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The Next Bailout: $165B For Unions

Taxpayers could be on the hook for another $165 billion if a bill to bail out private union pension funds makes it through Congress.

A Democratic senator is introducing legislation for a bailout of troubled union pension funds. If passed, the bill could put another $165 billion in liabilities on the shoulders of American taxpayers.

The bill, which would put the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation behind struggling pensions for union workers, is being introduced by Senator Bob Casey, (D-Pa.), who says it will save jobs and help people.

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SHOREBIRDS GAME NOTES: 5/24 @ Hickory

PREVIEW: The Shorebirds return to the road after dropping their fourth consecutive series, four games to one to Hagerstown. Hagerstown plated six runs in the fifth inning to run past the Shorebirds yesterday afternoon. The Shorebirds last series win was between April 28 and May 1 when they beat Asheville three games to one.

SHUFFLING THE DECK:

The Shorebirds roster been shuffled up several times over the last three days. Since May 20th, the Orioles have added RHP Luis Noel, RHP Kenny Moreland, RHP Patrick Kantakevich, OF Kieron Pope and RHP Zachary Clark (pitched in one game). The Shorebirds have lost IF Mike Mooney, RHP Ryan Berry, RHP Jake Cowan.

NEW ROTATION:

The Shorebirds have a brand new rotation with Beal and Hobgood the only remaining members of the original five. Jake Cowan is on the disabled list, Tony Butler has been moved to the bullpen and Ryan Berry was promoted to Frederick.

5TH IN SAL:

Brian Conley ranks fifth in the South Atlantic League with a .326 batting average. He is the lone Shorebirds player in the top 10.

DOULBES TEAM:

The Shorebirds rank tied for second in the league with 94 doubles. Only Kannapolis (97) has connected on more two-baggers. Garabez Rosa leads the Shorebirds with 15 doubles.
36.2 INNINGS: Jesse Beal has not allowed a home run in his last 36.2 innings pitched. The only homer he has allowed this season was in the third inning of the Greensboro game on April 21 (Kyle Skipworth). Only four starters in the SAL with at least eight starts have gone without surrendering a homer.


12TH IN LEAGUE:

Jesse Beal ranks 12th in the SAL in innings pitched (49.2). Assuming nobody else above him pitches tonight, Beal could move into fourth in the league if he goes six innings.
SINCE 2005 VS. HICKORY: The Shorebirds are 20-22 against the Crawdads since the 2005 season. The Shorebirds swept Hickory in the lone series back in 2008 (4-0).


HAUGHIAN HAUNTING OPPOSITION: Shorebirds reliever Nick Haughian has seen his ERA dip from 11.12 (after his third appearance of the season) to 2.82 today. The left-hander has only allowed one earned run over his last eight appearances (20 innings). Haughian is also a perfect 3-0 on the year.


FOUR LEFTIES IN PEN:

The new Shorebirds bullpen now features four left-handed arms (Nathan Moreau, Nick Haughian, Tony Butler and Jake Smith).

POPE PLAYS FIRST:

After breaking his right femur in a spring training game on April 3, 2009, Kieron Pope played his first game since the injury last night against Hagerstown. He did not play at all in 2009. Pope is now the most experienced Shorebirds position player. He has played in 226 minor league games. In 2008 for the Shorebirds, Pope connected on 12 home runs and drove in 45 runs.

KENNY MORELAND TO START GAME TWO:

The Shorebirds have announced that Kenny Moreland will make his first start of the season for Delmarva on Tuesday night. Moreland was added to the roster on May 22. In seven starts and 10 appearances for the Frederick Keys, he posted a 2-2 mark with a 5.22 ERA. Moreland was signed by the Orioles as a non-drafted free agent in 2008 out of Christopher Newport, a Division III school in Newport News, Va. He went 13-0 with a 1.97 ERA in his senior season (both school records).

Tea Parties vs. Unions In November

Elections this month have enhanced the political clout of two groups widely separated on the political spectrum. The tea party movement stands to play an outsize role in the fall elections now that outsider Rand Paul has swept Kentucky's GOP Senate primary, while unions provided the muscle for Democrats to win a key special election in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Paul's victory comes just after Utah Sen. Bob Bennett was denied a place on the primary ballot by a GOP state convention dominated by tea party activists. In Kentucky, Dr. Paul beat a GOP establishment candidate by calling for spending restraint and an end to "Bailout Nation" policies. A new Rasmussen poll shows him leading his Democratic opponent by 25 points. Tea party-backed candidates also won key House primaries in Pennsylvania and Arkansas this week.

Democrats, fearful of the grass-roots enthusiasm that candidates such as Dr. Paul are able to generate, immediately accused him of being an elitist for holding his victory party at a country club. They also slammed him for suggesting physicians like him deserve to earn "a comfortable living" while supporting an end to farm subsidies.

Liberal attacks on the tea party have flipped completely. Largely gone are dismissals that they are rednecks and rubes. After a New York Times survey found tea partiers are generally better educated and wealthier than the general public, they are now attacked as aloof and out of touch with the concerns of average voters.

The criticism will only mount because tea party activists represent an injection of fresh blood and enthusiasm that threatens Democratic incumbents. They certainly expand the GOP voting base: A March Gallup poll found that 43% were registered independents and 8% declared themselves Democrats.

The rise of the tea party makes Democrats even more dependent on organized labor. In this week's Pennsylvania special election for the late Jack Murtha's seat, the AFL-CIO alone sent out 80,000 mailers on behalf of Democrat Mark Critz, along with 100,000 robocalls.

In Arkansas, unions showed their clout by forcing Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a June runoff with labor-backed Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Unions decided to make an example of her after she opposed the "card check" bill that limits the use of secret ballots in union elections. Unions, especially the Service Employees International Union, spent more than $3 million against her.

In contrast to the tea party, there has been far too little scrutiny of the SEIU, whose membership of government and health-care workers is the fastest-growing of any union in the country. Andy Stern, the just retired head of the SEIU, was found to be the most frequent guest at the Obama White House last year, stopping by 22 times between January and September, more than all congressional leaders and cabinet members.

The SEIU's close ties to the discredited group Acorn have largely been ignored. The same is true for the violence perpetrated by some of its members.

Last August in St. Louis, tea party supporter Kenneth Gladney was set upon by SEIU members during a town-hall meeting on health care. They were apparently angry that an African-American was supporting the tea party and hurled the "n" word at him while beating him to the point where he required hospitalization. St. Louis County officials waited until November to press assault charges against two SEIU members. Four others were charged with interfering with police during the incident. All six have pleaded not guilty.

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Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 6

Oh to be young again! Judge Spicer Bell was so impressed with the two young dancers that he gave them a 100 score.

Kim Messick and Wayne Faircloth were the over-all winners of the 2010 event. The Judges Criteria is two fold. 50% of the Dancer's score is evaluated on the pair's style, dance ability and stage presence. The other 50% of the Dencer's score is based on community votes. (money raised in their names through, sponsors & tickets)

The After Party was just a blast. The VIP Ticket Holders enjoyed a private indoor and outdoor party with food and drinks.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Incident: Assault / MDOP
Date of Incident: 22 May 2010
Location: 100 block of S. Fourth Street Delmar, MD
Suspect: 1. Alex N. Calvo, 25, Delmar, MD
2. Danielle M. Walker, 29, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 22 May 2010 at 1:11 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 100 block of S. Fourth Street in Delmar. Upon arrival, deputies learned that Calvo was accused of throwing an object at Danielle Walker’s flat screen television breaking the screen and rendering it inoperable. After this, Calvo got into his vehicle and attempted to leave but was instead pulled out of the vehicle by Walker according to Calvo.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Calvo was arrested for the damage to the television and Walker was arrested for the assault on Calvo. Both were transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After their initial appearance, the Commissioner detained both in the Detention Center.
Charges: Assault 2nd degree (Walker)
Malicious Destruction of Property (Calvo)

Incident: Disorderly Conduct / MDOP
Date of Incident: 23 May 2010
Location: 7000 block of Dublin Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Paul E. Fleetwood, 44, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 23 May 2010 at 5:13 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported disorderly subject in front of a residence in the 7000 block of Dublin Road in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy observed Paul Fleetwood in the passenger side of a motor vehicle and observed that a female was trying to get him out of the vehicle. Fleetwood exited the vehicle upon the request of the deputy but began to become loud and irate, disturbing several residences in the vicinity. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the deputy discovered that Fleetwood had broken off the wiper control arm and urinated on the passenger side floor.

The deputy placed Fleetwood 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 Fleetwood in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Malicious Destruction of Property
Disorderly Conduct

Incident: Possession of CDS
Date of Incident: 23 May 2010
Location: 300 block of Coulbourn Mill Rd., Salisbury, MD
Suspect: William P. McNamara, 20, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 23 May 2010 at 10:44 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported loud party in the 300 block of Coulbourn Mill Road in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the party began to disperse. One of the deputies was inside the residence assisting with the dispersal when the deputy knocked on a closed door. The door opened and the deputy observed a subject later identified as William McNamara, sitting on the bed with a rolled up dollar bill snorting a white substance off a picture frame. The deputy walked over to McNamara and tapped him on the shoulder and was told "hold on a minute". Once the deputy fully had McNamara’s attention, the deputy identified the white substance as Adderall and placed McNamara under arrest.

The deputy transported McNamara 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 McNamara on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of CDS

IRATE LANDLORDS RESPOND TO IRETON’S “SLUM PROPERTY” SELECTION

We were amazed and then angry when we discovered one of our properties was listed on the city of Salisbury's website as "Slum Property of the Week." If Mayor Jim Ireton, the city official who chooses the property for this title, had done a minimum of homework, he would have discovered most of the calls for service regarding this property were initiated by our company or by our tenants, who we have encouraged to call police when they note problems in the area where they live.

If the mayor had checked with both the Salisbury Police Department staff and Neighborhood Service and Code Compliance, he would have found we are the most proactive property owner in the Camden area regarding crime and blight.

Our company constantly interacts with Salisbury Police, NSCC, news media and CrimeSolvers to attempt to improve the Camden Heights neighborhood. We have pointed out inconsistencies of making this entire area a Historic District. We have fought and won in court against the city on numerous occasions for the right to improve our properties, so blight is reduced.

The police department has stated it cannot enforce trespassing laws unless we post "no trespassing" signs. In doing so, we monitor our properties for nonresident loitering, graffiti and untagged vehicles. We also diligently remove trash that has blown off the streets. Yet when we report infractions to the proper authorities, we are recognized by the city's administration as "Slum Property of the Week."

We challenge the mayor and the news media, as well as the public, to talk to owners and tenants in Camden Heights to determine who is more proactive in their efforts to improve this neighborhood -- the city administration or our company?

Additionally, in the past, our company supplied the police substation on Smith Street. Due to our concern with crime in the neighborhood, we offered to donate this property to the city again. We, along with other landlords, have requested a meeting with the mayor and his staff to discuss how we can partner with them to resolve problems with crime and blight. We have also sent numerous e-mails and a formal letter -- sent nearly two months ago -- requesting a meeting with the mayor and his staff. We are still awaiting a positive response.

As the city includes more than 60 percent rental properties, it makes sense for Salisbury, like many other successful cities, to partner with landlords to achieve common goals. Attacking landlords as the path to success is not the way to produce the best results.

Mayor, you can start working on this partnership by removing "Slum Property of the Week" from the city's website and meeting with concerned property owners in a real and meaningful effort to resolve the city's problems -- as a team.

Stuart Leer and Robert Malone, partners of M&L Rentals LLP.

BP-Gate: 34 Days And Obama Still Lets Oil Giant Run Show

The U.S. government threatened to remove BP from efforts to seal a blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico if it doesn't do enough to stop the leak, though it acknowledged only the company and the oil industry have the know-how to halt the deepwater spill.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on Sunday Washington is frustrated and angry that BP missed "deadline after deadline" in its efforts to seal the well more than a month after an oil rig explosion triggered the disaster.

"I am angry and I am frustrated that BP has been unable to stop this oil from leaking and to stop the pollution from spreading. We are 33 days into this effort and deadline after deadline has been missed," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said after visiting BP's U.S. headquarters in Houston.

"If we find they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, we'll push them out of the way appropriately," he told reporters as the administration maintained its hard line.

The chief of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, acknowledged on Sunday that the government is forced to rely on BP and the private oil sector to try to plug the gusher. At the same time, BP said the containment method it was attempting on the ocean floor was capturing much less of the leaking oil than three days ago.

More here

Questions Mount On Claim Of Illegal White House Job Offer

Voters may never know what job Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak was offered in exchange for dropping out of the primary he just won.

Sestak, a two-term congressman from the Philadelphia suburbs, made the Sunday talk show rounds and stuck to the same answer he gave The Washington Examiner when asked what job, if any, the Obama administration had waved in front of him to stop him from challenging incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, the Republican-turned-Democrat who lost Tuesday's primary.

On NBC's "Meet the Press," there was this exchange:

Host David Gregory: "Yes or no. Straightforward question. Were you offered a job and what was the job?"

Sestak: "I was offered a job. I answered that."

Gregory: "You said no, you wouldn't take the job. Was it the Secretary of the Navy job?

Sestak: "Anything that goes beyond that is for others to talk about."

By "others" Sestak meant White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who was not much help either.

Gibbs was grilled about the job offer on CBS's "Face the Nation" and gave an equally unhelpful answer.

Host Bob Schieffer asked Gibbs "what post he was offered," and Gibbs would only say, "lawyers in the White House and others have looked into conversations that were had with Congressman Sestak and nothing inappropriate happened."

Here's more from the Washington Examiner

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 6

Dancers Terrance Lee and Instructor Amanda Showell-Cook absolutely blew everyone away with their version of "The Samba."

While this couple gained the most amount of points from the Judges, they were not the over-all winners of this event.

The winner was The Wellness Community. ALL of these Dancers worked their hearts out entertaining a sold out crowd who received the best entertainment money ever bought on the Eastern Shore.

Terrence dedicated his dance to the late Dawn Mitchell.

More to come........

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 5

Dancers Sherman Wood and Pam Wood danced "The East Coast Swing" followed by Dawn Gershenfeld and Diego Guzman dancing to "The Bachata." Bruce Ennis joined instructor Pam Webster-Ward dancing to an elegant "Waltz."

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 4

Dancers Allison Castellana and Bob Klinger danced to the "West Coast Swing" followed by Dancers Joan Daugherty and Marcus Taggart with "The Fox Trot." Tammy Patrick-Cebula and Patrick Spurlock entertained the crowd with "The Rhumba."

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 3

Dancers Laura McCray and Fred Spurlock danced "The Swing" while Dennis Williams and Cora Elliot followed with "The Cha Cha." Kim Messick and Wayne Faircloth followed with "The Salsa."

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part 2

The evening started off with a bang as Dancers Nancy Porter and Bill Goshen danced "The Mambo." Even the Judges, Carol Wright, Spicer Bell and Chuck Sugent got in the act at the end.

Dancing With The Delmarva Stars 2010 Part I

This sold out event brought in hundreds of people from around the Delmarva Peninsula and entertained like never before.

Last year they raised somewhere near $54,000.00 to the Wellness Community. This year it was an entirely different story. They raised $154,000.00!!!!!