New Web tools this year will give citizens more mapping power than they’ve ever had before. Will it be enough to influence how district lines for Congress and state legislatures are drawn?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Massachusetts Killing Shines Light On State Parole Boards
Who is qualified to decide whether inmates stay in prison or walk free? A murder by a recent parolee in Massachusetts — and the subsequent resignation of the entire state parole board that released him — is calling attention to the question.
Fewer Cell Phones Smuggled Into Prisons
TOWSON, Md. — Maryland's prison agency says its crackdown on cell phone smuggling is showing results. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said Monday that the number of cell phones found in the prisons dropped 32 percent in fiscal year 2010 from fiscal year 2009.
No Break For Cops Caught On Camera
It's a widely held assumption, true or not, that cops give other cops breaks on traffic infractions. A quick flash of the badge, a union sticker on the bumper, a patch on the dashboard are the same as a wink and a nod, and a look the other way.
Driver's Licenses, Registrations May Be Denied Over Owed Taxes
The O'Malley administration is seeking to add new weaponry to the state's tax-collecting arsenal with a proposal to deny driver's licenses and vehicle registrations to those who fail to pay their taxes.
Read More
Miller -- Immigrant Tuition Vote Will Be Tough Battle
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said Monday he is expecting a tough battle this year on legislation to allow illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition to public colleges and universities under specific circumstances in Maryland.
Local Officials Rail Against State Education, Road Repair Cuts
Lawmakers and local officials in Baltimore and beyond are questioning the fairness of the budget proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley — a spending plan that contains millions of dollars less for education and road repairs than state funding formulas require. Read More
Al Gore Explains 'Snowmageddon'
If the planet is warming, why is a third of America locked in a deep freeze, with record-low temperatures as far south as the Mexican border, where the thermometer in Ciudad Juarez plummeted Wednesday night to a bone-chilling 9-below zero?
Self-proclaimed planetary climate czar Al Gore thinks he has answer.
"As it turns out, the scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now, and they say increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming," Gore write in a blog post. The Nobel Prize-winning former vice president was responding to a question posed by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, who wondered on air why global warming was such an urgent science policy priority when the New York City area had become a “tundra” this winter.
Gore also indicated that he believes a rise in global temperatures is creating “all sorts of havoc,” from hotter dry spells to colder winters and ever more violent storms. This is even endangering certain species of animals and leading to forest fires and floods.
But not surprisingly, some climate-change skeptics are a bit hot under the collar over Gore’s “scientific” explanation.
GO HERE to read more.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Students Stand Up For Safe Learning Environment
Students at Mardela Middle and High School put safety first Wednesday morning when they immediately notified staff of a knife in the hands of a fellow student. With that information, staff members on the bus ramp during arrival for school Wednesday quickly detained the 7th-grade student, and the knife. No injuries occurred in the incident and all students and staff were safe and calm as the school day got under way.
Mardela Middle and High School Principal Lori Batts commended students and staff for their swift response to the incident. The student has been charged by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and will also receive discipline according to the school system's Code of Conduct.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen emphasized that providing a safe learning environment for students, along with a safe working environment for staff, is one of the Board of Education's three strategic priorities.
"It's unfortunate when a young person makes a poor choice involving school safety, but I'm pleased that the students and staff of Mardela Middle and High School acted quickly and responsibly to ensure that the disruption was minimized and the safe learning environment was restored," he said.
Mardela Middle and High School Principal Lori Batts commended students and staff for their swift response to the incident. The student has been charged by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and will also receive discipline according to the school system's Code of Conduct.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen emphasized that providing a safe learning environment for students, along with a safe working environment for staff, is one of the Board of Education's three strategic priorities.
"It's unfortunate when a young person makes a poor choice involving school safety, but I'm pleased that the students and staff of Mardela Middle and High School acted quickly and responsibly to ensure that the disruption was minimized and the safe learning environment was restored," he said.
United, Senate Dems Defeat Health Care Repeal Measure
Senate Democrats remained united on Wednesday in killing a Republican effort to repeal the health care bill signed into law last March.
As expected, no Democrats voted against a procedural motion that effectively defeated a GOP amendment -- sponsored by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and tacked on to an unrelated aviation bill -- to repeal the health legislation.
All Republicans voted together in favor of the McConnell-sponsored amendment. The vote was 47-51.
The House passed the repeal measure last month.
GO HERE to read more.
As expected, no Democrats voted against a procedural motion that effectively defeated a GOP amendment -- sponsored by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and tacked on to an unrelated aviation bill -- to repeal the health legislation.
All Republicans voted together in favor of the McConnell-sponsored amendment. The vote was 47-51.
The House passed the repeal measure last month.
GO HERE to read more.
1st District Congressman Andy Harris In Salisbury To Meet With Key Law Enforcement Officials, County Exec. & Mayor
He explained how matching grants are available for equipment and other items they desperately need to fight crime.
Congressman Harris will meet later today with business owners and other legislators at the Chamber of Commerce for a one on one meeting and then open it up to the public around 4 PM. Another item on their list today is the opening of Congressman Harris' new Office on the Downtown Plaza.
More to come.....
'Worst Ever' Cyclone Slams Into Australia
INNISFAIL, Australia (AFP) – A terrifying top-strength cyclone slammed into Australia's populous northeast coast Thursday, with officials warning it could be one of the most lethal storms in the nation's history.
Howling winds whipped up by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi with speeds of up to 290 kilometres (181 miles) per hour ripped off roofs, felled trees and cut power lines as the storm crossed the Queensland coast.
Yasi, the worst storm to hit the area in a century, made landfall around midnight (1400 GMT), the Bureau of Meteorology said, after the cyclone was upgraded early in the day to a category five storm from category four.
"The large destructive core of Cyclone Yasi is starting to cross the coast between Innisfail and Cardwell, with a dangerous storm tide and battering waves to the south of the cyclone centre," the bureau said in a statement.
The storm made landfall near Mission Beach, which lies in the heart of a tourism and agriculture-rich area 180 kilometres south of Cairns, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
GO HERE to read more.
Howling winds whipped up by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi with speeds of up to 290 kilometres (181 miles) per hour ripped off roofs, felled trees and cut power lines as the storm crossed the Queensland coast.
Yasi, the worst storm to hit the area in a century, made landfall around midnight (1400 GMT), the Bureau of Meteorology said, after the cyclone was upgraded early in the day to a category five storm from category four.
"The large destructive core of Cyclone Yasi is starting to cross the coast between Innisfail and Cardwell, with a dangerous storm tide and battering waves to the south of the cyclone centre," the bureau said in a statement.
The storm made landfall near Mission Beach, which lies in the heart of a tourism and agriculture-rich area 180 kilometres south of Cairns, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
GO HERE to read more.
Anderson Cooper Attacked In Egypt
Cooper, 43, said he and his production crew, reporting from Cairo, were set upon by demonstrators loyal to embattled president Hosni Mubarak. "The attackers pushed and shoved the CNN crew and punched them in the head, he said, but no one was seriously hurt," according to a report on CNN.com.
A colleague, CNN's Steve Brusk, tweeted that Cooper was "punched 10 times in the head" by a "pro-Mubarak mob."
GO HERE to read more.
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO DELIVER STATE OF THE STATE
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 2, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley will deliver the State of the State address tomorrow at noon. Maryland Public Television will broadcast the speech live. Credentialed members of the media are permitted on the House floor during the speech. Embargoed copies of the speech are not available prior to the start of the speech.
An enhanced version of the Governor’s speech will stream live online at governor.maryland.gov. During and after the speech, viewers can connect with the Governor’s office on Twitter. Staff from the Governor’s Office will answer questions live on Twitter at hashtag #MDSOTS. On Friday at 4 p.m., Lt/ Governor Brown will continue answering questions from Marylanders on the state’s YouTube Channel. Marylanders are encouraged to submit questions to the Lt. Governor at ltgov@gov.state.md.us, or connect with him on Twitter.
Would The Supreme Court Reject The Affordable Care Act?
A Florida federal judge ruled Monday that Congress overstepped its authority when it passed last year's Affordable Care Act, providing the most serious challenge yet to President Obama's signature legislative accomplishment. Attorneys for the 26 states that brought the suit said Monday that the decision gives those states grounds to ignore the law, though the Obama Administration disagrees and has vowed to appeal. The latest salvos all but guarantee that the Supreme Court will step in to decide whether the law is constitutional, now that two federal judges have ruled in favor of the legislation and, counting the Florida decision, two have ruled against it.
But as those challenges snake their way up through the courts, more than just health care reform is at stake. If successful, the suits could end up rejiggering the delicate balance between the federal government and the states, and could profoundly redefine the limits of congressional power. (See 10 players in health care reform.)
The legislation at issue, and in particular its requirement that all Americans buy health insurance, is rooted in the power granted to Congress by the commerce clause of the Constitution. That's the bit of language in Article I that says Congress has the power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."
For most of the past 100 years, the Supreme Court has interpreted those few words broadly, using them to uphold some of Congress's most progressive pieces of legislation, from Depression-era farm quotas to bans on racial discrimination in the 1960s. But when Senate Democrats included the so-called individual mandate in the health care reform bill last year, some Republicans objected immediately, arguing that the law simply exceeds Congress's authority.
GO HERE to read more.
But as those challenges snake their way up through the courts, more than just health care reform is at stake. If successful, the suits could end up rejiggering the delicate balance between the federal government and the states, and could profoundly redefine the limits of congressional power. (See 10 players in health care reform.)
The legislation at issue, and in particular its requirement that all Americans buy health insurance, is rooted in the power granted to Congress by the commerce clause of the Constitution. That's the bit of language in Article I that says Congress has the power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."
For most of the past 100 years, the Supreme Court has interpreted those few words broadly, using them to uphold some of Congress's most progressive pieces of legislation, from Depression-era farm quotas to bans on racial discrimination in the 1960s. But when Senate Democrats included the so-called individual mandate in the health care reform bill last year, some Republicans objected immediately, arguing that the law simply exceeds Congress's authority.
GO HERE to read more.
Wicomico County Council's Action - Emphasis On Taxpayers
1. Waiver of a State mandated residential sprinkler ordinance that would have required all newly constructed single family homes to be equipped with a residential sprinkler system.
2. Capital improvements budget submitted by County Executive - Rick Pollitt.
3. Hiring an energy management consulting company to implement not only an energy analysis for County owned buildings - but also to act as a general contractor to implement energy improvements under Phase II.
4. Legislation for an elected County School Board - to be drafted and submitted to our State Delegation.
Intense and lengthy debate centered mainly around a State mandated residential sprinkler ordinance whereby area residents overwhelming spoke out against the requirement to have residential sprinkler systems installed for all newly constructed single family homes.
When all was said and told - the County Council voted 6-1 against implementation of the ordinance. Most of the audience that testified against the ordinance feared not only the cost would be a deterrent to home ownership - but also that the statistics don't bear out the evidence that it actually saves lives. Bottom line - the County Council voted with their constituents interest at heart - citing that homeowners still have the option to install - but not a government mandated requirement.
What really impressed me about this meeting though - (and I have witnessed many other County Council meetings) - was that this is one of the those rare times in my life whereby I actually felt like the majority of County Council members have placed the taxpayers interest at the top of the 'totem pole' as opposed to caving into special interest.
My advise to Council members - stay the coarse.
A Letter To The Editor
SALISBURY: HERE’S A COMMENT WORTHY OF POSTING!
Yesterday Sbynews posted a statement by the president of the local landlords’ league, SAPOA, that is a personal and political attack on the Mayor and two members of the City Council, one of whom is running for reelection this year. That post drew many comments, including the one posted below.
Note, among other things, the reference to a PAC called "Citizens for a Better Salisbury," which, as Sbynews reported last week, describes itself as a coalition of "like minded business persons." It is reported that they are intent on continuing their control of the City Council by a majority composed of their bobble head puppets, such as Louise Smith, who will soon be leaving the Council along with Gary Comegys. We now have it from reliable sources that this PAC includes various present or past supporters of that pair, the "Dream Team" (Comegys, Cathcart and Dunn) and Barrie Tilghman. Apparently, this PAC has ties to the local Chamber of Commerce and Greater Salisbury Committee as well as SAPOA. We welcome further details about the PAC, which we understand plans to endorse and support certain candidates for the City Council.
* * * * *
http://www.blogger.com/profile/03034113812131713030 said...
Only in Salisbury is there a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Vice President of the landlord organization, SAPOA, Stu Leer running around spouting publicly, that they have formed a PAC, Citizens for a Better Salisbury, that will spend $100,000 on this election to take control of the council and to unseat the current mayor.
Only in Salisbury can this same Chamber member and Vice President of SAPOA, Stu Leer, make statements such as "It doesn't have to be true, we just have to say it".
Only in Salisbury is this mentality not only supported by many members of SAPOA, it is encouraged.
To compare the politics of Salisbury with the Holocaust is no different or less offensive than Stu Leer referring to citizens as being Viet Cong.
Students are the problem for SAPOA. They once made a very lucrative living off these kids, charging them $400 and $500 per month to rent a room. Now that the University has built more housing and the Rinniers have followed suit building more student housing, the slumlords have lost a lot of money on student rentals. Have they invested any of those 100's of thousands if not millions of dollars in their rental property maintenance? Did they treat the students fairly by not maintaining their properties in a safe manner? This bunch of cry baby poor little rich boys and girls need to get over themselves and abide by the law like every other property owner in the city. There are laws on the books, follow them or sell your property to someone that will.
Barrie Tilghman allowed this special interest group to do as they pleased in the city. As long as they were making money they didn't care that their properties were going to ruin, they don't live in the city and they don't have to look at it. They live in places like Nithsdale, High Banks and riverfront McMansions on Riverside Dr. It's all about them and the hell with the neighborhoods.
Kris Adams and her group of slumlords are so used to doing all of their dirt in back rooms they have the audacity to accuse our legislators of doing the same. Well since when did anyone in Annapolis ask our permission to draft legislation in the state? Name one time, one legislator? Just because puppets like Comegys, Smith and Shields were not included doesn't make it wrong. In my opinion it was rather smart and far less time consuming. What exactly could any of the 3 puppets add to any piece of meaningful legislation? What meaningful legislation has any of those 3 offered? All they have done is accomodate every special interest group coming down the pike. They have given away literally millions to special interest groups such as SAPOA and other landlord/developers.
Face it, people are sick and tired of business as usual. They want laws to protect them and their investment in their properties.
If Kris Adams thinks this is the way to affect change, she either needs to see a shrink or she needs to think again. She is especially mad because her student rentals losing thanks to SU's continued expansion of student housing.
http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2011/02/sapoa-exclusive-on-salisbury-news.html?showComment=1296596565736
PS – Ms. Adams, the president of SAPOA, sent the comment that we posted yesterday.
An Open Letter to Kris Adams and SAPOA
SAPOA doesn’t like Salisbury mayor Jim Ireton, councilwoman Debbie Campbell, councilwoman Terry Cohen, or council candidate Tim Spies. Fair enough. They are all friends of mine and I disagree with them quite frequently; particularly when it comes to Mayor Ireton’s housing regulation package (sorry Jim - “Crime Package”). That said, it is SAPOA – the party claiming to being persecuted – who is attacking these fine individuals using every despicable tactic in the book.
In 2007, we saw SAPOA members recruit SU students and literally bus (in some cases dubiously) registered voters to the polls at taxpayer expense. These misinformed folk were told that they would lose their homes if the SAPOA-backed ticket wasn’t elected.
In 2009, SAPOA members resorted to the worst kinds of personal slurs against then-candidate Jim Ireton. Along with these, city renters were bombarded with literature attacking Ireton and councilwoman Debbie Campbell. The nastiness of SAPOA’s tactics backfired; as we learned through interviews conducted by WSDL’s Don Rush.
2011 looked as if it might be a different year. Too much of Ireton’s “Safe Streets” package was so blatantly anti-business that even long time opponents such as myself jumped to SAPOA’s defense. With Kris Adams as president, SAPOA seemed to have a new face – both literally and figuratively. SAPOA seemed to be ceasing their laughable self-portrayal as “protectors of the poor, the oppressed, the black, and the brown”. Instead, Adams talked about SAPOA being what they are – businessmen and women – who are working to attain an adequate return on their sizable investment by providing a needed service.
Well, it seems that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. SAPOA has returned to their old ways of deceit, scaremongering, and (as we will see in the next several weeks) attempting to buy elections.
As we noted here a couple of weeks ago, SAPOA is playing the race card. While this is always offensive, any group that uses this tactic AND has members who have actually threatened persons because they rented a home in THEIR neighborhood to a black family are hypocrites of the highest order.
Now we have an early salvo from Adams. Expect more as the election progresses.
Adams starts off her op-ed by stating that “Salisbury’s politics play out like the theatre of the absurd”. On this point we can agree, though not for the reasons she later cites. In fact, this is one of the few statements Adams makes which have any basis in reality.
Only in Salisbury is it considered normal for the Mayor and Council to make use of slurs and inaccurate broad generalizations about tenants and business people alike.While Ireton has been known to go a little wild at times, there is no evidence that Campbell or Cohen slur renters and scant evidence that they slur landlords. Both make a point to note that there are good landlords and bad ones. Even SAPOA has admitted this in multiple public statements by its members. Campbell and Cohen are both vigorous supporters of a “tenant bill of rights”. SAPOA doesn’t even want those words mentioned together in public.
Only in Salisbury can two City Council members share the same website and push the same agenda, and no one, especially the press, is disturbed by the collusion.What collusion? There is certainly nothing illegal about this. Besides, I don’t recall SAPOA complaining when county councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes and Salisbury councilwoman Shanie Shields jointly published a newsletter. Of course not, Shields behaves like the “house slave” for SAPOA. Wouldn’t want to criticize her.
Only in Salisbury is a "public input" meeting code language for a taxpayer funded bully pulpit to proselytize and to campaign for re-election.One of my personal favorites. Who dominated the discussion at these meetings? SAPOA – its members, family, and friends.
Only in Salisbury do we deny housing to the veterans who served and protected our country because the veteran’s house doesn’t fit the Mayor and Council Members’ myopic definition of what is acceptable.Another favorite – and another lie. The owner of this “veterans’ home”, a SAPOA member, built a multi-family home in a single family residential neighborhood. He “misrepresented” the project on his building permit application AND his application for an occupancy permit. Bringing this matter up simply adds evidence to the pile that SAPOA has NO respect for the city’s zoning laws, and possibly its other laws as well.
This list goes on, and on, and on …. While I do agree with Mrs. Adams that there are those in city government (as well as the state and federal governments) who believe that they know more about what a business needs than the businesses’ owners, little else in her attack piece holds up to the light of evidence and reason. Sadly, this is just the camel’s nose under the tent. As the election season progresses it’s going to get pretty bumpy.
Third Friday A Look Back At Summer
If you're missing the warm weather you can check out the video I just released featuring lost moments of 3rd Friday from this past summer. The video was filmed and edited by DaveyJoeVideo and features still photography from SMDiphotography@gmail.com
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