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Sunday, May 09, 2010

Count Your Blessings This Mother's Day


First of all, Happy Mother's Day Ladies.
The above letter came from my Mother before she passed. That's the kind of Mom she was.
While many of you join me today in missing our Mothers, I feel your pain. Count your blessings to those who's Mothers are still with you.
Take note of the short letter above and perhaps send one of your own to each and every one of your Children so they may reflect back on something as special as that brief message.
To Mom, you dedicated your life to God and your Children. More importantly, you dedicated the majority of your life counseling those Mothers debating abortion and choosing LIFE instead. So on this Mother's Day, Mom, you have more children than you ever knew.
May God Always Bless You for ALL you have given back, especially life.
R.I.P. Mom

"Unintended Consequences"

This is an important analysis of what Fortune calls “ unintended consequences” of the health care bill, but what most conservatives predicted-- that employers will find it much cheaper to pay the fine and drop their health coverage and employees would not keep their current plans because their plan would no longer exist. “AT&T revealed that it spends $2.4 billion a year on coverage for its almost 300,000 active employees, a number that would fall to $600 million if AT&T stopped providing health care coverage and paid the penalty option instead.”. American will soon find out that this bill is a disaster.
Ellen

Documents reveal AT&T, Verizon, others, thought about dropping employer-sponsored benefits
By Shawn Tully, senior editor at large


(Fortune) -- The great mystery surrounding the historic health care bill is how the corporations that provide coverage for most Americans -- coverage they know and prize -- will react to the new law's radically different regime of subsidies, penalties, and taxes. Now, we're getting a remarkable inside look at the options AT&T, Deere, and other big companies are weighing to deal with the new legislation.


Internal documents recently reviewed by Fortune, originally requested by Congress, show what the bill's critics predicted, and what its champions dreaded: many large companies are examining a course that was heretofore unthinkable, dumping the health care coverage they provide to their workers in exchange for paying penalty fees to the government.


That would dismantle the employer-based system that has reigned since World War II. It would also seem to contradict President Obama's statements that Americans who like their current plans could keep them. And as we'll see, it would hugely magnify the projected costs for the bill, which controls deficits only by assuming that America's employers would remain the backbone of the nation's health care system.


Hence, health-care reform risks becoming a victim of unintended consequences. Amazingly, the corporate documents that prove this point became public because of a different set of unintended consequences: they told a story far different than the one the politicians who demanded them expected.


Why the write-downs happened but the hearings didn't
In the days after President Obama signed the bill on March 24, a number of companies announced big write downs due to some fiscal changes it ushered in. The legislation eliminated a company's right to deduct the federal retiree drug-benefit subsidy from their corporate taxes. That reduced projected revenue. As a result, AT&T (T, Fortune 500) and Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) took well-publicized charges of around $1 billion.


The announcements greatly annoyed Representative Henry Waxman, who accused the companies of using the big numbers to exaggerate health care reform's burden on employers. Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, demanded that they turn over their confidential memos, and summoned their top executives for hearings.


But Waxman didn't simply request documents related to the write down issue. He wanted every document the companies created that discussed what the bill would do to their most uncontrollable expense: healthcare costs.


The request yielded 1,100 pages of documents from four major employers: AT&T, Verizon, Caterpillar and Deere (DE, Fortune 500). No sooner did the Democrats on the Energy Committee read them than they abruptly cancelled the hearings. On April 14, the Committee's majority staff issued a memo stating that the write downs were "proper and in accordance with SEC rules." The committee also stated that the memos took a generally sunny view of the new legislation. The documents, said the Democrats' memo, show that "the overall impact of health reform on large employers could be beneficial."


Nowhere in the five-page report did the majority staff mention that not one, but all four companies, were weighing the costs and benefits of dropping their coverage.


Bayer CEO on health care reform
AT&T produced a PowerPoint slide entitled "Medical Cost Versus No Coverage Penalty." A document prepared for Verizon by consulting firm Hewitt Resources stated, "Even though the proposed assessments [on companies that do not provide health care] are material, they are modest when compared to the average cost of health care," and that to avoid costs and regulations, "employers may consider exiting the health care market and send employees to the Exchanges." (Under the new bill, employees who lose their coverage will purchase health care through state-run exchanges.)


Kenneth Huhn, vice president of labor relations at Deere, said in an internal email that his company should look at the alternatives to providing health benefits, which "would amount to denying coverage and just paying the penalty," and that he felt he already had the ability to make this change under his company's labor agreement. Caterpillar felt it would have to give "serious consideration" to the penalty option.


It's these analyses -- which show it's a lot cheaper to "pay" than to "play" -- that threaten to overthrow the traditional architecture of health care.


The cost side
Indeed, companies are far more likely to cease providing coverage if they predict the bill will lift rather than flatten the cost curve. Deere, for example said, "We do expect double digit health care increases as most Americans will now have insurance and providers try to absorb the 15% uninsured into a practice."


Both Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) and Verizon believe the requirement to allow dependents to remain on their parents' policies until age 26 will prove costly. Caterpillar puts the added expense at $20 million a year.


How two new taxes and the employer penalty change the health care calculus
First, there is the "Cadillac Tax" on expensive plans. This is a 40% excise tax on policies that cost over $8,500 for an individual or $23,000 for a family. Verizon's document predicts the tax will cost its employees $255 million a year when it starts in 2018, and rise sharply from there. Hewitt also isn't sure that Verizon can pass on the full tax to its employees; so it could impose a heavy weight on the company as well. "Many [have] characterized this tax as a pass-through to the consumer," says the Verizon document. "However, there will be significant legal and bargaining risks to overcome for this to be the case for Verizon."


In a statement to Fortune, Verizon said it is not, "considering or even contemplating" the plans laid out in the report, though records show the company did send the report to its board shortly after the reform plan was passed by Congress.


Second, the bill imposes new taxes on drug manufacturers, medical device-makers, and health insurance providers. Hewitt leaves little doubt Verizon will be paying for them: "These provisions are fees or excise taxes that will be shifted to employers through increased fees and rates."


Caterpillar and AT&T actually spell out the cost differences: Caterpillar did its estimate in November, when the most likely legislation would have imposed an 8% payroll tax on companies that do not provide coverage. Even with that immense penalty, Caterpillar stated that it could shave $25 million a year, or almost 10% from its bill. Now, because the $2,000 is far lower than 8%, it could reduce its bill by over 70%, by Fortune's estimate. Caterpillar did not respond to a request for comment.


AT&T revealed that it spends $2.4 billion a year on coverage for its almost 300,000 active employees, a number that would fall to $600 million if AT&T stopped providing health care coverage and paid the penalty option instead. AT&T declined comment.


So what happens to the employees who get dropped?
And why didn't these big employers drop employee coverage a long time ago? The Congressional Budget Office, in its crucial cost estimates of the bill, projected that company plans will cover more employees ten years from now than today. The reason the bill doesn't add to the deficit, the CBO states, is that fewer than 25 million Americans will be collecting the subsidies the bill mandates in 2020.


Those subsidies are indeed big: families of four earning between $22,000 and $88,000 would pay between 2% and 9.5% of their incomes on premiums; the federal government would pay the rest. So policies for a family making $66,000 would cost them just $5,300 a year with the government picking up the difference: more than $10,000 by most estimates.


As bean counters know, that's not a bad deal for a company's rank-and-file, and it's a great deal for the companies themselves. In a competitive labor market, the employers that shed their plans will need to give their employees a big raise, and those raises could be higher, even after taxes, than the premiums the employees will pay in the exchanges.


What does it mean for health care reform if the employer-sponsored regime collapses? By Fortune's reckoning, each person who's dropped would cost the government an average of around $2,100 after deducting the extra taxes collected on their additional pay. So if 50% of people covered by company plans get dumped, federal health care costs will rise by $160 billion a year in 2016, in addition to the $93 billion in subsidies already forecast by the CBO. Of course, as we've seen throughout the health care reform process, it's impossible to know for certain what the unintended consequences of these actions will be.

American Flag Shirt Incident Settling Down


(Friday, May 7, 2010)-- As Friday slowly unfolds into the weekend - Live Oak High School students still reeling from the national spotlight that has shined on the school for three days - took some time during their lunch period today to just breathe and reflect on what transpired since Cinco de Mayo.

"Our school's not known for racism," sophomore Justina Piedra said shaking her head. "Our school is actually a really good school. Everybody gets along with everybody, except these past three days it's been living hell for everybody."

That living hell, students said, began when four Morgan Hill students who wore red, white and blue patriotic clothing on Cinco de Mayo, were sent home by administrators to quell any potential violence. One student said Vice Principal Miguel Rodriguez called the T-shirts "incendiary."

"They said we were starting a fight, we were fuel to the fire," said Matt Dariano, a sophomore, and one of the students sent home.

Today, many LOHS students wore white and purple to show their solidarity with one another and as a outward expression of peace and unity. At lunch, hundreds gathered in the quad area at Live Oak to dispel the rumors and tension, they say, that was caused by the national media that used a bad decision by their administrators to send home Daniel Galli, Dominic Maciel, Matt Dariano and Austin Carvalho, as an unfair quick glance at Live Oak.

The four students' parents were called into a conference Wednesday after brunch with Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez and Principal Nick Boden who sent the students home with an unexcused absence, not suspension.

Students held an American flag and Mexican flag up - they stood together - said Jessica Serpa, a freshman, and proclaimed "we should stop this."

More than 200 Hispanic teens skipped school Thursday and marched through Morgan Hill yelling "We want respect!" and "Si se puedes!" At least six Morgan Hill police cars and several sheriff's vehicles caravanned alongside the line of teens wearing red, white and green and carrying Mexican flags.

The crowd - mostly high school students - left school Thursday morning after the story of four students who were sent home because they wore American flag T-shirts went viral on TV and online.

The students say they want people to know they're proud of their heritage and those who wore red, white and blue on Cinco de Mayo weren't showing them any respect.

The school district and Live Oak has been submerged in the national spotlight on radio stations, FOX news and other national shows, and splashed all over the Internet since May 5. Extra police were stationed at Live Oak Thursday and Friday to prevent potential violence. None was reported.

Superintendent Wes Smith held a press conference today to address the situation that he called "unfortunate." Live Oak Principal Nick Boden was not at the press conference held at the school district office at 11:45 a.m., but did issue an apology addressed to the Live Oak community. In it, Boden apologized for the impact the controversy made.

"In this situation, I may have moved too quickly in drawing the line of when to take preventative action," Boden wrote.

Smith was clear on his position of the national media trying to pigeon hole Live Oak or Morgan Hill as a hotbed for racial tension.

"This is not Live Oak, they don't know us," Smith said in an interview this afternoon. "We know our town, we know our kids and the incident was regrettable, mistakes were made. But it doesn't define us."

It was the level of maturity that came from Live Oak students Friday at lunch during their peaceful meeting that now has everyone talking.

"The adults (on campus) were in awe of how these kids were coming together," Smith said. "It's a metaphor for how we move forward, that we're not what those people are saying about us, we want to get along, we want to work this out."

Read the rest of this story here

President Obama, No One in Arizona Is Laughing

A Letter To The Editor

I cannot understand in these difficult economic times, or in most economic times, how any municipality can continually raise taxes. We just had a huge increase in water, sewer, refuse collection last year, mine went up $50/quarter, now, if I read correctly, another $30/quarter this year? In addition, a proposed increase in property taxes of 8-10 cents, I assume per hundred of assessed valuation, is being considered. We are being taxed into poverty in this country and I am afraid the entire system will soon implode. Obviously the unbridled growth we have in this area does not pay its way with taxes. Shouldn't our assessed valuation be reduced with the general decline in home values? What can we do?

Life

On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed.......

On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed......

On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again......

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."

So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves.. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

The Spin

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree.

She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885,
escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'

So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle.

Harry Reid:

Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.
In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

NOW THAT's how it's done, Folks!

That's real POLITICAL SPIN

#2 Salisbury Univ. Defeats Washington College In 'War On The Shore'



SALISBURY, Md May 8, 2010. – In an Eastern Shore rivalry which consistently brings in over 2,000 spirited spectators, only one team can take home the Charles B. Clark Cup. On Saturday afternoon, for the seventh straight year, the No. 2-ranked Salisbury University men's lacrosse team took home the trophy as the Sea Gulls defeated the Shoremen of Washington (Md.) College, 12-7.

The series, affectionately known as “War on the Shore” by fans, lived up to its name on Saturday as both teams came ready to play. 2,504 fans made the trek to Sea Gull Stadium to watch the battle unfold. The Shoremen (4-10) were the first to strike, as Doug Herdegen fired a shot past junior goalkeeper Johnny Rodriguez (Gambrills, Md.) just two minutes into the game. It would be the first of just three leads for Washington on the day as the Shoremen went up, 1-0, over the Gulls.

Undeterred, Salisbury (18-1) struck back just 26 seconds later as senior attackman Mike Winter (Port Washington, N.Y.) scored off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Sam Bradman (Canton, N.Y.) to knot up the score at one apiece. Each team netted one more goal to end the first quarter tied, 2-2.

But the back-and-forth play wouldn't end there. The Sea Gulls and Shoremen continued to rack up the goals in the second quarter and entered halftime tied up at 6 goals apiece. Bradman led the Gulls in scoring for the half, netting three, along with a score off the stick of sophomore attackman Matt Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.) and a man-up goal by senior attackman Jake DeLillo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.). First-half statistics were relatively balanced between the teams, with Salisbury holding a narrow edge on shots (20-16) and ground balls (25-21).

The second half, however, was a different story as the maroon and gold outscored the Shoremen 6-1. Salisbury shut out Washington in scoring in the third quarter, netting three goals in the 15 minute span, to take a commanding 9-6 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Shoremen would score their only goal of the second half at the start of that quarter but the Gulls proceeded to crank out three more scores, including a goal by senior defensive midfielder Will Poletis (Baltimore, Md.) with just four seconds left, to seal the victory. Salisbury has won every Charles B. Clark Cup since the annual contest began in 2004.

Rodriguez was a brick wall in the cage in the second half, as eight of his nine total saves came in the last 30 minutes of play. Additionally, he caused two turnovers.

The game was also an opportunity for the Sea Gulls to recognize their eight graduating seniors: DeLillo, Winter, Poletis, midfielders Mike Von Kamecke (Winter Park, Fla.), Kevin Finn (Evanston, Ill.) and Ryan Finch (Finksburg, Md.), long-stick midfielder Connor Burgasser (Mendon, N.Y.) and defender Jeff Breeding (Cockeysville, Md.). The contest marked the final regular-season game at Sea Gull Stadium for the players.

Salisbury will now await the announcement of the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse tournament field, which will be announced on Sunday, May 9 at 10 p.m. on the CBS College Sports Network.

Source: http://www.laxpower.com/

First goal scored in yesterday’s War On The Shore

Dave, an SU alumnus (Shippensburg University, PA)

Our Muslim Heritage

Barack OBAMA, during his Cairo speech, said: "I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America 's story."

AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RESPONSE:

Dear Mr. Obama:

Were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed? Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.

Were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day? Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.

Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?

Declaration of Independence ?

Bill of Rights?

Didn't think so.

Did Muslims fight for this country's freedom from England ? No.

Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves in America ? No, they did not. In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery. Your own half brother, a devout Muslim, still advocates slavery himself, even though Muslims of Arabic descent refer to black Muslims as "pug nosed slaves." Says a lot of what the Muslim world really thinks of your family's "rich Islamic heritage," doesn't it Mr. Obama?

Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country? Not present.

There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side with Martin Luther King, Jr. or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.

Where were Muslims during this country's Woman's Suffrage era? Again, not present. In fact, devout Muslims demand that women are subservient to men in the Islamic culture. So much so, that often they are beaten for not wearing the 'hajib' or for talking to a man who is not a direct family member or their husband. Yep, the Muslims are all for women's rights, aren't they?

Where were Muslims during World War II? They were aligned with Adolf Hitler. The Muslim grand mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops and accepted support from the Nazi's in killing Jews.

Finally, Mr. Obama, where were Muslims on Sept. 11th, 2001? If they weren't flying planes into the World Trade Center , the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people on our own soil, they were rejoicing in the Middle East ... No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other cable news networks that day. Strangely, the very "moderate" Muslims who's asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo , Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent post 9-11. To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.

And THAT, Mr. Obama, is the "rich heritage" Muslims have here in America .

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention the Barbary Pirates. They were Muslim.

And now we can add November 5, 2009 - the slaughter of American soldiers at Fort Hood by a Muslim major who is a doctor and a psychiatrist who was supposed to be counseling soldiers returning from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan .


That, Mr. Obama is the "Muslim heritage" in America .

Southerner's Medical Dictionary

Artery............................. The study of paintings
Bacteria......................... Back door to cafeteria
Barium........................... What doctors do when patients die
Benign............................ What you be, after you be eight
Caesarean Section...... A neighborhood in Rome
Cat scan........................ Searching for Kitty
Cauterize...................... Made eye contact with her
Colic...............................A sheep dog
Coma............................ A punctuation mark
Dilate............................ To live long
Enema............................Not a friend
Fester............................ Quicker than someone else
Fibula............................ A small lie
Impotent.......................Distinguished, well known
Labour Pain................. Getting hurt at work
Medical Staff............... A Doctor's cane
Morbid........................... A higher offer
Nitrates......................... Cheaper than day rates
Node................................ I knew it
Outpatient..................... A person who has fainted
Pelvis................. .......... Second cousin to Elvis
Post Operative............ A letter carrier
Recovery Room.......... Place to do upholstery
Rectum......................... Damn near killed him
Secretion....................... Hiding something
Seizure........................ Roman emperor
Tablet........................... A small table
Terminal Illness.......... Getting sick at the airport
Tumor.......................... One plus one more
Urine............................. Opposite of you're out

TROOPERS ARREST MAN FOR CDS POSSESSION

On Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 1:47 pm, A Trooper from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police stopped a vehicle for erratic driving on Rt. 346 near Hobbs Road in Salisbury. After further investigation, the driver, Eugene Wilbur Carroll, 56, of Poolesville Md. was found to be under the influence of prescription narcotics. A search of his person incident to arrest revealed several dozen various prescription narcotics not prescribed to him in his possession. He was charged with possession of CDS and paraphernalia and was turned over to a District Court Commissioner pending a hearing.

DID YOU LOSE THIS?


FOUND ON ZION ROAD 30300 BLOCK.



Tell me what’s inside to prove ownership!



443-523-0029

TROOPERS ARREST MAN FOR BURGLARY

On Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 06:14 am, Troopers from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police responded to a residence on Greenwood Street in Salisbury in reference to a burglary in progress. The complainant advised Troopers a male subject in a red sweatshirt was attempting to gain entry into a residence. Further investigation revealed that a window to the residence had been broken. The suspect was located in the area and was identified as Dwight Shivers, 22, of Salisbury. Troopers charged Shivers with Burglary 4th degree and MDOP. He was turned over to a District Court Commissioner pending a hearing.

BEAL SHUTS DOWN RIVERDOGS IN 4-2 WIN

Josh Dowdy Earns Fourth Save of Season

Salisbury, Md.
– The Delmarva Shorebirds plated two late runs to defeat the Charleston RiverDogs 4-2 at Perdue Stadium on Saturday night.

The Charleston RiverDogs jumped to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning. Jimmy Parades hit a leadoff single. He then proceeded to steal second and third. Paredes scored on a wild pitch by Jesse Beal. Luke Murton also came into score on a grounder by Rob Lyerly to push the ‘Dogs lead to 2-0.

The Shorebirds responded in the home half of the first. T.J. Baxter walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then, Ty Kelly hit a liner into left-center field to score Baxter.

The ‘Birds tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the second inning. Tyler Kolodny reached on a error and stole second base. He advanced to third on a ground out by Mikey Planeta and scored on a ground out by Michael Ohlman.

The Shorebirds grabbed the lead in the seventh. With runners at first and third and one out, T.J. Baxter got caught in a rundown between first and second and remained in the pickle long enough to allow Michael Ohlman to score.

Tyler Kolodny tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning on a broken bat blooper into center field to score Tyler Stampone.

Jesse Beal earned the win in seven strong innings. He allowed just two runs. Josh Dowdy came on in the ninth inning to secure his fourth save of the season.

The Shorebirds play the Charleston RiverDogs in game three of the series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m.