Hi I'm writing on behalf of my friend, Craig. He just recently lost his dogs, they escaped through this fence on Calhoun Dr. in Salisbury, MD. I am writing because he has no computer and this remains the fastest way to get results for these situations, never the less he is missing two dogs one a husky that's white with tannish brown markings and responds to Sasha and the second is a lab/pit mix that is mainly white with black markings and responds to Jordan. So if anyone finds them then feel free to contact either me by email or Craig directly with the following number, (443) 783-7844.
They were last seen in the upper Salisbury area near Delmar, by the Maryland state police barracks, the super Wal-mart north, WaWa, and Chili's. Thank you for everyone's help and time and I hope we can return his animals to him asap he misses them greatly.
Michael Poe
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Americans: War Is Coming, Cut Off Aid To Arabs
Most Americans think that the political upheaval spreading throughout the Arab world may wind up drawing the United States into a new large-scale war, a Rasmussen Reports poll found. The poll also found most Americans favor cutting off aid to Arab countries.
A new national telephone survey found that 58% of American adults believe the unrest in the Middle East will lead to a major war involving the US, with 26% saying it is "very likely."
Thirty-one percent see such a scenario as "unlikely," but that number includes only four percent who say it is "not at all likely."
Seventy-seven percent of Americans are "concerned that radical Islamic terrorists may try to exploit the unrest in these countries to further their violent aims," versus 18% who do not share that concern, Rasmussen Reports said. These numbers include 53% who are "very concerned" and only 4% who are "not at all concerned."
Just 29% of adults believe a change of government in any of the Arab countries undergoing upheavals will be good for the United States. However, the poll also shows that 67% of Americans say the US should "stay out of the situation over there."
Rasmussen Reports also found that most Americans want to end US aid to all Arab nations in the Middle East. Just over half favor continuing aid to Israel, however.
Only 20% of American adults think the US should continue providing foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East, while 58% say that aid should come to an end. Twenty-one percent are not sure.
Fifty-one percent of Americans, on the other hand, favor continued foreign aid to Israel. One-in-three adults (32%) oppose further aid for Israel, and 17% are undecided.
More from INN
A new national telephone survey found that 58% of American adults believe the unrest in the Middle East will lead to a major war involving the US, with 26% saying it is "very likely."
Thirty-one percent see such a scenario as "unlikely," but that number includes only four percent who say it is "not at all likely."
Seventy-seven percent of Americans are "concerned that radical Islamic terrorists may try to exploit the unrest in these countries to further their violent aims," versus 18% who do not share that concern, Rasmussen Reports said. These numbers include 53% who are "very concerned" and only 4% who are "not at all concerned."
Just 29% of adults believe a change of government in any of the Arab countries undergoing upheavals will be good for the United States. However, the poll also shows that 67% of Americans say the US should "stay out of the situation over there."
Rasmussen Reports also found that most Americans want to end US aid to all Arab nations in the Middle East. Just over half favor continuing aid to Israel, however.
Only 20% of American adults think the US should continue providing foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East, while 58% say that aid should come to an end. Twenty-one percent are not sure.
Fifty-one percent of Americans, on the other hand, favor continued foreign aid to Israel. One-in-three adults (32%) oppose further aid for Israel, and 17% are undecided.
More from INN
WOLF: Organized Medical Fraud In Wisconsin
“Primum nil nocere.” First, do no harm. This bedrock principle in medicine is a foreign language to most politicians and, sadly, to some Wisconsin doctors, who have violated their oath and the public trust as they have defrauded Wisconsin taxpayers.
Several University of Wisconsin family physicians donned their sacred white coats and were caught distributing fraudulent “sick notes” free for the asking quite literally by the boxful - I wonder who paid for that printing - to teachers and others who skipped work to engage in political protest at the state Capitol in Madison. Whatever the merits of the teachers’ protest, there’s a word for what these doctors and teachers are perpetrating: fraud.
An army of citizen-journalist bloggers, including Tim Daniels of Left Coast Rebel and Ann Althouse, captured and publicized photographs and video allegedly of publicly funded University of Wisconsin doctors Kathy A. Oriel, James H. Shropshire, Lou Sanner, Hannah M. Keevil, Patrick McKenna and Elizabeth Kvach as they disseminated these fraudulent notes to Wisconsin’s publicly funded teachers so the teachers could have a publicly funded day off.
“I’m a doctor. Need a note?” read one sign held high near Dr. McKenna as he openly defrauded taxpayers. “We see a lot of sore throats from speaking out, sore feet from walking, a lot of people kind of chilly, under stress. We say the best thing you can do is be with a large support group,” said Dr. Sanner in a pathetic rationalization despite video confirmation that neither he nor his colleagues examined any throats or feet before making their diagnoses and issuing doctor’s notes.
Meanwhile, taxpayers and students are paying dearly. According to the Department of Education, two-thirds of Wisconsin public school eighth-graders cannot read at a proficient level. And yet, while the average total compensation of a Milwaukee public school teacher is a staggering $100,005 per year, these entitled teachers demand that taxpayers pay them, quite literally, to agitate for more tax money.
If this degree of financial fraud were perpetrated against health insurance companies, the doctors would face civil and criminal charges. Taxpayers deserve at least as much protection.
More here
Several University of Wisconsin family physicians donned their sacred white coats and were caught distributing fraudulent “sick notes” free for the asking quite literally by the boxful - I wonder who paid for that printing - to teachers and others who skipped work to engage in political protest at the state Capitol in Madison. Whatever the merits of the teachers’ protest, there’s a word for what these doctors and teachers are perpetrating: fraud.
An army of citizen-journalist bloggers, including Tim Daniels of Left Coast Rebel and Ann Althouse, captured and publicized photographs and video allegedly of publicly funded University of Wisconsin doctors Kathy A. Oriel, James H. Shropshire, Lou Sanner, Hannah M. Keevil, Patrick McKenna and Elizabeth Kvach as they disseminated these fraudulent notes to Wisconsin’s publicly funded teachers so the teachers could have a publicly funded day off.
“I’m a doctor. Need a note?” read one sign held high near Dr. McKenna as he openly defrauded taxpayers. “We see a lot of sore throats from speaking out, sore feet from walking, a lot of people kind of chilly, under stress. We say the best thing you can do is be with a large support group,” said Dr. Sanner in a pathetic rationalization despite video confirmation that neither he nor his colleagues examined any throats or feet before making their diagnoses and issuing doctor’s notes.
Meanwhile, taxpayers and students are paying dearly. According to the Department of Education, two-thirds of Wisconsin public school eighth-graders cannot read at a proficient level. And yet, while the average total compensation of a Milwaukee public school teacher is a staggering $100,005 per year, these entitled teachers demand that taxpayers pay them, quite literally, to agitate for more tax money.
If this degree of financial fraud were perpetrated against health insurance companies, the doctors would face civil and criminal charges. Taxpayers deserve at least as much protection.
More here
Iran Nuclear Plans: Bushehr Fuel To Be Unloaded
Iran has confirmed it is having to remove nuclear fuel from the reactor at the Bushehr power plant, the latest in a series of delays to hit the project.
On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had new information on "possible military dimensions" to Iran's nuclear plans, which Iran says are purely peaceful.
The IAEA will supervise the unloading of fuel from Bushehr, Iran's nuclear envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh said.
Iran began the Bushehr project in 1976.
Iran's Fars news agency says the fuel is being removed for "technical reasons".
The fuel at Bushehr is being provided by Russia, which built the plant and whose engineers will carry out the unloading, under the supervision of the IAEA.
"Upon a demand from Russia, which is responsible for completing the Bushehr nuclear power plant, fuel assemblies from the core of the reactor will be unloaded for a period of time to carry out tests and take technical measurements," Mr Soltanieh said, according to the semi-official Isna news agency.
The BBC's Tehran correspondent, James Reynolds, says diplomats suggest the entire core of the Bushehr plant is being replaced - potentially a serious problem.
There has been some speculation that the Stuxnet computer virus may be responsible, our correspondent says.
Analysts say Stuxnet - which caused problems at another Iranian enrichment facility last year - has been specially configured to damage motors commonly used in uranium-enrichment centrifuges by sending them spinning out of control.
Some experts believe that the problems at Bushehr call into question the safety and effectiveness of Iran's nuclear facilities as a whole, our correspondent says.
More
On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had new information on "possible military dimensions" to Iran's nuclear plans, which Iran says are purely peaceful.
The IAEA will supervise the unloading of fuel from Bushehr, Iran's nuclear envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh said.
Iran began the Bushehr project in 1976.
Iran's Fars news agency says the fuel is being removed for "technical reasons".
The fuel at Bushehr is being provided by Russia, which built the plant and whose engineers will carry out the unloading, under the supervision of the IAEA.
"Upon a demand from Russia, which is responsible for completing the Bushehr nuclear power plant, fuel assemblies from the core of the reactor will be unloaded for a period of time to carry out tests and take technical measurements," Mr Soltanieh said, according to the semi-official Isna news agency.
The BBC's Tehran correspondent, James Reynolds, says diplomats suggest the entire core of the Bushehr plant is being replaced - potentially a serious problem.
There has been some speculation that the Stuxnet computer virus may be responsible, our correspondent says.
Analysts say Stuxnet - which caused problems at another Iranian enrichment facility last year - has been specially configured to damage motors commonly used in uranium-enrichment centrifuges by sending them spinning out of control.
Some experts believe that the problems at Bushehr call into question the safety and effectiveness of Iran's nuclear facilities as a whole, our correspondent says.
More
The Israeli Rabbi's Letter To The Egyptian People
Along with the rest of the world, Rabbi Donniel Hartman has been following recent historical events in our neighboring countries anxiously, but with no real way to influence what has been happening.
Last week, though, he decided to do something about it.
Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, was inspired by the role that the Internet and social networks have played in the Egyptian uprising. He used the SHI website to publish an open letter to the Egyptian people. In his letter he pleaded with our southern neighbors to uphold the peaceful status-quo that has developed over the course of 30 years.
Here's what he wrote:
"We don't really know who you are. We've spoken with your leaders, but they don’t speak for you. For nearly 35 years now, we have lived in peace with each other. It hasn’t been the warmest peace, but as we say in the Jewish tradition, 'dayenu.' It was enough.
"We Israelis, while always aspiring for more, deeply valued it nonetheless. This peace must become the rule instead of the exception.
“I hope we do not need to relive the experiences of our grandparents and parents in order to learn yet again that war is not a solution. I pray that we will use the change in the status quo as a catalyst to move us forward. We have a unique opportunity to change the rules of the game, to speak and even push each other to find a new status quo."
"I am writing to you to again say, hello," he wrote, "and that we look forward to speaking with you soon. Until then, we wish that your transition to freedom be a peaceful and beneficial one to all your citizens and that your freedom be a blessing to you, and to the whole world. Amen."
The letter makes it clear that its writer is not just a peace lover but probably a hopeless optimist as well.
But even Rabbi Hartman, a philosopher in his free time, could not predict what the letter would lead to.
"I wrote this letter on a very personal note," he says. "I was not even sure whether anyone would read it, or whether I was just talking to myself. I thought I'd be rewarded if a single Egyptian surfer changed his mind after reading my appeal."
The first response came from American Deborah Harris, who expressed regret over the presumed fact "that the people who are directly involved, in this case the Egyptian people, never get to hear these thoughts directly."
The following comments, though, soon dispelled that notion and proved that the Egyptian people could indeed hear Rabbi Hartman loud and clear.
Read the comments and the rest of the story here
Last week, though, he decided to do something about it.
Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, was inspired by the role that the Internet and social networks have played in the Egyptian uprising. He used the SHI website to publish an open letter to the Egyptian people. In his letter he pleaded with our southern neighbors to uphold the peaceful status-quo that has developed over the course of 30 years.
Here's what he wrote:
"We don't really know who you are. We've spoken with your leaders, but they don’t speak for you. For nearly 35 years now, we have lived in peace with each other. It hasn’t been the warmest peace, but as we say in the Jewish tradition, 'dayenu.' It was enough.
"We Israelis, while always aspiring for more, deeply valued it nonetheless. This peace must become the rule instead of the exception.
“I hope we do not need to relive the experiences of our grandparents and parents in order to learn yet again that war is not a solution. I pray that we will use the change in the status quo as a catalyst to move us forward. We have a unique opportunity to change the rules of the game, to speak and even push each other to find a new status quo."
"I am writing to you to again say, hello," he wrote, "and that we look forward to speaking with you soon. Until then, we wish that your transition to freedom be a peaceful and beneficial one to all your citizens and that your freedom be a blessing to you, and to the whole world. Amen."
The letter makes it clear that its writer is not just a peace lover but probably a hopeless optimist as well.
But even Rabbi Hartman, a philosopher in his free time, could not predict what the letter would lead to.
"I wrote this letter on a very personal note," he says. "I was not even sure whether anyone would read it, or whether I was just talking to myself. I thought I'd be rewarded if a single Egyptian surfer changed his mind after reading my appeal."
The first response came from American Deborah Harris, who expressed regret over the presumed fact "that the people who are directly involved, in this case the Egyptian people, never get to hear these thoughts directly."
The following comments, though, soon dispelled that notion and proved that the Egyptian people could indeed hear Rabbi Hartman loud and clear.
Read the comments and the rest of the story here
ARE CERTAIN CANDIDATES IN SALISBURY BEING SECRETLY FUNDED – AND BY WHOM?
Required disclosure of the funds contributed to candidates in the upcoming election for Salisbury’s City Council has revealed that a “slate” of candidates – Boda, Dixon and Dryden – are being supported largely by a small group, most of whom live outside the City and some outside of Wicomico County and the State of Maryland. These dozen or so “super-donors have contributed about 73% of the funds received by the trio named above.
It’s especially interesting that substantial contributions have been made by four persons from Lexington, South Carolina – their desire to influence the outcome of the election has caused them to contribute a total of $1,000 to Dixon and Dryden. Why?
And why would Bret Hopkins from Fairfax Station, Virginia contribute a total of $450 to Boda, Dizon and Dryden. Even closer to town, why would Charlene Lococo of Berlin donate a total of $600 to the trio.
Someone from elsewhere might donate funds to a particular candidate who is a good friend or relative, but if someone donates substantial sums to 2 or more candidates, you wonder why – and if they are simply serving as a conduit for some other source of funds (can you say “SAPOA”?). What do you know about this?
For more details (names, etc.) about these and the other “super-donors” see our earlier post at: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2011/02/who-are-these-super-donors-in.html
IS “DR. FREDDY” USING STUDENTS TO PRESSURE THE WICOMICO COUNCIL?
Although I have not seen it yet, sources have reported that Wicomico County’s superintendent of schools sent students home last week with a note to urge their parents to pack the County Council’s meeting on Tuesday and take other action to coerce the members to vote to proceed with building that new “Taj Mahal” called the Bennett Middle School. We don’t know whether every student in the County was given the note.
If Frederickson gave even one student such a note, his pay should be docked for the cost of producing it unless he paid that cost himself.
If you have a note of the kind mentioned above, please send it to me -- by e-mail if possible.
HB1107 Part II
The final pages of the bill is all completely new wording which details what can and cannot be approved for Residential Subdivision.
Under this bill not only will there be no major subdivision approved unless served by a public sewerage system and no minor subdivision unless served by a nitrogen removal devise as approved by the department. But here’s another change is how the discharges must be approved. Currently any land application discharges must not discharge nitrogen that will raise the nitrogen levels above the drinking water standards of 10 milligrams. Now in this bill the combination of the treatment and the land application system must remove 100% of the nitrogen and phosphorus. This means that since the treatment plant using today’s technology will not remove the nitrogen much lower than 3 milligrams under optimal conditions, the vegetation of the land application system must remove the rest. One might say, will that’s no problem because plants us the nitrogen. And this is true under optimal conditions. However, during the winter months treatments plants do not operate at optimal conditions due to cold water and the nitrogen uptake of the plants is little to none. Therefore there will be a much larger storage area required to hold the treated sewage since you cannot discharge if the nitrogen is not 100% removed before it reaches the groundwater. This will require much larger land application areas and storage ponds which uses up a lot more land for the purpose of waste disposal. Understand this just a simple analogy of the process, it’s really much more complicated than this, but you get the point.in the end, the cost for the systems raise substantially. So what do we get, no new developments and no new tax base & no help from the State even though they pass regulations that the counties must live with, but that’s nothing new. Now we move to the minor subdivision. Although those located in the critical area already have to nitrogen removal units they now are requiring even those properties outside of the critical area to have one also with no mention of monetary help from big brother. Right now every tax payer in the state must pay an annual $30 fee to the state to fund the installation of these units, however, the critical area properties are the only one who can receive the funds. Oh, except for the farmers who gets 5 million dollars every year from the fund except an additional 5 million for the farmers as which is supposed to be a onetime deal a couple of years ago. Now that’s not to say the farmers actually got the money because you see, it has to be given out by the department of agriculture, another government agency, who decides who actually gets the money. Now you remember the definition of the minor subdivision, “less than five lots”, well even that’s not totally a given. If after July 1, 2011 if you decide to divide one lot off of your property for a son or daughter you will not be able to do the other 3 lots, why, because the new regulation states that the residential minor subdivision my not be re-subdivided or further subdivided; and the remainder parcel or tract of land my not be subdivided.
Folks, this is a bad bill that does not help anyone. It does however, effectively stops all growth, and eliminates the possibility of increasing the tax base. Therefore the only way government can increase revenue to pay for their programs is to raise taxes on those who are already over taxed, existing property owners. This is your government at work and I thought it was supposed to be by the people and for the people.
GO HERE to read Part I.
GO HERE to read Part I.
Lost Dog
Mr. Albero,
We spoke on the phone yesterday about my two logs that have been lost since Feb 16th. They were last seen on RT. 50 near Perdue Stadium.
This morning the older dog was waiting at our door step. She has lost weight and was clearly sprayed by a skunk. I can only assume that the intense smell must have hindered their ability to pick up the proper scent to get home.
While I am very happy to have one of my dogs home it also increases the concern for the other dog. Normally they would not be apart unless something happend. I have combed the roads all over my area and thankfully have not found her on the side of the road hit by a car.
The remaining dog is named Isis and she is a 9 year old Border Collie mix female. I have enclosed pictures and you can choose which you would feel is best to post.
My name is Phillip Adkins
6858 Zion Church Rd.
Salisbury.
My home Phone is 443-859-8580, my work phone is 410-749-5417 (Mon - Fri 9Am-5:30pm) and my Cell number is 443-235-2184.
Thank you for your assistance.
Phil Adkins
Candidate Muir Boda Sends Final Message Before Primary
The key issues in this campaign are crime, economic development and fiscal integrity. However, nothing can be accomplished on any of these issues unless we return civility and respect in our discourse among the differing opinions of individuals. All three of our main issues are intertwined and we must be successful for the future of our city.
We need to take a three pronged approach to addressing the root causes of crime, which must be approached as a regional problem. This requires us to focus long term on Education, Economic Opportunity and Engaging our Faith Based Community. Each part is critical to our success.
Short term requires us to develop strong, multi-jurisdictional partnerships on targeting gangs, organized crime and our most violent offenders. After all, criminals know no boundaries and neither should our approach in dealing with them.
To learn more on where I stand and how I approach the issues, visit my website at www.boda4salisbury.com.
Worcester County Bureau Of Investigation Press Release
CBI Case # 11-0054
LOCATION: 900blk Laurel Street, Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Maryland
CRIME: Assault and CDS Distribution
VICTIM: Edward Schmidt - Snow Hill, Maryland
ACCUSED: Darryl Kyshek WISE, Jr. – 900blk Laurel Street, Pocomoke City, Maryland
Black / Male / 19 years of age
CHARGES:
First & Second Degree Assault / Reckless Endangering / Possession with Intent
Possession of Marijuana / Possession of Cocaine / Wearing & Carrying a Weapon
Distribution within 1000’ of a school
NARRATIVE: On the evening of Friday, February 25, 2011 members of the Pocomoke City Police Department began an investigation into a First Degree Assault and requested the assistance of the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
It was learned that as a result of a drug deal gone bad, the victim was struck multiple times with a hammer and then stabbed in the back. The victim was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was admitted and is being treated for multiple injuries.
In the early morning hours following the assault WISE was taken into custody without incident at his home. The significant amount of CDS which was recovered on his person also supports the Charge of Possession with Intent to Distribute.
WISE appeared before a District Court Commissioner and is being held at the Worcester County Detention Center on a $250,000.00 bond.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
House Bill 1107 Part II Will Post At 9:00 AM Tomorrow
Clearly the Blogs have now become the go to place to get such information, going all the way back to the Salisbury Waste Water Treatment Plant over 4 years ago. This particular story is vital to the Eastern Shore, yet they, (the MSM) choose to ignore such a bill.
If O'Malley and our elected officials pass this bill there is one thing I can assure you. You will NEVER forget it and will FOREVER regret it. It must be stopped immediately and I can only hope the MSM stops sitting on their hands on this one and gets on board. Anything short of educating their subscribers will only prove even further that they are in the pockets of our politicians and can never be trusted again.
Think about it Folks. What else is flying under the radar that they are not exposing any more.
Daily Times Covers For Council Vindictiveness
Everyone who knows the REAL history of the YEARS of effort to hurt Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen understands that this is NOT about saving money, it is NOT about the principle of whether elected officials should get benefits or not, it is NOT about fairness. Salisbury News has already told you what it's REALLY about, but just in case you didn't get it, let me say it again.
It's about revenge for Debbie Campbell saying a benefit of electing her over Michael Day was she could pay for her own benefits, which she did for years until she couldn't any more. Debbie never knocked Michael for taking the benefits, but you know this sick bunch of leftovers from Barrie Tilghman could twist a steel rod if they were obsessed with doing it.
If they couldn't get Debbie, then they would get Terry Cohen, who has young children, works more hours on council than any "part-time" employee, and works to feed those kids on top of that!
There was no public outcry at the public hearing on health benefits against the elected officials having them. IN FACT! there were very few people there at all and most weren't for such a drastic change. Even Lynn Cathcart didn't say cut the funding entirely, although Lynn had to bring up (without naming names) Debbie's first election comment and how awful it was it too poor little Michael Day.
Salisbury has to be the most VINDICTIVE city in this country! The last act Barrie Tilghman did as mayor was to cut the council health insurance from her proposed budget.
I mean, WHERE ELSE would you find a man dealing with the level of cancer Gary Comegys is, leaving office, and OBSESSED, as one of his last acts on council, maybe on earth, taking health insurance away from a woman with two kids?
As a bonus, Gary got to slam Jim Ireton for doing the legal and right thing. I've got my differences with Jim Ireton, and do others including Debbie and Terry, but Gary's problem is personal through and through. Mayor Jim Ireton kicked Gary's butt in the election and Gary can't man up and get over it.
I won't even get into the disgrace that Louise Smith and Shanie Shields are over this.
No wonder Salisbury is a laughing stock! It's also a crying shame. Really. You voters in Salisbury better get out and vote Tuesday to say "ENOUGH OF THIS SICKNESS!" Look where the signs are. You can tell whose owned by the landlords of Salisbury. You can tell who has NO RESPECT for the law by all the signs in the public right of way and by railroad tracks (just like Gary Comegys did, same places, right, Muir?)
This is your last chance, Salisbury. Don't blow it or you're lost for good!
And let me just add, Gary Comegys' cancer treatments are paid for by the taxpayers of Maryland, but he'll act like it's just awful for the CHILDREN of a hard-working councilwoman to be protected?
WICOMICO COUNCIL: “JUST SAY NO” TO THIS WASTE OF DOUGH!
Here we go again with another “Taj Mahal” named after that illustrious superintendent of schools (and why isn’t one such edifice enough?).
Like that new “senior high” on College Avenue, this monstrosity will no doubt be built by the Whiting Turner firm from the western shore – a major player in Maryland politics – at a cost of millions more than the taxpayers need to spend to replace the Bennett Middle School.
The estimated cost is so great that the Board of Ed. paid thousands of dollars for a study – made, would you believe, by the same firms that designed the project – about possible cost reduction, such as using poured concrete rather than “pavers” for walkways, and the grass covered roofing. But the Board decided not to eliminate any aspect of the gross waste of money.
Please contact anyone you know on the Wicomico County Council, which is going to consider whether to proceed with this project at its meeting on Tuesday, March 1.
It’s not about whether a new school should be built, but rather about wasting millions to build it.
HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER
The Yellow Brick Road
There is still a small patch of yellow brick which has been exposed through wear in the 400 block of East Church Street. This is a remnant of the first hard surfaced road in Salisbury. As you turn east off Route 13 onto Church Street, if you miss seeing it, your car will remind you where it is by giving you a jolt as you descend into the pothole. I took the above picture on February 24, 2011 and this is probably the last we will see of “the yellow brick road”.
The vitrified yellow bricks were put down on a concrete base in the spring of 1904. The road covered was from the West Main Street Bridge up Main Street to Division Street where it turned left. From there it took a right turn on Church Street to the N. Y. P. & N. Railway track. Since there were few, if any, automobiles around at the time, the clang of the iron wheels on wagons and the clop-clop of horses’ iron horse shoes on the brick caused quite a racket. After this, all Salisbury streets were covered with macadam.
The original cost of the yellow brick road was $27,000, or $8.00 per running foot. The City of Salisbury paid half of this and the abutting property owners on each side were charged one quarter of the cost.
This little bit of Salisbury history is going to be visible until the City decides to fill in that pothole. When they do decide to fill it in, I would love to cut out one of those bricks and save it for posterity. There is not much history to see around Salisbury, so if you want to see it, you had better get out there before it is covered up.
There has always been a concerted effort by the local “powers that be” to erase Salisbury’s past. The fiasco of covering the facades of most of the buildings on Main Street with aluminum to make Salisbury look more modern has been reversed in recent years with some of the property owners realizing that brick makes for a more attractive look than aluminum. In this throw-away mentality of today, there is something to be said for taking care of what we already have. Maybe some of the structures are not as practical as what can be built now, but preserving our history and our heritage is important, too. Improvements can be made and the past can be preserved at the same time. Paving over the yellow brick with macadam certainly improved the situation for the person traveling on it and the people living near it.
Also, the N. Y. P. and N. station, which was the final destination of the yellow brick road was replaced in 1914 when the new Union Station was built.
(UPDATE) The City has temporarily filled the pothole with tar and chip. As seen above, there are a few yellow bricks still visible. Howard Landon at Public Works said he wanted to fill it months ago, but they said it was historic and should be preserved so they did a temporary repair. When it is repaired again, I have been promised any bricks they extract. Whoopee!!! That will be some great Salisbury history.
Delegate Mike McDermott Field Notes For Feb. 21 Thru Feb 25th.
Field Notes
Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
By Delegate Mike McDermott
February 21st-25th 2011
· Monday prior to session, I received a nice visit from folks from the Catholic Conference all hailing from northern Worcester County. Mondays is a big afternoon for various groups to come by and meet with their respective legislators for lobbying purposes. It is always a pleasure for groups to come by from back home. We exchanged a few ideas on pending legislation while agreeing to disagree on capital punishment.
· Monday the House TEA Party Caucus held a meeting prior to session and was visited by a large number of patriots from Queen Anne’s County. We were addressed by the President of the Maryland AFP, Charles Lollar, who encouraged the membership for taking a stand on fiscal restraint in the House of Delegates. Pres. Lollar agreed to do all he could to insure that the AFP joined the effort by showing up once a week to take a stand in the House Galleries. We also reviewed a short legislative list which we will vote on next Monday.
· Monday night we had a special presentation from Delegate Frick (D) in honor of Washington’s Birthday. In the House, the Black Caucus gets to pick the speaker for Martin Luther King Day, the Republican Caucus picks for Lincoln’s Birthday, and the Democratic Caucus picks for President’s Day. The delegate made an attempt to infuse some sarcastic humor into his speech on President Washington, -but it fell flat. It seemed like a time that could have been used to lift and inspire was wasted.
· Tuesday morning, some of the first bills starting trickling onto the floor for Second Reader. This process starts slow, but it will build to a fever pitch in time. The first few bills are ones where there is general agreement on both sides of the isle. Often they are technical bills which only seek to clarify provisions in the law, and they usually move forward quickly with little or no debate. During Second Reader, amendments are often offered to the bills. Each one of these must be offered by a delegate or by the Chairman if the amendment was added by the Committee hearing the bill in the first place.
· Tuesday in Judiciary, the following bills were reviewed:
1. HB-135: This bill seeks to increase the court fines and costs to be utilized to fund victim service organizations. This is an interesting bill, but there was some concern that one organization would be getting preferential treatment through the creation of this funding source, while other organizations would have to continue competing for available grant funds through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Public Safety. Many victims of crime came forward to support this legislative effort. Their stories can be heart wrenching, and it can be difficult to hear these tragedies told by heartbroken family members.
2. HB-353: This bill seeks to repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing in Maryland for drug related offenses. Supporters of the bill want judges to have more ability to sentence criminals to treatment facilities or other similar sentencing arrangements by providing much more latitude in sentencing. Ironically, this bill was created to help us get tough on drug crimes and was a means of dealing with many liberal judges from the western shore who would not provide lengthy incarceration for even repeat offenders. I hope this bill never moves out of the Committee.
3. HB-359: Would make it a crime if a person sells drugs to a minor which leads to the minor’s death. While this seems strange, this proposed law mimics current Federal Law and is not currently a crime in Maryland. There was compelling testimony from a family regarding the tragic death of their 17 year old son due to drug abuse. This bill made sense and appears to fill several loop holes currently on the books.
4. HB-454: This bill would provide for the ability of a judge to order specific restitution in cases involving Identity Theft. We heard testimony from several professionals detailing the costs often associated with this crime and the burden it places on the victims.
5. HB-458: This bill would prohibit the release of a person’s arrest record to anyone outside of the criminal justice system for any non-violent offenses which occurred more than 10-years prior to the request for information. This bill stirred debate as it could potentially limit the ability of an organization to screen for someone previously convicted of theft or embezzlement. The idea behind the bill was to limit the exposure people face due to previous criminal history so their employment opportunities would not be limited. The committee sees many bills of this nature which seek to codify the idea of a “second chance” by diminishing, eliminating, or otherwise hiding the history or previous actions of an individual. They are well intended, but fraught with problems.
6. HB-504: This is a straight forward bill which seeks to limit the amount of time a person may be sentenced to do local time in a county jail. Currently a person can serve up to 18-months locally. This bill changes that to 12-months. Several wardens testified about the cost associated with the extra time and the failure of the state to continue their reimbursement program based on a set per diem amount. As this would further burden the Department of Corrections in Maryland, this bill is probably not going anywhere. In fact, I could envision the state trying to extend local time as this would reduce that same burden borne by the state.
7. HB-599: This bill would require law enforcement officers to secure a Search Warrant prior to utilizing any type of GPS tracking device on a vehicle or a person. Traditionally, courts have held that the use of limited GPS style tracking is an acceptable practice as it merely enhances an officer’s ability to follow a vehicle as if the officer were in a vehicle tailing the suspect. Extended use of these systems generally requires a warrant. This bill would put an undue burden on law enforcement’s ability to watch the bad guys.
8. HB-606: This bill would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana by making possession of less than an ounce a Civil Infraction punishable by a fine of $100.00. There are strong arguments on both sides and the marijuana lobby is really pushing hard in the General Assembly this year. While this sounds like a small amount of marijuana, when packaged for sale and distribution, an ounce is the equivalent of about 26-“dime” ($10.00) bags on the street. This was clearly demonstrated by the law enforcement community who attended the hearing. I think the bill has some significant problems. The amount was clearly too much and there was thought that this limitation may limit the arrest of major players who have small amounts of the drug coupled with the elements of a large scale operation.
There was an argument put forward that these small amount arrests are a waste of law enforcement resources and officer’s time could be put too much better use. I have no argument there, but the answer could be found in simply allowing officers to issue a ticket instead of arresting the individual. This was also discussed as a way to improve the process. This bill spawned a good discussion and which may result in a modified bill being offered or some other targeted legislation.
9. HB-801: This bill would apply and extend victim rights to the victims of all crimes and not just those affected by violent crimes. This is a good idea, but the costs associated with the fiscal note may make it difficult to implement at the present time.
· Wednesday, in Judiciary, the following bills were reviewed:
1. HB-351: This bill would return the limited duty of assigning guardianship of a person to the jurisdiction of the Orphan’s Court in certain instances. The law was modified in recent years with the assumption that the judges were all attorneys. This change would merely take the law back to its original form.
2. HB-363: This bill seeks to modify the standard by which the charge of Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel could be applied. The bill presenters believe the burden of proof is too high and, therefore, the law cannot be applied in cases of clear gross negligence. We heard from many family members tell of the tragic loss of their loved ones brought on by, in many cases, the apparent gross negligence of an individual who received little or no punishment for their offense due to the standard of criminal negligence being applied in Maryland.
These folks have been trying to see this standard changed for years. Their frustration with Chairman Vallario was quite apparent and they pleaded with him to allow the bill to be voted on by the committee. Up till now, the bill has always stayed “in the drawer” and the committee has never had a chance to vote.
3. HB-523: This bill creates a new tax on out of state attorneys who are allowed to take on a case in Maryland. It would place a $100.00 charge per case that would be utilized to fund the Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program. This is a fund set up to provide help in paying back student loans for law students who agree to practice law in underserved areas. Taxing lawyers may be the only tax that receives my support.
4. HB-779: The bill seeks to redefine the definition of “operator” as it relates to the crime of Manslaughter by Vehicle. It would allow that person would still be considered an “operator” for the purpose of being charged if they failed to secure a load properly or failed to clean up or mark a road hazard they created. If they failed to secure a trailer hitch properly and the load came detached and caused a death they could be charged under this proposed bill.
I saw some problem with this bill in the way it may affect commercial trucking interests and liabilities. Of course, nothing keeps one from being held civilly responsible in these cases, but the issue of seeking criminal charges is another matter. In many of these types of cases, there are certainly charges on the books which apply to the violations, but the punishment is often limited to a fine or very limited jail time. In some of these cases, there is a reckless disregard which ends a life and no sense of justice for the families who remain. Again, we heard compelling testimonies highlighting the need to address this issue.
5. HB-834: This would change the name of the Orphan’s Court to Estate Court. It was said that the name of the court is often a source of confusion for the public and no one is quite sure about what services the Orphan’s Court provides. The Orphan’s Court Judges I have spoken with have no issue with the name change.
6. HB-839: This bill would allow for certain operations of a motor vehicle to be included under the charge of Reckless Endangerment. Currently, vehicle operation is not included in this charge. Several prosecutors testified about the need for this charge and how it would help them label specific conduct that is often difficult to prosecute under existing charges. I agree with the premise, but the wording in the bill was a little confusing and may need to be cleaned up or amended to make it better.
7. HB-930: This bill would require that anyone seeking to hold office as an Orphan’s Court Judge for Baltimore County would need to be an attorney in good standing with the local Bar Association. We recently saw this change in Baltimore City. Currently in Baltimore County, the Orphan’s Court judiciary is fully comprised of attorneys; however this would clearly affect future elections. Generally, these types of bills for one specific jurisdiction are considered “local courtesy” bills and are moved along if the full delegations from that district (or districts affected) are in agreement. That appears to be the case with this bill.
· Thursday, a special joint session was held in the House for the election of the State Treasurer. This is done by secret ballot with everyone in attendance, including the Governor and Lt. Governor. The ballot had two names, Nancy Kopp and William Campbell. Kopp (D) being the current Treasurer and Campbell being the recent Republican nominee for State Comptroller. The vote should have been a no brainer for the Democrats. The ballots are marked and turned into the Clerks who deliver them to the Chief Clerk to be counted in front of the Assembly with all of the officials looking on. It became very interesting as the votes were read, aloud by the Chief Clerk and she started calling out votes for “Chuck Brown” and a few other write-in candidates. It seems many of my democratic colleagues were making a joke of the voting without realizing they were risking the election of Kopp in the process. She had to receive 95 votes to secure her election, and, as the voting progressed, the laughter died down to an eerie quiet as their joke looked like it just might backfire. If they did not have a clear 95 votes for Kopp, she could not be elected. After some time, she eventually reached the magic number and the Democratic leadership breathed a collective sigh of relief. I have to say, they were a true embarrassment today in plain view of the public. We are there to serve the public, and playing games with the voting process does not send the right message. Watching them sweat for awhile…priceless!
· Thursday we voted for the first time on Third Reader Bills. All but one of the bills was pretty much unanimous. The one bill that caused some stir dealt with continuing the funding for a commission to study the effects of immigration on the State of Maryland. Funding for the commission has a cost of 25 thousand a year and the questions they are charged with answering are anything but critical of illegal immigration. There is not even a mention in the study criteria to find out about the cost to our Criminal Justice system or the adverse economic impact on our local, county, and state government entities. These questions were raised on the floor, but ultimately the bill passed. Here is a list of the other bills which passed today:
· Thursday afternoon, the Judiciary Committee met for an extended meeting and late voting session. Hearings were conducted for the following bills:
1. HB-402: This bill would reduce the time tables and grounds for Absolute Divorce. It would change the requirements on cohabitation and reduces the time frame from 12-months to 6-months period of separation prior to a divorce being granted.
2. HB-423: This bill would enhance the penalties associated with Criminal Nonsupport and Desertion of a deadbeat parent.
3. HB-424: This bill would provide an extension of Child Support payments for kids who are still in high school but have not reached 19 years of age. Currently, support ends at age 18 regardless of whether or not a child has completed high school.
4. HB-653: This bill would define the way medical payments are handled in custody situations involving child support. The custodial parent would assume responsibility for the first $250.00 of medical expenses not reimbursed by insurance with the balance being worked out between both parents by decree.
5. HB-770: This bill actually attempts to give certain pets a different standing in the eyes of the court when it comes to them being parceled out as community property in divorce settlements. The bill outlines potential visitation rights, etc. We had a judge testify in this case and asked the Committee to not approve this bill. He was concerned at the time that would need to be spent dealing with a pet custody hearing. I think the judge is right. Pets hold a special place in our hearts, particularly if we do not have children; but giving them this type of status before the courts is dangerous.
6. HB-835: This would change the statute of limitations on Child and Spousal Support Contempt Proceedings. Instead of a contempt order being good for 3-years, they would remain active for up to 12-years.
7. HB-837: This is an interesting bill that would provide that a deadbeat spouse could not shelter a windfall settlement from their Child Support demands. It would allow for the courts to require the parent to provide support funding from the windfall.
8. HB-1052: This bill seeks to level the field between a man and a woman before the court when it comes to custody arrangements. The bill provides for a presumptive assumption that joint custody arrangements are generally in the best interest of children. There was much debate on this bill. The testimony lasted for a couple of hours with story after story of men who indicated that they had been denied proper custody rights by a judge. There were good points made on both sides of the argument.
· On Thursday following the hearing session, the Judiciary Committee held a voting session on several bills previously heard. The following is a synopsis of the bill status. A ruling of “Unfavorable” means the bill is dead having been voted down in committee. A ruling of “Favorable” indicates that the bill garnered sufficient support to move it out of committee and onto the whole House for a vote.
Bills Voted Favorable:
HB-136
HB-178
HB-302
HB-349
HB-351
HB-523
HB-626
HB-799
Bills Voted Unfavorable:
HB-304
HB-325
HB-426
HB-434
HB-458
HB-471
HB-483
HB-504
HB-834
HB-885
· Friday, the Judiciary spent long hours hearing testimony from both sides of the Gay Marriage bills. These are HB-55, HB-175, and SB-116 (having passed out of the Senate yesterday on a vote of 25-22). The chamber was packed out and the overflow stood in the hallways and in the large caucus room with a live broadcast. Panels rotated in and out, pro and con, every hour going long into the evening. The best arguments have been made against the bills by a law professor who addressed the bills purely from a civil law perspective. Looking at the historical nature of marriage between one man and one woman is so ingrained in our law, changing the definition will cause great destruction in many aspects too numerous to calculate. For that reason alone, these are poorly crafted bills.
I do not believe there are enough votes to defeat these bills in the Judiciary Committee. They may well get out with the minimum 12 vote count and find the battle moving to the floor of the House. In the House right now, it is a 50-50 proposition, but there is a lot of vote counting going on by the ruling party whips.
I will be working with others to submit amendments to any approved bills to make them about Civil Unions as opposed to the redefinition of marriage. This will be a difficult task.
I would imagine that we will vote on this sometime next week. I encourage folks to make phone calls and emails to my Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. The Republicans are not in dispute.
Md.'s Top Leaders Cross Catholic Hierarchy On Gay Marriage
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley regularly attends a weekday Mass and has sent his four children to Catholic schools. House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) used to teach and coach at his old Catholic high school in Annapolis. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) grew up serving as an altar boy in the idyllic wood-frame Catholic church his family helped build in Clinton.
Alveda King: ‘The Most Dangerous Place For An African-American Is In The Womb!’
Pro-life activist Alveda King reacted to the removal on Friday of a billboard advertisement in Manhattan that featured a black girl and the statement “the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.”
“It is an outrageous act of censorship that this billboard was taken down,” King said. “This billboard should be posted in every city of the country.
The billboard message’s placement comes in the wake of a report released last month by the New York City Department of Health that revealed an abortion rate of 41 percent of all pregnancies in the city in 2009 -- with 59.8 percent of those to African-American women.
“The message of this billboard is totally accurate,” King said in a statement issued by Priests for Life where she is the director of African-American Outreach. “The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb!”
She added: “And it should provoke outrage in the African-American community—not because it is racist, but because of the truth it reveals; the truth that is being kept from the African-American community.”
The billboard message was a project of thatsabortion.com, which paid for the message as part of its LifeAlways project.
A spokesman for Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising, Hal Kilshaw, said that while the company respects the right to freedom of expression, the decision to take down the billboard Thursday night was for "public safety." He said waiters and waitresses at a restaurant in the building where the billboard was placed had been harassed.
The Rev. Al Sharpton praised the decision and canceled plans to protest the billboard Friday.
More here
“It is an outrageous act of censorship that this billboard was taken down,” King said. “This billboard should be posted in every city of the country.
The billboard message’s placement comes in the wake of a report released last month by the New York City Department of Health that revealed an abortion rate of 41 percent of all pregnancies in the city in 2009 -- with 59.8 percent of those to African-American women.
“The message of this billboard is totally accurate,” King said in a statement issued by Priests for Life where she is the director of African-American Outreach. “The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb!”
She added: “And it should provoke outrage in the African-American community—not because it is racist, but because of the truth it reveals; the truth that is being kept from the African-American community.”
The billboard message was a project of thatsabortion.com, which paid for the message as part of its LifeAlways project.
A spokesman for Louisiana-based Lamar Advertising, Hal Kilshaw, said that while the company respects the right to freedom of expression, the decision to take down the billboard Thursday night was for "public safety." He said waiters and waitresses at a restaurant in the building where the billboard was placed had been harassed.
The Rev. Al Sharpton praised the decision and canceled plans to protest the billboard Friday.
More here
Obama In 2007: 'I'll Walk On That Picket Line' If Bargaining Rights Threatened
President Obama promised in 2007 to join a picket line with workers if their collective bargaining rights were ever threatened.
Amid clamor by a House liberal leader for the president to visit Wisconsin, the site of a massive battle over legislation limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers, the White House said Thursday that Obama had no plans to visit the state.
But the president said on the campaign trail that in a similar circumstance, he'd be on the ground.
"Understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain, when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you, as president of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that someone's standing in their corner," he said at a rally in Spartansburg, S.C., in November of 2007.
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Amid clamor by a House liberal leader for the president to visit Wisconsin, the site of a massive battle over legislation limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers, the White House said Thursday that Obama had no plans to visit the state.
But the president said on the campaign trail that in a similar circumstance, he'd be on the ground.
"Understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain, when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you, as president of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that someone's standing in their corner," he said at a rally in Spartansburg, S.C., in November of 2007.
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Quote Of The Week
"Taxes should be continued by annual or biennial re-enactments, because a constant hold, by the nation, of the strings of the public purse is a salutary restraint from which an honest government ought not wish, nor a corrupt one to be permitted, to be free.
We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude.
The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt, are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife." --Thomas Jefferson
(From The Patriot)
We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude.
The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt, are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife." --Thomas Jefferson
(From The Patriot)
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