Salisbury News

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Wicomico County Residents Beware

Today at 3 PM the Wicomico County Council will meet to discuss a proposal to sell the old San Domingo Elementary School. The School was sold to something like a VFW for $75,000.00 but they defaulted on the property and the County took it back.

Now Sharee Sample Hughes has brought forth another buyer, (a local minister) and wants the property to be sold for $60,000.00, NO money down and a 4% interest rate.

What YOU don't know is that the property is on the tax roll for $350,000.00, there's been no appraisal on the property and many are questioning, why?

Mitt Romney's Tax Returns, Rate No Longer An Issue

One of the Obama campaign's major talking points throughout the summer months — Mitt Romney's tax returns — have disappeared as an issue that voters care about, according to a new Washington Post/ABC poll.

The poll finds that since February, there has been a huge swing in the proportion of voters that believe Romney has paid his fair

share in taxes, which comes just more than a week after the ho-hum release of his 2011 returns.

Overall, 46 percent of voters now believe that Romney is "paying his fair share in taxes," compared with 48 percent that thinks he is not. That's a wild, 34-point swing from February, when only 30 percent thought he was paying his fair share and 66 percent thought he was not.

Another major topic brought forth last night was the Salisbury Skate Park. The proposed location flat out sucks, period. There are four homes right next to the proposed location and quite frankly they would be building the skating area on almost the entire foot print of that location. There's absolutely no room for expansion, should the Park take off like expected. So someone needs to slow this project down, take a deep breath and reconsider other options.

That being said, Debbie Campbell delivered a proposal last night that, (for those interested) will blow you away. Directly behind the Manufacturing Company next door to the Civic Center is a 6 acre parcel absolutely perfect for this Skate Park. There's a catch, it's owned by the County. Mind you, the property is in the City limits, which qualifies the project grants.

However, the Mayor needs to go to Rick Pollitt and ask if they'd be willing to gift the property to the City and or partner with the City on the project. From the looks of Ireton's reaction to this great idea, he didn't look like he'd try very hard to encourage the County to work with the City.

There is no better location than this property. It's centrally located and very close to the other location that truly won't work. Debbie Stam seemed bothered about the fact that there may be yet another change to the DNR Grant but quite frankly, do it right or don't do it at all. She wanted to remind every one that this has been 5 years in the making but I'd like to remind Debbie that subjecting home owners to a Skate Park directly across from their homes, (the biggest investment of their lives) is simply unreasonable.

Expanding to a 6 acre location completely out of the way, yet centrally located is the answer. Hopefully Mayor Ireton rethinks this whole thing and realizes just because Debbie Campbell proposed it doesn't mean he should hurt the skaters because of his differences with her personally.

2 US Border Agents Shot, 1 Killed, Near Major Drug Corridor in Arizona

Two U.S. Border Patrol agents were shot, one fatally, Tuesday morning in an area in south Arizona known as a major drug-smuggling corridor, authorities said.

The identities of the agents were not immediately released, but the shooting occurred at the Brian Terry Station near Naco, Ariz., which is just south of Tucson. The station was named after an agent who was killed in the line of duty in December 2010. The area is considered a remote part of the state and sources tell Fox News that the shooting occurred at 1:50 a.m. local time and about 8 miles from the border.

The agents who were shot were on patrol with a third agent, who was not harmed, according to George McCubbin, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing about 17,000 border patrol agents. The agents were on horseback at the time of the shooting.

Study: Fraud Growing In Scientific Research Papers

Fraud in scientific research, while still rare, is growing at a troubling pace, a new study finds.

A review of retractions in medical and biological peer-reviewed journals finds the percentage of studies withdrawn because of fraud or suspected fraud has jumped substantially since the mid-1970s. In 1976, there were fewer than 10 fraud retractions for every 1 million studies published, compared with 96 retractions per million in 2007.

The study authors aren't quite sure why this is happening. But they and outside experts point to pressure to hit it big in science, both for funding and attention, and to what seems to be a subtle increase in deception in overall society that science may simply be mirroring.

Is Barack Obama A Compulsive Liar?

Barack Obama has lied about the terrorist attack on the American Consulate in Libya for over 15 days, even going so far as to overtly imply that this attack was prompted by an obscure internet movie trailer in his speech at the United Nations two weeks after it was confirmed the White House knew it was an Al Qaeda sponsored attack. Additionally, during the current campaign the lies and obfuscations about Mitt Romney and the Republicans have been so fast and furious that it is nearly impossible to keep up with them.

The administration's reaction to what went on in Libya is not a surprise, as reliance on prevarications and the attendant dishonesty is part and parcel of Obama's normal behavior. There rarely has been a speech or an off the cuff comment since he entered the national stage that does not contain some deliberate or insinuated falsehood. This tendency is exemplified in his recent interview with Univision wherein Obama lied about why he never introduced immigration reform and when the ill-fated Fast and Furious program was raised, he began blaming the Republicans and George Bush respectively.

How The Government's Lies Become Truth

In my last column, “A Culture of Delusion,” I wrote that “Americans live in a matrix of lies. Lies dominate every policy discussion, every political decision.” This column will use two top news stories, Iranian nukes and Julian Assange, to illustrate how lies become “truth.”

The western Presstitute media uses every lie to demonize the Iranian government. On September 28 in a fit of unmitigated ignorance, the UK rag, Mail Online, called the president of Iran a “dictator.” The Iranian presidency is an office filled by popular election, and the authority of the office is subordinate to the ayatollahs. Assange is demonized alternatively as a rapist and a spy.

The western media and the US Congress comprise the two largest whore houses in human history. One of their favorite lies is that the Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, wants to kill all the Jews. Watch this 6 minute, 42 second video of Ahmadinejad’s meeting with Jewish religious leaders. Don’t be put off by the title. Washington Blog is making a joke.

Last week the news was dominated by the non-existent but virtually real Iranian nuclear weapons program. The Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, blatantly intervened in the US presidential election, demanding that Obama specify the “red line” for attacking Iran.

Today's Fill In The Blank 10-2-12

I plan to spend about $____ on Halloween this year.

Best Smartphones

Now that most of the hype surrounding the iPhone 5 has calmed down, it's worth taking a look at what else is out there.

If you're ready to buy a new phone, we rounded up the best ones available right now.

Click here to see the best smartphones >

Supreme Court Civil Rights Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court resumes work on Monday, confronting a caseload that could prove every bit as contentious as the legal battle over healthcare reform.

Among the most bitterly fought cases are expected to be a number aimed at overturning longstanding civil rights laws by a clutch of Republican-run states who claim they are outdated and unjustly discriminatory against white people.

The cases have the potential to strike at the heart of more than half a century of civil rights legislation by potentially abolishing central government oversight of elections in states with a history of systematic racism and dealing a fatal blow to affirmative action in higher education.

The Supreme Court is also likely to take up a more recent human rights issue with equally strong political overtones – gay marriage.

In Ohio Poll, Obama Approval Rating Sinks With Undecideds

After multiple Ohio polls last week found President Barack Obama's lead expanding to new highs, the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling brought those numbers back to earth, giving Obama a four-point, 49-45 lead over Republican Mitt Romney in the state.

But for Obama, the greatest concern should come in his approval rating among undecided voters that are going to swing the balance in Ohio. Just 13 percent of undecided voters approve of the job he is doing as president, while a startling 65 percent disapprove.

That doesn't mean all — or even most — of those who disapprove will swing to Romney's side. PPP Director Tom Jensen writes that only 26 percent of those same undecided voters view Romney favorably, compared with 37 percent unfavorably. But it could mean a much tighter race down the stretch of the campaign.

As you all know, I am going to run for Mayor of Salisbury. While there are several reasons why I truly believe I make one of the very best candidates you've ever seen, allow me to express one of the main reasons why I'm more qualified.

I have spent the last 7+ years attending hundreds of Council Meetings and Work Sessions. Last nights Work Session was one of the most informative meetings I can remember.

I share this with you because 99.9% of you do not or can not attend therse meetings, which are far more important than the actual Council Meetings, when it comes to information.

Because I have attended so many over the years, I can see things most of you do not see. Starting with the Fire Department, last night was simply mind boggling. Each year I have questioned the volume of money the Fire Department continuously requests during budget time. I'll not get into all the details right now because this Post would go on forever and it's going to be long enough as it is. So let's talk about last night.

Chief Hoppes came to the Council asking for a budget amendment on two items. One was for money needed to upgrade radios they currently have that are outdated. The second was for janitorial services. The first thing that went through my head was, you mean to tell me these men and women can't pick up and clean after themselves? I then asked one of the Council Members after the meeting, is this for EVERY Fire Station or just Station 16. I was told it was for just Station 16.

So the other Fire Departments don't get these services, interesting. However, they were asking for an additional $3,000.00+ for janitorial services and around $7,000.00+ for radios. OK, some might say, so what, that's only $10,000.00 or so, right, WRONG!

Here's the deal Folks. Unless you attend ALL of these meetings and get a feel for just what kind of games are being played, remember that $2,000,000.00 that was found and then hidden by the Mayor recently. Funny how the sharks all come out wanting this or that out of nowhere. Public Works Employees filled the Council Chambers immediately once they found out the Police Department was possibly going to get additional money, (BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDERPAID SOME 18%).

Well, here's what you don't know. At the end of every year the Fire Department tends to RETURN back to the General Fund HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars. That's right, this happens every single year. So what does this mean, it means that they constantly ask for way too much money. OK, so what's the purpose of this Post. Why in the HELL would the Fire Chief come to the Council and ask for $10,000.00 when everyone in the know already knows they'll have a good $100,000.00 to $200,000.00 at the end of the year?

Talk about greed! Oh, and if you think that's bad enough, wait until you hear this. You know that new Fire Boat they recently got. Remember they said there would be NO additional cost to the taxpayers above and beyond what they had requested, WRONG! Guess what, the INSURANCE alone will now cost the taxpayers an additional $32,000.00 to $50,000.00 a YEAR!

When I become your Mayor, first of all I'd do everything in my powers to make sure something like a Fire Boat was never in the picture. Secondly, being a businessman AND a normal every day Joe just like the rest of you I'd say, what's the Insurance going to cost us on this puppy? NOPE, the Administration overlooked that little expense because they have NO experience.

Now, are you asking yourself the next question. If the Fire Department has around $200,000.00 a year floating around at the end of each and every year, why in the hell has the Police Department suffered so much. Or you might want to ask yourself, why have the Citizens suffered so much, (crime wise) because the Fire Department keeps a cushion in the hundreds of thousands that could have been used to RETAIN Police Officers?

Then you want to ask yourself, how many other Department Heads have been doing the same???

All in all, a vote for me will clear ALL of this up because like you, we ALL thought every department was cutting back during a very difficult recession. We though, employees were furloughed because this Mayor delivered an extremely tight budget which is obviously not true.

My goal is to retain quality employees in the City. My goal is to cut every damn dollar we can in order to build morale while NOT raising taxes. The Fire Department coming to the Council asking for $10,000.00 was an absolute INSULT to not only the Council but to the Taxpayers as well.

I'm going to FIX this Ladies & Gentlemen but I'll need your support and I'll need your VOTE.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 10-2-12

Here's The Problem With Our Economy

Several factors have come together to produce a frustratingly weak economy that has persisted in the U.S. for more than a decade:

"Globalization" has opened up a vast pool of billions of workers who work for much less than Americans. This, in turn, has resulted in companies shifting formerly middle-wage-paying jobs overseas.
Technology has continued to increase productivity, allowing companies to do more with fewer employees.
Average hourly earnings have been flat for ~50 years (after adjusting for inflation), as companies steer their wealth primarily to senior management and owners at the expense of average employees.
Tax policies have increasingly favored investors and high wage earners over middle-class and upper-middle-class wage-earners.
An obsession with "shareholder value" at the expense of other stakeholders (namely, customers and employees) has led companies to cut employee costs to the bone.

CITY MOTOR OFFICER INJURED IN CRASH ON INTERSTATE 795

(REISTERSTOWN, MD) – A Baltimore police motorcycle officer was injured this morning while traveling on Interstate 795 en route to training in Sykesville, Md.

The injured officer is assigned to the Baltimore Police Department’s Special Operation Section. The officer was transported by Baltimore County Medic Unit to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Preliminary information indicates the officer sustained non-life threatening injuries.

At about 8:18 a.m. today, the officer was traveling northbound on Interstate 795 near Owings Mills Blvd. when the officer’s motorcycle struck the metal connecting portion of the roadway between the road and the overpass. The motorcycle began to sway back and forth. To avoid striking any other vehicles, the officer laid the motorcycle on its side, causing the motorcycle to slide on the wet pavement.

Maryland state troopers from the Golden Ring Barrack responded to handle the accident investigation. Members of the Baltimore Police Department also responded and will be conducting their own departmental investigation.

Official Victim Status for Arab-Americans?

The Obama administration may soon classify Arab-Americans as a “socially and economically disadvantaged group” entitled to receive taxpayer-funded goodies and special privileges from the Commerce Department.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), founded by the Israel-hating far-left former U.S. Sen. James Abourezk (D-S.D.), petitioned the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) for special status on January 4 of this year.

Business owners of any ethno-cultural background are allowed to seek official victim status from MBDA, a unit of the political pork-dispensing Department of Commerce. Once awarded, that status, ADC acknowledges, would “create a presumption of eligibility” for Arab-Americans “thereby eliminating the need for amassing and producing evidence of social and economic disadvantage” by individual business owners seeking government aid.

A Viewer Writes...

Barack wails that he “inherited” this mess and the deficit from George Bush. Its just not Barack’s fault. He really wants to lower the deficit, but he just can’t right now.

Barack and his allies in the press forget one inconvenient truth: in 2006 the Democrats took over both houses of Congress and it is Congress that creates the budget and the deficit. So when Barack took office in January 2009 he inherited a “mess” and a deficit created by his own party.

George Bush might have signed the bills Congress sent to him, but every dollar of spending and every dollar of deficit was created by the Democrats, not the Republicans. Most also forget that it was Democrat policy that created the requirements that banks lend to people who could not afford the houses they bought.

Sorry Barack, the facts are a dangerous thing.

Today's Survey Question 10-2-12

How soon is too soon to put out Christmas stuff in stores?

Heroes . Not

Cops are the enemy. A harsh – and global – statement, certainly. But: Is it true? Consider the nature of the job. It is to enforce the law. By definition. It is not to protect any specific individual – you or me – from harm. It is certainly not to serve – other than as automata who . . . enforce the law. Whatever the law is, it must be enforced. The cop will tell you so himself. He is merely doing his job – and his job is . . . to enforce the law. Period. “The law is the law.” We have all heard it. It does not matter whether the law is itself outrageous, or simply stupid. He may even freely confess it. But he will nonetheless enforce it. He is required to enforce it. Consider that for a moment. In a doctrinal way, the cop is exactly like the people who were – rightly – strung up at Nuremburg after WWII, who stated – truthfully – that they were just following the orders issued by the lawfully constituted authority. They were not merely thugs. They were duly appointed thugs. They did not do the awful things they did at random, on their own nickle – so to speak. They were told to do it – agreed to do it – and went ahead and did it. Any questions they may personally have had about the rightness or wrongness of what they were doing were put aside. More

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