The American Red Cross Lower Shore Chapter Disaster Action Team #7 is in route to assist a family of 4 (3 adults & 1 child) displaced from a house fire on Flower Hill Church Rd in Somerset County.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wanted Sex Offender
DATE and TIME: Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Suspect: James B. Davis, 36, Wilmington, DE
Active Arrest Warrant:
Failure to Re-register as a Sex Offender
Resume:
Wilmington-The Delaware State Police Sex Offenders Apprehension and Registry unit is currently searching for James B. Davis, 36, of Wilmington, DE.
Davis, a Tier II sex offender, has violated the sex offender registry requirements by failing to re-register as a sex offender. Delaware State Police SOAR agents have obtained an arrest warrant for Davis and are currently attempting to locate him.
If anyone has any information as to the location of James Davis, they are asked to contact their nearest police agency. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be forwarded to law enforcement through tip lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.
SHERIFF LEWIS TO LEAD 17TH ANNUAL COLBURN BRUNCH
Salisbury, Maryland - Senator Richard F. Colburn (R-Mid Shore) announced today that Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis will again serve as Master of Ceremonies for the 17th Annual Rich Colburn Brunch at the Salisbury Holiday Inn on Saturday, January 8, 2011 beginning at 11:00 A.M.
Senator Colburn stated “It is a great honor to again have Sheriff Lewis serve as Master of Ceremonies for this event. Since being elected in 2006, Sheriff Lewis has worked hard to reorganize and restructure the Wicomico County Sheriff’s department. The dedication he has shown to this community show his commitment to Wicomico County and the citizens who live here.” Before becoming Wicomico County Sheriff, Mr. Lewis served for 22 years with the Maryland State Police.
Senator Colburn is again please to announce that Delegate-Elect Mike McDermott will also serve as guest speaker for the event. Delegate-Elect McDermott was recently elected to represent District 38B in the House of Delegates. Mike is a career law enforcement officer having served for 30 years following his graduation from Wake Technical College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Criminal Justice. He is currently a Lieutenant with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. He believes in and practices open government and applies practical, conservative principles when addressing issues.
A few seats are still seats available. For more information about the brunch please call 410-924-0098. The cost of the fundraiser is $25.00 per person or five seats for $100.00. All checks should be made payable to Citizens for Colburn Committee and mailed to: Citizens for Colburn Committee, 5210 Heron Road, Cambridge, MD 21613. Reservations should be made by January 3rd by calling 410-924-0098.
Congressman-Elect Andy Harris Receives Key Committee Assignments For Maryland’s 1st Congressional District
Jobs, government efficiency and bay are top priorities as a member of important committees -
COCKEYSVILLE, MD – Yesterday, Congressman-Elect Andy Harris was selected to serve on the critical Transportation and Infrastructure and Natural Resources Committees, both highly coveted by incoming members. Due to the regulatory oversight of both committees, Congressman-Elect Harris will have an integral role in growing the economy of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District by creating an environment for enduring prosperity while maintaining a voice in protecting Maryland’s precious waterways.
“With these new assignments, I will be able to effectively address the most pressing interests, concerns, and needs of all of the citizens of Maryland's 1st Congressional District,” said Congressman-Elect Andy Harris. “As a member of both the Transportation & Infrastructure and Natural Resources Committees, I will continue my focus on long-term economic development, government efficiency and protecting our bay.”
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over roads, railroads, aviation, navigable waterways and public works projects. The Committee on Natural Resources has jurisdiction over fisheries, wild life, public lands, Native Americans, irrigation and reclamation, mineral lands and mining and oceanography.
Congressman-Elect Andy Harris will represent Maryland’s 1st Congressional District which includes: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford Counties. He will be officially sworn into office at noon on January 5, 2011.
Merry Christmas From Salisbury News
Over the past few days I have been exhausting my resources to do something very special this year for Christmas. In what seemed like a simple task, I came to learn that simple tasks can sometimes be the most difficult. With a company like Perdue in this town, do you happen to know just how difficult it is to get a large volume of Turkeys this time of year. Well, IT IS!
That being said, with the help of many friends and business associates I am honored to announce that the Advertisers of Salisbury News have made it possible to secure and donate 300 Turkeys, (14 lb average) to those NEEDY Families here on the Shore.
Salisbury News has partnered with Pohanka Automotive who will provide their brand new Dealership location on Rt. 13 to distribute these Turkeys this Thursday evening from 5 to 7 PM. This will be a First Come, First Served thing. Look, we just don't know what to expect. We have contacted local food banks to spread the word and other people we know could get the word out.
I want to express, while we have spent quite a bit of money to purchase this kind of volume of Turkeys, we're doing so to help those who really need it most. I want to make sure everyone knows we will provide one Turkey per Family in need.
We know there are at least 300 Families here on the Shore that need a decent Christmas Dinner. Please respect this generous offer and in the spirit of giving we would like to meet the need of those Families truly in need.
We'll see you at Pohanka Automotive this Thursday evening from 5 to 7. God Bless and Merry Christmas.
Barbour Doesn’t Recall Civil Rights Era Being ‘That Bad’
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour won't say if he's running for president in 2012, but he's already working to shape the narrative around a potential bid, especially when it comes to issues like race and his background as a former lobbyist.
In an interview with the Weekly Standard's Andrew Ferguson, the GOPgovernor offers up some provocative comments about growing up in the racially charged deep South in the 1960s. By Barbour's account, things weren't "that bad" in his hometown of Yazoo City, Mississippi, which escaped some of the violence other nearby towns suffered during the civilrights movement.
"I just don't remember it as being that bad," Barbour, who was in high school at the time, tells Ferguson. "I remember Martin Luther King came to town, in '62. He spoke out at the old fairgrounds and it was full of people, black and white."
Barbour, who was 15 at the time, says he attended the rally because he wanted to hear what King had to say but ended up spending most of the time talking to his friends. "The truth is, we couldn't hear very well. We were sort of out there on the periphery. We just sat on our cars, watching the girls, talking, doing what boys do," Barbour tells Ferguson. "We paid more attention to the girls than to King."
Asked why Yazoo City was more peaceful than other parts of the South, Barbour offers credit to the CitizensCouncil, a controversial group that has been likened by its critics to the Ku Klux Klan. But Barbour says this critique is unfair and that the group actually cracked down on the KKK.
GO HERE to read more.
Help Close Bell Ringing On A High Note!
Please help The Salvation Army end its Red Kettle Campaign on a high note! There are still several bell ringing slots available. We know it is cold - but your bell ringing may help provide a warm meal, warm coat or shelter to someone in need. Isn't that worth an hour or two of your time?
In addition to regular weekday times, many individuals find it particularly meaningful to volunteer on Christmas Eve. We still have a few bell ringer openings on Christmas Eve at Sam's Club, Salisbury Walmart Retail Entrance and Fruitland Walmart both entrances. Bell ringing ends at 2 p.m. so times available would be between 9 and 2, depending on which location selected.
Thank you to everyone in the community for your generosity of time and donations. Please help us fill the kettles these last few days so that all Christmas needs can be met.
May God bless you in all that you do.
Your Friends at The Salvation Army
Some Council Members May Have To Actually Pay The City To Represent Taxpayers
Last night the City Council met for a work session and guess what, Comegys wasn't present, (again). Mind you, nor was Debbie Campbell. We were told she was ill.
Could Mrs. Campbell's absence have cost her and Councilwoman Cohen the only chance to salvage their health insurance? It looks that way.
Because there were only three Council Members present, in a vote of 2 to 1, (Smith & Shields) voted to force Council Members to pay for their own health insurance. If Debbie and Terry were to pay for their own health insurance it could cost them around $2,000.00 a year MORE than what they are actually paid to represent you.
I personally feel this is a spiteful vote started by the former Council and former Mayor, as do many of you. Folks, it is vital that everyone take who we endorse in this upcoming election far more serious than you have ever done in past years.
We will be reaching out to every registered voter to get out and vote. We will be asking candidates to sign an agreement pledge to assure a guarantee this go around that these people will in fact represent YOU for once and NOT special interests. We need a majority on the Council and we need a Mayor that's going to stop playing games.
Hopefully Mayor Ireton will veto this insurance deal being proposed bt we'll see what happens. Rumor has it he no longer wants to support Terry Cohen and quite frankly Terry might not run if she doesn't have health insurance for her Family. I can't say as I blame her. It's a shame that these politicians can legally do this to control who runs and who doesn't.
It seems, (for now anyway) you have to be well off or have held a state job in the past to have health insurance and run for political office any more. This has to change.
Could Mrs. Campbell's absence have cost her and Councilwoman Cohen the only chance to salvage their health insurance? It looks that way.
Because there were only three Council Members present, in a vote of 2 to 1, (Smith & Shields) voted to force Council Members to pay for their own health insurance. If Debbie and Terry were to pay for their own health insurance it could cost them around $2,000.00 a year MORE than what they are actually paid to represent you.
I personally feel this is a spiteful vote started by the former Council and former Mayor, as do many of you. Folks, it is vital that everyone take who we endorse in this upcoming election far more serious than you have ever done in past years.
We will be reaching out to every registered voter to get out and vote. We will be asking candidates to sign an agreement pledge to assure a guarantee this go around that these people will in fact represent YOU for once and NOT special interests. We need a majority on the Council and we need a Mayor that's going to stop playing games.
Hopefully Mayor Ireton will veto this insurance deal being proposed bt we'll see what happens. Rumor has it he no longer wants to support Terry Cohen and quite frankly Terry might not run if she doesn't have health insurance for her Family. I can't say as I blame her. It's a shame that these politicians can legally do this to control who runs and who doesn't.
It seems, (for now anyway) you have to be well off or have held a state job in the past to have health insurance and run for political office any more. This has to change.
Travelers Still Entering U.S. Without Secure ID
Millions of travelers are still being admitted to the United States without passports or other secure IDs, a new government audit shows. A report in Tuesday's Houston Chronicle notes that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was supposed to start enforcing stringent ID requirements at the nation's land borders more than 18 months ago.
An Office of Inspector General report released Monday found that CBP remains unprepared to fully implement the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which officially took effect in June 2009 and requires all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to carry passports or one of a handful of other forms of secure ID.
In the first eight months after the requirements took effect, 2.3 million travelers failed to provide proper paperwork at U.S. land ports of entry, the newspaper said.
CNS News
An Office of Inspector General report released Monday found that CBP remains unprepared to fully implement the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which officially took effect in June 2009 and requires all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to carry passports or one of a handful of other forms of secure ID.
In the first eight months after the requirements took effect, 2.3 million travelers failed to provide proper paperwork at U.S. land ports of entry, the newspaper said.
CNS News
Fruitland Police Department Press Releases
December 20, 2010
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: Rt. 13 N. and Hayward Avenue
Fruitland, Md.
Date & Time: Sunday, December 19, 2020 @ 0240 a.m.
Suspects/Accused: Earl Thomas Marshall 3rd m/b 04/07/1986
Chestnut Circle, Westover, Maryland
Charges: Driving on Suspended License
CDS Possession: Marijuana
CDS Possession: Paraphernalia
Resume: On the above date and time, a silver Saturn was observed by Fruitland officers travelling northbound at a speed that appeared to exceed the posted limit of 45 mph.
Electronic speed devise revealed the vehicle to being operated at 58 mph. The vehicle was stopped for the traffic violation and the operator was subsequently identified as Eatl Thomas Marshall 3rd by his Md. drivers’ license. A computer inqiuiry from DMV revealed the accused’s driving privileges were suspended. Another computer inquiry revealed a history of CDS violations associated with the accused. A search of the accused and the vehicle he had been operating produced evidence of CDS possession. He was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: South Fruitland Blvd. and Main Street
Fruitland, Md.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 18, 2010 @ 9:08 p.m.
Suspect/Accused: Omar Sharif Hickman m/b 03/02/1990
Charges: Driving on Suspended License
Charges: (cont.) Driving an uninsured and unregistered motor vehicle
Driving a motor vehicle with switched tags
Driving Suspended
Driving without a license
False Statement
Obstruction and Hindering
CDS Possession: Marijuana
Resume’: On the above date and time a gray Lincoln Towncar bearing Virginia registration was observed travelling southbound on Rt. 13 with inoperable rear lights. Fruitland officers stopped the vehicle and were advised by the operator the he did not have a license. Subsequent inquiries revealed registration violations. The accused provided officers with false information regarding his identity. The true identity of the accused was discovered and it was learned the accused’s driving privileges were suspended out of state, that he had no Maryland license and that a Warrant exsisted for his arrest from Worcester County. A search of the vehicle produced CDS which was seized. The accused was transported to the Wicomico County Dentention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: South Fruitland Blvd. and South Camden Avenue
Fruitland, Md.
Date and Time: Monday, December 20, 2010
Suspect/Accused: Craig Lamar Douling m/b 10/10/1982
Merser Road, Eden, Md.
Charges: CDS Possession: Marijuana
Littering
Driving without a License
Resume” On the above date and time while conducting stationary radar operations in the visinity of S. Fruitland Blvd. and Warren Street, a green Mercury Marquise was observed travelling southbound on Rt 13 at what appeared at aspeed above the posted speed limit. A radar reading indicating a speed of 55 mph in a 45 mph zone was recorded. Officers began to persue the vehicle and observed it to excellerate rapidly. Another radar reading was obtained resulting in a speed of 84 mph being indicated. As the officer’s vehicle closed on the Mercury a small white object was thrown from the driver’s side window which struck and bounced off the officer’s windshield. The Mercury was stopped approximately ¼ mile further.
The operator was identified as the accused and found to not have a driver’s license. Suspected marijuana was discovered in a cup holder next to the driver and further examination revealed additional suspected marijuana in the vehicle. The accused was charged with multiple traffic offenses, littering and CDS violations. A search for the item thrown from the Mercury during the persuit was conducted without success. The accused was transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: Rt. 13 N. and Hayward Avenue
Fruitland, Md.
Date & Time: Sunday, December 19, 2020 @ 0240 a.m.
Suspects/Accused: Earl Thomas Marshall 3rd m/b 04/07/1986
Chestnut Circle, Westover, Maryland
Charges: Driving on Suspended License
CDS Possession: Marijuana
CDS Possession: Paraphernalia
Resume: On the above date and time, a silver Saturn was observed by Fruitland officers travelling northbound at a speed that appeared to exceed the posted limit of 45 mph.
Electronic speed devise revealed the vehicle to being operated at 58 mph. The vehicle was stopped for the traffic violation and the operator was subsequently identified as Eatl Thomas Marshall 3rd by his Md. drivers’ license. A computer inqiuiry from DMV revealed the accused’s driving privileges were suspended. Another computer inquiry revealed a history of CDS violations associated with the accused. A search of the accused and the vehicle he had been operating produced evidence of CDS possession. He was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: South Fruitland Blvd. and Main Street
Fruitland, Md.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 18, 2010 @ 9:08 p.m.
Suspect/Accused: Omar Sharif Hickman m/b 03/02/1990
Charges: Driving on Suspended License
Charges: (cont.) Driving an uninsured and unregistered motor vehicle
Driving a motor vehicle with switched tags
Driving Suspended
Driving without a license
False Statement
Obstruction and Hindering
CDS Possession: Marijuana
Resume’: On the above date and time a gray Lincoln Towncar bearing Virginia registration was observed travelling southbound on Rt. 13 with inoperable rear lights. Fruitland officers stopped the vehicle and were advised by the operator the he did not have a license. Subsequent inquiries revealed registration violations. The accused provided officers with false information regarding his identity. The true identity of the accused was discovered and it was learned the accused’s driving privileges were suspended out of state, that he had no Maryland license and that a Warrant exsisted for his arrest from Worcester County. A search of the vehicle produced CDS which was seized. The accused was transported to the Wicomico County Dentention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Incident: Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances
Location: South Fruitland Blvd. and South Camden Avenue
Fruitland, Md.
Date and Time: Monday, December 20, 2010
Suspect/Accused: Craig Lamar Douling m/b 10/10/1982
Merser Road, Eden, Md.
Charges: CDS Possession: Marijuana
Littering
Driving without a License
Resume” On the above date and time while conducting stationary radar operations in the visinity of S. Fruitland Blvd. and Warren Street, a green Mercury Marquise was observed travelling southbound on Rt 13 at what appeared at aspeed above the posted speed limit. A radar reading indicating a speed of 55 mph in a 45 mph zone was recorded. Officers began to persue the vehicle and observed it to excellerate rapidly. Another radar reading was obtained resulting in a speed of 84 mph being indicated. As the officer’s vehicle closed on the Mercury a small white object was thrown from the driver’s side window which struck and bounced off the officer’s windshield. The Mercury was stopped approximately ¼ mile further.
The operator was identified as the accused and found to not have a driver’s license. Suspected marijuana was discovered in a cup holder next to the driver and further examination revealed additional suspected marijuana in the vehicle. The accused was charged with multiple traffic offenses, littering and CDS violations. A search for the item thrown from the Mercury during the persuit was conducted without success. The accused was transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center and remanded to the custody of Central Booking.
Attorney General Worries About Home-Grown Terror
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder says he's worried about terrorist attacks on the U.S. by Americans. And high on his list of concerns is the threat posed by anti-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen believed to be hiding in Yemen.
Holder says al-Awlaki has a familiarity with the U.S. that terrorists usually lack. He says he puts him on the list of people who worry him the most, along with al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden, but adds, "Whether he's one, two, three, four, I don't know."
In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Holder said the terrorism threat is real and constant. He says he's concerned that the authorities may have missed a signal that an attack is coming.
He says Americans have to be prepared for "potentially bad news."
GO HERE to read more.
Holy Land A Theme Park Of Biblical Proportions
Orlando's Holy Land Experience aims to look, sound, and feel a world away from the gravity drops, splashy screams and mouse ears that fill other nearby family attractions.
Holy Land Experience aims to feel a world away in the town of Mickey Mouse
In Orlando, America’s thrill ride capital, one theme park is making a killing — twice each day, except Sundays.
At midday and again before the doors close for the evening, visitors to Holy Land Experience gather to watch a graphic re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Wearing a tattered robe and a blood-spattered face, a man portraying Christ lugs a cross on his back through a lifelike “Jerusalem Street Market” as packs of tourists in sunglasses scurry to snap photos. Mickey Mouse, this ain’t.
GO HERE to read more.
Water Main Break
Public Works Water and Sewer Branch crews are responding to a water main break located at the intersection of W. Main St. (Downtown Plaza) and W. Market St.
Street closures as follows:
W. Main St. (Downtown Plaza) between Division St. and Mill St.
W. Market St. between Camden St. and Mill St.
Appropriate traffic control devices are in place. Public Works is putting down salt due to icing conditions for pedestrian safety.
Street closures as follows:
W. Main St. (Downtown Plaza) between Division St. and Mill St.
W. Market St. between Camden St. and Mill St.
Appropriate traffic control devices are in place. Public Works is putting down salt due to icing conditions for pedestrian safety.
Shady Landlord Schemes And How To Fight Back
Don't fall prey to these nasty maneuvers, and don't overreact
Two winters ago Astoria, N.Y., resident Rachel Colley was freezing in her own apartment. Looking to squeeze a few pennies, her landlord refused to crank up the heat. Colley, a senioraccount executive at JS2 Communications in New York, called the city several times to complain. An inspector eventually came to the building where, in its warmest spots, the temperature remained below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cornered, Colley's landlord responded by cranking the heat up to a Lucifer-like 90 degrees, prompting Colley and her flat mates to open the windows. Scrooge, anticipating the move, was waiting. He snapped pictures of their apartment from the outside of the building and threatened to show the city the pictures as "proof" Colley had been lying about the lack of heat.
Not willing to go to war, Colley let the matter die — along with her heat. Bundled up, she gutted out the remainder of the lease and moved.
Greedy landlords will resort to a range of tactics to make you pay more than you should. The worst are downright thieves, a nasty fact to which Alicia Stetzer can attest. A consultant to nonprofits, Stetzer put down a $3,300 deposit on a Manhattan brownstone in October 2009. The day before Stetzer was due to move in, the landlord called with bad news: Her former tenant refused to move out, and the situation couldn't be resolved quickly. The landlord assured Stetzer that her deposit would be returned shortly.
A year and two court dates later, Stetzer still doesn't have her money. The case continues. "I'm not letting her get away with doing bad things to good people," spits Stetzer.
As more homeowners fall behind on their mortgages, the rent rolls will continue to swell. In the first half of 2010, 1.65 million U.S. homes entered foreclosure status, according to RealtyTrac. That pace is ahead of last year's record 2.8 million foreclosures. Likely result: more victims of unscrupulous landlords.
Chris Combs, an attorney at Combs Law Group in Phoenix, Ariz., says he's seen cases where scamsters have swooped in on foreclosed homes, changed the locks, posed as the owners and written up fake contracts — only to cut and run with the security deposits.
GO HERE to read more.
'Barney Miller' Star Landesberg Dies At Age 65
"It is with great sadness to report the loss of my friend and client Steve Landesberg," Jeffrey Leavitt of Leavitt Talent Group said in a statement.
LOS ANGELES — Actor Steve Landesberg, a former stand-up comedian who starred for years on the hit television sitcom "Barney Miller," has died at age 65, his agent said on Monday.
"It is with great sadness to report the loss of my friend and client Steve Landesberg," Jeffrey Leavitt of Leavitt Talent Group said in a statement.
GO HERE to read more.
FCC Set To Back Internet Traffic Rules
Decision would allow Internet providers to restrict network traffic
WASHINGTON — U.S. communications regulators were poised to adopt Internet traffic rules on Tuesday that would allow providers to ration access to their networks.
Federal Communications Commission members Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn issued statements on Monday saying they would support the proposal laid out by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski early this month despite some misgivings.
The rules would ban high-speed Internet providers like Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications from blocking lawful traffic, while recognizing the need to manage network congestion and perhaps charge based on Internet usage.
(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal, which is in negotiations to be acquired by Comcast.)
The rules, to be somewhat looser for wireless Internet, could help cable companies in competition with plans by Microsoft Corp, Google Inc and Amazon.com to deliver competing video content over the same Internet lines the cable companies run to customers' homes.
GO HERE to read more.
$24.5 Trillion In US National Debt, $144 Trillion In Unfunded Liabilities In... 2015
By now everyone has seen and played with the US debt clock via usdebtclock.org whereby anyone who so wishes, can find every little detail about America's current sad fiscal state. The fact that America currently has just under $14 trilllion in national debt should be no surprise to anyone who professes to having an even modest interest in the state of the US economy. Yet a new feature on the "debt clock", namely one which extrapolates future debt at current rates of advancement (instead of one based on the always completely inaccurate CBO estimates), and looks at US debt in the year 2015 will probably make many stop dead in the their tracks. If anyone thought that $14 trillion in 2010 debt is bad, just wait until we hit $24.5 trillion in total US national debt in 2015. And it gets even more surreal: total US Unfunded Liabilities are estimated at $144 trillion, roughly $1.2 million per taxpayer... Was that a pin dropping?
As Zero Hedge has long been predicting, we anticipate roughly $2 trillion in incremental debt per year. Surprisingly we are not far too off from where the "debt clock" sees US leverage in 5 years. At an estimated $24.5 trillion in federal debt, our $2 trillion per year run rate is spot on. Another thing that is spot on: our prediction that the US will need not one but two debt ceiling increases in 2011. And probably 6-8 over the next 5 years.
Some other observations for the US economy in 2015 simply assuming current conditions persist:
As Zero Hedge has long been predicting, we anticipate roughly $2 trillion in incremental debt per year. Surprisingly we are not far too off from where the "debt clock" sees US leverage in 5 years. At an estimated $24.5 trillion in federal debt, our $2 trillion per year run rate is spot on. Another thing that is spot on: our prediction that the US will need not one but two debt ceiling increases in 2011. And probably 6-8 over the next 5 years.
Some other observations for the US economy in 2015 simply assuming current conditions persist:
- Federal spending will be $3.3 trillion per year, and with federal revenue of $2.3 trillion (this number will be reduced as it also assumes $731 billion in payroll tax, a number which will likely be indefinitely reduced) the result is a budget deficit of $983.7 billion.
- Annual Medicare/Medicaid expenses will be just over $1 trillion
- US population: 326.8 million
- US workforce 131.3 million (and declining)
- Officially unemployed: 19.4 million
- Actual unemployed: 22.3 million
- State/Federal employees: 17.9 million
- People on SSN and other retirees: 72.6 million
- Food stamp recipients: 89.7 million
- Foreclosures: 2 million
- Social Security Liability: $19 trillion
- Medicare Liability: $99 trillion
- Total US Unfunded Liabilities: $144 trillion
- Gross Debt to GDP: 143%
America Divided
Dr. Tibor Machan
For all its existence America has been torn between two political positions. Originally the two were represented, mostly, by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, although neither was a simple partisan of the positions at issue here.
Hamilton had been a supporter of the revolution but also quite sympathetic to big government, even to monarchy in the British style (not absolute but relatively limited). Jefferson, in contrast, supported the polity implied by the Declaration of Independence (which he largely authored), although he was no libertarian, not even like Thomas Paine who came quite close
.
The two positions differ mainly on how much a country should entrust its ideals to government. The Founders general thought that once the king has been deposed, one could live with government comfortably enough, although Jefferson had uttered some sentiments that suggest he was beginning to find government altogether problematic. “That government is best that governs least” shows no enthusiasm for even limited government, the sort one associates with the classical liberal tradition, although the logical implications of the principles Jefferson included in the Declaration, mostly derived from John Locke, were pretty close to the libertarian minarchist theory, the kind of government that is committed to nothing more than the protection of the citizens' basic rights to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and whatever is consistent with these (mostly the right to do anything that's peaceful). So this faction of America's political legacy does not so much support a small as a limited scope type government. (Who can tell ahead of time how large an organization devoted to securing our rights would have to be to get its job done!?)
The second position, which one may fruitfully associate with Hamilton, is far more trusting of government, at least of the democratic or representative kind. In any case, this faction of the American political tradition eventually gave rise to the idea that government must be proactive, support various undertakings that the citizens may not take up themselves. So such institutions as banking would be nearly like they had been in Europe, if not state run than at least heavily supervised and regulated by the state. This is the approach that in time gave rise to central banking, the Federal Reserve Bank. It is also the approach that ended up more generally distrusting the capacity of the citizenry to address many of the problems that arise in a society. Education, for instance, would be entrusted to government, as would the protection of wildlife, to mention only two spheres that have become nearly completely a matter of public administration. And it is also this kind of political economic thinking that would in time lead to the invention of positive rights or entitlements, which is certainly not part of the Lockean view or follow the ideas of the Declaration. (BTW, the general welfare does not imply entitlements, only the need to protect all citizens' rights to pursue their welfare individually or corporately.)
In our own time this divide has turned into something almost fundamental and more destructive, than even the one about preservation of the union. We now see many politicians and nearly the entire intellectual community – media editors, educators at all levels of school and especially in the social sciences and humanities (excepting economists) – siding with the view that government must have a large scope of influence and authority in the country, with only few features left to the private and personal sphere. Having been supplied with political ideas mainly from Europe for the last 150 years, the influence of the classical liberals began to abate a good deal. As in Europe, so in erudite America, most folks believe government must be a supplier of goods and services, not merely the protector of rights. As if they came to believe that referees at a game should become and more more involved in playing it rather than making sure the players obey the rules
.
One matter needs to be kept in mind in order to find a silver lining in these developments. This is that the governmental habit which had been cultivated for centuries nearly everywhere, is difficult to break. But not impossible. In time it may just happen and right now there appears to be some hope on the horizon that many Americans are doing exactly that (though not as consistently as they should).
Hamilton had been a supporter of the revolution but also quite sympathetic to big government, even to monarchy in the British style (not absolute but relatively limited). Jefferson, in contrast, supported the polity implied by the Declaration of Independence (which he largely authored), although he was no libertarian, not even like Thomas Paine who came quite close
.
The two positions differ mainly on how much a country should entrust its ideals to government. The Founders general thought that once the king has been deposed, one could live with government comfortably enough, although Jefferson had uttered some sentiments that suggest he was beginning to find government altogether problematic. “That government is best that governs least” shows no enthusiasm for even limited government, the sort one associates with the classical liberal tradition, although the logical implications of the principles Jefferson included in the Declaration, mostly derived from John Locke, were pretty close to the libertarian minarchist theory, the kind of government that is committed to nothing more than the protection of the citizens' basic rights to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and whatever is consistent with these (mostly the right to do anything that's peaceful). So this faction of America's political legacy does not so much support a small as a limited scope type government. (Who can tell ahead of time how large an organization devoted to securing our rights would have to be to get its job done!?)
The second position, which one may fruitfully associate with Hamilton, is far more trusting of government, at least of the democratic or representative kind. In any case, this faction of the American political tradition eventually gave rise to the idea that government must be proactive, support various undertakings that the citizens may not take up themselves. So such institutions as banking would be nearly like they had been in Europe, if not state run than at least heavily supervised and regulated by the state. This is the approach that in time gave rise to central banking, the Federal Reserve Bank. It is also the approach that ended up more generally distrusting the capacity of the citizenry to address many of the problems that arise in a society. Education, for instance, would be entrusted to government, as would the protection of wildlife, to mention only two spheres that have become nearly completely a matter of public administration. And it is also this kind of political economic thinking that would in time lead to the invention of positive rights or entitlements, which is certainly not part of the Lockean view or follow the ideas of the Declaration. (BTW, the general welfare does not imply entitlements, only the need to protect all citizens' rights to pursue their welfare individually or corporately.)
In our own time this divide has turned into something almost fundamental and more destructive, than even the one about preservation of the union. We now see many politicians and nearly the entire intellectual community – media editors, educators at all levels of school and especially in the social sciences and humanities (excepting economists) – siding with the view that government must have a large scope of influence and authority in the country, with only few features left to the private and personal sphere. Having been supplied with political ideas mainly from Europe for the last 150 years, the influence of the classical liberals began to abate a good deal. As in Europe, so in erudite America, most folks believe government must be a supplier of goods and services, not merely the protector of rights. As if they came to believe that referees at a game should become and more more involved in playing it rather than making sure the players obey the rules
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One matter needs to be kept in mind in order to find a silver lining in these developments. This is that the governmental habit which had been cultivated for centuries nearly everywhere, is difficult to break. But not impossible. In time it may just happen and right now there appears to be some hope on the horizon that many Americans are doing exactly that (though not as consistently as they should).
Hamas-Gaza Mortar Fire At Israel Continues
Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired seven mortar shells at Israel’s Negev on Monday morning; no one was hurt.
Five shells were similarly fired last night, also leaving no casualties or damage. They landed south of Ashkelon and in the western Negev. Two weeks ago, five shells were fired, wounding the security officer of one of the targeted towns.
Today’s shells landed in the Eshkol Regional Council in the western Negev. The Council includes 31 communities, including 14 kibbutzim such as Be’eri and Kisufim, 15 moshavim such as Yated and Talmei Eliyahu, and two towns, Avshalom and Tzohar.
The Israel Air Force attacked a rocket-launching terrorist band on Saturday night in central Gaza, killing five. The terrorists were members of Islamic Jihad and the Hamas-affiliated Popular Resistance Committees.
INN
Five shells were similarly fired last night, also leaving no casualties or damage. They landed south of Ashkelon and in the western Negev. Two weeks ago, five shells were fired, wounding the security officer of one of the targeted towns.
Today’s shells landed in the Eshkol Regional Council in the western Negev. The Council includes 31 communities, including 14 kibbutzim such as Be’eri and Kisufim, 15 moshavim such as Yated and Talmei Eliyahu, and two towns, Avshalom and Tzohar.
The Israel Air Force attacked a rocket-launching terrorist band on Saturday night in central Gaza, killing five. The terrorists were members of Islamic Jihad and the Hamas-affiliated Popular Resistance Committees.
INN
Girl Hurt As Gaza Rocket Explodes Near Kibbutz Kindergarten
Gaza terrorists fired a short-range Kassam-type rocket at an Israeli kibbutz Tuesday morning, lightly injuring a 15-year-old girl. Shrapnel from the explosion struck the girl's leg. A Magen David Adom emergency crew evacuated her to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
Two people suffered emotional shock from the event. Several buildings in the kibbutz were damaged.
The head of the Hof Ashkelon local authority, Yair Farjun, said following the attack that "the continued fire endangers our lives and disrupts life's routine. I believe in the ability of the IDF to carry out the necessary actions in order to stop the fire. On our part, we will continue to take security precautions to the extent this is possible."
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) cooperated overnight in attacks by IAF aircraft on several targets in Gaza. Among the targets attacked were three terror tunnels in northern Gaza. In the southern part of the border, the IAF attacks struck a terror tunnel, a smuggling tunnel and a third site of unspecified terror activity.
INN
Two people suffered emotional shock from the event. Several buildings in the kibbutz were damaged.
The head of the Hof Ashkelon local authority, Yair Farjun, said following the attack that "the continued fire endangers our lives and disrupts life's routine. I believe in the ability of the IDF to carry out the necessary actions in order to stop the fire. On our part, we will continue to take security precautions to the extent this is possible."
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) cooperated overnight in attacks by IAF aircraft on several targets in Gaza. Among the targets attacked were three terror tunnels in northern Gaza. In the southern part of the border, the IAF attacks struck a terror tunnel, a smuggling tunnel and a third site of unspecified terror activity.
INN
Christmas Feast Giveaway
Mr. Albero,
Good morning, I am an avid reader of your blog site and I am quite fond of your articulate spin on local news in the DMV. I wanted to know if you could post an article about the Charitable event that my friends and I did on this past weekend.
With the support of some friends and family I was able to give away 3 dinners for 3 unsuspecting families in the city of Salisbury. I chose the families by asking friends of mine on Facebook to nominate families that would be great recipients of this blessing because of a tough time they may have experienced or just because they might need a little assistance due to the current state of our economy.
I really want this message to get out because there are more folks out there that want to touch others, but they are unsure how they can do it. Maybe, they can see how simple and easy our event was and it will encourage more people to give back to others in need. I appreicate any assistance you can provide.
May GOD bless you and have a Happy Holiday season!
Good morning, I am an avid reader of your blog site and I am quite fond of your articulate spin on local news in the DMV. I wanted to know if you could post an article about the Charitable event that my friends and I did on this past weekend.
With the support of some friends and family I was able to give away 3 dinners for 3 unsuspecting families in the city of Salisbury. I chose the families by asking friends of mine on Facebook to nominate families that would be great recipients of this blessing because of a tough time they may have experienced or just because they might need a little assistance due to the current state of our economy.
I really want this message to get out because there are more folks out there that want to touch others, but they are unsure how they can do it. Maybe, they can see how simple and easy our event was and it will encourage more people to give back to others in need. I appreicate any assistance you can provide.
May GOD bless you and have a Happy Holiday season!
Operating much like a "memory hole" in George Orwell's classic novel "1984," the Obama administration has replaced the content of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America website, providing additional evidence the White House intends to implement the SPP agenda of a North American Union by executive action, below the radar of public opinion and outside the framework of congressional approval.
The SPP website, under the title "Commerce Connect," now reflects totally different content, announcing its purpose as "a one-stop shop for information, counseling and government services that can help U.S. businesses around the country transform themselves into globally competitive enterprises."
WND reported in September 2009 that the Obama administration has "rebranded" and "refocused" the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP, to advance the Bush administration's agenda of North American integration under the rubric of the "North American Leaders Summit," a less controversial banner, according to confidential sources in the U.S. Department of Commerce and State Department who agreed to speak with WND only if their comments were kept off the record.
In September 2009, sources confirmed to WND that the SPP was being directed from within the White House, as reflected by a new blog posted on the White House website entitled "The North American Leaders Summit" that is intended to replace SPP.gov as the official website documenting trilateral government activities going forward under the rebranded name.
The White House's handling of the SPP agenda sharply contrasts with Canada, where the SPP website retains its original character, openly proclaiming North American community objectives, much like the U.S. website spp.gov did prior to September 2009. The Canadian government website today continues to archive the security agenda, the prosperity agenda, trilateral meeting summaries going back to 2007 and key SPP reports and documents – all content that has been scrubbed from current U.S. government websites.
The current Obama administration strategy appears to be to keep the trilateral working groups meeting privately, with a determination to put in place key policy objectives of the SPP working groups as defined under the administration of President George W. Bush, without openly acknowledging the intention to do so.
Earlier this week, WND reported that on Nov. 30, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano signed a "Trusted Traveler" agreement with Mexico, thereby implementing a primary objective of the SPP Transportation Policy working group under President Bush, namely to open the U.S. border to approximately 84 million Mexican citizens by issuing biometric "trusted traveler" cards that Mexicans entering the U.S. can swipe through ATM-like "Global Entry" kiosks at some 20 international airports in the United States.
WND also reported that the U.S. State Department is moving to create a continental border around the U.S. as the relevant national security perimeter, thereby erasing the borders between the U.S. and Mexico and between the U.S. and Canada.
The agreements are documented in a March 23 State Department memo titled "United States-Mexico Partnership: A New Border Vision," and a draft document with Canada titled "Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Competitiveness," a draft copy of which has been obtained by CTV News in Canada.
There's much more here
The SPP website, under the title "Commerce Connect," now reflects totally different content, announcing its purpose as "a one-stop shop for information, counseling and government services that can help U.S. businesses around the country transform themselves into globally competitive enterprises."
WND reported in September 2009 that the Obama administration has "rebranded" and "refocused" the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP, to advance the Bush administration's agenda of North American integration under the rubric of the "North American Leaders Summit," a less controversial banner, according to confidential sources in the U.S. Department of Commerce and State Department who agreed to speak with WND only if their comments were kept off the record.
In September 2009, sources confirmed to WND that the SPP was being directed from within the White House, as reflected by a new blog posted on the White House website entitled "The North American Leaders Summit" that is intended to replace SPP.gov as the official website documenting trilateral government activities going forward under the rebranded name.
The White House's handling of the SPP agenda sharply contrasts with Canada, where the SPP website retains its original character, openly proclaiming North American community objectives, much like the U.S. website spp.gov did prior to September 2009. The Canadian government website today continues to archive the security agenda, the prosperity agenda, trilateral meeting summaries going back to 2007 and key SPP reports and documents – all content that has been scrubbed from current U.S. government websites.
The current Obama administration strategy appears to be to keep the trilateral working groups meeting privately, with a determination to put in place key policy objectives of the SPP working groups as defined under the administration of President George W. Bush, without openly acknowledging the intention to do so.
Earlier this week, WND reported that on Nov. 30, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano signed a "Trusted Traveler" agreement with Mexico, thereby implementing a primary objective of the SPP Transportation Policy working group under President Bush, namely to open the U.S. border to approximately 84 million Mexican citizens by issuing biometric "trusted traveler" cards that Mexicans entering the U.S. can swipe through ATM-like "Global Entry" kiosks at some 20 international airports in the United States.
WND also reported that the U.S. State Department is moving to create a continental border around the U.S. as the relevant national security perimeter, thereby erasing the borders between the U.S. and Mexico and between the U.S. and Canada.
The agreements are documented in a March 23 State Department memo titled "United States-Mexico Partnership: A New Border Vision," and a draft document with Canada titled "Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Competitiveness," a draft copy of which has been obtained by CTV News in Canada.
There's much more here
Bull's-Eye Painted On U.S. Generals
Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, has issued threats to kill U.S. generals in response to the recent deaths of Iran's two leading nuclear scientists, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
Security analysts say that while Iran often makes outlandish threats, they are taking this one seriously since it came directly from Naghdi.
"The filthy Americans and the Zionists should not think that with killing our scientists, they can divert our nation from its path of jihad and scare us," Naghdi said in a speech published on an IRGC-linked website. "We will mark the hanging sites of the American and Zionist generals and we will identify which hanging was in retaliation for the blood of our great martyr Shahriari," Naghdi said, referring to Dr. Majid Shahriari.
A nuclear scientist, he reportedly was heading efforts to fight the Stuxnet virus that had crippled Iran's nuclear program.
More here
Security analysts say that while Iran often makes outlandish threats, they are taking this one seriously since it came directly from Naghdi.
"The filthy Americans and the Zionists should not think that with killing our scientists, they can divert our nation from its path of jihad and scare us," Naghdi said in a speech published on an IRGC-linked website. "We will mark the hanging sites of the American and Zionist generals and we will identify which hanging was in retaliation for the blood of our great martyr Shahriari," Naghdi said, referring to Dr. Majid Shahriari.
A nuclear scientist, he reportedly was heading efforts to fight the Stuxnet virus that had crippled Iran's nuclear program.
More here
Vietnam Wall
First click on a state. When it opens, scroll down to the city and the names will appear. Then click on their names. It should show you a picture of the person, or at least his or her bio and medals.
This really is an amazing Web site.
I hope that everyone who receives this appreciates what those who served in Vietnam sacrificed for our country.
The link below is a virtual wall of all those lost during the Vietnam war with the names, biographies and other information on our lost heroes. Those who remember that time frame, or perhaps lost friends or family, can look them up on this site.