WARD MUSEUM HOSTS “HOOT” FEATURING CHESTER RIVER RUNOFF

Salisbury, Md - The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art is proud to host it’s first fundraiser of the season, “Hoot.” On Friday, March 25^th from 7 to 10 p.m. the Chester River Runoff band will be entertaining guests for a night of music, dancing and celebrating. Purchase your early bird ticket by March 20^th for $35. All Ward Museum members and SU faculty and students can purchase their tickets for $30. All tickets at the door will be $40.

Chester River Runoff is a local bluegrass jazz band with a strong following in the Salisbury area. Band members Nate Grower, Marc Dykeman, Ben Armiger, and Sam Guthridge got their start in Armiger’s family barn just fooling around with their instruments. This grew into the Chester River Runoff we know today. Chester River Runoff’s new album, “Blue Heron Farm” is available at cdbaby.com.

The Ward Museum nestled next to Schumaker Pond in Salisbury,Maryland, is surrounded by wildlife in the heart of the Atlantic Flyway, and features the world’s largest and finest public collection of decorative and antique decoys. The Museum hosts frequent changing exhibits with a variety of art forms.

Along with great music, light fare will be provided by Market Street Inn and craft beer by EVO Evolution brewery. Hoot will surely be a night to remember at the museum, so come join us and Chester River Runoff in supporting one of Salisbury’s proudest institutions.

To purchase tickets, please call 410-742-4988 ext 120. For more information about Chester River Runoff email chesterriverrunoff@gmail.com with inquiries. 

Job Report Shows Maryland Moving Backwards

7,100 jobs lost, 5^th biggest losses in the nation

ANNAPOLIS – Maryland Republican Party Chairman Alex X. Mooney issued the following statement today in response to Maryland’s dismal January jobs report:

“Unemployment numbers released today show Governor O’Malley’s tax and spend policies have failed to put Marylanders back to work. While Governor O’Malley gallivants around the country cheerleading for Democratic Governors in other states, Maryland has suffered the fifth worst job losses in the nation. Making matters worse, O’Malley’s talk about job growth throughout 2010 has proven to be nothing more than rhetoric, with the Department of Labor revising their statistics to show only 4,600 jobs created over the last year. Sadly with O’Malley’s own political ambitions dominating his agenda, unemployed Marylanders are stuck with a governor who cares more about furthering his career than putting them back to work.”

O’Malley’s out of touch with Maryland’s unemployment situation

Rhetoric – December 2010, O’Malley touts 36,000 jobs created since the beginning of 2010, claims Maryland is better off than the rest of the nation. “Last month’s jobs report shows Maryland continues to add jobs at twice the rate of the rest of the nation.” (Governor O’Malley, Statement from Governor Martin O'Malley on the Gain of 2,100 Jobs in November, 12/17/2010)

Reality – Revised job figures show only 4,600 jobs created in Maryland over the past year. Maryland has just 4,600 more jobs now than it did a year ago, according to new figures from the federal government. That's a sharp revision downward from the employment gains initially reported in 2010. (Jamie Smith Hopkins, “Md. job numbers fall by 7,100 in January,” Baltimore Sun, 3/10/11)

Reality – In January, Maryland Lost 7,100 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 3/10/10)

Reality – Since Martin O’Malley Became Governor Of Maryland The State Has Lost 101,700 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Doubled. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 3/10/10)

Despite the dismal jobs report, O’Malley has better things to do

While the Labor Department announces 7,100 jobs lost in Maryland, Governor O’Malley instead issues press release through the Democratic Governors Association attacking Wisconsin Governor Walker for not focusing on jobs. Democratic governors are faced with the same challenges facing Republican governors like Scott Walker, but we understand that our primary goal should be bringing people together to create new jobs. (Governor Martin O’Malley, “Press Release: DGA Chair O'Malley Condemns Wisconsin Power Grab,” DGA, 3/10/11)

St. Baldricks Fund Raiser

Click on image to enlarge.

Fundraiser

Click on image to enlarge.

Waves

Like a lot of people, I've been watching the news about the earthquake and resultant tsunami that has hit Japan hard.  Hawaii should get the first of the wave in the next few minutes.  I hope that casualties are minimized by good planning and rapid action.

One thing that disturbs me about the news coverage is the map of the west coast of the U.S. and the news of the alert that those states have enacted.  The tv map shows only the west coast of the U.S. as being affected, and the reporters only talk about that area, along with Hawaii.  The red zone on the map stops at just south of San Diego, as if the tsunami won't hit Mexico or the rest of Central and South America.  This seems odd to me.  What gives with this limited view of the Western Hemisphere?  Do the networks think we are the only country in it?

Anonymous

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY TO ANNOUNCE SURGE IN MARYLAND EXPORTS

Will present Steve Phillips with prestigious Governor’s International Award

BALTIMORE, MD - Joining more than 350 Maryland business leaders at the 15^th Annual World Trade Center Institute’s International Business Leadership Awards, Governor Martin O’Malley will announce that Maryland’s trade exports – a barometer of the State’s economic health – climbed 10 percent in 2010 to $10.1 billion. The State saw a significant increase in exports to the Korean Republic, which jumped 133 percent to $480 million, and to The Netherlands and Chile, which nearly doubled in 2010 from 2009. Commodities like mineral fuel and oil surged to $378 million, up from $163 million in 2010, and exports of metals like aluminum and copper rose to record highs.

“The significant rise in exports this past year – especially to emerging markets – demonstrates that Maryland remains a fierce global competitor,” Governor O’Malley will say tonight. “This positive news also proves that the targeted tactics we have taken are yielding results, providing businesses with the resources and support they need to explore new markets and expand operations.”

During his remarks, Governor O’Malley will provide an update on the economic development strategies he originally unveiled at the World Trade Center Institute event in 2009.  He will also present the Governor’s International Award to Steve Phillips, a third generation waterman and President and CEO of Phillips Foods, for his outstanding leadership in transforming his family’s seafood business into a global company, encompassing eight restaurants, a growing franchise division, 18 seafood processing facilities and offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. 

To help small businesses boost exports and take advantage of global trade opportunities, Governor O’Malley launched the Maryland Export Initiative last year which complimented President Obama’s National Export Initiative to increase exports and create two million jobs by 2015. Maryland’s initiative focused on expanding assistance to small businesses through the State’s ExportMD program, creating jobs and leveraging the resources of existing federal and nonprofit partners. In FY 2011, more than two dozen small businesses received $5,000 ExportMD grants to market their products and services abroad, part of more than 100 businesses that have received grants since 2007.

“Increasing exports is critical to achieving sustained economic prosperity and job creation in Maryland and throughout the United States,” said Bill Burwell, Director of the U.S. Commercial Service in Baltimore. “The U.S. Commercial Service is committed to working with Governor O’Malley and helping Maryland companies maximize their exporting potential, enabling them to succeed globally.”

The O’Malley-Brown Administration has taken significant steps to ramp up the State’s international outreach, including opening a number of number of foreign offices in targeted countries, convening the Governor’s International Advisory Council to provide strategic direction and develop a plan to enhance Maryland’s global profile, expanding the capacity of the Port of Baltimore with a new 50-foot berth,  and opening the State’s first International Incubator in 2009 at the University of Maryland, College Park to help foreign-owned companies launch U.S. operations.

The efforts have produced significant results. Since 2007, Maryland has attracted more than 40 foreign-owned companies from high-growth countries, including China, Brazil, Korea, Russia, India, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with about one-quarter of these companies locating in the International Incubator. Companies range from Ellickson Software, an Ireland-based supplier of software and hardware to the hospitality industry which has an American location in Baltimore City to Daewoong Pharmaceutical, the largest prescription drug supplier in Korea which has its U.S. operations in Montgomery County.

Over the past two years, the State has opened foreign offices in Russia, India and Colombia to attract foreign-owned companies to Maryland and encourage trade opportunities. The offices, which are opened on a contingency basis with no up-front cost to taxpayers, are part of the State’s network of foreign offices in China (Shanghai), France (Paris), Israel (Haifa), South Korea (Seoul), Taiwan (Taipei), Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) and the Western Balkans (Montenegro).  

In 2009, the State inked a 50-year agreement between the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) and Ports America Chesapeake that will allow the MPA to lease its 200-acre Seagirt Marine Terminal to Ports America.  In return, Ports America has agreed to construct a 50-foot berth for the Port of Baltimore that is expected to result in increased business opportunities and larger vessels that will be able to dock at the Port.  The partnership between the MPA and Ports America is expected to produce 5,700 new jobs, while the total investment and revenue from this agreement to the State of Maryland has the potential to reach more than $1.3 billion over the life of the agreement and will generate $15.7 million per year in new taxes for Maryland. 

Maryland is well-positioned for growth in the global market, with more than 300 foreign-owned companies from 30 countries currently calling Maryland home. Roughly 105,000 Marylanders, or 3.5 percent of the workforce, are employed by foreign-owned firms, with companies headquartered in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany as the top three foreign employers in Maryland. 

Maryland’s Office of International Investment and Trade works to stimulate foreign direct investment in the State, offers export assistance for small and mid-sized Maryland companies and coordinates international trade and investment missions and trade show opportunities for Maryland companies. For more information on resources available to business that want to market their products or services globally, visit www.choosemaryland.org 

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO TESTIFY BEFORE HOUSE, SENATE COMMITTEES IN SUPPORT OF RESTRICTIONS ON NEW SEPTIC SUBDIVISIONS

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will testify today before the House Environmental Matters Committee and the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee in support of the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2011, a measure which would restrict the use of polluting septic systems in new, major subdivisions in Maryland.

Maryland has approximately 426,000 septic systems on developed parcels and roughly 411,000 of these are on residential parcels. Yesterday, Governor O’Malley traveled to Goldsboro to wade into Lake Bonnie, where high bacteria levels in the lake have been linked to failing septic systems, an example of how failure to manage the long-term and far-reaching consequences of septic systems can impact the public health and economic health of Maryland's rural communities.

Governor O’Malley will testify first before the House Environmental Matters Committee, and then the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.

WHAT:           Governor O’Malley to testify in support of septic system restrictions on new, major subdivisions

WHEN:           TODAY, Friday, March 11, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.

                        The Governor will testify first on the House side, then the Senate side.

WHERE:         House Environmental Matters Committee

                        House Office Building

Room 251

Annapolis, MD

Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee

Miller Senate Building

2 West

Annapolis, MD

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY CONVENES ‘MARYLAND FORWARD’ POLICY FORUM ON GUNS AND GANG VIOLENCE

Governor introduces new major technologies for Maryland law enforcement

BALTIMORE, MD  – Governor Martin O’Malley convened the latest in his series of “Maryland Forward” policy forums in Baltimore, focused on guns and gang violence.  Joined by Mayor Rawlings-Blake as well as law enforcement and public safety stakeholders, Governor O’Malley facilitated a discussion on progress and opportunities for collaboration in the areas of guns and gang violence.  During the presentation, Governor O’Malley introduced a new, comprehensive warrant database supplying a searchable collection of all open warrants in Maryland, accessible by law enforcement agencies statewide.

“Even in tough times, we've protected our investments in public safety, maintaining our commitment to protecting Maryland neighborhoods and families. Thanks to these efforts, together, we've driven violent crime, property crime and total crime to the lowest rates ever recorded,” said Governor O’Malley.  “But in order to maintain this commitment of a safer Maryland, we must continue to provide the latest, most innovative tools to law enforcement and continue this ongoing dialogue with the men and women on the front lines of keeping our neighborhoods safe.”

“I want to thank Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown for creating an opportunity for local, state and federal criminal justice partners to come together to share ideas about how to reduce violent crime, particularly gun crime in Baltimore,” said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.  Attacking gun crime requires a collaborative approach between law enforcement, prosecutors, and other criminal justice partners at the city, state and federal level.”

Governor O’Malley introduced today a comprehensive warrant database, which for the first time in Maryland history, allows the Maryland Judiciary to supply a feed of all open warrants to the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services. Using the Law Enforcement Dashboard, officers will now be able to view, search, map, and run reports on open warrants.  This will help establish unprecedented prioritization and collaboration in the fight against crime.

In addition, today’s discussion included the introduction of new facial recognition software for public safety use.  The technology matches a police department’s photographs against 2.1 million criminal booking images held by the State. This will enable investigators at a desk or in car to hone in rapidly on the identity of suspects or victims.  It can save countless hours of work, and sharply increase law enforcement’s efficiency.

Through the innovative use of public safety technology, unprecedented information sharing across borders, and strategic reforming of long-troubled public safety state agencies, law enforcement personnel throughout Maryland have driven crime to historic lows:

• Violent crime at its lowest rate ever reported.
• Homicides at their lowest rate ever reported.
• Robberies at their lowest rate ever reported.
• Aggravated Assaults at their lowest rate since 1976.
• Motor vehicle thefts at their lowest rate ever reported.
• Property crime at its lowest rate ever reported.
• Total crime at its lowest rate ever reported.

This legislative session, Governor O’Malley has introduced three pieces of legislation related to public safety.  One piece of legislation would make it a separate crime to intentionally fail to provide necessary assistance and resources for a minor.  In addition, the Governor has introduced two pieces of legislation related to gun violence.  One bill would close a loophole in current Maryland law regarding persons who commit felonies and crimes of violence with firearms.  A second bill would reduce good time / dimunition credits for serious gun offenders to ensure that the sentences they receive are commensurate with the crime they committed.

Prior to his inauguration for a second term, Governor O’Malley convened a series of five “Maryland Forward” forums designed to gather the input of various stakeholders, including recommendations for legislative in areas including jobs and the economy; skills and education; sustainability; children and health; and public safety and security.  These day-long summits brought together stakeholders to generate concrete actions and recommendations that support the Administration’s strategic goals.

Following that series, Governor O’Malley has convened smaller groups of local stakeholders, including today’s discussion and throughout the 2011 legislative session, focused on specific policy areas that will help Maryland be a winner in the new economy, protect our neighborhoods, and create jobs.

32 Killed In Major Tsunami After 8.9 Japan Quake

Death Toll Climbing In Wake Of Friday's Disaster

TOKYO -- - A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.


Authorities said at least 32 people were killed. The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake was followed by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter.


A utility company in northeastern Japan reported a fire in a turbine building of nuclear power plant.
"The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.

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On Eve Of Gay Marriage Vote, 'Friendly' Amendment Offered

Undecided delegate says it would make bill stronger

As the House of Delegates prepared to vote Friday on legalizing same-sex marriage, a Baltimore County Democrat still weighing whether to support the bill offered an amendment that he said would further protect religious groups.

Del. John A. Olszewski Jr. said his amendment improves the bill. The House Judiciary Committee debated Thursday afternoon whether to embrace Olszewski's amendment as "friendly," even as Republican committee members cried foul.

The amendment strikes language in the bill that spells out what religious programs — including counseling and summer camp — are shielded from having to provide services to same-sex couples. By taking out those specifications, Olszewski believes, the overall religious protections would be stronger.
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COUNTY DEPARTMENTS CUTTING BUDGETS

On 911 surcharge, Worcester County gov’t gets a hang-up

(March 11, 2011) So many Worcester County residents have stopped their landline telephone service that the county Emergency Services Department is seeing its revenue decrease by $50,000. “Most people are cutting off their phones,” David Fitzgerald of the Emergency Services Department told the Worcester County Commissioners during a budget work session Tuesday.

Full Story

A Morning Message From Chuck Campbell

What a beautiful day it is in Northern Virginia. Every cloud I can see thru the window in my hospital room is surrounded by a silver lining. Every day is truly a miracle. SMILE TODAY!

GOIN’GREEN

St. Patrick’s Day parade, festival to take over OC Saturday

(March 11, 2011) A viridescent trail of Irish and Irish at heart will direct Ocean City’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday along Coastal Highway to the 45th Street Village, where the town will celebrate one of the most festive holidays of the year.

Full Story

Devastating Earthquakes And Tsunami In Japan

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Honshu, Japan around midnight (EST), with at least four aftershocks in the magnitude of 6.5 to 7.1 being reported since then.

The resulting tsunami has done major damage, and is affecting areas as far away as the US west coast.

This was one of the most significant earthquakes to have been reported in the last 100 years, and one of a number of quakes that have occurred in this region in recent days.

It will be weeks before the impact of this event can be estimated.

USGS Earthquake Page

Really????? From WBOC This Morning

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: COASTAL FLOODING ADVISORY

Friday March 11, 2011 04:15 AM EST

Severe Weather Conditions?

According to the Wicomico County Board Of Education: "All Schools are operating on a regular schedule."

WBOC

Just who in the hell is producing the commercials at WBOC! OMG, I have never seen so many STUPID commercials in a row! Thanks for the HUGE laugh WBOC.

They must be all FREE commercials. Trial demos, I guess.

Oh, then they said, "We've had a LOT of rain here in Salisbury today. ROTFLMAO!

SEVERE WEATHER, eh?????

WBOC, (in my honest opinion) is becoming the biggest joke on the Eastern Shore. It's unfortunate because they really have some good people there.

9 days straight of Lindsay Lohan news, as if we're interested in any way, shape or form. They're giving it several minutes per day.

WEST SIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL SHUT DOWN AT 4:30

There was an emergency at West Side intermediate School. Some sort of odor was detected and they closed the School down immediately. ALL Students were bussed to West Side Primary. More to come....

Jesse Jackson In Wisconsin: We're "Going To Escalate The Protests"

Jesse Jackson sends a warning message during an appearance on FOX News:

"So they're going to escalate the protests -- you will either have collective bargaining through a vehicle called collective bargaining or you're going to have it through the streets. People here will fight back because they think their cause is moral and they have nowhere else to go."

Video here

Could A Wisconsin-Style Union Backlash Happen In Maryland? It Should

Maryland is known as a strong union state, and it would seem improbable to Marylanders that the current battle in Wisconsin could be replicated here. Maryland's budget deficit is less pronounced than that of Wisconsin, though its combined state debt and pension deficits place it among the top 20 states in debt burden. It retains its triple A bond rating largely because of constitutional provisions that are being eroded and because its electorate has many public workers not resistant to new taxation.

The Wisconsin controversy has been framed as a controversy about money. As Clive Crook of the London Financial Times has pointed out, underneath it there are more important issues concerning the quality of public services. Because Maryland's governor has indulged its unions, the governance issues will ultimately manifest themselves here in virulent form.

Marylanders need instruction in how entrenched the state's teachers' unions are:

1. Eleven counties, including all the more populous ones, allow unions to collect "agency fees" from nonmembers, generating huge war chests. While in theory such fees are not supposed to be used for political purposes, a famous lawsuit in Washington state revealed that nearly 80 percent of "agency fees" are in fact so used. A smaller number of counties allow check-offs for political action committees; all allow check-offs for union dues.

2. The State Board of Education has only qualified authority over teacher certification. A special board, eight of whose 24 members are named by unions and six of whom are from teachers' colleges, can only be over-ridden by a three-fourths vote of the State Board. Thus, with only narrow exceptions, qualified scientists must take nearly a year of "education" courses to be eligible to teach in Maryland schools, and two years of such courses are required for even the most successful teacher to become a principal. By statute, superintendents, except in Baltimore City, must have two years of graduate work in education.

3. Under a law signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley last year, another special board, two of whose five members are named by unions, has the last word in resolving impasses in school labor negotiations.

4. Local union contracts impose maximums on the length of the school year, limitations originally derived from the needs of agricultural societies

Source

Calvert Cliffs 3 Makes No Economic Sense

Gov. Martin O'Malley should reject Electricité de France's (EDF) proposal to force Maryland residents to underwrite construction of a third nuclear reactor at Calvert Cliffs in Southern Maryland. Why? Because it makes no economic sense.

Little more than a year ago, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved EDF's acquisition of Constellation Energy's nuclear assets. But the commission wisely conditioned its approval on a series of protections that would ensure that Baltimore Gas & Electric's customers would not only be held harmless from any future bad business decisions by Constellation (BGE's parent company) but would actually benefit from the merger. This agreement should not be undone by EDF's promises that building a new reactor, while uneconomic now, will somehow become viable at some undisclosed time in the future.

It's been more than 30 years since anyone has built a new reactor in the United States, and the first generation of reactors was built with generous government subsidies. In part due to the industry's history of cost overruns and defaults, as well as the high costs and risks of new reactors, Wall Street will not bankroll them, so the industry is asking for more government handouts to launch a nuclear "renaissance." The public, however, is not enthused. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal public opinion poll found that, out of 14 programs presented for potential budget cutting — including Social Security, college loans, Head Start and national defense — the most acceptable budget cut is for subsidies for new reactors. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said cutting these subsidies is either totally or mostly acceptable.

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Gov. Walker: Why I'm Fighting In Wisconsin

In 2010, Megan Sampson was named an Outstanding First Year Teacher in Wisconsin. A week later, she got a layoff notice from the Milwaukee Public Schools.

Why would one of the best new teachers in the state be one of the first let go?

Because her collective-bargaining contract requires staffing decisions to be made based on seniority.

Ms. Sampson got a layoff notice because the union leadership would not accept reasonable changes to their contract. Instead, they hid behind a collective-bargaining agreement that costs the taxpayers $101,091 per year for each teacher, protects a 0% contribution for health-insurance premiums, and forces schools to hire and fire based on seniority and union rules.

My state's budget-repair bill, which passed the Assembly on Feb. 25 and awaits a vote in the Senate, reforms this union-controlled hiring and firing process by allowing school districts to assign staff based on merit and performance. That keeps great teachers like Ms. Sampson in the classroom.

Most states in the country are facing a major budget deficit. Many are cutting billions of dollars of aid to schools and local governments. These cuts lead to massive layoffs or increases in property taxes—or both.

In Wisconsin, we have a better approach to tackling our $3.6 billion deficit. We are reforming the way government works, as well as balancing our budget. Our reform plan gives state and local governments the tools to balance the budget through reasonable benefit contributions. In total, our budget-repair bill saves local governments almost $1.5 billion, outweighing the reductions in state aid in our budget.

While it might be a bold political move, the changes are modest. We ask government workers to make a 5.8% contribution to their pensions and a 12.6% contribution to their health-insurance premium, both of which are well below what other workers pay for benefits. Our plan calls for Wisconsin state workers to contribute half of what federal employees pay for their health-insurance premiums. (It's also worth noting that most federal workers don't have collective bargaining for wages and benefits.)

Read the rest here

Consider Advertising With Salisbury News

The message below just came in. Ladies & Gentlemen, Salisbury News does more than you'll ever know with the advertising dollars we raise every month. Our Advertisers are the reason we are able to give back to our community and "Pay It Forward."

Not only are you advertising at very low monthly rates with great success, the money our advertisers pay each month help support many.

Not long ago a friend asked why we felt the need to promote ALL of the money we give away. Once they learned ALL of the other places and or people we have helped that has NOT been promoted here, they were truly amazed.

More importantly, this is ALL because of our Advertisers. Please support our advertisers whenever you can and know their success helps others to consider advertising, allowing us to be there for even more people in need.

"Since we have done so well with advertising on your blog....the owners father would like to also advertise on your blog. I have a copy of his business card to mail to you if that is ok for you to use. All of his information is on the card also for billing.

Thanks for everything Joe....we appreciate all you do."

If you'd like to know more about advertising with Salisbury News please contact me at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com.

Protesters Chant: 'Bring Fred Back!'

Protesters from the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force and other organizations marched the sidewalks in front of WMAL Radio in Washington and charged that the station is becoming "Shariah compliant" for censoring talk radio host Fred Grandy and his wife, Catherine Mann-Grandy.

James Lafferty of the VAST organization told WND that the dispute between the station and Grandy, whose program had criticized Islamic organizations and the advance of Islam's influence in the United States, was in alignment with plans by the Council on American-Islamic Relations to silence media they consider hostile.

As WND reported, Lafferty said, "In one cowardly move, WMAL has made history – it has become the first Shariah-compliant radio station in America."

Lafferty told protesters "the fight isn't over until we stop fighting," and declared, "We need to continue to point the light of public scrutiny on activities like this assault on free speech. We need to shed light on the involvement of groups like CAIR … the public needs to stand up and call this what it is and recognize the threat of Shariah to the United States."

The characterization of the situation by WMAL General Manager Jeff Boden, however, was different.

In a statement on March 5, he said the station did not do anything wrong.

A man who would only identify himself as "Jeremy" told WND, "I admire what WorldNetDaily does. Thank you for being here. We're very concerned about Shariah law in our nation and in our culture. It's antithetical to what our principles are. This is just a spontaneous demonstration about the firing of Fred Grandy from a radio station. … He's been very good about bringing news to light about the radical Muslims in our neighborhoods: in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. So we're very disappointed about that and I'm going to boycott this radio station and all their sponsors."

Lafferty added, "We made several statements about WMAL and what they've done in taking Fred Grandy off the air. Fred was talking about a real threat to the United States and our security. And rather than deal with what Fred substantively said, they are punishing him."

Lafferty said his sources have reported that Islamic elements had made plans to target Grandy, "and after they finish with Fred, they are going to go after Sean Hannity."

Grandy has said he didn't see evidence of CAIR involvement, but Lafferty explained, "I talked to other journalists and other talk-show people who said they had been through the same thing and had actually seen CAIR people meeting with their stations' management – in the same company."

More here

Libyan Invasion?

Joe......I just got off the phone with someone from one of our military bases in Europe. I will keep the base and branch of service confidential for obvious reasons.

The U.S. Military is definitely preparing for action in Libya. Whether or not boots will actually be put on the ground there is to be seen. BUT our military is preparing to go it alone. You won't see this anywhere in the MSM.

And So It Begins....Violence In American Protests

And just think...it was the liberal dems who kicked it off.....let the games begin

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20110310/NEWS-US-WISCONSIN/

Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Release

Megan Nicole Parker of Princess Anne, arrested 3-3-11 on a warrant regarding fail to pay fines. Parker was later released after posting bond.

Janie Frances Jenkins of Princess Anne, arrested 3-3-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Jenkins was later released after posting bond.

Antonio Ray Maness of Princess Anne, arrested 3-4-11 on a warrant regarding failing to appear in court. Maness was later held on a $1,000 bond.

Rodney William Burke of Crisfield, arrested 3-4-11 on a warrant regarding failing to pay fines. Burke was later held on a $57.50 bond.

William Frederick Ames of Crisfield, arrested 3-4-11 on a warrant regarding failing to pay fines. Ames was later held on a $57.50 bond.

Jon Ricardo Vass Jr. of Crisfield, arrested 3-5-11 on two warrants regarding failing to appear in court. Vass was later held on a $2,000 bond.

Eugene Edwin Lynch of Princess Anne, arrested 3-7-11 on two warrants regarding first and second degree assault. Lynch was later held on a $50,000 bond.

TomothyVan Nixon of Princess Anne, arrested 3-7-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Nixon was later turned over to the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office.

Richard Erick Morse of Salisbury, arrested 3-8-11 on three warrants regarding failing to appear in court and contempt of court. Morse was later held on a $15,500 bond, and released back to the Wicomico County Detention center.

Norvanda Lavon Sterling of Crisfield, arrested 3-9-11 on six warrants regarding failing to appear in court. Sterling was later released after posting bond.

Liddel Vinson Ward of Crisfield, arrested 3-9-11 on four warrants regarding violation of probation, and failing to appear in court. Ward was later held on a $$47,500 bond.

Tavon Donta Bryant of Baltimore, arrested 3-9-11 on a warrant regarding failing to appear in court. Bryant was later held on a $15,000 bond.

Three juveniles arrested 3-9-11 regarding second degree assault and disturbing school functions. Deputies were called to the Marion Sarah Peyton School in Marion regarding students fighting. Deputies arrested three juveniles. The juveniles were later released to their parents pending juvenile court actions.

Keon Scarborough of Atlantic Virginia, arrested 3-10-11 on a warrant regarding failing to appear in court. Scarborough was later held on a $2,500 bond.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON MARYLAND-BASED HUMAN GENOME SCIENCES APPROVAL FOR LUPUS DRUG BENLYSTA

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 10, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following the announcement that Maryland-based Human Genome Sciences has won FDA approval for its lupus drug Benlysta:

“I want to congratulate CEO Tom Watkins and the employees at Human Genome Sciences – one of Maryland’s home-grown life sciences companies – on the landmark approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday of Benlysta, the first new drug to treat lupus in half a century. After years in development, Benlysta will offer hope to millions around the world who suffer from this debilitating autoimmune disease. 

“This has been an outstanding week in Maryland for moving our life sciences industry forward. On Monday, I joined Novavax to celebrate their $170 million contract to develop the next generation of flu vaccine, then helped break ground on the new Bioscience Education Center at the Germantown Campus of Montgomery College. These advancements will continue to keep Maryland on the cutting edge of science, discovery and innovation.”

Colorado Authorities Search For Kids Missing For Up To 10 Years

Authorities are trying to determine how the whereabouts of two Colorado boys went unnoticed for up to a decade.

Law enforcement sources told FoxNews.com Thursday that authorities are now searching for Austin Eugene Bryant and Edward Dylan Bryant, who haven't been seen for at least 10 years.

Colorado Springs sheriff's spokeswoman Lari Sevene said in an interview that the boys -- ages 7 and 9 at the time of their disappearance -- were living with their adoptive parents in the Monument area north of Colorado Springs.

The boys were enrolled in a school but had been taken out to be home-schooled, Sevene said.

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Fatal Vehicle Crash On Rt. 667 Somerset County

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office responded to the intersection of Eastbound Md. Rt. 667 (Rehobeth Road) and Cornstack Road, Marion Station for a single vehicle accident with injury. Deputies located a 2000 Ford Expedition that collided with a tree. The vehicle was occupied by four passengers at the time of the crash. One small child and one infant child (located in the back seat) were transported by the Lower Somerset County Ambulance and Rescue Squad to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury with non-life threatening injuries. Both front seat occupants had to be extricated from the vehicle by fire department personnel. The front seat passenger, Anne Christine Goodrow was flown by Maryland State Police Medivac Helicopter Trooper 4 to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. She was later transferred to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. The driver of the vehicle, Christopher Lee McCready was flown by Maryland State Police Medivac Helicopter Trooper 7 to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury as well, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries as a result of the crash. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. 

 

Fire departments from the Marion and Crisfield, as well as the Lower Somerset County Ambulance and Rrescue Squad and Princess Anne EMS were on scene for approximately 4 hours. 

 

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Maryland State Police, Princess Anne Police Department, and the Natural Resources Police.  

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO SUPPORT STATE INNOVATION IN AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 10, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following the proposal of rules by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlining the steps States may pursue in order to receive a State Innovation Waiver under the Affordable Care Act: 

“The Obama Administration’s action today provides additional flexibility to states in implementing the Affordable Care Act.  States have many options to build upon the strengths of their own health care systems in expanding access and controlling costs.  In Maryland, we remain committed to improving the quality of care, lowering costs and expanding access to coverage for everyone.”

The Affordable Care Act gives States the flexibility to receive a State Innovation Waiver so they may pursue their own innovative strategies to ensure their residents have access to high quality, affordable health insurance.  Under the law, State Innovation Waivers are available in 2017. President Obama has already announced support for bipartisan legislation that would make waivers available to States beginning in 2014.   

Maryland Job Numbers Fall By 7,100 In January

Unemployment rate drops as residents give up the search for work

Maryland employers cut 7,100 jobs in January, one of the largest drops in the nation, the U.S. Department of Labor said this morning.

At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent from December's 7.4 percent rate — largely because several thousand Maryland residents stopped looking for work and were no longer officially counted as unemployed, not a good sign.

Only Georgia, New Jersey, Florida and South Carolina suffered larger job losses in January, according to the federal government estimates. The numbers, which are adjusted to try to account for seasonal changes in hiring and layoffs, are preliminary and can be revised down the road.

Maryland employers cut 7,100 jobs in January, one of the largest drops in the nation, the U.S. Department of Labor said this morning.

At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to 7.2 percent from December's 7.4 percent rate — largely because several thousand Maryland residents stopped looking for work and were no longer officially counted as unemployed, not a good sign.

Only Georgia, New Jersey, Florida and South Carolina suffered larger job losses in January, according to the federal government estimates. The numbers, which are adjusted to try to account for seasonal changes in hiring and layoffs, are preliminary and can be revised down the road.
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Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On March 9, 2011 at approximately 11:54 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding arrest warrant for an assault that occurred on March 5. On that date, Salisbury officers responded to the area of Delaware Avenue and W. Main Street for the report of the assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim that had been choked and struck during a domestic altercation with the suspect. The victim did not require medical attention. The suspect had left the area prior to the police response, resulting in the officers obtaining the arrest warrant.

ARRESTED: Thomas Martin Harmon, 53 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: 2nd degree assault
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100008110

On March 9, 2011 at approximately 1:51 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Kohls Department Store on North Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival the officers met with store security who advised that store employees had observed the below listed suspect take clothing from the store without making any attempts at payment. The clothing was recovered from the suspect and returned to the store.

ARRESTED: Dana Louise Huey, 27 years of age
Laurel, Delaware
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 10,000)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100008661

On March 9, 2011 at approximately 3:24 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding arrest warrant for the unauthorized recording of private conversations in January of 2011. On February 2, 2011, detectives of the Salisbury Police met with employees of a local apartment complex in reference to the illegal video and audio taping of their conversations. The investigation revealed that the below listed suspect had recorded the victims during meetings without their consent and gave the recordings to another employee of the apartment complex.

ARRESTED: Cassandra Denise Baytops, 42 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Wiretapping (4 counts)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100003981

On March 10, 2011 at approximately 1:00 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received information concerning a subject operating a vehicle that may be in possession of controlled dangerous substances. The officers located and stopped the vehicle in the area of Baker Street and E. Church Street. A K-9 officer from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded and received a positive indication on the vehicle for the presence of controlled dangerous substances. The officers checked the vehicle and located a loaded .22 caliber semi automatic handgun in the area directly beneath where the below listed suspect had been seated. A further search of the vehicle revealed a quantity of suspected cocaine. The charges concerning the suspected cocaine are forthcoming.

ARRESTED: Rodney Vernell Johnson, Jr., 23 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Handgun possession on one’s person
Handgun possession in a vehicle
Illegal possession of a firearm
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100008735

PUTTING WICOMICO COUNTY’S “17% GROWTH” IN PERSPECTIVE

Certain Wicomico County officials, such as the “public information officer,” are hyping the County’s population growth rate between the latest census and the prior one – 17% in toto, or an average rate of about 1.6% per year -- which is generally considered moderate. It puts the County in middle of the top half – 7th -- of the 24 jurisdictions in a state that did not have much growth during the 10 year period. By way of comparison, two counties in Delaware, Sussex and Kent, had more than 25% population increase during that same period, which is an average in excess of 2% each year. Thus, Wicomico is no longer the dynamo of the Eastern Shore, nor has it been for at least 25 years, which the Greater Salisbury Committee and Daily Times can’t or won’t accept as obvious reality.

A disturbing aspect of the increased population in Wicomico County is its less than desirable nature, which they also refuse to accept. Consider some of the prime components – the increased student enrollment at Salisbury University, increase in rent subsidy/section 8 apartments, relatives who want to be near a family member serving time at ECI – much of which has occurred in the City of Salisbury. No doubt some of these aspects also occurred in the two Delaware Counties mentioned above, but they also have greater job creation in the private sector and are much more attractive for retirees and others who want to relocate, which accounts for their higher growth rates.

Folks, despite the 17% increase in population, it ain’t a pretty picture when you look around the neighborhood to get a glimpse of what it consists of.

Capitol Chaos: Wisc Lawmakers Get Death Threats

MADISON - The State Department of Justice confirms that it is investigating several death threats against a number of lawmakers in response to the legislature's move to modify employees' collective bargaining rights.

Among the threats the Justice Department is investigating is one that was emailed to Republican Senators Wednesday night.  Newsradio 620 WTMJ has obtained that email.

The following is the unedited email:

Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your familes
will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks. Please explain
to them that this is because if we get rid of you and your families then it
will save the rights of 300,000 people and also be able to close the deficit
that you have created. I hope you have a good time in hell. Read below for
more information on possible scenarios in which you will die.

Read the rest here

Demonstration Turns Into Shoving Match At California Capitol

Two opposing groups were at the California Capitol Saturday afternoon rallying for their causes. With hundreds of supporters each, tea partiers and MoveOn.org activists faced off on opposed sides of 10th Street.

MoveOn.org organized the rally to support union workers protesting in Wisconsin. Tea partiers organized the rally for state cuts.

"Gov. Walker has created a false sense of fiscal emergency in his state," said a veteran teacher from the Sacramento Unified School District.

"Collective bargaining means that they go to their employer and try to coerce more pay or benefits out of them," countered East Bay's Jose Ornelis.

The opposing rallies were divided by 10th Street, west of the State Capitol. All was peaceful, until members supporting unions crossed the street.

An amateur videographer caught a shoving match on tape. The video showed a face to face argument right before Richard Andazola, 28, of Stockton, shoved a tea party activist.

"He bum rushed across the street, came right at us, swung his bullhorn at me, hit me in the hand and then put his hand around my throat and started choking me," Rodney Stanhope of Placerville said.

The video doesn't show the choking incident, but clearly shows the shoving. Because of it, Sacramento Police officers cited Andazola for battery.

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iPad 2 Available Tomorrow

iPad 2 available tomorrow, here's what you need to know

Apple's newest offering, the iPad 2, will be available for purchase in stores and online tomorrow, March 11. Here's exactly where you can buy yours and what you need to know before reaching for your wallet.
Speaking of your wallet, let's talk about this new gadget's pricing first. Depending on which model you choose, you'll spend anywhere from $499 to $829 on the device. Here are your options:

• 16GB Wi-Fi-only for $499
• 32GB Wi-Fi-only for $599
• 64Gb Wi-Fi-only for $699
• 16Gb Wi-Fi + 3G for $629
• 32Gb Wi-Fi + 3G for $729
• 64Gb Wi-Fi + 3G for $829

Each model will be available in your choice of white or black and the Wi-Fi + 3G models will come in AT&T and Verizon flavors.

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House GOP To Defend Anti-Gay Marriage Law

Obama administration deemed Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional last month

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives will defend a federal law against same-sex marriage after the Obama administration deemed the act unconstitutional and stopped trying to uphold it, House Speaker John Boehner said on Wednesday.

The Republican-led, five-member House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, convened by Boehner, voted to instruct in-house lawyers to take legal action to defend the 15-year-old law on behalf of the House.

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Mom Arrested In Newborn's Decapitation

Premature baby was alive at birth but 'suffered fatal injuries,' police say

CENTRALIA, Wash. — A 25-year-old woman has been arrested for investigation of first-degree murder in the death of a baby boy born prematurely and found decapitated, Centralia police say.

Laura Lynn Hickey was arrested Wednesday after a weeklong investigation, which included a post-mortem examination of the baby by a forensic pathologist.

The pathologist concluded the 21-week baby was alive at birth but "suffered fatal injuries by decapitation," Officer John Panco said Wednesday night.

Police said the body was found March 2 under the kitchen sink in Hickey's trailer home.

Hickey was scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court. Panco said he expected she would be formally charged with first-degree murder.

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Safety

At UPS, 'Improper Packaging' Means 'Someone Cut Open Your Package'

Michelle sold her engagement ring to a friend, and shipped it from a UPS Store in the Midwest. The ring was valuable, so she purchased $200 worth of shipping insurance on the ring and sent it on its way to New England. When the box arrived, it had been cut open and the ring removed. Michelle's insurance claim was denied because the item was "improperly packaged."

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Social Media Campaigns Urge You To Avoid Getting Gas Today

In an effort to prove that demand for gasoline isn't quite as constant as oilmen would like to think, consumer advocates are taking to social media sites to get drivers to skip trips to the pump today.

More »

My Kind Of Commercial

Victim-Blaming In Child Gang Rape Story?

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

Police have arrested 18 men suspected of raping an 11-year-old Texas girl, while critics blame some media outlets for blaming the victim.

Teacher’s Porn Past Exposed

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

A Missouri teacher quit her job teaching high school after students discovered her adult films from the 90s

D.C. Is Twitters #1 Town

Washington D.C. is the nation's number one Twitter Town. USA Today reports, Men's Health Magazine's ranks DC at number one on it's list of the 100 best and worst Socially Networked Cities. Not surprising, considering how many government and news organizations tweet on a daily basis. But researchers didn't just count tweets. They collected the number of Facebook and LinkedIn users per capita in each state's most populated cities. They analyzed traffic generated by social networks, then they factored in the percentage of households that check out chat rooms and blogs.

Bloch IS Going To Jail

Former Special Counsel Scott Bloch finds out today not if he's headed for jail: he'll find out how long he'll spend in the slammer. Bloch headed the Special Council office under the Bush administration. He plead guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from erasure of computer data and withholding information from Congress. U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson ruled yesterday that Bloch cannot withdraw his guilty plea. Bloch had argued he only pleaded guilty thinking he would get probation, and not jail time. He faces a minimum sentence of one month behind bars.

USPS To Cut 7,500 Jobs

The U.S. Postal Service is shrinking its workforce by up to 30,000 employees this year. The Postal Service confirms that 7,500 positions could be eliminated as part of a redesign that the post office has planned. Another 22,000 positions would be removed through attrition - that number is the average attrition rate for the last six years according to an agency spokesperson. The Postal Service will announce its redesign plans later this month.

Two Budgets Fail

The Senate failed to pass either of two budget plans for fiscal 2011. Two odd twists marked the votes. Three Republicans joined Democrats against the GOP bill because they didn't think proposed cuts went deep enough. And 10 Democrats vote with Republicans against the Democratic bill, believing cuts were too deep. The current continuing resolution expires March 18. Congress goes a week-long recess March 19. Anticipating the lack of a deal, House Republicans are preparing another two-week continuing resolution with two billion dollars in cuts.

OPM, Republicans Continue Battle Over Federal Pay

Director John Berry pushes back against claims from members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that federal employees are overpaid. Rep. Darrell Issa called the pay freeze a "farce" and wants step-increases frozen for this year.   

Read Full Story

911 Is A Joke (Because It's Broke)

As the Great Blizzard of 2010 blanketed New York City, most residents were blissfully unaware that their city's 911 system was on the brink of collapse. The system fielded 50,000 calls in a single day, and at one point the backlog swelled to 1,300 calls. The mayor was called to account for the slow service and promised that it wouldn't happen again.

But David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick report in AlterNet that New York's close call is an example of a much broader and deeper problem. Cash-strapped state and local governments are raiding funds set aside for 911 service, and the system is hurting badly:

Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.

States siphoned nearly $400 million earmarked for 911 between 2001 and 2004. The law demands that the money, raised by a tax on every phone line, has to be set aside for 911-related services. Some states fudge the definition of "911-related" to fund things that had nothing to do with emergency services, like raises for courthouse staffers. Others just brazenly redirected the money into their general funds. New York collected $82.1 million in 911 taxes on phone lines in 2007, but only 19 cents out of the $1.20 monthly fee was spent on 911.

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U.S. Muslim 'Radicals' Hearing Set

Threatening phone calls, denunciations from civil liberty and religious groups and pleas from more than 50 of his House colleagues will not stop Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) from holding a hearing on radicalization in the U.S. Muslim community.

As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, King is set to open the hearing Thursday morning, saying he is fulfilling his congressional duty and probing one of the most serious threats to national security.

But King’s critics argue that the hearing — called “The extent of radicalization in the American Muslim community and that community's response” — unfairly targets Muslim Americans and will likely widen the divide between them and law enforcement. It could even spur more extremists to action, critics say.

A group of 56 Democratic lawmakers wrote to King on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to get him to call the hearing off. They said “the stated narrow scope and underlying premises of these hearings unfairly stigmatizes and alienates Muslim Americans.”

The committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.), last month asked King to broaden the scope of the hearing to encompass neo-Nazis and environmental extremists. King said he “will not allow political correctness to obscure a real and dangerous threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the United States.”

King announced plans for the hearing in December and has never wavered since. He said he has received threatening phone calls, some from overseas. He’s receiving increased protection and authorities are investigating the matter, he said.

In defending the hearing, King said he doesn’t want to feel guilty for not going forward in case another attack, like that of Sept. 11, 2001, takes place. Instead, he has blamed the mainstream media for inciting the public over an issue he says is vital to the national security — and which has not been adequately addressed so far.

“What are they afraid of? What are they hiding from? Why are they attacking me in such a rabid way?” King told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” earlier this week. “I can take the hits, that doesn’t bother me at all.

“I don’t ever want it on my conscience that if another attack comes, I wake up the next morning and say, ‘I backed down to political correctness, I backed down to The Washington Post, or the left-wing New York Times, because I was afraid of political retribution.’

I’m going to do what I have to do, and I’m going to do it.”

More here

Net Neutrality Repeal Clears House Panel

The House took its first step toward overturning net neutrality rules after a marathon debate about the economic impact of the FCC regulations on Wednesday.

The Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee voted to repeal the rules in a 15-8 party line vote.

"We have an open and thriving Internet thanks to our historical hands-off approach. The Internet works pretty well; it’s the government that doesn’t," said subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

Republicans emphasized that they believe the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exceeded its authority when it passed net neutrality regulations in December. They said the rules are unnecessary and will deter investment in broadband infrastructure.

The Hill

White House To Liberal-Minded Muslims: Drop Dead

White House officials are boosting the visibility and clout of Islamic revivalist groups in the United States, and are sidelining the growing network of liberal-minded, modern American Muslims.

“We don’t have any contacts in the administration,” said Avi Zonneveld, founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, based in Los Angeles. “The Canadian government is much more accessible,” she said.

“We’re not invited” to take part in administration meetings, said Zuhdi Jasser, the Syrian-born president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, based in Phoenix, Ariz. His group, which boasts on its website it is motivated by “a love for America and a love of our faith of Islam,” has been consulted by the State Department‘s Muslim outreach office, but domestic agencies have only reached out to the well-funded and media-magnified Islamist groups that seek to revive Islamic political power, such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council, he said.

Administration officials declined to explain why they have not reached out to groups of liberal-minded Muslims. “Federal Departments and Agencies engage with a wide variety of Muslim organizations and groups throughout the country, often through open forums and meetings and we have also consulted a wide variety of academics and researchers about the views of Muslims in America,” according to a March 8 statement from White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro.

Among the Muslim groups with the greatest access to the White House are MPAC, based in Los Angeles, and the Islamic Society of North America, based in Plainfield, Ind. MPAC is an advocacy group with few members, and ISNA is a umbrella group for many groups and mosques that practice orthodox Islam, which mandates the subordination of democratic governments to Islamic rules.

On March 6, for example, Denis McDonough, a White House deputy national security advisor, delivered a speech in Northern Virginia at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), where he said that “when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you’re part of the solution.”

Yet the head cleric at the mosque, Mohamed Magid, is also president of the ISNA, which was founded by Muslim Brotherhood supporters in the United States, and which has cooperated with other brotherhood-affiliated groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations. A federal judge in July 2009 concluded that CAIR has associations with Hamas, which is both an Islamist terror group and an affiliate of the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood.

More here

Quote Of The Week

"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management."   ---Franklin D. Roosevelt

FDR realized, as today’s so-called liberals mostly do not, that there is something fundamentally corrupt about empowering public employees unions with mandatory union dues to support political candidates for high office and then, once those candidates are elected, “negotiating” with them for wages and benefits.

That’s a conflict of interest, not a right.

(Source)

Media’s Talk About ‘Rights’ Is Biasing Public Against Gov. Walker

The media loves polls and considers their results to be sacred. If a poll shows that the people support a bill, that bill must be just and right. And, conversely, if it shows that the people oppose a bill, then, by definition, that bill must be bad and illegitimate.

So it is, we are told, that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s bid to reform collective bargaining must fail: because the people oppose Walker’s proposal.

Only the polls don’t show that. Instead, they show that people are opposed to “stripping” workers of their collective bargaining “rights.”

And therein lies the problem. As soon as you label something a “right,” you give it the political equivalent of a halo: It is now holy and untouchable. And so, deep shame must befall any politician, such as Walker, who seeks to deny his constituents something as American as a “right.”

In other words, the polls show that Walker is losing the public relations war. But this is not surprising given the incredibly biased language — “stripping” people of their “rights” — that the media is using to describe his very modest reform proposal.

Walker would limit (not strip) collective bargaining for government employees. The latter could continue to bargain collectively for wage increases up to the level of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. However, the people of Wisconsin could authorize greater wage increases via statewide referendums. Moreover, public safety employees (police and fire) are exempt from Walker’s proposal.

Benefits (pensions and healthcare) would not be subject to collective bargaining; and government employees would have to contribute five percent to their pension and 12 percent to their health insurance. (They now contribute nothing to their pension and six percent to their health insurance.)

But I suppose these, too, are sacred “rights” that must not be abridged: the “right” to a guaranteed free lifetime pension and the “right” to contribute less than 10 percent to your health insurance.

Ironically, one bona fide right that Walker would protect is the right of Wisconsin state workers not to be forced into a public employees union, with union dues forcibly confiscated from their paychecks.

Under Walker’s proposal, the public employees unions would have to hold annual votes to stay organized; and unions could not force employees to pay dues.

But for some reason, we don’t hear much talk in the media about this right. We only hear about the collective bargaining “rights” that the supposedly Machiavellian Walker allegedly wants to take away from hardworking school teachers.

Read more

GOP's Grothman: Madison Unsafe After Vote

Wisconsin GOP State Sen. Glenn Grothman says he and fellow Republicans had to leave Madison under police protection – after voting Wednesday night to limit public workers’ collective bargaining rights – because of the angry mob that gathered outside the Capitol building.

“I had to leave the Capitol.  We felt it was not safe for Republicans to be in Madison, Wisconsin, tonight,” Grothman told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “We left the Capitol about 15 minutes after the vote under police protection because there was an angry mob – and we were told to get out of Madison as quickly as possible.

“We cleared the state’s politicians out of the building,” Grothman said from Milwaukee. “The State Assembly will have to return tomorrow and finish the job.”

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North Korea Nears Completion Of Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb

North Korea appears to be protesting the joint U.S. and South Korean military maneuvers by jamming Global Positioning Devices in the south, which is a nuisance for cell phone and computers users -- but is a hint of the looming menace for the military.

Since March 4, Pyongyang has been trying to disrupt GPS receivers critical to South Korean military communications apparently in protest of the ongoing joint military training exercises between South Korean and U.S. forces. Strong jamming signals were sent intermittently every five to 10 minutes.

The scope of the damage has been minimal, putting some mobile phones and certain military equipment that use GPS signals on the fritz.

Large metropolitan areas including parts of Seoul, Incheon and Paju have been affected by the jamming, but "the situation is getting wrapped up, no severe damage has been reported for the last two days," Kyoungwoo Lee, deputy director of Korea Communications Commission, said.

The jamming, however, has raised questions about whether the Korean peninsula is bracing for new electronic warfare.

The North is believed to be nearing completion of an electromagnetic pulse bomb that, if exploded 25 miles above ground would cause irreversible damage to electrical and electronic devices such as mobile phones, computers, radio and radar, experts say.

"We assume they are at a considerably substantial level of development," Park Chang-kyu of the Agency for Defense Development said at a briefing to the parliament Monday.

Park confirmed that South Korea has also developed an advanced electronic device that can be deployed in times of war.

The current attempts to interfere with GPS transmissions are coming from atop a modified truck-mounted Russian device. Pyongyang reportedly imported the GPS jamming system from Russia in early 2000 and has since developed two kinds of a modified version. It has also in recent years handed out sales catalogs of them to nations in the Middle East, according to South Korea's Chosun Ilbo.

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[You have to assume that any EMP weapon the North Koreans develop will be made available to whomever wishes to buy one.. a very bad deal. --Editor]