Screw Up Salisbury Then Pack Your Bags And Move To Florida

This has always been one of my biggest problems with Mayor Jim Ireton. He has already packed his bags before and left town.

Here's the deal. No different from Barrie Tilghman, spend $14,000,000.00 on a stupid Fire Palace, a warehouse for trucks. FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS, yeah, right! Then there was that $84,000,000.00 WWTP crap that completely failed and now they have to spend another $60,000,000.00 to fix it. There's been a LOT of talk about Barrie and her Frank Burns of a husband packing their things and moving to Florida.

IF the one commenter is right and Ireton is trying to bring in a rainbow community to Salisbury on the backs of the taxpayers, perhaps his attempts won't go unrecognized any longer but I think it's far deeper than that.

Jim Ireton is whoring Salisbury for no good reason. We have plenty of reasons to keep impact fees where they are. HOWEVER, if your trying to surplus expensive property to unload to ALL of your developer friends, (think about it, who else has the money to develop these properties) and then whore out the impact fees at a 64% discount it will take a few years to get the "Ireton Projects" completed and then guess what, they're OFF the tax roll forever!

Waterfront property that will never be on the tax roll, yet it's the most valuable property the City has. Jimmy Ireton is simply a pimp. He'll go on and on about how many jobs he's bringing to Salisbury but again when all is said and done and he's moved to Key West, he couldn't care less what he's left you with.

It's all about buying votes with your very own tax dollars. Cut him off at the knees Ladies & Gentlemen. Ireton has NOT flat out denied he's doing what I'm openly stating his intent is. He's been careful with his words but he has NOT stated there will be no section 8, affordable, subsidized housing units, OR whatever else or new word they've come up with to express what I'm stating it is.

I for one look at these local developers who have already BAILED out of Salisbury and now live elsewhere on the Shore. They knew what was coming because they were a part of it from the beginning. I plan on sticking around until I die. I don't TWIST any of my words, I tell it straight, love me or hate me. It is what it is but at least you know what's coming.

Jim Ireton comes from being a nobody. A school teacher who speaks well. He wants to be loved, he loves attention but when he's not feeling the love and or the attention he throws a fit. This community can't be serious about considering Ireton for re election, let's get real. This community is fed up with the lies and or twisted words. The end result is the same, something you really didn't want.

You people need to start lining up at my front door to get your tee shirts. Continue to show the Mayor and the rest of Salisbury that the BS is over. We, (you and I) are going to bring this community back together again and make things right. Before things get too far out of control, get your shirt, make your statement and let's at least get Ireton out of the way.

We had a bunch of hookers walking the street on 13 not too long ago, if you'll recall. At least their customers walked away with a smile on their face. If you think this whore of a Mayor is going to have his customers walking away with a smile on your face satisfied you've got another thing coming, unless your a developer. Remember, they're the ones getting cheap waterfront property and a 64% discount. Then they go home to other counties and never have to deal with what the future will bring you and I.

Jim Ireton will be the only one walking away satisfied with a smile on his face laughing at each and every one of us because he's using our money to screw us. These BS artists get their biggest thrill trying to get away with crap like he's pulling. Send Jimmy packing to Key West so we can move forward with business. I'll not be his whore. I will put up the biggest fight of his life.

500 new "Ireton Project" units in Downtown Salisbury! I believe we need to come together as a community and let those select few special interests know we're starting a non violent mini revolution AGAINST these kind of "Ireton Projects". You have someone ready to move in and truly represent ALL of US. Oh, they might kick and scream and call foul. The Press may even give them all the attention but one thing you and I have is a massive following right here on Salisbury News. WE can and will make a difference at the polls and that scared the crap out of Jim Ireton and Chuck Cook. Their petition drive CLEARLY proves they could only achieve around 400 local names after pushing it everywhere they could, including social media. Unfortunately for the majority of those people who signed the petition they had NO IDEA subsidized housing units were involved.

That being said Mr. Ireton, you wanted a fight, I'm bringing it to you. You've never dealt with an honorable businessman before who has no idea how to be a politician like yourself but has dealt with the likes of people like you for many years. I'll bet at least one year of my life I'm going to win this race hands down against you simply because I'm the same guy the majority of voters are. The only difference is, YOUR people do NOT scare me. I have thicker skin and I don't run away when people try to scare me. My past history PROVES I'll stand up for myself and others for what is right.

Come get your tee shirts Ladies & Gentlemen. It's time we start fighting back and save Salisbury. No more subsidized housing units on the backs of the taxpayers. The Obama Train will make its last stop right here in Salisbury, Maryland. I'll even let Jimmy toot/blow the horn.

Chicago Cop Torture Payouts Reach $40m

Chicago is set to pay out over $7 million to two men who were victims of torture at the hands of ex-police chief Jon Burge. It brings the cost in litigation related to Burge’s abuses to an unprecedented $40 million of tax payers’ money.

The settlement, totaling $7.17 million, still needs to be fully approved by the city council and will be divided between the two claimants.

The larger part of the payout will go to Michael Tillman, who claims police tortured him for four days until he confessed to the murder of 42-year-old Betty Howard in 1986.

"They put a bag over his head to suffocate him. They beat him bloody with a telephone book. They took him outside the police station by some railroad tracks, put a gun to his head and threatened to kill him," said Flint Taylor, Michael Tillman's attorney.

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Officer Shoots And Kills Son He Thought Was An Intruder

An ambulance paramedic told the Utica Observer-Dispatch that when he arrived on the scene, the father was “very distraught.” The paper reports that the crime is Herkimer County’s first homicide of the year.

Following the horrific shooting in Colorado Friday, debate has been renewed among political commentators in regards to gun control.

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U.S. Forest Service Trying to Kill the Town Too Tough to Die

The showdown between the federal government and the historic town of Tombstone is headed to court.  Using the 10th Amendment as a defense for the residents of Tombstone, the Goldwater Institute will be pushing back against the United States Forest Service (USFS), which is preventing the repair of crucial water lines to the town. More from Goldwater:

The City of Tombstone is squaring off against the U.S. Forest Service over water rights in a fight to rescue “The Town Too Tough to Die.” Citing the Wilderness Act, the Forest Service is refusing to allow the city to repair its waterlines to mountain springs it has owned for nearly seventy years – and which date back to the 1880s. This refusal is threatening residents, private property and public safety with the risk of a total loss of fire protection and safe drinking water.

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PBS 'Need To Know' Documentary Tackles Border Patrol Abuse

The "basic values" of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency include, "professionalism, honor, integrity, [and] respect for human life." According to the second installment of a PBS documentary, "Crossing The Line," however, many of the agency's employees are falling short of their stated ideals.

In recent years, border agents have sexually assaulted, tortured and psychologically abused foreign nationals with impunity, the "Need To Know" documentary alleges. The second installment, which aired on Friday evening, features interviews with many who claim to be witnesses and victims of border patrol abuses -- including a Mexican woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a U.S. border agent, a Mexican man who maintains he was physically abused by a member of the same agency and a retired border agent who claims prisoners were at times intentionally abused in CBP facilities. The documentary also shows hidden camera footage of agents emptying out gallons of water set out in the desert by an NGO, intended to help border crossers stave off dehydration.

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That‘ll Show ’Em: ‘National Same Sex Kiss Day’ Coming to a Chick-fil-A Near You

Okay, let’s see if we can get this sorted out:

Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said in a recent interview that his company supports the “traditional family unit” and, therefore, opposes gay marriage.

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that,” Cathy said.

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Federal Court Rules Wisconsin Schools' Graduations in Church Were Unconstitutional

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that two Wisconsin high schools violated the U.S. Constitution by holding graduations in a church -- among the most recent decisions in a long-running debate about the separation of church and state.

A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September the schools did nothing wrong by hold graduation in Elmbrook Church, in the southeastern part of the state.

However, the full 7th Circuit reversed the panel, ruling Monday the ceremonies were unconstitutional and noting students were exposed to religious messages in the form of a giant cross that hung over the church's sanctuary and religious pamphlets on middle school and high school ministries and hymnals in the pews.

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Cable Companies Brace For New Regulatory Battles

Few issues make constituents write to members of Congress like losing access to their favorite TV or cable shows and, up until now, lawmakers have been all talk and no action.

But a backlash to the blackouts may be coming.

In a series of hearings in the House and Senate, lawmakers are starting to look at video industry regulations and whether they need to be updated in the age of mobile devices, online video and cord cutters.

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8,753,935: Workers on Disability Set Another Record in July; Exceed Population of 39 States

The number of workers taking federal disability insurance payments hit yet another record in July, increasing to 8,753,935 during the month from the previous record of 8,733,461 set in June, according to newly released data from the Social Security Administration.


The 8,753,935 workers who took federal disability insurance payments in July exceeded the population of 39 of the 50 states. Only 11 states—California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey—had more people in them than the number of workers on the federal disability insurance rolls in July.

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Mayor Ireton Attempts To Really Screw Up Salisbury

Look, it is clear Jim Ireton and I do not see eye to eye, especially when it comes to politics and business. However, this crap that he's trying to spew really needs to come to an immediate end.

When you have Shanie Shields and Laura Mitchell as cheerleaders for his subsidized housing, section 8 housing and affordable housing projects, so afraid to even call them what they really are, it's getting scary.

Laura Mitchell seemed to want to create a new name for Ireton's project and maybe that's exactly what we should rename Mayor Ireton's Downtown revitalization plan, "Ireton's Projects".

Ireton wants to reduce impact fees by 64%, who do YOU think is going to ultimately pay for it in the end, YOU. YOU will be paying for his "Ireton's Downtown Projects" too. While WATERFRONT property brings in the HIGHEST tax revenue, Ireton wants to surplus every ounce of TAXPAYER OWNED waterfront property and turn it over to PROJECTS, subsidized housing, section 8 housing, affordable housing OR "Ireton's Downtown Projects".

No matter what you label it, the City of Salisbury has far more of these projects than most Cities across the state, yet Shanie and Laura want even more. So much so, now they believe their communities DESERVE it.

I'll repeat myself from a Post several days ago. How many student housing, affordable housing, section 8 housing and or subsidized housing projects have been built in the last 6 years, A LOT! How many new homes have been built, next to none! I'd say Jim Ireton and President Obama have in fact fulfilled their vision of CHANGE right here in Salisbury.

Salisbury no longer needs Mayors that will give away everything they have left to BUY VOTES. Salisbury needs a Mayor that can sell and market this incredible community/City. What Ireton, Shields and Mitchell are proposing is EASY and anyone can give things away. You wouldn't want your car salesman selling every car on the lot for cost at your dealership, would you? How about at a massive loss or well below its market value? You see, this is why we need to get the school teacher out of there and a businessman IN.

Shanie Shields said last night, my people are sick and tired of looking at River's Edge in my district. Well Shanie, I was sick and tired of looking at Feldman's for more years than you've been subjected to. It takes time to gain interest in such property. She said her people would love to access the marina. OK, low income housing units, just what kind of BOAT do you think they'll be parking in that marina Shanie? IF they can't afford housing, how are they going to afford a Boat, let alone the fees to PARK the Boat there for months on end.

It seems pretty clear to me that the City of Salisbury has delivered more than enough when it comes to these projects and that the spot light needs to be directed at Wicomico County now as they would probably be ranked pretty darned low when it comes to such mentioned projects.

When Shanie Shields tried to say her constituents didn't have enough housing projects in her district, Council President Terry Cohen spit out 7 projects on the west side without any hesitation and I've learned there are even more than seven.

Again, please remember that these, (most of them) are multiple dwelling units. So when you think of how many new homes have been built, think of ALL of the multiple dwelling "Ireton Projects" that have been built.

How long are we going to continue to provide housing for people on the backs of hard working Americans? Salisbury has done its fair share and that was proven last night. Salisbury now needs a Mayor that can build Economic Development, sell what Salisbury has to offer. Please, tell me what "projects" have proven to be an actual success for a community like Salisbury. Do they help raise property values? Does crime go down? Does it mean we need less Police Officers?

While Mayor Ireton wants to deliver a plan in which 30 years worth of current and former Council Members REJECTED, just because Obama is making it easy to get access to government funding for such projects doesn't mean it's the way we should go. Certainly provide a FAIR SHARE of subsidized housing, (which I believe we've done) but it is my strong belief this will further hurt this City in many more ways than one.


How many more fenced in communities do we need like Pemberton Apartments. THINK Ladies & Gentlemen. How inviting will Downtown Salisbury look then?

Living the High Life: Al Capone’s Fla. Hideaway has Just Been put on the Market for $10M

He had his own private army. He was directly responsible for the deaths of dozens of innocent (and not-so-innocent) Americans. His violent reign of power eventually lead to the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He owned Chicago. He lived like a king.

And then Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion.

Seriously, one of the most powerful criminals in U.S. history was put behind bars for not paying his taxes [hey, whatever sticks], which, in turn, lead to the corrosion and breakup of his criminal empire.

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BREAKING NEWS: TV's Sherman Hemsley Dies

Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson in 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' has died at 74, his agent confirms.

From Fox News

Federal Court Lifts Stay In Maryland Gun Permit Case

State sought delay in implementing ruling that declared Maryland's "good and substantial reason" requirement for a gun permit was unconstitutional.

UPDATED A U.S. District Court judge has lifted a stay on a federal court ruling that declared Maryland's permitting process to wear and carry a gun unconstitutional.

The order, issued by Judge Benson Everett Legg, lifts a stay sought by the state as it appeals the decision made last year.

Legg's ruling, which goes into effect in 14 days, lifts the stay sought by the state after a federal court ruled that the law requiring those seeking a permit to carry a gun must have "a good or substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, such as a finding that the permit is necessary as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger."

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Austerity's Big Winners Prove To Be Wall Street And The Wealthy

The poor and middle classes have shouldered by far the heaviest burdens of the global political obsession with austerity policies over the past three years. In the United States, budget cuts have forced states to reduce education, public transportation, affordable housing and other social services. In Europe, welfare cuts have driven some severely disabled individuals to fear for their lives.

But the austerity game also has winners. Cutting or eliminating government programs that benefit the less advantaged has long been an ideological goal of conservatives. Doing so also generates a tidy windfall for the corporate class, as government services are privatized and savings from austerity pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens.

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Defense Urged to Fire Ex-Muslim Iran Expert

A former Iranian CIA operative, now an expert lecturer with the Defense Department, is being targeted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim Brotherhood front group, because he “renounced Islam and began the quest to find the real God.”

CAIR, based in Washington, D.C., is calling on the Defense Department to fire Reza Kahlili, a frequent contributing writer to WND, in part, a press release from the group states, because he became a Christian and revealed his change of faith in a commentary in WND.

“They actually cite my change of faith as a principal reason for targeting me,” Kahlili told WND in a phone interview. “I thought once I left Iran for America I wouldn’t have to worry about that kind of persecution.”

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‘Fed Up’: Here’s Why Some Massachusetts Residents Are Considering Secession

Residents of Humarock, Massachusetts are so upset with their governing authorities that they are considering seceding from the town, according to reports.

The resentment seemed to boil over around the 4th of July, when residents say the authorities were out-of-control in enforcing their ban on bonfires.

“That was a full military operation… I mean hummers up and down the beach, state police helicopters, horseback, bomb squad, [and] a command post up the center,” said Fred Hayden, who owns a summer home in Humarock.

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Demand for Guns in Colorado Jumps in Wake of Movie Massacre

Colorado gun stores are seeing a big jump in demand for firearms since last Friday's massacre at a midnight movie showing in Aurora.

Background checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado reportedly increased more than 41 percent after last week’s Aurora movie massacre. The Denver Post reports that firearm instructors have also seen increased interest in training needed for a concealed-carry permit.

"It's been insane," Jake Meyers, an employee at Rocky Mountain Guns and Ammo in Parker told the newspaper Monday.

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STATEMENT RE: MOST RECENT RULING IN MD HANDGUN CARRY PERMIT CASE

(PIKESVILLE, MD) -- The Maryland State Police will comply with state law and the ruling of the courts as the state moves forward on appeal. The most recent ruling in this case, issued July 23, 2012, takes effect 14 days from the date of issuance. In the interim, the State Police will follow existing state law and will apply the standard of good and substantial reason to the review of handgun carry permit applications. We will continue to be guided by legal counsel from the Office of the Attorney General regarding subsequent court action and how that will be applied to the investigation and issuance of handgun carry permits.Greg ShipleySpokesman

Jim Ireton, You Better Read This & So Should EVERY Taxpayer

'Dream' Housing For Poor Set To Open

From 30 years ago: Long in the making, a unique subsidized housing project finally opened its doors.

East Harlem — Introduction: When the Taino Towers in East Harlem were unveiled in 1979, the community had high hopes. "Majestic" is how City Limits described the federally funded towers – “dream housing” for the poor. Thirty-five story high rises with balconies and facades of glass and white concrete, they stood in stark contrast to the brown-brick Wagner public housing projects across Second Avenue. The Towers were to feature not only unusual perks for affordable housing, such as high ceilings, but also a range of stores and services on the bottom floors. When the City Limits article was published in Feb. 1979, there were plans to include a swimming pool, an amphitheatre and classrooms for community use.
So, three decades later, has the dream been realized?

Yes and no. The Taino Towers suffer today from some of the same problems that often dog subsidized housing. Many residents complained about elevator service and maintenance, with one recalling that over the summer, when a resident died, the body had to be carried down the stairs. And some of the more ambitious projects described in the original article were never finished or have not been properly maintained.
Ellie Sanchez, CEO of the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center, which is located in the complex, laments that the planned pool and a small theatre were never completed. “The dream was there but it never materialized because of lack of funding,” she said. According to Maria Cruz, executive director of Taino Towers, the complex’s Red Carpet Theatre is also currently in need of general repairs.

In other ways, however, today’s Towers achieve what was hinted at in the 1979 article. Resident Shenette Taylor, a mother of six who lives with her husband in a three-bedroom apartment, routinely gets her teeth cleaned at the Boriken center’s dental clinic. And she recently attended a Christmas party at the Towers’ Magic Johnson Computer Learning Center, where one of her daughters received a free toy doctor’s set, complete with a stethoscope. According to Sanchez, the health center, which also provides women’s services, pediatrics and diabetes care in both Spanish and English, attracts Latino patients from as far away as Queens, New Jersey and even the Caribbean.

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Democratic Sen. Feinstein Suggests Some Leaked Info Came From The White House

The Democratic leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Monday that the White House appears to be responsible for some leaks of classified information.

"I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks," Sen. Dianne Feinstein told a World Affairs Council forum.

The California lawmaker said she was certain that President Barack Obama, who receives a daily intelligence briefing, isn't disclosing secret information, but she was uncertain about others at the White House. "I don't believe for a moment that he goes out and talks about it," she said.

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Who Gets Paid More

There's now a report summarizing other reports that scrutinize whether federal employees are paid better than private-sector workers. The bottom line is you probably shouldn't worry about it. The Government Accountability Office reviewed six reports that compared the pay of federal and private-sector workers and found the reports used different methods to crunch the numbers. The conservative Cato Institute found federal employees earned 58 percent more than other workers. But the President's pay agent found federal workers earn 28 percent less. House Oversight Committee leaders, who have proposed extending the federal pay freeze and reducing benefits, requested the report.

U.N. Commission Calls for Legalizing Prostitution Worldwide

A report issued by the United Nations-backed Global Commission on HIV and the Law; recommends that nations around the world get rid of “punitive” laws against prostitution – or what it calls “consensual sex work” -- and decriminalize the voluntary use of illegal injection drugs in order to combat the HIV epidemic.

The commission, which is made up of 15 former heads of state, legal scholars and HIV/AIDS activists, was convened in 2010 by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and is jointly backed by the United Nations Development Programme and UNAIDS – the Joint U.N. Programme on AIDS/HIV.

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Obama Says, Hire Those Veterans

President Barack Obama has signed a law urging agencies to hire veterans. The Veterans Skills to Jobs Act lets veterans skip some mandatory job training if they have relevant military experience. The law requires agencies to treat military training as sufficient to satisfy requirements for federal licenses. It should cut red tape in certain business sectors including aerospace, energy and communications. The bill passed Congress with bipartisan support. Co-sponsor Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said when veterans return from war they shouldn't have to do battle with bureaucrats.

Today's Interview On WBOC

GO HERE to view.

Muppets Bash Chick-fil-A Over Owner's Faith

The Jim Henson Co., owner of the widely promoted Muppets characters, says it won’t be working with Chick-fil-A any more based on the statement of Christian faith from the restaurant chief that he does not endorse homosexual marriage.

“The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A (sic) that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” said a Facebook statement from the company. “Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A (sic) to GLAAD [ a homosexual promotion organization].”

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Why You Pay Too Much In Taxes

Illegal Aliens Scam Tax Refunds

For years, American taxpayers have been shelling out $4.2 billion dollars per year to pay for a scam.

A report by the Inspector General found that some 2 million illegal immigrants have been receiving large tax refunds by pretending that numerous dependents live with them ... when, in fact, most of the dependents live in Mexico and have never lived in the United States.

Once whistleblowers called attention to this problem, their IRS bosses told them to ignore the fraud and look the other way:

Civilian Worker Set Fire to Submarine in Maine So He Could Leave Early, Navy Says

A civilian employee set a fire that caused $400 million in damage to a nuclear-powered submarine because he had anxiety and wanted to get out of work early, Navy investigators said in a complaint filed Monday.

Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., faces up to life in prison if convicted of two counts of arson in the fire aboard the USS Miami attack submarine while it was in dry dock May 23 and a second blaze outside the sub on June 16.

Fury was taking medications for anxiety and depression and told investigators he set the fires so he could get out of work, according a seven-page affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland.

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SUMMER BREEZE BEFORE THE DEADLY GALE FORCE WINDS

Europe is giving new meaning to the term “bootstrapping,” the age-old (virtuous) idea of picking oneself up off the floor after some blow or reversal of fortune has laid you low. The new method might be called “skyhooking” in which a massive rescue apparatus secured at some mysterious point unseen in the clouds lifts whole exhausted nations from their knees in order get them to summer vacation. Hence: the interesting spectacle of an entire continent headed for vacation despite facing utter financial ruin, revolution, and civil war.

No one who has been to Europe in our time can doubt that it is a lovely place to stage human existence. The towns and cities are in immaculate condition, even the ones bombed to gravel in the receding unpleasantness of the 1940s. The trains, trams, and subways run cleanly and on-time. The citizens, though well-fed, maintain normal physiognomies and wear dignified adult costumes out in public. Everything along the streets broadcasts the notion, central to civilization, that grace and beauty matter — even the handwriting on the bistro chalkboards. What a wonderful place. I’d like to go back. But events suggest that this sweet period of history is drawing to a close and whatever happens there next will be less like Midnight in Paris and more like Riot in Cellblock D meets Quest for Fire.

This skyhooking procedure has been both fun and sickening to watch, like any great public stunt of seemingly impossible derring-do. Here you have a whole bundle of nations, all up to their chins in the quicksand of debt, pretending to catch lifelines of new credit dropped mysteriously from the clouds by hidden central bank airships, only to find that the lifelines are a kind of collective hallucination coming over them like a fever dream in their hour of desperation. Seems rather cruel, actually

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U.S. Opposes Psych Test in Military Shootings Case

Federal prosecutors in Virginia are objecting to a request for a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation for a man who admitted to firing shots at the Pentagon, the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico and other military buildings.

The prosecutors say Yonathan Melaku, who faces a 25-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in January to the overnight shootings, is mentally competent to proceed to sentencing and that there’s no information to suggest he suffers from a mental disease or defect.

The government’s court filing Friday was in response to a request for a mental health evaluation from Melaku’s new lawyers, who said their own psychiatrist had determined him to be schizophrenic at the time of the shootings.

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Phenomenal!

Debt Ceiling Battle Tab: $1 Billion-Plus

Remember that nasty and protracted fight to raise the nation’s debt ceiling last summer?
It cost taxpayers a pretty penny: $1.3 billion.

That’s how much the government paid to cover additional costs of borrowing money during the epic debt battle that dominated Washington last summer, as investors grew jittery over the delay. That uncertainty led to higher borrowing costs for the federal government, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.

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Matt Taibbi On A New Developing Greatest In History Scandal

Since Taibbi has been pumping out the idea that the LIBOR "scandal" is the greatest in financial history, please allow me to shout out my own "greatest scandal." Apparently, a plan is in the works for local governments to take huge swaths of mortgages by eminent domain.

Taibbi is, of course, touting this as the greatest thing since the iPhone, but to anyone that understands that at the core of a healthy economy is respect for private property (including mortgages), this is very alarming.

Here's Taibbi cheering on the mad plan:

Something very interesting is happening.

There’s been so much corruption on Wall Street in recent years, and the federal government has appeared to be so deeply complicit in many of the problems, that many people have experienced something very like despair over the question of what to do about it all.

But there’s something brewing that looks like it might eventually turn into a blueprint to take on the financial services industry: a plan to allow local governments to take on the problem of neighborhoods blighted by toxic home loans and foreclosures through the use of eminent domain. I can't speak for how well this program will work, but it's certaily been effective in scaring the hell out of Wall Street.

Under the proposal, towns would essentially be seizing and condemning the man-made mess resulting from the housing bubble. Cooked up by a small group of businessmen and ex-venture capitalists, the audacious idea falls under the category of "That’s so crazy, it just might work!" One of the plan’s originators described it to me as a "four-bank pool shot."

Here’s how the New York Times described it in an article from earlier this week entitled, "California County Weighs Drastic Plan to Aid Homeowners":

Desperate for a way out of a housing collapse that has crippled the region, officials in San Bernardino County … are exploring a drastic option — using eminent domain to buy up mortgages for homes that are underwater.

Then, the idea goes, the county could cut the mortgages to the current value of the homes and resell the mortgages to a private investment firm, which would allow homeowners to lower their monthly payments and hang onto their property.

I’ve been following this story for months now – I was tipped off that this was coming earlier this past spring – and in the time since I’ve become more convinced the idea might actually work, thanks mainly to the lucky accident that the plan doesn’t require the permission of anyone up in the political Olympus.

Cities and towns won’t need to ask for an act of a bank-subsidized congress to do this, and they won’t need a federal judge to sign off on any settlement. They can just do it. In the Death Star of America’s financial oligarchy, the ability of local governments to use eminent domain to seize toxic debt might be the one structural flaw big enough for the rebel alliance to exploit.

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Former SEAL Shares Tips on How to Protect Yourself in a Shooting Like That in Colorado

The country has had a weekend for the tragic Aurora, Colo., shooting to sink in. During that time, many have probably gone from shock, to anger, to grief, and several other stages. Some are also contemplating the lessons that can be learned. The editor-in-chief of SOFREP (the Special Operations Forces Report) is one who has considered the latter, and he has felt compelled to share “some lessons” from his time as a Navy SEAL that he “can pass on to the average citizen.” In other words, he has some advice for people going forward that could help protect you should you ever find yourself in such a situation.

Brandon Webb, who was apart of the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Class 215, told TheBlaze that he, like many, was “angry that this sick individual could just stroll into this theater and open fire on innocent, unsuspecting people.”

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Release The Trillion In Excess Reserves!!

In a remarkable op-ed in WSJ, Alan Blinder, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, previously head of President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors (January 1993 - June 1994), and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from June 1994 to January 1996, is calling for the Federal Reserve to charge banks if they continue to hold their funds as excess reserves, instead of loaning them out. He writes:

I have two out-of-the-box suggestions to make, one in today's column and another in a companion piece soon.
The simpler option is one I've been urging on the Fed for more than two years: Lower the interest rate paid on excess reserves. The basic idea is simple. If the Fed reduces the reward for holding excess reserves, banks will hold less of them—which means they will have to find something else to do with the money, such as lending it out or putting it in the capital markets.

The Fed sees this as a radical change. But remember that it paid no interest on reserves before the 2008 crisis and, not surprisingly, banks held practically no excess reserves then. In early October of that year, Congress gave the Fed authority to pay interest on reserves, which it promptly started doing. When the Fed trimmed the federal funds rate to its current 0-25 basis-point range in December 2008, it also lowered the interest rate on reserves to 25 basis points, where it has been ever since.

My suggestion is to push it lower in two stages. First, test the waters by cutting the interest on excess reserves (in Fedspeak, the "IOER") to zero. Then, if nothing goes wrong, drop it to, say, minus-25 basis points—that is, charge banks a fee for holding their money at the Fed. Doing so would provide a powerful incentive for banks to disgorge some of their idle reserves. True, most of the money would probably find its way into short-term money-market instruments such as fed funds, T-bills and commercial paper. But some would probably flow into increased lending, which is just what the economy needs.

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Holmes's Mother Suggests ABC News Mischaracterized Her Statement

Arlene Holmes, the mother of Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes, has suggested that ABC News mischaracterized her when it reported that her initial statement to the reporter, "you have the right person," was a reference to her son.

"This statement is to clarify a statement made by ABC media. I was awakened by a call from a reporter by ABC on July 20 about 5:45 in the morning. I did not know anything about a shooting in Aurora at that time," Holmes said in a statement this afternoon, read to the national press by attorney Lisa Damiani. "He asked if I was Arlene Holmes and if my son was James Holmes who lives in Aurora, Colorado. I answered yes, you have the right person. I was referring to myself."

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You'll Love The New Nickname They Have For The Dollar Here

No doubt, Eastern Europe is a part of the world where people are accustomed to being abused by politicians.

After decades of Soviet Rule, the cultures in places like Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Belarus, etc. have been inculcated with a strong mistrust of government. All government.

One obvious sign of this is how little confidence people have in their own national currencies.

Here in Ukraine, for example, people who have any level of wealth whatsoever hold hard currency– dollars and euros, rather than the local hryvna.

(Naturally, their relative confidence in dollars and euros is misplaced, though I was pleased to see that gold is starting to penetrate the cultural psyche here.)

They even have a funny nickname for these regional currencies that get inflated and devalued by corrupt central bankers and politicians– rabbits… because they grow and multiply in such huge numbers so quickly.

As two different economics students this weekend told me, ‘we are starting to look at the US dollar in the same way…’ I guess that makes the euro a dodo bird.

Anyhow, Ukraine is definitely a country on the move. It had been nearly two years since my last visit, and some things have improved substantially.

As I’ve often written, there are two paths to prosperity– you can either build wealth by creating value, or you can steal it from others.

Ukraine used to be a country that was almost entirely the latter (theft)… but it is slowly beginning to move towards the former (value creation). It still has a long way to go.

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Five Tee Shirts Gone Today

Today has been a hectic day. I've had more traffic through my doors than any other day that I can remember and it's not over yet. Fernando Guerrero is back in Town and also plans on stopping by.

Nevertheless, the tee shirts are flying out the door every day. We've got an incredible selection, (FOR NOW) so if you'd like to swing by we have some tie dye shirts and all sorts of sizes now available.

Again, thank you for all the support.

ACLU Seeks Policies Ensuring Right To Video Police

BALTIMORE (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland says it wants police officers statewide to know citizens have the right to record their actions.

The ACLU chapter announced Monday that it is asking law enforcement agencies statewide for clear policies and training to ensure that officers know the public can record them as they conduct official business.

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MAC Inc. Jolly Roger Family Fun Day

MAC Incorporated, the Area Agency on Aging, will host its annual "Family Fun Day" fundraiser at Jolly Roger Amusement Park, 29th St and Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, Saturday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $25.00 and are now on sale. Advance tickets only. This is a Rain or Shine event. Proceeds benefit MAC's health and wellness programs. MAC is a United Way Agency.

For tickets or information call 410-742-0505 extension 113 or email fct@macinc.org.

Is It Hot Enough

Just in case you are feeling sorry for yourself on these 100+ degree days...With humidity!

Amelia Earhart: Searchers Fail To Find Evidence Of Aviator's Fate

A $2.2m (£1.4m) expedition seeking wreckage from aviator Amelia Earhart's final flight has failed to find the dramatic, conclusive plane images searchers were hoping for.

But the group leading the search, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (Tighar), still believes Earhart and her navigator crashed on to a reef off a remote island in the Pacific Ocean 75 years ago this month.

"This is just sort of the way things are in this world," Tighar president Pat Thrasher said on Monday.

"It's not like an Indiana Jones flick where you go through a door and there it is. It's not like that – it's never like that."

Thrasher said the group collected a significant amount of video and sonar data, which searchers will pore over this week to look for things that may be tough to see at first glance.

The group is also planning a voyage for next year to scour the land where it is believed Earhart survived a short while after the crash, Thrasher said.

The search was cut short because of treacherous underwater terrain and repeated, unexpected equipment mishaps that caused delays and left the group with only five days of search time rather than 10, as originally planned.

During one episode, an unmanned underwater vehicle wedged itself into a narrow cave, a day after squashing its nose cone against the ocean floor. It needed to be rescued.

Source

Moving In The Right Direction

I'm not a big Batman fan. But I thought tonight, I had to go see this movie. This ticket stub is my way of saying,

You will not stop us from living lives of liberty.
We will not live in fear of demented, evil "jokers".
We will catch you and cage you and if that's not possible,
we will destroy you.

USSSA Softball All Week

Opening ceremony Monday at Shorebirds Stadium.. Over 200 teams here all week.

Let's make them feel welcomed... They have already agreed to come back in
2013...

Today Marks My 4th Month Living In Salisbury Maryland

When you have to make the move I made you might as well make it a HOME. These images, (by any means) do not show just how unbelievably nice it is here at 304 W. Main Street.

I have spent quite a few years rebuilding the apartments to a point in which everything is new. The biggest questions I've received are as follows.

1. Are you really living in Salisbury. Yes, I moved here on March 24th 2012.

2. What do the apartments look like in your building. Each apartment, (3 of them) are loft apartments in which the Master Bedrooms overlook the entire downstairs and really enhances all of the stained glass windows throughout the building.

3. If the Mayors job only pays $25,000.00 a year, why would you even think of running. Well, for one, it's clearly not for the money. To me it's more about the challenge. My views, (business views) are quite different from the current and former administration. My employee management skills are far better and combined I firmly believe we can finally come together as a team and make Salisbury a much better place to live and work.

4. Does your Wife really support you making this move. Yes, absolutely. First of all, my Wife comes to visit me at lunch time every weekday. We get to spend almost an hour a day sitting one on one spending quality time together. My Wife knows my business skills and firmly believes I can make the right difference Salisbury hasn't seen in many years.

5. The biggest question is, isn't your home in Delmar your main residence. No, it is not. I/We own a home in Delmar. We also own a home in Ocean City, property in Willards, Powellville and Pittsville. When I chose to move to Salisbury and change my residence my main residence became Salisbury Maryland.

6. Why is your truck registered in Delaware. As many of you know, I own quite a few vehicles. One of my vehicles is registered to 304 W. Main Street Salisbury, Maryland. I am perfectly within my legal rights.

I am well within the time frame to qualify as a Mayoral Candidate and it is my full intention to file as such a candidate.

I hope this answers your questions and feel free to ask more if you like.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 7-24-12

Things That Make You Go Hmmm - Such As The Fiscal Cliff

The effect on the USA of its casually wandering over the Fiscal Cliff will be catastrophic; adding approximately $607bln to the US deficit which in turn would sap anywhere up to 4% (according to the CBO) or possibly even 5% (if Chairman Bernanke—in full-on ‘scare Congress’ mode—is to be believed) from US GDP and send the country crashing into outright recession (or further into recession depending on how things continue to deteriorate in the coming months). “That we cannot have” was the opinion of Erskine Bowles who, along with former Sen. Alan Simpson, devised a debt reduction plan last year to prevent this doomsday scenario.

Bowles was just warming up, however:

“If we do nothing and barrel through this fiscal cliff at the end of the year, we are going to have about $7 trillion hit this country right in the gut,”

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Egyptian Actor Attacks Female Show Host After Being Told He Is on Israeli TV in Prank Gone Wrong

In a prank gone wrong, an Egyptian actor viciously attacked a female show host and another crew member after being told he was on Israeli TV. As part of the prank, the actor was initially told he would appear on Egyptian TV.

“I heard her say that this is an Israeli channel. Is this an Israeli channel?” the actor, Ayman Kandeel, said.

“The production didn’t tell you that this is an Israeli channel?” Iman Mubarak, the female host replied.

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OC Summer Anthem Winner Announced

Ocean City officials have announced the winner of the “Ocean City, Song Of Summer Anthem” contest.

Facebook users voted for Chuck Conjar’s song, “Ocean City Days”, after city officials narrowed down the list of submissions to three songs.

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Fix Things Or We Will All Go Down With The Ship

Today's Survey Question 7-24-12

How long have you been with your Bank?

University Of North Dakota Offers 4-Year Drone-Piloting Degree

The three P’s of America’s gulag economy at work: Ponzi schemes, Poverty and Police State.

The housing market may still be in the dumps, but the drone industry is booming. USA! USA!

Key quote:The University of North Dakota operates a fleet of seven different types of unmanned aircraft. In 2009, it became the first college in the country to offer a four-year degree in unmanned aircraft piloting. It now has 23 graduates and 84 students majoring in the program, which is open only to U.S. citizens.

Read the article here.

Airline Fare Increase Looking Like It Will Stick

Get ready to spend more on travel. Airlines are raising ticket prices again after a four-month lull that coincided with falling fuel costs.

Over the weekend, several big airlines matched United Airlines’ increase in base fares of up to $10 per round trip within the U.S. Fare watchers said it was virtually certain that the new prices would stick, resulting in the fourth fare increase this year and the first since late March.

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A Letter To The Editor 7-23-12

COMCAST TROUBLE

I just want to know if anyone out there is having as much trouble with comcast that I am having. The main problem is with recording shows using the comcast boxes. We are as of this morning on our 3rd box. It works sometimes, and I do a lot of recording so I can see shows in the evenings or week-ends. The problems are if you are familiar with the boxes you go into the DVR button on your remote you select your show and time, you check off that it is correct, then confirm, and I go out and then back in at least 2 times to see if the red dot is there and it is in the shows to be recorded. Very often when I go to see the shows they are not there at all or they are not on that days shows ! I have found that they sometimes are in scheduled slots up to weeks later! not on the days I scheduled for, I have been told it is a box problem by one gentleman and another stating it is probably in the signal!! and all they are interested in is did I fill out the survey, which I reply no as until they solve the problems it sure won't be favorable. Please is there anyone experiencing this same problem, I live in Salisbury.

Missing Dog

We have been referred to your news site as a good place to post a missing pet. We are trying everything we can to locate Winnie, an adorable rat terrier who just arrived from WVA via Ratbone Rescue in Linthicum. She pulled out of her collar on Sunday evening, 7-22, and bolted off through the corn field behind the Fruitland Walmart. She is tri-color, @10 lbs, 4 yrs old, and has an implanted chip. If we can post a notice, please let us know the procedure.

Thanks so much!

Betsy (410-726-5469) or Tim (443-235-3796)

MD Lottery Reports Record Sales

The Maryland Lottery says its sales figures for the fiscal year that just ended were more than $80 million over 2011 figures.

Lottery Director Stephen Martino tells WBAL Radio that the sales for Fiscal Year 2012 were $1.79 billion. 

He says lottery revenue contributed to more than a half-billion dollars into the state's general fund.

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This Homicide Map Shows How Bad Things Are Getting In Chicago

Wisdom From Roanld Reagan

"Socialism only works

in two places:

Heaven where they don't

need it and hell where they already have it."

-Ronald Reagan


'Here's my strategy on

the Cold War:

We win, they lose.'

- Ronald Reagan


'The most terrifying words

In the English language are:

I'm from the government

and I'm here to help.'

-Ronald Reagan


'The trouble with our liberal friends are not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'

-Ronald Reagan


'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.

- Ronald Reagan


'I have wondered at

times about what the

Ten Commandments would

have looked like if Moses

had run them through

the U.S. Congress.

-Ronald Reagan


'The taxpayer:

That's someone who works

For the federal government

but doesn't have to take the

civil service examination.'

- Ronald Reagan


'Government is like a baby:

An alimentary canal with a

big appetite at one end and

no sense of responsibility

at the other'

- Ronald Reagan


'The nearest thing to eternal

life we will ever see on

this earth is a

government program.'

- Ronald Reagan


'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession.

I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first'

- Ronald Reagan


'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases:

If it moves, tax it.

If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving,

subsidize it'

- Ronald Reagan


'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed,

there are many rewards;

if you disgrace yourself,

you can always write a book.'

- Ronald Reagan


'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'

- Ronald Reagan


'If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.'

-Ronald Reagan

The Whole Fracking Debate Is Based On Bad Science

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In the debate over natural gas drilling, the companies are often the ones accused of twisting the facts. But scientists say opponents sometimes mislead the public, too.

Critics of fracking often raise alarms about groundwater pollution, air pollution, and cancer risks, and there are still many uncertainties. But some of the claims have little — or nothing— to back them.

For example, reports that breast cancer rates rose in a region with heavy gas drilling are false, researchers told The Associated Press.

Fears that natural radioactivity in drilling waste could contaminate drinking water aren't being confirmed by monitoring, either.

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Feds Give Md. $40M for New Baltimore Bus Depot

Federal transportation officials say Maryland is getting $40 million to replace an aging Baltimore bus depot.

The funding announced Monday by U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood is part of a $787 million package to repair and modernize transit infrastructure nationwide.

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Milk Is Actually Really Bad For You

Milk was once christened "nature's perfect food," says Mark Bittman at The New York Times. The Department of Agriculture recommends three 8-ounce glasses of the stuff a day (which equals about 1.5 pounds). After all: It builds strong bones, is packed with nutrients, and helps kids grow taller. But drinking dairy can be problematic, and its most notorious ingredient, lactose, is indigestible by a significant percentage of Americans. Here, five reasons milk actually doesn't do a body good:

1. It's high in calories and saturated fat
Ounce for ounce, milk has about "the same calorie load as soda," Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,tells The New York Times. Lactose is still a sugar, and contributes about 55 percent of skim milk's calories. Plus, milk and other dairy products are big sources of saturated fat, "and there are very credible links between dairy consumption and both Type 1 diabetes and the most dangerous form of prostate cancer." One serving of 2 percent milk has even been found to have the same saturated fat count as a serving of french fries.

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How I Got Verizon To Swap My Reboot-Looping Droid Incredible For A New iPhone

Owners of the Droid Incredible, a Verizon-exclusive phone made by HTC, are in a predicament. Sure, their phones are a little old, but many are still in circulation and working fine. A recent software upgrade sends the phones into a perpetual reboot loop in the wee hours of the morning, which is annoying and drains the battery. These customers could upgrade if they really wanted to, but Incredible owners most likely have unlimited data from Verizon Wireless, which they will lose if they upgrade their phones and accept a carrier subsidy. Verizon isn't about to replace the looping phones, either...unless it's with another defective Droid Incredible. Dana found a way around this, and talked Verizon into letting her swap her Droid for a shiny new iPhone.

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Maryland Leading The Nation In Job Loss In 2012

Annapolis - Maryland has lost more jobs so far this year than any other state in the nation according to the U.S. Department of Labor. After last Friday's release of June state unemployment figures, there is now six months of data with which to compare the states. Maryland, which lost just over 10,000 jobs since the beginning of this year, is among a dozen states to have experienced declines during this period.

"This is a very disturbing trend, which needs to be addressed," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. "I'm deeply concerned that state government's onslaught of taxes and fees is causing us to lose businesses, jobs and taxpayers at an alarming rate."

Maryland has raised taxes and fees 24 times since 2007, removing an additional $2.4 billion from the economy annually.

Maryland is also performing poorly in another important time period. From the beginning of 2007 to present, Maryland has lost more jobs than any other state in the region except for Pennsylvania, where each state lost nearly 40,000 and 60,000 jobs respectively.

"Governor O'Malley says repeatedly that Maryland has fared better than other states during the recession," said Hogan. "He should be talking about our state's performance relative to others in this region, not compared to Michigan or Nevada. Once again he is cherry picking data in an attempt to fool people."

A comparison frequently made on all sides of the political spectrum is between Maryland and Virginia. Maryland's unemployment rate, at 6.9%, contrasts sharply with Virginia's 5.7%. This is the widest gap between the two states since 2001, when Parris Glendening was governor.

The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics measures total non-farm employment. June numbers are preliminary.

Source

Elderly Newark Dr. Indicted for Unlawful Sexual Contact

 A New Castle County Grand Jury has indicted an 85-year-old Newark physician charged with unlawful sexual contact with several patients.

Pierre Leroy was arrested in May after a 35-year-old female patient reported that he had touched her inappropriately during a medical examination; he’s been indicted on 11 counts of unlawful sexual contact, three counts of attempted unlawful sexual contact and six counts of sexual harassment involving six adult victims.

Dr. Leroy turned himself in last week and was released after posting $40,000 bail.

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Planning And Planting The Fall Garden

July and August are the glory days of the summer vegetable garden. Your tomato vines are probably waist-high and heavy with fruit. The green beans need daily picking, and your zucchini and summer squash are going like gangbusters. Then September comes and the garden starts to wane. By October, things are definitely winding down, and the first fall frost shuts down the entire production for the year.

If you find yourself feeling melancholy as fall approaches, take heart. With a little planning, you can have home-grown vegetables well into late fall and early winter. Of course, you can’t grow heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers—they’re gone with the first frost. But, you can grow more sturdy crops like spinach, kale, carrots, turnips, and broccoli. Read on to learn everything you need to know for a fall garden.

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Gas Prices On The Rise Again

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — On the rise. After some welcome relief at the gas pump, prices are once again headed in the wrong direction. Kai Jackson tells us what to expect as we move deeper into the summer.

If you’re among the drivers who have been enjoying the price of gas, experts say the ride is over and you can expect to pay more.

Maryland drivers will be digging deeper into their wallets to pay for gas. AAA Mid-Atlantic says prices have been rising for three weeks.

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An Ad You'd Never See Today

Maryland Lost 10,000 Jobs in 2012, Tops in U.S., Feds Say

After a poor June jobs report, Maryland has lost more jobs in the first six months of 2012 than any other state in the nation, according to numbers released from the U.S. Department of Labor.

A report by non-partisan grassroots organization Change Maryland compiled with preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Maryland has lost a little over 10,000 jobs in 2012 and is one of 12 states in the nation to suffer job loss this year.

“This is a very disturbing trend, which needs to be addressed,” Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan said in a press release. “I’m deeply concerned that state government’s onslaught of taxes and fees is causing us to lose businesses, jobs and taxpayers at an alarming rate.”

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Mayoral Candidate Joe Albero Speaks With WBOC For The First Time

I had the honor of doing an interview with Cleo Greene early this morning on the Downtown Plaza, (where I live). I was able to give MY VIEW on the Mayor's proposal to reduce impact fees and it will air at 12:00, (noon) today.