Fwd: The Knucklehead of the Day award

The Knucklehead of the Day award
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/03/28/the-knucklehead-of-the-day-award-54.php

Posted by Bill Jempty
Published: March 28, 2008 - 8:41 AM

Today's winner is Congressman Albert Wynn. He gets the award for the following.

WASHINGTON - Maryland Congressman Albert Wynn says he's leaving Congress before his term ends to take a job at a Washington law firm.

The Democrat was defeated in a primary election last month. He said in a statement Thursday that he'd leave Congress in June to enter "another phase of my life."

The eight-term incumbent was soundly defeated by activist Donna Edwards in the primary for Maryland's heavily Democratic 4th District.

Wynn says his resignation will allow for a special election that would give Edwards more time for transition into office. Edwards is favored to win the general election.

Another selfish politician who only thinks of himself. If you get elected to serve two years, SERVE them. This is starting to become too common a practice, elected representatives leaving the office they were elected to hold to instead enrich themselves.(I don't buy the BS that Wynn resigned to give Edwards more time. Wynn is bitter that he lost re-election) Republicans Trent Lott and Louisiana Congressman Richard Baker being recent examples.

A costly and needless special election will now have to take place in Maryland thanks to Albert Wynn, that's why I name him today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Fwd: Obama's Rev. Wright: Israel created a dirty bomb to kill Arabs and Blacks

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/03/26/obamas-rev-wright-israel-created-a-dirty-bomb-to-kill-arabs-and-blacks.php

Posted by Cassy Fiano
Published: March 26, 2008 - 3:05 PM

More from Obama's spiritual advisor and pastor of twenty years, the oh-so-noble Rev. Wright.

Here's the money quote:

I must tell you that Israel was the closest ally to the White Supremacists of South Africa. In fact, South Africa allowed Israel to test its nuclear weapons in the ocean off South Africa. The Israelis were given a blank check; they could test whenever they desired and did not even have to ask permission. Both worked on an ethnic bomb that killed Blacks and Arabs.

Now, I'm no physicist or chemist or anything like that. But I have to wonder... how is it that you can make an "ethnic bomb" that will only kill Blacks and Arabs, and leave the Jews and Whitey immune? I can see it now: we put a bunch of white racists, Jews, Blacks, and Arabs into a room and discharge this "ethnic" bomb. Only the Jews and Whitey will be left standing! Woohoo!

This was published in a church bulletin during "Family Month" (see Media Mythbusters for the image), in which Wright claims its a "great honor" to be labeled a terrorist state by the United States, a la Libya.

C'mon, didn't you know that Libya wasn't really a terrorist state, but was simply trying to overthrow oppression of Whitey in Africa?

No?

Oh well. Aren't you glad to know that this is someone who Barack Obama keeps very close to him? These are just the kind of opinions we need advisors whispering into our President's ear.

Hat Tip: Moonbattery

Foreclosures and the computer tax

So, foreclosures are up because people can't make their mortgage payments.

Even if they didn't cause the problem, O'Malley's tax increases are
certainly making it worse.

O'Malley's sales tax increase is gobbling up money that may otherwise
have been used for mortgage payments.

And the Democrat's computer tax increase is about to hit with a triple whammy.

It will drive computer businesses out of that state. That will have
three negative effects.

One, it will reduce tax revenues overall.

As it reduce the number of jobs in the state . . .

Two, some people will lose their jobs, and their ability to make their
mortgage payments, thus driving the foreclosure rate up, and

Three, other people will be forced to sell their homes to move out of
state, at a time when houses aren't selling, thus further depressing
the price of houses and further reducing the property tax base.

The Democrats in Annapolis who are whining about the foreclosure rate
ought to look in the mirror to see who is making it worse for
Marylanders.

On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 6:56 AM, cfcamacho@comcast.net wrote:

Wall Street Journal: High Tech Tax in MD
March 15, 2008

http://online.wsj.com/img/b.gif

AND

On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 7:24 AM, cfcamacho@comcast.net wrote:

I have also added the following article from March 2006 in the Wash Post at the end.

Judge Suspends Montgomery Law On Penalties for Predatory Lending

Secretary Tom Perez at the time was a Montgomery County Council member and saw what was happening but you see the results of his legislation.

When my husband and I decided to move back to Prince George's County 12 years ago we found a home we loved and our Realtor put us in touch with a lender she normally used. We have always had an excellent credit history. This "lender" tried to give us a mortgage that hada much higher interest rate than the norm for folks with our credit. I guess she thought -"just two Hispanics". Well this Hispanic was a HUD certified housing counselor in a previous life :)).

I feel sorry for all the folks like Ms. Mitchell that did not know better and trusted the people she was dealing with, at the same time I have no pity for those that wanted to live beyond their means. Like our neighbor who made $9.75 an hr and bought a $500,000 home.

Suffering in Silence Over Foreclosure

In Upscale Md. Subdivision, Few Know the Troubles Neighbors Face

By Ovetta Wiggins

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, March 16, 2008; A01

The lawns on Bar Geese Court are neatly manicured, in keeping with the homeowners association rules that the grass be tidy. The spacious homes with brick fronts, glistening Palladian windows and bumped-out family rooms sit stately on quiet cul-de-sacs and winding streets.

The Perrywood subdivision in Upper Marlboro has long been synonymous with the pride and promise of Prince George's County, the nation's wealthiest majority African-American jurisdiction.

Lately, though, this suburban idyll has been afflicted by the same economic forces that have plagued less prosperous communities.

Two of eight homeowners on Bar Geese are in foreclosure, according to RealtyTrac, which documents housing trends. In the past two years, 49 owners in the 1,100-home subdivision have either received notices threatening foreclosure, gone through auction proceedings or had their homes repossessed. Fourteen of those actions occurred in the past four months.

With foreclosures nationwide at a record high in the fourth quarter of 2007, almost 3 percent of homes in predominantly black Perrywood were in foreclosure last year, a figure that is almost double the Prince George's rate and more than three times the state's rate.

Perrywood's story is remarkable, not just for its cluster of defaults or the relative affluence of its residents. It also reflects a troubling national trend: African American homeowners and other minorities are more likely than non-Hispanic white borrowers to be saddled with the subprime loans and adjustable-rate mortgages that put them at greater risk of losing their homes. Black women were five times more likely than white men to receive subprime loans in 2006, a report by the Urban League says.

But the Perrywood story is one of resilience. Owners in default are not walking away or neglecting their properties, as is increasingly happening in California and Florida. Few Perrywood residents even know their neighbors are in financial distress.

"Don't let the green grass and pretty houses fool you," Kimberly Mitchell, who is facing foreclosure, told her young son as they drove through their neighborhood. "America puts a pretty face on it."

Falling Behind Each Month

When Mitchell, 38, first saw the townhouse on Whistling Duck Drive, she knew she had found her next home.

The three-story house with a brick front and entry set off by white columns offered plenty of space and was close to a good school. Mitchell, a single mother, bought the house eight years ago for $200,000 and took out a fixed-rate mortgage with a 7 percent interest rate. It was her first house, and, as a young woman earning $90,000 a year at a job in sales, she was proud of it.

"It took us over a year, every time we turned the doorknob, to stop crying," she said.

Longing for a chance to start her own business and spend more time with her son, Mitchell left her corporate job in 2002 and started a day-care center in her home. The day-care business and finances were fine, she said, until she decided to refinance her home in 2005 and tap its equity to consolidate bills. Her loan officer steered her to an 8 percent adjustable-rate mortgage, assuring her that she could refinance later and return to a fixed-rate interest loan.

Mitchell said her monthly payment jumped by $300 a month, and she quickly fell behind. She later learned that her property taxes of more than $3,000 a year were no longer a part of her mortgage payments. In October, her rate will increase to more than 10 percent.

Mitchell recently discussed a letter she received from her lender that threatened foreclosure and the anger she feels about what she considers an "unscrupulous loan." She acknowledged that she was too trusting and did not read all the paperwork, which she regrets.

Now she is stuck.

"When you call a refinance company, they base it on your credit score," Mitchell said, adding that her credit is not good. "It's a no-win situation."

She said she doubted her neighbors were aware of her situation, which she does not discuss.

Fighting back tears, Mitchell described the stress she has endured. She said she and her son have resorted to eating noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches several times a week to save money.

"I don't know the last time I got eight hours of straight sleep," she said. "I just feel robbed."

Many Subprime Loans

In Perrywood, where recent list prices ranged from $329,900 for a townhouse to $679,000 for a detached house, dozens of Mitchell's neighbors are facing similar financial woes. Several residents listed on RealtyTrac's foreclosure records would not answer their doors to a reporter or return phone calls. Most who did talk did not want their names published.

"People are suffering in silence," said state Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's), who represents Perrywood. "They get behind in the payments, go into denial, feel like it's not happening."

Perrywood's predicament is not unique. Well-to-do developments in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Riverside County, Calif., are also feeling the brunt of the mortgage crisis, said Richard Green, a finance professor at George Washington University. Often these homeowners simply took on more debt than they could handle, he said, counting on rising home values to bail them out. When the market foundered, many were left owing more than their houses were worth.

In Perrywood and more broadly in Prince George's, Maryland officials said they think discriminatory lending practices also played a part in the rise of foreclosures.

"It's an issue that has to be looked at very carefully," said Maryland Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez. "People ask why is this happening disproportionately in Prince George's County. It's not difficult to understand when you know it's a majority African American county."

In Baltimore, city officials filed suit in January against Wells Fargo Bank, claiming that the lender sold higher-interest subprime loans to black homeowners more frequently than to white borrowers. Steven A. Silverman, consumer protection chief for the Maryland attorney general's office, said the state is reviewing Baltimore's claims.

Perez, who was chairman of a state task force on foreclosures, said he thinks some borrowers in Prince George's were steered toward adjustable-rate loans when they qualified for better deals.

Prince George's residents, on average, have credit scores that are higher than the state average, according to CreditXpert, a credit-management software company in Towson.

About 58 percent of county residents who refinanced homes in 2006 received subprime loans, compared with 34 percent of homeowners statewide, according to statistics provided by Maryland Legal Aid.

The county's foreclosure rate reached 1.5 percent last year, twice as high as any other jurisdiction in Maryland, RealtyTrac data showed. In the first nine months of last year, the county recorded 3,310 foreclosures filings.

Moving Out and Up

This is not the scenario Bill Chesley envisioned for Perrywood when he bought the old Tuck Farm in 1980 with plans to transform the 540-acre expanse of land into an upscale subdivision.

In the early 1990s, bulldozers started moving ground, and soon, houses were popping up. The development near Route 202 quickly became a sought-after address, particularly among upper-middle class African Americans from elsewhere in the county and the District looking for larger homes and more convenient amenities.

At the time, the county was seeking to move its housing stock beyond the garden apartments of the 1960s and the low-cost housing of the 1970s and 1980s. The new wave of development brought about eye-popping neighborhoods such as Lake Arbor, Woodmore and Perrywood, all planned communities with big houses and big price tags.

For many who moved in, the upscale developments were proof that they had made it.

Carmen Strother moved to Perrywood four years ago from Fairmount Heights, where she said crime was so bad she would not let her children play outside. "The neighborhood is quiet," she said, noting that the Perrywood Community Association pays for security patrols. "Here, everybody has big yards."

Some have big mortgages, too. Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Prince George's), who represents Perrywood, said she understands how homeowners can get into mortgage trouble. "These are people who have great incomes, but their houses are priced at a point where they can't afford them," she said.

One homeowner said she started receiving foreclosure notices shortly after her husband was killed. Now, she is trying to unload her five-bedroom house in a short sale, in which a lender agrees to take less than a house is worth to avoid the costs of foreclosure.

Another woman, an executive with the federal government who spoke on condition of anonymity, said her family worked hard to make life appear normal as they fell behind on their mortgage payments after her husband's company closed. The family has since rebounded with the help of a new job and a refinanced mortgage.

"Everybody is perpetrating, giving this impression that 'I'm living well and nothing's wrong.' Myself included," she said.

Shame of Foreclosure

Real estate agents who work in Perrywood said homeowners have kept up appearances because they are too proud to let their financial distress show. "People who go through these pre-foreclosures, they mask things," said Joseph A. Bryant, an agent with Re/Max One. "They keep everything inside the four walls. People will go through hell, and you'd never know it."

The homeowners association also plays a part with its demands that properties be held to a certain standard. Mac Claxton, president of the Perrywood Community Association, said the foreclosures have not adversely affected the neighborhood. He said the association has some outstanding dues, but the reason is unclear.

Real estate agents said sales in Perrywood have been no different than in other county neighborhoods, given the housing slump.

Kimberly Mitchell, who owes $260,000 on her mortgage, said she tried to refinance at a lower rate, but lenders said her credit was not good enough.

So she put her house on the market. List price: $350,000.

Staff researchers Rena Kirsch and Meg Smith contributed to this report.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Judge Suspends Montgomery Law On Penalties for Predatory Lending

By Kirstin Downey and Cameron W. Barr

Washington Post Staff Writers

Wednesday, March 8, 2006; A01

Montgomery County's effort to curb discrimination in mortgage lending through harsh penalties against alleged predators ran into two major obstacles yesterday. A state judge issued a temporary injunction to halt the law's enforcement for four months, and the Bush administration said the measure usurps federal authority.

The double blow jeopardized what Montgomery's officials characterized as an effort to strengthen civil rights protections in an increasingly diverse county. But it also stopped the defection of mortgage lenders -- about two dozen of whom have announced that they would suspend making loans in Montgomery. Such departures would raise the possibility that the market would become less competitive and force up the price of loans.

The legislation, which was to go into effect today, would raise from $5,000 to $500,000 the maximum damages that a lender must pay if a borrower can show discrimination.

An industry association sued the county last month, and several mortgage lenders asked the Treasury Department's Office of Thrift Supervision, the federal agency that regulates more than 800 savings and loan institutions, to review the county's action. The agency's chief counsel, John E. Bowman, wrote in a legal opinion that savings and loan institutions, which provide home loans, do not have to comply with the local law. If legislation such as Montgomery's were allowed to proceed, he said, "then countless other local governments throughout the United States could do so as well, usurping Federal authority to establish uniform rules."

Also yesterday, Circuit Court Judge Michael D. Mason ruled that the plaintiffs had "raised questions that are serious, substantive and fair grounds for litigation" and ordered the county to refrain from enforcing the new law until he makes a final decision in the case after a hearing scheduled for early July.

The law's chief backer vowed to continue his fight. "I disagree with efforts to put local governments out of the business of protecting residents from discrimination," County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) said. "I'm going to fight against that."

He seemed unfazed by the federal intervention. "It's an opinion -- it has no legal standing," he said.

Two council members who have long opposed the legislation, Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) and Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda), said they would work to repeal it, citing concerns about the economic impact.

Consumer activist Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, said he was shocked by the federal preemption of the Montgomery law, adding that he had "never before seen" a federal agency preempt a discriminatory lending law. Discriminatory lending is also prohibited under federal law, but is seldom enforced by federal banking regulatory agencies, he said.

"If the OTS is not a captive agency, I don't know what is," Rheingold said. "It's being done simply to protect industry, not to protect consumers."

The tussle over the Montgomery law is part of a debate over how and whether local governments have the right to enforce laws against predatory lending practices, at a time when there is widespread acknowledgment that abusive lending practices have become more commonplace. More than 20 states have passed laws restricting predatory lending, creating what lenders say is a patchwork of conflicting laws and standards across the county.

Bush administration banking regulators have said that nationally chartered financial institutions do not need to comply with local predatory lending laws. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, in 2003 said that federal law preempted predatory lending laws passed in New Jersey and Georgia.

The new law in Montgomery sought to protect minority borrowers at a time when new federal lending statistics have found that blacks and Hispanics are paying much more for loans than whites and Asians. Lenders say they must charge higher interest rates to people who are greater credit risks.

Perez, a Latino and a civil rights lawyer who served in the Clinton administration, is one of two minority politicians ever elected to the Montgomery County Council. He has said that Montgomery's leadership does not adequately reflect the county's increasing diversity, and he championed the lending legislation as a way to represent the interests of what he calls the "new Montgomery."

More than two dozen lenders, of about 600 doing business in Montgomery, had said they would cease or suspend lending in the county because the law is worded too vaguely and would expose them to financial risk. The new law amends legislation that allows damages against lenders who discriminate against minorities by giving them costlier loans than other borrowers receive or by overcharging them on fees.

The American Financial Services Association and a group of mortgage brokers and lenders challenged Montgomery in a lawsuit last month, saying that only the state of Maryland can regulate lending. County lawyers responded that state laws allow local jurisdictions to protect civil rights and argued that the Montgomery bill sought to regulate discrimination, not lending.

Montgomery lenders and borrowers expressed relief at the ruling.

"We are absolutely thrilled a judge has realized the potential damage this law could cause," said Thomas Shaner, executive director of the Maryland Association of Mortgage Brokers. "We're all against discrimination here, but let's find another solution."

View all comments that have been posted about this article.

By Kirstin Downey and Cameron W. Barr

Washington Post Staff Writers

Wednesday, March 8, 2006; A01

Montgomery County's effort to curb discrimination in mortgage lending through harsh penalties against alleged predators ran into two major obstacles yesterday. A state judge issued a temporary injunction to halt the law's enforcement for four months, and the Bush administration said the measure usurps federal authority.

The double blow jeopardized what Montgomery's officials characterized as an effort to strengthen civil rights protections in an increasingly diverse county. But it also stopped the defection of mortgage lenders -- about two dozen of whom have announced that they would suspend making loans in Montgomery. Such departures would raise the possibility that the market would become less competitive and force up the price of loans.

The legislation, which was to go into effect today, would raise from $5,000 to $500,000 the maximum damages that a lender must pay if a borrower can show discrimination.

An industry association sued the county last month, and several mortgage lenders asked the Treasury Department's Office of Thrift Supervision, the federal agency that regulates more than 800 savings and loan institutions, to review the county's action. The agency's chief counsel, John E. Bowman, wrote in a legal opinion that savings and loan institutions, which provide home loans, do not have to comply with the local law. If legislation such as Montgomery's were allowed to proceed, he said, "then countless other local governments throughout the United States could do so as well, usurping Federal authority to establish uniform rules."

Also yesterday, Circuit Court Judge Michael D. Mason ruled that the plaintiffs had "raised questions that are serious, substantive and fair grounds for litigation" and ordered the county to refrain from enforcing the new law until he makes a final decision in the case after a hearing scheduled for early July.

The law's chief backer vowed to continue his fight. "I disagree with efforts to put local governments out of the business of protecting residents from discrimination," County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) said. "I'm going to fight against that."

He seemed unfazed by the federal intervention. "It's an opinion -- it has no legal standing," he said.

Two council members who have long opposed the legislation, Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) and Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda), said they would work to repeal it, citing concerns about the economic impact.

Consumer activist Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, said he was shocked by the federal preemption of the Montgomery law, adding that he had "never before seen" a federal agency preempt a discriminatory lending law. Discriminatory lending is also prohibited under federal law, but is seldom enforced by federal banking regulatory agencies, he said.

"If the OTS is not a captive agency, I don't know what is," Rheingold said. "It's being done simply to protect industry, not to protect consumers."

The tussle over the Montgomery law is part of a debate over how and whether local governments have the right to enforce laws against predatory lending practices, at a time when there is widespread acknowledgment that abusive lending practices have become more commonplace. More than 20 states have passed laws restricting predatory lending, creating what lenders say is a patchwork of conflicting laws and standards across the county.

Bush administration banking regulators have said that nationally chartered financial institutions do not need to comply with local predatory lending laws. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, in 2003 said that federal law preempted predatory lending laws passed in New Jersey and Georgia.

The new law in Montgomery sought to protect minority borrowers at a time when new federal lending statistics have found that blacks and Hispanics are paying much more for loans than whites and Asians. Lenders say they must charge higher interest rates to people who are greater credit risks.

Perez, a Latino and a civil rights lawyer who served in the Clinton administration, is one of two minority politicians ever elected to the Montgomery County Council. He has said that Montgomery's leadership does not adequately reflect the county's increasing diversity, and he championed the lending legislation as a way to represent the interests of what he calls the "new Montgomery."

More than two dozen lenders, of about 600 doing business in Montgomery, had said they would cease or suspend lending in the county because the law is worded too vaguely and would expose them to financial risk. The new law amends legislation that allows damages against lenders who discriminate against minorities by giving them costlier loans than other borrowers receive or by overcharging them on fees.

The American Financial Services Association and a group of mortgage brokers and lenders challenged Montgomery in a lawsuit last month, saying that only the state of Maryland can regulate lending. County lawyers responded that state laws allow local jurisdictions to protect civil rights and argued that the Montgomery bill sought to regulate discrimination, not lending.

Montgomery lenders and borrowers expressed relief at the ruling.

"We are absolutely thrilled a judge has realized the potential damage this law could cause," said Thomas Shaner, executive director of the Maryland Association of Mortgage Brokers. "We're all against discrimination here, but let's find another solution."

Electric bills up 14 to 78 percent, PG senators want to raise them even higher

First the Democrats broke their promises and allowed obscene electric
rate increases to go into effect. Then they passed the largest tax
increase in Maryland history. Now they are working hard to raise
electric rates again. This is the party that claims to be looking out
for the common people???

Residents Stung by High Cost Of Power
Bills Have Risen 14 to 78 Percent
By Kirstin Downey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 16, 2008; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/15/AR2008031501014.html

Senators Who Voted to Raise Your Energy Costs
The Global Warming Solutions Act has passed out of the Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee by a 5-3 vote.
The following senators voted to directly raise your energy costs and add draconian restrictions on Maryland's economy.
Joan Carter Conway
Michael G. Lenett
Paul G. Pinsky
James C. Rosapepe
David C. Harrington
http://themainadversary.blogspot.com/

Prince George's County senators sponsoring this bill are
Pinsky (D-22), Currie (D-25), Muse (D-26), Peters (D-23), and Rosapepe (D-21).

Prince George's sponsors of the companion house bill are:
Barnes (D-21), Holmes (D-23B), Hubbard (D-23A), Ivey (D-47) Niemann (D-47), Ramirez (D-47), Ross (D-22), and Walker (D-26).

If you, or someone you know, has trouble paying rapidly rising utility bills, keep these folks in mind.

Drunk driving hypocrisy in Annapolis

The drunk driving hypocrites in Annapolis continue to go after teenage drunk drivers

Under the legislation passed by the Senate, drivers younger than 18 who are charged with drinking while driving, leaving the scene of an accident or fleeing a police officer automatically would lose their driving privileges for at least six months.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031302042.html

But they continue to ignore adult drunk drivers. In fact, they have continued to keep House Majority Leader Kumar Barve in his position, despite the fact that he has been charged with drunk driving.

Why the double standard?

Why should teenagers be penalized for following the example of their political leaders in Annapolis.

Am I the only one sickened by these hypocrites?

Pro-criminal Delegates Ramirez & Vallario offended by truthful criticism

Both show their contempt for freedom of speech and the rule of law.

Vallario, always supportive of the Constitutional rights of criminals,
disdains the Constitutional rights of critics, cutting off testimony
and refusing to accept criticism he doesn't like.

Ramirez, who wants law-abiding citizens to pay to subsidize
law-breakers, plays the race card to avoid responding to the substance
of the matter.

While Vallario and Ramirez seem to find the truth offensive, I am
greatly offended by them, their opposition to the rights of citizens,
their opposition to the rule of law, and their apparent disregard of
what they solemnly promised when they took the oath of office.

Sparks fly in House Judiciary Committee
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/assembly/

Del. Joseph F. Vallario, Jr., who chairs the House Judiciary
Committee, barred a flyer disparaging him from being passed out to his
committee yesterday in a hearing that dealt with a number of bills
seeking to crack down on illegal immigration. . . .

Later, the room erupted in some chaos when Susan Payne, the leader of
the Maryland Coalition for Immigration Reform, began to testify and
was barred by Vallario after he said he found what was going on to be
"offensive." . . .

Wanted Poster Riles Committee Hearing
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1363915

March 13, 2008 - 8:47am

ANNAPOLIS - Fliers proclaiming House Judiciary Committee Chairman
Joseph Vallario, Jr., D-Prince George's, as "wanted for aiding and
abetting" illegal immigration were removed from a Tuesday evening
hearing after he took offense.

The fliers, which depict Vallario wearing an ornate, Mexican-style
sombrero, were denounced as racist by one legislator, but others
defended them as legitimate free speech.

Delegate Victor Ramirez, a Democrat from Prince George's County who
serves on the committee, said the flier was "blatant racism."

"I'm hurt that people would resort to this type of action rather than
talk about the issues like grownups," said Ramirez, who was born in El
Salvador. "The true colors of some of the bills' proponents came out
[Tuesday]."

Vallario brushed off the episode a day later but was visibly angry
during Tuesday's hearing about several immigration-related bills.
After ordering the fliers removed, Vallario chided Delegates Warren
Miller, R-Howard, and Patrick McDonough, R-Baltimore County, telling
them they were fortunate he was even hearing their immigration-related
legislation.

"We don't accept literature that tries to intimidate or harass
people," said Vallario, who is of Italian heritage, in an interview
Wednesday.

But the Republican delegates, who both sponsored bills to prohibit
"sanctuary city" policies that bar local government employees and
police officers from asking someone's immigration status, said they
had nothing to do with the flier.

Susan Payne, a Montgomery County resident and executive director of
the Maryland Coalition for Immigration Reform, submitted the fliers
along with written testimony.

Payne said the poster was "tongue-in-cheek" political humor. But
after a six-hour wait to testify in support of bills that would target
illegal immigration, Payne was cut short in the midst of a heated
discussion with Vallario.

A security officer was called, but Payne escorted herself out after
refusing to answer committee members' questions because her "time was
up."

"Maybe at the next election, you'll be voted out and your time will
be up," she yelled at Vallario as she was leaving.

In an interview Wednesday, Payne said she was cut off after trying to
repeat Vallario's statements to pro-immigrant advocates at a Feb. 25
Annapolis rally. A YouTube link to a video of Vallario at the rally
was printed on the wanted poster Payne distributed.

"Either he doesn't comprehend the First Amendment or he's ashamed of
his own pandering," she said.

Delegates Miller and McDonough said the flier was free political
speech protected under the First Amendment.

"This was essentially, to me, humorous with a cutting edge,"
McDonough said. "You've got to be careful? she felt angry by the fact
that she was being denied her free speech? and I think she was denied
that right."

Delegate Richard Impallaria, R-Baltimore County, a co-sponsor of
bills discussed in the hearing, shrugged the flier off as a joke.

"[Vallario] looks good in that picture," he said. "Look at that smile."

-30- CNS 03-12-08Copyright 2008 Capital News Service. All rights reserved.

Sen. Exum's shakedown

I'm not surprised at this kind of nonsense since Exum owes his senate seat to his crooked mentor, ex-con, ex-sen. Tommie Broadwater.

On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 5:29 PM, Langway was the King <pg.citizen@yahoo.com> wrote:

Sen. Exum has often shown he's more interested with the advancement of African-American business and wealth than reasoned consideration of appropriate public policy for all citizens. This is a shakedown he was able to pull off recently, for a business owner who should have been prosecuted for fraud in 2004:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102966.html

License Is Restored for Station in Pr. George's

By John Wagner and Rosalind S. Helderman

Washington Post Staff Writers

Wednesday, March 12, 2008; B01

The Maryland State Police last week restored the license of an automotive inspection station in Prince George's County that was revoked four years ago after authorities had said that it was issuing certificates for safety inspections that it did not perform.

The reinstatement occurred as a Prince George's senator who had been lobbying for the restored license was holding up the Senate confirmation of Col. Terrence Sheridan to lead the state police agency. Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-Prince George's) has urged the agency for several years to reissue the license to Hilltop Fleet Services, which is in his district.

A vote on Sheridan, who was nominated by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), has been rescheduled for today amid concerns voiced by Exum and other African American senators about what they say is lack of diversity on the force and allegations of racial profiling in traffic stops.

Sheridan said yesterday that the decision to restore Hilltop's status had been set in motion under his predecessor, who started the process to grant Hilltop a probationary license. Letting the station resume inspections seemed "fundamentally fair," Sheridan said, given that the state police agency has no policy on how long revocations should last.

"It strikes me that if someone makes a mistake and redeems themselves, we in government have to look at that," said Sheridan, who has been serving in an acting capacity since June, pending Senate confirmation. He did not elaborate on how the station had changed.

Capt. Robert F. Bambary, commander of the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division, which licenses the state's roughly 1,640 inspection stations, said the handling of Hilltop was unusual.

"I was under orders to put them back in the program, from my boss and from his boss and then up the line," Bambary said.

Asked how often that happens, Bambary said: "Normally, never."

"It's my understanding that [Senator Exum] contacted my superiors," Bambary said.

Sheridan confirmed that Exum has lobbied him on behalf of the service station but played down the senator's impact, saying that he last heard from him on the matter in July. Sheridan said he was unaware of whether Hilltop was a factor in the delay of his confirmation vote. "I suggest you ask Senator Exum," said Sheridan, who previously led the police force in Baltimore County.

Exum declined two attempts in person by Washington Post reporters to discuss issues related to this report and did not return a message left at his Senate office in Annapolis.

The Senate has made a practice this year of confirming people nominated by O'Malley in batches of a dozen or more, with a single vote taken to confirm all nominees.

On Feb. 29, a Friday, Exum asked that Sheridan's nomination be considered separately from a batch pending on the floor and that the vote be delayed for a week. Hilltop received its license to resume operations the following Monday.

Last Friday, the vote on Sheridan was delayed again, with a vote scheduled for today.

After that session, Exum told a reporter that the black caucus thinks Sheridan is not working hard enough to "retain and promote" minorities. "There are all kinds of allegations about people of color," Exum said.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), whose district includes part of Prince George's, said it is his understanding that Exum's interest in Hilltop was part of the holdup on Sheridan's nomination.

"Senator Exum has a concern related to his district," Miller said, referring to the Hilltop issue.

James L. Wilson, an owner of Hilltop, credited Exum for helping the station operators get their license back after several previous attempts failed.

"He was able to let us go through the whole process," Wilson said, adding that the restoration of the license was the station's "just due."

Wilson said the reinstatement was deserved because the station had met all qualifications.

The state police agency notified Hilltop of its intention to revoke its license in October 2002. After a hearing, an administrative law judge recommended in May 2003 that Hilltop's license be revoked.

Among the findings in the decision: The maximum number of possible inspections that Hilltop could have legally performed between January and May 2002 was 872. During that period, Hilltop purportedly inspected 2,116 vehicles and issued 2,067 state inspection certificates.

"This was clearly accomplished by completing the inspection reports and certificates with information provided by the persons seeking the certificates and selling the certificates to those persons, never having laid eyes, or their hands, on the vehicles," the judge wrote.

Hilltop operators testified that they had never sold any inspection certificates. But the judge found that a police investigator interviewed three people who had received inspection certificates from Hilltop although their vehicles had not been inspected there.

During a police investigation, the station was put under surveillance for several days. On one day, 10 inspection certificates were issued. None matched the vehicles that entered the station's driveway, the judge wrote.

Hilltop's license was revoked in 2004.

Wilson said that at the time the license was revoked, he had been providing inspections at his shop for 25 years. Wilson said that a judge said he could reapply for a license but outlined no timeline. After that, he said, he was unable to get state action.

"Each time I applied, they would send us a note: 'We received your application, but we're not ready to relicense you,' " Wilson said. "This went on for a couple of years."

Thomas E. Hutchins, Sheridan's predecessor, said Exum sought a meeting with him about Hilltop soon after he was nominated by former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) to lead the state police force in December 2003.

"He made a call to me, and I met with him the first month I came into office," Hutchins said.

Hutchins said he recalled being concerned at the time about how long it was taking to determine whether Hilltop's license should be revoked. He said he was not aware of the initiation of a probationary license during his tenure but said the entire issue was "a blip on a radar screen" for him.

Wilson said he was alerted about two or three weeks ago that his shop would be reinspected by state authorities as part of a new licensing process. He said he was told March 3 that the shop had been reapproved as an inspection site.

"The trooper said everything was straight, and they would be coming back with the sign showing that you're an authorized inspection service station," Wilson said.

Wilson said Exum's intervention only helped to ensure that he received a fair shake from state officials.

Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Baltimore), chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, said that the only concerns she has heard regarding Sheridan relate to personnel and allegations of racial profiling by police. She said she was not aware of Exum's concern about Hilltop.

"If that's an issue, that's his issue," Jones said.

Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's) said he had heard "some discussion" of Exum's concern regarding Hilltop.

"I heard it mentioned, but I didn't fully understand it," Currie said. "It was never discussed when we met with the governor or when some African American senators came together."

Md. House Rejects Plan To Stiffen Penalties For Transit Assaults

Over the past few years, many of our elected officials have been

unhappy with me when I accuse the general assembly of being
pro-criminal.

If they are not pro-criminal, why are they protecting violent people
who assault bus passengers?

Could it be partly because Judiciary Committee chair Vallario (D-27A)
makes his living defending criminals and uses his legislative position
to benefit his clients and not the people generally?

Md. House Rejects Plan To Stiffen Penalties For Transit Assaults
http://www.nbc4.com/politics/15342731/detail.html

Md. House Rejects Plan To Stiffen Penalties For Transit Assaults

Over the past few years, many of our elected officials have been
unhappy with me when I accuse the general assembly of being
pro-criminal.

If they are not pro-criminal, why are they protecting violent people
who assault bus passengers?

Could it be partly because Judiciary Committee chair Vallario (D-27A)
makes his living defending criminals and uses his legislative position
to benefit his clients and not the people generally?

Md. House Rejects Plan To Stiffen Penalties For Transit Assaults
http://www.nbc4.com/politics/15342731/detail.html

Delegate Resigns Amid Child Porn Probe----HOUSE OF DELEGATES, GOP's McKee Resigns After Home Is Searched

Note that this republican delegate resigned when accused of improper behavior. Democrats Barve and Harrington chose not to resign when accused of misbehavior and instead retained the support of their pro-drunk, pro-corruption democratic colleagues.

On Feb 16, 2008 12:00 AM, ArthurTurner <arthurturner@verizon.net> wrote:

http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/15311184/detail.html?treets=bal&tid=2658160940813&tml=bal_8pm&tmi=bal_8pm_1_07000202152008&ts=H

Also, please see this from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021502002.html

Re: Repeal the Death Penalty

A murderer who has been executed will not kill again. Won't kill innocents on the street, won't kill prison guards, and won't kill fellow inmates.

In historical times, when murderers were almost always promptly condemned and executed rather than coddled and protected, murder rates were much, much lower than they are today.

What worries me somewhat is corrupt prosecutors who want a conviction and the resulting publicity at any cost. Mike Nifong comes to mind. I think any prosecutor who is found to have been responsible for the execution of an innocent should also be executed. That might help ensure that prosecutors seek the execution of only those truly guilty of murder.

On Feb 8, 2008 6:18 AM, ArthurTurner <arthurturner@verizon.net> wrote:

Peace & Blessings,

We must stop this madness about not wanting the death penalty because it disproportionately impacts Blacks. I am Black. And I have a strong sense of my Black culture, history, and pride. And, I understand truth. The truth is that in our beloved Prince George's County, if I am murdered, car-jacked, or robbed, it will probably happen at the hands of my Black "brutha." The three people who got murdered at the Uno Chicago Pizzaria while watching the Super Bowl Sunday were all Black, and the thug who killed them was Black too.

We need to get real and stop making excuses for our own failures. We have issues. And, we are sick. We cannot get well unless we first acknowledge that we are indeed sick. Once we come to terms with this truth, we can be about the work of healing and curing our maladies. We cannot, shall not, and must not stay in a state of denial. We are so stuck in denial that it keeps us stiff, rigid, and cold like rigor mortise. We must awaken the love in our hearts for ourselves and for others.

And those who are incapable of loving need to be made to pay the ultimate price. That price is death. What we are doing now is not working. And we need to do something else. What solution do yo propose? I have offered the death penalty as mine. Please let us know what we can do to drastically lower the growing number of rapes, murders, car-jackings, burglaries, thefts, spousal abuse, pedophilia, etc.

I am open to plausible suggestions. I am yet to hear something that makes sense.

I do admit that the the justice system has been unfair in sentencing. A Black will be given the death penalty and a White may get life in prison for the same crime. The facts are the facts. So, I say let's be fair and dispense the death penalty fairly. Let's strap the White guy in the electric chair next to the Black guy in the electric chair. And while we are at it, let's have an integrated corps of people who push the button to give the thugs their final electrifying experience. Sometimes people need to be shocked into reality.

Let's pray for a change.

Peace & Blessings,

Arthur Turner

Darrell wrote:

State-sanction death is not appropriate in a civilized society.

Moreover, the application of the death penalty in the United States

has been disportionately applied to african americans and the poor.

Social economics and race play a much greater role in determining who

gets the death sentance and who does not. It is a hollow argument to

state that the death penalty can serve as a deterent to murderers, it

is simply unfounded and not supported by any scientific studies or

research. In fact, just the opposite is true, having the death

penalty on the books does not offer any deterent whatsoever. Not a

bit, not even a tiny little bit. We need to move to remove this

shameful policy from our books and join the scores of states and

nations that have figured out that the state does not have the right

to

kill its citizens. This is what the monarchs wanted, not decent,

democracy loving folks. Since humans run the justice system, we know

that mistakes and even malicious acts can occur. How dare we allow

someone that is innocent to die at the hands of the state. I don't

have the time to list the volume of cases that DNA evidence has been

used to exonorate a person convicted in a court of law, by a jury of

his peers, to death. We cannot afford to make mistakes like this

when we are talking about someone's life. I also don't have time to

list in detail all of the cases in the South where black men were

sentenced to die for being with a white woman. The death penalty has

a dispicable history. If you stand for the death penalty, I hope you

know that you stand with such forward thinking and human right driven

nations like: China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,

Pakistan, Burundi, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to name a few.

I understand the passion of wanting to see justice done, but didn't a

wise person once say, an eye for an eye makes us all blind?

Re: David C. Harrington

Ethically-challenged Mr. Harrington, and the pro-corruption people who selected him, should be shunned, not congratulated.

On Feb 7, 2008 1:19 PM, <sharonalta@aol.com> wrote:

You are cordially invited to attend Swearing In Ceremony Maryland State Senate

David C. Harrington

Friday, February 8, 2008

State House Senate Chambers

Annapolis, MD.

3:00 p.m.

Reception to follow in the Calvert Room

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Sharon C. Howard

Education/Community Liaison

Office of Council Member David C. Harrington

"Community First" District 5

schoward@co.pg.md.us

301-952-3864 office

301-257-7340 cell

Re: Death Penalty Input to Del. Victor Ramirez

I agree with Mr. Turner!

Society needs to be protected from killers. It is time to stop making excuses for them--time to stop treating the criminals as victims--time to start protecting the real victims.

Over and over again, I see where our public officials publicly condemn the government's use of the death penalty.

But when the killers use the death penalty against the rest of us, our offcials are almost always silent.

Over the long haul, 2 or 3 people a week are murdered in Prince George's County. I never see our public officials fighting to save the victims put to death by the killers.

Why are these people so much more protective of criminals that of the rest of us who are the victims?



On Feb 6, 2008 11:32 AM, ArthurTurner <arthurturner@verizon.net> wrote:

Peace & Blessings,

I strongly believe that we should keep the death penalty---and we should use it. We should not have this law on the books, sentence someone to die, then allow the perpetrator to stay on death row for 30 years. We should give a murderer; rapist; pedophile; car-jacker; or one who shoots, kills, or attempts to kill law enforcement personell the punishment of death. They should have a fair trial and the judgement should be swift---within 30 days. At that point, the electric chair, lethal injection, or firing squad should be brought to the town square and the punishment must take place--publically. At that point, justice would have been dispensed and society would have purged itself of someone who no longer wanted to be a part of the brotherhood of man. And, since this dispensation of justice would have been public, this would serve as a very strong visual deterrent for those wannabe gangsters.

I am as liberal, if not more liberal than most. But, we all are tired of the crime---aren't we? What we are doing now is not working. The murder rate goes up each year. Each year we have more rapes, incidents with peophiles, law enforcement killed or wounded, and utter mayhem. Our quality of life diminishes with the turn of each page of the calendar. We can, must, and shall do something to protect our society and this uncivilized culture from the extreme acceptance of inappropriate behavior.

Now, the young glorify the life of gangsters or gangstas. They have adopted prison attire as fashion. They wear prison-style jeans, jean jackets, and blue prision-style shirts and work boots which have become the in-fashion thing. Soom even have prison numbers stenciled on them. They too wear their pants hanging down low into what they refer to as "saggin." You may not know that this fashion is something that people wear mocking what happens in prison as prisoners are not allowed to wear belts and as such, their pants sag. Another prison style is the wearing of shoes without shoe laces. Prisoners are not allowed to have shoe strings. And the "do rags" which look like underwear that the guys wear on the street is also what is worn in prison. The young refer to themselves as gangsters or gangstas, pimps, hustlers, and thugs. The rappers make a lot of money glorifying thuggish behavior . Even female rappers and hip-hop artists glorify thuggishness by their proclamations that they want a "ruff neck" or a guy who is thuggish , horny, and tough enough to survive the cruel world of prison. These women also sing about the fact that it is OK for the ruffneck to even get physically abusive with them. :-( By looking at the TV show MTV Cribs, one will see that one of the requisite pieces of artwork displayed in thehouses of pop culture stars is a super-large picture of Al Pacino from the movie, Scarface.

We need to be protected from this insanity and the degradation of our society. Our quality of life continues to be eroded, our fears increased, and our stress level grows day by day. Why are we so willing to allow this antisocial behavior to continue?

People say that the death penalty is not a deterrent. You are right, it is not because it is not being used. We are not executing people for their transgressions. People who are sentenced to the death penalty spend 20, 25, 30 or more years locked up. So there is no deterrent when the death penalty is not carried out. But, what is happening now is not working. If we continue to do the same things that we have been doing, then sadly, we will continue to get the same results of high crime---and worse

Have you considered the growing number of infectious diseases that are incubated in prison? So-called straight men engage in sex with other men while in prison. These man-to-man encounters are rampant and continue while these guys are in prison. But, they do not consider themselves to be gay. They just consider this act as nature's way of them taking the edge off. After they are released, they then go into society as "straight" men and engage in sex with women. They have now infected women with a disease that they had gotten from having sex with men. Now, a man marries this woman and engages in sexual relations with this woman and he gets infected with what could become a deadly disease. They have now contaminated society.

Some may contend that sentencing Marylanders to die for their crimes is expensive. But, what is more expensive than life and the loss of life by repeat offenders? Is it not expensive to house, guard, feed, and provide medical care for prisoners for many years. Of course, the prisoners get GED training; free college; free healthcare; free cable TV; free eye glasses; free dental care; free gym membership that includes all the weights that one can lift; free AC in the summer; free heat in the winter; and free nutritionally balanced meals. So, many actually live better while incarcerated than they did while free to roam the streets and wreak havoc on and against you and me! Wouln't it be cheaper to cut the cord and eliminate these thugs from our finacncial burden? Would it not be better for them to face their Maker for their sins?

As a Black man, I am not buying into the argument that we should not have the death penalty because it is racially biased especially against African Americans. In truth, that is a reality. Judges have historically sentenced Blacks to death while sentencing Whites to life in prison. But, I believe that if you do the crime, you must pay the ultimate price for your transgression---Black or White. We need to see that the sentencing is fair. But, ritght now, I live in Prince George's County--- suburban Washington, DC. The perpetrators are majority Black. As such, these Black men must pay the price. They must be forced to pay for what they do unto us all. The same is true in Atlanta, New York, Detroit, LA, Philly, Miami, and other urban areas. I feel confident that by bringing back the death penalty and actually using it, we will see a dramatic reduction in violent crimes. And, the minor crimes will be reduced too because people will change their behaviors and mindset.

I am fed up and I will be glad when we all get fed up about crime and stop coddling and patting the criminals on the back. It appears that people are more concerned about the criminals than they are about law-abiding citizens. When people commit violent crimes, they have forfeited their right to be live in a so-called civilized world. If they want to live like animals, put them in cages like animals--- until they are euthanized.

Del. Ramirez, speaking as a concerned citizen and community leader and activist, I respectfully ask that you not seek to repeal the death penalty. We are tired of crime and need to see that a strong deterrent is already on the books, but it needs to be enforced.

Here is my two cents worth. What say ye?

Peace & Blessings,

Arthur Turner

PLEASE SEE:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/prisons/

http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/prisons/atlas.html

http://realcostofprisons.org/blog/archives/2006/06/cost_of_incarce.html

Gory Prince George's: Blvd killer arrested, see his record

wjla.com has a story here:

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0208/493247.html

To see the accused killer's recent criminal history, go here:

http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/processDisclaimer.jis

and search for Johnson, Tron

It appears that the accused killer has 5 criminal and 3 traffic cases from 2007 alone and has been treated very gently by our pro-criminal judges, having had all but 2 days of a 5 year sentence suspended in one case. Thar case included a charge of possession of a firearm with the serial number removed.

http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=CT071029E&loc=65&detailLoc=PG

If he had been in jail, where he obviously belongs, his victims would still be alive and the rest of use could feel a lot safer visiting the Blvd. Perhaps Judge McKee, who let this animal out to prey on others, should be charged an accessory. Why do we continue to tolerate this so called "justice" system?

Re: DOUBLE MURDER AT THE BOULEVARD AT THE CAP CTR TONIGHT

Please feel free to share this, also.

When I am home (I'm away now for the second extended period in two years), I typically go to mid-day movies at the Magic theaters a couple of times a month, and make a couple other trips a month to one or more of the outlying stores, like Borders, Linens, Office Depot, etc., where I can park right outside the store. I'd probably go more often during the day, but the Blvd is not really convenient, especially lacking access from the Beltway.

I wouldn't dream of going to a movie or anywhere near the middle of the Blvd at night--not since the November 2005 brutal beating murder of Matthew Lorenzo Pickett, Jr.

And I was disgusted to read that the security forces, which obviously don't protect the public, were instead used to keep the press away from last night's murder. The management's priorities seem very strange.

Judging from the phone numbers you posted, it would appear that there is no high- or mid-level on-site management person. The Maryland VP and the property manager both have 410 phone numbers, not 301 or 240 numbers that would be in this area.

On Feb 4, 2008 3:04 PM, Tonia Wright <trwellons@hotmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for this. I guess my hopeful optimism could be mistaken for naviety. It's not! I'm not suggesting that we roll out with bullet proof vests to demonstrate our commitment to keeping the Cap Centre alive. I am suggesting, however, that simply walking away by deciding not to patronize is not the answer. Many of us worked on behalf of the great citizens of this county to influence the developers in the original concept, design, layout, etc. of the Cap Center. This place is many years and lots of hard work in the making. We can't allow some young punks to dictate its success or failure. When well-meaning people walk away, you can rest asure that blight will certainly follow.

Perhaps my quick suggestions below are way off, over simplified... or maybe they have already been tried and failed. I bet that there are far better suggestions on what to do (I did come up with them in all of 5 minutes). But can't we come up with something better than 'I'm not going there anymore'?

I called Inland US Management (the Chicago-based owners) to urge them to increase security at the Blvd. And of course they passed me on Bill Parks, the Inland VP for Maryland; who passed me on to Lynette Washington, the Blvd Property Manager; who passed me on to Darryl Cater, the Director for Public Affairs, back in Chicago. After spending an hour of my work day calling these folks (and another half hour posting here), Darryl was finally interested to know that there's a listserve discussion happening of 'well-meaning' people who are deciding to not patronize the Cap Center unless increased security measures are put in place. He's asked me to forward some of the discussion his way so that he might pass on these sentiments further. He was keenly interested in the propect that people making a clear decision not to patronize the Cap Center due to lack of security.

If it's ok with you, I'm happy to pass on some of this discussion. Or, you guys can feel free to voice your concerns to them directly.

Inland US Management: 1-877-646-5263

Bill Parks, VP for Maryland: 410-764-3222, #3

Lynette Washington, Property Manager: 410-764-9222

Darryl Cater, Director for Public Affairs: 630-218-8000 ext. 4896

You'd also be interested in knowing that when I asked Mr. Cater for the Director of Security at the Cap Center - there isn't one... security is managed by the Property Manager (and outsourced to a contractor - I'm assuming). Wouldn't the efforts of County Police and Private Security be more efficiently managed if a qualified law enforcement manager were in charge of security? Again... maybe this has already been tried and failed.

Who's to say that increased security would have prevented last night's shooting. Not sure. But I think we are down to two options... focus on solutions or look for greener pastures.

I'll end by noting that my daughter was at the Magic Theather last night with her best friend enjoying Hannah Montana - Best of Both Worlds. I am eternally thankful that they were not in the line of danger...and yes, we will go there again.

Eternally optimistic,

Tonia

Pro-corruption PG Dems add ethically challenged Harrington to the MD Senate

Was: GOP Vict