DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, July 23, 2010
Salisbury Police, WCSO & MSP Hold Press Conference Today
In a drive by shooting, possibly Gang related, Troy Williams was shot in the head and ultimately died from his injuries.
On July 20, 2010, Lamont Whaley, William Joseph Parker and Atilano Jeffrey Limon were stopped in a taxi cab and had been observed placing items underneath the passengers seat. During the check Officers found two loaded handguns, one had been reported stolen.
When being interviewed additional information was obtained that led investigators to obtain warrants for the following people charging them with attempted 1st degree murder, 1st degree assault and various other charges.
Frederick Paul Costen III
Keshaw Lamont White
Brooks Lamar Seldon
Brooks Lamar Seldon was arrested. White and Costen are still WANTED and are considered armed and dangerous.
Chief Barkley was humbled to have the help and assistance from the following agencies.
Wicomico Bureau of Investigation
Maryland State Police Homicide Unit
Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force
Maryland State Police Gang Enforcement Unit-East
U.S. Marshals Service
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
In California, 3 Who Drew High Salaries Resign From Posts
(CNN) -- Three officials in a Los Angeles suburb whose high salaries sparked statewide outrage will step down from their jobs, the city's mayor said Friday.
Oscar Hernandez, the mayor of Bell, California, said the City Council accepted the resignations of City Manager Robert Rizzo, Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, and Police Chief Randy Adams, who reportedly had a combined salary of more than $1.6 million. He added that the three will not get severance pay.
"Today, our city council took the quick and decisive action that is in the best interest of our city so that we may return our attention to delivering outstanding city services," the mayor said in a statement posted on the city clerk's website.
"We recognize that today's economic climate and the financial hardships so many families are suffering put our past compensation decisions in a new light. To the residents of Bell, we apologize. We are confident that your pride in our great city endures and that the city's financial health and superior public services demonstrate that our priorities remain intact."
GO HERE to read more.
Oscar Hernandez, the mayor of Bell, California, said the City Council accepted the resignations of City Manager Robert Rizzo, Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, and Police Chief Randy Adams, who reportedly had a combined salary of more than $1.6 million. He added that the three will not get severance pay.
"Today, our city council took the quick and decisive action that is in the best interest of our city so that we may return our attention to delivering outstanding city services," the mayor said in a statement posted on the city clerk's website.
"We recognize that today's economic climate and the financial hardships so many families are suffering put our past compensation decisions in a new light. To the residents of Bell, we apologize. We are confident that your pride in our great city endures and that the city's financial health and superior public services demonstrate that our priorities remain intact."
GO HERE to read more.
Dog Agility Show This Weekend At The Crown
The Crown Sports Center In Fruitland
is having another Dog Agility Show
starting Saturday 9am-5pm
It's free!
It's free!
410-860-1234
Don't Count Him Out Just Yet
Ladies & Gentlemen, I apologize for the delay in Posts this morning but let me assure you I'll be back on track in just a few minutes.I have been on the phone all night last night and all morning this morning trying to make sure there's a balance in this race for States Attorney.
Let me say this, Matt is a very honorable man. He's a hell of a Husband and Father. On top of such normal pressures of being a Partner in a Law Firm, he's proven to be one hell of an attorney, holding a license in both Maryland and Delaware, something less than a hand full of attorneys in Salisbury own.
Matt's biggest concern is that people completely understand he is his own man, not driven by ANY special interests. Because some people immediately started pushing buttons and expressing personal attacks, Matt will not be a hit man and participate in any personal attacks against his opponent.
Matt will take time away from this quest this weekend and make a final decision as to whether he is in or out of this race.
Until Matt signs a piece of paper at the Election Headquarters, Matt is not out of this race.
The unfortunate passing of Sam Vincent has made this particular race a very difficult one to proceed with. Just remember one thing, Sam Vincent was the republican choice to run in this race. IF Matt chooses to stay in he will do so honorably and respectfully.
OCPD Press Release
On July 22, 2010, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Ocean City Police and Fire Departments
responded to 700 South Atlantic Avenue, for a reported structure fire. When emergency
personnel arrived at the scene they quickly determined that there was no fire and that there had actually been an amusement ride accident.
Ocean City fire and police personnel discovered that the “Tidal Wave” roller coaster
located at Trimper’s Rides (700 South Atlantic Avenue) had an apparent mechanical
problem which caused several of the persons riding on the roller coaster at the time to become injured.
Ocean City paramedics transported a total of 3 persons between the ages of 10 and 15
years old to area hospitals with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries.
The Tidal Wave roller coaster is closed at this time pending an inspection by the Maryland Department of Labor & Licensing – Amusement Park Ride Safety Inspector.
responded to 700 South Atlantic Avenue, for a reported structure fire. When emergency
personnel arrived at the scene they quickly determined that there was no fire and that there had actually been an amusement ride accident.
Ocean City fire and police personnel discovered that the “Tidal Wave” roller coaster
located at Trimper’s Rides (700 South Atlantic Avenue) had an apparent mechanical
problem which caused several of the persons riding on the roller coaster at the time to become injured.
Ocean City paramedics transported a total of 3 persons between the ages of 10 and 15
years old to area hospitals with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries.
The Tidal Wave roller coaster is closed at this time pending an inspection by the Maryland Department of Labor & Licensing – Amusement Park Ride Safety Inspector.
A Letter To The Editor
HEY JOE-
DID YOU SEE WBOC YESTERDAY! THE MAYOR WENT POSTAL STATING EVERYTHING IN THE CITY GOES THROUGH HIM CAUSE AFTER ALL HE IS THE MAYOR. HE WAS FLIPPING WHEN STATING NO PRESS RELEASES WILL EVER GO OUT WITH OUT HIM APPROVING THEM"AFTER ALL I AM THE MAYOR". NOTHING IS DONE WITHOUT BEING ALLOWED BY ME, HE SAID POINTING AT HIS CHEST.
I GUESS THE SPD CAN'T MAKE AN ARREST WITHOUT BEING RUN BY HIM FIRST. DOES THIS ALSO MEAN THE SPD CAN'T MAKE ANY PRESS RELEASES TO THE PUBLIC EVEN IN TODAY'S TIMES WHEN HOMICIDES ARE DEFINATELY ON THE RISE. ARE WE IN THE USSR, IS THIS THE COLD WAR ERA, IS BIG BROTHER GOING TO SLAM THE HAMMER DOWN?
HE WAS VOTED INTO OFFICE NOT ANOINTED AS KING TO HIS ROYAL SUBJECTS, THAT IF THEY DEFY HIM THEY WILL BE CRUCIFIED OR BE-HEADED.
DID YOU SEE WBOC YESTERDAY! THE MAYOR WENT POSTAL STATING EVERYTHING IN THE CITY GOES THROUGH HIM CAUSE AFTER ALL HE IS THE MAYOR. HE WAS FLIPPING WHEN STATING NO PRESS RELEASES WILL EVER GO OUT WITH OUT HIM APPROVING THEM"AFTER ALL I AM THE MAYOR". NOTHING IS DONE WITHOUT BEING ALLOWED BY ME, HE SAID POINTING AT HIS CHEST.
I GUESS THE SPD CAN'T MAKE AN ARREST WITHOUT BEING RUN BY HIM FIRST. DOES THIS ALSO MEAN THE SPD CAN'T MAKE ANY PRESS RELEASES TO THE PUBLIC EVEN IN TODAY'S TIMES WHEN HOMICIDES ARE DEFINATELY ON THE RISE. ARE WE IN THE USSR, IS THIS THE COLD WAR ERA, IS BIG BROTHER GOING TO SLAM THE HAMMER DOWN?
HE WAS VOTED INTO OFFICE NOT ANOINTED AS KING TO HIS ROYAL SUBJECTS, THAT IF THEY DEFY HIM THEY WILL BE CRUCIFIED OR BE-HEADED.
St. Johns Carnival
St. Johns United Methodist Church in Fruitland
cancelled the carnival tomorrow
(Saturday) due to heat.
Will be held at a later date.
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING FOR LONG-TERM ELECTRICITY REPORT
State to evaluate electricity needs and options for Maryland’s energy future
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (July 23, 2010) — Continuing to lead Maryland toward a more sustainable future, Governor Martin O’Malley today signed Executive Order 01.01.2010.16 directing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prepare a Long-Term Electricity Report for the State by the end of next year. The first such report in 20 years will evaluate Maryland’s long-term electricity needs and will include a comprehensive review of alternatives to meet those needs.
“There have been no major new electric power plants or transmission lines in Maryland in more than a decade,” said Governor O’Malley. “Meanwhile alternative energy solutions like wind and solar have emerged and matured, and nuclear power is again being explored as an option. This report will provide data critical to addressing our long-term electricity needs, a major component of our blueprint for securing a clean, reliable and affordable energy future for Maryland families.”
The Executive Order was developed by DNR in cooperation with the Public Service Commission, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). The report, which will be prepared by DNR’s Power Plant Assessment Program, will assess future electric energy use requirements and peak electric demand requirements, and identify sources and alternative resources to meet any gaps in these requirements through the end of calendar year 2030.
“Alternatives that will be considered include fossil fuel generation, nuclear generation, renewable electric generation resources, energy conservation and efficiency measures, enhancement of the electric transmission system, and measures designed to reduce peak demands,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of MEA. “The report will also address the impacts of electric vehicles on Maryland’s electric power requirements, potential benefits of “smart meters,” and other factors that can be expected to affect electricity supply and demand.”
Building on MEA's 2008 Electricity Strategy and 2010 Maryland Energy Outlook, this report will be the first comprehensive, alternatives analysis for Maryland since 1990. During the intervening years, Maryland’s population has grown by about one million people, electricity consumption has grown by more than 25 percent, and concerns about the environmental impacts of electricity supply and consumption have increased. With an estimated population increase of an additional one million Marylanders by 2030, this report will be an essential tool in securing our energy future, and keeping Maryland Smart, Green and Growing.
“This will be an inclusive process, and we look forward to working with stakeholder groups across the board -- including representatives of government, business, utilities, environmental groups and consumers -- to generate a report that will help inform decision making and policy development for the next two decades,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin.
The report will be completed by December 2011 and will be paid for over two fiscal years using existing funds within the Power Plant Assessment Program.
A copy of the Executive Order can be viewed here: www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/100721OffShoreWind.pdf
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (July 23, 2010) — Continuing to lead Maryland toward a more sustainable future, Governor Martin O’Malley today signed Executive Order 01.01.2010.16 directing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prepare a Long-Term Electricity Report for the State by the end of next year. The first such report in 20 years will evaluate Maryland’s long-term electricity needs and will include a comprehensive review of alternatives to meet those needs.
“There have been no major new electric power plants or transmission lines in Maryland in more than a decade,” said Governor O’Malley. “Meanwhile alternative energy solutions like wind and solar have emerged and matured, and nuclear power is again being explored as an option. This report will provide data critical to addressing our long-term electricity needs, a major component of our blueprint for securing a clean, reliable and affordable energy future for Maryland families.”
The Executive Order was developed by DNR in cooperation with the Public Service Commission, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). The report, which will be prepared by DNR’s Power Plant Assessment Program, will assess future electric energy use requirements and peak electric demand requirements, and identify sources and alternative resources to meet any gaps in these requirements through the end of calendar year 2030.
“Alternatives that will be considered include fossil fuel generation, nuclear generation, renewable electric generation resources, energy conservation and efficiency measures, enhancement of the electric transmission system, and measures designed to reduce peak demands,” said Malcolm Woolf, Director of MEA. “The report will also address the impacts of electric vehicles on Maryland’s electric power requirements, potential benefits of “smart meters,” and other factors that can be expected to affect electricity supply and demand.”
Building on MEA's 2008 Electricity Strategy and 2010 Maryland Energy Outlook, this report will be the first comprehensive, alternatives analysis for Maryland since 1990. During the intervening years, Maryland’s population has grown by about one million people, electricity consumption has grown by more than 25 percent, and concerns about the environmental impacts of electricity supply and consumption have increased. With an estimated population increase of an additional one million Marylanders by 2030, this report will be an essential tool in securing our energy future, and keeping Maryland Smart, Green and Growing.
“This will be an inclusive process, and we look forward to working with stakeholder groups across the board -- including representatives of government, business, utilities, environmental groups and consumers -- to generate a report that will help inform decision making and policy development for the next two decades,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin.
The report will be completed by December 2011 and will be paid for over two fiscal years using existing funds within the Power Plant Assessment Program.
A copy of the Executive Order can be viewed here: www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/100721OffShoreWind.pdf
EX-CHIEFY WEBSTER TO GET GOING AWAY GIFT FROM SALISBURY
On the agenda for next week’s meeting of the Salisbury City Council is approval of presentation to Mr. Webster of the pistol (a “Glock”) that he was issued while the Police Chief. Assuming that he shows up at the event, it may be your last opportunity to see him in the Government Office Building, unless he is still going there to get his severance “pay.”
It is common practice for the City to give retiring career police officers their pistol, and apparently Webster is considered a career person because he was on the force for about 10 years.
It is common practice for the City to give retiring career police officers their pistol, and apparently Webster is considered a career person because he was on the force for about 10 years.
Taxes For Thee, But Not For Me
Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly voted to raise taxes while in Congress, dodged a whopping six-figure state tax bill on his new multimillion-dollar yacht by mooring her in Newport, R.I.
Isabel - Kerry’s luxury 76-foot New Zealand-built Friendship sloop with an Edwardian-style, glossy varnished teak interior, two VIP main cabins and a pilothouse fitted with a wet bar and cold wine storage - was designed by Rhode Island boat designer Ted Fontaine.
But instead of berthing the vessel in Nantucket, where the senator summers with the missus, Teresa Heinz, Isabel’s hailing port is listed as “Newport” on her stern.
Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven - like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau - for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?
Cash-strapped Massachusetts still collects a 6.25 percent sales tax and an annual excise tax on yachts. Sources say Isabel sold for something in the neighborhood of $7 million, meaning Kerry saved approximately $437,500 in sales tax and an annual excise tax of about $70,000.
The senior senator’s chief of staff David Wade denied the old salt was berthing his boat out of state to avoid ponying up to the commonwealth.
“The boat was designed by and purchased from a company in Rhode Island, and it’s based in Newport at the Newport Shipyard for long-term maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes, not tax reasons,” Wade told the Track.
More
Isabel - Kerry’s luxury 76-foot New Zealand-built Friendship sloop with an Edwardian-style, glossy varnished teak interior, two VIP main cabins and a pilothouse fitted with a wet bar and cold wine storage - was designed by Rhode Island boat designer Ted Fontaine.
But instead of berthing the vessel in Nantucket, where the senator summers with the missus, Teresa Heinz, Isabel’s hailing port is listed as “Newport” on her stern.
Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven - like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau - for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?
Cash-strapped Massachusetts still collects a 6.25 percent sales tax and an annual excise tax on yachts. Sources say Isabel sold for something in the neighborhood of $7 million, meaning Kerry saved approximately $437,500 in sales tax and an annual excise tax of about $70,000.
The senior senator’s chief of staff David Wade denied the old salt was berthing his boat out of state to avoid ponying up to the commonwealth.
“The boat was designed by and purchased from a company in Rhode Island, and it’s based in Newport at the Newport Shipyard for long-term maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes, not tax reasons,” Wade told the Track.
More
Vilsack Falls On His Sword For The Dear Leader
In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, President Obama said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack had acted prematurely in firing Shirley Sherrod.
Sherrod, who is African-American, was dismissed form the USDA on Monday after a video clip went viral in which she appeared to admit withholding benefits from a white farmer because of his race.
The incident has become a political embarrassment to the White House.
"He [Vilsack] jumped the gun, partly because we now live in this media culture where something goes up on YouTube or a blog, and everybody scrambles," Obama told ABC.
“I've told my team, and I told my agencies that we have to make sure that we're focusing on doing the right thing instead of what looks to be politically necessary at that very moment,” he said in the interview.
More here
[The story above is in stark contrast, however, to one that ran on Wednesday: ]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday he will reconsider the department's decision to oust a black employee over racially tinged remarks after learning more about what she said.
Vilsack issued a short statement early Wednesday morning..
"I am of course willing and will conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts to ensure to the American people we are providing services in a fair and equitable manner," Vilsack said.
The Obama administration's move to reconsider her employment was an absolute reversal from hours earlier, when a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Barack Obama had been briefed on Sherrod's resignation after the fact and stood by the Agriculture Department's handling of it.
In his original statement on the matter Tuesday morning, Vilsack said he had accepted Sherrod's resignation and stressed that the department had "zero tolerance for discrimination." Later in the day, after Sherrod spoke to the media about the intention of her comments, Vilsack sent out a second statement that said the controversy surrounding Sherrod's comments could, rightly or wrongly, cause people to question her decisions as a federal employee and lead to lingering doubts about civil rights at the agency, which has a troubled history of discrimination.
Sherrod said officials showed no interest in listening to her explanation when she was asked to resign. She said she was on the road Monday when USDA deputy undersecretary Cheryl Cook called her and told her to pull over and submit her resignation on her Blackberry because the White House wanted her out.
More here
Sherrod, who is African-American, was dismissed form the USDA on Monday after a video clip went viral in which she appeared to admit withholding benefits from a white farmer because of his race.
The incident has become a political embarrassment to the White House.
"He [Vilsack] jumped the gun, partly because we now live in this media culture where something goes up on YouTube or a blog, and everybody scrambles," Obama told ABC.
“I've told my team, and I told my agencies that we have to make sure that we're focusing on doing the right thing instead of what looks to be politically necessary at that very moment,” he said in the interview.
More here
[The story above is in stark contrast, however, to one that ran on Wednesday: ]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday he will reconsider the department's decision to oust a black employee over racially tinged remarks after learning more about what she said.
Vilsack issued a short statement early Wednesday morning..
"I am of course willing and will conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts to ensure to the American people we are providing services in a fair and equitable manner," Vilsack said.
The Obama administration's move to reconsider her employment was an absolute reversal from hours earlier, when a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Barack Obama had been briefed on Sherrod's resignation after the fact and stood by the Agriculture Department's handling of it.
In his original statement on the matter Tuesday morning, Vilsack said he had accepted Sherrod's resignation and stressed that the department had "zero tolerance for discrimination." Later in the day, after Sherrod spoke to the media about the intention of her comments, Vilsack sent out a second statement that said the controversy surrounding Sherrod's comments could, rightly or wrongly, cause people to question her decisions as a federal employee and lead to lingering doubts about civil rights at the agency, which has a troubled history of discrimination.
Sherrod said officials showed no interest in listening to her explanation when she was asked to resign. She said she was on the road Monday when USDA deputy undersecretary Cheryl Cook called her and told her to pull over and submit her resignation on her Blackberry because the White House wanted her out.
More here
Shalev: Lebanon Ships Will Not Be Allowed To Enter Gaza
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Israel Gabriella Shalev warned on Thursday that two ships preparing to set sail from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip in order to bring aid to the Strip would not be allowed to reach their destination.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and current UN Security Council President Joy Ogwu, Shalev wrote: “The stated intention of these vessels is to violate the existing naval blockade of Gaza."
She added: “Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to prevent these ships from violating the aforementioned naval blockade. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that these vessels carry weapons or individuals with provocative and confrontational intentions.”
Israel recently eased the blockade of the Gaza Strip following international criticism which came after the IDF raid on the Gaza aid flotilla in May. Israeli soldiers who boarded one of the boats in a peaceful attempt to prevent its entrance into Israel's territorial waters killed nine Turkish citizens when attacked by passengers wielding knives and blunt weapons. The ship was found not to be carrying any aid.
Israel is currently allowing food and other aid into Gaza only via land crossings. The naval blockade continues to maintain the naval blockade. In her letter, Shalev noted the option of delivering aid to Gaza by land and added that sending ships to Gaza is meant “to incite a confrontation and raise tension in our region”.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and current UN Security Council President Joy Ogwu, Shalev wrote: “The stated intention of these vessels is to violate the existing naval blockade of Gaza."
She added: “Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to prevent these ships from violating the aforementioned naval blockade. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that these vessels carry weapons or individuals with provocative and confrontational intentions.”
Israel recently eased the blockade of the Gaza Strip following international criticism which came after the IDF raid on the Gaza aid flotilla in May. Israeli soldiers who boarded one of the boats in a peaceful attempt to prevent its entrance into Israel's territorial waters killed nine Turkish citizens when attacked by passengers wielding knives and blunt weapons. The ship was found not to be carrying any aid.
Israel is currently allowing food and other aid into Gaza only via land crossings. The naval blockade continues to maintain the naval blockade. In her letter, Shalev noted the option of delivering aid to Gaza by land and added that sending ships to Gaza is meant “to incite a confrontation and raise tension in our region”.
Bernanke Urges Congress To Renew Bush Tax Cuts
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke dropped a major bombshell on Democrats seeking massive new revenues to narrow the deficit, announcing Thursday that he favors preserving the Bush administration tax cuts in order to help a faltering U.S. economy.
“In the short term I would believe that we ought to maintain a reasonable degree of fiscal support, stimulus for the economy,” Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee. “There are many ways to do that. This is one way.”
Bernanke's statement put him directly at odds with White House officials and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who favors raising taxes on wealthy Americans by letting the tax cuts the Bush administration passed in 2001 and 2003 expire.
Bernanke's views also conflict with those of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, who just last week told Bloomberg TV's Judy Woodruff that lawmakers should allow the Bush tax cuts to expire as scheduled at year's end.
Greenspan conceded however that doing so probably would slow growth.
Bernanke emphasized the importance of giving the economy a boost. But he also told the House that dealing with the deficit, which has ballooned during the Obama administration, remains a major consideration.
“In the short term I would believe that we ought to maintain a reasonable degree of fiscal support, stimulus for the economy,” Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee. “There are many ways to do that. This is one way.”
Bernanke's statement put him directly at odds with White House officials and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who favors raising taxes on wealthy Americans by letting the tax cuts the Bush administration passed in 2001 and 2003 expire.
Bernanke's views also conflict with those of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, who just last week told Bloomberg TV's Judy Woodruff that lawmakers should allow the Bush tax cuts to expire as scheduled at year's end.
Greenspan conceded however that doing so probably would slow growth.
Bernanke emphasized the importance of giving the economy a boost. But he also told the House that dealing with the deficit, which has ballooned during the Obama administration, remains a major consideration.
Conservative Dems Reject Pelosi On Tax Cuts
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday affirmed her support for letting lower tax rates for wealthier Americans expire at year-end, despite opposition by several Senate Democrats who say the economy is too fragile for higher taxes.
Fiscally conservative Senate Democrats Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad and Ben Nelson all have said they believe lower tax rates for all income groups should be renewed when they expire at the end of the year.
Pelosi said that does not change her position.
"Our position has been that we support middle-income tax cuts. The tax cuts at the high end have increased the deficit enormously," she said.
Her comments are part of a broad debate over whether to renew tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 under former President George W. Bush that are set to expire at year-end. President Barack Obama and many congressional Democrats want to extend the lower rates for individuals earning less than $200,000 or couples making less than $250,000, but not for those earning more.
At the center of the debate among Democrats is whether economic stimulus or deficit reduction should be the top policy priority.
About 2 to 3 percent of Americans fit into the upper income categories.
There is a guessing game going on in Washington as to when the Democrats will address the tax issue. Some believe they will wait until after the November elections to avoid being accused of raising any taxes before voters head to the polls.
Because of budget rules, lawmakers need to find off-setting revenue to fund extending the lower rates for those in upper income groups, but not for the so-called middle class and under categories.
More
[First-- what budget? The democrats refused to pass one, so I guess there's no rules needed. Second-- they don't need to find 'off-setting revenue' to 'pay' for not taking our money. That's just taking it out of the other pocket (they must think we're stupid.) How about this-- use THEIR pay and benefits as the offsetting revenue!-- Editor]
Fiscally conservative Senate Democrats Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad and Ben Nelson all have said they believe lower tax rates for all income groups should be renewed when they expire at the end of the year.
Pelosi said that does not change her position.
"Our position has been that we support middle-income tax cuts. The tax cuts at the high end have increased the deficit enormously," she said.
Her comments are part of a broad debate over whether to renew tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 under former President George W. Bush that are set to expire at year-end. President Barack Obama and many congressional Democrats want to extend the lower rates for individuals earning less than $200,000 or couples making less than $250,000, but not for those earning more.
At the center of the debate among Democrats is whether economic stimulus or deficit reduction should be the top policy priority.
About 2 to 3 percent of Americans fit into the upper income categories.
There is a guessing game going on in Washington as to when the Democrats will address the tax issue. Some believe they will wait until after the November elections to avoid being accused of raising any taxes before voters head to the polls.
Because of budget rules, lawmakers need to find off-setting revenue to fund extending the lower rates for those in upper income groups, but not for the so-called middle class and under categories.
More
[First-- what budget? The democrats refused to pass one, so I guess there's no rules needed. Second-- they don't need to find 'off-setting revenue' to 'pay' for not taking our money. That's just taking it out of the other pocket (they must think we're stupid.) How about this-- use THEIR pay and benefits as the offsetting revenue!-- Editor]
The Vast Left-Wing Media Conspiracy
Everyone knew most of the press corps was hoping for Obama in 2008. Newly released emails show that hundreds of them were actively working to promote him.
When I'm talking to people from outside Washington, one question inevitably comes up: Why is the media so liberal? The question often reflects a suspicion that members of the press get together and decide on a story line that favors liberals and Democrats and denigrates conservatives and Republicans.
My response has usually been to say, yes, there's liberal bias in the media, but there's no conspiracy. The liberal tilt is an accident of nature. The media disproportionately attracts people from a liberal arts background who tend, quite innocently, to be politically liberal. If they came from West Point or engineering school, this wouldn't be the case.
Now, after learning I'd been targeted for a smear attack by a member of an online clique of liberal journalists, I'm inclined to amend my response. Not to say there's a media conspiracy, but at least to note that hundreds of journalists have gotten together, on an online listserv called JournoList, to promote liberalism and liberal politicians at the expense of traditional journalism.
My guess is that this and other revelations about JournoList will deepen the distrust of the national press. True, participants in the online clubhouse appear to hail chiefly from the media's self-identified left wing. But its founder, Ezra Klein, is a prominent writer for the Washington Post. Mr. Klein shut down JournoList last month—a wise decision.
It's thanks to Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller website that we know something about JournoList, though the emails among the liberal journalists were meant to be private. (Mr. Carlson hasn't revealed how he obtained the emails.) In June, the Daily Caller disclosed a series of JournoList musings by David Weigel, then a Washington Post blogger assigned to cover conservatives. His emails showed he loathes conservatives, and he was subsequently fired.
This week, Mr. Carlson produced a series of JournoList emails from April 2008, when Barack Obama's presidential bid was in serious jeopardy. Videos of the antiwhite, anti-American sermons of his Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, had surfaced, first on ABC and then other networks.
JournoList contributors discussed strategies to aid Mr. Obama by deflecting the controversy. They went public with a letter criticizing an ABC interview of Mr. Obama that dwelled on his association with Mr. Wright. Then, Spencer Ackerman of The Washington Independent proposed attacking Mr. Obama's critics as racists. He wrote:
"If the right forces us all to either defend Wright or tear him down, no matter what we choose, we lose the game they've put upon us. Instead, take one of them—Fred Barnes, Karl Rove, who cares—and call them racists. . . . This makes them 'sputter' with rage, which in turn leads to overreaction and self-destruction."
No one on JournoList endorsed the Ackerman plan. But rather than object on ethical grounds, they voiced concern that the strategy would fail or possibly backfire.
Among journalists in general, there's always been a herd instinct. Eugene McCarthy, the Minnesota senator and Democratic presidential candidate, once described political writers as birds on a telephone wire. When one bird flew to the wire across the street, they all did. In Mr. Ackerman's case, I'm glad none of the birds joined him across the street.
When I'm talking to people from outside Washington, one question inevitably comes up: Why is the media so liberal? The question often reflects a suspicion that members of the press get together and decide on a story line that favors liberals and Democrats and denigrates conservatives and Republicans.
My response has usually been to say, yes, there's liberal bias in the media, but there's no conspiracy. The liberal tilt is an accident of nature. The media disproportionately attracts people from a liberal arts background who tend, quite innocently, to be politically liberal. If they came from West Point or engineering school, this wouldn't be the case.
Now, after learning I'd been targeted for a smear attack by a member of an online clique of liberal journalists, I'm inclined to amend my response. Not to say there's a media conspiracy, but at least to note that hundreds of journalists have gotten together, on an online listserv called JournoList, to promote liberalism and liberal politicians at the expense of traditional journalism.
My guess is that this and other revelations about JournoList will deepen the distrust of the national press. True, participants in the online clubhouse appear to hail chiefly from the media's self-identified left wing. But its founder, Ezra Klein, is a prominent writer for the Washington Post. Mr. Klein shut down JournoList last month—a wise decision.
It's thanks to Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller website that we know something about JournoList, though the emails among the liberal journalists were meant to be private. (Mr. Carlson hasn't revealed how he obtained the emails.) In June, the Daily Caller disclosed a series of JournoList musings by David Weigel, then a Washington Post blogger assigned to cover conservatives. His emails showed he loathes conservatives, and he was subsequently fired.
This week, Mr. Carlson produced a series of JournoList emails from April 2008, when Barack Obama's presidential bid was in serious jeopardy. Videos of the antiwhite, anti-American sermons of his Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, had surfaced, first on ABC and then other networks.
JournoList contributors discussed strategies to aid Mr. Obama by deflecting the controversy. They went public with a letter criticizing an ABC interview of Mr. Obama that dwelled on his association with Mr. Wright. Then, Spencer Ackerman of The Washington Independent proposed attacking Mr. Obama's critics as racists. He wrote:
"If the right forces us all to either defend Wright or tear him down, no matter what we choose, we lose the game they've put upon us. Instead, take one of them—Fred Barnes, Karl Rove, who cares—and call them racists. . . . This makes them 'sputter' with rage, which in turn leads to overreaction and self-destruction."
No one on JournoList endorsed the Ackerman plan. But rather than object on ethical grounds, they voiced concern that the strategy would fail or possibly backfire.
Among journalists in general, there's always been a herd instinct. Eugene McCarthy, the Minnesota senator and Democratic presidential candidate, once described political writers as birds on a telephone wire. When one bird flew to the wire across the street, they all did. In Mr. Ackerman's case, I'm glad none of the birds joined him across the street.
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Rep. Hunter Pushes Action Against 'Sanctuary Cities'
Frustrated at the Justice Department's lawsuit against Arizona's new immigration law, a Republican congressman introduced a bill demanding that the attorney general also take action against so-called "sanctuary cities," which discourage immigration enforcement.
Rep. Duncan Hunter's bill is the latest step as lawmakers seek to inject themselves into the debate and force their colleagues to take a stand on the contentious Arizona law. One of those moves failed Wednesday when Republicans tried, but failed, to have the Senate vote on blocking the government's lawsuit against Arizona.
Mr. Hunter's bill, for which he started soliciting co-sponsors Wednesday, would stop the Justice Department from pursuing its lawsuit against Arizona until Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. submits a plan to Congress outlining how he would bring sanctuary cities into compliance with federal law.
A majority of voters tell pollsters they back Arizona's law, and Mr. Hunter said the government overstepped its bounds by singling out a state he says is only trying to help federal authorities meet their responsibility to enforce the country's borders.
"The federal government is being inconsistent," said the lawmaker, whose district includes San Diego and other areas just north of the California-Mexico border. "They're saying we don't want a patchwork of laws, and that's why they're suing Arizona, but at the same time they allow sanctuary cities ... to passively impede federal law."
Tracy Schmaler, a spokeswoman for Mr. Holder, did not respond to a request seeking comment Wednesday. But in a statement to The Washington Times last week, Ms. Schmaler said the Arizona law and sanctuary ordinances are not the same.
Rep. Duncan Hunter's bill is the latest step as lawmakers seek to inject themselves into the debate and force their colleagues to take a stand on the contentious Arizona law. One of those moves failed Wednesday when Republicans tried, but failed, to have the Senate vote on blocking the government's lawsuit against Arizona.
Mr. Hunter's bill, for which he started soliciting co-sponsors Wednesday, would stop the Justice Department from pursuing its lawsuit against Arizona until Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. submits a plan to Congress outlining how he would bring sanctuary cities into compliance with federal law.
A majority of voters tell pollsters they back Arizona's law, and Mr. Hunter said the government overstepped its bounds by singling out a state he says is only trying to help federal authorities meet their responsibility to enforce the country's borders.
"The federal government is being inconsistent," said the lawmaker, whose district includes San Diego and other areas just north of the California-Mexico border. "They're saying we don't want a patchwork of laws, and that's why they're suing Arizona, but at the same time they allow sanctuary cities ... to passively impede federal law."
Tracy Schmaler, a spokeswoman for Mr. Holder, did not respond to a request seeking comment Wednesday. But in a statement to The Washington Times last week, Ms. Schmaler said the Arizona law and sanctuary ordinances are not the same.
John Boehner Measures Speaker's Chair
Almost four months before the midterm election that could catapult Majority Leader John Boehner into the speakership, he's beginning to build up his personal image and launch a PR offensive to explain what he’d do if he ran the House.
The Ohio Republican has been eyeing the speaker’s office for about two decades — ever since he passed up a 1992 opportunity to run for an open Senate seat — and he is beginning to peel the curtain on his elusive image.
Boehner is trying to strike a bipartisan tone — one that is likely to be mocked by Democrats who remember him as allowing his Republican colleagues to egg on protestors as the majority tried to pass health care overhaul legislation.
Yet, the picture Boehner would like to project is that of his time as chairman of the Education and Workforce committee. He said that if he could pass No Child Left Behind with Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) anyone could work together. He said he would work with “anybody on the other side of the aisle.”
Should Republicans win the majority, Boehner would need to work with President Barack Obama, a man who has been mocking Boehner publicly for weeks.
“I don’t know which President Obama I’ll be dealing with,” Boehner said. “If it’s the one I dealt with over the past 18 months, while it's been pleasant, none of the ideas [that] he’s asked us for that we’ve provided have been adopted, and they’ve had a go-it-alone approach for 18 months.”
To be sure, Boehner is still parroting some well-worn talking points that even make Republicans cringe: he asked where the jobs are (his favorite moniker from the past year) and said that “there isn’t a race in America [Republicans] can't win.”
He hates being politically labeled — that’s why he avoids joining caucuses. For example, earlier this week he passed up the opportunity to join the House Tea Party Caucus.
But he still has the thorny issue of the conservative wing of his party, which hardly trusts him and sees establishment Republicans as being nearly as bad as Democrats. The GOP has taken the plan to “walk amongst” tea partiers, and Boehner touted his experience of speaking to the group in California and Ohio.
Some folks at these rallies, Boehner said, are “anarchists who want to kill all of us in public office,” but some are Democrats, others disenfranchised Republicans and most of them are angry at the way the country is heading.
Boehner also gave a clue to what Republican policies he doesn't support. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the top Republican on the Budget committee, laid out his roadmap for the future — a 75-year plan that alters entitlements and Social Security. Boehner said “parts of it are well done, other parts I’ve got some doubts about in terms of how good the policy is.”
More here
The Ohio Republican has been eyeing the speaker’s office for about two decades — ever since he passed up a 1992 opportunity to run for an open Senate seat — and he is beginning to peel the curtain on his elusive image.
Boehner is trying to strike a bipartisan tone — one that is likely to be mocked by Democrats who remember him as allowing his Republican colleagues to egg on protestors as the majority tried to pass health care overhaul legislation.
Yet, the picture Boehner would like to project is that of his time as chairman of the Education and Workforce committee. He said that if he could pass No Child Left Behind with Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) anyone could work together. He said he would work with “anybody on the other side of the aisle.”
Should Republicans win the majority, Boehner would need to work with President Barack Obama, a man who has been mocking Boehner publicly for weeks.
“I don’t know which President Obama I’ll be dealing with,” Boehner said. “If it’s the one I dealt with over the past 18 months, while it's been pleasant, none of the ideas [that] he’s asked us for that we’ve provided have been adopted, and they’ve had a go-it-alone approach for 18 months.”
To be sure, Boehner is still parroting some well-worn talking points that even make Republicans cringe: he asked where the jobs are (his favorite moniker from the past year) and said that “there isn’t a race in America [Republicans] can't win.”
He hates being politically labeled — that’s why he avoids joining caucuses. For example, earlier this week he passed up the opportunity to join the House Tea Party Caucus.
But he still has the thorny issue of the conservative wing of his party, which hardly trusts him and sees establishment Republicans as being nearly as bad as Democrats. The GOP has taken the plan to “walk amongst” tea partiers, and Boehner touted his experience of speaking to the group in California and Ohio.
Some folks at these rallies, Boehner said, are “anarchists who want to kill all of us in public office,” but some are Democrats, others disenfranchised Republicans and most of them are angry at the way the country is heading.
Boehner also gave a clue to what Republican policies he doesn't support. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the top Republican on the Budget committee, laid out his roadmap for the future — a 75-year plan that alters entitlements and Social Security. Boehner said “parts of it are well done, other parts I’ve got some doubts about in terms of how good the policy is.”
More here
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