WHAT!? A boycott of Girl Scout cookies?

A major Roman Catholic organization on Thursday called for a boycott of Thin Mints, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwich and other Girl Scout cookies, seeking to undercut funding for the pro-abortion agenda of the historic girls’ organization.

“The Girl Scouts was once a trusted organization dedicated to character building in young girls and women. Now, GSUSA is abusing that trust,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League, the nation’s oldest Catholic pro-life education and advocacy group.

“Most parents and grandparents remain painfully unaware the GSUSA has introduced so-called ‘family planning’ ideology in its curriculum and promotes groups like Planned Parenthood to our daughters and granddaughters,” she said.
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States Where Union Membership Is Highest, Declining The Most

While union membership has slowly waned over the past several decades, some states are recording steeper declines than others.

State	Change	2003 Share of Workforce	2013 Share of Workforce
Michigan	-5.6%	21.9%	16.3%
Missouri	-4.6%	13.2%	8.6%
Ohio	-4.1%	16.7%	12.6%
Wisconsin	-3.6%	15.9%	12.3%
New Jersey	-3.5%	19.5%	16.0%
Maryland	-2.7%	14.3%	11.6%
Minnesota	-2.7%	17.0%	14.3%
Indiana	-2.5%	11.8%	9.3%
Pennsylvania	-2.4%	15.1%	12.7%
Idaho	-2.3%	7.0%	4.7%

Source: BLS, Annual Average Share of Employed Persons

Lunches Seized From Kids In Debt At Salt Lake City Elementary

Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts — a move that shocked and angered parents.

"It was pretty traumatic and humiliating," said Erica Lukes, whose 11-year-old daughter had her cafeteria lunch taken from her as she stood in line Tuesday at Uintah Elementary School, 1571 E. 1300 South.

Lukes said as far as she knew, she was all paid up. "I think it’s despicable," she said. "These are young children that shouldn’t be punished or humiliated for something the parents obviously need to clear up."
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HIGH HOPES: Christie, Paul, Perry Push To Legalize Pot

But the Obama administration has said it will give states leeway as long as they don’t see evidence that criminal gangs are trafficking the drug or that children are increasingly gaining access.

That makes pot an issue in states that will be important in the 2016 elections, including New Hampshire, which hosts the first-in-the-nation presidential primaries and where dozens of Republicans in the state legislature helped pass a bill legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, the Republican sponsor of the bill, said he is “absolutely ashamed” that Republicans opposed same-sex marriage when it passed in New Hampshire and hopes they will not be on the wrong side of history again on the marijuana issue.

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Spot The "Recovery" In This Abysmal Durable Goods Chart

We can waste many words to explain today's absolutely atrocious and recovery killing durable goods report (wait for it... wait for it... it's the weather's fault), or we can just show this once chart explaining all that has happened so far in the "recovery."

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Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty For Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect

Federal prosecutors said Thursday they will seek the death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon bombing.

The final decision was made by Attorney General Eric Holder and was announced Thursday. The twin blasts in April killed three people and wounded more than 260 in one of the most prominent terrorist attacks in the U.S since 9/11.

Prosecutors allege that Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, ethnic Chechens from Russia who had lived in the Boston area for about a decade, planted two pressure cooker bombs near the finish line. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police.
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With Senate At Stake, Two Ex-GOP Senators Endorse Democrats

With control of the U.S. Senate up for grabs this November, a single seat may determine who has the majority. That’s why Republicans should find it disconcerting that two of their establishment lions have broken ranks and are backing Democratic candidates in competitive races.

The latest apostate is former senator John Warner of Virginia, who announced this week he is backing incumbent Democratic senator Mark Warner for reelection. He is thus giving the back of his hand to former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie, a former George W. Bush adviser, who has a decent shot at winning and is no wild-eyed radical. Last year, Warner also endorsed the Georgia candidacy of Michelle Nunn, a Democrat, who is the daughter of former senator Sam Nunn, with whom Warner served in the Senate. He even attended a fundraiser on her behalf. Georgia Republicans who find themselves defending an open Senate seat in Georgia are furious since the Warner support allows Nunn to position herself as a bipartisan moderate.

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2 Dead After Shooting At Officer's Home

Police say an off-duty police officer has shot and killed his son as the son fatally stabbed his mother at their Md. home

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Police say an off-duty police officer has shot and killed his son as the man fatally stabbed his mother at their Maryland home.

Montgomery County police spokesman Capt. Jim Daly says the officer fired at his 25-year-old son Wednesday night after he saw him attack his mother with a sharp object in the family's Gaithersburg home. The woman — the officer's wife — was critically injured and later died at a hospital.

The reason for the fight was not immediately known.

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Lost Dog 1-30-14

Joe,

Can you please post this picture of my dog. He was let outside around 4 A.M. on Thursday January 30, 2014. His name is Rza. He is 2. I can be reached at 443-359-2735. I live in the Cannon Drive/Zion Rd area of Salisbury.

The 10 Worst States For Taxes in 2014

For upper middle income earners, high net-worth individuals, retirees, and certainly the “one percent” – where you live can make a huge difference in how much of your money you get to keep at the end of the year and how much you need to fork over to your state.

To help individuals and businesses make an informed choice, the Tax Foundation collects data on more than 100 tax provisions for each state and then ranks them to create its annual State Business Tax Climate Index. The 10 worst states on the list all levy complex, non-neutral taxes that favor some economic activities over others and have comparatively high individual and corporate tax rates.
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D.C. Police Misconduct: Over 100 Arrested, 47 Convicted In Last 5 Years

In the last month, three D.C. officers were accused in unrelated investigations involving child pornography, attempted murder and the running of a prostitution operation involving teenage girls.

More than 100 officers have been arrested in the last 5 years in D.C.. Most of the arrests involved alcohol-related traffic offenses or domestic violence.

Councilman Tommy Wells, who chairs the public safety committee, ran a hearing on Friday to address the issue. He said the arrests were “shocking” and put MPD Chief Cathy Lanier on the hot seat.

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Senators Want To Raise Max Penalty For Murder

Two senators say 30 years in prison isn't long enough for someone who commits a ghastly murder. But right now, that's the maximum for defendants convicted of second-degree murder, according to Maryland law.

Sen. James Brochin told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that only six states cap their penalties as low as Maryland does. Thirty states and the federal government allow sentences of life in prison.

Brochin and Sen. Norman Stone want to raise the maximum to 40 years, which would mirror laws in Virginia and West Virginia.
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Democratic Congressman Admits Obamacare Won’t Work

“I don’t think we’re going to get enough young people signing up to make this bill work as it was intended to financially,” warned Democrat Virginia Representative Jim Moran.

The Democrat, as The Daily Caller reports, seemingly daring to break ranks with his peers, added that he understood Millennial lack of signing up as “frankly, there’s some legitimacy to their concern because the government spends about $7 for the elderly for every $1 it spends on the young.” This stunning declaration, of course, fits with the narratives that most mathematically-capable human beings can comprehend but starkly refutes the hopes and dreams of the President’s healthcare policy… The reason that Jim Moran could be so honest… after 12 terms of toeing the lying line, he has announced his retirement.

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Is Maryland's Power Grid In Jeapardy?

MARYLAND GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY URGES MARYLANDERS TO CONTINUE TO CONSERVE ENERGY

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 30, 2014) — Governor O’Malley urged Marylanders to continue the efforts they have been making to conserve energy use as record breaking cold temperatures burdened Maryland’s power grid. Energy use remains at very high levels even as the cold front moves out of Maryland and a warming trend is on the horizon.

“I want to thank the people and businesses of Maryland who embraced our call to conserve energy during this extreme cold weather. Together, our efforts has enabled our power grid to provide electricity to Maryland homes without incident, and helped temper extremely high energy prices that accompany great demand. I urge Marylanders to continue to conserve your energy use as much as possible,” said Governor O’Malley.  

The Governor also forewarned Marylanders to expect higher energy bills in the coming weeks and assured residents that his Administration is actively engaged with utility companies and regulators to ensure that Marylanders will have every opportunity to manage these costs.

PJM Interconnection Inc., the organization that operates the electric power grid for all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Maryland, issued a statement earlier this week stressing energy conservation habits. Tips to save energy included:

• Conserving electricity, if health permits, during the peak electric demand times of 6 a.m. to 10 a.m and again, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
• Set thermostats lower than usual, if health permits, 
• Postpone using major electric appliances such as stoves, dishwashers and clothes; dryers until mid‐day or after 9 p.m., when the demand for electricity decreases; and, 
• Turn off electric lights and appliances that you do not need or are not using.

For more electricity saving tips, visit, http://energy.maryland.gov/facts/est.html.

Senator Colburn Reports From Annapolis (This Week)

ANNAPOLIS – Senator Richard F. Colburn (R. Eastern Shore) reported on events that took place this week. Senator Colburn stated, “Senate Bill 152 (Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2013 – Dorchester County – Cambridge Marine Terminal Redevelopment) unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday. This is an emergency bill and now just needs approval from the House of Delegates and the Governor’s signature. The bill would amend the Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2013 to change the grantee for the Cambridge Marine Terminal Redevelopment grant from the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) to the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Cambridge. The Cambridge Marine Terminal Redevelopment project (originally known as the Sailwinds Wharf Development Project) is located on the Choptank River in Cambridge and is part of a larger plan to help revitalize Cambridge’s economy. The main element of the current project is the replacement of a wharf and bulkhead at the Cambridge Marine Terminal, most of which is in need of urgent, immediate repair. This bill will give Cambridge the needed flexibility to deal directly with replacement of the wharf. Cambridge advises that it erected a barrier around the wharf to protect the public from the wharf’s failing structural integrity. It is also necessary to stabilize surrounding structures that serve the public during music and festival events. As a result of the project, Cambridge hopes to see increased sail and power boat traffic, as well as increased tourism. MEDCO advises that it was listed as the grantee in order to help with the general redevelopment of the Cambridge Marine Terminal, although the scope of its role has never been clearly defined. Cambridge advises that it is in a position to shift the project into the design and engineering phase, and changing the grantee from MEDCO to the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Cambridge will give the city the flexibility it needs to advance the Cambridge Marine Terminal’s redevelopment and repairs. The Maryland Board of Public Works will review the project’s Maryland Department of the Environment core borings permit for approval on February 19th.

Regarding another matter that was brought to my attention is the fact that Eastern Shore legislators appear to be going in two directions on legislation regarding economic impact statements (EIS) for proposed legislation. There have been two separate bills filed on this matter.

The first bill, Senate Bill 27 (Nutrient Management – Phosphorus Risk Assessment Tool or Index – Economic Impact Analysis) sponsored by Senator Jim Mathias (D. - Lower Shore) and cross-filed by Delegate Norm Conway (D. Lower Shore) would require the Department of Agriculture to prepare an economic impact analysis concurrently with proposing Phosphorus Management Tool regulations (PMT). It would require the economic impact analysis to estimate the cost or economic benefit of a proposed change to a phosphorus risk assessment tool or index to a person required to have a nutrient management plan for nitrogen and phosphorus.

Senate Bill 151 (Administrative Procedure Act – Fiscal Impact Statements for Proposed Regulations) was heard on Thursday, January 30th in the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. I sponsored this bill and it is cross-filed by Delegate McDermott (R. Lower Shore). It would clarify that a governmental unit be required to submit a fiscal impact statement with a proposed regulation to the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR) and the Department of Legislative Services. It would also prohibit such a unit from adopting a proposed regulation until after a fiscal impact statement is submitted with the proposed regulation to the Committee for preliminary review. A major difference between the bills is that Senator Mathias’s bill addresses the Phosphorus Management Tool and my bill addresses all regulations. I certainly agree that we need to be united in our efforts and I am happy to report after polling all members of the Senate Eastern Shore Delegation, that we are in full support of both bills. The overall immediate goal would be to get an Economic Impact Statement (EIS) for the PMT (SB27). However, I personally believe that a thorough EIS should be completed and reviewed by the AELR before any regulation is passed or rejected (SB151). We need to know at least an estimated economic impact of any proposed regulation on groups such as consumers, our taxpayers, and our trade groups and industries.

EXCLUSIVE - TED CRUZ: HOUSE GOP'S AMNESTY PUSH WILL RUIN HOPES OF RETAKING SENATE

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) thinks that the House GOP leadership’s renewed push this week to grant amnesty to illegal aliens would destroy the Republican Party’s chances at retaking the Senate in 2014.

Cruz questioned how establishment Republicans unilaterally caving to Democrats on everything from the farm bill to the budget to the debt ceiling and more could think amnesty is a good idea at this time.

"Right now, Republican leadership in both chambers is aggressively urging members to stand down on virtually every front: on the continuing resolution, on the budget, on the farm bill, on the debt ceiling,” Cruz said in a statement provided exclusively to Breitbart News on Thursday.
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BREAKING NEWS: House Republican Leaders Give Their Support To A Limited Path To Legal Status For Some Illegal Immigrants,

House Republican leaders give their support to a limited path to legal status for some illegal immigrants, in a move Democrats said could open the door to a deal on comprehensive immigration legislation. http://tinyurl.com/nkq4qct

As Drought Continues, Farmers Fear Feds Could Seize Water

With no end in sight to California’s drought, farmers in the San Joaquin Valley fear federal officials could seize water in the San Luis Reservoir intended for their crops.

The Fresno Bee says dropping reservoir levels across the state are leading to struggles over water set aside via the Central Valley Project, a federally-run network of reservoirs, pumping plants and canals.

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Bills Aim To Stop Late Term Abortions

A pair of bills has been introduced in Annapolis to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The House bill is sponsored by Washington County Republican Delegate Neil Parrott, and the Senate bill is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Republican Senator Ed Reilly.

Similar bills were introduced last year, but never made it out of committee.
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Want To Reduce Income/Wealth Inequality? Abolish The Engine Of Inequality - The Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve is the primary obstacle to reducing income/wealth inequality. Those who support the Fed are supporting a neofeudal arrangement that widens the income/wealth gap by its very existence.

The issue of income/wealth inequality is finally moving into the mainstream: which is to say, politicos of every ideological stripe now feel obliged to bleat platitudes and express cardboard "concern" for the plight of the non-millionaires with whom they personally have little contact.

I have addressed the complex causes of rising income/wealth inequality for years.Indeed, my book Why Things Are Falling Apart and What We Can Do About It is largely about this very issue.

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OCPD REVITALIZES CRIME TIP HOTLINE

The Ocean City Police Department recently revitalized the town’s crime tip hotline by making it easier to find and understand for the citizens of Ocean City. Ocean City residents can now call one number to report a tip about crime – 410-520-5136. Residents also have the option to share tips through email at crimetips@oceancitymd.gov. The crime tip hotline information can be found on our departmental website at oceancitymd.gov/Police as well as on our departmental Facebook and Twitter pages.   Any information provided through our hotline is held strictly confidential.  

“We strongly encourage anyone that has any suspicions or concerns that there may be criminal activity in their area to call 410-520-5136 or email crimetips@oceancitymd.gov,” said Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro. “Tips that we receive can often be valuable information for our detectives.”

Citizens are reminded that if information to be shared is time sensitive, please call 911 for an immediate response.

Bingomania Returns To The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center On Saturday, February 8

SALISBURY, Md. - Bingomania, the Eastern Shore’s largest bingo cash prize event, returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, February 8. Doors open at 5 p.m. for early bird games and regular games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Admission to Bingomania includes all regular and special games, including the Jumbo Jackpot Game. Regular game payouts are $500 while special games will pay out $1000. The Jumbo Jackpot Game pays a maximum of $10,000 depending upon attendance.

Increase your chances of winning and help a local food bank at the same time by bringing three non-perishable food items to the game. Those that do will receive three additional cards for the first early bird game.

Tickets are $45 per person in advance and $55 per person at the door, fees may apply to ticket prices. Tickets are on sale now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Ave., Salisbury, MD; M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.

All proceeds benefit the Mardela Middle and High School Bands. For more information contact the Mardela Band-Aides at 410-677-5170.

Missouri Senate Panel Approves Bill That Aims To Nullify Federal Gun Laws

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state Senate committee dismissed warnings from a Missouri doctor that nullifying federal gun laws would lead to greater firearms access and, consequently, more gun-related deaths and voted to advance such a measure Tuesday.

The Senate General Laws Committee voted 5-1 to adopt the bill that would allow federal agents to be prosecuted for enforcing gun control laws considered "infringements on the right to keep and bear arms." Agents found guilty could face up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

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Hogan Chooses Boyd Rutherford As Running Mate

RIVA, Md. (AP) -- Republican Larry Hogan has chosen Boyd Rutherford as his running mate in his campaign for governor.

Hogan made the announcement Wednesday night next to a waterside crab house near Annapolis.

Like Hogan, Rutherford was a member of former Gov. Robert Ehrlich's cabinet.
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Dem Senators Intervene In Hobby Lobby Case, Urge Justices To Deny ObamaCare Exemption

Democratic senators intervened Tuesday in the Supreme Court fight over whether ObamaCare can force the company Hobby Lobby to provide contraceptive coverage to workers, arguing that "secular" businesses should not be exempt from the mandate.

The 19 senators planned to file a brief before the court, which is still weeks away from considering the closely watched case. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who planned to make her case on the Senate floor, adamantly defended the Obama administration's side.

"What's at stake in this case before the Supreme Court is whether a CEO's personal beliefs can trump a woman's right to access free or low-cost contraception under the Affordable Care Act," she said in prepared remarks.

But Republican senators returned fire, jumping to Hobby Lobby's defense in a brief of their own.

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Another Local Restaurant Rumored Could Be Closing This Week

It's been reported that the Upper Deck Restaurant in Pocomoke will be closing their doors at the end of the week. 

Staff members have been telling locals this is their last week. I attempted to contact the Owner but they were unavailable. 

A Man Takes A Single Rake to The Beach. And When You Zoom Out And See It… Mind BLOWN.

If you live in San Francisco, California, then you may be lucky enough to come across the art of Andres Amador. He doesn’t paint or sculpt. He prefers a medium that is temporary but absolutely beautiful: a sandy beach at low tide. He uses a rake to create works of art that can be bigger than 100,000 sq. ft.

He spends hours creating these intricate masterpieces, knowing that the tide will soon come in and wash away his work forever.
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Shell To Cut Spending And Sell Assets After Major Profit Warning

LONDON (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch oil company Royal Dutch Shell plans to sell assets, cut spending and freeze a controversial Arctic drilling program to improve returns after a major profit warning.

Just a month into his new job as chief executive of the world's No.3 investor-owned oil company, Ben van Beurden set out plans to make the group much leaner.

The planned changes follow a profit warning for the quarter to the end of December, detailing across-the-board problems that partly reflect how the industry is grappling with flat oil prices, the need to control costs and replace oil reserves that are being used up in production.

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CARSON: Obama Is Wrong That Raising Minimum Wage Will Fix Income Inequality

Opportunity, not entitlements, is the path forward

There has been much discussion about income inequality recently. President Obama seems to think that we can make significant progress in eliminating poverty by raising the minimum wage, as his State of the Union address highlighted.

Many hope that through a simple declaration, the poor can be elevated to a higher social status. Such people fail to realize that pay is associated with value — otherwise, we could just pay everybody $1 million a year and let everybody be rich.

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Obama’s Tired Song And Dance

There comes a time in a pop star’s career when the songs that enthralled fall flat, the lyrics that seemed daring grow stale and the atmosphere that tied it all together blows away into thin air. A time when everyone knows the words to all the songs because there are no more new songs, only the old songs that no longer touch the emotions of the audience and the new songs that are poor pastiches of the old.

There comes a time when the fans grow restless and the lead singer whose voice once moved millions begins to sweat, sensing that the music has betrayed him and that the audience hears every false note.

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35.5% Of Disability Beneficiaries Have ‘Mental Disorder’; 43.2% In D.C.

(CNSNews.com) - “Mental disorder” is the leading “diagnostic group” for disabled people receiving federal disability insurance benefits, with 35.5 percent of all disabled beneficiaries having such a disorder, according to the latest Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program.

The report provides a statistical profile of the 10,088,739 disabled beneficiaries who were receiving federal disability benefits as of December 2012.

Those 10,088,739 disabled beneficiaries were almost double the 5,044,388 disabled beneficiaries who had been in the program as of December 1995.

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Progressive Maryland Gets Its Voice Back

“They’re back.” That’s the message Executive Director Kate Planco Waybright hoped would be the lead of any story about Progressive Maryland’s 12th Annual Awards Gala Tuesday night in Greenbelt.

Tea Party conservatives and others on the right might find it hard to believe, but the left wing of the Democratic Party has struggles of its own as it fights to have its voice heard in Annapolis.

Progressive Maryland, a coalition of 45 labor, civil rights and religious groups, was struggling so much in 2011 that it closed its Silver Spring office, laid off much of its staff and, to save money, held its 10th anniversary “gala” as an online fundraiser.
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16th Amendment, Aid For Contras: This Day In American Political History

February 3: This date in American political history:

1913: The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, permitting the federal government to collect an income tax. Before 1913, tariffs and excise taxes were the primary source of revenue for the federal government. The only experience the US had with an income tax until this time was during the Civil War, when Congress levied a flat tax of three percent on income over $800 (or about $21,000 today). It turned out to be rather lucrative. As early as 1887, the Socialist Labor Party advocated a graduated income tax and the Democratic Party began advocating the tax in 1894.

1988: On a party-line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected President Ronald Reagan’s request for more than $36 million in military and other aid to the Nicaraguan Contras 219-211. Following the defeat, House Democrats quickly crafted an aid package without the military assistance. Less than two months later, the House passed a $48 million “humanitarian aid” package.

1959: The Day the Music Died. Rock ‘n’ Roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash in an Iowa cornfield.

Source

Infinite Arrogance, Infinite Incompetence, Infinite Government

Oh lord. Oh lord. Can the government do anything right? There is no evidence for it. None. Everything it touches turns to grotesque failure. It hurts me to contemplate the federal reigning monstrosity in the Yankee Capital. I may have to send out for a bottle of Padre Kino red to get me through it. The Great Purple Father is the worst wine known to man, thirty-nine cents a trainload. Never mind. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Nothing works, government-wise. Ponder health care, if you can stand it. One approach to keeping people alive and healthy is national health care, which many countries, such as France, have and it works. It’s because grown-ups run it. Or you can have private health care, which the US had and, though it was way overpriced and unwieldy, strangled by paperwork and corruption, more or less worked, sort of. So the gummint comes up with Obamacare, that doesn’t work at all. The feds can’t even write the freaking computer program. Yes, here in the world’s greatest technological power. We ought to contract the software to Guatemala, which couldn’t do it either but would cost less.

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FBI Appears To Have Collected Tormail’s Entire Email Database… And It’s Using It

We’ve mentioned in the past that, for all the focus on the NSA lately, the FBI may be equally, if not more, worrisome for its willingness to collect tons of data on everyone and use it. Back in August, it became pretty clear that the FBI had compromised the Tor Browser Bundle, and had effectively taken over Freedom Hosting — a popular hosting provider for dark web tor sites — in order to push out malware that identified Tor users. A month later, it was confirmed that it was the FBI behind the effort, which led to the closing of Freedom Hosting.

Now there are new reports, suggesting that along with Freedom Hosting, the FBI was able to get the full database of emails on TorMail, a popular tor-based email service that used Freedom Hosting and was shut down at the same time Freedom Hosting went down. The reports point to a new lawsuit, in which the FBI was able to get a search warrant to search TorMail using its own copy of the database — which it clearly had obtained at an earlier date. This basically means that the FBI has a pretty easy time searching all those emails if it needs to:

The tactic suggests the FBI is adapting to the age of big-data with an NSA-style collect-everything approach, gathering information into a virtual lock box, and leaving it there until it can obtain specific authority to tap it later. There’s no indication that the FBI searched the trove for incriminating evidence before getting a warrant. But now that it has a copy of TorMail’s servers, the bureau can execute endless search warrants on a mail service that once boasted of being immune to spying.

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Sen. Coburn's Loss Of Coverage Confirms 'Obamacare Designed To Fail'

Obamacare won't cover the cancer specialist treating ailing Sen. Tom Coburn, forcing the Oklahoma Republican to pay out of pocket to continue receiving care from his oncologist, Politico reported Tuesday.

"I’m doing well from a health standpoint, got great docs," Coburn told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday.

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The Real State Of The Union: The Erosion Of Community

The Central State and its core directives, central planning and ever-widening control of every aspect of life, is eroding the human essential: community.

Rather than the rah-rah phoniness of the President's State of the Union speech, which was predictably filled with Soaring Rhetoric (tm) and promises of more central planning and state expansion, let's consider the real state of the union.

Two related truths are self-evident: that community is essential to human progress, communication, development and well-being, and that the current global systems of the central state (socialism) and cartel-state capitalism (capitalism) actively dismantle community.

These basics inform the view that the only way forward is a community-based economy that recognizes and restores community as the foundation of human life.
On the most fundamental survival level, if humans were isolated, solitary hunter-gatherers, humans would likely have gone extinct long ago, as we simply aren't as capable as our competitors. If the species did endure, it would be equivalent to other solitary Great Apes--small in number and isolated to small pockets where it could survive.

Our dominance ("success" if you prefer) as a species flows directly from our social nature and the development of ways to spread better techniques, i.e. knowledge and cooperation, via spoken and eventually written language.

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Breaking The Ice: State Icebreaker Working To Clear Channels In Kent Narrows

KENT NARROWS, Md. (WJZ) — The worst ice to hit Maryland is on the bay and its tributaries. In some places, ice hasn’t been this thick in years.

Alex DeMetrick reports from a state icebreaker, trying to bust it all up.

This kind of hard freeze hasn’t gripped the bay and its waterways in at least five years.

“We’re talking about ten inches of ice on this side,” said Ben Gillis, A.V. Sandusky engineer.
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1/31/14 Council Special Meeting

9:00 a.m. CALL TO ORDER

9:01 a.m. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS

9:03 a.m. INVOCATION/MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

9:05 a.m. ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

9:08 a.m. CONSENT AGENDA – City Clerk Kim Nichols

 January 6, 2014 work session minutes

 January 13, 2014 regular meeting minutes

 Resolution No. 2363 - approving the appointment of Thomas E. Tucker to the Ethics Commission for term ending 9/30/2017

 Resolution No. 2364 - approving the reappointment of Charles R. Dashiell, Jr. to the Planning & Zoning Commission as Chairman and member for term ending 12/31/2018

 Resolution No. 2365 - approving the appointment of Harry R. McCoy to the Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion Board of Directors for term ending 12/31/2016

 Resolution No. 2366 - approving the appointment of Louise Nock to the Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion Board of Directors for term ending 12/31/2016

 Resolution No. 2367 - approving the appointment of Rita Tiso to the Friends of Poplar Hill Mansion Board of Directors for term ending 12/31/2016

 Resolution No. 2368 - approving the appointment of Karen Lutz to the Zoo Commission for term ending 12/31/2016

 Resolution No. 2369 - approving the reappointment of Kimberly Miles to the Zoo Commission for term ending 12/31/2016

 Resolution No. 2370 - approving the reappointment of Eric Pippen to the Zoo Commission for term ending 12/31/2016

9:15 a.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Assistant Director of Internal Services – Procurement & Parking Jennifer L. Miller

 Declaration of Surplus – SPD Vehicles #02 and #06

9:18 a.m. RESOLUTIONS – Acting City Administrator M. Thomas Stevenson

 Resolution No. 2371 - accepting funds awarded through a grant from the Department of Housing & Community Development – Emergency Solutions Grant Program

 Resolution No. 2372 - authorizing the Chief of Police to enter into a reimbursement agreement between the City of Salisbury Police Department and the Maryland State Police (MSP) Grants Management Section to manage allocated funding for equipment and supplies for the Eastern Shore Information Center (ESIC)

9:30 a.m.

ORDINANCES - City Attorney Mark Tilghman

 Ordinance No. 2274 – 2nd reading – to amend Subsection 15.24.490 General Definitions of the Property Maintenance Code of the City of Salisbury to add a definition for “blight”

 Ordinance No. 2275 - 1st reading - approving a budget amendment of the FY14 General Fund to appropriate funds received from the Current Year Surplus Funds for the purchase of nine (9) Electronic Control Devices (ECD)

9:50 a.m.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

10:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT

Tension In Democratic Party After Obama Speech

BOSTON (AP) — Tensions within the Democratic Party were on display in the living rooms of Massachusetts, where liberal activists watched President Barack Obama's State of the Union address with skepticism.

Like many in the party's far-left wing, those who enjoyed pizza and beer at a Boston-area watch party Tuesday night have been disappointed by the president's performance while facing a divided Congress. Some offered positive marks for his speech, but said that it did little to resurrect their once-passionate enthusiasm for the nation's top Democrat.

"I think he offered some good things," said party host Josh Tauber, a software engineer and Democratic activist who volunteered for both of Obama's campaigns. "I would get more excited if I believed those things would happen."

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ObamaCare? What ObamaCare?

You’d have thought ObamaCare was some piffling little bill, not the presidency-defining, Midterm-wrecking disaster currently strewn across all four lanes of the American political highway like an overturned poultry carrier in a rush-hour ice storm. But President Obama barely found time to mention his law in his State of the Union address for this, the year when it is actually going into effect. Obama was more than 40 minutes into his speech before he even mentioned what he called “insurance reform.” Now, political wisdom dictates that one not needlessly remind voters of unhappy events, but the magnitude of ObamaCare and its centrality to his legacy would seem to demand at least a defense of the troubled law. Instead, Obama riffled through his 2012 talking points about uncontroversial provisions, ignored the central aims of the law, skipped his administration’s pratfall of a rollout entirely and fudged again on the numbers.

[AP fact-checks the State of the Union address and the GOP response]

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The Right To Private Property

America's most prominent modern liberal legal theorist was Professor Ronald Dworkin, professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and the New York University School of Law until his death in 2013. His books, Taking Rights Seriously, Law's Empire and Sovereign Virtue are all serious defenses of the idea, basically, that the Lockean tradition of law and politics which the American Founders had invoked in crafting the Declaration of Independence and, to a lesser extent, the US Constitution, is wrong. As he said in one exchange in the pages of The New York Review of Books (December 6, 2007), the US Supreme Court, in upholding the law in New York State in the famous Lochner decision of 1905 that defended private property rights, "relied consistently on the mistaken but principled view that property rights are basic human rights."

But contrary to Dworkin's assertion, the right to private property is indeed a basic human right. It is fundamental to any bona fide free society. Just consider, as one vital case in point, that unless one has the right to private property, one does not have the right to freedom of speech – it is because of that basic human right that government may not censor what we say and write but may do so when it involves public property, such as radio or television stations that use the public airwaves, or a public park. In fact, all basic individual rights rest, practically, on the right to private property and are threatened by its abrogation.

Some have made the point that property rights had been used to justify slavery but that is sophistry. The only reason that one could plausibly claim to own slaves is that they were falsely, immorally declared not to be full human beings, more akin to domesticated animals than to people. It needed such spurious thinking to get around the fact that human beings have a property right in their own life, their labor and its fruits.

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This Is The Best Explanation We've Seen For Why All Of Atlanta Is Stuck In Traffic

A few inches of snow in Atlanta have led to gridlock, hundreds of accidents, and a baby born on the side of a highway in the past 24 hours.

The City knew the storm was coming, and has a new fleet of snowplows and vehicles to spread sand. So what went wrong?

Atlanta-based designer Thomas Strickland spent eight hours in traffic, and offered up a great explanation of the problem on Metafilter.
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IRA Confiscation: It's Happening

I have an old acquaintance named Sam who has a hell of a deal for you.

Sam is actually a pretty famous guy with a big reputation. Unfortunately he has been a bit down and out on his luck lately… but he’s trying to make a comeback. And Sam is prepared to float you a really great investment opportunity.

Here’s the deal he’s offering: you give Sam your hard-earned retirement savings. Sam will invest your funds, and pay you a rate of return.

Granted, the rate of return he’s promising doesn’t quite keep up with inflation. So you will be losing some money. But don’t dwell on that too much.

And, rather than invest your funds in productive assets, Sam is going to blow it all on new cars and flat screen TVs. So when it comes time to make interest payments, Sam won’t have any money left.

But don’t worry, he still has that good ole’ credibility. So even though his financial situation gets worse by the year, Sam will just go back out there and borrow more money from other people to pay you back.

Of course, he will be able to keep doing this forever without any consequences whatsoever.

I know what you’re thinking– “where do I sign??” I know, right? It’s the deal of the lifetime.

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Is It Cold Enough For You?

Don't forget to stock up and stay warm.

White House Panics As Millennials Wise Up, Bail On President Obama

President Obama is making a sudden push to win back millennial voters, who have grown disillusioned over his failed “Hope and Change” campaign that left them without jobs, living in their parents’ basement.

Even though he has run his last race, the president needs the 18-to-34 age group to make his signature Obamacare policy work. Without them, the whole system falls apart — not tomorrow, today, right now, before the radical reform of U.S. health care can even get off the ground.

Just how bad is it? Just 24 percent of the new enrollees to Obamacare are between 18 and 34. The entire plan was predicated on a sign-up rate of nearly 40 percent, the idea being that healthy young people will pay more — much more — than they once did to offset the unhealthy elderly signing up for Obamacare.

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A Viewer Writes: My BBQ Says God I Wish It Was Summer Already...

A Letter To The Editor On "Rain Tax"

Joe,

This rain tax has me upset, and I will argue this all day and all night. It’s just preposterous! There is no basis for it, and no way any supporter, politician. Or anyone else can justify it. Here are my questions about it, and I want to hear answers from the supporters of this ignorant tax.

First, let’s just get to the logistics. Atlantic General, along with any Commercial structure built in at least the last 30 years have been required to put in place stormwater management structures that prevent any stormwater from leaving the property in a “100 year” possibility. They paid up to 20% of the project costs tp satisfy these mandates, and now the stormwater soaks into the ground and never contributes to a flooding problem.

Second in the big picture, we already have “Tax Ditches”. This begs the question as to how these ditches got their name. Chances are, there is already a tax assessed for the creation and maintenance of these ditches. Most don’t go anywhere, they merely perform the function of a stormwater pond and hold water until it soaks into the ground.

This is already a tax we all pay.

So, now, this brings us to the rain tax. A tax on the square footage of the impervious surfaces on our properties. “It will save the Bay”.

Supposedly, us sinners have bought houses that have roofs and driveways that somehow all flow into the Bay, and since we are all committing some sort of pollution crime, we need to pay into a fund that will “Save The Bay”. Dang, I don’t remember any of this in my real estate closing papers, but maybe the possibility of Ex Post Facto laws might have been in there?

Okay, so, I live on the Wicomico River. My gutters and downspouts are like everyone else’s, they run onto the ground. During heavy rains, some may run across the grass to the river, but is this somehow polluted water? Did God pollute it before He gave it to me?

Let’s assume it’s somehow polluted because I have a dog and he poops in the yard. Oh, God.

Scenario #2. You live in Salisbury, and your roof runs to the street, down the block, and into the City Storm system. There’s usually no fertilizer involve, but there it is. It happens.

Okay, NOW we can move on to the subject at hand, let’s create a rain tax.

Exactly where are the blueprints on the machine or procedure to stop the rain from flowing directly into the river which diverts into something that filters the water first somehow?

How much will it cost to build?

How many will we need?

What will these units cost to run each year?

What do they look like?

Who will have the first ones installed in their property?

What is the schedule for the installation process?

Will it be remotely controlled, or will I have to maintain it?

When can I expect to have one installed at my house?

Do you have any idea how you will accomplish this task?

So, I am supposed to pay an extra tax to buy something that will do nothing to solve a problem that I’m already paying you to do because you are not doing your job!

Give us money, and we will save the bay. How many years have we heard that old saw…

White House Policy Mistakes Explained

Chicago Grassroots React to State of the Union

Sen. Paul: Dems Should Recall Clinton's Intern Scandal

Democrats should remember President Bill Clinton's sexual affair with a White House intern before turning their criticism to Republicans' attitudes toward women, Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday.

"He took advantage of a girl that was 20 years old and an intern in his office," said Paul, R-Ky. "There is no excuse for that, and that is predatory behavior."

Paul's invocation of intern Monica Lewinsky comes as Democrats have been redoubling their efforts to paint the GOP as a party that stands opposed to women on issues such as contraception, abortion rights and equal pay. In the wake of losing back-to-back presidential elections, the GOP has tried to improve its outreach to female voters, who reliably support Democratic candidates.

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Congressman Harris Votes Against Combined Farm And Food Stamp Bill

Cites Lack of Reform to Food Stamp Program and Potential Harm to Poultry Industry as Reasons for “No” Vote

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., voted against legislation today that failed to reform the food stamp program and included farm provisions that harm the poultry industry on the Eastern Shore. The bill will spend about $950 billion over 10 years, with $756 billion going toward food stamps. The House previously passed two separate pieces of legislation—a freestanding farm bill and a separate food stamp bill. Congressman Harris supported that House farm bill, which included protection for the poultry industry, and he supported substantial reforms the House wanted to make to the food stamp program, including a work-training requirement for able-bodied adult recipients. The legislation today combined those two bills, but minimized important reforms to the food stamp program. The bill cut only $8 billion from the food stamp program, a far cry from the $39 billion cut the House had proposed, including the work requirement.

Congressman Harris released the following statement on his vote: “I support efforts to help our farmers, and I support safety-net nutrition programs for the hungry in America. Sadly, the combined farm and food stamp bill voted on today failed on both these measures. The farm component of the bill will harm the poultry industry so important to the economy on the Eastern Shore—an economy that is barely treading water in this ongoing recession. The food stamp program, which has grown 240 percent in only a dozen years, needed reforms that included work or work-training requirements for able-bodied adult recipients—but the final bill stripped out those requirements from the earlier House version. That's why I couldn't support today's bill, even though I voted for both the separate farm bill and the separate food stamp bill when they came to the House last summer and fall.”

The National Chicken Council and other agriculture groups opposed the final bill as well. Poultry remains a major economic strength of the Eastern Shore.

RON GEORGE STATEMENT ON LOSING 300 BERETTA JOBS

Says O’Malley has created a “hostile environment” for private business

Annapolis, Md. – Gubernatorial candidate Ron George has released the following statement regarding Beretta’s new Tennessee manufacturing factory:

“The news of Beretta opening their first manufacturing factory outside of Maryland is a tragic continuation of the O’Malley/Brown administration’s record of pushing private jobs out of Maryland. The hostile environment O’Malley and Brown created has made it impossible for companies like Beretta, who have paid Maryland taxes and provided hundreds of jobs for nearly 30 years, to stay in a state they do not feel welcome. The 300 jobs lost to our Governor’s arrogance would have been mainly entry and mid-level jobs for those suffering the most from the recession.

“O’Malley’s disregard for new manufacturing businesses and 2nd Amendment rights played a huge part in Beretta’s decision to expand their business elsewhere. The Tax Foundation noted Maryland has the heaviest tax burden on new manufacturing in the nation making us a place manufacturers do not feel welcome.”

Attorney General Eric Holder Can't Explain Constitutional Basis For Obama's Executive Orders

SFD Calls For Service 1-29-14

• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 23:14:18Nature: Emergency UnknownCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 23:09:48Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 18:47:38Nature: Pro Qa FireAddress: 925 E Church St Salisbury, MD 21801
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 18:10:14Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 17:54:22Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 17:29:54Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 13:49:59Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 13:43:53Nature: Medical AssistAddress: 401 Churchill Ave Salisbury, MD 21801
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 13:43:30Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 13:28:02Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 12:15:45Nature: Medical AssistAddress: 412 Parker Rd Salisbury, MD 21801
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 09:37:00Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 09:09:27Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 06:44:41Nature: Syncopal EpisodeCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 06:26:29Nature: Stand ByAddress: 200 S Main St Hebron, MD 21830
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 05:57:53Nature: Syncopal EpisodeCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 05:28:34Nature: Structure FireAddress: 2798 Turner Ln Salisbury, MD 21802
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 05:26:34Nature: Stand ByAddress: 21045 Nanticoke Rd Salisbury, MD 21802
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 05:16:03Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 04:47:37Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 04:46:34Nature: Back PainCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 03:03:18Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 00:47:42Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 00:42:09Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday January, 29 2014 @ 00:40:53Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: Old Ocean City Rd and phillip Morris Dr Salisbury, MD 21801

BREAKING NEWS: House Fire Kills 9 In Kentucky

Western Kentucky house fire kills 9, officials say, with local reports identifying 8 victims as children.

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Traffic Light Out At Nanticoke Rd & Rt. 50

It is now ZERO degrees out and a poor Salisbury Police Officer is directing traffic because this light is out.

UPDATE, Almost ALL City of Salisbury Traffic Lights are out. There are Police Officers at the major lights directing traffic. 

Obama Visits Costco In Pr. George’s To Campaign For Higher Minimum Wage

President Obama Wednesday morning urged an increase of the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour to $10.10 at a Costco in one of Washington’s suburbs, where the local government recently passed legislation to raise the wages.

Before an enthusiastic crowd, Obama discussed the new ways to build economic security for the middle class he unveiled Tuesday night to Congress — chiefly he pledged his renewed commitment to raise the hourly rate for all Americans and said he will lead by example starting with raising wages for some federal workers.
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CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM DEVELOPED TO SERVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMMUNITY

(Salisbury, MD) - The Wicomico Behavioral Health Authority/Somerset Core Service Agency was awarded $52,632 from the Mental Hygiene Administration to begin development and implementation of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The CIT program is a community effort enjoining law enforcement and the community for common goals of safety, understanding, and service to the behavioral health population and their families. The program provides an avenue for the development of community partnerships and the collaboration of working together for community interest of service and care. The CIT program trains police officers to interact with individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. “The goal of the Crisis Intervention Team is to connect people with behavioral health issues to treatment or other appropriate resources thus keeping them out of jail,” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County.

Maryland has developed 10 standards that should be followed in order to develop and implement the CIT program. The model for the Wicomico and Somerset teams will be based on the Memphis Model which was established in 1988 after the tragic shooting by a police officer of a man with a serious mental illness.

The Wicomico Somerset Community Crisis Intervention Team has been meeting since November 2013. Team partners include law enforcement agencies for Wicomico and Somerset Counties, Community Corrections, Mental Health Providers, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Providers, Peer Advocacy, Life Crisis, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Department of Social Services.

For more information on the Crisis Intervention Team, call Heather Brown at 410-543-6981.