Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack

Thursday, June 21, 2007

20070621 Westminster Eagle Week in Review

Westminster Eagle Week in Review

June 21^st, 2007

Local News

News Briefs

By Kevin Dayhoff

City takes delivery of new diesel dump truck

Last Friday, instead of getting an early start on the weekend, many employees of the Westminster Street Department hung around the shop a few minutes after work.

They were waiting with anticipation for the expected delivery of a new, 2007 10-ton Inter...

[…]

The $125,400 truck replaces a vehicle that was 13 or 14 years old. The new truck was included in the fiscal year budget that will end June 30 and came-in $10,000 under budget, according to Larry Bloom, Westminster's superintendent of Parks, Buildings and Streets.

"We worked carefully with Bare Truck Center, used the state bidding contract, ordered it early, and saved the city money," said Bloom.

[…]

[Read full story]

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Carroll working to save and share 'Our Barn'

I recently had the opportunity to visit Carroll County's historic Marlin K. Hoff log barn, which was built between 1785 and 1795.

Those accompanying me included Community Media Center videographers Joe Cimino and Rod Boudreaux, who are planning an educational video of the barn and its relocation t...

[…]

These two talented artists have completed a number of great documentaries, including recent videos on the work of the Westminster Municipal Band and the Carroll County Children's Chorus.

[…]

Who could deny the appeal of a dancing chorus line including Dave Roush, County Chief of Staff Steve Powell and Commissioner Dean Minnich singing "Our Barn" to the tune of Petula Clark's hit, "Downtown?"

[…]

[Read full story]

Mom is the law

Prior to six months ago, Elizabeth Duvall of Westminster could be found driving her two sons around in her minivan.

While she still drives her family around in a minivan, Duvall's driving techniques have been "tweaked" a bit after attending the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission Academy in Sykesville.

Last Friday, Duvall graduated with the academy's latest class, and was recognized as the top driver of emergency vehicles.

"They would tease me that I probably don't drive my minivan the same way," Duvall laughed of her classmates' comments.

But she added ...
[Read full story]

Airport groups vow to continue opposition
Despite last week's approval by the Carroll's Board of County Commissioners to expand the runway at Carroll County Regional Airport, citizen groups say they will continue to oppose the issue as it enters its next phase -- a two-year environmental study.

The results of the study could still halt th...
[Read full story]

Family that plays, stays together

Ken, Stephanie and Ryan Koons have turned their love for music into a family affair.

The husband, wife and son trio, known as Wherligig, will perform traditional Celtic and Nordic music in celebration of the Summer Solstice this Thursday, June 21, at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster.

Initially formed in 1985, Wherligig has evolved over the years in the type of music the group plays, the instruments they use and the members who play in the band.

Ken and Stephanie have been the core of the band since its inception, and several years ago son Ryan joined them to make it a...
[Read full story]

Business Briefs

Main Street Minute
Turn up the heat for a new summer look

It's the first week of summer vacation and the transition from spring fashions to summer flip flops has begun.

If you're looking to add some pizzazz to your summer look without venturing too far from home, just take a walking, shopping tour of Downtown West...
[Read full story]

Recreation

Sideline View

Athletes offered a banner year in Carroll County

It wasn't long ago that Carroll County was barely a factor when it came to state high school championships.

With the significant population boom of the past 15 years and the accompanying growth of youth feeder programs throughout the county, Carroll's high school teams started to become more competitive.

County programs took another huge step during the 2006 -07 school year, as five of seven Carroll high schools won state titles.

The run began in the fall, when the Francis Scott Key boys cross country team won the Class 2A...
[Read full story]

Opinion

Familiar face at police barrack is benefit for Carroll County
Editorial

One of the first moves for the new Maryland State Police Superintendent Terrance Sheridan was a welcome one for Carroll County.

Last week Sheridan announced that he was reinstating longtime Westminster Barrack commander Lt. Dean Richardson to that post.

Richardson has been the comman...
[Read full story]

Wolf at the Door

It's all over but the shouting, unless there's a legal battle
When Commissioner Michael Zimmer voted against the expansion of the Carroll County airport last week, my faith in human nature was renewed. I remember clearly who was holding up his signs on election day.

Now that the expansion has been included in the airport's master plan, there's still much to ...
[Read full story]

The Passing Parade

There's a full house in the theater of the absurd ...
And it's little wonder, what with the series of absurdities that have dominated the media lately.

On center stage -- where I fear she'll remain until she's either carried off in a straight jacket or loses her girlish figure -- is that living Barbie doll, Paris Hilton, who was born into a fortune a...
[Read full story]

Healthy Recipe
Appealing taste comes from fresh bananas

This week's recipe focuses on the good health and taste of bananas, and is provided by JaDenna Jones, Health Educator and Cessation Coordinator for the Carroll County Health Department.

Discovered by Alexander the Great on his conquest of India in 327 B.C...
[Read full story]

####

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

20070620 Quote of the Day - Maintaining a connection with the past

Quote of the Day - Maintaining a connection with the past

Wednesday, June 20^th, 2007

“One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it.”

Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962) Scientist and philosopher

Thanks TC

20070618 Ginny Muse’s (WHS Class of 1971) Dad, Tom Muse passed away

C. Thomas Muse, 85, of Westminster

January 20^th, 2007

Mr. C. Thomas Muse, 85, of Westminster is Ginny Muse’s (Westminster High School Class of 1971) Dad and a former City of Westminster employee.

A gathering of friends and family will be held at 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster.

C. Thomas Muse, 85, of Westminster died Monday, June 18, 2007, at Howard County General Hospital after an extended illness.

Born Nov. 26, 1921, in Finksburg, he was the son of the late Fred Reed Muse Sr. and Deborah Ireland Muse. He was the husband of Lorraine Harbaugh Muse, his wife of 59 years.

He was a 1940 graduate of Westminster High School and the YMCA Business College. He was an Army veteran and served in World War II.

He had worked for Goodyear Tire Co. of Westminster, was the owner of Muse's Store on East Main Street and retired in 1983 from the City of Westminster, Department of [Public]Works.

He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and the Just Two Again and the XYZ groups.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are daughters Catherine Ortega of Pueblo, Colo., and Ginny [Muse] Schoenberger of Westminster; brothers John M. "Jack" Muse and William Muse; sisters Helen L. Vogt and Judy B. Naill; grandsons Corey and Scott Schoenberger; and a great-granddaughter, Mia Brooke Schoenberger.

He was predeceased by brothers Eugene I. Muse and Fred Reed Muse Jr.

A gathering of friends and family will be held at 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the Westminster fire company, 28 John St., Westminster, MD 21157.

####

20070619 Iraq: Rules Change for Photos of War Casualties

Iraq: Rules Change for Photos of War Casualties

June 19^th, 2007

How would you like to open up the paper and see a picture of the blood of American soldier killed by a sniper smeared all over the floor?

Or worse yet, discover that the picture is of the blood of a loved one, friend, neighbor or colleague in arms?

Apparently the New York Times thinks it is all right: "Man Down: When One Bullet Alters Everything." Warning, the New York Times has seen fit to still have the picture up on the web…

Gee, now let me think about this… No, I don’t need to think about this. It is unacceptable…

Iraq: Rules Change for Photos of War Casualties

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11193980

June 19, 2007

by Andrea Seabrook

All Things Considered, June 19, 2007 · The U.S. military recently has established new rules for embedded journalists in Iraq that require the signatures of injured soldiers before their images or voices can be used by the media.

This is a shift from the previous policy, which required that media outlets wait for next-of-kin notification before broadcast.

In January, The New York Times published "Man Down: When One Bullet Alters Everything," an article by correspondent Damien Cave that told the story of several soldiers and what happens when one is shot in the head by a sniper during an operation. Staff Sgt. Hector Leija, the man who was shot, died.

The story included a photo of one of Leija's fellow soldiers dashing to recover Leija's helmet. In it, blood smears the floor.

Cave says that he felt the picture was a "sign of how hard the military was working to save this guy's life."

The military and Leija's family didn't feel that way. The family was hurt, the military was angry. As a consequence, the military pulled journalist Damien Cave out of the unit with which he was embedded.

Read he rest here:

Iraq: Rules Change for Photos of War Casualties

####

20070620 Earmarks: A Bridge to Bankruptcy

Earmarks: A Bridge to Bankruptcy

June 20, 2007 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

My Tentacle column is up and it involves an issue that crosses party lines and simply must be addressed – pork, earmarks, Congressional discretionary spending…

I have written about this mess before, see: 20060503 Congressional Pork: The Other Red Meat by Kevin Dayhoff

Please also note that since this column was filed early Tuesday morning, June 19^th, 2007, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R – 6 Dist., MD) has released information on all his earmarks – please see: 20070619 Congressman Bartlett releases his earmarks

Earmarks: A Bridge to Bankruptcy

June 20, 2007 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

After months of bitter fighting, the surge on "earmarks," our own homegrown version of economic terrorism, continues to meet stiff resistance.

The Great Porkbusters War has now raged in a "Twilight Zone" for over 18 months with no resolution in sight. The initial "Porkbusters" grassroots effort was launched in September 2005 by conservative political commentator Glenn Reynolds as an effort "to cut 'pork barrel' spending by the U.S. Congress."

Sen. Tom Coburn (R.,OK,) whom political commentator Mark Tapscott has credited with spearheading the war on earmarks, quickly saw an opportunity to strike a major blow against earmarks and proposed the "Coburn Amendment" to a broad, sweeping appropriations bill, which had been introduced in June of that year.

The Coburn Amendment attempted to remove money from the bill. It specifically addressed the $220 million so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska and the reconstruction of the "Twin Spans Bridge" in Louisiana. The amendment was defeated 82-15, but it put Congress on notice that a grassroots war on secret, discretionary congressional spending on pet projects had begun.

By now the Democrats had discovered the issue as politically expedient and in March 2006, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., CA) held a press conference in which she railed against earmarks.

It was political theatre at its best…

Read the rest of the column here: Earmarks: A Bridge to Bankruptcy

####

20070618 July 4th Celebration and Fireworks at Carroll Co Farm Museum

July 4^th Celebration and Fireworks at Carroll Co Farm Museum

Westminster Maryland

OLD-FASHIONED JULY 4TH CELEBRATION/FIREWORKS

http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/farmmus/fireworks.pdf

N E W S R E L E A S E - TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY. 6/18/2007.

Independence Day is a time for all Americans to honor our country and celebrate the pride and freedom that we take for granted.

The Fourth of July is a perfect time to celebrate being an American and raising our families in the greatest Nation on Earth! The Carroll County Farm Museum will host the Old-Fashioned July 4th Celebration and Fireworks on Wednesday, July 4, from noon until the fireworks end.

This event is co-sponsored by WTTR radio, AM 1470, who will be broadcasting throughout the day.

The Rotary Clubs of Carroll County will be sponsoring the FABULOUS FIREWORKS DISPLAY again this year to culminate the event.

The Farm Museum is a perfect place to spend a relaxing day picnicking on the beautiful grounds with family and friends. Enjoy ongoing stage entertainment; shop for handcrafted treasures, and enjoy a variety of delicious foods for sale.

Guided tours of the Farmhouse will be given by costumed tour guides from Noon - 6 p.m.; the Living History Center, exhibit buildings and the Museum Gift Shop will be open.

The Farmhouse features six rooms depicting 19th Century farm life. A collection of milk bottles from Carroll County and other Maryland dairies will be on exhibit in the large hall case, and children’s toys from the Museum’s collection, circa 1870-1920 will be displayed in the bowfront china cabinet in the Dining Room.

All-day stage entertainment performed by a variety of entertainers as follows:

1:00 – 1:45 Ray Owens “Hats off to America”

2:00 – 2:45 Old Line Statesmen Barber Shop

3:00 – 3:45 Carroll County Cloggers

4:00 – 7:00 Jay Henley and Stone Broke

Volunteer artisans will be demonstrating their skills as they were performed in the 1800s between

12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. Enjoy a scenic, old-fashioned excursion around the Museum grounds on a mule-pulled wagon ride from noon to 6:00 p.m., for an additional fee.

Fun Events LLC of Taneytown will again be setting up their popular bounce, climb and play area of inflatables.

Children can enjoy these play-time activities all day long (Noon until 8 p.m.) for a onetime fee.

The FABULOUS FIREWORKS DISPLAY is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m.*

Please keep in mind that Center Street and Kate Wagner Road will be shut down to incoming traffic at 8:30.

Those coming to the fireworks must be on the grounds and parked by that time or risk being turned back. Listen to event sponsor, WTTR radio, AM 1470, who will be broadcasting traffic updates throughout the day.

No personal fireworks, smoke bombs, or sparklers will be permitted.

NO PETS and NO ALCOHOL are allowed on the grounds.

The Farm Museum, located at 500 South Center Street in Westminster, Maryland, provides the perfect spot for picnicking, entertainment, one stop shopping, and lots of good food and crafts.

General admission is $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for ages 7 to 18, 60 and over; six and under are free. Ample free parking is available until 5:00 p.m. At 5:00 p.m. the Farm Museum general admission will end, and a $5.00 per car parking donation will be collected to assist with the fireworks cost.

For additional information or directions, please contact the Farm Museum office at 410-386-3880. Those out of the area may call 1-800-654-4645, or check the web site at www.carrollcountyfarmmuseum.org.

4TH OF JULY TRAFFIC CONCERNS

To facilitate the smooth and orderly flow of traffic, the SAME TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS AS LAST YEAR will be implemented. They are as follows:

1. Center Street and Kate Wagner Road will close at 8:30 p.m. to incoming traffic.

2. NO parking along Center Street, Gist Road, Smith Avenue, or Kate Wagner Road.

3. All traffic leaving the Farm Museum lot will use two (2) lanes and be directed out Center Street towards Route 140. Vehicles will be allowed to turn left on Green Street and Main Street or proceed out to Route 140. East Main and East Green Streets will be closed to through traffic between South Center Street and Washington Road.

4. All traffic leaving the Agriculture Center parking lot must use Smith Avenue to Gist Road towards Kate Wagner Road. Starting at Gist Road and Smith Avenue, both lanes of Gist Road will be one way only to Kate Wagner Road. Traffic will then proceed right to MD Route 27 or left toward MD Route 32 (Old Washington Road). Kate Wagner Road will also be two lines exiting: the right lane toward Route 27 and the left lane to Route 32.

5. Traffic exiting from the Farm Museum will have priority.

6. The Maryland State Police and Westminster Police Department believe that these traffic patterns and parking restrictions will help provide motorists with a minimum delay.

Tune to WTTR AM 1470 for up-to-date traffic reports before and after the fireworks.

**********

END

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: The Americans With Disabilities Act applies to the Carroll County Government and its programs, services, activities, and facilities. If you have questions, suggestions, or complaints, please contact Jolene Sullivan, the Carroll County Government American With Disabilities Act Coordinator, at 410-386-3600, 1-888-302-8978, Fax 410-876-5255, TTY 410-848-9747, or e-mail jsullivan@ccg.carr.org. The address is: 10 Distillery Drive, Suite 101, First Floor, Westminster, MD 21157.

CARROLL COUNTY FARM MUSEUM, 500 SOUTH CENTER STREET, WESTMINSTER, MD 21157-5615

410-386-3880

1-800-654-4645

T.T.410-848-3017

FAX 410-876-8544

Email: ccfarm AT ccg.carr.org

Web Site: carrollcountyfarmmuseum.org

CONTACT DOTTIE FREEMAN,

ADMINISTRATOR, 410-386-3883; OR JACKIE KOCH, MKTG. ASST.; 410-386-3887.

20070619 Jordan Bartel Watch

20070619 Jason Bartel Watch

Jordan Bartel Watch – Carroll County Times

June 19^th, 2007

The Carroll County Times does not use permalinks… Ya run across a dead link – e-mail Mr. Bartel. Grouch at him and leave me out of it… It isn’t my zeitgeist. I am not responsible for the fact that the Carroll County Times does not use permalinks… Take it up with them. Leave me alone. I’m tired, and I need a snack.

Oh, the photograph does not belong to me. I ripped it off from the Carroll County Times under the delusion that according to fair use I may use it for the purposes of illustrating for “Soundtrack” readers that a decent photograph of a Carroll County Times journalist can be accomplished as opposed to the horrific mug shot that Jamie Kelly keeps using. After ya go here - - go here and scroll down…

We were concerned for the safety of our bunnies in the back yard earlier in the spring. We were fearful that cats, and birds of prey or the occasional hyena would mistake them for a snack. We posted pictures of Jamie Kelly about the yard and have had no problem with mountain lions or any other predators…

Where was I? Oh, Jordan Bartel watch – enjoy:

_____

Class acts are back by Jordan Bartel’s June 13th, 2007

“Elizabeth van den Berg was all smiles. Sitting in the theater, toward the back, at McDaniel College’s WMC Alumni Hall, van den Berg was watching a complex choreographed scene centerstage. This year’s Theatre on the Hill company, returning...”

Fine Arts League due for some Exposure’ in exhibit
After retiring four years ago from the United States government, Mary Decker knew exactly how she’d spend her time. Decker, who lives in Sykesville, wanted to pursue her lifelong love of art, especially creating watercolor paintings. So when sh...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Exhibit explores art created with unusual materials
It could be time for mothers everywhere to change their rules of etiquette. Gum chewing may not just be a disgusting habit - it could be an art form. Just ask Jamie Marraccini. For 17 years, the Sterling, Va., artist has created what he calls GumArt,...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Sculpting sand
Randy Hofman used to make sand sculptures in private because he was unsure just how they'd turn out. Now, his works of art are out there for the masses to see. And the masses like what they are seeing. Hofman, who lives in Ocean Pines, is well known ...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Class acts are back
Elizabeth van den Berg was all smiles. Sitting in the theater, toward the back, at McDaniel College’s WMC Alumni Hall, van den Berg was watching a complex choreographed scene centerstage. This year’s Theatre on the Hill company, returning...
Jun. 13, 2007;

Prints reveal letters with hands
When Aim e Kidd was installing her work “Revealing” at Carroll Arts Center, it caught the attention of one mother and child. “The mother said to her child, Hey, you know what that is,’” Kidd said. “ That’s a...
Jun. 15, 2007;

Roland with the times
He may be only 30 years old, but Roland A. Remnant is getting a face-lift. The perpetually hardworking carpet installer perched on the roof of Traynor’s Floors & Carpets since 1977 has been restabilized with hundreds of pounds of concrete and i...
Jun. 14, 2007;

Stitches of history: Exhibit chronicles one community's tradition of quilting
BALTIMORE - Gee's Bend, Ala., is a horseshoe-shaped stretch of land 5 miles across and 7 miles long. It's isolated from the rest of the state, a humid, mostly swampy area with muddy dirt roads and a population of about 750. The people of Gee's Bend h...
Jun. 14, 2007;

'Fotos' from Central Europe
The stunning photography on display in a new exhibit at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art is made even more extraordinary simply because of the time when it was produced. "Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945," on view through Sept. ...
Jun. 14, 2007;

How to escape doldrums of summer television
Last year I wrote a column about the awfulness that is summer television. So this time around I'm going to try to remain positive. Good news: I found some cool summer television watching for everyone this year. Summer TV doesn't have to be all cheesy...
Jun. 14, 2007;

Reversing the trend of a celeb-obsessed culture
Remember back in February when Paris Hilton and Britney Spears were BFFs for about two weeks? It seemed like some kind of new sign of the apocalypse. Their antics contributed to Newsweek running a cover that month called "Girls Gone Wild," about just...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Inside look at Hershey Park
HERSHEY, Pa. - Sitting under the shade of a canopy, John Tshudy seemed to smile at every laugh, every giant splash of water. Tshudy, Hersheypark's head of operations, was silently watching over The Boardwalk, the park's newest attraction. Starting ou...
Jun. 10, 2007;

Diplomas in hand, Winters Mill pupils look to next step
Kim Thomas told herself she wasn’t going to cry anymore. A week before her son Tony Isreal’s graduation from Winters Mill High School, Thomas found herself sitting alone at home crying. Isreal would come home from school and pat her shoul...
Jun. 9, 2007;

Carroll News Briefs for Friday, June 15, 2007
Woman takes third in 'Hon' competition Anne Dimiceli of Finksburg took home third place in the "Bawlmer's Best Hon" competition Saturday at HonFest in Baltimore. Dimiceli, appearing as "Peg," wore a lace shirt with a feather boa and pants decorated w...
Jun. 15, 2007;

Best Bets for June 7 through June 13
The grass will turn blue at the Carroll County Farm Museum when it hosts the 2007 Fiddlers Convention Sunday in Westminster. The event, which begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends with the last performance, includes music contests ($3,000 is up for grabs...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Out & About
On Stage: Five hot regional theater productions "Beauty and the Beast," Friday through June 16, Bel Air Harford Community College's Chesapeake Theater. 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, June 14 to 16; 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, June 16. $9 to $16. www...
Jun. 7, 2007;

Out & About
On Stage: Five hot regional theater productions "Little Shop of Horrors," tonight through Aug. 19, Columbia The seedy (and musical) side of plant care. Thursday through Sunday evenings, Wednesday and Sunday matinees. $28.50 to $47. Toby's ...
Jun. 14, 2007;

20070619 Congressman Bartlett releases his earmarks

Congressman Bartlett releases his earmarks

June 19^th, 2007

20070619 The Ed Norris Crime Plan

The Ed Norris Crime Plan

For a bit of additional background go here: “20070615 Some good analysis on the Baltimore mayoral contest.”

WHFS’ ED NORRIS RELEASES HIS PLAN TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE CRIME IN BALTIMORE PRESS CONFERENCE June 19, 2007-12 Noon

The Plan to Drastically Reduce Crime in Baltimore By: Ed Norris

In light of the relentless violence we have experienced in 2007 and after the rising violent crime rates of the last several years, I feel compelled to put forward a plan.

Several candidates running for public office in addition to a myriad of community and religious organizations have put forth their ideas for crime reduction but none has authored a strategic plan; each has merely latched onto ideas that sounds good but will do nothing to stanch the blood flow in our streets.

No one to date has even attempted a comprehensive strategic plan while Baltimoreans are being murdered at a rate almost seven times that of New York City.

The lack of leadership has been stunning in light of all that is taking place.

My intent is not to embarrass but to help stem the violent crime wave that is literally killing our city.

I respectfully recommend the following for everyone's consideration:

Read the rest here: The Ed Norris Crime Plan

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

20070619 Clinton Announces Campaign Song

Clinton Announces Campaign Song

(Click here for other posts on "Sountrack" about Senator Hillary Clinton.)

June 19^th, 2007

Bada Bing! Clinton Announces Campaign Song

Hillary's Campaign Video Spoofs "The Sopranos"; Theme Song Is By Celine Dion

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2007

(AP) The scene: A diner and a jukebox. A nostalgic song. A cut to black. It worked as a finale for "The Sopranos," the popular HBO television drama. It now marks a new beginning for "The Clintons."

Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on Tuesday unveiled its new campaign song with a Web video that spoofs the final scene of the mobster series.

[…]

But the song campaign and the video also illustrate the growing effort by some of the more technologically savvy campaigns to connect with voters and potential donors in clever, relatively inexpensive formats that are infused with pop culture references, contemporary themes or intimate moments.

More: Clinton Announces Campaign Song

More info on her web site: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

From YouTube:

HILLARY CLINTON & CELINE DION YOU AND I CAMPAIGN THEME SONG

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20070619 The Democratic War Against Prosperity Marches On by Lawrence Kudlow

The Democratic War Against Prosperity Marches On

by Lawrence Kudlow

War against prosperity

Democrats in Congress and on the presidential trail are intensifying their high-tax war against prosperity and the so-called rich. Their latest salvo includes more tax penalties on successful investors and entrepreneurs, such as a proposed 4.3 percent surtax on high-income earners and a tax assault on the private-equity buyout industry.

The surtax allegedly would raise sufficient revenues to exempt middle-class folks from paying the alternative minimum tax.

Meanwhile, Democrats (and some Republicans) take aim at the booming private-equity buyout industry…

[…]

Class envy is behind all this…

[…]

Ironically, all this is happening while low-tax Reaganomics is spreading worldwide. Hence, this would be the exact wrong moment for U.S. politicians to raise taxes and impair American economic competitiveness.

… a tax-cut war is spreading across Europe, where lower levies on corporate profits in Spain, Germany, France and the U.K. are aimed at better competing with the U.S. in the global race for capital. The successful supply-side experiment in Ireland has become a Euro-wide model. Average EU corporate tax rates have dropped to 25 percent, compared to the U.S. federal, state, and local average of 40 percent. Newly elected French President Nicholas Sarkozy intends to cut his country's corporate tax, as does Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, as does Italian Premier Romano Prodi. This would follow large business tax reductions in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

Aren't the Democrats watching?

Out on the campaign trail, leading Democrats Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards are all talking tax hikes. Mrs. Clinton says, "The president's irresponsible tax breaks for high-income Americans" must be allowed to expire. She then claims the percent of taxes paid by corporations has fallen as corporate profits have skyrocketed. That's backward. During the Bush boom, business tax collections as a share of overall tax revenues have skyrocketed -- well above levels witnessed during the Clinton 1990s.

[…]

And there is much much more…

Click here to read the entire column…

####

20070619 The past week has taken an horrific toll on public safely personnel

The past week has taken an horrific toll on public safely personnel.

June 19^th, 2007

In Charleston, “nine firefighters (were) killed in massive blaze.” ... We agree with Charles County Café - - It’s horrible.

“Nine firefighters died Monday night in a fire that destroyed the Sofa Super Store in West Ashley.”

And we all wonder “Why don’t the newscasters cry…” and agree with HoCo Hayduke who is “in full agreement with David Keelan that this is terrible news:"

A Howard County police officer died early this morning from injuries he sustained after he was struck by a car he tried to pull over for speeding Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Howard police said Pfc. Scott Wheeler, a 6 1/2-year veteran, was working a speed enforcement detail on Route 32 near U.S. 1 when he and two other officers tried to stop a Nissan Sentra about 2 p.m. Police said the car's driver was suspected of speeding.

And even us open and transparent government fanatics agree with Mr. HoCo Hayduke’s last paragraph:

“Wheeler's death follows a few weeks of ego-fueled, voyeuristic stories and "because we can" public information requests and disclosures from the Examiner about government salaries…”

Read the rest here: “Why don’t the newscasters cry…”

Keep the police officer’s and firefighters’ families and loved ones in your prayers and place in our hearts for the dangerous work they do everyday – so that we may remain safe.

_____

References, further reading and Hat Tips:

“Horrible” posted by June 19, 2007 richardgwhite in Charles County Café: National News. “Nine firefighters killed in massive blaze” - Noah Haglund | Charleston.net | The Post and Courier

“Why don’t the newscasters cry…” posted June 18^th, 2007 in HoCo Hayduke… “After a week of arguments, I am in full agreement with David Keelan that this is terrible news.”

City mourns 9 firefighters killed in warehouse blaze - Myrtle Beach Sun News

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20070619 Quote of the day - A Simple Trick to get along with others

Quote of the day - A Simple Trick to get along with others

Tuesday, June 19^th, 2007

“If you can learn a simple trick, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view & until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird

Thanks TC