In the aftermath of Sandy Hook, the Journal News in upstate New York published a map with the addressees of all gun permit holders in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam. The nation was rightly outraged at this violation of basic privacy, and the threat implicit in the publication.
Just in case that was too subtle, Gawker has now published a complete list of every licensed gun owner in New York City. The headline? “Here Is a List of All the A**holes Who Own Guns in New York City.” Writes the author, John Cook:
Below is a 446-page list of every licensed gun owner in New York City. I obtained it from the NYPD two-and-a-half years ago via a Freedom of Information Law request. Because the NYPD is more interested in raping and/or eating ladies and spying on Muslims than it is in honoring public records law, the list contains only the names, and not the addresses, of the licensees…
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Is It Still Possible To Get Out Of Dodge?
People have been asking me about a get out of Dodge plan. The fact is, the US government is making it increasingly difficult to get out of Dodge, and those that have not already done so may well have left it too late. The government does not want its citizens living overseas, nor do they want its citizens having assets overseas. Currently there are some 6 million Americans living overseas, and they have assets and incomes that are difficult for the US government to control and tax, and the US government does not like that.
The US is the only country in the world (except for Eritrea) that has citizenship based taxation. No matter where you live, and no matter where you draw your income, the US taxes it. Every other country has residence based taxation – you are taxed only if you reside in the country or earn income in the country. For instance, if you are a Canadian working in the US, you will have no Canadian tax obligations, unless you have income from Canada. If you are an American working in Canada, you are liable for US tax on your Canadian income. If you are an “accidental American” – and there are potentially millions of these around the world – born to an American citizen overseas, or born to a foreign citizen who was travelling through the US at the time of the birth – you are a US citizen, and may not know it. The US does not care – and will happily seek you out and punish you for failing to file and pay US taxes. No leeway is given.
The US has a whole range of laws that penalize US residents that live outside the US. One law is the FBAR law – that law requires that foreign financial assets be reported each year, and requires that all accounts where the citizen is a signatory be reported. Financial assets include bank accounts, mutual funds, CDs, gold, etc. Failure to report these accounts can, and does, result in draconian fines, from $10,000 for non-will failure, to 50% of the balance of all accounts, for failure to report even one account. Per year. Simple errors can, and do, result in the penalties being applied. The signatory provision effects persons who work for an overseas company and can sign business checks. They must report the balances of the account, even though it is not their account. And even though there may be privacy law issues – the US does not recognize the privacy laws of other nations, and can and will prosecute those individuals for failing to breach the laws of the nation in which they live. Note that citizens that live in the US have no such requirements.
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The US is the only country in the world (except for Eritrea) that has citizenship based taxation. No matter where you live, and no matter where you draw your income, the US taxes it. Every other country has residence based taxation – you are taxed only if you reside in the country or earn income in the country. For instance, if you are a Canadian working in the US, you will have no Canadian tax obligations, unless you have income from Canada. If you are an American working in Canada, you are liable for US tax on your Canadian income. If you are an “accidental American” – and there are potentially millions of these around the world – born to an American citizen overseas, or born to a foreign citizen who was travelling through the US at the time of the birth – you are a US citizen, and may not know it. The US does not care – and will happily seek you out and punish you for failing to file and pay US taxes. No leeway is given.
The US has a whole range of laws that penalize US residents that live outside the US. One law is the FBAR law – that law requires that foreign financial assets be reported each year, and requires that all accounts where the citizen is a signatory be reported. Financial assets include bank accounts, mutual funds, CDs, gold, etc. Failure to report these accounts can, and does, result in draconian fines, from $10,000 for non-will failure, to 50% of the balance of all accounts, for failure to report even one account. Per year. Simple errors can, and do, result in the penalties being applied. The signatory provision effects persons who work for an overseas company and can sign business checks. They must report the balances of the account, even though it is not their account. And even though there may be privacy law issues – the US does not recognize the privacy laws of other nations, and can and will prosecute those individuals for failing to breach the laws of the nation in which they live. Note that citizens that live in the US have no such requirements.
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Md. Gun Show: Long Lines, Short Supplies, 'Get 'Em Before They're Gone' Desperation
I took a ride up to Frederick, Maryland this weekend to meet a friend at the Fairgrounds for the gun show. What we found was similar to what gun shows and gun dealers are experiencing across the nation: lines and limited supplies.
AR15's were scarce as were most guns. Ammunition was limited and prices were inflated. The lines were long to get in and the tables were packed.
Gun enthusiasts were buying whatever ammo was available. Magazines were flying out of dealers' hands.
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AR15's were scarce as were most guns. Ammunition was limited and prices were inflated. The lines were long to get in and the tables were packed.
Gun enthusiasts were buying whatever ammo was available. Magazines were flying out of dealers' hands.
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Why The Fights Over Disaster Relief In Congress Keep Getting Worse
All week, Congress has been bickering over a $60 billion aid package for super-storm Sandy. It started when the House GOP failed to take up the bill last session, triggering angry outbursts from Republicans in the Northeast. ”Shame on you. Shame on Congress,” said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
The dispute is now slowly getting resolved. The House passed the first $9.7 billion piece of aid Friday, largely to cover flood-insurance claims. Lawmakers will then hold a vote on the larger, $51 billion chunk of relief Jan. 15., though many Republicans are still skeptical of that bigger bill.
At this point, though, it’s worth stepping back and noting that these sorts of disaster-aid fights in Congress have become much more high-stakes over the past decade. According to a new report by the New York Fed, the federal government now plays a far bigger role in hurricane relief than it used to:
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The dispute is now slowly getting resolved. The House passed the first $9.7 billion piece of aid Friday, largely to cover flood-insurance claims. Lawmakers will then hold a vote on the larger, $51 billion chunk of relief Jan. 15., though many Republicans are still skeptical of that bigger bill.
At this point, though, it’s worth stepping back and noting that these sorts of disaster-aid fights in Congress have become much more high-stakes over the past decade. According to a new report by the New York Fed, the federal government now plays a far bigger role in hurricane relief than it used to:
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Bank of America Freezes Gun Manufacturer's Account, Company Owner Claims
Bank of America has reportedly frozen the account of gun manufacturer American Spirit Arms, according to its owner, Joe Sirochman.
In a Facebook post dated December 29, Sirochman wrote the following:
“My name is Joe Sirochman owner of American Spirit Arms...our Web site orders have jumped 500 percent causing our Web site e-commerce processing larger deposits to Bank of America. So they decided to hold the deposits for further review.
“After countless hours on the phone with Bank of America, I finally got a manager in the right department that told me the reason that the deposits were on hold for further review -- her exact words were -- ‘We believe you should not be selling guns and parts on the Internet.’”(emphasis added)
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In a Facebook post dated December 29, Sirochman wrote the following:
“My name is Joe Sirochman owner of American Spirit Arms...our Web site orders have jumped 500 percent causing our Web site e-commerce processing larger deposits to Bank of America. So they decided to hold the deposits for further review.
“After countless hours on the phone with Bank of America, I finally got a manager in the right department that told me the reason that the deposits were on hold for further review -- her exact words were -- ‘We believe you should not be selling guns and parts on the Internet.’”(emphasis added)
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Has The Fight For Abortion Rights Been Lost?
In January 1973, the Supreme Court made access to abortion a federally protected right. As I write in this week’s TIME cover story, that seemingly decisive victory 40 years ago kicked off a war that the pro-choice movement has been losing ever since. In many parts of the country today, obtaining an abortion is more difficult than at any point since the 1970s.
There are fewer doctors willing to perform the procedure and fewer abortion clinics open for business. Pro-choice activists have been outflanked by their prolife counterparts, who have successfully lobbied for state-based regulations that limit access. Scores of states now require women to undergo counseling, waiting periods or ultrasounds prior to obtaining abortions. Minors across the country must often get permission from their parents if they want to terminate pregnancies. And pro-life state legislators are passing laws that require clinics to comply with arcane requirements—such as a hallway having to be more than five feet wide— that make it difficult for them to stay open.
There are fewer doctors willing to perform the procedure and fewer abortion clinics open for business. Pro-choice activists have been outflanked by their prolife counterparts, who have successfully lobbied for state-based regulations that limit access. Scores of states now require women to undergo counseling, waiting periods or ultrasounds prior to obtaining abortions. Minors across the country must often get permission from their parents if they want to terminate pregnancies. And pro-life state legislators are passing laws that require clinics to comply with arcane requirements—such as a hallway having to be more than five feet wide— that make it difficult for them to stay open.
Planned Parenthood's New Annual Report: We Did 333,964 Abortions; 1 Every 94 Seconds
That works out to an average of one abortion every 94 seconds.
The 333,964 abortion Planned Parenthood did in fiscal 2011 is an increase of 4,519 from the 329,445 abortions it did in 2010, according to a fact sheet that Planned Parenthood published last year.
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Pro-Life And Feminism Aren’t Mutually Exclusive
From its early beginnings, feminism was a young women’s movement. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Charlotte Lozier and so many others began their suffragist work in their 20s. These women — the original feminists — understood that the rights of women cannot be built on the broken backs of unborn children. Anthony called abortion “child murder.” Paul, author of the original 1923 Equal Rights Amendment, said that “abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.”
So the pro-life movement hasn’t changed the meaning of feminism, as has been suggested. It was the neo-feminists of the 1960s and ’70s who asked women to prize abortion as the pathway to equality.
So the pro-life movement hasn’t changed the meaning of feminism, as has been suggested. It was the neo-feminists of the 1960s and ’70s who asked women to prize abortion as the pathway to equality.
ALEX JONES GOES BALLISTIC DEBATING GUN CONTROL WITH PIERS MORGAN: ’1776 WILL COMMENCE AGAIN IF YOU TRY TO TAKE OUR FIREARMS!’
At many times throughout the segment, Jones got heated and began hollering about the seriousness of the threat to the Second Amendment. He said he created the petition to bring attention to the fact that we have “all these foreigners” arguing for gun control while the government stockpiles guns.
“When they get our guns they can have their world tyranny, while the government buys 1.6 billion bullets, armored vehicles, tanks, helicopters, predator drones,” he added. “The Second Amendment isn’t there for duck hunting, it’s there to protect us from tyrannical government and street thugs.”
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Rape In India: A Result Of Sex Selection?
The horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year old medical student in New Delhi may seem unrelated to fundamental demographic forces, but it isn’t. The public outcry following the victim’s death from catastrophic internal injuries has rightly focused on calls to reform India’s criminal justice system. Yesterday, five men were formally charged and the case is being put on a fast track set up in the wake of the incident to handle crimes against women, in contrast to the years of delay rape victims often face.
But behind the angry protests is an even deeper story: the preference for male babies in India and much of the world may be at the root of this senseless violence.
But behind the angry protests is an even deeper story: the preference for male babies in India and much of the world may be at the root of this senseless violence.
Secret Service Plans for Inauguration
57th Presidential Inaugural
The United States Secret Service in cooperation with its local, state and federal security, public safety and military partners, has developed an overall security plan for the 57th Presidential Inaugural. Inaugural activities will take place beginning on Sunday, January 20 through Monday, January 21, 2013, with the Inaugural ceremonies scheduled for Monday, January 21.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated the Inaugural as a National Special Security Event (NSSE). When an event is designated an NSSE, the Secret Service assumes its role as the lead federal agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan. The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Park Police as well as a number of other local, state and federal agencies, will play a critical operational role in securing the Inauguration and resources will be deployed to maintain the appropriate level of security.
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Online Reviewers Beware: You Can Get Sued
Jane Perez, a retired captain in the military from Fairfax County, VA, was not happy with her home contractor, so she wrote reviews on Yelp and Angie’s List explaining why. She said he had done a poor job on her renovations and billed her for work he did not perform — and that he may have stolen her jewelry. She warned readers: “Bottom line: do not put yourself through this nightmare of a contractor.”
The contractor, Christopher Dietz, filed a $750,000 defamation suit and got a judge to order Perez to rewrite the reviews. The Virginia Supreme Court recently reversed that decision, saying that reviews should not be censored — and that if they were defamatory, Dietz should focus on getting money damages.
The contractor, Christopher Dietz, filed a $750,000 defamation suit and got a judge to order Perez to rewrite the reviews. The Virginia Supreme Court recently reversed that decision, saying that reviews should not be censored — and that if they were defamatory, Dietz should focus on getting money damages.
Legislation Would Create Fines For Violating Open Meetings Act
The civil penalties could be up to $1,000 for the first offense and up to $10,000 for a third offense. Even if the board chooses not to impose the fines, the members of any public body violating the act would have to personally sign an acknowledgement that the Open Meetings board had ruled against them. The findings of the three-member board could also be admitted as evidence in a lawsuit.
“Currently their opinions are only advisory and tend to be ignored,” Morhaim said. He pointed out there is a new, online course on the workings of Open Meetings Act “so excuses of not knowing the act are less convincing.”
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Our Personalities Are Constantly Changing, Even If We Think They’re Not
It’s rare that scientific journals explicitly engage philosophical conundrums, but a paper in this week’s Science magazine begins with the question: “Why do people so often make decisions that their future selves regret?” At age 18, that skull-and-crossbones tattoo seems like an unimpeachably cool idea; at 28, it’s mortifying. You meet the man of your dreams at 25 — except that your dreams have become so different by 35 that you end up divorced.
“Even at 68, people think, Ugh, I’m not the person I was at 58, but I’m sure I’ll be this way at 78,” says one of the Science study authors, Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and author of the book Stumbling on Happiness.
“Even at 68, people think, Ugh, I’m not the person I was at 58, but I’m sure I’ll be this way at 78,” says one of the Science study authors, Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and author of the book Stumbling on Happiness.
Maryland's Flu Season Worst Since 2009, Officials Say
It places Maryland in the widespread category.
"The flu epidemic started first week of December,"said Dr. Cynthia Buchman-Webb, the emergency room chief at Union Memorial Hospital in north Baltimore.
The ER at the hospital has been flooded with patients that have flu-like symptoms, she said. Doctors have confirmed more than 100 cases since Dec. 1.
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Today's Press Conference
$10,000 Goal Set For Salisbury's Promise Scholarship Endowment
SALISBURY, MD---When Dr. George Whitehead of Salisbury University’s Psychology Department received the community’s oldest civic honor — the prestigious Salisbury Award — for his work with area youth, it provided a chance to do even more good.
Whitehead used its $500 cash to begin an endowment for a new Salisbury’s Promise Scholarship through the Salisbury University Foundation, Inc.
“I didn’t want to spend the $500 and use it all at once,” he said. “I wanted to use it to start something, and I really wanted it to be focused on service.”
Once fully funded at $10,000, the endowment is expected to provide an annual $500 scholarship for SU students.
In determining the specifics of the scholarship, Whitehead drew on several passions. As a former Wicomico County Board of Education member, he wanted the award to be reserved for students from the county. As the project director for SU’s AmeriCorps chapter, ShoreCorps/Partnership for Adolescents on the Lower Shore (PALS), he also wanted the recipient to demonstrate a commitment to community service.
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Whitehead used its $500 cash to begin an endowment for a new Salisbury’s Promise Scholarship through the Salisbury University Foundation, Inc.
“I didn’t want to spend the $500 and use it all at once,” he said. “I wanted to use it to start something, and I really wanted it to be focused on service.”
Once fully funded at $10,000, the endowment is expected to provide an annual $500 scholarship for SU students.
In determining the specifics of the scholarship, Whitehead drew on several passions. As a former Wicomico County Board of Education member, he wanted the award to be reserved for students from the county. As the project director for SU’s AmeriCorps chapter, ShoreCorps/Partnership for Adolescents on the Lower Shore (PALS), he also wanted the recipient to demonstrate a commitment to community service.
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Wells Fargo To Help Some Baltimoreans Buy Homes
If you’re looking to buy a home in Baltimore City, some help is on the way. As Derek Valcourt explains, mortgage giant Wells Fargo will now offer $15,000 of down payment assistance to qualifying homebuyers.
When the country’s financial crisis hit and the housing market crashed, the US Justice Department accused Wells Fargo of discriminatory lending practices. Now as part of a settlement, Wells Fargo will commit $4.5 million in down payment assistance grants to qualifying Baltimore homebuyers. That means 300 homebuyers in Baltimore could soon get $15,000 toward a down payment on their home.
“In spite of low interest rates, saving up a down payment can be the biggest barrier to home ownership for hardworking families. Down payment assistance of $15,000 makes home ownership immediately more available and more affordable,” said Andy Bertamini, Wells Fargo.
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When the country’s financial crisis hit and the housing market crashed, the US Justice Department accused Wells Fargo of discriminatory lending practices. Now as part of a settlement, Wells Fargo will commit $4.5 million in down payment assistance grants to qualifying Baltimore homebuyers. That means 300 homebuyers in Baltimore could soon get $15,000 toward a down payment on their home.
“In spite of low interest rates, saving up a down payment can be the biggest barrier to home ownership for hardworking families. Down payment assistance of $15,000 makes home ownership immediately more available and more affordable,” said Andy Bertamini, Wells Fargo.
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Best Posts Of A Conservative Teacher For 2012
McCarthyism Lecture Notes from a Liberal Teacher: Another Example of The Kool-Aid Dumped Down Children's Throats?:
...The lecture notes that I am looking at that were delivered by the liberal teacher in my school are one-sided liberal spin. They begin by pointing out that the Cold War wasn't really a war- that the United States was just scared of losing its position of power in the world and so reacted to an emerging Soviet Union by pretending that there was some sort of Cold War we were engaged in. The definition of 'Red Scare' according to this liberal teacher was 'the unjustified fear of communism in the United States'. The teacher then goes on to attack McCarthy- "known as a lazy and corrupt politician," "played up imaginary fears of communists to gullible public," and "made up evidence of spies to get re-elected."
I'm not making this up folks- this is an example of how a historical topic like McCarthyism can be spun to students who don't know any different, and then years later they will believe the lies because they don't know any better and they were thoroughly indoctrinated. And this is a single day lecture in a single class- imagine every day, many classes, for 12 years, and you can see how America ended up where it is today (morally, creatively, and financially bankrupt)...Fall of Roman Empire from Peak Teaches America Lessons:
...we can see that around 100 AD Rome began to 'collapse'- as defined as a progressing downward trajectory of these factors from a peak. The reason for this is that at this point in time Rome began to live beyond its means and the costs of adding complexity to society began to be greater than the benefits that society saw...
...Ugo Bardi, the professor of physical chemistry, is suggesting is the cause for Rome's (and our own) decline- too much bureaucracy, too high taxes, too much centralized control over people, and short-sighted economic policies. In the end, as Rome collapsed, it worsened its situation by putting in place more bureaucracy and more taxes- Obamacare...
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...The lecture notes that I am looking at that were delivered by the liberal teacher in my school are one-sided liberal spin. They begin by pointing out that the Cold War wasn't really a war- that the United States was just scared of losing its position of power in the world and so reacted to an emerging Soviet Union by pretending that there was some sort of Cold War we were engaged in. The definition of 'Red Scare' according to this liberal teacher was 'the unjustified fear of communism in the United States'. The teacher then goes on to attack McCarthy- "known as a lazy and corrupt politician," "played up imaginary fears of communists to gullible public," and "made up evidence of spies to get re-elected."
I'm not making this up folks- this is an example of how a historical topic like McCarthyism can be spun to students who don't know any different, and then years later they will believe the lies because they don't know any better and they were thoroughly indoctrinated. And this is a single day lecture in a single class- imagine every day, many classes, for 12 years, and you can see how America ended up where it is today (morally, creatively, and financially bankrupt)...Fall of Roman Empire from Peak Teaches America Lessons:
...we can see that around 100 AD Rome began to 'collapse'- as defined as a progressing downward trajectory of these factors from a peak. The reason for this is that at this point in time Rome began to live beyond its means and the costs of adding complexity to society began to be greater than the benefits that society saw...
...Ugo Bardi, the professor of physical chemistry, is suggesting is the cause for Rome's (and our own) decline- too much bureaucracy, too high taxes, too much centralized control over people, and short-sighted economic policies. In the end, as Rome collapsed, it worsened its situation by putting in place more bureaucracy and more taxes- Obamacare...
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Mom Goes Viral With Son's Phone Code Of Conduct
Eighteen strings, to be exact, in a written code of conduct that placed the mommy blogger at the center of the debate over how parents should handle technology in the hands of their teens, especially younger ones just entering the frenetic world of social networks and smartphones.
Thousands of people, including those bemoaning too much helicopter parenting, commented and shared the funny, heartfelt agreement posted at the holiday by the Cape Cod, Mass., mom of five. The interest crashed her website and led her to appear with her eldest, Gregory, on morning TV.
Hofmann's first order of business: "1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest?"
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The Debt Limit Can Save Us From Ourselves
In 1917, Congress first created what is commonly known today as "the debt limit." The Second Liberty Bond Act authorized the secretary of the Treasury "to borrow, from time to time, on the credit of the United States" a sum "not exceeding in the aggregate $7,538,945,460."
Today, many, many debt limit hikes later, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is authorized to borrow up to an amount 2,000 times that sum; $16,394,000,000,000, to be exact. But apparently, even that isn't enough. Geithner informed Congress on New Year's Eve that unless they raised the debt limit again, he would be unable to pay all of the federal government's bills.
It was not always this way. Until World War I, when President Wilson needed cash to fund U.S. intervention in Europe, Congress separately and specifically authorized each issuance of federal government debt. For example, when the United States declared war on Spain in 1898, it also passed the War Revenue Act, which directed the Treasury secretary to issue $100 million in short-term notes and $400 million in longer-term bonds.
But President Wilson did not want to go back to Congress to authorize every specific detail of every specific debt sale for his war and other domestic efforts. Hence the 1917 act granting the Treasury secretary the authority to borrow at "such sum or sums that in his judgment may be necessary."
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Today, many, many debt limit hikes later, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is authorized to borrow up to an amount 2,000 times that sum; $16,394,000,000,000, to be exact. But apparently, even that isn't enough. Geithner informed Congress on New Year's Eve that unless they raised the debt limit again, he would be unable to pay all of the federal government's bills.
It was not always this way. Until World War I, when President Wilson needed cash to fund U.S. intervention in Europe, Congress separately and specifically authorized each issuance of federal government debt. For example, when the United States declared war on Spain in 1898, it also passed the War Revenue Act, which directed the Treasury secretary to issue $100 million in short-term notes and $400 million in longer-term bonds.
But President Wilson did not want to go back to Congress to authorize every specific detail of every specific debt sale for his war and other domestic efforts. Hence the 1917 act granting the Treasury secretary the authority to borrow at "such sum or sums that in his judgment may be necessary."
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Gov't Spent $18 Billion On Immigration Enforcement
The Obama administration spent more money on immigration enforcement in the last fiscal year than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined, according to a report on the government's enforcement efforts from a Washington think tank.
The report on Monday from the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan group focused on global immigration issues, said in the 2012 budget year that ended in September the government spent about $18 billion on immigration enforcement programs run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US-Visit program, and Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol. Immigration enforcement topped the combined budgets of the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Secret Service by about $3.6 billion dollars, the report's authors said.
Since then-President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986 _ which legalized more than 3 million illegal immigrants and overhauled immigration laws _ the government has spent more than $187 billion on immigration enforcement. According to the report, "Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery," federal immigration-related criminal prosecutions also outnumber cases generated by the Justice Department.
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The report on Monday from the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan group focused on global immigration issues, said in the 2012 budget year that ended in September the government spent about $18 billion on immigration enforcement programs run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US-Visit program, and Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol. Immigration enforcement topped the combined budgets of the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Secret Service by about $3.6 billion dollars, the report's authors said.
Since then-President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986 _ which legalized more than 3 million illegal immigrants and overhauled immigration laws _ the government has spent more than $187 billion on immigration enforcement. According to the report, "Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery," federal immigration-related criminal prosecutions also outnumber cases generated by the Justice Department.
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On The Economic Calculation Of "Fair Share"
When one speaks of a concept it is important that it is properly qualified so as to be correctly understood. Failure to accomplish that makes impossible for either the problem to be identified or a desired solution to be found. Perhaps this is why politicians have a tendency to speak of ill-defined and oft muddled concepts, like “social justice,” “a living wage” or “fair share.” These concepts are impossible to define in a way consistent with how they are represented, since their proponents represent them as definite, rather than abstract matters. In our time the demand for “the rich” to pay their “fair share” through higher taxes has become a standard war cry broadcast from every public and crony source of media. Yet, there is no objective means of defining either what constitutes “the rich” or “fair share.” Politicians and demagogues alike may debate these issues for as long or as short as they may desire, but whatever level they agree on is sure to be arbitrary, save for the only objective conclusion that such concepts are impossible to quantify.
Given a communistic ownership of schools, roads, streets, parks, healthcare institutions, libraries, schools and universities, how is one to be able to calculate each person’s use - “fair share” - of each? What share of a road belongs to a particular taxpayer? What usage is “fair share”? How many books in any given library belong to a specific person and which specific books? Who owns the walls and who owns the library’s carpets? Does the person paying more in taxes own more of the roads, libraries or schools than the person who pays less? What of the person who pays no tax at all? What of the person who desires to use his claim on a gymnasium, and of nothing else? Does the state university graduate owe a particular service to the taxpayer that subsidized or paid for the operation of the university? A typical example of who “fair share” proponents see the world is given to us by US Sen. Elizabeth Warren:
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.
As communistic concepts go, the idea of the “fair share” is simply a reiteration of the “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs” idea. The first question that poses itself is who is “the rest of us,” and how much did each of “the rest of us” contribute to the end of providing the goods and services Warren talks about? Furthermore, how are we to know that “the rest of us” get a market return on their investment in the public roads, schools, police and firefighting forces? In presenting the issue like that, we discover that we are unable to perform the critical task of economic calculation.
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Given a communistic ownership of schools, roads, streets, parks, healthcare institutions, libraries, schools and universities, how is one to be able to calculate each person’s use - “fair share” - of each? What share of a road belongs to a particular taxpayer? What usage is “fair share”? How many books in any given library belong to a specific person and which specific books? Who owns the walls and who owns the library’s carpets? Does the person paying more in taxes own more of the roads, libraries or schools than the person who pays less? What of the person who pays no tax at all? What of the person who desires to use his claim on a gymnasium, and of nothing else? Does the state university graduate owe a particular service to the taxpayer that subsidized or paid for the operation of the university? A typical example of who “fair share” proponents see the world is given to us by US Sen. Elizabeth Warren:
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.
As communistic concepts go, the idea of the “fair share” is simply a reiteration of the “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs” idea. The first question that poses itself is who is “the rest of us,” and how much did each of “the rest of us” contribute to the end of providing the goods and services Warren talks about? Furthermore, how are we to know that “the rest of us” get a market return on their investment in the public roads, schools, police and firefighting forces? In presenting the issue like that, we discover that we are unable to perform the critical task of economic calculation.
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Amish Teen Injured In Crash West Of Camden-Wyoming
Location: Westville Road west of Hazlettville Road, Camden-Wyoming, DE
Date of Occurrence: Monday January 7, 2013 at approximately 5:15 p.m.
Operator and Vehicle Information:
Operator #1: Marian L. Iplenski, 78, Hartly, DE
Vehicle #1: 2001 Dodge Dakota
Operator #2: 15 year old Amish male from Hartly, DE
Vehicle #2: Horse drawn buggy
Passenger: 13 year old Amish male from Hartly, DE
Resume:
Camden-Wyoming, DE- The Delaware State Police are investigating a serious crash involving a truck and horse drawn buggy.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon as Marian L. Iplenski was operating a 2001 Dodge Dakota eastbound on Westville Road just west of Hazlettville Road. A horse drawn buggy being operated by a 15 year old Amish male was also eastbound on Westville Road partially in the roadway in front of the Dakota. Iplenski failed to see the Amish buggy in the roadway and struck the left rear portion with the right front bumper of the Dakota causing the carriage to overturn on the shoulder and become disabled. Iplenski drove to a nearby house where she alerted the resident to call 9-1-1.
A 13 year old male passenger in the buggy was removed from the scene by State Police Helicopter and transported to A.I. DuPont Hospital where he is currently admitted in critical condition. The 15 year old driver was not injured in the crash.
Marian Iplenski, who was properly restrained, was removed transported from the residence by EMS to Kent General Hospital where she was treated for unrelated health issues. She was cited for Inattentive Driving.
The roadway in the area of the incident was closed for approximately one hour as the crash was investigated and cleared. The horse was not severely injured in the crash and was removed from the scene by members of the Amish community.
Date of Occurrence: Monday January 7, 2013 at approximately 5:15 p.m.
Operator and Vehicle Information:
Operator #1: Marian L. Iplenski, 78, Hartly, DE
Vehicle #1: 2001 Dodge Dakota
Operator #2: 15 year old Amish male from Hartly, DE
Vehicle #2: Horse drawn buggy
Passenger: 13 year old Amish male from Hartly, DE
Resume:
Camden-Wyoming, DE- The Delaware State Police are investigating a serious crash involving a truck and horse drawn buggy.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon as Marian L. Iplenski was operating a 2001 Dodge Dakota eastbound on Westville Road just west of Hazlettville Road. A horse drawn buggy being operated by a 15 year old Amish male was also eastbound on Westville Road partially in the roadway in front of the Dakota. Iplenski failed to see the Amish buggy in the roadway and struck the left rear portion with the right front bumper of the Dakota causing the carriage to overturn on the shoulder and become disabled. Iplenski drove to a nearby house where she alerted the resident to call 9-1-1.
A 13 year old male passenger in the buggy was removed from the scene by State Police Helicopter and transported to A.I. DuPont Hospital where he is currently admitted in critical condition. The 15 year old driver was not injured in the crash.
Marian Iplenski, who was properly restrained, was removed transported from the residence by EMS to Kent General Hospital where she was treated for unrelated health issues. She was cited for Inattentive Driving.
The roadway in the area of the incident was closed for approximately one hour as the crash was investigated and cleared. The horse was not severely injured in the crash and was removed from the scene by members of the Amish community.
President Of Journal News Says “Journalists Shouldn’t Be Threatened”
The Journal News, which published the names AND addresses of 33,614 registered gun owners in two NY counties, and wanted information in order to publish more from a third, is all sorts of upset in regards to the response they received. Fortunately, the NY Times is there to provide a sob story in their defense
(NY Times) But the article, which left gun owners feeling vulnerable to harassment or break-ins, also drew outrage from across the country. Calls and e-mails grew so threatening that the paper’s president and publisher, Janet Hasson, hired armed guards to monitor the newspaper’s headquarters in White Plains and its bureau in West Nyack, N.Y.
Personal information about editors and writers at the paper has been posted online, including their home addresses and information about where their children attended school; some reporters have received notes saying they would be shot on the way to their cars; bloggers have encouraged people to steal credit card information of Journal News employees; and two packages containing white powder have been sent to the newsroom and a third to a reporter’s home (all were tested by the police and proved to be harmless).
“As journalists, we are prepared for criticism,” Ms. Hasson said, as she sat in her meticulously tended office and described the ways her 225 employees have been harassed since the article was published. “But in the U.S., journalists should not be threatened.” She has paid for staff members who do not feel safe in their homes to stay at hotels, offered guards to walk employees to their cars, encouraged employees to change their home telephone numbers and has been coordinating with the local police.
(NY Times) But the article, which left gun owners feeling vulnerable to harassment or break-ins, also drew outrage from across the country. Calls and e-mails grew so threatening that the paper’s president and publisher, Janet Hasson, hired armed guards to monitor the newspaper’s headquarters in White Plains and its bureau in West Nyack, N.Y.
Personal information about editors and writers at the paper has been posted online, including their home addresses and information about where their children attended school; some reporters have received notes saying they would be shot on the way to their cars; bloggers have encouraged people to steal credit card information of Journal News employees; and two packages containing white powder have been sent to the newsroom and a third to a reporter’s home (all were tested by the police and proved to be harmless).
“As journalists, we are prepared for criticism,” Ms. Hasson said, as she sat in her meticulously tended office and described the ways her 225 employees have been harassed since the article was published. “But in the U.S., journalists should not be threatened.” She has paid for staff members who do not feel safe in their homes to stay at hotels, offered guards to walk employees to their cars, encouraged employees to change their home telephone numbers and has been coordinating with the local police.
J&J Facing Trial Over Artificial-Hip Claims in Maryland
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which is defending against more than 10,000 lawsuits over recalled hip implants, faces its first trial of claims that the devices left some patients immobilized and in pain.
Moira Jackson, a former professional dancer who received two artificial hips, claims J&J’s DePuy unit didn’t properly warn her or her doctors about the implants’ risks. Jury selection in Jackson’s case is slated to begin today in state court in Prince George’s County, Maryland, near Washington.
DePuy’s faulty ASR hips caused Jackson “severe physical distress and injury” and left her unable “to lead a normal life,” her lawyers said in court filings. Jackson is seeking at least $15 million in damages, according to the filings.
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Moira Jackson, a former professional dancer who received two artificial hips, claims J&J’s DePuy unit didn’t properly warn her or her doctors about the implants’ risks. Jury selection in Jackson’s case is slated to begin today in state court in Prince George’s County, Maryland, near Washington.
DePuy’s faulty ASR hips caused Jackson “severe physical distress and injury” and left her unable “to lead a normal life,” her lawyers said in court filings. Jackson is seeking at least $15 million in damages, according to the filings.
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Five Good Men
There are a few good men. And by “a few,” I mean five.
Certainly there are far more than five good men in America. But in the U.S. Senate, there are just five moral Republicans.
Who am I referring to? Let me introduce you to the five men in the Senate who stood their ground while their Republican peers (save two abstainers) voted for a fiscal cliff deal that essentially codifies theft:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
I think conservatives and libertarians should praise and uphold these leaders—and fire their Republican peers who may as well be Democrats.
I expect my leaders to keep their word. If they tell me they are Republican, I expect them to act like Republicans. And being Republican means voting a certain way; saying “no” to new spending, inflation and taxes—and saying “yes” to virtue, freedom, growth, prosperity and small business opportunities.
Like these five men, I believe we should have gone over the so-called fiscal cliff. Here’s why:
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Certainly there are far more than five good men in America. But in the U.S. Senate, there are just five moral Republicans.
Who am I referring to? Let me introduce you to the five men in the Senate who stood their ground while their Republican peers (save two abstainers) voted for a fiscal cliff deal that essentially codifies theft:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
I think conservatives and libertarians should praise and uphold these leaders—and fire their Republican peers who may as well be Democrats.
I expect my leaders to keep their word. If they tell me they are Republican, I expect them to act like Republicans. And being Republican means voting a certain way; saying “no” to new spending, inflation and taxes—and saying “yes” to virtue, freedom, growth, prosperity and small business opportunities.
Like these five men, I believe we should have gone over the so-called fiscal cliff. Here’s why:
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Bill Would Raise Cost Of License For Most Maryland Hunters
A bill that would increase the cost of a hunting license for an adult Maryland resident by $20 and help the financially strapped Wildlife & Heritage Service will be introduced at the General Assembly, which opens for legislative business Wednesday.
The bill, which does not yet have a number, would raise the cost from $24.50 to $44.50 for hunters ages 16 to 64. The cost for senior and junior licenses would not be affected. Neither would there be increases in the costs of stamps, such as those for hunting with bow or muzzleloader, according to Bill Miles of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, the nonpartisan group guiding the effort.
“We’re calling it the Wildlife Management & Sustainability Act of 2013,” Miles said. “This bill is not being led by the Department of Natural Resources, but by the sportsmen of Maryland.”
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The bill, which does not yet have a number, would raise the cost from $24.50 to $44.50 for hunters ages 16 to 64. The cost for senior and junior licenses would not be affected. Neither would there be increases in the costs of stamps, such as those for hunting with bow or muzzleloader, according to Bill Miles of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, the nonpartisan group guiding the effort.
“We’re calling it the Wildlife Management & Sustainability Act of 2013,” Miles said. “This bill is not being led by the Department of Natural Resources, but by the sportsmen of Maryland.”
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STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON PASSING OF RICHARD BEN CRAMER
ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 8, 2013) – Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement on the passing of Richard Ben Cramer:
“Richard's work as a gifted writer and deeply principled journalist made our Republic a better place; made us a stronger, more compassionate, and more understanding people.
“We have lost one of the best political journalists of our times. We have also lost a great patriot, and one of the kindest souls God ever created.”
Meathead Wins Again
Column: Tax deal is a victory for Hollywood cronyism
My least favorite political cliché—that liberal donors don’t ask for anything in return for campaign contributions—was exposed as laughably false by the Kick the Can Down the Road Act of 2012, also known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act, or the “fiscal cliff deal.”
Consider what the bill revealed about Hollywood’s relationship with the Democrats who run the Senate and live in the White House. It is a relationship fraught with denial, in which the gooiest rhetoric obscures the most self-interested acts. For example on May 11, 2012, filmmaker and actorRob “Meathead” Reiner appeared on “Hardball with Chris Matthews”. The previous day Reiner had attended one of several Hollywood fundraisers at which President Barack Obama raised a total of $15 million. Wasn’t it “interesting,” Matthews said, that when individuals on “the Republican” side “invest in a Republican candidate, they’re investing in their businesses.”
They want a better tax break. They want less regulation. I’m, damn it, in a certain, weird, perverted way, they should get a tax write-off because what they’re doing is for the money!
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My least favorite political cliché—that liberal donors don’t ask for anything in return for campaign contributions—was exposed as laughably false by the Kick the Can Down the Road Act of 2012, also known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act, or the “fiscal cliff deal.”
Consider what the bill revealed about Hollywood’s relationship with the Democrats who run the Senate and live in the White House. It is a relationship fraught with denial, in which the gooiest rhetoric obscures the most self-interested acts. For example on May 11, 2012, filmmaker and actorRob “Meathead” Reiner appeared on “Hardball with Chris Matthews”. The previous day Reiner had attended one of several Hollywood fundraisers at which President Barack Obama raised a total of $15 million. Wasn’t it “interesting,” Matthews said, that when individuals on “the Republican” side “invest in a Republican candidate, they’re investing in their businesses.”
They want a better tax break. They want less regulation. I’m, damn it, in a certain, weird, perverted way, they should get a tax write-off because what they’re doing is for the money!
More
STANDING ON THE PRECIPICE
For all of the talk of the “fiscal cliff,” the reality is we still stand on the precipice. As we all know, the New Year’s deal cut taxes and added some $330 billion in new spending, but it did not tackle the virus that is eating away at our fundamental freedoms, strangling our economy and undermining the basic pillars of our society. This nasty little bug is a hugely expanded and controlling federal government.
Just to be clear, I am not asking the president and Congress to wipe out the government in our lives any more than a doctor wants to wipe out all of the bacteria in your body. Your body has lots of different bacteria that perform valuable functions; likewise, our government performs many vital functions in our society. But today in our country, we have been overrun by huge growth in what were once considered benign and even helpful functions. To make matters worse, the only governmental function that has been severely cut back by President Obama and is scheduled to get even more harsh reductions is the most essential of all services – national defense.
Just to be clear, I am not asking the president and Congress to wipe out the government in our lives any more than a doctor wants to wipe out all of the bacteria in your body. Your body has lots of different bacteria that perform valuable functions; likewise, our government performs many vital functions in our society. But today in our country, we have been overrun by huge growth in what were once considered benign and even helpful functions. To make matters worse, the only governmental function that has been severely cut back by President Obama and is scheduled to get even more harsh reductions is the most essential of all services – national defense.
Fear Of New Gun Restrictions Boosts Sales, Vendors Say
Fifth-generation gun salesman Chip Porter says for the third time in a dozen years, gun sales are up because there is talk of banning gun ownership.
At the Silverado Gun Show Sunday in Frederick, Porter said 12 new customers came to him because they fear that time is running out for citizens to own guns.
"People are panic-buying," he said.
Show operator Frank Krasner and Porter said experienced gun owners and sellers do not panic, but novices do. Porter said it would be impossible for the government to take away all guns, and it won't try.
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At the Silverado Gun Show Sunday in Frederick, Porter said 12 new customers came to him because they fear that time is running out for citizens to own guns.
"People are panic-buying," he said.
Show operator Frank Krasner and Porter said experienced gun owners and sellers do not panic, but novices do. Porter said it would be impossible for the government to take away all guns, and it won't try.
More
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES $336 MILLION IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AND UPGRADES FOR MARYLAND SCHOOLS
Funding will create, support and leverage over 8,000 jobs; Proposed funding includes $25 million for air conditioning in Maryland’s public schools
BALTIMORE, MD - Governor Martin O’Malley announced $336 million in school construction funding and upgrades for Maryland’s public schools in the proposed FY2014 budget. This funding continues the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s commitment to modernizing and rebuilding Maryland’s public schools. In addition, the funding will create, support and leverage an estimated 8,100 jobs.
Despite making more cuts to state spending than any previous administration, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has chosen to make targeted investments in priorities like education and job creation. The proposed budget will include $325 million for the Public School Construction Program, including $25 million for air conditioning in schools. Additionally, the Administration will include $6.1 million for the Aging Schools Program and $4.5 million in Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs) that provide investors with federal tax credits in lieu of tax free interest payments to make improvements to schools serving a significant number of students from low-income families. The total school construction commitment under the O’Malley-Brown Administration to replace temporary learning shacks with modern, state-of-the-art 21st Century classrooms now stands at nearly $2.4 billion.
“In 2006, Anthony and I visited temporary learning shacks where there should have been modern classrooms, and pledged to do everything in our power to put our children in state-of-the-art, 21st century schools,” said Governor O’Malley. “Our balanced approach of cuts and targeted investments has enabled us to build the #1 public school system, invest in our key priorities, and at the same time put us on track to eliminate the structural deficit.”
“Even in the most difficult economic times, we have far exceeded our $250 million goal for school construction funding,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. “Education and school construction funding continue to be our top priority and I commend the Administration on their ongoing commitment to our children.”
“The best investment that we can make in our State's future is in our children,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. “The commitment that we have made in school construction not only improves the learning environment for the State's future workforce, but also puts construction workers, one of the hardest hit employment sectors in the State, back on the job.”
“The $25 million we’re investing in air conditioning for our schools will help move us towards our goal of having every child in Maryland learning in a building that meets their needs,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown. “Air conditioning isn't a luxury, it’s a necessity that helps fight against mold and allergens in the air, which can cause students to miss class because of asthma or severe allergies. And we won’t rest until all 1,396 of Maryland’s schools are safe places for our children to learn.”
Since taking office, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has remained committed to public education. For four years in a row, Maryland’s public schools have been certified #1 in the nation by Education Week Magazine. In the 2011-2012 school year, 83 percent of kindergartners entered school fully ready to learn. Maryland elementary school students achieved their highest MSA scores ever in both Reading and Math, while middle school students achieved their highest scores ever in Math. Maryland’s students are #1 in AP success for the fourth consecutive year according to The College Board, and high school students are graduating at the highest rate in history. Together, with Maryland’s hard working educators, the dropout rate has been driven down 12 percent since 2006. To give children the tools to compete and win the jobs of tomorrow, the Administration is nearly halfway toward its goal to increase the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) college graduates 40 percent by 2015.
BALTIMORE, MD - Governor Martin O’Malley announced $336 million in school construction funding and upgrades for Maryland’s public schools in the proposed FY2014 budget. This funding continues the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s commitment to modernizing and rebuilding Maryland’s public schools. In addition, the funding will create, support and leverage an estimated 8,100 jobs.
Despite making more cuts to state spending than any previous administration, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has chosen to make targeted investments in priorities like education and job creation. The proposed budget will include $325 million for the Public School Construction Program, including $25 million for air conditioning in schools. Additionally, the Administration will include $6.1 million for the Aging Schools Program and $4.5 million in Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs) that provide investors with federal tax credits in lieu of tax free interest payments to make improvements to schools serving a significant number of students from low-income families. The total school construction commitment under the O’Malley-Brown Administration to replace temporary learning shacks with modern, state-of-the-art 21st Century classrooms now stands at nearly $2.4 billion.
“In 2006, Anthony and I visited temporary learning shacks where there should have been modern classrooms, and pledged to do everything in our power to put our children in state-of-the-art, 21st century schools,” said Governor O’Malley. “Our balanced approach of cuts and targeted investments has enabled us to build the #1 public school system, invest in our key priorities, and at the same time put us on track to eliminate the structural deficit.”
“Even in the most difficult economic times, we have far exceeded our $250 million goal for school construction funding,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. “Education and school construction funding continue to be our top priority and I commend the Administration on their ongoing commitment to our children.”
“The best investment that we can make in our State's future is in our children,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. “The commitment that we have made in school construction not only improves the learning environment for the State's future workforce, but also puts construction workers, one of the hardest hit employment sectors in the State, back on the job.”
“The $25 million we’re investing in air conditioning for our schools will help move us towards our goal of having every child in Maryland learning in a building that meets their needs,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown. “Air conditioning isn't a luxury, it’s a necessity that helps fight against mold and allergens in the air, which can cause students to miss class because of asthma or severe allergies. And we won’t rest until all 1,396 of Maryland’s schools are safe places for our children to learn.”
Since taking office, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has remained committed to public education. For four years in a row, Maryland’s public schools have been certified #1 in the nation by Education Week Magazine. In the 2011-2012 school year, 83 percent of kindergartners entered school fully ready to learn. Maryland elementary school students achieved their highest MSA scores ever in both Reading and Math, while middle school students achieved their highest scores ever in Math. Maryland’s students are #1 in AP success for the fourth consecutive year according to The College Board, and high school students are graduating at the highest rate in history. Together, with Maryland’s hard working educators, the dropout rate has been driven down 12 percent since 2006. To give children the tools to compete and win the jobs of tomorrow, the Administration is nearly halfway toward its goal to increase the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) college graduates 40 percent by 2015.
The Week In Stupid
Sometimes there is so much stupid going on in the world that you have to just stop and take stock of it all.
Al Gore sells Current TV to Al Jazeera.
The Americans who owned the anti-American network Current TV soon will be replaced as owners by foreigners who operate the anti-American network Al Jazeera. I doubt any of the 40,000 regular Current TV viewers would have noticed had the news not gone public. Of course, most of them spend their time writing diaries at the DailyKos, when not being yelled at by their moms to clean their rooms. But the big winner in all this is former Vice-President Al Gore. The private-jet-flying, limo-riding, mansion-heating/air-conditioning bearded Pope of the Holy Church of Global Warming stands to pocket $100 million in dirty oil money from the deal. Unfortunately for him, in spite of his scrambling to do so, he wasn’t able to seal the deal before the end of 2012 and will have to pay the higher tax rates he tried desperately to avoid. Seems like Al Gore is looking to win the Nobel Prize in hypocrisy.
Sadly, the current line-up of Current TV, Jennifer Granholm, Eliot Spitzer, The Young Turks, Joy Behar, etc., are not expected to be retained when the new owners take over. Even terrorists have some standards.
The Dud Heard ‘Round the World
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Al Gore sells Current TV to Al Jazeera.
The Americans who owned the anti-American network Current TV soon will be replaced as owners by foreigners who operate the anti-American network Al Jazeera. I doubt any of the 40,000 regular Current TV viewers would have noticed had the news not gone public. Of course, most of them spend their time writing diaries at the DailyKos, when not being yelled at by their moms to clean their rooms. But the big winner in all this is former Vice-President Al Gore. The private-jet-flying, limo-riding, mansion-heating/air-conditioning bearded Pope of the Holy Church of Global Warming stands to pocket $100 million in dirty oil money from the deal. Unfortunately for him, in spite of his scrambling to do so, he wasn’t able to seal the deal before the end of 2012 and will have to pay the higher tax rates he tried desperately to avoid. Seems like Al Gore is looking to win the Nobel Prize in hypocrisy.
Sadly, the current line-up of Current TV, Jennifer Granholm, Eliot Spitzer, The Young Turks, Joy Behar, etc., are not expected to be retained when the new owners take over. Even terrorists have some standards.
The Dud Heard ‘Round the World
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Board Of Education Budget Hearing
Thursday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m.Salisbury Middle School
The Wicomico County Board of Education’s first public budget hearing for the fiscal 2013-14 budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at Salisbury Middle School. Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Public input is critically important in the budget process for Wicomico County Public Schools. For information please call 410-677-4561.
The Wicomico County Board of Education’s first public budget hearing for the fiscal 2013-14 budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at Salisbury Middle School. Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Public input is critically important in the budget process for Wicomico County Public Schools. For information please call 410-677-4561.
Governor Proposes Millions To Put AC In Schools
The governor made the announcement at Overlea High School in Baltimore County Monday.
The budget will include $325 million for the state's Public School Construction Program. That will include $25 million for air conditioning in schools.
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Monthly Meeting Of Wicomico County Board Of Education
Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.
Board of Education Auditorium
The January meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Board of Education auditorium. The agenda will be posted at www.wcboe.org; click on the BoardDocs box (left side of home page) to view the agenda. 410-677-4561
Board of Education Auditorium
The January meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Board of Education auditorium. The agenda will be posted at www.wcboe.org; click on the BoardDocs box (left side of home page) to view the agenda. 410-677-4561
CECIL COUNTY SHOOTING WITH MUTIPLE VICTIMS UNDER INVESTIGATION
(Port Deposit, MD) Maryland State Police Homicide investigators are investigating a multiple shooting and an attempted suicide, which occurred in Port Deposit, Md. earlier this evening.
The victims will remain unidentified at this time pending notification of the next of kin. Cecil County emergency medical personnel pronounced the deceased at the scene. The second victim was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center by Maryland State Police Helicopter with life threaten injuries.
The suspect remains unidentified at this time due to the ongoing investigation. The suspect was located a short distance from the scene with a possible self inflicted gunshot wound. Cecil County emergency medical personnel transported the suspect to Christana Hospital with life threaten injuries.
Prior to 8:00 p.m. this evening, troopers from the Northeast Barrack received a 9-1-1 call for shots fired at a residence in the 200 block of Craigstown Road in Port Deposit. Once on the scene, troopers found two victims in the residence with apparent gunshot wounds. Medic units responded pronouncing one victim dead at the scene and treated the second.
The preliminary investigation revealed both victims were in the residence when the suspect arrived. An argument escalated to a fight at which time the suspect displayed an unidentified firearm and shot the deceased in the chest. The suspect continued into the residence where he encountered the second victim. The suspect shot the second victim. The suspect fled the scene and was located a short distance away with an apparent self inflected gunshot wound.
Maryland State Police Homicide Investigators were summoned to the scene and will assume the lead in the investigation. Investigators from the Northeast Barrack will be assisting. Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensics Sciences Division processed the scene and gathered items of evidential value.
Investigators are asking for anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the Northeast Barrack at 410-996-7800. All calls will remain confidential.
The victims will remain unidentified at this time pending notification of the next of kin. Cecil County emergency medical personnel pronounced the deceased at the scene. The second victim was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center by Maryland State Police Helicopter with life threaten injuries.
The suspect remains unidentified at this time due to the ongoing investigation. The suspect was located a short distance from the scene with a possible self inflicted gunshot wound. Cecil County emergency medical personnel transported the suspect to Christana Hospital with life threaten injuries.
Prior to 8:00 p.m. this evening, troopers from the Northeast Barrack received a 9-1-1 call for shots fired at a residence in the 200 block of Craigstown Road in Port Deposit. Once on the scene, troopers found two victims in the residence with apparent gunshot wounds. Medic units responded pronouncing one victim dead at the scene and treated the second.
The preliminary investigation revealed both victims were in the residence when the suspect arrived. An argument escalated to a fight at which time the suspect displayed an unidentified firearm and shot the deceased in the chest. The suspect continued into the residence where he encountered the second victim. The suspect shot the second victim. The suspect fled the scene and was located a short distance away with an apparent self inflected gunshot wound.
Maryland State Police Homicide Investigators were summoned to the scene and will assume the lead in the investigation. Investigators from the Northeast Barrack will be assisting. Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensics Sciences Division processed the scene and gathered items of evidential value.
Investigators are asking for anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the Northeast Barrack at 410-996-7800. All calls will remain confidential.