems to do nothing more than the language of the Senate bill that Mr. Stupak had previously said he couldn't support, and of course such an order can be revoked whenever it is politically convenient to do so.

We have never understood why pro-lifers consider abortion funding more morally significant than the rationing of care for cancer patients or at the end of life that will inevitably result from this bill. But in any case Democratic pro-lifers sold themselves for a song, as they usually do.

More from the Wall Street Journal

The Politics Of Repealing Health-Care Reform

Last night, many Republicans privately think they were handed a gift: a bloody piece of prime rib to stoke unrest in their base. Between now and November, conservatives will grouse shrilly about the coming evil of reform. We’ll hear how it will ruin the country, and bring forth the dreaded socialization of our hospitals and care providers. Medicare will be cut, the elderly uncared for. Premiums will skyrocket. But as far as Democrats are concerned, that’s OK. Why? Because now that health care has passed, Democrats have a chance to expose the lies. Before, it was straw man against straw man, Republican claims against Democrats’. Now, it’s straw man against lived reality. Democrats finally have a chance to prove half truths and misleading claims wrong, not just argue that they are and point to a giant stack of paper as evidence.

Just a few hours after the House passed historic health-care-reform legislation, Sen. John McCain vowed, on Good Morning America, that he’d fight to repeal the bill. Others are plotting legal challenges over the constitutionality of the individual mandate, a battle the White House is reportedly well armed for. Conservatives have been hinting at a campaign to repeal the newly passed bill for weeks. But actually having to run one is their worst nightmare. They never wanted to get to this point. They know that repealing the legislation will be far more difficult than passing it was, and by now, Americans fully realize how arduous the journey to last night was. At this point, repeal is fantasy.

For starters, Republicans simply don’t have the numbers in either chamber. It’s doubtful that even Democrats who voted with them last night, would support a repeal of their president’s signature achievement. Pelosi may have allowed a few members in difficult districts to sit this one out, but she certainly wouldn’t allow them to actively undermine her. Moreover, Republicans are far short of the requisite 60 votes in the Senate. And besides, its become abundantly clear over the past year that having the votes in the Senate is a very different proposition than having the party unity to exercise them.

GO HERE to read more.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Incident: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Date of Incident: 19 March 2010
Location: 4100 block of Meadow Bridge Road, Fruitland, MD
Suspect: David N. Taylor, Jr., 26, Fruitland, MD

Narrative: On 19 March 2010 at 6:00 PM, a deputy responded to the report of a possible CDS transaction that had been witnessed in the 4100 block of Meadow Bridge Road in Fruitland. Upon arrival the deputy located a subject who matched the description of one of those involved in the transaction. While the deputies spoke to this subject, a second subject in the area, David Taylor, abruptly announced he urgently needed to use the restroom and began heading towards a nearby Porta Potty. The deputy’s attention was drawn to Taylor and he noticed that Taylor was possible hiding something in his pockets. During a pat down, the deputy felt what he believed was a knife. The deputy removed the knife from Taylor and at the same time discovered a bag of crack cocaine in the same pocket. The cocaine was divided into four smaller bundles individually wrapped in cellophane.

The deputy placed Taylor under arrest 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, the Commissioner released Taylor on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Possession of Crack Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute


Incident: Possession of Cocaine
Date of Incident: 19 March 2010
Location: 411 Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Michael R. McLaughlin, 28, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 19 March 2010 at 7:40 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office was called over to the Wicomico County Detention Center. There, Michael McLaughlin had arrived to serve a weekend sentence and was caught by WCDC personnel attempting to enter with Cocaine in his left shoe. The deputy took McLaughlin into custody and charged him with Possession of Cocaine.

After being processed McLaughlin was taken in front of the District Court Commissioner who released him on Personal Recognizance on this new charge. McLaughlin was then released to WCDC staff to serve his previously arranged sentence.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine


Incident: Possession of Cocaine
Date of Incident: 20 March 2010
Location: 100 block of East Carroll Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Rashem H. Amunre, 31, Onancock, VA

Narrative: On 20 March 2010 at 4:10 AM, a deputy stopped a vehicle in the 100 block of Carroll Street for disregarding several traffic control devices. Upon making contact with the driver, Donald Stewart, the deputy learned that Stewart had no driver’s license. The deputy further observed that Stewart appeared extremely nervous and that his leg was visibly shaking. A WCSO Drug K9 team arrived and began a scan of the vehicle for the presence of the odor of illegal drugs, during which the K9 alerted positively. Based on the alert, the deputy searched the vehicle and the occupants, locating both marijuana and cocaine in the possession of the passenger, Rashem Amunre.

The deputy placed Amunre under arrest and transported him back to the Sheriff’s Office for further processing. While there, the deputy located what the deputy believed was crack cocaine secreted in his underwear.

Amunre was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Amunre in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Possession with the Intent to Distribute
Possession of Marijuana
Driving While Suspended (Stewart)


Incident: Driving While Suspended / Flee and Elude
Date of Incident: 20 March 2010
Location: Esquire Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Lavaughn W. Price, 34, Hebron, MD

Narrative: On 20 March 2010 at 3:46 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office tried to stop an individual later identified as Lavaughn Price of Hebron for operating an unregistered dirt bike on the road. Instead of stopping, Price tried to flee from the deputy, and headed towards the wood line adjacent to Naylor Mill Road. Upon the arrival of more deputies into the area, Price decided to cease running and was taken into custody.

The arresting deputy also discovered that Price’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle in Maryland was suspended. The deputy placed Price under arrest 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, the Commissioner released Price on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Attempt by Driver to Flee and Elude
Driving While Suspended


Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol / Warrant Service
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Winfred Lee Fletcher, 54, Mappsville, MD

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 12:38 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Winfred Lee Fletcher because Fletcher was driving on the wrong side of Naylor Mill Road. Upon contacting Fletcher, the deputy detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from him. The deputy requested that Fletcher exit his vehicle and when he did so, the deputy observed a can of beer on the driver’s side floor. The deputy administered roadside Field Sobriety Tests which Fletcher failed that led to the deputy placing him under arrest for DUI.

During processing the deputy discovered that Fletcher was wanted on an outstanding warrant stemming from a Felony Theft case issued in April 1990.

The deputy released Fletcher on signature on citations for the DUI. Fletcher was taken to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed on the outstanding warrant and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Fletcher on $5,000.00 bond in the County Detention Center.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Driving While impaired by Alcohol
Negligent Driving
Failure to Obey Traffic Control Devices


Incident: Violation of a Protective Order
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: 100 block of Highland Avenue, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Michael L. Jackson, 42, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 1:48 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Delmar, MD for the report of Michael Jackson on the property in violation of a protective order. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that Jackson had been seen leaving the residence by a Delmar Police Officer who had detained Jackson. Upon investigation, the deputy discovered that Jackson’s former girlfriend had taken out a protective order that barred Jackson from coming on the property on Highland Avenue in Delmar. Jackson had been served with that order on 19 March 2010.

The deputy placed Jackson under arrest 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, the Commissioner released Jackson on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Violation of a Protective Order


Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: 31000 block of Melson Road, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Shelly A. Brittingham, 38, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 2:33 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate an altercation that had reportedly occurred inside a residence between a boyfriend and girlfriend. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a male subject who advised that he had been embroiled in a verbal altercation when Shelly Brittingham began assaulting him in the face. The deputy observed signs of physical injury that corroborated the male subject’s account.
The deputy placed Brittingham under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released her on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Assault 2nd degree


Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: 200 block of Hartford Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: 1. Male Juvenile, 17 YOA, Salisbury, MD
2. Female Juvenile, 17 YOA, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 6:55 AM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office were called to a residence in the 200 block of Hartford Road because the homeowner found a 17 YOA male juvenile in his daughter’s bedroom that refused to leave. Upon the arrival of the deputies, the deputies entered the bedroom to speak with the two juveniles and noticed a bag of marijuana and a smoking device lying on the nightstand. The deputies attempted to place the two juveniles under arrest at which time they became disorderly, yelling and screaming, and physically fought against the efforts of the deputies to take them into custody.

The deputies managed to take both into custody and transported them to the Sheriff’s Office. Both were charged on a juvenile referral that will be sent to the Department of Juvenile Service for formal adjudication. Both juveniles were released from the Sheriff’s Office to guardians.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Resisting Arrest


Incident: Possession of Cocaine
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: U.S. 13 S/B at Parker Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: 1. Susan Marie Labarbera, 19, Virginia Beach, VA
2. Alejandro Resto-Cruz, 22, Virginia Beach, VA

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 12:30 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for a seat belt violation and following other traffic too closely. While speaking with the driver and his female passenger, both displayed overt nervousness and were reluctant to answer questions. Both allowed the deputy to search their vehicle and during the search the deputy opened a travel bag and located a bag of "Carolina" brand rice no longer factory sealed. Upon opening the bag of rice, the deputy located a clear baggie that contained a quarter ounce of cocaine. Also in the travel bag, the deputy located a baggie that contained marijuana. During the ensuing investigation, the deputy discovered that the pair obtained the cocaine in New York City and were on their way home to Virginia Beach, VA.

Both Labarbera and Resto-Cruz were transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, both subjects were detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center in lieu of $15,000.00 bond each.
Charges: Possession of Cocaine
Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia


Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 22 March 2010
Location: 1000 block of Fairground Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: 1. Andre T. Clark, 32, Salisbury, MD
2. Gary D. White, 47, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 22 March 2010 at 1:30 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office was in the 1000 block of Fairground Drive looking for two subjects that the deputy wanted in connection with a CDS investigation. While on Fairground Drive, the deputy observed a taxi cab pull up near him and the two targets of the investigation, Andre T. Clark and Gary D. White, exited. While speaking with both, the deputy discovered that one of them dropped a baggie containing marijuana.

The deputy placed them both under arrest and transported them to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released both on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia


Incident: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Date of Incident: 22 March 2010
Location: Salisbury Pkwy at Ward St., Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Susan D. Hopkins, 63, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 22 March 2010 at 2:37 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle that had been observed cruising in a known drug area. The deputy observed that the driver of the car was not restrained by a seat belt. While speaking to the driver, Susan Hopkins, the deputy began to question the veracity of her explanations why she was observed where she was. Hopkins eventually relented and admitted to having CDS paraphernalia in her vehicle. The deputy searched the vehicle and recovered a small glass tube that had been used to smoke crack cocaine. Upon examining the pipe further, the deputy could still detect the remnants of that drug in the pipe.

The deputy placed Hopkins under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Hopkins on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia


Incident: Burglary
Date of Incident: 21 March 2010
Location: 300 block of Dykes Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Brandon M. Hudson, 24, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 21 March 2010 at 1:18 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported burglary in progress in the 300 block of Dykes Road. Upon arrival, the deputy observed signs of forced entry to a side door. Upon making entry, the deputy discovered a male subject in a rear bedroom who appeared to be ransacking the room. The deputy placed this subject, Brandon Hudson under arrest for the burglary. Upon marching him outside, the deputy discovered what was recognized a heroin in plain view on the front seat of Hudson’s vehicle. Also accompanying that was a hypodermic syringe. Further search of Hudson revealed both marijuana and prescription pain pills.

The deputy learned from the owner of the residence that Hudson did not live there nor was he allowed in the residence. The deputy transported Hudson to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Hudson in the detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Burglary 1st Degree
Malicious Destruction of Property
Possession of Heroin
Possession of Marijuana


Incident: Possession of Cocaine
Date of Incident: 22 March 2010
Location: Salisbury Blvd at Dogwood Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Clinton Cordell, 37, Fruitland, MD

Narrative: On 22 March 2010 at 1:47 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Clinton Cordell for speeding. Upon contacting Cordell, the deputy discovered that Cordell’s privilege to drive in Maryland was suspended. The deputy placed Cordell under arrest for driving suspended and then observed four clear plastic baggies holding crack cocaine on the rear seat of Cordell’s vehicle.

The deputy placed Cordell under arrest 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, the Commissioner detained Cordell in the Detention Center on $3,000.00 bond.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Driving Suspended