Schlafly: Don’t Let Republican Elitists Nominate Someone Like Jeb Bush

Author Phyllis Schlafly's “A Choice Not an Echo” caused waves in 1964 by taking on the Republican 'Kingmakers' who seemed to ignore the needs of true conservatives. Fifty years later, she’s still a thorn in the Establishment's side. This week, Schlafly released the 50th anniversary edition of her groundbreaking book (You can purchase it here.) She told Townhall why any candidate considering running for office in 2016 needs to read it.

Congratulations on your anniversary edition of “A Choice Not an Echo.” I know part of the reason you decided to do this anniversary edition was because it marked 50 years. But was the current political environment also a factor in your decision to release this new version?

“It was a major factor, because we have a two-party system in this country and I do believe we have to work within the Republican Party to get on the right track, since I really have no hope of getting the Democratic Party on the right track – and the Republican Party is still a fight between the Establishment, or the people we call the RINOS, (Republican in Name Only) and the grassroots. I want to activate the grassroots to realize they can be the dominant factor in the Republican Party and nominate a candidate for president who is our choice, such as the example of Ronald Reagan in 1980.”

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Rand Paul Unites Louisiana Republicans Behind Bill Cassidy Against Mary Landrieu

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Inside a packed barroom in the heart of Cajun Country, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) united Louisiana Republicans behind Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) against incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) ahead of the coming Dec. 6 runoff.

“When I was coming to Louisiana, I heard Jeff Landry [a former congressman who speaks with a thick Cajun accent] was going to be the emcee and I was like: What language does he speak? Is that New Iberian? I’m going to need a translator,” Paul joked as he took the stage inside Huey's Bar. “But I’m excited to be here today and I’m excited to endorse your next senator, Bill Cassidy.”

As Republicans across the country last Tuesday celebrated electoral victory—taking over the U.S. Senate, increasing the U.S. House GOP majority, and making historic gains in governor’s mansions and statehouses nationwide—Republicans here braced for the next four weeks.

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ObamaCare is Killing People in Rural America

Gotta get rid of those bitter clingers somehow. Who needs death panels, when you can just eliminate hospitals. Next time a liberal tells you that ObamaCare makes medical care more affordable, ask him how anyone is supposed to afford it when they can’t even reach it.

Stewart-Webster Hospital had only 25 beds when it still treated patients. The rural hospital served this small town of 1,400 residents and those in the surrounding farms and crossroads for more than six decades.

But since the hospital closed in the spring of last year, many of those in need have to travel up to 40 miles to other hospitals. That’s roughly the same distance it takes to get from Times Square to Greenwich, Conn., or from the White House to Baltimore, or from downtown San Francisco to San Jose.
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CNN hits new ratings low

As far back as Nielsen electronic records go

(MEDIABISTRO) — Monday’s 9pmET timeslot on CNN drew 181,000 total viewers, the lowest for the time period since at least Oct. 1, 1991, as far back as Nielsen electronic records go. Anderson Cooper anchored a second live hour of AC360 at 9pm.

It was also the lowest rated hour of CNN’s entire day. Cooper finished fourth in the hour behind Megyn Kelly on Fox News, Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and Dr. Drew Pinsky on HLN, in both total viewers and the demo.

CNN’s 9pmET hour was the longtime home of Larry King and, until earlier this year, Piers Morgan. Most nights, CNN’s new non-fiction shows from Lisa Ling, Mike Rowe and John Walsh fill the timeslot. But Mondays have included a second live hour of Cooper.

Read the full story ›

Obama Continues to Sell Out American Workers for Political Gain

The midterm elections made clear American voters want Washington to better address high unemployment and stagnant wages. Yet, on issues ranging from energy to immigration to trade, President Obama continues to put politics ahead of strengthening American families.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is locked in a tight runoff election with Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La. To improve their chances, both are trying to move a bill through Congress to finally approve the Keystone Pipeline.

The project would bring billions of barrels of Canadian oil to Gulf ports and refineries and create thousands of high-paying jobs, but the president threatens to veto any legislation in deference to the bogus claims of environmentalists that the pipeline would promote fossil fuel use and exacerbate climate change.

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Second Video Emerges of Obamacare Architect Calling Americans “Stupid”

Pelosi Defiant: ‘When Was the Last Time You Asked Mitch McConnell’ if He’s Too Old?

In her first public remarks since Election Day last week, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi defended her decision to run to keep her post atop the House Democratic Caucus, and doesn’t sound likely to relinquish it anytime soon.

“I don’t understand why this question should even come up,” the California Democrat said at a press conference Thursday. “I’m here as long as the members want me to be here.

Pelosi suggested that she wasn’t, as many expect, looking to serve one more term as minority leader before retiring in 2016 — when, colleagues hope, Hillary Rodham Clinton will be elected president.

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Rand Paul Tells GOP to Say 'No' to Omnibus

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is coming out guns-a-blazing against efforts by the Washington political establishment to rush through Congress a giant spending bill, called an “omnibus.” In an exclusive interview, he tells Breitbart News that he plans to rally his colleagues against such a bill.

Instead, Paul thinks Republicans, who will control the Senate come January, should use their power to retake control from the Democrats by passing individual appropriations bills.

“I’m against any kind of Continuing Resolution or omnibus,” Paul says, adding:

We should do appropriations bills. If they have to do one for a month until they can tide it over—or a couple months—maybe, but even that, I’m not for spending the same amount of money we spend because the money we spend now has led to a $17.5 trillion debt. So what I would say is—this is what I will say in my caucus—there are twelve appropriations bills, and we should work on all twelve.

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Justice 2014

Why Obamacare Architect's Admission of Dishonesty Should Matter to Every American

Five years ago it was already obvious that the Obama administration and congressional Democrats were engaged in an elaborate deception, a series of them really. But back then most of the media and much of the public didn't seem to believe it. Now things have changed.

A list of administration lies might be a good topic for a book. But to just hit a few of the health care related highlights, we were told that the public option was not a Trojan horse, that it was about choice and competition. This was a bald faced lie. We were told we could keep our plans and doctors period, end of sentence. That was a lie. We were told Obamacare would reduce premiums by $2,500. That was a lie. That Obamacare was not a tax. Lie. That the VA was a model of socialized medicine. True, but not in the way they meant. All of these lies built upon one another, creating a vision of health reform that was all upside and no downside. And the Democrats barely, despite the obvious displeasure of citizens, forced it through, though only just barely.

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These Women Are Seen Begging for Money With Babies on the Street — but News Station Says It Uncovered a Diabolical Secret

A group of women in New York City are being called “con artists” who use their children as tools to collect money from sympathetic citizens who believe that they are poor or homeless, allegedly swapping their children throughout the day as they beg.

At least nine women are said to be a part of a purported network of individuals who plead for money each day, reportedly rejecting government aid and traveling to the same Brooklyn apartment building each night, according to the Daily Mail.

The purportedly coordinated panhandling group was uncovered after WNBC-TV followed the women for a month, during which time they noticed that they were accompanied by toddlers and infants as they panhandled on sidewalks and inside subway stations.

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APEC CHiNa 2014...

Maryland Threatens To Block Or Yank Vehicle Registration Of 131,000 Toll Violators

It's time for toll violators in Maryland to pay up or get off the road, the Maryland Transportation Authority said Thursday.

The agency that operates tolling on highways, bridges and tunnels across the state will begin sending notices next week to some 131,000 vehicle owners, informing them they will have their vehicle registration blocked or yanked entirely if they don't pay what they owe in tolls and associated citations.

The agency is trying to recoup an estimated $7.1 million in accumulated unpaid tolls.

Most of the indebted drivers lack an E-ZPass device but went through E-ZPass lanes in the state anyway. Some arrived at tolls without any money, then failed to follow directions for how to pay. All received an initial notice for payment under the state's video tolling system, and all subsequently received a $50 civil citation for noncompliance. 
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McDermott Vows Senate Rematch

BERLIN — There was closure late last week in the Maryland Senate District 38 race when Republican challenger Mike McDermott conceded the election to incumbent Democrat Jim Mathias, but the lame duck delegate said he would likely return for another shot in four years.

At the close of the polls last Tuesday, Mathias had earned 19,133 votes, or 51.6 percent, while McDermott had tallied 17,905, or 48.3 percent. However, with a lead of 1,228 votes and roughly 1,300 absentee and provisional ballots still to count, Mathias’ pending re-election was put on hold.

After the first canvas of absentee ballots last Thursday, it became clear McDermott would not be able to close the sizable gap and the incumbent Delegate conceded to Mathias last Friday. McDermott said late last week he was proud of the race he had run and although the outcome didn’t go his way, he was pleased his Republican brethren swept most of the elections across the state.
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The coming climate onslaught

President Obama readies a sweeping list of executive actions.

The Obama administration is set to roll out a series of climate and pollution measures that rivals any president’s environmental actions of the past quarter-century — a reality check for Republicans who think last week’s election gave them a mandate to end what they call the White House’s “War on Coal.”

Tied to court-ordered deadlines, legal mandates and international climate talks, the efforts scheduled for the next two months show that President Barack Obama is prepared to spend the remainder of his term unleashing sweeping executive actions to combat global warming. And incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will have few options for stopping the onslaught, though Republicans may be able to slow pieces of it.

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Governor-elect Hogan to attend National Governors Association seminar in Colorado this weekend

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland governor-elect Larry Hogan will attend the National Governors Association Seminar for New Governors this weekend in Westminster, Colorado. The seminar will include governors and governors-elect from around the country.

"My team and I are excited to travel to Colorado this weekend for the Seminar for New Governors," said Governor-elect Hogan. "I am looking forward to learning as much as possible in order to make our transition as smooth as possible, and meeting with other newly elected governors from across the country."

Over the weekend, the governor-elect will attend presentations on assembling a cabinet, recruiting and staffing, budgeting, and more.

Nation backs Republican agenda in new poll

Majority want lame duck Obama to play second fiddle to GOP-run Congress after Democrats lose midterm elections

A new Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans don't want President Barack Obama calling all the shots anymore.

Americans say by a large margin that they'd rather Obama back off and let Republicans take the lead in the new Congress than the other way around.

The poll supports Republican claims that last week's midterm elections were in fact a referendum on the president - an assessment the White House has forcibly denied both before and after the president's party was walloped at the ballot box.

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'Worst Deadbeat Dad Ever’ Still Not Paying For 25+ Kids

Memphis, Tenn. – A Memphis man with at least 25 kids by 15 different mothers is at it again.

More women claim he’s fathered children, and he’s still not paying up, according to WREG.

We first told you about Terry Turnage two years ago.

They called him the worst deadbeat dad ever. As we’ve found out since then, he’s wanted in another state by more women.

“Everybody tells me, ‘What you doing talking to him? How you didn’t know he had all these kids?’ Uh duh, I’ve been in school. I wasn’t out like that,” 22-year-old Paula Stewart said.

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War and the Tax Eaters

All governments past and present, regardless of their formal organization, involve the rule of the many by the few. In other words, all governments are fundamentally oligarchic. The reasons are twofold. First, governments are nonproductive organizations and can only subsist by extracting goods and services from the productive class in their territorial domain. Thus the ruling class must remain a minority of the population if they are to continually extract resources from their subjects or citizens. Genuine “majority rule” on a permanent basis is impossible because it would result in an economic collapse as the tribute or taxes expropriated by the more numerous rulers deprived the minority engaged in peaceful productive activities of the resources needed to sustain and reproduce itself. Majority rule would therefore eventually bring about a violent conflict between factions of the previous ruling class, which would terminate with one group establishing oligarchic rule and economically exploiting its former confederates.

The second factor that renders oligarchic rule practically inevitable is related to the law of comparative advantage. The tendency toward division of labor and specialization based on the unequal endowment of skills pervades all sectors of human endeavor. Just as a small segment of the population is adept at playing professional football or dispensing financial advice, so a tiny fraction of the population tends to excel at wielding coercive power. As one writer summed up this Iron Law of Oligarchy: “[In] all human groups at all times there are the few who rule and the many who are ruled.”

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Operation We Care Events This Weekend!!!

Sunday 16 November

AYCE Breakfast Buffet

American Legion Post 218

203 State St. Sharptown

0730-1030

Cost: $8.00 per person

This is a great way for the OWC volunteers to start the day – a great meal before we get down to packing care packages for our troops. The money goes to help with all the veteran’s programs the American Legion supports.

Sunday 16 November

Operation We Care Packing Event

Sharptown Fireman’s Memorial Building

405 Joe Morgan Dr. Sharptown (at the Sharptown Carnival Grounds just off Main St.)

0900 – 1400

We will be packing care packages to send to the troops for Christmas. In addition to packing the care packages we need volunteers to help out in several areas including donation sorting, box decoration and taping, item distribution, packing assistance and more. If you can’t stand for long periods of time we have jobs where you can sit down as well. We will assign the volunteers duties on Sunday morning before we begin.

A few things we always need:

1. Financial donations to help cover the cost of postage (estimated $8000 for this event). Operation We Care is a 501c/3 non-profit organization and your contribution is tax deductible.

2. Donations to help fill the care packages. The complete shopping list is attached or you can download it at www.operationwecare.org . The current most needed items are: Pop Tarts, Granola bars, Hot Chocolate, Instant Oatmeal, Chef Boyardee (15oz cans), Shampoo/Body Wash, Deodorant.

3. Addresses. If you know of someone we could send a care package to please contact info@operationwecare.org  with the name and address so we can add them to the mailing list.

Salisbury University’s Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity will be set up at the Walmart North Salisbury location this Saturday November 15 from 0800 until 1800 collecting donations for Operation We Care. They will have copies of the donation list so if you are doing your shopping you can pick up a few items and drop them off.

Source 

St Francis de Sales Community Yard Sale

ASP_Yard_Sale_Flier_Draft_1.docx

The Economic End Game Explained

Throughout history, in most cases of economic collapse the societies in question believed they were financially invincible just before their disastrous fall. Rarely does anyone see the edge of the cliff or even the bottom of the abyss before it has swallowed a nation whole. This lack of foresight, however, is not entirely the fault of the public. It is, rather, a consequence caused by the manipulation of the fundamental information available to the public by governments and social gatekeepers.

In the years leading up to the Great Depression, numerous mainstream “experts” and politicians were quick to discount the idea of economic collapse, and most people were more than ready to believe them. Equities markets were, of course, the primary tool used to falsely elicit popular optimism. When markets rose, even in spite of other very negative fiscal indicators, the masses were satisfied. In this way, stock markets have become a kind of dopamine switch financial elites can push at any given time to juice the citizenry and distract them from the greater perils of their economic future. During every upswing of stocks, the elites argued that the “corner had been turned,” when in reality the crisis had just begun. Nothing has changed since the crash of 1929. Just look at some of these quotes and decide if the rhetoric sounds familiar today:

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SFD Calls For Service 11-13-14

• Thursday November, 13 2014 @ 22:32 Nature: Automatic AlarmAddress: 112 E North Pointe Dr Salisbury, MD 21801
• Thursday November, 13 2014 @ 22:18 Nature: Smoke / Co DetectorAddress: 716 Marquis Ave Salisbury, MD 21801
• Thursday November, 13 2014 @ 21:52Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Thursday November, 13 2014 @ 21:37Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Thursday November, 13 2014 @ 20:09Nature: Appliance FireAddress: 149 Apple Ln Salisbury, MD 21801

Educational Fraud

It would be unreasonable to expect a student with the reading, writing and computing abilities of an eighth-grader to do well in college. If such a student were admitted, his retention would require that the college create dumbed-downed or phantom courses. The University of North Carolina made this accommodation; many athletes were enrolled in phantom courses in the department of African and African-American studies. The discovery and resulting scandal are simply the tip of the iceberg and a symptom of a much larger problem.

A UNC learning specialist hired to help athletes found that during the years 2004 to 2012, 60 percent of 183 members of the football and basketball teams read between fourth- and eighth-grade levels. Eight to 10 percent read below a third-grade level. These were black high-school graduates, and their high-school diplomas were clearly fraudulent. How cruel is it for UNC to admit students who have little chance of academically competing on the same basis as its other students? Black students so ill-equipped run the risk of ridicule and reinforcing white stereotypes of black mental incompetence. If these students are to retain their athletic eligibility or minimum GPA requirements, universities must engage in academic fraud.

Academic fraud benefits the entire university community except the black students. If universities can maintain the scholar-athlete charade, they earn tens of millions of dollars in sports revenue. Other than as a pretense, academics can be ignored. The university just has to create academic slums, where weak students can "succeed." Stronger academic departments benefit because they do not have to compromise their standards and bear the burden of having to deal with weak students. Then there's that feather in the diversity hat upon which university administrators are fixated. I guarantee you that academic fraud is by no means unique to UNC. As such, it represents gross dereliction and dishonesty on the parts of university administrators and faculty members.

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GOP Won More Than People Realize in November Election

Aaron Blake, writer for the Washington Post, points out that the results of last Tuesday’s election portend a much brighter future for Republicans than many had assumed. He notes that more than two-thirds of state legislatures across the nation will be controlled by the GOP, a factor that may prove as important as the 7-seat gain in the Senate and the biggest advantage in the House in the last century.

With 31 governorships in hand, the GOP controls the state government in 24 states and may soon control Alaska if it wins a tight election there. The Democrats only control six states, with a possible seventh if Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) wins in Vermont. After the 2010 election, the GOP only controlled 21 states and the Democrats 11. Now it will be GOP 24, Democrats 6.

Blake estimates that 47.8% of Americans will live under GOP-controlled governments; if Gov. Sean Parnell (R) is reelected in Alaska, it will top 48%. Only 15.6% of Americans will live in states controlled by Democrats; if California is deleted from that picture, only 3.5% live in Democrat-controlled states.

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WCSO Press Release 11-14-14

Roberts, BrandtIncident: Assault

Date of Incident: 13 November 2014

Location: 34000 block of Railroad Avenue, Pittsville, MD

Suspect: Brandt J. Roberts, 29, Pittsville, MD

            

Narrative:    On 13 November 2014 at 9:11 PM a deputy responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 34000 block of Railroad Road in Pittsville. Upon arrival, the deputy met with two subjects who stated that Brandt Roberts was inside the residence and according to them was yelling and out of control. During the ensuing investigation the deputy learned that an argument began between Roberts and other individuals inside the residence that turned physical.  The argument escalated when Roberts reportedly assaulted another person in the residence. The deputy observed signs of injury that corroborated this account.  The deputy placed Robert sunder arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Roberts on Personal Recognizance.

 

Charges: Assault 2^nd Degree

 Haile, ParrishIncident: Driving Suspended

Date of Incident: 13 November 2014

Location: Dallas Drive at Beaglin Park Drive, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Parrish Don Haile, 20,Salisbury, MD

 

Narrative:    On 13 November 2014 at 8:06 AM a deputy stopped a vehicle driven by Parrish Haile for an expired registration plate. During the encounter, Haile told the deputy that his privilege to drive had been suspended.

The deputy placed Haile under arrest for Driving While Suspended and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Haile on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Displaying an Expired Registration Plate, Driving a Vehicle with an Unpaid Registration Fee and Driving While Suspended

           

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Releasing Authority: Lt. Tim Robinson        Date:  14 November 2014

2 more states eye repeal of Common Core

Scott Walker won re-election with vow to expand school choice

(DAILY SIGNAL) On the heels of Republican victories last week, attempts to replace Common Core with homegrown standards are resurfacing in states across the nation.

Most prominently, elected officials in Wisconsin and Ohio are spearheading efforts to reclaim more control of education.

On Nov. 5, the day after the midterm elections, an Ohio House committee passed a bill to repeal the Common Core standards.

Read the full story ›

Baltimore One of ‘Most Violent Cities in the World’, Report Finds

A recent report shows that Baltimore is one of the few U.S. cities to rank in a list of the worst cities in the world for violence.

The report on Business Insider says Baltimore is number 36, with about 38 homicides per every 100,000 residents.

It is one of a handful of U.S. cities on the list, which also includes St. Louis at No. 45, New Orleans at No. 26, and Detroit at No. 24.

Thirty-four of the 50 cities listed are in Latin America.

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Voters Push Back on Eminent Domain

A few years ago eminent domain, or the government's right to take private property for public use, was hardly a hot button issue. But this fall it has become the most widespread topic on ballot initiatives across the country, in large part a reaction to a recent controversial Supreme Court decision.

Public outcry began in 2005, when a narrow majority of the Court ruled that local governments could seize property and turn it over to private developers.

In the case of Kelo v. City of New London, Susette Kelo and others were forced to move so that the city of New London, Conn., could "revitalize" their neighborhood with a commercial project.

Justice Paul Stevens, writing for the majority, said that cities were justified in taking such property because "promoting economic development is a tradition and long accepted function of government." Stevens invited local jurisdictions to enact their own restrictions. "Nothing in our opinion precludes any state from placing further restrictions on its exercise of the takings power."

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, since the Supreme Court ruling 30 state legislatures have passed laws or prepared ballot referendums to restrict the power of local governments. This fall, 13 states have ballot measures that would hamper the ability of local governments to seize property for economic development purposes.

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SPD Press Release 11-14-14 (Emory Court Shooting)

SPD Press Release Emory Court Shooting 11-14-14

The Democrats Failed White Voters

The left isn’t known for being a good loser. The Democrats had counted on women to be their ace in the hole in the election. Now lefty media outlets are lashing out at women.

“White women didn’t just fail Wendy Davis — they failed the rest of Texas,” Salon bellows. That would be the rest of Texas which also voted against Davis. “Married white women… failed Wendy Davis,” another lefty site declares.

It never occurs to the left that Wendy Davis might have failed white women and that they might have rejected her because she had nothing to actually offer them.

In the left’s warped tyranny of ideology, their politicians don’t fail the people. The people fail them. Obama and Davis are always right. It’s up to the people to prove that they’re good enough for a Barack Obama or a Wendy Davis. If they are, the media will pat them on the head for voting the right way. If they aren’t, they’ll be blamed for thinking the wrong way and failing their rightful rulers.

East German authorities had warned that the government had “lost confidence in the people”. Now that white voters have lost confidence in the Democratic Party, the Party is announcing that they failed it.

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Va. Beach prosecutor seeks review of Sessoms' votes

A special prosecutor will examine Mayor Will Sessoms’ voting record for conflict-of-interest violations, and his bosses at TowneBank will pay him to stay home while they do the same.

Wednesday’s events occurred days after a Pilot investigation showed that Sessoms voted dozens of times on issues directly benefiting customers of TowneBank, where he serves as a president. Sessoms has not spoken publicly. The bank and local law enforcement announced their decisions before noon.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle recused himself before opening an investigation, citing a conflict. His brother Ken, the city’s sheriff, is on the board of TowneBank, and his wife has worked at a bank branch for four years. The Virginia Beach mayor and City Council also supplement his ­office’s annual budget.

“When I was made aware of the allegations involving Mayor Sessoms, I sought an ethical opinion from the Virginia State Bar based on conflicts that could arise,” Stolle said in a statement, adding the bar said it would be a violation of ethics rules “to be involved in any potential investigation. As a result, I will ask the Circuit Court to appoint a Special Prosecutor to review this matter.”

A spokesman for Virginia’s Attorney General’s Office said it is customary for Stolle to reach out to fellow commonwealth’s attorneys, one of whom would be selected and then approved by the local circuit judges.

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Four Times Obamacare Advocates Admitted It Will Kill Old People

While Obamacare’s proponents continue to insist that the program presents no threat to Americans’ healthcare, new comments from Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber demonstrate that Obamacare was designed to do just that. Gruber stated:

You get a law which said healthy people are going to pay in, it made explicit that healthy people pay and sick people get money, it would not have passed…Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage and basically, you know, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically, that was really, really critical to get this thing to pass.

In other words, yes, Obamacare redistributes healthcare. Yes, Obamacare will endanger people who cannot afford healthcare because they are young and healthy, all in order to pay for government benefits for those who are sick. And yes, in order to control the resulting costs, care will have to be cut for the elderly.

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A Viewer Writes: Why No Election News On Wicomico County's Website?

The homepage, which still has that ubiquitous "Smiling Rick" photo of Mr. Pollitt, also has a "News" section that typically mentions almost everything. But, more than a week after the votes were counted, there's no mention of the result. Why so?

Makes you wonder if there's still an acting public information officer, or if Ms. Lee-Brooks has been "asked" to retrieve Brown-Ulman signs for use in 2018.

Hopefully, there’ll be some changes made real soon now.

Hogan Pays A Visit To Md. House Speaker Busch To Talk About Working Together

Maryland Gov.-elect Larry Hogan (R) spent about an hour at the State House in Annapolis on Thursday, meeting with House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) for the first time since last week’s election.

Busch told reporters that the private session touched on several issues, including the state budget and health care, but was mostly about building a positive working relationship.

“We understand there will be some philosophical differences, but as long as we can keep the lines of communication open, hopefully we can find common ground,” Busch said.

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School replaces 'hall of heroes' murals honoring Mother Teresa, others with Oprah, J.K. Rowling

For years, boys and girls at South Arbor Charter Academy have been inspired by Heroes Hall – a corridor featuring murals that honored the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts, Mother Teresa, Betsy Ross and Albert Einstein.

But many parents are furious after the principal had the murals replaced with paintings honoring President Obama, J.K. Rowling and Oprah.

“This is no longer a hall of heroes,” parent Craig Bergman told me. “Now we have a hall of celebrities.”

The original mural had been a part of the Michigan charter school for years. It included a diverse group of national and global “heroes” – from Gandhi to the astronauts who were killed when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded over Texas.
“This is no longer a hall of heroes,” parent Craig Bergman told me. “Now we have a hall of celebrities.”

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Democratic party favorability now at all-time low

The favorability of the Democratic party is now at an all-time low, according to Gallup, falling 6 points to 36 percent in the wake of the party’s losses in this year’s midterm elections and sinking below the favorability of the Republican party for the first time in more than three years.

Favorability of the GOP stayed relatively steady, ticking up to 42 percent from 40 percent, marking the first time since Sept. 2011 the Republican party has had a higher favorability rating than the Democratic party.

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One Nation Under Godlessness

Cheating. Bullying. Cybersexting. Hazing. Molestation. Suicide. Drug abuse. Murder. Scanning the headlines of the latest scandals in America’s schools, it’s quite clear that the problem is not that there’s too much God in students’ lives.

The problem is that there isn’t nearly enough of Him.

With the malfunction of moral seatbelts and the erosion of moral guardrails, too many kids have turned to a pantheon of false gods, crutches and palliatives. They’re obsessed with “Slender Man” and “Vampire Diaries.” Alex from Target’s hair and Rihanna’s tattoos. Overpriced basketball sneakers and underdressed reality stars. Choking games and YouTube games. Gossip and hookups. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat.

It’s all about selfies over self-control, blurred lines over bright lines.

In a metastatic youth culture of soullessness and rootlessness, the idea of high school teens voluntarily using their free time to pray and sing hymns is not just a breath of fresh air. It’s salvation.

But leave it to secularists run amok to punish faithful young followers of Christ.

Last week, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a religious freedom lawsuit against Pine Creek High School here in my adopted hometown of Colorado Springs. Chase Windebank, a senior at the District 20 school, had been convening an informal prayer group for the past three years “in a quiet area to sing Christian religious songs, pray, and to discuss issues of the day from a religious perspective.”

Windebank and his friends weren’t disrupting classroom time. They shared their Christian faith during an open period earned by high-achieving students. Other kids used the time to play on their phones, eat snacks, get fresh air outside, or schedule meetings for a wide variety of both official and unofficial school clubs.

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Ex-Cop Sentenced for Shooting Handcuffed Man

A former Maryland officer convicted in a shooting that paralyzed a handcuffed man was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday.

In September 2012, Johnnie Riley shot a handcuffed man, identified as Kalvin Kyle, in the back after Kyle got out of a police cruiser and began to run away. Kyle was left paralyzed from the waist down. Riley had earlier pulled Kyle on suspicion of driving a stolen motorcycle.

Riley was convicted in July 2014 of first- and second-degree assault, use of a handgun during the commission of a crime of violence, and misconduct in officer.

The five-year sentence was mandatory under the use of a handgun charge. Riley must also serve five years of supervised probation and more than 2,000 hours of community service.

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Regulations Strip Existing Protections Against Gambling Addictions

Maryland is on the verge of quietly and quickly rewriting the Casino regulations which will result in more devastation for families who have members prone to gambling addiction.

Proposed “Emergency Regulations” will allow Maryland Casino to give gambling addicts more access to more money in shorter amounts of time and will allow the Casinos to maintain their records for shorter periods of time. In addition the proposed “Emergency Regulations” will make it harder for the addicted gambler to self report and exclude herself from Maryland Casinos in the future.

Under the Ehrlich Administration, when the Maryland legislature was discussing putting Slot Machines in the race track locations (because there was State sanctioned gambling already going on there) it was the Progressive/Liberals who argued that further legalizing gambling in general and slots in particular would have a devastating effect on poor and minority populations. That money meant for families would be misdirected to the one armed bandits.

In order to protect Maryland children and their families from the unintended consequences of expanded legalized gambling the evil Republicans had to be stopped from passing any form of expanded gambling that included slot machines.

As soon as the Governor’s Office was occupied by a progressive, ultra liberal Democrat, then “Slot’s for Tots” was born. Democrat slots would save education by spending the money raised from the slots on K-12 education in Maryland. Setting aside the fact that not another additional dollar would ever go to education, since for every dollar into Education, from slots, another dollar was taken out of the education funding,slots was put on the ballot and sold to the people of Maryland on a few basic premises.

First the people were promised that the money raised by the State would be used to improve education in Maryland.
It never was used for that purpose.

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Under Texas Bill, Cops To Collect Traffic Fines On the Spot Via Credit or Debit Card

Roanoke School Board votes to outsource substitute teachers

Roanoke City Public Schools will become the first area division to outsource its substitutes to a New Jersey-based company.

Beginning Jan. 5, Source4Teachers will staff the city’s substitute teachers, substitute aides and substitute clerical workers.

The move to privatize subs will cost about $1.6 million, and it is unclear whether it will save money. Officials have said it will help tame costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, as well as the law’s tracking and reporting requirements .

The Roanoke School Board voted unanimously during a meeting Tuesday to authorize the superintendent to enter into a contract with the firm, which has a state contract, and currently provides substitutes for two divisions in the Hampton Roads area.

The board first talked about outsourcing last month. Officials have said they were exploring the idea because the system faces escalating costs linked to the health care law’s mandate that beginning Jan. 1 employees working an average of 30 hours or more a week be offered health insurance.

“It is certainly a budget impact in terms of offering eligible substitutes health benefits,” said Sandra Burks, the system’s executive director for human resources.

Burks estimated that adding benefits for 15 substitutes would cost about $165,000.

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Pregnant beggar filmed driving off in $35,000 MERCEDES is caught panhandling AGAIN (but this time she was carrying her newborn)

The images from San Diego angered and shocked millions - a heavily pregnant woman begging with a young boy at her feet who then laughed as she was driven away in a Mercedes Benz.

And now that woman has been found at it again a few days later. Only this time, she appears to have given birth and the man who drove her away is denying he owns a luxury car.

A member of the public who had seen the original story of the woman caught begging last week outside Eastlake Village Center recognized the gang on Tuesday and called up her local news station.

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Outraged California shopper captures pregnant woman and her son begging for money on a street corner... before they drive off in a new £35,000 MERCEDES

This is the shocking moment a shopper watched a pregnant woman and her young son beg for money - before getting into a Mercedes Benz and driving away.

Melissa Smith, from San Diego, California, had witnessed the expectant mother and her child panhandling outside Eastlake Village Center every weekend for the past two weeks.

Each time, they would hold a sign reading, 'Please help', and would receive money from dozens of shoppers. 'Lots of people gave them money,' Ms Smith said. 'Probably five people in five minutes.'

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Md., Va. Among States Where Thousands of Immigrant Children Have Been Placed

Immigration policy has been widely discussed in the U.S. lately, as refugees flood into the country attempting to escape violence in Mexico and Central America.

Federal law requires that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) feed, shelter, and provide medical care for unaccompanied children until it is able to release them to safe settings with sponsors while they await immigration proceedings.

Over the summer, the federal government estimated that 90,000 children, primarily from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, could make the journey to the U.S. border by themselves during the fall, and that as many as 145,000 of them could arrive in 2015.

Casa de Maryland spokesman George Escobar told WNEW in September that the D.C. area has received more kids per capita than anywhere else in the country.

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24% Of Millennials "Expect" Student Loan Forgiveness

It appears the concept of no consequences is now deeply embedded in the American society. As Student loan debtloads surge ever higher - and opportunities grow ever lower - NBC News reports a rather stunning 24% of Millennials said they expect their loans will ultimately be forgiven, according to study released Wednesday by Junior Achievement and PwC US. Thathelps to explain why delinquency rates are at record highs - aside from the massive debtloads and no high-paying jobs - as students see bankers rigging every market in the world with little to no consequence, one can only imagine the lessons being learned.

Heavily delinquent student loans hit a fresh record high of $124.3 billion, up from $121.5 billion in the prior quarter.

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Democracy Delusions

When the Berlin Wall came down 25 years ago this week, people in the Soviet Bloc gained something even more valuable than a right to vote: a free market.

Democracy is definitely better than taking orders from Communist dictators. But real freedom means doing what you choose as an individual, not waiting for the rest of society to vote on whether you can.

In politics, winners get to tell the losers what to do.

In the marketplace, you buy what you want. I buy what I want. If some people want to buy movie tickets while others prefer to buy clothes for their dogs, neither side needs to worry it will lose a struggle over which option is best.

This election, as usual, there was a big push to get people to go out and vote. Yet most didn't (more vote in presidential elections, but still less than half the population).

After elections, pundits say, "the people have spoken." But we haven't. Often, we just chose politicians we hated less than others.

I'm glad big-spending Democrats lost Congress. But In the grand scheme of things, was that vote such a sweeping endorsement of anyone's political philosophy? The vote, as usual, was pretty close. Often it feels like America flips a coin.

That sounds cynical, but it's not just cynics who have doubts about the democratic process.

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DC Police Employee on Concealed Carry

“The Second Amendment Was Written For When The British Were Coming” 

The Second Amendment wasn't written until 1787

Back in July the Washington D.C. ban on concealed and open carry of handguns was struck down by U.S. District Judge Frederick Scullin as unconstitutional.

As a result, the DC City Council reluctantly voted to approve concealed carry, giving the power of writing the rules and regulations to the Washington D.C. police. Now, those rules have been written and they’re impossible to follow.

Investigative reporter Emily Miller and author of Emily Gets Her Gun has started the process of applying for a concealed carry permit in the District.


I am a registered gun owner, but I feel that I’m in more danger on the streets of Washington, D.C. than inside my home. So when D.C. recently passed a new law allowing for some rights to carry a gun outside the home, I decided to apply for a permit. I quickly found that it is still impossible to exercise my Second Amendment right to bear arms.

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Senior Maryland ex-state trooper claims O’Malley administration silenced him on gun control law

Jack McCauley enjoyed a fast-rising career in the Maryland State Police, starting out on the street and then moving on to gangs, drugs and murders. He went all the way to the top post in the firearms licensing division -- until, he claims, political pressure over the state's high-profile gun control push drove him out.

He was barred from criticizing the policy, he says, and was told from on high that the reason for the sweeping law, which critics say tramples Second Amendment rights, was simple: "It is just votes."

McCauley has since retired over that episode. In an interview with FoxNews.com, he described his frustration and accused Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration of misleading the public.

"My goal is to educate the public, because the mainstream media and the governor's office are intentionally lying to people," McCauley told FoxNews.com.

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New Report Highlights Legal Challenges Facing Maryland’s Agricultural Community

The Maryland agricultural community is facing a diverse and complex set of legal challenges, but experts with the Agriculture Law Education Initiative(link is external) (ALEI) now have a better understanding of priority problems and can begin to address them head-on. The ALEI recently published the results of a legal needs assessment for the state’s agricultural sector – the first of its kind in Maryland.

The needs assessment is based on 21 structured interviews conducted with leaders from the agricultural industry and state government. University of Maryland Extension faculty members working with agricultural producers were also surveyed for their input on a variety of legal needs. To date, Illinois is the only other state to complete a comparable survey on the subject.

The ALEI is a collaboration under University of Maryland: MPowering the State(link is external) and combines the expertise and efforts of three distinguished Maryland institutions: the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), and the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES).
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As Larry Hogan Prepares To Take Over, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Says Baltimore Must Reconsider 'Reliance On State Aid'

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has spoken with Governor-elect Larry Hogan and came away thinking he knows Baltimore City is an economic driver for Maryland.

"We talked about the importance of Baltimore to the economy of the state," Rawlings-Blake said Wednesday. "I got the sense in our conversation that he understands how important the success of Baltimore is to the success of his administration."

The mayor offered little more in the way of details about her conversation with Hogan. They did not talk about the proposed Red Line light rail, she said. They did not talk about taxes.

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Thank God Its Friday 11-14-14

What will you be doing this weekend?

Maryland Drops Two Spots On Forbes' Top States For Business List

Maryland slipped two spots on Forbes' 2014 list of best states for business.

The state ranks No. 20, down from 18th a year ago.

Maryland's business climate has come even more into focus over the last few months as Governor-elect Larry Hogan pinned his campaign on improving the state's economy. (See the Business Journal's print and digital editions Friday for a look at how Hogan can improve the business climate.)

In the new report, Forbes ranks Maryland No. 41 for business costs and 36th for regulatory environment. The state, with a population of nearly 6 million, ranks fifth for labor and eighth for quality of life.

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Scientists: Conowingo Sludge Not The Sole Solution To Bay Pollution

Spending billions of dollars to dredge millions of tons of sediment behind dams near the head of the Chesapeake Bay won't significantly reduce bay pollution, according to a study released today.

The study, a combined report by state and federal groups, found most of the pollution coming from the Susquehanna River originates upstream of the Conowingo and other dams. Sediment reaching those dams contribute to bay pollution because the dams can't trap as much sediment and nutrients as in the past.

The study looked at several models to reduce sediment pollution flushing from the bay.

One scenario would be an annual maintenance dredge to remove 3 million square yards of sediment, the amount that collects behind the dam annually. The costs range from $48 to $267 million per year.

Another plan would remove 25 million tons of sediment, leaving the same amount of sediment found behind the dam in 1996. That would cost between $496 million to $3 billion, the study found. 
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