DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Companies Move Back To Cities, Abandon Suburban Office Parks
How many likely tenants are there for a concrete suburban office complex of 470,000 square feet? The owners of office complexes are having similar problems to the owners of malls, but for different reasons. As shoppers have moved either to ritzier malls or to shipping online, offices have moved back into cities. Both changes leave behind massive buildings or complexes that nobody wants.
One example that serves as an illustration is a building constructed for Western Union in 1973 in northern New Jersey. It was most recently the headquarters of education company Pearson, which took off for the city of Hoboken. The building’s design hasn’t aged very well, and the building’s owner wants to tear it down and replace it with a mixed-use development: apartments, retail, restaurants, maybe a few offices.
That seems like it would be the most logical re-use of these complexes, or the land where they sit. However, the offices’ suburban neighbors object to this plan, as they did with the plans for the Western Union/Pearson building in the wealthy suburb of Upper Saddle River, NJ.
The complex’s neighbors didn’t like the idea of replacing up to 2,000 office workers with a few hundred apartments. Residents would support apartments if the development were less dense, but “It looks out of place—you’re going to overpopulate the area,” a man who is a literal neighbor to the now-empty office complex told the Wall Street Journal.
More
One example that serves as an illustration is a building constructed for Western Union in 1973 in northern New Jersey. It was most recently the headquarters of education company Pearson, which took off for the city of Hoboken. The building’s design hasn’t aged very well, and the building’s owner wants to tear it down and replace it with a mixed-use development: apartments, retail, restaurants, maybe a few offices.
That seems like it would be the most logical re-use of these complexes, or the land where they sit. However, the offices’ suburban neighbors object to this plan, as they did with the plans for the Western Union/Pearson building in the wealthy suburb of Upper Saddle River, NJ.
The complex’s neighbors didn’t like the idea of replacing up to 2,000 office workers with a few hundred apartments. Residents would support apartments if the development were less dense, but “It looks out of place—you’re going to overpopulate the area,” a man who is a literal neighbor to the now-empty office complex told the Wall Street Journal.
More
The President’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Includes $29 Million for Land Conservation Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
A significant driver for the Chesapeake’s listing in the President’s budget was the Rivers of the Chesapeake Collaborative Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) proposal. The Chesapeake Conservancy served as a lead nonprofit partner in this proposal, which focuses on the great rivers of the Chesapeake Bay; the Potomac, Rappahannock, James, York, Nanticoke, and Susquehanna Rivers and their watersheds.
Fiscal Year 2017 will be the second year in a row that the President’s budget has included significant funding for land conservation in the Chesapeake region. Following House & Senate votes in December, the federal budget for 2016 included nearly $11 million for land conservation in the Chesapeake and $2 million for supporting a range of public access and conservation efforts along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail through the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Program.
More
JEB BUSH: I WILL NOT BLAME OBAMA FOR ANYTHING
"...I will never do it to him," he said
Jeb Bush won’t hold President Obama responsible for the direction the country is heading under his watch.
“I will not blame Barack Obama for anything,” Jeb Bush said to a N.H. crowd Sunday. “I got sick and tired of hearing him blame my brother and I will never do it to him.”
In other words, the establishment candidate won’t throw the establishment president under the bus, even though a lot of what’s wrong with this country is thanks to Obama.
More
Jeb Bush won’t hold President Obama responsible for the direction the country is heading under his watch.
“I will not blame Barack Obama for anything,” Jeb Bush said to a N.H. crowd Sunday. “I got sick and tired of hearing him blame my brother and I will never do it to him.”
In other words, the establishment candidate won’t throw the establishment president under the bus, even though a lot of what’s wrong with this country is thanks to Obama.
More
Prince William Co. leaders debate plan for free concealed handgun permits
Board Chairman Corey Stewart made the proposal to eliminate the county’s $50 fee.
“We’re charging individuals to practice their rights that were given to them not by government, but by God,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Supervisor Frank Principi said Stewart has it wrong.
“The Second Amendment does not give us a constitutional right to conceal. It’s two different things,” he argued.
More
Ron Paul Slams Government Plan For "Mandatory Depresssion Screening" Of All Americans
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended mandatory depression screening for all Americans. The task force wants to force health insurance companies to pay for the screening. Basic economics, as well as the Obamacare disaster, should have shown this task force that government health insurance mandates harm Americans.
Government health insurance mandates raise the price of health insurance. Consumers will respond to this increase by either choosing to not carry health insurance or by reducing their consumption of other goods and services. Imposing new health insurance mandates will thus make consumers, many of whom are already suffering from Obamacare’s costly mandates, worse off by forcing them to deviate from their preferred consumption patterns.
Mandatory depression screening will not just raise insurance costs. In order to ensure that the screening mandate is being properly implemented, the government will need to create a database containing the results of the screenings. Those anti-gun politicians who want to forbid anyone labeled “mentally ill” from owning a firearm will no doubt want to use this database as a tool to deprive individuals of their Second Amendment rights.
More
Government health insurance mandates raise the price of health insurance. Consumers will respond to this increase by either choosing to not carry health insurance or by reducing their consumption of other goods and services. Imposing new health insurance mandates will thus make consumers, many of whom are already suffering from Obamacare’s costly mandates, worse off by forcing them to deviate from their preferred consumption patterns.
Mandatory depression screening will not just raise insurance costs. In order to ensure that the screening mandate is being properly implemented, the government will need to create a database containing the results of the screenings. Those anti-gun politicians who want to forbid anyone labeled “mentally ill” from owning a firearm will no doubt want to use this database as a tool to deprive individuals of their Second Amendment rights.
More
Principal at Md. school where man allegedly produced child porn removed from position
Michelle Williams was not in school yesterday or today, according to sources. Williams is also being questioned by a Prince George's County Public School internal employee review body.
The news comes after the arrest of 22-year-old Deonte Carraway, a Sylvania Woods school employee charged with making child porn. Carraway is charged with multiple counts of making child pornography, and child sex abuse.
Police believe a number of the child porn videos that Carraway made were filmed at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School.
More
How To Defeat Your Government
In a recent article, “How to Defeat Your Enemies,” we maintained that governments and their people were natural enemies, and that the most powerful adversarial tactic is “getting one’s enemies to fool themselves.” The article detailed the effective use of this tactic by Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. The question arises: how can the American people use it against their natural adversary, the US government?
Lies are always misrepresentations of reality, and reality always wins. The US government rests on an inherently unstable foundation of whoppers—big lies so huge they would make big lie proponent Adolf Hitler blush—some of which were detailed in the earlier article. The first trick to defeating an enemy is to ascertain its biggest weaknesses and the lies, which it feeds itself, flowing from those weaknesses.
Every government craves as much of its country’s resources as it can borrow, swindle, and steal.Our government’s finances are a series of lies. The first is that most people who pay taxes do so voluntarily. That’s a testable proposition. Make tax payments truly optional and voluntary, with no penalty and no civil or criminal liability for nonpayment. How much taxes do you think the government would collect? The taxes collected as a percentage of the taxes formerly collected would be an exact measure of the “voluntariness” of the tax system.
More
Lies are always misrepresentations of reality, and reality always wins. The US government rests on an inherently unstable foundation of whoppers—big lies so huge they would make big lie proponent Adolf Hitler blush—some of which were detailed in the earlier article. The first trick to defeating an enemy is to ascertain its biggest weaknesses and the lies, which it feeds itself, flowing from those weaknesses.
Every government craves as much of its country’s resources as it can borrow, swindle, and steal.Our government’s finances are a series of lies. The first is that most people who pay taxes do so voluntarily. That’s a testable proposition. Make tax payments truly optional and voluntary, with no penalty and no civil or criminal liability for nonpayment. How much taxes do you think the government would collect? The taxes collected as a percentage of the taxes formerly collected would be an exact measure of the “voluntariness” of the tax system.
More
Hackers publish contact info of 20,000 FBI employees
The hackers, tweeting from the account @DotGovs, claim they obtained the details by hacking into a Department of Justice database.
The hackers boasted on Twitter, "FBI and DHS info is dropped and that's all we came to do, so now its time to go, bye folks! #FreePalestine."
More
UPDATED: 2 Harford County deputies killed in Abingdon shootings
Authorities said that a deputy responded to a disturbance call at 11:46 a.m. Wednesday at the Panera Bread near Emmorton Road in Abingdon. That deputy was wounded when at least one shot was fired in his direction, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.
Gahler said restaurant witnesses gave good information as to the direction of travel for the suspect. A second responding deputy found the suspect and shots were fired again, injuring the second deputy.
"We believe the deputies were shot by the same suspect," Gahler said.
A short time later, the suspect was killed, Gahler said. The suspect has not yet been identified.
More
Trump to Syrian Refugee Kids: 'You Can't Come Here'
Donald Trump says he'd be able to reject Syrian children fleeing to the United States as refugees, and be able to "look in their faces and say you can't come here."
At a campaign event in Salem, N.H., on the eve of the first-in-the nation primary, the GOP presidential front-runner – who has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States over vetting concerns – was told about a group of Syrian children expected to relocate and attend school in Connecticut, and then asked if he could personally reject them.
More
At a campaign event in Salem, N.H., on the eve of the first-in-the nation primary, the GOP presidential front-runner – who has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States over vetting concerns – was told about a group of Syrian children expected to relocate and attend school in Connecticut, and then asked if he could personally reject them.
More
INSIDE THE JANUARY JOBS “WHIFF”
TROUBLING JOBS REPORT UNDERSCORES WEAKNESS OF ECONOMY’S “FUNDAMENTALS”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobs data this week (.pdf here) … with the American economy posting a stated gain of 151,000 positions during the month of January. That figure was well below the 190,000-mark analysts were expecting – and even further below the 292,000 print posted in December (although that number was downgraded by 30,000 positions in the new report).
So … what’s the real scoop? What data within the data should we be paying attention to?
Well, let’s start with the labor participation rate – which measures the percentage of working age Americans who are participating in the work force. That number inched up from 62.6 to 62.7 percent – which means it is still hovering at near-four decade lows. If the labor force was the same size it was in 2007 – prior to the onset of the recent recession – America’s unemployment rate would be 9.6 percent, not 4.9 percent.
Big difference, right?
More
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobs data this week (.pdf here) … with the American economy posting a stated gain of 151,000 positions during the month of January. That figure was well below the 190,000-mark analysts were expecting – and even further below the 292,000 print posted in December (although that number was downgraded by 30,000 positions in the new report).
So … what’s the real scoop? What data within the data should we be paying attention to?
Well, let’s start with the labor participation rate – which measures the percentage of working age Americans who are participating in the work force. That number inched up from 62.6 to 62.7 percent – which means it is still hovering at near-four decade lows. If the labor force was the same size it was in 2007 – prior to the onset of the recent recession – America’s unemployment rate would be 9.6 percent, not 4.9 percent.
Big difference, right?
More
Governor Larry Hogan Statement on Harford County Sheriff’s Deputies
Governor Orders Flags to Fly at Half-Staff
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement in response to the violence that resulted in the deaths of two Harford County sheriff’s deputies this afternoon in Abingdon:
“Anytime law enforcement or first responders lose their lives in the line of duty, it is a tragedy and today’s violence in Abingdon and the deaths of two Harford County sheriff’s deputies is nothing less than absolutely heartbreaking. Our administration is committed to assisting Harford County during this investigation, and the Maryland State Police are working closely with local law enforcement to provide support as needed.
“The First Lady and I send our most sincere thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of the brave deputies who made the ultimate sacrifice today for the community they selflessly served. It is my hope that their commitment and dedication to law enforcement and protecting others will be remembered and will forever serve as an inspiration to others.”
Pizza delivery man says police violated his rights during traffic stop
BLADENSBURG, Md. (WUSA9) -- A pizza delivery driver, who was stopped by a Bladensburg police officer, says his civil rights were violated.
Christopher Jeffries was on his way to deliver a pizza on a Saturday evening in January when the officer stopped him. He said during the traffic stop, the officer had his gun drawn and pointed at him when he walked up.
He recorded some of the traffic stop on his cell phone and posted it to YouTube.
In the video, you can hear the officer yelling at Jeffries to roll down his window. When Jeffries replies that it is down, the officer asks again and adds, "It's going to go from bad to real bad."
More
**Traffic Advisory**
Troopers Investigating Serious Motor Vehicle Crash North of Millsboro
Millsboro - The Delaware State Police are currently on the scene of a serious motor vehicle crash on DuPont Boulevard (US113) and Avenue of Honor that occurred around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Preliminary investigation indicates the crash involved two vehicles. The number injured and the extent of their injuries are unknown at this time. US113 southbound lanes at East Piney Grove Road are closed at this time. Only a single lane of US113 northbound is currently open. Commuters are advised to seek alternate routes of travel.
Further details will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Millsboro - The Delaware State Police are currently on the scene of a serious motor vehicle crash on DuPont Boulevard (US113) and Avenue of Honor that occurred around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Preliminary investigation indicates the crash involved two vehicles. The number injured and the extent of their injuries are unknown at this time. US113 southbound lanes at East Piney Grove Road are closed at this time. Only a single lane of US113 northbound is currently open. Commuters are advised to seek alternate routes of travel.
Further details will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.
The controversy at Mount St. Mary’s goes national after professors are fired
Within hours of being posted, the petition had more than 2,400 digital signatures, a symbol of the outrage from some in the campus community as well as in broader academic circles who viewed the terminations as retribution against faculty who had opposed the president. They also said the decisions threaten the academic freedom at the private Catholic university in Maryland and violate the school’s core principles.
Alumni wrote letters to the university’s board, parents emailed the Archdiocese, and students planned a day of fasting and prayer for the campus on Ash Wednesday.
More
THE LATEST: FIORINIA TWEETS THAT SHE'S QUITTING GOP RACE
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Here's the latest on the 2016 presidential race as Republican and Democratic candidates head from New Hampshire to South Carolina and beyond. All times local:
3:12 p.m.
Carly Fiorina is dropping out of the 2016 Republican presidential race.
The former technology executive announced on Twitter that she is suspending her campaign.
The 61-year-old drew positive reviews for several strong debate performances, in which she promoted her business expertise and argued that as the lone woman in the GOP field she was best positioned to oppose likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But she struggled to build support in a crowded primary field and her poll numbers lagged.
Fiorina announced her candidacy in April. She previously ran unsuccessfully for Senate in California.
Fiorina struggled with criticism of her time at Hewlett-Packard, where she was ousted from the top job in 2005, after leading a major merger and laying off 30,000 people.
More
3:12 p.m.
Carly Fiorina is dropping out of the 2016 Republican presidential race.
The former technology executive announced on Twitter that she is suspending her campaign.
The 61-year-old drew positive reviews for several strong debate performances, in which she promoted her business expertise and argued that as the lone woman in the GOP field she was best positioned to oppose likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But she struggled to build support in a crowded primary field and her poll numbers lagged.
Fiorina announced her candidacy in April. She previously ran unsuccessfully for Senate in California.
Fiorina struggled with criticism of her time at Hewlett-Packard, where she was ousted from the top job in 2005, after leading a major merger and laying off 30,000 people.
More
Trump: Watch Your Back!
By Ronald Holland
Well it appears that Donald Trump almost won the final Iowa debate he didn't even attend because of some problems with Fox News and one of their media attack dogs. Today he was within an ace of winning the Iowa Republican Caucus. Should this snowball continue, then the GOP establishment can't stop him, the media elites can't stop him so what happens next?
To put my cards on the table for readers, I'm a libertarian/conservative political commentator and financial expert with some liberal views on social issues. I know and first supported Rand Paul as I did his father Ron before him. I decided a few months ago that only someone financially independent of the corrupt political establishment of both parties could hope to have any real impact to create the desperately needed political change in the closed two-party monopoly of the United States. So you can assume that I am a lukewarm supporter of Donald Trump.
I have often written that you can do anything reasonable and within the law and say anything you choose in the United States and get away with it except when you have the public support to threaten the ruling power elites that control both political parties, big business, the establishment think tanks and the media. Well now Donald Trump has shown that the emperor or gatekeepers that really run everything and control information flow and public opinion appear powerless and impotent in the face of the Trump political blitzkrieg.
Party Elites Have Always Chosen The Presidential Nominees Until Now
Remember historically the power elites behind the scenes usually could care less which party won the presidential contests because the differences in views and governing are only cosmetic for public consumption. Candidates and the entire political process are usually carefully crafted to give the false impression that voters really can make a difference.
If you carefully look back over the last 50 years, races are either too close to call where either party can win and both candidates are controlled or are landslides where the winner is never in doubt and the more extreme loser on the left or right never really has no a chance to win.
Breaking News: Carly Fiorina drops out of White House race
Our Republican Party must fight alongside these Americans as well. We must end crony capitalism by fighting the policies that allow it to flourish. We must fix our festering problems by holding our bloated, inept government bureaucracy accountable. Republicans must stand for conservative principles that lift people up and recognize all Americans have the right to fulfill their God-given potential.
To young girls and women across the country, I say: do not let others define you. Do not listen to anyone who says you have to vote a certain way or for a certain candidate because you're a woman. That is not feminism. Feminism doesn't shut down conversations or threaten women. It is not about ideology. It is not a weapon to wield against your political opponent. A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses and uses all her God-given gifts. And always remember that a leader is not born, but made. Choose leadership.
As I have said to the many wonderful Americans I have met throughout this campaign, a leader is a servant whose highest calling is to unlock potential in others. I will continue to serve in order to restore citizen government to this great nation so that together we may fulfill our potential.
Guess How Much a Beer Costs at Super Bowl 50
Nope. Higher.
If you can drop $4,600 on a Super Bowl ticket, you'll have no problem spending $13 on a bottle of domestic light beer, right? That's what Levi's Stadium is charging for a Coors Light at the big game.
More
Emails appear to show how key Clinton aide manipulated media coverage
A newly released email exchange from 2009 shows how a key Hillary Clinton aide strong-armed a prominent political reporter into glowing coverage of the then-secretary of state.
The email chain, released to Gawker in response to a Freedom of Information Request, is between longtime Clinton loyalist Philippe Reines and Atlantic reporter Marc Ambinder. Ambinder starts off the correspondence by asking for an advance copy of a speech on the Obama administration’s policies Clinton was due to give to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Reines obliges on three conditions:
1) You in your own voice describe them as “muscular”
More
The email chain, released to Gawker in response to a Freedom of Information Request, is between longtime Clinton loyalist Philippe Reines and Atlantic reporter Marc Ambinder. Ambinder starts off the correspondence by asking for an advance copy of a speech on the Obama administration’s policies Clinton was due to give to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Reines obliges on three conditions:
1) You in your own voice describe them as “muscular”
More
When You Can't Sell Salisbury Property, Auction It: Part 3
Description
The Property is believed to consist of approximately 59.55 +/- acres consisting of 4 parcels located near the Nutter’s Crossing Golf Course in Wicomico County, Maryland. The first parcel (Parcel 1 above) is believed to consist of approximately 32.88 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 08-007276. The second parcel (Parcel 2 above) is believed to consist of approximately 13.84 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 08-007268. The third parcel (Parcel 3 above) is believed to consist of approximately 9.83 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 08-024588. The fourth parcel (Parcel 4 above) is believed to consist of approximately 3 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 08-013594. It is believed that the Property is zoned R-20/A-2, Residential w/Airport Overlay.
Sale Terms
A deposit in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), payable by certified check or other form acceptable to the Sheriff’s Department of Wicomico County, will be required of the purchaser(s) at the time and place of sale. The Property will be sold in an “AS IS” condition and without any warranties or representations, either express or implied, as to the nature, condition or description of the improvements.
More
What's For Dinner: Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients...
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken
sliced carrots
sliced celery
1/2 can peas
1/2 onion
crumbled bacon
parsley
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 can flaky biscuits
'Momentum' problem? Clinton loses nearly every NH demo, as race heads south
Hillary Clinton didn’t just lose New Hampshire – she got clobbered, losing to rival Bernie Sanders across virtually every demographic.
Despite the campaign’s attempt to downplay the defeat as “long anticipated,” the astonishing turnout for Sanders now raises serious questions about the former secretary of state’s appeal going into the next round of contests – not just South Carolina, but Nevada and the many delegate-heavy states that vote in March.
Republicans were all too eager to point out that the Democrats’ longtime front-runner has a problem on her hands.
“The word momentum is very important, and certainly, there's not a lot of momentum there,” Donald Trump, the Republican winner Tuesday night, told Fox News.
More
Christie reportedly expected to end 2016 bid
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reportedly is expected to end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The Associated Press cited two sources familiar with his plans in reporting the expected announcement.
The decision would come after two-term governor finished in a disappointing sixth place in the New Hampshire primary. After the primary, Christie said he was returning to his home state to weigh his options.
More
The Associated Press cited two sources familiar with his plans in reporting the expected announcement.
The decision would come after two-term governor finished in a disappointing sixth place in the New Hampshire primary. After the primary, Christie said he was returning to his home state to weigh his options.
More
When You Can't Sell Salisbury Property, Auction It: Part 2
22 Residential Lots in the Sassafras Meadows Subdivision, Salisbury, MD
Description
The Property is believed to consist of 22 residential lots located along Marquis Avenue and Shea Lane in the Sassafras Meadows Subdivision, Phase 2. It is believed that the Property is zoned R-10A, Residential District.
Sale Terms
A deposit in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), payable by certified check or other form acceptable to the Sheriff’s Department of Wicomico County, will be required of the purchaser(s) at the time and place of sale. The Property will be sold in an “AS IS” condition and without any warranties or representations, either express or implied, as to the nature, condition or description of the improvements.
Teachers Who Can’t Teach
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine has a surprising conclusion. It finds that over the past decade, 1 percent of physicians accounted for 32 percent of malpractice claims. In other words, health care providers could eliminate one-third of malpractice and its associated health, legal and economic costs by removing the worst 1 percent of doctors.
It’s called the “law of the vital few” — better known as the 80/20 rule. It states that a disproportionate impact comes from a small input. Eighty-four percent of total income tax payments, for instance, are paid by 20 percent of earners. And more than two-thirds of all drunken-driving fatalities are caused by the tiny fraction of drivers with at least a 0.15 blood-alcohol level (the hard-core drunk drivers).
Perhaps nowhere is this rule more apparent than in the U.S. education system. Education economist Erik Hanushek has found that a small percentage of teachers are responsible for virtually all of the United States’ poor global education ranking. (U.S. students score worse on international tests than students from countries like Vietnam, Poland and Latvia.)
According to Mr. Hanushek, replacing the bottom 5-8 percent of teachers with average teachers could move the United States near the top of international education rankings. A 2013 study by a different group of researchers found that replacing the bottom 5 percent of teachers with average teachers would increases students’ lifetime income by approximately $250,000 per classroom per year. Getting rid of the worst teachers would improve productivity and economic output by trillions of dollars, says Mr. Hanushek.
More here
It’s called the “law of the vital few” — better known as the 80/20 rule. It states that a disproportionate impact comes from a small input. Eighty-four percent of total income tax payments, for instance, are paid by 20 percent of earners. And more than two-thirds of all drunken-driving fatalities are caused by the tiny fraction of drivers with at least a 0.15 blood-alcohol level (the hard-core drunk drivers).
Perhaps nowhere is this rule more apparent than in the U.S. education system. Education economist Erik Hanushek has found that a small percentage of teachers are responsible for virtually all of the United States’ poor global education ranking. (U.S. students score worse on international tests than students from countries like Vietnam, Poland and Latvia.)
According to Mr. Hanushek, replacing the bottom 5-8 percent of teachers with average teachers could move the United States near the top of international education rankings. A 2013 study by a different group of researchers found that replacing the bottom 5 percent of teachers with average teachers would increases students’ lifetime income by approximately $250,000 per classroom per year. Getting rid of the worst teachers would improve productivity and economic output by trillions of dollars, says Mr. Hanushek.
More here
When You Can't Sell Salisbury Property, Auction It: Part 1
210 + Acres - 1 Comm'l Parcel, 2 Residential Parcels in Salisbury, Maryland
Description
The Property is believed to consist of approximately 210.22 +/- acres of valuable real property consisting of 1 commercial parcel and 2 residential parcels located near the Village at Parson Lake. The commercial parcel (Parcel 3 above) is located off of Parsons Lake Drive and believed to consist of approximately 4.12 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 05-121612. The first residential parcel (Parcel 1 above) is also located off of Brown Road and believed to consist of approximately 156.10 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 05-064198. The second residential parcel (Parcel 2 above) is located off of Brown Road and believed to consist of approximately 50 +/- acres and has the following Tax Identification Number: 05-107512.The commercial parcel is believed to be zoned GC-General Commercial. The 2 residential parcels are believed to be zoned R-10A-Residential.
Sale Terms
A deposit in the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), payable by certified check or other form acceptable to the Sheriff’s Department of Wicomico County, will be required of the purchaser(s) at the time and place of sale. The Property will be sold in an “AS IS” condition and without any warranties or representations, either express or implied, as to the nature, condition or description of the improvements.
Religious Group Threatens To Sue NASA For Censoring 'Jesus'
A legal group focused on religious liberty just threatened National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with a lawsuit in response to the government agency’s censorship of the word “Jesus” from emails.
In a letter sent Monday, the Liberty Institute stated that NASA lawyers pressured a group of employees at the Johnson Space Center to remove the word “Jesus” from a club announcement. This demand took place in May and June of 2015.
These employees had formed a private group within the agency called the JSC Praise and Worship Club, an entity separate from the agency. As part of the group, employees meet together during lunch to pray, and no one is prevented from taking part in the group’s activities.
In an announcement email, one of the employees had used the word “Jesus.” A few days after the email went out, NASA lawyers clamped down and said the use of the word was absolutely unacceptable and would not accept the group’s offer to issue any kind of disclaimer to downplay its use.
More
In a letter sent Monday, the Liberty Institute stated that NASA lawyers pressured a group of employees at the Johnson Space Center to remove the word “Jesus” from a club announcement. This demand took place in May and June of 2015.
These employees had formed a private group within the agency called the JSC Praise and Worship Club, an entity separate from the agency. As part of the group, employees meet together during lunch to pray, and no one is prevented from taking part in the group’s activities.
In an announcement email, one of the employees had used the word “Jesus.” A few days after the email went out, NASA lawyers clamped down and said the use of the word was absolutely unacceptable and would not accept the group’s offer to issue any kind of disclaimer to downplay its use.
More
Orioles raising season ticket prices by 20% average in 2016
The Baltimore Orioles are raising ticket prices for season plan holders by an average of 20 percent in 2016.
The increase marks the third time in the past 12 seasons the team will hike prices. The team froze prices last season, a year after hiking prices by an average of 5 percent in 2014.
The average ticket price for plan holders this year will be about $30, up from $25 last season, said Greg Bader, a spokesman for the Orioles.
The Orioles are sending invoices to season plan holders via email on Tuesday afternoon.
More
New App Makes Whites Pay Reparations On Dinner Bill
Have you ever gone out for dinner with a group of friends, but struggled to decide on how to split the bill fairly while also undermining white privilege and smashing the patriarchy? Well, fret not, because now there’s an app for that.
Equipay is a new app developed last week for San Francisco’s Comedy Hack Day (where it took first prize). The app aspires to split dinner bills more fairly through a process that creator Luna Malbroux dubs “affirmative fractions.”
Source
Equipay is a new app developed last week for San Francisco’s Comedy Hack Day (where it took first prize). The app aspires to split dinner bills more fairly through a process that creator Luna Malbroux dubs “affirmative fractions.”
Source
Beyoncé Super Bowl Performance Pays Tribute to Black Panthers
Singer Beyoncé Knowles brought black liberation politics to the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday in a performance that appeared to pay tribute to the Black Panthers.
Backed by a cadre of backup dancers sporting Black Panther berets, Beyoncé performed her new single “Formation” in homage to the Black Lives Matter movement.
At one point during the performance, the dancers formed an X seemingly in tribute to black Muslim activist Malcolm X and raised their fists in the “black power” salute.
More
Backed by a cadre of backup dancers sporting Black Panther berets, Beyoncé performed her new single “Formation” in homage to the Black Lives Matter movement.
At one point during the performance, the dancers formed an X seemingly in tribute to black Muslim activist Malcolm X and raised their fists in the “black power” salute.
More
More: Young Female Democrats “Perplexed” By Hillary Clinton’s Claim That They Should Support Her Just Because She’s a Woman
I know I covered this basic idea earlier but it keeps popping up. Seems to be worth mentioning again.
Also, I forgot to mention two stories from the weekend.
First, Gloria Steinem said that young women are supporting Bernie Sanders to meet boys.
That has to be the most sexist thing ever. Seriously! She's claiming these little girls have nothing go on in their heads, no "agency," no concern other than meeting some cute (?) liberal boys.
She said this on the Bill Maher show.
Asked why the former secretary of state isn't doing better among young women, Steinem said females typically don’t start taking politics seriously until they get older.
"When you're young, you're thinking, 'Where are the boys?' The boys are with Bernie," Steinem added.
Maher was immediately taken aback by Steinem's comment.
"Now if I said that -- 'Yeah, they're for Bernie 'cause that's where the boys are' — you'd swat me," Maher said.
"No, I wouldn't," Steinem fired back.
Yes you would.
Also, I forgot to mention two stories from the weekend.
First, Gloria Steinem said that young women are supporting Bernie Sanders to meet boys.
That has to be the most sexist thing ever. Seriously! She's claiming these little girls have nothing go on in their heads, no "agency," no concern other than meeting some cute (?) liberal boys.
She said this on the Bill Maher show.
Asked why the former secretary of state isn't doing better among young women, Steinem said females typically don’t start taking politics seriously until they get older.
"When you're young, you're thinking, 'Where are the boys?' The boys are with Bernie," Steinem added.
Maher was immediately taken aback by Steinem's comment.
"Now if I said that -- 'Yeah, they're for Bernie 'cause that's where the boys are' — you'd swat me," Maher said.
"No, I wouldn't," Steinem fired back.
Yes you would.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Take Off Your Goodie-Good Two Shoes...
Headline news in The Guardian, UK, looks somewhat different than in the United States concerning Sen. Ted Cruz and his electioneering. Has "Trust" Ted created a fake PhD psychologist post-nominal title behind his lawyerly Harvard initials?
"Ted Cruz using firm that harvested data on millions of unwitting Facebook users Exclusive: Documents reveal donor-funded US startup embedded in Republican's campaign paid UK university academics to collect psychological profiles on potential voters."
(Source)
Ted Cruz's presidential campaign is using psychological data based on research spanning tens of millions of Facebook users, harvested largely without their permission, to boost his surging White House run and gain an edge over Donald Trump and other Republican rivals, the Guardian revealed.
A little-known data company, now embedded within Cruz's campaign and indirectly financed by his primary billionaire benefactor, paid researchers at Cambridge University to gather detailed psychological profiles about the US electorate using a massive pool of mainly unwitting US Facebook users built with an online survey.
As part of an aggressive new voter-targeting operation, Cambridge Analytica – financially supported by reclusive hedge fund magnate and leading Republican donor Robert Mercer – is now using so-called "psychographic profiles" of US citizens in order to help win Cruz votes, despite earlier concerns and red flags from potential survey-takers. (Ibid)
More
"Ted Cruz using firm that harvested data on millions of unwitting Facebook users Exclusive: Documents reveal donor-funded US startup embedded in Republican's campaign paid UK university academics to collect psychological profiles on potential voters."
(Source)
Ted Cruz's presidential campaign is using psychological data based on research spanning tens of millions of Facebook users, harvested largely without their permission, to boost his surging White House run and gain an edge over Donald Trump and other Republican rivals, the Guardian revealed.
A little-known data company, now embedded within Cruz's campaign and indirectly financed by his primary billionaire benefactor, paid researchers at Cambridge University to gather detailed psychological profiles about the US electorate using a massive pool of mainly unwitting US Facebook users built with an online survey.
As part of an aggressive new voter-targeting operation, Cambridge Analytica – financially supported by reclusive hedge fund magnate and leading Republican donor Robert Mercer – is now using so-called "psychographic profiles" of US citizens in order to help win Cruz votes, despite earlier concerns and red flags from potential survey-takers. (Ibid)
More
Bonuses for CIOs, other executives on cyber hot seat
Agency chief information officers need to take special notice about the grilling their colleagueDanny Harris from the Education Department took from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Feb. 2. Not so much for the questions about his ethics or even the systemic cybersecurity troubles Education has had for almost a decade, but rather because lawmakers specifically tied Harris’ bonus to his performance around the agency’s cybersecurity.
This was one of the few times in recent memory when members of Congress questioned how a senior executive could have received any sort of bonus when his agency’s Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) scores were failing, and progress on the administration’s cyber sprint was less than adequate.
(more…)
This was one of the few times in recent memory when members of Congress questioned how a senior executive could have received any sort of bonus when his agency’s Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) scores were failing, and progress on the administration’s cyber sprint was less than adequate.
(more…)
Governor Larry Hogan Establishes Commission to Modernize State Procurement
Commission will be chaired by Lt. Governor Rutherford
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today signed Executive Order 01.01.2016.05, which establishes the Commission to Modernize State Procurement, a bipartisan commission that will conduct a comprehensive review of Maryland’s procurement code and regulations. Due to an outdated approach, as well as a lack of modern technology, the state’s current process for procurement is considered unpredictable and discourages full participation among Maryland citizens and the business community. Currently, the Board of Public Works annually oversees $4 billion worth of procurement contracts and modifications.
“Over the past year, it has become apparent that Maryland’s procurement system is a patchwork of archaic laws and processes that are inefficient, ineffective, and result in wasted taxpayer dollars,” said Governor Hogan. “By modernizing the way Maryland deals with procurement, we will create a predictable, consistent, and transparent system, and get the best value for every dollar we spend – exactly what Marylanders expect and deserve.”
The commission will be chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford who previously served as the secretary for the Department of General Services for the state and had oversight over billions of dollars in annual procurement in his role as assistant secretary and chief acquisition officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The 19-member commission will review all aspects of modernizing the state’s procurement process including standardizing the interpretation of the procurement provisions in the Code of Maryland Regulations across all agencies; reducing costs for state agencies by utilizing new technologies; developing a statewide procurement manual to be used by state agencies for awarding contracts, and simplifying the current Request For Proposal (RFP) template to make it easier for businesses to understand and respond.
The commission will be comprised of state officials including representatives of the Maryland General Assembly, Comptroller’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, and several state agencies. Additionally, Governor Hogan has appointed five members with expertise in Maryland procurement law and experience in information technology, construction, and engineering services industries, among others. These members are:
Ronald Lipton, principal and CEO of Arel Architects, which provides traditional architectural and engineering services to commercial, institutional, and faith-based clientele.
John Molnar, co-founder of Integrity Consulting, and has 25 years of management experience in assisting companies enhance efficiency and savings opportunities.
Matthew Solomson, chief legal officer at Federal Government Solutions, where he manages the legal, compliance, and audit and procurements teams in support of a $9 billion business unit that provides healthcare management and technology services to the federal government.
Eileen Straughan, president and founder of Straughan Environmental, Inc., a multi-disciplinary environment firm with over 21 years’ experience in environmental permitting and compliance.
Eric Regelin, president of Granix, LLC, and has more than 35 years of design and construction experience.
The final report will be due to the governor no later than December 1, 2016.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today signed Executive Order 01.01.2016.05, which establishes the Commission to Modernize State Procurement, a bipartisan commission that will conduct a comprehensive review of Maryland’s procurement code and regulations. Due to an outdated approach, as well as a lack of modern technology, the state’s current process for procurement is considered unpredictable and discourages full participation among Maryland citizens and the business community. Currently, the Board of Public Works annually oversees $4 billion worth of procurement contracts and modifications.
“Over the past year, it has become apparent that Maryland’s procurement system is a patchwork of archaic laws and processes that are inefficient, ineffective, and result in wasted taxpayer dollars,” said Governor Hogan. “By modernizing the way Maryland deals with procurement, we will create a predictable, consistent, and transparent system, and get the best value for every dollar we spend – exactly what Marylanders expect and deserve.”
The commission will be chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford who previously served as the secretary for the Department of General Services for the state and had oversight over billions of dollars in annual procurement in his role as assistant secretary and chief acquisition officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The 19-member commission will review all aspects of modernizing the state’s procurement process including standardizing the interpretation of the procurement provisions in the Code of Maryland Regulations across all agencies; reducing costs for state agencies by utilizing new technologies; developing a statewide procurement manual to be used by state agencies for awarding contracts, and simplifying the current Request For Proposal (RFP) template to make it easier for businesses to understand and respond.
The commission will be comprised of state officials including representatives of the Maryland General Assembly, Comptroller’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, and several state agencies. Additionally, Governor Hogan has appointed five members with expertise in Maryland procurement law and experience in information technology, construction, and engineering services industries, among others. These members are:
Ronald Lipton, principal and CEO of Arel Architects, which provides traditional architectural and engineering services to commercial, institutional, and faith-based clientele.
John Molnar, co-founder of Integrity Consulting, and has 25 years of management experience in assisting companies enhance efficiency and savings opportunities.
Matthew Solomson, chief legal officer at Federal Government Solutions, where he manages the legal, compliance, and audit and procurements teams in support of a $9 billion business unit that provides healthcare management and technology services to the federal government.
Eileen Straughan, president and founder of Straughan Environmental, Inc., a multi-disciplinary environment firm with over 21 years’ experience in environmental permitting and compliance.
Eric Regelin, president of Granix, LLC, and has more than 35 years of design and construction experience.
The final report will be due to the governor no later than December 1, 2016.
I'll Ask You To Prom When Pigs Fly
"I'll ask you to prom when pigs fly, And he said Yes! I met Ben Davis two years ago and ever since then we became...
Posted by Love What Matters on Sunday, February 7, 2016
Click on title of post if video fails to load
How A Dog’s Story Can Teach Your Children About Life
4 Lessons From Rescue Dogs
One common method parents use to teach children responsibility is pet ownership, where kids help feed, clean and generally look after pets.
As important as instilling a sense of responsibility is for children, there are many more lessons our pets can teach us, says Cheryl Smith, a rescue animal advocate who founded a small non-profit that assists pets in need. Smith, a public defender, has cared for rescue animals since childhood and believes rescue animals can help humanity as much as many caretakers help them.
“Our courtroom deputy found a scared and thin little Chihuahua, alone on the street; I had to adopt the little guy, who I named Oliver,” says Smith, who adds the incident was the impetus for her to write “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (oliversheroes.com).
“I write fun doggy stories and songs to unwind in the evening. My stories revolve around a group of rescue dogs who support each other in adventures, life challenges and discovering life. They’re fun-filled, parent- and kid-friendly and focus on being thankful for having good friends around us.”
Oliver joined the rest of her six rescue dogs. Smith says the happy dog pack features the perfect characters for teaching the following life lessons.
• Acceptance of others, despite arbitrary differences: Humanity has bred dogs to suit a wide variety of purposes, resulting in an enormous diversity of physical and character traits. Despite the differences, most dogs have an innate ability to assemble into a pack. In Smith’s children’s book, when the group encounters different kinds of creatures, such as a polka-dotted and striped spider, the dogs judge the spider on its character and not on its exotic markings.
• Overcoming fear, together: Oliver and his friends go places like the woods, which are unknown, unpredictable and scary to some. The dogs who are scared are reassured by those in the group who are not, which is a great example for children who may fear the next grade level, or moving to a new town.
• The regular expression of gratitude: Anyone who has ever rescued an animal has probably experienced the gift of gratitude in return. These rescue animals tend to be more loving and are less likely to take what’s given to them – love, food, shelter and company – for granted. It’s a great reminder for children to keep in mind as they mature.
• Now is a good time to have fun: Dog owners are constantly reminded of at least one thing – the time, and the time is always now. Much of the time, the now-time means it’s time to play catch, enjoy a treat or simply bask in the company of companions. Remembering that the time is now, and that now may be a good time to enjoy fun, is a lesson children may not want to lose as they grow older and take on more responsibility.
One common method parents use to teach children responsibility is pet ownership, where kids help feed, clean and generally look after pets.
As important as instilling a sense of responsibility is for children, there are many more lessons our pets can teach us, says Cheryl Smith, a rescue animal advocate who founded a small non-profit that assists pets in need. Smith, a public defender, has cared for rescue animals since childhood and believes rescue animals can help humanity as much as many caretakers help them.
“Our courtroom deputy found a scared and thin little Chihuahua, alone on the street; I had to adopt the little guy, who I named Oliver,” says Smith, who adds the incident was the impetus for her to write “Oliver’s Heroes: The Spider Adventure” (oliversheroes.com).
“I write fun doggy stories and songs to unwind in the evening. My stories revolve around a group of rescue dogs who support each other in adventures, life challenges and discovering life. They’re fun-filled, parent- and kid-friendly and focus on being thankful for having good friends around us.”
Oliver joined the rest of her six rescue dogs. Smith says the happy dog pack features the perfect characters for teaching the following life lessons.
• Acceptance of others, despite arbitrary differences: Humanity has bred dogs to suit a wide variety of purposes, resulting in an enormous diversity of physical and character traits. Despite the differences, most dogs have an innate ability to assemble into a pack. In Smith’s children’s book, when the group encounters different kinds of creatures, such as a polka-dotted and striped spider, the dogs judge the spider on its character and not on its exotic markings.
• Overcoming fear, together: Oliver and his friends go places like the woods, which are unknown, unpredictable and scary to some. The dogs who are scared are reassured by those in the group who are not, which is a great example for children who may fear the next grade level, or moving to a new town.
• The regular expression of gratitude: Anyone who has ever rescued an animal has probably experienced the gift of gratitude in return. These rescue animals tend to be more loving and are less likely to take what’s given to them – love, food, shelter and company – for granted. It’s a great reminder for children to keep in mind as they mature.
• Now is a good time to have fun: Dog owners are constantly reminded of at least one thing – the time, and the time is always now. Much of the time, the now-time means it’s time to play catch, enjoy a treat or simply bask in the company of companions. Remembering that the time is now, and that now may be a good time to enjoy fun, is a lesson children may not want to lose as they grow older and take on more responsibility.
Accused Rapist Bill Clinton Complains That ‘Bernie Bros’ Are ‘Profane’ And ‘Sexist’
Former President Bill Clinton, the accused rapist and serial sexual harasser, lashed out at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday at the cohort of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders backers dubbed “Bernie Bros,” accusing them of engaging in “vicious trolling” of Hillary Clinton’s supporters.
“People who have gone online to defend Hillary and explain why they support her have been subject to vicious trolling and attacks that are literally too profane — not to mention sexist — to repeat,” Clinton told a crowd of 300 gathered at Milford Middle School Sunday afternoon according toPolitico and Bloomberg Politics.
Though Clinton did not use the derisive term “Bernie Bros,” he was making a clear reference to Sanders’ male supporters, who some reporters claim use sexist language online to attack Clinton and her allies.
More
“People who have gone online to defend Hillary and explain why they support her have been subject to vicious trolling and attacks that are literally too profane — not to mention sexist — to repeat,” Clinton told a crowd of 300 gathered at Milford Middle School Sunday afternoon according toPolitico and Bloomberg Politics.
Though Clinton did not use the derisive term “Bernie Bros,” he was making a clear reference to Sanders’ male supporters, who some reporters claim use sexist language online to attack Clinton and her allies.
More
GOP Report: Illegal Immigrants Awarded Obamacare Subsidies
A report conducted by Senate Republicans estimates the Obama administration gave about $750 million in Obamacare health insurance subsidies to illegal immigrants who aren't eligible for them.
The report, released Monday by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, also says that while the IRS has implemented a plan to take back the government assistance, the plan is "ineffective and insufficient."
Illegal immigrants aren't eligible for health insurance subsidies provided to low-income Americans through President Obama's healthcare law. But some still succeeded in collecting the government assistance, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which announced in June that it had ended coverage for about 423,000 consumers who had failed to produce "sufficient documentation on their citizenship or immigration status."
More
The report, released Monday by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, also says that while the IRS has implemented a plan to take back the government assistance, the plan is "ineffective and insufficient."
Illegal immigrants aren't eligible for health insurance subsidies provided to low-income Americans through President Obama's healthcare law. But some still succeeded in collecting the government assistance, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which announced in June that it had ended coverage for about 423,000 consumers who had failed to produce "sufficient documentation on their citizenship or immigration status."
More
Tax Fairness Question at GOP Debate Rooted in Falsehood Spread by Media
During Saturday night’s debate in New Hampshire for the Republican presidential nomination, ABC news anchor David Muir pointedly asked the candidates if they stood opposed to the two-thirds of Americans who want to raise taxes on the wealthy.
First, Muir grilled Marco Rubio by stating, “A recent poll [found that] 68% of Americans favor raising taxes on people making more than a million a year. Are they wrong?”
After Rubio answered, Muir turned to Jeb Bush and challenged him: “I just want to repeat that number to you: 68% of Americans favor raising taxes on people making more than a million. What would you say to people who believe that?”
After Bush was done, Chris Christie chimed in and bluntly stated, “Everyone in the public who is in that 68%, I want to tell you the truth: You’re wrong, and here’s why you’re wrong.”
More
First, Muir grilled Marco Rubio by stating, “A recent poll [found that] 68% of Americans favor raising taxes on people making more than a million a year. Are they wrong?”
After Rubio answered, Muir turned to Jeb Bush and challenged him: “I just want to repeat that number to you: 68% of Americans favor raising taxes on people making more than a million. What would you say to people who believe that?”
After Bush was done, Chris Christie chimed in and bluntly stated, “Everyone in the public who is in that 68%, I want to tell you the truth: You’re wrong, and here’s why you’re wrong.”
More
2015 foreclosures plummet 59 percent in Maryland, more than 20 percent nationally
Foreclosures in the U.S. were down more than 20 percent in 2015, with Maryland leading the way with a 59 percent decline in foreclosures for the year.
That's according to Irvine, California-based real estate data firm CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) and its chief economist, Frank Nothaft.
In December, the national foreclosure inventory — the number of mortgaged homes that are in the foreclosure process — was down 2.4 percent from November, representing 50 months of consecutive year-over-year declines, CoreLogic reports.
The double-digit drop in foreclosure rates is the lowest level since 2006, before the housing crisis and the Great Recession. The current 1.1 percent foreclosure rate nationally is back to November 2007 levels, says CoreLogic.
More
Bernie and Hillary’s America
Watching last Thursday’s debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders one might have thought a Republican had been in the White House for nearly eight years.
Hearing their complaints about the economy (bad), discrimination (rampant), health care (too many without it), unemployment (too many not working, or working at low-paying jobs), it appeared hope had died and change is all we have left in our pockets.
To hear these two ultra-liberals tell it, we are a horrible, miserable, evil nation. We are bigots, we are greedy because we won’t surrender more of our income to the government gods, we hate anyone who isn’t white, male and heterosexual, and we want to deport everyone who isn’t a Christian.
I wouldn’t want to live in a country like that, would you? But that is not who we are. It is only who Democrats think we are.
Hillary Clinton hasn’t yet released transcripts of speeches she gave to Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers. When asked why not, she reverted to familiar Clinton obfuscation, promising to “look into it.”
More
Hearing their complaints about the economy (bad), discrimination (rampant), health care (too many without it), unemployment (too many not working, or working at low-paying jobs), it appeared hope had died and change is all we have left in our pockets.
To hear these two ultra-liberals tell it, we are a horrible, miserable, evil nation. We are bigots, we are greedy because we won’t surrender more of our income to the government gods, we hate anyone who isn’t white, male and heterosexual, and we want to deport everyone who isn’t a Christian.
I wouldn’t want to live in a country like that, would you? But that is not who we are. It is only who Democrats think we are.
Hillary Clinton hasn’t yet released transcripts of speeches she gave to Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers. When asked why not, she reverted to familiar Clinton obfuscation, promising to “look into it.”
More
CNN Fact-Checker Lies About Ted Cruz
CNN is not only desperate to absolve itself of its legitimate responsibility for spreading the false idea that Dr. Ben Carson was dropping out of the presidential race last week, CNN is also hoping to complete a three-bank shot that will damage Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the process. Saturday night, CNN went so far as to have their phony left-wing “fact-checker” Tom Foreman lie about Cruz.
For all of this to make sense, let’s start at the beginning.
Last Monday night, during the Iowa Caucus, I watched CNN live and saw the Carson segment in question that lit this political fire. At the time, there was no doubt in my mind that CNN, for whatever reason, wanted people to believe that Carson was dropping out of the race. Watch the segment with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for yourself.
Bash even goes beyond reporting to ominously inform viewers, “Look, if you want to be president of the United States, you don’t go home to Florida. That’s just the bottom line. That’s the end of the story.”
Oh, okay.
Here is the most important fact: In the segment above, Bash is referring to reporting from CNN’s Chris Moody. At the time, Moody’s reporting had been done only through his Twitter account, which has fewer than 31,000 followers. This is important, because through his Twitter account, Moody reported a crucially important fact that CNN held back both on its cable network and through the official CNN Twitter account.
According to my colleague Joel Pollak’s timeline of events, Moody made clear in his Twitter-reporting that Ben Carson was not dropping out of the race. For whatever reason, the on-air reporting neglected to mention this clarifying bit of news.
Now ask yourself this simple question: Why did CNN leave that out?
(More details and video here)
For all of this to make sense, let’s start at the beginning.
Last Monday night, during the Iowa Caucus, I watched CNN live and saw the Carson segment in question that lit this political fire. At the time, there was no doubt in my mind that CNN, for whatever reason, wanted people to believe that Carson was dropping out of the race. Watch the segment with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for yourself.
Bash even goes beyond reporting to ominously inform viewers, “Look, if you want to be president of the United States, you don’t go home to Florida. That’s just the bottom line. That’s the end of the story.”
Oh, okay.
Here is the most important fact: In the segment above, Bash is referring to reporting from CNN’s Chris Moody. At the time, Moody’s reporting had been done only through his Twitter account, which has fewer than 31,000 followers. This is important, because through his Twitter account, Moody reported a crucially important fact that CNN held back both on its cable network and through the official CNN Twitter account.
According to my colleague Joel Pollak’s timeline of events, Moody made clear in his Twitter-reporting that Ben Carson was not dropping out of the race. For whatever reason, the on-air reporting neglected to mention this clarifying bit of news.
Now ask yourself this simple question: Why did CNN leave that out?
(More details and video here)
A Viewer Writes: Bomb Threat At Laurel Schools
They said it was a live call
Making Women Sign Up for the Draft Would be the Height of Stupidity
Conservatives didn’t understand why George Stephanopoulos asked Mitt Romney questions about birth control during one of the debates back in 2012. It seemed like a bizarre question since it was a non-issue at the time, but it turned out to be foreshadowing of the Democrat strategy to make birth control a central part of the election.
We may have seen the same thing in the New Hampshire debate as liberal moderator Martha Raddatz asked Republican candidates if they thought young women should be forced to sign up for the draft. Surprisingly, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie all blundered right into her trap and agreed that we should take the radical step of forcing young women to sign up for a potential draft.
If one of those candidates ends up as our nominee, he would deserve the brutal wave of attack ads Democrats should launch at him for taking such a thoughtless position. He would also deserve to bleed female support – and maybe male support, too. When you start telling fathers that you want to take their baby girls and force them into a situation where violent armed men are going to try to kill them, don’t be surprised when their protective instincts naturally kick in and they decide you’re not someone that they want in the White House.
More
We may have seen the same thing in the New Hampshire debate as liberal moderator Martha Raddatz asked Republican candidates if they thought young women should be forced to sign up for the draft. Surprisingly, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie all blundered right into her trap and agreed that we should take the radical step of forcing young women to sign up for a potential draft.
If one of those candidates ends up as our nominee, he would deserve the brutal wave of attack ads Democrats should launch at him for taking such a thoughtless position. He would also deserve to bleed female support – and maybe male support, too. When you start telling fathers that you want to take their baby girls and force them into a situation where violent armed men are going to try to kill them, don’t be surprised when their protective instincts naturally kick in and they decide you’re not someone that they want in the White House.
More
Virginia Pushes to Hold Sanctuary Cities Liable for Illegals’ Crimes
It’s unclear whether any Virginia jurisdictions qualify as sanctuary cities, but the state legislature is determined to make sure none of them stray across the line, with Republican senators and delegates pushing to withhold money from those that refuse to cooperate — and even considering making them have to pay restitution to those harmed by illegal immigrants within their borders.
The House cleared a bill Monday that would require prisons and jails to honor all requests to transfer illegal immigrants to federal custody, as long as they aren’t asked to hold the aliens beyond the time they’d normally be released.
Senators meanwhile debated — but put off until later this week — votes on bills that would have allowed the state to strip grant money from sanctuaries, and that would have given private citizens hurt by illegal immigrants the chance to claim damages.
“This is very simple: We are either voting for rule of law or voting against it,” said Sen. Thomas A. Garrett, Buckingham Republican and sponsor of the bill to strip funding from sanctuaries.
Sanctuary cities have burst onto front pages nationwide after last summer’s slaying of Kathryn Steinle, a 32-year-old woman shot while walking the San Francisco waterfront with her father. Police charged an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times but had snuck back and was living in San Francisco, where officials just months earlier had refused to turn him over to federal immigration agents for deportation.
In Congress, Senate Democrats launched a filibuster to prevent the national government from stripping federal grant money from sanctuaries, forcing the fight back into the states, where local lawmakers, eager to win points with constituents, are taking up the challenge in about a dozen states.
More
The House cleared a bill Monday that would require prisons and jails to honor all requests to transfer illegal immigrants to federal custody, as long as they aren’t asked to hold the aliens beyond the time they’d normally be released.
Senators meanwhile debated — but put off until later this week — votes on bills that would have allowed the state to strip grant money from sanctuaries, and that would have given private citizens hurt by illegal immigrants the chance to claim damages.
“This is very simple: We are either voting for rule of law or voting against it,” said Sen. Thomas A. Garrett, Buckingham Republican and sponsor of the bill to strip funding from sanctuaries.
Sanctuary cities have burst onto front pages nationwide after last summer’s slaying of Kathryn Steinle, a 32-year-old woman shot while walking the San Francisco waterfront with her father. Police charged an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times but had snuck back and was living in San Francisco, where officials just months earlier had refused to turn him over to federal immigration agents for deportation.
In Congress, Senate Democrats launched a filibuster to prevent the national government from stripping federal grant money from sanctuaries, forcing the fight back into the states, where local lawmakers, eager to win points with constituents, are taking up the challenge in about a dozen states.
More
Ten Priorities for a Green National Budget
February 9, the Obama administration will present its last budget to Congress for the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2016. With most of his signature environmental initiatives accomplished, and Congress unlikely to adopt any pro-active environmental laws he proposes, writing the first iteration of the must-pass federal budget is one of the last opportunities the president has to shape his legacy for our air, water, our lands, and our climate. As U.S. lawmakers debate the budget over the next eight months, we’ll be advocating against policy riders or funding cuts designed to block the Clean Power Plan, the Clean Water Rule, and other Obama administration initiatives. In addition, together with our national federation Environment America, we’re calling on the president to include the following ten priorities his budget to help ensure a greener, cleaner, healthier future for Maryland, the country, and the planet.
1-The nation’s most important land conservation program. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has created or expanded 40,000 parks and other projects in all 50 states for Americans to hike, fish, paddle, or just enjoy the great outdoors. Revenue from offshore drilling leases is dedicated to fund the program, but Congress has consistently raided those funds, and last year even allowed this critical conservation program to expire. We’re calling for a green budget that fully funds the Land & Water Conservation Fund at $900 million. Conservation projects that hang in the balance include protecting lands around the Pacific Crest Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian Trail; expanding protections for the Everglades; and Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. Last week, the White House announced it would indeed be asking for full funding for LWCF, which is fantastic news, and we’re looking forward to getting Congress to follow through on this critical request.
2-Protecting our parks on their 100th birthday. This August marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service—the agency tasked with the maintenance and protection of our nation’s nearly 500 parks, trails, and recreation areas, from Washington’s Mt. Rainier to Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. Yet since 2005, the National Park Service’s budget has been cut by half a billion dollars – leading to long term staff losses, closed facilities, and the growth of the $11.3 billion backlog for deferred regular maintenance.More Americans than ever before are likely to visit our parks for the Centennial, but will our parks be ready with adequate facilities and enough rangers? A green budget should include at least $1 billion for the Centennial to address thousands of facility needs, facilitate volunteer and ranger coordination, and ensure that we and future generations can enjoy our parks from Catoctin Mountain to Assateague Island for the next 100 years.
3-Safe drinking water. All Americans deserve safe drinking water. Yet as the unfolding crisis in Flint, MI, makes clear, we can no longer take this basic public health expectation for granted. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that communities will need $384 billion in drinking water infrastructure between now and 2030. A green budget should fund the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund at $2 billion to ensure that all communities can provide safe, clean drinking water to their residents. The revolving fund should give clear priority to repairing existing infrastructure and water efficiency and conservation.
A Viewer Writes: Bad Road Conditions On Rt. 50 West Bound
Just wanted to let you know that a friend of mine was driving from Bishopville to Salisbury this morning. He saw seven accidents on Rt. 50 with two overturned vehicles.
Johns Hopkins is First and Only Center in the United States Approved for HIV-Positive to HIV-Positive Organ Transplants
Johns Hopkins recently received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing to be the first hospital in the U.S. to perform HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ transplants. The institution will be the first in the nation to do an HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplant and the first in the world to execute an HIV-positive to HIV-positive liver transplant.
“This is an unbelievably exciting day for our hospital and our team, but more importantly for patients living with HIV and end-stage organ disease. For these individuals, this means a new chance at life,” says Dorry L. Segev, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
This announcement brings to fruition the exhausting two-year effort Segev put into helping draft and push through the 2013 HOPE Act — a bill signed by President Obama that made it possible for HIV-positive individuals to donate organs, and one of only 57 bills passed in 2013 by the most unproductive Congress in the history of the United States.
More
“It’s great to see Johns Hopkins Medicine lead the nation in being the first hospital to receive approval to perform life-saving organ transplants on HIV-positive patients. As a physician for nearly 30 years who has conducted medical research, I know firsthand how medical innovation often outpaces government laws and regulations. We passed the HOPE Act knowing that hospitals across the country would move forward and provide these transplants – saving the lives of many of those living with HIV, and having a huge impact on the medical community in general,” said Congressman Andy Harris.
“This is an unbelievably exciting day for our hospital and our team, but more importantly for patients living with HIV and end-stage organ disease. For these individuals, this means a new chance at life,” says Dorry L. Segev, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
This announcement brings to fruition the exhausting two-year effort Segev put into helping draft and push through the 2013 HOPE Act — a bill signed by President Obama that made it possible for HIV-positive individuals to donate organs, and one of only 57 bills passed in 2013 by the most unproductive Congress in the history of the United States.
More
BREAKING NEWS: THREE CAR ACCIDENT EAST BOUND ON RT. 50 IN HEBRON
Bus Driver (Seasonal/Part-Time)
Two-Thirds of NH GOP Voters Support Trump’s Muslim Ban
According to the New Hampshire exit polls, a full 66% of Republican voters back a “ban on Muslims from entering the U.S.”
This obviously is good news for Donald Trump, who proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the country until our government is in a better position to avoid another Sacramento terror attack. The female jihadist who committed that terror attack was here on a fiancée visa.
More
This obviously is good news for Donald Trump, who proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the country until our government is in a better position to avoid another Sacramento terror attack. The female jihadist who committed that terror attack was here on a fiancée visa.
More
Christie Returning to NJ to 'Reassess' Campaign
"We're going to go home to New Jersey and wait," he told supporters. "We should know tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, what the vote count is — and that's going to allow us to make a decision about how we move from here in this race."
Christie was projected to place fifth in the primary, with 7 percent of the vote.
He told Jake Tapper on CNN earlier Tuesday that he had three events scheduled in South Carolina on Wednesday.
More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)