DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Attention
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
A Comments Worthy Of A Post 8-8-12
"The only difference between these shootings and when someone takes you out will be the cheers of all of us celebrating your death. You better keep moving, that way you make a harder to hit target".
Who's the ONLY person upset with Joe Albero right now.
THINK about just how crazy that statement is. Realize that you are a grown adult so out of your mind that you would make such a threat. Yeah, I know who you are and now the Police know as well.
This Just In
I did do some checking on this matter and it was confirmed that one of the third floor sections of PRMC is closed. Now, that being said, I also learned that under Obama's new leadership, inspectors are visiting Hospitals and in house surgery centers from Medicare and Medicaid. IF there is an issue and it is not rectified within a very short period of time they can and will close them down.
As for the immediate details as to why this section of PRMC is closed, I have not confirmed. This could be as simple as a paperwork issue.
Minn. Court Intervenes When Family Refuses Daughter's Chemo
CBS News affiliate WCCO reported that child protective services got involved when Karen Parisian refused to let her 8-year-old daughter go undergo chemotherapy, opting for alternative medicine instead.
Parisian said Sarah, who recently underwent surgery and had 90 percent of a bran tumor removed, was suffering from nausea, sore throat, hair and weight loss from chemotherapy.
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GOP Billboard Vandalized
CHESTERTOWN - The Kent County Republican Central Committee reports that the GOP billboard on state Route 213 north of Chestertown, near the Chestertown Animal Hospital, was vandalized with on Friday. The billboard, the third one placed by the party this year, was installed in May.
The vandal used red spray paint on both the billboard and its frame, and showing his or her support for the Democrat Barack Obama.
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Md. Offers Free Camping Gear To Service Members
The agency says the gear includes a six-person tent, camp pads, chairs, a cook stove, lantern and even roasting sticks for marshmallows or hot dogs.
The gear is offered at Swallow Falls, New Germany, Rocky Gap, Patapsco Valley and Pocomoke River. It's available to service members stationed or recovering at nearby military facilities.
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Dulles Bust: Cocaine Allegedly Found In Drink Boxes
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday that officers found the cocaine Saturday night in the luggage of two Guatemalan men arriving from El Salvador. Officials say they found about six ounces of cocaine in a garlic salt bottle and almost 3 1/2 pounds in four drink boxes.
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Pepco Calls For New Rate Hike, Customers Angered
The company estimates it cost $70 to $85 million to restore power and it intends to get that money back from the very customers it has angered.
"A rate increase for Pepco is just rewarding nonperformance. It's inexcusable," said Rise Goldstein, who was at the public hearing in Rockville.
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Cheering Is Not A Sport, Appellate Court Affirms
In a decision released Tuesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that competitive cheerleading does not yet meet the standards of a varsity sport under Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in education and athletics.
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Navy Now Focusing on Underwater Drones: ‘Game Changers’
Just beneath the placid, sailboat-dotted surface of Narragansett Bay, torpedo-shaped vehicles spin and pivot to their own rhythm, carrying out missions programmed by their U.S. Navy masters. The bay known as a playground for the rich is the testing ground for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, where the Navy is working toward its goal of achieving a squadron of self-driven, undersea vehicles.
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ACLU Targets Anti-Pregnancy Rule At La. School
The four-paragraph "Student Pregnancy Policy" in Delhi Charter School's policy manual says that if a suspected girl refuses to take a pregnancy test, she can be removed from class or the school.
That violates the U.S. Constitution and federal laws against sexual discrimination, state ACLU executive director Marjorie R. Esman said.
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Mother Charged With Abandoning Infant In Anne Arundel
Police say Pettricia Finch-Miller, 32, left the boy, 2 months old, in a car seat under a porch on a side entrance at Grace Point Presbyterian Church in Severn.
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Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Triggers Alarm Over ‘Superbug’
But the ever-mutating gonorrhea bacterium is becoming resistant to the dwindling number of medicines used to fight it, and public health authorities are raising alarms about the emergence of an untreatable “superbug” that will reverse decades of progress in lowering infection and transmission rates around the globe.
On Thursday, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are scheduled to release new treatment guidelines to slow the growth of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea in the United States.
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Sales Tax Holidays Are a ‘Gimmick,’ Says Tax Policy Expert
A total of 17 states have held or will be holding sale tax holidays in 2012, which is 2 states fewer than the peak of 19 in 2010.
During a ‘sales tax holiday,’ certain goods, often school supplies, are exempted from sales taxes at the state level.
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Sr. WH Adviser Jarrett Dodges Questions On Secret Service Detail And Non-Union Auto Pensions
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A Citizen In Need Of Help
Joe,
A female friend contacted me today at approximately 2:30pm with the following story. i don't know if this is how i do this but if anyone witnessed this incident, any information would be greatly appreciated.
She was driving her tiny red convertible sports car back to her workplace from her lunch hour. At the U.S. 13 north and Zion Rd light while headed back into town, a late 80's, early 90's dark blue ford pickup style work truck(the kind used to carry ladders and equipment) with two male occupants inside started harassing her at the light by closing to within inches of her bumper.
She pulled up as far as she could, when the blond male occupant on the passenger side exited his vehicle and ran up to her passenger window and struck it with a closed fist. Terrified at this point she sped away as soon as the light changed. This truck chased her and overtook her by passing her in the center lane of 13 that is used for left and right turns. He pulled in front of her striking the left wheel well of the car and parked in front of her. Both occupants exited the vehicle and struck her car repeatedly with some sort of tool in various locations on her vehicle. Mostly cosmetic damage to paint, lights, and denting. She accelerated around them into traffic and drove directly to her workplace and called Salisbury Police Department. They dispatched an Officer and he completed a report.
Both men had short hair, possibly buzz cuts. Passenger was blond. Little information due to her being scared and shaken. This transpired between Sherwood Ford and the KIA dealership on RT 13 N at approximately 2p.m.
If anyone has any information about the 2 male subjects or possibly a tag number, it would so greatly be appreciated. The officer investigating is Salisbury Police Officer J. Sander #1122 at 410-548-3165 or JSander@salisburypd.com
Dog Found 8-8-12: UPDATE
Man Who Claims he Was Assaulted for Being Gay May Have Actually Injured Himself
This is what local media outlets reported immediately following the alleged assault:
The beating of a gay man outside the Missoula Club, where he’d gone to celebrate his 22nd birthday, early Sunday morning has spurred renewed calls to add sexual orientation to bias crimes laws in Montana.
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Billy Graham: 'Final Call' For America To Repent
Timed to coincide with his 95th birthday, Graham is calling people in the United States and Canada to repentance as part of the “My Hope with Billy Graham” evangelistic outreach set for the week of Nov. 7, 2013.
Unlike his famous stadium crusades over the past six decades, Graham is asking Christians to invite family, friends and neighbors to their homes to watch the “Living Room Crusade” on their televisions, tablets or smartphones as part of a massive grassroots effort to ignite a spiritual awakening in North America.
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ABC FALSELY LINKS ACTIVIST TO BATMAN SHOOTING
"It was freaky," said Holmes, describing his reaction when ABC News speculated that he was the culprit who entered a crowded theater and opened fire on dozens of innocent men, women, and children. He disconnected his telephone and says that he is worried about members of his family who might be contacted by the media. ...
[Holmes] is a conservative activist who has worked in law enforcement, and who used to work at the county courthouse in Aurora near the theater where the shootings took place.
Read the original article at Big Government
MDYR Chairman: "What does Martin O'Malley Have to Hide?"
ANNAPOLIS- Maryland Young Republicans Chairman Brian Griffiths issued the following statement today on the proposed Special Session of the Maryland General Assembly.
"We are less than two days from the start of a critical special session that will consider expanding gaming in our state. We have already noted that a special session of the General Assembly is not necessary, and that the issue of gambling expansion should be thoughtfully considered in a regular session.
"What is mind-blogging however is the fact that Governor Martin O'Malley and legislative leadership have so far not presented their version of the gambling legislation that is to be considered at this week's Special Session. It is incomprehensible that Governor O'Malley does not know what form he wishes to expand gambling in this state. Beyond that, members of the General Assembly and the public at large should be provided with ample opportunity to review, study, and comment upon the legislation that will be put forth by the Governor. This is no way to run state government and is in line with the poor record of the O'Malley Administration on providing open and transparent government to the people of our state.
"Governor O'Malley's refusal to deal with gambling expansion in an above board manner should give all Marylanders pause. What does Martin O'Malley have to hide from the public and the General Assembly but not allowing ample time to see the legislation before the General Assembly is expected to pass it?
"I urge the members of the General Assembly to reject whatever gambling expansion plan is presented by the O'Malley Administration. While there may be good reasons to expand the scope of gaming in our state, a rushed special session predicated on legislation that has yet to see the light of day is not a proper way to govern. It would be a disservice to citizens, to businesses, and to the gaming industry to expand gambling under these circumstances."
The Maryland Young Republicans are the leading organization of Republican youth in the Old Line State. We are Maryland's officially chartered affiliate of the Young Republican National Federation. But we are so much more than that. Our clubs consist of active members of our communities. They are members of local central committees, active in community leadership, and running campaigns for office across Maryland.
Slow Path To Progress For U.S. Immigrants. 43% On Welfare After 20 Years
The study, which covers all immigrants, legal and illegal, and their U.S.-born children younger than 18, found that immigrants tend to make economic progress by most measures the longer they live in the U.S. but lag well behind native-born Americans on factors such as poverty, health insurance coverage and homeownership.
The study, based on 2010 and 2011 census data, found that 43 percent of immigrants who have been in the U.S. at least 20 years were using welfare benefits, a rate that is nearly twice as high as native-born Americans and nearly 50 percent higher than recent immigrants.
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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY SUBMITS LEGISLATION ON GAMING EXPANSION
“By finally resolving this issue of gaming in Maryland, we have an opportunity to generate more than $100 million for our #1 ranked public schools, create 2,200 additional, permanent jobs, and keep Maryland’s facilities competitive with surrounding states.”
“The legislation we are sending to the members of the General Assembly will create predictability in the marketplace, protect local and city aid being generated at existing sites, ensure authorized facilities are able to be built, and allow the people of Prince George’s County the opportunity to decide whether they want a sixth site for the benefit of their county and revenue base.”
Feds Give Maryland Town $625,000 to Hire 5 Police Officers
The funding is part of $111 million allocated this year through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which seeks to find employment for veterans who are returning from overseas to a stagnant economy and budget shortfalls.
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) attended a press conference in Hagerstown on Monday to highlight the program, and she had announced the award in a press release in June. Hagerstown is the only city in the state to receive a grant through the program
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No Donation Was Ever Intended For The Westside Collector
I wish to correct a few inaccuracies in the story that concern Wicomico County's acquisition across the Homestead farm. The cost of acquisition includes not only the cost of the land, but also costs related to the damage that will be done to our irrigation equipment and well on the property.
It was also never our intention to donate the right of way. Several years ago, we discussed future plans to develop the farm and at the time, the county inquired about not only the right of way but also a county park on the property. We did discuss certain opportunities where E.S. Adkins and the county might be able to coordinate efforts, but the county's timeline was different than ours.
An exchange of land for certain development rights was discussed, but a donation of the right of way was never contemplated. Those discussions never went beyond a preliminary stage, as our needs and the county's were too different.
We would rather not sell the right of way to the county, but our options were limited due to the West Side Collector's path across our property. We agreed to settle for less than fair value rather than pursue our limited options.
William K. Turner
Liberals Call for Killing of 6 year old Conservative!
This should serve as wake up call to all conservatives. Patriot Update is calling conservatives to stand together and defend our beliefs against this liberal onslaught. Currently, there are more negative comments from liberals than there are positive comments from conservatives. We’re asking you give the video a “thumbs up” and express your opinion in the comments section of the various web sites that are discussing the video. We must unite and support our conservative values and freedom of speech.
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Breast-Feeding Rates In US Continue To Rise
The CDC's "Breastfeeding Report Card — United States, 2012" tracks state and national trends in breast-feeding practices. The report uses data from the National ImmunizationSurvey, measured state by state, and compares those data with breast-feeding objectives outlined in the Healthy People program. Healthy People was established 3 decades ago by the US Department of Health and Human Services and sets 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. The Breastfeeding Report Card also takes into account other outcomes and process indicators.
According to the newly published report, "Breastfeeding initiation increased from 74.6% in 2008 to 76.9% in 2009 births." This is the largest annual increase in breast-feeding during the previous decade, according to the CDC.
The percentage of women breast-feeding at 6 months also improved, from 44.3% to 47.2%, as did the percentage of women breast-feeding at 12 months, going from 23.8% to 25.5%, the CDC reports.
The report also notes improvements in how many hospitals and birth centers support healthy breast-feeding practices.
Source
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY REQUESTS FEDERAL DROUGHT ASSISTANCE TO HELP MARYLAND FARMERS
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 8, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley has formally submitted a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation for all Maryland counties impacted by the severe dry weather and excessive heat during the months of June and July. Governor O’Malley sent the letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
“Working with the State Farm Service Agency and the Maryland Department of Agriculture, we estimate that farmers in 13 Maryland counties have lost between 30 and 54 percent of their corn crop,” said Governor O’Malley. “By requesting this disaster designation, we hope to provide some relief to our local farmers, who are a vital part of Maryland’s economy, and we will continue to work with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and our federal delegation to help our farmers get through this drought.”
“We are concerned that Maryland’s farmers may have trouble paying their bills due to the drought that has been impacting parts of the State during the past several months,” said Buddy Hance, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. “We are working closely with both the federal government and local jurisdictions to ensure that Maryland’s farmers are protected during this arid growing season.”
Maryland experienced a dry, mild winter with rainfall amounts that are well below average. This shortfall has continued into the spring and summer, the most critical time for the development of most summer field crops. While the Mid and Lower Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland appear to be the driest regions, data analysis from the National Drought Mitigation Center shows 76 percent of the State in at least abnormally dry conditions. Fifty-one percent is in a moderate drought while nearly 30 percent is in a severe drought.
The FSA data show that the following Maryland counties are reporting crop losses at more than 30 percent in 2012:
Anne Arundel
Dorchester
Somerset
Calvert
Kent
Talbot
Caroline
Prince George's
Wicomico
Cecil
Queen Anne's
Charles
St. Mary's
To support Maryland farmers during this time of need, the Maryland Department of Agriculture is offering free testing of grain for the presence of aflatoxins and other toxins, which can be present under drought conditions and are poisonous to livestock.
To read the Governor’s letter, click here.
‘A Difficult But Necessary Letter’: Shocking Letter From a Father Disowning His Gay Son Goes Viral
So begins a letter, posted on the website Reddit, that has since come to form a viral symbol of anti-gay bigotry. The letter is from a father, ostensibly to his (adult) gay son after that son came out of the closet, and its contents may shock you regardless of your stance on gay marriage. There certainly is no pretense on the part of the writer to hate the sin, but love the sinner.
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Community Emergency Preparedness Night At Shorebirds Stadium August 10, 2012
Salisbury, Md. – The health departments of Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties invite the public to Emergency Preparedness Night on August 10 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Delmarva Shorebirds will play against Augusta Greenjackets at 7:05 p.m.
Representatives from local health departments, emergency management agencies, and volunteer organizations will host exhibit booths promoting emergency preparedness before and during the baseball game. Emergency-themed give-aways and prizes will be available as long as supplies last!
Come out to the ballpark to support the Shorebirds and learn how you can be better prepared for life’s curve balls.
The event is co-sponsored by the health departments and emergency management offices of Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
ACLU Targets Anti-Pregnancy Rule At La. School
The four-paragraph "Student Pregnancy Policy" in Delhi Charter School's policy manual says that if a suspected girl refuses to take a pregnancy test, she can be removed from class or the school.
That violates the U.S. Constitution and federal laws against sexual discrimination, state ACLU executive director Marjorie R. Esman said.
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Moving Toward War In Syria
Until last year, Libyan sanctions were touted as a great success story. The regime would change its behavior. Yet NATO bombed the country anyway.
Last week we learned that President Obama signed an intelligence "finding" directing the CIA to covertly assist rebels in Syria. The administration seems determined to fight yet another war in Syria that has nothing to do with American national interests.
We already know that a similar "finding" was signed under the latest Bush administration directing US intelligence to undermine the Iranian government and promote regime change there. Neoconservatives have long demanded that we overthrow the Syrian government before moving on to war against Iran. This bellicosity continues regardless of which party is in the White House.
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Lieberman Rips Romney and Obama For High Negativity In The Campaign
Mr. Lieberman, an independent former Democrat, made his comments on the same day that a pro-Obama political action committee debuted an ad that features a former steelworker linking Bain Capital’s closure of his plant to his wife’s death from cancer.
The senator, who will retire at the end of this year, challenged both candidates to shift their focus toward laying out their own plans for the country and argued that increasing divisiveness in the campaign is only working to shake voter’s confidence in their nation and its government.
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Fed Bankrupting Consumers While Enriching Wall Street As A Matter Of Policy?
Dominant Social Theme: We are doing all we can to benefit the average consumer and job-holder.
Free-Market Analysis: Here is a question that needs answering: Why is the Fed giving away money freely to big professional investors that hold massive amounts of government bonds ("quantitative easing") while starving small businesspeople and investors of loans?
In this article, we'll try to provide an answer. Let's re-examine the business cycle in order to set the stage for our analysis.
It is government that creates recessions and depressions to begin with via the overprinting of money. Over time, the booms grow stronger as more and more money is pumped into the economy. The busts likewise grow deeper. The current bust is among the deepest in recent memory.
Many paper-money pundits have advocated reinflation via Fed money printing. In fact, the New York Times' Paul Krugman wrote the following in 2002:
The basic point is that the recession of 2001 wasn't a typical postwar slump, brought on when an inflation-fighting Fed raises interest rates and easily ended by a snapback in housing and consumer spending when the Fed brings rates back down again. This was a prewar-style recession, a morning after brought on by irrational exuberance. To fight this recession the Fed needs more than a snapback; it needs soaring household spending to offset moribund business investment. And to do that, as Paul McCulley of Pimco put it, Alan Greenspan needs to create a housing bubble to replace the Nasdaq bubble.
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2012 Sets Record For Northeast's Hottest Year Ever
The Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University reported Tuesday that the average temperature in the 12-state region was 49.9 degrees from January through July. That's the warmest seven-month period since 1895, the year systematic record keeping began.
While it makes for sweaty nights, not everybody's complaining.
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OCEAN CITY POLICE REMINDING CITIZENS OF LASER POINTER LAW
Due to an substantial increase in citizen complaints regarding the illegal use of laser pointers, the Ocean City Police Department is reminding citizens of the “Harassment by Laser Pointer” law. The ordinance, which has been in effect since 2010, makes it unlawful for anyone to focus, or shine a laser pointer directly or indirectly on another person or animal in any manner. It is also unlawful for any person to shine a laser pointer directly or indirectly on a balcony, porch, patio, deck or any other structure where a person or persons may gather or in any window or door, or any vehicle on land, air or water, which includes but is not limited to cars, bicycles, scooters, buses, trams, planes, helicopters, boats, jet skis, motorcycles, Segway’s or wheelchairs in any manner.
It is also illegal for minors (Age 17 and Under) to purchase or possess laser pointers within the corporate limits of Ocean City.
In addition, it is a crime for any person to shine a laser pointer on the beach, boardwalk, public streets or sidewalks or from private property onto the beach, boardwalk, public streets or sidewalks, or from public property onto private property or from private property onto another private property.
LASER POINTERS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Also, it is unlawful to sell a laser pointer without having a sign conspicuously posted at the point of sale or exchange advising potential purchasers of the Ocean City laser pointer law. It is unlawful to sell a laser pointer without providing the purchaser with written notice, in bold face type, a copy setting forth verbatim the laws set forth in the Ocean City Code.
The penalties for violations of this law make it a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to six months in jail and or a $1,000 fine. The OCPD will be strictly enforcing this ordinance and is asking for the public’s cooperation and compliance.
As a reminder, laser pointers are not toys. These devices should never be shined on or around people or animals. The devices, if used improperly, pose risks to humans and animals and could cause eye damage. Parents of children who have been given laser pointers are reminded that it is no longer legal for minor children to possess laser pointers and they should be restricted from their use.
The ordinance is posted on the Town of Ocean City web page: www.oceancitymd.gov.
QUOTES OF THE DAY 8-8-12
“We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it.” — Congressman Louis T. McFadden in 1932 (Rep. Pa)
“Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States” — Sen. Barry Goldwater (Rep. AR)
“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the U.S. since the days of Andrew Jackson.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, and more selfish than beaurocracy. It denounces as public enemies all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe.” Abe Lincoln
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.” — Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President.
“History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it’s issuance.” — James Madison.
“This [Federal Reserve Act] establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President [Wilson} signs this bill, the invisible government of the monetary power will be legalized….the worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency bill.” — Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr. , 1913
“A great industrial nation is controlled by it’s system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the world–no longer a government of free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.” — President Woodrow Wilson
“By this means government may secretly and unobserved, confiscate the wealth of the people, and not one man in a million will detect the theft.” — John Maynard Keynes (the father of ‘Keynesian Economics’ which our nation now endures) in his book “THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE PEACE” (1920).
“While boasting of our noble deeds were careful to conceal the ugly fact that by an iniquitous money system we have nationalized a system of oppression which, though more refined, is not less cruel than the old system of chattel slavery. — Horace Greeley
“The few who understand the system, will either be so interested from it’s profits or so dependent on it’s favors, that there will be no opposition from that class.” — Rothschild Brothers of London, 1863
“Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws” — Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild
IS GOVERNMENT SHRINKING?
Run that one by the man on the street — looted by the tax man, harassed by police, hounded by regulators — and he will scoff. Now comes the highbrow journalist with a nuanced view to correct him, citing all kinds of complex data.
The highbrow in this case is Catherine Rampell, writing in The New York Times. Her claim seems apodictically certain. “Government has been shrinking steadily for two years,” she says, “and compared to the size of the overall economy, government is actually slightly smaller today than it has been on average in the postwar era.”
Huh? Well, she provides data of “the percentage change in total government spending and investment” as compared with the change in the GDP. She shows GDP rises and government falls. Wow, amazing.
Not so fast. You can always know that when people claim that government is small, it will always appear small by comparison to the GDP, which is to say that anything looks small by comparison to anything (in the words of economist Roger Garrison).
Moreover, it is a peculiar presumption that government should always grow in proportion to the wealth of society (presuming that GDP does measure that). Why? If government is providing essential and minimal functions only, it should get smaller in proportion to economic growth. Should the thief keep coming back for more when his victim grows wealthier?
Also, shrinking by comparison to everything else doesn’t mean that it literally gets smaller. It should only constitute a smaller portion of the total.
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Geithner Sacrificed Pensions Of Non-Union Delphi Retirees
The Daily Caller has [11]more on this less than shocking revelation: "Emails obtained by The Daily Caller show that the U.S. Treasury Department, led by Timothy Geithner, was the driving force behind terminating the pensions of 20,000 salaried retirees at the Delphi auto parts manufacturing company. The move, made in 2009 while the Obama administration implemented its auto bailout plan, appears to have been made solely because those retirees were not members of labor unions."
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O'Malley's Battle With Change Maryland Boosts Membership To Over 20,000
Since Governor Martin O'Malley's term began in 2007, Maryland has dramatically lagged the region in all three indicators according to federal government data from the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. These findings follow a report in which Change Maryland quantified the number of tax and fee increases since 2007 which total 24 separate revenue-raising measures that remove an additional $2.4 billion out of the economy annually. Such reports have caused the O'Malley Administration to lash out at the organization with ill-conceived attacks that have only assisted in gaining new followers.
"We've pulled back the curtain on the dismal results of this Administration, and Governor O'Malley doesn't like it," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. "Losing 40,000 jobs, 31,000 residents of tax paying households and 6500 businesses coincides with the largest tax hikes in Maryland's history."
It is widely speculated that O'Malley is preparing a run for the White House in 2016. The governor's extreme partisanship is on public display on the Sunday morning talk show circuit, out-of-state political fundraisers and involvement in high profile theatrics including the failed recall effort earlier this year of Wisconsin
Governor Scott Walker. Attacking several governors this year alone, O'Malley is also a frequent critic of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the GOP-led U.S. House. Accustomed to delicate treatment in a large swath of the media, O'Malley has personally attacked Hogan in stark partisan terms after Change Maryland's findings made national news several times this year.
"O'Malley is the most partisan governor in the country," said Hogan. "His partisan political ambitions, however, are no excuse to run away from his record here at home."
Change Maryland has more than twice as many Facebook followers as the state Democratic and Republican parties combined. It is the largest and fastest growing, non-partisan, grassroots organization advocating for government accountability and fiscal responsibility.
The Disaster That Romneycare Is Becoming
So Boston's latest adventure deserves particular scrutiny, since odds are its methods are coming soon to a hospital near you. After more than a year and a half of debate, last week the legislature passed a far-reaching "cost containment" bill that Democratic Governor Deval Patrick is about to sign. It is the inevitable postscript to the model that Mitt Romney introduced in 2006.
The claim then, as with the Affordable Care Act, was that health care would be less expensive if everyone had insurance. Soon Massachusetts Democrats leaked that their political strategy all along was to expand coverage only, because had RomneyCare seriously squeezed providers it never would have overcome industry opposition. "Bending the curve" on costs could be saved for another day, once a vast new government liability was locked in.
Sure enough, 79% of the newly insured are on public programs. Health costs—Medicaid, RomneyCare's subsidies, public-employee compensation—will consume some 54% of the state budget in 2012, up from about 24% in 2001. Over the same period state health spending in real terms has jumped by 59%, while education has fallen 15%, police and firemen by 11% and roads and bridges by 23%.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts spends more per capita on health care than any other state and therefore more than anywhere else in the industrialized world. Costs are 27% higher than the U.S. average, 15% higher when adjusted for the state's higher wages and its concentration of academic medical centers and specialists...
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BREAKING NEWS: Bomb Threat Reportedly Evacuates Building At Walter Reed
From Fox News
BREAKING NEWS: Sikh Temple Gunman Died Of Self-Inflicted Wound
From Fox News
Dem. Congressman: Allen West Had Chick-fil-A Catered to Black Caucus Meeting, Insulted Everyone
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) said West even went a step further and walked out of the meeting even though it was his turn to provide the group with a formal lunch. He told the Huffington Post that the incident took place roughly 6 months ago but he apparently feels they are relevant given the recent controversy surrounding restaurant President Dan Cathy’s decision to publicly back traditional marriage.
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4 Simple Questions . . .
2. The birth certificate that the White House released lists Obama's birth as August 4, 1961 lists Barack Hussein Obama as his father. No big deal, right? At the time of Obama's birth, it also shows that his father is aged 25 years old, and that Obama's father was born in " Kenya , East Africa". This wouldn't seem like anything of concern, except the fact that Kenya did not even exist until 1963, two whole years after Obama's birth, and 27 years after his father's birth. How could Obama's father have been born in a country that did not yet exist? Up and until Kenya was formed in 1963, it was known as the " British East Africa Protectorate". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya)
3. On the birth certificate released by the White House, the listed place of birth is "Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital". This cannot be, because the hospital(s) in question in 1961 were called "KauiKeolani Children's Hospital" and "Kapi'olani Maternity Home", respectively. The name did not change to Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital until 1978, when these two hospitals merged. How can this particular name of the hospital be on a birth certificate dated 1961 if this name had not yet been applied to it until 1978? _http://www.kapiolani.org/women-and-children/about-us/default.aspx_ ;(http://www.kapiolani.org/women-and-children/about-us/default.aspx)
4. Why hasn't this been discussed in the major media?Perhaps a clue comes from Obama’s book on his father. He states how proud he is of his father fighting in WW II. I’m not a math genius, so I may need some help from you. Barack Obama’s “birth certificate” says his father was 25 years old in 1961 when he was born. That should have put his father’s date of birth approximately 1936—if my math holds (Honest! I did that without a calculator!!!) Now we need a non-revised history book—one that hasn’t been altered to satisfy the author’s goals—to verify that WW II was basically between 1939 and 1945. Just how many 3 year olds fight in wars? Even in the latest stages of WW II his father wouldn’t have been more than 9. Does that mean that Mr. Obama is a liar, or simply chooses to alter the facts to satisfy his imagination or political purposes (still qualifies as a “liar”)?
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES MARYLAND INFANT MORTALITY RATE HAS BEEN DRIVEN DOWN TO RECORD LOW
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 8, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today joined Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Joshua M. Sharfstein at the Anne Arundel Medical Center to announce that the state’s infant mortality rate remains at a record low of 6.7 deaths per 1000 live births in 2011—the lowest rate ever recorded in Maryland for two years in a row. The infant mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths among infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births.
The O'Malley-Brown Administration has made driving down infant mortality by 10 percent one of 15 strategic goals to improve the quality of life in Maryland. Maryland’s infant mortality rate has been driven down by 16 percent since 2008, when the rate was 8.0. In 2011, 493 infants lost their lives compared to 617 in 2008.
“The bottom line is that our strategies for driving down infant mortality are saving lives,” said Governor O’Malley. “Over these past few years we’ve made great strides. We’ve been able to expand health care access to young women and parents, build on local public health efforts, and educate new parents on safer sleep practices. But progress is never inevitable - it has to be earned. We have to work for it – and therefore our work continues.”
Many factors have contributed to the decline in infant mortality rates in recent years. With state and local partners working together, Maryland has expanded health care access to young women and parents, local public health efforts, and safer sleep practices. The state’s Babies Born Healthy Initiative includes new Comprehensive Women’s Health services for women at risk, Accelerated Certification of Eligibility for pregnant women seeking Medicaid coverage, community-based “perinatal navigators” to help pregnant and postpartum women access services, and referrals from birthing hospitals to local health departments for follow-up of high-risk mothers and infants. The State has also distributed more than 4,000 DVDs of the B’More for Healthy Babies video on safe sleep at http://healthybabiesbaltimore.com.
Despite the substantial overall improvement, disparities in infant mortality continue to persist. Infant deaths occurred three times more frequently among black infants than among white infants in 2011. In 2011, African-American infant mortality fell in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, but increased in other parts of the state. As a result, there was a small, non-statistically significant increase in the disparity between African-American and white babies in Maryland. Infant mortality rates have also remained high on the Eastern Shore, compared to other areas of the state.
“Through programs like our innovative Health Enterprise Zones initiative, we are now putting a greater focus on disparities in infant mortality and other diseases in order to continue our public health progress in Maryland,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, who leads the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s health care reform efforts. “We must build on our success and continue working towards a day when every infant born in Maryland, of every race or ethnicity and from every community, has the same chance to survive and live a healthy, happy life.”
Three new promising initiatives are underway or will be underway soon. These include:
· The expansion of family planning services to all women with incomes below 200% of the poverty line through the Medicaid program. This expansion began in January 2012.
The Health Enterprise Zone program, which will focus resources and incentives in areas of the state with significant disparities in chronic illness. The first Zones are expected to be moving forward by January 2013.
The full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which will give nearly all Maryland women access to affordable health coverage.
“These new efforts will help many Maryland women, men and children stay healthy,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “Over time, these efforts should drive further improvements in a number of our state’s health outcomes, including infant mortality.”
To review the Department’s newly released 2011 Infant Mortality Report, visit http://dhmh.maryland.gov/vsa/Documents/imrep11.pdf
The Overcriminalization Of America: Are We All Criminals Now?
For the residents of Tent City Jail, their time behind bars is an exercise in humiliation: they are forced to dress in pink underwear, they “work seven days a week, are fed only twice a day, get no coffee, no cigarettes, no salt, pepper or ketchup and no organized recreation.” They work on chain gangs, and have to pay ten bucks every time they want to see a nurse. This draconian treatment is not reserved for hardened criminals. In fact, most inmates in Tent City are imprisoned for less than a year for minor crimes, or are simply awaiting trial.
It is in this Guantanamo-like facility, surrounded by hardened criminals and subjected to all manners of degradation and hardship that Michael Salman – who was fined more than $12,000 and sentenced to 60 days in jail starting on July 9, 2012, for the so-called “crime” of holding a weekly Bible study in his Phoenix home, allegedly in violation of the city’s building codes – is incarcerated.
What happened to Michael Salman – armed police raids of his property, repeated warnings against holding any form of Bible study at his home, and a court-ordered probation banning him from having any gatherings of more than 12 people at his home – should never have happened in America. Yet this is the reality that more and more Americans are grappling with in the face of a government bureaucracy consumed with churning out laws, statutes, codes and regulations that reinforce its powers and value systems and those of the police state and its corporate allies. All the while, the life is slowly being choked out of our individual freedoms. The aim, of course, is absolute control by way of thousands of regulations that dictate when, where, how and with whom we live our lives.
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Freddie Mac Posts $1.2B Net Income For 2Q
The government rescued Freddie and larger sibling Fannie Mae in September 2008 after massive losses on risky mortgages threatened to topple them.
Taxpayers have spent about $170 billion to rescue Fannie and Freddie, the costliest bailout of the 2008 financial crisis. It could cost about $200 billion more to support the companies through 2014 after subtracting dividend payments, according to the government.
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COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT
The dark side of Obama’s statement: collective achievement equals collective punishment
As Obama’s “you didn’t build that” quote is probed and analyzed, note that the idea of redistributing other people’s achievements is only the tip of an ideological iceberg.
Per a friend of mine with a Ph.D. in mathematics:
We scientists say that in order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first build the universe — and that takes about four billion years. But that doesn’t mean we can’t build anything new from existing resources. So telling a businessman “you didn’t build that” is pure sophistry. Such phrases have always been a preamble to looting. Coming from the president, it’s chilling.
Apart from the simple untruth that “government created the Internet,” Obama’s words boil down to the collectivist bromide that the individual is nothing without the society and the state. As one would expect, Obama didn’t come up with it on his own. Standing on the shoulders of his collectivist predecessors, he ineptly restated Mussolini’s motto:
All individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived in their relation to the State.
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Md. Spending $980,000 To Preserve Civil War Sites
The Department of Natural Resources announced the funding Tuesday.
O'Malley says the private Civil War Trust will match the funds for a total of $1.96 million.
The Civil War Trust will acquire the seven properties and preserve them through conservation easements that restrict development.
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We May Never Know Why
Race Riots Media Won't Talk About
The startling wave of brutality leaves behind battered victims while media and political figures consistently downplay the severity of the attacks.
That’s the focus of the book, “White Girl Bleed A Lot,” by author Colin Flaherty, who is also a radio host, former speech writer for the first black chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a special correspondent for WND.
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Iceland Takes Lead In Breaking Up Big Banks
Texas Is Preparing To Execute A Mentally Disabled Man Today
Emails Give Glimpse Into Deals That Fueled Financial Meltdown
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Claim: 'Absolute Proof' Obama Was Indonesian Citizen
WND has reported since 2008 that an Indonesian school record shows Obama attended school in the Asian nation registered as an Indonesian citizen and as a Muslim.
Wayne Allyn Root, in an interview with fill-in host Joe Pagliarulo on the “Glenn Beck Program,” said he received a phone call at 4 a.m. this morning from an investigative reporter with Breitbart.com probing Obama’s past in Indonesia.
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OPA Gives Up Fight With IRS About Tax On Parking Income
“The OPA has, in consultation with its independent auditors and legal counsel, determined the estimated tax liability to be $340,000 at April 30, 2012,” said Teresa Travatello, marketing and public relations Director of the OPA, in a press release sent last week.
The OPA set aside $450,000 to pay the Internal Revenue Service if the ruling went against it. Included in the total is the roughly $120,000 already paid for taxes owed for fiscal year 2003-2004.
Had the OPA opted to continue its argument, its only route would have been to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Because of the difficulty to get the Supreme Court to act on tax issues, the OPA declined to pursue the case any farther.
Prior to 2012, parking passes were sold only to OPA members and not the general public. The IRS said the proceeds of those sales, at least for 2004, are taxable.
When notified that back-taxes for 2004 were owed, the OPA apparently did not realize that parking permit revenue was taxable, since it had not been considered ordinary income in previous years.
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Want To Be A Teacher, Think Again
Maryland Rolls Out Online Voter Registration
The Maryland State Board of Elections began promoting its new online-registration system with tweets from Gov. Martin O'Malley on Tuesday. The system has been available since July 9 and had been in the works for longer than a year.
“It’s been on our radar screen for a while,” said Mary Cramer Wagner, director of voter registration for the state board. “You always want the next best thing.”
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Arizona Chick-fil-A Worker Berated On Viral Video Wants To Meet With Bully
“I appreciate that he came forward, but I’m definitely interested in speaking with him,” the Tuscon, Ariz., drive-through worker--who would only give her first name, Rachel—told FoxNews.com. “I want to see if he was sincere and let him know why I handled it the way I did and not take legal action, which a lot of people told me I should do.”
“There’s no reason to drag him through the mud any more than he has been,” the polite 26-year-old added.
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Homeless High Risk Tier III Sex Offender Notification
Joseph L. Buckler, 66, Georgetown, DE
5’05” tall, 138 lbs.
Gray hair, black eyes
Resume:
Georgetown, DE- Joseph L. Buckler is not wanted. This is a Homeless Sex Offender Public Notification. Buckler is a high risk Tier III sex offender who has registered as homeless in Georgetown, DE. If you have information that Buckler is occupying a residence please contact 302-739-5882. Tips may also be submitted through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Tips may also be submitted through the use of your cellular phone by texting keyword “DSP” and then your message to 274637 (CRIMES) or through the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.