Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Are You Kidding Me?

Next Page

Click on Next Page above to continue with the slide show. Look, right now we're trying to get Officers and morale back in order and I really don't think now is the time to attempt to raise money for a mounted patrol.

As for the K-9, its bad enough and Officer and a K-9 were punished recently for following orders. The K-9 has been removed from service and the Officer is looking for a job elsewhere. I'll not get into the details right now for the betterment of the Department.

However, just like everything else out of the Mayor's Office, he tends to conveniently forget that once the FREE money comes in, we the taxpayers must fund future expenses. Right now I think we'll all agree, we need seasoned Police Officers and not horses and dogs. The Wicomico Sheriff's Office provides a great K-9 service to the City.

I'm going to step a little out of line here and at least expose this. When the City took on their K-9 about a year ago they did NOT have the funds to feed the animal. They did NOT have the funds to house the animal. They did NOT have the funds to cover the Veterinarian bills. ALL of which were covered by the K-9 Officer.

Before the City considers taking on any more of these type projects they should have the proper legislation and funding in place to make it work and NOT at an Officer's personal expense.

Tearing Down Another Wall

More than 1,000 religious leaders across the nation have decided to take a wrecking ball to the wall separating church and state.The Conservative group "Alliance Defending Freedom" has scheduled what they are calling "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" for October 7th, when church leaders across America will devote their sermons to the election and campaign on behalf of a political candidate. According to I.R.S. law, churches enjoy tax-exempt status so long as they don't participate in political campaigns on behalf or against any particular candidate. Those church leaders also plan to send video of their political sermons to the I.R.S., in hopes of triggering a legal case that could strike down laws against their tax-exempt political activity. Let's face it, today, many churches have been turned into very lucrative businesses. And those businesses haven't shied away from using their wealth to aid numerous far-right political causes. If churches want to operate like a business, then it's time they get taxed like a business as well.

Shell Wants To Stop Public Protests

Shell Oil Corporation is taking the dangerous first step of trying to ban public protests. After a series of protests hindered Shell's efforts to open up drilling in the Arctic, the corporation filed suit against the environmental group Greenpeace to criminalize any protests within 500 meters of Shell property. Shell is also asking for a $1.3 million fine against Greenpeace activists. Last week, protestors used bicycle locks to shut down oil pumps belonging to Shell in the Netherlands. Greenpeace reacted to the lawsuit, calling it "a legal sledgehammer to stifle public discourse."

The Fourth Estate

The American people have lost faith in the Fourth Estate. According to a new Gallup polls, American distrust of the news media reached an all-time high this year – with 60% of our nation saying they don't trust the media. Despite the Fox so-called News being the most-watched network on corporate cable news, Republicans led the poll in their distrust of the media with only 26% of self-identified Republicans saying they trust the mass media. Investigative journalism and news in the public interest are dead today – fully hijacked by corporate interests. There's only one industry specifically mentioned in our Constitution – and that's the press. Our founders knew that American democracy hinges on a free and vigorous press. Today – we no longer have either.

Presidential Debates

The courts may soon have a say over whether or not this year's presidential debates will feature third-party candidates. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson filed a lawsuit last week alleging that both Democrats and Republicans are breaking anti-trust laws and conspiring to keep third candidates out of the debates, and thus out of the U.S. presidency. Currently, debate rules only allow for a candidate polling at 15% to be allowed to participate, but most major polls do not even include third-party candidates. As the suit reads, "In agreeing to these rules to exclude the plaintiff from participating in the debates, the defendants are conspiring and contracting to restrain the plaintiffs from participating in the electoral process." Johnson is hoping the court will issue a temporary restraining order putting a hold to all presidential debates until all "constitutionally eligible" candidates are included. As Ross Perot taught us in 1992 when he correctly predicted the "giant sucking sound" of NAFTA, third-party voices in America's political debate are needed and should be welcomed.

Deadly Attack In Libya Was Major Blow To C.I.A. Efforts

WASHINGTON — The attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans has dealt the Central Intelligence Agency a major setback in its intelligence-gathering efforts at a time of increasing instability in the North African nation.

Among the more than two dozen American personnel evacuated from the city after the assault on the American mission and a nearby annex were about a dozen C.I.A. operatives and contractors, who played a crucial role in conducting surveillance and collecting information on an array of armed militant groups in and around the city.

“It’s a catastrophic intelligence loss,” said one American official who has served in Libya and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the F.B.I. is still investigating the attack. “We got our eyes poked out.”

Romney Gave 1,000 Times as Much To Charity In A Year As Biden Gave In A Decade

The release of Mitt Romney’s 2011 tax returns shows that he freely gave away more than $4 million to charity last year (about 30 percent of his income). In comparison, when Joe Biden was first running for vice president, his tax returns showed that he had given away just $3,690 to charity over the previous ten years (about 0.2 percent of his income). In other words, Romney gave away a thousand times as much to charity in one year as Biden gave in a decade.

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AIN'T NO FUN BEING A TAXPAYER

Are you constantly tired and do you feel incredibly stressed almost all the time? Well, that means that there is a really good chance that you are a typical American worker. Even though our incomes are going down, Americans are spending more time at work than ever before. In fact, U.S. workers spend more time at work than anyone else in the world. But it was not always this way. Back in 1970, the average work week for an American worker was about 35 hours. Today, it is up to 46 hours. But there are other major economies around the globe that are doing just fine without burning their workers out. For example, the average American worker spends 378 more hours working per year than the average German worker does. Sadly, for many Americans work is not even finished once they leave the office. According to one recent survey, the average American worker spends an extra seven hours per week on work tasks such as checking emails and answering phone calls after normal work hours have finished. Other Americans are juggling two or three jobs in a desperate attempt to make ends meet. Americans are busier than ever and work is often pushing the other areas of our lives on to the back burner. What this also means is that “family vacations” are becoming increasingly rare in the United States. In fact, Americans spend less days on vacation than anyone else in the industrialized world. While some would applaud our “work ethic”, the truth is that the fact that we are being overworked is having some very serious consequences. In fact, as you will see below, Americans are literally being worked to death.

The following is an excerpt from a comment that one reader posted on one of my recent articles. Can you identify with what this family is going through?….

I always try and remember to be thankful and say prayers of gratitude for the blessings I have, however I can tell you that my wife and I are getting more and more exhausted.

Straight forward payroll taxes nailed us for $35k last year and the dozens of other taxes are often over-looked but also hitting us harder and harder.

My wife works 14 hour shifts at her dialysis clinic 3 days a week and every other weekend. On the Tuesdays and thursdays she has off she ends up resting half the day to give her poor feet a break since a nurse on her feet 14 straight hours of continual busyness is exhausting.

On top of that, her company has had a pay freeze for 3 years, has dropped Holidays down to just 2 per year ( Thanksgiving and Christmas of which she must work 1 of them), has canceled the reimbursement of her CEU’s ( medical professionals are required to continue to take schooling and classes for their entire career in order to renew their licenses) –also they no longer match 401k’s and her company health plan just bumped up $30 per week!!

ANYTHING GOES & NOTHING MATTERS

I drove the eight miles from Cambridge to Greenwich, New York, around eight o’clock and the night was bell-jar clear. A scrim of deepest blue sky backlit the landscape of tender hills and valleys while on the ground I wended the twisting two-lane state highway 372 with my brights amplifying the yellow road signs and the iridescent lines on the pavement, alert for deer, who can kill you. The Talking Heads spastically warbled one of their triumphant electronic anthems of post-modernity over the radio. It happened that I had been playing fiddle at a contra dance.

What a strange privilege it is to live in these perilous times. I don’t mean privilege in the sense of the college humanities departments, with all their crybaby overtones of grievance and resentment. I mean in the sense of having lived through a thrilling turbo-powered climactic chapter of the human melodrama. Until a few decades ago nobody ever swooshed through these ancient hills in a motor car, on a magnificently engineered minor country highway, and in perhaps less than a decade no one ever will again, and at the collective level of a culture or a nation we have no sense of this whatsoever.

We have no sense of anything except the junk-cluttered moment, including our junk politics and the junk ceremony of the present election. When today is a long time ago we will wonder at the feckless cravens that modernity made of us, in particular the absence of any sense of duty to the project of being the only self-aware organisms (as far as anyone knows) in the universe. In this country, anything goes and nothing matters, and that’s the simple sad truth of where we are right now.

Ben Bernanke's Fed Transparency ... Transparent Ploy?

Under Ben Bernanke, a more open and forceful Federal Reserve ... In what might be his final years as chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben S. Bernanke is transforming the U.S. central bank, seeking to shed its reclusive habits and make it a constant presence in bolstering the economy. The new approach would
make the Fed's policies more responsive to the needs of the economy — and likely more forceful, because what the Fed is planning to do would be much clearer. A key feature of the strategy would be producing a detailed set of scenarios for when and how the Fed would intervene, which would mark a
dramatic shift for an organization that throughout its history has been famously opaque. – Washington
Post

Dominant Social Theme: The Federal Reserve is maturing with the times.

Free Market Analysis: More Fed promotions; it never ceases, of course. Control money and you control
society. And those "in charge" have a vested interest in ensuring the social solvency of the Fed.

We were on record years ago with the idea that the Fed had lost its moral authority in this Internet era.

And we see no reason to revise our view. The Fed and its leader, Ben Bernanke, are flagellated every day by both the mainstream and the alternative media, deservedly so. And yet in the 20th century this was not the case.

Of course, there was no outlet in the 20th century. The mainstream press controlled pretty much all the
information when it came to central banking and thus there wasn't much launched that was critical of the
current system.

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Californians Flee For Better-Run States, Study Finds

Californians are fleeing in droves to live in better-managed states, according to a conservative research group.

The long-running exodus from the cash-strapped Golden State is an old story, but a new study by The Manhattan Institute finds that the biggest beneficiaries of the population drain are Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Georgia and South Carolina. Lower cost of living, less government debt and a more business-friendly culture are the main drivers, according to the study.

"States that have gained the most at California’s expense are rated as having better business climates," the study concluded. "The data suggest that many cost drivers —taxes, regulations, the high price of housing and commercial real estate, costly electricity, union power, and high labor costs — are prompting businesses to locate outside California, thus helping to drive the exodus."

America's Deadliest And Poorest City Set To Disband Its Entire Police Force Over Budget Crisis

While the stock market in the US continues to surge (if not so much in China where the composite is back to 2009 lows) as the relentless liquidity tsunami makes its way into stocks, and other Fed frontrunning instruments, and only there, reality for everyone else refuses to wait. Last week we saw reality striking in Greece, where a section of Athens literally shut down after it ran out of all cash. Today, reality comes to the US, and specifically its poorest city, Camden, which is a twofer, doubling down also as America's deadliest city. It turns out Camden is about to become even deadliest-er, as its police force is set to be disbanded following a budget crisis in this effectively insolvent city.

AP reports:

This city, long among the nation's poorest and most crime-ridden, is on the verge of dismantling its police department and starting anew with a force run by the county government.

City officials are making the move to increase the number of officers while keeping the cost the same by averting rules negotiated with a union that city officials have seen as unwilling to compromise.

Unless the union - which is skeptical of the stated motivations for the change - reaches a deal with the county, no more than 49 per cent of the city's current officers could join the new force and those that do will get pay cuts.

John Wilson, a 57-year-old unemployed baker who's lived in the city his whole life, thinks it's worth a try.

'The police in Camden clearly haven't been doing their job,' he said last week as he walked to his home in the Parkside neighborhood, which has seen six homicides since the start of 2011.

'Any change has to be better. It can't get worse now.'

Oh yes it can. Here's why:

Officials say there are about 170 drug markets operating in this city of 77,000 near Philadelphia, more than 700 people on parole and 600 registered sex offenders.

The murder rate is unthinkably high. In 2007, Newark attracted national attention for a record number of homicides.

As of Friday, there had been 47 murders this year. The city record of 58 was set in 1995.

One can only hope this is not a harbinger of what is coming to all American cash flow, not money dilution ability, ends. Sadly, for Camden there is no more hope.

Behind The Curtain

This article is an excerpt from New York Times bestselling author Charles Goyette's new book Red and Blue and Broke All Over: Restoring America's Free Economy.

The Republicans and Democrats of modern America – the red and blue faces of the state – have led us all down their yellow brick road of the welfare and warfare state. And now the curtain has been pulled back on the Great and Powerful Oz of Washington and its work of cheap flim-flammery has been revealed for all to see.

The roar of its might depended on the wealth it stripped from the people. Now it has no wealth left, only debt to burden the people with in their reduced circumstances. It promised to provide for the poor, but instead left the entire nation poorer. It promised to provide for the elderly in their retirement. But the only resources the Great and Powerful Oz had were the ones it took from them to begin with, and in so doing it altered the people’s behavior so that they failed to provide for their own old age. It promised to provide for the general security. Instead it destroyed the people’s financial security while it went abroad, propping up tyrants and meddling in affairs hither and yon. The security of the Great and Powerful Oz consists not of peace and tranquility, but in maintaining a perpetual state of alarm and making the people hated in far corners of the world.

And in a foolhardy finale, it sought to solve the problem of insurmountable debt by piling on still more debt. Now the state must stop. Let the final curtain close on the humbuggery of the red party and the bunkum of the blue.

Christmas is slated to be a little less magical this year for Mike Babick, a resident of Prairie Village, Kansas. Every year, Babick erects a unique holiday lights display — one that attracts a massive audience of onlookers. But this year, a new city ordinance restricts his ability to put on the massive display with limited government oversight.

Last Monday, new regulations were passed that would require permits in order for any individual to put on a “special event” that lasts five days or more. In addition to the time frame, the ordinance impacts any initiative that “is likely to or does in fact generate crowds … sufficient in size to obstruct, delay or interfere with the safe and orderly movement of … traffic.”

“It stinks,” Babick said of the changes after the regulations were put into place. “They’ve killed Christmas for me. Just killed it.”

QE For the People - What Else Could We Buy With $29 Trillion?

Central banks could be helping communities instead of enriching predatory, parasitic "too big to fail" banks and financial feudalism.

In a system that depends on lies and the credulity of the citizenry, the greatest lie is that the Federal Reserve's "quantitative easing" bailouts of the banks somehow help our citizens and communities.

To clarify this, ask yourself this question: what else could we have bought with the $29 trillion the Fed loaned or backstopped to the banks?

If you enjoy quibbling about the total sum of Fed support, be my guest; the Levy Institute [16]came up with $29 trillion after poring over all the data, while the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) tally topped $16 trillion. That's 100% of the nation's GDP and roughly 100% of the $16 trillion national debt.

While we're asking about opportunity costs [17], let's ask what else we could have bought with the $10 trillion that the Federal government has borrowed and blown in the past 11.7 years. The national debt was $5.727 trillion when G.W. Bush was sworn into office on January 20, 2001. It had risen to $10.626 trillion when President Obama was sworn into office in January, 2009. It is now $16.016 trillion, an increase of $5 trillion in less than four years in "debt held by the public" (i.e. the Chinese central bank, the Japanese central bank, the Federal Reserve, etc.)

You can check the totals for any recent date on treasurydirect.gov.

From time to time I have suggested alternatives to "wars of choice" and bailing out the financial Plutocracy, for example Cost of Iraq War: $3 Trillion; Cost of Solar Plants to Power all 105 million U.S Households: $500 Billion [19](April 10, 2008) and We’re Dropping the Ball on Renewable Energy [20](June 25, 2011).

$500 billion is roughly 3% of $16 trillion. That is rather astounding, isn't it? We could have switched to a (largely) solar-powered electrical grid for a mere 3% of what the Fed squandered to save the "too big to fail" banks. Yes, yes, I know we need a massive energy storage system for any solar-powered grid; shall we throw $1.1 trillion at the problem? That would total a mere 10% of what the Fed has provided to "save" crony-capitalist financial feudalism.

Click on image to enlarge.

SPANK A KID, GET HARD TIME

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden says it’s “paramount” to keep children safe, but a new law he spearheaded will prevent – under threat of jail time – parents from giving junior a swat on the bottom hard enough to help him remember it’s not a good thing to poke a spoon handle into an electric outlet.

That’s because Biden’s new law, signed by Democratic Delaware Gov. Jack Markell Sept. 12, defines any “pain,” even from a loving swat, as “physical injury” and threatens parents with up to two years in jail for disciplining their children.

“In most of these five attempts across the three states, we were issued permanent or temporary licenses in about 1 hour or less,” the audit says. “In only one case did a front-counter clerk appear to question the validity of one of the counterfeit documents, but this clerk did not stop the issuance process.”

States Make Fake IDs Quick And Easy

Federal investigators were able to get fraudulent driver’s licenses in all three states where they tried, according to a report released Friday that shows continued problems with states’ ID programs more than 11 years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks highlighted the problem.

States are particularly flummoxed by out-of-state documents, according to investigators from the Government Accountability Office who conducted the audit.

The investigators used forged birth certificates purportedly issued by Ohio and New York, and successfully submitted them in three other states.

Maryland’s Dream Act gets the attention of a national convention taking place in downtown Baltimore.

Political reporter Pat Warren has new information on the challenge to a law providing in-state tuition to undocumented students.

“Yes, we can” is the rallying cry of undocumented students who could qualify for lower in-state tuition

“Yes, I would be able to take advantage of it,” said a Dream Act supporter.

“No, we can’t” is the answer from Marylanders who petitioned the law to referendum.

Replacement officials are getting to Bill Belichick, too.

The New England Patriots coach grabbed the arm of an official as they were. The New England Patriots coach grabbed the arm of an official as they were leaving the field Sunday night after rookie Justin Tucker's last-second field goal barely sneaked inside the right upright, giving Baltimore a 31eaving the field Sunday night after rookie Justin Tucker's last-second field goal barely sneaked inside the right upright, giving Baltimore a 31-30 victory.

Belichick said he doesn't expect to be fined for making contact with the official, although that usually is NFL policy.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

I stand corrected from my earlier article. I was just informed the Daily Times DID in fact publish an article today stating Salisbury City Employees are in fact paid 7% more than other municipalities.

"The city hasn’t conducted an extensive salary survey since April 2005. The 42-slide PowerPoint report by the Reisterstown-based management consultant The Singer Group showed that staff salaries averaged 7 percent above median market rate. The exception was the police department, which was 18 percent below market average".

That being said, I owe Jeremy Cox my sincere apology and hope he can forgive me for my error.

Feds Order Discover To Refund $200M To Cardholders

Discover Bank will pay millions in fees to settle accusations by regulators that it pressured credit card customers to buy costly add-on services like payment protection and credit monitoring.

Discover, the sixth-biggest U.S. credit card issuer, will pay a $14 million fine and refund $200 million directly to more than 3.5 million customers, federal authorities said Monday.

The company’s call-center workers enrolled customers in the programs without their consent, misled them about the benefits and left customers thinking the products were free, regulators said.

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Gas Prices Falling In Maryland

The price of gasoline in Maryland has gone down by more than a nickel in the past week.

The average for regular at last check by marylandgasprices.com stood at $3.70.

That price is lower than the national average by about ten cents.

The lowest for regular reported for

President Barack Obama promised that Obamacare would cut family health insurance premiums by $2,500 by the end of the first term--but instead they have risen by $3,000, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation study cited by Investor’s Business Daily.

The cost of health insurance today is more than 50% higher than Obama promised it would be--and the costs are expected to continue to rise as Obamacare is impemented.

John Merline of Investor's Business Daily notes the rising costs specifically contradict a campaign promise Obama reiterated several times, including in debates with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and at events along the 2008 campaign trail.

One summer day in the mid-1990s, Spencer Kaplan climbed aboard a bus at the camp where he was a counselor-in-training, sat down next to a little boy of about 9, and thought, “My God, I want to kiss him.”

Spencer—a pseudonym—was 14. He was a short, sensitive teenager who wore high tops and backward baseball caps. As a junior counselor, his job was to help an older counselor with the 8- and 9-year-olds. Spencer had noticed this boy before, sitting alone, cloaked in an endearing shyness. On the bus Spencer coaxed him out of his shell. For the rest of the summer, Spencer took the boy under his wing and basked in their closeness. The attraction Spencer felt was dizzying.

Spencer was raised in a stable environment by loving, highly educated parents. He had been a cute little boy himself, with a blond-streaked bowl cut, brown saucer eyes, and a dazzling grin—relatives often needled him about his certain future as a heartbreaker. He even did some professional modeling and acting. In the video for Don Henley’s 1989 song “The End of the Innocence,” you can see him running around in the sunshine with floppy limbs. He was never abused or molested.

CNN ASKS AHMADINEJAD WHAT HE WOULD DO IF HIS KIDS WERE GAY

See the Video HERE

Md. Enhancing Security At Social Services Offices

Maryland is beefing up security at state social services offices.

The move comes after the stabbing of an infant girl, allegedly by her mother, during a supervised visit last spring to the Baltimore Department of Social Services.

State Human Resources Secretary Theodore Dallas tells The Baltimore Sun that the state has taken steps to improve security, including installing lockers in family meeting rooms and doing mandatory bag searches (bsun.md/ROpMFJ). The department's also putting panic buttons into family meeting rooms.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES INVESTMARYLAND CHALLENGE

Announces first InvestMaryland investment

Governor launches $300,000 InvestMaryland Challenge business plan competition

BETHESDA, MD - At Bethesda-based BrainScope today, the latest stop on the “Jobs and Opportunity” Tour, Governor Martin O’Malley highlighted InvestMaryland, the State’s pioneering $84 million venture capital initiative, as a prime example of why Maryland is well-positioned for success in the New Economy. The Governor also announced that BrainScope has earned InvestMaryland’s first venture capital financing, and launched the InvestMaryland Challenge – a $300,000 business competition to help identify and support new start-ups in Maryland.

Recently, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked Maryland #1 in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and cited InvestMaryland as one of the “Policies that Produce.”

“In Maryland, we choose to make the modern investments a modern economy requires: educating, innovating, and rebuilding for our children’s future,” said Governor O’Malley. “We know that our greatest assets are the talents, skills, creativity and ingenuity of our people. InvestMaryland is an important part of our overall strategy to nurture the State’s Innovation Economy by investing in our competitive advantages like science and technology and encouraging entrepreneurship. Our investment in BrainScope and the launch of the InvestMaryland Challenge demonstrate that we believe in aspiring entrepreneurs and Maryland’s ability to compete and win in the New Economy.”

Maryland Chooses To Innovate For A Brighter Future

Succeeding in tough times is a choice. As the economy lapsed into recession at the end of 2007 and other states hunkered down, Maryland redoubled its investments in the cornerstones of the state’s economic success. Since the start of the recovery, Maryland has re-gained almost 98,000 jobs, more than two-thirds of those lost during the recession. While some may choose to ignore the state’s recovery, Maryland’s rebound is better than all but seven other states.

Recently the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked Maryland No. 1 in the nation for innovation and entrepreneurship. A champion of pro-business policies, the chamber lauded Maryland for its commitments to education, start-up companies and collaboration between business and academia.

The recipe for Maryland’s appeal is simple — we reward innovation, invest in our skilled workforce and encourage entrepreneurship through state programs and public-private partnerships. With world-class research labs, brilliant entrepreneurs and highly educated workers, Maryland is uniquely ready to take advantage of a fast-changing global economy in which sectors such as biotechnology, cybersecurity and high-tech manufacturing are keys to good jobs and bright futures.

InvestMaryland and InnovateMaryland, both created in the past 18 months, have $84 million to make venture capital investments in high-tech Maryland start-ups and $5.8 million to commercialize promising technologies from state universities. With input from the business community and Maryland residents, we have also made doing business easier by repealing or revising more than 130 outdated state regulations and streamlining state processes.

Maryland had the nation’s highest median household income in 2010, according to the Census Bureau. Marylanders also have the third-lowest state and local tax burden as a share of their incomes, according to Federal Funds Information for States.

The number of millionaires calling the Free State home has increased almost 20 percent since 2007, and by last year Maryland had the greatest concentration of millionaire households in the country, according to Phoenix Marketing International. The latest year of data available from Maryland’s Comptroller (2010) shows a 16 percent increase in the number of millionaire tax filers, following the dip during the recession. The latest IRS figures (2010) show that thousands more people are moving into Maryland than out.

Why? For the quality of life Marylanders have cultivated for decades, our abundant natural resources, our commitment to innovation, our proximity to key federal agencies — and also because Maryland has the nation’s best public school system, ranked No. 1 by Education Week for four years running. The state also boasts an affordable public university system with gems such as University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which was ranked No. 4 in undergraduate teaching last year by U.S. News and World Report. While many states cut education spending during the recession, Maryland increased its investment in the workforce of the future by 7.4 percent per student, the third-highest increase of any state.

Today, Maryland companies make solar panel arrays that power bases in Afghanistan, produce vaccines that protect against influenza and anthrax, design athletic wear for top athletes and launch satellites that power international commerce. In a world increasingly driven by technology and innovation, Maryland will continue to invest in our people, nurture their ideas, reward their entrepreneurial spirit, celebrate their achievements and abolish obstacles to their success.

Christian S. Johansson is Maryland’s secretary of business and economic development.

PROOF HE ATTENDED COLUMBIA

For those of you who doubted his attendance at Columbia...........YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!

Today's Fill In The Blank 9-25-12

Our favorite theme park is _____.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze Tickets On Sale Friday At 10 AM

“Cirque Dreams Holidaze”
A Delicious Confection of Charm, Sparkle and Talent by the Sleighload

Lights up the Wicomico Civic Center December 13, 2012
Tickets are on sale Friday, September 28^th at 10am!

Salisbury, MD – CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE lights up the 2012 holiday season when it transforms the stage at the Wicomico Civic Center into a wonderland of fantasy and disbelief, Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 7:30pm. Cirque Dreams, an American theatrical production company, brings its critically acclaimed entertainment brand to Salisbury for one glorious holiday performances presented by Broadway in Salisbury. Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, creator of the groundbreaking Broadway hit CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY, CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE is "so full of energy it could end our dependence on oil" according to the New York Daily News and "a delicious confection of charm, sparkle and talent by the sleigh load." The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle raves, "even the Grinch would be impressed with this Christmas wonderland." "Stuffed with so much holiday cheer and audacious acts, Scrooge would exit with a big ol' smile on his face," hails the Erie Times News about this "Broadway-worthy spectacle." "The perfect way to come in from the cold, forget the holiday stresses and find the magic of the season" proclaims The Oakland Press. Don't miss the international sensation that "Dazzled…at The Kennedy Center" according to the Washington Post. Tickets are on sale Friday, September 28^th at 10am.

Renowned director Neil Goldberg, creator of the groundbreaking Broadway hit CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY, re-imagines the holiday season withCIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE. An international cast of multi-talented and brilliantly costumed artists come to life and perform astonishing feats of disbelief. Experience gingerbread men flipping mid air, toy soldiers marching on thin wires, snowmen daringly balancing, icemen powerfully sculpting, penguins spinning, puppets dancing and reindeer soaring high above a landscape of holiday wonderment. An original music score and some seasonal favorites accompany hundreds of astonishing costumes and holiday dreams in a setting of gigantic gifts, colossal candy canes and 30-foot towering soldiers creating a wonderland of spectacle.

Says Creator/Director Goldberg, “Cirque Dreams Holidaze continues the spirit of our brand first established in 1993…to present quality, accessible entertainment throughout the world integrating limitless imagination with multiple performance genres. We are proud to share our creations and bring joy to so many. In a newly forged partnership, Cirque Dreams will now share its creations with U.S. Troops at home and abroad. Military discounts will be available for all U.S. performances of Cirque Dreams Holidaze. In January 2012, the creation of the first ever Cirque Dreams World Tour performed at military bases throughout 10 countries. Says U.S. Col. Kathleen Witherspoon, Chief, Armed Forces Entertainment “I had the opportunity to experience firsthand the Cirque Dreams “Holidaze” performance at the Kennedy Center and see the tremendous impact … the pledge of support Cirque Dreams is making to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines as a way to say. “Thank you for your service.’ is awesome.

One performance only of CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE at the Wicomico Civic Center will be held Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 7:30pm. Tickets are affordably priced from $45.00 - $55.00 and will be available at the Wicomico Civic Center Box Office, online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org or via phone at 410-548-4911. Group discounts are available by calling 410-548-4911. The Wicomico Civic Center is located at 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804.

OCPD TRAFFIC SAFETY OFFICERS RECOGNIZED FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE MARYLAND HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICE

On September 7, 2012, police officers representing law enforcement agencies throughout Maryland gathered in Annapolis to be recognized for their distinct contributions to highway safety in Maryland. The 2012 Traffic Safety Specialist (TSS) Awards Luncheon, which took place at the Doubletree Hotel in Annapolis, acknowledged law enforcement officers who have attained exceptional levels of experience, training and proficiency in highway safety and traffic enforcement methods and procedures. The following Ocean City Police Department officers were recognized for their hard work and commitment to traffic safety; Lieutenants Brian Cardamone and Scott Harner, Sergeants Doug Smith and Ronnie Townsend, Patrolman 1st Class Aaron Morgan, Ryan Flanagan, Michael Karsnitz, Joseph Centofranchi and Officer Patrick Flynn. Congratulations to the TSS Award Recipients. Keep up the great work.

Pictured from left to right: Chief William McMahon (Howard Co PD), OCPD – LT Scott Harner, SGT Doug Smith, PFC Joe Centofranchi, PFC Mike Karsnitz, OFC Pat Flynn, PFC Aaron Morgan and Chief of the MD Highway Safety Office Mr. Thomas J. Gianni. “Clearly these award recipients epitomized the spirit of the TSS Program,” said Thomas J. Gianni, Chief of the Maryland Highway Safety Office. “Effective traffic enforcement translates to fewer crashes, injuries, and fewer deaths on our roadways. Traffic safety is public safety, and we congratulate the awardees on their very distinguished achievement.” So far this year, the OCPD has investigated over 500 crashes, issued almost 7,000 traffic citations and made almost 400 DUI/DWI arrests. “The sheer volume of vehicular traffic in Ocean City Community seems daunting, however the Traffic Safety Specialist of the Ocean City Police Department as well as all of our patrol officers, rise to the challenge every year , and this year is no exception” stated OCPD Chief Bernadette A. DiPino. “I am extremely proud of these dedicated professionals who continue to make Ocean City, Maryland a safe place to live and visit.”

The Lingerie Football League Fired NFL Refs Due To Incompetence

Here's the statement that the LFL gave to Deadspin (emphasis ours):

Because of the LFL's perception it is that much more critical for us to hire officiating crews that are competent, not only for the credibility of our game but to keep our athletes safer. Due to several on-field incompetent officiating we chose to part ways with with a couple crews which apparently are now officiating in the NFL. We have a lot of respect for our officials but we felt the officiating was not in line with our expectations.

We have not made public comment to date because we felt it was not our place to do so. However in light of tonight's event, we felt it was only fair that NFL fans knew the truth as to who are officiating these games.

SALISBURY MAN ARRESTED IN OCEAN CITY FOR SELLING HEROIN

On September 19, 2012

, the Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit and the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team, with the assistance of the Patrol Division, concluded a heroin distribution investigation with the arrest of Arnesto Lee Smith, 33, of Salisbury, Maryland. Smith was arrested after a four week undercover investigation, in which narcotics detectives made several purchases of heroin from Smith. Police arrested Smith in the 45th Street area of Ocean City. During the arrest, several officers were needed to restrain Smith who was ultimately subdued with a TASER. At the time of his arrest, Smith was in possession of 4-bags of heroin, numerous Xanax pills as well as a quantity of money all of which were seized as evidence. Ocean City Police Narcotics Detectives charged Smith with: Four counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Three counts of distribution of heroin. Possession of Xanax with the intent to distribute. Possession of heroin and possession of Xanax. Resisting arrest. Smith was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was held on $75,000 bond. Smith was transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

Has Mayor Ireton Finally Been Shamed Enough To Keep His Mouth Shut

While a lot was accomplished last night in the City Council Meeting, Mayor Ireton actually behaved himself for the first time in a very long time.

Salisbury Police Officers have finally received the pay increase they should have received many years ago. However, even though Chief Duncan said this would help boost morale there's no doubt in my mind this will be short lived, morale wise.

There's a problem right now in the SPD and the City and it's called leadership. When you have a Mayor who demands the Police Chief not even think of expecting a pay increase, that's just the beginning of the problem.

The Council was exactly right, why now? Why didn't Mayor Ireton and Chief Duncan ask for a formal pay increase back at budget time. What YOU need to understand is that while the Chief may have asked for those raises, the Mayor completely eliminated her request and the Council NEVER saw it. That's why they were somewhat ticked off and I can't blame them. The man should be fired.

Mayor Ireton tried to make the Council look just as bad as he does. I'm also bothered that the rest of the Press didn't express this openly. It's as if they continue to protect the Mayor and quite frankly that is wrong.

So its no wonder Mayor Ireton sat quietly in last nights Council Meeting because he knew the Council could have blasted him openly by exposing the TRUTH.

In case any of you missed the PAC 14 airing last night, at the very end in public comments someone mentioned the toxic spraying that was going on in her neighborhood. She was walking her dog when she heard the truck coming and saw the cloud of toxic chemicals in the air. She started waiving the truck to stop in the hopes of getting home to get away from the chemicals. The truck refused to stop and she was caught up in the spray.

She went on to ask if there was any way the Council could warn communities in advance so they could stay indoors and close their windows. It was a fair request. However, what really caught my attention was the next thing she stated. She asked, is there any other way you could advertise it because she no longer buys the Daily Times.

This is important because many thousands of residents have given up on the Daily Times and quite frankly they deserve to have another outlet, (like Salisbury News). Posting on the City's Website is a joke and placing the information on the main floor of the GOB doesn't cut it either.

Our legislators need to know that on line sources like Salisbury News have taken over readership. We'd be more than happy to show Legislators our daily numbers to prove what we say is true. The times have changed and print media is failing.

I personally believe the Daily Times is finally seeing the last stages of local print media. October 1st of 2012 the Daily Times will start charging to view articles on line. They will also increase their rates another 15% as well. I think we can all agree, there's nowhere near enough information on a daily basis to warrant paying for that paper any longer and many agree that the only reason they get the paper is for the Obituaries. We'll work harder at getting those Obituaries in the very near future.

As for the mention of pay increases towards the balance of City Employees, I was shocked to hear Shanie Shields propose a 2% pay increase, even after mentioning the "Singer Study". The Singer Study clearly states City Employees are being paid MORE than ANY other Municipality around, including all the way up to Dover, DE.

I'm glad that Salisbury News was the ONLY source out there that mentioned this study but more importantly that now the rest of the Council and Media picked up on it. What's UNFORTUNATE is that the rest of the Media never mentioned the FACT that Salisbury Employees are being paid more. Funny how it works, isn't it? One Council Member brings up the study, then never mentions Salisbury Employees being paid more, (did she actually read the study) and then the Media mentions it and forgets to mention them being paid more as well. So the public is ONLY told what certain public officials want you to know.

Again, this is why the Daily Times is failing, because they're failing YOU.

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