DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Caribbean Joe's is now open
Local Businesses (Khunn's & Robinson Jewelers) Skirting Governor Hogan's Law & Reopening Their Doors
PUBLISHERS NOTES: I don't know if I should be excited for these businesses (Khunn's Jewelers) or angry that they are slapping other struggling businesses in the face who remain closed. What's your thoughts?
BREAKING NEWS: Ocean City To Reopen Beaches, Boardwalk, Inlet Saturday
A Viewer Writes: MD Unemployment Insurance is Broken
Joe,
Good Morning,
We live in Mount Vernon, Maryland, and are in a very difficult state, at the moment. My wife has health issues and is paying her bills on $1,300 SS payment, $825 of which goes to monthly insurance. It leaves almost nothing left for the daily needs to just stay alive. Due to her illness, the local university, would not accept her doctor approved accommodation requests, and put her out of work from a 20 year career, last October. She applied for the Maryland Unemployment in early April, and has filed the weekly claim requirement, this being the fifth week. She received a letter on April 1st, stating that her claim was incomplete, and that she would receive a email or letter, providing her an appointment from a state official. Nothing yet, either via email or by mail.
She has received notice that her account is active, and asks her reapply, which she does immediately. She has received letters that her account "may" be on hold, but active. She even received a letter this week, congratulating her on finding a job? Funny, these letters require a 7 day response, and the date on the letter it self is over two weeks behind, meaning by the time the letter gets to her, the deadline has already passed. The website directs you to email, which no one responds to, and she also had several returned saying the email address does not exist? A message says no one is working in a state office, but they are remote for a response. Nothing ever happens.
My daily phone calls to the 410 949 0022 Maryland Unemployment office starts at 6:45 am every day. The line is busy for all of about 50 redials, but out of those, ONE will get you to the recorded message. It will direct you through several prompts, then tell you that all operators are busy, and hang up on you. In summary, the letters offer no response, the emails are kicked back, and the phone calls never result in having a real person talk to you. When you are just trying to hold on, is this the best my Government, that I have paid taxes to for over 50 years, can offer me?
I have messages left for Andy Harris, and I'm asking for ANYONE in the Maryland Goverment, please Govenor Hogan, PLEASE Can you help?
Good Morning,
We live in Mount Vernon, Maryland, and are in a very difficult state, at the moment. My wife has health issues and is paying her bills on $1,300 SS payment, $825 of which goes to monthly insurance. It leaves almost nothing left for the daily needs to just stay alive. Due to her illness, the local university, would not accept her doctor approved accommodation requests, and put her out of work from a 20 year career, last October. She applied for the Maryland Unemployment in early April, and has filed the weekly claim requirement, this being the fifth week. She received a letter on April 1st, stating that her claim was incomplete, and that she would receive a email or letter, providing her an appointment from a state official. Nothing yet, either via email or by mail.
She has received notice that her account is active, and asks her reapply, which she does immediately. She has received letters that her account "may" be on hold, but active. She even received a letter this week, congratulating her on finding a job? Funny, these letters require a 7 day response, and the date on the letter it self is over two weeks behind, meaning by the time the letter gets to her, the deadline has already passed. The website directs you to email, which no one responds to, and she also had several returned saying the email address does not exist? A message says no one is working in a state office, but they are remote for a response. Nothing ever happens.
My daily phone calls to the 410 949 0022 Maryland Unemployment office starts at 6:45 am every day. The line is busy for all of about 50 redials, but out of those, ONE will get you to the recorded message. It will direct you through several prompts, then tell you that all operators are busy, and hang up on you. In summary, the letters offer no response, the emails are kicked back, and the phone calls never result in having a real person talk to you. When you are just trying to hold on, is this the best my Government, that I have paid taxes to for over 50 years, can offer me?
I have messages left for Andy Harris, and I'm asking for ANYONE in the Maryland Goverment, please Govenor Hogan, PLEASE Can you help?
I'm Hearing Governor Hogan Smacked Down Mayor Meehan's Reopen The Beach/Boardwalk Order
A Viewer Writes: Posted on the front door of Wawa!
The Perpetual Lies of Salisbury Mayor Jacob Day
Joe,
I am wondering if you’d be willing to help us out. On May 02nd, the ReopenMD coalition organized a cross-state rally ending in Salisbury. We had planned to rally in the empty parking lot of The Centre to showcase all of the closed businesses these unconstitutional closures are causing. As you know, these restrictions by Hogan are hurting hundreds of thousands of Marylanders, including small business owners like yourself. Our goal is to Reopen these small businesses so people can retain their livelihoods and feed their families .
Salisbury police got word of the rally and BoyMayor had SBY police block access to the mall parking lot. ReopenMD quickly gained word of this and switched their location to the Hobby Lobby/Kohl’s parking lot. There was easily between 200-300 cars and at least 500 people. Jake Day went on Facebook that evening and told a myriad of lies, many that were completely made up out of thin air. I have a long list of his refuted lies here that I will post. Most of these lies have video evidence to refute. If you could, please post this to your esteemed and respected blog, we would greatly appreciate it:
Now we are going to set the record straight with all the BLATANT LIES in the Facebook live by Mayor Jake Day after our rally on 5/2/20.
1) “City of Salisbury didn’t prevent entrance to mall”
This is false. The Mayor directed the City Police to block off all entrances and they did. You can ask the Chuck E Cheese Manager
2) Day claims they notified our organization that we could use the empty portion of Centre Drive.
This is false. No such offer was ever made to the leadership team
3) “MSP followed them from Frederick to Salisbury.”
True, and I guess you believe a police state is ok?
4) “Only 42 vehicles amounted to pretty much of nothing.”
False- We left Frederick with 265 vehicles and more joined in at Kent Island, Easton, Cambridge & Salisbury area.
5) “Officer notified some of us that we were not social distancing & would be arrested. “
False- many families came together and they do not have to social distance from each other and any arrest for this would of been unconstitutional as social distancing is not and never will be a law.
6) “We all want businesses open and there is nothing brave about gathering when a virus is being spread.”
False- The whole purpose of ReOpen Maryland is to get our state opened while maintaining CDC guidelines. We chose the mall location to highlight the shear number of businesses shut down. We also planned on supporting local businesses while there & unfortunately we weren’t able to help Chuck E Cheese who had $5 pizzas and now as of yesterday are closed. Also, there is zero scientific evidence that the virus can spread outside, especially amongst all healthy people. So no Mayor Day you don’t care about businesses being opened.
7) We don’t do this because we are “brave”; we do this because this is an Unconstitutional lockdown and it’s killing our economy as well as many lives through suicide and substance abuse.
8)“privileged few from western side of bridge”
False- we are an organically grown group on social media, not funded by anyone, who want this state to ReOpen so people have jobs to return to. Every person in the group is affected by this shutdown in some way or another. I find it completely unacceptable for you as a Mayor to make such a statement. I hope you have no plans on a state level office. Your video will stay on file. “Privilege” is being able to sit in an office, getting a paycheck, while mocking others who are being plunged into poverty.
9) We are a “very small minority”.
False- 25,000 in less than 3 weeks is not small. First lawsuit has been filed against the Governor.
10) “Couple dozen people”
False- since cars don’t drive themselves we know this is false. Several hundred people at rally.
11) Sheriff Mike Lewis was contacted prior to rally and he supports our Constitutional right to assembly. We also have a Constitutional right to address our grievances with elected officials so we were grateful for Andy Harris to speak and also be available to here from constituents.
The lesson in all of this would possibly be that the Mayor take a course in understanding the US Constitution.
I am wondering if you’d be willing to help us out. On May 02nd, the ReopenMD coalition organized a cross-state rally ending in Salisbury. We had planned to rally in the empty parking lot of The Centre to showcase all of the closed businesses these unconstitutional closures are causing. As you know, these restrictions by Hogan are hurting hundreds of thousands of Marylanders, including small business owners like yourself. Our goal is to Reopen these small businesses so people can retain their livelihoods and feed their families .
Salisbury police got word of the rally and BoyMayor had SBY police block access to the mall parking lot. ReopenMD quickly gained word of this and switched their location to the Hobby Lobby/Kohl’s parking lot. There was easily between 200-300 cars and at least 500 people. Jake Day went on Facebook that evening and told a myriad of lies, many that were completely made up out of thin air. I have a long list of his refuted lies here that I will post. Most of these lies have video evidence to refute. If you could, please post this to your esteemed and respected blog, we would greatly appreciate it:
Now we are going to set the record straight with all the BLATANT LIES in the Facebook live by Mayor Jake Day after our rally on 5/2/20.
1) “City of Salisbury didn’t prevent entrance to mall”
This is false. The Mayor directed the City Police to block off all entrances and they did. You can ask the Chuck E Cheese Manager
2) Day claims they notified our organization that we could use the empty portion of Centre Drive.
This is false. No such offer was ever made to the leadership team
3) “MSP followed them from Frederick to Salisbury.”
True, and I guess you believe a police state is ok?
4) “Only 42 vehicles amounted to pretty much of nothing.”
False- We left Frederick with 265 vehicles and more joined in at Kent Island, Easton, Cambridge & Salisbury area.
5) “Officer notified some of us that we were not social distancing & would be arrested. “
False- many families came together and they do not have to social distance from each other and any arrest for this would of been unconstitutional as social distancing is not and never will be a law.
6) “We all want businesses open and there is nothing brave about gathering when a virus is being spread.”
False- The whole purpose of ReOpen Maryland is to get our state opened while maintaining CDC guidelines. We chose the mall location to highlight the shear number of businesses shut down. We also planned on supporting local businesses while there & unfortunately we weren’t able to help Chuck E Cheese who had $5 pizzas and now as of yesterday are closed. Also, there is zero scientific evidence that the virus can spread outside, especially amongst all healthy people. So no Mayor Day you don’t care about businesses being opened.
7) We don’t do this because we are “brave”; we do this because this is an Unconstitutional lockdown and it’s killing our economy as well as many lives through suicide and substance abuse.
8)“privileged few from western side of bridge”
False- we are an organically grown group on social media, not funded by anyone, who want this state to ReOpen so people have jobs to return to. Every person in the group is affected by this shutdown in some way or another. I find it completely unacceptable for you as a Mayor to make such a statement. I hope you have no plans on a state level office. Your video will stay on file. “Privilege” is being able to sit in an office, getting a paycheck, while mocking others who are being plunged into poverty.
9) We are a “very small minority”.
False- 25,000 in less than 3 weeks is not small. First lawsuit has been filed against the Governor.
10) “Couple dozen people”
False- since cars don’t drive themselves we know this is false. Several hundred people at rally.
11) Sheriff Mike Lewis was contacted prior to rally and he supports our Constitutional right to assembly. We also have a Constitutional right to address our grievances with elected officials so we were grateful for Andy Harris to speak and also be available to here from constituents.
The lesson in all of this would possibly be that the Mayor take a course in understanding the US Constitution.
Update On Governor Hogan Road Map To Recovery
Effective at 7 am tomorrow, golf, tennis. boating and camping will open.
Here's the problem Folks. Everything he stated was all based on IF we continue to follow the guidelines we can remain open.
Businesses Discover Employees Would Rather Stay Home And Collect Unemployment During Pandemic
Just as we warned would happen, US employers looking to reopen during the pandemic are finding that employees would rather sit home and collect unemployment than come back to work.
According to the Wall Street Journal, unemployment benefits for some workers are now paying more than their old jobs did - while for others, safety concerns or difficulty finding childcare amid mass school closures have kept them from returning to work.
That means reopening may not go as quickly or as smoothly as some elected officials and business owners had hoped.
Friday’s jobs report showed that U.S. employers cut 20.5 million jobs in April, or nearly all of the 22 million jobs added in the past decade.
The longer it takes to recover that lost employment, the more extended the economic downturn caused by the pandemic will be.
“That’s going to get in the way of any real recovery,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office. -Wall Street Journal
Thanks to the March CARES Act which boosted unemployment benefits by $600 per week, around half of all US workers stand to take in more money while laid off than they did before the pandemic - at least until that increase expires at the end of July.
More
According to the Wall Street Journal, unemployment benefits for some workers are now paying more than their old jobs did - while for others, safety concerns or difficulty finding childcare amid mass school closures have kept them from returning to work.
That means reopening may not go as quickly or as smoothly as some elected officials and business owners had hoped.
Friday’s jobs report showed that U.S. employers cut 20.5 million jobs in April, or nearly all of the 22 million jobs added in the past decade.
The longer it takes to recover that lost employment, the more extended the economic downturn caused by the pandemic will be.
“That’s going to get in the way of any real recovery,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office. -Wall Street Journal
Thanks to the March CARES Act which boosted unemployment benefits by $600 per week, around half of all US workers stand to take in more money while laid off than they did before the pandemic - at least until that increase expires at the end of July.
More
A Viewer Writes: ECI
Joe,
I have been employed at ECI for almost two years. I am a female officer there. I love my line of work. I love my pay. I love my benefits. I HATE my male coworkers. They are constantly making sexual remarks to me. They are lazy, they fall asleep on the job putting us all in harms way! If I go to a superior I will face horrible backlash from my coworkers and the “superiors” will do absolutely nothing anyway. I am writing to you so hopefully you will post this and I can get some advice from your readers. Hopefully some who work there who can give me advice on what to do. I am far from a feminist. I do not hate men, but enough is enough. Where is the professionalism at?
I have been employed at ECI for almost two years. I am a female officer there. I love my line of work. I love my pay. I love my benefits. I HATE my male coworkers. They are constantly making sexual remarks to me. They are lazy, they fall asleep on the job putting us all in harms way! If I go to a superior I will face horrible backlash from my coworkers and the “superiors” will do absolutely nothing anyway. I am writing to you so hopefully you will post this and I can get some advice from your readers. Hopefully some who work there who can give me advice on what to do. I am far from a feminist. I do not hate men, but enough is enough. Where is the professionalism at?
A Viewer Writes: Oooh, a yard sale
