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

Sunday, December 29, 2013

PRUDEN: Duck Dynasty's Robertson family teaches Hollywood a lesson - Washington Times

PRUDEN: Duck Dynasty's Robertson family teaches Hollywood a lesson - Washington Times: "PRUDEN: Duck Dynasty’s Robertson family teaches Hollywood a lesson 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/26/pruden-youve-got-to-know-the-territory/

By Wesley Pruden Thursday, December 26, 2013"The uproar over “Duck Dynasty” should be studied forever in the business schools as a priceless teaching exercise in marketing quackery. Television executives are so highly paid because they’re supposed to be so smart. Rarely have so many smart guys been so out to lunch.

The noisy row over the A&E cable network suspending Phil Robertson, the head duck, was mostly not about free speech — the network had a right to suspend him, depending on what was in the contract — but about how low the network wanted to kowtow to the lavender lobby, disrespect for religious belief, and whether it wanted to put at risk its No. 1 show. This is where the A&E suits made their incredible miscalculation, based on gross ignorance of who and what they were dealing with. An office boy would have known better.

“A&E,” says Lisa de Moraes, the influential television critic for the Deadline/Hollywood website, “has been dazedly dog-paddling since the interview [in GQ magazine] and its hit show suddenly stopped quacking like all those other homespun reality series on TV and began Bible-thumping like the religious parable [the controversy] actually is.” 



'via Blog this'


Cheerleader-to-soldier: Philly Eagles girl turns in pom-poms for rifle

*****

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Our Saviour Lutheran Church www.oslc-warrenton.org Warrenton VA

#KED #Westminster

Our Saviour Lutheran Church www.oslc-warrenton.org Warrenton VA


Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, traveled the world through work and service


Warrenton (Va.) resident had family and community ties to Carroll County

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, of Warrenton Virginia and Westminster Maryland http://tinyurl.com/mrkubzk




Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, a retired defense contractor and world traveler with family ties to Westminster, died unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home in Warrenton, Va., on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013.

Born in 1952 in Baraboo, Wis.; he was the son of the late Stanley LeRoy Rognlien and the late Arlene Doris Jacobson Rognlien. His father served on submarines in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific, then worked throughout his career with Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America. As a result, the family lived all over America.

After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University, Mr. Rognlien followed in his father’s footsteps and served for 32 years as a defense contractor with the intelligence community -- a job that took him to some 68 countries over the years. His particular field of expertise was computer science and communications.

Mr. Rognlien married Marian Babylon in 1982 at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westminster.

After retirement, Mr. Rognlien continued serving others through volunteer and mission service. He again traveled the world, this time for recreation, and spent time in Westminster with his extended family. He enjoyed fishing in Alaska, playing math and word games like Sudoku, and drove the Alcan Highway and across the United States several times.

In addition to his training as an electrical engineer, he was handy with tools and home improvement projects. He was a veteran of many mission trips with Taylorsville United Methodist Church, helping those who had suffered from natural disasters. Those mission included trips to Biloxi, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

He volunteered at numerous Carroll County civic and community functions. He was handy with a chainsaw and was among the Taylorsville “wood chuckers,” who cut firewood for the needy. He was a serious student of golf.


The family will receive friends at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, at 91 Willis Street, Westminster, MD on Monday, December 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 28 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 6194 Dumfries Rd., Warrenton, VA; with visitation starting at 10 a.m.  The Rev. Michael Church will officiate with a eulogy by The Rev. Sarah Dorrance.

Inurnment will be private at the family mausoleum at Krider’s Cemetery, Westminster, Md.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to People Helping People, 34 Beckham Street, Warrenton, VA 20186.

####





#KED #Westminster

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Mikhail Kalashnikov, Creator of AK-47, Dies at 94 - NYTimes.com

Mikhail Kalashnikov, Creator of AK-47, Dies at 94 - NYTimes.com: "Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov with a model of the AK-47 in 1997. By C. J. CHIVERS Published: December 23, 2013"

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/world/europe/mikhail-kalashnikov-creator-of-soviet-era-ak-47-weapon-is-dead-at-age-94.html

Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, the arms designer credited by the Soviet Union with creating the AK-47, the first in a series of rifles and machine guns that would indelibly associate his name with modern war and become the most abundant firearms ever made, died on Monday in Izhevsk, the capital of the Russian republic of Udmurtia, where he lived. He was 94...  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/world/europe/mikhail-kalashnikov-creator-of-soviet-era-ak-47-weapon-is-dead-at-age-94.html

'via Blog this'


*****

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Grading the Big Four: How did your wireless carrier rate in 2013? | TechHive

Grading the Big Four: How did your wireless carrier rate in 2013? | TechHive: "
Evan Dashevsky @haldash Dec 17, 2013 3:00 AM"

http://www.techhive.com/article/2079841/grading-the-big-four-how-did-your-wireless-carrier-rate-in-2013.html#tk.nl_advis

The big wireless carriers have few qualms about charging customers for sending and receiving texts, despite the fact that providing the service costs them virtually nothing.
Your carrier is ripping you off.
And it may even be putting your life at risk. Law enforcement has pleaded with manufacturers to include device “kill switches” to thwart the tsunami of smartphone-driven street crime. But most phones don’t have a kill switch. Why? Because including one would eat into profits the carriers make from selling device insurance. Yup.
Though the carriers clearly have no respect for their customers, they do have to compete for our business. So let’s take a look back at 2013 to see which companies made things a little bit easier for consumers and which introduced unnecessary annoyances into our lives.... http://www.techhive.com/article/2079841/grading-the-big-four-how-did-your-wireless-carrier-rate-in-2013.html#tk.nl_advis
'via Blog this'

The Nativity Scene at St. John Catholic Church for Christmas Day services

#KED #Westminster

The Nativity Scene at St. John Catholic Church for Christmas Day services

#KED #Westminster

Communion at Taylorsville United Methodist Church for Christmas Eve

#KED #Westminster

Communion at Taylorsville United Methodist Church for Christmas Eve

#KED #Westminster

Communion at Taylorsvile United Methodist Church This is my body...

#KED #Westminster

Communion at Taylorsvile United Methodist Church This is my body...

#KED #Westminster

Monday, December 23, 2013

When a gift of oranges was a Christmas treat in Westminster [Eagle Archives]

When a gift of oranges was a Christmas treat in Westminster [Eagle Archives]




When a gift of oranges was a Christmas treat in Westminster [Eagle ... Baltimore Sun by Kevin Dayhoff, December 23, 2013. The Christmas season has always been a special time in...

@SunWestminster: Columnist @kevindayhoff addresses Westminster #Christmas traditions in this week's Eagle Archives http://bsun.md/18HM1X2

The Christmas season has always been a special time in Westminster. For generations; long before our current tradition of an electric light parade right after Thanksgiving, the city came together for a community celebration and a parade called the Christmas Treat…

[…]

Times have changed. The center of town is now considered to be the park at Locust Lane. Government does not dare use the words "Christmas" or "Hanukkah." And technology, not fruit, is at the top of the Christmas list for most folks. In my childhood years in Westminster in the 1950s, our favorite fruit was not an "Apple" computer. A gift of oranges was considered to be particularly special…




 Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff
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

Friday, December 20, 2013

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, traveled the world through work and service

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, traveled the world through work and service



Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, a retired defense contractor and world traveler with family ties to Westminster, died unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home in Warrenton, Va., on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013.

Born in 1952 in Baraboo, Wis.; he was the son of the late Stanley LeRoy Rognlien and the late Arlene Doris Jacobson Rognlien. His father served on submarines in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific, then worked throughout his career with Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America. As a result, the family lived all over America.

After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University, Mr. Rognlien followed in his father’s footsteps and served for 32 years as a defense contractor with the intelligence community -- a job that took him to some 68 countries over the years. His particular field of expertise was computer science and communications.

Mr. Rognlien married Marian Babylon in 1982 at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westminster.

After retirement, Mr. Rognlien continued serving others through volunteer and mission service. He again traveled the world, this time for recreation, and spent time in Westminster with his extended family. He enjoyed fishing in Alaska, playing math and word games like Sudoku, and drove the Alcan Highway and across the United States several times.

In addition to his training as an electrical engineer, he was handy with tools and home improvement projects. He was a veteran of many mission trips with Taylorsville United Methodist Church, helping those who had suffered from natural disasters. Those mission included trips to Biloxi, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

He volunteered at numerous Carroll County civic and community functions. He was handy with a chainsaw and was among the Taylorsville “wood chuckers,” who cut firewood for the needy. He was a serious student of golf.



The family will receive friends at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, at 91 Willis Street, Westminster, MD on Monday, December 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 28 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 6194 Dumfries Rd., Warrenton, VA; with visitation starting at 10 a.m.  The Rev. Michael Church will officiate with a eulogy by The Rev. Sarah Dorrance.

Inurnment will be private at the family mausoleum at Krider’s Cemetery, Westminster, Md.


In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to People Helping People, 34 Beckham Street, Warrenton, VA 20186.

+++++++++++++++

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, traveled the world through work and service


Warrenton (Va.) resident had family and community ties to Carroll County

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, of Warrenton Virginia and Westminster Maryland http://tinyurl.com/mrkubzk









Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/

Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++

Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, of Warrenton Virginia and Westminster Maryland


Ronald LeRoy Rognlien, 61, died unexpectedly from a massive heart attack at his home in Warrenton, Va., on Thursday morning, December 19, 2013.

Born in 1952 in Baraboo, Wis.; he was the son of the late Stanley LeRoy Rognlien and the late Arlene Doris Jacobson Rognlien. His father served on submarines in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific and then worked throughout his career with Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America – as a result, the family lived all over the Americas.

After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University, he followed in his father’s footsteps and served his country for 32 years as a defense contractor with the intelligence community. It was a job that took him to approximately 68 countries over the years. His particular field of expertise was computer science and communications.

Mr. Rognlien married Marian Babylon in 1982 at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westminster.

After retirement, Mr. Rognlien continued serving others through volunteer and mission service. He again traveled the world, this time for recreation, and spent time in Westminster with his extended family. He enjoyed fishing in Alaska, playing math and word games like Sudoku, and drove the Alcan Highway and across the USA several times.

In addition to his training as an electrical engineer, he was handy with tools and home improvement projects. He was a veteran of many mission trips with Taylorsville United Methodist Church, to help folks who had suffered from natural disasters, including places such as Biloxi, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

He volunteered at numerous Carroll County civic and community functions. He was handy with a chainsaw and often helped cutting firewood with the Taylorsville “wood chuckers,” who cut firewood for the needy. He was a serious student of the game of golf.

In the greater Warrenton community, he volunteered extensively with organizations such as People Helping People, VolTran, and the Fauquier County Food Distribution Coalition. He worked for the Fauquier Co. Board of Election Supervisors. He was a member of the Warrenton Stamp and Coin Club and was a founding parent of the FAST swim team. He was an active member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Warrenton.

He remained an avid reader his entire life and was seldom seen without a book in his hand. He was comfortable in the kitchen and well-known for his special “Ron’s pancakes.” He was also an avid movie-buff. He was the family genealogist and took a scholarly approach to military history, and the form, function and history of American government. He attended all of his daughter’s swim meets, lacrosse games, and field hockey matches throughout high school and college.

In addition to his wife of 31 years, he is survived by his daughter, Marnie of Copley, Ohio, and her fiancé, Louis Paumier, of Wooster, Ohio; his brother, Roger Rognlien and wife Linda of Scio, Ore., and his sisters, Diane and Darlene Rognlien of Corvallis, Ore., Deanna Jorgensen and her husband, Christopher of Dunedin, Fla.

He is also survived by his mother-in-law Evelyn F. Babylon, sisters-in-law: the Rev. Sarah Babylon Dorrance of Taylorsville United Methodist Church; Lt. Col. Trisch Babylon, US Army (Ret.,) of Anchorage, Alaska; and Caroline Babylon of Westminster and brothers-in-law: Kevin E. Dayhoff of Westminster and Col. William T. Babylon, US Army (Ret.) of Anchorage, Alaska. He was predeceased by his father-in-law, David S. Babylon, Jr. in August 2006, and brother-in-law, Lt. Commander Jim Dorrance, US Navy Reserve in June 1991.

In addition to close friends and colleagues and his immediate family, Mr. Rognlien is survived by nieces, nephews; including Phil and Jamie Dorrance Miller, Andy and Melissa Dorrance Cimbala, Frank and Rosa Babylon, Liz, and David Babylon III, and great-niece Nora Harper Babylon and great-nephew Evan Parker Babylon.

The family will receive friends at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, at 91 Willis Street, Westminster, MD on Monday, December 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 28 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 6194 Dumfries Rd., Warrenton, VA; with visitation starting at 10 a.m.  The Rev. Michael Church will officiate with a eulogy by The Rev. Sarah Dorrance.

Inurnment will be private at the family mausoleum at Krider’s Cemetery, Westminster, Md.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to People Helping People, 34 Beckham Street, Warrenton, VA 20186.

####




+++++++++++++++
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++

Thursday, December 19, 2013

December 19, 2007 Advocate by Mary Scott: Planning, public works reorganized in Westminster - Glass and Beyard appointed

December 19, 2007 Advocate by Mary Scott: Planning, public works reorganized in city - Glass and Beyard appointed http://tinyurl.com/psfmxqw

Planning, public works reorganized in city

By Mary Scott, Advocate staff writer


Find a much larger image here: http://twitpic.com/dp72x3

The Westminster Department of Planning and Public Works will be reorganized into two separate departments after the Westminster Common Council approved an ordinance to do so at a meeting on Dec. l0.

The Department of Public Works will be headed by Jeff Glass, and Thomas Beyard will head the new Department of Planning, Zoning and Development. The council approved both appointments Monday night.

[…]

Questions related to zoning, the Zoning Appeals Board and zoning classifications have been reassigned to the Department of Planning, Zoning and Development.

Plans to restructure the city's staff and changes in the location of several city offices were also formally announced and approved by the council at Monday night's meeting.

The newly formed Department of Planning, Zoning and Development will join the Economic Development, Community Development and Finance Departments at 56 W. Main St. The administrative offices of the Department of Public Works also relocated to the same address, so they will have easy access to the planning staff.

….

19Dec2007 Advocate by Mary Scott Planning, public works reorg... on Twitpic

For more news and information on the Westminster Common Council go to: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/advocate_of_westminster/

+++++++++++++++
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Mikulski, Cardin, Hoyer, Edwards stand united behind proposed Greenbelt site as the best location For A New FBI headquarters

Mikulski, Cardin, Hoyer, Edwards stand united behind proposed Greenbelt site as the best location For A New FBI headquarters

Entire Maryland Congressional Delegation has voiced support for Prince George’s location; Sent joint letter to FBI Director and GSA Administrator

Prince George’s County Executive today submitted proposal for Greenbelt, MD location to meet GSA December 17 deadline

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin along with Representatives Steny Hoyer and Donna F. Edwards (all D-Md.) today voiced their continued strong support for a proposed site in Greenbelt, Maryland to serve as the future home of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  As a leading candidate for the new location for the FBI headquarters, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker today submitted a proposal to meet the GSA’s December 17 deadline.

“We stand firmly behind Prince George’s County as the right choice for the new headquarters of the FBI and support County Executive Baker’s proposal for the Greenbelt site. Prince George’s County has the ability to donate, at no cost to the federal government, the proposed location that meets the size requirements and is located directly adjacent to a Metro station,” Team Maryland said. “An honest analysis of the cost of operations, security, convenience of location for staff, transportation options, and the promotion of regional equity in federal facility distribution should make the proposed Greenbelt, Maryland site the choice location for FBI. 

This project would bring thousands of jobs to the County, boost our local economy and generate additional revenues for our community. As GSA continues to move forward with the process of selecting a site, we will be working closely together to advocate for bringing this project, and the new economic opportunities that will accompany it, to Prince George's County.”

Earlier this year, Senators Mikulski and Cardin along with the entire Maryland Congressional delegation, including Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Elijah E. Cummings, Chris Van Hollen, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Donna F. Edwards, Andy Harris and John Delaney, sent a letter to the heads of the FBI and GSA that strongly support a site in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for the future home of the FBI. Their letter notes a Maryland state report that found 43 percent of FBI employees call Maryland home, more than any other jurisdiction. A copy of that letter is available here.
*****

Monday, December 16, 2013

Enjoying Westminster Christmas Tree Locust Lane park in the historic downtown

#KED #Westminster

Enjoying Westminster Christmas Tree Locust Lane park in the historic downtown

#KED #Westminster

Lonely is the runner that runs in the middle of a cold-cold #Westminster Md eve

#KED #Westminster

Lonely is the runner that runs in the middle of a cold-cold #Westminster Md eve

#KED #Westminster

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Gov. Bob Ehrlich to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Obama's Desperate Course Corrections
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich's Op-Ed from Sunday
Fundraiser with Gov. Ehrlich and Sec. Hogan is Tomorrow
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 16, 2013

Gov. Bob Ehrlich writes a weekly opinion column that appears on Sunday in the Baltimore Sun.

His commentary on the implementation of Obamacare was published yesterday as "Obama's Desperate Course Correction" (Click Here)

Tickets are still available for our fundraiser tomorrow (see flyer below and our website CLICK HERE), which features a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

++++++++++++++++

Marylanders for Joe Getty December 4, 2013

Dec. 17 Fundraiser Update:

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland at the "Maryland Business Climate" luncheon on Dec. 17(for information or to register online click here).

Gov. Ehrlich will talk about national issues that are impacting Maryland's business climate including the rollout of Obamacare.

In a recently released book, "America: Hope for Change," Gov. Ehrlich explores the causes and remedies of the seven most difficult issues confronting (and confounding) our culture and country. Autographed copies will be available for a $35 contribution to Marylanders for Joe Getty.

++++++++++++++++++++

Maryland's Business Climate
 Improving Business Competitiveness Is Topic of Dec. 17 Fundraiser
With Featured Speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Sec. Larry Hogan
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 6, 2013

When I served as policy director for Gov. Bob Ehrlich, we placed a strong emphasis in our legislative package each year on improving Maryland's business climate. The Ehrlich Administration wanted to make sure that companies throughout the United States knew that Maryland was "Open for Business."

We worked hard to insure that Maryland provided an excellent business environment so that existing businesses could thrive and to encourage out-of-state businesses to relocate their operations here.

My fundraiser "Maryland's Business Climate" on Dec. 17 will include Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to discuss trends and issues facing Maryland if we are to improve our state's competitiveness with our neighboring states (see flyer on reverse).

One of the keys to improving the business climate is tax policy. Gov. Ehrlich drew a line in the sand against increasing Maryland's personal income tax although this was a high priority for the Democrat leadership in the legislature from 2003-06. The Ehrlich Administration's economic development policy also included measures to reduce regulations and improve Maryland's competitiveness.

Our efforts were very successful based upon The Tax Foundation's annual "State Business Tax Climate Index." Under Gov. Ehrlich's business and tax policies, Maryland moved from 31st to 22nd best business climate in the nation.

Unfortunately, over the last seven years, Maryland's business climate ranking has plummeted. At the peak of the O'Malley Brown Administration tax increases in 2009-10, Maryland was the sixth worst business climate in the country. In the recently released 2014 rankings, Maryland marginally improved to the ninth worst.

The states in the bottom ten suffer from the same afflictions: complex, non-neutral taxes with comparatively high rates. The leading factor in Maryland's decline is our 46th highest individual income tax rates. Being the only state in the nation to adopt a "rain tax" further compounds Maryland's poor reputation among the nation's top businesses.

In a recent presentation to the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition, economist Anirban Basu said that such rankings do not tell the true story. In his experience working within the nation's business community, the word-of-mouth perceptions of Maryland's bad business climate are far worse than the rankings show.

Thus it is no surprise that Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw Maryland as easy pickings in an economic development advertising campaign to lure Maryland businesses to the "Lone Star" state. "We pray for rain in Texas," Perry said. "They tax rain in Maryland."

I recently accepted a change in committee assignments to Senate Budget & Tax so that I can have a role in influencing state tax policy. I invite you to join us on Dec. 17 as we explore many options available to improve Maryland's business climate.

++++++++++++++++++++

America: Hope for Change
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich to Autograph His New Book at Our Dec. 17 Fundraiser
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 10, 2013

In his book released last month America: Hope for Change, Gov. Bob Ehrlich sets forth a conservative political agenda to set our country back on the "right" track instead of the "wrong" track.

By stressing the individual freedoms and self-autonomy that has made America great, Gov. Ehrlich provides an analysis of our national fiscal crisis and debt, healthcare delivery, job creation, social security and national security. Through his experiences as a Congressman and Governor of Maryland, Ehrlich provides insights that focus on policy solutions to strengthen American culture and economic opportunity.

Gov. John H. Sununu, former New Hampshire Governor and White House Chief of Staff under Pres. George H.W. Bush, describes the book as follows: "Bob Ehrlich makes the case for why America must, aggressively and quickly, fight to reverse the growth and excessive intrusion of the federal government into the lives of all citizens. He makes a clear case that the basic strengths that made America the land of opportunity are being destroyed. The Governor does a great job in defining the problem, the subtleties of the erosion of the system, and then proposes an agenda to fix the system."

Our fundraiser on Dec. 17, 2013 will feature a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

Please join us on Dec. 17, 2013 with speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland.

++++++++++++++++++++

The Long-Term Effects of Obamacare
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich's Chapter on Obamacare Provides Insights
On Pres. Obama's Healthcare "Agenda"
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 10, 2013

The current Obamacare debate being played out daily in the national media focuses on the failed mechanics of websites and apathetic enrollment numbers. But what are the long-term effects of Obamacare?

In the chapter "Securing a Healthcare Agenda, Not Quality Healthcare" from his book America: Hope for Change, Gov. Bob Ehrlich provides insights on what Americans may face in the coming years as Obamacare becomes the rule of the land in local hospitals and doctors' offices.

"It is impossible to predict the nature and extent of the regulatory burden represented by a fully implemented Obamacare. One outcome is acknowledged by all sides, however: many of the important decisions will not be made by the democratically elected representatives of the people. Instead, they will be issued by an army of unelected, unaccountable regulators. Such is the legacy of the Obama administrative state . . . the newly empowered Obama bureaucracy enjoys degree of power over the personal decision making authority of ordinary people never before seen in our history," is just one observation made by Gov. Ehrlich.

          Our fundraiser on Dec. 17 will feature a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

          Please join us on Dec. 17 with speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland.

++++++++++++++++++++

Upcoming events:

Tues. Dec. 17, 2013

"Maryland's Business Climate" - Fundraiser Luncheon
Hosted by Marylanders for Joe Getty
12 noon - Best Western, 451 WMC Drive, Westminster
For information: www.senatorgetty.com or contact Russ Vriezen at (443) 536-4700 or russ@senatorgetty.com

Thurs. Dec. 19, 2013
Carroll County Chamber of Commerce - Local Authors Book Signing
Senator Getty will be signing two local history books: "Carroll's Heritage" and
"Excerpts from the Engine of Liberty and Uniontown Advertiser"
3 to 6 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 8, 2013

Maryland General Assembly 2014 Session Begins

Gov Ehrlich-Robert, ChangeMaryland, People Getty-Joe Getty, Politics, Medicine Health ObamaCare, MD Issues Taxes, Business Economics, Bus Econ anti-business, 
*****