We have a very serious problem with taxation. Only the United States and Japan regards its citizens as state property. Taxes are normally owed based upon the concept that you are paying your “fair share”predicated on use. But the United States views it simply owns anyone born in the United States or overseas if they had even one American parent. This is in reality slavery that no state should own its citizens as property.
The Washington Post has reported the plight of the Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s remains in a major dispute with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. It would be very nice to see everyone come together and challenge this to the Supreme Court for those are the pro-government judges that ruled all Americans belong to the state and that paying your “fair share” has nothing to do with taxes – just hand over whatever you have.
The mayor’s dispute with the US tax-collectors was brought to light when he traveled to the United States and did a blitz of interviews with the American news media. He explained that the U.S. government was forcing him to pay the capital gains tax on the sale of his Islington home. “Can you believe it?” When asked by Rehm if he intended to pay the bill, he said that he would not. “I think it’s absolutely outrageous.”
Boris Johnson was born in the USA but returned to England with his parents at the age of 5. He has never lived in America, but that means nothing to the IRS. They are hunting everyone everywhere. They have been sending letters to people in Canada who they figured out had one American parent but have never lived in the USA. I previous wrote about a couple in Switzerland where the wife was American living there with her Swiss husband for 20 years. When their 14 year-old son was ready to open his first bank account, he was told no way because he was America. Even foreigners married to Americans are being compelled under FATCA to disclose they are married to an American and the risk of being denied the right to have a bank account. I use to have American Express cards in USA, Britain, and Japan. That way, I paid my local bills in the local currency. Today, no credit card can be issued to an American outside the USA.
Americans are being prejudiced everywhere. What is most revealing, Obamacare notes the distinction between living in America and overseas. Ex-pats are exempt from Obamacare for they are assumed to have healthcare where they are. Otherwise, they would have to buy health insurance in America that would never cover them outside the country.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
Americans Are Spending 42 Percent More on Health Insurance Than They Did in 2007
Another feature shown by the data is the movement away from home-ownership and associated costs. Families are more likely to rent than in 2007, so mortgage spending is down and rent spending is up. Some of the other categories where spending fell – appliances and furniture – are complements to home-owning.
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Surry Co. Commonwealth’s Attorney, charged with DUI, given six field sobriety tests, “failed them completely.”
UPDATE: NewsChannel 3 has learned new details regarding the arrest of Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald Glen Poindexter. According to a warrant obtained by NewsChannel 3’s Mike Mather, the Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney, charged with DUI, was given six field sobriety tests, and “failed them completely.” Mike Mather is following this story, today starting First at Four.
James City County, Va. – Police arrested Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald Glen Poindexter Saturday, charging him with driving under the influence.
James City County Police say they were initially called around 3:40 p.m. for a car accident involving an intoxicated driver.
The accident took place at the Jamestown Ferry Dock on the Surry side of the James River Ferry. Investigators report that Poindexter’s car struck a curb while loading onto the ferry. Employees of the ferry tried to stop Poindexter’s car, but say he kept going and hit a car.
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James City County, Va. – Police arrested Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald Glen Poindexter Saturday, charging him with driving under the influence.
James City County Police say they were initially called around 3:40 p.m. for a car accident involving an intoxicated driver.
The accident took place at the Jamestown Ferry Dock on the Surry side of the James River Ferry. Investigators report that Poindexter’s car struck a curb while loading onto the ferry. Employees of the ferry tried to stop Poindexter’s car, but say he kept going and hit a car.
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Hells Angels Members Descend Upon Local Walmart for a Purchase That Brings Store Manager to the Scene
Footage posted online shows the bikers stack up the boxes of bicycles outside the Walmart with the help of the store manager who arrived on the scene for the purchase.
“Very happy to work with the Hells Angels and their organization donating bikes to the Poverello House,” the store manager told the Fresno Bee.
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Fanning The Flames In Ferguson
The climactic uproar in Ferguson, Mo., a week ago took a zany turn when the “we want peace” message of Michael Brown’s family rotated 180 degrees to the imperative command, “burn this bitch down,” hollered repeatedly by stepfather Louis Head outside the grand jury headquarters as the decision was announced. The assembled crowd dutifully obliged and burned down many of the businesses that the local population depends on for routine commerce.
The scripted quality of these events seemed as formally predictable as an 1856 minstrel show, and the parallel is worth reflecting on because the nation appears determined to explode again in some kind of a civil war —bearing in mind Karl Marx’s advisory that “history repeats, first as tragedy, then farce.” As is the case with many show-biz extravaganza’s of our time the script had many authors.
First were the cable TV news venues, led by the race hustlers at CNN, whose limitless pandering to the intemperance of black viewers played a large part in cultivating the mood of injustice that failed to square with the objective reality of Michael Brown’s shooting at the hands of policeman Darren Wilson. Every conceivable delusion generated by the event was nurtured to the max in order to amp up the melodrama at the expense of clarifying what had happened. In the end, CNN celebrities Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper got the explosion of violence that their producers had worked so hard to fuel.
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The scripted quality of these events seemed as formally predictable as an 1856 minstrel show, and the parallel is worth reflecting on because the nation appears determined to explode again in some kind of a civil war —bearing in mind Karl Marx’s advisory that “history repeats, first as tragedy, then farce.” As is the case with many show-biz extravaganza’s of our time the script had many authors.
First were the cable TV news venues, led by the race hustlers at CNN, whose limitless pandering to the intemperance of black viewers played a large part in cultivating the mood of injustice that failed to square with the objective reality of Michael Brown’s shooting at the hands of policeman Darren Wilson. Every conceivable delusion generated by the event was nurtured to the max in order to amp up the melodrama at the expense of clarifying what had happened. In the end, CNN celebrities Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper got the explosion of violence that their producers had worked so hard to fuel.
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Muslim Religious Leader Says Saying Merry Christmas Is Worse Than Murder
Think you can coexist with the Muslim community? Then you probably haven’t heard what this western Islamic religious leader has to say about the horror that is… saying “Merry Christmas.”
Yes, according to this Muslim, saying Merry Christmas is worse than murder (which, by the way, means Muslims killing other Muslims because killing an infidel like you or me ain’t no big deal).
In fact he says that saying Merry Christmas “is worse than fornication and drinking alcohol and killing someone, because you are approving of the biggest crime ever committed by the children of Adam’s sin.”
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Who Suffers? Race Riots, Then And Now
The fire in the streets of Ferguson is reminiscent of the urban riots that burned nearly all major U.S. cities in the 1960s. Black rioters burning down black neighborhoods. Once again, there is a false assertion that the rioting is an expression of outrage against “the system.” Sadly, there has been a lack of police or National Guard protection for the real victims of rioting, then and now: small business owners, including many African American business owners and their employees.
Today’s “warrior cops” are better armed with military gear and riot control training, yet the urban policy remains the same: “it is better to let them loot than shoot.” As long as this is the policy of city leaders, riots will continue whenever there is an excuse for young people to loot pharmacies and liquor stores, torch hair salons or furniture stores and wipe out the livelihoods of their neighbors. We have learned nothing from the well-documented tragedies of the 1960s.
Looting and arson in the 1960s wiped out entire business districts in black neighborhoods. Many riots were precipitated by encounters with police, such as a police raid on an illegal after-hours bar in Detroit — an incident that resulted in the destruction of over 2,000 small businesses and buildings. This cycle played out in cities across the nation resulting in 200 deaths and enormous property damage. The physical and emotional scars of those riots remained decades after the fires expired.
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Today’s “warrior cops” are better armed with military gear and riot control training, yet the urban policy remains the same: “it is better to let them loot than shoot.” As long as this is the policy of city leaders, riots will continue whenever there is an excuse for young people to loot pharmacies and liquor stores, torch hair salons or furniture stores and wipe out the livelihoods of their neighbors. We have learned nothing from the well-documented tragedies of the 1960s.
Looting and arson in the 1960s wiped out entire business districts in black neighborhoods. Many riots were precipitated by encounters with police, such as a police raid on an illegal after-hours bar in Detroit — an incident that resulted in the destruction of over 2,000 small businesses and buildings. This cycle played out in cities across the nation resulting in 200 deaths and enormous property damage. The physical and emotional scars of those riots remained decades after the fires expired.
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Paper Plate Christmas Characters: Santa, Rudolph, Snowman
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Missouri Lieutenant Governor: Arrest Michael Brown’s Stepfather For ‘Burn This B**ch Down’ Comments
'He should be charged with inciting to riot'
Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has called for the arrest of the stepfather of Ferguson’s Michael Brown, following the emergence of video footage in which he was seen inciting rioters.
Louis Head, was filmed telling angry mobs in Ferguson Monday to “burn this bi**h down,” after the grand jury announced no indictment for the police officer who shot and killed Brown.
What followed was an intense night of rioting and looting, during which several buildings and vehicles were burned by agitators.
Appearing on Laura Ingraham’s radio show, Kinder was asked “When you hear that soundbite from the stepfather of Michael Brown, what’s your reaction?”
“That he should be arrested and charged with inciting to riot,” the state Republican lawmaker immediately answered.
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Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has called for the arrest of the stepfather of Ferguson’s Michael Brown, following the emergence of video footage in which he was seen inciting rioters.
Louis Head, was filmed telling angry mobs in Ferguson Monday to “burn this bi**h down,” after the grand jury announced no indictment for the police officer who shot and killed Brown.
What followed was an intense night of rioting and looting, during which several buildings and vehicles were burned by agitators.
Appearing on Laura Ingraham’s radio show, Kinder was asked “When you hear that soundbite from the stepfather of Michael Brown, what’s your reaction?”
“That he should be arrested and charged with inciting to riot,” the state Republican lawmaker immediately answered.
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PRMC Dedicates New Mother-Baby Unit in Memory of Delmarva Native Madeline Perdue
The unit was dedicated in the name of Delmarva native Madeline Perdue, who passed away in 2011, and was the mother of Perdue Farms Chairman Jim Perdue. As they helped cut the ribbon on the new unit, Jim Perdue and his sisters Anne Oliviero and Sandra Spedden were presented with a miniature version of the dedication sign bearing Madeline’s name. All three of Madeline Perdue’s children were born at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
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Crude Oil Prices Lowest In Five Years
Lower prices trickle down to every consumer. People will be able to spend their money in many other places other than the gas pump.
Crude oil has tumbled to a new low at $66 per barrel.
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BREAKING NEWS: At least 2 dead after school buses collide in Tenn., reports say
Two school buses collide on a Tennessee highway, killing at least two people and injuring at least 19, according to local media reports.
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9th Annual Santa’s Workshop
The City of Salisbury, Department of Neighborhood Services & Code Compliance
Invite children from the Church Street/Doverdale area to attend the
9th Annual Santa’s Workshop
501 E. Church Street
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Santa will arrive at 7 p.m. to visit with the children
Light refreshments will be served
If you have questions or would like to get more information please feel free to
Contact us @ (410) 341-9550
BREAKING NEWS; DP&L PHONE SCAM
Residents and businesses are getting calls stating if they don't receive payment within a very short period of time, Delmarva Power will cut off your power.
IT'S A SCAM!!!! DO NOT FALL FOR IT.
Ehrlich Considers Running In 2016 Presidential Race
While it was not necessarily on his list of things to do, the former Governor is gaining favor as he speaks around the country. It could work to his advantage.
Former Governor Bob Ehrlich’s remarks at the Anne Arundel County Executive’s Oath of Office Ceremony could arguably play to a national audience.
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Power Outage From West Salisbury To Millsboro
Felton Woman Arrested after Scamming People into Renting Foreclosed Homes
The investigation began on October 24, 2014 when a male victim contacted state troopers to report someone living in his home located on Mayapple Lane in Magnolia that was under foreclosure. The victim, who had been out of the house since August, was informed by relatives that someone was living there. Upon contacting the current inhabitants, troopers were informed the house was put up on Craigslist as a rental and they had been shown the house back in September by a female realtor. Soon afterwards, the couple signed rental paperwork and completed monetary transactions with the female and then moved into the home.
Detectives with the Financial Crimes Unit assumed the investigation shortly thereafter and learned this was not the first time this particular crime had occurred in the area. On a previous occasion back in September 2014, a female occupant of a residence located on Quails Nest Drive in Dover was shown the residence on Quails Nest Drive as well as another house near Sorghum Mill Road by a female who represented herself as a realtor. Once again, the female produced paperwork depicting a rental agreement and received $3,500.00 for the first month's rent as well as a security deposit which allowed the unsuspecting female victim to move into the Quails Nest dwelling. Within a week of the woman moving into the home, the actual homeowners of the residence were preparing to move back into the house after settling a previous foreclosure with the bank and contacted troopers about the female trespassing on the property.
An incident in Sussex County was also reported back in early October which occurred at a residence on Boblin Court in Millsboro involving the same situation. In this case, a real estate company that owns the house noticed the locks on the doors had been changed and notified state police of a female living there. She too had fallen prey to this female posing as a realtor where she signed documents and paid cash to move in.
Two other foreclosed locations in Kent County had also fallen victim to this scam.
Kellie Hodge-Grier, 45 of Felton was developed as a suspect through interviews with the victims and photo line-ups. She was arrested Monday December 1, 2014 after she turned herself into detectives at Troop 3 and charged with five counts of Burglary 2nd, one count of Attempted Burglary 2nd, six counts of Possession of Burglar Tools, three counts of Theft over $1500, one count of Attempted Theft over $1500, eight counts of Forgery 2nd, six counts of Theft under $1500, six counts of Criminal Impersonation. She was arraigned at JP2 and released on $36,000.00 unsecured bond.
If anyone may have fallen victim to this scam or the female suspect, they are asked to contact Det. A. Stetzer at 302-741-2808 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Shoppers pause to watch bell-ringing dog
The way to a donor's heart might be a big fluffy dog named Alvin.
Shoppers are used to hearing bells ring as the Salvation Army solicits donations during the holidays. However, the chance to watch a dog ringing the bell drew a crowd for a couple hours Friday at Walmart.
Alvin and his human partners, Julia and Steve Roberts, who live between Brownsville and Philomath in Union County, Ind., attracted generous donors to their kettle.
Many shoppers had questions about the friendly animal.
Alvin is a 4-year-old trained therapy dog. He's a Leonberger, a breed of working dogs from Germany that range from 150 to 180 pounds. They are used for water rescue, search and rescue and carting.
Shoppers are used to hearing bells ring as the Salvation Army solicits donations during the holidays. However, the chance to watch a dog ringing the bell drew a crowd for a couple hours Friday at Walmart.
Alvin and his human partners, Julia and Steve Roberts, who live between Brownsville and Philomath in Union County, Ind., attracted generous donors to their kettle.
Many shoppers had questions about the friendly animal.
Alvin is a 4-year-old trained therapy dog. He's a Leonberger, a breed of working dogs from Germany that range from 150 to 180 pounds. They are used for water rescue, search and rescue and carting.
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund Drawing More Companies
The MSCRF Commission has already received 240 letters of intent for the FY 2015 funding cycle, up from 195 letters of intent last year. Universities, research institutions and hospitals have applied for funding. Applicants also include 16 companies, the highest number of companies to submit letters of intent since the MSCRF was founded in 2006.
Applications will continue to be accepted until Jan. 15, 2015.
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'Short sales' home sellers face huge tax bills if breaks aren't reinstated
Families would have to pay taxes on forgiven mortgage debt as if it were income
The wrangling in Congress that has prevented a package of expired tax breaks from being reinstated threatens to slap massive tax bills on thousands of Americans who have given up their homes in “short sales,” a common practice after the 2008 real estate
crash in which banks allow homes to be sold at lower prices than the amounts owed on the mortgages.
Without a renewed exemption, families would have to pay taxes on the forgiven mortgage debt as if it were income, although they merely avoided foreclosure and walked away from their homes without earning anything from the sales.
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The wrangling in Congress that has prevented a package of expired tax breaks from being reinstated threatens to slap massive tax bills on thousands of Americans who have given up their homes in “short sales,” a common practice after the 2008 real estate
crash in which banks allow homes to be sold at lower prices than the amounts owed on the mortgages.Without a renewed exemption, families
would have to pay taxes on the forgiven mortgage debt as if it were income, although they merely avoided foreclosure and walked away from their homes without earning anything from the sales.More
Rams, Police Differ On Ferguson Gesture Apology
Kevin Demoff, the executive vice president of football operations for the Rams, denied in an email to the Associated Press that he'd apologized.
"I expressed regret for any perceived disrespect of law enforcement," Demoff said. "Our players' goal was to show support for positive change in our community. I do believe that supporting our players' First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive."
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"Big Wind" Breezing Through Lame Duck Congress
ANTI-COMPETITIVE HANDOUT PUSHED BY LOBBYIST “BLOWHARDS”
Congress returns for a lame duck session that is beginning to look like a regular cornucopia of goodies for all those patient souls on Washington, D.C.’s K Street who, if they deliver, can expect nice bonuses to pad their mid-six figure paychecks.
With a bevy of tax credits scheduled to expire on December 31, there will be a scramble to approve a whole package of so-called tax extenders. This tax package would in some cases push the life of these credits out for a few years, and in others, make them permanent. After all, it is humiliating for those struggling Silicon Valley venture capitalists to have to grovel before Congress every couple of years to get their research and development tax credits when they could be doing something so much more important like pushing for our nation’s immigration laws to get turned upside down to allow them to hire cheap labor.
But one tax extender is coming under increasing scrutiny even though its supporters are some of the biggest blowhards in a town where this distinction is meaningful — the Wind Production Tax Credit.
That’s right, our government gives the hardscrabble wind energy industry tax credits so that they can sell the energy they produce to electric utilities for less than the cost of generating other non-subsidized electricity generating sources.
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Congress returns for a lame duck session that is beginning to look like a regular cornucopia of goodies for all those patient souls on Washington, D.C.’s K Street who, if they deliver, can expect nice bonuses to pad their mid-six figure paychecks.
With a bevy of tax credits scheduled to expire on December 31, there will be a scramble to approve a whole package of so-called tax extenders. This tax package would in some cases push the life of these credits out for a few years, and in others, make them permanent. After all, it is humiliating for those struggling Silicon Valley venture capitalists to have to grovel before Congress every couple of years to get their research and development tax credits when they could be doing something so much more important like pushing for our nation’s immigration laws to get turned upside down to allow them to hire cheap labor.
But one tax extender is coming under increasing scrutiny even though its supporters are some of the biggest blowhards in a town where this distinction is meaningful — the Wind Production Tax Credit.
That’s right, our government gives the hardscrabble wind energy industry tax credits so that they can sell the energy they produce to electric utilities for less than the cost of generating other non-subsidized electricity generating sources.
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SFD Calls For Service 12-1-14
- Monday December, 1 2014 @ 21:59Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Monday December, 1 2014 @ 21:08Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
- Monday December, 1 2014 @ 20:47Nature: Emergency UnknownCity:Salisbury
- Monday December, 1 2014 @ 20:40 Nature: Vehicle Accident w/InjuriesAddress: S Salisbury Blvd & Roland St Salisbury, MD 21801
- Monday December, 1 2014 @ 20:40 Nature: Vehicle Accident w/InjuriesAddress: S Salisbury Blvd & Roland St Salisbury, MD 21801
Obama Tries To Focus Public On Racist Cops
President Barack Obama’s first move in December will be to focus the nation’s attention on complaints about racist cops in African-American communities.
The move may be part of an effort to grab the political initiative after the Democrats’ massive losses in the Nov. 4 election, and also to keep the public’s attention away from his unpopular Nov. 21 announcement that he will provide 4 million illegal immigrants with work permits and taxpayer-funded aid programs.
Progressives, Democrats and media outlets stepped up their complaints about law enforcement in African-American neighborhoods after a grand jury decided Nov. 24 to not charge police officer Darren Wilson with any crime following his shooting of a black man in August in Ferguson, Mo.
More here
The move may be part of an effort to grab the political initiative after the Democrats’ massive losses in the Nov. 4 election, and also to keep the public’s attention away from his unpopular Nov. 21 announcement that he will provide 4 million illegal immigrants with work permits and taxpayer-funded aid programs.
Progressives, Democrats and media outlets stepped up their complaints about law enforcement in African-American neighborhoods after a grand jury decided Nov. 24 to not charge police officer Darren Wilson with any crime following his shooting of a black man in August in Ferguson, Mo.
More here
Trump: Obama 'Inciting People' Over Ferguson
President Barack Obama is inciting people toward violence in light of racial tensions stemming from the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, real estate and entertainment billionaire Donald Trump told "Fox & Friends."
"They're really inciting people to go out and do what they're doing," Trump said Monday. "You have so many other people inciting and trying to get their own two cents in, and they're trying to incite problems."
Obama is scheduled to meet on Monday with his Cabinet, civil rights leaders, and law enforcement officials to focus on problems facing communities and police departments following last week's announcement by a grand jury that policeman Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the Aug. 9 shooting.
After the grand jury announcement, Obama warned protesters against violence, but also expressed sympathy for the "overwhelming majority of people who just feel frustrated and pain, because they get a sense that maybe some communities aren't treated fairly, or some individuals aren't seen as worthy as others."
More here
"They're really inciting people to go out and do what they're doing," Trump said Monday. "You have so many other people inciting and trying to get their own two cents in, and they're trying to incite problems."
Obama is scheduled to meet on Monday with his Cabinet, civil rights leaders, and law enforcement officials to focus on problems facing communities and police departments following last week's announcement by a grand jury that policeman Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the Aug. 9 shooting.
After the grand jury announcement, Obama warned protesters against violence, but also expressed sympathy for the "overwhelming majority of people who just feel frustrated and pain, because they get a sense that maybe some communities aren't treated fairly, or some individuals aren't seen as worthy as others."
More here
Worcester County Sheriff Being Sworn In
Worcester County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Mason being sworn in today to begin his second four year term. Congratulations Sheriff Mason. Swearing the sheriff in is newly elected Clerk of Court Susan Braniecki.
International Rating Agency Upgrades Wicomico County’s Credit Ranking
Fitch’s ratings boost follows similar upgrades issued last year by the other two rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s. The rating further defines the county’s Rating Outlook as “stable.” In a press release from Fitch, the county was praised for having a “strong financial profile including revenue and spending flexibility as well as robust reserves.” Other components of the upgrade referred to “strong fiscal management, favorable debt position, well-managed long-term liabilities and conservative budgeting and revenue enhancements.”
Specifically, Fitch noted, “The county has prudently increased the property tax rate to offset pressures stemming from ongoing declines in taxable assessed value and continued to budget conservatively.” Also, “favorable operations are mostly due to conservative expenditure budgeting and revenue enhancements made during the budgeting process.”
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After Wrongful Conviction, Three Lifetimes Spent With Hope In Check
They were young men when they went to prison in 1975 for a murder they did not commit. The last two of them were freed this month, releasing a joy they could finally savor together.
America’s Giant Welfare State
WASHINGTON -- We Americans pride ourselves on not having a "welfare state." We're not like Europeans. We're more individualistic and self-reliant, and although we may have a "social safety net" to protect people against unpredictable personal and societal tragedies, we explicitly repudiate a comprehensive welfare state as inherently un-American.
Dream on.
Call it a massive case of national self-deception. Indeed, judged by how much countries devote of their national income to social spending, we have the world's second-largest welfare state -- just behind France.
This is not just conjecture. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) -- a group of wealthy nations -- has recently published new figures on government social spending. Covered is unemployment insurance, disability payments, old-age assistance, government-provided health care, family allowances and the like. By this measure alone, the United States is hardly a leader. It ranks 23rd in the world with social spending of roughly 19 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This is slightly below the OECD average of 22 percent. France is the champ at nearly 32 percent. (The data are generally the latest available, including some estimates for 2014.)
But wait. Direct government spending isn't the only way that societies provide social services. They also channel payments through private companies, encouraged, regulated and subsidized by government. This is what the United States does, notably with employer-provided health insurance (which is subsidized by government by not counting employer contributions as taxable income) and tax-favored retirement savings accounts.
When these are added to government's direct payments, rankings shift. France remains at the top, but the United States vaults into second position with roughly 30 percent of its GDP spent on social services, including health care. We have a hybrid welfare state, partly run by the government and partly outsourced to private markets.
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Dream on.
Call it a massive case of national self-deception. Indeed, judged by how much countries devote of their national income to social spending, we have the world's second-largest welfare state -- just behind France.
This is not just conjecture. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) -- a group of wealthy nations -- has recently published new figures on government social spending. Covered is unemployment insurance, disability payments, old-age assistance, government-provided health care, family allowances and the like. By this measure alone, the United States is hardly a leader. It ranks 23rd in the world with social spending of roughly 19 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This is slightly below the OECD average of 22 percent. France is the champ at nearly 32 percent. (The data are generally the latest available, including some estimates for 2014.)
But wait. Direct government spending isn't the only way that societies provide social services. They also channel payments through private companies, encouraged, regulated and subsidized by government. This is what the United States does, notably with employer-provided health insurance (which is subsidized by government by not counting employer contributions as taxable income) and tax-favored retirement savings accounts.
When these are added to government's direct payments, rankings shift. France remains at the top, but the United States vaults into second position with roughly 30 percent of its GDP spent on social services, including health care. We have a hybrid welfare state, partly run by the government and partly outsourced to private markets.
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You’re All Racists Now, Whether You’re A Racist Or Not
Yet another side effect of the Ferguson unrest was the inevitable calls for how we really need to have a national conversation on race. (You can read some of my previous thoughts on the value of what the media considers a national conversation here.) As I watch the attempts at such debates taking place not only on the small screen, but on blogs and comment sections around the web, I detect a growing sense of frustration on both sides. There are sizable groups of progressives who seem sincerely interested in convincing everyone that pretty much all of these problems – as well as much of what’s wrong with the rest of the nation – boil down to latent racism and endemic white supremacy. This is frustrating to some people who feel that the rules should apply evenly to everyone and that life in a free society comes with an inherent expectation of personal responsibility. For their part, the progressives appear to be frustrated when some of their debate opponents opine that robbing stores and attempting to beat up police officers can lead to bad results even if your skin is bright pink with chartreuse spots.
But the conversation really screams to a halt when the more conservative crowd runs into somebody like CNN author and religion blogger John Blake. Rather than yelling about it on one side or the other, or even trying to grasp what the other party might be trying to say, Blake jumps on the shiny new bandwagon of forgiving everyone who doesn’t think they are a racist because, well… you probably just don’t realize you are and you don’t know any better.
[I]t doesn’t wear a hood, but it causes unsuspecting people to see the world through a racially biased lens.
It’s what one Duke University sociologist calls “racism without racists.” Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, who’s written a book by that title, says it’s a new way of maintaining white domination in places like Ferguson.
“The main problem nowadays is not the folks with the hoods, but the folks dressed in suits,” says Bonilla-Silva.
“The more we assume that the problem of racism is limited to the Klan, the birthers, the tea party or to the Republican Party, the less we understand that racial domination is a collective process and we are all in this game.”
There was an indictment in Ferguson
The grand jury in Ferguson issued a searing indictment last night.
No, not against Police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of an unarmed African-American teen,Michael Brown. In that racially inflamed case, the nine white jurors and three blacks found no grounds to indict.
But their decision nonetheless was itself an indictment — against all the racial hucksters and victimhood-mongers that are doing untold harm to the nation in general, and to blacks in particular.
From the very beginning of this case last summer, there seemed to be sufficient doubt that would make it difficult, if not impossible, to convict Wilson. There were conflicting reports, for starters, about what happened in the confrontation between the police officer and Brown. There was the video from the store, where it surely appeared Brown had committed a crime, shoving the store’s manager.
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No, not against Police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of an unarmed African-American teen,Michael Brown. In that racially inflamed case, the nine white jurors and three blacks found no grounds to indict.
But their decision nonetheless was itself an indictment — against all the racial hucksters and victimhood-mongers that are doing untold harm to the nation in general, and to blacks in particular.
From the very beginning of this case last summer, there seemed to be sufficient doubt that would make it difficult, if not impossible, to convict Wilson. There were conflicting reports, for starters, about what happened in the confrontation between the police officer and Brown. There was the video from the store, where it surely appeared Brown had committed a crime, shoving the store’s manager.
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Amnesty Will Force Layoffs
Obama’s amnesty for illegal immigrants will produce a disaster of unparalleled magnitude when the ObamaCare employer mandate kicks in.
Those granted amnesty will not be eligible for ObamaCare. The amnesty will merely keep them safe from deportation. It won’t make them legal. And ObamaCare can only go to citizens and legal noncitizens living in the U.S.
But the employer mandate in ObamaCare requires large companies to offer insurance to each of their full time workers or pay a hefty fine to the government for failing to do so.
Combine these two programs and you have a huge incentive for employers to dismiss any blue collar workers on their payroll and replace them with illegal immigrants covered by amnesty. These folks are allowed to work but not to get ObamaCare. An employer can’t be fined for failing to offer ObamaCare to employees who are ineligible to receive it!
An employer’s dream!
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Those granted amnesty will not be eligible for ObamaCare. The amnesty will merely keep them safe from deportation. It won’t make them legal. And ObamaCare can only go to citizens and legal noncitizens living in the U.S.
But the employer mandate in ObamaCare requires large companies to offer insurance to each of their full time workers or pay a hefty fine to the government for failing to do so.
Combine these two programs and you have a huge incentive for employers to dismiss any blue collar workers on their payroll and replace them with illegal immigrants covered by amnesty. These folks are allowed to work but not to get ObamaCare. An employer can’t be fined for failing to offer ObamaCare to employees who are ineligible to receive it!
An employer’s dream!
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Charges Dropped For Cop Who Fatally Shot Sleeping 7-Year-Old Girl
In all of the melee resulting from the shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, the media has overlooked a number of other very important shootings of unarmed civilians by police officers. One of the most egregious offenses is that of Officer Joseph Weekley’s fatal shooting of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones.
Officer Weekley recently saw manslaughter charge dropped against him, for shooting the 7-year-old while she slept.
The Detroit police officer had been on trial for involuntary manslaughter who was shot and killed during a 2010 police raid.
But early in October, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway granted a motion which Weekley’s attorney had filed, arguing for the dismissal of the felony charge he faced in the young girl’s death.
The trial was brought to an end while the Michigan Court of Appeals reviewed an emergency appeal of the ruling.
Presiding Judge Michael Talbot issued the order to deny the appeal and allow the judge’s dismal to stand.
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Officer Weekley recently saw manslaughter charge dropped against him, for shooting the 7-year-old while she slept.
The Detroit police officer had been on trial for involuntary manslaughter who was shot and killed during a 2010 police raid.
But early in October, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway granted a motion which Weekley’s attorney had filed, arguing for the dismissal of the felony charge he faced in the young girl’s death.
The trial was brought to an end while the Michigan Court of Appeals reviewed an emergency appeal of the ruling.
Presiding Judge Michael Talbot issued the order to deny the appeal and allow the judge’s dismal to stand.
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State and Local Governments Have No Fiscal Excuse for Rapacious Revenue-Raising Tactics
I generally focus on the profligate habits and abusive tactics of the federal government in Washington, but that doesn’t mean other levels of government are well behaved.
In a column for the Washington Post, Catherine Rampell outlines some of the reprehensible ways that state and local governments extract money from the citizenry.
“Think of recent, infuriating stories on civil asset forfeiture, in which law enforcement seizes cash and other property from people who are never charged with crimes. Often the departments that do the seizing get to keep the proceeds, which leads to terrible incentives. …Onerous traffic fees and court fines — which have been blamed for long-simmering tensions in places like Ferguson, Mo. — often have a similarly mercenary motive.”
She’s right to be infuriated.
Policies like asset forfeiture are disgusting ways of stealing money, particularly from the less fortunate. Indeed, it’s worth noting that the two first leaders of the Justice Department’s asset forfeiture office now say the practice should be ended because of rampant abuses.
But other revenue-raising policies also are objectionable.
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In a column for the Washington Post, Catherine Rampell outlines some of the reprehensible ways that state and local governments extract money from the citizenry.
“Think of recent, infuriating stories on civil asset forfeiture, in which law enforcement seizes cash and other property from people who are never charged with crimes. Often the departments that do the seizing get to keep the proceeds, which leads to terrible incentives. …Onerous traffic fees and court fines — which have been blamed for long-simmering tensions in places like Ferguson, Mo. — often have a similarly mercenary motive.”
She’s right to be infuriated.
Policies like asset forfeiture are disgusting ways of stealing money, particularly from the less fortunate. Indeed, it’s worth noting that the two first leaders of the Justice Department’s asset forfeiture office now say the practice should be ended because of rampant abuses.
But other revenue-raising policies also are objectionable.
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SCOTUS To Rule On Md. State Tax
Even though Worcester County enjoys the lowest “piggyback tax” rate in the state at 1.25 percent — equaling what the state charges nonresidents — the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Comptroller v. Wynne could have significant implications on local tax bills.
The high court heard arguments in the case on Nov. 12, after the State Comptroller’s Office appealed a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in favor of Howard County resident Brian Wynne and his wife, who argued that they were subject to dual taxation.
They contended that the county’s piggyback tax on their out-of-state earnings was unconstitutional because they had already paid taxes to the state where that income was earned.
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The high court heard arguments in the case on Nov. 12, after the State Comptroller’s Office appealed a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in favor of Howard County resident Brian Wynne and his wife, who argued that they were subject to dual taxation.
They contended that the county’s piggyback tax on their out-of-state earnings was unconstitutional because they had already paid taxes to the state where that income was earned.
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2016 nightmare: Bush vs. Clinton
Now that Thanksgiving is past and we’re just a month away from the beginning of 2015, it’s time for America to consider its political future.
I know many are still basking in the repudiation of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in the 2014 midterm election, but it’s time to look forward.
The 2016 presidential election, perhaps the last chance to undo the “fundamental transformation” of the country, is around the proverbial corner.
What are we likely looking at as the choice?
Bush vs. Clinton.
No kidding. This is not a bad joke. That’s how the political game is rigged right now by the two major political parties. It’s not an inevitability, but it’s the best bet based on the way the political establishments of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have manipulated the process.
Mitt Romney didn’t just fail to beat Obama in 2012. He also led an effort to rig the 2016 Republican nomination to ensure someone like him would be picked as the GOP nominee. Right now, the odds-on favorite is Jeb Bush – or Chris Christie or maybe even Romney, again.
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I know many are still basking in the repudiation of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in the 2014 midterm election, but it’s time to look forward.
The 2016 presidential election, perhaps the last chance to undo the “fundamental transformation” of the country, is around the proverbial corner.
What are we likely looking at as the choice?
Bush vs. Clinton.
No kidding. This is not a bad joke. That’s how the political game is rigged right now by the two major political parties. It’s not an inevitability, but it’s the best bet based on the way the political establishments of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have manipulated the process.
Mitt Romney didn’t just fail to beat Obama in 2012. He also led an effort to rig the 2016 Republican nomination to ensure someone like him would be picked as the GOP nominee. Right now, the odds-on favorite is Jeb Bush – or Chris Christie or maybe even Romney, again.
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The roadside breath test for marijuana that will weed out stoned drivers
The News Tribune reports that law enforcement officers have a test for alcohol, but they don't have a tool to test for marijuana impairment.
Right now, officers must use blood tests to determine if THC is present in a driver's blood.
But WSU chemistry professor Herbert Hill says existing technologies like those used by airport security agents to detect drugs and explosives can be altered to test breath for THC.
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Auction On Berlin Property Scrapped After Low Bids
The roughly one-acre tract on the corner of Main Street and Old Ocean City Blvd. was set to be auctioned at foreclosure at 1 p.m. on Monday by Allen and Marshall Auctioneers. A handful of potential bidders gathered on the property shortly before 1 p.m. and auctioneer Doug Marshall opened the bidding at $200,000 shortly thereafter.
After getting no takers at $200,000, Marshall then began backtracking to a lower bid amount. One prospective buyer offered $11,000 and another bid as much as $15,000, but when neither budged on going any higher, the auction was paused. After conferring with the bank representatives who own the foreclosed property, Marshall warned if the bidders didn’t go any higher, the auction would be halted.
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Do We Own Our Stuff, Or Does Our Stuff Own Us?
Being freed from being owned is a form of liberation with many manifestations.
The frenzied acquisition of more stuff is supposed to be an unalloyed good: good for "growth," good for the consumer who presumably benefits from more stuff and good for governments collecting taxes on the purchase of all the stuff.
But the frenzy to acquire more stuff raises a question: do we own our stuff, or does our stuff own us? I think the answer is clear: our stuff owns us, not the other way around.
Everything we own demands its pound of flesh in one way or another: space must be found for it amid the clutter of stuff we already own, it must be programmed, recharged, maintained, dusted, moved, etc.
The only way to lighten the burden of ownership is to get rid of stuff rather than buy more stuff. The only way to stop being owned is to is get rid of the stuff that owns us.
I propose a new holiday event, Gold Sunday: this is the day everyone hauls all the stuff they "own" that is a burden to a central location and dumps it in a free-for-all. Whatever is left after the freeters have picked through the pile is carted to the recycling yard and whatever's left after that culling is taken to the dump.
The frenzied acquisition of more stuff is supposed to be an unalloyed good: good for "growth," good for the consumer who presumably benefits from more stuff and good for governments collecting taxes on the purchase of all the stuff.
But the frenzy to acquire more stuff raises a question: do we own our stuff, or does our stuff own us? I think the answer is clear: our stuff owns us, not the other way around.
Everything we own demands its pound of flesh in one way or another: space must be found for it amid the clutter of stuff we already own, it must be programmed, recharged, maintained, dusted, moved, etc.
The only way to lighten the burden of ownership is to get rid of stuff rather than buy more stuff. The only way to stop being owned is to is get rid of the stuff that owns us.
I propose a new holiday event, Gold Sunday: this is the day everyone hauls all the stuff they "own" that is a burden to a central location and dumps it in a free-for-all. Whatever is left after the freeters have picked through the pile is carted to the recycling yard and whatever's left after that culling is taken to the dump.
Cardin Calls for the Release of Marylander Held in Cuba
December 3rd Marks Five Years in Cuban Prison
for Potomac Man
BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement expressing disappointment surrounding the continued imprisonment of Marylander Alan Gross by the Cuban government.
“As Mr. Gross nears five years of unjust incarceration in Cuba, I continue to call on the administration to do all in their power to secure his release. I am disappointed that efforts to release Mr. Gross, particularly on humanitarian grounds, have been rejected by the Cuban government. I will continue to raise awareness of Mr. Gross’ situation and urge my colleagues to join me in pushing for his release. The Cuban government gains nothing by violating Mr. Gross’ human rights and should release him as soon as possible.”
Update On Mickey Rourke Fight
Fighter who lost professional boxing match to 62-year-old actor Mickey Rourke is sleeping rough in a California park and 'was paid to throw fight'
The fighter who lost a controversial boxing bout with Hollywood star Mickey Rourke is homeless and was ‘paid to throw the fight', MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
Elliot Seymour, the man who lost to Rourke on Friday, is a homeless drifter who trained at the same Hollywood gym Rourke and was paid to fly to Russia to make the actor 'look good’.
Seymour, who at 29 is 33 years younger than the 62-year-old actor, went down in the second round of the match. He had a shocking record of losing 9-1 of his 10 previous professional bouts.
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The fighter who lost a controversial boxing bout with Hollywood star Mickey Rourke is homeless and was ‘paid to throw the fight', MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
Elliot Seymour, the man who lost to Rourke on Friday, is a homeless drifter who trained at the same Hollywood gym Rourke and was paid to fly to Russia to make the actor 'look good’.
Seymour, who at 29 is 33 years younger than the 62-year-old actor, went down in the second round of the match. He had a shocking record of losing 9-1 of his 10 previous professional bouts.
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The Charles Barkley Rant on Ferguson Grand Jury Decision That You Won’t Believe You’re Just Now Hearing
During a radio interview late last month, NBA legend Charles Barkley addressed the controversial shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and revealed where he stands on the incident. Though some might be surprised by Barkley’s honest and blunt comments, it’s more surprising that his remarks are just now gaining widespread attention about a week later.
Barkley claimed the “true story came out of the grand jury investigation.” The Ferguson grand jury ultimately decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting.
The former NBA all-star said he learned of key forensic evidence, and that several black witnesses supported Officer Darren Wilson’s story, forcing him to block out other questionable information he heard on TV.
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Worcester County Tea Party 2nd Annual Christmas Party
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2014
Time: Meeting begins at 7PM, doors open at 6:30PM
Location: Ocean Pines Community Center, Assateague Room
235 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines, MD 21811
Admission: Open to the Public. Bring your favorite Holiday appetizer, snack or dessert to share and bring a friend! Beverages and supplies will be provided.
For more information email WCTPPatriots@gmail.com, go to the web sitewww.worcestercountyteaparty.com, https://www.facebook.com/WorcesterCountyTeaParty or call 443-614-7214
Parents, Legislators Push back Against Common Core
New standardized tests under the Common Core education initiative aren't scheduled until spring, but backlash from parents and educators is in full force this fall. And the debate is moving into the state legislatures.
States' adoption of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a set of K-12 learning standards designed to measure students' college and career readiness, has been met with resistance.
"We don't like them," said parent advocate Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, a nonprofit organization that advocates for smaller classes in public schools. "We don't trust them, and we don't think they're helping our kids learn at all."
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States' adoption of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a set of K-12 learning standards designed to measure students' college and career readiness, has been met with resistance.
"We don't like them," said parent advocate Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, a nonprofit organization that advocates for smaller classes in public schools. "We don't trust them, and we don't think they're helping our kids learn at all."
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