Let’s say you made 10 million dollars this year, you’re driving a Lamborghini, living in a mansion, and wearing a Rolex.
Are you in financial trouble? Are you broke?
The knee jerk response to that question is, “Broke? Are you crazy? You’re describing someone who’s filthy rich!”‘
This is the same reaction a lot of people have when they’re told that the United States is broke. How can that be when we have so much money?
Well, let’s color in the rest of the picture (Numbers extrapolated from here).
The guy who made 10 million dollars this year? He’s 65 million dollars in debt, he spent 17.6 million dollars over the last 12 months, and he’s projected to spend more than he takes in for the next decade at least, with very little chance that he’s going to make significantly more than he takes in for decades.
Does this guy have money? Yes, but it’s not his money, it’s borrowed money.
Is he living a lavish lifestyle? Yes, but it’s a lavish lifestyle paid for with other people’s money.
Is he rich? Yes, as long as other people keep giving him money that eventually, he will be unable to pay back. The moment people stop giving him money, whether it’s next week, next month, or next year, he goes beyond broke to a hole so big he will have to file bankruptcy to get out of it.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Should We Obey All Laws?
Let's think about whether all acts of Congress deserve our respect and obedience. Suppose Congress enacted a law — and the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional — requiring American families to attend church services at least three times a month. Should we obey such a law? Suppose Congress, acting under the Constitution’s commerce clause, enacted a law requiring motorists to get eight hours of sleep before driving on interstate highways. Its justification might be that drowsy motorists risk highway accidents and accidents affect interstate commerce. Suppose you were a jury member during the 1850s and a free person were on trial for assisting a runaway slave, in clear violation of the Fugitive Slave Act. Would you vote to convict and punish?
A moral person would find each one of those laws either morally repugnant or to be a clear violation of our Constitution. You say, “Williams, you’re wrong this time. In 1859, in Ableman v. Booth, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 constitutional.” That court decision, as well as some others in our past, makes my case. Moral people can’t rely solely on the courts to establish what’s right or wrong. Slavery is immoral; therefore, any laws that support slavery are also immoral. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions (is) a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.”
Soon, the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of Obamacare, euphemistically titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There is absolutely no constitutional authority for Congress to force any American to enter into a contract to buy any good or service. But if the court rules that Obamacare is constitutional, what should we do?
State governors and legislators ought to summon up the courage of our Founding Fathers in response to the 5th Congress’ Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. Led by Jefferson and James Madison, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were drafted where legislatures took the position that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. They said, “Resolved, That the several States composing, the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government … (and) whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.” The 10th Amendment to our Constitution supports that vision: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
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A moral person would find each one of those laws either morally repugnant or to be a clear violation of our Constitution. You say, “Williams, you’re wrong this time. In 1859, in Ableman v. Booth, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 constitutional.” That court decision, as well as some others in our past, makes my case. Moral people can’t rely solely on the courts to establish what’s right or wrong. Slavery is immoral; therefore, any laws that support slavery are also immoral. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions (is) a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.”
Soon, the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of Obamacare, euphemistically titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There is absolutely no constitutional authority for Congress to force any American to enter into a contract to buy any good or service. But if the court rules that Obamacare is constitutional, what should we do?
State governors and legislators ought to summon up the courage of our Founding Fathers in response to the 5th Congress’ Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. Led by Jefferson and James Madison, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were drafted where legislatures took the position that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. They said, “Resolved, That the several States composing, the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government … (and) whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.” The 10th Amendment to our Constitution supports that vision: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
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The Washington Post Bullies Romney
When it comes to opposition research, there is often only one difference between a candidate’s vicious negative ad and an “investigative” news report: the undeserved patina of media “objectivity” and respectability.
Take the Washington Post’s Jason Horowitz’s 5,400-word “expose” on how Mitt Romney may have pinned a boy down and cut his hair in 1965. 1965? That’s almost a half century ago. Even if every detail were accurate — and they weren’t — a journalist could pull a muscle in the hyper-aggressive attempt to make it somehow relevant to the present moment or even the recent past.
The family of the alleged Romney victim, John Lauber, who died of cancer in 2004, issued a statement saying, “the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda.” One sister said, “If he were still alive today, he would be furious” about the story. None of this slowed down the Post one bit and didn’t stop everyone else from repeating the story.
So how hard was it to learn the allegation was false? Wasn’t this the story? Who was spreading the falsehood?
This is the same “investigative” crew that expended 3,000 words last October explaining that a rock at a Rick Perry rental property had the N-word painted on it. Never mind this was about 25 years ago; never mind you couldn’t see it because it was covered in white paint; and never mind that the painting over the N-word was done by Perry’s family. The reader was supposed to know that it was somehow very relevant to the presidential campaign.
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Take the Washington Post’s Jason Horowitz’s 5,400-word “expose” on how Mitt Romney may have pinned a boy down and cut his hair in 1965. 1965? That’s almost a half century ago. Even if every detail were accurate — and they weren’t — a journalist could pull a muscle in the hyper-aggressive attempt to make it somehow relevant to the present moment or even the recent past.
The family of the alleged Romney victim, John Lauber, who died of cancer in 2004, issued a statement saying, “the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda.” One sister said, “If he were still alive today, he would be furious” about the story. None of this slowed down the Post one bit and didn’t stop everyone else from repeating the story.
So how hard was it to learn the allegation was false? Wasn’t this the story? Who was spreading the falsehood?
This is the same “investigative” crew that expended 3,000 words last October explaining that a rock at a Rick Perry rental property had the N-word painted on it. Never mind this was about 25 years ago; never mind you couldn’t see it because it was covered in white paint; and never mind that the painting over the N-word was done by Perry’s family. The reader was supposed to know that it was somehow very relevant to the presidential campaign.
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Chicago Hospital with Obama Ties Gets $6M Federal Grant
The federal government has awarded a nearly $6 million grant to a Chicago hospital with close ties to President Obama.
The grant was awarded to the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Urban Health Initiative through the president’s Affordable Care Act and will link patients with community-based services through an electronic data base.
The initiative is run by longtime Obama friend and golfing partner Dr. Eric Whitaker, and the medical center is closely tied to the Obama family. Whitaker is the executive vice president and an associate dean at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The grant was awarded to the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Urban Health Initiative through the president’s Affordable Care Act and will link patients with community-based services through an electronic data base.
The initiative is run by longtime Obama friend and golfing partner Dr. Eric Whitaker, and the medical center is closely tied to the Obama family. Whitaker is the executive vice president and an associate dean at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Need A Grant? The Obama Campaign Has A Job For You
I’m not one of those people who gets their panties in a twist over Jeremiah Wright, not because the man doesn’t seem to be totally batsh*t crazy – and possibly a number of other things to boot – but because this is Chicago, and no one sits in a pew at a radical church in Chicago because they want to. They do it because Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a kingmaker whose words of affection are enough to take people like Barack Obama out of the corner community organizing bodega and put them squarely into the spotlight. That’s just how Chicago works.
Its the same system that gets your garbage picked up, your lawn mowed on the other side of the sidewalk, keeps your house from being ravaged by coyotes and makes sure your governors have at least one felony conviction by the time they retire.
But back to the point. At one time, Rev. Wright was a significant asset to Obama, “converting” him to Christianity and providing him with a powerful group of friends and connections. But then Obama ran for President and, like pretty much every other radical lunatic who helped Obama rise to the top, Rev. Wright became more of a problem than he was worth. Which probably explains why, in 2008, as video of Wright goddaming America took the airwaves by storm, Barack Obama had a friend privately offered the man who he called “his second father” $150K if he would just shut the f**k up and get back to whatever it is he does for his day job.
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Its the same system that gets your garbage picked up, your lawn mowed on the other side of the sidewalk, keeps your house from being ravaged by coyotes and makes sure your governors have at least one felony conviction by the time they retire.
But back to the point. At one time, Rev. Wright was a significant asset to Obama, “converting” him to Christianity and providing him with a powerful group of friends and connections. But then Obama ran for President and, like pretty much every other radical lunatic who helped Obama rise to the top, Rev. Wright became more of a problem than he was worth. Which probably explains why, in 2008, as video of Wright goddaming America took the airwaves by storm, Barack Obama had a friend privately offered the man who he called “his second father” $150K if he would just shut the f**k up and get back to whatever it is he does for his day job.
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Breaking News
Donnie Williams shot. More to come. 4:06 PM
New Posts to fall below til 5pm.
UPDATE: Donnie is still alive and in surgery. 4:49 PM
UPDATE #2
Unfortunately things are not looking optimistic.
Please offer your thoughts and prayers to the Family. 7:37 PM
Obama And GM Cook The Books
Would you hire President Obama as your financial adviser? Three years ago his administration invested more than $100 billion in taxpayer money to bail out General Motors. On Tuesday, the entire company, not just what the government owns, was worth less than $34 billion. By anyone’s definition, that investment is a glaring failure. Yet over the last few days the Obama campaign, in a $25 million marketing blitz, has flooded the airwaves with ads in battleground states, claiming the bailout should be counted a rousing success.
Unfortunately, assertions that “all loans have been repaid to the federal government,” that the bailout “saved more than one million American jobs,” that “U.S. automakers are hiring hundreds of thousands of new workers,” that GM is again the “number-one automaker” — all are based on creative accounting.
The money the government spent adds up quickly: $50 billion in TARP bailout funds, a special exemption waiving payment of $45.4 billion in taxes on future profits, an exemption for all product liability on cars sold before the bailout, $360 million in stimulus funds, and the $7,500 tax credit for those who buy the Chevy Volt. GM’s share of other programs is harder to quantify but includes, for example, some of the $15.2 billion that went to Cash for Clunkers. Those costs are in addition to the billions taken from GM’s bondholders by the Obama administration.
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Unfortunately, assertions that “all loans have been repaid to the federal government,” that the bailout “saved more than one million American jobs,” that “U.S. automakers are hiring hundreds of thousands of new workers,” that GM is again the “number-one automaker” — all are based on creative accounting.
The money the government spent adds up quickly: $50 billion in TARP bailout funds, a special exemption waiving payment of $45.4 billion in taxes on future profits, an exemption for all product liability on cars sold before the bailout, $360 million in stimulus funds, and the $7,500 tax credit for those who buy the Chevy Volt. GM’s share of other programs is harder to quantify but includes, for example, some of the $15.2 billion that went to Cash for Clunkers. Those costs are in addition to the billions taken from GM’s bondholders by the Obama administration.
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Recent News Could Cause Panic For Obama Campaign
Is it panic time at Obama headquarters in Chicago? You might get that impression from watching events — and the polls — over the past few weeks.
In matchups against Mitt Romney, the president is leading by only 47 to 45 percent in the realclearpolitics.com average of recent polls. A CBS/New York Times panelback poll, in which interviewers call back respondents to a previous survey, showed Romney leading 46 to 43 percent — and leading among women.
That’s despite the Democrats’ charge that Republicans are waging a “war on women” by opposing requirements that all health insurance policies provide free contraceptives. Evidently that’s not the only issue on the minds of American women.
Or consider the clumsiness of Obama’s announcement a week ago that after “evolving” he is now in favor of same-sex marriage.
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In matchups against Mitt Romney, the president is leading by only 47 to 45 percent in the realclearpolitics.com average of recent polls. A CBS/New York Times panelback poll, in which interviewers call back respondents to a previous survey, showed Romney leading 46 to 43 percent — and leading among women.
That’s despite the Democrats’ charge that Republicans are waging a “war on women” by opposing requirements that all health insurance policies provide free contraceptives. Evidently that’s not the only issue on the minds of American women.
Or consider the clumsiness of Obama’s announcement a week ago that after “evolving” he is now in favor of same-sex marriage.
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Energy in America: Ethanol Concerns Bring Customers to More Costly 'Pure' Gas Stations
When looking to fill up your tank, would you drive farther to pay
more? Randy Hake's customers are doing just that, since he's the only
gas station in York County, Pa., selling "pure" ethanol-free fuel.
"I get 20.1 miles to the gallon, in-town driving. I used to get 13," said Sue Cannon who drives 20 miles to Hake's from her home in Hanover, Pa.
Studies show straight gasoline gets 2 to 10 percent better gas mileage than fuel made with ethanol, an alcohol produced from corn. It costs about 20 cents more per gallon at the pump, but Cannon says paying more up front is worth it down the road. She started using "pure gas" five weeks ago, after paying $12,000 for repairs on her 2005 Nissan Pathfinder.
"I get 20.1 miles to the gallon, in-town driving. I used to get 13," said Sue Cannon who drives 20 miles to Hake's from her home in Hanover, Pa.
Studies show straight gasoline gets 2 to 10 percent better gas mileage than fuel made with ethanol, an alcohol produced from corn. It costs about 20 cents more per gallon at the pump, but Cannon says paying more up front is worth it down the road. She started using "pure gas" five weeks ago, after paying $12,000 for repairs on her 2005 Nissan Pathfinder.
FIRST DEPLOYMENT OF COMBINED STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES TO OCCUR THIS WEEKEND IN FREDERICK CO.
(PIKESVILLE, MD) –As part of the state’s multi-agency support to federal and local law enforcement in Frederick County during the G-8 Summit, a new team of state public safety officers will be working together for the first time to provide police services.
Police officers who are part of the new State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council will be in Frederick County to work with state troopers, county deputies and municipal police officers from May 17-20. Allied state law enforcement officers will work traffic posts and patrol the corridor between Thurmont and Frederick to provide police services if needed. Police officers who are a part of this first deployment will be from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, University of Maryland Department of Public Safety, Natural Resources Police, and the Maryland Capitol Police.
On February 29, 2012, Governor Martin O’Malley signed an Executive Order establishing the State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council, in an ongoing effort to continue to protect citizens, reduce crime, and increase the efficiency of Maryland’s state law enforcement resources. The state law enforcement agencies on the Council include the: Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Mass Transit Administration Police, Natural Resources Police, University of Maryland Department of Public Safety and all police departments of the constituent institutions of the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University Police, and the Maryland Capitol Police. The Executive Order grants police officers from member agencies statewide police powers when operating outside their specific jurisdiction under the authority of the Council.
This weekend will be the first activation of the State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council. Officers who are a part of the Council recently completed training sessions with the Maryland State Police Special Operations Division on civil disturbance response in preparation for duty this weekend in Frederick County. Officers from Council agencies can also be deployed to respond to civil disturbances or natural disasters throughout the state.
The Council is chaired by Colonel Marcus Brown, Secretary of the Department of State Police. The Council has two deputy chairs who are Chief David Mitchell of the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety and Colonel George Johnson, Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. An advisory group that includes the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the Maryland Police Training Commission, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, and the Maryland Highway Safety Office will assist the Council’s executive members.
Citizens in Frederick County or who may be visiting the area this weekend are reminded to check the county’s G-8 Summit website at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/G8Frederick, for the latest information related to the event. Information is also available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/G8SummitFrederickCounty, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/G8Frederick.
Police officers who are part of the new State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council will be in Frederick County to work with state troopers, county deputies and municipal police officers from May 17-20. Allied state law enforcement officers will work traffic posts and patrol the corridor between Thurmont and Frederick to provide police services if needed. Police officers who are a part of this first deployment will be from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, University of Maryland Department of Public Safety, Natural Resources Police, and the Maryland Capitol Police.
On February 29, 2012, Governor Martin O’Malley signed an Executive Order establishing the State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council, in an ongoing effort to continue to protect citizens, reduce crime, and increase the efficiency of Maryland’s state law enforcement resources. The state law enforcement agencies on the Council include the: Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Mass Transit Administration Police, Natural Resources Police, University of Maryland Department of Public Safety and all police departments of the constituent institutions of the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University Police, and the Maryland Capitol Police. The Executive Order grants police officers from member agencies statewide police powers when operating outside their specific jurisdiction under the authority of the Council.
This weekend will be the first activation of the State Law Enforcement Coordinating Council. Officers who are a part of the Council recently completed training sessions with the Maryland State Police Special Operations Division on civil disturbance response in preparation for duty this weekend in Frederick County. Officers from Council agencies can also be deployed to respond to civil disturbances or natural disasters throughout the state.
The Council is chaired by Colonel Marcus Brown, Secretary of the Department of State Police. The Council has two deputy chairs who are Chief David Mitchell of the University of Maryland Department of Public Safety and Colonel George Johnson, Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. An advisory group that includes the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the Maryland Police Training Commission, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, and the Maryland Highway Safety Office will assist the Council’s executive members.
Citizens in Frederick County or who may be visiting the area this weekend are reminded to check the county’s G-8 Summit website at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/G8Frederick, for the latest information related to the event. Information is also available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/G8SummitFrederickCounty, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/G8Frederick.
Will Gay Marriage Force Black Churches To Reconsider Democratic Party?
President Obama’s affirmation of gay marriage threatens to undermine the near-monolithic black support Obama enjoyed in 2008. Several members of the black clergy now say they intend to sit out the presidential election. One poll from last November found black opposition to gay marriage at 58 percent, higher than the rest of the country, which is about evenly split.
The real question is this: What took black church leaders so long to reconsider their near blind support for the Democratic Party?
The historical strength of black churches has been that of a moral and spiritual refuge in a once-hostile country of legalized slavery and Jim Crow. This explains why so many civil rights leaders came out of the church. The moral cause was just and clear: Equal rights mean equal rights — for everyone.
But equal rights and equal results are two very different things. The modern civil rights movement lost its way by failing to appreciate the difference. To achieve “equal results,” the Democratic Party, among other things, demands redistribution of wealth, a government response to the “gap” between the rich and poor, higher minimum wages and higher taxes on the so-called rich.
The Democratic Party opposes education vouchers, despite polls showing that black and Hispanic inner-city parents want them. The Democratic Party is the party of race-based preferences and also opposes privatization of Social Security.
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The real question is this: What took black church leaders so long to reconsider their near blind support for the Democratic Party?
The historical strength of black churches has been that of a moral and spiritual refuge in a once-hostile country of legalized slavery and Jim Crow. This explains why so many civil rights leaders came out of the church. The moral cause was just and clear: Equal rights mean equal rights — for everyone.
But equal rights and equal results are two very different things. The modern civil rights movement lost its way by failing to appreciate the difference. To achieve “equal results,” the Democratic Party, among other things, demands redistribution of wealth, a government response to the “gap” between the rich and poor, higher minimum wages and higher taxes on the so-called rich.
The Democratic Party opposes education vouchers, despite polls showing that black and Hispanic inner-city parents want them. The Democratic Party is the party of race-based preferences and also opposes privatization of Social Security.
More
Safeway Suspends Employee After He Stopped A Man From Hitting Pregnant Girlfriend
We've gotten multiple tips from readers expressing disgust at Safeway, after an employee in California was suspended without pay for intervening in a domestic assault situation inside the store. The police called the worker a hero for stopping a man from hitting his pregnant girlfriend.
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Chesapeake Historic Trail System Growing
Trails along four major Chesapeake Bay tributaries are being added to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
The
trail established in 2006 allows visitors to relieve Smith's
exploration of the Chesapeake from 1607 to 1609, when he and his crew
mapped nearly 3,000 miles of the bay and its rivers as well as
documenting American Indian communities.
Verizon To Kill Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans
If you were one of the Verizon Wireless customers who was allowed to continue their unlimited data plans after the company switched to tiered pricing last summer, we have some bad news. The company says it will be eliminating grandfathered plans as it rolls out LTE service.
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Updated Statement from Verizon Here
Iran Supplying Syria With Arms Desite Sanctions, According to UN Report
An expert panel monitoring U.N.
sanctions on Iran has reported that Syria continues to be the main
destination of illicit Iranian weapons, a Security Council diplomat said
Wednesday.
The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the panel's report has not been released, said it identified three new illegal shipments, two involving Syria which was also the previous destination of a majority of Iranian arms shipments.
It said there was "a high probability" that the third large shipment of rockets originated in Iran, the diplomat said. Britain reported last year that the rocket shipment was destined for Taliban militants in Afghanistan
The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the panel's report has not been released, said it identified three new illegal shipments, two involving Syria which was also the previous destination of a majority of Iranian arms shipments.
It said there was "a high probability" that the third large shipment of rockets originated in Iran, the diplomat said. Britain reported last year that the rocket shipment was destined for Taliban militants in Afghanistan
Disco Queen Donna Summer Dies at 63
Like the King of Pop or the Queen of Soul, Donna Summer was bestowed a title fitting of musical royalty _ the Queen of Disco.
Yet unlike Michael Jackson or Aretha Franklin, it was a designation she wasn't comfortable embracing."I grew up on rock `n' roll," Summer once said when explaining her reluctance to claim the title.
Indeed, as disco boomed then crashed in a single decade in the 1970s, Summer, the beautiful voice and face of the genre with pulsating hits like "I Feel Love," "Love to Love You Baby" and "Last Dance," would continue to make hits incorporating the rock roots she so loved. One of her biggest hits, "She Works Hard for the Money," came in the early 1980s and relied on a smoldering guitar solo as well as Summer's booming voice.
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78-Year-Old Woman Forced To Leave House She & Her Husband Built In 1956
After the story of a 78-year-old grandmother being evicted from the home she and her husband built in 1956 hit the news, public outcry over the story has granted her a bit of a reprieve. The tricky part of all of this? Her daughter says her mental faculties are making it hard to figure out who exactly holds the mortgage.
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Ratings: CNN Hits 15 Year Low
Unfortunately for CNN, “Piers Morgan Tonight” was the apparent victim of the busy night, drawing only 39,000 viewers 25-54 at 9 PM. To say those ratings are anomalous would be something of an understatement. That is the lowest 9 PM weekday demo rating for CNN since at least 1997. While the ratings were an outlier, it was a fairly normal edition of “PMT,” with Morgan hosting. Guests included Jane Lynch and “The man with the golden voice” Ted Williams.
“PMT” drew 284,000 total viewers, which was down from a typical weekday, but not a record-breaking low.
“PMT”s lead-in and lead-out, “AC360,” drew around 90,000 demo viewers at both 8 and 10 PM, also down from a typical weekday this year.
Last week on Twitter, Piers Morgan taunted me with an invitation to come on his show and debate. We responded in the most serious way we could; we reached out directly to his producer and said, "anytime."
Haven't heard back.
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“PMT” drew 284,000 total viewers, which was down from a typical weekday, but not a record-breaking low.
“PMT”s lead-in and lead-out, “AC360,” drew around 90,000 demo viewers at both 8 and 10 PM, also down from a typical weekday this year.
Last week on Twitter, Piers Morgan taunted me with an invitation to come on his show and debate. We responded in the most serious way we could; we reached out directly to his producer and said, "anytime."
Haven't heard back.
More
Apparently This Woman Doesn't Find Clothing Necessary For Running Errands
Ever get that feeling like you knew you forgot something before leaving the house, but just can't figure out what it was? That could maybe kind of perhaps explain why a woman recently visited a few stores in upstate New York recently, totally and completely naked. Or hey, could be she just decided it was a nude kind of day.
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Hill GOP Wants Answers on Hezbollah Leader Tied to Soldiers Killings, Set For Release
Republicans on Capitol Hill are furious over the Obama
administration’s handling of a purported Hezbollah commander, who was
connected to the killing of five U.S. soldiers in 2007 and now is set
for release by an Iraqi court.
The most recent GOP lawmaker to express frustration and to demand answers from the administration is Florida Rep. Allen West, who on Wednesday sent a letter to President Obama questioning why Ali Musa Daqduq was turned over to Iraq in December 2011.
West dismissed the argument by Obama officials that they were forced under a Bush administration agreement to release Iraqi citizens upon exiting in December 2011, saying Daqduq was in fact a Lebanon citizen.
The most recent GOP lawmaker to express frustration and to demand answers from the administration is Florida Rep. Allen West, who on Wednesday sent a letter to President Obama questioning why Ali Musa Daqduq was turned over to Iraq in December 2011.
West dismissed the argument by Obama officials that they were forced under a Bush administration agreement to release Iraqi citizens upon exiting in December 2011, saying Daqduq was in fact a Lebanon citizen.
Pun-ography
I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
When chemists die, they barium.
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.
PMS jokes aren't funny; period.
Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
When you get a bladder infection urine trouble.
Broken pencils are pointless.
I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool .
I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
Velcro — what a rip off!
A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
Be kind to your dentist - he has fillings, too.
When chemists die, they barium.
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.
PMS jokes aren't funny; period.
Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
When you get a bladder infection urine trouble.
Broken pencils are pointless.
I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool .
I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
Velcro — what a rip off!
A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
Be kind to your dentist - he has fillings, too.
Numbers Suggest Housing Market is Recovering
U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and
requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases
suggest the battered housing market is healing.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders broke ground in April at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 717,000 homes. That’s a 2.6 percent increase from an upwardly revised March figure and near January’s three-year high of 720,000. Construction rose for both single-family homes and apartments.
Building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell last month from a 3½-year high to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 715,000. But that was because of a 23 percent drop in the volatile apartment category. Permits for single-family homes rose almost 2 percent.
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The Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders broke ground in April at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 717,000 homes. That’s a 2.6 percent increase from an upwardly revised March figure and near January’s three-year high of 720,000. Construction rose for both single-family homes and apartments.
Building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell last month from a 3½-year high to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 715,000. But that was because of a 23 percent drop in the volatile apartment category. Permits for single-family homes rose almost 2 percent.
More
A Letter To The Editor 5-17-12
Sidewalk Right Of Way
The Moose lodge on Snow Hill Rd won't grant an easement to their property for constructing a sidewalk for kids that walk to school. The easement is right by PNC bank on Beaglin Park Dr. The construction would run parallel to Beaglin Park Dr, right in front of the apartments closest to Parkside west, to Bennett. It's my understanding they are the only holdout. Like the speed cameras, this is for the kids.
The Moose lodge on Snow Hill Rd won't grant an easement to their property for constructing a sidewalk for kids that walk to school. The easement is right by PNC bank on Beaglin Park Dr. The construction would run parallel to Beaglin Park Dr, right in front of the apartments closest to Parkside west, to Bennett. It's my understanding they are the only holdout. Like the speed cameras, this is for the kids.
Escaped Prisoner Caught
Mark A. Vernarelli, public information director for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services confirmed Wednesday morning Jeremiah Lee Windon, 32, formerly of Cecil County, was caught and will face a number of penalties.
Charges have not been released as Windon is currently being processed.
Obamacare's Patient-Dumping, Privacy-Meddling Scheme
The stench of Chicago cronyism over the White House just got fouler. Inhale this:
A shadowy $10 billion Obamacare agency with zero oversight just awarded first lady Michelle Obama's pet patient-dumping scheme at the University of Chicago Medical Center a $5.9 million taxpayer-funded grant. It will enable Mrs. Obama's cronies to build a government-sponsored electronic medical record-sharing system.
The Chicago program, known as the Urban Health Initiative, is run by one of President Obama's closest golfing buddies, scandal magnet Eric Whitaker, who has been entangled with Illinois corruption celebrities Rod Blagojevich and Tony Rezko over the past decade.
Fun fact: Whitaker recently was named by author Edward Klein as the man who purportedly offered hate-mongering Rev. Jeremiah Wright $150,000 in hush money during the 2008 campaign.
The nearly $6 million grant was announced last week by the "Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation" at the Department of Health and Human Services. White House watchdog journalist Keith Koffler notes that "some 3,000 applications were received for a share on the $1 billion in 3-year grants available. Only 26 programs were included in the first batch of awards doled out." The administration grants circumvent any and all congressional deliberation as part of Team Obama's election-year "We Can't Wait" initiatives.
The grant recipients will help fulfill the mandated Obamacare vision of a centralized patient-record database with unprecedented federal oversight. The provision is being challenged in court by the Goldwater Institute for forcing Americans to share "with millions of strangers who are not physicians confidential private and personal medical history information they do not wish to share."
More
A shadowy $10 billion Obamacare agency with zero oversight just awarded first lady Michelle Obama's pet patient-dumping scheme at the University of Chicago Medical Center a $5.9 million taxpayer-funded grant. It will enable Mrs. Obama's cronies to build a government-sponsored electronic medical record-sharing system.
The Chicago program, known as the Urban Health Initiative, is run by one of President Obama's closest golfing buddies, scandal magnet Eric Whitaker, who has been entangled with Illinois corruption celebrities Rod Blagojevich and Tony Rezko over the past decade.
Fun fact: Whitaker recently was named by author Edward Klein as the man who purportedly offered hate-mongering Rev. Jeremiah Wright $150,000 in hush money during the 2008 campaign.
The nearly $6 million grant was announced last week by the "Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation" at the Department of Health and Human Services. White House watchdog journalist Keith Koffler notes that "some 3,000 applications were received for a share on the $1 billion in 3-year grants available. Only 26 programs were included in the first batch of awards doled out." The administration grants circumvent any and all congressional deliberation as part of Team Obama's election-year "We Can't Wait" initiatives.
The grant recipients will help fulfill the mandated Obamacare vision of a centralized patient-record database with unprecedented federal oversight. The provision is being challenged in court by the Goldwater Institute for forcing Americans to share "with millions of strangers who are not physicians confidential private and personal medical history information they do not wish to share."
More
Tougher Standards Sought for ‘Made in America’ Label
U.S. consumers may be surprised to learn many products bearing the
label “Made in America” are largely built outside of the United States.
The practice exploits a little-known loophole in the product-label
system that one California businessman says he is determined to expose.
Oftentimes, as much as 90 percent of the various components of a product can come from other countries, such as China and India, but it can still qualify for the “Made in America” label because a minimum percentage of the final product is assembled or “substantially transformed” in the U.S.
This process, which critics call deeply deceptive, can leave American consumers assuming they are buying from primarily domestic sources, when, in fact, most of their money is going overseas.
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Oftentimes, as much as 90 percent of the various components of a product can come from other countries, such as China and India, but it can still qualify for the “Made in America” label because a minimum percentage of the final product is assembled or “substantially transformed” in the U.S.
This process, which critics call deeply deceptive, can leave American consumers assuming they are buying from primarily domestic sources, when, in fact, most of their money is going overseas.
More
SUSPECTS IN STATE HOSPITAL COPPER THEFT CHARGED
(CATONSVILLE, MD) -- Maryland State Police have charged the two suspects who were arrested yesterday afternoon while attempting to steal copper pipe from a closed state hospital building in Baltimore County.
The suspects are identified as Matthew R. Blizzard, 29, of the unit block of Wade Ave., Catonsville, Md., and Dennis W. Dyer, 43, of the 8100-block of Mild Haven Rd., Dundalk, Md. Both suspects are charged with second degree burglary, fourth degree burglary, theft under $1,000, three counts each of theft scheme, and two counts each of malicious destruction of property. Both suspects were taken before a court commissioner last night and held on bond.
Blizzard was arrested early yesterday afternoon when he was found by Spring Grove Police Department officers who were checking the Hamilton building after a report of two suspicious men carrying saws and crowbars was received. Dyer escaped into the attic and stayed there until he surrendered just prior to Maryland State Police entering the building at about 6:40 p.m. yesterday.
Police recovered more than 130 pounds of copper pipe that had been collected by the suspects before they were found. Sold as scrap, the pipe would be worth about $400.
The investigation is continuing.
The suspects are identified as Matthew R. Blizzard, 29, of the unit block of Wade Ave., Catonsville, Md., and Dennis W. Dyer, 43, of the 8100-block of Mild Haven Rd., Dundalk, Md. Both suspects are charged with second degree burglary, fourth degree burglary, theft under $1,000, three counts each of theft scheme, and two counts each of malicious destruction of property. Both suspects were taken before a court commissioner last night and held on bond.
Blizzard was arrested early yesterday afternoon when he was found by Spring Grove Police Department officers who were checking the Hamilton building after a report of two suspicious men carrying saws and crowbars was received. Dyer escaped into the attic and stayed there until he surrendered just prior to Maryland State Police entering the building at about 6:40 p.m. yesterday.
Police recovered more than 130 pounds of copper pipe that had been collected by the suspects before they were found. Sold as scrap, the pipe would be worth about $400.
The investigation is continuing.
Full Rights for Terrorists in U.S. Courts?
Former government attorneys and defense experts fear that foreign
terrorists could capitalize on a new House proposal that would afford
them full protection under the U.S. legal system, potentially spurring a
domestic influx of would-be terrorists who may seek to exploit the
legal loophole.
The amendment, spearheaded by Reps. Justin Amash (R., Mich.) and Adam Smith (D., Wash), would implement an unprecedented reversal in longstanding U.S. policy by requiring that terrorists be prosecuted in civilian courts—a shift that would also allow them to be housed among general inmates in American prisons.
The amendment would prevent the president from effectively fighting the war on terror, thereby posing a serious threat to the country’s national security, experts warn.
More
The amendment, spearheaded by Reps. Justin Amash (R., Mich.) and Adam Smith (D., Wash), would implement an unprecedented reversal in longstanding U.S. policy by requiring that terrorists be prosecuted in civilian courts—a shift that would also allow them to be housed among general inmates in American prisons.
The amendment would prevent the president from effectively fighting the war on terror, thereby posing a serious threat to the country’s national security, experts warn.
More
Wicomico Tourism Recognizes Business Owners And Individuals For Their Support
(Salisbury, MD) Wicomico Tourism recognized its strongest supporters during a reception and awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 15th. The recipients of the 2012 Tourism Awards were announced during the event, which took place at the Wicomico County Visitor’s Center. Tourism Manger Sandy Fulton elaborates, “Several area businesses and individuals go above and beyond in encouraging the growth of tourism in our area. From providing cash sponsorships for signature events to placing a ‘Welcome Visitors’ message on business marquees, the work of Wicomico Tourism is perpetuated through the support it receives by the community.”
In 2000, Wicomico Tourism held a reception and awards ceremony to recognize some of these supporters. The tradition has continued since then, and in 2012 awards were presented to the restaurant and business of the year as well as the hotelier and hospitality person of the year. The Betty K. Gardner Tourism Person of the Year was also revealed. This award, named in honor of the late Betty K. Gardner, honors an individual who has proven him/herself instrumental in the promotion of tourism in Wicomico County. Each award recipient was also awarded a citation from Senators Richard F. Colburn and James N. Mathias. Recipients were selected by the Tourism Advisory Board.
The 2012 Tourism Award Recipients are:
Restaurant of the Year:
Mr. Paul’s Legacy
Hotelier of the Year:
Courtyard by Marriott
Hospitality Person of the Year:
Gary Kleiman, SignFixers
Business of the Year
The Greene Turtle
Tourism Person of the Year (Betty K. Gardner Award):
Wayne Strausburg
FTC: Skechers Deceived Consumers With Shoe Ads
The government wants you to know that simply sporting a pair of
Skechers’ fitness shoes is not going to get you Kim Kardashian’s curves
or Brooke Burke’s toned tush.
Skechers USA Inc. will pay $40 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles. Kardashian, Burke and other celebrities endorsed the shoes in Skechers ads.
Wednesday’s settlement also involves the company’s Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes and claims of deceptive advertising for those shoes as well.
More
Skechers USA Inc. will pay $40 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles. Kardashian, Burke and other celebrities endorsed the shoes in Skechers ads.
Wednesday’s settlement also involves the company’s Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes and claims of deceptive advertising for those shoes as well.
More
NYPD Loses Face And First Occupy Wall Street Trial
This case could have been a slam dunk for the NYPD, had it not been for one thing: the video showing police claims of disorderly conduct during an OWS protest to be completely untrue.
Hundreds have been arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests, but photographer Alexander Arbuckle’s case was the first to go to trial – and after just two days, the Manhattan Criminal Court found him not guilty.
Supporters of the OWS protest movement have already hailed the ruling as a major legal victory.
Arbuckle was arrested on New Year’s Day for allegedly blocking traffic during a protest march.
He was charged with disorderly conduct, and his arresting officer testified under oath that he, along with the protesters, was standing in the street, despite frequent requests from the police to move to the sidewalk.
But things got a little embarrassing for the NYPD officer when the defense presented a video recording of the entire event, made by well-known journalist Tim Pool.
SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA
MAY 21, 2012
CONFERENCE ROOM 306
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING
CONFERENCE ROOM 306
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING
1:30 p.m. Bike Path Grant – discussion – Teresa Gardner/Matt Drew
2:20 p.m. Properties Not Sold at Tax Sale – further discussion – John Pick/Mark Tilghman
3:00 p.m. Update on “The Bricks” – Mark Tilghman
3:20 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Capacity Fees – follow up discussion – Teresa Gardner/Mark Tilghman
4:10 p.m. Required Charter Amendment for Elections – Mark Tilghman/Frank McKenzie
5:00 p.m. Break
5:30 p.m. Grant Applications Procedure/Policy - discussion
6:00 p.m. Travel Reimbursements for Council Members – discussion
6:30 p.m. Council Rules of Order – discussion
Change of deadlines for submission of Agenda items
Other
7:00 p.m. General Discussion/Upcoming Agendas
7:30 p.m. Adjournment
Part One: The Fiction And Non-Fiction of Obama
It could be argued that if then-presidential candidate John McCain had truly assailed his rival Barack Obama over his exhaustive collection of dubious dealings and less-than-scrupulous friends (think: Davis, Khalidi, Pflager, Wright, Ayers, Rezko, Said, etc.), he just might have taken the election. Instead, McCain chose to “keep above the fray” — although few are clear as to why bringing up substantive and valid concerns over the first-term senator’s past constituted otherwise to the Maverick-camp. Now, President Obama is three years into his first term as president, and his campaign for reelection has officially kicked off with a record-setting $15 million celebrity-fundraiser hosted by devotee George Clooney.
If the president’s true history continues to be replaced by the alternate narrative he has constructed for himself; if his fact, rather than fiction-based life is swept under the carpet again, he will likely retake the Oval Office.
With this in mind, Glenn Beck dedicated his Thursday evening broadcast to reviewing the staggering array of inconsistencies, embellishments and “manufactured lies” perpetuated by the president over the course of his political career.
“His life is complete fiction,” Beck said. Let’s review the non-fiction version before we go any further:
More
If the president’s true history continues to be replaced by the alternate narrative he has constructed for himself; if his fact, rather than fiction-based life is swept under the carpet again, he will likely retake the Oval Office.
With this in mind, Glenn Beck dedicated his Thursday evening broadcast to reviewing the staggering array of inconsistencies, embellishments and “manufactured lies” perpetuated by the president over the course of his political career.
“His life is complete fiction,” Beck said. Let’s review the non-fiction version before we go any further:
More
WHITE OUT
Meet the college 'minority' golf champs
PHOTO:Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America
Bethune-Cookman won the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship for the second time in three years.
One glance at the team pictures of the men’s and women’s winners from last weekend’s PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship might make people rethink the term “minority.”
“There’s something missing, isn’t there?” Jackson State golf coach Eddie Payton said with a sly grin. “Pictures are a little grainy, aren’t they?”
The men of Texas Pan-American and the women of Bethune-Cookman each won for the second time in the past three years. Neither school has an African-American on its roster. Half of Bethune-Cookman’s six golfers, in fact, are European.
Where are all the minority golfers at the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship?
“I raise that question sometimes myself,” said Earnie Ellison, the PGA director of business and community relations, who is African-American. “But we do not tell the coaches who to put on their teams.”
More
PHOTO:Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America
Bethune-Cookman won the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship for the second time in three years.
One glance at the team pictures of the men’s and women’s winners from last weekend’s PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship might make people rethink the term “minority.”
“There’s something missing, isn’t there?” Jackson State golf coach Eddie Payton said with a sly grin. “Pictures are a little grainy, aren’t they?”
The men of Texas Pan-American and the women of Bethune-Cookman each won for the second time in the past three years. Neither school has an African-American on its roster. Half of Bethune-Cookman’s six golfers, in fact, are European.
Where are all the minority golfers at the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship?
“I raise that question sometimes myself,” said Earnie Ellison, the PGA director of business and community relations, who is African-American. “But we do not tell the coaches who to put on their teams.”
More
SEAT BELT ENFORCEMENT DETAIL RECOVERS ILLEGAL DRUGS AND LOADED HANDGUN
On May 13, 2012, at approximately 11 a.m., Ocean City Police were conducting a “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement detail, in the area of 33rd Street and Baltimore Avenue.
During the enforcement operation, patrol officers stopped a vehicle registered in Delaware having four unrestrained adult occupants and a one-year-old infant.
During the stop officers observed in plain view, a small amount of suspected marijuana in a front seat cup holder and a passenger in the rear seat attempting to roll a suspected marijuana cigarette. The occupants were removed from the vehicle, after which officers searched the vehicle for additional contraband.
During the search, police located a soda can in the back seat area which had a false compartment that was empty. A search of the occupants revealed two bags of suspected heroin from: Jamil Lee Mills, 21, of Wilmington, DE. Police continued to search the vehicle and located a backpack in the trunk containing four bundles of small clear plastic bags, which were later found to be 53 individual bags of suspected heroin. The backpack was also found to have a loaded Jennings .32 caliber handgun, which officers noted, had the serial number scratched off. Additionally, officers seized over $600 in cash, cell phones and the commercially made stash-can (soda can).
The owner of the backpack was arrested and identified as: Marcus Lamont Neal, 19, of New Castle, DE. A front seat passenger identified as: Raheem Shalir Cephas, 22, of Wilmington, was arrested after officers recovered a bag of suspected Marijuana, which was concealed in his sock.
More
During the enforcement operation, patrol officers stopped a vehicle registered in Delaware having four unrestrained adult occupants and a one-year-old infant.
During the stop officers observed in plain view, a small amount of suspected marijuana in a front seat cup holder and a passenger in the rear seat attempting to roll a suspected marijuana cigarette. The occupants were removed from the vehicle, after which officers searched the vehicle for additional contraband.
During the search, police located a soda can in the back seat area which had a false compartment that was empty. A search of the occupants revealed two bags of suspected heroin from: Jamil Lee Mills, 21, of Wilmington, DE. Police continued to search the vehicle and located a backpack in the trunk containing four bundles of small clear plastic bags, which were later found to be 53 individual bags of suspected heroin. The backpack was also found to have a loaded Jennings .32 caliber handgun, which officers noted, had the serial number scratched off. Additionally, officers seized over $600 in cash, cell phones and the commercially made stash-can (soda can).
The owner of the backpack was arrested and identified as: Marcus Lamont Neal, 19, of New Castle, DE. A front seat passenger identified as: Raheem Shalir Cephas, 22, of Wilmington, was arrested after officers recovered a bag of suspected Marijuana, which was concealed in his sock.
More
House Passes Final Budget And Tax Hikes, With Some Democrats Opposed
The action on the budget and tax hikes was all over but the shouting by Republicans as the House of Delegates approved a final spending plan, shifting half of pension costs to the counties, and raising state income taxes on people making over $100,000 per year. Republicans opposed the move, joined by 10 Democrats against the budget change and pension, and 18 opposed to the tax increases.
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 5-17-12
On May third 2012 Members of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team were honored by the Department of Justice United States Attorney’s Office of the eastern district of Virginia. The U. S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride presided over the ceremonies honoring several Law Enforcement Officers from Eastern Virginia for the outstanding work they had done solving major crimes in the area.
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Sgt. Passwaters, Cpl. Ramey, Deputy First Class Trader, and Deputy First Class Wells, were among the Officers honored for the investigation, arrest, and conviction of several subjects that were distributing drugs in the Maryland and Virginia area.
Operation “Bakers Dozen”, as it was called, initially identified 13 people that were involved together in selling drugs on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The investigation revealed that the drug activity reached into Worcester County Maryland. Virginia State Police investigators called on the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team to assist them in the investigation and apprehension of subject selling large quantities of drugs in the Maryland Virginia area. The investigation led to more than the original 13 people that were involved in the drug trade.
The major target of the investigation was arrested and charged federally for distribution of controlled dangerous substances. That subject was sentenced to close to 20 years in federal prison for his actions.
Pictured in the back row are U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride Deputies Wells, Trader, and Sgt. Passwaters. In front of Sgt. Passwaters is Cpl. Ramey
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Sgt. Passwaters, Cpl. Ramey, Deputy First Class Trader, and Deputy First Class Wells, were among the Officers honored for the investigation, arrest, and conviction of several subjects that were distributing drugs in the Maryland and Virginia area.
Operation “Bakers Dozen”, as it was called, initially identified 13 people that were involved together in selling drugs on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The investigation revealed that the drug activity reached into Worcester County Maryland. Virginia State Police investigators called on the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team to assist them in the investigation and apprehension of subject selling large quantities of drugs in the Maryland Virginia area. The investigation led to more than the original 13 people that were involved in the drug trade.
The major target of the investigation was arrested and charged federally for distribution of controlled dangerous substances. That subject was sentenced to close to 20 years in federal prison for his actions.
Pictured in the back row are U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride Deputies Wells, Trader, and Sgt. Passwaters. In front of Sgt. Passwaters is Cpl. Ramey
Avoiding Marriage's No. 1 Pitfall: Money Troubles
Newlyweds and couples moving toward marriage, take note. Love, as it turns out, is not all you need.
Not if your goal is to avoid the No. 1 reason marriages end in divorce: Money problems.
Everyone knows, or should know, this. But love and a reluctance to take a hard look at our own financial habits, often keep us from seeing, much less confronting, potential financial troubles in a relationship.
Failing to do so, however, can lead to serious post-wedding day troubles.
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Not if your goal is to avoid the No. 1 reason marriages end in divorce: Money problems.
Everyone knows, or should know, this. But love and a reluctance to take a hard look at our own financial habits, often keep us from seeing, much less confronting, potential financial troubles in a relationship.
Failing to do so, however, can lead to serious post-wedding day troubles.
More
Fair Warning Today
Because I will be at so many meetings today there's a pretty good chance I won't be around to give out tee shirts and bumper stickers. However, I will be back in the office after 3 PM if you'd like to stop by after work.
That Which Is Unsustainable Will Go Away: Medicare
Medicare is an example of an unsustainable system that will go away in the decade ahead.
Here are the sobering facts about the number of workers and those drawing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid entitlements in the U.S. While the government claims to have a "trust fund" to pay for Social Security and Medicare, this is illusory propaganda. There are no funds set aside to pay these entitlements--they are "pay as you go" programs funded by current tax revenues. If the tax revenues don't cover the programs' expenses, the Treasury sells bonds, i.e. issues debt to pay the entitlements.
Social Security (SSA) has 61 million beneficiaries [7]as of March 2012.
Medicare has 49 million beneficiaries [8]as of November 2011.
Medicaid has over 50 million beneficiaries [9]; another source puts the current number at 58 million.
Kaiser Family Foundation says roughly 7 million "dual-eligibles" who receive both Medicaid and Medicare, so let's use the data point of 50 million [10] Medicaid-only recipients.
We can assume that most people drawing Medicare benefits also draw Social Security, while the 8+ million drawing disability from Social Security are also covered by Medicaid.
However you slice it, there are roughly 60 million people drawing Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid and another 50 million Medicaid recipients for a total of 110 million people drawing significant entitlements.
More
Here are the sobering facts about the number of workers and those drawing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid entitlements in the U.S. While the government claims to have a "trust fund" to pay for Social Security and Medicare, this is illusory propaganda. There are no funds set aside to pay these entitlements--they are "pay as you go" programs funded by current tax revenues. If the tax revenues don't cover the programs' expenses, the Treasury sells bonds, i.e. issues debt to pay the entitlements.
Social Security (SSA) has 61 million beneficiaries [7]as of March 2012.
Medicare has 49 million beneficiaries [8]as of November 2011.
Medicaid has over 50 million beneficiaries [9]; another source puts the current number at 58 million.
Kaiser Family Foundation says roughly 7 million "dual-eligibles" who receive both Medicaid and Medicare, so let's use the data point of 50 million [10] Medicaid-only recipients.
We can assume that most people drawing Medicare benefits also draw Social Security, while the 8+ million drawing disability from Social Security are also covered by Medicaid.
However you slice it, there are roughly 60 million people drawing Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid and another 50 million Medicaid recipients for a total of 110 million people drawing significant entitlements.
More
Military Detention Law Blocked By New York Judge (Update 2)
Opponents of a U.S. law they claim may subject them to indefinite military detention for activities including news reporting and political activism persuaded a federal judge to temporarily block the measure.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan yesterday ruled in favor of a group of writers and activists who sued President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Defense Department, claiming a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law Dec. 31, puts them in fear that they could be arrested and held by U.S. armed forces.
The complaint was filed Jan. 13 by a group including former New York Times reporter Christopher Hedges. The plaintiffs contend a section of the law allows for detention of citizens and permanent residents taken into custody in the U.S. on “suspicion of providing substantial support” to people engaged in hostilities against the U.S., such as al-Qaeda.
“The statute at issue places the public at undue risk of having their speech chilled for the purported protection from al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ‘associated forces’ - i.e., ‘foreign terrorist organizations,’” Forrest said in an opinion yesterday. “The vagueness of Section 1021 does not allow the average citizen, or even the government itself, to understand with the type of definiteness to which our citizens are entitled, or what conduct comes within its scope.”
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U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan yesterday ruled in favor of a group of writers and activists who sued President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Defense Department, claiming a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law Dec. 31, puts them in fear that they could be arrested and held by U.S. armed forces.
The complaint was filed Jan. 13 by a group including former New York Times reporter Christopher Hedges. The plaintiffs contend a section of the law allows for detention of citizens and permanent residents taken into custody in the U.S. on “suspicion of providing substantial support” to people engaged in hostilities against the U.S., such as al-Qaeda.
“The statute at issue places the public at undue risk of having their speech chilled for the purported protection from al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ‘associated forces’ - i.e., ‘foreign terrorist organizations,’” Forrest said in an opinion yesterday. “The vagueness of Section 1021 does not allow the average citizen, or even the government itself, to understand with the type of definiteness to which our citizens are entitled, or what conduct comes within its scope.”
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Fruitland Police Department Press Release
DATE & TIME: Tuesday May 15, 2012 @ 1530 hours
INCIDENT: Marijuana Possess w/Intent to Distribute
LOCATION: N. Fruitland Blvd @ Cedar Lane
CASE NO.: 2012-0681
PERSON (s) CHARGED: 1) Christopher R. Sutton (19)
2) Miguel A. Carrion (23)
ADDRESS: Both of Crisfield, Maryland
CHARGES: Possess W/Int to Distribute CDS (Marijuana)
Possession of CDS-Marijuana
CDS Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to custody of Central Booking at WCDC
SYNOPSIS: On the above date and time, a Fruitland Officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by suspect #1. During the officer’s encounter with the driver and passenger, the officer observed several indicators of criminal activity and requested assistance from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit. The Deputy arrived with a narcotics detection K-9 and a sniff of the vehicle was conducted. The K-9 sniff resulted in a positive alert by the K-9 for the odor of a Controlled Dangerous Substance. A probable cause search was conducted and more than 20 individually wrapped bags of suspected Marijuana were located within the vehicle and in the possession of the driver and passenger. Both suspects were arrested and transported to WCDC and released to Central Booking.
INCIDENT: Marijuana Possess w/Intent to Distribute
LOCATION: N. Fruitland Blvd @ Cedar Lane
CASE NO.: 2012-0681
PERSON (s) CHARGED: 1) Christopher R. Sutton (19)
2) Miguel A. Carrion (23)
ADDRESS: Both of Crisfield, Maryland
CHARGES: Possess W/Int to Distribute CDS (Marijuana)
Possession of CDS-Marijuana
CDS Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to custody of Central Booking at WCDC
SYNOPSIS: On the above date and time, a Fruitland Officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by suspect #1. During the officer’s encounter with the driver and passenger, the officer observed several indicators of criminal activity and requested assistance from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit. The Deputy arrived with a narcotics detection K-9 and a sniff of the vehicle was conducted. The K-9 sniff resulted in a positive alert by the K-9 for the odor of a Controlled Dangerous Substance. A probable cause search was conducted and more than 20 individually wrapped bags of suspected Marijuana were located within the vehicle and in the possession of the driver and passenger. Both suspects were arrested and transported to WCDC and released to Central Booking.
A Comment Worthy Of A Post 5-17-12
Why have you moved to the land of higher taxes, Maryland, the not so free state? If I lived in Delaware, I would stay put, not move to a place where I now had to pay City, County and State taxes that were much higher than across the line.
My home in Salisbury is on the market. It is paid for, so I am willing to take a loss. You will be losing potential support in your bid for Mayor, when I move. There are others I know who have had it with the Maryland political scene, who would support you but now are looking into moving.
Are you aware that the sneaky Annapolis bunch have made the tax increases retroactive back to January 1st. Good Bye MD, my company has transferred to their Delaware office and my wife has landed a teaching job starting in the 2012-2013 school year. I feel as if we are blessed to get out of MD. My only sorrow is not being able to vote for the next Mayor of Salisbury.
Publishers Notes: First of all, I've owned property in the City of Salisbury for several years now and have been paying taxes there anyway. I have been criticizing Salisbury for many years now and felt it was time I put my money where my mouth is. I can and will change our little piece of the Shore for the better. Once I've completed what needs to be done in Salisbury I may consider other political options, we'll see.
People should know, one man cannot change everything. It will take an entire community to revitalize ALL of Salisbury. My goal is to unite both sides of the isle. Everyone who votes for me will know that is my intent from the beginning. If some choose not to cooperate you'll know who refused to participate.
There are some great minds on both sides. However, there will be no favoritism any longer. Salisbury should be the EXAMPLE of the Eastern Shore. In time we'll see how this community votes. However, there's never been a candidate like me willing to sacrifice so much to make such changes. Again, this will more than likely be a two year term so there's a LOT of work to be done right out of the gate. Anyone who knows me knows I do not fail. My work ethics are second to none. I will do what I say I'm going to do and I firmly believe most of it can be completed within that two year period. Even my most critical critics to whom I've been sharing my visions with strongly agree with the direction I'm focusing on.
It's unfortunate you and so many others are opting to leave Salisbury and clearly my timing couldn't be better. The things going on in Annapolis are disgusting. I'll start here and when I prove we, (together) can make a change for the better perhaps others will want to see me represent them in Annapolis down the road. Lord knows we need all the help we can get.
My home in Salisbury is on the market. It is paid for, so I am willing to take a loss. You will be losing potential support in your bid for Mayor, when I move. There are others I know who have had it with the Maryland political scene, who would support you but now are looking into moving.
Are you aware that the sneaky Annapolis bunch have made the tax increases retroactive back to January 1st. Good Bye MD, my company has transferred to their Delaware office and my wife has landed a teaching job starting in the 2012-2013 school year. I feel as if we are blessed to get out of MD. My only sorrow is not being able to vote for the next Mayor of Salisbury.
Publishers Notes: First of all, I've owned property in the City of Salisbury for several years now and have been paying taxes there anyway. I have been criticizing Salisbury for many years now and felt it was time I put my money where my mouth is. I can and will change our little piece of the Shore for the better. Once I've completed what needs to be done in Salisbury I may consider other political options, we'll see.
People should know, one man cannot change everything. It will take an entire community to revitalize ALL of Salisbury. My goal is to unite both sides of the isle. Everyone who votes for me will know that is my intent from the beginning. If some choose not to cooperate you'll know who refused to participate.
There are some great minds on both sides. However, there will be no favoritism any longer. Salisbury should be the EXAMPLE of the Eastern Shore. In time we'll see how this community votes. However, there's never been a candidate like me willing to sacrifice so much to make such changes. Again, this will more than likely be a two year term so there's a LOT of work to be done right out of the gate. Anyone who knows me knows I do not fail. My work ethics are second to none. I will do what I say I'm going to do and I firmly believe most of it can be completed within that two year period. Even my most critical critics to whom I've been sharing my visions with strongly agree with the direction I'm focusing on.
It's unfortunate you and so many others are opting to leave Salisbury and clearly my timing couldn't be better. The things going on in Annapolis are disgusting. I'll start here and when I prove we, (together) can make a change for the better perhaps others will want to see me represent them in Annapolis down the road. Lord knows we need all the help we can get.
'Frankenfish' Found in Potomac River May Break World Record
A northern snakehead fish, which some people call "Frankenfish," was pulled out of a tributary of the Potomac River by a Woodbridge man. The fish, which isn't supposed to live in the D.C. area, weighed in at more than 18 pounds.
"We have an unofficial world record that was caught here on the Potomac River, over 18 pounds. And that's pretty big," says Potomac River bass fishing guide Steve Chaconas.
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PTSD Is Growing Problem
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a growing problem for the military. Now the Army has launched a review of how it evaluates soldiers who might have PTSD. The review followed complaints that some diagnoses were overturned to save money. The reversals occurred at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington. The psychiatric unit there may have overturned diagnoses based on the cost of caring for those with PTSD. The Army said it would review PTSD diagnoses at all of its medical facilities going back to 2001.
Yappy Hour Fundraiser
WORCESTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE & SUNSET GRILLE
INVITE YOU TOYAPPY HOUR FUNDRAISER 2012
WEDNESDAY JUNE 13th, 2012
4:00pm – 8:00pm
SUNSET GRILLE, SUNSET AVE. WEST OCEAN CITY
FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CALL HEATHER @ (c) 410.430.9405 (w) 410.632.1112
ADULTS (Food Only) - $15 **
ADULTS (Food & Beverages) - $20
KIDS (Food Only) - $8
Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Pork BBQ, BBQ Chicken,
Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad & Watermelon
FOOD * BEVERAGES * ENTERTAINMENT * PRIZES * FUN*
K9 Water Tricks by Delmarva Dock Dogs
* Pictures * BAND * Silent Auction *
* Special Guest Mitch Fletcher from K9 Heeling - As Seen on Animal Planet
* 50/50 * *
K-9 Demonstration by Worcester County Sheriff’s Office
* K-9 t-shirts for sale *
100% of all ticket & auction sales benefit Worcester County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit!
All food & beverages donated by Sunset Grille.
USPS Revises Details
The Postal Service rolled out details today on a revised plan for mail-processing facilities. It had slated 250 cites for closure. In a letter to the American Postal Workers Union, the agency said it would begin consolidating plants this summer. It also planned to roll back overnight delivery and offer employee buyouts. It said it was working out the details with its unions. Under pressure from lawmakers, the Postal Service backed away from a plan to close 3,700 post offices, but these plants operated out of the public's eye and did not get as much attention on Capitol Hill.
Leading Insurer Pays $109M for Dog Bite Claims
Dog bites man does not get a lot of attention in the news, but it
costs insurance companies hundreds of millions in claims every year.
State Farm Insurance, one of the nation's largest home insurers, paid more than $109 million on about 3,800 dog bite claims nationwide last year, spokesman Eddie Martinez said Wednesday. In 2010, there were about 3,500 claims and $90 million in payouts.
The Insurance Information Institute estimated that nearly $479 million in dog bite claims were paid by all insurance companies in 2011, spokeswoman Loretta Worters said. In 2010, it was $413 million.
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State Farm Insurance, one of the nation's largest home insurers, paid more than $109 million on about 3,800 dog bite claims nationwide last year, spokesman Eddie Martinez said Wednesday. In 2010, there were about 3,500 claims and $90 million in payouts.
The Insurance Information Institute estimated that nearly $479 million in dog bite claims were paid by all insurance companies in 2011, spokeswoman Loretta Worters said. In 2010, it was $413 million.
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Wells Fargo Has Blood on Its Hands: Desperate Man Commits Suicide After Shocking Foreclosure Mistreatment
This is the story of what happens when an average couple is up against a giant, wealthy, powerful bank.
Norman and Oriane Rousseau were one more couple pushed by a huge, greedy bank to the brink of homelessness. On Sunday, desperate and with nowhere to go, Norman Rousseau shot himself.
This is the story of what happens when an average couple is up against a giant, wealthy, powerful bank. Unfortunately the result is what the result always is when people are on their own against the wealthy and powerful: the bank ends up with all of their money, takes their house to sell and throws them out onto the street. In this case the bank is Wells Fargo.
The quick version of this terrible story is that Norman and Oriane Rousseau of Newbury Park, California were scammed into a predatory mortgage. But they made their payments anyway, always paying with a cashier’s check in person at the same branch. Then one day the bank misapplied their payment and said they still owed the money. This started a long, nasty process that led to the bank evicting the Rousseaus from their home.
Here’s the shocker: right at the start the Rousseaus came up with proof that the bank had received the payment and had cashed the check. But the bank continued to claim it had missed the payment, gave the Rousseaus the runaround, started applying fees, and used it as an excuse to foreclose on the house anyway.
The Rousseaus fought back, the bank dragged it out for so long and pulled so many tricks, getting its way every step of the process, until this last Sunday Norman Rousseau finally gave up and shot himself in despair – two days before the scheduled eviction, Tuesday, May 15. (The Rousseau’s lawyer just said he was able to win a 2-week delay.)
It is a tragic story, but when you dig into the details it becomes much worse.
More
Norman and Oriane Rousseau were one more couple pushed by a huge, greedy bank to the brink of homelessness. On Sunday, desperate and with nowhere to go, Norman Rousseau shot himself.
This is the story of what happens when an average couple is up against a giant, wealthy, powerful bank. Unfortunately the result is what the result always is when people are on their own against the wealthy and powerful: the bank ends up with all of their money, takes their house to sell and throws them out onto the street. In this case the bank is Wells Fargo.
The quick version of this terrible story is that Norman and Oriane Rousseau of Newbury Park, California were scammed into a predatory mortgage. But they made their payments anyway, always paying with a cashier’s check in person at the same branch. Then one day the bank misapplied their payment and said they still owed the money. This started a long, nasty process that led to the bank evicting the Rousseaus from their home.
Here’s the shocker: right at the start the Rousseaus came up with proof that the bank had received the payment and had cashed the check. But the bank continued to claim it had missed the payment, gave the Rousseaus the runaround, started applying fees, and used it as an excuse to foreclose on the house anyway.
The Rousseaus fought back, the bank dragged it out for so long and pulled so many tricks, getting its way every step of the process, until this last Sunday Norman Rousseau finally gave up and shot himself in despair – two days before the scheduled eviction, Tuesday, May 15. (The Rousseau’s lawyer just said he was able to win a 2-week delay.)
It is a tragic story, but when you dig into the details it becomes much worse.
More
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Releases 6-17-12
On 05/15/2012 at approximately 1520 hours, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Jose Deonte Green, 22 years of age, of Leesburg, Virginia for a District Court Arrest Warrant issued for Burglary-1st Degree. Mr. Green was later held at the Worcester County Jail on $10,000 bond.
On 05/15/2012 at approximately 1613 hours, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Stephen Douglas Cymek, 33 years of age, of Ocean City, Maryland for a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation after being charged with Trespassing. Mr. Cymek was later held at the Worcester County Jail without bail.
On May 8, 2012 at approximately 0729 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Artilda Frances Purnell of Snow Hill, MD on a District Court Warrant through Somerset County for Failure to appear for court on May4, 2012. Ms. Purnell’s original charges were for uttering a bad check $500.00 plus, and theft less than $1000.00. Ms. Purnell was released on personal recognizance.
On May 12, 2012 at approximately 0908 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Alvin Eric Church Jr. of Salisbury, MD on a Circuit Court Warrant for Violation of Probation on May9, 2012. Church’s original charge was theft $1,000.00- $10,000.00. Mr. Church was held at the Worcester County Jail on $2000.00 bond.
On May 13, 2012 at approximately 1109 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Corey Lonnel Hinmon of Snow Hill, MD on the charges of Second degree assault and reckless endangerment. Mr. Hinmon was held at the Worcester County.
On 05/15/2012 at approximately 1613 hours, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Stephen Douglas Cymek, 33 years of age, of Ocean City, Maryland for a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation after being charged with Trespassing. Mr. Cymek was later held at the Worcester County Jail without bail.
On May 8, 2012 at approximately 0729 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Artilda Frances Purnell of Snow Hill, MD on a District Court Warrant through Somerset County for Failure to appear for court on May4, 2012. Ms. Purnell’s original charges were for uttering a bad check $500.00 plus, and theft less than $1000.00. Ms. Purnell was released on personal recognizance.
On May 12, 2012 at approximately 0908 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Alvin Eric Church Jr. of Salisbury, MD on a Circuit Court Warrant for Violation of Probation on May9, 2012. Church’s original charge was theft $1,000.00- $10,000.00. Mr. Church was held at the Worcester County Jail on $2000.00 bond.
On May 13, 2012 at approximately 1109 hours a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrested Corey Lonnel Hinmon of Snow Hill, MD on the charges of Second degree assault and reckless endangerment. Mr. Hinmon was held at the Worcester County.
The Social Consequences Of Inequality
Richard Wilkinson is an epidemiologist and a leader in international research of inequality. He is also the co-author of The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger with Kate Pickett. Their book has been described by The Sunday Times of London as having “a big idea big enough to change political thinking. In half a page,” the Times says, “it tells you more about the pain of inequality than any play or novel could.”
His TED talk — “How economic inequality harms societies” — has garnered over 1 million views on the TED website since October 2011.
We caught up with him to talk about how inequality can be dangerous to our health.
Riley: You published your book in 2009. Since then the growing disparity between the very rich and everybody else has come to dominate the Occupy Wall Street movement and political campaign rhetoric in the U.S. and Europe. What do you think is missing from the conversation that we’re having?
Wilkinson: What’s missing is action. Although, in Britain and perhaps in the U.S., shareholders are beginning to reign in some of these bonuses, not nearly enough is being done. The pattern we’ve found in our research is quite extraordinarily clear. More unequal countries, the ones with the bigger income differences between rich and poor have much more violence, worse life expectancy, more mental illness, more obesity, more people in prison, and more teenage births. All these problems get worse with greater inequality, because it damages the social fabric of a society.
Riley: Why do you think that is?
Wilkinson: In more unequal societies, the levels of trust — the number of people who feel they can trust others — drops to about fifteen or twenty percent. But in more equal societies, more like sixty or sixty-five percent feel they can trust others. I think that makes a difference in the whole social fabric, not only what it feels like to live in those places, how safe you feel if you’ve got to walk home alone at night in any major city, but also in business transactions and an increase of crime and so on. It has consequences for almost every aspect of how a society works.
More
His TED talk — “How economic inequality harms societies” — has garnered over 1 million views on the TED website since October 2011.
We caught up with him to talk about how inequality can be dangerous to our health.
Riley: You published your book in 2009. Since then the growing disparity between the very rich and everybody else has come to dominate the Occupy Wall Street movement and political campaign rhetoric in the U.S. and Europe. What do you think is missing from the conversation that we’re having?
Wilkinson: What’s missing is action. Although, in Britain and perhaps in the U.S., shareholders are beginning to reign in some of these bonuses, not nearly enough is being done. The pattern we’ve found in our research is quite extraordinarily clear. More unequal countries, the ones with the bigger income differences between rich and poor have much more violence, worse life expectancy, more mental illness, more obesity, more people in prison, and more teenage births. All these problems get worse with greater inequality, because it damages the social fabric of a society.
Riley: Why do you think that is?
Wilkinson: In more unequal societies, the levels of trust — the number of people who feel they can trust others — drops to about fifteen or twenty percent. But in more equal societies, more like sixty or sixty-five percent feel they can trust others. I think that makes a difference in the whole social fabric, not only what it feels like to live in those places, how safe you feel if you’ve got to walk home alone at night in any major city, but also in business transactions and an increase of crime and so on. It has consequences for almost every aspect of how a society works.
More
Few Words, Lots of Surprise — and No Clothes
A woman visited a Stewart's Shop and Curtis Lumber within a few minutes of each other Tuesday — with no clothes on.
"Have a good day," the woman told one lumberyard employee as she traipsed out.
Curtis Lumber manager Bob Eakin, who was not at work at the time, said the woman asked a couple of employees what time it was before she left.
"No one wanted to say much to her," he said. "It's not a situation you want to be involved in."
A picture captured from a Curtis Lumber security camera of the incident was being shared Wednesday on Facebook. Eakin said he hadn't seen it.
"Have a good day," the woman told one lumberyard employee as she traipsed out.
Curtis Lumber manager Bob Eakin, who was not at work at the time, said the woman asked a couple of employees what time it was before she left.
"No one wanted to say much to her," he said. "It's not a situation you want to be involved in."
A picture captured from a Curtis Lumber security camera of the incident was being shared Wednesday on Facebook. Eakin said he hadn't seen it.
Teenagers Visit Morgue And Operating Room
CHESTERTOWN, MARYLAND (WUSA)--9 Wants You To Know about a unique program for troubled teenagers designed to help get their lives back on track. It's called RESET and it uses some unconventional strategies. (For more info, please go to http://terryober.weebly.com/reset-program.html)
9 News Now tagged along with a group of teenagers visiting the Chester River Hospital Center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Asks emergency room nurse Patty Williams, "Anybody know the effects of cocaine are on your heart?"
The teenagers look shell-shocked.
"It enlarges it," she says plainly. "It makes it hard."
More
9 News Now tagged along with a group of teenagers visiting the Chester River Hospital Center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Asks emergency room nurse Patty Williams, "Anybody know the effects of cocaine are on your heart?"
The teenagers look shell-shocked.
"It enlarges it," she says plainly. "It makes it hard."
More
CITY CONCERN FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
JOE-
I have a concern with the summer season fastly approaching, on small children left unattended on our city streets. I have observed there are alot of tiny and I mean age 2-5 that are left for a large part of their days playing too close and at times right in the busy streets. And a number of parents I have spoken with are seeing the same on their streets as well, and some of these are very nice rich neighborhoods, where doctors and their families reside. Can you find out what the laws are as to the age these children can be left on their own, or the name of the agencies that would directly answer these questions. I am so afraid that a number of them are going to be hit by vehicles as warmer weather approaches. Because these small children are told or hollered at not to go into the street, I know as well as others know children's memories are short, and temptations are there, they can dash in a heartbeat into on coming traffic. Is this something the Salisbury City Police can keep an eye open for to aid the community or not. A lot of the time if you make the guardians aware of it you are seen as nosy, being a trouble maker, and you just need to get a job attitude, or who me not my children. I don't know if there is such a thing of any average of children killed or maimed in this city per calendar year but I am sure there are others that would like to know the answer to that as well. Please people your children are your responsibility not your neighbors or just leaving it to God. Even God expects us as adults to use what tools we learn in our lives.
I have a concern with the summer season fastly approaching, on small children left unattended on our city streets. I have observed there are alot of tiny and I mean age 2-5 that are left for a large part of their days playing too close and at times right in the busy streets. And a number of parents I have spoken with are seeing the same on their streets as well, and some of these are very nice rich neighborhoods, where doctors and their families reside. Can you find out what the laws are as to the age these children can be left on their own, or the name of the agencies that would directly answer these questions. I am so afraid that a number of them are going to be hit by vehicles as warmer weather approaches. Because these small children are told or hollered at not to go into the street, I know as well as others know children's memories are short, and temptations are there, they can dash in a heartbeat into on coming traffic. Is this something the Salisbury City Police can keep an eye open for to aid the community or not. A lot of the time if you make the guardians aware of it you are seen as nosy, being a trouble maker, and you just need to get a job attitude, or who me not my children. I don't know if there is such a thing of any average of children killed or maimed in this city per calendar year but I am sure there are others that would like to know the answer to that as well. Please people your children are your responsibility not your neighbors or just leaving it to God. Even God expects us as adults to use what tools we learn in our lives.
Statement from Wicomico County Public Schools On Bus Concern
Wicomico County Public School System officials have reviewed the circumstances of a student being allowed to leave from school bus 78 on Tuesday, May 15 at a place other than his assigned or authorized stop. It was determined that procedures designed to ensure the safe transport of students were not followed, and the matter is being addressed with the bus driver and the bus contractor for whom she drives.
The review found that on Tuesday morning, while transporting students, Bus 78 stopped on West Road at a scheduled stop. At that time, a James M. Bennett High School ninth-grader already on the bus requested to get off the bus due to a nosebleed. The student told the driver his mother was going to pick him up on West Road. The driver confirmed with the student that the mother was going to pick him up, and then allowed the student to depart from the bus.
During pre-service and in-service training, school bus drivers transporting students of Wicomico County Public Schools are instructed to discharge students only at school or at their assigned stop. The only exception to this procedure is if the driver has written authorization from a school administrator or Transportation staff.
The Transportation office of Wicomico County Public Schools has policies and procedures in place to protect the approximately 12,000 students transported each school day, said Dave Reeve, Supervisor of Transportation. When procedures are not followed, there are consequences. While drivers are the employees of bus contractors and not of the school system, the Transportation office is responsible for their certification as operators of school buses transporting public school students.
If a driver’s actions are not found to be in keeping with Transportation policies and procedures, the Transportation staff may verbally reprimand a driver, issue a written reprimand, suspend eligibility to operate a bus transporting public school students, or disqualify a driver from eligibility for transporting public school students. The consequences are aligned with a driver’s record. Training to refresh the driver on procedures may also take place.
Once the parent brought the concern to the attention of the school on Tuesday, the school notified the Transportation Office, which then began reviewing the digital video from the bus and interviewing those involved.
“The Transportation Office acted quickly to address the parent’s concern about this matter, as we would any parent concern,” said Dr. Cathy J. Townsend, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. “We transport more than 12,000 students every day. Parents have a right to expect that their child will be dropped off where they are authorized to be dropped off, and our goal is to have just that happen for each and every student we transport, every day.”
The review found that on Tuesday morning, while transporting students, Bus 78 stopped on West Road at a scheduled stop. At that time, a James M. Bennett High School ninth-grader already on the bus requested to get off the bus due to a nosebleed. The student told the driver his mother was going to pick him up on West Road. The driver confirmed with the student that the mother was going to pick him up, and then allowed the student to depart from the bus.
During pre-service and in-service training, school bus drivers transporting students of Wicomico County Public Schools are instructed to discharge students only at school or at their assigned stop. The only exception to this procedure is if the driver has written authorization from a school administrator or Transportation staff.
The Transportation office of Wicomico County Public Schools has policies and procedures in place to protect the approximately 12,000 students transported each school day, said Dave Reeve, Supervisor of Transportation. When procedures are not followed, there are consequences. While drivers are the employees of bus contractors and not of the school system, the Transportation office is responsible for their certification as operators of school buses transporting public school students.
If a driver’s actions are not found to be in keeping with Transportation policies and procedures, the Transportation staff may verbally reprimand a driver, issue a written reprimand, suspend eligibility to operate a bus transporting public school students, or disqualify a driver from eligibility for transporting public school students. The consequences are aligned with a driver’s record. Training to refresh the driver on procedures may also take place.
Once the parent brought the concern to the attention of the school on Tuesday, the school notified the Transportation Office, which then began reviewing the digital video from the bus and interviewing those involved.
“The Transportation Office acted quickly to address the parent’s concern about this matter, as we would any parent concern,” said Dr. Cathy J. Townsend, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. “We transport more than 12,000 students every day. Parents have a right to expect that their child will be dropped off where they are authorized to be dropped off, and our goal is to have just that happen for each and every student we transport, every day.”
How Your Lawmakers Voted In The Special Session
On Wednesday, May 16, the House of Delegates approved State and Local Revenue and Financing Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 1302). This is the bill that includes the increase in income and tobacco taxes
The vote was 77 to 60. A majority of 71 votes was needed.
Voting "yes" were 77 Democrats.
Voting "no" were 42 Republicans and 18 Democrats.
Continued HERE
Time Magazine: Fed Is Responsible For The JPMorgan Blow Up
Is the Fed to Blame for JPMorgan's $2 Billion Blowup? ... The JPMorgan $2 billion-trading-loss story is nearly a week old, and the news has predictably gone through the various spin cycles of the political right and left. Initially, progressives pounced on the loss as reason to strengthen the yet-to-be-fully-implemented Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Conservatives then pushed back on that conclusion arguing that the loss was not a disaster for shareholders given the size and profitability of the bank overall, and that therefore policymakers shouldn't overreact with more stringent regulation. However, there is another, smaller chorus of voices that is blaming neither government inaction nor banker recklessness, but the policies of the Federal Reserve. These critics are arguing that excessive intervention by the central bank has distorted financial markets and forced big banks to resort to risky moves in order to maintain profits. – Time Magazine
Dominant Social Theme: Maybe the Federal Reserve ought to be better mannered.
Free-Market Analysis: Another limited hangout from a mainstream publication. In this case, Time magazine. This is how the game works. One never calls for the end of central banking – only for central bankers to DO BETTER.
And here we go again. Time magazine (business) is out with an article blaming JPMorgan's losses on Federal Reserve monetary policy.
The putative, near-term reason for launching this explanation is to ensure that JPMorgan is given some sort of rhetorical cover. That's the way it seems to us.
The elites who want to run the world depend on Wall Street and other major banking centers for their control over money. These dynastic families control central banking but they have to control the distribution arms as well.
More
Dominant Social Theme: Maybe the Federal Reserve ought to be better mannered.
Free-Market Analysis: Another limited hangout from a mainstream publication. In this case, Time magazine. This is how the game works. One never calls for the end of central banking – only for central bankers to DO BETTER.
And here we go again. Time magazine (business) is out with an article blaming JPMorgan's losses on Federal Reserve monetary policy.
The putative, near-term reason for launching this explanation is to ensure that JPMorgan is given some sort of rhetorical cover. That's the way it seems to us.
The elites who want to run the world depend on Wall Street and other major banking centers for their control over money. These dynastic families control central banking but they have to control the distribution arms as well.
More
Sugar can make you dumb, US scientists warn
Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.
One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.
Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared.
"The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
more.
Montgomery County Approves Ambulance Fees
The Montgomery County Council approved ambulance fees Tuesday,
effectively overturning what voters decided in a referendum just 18
months ago.
Only insurance companies will get billed under the plan, not individuals.
"If you have insurance in Montgomery County, you are paying for this cost," County Executive Ike Leggett told WTOP in April. "The customers are already paying for it. They're paying for it right now. We just don't have a way to collect it."
More
What is your opinion on this? Should all counties be doing this?
Only insurance companies will get billed under the plan, not individuals.
"If you have insurance in Montgomery County, you are paying for this cost," County Executive Ike Leggett told WTOP in April. "The customers are already paying for it. They're paying for it right now. We just don't have a way to collect it."
More
What is your opinion on this? Should all counties be doing this?
Military Dogs Should Be Adopted, Not Abandoned
Each branch of the Armed Forces uses military working dogs (MWDs) in service to the country.
Many of these intelligent, loyal animals serve alongside our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have prevented countless injuries and saved lives. Unfortunately, these heroic dogs are currently classified as “equipment” by the U.S. Department of Defense. This classification not only trivializes these animals’ contributions, it also makes it difficult to transport dogs serving in foreign lands back to the United States for adoption once they’re ready for civilian life.
The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act will remedy this issue by reclassifying MWDs as “canine members of the armed forces” and instituting programs to assist with their placement and veterinary care after retirement from service—all without using federal funds. This legislation seems like a no-brainer, and yet the bill has only seven cosponsors in the Senate.
What You Can Do We need to generate greater support for the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act in the U.S. Senate. Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online right now to email your two U.S. senators in Washington, D.C., and urge them to cosponsor the bill.
Many of these intelligent, loyal animals serve alongside our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have prevented countless injuries and saved lives. Unfortunately, these heroic dogs are currently classified as “equipment” by the U.S. Department of Defense. This classification not only trivializes these animals’ contributions, it also makes it difficult to transport dogs serving in foreign lands back to the United States for adoption once they’re ready for civilian life.
The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act will remedy this issue by reclassifying MWDs as “canine members of the armed forces” and instituting programs to assist with their placement and veterinary care after retirement from service—all without using federal funds. This legislation seems like a no-brainer, and yet the bill has only seven cosponsors in the Senate.
What You Can Do We need to generate greater support for the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act in the U.S. Senate. Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online right now to email your two U.S. senators in Washington, D.C., and urge them to cosponsor the bill.
Democrat-led Senate Votes Down 4 GOP Budgets For ‘13
The Senate on Wednesday rejected every single budget being offered this year, leaving the chamber - and therefore the federal government - without a plan to address Medicare, Social Security and the other major entitlement programs that are driving deficits and debt.
In repeated votes, Democrats who control the chamber defeated four Republican proposals, including a plan that passed the House in March. The entire Senate also unanimously rejected President Obama’s 2013 budget, voting 99-0 against it, following a 414-0 vote against it in the House earlier this year.
“A stunning development for the president of the United States in his fourth year in office,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican.
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In repeated votes, Democrats who control the chamber defeated four Republican proposals, including a plan that passed the House in March. The entire Senate also unanimously rejected President Obama’s 2013 budget, voting 99-0 against it, following a 414-0 vote against it in the House earlier this year.
“A stunning development for the president of the United States in his fourth year in office,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican.
More
Tractor Trailer Fire Closes Roadway
***Traffic Advisory- Road Closure***
DSP News Release: Tractor Trailer Fire Closes Roadway
Location:
· I-495 southbound between I-95 and Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE
Date and Time of Occurrence:
· Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 5:15 a.m.
Resume:
Claymont- The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a tractor trailer fire that has resulted in the closure of a portion of I-495 between the I-95 split and Philadelphia Pike in Claymont. Traffic is being diverted onto southbound I-95 and commuters are asked to find alternate means of travel.
The investigation into the vehicle fire is in its early stages. More details will be released at a later time.
Released Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 6:10 a.m.
DSP News Release: Tractor Trailer Fire Closes Roadway
Location:
· I-495 southbound between I-95 and Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE
Date and Time of Occurrence:
· Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 5:15 a.m.
Resume:
Claymont- The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a tractor trailer fire that has resulted in the closure of a portion of I-495 between the I-95 split and Philadelphia Pike in Claymont. Traffic is being diverted onto southbound I-95 and commuters are asked to find alternate means of travel.
The investigation into the vehicle fire is in its early stages. More details will be released at a later time.
Released Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 6:10 a.m.