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Monday, December 19, 2011

Today's Survey Question 12-19-11


Should statutes of limitations be lifted for prosecution of child sex crimes?

The Return of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills

Federal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America. But as more Americans struggle to pay their bills in the wake of the recession, collection agencies are using harsher methods to get their money, ushering in the return of debtor’s prisons.

NPR reports that it’s becoming increasingly common for people to serve jail time as a result of their debt. Because of “sloppy, incomplete or even false documentation,” many borrowers facing jail time don’t even know they’re being sued by creditors:

Take, for example, what happened to Robin Sanders in Illinois. She was driving home when an officer pulled her over for having a loud muffler. But instead of sending her off with a warning, the officer arrested Sanders, and she was taken right to jail.

“That’s when I found out [that] I had a warrant for failure to appear in Macoupin County. And I didn’t know what it was about.” Sanders owed $730 on a medical bill. She says she didn’t even know a collection agency had filed a lawsuit against her. [...]

A company will often sell off its debt to a collection agency, generally called a creditor. That creditor files a lawsuit against the debtor requiring a court appearance. A notice to appear in court is supposed to be given to the debtor. If they fail to show up, a warrant is issued for their arrest.

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How To Break Up The Right Way


Breaking up is hard to do-- that's an understatement. But as terrible as it is, breaking up is a part of dating and relationships. It's something that everyone experiences at some point, so it’s important to know how to do the deed in the best and most sensitive way possible.
No two relationships or people are the same, but here are five general tips:

The Blizzard And The Blonde

It was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when the little Blonde got off work. She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation. She finally remembered her daddy's advice that if she got caught in a blizzard she should wait for a snow-plow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snow drift.

This made her feel much better and sure enough in a little while a snow-plow went by and she started to follow it. As she followed the snow-plow she was feeling very smug as they continued and she was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions.

After an hour had passed, she was somewhat surprised when the snow-plow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled for her to roll down her window. The snow-plow driver wanted to know if she was alright as she had been following him for a long time. She said that she was fine and told him of her daddy's advice to follow a snow-plow when caught in a blizzard.

The driver replied that it was OK with him and she could continue if she wanted, but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, and was going over to Sears next.

'It Feels Good To Be Home Safe And Sound': 300 Troops Arrive At Fort Hood

Staff Sgt. Elama Palemene held his two young daughters and kissed his wife early Sunday after returning to Fort Hood with about 300 other soldiers, among the last U.S. combat troops returning from Iraq in time for the holidays.


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Are Americans Really To Be Jailed At Gitmo?

Critics warn bill empowers president to lock up citizens, throw away key

Buried within an 1,844-page bill currently sitting on Barack Obama's desk awaiting his signature is text that many critics are warning could give the president legal authority to send Americans to jail without charges, without trial, without end.

Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed the National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that affects dozens of aspects of foreign and military policy, but that was designed primarily to give the military – and not civilian courts – the clear authority for prosecuting and jailing terrorists.

But voices from across the political spectrum are concerned that the bill opens the door for the military – led by the president as commander in chief – to indefinitely detain American citizens, even within the U.S.

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How to Get Slim Without the Gym

The biggest health hazard you're up against just might be a chair -- or a couch or recliner -- and all the time you spend sitting in it. Desk jobs, long commutes, too much TV time -- all that inactivity our daily routines dictate -- is about as bad for us and as fattening as a steady diet of bacon and bread. And despite what you might think, slipping on sneaks for daily sweat sessions alone isn't enough to combat the slow slide toward sickness.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who sat for more than 6 hours each day had a 37 percent increased risk of premature death, compared with women who sat for less than 3--regardless of how often they hopped on a treadmill.

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Dogfish Should Move To Delmar


Id the Milton Town Council doesn't want to allow the Dogfish Head Brewery the opportunity to expand their business, they should cut their losses before it's too late and relocate to Delmar.

I have followed this proposal and one thing I can't understand is why in the heck they're in a residential community to start with. Nevertheless, if the Council has to sit through 4 hours of residents bitching and complaining, get the heck out of there and reinvest in a commercial community where you can continue the growth and residents welcome your business.

In this economy, municipalities and taxpayers take successful businesses for granted, like Perdue. Believe me, there's going to come a day when Perdue is going to feel the hit from the screwed up water and sewer plant failure and finally say, THAT'S IT!

If the residents don't want your business, pack it up, cut your losses and let a Town like Delmar work with you to expand.

Clever Idea To Make Life Easier!!!


Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

HP Services


Throw The Bums Out!

The bumbling fools in D.C. have done it again. They’ve screwed us all one more time. The low rent morons who are running the show have kicked the can down the road for (get this) two months.

On Saturday the Senate agreed to a bill that would A) extend unemployment benefits B) extend the 2% payroll tax deduction and C) delay a cut in Medicare reimbursement rates. The deciders agreed to do all the extending, delaying and pretending for two lousy months. In other words, Congress will be back at it over these critical issues in less than six weeks.

There have been dozens of articles from smart people connecting the dots between the uncertain tax policies business’s face and their reluctance to hire more workers. I’ve heard Pols from both sides say the same. It’s true. But the best that Washington can do is move the ball forward by 59 days; disgraceful.

The two-month extension amounts to $33b that will be retained in the economy. I would not be surprised if the benefit of the stimulus will be lost by the continued uncertainty that is being caused by D.C. What has been “accomplished” is just a loss.

The bright guys who came up with the plan have a mechanism to pay for it. They’re going to charge homeowners a new fee for the next ten years. If you get a mortgage from one of the federal agencies (90% of mtg. market) you’ll pay an extra price. It only comes to $15 a month if your mortgage is less than $220k. But if you live on either coast or in any big city, the cost of housing will force you to pay a bigger price. $45-50 a month is a more realistic way to consider the implications. What’s an extra $600 a year? It’s just another nail in the coffin for housing.

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Clean Needles Saved My Life. Now Congress Wants To Ban Funding For Needle Exchange


Would you rather save lives and save money — or make a political point? Sadly, when the question involves the issue of clean needle programs, the choice to “send a message” always seems to win.
The provision of clean needles to drug addicts is one of the most effective known interventions in the entire field of public health. Nonetheless, the budget agreement reached this week in Congress reinstates a federal ban, which had been removed in 2009, on funding for such programs.

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America's Iraq Experience: Invasi-Eradicavi-Turbavi

Julius Caesar undoubtedly was showing off with his Veni-Vidi-Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) when referencing to his short war outside Zela (Zile) in Turkey over two millennia ago. Similarly, if we were to use a short catchy-comment for the almost nine years America has invested in its “Iraq Mission,” we would be on target by condensing the US experience in also three Latin words, although not as melodic this time: Invasi-Eradicavi-Turbavi which sadly stand for, I invaded, I destroyed and I threw-into-chaos.

No matter what the Pentagon and White House tell us, the fiasco in Iraq likely stands as the most costly mistake in America’s history, a true Keystone Kops type of political dark comedy. And it wasn’t a bad or flawed decision by a singular moron or group of morons – Bush the Younger, Sadist Cheney and Loquacious Rumsfeld composing the original warpath triumvirate, together with two dozen equally deranged staff of their inner circles. Unfortunately, this time Congress, together with a brainwashed public, closed rank with an evil and criminal White House. So, whether the American citizenry likes it or not… the Iraq conflict wasn’t just Bush’s war, but “the peoples’ war,” a war with a dangerous aftermath yet to come, one we’ll likely be paying for in the future with additional blood and treasure.

American mainstream media, true to their corporate ownership, are bringing us the images of the GIs returning home together with some white-washed commentary. The corporate media is careful not to turn this December event into a celebration, but grotesquely over-simplifies this empire’s adventure by summarily giving its cost as “an expensive war with 4,500 American casualties and 100,000 Iraqis killed.” There you have it: the sum total of our criminal intervention under the cry of “Democracy and Freedom”! In 1099 AD, it was the cry of Deus vult (God wills it) that led Christianity to its First Crusade and the capture of Jerusalem. Now it’s the pseudo-patriotic cry of defending our freedoms which takes to war thousands of miles away. Totally inane!

Yes, it has been (and continues to be) an expensive war, the true figures not properly made public. And, yes, the number of US casualties is probably around 4,500. But those 100,000 Iraqi deaths are only a fraction of the 500,000 to 1,000,000 range given by most credible accounts. However, even these figures don’t begin to tell the true holocaustic implications of decisions made in the White House during the months leading to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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Dogfish Rezoning Application Tabled


MILTON — Milton Town Council tabled a decision on a rezoning application by Dogfish Head Brewery.
After listening to nearly four hours of testimony from the public, council members decided they will wade through the public comments and evidence before rendering a decision at its Monday, Jan. 9 regular meeting.

Elkton Woman Arrested At Rehoboth Wawa

Location:
Wawa, 35436 Wolfe Neck Road, Rehoboth, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Victim(s):
25 year old male Trooper
27 year old female Trooper

Defendant/Crime(s):

Nicole P. Pezold, 24, Elkton, MD (No photo available)
Resisting Arrest With Force
Assault 3rd (2 counts)
Criminal Impersonation
Possession of Marijuana
Criminal Mischief Under $1,000.00 (2 counts)
Committed to Delores J Baylor Women’s Correction Institution on $6,250.00 cash bond

Resume:
Rehoboth, DE- An Elkton woman is arrested by Troopers after a confrontation at the Wawa on Wolfe Neck Road in Rehoboth.

The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 17 when Delaware State Troopers responded to the Wawa Food Market for a female and male subject standing outside harassing customers.

A female matching the description given to the Troopers was standing outside when she suddenly ran into the store upon seeing a Trooper circling the establishment. The same female exited the store a short time later and was contacted by the Trooper, giving him a false name. When the male Trooper attempted to arrest the female, she began fighting with him, and in an attempt to flee, climbed on the hood of the police car causing damage.

The suspect continued to resist until addition units arrived to assist with placing her in custody.

Nicole Pezold, 24, was later identified by an identification card found in her possession along with approximately 10 grams of marijuana.

Pezold was charged with the above crimes and committed to WCI on $6,250.00 cash bond.

Two troopers, along Pezold, were slightly injured in the altercation but did not require any medical attention.

The male suspect was never located.

Coons Applauds Benefits Extension But Says More Needs To Be Done

Senator Chris Coons commends Congress for approving a 2 month extension of emergency federal benefits but he says he would have preferred a one year extension. Saturday's vote in DC extends a tax cut for the middle class and emergency federal unemployment benefits for the more than 7,000 Delawareans still looking for work for 2 more months.

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LAST SUSPECT IN TANEYTOWN SHOOTING ARRESTED

(TANEYTOWN, MD) – Troopers with the Westminster Barrack Criminal Investigations Section and Maryland State Police State Apprehension Team (SAT) arrested Dalonte S. Dunston, 21, of no fixed address, in Frederick yesterday afternoon.

After numerous interviews with associates, troopers tracked Dunston to his grandmother’s residence in the 1000 block of Heather Ridge Court in Frederick City. After a brief foot-chase, Dunston was taken into custody. Troopers searched the Heather Ridge Court residence for evidence related to the Friday morning shooting. Dunston was transported back to Carroll County and served with a warrant for attempted murder, first degree assault, armed robbery and numerous other related charges to the Friday morning shooting of a Taneytown man.

Dunston is believed to be one of five people who went to 3909 Old Taneytown Road in Taneytown early Friday morning with the intent to rob Alan J. Kent of money, drugs and guns. Kent was shot in the leg and struck in the head during the early morning robbery. Three other men have been charged and a female who drove the vehicle to and from Kent’s residence faces charges for her role in the robbery. Kent was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he was treated and released with non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators also recovered what they believe to be the handgun used by Dunston during the robbery. A citizen in Taneytown notified police that she found a handgun in some bushes blocks from where several suspects in the robbery were located on Grand Drive. The handgun was seized by state police investigators and will be compared with evidence located at the Old Taneytown Road crime scene.

This is still an active and ongoing investigation being led by members of the Westminster Barrack Criminal Investigations Section.

Bennett Middle School Project Update

Following a Board of Education meeting on Dec. 9 to update the status of the Bennett Middle School project and to highlight the importance of moving forward with the project now, the Wicomico County Council is scheduled to discuss the project in an open work session at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20. The meeting will be held in Room 301 of the Government Office Building in Salisbury.

Board of Education President Ron Willey updated the community on the project in a statement, and encouraged county residents to share their thoughts on the project with the County Council, which will make the decision on whether to allow the project to move forward. Input can be shared at Council meetings and by emailing countycouncil@wicomicocounty.org.

"Recent events bring renewed focus on the importance of finding a way to fund the Bennett Middle School replacement project," Willey said. "The Board of Education is encouraged by the willingness of our County Council members to meet with members of the School Building Commission, the County Executive and members of his staff to revisit the decision about the future of the Bennett Middle School project. We were pleased that many interested community members were also present. The purpose of this meeting was to share updated information about increased funding from the state and to consider options for the project.

"The Board of Education requested this meeting because the time for a decision on this project is less than one month away. As noted at the meeting, we now have unprecedented state funding support for this project. The state funding cost share formula is at 96 percent (of eligible construction costs), the highest-ever in our county and in Maryland. As a result of this and other redesigning factors, the project cost is now reduced by $8 million and could be lower should a second option be chosen.

"Wicomico County will suffer a severe setback to our educational system should this project fail to move forward. We have every reason to believe that our present funding position at the state level would be quickly filled by another county if we choose to delay this project another year. Losing our "place in line" will result in the delay of the Bennett Middle project for years to come. We can not and must not let this become a reality.

"I encourage citizens county-wide and especially those in schools directly affected by this project to share your support with our elected officials. All too often they hear from a vocal minority and not the silent majority. Express your opinion about this now. In this busy season, take a minute to call, write or email the offices of our County Council members and county executive. We can find a way to move this project forward if we have the will to do so."

Newt Gingrich’s Assault On ‘Activist Judges’ Draws Criticism, Even From Right


Never one to be accused of timidity, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich is turning up the volume of his ongoing assault on “activist judges” so high that even conservatives say he is going too far.
In a half-hour phone call with reporters Saturday, Gingrich said that, as president, he would abolish whole courts to be rid of judges whose decisions he feels are out of step with the country.

Barney Frank Goes After George Will Over Marijuana Legalization On This Week

ABC’s This Week began the first in a series of big debates that will continue throughout the next year. Today’s topic was whether government is too big or not, with two advocates on each side arguing for each position, and naturally the conversation made its way to drug legalization. In quite a surreal moment, Barney Frank asked George Will his position on marijuana and if it should be legalized.

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