SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL HOLDS EMERGENCY MEETING TO CORRECT ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET ERROR

SALISBURY – Plans to release news that the Salisbury City Council would complete the budget process and pass the Fiscal Year 2012 budget next week were changed yesterday after the council learned from the city administration that the budget’s public hearing, held May 9, had not been advertised as required by law.

“Council acted quickly to hold an emergency special meeting this morning to approve, on first reading, the budget ordinance based on the mayor’s submitted budget and budget message and to set a new public hearing date, time and place, which will be 6:05 p.m. on Monday, June 6, 2011, in Room 301 of the Government Office Building, 125 N. Division St., Salisbury, MD,” Council President Terry Cohen said.

“The advertisement for the budget public hearing is scheduled to run in this Sunday’s

The emergency special meeting was officially announced this morning, then held at 9:45 a.m. The final council budget work session will be Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 306 of the Government Office Building, with the public hearing scheduled for June 6 as noted. Cohen said that addressing the 18.6% sewer rate hike would likely be the biggest item of the council’s general discussion on Tuesday, especially with the number of concerned citizens contacting the council. The public hearing on June 6 would be the public’s last opportunity to comment on the mayor’s proposed budget.

The council could possibly adopt the budget on second reading after the public hearing, but June 8 is being held as a fall-back date for adoption. The budget must be finalized no later than June 15, as mandated by the city charter, including any possibility of a mayoral veto and a possible council override.

“The public has already given council feedback on the mayor’s proposed budget, which has gotten due consideration in deliberations, so if we don’t hear something really different and necessary, we may pass the budget that same night,” Cohen noted.

“We know the public will be understanding of the time constraints we now face due to this administrative error,” Cohen added. “Many have expressed appreciation for the diligence the council has exercised and members’ accessibility to the public. Council has been cooperative and forthcoming with ideas, trying to act in the best interest of our citizens.”

Daily Times. These actions should cure any potential legal defect with the process, ensure full transparency to the public, and enable the budget process to be completed in accordance with the city charter,” Cohen explained.

DNA Tests Find "Disturbingly Widespread" Seafood Fraud

If you've long suspected that the "mahi-mahi" on your plate may really be yellowtail, you now have science on your side: Researchers with the non-profit group Oceana have harnessed the power of forensic science to confirm that as much as half of all seafood sold in the U.S. is mislabeled. The group accuses the industry of "seafood fraud," and is calling on the federal government to step in to more tightly regulate fisheries and related businesses.

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This Is How TV Ads Are So Loud

Here's something that might be hard to believe at first. There is no difference in volume between the loudest part of a TV show and a loud commercial.

But how can that be? TV ads are soooo much louder than the TV shows, right? Well, as WIRED reports, most ads actually never go above the FCC recommended volume limits. The difference is that the TV shows are well below that level, saving the peak volume part for that big explosion or gun fight, while TV ads are right at the limit the whole time. The audio engineers increase the volume on all of the audio, then clip it off right at the loudness limits.

Which is why I use for commercials what the audio engineers haven't been able to design around (yet), the mute button.


Source »

Former NC Priest Admitted Delaware Sexual Abuse

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- A Catholic priest who was relieved of his duties as pastor of a North Carolina church amid allegations of "inappropriate behavior" admitted in a deposition that he sexually abused a Delaware boy.

The admission by the former Rev. James O'Neill was outlined in a court ruling obtained by The Associated Press in a lawsuit between O'Neill's religious order and its insurance company.

O'Neill was a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and the former principal of Salesianum School in Wilmington, where he was accused of molesting Eric Eden over several years beginning in 1976.

Eden has settled lawsuits with Salesianum, the Oblates and the Diocese of Wilmington.

Source

Judge: Corporate Donations Ban Unconstitutional

Ruling cites Citizens United, says corporations have same rights as individuals to contribute to campaigns

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A judge has ruled that the campaign-finance law banning corporations from making contributions to federal candidates is unconstitutional, citing the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United decision last year in his analysis.

In a ruling issued late Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Cacheris tossed out part of an indictment against two men accused of illegally reimbursing donors to Hillary Clinton's Senate and presidential campaigns.

Cacheris says that under the Citizens United decision, corporations enjoy the same rights as individuals to contribute to campaigns.

The ruling from the federa

l judge in Virginia is the first of its kind. The Citizens United case had applied only to corporate spending on campaigning by independent groups, like ads run by third parties to favor one side, not to direct contributions to the candidates themselves.

Cacheris noted in his ruling that only one other court has addressed the issue in the wake of Citizens United. A federal judge in Minnesota ruled the other way, allowing a state ban on corporate contributions to stand.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

REVISED

RESCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION

The Salisbury City Council’s budget session for Wednesday, June 1,

2011, has been rescheduled to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

The budget session will be held in Conference Room 306 of the Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

SALISBURY: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME . . . MORE TAXES?

Don’t be duped by Jim Ireton’s self adulation about his proposed City budget – no property tax increase – because at the same time he has his minions scheming up a new tax on City property, including homes. Of course, it won’t be called a tax or even a “fee” after those O’Malley ads last year (“Hey, Bob . . .”).

Instead, it will be touted as a charge for the City’s “stormwater utility”. That’s what the state agency that the City is using for guidance suggests, along with such euphemisms as “dedicated funding stream” and “revenue source” – to avoid using terms like “tax” or “fee”.

Look for Ireton to go public with this scheme for a new tax once the budget debate is done. Fortunately the three members of City Council who were elected this year are on record against more taxes. During any chance encounter you may have with any of them don’t hesitate to remind them about their pledge made during the campaign.

THE CHICKEN

Ed came home drunk one night, slid into bed beside his sleeping wife, and fell into a deep slumber.

He awoke before the Pearly Gates, where St. Peter said, 'You died in your sleep, Ed.'

Ed was stunned. 'I'm dead? No, I can't be! I've got too much to live for. Send me back!'

St. Peter said, 'I'm sorry, but there's only one way you can go back, and that is as a chicken.'

Ed was devastated, but begged St. Peter to send him to a farm near his home.

The next thing he knew, he was covered with feathers, clucking and pecking the ground.

A rooster strolled past. 'So, you're the new hen, huh? How's your first day here?'

'Not bad,' replied Ed the hen, 'but I have this strange feeling inside. Like I'm gonna explode!'

'You're ovulating,' explained the rooster. 'Don't tell me you've never laid an egg before?'

'Never,' said Ed.

'Well, just relax and let it happen,' says the rooster. 'It's no big deal.'

He did, and a few uncomfortable seconds later, out popped an egg!

He was overcome with emotion as he experienced motherhood.

He soon laid another egg -- his joy was overwhelming.

As he was about to lay his third egg, he felt a smack on the back of his head, and heard.....

"Ed, wake up! You shit the bed!"

Getting OLD just ain't what they said it would be!

Millionaire CIA Spook Derails Texas No Groping Bill

The man instrumental in working with the federal government to sabotage a bill that would have made TSA groping a felony in the state of Texas is Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a former CIA operator and establishment insider considered to be the wealthiest man in Texas politics.

The anti-pat down bill was derailed in the Texas Senate, having unanimously passed the House by a 138-0 vote after the Department of Justice sent a letter threatening to impose a no fly zone over Texas and shut down Texas airports.

 

The federal assault was aided by a traitor from within the state, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who amplified the threats made by the DOJ in communicating them to members of the Texas Senate, convincing them them to cave in and forcing the hand of Sen. Dan Patrick to withdraw the bill before it could be shot down permanently.

“He came up with this elaborate political play to kill the bill without his fingerprints,” stated Sen. Patrick, adding “His fingerprints are all over this.”

“Someone who will undermine his members and someone who will not stand up to the federal government — you have to ask yourself is that the kind of person that we need in the U.S. Senate,” Patrick said, adding that Dewhurst “sideswiped” him on Tuesday night by turning members against the bill.

“I hear he’s thinking about running for governor,” Patrick said. “I hear he’s thinking about running for senator. In the last 24 hours, he’s given me some things to think about.” Given the fact that Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is undoubtedly an establishment insider, it’s unsurprising that he played the role of Judas in protecting the agenda of the Obama administration over and above the will of his own legislators and the people of Texas. Dewhurst is a creature of federal entanglement, having worked at CIA and the State Department and as director of the state Task Force on Homeland Security.

“Little is known about Dewhurst. His life story is an impenetrable fog of obfuscation punctuated by tantalizing facts,” reported the Texas Observer. “This secrecy has extended from his military record to the sources of his wealth to his current financial conflicts. He has repeatedly gotten into trouble with the Texas Ethics Commission for overly vague financial filings. State elected officials are required to either disclose their finances or put all their assets in a blind trust. Until 2008, Dewhurst declined to do either, putting his money in a (nonblind) trust and declining to release information about it.”

To give Benedict Arnold a piece of your mind, click here.

Source

YARD SALES

CLICK HERE for upcoming yard sales. (sorry so late)

Everyone have a safe Memorial Day!

House Passes $690 Billion Dollar Defense Authorization Bill

The House has passed a $690 billion dollar Defense Authorization bill for 2012. It gives members of the military a 1.6 percent raise, but it also increases TRICARE health care fees for retirees by up to $60 per year. The fee increase is the first for TRICARE in 15 years. The bill also denies annual raises for all federal workers whose job performance is unsatisfactory. Plus, it delays repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the policy that banned gays from openly serving. The Senate Armed Services Committee begins crafting its version of the defense bill the week of June 13.

Willards Fireworks

If anyone would like to make donations, they would be GREATLY appreciated as we have increased our budget this year to lengthen the show.   Our mailing address is P.O. Box G, Pittsville, MD 21850. 

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Incident:

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Date of Incident:

23 May 2011

Location:

W/B Salisbury Pkwy. at Gateway Street, Salisbury, MD

Suspect:

 

Narrative

a vehicle for swaying in the travel lane and almost striking a vehicle in front of it. Upon making contact

with the operator, identified as Alvin Church, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating

from within the passenger compartment. Based on other observations, the deputy began field sobriety

testing. At the conclusion of the testing, the deputy determined that Church was under the influence of

alcohol and placed him under arrest.

A search of the vehicle revealed an open can of Bud Ice beer in the passenger compartment.

Church was processed and taken to the MD State Police Barrack for a breath test. Upon the conclusion of

all testing, Church was released upon signing citations, pending returning for court.

: On 23 May 2011 at 11:14 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped

Charges:

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident:

Theft

Date of Incident:

19 May 2011

Location:

31000 block of Olde Fruitland Rd., Salisbury, MD

Suspect:

 

Narrative

investigation into the theft of jewelry and a digital camera from a residence. During the investigation the

victim identified Erin Lynn Griffin as a possible suspect. Griffin had been inside the residence where the

theft had occurred. The deputy managed to locate an individual who stated that she bought the camera

from Griffin for $25.00 shortly after the theft. The camera was recovered and returned to the victim.

Based on this information, the deputy applied for and received a warrant for the arrest of Griffin. That

warrant was served on 22 May 2011 and Griffin was transported to the Central Booking Unit. After being

processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner, Griffin was detained in the Detention

Center in lieu of $15,000.00 bond.

: On 19 May 2011 a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began anCharges:

Incident:

Theft Investigation

Date of Incident:

23 May 2011

Location:

600 block of Dawn Court, Salisbury, MD

Suspect:

 

Narrative

investigation into the theft of lumber left at a residential construction site in the 600 block of Dawn Court.

The residence was the property of Habitat for Humanity and they were overseeing the construction of the

new home. Workers left lumber for the project under a tarp on Friday 20 May and returned the morning

of 23 May to discover it gone.

Anyone who has any information on this crime is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office

at 410-548-4891.

You may also provide information anonymously by calling Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. You may be

eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest in this case.

: On 23 May 2011 at 7:40 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began anCharges:

Incident:

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Date of Incident:

25 May 2011

Location:

College Avenue at Cecil Street, Salisbury, MD

Suspect:

 

Narrative

a vehicle for speeding and erratic driving on College Avenue. Upon approaching the operator, Danny

Holyfield, the deputy detected a moderate odor of alcohol along with other indicators that Holyfield may

be under the influence of alcohol. The deputy’s suspicions were confirmed after the administration of

field sobriety tests which led to the arrest of Holyfield.

The deputy transported Holyfield to the Maryland State Police barrack in Salisbury for a breath test.

Following that, the deputy released Holyfield upon signing citations.

: On 25 May 2011 at 1:58 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped

Charges:

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Per Se

Incident:

Assault

Date of Incident:

25 May 2011

Location:

34000 block of Main Street, Pittsville, MD

Suspect:

 

Narrative

responded to a reported altercation at the ball field on Main Street in Pittsville. Upon arrival, the deputy

learned there was an altercation between Vanessa Smullen and her step-daughter. Investigation revealed

that Vanessa Smullen engaged in an argument with her step-daughter while she was in the dug-out when

Vanessa Smullen allegedly slapped her. According to the victim and witnesses, the slap caused her stepdaughter to strike the concrete wall with her head.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the deputy placed Vanessa Smullen under arrest and transported

her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court

Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Smullen in the Detention Center

in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.

: On 25 May 2011 at 8:04 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office

Charges:

Child Abuse

Incident: Assault / Vandalism
Date of Incident: 26 May 2011
Location: Nokomis Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Ramiaro T. Shuler, 24, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 26 May 2011 at 2:10 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office
responded for a reported altercation in the street near the intersection of Nokomis Avenue and Manoa
Boulevard. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a female victim who advised that her live in boyfriend,
Ramiaro Shuler, struck her during an argument and then busted out the side window of her vehicle with a
tire iron. The deputy observed both signs of injury on the victim and shattered glass that corroborated her
account.

The deputy placed Shuler under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was
processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the
Commissioner detained Shuler in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Malicious Destruction of Property

Arrest Warrants

1. Erin Lynn Griffin, 22, Salisbury, MD; Theft, held WCDC $15,000.00 bond

2. Tyler Paul Jones, 19, Hebron, MD; Failure to Comply with Peace Order, held WCDC

$10,000.00 bond.

Failure to Appear Bench Warrant

1. Allen Anthony Bean, 45, Columbia, MD; FTA for a VOP Hearing, Child Abuse, held

WCDC without bond

2. Cecil Trayvon Hicks, 20, New Church, VA; FTA – CDS Possession. Held WCDC

$5,000.00 bond.

3. Jason Allen Coggin, 28, Seaford, DE; FTA – CDS Possession / Disorderly Conduct, Held

WCDC $10,000.00 bond.

4. Brandon Earl Waltemeyer, 20, Delmar, MD; FTA – Theft / CDS Possession, held WCDC

$10,000.00 bond.

5. Brandon Earl Waltemeyer, 20, Delmar, MD; FTA – CDS Possession, held WCDC

$5,000.00 bond.

6. Wanda Ann Venegas, 43, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Contempt, Held WCDC $1,000.00

bond.

Violation of Probation Bench Warrant

1. Floyd L. Cain, 40, East New Market, MD; VOP – CDS Possession / DUI, held WCDC

without bond.

2. Carlton E. Carter, 48, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Burglary, held WCDC without bond.

3. Jameon Michael Maycock, 27, Salisbury, MD; VOP – CDS Possession, held WCDC

$5,000.00 bond.

4. Jonathan Thomas Handy, 20, Ocean Pines, MD; VOP – CDS Possession, held WCDC

$25,000.00 bond.

5. Donte McGill, 24, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Child Abuse by Parent, held WCDC $5,000.00

bond.

Child Support Body Attachment

1. Troy Lamont Barnes, 40, Salisbury, MD; Child Support non-Compliance, held WCDC

$52,000.00 bond

2. Khalfanimani Blount Willis, 31, Salisbury, MD; Child Support Non-Compliance, held

WCDC $500.00 bond.

Circuit Court Indictment

1. Joslin Brown, 58, Salisbury, MD; Theft Scheme $100,000.00 Plus, held WCDC without

bond.

Circuit Court Juvenile

1. Male Juvenile, 17, OwingsAssault 2nd degree

Vanessa S. Smullen, 33, Willards, MDDriving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Danny Ray Holyfield, 51, Salisbury, MDTheft

PendingTheft under $1,000.00

Erin Lynn Griffin, 22, Salisbury, MDDriving Under the Influence of Alcohol Per Se

Alvin Eric Church Jr., 22, Salisbury, MD

Gentle Thoughts For Today

Birds of a feather flock together...

and then crap on your car.

A penny saved.....

is a government oversight.

The older you get, the tougher it is to

lose weight..... because by then your body

and your fat have gotten to be

really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost

around the house.... is to buy

a replacement.

He who hesitates....

is probably right.
Did you ever notice:

the Roman Numerals for forty

(40) are"XL"

If you think there is good in everybody....

you haven't met everybody.

If you can smile when things go wrong.....

you have someone in mind to blame.

The sole purpose of a child's middle name.....

is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.

There's always a lot to be thankful for if you

take time to look for it.  For example, I am

sitting here thinking how nice it is

that wrinkles don't hurt.

Did you ever notice:

When you put the 2 words "The" and

"IRS" together it spells "Theirs."

Aging:

Eventually you will reach a point

when you stop lying about your age and

start bragging about it.

The older we get, the fewer things seem

worth waiting in line for.

Some people try to turn back their odometers.

Not me, I want people to know

"why" I look this way.

[I've traveled a long way and

some of the roads weren't paved.]

When you are dissatisfied and would like

to go back to your youth,

think of Algebra.
You know you are getting old when everything

either dries up or leaks.
One of the many things no one tells you

about aging is that it is such a nice change from

being young.  Ah, being young is beautiful,

but being old is comfortable.
Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground

with sticks, it was called witchcraft.

Today, it's called golf.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SPECIAL MEETING

In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority of the City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Monday, June 6, 2011 to hold a public hearing on Ordinance No. 2161 – FY2012 proposed budget.

The special meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers (Room 301) of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

Current, Former Washington Redskins Make Goal Line Stand For TSA Worker Unionization

Transportation Security Administration workers have some unlikely allies in their struggle to organize: A pair of pro football players. Noting the need for labor solidarity across industries, one current and one retired Washington Redskin are speaking out in favor of the much-maligned airport security workers.

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Pricey Trash Cans Stolen, Sold For Scrap

Back in 2009, the city of Pittsburgh paid $250,000 for 250 elegant iron trash cans weighing more than 200 pounds each. Critics of the mayor called it a waste of city funds at the time, but they are very nice-looking. Now 20% of them are missing, and it took police and the public works department four months to figure out where they've gone. They were hauled off and sold for scrap.
The reporter who covered this story for KDKA contacted scrap yards, and estimated that the fifty stolen cans would have sold for $1,500-$2,000. Total, not each.
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/city-paid-1000-for-metal-trash-cans-thieves-sell-them-for-scrap-metal.html

USPS To RIF Employees Today

The Postal Service plans to hand out Specific Reduction-In-Force notices to its employees today. Postal workers will receive RIF notices if they did not receive an assignment; if they received a demotion to a lower-grade position; or if they received a reassignment to a same-grade position. According to the agency's Organizational Redesign FAQ, employees who are assigned a new position will begin that new position on September 10th. Employees who received separation notices will be separated effective Sept. 9th. USPS has not said how many employees will receive RIFs today.

Computer Errors Free 450 High-Risk Prisoners

In California, where the state has been ordered to ease prison overcrowding by releasing some "low-level" prisoners, computer errors allowed for the release of 450 inmates considered to have a "high risk for violence." It's definitely not what the U.S. Supreme Court had in mind when it recently issued its ruling to throttle down the prison population.

The inmates who were given their freedom were released as "unsupervised paroleees in a program meant to ease overcrowding," the Los Angeles Times reported. Additionally:

More than 1,000 additional prisoners presenting a high risk of committing drug crimes, property crimes and other offenses were also let out, officials said.
No attempt was made to return any of the offenders to state lockups or place them on supervised parole, said inspector general spokeswoman Renee Hansen.
All of the prisoners were placed on "non-revocable parole," whose participants are not required to report to parole officers and can be sent back to prison only if caught committing a crime. The program was started in January 2010 for inmates judged to be at very low risk of reoffending, leaving parole agents free to focus on supervising higher-risk parolees.

One of the big reasons behind the glitch: The computer program prison officials used to make assessments regarding early releases "does not access an inmate's disciplinary history," and it also "relies on a state Department of Justice system that records arrests but is missing conviction information for nearly half of the state's 16.4 million arrest records, according to the inspector general report," the Times said.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

SPECIAL MEETING

In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority ofthe City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Friday, May 27,2011, for consideration of

Ordinance No. 2161 for first reading - proposed FY2012 budget and setting the date for a public hearing.

The special meeting will be held at 9:45 a.m. in Conference Room 306 of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

BREAKING LOCAL NEWS: UPDATE

Water rescue Leonard Mills pond just toned out. 74, 2, and station 16 sent.

Update: Victim was seen in water and they have now lost visual. Sounds like one person only. Its a over turned kayak.

UPDATE #2: They just recovered the body in the pond. The Medical Examiner and Chaplain have been called in. Its official. They have the victim in Laurel's boat and are going to the ramp. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to this person and their Family. A special thank you to ALL of those involved in recovering this individual.

Today's Survey Question

Do you believe there is life after death?

2011 Sunscreen Ratings Released

The latest list of sunscreen ratings has been released.

According to Consumer Reports, sunseekers don't have to spend a lot of money for sun protection.

The magazine gave three sunscreens its Best Buy rating. Those were Up and Up Sport, Equate Baby and No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E.

Up and Up is Target's generic brand, and Equate is the generic brand sold at Walmart.

Other sunscreens that ranked well were Banana Boat Sport Performance, Coppertone Sport Ultra Sweatproof, CVS Fast Cover Sport and Walgreens Sport.

Consumer Reports looked at how well each product protected against UVA and UVB rays after going into water.

Source

Archaeology Day at Zwaanendael Museum

Shipwrecks will serve as the theme of the Zwaanendael Museum’s Archaeology Day program that will take place on 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 645-1148.

In addition to historical information and a display of artifacts recovered from Lewes’ Roosevelt Inlet Shipwreck, the festival will include outdoor displays and activities provided by the southern Delaware chapter of the Archaeological Society of Delaware, and a hands-on program in which children retrieve artifacts from a water-filled pool, followed by analysis and drawing of the “recovered” materials.

READ MORE …

Thank God Its Friday

What Will You Be Doing This Weekend?

The Political Doctrine Of Statism

The Patriot Act that was rammed through after the September 2001 attacks was one of the more egregious blows against liberty in our lifetimes. It shredded core rights and liberties that had been taken for granted for centuries. Liberties are never lost all at once, but the Patriot Act, as disgusting in its details as in its name and the rhetoric that surrounded it, was for the United States the turning point, the law that best exemplifies a full-scale embrace of statism as a national ideology. It is a law so severe, so outlandish, as to cause people to forget what it means to be free.

This is why I believe Ron Paul's book Liberty Defined to be one of the most important statements of our time. He defines liberty clearly and cleanly as freedom from coercive interference from the state. That is how the liberal tradition from Aquinas to Jefferson to Rothbard understood it, too, for there is no greater threat to liberty than the state. Its powers must be crushed if we are to revisit what liberty means.

Ron goes further to apply the principle of liberty in many of the most controversial areas of modern life. The purpose here is not to detail some governing blueprint. What Ron seeks to do is much more important. He seeks to fire up the human imagination in ways that permit people to think outside the prevailing statist norms.

In 1945, Ludwig von Mises wrote a similar book called Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War. It is probably the most blistering and thorough attack on National Socialism ever written. He details the peculiar characteristics of Nazi-style statism (its nationalism rooted in the worship of bloodlines). Just as importantly – and very unusually for this genre of writing – Mises sought to explain how Nazism is only a symptom of a larger problem, which is statism itself. He regarded statism as a special doctrine that people come to embrace often without entirely understanding its teaching and claims. It emerges within a context of economic or security emergency.

There is always some great excuse for the trashing of the human freedom that built civilization as we know it. If the state cannot find one, it is glad to invent one. A population that is ideologically gullible or afraid for its security can permit government to run roughshod over people's rights and liberties, and a government that gains such power never gives it back on its own. Rights and liberties must be reclaimed by the people themselves, and the spark that makes this happen is reversing the conditions that permitted the rise of statism. The people must lose their gullibility through ideological enlightenment, and they must lose their sense of fear that the world will fall apart if the tyrant is not in control.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

RESCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION

The Salisbury City Council’s budget session for Wednesday, June 1,

2011, has been rescheduled to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

The budget session will be held in Conference Room 306 of the

Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

A Letter To The Editor

Why are the Fruitland police ticketing cars in the Walmart parking lot for not parking within the lines? This is what a greeter at the Fruitland Walmart said was going on.

Hook, Line And Sinker

Free Fishing Derby on June 4 at Salisbury City Park

(Salisbury, MD) Cast your rod at Salisbury City Park on Saturday, June 4 during the Annual Youth Fishing Derby.  This free event is open to children 15 and under.  Registration will begin at 8:30am (advanced registration is not necessary), and fishing starts promptly at 9:00am. Each child must bring their own rod and bait.  Several catch and release contests are planned.  Prizes and trophies will be awarded for the biggest fish, most fish caught, youngest angler, most unusual catch and more. 

In preparation for the Derby, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will help stock the pond at Salisbury City Park.  Approximately 500 Blue Gills will join the pond’s current inhabitants including Catfish, Large-Mouth Bass, Sunny and Perch.

Food will be provided for all of the youth participants and Door prizes will be raffled off at the end of the competition. For more information on this year’s fishing derby or the stocking of the pond please contact Program Director Andy Kitzrow at 410-548-4900 ext. 109 or email akitzrow@wicomicocounty.org. 

If you would like to learn about other upcoming programs offered by Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism sign up for email announcements at www.wicomicorecandparks.org.

Failure To Act On Debt Could Spell Trouble For Economy

Without action, Treasury will be forced to stop paying some big  bills

The government has maxed out its borrowing limit, and Treasury officials have warned of dire consequences if Congress and the White House can't agree soon on a plan for raising the debt ceiling.

Failure to act on a plan could force the Treasury to make steep spending cuts to avoid defaulting on debt payments, with potentially serious damage to the current weak economic recovery.

The Senate this week shot down a proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to cut $6 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years. That put Congress back on square one as lawmakers look for a compromise that would allow the government to continue operating without some kind of automated cuts to stay under the spending cap.

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BREAKING NEWS: Pending Home Sales Unexpectedly Plunge In April

Pending sales of existing U.S. homes dove 11.6% in April to a 7-month low. Economists had been expecting a 1% drop.

Tomorrow Morning At 9:00 AM

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Maryland Pushes Ahead On Implementing Health Care Reform

Maryland continues to press ahead with aggressive implementation of federal health care reform. Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed the members of the board of the new Health Benefit Exchange, a key component of the Affordable Care Act, and named the head of the new Office of Health Care Reform on the governor’s staff.

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'Dramatic' Bay Bridge Toll Increases Threaten Beach Towns

WASHINGTON -- Tolls on the Bay Bridge could double very soon, and the mayor of Ocean City is a bit concerned.
 
The Maryland Transportation Authority is talking about raising the price for most drivers to cross the bridge from $2.50 to $5. The change would be made in October. Under the plan, by 2013, the price would be jacked up again to $8 one-way.
 
"Some of the rates I've heard proposed are a little dramatic," says Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan.
Meehan says if the toll hikes become reality, they could affect his town.
 
"It may be bad timing. With gas prices going up and then you talk about tolls, sometimes timing's everything," the Mayor says.
 
He's hoping for some kind of compromise.

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Most Maryland Agencies Closed Friday For Furlough Day

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - State agencies throughout Maryland will be closed or offering reduced services for a furlough day.

The service reduction day on Friday is one of five for most state employees in fiscal year 2011. The furlough does not apply to emergency workers.

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Is Sarah Palin Launching a Bid for President?

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

Reports of a new Arizona home, a feature-length film, and a bus tour are all fueling speculation that Palin will make a 2012 bid for the White House.

Latin America Progresses Forward - a Victory for Gay Rights

The Brazilian Supreme Court's recognition of same-sex unions in early May marks the latest victory for gay rights in Latin America. The Court's ruling grants equal legal rights to same-sex civil unions as those enjoyed by married heterosexuals, including retirement benefits, joint tax declarations, inheritance rights, and child adoption. While the Supreme Court did not go so far as to legalize gay marriage, gay rights groups such as Rio de Janeiro's Rainbow Group have nevertheless praised the decision as an "historic achievement."1The decision passed 10-0 with one abstention, but the justice who abstained had previously spoken in favor of same-sex unions.

An Unlikely Victory

As the world's largest Roman Catholic country, Brazil was an unlikely venue for such a promising gay rights victory. The Roman Catholic Church has actively fought proposals for same-sex unions in Brazil, arguing that the Brazilian Constitution defines a "family entity" as "a stable union between a man and a woman."2The Catholic Church responded to the recent ruling with outrage. As Archbishop Anuar Battisti put it, the Supreme Court's decision marked a "frontal assault" on the sanctity of the family.3

The Catholic Church is losing its power in Brazil, which helped pave the way for the Supreme Court's recent decision in favor of homosexuals. Nevertheless, homophobia retains a tenacious grip on Brazilian society. Despite the fact that the nation boasts the world's largest gay pride parade, the LGBT movement has been unable to achieve fundamental progress and quell discrimination at a societal level. For instance, Marcelo Cerqueira, the head of the Gay Group of Bahia, claims the country is "number one when it comes to assassination, discrimination and violence against homosexuals."4Additionally, in a disconcerting report, the Gay Group of Bahia found that 260 Brazilian gay people were murdered in 2010, exemplifying the level of hostility towards homosexuals.5Because of this discriminating environment, gay rights activists traditionally have had little success in Brazil. Most notably, Congress disregarded proposals for gay rights legislation for nearly ten years.

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling was therefore a major turning point after a history of protracted, unsuccessful struggles. The judicial decision was made in response to two lawsuits, one of which was filed by Rio de Janeiro Governor Sérgio Cabral and the other by the Office of the Attorney General. While Congress repeatedly ignored requests for equal rights for gay Brazilian citizens, the Supreme Court argued that "Those who opt for a homosexual union cannot be treated less than equally as citizens."6In this way, by appealing to the judicial system, the LGBT movement was able to achieve success despite deep-seated hostility throughout Brazilian society and in other branches of the government.

Latin America's Gay Rights Revolution

Professor Omar Encarnación of Bard College calls the recent string of gay rights legislation in Latin America a "gay rights revolution."7Brazil's ruling came on the heels of several other noteworthy gay rights victories in Latin America, such as Uruguay’s legalization of same-sex civil unions in 2007. Shortly thereafter, in 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American nation and eighth nation worldwide to legalize gay marriage. Other landmark decisions in the past few years include Uruguay's decision to allow all men and women, regardless of sexual orientation, to serve in the military and Mexico City's legalization of same-sex civil unions.

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Young And Homeless: From The Streets To College

FRESNO -- When Daniella Valencia relaxes on the grass in front of the library at California State University, Fresno, she appears to be a typical college student.

Daniella, 20, a second-year student majoring in Sociology with a minor in Urbanization, has strawberry blonde hair, a bright smile and an optimistic attitude. She lives with a friend from church in an apartment not far from campus, paying her own rent and utilities.

But prior to December, she lived at a Transitional Living Center (TLC) operated by the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission, which provides housing services to homeless youth aged 18-24.

Having left behind the substance abuse and instability that characterized the environment of her two previous homes, Daniella was just looking for a place where she could focus on her schoolwork and move toward a positive future.

"When I was 14 I realized that with my predicament, I wasn't going to be successful in school or with anything," Daniella said about her childhood. "I needed to move out [of my mom’s house.] I was going crazy.”

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Step Back in Time at Indian River Life-Saving Museum

Delaware Seashore State Park invites you to take a step back in time. Over one hundred years ago, the surfmen of the United States Life-Saving Service patrolled the beaches of the Delaware Coast every night, scanning the waters for signs of ships in distress. The Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum is offering a unique program that will allow participants to walk the surfmen’s beat, patrolling the same beaches and scanning the same waters they would have covered a century ago.

The crew at the Life-Saving Station will conduct an evening lantern tour of the museum on Friday, May 27th at 8:30pm. The tour will be led by an interpreter dressed in the uniform of the turn-of-the-century Life-Saving Service patrol. Learn about shipwrecks, surfmen’s duties, and the changing Delaware coast over time. Afterward, the tour will head out to the beach with their lanterns to patrol the Delaware coast. Live the history of the United States Life-Saving Service while enjoying a stroll in the sand in Delaware Seashore State Park.

The Indian River Life-Saving Station and Museum is located on Route 1, 3.5 miles south of Dewey Beach and 1.5 miles north of the Indian River Inlet. The program fee is $10 per person, and pre-registration is required. Dress for the weather!  To register for this or other programs at the Life-Saving Station, call 302-227-6991.

from the Sussex Countian

WCBOE Proposes to Unnecessarily Spend $500,000

While the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) has announced that they will save taxpayers $120,000 by changing bus routes, they also propose spending $462,000 to re-pave and expand a parking lot … that doesn’t need it.

WCBOE proposes to spend $462,000 from the “School Construction Fund” (a maintenance account) to expand and re-pave the parking lot at Quantico’s Westside Primary School.  There’s just one problem – the lot doesn’t appear to need re-paving.

Yes, it appears that the parking lot and driveway could use some patching.  It probably wouldn’t do any harm to give the lot a nice over coat as well.  Informed sources estimate that this could cost $30,000 – $40,000.

Why, then, should the taxpayers fund an unnecessary half million dollar project?  According to a WCBOE board member, who we won’t embarrass by naming, the parking lot needs to be expanded because some parents have to park on the street on PTA nights!

That’s right, children at Beaver Run Elementary don’t have functioning water fountains in their school, but Westside needs a new parking lot so that parents won’t have to walk an extra 50 yards!

This is one more reason why Wicomico citizens are so disenchanted with the WCBOE.  Yes, there are a VERY few who simply don’t want to spend ANY money on education.  Most citizens simply request that the WCBOE spend their tax dollars WISELY.

To view all of the photos taken (in larger sizes), CLICK HERE.

BREAKING NEWS: Personal Spending, Income Rise In April

Personal spending rose 0.4% in April, just shy of economists' 0.5% estimate, while personal income rose 0.4%, in line with estimates.
Editors Notes: Are you buying it?

Barney Frank’s “Friends with Benefits”

by Michelle Malkin

If you want to watch a corruptocrat start sputtering like Porky Pig with allergies, confront him with three simple words: conflict of interest. Asked this week about his role in securing an ex-lover's highly coveted job at government mortgage giant Fannie Mae, Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank retorted:

"Aba-dee aba-dee aba-dee aba-dee."

Or that's what it sounded like, anyway. Frank was rather miffed about the recent disclosure that he helped former lover Herb Moses land a job with the behemoth lender while sitting on a House committee that regulates lenders a decade ago. The Boston Herald reported Thursday that Frank immediately invoked the Everybody Does It card: "It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government. There is no rule against it at all."

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Worcester County Cuts Spending … a Little

The Worcester County Commissioners were presented Wednesday with a balanced budget of $163.5 million, just $304,758 higher than the 2011 budget of $163.2 million. Even so, they cut an additional $99,725 in expenses as they went through the items line by line.

Among the additional cuts were costs for copying, travel, office supplies, dues and subscriptions, prosecution expenses, software maintenance agreements, heating fuel oil and temporary clerical staff.

The savings will go into the stabilization fund, a fund for money that is not allocated to a department. They used some of that money, however, to contribute to nonprofits. They agreed to donate $15,000 to Diakonia with the condition that the town of Ocean City makes the same contribution. They also voted to give $3,000 to the American Red Cross Lower Shore Chapter, but Commissioners Louise Gulyas and Madison Bunting voted against that motion.

In a unanimous vote at the end of the day, the commissioners approved Bunting’s motion to direct the staff to look into the possibility of consolidating some departments as a cost-saving measure.

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Will Maryland Kick In $400 Million for Proposed Arena / Convention Center Project?

The Greater Baltimore Committee Wednesday unveiled a grand, $900 million plan for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor that will include a new, privately financed 18,500-seat arena topped by a 500-room hotel, both attached to an expanded Baltimore Convention Center.

The $325 million arena and $175 million hotel would be built on the site of the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel at Conway and Charles streets owned by Willard Hackerman of Whiting-Turner Contracting Inc. and would be privately financed. But the project is dependent on being attached to a convention center that would double in size if the state will kick in bonds for the $400 million expansion.

The arena would replace the 50-year-old 1st Mariner Arena, which seats 14,000, without having to tear down the old structure between Lombard and Baltimore streets a few blocks away.

The Greater Baltimore Committee plan also includes redeveloping Rash Field, at the Inner Harbor, as a more vibrant waterfront park, building a pedestrian bridge over the narrowest point of the harbor and constructing a sound and light show for the harbor.

The Inner Harbor is “worn and it needs to have a facelift,” said Don Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee.

Fry said both Gov. Martin O’Malley and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had reviewed the overall plans.

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A Face Lift in Ocean City

If you're headed downy ocean for the Memorial Day weekend, you might notice something different on the beach: There's more of it.

A $9 million replenishment effort over the winter pumped 900,000 cubic yards of new sand onto Ocean City's beaches to widen and shore up parts that had eroded. That is one of a number of changes visitors will notice as the town launches another summer vacation season — changes that tourism officials say are vital even in a resort community where familiarity is what has drawn generations of families year after year.

"I think the folks in Ocean City that are successful are the ones who re-invent every year," said Dean Langrall, marketing director of the Jolly Roger Amusement Parks, which is debuting a new zipline. "You need a new wrinkle."

READ MORE ….

School to Start Earlier …

… and a LITTLE More Efficiently

Kudos to the Wicomico Board of Education (WCBOE) for deciding to tweak the 2011 – 2012 school schedule a little and save $120,000 in the process by consolidating bus routes.

Yes, I know that some readers are clutching their chests as they keel over – G. A. Harrison praising the WCBOE!  I’m sure the affected bus contractors don’t think this is such a great idea either.  However, saving $120,000 of the taxpayers’ money isn’t anything to sneeze at.

Don’t worry, SbyNEWS has another piece later today that will perk up the most vociferous WCBOE critic.

Navy Researcher Links Toxins in War-Zone Dust to Ailments

U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait have inhaled microscopic dust particles laden with toxic metals, bacteria and fungi — a toxic stew that may explain everything from the undiagnosed Gulf War Syndrome symptoms lingering from the 1991 war against Iraq to high rates of respiratory, neurological and heart ailments encountered in the current wars, scientists say.

"From my research and that of others, I really think this may be the smoking gun," says Navy Capt. Mark Lyles, chair of medical sciences and biotechnology at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. "It fits everything — symptoms, timing, everything."
Lyles and other researchers found that dust particles — up to 1,000 of which can sit on the head of a pin — gathered in Iraq and Kuwait contain 37 metals, including aluminum, lead, manganese, strontium and tin. The metals have been linked to neurological disorders, cancer, respiratory ailments, depression and heart disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers believe the metals occur both naturally and as a byproduct of pollution.
Researchers in and out of the military say the particles are smaller and easier to inhale than most dust particles, and that recent droughts in the region have killed desert shrubs that helped keep down that dust. The military's heavy vehicles have pounded the desert's protective crust into a layer of fine silt, Lyles says. Servicemembers breathe the dust — and all it carries — deeply into their lungs.
The dust contains 147 different kinds of bacteria, as well as fungi that could spread disease, Lyles found. Since the wars began in Iraq in 2003 and in Afghanistan in 2001, the military has seen a 251% increase in the rate of neurological disorders per 10,000 active-duty servicemembers, a 47% rise in the rate of respiratory issues and a 34% increase in the rate of cardiovascular disease, according to a USA TODAY analysis of military morbidity records from 2001 to 2010. Those increases have researchers seeking possible causes.
Despite the research by Lyles and others, and the documented spikes in respiratory illnesses, Defense Department officials contend there are no health issues associated with the dust.
"The (Defense Department) has examined the concerns raised by the studies accomplished by Capt. Lyles," says Craig Postlewaite, who heads up the Secretary of Defense's Force Readiness and Health Assurance Office. He said the military found the dust is "not noticeably different from samples collected in the Sahara Desert and desert regions in the U.S. and China."

Lyles initially analyzed dust samples from Iraq and Kuwait in 2003 to help determine a way to keep the grit from rendering medical equipment useless.
"When I saw the data, I said, 'Oh my God. This can't be right,'" Lyles says.
More : http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-05-11-Iraq-Afghanistan-dust-soldiers-illnesses_n.htm