Salisbury News

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY NAMES MEMBERS OF THE MARCELLUS SHALE SAFE DRILLING INITIATIVE ADVISORY COMMISSION

Representatives from the scientific community, gas industry, business, environmental organizations, agriculture, and government to advise the State on Marcellus shale issues

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 19, 2011) –Governor O’Malley today announced members of the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. As mandated by the Governor’s June 6, 2011, Executive Order on the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative, the Secretaries of the Departments of the Environment and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Advisory Commission, will study issues related to natural gas exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale in Maryland. Commission members include a broad range of stakeholders and representatives from the scientific community, the gas industry, business, agriculture, environmental organizations, citizens, and government.

As outlined in the Governor’s Executive Order, the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative will assist State policymakers and regulators in determining whether and how gas production from the Marcellus Shale in Maryland can be accomplished without unacceptable risks of adverse impacts to public health, safety, the environment, and natural resources.

“I am mindful of the potential benefits that could come from Maryland’s Marcellus Shale gas reserves,” said Governor O’Malley. “There are, however, many legitimate public health, safety, environmental, and natural resource issues concerning exploration and extraction of gas from the Marcellus Shale in Maryland. The Commission will study the short-term, long-term, and cumulative effects of natural gas exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale, best practices, and appropriate changes, if any, to the laws and regulations concerning oil and gas. We look forward to their conclusions and recommendations.”

“The Department currently has the authority in State law and regulation to place all reasonable conditions in permits necessary to provide for public safety and to protect public health, the environment, and natural resources,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Robert M. Summers. “What is lacking is a complete understanding of the risks inherent in deep drilling and fracking and consensus about how to protect against those risks.”

“These issues relate not only to the hydraulic fracturing itself and its possible effect on drinking water, but also the cumulative impact of multiple wells on natural resources and the environment, including air pollution and forest fragmentation,” said Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. “Maryland’s precious forests, parks, streams, and rivers must be protected.”

The Commission will be chaired by David Vanko, Ph.D., a geologist and current Dean of The Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics at Towson University. Other members include: Senator George Edwards; Delegate Heather Mizeur; Garrett County Commissioner James Raley; Allegany Commissioner William Valentine; Oakland Mayor Peggy Jamison; Shawn Bender, division manager at the Beitzel Corporation and president of the Garrett County Farm Bureau; Steven M. Bunker, director of Conservation Programs, Maryland Office of the Nature Conservancy; John Fritts, president of the Savage River Watershed Association and director of development for the Federation of American Scientists; Jeffrey Kupfer, senior advisor, Chevron Government Affairs; Dominick E. Murray, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development; Paul Roberts, a Garrett County resident and co-owner of Deep Creek Cellars winery; Nick Weber, chair of the Mid-Atlantic Council of Trout Unlimited; and Harry Weiss, Esquire, partner at Ballard Spahr.

The Advisory Commission’s first meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at the Lakeside Visitors Center at Rocky Gap State Park and will be open to public.

The Departments of the Environment and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Advisory Commission, will conduct a three-part study and present findings and recommendations as follows:

By December 31, 2011, a presentation of findings and related recommendations regarding the desirability of legislation to establish revenue sources, such as a State-level severance tax, and the desirability of legislation to establish standards of liability for damages caused by gas exploration and production.
By August 1, 2012, recommendations for best practices for all aspects of natural gas exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale in Maryland.
No later than August 1, 2014, a final report with findings and recommendations relating to the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling including possible contamination of groundwater, handling and disposal of wastewater, environmental and natural resources impacts, impacts to forests and important habitats, greenhouse gas emissions, and economic impact.

The Executive Order also instructs the Departments and the Advisory Commission to take advantage of other ongoing research. If information becomes available during the course of the study that is sufficient to demonstrate that the natural gas can be extracted from shale formations in Maryland without adverse impact to human health, natural resources, or the environment, the Department could issue permits with all appropriate safeguards in place.

Read Facts About…The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative here.

BREAKING NEWS: Rally Heats Up On Debt Resolution Hopes, Dow Soars 200 Points

The blue chips were headed toward their best daily performance of the year after a bipartisan group of senators proposed a deficit-reduction plan that would slice the budget deficit over the next decade and potentially crack an impasse on lifting the debt ceiling.

From Fox News

Arizona Launching Fundraising Website For Border Fence

Arizona lawmakers are hoping to raise around $50 million for border fencing with a new online public fundraising plan that launches Wednesday – despite skepticism from key stakeholders.

Under legislation signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in April, the state would use inmate labor and money pulled in through the website to fence in some of the 82 miles of border between Arizona and Mexico that remain open.

Despite support from top state officials, the initiative is already facing problems. Private land owners and county sheriffs are skeptical that fencing even works and don’t plan on contributing, while the federal government may not even allow construction on its land.

Republican state Sen. Steve Smith, who sponsored the bill, is confident $50 million is an attainable goal. He said he has received an outpouring of positive responses to the plan.

“We get messages from all over of people saying they are right there with us,” said Smith in an msnbc.com interview. “From state after state after state people are responding, this is not just an Arizona problem. People are seeing the effect of illegal aliens in their own state too.”

Smith’s legislation also established a Joint Border Security committee, including state Senate and House members, as well as sheriffs and governor-appointed members. As money begins to roll in, Smith said members will decide what type of fencing will be constructed and where. The committee won’t be able to begin making decisions until they have an idea of how much money will be raised, Smith said.

Arizona has been successful in the past in similar initiatives. The state raised millions of dollars in web donations to help fight legal battles over the polarizing Arizona immigration legislation passed last year. This legislation gives police new powers to detain suspected illegal immigrants and requires residents to carry immigration documents.
More here

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Philadelphia archbishop Cardinal Justin Rigali today, sending him into retirement as the archdiocese faces accusations that it covered up a long-running priest sex abuse scandal.

The pope named conservative Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput to succeed him.

The brief Vatican announcement said the resignation of the 76-year-old Rigali was for reason of age. He submitted it on his 75th birthday in April 2010, as required by church law, but the pope did not immediately act on it.

But the Cardinal has been under pressure for his handling of the sex-abuse scandal. In his eight-year tenure, a pair of grand jury reports, one in 2005 and one released in February, have rocked the archdiocese by accusing church officials of covering up abuse allegations against priests.

READ MORE …

Man Gets $330,000.00 Home For $16.00

Thanks to a little-known Texas law, a man found an abandoned $300,000 home, moved his stuff in and filled out some paperwork. It cost him $16. Now, apparently he’s a homeowner.

On June 17, Kenneth Robinson moved into a $330,000 home in an upscale neighborhood in Flower Mound, Texas. Except, instead of going through a bank, wading through the mortgage process and making a down payment, Robinson went to the Denton County Courthouse and filled out a form. The house he was after was abandoned, and the mortgage company went out of business. So after months of research, Robinson took advantage of a Texas law called “adverse possession.” All he had to do was print out an online form and for a $16 fee was granted rights to the house.

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C-Section Rates Hit All-Time High, Study Finds

More than 1 in 3 women undergo surgery to deliver their babies

Rates of Cesarean section deliveries in the United States climbed to 34 percent in 2009, hitting an all time high, a new study says.

Florida, New Jersey and Texas had the highest rates, while Utah, Wisconsin and Colorado had the lowest of the 19 states included in the study.

"Obviously, a 34 percent C-section rate is far too high," said Jacqueline Wolf, a researcher at Ohio University who wasn't involved in the study. "Medical reasons alone cannot possibly explain why more than one in three American women need major abdominal surgery in order to safely give birth."

Florida Teen Killed Parents With Hammer, Hosted House Party

(CNN) -- A Florida teen bludgeoned his parents to death with a hammer, stashed their bodies in a bedroom, then hosted dozens of people for a house party, police said Monday.

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Greek Union and Premier Brace for a Fight

Sitting in his office on a recent morning beneath photographs of Marx, Lenin and Che Guevara, Nikos Fotopoulos, the leader of Greece’s most powerful labor union, took a freshly printed flier from a stack. “We are ready for new battles,” it read.

“And we are,” Mr. Fotopoulos said, sipping an energy drink and then chasing it with an espresso. “We will continue with street protests because we still have unfinished business with the government and the troika,” he said, referring to Greece’s three foreign lenders: the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.

Last month, amid violent protests, Prime Minister George A. Papandreou narrowly managed to push a new package of austerity measures through Parliament, including plans for selling $71 billion in state assets, a step that economists and the troika say is crucial to overhauling Greece’s bloated public sector.

But whether Mr. Papandreou will be able to carry out the plan will depend to a large extent on people like Mr. Fotopoulos. His union, Genop, represents workers at the Public Power Corporation, which is owned jointly by the government and by private investors.

READ MORE …

For those who ask how this is relevant to them; welcome to the future if OUR government can’t get a handle on local, state, and federal spending as well as the debt that goes with it. – Ed.

Borders Liquidates: 10,700 Jobs Lost

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Borders Group will liquidate its remaining assets after efforts to find a buyer fell through, the bookstore chain announced Monday.

The nation's second largest book seller, which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, currently operates 399 stores and employs approximately 10,700 workers.

Easton Cable to Increase Home Internet Rates

Easton Cable will increase residential high-speed Internet prices in August for the first time since launching service 13 years ago. The utility said hardware and software upgrades are driving the higher fees.

Effective with August bills, Residential Starter Service will increase to $30 per month from $25 and V10 (formerly Residential Full Service) will increase to $45 per month from $40. Packages including either of these services, including the Triple Play, will increase by $5.

In the past year, Easton Cable said in a release that it has doubled the maximum download speed of its V10 service. Since launching cable modem service in 1998, Easton Cable has increased maximum download speeds to 100 times the original levels.

Easton Cable Vice President of Operations Geoff Oxnam said even with the increase, Easton Cable offers the fastest Internet in town at prices lower than comparable service from other regional providers.

"Our goal is to deliver the performance our customers demand at competitive prices," Oxnam said. "The Easton Cable Velocity upgrades are essential to continue to meet that goal today and into the future."

READ MORE …

Terrafugia Flying Car Cleared For Landing In US

A flying car retailing for $227,000 could be on roads in a matter of months -- and customers are already lining up to be the first to get their hands on one, its maker claims.

Just over a week ago, the Terrafugia Transition passed a significant milestone when it was cleared for takeoff by the U.S. National Highway Safety Administration. It's taken Terrafugia founder Carl Dietrich just five years to realize his dream, with some media outlets reporting that the Transition could now be on U.S. roads by the end of next year.

Rural Markets Losing Air Service

Rural America, already struggling to recover from the recession and the flight of its young people, is about to take another blow: the loss of its airline service.

That was underscored last week when Delta Air Lines announced that it “can no longer afford” to continue service at 24 small airports. The carrier says it is losing a total of $14 million a year on flights from places like Thief River Falls, a city of 8,600 in northwest Minnesota that fills only 12 percent of the seats, or Pierre, the capital of South Dakota, where Delta’s two daily flights are on average less than half full.

Nationally, all major airlines have been reducing and sometimes eliminating flights altogether in small cities, as the industry concentrates much of its service in 29 major hubs, which now account for 70 percent of all passenger traffic, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Cisco To Cut 6,500 Workers In Cost Savings Plan

Cisco (CSCO) said Monday it is slashing 6,500 jobs from its payroll as part of its plan to cut annual expenses by $1 billion.

Workers across all businesses and regions will be targeted, including about 2,100 employees that volunteered to retire early, roughly 15% of positions at the vice president level and above and 9% of regular full-time staff.

Public Schools In Worse Shape Than We Feared

Last December, I reported on Harvard University professor Stephan Thernstrom's essay, "Minorities in College -- Good News, But...," on Minding the Campus, a website sponsored by the New York-based Manhattan Institute.

Thernstrom was commenting on the results of the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), saying that the scores "mean that black students aged 17 do not read with any greater facility than whites who are four years younger and still in junior high. ... Exactly the same glaring gaps appear in NAEP's tests of basic mathematics skills."

Thernstrom asked, "If we put a randomly-selected group of 100 eighth-graders and another of 100 twelfth-graders in a typical college, would we expect the first group to perform as well as the second?"

In other words, is it reasonable to expect a college freshman of any race who has the equivalent of an eighth-grade education to compete successfully with those having a 12th-grade education?

Maybe this huge gap in black/white academic achievement was in the paternalistic minds of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals justices who recently struck down Michigan's ban on the use of race and sex as criteria for college admissions.

READ MORE …

Walter E. Williams is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate.

Reuters And The Associated Press Drop Bombs On The Banks: "Robo-Signing Is Not Even Close To Over"

Two reports are out today from the Associated Press and Reuters that are both the best in-depth main stream stories to date on the fraudclosuregate scandal.

This time it’s not coming from some crazy blogger, it is coming from some of the most “trusted” news sources in the world. Below are some excerpts but I urge you to read both the articles in their entirety at the links below.

First from the AP...

AP Exclusive: Mortgage 'robo-signing' goes on

Pope Accepts Philadelphia Archbishop's Resignation

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Philadelphia archbishop Cardinal Justin Rigali on Tuesday, sending him into retirement as the archdiocese faces accusations that it covered up a long-running priest sex abuse scandal.

The pope named Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, of the U.S. bishops conservative wing, to succeed him.

Cuccinelli Approves Exemption for Disabled Vets

Injured veterans who meet an expanded definition of "100 percent disabled" are eligible under a new law for a tax exemption for their homes, according to a legal opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

The opinion addresses the refusal by some localities to offer the tax break to veterans who are not initially rated 100 percent disabled by the Veterans Administration's "service-connected" rating schedule but are later judged to be fully disabled by the VA because their ailments prevent them from maintaining gainful employment.

Virginia voters last November approved an amendment to the state constitution, effective Jan. 1, 2011, that provided the real estate tax exemption to disabled veterans or a surviving spouse.

Cuccinelli determined that the exemption applies to veterans rated as 100 percent disabled, regardless of how the VA arrived at that rating.

The attorney general also determined that a spouse of a veteran who died before the law took effect Jan. 1 would not qualify under the law, nor would property held in a public trust on behalf of a veteran.

READ MORE ….

Sex Offender Awarded Custody Of 3-Year-Old Florida Girl

The family of a 3-year-old Florida girl is outraged after a judge awarded custody to the child's father, who is a registered sex offender, WJXX-TV reports.

Trista Crews Coleman, the child's mother, reportedly died in a car accident a month after her daughter, Miranda Wilkerson, was born.

Earlier this month, a judge gave custody to the child's father, Donald Coleman, a registered sex offender who impregnated Trista Crews Coleman in 1997 when he was 38 and she was 14 years old.

70 Year Old Woman Accused of Pirating Porn

"Grandma, what are you doing on the Internet? Oh, downloading porn illegally?" Yeah, that scenario doesn't seem too likely, but nonetheless, a 70-year-old woman is being told to pay up in a settlement pushed by a Chicago law firm, claiming she and others pirated porn.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a retired widow in San Francisco, who spends her days doing volunteer work, reports The San Francisco Chronicle. In April, she and other Jane and John Does were sued by a law firm that has been filing similar cases around the U.S.

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'Designer Dogs' Or Mutt, The Costs Are Adding Up

New breeds (except you can't call them that) are taking on such old-line dog registries as the American Kennel Club

The first sign that the Dog Establishment was under attack came in 1988, when a fringe Australian breeder named Wally Conron mixed a labrador retriever with a poodle. Conron’s cocktail, a labradoodle, didn’t immediately upend an old guard teeming with breeders, trainers, chewy bone manufacturers, and psychiatrists — until word of his dogs spread to the U.S. By the late ’90s a rogue market had been born, and bespoke canines the size of Birkin bags began fetching more than $1,000. By the shameless Aughts, the dog community’s dirty little secret was out: Uma Thurman, Miley Cyrus, and Jake Gyllenhaal bought their own designer pooches. Later, President Barack Obama announced that he, too, was considering a labradoodle. In January, YouTube sensation Caesar the Puggle, a gangsta-rapping cross between a pug and a beagle, became the world’s first haute mutt celebrity.

EMS Training Suspended After Cheating Discovered

Baltimore fire officials suspended emergency medical training and locked down an instructional facility Monday after revelations that some student firefighters had cheated on a state licensing exam, officials said.

"This is a serious mistake that tarnishes the reputation of the hundreds of professional and dedicated men and women who work so hard for us," Fire Chief James S. Clack said in a statement.

The state agency that oversees paramedics and emergency medical technicians notified the Fire Department last week that it had determined that students cheated on the practical segment of a test administered June 14.

The 20 students in the class under investigation make up only the second class to begin at the fire academy in more than a year. The department had ceased hiring until last fall because of city budget cuts; the new hires were expected to help relieve staffing pressures in the department, which has closed fire companies on a rolling basis for years to save money.

READ MORE …

Bunnies Found In Fruitland

Joe,

My husband and I were outside on our back porch and we captured a photo of two giant rabbits in our backyard. I have seen them two or three times. They do not look like normal, wild rabbits. I figured I would forward the photo to you to see if anyone is missing these rabbits. They were seen wandering around Hunt Club South which is a housing division behind Wal-Mart off of North Division Street in Fruitland!

Thanks,

Cassie Wilson

cassandragraveswilson@yahoo.com

Pair Indicted in Easton PNC Bank Robbery

Two people accused of robbing the Easton PNC Bank on Marlboro Avenue on Monday, April 25, were indicted in the United States District Court for Maryland on charges of bank robbery and aiding and abetting.

According to the indictment filed July 14, Donald Tyrone Gross and Sherice LaCheryl Gunther "by force, violence and intimidation, take from the person and presence of the employees of PNC Bank ... money in the amount of $5,000 more or less, ... and in the course of committing said robbery, the defendants did place in jeopardy the lives of the employees at said bank through the use of a dangerous weapon and device."

In response to the federal indictment, charges in Talbot County District Court were dropped.

Baltimore County police and Easton police detectives working in Randallstown on Wednesday, April 27, arrested Gross, 43, and Gunther, 32, each on charges of armed robbery, robbery, use of a handgun in a violent crime, handgun in vehicle, handgun on person, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft between $1,000 to $10,000, reckless endangerment and conspiracy to all charges.

READ MORE …

Reid And Feinstein Support A Balanced Budget Amendment

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid believes that Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

“I am willing to go for that,” said Reid of Nevada.

Even Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), a liberal stalwart, agreed that spending in Washington needs some control.

“The spending trends are what really motivate me, and I hope others, to accept a constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment,” Feinstein said.

But that was then-- 1997, according to the Congressional Record. So what about now? Will Democrats be against the amendment after they were for it?

According to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, the following Democratic Senators are on record as supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment: Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Mark Begich of Alaska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Tom Carper of Delaware, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Max Baucus of Montana, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Jon Tester of Montana.

“It’s absolutely critical,” Tester said during a 2006 Senate debate. That’s 21 total (with Reid and Feinstein), and according to a senior Republican aide, they only need 20 Democrat votes to help Republicans pass the amendment.

Here is more

Convicted Child Killer Gets 12 Years for Carjacking

Arthur Tyler Felton, who served more than 14 years in prison for killing a 6-year-old girl in Baltimore in 1991, was sentenced Monday to serve 12 years in prison for a carjacking outside the Annapolis Mall.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Paul A. Hackner suspended the rest of a 30-year sentence in favor of five years' probation, said a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.

Because Felton, 38, is a repeat violent offender, he would have to serve 10 years without the possibility of parole.

Hackner had been considering giving Felton that sentence since a plea hearing in March.

In a plea deal that he later tried to back out of, Felton, of Annapolis, entered an Alford plea in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court — maintaining his innocence but acknowledging that there was sufficient evidence to convict him.

READ MORE …

Washington, D.C., Businessman Arrested On Suspicion Of Ties To Pakistan Spy Agency

Federal authorities have arrested a Washington businessman for allegedly working on behalf of Pakistan's spy agency, sources familiar with the case told Fox News.

Search warrants were executed earlier Tuesday at the suspect's office in Washington, D.C., and at his home in suburban Virginia. It is believed that he has ties to the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and was acting in the United States as an unregistered foreign agent, a federal crime in the United States.

GOP To Push Stronger Voter I.D. Laws, Says ‘Voter Fraud Is Real’

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus repeated his party’s commitment to stronger voter identification laws, saying that the GOP would not give up the fight against voter fraud.

“I think that we need to make it easy to vote, hard to cheat, and I think that that’s a mantra that we ought to shout from the rooftops all over the country as a Party,” Priebus told conservative bloggers on a conference call on Thursday.

Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) Chairman David Norcross said that voter fraud issues were very real, despite complaints from liberals that it is largely a phantom problem. Cross cited several cases where states had found thousands of ineligible votes after elections were already over.

“Voter fraud is real, this is not anybody’s imagination,” Norcross said. “The Milwaukee police department reported some detailed fraud in the 2004 presidential election in Wisconsin. The Colorado Secretary of State found last year that 5,000 non-citizens voted in their Senate race, which was decided by a close margin. And probably all will remember Minnesota in 2008 when more ineligible voters were identified than the margin between the winning and losing Senate candidates.”

Norcross also pushed back against the argument that strict voter I.D. laws depress poor and minority turnout, a claim made famous by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), who said such laws would “literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws,” a reference to the racist segregation-era laws that prevented southern blacks form voting.

“And as for people who don’t have photo I.D., American University Center for Democracy in Election Management found recently that 99 percent of eligible voters posses the proper I.D.,” said Cross. “Really, the purpose for this call is to make sure that we preserve this initiative, keep it going, and that we protect voter I.D. and the rights of legitimate voters,” Cross said.

Representative Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), formerly Indiana Secretary of State, said that after Indiana issued a voter I.D. law, it saw turnout go up, not down, charging that attacks against voter I.D. laws were “the sky is falling” arguments.
More from CNSNews

Why Parents Need Vaccinations

Newborn babies are among the most vulnerable to serious illnesses, yet they are too young for vaccines. But there is a way parents can protect them—by getting vaccinated themselves, says Parents.com.

Most newborns catch illnesses from someone in the home, so anyone spending time with babies should have up-to-date vaccinations.

Also, pregnant women who get vaccinated before conception pass on some of their protective antibodies to their babies. Those who breastfeed continue to pass on that protection.

The most important vaccines for parents are: whooping cough (aka pertussis), influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella).

READ MORE …

Five Falsehoods Of The Debt Debate

Incontinent spending put America $14 trillion in debt. The politicians who borrowed and spent us into debt want permission to borrow more so that they can spend more. And if they don’t get permission to borrow more money, they assure us that our debt woes will worsen.

Does this seem like a solution or a rationalization?

Washington is hooked on spending. Like other addicts, politicians tell lies to get their fix. Jonesing for more money, they insist that raising the debt limit is the best way to limit America’s debt.

Bad habits are tough to break. Surely, dishonesty about the problem doesn’t bring us any closer to a solution.

In the spirit of providing clarity through the haze of deceit, here are the five big lies the spending addicts tell to satiate their cravings for more of your money..

Sinepuxent Receipts – Eastern Shore Biscuits

Thanks Salisbury News for giving me this opportunity to share recipes, or “receipts”, and the stories that go with them. I am always looking for ways to take recipes and embellish or make them my own.

Many times my Mother would take leftover cold biscuits and turn them into scrumptious warm morning treats; a wonderful memory from my childhood. My favorite was when she would use plain butter, until the day she used extra-sharp Vermont white cheddar. Oh how delicious! I improved that by topping the cheese with strawberry jam. The bite of the cheese against the sweet strawberry flavor was the best. One day I discovered a similar treat by broiling sweet potato biscuit halves with the same cheese. The strawberry jam was replaced with the comfort of a sweet potato. To this end the following recipe was born.

Eastern Shore Biscuits

1 28 oz. canned sweet potatoes

½ cup oil

¾ cup sugar

3 cups bread flour

5 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, diced small

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine sweet potatoes, oil and sugar and beat until smooth, removing any strings from the beater(s). Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Blend until just combined and then fold in cheese. Bake until lightly browned – 12 to 14 minutes.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”. Tom lives in Hebron. When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Egan-Jones Cuts U.S. Rating to AA+ On Spending-Cut Concern

Egan-Jones Ratings Co. cut its rating on the U.S. by one step to AA+ from AAA, citing the high level of debt outstanding relative to other countries and concern that politicians may fail to reduce spending.

“The major factor driving credit quality is the relatively high level of debt and the difficulty in significantly cutting spending,” the firm said July 16 in a report. Egan-Jones placed the U.S. on negative watch on March 1.

Read more

[You'll note that a failure to raise the debt ceiling had nothing to do with this-- they said it's too high already.-- Editor]

Former PG County Fire Official Pleads Guilty

Retired Prince George’s County Fire/EMS lieutenant colonel Karl Granzow, 46, is the latest in a line of county officials to face prison time for corrupt acts.

In a March 11 plea agreement that was unsealed Monday by the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, the Upper Marlboro resident pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and tax evasion.

The plea agreement outlines how between 1997 and 2008, Granzow conspired with developers Patrick Ricker and Daniel Colton to bribe various public officials to gain their support for the Greenbelt Station development project, in which Granzow had financial interests.

Granzow and his co-conspirators offered the officials money, airline tickets, property, employment and other contributions, according to a statement of facts released with the plea agreement.

READ MORE …

Wynn CEO Goes On Epic Anti-Obama Rant On Company Conference Call

Who doesn't love a good rant?

We certainly do, and as usual, Steve Wynn, the CEO of casino company Wynn Resorts, delivered on his company's quarterly conference call today.

Via Seeking Alpha, here's the crux of it:

I believe in Las Vegas. I think its best days are ahead of it. But I'm afraid to do anything in the current political environment in the United States. You watch television and see what's going on on this debt ceiling issue. And what I consider to be a total lack of leadership from the President and nothing's going to get fixed until the President himself steps up and wrangles both parties in Congress. But everybody is so political, so focused on holding their job for the next year that the discussion in Washington is nauseating.

Oregon Father Suspected Of Killing Wife, 4 Kids, Burning Down House

MEDFORD, Ore. – Police believe a 51-year-old Oregon man stabbed his wife and their four young children and set fire to their house on Monday, killing all five victims. The man was hospitalized as authorities tried to piece together the frantic scene.

Firefighters using CPR tried to revive the family members, and managed to get a pulse from at least two of the children as they lay on the lawn in front of their home, said Police Chief Tim George.

House GOP Must Not Shy From Using 'Ultimate Weapons'

Washington's professional political class and its cheerleaders in the liberal mainstream media are pressing ever harder for a "grand bargain" to raise the national debt ceiling far beyond the current $14.3 trillion, hike taxes and enable special interests to continue feasting on out-of-control federal spending.

Only two things prevent enactment of such a deal: House Republicans -- including, especially, most members of the class of 2010 -- and a solid majority of the American people.

This majority wants federal spending reduced but it does not want either the debt ceiling or taxes increased. So now would be a good time for House GOPers to bolster themselves by rediscovering a crucial fact about the U.S. Constitution: as political scientists Willmoore Kendall and George Carey put it in their "Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition," Congress has "all of the ultimate weapons in any showdown with either of the other two branches." And the most important of those weapons -- the power of the purse -- lies with the House.

The key players in the debt ceiling drama are President Obama, the Senate Democratic majority and the House Republican majority. Any one of the three can block the other two. And, because all spending and taxation must originate in the House, the lower chamber holds the most important card in any confrontation over federal spending and taxing. So House Republicans must exercise the power of the purse, first, to nullify the threat of fiscal Armageddon, and, second, to force Obama and Senate Democrats either to veto or accept the clear will of the majority of the American people.

To accomplish the first goal, House Republicans should pass legislation that raises the debt ceiling just enough -- say, $250 billion -- to gain sufficient time -- 30 to 60 days -- to accomplish the second goal. The debt ceiling increase should be made conditional on the Treasury Department paying the government's bills according to the following priorities: Interest on the national debt and government bonds, active-duty U.S. military, Social Security and Medicare, essential federal employees compensation and selected other essential services.

To accomplish the second goal, House Republicans should pass a comprehensive appropriation bill that funds the government through 2013 while making genuine and immediate spending cuts of at least $250 billion. Then they must stand firm against the onslaught of self-serving protests and hyperventilating accusations that will surely follow.
Read more at the Washington Examiner

Tips for Spending Less at the Pharmacy

When you're in the market for crucial, life-improving medication, saving money may not be your top priority. But keep a level head, know what to look out for and you can avoid being gouged when you're at your weakest.

Alpha Consumer has some hints on how to save money when you're buying medicine.

One tip is to shop around. Pharmacies can offer wildly varying prices for drugs. Check out Frugal Pharmacies, which helps you do some quick comparison shopping. The post also recommends asking for generic versions of drugs, as well as buying in bulk, preferably via the mail, to cut down on costs of drugs you use regularly.

How do you save on medication spending?

How to Spend Less at the Pharmacy [Alpha Consumer]

from Phil Villarreal @ The Consumerist

NY Court Says Strip Club's Lap Dances Are Taxable

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Getting a lap dance isn't the same as taking in a ballet, so an alcohol-free strip club will have to pay the tax man, a New York state court has ruled.

Four Appellate Division justices agreed with a state tax appeals commission's earlier finding that dances onstage or in private rooms at the club Nite Moves in suburban Albany don't qualify for a state tax exemption as "dramatic or musical arts performances."

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Today’s Survey Question – 07/19/2011

Should Casey Anthony Write a Book, Would You Buy It?

Did You Know There's A Wrong Time To Brush Your Teeth?

Brushing right after you have acidic foods or carbonated drinks can can lead to erosion of tooth enamel. It's recommended you rinse right away, but wait an hour to brush.

If you drink coffee or tea, add milk to help neutralize the acid and preserve the enamel. If you're a soda drinker, drink through a straw and rinse with water afterward or chew sugar-free gum to help neutralize the acids.

If you love sports drinks, realize they also are acidic and high in sugar.

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Birth Certificates Temporarily Unavailable in Worcester Co.

The Worcester County Health Department will be unable to issue birth certificates from 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 until 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 20 because of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene computer system maintenance. The health department apologizes for any inconvenience and appreciates the public’s patience as the system is updated.

To find out more about this service and others, please visit

http://worcesterhealth.org or call our Snow Hill office at 410-632-1100.

How To Make The Heat Wave A Little Less Uncomfortable

WASHINGTON - The air that comes with this week's heat wave will be dirty. How dirty that air is may be up to you.

There have been two days in 2011 when the air quality in the region was considered unhealthy, otherwise known as Code Red.

The Metropolitan Council of Governments issues a daily forecast for air quality. Here what each codes means.

Tuesday is a Code Yellow day. Wednesday and Thursday will be Code Orange days.

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ATF Chief Admit Mistakes

The head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has admitted that his agency, in at least one instance, allowed sales of high-powered weapons without intercepting them -- and he accuses his superiors at the Justice Department of stonewalling Congress to protect political appointees in the scandal over those decisions.

Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson made the disclosures about the so-called Operation Fast and Furious in an interview with congressional investigators looking into the controversial anti-gunrunning initiative.

The operation was designed to track small-time gun buyers up to major weapons traffickers along the U.S. border with Mexico. Critics estimate that 1,800 guns targeted in the operation are unaccounted for, and about two-thirds of those probably are in Mexico.

READ MORE …

7.5 Sweltering Hours On A Bus: The MegaSauna Rides Again, Gets Lost

When Alexandros set out on a Megabus trip from New York City to Washington, D.C. last week, he had no way to know that he and his fellow passengers were in for seven and a half hours of roasting hot travel mayhem. The travel delay was understandable at first: there was apparently an accident on I-95, the standard Megabusroute between the two cities. This might have been bearable if the bus had had functioning air conditioning. Or any air circulation at all. Or if the passengers had been allowed to board the new bus they had promised. Or if the driver had received valid directions to the spot where they were supposed to exchange their sauna-like bus for a new bus that never came.

More »

Virginia Surplus Will Total $311 Million

The bulk of the surplus comes from individual income tax collections that exceeded their forecasts by nearly $200 million.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's state government ended its last fiscal year on June 30 with a surplus of $311 million, according to state documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Gov. Bob McDonnell plans to detail how the state ended the year with the unspent balance at a Tuesday news conference.

After three years of revenue shortfalls, Virginia cut spending, found savings and used federal stimulus cash to balance budgets the past two years.

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28 Allen Employees Laid Off at Cordova Processing Plant

A Talbot County official says 28 employees at an Allen Family Foods processing plant in Cordova have been laid off.

Paige Bethke, director of economic development for Talbot County, says the layoffs Friday were related to market conditions and not to the company's ongoing bankruptcy reorganization. Bethke says the plant has more than 400 employees.

The Seaford, Del., company filed for bankruptcy protection last month and said it plans to sell nearly all of its assets to a new affiliate of Mountaire Farms, which may add an undetermined number of jobs. The company has facilities in Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina.

Bethke says the county is awaiting a July 28 bankruptcy court hearing in Wilmington, Del., to learn more about the future of the plant.

from the Wilmington News-Journal / AP

Homeowner Overcharged On Property Taxes For Two Decades. How Much Should City Repay?

An 84-year-old widow recently found out she's been paying too much property tax on her home for more than two decades because of an error by the original assessor. But the city has only offered to pay her back for one year of the overcharge.

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Three Arrested in Fatal Shooting

Three arrests have been made in connection with a Dover shooting that left a Newark man dead last year.

Dover police arrested Dion D. Hicks, 26, of Magnolia, and David J. Johnson, 29, of Dover. Areon J. Gibbs, 27, of Plymouth, N.C., was arrested by the Washington County Sheriff's Department. He was being held in North Carolina awaiting extradition to Delaware, Dover police said.

On March 24, 2010, police responded to a call of shots fired and a person down at White Oak Condominiums and found Quinton Dorsey, 33, of Newark unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds, Dover police said. Dorsey was taken to Bayhealth Medical Center and later flown to Christiana Hospital, where he died the next morning.

Leroy Stratton, 26, of Dover was arrested April 15, 2010, and charged with murder, robbery, possession of a firearm during a felony and conspiracy and committed to Vaughn Correctional Facility with no bail.

Hicks and Johnson were each charged with the same and are being held without bail.

from Kim Manahan @ the Wilmington News-Journal

BREAKING NEWS: Corporate Earnings, Housing Data Give Wall Street A Boost

The Dow zipped higher by more than 110 points in morning trading on Tuesday after better-than-expected data on the housing market and upbeat earnings from several big-name companies lifted traders’ confidence.

From Fox News

Bongino Challenge Of Sen. Cardin Looks Crazy, But He Has A Compelling Story

Dan Bongino concedes that his campaign as a conservative Republican to unseat Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin next year looks pretty crazy. He gave up a 12-year career in the Secret Service, where he had led the protection details for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, forgoing his government pension. He’s got seven months of savings set aside, his wife is pregnant with their second child and, of course, he’s never run for public office.

Continue Reading...

Worcester County Burn Ban

All outdoor burning in Worcester County is banned for an indefinite amount of time due to drought conditions and high temperatures.

Those fire sources not included in the burn ban are proper use of gas and charcoal grills; campfires at the county’s commercial, state and federal campgrounds; permitted official Ocean City bonfires; private property recreational campfires limited to an area of two feet by three feet high; public fireworks displays; and volunteer fire company training exercises.

All existing outdoor burn permits have been rescinded as a result of the burn ban. Call (410) 632-5666.

from the Wilmington News-Journal

Video: Dan Bongino Challenges Sen. Ben Cardin

MarylandReporter.com editor and publisher Len Lazarick interviews Dan Bongino, a Republican candidate to unseat U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in 2012. Video shot and produced by On the Hill Media.

Continue Reading...

Three Boaters Rescued After 11 Hours in River

Three people whose small boat overturned on the Delaware River, dumping them into the water Sunday night, were picked up about 11 hours later by another vessel off Woodland Beach.

The rescued boaters were returned to shore at Flemings Landing around 9:15 a.m. Monday, where an ambulance took two of them to Kent General Hospital for evaluation for hypothermia and exposure.

All three are from the Middletown area, officials said.

Joseph Phillips Jr., 51, declined treatment. Dorothy Griffin, 54, and Richard Bush, 49, were taken to Kent General.

Sgt. Tim Pritchett, a state fish and wildlife enforcement agent, said the three had left in their small open boat -- about 14 to 15 feet long -- from the Port Penn-Augustine Beach area around 8 p.m. Sunday to go fishing.

About an hour and a half later, someone stood up on the boat, causing it to teeter and capsize, Pritchett said.

READ MORE …

Liposuction Doctor Convicted Of 2 Murders, Manslaughter In Practice

Liposuction turned fatal for three Phoenix patients, and the allegedly sloppy doctor who worked on them was convicted of second-degree murder in two deaths, and manslaughter in another. He'll be sentenced Aug. 19.

More »

Salisbury News To Deliver ANOTHER Letter To The Editor About The Humane Society Today

Today at 5:00 PM we will deliver yet another compelling story about the Wicomico Humane Society. I strongly encourage ALL of you to take the time to send us your story. Good or bad, we want the public to be aware of what YOU are experiencing.

Send all information to, alberobutzo@wmconnect.com. Copy and paste that link if it doesn't work.

Rick Pollitt’s “Leaner, Meaner Workforce”?

LOL – that’s an internet euphemism for “Laughing Out Loud”. That’s exactly what I was doing yesterday when I read the following from Greg Latshaw’s Daily Times piece on Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt’s “early retirement” plan and his sending a PARTIAL list of department heads to the county council for confirmation:

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt's vision of a leaner, meaner work force began with the exodus of 44 long-tenured employees who were paid retirement bonuses for stepping down by July 1.

Leaner? Meaner? That’s like using those two adjectives to describe Rick or me (OK, some readers might argue that “meaner” could apply to me).

Pollitt’s new county workforce may be smaller. That doesn’t equate to being leaner. For years we have argued that Pollitt’s idea of “re-structuring” county government equates to reacting to a declining revenue stream. That is not re-structuring and it certainly doesn’t result in a “leaner, meaner workforce”.

One ironic example of Pollitt’s “leaner, meaner workforce” can be found in the Public Works Department. As we all know, new construction in Wicomico County has ground to a halt over the last 2 1/2 years. The county employs three building inspectors. Building inspectors deal with new construction. The county also employed (note the past tense) three fire inspectors. Fire inspectors deal with new AND existing construction.

The head of the fire protection division, Ed Torbert, retired. During the budget process, the council cut money from the salary account of Public Works and recommended to Pollitt that one building inspection position be cut.

What did Pollitt do? He has decided not to replace Mr. Torbert. Sources within the Pollitt administration claim that one of the three building inspectors has failed his commercial inspection certification TWICE. So … the county is short on fire inspectors while building inspectors, who have little or nothing to do, keep their jobs – including one who cannot inspect commercial construction.

We have also discovered that one or more county employees are keeping their civil service status – in violation of the county’s charter. We have also been informed that Pollitt has promoted an individual who does not possess the qualifications for the job as prescribed in the county’s personnel manual.

This is leaner and meaner?

Spillionaires Revisited: Gov’t Official’s Associates Got Big Contracts After The BP Oil Spill

Last month, Craig Taffaro Jr., the president of Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, lambasted a ProPublica story while testifying before a congressional committee.

The story, published in April [1], described how some local powerbrokers and others, aided in part by Taffaro, cashed in after the BP oil spill, winning lucrative jobs related to the cleanup effort and earning the nickname "spillionaires." The story also showed how some who profited from the spill then donated to Taffaro's campaign. On June 2, Taffaro told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [2] that the story was "a hatchet job" with "no factual data."

Sarbanes, Harris Lead in 2012 Race for Campaign Cash

Rep. John P. Sarbanes, a third-term Democrat who faces little opposition for re-election in 2012, raised more campaign cash than any other Baltimore-area member of Congress in the past three months, campaign finance reports made public over the weekend show.

The Baltimore County lawmaker reported raising $383,686 in political contributions from April through the end of June and has more than $893,000 on hand — a sizable haul for a district that political observers consider safe for Democrats.

In a statement, Sarbanes said his fundraising will allow him to run a "robust" campaign next year.

Rep. Andy Harris, the Baltimore County Republican whose district stretches to the Eastern Shore, had the next-best quarter in the Baltimore region, raising $276,576 over three months and putting nearly $415,000 in the bank. Harris represents a district that voted for a Democrat, Frank M. Kratovil Jr., in 2008.

READ MORE …

BREAKING NEWS: Housing Starts, Permits Rise In June

Housing starts jumped 14.6% in June from May to a 692,000-unit rate, surpassing economists' estimates of a 575,000-unit rate. Permits to build new homes rose 2.5% to a 624,000-unit rate, topping the 600,000-unit rate economists were expecting.From Fox News

Justice Department Filing Casts Doubt On Guilt of Bruce Ivins, Accused In Anthrax Case

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has called into question a key pillar of the FBI's case against Bruce Ivins, the Army scientist accused of mailing the anthrax-laced letters that killed five people and terrorized Congress a decade ago.

Shortly after Ivins committed suicide in 2008, federal investigators announced that they had identified him as the mass murderer who sent the letters to members of Congress and the media. The case was circumstantial, with federal officials arguing that the scientist had the means, motive and opportunity to make the deadly powder at a U.S. Army research facility at Fort Detrick, in Frederick, Md.

On July 15, however, Justice Department lawyers acknowledged in court papers that the sealed area in Ivins' lab -- the so-called hot suite -- did not contain the equipment needed to turn liquid anthrax into the refined powder that floated through congressional buildings and post offices in the fall of 2001.

The government said it continues to believe that Ivins was “more likely than not” the killer. But the filing in a Florida court did not explain where or how Ivins could have made the powder, saying only that the lab “did not have the specialized equipment’’ in Ivins' secure lab “that would be required to prepare the dried spore preparations that were used in the letters.”

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Howard County School Board Torn By Dissent

Howard County's school board had ended its public hearing on a new elementary in Elkridge and moved onto discussing the matter — a seemingly routine meeting for the group that governs one of the nation's best school systems.

But when some area residents sought to ask more questions about the school's proposed site, they were told to wait until the meeting ended — and board member Allen Dyer wasn't satisfied. He went into the audience and sat down with the residents three times, returning to his seat with a list of questions that he addressed to the board.

That episode last week was the latest confrontation in a running battle between Dyer and other members of the board. His actions, which include lawsuits against the board, have led colleagues to take the unusual step of seeking to remove him.

As the infighting continues, public opinion appears split. Some in the county view Dyer, who was elected to the board, as a champion of the public's interests, while others wonder whether the controversy might harm the school system's image.

READ MORE …

DART Public Transit Service Returns To Delaware City

Delaware City -- July 18, 2011
Today, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), DART First State and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced public transit service to Delaware City, the first scheduled bus service to the city in four decades. The one-year pilot service is made possible through a grant from the DNREC Community Environmental Project Fund that invests in projects to improve communities that have been affected by environmental violations.

Delaware Transit Executive Director Stephen Kingsberry and DNREC Secretary Collin O Mara were joined by Delaware City Mayor John Buchheit, Delaware Representative Valerie Longhurst (15th District), Main Street Program Manager Mark Chura, and city merchants and residents who applauded the bus route extension to the City.

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UK Government Reeling from Phone Hacking Scandal

Scotland Yard's assistant commissioner resigned Monday, a day after his boss also quit, and fresh investigations of possible police wrongdoing were launched in the phone hacking scandal that has spread from Rupert Murdoch's media empire to the British prime minister's office.

Prime Minister David Cameron called an emergency session of Parliament on the scandal and cut short his visit to Africa to try to contain the widening crisis. Lawmakers on Tuesday are to question Murdoch, his son James and Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of Murdoch's U.K. newspaper arm.

London's Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates stands outside the force's headquarters at New Scotland Yard in London, in this July 9 2009 file photo.

In a further twist, a former News of the World reporter who helped blow the whistle on the scandal was found dead Monday in his home, but it was not believed to be suspicious.

READ MORE …

Central Office Of Enrollment Now Open In Annex 4 At Wicomico County Board Of Education

The new Central Office of Enrollment has opened in Annex 4 of the Board of Education to serve the enrollment needs of Wicomico families. The office will initially serve families with students in prekindergarten through grade 5.

An expanded enrollment team with enhanced capabilities began operating the Central Office of Enrollment Monday, July 18, to serve families with more ease and efficiency. To reach the Central Office of Enrollment, enter the parking lot behind the main Board of Education Building from either Long Avenue or Mt. Hermon Road. Annex 4 is the smallest of the red portable buildings located between the Board of Education Building and Wicomico High School.

"I am looking forward to this opportunity for our Central Office of Enrollment to serve our community by providing a friendly and efficient enrollment experience to families new to our district. Ensuring that each new student and family is given personal attention and consistent information is critical to their educational success," said Dr. Cathy J. Townsend, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services.

When a Parent arrives at the Board of Education Building for enrollment, they will be directed to Annex 4, the Central Office of Enrollment. There, families will find friendly, knowledgeable staff to assist with enrollment needs. No appointment is needed; the office is open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The Central Office of Enrollment may be contacted at 410-677-4438. A group email address will be forthcoming as will enrollment forms available for downloading from the Board's website.

Parents and guardians visiting the enrollment office need to bring:

• Proof of Residency (tax bill, lease, current utility bill with service location
• Birth Certificate
• Social Security Card
• Immunization Record (copy)
• Documentation of withdrawal from previous school (Transfer card from previous school, report card and or transcripts)
• Previous school contact information

The Central Office of Enrollment will handle pre-registration for all students in prek-Grade 5, with school staff completing the enrollment process with scheduling and teacher assignments. Families with both elementary and secondary students can pre-register all of their children at the Central Office of Enrollment. The office will expand to serve all students in higher grades at a later date. For now, enrollment for secondary students will continue to take place at the middle and high schools.

Central Office of Enrollment staff will:

 Provide the parent all necessary paperwork to be completed, then reviewed and collected while on the initial visit.
 Sit with the parent at a workstation and input demographic information on the student.
 Scan supporting documents such as Proof of Residency and Birth Certificate that are needed for enrollment. A Central Office of Enrollment staff member will have Notary Public capability to verify proof of residency.
 Create a Profile Document for the parent as proof of pre-registration. The parent will take this document with them to the appropriate school.
 Contact the school while the parent is present to advise that the parent has pre-registered and is ready to visit the school for scheduling and completion of the enrollment process.
 Transfer pre-registration paperwork to the school within one business day.

House Prepares for Vote on “Cut, Cap, and Balance”

House Republican leaders are giving the tea party a chance to do things its way in the latest chapter in the saga over increasing the government's borrowing limit and avoiding a first-ever default.

The chamber will vote Tuesday on a "cut, cap and balance" plan to let the government borrow another $2.4 trillion -- but only after big and immediate spending cuts and adoption by Congress of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.

The plan is doomed in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and the White House has promised a veto.

READ MORE …

What Happened to Pension Reform in Wicomico County?

Earlier this year five members of the Wicomico County Council made a deal with the devil. Riding in at the eleventh hour, County Executive Rick Pollitt told the council that they had to pass his “early retirement plan”. The only way he could balance his budget was with great savings to be won from this legislation.

All but councilmen Bob Culver and Joe Holloway relented. The savings never materialized. The vast majority of those taking advantage of the program were anything but “early” retirees. Those that took advantage received and extra 10% of their salary tacked onto their pensions. Everyone was happy … except for the taxpayers.

However, during the debate over this misguided piece of legislation, the public was promised by council that they would look into reforming the county’s pension system from its current defined benefit plan to a more taxpayer-friendly defined contribution plan.

Just as a Democrat promise for spending cuts after tax increases, this promise is proving itself to be hollow. All attempts to put pension reform on the council’s agenda have met with with silence or disdain.

One argument proffered by those who now oppose meaningful pension reform (after giving lip service before) is that our county’s pension system is in solid shape. Let’s assume that is true. We should all know that pension plans are always underfunded. It’s not that the county finance staff is dishonest; it’s just that they flunked the same mind reading class that I failed in school. They can’t see into the future any more than you or I. Even IF it was true, NOW is the time to tackle this problem. I can’t understand why elected officials want to wait until a government is on the verge of financial collapse before thy will tackle this problem.

A second argument being circulated is that the council can’t do anything WITHOUT the agreement of the County Executive. HOGWASH! The council can pass this legislation any time it chooses. Now, Pollitt could veto the legislation. The council would need five votes to override. That doesn’t meant that they can’t pass the legislation.

Wicomico voters were promised that pension reform would be brought up. This will save the county even more money in the future. The only difference is that there is no question that we will save money, rather than the “promised” savings of Pollitt’s laughable “early retirement” plan.

The time is NOW! Council President Gail Bartkovich can place this on the work session agenda any time she wants. Failing to do so magnifies the mistake of giving away hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars with her ill-considered vote on Pollitt’s “early retirement” plan.

Salisbury Police to Begin Endowments

At yesterday’s Salisbury City Council work session, the council agreed to move forward with legislation that allows the Salisbury Police Department to establish two endowments with the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. One endowment would be used to award scholarships for women and minority recruits to obtain law enforcement training at Wor-Wic Community College. The second endowment would help to fund the re-establishment of a mounted unit with the SPD.

According to Spicer Bell of the Community Foundation, at least $20,000 would be needed to establish the two endowments. Upon formal approval by the city council, fundraising could begin.

Coburn Ups Ante in Debt Ceiling Standoff, Pushes Plan to Save $9 Trillion

At a time when President Obama and lawmakers of both parties are struggling to find spending cuts of $2 trillion to $4 trillion, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is offering his colleagues a menu of options for far more ambitious savings.

Coburn is unveiling a plan to reduce deficit spending by a whopping $9 trillion, shrink government by some 20 percent and balance the budget, all within 10 years.

"It's specific, it's detailed, it makes hard choices," Coburn said. "And it's rough, but it's necessary."

Coburn questioned all the agonizing over the search for much smaller savings of some $2 trillion, saying, "$2 trillion doesn't even pay our interest over the next 10 years. That's with no increase ininterest rates."

READ MORE …

Editor’s Choice – 07/19/2011

These were the five (5) best, or most important, posts for July 18th, as judged by the editors of Salisbury News.

Readers’ Choice – 07/19/2011

These were the most popular posts for July 18th, judged by the most approved comments.

My Take On The Daily Times Bay Bridge Editorial
Can She Ever Lead a Normal Life?
SNL Alum Compares Obama to Hitler
Letter to the Editor – More Complaints About the Wicomico County Humane Society
Today's Survey Question – Are You Addicted to Caffeine?

As DC Debates Debt Ceiling, States End Year in Surplus

As the federal government turns a debt ceiling debate into an international credit crisis, perhaps Washington could learn a thing or two from the states.

Roughly two dozen of the 46 states that just ended their fiscal year are on track to record surpluses, a budget analyst with the National Association of State Budget Officers said. The rest of the states are expected to at least balance their books.

Despite the weak economic picture, the state capitals managed to mop up the red ink through a combination of revenue increases and spending cuts -- because they have to.

Unlike the federal government, nearly every state has a statutory or constitutional requirement to enact a balanced budget. U.S. House Republicans this week are pushing a proposal on Capitol Hill to hold Washington to the same standard -- the plan would require Congress to approve a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a condition for raising the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.

READ MORE …

Word of the Day – 07/19/2011

tesselate

(adj.) arranged in a mosaic. (TESS-ih-lut)

(v.t.) to fit pieces together with edges touching; to combine into a mosaic. (TESS-ih-lāt)

Quote of the Day – 07/19/2011

“Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first call promising.”

- Cyril Connolly (1903 - 1974) (Enemies of Promise (1938))

from

Today’s Weather – 07/19/2011

for Salisbury, MD -

Today -
Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. A few storms may be severe. High 93F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight -
A few thunderstorms this evening. Mostly clear skies late. Humid. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow -
Generally sunny. Humid. High 91F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Commotion Down the Ocean Starts Tomorrow

Ocean City, MD welcomes the Commotion Down the Ocean July 20, 2011

Celebrate Skateboarding History, Help People With Cancer and Welcome the Dew Tour!

Skateboarders and fans unite at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park July 20, 2011. This event will feature Amateur Skateboard competitions hosted by MASS (Mid Atlantic Skateboard Series). The day will offer an interactive Vendor Village with various industry sponsors and local businesses, great food, music and Dew Tour Pro Athlete appearances including Bucky Lasek, Andy Macdonald, Pierre Luc Gagnon, Adam Taylor, Elliot Sloan and other Dew Athletes, plus local pro and legendary East Coast skaters.

The event will celebrate and create awareness of the storied history of the Ocean Bowl Skate Park (now entering its 36th year), the arrival of the first stop of the Dew Tour to Ocean City and “Helping People with Cancer” via Grind for Life.

“This event will appeal to all levels and ages of skateboarders, fans and families offering exciting action, a free vendor village and opportunities to meet with Dew Tour Athletes while creating awareness and raising funds for Grind for Life and their ongoing mission of Helping People with cancer, ” said Event Organizers and Grind for Life Board Members Paul Wisniewski and Chris Conway.

For more information and updates please visit: www.commotiondowntheocean.com. For Sponsorship support please email: info@commotiondowntheocean.com.

About the Ocean Bowl: The Ocean Bowl Skate Park of Ocean City, Maryland was first founded in 1975, making it the oldest running municipal skate park worldwide. Learn the history of the Ocean Bowl and join in celebrating 36 years of skateboarding: http://oceancitymd.gov/Recreation_and_Parks/oceanbowl

About Grind for Life: Grind for Life was founded by two-time cancer survivor and pro skater Mike Rogers in 2003. Since then, Grind for Life hosts skate events, competitions and promotions to raise funds to help families who need support while traveling long distances for cancer care. For more information go to:www.grindforlife.org.

About the Dew Tour: This will be the first year that the Dew Tour stops at Ocean City, Maryland and The Commotion Down the Ocean is proud to support such a great event. For more information on Dew Tour events, please visit: www.allisports.com

Former CBO Director Warns Against Not Raising Debt Ceiling

In all the ballyhoo in Washington over whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, much has been said about the political aspects of the decision, and little has been said about the actual financial impacts on everyday Americans.

If Congress fails to raise the debt limit by the August 2 deadline, every American family will feel the financial impact says a former director of the Congressional Budget Office.

"Interest rates will spread throughout the economy," Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who now heads the conservative think tank American Action Forum, told Fox News on Monday. "Every mortgage will be more expensive, every car loan will be more expensive, every time you go to buy something on your credit card or at a major department store, those lines of credit will be more expensive."

President Obama will continue to meet with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle this week in an effort to come to some kind of agreement on the debt ceiling before the deadline, but the talks, so far, have remained largely in a stalemate. Some Republicans have pledged not to vote for a debt ceiling increase without also enacting significant spending cuts, leaving open the possibility that Congress could allow the deadline to pass without raising the debt limit.

Holtz-Eakin says that if Congress does allow the country to default on its debt, it could signal a financial downfall.

READ MORE …

Shuttle Atlantis Leaves Space Station for Last Time

A space shuttle left the International Space Station for the very last time Tuesday, heading home to end the 30-year run of a vessel that kept astronauts flying to and from orbit longer than any other U.S. rocket ship.

Atlantis slipped away as the two spacecraft soared nearly 250 miles above the Pacific.

All that remains of NASA's final shuttle voyage is the touchdown, targeted for the pre-dawn hours of Thursday back home in Florida.

As a final salute, the space station was rotating 90 degrees to provide never-before-seen views of the complex. The shuttle and its crew of four were to fly halfway around the station, cameras whirring aboard both vessels to record the historic event.

Emotions ran high, both in orbit and at Mission Control. The naval ship's bell aboard the space station chimed three times as Atlantis slowly backed away.

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Man, 78, Injured in Surf Accident

A 78-year-old Pennsylvania man suffered surf-related injuries while at Tower Beach state park July 16.

The man may have been facing the beach when a wave hit him from behind, but there was a language barrier that made it difficult to understand the whole story, said Cpl. Dylon Parks of the state Parks and Resource Management division.

The man was pulled out of the water and driven to Rehoboth Elementary where a helicopter picked him up and flew him to Christiana Hospital, Parks said.

The man’s current condition was not available. The surf was normal at the time of the accident, Parks said.

from the Cape Gazette

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

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