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

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Steve Berryman: 'Occupation-nation'


Steve Berryman
'Occupation-nation'
Originally published October 07, 2011
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=126856

Eating the rich seems to be the core of the plan to wrest positive political attention back to the floundering Obama 2012 campaign. Filmmaker Michael Moore visited Frederick's Weinberg Center last week for a one-night stand, reinforcing the class warfare.

Moore earns millions of dollars for himself in a capitalist system that he routinely complains about, and hides under an old everyman's baseball cap...

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=126856


www.fredericknewspost.com
The Frederick News-Post is a Frederick, MD based newspaper that has been delivering local news, sports, classifieds, food, obituaries, entertainment, and community events to Frederick, MD for more than 100 years.

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The New York Times Breaking News Alert:Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Saturday, October 8, 2011 -- 7:35 PM EDT
-----

Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world/middleeast/secret-us-memo-made-legal-case-to-kill-a-citizen.html

The Obama administration’s secret legal memorandum that opened the door to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric hiding in Yemen, found that it would be lawful only if it were not feasible to take him alive, according to people who have read the document.

The memo, written last year, followed months of extensive deliberations and offers a glimpse into the legal debate that led to one of the most significant decisions made by President Obama — to move ahead with the killing of an American citizen without a trial.

The memo provided the justification for acting despite an executive order banning assassinations, a federal law against murder, protections in the Bill of Rights and various strictures of the international laws of war, according to people familiar with the analysis. The memo, however, was narrowly drawn to the specifics of Mr. Awlaki’s case and did not establish a broad new legal doctrine.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world/middleeast/secret-us-memo-made-legal-case-to-kill-a-citizen.html?emc=na
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Interesting Stats That Explain A Lot

 Interesting Stats That Explain A Lot

 Check this set of statistics!!

 The percentage of each past president's cabinet who had worked in the  private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet.

 Here are the percentages.

 T. Roosevelt.................. 38%

 Taft............................... 40%

 Wilson .......................... 52%

 Harding......................... 49%

 Coolidge....................... 48%

 Hoover .........................42%

 F. Roosevelt..................50%

 Truman......................... 50%

 Johnson........................ 47%

 Nixon............................ 53%

 Ford............................. 42%

 Carter.......................... 32%

 Reagan..........................86%

 GH Bush....................... 51%

 Clinton .........................39%

 GW Bush...................... 55%

 And the winner is: Obama...................08% ****

This helps to explain the incompetence of this administration: only 8% of them have ever worked in a job not supported by tax money!

 That's right!

Only eight percent---the least, by far, of the last 19 presidents! And these people are trying to tell our big corporations how to run their
business?

They know what's best for GM, Chrysler, Wall Street, and you and me?

How can the president of our nation, the nation with the most successful economic system in world history, stand and talk about business when he's never worked for one?

Or about jobs when he has never really had one?

And when it's the same for 92% of his senior staff and closest advisers who have spent most of their time in academia, government and/or non-profit 
jobs - or as "community organizers.

 ** **
 Pass this on! We'll NEVER see these facts in the main stream media.
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Friday, October 07, 2011

The few. The Marines

Yum. Chocolate cake.

Lemons

The horses are on the track. Metaphorically speaking...

Tough interview. He did not have much to say.

Bob Frazee addresses the MidAtlantic Farm Credit employees...

Refreshment break at the MidAtlantic Farm Credit employee annual event.

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Angel helps MidAtlantic Farm Credit assoc figure out Facebook at MAFC emp event

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Thursday, October 06, 2011

News from Friends of Kelly Schulz

Delegate Kelly Schulz banner
In This Issue
Bring In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigration bill to Referendum
Interim Duties - I want to hear from you!
Volunteering Decreases Government Spending!






News & Events from the District 
Summer is over and fall is upon us. Other than visiting my son, in boot camp a couple of times I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the summer right here in Frederick County and I had an amazing time!

A very special Thank You goes out to, Woodsboro, Thurmont, Libertytown, Rocky Ridge, Middletown, and Emmitsburg, for hosting the community parades this year and offering a warm welcome. I look forward to the Brunswick Veteran's Day Parade next month.

Thank you to the Volunteer Fire Halls for their long standing commitment to the community at their carnivals, the great food served by their tireless volunteers and the unending musical talent that they were able to offer to the Frederick County.

Thank you to The Great Frederick Fair who, once again, provided agricultural education, community support, dynamic musical performances and an environment to reconnect with the entire County. I was blessed to have been able to attend most of the week even if only to grab a great meal!

I want to also thank YOU! We were able to have real conversations about issues that directly affect you, your family and your businesses. It was a wonderful learning experience that I will be able to utilize over the course of the next several months while in Annapolis.

As we head back to Annapolis for Special Session in a few weeks, I wanted to give you an update on a few major issues facing Frederick and the State of Maryland.
 
Kelly
  
District Office
P.O. Box 563
New Market, Maryland 21774
Office #:  301-304-0619
Fax #:  301-304-0671
Kelly.schulz@house.state.md.us   
Workplace Fraud Act of 2009

This bill passed in 2009 under the assumption that there is fraud occurring in many business industries across the state. The objective was to locate those fraudulent businesses that were hiring independent contractors as opposed to full time employees, thus not adhering to laws requiring the payment of benefits to the employee or the state (workers compensation insurance, social security, unemployment insurance, etc.).

The actual IMPACT of that legislation is that some industries are being unnecessarily targeted by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). Audits have been conducted statewide and many businesses are seeing astronomical fines - so high that they may have to close up their businesses in our state.

The issue seems to be that industries (especially the home remodeling industry) have historically hired independent contractors (ICs) based on the work that they needed to have performed at the time of the sale. The laws, as written, are ambiguous as to the definition of the IC at the federal and state level - thus leaving the final determination at the hands of an agency auditor.

A group of colleagues from my committee, House Economic Matters, met on October 5th with the Secretary of DLLR to discuss possible mitigation to this very hot topic. It looks as if we were able to get our point across that businesses are having a very difficult time in this economy and, if we are really going to get serious about creating jobs, then we need to take a very hard look at the current standards. You can be assured that your Frederick County Delegation will be notifying you of any updates as they arise.

Please reach out to me if this regulation is affecting you and your business.
Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) 
This plan was mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of a law suit filed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation claiming that the states within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed needed to all work to develop plans to reduce the nutrient (aka pollution) levels in the Bay. The EPA set a date of 2025 for all states within the area to be in full compliance of their approved plans.

The State of Maryland has upheld this mandate and key stakeholders are working diligently to provide a plan that they will be able to adhere to. However the costs associated with the plans on behalf of all stakeholders, (local governments, agriculture/farming, builders, and homeowners) has proven to be out of touch with their budgets. Additionally, the State has moved up the dates for compliance for Maryland stakeholders to 2020.

There are many concerns with this WIP, but most importantly at this point is to work with the State to move the dates back to the original federal guidelines of 2025. Many legislators across the state are working together to send a message that all counties, rural and urban, will have a difficult time coming up with funds (upwards of $500 million) by 2020. The options need to be fully researched and factored into the future planning of local government activities. Good governance calls for a more in-depth look into the financial capabilities of each stakeholder. I believe that the last thing that we would want to promote is raising funds through additional, or increased, taxes, but that is what the options have included at many of the workshops.
October Special Session: Congressional Redistricting

It is very important that anyone interested in commenting on the map do so by October 11.

The legislature has been told to be prepared for a special session to occur the week of October 17th. The main purpose of the session is to present, discuss and pass a new Maryland Congressional Map. The most recent map that was offered by the state's redistricting committee can be found here: http://mlis.state.md.us/Other/Redistricting/redistricting.htm.

Congressional District 6 (CD6) will still incorporate the western and central parts of the county (to include the City of Frederick), but the northern and eastern parts of the county are moving to a district mainly comprised of Montgomery County. Needless to say, I am not happy with this solution.

In a press release from the Governor's office yesterday, he has indicated that this map, or a version very similar, will be presented to the legislature on October 17. It is very important that anyone interested in commenting on the map do so by October 11. The link above will bring you to a public comment page. I believe it is very important that those of us in Frederick County that do not want to be divided from our Western Maryland neighbors have our voices heard!

There will be plenty of opportunities for our delegation to speak on this topic in the coming weeks. I would love to hear from you about your thoughts. Remember....our federal representation depends on it!
Recent Maryland Board of Public Works Approvals

On October 5, 2011, the Maryland Board of Public Works met to vote on funds that will be provided through Program Open Space (Community Parks and Playgrounds Program). The following parks in Frederick County have been awarded funds for improvement of their facilities:

- Wetherburne Park  -  $35,000
Frederick, Frederick County
These funds will be used to replace deteriorated wood playground equipment with handicapped-accessible equipment that meets current national playground safety standards.

- Middletown Children's Garden  -  $6,000
Middletown, Frederick County
These funds will be used to develop a children's garden including an arbor entrance and box wood maze. 
The gardens will consist of sections of humming bird/butterfly bush, herb, sensory, rock, and shade. 

If you have any further questions about the Board of Public Works and their activities, please visit their website at http://www.bpw.state.md.us/ or the Program Open Space at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/land/landconservation.asp.
Coming Soon.....

I will have some exciting new updates made to my website that will make communication easier in the future. I am excited about the possibility of simplifying my efforts to keep you informed in a timely manner! More to come soon!!
6773 Balmoral Ridge, New Market, MD 21774 
By authority: Steve Gottlieb, Treasurer

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News from The Hill By Alexander Bolton: Reid triggers nuclear option to change Senate rules and prohibit post-cloture filibusters



News from The Hill:

Reid triggers nuclear option to change Senate rules and prohibit post-cloture filibusters 
By Alexander Bolton 
In a shock development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely-used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules.
The surprise move stunned Republicans, who did not expect Reid to bring heavy artillery to what had appeared to have been a hum-drum legislative knife fight.
Read the complete story here.

For all the latest news:
Visit TheHill.com 
Follow @TheHill on Twitter
Like The Hill on Facebook

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Maryland Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee Submits Proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan to Governor, Releases Map

Masthead
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Ratner, 410-767-4544
Cell (410) 340-7230
Advisory Committee Submits Proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan to Governor, Releases Map
ANNAPOLIS, MD (Tuesday, October 4, 2011)Today, the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee (GRAC) submitted its recommended Congressional redistricting map to Governor Martin O'Malley, and released the recommended map to the public. "The map we are submitting today conforms with State and federal law and incorporates the 331 comments we received from the public during our 12 regional hearings around the State," said Secretary Jeanne Hitchcock, Chair of the Advisory Committee. "We have developed a plan that reflects the population shifts, demographics, and strengths of our State."

Under the proposed plan, which builds off of the existing districts created in 2002, more than 70% of Marylanders will remain in their current Congressional district. At the same time, the recommended map restructures the Congressional districts to reflect population changes over the past decade reflected in the Census. Also, in contrast to the common practice in other States, the proposed map does not draw any incumbent Congressman out of his or her district. Each district conforms to the ideal Congressional district adjusted population of 721,529 residents. 

Governor O'Malley formed the GRAC on July 4, 2011 for the purpose of holding 12 public hearings, receiving public comment and drafting a recommended plan for the State's legislative and congressional redistricting. The Governor will consider the proposed congressional plan and will introduce his own plan to the Maryland General Assembly during its special session beginning on October 17, 2011. The plan is open for public comment through October 11, 2011. Comments may be sent by email (Redistricting2011@mdp.state.md.us), via hard-copy (Redistricting 2011; Maryland Department of Planning; 11th Floor; 301 W. Preston St,; Baltimore, MD 21201; ATTN: Linda Janey) or submitted on-line (http://planning.maryland.gov/Redistricting/2010/publicCommentsCongDraft.shtml). 

Click here for more...
   
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Maryland St Sen Joe Getty, District 5: Maryland's Congressional Gerrymander



Maryland's Congressional Gerrymander
Marylanders for Joe GettyOctober 5, 2011
I want to offer many thanks to my supporters who attended the "Maryland's Redistricting Conundrum" fundraiser this morning in Westminster.

This morning, we spent considerable time analyzing the proposed Congressional redistricting map released yesterday by the Governor O'Malley's Redistricting Advisory Committee (to view the proposal click here). This plan would substantially curtail representation by rural Marylanders in Congress, especially in the traditionally unified Western Maryland counties now comprising the 6th Cong. District.

Gov. O'Malley has already proclaimed that the final map that he presents to the Maryland General Assembly later this month will be substantially the same as yesterday's GRAC proposal. However, the public record is open through October 11 and you are invited to comment on the new congressional district configuration by using the online process (click here).

The geographical area now comprising State Senate District 5 which I represent would be substantially changed under the O'Malley proposal. Today, it is primarily in the 6th Cong. District represented by Cong. Roscoe Bartlett (R).

The proposal endorsed by Gov. Martin O'Malley targets Cong. Roscoe Bartlett by carving up the 6th Cong. District into wedges in an effort to expand Democrat representation in Maryland's congressional delegation from six to seven Democrats and to whittle the Republicans to one sole member.

Since 1972, the heart of the 6th Congressional District has been the five Western Maryland counties of Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll. However, throughout Maryland's history, it is traditional for our state's congressional delegation to have at least one rural representative from Western Maryland. (Historically the district elected someone from Cumberland, Hagerstown or Frederick and in recent history it was a member of the Beall, Mathias or Byron families)

Gov. O'Malley's redistricting plan is a partisan gerrymander to remove rural representation in Congress and concentrate state power in the urban areas including Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Baltimore City.

An excellent example of the Democrat gerrymandering in the proposal is highlighted by Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com in an article describing how Cong. District 3 snakes through Baltimore City and Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties. At one point, the new district crosses water at the mouth of the Magothy River in order to reach its intended goal of Annapolis. (See "Analysis: 30% Solution Creates Monstrous 3rd District - click here).

The 6th Cong. District is significantly reconfigured under O'Malley's plan. In additional to the complete removal of Carroll County and the current portions of Baltimore and Harford counties, the proposal also removes a large section of Frederick County from the 6th District.

In doing so, approximately 50% of population in the 6th Cong. District would now reside in Montgomery County. The district has also been configured to tilt Democrat reflected by the 2008 presidential vote in the newly-drawn district which was 60% Obama and 40% McCain.

Under the O'Malley proposal, the northern Baltimore County portion being removed from the 6th Cong. District would be divided between the 1st Cong. District (represented now by Cong. Andy Harris) and the 7th Cong. District (represented now by Cong. Elijah Cummings (D)).

Carroll County would also be split between two separate districts in Gov. O'Malley's proposed plan. The area that includes Manchester, Hampstead, Taneytown and Finksburg would be included in the 1st Cong. District. This district would include the entire Eastern Shore and skirt along the Mason-Dixon Line through Harford, Baltimore and Carroll Counties.

Westminster and the southern portion of Carroll County would be moved from the 6th Congressional District to the 8th currently represented by Cong. Christopher Van Hollen (D). While this portion of Carroll County would be joined with a large geographical area in Frederick County, the majority of the 8th Congressional District will remain in Montgomery County.

Although these areas in Carroll and Frederick counties being removed from the 6th Cong. District are strongly conservative, they are being redistricted in the newly drawn 8th Cong. District of which 70% of the population resides in Montgomery. Moreover, the makeup of the entire district is population that voted 64% for Barack Obama and 36% for John McCain in 2008.

After attacking rural Maryland with a septic ban, centralized planning controls under PlanMaryland, increased tolls and other taxes and fees, O'Malley has now turned his war on rural Maryland to focus on eliminating the historical rural representation in the state's Congressional delegation. 
Maryland's Redistricting Conundrum
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
7:30 a.m.

The Best Western
451 WMC Drive, Westminster, MD  21158

$60.00 per person
Please R.S.V.P by September 29, 2011

Please make checks payable to: Marylanders for Joe Getty
P.O. Box 437
Hampstead, MD  21074



Proposal for 6th and 8th Cong Dist
This graphic from the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee illustrates the proposed new boundary lines for the 6th Cong. District (in brown) and the 8th Cong. District (in purple).

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Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department Halloween Party Oct. 29, 2011




The Westminster Volunteer Fire Department
Presents a Haunting Halloween Party

Time: Saturday, October 29 at 8:00pm - 12:00am
Location: Westminster Fire Department
28 John Street
Westminster, MD 21157

Created By: Danielle McDonald
More Info: $10.00 a person
DJ Blain Brown, Contests, Raffles, $1.00 Beers Food available
Must be 21
Contact Jon Haddad 410-848-1800 or Danielle McDonald 410-259-9390 for more info.

Proceeds supporting the Westminster Fire Department


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Recalling when 'The Drys' put Wimert in the political drink

Recalling when 'The Drys' put Wimert in the political drink

A newspaper article from Oct. 13, 1922, tells the tale of federal prohibition agents raiding the farm of a well-known Carroll County political leader.

The agents were most likely from the Federal Bureau of Prohibition. That group was formed in 1920 as a unit of the Internal Revenue Service — to enforce the Volstead Act, also known as prohibition, which went into effect on Jan. 29, 1920.

The October 1922 newspaper headline read, "'DRYS' MAKE RAID - Dump 16 Barrels Of Cider At Joseph Wimert's - Released on $2,000 Bond After Arrest For a Hearing In Baltimore Today." ...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/opinion-talk/ph-ce-eaglearchive-1009-20111005,0,3129413.story


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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Speaker of the House Boehner: White House to Taxpayers - Sorry About All This, But We Need You to Send Us More Money


Posted by Michael Ricci on September 29, 2011 http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?postid=262327

Bank of America today announced it will soon charge customers a monthly fee for using a debit card to make household purchases, a move geared towards preparing for “new federal rules” in the Dodd-Frank bill. This is another example of how the job-crushing policies coming out of Washington are taking money from the pockets of cash-strapped families and small businesses.  Here are two others:

Higher Health Care Premiums. According to newly released national survey, health care premiums in the workplace have jumped by a “whopping” 9 percent in the year following enactment of President Obama’s government takeover of health care. For the typical family, this amounts to an increase of more than $1,200. This is a far cry from the $2,500 decrease in premiums the president promised his plan would bring – a $3,700 swing, to be exact.

Higher Gas Prices. Average gas prices have risen by nearly 93 percent since the president took office, according to AAA data. Unfortunately, Washington has consistently blocked American energy production that would lower costs and create jobs. As gas prices rise, so does the cost of everyday life. Higher fuel prices force food suppliers to charge restaurants and grocery stores more, costs that are inevitably passed on to customers. Small businesses are also hit hard. “The price of gas was putting me out of business,” the owner of a Kansas transportation company said recently.

Higher costs from regulations is also a major concern right now, as evidenced by the Bank of America story. The Obama Administration currently has4,257 rules and regulations in the works, of which at least 219 will have an economic impact of $100 million or more – an increase of nearly 15 percent over last year. There are, of course, good regulations that protect our kids and our environment, but there are also excessive regulations that increase costs for consumers and small businesses. It’s these unnecessary regulations that hurt job creation and lead to higher prices for American families. In Speaker Boehner’s home state of Ohio, there are roughly 845 regulations in the pipeline that would affect small businesses – an 11.5 percent jump since 2009. Federal mandates are “forcing many area school districts to raise hot lunch prices” in Michigan, a state suffering from 10.9 percent unemployment. Similar examples abound.

Americans are paying more for health care, more for gas, more for food, and more to stay in business – largely on account of the Obama Administration – and now it wants taxpayers to send more of their hard-earned money to Washington. “The economy is stalled, and it’s been stalled, and it’s not because the American people have lost their way,” Speaker Boehner said recently. “It’s because their government has let them down.” Making job-crushing tax hikes the centerpiece of a jobs plan further proves this point.

There’s a better way, and it starts with responsible, long-term solutions to address cost-of-living concerns and remove government barriers to job creation. This is the focus of Republicans’ Plan for America’s Job Creators, the dozen or so jobs bills the House has passed, and areas of common ground that House GOP leaders have identified. Learn more at jobs.gop.gov.

20110929 Boehner WH to Taxpayers Send Us More Money
Boehner: White House to Taxpayers We Need You to Send Us More Money

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