Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label History MD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History MD. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Baltimore’s Rosewood scandal: Wealthy families sprang asylum inmates to be servants.

Baltimore’s Rosewood scandal: Wealthy families sprang asylum inmates to be servants.: "Crooked lawyers sprang inmates from an asylum to make them slaves.

By Jesse Bering"


http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/03/baltimore_s_rosewood_scandal_wealthy_families_sprang_asylum_inmates_to_be.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content&mc_cid=f6af3629f2&mc_eid=b27361148d 

The Rosewood Center (née the Maryland Asylum and Training School for the Feeble Minded, est. 1888) is an abandoned mental hospital on the outskirts of Baltimore. The state closed its doors only in 2009 after a mountain of angry complaints involving understaffing, patient abuse, and neglect. Much of the rotting old bedlam now lies in ruins or is caked in thick soot, the aftermath of a recent suspected arson. But even in this dilapidated state, its imposing presence stirs up a sense of the foreboding.
Like many overwhelmed psychiatric facilities built around the turn of the last century, Rosewood had been dogged by shameful accusations for a long time. The most scandalous—the one that sets Rosewood apart from other asylums—was made by Leo Kanner on May 13, 1937. Before a hushed gathering at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Pittsburgh, Kanner shared the shocking tale of “the Rosewood girls.” It’s not a story most people know about today, but it’s an important reminder of just how destructive an upper class with an unchecked sense of entitlement can be, and how vital it remains to safeguard the interests of those who can’t do so for themselves. It also forces us to revisit an uncomfortable moment in our nation’s history when the practice of eugenics—human breeding for socially desirable attributes, such as intelligence—was viewed by even the most progressive human rights advocates as humane and ethical.
Read more; http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/03/baltimore_s_rosewood_scandal_wealthy_families_sprang_asylum_inmates_to_be.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content&mc_cid=f6af3629f2&mc_eid=b27361148d  

'via Blog this'

*****

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

The Tentacle: New history book on Maryland Politics by John Willis and Herb Smith discussed at McDaniel College


State’s Political History Has A New Review
Kevin E. Dayhoff October 3, 2012

“Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance,” written by Drs. John T. Willis and Herbert C. Smith, is an in-depth look at Maryland’s political identity.

Steeped in history and tradition, the dark wood paneling of McDaniel Hall on the campus of McDaniel College was the perfect setting for a recent book talk on the arcane, distinctive, and uniquely byzantine political history of the State of Maryland.. 

The University of Nebraska noted that the reference book is “certain to set the standard for understanding the politics of Maryland for years to come…”

“There are fifteen chapters and well over 300 pages of text. Considering we submitted an 800-page manuscript, one has to marvel at the editorial acumen out there”… Dr. Smith said at the University of Nebraska.... http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5375


“It’s truly a labor of love,” Dr. Smith says, “explaining that he and Dr. Willis have gone through a number of updates trying to capture a political system that is essentially a moving target,” according to an article on the McDaniel College website.

The long-awaited 432-page book, written by two longstanding friends of mine, was released on January 1, 2012, and is part of the Politics and Governments of the American States Series by the University of Nebraska Press.

Dr. Willis is the director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He has served as Maryland’s secretary of state from 1995 to 2003 and is the author of “Presidential Elections in Maryland.”

Dr. Smith, the director of government relations at the college, has been a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College since 1973.

“Maryland, in all candor, is neglected, overlooked… http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5375

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Labels: People Smith Dr Herb, People Willis John, Art Library books, Political Science, History Political, History MD State Government, History MD General Assembly, History MD, Colleges McDaniel, Dayhoff Media Explore Carroll,

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Related – see also: http://marylandreporter.com/2012/01/06/video-authors-smith-and-willis-discuss-new-book-on-maryland-politics/ January 06, 2012 Herb Smith and John Willis discuss their new book “Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance” with Maryland Reporter editor Len Lazarick.

For more information on the book go to the University of Nebraska website here: http://tinyurl.com/7n92yuw


Click here to read an excerpt from Maryland Politics and Government:  Democratic Dominance.

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance John T. Willis, Herbert C. Smith

January 1, 2012

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/.../excerpts/.../9780803237902_excerpt.... File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Copyrighted Material. Buy the book. Maryland Politics and Government. Democratic Dominance. Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis contents. List of Tables, vii ... http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/supplements/excerpts/Fall%2011/9780803237902_excerpt.pdf

Sets the standard for understanding the politics of Maryland for years to come

Then, an in-depth look at Maryland’s political identity, with longtime political analyst Herb Smith and party official John Willis, authors of “Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance.” Herb Smith is a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College. John Willis is director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He has served as a Democratic party official and was Maryland’s secretary of state from 1995 to 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents:

The Maryland identity
A Maryland political history
Contemporary political patterns
Maryland public opinion
Political parties, interest groups, and corruption
The Maryland Constitution
The Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland governor and the executive branch
The Maryland judiciary
The politics of taxation and spending
"Pleasant living" policies and politics
Maryland in the federal system
Local governments in Maryland
Maryland's future
Further reference for Maryland study.

Tucked between the larger commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia and overshadowed by the political maneuverings of its neighbor, Washington, D.C., Maryland has often been overlooked and neglected in studies of state governmental systems.

With the publication of Maryland Politics and Government, the challenging demographic diversity, geographic variety, and dynamic Democratic pragmatism of Maryland finally get their due.

Two longtime political analysts, Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis, conduct a sustained inquiry into topics including the Maryland identity, political history, and interest groups; the three branches of state government; and policy areas such as taxation, spending, transportation, and the environment.

Smith and Willis also establish a “Two Marylands” model that explains the dominance of the Maryland Democratic Party, established in the post–Civil War era, that persists to this day even in a time of political polarization. Unique in its scope, detail, and coverage, Maryland Politics and Government sets the standard for understanding the politics of the Free State (or, alternately, the Old Line State) for years to come.

*****

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics

Eagle Archive: At McDaniel, authors' lecture revels in history of Maryland politics By Kevin Dayhoff, September 29, 2012

The presidential politics of this election year is a fitting context for a recent book talk at McDaniel College on the arcane, distinctive and uniquely byzantine political history of Maryland

"Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance," written by John Willis and Herbert Smith is a 432-page look at Maryland's political identity. The book was released this past January, part of the Politics and Governments of the American States series by the University of Nebraska Press.

"It's truly a labor of love," said Smith, who has been a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College since 1973.
Willis is the director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He served as Maryland's secretary of state from 1995 to 2003 and is also the author of another book, "Presidential Elections in Maryland." … http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/community/ph-ce-eagle-archive-0930-20120926,0,2507354.story

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2012/10/eagle-archive-at-mcdaniel-authors.html


For more information on the book go to the University of Nebraska website here: http://tinyurl.com/7n92yuw


Click here to read an excerpt from Maryland Politics and Government:  Democratic Dominance.

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance John T. Willis, Herbert C. Smith

January 1, 2012

Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/.../excerpts/.../9780803237902_excerpt.... File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Copyrighted Material. Buy the book. Maryland Politics and Government. Democratic Dominance. Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis contents. List of Tables, vii ... http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/supplements/excerpts/Fall%2011/9780803237902_excerpt.pdf

Sets the standard for understanding the politics of Maryland for years to come

Then, an in-depth look at Maryland’s political identity, with longtime political analyst Herb Smith and party official John Willis, authors of “Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance.” Herb Smith is a professor of political science and international studies at McDaniel College. John Willis is director of the government and public policy program at the University of Baltimore. He has served as a Democratic party official and was Maryland’s secretary of state from 1995 to 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents:

The Maryland identity
A Maryland political history
Contemporary political patterns
Maryland public opinion
Political parties, interest groups, and corruption
The Maryland Constitution
The Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland governor and the executive branch
The Maryland judiciary
The politics of taxation and spending
"Pleasant living" policies and politics
Maryland in the federal system
Local governments in Maryland
Maryland's future
Further reference for Maryland study.

Tucked between the larger commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia and overshadowed by the political maneuverings of its neighbor, Washington, D.C., Maryland has often been overlooked and neglected in studies of state governmental systems.

With the publication of Maryland Politics and Government, the challenging demographic diversity, geographic variety, and dynamic Democratic pragmatism of Maryland finally get their due.

Two longtime political analysts, Herbert C. Smith and John T. Willis, conduct a sustained inquiry into topics including the Maryland identity, political history, and interest groups; the three branches of state government; and policy areas such as taxation, spending, transportation, and the environment.

Smith and Willis also establish a “Two Marylands” model that explains the dominance of the Maryland Democratic Party, established in the post–Civil War era, that persists to this day even in a time of political polarization. Unique in its scope, detail, and coverage, Maryland Politics and Government sets the standard for understanding the politics of the Free State (or, alternately, the Old Line State) for years to come.

*****

Video: Authors Smith and Willis discuss new book on Maryland politics

Video: Authors Smith and Willis discuss new book on Maryland politics

Art Library booksColleges McDanielHistory MDHistory MD General AssemblyHistory MD State GovernmentHistory PoliticalPeople Smith Dr HerbPeople Willis JohnPolitical Science

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Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/ “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Explore Carroll – Kevin Dayhoff: Remembering Dr. King and Mathias de Sousa


Published January 16, 2011 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle ... http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/5077/remembering-dr-king-marylander-400-years-prior/

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in honor of one of the world's best-known advocates of non-violent social change strategies.

King was born in Atlanta Jan. 15, 1929. He first burst on the national scene on Dec. 5, 1955, five days after Montgomery, Ala., civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to obey city rules mandating segregation on buses.

Of course, King is best known for his "I Have a Dream" speech Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington.

In addition to King's birthday, I should also note that this past Wednesday was the first day of the 428th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly.

What's the connection? Well, in honor of King, it's only fitting to tie the two together obliquely and call attention to the life and times of Mathias de Sousa.

At 2 o'clock on March 23, 1642, in "St. Maries," now known as St. Mary's City, de Sousa took his seat in the Maryland General Assembly along with Gov. Leonard Calvert, the first governor of Maryland, and 37 other gentlemen… 

[…]

and understanding to change the world.  Care to join me?  When Kevin Dayhoff is not lost in a history book, he may be reached ...


20110116 sdsom SCE Remembering King Mathias de Sousa

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

November 9, 1923 Maryland Governor Ritchie Re-Elected


Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/p2s26 or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/239914928/md-history-nov-9-1923-md-gov-ritchie-re-elected

Picture caption and credit: Maryland Governor Albert Cabell Ritchie served from Jan. 14, 1920 to Jan. 9, 1935. This is a press photograph from the George Grantham Bain collection, which was purchased by the Library of Congress in 1948. (Digital ID ggbain.29462) According to the library, there are no known restrictions on the use of these photos. The date of this photograph is unknown. [19320000 c nd MD Gov Albert Ritchie]

~~~~

Today – err, yesterday in history it was reported:

Gov. Ritchie Re-Elected by 41,000 -- Only Executive to Serve Successive Terms--All State Candidates Win. Democrats Elect Nine Local Candidates in Carroll.—

Governor Ritchie lost Carroll County by 1657 on Tuesday. Four years ago he was defeated by less than 500.

Holland pulled through by only 14 over Gordy, Robinson lost to Coleman by only 19, Young carried the county over Brewer by 4.

Judge Thomas beats Brooks by 1799, the highest lead over any opponent in the county.

"Bill" Phillips carries the county over "Bill" Bowers by 546.

Samuel J. Stone is improving as he runs. He beat Kephart by 962.

State's Attorney Brown was re-elected by 225 over Walsh.

Daniel J. Hesson defeated Walter R. Rudy by 546 for State Senator.

The house of Delegates will be three Democrats—C. Scott Bollinger, John T. Yingling and Francis Earl Shriner, and one Republican, Melvin W. Routson.

The Judges of the Orphans' Court will be Thomas J. Haines, Democrat; J. Webster Ebaugh and William E. Green, Republicans.

William A. Roop, who ran for re-election for County Commissioner was defeated by John W. Reaver by 238.

John J. Johns is surveyor by defeating John D. Roop, Jr., by 663.

Miss Mary Janet Miller, Socialist, received 55 votes in the county. She ran ahead of any Socialist or Labor candidate for State offices.

Democratic Advocate, November 9, 1923.

19231109 Nov 9 1923 Gov Ritchie Re Elected

Elections History Carroll Co, Gov Ritchie Albert, Governors MD, History Carroll Co, History MD, History This Day in History

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-9-1923-maryland-governor.html http://tinyurl.com/yeogu8n

Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff

Md History: Nov 9 1923 MD Gov Ritchie Re-Elected from Jan 14 1920 to Jan 9 1935 http://tinyurl.com/yeogu8n http://twitpic.com/p2s26

http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/

http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/239914928/md-history-nov-9-1923-md-gov-ritchie-re-elected
*****


Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Sunday, August 26, 2007

20070823 WMAR TV Archives full of historic gems by K Volkmann BE

WMAR TV archives in the basement of University of Baltimore’s Langsdale Library full of historic gems by K Volkmann

This is an exciting turn of events. WMAR TV has been around for a long time and to have historic film footage available from all those years available would be an historians dream.

Archives full of historic gems

Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner 2007-08-23

BALTIMORE

… old television news reels in the basement of University of Baltimore’s Langsdale Library.

[…]

Metal film canisters and videotapes line shelf after shelf and contain old WMAR-TV footage, images showcasing history as it happened from the post-World War II era through the Reagan administration.

The collection is considered one of the most complete archives of television news on the East Coast.

But most filmmakers can’t afford to transfer the 16-millimeter film into digital video and the equipment to play some of the tapes is difficult to find, leaving the footage as it has been for decades rarely watched and left to collect dust.

The 6 million feet of unedited news reels contain hidden gems:

[…]

University of Baltimore has applied for a $356,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to finance a digitization of the films for storage on computer servers.

Library directors will learn this spring whether they won the grant.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Archives full of historic gems

Sunday, June 17, 2007

20070616 Old Natty Boh commercials present Maryland history lessons

Old National Bohemian Beer commercials present Maryland history lessons

June 16th, 2007




I had meant for this to be posted last Friday, for a ‘Thank God It’s Friday’ feature and life got in the way…

Anyway, please enjoy Maryland history lessons by way of some very old National Bohemian Beer commercials. These will take ya back to the very early days of television.

Many of the younger readers of “Soundtrack” may remember their first computer or first cell phone. Well, I remember life before television – and although very young, I remember our first TV. I found it quite fascinating. We could only get 4 channels: 2, 11, 13 and 5. And the TV went off the air in the late evening…

Also – for the younger readers, please note that the commercials were approved by the Maryland State Board of Censors [1] (Folks like Mr. Crablaw will appreciate this Supreme Court case:


GROVE PRESS, v. MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF CENSORS, 401 U.S. 480 (1971), 401 U.S. 480, GROVE PRESS, INC., ET AL. v. MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF CENSORS, APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND, No. 63., Argued November 10, 1970, Decided March 8, 1971)





[1] Maryland State Board of Censors

In 1916, the General Assembly created the Maryland State Board of Censors to scrutinize "all films, reels or views" to be exhibited in the state (Chapter 209, Acts of 1916). The board consisted of a chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary. Each was appointed to a three-year term by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The board approved only those films that they deemed "moral and proper." Approved films received the board's official seal, which was required to be displayed on every film shown in Maryland. Films that the board judged sacrilegious, obscene, indecent, immoral, or tending to debase or corrupt morals did not receive the required seal. Exhibiting disapproved films was illegal. The board enforced its own rules. Members of the board and its employees were authorized to enter any theater to prevent the exhibition of films that did not display the board's seal.

Although it had no power of arrest, the board organized police raids on offending theaters. Persons who submitted films to the board for examination, if dissatisfied with the result of the first judgment, could, upon appeal, submit the same film to the board for reexamination, and then to the City Court of Baltimore. Some censorship cases reached the Maryland Court of Appeals.

In 1970, administration of the Maryland State Board of Censors was assigned to the newly created Department of Licensing and Regulation (Chapter 402, Acts of 1970).

Sunday, April 15, 2007

20070415 April 15, 1949: Senator Tydings Delights Audience at Westminster High School

“Millard E. Tydings, U.S. Senator 1927-1951 and member of the University of Maryland Hall of Fame.”[1]
http://www.lib.umd.edu/univarchives/macmil/imgpg/tydings.html
UPDATE: Yes, he is the grandfather of Alexandra Tydings

Senator Tydings Delights Audience at Westminster High School

Democratic Advocate, April 15, 1949.

The invitations sent out by the Westminster Chamber of Commerce that Millard E. Tydings would make an address in the Westminster High School auditorium on Friday evening, April 8, drew an audience of over 500.

Senator Tydings spoke on many interesting subjects that was food for thought to the audience. He spoke of being in the first world war when he served as Colonel, and how dreadful the second was over the first.

But if another war comes it will be the most destructive in History and the U. S. will be involved deeply. He mentioned that the Marshall plan and the Atlantic Pact is something that will help prevent war if anything does. The binding of these nations into one pact will have a hostile country think before it strikes.


####

Senator Millard E. Tydings (1890-1961) of Maryland used his sharp tongue and keen intelligence to battle two political giants. His first quarrel was with President Franklin Roosevelt over his New Deal programs and the president’s attempt to reorganize the federal judiciary.

Despite Roosevelt’s efforts to “purge” the Democratic Party of conservative critics such as Tydings in the 1938 mid-term elections, Maryland reelected Tydings with overwhelming support. Nearly two decades later, he battled Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Appointed as chairman of a subcommittee to investigate charges of communist infiltration of the State Department, Tydings dismissed McCarthy’s claims, stating that the Senator had committed “a fraud and a hoax.”

McCarthy successfully sought retribution by helping to defeat Tydings in the 1950 election, making him one of the first high-profile victims of what would become known as
McCarthyism.

TYDINGS, Millard Evelyn, (1890 - 1961)

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000446

Senate Years of Service: 1927-1951 Party: Democrat

TYDINGS, Millard Evelyn, (father of Joseph Davies Tydings), a Representative and a Senator from Maryland; born in Havre de Grace, Harford County, Md., April 6, 1890;

attended the public schools of Harford County; graduated from Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland) in 1910; engaged in civil engineering with the Baltimore Ohio Railroad in West Virginia in 1911; studied law at the University of Maryland Law School, Baltimore, Md.; admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Havre de Grace in 1913;

member, State house of delegates 1916-1921; speaker of the house 1920-1922;

served as a private on the Mexican border at Eagle Pass, Tex., 1916; enlisted as a private in the First World War in 1917; promoted to lieutenant colonel and division machine-gun officer in 1918; served in Germany with the Army of Occupation; discharged from the service in 1919;

author; member, State senate 1922-1923; elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-eighth and Sixty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1923-March 3, 1927); was not a candidate for renomination in 1926, having become a candidate for United States Senator;

elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1926, 1932, 1938 and 1944 and served from March 4, 1927, to January 3, 1951; was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1950;

chairman, Committee on Territories and Insular Possessions (Seventy-third through Seventy-ninth Congresses), Committee on Armed Services (Eighty-first Congress);

nominated in 1956 as Democratic candidate for the United States Senate but withdrew before election due to ill health; engaged in the practice of law in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md.;

died at his farm, ‘Oakington,’ near Havre de Grace, Md., February 9, 1961; interment in Angel Hill Cemetery.

Bibliography
American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Keith, Caroline H. For Hell and a Brown Mule: The Biography of Senator Millard E. Tydings. Lanham, MD: Madison Books, 1991; Grant, Philip, Jr. “Maryland Press Reaction to the Roosevelt-Tydings Confrontation.” Maryland Historical Magazine 68 (Winter 1973): 422-37.


[1] Copyright Information: Permission to reproduce images found on this site is granted to educational institutions for non-profit administrative or educational purposes as long as any reproduction carries the following credit line: University Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. Requests to obtain and for permission to reproduce these photographs for commercial purposes must be directed to Anne Turkos, University Archivist, Archives and Manuscripts Department, Hornbake Library, College Park, MD 20742, 301-405-9060.

Citation Information: University of Maryland A to Z: MAC to Millennium is a Web-based compilation that we hope you find fun and informative. We encourage you to use the information it contains to broaden your knowledge of the University of Maryland, College Park, campus and to promote its history and accomplishments. If you use material from MAC to Millennium on another website or in a publication, we request that you properly credit the source of your information by listing the URL for MAC to Millennium's top page (http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCV/macmil/intro.html) in your publication or providing a hotlink from your Website. For a further explanation of the use of images from this site, please see the Copyright Information above.
Citation: MAC to Millennium, University of Maryland Archives

Friday, July 07, 2006

20060706 the sun lies blog mentions my April 12 Tentacle column


“The Sun Lies” mentions my April 12 Tentacle column

July 5th, 2006

The blog, “
The Sun Lies,” refers to my column in The Tentacle on April 12, 2006.

The Sun Lies post can be found
here.

A
list of my columns in The Tentacle can be found here.

If you are not familiar with “
The Sun Lies,” you ought to remedy that right away. In a massive undertaking of keeping the Baltimore Sun honest about its biased, agenda driven reporting, The Sun Lies gives one the rest of the story.

It’s actually a shame. The talent at the Baltimore Sun is simply enormous. If they channeled that talent to being fair, balanced and accurate in their reporting, the subscription rate would be on the increase.

Meanwhile, the stock of the owners of the Baltimore Sun continues on a
downward freefall. Many folks are beginning to whisper about the ultimate fate of newspapers in general and the Baltimore Sun, in particular.

As it is, the venerable old paper is on the ropes and quickly losing its status as the heretofore “paper of record.” That role is quickly being taken over by
The Gazette – and the Washington Post.

For those of us who grew up reading the Baltimore Sun, the sadness is profound as in article after article, one picks up another newspaper or reads a blog, only to find out that any given Baltimore Sun article, simply gives slanted view, which often allows the reader to be ill-informed, if not misinformed.

Many folks blame the lost focus and misdirection by the Baltimore Sun on the takeover of the paper by
Tribune, a number of years ago.

For the moment, the Baltimore Sun continues to arrogantly brush off protests that the paper is ipso facto the website for the Maryland Democratic Party and continues to believe that it is unaccountable for its collective lack of journalistic integrity.

This is a disservice to the many talented individuals and professionals who work at the paper and strive to get it right and ultimately, a profound breach of public trust.

Until things get turned around, most political reporting by the Baltimore Sun can be taken with a grain of salt and everything you read must be “fact-checked” by reading the Washington Post, The Gazette and the Sun Lies.
_________________

The Sun Lies’ complete post is pasted here:

Going Back A Little Bit, Dan Rodrick’s Logic Examined

July 5th, 2006

Governor Crothers, Meet Dan Rodricks

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Recently Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks wrote a remarkable column that may earn itself an Olympic honorable mention in the annals of populist political propaganda: “Legislators grabbed power to put public back in Public Service Commission (PSC).”

Mr. Rodricks’ erudite moment in journalistic rhetoric highlighted cherry picked, out-of-context tidbits of 1910 Maryland history in order to historically legitimatize the Maryland General Assembly’s sacking of the current Public Service Commission for following regulations promulgated by a previous slate of Democrat-appointed PSC commissioners, at the behest of a law passed by the Maryland General Assembly.

Huh?

All right, let’s try and explain it this way. Let’s start at the beginning.

One of the main architects of the 1999 electric industry deregulation legislation was Senate President Thomas V. (Mike) Miller (D. Anne Arundel). Seven years later, legislation that was once thought of as brilliant – has failed miserably. Stuff happens.

So, you are Senate President Miller. What do you do?

One option is to say: “Hey, it unexpectedly went south on us, but we are going to roll up our sleeves, work together and make it right.”

That would have been the statesman-like thing to do.

Or, are you going to triangulate and blame something – or someone – innocent, which has a relative inability to defend itself?

Hey, it’s Maryland; the party in power is a propaganda machine of unlimited supremacy along with the allied political writers of Baltimore’s Sun, which has approximately 1.2 million readers at its disposal.

Eureka. Let’s blame it on the PSC. Its role in this matter is little known or understood and its function is complex. We’ll reduce this to the simplistic and blame it.

The first act in this opera is for The Sun to introduce the PSC to the public and demonize it and its five commissioners.

Piece of cake: character assassination is a cottage industry with the political writers of The Sun. (”The PSC and the Office of the People’s Counsel are set up to be independent agencies,” Speaker of The House of Delegates Michael Busch {D., Anne Arundel} said. “And this dialogue from a lobbyist from the utilities company and the constant inferences to the administration continues to bring into question the agency’s independence.” March 18: “Schisler, industry advocate exchanged e-mails last year,” The Sun) {Editor’s Note: Kenneth Schisler is the chairman of the PSC.}

The next act is to verbalize that the PSC is to blame and to repeat it so often so that it has the imprimatur of actually being true. (“’The customers have to feel, however the rates are being set, that they are getting a fair shot and have confidence in the people who are setting the rates,’ said Sen. Paula C. Hollinger, a Baltimore County Democrat who sponsored the bill.” March 28: “Panel acts to oust PSC members,” The Sun.)

Act 3 came April 6, when Dan Rodricks keyboards into gear with historical context to further legitimatize the blame-game, by invoking the name of “a progressive Democratic governor (from 1910) … named Austin Crothers.”

The final act is for The Sun to follow-it-up until it sticks. (“But Miller said Maryland residents ‘have no confidence in the PSC,’” April 9: “Leaders dispute news of BGE pact,” The Sun)

All brings to mind the introduction of Volume 1 of the “Tercentenary History of Maryland,” which says: “History is not an exact science and cannot be. Man simply does not know enough to tell everything about anything… Documents do not necessarily tell the whole story about anything, or even the truth about it… Strangely enough, a great deal of the most sedate American narrative is unconsciously but none the less thoroughly permeated with the heroics of a past emotionalism…”

And so it is with Mr. Rodricks’ use of Maryland Gov. Arthur Lane Crothers (1908 to 1912.)

For decades before the 1907 election of Governor Crothers, Maryland was ruled by a ruthless Democrat political machine. That rule, considered at the time to be among the most powerful in the United States, essentially ended with the deaths of the Maryland legislature boss, Arthur Pue Gorman on June 4, 1906; and Baltimore City boss Issac Freeman Rasin in 1907.

It was in the resulting power vacuum – the duopoly bosses’ deaths – that Mr. Crothers was chosen as a compromise candidate for governor, chiefly because of the powerful Eastern Shore Senator John Walter Smith.

During the reign of this “progressive Democrat political machine,” Maryland resisted many of the social and regulatory reforms that were sweeping the country.

As far as Governor Crothers’ reforms, Robert J. Brugger, author of the same history of Maryland cited by Mr. Rodricks, writes, “… Crothers as a reformer profited from circumstance.”

When Mr. Rodricks refers in his column, to “The General Assembly of 1910 kept it simple and put “public” and “service” in the name from the start,” he fails to mention just which members of the public the Maryland Democratic machine had in mind at the time.

Oh, that’s right, Mr. Rodricks failed to mention the other “legacies” of the “progressive Democrats” at the time: the “Poe Amendment” and the “Digges Amendment.”

These two initiatives attempted to systematically and methodically disenfranchise African-Americans of their right to vote. They were both explored extensively on the same pages (420-426) in which Dr. Brugger also discusses Governor Crothers in his history of Maryland, cited by Mr. Rodricks.

Oops!

Even Dr. Brugger remarked: “It testified to the ambiguity in Maryland that the Crothers administration both emitted the Digges amendment and left behind a series of important reform acts.”

Back to the future; if the Democratic leadership disagrees with the law, rules and regulations put into place, that the PSC followed in making the decisions of which the same leadership disagrees, then change the law.

Sacking the PSC is not the way to do it. One can imagine that unambiguous history will not be too kind to the 421st session of the Maryland General Assembly, no matter what has transpired in this opera, by the time you read this.

And, oh – after the turmoil of the Democratic machine years and the Crothers administration, a progressive Republican governor, (Phillips Lee Goldsborough,) was elected. Conventional wisdom is that history will repeat itself.

Isn’t that special?



http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=1552

We’d particularly highlight Mr. Dayhoff’s point that The Sun was setting the stage to demonize the PSC on behalf of a certain political agenda they have been pushing. Now is a good time to also suggest reviewing our PSC commentary such as happy endings’ and other demonstrated bias by The Sun in their coverage. If The Sun will not monitor its own bias then those of us in the blogging community will.


Baltimore Sun, The Tentacle, Journalism, History Maryland

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Wednesday, April 26, 2006

20060426 Sept 2000 Tawes Card Crisfield Museum Presentation

Sept 2000 Tawes Card Crisfield Museum Presentation.


1938 J. Millard Tawes campaign card donated to the Tawes Museum


On September 2, 2000, my wife, Caroline and I traveled to Crisfield, Maryland and attended the 53rd annual Crisfield Crab Derby Labor Day Weekend. After lunch, Caroline and I presented the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum with a framed "1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland Campaign Card"

If memory serves me correctly, the folks at the Tawes Museum had none in their collection and were not aware of the existence of a "1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland Campaign Card."

At the time, attempts to donate another Tawes 1938 campaign card in our possession, to the Maryland State Archives were unsuccessful. Perhaps we should try again?

Delegate Bennett Bozman was very helpful in arranging for Caroline and I being able to make that donation to the museum.

The text of my remarks that afternoon explains things:

It is a pleasure to be in Crisfield today. I'd like to extend my greetings to Mayor Richard Scott, Vice-President Councilwoman Catherine Brown, Councilwoman Carolyn Evans, and Councilman Danny Thompson.

I am Westminster City Councilman Kevin Dayhoff and this is my wife Caroline Babylon.

Westminster is a small town in Carroll County - not unlike Crisfield and not unlike Somerset County. Both are rooted in the traditional values that have made this country great.

It is quite an honor to be here today for the 53rd National Hard Crab Derby and Fair to make this gift to the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum.

I want to particularly thank your Delegate Bennett Bozman (D) for his tireless efforts in helping bring this: 1938 J. Millard Tawes - Democratic Candidate for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland - card back to Governor Tawes' hometown- which spawned his brilliant career of leadership in Maryland.

Indeed, your entire great Delegation to Annapolis was instrumental in bringing this 1938 Tawes campaign card home. We all owe a great debt of thanks to Delegate Norman Conway (D), Delegate Charlie McClenahan (R) Senator Lowell Stoltzfus (R) in addition to Delegate Bennett Bozman (D) for their support in this effort.

On August 13, 1938, the Westminster Riding Club was having it's Fourth Annual Horse and Pony Show. Our Aunt Eleanor Babylon was a founder of the Westminster Riding Club and was the Secretary for the Horse Show.

The Babylon Family has a rich and long history in community leadership. Our great-grandfather served as President of the Westminster City Council in the 1890s and my father-in-law - Caroline's father - served as President of the Westminster City Council for 25 years.

In 1938, Aunt Eleanor Babylon took it upon herself to correspond with a number of officials and leaders throughout the state - soliciting sponsorships for the Horse and Pony Show.

I'm not exactly sure how it is that Aunt Eleanor came upon the idea of writing to Mr. Tawes, but Margaret Lee Tawes graduated from Western Maryland College in Westminster, in 1932. Aunt Eleanor Babylon also attended Western Maryland College in that time frame, which causes one to speculate that they knew each other and were friends. This may have given Aunt Eleanor the idea to contact J. Millard Tawes, who at the time was running his first statewide election campaign.

Mr. Tawes responded with two gracious letters in which he contributed $10.00 towards the Horse and Pony Show. I find this significant and foretelling, as $10 was a good deal of money in the depression in 1938, and Carroll County is quite far away. It speaks directly to the early signs of Governor Tawes' great statewide leadership. One of his letters included this campaign card, which we found in Aunt Eleanor's personal papers several years after her death.

As students of history, Caroline and I immediately understood the value of the card. Our evaluation was heightened by our keen interest in Maryland's Eastern Shore. My brother, in search of the traditional values we grew up with in Carroll County as children, moved to Talbot County - on the water - in 1983. As children, my family traditionally spent its August vacation on the Nanticoke River.

As many of you are quite aware, the Tawes 1938 election campaign for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland was a pivotal event in Governor Tawes' distinguished career. Earlier, in 1930, at age 36, Governor Tawes had begun his political career when he was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in Somerset County by narrowly defeating his republican opponent, Harry T. Phoebus by 72 votes. It is interesting that Mr. Phoebus later served Somerset County and the lower Eastern Shore honorably as a State Senator.

Governor Tawes won the 1938 campaign for Comptroller of the State of Maryland by defeating his opponent, William G. Jack by nearly 140,000 votes.

Without further ado, on behalf of myself, my wife Caroline, and the Babylon Family – on behalf of your delegation to Annapolis: Senator Stoltzfus, Delegate Conway, Delegate McClenahan and Delegate Bozman, I present to the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum, this framed 1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury Maryland Campaign Card.

That day, there was a parade through town. As Caroline and I were talking with Delegate Bozman and Delegate Norman Conway (D), Delegate Charlie McClenahan (R), all representatives of the then-District 38, Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties; the conversation turned to who was going to drive the new pick-up truck in which the three elected officials were going to ride in the parade.

Delegate Bozman turned to me and said, “well Kevin’ll drive.” And that was that. Caroline and I, who, as best as we could remember, had never been to Crisfield before, drove the three elected officials through town in the parade.
Later, Delegates Bozman, Conway and McClanahan, Caroline and I took a trip in Delegate McClanahan’s boat over to the Bayside Inn, in Ewell, on Smith Island.

We had the “Two crab cakes plus all you can eat lunch buffet.” It was $12.95 and delicious.

We later returned home after a wonderful day in Crisfield with memories that will last a lifetime and Delegate Bennett Bozman was instrumental in the occasion.

We have since returned to the lower eastern shore on several occasions. Most recently, on February 25, 2006, Caroline and I made a presentation for the Mar-Va Theater Annual Chicken Dinner meeting on “The economic benefits of the arts in a community.”

Each and every time we have visited the lower eastern shore, we have been greeted with the same hospitality and graciousness.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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20060426 MD Delegate Bennett Bozman passes away


Veteran MD Delegate Bennett Bozman, dead at age 69

April 26th, 2006

The Associated Press and Delmarva Daily Times is reporting this evening that veteran Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland Delegate Bennett Bozman, D., Dist. 38B, Wicomico & Worcester Counties has passed away.

Susan Canfora, staff writer for Salisbury, Maryland, Delmarva Daily Times, writes that Del. Bozman died en route to Johns Hopkins… The Berlin, Maryland resident passed away from bacterial meningitis “while being transported from Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.”

The photograph of Delegate Bozman, is from The Daily Times’ Web-site.

Ms. Canfora elaborated, “Bozman, 69, a democrat who served District 38 covering Worcester and Wicomico counties, was a retired pharmacist and long-time politician. He is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren… See continuing coverage in Friday's The Daily Times.”

To find delegate Bozman’s Maryland House of Delegates brief bio, go: here.

He was an early riser, who often started his days at 5 AM and it was not uncommon for him to work through until midnight. He was known for using a series of cloth bags in order to keep his various categories of paperwork in order, eschewing the standard Annapolis briefcase.

For lunch, he was known for eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Not quite what one would think of when the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee and deputy majority whip has a power lunch.

The Associated Press article says, “Bozman, a Democrat, joined the House of Delegates in January 1991. He had served as deputy majority whip since 1995. He was a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Joint Committee on Federal Relations and the Joint Audit Committee.

“Bozman was born in Norfolk, Va., in 1936. He attended Washington High School, in Princess Anne, Md. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. He served in U.S. Coast Guard from 1961 to 1969.”

In my Tentacle column of February 24, 2006, “Kelly’s Dream Deferred,” I wrote:

“As a newly minted elected municipal official in the late 1990s, I have fond memories of those folks who were friendly and helpful as I tried to unravel the byzantine rituals of the Maryland General Assembly. Perhaps, first among equals in that helpful group was Delegate Kelly... Most members of the Frederick and Carroll County delegations were very supportive... Several of the other names that quickly come to mind when I think of friendly folks who went out of their way to lend a hand were: Del. Brian R. Moe (D., Anne Arundel/PG); Del. Bennett Bozman (D., Wicomico/Worcester); Del. Norman H. Conway (D., Wicomico/Worcester); Sen. Donald F. Munson (R., Washington); then-Del. Charles McClenahan (R., Somerset, Wicomico & Worchester); and Judge Paul G. Goetzke, then Annapolis city attorney.”

My wife, Caroline and I have a number of very good memories of Delegate Bozman. One of my many favorites is when we visited Crisfield, Maryland in September 2000. (See: "20060426 Sept. 2000 Tawes Card Crisfield Museum Presentation.” on http://www.kevindayhoff.com/.

On September 2, 2000, my Caroline and I traveled to Crisfield, Maryland and attended the 53rd annual Crisfield Crab Derby Labor Day Weekend. After lunch, Caroline and I presented the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum with a framed "1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland Campaign Card"

Delegate Bennett Bozman was very helpful in arranging for Caroline and I being able to make that donation to the museum.

I certainly did not agree about everything with Delegate Bozman. But he worked tirelessly for his constituency and he had a deep all abiding respect for his responsibilities as a Maryland elected official. With Bennett, there was always something positive to discuss and I always enjoyed his company. He always greeted me with a smile and friendly conversation. He will be missed.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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Wednesday, July 13, 2005

20050712 This Year Halloween Comes Early in Maryland

This Year Halloween Comes Early in Maryland

July 12th, 2005 by Kevin Dayhoff (739 words)

Who among us has not heard of the Salem witch hunt trials of 1692 in Massachusetts? Did you know that in Maryland, we had a few witch hunts between 1665 and 1686, one in 1712 and apparently, another hunt is scheduled for the summer of 2005?

According to a Carroll County Times article on October 31st, 1993, “Belief in witches and supernatural spirits were part of the Pennsylvania German culture brought into this area by the settlers.” Apparently, some folks in Maryland still believe in hunting witches.

The Times article mentions that in the December 1936 edition of Maryland Historical Magazine, Judge Francis Neal Parke wrote an article entitled "Witchcraft in Maryland."

Judge Parke was one of Maryland’s most celebrated jurists. He was born in Westminster in 1871 and admitted to the bar in 1893. He was appointed Chief Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit in 1924 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1941. He returned to private practice on Court Street, in Westminster, until his death in 1955.

In his article, Judge Parke discussed that the “earliest cases [of alleged witchcraft] involved the hanging of women assumed to be witches while aboard ships traveling from England to the colonies in 1654 and 1658” shortly after Maryland was founded in March 25th, 1634. Judge Parke reports five additional cases of alleged witchcraft. “The first four cases occurred between 1665 and 1686, and the fifth was in 1712.”

Back to the future, I read an Associated Press article in the Carroll County Times the other day that House Speaker Michael E. Busch has actually, for real, I’m not making this up, named a “committee of four Democrats and two Republicans to join six state senators in an inquiry into the personnel polices of the Ehrlich administration.”

In a published account last May in the Washington Times, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., said, “A lot of people have indicated they want to testify before a commission… It is not going to be a witch hunt.”

Oh, I feel better all ready.

Perhaps the team of Miller and Busch feel a good witch hunt, every 300 years or so, does a state good. According to an account of the Salem witch hunt trials, that I have in my library, by Douglas Linder, in the summer of 1692 nineteen men and women were convicted of being witches and hung. An 80 year old was crushed to death under some heavy rocks for refusing to agree to go on trial. Take heed, if anyone out there is considering not playing along with the Annapolis version of “Salem 2005”; I suggest that you re-read the previous sentence.

The senators and delegates named to the committee are some of the most talented and capable elected officials in Annapolis. I just wish that they weren’t wasting their time on a witch hunt.

Perhaps, our Maryland General Assembly leaders aren’t aware of some of the other challenges facing us in the State of Maryland.

For example, how about a committee on the continuing crisis in health care? A little committee on the cost of prescription medicine? How about a small committee on the state’s continuing structural budget deficit? School construction? Road congestion and transportation needs? How about the challenges in our juvenile justice system? Attracting new business to Maryland? Business retention? Teacher compensation and retention?

For all you folks reading this at home, these issues are affecting your quality of life and mine. Do not, for one minute, think that this little parlor game of political charades is none of your concern.

The state workforce includes 80,000 employees. According to a Washington Times article on May 25th, 2005, “Lawrence J. Hogan Jr., the governor's secretary of appointments, said the Ehrlich administration in three years has fired 280 of its 7,000 at-will workers. Mr. Ehrlich's Democratic predecessor, Gov. Parris N. Glendening, fired 309 at-will workers in a single year from the Department of Transportation alone…”

Paul E. Schurick, the governor's communications director, said it better than I could in a June 3rd, 2005 Gazette article by Thomas Dennison: "The double standard is as gross and as egregious as I have ever seen. The fact of the matter is, dozens of legislators have made a career of trying to influence the hiring and firing of state employees."

Happy Halloween. Shenanigans like this out of Annapolis sure aren’t a treat and the trick is on us.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

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