DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Stirrings Of Secession
"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another ..."
So begins the Declaration of Independence of the 13 colonies from the king and country to which they had given allegiance since the settlers first came to Jamestown and Plymouth Rock.
The declaration was signed by 56 angry old white guys who had had enough of what the Cousins were doing to them. In seceding from the mother country, these patriots put their lives, fortunes and honor on the line.
Four score and five years later, 11 states invoked the same right "to dissolve the political bands" of the Union and form a new nation. After 620,000 had perished, the issue of a state's right to secede was settled at Appomattox. If that right had existed, it no longer did.
What are we to make, then, of petitions from 25,000 citizens of each of seven Southern states – 116,000 from Texas alone – to secede?
While no one takes this movement as seriously as men took secession in 1861, the sentiments behind it ought not to be minimized. For they bespeak a bristling hostility to the federal government and a dislike bordering on detestation of some Americans for other Americans, as deep as it was on the day Beauregard's guns fired on Fort Sumter.
Report: Obamas To Spend Holidays In Hawaii At $4 Million Cost To Taxpayers
By Caroline May
The first family will be vacationing in Hawaii for the Christmas holidays at a cost of at least $4 million to taxpayers, according to a report from the Hawaii Reporter.
The Hawaiian paper reports that residents living near the beachfront homes at Kailuana Place, where the President Obama and first family have visited annually since 2008, were notified Monday that there will be restrictions on their movements in place for 20 days, from Dec. 17 through Jan. 6.
The Hawaiian paper reports that residents living near the beachfront homes at Kailuana Place, where the President Obama and first family have visited annually since 2008, were notified Monday that there will be restrictions on their movements in place for 20 days, from Dec. 17 through Jan. 6.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center Appoints Chief And Vice Chair Of Anesthesiology Department
SALISBURY, Md. Dr. Courtney Harris has been promoted to chief of the anesthesiology department and Dr. Alex Mah to vice chair of anesthesiology at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. The announcement was made by Sheridan Healthcare, Inc., the leading anesthesia services provider in the country that provides anesthesia services at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
In their new positions, Dr. Harris and Dr. Mah are responsible for ensuring the quality of the anesthesia and surgery departments, educating and developing the operating room staff and performing administrative duties.
Dr. Harris has been the director of obstetric anesthesiology at Peninsula Regional Medical Center since 2009, and in 2011 was named vice chief of the anesthesiology department by Sheridan Healthcare.
A resident of Berlin, Dr. Harris completed his residency, internship and obstetric anesthesiology fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Ala. and is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology and Maryland Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Harris also is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Dr. Mah has been practicing anesthesiology since 2006 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, and since 2009 as a staff anesthesiologist with Sheridan Healthcare.
A resident of Salisbury, Dr. Mah is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology. He completed his anesthesiology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mah earned a combined M.D./Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
The US Is Now The United (Police) State Of America
Louis: Doug, after conversations like the one we had last week [15], we often get letters from angry readers who accuse you of hating America, disloyalty, and perhaps even treason. These people don't know or understand what I do about you – that you love the idea that was America. It's the United State it has become for which you have nothing but contempt. Perhaps we should try to explain this to them?
Doug: I doubt it would work; it's a tough row to hoe, trying to explain things to people who are so set in their thinking that they truly and literally don't want to hear anything that might threaten their notions. A person who feels threatened by ideas and who responds with emotion is acting irrationally. How can we have a discussion with someone whose emotion trumps their reason? How do we even begin to untangle the thinking of people who will gather this week to give thanks for the bounty produced by freedom and hard work – the famous puritan work ethic – by eating a turkey bought with food stamps?
But we can outline the ideas, for the record.
Louis: I'll bring a copy if they ever do put you on trial for thought crime – which is frighteningly close to being real these days and called treason to boot.
Doug: It's not just close; it's here. Just try telling an unapproved joke in a security line in an airport these days.
Louis: True enough. Where to begin?
Doug: At the beginning. America was founded as a confederation of independent countries – that's what a state is. Or was, in our language. The original United States of America was a confederation of countries that banded together for protection against larger and more powerful countries they feared might be hostile. This is not a disputed interpretation of history, but as solid a fact as the study of history produces – and yet a largely neglected one.
White House Threatens To Veto Senate Bill
The Senate said the government cannot hold Americans suspected of terrorism indefinitely. Liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans came together to approve the amendment to the defense bill. It would apply only to citizens or legal residents seized on U.S. soil. In passing the measure, lawmakers revived a controversy that has plagued the government since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But the House rejected a similar effort in May. The White House has threatened to veto the Senate bill.
Gallup: A Majority Of Liberals View Socialism Positively
The biggest threat to America’s future is the size and power of our own government. If you agree with that statement, then you’re probably a conservative. If you disagree and believe that big government is a boon to the country and not a threat at all, you’re probably a liberal.
Will Republicans Go Back To The Future With Jeb Bush?
In January 2008, at a John McCain rally in Columbia, S.C., I asked a number of local politicos to look back to the brutal 2000 Republican primary in their state, the one between McCain and George W. Bush. They had all supported Bush back then, and I asked whether, given the inconclusive wars, runaway federal spending and economic catastrophe of the next eight years, they felt they made the right choice.
The answer was yes. They explained that they had strongly supported Ronald Reagan, and then they supported George H.W. Bush because they had supported Reagan, and then supported George W. Bush because they had supported George H.W. Bush. It was just a natural progression.
Now, after decisive presidential defeats in 2008 and 2012, there is another Bush to consider as party insiders buzz about the possibility of a Jeb Bush candidacy. But the question, in South Carolina and elsewhere, is whether the enormous legacy advantage that George W. Bush enjoyed will still be there.
"There was a sense of loyalty that started with Reagan and moved to H.W. and then to W," said Barry Wynn, a former South Carolina GOP chairman and a continuing influential figure in the state. "Whether that translates to Jeb or not I just don't know."
DDA Forest Service Seeks Recruits For Wildland Fire Training
Do you have what it takes to be a wildland firefighter?
- Do you like the outdoors and have a sense of adventure?
- Would you like to help protect human lives, property, and precious natural resources during a national crisis?
- Do you have the mental fortitude, physical stamina, and work flexibility to spend 14 days on a fireline far from your home?
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you can sign up for the Delaware Forest Service’s wildland fire training classes in January at the Delaware State Fire School. While it is not necessary to be affiliated with a volunteer fire company, candidates should be: at least 18 years of age, physically fit, and motivated to learn. Those without previous firefighting experience must contact Henry Poole, DFS Assistant Forestry Administrator, (302) 698-4548 before enrolling in the classes. The registration deadline is December 21, 2012.
The first series of classes will take place on Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
The second series of classes will be held on Saturday, January 19 and Sunday, January 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cost of each two-day training is $50, payable to the “Delaware State Fire School”.
Over the past ten years (2003 to 2012), an average of 70,639 wildfires have burned an estimated 7,414,500 acres of valuable land per year in the United States. Despite being a small state with a somewhat low risk of wildfire, Delaware has managed to achieve a sizable reputation on the national firefighting scene because it regularly dispatches teams of trained and experienced personnel to battle wildfires in the West. The First State has also fielded crews to aid in other national or regional emergencies, such as serving on hurricane relief crews in Florida and New York.
Can This Party Be Saved?
We Republicans cherish the free market. So now might be the right time to start listening to it. Our party has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections. That is 20 years of “no, thanks” from the American people. Only basketball’s Washington Generals, who are paid to lose to the Harlem Globetrotters, can exceed that losing record, and by only four years (1971–95).
The worst error politicians can make is to spin themselves. It’s time for the GOP to face the hard truth, no matter how painful. The Republican brand is dying, many of our strategists are incompetent, and we still design campaigns to prevail in the America of 25 years ago.
Identifying the problem is easy. The Republican challenge is not about better voter-turnout software; it is about policy. We repel Latinos, the fastest-growing voter group in the country, with our nativist opposition to immigration reform that offers a path to citizenship. We repel younger voters, who are much more secular than their parents, with our opposition to same-sex marriage and our scolding tone on social issues. And we have lost much of our once solid connection to the middle class on kitchen-table economic issues.
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The Problem With Food Stamp Challenges
As the outcome of a debate he had with a Twitter follower, Newark Mayor Cory Booker says he will spend December 4 through 11 trying to live on food stamps. Should he follow through, Mayor Booker will be part of a rapidly growing group. In the last six months, mayors in Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Phoenix have also spent a week living on food stamps, as have the governors of Oregon and Colorado. And politicians are not the only ones participating in such experiments. A few months ago, celebrity chef Mario Batali successfully completed a food stamp challenge with his family, and there is a program at the University of Bridgeport that in a few weeks will invite students on the campus to do the same.
There are even groups around the country that help organize community participation in similar efforts. One such group, The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, hosts a blog where people post their experiences. Some happily share the news about how their week-long experience with food stamps led to long-desired weight loss. However, most everyone from celebrities to politicians to regular people agree about how impossibly hard it is to eat healthfully, or even consistently escape hunger, on so little food.
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Bankrupt Hostess Wants To Reward Executives With $1.8 Million In Bonuses
Only days after being unable to work things out with a striking union, and forcing us all to devour faux Twinkies for our creamy, spongy sugar fix, the folks at Hostess Brands Inc. are asking for a bankruptcy court to approve up to $1.8 million in bonus payments to top executives.
According to the Associated Press, the bonuses are intended to retain 19 members of the top brass through the coming months of liquidation. These executives would continue to receive their regular pay — and two of them could earn even bigger bonuses if the liquidation goes swimmingly.
CEO Gregory Rayburn is not among those who would receive a bonus, but he is already earning $125,000 a month, which buys an awful lot of Twinkies… in Canada, where they are still available.
According to the Associated Press, the bonuses are intended to retain 19 members of the top brass through the coming months of liquidation. These executives would continue to receive their regular pay — and two of them could earn even bigger bonuses if the liquidation goes swimmingly.
CEO Gregory Rayburn is not among those who would receive a bonus, but he is already earning $125,000 a month, which buys an awful lot of Twinkies… in Canada, where they are still available.
Reservations Available For 'Freaks On Broadway' December 6-9
Salisbury University’s Musical Theatre Workshop presents the cabaret-style revue “Freaks on Broadway.” Curtain is 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, December 6-8, 3 p.m. Sunday, December 9, in the Black Box Theatre of Fulton Hall. Focusing on characters who are “different,” the show includes music from several crowd-pleasers, including Wicked, La Cage aux Folles, Oklahoma and The Addams Family, as well as intriguing productions such as Next to Normal, Taboo and Side Show. Dr. Darrell Mullins of the Communication Arts Department directs.
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Grasso Announces Bid For County Executive
FEDERALSBURG — Anne Arundel County Councilman John Grasso traveled nearly two hours to the Eastern Shore on Wednesday to watch his latest business venture unfold.
Last year a constituent suggested he sell and bottle Anne Arundel County water as a way to pump money back into the county. He listened and named the water “Pure.”
Bottled water is just one of the many ideas the Glen Burnie Republican has as he finalizes plans to run for county executive in 2014.
The Republican from Glen Burnie will make it official at a tailgate party from noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 9 at La Fontaine Bleue.
Grasso is announcing his bid now, two years out from the election, to show he’s not a typical politician.
“A typical politician announces his candidacy 24 hours before deadline,” Grasso said. “I’m not like the other politicians, I’m a statesman. People need to know this right now.”
Police Investigating 24th Arson Fire In Accomack County
Virginia State Police are investigating what they believe to be the 24th arson fire set in the county since Nov. 13.
At approximately 1:49 a.m. Virginia State Police received a call that a portable catering trailer was on fire on Boston Road, a state police news release said.
No injuries were reported,the release said.
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At approximately 1:49 a.m. Virginia State Police received a call that a portable catering trailer was on fire on Boston Road, a state police news release said.
No injuries were reported,the release said.
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It’s Not Exactly The Corporate Death Penalty, But It’s A Start
On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is barring BP from receiving any new federal government contracts due to that foreign oil corporation’s “lack of business integrity” following the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP recently agreed to pay $4.5 billion in fines for the environmental catastrophe, which will only put a slight dent in their corporate money chest. But this latest move by the EPA could be far more harmful to the company. BP can still benefit from existing federal contracts, but the Department of Interior has also banned BP from receiving any new leases to drill on federal lands. According to the EPA, the ban on BP will last until the company can prove it’s capable of meeting federal business standards. Our nation has a long history of putting corporations out of business when they’re operating against the best interest of their workers and the community. Only when corporations have the corporate death penalty “Sword of Damocles” hanging over their head can we make sure that workers and communities aren't being exploited to maximize short-term corporate profits.
Fraud And Crony Capitalism
An audit of the Kabul Bank in Afghanistan finds rampant fraud and crony capitalism.
The audit reveals that, since 2001, as much as $900 million were funneled out of the bank and into the hands of a small political elite with close ties to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. As the New York Times reports, "For many Afghans, the scandal surrounding Kabul Bank, a linchpin of the economic order established here by Americans and their allies, has cemented the opinion that the United States brought crony capitalism, not free markets, to Afghanistan." And we wonder why the Middle East is so wary of Western style politics and capitalism? Looking at the corrupt global financial system that unregulated capitalism has created, who would want to be a part of it other than corrupt politicians and banksters?
The audit reveals that, since 2001, as much as $900 million were funneled out of the bank and into the hands of a small political elite with close ties to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. As the New York Times reports, "For many Afghans, the scandal surrounding Kabul Bank, a linchpin of the economic order established here by Americans and their allies, has cemented the opinion that the United States brought crony capitalism, not free markets, to Afghanistan." And we wonder why the Middle East is so wary of Western style politics and capitalism? Looking at the corrupt global financial system that unregulated capitalism has created, who would want to be a part of it other than corrupt politicians and banksters?
CEOs On Debt
Have you noticed the large number of CEOs going on TV to give their opinions on how to fix the debt?
Last week it was Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein who suggested raising the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare. AETNA CEO Mark Bertolini also argued for raising the retirement age and means-testing Social Security and Medicare benefits. In fact 71 CEOs have joined together as part of a "Fix the Debt" coalition to call for cuts to social safety net programs, instead of higher taxes on rich people like themselves. And, as the Institute for Policy Studies discovered, there's good reason why these CEOs want to target social safety nets like Social Security...it's because they don't need them. They're all sitting on massive retirement assets, averaging over $9 million each. Lloyd Blankfein himself has nearly $12 million in retirement assets. It's easy to call for cuts to Social Security when you know you won't need it. Yes, it's true we don't have an arrogant and effete royal family in America like they do in Britain. But the British Royal Family are paupers compared to America's billionaires - and they're now pushing to further cut retirement income and healthcare for working-class Americans, while sitting on hundreds of millions for themselves. Sometime soon, Americans will begin to revolt against this Reaganomics-created Billionaire/Republican Royalty!
Last week it was Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein who suggested raising the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare. AETNA CEO Mark Bertolini also argued for raising the retirement age and means-testing Social Security and Medicare benefits. In fact 71 CEOs have joined together as part of a "Fix the Debt" coalition to call for cuts to social safety net programs, instead of higher taxes on rich people like themselves. And, as the Institute for Policy Studies discovered, there's good reason why these CEOs want to target social safety nets like Social Security...it's because they don't need them. They're all sitting on massive retirement assets, averaging over $9 million each. Lloyd Blankfein himself has nearly $12 million in retirement assets. It's easy to call for cuts to Social Security when you know you won't need it. Yes, it's true we don't have an arrogant and effete royal family in America like they do in Britain. But the British Royal Family are paupers compared to America's billionaires - and they're now pushing to further cut retirement income and healthcare for working-class Americans, while sitting on hundreds of millions for themselves. Sometime soon, Americans will begin to revolt against this Reaganomics-created Billionaire/Republican Royalty!
"Stand Your Ground"
"Stand Your Ground" strikes again in Florida. This past weekend, 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot and killed as he sat in a sport-utility vehicle after yelling back at 45-year-old Michael David Dunn.
According to the Orlando Sentinel – Davis was sitting in the vehicle with several other friends when Dunn pulled up and asked Davis to turn down the music. Word were exchanged, and Dunn pulled out a gun and fired nine shots into the vehicle, killing Davis. Dunn was arrested and charged with murder, however he is claiming self-defense meaning Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law could play a factor in the case. As was the case nine months ago in Florida when Trayvon Martin was shot and killed as a result of the Stand Your Ground law, Davis is also an African American. The shooter, Dunn, is white. In Florida, 70% of those who invoke "Stand Your Ground" end up walking away scot-free. And 73% of those who kill a black person and invoke "Stand Your Ground" end up walking free. These laws were written by the American Legislative Exchange Council – known as ALEC – which receives its funding from the Koch brothers. And the law's intended purpose is to give legal cover to gun retailers like Walmart when their weapons are used to kill people. But, as we've seen in Florida twice now in the last nine months, when corporations write our laws, public safety is the loser. We must repeal these laws which legalize race-related murders.
According to the Orlando Sentinel – Davis was sitting in the vehicle with several other friends when Dunn pulled up and asked Davis to turn down the music. Word were exchanged, and Dunn pulled out a gun and fired nine shots into the vehicle, killing Davis. Dunn was arrested and charged with murder, however he is claiming self-defense meaning Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law could play a factor in the case. As was the case nine months ago in Florida when Trayvon Martin was shot and killed as a result of the Stand Your Ground law, Davis is also an African American. The shooter, Dunn, is white. In Florida, 70% of those who invoke "Stand Your Ground" end up walking away scot-free. And 73% of those who kill a black person and invoke "Stand Your Ground" end up walking free. These laws were written by the American Legislative Exchange Council – known as ALEC – which receives its funding from the Koch brothers. And the law's intended purpose is to give legal cover to gun retailers like Walmart when their weapons are used to kill people. But, as we've seen in Florida twice now in the last nine months, when corporations write our laws, public safety is the loser. We must repeal these laws which legalize race-related murders.
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