“DUVAFILES” REDUX

In memory of the late William G. (“Bill”) Duvall, here is one of his more memorable laments on the sorry state of things in “Transchoptankia”.

If you have any of his posts, please submit for consideration (only, the better ones, please). His annual “Turkey of the Year” posts are especially desired.

JULY 28, 2004

FIREHOUSE FOLLIES: CHAPTER IV

Monday night was an historic occasion for Transchoptankia. For the first time in living memory, the advanced level of buffoonery came from the public protesters, rather than the governmental unit.

I refer of course to the efforts of the Firehouse No. 2 volunteers to force the City of Salisbury to cede control of fire and rescue operations to the likes of Harold "The Blade" Scott, John Bartkovich and Norman Conway.

The standard joke downtown is that The Blade is not physically fit to crush out a burning cigarette. Persons speculate as to the date when Conway last contributed anything positive to a fire suppression exercise. The same people speculate as to whether Bartkovitch ever made such a contribution.

These folks are, to put it as delicately as possible, over the hill. Financed by the County, they have launched a stream of lawsuits that have no discernible possibility of producing a result which will promote the public welfare. The Station No. 2 volunteer leadership wants to operate as a fifth column, ungovernable and uncontrollable.

For years, going all the way back to the presidential election of 1800, the volunteer fire companies have exerted an inordinate level of influence over local Maryland politics. As a consequence, they developed their own little fiefdoms. Other volunteer organizations have found it relatively painless to integrate their operations with an overall non volunteer chief.

Station No. 2 is the exception, rather than the rule. Sadly, the County government seems hellbent on encouraging what the politically correct would characterize as their disruptive behavior. Efforts to negotiate a settlement of the City-County dispute flounder because General Mumbles is unwilling or unable to move beyond the Firehouse No. 2 talking points memo. The Poodle declines to become involved. The quality of fire services to the county area northeast of the City will inevitably deteriorate, causing homeowners and business fire insurance premiums to escalate.

Similarly, the County residents living in that area, as well as the Fruitland - Allen communities, will see the quality and general availability of sophisticated ambulance services vanish. These considerations appear to be secondary to the political imperatives of providing playpens for old men with political connections in both parties.

WGD

What do you think?

“The Poodle,” we understand is then County Councilman Charles (“Chip”) Dashiell. “General Mumbles” is then County Council President Anthony Sarbanes. The second part of his codename has been attributed to Stevie Prettyman, but we can’t confirm that. What say you, Stevie?

New Posts to fall below.

$1.1B capital budget passes House amid protests it spends too much

The House of Delegates passed the $1.1 billion capital budget in a 97-41 vote Wednesday evening, with opponents complaining that the state is spending too much and putting its triple-A bond rating on the line.

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Tempers flare in Senate as session draws to a close

Tensions ran high in the Senate Wednesday when Sen. Paul Pinsky, D- Prince George's, questioned a decision by Senate President Mike Miller to delay final vote on a bill to ban arsenic in chicken feed until the end of the day’s session.

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Septic bill clears House committee

A controversial septic bill that passed the Senate late last month was approved by the House Environmental Matters Committee on Wednesday by a vote of 17-7, mostly along party lines.

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Ban On Arsenic In Chicken Feed Up For Senate Vote

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- The state Senate is set to cast a final vote on a bill to ban a chicken feed additive containing arsenic.

The chamber is scheduled to vote Thursday on the measure, which would ban the sale of roxarsone, a chemical used to help the birds grow and fight parasites.

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SPD Press Release

On April 4, 2012 at approximately 1:04pm, officers responded to the area of W Isabella St and Lake St for a black male with a gun. Officers were advised that the black male had been observed firing the handgun in the air near a female subject that he was
arguing with. A second witness saw the black male walking east on Isabella St approaching the North Prong bridge. This witness also observed a handgun tucked in the waist of his pants.

Officers were able to stop the subject near the bridge. The subject was searched initially and no weapon was found. It is believed that the subject was able to throw the weapon into the North Prong of the Wicomico River. The Salisbury Fire Department Underwater Recovery Unit was contacted to assist in the search and is currently on scene.

The following subject was arrested and will be charged with Assault, violations of the State handgun laws and City Ordinance violations:

Dezohnn Cromone Scott, 32yo of Salisbury, MD.

Evicted 101-Year-Old Detroiter Gets Her Home Back

DETROIT (AP) — Baking cookies never seemed as sweet for 101-year-old Texana Hollis as it did on Wednesday, when she tearfully was allowed back into the home her husband bought after World War II following her eviction seven months ago.

Foreclosure initially forced Hollis from the home where she'd spent six decades of her life, then federal officials wouldn't let her move back in because of its dilapidated condition. That's when Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom and his charity stepped in, and convinced volunteers and businesses to do the same.

"God bless everyone who had a hand in this," Hollis said, tears swelling in her eyes, after she re-entered the home.

One of her first tasks: Trying out the new stove to bake sugar and chocolate chip cookies, which she lifted off a tinfoil-covered baking sheet using a new spatula and carefully placed into a tin.

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YOU & I ARE MEMBERS

They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are "Baby Boomers" getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. We have worked hard, raised our children, worshipped our God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. We won World War II, fought in Korea and Vietnam . We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America ; we fought for the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner, America , and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America .

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it. It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for the "Hope and Change" which in reality was nothing but "Hype and Lies." You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don't like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or "Climbing the Social Ladder" to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the "Great Lie" in 2008 are now having buyer's remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the 'Kool-Aid.' Now you're paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don't worry youngsters, the Gray-Haired Brigade is here, and in 2012 we are going to take back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we're going, and in 2012 we're going to the polls by the millions. This land does not belong to the man in the White House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to "We the People" and "We the People" plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren. So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, Stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the "Gray-Haired Brigade."

Footnote:
This is spot on. I am another Gray-Haired Geezer signing on. I will circulate this to other Gray-Haired Geezers all over this once great county.

The 45 overused medical procedures costing Americans billions

Nine U.S. medical specialty societies representing 374,000 physicians have put together a list of "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question."

As outlined in a March 2010 American Thinker article by Richard Baehr, many experts think the real problem with America's health care system is the inherently expensive cost of goods and services, as opposed to direct access to quality medical care. And as the Washington Post notes, wasteful medicine costs the U.S. health care system an estimated $700 billion annually.

The list of 45 "evidence-based recommendations" are posted on the site Choosing Wisely, and the participating physicians say they hope that by educating both doctors and patients they can work toward both improving quality of medical care and simultaneously reducing costs by "eliminating unnecessary tests and procedures."

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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 4=5=12

On April 3, 2012 at approximately 0900 a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy stopped a subject operating a bicycle on the wrong side of the highway at Route 13 and Tulls Corner Rd, Worcester County Maryland. The operator of the bicycle was swerving in and out of the number two lane and the shoulder of southbound Route 13 while traveling northbound. The Subject was identified as Sharun Beach 42 years old of New Church Va. A computer check showed that Mr. Beach was wanted on two warrants for failure to appear. Mr. Beach was arrested The subject was then transported to the District Court Commissioner of Snow Hill where he was released on Personal Recognizance.

Sharpton In The White House

Today, race-baiter Al Sharpton, who was most recently seen threatening the city of Sanford, Florida over the Trayvon Martin case, attended the White House Prayer Breakfast. The White House stated that the breakfast invitees included “heads of major denominations, non-profit leaders and prominent mainline, Evangelical, Orthodox and Catholic leaders from across the spectrum.”

President Obama’s insertion of himself into the case with his “if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon” comments marked the official attempt to turn the Martin case into a race case. And Sharpton led the media charge, shouting at a press conference, “Trayvon could have been any one of our sons, he could have been any one of us. Trayvon represents a reckless disregard for our lives that we’ve seen for too long.”

Sharpton obviously has a history of racial rabble rousing – and a history of lying about cases (Tawana Brawley) or making accusations without evidence (Duke rape case) or blowing them up into violent incidents (Crown Heights riot, 1991). He’s certainly used his dog-eared racialist playbook on the Martin case.

And yet there he is, at the White House. And it’s no coincidence that at that same event, one of the pastors donned the now-cliché Trayvon Martin hoodie as a political statement.

President Obama’s defenders act as though he wasn’t interested in turning the Trayvon Martin case into a racial narrative for his own political benefit. His invitation to Sharpton, the week after Sharpton was down in Sanford raising hell, says otherwise.

Source

I Am The Dream

Investigators Looking For Wanted Sex Offender

Location: Georgetown, DE

Date of Occurrence: Wednesday April 4, 2012

Suspect:

Bret S. Kauffman Jr., 36, Georgetown, DE (Photo Attached)
White male, 6’02” tall, 205 lbs, brown hair, and hazel eyes

Resume:
Georgetown, DE- The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (S.O.A.R) is currently looking for a Georgetown sex offender after he failed to re-register his current address.

Investigators have obtained warrants on Bret S. Kauffman Jr., 36, who is a high risk Tier 3 sex offender, after they learned that he failed to register his new address and had not notified S.O.A.R. of his status within 3 days as he is required to do by law.

Bret Kauffman is described as a white male, 6’02” tall and 205 lbs. He has brown hair and hazel eyes.

The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit is asking anyone who may know the location of Bret S. Kauffman Jr., to call Detective Donna Oliphant at 302-943-1560. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333.

Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.

Fed To Banks: Rent Out More Foreclosures

The Federal Reserve took steps to encourage banks to turn more of their foreclosed homes into rental properties in new policy guidelines issued on Thursday that could help lessen the flood of distressed property sales that is depressing prices.

"Banking organizations should make good-faith efforts to dispose of foreclosed properties," the Fed said in a six-page policy statement.

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Ratings: Sarah Palin Beats 'The Perky One'

Tuesday's ratings numbers are in, and "The Rogue" beat "The Perky One."

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defeated Katie Couric in their heavily hyped ratings duel on the airwaves on Tuesday when Palin co-hosted NBC's "Today" show while Couric was guest-hosting ABC's "Good Morning America."

According to Nielsen Fast National Data, "Today" drew 5.497 million viewers while "Good Morning America" had 5.141 million on Tuesday. With Palin co-hosting on Tuesday, "Today" bested "GMA" by 356,000 viewers. That margin was greater, by 8 percent, than the 333,000 viewer advantage "Today" had on Monday, when Palin was not on the show.

Palin told Breitbart News last Sunday that she would be "going rogue" and "infiltrating some turf for a day" on the "Today" Show and, when asked about confronting Couric on the airwaves, Palin simply told Breitbart News, "Game On."
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QUOTES OF THE DAY 4-5-12

“The theory is that someone at the firm overrode internal controls that safeguarded customer funds and transferred money out of them to shore up the company’s global liquidity position. Congress and federal investigators are particularly focused on the role of Jon Corzine, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and governor of New Jersey, and whether he purposely directed his treasury department to use customer funds.”

CFO.com

“Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive.”

Sir Walter Scott

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand…And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

W. B. Yeats, 1919

State Police Arrest Man For Calling In A Bomb Threat

Locations:
Howard T. Ennis School, 20346 Ennis Road, Georgetown, DE

Date and Time of Occurrence:
Tuesday April 3, 2012 at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Suspect and Charges:

David C. Detwiler, 38, of Seaford, DE (Photo Attached)
Terroristic Threatening (felony)
Non-Compliance with Conditions of a Bond (2 felony counts)
Reckless Endangering (12 misdemeanor counts)

Arrest pending release from area hospital.

Resume:
Georgetown, DE- The Delaware State Police have obtained warrants for a Seaford man’s arrest in connection with another bomb threat made to a Georgetown school.

On Tuesday April 3, 2012 at approximately 12:15 p.m. a phone call was placed to the Howard T. Ennis School in Georgetown stating there was a bomb in the school. The students and faculty were evacuated from the school and State Police K9s were called in to search the building. No suspicious items were located and the school was deemed safe to re-enter.

On Wednesday April 4th at approximately 11:09 a.m., a State Police Detective from Troop 4 in Georgetown, was patrolling Howard T. Ennis School when he observed a vehicle similar to the one owned by David C. Detwiler driving by the school. The Detective was able to obtain registration information confirming the vehicle belonged to Detwiler and conducted a traffic stop in the Delaware Tech Georgetown Campus parking lot. Detwiler, who was driving the car alone, had been court ordered not to have contact with any school within the State of Delaware as a condition of his release stemming from his previous arrest on March 13th of this year. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that Detwiler had made the phone call to the school on April 3rd.

Detwiler was taken into custody and transported back to Troop 4 where warrants were obtained for one felony count of Terroristic Threatening, two felony counts of Non-Compliance with Conditions of a Bond, and 12 misdemeanor counts of Reckless Endangering. These 12 counts are due to the students with severe disabilities. Because of their fragile conditions, moving them quickly outside created a risk of injury.

Due to a health issue, unrelated to this incident, Detwiler was transported to an area hospital and will be formally charged upon his release.

Terror Cells on High Alert to Attack U.S.

Terror cells have been placed on high alert to attack targets in the United States and Europe should Iran’s nuclear facilities be attacked, a source in the Revolutionary Guards says.

The terror cells in the U.S. are being coordinated by Quds Force personnel operating out of the Iranian Interests Section in Washington, the source says. Because Iran and the U.S. have no diplomatic relations, Iran’s Interests Section operates under the umbrella of the Pakistani embassy.

“These cells work out of safe houses where ammunition and explosives are stored, each with an operational commander who reports back to Iran,” the source says.

Analysts in Iran believe Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, has provided two choices to the West: either accept a nuclear Iran or face all-out retaliation if its nuclear facilities are attacked.

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The Only Place Democrats Want To Drill

Coca-Cola Caves to Left Wing Bullying, Drops from Conservative Group

In an attack on voter ID laws around the nation, Democratic officials called for a boycott of Coca-Cola, Walmart, and other organizations that supported the American Legislative Exchange Council. Within five hours of the boycott threat, Coke had backed down, removing its funding from ALEC. They said:

The Coca-Cola Company has elected to discontinue its membership with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Our involvement with ALEC was focused on efforts to oppose discriminatory food and beverage taxes, not on issues that have no direct bearing on our business. We have a long-standing policy of only taking positions on issues that impact our Company and industry.

“We are organizing. We are not agonizing,” said Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC). Meanwhile, Color of Change joined the boycott effort, too.

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