Japan issues tsunami advisory for part of northeast coast after magnitude 6.7 quake hits offshore.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Rep. Andy Harris Votes To Eliminate Obsolete Federal Agency
Saves taxpayers $33 million over the next five years
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Andy Harris voted today in support of H.R. 672, which would eliminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Eliminating the EAC would save taxpayers $33 million over the next five years, according to the Committee on House Administration.
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Andy Harris voted today in support of H.R. 672, which would eliminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Eliminating the EAC would save taxpayers $33 million over the next five years, according to the Committee on House Administration.
“In a time of deep fiscal crisis, we have to eliminate out-of-date and inefficient government agencies,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “The Election Assistance Commission is no longer necessary, and we cannot afford to waste another dime of taxpayer money on an obsolete federal agency.”
Background:
The EAC has allocated all of its remaining election grants, originally created to provide funding to states for upgraded voting machines.
The remaining valuable service of the EAC, the voting system testing and certification program, will be transferred to the Federal Election Commission which is better able to efficiently perform these functions.
Since 2005, the year Congress originally intended to sunset the EAC, the agency has more than doubled in size.
The agency, recently the subject of two hiring discrimination lawsuits, currently spends over 50% of its budget on management and overhead costs.
BREAKING NEWS: Marine Reservist Tied to Military Shootings, Sources Say
Marine reservist detained last week near Pentagon is linked to D.C.-area military building shootings.
Charity Golf Tournament – Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club in Greenbackville, VA will cosponsor with the Breast Health & Healing Foundation a Cancer Tournament on Saturday, July 9th at 9:00 AM.
Dr. Kathleen Ruddy will be here to support the event. Dr. Ruddy is working with Dr. Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic in the development of a vaccine to eliminate Breast Cancer.
The first trial has been 100% effective in mice. The proceeds of this tournament will go directly towards the next trial.
The Tournament will be an 18 hole Florida Scramble with lots of prizes to win and a hat for everyone. $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The public is invited.
Call 757-824-3465
Worst Analogies
"Worst Analogies ever written in a High School Essay Contest"
in the Washington Post Style Invitational"
- He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
Joseph Romm, Washington - She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.
Rich Murphy, Fairfax Station - The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
Russell Beland, Springfield - McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.
Paul Sabourin, Silver Spring - From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.
Roy Ashley, Washington - Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.
Chuck Smith, Woodbridge - Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.
Russell Beland, Springfield - Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake
Ken Krattenmaker, Landover Hills - Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
Unknown - He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.
Jack Bross, Chevy Chase - The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring - Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man."
Russell Beland, Springfield - Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
Jennifer Hart, Arlington - The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.
Wayne Goode, Madison, Ala. - They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth
Paul Kocak, Syracuse, N.Y. - John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
Russell Beland, Springfield - The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.
Barbara Fetherolf, Alexandria - His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free
Chuck Smith, Woodbridge - The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.
Unknown
Federal Reserve 'Embeds' Employees In Banks
The Regulator Down the Hall ... Fed and Comptroller of Currency Bolster the Ranks of Staffers 'Embedded' at Nation's Biggest Banks ... Memo to employees at big Wall Street banks and securities firms: Be careful what you say on the elevator. You might be surrounded by regulators. As part of a push to prevent another financial crisis, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency are increasing the number of examiners who go to work every day at the companies they regulate. Much like reporters assigned to a military unit during war, these regulatory "embeds" get unprecedented access to financial firms such as Bank of America Corp., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley. – Wall Street Journal
Dominant Social Theme: Regulators always get it right.
Free-Market Analysis: Is there any justification for this? The dominant social theme "embedded" in the above article is clear: More efficient regulatory endeavors will reduce the kind of financial crises that have been prevalent throughout the history of modern capitalism. Only more and better government regulation is the answer.
Of course, the regulatory answer to big businesses excesses has not worked in the past and there is no reason why it will work in the future. Every regulation is actually a price fix that further distorts the marketplace and transfers wealth from producers to those who do not know how to produce. Nonetheless, this dominant social theme rolls on. Every time there is a financial setback, the US government and its adjunct enforcer the central bank (Federal Reserve) gains more power. This goes for the rest of the Western world, too.
Now regulations are not enough. Regulation is to be abetted by physical presence. But will it really help if Federal Reserve employees work in the same building as the banks they are supposed to regulate? According to the Wall Street Journal, these embedded regulators will be much more focused than previous regulators. They will eat lunch at the company cafeteria and have unprecedented exposure to company paperwork. Here's some more from the article:
It's not a small program either and includes up to about 150 regulators "scattered across banks and securities firms overseen by the New York Fed." That total will double by this fall, according to a person familiar with the situation. As a result, groups of 15 to 20 regulators per company will swell to as many as 35 people. Other banks with on-site New York Fed supervision include Bank of New York Mellon Corp., Barclays PLC, Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and UBS AG. ...
The on-site reviews are thorough and can produce friction between the bank examiners and their subjects, according to bankers and regulators. The Fed's latest how-to "Commercial Bank Examination Manual" is 1,808 pages long, and examiners have the power to "review all books and records maintained by a financial institution." In addition to policing the rules, Fed examiners should "identify vulnerabilities early enough to head off major problems," says Daniel Tarullo, a Federal Reserve governor ...
Regulators are also pushing examiners to challenge chief executives and boards of directors. "It should be a drop-by relationship," says Sarah Dahlgren, who took over the New York Fed's financial-institution supervision group in January after leading a team that monitored the New York Fed's loan to insurer American International Group Inc. The No. 1 embed at each firm is expected to meet with the CEO at least once a month. Michael Brosnan, an OCC official overseeing supervision of large U.S. banks, says the agency is "increasingly involved in governance and oversight" of the 15 largest banks.
Again, the point to keep in mind when contemplating what is taking place is that every regulation is a price fix and every price fix distorts the economy and produces an impoverishing wealth transfer. Half of America is on one form of government dole or another now; fifty million are on food stamps. When is it enough?
More
Dominant Social Theme: Regulators always get it right.
Free-Market Analysis: Is there any justification for this? The dominant social theme "embedded" in the above article is clear: More efficient regulatory endeavors will reduce the kind of financial crises that have been prevalent throughout the history of modern capitalism. Only more and better government regulation is the answer.
Of course, the regulatory answer to big businesses excesses has not worked in the past and there is no reason why it will work in the future. Every regulation is actually a price fix that further distorts the marketplace and transfers wealth from producers to those who do not know how to produce. Nonetheless, this dominant social theme rolls on. Every time there is a financial setback, the US government and its adjunct enforcer the central bank (Federal Reserve) gains more power. This goes for the rest of the Western world, too.
Now regulations are not enough. Regulation is to be abetted by physical presence. But will it really help if Federal Reserve employees work in the same building as the banks they are supposed to regulate? According to the Wall Street Journal, these embedded regulators will be much more focused than previous regulators. They will eat lunch at the company cafeteria and have unprecedented exposure to company paperwork. Here's some more from the article:
It's not a small program either and includes up to about 150 regulators "scattered across banks and securities firms overseen by the New York Fed." That total will double by this fall, according to a person familiar with the situation. As a result, groups of 15 to 20 regulators per company will swell to as many as 35 people. Other banks with on-site New York Fed supervision include Bank of New York Mellon Corp., Barclays PLC, Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and UBS AG. ...
The on-site reviews are thorough and can produce friction between the bank examiners and their subjects, according to bankers and regulators. The Fed's latest how-to "Commercial Bank Examination Manual" is 1,808 pages long, and examiners have the power to "review all books and records maintained by a financial institution." In addition to policing the rules, Fed examiners should "identify vulnerabilities early enough to head off major problems," says Daniel Tarullo, a Federal Reserve governor ...
Regulators are also pushing examiners to challenge chief executives and boards of directors. "It should be a drop-by relationship," says Sarah Dahlgren, who took over the New York Fed's financial-institution supervision group in January after leading a team that monitored the New York Fed's loan to insurer American International Group Inc. The No. 1 embed at each firm is expected to meet with the CEO at least once a month. Michael Brosnan, an OCC official overseeing supervision of large U.S. banks, says the agency is "increasingly involved in governance and oversight" of the 15 largest banks.
Again, the point to keep in mind when contemplating what is taking place is that every regulation is a price fix and every price fix distorts the economy and produces an impoverishing wealth transfer. Half of America is on one form of government dole or another now; fifty million are on food stamps. When is it enough?
More
New York Fed Refuses To Disclose Data On "The Largest Theft Of Funds In National History" Which Could Be Three Times Larger Than Expected
A week ago we reported on the case of the "The Largest Theft Of Funds In National History [1]" or the missing $6.6 billion in Iraq war reconstruction funding, which was literally composed of "shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills", which was part of a $20 billion total in "Marshall Plan" investment meant to stimulate the post-war economy. When discussing this so far undisclosed cash loss, "Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, an office created by Congress, said the missing $6.6 billion may be "the largest theft of funds in national history." Two new developments have emerged in this fascinating story. The first, as CNBCs Eamon Javers reports is that "The New York Fed is refusing to tell investigators how many billions of dollars it shipped to Iraq during the early days of the US invasion there." Javers adds: "The Fed's lack of disclosure is making it difficult for the inspector general to follow the paper trail of billions of dollars that went missing in the chaotic rush to finance the Iraq occupation, and to determine how much of that money was stolen." Well, for what it's worth, we may have an estimate of this largest war theft ever: talking to Al Jazeera, "Osama al-Nujaifi, the Iraqi parliament speaker, has told Al Jazeera that the amount of Iraqi money unaccounted for by the US is $18.7bn - three times more than the reported $6.6bn." If indeed the total theft amounts to virtually the entire amount of reconstruction spending that could possibly explain why the Fed is so coy in discussing this issue. Alas, just like the Fed's multitrillion bailout of the financial system, it is unlikely it will be able to keep the topic from reemerging, and that very soon - al-Nujaifi adds: "There is a lot of money missing during the first American administration of Iraqi money in the first year of occupation. "Iraq's development fund has lost around $18bn of Iraqi money in these operations - their location is unknown. Also missing are the documents of expenditure. "I think it will be discussed soon. There should be an answer to where has Iraqi money gone." Who will be the next Mark Pittman to sue the New York Fed to get the required information on how much cash the FRBNY was complicit in "disappearing" - we can't wait to find out.
Source
Source
WICOMICO COUNTY TO OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SEPTIC SYSTEM
(Salisbury, MD) – The Wicomico County Department of Environmental Health is pleased to announce that it has received a $355,000 award from the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Chesapeake Bay
Restoration Fund. The money will be used to upgrade septic systems with technology that will reduce nutrients entering our county’s groundwater. “Our priority is to upgrade failing septic systems inside the Chesapeake Bay’s Critical Areas. This will not only improve our community’s groundwater, but will also improve the Bay’s overall health. We are excited to provide some financial assistance to our county”, says Dennis DiCintio, Director of Environmental Health. County properties inside the Critical Areas that are currently experiencing a failing system are eligible for 100% financing. Other properties are subject to a sliding scale based on the property owner’s 2010 taxable income.
For questions, or for an application, county residents may call the Wicomico County Health Department Environmental Health Department at (410) 546-4446 or visit http://www.wicomicohealth.org/.
Restoration Fund. The money will be used to upgrade septic systems with technology that will reduce nutrients entering our county’s groundwater. “Our priority is to upgrade failing septic systems inside the Chesapeake Bay’s Critical Areas. This will not only improve our community’s groundwater, but will also improve the Bay’s overall health. We are excited to provide some financial assistance to our county”, says Dennis DiCintio, Director of Environmental Health. County properties inside the Critical Areas that are currently experiencing a failing system are eligible for 100% financing. Other properties are subject to a sliding scale based on the property owner’s 2010 taxable income.
For questions, or for an application, county residents may call the Wicomico County Health Department Environmental Health Department at (410) 546-4446 or visit http://www.wicomicohealth.org/.
A Brooke Mulford Update
Let the scanxiety begin...
Well, it's that time again, the dreaded quarterly scans and all the scanxiety that goes along with them. I say dreaded but part of me actually looks forward to them because if they are clear scans than part of me can breathe a little easier...at least for a little while. It has been a difficult 3 months for our NB family. We've had 3 friends relapse in the past 3 months and one other lose his long, hard fought battle. I can't even begin to describe the rollercoaster it is to live in this world of pediatric cancer. I've grown to love and bond so much with these kids and their families - I feel their fears, the pain, the uncertainty, the heartache...but, I also am so inspired by their unwavering faith, strength, courage and determination. I praise God, and the amazing pediatric oncologists and researchers who fight so hard for our babies every single day. I celebrate each child's milestones and miracles and every minute of my day with Brooke.
I have much to update you on with Brooke and our last 3 months but it is late and we have a very early start at CHOP tomorrow. I have fun photos and videos to share of kindergarten graduation and her dance recital but I am on my mom's computer so that too will have to wait.
Our schedule for the next two days is roughly this:
Tues: 7:00am arrival at CHOP to start drinking contrast and have IV put in and labs drawn. Somewhere around 10am she will be having a CT scan of her head, neck, chest, and abdomen. Between 10:30-11:30 she will have an echocardiogram and EKG and finally at 1:00 she will have her MIBG injection (radioactive dye).
Wed: 7:30am arrival at CHOP for an 8:00 MIBG scan and 1:00 oncology clinic appt where I will get the results of the scans.
These scans mark another milestone in Brooke's journey as they are her 1 year post treatment scans! Once these are done she is scheduled to transition to scans every 6 months - bittersweet really, on the one hand more time between scans means added scanxiety because more time has passed but also hopefully at some point I can start feeling some reassurance that with every year that passes her chances of relapse decrease.
Please pray that we are blessed with clear scans again. Also, pray for miracles for these children: Brooke Shockley, Trey, Hayley, Robyn, Hannah & Beth and adults: Ellen, Chris, George and our dear friends Amy & Isabella's father/grandfather. Also, for Brooke's PopPop Dave who has not been feeling well for awhile now. We know how much all of your prayers have done for us and the miracles that we have been blessed with because of them.
I will update as soon as I can.
God bless,
Amy
BREAKING NEWS: Fed Downgrades U.S. Economic Outlook
Federal Reserve revises economic forecast down to show weaker jobs outlook and economic growth in 2011.
Special Buy At Home Depot Starting Today Thru July 6, 2011
SALE $1,198.00
Reg. $1,899.00
Is The Downtown Plaza A Lost Cause?
The Escape Restaurant closed their doors and clearly nothing is being maintained. The other problem is, Code and Compliance is now a "complaint driven" department where no one goes out to inspect different communities. Then there's the additional problem of the City owning property and not maintaining it. Who do you call then? The image below is a perfect example.
Now what gets me here is, the Plaza has never seen such destruction until the under age club opened their doors. The Mayor stated, they just don't care.
Salisbury News has asked time and time again what YOU thought should be done. Mind you, its a very tough economy and many people are scared to invest.
The City will consider spending millions of dollars on low income housing projects but they're just too stupid to put good money after good money by encouraging economic & development Downtown. Oh, they'll send letters to property owners on the Plaza stating they want to "HELP" them, (property owners doing nothing with their buildings).
It's the first step into coming back to the taxpayers and saying, we tried working with these people but they refused to work with us so we're going to create new legislation to get rid of them. Mind you, I could see them making the right move there IF they had proven they have done everything in their powers to bring businesses to the Downtown Plaza or Main Street. Some call what they're doing putting lipstick on a pig.
If the City can't even clean up their own act and take care of the portions of the Plaza they own, why should we invest money into beautifying it, or being forced to?
You mark my words, I know what the City is up to. Under Barrie Tilghman and Gary Comegys they wanted a special arts district. They stated any artist who wants to BUY a piece of property Downtown in that district and work out of a retain portion of the building would do so tax free.
Can any of you tell me of an artist that can afford to buy a building and survive on the Downtown Plaza? Can you also tell me of an artist who would want to.
Perhaps if the City reached out to people other than Urban Salisbury for ideas and motivation they might get somewhere. However, it starts with practicing what you preach by repairing all of the bricks busted off the planter areas by vehicles, fixing the fountains and maintaining the flower beds, (which they have been doing recently).
To those candidates who are now in office after making such promises, what's next?
Rt. 13 N. Finally Getting A Facelift
How To Make Your Own Lemonade From Scratch
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
4 lemons
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, washed
Additional mint sprigs and lemon slices, for garnish
GO HERE for directions.
7-Year-Old Driving 50 mph Just Wanted To See His Dad
CASEVILLE, Mich. -- A 7-year-old Michigan boy barefoot and in pajamas drove a car for 20 miles, sometimes hitting speeds of 50 mph, before finally slowing down and stopping with the help of authorities.
"He was crying and just kept saying he wanted to go to his dad's," Caseville Police Chief Jamie Learman said. "That was pretty much it. He just wanted to go to his dad's."
Police began looking for the Pontiac Sunfire around 10:15 a.m. Monday after someone called about a very young driver. The boy was staying with his mother in Huron County's Sheridan Township, a rural area 110 miles north of Detroit. She had worked the night shift and was unaware her son and the car were gone.
The boy had hoped to drive to his father's home in Filion, also in northern Michigan. Police pulled him over in Caseville Township, some 15 miles to the west.
More
Wal-Mart Cashier Caught In Counterfeit Ring
If you shop at Wal-Mart in Landover Hills, Md., you may be circulating funny money. Police busted an suspected counterfeit currency ring after a cashier was accused of passing phony bills to unsuspecting customers.
“With the advent of technology, the quality of these bills is amazing,” Prince George’s County Police Lt. Brad Pyle said.
The counterfeit bills were printed in Capitol Heights and purchased by a group from Chicago at $30 per $100 bundle of counterfeit bills. The ring would take the counterfeit bills to the Wal-Mart in Landover Hills and purchase prepaid Visa cards from a woman who worked there. The members of the ring would turn the Visa cards in to cash, and the cashier would pass the fake bills to customers as change on their purchases.
“It was not only a good way to get the bills into circulation, but it was also a good way to wash the money and get it away from the people involved in the scheme,” Pyle said.
But the cashier got sloppy and allowed some of the bills to get into her register. Back in the counting room, Wal-Mart security discovered the counterfeit bills, which police said would be extremely tough for a customer to detect.
“You slip that in with a couple of $20 bills -- real ones -- and you’d never know the difference,” Pyle said.
Police have arrested several people in the case.
BREAKING NEWS: Fed Cuts GDP View, Raises Inflation Outlook
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its view of 2011 gross domestic product growth to a range of 2.7% to 2.9% from the 3.1% to 3.3% offered in April. The outlook for 2012 was also lowered, and the Fed’s estimate for inflation was raised.
Maryland May Change Way Teachers Are Evaluated
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The governor has appointed a council to change the way teachers in Maryland are evaluated and the council says it’s ready to put their new system to work. Political reporter Pat Warren explains the State Board of Education will give the plan a test run in the fall.
Nothing says school like a report and some teachers are worried about how they’ll be graded. The Maryland Department of Education’s place in the race to the top for federal funding depends on reform. Maryland teachers are about to be schooled on a new system that evaluates their performance largely on the performances of their students.
“It’s not a gotcha instrument. It’s supposed to be an instrument to improve the craft of teaching and hopefully improve learning,” said Elizabeth Weller.
The evaluations are evenly split between teacher practices, such as lesson plans and classroom environment—which will be determined by the school principal—and student performance. Thirty percent will be judged by the state and 20% by the school district. Teachers will be rated as ineffective, effective or highly effective.
Sussex County Council Approves One-Time Tax Credit
GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) -- The Sussex County Council has voted to spend any remaining surplus on a one-time tax credit.
The size of the surplus or tax break isn't known, but preliminary estimates say it could be as much as $1.3 million. By law, 10 percent of any surplus must be devoted to land preservation, while $136,000 will also be paid out in grants to nonprofits and towns. Tuesday's vote was 3-2.
Some council members argued that the county shouldn't keep the money, while others were hesitant to vote in favor of a tax credit when it wasn't clear how big the surplus was going to be.
Last year, the county voted to set aside nearly $92,000 of its surplus to restore cuts made to local fire company grants.
Source
The size of the surplus or tax break isn't known, but preliminary estimates say it could be as much as $1.3 million. By law, 10 percent of any surplus must be devoted to land preservation, while $136,000 will also be paid out in grants to nonprofits and towns. Tuesday's vote was 3-2.
Some council members argued that the county shouldn't keep the money, while others were hesitant to vote in favor of a tax credit when it wasn't clear how big the surplus was going to be.
Last year, the county voted to set aside nearly $92,000 of its surplus to restore cuts made to local fire company grants.
Source
Laura Mitchell Grandstands Until Asked to Back Up Claims
Laura Mitchell is the chameleon of the Salisbury City Council. She claims that she is a “moderate voice” who wishes to “listens to everyone”. Her actions since becoming a councilwoman tell a slightly different story. Mitchell appears to be a political opportunist who will do or say ANYTHING yet cannot back up her attacks on fellow councilmembers with something that even resembles a fact.
Mitchell’s swan song was Tuesday’s special session to vote on “The Bricks” project. Mitchell attempted to twist facts and weave stories from whole cloth while claiming that “she just wants to get along”. You can’t have it both ways. Attacking your colleagues without real evidence is not “getting along”.
Mitchell offered what she claimed to be a chronology of events leading up yesterday’s vote. Well … it was a chronology. It just wasn’t a FACTUAL chronology.
Like her pal Mayor Jim Ireton, Mitchell argues that the city council has approved “The Bricks” project multiple times. This is not true. Mitchell argues that each time the council agreed to move forward with discussion in a work session, this was somehow an approval. In listing each “approval”, Mitchell deliberately left out the fact that these were work session discussions. Near the end of her list, she inserts that the May meeting was a work session. However, she implies that the other “approvals” were actual legislative sessions and that these were “votes” (there were no real votes taken.
Using Mitchell’s “logic”, the council cannot continue discussion on any item without taking the risk of being viewed as committing the city to a particular action. This is not only ridiculous, but hypocritical. I wonder what Mitchell’s response would be if the council had refused to discuss Bateman / Olney Road (at Mitchell’s instigation)? She would probably have whined like the Mayor has.
THE CONTRACT
Mitchell took great pains to defend former council president Louise Smith and her execution of a contract regarding “The Bricks”. Mitchell states that it was “legitimate and appropriate” for Smith to sign the contract. Was it?
Maybe, but probably not. First of all, Smith attested that this contract had been “Approved by Council”. It wasn’t. Mitchell even had to admit this after the meeting.
Second, this contract was only legitimate if it cost the city nothing (it had to be under $25,000 or council approval is required). As we all now know, this contract is costing the city $75,000. It would only cost zero IF the city went through with the project. However, council had NEVER agreed to this. Mitchell knew this YET tried to claim otherwise. Mitchell’s credo seems to be, “Why state the truth when you can make cheap political points”.
CALLING OUT HER COLLEAGUES
Mitchell’s public mantra is that she “gets along with everyone”. She goes about it in an interesting way. Rather than debating an issue and agreeing to disagree, Mitchell prefers to play to the cameras and attack her colleagues in the press. Sure, I definitely see how that’s “getting along with everyone”.
… we’re doing that on a lot of projects and a lot of contracts and I think that is endangering a lot of our partnerships and our word, the value of our word as a city and it’s going to hinder our ability to get partnerships and grants in the future.In two recent Daily Times articles Mitchell states basically the same thing:
"I'm afraid this is stagnating the council and making the city's word useless," Mitchell said. "We had agreements, people acted in good faith on those agreements, and we need to do the same thing."
On Tuesday Mitchell stated basically the same thing on WMDT. There’s just one small problem. When I asked Mitchell to name ONE instance of the current council attempting to undo the actions of a previous council regarding a contract she couldn’t answer.
To be precise, Mitchell stated, “My head isn’t there right now. I’ve been working so hard on this Bricks thing. I’d have to go home and thing about it. I’ll call you this evening.
It’s 24 hours later and we have not received a response from Mitchell.
- You can’t argue that reversing or changing the actions of past councils is de facto wrong. Nearly every piece of legislation that council looks at is reversing or changing the actions of some previous council.
- You can’t use the two instances of PAC-14 funding and Poplar Hill Mansion as examples of the current council “unraveling the work of past councils” UNLESS you are willing to admit that you can never change the funding of any city department, agency, or partner. This is not only ridiculous, but eliminates the need for a city council.
I sincerely believe that Mitchell would best serve herself, and her constituents, by keeping her mouth shut for a few months. It makes it difficult for her council colleagues to want to work with her when they are under constant attack from her. What makes matters worse is that Mitchell’s arguments are false and I believe she knew so at the time she said these things.
One thing is certain, Mitchell will use ANY opportunity to exploit her cause when the press are around. Where I grew up we had a word for grandstanding political opportunists like Mitchell. I just can’t use it here. I don’t want Albero busting me for violating my own rules.
G. A. Harrison is the Managing Editor of “Salisbury News”. “Delmarva Dealings” appears each Wednesday and Sunday at SbyNEWS.com.
Debbie Campbell Op-Ed
On Tuesday morning, the Salisbury City Council voted 3 to 2 not to move forward with an attempt to renovate “The Bricks” for use as affordable housing. After years of foolish spending of taxpayer money, I see this as a sign that there is now a council in place that will make practical decisions and will take its responsibility for public money (whether local, state or federal) more seriously. Three council members voted against moving this project forward (Council President Terry Cohen, Councilman Tim Spies, and myself) for a variety of reasons. I believe we all agreed that spending taxpayers’ money to create nine one-bedroom apartments at a total cost of nearly $1.5 million was simply not the best solution to help those in need of housing in Salisbury. While we all support the idea of affordable housing, it is difficult to justify $179,000 per apartment. It was also difficult to support a project that was opposed by many of the hard working homeowners in the Church Street neighborhood, as well as taxpayers more generally.
As usual, those elected officials who are unable to accurately debate the facts and merits of the proposal resort to name calling, accusations, and baseless claims in order to divert public focus and make this about something other than fact and practicality. One council colleague even stated that we are attempting to undo valid contracts which the city has entered into.
As for the ironic notion that a majority of this council is attempting to unwind past actions of the city government, I can only ask … Where? One council colleague has repeated this claim on numerous occasions. The Daily Times gave this list in a recent editorial:
- · “Linens of the Week”
- · Bateman / Onley Road
- · Disproportionate Minority Contact Site
- · “The Bricks”
In the case of the “Linens of the Week” project, council has not attempted to undo anything. We simply disagreed with the Mayor that using the bulk of the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies for this project was short sighted and poor public policy. We also disagreed with his desire to furlough police officers.
While I make no secret of my opposition for the city’s acquisition of the “Linens of the Week” property, it is done. We were told by the Mayor that funding would be secured from sources such as the federal EPA and the state’s MDE. Until those sources are fully explored we should not even consider the use of CDBG resources. We should also be exploring possibilities beyond using the contaminated commercial site for housing. Bringing jobs to the neighborhood on the site could be more practical, and might be of interest to the private sector. Funding “Linens of the Week” with CDBG dollars would be at the expense of other projects that have been waiting much longer and would serve a much larger segment of the population and communities intended to be served by CDBG funding.
The previous council voted down the administration’s plan for Bateman / Onley Road intersection. I, along with other members of council, have chosen not to REVERSE that decision. Yet, the same council member who accuses Ms. Cohen, Mr. Spies, and me of wanting to overturn actions of previous councils is one of the same persons pushing for the council to do that very same thing regarding Bateman / Onley Road. Additionally, it has been falsely reported that the funding for the intersection was used to abate furloughs and to fund other city expenses. That is simply untrue. Both the revenue and expense for the intersection for the project was removed from the budget and can be reinstated if we are successful in reaching a resolution that is beneficial and fair to all parties (the city, the surrounding neighborhoods and their residents, the BOE and the University).
The “Disproportionate Minority Contact site” was a NEW proposal. There is nothing to undo.
In the case of “The Bricks”, the Mayor and some members of council argue on one day that there was no need for council to approve any contracts and on the next that we are attempting to overturn the actions of past councils. Which is it? It can’t be both.
The facts are simple. A majority of our 5 member council may disagree with the administration on certain policies. However, this doesn’t call for lies and grandstanding to create unrest and added angst for the residents of our city… something that neither I nor Ms. Cohen nor Mr. Spies have done. These are policy disagreements. I have to wonder what motivates this behavior and whether all of this stirring of the pot is intended, once again, to divert focus from some of the serious issues facing the city such as the waste water treatment plant and restoring the financial health of the city.
Debbie Campbell lives in Salisbury and is currently serving her second term on the Salisbury City Council.
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Robinson Chosen As Florida’s Education Commissioner
Gerard Robinson, Virginia's secretary of education, was tapped this morning to be Florida's next education commissioner.
The state Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Robinson, who before his appointment in Virginia worked for a group that advocates for school choices outside traditional public schools.
Robinson, 43, who would succeed Eric Smith, has to negotiate a salary and a start date before accepting the job. He could not be reached this morning but told the board he could not begin work in Tallahassee before Aug.8.
Petitioners Hit The Streets To Stop Tuition Breaks For Illegal Immigrants
Effort takes volunteers to festivals and beyond
The red-and-white placards outside the Motor Vehicle Administration office in Frederick strike some as an invitation: "Sign petition here. No in-state tuition for illegal immigrants."One after another, supporters walk up. Over the course of the morning, Carol Geisbert welcomes, among others, a Montgomery County mother of three college-bound teens, a truck driver named Dewey Sayers and a 28-year-old Frederick Community College student wearing a Beastie Boys T-shirt.
Two Carroll County sisters in their 60s practically skip to the table.
All are eager to get their hands on the petition.
"Just tell me where to sign," says one of the sisters, Pat Baumgardner, who whistles as she approaches. "I got better things to use my tax money for."
Over the past two months, volunteers such as Geisbert have fanned out across the state to gather signatures for the petition to give voters the final say on the controversial new law that extends in-state tuition discounts to illegal immigrants.
The Republican-led effort will come to a head next week. If the petitioners can collect 55,736 valid signatures by June 30, implementation of the law would be suspended and the measure would be put on the 2012 ballot.
That appears likely, as the state Board of Elections has certified more than 47,000 names from a preliminary round of submissions last month, and organizers plan to submit many more before the deadline.
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Annapolis Hikes Water And Sewer Rates 93 Percent
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Annapolis residents can expect to see a higher water and sewer bill this summer.
The City Council passed legislation Tuesday to raise the city's water and sewer rates beginning July 1.
Residents will see the change on their quarterly bill in September.
The average city household that used to pay $86 every three months on water and sewer bills will now pay up to $166. The $401 that average commercial users paid per quarter will soar to $763.
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The City Council passed legislation Tuesday to raise the city's water and sewer rates beginning July 1.
Residents will see the change on their quarterly bill in September.
The average city household that used to pay $86 every three months on water and sewer bills will now pay up to $166. The $401 that average commercial users paid per quarter will soar to $763.
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Residents Blast Toll Increase
For whom do the tolls toll?
They toll for area motorists, who are threatening to avoid the toll plazas as the state continues to propose substantial fee hikes at its bridges and tunnels.
Maryland Transportation Authority officials came to Severn River Middle School yesterday to hear how Anne Arundel County residents felt about a plan to raise $77 million by increasing the tolls at the Bay Bridge and other crossings.
Passenger cars at the Bay Bridge would pay $5 by October and $8 by 2013. Vehicles with three or more axles would be paying $24 to $60 at the crossings by 2013. A decision is expected by the end of the summer.
Jim and Shirley Dvorak said the toll increase would cut into the money they've saved for travel during their retirement. The Severn couple pays a $12 toll for its four-axle camper, a fee that would rise to $23 in January and $36 by 2013 if the current plan is adopted.
If the tolls rise that much, they said, they'll get more creative in their travels.
"I'm going through the city," Jim Dvorak said. "I can go up (Interstate) 95 and take Route 1, so I would miss every toll I would have to come through. If that's what they want, they'll have a big traffic jam in the city with big campers and trucks."
Roughly 60 people came to yesterday's hearing, the sixth of 10 the MdTA is holding around the state. The final public hearing is scheduled for July 14 in Ocean City, but the state is collecting testimony about the plan through Aug. 1.
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Maryland Transportation Authority officials came to Severn River Middle School yesterday to hear how Anne Arundel County residents felt about a plan to raise $77 million by increasing the tolls at the Bay Bridge and other crossings.
Passenger cars at the Bay Bridge would pay $5 by October and $8 by 2013. Vehicles with three or more axles would be paying $24 to $60 at the crossings by 2013. A decision is expected by the end of the summer.
Jim and Shirley Dvorak said the toll increase would cut into the money they've saved for travel during their retirement. The Severn couple pays a $12 toll for its four-axle camper, a fee that would rise to $23 in January and $36 by 2013 if the current plan is adopted.
If the tolls rise that much, they said, they'll get more creative in their travels.
"I'm going through the city," Jim Dvorak said. "I can go up (Interstate) 95 and take Route 1, so I would miss every toll I would have to come through. If that's what they want, they'll have a big traffic jam in the city with big campers and trucks."
Roughly 60 people came to yesterday's hearing, the sixth of 10 the MdTA is holding around the state. The final public hearing is scheduled for July 14 in Ocean City, but the state is collecting testimony about the plan through Aug. 1.
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BREAKING NEWS: Federal Reserve Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it is leaving its target on short-term rates in the 0-0.25% range. The economy is recovering more slowly than expected and the labor market is weaker than anticipated, the Fed said.
Fear Of Terror Makes People Stupid
As I've repeatedly noted, FBI agents and CIA intelligence officials, constitutional law expert professor Jonathan Turley, Time Magazine, Keith Olbermann and the Washington Post have all said that U.S. government officials "were trying to create an atmosphere of fear in which the American people would give them more power".
Indeed, the former Secretary of Homeland Security - Tom Ridge - admits [3] that he was pressured to raise terror alerts to help Bush win reelection.
In the real world, as the National Safety Council notes :
Indeed, much of our debt is due to the wars [6] in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere.
And yet the top American military and intelligence officials say that debt is the main threat to our national security. See this [7] and this [8].
So by over-reacting, we are causing real, substantial and lasting damage to our country. (It is admitted [9] by Bush, Cheney and others that the Iraq war was actually about oil, and the Afghanistan war was planned before 9/11, but this essay takes at face value the government's claims that the wars have been for self-defense.)
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In the real world, as the National Safety Council notes :
(Moreover, the chair of the 9/11 Commission said that the attack was preventable [5]).-- You are 17,600 times more likely to die from heart disease than from a terrorist attack
-- You are 12,571 times more likely to die from cancer than from a terrorist attack
-- You are 11,000 times more likely to die in an airplane accident than from a terrorist plot involving an airplane
-- You are 1048 times more likely to die from a car accident than from a terrorist attack
--You are 404 times more likely to die in a fall than from a terrorist attack
-- You are 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack
-- You are 13 times more likely to die in a railway accident than from a terrorist attack
--You are 12 times more likely to die from accidental suffocation in bed than from a terrorist attack
--You are 9 times more likely to choke to death on your own vomit than die in a terrorist attack
--You are 8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist
--You are 8 times more likely to die from accidental electrocution than from a terrorist attack
-- You are 6 times more likely to die from hot weather than from a terrorist attack
Indeed, much of our debt is due to the wars [6] in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere.
And yet the top American military and intelligence officials say that debt is the main threat to our national security. See this [7] and this [8].
So by over-reacting, we are causing real, substantial and lasting damage to our country. (It is admitted [9] by Bush, Cheney and others that the Iraq war was actually about oil, and the Afghanistan war was planned before 9/11, but this essay takes at face value the government's claims that the wars have been for self-defense.)
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The Media Can’t Save Barack From The Obama Economy
With the Obama economy limping along thanks in part to the Administration’s policies in favor of extreme dollar weakness, there’s growing speculation as to his re-election chances in 2012. Will a difficult economic situation that includes high levels of unemployment make Obama a one-term president? History says no given the power of incumbency.
Added to that, another popular narrative of late points to an Obama victory owing to the supposed economic illiteracy of the electorate, along with a media that will provide our weakened president with positive media coverage no matter the state of the economy. Of course the problem with this bit of theorizing is that Americans aren’t stupid, and after that, past elections suggest that those same Americans tend to tune out the media.
Ronald Reagan’s two terms in office tell the tale here. As USA Today media reporter Peter Johnson has put it, “Over the course of his campaigns and eight years in office, Ronald Reagan’s press peaked and fell but was always negative. … In his re-election bid in 1984, 91 percent of his coverage was negative.”
The above is important. Despite a rising economy and millions of new jobs, the media invariably stuck to a number of gloomy themes during the Reagan years, including the rising homeless population, twin deficits, and a generalized assumption that the supposed economic gains of the 1980s were only being enjoyed by the wealthy few. Amidst this constant negativity, Reagan was returned to office in 1984 with one of largest landslide victories in electoral history.
To put it simply, voters aren’t dim and they know when the economy is performing well. Conversely, when the economy is acting badly, voters are well aware once again.
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Added to that, another popular narrative of late points to an Obama victory owing to the supposed economic illiteracy of the electorate, along with a media that will provide our weakened president with positive media coverage no matter the state of the economy. Of course the problem with this bit of theorizing is that Americans aren’t stupid, and after that, past elections suggest that those same Americans tend to tune out the media.
Ronald Reagan’s two terms in office tell the tale here. As USA Today media reporter Peter Johnson has put it, “Over the course of his campaigns and eight years in office, Ronald Reagan’s press peaked and fell but was always negative. … In his re-election bid in 1984, 91 percent of his coverage was negative.”
The above is important. Despite a rising economy and millions of new jobs, the media invariably stuck to a number of gloomy themes during the Reagan years, including the rising homeless population, twin deficits, and a generalized assumption that the supposed economic gains of the 1980s were only being enjoyed by the wealthy few. Amidst this constant negativity, Reagan was returned to office in 1984 with one of largest landslide victories in electoral history.
Back then, stocks confirmed what voters already knew — that the economy was doing very well. Despite a major recession brought on by Paul Volcker and the Federal Reserve’s needless flirtation with quantity money targets in the early 1980s, the Dow Jones Industrial Average still returned 134 percent during Reagan’s presidency. Markets and the Electoral College told the truth about an economy and presidency that the media regularly tried to cast in a negative light.
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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
On June 20, 2011 The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office conducted alcohol compliance checks on several establishments in Worcester County. These checks are to locate establishments that have liquor licenses in the county, to make sure they are not selling alcoholic beverages to minors. The following establishments were found to be in violation by furnishing alcohol to a minor.
1) Taylor’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill Nicholas Lane Berlin, Maryland
2) Pizza Hut Nicholas Lane Berlin, Maryland
3) Marina Deck Berlin Maryland
4) Steer Inn Tavern Racetrack Road Berlin, Maryland
Those stores that were in violation were referred to the Worcester County Liquor control board for further action.
*******************************************************************************
The following establishments did not serve a minor an alcoholic beverage.
Snow Hill Area
1) Super Soda Center
2) Duck Inn
3) Liquor Control Board
Newark Area
1) Newark Station
Berlin Area
1) Your Store
2) Shop Kwik
3) Liquor Control Board
4) Cheers
5) Friendship Food Mart
6) Raceway Citco
7) Barley Hops and Grapes
8) Southside Beer and Wine
9) Ritas World of Wine
10) Whiskers Bar and Grill
11) Noble Grape
12) 7-11 Ocean Pines
WHOSE VISION IS RIGHT? RAND’S OR RUBIO’S
The MSM tries to paint the Tea Party with one brush. It is completely false. You have the Palin, Bachmann, Rubio faction that thinks you can balance the budget, fight wars, reduce taxes, and force Christian fundamentalism on all Americans. These people are delusional and clueless.
Rand Paul and Ron Paul are the leaders of the real Tea Party. It’s about the Constitution and following what it says. Get our troops out of other countries. Protect our own borders. Close departments and agencies that have no business operating and do more harm than good. Downsize government to the point where existing levels of revenue can pay for it. Do away with all subsidies and tax breaks for corporations, special interests and individuals.
The real solutions involve pain and sacrifice. The crap spewed by neo-cons and libertards is nothing but lies and misinformation. They have no intentions of cutting anything. The Pauls are the only honest politicians in America.
On domestic policy, the Republican candidates in last week’s primary debate seemed to speak with one voice: Cut taxes, cut spending, repeal Obamacare, declare victory.
Rand Paul and Ron Paul are the leaders of the real Tea Party. It’s about the Constitution and following what it says. Get our troops out of other countries. Protect our own borders. Close departments and agencies that have no business operating and do more harm than good. Downsize government to the point where existing levels of revenue can pay for it. Do away with all subsidies and tax breaks for corporations, special interests and individuals.
The real solutions involve pain and sacrifice. The crap spewed by neo-cons and libertards is nothing but lies and misinformation. They have no intentions of cutting anything. The Pauls are the only honest politicians in America.
On domestic policy, the Republican candidates in last week’s primary debate seemed to speak with one voice: Cut taxes, cut spending, repeal Obamacare, declare victory.
On foreign policy, though, they sounded a more uncertain trumpet. There were flashes of the old post-9/11 confidence — as in Tim Pawlenty’s declaration that post-Saddam Iraq represents a “shining example” to the Middle East. But there was also pessimism about Afghanistan, skepticism about the Libyan intervention, and a general sense that the United States is bearing too many burdens overseas, and paying too high a price.
For the first time in a decade, it seems, the Republican Party doesn’t know where it stands on foreign policy. Instead of being united around George W. Bush’s vision of democratic revolution, conservatives are increasingly divided over what lessons to draw from America’s post-9/11 interventions.
But while this division shows up in the current presidential field, it’s distilled to its essence in two high-profile Republicans who aren’t running (not in 2012, at least): Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
As The American Spectator’s Jim Antle pointed out last month, Rubio and Paul have followed similar paths to prominence. Both were discouraged from running for the Senate by party leaders. Both rode Tea Party support to unexpected primary victories. In Washington, both have defined themselves as stringent government-cutters.
But on foreign policy, the similarities disappear. Rubio is the great neoconservative hope, the champion of a foreign policy that boldly goes abroad in search of monsters to destroy. In the Senate, he’s constantly pressed for a more hawkish line against the Mideast’s bad actors. His maiden Senate speech was a paean to national greatness, whose peroration invoked John F. Kennedy and insisted that America remain the “watchman on the wall of world freedom.”
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But while this division shows up in the current presidential field, it’s distilled to its essence in two high-profile Republicans who aren’t running (not in 2012, at least): Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
As The American Spectator’s Jim Antle pointed out last month, Rubio and Paul have followed similar paths to prominence. Both were discouraged from running for the Senate by party leaders. Both rode Tea Party support to unexpected primary victories. In Washington, both have defined themselves as stringent government-cutters.
But on foreign policy, the similarities disappear. Rubio is the great neoconservative hope, the champion of a foreign policy that boldly goes abroad in search of monsters to destroy. In the Senate, he’s constantly pressed for a more hawkish line against the Mideast’s bad actors. His maiden Senate speech was a paean to national greatness, whose peroration invoked John F. Kennedy and insisted that America remain the “watchman on the wall of world freedom.”
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BREAKING NEWS
There is a wreck in Fruitland on Fruitland Blvd and main street extended. Right now they have about 7 ambulances responding. It involves a shore bus.
Culture Of Driving With Phones Must Change
The nation risks a surge in deadly accidents unless it makes distracted driving - talking, texting and surfing the Internet while operating cars, boats and trains - as taboo as drunken driving, members of the National Transportation and Safety Board said Tuesday.
"Many people continue to think it's just going to take a moment (to call or text)," NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said. "How do we change that mindset? Not just the NTSB, but all of us?"
The July 7 accident began with an engine problem on an amphibious duck boat, which takes tourists through Philadelphia's historic district and then floats on the Delaware River. As the passengers waited for a help, a 250-foot barge being pushed by a tugboat struck the duck boat, spilling 37 people into the water.
In about 2 1/2 hours at the wheel of the tug, K-Sea Transportation Partners tug pilot Matt Devlin made and received 21 cellphone calls and also surfed the Internet on a company laptop, investigators said.
What's more, Devlin moved from an upper to a lower wheelhouse on the tug to do so, obscuring his ability to see the stalled 33-foot duck boat. Investigators believe the lower wheelhouse offered him more privacy and less noise as he talked on the phone and did research on a company laptop _ both violations of company policy.
Business Group Ratings For Lawmakers Drop Again
Business ratings for Democratic members of the Maryland House of Delegates showed a sharp drop this year and scores for state senators declined as well, according to the latest Roll Call report from Maryland Business for Responsive Government. The group has been rating Annapolis lawmakers for 25 years.
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Legislative Contests Indicate GOP Enthusiasm
As Democrats and Republicans fight for control of the Virginia Senate this fall, the energy seems to be on the Republican side.
There are five Senate districts in which two or more Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination to take on a Democratic incumbent. There are none in which more than one Democrat has expressed an interest in taking on a Republican incumbent.
This comes after a Senate redistricting process that was controlled by Democrats. It also comes before ageneral election in which Democrats are defending a 22-18 majority in the Senate.
Democrats have until late August to find candidates to challenge Republicans.
Re-Funding Bonds May Save Maryland Nearly $7 Million
As the state prepares to issue $512 million in new bonds next month, it is also making preparations to reduce the state’s debt nearly $7 million by refunding as much as $550 million in existing bonds.
Patti Konrad, director of debt management in Treasurer Nancy Kopp’s office, said it’s somewhat similar to refinancing a mortgage by reducing the interest rate on existing bonds. Last week, the Board of Public Works authorized up to $550 million in refunding bonds. Right now Konrad estimated that the state could refund about $200 million in bonds, which could yield up to $6.9 million in savings.
“When you refund a bond, you are not incurring more debt,” Konrad said. “What you are doing is getting rid of a higher rate, and replacing it with a lower one. It reduces the interest cost on the bonds.”
The term of bonds are not impacted when the bonds are refunded, Konrad said. If a bond has five years of payments left, then the refunded bond will have a lower interest rate, but still must be paid back within five years.
Today's Survey Question
Will the new graphic warnings on cigarettes cut down on the number of people smoking?
Surry Reactor Shut Down Again
Dominion Virginia Power has again shut down its troubled Unit 2 at Surry nuclear power plant.
The utility company started the reactor last Thursday. It had been out of service since a tornado struck the plant on April 16.
The reactor was operating at 94 percent capacity on Monday, according to data from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dominion spokesman Rick Zuercher said the reactor actually reached 100 percent capacity but engineers spotted a problem in the unit's cooling ducts Monday afternoon.
McDonough Files Legislation to Freeze Tolls and Lock Transportation Funds
Del. Patrick L. McDonough will announce Tuesday his plan to freeze highway tolls and secure transportation funding.
McDonough (R-Dist. 7) of Middle River wants to divert the power to set toll rates from the Maryland Transportation Authority to the Maryland General Assembly while locking up the Transportation Trust Fund, which has been raided in recent years to balance the state budget.
The legislation would take transportation decisions out of the hands of bureaucrats, said McDonough, who also said he has pre-filed the bill to be part of the special session that will be called this fall to handle congressional redistricting.
Last month, the authority proposed statewide toll increases to raise $77 million, including a hike from $2.50 to $5 to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, starting Oct. 1. If the plan is adopted, that rate would increase to $8 in 2013.
Deadline Looms for Emergency Mortgage Loans
In a use-it-or-lose-it arrangement, the Maryland Housing and Community Development Department has until September 30 to give out $36 million in federal emergency mortgage loans to state homeowners facing foreclosure.
“We are in ‘turbo drive’ with the aim of obligating all the funds,” said Carol Gilbert, the department’s assistant secretary for neighborhood revitalization, who is optimistic that goal can be met. Gilbert was speaking at a meeting last Friday on financial literacy.
Last year, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which provided $1 billion for the Emergency Homeowners Loan Program for qualified homeowners facing foreclosure.
The program is available to homeowners who have lost at least 15% of their income due to involuntary job loss, reduction in wages, or a medical condition, Gilbert said.
Giant Food Stretches Lead As Largest Baltimore-Area Grocer
Follow this company widened its lead as the largest grocer in the Baltimore area, according to the latest annual report from Columbia's Food World magazine.
Giant sales rose to $1.45 billion in Baltimore and the five surrounding counties for the 52 weeks ended March 31.
Sales at its 39 Baltimore-area stores rose from $1.31 billion in 2010. It increased its market share to 18.6 percent, up from 17.1 percent in 2010.
Landover-based Giant is a owned by Dutch grocery giant Royal Ahold. That topped No. 2 Safeway, which had Baltimore-area sales of $722 million. Safeway's sales rose from $721.5 million in 2010, but its market share dropped slightly to 9.2 percent, compared with 9.4 percent in 2010.
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Giant sales rose to $1.45 billion in Baltimore and the five surrounding counties for the 52 weeks ended March 31.
Sales at its 39 Baltimore-area stores rose from $1.31 billion in 2010. It increased its market share to 18.6 percent, up from 17.1 percent in 2010.
Landover-based Giant is a owned by Dutch grocery giant Royal Ahold. That topped No. 2 Safeway, which had Baltimore-area sales of $722 million. Safeway's sales rose from $721.5 million in 2010, but its market share dropped slightly to 9.2 percent, compared with 9.4 percent in 2010.
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700 Teaching Jobs In Jeopardy; $1.6 Billion Budget Set
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) -- The Prince George's County school board has approved a $1.6 billion budget that will cut as many as 700 teaching positions next year.
The budget approved after midnight Tuesday represents a 2 percent decrease in funding from last year.
The school system has been slashing costs since 2008 due to declining property values and enrollment.
In that time, more than 3,000 jobs have been cut. About half were teaching jobs. Under the proposed budget for next year, class sizes would increase by about one student in most grades.
The schools also would lose about 100 librarian positions. Early education programs will be reduced to a half day, and high school students will pay a $50 athletic fee.
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The budget approved after midnight Tuesday represents a 2 percent decrease in funding from last year.
The school system has been slashing costs since 2008 due to declining property values and enrollment.
In that time, more than 3,000 jobs have been cut. About half were teaching jobs. Under the proposed budget for next year, class sizes would increase by about one student in most grades.
The schools also would lose about 100 librarian positions. Early education programs will be reduced to a half day, and high school students will pay a $50 athletic fee.
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Aerial Tram Proposed For Ocean City Boardwalk
OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — Ocean City visitors could soon have another way to get around while taking in the sights.
A developer is proposing an aerial tram would glide 50 to 85 feet above the boardwalk from the inlet to 27th St., offering views of the ocean, beach and bay. The tram would run daily from April to October.
Skyline Ocean City is being proposed by Trey Winstead, who has also proposed a similar tram for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The developer’s proposal says financing is already in place and a presentation for city officials is expected in the next few weeks.
Source
A developer is proposing an aerial tram would glide 50 to 85 feet above the boardwalk from the inlet to 27th St., offering views of the ocean, beach and bay. The tram would run daily from April to October.
Skyline Ocean City is being proposed by Trey Winstead, who has also proposed a similar tram for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The developer’s proposal says financing is already in place and a presentation for city officials is expected in the next few weeks.
Source
Charges Filed For Horse Farm Neglect
CENTERVILLE, Md. - Animal cruelty charges have been filed in one of the largest cases of animal neglect in Maryland history.
The Queen Anne's County State's Attorney, Lance Richardson has filed 34 counts of animal cruelty charges against Marsha Parkinson, owner of Canterbury Farms, an illegal horse breeding farm.
Parkinson is scheduled in Queen Anne's County court for a trial on July 27.
In late April, animal control seized 140 horses from Parkinson's from the Centerville farm because they had signs of severe neglect.
Of the 140 horses only a few were found to be at a sufficient body condition, the rest were all lacking the "Minimum Standards of Care" under Maryland state law.
Many of the horses were under 5. It is anticipated that more than 100 animal cruelty charges will be filed against... ...
Read the full story at ABC 2
The Queen Anne's County State's Attorney, Lance Richardson has filed 34 counts of animal cruelty charges against Marsha Parkinson, owner of Canterbury Farms, an illegal horse breeding farm.
Parkinson is scheduled in Queen Anne's County court for a trial on July 27.
In late April, animal control seized 140 horses from Parkinson's from the Centerville farm because they had signs of severe neglect.
Of the 140 horses only a few were found to be at a sufficient body condition, the rest were all lacking the "Minimum Standards of Care" under Maryland state law.
Many of the horses were under 5. It is anticipated that more than 100 animal cruelty charges will be filed against... ...
Read the full story at ABC 2
Source of Missing Jobs in America Found: Forced Laborers
With unemployment at a near historic high in the United States, could you imagine any American company bringing in foreign workers to work for them below the minimum wage and with no benefits? Most people would say no. But can you imagine those same Americans forcing foreign workers to stay here, with no pay, and constant abuse? That is actually happening in this country today.
Forced labor is a real phenomenon in the United States agriculture business. Without awareness and investigation into where our supplies come from and who businesses are hiring, the American people become unwitting complicit supporters of labor trafficking.
Monday June 13th, in anticipation of the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) held a Senate committee hearing and panel discussion to review the success and needed improvements of the law. Smith is chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus. Several leaders in the fight against human trafficking were invited to testify: the main witness, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. State Department; Deborah Cundy, Vice President of Carlson Companies; Chai Ling, founder of All Girls Allowed; Nancy Rivard, President and founder of Airline Ambassadors International; Philip Kowalcyzk, President of The Body Shop; Kevin Bales, co-founder and President, Free the Slaves, and; David Abramowitz of Humanity United.
During the testimony of Ambassador CdeBaca, Smith asked a pointed question about labor trafficking in the United States. He inquired if the elimination of broker fees would help stop labor trafficking. Brokers, according the Verité Initiative, are “intermediaries who facilitate employment for migrant workers,” often in legal methods. However, research by the Verité Initiative shows that brokerage fees can “range from USD 3,000-27,000 among workers coming in legally on H-2A and H-2B guest worker visas.” In 2008, 173,103 guest workers were admitted on H-2A visas, which are for agricultural work. The main states receiving these workers were: Arkansas; California; Louisiana; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; New York and; North Carolina. The other main industry for guest workers who came on the H-2B non-agricultural visa is Forestry. 104,618 H-2B visas were granted in 2008.
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Forced labor is a real phenomenon in the United States agriculture business. Without awareness and investigation into where our supplies come from and who businesses are hiring, the American people become unwitting complicit supporters of labor trafficking.
Monday June 13th, in anticipation of the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) held a Senate committee hearing and panel discussion to review the success and needed improvements of the law. Smith is chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus. Several leaders in the fight against human trafficking were invited to testify: the main witness, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. State Department; Deborah Cundy, Vice President of Carlson Companies; Chai Ling, founder of All Girls Allowed; Nancy Rivard, President and founder of Airline Ambassadors International; Philip Kowalcyzk, President of The Body Shop; Kevin Bales, co-founder and President, Free the Slaves, and; David Abramowitz of Humanity United.
During the testimony of Ambassador CdeBaca, Smith asked a pointed question about labor trafficking in the United States. He inquired if the elimination of broker fees would help stop labor trafficking. Brokers, according the Verité Initiative, are “intermediaries who facilitate employment for migrant workers,” often in legal methods. However, research by the Verité Initiative shows that brokerage fees can “range from USD 3,000-27,000 among workers coming in legally on H-2A and H-2B guest worker visas.” In 2008, 173,103 guest workers were admitted on H-2A visas, which are for agricultural work. The main states receiving these workers were: Arkansas; California; Louisiana; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; New York and; North Carolina. The other main industry for guest workers who came on the H-2B non-agricultural visa is Forestry. 104,618 H-2B visas were granted in 2008.
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Florida Governor Scott Rejects Million in Federal Health Aid For Those In Need To Grandstand Against Health Law
In his relentless campaign against President Obama’s health care reform law, Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) has repeatedly proven his willingness to put politics ahead of the welfare of his state’s residents. While other Republican governors have joined in opposition to the Affordable Care Act, most have forged ahead with implementing the reforms and accepted the federal money that comes with it as that is the law, until their suit against the legislation is settled in court.
But the St. Petersburg Times reports that Scott has taken a different tact, ignoring the law by rejecting millions in federal health aid for senior citizens, children, and the disabled just to spite the president and score political points with the far right:
MoreFlorida already leads a lawsuit challenging the federal health care law, but state officials are going a step further and ignoring the law almost entirely — rejecting millions of federal dollars to provide health care for retirees, seniors, children and people with disabilities.So far this year, Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led Legislature have returned or refused to spend at least $19 million in federal money associated with implementing the health care law. Scott also has stopped any state planning for the creation of mandated health care exchanges, which will allow consumers to comparison shop for health insurance plans.
Federal Judge: Republishing Full Story Without Permission Was OK
According to a ruling by a federal judge, a man was legally protected when he copied and pasted an entire Las Vegas Review-Journal article, including a headline, onto another site. The judge said the man wouldn't have to pay a Copyright Act fine because the newspaper couldn't prove that the article's re-posting reduced the amount of readers who would read the original article.
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Study: California Spends $308 Million Per Execution
A study by a California judge and his law clerk, a law professor suggests that the state should do away with the death penalty in order to save money. The state has spent $4 billion on capital punishment since 1978, but has only executed 13 convicts in that span. And costs are projected to increase to $9 billion by 2030.
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The Best And Worst States In Which To Retire
When old folks collect their gold watches, sell their houses and head south for their winter years, it's not only the sunshine that's luring them. States in the South typically boast tax laws that treat retirees better, with low or no income tax, low or non-existent sales tax and low taxing pensions and Social Security benefits. On the other hand, several northern states crush retirees' dreams with tougher tax laws.
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New Services Adds Your Drunken Facebook Photos To Employer Background Checks, For Up To Seven Years
The FTC has given thumbs up to a company, Social Intelligence Corp., selling a new kind of employee background check to employers. This one scours the internet for your posts and pictures to social media sites and creates a file of all the dumb stuff you ever uploaded online. For instance, this sample they provided was flagged for "Demonstrating potentially violent behavior" because of "flagrant display of weapons or bombs."
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Target Updates Coupon Policy To Limit BOGO Stacking
One of the hardest things about being a dedicated couponer is keeping up to date on each of the store's ever-changing coupon policies. Target has just posted a new update to its coupon policy to limit how BOGO (Buy One Get One) coupons can be stacked. (Stacking is when you combine in-store coupons with manufacturer's coupons to beef up your discounts). Here's the rule change:
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I-95 Newark Toll Plaza Project Requires Lane Closures for Completion
Newark -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces that as the construction of the highway-speed E-ZPass lanes at the I-95 Newark Toll Plaza enters its final phase, motorists should be aware of lane shifts in order to apply paving and pavement markings, as well as to facilitate the final construction and project operations.
All cash customers should continue to use "CASH" manned lanes. However, E-ZPass customers can expect intermittent opening and closing of the dedicated highway speed E-ZPass lanes. During this time E-ZPass customers may either be using the highway speed E-ZPass lanes or directed to the "CASH" lanes. All manned lanes are configured to accept E-ZPass transactions.
Motorists should stay alert for lane restrictions approaching the toll plaza and remember to stay in their lane once at the toll plaza. In addition, please be aware of changing traffic patterns, slow moving construction vehicles, and construction personnel.
All cash customers should continue to use "CASH" manned lanes. However, E-ZPass customers can expect intermittent opening and closing of the dedicated highway speed E-ZPass lanes. During this time E-ZPass customers may either be using the highway speed E-ZPass lanes or directed to the "CASH" lanes. All manned lanes are configured to accept E-ZPass transactions.
Motorists should stay alert for lane restrictions approaching the toll plaza and remember to stay in their lane once at the toll plaza. In addition, please be aware of changing traffic patterns, slow moving construction vehicles, and construction personnel.
Worcester County Health Dept. Sponsors Diabetes Education Program
The Worcester County Health Department offers a multi-session diabetes self management education program in Snow Hill and Pocomoke this summer.The program is scheduled for: • 10-11:30 a.m. Thursdays, July 7-Aug. 11 at the Pocomoke Health Center, 400A Walnut St.
• 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 17-Sept. 21 at the Worcester County Health Department, 6040 Public Landing Road in Snow Hill.
Anyone interested in learning more about diabetes and its treatment is invited to attend. A team comprised of a registered nurse, registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator,and an American College of Sports Medicine certified clinical exercise physiologist provide the educational sessions. The American Diabetes Association and the Eli Lilly and Company, a major pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.,provide resource support. Sessions include information about managing the disease, reducing complications, goal setting, nutrition, lifestyle change, physical activity, blood sugar monitoring, sick day management, dental care, stress, medications and preventive care.A $10 donation is requested for the entire program. Please call the Worcester County
Health Department at 410-632-1100 ext. 4 for more information or to register.
Pepco Faces Service Challenges
The head of Pepco’s parent company says he doesn’t think the electric utility can be a top performer in the next two or three years.
According to The Washington Examiner, Pepco Holdings Inc. CEO Joe Rigby told Montgomery County Council members during a meeting on Monday that in terms of performance he’s “not even shooting for average.”
Rigby said in a statement Tuesday that his comments were taken out of context. Rigby said Pepco is determined to be a top performing utility. He says Pepco is working to avoid outages by trimming 1,800 miles of tree line and upgrading underground cable.
Pepco Holdings is the parent of Delmarva Power. – Ed.
Food Stamp Program Doubles, Abuse Soars
The use of food stamps has soared in the D.C. region, but so has the cost of fraud, and Maryland now ranks second in the country in misappropriated food assistance funding. The number of people receiving food stamps in Maryland has more than doubled since 2007 to nearly 677,000 as of April, or about 11 percent of the state's population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Virginia, use grew by 75 percent -- more than doubling in Fairfax County alone. In the District, two of every 10 residents now use food stamps, up by a third since before the recession.
The food stamp program more than doubled to $65 billion annually over the last five years and abuse and fraud now account for $2 billion of that, the USDA reports. The causes range from simple computer glitches to outright lying by applicants.
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