The Senate’s grand march to pass Gov. Martin O'Malley's $32 billion budget Tuesday night was delayed slightly when it found a pile of alleged chicken manure in its path.
The longest and most contentious debate in a five-hour session came over an item withholding just $250,000 from the University of Maryland law school until it submitted a report on the lawsuits filed by its legal clinics.
The dispute boils down to a question over whether a pile of waste on an Eastern Shore farm came from chickens or the people of Ocean City.
Eastern Shore senators maintained the law clinics, composed mostly of law students, were unfairly targeting the huge poultry industry in their area. The school’s mostly Democratic defenders said the demanded report was a challenge to academic independence and free speech.
“I think this takes us down a very dangerous road in terms of academic freedom,” said Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery, a constitutional law professor at American University.
For students, choosing cases to pursue “is an exercise of their academic freedom," he said, adding that the law school clinic is “basically the largest pro-bono law firm in the state.”
“This is something straight out of Communist China,” charged Sen. Jim Brochin, D-Baltimore County, a statement that drew groans from other senators.
Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, a Lower Shore Republican on the budget committee, had stirred the pot by inserting language in the budget demanding information on all the lawsuits the clinics had filed in the last five years. He wants to know who the clients were, how much money was spent and where it came from.
“I don’t think we should be afraid of information,” Stoltzfus said. “Information doesn’t hurt.”
He and the other lawmakers from the Eastern Shore had met with O'Malley on what they considered heavy-handed environmental regulation that was hurting economic development on the Shore. They had raised the issue in an earlier meeting with Environment Secretary Shari Wilson reported in MarylandReporter.com.
Stolztfus said Shore lawmakers were concerned “particularly that the poultry industry is being harassed” and that the suits were another factor encouraging poultry magnate Jim Perdue to move his processing operations to North Carolina.
“The small family farmer cannot afford to defend themselves,” Stoltzfus said.
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20 comments:
To quote the great Bill Duvall "AUX BARRICADES"
The idiots don't even realize that the chicken poo gets processed and sent to the mid-west states that have nitrogen deficient soils.
Lets piss off Perdue and see how that affects the local economy.
“Even a turkey buzzard knows the difference between chicken manure and human waste."
Rich Colburn
The U of M law school became a hotbed of socialism and misdirected environmentalism in the past 25 years or so, just like the rest of Maryland state government.
Is it any wonder that both residents and business firm are leaving ASAP for the surrounding states
It's not just chicken poo they're spreading on the fields around here anymore.
Drive by some of the "manure" sheds and see the buzzards all over it.
Buzzards don't eat poo, they eat DEAD CARCASSES!
I'm surprised there has not been more of an uproar over this issue.
Those carcasses are from the same birds that some are telling people not to eat because of antibiotics and the such the birds are given while in the houses. However, a lot of these birds were diseased or too weak for the farmer to make money off them so they had to kill them. This is expected but don't throw their carcass in your manure pile for it to disintegrate and then spread it all over the land.
I don't know what the "right" way should be of disposing of the birds. I don't know that there IS a "right" way but I do know that the stench just keeps getting worse and worse and it's from the carcasses!
I didn't mind the manure but this is different. Could this be contributing to the cancer on the Shore?
I see that Michael Pretl (anon - 12:00) now reads this blog!
Why doesn't that group of would be Perry Masons go after all the crooked politicians in Baltimore and the rest of Maryland and leave the farmers alone.
12:00pm, You've got to be kidding me. Obviously you are not from here or familiar with poultry farming. First off ride by any field that has just been spread with chicken manure and you will see plenty of buzzards. I seriously doubt you will see carcasses laying out there. Dead chickens are composted in composting bins that are attached to the manure sheds or usually in the general area of the shed. Chicken manure is used in the process of composting these dead birds as well as straw. That's why the buzzards are hanging around the sheds. Yes once composting is complete the remains are then used as fertilizer. I'm sure a stray feather gets in the mix now and then. As far as growers killing their own chickens, that's absurd. Maybe you should do a little research before you get on here and look like an uneducated fool.
12:19 --
Pretl is a "come here" not from here.
I am an Eastern Shore native, grew up on a farm, raised chickens myself, and have family that still do. I am now one of Rick Colburn's "watermelons" I guess since I do volunteer work for an environmental group. Folks, there are always a few that make it bad for everyone else. Most farmers are good stewards of the land, but a few just don't use their head. They have government subsidized manure sheds with equipment and boats sitting in them instead of manure. They have their manure piles beside a drainage ditch or stream and uncovered at that. We do need to put pressure on them to change their ways. Most of the people in the environmental movement are not commies in spite of what Rich Colburn says. Like the farmers we have a few bad apples. We love nature and the beauty we are fortunate enough to enjoy here on the Eastern Shore, and we want to try are keep just a little bit of it for our grandchildren to enjoy. Once it is gone, it will never be coming back. I love to eat chicken, and do not want the poultry industry to go anywhere. The poultry/farm industry is just one part of the problem, and should not be scapegoats, but that being said, some could do better.
as a from here, words out boys, come voting time, vote em out and give it to the Republicans for awhile, if they screw it up well vote them out next, but start telling all your friends, if theyre a democrat in 2010, vote em out, were gonna turn the Eastern Shore republican red this year, oh yeah and one more, how about Colburn easin up on bringin home the pork huh? Hes one of us but cmon Rich!
They need to just leave the poultry farmers alone,or the economy on the Shore is going to get alot worse....
I live next to large poultry farm ( 6-8 houses) and I have no complaints.The only time theres really any odor is when its very hot outside but it still isnt any worse than driving past a freshly fertilized field.I knew it was here when I moved here and it doesnt bother me a bit.I had more quality of life issues living in Salisbury in the city limits than I do out in the sticks next door thousands of chickens.The chickens dont drink in front of my house and throw their empties in my yard,nor do they sell dope on the corner.
When we had those freakish snowstorms this winter,guess who cleared my driveway with his tractor,using his own fuel and time and would not accept payment?The farmer next door!
Dont forget who keeps us fed,people.
11:22 - Thank you for your comment. I don't think alot of these people think past themselves. If Perdue leaves the area, it will result in a trickle down effect that will completely cripple the entire Eastern Shore.
Long live the "wonder roast".
Perdue is a shore leader in environmentalism. Even the DNR seeks his advice. He works with all aspects of keeping the shore and the bay clean.
Go ahead, piss him off. He will take his help elsewhere and they will benefit, and the bay will become a sewer.
Most of the commenters have missed the point except for 11:36.
The republicans are exposing the fact that the Democrats have been using the University of Maryland law school as a tool to advance their agenda.
Why would the Democrats vigorously fight the release of the records unless they've something to hide?
Academic freedon? HA!
Jim Brochin had it partially correct when he said it was something straight out of communist China. The Chinese government uses the force of government to shake down private business.
Yup Senator Brochin, the Chinese would be proud to know you and the other Democrats are following the teachings of chairman Mao.
This is a disgraceful act by cowardly politicians. If Perdue wasn't polluting the Bay and the shore they'd have nothing to worry about.
Just because Perdue is a huge employer on the shore that doesnt mean you have a free-for-all when breaking rules. Good regulations keep the environment that they supposedly love.
I love how someone makes a comment and based on a short statement all the self proclaimed expert from heres immediately call you a come here. If you know more than someone about something, great, help educate them. Why is it always us vs. them around here?
Cancer on the shore??? Yep the rate occurrence is sky high and no one cares. Just like everything else around here, its covered up.
12:19 - you tell 12:00 Anon that their statement regarding the farmers killing chickens is absurd and then you tell them that they look uneducated.
Let me tell YOU something. I raised chickens for YEARS and YES, the farmers DO kill some of their chickens! You HAVE to! A diseased, injured or weak chicken will eat your feed, etc. and the farmer will not make money on that bird but it will continue to cost the farmer money. That's why the bird is killed as soon as these issues are noticed. We're not talking thousands of birds out of a house, but for you to say the statement is absurd, IS absurd!
So maybe YOU are the one who needs to be educated!
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