DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Mass Exodus From High-Taxes - Which States Did Americans Leave In 2016?
Migration patterns for 2016 show that Americans tended to move away from high-tax states and into states where residents keep more of what they earn.
United Van Lines, the nation’s largest moving company, recently released its annual movers study report showing that South Dakota overtook Oregon as the top inbound destination. Generally, more people moved toward the West, and states in the Northeast saw the largest exodus of residents. The top four outbound states in 2016, in order, were New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and Connecticut.
The Tax Foundation pointed out in a recent blog post that those results are similar to the organization’s annual state business tax climate index.
In fact, New Jersey, which saw an outbound rate of 63 percent—meaning nearly two people moved out of the Garden State for every person who moved in, also finished last in that index. New York had the second-worst business tax climate, according to the Tax Foundation. Connecticut was eighth-worst while Illinois was more middle of the pack.
The Tax Foundation said the absence of a major tax such as the corporate income tax, individual income tax, or sales tax is a common factor among most of the states that rank in the top 10 on the business climate tax index.
Nicole Kaeding, author of the migration post, noted that taxes are sometimes overcited as a primary reason why people move out of states, but they certainly can play a significant role, as is evidenced by the similar results in the Tax Foundation and United Van Lines studies.
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United Van Lines, the nation’s largest moving company, recently released its annual movers study report showing that South Dakota overtook Oregon as the top inbound destination. Generally, more people moved toward the West, and states in the Northeast saw the largest exodus of residents. The top four outbound states in 2016, in order, were New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and Connecticut.
The Tax Foundation pointed out in a recent blog post that those results are similar to the organization’s annual state business tax climate index.
In fact, New Jersey, which saw an outbound rate of 63 percent—meaning nearly two people moved out of the Garden State for every person who moved in, also finished last in that index. New York had the second-worst business tax climate, according to the Tax Foundation. Connecticut was eighth-worst while Illinois was more middle of the pack.
The Tax Foundation said the absence of a major tax such as the corporate income tax, individual income tax, or sales tax is a common factor among most of the states that rank in the top 10 on the business climate tax index.
Nicole Kaeding, author of the migration post, noted that taxes are sometimes overcited as a primary reason why people move out of states, but they certainly can play a significant role, as is evidenced by the similar results in the Tax Foundation and United Van Lines studies.
More
More than two dozen broadcasters join Maryland Public TV in landmark simulcast of heroin program
OWINGS MILLS, MD – Maryland Public Television (MPT) will premiere a new program, Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery, on Saturday, February 11 at 7 p.m. The hour-long television event, consisting of a 40-minute documentary and 20-minute live phone bank program, will air on nearly 30 television and radio stations (list appears below) in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., either simultaneously with MPT’s telecast or shortly thereafter. This unprecedented simulcast is designed to reach tens of thousands of regional viewers.
Produced by MPT in association with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Behavioral Health Administration, Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery examines stories of three Maryland residents in rural and urban settings with an opioid use disorder. Rather than focusing on the criminal and legal aspects of the users’ stories, the MPT program instead concentrates on the subjects’ individual struggles and recovery from addiction.
“Heroin is destroying lives in Maryland and throughout our nation – from the smallest town to the biggest city,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford and I have been committed to fighting this crisis since before we took office and will continue to use every resource at our disposal to address this epidemic in a coordinated effort – from law enforcement to treatment – and provide our citizens with the much-needed resources and support they need.”
The program also will be streamed on a special website, breakingheroin.com, created to provide public access to information, the state’s crisis hotline, and resources to assist active users and their families in obtaining help. The website will offer two more video segments not included in the broadcast featuring firsthand accounts of the region's heroin problem. Following the broadcast, the documentary also will be available on the same website and MPT’s YouTube channel.
Throughout the evening and at the documentary’s conclusion, a live phone bank (1-800-422-0009) – staffed by Behavioral Health Administration crisis hotline team members – will receive calls from addicted individuals, family members, or friends to provide immediate information and assistance that may lead to treatment and recovery.
Individuals who need help finding resources for substance related disorder treatment also can visit MdDestinationRecovery.org. Treatment facilities, listed by location and program characteristics, can be found at this link.
MPT news anchor Jeff Salkin will be joined by WBAL-TV news anchor/reporter Jason Newton, to host the one-hour broadcast and phone bank outreach event.
The Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery broadcast simulcast was arranged with member stations of the Maryland, DC, Delaware Broadcasters Association (MDCD), an industry group representing public and commercial radio and television across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Delaware. The telecast is also being supported by print journalist members of the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association (MDDC), an Annapolis-based association of more than 100 member publications and wire services. Participating MDDC member newspapers will provide localized coverage of the opioid problem in their own communities.
About MPT
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually. MPT’s community engagement connects viewers with local resources on significant health, education, and public interest topics through year-round outreach events, viewer forums, program screenings, and phone bank call-in opportunities.
# # #
MEDIA NOTES:
Opioid addiction experts are available for interviews.
Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery documentary screeners are available upon request. A media resource toolkit is available at breakingheroin.com.
ADDITIONAL STATIONS PARTICIPATING IN BROADCAST OF MPT’s Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery
WBAL-TV / Baltimore, MD
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WBAL-AM / Baltimore, MD
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WJZ-TV / Baltimore, MD
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WYPR-FM / Baltimore, MD
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WMAR-TV / Baltimore, MD
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WJZ-FM / Baltimore, MD
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WNUV-TV / Baltimore, MD
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WLIF-FM / Baltimore, MD
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WRDE-TV / Lewes, DE
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WOLB-AM / Baltimore, MD
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WHAG-TV / Hagerstown, MD
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WWMX-FM / Baltimore, MD
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WMDT-TV / Salisbury, MD
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WHFC-FM / Bel Air, MD
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WHUT-TV / Washington, DC
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WJEJ-AM / Hagerstown, MD
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WUSA-TV / Washington, DC
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WPTX-AM / Lexington Park, MD
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WITF-TV and WITF-FM / Harrisburg, PA
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WTHU-AM / Thurmont, MD
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WVPB-TV / Charleston, WV
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WKHS-FM / Worton, MD
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WMPH-FM / Wilmington, DE
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WOL-AM / Washington, DC
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WRNR-FM / Annapolis, MD
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WPRS-FM / Washington, DC
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WNAV-AM /Annapolis, MD
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Journalists Whine After NY Post Gets First Question At Trump Press Briefing
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House approves bill barring taxpayer money for abortions
The measure passed mostly along party lines, 238-183.
Currently, the so-called "Hyde Amendment," which is regularly attached to annual funding bills, already prohibits federal agencies from using funds for abortion services. The measure approved on Tuesday would make that amendment permanent.
The amendment includes an exception for those abortions that are undertaken to protect the life of the mother or done in cases of rape or incest.
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NEWS IN NUMBERS
$1 million
Prize that Michigan is giving away to one or two people who come up with the best solution for keeping carp out of the Great Lakes. The fish threaten the ecosystem as well as the fishing industry.
7 times
The increased probability that someone who is 65 years or older will vote in mayoral elections, compared to 18- to 34-year-olds.
$863.7 million
Amount Moody's will pay to settle a lawsuit over allegations that it misled investors when it issued positive credit ratings for shaky mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. The money will be divided between 20 states and the federal government.
191
Prisoners who have been granted parole but are still incarcerated in Mississippi because of a state law that requires them to have an "approved address" before getting their freedom back.
4
States that have no money in their rainy day funds, up from two last year. They are Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey and North Dakota.
40 years
Time span of Exxon Mobil's internal climate change research that the oil company has to turn over to Massachusetts. The ruling was on the same day former CEO Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, refused to answer U.S. senators' questions about Exxon’s understanding of global warming.
31%
Portion of police officers -- compared to 60 percent of the public -- who believe that the recent deaths of black people at the hands of cops are signs of a broader problem.
40%
Portion of black officers that a police force needs to reduce violent interactions with black citizens, according to a new study. When black officers make up less than that, researchers found that violent interactions with black citizens could actually rise.
$5.5 million
Amount Montana agencies have agreed to give back to help close a projected $90 million state budget hole. Lawmakers promised to return 30 percent of the donated funds in 2019.
MoreWitness: Kellyanne Conway punches man in face at Trump inaugural ball
Conway was reportedly attempting to break up a brawl involving two tuxedo-clad men at the exclusive Liberty Ball on Friday evening.
“But the two men wouldn’t break up the fight and Conway apparently punched one of them in the face with closed fists at least three times, according to the stunned onlooker,” the New York Daily News reported.
The report didn’t indicate what sparked the fist fight.
WND’s request for comment from Conway hadn’t been returned at the time of this report.
Fox Business correspondent Charlie Gasparino was a witness cited by the Daily News.
Gasparino claimed he met actor Scott Baio outside the ball and “a bunch of anarchist thugs began to descend on us.” The “thugs” allegedly shouted, “Hey Chachi, are you fascist?”
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With Obama Leaving, Congressional GOP Moves to Gut D.C.'s Progressive Laws
Congressional Republicans are making an aggressive push to gut the District’s progressive policies, introducing bills in recent days to repeal the heavily Democratic city’s gun-control measures, undo its new law allowing physician-assisted suicide and ban the District from using local tax dollars to provide abortions for poor women.
The bills have begun arriving on the eve of President Obama’s departure from the White House, where he has stifled repeated attempts to pass similar measures with a veto threat.
Those decisions will soon be in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, and conservative House members said they think that Trump will not impede the will of a newly emboldened Republican-led Congress.
The bills have begun arriving on the eve of President Obama’s departure from the White House, where he has stifled repeated attempts to pass similar measures with a veto threat.
Those decisions will soon be in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, and conservative House members said they think that Trump will not impede the will of a newly emboldened Republican-led Congress.
US sent $221 million to Palestinians in Obama's last hours
WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that GOP members of Congress had been blocking.
A State Department official and several congressional aides said the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning. The official said former Secretary of State John Kerry had informed some lawmakers of the move shortly before he left the State Department for the last time Thursday. The aides said written notification dated Jan. 20 was sent to Congress just hours before Donald Trump took the oath of office.
In addition to the $221 million for the Palestinians, the Obama administration also told Congress on Friday it was going ahead with the release of another $6 million in foreign affairs spending, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for U.N. organizations, the congressional aides said. The aides and the State Department official weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
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Advancement of Capital Improvement Plan 2018-2022
Mayor and Council anticipate that these investments will result in significant and lasting economic benefits to the City. Master plans for the Bicycle Network, City Park, Riverwalk, Urban Greenway and Zoo are all incorporated into this CIP. Mayor Day hopes these projects will not only unify the City, but also bring it one step closer to his vision of making the City of Salisbury into one of the most thriving, successful small cities in America.
Mayor Day notes that this vision isn’t one he can achieve by himself, but rather it will involve the whole community. He offers a call-to-action to the City, stating that it is not only his but everyone’s responsibility to make sure that these plans are “achievable, implementable, and affordable.” Mayor Day affirms that this CIP is all of those things, and that the City possesses the resources necessary to carry these projects out.
“This Capital Plan reflects the lowest requested amount in over a decade—by more than 15 million dollars,” said the Mayor. “That doesn’t mean we’re expecting to do less; quite the opposite, actually. It means we’re being smarter with how we plan to use the taxpayers’ money. This budget planning document is the road map to how we will enhance the quality of life for our citizens, and ensure prosperity in the coming years. I’m thankful to the Council for their confidence in this vision.”
#SBY #SBYNEWS
Why Maine's Governor Thinks Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Should Thank White Men
Maine's Republican Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday that the NAACP should apologize to white America, making the comment just hours after he weighed in on the president-elect's Twitter beef with a black civil rights icon.
"I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history," LePage said during his weekly appearance on the George Hale and Ric Tyler Show, on Bangor-based radio station WVOM. "It was Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves, it was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant who fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice."
LePage's criticism was aimed at U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic member of Congress from Georgia who called Donald Trump an "illegitimate president" and said he would not attend the inauguration. Trump answered Lewis on Twitter, saying Lewis was all talk and no action.
The feud prompted 42 Democratic members of Congress so far, including Maine's Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, to boycott the inauguration events in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
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"I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history," LePage said during his weekly appearance on the George Hale and Ric Tyler Show, on Bangor-based radio station WVOM. "It was Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves, it was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant who fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice."
LePage's criticism was aimed at U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic member of Congress from Georgia who called Donald Trump an "illegitimate president" and said he would not attend the inauguration. Trump answered Lewis on Twitter, saying Lewis was all talk and no action.
The feud prompted 42 Democratic members of Congress so far, including Maine's Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, to boycott the inauguration events in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
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Frederick homeowner held intruder at gunpoint until officers arrived
A Frederick woman held a man at gunpoint inside her home until police arrived for a reported home invasion late Saturday.
City officers were called to the 500 block of Goldspire Circle at 11:06 p.m. when a woman called 911 to report a man had broken into her home while she and another female resident were watching TV in the living room, according to charging documents. The man, later identified as Jose Mauricio Escobar-Flores, 40, was standing in the woman's kitchen holding a knife when police arrived.
After officers ordered Escobar-Flores to drop the knife and placed him in handcuffs, the women told police that they had been watching TV when they heard Escobar-Flores break the rear sliding glass door of their home, the documents state.
The women ran upstairs while Escobar-Flores was struggling with the door and, while one of the women called 911, the other armed herself with a handgun and ran back downstairs to confront the intruder.
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City officers were called to the 500 block of Goldspire Circle at 11:06 p.m. when a woman called 911 to report a man had broken into her home while she and another female resident were watching TV in the living room, according to charging documents. The man, later identified as Jose Mauricio Escobar-Flores, 40, was standing in the woman's kitchen holding a knife when police arrived.
After officers ordered Escobar-Flores to drop the knife and placed him in handcuffs, the women told police that they had been watching TV when they heard Escobar-Flores break the rear sliding glass door of their home, the documents state.
The women ran upstairs while Escobar-Flores was struggling with the door and, while one of the women called 911, the other armed herself with a handgun and ran back downstairs to confront the intruder.
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Affordable Housing Required for Every Town, Rules New Jersey Supreme Court
In a decision that could reshape hundreds of communities, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that municipalities must allow the development of affordable housing for poor and middle-class families whose needs were ignored for more than 16 years.
The state's top court voted 6-0 to reject arguments advanced by several towns, Governor Christie's administration and the League of Municipalities, who said local governments faced no legal requirement to provide affordable housing for poor and middle-class families during a period spanning from 1999 to 2015.
The ruling — and dozens of recent settlements negotiated separately by towns — are likely to spur the development of tens of thousands of affordable housing units in New Jersey over the next decade. But it is unclear exactly how many. Estimates vary widely and the Supreme Court did not settle that issue Wednesday.
The state's top court voted 6-0 to reject arguments advanced by several towns, Governor Christie's administration and the League of Municipalities, who said local governments faced no legal requirement to provide affordable housing for poor and middle-class families during a period spanning from 1999 to 2015.
The ruling — and dozens of recent settlements negotiated separately by towns — are likely to spur the development of tens of thousands of affordable housing units in New Jersey over the next decade. But it is unclear exactly how many. Estimates vary widely and the Supreme Court did not settle that issue Wednesday.
Marlon Bundo, the Pence family rabbit, launches Instagram account
The rabbit's first photo shows the animal sitting on a desk next to a globe, glasses and telephone.
"Working hard to #makeamericagreatagain," the caption reads.
Marlon Bundo is also dubbed as first "botus" — or "bunny of the United States" — in the caption.
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Nikki Haley CONFIRMED As U.N. Ambassador
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the appointment of Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday.
The former South Carolina Governor was expected to receive little resistance from committee members, yet Politico reports two Democratic Senators — Deleware’s Chris Coons and New Mexico’s Tom Udall — voted to block her.
During her confirmation hearing last week, Haley unexpectedly told lawmakers that she thinks “the climate change issue should always be on the table.”
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The former South Carolina Governor was expected to receive little resistance from committee members, yet Politico reports two Democratic Senators — Deleware’s Chris Coons and New Mexico’s Tom Udall — voted to block her.
During her confirmation hearing last week, Haley unexpectedly told lawmakers that she thinks “the climate change issue should always be on the table.”
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Study: Savings Program Helps Poor Put Aside 4 Times More
The report comes at a time when some federal policymakers want to end the program and while states and localities are launching similar initiatives of their own.
For almost 20 years, a little-known federal government program has tried to help low-income workers save money. Until now, no one knew whether it was successful. But according to the most comprehensive study of the program to date, its participants are slightly more likely to have savings and save significantly more money than low-income people who aren't in the program.
The report, which was conducted by the Urban Institute, comes at a time when some federal policymakers want to end the program and while states and localities are launching similar government-backed saving initiatives of their own.
Under the Assets for Independence (AFI) program, people who set aside some of their earnings on a regular basis get rewarded with a matching deposit from the government. It must be a minimum of $1 and a maximum of $8 for every $1 saved. Over time, the hope is that people can pay for things that will improve their lives, such as a car, home, college education or business.
More
For almost 20 years, a little-known federal government program has tried to help low-income workers save money. Until now, no one knew whether it was successful. But according to the most comprehensive study of the program to date, its participants are slightly more likely to have savings and save significantly more money than low-income people who aren't in the program.
The report, which was conducted by the Urban Institute, comes at a time when some federal policymakers want to end the program and while states and localities are launching similar government-backed saving initiatives of their own.
Under the Assets for Independence (AFI) program, people who set aside some of their earnings on a regular basis get rewarded with a matching deposit from the government. It must be a minimum of $1 and a maximum of $8 for every $1 saved. Over time, the hope is that people can pay for things that will improve their lives, such as a car, home, college education or business.
More
Trump plan calls for nationwide concealed carry and an end to gun bans
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump -- who said he has a concealed carry permit -- called for the expansion of gun rights Friday, including making those permits applicable nationwide.
In a position paper published on his website Friday afternoon, Trump called for the elimination of gun and magazine bans, labeling them a "total failure."
"Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own," Trump wrote.
It's not a departure from what he's said on the trail this year, though it does mark a shift from a position he took in his 2000 book "The America We Deserve," where Trump stated that he generally opposes gun control but that he supported a ban on assault weapons and a longer waiting period to get a gun.
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In a position paper published on his website Friday afternoon, Trump called for the elimination of gun and magazine bans, labeling them a "total failure."
"Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own," Trump wrote.
It's not a departure from what he's said on the trail this year, though it does mark a shift from a position he took in his 2000 book "The America We Deserve," where Trump stated that he generally opposes gun control but that he supported a ban on assault weapons and a longer waiting period to get a gun.
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How much money should you have saved by age 30?
A writer for The Penny Hoarder, Smith told ATTN that by the time you're 30 you should have six months worth of expenses saved up.
"I think the goal at any age is to get to the point of having six months of living expenses saved up. Admittedly, it's harder in your twenties but it's a good time to start," Smith said.
Obviously "six months of expenses" is a relative concept, but given the average cost of living is estimated to be around $2,300 a month, that means you should have $13,800 in your bank account right now.
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Polygamy remains a crime as U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear case from ‘Sister Wives’
The appeal by Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn Brown sought to remove the penalties for a practice that has caused consternation in Utah since the first Mormon settlers arrived. Some of the state's politically active polygamists vowed Monday morning to continue efforts to decriminalize plural marriage.
Salt Lake County's Darger family — husband Joe and wives Vicki, Valerie, and Alina — on Twitter turned their attention to trying to remove the criminal penalties through the political process.
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Auto shop owner donates his $2.5M business to nonprofit
BALTIMORE (AP) — Vehicles for Change, a pioneering Maryland nonprofit, has received foundation grants and corporate sponsorships, but no gift ever looked quite like this: a fully functioning auto repair business.
Jerry Greeff’s unusual donation of his One Stop Auto Repair garage came with a request to keep alive the $2.5 million-a-year business that he has operated in Waverly with his wife, Pam, since 1991.
At 64, Greeff said his wife encouraged him to leave behind his taxing 12-hour days at the shop and concentrate instead on the family’s commercial real estate interests.
“My wife said it was either her or the business,” Greeff said.
The shop — on the site of the old Talbott Motors Co. that later became a Ford dealership on Greenmount Avenue — was transferred right after Christmas to the nonprofit, which fixes donated cars and awards them to low-income families at minimal cost.
All that was missing was a giant red bow.
Martin Schwartz, the organization’s president, said he was happy to oblige Greeff’s request. Not only will the 18-year-old nonprofit keep the shop — with its familiar red-brick storefront and 17 lifts — open, it will use the property as an extension of its re-entry program in Halethorpe, in which dozens of ex-prisoners are trained to become auto mechanics.
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Jerry Greeff’s unusual donation of his One Stop Auto Repair garage came with a request to keep alive the $2.5 million-a-year business that he has operated in Waverly with his wife, Pam, since 1991.
At 64, Greeff said his wife encouraged him to leave behind his taxing 12-hour days at the shop and concentrate instead on the family’s commercial real estate interests.
“My wife said it was either her or the business,” Greeff said.
The shop — on the site of the old Talbott Motors Co. that later became a Ford dealership on Greenmount Avenue — was transferred right after Christmas to the nonprofit, which fixes donated cars and awards them to low-income families at minimal cost.
All that was missing was a giant red bow.
Martin Schwartz, the organization’s president, said he was happy to oblige Greeff’s request. Not only will the 18-year-old nonprofit keep the shop — with its familiar red-brick storefront and 17 lifts — open, it will use the property as an extension of its re-entry program in Halethorpe, in which dozens of ex-prisoners are trained to become auto mechanics.
More
Salisbury Manufacturer Plans New Operation, 50 New Jobs
Toroid Corp. Hiring for New Panel and Harness Division
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Toroid Corporation, which manufactures electrical transformers and other power products, is expanding its presence in Wicomico County with the launch of a new division to produce wire harnesses, control panels and electrical box assemblies. The newly formed Toroid Panel & Harness, LLC (Toroid P & H) plans to hire 50 new employees over the next three years, including some workers who were displaced when the Labinal Power Systems’ plant in Salisbury closed last year.
“The expansion was the result of both our strategic plan to diversify our products as well the presence of an experienced and skilled workforce on the Eastern Shore,” said Toroid Corp. President Katarina Ennerfelt. “We are very grateful and excited about this opportunity and want to thank both the state of Maryland and Wicomico County for helping us make this possible.”
Toroid P & H will invest at least $250,000 in the new site in Salisbury, where Toroid has leased 10,000 square-feet of space with assistance from the Maryland Department of Commerce and Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development. Founded in Sweden in 1978, Toroid opened a satellite production facility in Salisbury in 1988. The company built a factory in Salisbury in 1994 where it now employs 60 people.
“The launch of Toroid’s new panel and harness division on the Eastern Shore is another shining example of Maryland’s continuing progress and economic growth,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “We commend their decision to expand their manufacturing operations in our state, and to invest in our highly-skilled workforce.”
“Toroid has been a great partner for Wicomico County and for Maryland for more than two decades, and we’re pleased to support their efforts to strengthen that relationship by assisting with the launch of their new division in Salisbury,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “Companies like Toroid are essential to the growth of manufacturing in Maryland.”
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Toroid Corporation, which manufactures electrical transformers and other power products, is expanding its presence in Wicomico County with the launch of a new division to produce wire harnesses, control panels and electrical box assemblies. The newly formed Toroid Panel & Harness, LLC (Toroid P & H) plans to hire 50 new employees over the next three years, including some workers who were displaced when the Labinal Power Systems’ plant in Salisbury closed last year.
“The expansion was the result of both our strategic plan to diversify our products as well the presence of an experienced and skilled workforce on the Eastern Shore,” said Toroid Corp. President Katarina Ennerfelt. “We are very grateful and excited about this opportunity and want to thank both the state of Maryland and Wicomico County for helping us make this possible.”
Toroid P & H will invest at least $250,000 in the new site in Salisbury, where Toroid has leased 10,000 square-feet of space with assistance from the Maryland Department of Commerce and Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development. Founded in Sweden in 1978, Toroid opened a satellite production facility in Salisbury in 1988. The company built a factory in Salisbury in 1994 where it now employs 60 people.
“The launch of Toroid’s new panel and harness division on the Eastern Shore is another shining example of Maryland’s continuing progress and economic growth,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “We commend their decision to expand their manufacturing operations in our state, and to invest in our highly-skilled workforce.”
“Toroid has been a great partner for Wicomico County and for Maryland for more than two decades, and we’re pleased to support their efforts to strengthen that relationship by assisting with the launch of their new division in Salisbury,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “Companies like Toroid are essential to the growth of manufacturing in Maryland.”
How one political outsider picked a cabinet
Trump’s efforts to fill the top jobs in his incoming administration bring to mind those of Dwight Eisenhower, who was the last person elected president without having earlier served in elective office.
The Ike cabinet was wealthy, too
Eisenhower, a moderately conservative Republican elected in November 1952, came to the White House from a career spent almost entirely in the military. His brief stint as president of Columbia University from 1948-50 was the one break with that pattern.
Like Donald Trump, Ike and many of his top aides had no previous experience in public office. Also like Trump, Eisenhower tended to be impressed by people who had risen to the top in realms other than politics. As a result, the senior ranks of the Eisenhower administration were filled with people who had achieved distinction in such fields as the military, business, law and education. Almost all of them were quite affluent.
Liberal Democrats responded by dismissing the Eisenhower cabinet as “eight millionaires and a plumber.” “A plumber” was a reference to the new labor secretary, Martin Durkin, who had previously headed the Plumber’s Union.
That put-down didn’t faze Eisenhower. He felt government would be well served by successful men, who tend to be rich. If the leaders of successful businesses were excluded from consideration, he wrote in his diary, the result would be an inability “to get anybody to take jobs in Washington except business failures, political hacks and New Deal lawyers.”
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The Ike cabinet was wealthy, too
Eisenhower, a moderately conservative Republican elected in November 1952, came to the White House from a career spent almost entirely in the military. His brief stint as president of Columbia University from 1948-50 was the one break with that pattern.
Like Donald Trump, Ike and many of his top aides had no previous experience in public office. Also like Trump, Eisenhower tended to be impressed by people who had risen to the top in realms other than politics. As a result, the senior ranks of the Eisenhower administration were filled with people who had achieved distinction in such fields as the military, business, law and education. Almost all of them were quite affluent.
Liberal Democrats responded by dismissing the Eisenhower cabinet as “eight millionaires and a plumber.” “A plumber” was a reference to the new labor secretary, Martin Durkin, who had previously headed the Plumber’s Union.
That put-down didn’t faze Eisenhower. He felt government would be well served by successful men, who tend to be rich. If the leaders of successful businesses were excluded from consideration, he wrote in his diary, the result would be an inability “to get anybody to take jobs in Washington except business failures, political hacks and New Deal lawyers.”
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An Open Letter to the Neighbor who hates our Chicken Houses
So to the Neighbor who Hates our Chicken Houses,
It would be very easy for me to be angry at you. I instantly feel hurt and anger and to be honest a bit of betrayal after the confrontation where you exposed your feelings about our farm. But instead of anger and hurt, I'm choosing grace and understanding and education.
I know that like with so many other agriculture commodities, you honestly just don't understand. You see, and smell, all the things that come with farming and raising animals specifically. You see us hauling off dead birds to be incinerated or composted. You smell liter as we clean out houses to prepare for a new flock of birds. You see feed trucks driving past your house at all hours of the day and night, and every couple of months you see semi trucks carrying birds back to the processing plant in the middle of the night. You see my dad leave for work early in the morning and get home at 4 and you think he doesn't have time to work and farm at the same time. You see all these things going on at our farm and then you see Facebook posts about how cruel "factory farming" is towards the animal and how we pump our birds full of antibiotics and hormones just to make a profit. You see that there are over 20 poultry farms in the miles surrounding your house and you take all the negatives and multiply them. You see all these things and you get a bad taste in your mouth for our farm.
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Rosary Drowns Out Pro-Abortion Protests at Pro-Life Assembly
BOSTON — When protesters tried to shout down the speakers at a pro-life rally commemorating the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Sunday, they got an unusual response.
Mother Olga, the keynote speaker of the event, and Cindy Dorsey, the event’s emcee, walked calmly to the podium, rosaries in hand, and led the assembly in prayer, their communal “Hail Mary’s” drowning out the shouted profanities and chants for “abortion on demand.”
Mother Olga, who was born in Iraq, and began her ministry to the poor and marginalized in the days of Saddam Hussein’s regime, continued the event after the last of the protesters had been removed.
“I was born in a country ruled by a dictator,” she told the gathered crowd. “I understand what it is like to live with few rights. But to have these rights, you must be born first. You must have the right to life.”
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Mother Olga, the keynote speaker of the event, and Cindy Dorsey, the event’s emcee, walked calmly to the podium, rosaries in hand, and led the assembly in prayer, their communal “Hail Mary’s” drowning out the shouted profanities and chants for “abortion on demand.”
Mother Olga, who was born in Iraq, and began her ministry to the poor and marginalized in the days of Saddam Hussein’s regime, continued the event after the last of the protesters had been removed.
“I was born in a country ruled by a dictator,” she told the gathered crowd. “I understand what it is like to live with few rights. But to have these rights, you must be born first. You must have the right to life.”
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VIDEO: Passengers cheer as woman berating Trump supporter is kicked off plane
An elderly woman demanded a Donald Trump supporter seated next to her be moved, but she quickly found out that’s not how the world works.
Scott Kotesky, in a window seat, posted video on Saturday showing a woman in the middle seat complaining about him to airline personnel.
According to Kotesky:
Just had the craziest experience ever on an airplane:
I’m boarding my flight from Baltimore to Seattle and approach my seat. I had an upgraded seat that I paid a little extra for because of the long 6 hour flight. As I approach my row I smile and motion to the husband and wife sitting in the aisle and middle seat that Imy seat was next to the window. I put my backpack in the overhead, and the wife with a very stern voice says to me:
Scott Kotesky, in a window seat, posted video on Saturday showing a woman in the middle seat complaining about him to airline personnel.
According to Kotesky:
Just had the craziest experience ever on an airplane:
I’m boarding my flight from Baltimore to Seattle and approach my seat. I had an upgraded seat that I paid a little extra for because of the long 6 hour flight. As I approach my row I smile and motion to the husband and wife sitting in the aisle and middle seat that Imy seat was next to the window. I put my backpack in the overhead, and the wife with a very stern voice says to me:
'SNL' Writer Suspended for Tweet Mocking Barron Trump
Saturday Night Live writer Katie Rich has been suspended indefinitely from the program after posting a tweet Friday mocking Donald Trump’s 10-year-old son, Barron Trump.
A source close to the long-running variety show told the New York Times that Rich’s suspension is “indefinite.” The writer’s name did not appear in the credits of Saturday night’s episode, which was hosted by comedian Aziz Ansari.
“Barron will be this country’s first homeschool shooter,” Rich tweeted on Friday, before later deleting the message and deactivating her Twitter account.
#SNL Writer Deletes Tweet Saying Barron Trump Will be America's 'First Homeschool Shooter' bit.ly/2jWZNN5
On Monday, Rich reactivated her account and posted an apology: “I sincerely apologize for the insensitive tweet. I deeply regret my actions & offensive words. It was inexcusable & I’m so sorry.”
Trump Warns "We Are Going To Be Imposing A Very Major Border Tax", Will "Cut Regulations By 75%"
One look at the Dollar Index in the last week and it's clear just how 'variable' President Trump's position has been on trade and so-called 'border adjustments'. In the space of a few days, he has swung from being against a border adjustment, to possibly being for it, and now today confirming that "we are going to impose a major border tax." Yen, Peso, and Loonie are all sliding further on the headline.
Specifically, as the clips below show, Trump promised business leaders a "very major" border tax and said he would cut regulations by 75%. Trump held a breakfast meeting with the business leaders he named to an advisory panel on manufacturing, led by Andrew Liveris, chief executive officer of Dow Chemical Co. Other business leaders at the morning meeting with Trump included Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc.; Jeff Fettig, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corp.; Mark Fields, president and CEO of Ford Motor Co.; and Marillyn Hewson,chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp.
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Specifically, as the clips below show, Trump promised business leaders a "very major" border tax and said he would cut regulations by 75%. Trump held a breakfast meeting with the business leaders he named to an advisory panel on manufacturing, led by Andrew Liveris, chief executive officer of Dow Chemical Co. Other business leaders at the morning meeting with Trump included Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc.; Jeff Fettig, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corp.; Mark Fields, president and CEO of Ford Motor Co.; and Marillyn Hewson,chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp.
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Levin Challenges PBS 'Propagandists'
On his nationally syndicated radio talk show Thursday, host Mark Levin challenged Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to sit down with him for an hour to discuss philosophies, conservatism and why he believes in constitutional conservative principles.
“Propagandists,” Levin said of PBS. “I challenge PBS to spend an hour with me, with the camera rolling – no editing. I challenge PBS Frontline to sit down with me for an hour so we can discuss philosophy, so we can discuss exactly what took place and why I did what I did.”
Levin’s comments stem from PBS Frontline’s “Divided States of America (Part 1)” program that discussed what fueled the Tea Party, including Mark Levin, Sarah Palin and others.
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“Propagandists,” Levin said of PBS. “I challenge PBS to spend an hour with me, with the camera rolling – no editing. I challenge PBS Frontline to sit down with me for an hour so we can discuss philosophy, so we can discuss exactly what took place and why I did what I did.”
Levin’s comments stem from PBS Frontline’s “Divided States of America (Part 1)” program that discussed what fueled the Tea Party, including Mark Levin, Sarah Palin and others.
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The Collapse of the Left
The Left is not just in disarray–it is in complete collapse because the working class has awakened to the Left’s betrayal and abandonment of the working class in favor of building personal wealth and power.
The source of the angry angst rippling through the Democratic Party’s progressive camp is not President Trump–it’s the complete collapse of the Left globally. To understand this collapse, we turn (once again) to Marx’s profound understanding of the state and capitalism.
We turn not to the cultural Marxism that is passingly familiar to Americans, but to Marx’s core economic analysis, which as Sartre noted, is only taught to discredit it.
Cultural Marxism draws as much from Engels as Marx. In today’s use,cultural Marxism describes the overt erosion of traditional values–the family, community, religious faith, property rights and limited central government–in favor of rootless Cosmopolitanism and an expansive, all-powerful central state that replaces community, faith and property rights with statist control mechanisms that enforce dependence on the state and a mindset that the individual is guilty of anti-state thinking until proven innocent by the state’s own rules.
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The source of the angry angst rippling through the Democratic Party’s progressive camp is not President Trump–it’s the complete collapse of the Left globally. To understand this collapse, we turn (once again) to Marx’s profound understanding of the state and capitalism.
We turn not to the cultural Marxism that is passingly familiar to Americans, but to Marx’s core economic analysis, which as Sartre noted, is only taught to discredit it.
Cultural Marxism draws as much from Engels as Marx. In today’s use,cultural Marxism describes the overt erosion of traditional values–the family, community, religious faith, property rights and limited central government–in favor of rootless Cosmopolitanism and an expansive, all-powerful central state that replaces community, faith and property rights with statist control mechanisms that enforce dependence on the state and a mindset that the individual is guilty of anti-state thinking until proven innocent by the state’s own rules.
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New York man charged with hiding woman's head in freezer
A convicted sex offender has been arrested and charged with hiding a woman’s head and other body part in his freezer after allegedly dumping other remains at a New York City waste-sorting station.
Somorie Moses, 40, was taken into custody at around 12.15am Sunday at his home in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, where investigators with the New York City Police Department executed a search and found a woman's head, hands and feet stuffed inside the freezer.
The grisly discovery was made just days after workers at the Metropolitan Transfer Station on Halleck Street in the Hunts Points section of The Bronx came upon a female torso and a leg without a foot in the trash.
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Somorie Moses, 40, was taken into custody at around 12.15am Sunday at his home in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, where investigators with the New York City Police Department executed a search and found a woman's head, hands and feet stuffed inside the freezer.
The grisly discovery was made just days after workers at the Metropolitan Transfer Station on Halleck Street in the Hunts Points section of The Bronx came upon a female torso and a leg without a foot in the trash.
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AFL-CIO Praises President Trump’s Move to Withdraw from TPP
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka praised GOP President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership once and for all on Monday with an executive order officially killing the Pacific Rim trade deal.
Trumka also praised the decision by President Trump to reopen negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) deal from the 1990s, a deal that saw millions of U.S. jobs leave the country for Mexico and Canada—and the labor union leader praised President Trump’s harsh words for Big Pharma, the pharmaceutical industry, when Trumpsaid of that industry that “they’re politically protected, but not anymore” in an interview with the Washington Post.
Trumka said in his Monday statement:
Last year, a powerful coalition of labor, environmental, consumer, public health and allied groups came together to stop the TPP. Today’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from TPP and seeking a reopening of NAFTA is an important first step toward a trade policy that works for working people. While these are necessary actions, they aren’t enough. They are just the first in a series of necessary policy changes required to build a fair and just global economy. We will continue our relentless campaign to create new trade and economic rules that end special privileges for foreign investors and Big Pharma, protect our planet’s precious natural resources and ensure fair pay, safe conditions and a voice in the workplace for all workers.”
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Trumka also praised the decision by President Trump to reopen negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) deal from the 1990s, a deal that saw millions of U.S. jobs leave the country for Mexico and Canada—and the labor union leader praised President Trump’s harsh words for Big Pharma, the pharmaceutical industry, when Trumpsaid of that industry that “they’re politically protected, but not anymore” in an interview with the Washington Post.
Trumka said in his Monday statement:
Last year, a powerful coalition of labor, environmental, consumer, public health and allied groups came together to stop the TPP. Today’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from TPP and seeking a reopening of NAFTA is an important first step toward a trade policy that works for working people. While these are necessary actions, they aren’t enough. They are just the first in a series of necessary policy changes required to build a fair and just global economy. We will continue our relentless campaign to create new trade and economic rules that end special privileges for foreign investors and Big Pharma, protect our planet’s precious natural resources and ensure fair pay, safe conditions and a voice in the workplace for all workers.”
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