Salisbury News: 03/19/13

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Mayor Ireton Wants The Ability To Close Your Business Doors If Re-Elected

Why someone running for re-election would want to come out with an ordinance like Jim Ireton's "Lockout Ordinance" just before an election is beyond me but let me tell you one thing, business owners and property owners are outraged.

My phone has been ringing off the hook for days referencing this matter and if by chance you don't believe me, go to the Post below and click on the video interview with Jim Ireton and Don Rush. Go to around 48 minutes and start listening to Jim in his own words.

As a Mayoral Candidate I want to make this very clear to each and every one of you. IF this ordinance ever comes across my desk I will immediately VETO it as it is written.

What does it say to our business community when a Mayor brings forth a law that says if you have TWO complaints/violations/nuisances in a TWO YEAR period the Mayor and Police Chief have the right to close your doors.

Mind you, would YOU ever consider investing hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars into a new business in Salisbury KNOWING that IF the Mayor and Police Chief got a bug up their tail for a particular business or they wanted certain parking lots, (for examples) that they could very easily close you down?

Outback was just cited for serving an under age person. IF this law was in place, they would be sweating bullets for the next 23 months worrying that IF they had another violation the Mayor and Police Chief could actually shut them down. WaWa has their own problems with patrons coming in after the Bars close with fights in their parking lot. Should they be shut down?

Mayor Jim Ireton is spreading the word LOUDLY, Salisbury wants to CONTROL you. In his interview he complains about businesses making too much money and they should pay the price.

Look, I think the founding fathers of Salisbury knew what they were getting into when they started allowing businesses to open here. Throughout the years Salisbury set a tax rate to manage the cost of doing business and yes, sometimes it means you have to handle particular problems more so than others.

Will Mayor Ireton then CREDIT those businesses that pay high taxes and NEVER use the City's services? NO, of course not. Will he shut down Salisbury University because of under age drinking and parties at the Zoo complex? NO.

This is what you get when you hire a part time government employee who has never been in the business world. You get an individual who wants you to know, I'm the guy who says what you can and can't do and if your making too much money, you need to spread the wealth.

So how do the residents who are voting fit into this. Well, if Ireton were to close Brew River, (for example) more than 100 people will be out of jobs. More than 100 people more than likely won't be able to FIND new jobs because NO company would be dumb enough to make an investment to open another restaurant knowing they could easily be closed. Sysco would be out hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. The County would lose liquor sales. Now multiple those numbers to each business, (including Outback) and you'd see how much money we'd lose simply because the Mayor wants control because your making too much money. A hundred people would be booted out of their homes because they can't make the payments.

Have you ever read an article or watched a broadcast showing Salisbury being so out of control that we're forced to create such an outrageous Ordinance? NO! There's water front parking lots next to Brew River as well as Market Street Inn. Both have had recent complaints and all of a sudden Jim Ireton comes out with this Ordinance that was borrowed from the City of Baltimore almost verbatim. Rather than take full responsibility for pushing this ordinance, Jim Ireton is now throwing his popular Police Chief Barbara Duncan under the bus. In my opinion, his intentions with the two mentioned water front parking lots are highly suspicious.

View the video in the article below and scroll up to 48 minutes and see for yourself. Jim Ireton is out of control.

"This is not Joe Albero's election to lose, it's the citizens' election to lose".

Business Through the Eyes of Jim Ireton

Last week, Don Rush of Delmarva Public Radio interviewed both candidates for mayor of Salisbury. The contrast was startling. While this was not candidate (and SBYNews publisher) Joe Albero’s best interview, he was relaxed and discussed the issues facing the city. Incumbent mayor Jim Ireton was agitated, sarcastic, interrupted Rush numerous times, and let the world know that Salisbury is NOT a business-friendly community.

See the interviews below. Ireton’s starts at about 29 minutes in.

Ireton claims great accomplishment. Nothing is his fault. If something didn’t happen it was because of the city council, specifically Debbie Campbell. If businesses believe that Salisbury isn’t business-friendly, it’s THEIR fault, not the city’s. Oh … and he PLANS to do lots of things IF he’s re-elected.

For every ten people that come to the city, five feel they’ve been treated OK. – Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton

What is most disturbing is Ireton’s attitude towards business. If you make a profit, you need to pay more. If the police have to come to your business TWICE in TWO YEARS, the city (NOT a judge) should be able to shut you down. If you appeal, you have to appeal to the same person who already decided to close your doors.

If you are a businessperson looking to move to Salisbury and you hear the mayor sarcastically asking questions like, “Who made that profit?” or “Somebody’s making money somewhere.” do you think that Salisbury is a great place to do business?

Ireton states, “For every ten people that come to the city, five feel they’ve been treated OK.” Ireton thinks that’s acceptable! Do you deal with businesses who take the attitude that they only need to satisfy 50% of their customers? If you are a business do you want to move to a city that takes this attitude? If you are a businessperson in Salisbury, do you want to expand in a city that takes this attitude?

You don’t have to give away the store to attract businesses. You don’t have to make Salisbury unsafe to encourage businesses to expand. You do need a sea change in attitude. Satisfying 50% of your customers is NOT acceptable. Making Salisbury “more progressive” isn’t going to attract business.

Thanks to PAC-14 for providing the video.

G. A. Harrison is a former editor of SBYNews and a regular contributor. He also writes at the DelMarVa Observer.

ICE Admits 200+ Serious Criminal Illegals Released

On Tuesday, House Republicans quizzed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton on why he hadn’t tried to direct sequestration cuts toward areas other than release of illegal immigrant detainees. Morton attempted to blame “career agency officials” rather than political appointees.

In February, 2,228 detainees were released and placed on supervised monitoring in an attempt to frighten the American people about the upcoming ramifications of sequestration. “I am trying to live within the appropriations that Congress gives us,” Morton protested. “Our single largest appropriation is for custody operations …. My view is we need to maintain the operations of the agency; I don’t want to furlough people.” So instead of furloughing administrative employees, Morton simply directed ICE to release illegal immigrants, many of them dangerous.
More

Americans Are War Weary ... And The Neocons Don't Like It

Are the American people war weary? Yes, to some degree. Could there be a worse prescription for American foreign policy than giving in to popular war weariness? No.

It must be frustrating to be a warmonger these days. So much effort has been made in creating worldwide U.S. hegemony. So much energy spent....so much engineering.

Lets make a checklist:

Is the American public, in general, living in a sheltered cocoon; unaware of the disgustingness of war? Check....After the Vietnam War loss, the warmongers decided that never again would the press be allowed to report what was going on for all to see. From then on, war would be something that goes on "over there".

Are Americans sufficiently occupied, and without the time to even worry about what goes on "over there"? Check...Taxes are everywhere, two incomes are needed, what isn't taxed is inflated away...The worker bees are sufficiently occupied.

When the worker bees come home, are they sufficiently entertained so as to not worry about what goes on "over there"? Check...If there's one thing Americans are swimming in, it's entertainment.

Do the warmongers have what Cicero called "the sinews of war...unlimited money"? Check...They have The Federal Reserve to supply whatever money is necessary.

Can the warmongers do whatever they want with their unlimited money, without public oversight? Check...the Pentagon may not be audited.

The circuses are taken of, what about the bread? Check...America has the biggest Welfare State in the history of the world.

Even though Americans are sheltered from what goes on "over there," are they reminded to keep up their support? Check...war propaganda is everywhere (sporting events, television, cereal boxes, etc). They even let government agents touch their genitals at the airport.

SNOW HILL -- Table games at the Casino at Ocean Downs are under “serious consideration,” according to General Manager Joe Cavilla, but there are no concrete plans in place currently.

Cavilla was on hand during this week’s Local Development Council (LDC) meeting to update the group on what’s new with Ocean Downs. He said improvements are being made to parking and the race track. Additionally, Cavilla confirmed that casino revenue this year has been “flat” with what was earned last year, though a strong summer is anticipated.

“Table games are being seriously considered is the way I would put it at this point,” Cavilla told the LDC after being asked if the casino was moving in that direction. “That is a lot of construction that would have to happen at the facility to bring them in. Because of how restrictive the original license was, there weren’t a lot of extra things done to the building to bring it on line.”
More

GUESS WHICH 'NEWS' CHANNEL ... ISN'T NEWS

Study finds this network spewing 85% opinion instead
When it comes to getting news and views, a new study has found, not all cable “news” networks are giving you the same mix of information and opinion.

The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism just released its State of the News Media 2013 report, which discovered that while CNN and Fox News can be expected to give audiences about a 50/50 mix of news and commentary, the left-leaning MSNBC dishes out a whopping 85 percent opinion to only 15 percent news.

Newtown Sees Jump In Gun Permit Applications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Applications for gun permits have jumped in Newtown since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which sparked a renewed debate about stricter gun control laws and a surge in gun sales around the country due to worries about new limits.

Newtown in recent years has issued about 130 gun permits annually. Police say the town received 79 permit applications in the three months since the Dec. 14 massacre, well over double the normal pace.

"A good percentage of people are making it clear they think their rights are going to be taken away," said Robert Berkins, records manager for Newtown police.
More

THE POLAR BEARS ARE SAVED

I’ll believe climate scientists when they are able to get tomorrow’s forecast right. It’s March 18th and it is bitterly cold and snowing in Philly. It’s been colder than average all winter. I’m rooting for global warming, but it ain’t happening here.

The Great Green Con no. 1: The hard proof that finally shows global warming forecasts that are costing you billions were WRONG all along

By David Rose

No, the world ISN’T getting warmer (as you may have noticed). Now we reveal the official data that’s making scientists suddenly change their minds about climate doom. So will eco-funded MPs stop waging a green crusade with your money? Well… what do YOU think?

The Mail on Sunday today presents irrefutable evidence that official predictions of global climate warming have been catastrophically flawed.

The graph on this page blows apart the ‘scientific basis’ for Britain reshaping its entire economy and spending billions in taxes and subsidies in order to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. These moves have already added £100 a year to household energy bills.

A man, who initially took back sex abuse allegations made against the former puppeteer Kevin Clash, is now suing him. He's alleging the entertainer lured him into drug-fueled sex when he was 16, according to prosecutors.

In a federal lawsuit recently filed in Pennsylvania, Sheldon Stephens is accusing 52-year-old Clash of sexual battery for childhood sexual abuse; travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct; and coercion and enticement to sexual activity, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Stephens is asking for unspecified damages and coverage of his legal expenses from the former puppeteer of the "Sesame Street" character, Elmo.
More

The Deeper Meanings Of Cyprus

The deposit-confiscation "bailout" of Cyprus reveals much about the Eurozone's fundamental neocolonial, neofeudal structure.

At long last, Europe's flimsy facades of State sovereignty, democracy and free-market capitalism have collapsed, and we see the real machinery laid bare: the Eurozone's political-financial Aristocracy will stripmine every nation's citizenry to preserve their power and protect the banks and bondholders from absorbing losses.

The deposit-confiscation "bailout" of Cyprus confirms the Eurozone's fundamental neocolonial, neofeudal structure and the region's political surrender to financialization.

The E.U., Neofeudalism and the Neocolonial-Financialization Model (May 24, 2012)

Let's list what Cyprus reveals about the true state of financial-political power in Europe:

1. The Core-Periphery terminology masks the real structure: the E.U. operates on a neocolonial model. In the old Colonialism 1.0 model, the colonizing power conquered or co-opted the Power Elites of the periphery regions, and proceeded to exploit the new colonies' resources and labor to enrich the Imperial core.

In Neocolonialism, the forces of financialization (debt and leverage controlled by State-enforced banking cartels) are used to indenture the local Elites and populace to the financial core: the peripheral "colonials" borrow money to buy the finished goods manufactured in the core economies, enriching the Imperial Elites with A) the profits made selling goods to the debtors B) interest on credit extended to the peripheral colonies to buy the core economies' goods and "live large", and C) the transactional skim of financializing peripheral assets such as real estate and State debt.

In essence, the core banks of the E.U. colonized the peripheral nations via the financializing euro, which enabled a massive expansion of debt and consumption in the periphery. The banks and exporters of the core exacted enormous profits from this expansion of debt and consumption.

More

Ohio School Shooter TJ Lane Laughs, Gives Finger at His Sentencing

Ohio school shooter TJ Lane spewed vile and unprintable words today at the families of three students he killed, gave them the finger and then laughed and smiled as they described him as an animal and a monster.

Lane, 18, got another chuckle when the judge sentenced him to three life terms in prison with no chance for parole.

Lane was waiting for a bus to an alternative school when he killed three students during a Feb. 27, 2012 rampage at Chardon High School. Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, died in the attack. Three other students were injured.
More

BREAKING NEWS: Senate Dems Drop Assault Weapons Ban

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says an assault weapons ban will not be part of a comprehensive gun control bill, though the ban's sponsor Sen. Dianne Feinstein could still offer it as an amendment.
From Fox News

THE $6 TRILLION NEO-CON SUCCESS STORY

Below is a story about what happened over the weekend in Iraq. Did you see it on your local news station? Did you see it on Fox News? Did you see it anywhere? Of course not. The vested interests want you to believe that Iraq was a success. They are now a fully functioning democracy. It’s the storyline that the MSM and the government want told to the masses. What would be the reaction if bombs went off in major U.S. cities over the weekend and killed or injured 60 Americans. Hysteria and panic would spread across the country. It would provoke a response not seen since 9/11. It happens in Iraq and we yawn. They are just a bunch of savage Muslims.

Where are the celebrations this week honoring Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz? It’s the 10 year anniversary of saving the world from the despot Hussein and bringing democracy and peace to the Middle East. And it will only cost us $6 trillion when all is said and done. Larry Lindsey was fired for publicly speculating that the war might cost $200 billion. Look for Fox News to trot out the usual neo-con suspects to declare Iraq a success. It all went according to plan.

Bush and his band of world changing neo-cons put the country on a path to bankruptcy and Obama has kept us on course. Don’t get too drunk at those 10 Year Anniversary parties this week.

More

WILL OBAMA CUT BACK ON ‘LAVISH VACATIONS’ DUE TO SEQUESTER CUTS, FURLOUGHS? HEAR JAY CARNEY’S EVASIVE ANSWER

A local reporter from Colorado on Monday asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney how President Barack Obama justifies “lavish vacations” and golf trips when sequester cuts will supposedly result in furloughed federal workers and the unemployment rate remains high.

The reporter cited the high unemployment rate among minority communities, the “millions of Americans unemployed” and the government furloughs that the White House says are on the way due to the sequester.

“How does the president justify lavish vacations and a golf trip to Florida at taxpayer expense? And does he plan to cut back on his travels?” the reporter asked.
More

After Restrictive Legislation In Maryland, What's Next For Beretta?

In the 1980s, Maryland looked like a logical place for Beretta U.S.A. to do business. When the 500 year old Italian company began establishing their American made brand image, they found the Old Line State most hospitable. D.C. is a short drive north. Virginia, with its federal agencies and long sporting traditions, is close on the western and southern borders. Beretta chose Accokeek, a area ripe for expansion with a readily available workforce and a history of firearms production.

More

Hacker Begins Distributing Confidential Memos Sent To Hillary Clinton On Libya, Benghazi Attack

Armed with confidential memos to Hillary Clinton that were stolen from the e-mail account of a former White House aide, a hacker has distributed some of the documents to a wide array of congressional aides, political figures, and journalists worldwide.

In a series of weekend e-mail blasts, the hacker known as “Guccifer” disseminated four recent memos to Clinton from Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime confidant of the former Secretary of State.

The 64-year-old Blumenthal, who worked as a senior White House adviser to President Bill Clinton, had his AOL e-mail account hacked last week by “Guccifer,” who has conducted similar illegal assaults against a growing list of public figures, including Colin Powell, relatives and friends of the Bush family, and a top United Nations official.
More

The Congressional Budget Debate Is Just A Sideshow

Federal spending once again dominated the debate in Washington last week, as House Republicans and Senate Democrats began work on their ten-year budget plans. Contrary to claims, neither party’s budget reduces spending. While the Republican plan increases spending a little less than the Democrat plan, it would still spend $5 trillion in 2023, an almost two trillion dollar increase over this year’s budget.

Of course, these projections of future budgets are meaningless, as a current Congress cannot bind a future one. Therefore, the projected spending for next year is the only part of the budget with any significance. So is there a great gulf between the two parties’ budgets for next year? No. For fiscal year 2014, the Democrat budget proposes spending $3.7 trillion, while the “radical” Republican budget spends $3.5 trillion!

More

Maryland Lawmakers Consider Decriminalizing Small Amounts of Marijuana

Just days after voting to abolish the death penalty, Maryland lawmakers took up another hot-button issue: decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.

The State Senate is expected to vote Monday night on a bill that would do away with jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Bill co-sponsor Sent. Allan Kittleman, R, says the law would reduce the penalty for having 10 grams or less from 90 days in jail and a $500 fine to a $100 fine and no jail.
More

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O'MALLEY ON PRELIMINARY JANUARY JOBS REPORT

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O'Malley released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Labor's release of preliminary employment data for the month of January:

“Today’s jobs report reaffirms the strength of Maryland’s private sector job growth as our businesses continue to lead the way by creating 8,200 new jobs in January. This signals a strong start to 2013 after 33,600 new jobs were created in 2012.

“Maryland has now recovered 86 percent of the jobs lost during the Bush recession. There are more than 35,000 more Marylanders working than at this time last year, and our unemployment rate has been driven down to 6.7 percent - 15 percent lower than the national rate.

“Job creation remains our number-one priority. Together, with leaders in the General Assembly we passed the EARN bill to help more Marylanders obtain the skills-training necessary to secure the jobs in highest demand. And in the remaining weeks of the legislative session, we continue our work to pass an agenda that will create opportunities for families, strengthen businesses, and fuel the job-creating potential of Maryland’s world class innovation economy. The most important job we create is the next one.”

‘Moorish American National’ Charged With Trying To Take Mansion

Like many people excited about a new home, Lamont Butler invited friends over to check his out. He had a lot to show them. The Bethesda mansion is among the largest in the region and featured floors of imported marble, 12 bedroom suites, six kitchens and a history of playing host to political gatherings, including ones during which Bill Clinton and Al Gore helped plant trees out back.

But the personable 28-year-old, known to wear a red fez, didn’t own the mansion; he had simply slipped inside and claimed it. Taking part in an odd and perplexing phenomenon popping up in cities across the country, Butler said the Bethesda mansion belonged to him because he is a Moorish American National. He’d drawn up paperwork that he said proved it all, with references to a 1787 peace treaty and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Montgomery County police call Butler’s stay in the mansion, which lasted only a few hours, something entirely different from a legitimate claim: breaking and entering, fraud and attempted theft. They say it is one of the most audacious local cases in what law enforcement officers called a growing national trend where self-
described “sovereign” nationals try to move into homes they don’t own.

More

QUOTE OF THE DAY 3-19-13

“Liberty is from God, liberties from the devil.”

Old German Proverb

Really Cool!

COMING TO AMERICA

“And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that.”
Lord Acton

Karl Denninger lays it all out. While douchebags like Barry Ritholtz do their darndest to protect their money management business by spewing drivel and choosing the side of the vested interests, those with real critical thinking skills see the real Big Picture. The stealing of funds directly from the bank accounts of average people is not a one time event in some tiny island in the Mediteranean. A former United States Governor and CEO of Goldman Sachs STOLE $1.2 billion directly from the accounts of farmers and ranchers and NO ONE has gone to jail. It already happened here. Ben Bernanke and the Wall Street Banks are stealing money directly from your bank account every day. They are paying you .25% on the money in your checking account while inflation of 5% makes every one of those dollars worth less on a daily basis. That is theft, pure and simple. But, the American oligarchs know that 98% of the brain dead populace don’t understand math, so they can just distract them with iGadgets and reality TV shows, and get away with the theft.

The rule of law does not exist for the ruling class that control the worldwide financial system. They will plunder and pillage the peasants until they are stopped. The Eurocrats and their banker masters are using Cyprus as a test case to see how the peasants will react. The corporate MSM tried to ignore the story, but the alternative truth telling media broke the story immediately and revealed the true nature of this criminal act. The reaction of those getting screwed has been immediate and violent. The ruling class is afraid to open the Cyprus banks.

More

Baltimore City Treating Violence As A Health Problem

BALTIMORE - They're looking at this as a health issue.

Baltimore city says stopping violence should involve behavior change.

Violence, like we saw on Saint Patrick's Day in 2012 is the kind of thing that the city says is preventable by working more closely with young people.

Monday, the city kicked off a week of events designed to help continue the city's Safe Streets program.

A fourth Safe Streets program site in the Park Heights Community was created and should begin operations by this summer.
More

Cyberattack On Florida Election Raises Questions

(CNN) -- It's a fear that keeps cybersecurity experts up at night: an attack on an online election system.

Apparently, it's now come to pass.

According to a grand jury report about problems in an August 14, 2012, primary election in Miami-Dade County, Florida, "someone created a computer program that automatically, systematically and rapidly submitted to the County's Department of Elections numerous bogus on-line requests for absentee ballots."

An Orwellian America

As a young man, I voraciously read George Orwell’s “1984”, Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Alvin Toffler's trilogy which included "Future Shock"', "The Third Wave" and "Power Shift". During the era of the Vietnam War, I wondered seriously about the future and how it was destined to unfold. Now being considerably older, I have the vantage point to reflect back on my early ruminations and expectations. Unfortunately, I am too old to alter the lessons that are now so painfully obvious. Instead, I pass the gauntlet to those who can understand and take action on what I have unavoidably come to expect for America.

More

Missing Woman's Family Still Hopeful As Search Continues

The search for a missing Queen Anne's County woman continues more than two weeks after she disappeared, and her family said they're not giving up hope just yet.

Maryland State Police are calling the circumstances of Robin Pope's disappearance suspicious. Investigators and dedicated volunteers continue to look for clues on land, in the water and in the air for the 51-year-old Stevensville woman, who disappeared earlier this month.

Pope's daughters said they are very thankful for the hundreds of people who have volunteered to help look for her.
More

Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release

On March 13, 2013, at approximately 0645 hours, Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to a residence on Campbelltown Road, Bishopville, Maryland in reference to violation of a protective order. Upon arrival the Deputies made contact with Lisa B. Kerstetter51 years of age from Bishopville Md. Ms. Kerstetter appeared to be in violation of a protection order. Ms. Kerstetter was placed under arrest for violation of an Ex Parte order. While inside the residence the Deputies also located marijuana. When Ms. Kerstetter was confronted with the marijuana she became extremely aggressive and hostile and was also charged with resisting arrest. Ms. Kerstetter was held on $2,500 bond and is being held at the Worcester County Detention Center. Lieutenant Edward C. Schreier

Pew Study Finds MSNBC The Most Opinionated Cable News Channel By Far

If you’re like most cable news viewers, you probably think the channel you favor has a monopoly on the facts and the other ones are nothing more than a bunch of ranting. In fact, which cable network is the most opinionated is not a matter of opinion. It’s MSNBC.

A full 85% of the Comcast-owned network’s coverage can be classified as opinion or commentary rather than straight news, according to the authors of the Pew Research Center’s annual State of the News Media report.

CNN and Fox News Channel, meanwhile, fall much closer to a 50/50 distribution, with Fox News skewing somewhat more heavily toward opinion. Here are the breakdowns:

Report: Maryland Adds 6,700 Jobs in January 2013

BALTIMORE —The latest jobs report signals that Maryland is off to a good start this year.

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the state added 6,700 jobs in the month of January, but not enough to put a dent in Maryland's unemployment rate. It is holding steady at 6.7 percent.

WBAL-TV 11 News received mixed messages Monday during a jobs fair near the airport.

Those hiring see Marylands' economy as a job seekers market, while the unemployed wonder where those jobs are.
More

3 Women Were Paid To Falsely Claim They Had Sex With Menendez, Dominican Police Say

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Three women were paid to falsely claim in videotaped interviews that they had sex for money with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez in the Dominican Republic, a spokesman for the police said today.

The women, whose claims generated media attention in the United States, were hired by a Dominican attorney to make the videotaped statements, spokesman Maximo Baez told reporters. Two of the women received about $425 and the other was paid about $300, he said.

Authorities are seeking to interrogate the attorney, Melanio Figueroa, about the payments and have not determined his motive or whether he was in turn paid by someone else to set up the interviews, Baez said.

The Easter Egg Roll could become another victim of the sequester, the White House warned Monday.

A memo to members of Congress inviting them to attend the April 1 event at the White House included the disclaimer that the event is "subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty."

The Easter Egg Roll, which hasn’t been canceled yet, is held on the south lawn of the White House.
More

Poll: 58 Percent Back Gay Marriage

Support for gay marriage is climbing, with a poll released Monday showing 58 percent of Americans now believe gay and lesbian couples should be able to wed, a dramatic reversal from only a decade ago.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll found 36 percent of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, down from 55 percent in 2003. That’s the same year Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay nuptials, and a year before Republicans placed anti-gay marriage referenda on state ballots across the country to help then-President George W. Bush’s re-election bid. At the time, only 37 percent of Americans backed gay marriage, according to the same polling group. Today, gay marriage is legal in nine states, with three states — Maryland, Maine and Washington — voting to legalize it last November.

More

Teacher Calls Out Pot Smoker In Class

House Committee Approves Different Transportation Funding Bill

A House panel voted 15-4 on Monday for a gas tax measure to raise hundreds of millions of dollars per year, but with some changes to the plan initially submitted by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Supporters say the measure will raise roughly the same amount of money as O'Malley's plan after six years - about $830 million annually once new bonding capacity is added to the mix.

The bill approved by the House Ways and Means Committee would apply a 1 percent sales tax at the wholesale level on July 1, instead of 2 percent under O'Malley's plan.
More

Field Notes By Delegate Mike McDermott

Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
Week 10 March 11-March 15, 2013

Tuesday Judiciary Hearings:

HB-930 seeks to deal with an aspect of identity theft where a person gives out private information on an individual without their permission. This is seen as a way of trying to protect the elderly from various types of fraud.

HB-1057 would limit the accumulation of Good Conduct Credits if a firearm was used in the commission of a crime for which an inmate is being held. Sadly, it would only affect a repeat offender of a firearm related crime.

HB-575 would remove the statute of limitations for the use of a handgun in a crime of violence. Currently, that crime has a one year limitation as the charge is a 5-year misdemeanor.

HB-952 would require greater scrutiny of contracts negotiated by the state to supply telephone services to inmates in our correctional institutions. It appeared from testimony that a new contract was recently negotiated that would significantly reduce the cost of inmate phone calls.

HB-1125 would create an “Identity Theft Passport” administered by the Dept. Human Services to assist with the problems of identity theft for children who are in Foster Care.

HB-1178 would continue the reporting requirements by law enforcement agencies on all of their SWAT Team activities. These reporting requirements were due to sunset this year and this bill seeks to continue it indefinitely. It also adds more reporting requirements to the list of data to be collected.

HB-941 would make it a crime to file false liens against an individual. This bill is designed to address, in particular, certain individuals who are part of an organization identified as “Sovereign Citizens” and who seek to punish government officials by filing false liens and tax documents.

HB-940 would establish a crime of armed home invasion.

HB-1225 would add as a penalty to a crime classified as a “drive by shooting” could result in the forfeiture of the motor vehicle involved in the event if the owner knowingly allowed the vehicle to be used for this purpose.

HB-424 would eliminate certain diminuition credits (basically good time credits, etc.) for inmates convicted of crimes of violence involving firearms.

HB-1263 would eliminate the statute of limitations on the crime of practicing medicine without a license. It was pointed out that many times there is extended times that pass without knowledge that a violation has occurred and this would allow for prosecution even after time had passed.

HB-1075 creates a Third Degree Sex Offense in cases involving persons in authority having sexually inappropriate relationships with juveniles who may be under their direction. It is meant to try and protect juveniles 16 and under from be preyed upon by someone who is in a person in authority who is at least 4 years older than the victim.

HB-985 would create a Third Degree Sex Offense during commission of a Burglary.

HB-1095 would mandate certain training standards on law enforcement agencies throughout the state. It would require some training aspects that are already being taught on a regular and semi-regular basis for an officer to remain certified.would

HB-1192 would eliminate any good time credits for any inmate who is incarcerated for using a firearm in committing a crime.
Wednesday Morning Session:

Third Reader Bill Link

This morning we conducted a 2nd Reader on HB-100 (Budget) and HB-102 (Budget Finance) where several amendments were offered to the budget. The vast number of amendments that would have reduced the spending, secured the Transportation Trust Fund, or require local government receive their share of road money were all rejected by the Democrats. There was one amendment offered by Del. Conway which would allow the Public Service Commission (if they saw fit) to provide a payment of up to $300.000 for the Hudson family toward attorney fees associated with the lawsuit they have been forced to litigate that was brought by a local waterkeeper. I attempted the same type of funding last year but the case had not been fully adjudicated and it was not approved. I was glad to support the amendment offered.
Wednesday Judiciary Hearing:

HB-1382 is a bill I submitted that would require a court to hear from victims (those who desire to file a Victim Impact Statement) of motor vehicle accidents for cases that are within the jurisdiction of the District Court.

HB-911 would extend the deadline by which Maryland would be required to stop issuing various drivers licenses to illegal immigrants to July of 2023.

HB-947 would allow for specific damages to be attributable to manufacturers of lead paint based upon the “market share” the company held at the time the paint was being sold. This bill would be a first for any state in applying this standard for liability purposes.
Wednesday Evening Session:

We returned for a second session to take up the 2nd Reader of SB-276 which calls for a repeal of the Death Penalty. We offered 18 amendments on the bill in an attempt to keep the penalty for certain cases where the actions are so heinous, the Death Penalty option should be retained for future usage (considering that we have only had 10-Death Penalty convictions since 1978 with 5 of those inmates still on Death Row). We tried to keep it for murders of police and correctional officers as well as mass killings (one specific to schools) and acts of terrorism. We tried to retain the option for the aggravated First Degree Murder of a child where a Sexual Assault occurred (such as the case of Sarah Foxwell on the shore). The Democrats were simply unwilling to accept any amendments to the bill and clearly do not want to retain any options for the terrible crimes that will, no doubt, continue to happen in Maryland.

Thursday Morning Session:

Third Reader Bills One of the more controversial bills of the morning was HB-1053 which would allow casinos to hire persons convicted of crimes of “moral turpitude” if they had not committed another offense for at least 7-years. Currently, folks who fall into this category are prohibited from working for the casinos. It appears this bill was designed to help with the hiring of personnel for the Baltimore City and Prince Georges County sites which have yet to be built. In a state that exercises loose legislative morals, this probably comes as no surprise.
Thursday Judiciary Committee Hearings:

HB-542 would create a specific penalty for using a dog as a form of bait in the training of another dog. This is a common abuse when criminals train dogs for fighting purposes. It also would make it a crime to allow this activity to occur on one’s property.

HB-865 would allow a court to order a person convicted of animal cruelty to pay for the cost of housing the animal as well as providing medical treatment for the animal.
Friday Morning Session:

Third Reader Bills We took up three bills today: HB-100/Budget; HB-102/Budget Finance; and SB-276 Death Penalty Repeal.

The budget can be summed up by stating the fact that it is increasing the cost and size of government by over $1.2 Billion over last year. In fact, every year the governor and the democrats increase our state spending by well over a billion dollars totaling a 29% increase since he took office. The total increase in state spending this year is over 6%. My guess is that your family incomes have not increased every year by that amount and this year is no exception. The budget and the finance act did not have to dabble as much in tax increases since we already did that in a previous Special Session last year. We continue to maintain huge gaps in our pension liability funding and our “structural deficit” has not been eliminated. Of course, with over $8 Billion in tax increases in the past few years, one should expect that we would not have the problems we continue to face. Our issues are always the increased spending. The governor and the democrats have spent every dollar of every tax increase while they continue to refuse to cut spending. We are told every year by Del. Conway, the Appropriations Chairman, that “we have cut spending”…but what he means is they did not spend as much as they originally had intended. Truth be told, if they propose to increase spending by $2 billion over last years budget and we only increase spending by $1 billion, in their language, “that’s a billion dollars in cuts”. While it is ridiculous, this is what we hear on the floor every year. This does not count the increases in the Capital Budget that we will take up very soon. Both bills now move to the senate.

The Death Penalty Repeal consisted of a lot of emotional rhetoric from the left. Although you need DNA evidence or a video tape of the act in order to utilize the Death Penalty in Maryland, that is not enough for those who feel more compassion for a murderer than they do for a child in the womb. We have some very bad people who commit some very heinous crimes where the only reasonable sentence is the Death Penalty. The failure of many to recognize the importance of retaining this option for unknown events and defendants in the future is shortsighted and wrong-headed. Their rejection of common sense amendments that would have at least reserved the ultimate penalty for those rare crimes only served as an exclamation point on this bad bill. Sadly, the repeal passed.

Petition Demands CNN Apologize For “Disgusting” Steubenville Rape Coverage

While reporting on the verdict and sentencing of the two Steubenville rapists, the CNN news personalities told us repeatedly how difficult it was to watch these boy's lives being destroyed. How their crime will haunt them.

These criminals destroyed their own lives, when they decided to repeatedly rape an incapacitated girl. When they decided to film and share their horrific crime.

Not once did CNN mention the person whose life was most destroyed by their crime, who will also be haunted for life by their crime... their victim. The young girl who they violated and raped.

BREAKING NEWS: 'Several' Marine Casualties Reported in Nevada Army Depot Explosion

Sources tell Fox News that there are ‘several Marine casualties’ after an explosion during Marine Corps training at Hawthorne Army Depot, in Reno, Nevada.
From Fox News

New Evidence: CIA and MI6 Were Told Before Invasion That Iraq Had No Active WMD

Fresh evidence is revealed today about how MI6 and the CIA were told through secret channels by Saddam Hussein’s foreign minister and his head of intelligence that Iraq had no active weapons of mass destruction.

Tony Blair told parliament before the war that intelligence showed Iraq’s nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programme was “active”, “growing” and “up and running”.

A special BBC Panorama programme tonight will reveal how British and US intelligence agencies were informed by top sources months before the invasion that Iraq had no active WMD programme, and that the information was not passed to subsequent inquiries.

BURBAGE REZONING AT OCEAN PINES OVERTURNED IN COURT

This is just in.

The Worcester County Circuit Court has rejected the commercial rezoning that Jack Burbage got the County Commissioners to give him last summer for his property just south of the Ocean Pines subdivision, where the produce stand and nursery are located. Much of the property is being farmed, and the scam about AGH building a medical facility there didn’t cut it, because that’s pure poppycock.

A reader in the Pines who provided this report believes that Bud and Sonny have already heard from JB, and he is not a mellow fellow.

Structure Fire Reported In Parksley

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - Crews responded to a structure fire at approximately 10 p.m. Monday in Parksley.

According to Accomack County Dispatch, the fire was called in just before 10 p.m. at 19190 Greenbush Road.
More

Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan On Legislature's Passage Of Offshore Wind

Annapolis - "With a proposed motor fuel tax increase this year and several years of raising taxes on everything else, now is not the time to experiment on unproven energy sources with other people's money. Once again, the priorities of our top elected officials are not aligned with regular, working people who overwhelmingly reject any further tax increases.

"This offshore wind scheme requires a tax to make it possible. The private sector does not get to tax people to experiment with projects and with very few exceptions neither should government. This will be a huge waste - assuming anything gets built at all. Governor O’Malley has been focused on increasing the cost of electricity and gasoline for struggling Maryland families and small businesses. He has now accomplished half his goal, and is working hard to increase the cost of gas in Maryland to the highest in the region."

Change Maryland Warns Of Highest Fuel Prices In The Regio

Annapolis - As the Maryland General Assembly holds the first hearings today - late Friday afternoon - to minimize press coverage on Governor Martin O'Malley's unpopular motor fuel tax proposal, Change Maryland released figures that show the state will have the highest levies in the region for both gasoline and diesel. The figures come from the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributor's Association and analyze the plan when fully implemented.

"Our top elected officials refuse to not only understand how this regressive tax impacts struggling Maryland families, but they also refuse to understand that Maryland is a small border state, and having the highest fuel taxes will only create incentives for people to fill up across state lines," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. "Once again, politicians are wreaking havoc on entire industry sectors through the tax code, most notably convenience stores and delivery businesses."

If the legislature implements O'Malley's plan, sales taxes on fuel will likely ultimately rise to 6% and the current fuel tax will temporarily be reduced, only to rise again when pegged to the Consumer Price Index. Under that scenario, Maryland's fuel industry will be at a severe competitive disadvantage with surrounding states. Even under Virginia's recently-enacted plan, Maryland dealers will be charging 27.7 cents-per-gallon more due to fuel taxes than their southern neighbors when both plans are fully implemented. To fill up a 20-gallon tank will cost $5.54 more in Maryland than certain parts of Virginia assuming taxes are passed on directly to motorists. Even in northern Virginia, with an existing 2% motor fuel tax, there is still a difference of 21.4 cents-per-gallon between the states.

Across the region, Maryland's fuel levies will cause the highest prices in the region. For gasoline, Maryland stations will be passing on 3.5 cents-per-gallon more than West Virginia; Pennsylvania 5.9 cents-per-gallon; the District 14.7 cents-per-gallon. In Delaware, a state without a general sales tax, gasoline will be 15.2 cents per gallon cheaper, creating further incentives for cross-border shopping. The prices are further distorted for diesel fuel, where Maryland prices will rise even higher.

"There will be more soccer moms buying clothes in Delaware, more commuters filling up in Virginia and more delivery businesses getting diesel in any of our neighboring states," said Hogan. "With this latest fuel tax proposal, O'Malley further validates the decision of thousands of taxpayers and their dollars to save money by leaving the state."

The Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributor's Association's figures do not project tying the existing fuel tax to the CPI, which could result in even greater disparities. Change Maryland has previously noted O'Malley’s tax-raising legacy which include 24 tax, fee and toll increases from 2007 that remove an additional $2.4 billion annually out of the pockets of struggling Marylanders.

Change Maryland expects to be releasing an updated tax, fee and toll increase list soon.

Popular Posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2013