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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Volunteers Needed!



Join us at our local Salvation Army as we revamp and revitalize their Salisbury Youth Club. Volunteers are needed for painting and general "fixing up". Lunch will be provided.
All ages welcome.
Children under the age of 16 must have parental supervision.

UNITED WAY DAY OF ACTION
SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Click to Register
Saturday June 23, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT
Shift 1: 9am-12pm
Shift 2: 12:30pm- 4pm
Salvation Army- Salisbury Youth Club
145 Oak Street Salisbury, MD 21801

Economists: Being Near A New Walmart Actually Increases Home Values

While the sight of a new Walmart store going up always causes some area residents to frown, a new report claims that houses within the immediate area of a new Walmart actually see a slight uptick in value.

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The Best Political Fundraiser Of The Year!

If you enjoy good music, good food and the company of intelligent engaged adults, and if you like the shooting sports or the Chesapeake Bay then this is an event you will not want to miss. See the flyer below to see the details!

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Sheldon Adelson To Lavish $71 Million In Casino Money On GOP Super PACS, Nonprofits

WASHINGTON -- Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, whose net worth makes him one of the world's richest men, is on a check-writing spree that will soon bring his total political contributions in this election cycle to at least $71 million, according to sources familiar with his spending. That money is spread across the spectrum of GOP super PACs, which are required to disclose donors, and nonprofits, which are not.

Adelson and his wife, Miriam, along with other family donations, have already reached $36 million, including $10 million to the Romney-backing super PAC Restore Our Future that was reported this week. But two GOP fundraisers familiar with his plans say that Adelson has given or pledged at least $35 million more to three conservative nonprofit groups: the Karl Rove-linked Crossroads GPS, another with ties to billionaires Charles and David Koch and a third with links to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

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Citizen Testimony Will Be Allowed At Tuesday’s Pit Bull Task Force Hearing In Annapolis.


I spoke with the Pit Bull Task Force Chairman, Delegate Curt Anderson and he confirmed that Testimony will be allowed from citizens and advocacy group representatives who sign up at Tuesday’s hearing in Annapolis in the Judiciary Committee room.

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Despite ‘Engagement’, the World Views U.S. Less Favorably on Obama’s Watch

Favorable views of the United States have fallen in a number of countries around the world since 2009, despite the Obama administration’s repeated assertions that its international engagement – including paying United Nations contributions on time and in full – has “restored confidence” in American global leadership.

One of the numerous findings in this year’s Pew Global Attitudes Project report – a survey of 26,210 people in 21 countries – relates to respondents’ views of the United States as a nation, as opposed to their opinions of President Obama specifically.

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New Report On Medicaid Fraud

A new report says the government's widespread attempts to catch Medicaid fraud have cost it millions — $80 million to be exact. The audits by contractors were so ineffective that Health and Human Services put a stop to them. Investigators at the Government Accountability Office said the auditors were using federal data without critical information, like Medicaid recipients' names and addresses. The federal government does not share names of potential fraudsters with states, which means states cannot verify that those providers are in fact in their Medicaid programs. HHS said the independent audits were just a part of their attempts to wipe out Medicaid fraud. Other efforts, like interagency strike teams, have been more successful. The news came as a surprise to senators, who held a hearing on the issue yesterday

Obama Energy Dept. Awards $2 Million Grant to Solar Company Linked With Van Jones

On Wednesday the Department of Energy began financing solar power installation research with a $2 million award to Solar Mosaic. The solar energy research company has former Obama “green jobs” czar Van Jones listed as an advisor. It also employed Rebuild the Dream, Jones’ firm, to do its public relations work.

The DOE’s grant money will be distributed to nine companies in four states. Solar Mosaic received the most money, four times the amount of most other grants.

Jones resigned his post in the Obama administration three years ago amid controversy stemming from his past remarks.

Before working in the Obama White House, Jones signed a petition alleging officials in the George W. Bush administration “may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.”

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EPA Strengthens Pollution Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening pollution standards and risking an election-year backlash. A lawsuit forced the agency's hand and it will announce its proposal later today. It would reduce the amount of soot that could be released into the air. A federal court ordered the EPA to act after 11 states sued. They said current standards are leading to lung and heart problems. EPA officials said most counties are already complying with the new standards and would not have to take further action. Environmentalists and public-health advocates are likely to cheer the rule, but lawmakers and industry may accuse the agency of stifling the economy

Pentagon to Mark Gay Pride Month

Last summer, gays in the military dared not acknowledge their sexual orientation. This summer, the Pentagon will salute them, marking June as gay pride month just as it has marked other celebrations honoring racial or ethnic groups.

In the latest remarkable sign of change since the military repealed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, the Defense Department will soon hold its first event to recognize gay and lesbian troops. It comes nine months after repeal of the policy that had prohibited gay troops from serving openly and forced more than 13,500 service members out of the armed forces.

Details are still being worked out, but officials say Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants to honor the contributions of gay service members.

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USPS Reduces Greenhouse Gases By 7.4%

In its annual Sustainability Report, the Postal Service announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 7.4 percent since 2008. That's the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road. That puts the Postal Service well on its way to meeting its goal of a 20 percent cut by 2020. The Postal Service maintains the largest network of buildings in the U.S.and has installed energy auditing systems in many of its buildings to track energy waste. It also owns 41,000 alternative fuel-capable vehicles and has implemented 8,000 more walking and bicycle routes for mail carriers.

Unemployment Higher Among Native Born Than Immigrants

The unemployment rate for foreign-born workers in the United States is lower than the unemployment rate for native-born workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The BLS’s non-seasonally adjusted data show that unemployment among foreign born workers in May 2012 was 7.4 percent, while for native-born workers it was 8.0.

The data further show that while the working-age immigrant population in the United States has increased since Barack Obama became president in January 2009, immigrant participation in the labor force has declined.

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American Indian Tribes Challenge IRS

American Indian tribes say the Internal Revenue Service was crossing the line into their territory, and they wanted the agency to pull back. Tribal leaders told a Senate panel yesterday that the IRS was fishing for revenue by taxing housing, school clothes, burial aid and other services that the tribes provide their members. They said that infringes on tribal sovereignty and violates treaties between the tribes and the United States. But the IRS said it was talking with tribes and gathering recommendations from members. The agency said the rules governing what it can tax are too foggy.

German Police Raid Scores of Radical Islamists' Homes

About 1,000 police raided scores of buildings across Germany on Thursday in a clampdown on radical Salafist Islamists suspected of plotting against the state.

German officials fear the Salafists, who trace their roots to Saudi Arabia and want to establish Sharia (Islamic) law in Europe, are fuelling militancy among a small minority of socially alienated young Muslims in Germany.


Announcing the crackdown, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said he had banned one of the Salafists' groups called the Millatu Ibrahim and said the raids may unearth evidence that would allow the outlawing of two other associations.

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Mikulski Introduces Pro Federal Employment Amendment

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) has put a pro-federal-employee amendment into the Senate's 2013 financial services funding bill. That bill cleared the Appropriations Committee yesterday.

Mikulski's language would continue a ban on competition between federal agencies and contractors for service work. It would also stop outsourcing unless an agency can prove a cost savings. Plus it would prohibit arbitrary staff cuts by requiring agencies to match work with funds on hand. Mikulski complained that federal employees are the first to take a hit whenever deficit reduction comes up.

House Members Demand Answers on Depth of U.S. Involvement With the Muslim Brotherhood

Though Osama bin Laden is dead and much of al-Qaeda’s leadership has met a similar fate, the global impact of Islamic extremists reaches far beyond the ranks of al-Qaeda.

The Muslim Brotherhood in particular, having been in operation for close to a century, is of distinct concern to many U.S. lawmakers.

With a motto of: “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope,“ and a commitment by some of its members to ”[destroy] Western civilization from within,” some politicians are demanding to know the depth of U.S. involvement with the organization– particularly within our intelligence community.

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STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH OF A DELAWARE WOMAN

(Whaleyville, MD) – Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit are investigating the murder of a woman found in an embankment off of a dirt road in Worcester County.

The victim is identified as Nicole Bennett, 35, of the 33,000 block of Windswept Drive in Millsboro, Delaware. Bennett was found deceased and lying in an embankment off of a dirt road in Worcester County, in an area where there are no homes in the immediate vicinity. Bennett’s body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m. today, Worcester Central received a 9-1-1 call reporting the body of an unidentified woman found deceased on Swamp Road, a dirt road east of Nelson Road. The caller told police he was in the area walking when he noticed the woman’s body lying in an embankment which slopes downward from the roadway.

During the course of the initial investigation, police learned Bennett was the subject of a missing person’s case being investigated by the Delaware State Police. Bennett’s husband had called 9-1-1 at about 8:00 a.m. this morning reporting his wife missing after not coming home from work the night before.

According to the missing person report and family members, Bennett had a rose tattoo on the inside of her right ankle. The woman found in the embankment had the same rose tattoo as verified by Delaware State Police and Bennett’s family.

A family member told police they had last heard from Bennett on the night of June 14, 2012. At this time, a monetary reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for Bennett’s murder. Calls are being taken by the Worcester County Lower Eastern Shore Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Calls will remain confidential.

Deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, investigators from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, Delaware State Police and the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to gather evidence. The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation, and the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation have also been assisting with the investigation.

As of this update, Maryland law enforcement is taking the lead on this case. Delaware State Police are assisting in the investigation. Police are interviewing suspects while the investigation continues...

Give Ford Dealership Bad Survey Rating, Get Told 'You Are No Longer Welcome Here'

After Wil's purchase of a new car didn't go as smoothly as he expected based on past transactions with Ford, he didn't give them a great survey rating. The dealership manager's completely proportionate response? To e-mail Wil and tell him that he is no longer welcome at the dealership, and to never come back.

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General Mills Cereal Company Adopts 'Gay Marriage'

The Minnesota food giant that brought to the nation’s parents, and especially their children, the Honey Nut Bee, Lucky the Leprechaun and the Silly Trix Rabbit now publicly is supporting homosexual marriage, leaving critics surprised at General Mills’ abandonment of traditional values families.

General Mills CEO Ken Peters announced this week at a Minneapolis homosexual pride event that his company opposes the marriage amendment on the Minnesota ballot in November.

Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota, but supporters of the traditional marriage initiative say that the constitutional amendment would keep marriage safe from activist courts and even legislators who may attempt to usurp state law.

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Ad Watchdog Asks Comcast To Stop Bragging That Xfinity Is "Fastest In The Nation"

Despite an FCC study showing Verizon FiOS with the fastest download speeds, Comcast's ads for its Xfinity internet service proudly claim that it's the "fastest in the nation." Now the Better Business Bureau's ad watchdog has recommended that the Kabletown folks stop being so boastful.

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Lawn Chair Balloonist to Ride Again, With Co-pilot

Four years ago, Kent Couch made headlines by floating through the clouds in a lawn chair hoisted by party balloons from Oregon to Idaho. He's going to fly again, this time with a buddy sitting on a second lawn chair at his side.

They are planning to take off July 14 from the parking lot of Couch's gas station and convenience store in Bend, Ore., the way he did in 2008 when he floated 235 miles to an Idaho farm field.

Iraqi adventurer and skydiver Fareed Lafta, who read about Couch's exploit, will be going along for the ride so he could add lawn-chair ballooning to his bucket list.

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Middle-Income Parents Will Pay $8,000 More To Raise Kids Born In 2011 Than In 2010

Are you a middle-income parent who had a baby in 2011? You're probably going to be jealous of your pals who birthed offspring in 2010, as it's about $8,000 more expensive to raise a child born in 2011 over 17 years than the year before. Time to start pinching extra pennies and clipping diaper coupons to afford that $235,000 kid.


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Investigator: Foreigners Bought Hawaii Birth Certificates

The lead investigator for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse – which already has found probable cause that Barack Obama’s publicly released birth certificate is a forgery – says any Hawaii documentation for Obama’s birth that exists would probably be of little value.

Mike Zullo,  a retired New Jersey detective now heading Arpaio’s volunteer investigative team, explained in an interview that at the time of Obama’s birth during the state’s early years, Hawaii birth documentation routinely was purchased by foreigners for children not born in the state.

Arpaio’s investigation was launched last September after constituents came to the sheriff with their concern that Obama was ineligible for the presidency and would perpetrate a fraud by placing his name on the state’s ballot.

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Grieving Father Struggles To Pay Dead Son's Student Loans

The father, a gardener who earns $21,000, co-signed for his son's loans. Now, he can’t even find out who holds them.

A few months after he buried his son, Francisco Reynoso began getting notices in the mail. Then the debt collectors came calling.

"They would say, 'We don't care what happened with your son, you have to pay us,'" recalled Reynoso, a gardener from Palmdale, Calif.

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Reid Unwilling to Consider Reasonable Food Stamp Reform

The Senate’s final vote on the farm bill is expected next week, but according to Alabama Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, there will be no substantial reforms to the food stamp program due to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s obstructionism.

Eighty percent of the spending from the farm bill this year goes to the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, constituting $770 billion in spending over the next decade.

According to Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, Reid will not allow any of his reform measures — aimed at dealing with the swelling cost and growth of the welfare program — to even receive a vote.

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Obama Admits He Can’t Do What He Did Today

It‘s very rare that you see President Obama admit wrongdoing after he’s done something. Unfortunately, it’s much more common for him to say something is a bad idea and then do it. Listing the number of instances would take too long, but it‘s safe to say it’s a common trend.

And now there’s just one more example. In the following clip, taken from a 2011 Univision Town Hall, President Obama admits that it’s beyond his power to suspend deportations for anyone because (surprise, surprise) there are laws on the books that he’d be breaking by doing that. In other words, the President acknowledges that to do what he did today would be a rank violation of the separation of powers.

Watch the video HERE

Seven More States May Legalize Medical Marijuana In 2012

Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. In the second half of 2012, seven more states will decide, either in the state legislature or via ballot initiatives, whether they will join them in legalizing the use of marijuana, in whole or in part.

Recent polling shows that 3/4 of Americans support the right to use state-sanctioned medical marijuana. Support for full marijuana legalization is at an all-time high of 50%.

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Question Of The Day 6-16-12

What is/was the best gift you gave or received for Father's Day?

The Great Retirement Squeeze - Pension Cuts Mean Poverty For Future Elders

San Francisco - Only a week after an election signaling a rollback in public-employee retirement benefits, new Federal Reserve data show a sharp decline in family wealth. The effect is especially acute for non-whites and Hispanic households.

The compounding factors of deep losses in U.S. family wealth, sharp declines in pensions and calls in Washington to reduce Social Security could tarnish Americans’ golden years for generations to come, particularly for economically vulnerable groups of older women and ethnic elders.

Recession Cuts Retirement Savings

The Fed’s new Survey of Consumer Finances for 2010 reveals that while white non-Hispanic families saw a 
10 percent decline in their wealth since 2007, nonwhite or Hispanic families saw their mean assets plunge by 26.8 percent.

Overall, only one in seven Americans are confident “in their ability to retire comfortably,” according to a survey published in March by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The findings, says the report, are at “historically low levels.”

The Fed’s latest figures add to the troubling picture of future retirement for today’s workers. Last week’s victory of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his policy terminating collective-bargaining rights by state workers, and the California votes in San Jose and San Diego negating existing pension agreements, were only the latest development in the great retirement squeeze.

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‘Pre-Emptive Strike’: Sheriff Joe and Governor Brewer React to Obama’s Immigration Announcement

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Sheriff Joe Arpaio joined Arizona talk show host Mike Broomhead today in two separate segments to discuss the President’s decision to selectively enforce immigration law – a decision which Brewer said “has the status of law” even though it actively contradicts the law.

You can hear Brewer’s segment below, where she explains that this decision is likely a “pre-emptive strike” in anticipation of a likely Supreme Court decision in favor of the constitutionality of SB 1070:

Arpaio, however, was far less concerned about the decision, saying the timing had taken him by surprise, but not the substance of the move. He also said that the rules change wouldn’t affect how he enforced the law, and that he planned to keep right on going arresting illegals under state law. He did echo Brewer’s concerns that the new policy would spawn a run for the border, now that there is an incentive for young illegals to enter the United States.

“We‘re still gonna lock ’em up if we have ‘em on another crime,” Arpaio said.

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The Billionaire Behind The 2012 Election For Mitt Romney

Meet the billionaire who's trying to buy the 2012 election for Mitt Romney – it's casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson has already contributed a whopping ten million bucks to Mitt Romney's corporate SuperPAC slushfund. Forbes is quoting a source within the Adelson camp that says -- the billionaire plans to spend a "limitless" amount of money to help Romney during the election since, "no price is too high" to defend the nation from President Obama's "socialism." The source then floated the possibility of Adelson spending as much as $100 million to tilt the election in favor of Romney. According to Forbes, Adelson is one of the 15 richest people on the planet with an estimated net worth of nearly $25 billion meaning he could bankroll an entire $1 billion presidential campaign and hardly notice. Welcome to the Brave New World of American politics – billionaires only are welcome.

US Reveals Accusations Against Secret Service

Secret Service agents and officers have been accused of involvement with prostitutes, leaking sensitive information, publishing pornography, sexual assault, illegal wiretaps, improper use of weapons and drunken behavior, according to internal government reports reviewed by The Associated Press on Friday. It wasn't immediately clear how many of the accusations turned out to be true.

The new disclosures of so many serious accusations since 2004 lend weight to concerns expressed by Congress that the Secret Service prostitution scandal in April in Colombia exposed a culture of misconduct within the agency. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan apologized for the incident during a hearing in May but insisted that what happened in Colombia was an isolated case.

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The World Is Getting More Peaceful

According to a new study by the Institute for Economics and Peace – the world is getting more peaceful – but the United States is still a pretty violent place to live. The just released 2010 Global Peace Index ranks the nations of the world based on how peaceful they are – taking into consideration prison populations, political instability, wars, and military expenditures. Iceland ranked first on the Global Peace Index – while the United States ranked 88th out of 158 nations. It's no surprise considering the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and is currently waging a limitless war on so-called terror in several nations across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. More than a half century ago – Dwight Eisenhower warned the nation about the growing influence of the military industrial complex. Tragically, his warnings were ignored.

Rep. Steve King to Sue Obama Admin Over Amnesty Order

Rep Steve King, Iowa Republican, and Vice Chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee, said he plans to sue the Obama Administration over its decision to halt deportations of young illegal immigrants. On Friday’s Mike Huckabee's radio show he discussed the matter. Transcript below: (Listen to audio here)
REP. STEVE KING: I will tell you that....I'm not without experience on this I'm prepared to bring a suit and seek court order to stop implementation of this policy. I have done it once in the past successfully when then Governor Tom Vilsack thought he could legislate by executive order and the case of King versus Vilsack is in the books and that individual is by the way is now the Secretary of Agriculture.  I wonder if he's not counseling the president on his legal proceedings.

HUCKABEE: I want to clarify. You plan to sue this administration for implementing something that you believe should have required legislative process and approval?
Congressman

KING: That is correct.
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Rhode Island Decriminalize Small Possession Of Marijuana

Rhode Island is now the 17the state in the nation to decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana. Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the legislation into law, which makes possession of an ounce of marijuana or less a civil violation with a $150 fine, instead of a misdemeanor or felony. Seven more states may join Rhode Island in the second half of the year – and may even go a step further and legalize and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Though long overdue – Nixon's half-century war on drugs may finally be nearing an end.

Federal Credit Union Refuses Serving Women For Wearing Hats

The HEW Federal Credit Union is taking a stand against people they perceive to be "thugs" based on what they wear. Their appearance rules ban people wearing hats, hooded sweatshirts and sunglasses from entering branches.

But is a nice lady wearing a scarf or head band really dangerous?

The credit union seems to thinks so.

Four women on Friday were refused service at the Silver Hill branch of the credit union in District Heights because they were wearing scarves, a head band and even a hair net.

"They denied me entrance to the bank as soon as I got to the door," says Kim Anderson, a Credit Union customer who was refused service.

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The Republican War On Women Has Reached The Military

A Republican staffer in the House told the Army Times that House Republicans plan to restrict military women's access to abortion in cases of rape and incest. With bipartisan support, a Senate Committee approved the amendment giving military women the same access to abortion in cases of rape and incest as ordinary citizens. But House Republicans say they have social objections to the amendment and will likely strip it out of the National Defense Authorization bill. That means the 200,000 women serving in our nation's military won't have the same rights to reproductive health services as all the other women in American who are not serving in the military.

New Obama Policy Will Spare Some From Deportation

President Barack Obama says his plan to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children will make the system "more fair, more efficient and more just."

The president says it "makes no sense to expel talented young people" who are essentially Americans. He says he was taking the action in the absence of action by Congress "to fix our broken system."

Obama's election-year initiative should help him among Hispanic voters. It will begin granting young immigrants work permits, affecting as many as 800,000 young people who have lived in fear of deportation.

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U.S. Chamber Ranks Maryland In Top Five For Economic Growth

For the third year in a row, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has rated Maryland among the top five states in the country for economic growth, job creation and innovation. In its annual report on “Enterprising States”, the national chamber gives the O’Malley administration high marks for policies and conditions that help grow jobs, issues on which members of the state business community often find fault.


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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 6-16-12

A Short History of Salisbury, Maryland

It was in a colonial atmosphere that Salisbury Town was “erected” by act of the Provincial Assembly on August 8, 1732 – some 276 years ago. The site of the present Main St. bridge was where the shipping business of Col. Isaac Handy was established in 1665. For the following six decades, it was known as Handy’s Landing. When the Provincial Assembly decided to erect a town on this site, it was named Salisbury after Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Many of the large land owners of the section at that time had emigrated from the vicinity of the ancient English city, some for religious reasons that they might have absolute freedom of worship, others to enlarge their fortunes in this new land.

At the time of its founding, Salisbury was a part of Somerset County and remained that way until 1867, when parts of Worcester and Somerset counties were set aside to form the new county of Wicomico. Prior to the formation of the new Wicomico County, residents had to go to either Snow Hill in Worcester County or Princess Anne in Somerset County to conduct official business. By 1867, there was enough business conducted in Salisbury to apply to the legislature for the formation of a new county. This also gave the Eastern Shore another vote in the legislature in Annapolis.

Salisbury was the center for a large farming community and the town grew along with it. The first major blow to the growth of Salisbury came in 1860, when a fire that started in the Daniel Davis building, located on the northwest corner of Main (then known as Bridge St.) and St. Peter’s streets, spread throughout what was then the “downtown” area and left Salisbury in smoldering ruins.

Slowly they rebuilt, until the area was bustling with business activity again. The railroad had started to come down through Delaware, but the Civil War interrupted the progress through Salisbury. After the war, the railroad was extended to Salisbury and that greatly enhanced the ability to move goods both to and from Salisbury. They were expanding at a rapid pace until the second major fire in 1886 destroyed 22 acres in the heart of Salisbury. After this fire, an ordinance was passed that all subsequent buildings be of either brick or stone to prevent another disaster like the fires of 1860 and 1886. The streets were also made wider to prevent fire from spreading as it had previously.

The form of government changed in 1888 from a three commissioner form of rule to a mayor and council elected by the citizens.

For the next 20 years, Salisbury experienced tremendous growth. In keeping up with the rest of the country, Salisbury acquired electricity and telephone service. The harbor was dredged to a navigable depth by 1906. Automobiles started to appear on city streets. In 1909, the dam holding back Humphreys Lake broke, exposing the land east of Division St. At one time Humphreys Lake extended from Division St. on the west to about Davis St. on the east end. The southern shore extended from where the Daily Times building is now to along S. Park Dr. The northern shore ran approximately along what is now Rt. 50- a rather large body of water to be sure. When it emptied, a group of businessmen bought the land from the Humphreys family and formed the Salisbury Realty Co. Many of today’s structures east of Division St. are built on land that was once under water.

On the southern side of Humphreys Lake, a new high school was built in 1905. Prior to this, the previous school was named Salisbury High School and was available only to residents of Salisbury. When the new school opened, it was named Wicomico High School, to reflect the fact that they served all of Wicomico County. Another new High School was opened in 1932. This is now Wicomico Middle School. The present Wicomico High School was opened in 1954. Since that time both James M. Bennett (named after a former superintendent of Wicomico County schools) and Parkside High Schools have been built.

Two other occurrences contributed to Salisbury’s growth. Route 13 was built through the city in the late 1930’s and Route 50 was built in the early 1960’s. Both of these improvements made traveling in either direction much more desirable and added to the traffic flow both to and from Salisbury. Both of these routes have been superceded by the new by-passes that have recently been completed. While this relieves the traffic flow through downtown, fewer people see Salisbury’s business district.

Major Chicago Hospital Warns Employees After LBJ's Great Grand Kids Attacks

In two separate incidents on different days, doctors have been attacked outside Northwesten hospital in the Streeterville section of Chicago. Roaming gangs of LBJ's great grand kids are the likely attackers.

The Streeterville section of Chicago is a high rent district just off Chicago's Michigan Ave shopping district. Many of Chicago's top traders and financial analysts live in the area.

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Unemployment Rates Rose In Md. And 17 Other States Last Month

Unemployment rates rose in Maryland and 17 other states in May, the most in nine months. Increasing unemployment in more than a third of U.S. states is the latest evidence of a weaker job market.

The Labor Department said that unemployment rates fell in only 14 states. That’s fewer than the previous month, when rates fell in 37 states. Rates were unchanged in 18 states.

Nationally, the rate rose to 8.2 percent in May from 8.1 percent in April, the first increase in almost a year. Employers added only 69,000 jobs, the fewest in 12 months.

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A Comment The Daily Times Refused To Publish

The June 10 article in The Daily Times about local doctors receiving money from pharmaceutical companies was revealing. No one is against honorable compensation but often this practice can appear as a conflict of interest between patient care and financial gain. Unfortunately partnering with pharmaceuticals is like swimming with the sharks as these companies are routinely involved in corrupt business practices. For example Eli-Lilly, one of the large supporters of Dr. Hearne paid $1.4 billion in 2009 to settle a single fraud case! Included in this settlement is a criminal fine of $515 million, one of the largest ever. As expected doctors will ALWAYS state that they always have their patient’s “best interest at heart” but there is ample evidence to the contrary. One does not need to look any further than the catheterization lab at PRMC which is under federal surveillance as a result of evidence of fraud or the website for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where there is documentation of very shameful behavior by drug companies and health care providers.

Romney Agrees With Rubio on Immigration Policy: ‘We Have to Find a Long-Term Solution’

Friday afternoon, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said that he tends to agree with Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s stance on immigration policy.

In response to President Barack Obama’s changed position on the issue — and decision to selectively enforce illegal immigration law — Rubio said it’s a “short-term answer to a long-term problem.”

“I believe the status of young people who come here through no fault of their own is an important matter to be considered and should be solved on a long-term basis, so they know what their future would be in this country,” Romney said in a statement provided to The Daily Caller. “I think the action that the president took today makes it more difficult to reach that long-term solution because an executive order is, of course, just a short-term matter — it can be reversed by subsequent presidents.”

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