DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, April 20, 2012
Worcester County Liquor Control On Pace For $556K Profit
SNOW HILL -- The Department of Liquor Control (DLC) is on track to meet its year-end profit goal of $556,500, according to officials.
When Worcester decided to absorb the then quasi-governmental Liquor Control Board last July and turn it into an actual county department, DLC Director Bobby Cowger said that, while the transition went smoothly, the entity itself was a mess.
“There was a huge amount of bad inventory,” he told the commission.Additional problems at the time of the takeover included issues with transparency to the public.
“It seemed like there was none there,” said Cowger.
There were also concerns over non-consistent pricing and overly late hours for liquor stores, wrinkles Cowger said have been ironed out by standardizing pricing and a decision to close all county run liquor stores by 10 p.m.
According to Cowger’s report, the DLC is expected to bring in more than $15 million in revenue this year -- about $10 million through wholesale operations and roughly $5 million through retail.
Businesses Merge in 2012
Watch for these consolidations in 2012:
1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.
2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.
3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood.
4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.
5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP.
6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.
7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.
8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!
1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.
2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.
3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood.
4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.
5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP.
6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.
7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.
8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!
Recovered Economic History: "Everyone But An Idiot Knows That The Lower Classes Must Be Kept Poor, Or They Will Never Be Industrious"
Our popular economic wisdom says that capitalism equals freedom and free societies, right? Well, if you ever suspected that the logic is full of shit, then I’d recommend checking a book called The Invention of Capitalism, written by an economic historian named Michael Perelmen, who’s been exiled to Chico State, a redneck college in rural California, for his lack of freemarket friendliness. And Perelman has been putting his time in exile to damn good use, digging deep into the works and correspondence of Adam Smith and his contemporaries to write a history of the creation of capitalism that goes beyond superficial The Wealth of Nations fairy tale and straight to the source, allowing you to read the early capitalists, economists, philosophers, clergymen and statesmen in their own words. And it ain’t pretty.
One thing that the historical record makes obviously clear is that Adam Smith and his laissez-faire buddies were a bunch of closet-case statists, who needed brutal government policies to whip the English peasantry into a good capitalistic workforce willing to accept wage slavery.
Francis Hutcheson, from whom Adam Smith learned all about the virtue of natural liberty, wrote: ”it is the one great design of civil laws to strengthen by political sanctions the several laws of nature. … The populace needs to be taught, and engaged by laws, into the best methods of managing their own affairs and exercising mechanic art.”
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One thing that the historical record makes obviously clear is that Adam Smith and his laissez-faire buddies were a bunch of closet-case statists, who needed brutal government policies to whip the English peasantry into a good capitalistic workforce willing to accept wage slavery.
Francis Hutcheson, from whom Adam Smith learned all about the virtue of natural liberty, wrote: ”it is the one great design of civil laws to strengthen by political sanctions the several laws of nature. … The populace needs to be taught, and engaged by laws, into the best methods of managing their own affairs and exercising mechanic art.”
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McDonald's Staffer Learns That Spitting In The Tea Will Get You Arrested
The history of spit-in-food goes back approximately 2,700 years, with the first known instance often attributed to a disgruntled fry cook at a lamb burger joint in a suburb of Babylon. That storied tradition continues to this day, with an employee at a South Carolina McDonald's arrested for allegedly leaving behind his phlegm in two customers' teas.
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Vermont Lawmakers Vote For Constitutional Amendment To Declare That Corporations Are Not People
In January 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee that it was unconstitutional to limit political campaign spending by corporations, thus helping to usher in the current era of the "super PAC." Today, Vermont's state legislature became the latest to call for an amendment to the Constitution that would overturn the controversial court ruling and declare that "money is not speech and corporations are not persons under the U.S. Constitution."
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ATM Loophole Lawsuits Filed; Businesses Warned To Comply
OCEAN CITY -- Resort business owners and operators this week are being warned about posting clearly marked signs about transaction fees for ATM machines after a rash of lawsuits exploiting a little known loophole have been filed against several local establishments.
Under the federal Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which governs ATM transactions, there is specific language relating to the notification requirements for extra fees. Users of ATMs know there is typically a prompt on the screen advising the consumer of the transaction fee and the transaction can’t be completed until the user signs off on it.
However, what is not readily known is that owners and operators of the ubiquitous ATM machines are also required to post a written notice on or near the machines advising consumers of the transaction fees.
A rather innocuous clause in the statute requires a sign or notice of transaction “shall be posted in a prominent and conspicuous location on or at the ATM at which the electronic fund transfer is initiated by the consumer.”
At least one man, James Buechler, 47, of Sparrows Point in Baltimore, has clearly discovered the loophole and appears to be exploiting the posting requirement clause for personal gain.
Democrats And Republicans Team Up
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are teaming up in a new effort to cut waste in government. A new bipartisan bill would require Congress' research arm to give a "duplication score" to future legislation. It would warn lawmakers before they authorize a new program that resembles an existing one. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said the new bill would "save taxpayer dollars, cut government waste and redundancies and change the culture in Washington." The Government Accountability Office said the government spends more than $100 billion on programs that seem to overlap.
Air Force Blows $1 Billion And Is Fed Up
Air Force officials are fed up with a computer system that's late, over budget and doesn't do much. The Air Force spent seven years and $1 billion on the Enterprise Combat Support System. Now Controller Jamie Morin is telling Congress the Air Force will restructure the project. Without a functional ECSS, the Air Force won't be able to meet its goal of a clean financial audit by 2017. Morin told the Senate Armed Services committee, he was appalled at spending so much and getting so little.
THERE IS NO “DOOMSDAY BUDGET” IN MARYLAND
In Maryland we have taken the concept of “entitlement math” to a whole new level. Only in Maryland could a $700 Million Dollar increase in State spending in a new fiscal year be considered a “Doomsday” budget. The default budget that was passed by the Maryland General Assembly is balanced and Constitutionally sound. The argument that this budget will result in any steep cuts in education or elsewhere is a simple case of political rhetoric getting in the way of the facts.
The way that “entitlement math” works is that special interest lobbies ask for large increases in the amount of taxpayer dollars they are being given for the next fiscal cycle, let’s say 1 billion dollars and instead of getting the 1 billion dollars they demanded they are only given a $400 million dollar increase. Entitlement mathematicians within the special interest lobby claim there special interest has taken a $600 million dollar cut. The fact is they received a $400 million dollar increase not a dime in cuts. The media seems to love entitlement math because I have yet to see them actually call out the Governor or those legislative leaders who irresponsibly continue to threaten citizens with predictions of dire consequences for failing to pass hundreds of millions of dollars in additional new taxes and thus stop the imagined negative effects from entitlement math “cuts” to the projected growth in budget dollars.
See the first chart above,(upper left) which shows in very simple terms that there has been no decrease in the budget for the last 7 years and that in fact the budget has grown each year by a billion dollars or more, including a 700 million dollar increase under this default budget (referred to by the Democrats as a doomsday budget.)
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The way that “entitlement math” works is that special interest lobbies ask for large increases in the amount of taxpayer dollars they are being given for the next fiscal cycle, let’s say 1 billion dollars and instead of getting the 1 billion dollars they demanded they are only given a $400 million dollar increase. Entitlement mathematicians within the special interest lobby claim there special interest has taken a $600 million dollar cut. The fact is they received a $400 million dollar increase not a dime in cuts. The media seems to love entitlement math because I have yet to see them actually call out the Governor or those legislative leaders who irresponsibly continue to threaten citizens with predictions of dire consequences for failing to pass hundreds of millions of dollars in additional new taxes and thus stop the imagined negative effects from entitlement math “cuts” to the projected growth in budget dollars.
See the first chart above,(upper left) which shows in very simple terms that there has been no decrease in the budget for the last 7 years and that in fact the budget has grown each year by a billion dollars or more, including a 700 million dollar increase under this default budget (referred to by the Democrats as a doomsday budget.)
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Glen Ave. Closing
GLEN AVENUE TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE FOR
INTERNATIONAL POODLE SHOW
Affected area: Glen Avenue between Civic Avenue and St. Alban’s Drive
April 19 2012, Salisbury MD – A section of Glen Avenue will be closed beginning Monday, April 23, 2012 at 7am and will reopen on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 6pm. This closure will allow safe crossing for the many participants and spectators attending the 80th annual Poodle Club of America National Specialty Show at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
Visitors travel from as far as Japan to attend this annual Poodle ‘Super Bowl.” Wicomico County has played host to the event for the past 8 years. The Show Chairman, Dennis McCoy explained, “Salisbury is such a wonderful location for our annual poodle national specialty. The community is so welcoming to us and offers lodging and dining perfect for our needs. The whole community and WYCC go all out to make our show the envy of national dog clubs.”
“We’re thrilled that the Poodle Club of America continues to choose Wicomico County as a venue to hold this extremely popular event,” County Executive Rick Pollitt commented, “It’s a positive reflection on our community who work together to make Wicomico an attractive place to live, work and play.”
The annual event provides a generous economic impact for the county bringing in an estimated $2 million. This year, organizers are anticipating more than 450 dogs and over 1400 spectators and participants to attend.
3 More Secret Service Agents To Be Fired
Secret Service to fire three more agents in Colombia prostitution scandal, source tells Fox News.
SU Partnership Turns Food Waste Into Fertilizer
How much food does it take to equal nine tons? If Salisbury University has its way … about a week’s worth. Through a partnership with Delaware-based Blue Hen Organics, SU Dining Services hopes to defer about nine tons of food waste from local landfills each week classes are in session. Since the program began, nearly 70 tons of food waste has been processed, representing a decrease of nearly 60 percent in landfill use.
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Five Myths of the ‘Racist’ Criminal Justice System
Calling America’s criminal justice system “racist” is not confined to “civil rights leaders” like the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Then-Sen. Barack Obama, during the 2008 presidential campaign, said it, too. Blacks and whites, said Obama, “are arrested at very different rates, are convicted at very different rates (and) receive very different sentences … for the same crime.”
When the man who became president of the United States says this — the No. 1 law enforcement officer — it must, therefore, be true.
When the man who became president of the United States says this — the No. 1 law enforcement officer — it must, therefore, be true.
Let’s examine five major assumptions behind this assertion.
1) Blacks are arrested at higher rates compared to whites — but wrongly so.
Not true. While only 13 percent of the population, blacks accounted for 28 percent of nationwide arrests in 2010 and 38.1 percent of arrests for violent crime (murders, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault). But are they unfairly arrested? Studies find that arrest rates by race are comparable to the race of suspect identification by victims.
March For Babies
Chance for Weekend Rain Doesn’t Cloud the Day For Maryland’s Moms and Babies
Ready. Set. March for Babies!
(Salisbury)— Rain or shine, on Sunday, April 22nd at The Salisbury Moose Lodge, families and business leaders will join together in the March of Dimes annual March for Babies—the nation’s oldest walk fundraiser honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.
“We know the weather might prevent some from attending the event,” says Karen Davis, State Farm Insurance- Salisbury March for Babies Leadership Chair. “However, we have a lot of people registered to walk at marchforbabies.org so we we’re expecting a crowd who want to make a difference in the health of babies.”
March for Babies Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 10:00 a.m. Participation in March for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for the whole family. To register for an event in your community, visit www.marchforbabies.org.
The March of Dimes is asking people who have donations to turn-in to come to March for Babies. If for some reason they are unable to attend the walk, to drop them by the nearest March of Dimes office next week. For more information about the March of Dimes, call the Eastern Shore Division office at 410-546-2241 or visit www.marchofdimes.com.
Funds raised by March for Babies in Maryland help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit www.marchofdimes.com or www.nacersano.org.
Ready. Set. March for Babies!
(Salisbury)— Rain or shine, on Sunday, April 22nd at The Salisbury Moose Lodge, families and business leaders will join together in the March of Dimes annual March for Babies—the nation’s oldest walk fundraiser honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.
“We know the weather might prevent some from attending the event,” says Karen Davis, State Farm Insurance- Salisbury March for Babies Leadership Chair. “However, we have a lot of people registered to walk at marchforbabies.org so we we’re expecting a crowd who want to make a difference in the health of babies.”
March for Babies Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 10:00 a.m. Participation in March for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for the whole family. To register for an event in your community, visit www.marchforbabies.org.
The March of Dimes is asking people who have donations to turn-in to come to March for Babies. If for some reason they are unable to attend the walk, to drop them by the nearest March of Dimes office next week. For more information about the March of Dimes, call the Eastern Shore Division office at 410-546-2241 or visit www.marchofdimes.com.
Funds raised by March for Babies in Maryland help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit www.marchofdimes.com or www.nacersano.org.
Results Of Nugent's Talk With Secret Service
WASHINGTON — The Secret Service and Ted Nugent have reached a peace accord over the rock star’s comments regarding Barack Obama, after he told WND that during his tough talk at an NRA event about the 2012 political race he “did not threaten anyone’s life, or hint at violence or mayhem.”
Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said in a report in Washington the agency “does not anticipate any further action” because the “issue has been resolved.”
Drought Forecast For Southwest, California 'Not Optimistic'
Most of the Southwest as well as parts of California and the Southeast can expect drought conditions to worsen through July, federal forecasters said Thursday.
"Overall, the current Drought Outlook is not optimistic," the National Weather Service said in summarizing its forecast.
Besides affecting farmers and ranchers, drought means a greater risk of wildfires, especially in those areas expecting a warmer than average spring. A rash of brush fires earlier this month up and down the East Coast could be a preview of a long, hot spring and summer.
"May – July is expected to be warmer than normal" in the Southwest and West, the service added in a more detailed report.
"For most of the southwestern and western part of the country, drought is expected to persist in most locations and expand into the central Rockies," it added.
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"Overall, the current Drought Outlook is not optimistic," the National Weather Service said in summarizing its forecast.
Besides affecting farmers and ranchers, drought means a greater risk of wildfires, especially in those areas expecting a warmer than average spring. A rash of brush fires earlier this month up and down the East Coast could be a preview of a long, hot spring and summer.
"May – July is expected to be warmer than normal" in the Southwest and West, the service added in a more detailed report.
"For most of the southwestern and western part of the country, drought is expected to persist in most locations and expand into the central Rockies," it added.
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QUOTES OF THE DAY 4-20-12
One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: No ordinary man could be such a fool. George Orwell
The manifest defects of central planning are not nearly as bad as its dehumanizing nature. For the progressive central planner is a regressive tyrant. What he seeks to do by regulation is only different than what the master does by the whip in his coyness. Andrew Mellon
We can either return to gold or we can pursue the fiat path and return to barter. It is perhaps not hyperbole to say that civilization itself is at stake in our decision. Murray Rothbard
The excellence of the gold standard is to be seen in the fact that it renders the determination of the monetary unit’s purchasing power independent of governments and political parties. Ludwig von Mises
If voting could really change things, it would be illegal. Revolution Books: New York , NY
Under the influence of popular democracy, oil driven machinery, and the social welfare nation state, almost every developed nation has made the same choice – to go broke. Bill Bonner
The fact of the matter is that there is a little bit of the totalitarian buried somewhere, way down deep, in each and every one of us. It is only the cheerful light of confidence and security which keeps this evil genius down. . . . If confidence and security were to disappear, don’t think that he would not be waiting to take their place. — George Kennan (1947)
Democracy has proved only that the best way to gain power over people is to assure the people that they are ruling themselves. Once they believe that, they make wonderfully submissive slaves. Joseph Sobran
The manifest defects of central planning are not nearly as bad as its dehumanizing nature. For the progressive central planner is a regressive tyrant. What he seeks to do by regulation is only different than what the master does by the whip in his coyness. Andrew Mellon
We can either return to gold or we can pursue the fiat path and return to barter. It is perhaps not hyperbole to say that civilization itself is at stake in our decision. Murray Rothbard
The excellence of the gold standard is to be seen in the fact that it renders the determination of the monetary unit’s purchasing power independent of governments and political parties. Ludwig von Mises
If voting could really change things, it would be illegal. Revolution Books: New York , NY
Under the influence of popular democracy, oil driven machinery, and the social welfare nation state, almost every developed nation has made the same choice – to go broke. Bill Bonner
The fact of the matter is that there is a little bit of the totalitarian buried somewhere, way down deep, in each and every one of us. It is only the cheerful light of confidence and security which keeps this evil genius down. . . . If confidence and security were to disappear, don’t think that he would not be waiting to take their place. — George Kennan (1947)
Democracy has proved only that the best way to gain power over people is to assure the people that they are ruling themselves. Once they believe that, they make wonderfully submissive slaves. Joseph Sobran
New Tone: Union Rally Speaker Tells Scott Walker 'We Cut Your Head Off'
Tuesday, over 2000 union protesters rolled into Springfield, IL, to protest Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, speaking at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
Once again they came to chant and sing, and chant and sing they did. It was a typical sea of matching t-shirts—a favored strategy of intimidation—along with their placards of “solidarity” and profane signs. They scattered four giant inflatable rats throughout the crowd, with a gargantuan cardboard cut out of Governor Scott Walker standing out, as well.
Presidents of the AFL-CIO, Michael T. Carrigan of Illinois and Phil Neuenfeldt of Wisconsin, got the crowd riled up, along with the help of Teresa Haley, President of the Springfield NAACP. But Pastor T. Ray McJunkins of the Union Baptist Church and President of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good and William McNary of USAction stole the show.
Maryland Capital Enterprises presents “Google Tools To Improve Your Marketing”
Mention Google and most people think search engine. But Google is so much more. Google offers a basket of robust and FREE tools to help small business market their products and services, create new content, analyze their results, and even create content. Join Social Media Architects founder Ira S. Wolfe when he shares how small business can access and use Google Tools like Alerts, Analytics, Webmaster Tools, Ad words, and more. The Class will be located at the Talbot County Community Center, 10028 Ocean Gateway, Easton, MD on Thursday May 3rd, 2012 from 11AM to 1:30PM. The Cost is $39 which includes a light lunch. To Register please visit www.marylandcapital.org or contact Jessica Weber at 410-546-1900.
With Parking Resolved, Planners OK Lizard Expansion
OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission has approved the expansion of De Lazy Lizard on First Street to include a beach area and kids playground.
The proposed site plan revision includes off-site parking spaces to eliminate a current parking deficiency as well as an existing water-related recreational activity and an expanded outside use area.
A couple of weeks ago, the commission delayed the site plan discussion and was not willing to grant the establishment any other requests until it complied with the required amount of parking.
“Subsequent to that meeting, they have secured parking in three ways,” Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith said.
Public Notice Of April 23, 2012 Agenda
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
APRIL 23, 2012 6:00 p.m.
Government Office Building Room 301
Times shown for agenda items are estimates only.
6:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER
6:01 p.m. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:06 p.m. INVOCATION/MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
6:08 p.m. ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
6:10 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA – City Clerk Kim Nichols
March 5, 2012 work session minutes 1a
March 5, 2012 closed session minutes #1 (separate envelope)
March 5, 2012 closed session minutes #2 (separate envelope)
March 12, 2012 regular meeting minutes 1b
6:15 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Assistant Internal Services Director-Procurement Catrice Parsons
Change Order #1 Contract No. A-22-12 Citywide Blacktop Program
6:25 p.m. RESOLUTIONS – City Administrator John Pick
Resolution No. 2160 - FY12 General Obligation Bond issuance ($7,700,000) for the Riverwalk Repairs, E. Main Street Water Valve, Isabella Street Water, E. Main Street Sewer, North Division Street Sewer, Isabella Street Sewer, Lift Station Pump Replacement, Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade
Resolution No. 2161 – authorizing the Mayor to sign lease agreement with Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce for an Arts and Crafts Market
Resolution No. 2162 – adjusting the capacity unit fee in accordance with Chapter 13.02 of the City Code
6:40 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Mark Tilghman
Ordinance No. 2197 – 2nd reading – FY12 budget amendment to appropriate the funds received from LGIT for one emergency Police Vehicle
Ordinance No. 2198 – 2nd reading – FY12 budget amendment to appropriate the funds received from MEMA/LGIT for storm damage reimbursement
Ordinance No. 2199 – 2nd reading – FY12 budget amendment to appropriate additional funds for gasoline and diesel for Public Works (sanitation collection/disposal division)
Ordinance No. 2200 – 2nd reading – FY12 budget amendment to appropriate additional funds to cover legal expenses
7:00 p.m. FY 2013 BUDGET – Mayor James Ireton, Jr.
Ordinance No. 2201 - 1st reading – proposed FY2013 Budget and setting the date for public hearings on the proposed FY2013 Budget and the Constant Yield Tax Rate
7:45 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
8:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT
Secret Service supervisor joked about Palin on Facebook He Was ‘Really Checking Her Out’
WASHINGTON — Sarah Palin says the joke’s on the ousted Secret Service supervisor who wrote on Facebook that he was “checking her out” while protecting the former Republican vice presidential candidate during the 2008 campaign.
“Well, check this out, buddy — you’re fired!” Palin said Thursday in a Fox News interview.
David Chaney, one of two supervisors forced out of the Secret Service this week in fallout from an embarrassing prostitution scandal, posted at least two photographs of himself with Palin, along with another in which a woman in a revealing bikini top stood in the background, looking at Chaney.
That photo was captioned: “not in front of my son.”
Chaney wrote of his assignment guarding Palin: “I was really checking her out, if you know what i (sic) mean?” after a friend commented on the picture posted in January 2009.
Do You Know Why Earth Day is April 22?
School children, businesses, clergy, politicians and even the United States military soon will honor the birthday of Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union.
Of course, they will call it Earth Day.
Brian Sussman points out in his explosive new book, “Eco-Tyranny: How the Left’s Green Agenda will Dismantle America,” that the first nationwide Earth Day was held April 22, 1970, the 100th anniversary of the birth of the communist Bolshevik leader.
The “nationwide teach in” was spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and college professor Paul Ehrlich.
Ehrlich had just written the “Population Bomb” in 1968, which famously – and falsely – predicted, “In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now.”
Ron Paul Campaign Nets Almost $10.4 Million In Q1
The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign announced today that it raised nearly $10.4 million in the first fundraising quarter of 2012, providing it with ample resources to sustain a 50-state race against establishment-choice Mitt Romney.
The Paul campaign has zero debt.
"Total contributions of $10.4 million in Q1, including details such as $1.8 million cash on hand and more money bomb cash in the pipeline, amounts to excellent news as these resources fuel our effective delegate-attainment strategy. These ample funds also will help us compete even harder in Texas, where Ron Paul is the only Texan, veteran, and authentic conservative running," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.
The Paul campaign has zero debt.
"Total contributions of $10.4 million in Q1, including details such as $1.8 million cash on hand and more money bomb cash in the pipeline, amounts to excellent news as these resources fuel our effective delegate-attainment strategy. These ample funds also will help us compete even harder in Texas, where Ron Paul is the only Texan, veteran, and authentic conservative running," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.
Bumper Snickers for 2012 and Beyond
As the 2012 political year unfolds, Americans are looking for ways to express themselves.
Only the WND Superstore brings you unique, original, removable, transferable, permanent bumper stickers that last for years!
Pithy, powerful and patriotic, they can reach a lot of people.
The hottest one of all right now is “Ted Nugent for President!” Hundreds have sold in the last 24 hours.
Or maybe you want to protest the incumbent. The 2012 election department offers plenty of options:
Statement From Governor Martin O’Malley On MARCH Jobs Report
ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 20, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of preliminary employment data for the month of March. Marylanders added 1,500 jobs in March, the seventh consecutive month of job growth.
“Since March of last year, the people of our State have created 49,600 jobs, 47,700 of them in the private sector. So far this year, we’ve created 20,200 net new jobs—our best start to a year since at least 1990 (the year BLS began reporting seasonally adjusted jobs data). Maryland has also recovered 80 percent of the jobs lost during the Bush recession, nearly double the national recovery rate.
“As more Marylanders find work and seek employment, our unemployment rate increased slightly to 6.6 percent, while remaining 24 percent below the national average, and .5 percentage points lower than the same time last year. This is a sign that we are moving in the right direction. But there is still more work to do. The most important job we create is the next one.
“We must come together to protect our commitment to job creation, education, and innovation to move our State forward. We cannot afford to take steps back. Progress is a choice we must make now to provide a better future for our children.”
WIND ENERGY – A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE THAT’S BAD FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT THAT INDUSTRY
According to a 2008 Energy Information Agency (EIA) report, the average 2007 subsidy per megawatt hour for wind and solar was about $24, compared with an average $1.65 for all others. Since first adopted in 1992, the “temporary” Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy which, unless extended is scheduled to sunset at the end of the year, has ballooned from $5 million per year in 1998, to over $1 billion annually today. And even if ended, taxpayers are still obligated to cover nearly $10 billion in tax credits for projects built during the last decade. That’s in addition to an almost $20 billion debt for wind projects eligible under a Section 1603 extension, the renewable energy bailout of 2011. In many parts of the country the PTC actually exceeds the wholesale price of power.
In the meantime, while taxpayers cover much of the added expense and mandated wind purchases and prices are being locked in at economically burdensome rates, abundant natural gas prices are plummeting, falling nearly half from about $5 /mmBTU last summer, to around $2.35/mmBTU now. (By the way, the EIA equates the energy equivalent of $3 natural gas to the same as $18 oil.)
Also, for comparison, construction costs for offshore wind power projects runs about $5,000 per kilowatt, or about the same as a nuclear plant which will provide at least three times as much capacity with continuous rather than intermittent output. An offshore wind installation costs about five times as much as a natural gas-fired generator to construct per kilowatt, plus also requires a backup power source (typically natural gas) to balance out the power grid during most of the time when the wind isn’t blowing.
Along with high taxpayer and ratepayer costs, scenic impacts and objectionable noise associated with wind power, the industry is also facing fierce blowback from environmental groups over the destructive consequences of the turbines upon wildlife. Yet while federal law enforcement officials have filed hundreds of cases against oil and gas companies and electric utilities under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918, somehow, the U.S. wind industry has usually gotten a get-out-of-jail free card.
For example, in August 2009 ExxonMobil pled guilty and agreed to pay $600,000 in fines on charges it killed 85 birds that came in contact with hydrocarbons in company-owned uncovered tanks and wastewater facilities located in five western states. But no charges were filed when in 2009 the Los Angeles Times reported that turbines are killing about 70 eagles each year at Altamont Pass in California. A 2008 study funded by the Alameda County Community Development Agency estimated that about 2,400 other raptors, including burrowing owls, American kestrels and red-tailed hawks along with about 7,500 other birds protected by MBTA are being killed as well.
There are lots of bat casualties too…caused by a change in air pressure near turbine blades that ruptures their lungs. A study of a 44-turbibe wind farm in West Virginia found that up to 4,000 had been killed in 2004 alone. A 420-turbine installation in Pennsylvania reportedly killed more than 10,000 in 2010.
Yet the only legal action the wind industry has ever faced was filed against NextEra Energy Resources by the State of California in 2010 for the Altamont bird kills. The company agreed to a $2.5 million settlement, and agreed to remove or replace all turbines by 2015.
But now, the wind industry itself faces human-caused endangerment, a lethal threat of economic starvation if vital subsidies aren’t extended. A 2011 report released by HIS Emerging Energy Research, an independent group in Cambridge, Mass concluded that expiration would cause wind power installations to decrease from 5.6 gigawatts a year since 2005, to 2.3 gigawatts per year from 2013 to 2016 thanks in large part to competition from low natural gas prices. As IHS analyst Matt Kaplan observed, “Fundamentally, the industry is not ready to stand alone”.
Writing in MasterResource, Lisa Linowes tells us all to expect scary stories from the American Wind Energy Association warning of a crushing blow to American jobs if Congress lets the wind power Production Tax Credit lapse. But don’t expect them to mention that most of the industry sector’s jobs are temporary construction positions, with less than 20,000 involved in the manufacture of parts used in turbines. Lisa concludes that the Production Tax Credit is one earmark many Americans know about, and their opinion is remarkably consistent: “The cost of the PTC is excessive, the benefits are elusive, and frankly, Big Wind’s pitiful performance measured against industry promises makes this entitlement easy to sunset.”
Source
In the meantime, while taxpayers cover much of the added expense and mandated wind purchases and prices are being locked in at economically burdensome rates, abundant natural gas prices are plummeting, falling nearly half from about $5 /mmBTU last summer, to around $2.35/mmBTU now. (By the way, the EIA equates the energy equivalent of $3 natural gas to the same as $18 oil.)
Also, for comparison, construction costs for offshore wind power projects runs about $5,000 per kilowatt, or about the same as a nuclear plant which will provide at least three times as much capacity with continuous rather than intermittent output. An offshore wind installation costs about five times as much as a natural gas-fired generator to construct per kilowatt, plus also requires a backup power source (typically natural gas) to balance out the power grid during most of the time when the wind isn’t blowing.
Along with high taxpayer and ratepayer costs, scenic impacts and objectionable noise associated with wind power, the industry is also facing fierce blowback from environmental groups over the destructive consequences of the turbines upon wildlife. Yet while federal law enforcement officials have filed hundreds of cases against oil and gas companies and electric utilities under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918, somehow, the U.S. wind industry has usually gotten a get-out-of-jail free card.
For example, in August 2009 ExxonMobil pled guilty and agreed to pay $600,000 in fines on charges it killed 85 birds that came in contact with hydrocarbons in company-owned uncovered tanks and wastewater facilities located in five western states. But no charges were filed when in 2009 the Los Angeles Times reported that turbines are killing about 70 eagles each year at Altamont Pass in California. A 2008 study funded by the Alameda County Community Development Agency estimated that about 2,400 other raptors, including burrowing owls, American kestrels and red-tailed hawks along with about 7,500 other birds protected by MBTA are being killed as well.
There are lots of bat casualties too…caused by a change in air pressure near turbine blades that ruptures their lungs. A study of a 44-turbibe wind farm in West Virginia found that up to 4,000 had been killed in 2004 alone. A 420-turbine installation in Pennsylvania reportedly killed more than 10,000 in 2010.
Yet the only legal action the wind industry has ever faced was filed against NextEra Energy Resources by the State of California in 2010 for the Altamont bird kills. The company agreed to a $2.5 million settlement, and agreed to remove or replace all turbines by 2015.
But now, the wind industry itself faces human-caused endangerment, a lethal threat of economic starvation if vital subsidies aren’t extended. A 2011 report released by HIS Emerging Energy Research, an independent group in Cambridge, Mass concluded that expiration would cause wind power installations to decrease from 5.6 gigawatts a year since 2005, to 2.3 gigawatts per year from 2013 to 2016 thanks in large part to competition from low natural gas prices. As IHS analyst Matt Kaplan observed, “Fundamentally, the industry is not ready to stand alone”.
Writing in MasterResource, Lisa Linowes tells us all to expect scary stories from the American Wind Energy Association warning of a crushing blow to American jobs if Congress lets the wind power Production Tax Credit lapse. But don’t expect them to mention that most of the industry sector’s jobs are temporary construction positions, with less than 20,000 involved in the manufacture of parts used in turbines. Lisa concludes that the Production Tax Credit is one earmark many Americans know about, and their opinion is remarkably consistent: “The cost of the PTC is excessive, the benefits are elusive, and frankly, Big Wind’s pitiful performance measured against industry promises makes this entitlement easy to sunset.”
Source
Statement From Governor Martin O’Malley On NEW STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 20, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today issued the following statement on the State Board of Education’s selection of Dr. Lillian M. Lowery as Maryland’s new State Superintendent of Schools:
“I am pleased that the State Board of Education has chosen Dr. Lillian Lowery to lead Maryland's number-one-in-the-nation public school system. I'd also like to thank Dr. Sadusky for his dedication to our students and commitment to maintaining our educational progress.
"In Maryland, we've built nationally-recognized early childhood development programs, increased student achievement and graduation rates, and prepared more students for college and career through increased access to Advanced Placement. Under Dr. Lowery’s leadership, we can work with renewed vigor to close persistent achievement gaps, increase the number of high school graduates with career and technical skills, and boost our efforts to train the best principals for our schools.
"Together, we can continue to build on the progress we've made to give our children the tools to build a better future."
Worcester Finalizes Numerous School Leadership Changes
SNOW HILL -- A number of Worcester County schools are about to see a widespread changing of the guard in administration.
Besides losing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes and Assistant Superintendent for Administration Ed Barber to retirement at the end of the current fiscal year, the Board of Education also had to replace several principals, which sparked a large shuffle among employees, since nearly all promotions were made from within the school system.
“As a result of some retirements, we had to find four principals,” said Andes.Andes added that he was “excited and delighted” by the new wave of administration.
“The success of a school system is determined by the quality of people leading each school,” said Andes.
Posting A Photo Of That Time You Stole Gas From A Cop Car Is A Bad Idea
Oh, you silly criminals! We don't really even need to say "alleged" criminal in this case, as a Kentucky man posted a photograph of himself siphoning gasoline from a cop car on Facebook. That's pretty much an admission that you're doing something wrong. But hey, innocent until proven guilty.
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Two Deli's Close On The Downtown Plaza
Both Deli 111 and Anthony's have closed their doors for good. Anthony's space is available, (turn key) immediately, if anyone is interested.
Passengers Say Cruise Ship Saw Drifting Boat, Didn't Stop To Help Stranded Men
This is one of those terrible stories that makes you want to scream and yell at your fellow human beings for being so awful. Two men are dead after their small fishing boat lost power in the Pacific Ocean, and now passengers on a passing cruise ship say they alerted the ship's crew when they spotted the small vessel. But the ship didn't stop, and only one man survived the ordeal.
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26% Of Working-Age Americans Went Without Health Insurance In 2011
Having health insurance is not only too often tied to having a full-time job, it also usually requires that you be in that job for weeks or months before coverage kicks in. So with so many Americans either without staff jobs or starting work for a new employer, it's perhaps not surprising that a new study claims that 26% of working-age people in the U.S. went without coverage at some point in 2011.
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CU Hopes To Snuff Out 4/20 Pot Event
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – The University of Colorado in Boulder hopes sealing off the campus will help it snuff out the popular pot smoking event called 4/20.
Last April 20 approximately 10,000 people attended the annual smoke fest. (See a photo gallery.)
This year, the university is making the campus off limits to everyone who is not a student or staff member.
University officials plan on taking fish fertilizer and spreading it out over the entire Norlin Quad. They say it could make the area virtually uninhabitable. It may seem like an extreme measure, but university officials say they will do whatever it takes to end the pot party.
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Last April 20 approximately 10,000 people attended the annual smoke fest. (See a photo gallery.)
This year, the university is making the campus off limits to everyone who is not a student or staff member.
University officials plan on taking fish fertilizer and spreading it out over the entire Norlin Quad. They say it could make the area virtually uninhabitable. It may seem like an extreme measure, but university officials say they will do whatever it takes to end the pot party.
More
Car Collides with Tractor Trailer
Location:
- Seashore Highway (SR 404) .2 miles east of Adamsville Road, Bridgeville, DE
Date of Occurrence:
- Friday April 20, 2012 at approximately 6:14 a.m.
Operators and Vehicles:
- Operator #1: Pedro Hernandez, 25, Georgetown, DE
- Vehicle #1: 1997 Toyota Celica
- Passengers in Vehicle #1:
- 21 year old female, Georgetown, DE
- 26 year old female, Georgetown, DE
- Operator #2: Randall B. Merritt, 53, Dover, DE
- Vehicle #2: 1999 Peterbilt Tractor Trailer (Unloaded)
Resume
Bridgeville, DE-The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a two vehicle crash involving a tractor trailer and car.
The incident occurred earlier this morning at approximately 6:14 a.m. as Pedro Hernandez was operating a 1997 Toyota Celica eastbound on Seashore Highway (SR 404) west of Bridgeville. Hernandez drifted into the westbound lanes of SR 404 near Adamsville Road as Randall B. Merritt was traveling westbound operating a 1999 Peterbilt Tractor Trailer. Merritt was able to bring his truck onto the shoulder of the road before the Celica struck the rear wheels of the unloaded trailer. The trailer then road up over the car before both vehicles came to a stop on the roadway.
Pedro Hernandez and his two passengers were removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Nanticoke Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Hernandez was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving without a Valid License, and No Proof of Insurance.
Randall Merritt was not injured in the crash.
The roadway was closed for close to an hour as the crash was investigated and clear.
Throw Out That Toupee: Researchers Successfully Grow Hair On A Bald Mouse
Has your bare pate led you to extreme measures, perhaps shoplifting Rogaine? Stop your life of crime and toss your hat in celebration — scientists have successfully grown hair on a bald mouse. Humans can't be too far behind, right?
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BREAKING NEWS: Judge Sets Bail For George Zimmerman
Judge sets bail at $150,000 for George Zimmerman, who is charged in Trayvon Martin's death, but he will not be allowed to leave jail Friday until details between his attorneys and law enforcement are worked out.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Austin to Unveil Monument to Willie Nelson
AUSTIN, Texas - Country music legend Willie Nelson is expected to help unveil an 8-foot statue of himself in Austin.
The privately funded monument near a new music hall shows a relaxed Nelson holding a guitar. It will be dedicated on April 20, or 4/20, which happens to be slang for smoking marijuana. Nelson is a well-known advocate of legalizing marijuana and has been arrested several times for possessing it.
The privately funded monument near a new music hall shows a relaxed Nelson holding a guitar. It will be dedicated on April 20, or 4/20, which happens to be slang for smoking marijuana. Nelson is a well-known advocate of legalizing marijuana and has been arrested several times for possessing it.
Upcoming Events Saturday
Best of Bennett Day
James M. Bennett High School
James M. Bennett High School
The annual “Best of Bennett Day” will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at James M. Bennett High School in Salisbury. The special celebration will showcase students’ musical, educational and athletic talents. There will be food, an art show, entertainment and a table tennis tournament run by the Band Boosters. JMB alumni are encouraged to come and see what is happening at the school. Middle school students (particularly those Bennett Middle and Salisbury Middle eighth-graders who will attend JMB next year, but all students are welcome) and parents are encouraged to come see what high school life is about. “I encourage area residents to visit our high school on ‘Best of Bennett Day’ to see first-hand the wonderful activities in which our students and faculty are involved,” said Steve Grudis, principal of James M. Bennett High School. “This year’s event is shaping up to be even bigger and better than those held in previous years.” For more information on “Best of Bennett Day,” call 410-677-5141.
Parent Power Hour: A Morning of Inspiration for Parents
Open to Community, Happening at Prince Street Elementary
“Parent Power Hour: A Morning of Inspiration for Parents” will take place on Saturday, April 21 at Prince Street Elementary and is open to the community. Please contact 410-677-5250 for more information. This free parenting workshop for parents with children birth-age 5 will be held from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Prince Street Elementary, starting with a keynote address by teacher and father Aaron Deal. Breakout sessions will provide information and strategies to help boost parenting skills. Free child care is available for children ages 3-8. This event is offered by the Board of Education in a partnership with Wicomico Birth to Five, Wicomico Department of Social Services, Wicomico Judy Center Partnership and the Lower Shore Early Intervention Program. There are a number of workshops for parents such as Sensory Awareness, Positive Solutions for Parents and Positive Parenting. View the flyer on the Board’s website at www.wcboe.org under Highlights.
Saturday, April 21
Wicomico Teacher of the Year Celebration
Barnes & Noble, Salisbury
Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Salisbury will celebrate the new 2012-13 Wicomico Teacher of the Year, Susan Jones of Fruitland Primary School, at a special Educator Appreciation Week event at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Current and former students as well as parents, colleagues and friends of Mrs. Jones are invited to come join in the fun. Many of Wicomico’s past teachers of the year have been invited to join in the event, which will take place during the Spring Educator Appreciation Week.
Caught Red Handed!
Dear Jan,
It's not often that political corruption is obvious and blatant.
That's why you've got to read this.
Today, Republic Report uncovered that in March, Congressman Tim Holden introduced a bill to allow industrial farmers to dump animal waste into the Chesapeake Bay. He then immediately received $16,000 in reelection campaign contributions from the National Turkey Federation, the National Chicken Council, Dean Foods, and other industrial farming polluters.
It may be legal, but this is blatant conflict of interest that creates a real danger of corruption.
This letter will have so much more impact with your name on it. Holden has a big primary vote coming up, so this kind of activity can actually have an effect.
This is a rare opportunity to show all of America just how bad the money in politics problem is. If you're ready to help spread the word, we've drafted a sample letter to the editor for you to share.
Corruption is disgusting. In this case, literally. Thank you for helping us expose it!
Best,
Graham Lynn
Graham Lynn
BREAKING NEWS: Passenger Jet Crashes In Pakistan
Pakistani officials do not believe they will recover any survivors after Bhoja Air jet with 127 passengers crashes near Islamabad.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Today's Survey Question 4-20-12
Have the robo calls slowed down or stopped since you joined the do not call list?Baked Ziti Dinner & Auction Tonight
Northwestern Elementary
The Northwestern Elementary PTA will have a Baked Ziti Dinner & Auction from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the school. Tickets are $8 adults, $4 ages 4-12, 3 and under free. A live auction will begin at 8:15 p.m., with everything from a hunting trip to Principal for a Day to a skybox at the Shorebirds up for bidding. There will be a silent auction and Chinese auction from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are available in the school office or by calling 410-677-5808.
Troopers Seek Public’s Help In Identifying Subjects
Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Post-Labor Day School Start Pushed
OCEAN CITY -- State Comptroller Peter Franchot met with resort business leaders yesterday morning to announce his initiative to push the start date for public schools across Maryland back until after Labor Day.
For decades, the public school year in Maryland always started after Labor Day, the symbolic end to the summer season, but in recent years, most jurisdictions have moved the start date earlier and earlier, into mid-August in some cases. Because of its resort nature, Worcester was one of the last to hold onto the post-Labor Day start date for schools, but the county has joined the ranks of other school systems starting in August in recent years.
“Unfortunately, the opportunity to enjoy beautiful days in Ocean City is cut short by our policy makers,” he said. “At some point, we began to start school a week, even 10 days in some cases, before Labor Day. How did that happen?”
Franchot said the early start date for schools has always made it difficult for the small businesses in the resort area and beyond.
Possible New Evidence Shows George Zimmerman's Bloodied Head
A new photograph obtained exclusively by ABC News showing the bloodied back of George Zimmerman's head, which was apparently taken three minutes after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, gives possible credence to his claim that Martin had bashed his head against the concrete as Zimmerman fought for his life.
Click here to view the image. Warning: graphic content.
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Click here to view the image. Warning: graphic content.
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Why The Left Doesn’t Care About Voter Fraud
This week, James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas released video showing a young white man entering a polling place in Washington D.C. to vote in the presidential primary.
He walked up to the desk and asked a poll worker for the ballot of Attorney General Eric Holder, and gave Holder’s address. The worker began to hand him the ballot, at which point the young man said he wanted to show his identification. “You don’t need it,” the poll worker replied. “It’s all right. As long as you’re in here, you’re on our list, and that’s who you say you are, you’re okay.”
The tape broke huge, with Matt Drudge championing it at the top of the Drudge Report. And sure enough, the Department of Justice, which sometimes plays to Drudge’s tune, responded with ire and outrage: “It’s no coincidence that these so-called examples of rampant voter fraud consistently turn out to be manufactured ones.”
Except, of course, that wasn’t the point. O’Keefe wasn’t voting fraudulently; he was showing the public how easy it would be for someone with bad motives to vote fraudulently. And the DOJ knew that – it would take a full-on fool not to understand that point.
But the DOJ has no interest in that point. It is far more interested in leaving loopholes for voter fraud than in filling in those gaps.
Their stated motive for opposing voter ID is that increases the possibility of racial bias. As the Associated Press recently reported, “Liberal groups have said the requirements are the product of Republican-controlled state governments and are aimed at disenfranchising people who tend to vote Democratic – African-Americans, Hispanics, people of low-income and college students.” The Justice Department, in attempting to stop the implement of Texas’ new voter ID law, cited the same rationale, explaining that “Hispanic voters in Texas are more than twice as likely than non-Hispanic voters to lack a driver’s license or personal state-issued photo ID.”
Why this should be true is anyone’s guess. It is certainly not due to institutional racism – if it were, then the state would be sued on a regular basis for violating the Civil Rights Act. There are two forms of photo-issued ID in Texas: driver’s licenses and simple identification cards. Both are available through simple applications. Voters must register to vote. Why shouldn’t they also have to register to receive an ID beforehand?
And it isn’t expensive to get an ID, either. An original driver’s license in Texas costs $16; a six-year extension costs $25. A photo ID costs $6. It costs less that a decent Carl’s Jr. meal to register for identification.
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He walked up to the desk and asked a poll worker for the ballot of Attorney General Eric Holder, and gave Holder’s address. The worker began to hand him the ballot, at which point the young man said he wanted to show his identification. “You don’t need it,” the poll worker replied. “It’s all right. As long as you’re in here, you’re on our list, and that’s who you say you are, you’re okay.”
The tape broke huge, with Matt Drudge championing it at the top of the Drudge Report. And sure enough, the Department of Justice, which sometimes plays to Drudge’s tune, responded with ire and outrage: “It’s no coincidence that these so-called examples of rampant voter fraud consistently turn out to be manufactured ones.”
Except, of course, that wasn’t the point. O’Keefe wasn’t voting fraudulently; he was showing the public how easy it would be for someone with bad motives to vote fraudulently. And the DOJ knew that – it would take a full-on fool not to understand that point.
But the DOJ has no interest in that point. It is far more interested in leaving loopholes for voter fraud than in filling in those gaps.
Their stated motive for opposing voter ID is that increases the possibility of racial bias. As the Associated Press recently reported, “Liberal groups have said the requirements are the product of Republican-controlled state governments and are aimed at disenfranchising people who tend to vote Democratic – African-Americans, Hispanics, people of low-income and college students.” The Justice Department, in attempting to stop the implement of Texas’ new voter ID law, cited the same rationale, explaining that “Hispanic voters in Texas are more than twice as likely than non-Hispanic voters to lack a driver’s license or personal state-issued photo ID.”
Why this should be true is anyone’s guess. It is certainly not due to institutional racism – if it were, then the state would be sued on a regular basis for violating the Civil Rights Act. There are two forms of photo-issued ID in Texas: driver’s licenses and simple identification cards. Both are available through simple applications. Voters must register to vote. Why shouldn’t they also have to register to receive an ID beforehand?
And it isn’t expensive to get an ID, either. An original driver’s license in Texas costs $16; a six-year extension costs $25. A photo ID costs $6. It costs less that a decent Carl’s Jr. meal to register for identification.
More
County, Seacrets Working On Sheriff’s Deputy Patrol Accord
SNOW HILL -- An attempt by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Seacrets, an entertainment and restaurant complex in Ocean City, for police security in the form of extra patrols met resistance from several County Commissioners.
A vote on the issue was delayed until absent Commissioner Louise Gulyas, who represents Ocean City, could be given a chance to review the situation and cast a vote.
“Anyway you look at it, you’re getting into the security business,” said Commissioner Madison Bunting.
Bunting admitted to being uncomfortable with the MoU for a number of reasons, chiefly that he didn’t see any reason why every bar or restaurant in Ocean City couldn’t ask for the same extra protection.
Pa. Girl Born Without Hands Wins Penmanship Award
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (AP) - A Pittsburgh-area girl born without hands has won a penmanship award _ and $1,000 _ from a company that publishes language arts and reading textbooks.
Zaner-Bloser Inc. recognized 7-year-old Annie Clark at Wilson Christian Academy in West Mifflin on Wednesday with its first-ever Nicholas Maxim Award.
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Zaner-Bloser Inc. recognized 7-year-old Annie Clark at Wilson Christian Academy in West Mifflin on Wednesday with its first-ever Nicholas Maxim Award.
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So You Want To Own A Gun
Advice for the first-timer.
PJ Media actually hit me with a pretty tall order with what appeared to be a simple suggestion for an article: a step-by-step process for those who know absolutely nada about guns yet want to arm themselves.
My immediate response — “Sure, I’ll get right on it” — was tempered roughly .00093 nanoseconds later by the realization of the task ahead of me.
Getting a gun — especially the first one — is a pretty big deal.
For those of us who grow up in “gun cultures” where firearms are merely another tool and fact of life, getting your first gun may consist of getting a pint-sized .22-caliber single shot rifle almost as long as you are tall when you are a child. It is a simple and expected rite of passage that is a mark of growing expectations, trust, and new-found maturity.
We’re generally accompanied by an experienced and patient relative — a father, grandfather, aunt, or older sibling — and the time we spend with those first firearms fills us with nostalgia in later years. The adventures spent afield plinking at cans and paper targets or hunting is remembered as much or more for the bonding and the fellowship as it is for the experience of shooting a gun itself.
Over time, if we have good and patient instructors, we learn and apply the rules of gun safety religiously, develop an appreciation for the joy of marksmanship, and find a reverence and respect for nature that those who choose to remove themselves from the circle of life will never know. It is the sort of upbringing I experienced with my father. It is similar to the stories captured by fellow North Carolinian Robert Ruark in The Old Man and the Boy, his much-loved classic.
More
PJ Media actually hit me with a pretty tall order with what appeared to be a simple suggestion for an article: a step-by-step process for those who know absolutely nada about guns yet want to arm themselves.
My immediate response — “Sure, I’ll get right on it” — was tempered roughly .00093 nanoseconds later by the realization of the task ahead of me.
Getting a gun — especially the first one — is a pretty big deal.
For those of us who grow up in “gun cultures” where firearms are merely another tool and fact of life, getting your first gun may consist of getting a pint-sized .22-caliber single shot rifle almost as long as you are tall when you are a child. It is a simple and expected rite of passage that is a mark of growing expectations, trust, and new-found maturity.
We’re generally accompanied by an experienced and patient relative — a father, grandfather, aunt, or older sibling — and the time we spend with those first firearms fills us with nostalgia in later years. The adventures spent afield plinking at cans and paper targets or hunting is remembered as much or more for the bonding and the fellowship as it is for the experience of shooting a gun itself.
Over time, if we have good and patient instructors, we learn and apply the rules of gun safety religiously, develop an appreciation for the joy of marksmanship, and find a reverence and respect for nature that those who choose to remove themselves from the circle of life will never know. It is the sort of upbringing I experienced with my father. It is similar to the stories captured by fellow North Carolinian Robert Ruark in The Old Man and the Boy, his much-loved classic.
More
Police Charge Elkridge Man In Wife’s 1991 Murder; Body Found In The Backyard
ELKRIDGE, Md. (WJZ)– A Howard County woman missing since 1991 is found buried just feet away from her home. Now her husband is under arrest.
Gigi Barnett has more on the gruesome discovery.
Howard County police say Robert Jarrett would never let them search his house even after he reported his wife missing years ago. This week, they got into his backyard and his wife isn’t missing anymore.
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Gigi Barnett has more on the gruesome discovery.
Howard County police say Robert Jarrett would never let them search his house even after he reported his wife missing years ago. This week, they got into his backyard and his wife isn’t missing anymore.
More
Obama Quietly Seeking to Cede U.S. Oceans to U.N. Law
President Obama’s ambitious plan for stepped up government regulation of the oceans includes an unreported effort to cede U.S. oceans to United Nations-based international law, WND has learned.
The plan was previously a pet project of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, whose ocean-zoning scheme was partnered with a globalist group that also aimed to hand over U.S. oceans to U.N. governance.
Obama’s plan is still in draft form. It calls for an executive order to be issued for a National Ocean Policy that will determine how the ecosystem is managed while giving the federal government more regulatory authority over any businesses that utilize the ocean.
The executive order is to be based on the recommendations of Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Taskforce, created in 2010 also by executive order.
Without Funding, Md. Fracking Could Face Delay
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland Delegate Heather Mizeur says she is content to sit on the sidelines and not move forward with plans to study the impact of natural gas drilling in western Maryland.
Mizeur, a Montgomery County Democrat, said Wednesday that energy companies should be made to fund a study of the environmental impacts of gas drilling.
A bill that would have forced companies to pay a per-acre fee on land leased for drilling failed in the legislature this year. The money would have funded a study to examine impacts of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.
Mizeur, who champions efforts to limit drilling, says the bill will likely reappear in the legislature next year.
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Mizeur, a Montgomery County Democrat, said Wednesday that energy companies should be made to fund a study of the environmental impacts of gas drilling.
A bill that would have forced companies to pay a per-acre fee on land leased for drilling failed in the legislature this year. The money would have funded a study to examine impacts of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.
Mizeur, who champions efforts to limit drilling, says the bill will likely reappear in the legislature next year.
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Secret Service Used Obama As A Hooker Pickup Line
If you were in a foreign country not always known for its friendship to the United States, particularly in the area of trade and cocaine supply, you might think picking up hookers would be a bad idea. You might also think, like American tourists the world over, that you might be more appealing to the local ladies if you said you were Canadian. After all, Canadians spend more money abroad and they have to be nicer to the hookers because, lets face it, who would sleep with someone with that accent? At any rate, if you were there protecting the President, you’d probably leave that out of it for fear of causing an international incident.
But whatever, its just Columbia.
ABC News has learned exclusively that the Secret Service officials accused of misconduct in Colombia revealed their identities by boasting at a Cartagena brothel that they worked for President Obama.
Partying at the “Pley Club” Wednesday night, eleven members of the president’s advance team allegedly bragged “we work for Obama” and “we’re here to protect him.”
The officials spent the night throwing back expensive whiskey and enlisting the services of the club’s prostitutes, according to a bouncer at the club and a police source.
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But whatever, its just Columbia.
ABC News has learned exclusively that the Secret Service officials accused of misconduct in Colombia revealed their identities by boasting at a Cartagena brothel that they worked for President Obama.
Partying at the “Pley Club” Wednesday night, eleven members of the president’s advance team allegedly bragged “we work for Obama” and “we’re here to protect him.”
The officials spent the night throwing back expensive whiskey and enlisting the services of the club’s prostitutes, according to a bouncer at the club and a police source.
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Blue Crabs Are Booming In The Bay
The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its highest level in nearly two decades, officials plan to announce this morning.
A wintertime survey found 764 million blue crabs in the bay, nearly 66 percent more than last year and the best estimate since 1993.
And juvenile crabs — the babies that will become legal size for harvesting later this year — are at the highest level ever, at 587 million.
There should be plenty of tasty crustaceans available for steaming and spicing at crab feasts across the Chesapeake region this year.
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A wintertime survey found 764 million blue crabs in the bay, nearly 66 percent more than last year and the best estimate since 1993.
And juvenile crabs — the babies that will become legal size for harvesting later this year — are at the highest level ever, at 587 million.
There should be plenty of tasty crustaceans available for steaming and spicing at crab feasts across the Chesapeake region this year.
More
Lt. Gov. to Speak at Ceremony for Addiction Center
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Government officials and private funders are scheduled to celebrate upgrades to an addiction treatment and recovery center in Worcester County.
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is scheduled to give remarks at an event celebrating the renovations to the Joan W. Jenkins Foundation Worcester Addictions Cooperative Services Center on Friday afternoon.
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Fla. Judge to Decide if Zimmerman Can Leave Jail
SANFORD, Fla. - The neighborhood watch volunteer charged with murdering Trayvon Martin is asking a Florida judge to let him out of jail while he awaits trial.
An attorney for George Zimmerman is asking the Seminole County judge to let Zimmerman post bail at a hearing Friday.
Legal experts say Zimmerman stands a good chance of being granted bail since he has proven he's not a flight risk. He turned himself in to authorities last week after he was charged with second-degree murder.
An attorney for George Zimmerman is asking the Seminole County judge to let Zimmerman post bail at a hearing Friday.
Legal experts say Zimmerman stands a good chance of being granted bail since he has proven he's not a flight risk. He turned himself in to authorities last week after he was charged with second-degree murder.
HELP WANTED
Temp help wanted. 6 to 8 hard workers needed to help spring clean hotel in OC.
Weekend work. Job starts on Apr 28. Need own transportation. Call 410-726-3717.
Leave message.
Weekend work. Job starts on Apr 28. Need own transportation. Call 410-726-3717.
Leave message.
City Council Approves $1,000 Worker Bonus
OCEAN CITY – Ocean City employees are slated to receive a $1,000 bonus in July, but the Mayor and Council had some initial differences of opinion to work through before making that decision.
Last Friday during a budget session, Councilman Joe Hall unexpectedly proposed to give municipal employees a $500 bonus on July 1.
“Clearly, what the staff has been able to do in being responsible and bringing forward a responsible budget, I would like to suggest that we give a $500 cost-of-living bonus in this year’s budget across the board for our full-time, vested employees,” Joe Hall said at that time. “I think this would show appreciation from the council and property owners of the town that they have heard our message and have stepped up to the plate over the last couple years and kept our services maintained and our town fun, clean and safe.”
Joe Hall reminded his colleagues his proposal would amount to an approximately $250,000 line item in the budget and although his proposal received approval by a few members, it met resistance by others thinking that the employees deserved more.
Analysis: GSA's Scandal Pales In Comparison To Historical Misdeeds
From Darlene Druyun to Jack Abramoff to wartime contracting, history shows the Public Buildings Service's lavish spending is small potatoes. Experts say the energy and time Congress has put into hearing on the GSA conference near Las Vegas could be better used to address bigger, most costly problems.
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