Wary of costs linked to minimum wage, overtime, discrimination, workplace safety rules
President Obama is increasingly using federal contractors as testing grounds for his social agenda, including a higher minimum wage and expanded gay rights.
But contractors warn about an eventual tipping point when rules become too costly or difficult. Driving bidders out of the marketplace, they say, will lead to fewer choices and higher costs for the government.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
U.S. Army Plans to Battle Anti-Government Dissidents in “Megacities”
The U.S. Army is preparing to fight political dissidents who challenge the power of the state as “megacities” become the battleground of the future, according to a new report in the Army Times.
The article details how the Army’s Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) worked with US Army Special Operations Command, the chief of staff’s Strategic Studies Group and the UK’s Ministry of Defence earlier this year to wargame the future of armed combat, which will revolve around the neutralization of groups “who can influence the lives of the population while undermining the authority of the state,” a chillingly vague description which could easily be applied to political dissidents.
The plan foresees an unprecedented realignment of U.S. military strategy focused around putting “boots on the ground” in megacities to deal with “politically dispossessed” populations while relying on “more lethal and more autonomous” methods.
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The article details how the Army’s Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) worked with US Army Special Operations Command, the chief of staff’s Strategic Studies Group and the UK’s Ministry of Defence earlier this year to wargame the future of armed combat, which will revolve around the neutralization of groups “who can influence the lives of the population while undermining the authority of the state,” a chillingly vague description which could easily be applied to political dissidents.
The plan foresees an unprecedented realignment of U.S. military strategy focused around putting “boots on the ground” in megacities to deal with “politically dispossessed” populations while relying on “more lethal and more autonomous” methods.
More
As Labor Day Weekend Starts, 3 Lie Dead and 33 Are Wounded in Chicago Violence
Between Friday and Sunday night as the long Labor Day weekend began, three people were killed and 33 wounded -- and the weekend still has one more day to go, since Labor Day falls on Monday this year.
The long weekend began with a flurry of shootings, 11 in all, on Friday night.
The weekend's first homicide also happened Friday in the city's Back Of The Yards near south side neighborhood when at 10:45 PM police found a 36-year-old man lying on a sidewalk -- shot dead.
Less than five hours later, a 43-year-old man was shot and killed farther south.
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The long weekend began with a flurry of shootings, 11 in all, on Friday night.
The weekend's first homicide also happened Friday in the city's Back Of The Yards near south side neighborhood when at 10:45 PM police found a 36-year-old man lying on a sidewalk -- shot dead.
Less than five hours later, a 43-year-old man was shot and killed farther south.
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Employment Incentive Grant Program for Economic Growth
Jason Malone, of Malone Homes commented, “This program keeps me from raising prices due to increases in material costs.”
The amount of each award is $5321 and requires the developer to meet certain conditions including initiating construction of the home within 3 months of receiving the permit.
“This is our latest ‘jobs’ initiative, designed to spur construction of residential housing. I am happy that we were able to secure funding in this year’s budget for our incentive grant program,” County Executive Pollitt said.
Applications can be downloaded by visiting www.wicomicocounty.org and clicking on the Business tab or picked up at the Department of Planning, Zoning and Community Development office located on the 2nd floor of the Government Office Building.
86-Year-Old WWII Veteran Mugged in Hospital Parking Lot
Craig Phelps tried to steal 86-year-old veteran Paul Browning's wallet, according to an arrest report.
Browning was leaving Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati after visiting his wife of 65 years when Phelps allegedly demanded his wallet. When Browning refused to give up his wallet, police say Phelps punched him and knocked him onto the ground.
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Browning was leaving Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati after visiting his wife of 65 years when Phelps allegedly demanded his wallet. When Browning refused to give up his wallet, police say Phelps punched him and knocked him onto the ground.
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Study: Best Cities to Live in Maryland
While Baltimore is the largest city, there's a lot to be said for some of the smaller towns and suburbs that are scattered throughout the state. From the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay area to the majestic peaks of the western mountains, you're sure to find a spot to call home. To help with your search, the CreditDonkey experts have studied which cities in Maryland are the best places to live for fresh transplants and seasoned residents alike.
STUDY METHODOLOGY
Here's what we considered when determining our rankings:
- Crime Rate
- Commute Time
- Income
- Education
- Restaurants Per Capita
Philadelphia Police Confiscating Thousands of Families Homes
Monday on CNN's "The Lead With Jake Tapper," CNN justice correspondent Pamela Brown reported on Philadelphia police and prosecutors seizing the homes of people with no criminal charges.
The report highlighted a family who's 22-year-old son was arrested for a $40 drug charge but the parents, who were unaware of their adult sons criminal activity, were never charged with any crime are currently fighting city prosecutors to stay in the family home.
The homeowners told the story of police bursting into their home in suburban Philadelphia with a sledgehammer reportedly saying, "We're going to break your walls and pipes. This house is going to be ours."
As he was explaining what was going on, there was people closing doors with screws, locking them. They had the electric company here to turn off my electric and gas."
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The report highlighted a family who's 22-year-old son was arrested for a $40 drug charge but the parents, who were unaware of their adult sons criminal activity, were never charged with any crime are currently fighting city prosecutors to stay in the family home.
The homeowners told the story of police bursting into their home in suburban Philadelphia with a sledgehammer reportedly saying, "We're going to break your walls and pipes. This house is going to be ours."
As he was explaining what was going on, there was people closing doors with screws, locking them. They had the electric company here to turn off my electric and gas."
More
Using Technology To Counter Police Mistrust Is Complicated
Outfitting police officers with body cameras seems to be the most concrete solution to come out of the police misconduct accusations in Ferguson, Mo. And the push for cameras extends far beyond the suburban Missouri police department — more than 153,000 people have signed a"We the People" petition to create a "Mike Brown Law" that would require all police to wear cameras.
Ferguson officers didn't have dashboard cameras for their vehicles, much less body cameras, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot in August, or during the chaotic protests and crowd control that followed his death. But now, thanks to a donation by two security companies, the police department is outfitted with about 50 cameras, which were already used during a protest last week.
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Ferguson officers didn't have dashboard cameras for their vehicles, much less body cameras, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot in August, or during the chaotic protests and crowd control that followed his death. But now, thanks to a donation by two security companies, the police department is outfitted with about 50 cameras, which were already used during a protest last week.
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For Men's Rights Groups, Feminism Has Come At The Expense Of Men
This summer, a few hundred men and a handful of women gathered in a VFW hall near Detroit to attend what organizers billed as the first International Conference on Men's Issues.
The crowd wasn't huge, but it was enthusiastic. The event was a real-world gathering organized by the website A Voice for Men, part of an informal collection of websites, chat rooms and blogs focused on what's known as the men's rights movement. Speaker after speaker insisted that history would remember this moment.
"It's happening here. It's happening now. It's happening with us," Warren Farrell, one of the keynote speakers, told the crowd. Farrell, who published The Myth of Male Power: Why Men Are the Disposable Sex in 1993, is often described as the intellectual father of the men's rights movement.
Leaders in the movement say they want to bring more attention to the problems of men and boys. Critics worry, however, that these sites are a breeding ground for misogyny.
More
The crowd wasn't huge, but it was enthusiastic. The event was a real-world gathering organized by the website A Voice for Men, part of an informal collection of websites, chat rooms and blogs focused on what's known as the men's rights movement. Speaker after speaker insisted that history would remember this moment.
"It's happening here. It's happening now. It's happening with us," Warren Farrell, one of the keynote speakers, told the crowd. Farrell, who published The Myth of Male Power: Why Men Are the Disposable Sex in 1993, is often described as the intellectual father of the men's rights movement.
Leaders in the movement say they want to bring more attention to the problems of men and boys. Critics worry, however, that these sites are a breeding ground for misogyny.
More
Update On Marijuana
Nixon's War on Drugs demonized marijuana, but science keeps finding new benefits of that miracle plant. A recent study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says that states that have legalized medical marijuana have seen a 25 percent drop in prescription overdose deaths. In fact, the longer that a state keeps this policy, the lower the rate of overdose. According to the researchers, after one year of legalized medical marijuana, these deaths dropped by 20 percent. However, after five years, prescription overdoses declined by 34 percent. The majority of these overdose deaths – about 60 percent – occur in patients who are prescribed opioids for pain. Because marijuana provides effective pain relief without the danger of overdose, many patients are making the switch. Other recent studies have shown that marijuana is also effective at treating nausea, providing relief to cancer patients, and more. It's no wonder that Big Pharma has made every effort to keep this natural remedy illegal.
Delaware's Toll Plazas' Traffic Counts this Labor Day Weekend
Dover -- During the Labor weekend, 864,773 motorists passed through Delaware's three toll plaza locations on I-95 in Newark, Route 1 at Biddle's Corner, and Route 1 in Dover.
From Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1, the I-95 Newark Plaza served 393,874 vehicles; 250,647 vehicles were served at Route 1 Biddle's Corner; and 220,252 at Dover's Route 1 Plaza. It is estimated that over $2.6 million was collected in tolls during the four-day period at Delaware's toll plazas.
Last year's totals, I-95 Newark Plaza - 394,918 vehicles; Route 1 Biddle's Corner - 246,732 vehicles; and Dover's Route 1 Plaza - 216,177 vehicles were served.
2014 Labor Day Traffic Counts
(reflecting a 24-hour period count)
I-95 Newark Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 101,080
Saturday: 103,695
Sunday: 92,257
Monday: 96,842
Biddle's Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 79,266
Saturday: 62,848
Sunday: 49,654
Monday: 58,879
Dover Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 66,335
Saturday: 56,004
Sunday: 44,238
Monday: 53,675
Sixty-two percent of the counted trips utilized the convenience of E-ZPass, the electronic toll collection system. Motorists can make their trips on I-95 and Route 1 more convenient by maintaining an E-ZPass account. To get an E-ZPass account, go to E-ZPass Delaware. Customers can also register for an E-ZPass account in person at any Toll Plaza customer service center 24 hours a day, or by calling 1-888-397-2773 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
From Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1, the I-95 Newark Plaza served 393,874 vehicles; 250,647 vehicles were served at Route 1 Biddle's Corner; and 220,252 at Dover's Route 1 Plaza. It is estimated that over $2.6 million was collected in tolls during the four-day period at Delaware's toll plazas.
Last year's totals, I-95 Newark Plaza - 394,918 vehicles; Route 1 Biddle's Corner - 246,732 vehicles; and Dover's Route 1 Plaza - 216,177 vehicles were served.
2014 Labor Day Traffic Counts
(reflecting a 24-hour period count)
I-95 Newark Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 101,080
Saturday: 103,695
Sunday: 92,257
Monday: 96,842
Biddle's Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 79,266
Saturday: 62,848
Sunday: 49,654
Monday: 58,879
Dover Toll Plaza 2014
Friday: 66,335
Saturday: 56,004
Sunday: 44,238
Monday: 53,675
Sixty-two percent of the counted trips utilized the convenience of E-ZPass, the electronic toll collection system. Motorists can make their trips on I-95 and Route 1 more convenient by maintaining an E-ZPass account. To get an E-ZPass account, go to E-ZPass Delaware. Customers can also register for an E-ZPass account in person at any Toll Plaza customer service center 24 hours a day, or by calling 1-888-397-2773 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Hospital Teams With Bank To Offer Interest-Free Loans So Patients Can Pay Their Bills
Health care, especially of the emergency kind, has been known to leave consumers with hefty bills and few options expect to go into debt. But now some health systems are finding ways to give their patients relief when it comes to credit-destroying medical bills.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that health care systems are ditching their in-house payment plans and teaming up with banks to offer patients interest-free loans to pay their medical bills – even if they have no way of repaying the loan.
Back in March, SSM Health Care, which operates in Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, partnered with Commerce Bank to offer interest-free loans with three- and five-year terms to make it easier for consumers to pay their ever-increasing deductibles.
The program, for which Commerce receives a fee for servicing the loans, doesn’t require a credit check and won’t deny loans even if the patient doesn’t have the ability to pay.
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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that health care systems are ditching their in-house payment plans and teaming up with banks to offer patients interest-free loans to pay their medical bills – even if they have no way of repaying the loan.
Back in March, SSM Health Care, which operates in Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, partnered with Commerce Bank to offer interest-free loans with three- and five-year terms to make it easier for consumers to pay their ever-increasing deductibles.
The program, for which Commerce receives a fee for servicing the loans, doesn’t require a credit check and won’t deny loans even if the patient doesn’t have the ability to pay.
More
Motorcycle Accident In Delmar
Delmar | Wicomico | Williams Mill Pond Rd | MVC With Injuries | Motorcycle off the road into the woods. Williams Mill Pond Rd is closed indefinitely | #03
Sponsors Needed for Breast Cancer Walk!
SPONSORS NEEDED!
|
October 11, 2014
|
The 13th Annual Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness is just around the corner and we are looking for business sponsors! This isWomen Supporting Women's BIG event and we appreciate the support from the local business community.
AVAILABLE PACKAGES:
T-Shirt Sponsor $1,000
Over 1,200 shirts printed
Business Package $250(2) 18"x24" signs, vendor table, Walker registration
Business Sign $100 each
Click HERE for the Business Opportunities Flyer
Click HERE for the Registration Flyer
| Walk Agenda |
8:30am - Registration and Check-In
9:00am - Team Pictures
10:00am - Opening Ceremonies Start
11:30am - Lunch provided by Texas Roadhouse
|
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
MARYLAND SENATOR VOTES IN FAVOR OF HIS LOBBYIST WIFE’S CLIENT
According to state lobbying records Pamela Kasemeyer, a registered lobbyist for Scwartz, Metz & Wise, represented Pioneer Green, a Texas-based developer seeking to construct a wind farm in Somerset County.
During the legislative session, the southern Maryland delegation introduced legislation, HB 1168, to put a moratorium on the Great Bay Wind project, which they feared would interfere with Patuxent Naval Air Station’s radar testing operations.
Kasemeyer’s husband, State Senator Ed Kasemeyer (D-Howard County) voted against HB 1168, meaning he voted in the direct interest of his wife’s client.
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Fmr. CIA Operative: ISIS Cells Are Here In The U.S., And They’re Capable Of Striking
The terrorist group has gained strongholds in eastern Syria and northeastern Iraq, and, according to a former CIA operative, ISIS cells have already infiltrated the U.S.
"The people who collect tactical intelligence on the ground, day-to-day – and this isn't Washington – but people collecting this stuff say they're here, ISIS is here, they're capable of striking," said CNN national security analyst and former CIA operative Bob Baer.
"They don't know what their plans and intentions are. But it's a definite concern," said Baer.
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Hit and run
Tonight at about 6:30 there was a hit and run vehicle accident at the intersection of Rt.13 and the cross road at Bob Evans (just across from Lowe's). A white Jetta Wagon was stopped at a red light waiting to make a right (north) turn onto 13 when it was rear ended by an older light gold van with old-style white Maryland tags with black numbers/letters. The driver of the van suggested pulling into the neighboring parking lot to exchange information and then when the driver of the Jetta pulled into the lot the van hurried on down Rt. 13. If you saw the incident or think that you may recognize the van please let SPD or Joe know.
Michael Sam Snubbed By ALL Other NFL Teams
Michael Sam was not picked up by any other team Sunday after the NFL's first openly gay draft pick was cut by the St. Louis Rams.
Sam's dreams of becoming the first gay NFL player have now been placed on hold.
Undeterred, the player who has not been picked up by any other NFL team, posted a message to social media.
'The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.'
His boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, also showed his support for Sam by tweeted a picture of the couple together, wearing shirts from the University of Missouri, where they both attended college.
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Sam's dreams of becoming the first gay NFL player have now been placed on hold.
Undeterred, the player who has not been picked up by any other NFL team, posted a message to social media.
'The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.'
His boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, also showed his support for Sam by tweeted a picture of the couple together, wearing shirts from the University of Missouri, where they both attended college.
More
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