Wrecking the Economy, Down … Socialized Medicine to Go

For those of us who live in Maryland’s First Congressional District, we should give a big thanks to “Blue Dog Frank” Kratovil for voting to grind our economy to a halt.  What’s next on the Obama – Pelosi – Kratovil agenda?  Socialized medicine.

Think about it; it’s a great combo.  Rather than sitting at home freezing because you can’t afford to pay for your heating bill, you can get in line at the doctor’s office to wait six months for anything but the most mundane care.

Kratovil “Leaning Yes” on Cap and Trade

This morning Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) hadn’t made up his mind on the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill (aka zap & fade or cap & tax).  At 2:20 PM “Blue Dog” Frank still hadn’t made up his mind, but was “leaning towards voting for the bill” according to a staffer in Kratovil’s Centreville office.  I called Salisbury first, but they appear to have hit happy hour a little early today.

Estimated to cost a typical family $1,870 in 2020, the cost will rise to $6,800 per year by 2035.  That’s no problem for Frank.  He got a big pay bump when he was sworn in.

While Kratovil continues to stick his finger in the wind to decide how to vote, I fully expect him to vote yes in the end (or at least yes in reconciliation, if it gets that far).  Why not?  Frank needs to appease the enviro left to motivate turnout in 2010.  His messiah, Barack H. Obama is now calling it a “jobs bill” (remember all those jobs from “shovel ready” projects that Frank promised when he voted for Porkulus).  The bill won’t go into effect until 2012 (the messiah wants to be re-elected too).

Let Frank know how you feel.  I probably won’t do much good, but at least you can’t say that you didn’t try.  Ask Frank if he’ll be picking up the cost of your soon to be increased power bill.

BTW – try the local offices first.  The DC switchboard seems to be melting at post time.

Twitter in Iran … and on Delmarva

Maryland Del. Mike Smigiel (R-36) has a great post on the impact Twitter is having is having with the freedom loving protesters in Iran.  While I’ve never had the honor of meeting Del. Smigiel, and didn’t know he had a blog until yesterday, I’m glad I found it.

How did I?  Twitter.  One of the good people I follow on Twitter made mention of the post.  Social media like Twitter can be a great tool for political organizing – both in Iran … and on the Delmarva peninsula.

Is BlogNet News Rigged?

Of course they aren’t; there would be no point.  Dave Mastio and his employees at BNN are running a business.  Their shareholders expect a return on investment.  They accomplish this by providing a service which they are then able to monetize by selling ads.

Why then would my friend Joe Albero insist on going postal because he isn’t receiving the ranking he believes that he deserves on BNN’s Delmarva and Maryland “Influence Indices”?  I don’t know.  I probably wouldn’t care except that one – I have a relationship with BNN as the Delmarva editor, and two – the argument made in Albero’s argument is faulty to the point of sounding as if it was written by Joe’s pal Jonathan Taylor.
Read more

The Universival Healthcare Myth

Barack Obama wants it.  Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) wants it.  At least Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is honest enough to publicly admit that he wants it. What are we talking about?  Single-payer universal healthcare.  In other words, these folks want to burden American citizens with socialized medicine.

Of course, few Democrat elected officials are as honest as Cardin.  Kratovil espouses an “individual mandate”.  So does Obama.  What will be the end result?  SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

Check out Patients United to learn more.  We certainly won’t be getting much info from a media so infatuated with Obama that they are simply laying down all pretense of objectivity and broadcasting infomercials.

The Great Salisbury Election Date Scheme

Monday’s editorial in the Daily Times calls for a change of Salisbury’s municipal election dates back to November.  This seems to reflect the sentiment posed by former city council candidate Muir Boda in a recent letter to the editor.  This all works for me, but I would suggest that both Mr. Boda and the staff of the Daily Times do a little research before they dive headlong into this fray.

Contrary to the claims of the Daily Times, the real purpose behind moving the elections back to spring was not some half-hearted attempt to drive voter turnout.  Only imbeciles buy into an argument that a spring election, following a winter campaign, increases turnout.  Simply look at the turnout numbers from the last city election held in November to see.  Then research other areas that have done the same.  Spring elections depress turnout.  Former mayor Barrie Tilghman was masterful in her drive move the elections.  The city didn’t want to comply with federal and state deadlines.  They moved to non-partisan elections.  The Wicomico County Board of Elections had problems with the Tilghman-imposed scheme.  Therefore, Tilghman had ample excueses to move the elections to spring.  Depressed turnout worked in her favor, until her opponents learned how to target voters.
Read more

WCBOE Public Information Officer to Receive 33% Pay Raise

How big a raise did you get this year?  That is the question that all Wicomico County taxpayers should be asking themselves as the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) prepares to award their “Public Information Liaison” a whopping pay increase of 33%!

While hardly a bargain for Wicomico taxpayers, we know that this is a steal for Supt. John Fredericksen.  As most of you probably know, the WCBOE’s “Public Information Liaison” happens to be the wife of Erick Sahler, managing editor of the Daily Times.  One of the perks of such an “arrangement” is that no unflattering coverage of the BOE appears within the pages of our local rag.

While we regularly read about the problems of the Somerset BOE, the fights between the Worcester County Commissioners and their BOE, and teacher pay issues in several Sussex County school districts (Delaware has independent school districts), coverage of the Wicomico County schools is primarily limited to puff pieces of children receiving awards.  Note that NO coverage was given to the WCBOE’s recent decision to increase retiree healthcare benefits.  Note that explanation of the WCBOE’s “dollar swap” as budget cut was afforded the same type of explanation as the Daily Times usually reserves for Barrie Tilghman’s transgressions; in other words, shine sunshine up people’s backsides.  As far as the WCBOE is concerned, increasing Mrs. Sahler’s salary from around $40,000 to over $54,000 is the sale of the century.  Most school districts couldn’t buy this kind of coverage (or lack thereof);  the Daily Times has sold it pretty cheap.

Salisbury Ethics Commission Show Trial

Displaying the cowardice to be expected of someone who attacks children, Barrie Comegys stooge Jonathan Taylor failed to show up for the Salisbury Ethics Commission show trial precipitated by his own actions.  While thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted in this spiteful and ridiculous action, Taylor (who already lives on the generosity of taxpayers) hid from view while Barrie Comegys stalwart Lynn Cathcart was on hand to take notes for the wannbe “Powers That Be”.

To be fair, the Ethics Commission ran a fairly clean meeting.  The attending members:  Donna Forgash, Norman Lyster, Bob Gladden, and Fran Kane all asked valid, thoughtful, and polite questions.

While several people at the hearing asked the same question, “What the hell are we doing here?”, the Ethics Commission serves a theoretically important role.  It has been suggested that the board should have examined the complaint prior to today’s hearing and ruled that it was frivolous.  However, if a complaint had been filed against Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, or Louise Smith and the Commission had done so (ruled it frivolous in a private meeting) I would be one of the first to scream fraud and cover-up;  so would many of the same people asking that question today.

Was the complaint frivolous?  It turns out that it was.  Councilwoman Terry Cohen made a presentation that not only proved the claim specious, but shamed City Solicitor Paul Wilber for his complete incompetence on these matters.  While not named specifically today, Cohen also proved Councilman Gary Comegys to be a liar, a fool, or both.  You’ll have to decide.
Read more

Wicomico Budget Vote Tuesday – Another Pig in a Poke

As the Wicomico County Council prepares to approve another budget, taxpayers will again be buying a pig in a poke.  No, this is not a criticism of the council, but concern that Wicomico elected officials will be appropriating most of the county’s tax dollars to a proverbial black hole – the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE).

So far, the county government has no idea as to how tax dollars at WCBOE will be spent.  While I am sure that we would hear protestations from the likes of Supt. John Fredericksen and councilman Bill McCain, the facts are simple;  we don’t know how much the WCBOE’s employees will be paid next year.  Given that a disporportionate percentage of the BOE’s budget goes to salaries, how can we know how much the BOE is spending next year.  How can the county council or County Executive Rick Pollitt?

The answer is simple.  They can’t.  As county employees dodged the furlough bullet, expect to see WCBOE employees either receive raises, an increase in benefits through the now infamous “Rate Stabilization” slush fund, or both.

Expect Pollitt to continue to whine about the revenue cap.  Expect the teachers’ union (or probably all four WCBOE unions) to start organizing for the cap’s repeal.  Expect to hear that “It’s for the Children!“.

When bad teachers can be fired and the majority of BOE members start treating the taxpayer with something better than contempt, MAYBE it will be time to start having that discussion.  Of course, if the cap is ever repealed I’m sure Rick Pollitt has a huge wish list.

Gary Comegys’ New Found Respect for the Rule of Law

After six years in office, Salisbury councilman Gary Comegys seems to have found some respect for the Salisbury city charter and the rule of law.  At Tuesday’s council meeting Comegys correctly argued that Mayor Jim Ireton’s last minute budget amendments were contrary to the city’s charter.  I would have stood up and applauded Comegys if not for the fact that he is one of the parties responsible for making the Salisbury city council an irrelevant body.

To date, Comegys has been one of those who disagreed with my stance that rules are to be followed.  When his mistress, the Queen of Barrieland, was in power Comegys argued time and again that Salisbury’s form of government dictated that the mayor was to be given the widest latitude (if not absolute power).  If the recent mayoral election had swung Comegys’ way I am confident that he would still be arguing his bizarre interpretation of the city’s charter.

However, just because the guy I supported is in power does not negate the fact that the city’s budget belongs to council until approved.  Any amendments must emanate from, if not originate in, the city council.  Yes, Ireton was correct regarding the city’s health insurance plan and the inclusion of city council members.  However, any amendment still needed to be adopted by council prior to its inclusion in the final budget ordinance.

While councilwoman Terry Cohen made a persuasive argument that Ireton’s actions were correct, she was wrong.  Simply because there is a precedent for the mayor acting unilaterally does not make it legal or right.  If a majority of council were truly interested in being a relevant body they would simply require all but emergency legislation to come before at least one work session prior to consideration in a legislative session.  Cohen would probably agree with this.  However, the Comegys-led majority simply could not entertain such a notion.  If they adopted this under a Mayor Ireton they would be hard pressed to go back to the old ways if Ireton failed to win re-election.

Perhaps Comegys can learn a lesson from this.  You reap what you sow.

Next Page »