DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Attention
Thursday, April 12, 2012
What To Keep In Mind When Recording Police
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Seattle Makes It Illegal For Businesses To Tell Breastfeeding Moms To Cover Up Or Move
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'Miracle' Baby Found Alive in Morgue is Improving
A baby found alive in a coffin in an Argentine morgue nearly 12 hours after the girl had been declared dead is improving, but questions remain for the hospital responsible for the near-fatal mistake.
The mother, Analia Bouter, says she fell to her knees in shock after finding her baby alive in a coffin.
Bouter named her newborn Luz Milagros, or "Miracle Light." The tiny girl, born three months premature, was in critical but improving condition Wednesday in the same hospital where the staff pronounced her stillborn on April 3.
The case became public Tuesday when Rafael Sabatinelli, the deputy health minister in the northern province of Chaco, announced in a news conference that five medical professionals involved have been suspended pending an official investigation.
DOJ Agrees On E-Book Price-Fixing Settlement With Three Publishers
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Study: Cable Bills Could Reach $200/Month By 2020
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Christie: I Will Sacrifice My Career To Take On Teachers Unions
Video Here
Chili's Introduces Touch Screens At Tabletops So You Can Avoid Human Contact
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Driving With Pets Is Still Legal, But Is It Safe?
WASHINGTON - The image of a dog hanging its head out of a moving car is as American as apple pie, but some states are reconsidering animal safety and banning pets from riding unrestrained.
Rhode Island and Tennessee have both proposed such initiatives, and Maryland appeared to be on board. Delegate James Malone was behind the effort until the State Senate killed the bill, reported the Baltimore Sun.
So while it remains legal to drive with critters in tow, AAA still warns that drivers should be extra careful when bringing their pets along for a ride.
A 2010 survey showed 31 percent of people behind the wheel admitted that having an animal loose in the car was a distraction. Five percent admitted to playing with pets while driving.
International Teachers Likely To Lose Jobs, Visas
Baltimore schools CEO Andres Alonso met Tuesday with international teachers. He said a recent labor market test the
school district conducted found more than 200 American teachers who are eligible and interested in teaching in subjects taught by international instructors.
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Ann Romney Defends Husband on Women, Says Democratic Attack 'Bothers' her
Ann Romney, wife of presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, responded Thursday to remarks by Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen that she “never worked a day in her life."
Romney, who has raised five children, said on Fox News Channel that her career choice was to be a mother and that Rosen should have been in her house when "those boys caused so much trouble."
However, she struck a far more serious tone when asked about Rosen's comment about her husband not understanding women and their needs.
"Now that bothers me," Romney said, pointing out her husband has surrounded himself with top female advisers at least since his days as Massachusetts governor.
"Hilary needs to know this," she also said. Women on the campaign trail are "talking about jobs and the legacy of debt they're leaving their children."
Spring Chill Hits Democratic Leaders Over Budget
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Luggage Tags ID Suspect in Ohio Puppy Abandonment
A Toledo Area Humane Society officer filed two misdemeanor charges of abandoning animals against Howard Davis, 53, of Toledo, this week, according to court records. Davis was not arrested, and he could not be found for comment Wednesday.
"It's unfortunate he chose to abandon the dogs," said John Dinon, the Humane Society's executive director. "If he had just called us and said he couldn't care for them, we would have taken them and he wouldn't have been charged with a crime."
Campaign Finance Transparency Measures Pass General Assembly
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Still the Least Racist Country in the World
Black Africans know this. That is why so many seek to live in the United States. Decades ago, the number of black Africans who had immigrated to the United States had already surpassed the number of black Africans who were forcibly shipped to America as slaves.
Members of other races and nationalities know this. Even Muslim and Arab writers have noted that nowhere in the Arab or larger Muslim world does an Arab or any other Muslim have the individual rights, liberty, and dignity that a Muslim living in America has. As for Latinos and Asians, vast numbers of them from El Salvador to Korea regard America as the land of opportunity.
MoreMind Your Meat Temperature When Cooking On The Grill
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Pro-Palestinian 'Eviction' Notices at Florida College Blasted by Jewish Group
A pro-Palestinian group's symbolic "eviction" notices on the dorm room doors of a Florida college have Jewish activists fuming and university police probing possible death threats against the group's leader.
Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Palestinian group at Florida Atlantic University, came under fire by Jewish activists after it posted the notices on the dorm room doors of about 200 students at the school’s Boca Raton campus March 30.
“They are creating an environment of hostility that will affect those students who are pro-Israel and marginalize them,” Yael Hershfield, Florida associate director of the Anti-Defamation League, told FoxNews.com.
Congress Flooded with Calls to Probe Obama
Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he’s talked to members of his state’s congressional delegation about his Cold Case Posse investigation that suggests there was fraud in the creation of Barack Obama’s birth documentation that was released by the White House in 2011.
The investigation also concluded that Obama’s Selective Service registration is the same – a forgery, leading to the obvious question of what happens if Obama legally cannot be president.
But he’s seen no results.
Now, tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of people are going to see whether Congress ignores their concerns, too.
ASJA DEFENDS THE RIGHT TO FOCUS ON THE POLICE
The police?
The American Society of Journalists and Authors–the professional association of independent nonfiction writers–protests the abuse by Philadelphia police of a journalism student who was simply trying to photograph them on a public street.
Ian Van Kuyk, a journalism student at Temple University, believed he was exercising his First Amendment rights of free speech and free press when he took pictures of police officers who were engaged in a routine traffic stop on a public street. When the officers asked him to stop, he tried to explain that he was within the law to take their photographs on a public street. They disagreed, arrested him and charged him with obstruction, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Van Kuyk claims that he was pushed, shoved and thrown to the ground before being handcuffed. His girlfriend was present, and when she tried to rescue his camera, she too was charged with obstruction and disorderly conduct. At last report, Van Kuyk’s court date was set for April 16th.
A number of prior cases in other venues have upheld the right of a citizen to photograph an event that is occurring in a public place. “With the explosion of cell phone cameras and videos, combined with social media, an army of citizen journalists has emerged in the past few years,” writes Larry Atkins, a member of ASJA’s First Amendment Committee, in an op-ed piece in Philadelphia. Atkins, a lawyer who also teaches journalism at Temple University and Arcadia University, hopes that this will be “a teachable moment” for all sides -- the police, students and journalists.
As Claire Safran, chair of ASJA’s First Amendment Committee, notes, “The Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to report, in words or in pictures, on events taking place in public.”
DOJ Sues Apple And Publishers Over E-book Price Competition
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Investigators Looking For Wanted Sex Offender
Date of Occurrence: Thursday April 12, 2012
Suspect:
Richard L. Ricks, 41, Felton, DE (Photo Attached)
Black male, 5’10” tall, 160 lbs, black hair, and brown eyes
Resume:
Felton, DE- The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (S.O.A.R) is currently looking for a Felton sex offender after he failed to re-register his current address.
Investigators have obtained warrants on Richard L. Ricks, 41, who is a medium risk Tier 2 sex offender, after they learned that he failed to register his new address and had not notified S.O.A.R. of his status within 3 days as he is required to do by law.
Richard L. Ricks is described as a black male, 5’10” tall and 160 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes.
The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit is asking anyone who may know the location of Richard L. Ricks, to call Agent Whitmore at 302-741-8087. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333.
Callers can also submit information via the internet at http://www.tipsubmit.com/.
BREAKING NEWS: 2 Found Shot Dead At Coast Guard Base
From Fox News
Study: Men Are Smarter After A Few Drinks
WASHINGTON - It is said that people become better looking after a few drinks. And according to a new study, some may also get smarter.
Psychologists at the University of Illinois found when men drank two pints of beer, they tackled brain teasers with relative ease over sober problem solvers, reports The Telegraph.
Not only did the 40 test drinkers get more answers right, they were quicker to deliver them, researchers said. In the test, the group of young men was given three words such as coin, quick and spoon and had to come up with the fourth word that linked the three. In this case, the word is silver.
WCSO Press Releases 4-12-12
Date of Incident: 9 April 2012
Location: Wicomico County
Suspect: John James Church, 34, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 9 April 2012 one of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s “Most Wanted”, John James Church, was apprehended. Church was wanted on a Wicomico County Circuit Court Bench Warrant that was issued after he failed to appear in a CDS Distribution Case. Church was also featured on the April episode of PAC 14’s “Crime Solvers” episode.
Church was transported to the Central Booking unit where he was processed and subsequently detained without bond pending an initial appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 10 April 2012
Location: 8000 block of Stage Road, Delmar, MD
Suspect: 1. Jamie L. Grayson, 33, Delmar, MD
2. Michael A. Nibblett, 40, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 10 April 2012 at 10:30 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 8000 block of Stage Road in Delmar, MD for a reported domestic altercation. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that the residents Jamie L. Grayson and Michael Nibblett were involved in an argument over a television set that turned physical. During the investigation the deputy observed signs of injury that corroborated the assault complaints each made against the other.
The deputy arrested both parties for engaging in a mutual assault and transported them to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released both on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Credit Card Fraud / Theft
Date of Incident: 10 April 2012
Location: 1500 block of Duchess Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Ariel L. McCaskill, 19, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 4 April 2012 a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into an incident of credit card misuse. The deputy met with a victim who advised that the victim discovered over $2,000 in charges had been placed on her credit card without her knowledge or permission. After an investigation, the deputy identified a suspect, Ariel McCaskill who had taken the card and used it 79 times between 27 February and 27 March to the tune of $2,249.00.
The deputy obtained a warrant for the arrest of McCaskill and it was served on 10 April 2012. McCaskill was taken to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released McCaskill from the Detention Center on unsecured bond.
Charges: Credit Card Misuse
Theft
Rush: Obama Intentionally Stoking Racial Chaos
Radio host Rush Limbaugh says President Obama and officials in his administration are intentionally stoking racial chaos in America in connection with the Trayvon Martin case.
“There’s no question that the White House wants this kind of chaos and unrest in the culture,” Limbaugh said this afternoon.
His comments came moments before the Washington Post reported Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey planned to announce she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Martin.
Limbaugh said the situation is “a powder keg waiting to go off,” and that “nobody that I see is doing anything to try to make sure that powder keg doesn’t explode.”
SPD Press Release 4-12-12
On April 10, 2012 at approximately 10:37am, officers responded to 239 Leonard Lane (Keith Wright Auto) reference to an attempted arson. Upon their arrival, officers met with the victim who advised that Hilton had entered into the business at approximately 10:25am. Hilton wanted to discuss a previous issue with the victim. When the victim refused, Hilton kicked the passenger’s side door of a vehicle that did not belong to him but to a customer of the victim causing a dent in the door. Hilton continued to entice the victim into a physical altercation. When the victim refused, Hilton set a periodical on fire and threw it inside the business towards the victim.
The ignited periodical landed in very close proximity to gasoline and oils that were being used inside the garage. There were no injuries reported and there was no damage to the business. The victim was able to extinguish the fire before police arrival.
Hilton was released to the custody of central booking.
Wonder What Obama Thinks About Black Panthers?
Ever wonder what Barack Obama and his Justice Department think of the New Black Panthers? You know, those folks who put a bounty on the “dead or alive” head of George Zimmerman, whose involvement in the shooting of Trayvon Martin has prompted calls for his prosecution.
It appears an answer is not forthcoming, after White House press secretary Jay Carney today declined to even allow the question to be asked.
It happened when Les Kinsolving, WND’s correspondent at the White House, attended the briefing and was prepared to ask two questions.
He wanted to know, “Does the president believe it is legal for the New Black Panthers to offer $10,000 ‘dead or alive’ for George Zimmerman, who they called a ‘child killer’ and warned Zimmerman ‘should be fearful for his life.’”
US Posts Biggest March Budget Deficit In History
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Ala. Judge Orders Man to Jail for Sagging Pants
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) - A central Alabama judge ordered a man to serve three days in jail for contempt of court for wearing so-called saggy pants.
Twenty-year-old LaMarcus D. Ramsey was in Autauga County Circuit Court on Tuesday to enter a plea on a charge of receiving stolen property.
Circuit Judge John Bush told Ramsey his blue jeans were sagging too low and gave him the three-day stint. The judge told Ramsey to buy pants that fit or a belt when he gets out of the county jail.
The judge says he finds it disrespectful and a disruption when people wear pants below their waistline in his chambers.
George Zimmerman Makes Brief Court Appearance
Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of an unarmed black teen, appeared Thursday in front of a Florida judge where he was told that his formal arraignment will take place on May 29.
Zimmerman, wearing a dark grey sweatshirt, was at the brief procedural appearance with his attorney Mark O'Mara and said "Yes, sir" when asked by the judge if O'Mara is his lawyer.
Florida special prosecutor announced Wednesday that she concluded that claims of self defense were not supported in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Special prosecutor Angela Corey's announcement marked a turning point in the high-profile case, as weeks of outrage and speculation about Zimmerman's motives culminated in his arrest -- something that Martin's family and their supporters have argued for since the Feb. 26 shooting in a gated community in Sanford, Fla.
WWE Presents SmackDown World Tour Saturday, June 9th At The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
(Salisbury, MD) Catch the action when WWE presents the SmackDown World Tour at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, June 9th at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 13th at 10:00am.
The show will feature a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time ever in Salisbury, as Sheamus defends his title against Daniel Bryan. Fans will also see The Big Show as he faces Christian in the Intercontinental Championship Match and other SmackDown Superstars including Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, Justin Gabriel, Beth Phoenix and many more.
Tickets start at $15 (additional taxes/fees may apply) and will be available online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org, by phone at 410-548-4911 or at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office, 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804.
Romney Accuses Obama of Breaking Immigration Promise
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -– Mitt Romney on Monday flatly accused President Obama of reneging on his campaign promise to bring up sweeping immigration reform, despite enjoying a Democrat-controlled Congress for his first two years in office.
“This has always been a priority for the President he chooses to do nothing about,” Romney said. “Let the immigrant community not forget that, while he uses this as a political weapon, he has not taken responsibility for fixing the problems we have.”
The former Massachusetts governor’s decision to turn his sights to Obama on the immigration issue comes as he’s inching closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination.
New Site to Calculate Potential Student Loan Debt
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Want to calculate how much you could owe in student loans after graduating from a particular college? A new government website provides tools to help with the math.
The site, by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is in the testing phase, but already includes information from 7,500 colleges and universities.
Users can plug in details such as grant and scholarship offers to compare what they might owe after attending different schools. The site also offers information on graduation and student loan default rates.
Maryland Business For Responsive Government: Governor, Legislature Failed To Lead
"It is an outrage that neither the legislature nor the Governor bothered to lead the state forward. " said MBRG President Kimberly M. Burns. "This session will be remembered by finger-pointing, dysfunction and chaos, and forgotten in this mess is any plan to help Maryland's working families and small businesses."
The state has been running $1 billion - plus structural deficits in recent years that have required either spending reductions or raising revenues, with the latter being the preferred option among the state's top elected officials. As a result of failing to reach a consensus on the budget measure, a so-called "doomsday budget," intended to give political cover for lawmakers to support more taxes, has been enacted by default.
"Ironically, the Governor and legislature could have called the doomsday budget a 'new day' budget, declared victory and gone home," said Burns. "But it was never intended to be taken seriously, and there will now be a mad scramble to continue government spending at record levels as a special session looms on the horizon."
The doomsday budget, which would slow government spending by over $500 million, goes against the philosophical underpinnings of the Administration and General Assembly leadership, hence the speculation on a special session. MBRG has repeatedly called for a bipartisan approach to scouring the budget line-by-line to identify spending reductions with which to address Maryland's structural budget deficits.
Verizon Wireless to Charge for Phone Upgrades
Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest cellphone company, says it will start charging $30 every time a subscriber wants to upgrade to a new phone.
Other phone companies have introduced similar fees. Competitor AT&T Inc. raised its fee from $18 to $36 this year.
Verizon says it will start charging the fee on April 22, and it will help fund customer support and online educational tools.
Beware The Establishment's Third Party Trap
Recently, Justin Raimondo wrote a thoughtful editorial, "Ron, Don't Let Your Heroic Effort End In Tampa."
I agree with Justin about how the GOP is actually a greater threat to our remaining liberties, wealth and the continuance of perpetual war than even the socialist Democrats.
I also think he is right about Paul's young supporter demographics; the fact this is the least likely group to vote in the conservative Republican primaries indicates his overall political support is substantially greater than the smaller vote totals might indicate in the closed primary process. He also asks Ron Paul where the movement he inspired and created should go following the GOP Tampa convention, ending on August 30th.
Justin and many of my libertarian and freedom movement friends sincerely believe that Ron Paul should go the third-party route following the convention but I have come to a totally different conclusion, although I highly respect their opinions, views and intellect.
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Library of Congress Staffer Fired, Claims Anti-Gay Bias
A gay man has charged in a discrimination complaint that he was fired last week from his job at the Library of Congress after being harassed and humiliated for more than a year by a supervisor who repeatedly cited passages from the Bible condemning homosexuality.
Peter TerVeer, 30, a management analyst at the Library of Congress’s Office of the Inspector General since 2008, says in his complaint that supervisor John R. Mech created a hostile work environment for him to such a degree that he suffered severe stress, forcing him to take disability leave last fall and earlier this year.
“I contend that I have been subjected to a hostile work environment by Mr. Mech since August 2009 on the basis of my sex (male), sexual orientation (homosexual), and religion (non-denominational Christian/Agnostic),” TerVeer states in an affidavit accompanying his complaint.
Jobless Claims Rise, Boosting Worries About Labor Market
The Labor Department reported Thursday that seasonally-adjusted initial jobless claims rose by 13,000 to 380,000 in the week ended April 7. It was their highest level since January.
The four-week moving average, considered a more accurate gauge of job market trends, gained 4,250 to 368,500.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast initial claims falling to 355,000 last week.
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Yard Sale
OCPD RECOGNIZES NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH COORDINATOR FOR 35 YEARS OF SERVICE
“It is my pleasure to recognize Mrs. Cascio for her dedicated service to the Ocean City Police Department and the Ocean City community,” Chief DiPino said. “The OCPD would like to take this opportunity to not only recognize but to sincerely thank Mrs. Cascio for her diligence, dedication and outstanding service to the residents and visitors of OceanCity.”
Mary Cascio began her Neighborhood Watch career over 35 years ago at the request of then OCPD Major Stephen Cropper. Since then, Mrs. Cascio has bore witness toOceanCity’s evolution as a premier resort community. She has been both a business and property owner and a staunch supporter of the public safety.
“Mrs. Cascio is the current area coordinator for the Edgewater Avenue Neighborhood Watch Association, however some would say she is the area coordinator for the entire south end, as she seems to always have a handle on what’s going on downtown,” Chief DiPino said. “Over the past three decades, Mrs. Cascio has been the “eyes and ears” on the bay side of Ocean City and her efforts have led officers to numerous suspicious persons and criminals operating in and around Ocean City’s downtown. We are extremely grateful for her commitment to public safety and her support of the Ocean City Police Department.”
NJ Flood Victims Ask: Where Did Those Millions In Federal Aid Go?
We first met the Sedano sisters a day after the hurricane hit on Aug. 28, causing the Rahway River to breach containment and wreak havoc in their suburb of Cranford, where about one in five homes were damaged. They were picking through all of their worldly belongings and looking for something, anything, that wasn’t completely waterlogged.
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American Legion Riders Post #166 Bikes To The Beach Poker Run
Ocean City, Maryland
Welcome You To The 2nd Annual
Bikes To The Beach.
Come visit our tent at “Hooper’s”.
Help support your troops, Past and Present at our 1st Annual Poker Run.
Poker Run on Friday, April 27th.
Registration at 10 AM. Ride at noon.
Trophies, Door prizes, & Cash to winners.
Rider and bike- $15.00, Passenger-$10.00
God Bless Our Troops.
2012 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
35 Shocking Statistics That Prove That Things Have Gotten Worse In America
We are in the midst of a horrific long-term economic decline and the American people desperately need to wake up.
The following are 35 shocking statistics that prove that things have gotten worse in America….
#1 Median household income in the United States is down 7.8 percent since December 2007 after adjusting for inflation.
#2 There are 5.6 million less jobs than there were when the last recession began back in late 2007.
#3 The U.S. government says that the number of Americans “not in the labor force” rose by 17.9 million between 2000 and 2011. During the entire decade of the 1980s, the number of Americans “not in the labor force” rose by only 1.7 million.
#4 In 2007, the unemployment rate for the 20 to 29 age bracket was about 6.5 percent. Today, the unemployment rate for that same age group is about 13 percent.
#5 In 2007, 73.2 percent of all young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 that were not enrolled in school had jobs. Today, that number has declined to 65 percent.
#6 Back in the year 2000, more than 50 percent of all Americans teens had a job. This past summer, only 29.6% of all American teens had a job.
#7 When Barack Obama entered the White House, the number of “long-term unemployed workers” in the United States was approximately 2.6 million. Today, that number is sitting at 5.6 million.
#8 The average duration of unemployment in the United States is nearly three times as long as it was back in the year 2000.
#9 Back in 1950, more than 80 percent of all men in the United States had jobs. Today, less than 65 percent of all men in the United States have jobs.
#10 According to the Obama administration, about 20 percent of all jobs in the United States were manufacturing jobs back in the year 2000. Today, about 5 percent of all jobs in the United States are manufacturing jobs.
#11 Sadly, more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States have been shut down since 2001.
#12 Back in 1980, less than 30% of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40% of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.
#13 The U.S. trade deficit with China during 2011 was 28 times larger than it was back in 1990.
#14 About twice as many new homes were sold in the United States in 1965 as are being sold today.
#15 Home prices in the 4th quarter of 2011 were four percent lower than they were during the 4th quarter of 2010. Overall, U.S. home prices are 34 percent lower than they were back at the peak of the housing bubble.
#16 The total value of household real estate in America has declined from $22.7 trillion in 2006 to $16.2 trillion today.
#17 At the end of 2011, 22.8 percent of all homes in the United States with a mortgage were in negative equity. That would have been unthinkable a decade or two ago.
#18 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now about 5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#19 Total consumer debt in the United States has increased by a whopping 1700% since 1971
#20 Since the beginning of 2009, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States has increased by more than 90 percent.
#21 The number of children living in poverty in the state of California has increased by 30 percent since 2007.
#22 Back in the year 2000, 11.3% of all Americans were living in poverty. Today, 15.1% of all Americans are living in poverty.
#23 In November 2008, 30.8 million Americans were on food stamps. Today, 46.5 million Americans are on food stamps.
#24 The U.S. dollar has lost 96.2 percent of its value since 1900. You can thank the Federal Reserve system for that.
#25 In 1950, the United States was #1 in GDP per capita. Today, the United States is #13 in GDP per capita.
#26 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of all Americans live in a home that receives direct monetary benefits from the federal government. Back in 1983, less than a third of all Americans lived in a home that received direct monetary benefits from the federal government.
#27 In 1980, government transfer payments accounted for just 11.7% of all income. Today, government transfer payments account for more than 18 percent of all income.
#28 Federal housing assistance increased by a whopping 42 percent between 2006 and 2010.
#29 Medicare spending increased by 138 percent between 1999 and 2010.
#30 Back in 1990, the federal government accounted for 32 percent of all health care spending in America. Today, that figure is up to 45 percent and it is projected to surpass 50 percent very shortly.
#31 Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid, and things are about to get a whole lot worse. It is being projected that Obamacare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.
#32 Right now, spending by the federal government accounts for about 24 percent of GDP. Back in 2001, it accounted for just 18 percent.
#33 In 2004, the U.S. government had a budget deficit of a little over 412 billion dollars. This year, the U.S. government will run a budget deficit of over 1.3 trillion dollars.
#34 In 2001, the U.S. national debt was less than 6 trillion dollars. Today, it is over 15 trillion dollars and it is increasing by about 150 million dollars every single hour.
#35 The U.S. national debt is now more than 22 times larger than it was when Jimmy Carter became president.
Warm, Dry Winter Bringing Chesapeake To Life Early
“All the animals, whether they be fish or crabs, are going to be doing things a little differently. It’s going to be really interesting,” said Lynn Fegley, deputy director of fisheries at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The crabs are stirring early in Virginia, rockfish could spawn sooner and algae blooms could be worse than usual because of an extremely mild winter that kept water temperatures above average, scientists and watermen say. Bird watchers, meanwhile, can look forward to earlier arrivals, with many birds arriving one to three weeks early, according to the American Bird Conservancy.
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QUOTES OF THE DAY 4-12-12
Society exists for the benefit of its members, not the members for the benefit of society. Herbert Spencer
The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future. Herbert Spencer
We cannot but be astonished at the ease with which men resign themselves to ignorance about what is most important for them to know; and we may be certain that they are determined to remain invincibly ignorant if they once come to consider it as axiomatic that there are no absolute principles. Frederic Bastiat
Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons and gendarmes at the service of the plunderers, and treats the victim – when he defends himself – as a criminal. Frederic Bastiat
When goods do not cross borders, soldiers will. Frederic Bastiat
Often the masses are plundered and do not know it. Frederic Bastiat
All wars come to an end, at least temporarily. But the authority acquired by the state hangs on; political power never abdicates. Frank Chodorov
The State acquires power… and because of its insatiable lust for power it is incapable of giving up any of it. The State never abdicates. Frank Chodorov
When people say ‘let’s do something about it,’ they mean ‘let’s get hold of the political machinery so that we can do something to somebody else.’ And that somebody is invariably you. Frank Chodorov
The principle that the majority have a right to rule the minority, practically resolves all government into a mere contest between two bodies of men, as to which of them shall be masters, and which of them slaves; a contest, that — however bloody — can, in the nature of things, never be finally closed, so long as man refuses to be a slave. Lysander Spooner
And the so-called sovereigns, in these different governments, are simply the heads, or chiefs, of different bands of robbers and murderers. Lysander Spooner
A government that can at pleasure accuse, shoot, and hang men, as traitors, for the one general offence of refusing to surrender themselves and their property unreservedly to its arbitrary will, can practice any and all special and particular oppressions it pleases. The result — and a natural one — has been that we have had governments, State and national, devoted to nearly every grade and species of crime that governments have ever practised upon their victims; and these crimes have culminated in a war that has cost a million of lives; a war carried on, upon one side, for chattel slavery, and on the other for political slavery; upon neither for liberty, justice, or truth. And these crimes have been committed, and this war waged, by men, and the descendants of men, who, less than a hundred years ago, said that all men were equal, and could owe neither service to individuals, nor allegiance to governments, except with their own consent. Lysander Spooner
A man is none the less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years. Lysander Spooner
No attempt or pretence, that was ever carried into practical operation amongst civilized men — unless possibly the pretence of a “Divine Right,” on the part of some, to govern and enslave others — embodied so much of shameless absurdity, falsehood, impudence, robbery, usurpation, tyranny, and villany of every kind, as the attempt or pretence of establishing a government by consent, and getting the actual consent of only so many as may be necessary to keep the rest in subjection by force. Such a government is a mere conspiracy of the strong against the weak. It no more rests on consent than does the worst government on earth. Lysander Spooner
Our constitutions purport to be established by ‘the people,’ and, in theory, ‘all the people’ consent to such government as the constitutions authorize. But this consent of ‘the people’ exists only in theory. It has no existence in fact. Government is in reality established by the few; and these few assume the consent of all the rest, without any such consent being actually given. Lysander Spooner
Valerie Jarrett planted By Communist Sympathizer?
Was Valerie Jarrett, one of President Obama’s closest advisers, introduced to the president’s political circles by her father-in-law, a communist sympathizer who worked with the radical Obama mentor Frank Marshall Davis?
Jarrett’s family background and her initial introduction to Obama may tie her to onetime Obama environmental adviser Van Jones’ radical ideology.
Jarrett’s father-in-law, Vernon Jarrett, was an associate of Frank Marshall Davis, the controversial labor movement activist who has been identified as an early influence on Obama.
Vernon Jarrett and Davis worked together in 1940 in a Communist Party-dominated organization, the Citizen’s Committee to Aid Packing House Workers. The group’s own correspondence, previously uncovered by the New Zeal blog, describes its communist influence. Many of its leaders were tied to the Communist Party.
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DelDOT Saves Taxpayers $32 Million
Dover -- The Department of Transportation was able to achieve a savings to taxpayers of nearly $32 million over 12 years, as result of last week's successful refinancing of maturing debt through a competitive bond sale, agency Secretary Shailen Bhatt announced today.
The competitive bond auction was held Thursday, April 4, after DelDOT's excellent credit ratings were reaffirmed by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's. S&P's rating of AA+ and Moody's rating of Aa2 of DelDOT's bonds are consistent with last year's ratings and are considered exceptional for a state transportation agency.
The rating agencies both gave DelDOT an outlook of "stable" based on its disciplined pay-as-you-go approach to capital spending and a new long-term debt reduction strategy. They noted the ratings were achieved against a backdrop of rising fuel prices which can negatively affect both gasoline tax receipts and toll revenues.
"As a result of the successful refinancing, we will achieve a debt service savings based on cash flow (2013-2024) of nearly $32 million over 12 years," Secretary Bhatt said. "Our debt service for FY13 was originally expected to be $124.8 million. We now anticipate this amount will be reduced by approximately $7 million. This reduction will allow DelDOT greater flexibility as we continue to reduce our debt service, while maintaining a robust capital program."
Comments Rolling Back In Again On Salisbury News
SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA
CONFERENCE ROOM 306
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING
1:30 p.m. Update on modifications to policy on handling properties that cannot be sold through tax sale
– John Pick/Mark Tilghman
2:00 p.m. Board of Zoning Appeals – Mark Tilghman
2:45 p.m. Election redistricting follow-up – Council/Mark Tilghman
3:00 p.m. Budget amendment for legal costs follow-up – Council/John Pick (Mark Tilghman, if questions)
3:20 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Memorandum of Agreement between the City and Poplar Hill Mansion – John Pick
3:50 p.m. Lease agreement with Chamber of Commerce for use of parking lot of arts & crafts market –
John Pick
4:10 p.m. General discussion/Upcoming agendas
4:30 p.m. Adjournment
Drugs Sold From Ice Cream Truck: Charles County Sheriff
A Waldorf, Md., man faces charges after being busted for allegedly selling drugs out of an ice cream truck.
After receiving a tip through Crime Solvers March 30, Charles County sheriff’s deputies found bags of marijuana and a stash of cash in a truck operated by 20-year-old Alexander Hoskins, authorities said.
“Ice cream or marijuana, you can take your pick with this guy,” said Diane Richardson, of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Poodle Show Coming Very Soon At Civic Center
Friday April 20 will be an AKC TRACKING TEST at the Anatidae Farm, 4635 Maiden Forest Rd., Rhodesdale, MD starting at 8:00 AM.
Saturday April 21 & Sunday April 24 will be HUNT & WC/WCS TESTS at the Anatidae Farm, 4635 Maiden Forest Rd., Rhodesdale, MD starting at 8:00 AM.
Monday April 23 will be an AGILITY TRIAL at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center beginning at 8:00 AM.
Tuesday April 24 will be OBEDIENCE and RALLY TRIALS at The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center beginning at 8:00 AM.
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday - April 25, 26 & 27 will be BREED COMPETITION at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center for approximately 800 Poodles (Toy, Miniature, and Standard) from all over the world beginning at 8:00 AM each day.
Also, please note that the Salisbury MD Kennel Club will coordinate with the Talbot Kennel Club to hold 3 ALL-BREED AGILITY TRIALS Friday April 20, Saturday April 21 & Sunday April 22 at the Crown Sport recreational facility located on US Rt 13-B South of Fruitland. Trials will begin at 8:00 AM each day.
This should be a welcome boost for our local economy. We will appreciate your attendance and support to help make our events successful.
Trayvon Martin's Mom Says She Thinks His Killing Was An 'Accident'
I believe it was an accident, I believe that it just got out of control and he couldn’t turn the clock back," she said. "I would ask him, 'Did he know that that was a minor, that that was a teenager and that he did not have a weapon?'” she added.
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Weiner: Steroids Shouldn't Keep Players From Hall
WASHINGTON - The head of the Major League baseball players' union thinks steroid use shouldn't keep a player out of the Hall of Fame.
Michael Weiner told the National Press Club on Wednesday he thinks the Hall of Fame "is for the best baseball players that have ever played."
Weiner thinks Pete Rose should be in the Hall despite Rose's history of gambling, and he expects that there will be team executives inducted in the Hall who previously engaged in what Weiner called the "massive conspiracy called collusion" against the players.
He also likened negotiations between the owners of baseball teams and the athletes they employ to national economic problems.
Governments Around The World Grapple With Nonprofit Journalism
Similarly, the debate over whether journalism counts as a charitable activity, and whether news organizations should be eligible for nonprofit status, does not end at our borders. Here in the U.S., the Internal Revenue Service is blocking many journalism organizations from establishing themselves as nonprofits while it studies whether journalism constitutes an educational or charitable activity within the U.S. tax code. Some journalists have been caught in a bureaucratic limbo for as long as two years as they've waited for the IRS to make a decision.
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TRAFFIC ALERT 4-12-12
Beginning Monday, April 16
Lewes -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces that a pavement and rehabilitation project will begin on Monday, April 16 for eight different sites in Sussex County. This project will consist of milling, hot-mix patching, paving, and curb ramp improvements to meet compliance regulations with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at each location.
The first group of roads will have daytime intermittent lane and shoulder closures:
Monday, April 16 through Friday, May 11
Route 9/Kings Highway to Theodore Freeman Highway (Monday through Friday beginning at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.)
Monday, April 23 through Thursday, June 14
Indian Mission Road from Route 24 to Route 9 (Monday through Thursday beginning at 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.)
In mid-June, this second group of sites will be repaired. Daytime lane restrictions will be in effect for this work, as well.
Hollyville Road from Harmons Hill Road to Route 9
Park Avenue To Route 18/Lewes-Georgetown Highway
Sussex Pines Road from Zoar Road to Wood Branch Road
Springfield Road from Park Avenue to Gravel Hill Road
Zoar Road from South Bedford Street to Wood Branch Road
Omar Road from Powell Farm Road to Honolulu Road
George & Lynch of Dover, Delaware, is the contractor for this $8.2 million project. The project is expected to be completed by mid-September, pending weather.
Access to all businesses and residences within the project limit will be maintained throughout the duration of this contract.
Motorists are advised to drive with caution, slow down in work zones, and expect delays.
It Just Doesn't End
GSA Employees Spent 5 Days in Hawaii for 1-hour Groundbreaking Event
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said Wednesday that five employees associated with the recently scandal-plagued Government Services Administration went to Hawaii for up to a week in 2011 to attend an hour-long groundbreaking on space leased by the federal government for the FBI.
Details of the incident surfaced in a transcript of an interview between the GSA Inspector General’s Office and a GSA employee.
The employee indicated to the IG investigator that trip was not isolated and that there was another, longer junket scheduled for Hawaii this fall.
That one would be in Hilo, Hawaii for 10 days and would include groundbreakings for a federal building, a post office and perhaps a courthouse.
MoreGSA Says It Promisses No Retaliation If You Narc
Arthur W. Perdue Foundation Announces $50,000 Matching Grant For Wicomico Mentoring Project
Officials from Wicomico County Public Schools, the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Wicomico Mentoring Project made the grant announcement on Wednesday, April 11, at Beaver Run Elementary School. The $50,000 Perdue Foundation matching grant will be awarded once the Wicomico Mentoring Project has raised an additional $50,000 in funds from the community. This would ensure $100,000 in funding for the 2012-13 school year.
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Can't Keep Up
MCCONCHIE AND HARNED: Obamacare Abortion Mandate Withers
The Department of Health and Human Services has set in motion the Obamacare abortion premium mandate, a provision that permits insurance plans that cover abortions to participate in state exchanges and requires all enrollees in those plans - even those with religious and moral objections to abortion - to pay a separate monthly premium to cover abortions. But many states are diligently passing laws to stop it.
The administration’s health care law permits a state to opt out of allowing health insurance plans that cover abortions to participate in the new health insurance exchanges within that state and thereby prohibit taxpayer money from subsidizing plans that cover abortions.
South Dakota recently became the 15th state to enact such a law. Based on model language by Americans United for Life, South Dakota’s law expressly states, “No qualified health plan offered through a health insurance exchange established in the state may include elective abortion coverage.” In other words, anyone who wants to have insurance coverage for abortion must pay for it outside of the government-subsidized exchange. Taxpayers and persons enrolled in insurance plans in the South Dakota exchange will not be forced to pay for the abortions of other South Dakotans.
County Executive To Hold Public Hearing On FY 2013 Budget Thursday, April 12
Ogletree: I Want 'First White Victim' from Stand Your Ground
Video Here
Family Tree Of Vincent Van Gogh
His brother who ate prunes------------------------- Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store ------ Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia ----------------------------- U Gogh
His magician uncle -------------------------------- Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin ------------------------------------ A Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin's American half-brother ------------ Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach --------------- Wells-far Gogh
The constipated uncle ------------------------------------- Can't Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt -------------------------------- Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle -------------------------------------- Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin -------------------------------------- Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking ------------------ Way-to-Gogh
The little bouncy nephew ----------------------------------- Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco---------------------------------- Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV --- Winnie Bay Gogh
Woman Banned From Walmart For 5 Years After Bleach Fight
A Lansdowne woman was ordered to stay out of Walmart for five years after pleading guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor assault in a bleach and Pine-Sol fight that briefly shut down a Baltimore County store last fall.
Theresa M. Jefferson, 33, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in the altercation with Ebony Odoms, 38, which broke out Oct. 8 inside a Walmart at the Lansdowne Station shopping center. She was given a suspended five-year sentence, probation and community service, and ordered by Baltimore County Circuit Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr. to stay away from Odoms and "stay out of Walmart."
Her lawyer, John G. Turnbull III, said after the 15-minute hearing that he understood that to mean all Walmart stores, not just the one on Washington Boulevard where the incident took place. The store was shut down for a few hours after the mix of chemicals unleashed noxious fumes. Nineteen people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Easton High Lacrosse Players' Suspensions Reversed
EASTON -- Maryland's Board of Education ruled Tuesday that Talbot County Public Schools' personnel failed to use appropriate discretion last spring when two lacrosse players were suspended for possessing a penknife and a lighter for repairing sports equipment.
The state board ruled that the local Board of Education violated the law when it affirmed TCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon's suspension of the players, Casey Edsall and Graham Dennis.
Dennis, who had scissors, a 2-inch folding penknife, a screwdriver and a Leatherman multi-tool in his lacrosse bag, was arrested by Easton police at the site of a search. He was handcuffed, fingerprinted and charged with possession of a deadly weapon. The charge was later dismissed by Talbot prosecutors.
Edsall's bag had a butane lighter used to seal cut strings on his lacrosse stick. School personnel called the lighter an "explosive device."
Unemployed Americans Outnumber the Total Population Of Germany
You look at this talk about the unemployment rate, 8.2%, "Oh, coming down. It was over nine. Why, it must be going in the right direction." Okay, the challenge here, how do I explain to people that that number is meaningless? How do I illustrate the reality about unemployment? You can use real numbers. For example, and I had this yesterday, I didn't get to it, but something I think Romney should use, by the way, or Santorum, anybody, somebody on the Republican side. The RINOs need to be swept aside here and let somebody who really wants to roll up their sleeves take this stuff head on and do it. The number of working-age Americans out of the workforce, 88 million. The population of the country is 300 some odd million. So the 88 million still by itself is not all that illustrative. But there's a way to make it so.
Eighty-eight million working-age Americans out of work is larger than the total population of Germany, 82 million people. Now, that has a little bit more impact. When you tell people that 88 million Americans of working age are out of work. When you say that more working-age Americans are out of work than live in Germany, well, that has a bit of a different impact.
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