Detectives Seek Public’s Help In Locating Missing Man

Location:  R Farm Lane, Dagsboro, DE

 

Date of Occurrence:   Monday, January 24, 2011 at 1:00 a.m.

 

Victim:  John D. (Doug) Wisniewski, Sr., 45, R Farm Lane, Dagsboro, DE

 

Resume: The Delaware State Police are asking the public’s help in locating a missing Dagsboro man.

 

Detectives are looking for John D. Wisniewski, Sr. who was last seen at his residence on R Farm Lane in Dagsboro, DE on January 24, 2011. Wisniewski is a white male, 6’00” tall and 200 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He also has numerous tattoos on his right and left arms, left wrist, and the fingers on his right hand.

 

If anyone has any information as to the location of John Wisniewski, Sr, they are asked to contact the Delaware State Police Troop 4 at 302-856-5850. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).  Tipsters may also call provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.

 

Fruitland Police Department Press Release

DATE & TIME OF INCIDENT: 2-11-11

TYPE OF INCIDENT: Fleeing the Scene of an Accident

LOCATION OF INCIDENT: 4200 Block - Disharoon Road, Fruitland

VICTIM: State of Maryland

CASE NO.: 2011-140

ADDRESS: FRUITLAND

The Fruitland Police Department has been involved in the following investigation:

On 2-11-11 approx 1517 hrs a Fruitland Police Patrol Officer observed a vehicle in the area of the 600 Block of Camden Ave, Fruitland, Maryland. A short time later the vehicle accelerated and travelled onto Disharoon Road. The vehicle was then involved in a property damage accident in the 4200 Block of Disharoon at which time the driver of the vehicle fled the area on foot. Following a coordinated effort between the Fruitland Police and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office K-9, the driver was apprehended approx 1648 hrs. The arrest was made in a wooded area near Stockyard Road approx 11/2 miles south of the accident.

The driver was identified as a 25 year old, white male by the name of:

Michael Anthony Bradds from Pocomoke, Maryland

Bradds will face charges for Leaving the Scene of a Property damage accident, Fleeing and Eluding on foot, Driving on a Suspended License, Driving without a License, Operating an Unregistered motor vehicle, Driving with Registration Plates issued to another vehicle, Driving without Insurance and Criminal charges for Controlled Dangerous Substance – not Marijuana, CDS paraphernalia, Obstructing and Hindering and Trespass on Private Property.

Train Accident

State Police Probing Possible Pedestrian Struck by a Train

 

Location: Red Mill Road at Ruthar Drive, Newark, DE

 

Date of Occurrence: Friday, February 11, 2011 at 2:05 p.m.

 

Resume:   

Newark- The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a collision involving a CSX train that possibly struck a pedestrian in Newark. The incident occurred at approximately 2:05 p.m. in the area of Red Mill Road and Ruthar Drive. Troopers are currently searching the area for a possible victim. The CSX train has stopped in the area located behind Delaware Park. The incident is still under investigation. More information will be released after it is received.

Man Living Illegally In U.S. Charged In Manassas Deaths

A man wanted for deportation is charged with three counts of murder in Virginia.

GO HERE to read more.

TWO OCPD SEARCH AND SEIZURE WARRANTS LEAD TO FIVE DRUG ARRESTS

The Ocean City Narcotics Unit was busy this week with the execution of two separate

search and seizure warrants. The first, which took place on Sunday, February 6, 2011, in the 800 block of St. Louis Avenue, resulted in the arrest of four individuals. Trina Marie Bowers, 20, of Ocean City, Tyrone Mandela Finnikin, 20, of Ocean City, Leon Anthony Harvey, 25, of Ocean City and one juvenile, were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

They were seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and released on their own recognizance.

The second search and seizure warrant took place on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, where members of the OCPD Narcotics Unit, with assistance from the DEA and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team, concluded a three month long heroin distribution investigation with the arrest of Lamont Marvin Smith, 22, of Ocean City. After executing the search warrant at Smith’s home on Jamestown Road, a total of 11 grams of heroin and a 2004 Ford Taurus were seized.

Smith was charged with three counts possession of controlled dangerous substance (CDS) and three counts of distribution of CDS. After being seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner, Smith was transferred to Worcester County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

OCEAN CITY CITIZENS HELP OCPD ARREST MAN FOR BURGLARY

The Ocean City Police Department recently arrested a man responsible for several residential burglaries in the Ocean City area that have taken place since November 2010. Acting on information from concerned citizens, detectives were informed

of a suspect, who was later identified as William Keith Freeman, 25, of Ocean City.

On February 8, 2011, Ocean City Police served a search and seizure warrant on Freeman’s residence and vehicle and located several of the items reported stolen, including items stolen in the recent burglary of Bailey’s Pharmacy. In addition, Ocean City Police recovered items that had been reported stolen in burglaries being handled by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware State Police.

Freeman was arrested by Ocean City Police and charged with first, second and fourth

degree burglary, three counts of theft, malicious destruction of property, possession of

controlled dangerous substance and possession of paraphernalia. After being seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner, Freeman was transferred to Worcester County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

Police are asking anyone with information concerning Freeman’s involvement in

additional burglaries in Ocean City to contact the Ocean City Police Department’s

Criminal Investigation Division at 410.723.6604.

Make Your Valentine's Reservations Today

Chimney Fire At Flavors

Fire crews are on the scene on a chimney fire at Flavors of Italy Restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Salisbury. They have also called for the SPD to come to the scene for traffic control.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES TAX CREDIT

$11 million in credits will leverage commercial and residential construction projects to create an estimated 740 construction jobs

BALTIMORE, MD (February 11,  2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley this morning announced the recipients of the latest round of Sustainable Communities Tax Credits, which will help create 740 construction jobs in projects that will revitalize communities and promote green building practices around the state.  Ten projects that scored highest in the application process received a total of $11 million in tax credits. A total of 36 applications were received seeking $40 million in tax credits.  The construction projects have a total estimated cost of $82,430,000. The Sustainable Communities Tax Credit and its predecessor, the Historic Tax Credit, have invested more than $358 million in Maryland revitalization projects in the past 15 years, supporting 15,000 jobs and revitalizing communities. 

Click here for a complete list of the 10 projects that will receive the credit.

 “This tax credit represents the best of public investment and private enterprise as we continue to seek ways to fuel economic growth and create jobs,” said Governor O’Malley.  “The success of the program in recent years cannot be understated.  These projects will help revitalize historic communities, strengthen a green economy throughout our State, and create new construction and rehabilitation jobs in every corner of Maryland.”

Last year, Governor O’Malley successfully proposed an enhanced version of the Historic Tax Credit, transforming it into the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit to create jobs, spur economic development, and revitalize neighborhoods.  The Heritage Tax Credit in its 14-year history has invested more than $347 million in Maryland revitalization projects since 1996.  Those projects have produced more than $1.5 billion in total direct rehabilitation expenditures by owners and developers.  Coupled with wages, both construction and new jobs, and State and local revenues generated, this equates to more than $8.50 in economic output for every $1 invested by State government.  

In his proposed budget for FY2012, Governor O’Malley maintained funding for the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit at $10 million.

The Governor made his announcement at the former Hoen Lithograph plant in East Baltimore.  The project involves the rehabilitation and LEED green adaptive re-use for office and commercial space of a two-story, 85,000-square foot, pre-1900 industrial building.  The Sustainable Tax Credit was one of the first incentives in the country to link LEED green building design with historic preservation.

“The new Sustainable Communities Tax Credit strengthened the previous program as an incentive for smart growth and sustainable development,” said Maryland Secretary of Planning Richard E. Hall, who chairs the Governor’s Smart Growth Subcabinet. “This tax credit program has been hailed as one of Maryland’s most effective Smart, Green and Growing tools.  By expanding program eligibility and coordinating more closely with related state programs, the tax credit benefits more communities across the state as a critical vehicle for redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization.”

“The 2010 legislation that renewed this valuable tax credit program also recognized the importance of focusing many community reinvestment tools, including tax credits, grants and loans, in targeted areas,” said Raymond A. Skinner, Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development.  “Along with tax credits, Community Legacy grants and Neighborhood BusinessWorks loans are helping to transform East Baltimore and other newly designated Sustainable Communities throughout the State.”

Locally focused nonprofits statewide, and such organizations as HEBCAC, EBDI, BUILD and The Reinvestment Fund in East Baltimore, are working on comprehensive strategies for coordinating investments that result in more livable and sustainable communities.

The ten projects selected to receive over $11 million in the latest round of tax credits ($10 million for FY 2011 plus $1.8 million carried over) were selected based on a scoring scale.  Scoring was based on an established set of criteria, including those outlined by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for historic rehabilitation standards. 

Click here for a complete list of the 10 projects that will receive the credit.

Accident On Rt. 50 With Rescue

There's been an accident with rescue car on its roof. Rt 50 East bound and Civic Ave.

There Will Never Be Another Sarah Foxwell, Ever

Rarely will you ever hear me tell you that you just don't know what it's like sitting in a court room day after day listening to horrific evidence on a particular case. However, in Sarah Foxwell's case it pleases me that so many of you do not have to be subjected to a piece of crap of a human being sitting there without chains and handcuffs humiliating him as many of us feel he should be treated.

Instead, Thomas Leggs sits in a cushioned chair with at least three attorneys by his side doing everything they can to get evidence removed from this trial. At times we're subjected to 35 minutes at a time of rambling on and on about how unfair their client is being treated.

Leggs sits there without any expression whatsoever, no remorse, nothing. As a taxpayer I watch 3 court appointed officers sitting there to make sure he doesn't do anything or better yet no one else does anything to him. I watch, (at times) Sarah's Father staring at this man for hours at a time and I'm sure each and every one of you know what's on his mind.

However, we would be remised if we didn't mention that Sarah's Father didn't have anything to do with Sarah for the past 7 years of her life. Jennifer Foxwell showed up yesterday and quite frankly it also made me sick to my stomach. Lord knows why a 7 month pregnant woman with her 9th child in her womb would show up in court with a very low cut dress and breasts hanging out as if, well, I'm just not going to go there. Someone needs to sit down with Jennifer and tell her a court room is not a place to dress like that. Just look at what the Press just did to Lindsay Lohan. Now imagine that dress on a pregnant woman.

Folks, my last report on this case the other day seemed to shock many as I discussed DNA evidence. I did so because I wanted each and every one of you to get at least a small piece of what actually happened. Sure, we all know Sarah Foxwell was murdered. However, I feel its important for each and every one of you to realize the scope of just how horribly she was taken from our world. The accused indicted by a Grand Jury Thomas Leggs has done horrible things to children. Sarah's death was by far the most horrific death any one of your minds could actually imagine.

This weeks hearings were more of the same, 49 motions to either remove the death penalty or remove DNA evidence. While I enjoyed the work of Sharahn Boykin from the Daily Times article today, I was truly disappointed in the very ending where she stated, "It's not reliable if it's contaminated," O'Donnell said.

Folks, I don't want you to believe in any way, shape or form that the State, any Police Agency, the FBI or ANY of the Labs did anything wrong in this case. Unfortunately the DT's wasn't present the day when this topic came up in full detail. Yes, the defense attorney made that remark at the end of the day yesterday but let me assure you that Davis Ruark took great offense towards that statement and the honorable Judge concurred.

The only piece of evidence that was contaminated was a fingerprint from the investigator himself. Once they learned that the fingerprint was his own they simply removed it from the case. The defense tried to claim that the State and others were trying to conspire to cover-up DNA evidence. The DNA evidence in this trial is pure and the Judge denied their requests.

Each and every day of these hearings I have multiple pages of detailed notes. Will I share those notes with you on this Blog, no. Perhaps one day I'll help write a book with a Family Member and tastefully put out the information compiled. However, for now we'll simply give you our personal thoughts and some of the experiences retained from this experience.

In the mean time I'll say this. I may not personally like the way Jennifer Foxwell is dressed and how she's carried herself over the past few years. However, I thank Jennifer Foxwell for coming to Annapolis with us last year to help get new legislation passed to raise the minimum time a sex offender's sentence to a minimum of 15 years and no chance for parole. I also tip my hat to Jennifer for placing her unborn child up for adoption to a very loving Family.

There are many unconditional couples out there who cannot have children. As someone who is the recipient of such a child in my life, there's never been a better gift in life, than life itself.

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On February 8, 2011 at approximately 4:53 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Harrington Street and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. The suspect was a passenger in the vehicle. During the traffic stop the officers observed the suspect reach out of the vehicle and drop an item. The item was retrieved and found to be a baggie of suspected marijuana.

ARRESTED: Jacob Stephen Adkins, 20 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100004907

On February 8, 2011 at approximately 11:25 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Ohio Avenue and Smith Street and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. The suspect was a passenger in the vehicle. During the traffic stop, the behavior of the passengers resulted in a request by the officers for a K-9 scan of the vehicle. A K-9 from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to scan the vehicle and during the scan, the below listed suspect was found to be in possession of a baggie of suspected marijuana.

ARRESTED: Timothy Vashon Hull, 22 years of age Tyaskin, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100004940

On February 10, 2011 at approximately 12:25 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police extradited the below listed suspect from the Delaware Department of Corrections in Smyrna, Delaware and served the suspect with an arrest warrant for an incident that occurred in 2003. In September of 2003, the below listed suspect is alleged to have forced his way into an apartment on Adams Avenue, in Salisbury, and assaulted an adult female victim. The victim was rendered unconscious and the suspect took her vehicle. Salisbury Detectives identified the suspect and obtained the arrest warrant.

ARRESTED: Christopher Charles Ring, 42 years of age Smyrna, Delaware

CHARGES:
Attempted first degree murder
First degree assault
Second degree assault
Reckless endangerment
First degree burglary
Theft (Over $ 500)

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200300023915

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO INTRODUCE THE MARYLAND OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY ACT OF 2011

Bill will boost offshore wind development to generate much needed clean, renewable energy, create new ‘green’ jobs, and promote long-term price stability

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 11, 2011) – Today, Governor Martin O'Malley will introduce the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011, which will boost offshore wind development to generate much needed clean, renewable energy, create new ‘green’ jobs, and promote long-term price stability. The bill will require that public utilities leverage Maryland’s outstanding offshore wind resources by entering into long-term purchase agreements with wind power generation facilities off of the Mid-Atlantic coast. Harnessing the potential of offshore wind power is essential to ensuring that Maryland meets its Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of generating 20% of its energy from renewable resources by 2022.

“Thanks to the tough choices we’ve made over the last four years, Maryland has emerged as one of the leaders in the effort to harness the power of offshore wind – an industry with the potential to create thousands of jobs and power hundreds of thousands of homes,” said Governor O'Malley. “By requiring the utilities to enter into long-term agreements, we can finally shift our focus from short term profit to our state's long-term energy security.”

An analysis conducted by the US Department of Energy estimates that offshore wind will create approximately 20.7 direct jobs per annual megawatt, including jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and skilled labor. A 500MW wind generation facility in the waters off of the Delmarva coast could generate as many as 2,000 manufacturing and construction jobs during the five-year development period, with an additional 400 permanent jobs once the turbines are spinning.

The bill, which will be submitted today before the General Assembly as HB 1054, seeks to diversify the terms by which energy is purchased in Maryland by requiring long-term power-purchase agreements with offshore wind generation facilities, which would be located more than 10 miles from Maryland’s Atlantic coast. These purchase agreements allow Maryland to lock-in rates over the long-term, providing price stability and predictability in what is otherwise a potentially volatile commodity market.

The bill would require that public utilities purchase between 400-600 megawatts (MW) of power from offshore wind generation facilities in federal waters off Maryland’s coastline for a period of twenty or more years.  Five hundred MW of offshore wind energy is enough to power more than half of the homes in the City of Baltimore, or 79% of the homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  For residential ratepayers, the Public Service Commission currently directs the utilities to procure approximately 25% of their power at a time, in two year contracts, making ratepayers vulnerable to periodic increases in the market price of energy, particularly traditional electricity based on fossil fuel resources.

Due to its ideal location in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as the deep-water port and manufacturing infrastructure in Baltimore, Maryland is well positioned to be a leader not only in offshore wind energy generation, but also in ongoing construction and maintenance.

“Offshore wind power is our best, most promising renewable energy resource,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration. “If we act now we can ensure long-term price stability, create jobs, and generate much needed clean energy to power the next generation of Maryland innovation.”

For more information on offshore wind in Maryland, click here to view relevant facts and figures.

For more information on the Administration’s renewable energy efforts, visit the Maryland Energy Administration.

Alcohol Kills More Than AIDS, TB Or Violence

Drinking causes more than 4 percent of deaths worldwide, WHO warns

GENEVA — Alcohol causes nearly 4 percent of deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence, the World Health Organization warned on Friday.

Rising incomes have triggered more drinking in heavily populated countries in Africa and Asia, including India and South Africa, and binge drinking is a problem in many developed countries, the United Nations agency said.

Yet alcohol control policies are weak and remain a low priority for most governments despite drinking's heavy toll on society from road accidents, violence, disease, child neglect and job absenteeism, it said.

Approximately 2.5 million people die each year from alcohol related causes, the WHO said in its "Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health."

"The harmful use of alcohol is especially fatal for younger age groups and alcohol is the world's leading risk factor for death among males aged 15-59," the report found.

GO HERE to read more.

Analysis: Welcome, GOP Says To Tea Party

High-profile coalition is both a blessing and a curse for Republican Party

WASHINGTON — GOP to Tea Party: Welcome to OUR party.

Not so long ago, the Republican Party and its conservative base weren't sure what to make of — or how to treat — the emerging rabble-rousing ranks of the latest political phenomenon.

No more.

Everyone from House Speaker John Boehner to the decades-old Conservative Political Action Conference is embracing, if not celebrating, the libertarian-leaning activists who upended the Republican establishment and helped the GOP post huge congressional gains last fall.

"I'm a big believer in the Tea Party," Boehner said. His comment came just days before Tea Party-backed House Republicans caused headaches for the speaker on Capitol Hill by dealing him a string of unexpected legislative defeats and forcing his lieutenants to propose deeper budget cuts.

GO HERE to read more.

Hosni Mubarak Resigns As President Of Egypt

Vice President Suleiman says military's Supreme Council will take over

CAIRO — Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president of Egypt, the country's vice president said in a brief statement Friday.

Omar Suleiman, speaking on state television, said Mubarak had decided to depart "the office of the president of the republic" and said the Supreme Council of the armed forces would "run the state."

Leading Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, said Friday was "the greatest day of my life."

"The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he told The Associated Press. He said he expected a "beautiful" transition of power.

The news swept the country and Tahrir Square, home of the protest movement, erupted in celebration.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters had gathered for a huge rally on what they called "Farewell Friday," and after 18 days they finally achieved their main goal.

"The people have brought down the regime," chanted the crowds in Tahrir Square.

GO HERE to read more.

Clueless On Cairo

My Three-week Victory, Your Seven-year Mess
It is difficult trying to figure out what the left’s position is on democracy and the Middle East. Here’s a brief effort.

Once upon a time, a number of prominent liberals — among them Thomas Friedman, Fareed Zakaria, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid — thought it was a good idea to remove Saddam Hussein and supplant his Baathist rule with democracy. I say that with confidence since one can watch the speeches of the senators in question on YouTube debating the 23-writ authorizations to use force in October 2002, in addition to reading the New York Times and Newsweek editorials between 2002-3 of prominent liberal columnists. The New Republic stable of authors was particularly in favor of the Bush-Cheney “just war” to invade Iraq. Jonathan Chait (who would go on to author an infamous essay about why “I hate George Bush”) and Peter Beinhart were especially hard on the fellow left for not joining the Bush effort.

By early 2004, almost all that liberal support had entirely dissipated, predicated on two developments. First, a presidential election was just months away and Bush’s war was no longer “mission accomplished” but turning into a campaign liability. Second, a resistance had formed under hardcore Islamists that was beginning to take a heavy toll on American forces. No WMD had been found, and it was now easy to suggest that one could withdraw support for building democracy in Iraq because two of the 23 writs for going to war were no longer operative, the effort was probably lost, and George W. Bush might well deservedly not be reelected.

No matter. Bush pressed on. His polls sunk yet he was barely reelected. His ongoing “democracy” agenda got little support from those who once had enthusiastically praised the Iraqi adventure and had proclaimed their belief in universal human rights. Few came to Secretary of State Rice’s support when in 2005 she chastised Hosni Mubarak’s regime to grant fundamental rights. Fewer saw any connection between Saddam’s fate and America’s pro-democratic stance and the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, the fright of Mr. Gaddafi who gave up his WMD arsenal, or the sudden willingness of Pakistan to harness Dr. Khan.

GO HERE to read more.

Missing Person Investigation Photo Update

Incident: Missing Person Investigation
Date of Incident: 7 February 2011
Location: Wicomico County


Narrative: On 7 Feb 2011, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the disappearance of 15 year old Gabriella Marie Blades. Gabriella lives in the Fruitland area and was last seen on 7 February on the campus of Parkside High School. Gabriella is believed to have left the school on her own volition and has been reportedly been seen in the west Salisbury area.

At this time the WCSO has an active investigation into the whereabouts of Gabriella. If anyone has any information, you are asked to immediately contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.

Gabriella Marie Blades is a white female
15 YOA
5’9" 220lbs red hair and green eyes
Last Seen wearing a red zip-up hoodie, a white T-Shirt and blue sweat pants.
Reference case 11-534

Mexican Drug Cartels Hold 12-Year-Old For Ransom – In New Mexico

Thugs working for Mexican drug cartels kidnapped the 12-year-old daughter of a ranch foreman in New Mexico, holding the girl for ransom until her family and neighbors came up with $80,000 for her release. They didn’t dare call law enforcement for help because of very real fears their calls would be monitored by the kidnappers using sophisticated communications relay stations erected on U.S. public lands.

That was one of the most shocking stories four congressmen heard last week while visiting hot spots along the New Mexico, Arizona and Texas border, where specific American law enforcement officers are being targeted for assassination and high levels of violence, vandalism and threats against Americans are increasingly common. One rancher showed the lawmakers a photo she had taken on her property of a camo-clad drug runner brandishing an AK-47.

“The town hall meeting we held with ranchers in New Mexico was very lively,” Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., told The Examiner. “The drug smugglers use scanners, cell phones, GPS systems and other equipment that is better than anything Border Patrol or the local deputy sheriffs have. We could actually see them watching our Border Patrol agents from points on high ground” in Mexico.

There were 900 attacks on Border Patrol agents last year, Royce said, and 91 assaults on Customs Agents in the Tucson sector alone. Narco traffickers have become so bold that they shot up a U.S. Customs station in the process of intercepting a big cocaine shipment.

Royce noted that a retired Mexican general who had been recruited to be the police chief in a border town was assassinated within a month. “This is an emergency situation. We need to take decisive action. The Mexican government is losing control, and is unable to keep the narco insurgents at bay.”

To that end, the California Republican plans to introduce legislation to finish the 700-mile border fence – including double fencing in key areas – which is part of the House Republicans’ “Pledge to America.”

“Where the fence has been deployed, it’s been enormously successful. Before the fence was built outside San Diego, drug cartels controlled the area. The fence was 95 percent effective against people smuggling weapons, and crime dropped 50 percent in both Tijuana and San Diego,” Royce said.

The legislation would also give the Border Patrol operational control of the southern border, which it does not have now.

“My bill will prohibit the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture from interfering with Border Patrol activities on federal lands,” Royce told us. “It will also allow state and local law enforcement to enforce all U.S. immigration laws, and require the Department of Homeland Security to review all visa applications at high-risk locations.”

Read more at the Washington Examiner

Tea Party Freshmen Score Major Budget Victory

The massive class of Republican freshmen won its first major victory in the House Thursday, coercing the GOP leadership into nearly doubling the size of the cuts they planned to impose on this year's spending bill. The 87 new Republican lawmakers, sworn in just a month ago and largely backed by the Tea Party, told Republican leaders they were unhappy with a proposal to reduce the fiscal 2011 budget by $35 billion, complaining that it did not uphold their campaign trail "Pledge to America" that promised to slash federal spending by $100 billion this year.

The freshman class lobbied the GOP leaders intensely over the past 24 hours to increase the cuts, and the talks culminated in a sudden announcement Thursday afternoon from House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., who said he would reduce actual spending levels in this year's budget by $58 billion, a decrease of $23 billion below his original proposal released just a day earlier.

That makes the GOP budget proposal a full $100 billion below what President Obama requested last March in his initial budget request for fiscal 2011.

"After meeting with my subcommittee chairs, we have determined that the [budget] can and will reach a total of $100 billion in cuts compared to the president's request ... fully meeting the goal outlined in the Republican 'Pledge to America' in one fell swoop," Rogers said.

It was a major victory for the GOP freshmen, some of whom told The Washington Examiner they worked the phones, the hallways and the House floor to get the message through to the elder Republicans that they couldn't back a plan that did not uphold their pledge.

"We had some conversations with leadership, some direct face-to face conversations," said Tom Reed, a New York Republican backed by the Tea Party. Reed said he and other freshmen were "concerned" by the $35 billion proposal and made sure the leadership knew it. "They were receptive. They understood where we were and they heard us. And that's good."

The new cuts set up a potential fight on the House floor next week, when the GOP plans to vote on the spending bill. The bill funds the final seven months of the fiscal year, ending Sept. 30.

Several moderate Republicans, some on the Appropriations Committee, have told The Washington Examiner they believe some of the cuts go too far.

Without moderate GOP support, the proposal could fail because few, if any Democrats are likely to back the plan.

Read more

Conservatism Is Back -- And This Time It's Serious

The really smart guys, they knew I couldn't win," Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., told the annual Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday. It wasn't a figure of speech. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had told Politico in early 2009, "I don't think there is anybody in the world who believes he can get elected senator [in Pennsylvania]." At that point, Toomey was the only Republican candidate in the race.

But even in blue Pennsylvania, a hub of labor activism and free-trade skepticism, Toomey proved last November that an unabashed social and fiscal conservative can still win. As the broader election showed, not just any conservative can do this. It takes someone who is serious.

Every movement has its kooks, and they inevitably become louder when their party loses power. The Tea Party uprising produced many quality candidates in 2010, but it also produced some real stinkers. And the media made sure that the very worst of the worst received the most attention - witness the almost maniacal obsession with Christine O'Donnell in Delaware.

Even as she slid toward a predictable defeat, a different story unfolded quietly in Pennsylvania, where a true conservative worthy of the Tea Party label ran one of the most flawless and disciplined campaigns of the year. Toomey's victory proved that the best movements can overcome the characters at their own fringes, so long as they have solid centers.

Toomey was not a charismatic candidate, nor is he a gifted speaker. In his natural, unaffected monotone, he told his CPAC crowd of how he had once addressed his daughter's second-grade class, only to have a 7-year-old girl approach him afterward and tell him: "I just want you to know, that's the worst speech I've ever heard in my entire life."

But even if he didn't give fancy speeches, Toomey was smart about what he said on the campaign trail. He didn't suggest "Second Amendment remedies" for dealing with the Democratic Congress, or repeat made-up Internet stories about Islamic Shariah law being imposed on U.S. towns.

At the same time, he didn't back away from his long-held conservative stances on issues. Critics had tried to use these to brand him as an extremist during his first statewide race, when he challenged and nearly defeated liberal Republican Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2004 GOP primary.

After one month as a senator, Toomey has already shown that he is more than a back-bench bomb thrower who draws attention to himself by tweeting whatever comes to mind. His first bill, the Full Faith and Credit Act, would put repayment of Treasury bonds above other obligations. It is a serious legislative proposal that would, he said, "take off the table this false specter of a default and allow us to have an honest debate about ... structural reforms." No less an authority than Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said the bill would dramatically reduce the stakes of one of Congress' silliest annual rituals, the vote to raise the federal debt ceiling.

As Toomey told his CPAC audience, "the most irresponsible thing we can do is vote to raise the debt limit and then simply continue business as usual."

Read more at the Washington Examiner

DECKER: ‘No Drama Obama’ vs. The Birthers

Politics is a blood sport, and it’s naive to think there won’t be some serious injuries when playing in the political big leagues. Because the stakes are so high, people running for office put forth enormous efforts to scrub their past and curricula vitae of any information that could give the faintest whiff of scandal or irregularity. This leads to many self-inflicted wounds. Excessive fear of scrutiny breeds secrecy, which can inspire conspiracy theories, as the current occupant of the White House has proven.

All of the question marks lurking around President Obama‘s background could be answered with a little transparency. Fair or not, refusing to make college transcripts public makes a gossipy society curious about what someone has to hide. When a public servant doesn’t provide clarity, the creative masses will fill in the blanks. As liberal MSNBC host Chris Matthews frustratingly asked about the hullabaloo over Mr. Obama‘s birth certificate, “Why doesn’t the president just say, ‘Send me a copy right now?’ Why doesn’t [White House spokesman Robert L.] Gibbs and [presidential Senior Adviser David M.] Axelrod say, ‘Let’s just get this crappy story dead?’ Why not do it? If it exists, why not put it out?”

Democrats try to wave off the birther controversy as a right-wing tempest in a teapot, but the president, his own staff and backers are the rainmakers who have stirred the recent storm. Even when conservative critics of this administration try to ignore the numerous conspiracy theories flying around Mr. Obama, Democrats like Mr. Matthews keep bringing the issues to the fore and thus make the scandals more bipartisan and mainstream. Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie - a left-winger who made his political debut in 1970 as a longhaired Vietnam war protester - is another example. After being elected governor in November, Mr. Abercrombie, an Obama supporter, vowed to put the birther issue to rest “as quick as we can” because it could have implications for the 2012 presidential race. Now he’s backtracking and giving conflicting statements about what exists and what doesn’t. With friends like these, the president hardly needs enemies.

More here

GOP Finds Politics Of Patriot Act Tricky

House Republicans lost their first vote of the year this week on a measure to extend the USA Patriot Act after failing to count noses within their own caucus and shedding the support of dozens of Democrats who voted against the very same provisions they approved a year ago when they were in charge.

The vote was a lesson in political opportunism, but also highlighted the challenge Republicans face being in the majority and the freedom Democrats enjoy in being able to vote without the pressure of delivering on behalf of President Obama, who had asked them to embrace the provisions.

Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist, said House Democrats are adjusting from being a majority party responsible for “helping to ensure the safety of American families to a minority with the political mission to regain power.”

The same measure sailed through the Democrat-controlled House on a 315-97 vote last year.

But when the new GOP majority tried to fast-track a proposal to keep key provisions of the law on the books through Dec. 8, they fell seven votes shy of the support required to pass it.

The next day, House Minority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, said the vote was emblematic of the philosophical divisions within the new Republican majority, after more than two dozen members of the GOP, including some conservative freshmen, opposed the measure.

“Apparently, they were surprised by it,” Mr. Hoyer said. “I don’t think they expected to lose the votes they lost.”

But the outcome was determined just as much by more than 30 Democrats who switched their position on the issue by casting their votes against the proposed extension.

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The Experts Got It Wrong

We have experienced plenty of arrogance and a failure to understand Egypt  over the past 10 days on the part of experts and commentators, both in Israel and abroad, who terminated Mubarak and his regime with their very words. The Obama Administration joined this assessment, until it realized its mistake.

The moment it became clear that Egypt’s immense defense establishment – millions of soldiers, police officers and security personnel – is standing by Mubarak and his officers, the matter was decided. The moment government institutions in Cairo were kept in the army’s hands, it didn’t matter how many protestors gathered at Tahrir Square, because this is how Egypt is ruled: From the radio and television building, from the Interior Ministry, from the government palaces, and from the Central Bank.

Egypt doesn’t like disorder. It is a vast civilization, which for 5,000 years now had been ruled as a formidable power pyramid; its domestic genetic code stresses “social order” and revulsion in the face of anarchy, and at the end of the day the regime managed to regain its legitimacy. With a great degree of accuracy, the regime portrayed itself as the obstacle in the face of chaos, Hezbollah or al-Qaeda terror, or violent political Islam.

Machiavelli wrote that there is nothing scarier than an impassioned crowd without a leader, but also noted that there is nothing weaker. And indeed, the masses who gathered at the squares had no leader. Baradei is a Western joke, as he knows nobody in Egypt and mostly in its corridors of power. He lived in Europe for most of his life.

The other candidates are insignificant as well. Preacher Yusuf Qaradawi lives far away in exile and the only leadership that remains is the almost primitive incitement of al-Jazeera; many people in the Middle East already understand that this is no news channel, but rather, a propaganda tool on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood and its regional proxies. Al-Jazeera is already watched with reservations in the Mideast.

More here

White House Fudges On Whether It Would Save Israel

White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs would not pledge to guarantee Israel's security if its existence is in danger, in a Wednesday press briefing. In reference to recent Middle East turmoil, he was asked: "If Israel is threatened by any of these new governments or Hamas and Hizbullah, if its existence is in danger, would the US come to its assistance?

Gibbs answered: "Regardless of the situation facing any government in the region, our friendship, our partnership and our alliance with Israel is unchanged."

Gibbs also said the Administration could not force a peace settlement on Israel and the PA. "The president has been involved from day one in seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians," he said, but added that "We cannot force those two into steps that they are unwilling to take steps to do themselves."

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Gaffney: Sack Obama’s Intelligence Chief

National Intelligence Director James Clapper’s bid to defuse frustration on Capitol Hill over the intelligence community’s performance during the Mideast upheaval appeared to backfire Thursday, when his description of Egypt’s extremist Muslim Brotherhood as a “largely secular” group that has “eschewed violence” sparked outrage.

That characterization by the No. 1 U.S. intelligence official triggered an immediate backlash.

Clapper’s remark was a “head-snapping moment,” said Richard Engel, NBC’s chief foreign correspondent.

“That doesn’t make any sense from my knowledge of the organization,” Engel told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, “and I’ve spent lot of time with them.” He described it as “a complete misreading of the situation here in Egypt.”

Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, blasted Clapper’s remarks as “a firing offense.”

“I think this is grounds for insisting upon his resignation,” Gaffney told Newsmax in an exclusive interview, “because, if that is the considered opinion of the top intelligence professional in the United States, clearly the United States government is being very badly misinformed about the seemingly eminent takeover of the Egyptian government by what I believe is as dangerous an organization as anyone on the planet.”

Gaffney said he had never heard anyone describe the Muslim Brotherhood as secular. It seeks creation of an Islamic caliphate and worldwide imposition of Sharia law, he said.

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Today's Survey Question

Should Government Require 'Black Boxes' In Cars

After Toyota's deadly problem with sticking accelerators, a government proposal would require new cars to have onboard data recorders -- similar to airplane 'black boxes' -- pitting safety concerns against privacy concerns

Thank God Its Friday

What will you be doing this weekend?

How To Prevent The Internet From Failing

The Internet we have today was never built for the security threats that we now face - spam, phishing, hacking and even the prospect of cyber war. As agencies are encouraged to leverage technology to become more productive and cost-efficient, how can these reforms happen while maintaining security and reliability?

Jeffrey Hunker, who served on the Clinton administration's national security council leading cybersecurity efforts, says U.S. policy has failed so far in addressing the growing security risks online. Hunker is the author of Creeping Failure: How We Broke the Internet and What We Can Do To Fix It.

 

Hunker said the United States is very good at handling crises. However, the nation has not faced an Internet crisis yet.
 
"We haven't had the cyber Pearl Harbor. We haven't had the complete network breakdown," Hunker said in an interview with the DorobekINSIDER. "What instead has happened year after year, we have an ever increasing and ever more sophisticated cyber underworld."
 
Hunker compares today's Internet to Charles Dickens' London of the 1840s - The city then was vast, driven by new technologies and rich with commercial and social opportunities, he said. At the same time, London was filled with crime and had no effective law enforcement or government.
 
"That's all what today's Internet is like," Hunker said.
 
What happened in London in the mid-19th century - and what must happen now with the "cyber city" of the Internet - is to create the physical, technological and institutional changes to meet modern challenges, Hunker argues.
 
"How long are we going to continue with trying to patch more vulnerabilities built on top of a network that was never designed in the first place to be secure?" Hunker asked. "If there's ever a recipe for for ultimate frustration and eventual failure, I can't think of a better description."

GO HERE to read more.

Postal Cuts Aren't Enough

The post office continues to lose money at a rapid pace, and risks default. Even though the postal service has cut staff, closed offices and will be consolidating other facilities, it isn't enough. Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe says it will have a cash shortfall, and reach its statutory borrowing limit, by the end of the fiscal year. That means it could be forced to default on some of its financial obligations to the federal government. Without the requirement for advance health care payments, the USPS says it would have had a net profit of $226-million dollars for the quarter.

Food Industry Whistleblowers Now Safer

Food industry workers who become whistleblowers are now safer from retaliation. That's thanks to a little-noticed provision in the food safety law the president signed last month. The Food Safety and Modernization Act is aimed at preventing food-borne sickness. It gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to order recalls. But the law also protects workers at regulated food companies from being fired, demoted or denied promotions or raises, if they speak up about what they think are violations.The non-profit Government Accountability Project sponsors a conference today to call attention to the new law.

Md. Senate Democrats Eye Tax Raises To Avoid Cuts

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland Senate Democrats looking to avoid deep budget cuts said Thursday they are discussing a package of tax hikes.

Early talks among the Senate's liberal members have focused on combining proposals to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon, increase the alcohol tax by a dime on each drink sold at restaurants and stores, improve business tax collections and reinstate a "millionaire's tax."

Such a package could cobble together enough political support to pass the Senate and soften the blow from massive cuts that Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed to help close a projected $1.4 billion budget gap.

"When you add different revenue measures, together you lose some people and you pick up some people.
You essentially have to see who is willing to support how many of them," said Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George's. "In other words, there might be people who like the gas tax who don't like the millionaire's tax, so when you when you add the millionaire's tax, they peel off."

No formal plan has been drafted and the pieces are still moving as supporters eye how to get the 24 votes needed to advance a measure, Pinsky said.

GO HERE to read more.

Credit Checks For Employment Are Embarrassing And Unnecessary, Advocates Say

Credit reports could no longer factor in hiring decisions, if a bill proposed by Sen. Catherine Pugh becomes law. The bill would prohibit employers from using credit checks to make hiring decisions, unless the employee would be working for a financial institution or an investment house.

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In The UPS Time Zone, End Of Business Day Is Midnight

When you order something for "next day" delivery, what constitutes a day? Travis wrote that his very important package didn't arrive that day. Normally not an issue, but he had taken a vacation day from work to wait for it. UPS told him that the package absolutely would show up by the end of the business day, where "end of the business day" is defined as "midnight." Not only does Travis find this a strange way to define "business day," but the package didn't show up then, either.

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iPhone App Lets Catholics Practice Confessing On The Go

A $2 iPhone app walks users through a simulation of the Catholic sacrament of confession, offering sinners the opportunity to admit their misdeeds via their phones.

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Eggs Today Contain Less Cholesterol Than They Did A Few Years Ago

It's been a rough few months for eggs, following a massive salmonella-related recall. But there is a slight bit of decent news for the chicken ova industry: The eggs being popped into folks' frying pans today aren't as bad for your arteries as they were not so long ago.

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Would You Pay $20/Night To Guarantee A Non-Smoking Room?

You can almost imagine the moment when some executive at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was walking by the check-in counter and heard an employee ask a guest, "Will that be smoking or non-smoking?" And in that moment, yet another idea for a tack-on fee was born.

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DNA Links Grocery Clerk In Tainted Yogurt Case

Not only was there semen in the yogurt, but DNA testing has linked it with the same pushy grocery clerk who gave the free sample to the shopper who complained about it.

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Why Does The Government Hate War Widows?

Over 50,000 war widows whose late spouses paid for insurance to help support their families in the case they lost their life now find themselves unable to receive the entire benefit of the insurance — that is unless they remarry... but not until after they turn 57.

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BREAKING NEWS

Presidency to make 'important' statement soon, Egypt TV says.

10 Confessions Of An Insurance Telemarketer

One of our readers works sales in an insurance telemarketing operation. He's stepped forward to give us the skinny on how he gets commission, the real reasons that drive some of their tactics, and what personal information you should never give over the phone to a telemarketer.

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Guitar Hero Goes Silent

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Activision announced it will no longer make any more Guitar Hero games.

Despite Rumors Mubarak Refuses To Resign

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Protesters are enraged after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced he won't leave Egypt, but will merely transfer power to his vice president.

It Is What It Is

Last night my daughter walked into the living room and said "Dad, cancel my allowance, stop paying my

college tuition, rent my room out, throw all my clothes out of the window, take my TV, stereo, iPhone, iPad, and jewelry and give it to charity. Sell my car and take my front door key and throw me out of the house".

 

Well, she didn't actually put it like that. She said,

 

"Dad, this is my new boyfriend, Mohammed."

U.S. Footing $100M Bill For U.N. Security Upgrade

Months after top New York City officials expressed intense behind-the-scenes frustration at the security vulnerabilities at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, the U.N. is now planning to spend $100 million — donated by the U.S. — on the upgrade.

That has created a new controversy: critics want to know why the U.S. is footing the entire bill, and why that money is not being credited against U.S. dues for the following year.

“If the U.S. overpays the U.N., those funds should be returned in full to the U.S. Treasury,” declared Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “To allow the U.N. to redirect those U.S. taxpayer dollars for unrelated projects is unjustifiable.” Moreover, she says, “by allowing the U.N. to reap the U.S. surplus as a slush fund for construction, the State Department wants to stick U.S. taxpayers with 100 percent of the cost, instead of the 22 percent that the U.S. would be responsible for under normal procedures.”

GO HERE to read more.

Jaycees Host Salisbury Historical Exhibit And Book Signing Feb. 19

SALISBURY, MD---The Salisbury Jaycees presents an exhibit of historical photos from the recently published book “Images of America: Salisbury” 1-5 p.m. Saturday, February 19, at the Salisbury Area
Chamber of Commerce Business Center, 144 E. Main St .

Over 100 images include photos of fondly remembered recreational spots such as Johnny’s and Sammy’s, the Oaks Drive-In, the Polar Bar and the Boulevard Theater, as well as rare photos of the aftermath of the Great Salisbury Fire of 1886, the city’s first hospital, the first Salisbury Christmas Parade and more.

Author Jason Rhodes will be on hand to sign copies of the book throughout the event. An author’s discussion takes place at 3 p.m.

Admission is $5 per person, free for children ages 12 and under. Light refreshments will be served. Proceeds benefit the Jaycees’ Treat Street safe Halloween trick-or-treating initiative.

For more information call 410-749-0144, ext. 109, or visit the Salisbury Jaycees’ Web site at http://www.salisburyjc.com/.

Property Tax Assessment Cap Reduction

Here is an interesting bill that I just read.  As you already probably know - Wicomico's assessment cap is ranked among the highest permited in the State - 10%. 

Our local Delegation members - Eckardt, Haddaway-Riccio - propose to lower the rate from 10% to 5% cap.  So - if and when the real estate market ever spikes again - then Wicomico residents are protected with a 5% evaluation cap.  VOICE - helped the Anne Arundel County sister group - enact this for Anne Arundel residents.  Now - maybe Wicomico residents will also be able to realize benefit from enactment of this legislation.

http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/billfile/HB0576.htm 

Thank you Echardt, Haddaway-Riccio - for some relief.

VA Open House

February 9, 2011
Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System
Open House and Information Fair for Veterans

The VA Maryland Health Care System is hosting an Open House and Information Fair for Veterans about VA health care eligibility, enrollment, and services on Saturday, March 5, 2011, any time between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cambridge VA Outpatient Clinic, 830 Chesapeake Drive, Cambridge, Md.  Honorably discharged Veterans who served in the armed forces may qualify for health care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Veterans and their family members are invited to attend so they can learn about VA health care eligibility and enrollment, available health care services and compensation and pension
benefits.  Information will also be available about VA programs and services to support Veterans struggling due to a job loss or a financial setback. 

WHO:    The VA Maryland Health Care System

WHAT:       Open House and Information Fair 

WHERE:      Cambridge VA Outpatient Clinic, 830 Chesapeake Drive, Cambridge, MD

WHEN:       Saturday, March 5, 2011, any time between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Legislative Alert

Proposed legislation in the spotlight in Maryland is Senate Bill 304, which states any residential retail electric customer whose usage exceeds 1,000 kilowatt hours in a month is subject to a renewable energy surcharge of $0.013/kwh. This means you would be assessed $0.013 for any and all kwh in excess of the first 1,000. The average residential account uses 1,230 kwh/mo. which means an additional $3/mo. High usage members like poultry accounts could see several hundred dollars in additional charges on their monthly bill. This charge would be a total pass-through for Choptank Electric, meaning we won't keep one penny. The purpose of the fund is to promote energy efficiency and the development and deployment of the renewable energy generation technology in the state.

To find about this bill go to http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tnpcrycab&et=1104468872409&s=1791&e=001W4Xeo3DqcuJgudDpGCSYBpwQGsYzMbHNexNickpt2mSj_tSI5qHQ28VLoE6ZRxAYhHAMDOTyTaM6ODsPPOdtGzPVF6AekV3ZoJPsEYetMUdx_n-ai5Z4fg==, scroll down until you see a box that says Bill Number, enter SB304 and click the query button.

Two Eastern Shore senators sit on the committee where this bill will be heard: Sen. E.J. Pipkin, 800.492.7122 x3639, ej.pipkin@senate.state.md.us; Sen. James Mathias, 800.492.7122 x3645, james.mathias@senate.state.md.us

Thank you.

Joe, Just Got This From My Electric Company

Proposed legislation in the spotlight in Maryland is Senate Bill 304, which states any residential retail electric customer whose usage exceeds 1,000 kilowatt hours in a month is subject to a renewable energy surcharge of $0.013/kwh. This means you would be assessed $0.013 for any and all kwh in excess of the first 1,000. The average residential account uses 1,230 kwh/mo. which means an additional $3/mo. High usage members like poultry accounts could see several hundred dollars in additional charges on their monthly bill. This charge would be a total pass-through for Choptank Electric, meaning we won't keep one penny. The purpose of the fund is to promote energy efficiency and the development and deployment of the renewable energy generation technology in the state.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO ANNOUNCE RECIPIENTS OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY TAX CREDIT

$11 million in credits will leverage commercial and residential construction projects to create an estimated 740 construction jobs

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will announce today the ten recipients of the latest round of Sustainable Communities Tax Credits, which will help create 740 construction jobs in projects that will revitalize communities and promote green building practices around the state.  Ten projects that scored highest in the application process will receive a total of $11 million in tax credits. A total of 36 applications were received seeking $40 million in tax credits.

Last year, Governor O’Malley successfully proposed an enhanced version of the Historic Tax Credit, transforming it into the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit to create jobs, spur economic development, and revitalize neighborhoods.  The Heritage Tax Credit in its 14-year history has invested more than $347 million in Maryland revitalization projects since 1996.  Those projects have produced more than $1.5 billion in total direct rehabilitation expenditures by owners and developers.  Coupled with wages, both construction and new jobs, and State and local revenues generated, this equates to more than $8.50 in economic output for every $1 invested by State government.  

WHAT:           Governor O’Malley to announce recipients of Sustainable Communities Tax Credit

WHEN:           TODAY, Friday, February 11, 2011 at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:         Hoen Lithograph plant site

2101 E Biddle Street

Baltimore

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INITIATIVE

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 10, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today on President Obama’s “Win the Future through the Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure” initiative, which specifically supports building the National Public Safety Broadband Network and re-allocating the D Block of spectrum for use by America’s first responders:

“Today, President Obama publicly expressed his Administration’s strong support for building the National Public Safety Broadband Network and re-allocating the D Block of spectrum for use by our first responders. As our nation approaches the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the President today recognized the need to fulfill a 10-year-old promise to our first responders and to the American people.  The personnel who defend our homeland deserve the technology they need to do their jobs in the safest and most effective way possible.

“I’m proud to have led the effort with my fellow Governors in the National Governor’s Association in seeking reallocation of the D Block for our first responders.  The NGA has supported this move in a bi-partisan fashion and I hope that Congress continues in this spirit to accomplish this critical goal for the interoperability of our public safety agencies and for the security of our citizens.”

Dueling Polls: 'Stick To Jobs,' Or 'Save The Bay'?

Do Marylanders want their government to focus for now on creating jobs over cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay? Or do they think water pollution is a serious problem that will need more government regulation - and maybe some more of taxpayers' money - to reduce?

Those are the seemingly conflicting messages that emerge from a pair of public opinion surveys done in recent weeks - one at the behest of the state's builders, the other at the bidding of a state-funded environmental grant-making group.

More than four out of five Maryland voters want the O'Malley administration to put a higher priority on creating jobs than on restoring the bay, according to the poll done in January by Gonzales Research & Marketing Inc. of Annapolis for the Maryland State Builders Association.

According to the same telephone survey of 802 registered voters, more than half - 57 percent - say economic growth should be the state's main focus, even if it means the environment suffers in the process.  And a slim majority - 53 percent - say they're not willing to pay a penny more for bay cleanup and restoration.

GO HERE to read more.

Mayor Puts Blight-Reducing Plan On Fast Track

'Vacants To Value' Could Bring More People To City

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has put the city's Vacants to Value program on the fast track in hopes of reducing blight, bringing in new residents and generating more tax dollars for the city.

The mayor on Thursday held a summit to kick-start the Vacants to Value program, and her office told 11 News that the interest in it was so high that they had to move it to the Baltimore Convention Center.

Currently, there are more than 16,000 vacant buildings in Baltimore, about a third of which are owned by the city. Add to that recent census data showing a drop in the city's population, and it doesn't paint a very good picture -- something the mayor was well aware of.

GO HERE to read more.

Abolish Death Penalty?

Do you think Maryland should abolish the death penalty?

I think that the death penalty should be abolished. Its still another form of murder, its just legal. Serving a lifetime in prison is worse than the death penalty. Peace comes along with death. They should serve their time in prison not in death. Shante

Yes only because it has been proven that this is not a deterrent to crime. Those that commit crimes that would warrant a death sentence, should be incarcerated in a way that they will never have any human contact. This will prevent those convicted from committing crimes while incarcerated. James, Owings Mills

This question has long been argued. I am stuck in the middle. The bible states Thou Shall Not kill, however I am not fond of taking care of a sex offender or a person of pre meditated murder with my tax dollars.

They should not abolish the death penalties. New measures to help insure not executing innocent people should be implemented. The argument that the death penalty is nor a deterrant is ridiculous. If you are found guilty of committing a death penalty crime, the death penalty will deter you from committing future crimes. The victims of heinous crimes are already dead. Let's remember that and stop treating those found guilty as if they are the victims. Mark in Bel Air

Why not abolish it, Maryland has become so liberal crime and criminals are on the rise in areas such as Baltimore City, Prince George's, and Montgomery counties. We don't punish in this state, we even had to give the sniper to Virginia so they could give him what he deserved. We outsource our punishment cause the liberals have no stomach for it. Charles

The death penalty should not be abolished. If a convicted murderer has no regard for someone elses life, why should his or her life be spared? Eddie from Baltimore

absolutely not, then would be no deterrent what so ever and no avenue for any unspeakable crimes that may occur in the future. Byron

NO!!! The individuals that receive the death penalty have committed such a horrible crime, the murder of another individual. Yet, others want to take care of him for the rest of life. Forgive, I do not see how he has earned that right. Sandy/Woodlawn

Don't remove the Death Penalty; lets start punishing people for rape and murder. Lets stop just slapping people on the back of the hand. The punishment should deter crime. On top of that, why do us tax payers have to support these criminals for the rest of their lives?

As long as murderers continue to murder in Maryland, they should continue to face the same fate they gave to the victim. Tom

From Our Facebook Fans:

Lindsay Muir Johnson No!!!! I think if you weren't concerned about the Life you killed then why should anyone care about your life in return!

Dave Baraloto Baltimore City and PG county have extremely high homicide rates. We should be getting tougher on crime- not softer.

Nicole Becker Absolutely NOT!! These criminals need to know if they kill someone that they will be killed in return!

Matthew Dooley Don't even get me started on this subject, no they need to use the death penalty more often. Our goverment has become a bunch of wusses, you kill someone you die, you have no right to live. You took someones right to live, so you lose yours & I feel they should die the way they killed their victim. Better yet send them to a 3rd world prison, then they will be praying for God to let them die. I have no remorse for scum & letting them live the rest of their lives in prison does not fit the punishment.

Mindi Crossan No, not all. An eye for an eye. I would think it would cost the tax payers less to kill a murderer than to have them rot in prison for the rest of their miserable life.

Robert People The only problem I have is that they sit on death row for so damn LONG before the death sentence is carried out.

Megan Elle Two worngs don't make a right, who are we to play god. Isnt a life in prison worse anyways, and if the crime is bad they will just end up getting killed in prison by other inmates. Isn't it worth it to get rid of the death plenty if it save...s the life of even one WORNGLY convicted person. And what about the family of a person who gets the death pently, if there in jail theu can visit, i know if there up for the death pently its a bad crime but it doesnt mean that persons family is bad. The death pently is old school, its medieval, havn't we evolved.

Lawrence Fasick NO! ...Someone sentenced to consecutive life sentences IE: Nickolas Browning who killed four family members should have gotten the death penalty! Why should taxpayers be paying to house for life! He was 17 at the time he slaughtered his family so what.

Melissa Janiel Leighton Absolutely not!!

GO HERE to read more.