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Monday, May 14, 2012

Drop The Cash From Helicopters!

Narrow M1 data for April is the weakest since modern records began. Real M1 deposits – a leading indicator of economic growth six months or so ahead – have contracted since November. They are shrinking faster that at any time during the 2008-2009 crisis, and faster than in Spain right now, according to Simon Ward at Henderson Global Investors ... "China is in deflation," says Charles Dumas from Lombard Street Research. Yes, consumer price inflation is 3.4pc – though falling – but consumption is a third of GDP. Fixed investment is 46pc, and here prices have dropped 3.5pc in six months. Export prices have dropped 6.6pc ... All the BRICs need watching. India's industrial output fell 3.5pc in March. The country seems caught in a 1970s stagflation vice. Brazil has softened too, with car sales down 15pc and industrial production contracting in March. The bad loans of the banks have reached 10.3pc, higher than post-Lehman. The bubble has probably popped already, but hoteliers in Rio are hanging on. The European Parliament has pulled out of the UN's Rio forum on sustainable development in June because the rooms are exorbitant. "We are short the vastly over-vaunted and over-owned BRICs," says hedge fund contrarian Hugh Hendry. – UK Telegraph

Dominant Social Theme: If only we could print as much money as we want. That would make the banks happy, anyway ...

Free-Market Analysis: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has gotten to the heart of the matter in a recent article on monetary contraction (see above). He rightly points out that less money is circulating but then comes quickly to a Keynesian conclusion that more money will provide the antidote.

Because of all of the conflicting information surrounding this subject, it takes a long time to figure it out. But one thing is for sure: "Printing" money is not the solution.

Unlike many, Evans-Pritchard has gotten the problem right in the past. For a variety of reasons, money is not circulating around the world.

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Brand New Pair Of Roller Skates

Coulbourne Mill Rd Work Postponed

Due to the inclement weather, we have postponed the work on Coulbourne Mill Rd until Thursday. Right now, they are calling for nice weather.

It's About Time

Director Jeff Zients said the Office of Management and Budget is freezing the federal real-estate footprint, which means it is prohibiting agencies from buying or otherwise increasing their civilian properties except under certain conditions. OMB said agencies have saved $1.5 billion by selling, consolidating or canceling real estate projects and reducing maintenance and utility costs. It estimated that the government would save $3.5 billion in real estate costs by the end of the year. Also, it told agencies to use existing vehicles and not replace cars until they have been driven for at least three years or 60,000 miles.

Government Wants To Fly Unmanned Aircraft Over US

If the government wants to fly unmanned aircraft over the U.S., it better figure out a way to increase safety and prevent hijackings. Pilots, airlines and plane manufacturers have sent letters to the Federal Aviation Authority warning of the dangers of drones. Next Gov reported more than 200 groups answered the agency's call for comments. Among the concerns: Pilots said drones were 100 times more likely to have an accident than passenger planes. They said drones should have safeguards against potential hijacking and backups for GPS systems that failed. The FAA is establishing six test sites for drones this summer.

ATTN. MARYLAND TOWNIE

Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at alberoformayor.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.

Did you expect to see your blog here? See: 'I can't find my blog on the Web, where is it?'
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I will give you ONE warning and this one is it. Either you pull ALL of your Websites within 24 hours or I will expose you to the entire world, including your Wife.

I'm sure the people of Princess Anne will enjoy learning ALL of the nasty things you have said over the years about my Wife and Grandson.

More importantly, should you not completely remove your Anti Albero Blogs right away I will also expose your connection with Chuck Cook and Mayor Jim Ireton as well.

You see Folks, Salisbury News now has all the information necessary to sue Rob & Julie. We have always kept a running record of those people who have defamed my Wife and Grandson over the years as we knew there would come a day when we would find out who these people are. Perhaps F.P. Winters would like to know about your past as well.

Pull those Websites or expect to hire a lawyer because NO ONE attacks my Wife and Grandson like a coward hiding behind fictitious names and gets away with it.

As for Mayor Jim Ireton and Chuck Cook, you screw with me in this upcoming election and I will expose everything. Just remember boys, the depositions will include ALL of you. The information we'll be able to disclose will destroy your political careers forever. I'm sure Governor O'Malley would be very interested in learning what I know as well.

If you think I'm playing, try me. You ALL have 24 hours to shut down or we're filing suit against ALL of you.





New Posts to fall below.

Date Set For A Public Airing Of The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal

A Senate committee has set the date for a public airing of the Secret Service prostitution scandal. Lawmakers said they expected Agency Director Mark Sullivan to testify on May 23. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee sent Sullivan a letter asking him to clarify the agency's rules on drinking alcohol, both on- and off-duty. The committee also wanted to know the agency's policies on paying for sex in countries where prostitution is legal. Since the scandal last month, Secret Service investigators have interviewed the prostitutes and other witnesses at the Colombian hotel.

Unbelievable

The Pentagon is trying to figure out why it has taken eight years to find and end a military training course that preaches a war on Islam. About 800 mid-level officers have taken the class at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va. The material suggested that Muslims hate everything about the United States, and that the military might have to destroy the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The course flies in the face of repeated Pentagon assertions that the U.S. is at war with Islamic extremists and not the religion itself. The Pentagon is trying to figure out who approved the course, which it suspended last month.

Under The Ocean As If You Were There

Tick Removal

A School Nurse has written the info below--good enough to share--and it really works!

"I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great because it works in those places where it's sometimes difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.

"Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.

"Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say, "It worked!"

Dog Living Under a School with a Terrible Infection is Rescued

This includes a BEAUTIFUL update on this dog at the end!
The flesh-eating infection she had would've killed her for sure,
but thank God she was rescued and shown the love she deserves.
This is great.

Video Here

How Many Legs?


Disabled Troops Inspire Gary Sinise to Give Back

Actor Gary Sinise has spent decades performing on stage and screen, but he's probably best known for a single role: Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. In the film, he portrays an Army officer who loses both legs in Vietnam, a character that made Sinise something of a patron saint to real-life amputees. Inspired by their heroism, Sinise co-founded the Lt. Dan Band to entertain U.S. troops and raise money for gravely wounded warriors. David Martin speaks with Sinise about his efforts, and with the veterans and their families whose lives he's changed.

Everybody, myself included, will tell you meeting the wounded from America's wars is a life-changing experience. That's certainly what happened to the actor Gary Sinise. You may know him as Detective Mac Taylor, the character he plays on the CBS series "CSI: NY," or as "Lieutenant Dan," the gung-ho Army officer who loses both legs in Vietnam in the film classic "Forrest Gump."

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Israel Won’t Be at ‘Biggest Summit in NATO History’

NATO’s summit in Chicago this month – the first on U.S. soil in 13 years – will be the biggest in its history, with some 60 countries and organizations represented, but Israel will not be among them, the alliance has confirmed.
Turkey, NATO’s only Muslim member and a country whose government is openly hostile towards Israel, has vetoed Israel’s participation in other NATO activities, but both NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Obama administration officials insist that Israel was not blocked from the May 20-21 summit.

Sen. Rand Paul on Obama: 'What Version of the Bible is He Reading?'

 Speaking Saturday night at an event sponsored by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed surprise that President Barack Obama would say that his support for same-sex marriage was rooted in the Bible.
"What version of the Bible is he reading?" Paul said.
"“The president recently weighed in on marriage," Paul told the crowd at the Point of Grace Church in Waukee, Iowa. "And, you know, he said his views were evolving on marriage. Call me cynical but I wasn’t sure that his views on marriage could get any gayer. Now it did kind of bother me, though, that he used the justification for it in a biblical reference. He said the biblical Golden Rule caused him to be for gay marriage.
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Book: Obama Team Tried to Pay Rev. Wright $150K To Keep Quiet Until After 2008 Election

Rev. Jeremiah Wright said members of Barack Obama’s team tried to buy his silence until after the 2008 election, according to a new book.

“The Amateur,” author Edward Klein’s unauthorized biography of Obama, has been making waves with explosive claims that former President Bill Clinton called Obama an “amateur” and encouraged Hillary Clinton to quit her secretary of state post and run against him in 2012.

The New York Post on Sunday published a conversation between Wright and Klein, the latest tidbit to come from the book. In it, Wright said once his fiery sermons surfaced during the 2008 campaign, he received an email asking him not to preach until after November:

“Who sent the e-mail?” I asked Wright.

“It was from one of Barack’s closest friends.”

“He offered you money?”

“Not directly,” Wright said. “He sent the offer to one of the members of the church, who sent it to me.”

“How much money did he offer you?”

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” Wright said.

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When You Advertise With Salisbury News You Get A Packed House










Talk about a BLAST! I want to thank the huge volume of people who attended the Melson Tractor Pull event this past Saturday night.

We arrived right at 5 PM and as you can see from the pictures above, there wasn't just a line for people to get in, hundreds of people had already shown up and finding a parking space was not easy, especially as the evening went on.

As I stated earlier, we arrived at 5 PM and didn't leave until around midnight, it was that much fun. They had lawn mower pulling events for the kids, tractor pull events, truck pull events and mud races as well.

If you've never been, trust me, this is a fantastic time for the entire Family for only $5.00 a head. The event happens every 2nd weekend of the month. One thing is for sure, we'll be there next month too.

Newsweek: Obama ‘First Gay President’

The cover of Newsweek magazine this week proclaims President Obama "the first gay president."

The cover pictures Obama with a rainbow-colored halo over his head. The New Yorker's cover for this week, likewise, is an image of the White House, with the iconic columns on its South portico arranged in the colors of the rainbow — a prominent symbol for gay rights.

 The Newsweek cover goes a step further by adding the religious symbol of a halo above Obama's head.

Obama said this week that he is personally comfortable with same-sex marriage — the first time a sitting president has taken that position. 


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Out Of Step With The World: Juvenile Life Without Parole In The United States

In the United States, there are over 3,000 people serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for offenses committed when they were children. Among them is Matthew Bentley from Michigan who committed his crime when he was 14 years-old, an age when the law deemed him too young to legally drive, smoke or join the military but old enough to be sentenced to die in prison,

While the Supreme Court ruled in Graham v. Florida that it is “cruel and unusual” punishment to sentence children who commit nonhomicide offenses to life without parole — and this year may decide that the Constitution prohibits such a sentence for children 14 and under who commit homicide offenses — U.S. courts have thus-far rejected challenges to the practice of sentencing children to life without parole for homicide offenses. Today, the United States is the only country in the world that that allows child offenders to be locked away for life.

Having been unsuccessful in their efforts before U.S. courts, in 2006, Matthew and 31 other individuals serving life without parole sentences in Michigan for crimes committed when they were children sought to challenge their sentences under international human rights law. Earlier this month, we were pleased to learn that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights announced that it will hear their case. This decision gives the commission the green light to consider whether the United States violated international human rights law — specifically its obligations under the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man — by sentencing children to life without parole.

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Report Says 230,000 Unemployed Losing Benefits Over Weekend

More than 230,000 unemployed workers will lose their jobless benefits this weekend as portions of federal programs expire across several states. 
All told, 409,300 long-term unemployed Americans in 27 states will have lost upward of 20 weeks of federal unemployment benefits by this past Saturday, even as the many state jobless rates remain high, according to a new analysis by the National Employment Law Project (NELP).
The latest batch of cuts affects 236,300 unemployed people in eight states — California (11%), Texas (7%) Pennsylvania (7.5%), Florida (9%), Illinois (8.8%) North Carolina (9.7%) Colorado (7.8%) and Connecticut (7.7%) — half of which have jobless rates above the 8.1 percent national average posted in April. 

The Revolution Governments World Wide Don’t Want You To Know About

ICELAND. No news from Iceland?… why? How come we hear everything that happens in Egypt but no news about what’s happening in Iceland:

In Iceland, the people have made the government resign, the primary banks have been nationalized, it was decided to not pay the debt that these created with Great Britain and Holland due to their bad financial politics and a public assembly has been created to rewrite the constitution.

And all of this in a peaceful way. A whole revolution against the powers that have created the current global crisis. This is why there hasn’t been any publicity during the last two years: What would happen if the rest of the EU citizens took this as an example? What would happen if the US citizens took this as an example.

This is a summary of the facts:

2008. The main bank of the country is nationalized.
The Krona, the currency of Iceland devaluates and the stock market stops. The country is in bankruptcy

2008. The citizens protest in front of parliament and manage to get new elections that make the resignation of the prime minister and his whole govenment.

The country is in a bad economic situation.

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Lawmakers Stay Largely Silent Over Chinese Takeover of US Bank Branches

U.S. lawmakers have been unusually silent about federal regulators' decision to allow a Chinese bank to take over 13 bank branches in New York and California, suggesting that they think American banks have much to gain.
Members of both parties usually relish the chance to bash China on everything from government subsidies to the yuan's exchange rate. Yet Wednesday's decision by the Federal Reserve to certify a Chinese bank acquisition for the first time was met by near-universal silence.
Scott Talbott, the head lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, said that's unsurprising. The U.S. wants China to open up its financial services market – foreign ownership of Chinese banks is limited to 25 percent – and allowing a Chinese presence in the U.S. is seen as a necessary trade-off.
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Leave Your Kids In Public School

I know a few parents who home school their children. They do so because they are not fond of the atmosphere and disagree with how public schools are run. I can’t blame them, the decline in the quality of the public school system has been steady for years. Surveys show that home schooled children score higher on tests in nearly every subject. It’s not surprising though, the one-on-one attention is very advantageous for the student.

Here are some of the reasons parents give as to why they decide to home school:

Concern about the school environment (safety, drugs, negative peer-pressure, etc.)
Dissatisfaction with academic instruction
To provide religious and/or moral instruction
for mental or physical health accommodation
I actually don’t think home schooling solves the problems parents think it does (omitting mental or physical health conditions). Well, individually it may, but long-term and for society, it does little. For example, home schooling your children isn’t necessary in order to provide religious education (83% of home schooling parents cite religious reasons for their choice to home school). That can and should be done at home anyway, and could be done instead of watching television or some other activity. And concern for the school environment? I don’t see it as a big problem either since most who home school are in rural and suburban areas (as opposed to urban areas). I think the concerns that parents have about the environment (in many, if not most) of the schools is over-blown. Many parents have the belief that the world is much more dangerous than when they were children, which is simply not true.

The one reason I find both legitimate and self-imposed is their dissatisfaction with the academic instruction. I say it’s self-imposed because it really is, in a non-direct way.

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MAD MOMS TO FOOD POLICE: WE'LL EAT WHAT WE WANT

Moms in Minnesota are preparing to defy state dictates over when and how they can access food supplies for their families, with a rally scheduled Monday to coincide with the beginning of the trial of the manager of a farm buying club, according to the Farm Food Freedom Coalition.
WND previously has reported on disputes between farmers and consumers on one side and federal regulators on the other. They have involved the purchase by consumers of raw milk, the rights of consumers to access milk from their own cows, a radio program that offered natural products and a blogger who wrote about his battle with diabetes and was threatened with jail.
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What Kind Of Society Do Americans Want?

Part I – Health Care in the USA

On 7 May 2012 a new study came out on healthcare in the United States. Based on research carried out by the Urban Institute, the report is published in the journal Health Affairs. Here are some of its findings:

– There is a prevailing “trend toward private insurance policies with larger deductibles and higher co-payments…”

– “Employers [are] shifting more [heath care] costs onto workers.”

– “Poor and uninsured adults [there are presently 41 million such people in the U.S.] had greater difficulties not just with health care costs, but finding doctors who would see them.” In addition, “too few providers are taking Medicaid” patients.

– One consequence of this trend is that “one in five American adults under 65 had an ‘unmet medical need’ because of costs in 2010, compared with one in eight in 2000.”

What all this means is that health care in the U.S. has deteriorated in the first decade of the 21st century. That was also reflected in a 2005 study by the World Health Organization that ranked the United States (supposedly the richest of nations) as 141st in government spending on health. Perhaps not unrelated, the U.S. ranks number 1 in the world when it comes to anxiety disorders.

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CHRISTIAN MESSAGES BANNED IN BUFFALO

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the city of Buffalo, N.Y., alleging that police threatened to arrest a Christian for peacefully handing out tracts and talking with passersby who were willing to chat with him on public property.
The complaint was filed by the Alliance Defense Fundon behalf of Gregory Owen
While handing out tracts to willing recipients on a public street during a public festival, Owen was approached by a police officer who declined to identify himself but told him that the Buffalo Police Department is “the law” and he should stop handing out tracts.
According to the lawsuit: “Subsequently, another police officer, Officer Slomka, arrived on the scene. She quickly informed Owen that they could not hand out tracts in the festival and explained that the prohibition was ‘by our orders.’ Owen asked for her name, and she replied: ‘Slomka, write it down.’ Owen advised that he believed the tracts to be free speech; nonplussed, Officer Slomka reiterated that they couldn’t hand out tracts there and had to go outside of the festival area to continue with their expressive activity.”
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BREAKING NEWS: SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT ON RT. 50

There's been a bus accident on Rt. 50 & Seminole Blvd on the west side of Rt. 50. Police and Fire are on the scene. No word of injuries.

Time For Elizabeth Warren To Fess Up

Yesterday when a reporter at a Brighton, Massachusetts event asked Elizabeth Warren to respond to my report from earlier in the day that her great-great-great grandfather had served in the Tennessee Militia that rounded up the Cherokees in preparation for the Trail of Tears, Ms. Warren refused to answer the question.

She did not deny the facts that I established but immediately changed the subject, claiming that the story was simply “politics as usual.” “I think what this is about is Scott Brown trying to change the subject,” the Boston Herald reports she said. “He just wants to find a way to talk about something else, and I think it’s wrong. I think this is why people are turned off on Washington politics.”

To the contrary, my story addresses a question fundamental to every political campaign in the country today: the credibility and integrity of the candidate. It was developed independent of any political campaign and has been confirmed by numerous reputable genealogical sources, including Paul Reed, who the Boston Herald describes as “a Utah genealogist who is a fellow at the American Genealogical Society.”

Reed, the Herald continues, “said he found primary documentation that shows Warren’s great-great-great grandfather Jonathan Crawford served in a Tennessee militia unit that rounded up Cherokees before they were force-marched to Oklahoma in the infamous Trail of Tears.”
“Jonathan H. Crawford did serve in the Indian wars,” said Reed. “He is listed as serving in the company that rounded up Cherokees.”

In addition to Mr. Reed, several amateur genealogists have either contacted me directly or posted comments on Breitbart News stories confirming the accuracy of my claim.

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Businessman Says He Lost Hundreds of Customers After Attacks by Obama Campaign

Businessman Frank Vandersloot, the CEO of Melaleuca, has been targeted by the Obama campaign after donating money to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. "Three weeks ago, an Obama campaign website, 'Keeping GOP Honest,' took the extraordinary step of publicly naming and assailing eight private citizens backing Mr. Romney," Kim Strassel of the Wall Street Journal reported. "Titled 'Behind the curtain: a brief history of Romney's donors,' the post accused the eight of being 'wealthy individuals with less-than-reputable records.' Mr. VanderSloot was one of the eight, smeared particularly as being 'litigious, combative and a bitter foe of the gay rights movement.'"
The attacks are working. Vandersloot revealed in an interview on Fox News that his business practice is being hurt by the attacks from the Obama team. 
"Those people that I know well weren't affected by this [attack]," said Vandersloot. "But for people who didn't know me, who are members of our business or customers, and they were reading this, then we got a barrage of phone calls of people cancelling their customer memberships with us."
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Greece headed into 'out of control bankruptcy' - California Follows in Footsteps Of Greece - Maryland Right on the Footheels of California As Pension Fund Proposed to Shift to MD Counties

California follows in the footsteps of Greece

Back in the USA, the state of California is accelerating toward much the same outcome.

Suffocated by the terminal financial burden of leftist social programs, welfare handouts, runaway social services and health care costs for its millions of undocumented residents, California is also headed for its own financial implosion.

"We are now facing a $16 billion hole, not the $9 billion we thought in January," said Gov. Jerry Brown in a recent New York Times article. "This means we will have to go much further and make cuts far greater than I asked for at the beginning of the year."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035858_Greece_bankruptcy_California.html#ixzz1urojUjq3

Maryland - although not in as dire shape as California - it does show signs of progressing down the same path as California. With Maryland's proposed MOE spending formulas, social programs, underfunded State pensions, may also be headed for its own implosion.

Mike Krieger: "Six Months Left. Can They Do It?"

The study of money, above all other fields in economics, is one in which complexity is used to disguise truth or to evade truth, not to reveal it. The process by which banks create money is so simple the mind is repelled. With something so important, a deeper mystery seems only decent.

- John Kenneth Galbraith

Today what we are doing is modernizing the financial services industry, tearing down those antiquated laws and granting banks significant new authority.

-Bill Clinton at the signing of Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in 1999 (which ended Glass-Steagall and gave banks full control of the United States of America)

Obama delivered heated rhetoric, but his actions signaled different priorities. Had Obama wanted to strike real fear in the hearts of bankers, he might have appointed former special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald or some other fire-breather as his attorney general. Instead, he chose Eric Holder, a former Clinton Justice official who, after a career in government, joined the Washington office of Covington & Burling, a top-tier law firm with an elite white-collar defense unit. The move to Covington, and back to Justice, is an example of Washington’s revolving-door ritual, which, for Holder, has been lucrative–he pulled in $2.1 million as a Covington partner in 2008, and $2.5 million (including deferred compensation) when he left the firm in 2009.

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Gallup: Obama's Gay Marriage Endorsement Hurts More Than Helps

Gallup took a poll of adults regarding Obama's endorsement of gay marriage, and the topline number seems* to look good for the president: 51% approve of Obama's support of same-sex marriage, while 45% disapprove. But when you take a look at how it might move votes, it seems to be a losing issue for Obama: 13% of Americans say Obama's endorsement of gay marriage makes them more likely to vote for Obama, while 26% of Americans say the move makes them less likely to vote for Obama.

Results Here

BREAKING NEWS: GAS LEAK ON ELIZABETH STREET




Someone hit a gas line by T's Market on Rt. 13 & Elizabeth Street.

UPDATE: We're now being told a backhoe may have ruptured a gas pipe and you can hear the gas coming out of the line. This is very dangerous.

IS PERDUE’S POINT MAN MARTIN O’MALLEY’S BROTHER?

A watchdog group recently disclosed a slew of e-mails that it obtained pursuant to a "freedom of information" request which show a very cozy relationship between a Baltimore lawyer, who represents Perdue, and Martin O’Malley – they were law school classmates and apparently still are close. He is a partner at the mega-lawfirm, Venable, LLP, based in Baltimore, with offices elsewhere. The implication is that the lawyer in those e-mails, Herbert D. Frerichs, serves as Perdue’s stimulant with O’Malley and lesser Maryland officials.

But to quote my good friend Sportin’ Life, who is almost always on the mark, that ain’t necessarily so!

Not long ago Venable engaged Peter C. O’Malley not as a regular lawyer but rather "of counsel" capacity. That’s noteworthy because he has little if any experience as a practicing lawyer after he finished law school in 2000. Since then he seems to have "practiced" mostly as a political operative – according to his bio on the Venable website:

In addition to his government and private sector work, Mr. O’Malley has been an active force in Maryland politics and campaigns. He played key roles in the campaigns of his brother, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, serving as campaign manager for his 1999 and 2003 mayoral campaigns and senior advisor in his 2006 and 2010 gubernatorial campaigns. Mr. O’Malley also chaired the Maryland Democratic Party.

Also worthy of note: the Venable firm is renowned for influence peddling. The "Influence 50" survey published by the National Law Journal ranked Venable’s Legislative and Government Affairs group – of which Peter O’Malley is a member -- 15th among law firm lobbying practices and 21st among all lobbying firms for 2011. Again, this is from the Venable website. It is involved in more than just practicing law.

Is there any doubt why he became part of the team?

It’s not illegal and seems prudent to hire the Governor’s brother if you are in the business of furnishing influence at the highest level for those in need of such service who can afford to pay in order to have it. And we understand that the younger O’Malley is very good at what he does.

Income Tax Hike Worries Some Business Groups



While the governor has touted Maryland’s comparatively low tax burden on its high-income populace, some groups are concerned that the income tax hikes proposed for this week’s special session will harm Maryland’s national rankings on taxes and business climate.

Gov. Martin O’Malley on Wednesday cited various national rankings for Maryland’s income, sales and corporate taxes to show they were not as high as some opponents portray. But Larry Hogan, chairman of the pro-business Change Maryland, said the legislature’s own fiscal analysts say the state already has the second-highest income tax burden in the nation.

In its 2012 Issue Papers (page 27), the Department of Legislative Services says Maryland ranks No. 2 in the nation on its reliance on the personal income tax, according to 2009 Census data.


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House Dems Receive Training On Portraying Conservatives As Racist

In the latest transparent attempt by the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party to make the 2012 election a referendum on supposed racism and not Obama’s dismal performance, House Democrats received training this week on how to portray neutral free-market rhetoric as racially charged.

Maya Wiley of the Center for Social Inclusion, whose statements were distributed at a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, cynically called conservative messages “racially coded … right-wing rhetoric has dominated debates of racial justice – undermining efforts to create a more equal society, and tearing apart the social safety net in the process” for over 25 years.

Wiley was invited to the caucus by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif to run the Democrats "through their strategy and how they message and talk about stuff" pertaining to race and fiscal policy.

Wiley’s evidence of racism bordered on the ludicrous. Citing Newt Gingrich’s jab at President Obama for being the “food-stamp president,” Wiley whined, “Calling a black man 'the food stamp president' is not a race-neutral statement, even if Newt Gingrich did not intend racism.” She also cited Rick Santorum for racism in this statement criticizing Obama: “Give them more food stamps, give them more Medicaid is the administration's approach, rather than creating jobs.” But she wasn’t done; she also cited House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., about raising taxes to fund government programs: “I've never believed that you go raise taxes on those that are paying in, taking from them, so that you just hand out and give them to someone else.”

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The Next Battle In Mythical "Taxpayer-Subsidized Abortions:" Women Seeking Hospital Care Should Be Forced To Report Abortion

Abortions are very common procedures, and are among the safest of any kinds of procedures performed in the United States. But like any medical intervention, from giving birth to taking an aspirin, there is always the chance that a complication can occur, either at the time of the termination or afterwards.

Anti-choice activists have honed in on that fact to use it as an excuse to demand that those who provide abortions need to have admitting privileges in nearby emergency rooms, a practice that isn't mandated for other outpatient procedures. The purpose of the rule is to make it so fewer providers can perform abortions, although they claim it's an issue of a woman's safety.

But now, a new line is being introduced, and it's the greatest example of twisted logic yet. A provider who terminates pregnancies must have admitting privileges so that the costs of care that could be associated with addressing complications will not be transferred onto the E.R., and hence taxpayers who do not support abortion.

Did you follow that? Sort of? Well, a theory that complicated and convoluted can only be proposed by one person.

Yes, it's Phyllis Schlafly.

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Tanning Benefits



Today's Fill In The Blank 5-14-12

I learned to play the _____ (instrument) in school.

Autopsy Results Reveal Murdered College Student Shot 7 Times, Then Cuffed By Police

Nearly two months ago, NewsOne reported on the tragic case of Kendrec McDade (pictured), the California college student and football star who was killed by Pasadena cops while they were responding to a robbery. Now that McDade’s autopsy report has been released, it’s been revealed that he was shot seven times at close range and handcuffed afterward, according to the L.A. Times.

Caption This Photo 5-14-12



Maryland Young Republicans Chairman's: "O'Malley, Miller And Busch Are Completely Feckless"

ANNAPOLIS- Maryland Young Republicans Chairman Brian Griffiths issued the following statement today on the upcoming Special Session of the Maryland General Assembly.

"When the Maryland General Assembly returns to Annapolis tomorrow, it will serve as a reminder of the Democrats failure to lead in this state.

"For far too long Democrats have been trying to avoid the consequences of their reckless spending. For too long they have ignored the warning signs that prove that their philosophy of governance is unsustainable, even more so in the current economic climate. And the inability of Maryland's Democratic leaders to effectively govern our state came to a head with their inability to balance the state budget during our regular General Assembly Session.

"Martin O'Malley, Mike Miller, and Mike Busch are completely feckless. They have proven to be incapable of leading their party, and unwilling to lead Maryland in the direction it needs to be successful in the modern age. These feckless leaders are insistent on raising taxes on middle and working class Marylanders so that they can continue to grow the size of government and to provide handouts to their special interest supporters. Such irresponsible measures will continue to create a climate that makes it harder and harder for young professionals to live and work in Maryland.

"If the Governor and the General Assembly truly wish to improve the plight of Marylanders, particularly our young professionals, they will work to cut spending and lower our taxes in order to help jump start our job market and our economy. The Maryland Young Republicans are looking forward to working hard to send more common sense leaders to Annapolis in 2014."

The Maryland Young Republicans are the leading organization of Republican youth in the Old Line State. We are Maryland's officially chartered affiliate of the Young Republican National Federation. But we are so much more than that. Our clubs consist of active members of our communities. They are members of local central committees, active in community leadership, and running campaigns for office across Maryland. All young professionals who wish to help us in this cause are invited to join us at our 2012 Convention being held in Annapolis on June 2nd.

Some Ala. Farmers Cut Back Crops, Citing Crackdown

ONEONTA, Ala. (AP) — Some Alabama farmers say they are planting less produce rather than risk having tomatoes and other crops rot in the fields a second straight year because of labor shortages linked to the state's crackdown on illegal immigration.


Keith Dickie said he and other growers in the heart of Alabama's tomato country didn't have any choice but to reduce acreage amid fears there won't be enough workers to pick the delicate fruit.


Some farmers lacked enough hands to harvest crops because immigrants fled the state after Gov. Robert Bentley signed the immigration law last fall, and some told The Associated Press they fear the same thing could happen this year.


"There's too much uncertainty," said Dickie, who farms with his brother on a ridge called Straight Mountain, about 40 miles northeast of Birmingham.


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Can You Find The Three Mistakes



Criminal Charges Should Be Brought Against the Democratic Controlled Legislators. Maryland Taxpayers Are Being Duped!


http://mlis.state.md.us/2012RS/misc/2012S1_ReportOnBRFA.pdf

Look on Page 11 - the Maryland Legislature - in anticipation of potential litigation as a result of BRFA's enactment - has proposed a funding mechanism to try and offset a Court reversal of this legislation.



EXCERPT FROM PAGE 11
'Requires local boards of education to budget the costs to satisfy any final court judgments; prohibits the county government from reducing funds in the school budget dedicated to satisfying a final court judgment; and that, if it becomes necessary for the State to make payment, the amount will be deducted from State education aid due to that board of education in the following fiscal year
Provides an additional State grant to a county board of education to ensure that direct education aid in fiscal 2013 does not decrease by more than 5% compared to fiscal 2012'

Look on Page 19 - at how the BOE is to be funded under the newly proposed method. In my humble opinion - the MOE should not be increased, but instead, be decreased each year by the additional pension cost liability imposed on each County. The taxpayers are being 'set-up' to be enjoined by this action.



EXCERPT FROM PAGE 19
 The required maintenance of effort amount paid by counties increases each year by the additional pension costs during the phase-in period.

Take a look at Page 19 of the Proposed BRFA - (Budget Reconciliation Financing Act 2012) - My Question - what makes you think the State is going to cover the liabilities - their track record shows that they are incapable of controlling losses & maintaining adequate funding levels. Moody's, Fitch, S&P have already ripped the State apart for letting the fund drop to dangerously low levels. Will not the County become culpable by withholding and advancing payment into this already underfunded account? What makes any of the localities think that the State is going to act differently this time around. The State has already lost credibility by not funding the account in 2009, 2010, and 2011.



EXCERPT FROM PAGE 19
 State maintains responsibility to pay for unfunded accrued liabilities and reinvestment, as well as a portion of the normal cost and any costs above the estimates during the phase-in period.



New Posts to fall below.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 5-14-12



Galaxy 501C Motorcycle Helmets Recalled Due To Sub-Standard Protection

A recall for GLX 501C motorcycle helmets made by Galaxy Helmets in Irwindale, Calif., has been issued by the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A small number of extra large sized Galaxy helmets failed to meet government impact standards and might not adequately protect motorcycle riders in the event of a crash.

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Found Dog


FOUND IN MY YARD ON BETHEL RD.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND HE IS BUT APPEARS TO ME A MASTIFF BOXER ACCORDING TO SOME PICTURES I HAVE SEEN ONLINE.

HEALTHY LOOKING AND WELL KEPT, MALE – NEUTERED –VERY FRIENDLY.

I DO NOT KNOW HIS NAME. WE GAVE HIM A NAME OF “BUSTER”

APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS OLD. OBEYS COMMANDS. I DO NOT THINK HE WAS AN OUTSIDE DOG,

I CAN BE CONTACTED AT:

410-251-8952

Officials: Maryland Company Distributed Tainted Starter



ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Officials say a Maryland company distributed an ingredient that triggered a salmonella outbreak that’s made almost 60 Buncombe County residents sick.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported the state Department of Health and Human Services confirms that a culture starter for tempeh had the type of salmonella that caused the outbreak.

Authorities say Tempeh Online sold the starter culture to Smiling Hara Tempeh, which made the bean product in Candler. Tempeh Online is based in Rockville, Md.

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WCSO Press Releases 5-14-12

Incident: DUI
Date of Incident: 11 May 2012
Location: 1700 block of Riverside Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Matthew M. Goldman, 25, Derwood, MD

Narrative: On 11 May 2012
at 1:54 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported motor vehicle collision in the 1700 block of Riverside Drive. Upon arrival, the deputy observed a Toyota Corolla had left the roadway and damaged shrubbery and grass in a residential yard. The deputy identified the operator of the Toyota as Matthew Goldman of Derwood, MD. While speaking with Goldman, the deputy suspected that Goldman was under the influence of alcohol. After the administration of sobriety testing, the deputy placed Goldman under arrest for DUI.

During processing Goldman decline the opportunity to take a breath test.

The deputy released Goldman upon the issuance of citations.


Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident: DUI
Date of Incident: 10 May 2012
Location: Williams Mill Pond Road, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Seth W. Benson, 21, Delmar, DE

Narrative: On 10 April 2012
at 11:03 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported motor vehicle collision on Williams Mill Pond Road. Upon arrival, the deputy observed a red Chevrolet Cavalier that had collided with a tree along with three men standing in the vicinity. The deputy identified one of the three, Seth Benson, as the driver and detected an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath. Based on the deputy’s observations, the deputy believed that Benson was
behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. After the administration of sobriety testing, the deputy placed Benson under arrest.

During processing, Benson declined the opportunity to take a breath test.

The deputy transported Benson 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 Benson in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.

Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Today's Survey Question 5-14-12

Who makes the best Oyster Fritters?

1st Amendment



NIH Worker Pleads Guilty To Credit Card Theft

A woman who worked at the National Institutes of Health has pleaded guilty to theft of government property and money for using government credit cards for personal use.

Thirty-two-year-old Tamia McCoy of Germantown entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Friday. She will be sentenced July 26, when she faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

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