Everyone knows that the US government is bankrupt and has been for many years. But I thought it might be instructive to see what its current cash-flow situation actually is. At least insofar as it's possible to get a clear picture.
As you know, the so-called Super Committee recently tried to come up with a plan to cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion and failed completely. To anyone who understands the nature of the political process, the failure was, of course, as predictable as it was shameful. What's even more shameful, though, is that the sought-after $1.5 trillion cut wasn't meant to apply to the annual budget but to the total budget of the next 10 years – a fact that is rarely mentioned.
Now whenever the chattering classes talk about cuts, it's always about cuts over the course of 10 years. Which is a dodge, partly because most of the supposed cuts will be scheduled for the end of the period, but also because new programs, new emergencies and hidden contingencies will creep in to offset any announced cuts. So the numbers below aren't a worst case; they're the rosiest possible scenario. People have thought I was joking when, asked how bad the Greater Depression was going to be, I answered that it would be worse than even I thought it would be. But I haven't been joking.
To sum up the situation, given its financial condition and the political forces working to worsen it, the US government is facing a completely impossible and irremediable situation. I'm going to try to illustrate that here. But because I'm a perpetual optimist, not a gloom-and-doomer, I'm also going to give you solutions to the purely financial problems – albeit with some good news and some bad news. The good news is, there actually are solutions. The bad news is that there is zero chance that any of them will be put into effect.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, January 21, 2012
BREAKING NEWS: PLANE CRASH IN DEAL ISLAND
We just received word there's been a plane crash in or around Deal Island. They are calling in rescue boats as we speak. More to come...
BREAKING NEWS: Gingrich Projected As Winner
Fox News Projects Newt Gingrich to be the winner of the South Carolina Republican Primary
From Fox News
From Fox News
Preppers View - The Food Stash
Your food supply is perhaps the most important part of your prepper plan. Around my house we call it "The Stash". Frozen food is a poor option because when the power goes out - it spoils. Fast. In my opinion, canned goods and dried goods are the best choices.
Dried goods generally require water to use. An example would be oatmeal or powdered eggs. There are also dried foods in a foil/plastic sack by a company called Mountain House that offers lasagna, eggs, soups, and a wealth of other things - all of which are nutritionally valuable. There are MRE's available on line and at military surplus stores. These dried foods are most valuable for emergency evacuation kits or "bug out bags". We'll talk more about bug out bags in a future article. We also store dried pinto beans, rice, and flower in large plastic bags then placed in 5 gallon food grade plastic buckets. The orange 5 gal. plastic buckets and lids from Home Depot are food grade. We put moisture absorber in the bucket outside of the plastic bags. These are effective at keeping things dry and keeping mice out.
Canned goods are my favorite choice for an extended supply - or Stash. When considering your canned foods, think about nitrutional value. Canned goods with no nutritional value aren't worth the space they take up on your shelf. We store canned vegetables and fruits.(We don't store canned meat. But I am having second thoughts on that philosophy.) We store foods that are rich in vitamins and iron. Each can has an expiration date. I've been told that these dates are for reference and that the food inside can last much longer. I prefer to use the dates.
Now all we have left to do is find a place to put our stockpile. We are fortunate to have an unfinished room where we put shelves. You can use a basement, a large closet, a wall in your mud room or laundry room, or any spare room you may have. The shelving can be as simple as cinder blocks and 2x12's or as complex as modular pantry organizers. I use whatever I have. Thanks to a local lady who was a prepper when preppers weren't cool, I've learned the importance of recycling virtually everything. And she'll know exactly who I'm talking about when she reads this. It's important to remember to put the things with the closer expiration date closer to the front and the cans with the expiration dates further away toward the back. Then once you have 3 - 6 months worth of provisions saved, you just take from the stockpile and use it, then replace it when you shop - putting the new stuff in the rear. You are now using what is known as the FIFO (First In First Out) method of cycling your food in and out.
Oh....I almost forgot...there are some things you may want to include in your stash that don't jump out at you right away. Examples:
toothe paste
toilet paper
multi-vitamins
tylenol
extra supply of necessary medications that have a long shelf life
COFFEE!!!
soap
feminine hygiene products
you get the point.
When you first start accumulating your stockpile, it may be best to go to a "Save-a-Lot" or similar to get your goods at a low price as you will need to build up your supply if you haven't started already.
I was going to put this post up tomorrow but I thought that if it provoked any ideas, there may be some people who wish to use tomorrow to get started.
Now that we know that there are a lot of preppers out there....what do YOU want to add. What suggestions would you make?
Dried goods generally require water to use. An example would be oatmeal or powdered eggs. There are also dried foods in a foil/plastic sack by a company called Mountain House that offers lasagna, eggs, soups, and a wealth of other things - all of which are nutritionally valuable. There are MRE's available on line and at military surplus stores. These dried foods are most valuable for emergency evacuation kits or "bug out bags". We'll talk more about bug out bags in a future article. We also store dried pinto beans, rice, and flower in large plastic bags then placed in 5 gallon food grade plastic buckets. The orange 5 gal. plastic buckets and lids from Home Depot are food grade. We put moisture absorber in the bucket outside of the plastic bags. These are effective at keeping things dry and keeping mice out.
Canned goods are my favorite choice for an extended supply - or Stash. When considering your canned foods, think about nitrutional value. Canned goods with no nutritional value aren't worth the space they take up on your shelf. We store canned vegetables and fruits.(We don't store canned meat. But I am having second thoughts on that philosophy.) We store foods that are rich in vitamins and iron. Each can has an expiration date. I've been told that these dates are for reference and that the food inside can last much longer. I prefer to use the dates.
Now all we have left to do is find a place to put our stockpile. We are fortunate to have an unfinished room where we put shelves. You can use a basement, a large closet, a wall in your mud room or laundry room, or any spare room you may have. The shelving can be as simple as cinder blocks and 2x12's or as complex as modular pantry organizers. I use whatever I have. Thanks to a local lady who was a prepper when preppers weren't cool, I've learned the importance of recycling virtually everything. And she'll know exactly who I'm talking about when she reads this. It's important to remember to put the things with the closer expiration date closer to the front and the cans with the expiration dates further away toward the back. Then once you have 3 - 6 months worth of provisions saved, you just take from the stockpile and use it, then replace it when you shop - putting the new stuff in the rear. You are now using what is known as the FIFO (First In First Out) method of cycling your food in and out.
Oh....I almost forgot...there are some things you may want to include in your stash that don't jump out at you right away. Examples:
toothe paste
toilet paper
multi-vitamins
tylenol
extra supply of necessary medications that have a long shelf life
COFFEE!!!
soap
feminine hygiene products
you get the point.
When you first start accumulating your stockpile, it may be best to go to a "Save-a-Lot" or similar to get your goods at a low price as you will need to build up your supply if you haven't started already.
I was going to put this post up tomorrow but I thought that if it provoked any ideas, there may be some people who wish to use tomorrow to get started.
Now that we know that there are a lot of preppers out there....what do YOU want to add. What suggestions would you make?
Neighborhood Code & Compliance Royally Screws Up
Much has been said in the Daily Times about Councilman Tim Spies and his challenges with Neighborhood Services Code & Compliance. HOWEVER, let's take a look at the Daily Times most recent attack against Mr. Spies.
First, let it be known that the violation charges against Mr. Spies has been corrected. The Daily Times Reporter Sarah Lake called Mr. Spies on Thursday January 19th 2012 in the morning to tell him additional charges have been filed from Neighborhood Code & Compliance for failure to replace a dilapidated fence. FUNNY, on Thursday January 19th THERE WAS NO FENCE! The old fence had been removed and footers were dug, concrete poured with fence posts in each hole.
As you can see from the images taken just moments ago, the ONLY thing missing to complete the project are the gates. However, how did Sarah Lake know Mr. Spies had been charged with yet another bogus violation days before Mr. Spies ever became aware of it?
Because Code & Compliance and the Daily Times are obviously in bed with one and other and before the Daily Times ever got off their ass to take a look at Mr. Spies property, they ran with it. Before Code & Compliance did their job by going to the property and INSPECT it before they filed charges, they contacted the Daily Times and defamed Mr. Spies once again.
It's no secret that Tim Spies and I are good friends. I happen to think Mr. Spies is one of the kindest and most intelligent human beings I know. Mr. Spies is a retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer and lives on a fixed income, like most people in Salisbury. Are their contractors that can drop everything to fix small projects, absolutely. However, are they affordable, not for most, especially those on fixed incomes. Contractors have been paid and ran off with the money, making it that much more difficult to afford to fix what was demanded, yet you don't hear these things in the Daily Times.
As you can see above, a beautiful fence has been erected and next week there will be gates to complete the job. Don't believe for a second the Daily Times and or Code & Compliance know what they're doing. Mr. Spies is a political target by a select few. I'm telling you Folks, cancel that subscription to that rag of a Newspaper. This CLEARLY proves they didn't even go to his home to see if it was TRUE! Stories are FED to them and they just publish what they are told. Shame on Code & Compliance, the Daily Times and Sarah Lake.
It Isn't Just Volleyball Coaches Having Problems At WiHi
While Salisbury News was the first to publish criminal charges against a Wicomico County Teacher, I personally feel a little more dignity has to be shown towards these Teachers, for the time being. It may be our job to expose charges, it is not our job, (imho)to get into details.
In my almost 50 years of life I have seen MANY Teachers charged and very few convicted. It seems easy these days to file charges against a Teacher and quite frankly I feel its important to let these things go to court, (if it ever goes that far) and report the outcome.
We have received quite a few comments challenging us as to why we didn't give a full description but I knew those parents who may show a concern would recognize the name and at least have the heads up. After all, the charges we provided do tell the story.
Now we ALL know the Daily Times has MANY inside Board of Education sources. Today we're getting in comments saying they gave greater details. Good for them, I hope they're proud of themselves. HOWEVER, to those nay sayers who get a thrill challenging me, DO TELL US WHY THE DAILY TIMES HAS SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE FOOTBALL COACH!
Oh, you want to now watch the local MSM squirm, this is one hell of a story too. The Football Coach at WiHi has been on administrative leave for the past FIVE WEEKS, yet no one seems to want to expose that either. Did you also know the last Volleyball Coach at WiHi was actually convicted of similar charges?
So you see Folks, your local MSM only wants to feed you stories that are hand fed to them and or read Salisbury News to catch the "real time" news and then follow up on what we produced the day before. I'm cool with that. But don't piss on my head and tell me it's raining, "Delmarva's News Leader," yeah, right! Doesn't WBOC have a Sports guy that makes a living at just telling sports news, yet we had to deliver to big stories before they ever knew anything was going on. Why hasn't WBOC exposed the Football Coach story?
The Board of Education has some MAJOR issues and it all stems from the top, down. They cover up criminal investigations and only AFTER we published the information very early yesterday morning about charges being filed on one Teacher/Coach, they actually did a robo call to all the parents explaining what was going on. Well, WHY NOTHING ON THE FOOTBALL COACH DR. FREDERICKSEN?
For those of you who are aware of who, what, when and why, go ahead and share it in comments. In the mean time, this will become NEWS when a Judge finds someone guilty. But don't be afraid to call Fredericksen and ask what the heck is going on with the Football Coach.
In closing, I am working on another BIG story right here and now. I have to take a ride to get some pictures before I put up the Post but sit tight today Folks, I've got another great one coming.
In my almost 50 years of life I have seen MANY Teachers charged and very few convicted. It seems easy these days to file charges against a Teacher and quite frankly I feel its important to let these things go to court, (if it ever goes that far) and report the outcome.
We have received quite a few comments challenging us as to why we didn't give a full description but I knew those parents who may show a concern would recognize the name and at least have the heads up. After all, the charges we provided do tell the story.
Now we ALL know the Daily Times has MANY inside Board of Education sources. Today we're getting in comments saying they gave greater details. Good for them, I hope they're proud of themselves. HOWEVER, to those nay sayers who get a thrill challenging me, DO TELL US WHY THE DAILY TIMES HAS SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE FOOTBALL COACH!
Oh, you want to now watch the local MSM squirm, this is one hell of a story too. The Football Coach at WiHi has been on administrative leave for the past FIVE WEEKS, yet no one seems to want to expose that either. Did you also know the last Volleyball Coach at WiHi was actually convicted of similar charges?
So you see Folks, your local MSM only wants to feed you stories that are hand fed to them and or read Salisbury News to catch the "real time" news and then follow up on what we produced the day before. I'm cool with that. But don't piss on my head and tell me it's raining, "Delmarva's News Leader," yeah, right! Doesn't WBOC have a Sports guy that makes a living at just telling sports news, yet we had to deliver to big stories before they ever knew anything was going on. Why hasn't WBOC exposed the Football Coach story?
The Board of Education has some MAJOR issues and it all stems from the top, down. They cover up criminal investigations and only AFTER we published the information very early yesterday morning about charges being filed on one Teacher/Coach, they actually did a robo call to all the parents explaining what was going on. Well, WHY NOTHING ON THE FOOTBALL COACH DR. FREDERICKSEN?
For those of you who are aware of who, what, when and why, go ahead and share it in comments. In the mean time, this will become NEWS when a Judge finds someone guilty. But don't be afraid to call Fredericksen and ask what the heck is going on with the Football Coach.
In closing, I am working on another BIG story right here and now. I have to take a ride to get some pictures before I put up the Post but sit tight today Folks, I've got another great one coming.
Field Notes: By Delegate Mike McDermott
Field Notes
Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
By Delegate Mike McDermott
Week 2 January 16-20, 2012
Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
By Delegate Mike McDermott
Week 2 January 16-20, 2012
Monday-Martin Luther King Jr. Day
It is a tradition in the House that on MLK Day the Black Caucus picks a member to deliver a speech honoring the fallen civil rights leader. This year the message was delivered by Del. Jay Walker of Prince Georges County. He is a former NFL player and used some analogies of football in his presentation referring to King as a “quarterback” in keeping a cool head when all around him was in turmoil. He focused on a struggle that he sees continuing to this day and his desire to see us move forward. His remarks were a good reminder of how far we have come as a country. Of course I like to remind folks that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican and it was his party that was the champion of civil rights he struggled to secure. Somehow, that message has been stolen.
Following the speech, we conducted a Second Reader for an Emergency Bill (SB-46)on behalf of Somerset County to address their redistricting (local districts) which was very time sensitive. The bill will be on Third Reader on Tuesday.
Tuesday:
Today I opened the morning session with prayer. This is an honor that members of the House sign up for at the beginning of session and for which I am a thankful participant.
It is a tradition in the House that on MLK Day the Black Caucus picks a member to deliver a speech honoring the fallen civil rights leader. This year the message was delivered by Del. Jay Walker of Prince Georges County. He is a former NFL player and used some analogies of football in his presentation referring to King as a “quarterback” in keeping a cool head when all around him was in turmoil. He focused on a struggle that he sees continuing to this day and his desire to see us move forward. His remarks were a good reminder of how far we have come as a country. Of course I like to remind folks that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican and it was his party that was the champion of civil rights he struggled to secure. Somehow, that message has been stolen.
Following the speech, we conducted a Second Reader for an Emergency Bill (SB-46)on behalf of Somerset County to address their redistricting (local districts) which was very time sensitive. The bill will be on Third Reader on Tuesday.
Tuesday:
Today I opened the morning session with prayer. This is an honor that members of the House sign up for at the beginning of session and for which I am a thankful participant.
Legislation:
SB-46: Approved by a vote of 135-1. This is the redistricting plan submitted by the local officials in Somerset County which addresses the new census numbers. The law will move to the Governor’s desk for signing so the upcoming elections can take place accordingly.
SB-46: Approved by a vote of 135-1. This is the redistricting plan submitted by the local officials in Somerset County which addresses the new census numbers. The law will move to the Governor’s desk for signing so the upcoming elections can take place accordingly.
Judiciary Hearings:
We heard from various advocates regarding Eyewitness Testimony being utilized by police and prosecutors. A study was presented which seemed to indicate a wide discrepency as to the methods used by police in Maryland to present photo line ups or live line ups of suspects to victims of crimes. This has been prompted by several cases involving eyewitness identification which were later turned over by DNA evidence. The testimony was compelling, but there was some questioning as to the best methods for addressing any potential problems. I believe this may be something better handled through training and the Maryland Police Training Commission along with the State’s Attorneys across Maryland. The advocates would like legislation along the lines which were drafted in North Carolina. They may be right, but it will be important to hear from more folks in the law enforcement community should a bill be filed. Anything we can do to keep innocent folks from being sent to prison should be looked into with diligence.
We reviewed three bills during the afternoon session of the committee:
HB-17: Seeks to increase the penalties for Elder Abuse from a maximum of 10 years to 20 years. It also would make it tougher for those charged with this crime to receive a pretrial release. Increasing the penalty to 15 years may be possible, but the pretrial release was not received well.
HB-25: Seeks to increase penalties for the Malicious Destruction of Property by graffiti. It would require people convicted to perform community service as a part of their sentence along with any fines imposed by the court. In the past, community service has always been an option the court has used, but this would make it mandatory. I kind of like the idea of these defacers of property to spend many days cleaning up their mess.
HB-34: Seeks to change the law concerning the release of mental patients who have been found Not Criminally Responsible (NCR). Under the current system, people deemed NCR by a trial court judge are placed under confinement in a state institution until they are deemed to no longer be a threat to society. Currently, the law provides for an annual review by an Administrative Judge, but the original trial court can only review the findings on appeal. We heard testimony of several individuals who have been released under this system who went out and committed murder. This bill seeks to provide an additional opportunity for the original trial court to conduct a hearing into the case to determine if someone should be released. Arguments were testy at times. I suppose this is to be expected when one side is referring to a homicidal maniac as a “client” and the other side views them as a “criminal”. I suggested that perhaps the review could be applied to those who are institutionalized for having committed a homicide. I also requested some additional information from the state to better determine the number of persons that would fall into this category.
Wednesday
Judiciary Hearing on Collaborative Law
The committee heard testimony from several attorneys in support of establishing another method of addressing out of court settlements in Maryland. Collaborative law is similar to mediation. From a layman’s prospective, it seeks to allow more revelation at the negotiating table with the hopes of achieving greater success with the outcome. The idea is to do everything possible to come to an agreement together rather than the typical back and forth offered through traditional negotiations. The downside is the understanding that, should an agreement between the parties not be reached after much effort, the client cannot utilize their same attorney for additional court actions. This was seen as a significant draw back and it seemed apparent that this was going to be a sticking point for many of the members.
Thursday
Morning Session:
We received the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, who gave a speech to the members. He implored us to stand strong on terrorism and he thanked Maryland for working with Israel for the purposes of economic development. The ambassador referred to a time in early Maryland statehood when Jewish people could not hold public office and how this law was changed by Thomas Kennedy, a member of the House of Delegates during the early 1800’s.
I pointed out to the Secretary that farmers have met their goals concerning Watershed Implementation Plans while local governments where not even close to meeting their goals. In spite of this, farmers still get to take it on the chin with delayed permitting and confused oversight.
Thee were some questions regarding hydraulic fracking (extraction method of removing deep deposits of Natural Gas). He towed the party line by indicating nothing will be allowed for another three years while the myriad of reports are compiled. I believe he thinks we can manage the program with our current regulations in place, but that is different than what the governor and the liberals in the General Assembly want to do. (Presently, Pennsylvania is experiencing a boom accounting for 50,000 jobs and lower energy costs for residents while Marylanders wait...and wait...).
Secretary Summers seems to be a good man, but right now he is a good traffic cop at a lousy intersection...not much he can do to make things better.
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
We met with Ex. Director Paul Swartz and his Deputy Thomas Beauduy of the SRBC. This commission is responsible for managing the Susquehanna River Basin to insure adequate flow and supplies of water are being achieved. They are also suppose to be in charge of providing oversight for quality of water issues. Our concerns centered on the Bay and the impact of the river as one of the principle pollutants. Thee concerns were clearly on flood management and water supplies with water quality coming in last on the list of concerns. They seem to have conceded that the lower river dams like the Conawingo accumulate huge sediment piles that are subsequently stored behind the dams until a large storm increases the need to release water. This causes large slugs of sediment to enter the upper bay and coat everything with incredible silt deposits destroying fisheries. It was very clear that little is being done to address sediment deposits in the river throughout the basin from Pennsylvania to New York. All upgrades needed in the basin are being funded locally with limited progress. There’s no established fund (such as MD’s Flush Tax) to address the system wide failures on the river. I ventured that perhaps Maryland money would be better spent on the river rather than simply trying to play catch-up with all of the pollution delivered to the bay through the river.
When asked about addressing this problem, the directors looked at each other and clearly stated that they feel they are making some progress, but funding issues them from moving ahead. There is a lack of urgency seen from those on the river basin to clean up the Bay.So , as we do our best to clean up our pool, the next door neighbor pumps his septic in through a hose, and we can’t reach the spigot. Yet, we will continue to pump money into this project to make ourselves “feel good” about what we have tried to accomplish. How about we suit Pennsylvania to get their act together? What a colossal waste!
Eastern Shore of Maryland Educational Consortium:
This group consists of all nine (9) School Superintendents from the Eastern Shore. They brought Dr, Memo Diriker (Salisbury University) with them to make the case that spending on public education creates a return of the invested tax dollars on a scale of 1.90 for every $1.00 spent. The formula and figures were complex, but it was difficult to argue the outcome. For my part, the superintendents looked weary. When asked about a possible transfer of Teacher Pension Liabilities to the counties, their spokesman, Dr. Jon Andes of Worcester County, indicated that this was a burden that would no doubt have a significant impact on local budgets. It was pointed out by Senator Pipkin that the system was suffering from the high salaries being paid out on the western shore while the benefits were being borne by the entire system , This amounts to the Eastern Shore paying more than their share of the bill due each year.
Governor’s Proposed Budget:
I wrote an article earlier in the week titled “The Castle Demands More” which provided a broad oversight of some of the governor’s proposed tax and fee increases along with his increase in spending. I will keep you posted as more of the budget gets fleshed out in the House.
Bills I introduced on Friday:
HB-112: This bill seeks to address a recent Court of Appeals ruling that now requires a Public Defender to be present at an Initial Appearance before a District Court Commissioner. This has never been the case and it will cause significant budget issues for our office of the Public Defender as well as our Offices of our State’s Attorneys as they will also want to be present as well. I have been working with Wicomico State’s Attorney Matt Macearello and Worcester State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby in addressing these issues.
HB-119: This bill will allow law enforcement officer the option of issuing citations for all misdemeanor crimes ( except for crimes of violence). This would keep more cops on the streets for our more serious crimes instead of tying them up waiting for a District Court Commissioner. I have been working with various groups on this legislation for the past few months.
We heard from various advocates regarding Eyewitness Testimony being utilized by police and prosecutors. A study was presented which seemed to indicate a wide discrepency as to the methods used by police in Maryland to present photo line ups or live line ups of suspects to victims of crimes. This has been prompted by several cases involving eyewitness identification which were later turned over by DNA evidence. The testimony was compelling, but there was some questioning as to the best methods for addressing any potential problems. I believe this may be something better handled through training and the Maryland Police Training Commission along with the State’s Attorneys across Maryland. The advocates would like legislation along the lines which were drafted in North Carolina. They may be right, but it will be important to hear from more folks in the law enforcement community should a bill be filed. Anything we can do to keep innocent folks from being sent to prison should be looked into with diligence.
We reviewed three bills during the afternoon session of the committee:
HB-17: Seeks to increase the penalties for Elder Abuse from a maximum of 10 years to 20 years. It also would make it tougher for those charged with this crime to receive a pretrial release. Increasing the penalty to 15 years may be possible, but the pretrial release was not received well.
HB-25: Seeks to increase penalties for the Malicious Destruction of Property by graffiti. It would require people convicted to perform community service as a part of their sentence along with any fines imposed by the court. In the past, community service has always been an option the court has used, but this would make it mandatory. I kind of like the idea of these defacers of property to spend many days cleaning up their mess.
HB-34: Seeks to change the law concerning the release of mental patients who have been found Not Criminally Responsible (NCR). Under the current system, people deemed NCR by a trial court judge are placed under confinement in a state institution until they are deemed to no longer be a threat to society. Currently, the law provides for an annual review by an Administrative Judge, but the original trial court can only review the findings on appeal. We heard testimony of several individuals who have been released under this system who went out and committed murder. This bill seeks to provide an additional opportunity for the original trial court to conduct a hearing into the case to determine if someone should be released. Arguments were testy at times. I suppose this is to be expected when one side is referring to a homicidal maniac as a “client” and the other side views them as a “criminal”. I suggested that perhaps the review could be applied to those who are institutionalized for having committed a homicide. I also requested some additional information from the state to better determine the number of persons that would fall into this category.
Wednesday
Judiciary Hearing on Collaborative Law
The committee heard testimony from several attorneys in support of establishing another method of addressing out of court settlements in Maryland. Collaborative law is similar to mediation. From a layman’s prospective, it seeks to allow more revelation at the negotiating table with the hopes of achieving greater success with the outcome. The idea is to do everything possible to come to an agreement together rather than the typical back and forth offered through traditional negotiations. The downside is the understanding that, should an agreement between the parties not be reached after much effort, the client cannot utilize their same attorney for additional court actions. This was seen as a significant draw back and it seemed apparent that this was going to be a sticking point for many of the members.
Thursday
Morning Session:
We received the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, who gave a speech to the members. He implored us to stand strong on terrorism and he thanked Maryland for working with Israel for the purposes of economic development. The ambassador referred to a time in early Maryland statehood when Jewish people could not hold public office and how this law was changed by Thomas Kennedy, a member of the House of Delegates during the early 1800’s.
I pointed out to the Secretary that farmers have met their goals concerning Watershed Implementation Plans while local governments where not even close to meeting their goals. In spite of this, farmers still get to take it on the chin with delayed permitting and confused oversight.
Thee were some questions regarding hydraulic fracking (extraction method of removing deep deposits of Natural Gas). He towed the party line by indicating nothing will be allowed for another three years while the myriad of reports are compiled. I believe he thinks we can manage the program with our current regulations in place, but that is different than what the governor and the liberals in the General Assembly want to do. (Presently, Pennsylvania is experiencing a boom accounting for 50,000 jobs and lower energy costs for residents while Marylanders wait...and wait...).
Secretary Summers seems to be a good man, but right now he is a good traffic cop at a lousy intersection...not much he can do to make things better.
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
We met with Ex. Director Paul Swartz and his Deputy Thomas Beauduy of the SRBC. This commission is responsible for managing the Susquehanna River Basin to insure adequate flow and supplies of water are being achieved. They are also suppose to be in charge of providing oversight for quality of water issues. Our concerns centered on the Bay and the impact of the river as one of the principle pollutants. Thee concerns were clearly on flood management and water supplies with water quality coming in last on the list of concerns. They seem to have conceded that the lower river dams like the Conawingo accumulate huge sediment piles that are subsequently stored behind the dams until a large storm increases the need to release water. This causes large slugs of sediment to enter the upper bay and coat everything with incredible silt deposits destroying fisheries. It was very clear that little is being done to address sediment deposits in the river throughout the basin from Pennsylvania to New York. All upgrades needed in the basin are being funded locally with limited progress. There’s no established fund (such as MD’s Flush Tax) to address the system wide failures on the river. I ventured that perhaps Maryland money would be better spent on the river rather than simply trying to play catch-up with all of the pollution delivered to the bay through the river.
When asked about addressing this problem, the directors looked at each other and clearly stated that they feel they are making some progress, but funding issues them from moving ahead. There is a lack of urgency seen from those on the river basin to clean up the Bay.So , as we do our best to clean up our pool, the next door neighbor pumps his septic in through a hose, and we can’t reach the spigot. Yet, we will continue to pump money into this project to make ourselves “feel good” about what we have tried to accomplish. How about we suit Pennsylvania to get their act together? What a colossal waste!
Eastern Shore of Maryland Educational Consortium:
This group consists of all nine (9) School Superintendents from the Eastern Shore. They brought Dr, Memo Diriker (Salisbury University) with them to make the case that spending on public education creates a return of the invested tax dollars on a scale of 1.90 for every $1.00 spent. The formula and figures were complex, but it was difficult to argue the outcome. For my part, the superintendents looked weary. When asked about a possible transfer of Teacher Pension Liabilities to the counties, their spokesman, Dr. Jon Andes of Worcester County, indicated that this was a burden that would no doubt have a significant impact on local budgets. It was pointed out by Senator Pipkin that the system was suffering from the high salaries being paid out on the western shore while the benefits were being borne by the entire system , This amounts to the Eastern Shore paying more than their share of the bill due each year.
Governor’s Proposed Budget:
I wrote an article earlier in the week titled “The Castle Demands More” which provided a broad oversight of some of the governor’s proposed tax and fee increases along with his increase in spending. I will keep you posted as more of the budget gets fleshed out in the House.
Bills I introduced on Friday:
HB-112: This bill seeks to address a recent Court of Appeals ruling that now requires a Public Defender to be present at an Initial Appearance before a District Court Commissioner. This has never been the case and it will cause significant budget issues for our office of the Public Defender as well as our Offices of our State’s Attorneys as they will also want to be present as well. I have been working with Wicomico State’s Attorney Matt Macearello and Worcester State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby in addressing these issues.
HB-119: This bill will allow law enforcement officer the option of issuing citations for all misdemeanor crimes ( except for crimes of violence). This would keep more cops on the streets for our more serious crimes instead of tying them up waiting for a District Court Commissioner. I have been working with various groups on this legislation for the past few months.
Judge Whacks Obama In Eligibility Case
A Georgia judge has refused a demand from Barack Obama to quash a subpoena to appear at a series of administration hearings Jan. 26 at which residents of the state are challenging, as allowed under a state law, his name on the 2012 presidential ballot.
WND reported this week when Obama outlined a defense strategy for a number of state-level challenges to his candidacy in 2012 which argue that states have nothing to do with the eligibility of presidential candidates.
“Presidential electors and Congress, not the state of Georgia, hold the constitutional responsibility for determining the qualifications of presidential candidates,” Obama’s lawyer argued in a motion to quash a subpoena for him to appear at the hearings in Atlanta Jan. 26.
“The election of President Obama by the presidential electors, confirmed by Congress, makes the documents and testimony sought by plaintiff irrelevant,” the lawyer said.
Judge Michael M. Malihi, however, took a different view.
“Defendant argues that ‘if enforced, [the subpoena] requires him to interrupt duties as president of the United States’ to attend a hearing in Atlanta, Georgia. However, defendant fails to provide any legal authority to support his motion to quash the subpoena to attend,” he wrote in his order, released today.
“Defendant’s motion suggests that no president should be compelled to attend a court hearing. This may be correct. But defendant has failed to enlighten the court with any legal authority,” the judge continued.
“Specifically, defendant has failed to cite to any legal authority evidencing why his attendance is ‘unreasonable or oppressive, or that the testimony … [is] irrelevant, immaterial, or cumulative and unnecessary to a party’s preparation or presentation at the hearing, or that basic fairness dictates that the subpoena should not be enforced.’”
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WND reported this week when Obama outlined a defense strategy for a number of state-level challenges to his candidacy in 2012 which argue that states have nothing to do with the eligibility of presidential candidates.
“Presidential electors and Congress, not the state of Georgia, hold the constitutional responsibility for determining the qualifications of presidential candidates,” Obama’s lawyer argued in a motion to quash a subpoena for him to appear at the hearings in Atlanta Jan. 26.
“The election of President Obama by the presidential electors, confirmed by Congress, makes the documents and testimony sought by plaintiff irrelevant,” the lawyer said.
Judge Michael M. Malihi, however, took a different view.
“Defendant argues that ‘if enforced, [the subpoena] requires him to interrupt duties as president of the United States’ to attend a hearing in Atlanta, Georgia. However, defendant fails to provide any legal authority to support his motion to quash the subpoena to attend,” he wrote in his order, released today.
“Defendant’s motion suggests that no president should be compelled to attend a court hearing. This may be correct. But defendant has failed to enlighten the court with any legal authority,” the judge continued.
“Specifically, defendant has failed to cite to any legal authority evidencing why his attendance is ‘unreasonable or oppressive, or that the testimony … [is] irrelevant, immaterial, or cumulative and unnecessary to a party’s preparation or presentation at the hearing, or that basic fairness dictates that the subpoena should not be enforced.’”
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Georgia Judge Denies Obama's Motion To Quash Taitz Subpoena In Ballot Eligibility Case
California attorney Orly Taitz has been the butt of many jokes and roundly criticized by the mainstream media for her dogged pursuit of proving that Barack Obama was never eligible to serve as president of the United States because he is not a natural born citizen. After dozens of lawsuits, Taitz finally found a judge in Georgia who is allowing one of her eligibility challenges to be heard on the merits. Judge Michael Malihi first denied a motion to dismiss Taitz' complaint filed in Georgia challenging his right to appear on the 2012 Democratic primary ballot for the state of Georgia. Today, Judge Malihi denied a motion filed by Obama's attorneys seeking to quash subpoenas she served on Obama to appear at a hearing on January 26, 2012 and produce original documents Taitz has asked the President to produce, including his birth certificate, social security application, aliases and school records. Here's the text of Judge Malihi's Order:
Defendant, President Barack Obama, a candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for the office of the President of the United States, has filed a motion to quash the subpoena compelling his attendance at the hearing on January 26, 2012.
In support of his motion, Defendant argues that "if enforced, [the subpoena] requires him to interrupt duties as President of the United States" to attend a hearing in Atlanta, Georgia. However, Defendant fails to provide any legal authority to support his motion to quash the subpoena to attend. Defendant's motion suggests that no President should be compelled to attend a Court hearing. This may be correct. But Defendant has failed to enlighten the Court with any legal authority.
Specifically, Defendant has failed to cite to any legal authority evidencing why his attendance is "unreasonable or oppressive, or that the testimony... [is] irrelevant, immaterial, or cumulative and unnecessary to a party's preparation or presentation at the hearing, or that basic fairness dictates that the subpoena should not be enforced." Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 616-1-2-.19(5).
Defendant further alludes to a defect in service of the subpoena. However, the Court's rules provide for service of a subpoena upon a party, by serving the party's counsel of record. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 616-1-2-.19(4). Thus, the argument regarding service is without merit.
Accordingly, Defendant's motion to quash is denied.
SO ORDERED, this 20th day of January, 2012
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Defendant, President Barack Obama, a candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for the office of the President of the United States, has filed a motion to quash the subpoena compelling his attendance at the hearing on January 26, 2012.
In support of his motion, Defendant argues that "if enforced, [the subpoena] requires him to interrupt duties as President of the United States" to attend a hearing in Atlanta, Georgia. However, Defendant fails to provide any legal authority to support his motion to quash the subpoena to attend. Defendant's motion suggests that no President should be compelled to attend a Court hearing. This may be correct. But Defendant has failed to enlighten the Court with any legal authority.
Specifically, Defendant has failed to cite to any legal authority evidencing why his attendance is "unreasonable or oppressive, or that the testimony... [is] irrelevant, immaterial, or cumulative and unnecessary to a party's preparation or presentation at the hearing, or that basic fairness dictates that the subpoena should not be enforced." Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 616-1-2-.19(5).
Defendant further alludes to a defect in service of the subpoena. However, the Court's rules provide for service of a subpoena upon a party, by serving the party's counsel of record. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 616-1-2-.19(4). Thus, the argument regarding service is without merit.
Accordingly, Defendant's motion to quash is denied.
SO ORDERED, this 20th day of January, 2012
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Lost Dog
Joe,
About 4 AM this morning a dog was discovered in our neighbor's garage. Since then he has been roaming the neighborhood. We are in the North Division St/ Brooklyn Ave area near North Salisbury school. The dog is a reddish-brown Chow Mix probably about 50-60 pounds. He has a collar but I have been unable to get close enough to see if he has a tag. We can be reached at 410-341-6206 with any questions.
About 4 AM this morning a dog was discovered in our neighbor's garage. Since then he has been roaming the neighborhood. We are in the North Division St/ Brooklyn Ave area near North Salisbury school. The dog is a reddish-brown Chow Mix probably about 50-60 pounds. He has a collar but I have been unable to get close enough to see if he has a tag. We can be reached at 410-341-6206 with any questions.
Goldman Sachs Employees On Bonus Day: 'It's A Bloodbath'
Reports are creeping out that yesterday's bonus day wasn't all fun and games at America's most iconic investment bank.
Goldman's profits fell in 2011, in the final quarter alone by as much as 58 percent from the same period a year earlier. As a result, the investment bank set aside 21 percent less for compensation and benefits, according to Bloomberg News. And at least some Goldman employees had something to say.
"It's a bloodbath," a midlevel Goldman Sachs employee said in an interview with CNBC. "One girl was actually crying, I think," another Goldman employee said according to the report.
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Goldman's profits fell in 2011, in the final quarter alone by as much as 58 percent from the same period a year earlier. As a result, the investment bank set aside 21 percent less for compensation and benefits, according to Bloomberg News. And at least some Goldman employees had something to say.
"It's a bloodbath," a midlevel Goldman Sachs employee said in an interview with CNBC. "One girl was actually crying, I think," another Goldman employee said according to the report.
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Vodka: Versatile Household Tool!
(CBS News)
Vodka's not just for drinking.
You'd be surprised how many other things it can be used for.
And, on "CBS This Morning: Saturday," Alex Bandon, online Editor of This Old House magazine, let viewers in on them.
The Choking Game: 1 in 7 College Students Has Tried It, Texas Study Finds
The potentially lethal Choking Game, which involves cutting off the blood supply to the brain, appears to be popular with some college students who think it's not as dangerous as using illicit drugs.
College students aren’t necessarily renowned for their good judgment, and a new study reinforces that, finding that nearly one in seven co-eds has played the Choking Game, which is every bit as dangerous as it sounds.
Also called the Fainting Game, Pass Out, or Space Monkey, the Choking Game can be played individually or in groups. It consists of manually choking yourself or others, sticking a plastic bag over the head, tying a string around the neck or hyperventilating, all in search of a few seconds of euphoria.
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Mutant Bird Flu Research Halted On Bioterror Fears
Researchers studying a potentially deadlier, airborne version of the bird flu virus have voluntarily suspended their studies for 60 days because of concerns it could be used as a devastating form of bioterrorism, according to a letter published in the journals Nature and Science on Friday.
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Feds End Chevy Volt Investigation, Say Car Is Safe
DETROIT – The government ended its safety investigation into the Chevrolet Volt on Friday after concluding that the Volt and other electric cars don't pose a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered cars.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began studying the Volt last June after a fire broke out in one of the cars three weeks after it was crashed as part of safety testing. Two other fires occurred later related to separate safety tests, and NHTSA opened an official investigation into the vehicle on Nov. 25.
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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 1-21-12
The Broiler Industry
Most of us eat chicken at least once a week, if not more. Chickens have been around as long as people have been on the Eastern Shore. The difference is in how we grow them now. A hundred years ago there were chickens running around every farm. I think they are referred to nowadays as “free range chickens”. They used to just let them eat grass, bugs and whatever else met their fancy. Some of the females were kept housed for their egg production but every other chicken was subject to find himself on the business end of an ax and wind up in the frying pan.As early as the 1800’s, there were attempts by farmers to grow a meat-type bird that could be marketed at a young, tender age. These efforts were generally short-lived and met with little success.
In the year of 1923, Mrs. Wilmer Steele of Ocean View, Delaware grew 500 broilers along with her laying stock. At sixteen weeks of age, these broilers weighed 2 ¼ pounds and sold for 62 cents a pound. The following year, Mrs. Steele grew one thousand broilers and made a profit. This was the start and the birthplace of our gigantic broiler industry as we know it today. Folks on Delmarva said look what Mrs. Steele has started. More chicken houses were built, more profits were realized, higher standards of living were enjoyed along with social growth. By 1935, Delmarva was already growing the fantastic number of 10,000,000 broilers per year.
Comparing broiler production today with that of 1927 is like comparing apples to oranges. In 1927, 16 weeks and 12 pounds of feed were needed to produce a 2 ¼ pound chicken. In 1965, a 4 pound bird could be had in 9 weeks with only 8 or 9 pounds of feed. The improvements can be attributed to the many phases of science – genetics, nutrition, disease control, housing and management.
In the beginning of the industry, broilers were the by-products of the market egg industry when cockerels were separated from the Barred Plymouth Rock pullets being raised for egg production. Later, these Barred Rocks were crossed with New Hampshires to give us the Red Rock cross. The raising of the birds was now directed by modern science. The feed had additives to insure more meat production and less disease. In the beginning, broiler producers lost 15-20 % of the flock before they were large enough to go to market. Now they raise nearly 100 % to maturity due to the improved production methods now used. In 1927, it took 16 weeks to produce a 2 ¼ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 5 lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1957, it took only 10 weeks to produce a 3 ½ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 2 ½ lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1965, many growers were producing a 4 lb, broiler in 9 weeks on a feed conversion of approximately 2 lbs. of feed per pound of meat.
That was 47 years ago. How much progress have we made since then? Two things are certain – chicken is one of the more moderately priced meats at the grocery store and we certainly eat a lot of it.
9-Year-Old Girl Calls 911 After Escaping Apparent Kidnapper
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A missing 9-year-old girl escaped an apparent kidnapper and called 911 herself from a convenience store in Colorado Springs on Friday, police said.
The Pueblo girl was reported missing Thursday night after she failed to return home from school.
The car of the man she was with broke down Friday in Colorado Springs, and a passerby gave them a ride to a Circle K, police said.
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Man Accidentally Shoots 3.5 Inch Nail Into Brain, Plows Snow After
(CBS) An Illinois man reportedly shot a 3.5 inch nail through his skull and into his brain - and didn't even realize it for more than a day.
Thirty-two-year-old Dante Autullo of Orland Park, Ill., was on a ladder in his garage working on a project when he fired off a few nails, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The last nail caused the nail gun to recoil towards Autullo's head, and with his finger still on the trigger, another nail shot off.
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Thirty-two-year-old Dante Autullo of Orland Park, Ill., was on a ladder in his garage working on a project when he fired off a few nails, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The last nail caused the nail gun to recoil towards Autullo's head, and with his finger still on the trigger, another nail shot off.
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Housing Ends Year On Strong Note, But Prices Still Falling
The housing market ended the year on a positive note with strong sales in December, but a glut of unsold homes will likely push prices lower through much of this year, forecasters said Friday.
Sales of existing homes hit an 11-month high last month and the number of properties on the market fell to the lowest level in nearly seven years, according to the National Association of Realtors.
MITT ROMNEY & MIKE VICK- DOG LOVERS
In the 80′s Mitt Romney took his family (wife and five male clones) on a 12-hour road trip from Boston to Ontario. Mittens being such the family guy brought the family pooch, an Irish Setter named Seamus. Unfortunately, Seamus had to ride on top of the car in a crate. Mittens defends this action by saying his dog just loved riding on top of the car at 60 miles per hour for 12 hours. Wheeee!!! Obviously Seamus the dog loved it because he did what everybody does when they love something, which is crapping all over oneself. The poop was running off the back off the car, trailing down the back window freaking out Mitt’s five sons (glad I wasn’t driving behind him). Mitt pulls over at a gas station and hoses off the car, crate and dog before putting the dog back on top of the car and resuming his journey. Why Mitt didn’t just chain the dog to the back of the car and make him keep up, I don’t know. Romney could have explained it later as giving the dog exercise.
I’m not sure Mitt Romney is callous, oblivious, cruel or just a pinhead. At any rate it’s animal cruelty. Even if I liked his politics I can’t vote for someone who would torture his dog. It would be like voting for Michael Vick.
I’m not sure Mitt Romney is callous, oblivious, cruel or just a pinhead. At any rate it’s animal cruelty. Even if I liked his politics I can’t vote for someone who would torture his dog. It would be like voting for Michael Vick.
Experts Point Fingers At Europe For Rising Grocery Bills & Gas Prices
A trip to the grocery store or to the gas station could start costing more than it used to, as inflation is expected to rise. So who should we blame for higher priced food and fuel? Europe! Experts say it's their fault for having the nerve to be suffering from a debt crisis.
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