It has been Monday all day.
March 12, 2007
This picture is not mine. But oh I wish it were mine. It came in an e-mail earlier today and I think that it sums up perfectly that today was Monday – all day.
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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
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
20070311 Does anybody know what time it is?
Does anybody know what time it is?
March 11th, 2007
Chaos has ensued in my office as I have feebly struggled to change clocks on various and disparate pieces of electronic equipment. I have even had to resort to consulting the owner’s manual in some instances. Perish the thought.
Finally, I did what every intelligent man would do – ask my wife to help.
But for a while I felt as if I were in some sort of twilight zone – or on the set of “Dark Shadows.”
“Dark Shadows - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MpDOzM0SWc
"Chicago" 1969
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Spring Forward A Bit Earlier This Year
Saturday, March 10, 2007
WASHINGTON — A traditional rite of spring, setting the clocks forward, comes early this year.
Most of the nation switches to daylight saving time early Sunday morning. The change comes a few weeks earlier than it used to, thanks to a change in the law. Daylight time will last until Nov. 4 this year.
It's also a good time to put new batteries in warning devices such as smoke detectors and hazard warning radios.
Some parts of the country don't observe daylight saving time. Those include
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Saturday, March 10, 2007
20070309 War Protesters Annoy David Obey of Wisconsin
War Protesters Annoy David Obey of
March 9th, 2007
One thing that I have always admired about Congressman Obey is that he has always been consistent and I have always been under the impression that he acts on principle and votes his conscience and not empty politics.
Certainly I disagree with his position on the war in
Listen carefully to what he says in the video…
Congressman Obey meets Tina Richards
Congressman Obey meets Tina Richards (A Military Mom).
Produced by Tyler Westbrook Video Artist is Kathleen Gabel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAlkfYczY4c
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War Protesters Target Lawmakers' Offices
Thursday, March 08, 2007
By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer
Some opponents of the
[…]
During the occupations, the protesters sit, stand, sing, chant, pray, ring bells, and read letters from American troops sent home to their families.
The eight demonstrators at Emanuel's office on Thursday performed skits about the consequences of war, read names of
[…]
Occupations have been held at the offices of Sens. Richard Durbin of
Earlier this week, Obey was confronted outside his Capitol office by war opponents, prompting a heated exchange in which Obey shouted at one women who wanted him to vote against money for the war.
In a video posted on the Internet site YouTube, the Democratic lawmaker is seen pounding his fist repeatedly into the air, complaining loudly that Democrats don't have enough votes to cut off war funding and the protesters don't understand the debate in Congress.
"That makes no sense. It doesn't work that way," Obey says at one point.
Read the rest of the article here: War Protesters Target Lawmakers' Offices
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Friday, March 09, 2007
20070308 Winchester Report: “A Sordid Saga.”
“Union Mills reservoir and the pumpkin patch”
As appeared in my “Winchester Report” blog on the Westminster Eagle web site:
A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
Note: see also, “20070307 A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
By
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch&...[Read full story
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A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
03/08/07
By
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch” farm just north of
The Chambers’ Pipe Creek Farm was the scene of the “pumpkin papers” incident in which a former communist spy; Whittaker Chambers, defected to become a champion of the anti-communist cause at the beginnings of the cold war in 1948.
Mr. Chambers hid U.S. State Department documents in hollowed-out pumpkins on his
The “pumpkin papers” named a local Baltimorean and
The national, if not international story of intrigue, spies, and the beginnings of the cold war all took place in
It is now almost 60 years later and intrigue and conspiracy continue to abound.
Since January,
The misinformation seems to continue to grow legs and is about as far from the position of
I attended what appears to be the genesis of the misinformation; the December 14th, 2006 “Public Hearing ~ Carroll County Water & Sewerage Master Plan.”
The public hearing was poorly attended except for a couple of gentleman who politely and eloquently expressed concern for their property which seemed to be involved in the proposed reservoir. Anyone can understand that. However, assurances were made by county officials that they were sensitive to the concerns of the citizens.
Somehow, from there, the alarm was quickly spread that the county was about to begin “seizing” land for the project even though that has not been the practice and policy of past commissioners and there seems to be no indication by the present Carroll County Board of Commissioners to go in that direction.
But, the casual reader and any person seriously interested in this aspect of our national history could read certain news accounts and walk away with the impression that the pumpkin patch will cease to exist as a result of the reservoir project. This is not true.
In the Internet age, where news is 24/seven, there is an epidemic of misinformation getting legs and if it is repeated often enough “it becomes true.”
Folks who have been “had” by the great “seizing” conspiracy are in good company - with ah, count them, 12 members of Congress who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 12th, 2007.
They wrote, in part;
“We are writing to express our support for continued preservation of an important National Historic Landmark located within
So far – so good. From what I am aware of the attitude of
So what is the problem?
It’s in the next paragraph:
“We understand that the
The letter is signed by Members of Congress, Ros-Lehtine,
Well, it is true that the Commissioners are considering the creation of a Union Mills Reservoir. As has been considered since the mid 1970s when the City of
As I wrote on February 28th, 2007 in my Westminster Eagle column titled, “Recalling when B's Coffee Shoppe was all abuzz:”
In line with expanding the city's water supplies, in the mid-1970s, plans were made for
When the $5 million dollar reservoir was presented to the public, the public rose up in arms saying the city did not need the water and that the project was a waste of ratepayer money.
By September 1976, the project was shelved.
History, of course, has proven that the council was correct in pursuing the project and we would be in a lot different position today if it had been allowed to go forward.
However, fast forwarding to today, the waters of the proposed reservoir will hardly come within a mile of the present day unmarked location of the “pumpkin patch” which now rests in an otherwise nondescript field.
The Carroll County officials who are in a decision making role in this matter are keenly, and personally, interested in preserving the integrity of the site of the “pumpkin papers” – so it is simply baffling as to how this matter got all wound around the axles of misinformation.
Why didn’t the gang of 12 Congressmen contact
Unfortunately another one of the Congressman who has been “had” in this saga was Congressman Roscoe Bartlett who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 3rd, 2007.
Congressman Bartlett wrote in part:
“It is my hope that the Commissioners of Carroll County will value, even treasure, this very special farm, that you will do all in your power to keep it whole, and protect its integrity for this and future generations to study and know.”
And here lies the really bizarre part of the story. Contrary to what is being circulated, the Union Mills reservoir project will add another layer of historic protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” which is already in agricultural preservation -- and preserve the site in perpetuity.
This is a good thing. The county wants a watershed protection easement which will concurrently give the site addition historic protection.
The “lake” area of the Union Mills reservoir will only encompass approximately 325 acres. The balance of the 2,200 acres needed by the County that surround the “lake” are for the purposes of watershed protection. The county commissioners have reported that the county already owns 1500 acres of the needed watershed protection area – to be preserved in perpetuity.
Nevertheless, in situations like the Chambers Pipe Creek Farm, where the county can get a watershed protection easement on the property, rather than purchasing it, this is a good thing.
This watershed protection will add an additional layer of protection for the historic “pumpkin papers” site, which again, is almost a mile from the waterline.
In a response to Congressman Bartlett’s January 3rd, 2007 letter, which he penned in addition to the gang of twelve Congressmen’s January 12, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners wrote on January 18th, 2007:
“With regard to the Pipe Creek Farm specifically,
The Pipe Creek farm is already protected from future residential development by easement sold to the
On a final note, the Union Mills reservoir was needed and should have been built in the 1970s. The need for water in
To not go forward with the Union Mills reservoir would be an abrogation of one of the basic responsibilities of elected officials to
In their January 18th, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of commissioners wrote:
“The need for a surface water supply for communities in northern
Our reservoir concept, with minimal impact to the Pipe Creek Farm, satisfies both of these fundamental principles of government: protecting our past while planning for our future.”
Current Events
20070309 My 2nd Grade Class picture
My 2nd Grade Class pictureMarch 9th, 2007
A few months back my wife and I had dinner with my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Griffin. I borrowed our 2nd grade class picture from her and I need to return it so I just got around to scanning it in this evening.
This picture was taken in March 1961 at
The picture above depicts the school as it looked in 1908. The old 1898 high school, in which East End was located, had moved in 1936 to the building on
When I attended
Schools located in the community are a wonderful thing and it makes me sad that so often they are now located on huge tracks of land in the middle of a cornfield outside of town.
In 1961 my family lived in an apartment in back of Samios Food Market. 
The picture above is from the 1930s when it was then Ensor’s. Samios Food Market and the apartment where we lived was made into a Joni Mitchell song many years ago; “they tore down paradise and made it into a parking lot…
Across the street was the old Newark Shoe Factory which opened in late May 1925. When I lived on
Community markets, schools, and community employment were some of the main reasons for the quality of life that was
Nowadays, schools located right in town are a thing of the past and community markets and employment are near impossible with this thing we call progress, err, Euclidean Zoning which most often will not allow the overlay of residences, markets and stores and work places. The again, perhaps it is not progress at all.
The corner of
Someday – I’ll have an extra minute to sit down and keyboard all the names in the March 1961 photograph…
Meanwhile, enjoy the photos of a
Oh – we still have a great quality of life in
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Dayhoff personal, History Westminster 1920s, Westminster File Ensor's Grocery, Westminster File Samios Grocery, Westminster File Green St E, Westminster Planning Zoning, Carroll Co Schools History, Carroll Co Schools Westminster H S, Carroll Co Schools East End ES, History Westminster, History Westminster old photos, Westminster File Newark Shoe Factory, Westminster File Westminster Shoe Factory, Urban planning Euclidean Zoning, Music Mitchell Joni, Dayhoff photo gallery
Carroll ‘unprepared’ to attract new jobs by Kelsey Volkmann
Carroll ‘unprepared’ to attract new jobs by Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner Mar 2, 2007Carroll County - Carroll “is wholly unprepared to take advantage” of opportunities to attract new jobs, a new study reveals.
“Despite its size, location [and] educated and affluent population, Carroll’s economic performance is still that of a rural residential suburb,” according to a report from consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international planning firm that built New York City’s first subway.
“Carroll’s current inventory of zoned industrial land is in the wrong places, too broken up and outside existing sewer and water services areas.”
Consultants presented their findings Thursday to the Economic Development Commission. The county hired them to:
» Evaluate the obstacles blocking new businesses from moving in.
» Offer suggestions on breaking Carroll from its status as a bedroom community.
» Help update the Pathways Plan, or road map for growth.
Land prices and the build-out of neighboring jurisdictions will push development here, consultants found, but Carroll has a “sparse network of state roads,” and 90 percent of its commercial parcels are five acres or smaller.
Consultants recommended that Carroll create more types of industrial and commercial zoning. Carroll has five basic kinds, while most nearby counties have between eight and 11.
This prevents Carroll from offering more mixed-use options where, for example, a factory sits next to offices, county spokeswoman Vivian Laxton said. The more businesses Carroll fosters, she said, the less of a tax burden residents will have to shoulder.
If officials don’t change their zoning, they will perpetuate tax-base imbalances, lose potential employment lands to houses and increase rush-hour traffic, the study shows.
All economic development hinges on Carroll finding more water sources in the face of looming shortages, County Planning Director Steve Horn said.
Meeting water and sewer demands for 2030 will cost $153 million, according to the study.
Tax bases
Commercial and industrial assessable tax bases by county
» Baltimore: 19 percent
» Howard: 18 percent
» Harford: 14 percent
» Carroll: 12 percent
Source: Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation
(Parsons Brinckerhoff used counties closest to Carroll for comparison)
Percentage of commuters who work outside county
» Carroll: 51.7 percent
» Howard: 51.6 percent
» Harford: 44.6 percent
» Baltimore: 29.5 percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
20070302 Carroll unprepared to attract new jobs kvbe
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Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/
20070305 “Better options than burning our trash” Carroll County Times letter to the editor by Sally Sorbello
“Better options than burning our trash” Carroll County Times letter to the editor by Sally Sorbello
Letters to the Editor for Monday, March 5, 2007
Better options than burning our trash
Editor:
In response to the Feb. 14 letter by Brenda M. Afzal titled, "Waste-to-energy is a waste of time," I would like to say thank you.
This letter was a factual counterpoint to the propaganda written by the executive director of the Northeast Md. Waste Disposal Authority, whose job it is to persuade people to believe that waste to energy is somehow not incineration - even though trash is burned and reduced to ash in this process.
Not only are waste to electricity schemes polluting, they are also inherently uneconomic. At a recent tour of the Covanta plant in Montgomery County, I was told that $40 million a year is budgeted for their trash burner. And the sale of electricity does not sufficiently offset the costs.
Many communities, including nearby Harrisburg, Pa., are struggling with huge financial debt as a result of their incinerator contract. Even if Montgomery County recycles more than other counties in Maryland, think of how much more it could be recycling with an annual budget of $40 million. It would take a fraction of that amount to have the best recycling program in the country.
Not only are waste incinerators expensive, they do not eliminate the need for a landfill. For every ton of trash that is burned, one third of a ton remains in the form of toxic ash. And this toxic ash must be handled very carefully. Any leaks of ash from the landfill could contaminate soil and water with heavy metals, dioxins and furans.
Doesn't it make more sense to invest taxpayer dollars in a comprehensive recycling and education program before any talk of burning trash? It would cost much less, it would pollute much less, it would stimulate the economy by creating jobs and it would show that Carroll and Frederick counties are too smart to let resources go up in flames. Waste incinerators burn useful recyclable materials along with trash.
For all interested in learning more, please attend a meeting of the Environmental Advisory Council on Tuesday, March 13, at 3 p.m. in room 003/004 of the Carroll County Office Building, 225 North Center Street.
Neil Seldman, a recycling expert, will be speaking at this meeting. For over 30 years, Seldman has helped communities worldwide to expand economic opportunities through greater recycling.
Sally Sorbello
Frederick
20070308 Andre from “My Dinner with Andre”
Andre from “My Dinner with Andre”
March 9th, 2007
No reason - Because it is Friday.
“My dinner with Andre” is one of my favorite movies… If I’m not mistaken I had to go to
Read Roger Ebert’s review here.
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Directed by Louis Malle Produced by George W. George, Beverly Karp
Written by Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn
Starring Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn
Distributed by New Yorker Films Release date(s) October 11, 1981
Running time 110 min. Language English
My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 movie starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.
The film consists almost entirely of a long conversation between two acquaintances in a chic restaurant in New York City. It is based largely on actual conversations between Gregory and Shawn, and covers such subjects as experimental theatre, the nature of theatre, and the nature of reality. The movie was filmed in an abandoned hotel in Virginia.
The dialogue contrasted Shawn's modest down-to-earth humanism against Gregory's extravagant spiritual experiences and fantasies. Although the film was based on actual events in the actors' lives, Shawn and Gregory denied (in an interview by film critic Roger Ebert) that they were playing themselves, and stated that if they remade the film they would swap the two characters to prove their point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOZ0l-uir6s
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20070307 This week in the Westminster Eagle
20070307 This week in the Westminster EagleMarch 8th, 2007
Local News
Turtle soup for Meals on Wheels
Deborah Goff works with "turtles in training" in the McDaniel College Pool. Meals on Wheels is hoping residents adopt the turtles, at $5 each, with proceeds providing hot meals for program recipients
Feed the turtle.
No, that's not a campaign promoting University of Maryland basketball, but rather an effort to boost coffers for Carroll County Meals for Wheels.
On April 28, the pool at McDaniel College will go green as hundreds of rubber turtles "race" to the finish as part of Meals on Wheels' campaign. Between now and then, the organization is hoping residents grab onto the effort to "adopt" the turtles.
"I'm almost 100 percent positive there has never been a turtle race in Carroll County," said Deborah Goff, the volunteer event coordinator. "This is something everybody...[Read full story]
Turtle soup for Meals on Wheels
Deborah Goff works with "turtles in training" in the McDaniel College Pool. Meals on Wheels is hoping residents adopt the turtles, at $5 each, with proceeds providing hot meals for program recipients
Feed the turtle.
No, that's not a campaign promoting University of Maryland basketball, but rather an effort to boost coffers for Carroll County Meals for Wheels.
On April 28, the pool at McDaniel College will go green as hundreds of rubber turtles "race" to the finish as part of Meals on Wheels' campaign. Between now and then, the organization is hoping residents grab onto the effort to "adopt" the turtles.
"I'm almost 100 percent positive there has never been a turtle race in Carroll County," said Deborah Goff, the volunteer event coordinator. "This is something everybody...[Read full story]
A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
By Kevin Dayhoff March 8th, 2007
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in Carroll County will add another layer of protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” and this national treasure is not threatened.
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch&...[Read full story]
Local News
Should city weigh in on smoking? Walk into a downtown Westminster bar on any night and you can be enveloped in a veil of smoke.
Yet a recent study by the U.S. Surgeon General states second-hand smoke is a dangerous health factor, and the Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County last week requested that the Westminster M...[Read full story]
Teens and seniors have a ball Dance party for all ages at Westminster Ridge
Lorrie West came prepared to last Tuesday's Winter Ball at Westminster Ridge Retirement Community. Waiting for the event to start, she sat in a downstairs hallway clutching a small plastic bag.
Inside the bag? Her "dancing socks."
"It'll be nice fo...[Read full story]
Spring forward; change batteries We're one step closer to spring as Daylight Saving Time returns this Sunday when clocks "spring" forward one hour this Sunday, March 11, at 2 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Volunteer Emergency Services Association is reminding residents that the switch is also a good time to change the batteries in home smok...[Read full story]
Recreation
North Carroll, South Carroll teams finish fifth in states High school wrestling
COLLEGE PARK -- The ultimate athletic success finally came to two Carroll County wrestlers on Saturday night at Cole Field House.
Liberty's Eddie Digman and Alex Grassi of Century were the only Carroll wrestlers to win state championships at the 38th annual Maryland State W...[Read full story]
Opinion
Trooper Workman's return to duty is cause for celebration Editorial
It's hard to fool a State Police trooper (and we don't recommend that you try), so it wasn't shocking that Maryland State Police Trooper First Class Eric Workman apparently sensed he was going to get a special greeting when he showed up for work on Monday.
Maybe it was the banner stret...[Read full story]
Doug... A Little Deeper
Time for 'Extreme Makeover, Presidential Edition'
It's hard to believe we're already talking about the presidential election of 2008, but with each passing election, the next one seems to start even earlier.
We barely had the Ehrlich and Steele signs down and people were already talking about McCain, Guiliani, Romney and others.
On the Democrat...[Read full story]
Kevin E. Dayhoff
History of slavery leaves many rivers yet to cross
A good portion of the present day quality of life in Carroll County was built through history on the backs of African-Americans in bondage.
It's about time we talked about that and recognize their work.
On March 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Board of Education Office Building, 125 N. Court St., We...[Read full story]
Wolf at the Door
Reading the hand signals, and the signs of party politics At the recent Person of the Year dinner hosted by our sister publication, The Eldersburg Eagle, honoree Patricia Greenwald hadn't gotten more than two or three sentences into her well-deserved acceptance speech when my wife leaned over and whispered, "She's been a teacher."
As Greenwald continued,...[Read full story]
[Local news archives]
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20070308 News Clips
News clips
March 8th, 2007
Thanks GOPCharlie
State News
Death penalty repeal due for panel's vote
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.notebook08mar08,0,10714.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
Sen. Brian E. Frosh, chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, said yesterday that he is putting a proposed death penalty repeal measure on the panel's vote schedule for today or tomorrow. However, Frosh said, a vote on the bill could come as late as next week.
"I'm for the bill," he said. "I'm ready to vote."
The 11-member Senate committee has been waiting for word from Sen. Alex X. Mooney, a Frederick Republican whose vote could swing the outcome. Mooney, a conservative Roman Catholic, has struggled to decide whether he will support the measure, which replaces the death penalty with life without parole.
GOP Delegates Back Death Penalty
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/07/AR2007030702310.html
The House Republican Caucus announced its opposition yesterday to the effort to repeal the death penalty.
"The death penalty needs to be available when prosecuting the most heinous crimes," said Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert), the House minority leader. "It is the supreme punishment and should not be entirely removed from the justice system."
Myers proposes identification requirement for Md. Voters
http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=160433&format=html
Voters would have to show identification cards at the polls, under a bill heard by a Maryland House committee Wednesday.
Currently, Maryland law says election judges must confirm a voter's identity by asking for his or her date of birth, then comparing it to a registry.
A bill sponsored by Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr., R-Washington/Allegany, would force voters to present "a voter notification card, a driver's license, or an identification card issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration" to an election judge.
Should Illegals Get Md Drivers' Licenses?
http://www.nbc25.com/content/fulltext/?sid=bfa3d28a9a1bd92a85a149bbc3b36a2b&cid=10867
In Annapolis Wednesday, Maryland lawmakers will consider legislation to keep illegal immigrants from getting drivers' licenses.
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hear testimony on the legislation, which would require driver's license applicants to produce documents proving legal status in the U.S. The bill's lead sponsor is Republican Senator Janet Greenip of Anne Arundel County.
Growth Measure Prompts Concerns
Board Fears Effect On Rural Residents
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/07/AR2007030700010.html
Members of the St. Mary's County Board of Commissioners expressed concern at a meeting Tuesday over a bill in the Maryland General Assembly that would potentially impose thousands of dollars in fees on owners of new development projects of all types.
"The bill will affect rural areas much more severely than urban areas, especially constituents wishing to build in rural areas," said Denis D. Canavan, director of St. Mary's County's Department of Land Use and Growth Management.
Luring support for bay initiative
McIntosh, seeking development fee to help in cleanup, offers compromises
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.green08mar08,0,4897076.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
The delegate sponsoring a proposed fee on development to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay has offered to give millions of dollars to local governments in an effort to win their support.
In addition, Del. Maggie L. McIntosh, chairwoman of the House Environmental Matters Committee, proposed amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Green Fund bill that would allow exemptions for developers who limit runoff.
The fee on construction projects -- backed by environmentalists, the O'Malley administration and House Speaker Michael E. Busch -- would raise about $130 million a year for programs to reduce farm runoff and storm-water pollution.
Lawmakers Hear Bills To Ban Trans Fats, Require Voter I-D
http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=54862
Trans fat may NOT be good for you, but it's NOT illegal in restaurant cooking in Maryland. A bill up for the debate in a state Senate committee today may change that.
Maryland's Senate will take up a measure today backed by many Republicans -- a requirement that voters show a picture I-D before casting ballots.
Candidates Can Still Reach Out and Touch Everyone
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/07/AR2007030702310.html
The politicians have decided not to restrain themselves. A Senate committee has killed a bill that would prohibit the automated campaign phone calls that many voters find so irritating.
Bickering stalls secretive forum in Maryland
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20070308-120745-7439r.htm
Political battling between the Democratic leaders of the Maryland House and Senate has stopped meetings for one of the state's most powerful -- and secretive -- committees.
The invitation-only Fiscal Leaders Committee has for roughly 30 years been the forum for the Democrat-controlled General Assembly's House speaker and Senate president to set the course for the state budget. But recent disagreements have kept the lawmakers and their top budget leaders from meeting so far this session.
Business Owners, Health Advocates Face Off at Hearing
Assembly Weighs Statewide Prohibition
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/07/AR2007030702314.html
Health concerns and economic interests clashed yesterday as Maryland lawmakers heard testimony on a long-debated bill to make restaurants and bars across the state smoke-free.
The measure would prohibit patrons from lighting up in restaurants and bars, the only public places that were exempted from a workplace smoking ban that the state approved more than a decade ago. Few restaurants still allow smoking in eating areas, but the bill would also forbid it in their bars and in stand-alone bars.
Sen. Allan H. Kittleman (R-Howard), the minority whip and a member of the Finance Committee, said he will oppose the bill to protect restaurants.
"I think it's something the marketplace should decide," Kittleman said. "It's a freedom-of-choice issue."
House panel hears 2 sides on smoking
Odds on passing statewide ban at restaurants appear better than in past years
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.smoking08mar08,0,3803730.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
More than 100 people - from health advocates and restaurateurs to cigar shop owners, lobbyists, bartenders and even an illusionist - descended on Annapolis yesterday to testify on a proposal to ban smoking in most Maryland restaurants and bars.
The General Assembly is considering the ban after several local jurisdictions, most recently Baltimore City, approved their own measures prohibiting smoking in indoor public places, primarily bars and restaurants. The statewide measure has died in the legislature for four consecutive years, though proponents fresh from victory in the city say their chances are greater this year.
Bill could provide relief for OB/GYN practitioners
http://www.wcbcradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6833&Itemid=35
State Senator George Edwards has introduced Senate Bill 651, a bill that would provide relief for Garrett County family practitioners who perform OB/GYN services. Of the 23 counties in the state of Maryland, Garrett County is the only one that does not have an official OB/GYN. As a result, four family practitioners have been providing the services to residents so that the estimated 300 babies born annually in Garrett County are delivered safely. As a result, each of the four family doctors has seen their medical liability insurance increase from approximately $14,000 a year to $111,000 a year.
School board bills stall in Assembly
Bills to shift city, 3 counties to elected members are stuck in legislative mill
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.ha.elected08mar08,0,2150287.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
The prospects for four Maryland jurisdictions to elect their school boards, instead of having the state continue to appoint their members, appear bleak this year because legislation necessary for the change is stalled in the General Assembly with only a month left before adjournment.
While lawmakers are running out of time in the 2007 session, House and Senate leaders have publicly stated opposition to elected boards and two delegations have been unable to agree on what form their bills should take.
Though lawmakers from Harford, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City, say constituents are demanding the ability to choose school board members, none of their proposals has come to a full vote in the House or Senate.
National News
President Bush Meets With Co-Chairs Of The President's Commission On Care For America's Returning Wounded Warriors. "President Bush said yesterday that the bipartisan panel he named to investigate problems at the nation's military and veterans hospitals would work to restore confidence in the system of caring for wounded troops. 'Any report of medical neglect will be taken seriously by this administration,' Bush said in an Oval Office meeting with the panel's co-chairs, former Sen. Bob Dole (R., Kan.) and Donna Shalala, the secretary of health and human services during the Clinton administration. 'I'm confident that this commission will bring forth the truth,' Bush said." (Deb Riechmann, "Bush Says Panel Will Restore Faith In Vet's Care," The Associated Press, 3/8/07)
President Bush Urges Congressional Leaders To Approve Funding For Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. "President Bush summoned congressional leaders to the White House yesterday to discuss the urgency of approving added war funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, but late last night Democrats said they would use the bill to set a deadline for a total withdrawal from Iraq. 'Getting the funding to the troops when and where they need it is of upmost importance. We don't want any delay,' White House budget office spokesman Sean Kevelighan said of the president's viewpoint. He also said Mr. Bush discouraged Democrats' plans to tack domestic spending items onto the military-funding bill. 'The supplemental is about funding the troops for the global war on terror, and we need to stay on that track,' Mr. Kevelighan said." (S.A. Miller, "Bush Urges Hill Leaders To OK War Funds," The Washington Times, 3/8/07)
Top U.S. Commander In Iraq Gen. Petraeus Implements Baghdad Security Strategy That Is "Beginning To Show Positive Results." "Now the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Petraeus is following his own advice. Since he arrived in Baghdad last month, U.S. troops are moving off large bases and into combat outposts in the city's turbulent neighborhoods. Aides insist the new strategy is begi nning to show positive results, particularly in the capital: Sectarian fighting between Sunni Arabs and Shiites is down by between 50% and 80% in some districts in Baghdad, says David Kilcullen, Petraeus' senior counterinsurgency adviser. ... 'One of the critical things that is different now is the way we're using troops,' Kilcullen says. 'We're getting a much bigger bang for the buck.'" (Jim Michaels, "Petraeus Strategy Takes Aim At Post-Vietnam Mindset," USA Today, 3/8/07)
Afghan Troops Apprehend Senior Taliban Commander. "Afghan soldiers at a checkpoint in Kandahar province caught senior Taliban commander Mullah Mahmood disguised in a burqa, a full-body veil worn by Islamic women, NATO said Wednesday. He was captured Tuesday trying to leave the Panjwayi area, where NATO troops killed hundreds of Taliban fighters in a battle last fall, the statement said. Mahmood is accused of helping the Taliban rig suicide bomb attacks." ("Afghan Troops Catch Senior Taliban Fighter," USA Today, 3/8/07)
Homeland Security Department Seeks New Technology To Detect Tunnels Under The U.S.-Mexican Border. "The United States is stepping up a high-tech effort to combat the labyrinth of tunnels built by Mexican drug cartels that could someday become conduits for terrorists. 'The threat posed by tunneling is a serious and growing concern for United States' national security,' according to the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology directorate, in a request to businesses that asks for development of a tunnel-detection project. Homeland Security is offering $3 million over the next two years to companies that come up with new and better detection systems." (Mimi Hall, "U.S. Taking Aim At Border Tunnels," USA< /EM> Today, 3/8/07)
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Report Cites Spike In Violent Crime
Report Cites Spike In Violent Crime
CINCINNATI, March 8, 2007
[…]
According to a soon-to-be-released study by the National Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs — and obtained by CBS News — the homicide rate in America has gone up more than 10 percent in the past two years. It was up 40 percent in Cincinnati. It's up coast to coast, too: Boston was up 23 percent. Orlando, Fla., was up 188 percent. Phoenix was up 12 percent, and San Jose, Calif., was up 21 percent.
[…]
Read the rest here: Report Cites Spike In Violent Crime20070308 Fog
Fog March 8th, 2007
Which of course, reminds me of:
Foghat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DT3Jo5psw
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