Obama’s Oil Drilling Moratorium Has Cost 23,000 Jobs

Barack Obama wants MORE spending to aid the economy.  Yet, he didn’t hesitate to put an estimated 23,000 people out of work “for the environment”.  That’s the cost of his administration’s decision to stop drilling in the Gulf.

I guess a job’s not a job unless you work for the government.

We were told that this was necessary because we were facing the greatest environmental disaster of our lifetimes.  Well, it seems that wasn’t exactly true.  However, Obama followed Rahm Emmanuel’s advice – never let a good crisis go to waste.

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Will Wicomico County Put ANOTHER Tree Hugger on the Planning Commission?

On the surface, tomorrow’s Wicomico County Council meeting looks pretty tame.  However, one item does stick out as the proverbial “sore thumb”.  Will the council confirm County Executive Rick Pollitt’s appointment of Jacob Day to the county planning commission?

Day’s appointment came to the council last month, along with another controversial appointment.  The item was pulled from the agenda after it was requested that the appointment be discussed in a work session.

At the council’s last meeting, outgoing councilman Bill McCain (D-At Large) jumped up on a giant soap box and berated some of his council colleagues for not approving Day’s nomination (the second nominee had since withdrawn his name).  McCain rambled on and on about well qualified Mr. Day is and what an important contribution he would make, etc. etc.

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Gotta Spend Those Tax Dollars in Wicomico County

In the spring of 2008, Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt proposed that the county spend Maryland “Open Space” money to purchase land for a park on Crooked Oak Lane.  Amid charges of insider dealing and bad appraisals, the Pollitt administration told the public that we had to do it.  Gotta spend that tax money.  If we don’t spend it, someone else will.  Fortunately, a majority of the county council saw fit to continue looking for a piece of property that cost less.

Move forward one year …

In April of 2009, the county council saw fit to purchase 100 acres on Levin Dashiell Road for approximately $1 million.  All council members, except for councilman Joe Holloway, voted for the purchase.  While the approximately $10,000 per acre paid out of state coffers (read “YOUR POCKET”) was substantially lower than the cost of the Crooked Oak property, many still considered the price too high.  While continuing to emphasize the supposedly “free” money coming from the state, the Pollitt administration and their allies on council could never overcome one giant hurdle – why is Wicomico County taking more land off of the tax rolls when they free admit that they don’t have the money to develop this park.  The Pirates Wharf purchase continues to sit undeveloped despite promises of a park when it was purchased years ago.

Move forward 10 more months …

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Protect Your Property Rights – Attend MDP Public Forum

On Thursday, May 6th, the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) will be hosting a “Public Forum to Help Shape the Future of Maryland”.  Translation:  This is where MDP Secretary Rich Hall and his local tree hugging, Bolshevik pals get together to figure out how they are going to STEAL YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS!

If you think I’m kidding, let me give you two quotes from the last MDP forum I attended:

“I’m sick and tired of hearing about property rights.  WE gave these people the value in their land!” – Retired SU professor Harry Womack.

and

(Referring to Wicomico farmers)   “They need to remember that we gave them the value in their land.” – MDP Secretary Rich Hall in a conversation with me.

This is one of several forums that MDP is hosting around the state.  If you value your property rights, it would be wise to attend.  If not, you may want to pick up a copy of Atlas Shrugged and get a view of your future.

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Democrats Dance As Your Power Bill Increases

Back in the early ‘80’s, I remember my Intermediate Macroeconomics professor wasting half of a semester extolling the virtues of Marxist economic theory.  One day, I simply had to ask – Does anyone, even YOU, actually believe this nonsense?  His response?  “Well, it’s a valid economic theory”.  Well, I have finally come across someone who actually seems to believe that nonsense.

cassandra_m, over at DelawareLiberal, extols the virtues of Cap and Tax by claiming that Delaware has made over $2 million from selling “carbon credits”.  Sorry cassandra, Delaware TAXED power companies an ADDITIONAL $2 million.  You can call it whatever you want, but IT’S A TAX!  It’s a transfer.  It produces NOTHING!

Here’s how it works in the real world (vs. the imaginary, Marxist, MoveOn.org world):

Power companies are TAXED $2 million for “carbon credits”.  One of three things occur.  One, your power bill rises to make up for the lost $2 million.  Two, instead of raising rates the power company simply takes a reduction in profit.  This means that money will not be returned to shareholders to be put to a PRODUCTIVE use or needed capital upgrades will not occur.  The capital expenditures actually CREATE WEALTH and help to GROW THE ECONOMY (so does returning the money to shareholders).  Three, there is some combination of one and two.

Something tells me that cassandra sat in on the same economics class as WCBOE superintendent John Fredericksen.

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Delaware River Channel Project to Move Forward

Gov. Jack Markell and the state of Delaware finally appear to be doing the right thing by reaching a compromise in the US Army Corps of Engineers attempt to deepen the Delaware River channel.  By admitting that the Minner administration had acted improperly by sitting on the Corps’ request for five years, the Markell administration is able to assert the state’s rights to regulate certain portions of the project while not buckling to the left wing enviros who wish to harm the vital river ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia.

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Fight Climate Treaty NOW!

In a few weeks newly minted Nobel laureate Barack Obama is expected to sign a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen (sight of Obama’s recent Olympics debacle).  This treaty will, if ratified by the Senate, prove far more insidious than the recently enacted “Cap and Tax” legislation:

Remember, it will take 2/3 of all senators to ratify this treaty.  The time to start calling your senators is NOW!

If you wish to watch all of Lord Monckton’s speech, CLICK HERE.

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League of Conservation Voters Shows True Stripes

Was there ever any question that the Virginia League of Conservation Voters was merely an auxiliary of the DPV?  If there was, it went by the wayside in this year’s gubernatorial election.

The VLCV has endorsed Democrat Creigh Deeds.  No surprise there.  However, to claim that “Mr. Me Too” is a true enviro champion in comparison to GOP standard bearer Bob McDonnell is a shameless farce.  McDonnell supports offshore drilling.  Deeds says “me too”.  Bob is for coal-fired and nuclear power.  Creigh says “me too”.

What are the core environmental differences between McDonnell and Deeds?  McDonnell has bothered to make concrete proposals.  Deeds simply says, “ME TOO”.

Yet, the VLCV has this to say about Deeds:

"There are pretty stark differences" between Deeds and McDonnell, said Lisa M. Guthrie, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.

Yes there are Ms. Guthrie.  Creigh Deeds is a Democrat.  The next time the VLCV portrays itself as “non-partisan”, have a hearty laugh and take their words for what they are – LEFT WING, DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA.

Now, if were were talking about taxes there would be some “pretty stark differences”.

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Kratovil Protest in Harford County

A “protest” (the organizers’ word, not mine) will be held in front of Rep. Frank Kratovil’s Bel Air office today between 4PM and 6PM.  All those who live in the northern part of the First District should let Frank know how they feel.

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Wicomico Property Rights Under Attack Again

If at first you don’t succeed, try to slip one under the table.  That appears to be the mantra of the likes of Wicomico County councilman Bill McCain and his spendthrift pals.  After losing in the “Great Land Grab” of 2009, McCain and company are looking to have another go.  This time they will claim that the county will lose state funds if they don’t go along.

As usual, the interesting stuff on tomorrow’s council agenda will be in the work session.  Under “MALF Certification”, McCain and his land grabbing buddies will make a pitch to bring back the proposal to steal farmers’ land rights without any compensation.

For the uninitiated (don’t worry, I had to look it up), MALPF stands for the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.  This body is supposed to compensate farmers for giving up their development rights.  We should note that there is NEVER enough money in MALF to compensate all of the farmers who have their property rights stolen by their state or county governments.  However, that doesn’t stop the mindless Marxists in Annapolis from playing out their little charade.

 

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