Tax Free Shopping In Maryland

Normal 0 If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, dishwasher, or other large appliance, this holiday weekend might be the perfect time to make that purchase. Through February 21st, Maryland is waiving the sales tax on certain Energy Star appliances.

Energy Star products can save homeowners money as well as energy, cutting energy bills by about one-third. When it comes to dishwashing, installing an energy-efficient dishwasher will save consumers an average of $431 per year on utility and water bills combined.

This tax-free shopping period was approved during a special session of the Maryland General Assembly back in 2007. There will also be a week of tax-free shopping on clothing and shoes under $100. That takes place the 2nd week in August.

More information about the tax-free shopping program and which appliances are eligible can be found on the website for the Maryland State Comptroller.

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Snow Possible As Weather Extremes Continue

From 60 degrees to snow in less than 24 hours? It could happen. MORE

***TODAY*** GOVERNOR O’MALLEY, US TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY LAHOOD TO HOST OFFICIAL ICC RIBBON CUTTING

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 21, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will host the ceremonial opening of the first segment of Maryland’s Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 today at 11:00 a.m.  The ICC is an east-west highway connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and the State’s first all-electronic toll road.

More than 500 guests are expected to attend this historic event.  Representatives from Montgomery County and Prince George’s County will be attending.

The event location will be accessed via I-370 to eastbound ICC/MD 200 and will take place rain or shine.  Risers will be available for photographers and videographers.

WHAT:                       Governor O’Malley, U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood to officially open first segment of Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200

WHEN:                       TODAY, Monday, February 21, 2011, at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:                     ICC/MD 200 in Gaithersburg, Maryland

DIRECTIONS:           Take I-270 to Exit 9 to I-370 and stay right toward Exit 9A East towards Metro Station/Gaithersburg Town Center.  From I-370 East, police will direct you to a LEFT onto the ICC/MD 200. Continue on Eastbound ICC/MD 200 until you reach the event location, where you will be directed to park.  To exit the event, all event attendees will exit by continuing on Eastbound ICC/MD 200 to MD 97/Georgia Avenue.

Scientists Warn Of Solar ‘Katrina’

The sun is waking up from a long quiet spell. Last week it sent out the strongest flare for four years – and scientists are warning that earth should prepare for an intense electromagnetic storm that, in the worst case, could be a “global Katrina” costing the world economy $2 trillion.

Senior officials responsible for policy on solar storms – also known as space weather – in the US, UK and Sweden urged more preparedness at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

“We have to take the issue of space weather seriously,” said Sir John Beddington, UK chief scientist. “The sun is coming out of a quiet period, and our vulnerability has increased since the last solar maximum [around 2000].”

“Predict and prepare should be the watchwords,” agreed Jane Lubchenco, head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “So much more of our technology is vulnerable than it was 10 years ago.”

A solar storm starts with an eruption of super-hot gas travelling out from the sun at speeds of up to 5m miles an hour. Electrically charged particles hit earth’s atmosphere 20 to 30 hours later, causing electromagnetic havoc.

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Battle Of Wisconsin Threatens Unions' Political Might

Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker - elected last November along with GOP majorities in both chambers of the state's legislature -- wants his state's public employees to contribute half the cost of their pensions -- up from zero -- and about one-eighth of the cost of their health insurance premiums.

These contributions are less than the private-sector average, but you wouldn't know it from watching the 25,000 unionists and supporters from around the country who have descended on the capitol building in Madison, carrying signs comparing Walker to Hitler. Madison has become ground zero in the battle for the future of America because there is a lot more at stake than the simple concept that well-paid state employees should share the sacrifices that hard economic times have imposed on the private sector workers who pay their salaries.

Walker's proposals have also brought condemnation from President Obama, because they directly threaten his favored union-boss constituency. Walker wants to let state workers vote each year on which union (if any) they want representing them. He wants the state to stop garnishing workers' wages on the unions' behalf, and to exclude state benefit packages from future negotiations. The unions, whose object is to underwrite the election of politicians who care more about them than taxpayers, fear that their days of cutting sweetheart deals may soon be over.

Thousands of Wisconsin teachers who called in sick last week somehow managed to stagger over to the state capitol building in Madison to participate in protests, forcing many school districts to cancel classes. In various interviews with Wisconsin newspapers, teachers at the capitol expressed frustration with Walker's plans.

We went to the Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction to get the salary data for some of the noisiest teachers, and found that they were making salaries of $67,000, $68,000, $58,000, and $59,000, with benefit packages of $18,000, $20,000, $12,000, and $29,000, respectively.

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Daniels And Christie Light Fuse Under GOP Lawmakers

As congressional Republicans mull whether to address the government's long-term fiscal problems (House Republican leaders are being pushed by the 87 freshmen to do so, while some Senate Republicans are seeking some bipartisan accords with Democratic colleagues),  two Republican governors barrelled into Washington with the message that the lawmakers better get moving. And that congressional Republicans might do just fine politically if they do.

The two Republican governors are Mitch Daniels of Indiana, who spoke to a Conservative Political Action Committee dinner Feb. 11, and Chris Christie of New Jersey, who spoke at American Enterprise Institute on Feb. 16.

In style they're a contrast. Daniels is slight, balding and spoke quietly from a carefully prepared text. Christie is large and spoke bombastically without notes. But in substance they were much the same.

They were both mightily concerned with what Daniels called "the red menace" -- "the debts our nation has amassed for itself over decades of indulgence." He warned that "federal spending commitments now in place will bring about the leviathan state" and "the slippage of the United States into a gray parity with the other nations of this Earth."

The response, he said, must be "the creation of new Social Security and Medicare compacts" that "reserve their funds for those most in need of them." And "our morbidly obese federal government needs not just behavior modification but bariatric surgery."

Daniels also called for changes in taxes, regulation and energy policy, and he roiled some conservatives by saying that defense shouldn't get a free pass. He roiled others by ignoring the cultural issues on which he suggested last June we should have a "truce."

But his central message was that Republicans must address entitlements -- Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. Which Barack Obama conspicuously failed to do in the budget plan he released a few days after Daniels' speech.

Christie was less elegant and even more blunt than his Hoosier colleague. Drawing on his struggles with New Jersey's public employee unions over pensions and benefits, he turned to national issues.

"My children's future and your children's future are more important than political strategy," he began." You're going to have to raise the retirement age for Social Security. Whoa, I just said it, and I'm still standing here. I did not vaporize.

"We have to reform Medicare because it costs too much and it is going to bankrupt us. Once again lightning did not come through the windows and strike me dead. And we have to fix Medicaid because it's not only bankrupting the federal government, it's bankrupting every state government."

Obama, he said, was offering "the candy of American politics" -- high-speed rail, plug-in cars -- and congressional Republicans so far haven't offered much more. If those he campaigned for don't, he said, "the next time they'll see me in their district is with my arm around their primary opponent."

Washington insiders and oldtimers tend to think Republicans would be foolish to heed Daniels' and Christie's advice. Talking about entitlements is supposed to be the third rail of American politics.

"I don't think it's fatal," Christie said. "You just have to have the spine to take the lead," and if you ask for shared sacrifice and don't let people game the system voters will respond.

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James Simpson: The Consequences Of A Government Shutdown

In a post yesterday, I described the actual consequences of a government shutdown.

This is information every patriotic American should be aware of because the Democrats are going to demagogue it to death. This article dissects what they are saying, their methodology, and just exactly how cynically dishonest they really are. No opinions here, but irrefutable fact.

A few gems:

Virtually all Democrat websites, media outlets, members of Congress and the President are warning of a shutdown of Social Security.

Absolute, irrefutable lie.

The Post Office will stop delivering mail:

Idiots! (Okay that is an opinion. I could say worse.) The Post Office self-funds via stamp revenues.

Air traffic controllers will be furloughed.

No they will not.

The Dems know all this stuff because they posted a 2004 Congressional Research Service report on their House Rules Committee website which refutes all their heated rhetoric.

I wish that the worst you could say about Democrats is that they lie, but as we all now know, it is much worse than that.

This is a fight for our country. Don't let the Republicans lose their spine. The House has passed a Continuing Resolution that cuts government spending and defunds Obamacare. The Democrats will go to the mat to defeat it.

(Source)

Wright: End Public Sector Unions...Period

It's about time.  I've been waiting for this debate to mature for 15 years.

The battles in Wisconsin and New Jersey over public sector union benefits are merely financial precursors to a much bigger ideological war that has been on the horizon now for years, if not decades.  When you acknowledge the coming battle, you realize that Governors Walker and Christie -- courageously as they are behaving -- are only nibbling at the edges of the real issue.

And the real issue is whether public sector unions should even be allowed to exist.  Frankly, when even a modicum of common sense is infused into the equation, the answer is a resounding no.  And the foundational reason is simple.  There is no one at the bargaining table representing the folks who are actually going to pay whatever is negotiated.

Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

Well let's see what went wrong: California, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Chicago, New York State, New York City, Wisconsin...on and on I could go including almost every city and state where government workers are unionized.

Oh, and have you seen pictures of Detroit lately?

The problem is that our country has been lulled to sleep over decades of hearing that government workers are dedicated and low paid public servants who trade good pay for security.  And every time a union pay debate came up, it seemed like only cops and fire fighters and teachers were mentioned.  No one stopped to think that most government workers are actually bureaucratic charmers like those we see at the DMV and other government offices -- and not "heroic teachers" or crime fighters.

But as long as the private sector was humming along, there was no reason for reality to permeate that myth in most peoples' minds.  But the reality is that government workers long ago passed private sector workers in pay and benefits, and now the compensation is more like 150% or even double, factoring in all the benefits, including more vacation days than private sector workers enjoy.  And of course, the inestimable value of job security remains intact and strengthened -- while all of us in the private sector deal daily with the risk-reward constraints of reality that are only getting riskier.

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Rich DC Burbs Pay $9.58, Rurals Pay $31.17/Mbps

The rich get richer while the poor get...slower? A new report by investigative journalist John Dunbar cracks open the numbers that are tightly held by the industry and found vast disparities in the quality and price of service based on how close to town. By comparing customer speed tests and surveys, he found that while folks in the low-income areas outside of the Washington Metropolitan Area pay slightly less for their broadband, those in the wealthier DC burbs are getting far more bandwidth for their buck. The poor are paying on average $31.17/Mbps while the rich are paying only $9.58.

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School Tracks Truant Students With GPS Devices

To combat seventh and eighth graders who constantly skip class, a school in California is equipping the worst offenders with GPS tracking units. If you have more than four unexcused absences, you're assigned to carry a handheld GPs device. Five times a day you have enter in a code to verify your location. You also get an automated call in the morning reminding you to come to school and three times a week an adult assigned to you calls you to check in and discuss attendance strategies. The devices have increased attendance by truants to 95% up from 77%, but some parents feel it treats their kids "like common criminals." Do you think this program is a good idea? Take our poll and sound off in the comments.

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American Beverage Association Responds To Call For Ban On Caramel Coloring In Cola

Earlier this week, the Center For Science In The Public Interest petitioned the FDA to ban two forms of caramel coloring, claiming that the ammonia and sulfites used in the creation of the products results in allegedly carcinogenic chemicals making their way into the resulting food and drink. Consumerist reached out to Coca-Cola and Pepsi to get their side of the story, but were instead passed on to the American Beverage Association, which offered its own version of things.

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Food Prices Rise to 'Dangerous Levels'

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

A report from the World Bank reveals rising food prices could cause major ripple effects in the global economy - especially for developing nations.

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY WILL HOST SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM

Salisbury - Americans for Prosperity Maryland to host Salisbury City Council Candidates Forum.

The Wicomico Chapter of Americans for Prosperity will host a candidate’s forum to allow citizens to get to know who is running for Salisbury City Council. All candidates have been invited and the event is a free public event.

Date: February 23, 2011, Wednesday

Time: 7:00 P.M.

Location: Brew River Restaurant 502 West Main Street, Salisbury

The Salisbury City Council primary election will be held on March 1, 2011 and the general election is April 5, 2011.

Local radio personality Bill Reddish will moderate the forum.

All general inquiries can be directed to State Political Director Nick Loffer 443-994-9395 or nick@afpmaryland.com. For event information, or if you are a candidate confirming, please contact Donna Ennis at 410-860-1008 or estrnshr45@gmail.com.

Will Obama’s Proposed Cuts To Heating Assistance Leave Poor Out In Cold?

Citing a need for stricter belt-tightening, President Obama has said he wants to slash almost $2.5 billion [1] from a program that helps low-income families pay their energy bills. The White House says lower oil prices mean funding can be reduced without leaving Americans too far in the cold. But whether that's actually the case is an open question.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, began in the 1980s as a federal program that helps eligible households pay for gasoline, oil and electricity to heat and cool their homes.

The administration has defended its proposal -- which would bring the program's current $5.1 billion budget down to pre-2008 levels -- by claiming that fuel prices simply aren't as high as they were three years ago.

But fuel prices can be volatile, and they have actually been trending upward. Last week, the Associated Press reported [2] that gasoline prices in the U.S. "have jumped to the highest levels ever for the middle of February," while oil prices "hit $100 per barrel in January for the first time since 2008." And critics of Obama's plan say his fuel price argument ignores another factor that has record-setting numbers of Americans asking for LIHEAP help: high unemployment [3].

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Ex-Leader Of Charity For Disabled Gets 10 Years In Prison, Must Pay $65 Million

A judge sentenced the former CEO [1] of an El Paso charity to 10 years in prison and $65 million in restitution for corruption and embezzlement involving the federal government’s biggest jobs program for the disabled.
The sentence is the result of a federal probe launched after a 2006 investigation by reporters Les Zaitz, Jeff Kosseff, Byan Denson and photographer Faith Cathcart at The (Portland) Oregonian. Examining charities that hired the disabled nationwide, they found non-profit executives were cashing in huge paychecks [2] while their disabled workers made pennies an hour.

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Greenspan's Incompetence Badgers Wisconsin's Workers

Alan Greenspan has been strangely missing from the fierce battle over the future of public sector unions in Wisconsin and other states. His absence is strange because he bears more responsibility for the current conflict than anyone else alive.

The reason is simple. Mr. Greenspan's incredible incompetence in allowing the $8 trillion housing bubble to grow unchecked created the fiscal crisis that is gripping Wisconsin and most other states.

To be clear, states always face financial stress in economic downturns. Most states had to struggle to balance their budgets in 2001-2002 and earlier in the earlier 1990-1991 recession. During a recession tax revenues fall. Consumers buy less, which means less sales tax revenue. Workers earn less money, which means less income tax. And property values fall, leading to less property tax revenue.

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China Cracks Down On Protest Threats, Rounds Up Dissidents

Beijing - Chinese officials on Sunday cracked down against protests, or rumors of them, sending police to detain dissidents and breakup public gatherings in the capital and Shanghai.

After Internet messages calling for demonstrations in 13 cities surfaced on Saturday, apparently from Chinese language sites based overseas, there were reports of activists being preemptively hauled away.

Very few Chinese responded, and in only a couple of cities, but Beijing’s authoritarian regime still mobilized large teams of police to ensure all remained quiet.

The heavy response by Chinese officials was a reminder of the government’s low tolerance for any hint of political discord. The country’s combination of surveillance, sophisticated management of information, and a willingness to deploy large numbers of security forces has so far allowed it to cut off even the most remote of challenges to the Chinese Communist Party.

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Controversy Over 'Negro Mountain' Reveals Urban-Rural Divide

18th century tribute fuels 21st century debate

GRANTSVILLE bs-md-history-teaching-20110216 —

Bryant Bunch, who came from Prince George's County to attend college here at the far end of the Maryland panhandle, first saw the sign on Interstate 68 while traveling with a carload of friends a few years back.

He remembers their reaction: Does that say what we think it says?

Maxine Broadwater, born and raised on a farm outside Grantsville, and the town's librarian for three decades, recalls the first time she ever gave the name a second thought. It was the early 1990s, and people passing through had stopped at her library to ask about it.

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Virginia Couple Carjacked At Restaurant Near BWI Airport

Police arrest, charge Glen Burnie man in incident

A Virginia couple, staying at a hotel near the airport, was forced into a vehicle as a Glen Burnie man attempted to rob them Thursday, Anne Arundel County police said.

The 43-year-old woman and 44-year-old man from Richmond were getting into their vehicle at about 9:45 p.m. near a restaurant in the area of West Nursery Road and Winterson Road when an armed man forced them into their vehicle and demanded money, police said.

The couple told him they had no money but had some in their nearby hotel in the 1100 block of Winterson Road, near BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
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Family In Need Of Help After House Fire

Joe,

Nice to talk to you today.  Ed, Sandy, and Ed Jr. West lost their rental home and all contents to a house fire. 

What wasn't burned was smoke and water damaged.  They had no renters insurance.  Ed can be contacted on his cell phone @ 410-202-6559.  Ed's sizes are:  4 XL in pants and shirt, 12 W or EEE in shoes.  His wife Sandy: size 10 in pants, medium shirt, and shoe size 7.  Their son Ed Jr. escaped with only his shorts.  His size is 32 x 32 in pants, large in shirt, and shoe is an 11.  Our care group at Allen Memorial is trying to help. 

Department Of Transportation Secretary Wicks Resigns

Dover -- It is with great consideration, that Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Carolann Wicks has resigned her position as Cabinet Secretary effective March 18, 2011.

"This has been a difficult decision, but one that has been made with a clear conscience and the best interest of the department at heart." Secretary Wicks stated. "I have greatly enjoyed the many years I have served the State of Delaware, from an engineer just out of college to my position of leadership in one of the most hardworking agencies in the State of Delaware. The opportunities I have experienced in my years at DelDOT will always be looked upon with sincere gratitude. But, as with many other retirees, I will now move on to the next chapter in my life, including spending more time with my family."

Carolann Wicks is the eighth Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Carolann began her long career at DelDOT more than 28 years ago as a Civil Engineer. She served in several leadership roles including the Chief Engineer for the department and Director of Transportation Solutions. As Secretary, she was responsible for the capital program, managing statewide transit services, motor vehicle services, and the maintenance and operation of 90 percent of Delaware's transportation system. DelDOT employs over 2600 transportation professionals to achieve these goals.

"My only regret is that I am leaving a great organization with the most hardworking, dedicated state employees. The citizens of Delaware are being well-served by these many individuals, all with the goal of making Delaware's transportation system the best and safest for all who travel throughout our State," said Secretary Wicks.

During her time with the department, Secretary Wicks was selected to serve on numerous national and regional Boards and Committees. Recently she served as President for the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO), and is currently serving as Chairperson on the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (NEC). She has received numerous awards: the Eugene E. Abbott Award for excellence in Transportation Planning, the department's highest honor; AASHTO's Alfred E. Johnson award for excellence in Engineering and Management; the Outstanding Alumnus Award and the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Delaware, and the Woman in History Award presented by the Business and Professional Women/Dover Chapter. Additionally, she has the honor of serving as an executive board member for the Diamond State Port Authority and she is a member of the University of Delaware's Civil Engineer Executive External Advisory Council. She also is a member of the American Association of State Highway Engineers (ASHE).

Statement From Dr. John E. Fredericksen, Superintendent Of Schools, On The Bennett Middle School Project

ProjectStatement from Dr. John E. Fredericksen, Superintendent of Schools, on the Bennett Middle School Project:

On behalf of the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Wicomico County Public School System, I am pleased that County Executive Rick Pollitt has included $15 million for the construction of the replacement Bennett Middle School in his fiscal year 2012 capital plan. This project has been on the drawing board since 2005, and comes to the county for funding with the endorsement of the county-appointed School Building Commission. This Commission has been a key partner in the planning and oversight of this project from the very beginning, as it has been on previous major school projects.

In fiscal year 2010, the County Council approved $5 million in construction for this project, but the sale of those bonds is still pending. It is critically important for the county to vote to fund this year’s capital request of $15 million for the project for a number of reasons.

Timing: Wicomico Schools received state planning approval for this project and anticipate receiving partial state construction funding later this year. However, if county funding does not come through, it could mean that state funding would not be allocated. If Wicomico misses the state funding cycle for Bennett Middle construction this year, it would in all likelihood increase the projected cost of the project and delay it by several more years. While we understand and appreciate the tough economic conditions we are all in, we also realize that these same conditions are extremely favorable for construction. Funding this project now would allow us to take advantage of marketplace factors that make construction more affordable right now. It is also important to understand the state funding formula. For this project, the state’s share of eligible construction costs is 87%, leaving only 13% of eligible construction costs requiring local funding.

Process: The planning for the Bennett Middle project took several years, and included a feasibility study on the entire Bennett Complex (2005), public exploration of a new site for Bennett Middle (2007), development of educational specifications for the new Bennett Middle by a school and community panel (2008), acquisition of the property on South Division Street in Fruitland for the relocated Bennett Middle (2009), and state planning approval for the replacement Bennett Middle School project (2010). Throughout this process, the Board of Education, the Wicomico County Council and the County Executive have been kept informed, as has the School Building Commission, which has at each step recommended that the school system’s plan for Bennett Middle move forward. The construction plans for which the Board of Education is seeking funding from the county were developed through a thorough, well-considered process designed to result in a facility that would best serve the educational needs of students now and for the future.

Other Projects: The replacement of James M. Bennett High School on the Bennett Complex site and demolition of the old JMB were always understood – by the school system, School Building Commission and county – to be the first two phases of a three-phase project. Phase 3 is the demolition of the existing Bennett Middle School and development of the entire site for the high school’s use. Until the replacement Bennett Middle is built off site, at the Fruitland location, the James M. Bennett High project cannot be finished nor can the resultant 8-acre parcel of open land at the corner of College Avenue/South Division Street be made available to potentially help fund the Bennett Middle replacement project. In addition, other important school projects such as renovations of West Salisbury Elementary, Glen Avenue Elementary, East Salisbury Elementary and Wicomico Middle School would continue to be further delayed. At the same time, critically important systemic renovation projects such as the HVAC improvements for Pittsville Elementary and Middle School, Parkside High, Mardela Middle and High, and Delmar Elementary, would also be delayed. All of these projects are behind Bennett Middle on the Board of Education’s priority list for projects requiring funding.

Instruction: The existing Bennett Middle facility, like the old James M. Bennett High School, is deficient in many ways and is less than adequate to support the current instructional requirements there. Students attending Bennett Middle come from several elementary schools, many of which use the latest instructional technologies. Many Bennett Middle students will go on to James M. Bennett High to experience its technology rich instructional environment, but during their three years at Bennett Middle access to instructional technology is severely limited by the facility. Inadequate space and advanced building systems to facilitate the free movement of staff, students and technology equipment between floors, along with a total lack of air conditioning, create both instructional and technology challenges.

Facility Issues: The school is deficient in many aspects as was outlined in the feasibility study done in 2005. It does not include a fire suppression system, does not meet the new life safety/building codes, and does not meet the accessibility standards. This last issue alone forced several students to transfer to other middle schools where they can be served. Along with a lack of an elevator, Bennett Middle does not have a full HVAC system and is not able to meet the new ASHEA standards for new schools. The level of air quality, including the lack of air conditioning, does not support the school system’s Master Plan Strategic Priorities of High Student Achievement, Safe Learning Environment, and Effective and Efficient Operations. Bennett Middle is the only large school in Wicomico County without air conditioning.

Community: Bennett Middle used to host the annual Destination ImagiNation Tournament and monthly SAT testing, but those events have now moved across town to the better facilities offered by Salisbury Middle. Bennett Middle has also lost the after-school use of its grounds, which must be used by the high school until the three-phase project is complete. The facility limits the connection students, families and the community have to the school. The continued presence of Bennett Middle at the current site will also prolong the community’s frustrations with traffic congestion on College Avenue, congestion that the school system seeks to reduce.

We are all aware of the funding issues government faces at all levels given current revenue issues. The school system is developing its own budget for fiscal year 2012, and we face difficult decisions in trying to live up to our responsibility of providing a quality education even with shrinking resources. While this may not be an easy time for the county to vote on funding a major project like Bennett Middle School, it is the right time. For the sake of Wicomico County students and families, and the community, please vote to include this year’s construction funding request of $15 million in the county Capital Improvement Plan.

Boy, 4, Says Angels Sang To Him While Lifeless

It was the kind of nightmare every parent fears.

A wrongly diagnosed illness.

Another wrongly diagnosed illness.

Then a lifeless 4-year-old boy rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for a an appendix that had ruptured five days earlier.

When it was all over, Colton survived and recovered.

But that was just the beginning of the amazing saga.

Four months later, Colton began telling his parents things he could not have known.

"Mom, I have two sisters," he said. "You had a baby die in your tummy didn't you?"

Sonja, his Mom, was shocked. When she asked him who told him, he said, "she did Mommy, she said she died in your tummy." Todd and Sonja had never told their son about the miscarriage Sonja had before Colton was born.

Colton went on to tell his mom that she was a girl and, "she looked familiar and she started giving me hugs and she was glad to have someone in her family up there."

Asked by his Dad about his hospital experience, Colton said: "You know, Dad, the angels sang to me while I was there."

Colton said that while on the operating table he went to heaven and that he met his great-grandfather Pop. Colton says his grandfather didn't look like the man in the photo in his house, but instead looked like the man in the picture sent months later by his Grandmother, a young man without glasses.

Later he described Jesus, and he talked about Armageddon and how God told him his father would fight in the final battle.  Although Todd was a pastor, he says he never talked detail like this with his preschool-aged son.

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The War On Taxpayers

The President and his party chose sides long ago.

Barack Obama’s “Organizing for America” web page includes this update about the situation in Wisconsin: “For the past two days, thousands of workers have been gathering at the State Capitol in Madison, WI, to defend their rights in the workplace. From nurses to police officers, public sector workers and OFA volunteers have been protesting against proposed legislation to take away workers' rights to bargain collectively.”

Nurses?  Well, the medical profession is certainly doing its part in Madison.  Fox News reports that “alleged doctors were handing out 'fake' sick notes to protesters - allowing them to call in sick while the budget impasse continues.” Conservative provocateur Andrew Breitbart strolled up to one of these highly professional practitioners of medicine and got a “sick note” by simply asking for one.  You’d think leftist agitators would start carrying little cards with Breitbart’s picture on them.

Police officers?  WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee reports testimony from “a savvy insider” that “a young female reporter trying to get into the Senate chamber struggled to get through the crowd.  She arrived disheveled and upset because she had been roughed up as she tried to get through.  A senior senator was spat on.  A senator and his female staffer struggled to get into the capitol. He was worried about his staffer because the crowd was grabbing at her and pushing her. University Police were two arms lengths away and did nothing. They, of course, are union.”  The Wisconsin Senate was forced to adjourn early on Friday because its security could not be guaranteed.

What condition have the union mobs and President Obama’s shock troops left the capitol in?  Another eyewitness quoted by WTMJ says “the entire place smelled when she walked in on Friday morning. There was garbage everywhere... This is one of the most beautiful Capitol buildings in the country. The mob had no respect for the place, for what happens there, or for the citizens whose freedoms it represents.”

How about those Organizing for America volunteers?  What have the President’s political operatives been up to?  A correspondent in Wisconsin tells me they’re making “cold calls to the general public to get support.”  They woke up his elderly mother-in-law early in the morning, to ask her to travel over sixty miles to march with the unions.

Every aspect of the Democrat machine, from the DNC to Nancy Pelosi, from MSNBC to Jesse Jackson, has been activated in Wisconsin.  The Tea Party has arranged counter-protests.  Presidential candidate Herman Cain spoke at one of these rallies, and called the protests in Madison “ground zero for the rest of the nation.”

Cain has it exactly right.  The War on Taxpayers is under way, and if you are not a union member, the Democrat Party is your declared enemy.

President Obama is a general in the opposing army.  As the Associated Press puts it, “President Barack Obama and his political machine are offering tactical support, eager to repair strained relations with some union leaders upset over his recent overtures to business.”  The New York Times calls the protests “more organized than organic,” and says the unions and Democrats see this event as “an opportunity to begin rallying troops for the next election.”  Union machinery is already plowing a similar field of Astroturf in Ohio, where another broke state government is trying to gain control of crippling public union benefit costs.

What has begun in Wisconsin is the final, logical outcome of the political allocation of wealth.  The spectacle of the President of the United States deliberately acting to incite a riot, and overturn the democratic results of a state election, is shocking… to anyone who didn’t already know about his ugly “community organizer” past, which the media didn’t want to talk about in 2008.

It’s also not really an option for Obama to call for order and insist on respect for the will of Wisconsin voters, and the authority of their governor.  Unions own the Democrat Party, lock stock and barrel.  The teachers union is their biggest contributor at the national level.  When it comes to a choice between the financial security of taxpayers, and the demands of union bosses… well, that’s not really a choice for a Democrat.

More here

12K State Workers Could Be Fired, Wisconsin Governor Warns

If changes aren't made to the benefit contributions paid by Wisconsin's nearly 300,000 public sector employees, about 10,000-12,000 workers will lose their jobs, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker warned Sunday.

The Republican governor has been targeted by protesters for nearly a week for negotiating a bill now in the state Senate that would require workers to increase their contributions to pensions and health care coverage, would limit collective bargaining rules and tie raises to inflation.

But Walker said while the state enjoys a lower-than-average unemployment rate -- about 7.5 percent compared to 9 percent nationally -- about 5,000-6,000 state workers and 5,000-6,000 local government workers could lose their jobs if they don't accept changes to their benefits plan.

"I don't want a single person laid off in the public nor in the private sector and that's why this is a much better alternative than losing jobs," Walker told "Fox News Sunday."

The budget vote was supposed to take place last week, but was delayed when state Senate Democrats fled to Illinois to avoid having to vote on the plan, which would cost public sector employees about $300 million over two years, or less than 10 percent of the deficit total.

"If we're going to be in this together, (cut) our $3.6 billion budget deficit, it's going to take a whole lot more than just employee contributions when it comes to pensions and health care," Walker said. "But it's got to be a piece of the puzzle because as I saw at the local level, it's like a virus that eats up more and more of the budget if you don't get it under control."

Protesters and Democratic lawmakers have likened Walker to a dictator, and demonstrators protesting the budget bill have waived signs comparing him to ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak and Adolf Hitler.

President Obama, whose group Organizing for America, has bused in some of the nearly 70,000 protesters outside the state capitol on Saturday, last week called the bill "an assault on unions."

Walker said the president should stay focused on fixing the federal budget, which is $1.5 trillion in deficit this year.
More here

***Updated Crash Information*** Troopers On Scene of Serious Motor Vehicle Crash, New Castle

Operator and Vehicle Information:

• Robert C. Steele-33 Wilmington (Photo Attached)
• 2007 Pontiac G-6

• Artrell Flonnory-32 Wilmington
• 1997 Buick LeSabre

• Johnny Gore-28 New York
• 1997 Ford Explorer

Defendant(s) Charges(s) and Bond Information

• Robert C. Steele-33 Wilmington, DE
• Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
• Vehicular Assault First Degree
• Leaving the Scene of a Collision Resulting in Injury
• Driving While Suspended
• Various Traffic Offenses
• Committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution $7500.00 Secured Bond

Resume:

New Castle- The Delaware State Police investigated a three vehicle crash in which 6 people were injured Saturday night.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:10 p.m. last night as Robert C. Steele, 33, of Wilmington, DE was operating a 2007 Pontiac G-6 and was travelling at a high rate of speed northbound on New Castle Avenue, approaching the area of Rizzo Avenue. The front of the Pontiac G-6 struck the rear of a 1997 Buick LeSabre that was travelling northbound, New Castle Avenue in front of Steele.  The Buick LeSabre was being operated by Artrell Flonnory, 32, of Wilmington.

After the impact, the Buick LeSabre was propelled into the southbound lanes of New Castle Avenue where it was struck head on by a 1997 Ford Explorer, operated by Johnny Gore-28, of New York. After the collisions, the Buick LeSabre caught fire with Flonnory and 3 passengers still inside.  It was reported that the four occupants of the LeSabre were pulled from the vehicle to safety by passing motorists and residents of the area.  Robert C. Steele immediately fled the scene on foot but was located and apprehended in the area by Troopers.

Johnny Gore was transported to Christiana Hospital by EMS for non life threatening injuries.   Artrell Flonnory and the three passengers in Flonnory’s vehicle were all transported from the scene by EMS to the Christiana Hospital where they were admitted for burns and smoke inhalation, reported to be non life threatening.  One passenger from Flonnory’s vehicle was later transferred to Crozer Hospital, Chester PA.  Robert C. Steele was transported to Christiana Hospital where he was treated and released.

Robert C. Steele was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Vehicular Assault First (2 Counts), Driving While Suspended, Leaving the Scene of Collision Resulting in Injury, and various other traffic offenses.  He was arraigned and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $7500.00 Secured Bond

New Castle Avenue was closed for approximately 4 hours as the crash was cleared and investigated.

Released 022011 1200 

Delegate Mike McDermott Field Notes Feb. 14th-18th, 2011

Field Notes

Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities

By Delegate Mike McDermott

Feb. 14^th-18^th, 2011

• Monday afternoon I attended Governor O’Malley’s Press Conference on an interestingly titled bill called the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2011. Sounds great, doesn’t it? In Annapolis, there is no doubt an entire army of people burning the midnight oil to see who can create the most disingenuous title for threatening legislation. The title for this bill should be “No Crapper Left Behind” Act of 2011. Although I issued an immediate press release to keep you informed this week, here is the bottom line of this bill: The measure would prohibit the use of individual septic systems for major subdivisions outside of planned water and sewer service areas. It also restricts the subdivision of agricultural lands. Specifically it:
  1. Defines a “major subdivision” as 5 or more lots;
  2. Requires any “major subdivision” located outside of a planned area to utilize a “shared” waste disposal system;
  3. Requires the use of advanced technology systems for individual development;
  4. Would prohibit local government from authorizing any major development outside of areas served by water and sewer infrastructure after July 1^st this year; and
  5. It would restrict any further subdivisions or modifications of existing subdivisions once a property has been subdivided into a residential minor subdivision.

PLEASE STAY ENGAGED ON THIS BILL.

• On Monday evening, prior to session, the TEA (taxed enough already) Party Caucus met and discussed upcoming visits scheduled by AFP groups and other concerned citizens. A Legislative Action Committee was formed to focus on specific legislation the caucus would support during the session. It was also agreed that members would need to sign a pledge of fiscal restraint to be considered part of the caucus.
• M y Chess playing ended Monday night when I was defeated by Del. Gilchrest. It was a great game that came down to only a couple of pieces on the board. He will play for the championship soon.
• Tuesday was Maryland Farm Bureau Day in Annapolis. I had the pleasure of meeting with several of our local farmers from Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties. We talked a lot about the governor’s septic proposals and what that would mean to the value of farm land and potential development issues.
• Tuesday HB 266 received a hearing in Judiciary. This is a bill I sponsored which would strengthen the laws dealing with Human Trafficking. This continues to be a problem around the country and Maryland is no exception. There is also come companion legislation that would provide support for juveniles who are being trafficked (primarily underage girls) in the sex trade industry. These bills have a lot of support in the committee.

We also heard HB- which would remove the Governor’s final say in parole cases dealing with “Life Sentence” inmates and turn it over to the Parole Board. I do not like this idea, and I’m sure the governor will not like it either. Governor O’Malley believes that “life means life” and has refused to consider paroling any inmate serving a life sentence while he has been governor. Of course, we heard from many about their “rehabilitated” loved ones who are behind bars and how they deserve another chance after 20 plus years. The bottom line: the 20 plus years behind bars is 20 years more than their victims ever had a chance to see. I think that’s how the governor sees it as well. This hearing went long into the night.

• On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee heard the following bills:
  1. HB-247 is a technical modification of a bill enacted last year dealing specifically with the Maryland General and Limited Power of Attorney Act. This bill seeks to address an area of the act which failed to include certain financial documents and transactions.
  2. HB-336 seeks to create a task force addressing Military Service Members, Veterans, and the Courts. This type of program has been used successfully in other states to help our veterans by recognizing that they may be addressing a unique set of circumstances in life as a result of their service to our country. The task force would provide feedback and recommendations for future consideration in support of our military service members.
  3. HB-340 deals with certifications and reports submitted by qualified experts in health care malpractice claims. It would create a timeline for challenging the credentials of an expert who is submitting documents or testifying in a case before the courts.
  4. HB-475 would provide for the Carroll County Industrial Development Authority (a non-profit board) to fall under the Local Government Tort Claims Act. This would provide tort protection as is extended to many Para government operations. There is always much discussion on these types of requests as several committee members do not like limiting the liability of organizations without significant reasons to do so.
  5. HB-483 is another technical law bill which would allow an attorney the ability to limit the paperwork needed to file for recovery of a previous judgment. It would further aid plaintiffs who are attempting to discover if a person has the means to pay on a previous judgment granted by the court.
• Thursday morning I was honored to give the Opening Prayer for the Session. I referenced the Continental Congress and quoted Benjamin Franklin as a preface to my prayer. It was well received. If you would like to hear the prayer and other action taken on the floor, a direct link is available on my website at delegatemcdermott.com
• On Thursday at noon, the House Republican Caucus held a Press Conference to address the O’Malley administrations rush to implement Obamacare in Maryland. My notes on this are contained in a previous information release. Essentially, we need to slow down the process of implementation and several legal cases have already declared Obamacare to be Unconstitutional. Therefore, why should we 
  • invest tax dollars in a program that will most likely be declared null and void? We also revealed several bills we are supporting to help insure Marylanders have access to high quality, affordable health care services when needed.
  • On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee heard the following bills:
  1. HB-255 and HB-256 address issues relating to adopted individuals being able to search records for sibling information. This bill is intended to allow the Department of Social Services to allow access to their own departmental records of adoption records so family members may be contacted if it is their expressed desire.
  2. HB-294 seeks to add additional penalties when a firearm or source of ignition is used to inflict pain and suffering on a domestic animal. This hearing drew a large crowd based upon the recent act committed in Anne Arundel involving the shooting of a dog at a park. There was questioning regarding a felony charge which would seem to answer the question of creating a “harsher penalty” and whether or not this law really needs to be adopted. I did find it interesting in this case that there was significant media coverage and lots of people. However, the way we treat female juveniles in correctional facilities was the next bill and the press and cameras were nowhere to be found. Dogs verses kids…dogs seem to win every time. I found this very troubling.
  3. HB-304 seeks to allow for the termination of alimony payments in cases where the ex-spouse is cohabitating with another in a romantic situation. It was brought out that these types of issues can be brought to the courts attention and modifications of terms can be made by a judge. This bill was a little to general and many of the attorneys poked enough holes to make it look like Swiss cheese before we were through.
  4. HB-349 represents a corrective bill to modify a broad change made last year in Peace Orders and Protective Orders relative to the shielding of certain records. It is a technical adjustment to the current law.
  5. HB-426 for me was the most interesting bill discussed today. Essentially it would place juveniles who are classified as gang members under the jurisdiction of the adult courts. I liked the idea of treating the gang bangers as adults for court purposes. This would allow more significant sentencing for crimes committed by extremely street wise 16 and 17 year olds. Many of whom are creating mayhem on our city streets and even reaching into our rural communities. Of course, the ACLU was on hand to defend the indefensible.
  6. HB-511 seeks to address perceived inequalities between opportunities and programs available to male juveniles verses those currently available to female juveniles. This would mandate equality of program opportunities much like Title 9 does for sports programs. The only problem is the cost. Juvenile females only 
     1. make up about 10% of our inmate population. Due to the need to keep male and female inmates separated, the cost of providing duplicate programs would be severe. We were assured by the Department of Juvenile Justice that they are concerned and want to correct many issues that seem to be out of joint with the department at the present time. There was grave concern voiced by the committee as to the recidivism rate for juvenile offenders being higher that for adult inmates. This must be tackled and programs that don’t work need to be abandoned in search of better models.
     • On Friday, we took our first votes in Judiciary. If a bill received at least 12 votes, it was listed as “favorable” and sent to the full House for a Second Reading. If a bill did not receive 12 votes of support, it was listed as “unfavorable” and is considered dead in the committee this year. There are also bills that are held by the Chairman which cannot be voted on unless he brings the bill up for a vote. Many bills, even with strong committee support, will wind up staying “in the drawer” by the decision of the Chairman and never see the light of day. I believe all bills deserve an up or down vote in the committee, but this prerogative lies with the Chairman of each committee.
     
     
     Here is a list of the bills that received a “Favorable” vote from the Judiciary Committee today:
     HB-49
     HB-105
     HB-133
     HB-345
     Here is a list of the bills that received an “Unfavorable” vote from the Judiciary Committee today:
     HB-91
     HB-94
     HB-132
     HB-134
     HB-138
     HB-140
     HB-149
     HB-169
     HB-189
     HB-239
     HB-272
     HB-276
     HB-342
     HB-419
     HB-475

HEBRON TAXPAYERS SPENDING BIG BUCKS ON ATTORNEYS BUT CAN'T PREVAIL IN COURT? WHAT'S GOING ON?

Several months ago Maryland Dept. of Environment fined Hebron $7600 in penalties for alleged violations at its Waste Water Treatment Plant and a hearing was held on this with Hebron's attorney on board. The decision came down against Hebron and Hebron didn't like it, so the Town appealed it to the Circuit Court for Wicomico County.

Well, guess, what, the Circuit Court just ruled agreeing with the first Judge's decision and Hebron did not win. Wanna bet that Hebron will appeal this too?

Questions that Hebron taxpayers should be asking:

Questions--What is Hebron's track record when it has its day in court (including Waller Landing)?

Bigger Question--How much have Hebron taxpayers spent on attorneys' fees vs. cost of the MDE penalties?

THEY’RE BAAACK – SU MEN’S LACROSSE STARTS SEASON STRONGLY

An upset loss in last year’s NCAA championship – to Tufts of all teams – has the Gulls fired up, but they were ranked only No. 3 preseason. However, they are off and running with the mission of winning that championship ring this year.

On February 13, in what was more a scrimmage than a game, they humbled Greensboro College, 25 – 2 at Sea Gull Stadium. Yesterday, they faced a stronger opponent on the road, and came away with a solid win –

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Junior Sam Bradman found the back of the net a staggering eight times on Saturday afternoon at Lynchburg College as the Salisbury University men's lacrosse team picked up a 13-5 victory.

The Sea Gulls (2-0) score four times in the first 5:07, three of which came from Bradman, to take a 4-0 lead and never looked back. Bradman's eight goals are a career high, bettering his previous career effort of five scores, which came on March 3, 2010 against McDaniel.

The Hornets put up their first goal of the game with 7:20 showing on the clock in the first quarter, but the Sea Gulls would answer right back less than 90 seconds later on Bradman's fourth score of the first period.

Bradman scored twice in the second quarter to go along with junior Erik Krum's goal, giving the Gulls an 8-4 edge at halftime.

The second half belonged to the Salisbury defense, which allowed just one Lynchburg goal while holding the Hornets (0-1) to eight shots in the final 30 minutes of play.

After Bradman got the second-half scoring started, junior Tony Mendes added his second tally of the day. Senior Shawn Zordani and junior Kyle Quist each scored a goal to push Salisbury's lead to 12-4, the team's largest advantage of the day.

Lynchburg's only second-half goal game midway through the fourth quarter before Bradman put home his eighth and final score of the day, capping the scoring. The eight goals, is just three shy of the program single-game record held by Dave Cottle, who scored 11 in a game during the 1976 season.

Mendes also had an assist to go with his two goals, while Zordani had a pair of helpers to give each player a three-point day. Senior goalkeeper Johnny Rodriguez turned away four Lynchburg shots to pick up his second win of the season.

The Sea Gulls will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Washington & Lee University at Sea Gull Stadium. The game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Hey, Sports Fans: these guys are really good! We may have two national champions in Salisbury this year – FERNANDO GUERRERO and SU LAX

And, in case you didn’t notice – no Daily Times coverage until the day after the day after now that it’s published in Wilmington!

Timothy Johnson: Blacks Must Control Own Fate

Blacks must work to control their own fate on issues that hinder them in particular, such as abortion, incarceration, and dropout rates, Dr. Timothy Johnson tells Newsmax.TV. They need to focus on values such as self-reliance instead of relying on the government, says Johnson, chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation.

The foundation, a Christian, pro-life, and traditional marriage group founded in 2008, makes education its primary mission, he said during an interview at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. “We also believe that there are some public policies out there that disproportionately, obviously, affect the black community, and we need to be willing to talk about that from a Republican perspective.

More details and the video

O'Malley Rants About 'Tea Party' Governors

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D), called out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie again Saturday during a speech at a Democratic fundraising dinner, saying the "tea partying" governor lives "in a different world than ours."

O'Malley, the chairman of the Democratic Governor's Association, accused Christie and other GOP governors across the country of irresponsibly slashing funding for priorities like education and infrastructure.

"The tea partying Republican governors would have us believe a lot of things that just aren't so," said O'Malley. "They would have us believe that we can somehow eat cake and lose weight. They would have us believe that we can just cut our way to a better future -- no need to invest in education or rebuild our infrastructure."

O'Malley was keynoting the Virginia Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner, where he touted former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's record of "fiscal discipline," slamming GOP governors who he said "would have you believe that they are the only governors who balance their budgets every year."

"At the Republican governor's tea party, where colorful characters like Chris Christie preside, there is no need to pay bills, no need to protect bond ratings, no need to invest in the future," O'Malley said. "Down is up, up is down; candy is a vegetable, and vegetables are candy."

More

GOP Policy Leader Price: 'More Cuts And Reforms On The Way'

Fresh from a budget victory early Saturday, House Republicans are taking their crusade against federal spending into the Presidents Day recess.

GOP leaders are urging Democrats to accept steep and immediate cuts, while slamming the White House for a stimulus spending approach they say will kill jobs and impede economic recovery.

"We need to end Washington’s spending binge to reduce uncertainty, to boost confidence, and to encourage private investment in our economy," Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, said Saturday in the GOP's weekly radio address. "To help create a better environment for job creation in America, the spending binge has got to stop."

With deficit spending projected to top $1.6 trillion this year, House Republicans have championed a continuing resolution (CR) to cut $61 billion from federal programs over the next seven months. After four days of raucous floor debate over scores of amendments, the lower chamber passed that bill early Saturday morning.

The CR is sure to hit a brick wall in the Democratically controlled Senate, however, and President Obama has similarly vowed to kill the proposal if it reaches his desk.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) warned this week, however, that Republicans won't accept a proposal – even a temporary one – that doesn't cut spending below current levels.

“When we say we’re going to cut spending, read my lips, we’re going to cut spending,” he said Thursday.

Asked Friday night about the GOP's plans for a temporary CR, Boehner was elusive.

"You'll know soon enough," he told reporters in the Capitol.

More here

Wis. Senate Leader Says He Won't Negotiate

Wisconsin Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says a bill taking away collective bargaining rights from public employees is not negotiable and will pass as is.

Democrats and union leaders say they're willing to agree to parts of the proposal that would double their health insurance contributions and require them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions. But they want to keep their collective bargaining rights.

But Fitzgerald said Saturday terms of the bill are not negotiable. He is calling on Democrats who left town Thursday to return to take up the bill.

Read more

Tea Partiers Strike Back In Wisconsin

Thousands of Tea Partiers gathered in Madison on Saturday, in an effort to rally support for newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s deficit reduction plan.

Likely 2012 presidential candidate Herman Cain, local Madison and Milwaukee conservative radio host Vicki McKenna, Gateway Pundit blogger Jim Hoff, Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher and conservative media guru Andrew Breitbart each took their shots at the union bosses who were gathering their supporters on the other side of the state capitol building.

McKenna kicked it off calling for the Tea Party movement to stay strong and committed.

“They want to think that you don’t matter,” McKenna said, adding that she thinks the union bosses want Tea Partiers to “submit.” “Are you going to submit, Wisconsin? Are you going to bend over Wisconsin?” McKenna asked to resounding “no’s” from the crowd

Cain followed McKenna saying that what’s going on in Madison is “Ground Zero” for what’s going to happen around the rest of the country. Cain said that union bosses and their crews represent only 10 percent of the population and that they use intimidation tactics to get noticed.

“My assessment of what’s going on out there right now is that the unions, which represent 10 percent of the workforce, they are getting 90 percent of the attention,” Cain said in an interview with The Daily Caller. “The 90 percent of the workforce, which works for the private sector, that voice has not been heard. I’m glad to see that the people here wanted to do something to get the other side of the message out.”

Tea Partiers echoed the message, too, that the reason that they hadn’t showed up in Madison to support Walker yet has been because they were working. The union protesters are supposed to be at work, so they are effectively protesting on the taxpayers’ dime, the Tea Partiers said.

Read more

Hard-Core Reality: The Numbers

The federal government has borrowed an additional $29,660 per household in the United States since President Barack Obama signed his economic stimulus law two years ago.

That brings the total national debt to $125,475.18 per household.

At the close of business on Feb. 17, 2009, the day Obama signed the $787-billion law, the national debt stood at $10.79 trillion ($10,789,783,760,341.41), according the Bureau of the Public Debt.

At the close of business on Feb. 16, 2011, the national debt stood at $14.13 trillion ($14,129,889,690,377.50)—an increase of $3.34 trillion (3,340,105,930,036.09)

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are a total of 112,611,029 households in the United States, which average about 2.6 people per household. That means that the new debt accumulated in the two years since Feb. 17, 2009, when President Obama signed his economic stimulus law, equals about $29,660.55 per household.

CNS News

Obamacare/ Sunday Paper Fodder

I have to vent tonight. I wish I could find a more national venue to vent on this, but if you know of any you could forward this message.

My vent is on the republican / Tea party efforts to defund and otherwise repeal Obamacare. Sure, this is a noble effort, but without recourse. It’s a bunch of republican politicians rabble rousing without offering alternatives or resolution. They are just pompous grandstanders pounding their opposition without offering anything. 

The alternative, of course, is the original Republican version first offered in November of 2008, but was never brought to the table due to Democratic majority. However, instead of offering that “Obamacare” be replaced with the republican ideas, the politicians are electing to just lobby toward repealing, leaving what? A giant void???? We, as a majority of Americans agree that this bill must be repealed and destroyed as soon as possible, but without offering the public a sane alternative, there is no reason to do so. Without an alternative offer, the repeal effort is destined to fail.

Why on earth, when we now have a republican majority in the House, are our lawmakers ignoring their own genius plan that they want so much, and just pounding repeal without offering their own solution?

I think politics is somehow worth more than the value of the economic lives of the American People. I was so ashamed to be a registered Democrat during Nancy Pelosi’s choppy hands browbeating to get Obamacare passed that I changed my registration to Republican, but now I feel ashamed that the Republican Party, with all the support of the TEA Party, elects to drive endless debate into infinity without offering real alternatives.

The Republican version of 2008 was a really good start and worthy of slight modification, but to not even bring the subject up in these times is a sin against all us TEA Party supporters that are working hard towards a positive change.

It brings me to the conclusion that the Republican, and by default, the Democracic parties, who are enjoying their “they’re going to vote for either one of us or the other” club, are together on running things the way they want, and not in a way that reflects those who hired them…. You know, that’s US!

And as much as all of us believe that voting for some other party other than the Big Two during times like this, I just like you, sway towards throwing my vote towards one of those two instead of voting from my heart, knowing that the MSM and ignorance will be herding voters toward R vs D, and we are forced to vote for the least damaging A_hole of the 2 major parties.

I have not tried writing to my Rep, Andy Harris yet on an issue, but I will. I’ve been writing my senators and congressmen for the last couple of years receiving form letters informing me that although they “understand” my views and opinions, that they know what’s best for me and will be voting against my views. I look forward to the same letters from Andy, who I have stood shoulder to shoulder with at a TEA Party rally. It’s really a disnal outlook I hold here, but so far, I have yet to see anyone working  toward a brighter outlook.

Gary Bullard

Seaford Woman Charged In Domestic Involving Gun

Location:

• 22000 block Eskridge Road, Seaford, Delaware

Date of Occurrence:  

• Friday, February 18, 2011 6:30 p.m.

Victim:

• 55 year old Seaford man

Defendant(s) Charges (s) and Bond Information:

• Gail Weal-60 Seaford, DE
• Reckless Endangering First Degree
• Possession of Firearm During Commission of a Felony
• Possession of Firearm by Person Prohibited (2 counts)
• Criminal Mischief

• Committed to Sussex Correctional Institution $23,500 Secured Bond

Resume: 

Seaford- Friday, February 18, 2011 Delaware State Police charged a Seaford woman following a domestic altercation at her residence.  Troopers responded to the 22000 block of Eskridge Road, Seaford to investigate a domestic incident.

When Troopers arrived they took Gail Weal into custody without incident.  Troopers learned during their investigation that Weal had an earlier argument with a 55 year old male relative and told him not to come back to the residence.  At approximately 6:30 p.m. the victim returned to the residence at which time Weal asked him to leave and then called 911.  As the victim exited the house into the yard, Weal came out of the house armed with a handgun and fired two shots at the victim missing both times.  At least one round struck a vehicle that was parked in the yard, shattering the rear side windows.  The victim then fled to a nearby residence for assistance.

A search warrant for the residence was executed with a handgun and rifle located within the residence.

Weal was taken into custody and charged with Reckless Endangering First Degree, Possession of a Firearm during Commission of a Felony, Possession of Firearm by Person Prohibited (2 Counts), and Criminal Mischief.  Weal is being held at Sussex Correctional Institution in lieu of $23,500.00 Secured Bond

Fake Doctors’ Notes Being Handed Out At Wisconsin Union Rally

As tens of thousands of public employees skipped work this week to attend protest rallies outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, many wondered if they would face any disciplinary action for unexcused absences.

On Saturday, a group of men and women in lab coats purporting to be doctors were handing out medical excuse notes, without examining the ‘patients.’

“I asked this doctor what he was doing and he told me they were handing out excuses to people who were feeling sick due to emotional, mental or financial distress,” said Christian Hartsock. “They never performed an exam–he asked me how I was feeling today and I said I’m from California and I’m not used to the cold, so he handed me a note.”

Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were handing out excuses like they were leaflets.

Read more here

Delmar Police Department Press Release

Incident: Accident

Date: 02-18-2011

Location: E. State St. & S. Sixth St., Delmar, MD

On Friday, February 18^th, 2011 officers of the Delmar Police Department responded to a personal injury accident involving a Delmar Fire Department apparatus. Further investigation revealed the fire truck had been responding to a call for service at which time the vehicle left the roadway damaging a telephone pole and other property as well as substantial damage to the fire truck. The operator and passenger were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for further care. Investigation is continuing.