Mayor Declines SAPOA Mediation Request

Mayor James Ireton, Jr., today, received an official request from the Center for Conflict Resolution to attend mediation sessions with SAPOA – the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association. Mayor Ireton declined the invitation.

“Conflict resolution is for 2 groups in conflict. The city is not in conflict with SAPOA when we enforce the law. My suggestion is as it has always been: ‘Police your own, SAPOA.’ I would suggest that SAPOA get a list of its most egregious offenders and ask them to mediation. The city would be happy to supply those lists. The city will keep enforcing the law. I just finished a University of Maryland Law School Fellows Program on Conflict Resolution. In this situation, I am not conflicted. I can’t mediate laws away, I have to enforce them. Additionally, the city posted on its website, today, a list of landlords that refused inspections, those total 143 in the last year.” Said Mayor Ireton Those can be found at:

http://www.ci.salisbury.md.us/Portals/0/Press/12monthRandomHiso.pdf

SHOREBIRDS GAME NOTES: June 17 vs. Lexington

PREVIEW: Fresh off a series sweep over Kannapolis, the Shorebirds play game one against the Lexington Legends. This series will close out the first half of the season for both teams.

FIRST SWEEP: The Sweep of the Intimidators was the first series sweep of the season for Delmarva.

SIX STRAIGHT AT PERDUE: The Shorebirds have won six straight games at Perdue Stadium. They beat Hagerstown in games two through four of two home series ago. The six game home winning streak is the longest of the season. Prior to the current streak, the ‘Birds had only won home games in a row twice (4/19-4/20 & 5/28-5/29). The Shorebirds had a six-game home winning streak last season between July 13 and July 18. The last seven game home winning streak was in 2008 between August 14 and 29.

15 RBIs IN LAST 9: Kieron Pope has been unbelievable of late. He has 15 RBIs in his last nine games. Pope has accounted for 15 of the 52 runs during the stretch.

FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK?: The Shorebirds are on the brink of their longest winning streak of the season. They won four games in a row just once this season, between April 9 and 12.

PLAYER TO WATCH: STEVE BUMBRY
Outfielder Steve Bumbry has recorded a hit in eight straight games in which he has started. He is now third in the Orioles minor league system with a .293 batting average. His batting average has been above .290 for nine straight days. Bumbry added to his triples total and has seven on the season, tied for third in the South Atlantic League. Evan Crawford of Augusta leads the league with 10 triples on the year.

Wicomico Neighborhood Congress

Looking for something fun and exiting to do tomorrow evening? Check out downtown Salisbury’s “3rd Friday” event.

Third Friday is a free monthly event held on the Third Friday of every month in Downtown Salisbury from 5pm - 9pm. Come hang out with us Downtown! There is live music, local artists displaying on the streets, gallery shows, great food and the stores stay open with great deals!

There will be a book signing at Yum! Café located at 501 West Main Street.

Salisbury Maryland: Picturing the Crossroads of the Delmarva
Authors - Gianni Hayes and Andy Nunez

They are always looking for Artists, Bands & Volunteers!

For More info on how to participate email 3rdFridaySby@gmail.com

Confusion? Wicomico’s Version of Life Insurance

Today’s Daily Times provides some of the facts regarding current “life insurance confusion” regarding Wicomico County employees.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide all of the facts and evidently DT reporter Greg Latshaw doesn’t have much understanding of the facts surrounding the matter.  After a bit of research, I’m comfortable that we can give it a go.

Confusion 1 – the “life insurance” spoken of in the article isn’t really life insurance.  It’s a death benefit without an insurance contract.  If a Wicomico County employee who dies while still an employee of the county, his designated beneficiary receives 1 year’s salary.

Still confused?  Don’t feel bad, it is confusing.  However, just take my word, there is no insurance contract between the employee and the county.  However, because the benefit is called for in the county’s personnel manual payout is required.  The employee pays nothing for the benefit.

Confusion 2 – if there is no insurance contract, why did the county HR director talk about “self-insuring”?  Damn good question!  Perhaps county HR director Mike Thompson is showing that County Executive Rick Pollitt put someone in the job who really isn’t qualified?

The county does have an insurance policy.  However, the way that it was explained to me by Pollitt’s office is that the policy isn’t on individual employees but simply pays the first $50,000 in the event that an employee passes away.  If the employee’s salary is greater than $50,000, the county picks up the balance.  Perhaps this is some type of group coverage limited at $50,000 per incident or it’s simply a liability policy with a limit of $50,000 per occurrence.  Don’t know.

Here’s what I do know.  The county already has a “death benefit sinking fund”.  Pollitt’s office believes that there is enough in the current fund to cover any potential losses.  Therefore, they are not renewing the insurance policy which covers their first $50,000 of exposure per employee.

Since this is not fund is not an insurance contract, Thompson either misspoke regarding this matter, doesn’t know what he’s doing, or Latshaw read something in to this that isn’t there.

Confusion 3 – Does Pollitt have the authority to contract this liability without council’s consent?

For me this is the 800 pound gorilla.  The Executive believes that he can.  County Attorney Ed Baker (a man who I respect greatly) argues that Pollitt is not contracting a new liability because the death benefit is already a part of a county employee’s benefit package.  Baker is (as usual) correct on this … but only to this point.

As this goes to post, I don’t know how much money sits in the “sinking fund”.  According to Pollitt’s office, no death benefit has been paid for around 10 years.  However, WHAT IF, a sizable number of county employees passed away this year.  Would there be enough to cover it?

Don’t know.  But I do know this … IF such a terrible thing happened the county could be on the hook for quite a bit of money.  It is in this sense that I argue Pollitt is contracting a NEW liability without council approval.

There a several similarities between this and Pollitt balancing the budget based on personnel assumptions that are not the current policy of Wicomico County.

Does Pollitt believe that he is King Richard I?

Millsboro Woman Arrested For Embezzlement

Location: Nuttle Lumber, SR 24, Lewes, Sussex County, DE
Date of Occurrence: October and November 2009
Suspect: Christina Bibby, 23, Millsboro, DE

Resume:

Lewes - Delaware State Police have arrested a Millsboro woman for embezzling money from a rental car company.

State troopers arrested Bibby on Monday June 14, 2010 after a several month investigation. Bibby was allegedly taking returns from car rentals and crediting them back to credit cards that she had access to. Troopers alleged that during the two months Bibby was engaging in this activity she stole over $40,000.00 in proceeds from the rental car company.

She was charged with Felony Theft, Identity Theft and Unlawful Use of Credit Card. She was remanded to the Department of Correction in default of $17,000 bail

Law Enforcement Community To Hold Personal Safety Seminar For Women

Location: Christiana Hilton, 100 Continental Drive, Newark, DE 19713

Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Resume: In the wake of recent incidents occurring in New Castle County, where women were targeted and victimized, the law enforcement community is banding together to offer a personal safety seminar next week.

This educational class will discuss personal safety topics as presented by officers from various agencies from throughout New Castle County.

The Christiana Hilton has graciously offered to host this event which gives us the unique opportunity to share this important message on a larger scale. Check-in will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the class will run from 7:00 to 8:30.

Light refreshments will be served.

Those interested in attending should register ahead of time by emailing:
Jeff.whitmarsh@state.de.us
cmalone@nccde.org

Don't Let Comments Fool You

Folks, Blogger still hasn't fixed the problem with showing there IS comments on each Post. We're not sure why some Posts show comments and others do not but one thing is for sure, if you click on the comments you will see them, even if it says "0".

Free Checking May End

WASHINGTON - Free checking accounts may be coming to an end.

Bank of America and others are preparing new fees on basic banking services as a way to replace revenue lost to new regulatory rules.

You may soon have to pay monthly maintenance fees on accounts that don't generate a lot of banking activity, The Wall Street Journal reports.

You might have to maintain certain account balances or frequently use credit and debit cards, automated teller machines and online accounts to avoid the fees.

Free checking accounts have helped middle-class and low-income consumers, but more than half of all checking accounts are currently unprofitable, according to a report by Celent, a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos.

GO HERE to read more.

New Jobless Claims Take Surprise Jump

Claims rise to highest level in a month, showing hiring remains spotty

WASHINGTON - The number of people filing new claims for jobless benefits jumped last week after three straight declines, another sign that the pace of layoffs has not slowed.

Initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the highest level in a month and overshadowed a report that consumer prices remain essentially flat.

First-time jobless claims have hovered near 450,000 since the beginning of the year after falling steadily in the second half of 2009. That has raised concerns that hiring is lackluster and could slow the recovery.

GO HERE to read more.

Teens And Cell Phones

To the teen cruising Rockawalkin Road Thursday evening, June 10. You were driving a light green Taurus. My husband was driving a motorcycle and you forced him completely off the road in to a field. You never bothered to stop. I hope your parents read this and take your license and cell phone. Shame on you!


Debi Wilkins

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON MARYLAND PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS’ NUMBER ONE NATIONAL RANKING IN NEWSWEEK

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 17, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following Newsweek Magazine’s annual “America’s Top High Schools” issue, showing Maryland public high schools ranking first in the nation in college-level courses. Maryland ranks the highest of all 50 states in terms of the percentage of high schools offering college-level courses, and the number of students taking those courses.

“We have chosen as a people to invest in our public schools – in the future of our State – even when times are tough.

“We’ve challenged our students to perform to their potential, bringing advanced courses to underserved schools throughout Maryland. Even during these difficult economic times, we’ve continued to make record investments in new, state-of-the-art classrooms, integrating curriculum across all grade levels, and hiring and retaining the nation’s best educators. Newsweek’s ranking serves as yet another indication that our investments will be paying dividends for years to come.”

PERSONNEL MANUAL WICOMICO COUNTY, MARYLAND DISCLAIMER

This personnel manual supercedes in all respects any prior manual, policy manual, benefits or practices of the County and has been prepared for our employees to provide you with general information about some of your benefits and the highlights of the rules and policies under which we operate. Obviously, we could not begin to explain every County policy or rule or benefit in this Manual, and its provisions can be considered as no more than general summaries of the benefits, work rules and policies they address. While the County hopes that its personnel actions will continue to be positive, from time to time, the County may unilaterally, in accordance with §0106 in its discretion, amend, supplement, modify or eliminate one or more of the benefits, work rules or policies described in this Manual, or any other employment benefits, work rules or policies, without prior notice.

This Manual does not constitute a guarantee that your employment will continue for any specified period of time or end only under certain conditions. Nothing in this Manual constitutes an express or implied contract of employment or warranty of any benefits.

Employment by the County is a voluntary employment at-will relationship for no definite period of time. While we hope to have a long and mutually beneficial working relationship together, regardless of anything which may appear in this Manual or any other County publication, policy, statement or practice, you have the right to terminate your employment relationship for any reason with or without cause or notice at any time, and the County reserves the right to do the same. No one has the authority to bind the County to any agreement to the contrary except our County Council, in writing. The County will of course comply with any obligations it may have under federal, state, or local law prior to terminating an employee.

The County notes that, although employees are at-will, a variety of policies and procedures may be available to employees prior to discharge. These policies and procedures include the grievance procedures described in Chapter 23 as well as the disciplining and corrective action procedures described in Chapter 22.

The masculine pronoun is used throughout these policies and procedures in the generic sense and refers to both feminine and masculine antecedents. (Res 569)

Mike Thompson Says: "It's A Gamble"

"It's a gamble. We're self-insuring," said Thompson, who said he believes the county will save money by not paying for the insurance premiums.

Since when did Mike Thompson become a financial annalist? He's the HR Director for Wicomico County.

So just who created the idea of self insuring county employees. I can't repeat this enough. When the account is tapped out, will the county employees continue to receive free life insurance, or will they have to foot the bill themselves down the road.

The most interesting part of this life insurance policy change is that I do not believe the taxpayers truly understand the impact of what is inevitable. That account will run dry, while the county acquires more property. And when it does, you'll forget that this ever happened and you'll forget its lingering in the background. It's a gamble alright!

I believe your representatives should be looking after you, always keeping your best interests in mind. In this case, this is not the case. Take it a step farther, if you will. If YOU had 800 people living in your household or working for you, would YOU self insure them?

Here's an idea for you Rick. How about you cut a deal with all employees that they give the county 5% of their life insurance back to the county. These funds would be used to pay back the taxpayers for all of the funding they put into these policies through the insurance company. It's a small price to pay to offset the cost and there's no risk on the taxpayers.

I'm not sure its legal but it sure is worth looking into. It secures every one and all this drama goes away. You've furloughed every one and if you think we don't know that job cuts are still in the future, well, you'd be mistaken.

The difference here is, there's never been something like Salisbury News to expose such possibilities or ideas. The local MSM simply tells you what they're fed. The Blogs allow thousands of creative minds to express their thoughts and opinions and by golly, no one can convince me that Rick Pollitt is a smarter businessman than all of us combined.

No one was aware this was about to take place. In government, this scares me to death. If a County Executive can make such moves without the consent of the County Council, what else is taking place without our knowledge?

Our local government is out of control and that's all there is to it. This decision, along with having Jim Fineran's back to keep his PIO job and let's not forget the 6% pay raise soon after they were hired will probably be the end to Rick Pollitt's career as County Executive. It may be an excellent time for others to jump into the race because I do not believe the incumbent will survive this.

IMHO, it's time to ask the County Council to consider eliminating the County Executive position and or bring it to referendum THIS upcoming election. With all due respect, I dare ANYONE to provide me with what Rick Pollitt has done positive for Wicomico County? I'll await your reply.

What ever happened to that zero based budget you promised during your election race?

*One more thing! Look at the county manual regarding death benefits. "may pay" and "may be available". It does not say SHALL PAY or SHALL BE AVAILABLE.

In addition to the disclaimer posted above (*); 2 pages below addresses when death benefits "MAY" be administered.

A Letter To The Editor On Life Insurance

County Life Insurance Ploy

Term Life Insurance is one of the very cheapest benefits an employer can offer. It is bought and sold on a group basis thus spreading the risks over a pool of employees (the potential dead folks). Generally it’s provided at 1x salary/wage, with the option for the employee to purchase added coverage from their pocket if they need/desire. In most instances, it is convertible so if the employee leaves or retires they can continue the coverage by assuming the premium and paying the insurer directly.

For many employees’ families, as noted by an earlier comment, this can be a blessing if the wage earner should pass away; it provides some cash with which to pay final bills and perhaps a bit to transition the survivors. Under the Pollit/Shea/Thompson/Fineran plan, once an employee retired or left the county, they would have to purchase term life insurance on an individual basis – almost certainly a much more expensive proposition.

Insurance companies have more rigorous accounting standards to comply with to ensure the funds are there to meet their obligations. Slick Ricky and his crew promised a lot and have delivered little. I’m convinced that his personal talents extend only as far as mopping his plate. Without his expensive and expansive crew of courtiers to do his bidding he’d be like a tricycle at a mud hop; not much pedaling and sinking past the hubs.

As noted previously, Creamer begat Shea who begat Thompson; Pollit begat Fineran.

Self-funding for healthcare insurance is practiced by many employers once they get beyond a certain size; it is not controversial at all but there are standards to meet; in almost all instances the employer will purchase re-insurance against unexpected large losses (i.e. with 100 employees, 2 have open heart operations and 1 has major cancer in a single year) to keep the plan from going bust and failing to pay on its coverage promises.

Self-funding for term life insurance is much less common; it’s an iffy deal at best for the employer and a very poor deal in comparison for the employee (unable to convert the policy and probably unable to increase the amount of coverage beyond 1x wage). For Ricky’s bunch it will just provide another obscure source of revenue to dip into when they wish….kinda like Uncle Sam’s been living off of Social Security’s income stream!

IF, and it is a big IF, they do have the sinking fund you mentioned, it is unlikely they will continue to fund it in an actuarially sound fashion since they are cutting corners and making rosy assumptions about all of the other fiscal matters that have come to light. The management style of the Pollitburu no longer inspires a shred of trust; he/they have established themselves as unwilling to level with the Council, the employees or the citizens.

Ricky & his sneaky, mean-spirited crew need to be replaced.

'An Interested Reader'

A SU Student Offers Their View Of The SFD Volunteer Program

I am starting at SU this fall. Because of my continuing interest in fire/EMS, and my knowledge that SFD has a live-in program for SU students, I contacted Gordy's office and put in an application. I was contacted and went through the interview process. At that time, there was no mention of the prospective daytime shift changes at all the stations. It was pushed as an excellent opportunity for any students coming to Salisbury who have Md FFI cards. The more I look at things, this is starting to look like a screw-over (mainly in the interests of time management) for any students interested in the live-in program.

What you receive from Salisbury Fire Department:

A dormitory style room, one of four built into station 16.
Volunteer status at station 16 and all associated rights, responsibilities, and privileges.

What you give to Salisbury Fire Department:

48 duty hours per week, mostly designed to augment the duty engine crew at nights. Duties include typical response to calls, and other housekeeping duties as assigned by the shift A/C.
Training, meeting, and other events as described by the Salisbury Fire Department by-laws.

What you DON'T get from Salisbury Fire Department:

A meal stipend while on duty. You are expected to pay for your own meals any nights you are on the duty crew in addition to any nights you want to eat at the firehouse when you aren't on duty.

Any monetary reimbursement for your time on duty.
Any other forms of reimbursement for your service.
EDIT: I am NOT seeking any monetary or other forms of reimbursement because I understand this is a volunteer agreement.

My personal evaluation of the program:

There are several flaws in the design of this program, however I will say that as of right now the particulars of the contract are being worked about by the administration within the department. The first major flaw is working hours. A full time college student, such as myself, has on average 15 hours of classes per week, an average of 5 hours of study time per week (may vary), may need to maintain a part-time job (say 15 hours per week). This is 40 hours per week of time, not taking into consideration eating, sleeping, R&R and social life, travel time, and other small necessities. Granted, part of my duty hours will be nights when I am "sleeping" (if such a thing exists), but this still adds a significant strain to my schedule every week. I believe that this is being worked on by the people involved with the program, they aim to shorten the duty hours requirement to 42 or 36 according to the information I have received.

The second flaw in my opinion is the lack of meal reimbursement for time on duty.

Since this is an exchange of services, wouldn't it also make logical sense that if they are requiring you to be on duty they should reimburse you for meals? By this I don't mean breakfast and lunch necessarily, those can be eaten on campus or packed as they are not routinely prepared by the career crew. However, dinner is prepared by the duty crew for themselves and whoever is working with them, usually at a cost of $4-8. Again, not a significant amount of money for the occasional volunteer who is working a regular job. This program is limiting my ability to work a second job however, so 3 nights per week for a 16 week semester becomes a bit expensive (about $300 by my math). Would it really put the department out of money to provide a $20 per week duty dinner stipend or receipt reimbursement? This is my personal judgment call, and this is open to discussion.

There is a third flaw which may not have been approached by many at this point. The live-in students would be considered a step above volunteers and a step below career personnel in terms of responsibility of duty. They have the liberty to sign up as we wish for duty hours as long as we meet the requirement, however we are obliged to respond to all alarms when we are on duty. The assignment on any given shift is at the discretion of the shift A/C, and could feasibly be engine, truck, rescue, or even the medic at high volume times. I see a lot of "bitch work" being assigned to the live-ins as they are required to respond when signed up. This could even go as far as to include assigning them to the recently unstaffed PM16 during the weekday shifts to provide citywide BLS/3rd run coverage. I have no doubt that they will be used to fill in partial shifts for the furlough days for firefighter/EMT-B's on night shifts for both the medic and engine company.

I am sure there are other minor flaws which may be brought to my attention in the near future. Lastly, I would like to throw around a few numbers for your entertainment.

48 hours per week x 36 weeks (full academic year) x $10 per hour (conservative, Hart to Heart STARTS at $11.50).

This equals out to....$17,280 in labor. EDIT: Yes, I acknowledge that not all of the time will be spent doing "work".

A single room in a suite at SU = $5,130 The "Everything Plan" (most expensive) = $4,028

Room and board total at SU for full academic year = $9,158

http://www.salisbury.edu/cashiers/documents/TONY_AcademicYear2010-2011_Tuition_Fee_undergrad.pdf

Room and board deducted from estimated value of labor = $8,122

$8,122 (Room and board) divided by $10/h (labor) = 812.2 hours/36 weeks (academic year) = 22 hours per week of uncompensated volunteer time IF they paid for a single apartment and the "Everything Plan" at SU.

Since the room is inclusive with SFD, I will give it the value of a single apartment room at SU, $5,130 and assuming a $20/week duty meal stipend ($640/year) = $17,280-$5,770 = $11,510/ $10/h(labor) = 1151 hours/36 weeks = almost 32 hours of volunteer time per student they are gaining per week during the academic year (this is the ideal scenario for a student - room and meals while on duty)

Room only (what SFD offers) deducted from estimated value of labor = $12,150 <-- basically, how much free labor SFD is getting at 48h/week/academic year at $10/hour.

SFD has only had one prior SU live in. So in SFD's defense, there isn't much information to back this analysis one way or another, and only time will tell.

These opinions were formed from a compilation of information disseminated anonymously by members and non-members of SFD.

BP Says Workers May Speak To The Media, But Video Suggests Otherwise

Last week, I received an email from BP’s press office, which “wanted to flag” a letter from BP COO Doug Suttles telling employees and cleanup workers that they are allowed to talk to the media.

“Recent media reports have suggested that individuals involved in the clean up operation have been prohibited from speaking to the media, and this is simply untrue,” Suttles wrote in a letter, dated June 9. “BP fully supports and defends all individuals rights [sic] to share their personal thoughts and experiences with journalists if they so choose.”

One would think this note from Suttles, entitled “Clarification of Media Access,” would do the trick. But the reality on the beaches of the Gulf still seems to be otherwise. In one documented incident, a news anchor from WDSU-TV in New Orleans was repeatedly told by private security guards on a public beach that “Sir, you cannot interview the workers.”

This didn’t change when the reporter mentioned Doug Suttles’ letter, either.

Read More…

Slaves Who Built Capitol Honored

WASHINGTON (AP) - African-American slaves sweated in the summer heat and shivered in the winter's cold while helping to build the U.S. Capitol.

Congress took note of their service and sacrifice Wednesday by erecting commemorative plaques inside the Capitol in their honor. Lawmakers said the memorials will ensure that the contributions of slaves in building one of the world's most recognizable buildings are never again forgotten.

"In remembering the slaves who labored here, we give them in death some measure of the dignity they were so cruelly denied in life," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said at the plaques' unveiling.

The plaques read: "This original exterior wall was constructed between 1793 and 1800 of sandstone quarried by laborers, including enslaved African Americans who were an important part of the workforce that built the United States Capitol."

GO HERE to read more.

Media Beware: Government Is Coming To Your Rescue

Many people are concerned about the future of journalism, and how to help it survive. Now the Federal Trade Commission has gotten into the act.

A 36-page FTC “staff discussion draft” has stirred quite a furor. It collects ideas for how to help the media cope with the financial disaster they’re confronting -- including government subsidies.

Sounds like a bad idea, but government subsidies are nothing new for the news business.

GO HERE to read more.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac No Longer Worthy Of The NYSE

Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, announced today that the government-sponsored mortgage purchasers would delist themselves from the NYSE.

More »

Today's Survey Question

Do You Appreciate Pop-Up Ads On The Internet?

Third Friday June

Obama Exceeding Constitutional Authority In Ordering BP To Surrender Funds--'It's All About Extortion'

Washington (CNSNews.com) – Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) said Tuesday that President Barack Obama is exceeding his legitimate constitutional authority in telling BP it must set up an independent fund, not controlled by the company, for compensating victims of the Gulf oil spill. She described the administration's policy as an action "that's all about extortion."

"Private companies need to be held accountable but not necessarily to the executive branch," said Bachmann. "It seems to me there’s a misreading of the Constitution and a misunderstanding of jurisdictional limits from this White House on what the extent of executive power is. They don’t seem to understand that and it—now it seems that it’s all about extortion--and that what they want to do is create a pot of money for themselves that they can control and that’s not what the Executive is supposed to do. There is a real misreading of jurisdictional limits, and they continue to stretch those limits beyond all bounds."

GO HERE to read more.

Caption This Photo

New Bill Gives Obama ‘Kill Switch’ To Shut Down The Internet

The federal government would have “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under the terms of a new US Senate bill being pushed by Joe Lieberman, legislation which would hand President Obama a figurative “kill switch” to seize control of the world wide web in response to a Homeland Security directive.

Lieberman has been pushing for government regulation of the Internet for years under the guise of cybersecurity, but this new bill goes even further in handing emergency powers over to the feds which could be used to silence free speech under the pretext of a national emergency.

“The legislation says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines or software firms that the US Government selects “shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed” by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone failing to comply would be fined,” reports ZDNet’s Declan McCullagh.

The 197-page bill (PDF) is entitled Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, or PCNAA.

Technology lobbying group TechAmerica warned that the legislation created “the potential for absolute power,” while the Center for Democracy and Technology worried that the bill’s emergency powers “include authority to shut down or limit internet traffic on private systems.”

Tom Gann, McAfee’s vice president for government relations, described the bill as a “very important piece of legislation”.

As we have repeatedly warned for years, the federal government is desperate to seize control of the Internet because the establishment is petrified at the fact that alternative and independent media outlets are now eclipsing corporate media outlets in terms of audience share, trust, and influence.

We witnessed another example of this on Monday when establishment Congressman Bob Etheridge was publicly shamed after he was shown on video assaulting two college students who asked him a question. Two kids with a flip cam and a You Tube account could very well have changed the course of a state election, another startling reminder of the power of the Internet and independent media, and why the establishment is desperate to take that power away.

The government has been searching for any avenue possible through which to regulate free speech on the Internet and strangle alternative media outlets, with the FTC recently proposing a “Drudge Tax” that would force independent media organizations to pay fees that would be used to fund mainstream newspapers.

More here

Brooke Goes To Orlando

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE:

Hello Everyone! So sorry for not updating for so long! Since I last updated with the fabulous news of No Evidence of Disease on May 12th we have been keeping busy.

Saturday May 15th we walked 3 miles for Courageous Christopher 5K Run/Walk & Stroller Strut. We had a great time for a great cause! May 22nd we finally got to meet Wayne Bailey (the boy from Brooke’s school who was also diagnosed with NB) and his mom Heather at a fundraiser for Wayne. Brooke has also started playing T-ball at the YMCA with her buddy Greyson and went to her first birthday party in 1 ½ years to celebrated friends Jordan and Jackson’s birthdays on May 23rd.

May 24th – May 30th we were so blessed to travel to Orlando, FL for Brooke’s Make A Wish trip. Since Brooke doesn’t have any siblings, Make A Wish even let Grammy and Nana join us! A limo picked us up at our home and took us to the Philly airport. We stayed at the most amazing place called Give Kids The World. GKTW is an entire village for “Wish” kids. We stayed in a 2BR villa and Brooke was spoiled daily with gifts, carousel rides, ice cream, character visits from all the theme parks, horseback riding and so much more. They provided us with tickets to Disney, Universal & Seaworld (as well as many other local attractions but we only had 5 full days to play) and we were able to get moved to the front of the line for all the rides and for meeting the characters (PRICELESS)!!!! Our good friend Merritt joined us 2 of the days we went to Disney parks and another night for dinner at Downtown Disney. Merritt’s brother Joe met us out 2 nights for dinner as well. One of the many highlights was Brooke getting to participate in the Lion King show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (thanks to Merritt’s friend from church who is one of the stars) and then having a meet and greet with the cast afterwards!

Another highlight was getting to feed the dolphins at SeaWorld. One of the dolphin trainers stayed with Brooke and had some of the dolphins do tricks for her! Brooke was also so excited to give Curious George a huge hug at Universal Studios and also back at GKTW! The week went by way to quickly and we would have loved another few days to be able to enjoy more of the activities at the GKTW village. We spent every day (all day) at the parks! We had to leave early on Sunday morning for the airport and once again had a limo ride back home from the Philly airport. We cannot thank Make A Wish and Give Kids The World enough for making Brooke’s dreams come true! It was truly a magical week!

For more info on either organization:
http://www.midatlantic.wish.org/
http://www.gktw.org/

June 6th we headed to CHOP for Beyond Cancer (a fun day of rides, games, crafts & food for former and current oncology kids) something other than a doctor appt for a change! We got to see old friends Malcolm & Catherine and new friend Noah as well as some of the staff (and best of all Miss Sarah)! Malcolm spoke at the start of the event about the foundation he started called Make Some Noise: Cure Kids Cancer http://www.makenoise4kids.org/ which has raised over $180,000 for pediatric cancer research and awareness since January! I asked Brooke on the way home if she had a good time and she said, “yes it was a lot of fun. Do you think they will ask me to say a few words next year?” Shocked I asked her if she would want to and she replied, “Yes. I would like to talk to everyone about my cancer.” Seriously she is 5 years old!!!

Aunt Johanna surprised me and Brooke with tickets to the James Taylor/Carole King concert in Philly on June 10th. So we headed back up to NJ for Brooke’s first concert (other than seeing Hi-5 at Sesame Place 3 summers ago)! We partied at Uncle Johnny and Aunt Johanna’s house with Uncle Bruce and Aunt Cheryl (who were also going to the concert) before heading to the show. Brooke did great for the first half but fell asleep during the first song after intermission and was out cold the rest of the show. My girl can sleep through anything since spending the past 1 ½ years in a hospital! Thanks Johanna for such a great night!

June 12th, Brooke and Bailey were asked to lead the “Bark for Life” dog walk to benefit the American Cancer Society! Brooke even got up in front of everyone and spoke about her relationship with Bailey and how she helped her through her battle with cancer! Kellie had come with us to help me pull Brooke in the wagon while I walked Bailey and we were both just shocked at how well she did!

Well, I think I’ve about covered it all! Oh, wait, Brooke wants me to make sure I tell everyone she has her first loose tooth! Thanks for your prayers for Brooke and our family and please pray for all the other little warriors still fighting the beast!

God Bless,
Amy

Israel Expected To Ease Gaza Blockade

Israel is likely to significantly ease the land blockade of Gaza in coming days in an effort to blunt the international outcry over its deadly raid on a blockade-busting flotilla, officials said Wednesday.

Israel has been scrambling to find ways to ease the embargo and its own growing international isolation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior ministers and security officials to discuss changes but they failed to reach a decision. They are now expected to vote Thursday, said a meeting participant speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were closed.

Officials said Israel is expected to greatly ease what gets into Gaza through land crossings. However, the naval blockade that was at the root of the May 31 raid will remain intact because Israel wants to ensure weapons can't be shipped into Gaza. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been officially approved.

For the most part, only basic humanitarian goods have been allowed in to Gaza for the past three years. Items including metal, glass and cement are barred because Israel fears militants could use those to build weapons or military fortifications. But these goods are badly needed to rebuild homes and businesses after Israel's brief war with Gaza last year.

Israel will now come up with a shorter list of restricted goods to allow in some materials desperately needed by civilians, the officials said.

Under the new guidelines, items such as cement and steel will be allowed in to an undetermined extent in coordination with the United Nations, but won't be freely available to private citizens, the officials said. Restrictions on things like school supplies, books, computers and toys are expected to be lifted.

Such an easing would bring some relief to Gaza. But it was not clear whether there would be any change on some of the most damaging aspects of the blockade — bans on exports and raw materials used in industrial production. Travel restrictions that confine most of Gaza's 1.5 million people, are also likely to remain in effect.

"It would be nice for Gaza residents to be able to receive previously banned items such as paper, toys and computers," said Sari Bashi, an Israeli activist whose Gisha rights group has been fighting to open Gaza's borders. "But Gaza residents need to be able to receive raw materials in order to engage in productive, dignified work."

Israel's Haaretz daily reported Wednesday that international Mideast envoy Tony Blair had worked out the outlines of a deal with Netanyahu. It said it would include an Israeli agreement to consider stationing European monitors at border crossings to inspect incoming goods.

In an interview with the paper, Blair hailed the expected vote by Israel.

"It will allow us to keep weapons and weapon materials out of Gaza, but on the other hand to help the Palestinian population there," Blair was quoted as saying. "The policy in Gaza should be to isolate the extremists but to help the people."

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Middle Class Is Abandoning Obama

He Gets Majority Approval Rating Only From Americans Making Less Than $24,000 Per Year

(CNSNews.com) - The middle class is abandoning President Barack Obama, according to data released by the Gallup Poll. The only income bracket among which a majority still says they approve of the job he is doing as president are those earning $2,000 per month or less.

During the week of June 7-13, only 46 percent of Americans overall told Gallup they approved of the job Obama is doing as president, tying for the worst week of Obama's presidency. Two weeks ago, forty-six percent also said they approved of the job Obama is doing, and last week 47 percent said they approved.

But when the president’s approval is separated by incomes groups, it is only the lowest income bracket recorded by Gallup—those who earn less than $2,000 per month—that gives Obama a majority approval rating, with 52 percent saying they approved of the job he is doing as president.

Among those earning $2,000 to $4,999 per month (or $24,000 to $59,988 per year), 46 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing. Among those earning $5,000 to $7,499 per month ($60,000 to $89,988 per year), 44 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing. And among those earning $7,500 or more per month ($90,000 per year or more), the highest income bracket recorded by Gallup, 47 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing.

GO HERE to read more.

Today's Nature Photo By Scott Phoebus

Israel Fears Lebanese ‘Fast’ Flotilla

While the Israeli Defense Force continued Wednesday to track two Iranian ships en route to the Gaza Strip, the Navy was put on high alert amid fears that another flotilla would be launched from Lebanon, leaving – due to the short distance – little time to stop it.

A cargo ship left Iran earlier this week and is expected to try and break the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza as early as the weekend.

Another ship is scheduled to join at the beginning of next week. The IDF is closely tracking the ships but is particularly concerned about the possibility that a number of ships will set sail from Lebanon, possibly even with Hizbullah operatives aboard.

“There is not a lot of time to stop fast ships that come from Lebanon,” an IDF officer explained, “Practically, it means that the Navy has to be on high alert around the clock.”

The Navy will likely first try to stop the ships by calling on them to stop at sea far from the Gaza coast.

This worked successfully during Operation Cast Lead when an Iranian ship tried breaking the siege but was turned back by the Navy without boarding. If this fails, the Navy has prepared Flotilla 13, known as the Shayetet, to head up an operation like it did two weeks ago in stopping the international aid flotilla from Turkey.

Meanwhile, Bulent Yildirim, head of the Turkish organization IHH which was behind the last flotilla stopped by Israel, announced on Wednesday that his organization would send six more ships to Gaza in July. He said that the family members of the nine Turks killed on board the Mavi Marmara passenger ship have requested to join the next IHH flotilla.

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The Dallas Solution

I have a friend who is president of his homeowners association in the Dallas , Texas suburbs. They were having a terrible problem with litter near some of his association's homes. The reason according to my friend is that six very large, luxurious new houses are being built right next to their community.

The trash was coming from the Mexican laborers working at the construction sites and included bags from McDonald's, Burger King and 7-11, plus coffee cups, napkins, cigarette butts, coke cans, empty bottles, etc. He went to see the site supervisor and even the general contractor, politely urging them to get their workers not to litter the neighborhood, to no avail. He called the city, county, and police and got no help there either.

So here's what his community did. They organized about twenty folks, named themselves The "Inner Neighborhood Services" group, and arranged to go out at lunch time and "police" the trash themselves. It is what they did while picking up the trash that is so hilarious.

They bought navy blue baseball caps and had the initials "INS" embroidered in gold on the caps.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what they hoped people might mistakenly think the letters really stand for..

After the Inner Neighborhood Services group's first lunch time pickup detail, with all of them wearing their caps and some carrying cameras, 46 out of the total of 68 construction workers did not show up for work the next morning -- and haven't come back yet.

It has been ten days now.

The General Contractor, I'm told, is madder than hell, but can't say anything publicly because he could be busted for hiring illegal aliens. My friend and his bunch can't be accused of impersonating federal personnel, because they have the official name of the group recorded in their homeowner association minutes along with a notation about the vote to approve formation of the new subcommittee -- and besides, they informed the INS in advance of their plans, and according to my friend, the INS said basically, "Have at it!"

SO, FOLKS, I THINK YOU COULD SAY THAT TEXAS INGENUITY TRIUMPHS AGAIN!

Losing Parts Of America

Joe,

Check out this site:http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/buenosaires/PDFs/Closure.pdf

It appears that the federal government is closing down parts of Arizona to American Citizens and Residents of Arizona instead of protecting our border with Mexico. Under Obama, are we now losing parts of our nation? Is this the change the duped Americans voted. I am proud I did not vote for Obama.Impeach him!

TROOPERS CHARGE WOMAN WITH CDS POSSESSION

On June 17, 2010 at 0120 hours, A Trooper from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police stopped a Volvo passenger car for a traffic violation on Rt. 354 at Rt. 50 in the Willards Dash In parking lot. The Trooper could see CDS packaging items in plain view in the driver’s compartment. A further search of the vehicle revealed trace amounts of cocaine and paraphernalia. The driver of the vehicle, Frances Elizabeth Edler, 23, of Berlin, was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and possession of paraphernalia. She was transported to WCDC and turned over to a District Court Commissioner pending a hearing.

SHOREBIRDS COMPLETE SERIES SWEEP WITH 8-6 SERIES FINALE WIN

Six Straight Home Wins for Delmarva

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds used a three-run sixth inning to defeat the Kannapolis Intimidators, 8-6, at Perdue Stadium on Wednesday night. It was the first series sweep of the season for Delmarva. The Shorebirds have also won a season high six straight games at Perdue Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Shorebirds bats awakened. Steve Bumbry led off with a triple. Then, Levi Carolus hit a double down the right field line to plate Bumbry. Mikey Planeta placed a sacrifice bunt down and Carolus scored on an overthrow by Kannapolis pitcher Joe Serafin.

The ‘Birds stretched out the lead to 4-1 in the third. Kieron Pope hit a grounder to second to bring home T.J. Baxter. Later in the frame, Steve Bumbry hit his second triple of the night to score Gary Helmick, who reached on a walk.

Kannapolis stormed back with two in the fourth and one in the fifth inning to tie the score at 4-4.

Following a 23 minute delay down a power outage at Perdue Stadium, Pope hit a double to deep center field to plate Helmick in the bottom of the fifth to give Delmarva a 5-4 edge.

The Shorebirds tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning to pull away. Bumbry and Carolus each had two hits while Pope recorded two RBIs.

Luis Noel earned the win in five innings pitched. He allowed seven hits and four earned runs. James Brandhorst nailed down his second save of the season in the ninth inning.

Tom Phelps and Kevin Landry each made their Shorebirds debuts. Phelps tossed two scoreless innings while Landry allowed two runs in the eighth inning.

The Shorebirds return to action on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Lexington Legends.

Exclusive Breaking News: BP Figured Out How To Stop The Leak!

BP put a large wedding ring over the well leak earlier this morning and

it immediately stopped putting out.

GOVERNOR’S MBE UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE COMES TO THE EASTERN SHORE

Secretary Jenkins addresses state of minority business enterprises in Maryland

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Yesterday, the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs hosted the MBE University Conference in Princess Anne to support Maryland’s minority and women-owned businesses and to highlight the State’s MBE progress. This is the fourth in a series of conferences that will travel around the State to offer training, opportunities, and information on the tools necessary for minority or woman-owned businesses to expand, create jobs, and thrive even in difficult economic times. Yesterday’s conference in Princess Anne focused on niche marketing – tapping into underutilized markets. Dr. Ronnie E. Holden, Vice President for Administrative Affairs for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Rhonda Mencarini, Manager of Supplier Diversity, Pepco Holdings, Inc. also attended the event.

“As we seek to turn the corner from recession to prosperity, our mission is simple: to create jobs, to save jobs, to improve the conditions that empower businesses to create and save jobs,” said Governor O’Malley. “In your state government we have the most ambitious goals for Minority Business Enterprise in the United States of America. MBE University is designed to help us exceed them, together.”

Governor O’Malley launched MBE University in December 2009 in Prince George’s County, where more than 300 attendees gathered to discuss ways to expand opportunity to small, minority and women owned businesses throughout Maryland. Last month, MBE University traveled to the Baltimore and Southern Maryland regions.

“By investing in Maryland’s small and minority-owned businesses, we are not only supporting our working families and expanding job opportunities, but we are building a stronger future with a diverse economy,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “Governor O’Malley and I are dedicated to strengthening our workforce and providing Marylanders with the vital information and resources they need to successfully open new doors in their communities and continue to thrive for years to come.”

Participants had the opportunity to attend workshops that provided information on contracting with the State as an MBE, response procedures for bid solicitations, MBE certification process, doing business with educational institutions and the local school construction program, niche marketing, and the State’s commercial non-discrimination policy. The conference also offered a workshop on how Maryland’s MBE Program policies and efforts are changing the economic opportunity landscape for small, minority and women-owned businesses. MBE University’s private sector sponsors and partners include Delmarva Power (a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc.), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc. Delmarva Power also hosted workshops on how to do business with its organization, as well as its C&I Energy Savings Program.

“Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown, Maryland continues to make substantial progress in its capacity building initiatives for MBEs,” said Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs Special Secretary Luwanda Jenkins. “Connecting MBE firms in all areas of our great State to vital opportunities and resources is a necessity, especially during these tough economic times.”

Maryland is home to one of the nation’s leading MBE programs, and it has established the highest minority and women-owned business contracting goals in the nation at 25 percent. In addition, Maryland is one of only 15 states in the nation with MBE goals and one of only a few states with an MBE law in statute. Maryland remains the only state in the nation to collect uniform reporting data including actual payments to MBEs.

In Fiscal Year 2009, Maryland state agencies achieved 22 percent MBE participation, up from 20 percent in the previous year. These include over $1.6 billion in awards to MBE firms, an increase of 26 percent in one year, and $1 billion in payment to MBE firms.

“MBE University” was created in collaboration with the State’s minority business coordinating agencies and the Governor’s Office. Coordinating agencies include the Department of Transportation, Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs, Department of Business and Economic Development, Department of General Services, and the Governor’s Grants Office. The 2010 conference schedule also includes Western Maryland (Hagerstown) on July 7th and the Capital Region (Montgomery County) in fall 2010.

For more information on the MBE University Initiative, contact the Governor’s Office at 410-767-8232 or visit www.mdminoritybusiness.com.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE CLOSURE OF ROSECROFT RACEWAY

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement following the announcement that Rosecroft Raceway will close July 1.

“I am saddened and disappointed by this news. This has been a long struggle for Rosecroft, and unfortunately this is not a situation that is unique to Maryland. I’ve asked Secretary of State John McDonough to bring together the stakeholders and find a way forward that can protect the 200 jobs at Rosecroft. The local families who depend on Rosecroft as part of their livelihoods and would be negatively impacted by this closure deserve our full effort in this matter.”

MARYLAND SUMMER HEAT PROGRAM TAKING PLACE AT THE BEACH

On June 30, 2010, the Ocean City Police Department, in partnership with Worcester County and Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, is hosting a news conference to kick off part two of the Summer Heat: From the Bay to the Beach in One Piece Program. The news conference will be held at 11 a.m. at the Isle of Wight Nature Park, on Rt. 90 and St. Martins Neck Road.

The Summer Heat: From the Bay to the Beach in One Piece Program is a partnership
between law enforcement agencies on the Eastern Shore. The program unites law
enforcement agencies in an effort to assure that travelers get to their vacation destination safely. The news conference will have members from each law enforcement agency involved in the program, in addition to speaking guests OCPD Chief Bernadette DiPino, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Reggie Mason, Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis and Deputy Chief at the Maryland Highway Office Tom Gianni.

Along with guest speakers, law enforcement personnel will be demonstrating the
RADAR/LIDAR system and offering ride-alongs to interested media representatives. In
addition, 74 empty chairs will be displayed at the event in an effort to remember those individuals who lost their lives in fatal crashes from the bay to the beach.
“In 2008, 3,278 persons were injured in crashes on the Eastern Shore,” commented OCPD
Chief Bernadette DiPino. “The mission of the Summer Heat: From the Bay to the Beach in One Piece Program is to focus on traffic issues such as seat belt usage, speeding,
distracted driving, impaired driving and aggressive driving in hopes of decreasing crashes, minimizing fatalities and getting people to the bay to the beach safely.”

For more information on the Summer Heat: From the Bay to the Beach in One Piece
Program, please contact the Ocean City Police Department’s Public Affairs Office at
410.520.5395.