Talbot Considers Breaking Tax Cap to Fully Fund Schools

The Talbot County Council proposed its FY 2013 operating budget on Tuesday, announcing that the county’s property tax cap may have to be broken in order to comply with maintenance of effort.  The proposed budget also calls for an increase in personal income tax from 2.25 percent to 2.4 percent. Talbot County currently has the lowest property tax rate and the second lowest income tax rate in Maryland. The Star Democrat reports:

The budget proposes to override the tax cap by $1,928,545, the amount above last year’s Board of Education funding to meet the MOE level.

Under the proposal, the county’s property tax rate would increase from 44.8 cents to 49.1 cents per $100 of assessed value, which includes a 26-cent “Education Supplement” on properties outside the towns of Easton, Oxford, Queen Anne, St. Michaels and Trappe.

The proposed budget also increases personal income tax from 2.25 percent to 2.4 percent.

The total proposed budget is $69,471,600 compared to $65,945,000 during the current fiscal year.

ROMNEY, KENNEDY & KERRY AGREE: NO WINDMILLS IN MY BACKYARD!

What true “environmentalists” could possibly object to non-polluting wind power that will help save our planet from the dreaded climate-ravaging fossil-emitted CO2 scourge? Some of their names should be quite familiar to you. One, for example, is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of a popular president and prominent lawyer for the powerful Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). His uncle, the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), along with Senate colleague and fellow Nantucket resident John Kerry, didn’t want Cape Wind disturbing their vistas either.

Senator Kerry explained his reasons this way: “I’ve always said that I think Senator Kennedy has raised very legitimate issues with respect to the siting process and with respect to location. I’ve also suggested that it’s my opinion there may be even better locations for it. I’ve sat with Jim Gordon [president of Cape Wind], I’ve sat with other folks, I’ve met with Coast Guard people. I’ve tried to do due diligence on it, and I’m not sure there aren’t both windier and, you know, more accessible areas.”

In other words, it’s not that the Senator doesn’t like wind power. He just doesn’t want it located off his beach.

In case you’re wondering, former Governor Mitt Romney opposed Cape Wind …not because he doesn’t like wind power, but because it would depress property values and damage the local economy which depends heavily on tourism. Project supporters accused him and federal lawmakers of “back-door deal-making” to kill the project.

Source

The Daily Times Is, Well, Worthless Any More

10 DEBT: Student loan payments could double 1 Georgetown woman named Mother of Year 1 GRAPEVINE 1 Beware of ticks as summer weather approaches 1 GRAPEVINE The above shows the number of comments on their most popular articles, (and even complete sections). Salisbury News averages around 200 comments per day, getting the community involved. Our local traffic is higher that ANY local MSM source and we're less than a hand full of people simply trying to educate the Eastern Shore. We're not backed by Gannett, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and the likes. So what does that tell you. It tells you that when a select few dedicated AMERICANS come together for a better cause, (the truth) we can and will make a bigger difference. Forgive me for being repetitive but Greg Bassett and Joe Carmean flat out told me, "we love competition". This was back when I told them, if they don't publish the truth, I'll start my own Newspaper. You have to wonder, the Daily Times had more than 200 employees at that time. Now they have around 12. They had their very own building, press, you name it. Now they rent and farm out their printing. The paper was one in which you could spend hours on end reading, now it's a joke. It used to be $ .25 cents per day, now it's $1.00+. Your daily read in that newspaper is "Our View" and not what the general public believes. They try to come off as if their view, (which is always inaccurate) is what you should believe to be true. You know, like, the government will pay 96% of the cost to build Bennett Middle School, as just one example. They quote the people they interview, knowing what they're quoting is a lie. Here at Salisbury News, when we get a quote and it's a lie, we're calling the person out no matter who they are and that's what we're supposed to do. Unfortunately Blogger has enforced a two word verification for our comments. There's nothing we can do about that but even so we're still averaging more than 200 comments per day. Who knows how many we've lost per day because of this word verification but hopefully that will soon change. The Daily Times is now ending their pieces with questions in the hopes of gaining more comments like the following, "Can we declare a consensus on that?" Who knows, maybe it will work. In the mean time they'll need to work a whole lot harder to try to catch up to our numbers. However, in order to do so they'll have to start reporting information, (like the outbreak at the Zoo yesterday) rather than 2 or 3 days after it happens. Yeah, I know, they have to gather up all their facts first, right?

Marylander's Soon To Pay for Schoolteachers Pension - Twice

Payment No. 1 -

The ARRA stimulus money was supposed to help put the nation back to work. But what did the O'Malley administration do - it took 329 million dollars of the 3.8 billion MD stimulus package and directed it towards increases in teacher retirement benefits. What is alarming - is that Annapolis State lawmakers neglected to identify how they would pay for the new spending, which must be financed every year in perpetuity. The ARRA stimulus runs out in 2012 - and so the $329 million basically provides only temporary relief from the ill effects of state lawmakers neglecting to make a difficult financial decisions in subsequent years.

Payment No. 2 -

Fast forward to this Tuesday's scheduled meeting with Governor O'Malley, Senator Mike Miller, and House Speaker Busch. To restore the State Retirement and Pension System (SRPS) to fiscal health, the appointed Pension Commission recommends shifting a portion of the liability onto the Counties. Beginning in fiscal 2000, the system actuarial liablities consistently grew faster on an annual basis than its actuarial value of assets, resulting in its unfunded liabilities increasing each year to the present. As a result, the system's actuarial funded status, which reached 100% in fiscal 2000, has dropped to 64.1% as of June 2010. This has prompted the growth rate for State pension contributions to far outpace its revenues. From fiscal 2002 to 2011, the annual state cost of teacher pensions grew 159% while general fund revenues grew just 39% - thus the present crisis. Current projections predict that annual State general fund expenditures on pension for both State employees and teachers will grow at twice the annual rate of general fund revenues between fiscal 2012 and 2015. While general fund revenues are expected to grow at 4.9% annually during that time, pension costs are projected to grow 9.9% annually. These trends make the current structure of State pension benefits unsustainable.

Maryland Counties - Look out, cause here it comes. You are about to inherit a partially depleted asset - with extensive exposure.

A Letter To The Editor On WCDC

The citizens of Wicomico County should understand how their tax dollars are spent.  WCDC is the largest county jail on the eastern shore and wastes a whole lot of tax dollars on ridiculous things.  The Director gets his own Crown Vic with police lights provided by the tax payers.  Why does a Director need a Police Crown Vic to drive back and forth to work?  The Inmates need to have a freshly painted living area? WCDC needs a new drop ceiling installed in the hall ways? Need to pay Officers overtime so inmates can go to gym or so an Officer can clean?  Do we really need to have 2 Majors, a Captain,  2 lieutenants, a Sergeant, a Colonel and a Director there Monday through Friday on one shift?  Do we really need an Officer on the weekend that collects and inventories inmates garbage so the inmate can get a free snack?  Yes, Officers have to collect and inventory trash.  Inmates have been flushing commissary wrappers down the toilet and damaging the sewage grinder causing it to overflow and have to be pumped out at tax payers expense. Instead of stop selling the inmates the commissary which Aramark provides, the tax payers bought every inmate a little plastic trash can for their cell. Did this work? No.  Inmates are still flushing the trash causing the sewage grinder to become damaged at tax payers expense.  Does the Officers collecting and inventorying the garbage work? No. Who pays for the free snack that the inmates get when they actually do save their trash? Yup, the tax payers.  Did WCDC really need a nice new paint sprayer when Inmates could have used a roller?  Did WCDC need to buy all the inmates new uniforms and shoes? Did the tax payers have to buy every inmate who took a “parenting class” a twenty dollar phone card? Seems that was the only reason they even took the class, a bribe. Jail just doesn’t seem so bad. Yes you loose your freedom but you get a free place to stay, 3 meals, if you have some money you can buy commissary, free medical and dental care, free mental health care, unless you have some money then medical services are 4 dollars.  Inmates who work in the Kitchen get to make their own food and eat as much as they like.  Inmates get free cable TV, work release has a huge flat screen TV, pool table, vending machines, and a ping pong table.  

The Wicomico County Department of Corrections is in complete turmoil. The Officers are constantly punished and treated worse than the Inmates housed there.  Officers who work here are not paid very well and have not seen a pay raise in 8 years nor have they seen a cost of living adjustment.  WCDC does not pay its Officers time and a half after working over 40 hours but instead pays time and a half after working 171 hours in a 28 day cycle as described in the County Personnel Manual.  This is the only department that operates its overtime like this as other law enforcement agencies get overtime after 40 hours.  

WCDC contracts out the food service to ARAMARK which includes the kitchen and commissary.  Commissary is extra food the inmates can buy to include sodas, whole pizzas, chicken or burgers and fries, noodles, candy, and hygiene items.  ARAMARK runs this service and makes all the money from this not WCDC.  If WCDC ran this service the county would see all the profit not ARAMARK.  

Yeah, Where Have We Heard This Crap Before????

Casino money could go toward public safety, education

When the Local Development Council met for the first time earlier this year, county officials asked the group for a recommendation on how to spend $15 million in impact fees expected next year from the Maryland Live! casino in Hanover.

After two meetings, the 15-member council — made up of area residents, business leaders and elected officials — recommended the money go to improve local police and fire services in the area around the $500 million casino, set to open this summer.

The group, created in accordance with state law, also recommended the county spend money on education, infrastructure and other needs around Arundel Mills mall. County Executive John R. Leopold included the recommendations in his proposed $1.2 billion budget for fiscal 2013.

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Cultural Sharing Opportunity

Mr. Albero,

 

My wife and I have recently been involved with Global Friendship as assistant coordinators for placing students from Spain in host families homes from 6/28 to 7/25. The program provides the students with an education of American culture and history. The Students will attend a daytime class from Monday through Thursday at Oak Ridge Baptist Church. Half day and full day trips have been planned to local and distant attractions such as Washington D.C., Ocean City, MD and Hershey Pennsylvania. The students ages vary from 15-17 and arrive under the supervision of a chaperone. If this sounds like something that your readers would be interested in we would love for them to contact us for more details. They will have an opportunity to view the students profiles and the itinerary prior to making any decisions. Feel free to email us at kahapner@yahoo.com or bmhapner@yahoo.com if you have any questions or are interested in hosting. There will be an interest meeting on Monday the 23rd at 6:00pm. We had the pleasure of hosting one of these students last year and it was a very special and heartwarming experience. Thank you very much for your time.

 

-Brett Hapner

a Makes Free Speech A Felony

The 25 Best Quotes From Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell is not only one of the finest columnists in the business, he's a prolific author, a brilliant economist, and he has an incomparable knack for simplifying complex concepts that few other human beings can match. Enjoy the distilled wisdom! 25) "Since this is an era when many people are concerned about 'fairness' and 'social justice,' what is your 'fair share' of what someone else has worked for?" 24) "Imagine a political system so radical as to promise to move more of the poorest 20% of the population into the richest 20% than remain in the poorest bracket within the decade? You don't need to imagine it. It's called the United States of America." 23) "Four things have almost invariably followed the imposition of controls to keep prices below the level they would reach under supply and demand in a free market: (1) increased use of the product or service whose price is controlled, (2) Reduced supply of the same product or service, (3) quality deterioration, (4) black markets." 22) "What sense would it make to classify a man as handicapped because he is in a wheelchair today, if he is expected to be walking again in a month and competing in track meets before the year is out? Yet Americans are given ‘class’ labels on the basis of their transient location in the income stream. If most Americans do not stay in the same broad income bracket for even a decade, their repeatedly changing 'class' makes class itself a nebulous concept." 21) "There are few talents more richly rewarded with both wealth and power, in countries around the world, than the ability to convince backward people that their problems are caused by other people who are more advanced." 20) "The poverty rate among black married couples has been in single digits ever since 1994. You would never learn that from most of the media. Similarly you look at those blacks that have gone on to college or finished college, the incarceration rate is some tiny fraction of what it is among those blacks who have dropped out of high school. So it’s not being black; it’s a way of life. Unfortunately, the way of life is being celebrated not only in rap music, but among the intelligentsia, is a way of life that leads to a lot of very big problems for most people." 19) "The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics." 18) "Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late." 17) "The vision of the anointed is one in which ills as poverty, irresponsible sex, and crime derive primarily from 'society,' rather than from individual choices and behavior. To believe in personal responsibility would be to destroy the whole special role of the anointed, whose vision casts them in the role of rescuers of people treated unfairly by 'society'." 16) "No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems — of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind." 15) "Life has many good things. The problem is that most of these good things can be gotten only by sacrificing other good things. We all recognize this in our daily lives. It is only in politics that this simple, common sense fact is routinely ignored." 14) "There is usually only a limited amount of damage that can be done by dull or stupid people. For creating a truly monumental disaster, you need people with high IQs." 13) "Civilization has been aptly called a 'thin crust over a volcano.' The anointed are constantly picking at that crust." 12) "We seem to be moving steadily in the direction of a society where no one is responsible for what he himself did, but we are all responsible for what somebody else did, either in the present or in the past." 11)” For the anointed, traditions are likely to be seen as the dead hand of the past, relics of a less enlightened age, and not as the distilled experience of millions who faced similar human vicissitudes before.” 10) "It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." 9) "Intellect is not wisdom." 8)” The charge is often made against the intelligentsia and other members of the anointed that their theories and the policies based on them lack common sense. But the very commonness of common sense makes it unlikely to have any appeal to the anointed. How can they be wiser and nobler than everyone else while agreeing with everyone else?" 7) "Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good." 6) "Experience trumps brilliance." 5) "The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling." 4) "One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence." 3) "Weighing benefits against costs is the way most people make decisions — and the way most businesses make decisions, if they want to stay in business. Only in government is any benefit, however small, considered to be worth any cost, however large." 2) "In short, killing the goose that lays the golden egg is a viable political strategy, so long as the goose does not die before the next election and no one traces the politicians’ fingerprints on the murder weapon." 1) "There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs."

Police-State Fears Grow in Delaware

Actor Andy Griffith’s TV character Andy Taylor became famous as the sheriff without a gun, who made arrests and enforced the peace through his courage and firm, but gentle, persuasion. But what would he have done if he hadn’t had the ability to make traffic stops or arrests at all?

That’s just about the situation that has developed in Delaware, where one sheriff is campaigning to restore the authority to his office  he says was granted by the state’s constitution.

The battle now includes the state legislature, where lawmakers are trying to redefine sheriffs so they can serve papers and process administrative work but have no hand in actual law enforcement.

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A Contest To Have Dinner With Obama

Enter to win a spot at the reception with George Clooney and Barack Obama. Fill out the form to throw your name in the hat. Then, will you consider making a donation to support the campaign and be automatically entered again? No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter or win. Contributing will not improve chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by April 30, 2012. You may enter by contributing to Sponsor here or click here to enter without contributing. Two winners will each receive the following prize package: round-trip tickets for winner and a guest from within the fifty U.S. States, DC, or Puerto Rico to a destination to be determined by the Sponsor; hotel accommodations; and dinner with President Obama and George Clooney on a date to be determined by the Sponsor (approximate retail value of all prizes $3,200). Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Promotion open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of 50 United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: Obama for America, 130 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. GO HERE to fill out form.

Miller Proposes Expanded Income Tax Rate; No Gambling in Special Session

For the first time since the legislative session ended nearly two weeks ago, Governor Martin O'Malley, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch will meet next week to discuss a possible compromise on a state tax bill, and a special session to take place before the end of June.

Lawmakers ended their session last week without approving a tax increase and revenue package.  That means $512-million in spending cuts would take effect July 1, in what Democrats call a "doomsday budget."

The meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning, follows a letter Miller sent to O'Malley and Busch, offering a compromise on a revenue package, as well as a plan to shift the cost of teacher pensions from the state to county governments.
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U.S. Building a Domestic Population-Control Grid Based On Military Ops

The U.S. military has become expert at controlling urban populations in Iraq – but why is the Department of Homeland Security building similar capabilities here? Unfortunately, the federal government’s war on freedom is a subject still dominated mostly by conspiracy theorists, end-of-the-worlders, and yes, crackpots who hold highly marginal and dismissible views. Fortunately, some of that is changing with the rise of “smart preppers.” I think most people concerned about liberty would appreciate an honest, probative look at actual plans and initiatives that federal authorities are now developing in earnest. Not wild conclusions based on dark conspiracy theories that make most rational people roll their eyes. But a careful assessment of what Uncle Sam and his legions of high-tech crony capitalists are actually building and developing. In this case, what’s on the table for scrutiny is nothing less than the creation of a national population surveillance and control grid. Mushrooming Government Capabilities to Control Society This is sadly a subject that is so big, wide, and dynamic that in many cases, even members of Congress do not understand the extent of bureaucratic planning to control our lives. Or that the Department of Homeland Security’s big-picture plans, tactics, and technology are based on population control tactics originally developed and used in Iraq. More

ANDY HARRIS SHOULD DO THIS HERE, TOO

How about this for the promo piece: Peninsula Regional Medical Center – PACE Institute at Salisbury University cordially invite you to a live talk with U. S. Representative ANDY HARRIS, M.D. But with the following persons on PACE’s Advisory Board – Norman Conway, Richard Pollitt, Paul Sarbanes, Anthony Sarbanes – that’s not going to happen. So, maybe this: Atlantic General Hospital -- Wor-Wic Community College cordially invite you . . . PS – wanna bet he discussed Obamacare? Publisher: Sent in by a viewer.

WCSO Press Releases 4-22-12

Incident: Possession of CDS Date of Incident: 17 April 2012 Location: Mill Street, Salisbury, MD Suspect: 1. Betty A. Pruitt, 32, Salisbury, MD 2. Shally D. Handy, 29, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 17 April 2012 at 2:18 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Shally D. Handy for a registration violation. During the encounter, the deputy received consent to search the vehicle and located both marijuana and a substantial amount of oxycodone in the possession of the passenger Betty Pruitt. The oxycodone was stored in separate pills bottles, some with obliterated labels and in a quantity to indicate intent to possibly sell it. Along with the oxycodone was a straw that would have been used to snort the drug after it had been crushed. Further search of the vehicle revealed a twelve inch fixed blade knife concealed in the center console that Handy claimed ownership of. Both Pruitt and Handy were arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After their initial appearances, the Commissioner released both on Personal Recognizance. Charges: Possession of Marijuana (Both) Possession of a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Handy Only) Possession with the intent to Distribute (Pruitt only) Incident: Fugitive Apprehension Date of Incident: 19 April 2012 Location: Baltimore Washington International Airport Suspect: Beau L. Layton, 32, Virgin Islands. Narrative: On 19 April 2012 the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office learned that a wanted fugitive was travelling via airplane from Miami for a visit to Maryland. This fugitive, Beau L. Layton had been sought on three Wicomico County Circuit Court Bench warrants that were issued back in April 2000 when Layton failed to show up for his cases. During the last decade, Layton had relocated to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean where he had been able to avoid apprehension on these warrants. Layton was wanted in a Violation of Probation case in a case that involved the distribution of LSD. Layton had also been sought on two other Circuit Court bench warrants issued for failure to appear, one for the manufacture of psilocybin; the other for theft. A deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office was present at B.W.I. airport upon the arrival of Layton’s flight at which point he was taken into custody without incident. The deputy transported Layton back to Wicomico County where he was processed in Central Booking before being detained in the Detention Center without bond. Charges: Violation of Probation Failure to Appear. Incident: Possession of CDS Date of Incident: 19 April 2012 Location: 1200 block of Mineola Avenue, Salisbury, MD Suspect: Joseph C. Johnson, 32, Salisbury, MD Narrative: On 19 April 2012 at 4:50 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Joseph Johnson for operating a vehicle with expired registration plates. Upon contacting Johnson, he provided the deputy an identity that the deputy would soon suspect was not accurate. After being unable to verify the name provided by Johnson, the deputy discovered an identification card that positively identified Johnson. Johnson told the deputy he lied about his name because he did not want to get arrested. Upon conducting a check on the true identity of Johnson, the deputy discovered four outstanding warrants and also learned that Johnson’s privilege to drive a vehicle in the State of Maryland had been revoked. The deputy also located a baggie in the vehicle that contained what the deputy recognized as marijuana. The deputy placed Johnson under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Johnson in the Detention Center on $25,000.00 bond for the marijuana possession. Johnson was detained without bond on two Circuit Court Bench Warrants, $10,000.00 bond on a District Court Bench Warrant and an additional $557.50 bond on a District Court Bench Warrant. Charges: Possession of Marijuana False Name to Law Enforcement Drive Revoked Incident: Disorderly / Interfere with Arrest Date of Incident: 19 April 2012 Location: 9000 block of Riverton Road, Mardela Springs, MD Suspect: Stephen Wilson, 21, Hebron, MD Narrative: On 19 April 2012 at 10:28 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 9000 block of Riverton Road to assist with a call where a trooper was taking a female, Amanda Wilson, into custody. Amanda’s brother, Stephen Wilson, became very argumentative with law enforcement on scene over her sister’s arrest. A deputy had to prevent Stephen from interfering in the arrest of Amanda who was actively resisting herself. After Amanda was placed into the patrol vehicle, Stephen exited the residence and renewed his belligerent and combative behavior while he charged at the law enforcement officers. The deputy placed Wilson under arrest for his interference with the arrest of his sister and his disorderly behavior. The deputy transported Wilson to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Wilson in the Detention Center in lieu of $5,000.00 bond. Charges: Disorderly Conduct Intentionally interfere with a lawful arrest

Hundreds of Thousands May Lose Internet in July

For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org, that will inform them whether they're infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won't be able to connect to the Internet.

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Why The Left Misunderstands Income Inequality

There is a widely-held notion on the political left that the key economic problem that our civilisation faces is income inequality. To wit: America emerged from the Great Depression and the Second World War with a much more equal distribution of income than it had in the 1920s; our society became middle-class in a way it hadn’t been before. This new, more equal society persisted for 30 years. But then we began pulling apart, with huge income gains for those with already high incomes. As the Congressional Budget Office has documented, the 1 percent — the group implicitly singled out in the slogan “We are the 99 percent” — saw its real income nearly quadruple between 1979 and 2007, dwarfing the very modest gains of ordinary Americans. Other evidence shows that within the 1 percent, the richest 0.1 percent and the richest 0.01 percent saw even larger gains. By 2007, America was about as unequal as it had been on the eve of the Great Depression — and sure enough, just after hitting this milestone, we plunged into the worst slump since the Depression. This probably wasn’t a coincidence, although economists are still working on trying to understand the linkages between inequality and vulnerability to economic crisis. I mostly agree that income inequality is a huge problem, although I believe that it is a symptom of a wider malaise [15]. But income inequality is an important symptom of that wider malaise. More

FoodStamp Nation

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service released a new report on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as Food Stamps) earlier this week with some fresh data on the program. Given our earlier note on Mr.EBT [9], we thought the following brief clip from Bloomberg TV on the $82bn-per-year program would provide some rather shockingly sad insights and then Nic Colas' recent focus on the SNAP report provides some much more in depth color. First and foremost, there are 46.5 million Americans in the program as of the most recent information available (January 2012), comprising 22.2 million households. That’s 15% of the entire population, and just over 20% of all households. Moreover, despite the end of the official “Great Recession” in June 2009, over 10 million more Americans have been accepted into the program since that month, and the year-over-year growth rate for the program is still +5%. The USDA’s report is, not surprisingly, very upbeat on the utility of the program. Fair enough. But what does it mean when 20% of all households cannot afford to buy the food they need for their families? To our thinking, it highlights an underappreciated new facet of American economic life – one that will be felt everywhere from the ballot box to the upcoming Federal Deficit debates. More

Arpaio Team Prosecutor Targeted in 'Witch Hunt'

A longtime prosecutor who worked in concert with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose Cold Case Posse found probable cause that Barack Obama’s birth certificate was forged, says he was caught in a “witch hunt” for trying to remove corruption in the county.

A disciplinary panel for the Arizona Bar Association recently ordered the revocation of two attorneys’ law licenses and suspended the license of a third in a case WND first reported last fall. William O’Neill, the state’s presiding disciplinary judge, announced the decision.

Former county prosecutor Andrew Thomas has a deadline Tuesday to say whether he will appeal the decision. An ethics panel found Thomas’ office wrongfully accused three officials of illegal conduct to embarrass them.

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Report: Wal-Mart Hushed up Mexico Bribe Network

NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hushed up a vast bribery campaign that top executives of its Mexican subsidiary carried out to build stores across that country, according to a published report.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Wal-Mart failed to notify law enforcement officials even after its own investigators found evidence of millions of dollars in bribes. The newspaper said the company shut down its internal probe despite a report by its lead investigator that Mexican and U.S. laws likely were violated.

The bribery campaign was reported to have first come to the attention of senior executives at Wal-Mart in 2005, when a former executive of its largest foreign subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico, provided extensive details of a bribery campaign it had orchestrated to win market dominance.

The Mexican executive, previously the lawyer in charge of obtaining construction permits, said in emails and follow-up conversations that Wal-Mart de Mexico paid bribes to obtain permits throughout the country in its rush to build stores nationwide, the Times reported.

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Kitten Gets New Legs and Lease on Life

Corky, a stray cat born with a rare congenital birth defect was set to be euthanized in Fargo, N.D.  He was given a new lease on life when he was picked up at a local shelter, Cat's Cradle, at the end of March.

Corky was born with a genetic deformity called bilateral arthrogryposis of the tarsus, where his legs were backwards and overlapping.

Cat's Cradle co-founders Gail Ventzke, Amber Schaffer and Carol Stefonek fell in love with the kitten when they were scheduled to pick up two others.

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2011 Saw More Measles Cases Than The Past 15 Years

Last year was the worst year for measles in the U.S. in 15 years, according to health officials.

There were 222 cases of measles, a large jump from the 60 or so seen in a typical year. Most of the cases last year were imported -- either by foreign visitors or by U.S. residents who picked up the virus overseas.

U.S. children have been getting vaccinated against the measles for about 50 years. But low vaccination rates in Europe and other places resulted in large outbreaks overseas last year.

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Bee Gee Robin Gibb Wakes From Coma

LONDON (Reuters) - Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb has woken from a coma more than a week after he lost consciousness and has attempted to communicate with family members at his hospital bedside, the BBC reported on Saturday.

Gibb, 62, has begun to show signs of recovery and has been able to nod and communicate with his family, spokesman Doug Wright was quoted as saying by the BBC. Wright could not immediately be reached to confirm the report.

The singer contracted pneumonia and fell into a coma at a central London hospital earlier this month. He had been receiving treatment for colon and liver cancer.

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2012 Military Family of the Year From Hollywood, Md

It was a moment of complete surprise that left Anne Marie Karnbach literally shaking with delight Thursday.

Her husband, Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Karnbach, was supposed to be at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he is deployed as a Navy reservist. But he had secretly arranged with military superiors to attend a ceremony in Washington, D.C., where his family was to be honored as Our Military Kids’ 2012 Military Family of the Year. When he appeared on stage, his stunned family swarmed upon him, engulfing him in embraces with arms and legs wrapped around his body.

The event was hosted by Our Military Kids, a nonprofit organization that helps families of deployed servicemembers by giving grants that allow military children to participate in extracurricular events. Since 2005, the organization has awarded $14 million dollars in grants and each year chooses among the grantees a family and individual children to honor.
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BREAKING NEWS: Chicago White Sox Pitcher Humber Throws Perfect Game

Chicago White Sox’s Phil Humber throws a perfect game in a 4-0 win against the Seattle Mariners.

From Fox News

Michelin Recalls 77,000 Tires for Safety Problem

Michelin is recalling more than 77,000 bus tires because sidewall defects can cause them to lose air rapidly, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

   The Michelin XZU2, XZU3, and XM505 tires involved in the recall were produced from 2005 to fall 2011 at Michelin's plant in Spartanburg, S.C.

 

 Michelin North America Inc. says its lease fleet customers complained that some of the tires had lost air rapidly during use as retreads over the past two years, prompting a company investigation. It did not cite any instances of crashes.

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Naturalization Push Ahead of November Election

Hundreds of volunteers are helping qualified immigrants become U.S. citizens in time to register to vote in the November presidential elections.

   The "Become a Citizen Now!" program seeks to help 5,000 immigrants file applications for naturalization in Massachusetts, New York, California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. The National Partnership for New Americans' initiative started in March and has already helped 500 applicants.

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Legionnaires' Patient Sues Ocean City Hotel

BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who was treated for Legionnaires' disease after an outbreak at an Ocean City hotel last year is suing the innkeeper for $6 million.

Pat Dent filed suit against Plim Plaza Hotel Wednesday in federal court in Baltimore. He and his wife are seeking $5 million in compensatory damages and $1 million for loss of consortium.

Health officials said six cases of Legionnaires' disease, including a fatal case, were confirmed in people who had stayed at the hotel.

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Salisbury Police Can't Control The Animals At The Zoo

Salisbury Fire and Police and trying to get control of a massive party at Salisbury University and it's not going very well. They have called in the management company to remove anyone who doesn't belong at these apartments and remove them from the premisses.

Nugent Ousted From Fort Knox Concert Line-Up

Ted Nugent has been booted from the line-up at an annual Fort Knox summer concert following his recent comments about President Barack Obama, a Fort Knox representative confirmed to The Blaze.

The decision to oust Nugent came after “recent disparaging remarks made against the commander in chief,” Ryan Brus of the Fort Knox public affairs office said.

Because the concert is taking place on a military installation, it “would be a conflict of interest since the military has the obligation to be apolitical,” he said

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Speed Camera Set On Fire

CATONSVILLE, Md. - A brand new Baltimore County speed camera installed just last week was doused and burned up early Friday morning police say; by whom, they still don't know.

All that's left today is the foundation upon which it stood along the 400 block of South Rolling Road; neighbors watching last night what they lobbied hard for literally go up in flames.

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Unemployment Ticks Up In Maryland

After months of a steady decline, the unemployment rate in Maryland has increased slightly. 

State officials say the workforce growth outpaced employment gains during March.

And that's why Maryland's jobless rate ticked up to 6.6 percent in March from 6.5 percent in February, despite the fact that the US Department of Labor reported there was a net gain of 1,500 jobs last month.

In the past 12 months private sector employers added nearly 48,000 jobs in the state. That's out of almost 50-thousand overall since March of 2011. 

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Berlin Eyes 5-Cent Property Tax Rate Decrease

BERLIN -- While there may be trouble at the county level, the budget picture for the town of Berlin is largely positive and contains a property tax decrease, a $500 one-time bonus for employees and a more than $500,000 budget surplus with revenues coming in higher than expenditures.

Totaling $13,333,164 million, the proposed budget is $328,680, or 2 percent, lower than the current budget. This is the fourth consecutive year that the town has decreased its budget from the previous year. Even so, the council is considering dropping the current property tax rate of 73 cents per $100 of real estate value down to 68 cents per $100.

“This 5-cent decrease equals a reduction of $50 per every $100,000 of real estate valuation, or $100 less a year for the average residential taxpayer in the Town of Berlin,” Mayor Gee Williams said.

Town employees also benefit in this budget. While it does not contain a salary increase as last year’s did, the proposed budget will include a one-time $500 bonus for every employee, similar to what was proposed in Ocean City last Friday, though Williams reported the two ideas were developed independently.

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Women Supporting Women

Rota Knott (left), Worcester County coordinator for Women Supporting Women, the local breast cancer support organization, accepts a donation from Jeff Auxer of Jeffrey Auxer Designs in Berlin. Jeff donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of his handmade pink and teal blown glass pumpkins.

RPORATE FASCISM

This chart tells quite a story. The 1950s and 1960s were pretty good economic times for middle class Americans. Jobs were plentiful and the average hard working American had a decent chance to have a better life than their parents. The tax burden was shared equally between individuals and corporations. Excise taxes on imports, which had been the sole tax revenue generator prior to 1913, were still substantial. Payroll taxes on the working middle class only accounted for 5% to 10% of tax revenues. Look what has happened since. The Federal government has been captured by corporate interests (they’re people too). Corporate taxes, which provided 30% of Federal revenues during the 1950s, now provide about 5% of Federal revenues. Payroll taxes on the middle class now provide 40% of revenues. Excise taxes have been virtually eliminated, allowing mega-corporations to ship middle class jobs overseas and not worry about any negative tax consequences. Even though the individual tax burden has stayed constant, the burden has been shifted to the working middle class, as the rich have used their influence to dramatically reduce rates on capital gains and high income. Welcome to our corporate fascist state where you are taught to love your slavery.

What States Have The Most Favorable Business Tax Climate?

What do Wyoming and New Jersey have in common? From a state business tax climate, nothing, according to the Tax Foundation’s 2012 State Business Tax Climate  Index. Wyoming tops the states with the best state business tax climate, with its lack of a corporate or individual income tax. New Jersey, on the other hand, scored at the bottom by having the third-worst individual income tax, the fifth-worst sales tax, the 13th-worst corporate tax, and the second-worst property tax.

Rounding out the Tax Foundation’s top ten are: South Dakota; Nevada, Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire; Washington; Montana’ Texas; and Utah. The nine other worst states, in descending order, are: Iowa; Maryland; Wisconsin; North Carolina; Minnesota; Rhode Island; Vermont; California; and New York.

“The lesson is simple,” wrote study author Mark Robyn, “A state that raises sufficient revenue without one of the major taxes, all things being equal, have an advantage over those states that levy every tax in the state tax collector’s arsenal.”

The Department of Labor, Robyn noted, found that most mass job relocations are from one U.S. state to another, rather than to an overseas location. Foe example, in 2005, California-based Intel opted to build its multi-billion dollar chip-making facility in Arizona, which offered a favorable corporate income tax system. In 2010, Northrup Grumman chose Virginia over Maryland for its headquarters because of its better business tax climate.

Scanning the top 10 states, Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, and Alaska have no individual income tax. These states also have no corporate tax, Among the country’s most favorable state business tax climates, the index cited the states without a corporate tax (Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota), individual income tax (Wyoming, Alaska, Florida), or sales tax (Alaska, New Hampshire, and Montana).

At the other end of the scale, Rhode Island has the worst unemployment tax system and fifth-worst property tax system, the Index found. Maryland rose two notches to 42 due mostly to the expiration of the state’s “millionaire tax” on high-income earners. Illinois suffered the Index’s biggest drop in 2011, falling 12 places to 28.

The Index represents the tax climate of each state as of July 1, the first day of the standard 2012 state fiscal year.

Source: http://www.millionairecorner.com/article/what-states-have-most-favorable-business-tax-cliamte.

Donald Liebenson writes news and features for Millionaire Corner. He has been published in the Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Los Angeles Times, Fiscal Times, Entertainment Weekly, Huffington Post, and other outlets. He has also served as a marketing writer for Chicago-based Questar Entertainment and distributor Baker & Taylor. 

Nine U.S. Banks Said To Be Examined On Overdraft Fees

The inquiry by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau focuses on how financial institutions persuade customers to enroll in what they call overdraft protection programs.

Two years after regulators gave Americans more power to manage overdrafts of their checking accounts, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is reviewing bank practices to determine if the crackdown went far enough.

The agency, which will decide by the end of the year whether to write new rules, is scrutinizing nine banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) and Bank of America Corp., said four people briefed on the examination.

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Andy Harris Honors Holocaust Hero Who Saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews

Washington, DC — Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives honored Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat and Holocaust hero who saved the lives of an estimated 100,000 Hungarian Jews during World War II, by passing legislation to posthumously award him the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian decorations in the United States, awarded to an individual who performs an outstanding deed or act of service to the security, prosperity, and national interest of the United States.

Raoul Wallenberg was made an honorary citizen of the United States, an honor only previously extended to Winston Churchill.  Before the vote, Rep. Harris participated in an event sponsored by the Hungarian Embassy that included Annette Lantos, herself a Holocaust survivor and the widow of former Rep. Tom Lantos, Hungarian Ambassador Gyorgy Szapary, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Zsolt Nemeth, and Congressmen Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Dan Burton (R-IN), Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL).

“This is very emotional for me because my father is of Hungarian descent and he was an anti-communist who was sent to a Soviet Gulag for two years,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “It is an honor to help recognize the memory of Raoul Wallenberg, one the greatest humanitarians of the 20th Century. Even in tragic periods like the Holocaust, heroes like Raoul Wallenberg shine a light for future generations so they never forget.”

Lottery Winner Interview

Softball Tourney Benefits Women Supporting Women

The first “Batting for Boobies” softball tournament to benefit the Worcester County Chapter of Women Supporting Women, the local breast cancer support and awareness organization, will be held May 18 to 20 at the Mason Dixon recreation complex in Delmar, Md. All breast cancer survivors are invited to attend and be recognized on Friday night at 6 p.m. for the opening ceremonies at the tournament.

The softball tournament is being organized by WSW supporters Artie Abbott, Justin Seymore and Trina Seymore. It is a 12-team tournament, double elimination with USSA rules. Trophies will be awarded for first, second and third places.

The cost to participate is $200 dollars a team and everyone is welcome to enter a team. Event T-shirts will be for sale and there will be a concession stand, 50/50 drawing, moon bounce for the kids and a weekend full of softball. The rain date is June 1 to 3. Contact Artie Abbott at 443-880-1774, Justin Seymore at 443-735-9030 or Trina Seymore at 443-735-0071 for more information.  To register a team, send checks to Trina Y. Seymore, 306 E. Jewell St., Delmar, DE 19940.

Women Supporting Women provides free support for breast cancer survivors and their families, including mentoring and support groups, a lending library and educational materials, wigs, scarves and head coverings, prostheses and bras, specially designed pillows and other items to aid in the recovery process. WSW’s programs are entirely funded through community support, donations and grants and all funding is returned directly to the local community through its programs and services.

Labor Unions Call On Lawmakers To Approve Gaming

Leaders of nearly a dozen unions, mostly in the construction trades, want lawmakers to approve an expanded gambling bill in a special session of the Maryland General Assembly.

The labor leaders delivered a letter Friday to Governor Martin O'Malley, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller.

Patrick Moran, executive director of AFSCME Maryland, is among the labor leaders who signed the letter.

The labor leaders say a sixth casino in Prince George's County, and the addition of table games at the state's five remaining casinos, "creates the structure for long-term revenue growth for Maryland."  

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Interesting Parallels Between Lincoln And Obma

The similarities are amazing, aren’t they? For all of you who have made disparaging remarks about President Obama, please read the following. I'm sure most of us have read the so-called comparison of Lincoln and Kennedy, but did you ever consider the relationship between Obama and Lincoln? You might be surprised. Parallels of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Hussein Obama: 1. Lincoln placed his hand on the Bible for his inauguration. Obama used the same Bible. 2. Lincoln came from Illinois. Obama comes from Illinois. 3. Lincoln served in the Illinois Legislature. Obama served in the Illinois Legislature. 4. Lincoln had very little experience before becoming President. Obama had very little experience before becoming President. 5. Lincoln rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. Obama rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. 6. Lincoln was a skinny lawyer. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 7. Lincoln was a Republican. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 8. Lincoln was in the United States military. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 9. Lincoln believed in everyone carrying their own weight. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 10. Lincoln did not waste taxpayers' money on personal enjoyments. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 11. Lincoln was highly respected. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 12. Lincoln was born in the United States . Obama is a skinny lawyer. 13. Lincoln was honest, so honest he was called Honest Abe. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 14. Lincoln saved the United States . Obama is a skinny lawyer.

Experts Say Zimmerman Attorney Made Smart Move

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - By questioning a state investigator on the witness stand during a routine bail hearing, George Zimmerman's defense attorney showed some of the weaknesses in prosecutors' claims that the neighborhood watch volunteer committed second-degree murder, legal experts say.

A judge ruled Friday that Zimmerman can be released on $150,000 bail while he awaits trial on murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a Feb. 26 confrontation in a Sanford, Fla. gated community. Zimmerman apologized to Martin's parents, who were in the courtroom for the bail hearing, in a surprise appearance on the witness stand. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty and claims self-defense.

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WARNING

Plant Sale Pre-Orders Now Available

BERLIN -- With longer days and warmer temperatures, many are planning to spruce up yards and businesses to enjoy the outdoors. When the time comes to put your green thumb to work, think about the benefits of planting native plants.

If you want to purchase native plants (and delicious heirloom tomatoes) for your yard or business, join the Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) for the 13th Annual Native and Heirloom Plant Festival, scheduled for May 5.

The festival begins at 8 a.m. and will be held in ACT’s large back yard, steps from the corner of Old Ocean City Boulevard and North Main Street in Berlin. The site is a perfect venue for a festival that combines gardening activities, local craft exhibits, and children's programs.

Native or indigenous plants are those that naturally occur in the coastal and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Using native plants will increase the chances that the plants will thrive in your yard, as they are suited to our soils and climate. Native plant species require less watering than non-natives do, and are able to make better use of rainwater than typical lawn turf. An incredible fringe benefit of the native plant garden is that local and migratory wildlife use native plant species for food, cover, and rearing young.

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PEDESTRIAN STRUCK ON COASTAL HIGHWAY

On April 20, 2012, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Ocean City police responded to the area of 33^rd Street and Coastal Highway for a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian.  The pedestrian, a 23-year-old man from Ocean City, was attempting to cross Coastal Highway from east to west, when he was struck by a northbound vehicle.

The pedestrian, who was not in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, was transported by Ocean City Emergency Services to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.  Currently no charges have been filed against the pedestrian or the driver; however, the investigation is on-going.

The Ocean City Police Department is reminding citizens to use marked crosswalks while crossing the street.  Pedestrians should not take unnecessary risks crossing busy streets against traffic lights.  In addition, pedestrians are encouraged to make eye contact with drivers and continue to watch for traffic the entire time you are in the crosswalk.  Motorists should also be extremely vigilant while driving, keeping constantly aware of pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds and scooters.

Glen Ave. To Close

GLEN AVENUE TO CLOSE FOR GRADUATION CEREMONIES

HELD MAY 29^th THROUGH JUNE 1^st

April 19 2012, Salisbury MD – County Executive Pollitt has announced that Glen Avenue will be closed for the upcoming high school commencement ceremonies held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.  Since 2010, County Executive Pollitt has closed Glen Avenue during major events for the safety and well-being of participants and attendees.

Please be aware that on the following dates, from 5pm to 10pm, Glen Avenue will be blocked off to thru traffic:

• Tuesday, May 29            Parkside High School        
• Wednesday, May 30       Mardela High School                                           
• Thursday, May 31          Wicomico High School                                                   
• Friday, June 1                 James M. Bennett High School      

Jefferson On Taxation And Debt

"I am not among those who fear the people.They, and not the rich, are our dependence for continued freedom.And to preserve their independence,We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.We must make our election between economy and libertyor profusion and servitude.
If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat andin our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors andour amusements, for our calling and our creedsas the people of England are, our people, like them,must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four,give the earnings of fifteen of theseto the government for their debts and daily expenses;and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread,we must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and potatoes;have no time to think,no means of calling our miss-managers to accountbut be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselvesto rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers.
Our land-holders, too, like theirs,retaining indeed the title and stewardship of estates called theirsbut held really in trust for the treasury,must wander, like theirs, in foreign countries,and be contented with penury, obscurity, exile,and the glory of the nation.
This example reads to us the salutary lesson,that private fortunes are destroyed by publicas well as by private extravagances.
And this is the tendency of all human governments.A departure from principle in one instancebecomes a precedent for the second;that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery,to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering.
Then begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia  [war of all against all - Ed.] ,which some philosophers observing to be so general in this world,have mistaken for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man.
And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt.Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."-- Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US PresidentSource: Letter to Samuel Kercheval, Monticello, July 12, 1816

Talk About Stupid

Time Is Running Out!!!

Time is running out!!!! Get your tickets today before it's to late!! This is going to be an event you don't want to miss!! Tickets are only $25..Call EXIT Shore Realty for more information or visit our event website at http://www.partyforparkinsons.com/

GOVERNOR AND OTHER STATE OFFICIALS TO OFFICIALLY OPEN NEW STATE POLICE WESTERN OPERATIONS CENTER IN HAGERSTOWN

(HAGERSTOWN, MD) – Governor Martin O’Malley will join Colonel Marcus Brown and Department of General Services Secretary Al Collins on Monday for a ribbon-cutting to officially open the new Maryland State Police Western Operations Center. The new facility will house the State Police Hagerstown Barrack, an expanded Western Region Forensic Science Laboratory, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, a training classroom and other important features that will enhance both state and local law enforcement capabilities in Western Maryland.

The ceremony will include comments from Governor O’Malley, Colonel Brown, Secretary Collins, and Lt. Tom Woodward, commander of the Hagerstown Barrack. Other guests attending this event include West Virginia Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Secretary Joe Thornton, and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan. The event should last about 30 minutes.

Exxon To Drill In The Arctic

That is correct. Exxon, the largest oil company in the United States, is going to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. — the Democratic Party’s refusal to open a few hundred acres of Alaska to drilling be darned. The Arctic will have oil rigs. Except they will benefit Russia, not the United States. 21 years after ridding itself of communism, Russia welcomes capitalism.

Meanwhile, the United States government will celebrate Lenin’s birthday tomorrow on Sunday by calling it Earth Day, an excuse to shutter capitalism in this nation.

The Environmental Protection Agency just announced it will crack down on fracking, which has led to oil booms in Kansas, North Dakota and Texas,. The last thing the Democratic Party wants is energy independence for the United States. And the Republican Party is not much better.

The folks at Exxon are not stupid.

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HISTORIC COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 4-21-12

THE SUNDAY RIDE

(The picture above of the 1934 Ford is from a brochure my father picked up at a Ford dealer in Buffalo, NY in 1934 back in the days when the appearance of the new year models was a big event.)

From the beginning of the era when most families owned an automobile, there was born a family tradition known as “the Sunday ride”.

I remember my mother telling me about the rides she had when she was young. She usually carried a friend with her and, for them to see as much as they did in one afternoon, was a marvel of the time. This would have been in the 1920’s and before the Great Depression, so things were booming around the Eastern Shore. This Sunday afternoon activity was to continue until about 1954 for most Americans. By this time, there were so many more activities available to the average American family to occupy their Sunday afternoons. Things such as organized sports leagues, more traffic on the road and last, but not least, television became much more attractive to people than “just riding around in the car” until 3:30 when the “good programs” would be playing on the radio. But, before all this, the chance to get away from it all and see wondrous sights in the country was the absolute best thing to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Of course, there was always a down side and that is where I contributed to our weekly family outing in the 1940’s. I had two great fears and never let my Dad have that nice, peaceful ride. I was forever asking if he really knew where we were and did we have enough gas to get home. I don’t know why these concerned me to the extent that it did. He never got lost and never ran out of gas, but I persisted in asking these questions on a regular basis.

Everyone else enjoyed the scenery, the farm animals and the new development taking place in and around Salisbury. After a while, they just learned to ignore the five year old nervous wreck in the back seat. Eventually, I learned how to read the gas gauge and a map and never had the problem again.

Barack Obama's Re-Election Bid Is Already In Deep Trouble

Newt Gingrich may not have got the memo but the battle for the Republican nomination is over. Some in the Romney campaign were hoping for a February end but others were fearing it would go on until June and a small number of Republicans even predicted a convention fight in August.

All in all, April is not a bad result for Mitt Romney - long enough to test him, short enough to allow him to focus solely on the general for the final six months.

Despite the very recent and ugly and negative primaries, Romney's struggle with conservatives and the relative difficulty he had in overcoming a lacklustre field, Republicans - who tend to fall in line more readily than Democrats - are already uniting behind him.

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Rand Paul's Future

Politico thinks he is one tough and savvy dude. Politico's Charles Mathesian writes:

Amid the speculation about Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's future, a clue about his direction from POLITICO's Seung Min Kim:

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is taking on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) – over Las Vegas.

The freshman senator is demanding an investigation into exactly how many government conferences have been held in the last three years in Sin City – like the four-day General Services Administration (GSA) junket that’s now embroiled the agency in a spending scandal.

A rookie senator, less than two years in, taking on the Majority Leader in his own backyard? It's the kind of breach of protocol that would have been unheard of in an earlier Senate era -- and would have made for an epic episode in a Robert Caro book.

But it fits into the narrative he's crafting, one that breaks enough china to signal his outsider status but also has an element of political savvy, such as sticking it to Reid.

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All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Breakfast

Uno's

All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Breakfast

Eggs, Sausage, Bacon. Fried Potatoes, Fresh Fruit

Biscuits

Coffee, Juice

Hosted by Salisbury Metro Lions Club

Saturday, April 22, 2012

8:00 am - 10:00 am

$6.00 Adults

$3.00 Children 10 - Younger

DEWTOUR: WELCOME BACK!

It’s official. The Dew Tour will return to Ocean City this summer.

Earlier this week, Alli Sports, a division of the NBC Sports Group, announced a four-year renewal of its partnership with Mountain Dew, along with the 2012 Dew Tour schedule — Ocean City is stop No. 1.

“I’m both happy and excited. The dates were set — we were just waiting for them to make it official,” Mayor Rick Meehan said this week. The Ocean City Council in January set aside Aug. 16-19, for the East Coast leg of the 2012 Dew Tour, as requested by the tour’s planners, Alli Sports. “The Dew Tour is a great event for Ocean City and it will continue to grow and be more successful.”

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Troopers Arrest Man For Kidnapping

Location Last Seen: 5000 block of Seashore Highway, Bridgeville, DE

Date of Occurrence: Monday April 16, 2012 at approximately 10:00 p.m.

Victim:
Candice Kraszewski, 15, Bridgeville, DE

Defendant, Charges, and Bail Information:

Michael R. Rigsby, 23, of Lyles, Tennessee (Photo Attached)
Kidnapping 2nd

Arraigned at JP3 and committed to SCI on $20,000.00 cash bail

Resume:
Bridgeville, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested the man who picked up a Bridgeville teen.

Detectives from Troop 4 have arrested Michael R. Rigsby, 23, of Lyles, TN. Information led Detectives to Candice Kraszewski’s location in Springfield, Virginia where she and Rigsby were picked up by Fairfax County Police.

Candice was returned to her parents unharmed. A warrant was obtained for Rigsby’s arrest and he was held in Fairfax County until his extradition back to Delaware this afternoon.

Rigsby was arraigned on the charge of Kidnapping 2nd at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $20,000.00 cash bail.