Former Republican Florida Congressman Allen West posted a brutally frank video Friday about NBA star Jason Collins and President Barack Obama’s much-publicized statements and phone call to the “courageous” basketball player. West and the president evidently have a different standard about what courage is
Following Collins’ surprise announcement this week that he is gay, the White House responded with a statement of support. Press secretary Jay Carney said, “we commend him for his courage, and support him — uh — in this effort, and hope that his fans and his team support him going forward.”
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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
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Social Security Goes After Man For Overpayment To His Mom… From 42 Years Ago
Back in 1971, someone at the Social Security Administration goofed and overpaid a woman to the amount of $895. This past January, 42 years after the fact, that woman’s son says he received a letter from the SSA telling him to pay up or have that money docked from his tax refund.“[The letter] said [SSA] was going to withhold my taxes unless I contacted about this social security over-payment,” the man, now 60, tells Florida’s First Coast News. “My first impression was someone was trying to punk me.”
Gordon Besaw: Blind Oklahoma Veteran Takes Down Would-Be Attacker In Broad Daylight
Fifty-one-year-old Gordon Besaw has glaucoma. He and his seeing eye dog, Derby, were headed to the VA Medical Center for treatment Tuesday when police say he was attacked by 27-year-old Christopher Andrew.
"He asked me, 'Are you blind?' I said yes," said Besaw. "He said, 'I can make you see before you see God.' "
Read more
What You Don't Know About Flood Insurance Could Hurt You
This spring's floods in the Midwest, against the backdrop of Hurricane Sandy's six-month anniversary, underline why a purchasing a national flood insurance policy can be so crucial regardless of where you live.
A lot of homeowners apparently don't realize they need flood insurance. Consumer Reports' recent survey of Hurricane Sandy victims shows that 30 percent of homeowners affected by Sandy needed flood insurance and didn't have it. Another survey, by the financial data publisher Bankrate.com showed that only about half of Americans even know whether their home is in a high-, moderate- or low-risk flood area.
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A lot of homeowners apparently don't realize they need flood insurance. Consumer Reports' recent survey of Hurricane Sandy victims shows that 30 percent of homeowners affected by Sandy needed flood insurance and didn't have it. Another survey, by the financial data publisher Bankrate.com showed that only about half of Americans even know whether their home is in a high-, moderate- or low-risk flood area.
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Dog Found 5-4-13 UPDATE
OBAMA BLAMES U.S. FOR GUN SMUGGLING IN MEXICO; NO MENTION OF FAST AND FURIOUS
President Barack Obama told the Mexican people today that the United States is partly to blame for Mexico’s drug violence because of illegal drugs and gun smuggling. However, he did not mention the gun smuggling undertaken by his own administration under the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Operation Fast and Furious.
Speaking to Mexican university students, Obama pointed a finger at his own country, as Reuters reported:
Drug-fueled violence in Mexico is not entirely the fault of the Mexican people, he said. Instead, the United States shares the blame because much of the violence is centered around the Americans' demand for illegal drugs and the fact that guns are smuggled into Mexico from the United States.More
Don’t Stop Believin’: Do Atheists Really Need a Church?
There's song and fellowship in London's first atheist church. But are these non-believers just having it both ways?
One Sunday early this month, several hundred heathens gathered outside a deconsecrated church in East London. Most were twenty-something. The girls wore long, crinkled hair and silver rings: the boys, beards and last night’s suit jackets. It was uncommonly sunny, for England.
Distracted by the weather, perhaps, or by the sight of so many young things lining up for Sunday worship, a passing car rear-ended the vehicle ahead. The crowd groaned and jeered. “Don’t worry,” a young woman called out, between tender sips of Red Bull. “You’ve got, like, a hundred witnesses!” The crowd laughed and turned inwards, leaving two piqued drivers to the earthly task of exchanging insurance information.
Soon enough, the doors opened and we shuffled inside. Near the entrance to the foyer, several church ladies had set a table with biscuits and a few iced cakes.
At our final destination, the sanctuary, we were greeted by bare walls and dull paint; presumably, everything of grandeur had been stripped away when the church was rendered unsacred. ( The Nave, on St. Paul’s Road, is now an “arts and performance space.”) Almost instantly, the rows of plastic chairs arranged before the altar were filled, and congregants began competing for floor space. A screen above their heads displayed the words “Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More.” And then, our high priest arrived.
One Sunday early this month, several hundred heathens gathered outside a deconsecrated church in East London. Most were twenty-something. The girls wore long, crinkled hair and silver rings: the boys, beards and last night’s suit jackets. It was uncommonly sunny, for England.
Distracted by the weather, perhaps, or by the sight of so many young things lining up for Sunday worship, a passing car rear-ended the vehicle ahead. The crowd groaned and jeered. “Don’t worry,” a young woman called out, between tender sips of Red Bull. “You’ve got, like, a hundred witnesses!” The crowd laughed and turned inwards, leaving two piqued drivers to the earthly task of exchanging insurance information.
Soon enough, the doors opened and we shuffled inside. Near the entrance to the foyer, several church ladies had set a table with biscuits and a few iced cakes.
At our final destination, the sanctuary, we were greeted by bare walls and dull paint; presumably, everything of grandeur had been stripped away when the church was rendered unsacred. ( The Nave, on St. Paul’s Road, is now an “arts and performance space.”) Almost instantly, the rows of plastic chairs arranged before the altar were filled, and congregants began competing for floor space. A screen above their heads displayed the words “Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More.” And then, our high priest arrived.
11 Major Drug Companies Raked In $85 Billion Last Year, And Left Many To Die Who Couldn't Buy Their Pricey Drugs
Each year, millions of Americans are dealt the devastating news that they have cancer, and each year, millions of Americans, many of whom are uninsured, have to figure out how to pay for the life-saving treatments that they need.
And unfortunately, that decision can be a very hard one.
Thanks to America’s for-profit health insurance industry, prescription drugs are a big business.
In fact, in 2012, the top 11 global drug companies made nearly $85 billion in net profits.
They made these profits by slapping extraordinary price tags on the prescription drugs and health treatments that Americans are forced to rely on in order to survive devastating diseases like cancer.
But while drug companies have been largely able to get away with robbing Americans left and right for the past several decades, more and more people are speaking up about the outrageous costs of lifesaving treatments.
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And unfortunately, that decision can be a very hard one.
Thanks to America’s for-profit health insurance industry, prescription drugs are a big business.
In fact, in 2012, the top 11 global drug companies made nearly $85 billion in net profits.
They made these profits by slapping extraordinary price tags on the prescription drugs and health treatments that Americans are forced to rely on in order to survive devastating diseases like cancer.
But while drug companies have been largely able to get away with robbing Americans left and right for the past several decades, more and more people are speaking up about the outrageous costs of lifesaving treatments.
More
Maryland Group Wants Voters To Decide Whether To Repeal Of Death Penalty
BALTIMORE - The Maryland group that led the effort to overturn three controversial measures on last year's ballot is setting its sights on the repeal of Maryland's death penalty, announcing on Friday it is seeking to give voters in 2014 the final say on whether the state keeps its ultimate punishment.
Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington County, head of MDPetitions.com, said his group is putting all of its energy into gathering signatures to get onto the 2014 ballot a referendum on the death penalty repeal. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the repeal into law on Thursday.
Parrott said the death penalty is necessary to deter or punish criminals who committ the most heinous crimes, such as the two men who set off bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds.
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Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington County, head of MDPetitions.com, said his group is putting all of its energy into gathering signatures to get onto the 2014 ballot a referendum on the death penalty repeal. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the repeal into law on Thursday.
Parrott said the death penalty is necessary to deter or punish criminals who committ the most heinous crimes, such as the two men who set off bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds.
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The Great Deformation – The Corruption Of Capitalism in America
David Stockman’s new book The Great Deformation is a brilliant, penetrating analysis of the present state of the US economy and the US political system, and a detailed account of how the nation got into this mess. The book will upset Democrats and Republicans alike, and quite a few other constituencies as well, which can, in this case, be safely accepted as proof that Stockman’s narrative is spot on.
Stockman is an angry man and he admits so himself early in his 719-page tome. That anger adds bite and verve to his writing and keeps what is in fact a detailed historical account and economic analysis always highly entertaining. The book is long but never boring. Furthermore, Stockman does not let the anger cloud his judgement, which remains, in my view, relentlessly accurate throughout.
When dissecting Washington politics and Wall Street deal-making Stockman naturally draws on his experience as the director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan and his many years as an investment banker and private equity investor, and in so doing he reflects on much of his own professional life with commendable candor. But the book goes beyond these specific periods, and Stockman applies the analytical skills and insights acquired on these jobs to the critical examination of a wide spectrum of policy areas and historic periods. Stockman’s command of these topics and the masses of statistics and financial reports involved, and his powers of analytical dissection are impressive. But what is probably even more important for the success of his analysis is that it is based on an accurate understanding of essential economic relationships, in particular the importance of sound money. This is why the narrative that he develops captures America’s present challenges so truthfully and comprehensively. I very much shared Stockman’s anger when I started reading, but even more so when I had finished.
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Stockman is an angry man and he admits so himself early in his 719-page tome. That anger adds bite and verve to his writing and keeps what is in fact a detailed historical account and economic analysis always highly entertaining. The book is long but never boring. Furthermore, Stockman does not let the anger cloud his judgement, which remains, in my view, relentlessly accurate throughout.
When dissecting Washington politics and Wall Street deal-making Stockman naturally draws on his experience as the director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan and his many years as an investment banker and private equity investor, and in so doing he reflects on much of his own professional life with commendable candor. But the book goes beyond these specific periods, and Stockman applies the analytical skills and insights acquired on these jobs to the critical examination of a wide spectrum of policy areas and historic periods. Stockman’s command of these topics and the masses of statistics and financial reports involved, and his powers of analytical dissection are impressive. But what is probably even more important for the success of his analysis is that it is based on an accurate understanding of essential economic relationships, in particular the importance of sound money. This is why the narrative that he develops captures America’s present challenges so truthfully and comprehensively. I very much shared Stockman’s anger when I started reading, but even more so when I had finished.
More
Maryland State Employees No Longer Able To Include Domestic Partners In Health Insurance, Says O'Malley
If they want coverage, they'll have to get married.
The policy change is the result of the new Maryland law allowing same-sex marriage, which took effect Jan. 1. The thinking is that offering health coverage to an unmarried same-sex partner doesn't make sense anymore, officials said, particularly since an unmarried heterosexual partner doesn't have the same right.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY 5-4-13
“The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer all know that their success depends upon their own industry and economy, and that they must not expect to become suddenly rich by the fruits of their toil. Yet these classes of society form the great body of the people of the United States; they are the bone and sinew of the country–men who love liberty and desire nothing but equal rights and equal laws, and who, moreover, hold the great mass of our national wealth, although it is distributed in moderate amounts among the millions of freemen who possess it.
But with overwhelming numbers and wealth on their side they are in constant danger of losing their fair influence in the Government, and with difficulty maintain their just rights against the incessant efforts daily made to encroach upon them. The mischief springs from the power which the moneyed interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges which they have succeeded in obtaining in the different States, and which are employed altogether for their benefit…”
Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address
But with overwhelming numbers and wealth on their side they are in constant danger of losing their fair influence in the Government, and with difficulty maintain their just rights against the incessant efforts daily made to encroach upon them. The mischief springs from the power which the moneyed interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges which they have succeeded in obtaining in the different States, and which are employed altogether for their benefit…”
Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address
Substitute “Americans” For Athenians”
“In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.” —Edward Gibbon (27 April 1737 – 16 January 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament.
Petition Started To Discourage OC Skate Park Plan
OCEAN CITY – A petition has surfaced online to keep Ocean City’s landmark skate park open during its normal operating hours rather than reduce hours and shut it down during two winter months.
The petition, called Stop the Planned Ocean Bowl Skate Park Closure can be found on Change.org, and as of Thursday morning had received 374 signatures of support.
The proposal to reduce the skate park’s hours of operation as well as institute a two-month closure originated from the Recreation and Parks Department when it was asked to cut operating costs for the upcoming fiscal year. The recommendation was made to the Recreation and Parks Commission, which was then passed on to the full Mayor and City Council.
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The petition, called Stop the Planned Ocean Bowl Skate Park Closure can be found on Change.org, and as of Thursday morning had received 374 signatures of support.
The proposal to reduce the skate park’s hours of operation as well as institute a two-month closure originated from the Recreation and Parks Department when it was asked to cut operating costs for the upcoming fiscal year. The recommendation was made to the Recreation and Parks Commission, which was then passed on to the full Mayor and City Council.
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STATE POLICE REMOVE 23% OF ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES STOPPED DURING OPERATION TAILGATE: 'MAY DAY'
(Largo, MD) - Operation Tailgate: “May Day”, a special safety initiative conducted by the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division removed 23% of all the vehicles stopped and deemed unsafe yesterday in Prince George’s County.
A total of 580 commercial vehicles were inspected from 7:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. yesterday in an effort to remove unsafe and overweight commercial vehicles off of one of Maryland’s busiest interstates. State Police placed 132 vehicles out of service for equipment violations. Troopers and inspectors placed twelve drivers out of service for driver qualification violations, or for violations of hours-of-service regulations. Two people were arrested for outstanding warrants and one was arrested for a handgun violation. Troopers issued 140 citations and 361 warnings during this one day initiative.
Yesterday’s enforcement took place at Fed Ex Field and focused on the I-495/I-95 corridor. Operation Tailgate: “May Day” is a commercial vehicle safety initiative designed to remove dangerous drivers, dangerous commercial vehicles and dangerous cargo from Maryland highways. Operation Tailgate started in 2005 and takes place three times a year.
A new component was added to this Operation Tailgate initiative. A Preventive Radiation and Nuclear Detection (PRND) was implemented to detect the movement of radioactive materials (natural or for illegal purposes) through the area of operations. During the enforcement initiative, there were two activations for radiation that were adjudicated by the PRND Teams as natural materials.
Last year, the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division personnel weighed more than two million commercial vehicles and conducted more than 69,000 roadside inspections. They conducted over 1,800 maintenance audits and more than 220 compliance reviews, checking trucking company maintenance records, driver qualification files, hours of service, and other safety related information. Troopers issued 39,111 citations and 45,514 warnings for traffic and equipment violations involving commercial vehicles during 2012.
The Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division operates ten weigh and inspection stations across Maryland. The Division also has roving units that work throughout the state with portable scales and truck inspectors.
Operation Tailgate: “May Day” included assistance from MSP Special Operations Division, the Work Zone Automated Speed Camera Enforcement Unit, the Maryland Department of Environment, Maryland Comptroller’s Office, Motor Vehicle Administration and State Highway Administration. The inspection portion of the operation also included assistance from allied police agencies which included the Prince George’s County Police Dept., Greenbelt Police Dept., Riverdale Park Police Dept., and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
A total of 580 commercial vehicles were inspected from 7:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. yesterday in an effort to remove unsafe and overweight commercial vehicles off of one of Maryland’s busiest interstates. State Police placed 132 vehicles out of service for equipment violations. Troopers and inspectors placed twelve drivers out of service for driver qualification violations, or for violations of hours-of-service regulations. Two people were arrested for outstanding warrants and one was arrested for a handgun violation. Troopers issued 140 citations and 361 warnings during this one day initiative.
Yesterday’s enforcement took place at Fed Ex Field and focused on the I-495/I-95 corridor. Operation Tailgate: “May Day” is a commercial vehicle safety initiative designed to remove dangerous drivers, dangerous commercial vehicles and dangerous cargo from Maryland highways. Operation Tailgate started in 2005 and takes place three times a year.
A new component was added to this Operation Tailgate initiative. A Preventive Radiation and Nuclear Detection (PRND) was implemented to detect the movement of radioactive materials (natural or for illegal purposes) through the area of operations. During the enforcement initiative, there were two activations for radiation that were adjudicated by the PRND Teams as natural materials.
Last year, the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division personnel weighed more than two million commercial vehicles and conducted more than 69,000 roadside inspections. They conducted over 1,800 maintenance audits and more than 220 compliance reviews, checking trucking company maintenance records, driver qualification files, hours of service, and other safety related information. Troopers issued 39,111 citations and 45,514 warnings for traffic and equipment violations involving commercial vehicles during 2012.
The Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division operates ten weigh and inspection stations across Maryland. The Division also has roving units that work throughout the state with portable scales and truck inspectors.
Operation Tailgate: “May Day” included assistance from MSP Special Operations Division, the Work Zone Automated Speed Camera Enforcement Unit, the Maryland Department of Environment, Maryland Comptroller’s Office, Motor Vehicle Administration and State Highway Administration. The inspection portion of the operation also included assistance from allied police agencies which included the Prince George’s County Police Dept., Greenbelt Police Dept., Riverdale Park Police Dept., and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
Delaware Passes Ban On Shark Fin Sales
The Delaware State Senate passed a bill May 1 that bans the sale, trade, distribution and possession of shark fins throughout the state. The House of Representatives has already passed the legislation, and it will now be sent to Gov. Jack Markell to be signed into law. Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans, congratulates Delaware lawmakers for taking this important step towards shark conservation nationwide.
“Healthy ocean ecosystems depend on healthy shark populations, but the demand for shark fins is driving these vulnerable predators to the brink of extinction,” said Beth Lowell, campaign director at Oceana. “Delaware policymakers have shown their commitment to shark and ocean conservation by passing this important bill.”
If the bill is signed into law, Delaware would join California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Illinois in the growing national movement to protect sharks. Similar legislation passed in Maryland is awaiting the governor’s signature, and New York is considering a ban as well.
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“Healthy ocean ecosystems depend on healthy shark populations, but the demand for shark fins is driving these vulnerable predators to the brink of extinction,” said Beth Lowell, campaign director at Oceana. “Delaware policymakers have shown their commitment to shark and ocean conservation by passing this important bill.”
If the bill is signed into law, Delaware would join California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Illinois in the growing national movement to protect sharks. Similar legislation passed in Maryland is awaiting the governor’s signature, and New York is considering a ban as well.
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More Holes In The Fourth Amendment
Here they go again. The Obama administration has asked its allies in Congress to introduce legislation that would permit the feds to continue their march through the Fourth Amendment when it comes to obtaining private information about all of us.
The Fourth Amendment, which guarantees the right to be left alone, was written largely in response to legislation Parliament enacted in the colonial era that permitted British soldiers to write their own search warrants and then use those warrants as a legal basis to enter private homes. The ostensible purpose of doing that was to search through the colonists' papers looking for stamps, which the Stamp Act required the colonists to affix to all documents in their possession. The laws that permitted the soldier-written search warrants and the Stamp Act were the British government's fatal political mistakes, which arguably caused a major shift in colonial opinion toward secession from Britain 10 years before the bloody part of the Revolution began.
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The Fourth Amendment, which guarantees the right to be left alone, was written largely in response to legislation Parliament enacted in the colonial era that permitted British soldiers to write their own search warrants and then use those warrants as a legal basis to enter private homes. The ostensible purpose of doing that was to search through the colonists' papers looking for stamps, which the Stamp Act required the colonists to affix to all documents in their possession. The laws that permitted the soldier-written search warrants and the Stamp Act were the British government's fatal political mistakes, which arguably caused a major shift in colonial opinion toward secession from Britain 10 years before the bloody part of the Revolution began.
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Baby Falcons Discovered Nesting In Bay Bridge
The Maryland Department of Transportation, who maintains the bridge, says that crews have known about the falcon nest for years.
"Our Bay Bridge crews have worked with both Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to create a nesting box for the mother falcon. She'd previously nest anywhere she saw fit -- tending towards under the westbound span roadway," says Kelly Melhem, spokeswoman for the MDTA.
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Welcome To The Runway Fashion Show Comes To Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
(Salisbury, MD) Welcome To The Runway Fashion Show will be held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, May 11. The evening of confident style will feature designers from the Eastern Shore, Baltimore and Washington, DC. The show will be hosted by Dwight Eubanks from The Real Housewives of Atlanta and will feature a live performance from Living Legends. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the show will start at 7:30pm.
Tickets are $25 per person, VIP tickets are also available for $50 per person and include preferred seating and after party tickets. Tickets are available in person at DTLR (located in the Centre at Salisbury), Classy Cats Barbershop and online at www.eventbrite.com.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hickman at ahickma5@gmail.com or Waneka Brought at wanekabroughton07@yahoo.com.
Tickets are $25 per person, VIP tickets are also available for $50 per person and include preferred seating and after party tickets. Tickets are available in person at DTLR (located in the Centre at Salisbury), Classy Cats Barbershop and online at www.eventbrite.com.
For more information, contact Antoinette Hickman at ahickma5@gmail.com or Waneka Brought at wanekabroughton07@yahoo.com.
Salisbury U. Gets $8M Gift For New Complex
The gift from the Guerrieri Family Foundation, which was announced Thursday, is one of the largest private donations for a capital project in the campus’ history.
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Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study
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Old Pro Golf Celebrating 50th Year In Ocean City
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Schoellkopf has founded, created and built over 150 miniature golf courses since the early 1950’s and will be celebrating 50 years of family fun in Ocean City this weekend. Although it’s difficult to believe today with it largely home to amusement rides, his first course was created on the landmark Wicomico Street Pier in 1963.
Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Old Pro Golf built and operated 13 golf courses up and down the Eastern Seaboard in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Sour Carolina, before Schoellkopf began concentrating on developing in Ocean City.
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Why We Still Have A Massive Homelessness Problem (Hard Times USA)
Why we don't take care of our most needy.
Most people would agree that the Federal government has abandoned any pretense of its responsibility to “ensure safe, decent and affordable” (Housing Act, 1937) housing for the poorest people in our country as it committed to do in 1937 when what is now HUD was formed. After years of funding cuts, neglect and demolitions, the 1998 Congress went so far as to say “the federal government can not be held accountable to ensure housing for even a majority of its citizens” (Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act, 1998). While they may have ignored their legislative mandate from 1937, they have with great conviction, adhered to the 1998 (lack of) responsibility.
Year after year we hear of yet another series of funding cuts, of Section 8 units being converted to market rate, of additional Public Housing units being demolished with no intention of ever replacing them, and of yet even more tightening of eligibility criteria so as to exclude people from even being able to apply for housing assistance.
Couple this with the loss of factory jobs through corporate tax credits for relocation overseas, ever shrinking time limits on welfare assistance, foreclosures, the rising cost of healthcare and the increasing disparity between rich and poor, absolutely, no wonder that homelessness has stayed with us for the past 30 years. In fact, it would be a miracle if it hadn’t.
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Most people would agree that the Federal government has abandoned any pretense of its responsibility to “ensure safe, decent and affordable” (Housing Act, 1937) housing for the poorest people in our country as it committed to do in 1937 when what is now HUD was formed. After years of funding cuts, neglect and demolitions, the 1998 Congress went so far as to say “the federal government can not be held accountable to ensure housing for even a majority of its citizens” (Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act, 1998). While they may have ignored their legislative mandate from 1937, they have with great conviction, adhered to the 1998 (lack of) responsibility.
Year after year we hear of yet another series of funding cuts, of Section 8 units being converted to market rate, of additional Public Housing units being demolished with no intention of ever replacing them, and of yet even more tightening of eligibility criteria so as to exclude people from even being able to apply for housing assistance.
Couple this with the loss of factory jobs through corporate tax credits for relocation overseas, ever shrinking time limits on welfare assistance, foreclosures, the rising cost of healthcare and the increasing disparity between rich and poor, absolutely, no wonder that homelessness has stayed with us for the past 30 years. In fact, it would be a miracle if it hadn’t.
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Former Mayor Tilghman Prepares For Wedding Today In Public Landing
Worcester Herp Search Eyes 13th Year May 11
BERLIN -- The 13th Annual Great Worcester Herp Search will take place Saturday, May 11 when volunteers scour county lands for reptiles and amphibians.
Sponsored by the Coastal Bays Program, Salisbury Zoo, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Salisbury University, the search kicks off at 9 a.m. at Furnacetown on Old Furnace Road off Route 12 near Snow Hill. A brief pre-hunt training session will feature live turtles, snakes, frogs, and salamanders and explain ways to identify them in the wild. It is free to the public and will be held to prep volunteers for searching four Worcester County sites in the morning and afternoon.
Last year 96 reptiles and amphibians representing 17 species were the result of the search held in Worcester County. Finds included coastal plain milksnakes, ringneck snakes, and wormsnakes. Box and spotted turtles were found along with fence lizards and four species of frogs and toads.
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Sponsored by the Coastal Bays Program, Salisbury Zoo, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Salisbury University, the search kicks off at 9 a.m. at Furnacetown on Old Furnace Road off Route 12 near Snow Hill. A brief pre-hunt training session will feature live turtles, snakes, frogs, and salamanders and explain ways to identify them in the wild. It is free to the public and will be held to prep volunteers for searching four Worcester County sites in the morning and afternoon.
Last year 96 reptiles and amphibians representing 17 species were the result of the search held in Worcester County. Finds included coastal plain milksnakes, ringneck snakes, and wormsnakes. Box and spotted turtles were found along with fence lizards and four species of frogs and toads.
More
“Checkpoint Strikeforce”
When: May 4, 2013 at 10 pm.
Where: A briefing will be held at the Princess Anne Barrack at 10:00 pm.
Law enforcement agencies from throughout Somerset County will join forces to conduct a sobriety checkpoint. The operation will be conducted with the Five State and the District of Columbia Campaign, “Checkpoint Strikeforce”. The goal is to reduce the number of drunk and drugged drivers on Somerset County roadways.
Where: A briefing will be held at the Princess Anne Barrack at 10:00 pm.
Law enforcement agencies from throughout Somerset County will join forces to conduct a sobriety checkpoint. The operation will be conducted with the Five State and the District of Columbia Campaign, “Checkpoint Strikeforce”. The goal is to reduce the number of drunk and drugged drivers on Somerset County roadways.
HISTORICAL MOMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 5-4-13
DO YOU REMEMBER?
(These businesses were obtained from phone
books and city directories from 1957)
S. Division St. - 1957
WEST SIDE OF STREET EAST SIDE OF STREET
CAMDEN AVE.
108 W. Newton Jackson Ins. 113 Taylor’s Grill
110 Abbott Bros. (furniture) 115 Genny’s Sportswear
114 Shore Gas Sales 117 Blue Bird Beauty Shop
121 Professional Uniform Shop
127 Beauty Craft
CIRCLE AVE.
124 Armory 141-143 Fire Dept.
(pictured-where Library is now)
126-128 Cavanaugh’s Used Cars
MARKET ST.
200 V. L. Lewis Confectionary 207 Morgan’s Sinclair
204 Wicomico Theater
WICOMICO RIVER
CARROLL ST.
300 Veteran’s Cab
308 A. T. Matthews Confectionary
UPTON ST.
314 Delmarva Cleaners 315 R. H. Polliard Co.
316 Hawkins & Hopkins (yard goods)
318 A. T. Brittingham Confectionary
FOOKS ST.
322 Kitty’s Flowers 321 Peninsula Med. Bldg.
324 Peninsula General Hospital
LOCUST ST.
400 Peninsula Pharmacy
WCSO Most Wanted
Timothy Logan Elliott
• White Male, 5’09” 205 lbs• DOB 07/08/1988
• Brown hair, Blue eyes
• Elliott’s last known address was Delmar MD
• Elliott is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a 5 Circuit Court Indictments, all for Burglary and felony Theft charges
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Elliot has a history of DRUG ABUSE
Dwight Arvine Nichols Jr.
• Black Male, 5’09” 154 lbs• DOB 10/12/1980
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Nichols’ last known address was Salisbury MD
• Nichols is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a Circuit Court Indictment issued in February 2012 on the charges of Child Abuse 2nd degree – 4 counts, and Assault 2nd – 2 counts
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Nichols should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION
Lee Shalek Perrin aka Luis Garfield Perrin
• Black Male, 6’03” 270 lbs• DOB 10/18/1977
• Black hair, Brown eyes
• Perrin’s last known address was Norfolk VA
• Perrin is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a Circuit Court Arrest Warrant issued in March 2011 for multiple counts of Counterfeiting Currency and Theft less $100
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• We will extradite Perrin from all states East of the Mississippi River
Joseph Paul Fitch
• White Male, 6’00” 244 lbs• DOB 12/06/1988 or 09/06/1988
• Brown hair, Brown eyes
• Fitch’s last known address was Seaford DE
• Fitch is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a 5 Circuit Court Indictments all for Burglary and felony Theft charges
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Fitch should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION
• We will extradite from Delaware and Virginia
Clinton Lee Kelley
• White Male, 6’00” 139 lbs• DOB 08/29/1977 35 years of age
• Blonde hair, Brown eyes
• Kelley’s last known addresses were in Hurlock and Crownsville MD
• Kelley is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation in August 2012 on the charges of Assault 2nd and Dangerous Weapon Carry with Intent
• On two District Court Bench Warrants issued for Violation of Probation in August 2012 on the charges of Assault 2nd, Theft $1000 to $10000, Motor Vehicle Unlawful taking, and Malicious Destruction of Property valued over $500 and under $500
• There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
• Kelley has a history of being ARMED and of RESIST ARREST
The Top 10 Things Black America Will Have To Show For 8 Years of President Obama -- None Of Them Are Good
When Barack Obama leaves the White House in January 2017, what will black America, his earliest and most consistent supporters, have to show for making his political career possible? We'll have the T-shirts and buttons and posters, the souvenirs. That will be the good news. The bad news is what else we'll have.... and not.
To hear our black political class tell it, the election of the first black US president was its ultimate achievement to date, a giant step toward fulfillment of a previous generation's insurgent agenda for social transformation. Is that real? Has the career of Barack Hussein Obama really advanced any of the historic goals of the Freedom Movement? Is the question even fair?
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To hear our black political class tell it, the election of the first black US president was its ultimate achievement to date, a giant step toward fulfillment of a previous generation's insurgent agenda for social transformation. Is that real? Has the career of Barack Hussein Obama really advanced any of the historic goals of the Freedom Movement? Is the question even fair?
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Princess Tara
This is an update to our 11:30PM post from yesterday
EDITORS NOTE: Language warning at the very end of the video.
EDITORS NOTE: Language warning at the very end of the video.
Reversal Of Fortune: A Prosecutor On Trial
In the world of abusive prosecutors, Ken Anderson stands out: Anderson, a Texas prosecutor who abused his authority to help send an innocent man to prison for decades, now faces 10 years behind bars for his misconduct.
For 30 years, Ken Anderson was the face of law enforcement in Williamson County, Texas, first as a bearded district attorney asking the court for tough sentences, and for the last 10 years handing those kinds of sentences out as a judge.
Earlier this month, his beard gone, his hair white, Anderson, noted for his talks to school children about the criminal justice system and the dangers of drugs, walked into the courthouse again, this time as a defendant. He had come to turn himself in, be fingerprinted, photographed and post $2,500 bail. A few hours earlier a judge had ordered his arrest.
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For 30 years, Ken Anderson was the face of law enforcement in Williamson County, Texas, first as a bearded district attorney asking the court for tough sentences, and for the last 10 years handing those kinds of sentences out as a judge.
Earlier this month, his beard gone, his hair white, Anderson, noted for his talks to school children about the criminal justice system and the dangers of drugs, walked into the courthouse again, this time as a defendant. He had come to turn himself in, be fingerprinted, photographed and post $2,500 bail. A few hours earlier a judge had ordered his arrest.
More