DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A Comment Worthy Of A Post 7-10-12
Wanna know the latest on Iretons's Petition? The software supporting the petition on change.org is VERY primitive and easy to exploit to see the internal workings. Just before the server crashed at 5:30 tonight Jim himself had signed at least 17 times using various names, three different people signed Joe Albero's name and it appears likely that there are approximately 120 to 140 legitimate names. All the rest are fakes or repeat signers.
Club For Growth Updates
“Spending Cuts Scorecard” Following Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill
Scores among GOP members up four percentage points since launch of scorecard; Club for Growth vows to keep raising awareness
Washington, DC – The Club for Growth today updated its new Spending Cut Scorecard following House passage of the Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill. The Spending Cut Scorecard is designed for the public and Club Members to track how members of the House of Representatives are voting on amendments to cut spending from FY13 appropriations bills. In the past, the Club for Growth tracked amendments to cut earmarks from appropriations bills, but recently noticed that many House members who ran on promises to cut spending have abandoned their pledges to do so.
The Club will update the Spending Cut Scorecard following the passage of every appropriations bill. To view the Spending Cut Scorecard, click here: www.ClubForGrowth.org/SpendingCutScorecard
Interesting statistics from the newly updated Spending Cuts Scorecard:
· Since the Club for Growth launched the Spending Cuts Scorecard, the average Republican Score increased by four percentage points from 59% to 63%. Scores of Republican Freshmen increased by five percentage points from 60% to 65%.
· The average Democrat score decreased from 6% to 4%.
· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Republicans were Emerson (increased by 31%), Renacci (28%), Kingston (28%), Billbray (27%) and Ellmers (27%).
· The biggest declines among Republicans were Miller, Gary (decreased by 22%), McKeon (21%), Tipton (18%), Rehberg (12%), and Carter (12%).
· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Democrats were Barrow (increased by 26%), McIntyre (18%), Matheson (17%), Cardoza (4%), and Perlmutter (3%).
· The biggest declines among Democrats were Kucinich (decreased by 20%), Rush (13%), Honda (11%), Carson (9%) and Moore (8%).
· Only 18 Republicans have voted for every spending cut (down from 20).
· 48 members of Congress have voted against every amendment to cut spending – all Democrats (down from 49 Democrats and one Republican).
“The Club for Growth intends to continue to hold members of Congress in both parties accountable for how they vote, not how they say they’re going to vote,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “The purpose of this Spending Cuts Scorecard is to prove that despite what the media has told the public, Republicans and Democrats are coming together in agreement…they want to spend more, not less. That has to change if we’re going to save America from fiscal ruin.”
Scores among GOP members up four percentage points since launch of scorecard; Club for Growth vows to keep raising awareness
Washington, DC – The Club for Growth today updated its new Spending Cut Scorecard following House passage of the Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill. The Spending Cut Scorecard is designed for the public and Club Members to track how members of the House of Representatives are voting on amendments to cut spending from FY13 appropriations bills. In the past, the Club for Growth tracked amendments to cut earmarks from appropriations bills, but recently noticed that many House members who ran on promises to cut spending have abandoned their pledges to do so.
The Club will update the Spending Cut Scorecard following the passage of every appropriations bill. To view the Spending Cut Scorecard, click here: www.ClubForGrowth.org/SpendingCutScorecard
Interesting statistics from the newly updated Spending Cuts Scorecard:
· Since the Club for Growth launched the Spending Cuts Scorecard, the average Republican Score increased by four percentage points from 59% to 63%. Scores of Republican Freshmen increased by five percentage points from 60% to 65%.
· The average Democrat score decreased from 6% to 4%.
· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Republicans were Emerson (increased by 31%), Renacci (28%), Kingston (28%), Billbray (27%) and Ellmers (27%).
· The biggest declines among Republicans were Miller, Gary (decreased by 22%), McKeon (21%), Tipton (18%), Rehberg (12%), and Carter (12%).
· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Democrats were Barrow (increased by 26%), McIntyre (18%), Matheson (17%), Cardoza (4%), and Perlmutter (3%).
· The biggest declines among Democrats were Kucinich (decreased by 20%), Rush (13%), Honda (11%), Carson (9%) and Moore (8%).
· Only 18 Republicans have voted for every spending cut (down from 20).
· 48 members of Congress have voted against every amendment to cut spending – all Democrats (down from 49 Democrats and one Republican).
“The Club for Growth intends to continue to hold members of Congress in both parties accountable for how they vote, not how they say they’re going to vote,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “The purpose of this Spending Cuts Scorecard is to prove that despite what the media has told the public, Republicans and Democrats are coming together in agreement…they want to spend more, not less. That has to change if we’re going to save America from fiscal ruin.”
Good Money After Bad: Obama's $50 Million Negative Ad Attack Fails to Move Polls
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Daily Times Grapevine Comment Today
Salisbury Mall revisited
As I drove down Civic Avenue recently, I wondered why I haven't seen any Grapevine comments from the folks whose lives were being ruined by the sight of the old derelict Salisbury Mall. Now it's demolished and I assume their lives must be vastly improved. Their health is restored, their bills are all paid, their marriages are enhanced, they became fit and better-looking and their children must now be getting straight A's. We never hear from them anymore.
As I drove down Civic Avenue recently, I wondered why I haven't seen any Grapevine comments from the folks whose lives were being ruined by the sight of the old derelict Salisbury Mall. Now it's demolished and I assume their lives must be vastly improved. Their health is restored, their bills are all paid, their marriages are enhanced, they became fit and better-looking and their children must now be getting straight A's. We never hear from them anymore.
Report: Gov’t Overpaid $14B in Unemployment Benefits
You read that correctly: the feds and state governments overpaid approximately $14 billion in unemployment benefits last year, according to the U.S. Labor Department and CNN Money.
“Now, the U.S. Department of Labor and the states are in the midst of a massive effort to try to recoup some of their lost funds and avoid future overpayments,” writes Annalyn Censky for CNN Money.
So, um, where did all that cash go and how do the feds and state governments plan on getting it back? Let’s start with the first question.
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“Now, the U.S. Department of Labor and the states are in the midst of a massive effort to try to recoup some of their lost funds and avoid future overpayments,” writes Annalyn Censky for CNN Money.
So, um, where did all that cash go and how do the feds and state governments plan on getting it back? Let’s start with the first question.
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LIBOR Scandal May Be Biggest Bank Heist In History
It may go down as the biggest banking scandal in history, and yet many Americans have not even heard about it.
The LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) scandal is a big deal, and so far no one knows just how deep the ruse ran. Put simply, the LIBOR rate is the rate at which banks get funds from other banks. The scandal: Barclays—and potentially other banks—allegedly tried to rig the rate. So far, Barclays has paid $455 million in fines to U.S. and U.K. regulators.
The LIBOR rate is a benchmark interest rate used to set an estimated $800 trillion in financial instruments. That’s not a typo--$800 trillion. As Christopher Barker of the Motley Fool financial blog explains:
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Socialism Is A One-Way Street To Oblivion
We are all aware of the slippery slope that the profligate spending
of our politicians has put our nation on, and those who are honest
enough to admit it know that the mighty United States of America is
headed for a fiscal disaster that, if our course is not drastically
altered, will shake the very foundations of our stability and reduce the
greatest nation the world has ever known to a Greece-like shell
complete with social upheaval and worthless currency.
When we think about the ramifications of our decades of foolishness, we tend to be concerned about the social fall out, the unemployment, the effect on take home pay, the quality of life and the unpleasant and painful changes in America.
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When we think about the ramifications of our decades of foolishness, we tend to be concerned about the social fall out, the unemployment, the effect on take home pay, the quality of life and the unpleasant and painful changes in America.
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NSA Will Not Read Americans' Emails If Bill Passes, Keith Alexander Claims
The head of the U.S. spy agency that eavesdrops on electronic
communications overseas sought on Monday to reassure Americans that the
National Security Agency would not read their personal email if a new
cybersecurity law was enacted to allow private companies to share
information with the government.
The House of Representatives in April approved a bill that would allow the government and companies to share information about hacking. But the White House and key Senate Democrats back a broader approach.
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The House of Representatives in April approved a bill that would allow the government and companies to share information about hacking. But the White House and key Senate Democrats back a broader approach.
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‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Middle-Aged Couple Reportedly Spends 23 Hours in Custody After Dancing at NYC Subway Platform
Caroline Stern, 55, and her boyfriend George Hess, 54, reportedly
spent 23 hours in police custody after dancing at a nearly-empty subway
station in New York City.
“I’m a dentist, and I’m 55, and I got arrested for dancing,” the woman told the New York Post. “It was absolutely ridiculous that this happened.”
So what’s the back-story?
Watch Fox’s recap of the event, featuring a picture of the happy couple: HERE
“I’m a dentist, and I’m 55, and I got arrested for dancing,” the woman told the New York Post. “It was absolutely ridiculous that this happened.”
So what’s the back-story?
Watch Fox’s recap of the event, featuring a picture of the happy couple: HERE
Political Spending by Unions Far Exceeds Direct Donations
Organized labor spends about four times as much on politics and
lobbying as generally thought, according to a Wall Street Journal
analysis, a finding that shines a light on an aspect of labor's
political activity that has often been overlooked.
Previous estimates have focused on labor unions' filings with federal election officials, which chronicle contributions made directly to federal candidates and union spending in support of candidates for Congress and the White House.
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Previous estimates have focused on labor unions' filings with federal election officials, which chronicle contributions made directly to federal candidates and union spending in support of candidates for Congress and the White House.
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Boy Forced to Get Cancer-Causing Treatment?
A hearing is scheduled before the Michigan Court of Appeals on
Wednesday in a fight by the state Department of Human Services to
forcibly administer more cancer-causing drugs to a child who was
diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, but following an earlier round of
treatments has been declared either “in remission” or cured.
The case could be a foreshadowing of the decision-making process that soon will become mandatory under Obamacare.
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The case could be a foreshadowing of the decision-making process that soon will become mandatory under Obamacare.
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Obama Administration Takes Credit for Inspiring Lexus Hybrid SUV--Which Began Production in 2004
The Obama administration is taking credit for inspiring Lexus to
create a hybrid SUV--even though the automobile company began the
well-publicized production of its RX 400h SUV hybrid in 2004--four full
years before Obama was elected.
A timeline of the auto company's history, posted on its website, says: "2004-The first production SUV hybrid, the RX 400h, debuts with Lexus Hybrid Drive. U.S. Lexus sales reach two million."
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A timeline of the auto company's history, posted on its website, says: "2004-The first production SUV hybrid, the RX 400h, debuts with Lexus Hybrid Drive. U.S. Lexus sales reach two million."
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WILNER CLAUDIMA MONCHER CONVICTED OF 2nd DEGREE RAPE AND SEX ABUSE OF A MINOR BY A WICOMICO COUNTY JURY
On July 10, 2012, a Wicomico County jury found Wilner Claudima Moncher, age 35, guilty of Child Sex Abuse, Incest, and two counts of Second Degree Rape. The charges against Moncher originated from an investigation conducted by the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) into allegations that a female child had been sexually abused. Moncher now faces a maximum of sixty five (65) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the partners of the Child Advocacy Center (Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services, Life Crisis Center, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Salisbury City Police) for their assistance in the prosecution of this case.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the partners of the Child Advocacy Center (Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services, Life Crisis Center, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Salisbury City Police) for their assistance in the prosecution of this case.
Volunteers Clean Up Arlington National Cemetery
The rain that fell on Arlington National Cemetery on Monday did not
wash away the excitement and gratitude of hundreds of volunteers who
worked to beautify the solemn resting place of fallen soldiers.
Nearly 400 adults, accompanied by 48 of their children, took the day off from landscaping companies in 29 states to help beautify the grounds at the famous cemetery. Adults pruned and braced trees, aerated soil and put down lime, while the children planted perennials. A local horticulturalist also was on hand to teach the children about the caterpillars and other insects they found.
Heather Huddleston, a volunteer from Windermere, Fla., explained the significance of the cemetery to her son Carter, 8.
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Nearly 400 adults, accompanied by 48 of their children, took the day off from landscaping companies in 29 states to help beautify the grounds at the famous cemetery. Adults pruned and braced trees, aerated soil and put down lime, while the children planted perennials. A local horticulturalist also was on hand to teach the children about the caterpillars and other insects they found.
Heather Huddleston, a volunteer from Windermere, Fla., explained the significance of the cemetery to her son Carter, 8.
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The Rich: Chicago Abortionist Collects $3.1 Million In Medicaid Reimbursements–In One Year
According to a Crain’s Business report, Dr.
Caroline Hoke received $3.1 million dollars in
Medicaid reimbursements in the 2009 fiscal year for abortion services.
The Chicago based abortionist was the second-highest paid in the state.
Dr. Hoke is also the acting medical director of Planned Parenthood of
Illinois.
The Illinois Medicaid inspector general is now looking into the billing practices of Dr. Hoke. The investigation was brought on not only by the astronomical amount of reimbursement Dr. Hoke received but also due to the suspicious drop-off in payments one year later.
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The Illinois Medicaid inspector general is now looking into the billing practices of Dr. Hoke. The investigation was brought on not only by the astronomical amount of reimbursement Dr. Hoke received but also due to the suspicious drop-off in payments one year later.
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City Council Meeting Audio From Last Night
Audio-July 9, 2012 - Council Meeting
If this link above doesn't work above, GO HERE and look on the right hand side of the site and click on the link with the same title. This is somehting you're going to want to listen to. You'll want to scroll forward to about the 50 minute mark. THAT'S when it gets really good!
Report: 83 Percent of Doctors Have Considered Quitting over Obamacare
Eighty-three percent of American physicians have considered leaving
their practices over President Barack Obama’s health care reform law,
according to a survey released by the Doctor Patient Medical
Association.
The DPMA, a non-partisan association of doctors and patients, surveyed a random selection of 699 doctors nationwide. The survey found that the majority have thought about bailing out of their careers over the legislation, which was upheld last month by the Supreme Court.
Even if doctors do not quit their jobs over the ruling, America will face a shortage of at least 90,000 doctors by 2020. The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65.
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The DPMA, a non-partisan association of doctors and patients, surveyed a random selection of 699 doctors nationwide. The survey found that the majority have thought about bailing out of their careers over the legislation, which was upheld last month by the Supreme Court.
Even if doctors do not quit their jobs over the ruling, America will face a shortage of at least 90,000 doctors by 2020. The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65.
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Elderly, Vulnerable Losing Homes Over Just Few Hundred Dollars In Back Taxes
(AP) WASHINGTON - The elderly and other vulnerable homeowners are losing their homes because they owe as little as a few hundred dollars in back taxes, according to a report from a consumer group.
Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday.
Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.
But tax debts as small as $400 can cause people to lose their homes because of arcane laws and misinformation among consumers, says John Rao, the report's author and an attorney with NCLC.
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Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday.
Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.
But tax debts as small as $400 can cause people to lose their homes because of arcane laws and misinformation among consumers, says John Rao, the report's author and an attorney with NCLC.
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Christie: $tuff it, O
No more public workers — please!
That was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s alarmed reaction to President Obama’s push to send states another dose of stimulus money to hire teachers, firefighters and police.
“Please don’t send me any more money to hire more public employees. Please don’t,” implored Christie yesterday in a speech at the Brookings Institute, a liberal Washington think tank.
“I’ve got plenty as it is, and I don’t need any more, and they’re expensive!” said the brash governor, who won a hard-fought showdown with teachers unions over benefits and pensions.
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That was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s alarmed reaction to President Obama’s push to send states another dose of stimulus money to hire teachers, firefighters and police.
“Please don’t send me any more money to hire more public employees. Please don’t,” implored Christie yesterday in a speech at the Brookings Institute, a liberal Washington think tank.
“I’ve got plenty as it is, and I don’t need any more, and they’re expensive!” said the brash governor, who won a hard-fought showdown with teachers unions over benefits and pensions.
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Spam Turns 75: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Canned Meat
The word ‘Spam’ is a portmanteau of “spiced ham”, though the product was originally known as Hormel Spiced Ham. It was changed to Spam in 1937 based on the contest-winning suggestion of of Kenneth Daigneau, a New York actor (and brother of a Hormel executive) who pocketed $100 for his winning entry. But according to a Hormel official, the fusion of terms was misleading since it contains little ham, so the company instead suggested the new name was short for “Shoulder of Pork and Ham.”
As Spam has become a cultural icon, it has accrued dozens of other backronyms as well, mainly based around its odd texture and consistency. But Hormel now claims that Spam can’t simply be boiled down into the letters of an acronym: the meat, it says, is a product all itself.
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As Spam has become a cultural icon, it has accrued dozens of other backronyms as well, mainly based around its odd texture and consistency. But Hormel now claims that Spam can’t simply be boiled down into the letters of an acronym: the meat, it says, is a product all itself.
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Washington Monument Repairs Require Huge Scaffold
A damage assessment by engineers who inspected the stone structure by rappelling from the top last September found scaffolding is necessary to provide workers access to the top of the monument, said park service spokeswoman Carol Johnson. The engineers determined the heaviest damage is between 475 feet and 530 feet on the structure, but panels are damaged from top to bottom.
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Ga. Banker Missing - And So Is $17 Million
(CBS/AP) AILEY, Ga. -- A South Georgia bank closed by federal regulators has a missing board member who's accused of millions in fraud.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it seized Montgomery Bank & Trust in Ailey on Friday. The U.S. attorney's office said missing director Aubrey Lee Price, 46, has been charged with wire fraud involving the embezzlement of $17 million from the bank. Price controlled the bank's investments before disappearing last month. He was last seen on a ferry leaving Key West, Florida, for Fort Myers.
"According to the complaint charging him with wire fraud, defendant Aubrey Lee Price disappeared after telling acquaintances that he had lost a large amount of money through trading activities and that he planned to kill himself," the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement released last week.
If proven guilty, Price could face up to 30 years in prison.
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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it seized Montgomery Bank & Trust in Ailey on Friday. The U.S. attorney's office said missing director Aubrey Lee Price, 46, has been charged with wire fraud involving the embezzlement of $17 million from the bank. Price controlled the bank's investments before disappearing last month. He was last seen on a ferry leaving Key West, Florida, for Fort Myers.
"According to the complaint charging him with wire fraud, defendant Aubrey Lee Price disappeared after telling acquaintances that he had lost a large amount of money through trading activities and that he planned to kill himself," the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement released last week.
If proven guilty, Price could face up to 30 years in prison.
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‘Selma and Montgomery Times’: Head of NAACP Compares Voter ID Laws to Civil Rights Struggles of 1960s
The head of the NAACP on Monday compared the group’s fight against
voter ID laws that have been passed in several states to the struggle
for civil rights in the 1960s.
Benjamin Todd Jealous, the CEO and president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said these are “Selma and Montgomery times,” referring to historic Alabama civil rights confrontations. He challenged those attending the NAACP’s annual convention to redouble their efforts to get out the vote in November.
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Benjamin Todd Jealous, the CEO and president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said these are “Selma and Montgomery times,” referring to historic Alabama civil rights confrontations. He challenged those attending the NAACP’s annual convention to redouble their efforts to get out the vote in November.
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AMA Views On Healthcare
The American Medical Association has weighed in on the new health care package. The Allergists were in favor of scratching it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves. The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve. Meanwhile, Obstetricians felt certain everyone was laboring under a misconception, while the Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted. Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the Pediatricians said, "Oh, grow up!" The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it. Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing and the Internists claimed it would indeed be a bitter pill to swallow. The Plastic Surgeons opined that this proposal would "put a whole new face on the matter". The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea. Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas and slipped out. Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no. In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the assholes in Washington.
Brad Pitt's Mom in Fear After Slamming Obama
Jane Pitt, mother of actor Brad Pitt, has been scared into silence by
the hate-filled, vulgar and even violent reaction to her public
assertion that Barack Obama is “a liberal who supports the killing of
unborn babies and same-sex marriage.”
Pitt has even been the subject of death threats following her letter to the editor of Missouri’s Springfield News-Leader in which she asserted failure to vote for Republican presumptive presidential candidate Mitt Romney constituted a vote for Obama.
WND spoke briefly with Pitt and asked about the media assault against her for her comments as a private citizen supporting Romney. With inflections in her voice that conveyed fear and despair, she quietly and politely said she was not interested in talking to anyone in the media about the incident.
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Pitt has even been the subject of death threats following her letter to the editor of Missouri’s Springfield News-Leader in which she asserted failure to vote for Republican presumptive presidential candidate Mitt Romney constituted a vote for Obama.
WND spoke briefly with Pitt and asked about the media assault against her for her comments as a private citizen supporting Romney. With inflections in her voice that conveyed fear and despair, she quietly and politely said she was not interested in talking to anyone in the media about the incident.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE - LAND OF CIGARETTES & BEER ON YOUR EBT
Woman Fired For Refusing to Accept EBT Card as Payment for Cigarettes *Video Commentary*
Sixty five year old Jackie Whiton, a cashier at a local convenience store, was in hot water with her boss recently. Apparently, she refused to sell cigarettes to an individual who attempted to pay for them with his Electronic Benefits Transfer card (the government’s preferred method of nutritional food assistance). Ms. Whiton didn’t realize that EBT allowed card holders to not only purchase food, but cigarettes and alcohol as well. When she was made aware of the law by her boss, she held fast to her position, telling her boss that she would refuse to sell cigarettes to anyone attempting to make payment with EBT/Food Stamps.
She was promptly terminated.
Ms. Whiton maintains that she’s all for the government’s nutritional food assistance program – when it’s used to for essential goods… like food:
“This is what the taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars are going toward,” she said. “There are a few people of course who are against me, and they are probably card holders.”
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Sixty five year old Jackie Whiton, a cashier at a local convenience store, was in hot water with her boss recently. Apparently, she refused to sell cigarettes to an individual who attempted to pay for them with his Electronic Benefits Transfer card (the government’s preferred method of nutritional food assistance). Ms. Whiton didn’t realize that EBT allowed card holders to not only purchase food, but cigarettes and alcohol as well. When she was made aware of the law by her boss, she held fast to her position, telling her boss that she would refuse to sell cigarettes to anyone attempting to make payment with EBT/Food Stamps.
She was promptly terminated.
Ms. Whiton maintains that she’s all for the government’s nutritional food assistance program – when it’s used to for essential goods… like food:
“This is what the taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars are going toward,” she said. “There are a few people of course who are against me, and they are probably card holders.”
More
‘Dr. Doom’: The Global Economic Storm I Predicted Is on Its Way
Nouriel Roubini, the economist whose dire warnings earned him the
nickname “Dr. Doom,” said on Monday that the recent slowdowns in the
U.S., Europe, and China is proof that the global “perfect storm” scenario he predicted is on its way.
“(The) 2013 perfect storm scenario I wrote on months ago is unfolding,” Roubini Tweeted on Monday.
And he may be right.
You see, Roubini predicted that the four specific elements would come together to create the perfect global economic crisis: a stalled U.S. economy, the EU debt crisis, a slowdown in emerging markets (China), and conflict in Iran.
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“(The) 2013 perfect storm scenario I wrote on months ago is unfolding,” Roubini Tweeted on Monday.
And he may be right.
You see, Roubini predicted that the four specific elements would come together to create the perfect global economic crisis: a stalled U.S. economy, the EU debt crisis, a slowdown in emerging markets (China), and conflict in Iran.
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Scranton Mayor: Minimum Wage For All Or Become Stockton
The infamous city of Scanton, PA has had financial troubles for a couple of decades - losing population since the end of WWII - but as NPR reported this weekend, the $16.8 million budget gap that Mayor Chris Doherty is trying to fill (and the disagreements between his taxation proposal and the city council's borrow-more-money view) has driven the mayor to an incredible action. Doherty has reduced everyone's pay - including his own - to the state's minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. In an ironic choice of words, the desperate mayor noted: "I'm trying to do the best I can with the limited amount of funds that I have," Doherty says, "I want the employees to get paid. Our people work hard — our police and fire — I just don't have enough money and I can't print it in the basement." NPR continues, After paying workers Friday, the city had only about $5,000 left in the bank. More money flowed into city accounts that day, but it was still not enough to pay the $1 million the city still owes to its nearly 400 employees.
This is, of course, stressful on the union workers affected as one notes: "[The] kids aren't going to be able to do certain activities this summer — maybe we're not going to be able to go on vacation" (to Italy we wonder?) adding that (via HuffPo [3]), "With Scranton and Pennsylvania being such a hot bed for the next election, we want to make sure that they know there's a Democratic mayor that's not taking care of his public safety unions,". The unions plan to be back in court first thing Monday morning to ask the judge to hold Doherty in contempt. It seems municipalties across the country are increasingly turning to austerity measures to tackle their budget gaps and protect bond-holders (until they finally become Stockton, CA).
Source
This is, of course, stressful on the union workers affected as one notes: "[The] kids aren't going to be able to do certain activities this summer — maybe we're not going to be able to go on vacation" (to Italy we wonder?) adding that (via HuffPo [3]), "With Scranton and Pennsylvania being such a hot bed for the next election, we want to make sure that they know there's a Democratic mayor that's not taking care of his public safety unions,". The unions plan to be back in court first thing Monday morning to ask the judge to hold Doherty in contempt. It seems municipalties across the country are increasingly turning to austerity measures to tackle their budget gaps and protect bond-holders (until they finally become Stockton, CA).
Source
Seasonal Firefighters Seek Health Care Coverage
They work the front lines of the nation's most explosive wildfires,
navigating treacherous terrain, dense walls of smoke and tall curtains
of flame. Yet thousands of the nation's seasonal firefighters have no
health insurance for themselves or their families.
Many firefighters are now asking to buy into a federal government health plan, largely out of anger over a colleague who was left with a $70,000 hospital bill after his son was born prematurely.
Their request has been bolstered by more than 125,000 signatures gathered in an online petition during this year's historic fire season in the West and the ongoing national debate over health care.
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Many firefighters are now asking to buy into a federal government health plan, largely out of anger over a colleague who was left with a $70,000 hospital bill after his son was born prematurely.
Their request has been bolstered by more than 125,000 signatures gathered in an online petition during this year's historic fire season in the West and the ongoing national debate over health care.
More
Two-Thirds Of Voters Say Obama Has Kept His Promise Of "Change", Although 56% Find He Has Changed It For The Worse
Four months before Obama's reelection vote, the people have spoken, and agree that when it comes to Obama's first election promise of "Change", the president has kept his promise... with a twist. As The Hill reports [3], following a poll of 1000 likely voters on July 5, "Two-thirds of likely voters say President Obama has kept his 2008 campaign promise to change America — but it’s changed for the worse, according to a sizable majority. A new poll for The Hill found 56 percent of likely voters believe Obama’s first term has transformed the nation in a negative way, compared to 35 percent who believe the country has changed for the better under his leadership."
The results signal broad voter unease with the direction the nation has taken under Obama’s leadership and present a major challenge for the incumbent Democrat as he seeks reelection this fall.
Conducted for The Hill by Pulse Opinion Research, the poll comes in the wake of last month’s Supreme Court decision that upheld the primary elements of Obama’s signature healthcare legislation.
It found 68 percent of likely voters — regardless of whether they approve or disapprove of Obama — believe the president has substantially transformed the country since his 2009 inauguration.
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The results signal broad voter unease with the direction the nation has taken under Obama’s leadership and present a major challenge for the incumbent Democrat as he seeks reelection this fall.
Conducted for The Hill by Pulse Opinion Research, the poll comes in the wake of last month’s Supreme Court decision that upheld the primary elements of Obama’s signature healthcare legislation.
It found 68 percent of likely voters — regardless of whether they approve or disapprove of Obama — believe the president has substantially transformed the country since his 2009 inauguration.
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As Blood Donations Decline, U.S. Ban on Gay Donors is Examined
The American Red Cross says power outages created by recent storms in
the East and Midwest cut blood donations, which were already low this
summer. In June there was a nationwide shortfall, with donations down
more than 10% across the country.
"We are asking people to please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit us at redcrossblood.org to find a way to donate if they can," said Stephanie Millian, Red Cross director of biomedical communications. "We need people's help."
One group that would like to help, but legally can't, may be moving one step closer to eligibility. Since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic decimated their community, gay men -- or MSMs (men who have sex with men) as they are called by federal agencies -- have not been allowed to donate blood. In June, a group of 64 U.S. legislators led by Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services encouraging it to move forward with a study that may lead to the end of the decades-old ban.
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"We are asking people to please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit us at redcrossblood.org to find a way to donate if they can," said Stephanie Millian, Red Cross director of biomedical communications. "We need people's help."
One group that would like to help, but legally can't, may be moving one step closer to eligibility. Since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic decimated their community, gay men -- or MSMs (men who have sex with men) as they are called by federal agencies -- have not been allowed to donate blood. In June, a group of 64 U.S. legislators led by Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services encouraging it to move forward with a study that may lead to the end of the decades-old ban.
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More Americans Have Gone on Disability Than Gotten Jobs In The Obama "Recovery
In case you haven’t seen this statistic yet, nothing exemplifies the horrific three years of Obama’s fake “recovery” more than the fact that since June 2009, 2.6 million jobs have been created in America (mostly temp positions or cashiers at McDonald’s and Wal-Mart), while 3.1 million have signed up for disability benefits. Hey, if we judge an economy based on growth in ponzi schemes and poverty, Obama is without a doubt the best President in U.S. history.
Key Quotes from the Investor’s Business Daily article:The disability ranks have outpaced job growth throughout President Obama’s recovery. While the economy has created 2.6 million jobs since June 2009, fully 3.1 million workers signed up for disability benefits.
In other words, the number of new disability enrollees has climbed 19% faster than the number of jobs created during the sluggish recovery.
And the disability ranks will continue to swell. In just the last month, almost 275,000 put in applications for disability benefits. Experts say that more people try to get on disability when jobs are scarce, and changes to eligibility rules enacted back in 1984 have made it far easier to qualify.
Read the full article here.
A Comment Worthy Of A Post 7-10-12
If the mayor's plan is so popular how come there weren't people at the meeting last night voicing their approval of it? There wasn't even one person. Both the public comment speakers at last nights meeting were great and made very valid points. These people are representative of the views of most residents. Everyone including those who like the mayor are very suspious of the parking lots surplus angle because everyone feels that angle should be a wait and see if we need the parking before doing anything rash such as selling them off. As far as the DT's-they are not worth anyone's time anymore. I've not read there since they pulled Debbie Campbell's letter months ago. Bassett and Co has no one to blame but themselves for their falling numbers. The people are alot more intelligent than Bassett could ever hope to be and will not be fooled for very long.
Obama Avoids Conflicts By Dispatching Stand-ins
When the politics or the visuals seem a little dicey, President Obama is showing no hesitation in dispatching Vice President Joseph R. Biden or Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to speak to groups he would rather not address himself.
Last week, Mr. Obama sent Mr. Biden to speak to the National Education Association’s 7,000-plus delegates, disappointing one of the country’s largest unions and the earliest labor group to endorse him last year.
Despite a full-color photo of Mr. Obama in the NAACP program for this year’s national convention touting him as a speaker, it is Mr. Biden who plans to travel to Houston for the annual gathering this week.
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Last week, Mr. Obama sent Mr. Biden to speak to the National Education Association’s 7,000-plus delegates, disappointing one of the country’s largest unions and the earliest labor group to endorse him last year.
Despite a full-color photo of Mr. Obama in the NAACP program for this year’s national convention touting him as a speaker, it is Mr. Biden who plans to travel to Houston for the annual gathering this week.
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Iceland Shows The World How To Deal With The Banksters
Iceland is pretty much the only country in the Western world to have gone through a horrific financial crisis and come out the other side. How did they achieve this feat? Well, they gave the banksters the middle finger. Meanwhile, what have we gotten in the U.S. and Western Europe in return for bailing out these pampered, leveraged speculators that couldn’t make a dime without government backing? Debt slavery for the people, bigger, more powerful and increasingly dangerous financial institutions and unelected technocratic Goldman Sachs puppets as heads of state. Well at least one country got it right. Go Iceland!
Yes, I know the argument. Iceland is tiny. The rest of the world is so complex! Give it a rest. These are sad excuses for the failure of corrupt policies by crony capitalists and their sympathizers.
Key Quotes:
It has repaid, early, many of the international loans that kept it afloat. Unemployment is hovering around 6 percent, and falling. And while much of Europe is struggling to pull itself out of the recessionary swamp, Iceland’s economy is expected to grow by 2.8 percent this year.
But during the crisis, the country did many things different from its European counterparts. It let its three largest banks fail, instead of bailing them out. It ensured that domestic depositors got their money back and gave debt relief to struggling homeowners and to businesses facing bankruptcy.
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Yes, I know the argument. Iceland is tiny. The rest of the world is so complex! Give it a rest. These are sad excuses for the failure of corrupt policies by crony capitalists and their sympathizers.
Key Quotes:
It has repaid, early, many of the international loans that kept it afloat. Unemployment is hovering around 6 percent, and falling. And while much of Europe is struggling to pull itself out of the recessionary swamp, Iceland’s economy is expected to grow by 2.8 percent this year.
But during the crisis, the country did many things different from its European counterparts. It let its three largest banks fail, instead of bailing them out. It ensured that domestic depositors got their money back and gave debt relief to struggling homeowners and to businesses facing bankruptcy.
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LIBOR, The Fed And The TED
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
Somehow, the insanity of the present unsupervised system involving the Federal Reserve’s primary dealers continues. The Fed had “surveillance” in place during the Drexel Burnham failure and the Salomon Brothers affair. There were no market meltdowns attributed to either event.
Then, in the early 1990s, under the Corrigan initiative and with the approval of the FOMC and Chairman Greenspan, the Fed ceded the surveillance issue to the other regulators. Since this policy change, the toll of primary dealer casualties has grown to include Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, MF Global, Countrywide, and now Barclays.
How many more market shocks will we have to endure before the Fed reverses one of the worst decisions it ever made? Until the Fed ceases shirking its supervisory responsibility and restores a more formal surveillance and oversight role, there is no reason to expect things to be any different; and Einstein’s remark applies.
Below is a direct quote from the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Readers please note that the NY Fed sets the rules for primary dealers. It does not take Congress to change this. The Fed could make this change tomorrow if it chooses to do so.
“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York trades U.S. government and select other securities with designated primary dealers, which include banks and securities broker-dealers. Weekly transaction, market share data and primary dealer lists are updated periodically. Much of the information is submitted voluntarily. The Bank expects primary dealers to submit accurate data, but the Bank itself does not audit the data.”
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Somehow, the insanity of the present unsupervised system involving the Federal Reserve’s primary dealers continues. The Fed had “surveillance” in place during the Drexel Burnham failure and the Salomon Brothers affair. There were no market meltdowns attributed to either event.
Then, in the early 1990s, under the Corrigan initiative and with the approval of the FOMC and Chairman Greenspan, the Fed ceded the surveillance issue to the other regulators. Since this policy change, the toll of primary dealer casualties has grown to include Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, MF Global, Countrywide, and now Barclays.
How many more market shocks will we have to endure before the Fed reverses one of the worst decisions it ever made? Until the Fed ceases shirking its supervisory responsibility and restores a more formal surveillance and oversight role, there is no reason to expect things to be any different; and Einstein’s remark applies.
Below is a direct quote from the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Readers please note that the NY Fed sets the rules for primary dealers. It does not take Congress to change this. The Fed could make this change tomorrow if it chooses to do so.
“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York trades U.S. government and select other securities with designated primary dealers, which include banks and securities broker-dealers. Weekly transaction, market share data and primary dealer lists are updated periodically. Much of the information is submitted voluntarily. The Bank expects primary dealers to submit accurate data, but the Bank itself does not audit the data.”
More
Free Dental Care To Be Offered To The Public
Misson of Mercy is a two day free dental clinic being organized by members of the Eastern Shore Dental Society and other local volunteers for the weekend of March 13-17, 2013 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. The focus of this mission is to provide treatment of immediate dental needs to the underserved populations on the Delmarva Peninsula. Anyone nineteen years of age or older is eligible to receive services including extractions, restoration (fillings) or cleanings. All of the treatment will be provided by volunteer board registered dental and medical professionals at no cost to those receiving care.For more information and to sign up to volunteer call 443-365-5776 or visit www.Eastershoremissionofmercy.org
Employee Union In Ocean City?
Ocean City Employees want a union. Do they really need a union. Look what happened when police & fire/emt got their collective bargaining.
Look at the top 100 salaries as of 2009. If anyone needs a union it's the restaurant and hotel employees not the government workers. These salaries don't include all the benefits.
CITY MANAGER ...............173,404.80
CITY MANAGER ...............173,404.80
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ......152,669.64
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR ......146,860.93
CITY ENGINEER ..............146,860.43
CHIEF OF POLICE ............144,676.89
RECREATION/PARKS DIRECTOR ....140,321.75
PLANNING & COMM DEV DIRECTOR .140,321.46
EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR ..140,150.34
FIRE MARSHAL ...............135,445.22
POLICE CAPTAIN..............132,617.77
POLICE CAPTAIN..............126,743.38
POLICE CAPTAIN..............123,803.60
POLICE CAPTAIN..............123,328.39
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIR .121,828.01
GENERAL SERVICES DIRECTOR ..118,892.80
PW SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER...118,541.49
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR .......116,773.06
FIRE/EMS DEPUTY CHIEF ......116,561.04
TRANS SUPER.................114,746.27
PW DEPUTY DIRECTOR .........114,400.00
RISK/CLAIMS MANAGER.........113,846.15
POLICE OFFICER .............113,654.21
POLICE SERGEANT.............112,902.18
WASTEWATER SUPERINTENDENT...112,553.76
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........111,060.18
CONVENTION CENTER DIRECTOR .110,441.00
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........110,198.26
POLICE SERGEANT ............110,147.23
HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR ....110,000.73
GOLF SUPERINTENDENT ........109,193.03
ELECTRONIC SERVICES MANAGER 108,953.07
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........108,715.45
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......108,455.06
POLICE CORPORAL ............107,896.52
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,798.83
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,174.58
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,101.83
FIRE MARSHAL/DEPUTY CHIEF ..106,079.84
PW CHIEF DEPUTY DIRECTOR ...106,004.49
BUDGET MANAGER .............105,817.00
POLICE SERGEANT.............105,732.65
RECREATION/PARKS ASST DIRECTOR .....104,114.08
POLICE SERGEANT ............103,951.94
ASSISTANT FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR ..103,947.78
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......103,433.64
POLICE SERGEANT ............102,788.29
CONVENTION OPERATIONS MANAGER ..102,432.47
POLICE SERGEANT ............102,018.75
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........101,634.12
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........100,815.17
CONVENTION SALES/MARKETING DIR .100,139.11
PW MAINTENANCE MANAGER .....99,171.67
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........98,584.78
FIRE/EMS ASSISTANT CHIEF ...98,468.62
FIRE/EMS LIEUTENANT ........98,331.83
SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR ....98,066.39
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........97,917.85
POLICE SERGEANT ............97,392.00
POLICE OFFICER .............97,305.75
POLICE SERGEANT ............97,201.11
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......97,141.47
PW CONSTRUCTION MANAGER ....97,086.10
POLICE CORPORAL ............96,578.88
CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL ....96,363.51
POLICE SERGEANT ............95,965.90
FIRE/EMS LIEUTENANT ........95,884.27
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS .95,668.59
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........95,494.39
POLICE SERGEANT ............94,559.79
PARKS SUPERINTENDENT .......94,112.25
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS .93,961.25
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........93,443.18
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........92,126.79
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........91,928.81
CITY CLERK .................91,743.69
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........91,729.54
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT.......91,605.78
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS..91,518.83
POLICE CORPORAL.............91,497.41
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION MGR 91,437.76
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........90,818.71
ENGINEERING MANAGER ........90,641.28
GOLF PROFESSIONAL/MGR ......90,572.99
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,504.00
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,503.90
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,503.85
POLICE CORPORAL.............90,248.81
POLICE CORPORAL.............89,220.94
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........89,103.53
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........89,016.33
POLICE CORPORAL.............88,997.91
POLICE SERGEANT.............88,981.66
POLICE SERGEANT.............88,804.80
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS..88,680.56
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........88,444.03
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............88,275.08
TOURISM DIRECTOR............87,687.86
Look at the top 100 salaries as of 2009. If anyone needs a union it's the restaurant and hotel employees not the government workers. These salaries don't include all the benefits.
CITY MANAGER ...............173,404.80
CITY MANAGER ...............173,404.80
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ......152,669.64
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR ......146,860.93
CITY ENGINEER ..............146,860.43
CHIEF OF POLICE ............144,676.89
RECREATION/PARKS DIRECTOR ....140,321.75
PLANNING & COMM DEV DIRECTOR .140,321.46
EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR ..140,150.34
FIRE MARSHAL ...............135,445.22
POLICE CAPTAIN..............132,617.77
POLICE CAPTAIN..............126,743.38
POLICE CAPTAIN..............123,803.60
POLICE CAPTAIN..............123,328.39
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIR .121,828.01
GENERAL SERVICES DIRECTOR ..118,892.80
PW SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER...118,541.49
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR .......116,773.06
FIRE/EMS DEPUTY CHIEF ......116,561.04
TRANS SUPER.................114,746.27
PW DEPUTY DIRECTOR .........114,400.00
RISK/CLAIMS MANAGER.........113,846.15
POLICE OFFICER .............113,654.21
POLICE SERGEANT.............112,902.18
WASTEWATER SUPERINTENDENT...112,553.76
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........111,060.18
CONVENTION CENTER DIRECTOR .110,441.00
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........110,198.26
POLICE SERGEANT ............110,147.23
HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR ....110,000.73
GOLF SUPERINTENDENT ........109,193.03
ELECTRONIC SERVICES MANAGER 108,953.07
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........108,715.45
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......108,455.06
POLICE CORPORAL ............107,896.52
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,798.83
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,174.58
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........106,101.83
FIRE MARSHAL/DEPUTY CHIEF ..106,079.84
PW CHIEF DEPUTY DIRECTOR ...106,004.49
BUDGET MANAGER .............105,817.00
POLICE SERGEANT.............105,732.65
RECREATION/PARKS ASST DIRECTOR .....104,114.08
POLICE SERGEANT ............103,951.94
ASSISTANT FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR ..103,947.78
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......103,433.64
POLICE SERGEANT ............102,788.29
CONVENTION OPERATIONS MANAGER ..102,432.47
POLICE SERGEANT ............102,018.75
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........101,634.12
POLICE LIEUTENANT...........100,815.17
CONVENTION SALES/MARKETING DIR .100,139.11
PW MAINTENANCE MANAGER .....99,171.67
POLICE LIEUTENANT ..........98,584.78
FIRE/EMS ASSISTANT CHIEF ...98,468.62
FIRE/EMS LIEUTENANT ........98,331.83
SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR ....98,066.39
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........97,917.85
POLICE SERGEANT ............97,392.00
POLICE OFFICER .............97,305.75
POLICE SERGEANT ............97,201.11
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT ......97,141.47
PW CONSTRUCTION MANAGER ....97,086.10
POLICE CORPORAL ............96,578.88
CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL ....96,363.51
POLICE SERGEANT ............95,965.90
FIRE/EMS LIEUTENANT ........95,884.27
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS .95,668.59
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........95,494.39
POLICE SERGEANT ............94,559.79
PARKS SUPERINTENDENT .......94,112.25
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS .93,961.25
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........93,443.18
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........92,126.79
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........91,928.81
CITY CLERK .................91,743.69
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV .........91,729.54
FF/EMS 2ND LIEUTENANT.......91,605.78
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS..91,518.83
POLICE CORPORAL.............91,497.41
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION MGR 91,437.76
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........90,818.71
ENGINEERING MANAGER ........90,641.28
GOLF PROFESSIONAL/MGR ......90,572.99
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,504.00
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,503.90
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............90,503.85
POLICE CORPORAL.............90,248.81
POLICE CORPORAL.............89,220.94
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........89,103.53
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........89,016.33
POLICE CORPORAL.............88,997.91
POLICE SERGEANT.............88,981.66
POLICE SERGEANT.............88,804.80
POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS..88,680.56
FIREFIGHTER/EMT IV..........88,444.03
FIRE/EMS CAPTAIN............88,275.08
TOURISM DIRECTOR............87,687.86
RiverWalk Cleanup Project 2012
Is your company interested in making the Salisbury RiverWalk a cleaner, more beautiful place? We are looking for any local business that are interested in donating a few hours of their time for the clean-up project along RiverWalk Park. This is an ideal community service project which allows employee teams to work together outside of the business setting. The Chamber is seeking a different company each month willing to provide 5-10 people. A photo will be taken before and after the cleanup, which will be published in the next issue of the "Business Journal." Supplies and lunch will also be provided for your employees. For further information, please contact Donna at 410-749-0144 or Donna@salisburyarea.com.
TERRY COHEN DOES TOUR DE FORCE TATTOO ON THE DAILY TIMES
If you did not attend or watch last night's meeting of the Salisbury City Council, let me explain why Greg Bassett's butt must be raw and aching today. In an unemotional and articulate statement - interrupted at one point by Laura Mitchell - Ms. Cohen set the record straight about the outrageous manner in which the Gannett Daily Times has misrepresented if not deliberately distorted her comments in regard to Ireton's plan for downtown.
Because we will try to post an audio or video of her remarks, I won't quote from them. In complete detail, she discussed the erroneous quotations attributed to her as well as the ridiculous and false assertions by Ireton.
As another speaker pointed out in the public comment portion of the meeting, the Daily Times has now abandoned any remaining vestige of journalistic objectivity and become a highly partisan and dangerous “player” in Salisbury politics with this latest blatent editorial effort to smear Ms. Cohen and the other majority members of the Council.
Kudos to Ms. Cohen for giving the Daily Times a well deserved public thrashing.
Welcoming New Teachers
The Workforce Development Committee is once again stuffing bags to welcome new teachers to our community. These bags will be delivered to Wicomico County teachers at their kick off breakfast in August. Bags will also be delivered to members schools including: Salisbury Christian School, Salisbury School and Wicomico Day School. We would love to provide even more goodies and community information (advertising specialties and discount coupons) than we have in the past.
Historically we have found that a large percentage of these teachers are new to the area and not just new to teaching. This will be one of the first contacts that they will have with our business community. We feel it is important to make them feel welcome as well as educate them on our area businesses and our area in general. The product, coupon or promotional item should be available for the Chamber by August 3, 2012. If you are interested in helping with this project in any way, please contact Brad at the Chamber for further information (410-749-0144).
Historically we have found that a large percentage of these teachers are new to the area and not just new to teaching. This will be one of the first contacts that they will have with our business community. We feel it is important to make them feel welcome as well as educate them on our area businesses and our area in general. The product, coupon or promotional item should be available for the Chamber by August 3, 2012. If you are interested in helping with this project in any way, please contact Brad at the Chamber for further information (410-749-0144).
Pac-Man mystery: Video Game Icon Chomps Local Lane Dividers
If you blink, you'll miss it, but on certain roads in and around Bowie and Crofton, there he his: The yellow Pac-Man chomping up those familiar white lane markers.
So, what's the message?
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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES MARYLAND MEETS MILESTONE GOALS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE CHESAPEAKE BAY
LORTON, VA (July 9, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today at the Chesapeake Executive Council Meeting announced that Maryland met its 2009-2011 milestones to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. As part of our Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), the State is on track to achieve the next two-year milestone goals and Maryland’s 2017 interim target. In 2008, in order to accelerate restoration and improve public accountability, the Executive Council directed the partnership to begin tracking their process through short, two-year targets starting with the years 2009-2011.
Maryland tracks its progress in meeting these two-year milestones through Governor O’Malley’s BayStat process. BayStat allows Maryland to not only track progress but to make the necessary changes to restoration practices to ensure achievement of overall pollution diet goals.
Maryland has been able to meet these goals even while accounting for expected growth during the milestone period.
“There are some challenges so large that we can only tackle them together. Restoring the Bay is one of them. And all of us are here today because we understand that the choices we make together for our Bay matter for our health, our environment, our quality of life, our economy and for future generations,” said Governor O’Malley. “We have worked closely with our local partners to create and carry out a Watershed Implementation Plan that works for each individual community, and do it in an open and transparent way. Thanks to our hard work together, we have achieved our 2009-2011 milestones, and we’re on track to meet our 2012-2013 milestones.”
Maryland tracks its progress in meeting these two-year milestones through Governor O’Malley’s BayStat process. BayStat allows Maryland to not only track progress but to make the necessary changes to restoration practices to ensure achievement of overall pollution diet goals.
Maryland has been able to meet these goals even while accounting for expected growth during the milestone period.
“There are some challenges so large that we can only tackle them together. Restoring the Bay is one of them. And all of us are here today because we understand that the choices we make together for our Bay matter for our health, our environment, our quality of life, our economy and for future generations,” said Governor O’Malley. “We have worked closely with our local partners to create and carry out a Watershed Implementation Plan that works for each individual community, and do it in an open and transparent way. Thanks to our hard work together, we have achieved our 2009-2011 milestones, and we’re on track to meet our 2012-2013 milestones.”
Word Games
See if you can figure out what these seven words all have in common?
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess
Give it another try....
Look at each word carefully. You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer. This is so cool.....
No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters....
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word. Did you figure it out? No? Then send this to more people and stump them as well. Then, you'll feel better too.....
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess
Give it another try....
Look at each word carefully. You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer. This is so cool.....
No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters....
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word. Did you figure it out? No? Then send this to more people and stump them as well. Then, you'll feel better too.....
Japan Farm Paid $10 Million For I'll Have Another
The owner of I'll Have Another says he sold his Kentucky Derby and
Preakness winner to a farm in Japan for $10 million, a price that far
exceeded any amount he was offered in the United States.
J. Paul Reddam made his comments in a blog appearing on the bloodhorse.com website. He writes there were two offers from U.S. breeding operations, one valued at just under $5 million, the other at $3 million.
"Certainly greed has something to do with it," he wrote, adding that the "one offer was four times higher in cash than the best offer here," and "I couldn't rationalize not selling him overseas."
More
J. Paul Reddam made his comments in a blog appearing on the bloodhorse.com website. He writes there were two offers from U.S. breeding operations, one valued at just under $5 million, the other at $3 million.
"Certainly greed has something to do with it," he wrote, adding that the "one offer was four times higher in cash than the best offer here," and "I couldn't rationalize not selling him overseas."
More
Things That Make You Go Hmmm - Such As The Transition From Conspiracy Theory To Conspiracy Fact
Attempts to manipulate free markets invariably end badly - after all, they are, supposedly, by their very nature, free.
Over the past few weeks, the exposure of the Libor-rigging scandal has monopolized the headlines of the financial press and inveigled its way onto the front pages of every major news publication in the world through the sheer size and scale of the story.
Something as big as this just CAN’T be hidden from the public.
Only... it can.
It has been. It no doubt still is to a certain extent. I’m not going to go through all of the events of the past few weeks as you are no doubt familiar with them, but [simply understanding how LIBOR works makes for a simple conclusion].
I’m afraid it’s rather obvious. Given that almost half the reported inputs that help establish the Libor rate are discarded immediately, Barclays simply CANNOT have manipulated the Libor rate alone. Period.
http://www.zerohedge.com/print/451643
Over the past few weeks, the exposure of the Libor-rigging scandal has monopolized the headlines of the financial press and inveigled its way onto the front pages of every major news publication in the world through the sheer size and scale of the story.
Something as big as this just CAN’T be hidden from the public.
Only... it can.
It has been. It no doubt still is to a certain extent. I’m not going to go through all of the events of the past few weeks as you are no doubt familiar with them, but [simply understanding how LIBOR works makes for a simple conclusion].
I’m afraid it’s rather obvious. Given that almost half the reported inputs that help establish the Libor rate are discarded immediately, Barclays simply CANNOT have manipulated the Libor rate alone. Period.
http://www.zerohedge.com/print/451643
Ground Broken For Solar Project at Md. Prison
Construction of one of Maryland's largest solar energy projects
has begun at a state prison complex near Hagerstown.
Gov. Martin O'Malley joined a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday for the 20- megawatt array of solar panels on 160 acres of state-owned land near the Maryland Correctional Institution.
More
Gov. Martin O'Malley joined a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday for the 20- megawatt array of solar panels on 160 acres of state-owned land near the Maryland Correctional Institution.
More
The Violence Against Women Act, And The Creation Of South Park Nation
Even though at our house we don't have television reception, we do have a TV and watch videos. My kids like to watch reruns of shows like "Bones" and "Castle," and I admit to enjoying the old "Nash Bridges" episodes.
All of these shows involve cops and other government officials "solving" crimes, and while the methods used at times might not exactly be constitutional, nonetheless they always get it right. Furthermore, the cops in these shows care about getting it right.
Once again, we see how Hollywood fantasy collides with reality. The "superdetective" who uses deduction and intelligence to solve a crime simply does not exist, anymore, or if in existence, is a very rare species. Instead, police today depend heavily upon preconceived "narratives" in which they decide at the beginning who is "guilty," and how to construct "evidence" to prove that guilt. If the evidence does not fit the narrative, then police either ignore it or get prosecutors to do the legal version of pounding square pegs into round holes.
I make this point because American law increasingly has moved in the direction where evidence no longer matters when it comes to determining who has committed a crime. For that matter, it does not even matter if someone actually has committed a crime; the only thing that is important is whether or not the authorities claim there has been a crime and that the "guilty" party will be punished. Modern criminal "investigations are not something out of "Bones" or "Law and Order." Instead, they are something out of South Park.
More
All of these shows involve cops and other government officials "solving" crimes, and while the methods used at times might not exactly be constitutional, nonetheless they always get it right. Furthermore, the cops in these shows care about getting it right.
Once again, we see how Hollywood fantasy collides with reality. The "superdetective" who uses deduction and intelligence to solve a crime simply does not exist, anymore, or if in existence, is a very rare species. Instead, police today depend heavily upon preconceived "narratives" in which they decide at the beginning who is "guilty," and how to construct "evidence" to prove that guilt. If the evidence does not fit the narrative, then police either ignore it or get prosecutors to do the legal version of pounding square pegs into round holes.
I make this point because American law increasingly has moved in the direction where evidence no longer matters when it comes to determining who has committed a crime. For that matter, it does not even matter if someone actually has committed a crime; the only thing that is important is whether or not the authorities claim there has been a crime and that the "guilty" party will be punished. Modern criminal "investigations are not something out of "Bones" or "Law and Order." Instead, they are something out of South Park.
More
WCSO Press Releases 7-10-12
Incident: Violation of Pre-Trial Release
Date of Incident: 5 July 2012
Location: 7000 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: Justin Michael Sauve, 21, Pittsville, MD
Narrative: On 5 July 2012 at 11:24 AM, a deputy arrested Justin Sauve on a District Court Bench Warrant that had been issued after Sauve violated the conditions of his pre-trial release. Sauve had been previously arrested for a violation of a protective order and upon release from confinement, Sauve went back to try and make contact with the petitioner again.
Upon arrest, the deputy transported Sauve to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Sauve in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Violation of Pre-Trial Release
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 31 May 2012
Location: 29000 block of Red Fox Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Alisha Ann Langerak, 30, Laurel, DE
Narrative: On 31 May 2012 a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of two credit cards from a vehicle on Red Fox Drive and their subsequent use in Wicomico and Worcester counties. During the investigation, the deputy discovered multiple purchases made at various retail outlets in the surrounding area and was able to identify the suspect who was presenting the stolen credit cards as Alisha Langerak of Laurel, DE.
The deputy obtained a warrant for Langerak’s arrest on 2 July 2012 and that was served on 5 July 2012. Upon arrest the deputy transported Langerak to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Langerak in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Theft
Credit Card: Steal Another’s
Credit Card: Personate
Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 6 July 2012
Location: 26000 block of Siloam Road, Eden, MD
Suspect: Jessica Louise Gray, 29, Eden, MD
Narrative: On 6 July 2012 at 11:15 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Jessica Gray at a residence in the 26000 block of Siloam Road in Eden. Gray was being sought on an open bench Warrant that had been open since Gray failed to appear for a CDS possession case back in 2008.
The deputy took Gray into custody and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Gray in the Detention Center in lieu of $1,000.00 bond.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 3 July 2012
Location: 20000 block of Roaring Point Drive, Nanticoke, MD
Suspect: Michael Wayne Carey, 33, Eden, MD
Narrative: On 3 July 2012, a deputy began an investigation into the theft of a purse from a vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of Roaring Point Park in Nanticoke. During the theft, the suspect shattered the side window of the vehicle to get the purse. After taking the report, the deputy learned that the victim’s credit cards were being used at retail outlets in Salisbury. During the subsequent investigation, the deputy managed to identify Michael Carey as the subject who was using the credit cards in Salisbury.
The deputy obtained a warrant for the arrest of Carey and that warrant was served on 7 July 2012 at 6:50 PM. Upon arrest, the deputy transported Carey to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Carey in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Rogue and vagabond
Malicious Destruction of Property
Theft
Credit Card: Personate
Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 8 July 2012
Location: Ocean Gateway, Hebron, MD
Suspect: Paula Vincena Swales, 33, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 8 July 2012 at 10:00 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Paula Swales in Hebron, MD on an outstanding arrest warrant. Swales had been sought on a bench warrant after Swales failed to appear in the Circuit Court for a Violation of Probation Hearing in a traffic case back in 2008.
The deputy transported Swales to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and detained in the Detention Center without bond pending an appearance in front of a Circuit Court judge.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Incident: Assault on a Deputy
Date of Incident: 8 July 2012
Location: 27000 block of Rockawalkin Ridge Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Paul F. Bohrer, 41, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 8 July 2012 at 12:03 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported domestic altercation in the 27000 block of Rockawalkin Road in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputies determined that Paul Bohrer had been involved in a physical altercation with his wife and step –son and both had injuries that corroborated their accounts. Due to those observations, Bohrer was placed under arrest. When one of the deputies attempted to place Bohrer in a patrol vehicle for transport, Bohrer became agitated and began resisting the deputies. Bohrer kicked one of the deputies and also spit on one of the deputies. Once subdued, Bohrer continued to resist by forcing to move, which required the deputies to carry him to the patrol vehicle as well as carry him inside central booking upon arrival.
Once at Central Booking, Bohrer was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Bohrer in the Detention Center in lieu of $250,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 1st Degree
Assault 2nd Degree
Resisting Arrest
Reckless Endangerment
Date of Incident: 5 July 2012
Location: 7000 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: Justin Michael Sauve, 21, Pittsville, MD
Narrative: On 5 July 2012 at 11:24 AM, a deputy arrested Justin Sauve on a District Court Bench Warrant that had been issued after Sauve violated the conditions of his pre-trial release. Sauve had been previously arrested for a violation of a protective order and upon release from confinement, Sauve went back to try and make contact with the petitioner again.
Upon arrest, the deputy transported Sauve to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Sauve in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Violation of Pre-Trial Release
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 31 May 2012
Location: 29000 block of Red Fox Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Alisha Ann Langerak, 30, Laurel, DE
Narrative: On 31 May 2012 a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of two credit cards from a vehicle on Red Fox Drive and their subsequent use in Wicomico and Worcester counties. During the investigation, the deputy discovered multiple purchases made at various retail outlets in the surrounding area and was able to identify the suspect who was presenting the stolen credit cards as Alisha Langerak of Laurel, DE.
The deputy obtained a warrant for Langerak’s arrest on 2 July 2012 and that was served on 5 July 2012. Upon arrest the deputy transported Langerak to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Langerak in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Theft
Credit Card: Steal Another’s
Credit Card: Personate
Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 6 July 2012
Location: 26000 block of Siloam Road, Eden, MD
Suspect: Jessica Louise Gray, 29, Eden, MD
Narrative: On 6 July 2012 at 11:15 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Jessica Gray at a residence in the 26000 block of Siloam Road in Eden. Gray was being sought on an open bench Warrant that had been open since Gray failed to appear for a CDS possession case back in 2008.
The deputy took Gray into custody and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Gray in the Detention Center in lieu of $1,000.00 bond.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 3 July 2012
Location: 20000 block of Roaring Point Drive, Nanticoke, MD
Suspect: Michael Wayne Carey, 33, Eden, MD
Narrative: On 3 July 2012, a deputy began an investigation into the theft of a purse from a vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of Roaring Point Park in Nanticoke. During the theft, the suspect shattered the side window of the vehicle to get the purse. After taking the report, the deputy learned that the victim’s credit cards were being used at retail outlets in Salisbury. During the subsequent investigation, the deputy managed to identify Michael Carey as the subject who was using the credit cards in Salisbury.
The deputy obtained a warrant for the arrest of Carey and that warrant was served on 7 July 2012 at 6:50 PM. Upon arrest, the deputy transported Carey to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Carey in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Rogue and vagabond
Malicious Destruction of Property
Theft
Credit Card: Personate
Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 8 July 2012
Location: Ocean Gateway, Hebron, MD
Suspect: Paula Vincena Swales, 33, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 8 July 2012 at 10:00 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office located Paula Swales in Hebron, MD on an outstanding arrest warrant. Swales had been sought on a bench warrant after Swales failed to appear in the Circuit Court for a Violation of Probation Hearing in a traffic case back in 2008.
The deputy transported Swales to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and detained in the Detention Center without bond pending an appearance in front of a Circuit Court judge.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Incident: Assault on a Deputy
Date of Incident: 8 July 2012
Location: 27000 block of Rockawalkin Ridge Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Paul F. Bohrer, 41, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 8 July 2012 at 12:03 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported domestic altercation in the 27000 block of Rockawalkin Road in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputies determined that Paul Bohrer had been involved in a physical altercation with his wife and step –son and both had injuries that corroborated their accounts. Due to those observations, Bohrer was placed under arrest. When one of the deputies attempted to place Bohrer in a patrol vehicle for transport, Bohrer became agitated and began resisting the deputies. Bohrer kicked one of the deputies and also spit on one of the deputies. Once subdued, Bohrer continued to resist by forcing to move, which required the deputies to carry him to the patrol vehicle as well as carry him inside central booking upon arrival.
Once at Central Booking, Bohrer was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Bohrer in the Detention Center in lieu of $250,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 1st Degree
Assault 2nd Degree
Resisting Arrest
Reckless Endangerment
This Is The Wall Street Scandal Of All Scandals
“Suppose the bankers are manipulating the interest rate so they can place bets with the money you lend or repay them – bets that will pay off big for them because they have inside information on what the market is really predicting, which they’re not sharing with you.”
Just when you thought Wall Street couldn’t sink any lower – when its myriad abuses of public trust have already spread a miasma of cynicism over the entire economic system, giving birth to Tea Partiers and Occupiers and all manner of conspiracy theories; when its excesses have already wrought havoc with the lives of millions of Americans, causing taxpayers to shell out billions (of which only a portion has been repaid) even as its top executives are back to making more money than ever; when its vast political power (via campaign contributions) has already eviscerated much of the Dodd-Frank law that was supposed to rein it in, including the so-called “Volker” Rule that was sold as a milder version of the old Glass-Steagall Act that used to separate investment from commercial banking – yes, just when you thought the Street had hit bottom, an even deeper level of public-be-damned greed and corruption is revealed.
Sit down and hold on to your chair.
What’s the most basic service banks provide? Borrow money and lend it out. You put your savings in a bank to hold in trust, and the bank agrees to pay you interest on it. Or you borrow money from the bank and you agree to pay the bank interest.
How is this interest rate determined? We trust that the banking system is setting today’s rate based on its best guess about the future worth of the money. And we assume that guess is based, in turn, on the cumulative market predictions of countless lenders and borrowers all over the world about the future supply and demand for the dough.
But suppose our assumption is wrong. Suppose the bankers are manipulating the interest rate so they can place bets with the money you lend or repay them – bets that will pay off big for them because they have inside information on what the market is really predicting, which they’re not sharing with you.
That would be a mammoth violation of public trust. And it would amount to a rip-off of almost cosmic proportion – trillions of dollars that you and I and other average people would otherwise have received or saved on our lending and borrowing that have been going instead to the bankers. It would make the other abuses of trust we’ve witnessed look like child’s play by comparison.
More
Just when you thought Wall Street couldn’t sink any lower – when its myriad abuses of public trust have already spread a miasma of cynicism over the entire economic system, giving birth to Tea Partiers and Occupiers and all manner of conspiracy theories; when its excesses have already wrought havoc with the lives of millions of Americans, causing taxpayers to shell out billions (of which only a portion has been repaid) even as its top executives are back to making more money than ever; when its vast political power (via campaign contributions) has already eviscerated much of the Dodd-Frank law that was supposed to rein it in, including the so-called “Volker” Rule that was sold as a milder version of the old Glass-Steagall Act that used to separate investment from commercial banking – yes, just when you thought the Street had hit bottom, an even deeper level of public-be-damned greed and corruption is revealed.
Sit down and hold on to your chair.
What’s the most basic service banks provide? Borrow money and lend it out. You put your savings in a bank to hold in trust, and the bank agrees to pay you interest on it. Or you borrow money from the bank and you agree to pay the bank interest.
How is this interest rate determined? We trust that the banking system is setting today’s rate based on its best guess about the future worth of the money. And we assume that guess is based, in turn, on the cumulative market predictions of countless lenders and borrowers all over the world about the future supply and demand for the dough.
But suppose our assumption is wrong. Suppose the bankers are manipulating the interest rate so they can place bets with the money you lend or repay them – bets that will pay off big for them because they have inside information on what the market is really predicting, which they’re not sharing with you.
That would be a mammoth violation of public trust. And it would amount to a rip-off of almost cosmic proportion – trillions of dollars that you and I and other average people would otherwise have received or saved on our lending and borrowing that have been going instead to the bankers. It would make the other abuses of trust we’ve witnessed look like child’s play by comparison.
More
KUNSTLER HITS A GRAND SLAM
The Drowning Pool
News that that a swarm of termites deep inside the British banking system have been fiddling the interbank interest rates (LIBOR) for years in order to systematically vacuum a few billion pence off the exchange floors for themselves is the latest blow to the credibility of the global money system – and probably a fine overture to a looming climactic implosion of the gigantic, creaking, smoldering, reeking, duck-taped edifice of broken promises, booby-trapped hedge obligations, counterparty follies, central bank euchres, sovereign flim-flams, and countless chicanes too various, dark, and deep to smoke out. Next, we’ll probably hear that Lloyd Blankfein over at Goldman Sachs has been tinkering with the rotation of the earth in order to gain a few micro-milliseconds of advantage in his firm’s high frequency trading rackets. After all, back in 2008 Lloyd himself claimed to be “doing God’s work.”
In short, world banking is now hopelessly pranged, and I am not at all sure the project of civilization (modern edition) can continue by other means. The impairments of capital formation are now so profound that no one and nothing can be trusted. Not only are all bets off, but nobody will want to make any new bets – and by that I mean venture to invest accumulated wealth (capital) in some useful project designed to sustain human well-being. What remains is just the desperate hoarding of whatever remains in assets uncontaminated by the pledges of others to pony up.
All this points to a dangerous new period of political history, a deadly Hobbesian scramble to evade the falling timber in a burning house as the rudiments of a worldwide social contract go up in flames. Such is the importance of legitimacy: the basic condition for governance, especially among supposedly free people. You can meddle in a lot of distributory issues – who gets what – but when you mess with the most basic operations of money to the extent that no one is sure what it’s really worth, or what it represents, then you are deeply undermining society. This is now the condition that is set to blow up republics.
More
News that that a swarm of termites deep inside the British banking system have been fiddling the interbank interest rates (LIBOR) for years in order to systematically vacuum a few billion pence off the exchange floors for themselves is the latest blow to the credibility of the global money system – and probably a fine overture to a looming climactic implosion of the gigantic, creaking, smoldering, reeking, duck-taped edifice of broken promises, booby-trapped hedge obligations, counterparty follies, central bank euchres, sovereign flim-flams, and countless chicanes too various, dark, and deep to smoke out. Next, we’ll probably hear that Lloyd Blankfein over at Goldman Sachs has been tinkering with the rotation of the earth in order to gain a few micro-milliseconds of advantage in his firm’s high frequency trading rackets. After all, back in 2008 Lloyd himself claimed to be “doing God’s work.”
In short, world banking is now hopelessly pranged, and I am not at all sure the project of civilization (modern edition) can continue by other means. The impairments of capital formation are now so profound that no one and nothing can be trusted. Not only are all bets off, but nobody will want to make any new bets – and by that I mean venture to invest accumulated wealth (capital) in some useful project designed to sustain human well-being. What remains is just the desperate hoarding of whatever remains in assets uncontaminated by the pledges of others to pony up.
All this points to a dangerous new period of political history, a deadly Hobbesian scramble to evade the falling timber in a burning house as the rudiments of a worldwide social contract go up in flames. Such is the importance of legitimacy: the basic condition for governance, especially among supposedly free people. You can meddle in a lot of distributory issues – who gets what – but when you mess with the most basic operations of money to the extent that no one is sure what it’s really worth, or what it represents, then you are deeply undermining society. This is now the condition that is set to blow up republics.
More
'Summer Sounds Of The Shore' Concert At SU Benefits SWAC July
From the uplifting medleys of beach country to the lowdown sound of the Delta blues to the staccato rhythm of African percussion, local musicians take listeners on a musical journey during “Summer Sounds of the Shore.” The concert, benefiting the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council (SWAC), is 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 6, in Salisbury University’s Holloway Hall Auditorium. The show is presented as part of SU’s Maryland Summer Center for the Arts, a two-week residential program for middle and high school students throughout the state. Performers include Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys, the blues-based Chris English Band and percussionist Ted Nichols.
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Fleeing Maryland / Tax Hell / Very Interesting Stats
A new report says wealthy Maryland residents may be moving out due to recent tax hikes – a finding that is sure to escalate the battle over taxing the American rich.
The study, by the anti-tax group Change Maryland, says that a net 31,000 residents left the state between 2007 and 2010, the tenure of a "millionaire's tax" pushed through by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The tax, which expired in 2010, in imposed a rate of 6.25 percent on incomes of more than $1 million a year.
The Change Maryland study found that the tax cost Maryland $1.7 billion in lost tax revenues. A county-by-county analysis by Change Maryland also found that the state’s wealthiest counties also had some of the largest population outflows.
In total, Maryland has added 24 new taxes or fees in recent years, Change Maryland says. Florida, which has no income-tax, has been a large recipient of Maryland's exiled wealthy.
“Maryland has reached the point of diminishing returns. We're taxing people too much and people are voting with their feet," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. “Until we change our focus from tax increases to increasing the tax base, more people are simply going to leave, leading to a downward spiral of raising revenues on fewer citizens
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The study, by the anti-tax group Change Maryland, says that a net 31,000 residents left the state between 2007 and 2010, the tenure of a "millionaire's tax" pushed through by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The tax, which expired in 2010, in imposed a rate of 6.25 percent on incomes of more than $1 million a year.
The Change Maryland study found that the tax cost Maryland $1.7 billion in lost tax revenues. A county-by-county analysis by Change Maryland also found that the state’s wealthiest counties also had some of the largest population outflows.
In total, Maryland has added 24 new taxes or fees in recent years, Change Maryland says. Florida, which has no income-tax, has been a large recipient of Maryland's exiled wealthy.
“Maryland has reached the point of diminishing returns. We're taxing people too much and people are voting with their feet," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. “Until we change our focus from tax increases to increasing the tax base, more people are simply going to leave, leading to a downward spiral of raising revenues on fewer citizens
More
This Graph Says an Awful Lot About the So-Called ‘Recovery’
Without one word of explanation, Harvard University econ professor Greg Mankiw posted the following graph to his blog:
More
SU Social Work Students Give Back To The Community
From a "senior" prom to an anti-bullying program to a host of fundraisers, Salisbury University students in Eileen Gilheany's Practice III Macro Social Work class learned ways to more effectively work with and for community organizations. In the end, they raised some $6,725, in addition to collecting food, clothing, school supplies and more.
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Ex-CIA director: Recent Outages a Taste of Nationwide Threat
Recent regional power outages that left some in the dark for days
are
a chilling glimpse of a nationwide threat that could lead to the complete
shutdown of the country's defenses, a former CIA director says.
Most in the Washington area were without power for at least a few hours following a derecho of historic proportions, and some fell off the grid for almost a week. R. James Woolsey Jr., CIA director under Bill Clinton and board member of the International Spy Museum, says a very real cybersecurity threat could sweep electrical grids throughout the country leaving the military and intelligence communities in a similar quagmire.
A complete absence of organization to combat these threats could take down the entire system for significantly longer than a few days, he says.
More
Most in the Washington area were without power for at least a few hours following a derecho of historic proportions, and some fell off the grid for almost a week. R. James Woolsey Jr., CIA director under Bill Clinton and board member of the International Spy Museum, says a very real cybersecurity threat could sweep electrical grids throughout the country leaving the military and intelligence communities in a similar quagmire.
A complete absence of organization to combat these threats could take down the entire system for significantly longer than a few days, he says.
More
This Week: Board of Education Monthly Meeting July 10, Wicomico County Council Bond Hearing For Replacement Bennett Middle Project July 12
The Wicomico County Board of Education will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at the Board Office in Salisbury. The meeting includes the annual reorganization of the Board, as well as administrative appointments, revisions to the 2012-13 school calendar, and other business. The agenda is posted online at http://www.wcboe.org/event/board-meeting-1096. For information please call 410-677-4400.
The Wicomico County Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 12 for public hearing and adoption of a $12.55 million bond bill for the replacement Bennett Middle School project. The agenda is posted here: http://www.wicomicocounty.org/council/agenda_minutes/AGENDA.htm. The meeting will take place in Room 301 of the Government Office Building, Salisbury. For information please call 410-548-4697
The Wicomico County Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 12 for public hearing and adoption of a $12.55 million bond bill for the replacement Bennett Middle School project. The agenda is posted here: http://www.wicomicocounty.org/council/agenda_minutes/AGENDA.htm. The meeting will take place in Room 301 of the Government Office Building, Salisbury. For information please call 410-548-4697
Free Bridal Gowns For The Military on Tuesday
FREDERICK, Md. - Before "Here Comes the Bride," there goes the money. The wedding gown is often one of the biggest expenses.
But Rachel Moore has been dreaming of this day since age three, according to her mom's photo album, so she's going to get it right.
"The dress is beautiful. I feel beautiful, and I think it's really going to make someone feel beautiful on their wedding day," said Moore.
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But Rachel Moore has been dreaming of this day since age three, according to her mom's photo album, so she's going to get it right.
"The dress is beautiful. I feel beautiful, and I think it's really going to make someone feel beautiful on their wedding day," said Moore.
More
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