Did you know “listen” and “silent” use the same letters?
Do you know that the words “race car” spelled backwards still spells “race car”?
And that “eat” is the only word that if you take the first letter and move it to the last, it spells its past tense “ate”?
And have you noticed that if you rearrange the letters in “illegal immigrants,” and add just a few more letters, it spells:
“Go home you free-loading, benefit-grabbing, resource-sucking, baby-making, non-English-speaking jackasses and take those other hairy-faced, sandal-wearing, bomb-making, camel-riding, goat-loving, raggedy-ass bastards with you.”
How weird is that?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ft. Monroe Gets Push for National Park
This historic Army post may have won over a most important ally on Wednesday: Cabinet member Ken Salazar, secretary of the interior. Salazar toured the 570-acre base in Hampton before meeting with about 150 citizens, almost all of whom indicated strong support for making Fort Monroe a national park after the Army departs in September.
As head of the federal agency that oversees the National Park Service, and as President Barack Obama's point man on preserving and protecting the nation's heritage and natural resources, Salazar could be pivotal in making that happen.
He was clearly impressed with what he saw inside and outside the moated stone fort at the heart of the property.
"This is an incredible place," he told the audience gathered at Bay Breeze Community Center on the fort's easternmost beach.
Later, at a meeting with The Virginian-Pilot editorial board, Salazar said Fort Monroe could become a great example of an urban national park, and it is clearly in line with Obama's great outdoors initiative.
Troopers Probe One Vehicle Fatal Crash In Greenwood
Location: Nine Foot Road ½ mile west of Greenwood Road, Greenwood, DE
Date and Time of Occurrence: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 7:50 p.m.
Operator/Vehicle:
Operator #1: 59 year old Maryland man (unknown city of residence)
Vehicle #1: 2005 Ford Ranger
Victim: 59 year old Maryland man
Resume:
Greenwood- The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating a one vehicle fatal motor vehicle crash in which a 59 year old man was killed that occurred last night in Greenwood.
The crash occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. last night as a 59 year old Maryland man was operating a 2005 Ford Ranger and was traveling westbound on Nine Foot Road. As the Ranger began to round a slight curve, it traveled off of the edge of the roadway in a northwest direction approximately 200 feet before striking a large tree. The victim, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was turned over to the Delaware Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death. Investigators are considering alcohol as being a factor in this crash.
The investigation into the accident is still on-going at this time. The victim’s name is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin.
HB 35 Defeated in Delaware Senate
The Delaware Senate pardoned the Board of Parole from an immediate death sentence late Tuesday, even though the operating budget senators will consider today does not include direct funding for the panel.
House Bill 35 failed to get the minimum of eleven votes needed for passage, going down in defeat on a 9-10 vote. Sens. Harris McDowell and Liane Sorenson did not vote.
An amended version of the bill would have dissolved the current five-member parole board and turned over prisoner release decisions to a new seven-member State Paroling Authority. Administrative functions of the Parole Board would have been turned over to the Department of Correction, a proposition that was vehemently opposed by parole board advocates.
Salisbury’s WWTP Lawsuit Has Hearing This Morning
More than two years have elapsed since it dawned on the City that the multimillion dollar "upgrade" of the waste water treatment plant does not work properly. During most of that period the Salisbury's litigation against the design engineering firm of OBrien & Gere has been pending - first in the Wicomico County Circuit Court, then in federal court in Baltimore, and now in the Circuit Court once again. To date, there has been no trial, and very little other action in a courtroom; but that may change on June 30 when a judge in the Circuit Court will consider OBrien & Gere's motion to dismiss most of the city’s complaint against them. The hearing is scheduled for 9 A.M.
If the Court throws out those charges it would be a major victory for OBrien & Gere. If the Court denies the motion the City still must persuade a jury that it was wronged in order to prevail. In any event, this hearing (and the various pleadings) may provide a close look at the evidence and positions of the parties to the fight.
Because each side has multiple attorneys, their total legal fees during the hearing may reach several thousand dollars per hour.
Tacitus is a Salisbury resident and frequent contributor to SbyNEWS.
Voters Are Told No Way to Correct Being Rejected
Since posting the list of the voters who the Board of Elections has listed as “rejected” after they signed a petition to take the “in state tuition for illegal immigrants” bill to referendum we have learned that lots of citizens have had their signatures rejected. Some are rather high profile citizens who you would think the election board may have known and or been able to contact to correct what ever minor imperfection in their signature or petition had led to the decision to reject their signature and effectively disenfranchise them.
Among those being “rejected” are a former presidential candidate, the husband of a former gubernatorial candidate and ambassador, three State Delegates, one member of a County Election Board, numerous central committee members and the friends., families and neighbors of some of these folks. Over seven thousand voters have been “rejected”.
The reasons for these voters being “rejected” are varied but most fall into two categories, either there was a problem with the signature or there was a problem with the petition upon which a proper signature was placed. I have heard from dozens of folks from around the state who are irate over having been disenfranchised by having their signature rejected.
The first question I get is how do I fix this and who can I send my corrected petition and signature to? The answer they get from the Election Board makes them apoplectic. Voters are told, ” There is no way to correct having been rejected!”
The election board is interpreting the State law that makes it a misdemeanor to sign more than one petition to mean that if your signature appears on a petition and is rejected, if you were to send in a corrected version of the signature or petition it is rejected because it is a second signature of a petition and thus in violation of state law. Clearly, anyone knows the intent of the State law is to prevent fraud from people submitting multiple signatures in a petition drive effort.
Del. Mike Smigiel lives in Cecil County and represents the 36th District in the Maryland House of Delegates. District 36 includes part of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and part of Caroline counties.
Wal-Mart to Offer Lower Gas Prices in 18 States
Gas ain't cheap these days, and it probably isn't going to be cheap again until someone invents the Mr. Fusion machine. But for the next three months, if you have a Walmart credit card, the nation's largest retailer is offering discounted fuel at stores in 18 states.
Through Sept. 30, participating Walmarts and Murphy USA locations in the following states will be offering $.10/gallon discounts to customers using Walmart credit cards or reloadable gift cards:
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
To find out if your local Walmart is participating, here's a PDF of the complete list of stores involved in the discount.
Editor’s Choice – 06/30/2011
These were the five (5) best, or most important, posts for Wednesday, June 29th, as judged by the editors of Salisbury News.
Reader’s Choice – 06/30/2011
These were the most popular posts for Wednesday, June 29th, judged by the most approved comments.
- BREAKING NEWS – Wicomico Layoffs to Be Announced
- Among Delaware’s Youngest, Minorities Outnumber Whites
- BREAKING NEWS - Fire Near Hebron
- 24 County Schools Fail To Meet Federal Target
- Leon
- The First Real-Time Study of Parents Spanking Their Kids
There are six posts listed today because of a tie for 5th Place – Ed.
Obama, Bachmann Differ On Whether He Has Supreme Court Power
Is President Obama also a Supreme Court justice? Does he wear a black robe in the West Wing? Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., thinks so.
An unofficial dispute broke out Wednesday between President Obama and the GOP presidential candidate.
Stumping in Charleston, South Carolina, Bachmann passionately spoke of defending the constitution saying it's a ‘magnificent political document.' She then quickly pointed out that Obama would not uphold the law of the land as it pertains to the Defense of Marriage Act. The administration stopped defending court challenges to the law when Attorney General Eric Holder advised he believes it is unconstitutional.
"Well, Mr. President take off that Supreme Court robe," she told the crowd. "You are not the Supreme Court. You don't get to decide if a law is constitutional or not."
16 Senators Oppose ID Requirement to Vote
Sixteen Democratic senators want the Justice Department to look into whether voting rights are being jeopardized in states that require photo identification in order for people to vote.
The lawmakers wrote Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday to express concern that millions of voters do not have a government-issued ID — particularly older people, racial minorities, low-income voters and students.
The senators say the photo ID requirements could block millions of eligible people from exercising their right to vote.
Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the department is monitoring, as it routinely does, this type of legislative activity in the states.
Bill Would Punish Insurers for Wrongly Denying Tests
Seaford Republican Rep. Daniel B. Short has re-introduced a bill that would punish insurance companies if they wrongly deny payment for medical procedures ordered by a patient's doctor.
At the same time, Short criticized Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart for dragging her feet by failing to impose any penalties on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware -- three months after she concluded that the insurer had broken the law with a contract giving a subcontractor an incentive to deny requests for high-tech tests used to diagnose heart blockages and brain tumors.
Stewart conducted a 13-month review of Blue Cross' records and issued a report this spring that accused the company of breaking the law, but has yet to take any action against Blue Cross.
New Federal Program Offers Underwater Homeowners Loans They May Not Have To Repay
With millions of homeowners still having difficulties catching up to their mortgage payments, the federal government continues to look for ways to stem the tide of foreclosures. The latest effort provides loans of up to $50,000 that some homeowners will never have to repay.
The Emergency Homeowners Loan Program is targeted at people who are not terribly far behind on their payments but who need that short-term boost to get them back on track with making payments.
From SmartMoney.com:
Rolled out by HUD and the nonprofit housing advocacy group NeighborWorks America, the program is making loans with far better terms than anything on offer at a local bank. The loans are interest-free. Payments go directly to the lender for a portion of the borrower's monthly mortgage, including missed payments or past due charges. And when the assistance period — which runs for up to two years — ends, 20% of the loan is forgiven with each passing year. In other words, for qualified borrowers who stay in their home for at least five years after the assistance period and who don't fall behind on their mortgage again, this money doesn't have to be paid back.
Middletown Road Closures
The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces the closure of Hyetts Corner Road/Jamison Corner Road between Route 13 and Boyds Corner Road near Middletown for roadway shoulder improvements. The road closure is needed due to the narrow width of the roadway and construction equipment.
The closure is expected to take place at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5. The road will reopen by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 8, pending weather.
Access to local residents, emergency response vehicles, and postal delivery (where possible) will be provided at all times.
Variable message signs were placed on Tuesday, June 28 to notify motorists and residents of the upcoming closure and detour routes.
Geithner Calls GOP Debt Limit Plan “Irresponsible”
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is strongly criticizing a Republican proposal that would prioritize interest payments on the nation's debt and cut spending rather than raise the borrowing limit.
Geithner says in a letter addressed to Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, that the idea is "a radical and deeply irresponsible departure" from previous practices by presidents of both parties. The letter was copied to 16 other Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The debt limit is the amount the government can borrow to finance operations. The United States reached its $14.3 trillion borrowing limit in May. It could default on its debt if it doesn't raise that limit by Aug. 2.
Republicans say they won't support an increase without a plan for cutting spending by an equal amount.
Senate Considering Working Through July 4th Holiday
Republican senators, led by a band of upstart GOP freshmen, pushed Wednesday for the elimination of the upcoming, week-long Fourth of July recess, this as President Obama chided members, as well, for not staying in town to forge a compromise on deficit reduction. Numerous aides from both sides of the aisle have they would be surprised if the effort was not successful.
The GOP group went even further saying they will object to the chamber moving to any measure that does not relate to deficit and debt reduction.
"Our country is going bankrupt. We shouldn't be going out on a holiday," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc, who led the charge to oppose the break. "We're here today saying we should get back in session, but not just to be in session. We need to come back in session in the United States Senate and start addressing the problem. And until we do that, my intention...will be to continue to object and continue to withhold my consent from doing business as usual in Washington."
One after the other, the freshmen told reporters how disappointed they were after their first six months in Washington, this as the president and GOP lawmakers are deadlocked on a deficit reduction plan ahead of an early August vote to increase the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
LA Schools Blasted for Limiting Homework
Education experts are blasting a new plan by the Los Angeles Unified School District to make homework just 10 percent of a student’s grade, calling it a “travesty.”
Michael Petrilli, executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute for Advancing Educational Excellence says it takes away one of a teacher’s incentives for students to do their homework.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to get kids to learn more: Challenge them, ask them to work long and ask them to work hard. Homework is essential, as is making it count,” Petrilli said.
The new policy, to be implemented on July 1 for all students in kindergarten through grade 12 in the district’s 885 schools, will impose the 10 percent limit to try to compensate for those who may be getting less academic help at home
Obama Is Most Successful Food Stamp President
NEWT GINGRICH -
"If you are the Republicans you should say we have more people on food stamps today than ever before in history. President Obama is the most successful food stamp president in American history. We need a program to put 14 million Americans back to work. We are committed to creating jobs. The Democrats are committed to killing jobs. You decide which future you want, paychecks or food stamps? Republicans shouldn't flinch because Democrats yell class warfare. Republicans shouldn't blink and run for the hills. They ought to be calm and say this is the Obama depression it is going to get worse under his policies and we ought to change it now."
Here's What The .7% Rise In Home Prices Rise Actually Looks Like
As we noted this morning, there is a small respite from the recent glut of melancholic economic news: home prices inched upwards. Yep, on Tuesday, the widely-watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index posted a rise of .7% for April. Let's put that in context with this chart. No, that's not just an ink smudge.
It was the first time it's gone up in eight months, but we'll have to see if the trend continues to see whether it's an actual recovery or just "the sunshine effect," as home sales typically get stronger in the spring and summer.
S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices [Standard & Poor's]
April Seasonal Boost in Home Prices According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices (PDF) [Standard & Poor's]
Body Goes Unnoticed in Public Pool for Two Days
The body of a Fall River woman was discovered floating in a state run pool late last night, two days after she apparently drowned in that same pool.
Police say lifeguards were on duty and people were swimming in the Veterans Memorial pool at Lafayette Park Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and it appears no one noticed the dead body.
Investigators identified the body as 36-year-old Marie Joseph.
Police say Joseph was watching her 9-year-old neighbor at the pool on Sunday when she apparently had an accident sliding down a waterside.
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