SU MEN’S LAX STAYS UNDEFEATED, BUT BARELY

Under the lights last night at Stevenson, the top ranked Sea Gulls capped a real come-from-behind rally in the fourth quarter with a goal in the final seconds to beat the number 4 ranked Mustangs 11-10. More to follow.

A podcast of the game is on-line at SFMsports.net

Reagan Vs. Obama - Social Economics 101

New Posts to fall below.

Senator Mark Chelgrin Wants Child Support Recipients To Be Drug Tested

Iowa State Senator Mark Chelgrin introduced legislation to require people who receive child support payments to be drug tested too. Chelgrin said he's introducing the legislation on behalf of an anonymous constituent who believes their ex is using child support money for drugs.

Small Businesses Are Getting Shafted

Giant transnational corporate tax dodgers are costing small businesses thousands of dollars. Not only have 26 major American corporations used tax loopholes to avoid paying any federal taxes over the last four years, but roughly $60 billion in revenue is lost every single year thanks to corporations stashing cash in offshore bank accounts. And guess where that money has to be recouped from – working people and small businesses.

According to a new report by the U.S. PIRG – corporate tax dodgers cost every small business more than $2,000 each every year. As the PIRG report says, "Instead of competing on a level playing field, small businesses and those without offshore tax havens must pick up the extra tax tab and compete against the artificially lower costs of multinational companies using tax havens." You can see the effect of this unfair competition in Main Streets across America – where small businesses have shuttered – and massive corporate chains have set up shop. These giants are eating our towns.

Court Rules In Favor Of Allowing Political Ads On Public Television

The public airwaves are about to get inundated by corporate political ads. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an FCC ban on political advertising on public TV and radio stations – arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment. Originally the ban was imposed to protect the educational nature of public broadcasting stations – keeping the airwaves free from advertising for goods and services and issue advocacy. But as Judge Carlos Bea wrote in his ruling, "Public issue and political speech in particular are at the very core of the First Amendment's protection." This is essentially the same reasoning that the Supreme Court used to give corporations unlimited power to spend as much money as they'd like in our elections. So now – when you listen to NPR expect a wave of corporate ads pushing to repeal Obamacare, expand fracking, and cut down Wall Street regulations. The public airwaves are about to become Karl Rove's litter box. This could also mean the death of investigative journalism – as more and more public media outlets become beholden to corporate sponsors and decide not to bite the hand that feeds them. Our public TV and radio airwaves are just the latest portion of our commons to be hijacked by corporations that are solely interested in boosting their profits rather than providing for the common good. Stay tuned.

Romney Assures NRA of Support For Gun Rights

St. Louis - As he seeks to inspire the conservative base ahead of the general election, Mitt Romney spoke to the National Rifle Association on Friday, seeking the support of a powerful group that has not always warmed up to him.

As governor of Massachusetts, he backed laws that are anathema to the national gun lobby — an assault weapons ban and a waiting period to buy firearms — and once engendered skepticism, if not outright hostility, from some gun owners.

More

Best Panhandler Sign Yet

Secret Service Agents Relieved In Colombia Amid Prostitution aAlegations

Cartagena, Colombia (CNN) -- A group of Secret Service agents and officers sent to Colombia ahead of President Barack Obama were relieved of duty and returned home amid allegations of misconduct that involved prostitution, according to two U.S. government sources familiar the investigation.

The 11 Secret Service members -- both agents and uniformed officers -- were interviewed Saturday at the agency's Washington headquarters, after which they were placed on administrative leave, Assistant Director Paul Morrissey said in a statement.

They are under investigation after preliminary findings revealed that they brought back several prostitutes to the Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, sources told CNN on Saturday.

More

Outrageous Frequent Flyer Perks For Preferred Airlines Customers

Airlines these days are trying to lure in preferred customers with frequent flyer rewards programs that have some pretty unusual perks. IdeaWorks, an airline consulting firm, recently reviewed the programs of over 150 airlines to find the world’s most unique rewards and come up with a list of some of wackiest. They almost make it worth it to spend $10,000 and more on a first class flight.

More

Why The U.S. Is In So Much Trouble

A DC 'airport ticket agent' offers some examples of why the US is in so much trouble!

1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!)

2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to Cape Town. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Cape Town is in Massachusetts ..''

Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Cape Town is in South Africa ..''
His response -- click..

3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state.

He replied, 'Don't lie to me!, I looked on the map, and Florida is a very THIN state!!'' (OMG)

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?''

I said, ''No.''

She said, ''But they look so close on the map'' (OMG, again!)

5. An aide for a cabinet member (Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas .. I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas ... When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.'' (Aghhhh)

6. An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m.

I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?'

He replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!''

After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT - Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on his luggage..

8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii ?''

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright from Ala. who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?''

I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.''

10 Senator Dianne Feinstein called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?''

I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola and fly on a commuter plane.

She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!''

11 Mary Landrieu, La. Senator, called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. "Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.''

I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!''

12 A New Jersey Congressman (John Adler) called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York .''

I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the name of the town?''

'Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the man.

After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, sir, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a rhino anywhere."

''The man retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!''

So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?''

The reply? ''Whatever! I knew it was a big animal.''

Now you know why the Government is in the shape it's in!

Could ANYONE be this DUMB?

YES, THEY WALK AMONG US, ARE IN POLITICS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BREED.

Detectives Investigate Accidental Death

Location: Savanna Auto Care, 74 Albe Drive, Newark, DE

Date of Occurrence: Friday, April 13, 2012 at 9:30 p.m.

Victim:

Nicholas P. Njenga, 31, Middletown, DE

Resume:

Newark, DE- Delaware State Police detectives are investigating the accidental death of a Middletown man that occurred Friday night.

The incident happened at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Friday (4/13) as Nicholas Njenga and a second subject were working on the hydraulic lift gate of a truck owned by Savanna Auto Care located in the unit block of Albe Drive in Newark. Detectives learned that as the victim was on top of the lift gate, the second subject crawled under the truck in order to troubleshoot a new hydraulic pump that the two had just installed. It was at this time that the hydraulic pump activated which caused the lift gate to rise. Nicholas Njenga was then pinned in between the gate and the truck. He was subsequently removed from the scene by EMS and transported to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where he succumbed to his injuries.

This incident remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police.

Wilmington Man Arrested Following Carjacking And Pursuit

Location: Rite Aid, 2034 New Castle Avenue, New Castle, DE
Date of Occurrence: Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 2:20 p.m.
Victim:
43 year old New Castle, DE woman

Defendant and Charges:

Corey R. Bowers, 31, Wilmington, DE
Robbery 1st Degree
Carjacking
Numerous Traffic Charges

Arraignment information is not available at this time.

Resume:

New Castle, DE- Delaware State Police detectives have arrested a Wilmington man following a carjacking and vehicle pursuit that occurred this afternoon.

The incident began at approximately 2:20 p.m. this afternoon (4/14) as a 43 year old New Castle woman was entering her vehicle in the parking lot of the Rite Aid Pharmacy located in the 2000 block of New Castle Avenue in New Castle. It was at this time that a male suspect entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle and confronted the victim with a handgun. The suspect then demanded the victim’s keys and personal property and ordered the victim out of the car. The suspect then fled from the parking lot in the victim’s vehicle.

A short time later, officers responding to the area were advised by police dispatchers that a witness was following the victim’s vehicle and was relaying the location of the car to the 911 call center. Responding officers from the Delaware State Police, New Castle City Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, and the Wilmington Police Department located the vehicle on I-95 and began pursuing it into the city of Wilmington. The suspect collided with a number of vehicles in the area of Concord Avenue and Washington Street. He then fled from the vehicle on foot in the area of 23rd and Washington Streets before being apprehended by an officer from the Wilmington Police Department.

Corey Bowers was arrested and charged with the above listed crimes. His arraignment information is unavailable at this time. The victim was not injured.

Senator David Brinkley's Monthly Newsletter

After ninety long days, the 2012 Legislative Session has come to an end. It was a very tough session that concluded in a haze of confusion after Democratic leaders could not come to an agreement on some very important budgetary concerns. There were positives and there were negatives for the taxpayers of Maryland. I've attempted to provide you with the "highlights" of the session below. Some of the major legislative issues brought before the House and Senate were:

2012 Budget: The Maryland taxpayer benfits from this year's legislative session. The operating budget that passed, contains only cuts in spending: a "live within your means budget." The revenue bill (SB 523) which contained income tax hikes and the elimination of personal exemptions for taxpayers did not pass. The partial shift of teacher pension costs to the counties did not pass either. The budget conference committee reduced the Governor's proposed budget by $730 million, but it still grows by $950.9 million over last year. The budget that passed includes $72 million in "entitlement cuts", $63 million in state agency cuts and $173 in cuts to local governments.

Gas Tax Failed: SB 971 MD Transportation Financing & Infrastructure Investment Act of 2012: The Governor failed to pass his gas tax legislation. His proposal would have increased the cost of gasoline by adding a 6% sales tax on top of the existing 23.5(cent sign) per gallon excise tax we currently pay. The drastic hike was thinly veiled as an "investment in transportation infrastructure." Since 2003, over $1.0 billion of dedicated transportation revenue has been raided for the General Fund. Any discussion of a gas tax hike is entirely premature until the motoring public can be guaranteed that gas tax revenues are only going towards roads through a constitutional amdendment that prohibits the transfer of money out of the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF).

Flush Tax Passed: HB446 Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Fees: This Administration bill is a 100% tax increase to provide an estimated $385 million in additional revenue into the Bay Restoration Fund by 2017. The "flush tax" doubles from $30 a year to $60. However, the Bay Restoration Fund, like the TTF, has been subject to mulitple raids by this Governor. Since 2010, O'Malley has taken $290 from the Fund to help pay for his operating budgets.

Septics Bill Passed: SB236 Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012: The Governor's plan to curb sprawl and stop growth in the rural portions of the State will soon become law, albeit without key provisions that would have given the State power to override some local zoning decisions. This watered-down bill requires counties to divide their jurisdictions into "tiers" of development and incorporate them into their comprehensive plans before any major subdivisions served by septic systems can be approved. I served on the "Septic Task Force" during the last interim. The task force was the result of the failure of the Administration's septic ban during the 2011 legislative session. We met 10 times from July to November and only managed to produce a 13 page report on our work. Despite the anemic report, the Governor ignored the recommendations of the task force and introduced a bill that was far more egregious than what passed. This bill is a direct attack on the ability of the rural parts of the State to develop in a way that makes sense for them. It is another failure of a "one size fits all" approach.

Gay Marriage Passed: Same-sex marriage has been legalized, as Maryland is the eigth state to sign the bill. However, the new law which does not take effect until January 1, 2013 is expected to face a referendum challenge in the November general election.

Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 Failed: SB 237/HB441: The Governor's proposal to develop offshore wind energy using subsidies such as fees imposed through Marylanders' electric bills over a 20-year period to pay for the offshore wind development was rejected for a second time. The proposal although guaranteeing a revenue stream had no guarantees that ratepayers would not see continual fee increases after 2022.

The issues above were well documented in the media but there were some positive pieces of legislation which passed that did not recieve a lot of attention. Among them were:

Family Farm Preservation Act of 2012 - SB294: This bill which had overwhelming bipartisan support passed both chambers unanimously. I led the workgroup in the Senate Budget and Taxation committee that put the finishing touches on SB294. Maryland is one of the few states that imposes an estate and inheritance tax on property. The bill exempts qualified agricultural property from the estate tax up to $5.0 million. Anything over $5.0 million will be assessed at 5%. This was a major step forward in ensuring that Maryland family farmers keep farming for generations to come.

Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Veteran's Organizations - SB19: This bill repealed the termination of the sales and use tax exemption on veteran's organizations like the VFW and American Legion.

Boat and Hunting Fee Increases HB1307 and HB1419: Both of these bills introduced at the request of the Department of Natural Resources would have significantly increased the costs to boaters and hunters throughout the State. The boat fee increase (HB1307) recieved a hearing in the House Ways and Means committee but never saw any further action and failed. The hunting fee increase (HB1419) faced a rare defeat on the House floor after Republicans spoke out against the proposed changes to the fee structure.

For a more comprehensive viewing of this years session legislation please click http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/Wrap_up/current_issue.pdf

On a lighter note, I would like to take you behind the scences to introduce you to my staff. These folks keep the wheels turning in both my Annapolis and District offices. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me or my staff at anytime.

We look forward to serving you!

Sincerely,
Senator David R. Brinkley

Trayvon Martin Case: Hearing Raises Possible Conflict Of Interest For Judge

A brief court hearing Friday in the case of George Zimmerman, the Florida man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, focused on the possibility that the judge could be replaced because of a possible conflict of interest.

Seminole County Circuit Judge Jessica J. Recksiedler disclosed that her husband, an attorney who deals with civil cases, works in the same firm as Mark NeJame, a criminal lawyer who had been previously contacted by Zimmerman for counsel.

NeJame did not take Zimmerman as a client, but he now has a contract with CNN to provide analysis on the case.

More

Singer Robin Gibb Of Bee Gees Fame In Coma

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Robin Gibb, a founding member of the disco-era hit machine the Bee Gees, is in a coma after contracting pneumonia, his official website said on Saturday.

A spokesman for the 62-year-old, who has been battling cancer, was not immediately available to comment on reports in the British media that Gibb had been surrounded by close family in a London hospital and may have only days to live.

More

Ex-Md. Teacher Faces Prison For Sex With Students

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Anne Arundel County prosecutors are seeking a sentence of up to 10 years in prison for a former high school teacher charged with having sexual encounters with female students.

Jeffrey R. Sears Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. He entered pleas Friday to charges of sexual encounters with three students.

More

Best Time To Trade In Your Car Is Now

WASHINGTON - If you're thinking of trading in your old car for a new one, there may be no better time to do it than right now.

Consumer Reports says the average trade-in price of used small and mid-sized cars has risen an average of $500 since January.

More

Blessing Of The Bikes TODAY

BREAKING NEWS: At Least 5 Dead In Oklahoma Tornado

Authorities say five people are confirmed dead after a tornado swept across the northwest Oklahoma town of Woodward.

From Fox News