Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

November 23, 2008

Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...


Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company
Published November 19, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I was sad to see last week that the Pour House Café on East Main Street in Westminster was closing. The unreal irony of the...


At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'
Published November 16, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The fact that women gained the right to vote was a milestone that got mixed reviews in Carroll County after the 19th Amendment...


Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster
Published November 12, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning...


Patriotic, misty-eyed and corny about our Election Day
Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...


Junction and Lenny Moore explain what teens are thinking
Published November 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Nov. 6, Junction Inc. will host a substance abuse and awareness program sponsored by the Board of County commissioners at 6 p.m....


After this long campaign season, we have many reasons to celebrate
Published October 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This coming Tuesday is General Election Day, and I hope everyone takes the time to vote. Along with our freedom of speech, the right to vote...


Silvery Moon celebrates auxiliary's golden anniversary
Published October 29, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Fifty years ago on Sept. 2, 1958, the Carroll Hospital Center Auxiliary was officially formed. Its first president was Gladys Wimert. Other community leaders...


William Jennings Bryan was the life of the party in 1900
Published October 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
I was watching the debate the other night -- you know, for the folks who, for some reason, want to be president -- when a...


Seems we're more in a 'Panic' than a 'Depression'
Published October 22, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Anyone remember the Panic of 1907? Well, let me refresh your memory. On Oct. 22, 1907, one of the more dramatic financial failures in American...


We had joy, we had fun, we had sidewalks in the sun
Published October 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE I'm writing this week's column within feet of the Atlantic Ocean in Nags Head, N.C. And I mean, literally, "feet from the ocean."...


Tragedy comes home to Carroll in fallen officers
Published October 15, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Sunday Carroll Eagle
It's a sad fact that five Maryland police officers have died in the line of duty in 2008. But it's a curious fact that four...


Real-life 'Flash of Genius' saw his final days in Sykesville
Published October 12, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The next time you're driving around Carroll County and it starts to drizzle just a tad, but sure to thank your former neighbor,...


A Culinary Experience is food for thought on a tough topic
Published October 8, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle
On Monday, Oct. 13, the Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County will hold its ninth annual "A Culinary Experience," at Martin's Westminster. This is...


Westminster's Clock Tower will stand the test of time
Published October 1, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Ask anyone to name the most cherished landmark in Westminster, and most will say it's the Westminster Clock Tower, which sits atop the old...


Clock fund tolls for thee
Published October 1, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Foundation seeks $35,000 for repairs More than 100 years old, the Westminster Clock Tower has taken a licking and, for the most part, it has...


Pardon my French, but where do these words come from?
Published September 28, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE This week, we visit an event that took place long before Carroll County was formed -- yet affects English speakers worldwide to this...


Letters
Published September 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Are we, as parents, ready for the new school year? The summer flies by and another school year has begun. Even if you don't have...


Time to look toward shaping Westminster's the future
Published September 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
In last week's column I discussed the real challenge facing Westminster as the need for an open community conversation over the growth of city government,...


A few things to chew on as we contemplate Taneytown history
Published September 21, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Sunday we turn our attention to the northern part of Carroll County. For the convenience of folks in south Carroll, though, we'll...


Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile
Published September 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There has been a fair amount of discussion of late regarding published accounts of the June trip by 15 appointed and elected officials from Westminster...


League of extraordinary gentlemen (and women) serving Maryland
Published September 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Between scholarships, the cost of conferences and its plan to create geocache sites in local municipalities, the Maryland Municipal League has been the...


Appreciating the composed chaos of the GOP Convention
Published September 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I spent last week at the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The Xcel Center is a hockey arena...


For many years, the convention 'party' came to Baltimore
Published September 5, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with the Maryland Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention at...


Power of art contributes to a community's vibrancy
Published September 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
This week's column is a bit of a travel log, but one that relates to life here in Westminster. Recently I had an opportunity to...


A town divided found purpose and prosperity as a unified Westminster
Published August 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Sunday we looked at the early history of the western end of Westminster. It was a little more than 80 years ago...


Economic development will revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue
Published August 27, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
At a recent meeting of the Westminster Common Council, it was announced that Councilman Greg Pecoraro will chair another Pennsylvania Avenue initiative, and that Councilwoman...


Years ago, folks celebrated sticking The Forks in Westminster
Published August 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The City of Westminster has recently been working to form a group to study the Pennsylvania Avenue of town. In that context, it's interesting that back...


I speak today in favor of adventures in 'behindular zone'
Published August 20, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Well, I did it. Come a little closer, and I'll tell you all about it. All right, maybe not all about it. After all, this...


And now, for this week's installment of 'La Policia'
Published August 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Carroll County's reputation for low crime and an aggressive approach to public safety is not a recent phenomenon. On July 16, 1925, the editor of the...


Future of police protection delayed, but crime doesn't rest
Published August 13, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Aug. 7, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to not move forward with a plan to form a county police department...


Future of police protection delayed, but crime doesn't rest
Published August 13, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Aug. 7, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to not move forward with a plan to form a county police department...


Turkeys, fires and failed presidents were the stuff of old newspapers
Published August 10, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
As today's newspapers race into the Internet age, many folks might be fascinated with the look and feel of newspapers from the 1800s and early...


Carroll rides tall at the Chincoteague Pony auction
Published August 6, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
With pen in hand, Carroll County author Lois Szymanski looked up from a copy of one of her latest books, "Out of the Sea: Today's...


Fire and water have been volatile mix in Sykesville
Published August 3, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
It was 85 years ago, in the late afternoon of Monday, July 30, 1923, that an historic and terrible rainstorm hit Sykesville and other areas...


Destructive behavior from those contentious combines
Published July 30, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Saturday evening, the air was hot, thick and muggy, flavored with anticipation and seasoned with a hint of petroleum fumes. More than 5,000 fans...


Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
Published July 27, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places. Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those...


Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
Published July 25, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places. Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are...


Viva la bicyclette de Carroll
Published July 23, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Today, as you are reading this, the 95th Tour de France is in Stage 17. This year's race began on July 5. After 23 days,...


Memories from City Hall and e-mail from the great beyond
Published July 20, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Westminster purchased the property for its City Hall, on Emerald Hill Lane, from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September 1939 for the grand...


Appreciating Tony Snow's passion for life
Published July 16, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Saturday, July 12, former White House press secretary Tony Snow, 53, died of cancer. I certainly never knew him, yet after following his too-short career for...


Westminster's Civil War role didn't end at Corbit's Charge
Published July 13, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The last several weeks have been busy in Carroll County, and one of the busiest was during the June 27-29 events surrounding the commemoration of...


Smith & Reifsnider was too hot to handle in July 1938
Published July 9, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Seventy years ago, Carroll County was reeling from the aftermath of fireworks of an unwelcome variety -- one of the biggest fires in the county's...


What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...


The merry marry month of June
Published July 2, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...


Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
Published June 29, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE For many Carroll County residents, summertime means an opportunity to make an annual family trek to Ocean City, Md. Some of my fondest childhood memories...


Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...

20081123 recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will Tuesday, November 18, 2008

WASHINGTON -- "Nothing," said a General Motors spokesman last week, "has changed relative to the GM board's support for the GM management team during this historically difficult economic period for the U.S. auto industry." Nothing? Not even the evaporation of almost all shareholder value?

GM's statement comes as the mendicant company is threatening to collapse and make a mess unless Washington, which has already voted $25 billion for GM, Ford and Chrysler, provides up to $50 billion more -- the last subsidy until the next one.

[…]

The answer? Do nothing that will delay bankrupt companies from filing for bankruptcy protection, so that improvident labor contracts can be unraveled, allowing the companies to try to devise plausible business models. Instead, advocates of a "rescue" propose extending to Detroit the government's business model for the nation -- redistributing wealth from the successful to the failed, an implausible formula for prosperity.

[…]

Those Democrats, their rhetoric notwithstanding, really care most about the union. "Saving the planet" comes second and last comes the health of the auto companies.

{…}

Read the entire column here: Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will

20081118 Do We Need the Big Three by Will Nov18 2008

Running on empty – What a difference an election makes

Running on empty – What a difference an election makes

November 23, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

By the end of last week the prospect of an auto bailout was running on four flat tires.

However, with the backdrop of the economy continuing to remain at the forefront of the media spotlight, the “Detroit Three,” General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, continue their tours de force beg-a-thon performance in the media with a great deal of support coming from the Democrat Party.

What a difference an election makes. If you will remember, during the election campaign, the Democrats railed about the increase in the national debt, increased spending, and failed economic policies.

And of course, earlier in the 2008 presidential campaign, when the price of oil and gasoline spiked, it was President George W. Bush’s fault. After the price of gas fell precipitously, the Democrats and their media sycophants fell strangely silent.

Moreover, on Election Day, when the Wall Street rallied, the media credited the prospects of the election of presidential candidate Illinois Sen. Barack Obama with the reasons for the uptick in the stock market.

The day after the election the stock market had the largest percentage drop in history on the day after an election. The media was silent – as in crickets chirping…

Many credited the election victory of Senator Obama on the chaos in the economy. Of course, the great paradox is that the very same foxes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Financial Services Committee chair Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Senate Banking Committee chair Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who caused the chaos in the financial henhouse have now been rewarded and are now in charge of protecting and fixing it. (See It’s the Congress, Stupid!, Congress and the Rattlesnake – Part 1, Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 2, Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 3.)

Now these very same folks want to work their magic on the automobile industry in the United States – with taxpayer money, of course. They want to further raise the national debt by bailing out the Detroit Three – which is the focus of my “The Tentacle” column this week: Rewarding Bad Behavior

As an aside, speaking of changing his tune, you will notice that President-elect Obama has been eerily silent about Iraq, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and other aspects of his war on the Bush Administration’s national security polices now that he has been given a number of national security briefings.

Nevertheless, there remains a nagging concern that international terrorists are still plotting to kill Americans and we are still fighting two interminable ground wars overseas. The Iranians and North Koreans are still playing with their nuclear erector sets. Somali pirates are seizing ships in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes outside of the Gulf of Aden.

And in spite of the predicted outbreak of the Age of Aquarius as a result of the recent election, we find ourselves in economic chaos which continues to escape appropriate hyperbole and reactionary rhetoric.

Congress and our critical financial conglomerates have behaved so badly that their behavior raised the specter that the United States and the world would revisit the joys and riches of the Medieval Ages if something was not done.

Yet last week, the financial bailout had the look and feel of a circular firing squad as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson stood before the nation, and said something to the affect: “You know, about that initial bailout strategy… Well nevermind, the facts have changed and we now have a new and improved pyramid scheme to sell you.”

His performance had all the reassuring aspects of a snake oil salesman from the 1890s as he sketched-out a new approach to encourage consumer confidence, borrowing, and get American families back in the mood for opening their pocketbooks.

No word as to how many Google searches occurred for “economic feudalism” last week as Americans started to feel like feudal serfs being sacrificed as a result of the lack of leadership of the overlords.

If this were not enough of a witches brew, many Americans – and the stock market – continue to feel morning sickness in a pregnant pause of anxiety over president-elect Obama’s election rhetoric to revisit free trade agreements, raise taxes, and unleash a new social-welfare system upon the nation that would make President Franklin D. Roosevelt green with envy.

Intellectual, morally and economically, a glance at Washington these days indicates that it not only the Detroit Three that is in trouble these days, the American taxpayer is more at risk than ever as a result of Congress running on empty.

####

20081119 Running on empty (752 words)

Democracy Now: Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

Democracy Now: Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

November 18, 2008

Related:

Melvin Goodman: "Change in Intelligence?"

Glenn Greenwald: "John Brennan and Bush's Interrogation/Detention Policies"

John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading Barack Obama’s review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition, and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the war on Iraq. We speak with former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s been less than two weeks since Obama’s election. Speculation is already rife about the change he intends to bring to Washington’s intelligence community. The Washington Post reported last week that Obama is expected to replace the country’s top two intelligence officials over their support for controversial Bush administration policies like torture and electronic surveillance. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA chief Michael Hayden reportedly wish to remain on the job.

No appointees have been named as yet, but questions are already being raised about the people heading Obama’s transition efforts on intelligence policy. John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading the review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition, and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the war on Iraq.

I’m joined now by Washington, D.C.—in D.C. by former CIA and State Department analyst Mel Goodman. He’s a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, director of the Center’s National Security Project. His latest book is called Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA. He is also co-author of Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives are Putting the World at Risk.

We’re joined here in New York by Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights. His latest book is The Trial of Donald Rumsfeld: A Prosecution by Book.

We welcome you both to Democracy Now! I want to start with Mel Goodman in Washington. Long years at the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department. You’ve just written an op-ed piece in the Baltimore Sun that looks at these two top transition officials. Explain who they are and what they represent.

[…]

MELVIN GOODMAN: OK. John Brennan was deputy executive secretary to George Tenet during the worst violations during the CIA period in the run-up to the Iraq war, so he sat there at Tenet’s knee when they passed judgment on torture and abuse, on extraordinary renditions, on black sites, on secret prisons. He was part of all of that decision making.

Jami Miscik was the Deputy Director for Intelligence during the run-up to the Iraq war. So she went along with the phony intelligence estimate of October 2002, the phony white paper that was prepared by Paul Pillar in October 2002. She helped with the drafting of the speech that Colin Powell gave to the United Nations—[inaudible] 2003, which made the phony case for war to the international community.

So, when George Tenet said, "slam dunk, we can provide all the intelligence you need,” [inaudible] to the President in December of 2002, it was people like Jami Miscik and John Brennan who were part of the team who provided that phony intelligence. So what I think people at the CIA are worried about—and I’ve talked to many of them over the weekend—is that there will never be any accountability for these violations and some of the unconscionable acts committed at the CIA, which essentially amount to war crimes, when you’re talking about torture and abuse and secret prisons. So, where are we, in terms of change? This sounds like more continuity.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to excerpts from a December 2005 interview with John Brennan, the former CIA official now leading Obama’s intelligence transition. Brennan was interviewed by Margaret Warner on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer about his views on the Bush administration’s practice of extraordinary rendition.

Read the entire article and interview here: Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

20081118 DemNow Ex CIA tapped to head Obama intel transition team

Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

November 19, 2008

Will Obama back missile defense or back missile defense into history?

Examiner Editorial: Liberals have been saying for decades that missile defense can't work, even as the U.S. Army and Navy are repeatedly and successfully testing land and sea-based systems that destroy incoming missiles. Will Barack Obama listen to the liberals or the military?

S.J. Masty's Time Machine: Maybe Charlie Chan can solve the mystery of who shot the GOP.

Jay Ambrose: Our Denver-based Herald of the Rockies is having second thoughts about Obama's first promises.

Tapscott's Copy Desk: Harry Reid and Robert Byrd falsified government data on job creation. Will the Mainstream Media call them on it?

And don't miss a former GM manager's explanation for why she opposes a federal bailout for Detroit's Big Three: You will find Lori Roman's Op-Ed here: “An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires”

20081119 Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rewarding Bad Behavior

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Instead of tooling down the highway in the fast lane, two months after General Motors celebrated its 100th Birthday on September 16, it found itself huddled over at an intersection with fate, harassing passers-by with a tin pan in hand.

William C. Durant formed General Motors (GM) as a holding company in 1908 for Buick. He subsequently took on overwhelming debt by purchasing the manufacturers of Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland. After a dramatic drop in automobile sales, Mr. Durant lost control of the company two years later to one of the many powerful bankers’ trusts of the time.

A hundred years later, the “Detroit Three,” – Ford, GM and Chrysler – have lost control of their companies to the United Auto Workers (UAW.)

After decades of being blackmailed with the threat of crippling union strikes, the Detroit Three finds themselves with uncompetitive work rules. It manufactures products which continue to languish with the perception that they lack the quality of their competitors. They offer numerous models, in which the American consumer has little or no interest. They make these automobiles with enormously uncompetitive salaries and benefits; and now the American taxpayers are being asked to bail them out.

Read the entire column here: Rewarding Bad Behavior


Fulfilling A Dream
Tom McLaughlin
“What has possessed you, Tom,” many have asked. “Leaving the country for Borneo Island for a year,” they wonder. “And what about your health?”


Baltimore Hippodrome's "Grinch"
Roy Meachum
What a delightful idea! Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre decided to bring in for the holidays "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical."


Tuesday, November 18, 2008
New Terms and Limits in Iraq
Roy Meachum
While George W. Bush's order to invade Iraq made headline news, the several papers I read cast the real outcome somewhere in the back pages.


A Once-A-Year Happening
Farrell Keough


“[A]m I my brother’s keeper?” This was the statement Cain gave to God when questioned about the location of Abel, whom Cain murdered. It has become part of our cultural colloquialisms – generally applied when asking about our responsibility to help others.


Walkersville’s Welcome Wagon
Joe Charlebois
Well, the ugly head of unforeseen consequences has reared its ugly head. The Town of Walkersville, in its determination to keep the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from building their worship and conference facilities, has ultimately broken the back – if not the pocketbook – of the Banner School family.


Monday, November 17, 2008
Avoiding The Temptation
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
I supported John McCain throughout the recent presidential election. Having written an entire column about why, there's no reason to re-plow that field.


Befuddled in Frederick
Steven R. Berryman
What strange days we are living in. My sympathy goes out to those whose intellectual process it is to attempt to make sense of the world around them.


Landfill & Waste-to-Energy Q & A
Joan McIntyre
My last column (from November 6) generated many questions. Trash in Frederick County certainly seems to be the hot topic. Trash is a given and we need to get out of our holding pattern. So, here I've done my best to address many of your questions.


Friday, November 14, 2008
Newly "Dis-Organized" Party
Roy Meachum
Three months after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in as the first Democratic president since Woodrow Wilson, Oklahoma-born comedian Will Rogers said on his weekly radio show: "You've got to be optimist to be a Democrat and you've got to be a humorist to stay one." Mr. Rogers was also quoted: "I belong to no organized political party – I’m a Democrat."


Thursday, November 13, 2008
Onward and Upward, Not Backwards
Tony Soltero
Now that the election is behind us, there's no shortage of analyses being offered by pundits left, right, and center about “What It All Means.” So here are a few bullet points of my own as a contribution to the discussion.


My President
Patricia A. Kelly
I’ve lived a pretty long time. I was alive and conscious during the civil rights movement. In fact, during that time, my mom drove my brother and me through the South every summer to visit my grandparents.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Incredibly Shrinking Republican Party
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The ink is hardly dry on the “historic” election of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and already those with 20/20 hindsight are dissecting and revising the two-year ordeal, known as the 2008 presidential election, with the conviction of someone who has just seen a flying saucer land in the backyard.


Just Bustin’ Out All Over
Tom McLaughlin
It was as if a massive salt water wave swept over the country and washed away all of the hate and intolerance. I felt cleansed, jubilant and am still high from the November 4 election results. No more African-Americans, or Chinese-Americans, or Native Americans. We are all Americans.


Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Please, Jennifer, Not Again
Roy Meachum
Jennifer Dougherty's loss record for elections stands four-to-one after Tuesday's drubbing by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. The only time she won, incumbent Mayor Jim Grimes shot himself in the foot. Repeatedly. When she tried for a second term, her own party dumped her; the first mayor in modern times to be defeated in a primary.


“It’s Good To Be A Teacher…”
Nick Diaz
Work-to-rule, teachers’ contract, planning time, Board of Education, FCTA, negotiated agreement – these topics, and more, have surfaced recently in Frederick concerning local education issues.

Monday, November 10, 2008
Election Post Mortem
Steven R. Berryman
Election 2008 is over. America now has a new president-elect, and an opportunity to evaluate just what Barack Obama’s victory means. Here are some lessons learned along with some 20/20 hindsight.

20081119 This week in The Tentacle

Today in the DC Examiner: Are we bailing out dead donkeys?

Today in the DC Examiner: Are we bailing out dead donkeys?

November 18, 2008

Examiner Editorial: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is handing out billions of tax dollars to selected Wall Street firms, but refuses to disclose any details of who, how much or with what in return. This is a major scandal-in-the-making.

Quin Hillyer: The Supreme Court agrees to hear another case that could put McCain-Feingold regulation of political speech in the legal garbage can where it belongs.

Examiner OpEd: John Hawkins pens an open letter to GOP members of the U.S. Senate, challenging them to try something new.

20081118 Today in the DC Examiner Are we bailing out dead donkeys?

Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 14, 2008
President's Radio Address
President's Radio Address Audio En Español

In Focus: Economy

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend I am hosting a summit on the global financial crisis with leaders of developed and developing nations. By working together, I'm confident that with time we can overcome this crisis and return our economies to the path of growth and vitality.

I know many of you listening are worried about the challenges facing our economy. Stock market declines have eroded the value of retirement accounts and pension funds. The tightening of credit has made it harder for families to borrow money for cars, homes, and education. Businesses have found it harder to get loans to expand their operations and create jobs. Many nations have suffered job losses and have serious concerns about the worsening economy.

Nations around the world have responded to this situation with bold measures, and our actions are having an impact. Credit markets are beginning to thaw and businesses are gaining access to essential short-term financing. It will require more time for these improvements to fully take hold and there will be more difficult days ahead, but the United States and our partners are taking the right steps to get through the crisis.

As we address the current crisis, we also need to make broader reforms to adapt our financial systems to the 21st century. So during this summit, I will work with other leaders to establish principles for reform, such as making markets more transparent and ensuring that markets, firms, and financial products are properly regulated.

All these steps will require decisive actions from governments around the world. At the same time, we must recognize that government intervention is not a cure-all. While reforms in the financial sector are essential, the long-term solution to today's problems is sustained economic growth. And the surest path to that growth is free markets and free people.

This is a decisive moment for the global economy. In the wake of the financial crisis voices from the left and right are equating the free enterprise system with greed, exploitation, and failure. It is true that this crisis included failures by lenders and borrowers, by financial firms, by governments and independent regulators. But the crisis was not a failure of the free market system. And the answer is not to try to reinvent that system. It is to fix the problems we face, make the reforms we need, and move forward with the free market principles that have delivered prosperity and hope to people around the world.

The benefits of free market capitalism have been proven across time, geography, and culture. Around the world free market capitalism has allowed once impoverished nations to develop large and prosperous economies. And here at home, free market capitalism is what transformed America from a rugged frontier to the greatest economic power in history.

Just as important as maintaining free markets within countries is maintaining the free movement of goods and services between countries. There are many ways for nations to demonstrate their commitment to open markets. The United States Congress can take the lead by approving free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea before adjourning for the year.

In the long run, Americans can be confident in the future of our economy. We will work with our partners around the world to address the problems in the global financial system. We will strengthen our economy. And we will continue to lead the world toward prosperity and peace.

Thank you for listening.

# # #

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2008114 Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

Some thoughts on “Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun”

“Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun” Thursday, November 13, 2008 Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff



Hat Tip: The Gunpowder Chronicle



November 15th, 2008 - My thoughts, for what they are worth…



Lately the topic of another round of layoffs and adjustments in the business of Tribune and the Baltimore Sun has been the subject of some discussions among several of us who work for Tribune. (See my media disclosure here. I work for Tribune.)



I have also been a critic of the Baltimore Sun’s political coverage in the past and I agree that the widespread perception of bias on the part of the Baltimore Sun has been detrimental to the overall health of the paper.



Moreover I continue to believe that liberal media bias plagues too much of the traditional mainstream media.



However, when I read criticism that involves hyperbolic name-calling, the critic loses the argument with me. (And yes, I am aware of past columns and blog posts in which I have engaged in some name calling… I guess I am a recovering name caller…)



Nevertheless, the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun continues to promote the paper in an unfavorable light. The fact that I disagree with much of the editorial slant does not concern me. What concerns me is that all too often the position of the board is inconsistent, displays situational principles, and is personality driven.



Perhaps this is simply the nature of the beast, but I would much rather see objective consistent community-benefit-driven analysis and commentary, instead of a newspaper editorial board parroting the talking points and spin of a particular individual, political party, or ideology.



To say it clearly, anything Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or Maryland Governor O’Malley = GOOD. Anything conservative, Arizona Sen. John McCain, or former Governor Robert l. Ehrlich = BAD.



If you need a more recent example, take a look at slots: Slots under Governor Ehrlich = BAD. Slots under Governor O’Malley = GOOD. What changed…?



However, the local community newspaper arm of Tribune – The Baltimore Sun, the Patuxent Publishing Company, (Explore Baltimore Co., Explore Carroll Co. - the paper for which I write, and Explore Howard Co.,) continues to deliver quality news and reporting. Of course, part of the reason for that is that those of us on the local community level have a higher level of accountability in that we can often be found at the same pizza parlor and grocery store check out line with the very folks we cover.



Nonetheless, the current economic times are a strain on all businesses, including newspapers, the metros, and the community newspapers alike.



In spite of the bewildering approach of the Baltimore Sun’s editorial board, most all the reporters are quite professional, talented, and objective in their reporting.



In the end they all have families and unless a particular individual displays a personal animus or maliciousness; critics of the paper may benefit from a more constructive engagement with the reporters. And I hate to see anyone lose his or her job – especially these days.



And especially a writer: What do you call a writer without a significant other? Homeless.



There is a growing perception that the management of the Baltimore Sun is trying hard to adjust to the times – with more accessibility and less of the condescending arrogance that has manifested in the corporate personality of the paper in the past.



As an aside; whether I agree or disagree with the columnists, I like the sharp writing of most of the columnists (and most of the reporters) – and I like the paper’s recent foray into blogs. And I like the improvements in the web site.



The debate about blogger journalists versus traditional print media journalists has been getting increasingly boring – see 20070112 Some wisdom about the silliest debate in journalism. There are good and bad in both camps. If you don’t like a particular writer, don’t read them.



I read writers – not headlines - and not papers...



Attempting to promote blogs and new media by carelessly denigrating traditional print media is a disservice to all journalists and journalism and brings all of us down.



Considering the challenges at the local level, in Maryland and the nation; the press has, if anything, an increased responsibility and there is an important role for the Baltimore Sun to play.



We need greater cooperation, collaboration – and we need all hands on deck.



Kevin Dayhoff

******

Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Thursday, November 13, 2008



Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff

A Baltimore Sun union said Thursday it expects another round of job cuts at the newspaper, and officials are preparing to fight any future layoffs.



The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild said it expects more job cuts within days. Angie Kuhl, a unit chair with the union, said she does not know how many job cuts are planned. But union officials don’t expect buyouts to be offered, as they have been in the past, and the cuts will impact the newsroom.



Renee Mutchnik, a Baltimore Sun spokeswoman, said Sun management has no comment.



The Sun eliminated 100 positions at the paper in August. It also recently eliminated its standalone Maryland and Business sections as part of an overall redesign.



[…]



Tribune Co., the Sun’s parent, posted a $124 million third quarter loss this month.



The newspaper, Maryland’s largest daily publication, saw its average Sunday circulation number fall 3.9 percent to 350,640 during the period.



Read the entire article here: Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Tribune Co. posts $124M loss



http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/11/10/daily53.html



20081113 Some thoughts on Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun

Bailout man by Eva Moon

Bailout man by Eva Moon

November 14, 2008 - Thank goodness it's Friday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUXXSxZPhw

Can anything make the Wall Street bailout even slightly more palatable? Probably not. But Eva Moon mixes it up with a little funk and sex? Music and lyrics by Eva Moon. Ferko Saxmanov on sax, Tym Parsons bass and guitar. http://evamoon.net Category: Comedy




Photo from: “Bailout Man” by Eva Moon http://evamoon.net/ Oct. 6, 2008

20081114 Bailout man by Eva Moon

The Onion - In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

The Onion - In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole? (1:56)

Thank goodness it's Friday


In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

20081113 The Onion In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Picture Caption: Sargent Shriver, director of the Peace Corps, (center) and U.S. President John F. Kennedy (right) at the White House. Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Date: August 28, 1961 Author: Abbie Rowe, photographer for the National Park Service Public Domain - Work of US Fed'l Gov't

November 12, 2008

Westminster - Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning to town to help celebrate the City of Westminster's 150th Anniversary Dinner on Nov. 18, 1988.

Shriver, who was born Nov. 9, 1915, lived several childhood years on Willis Street in Westminster.

He married Eunice Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy's sister and the daughter of Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy, on May 23, 1953. Mrs. Shriver is the founder and chair of Special Olympics International and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation.

They have five children, one of whom, Maria Owings Shriver, is married to another well-known national personality, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The program for the 1988 event listed Shriver's "unparalleled record of public service at the local, national and international level: [...]

Read the rest of the column here: Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/1548/life-work-sargent-shriver-began-westminster/

kdayhoff AT carr DOT org Posted on www.explorecarroll.com 11/12/08

20081112 Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

Rep. Elijah Cummings: Latest "Junket" Violates AIG Pledge

By JOSEPH RHEE November 11, 2008—

A leading critic of AIG today demanded the company's CEO resign in the wake of the disclosure of yet another "junket" at a resort spa. In a letter to AIG's CEO Edward Liddy, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said the decision to hold an event for independent financial advisors last week at a luxury Phoenix resort was "outrageous" given an earlier pledge by Liddy to curtail such events.

Cummings wrote that AIG can begin to restore its trust with Congress "by accepting your resignation from the positions of chairman and chief executive officer."

Reporters for abc15.com (KNXV) caught top AIG executives on hidden camera at a secretive gathering last week at the luxurious Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. AIG instructed the hotel to make sure no company logos and signs were seen on the property, according to a company spokesman.

Click here to see the full KNXV report.

In his letter, Cummings questioned how the Phoenix event could have taken place given Liddy's earlier assurances that "not one cent of taxpayer dollars" would by used to pay for such events. The decision to hold the event while AIG was asking for billions of dollars more in federal loans was "even more shocking", wrote Cummings.

[…]

Click here to read letter.

[…]

Click here to read AIG's full response.

Cummings asked Liddy to provide him with details on who the sponsors were and how much money they were providing, as well as an itemized list of expenses incurred by AIG. Cummings also requested a list of each of the 160 planned events that AIG said it had cancelled on or after October 30.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/WallStreet/story?id=6230818&page=1

20081111 Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

Always check your children's homework

When I grow up I want to be just like Mommy…

Hat Tip: Analog

Read below for the rest of the story…



Actually...

Mommy works at Home Depot... she was selling a shovel.



As for the child’s drawing; you’ll have to get the Pillage Idiot explain it.



20081111 Always check your childrens homework

Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

November 10 2008

For Corps and Country
Semper Fi, and as always… check six

Click here for more posts on the Unites States Marine Corps

Above: Camp Upshur, Marine Base at Quantico in 1972… June 11, 1972 - July 21, 1972 (Is Camp Upshur still in use?)

In July 1972 after USMC Reserve boot camp…


20081110 Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

Happy Birthday United States Marines

Happy Birthday United States Marines

For Corps and Country
Semper Fi, and as always… check six

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008

Date Signed: 10/10/2008
ALMAR Number: 042/08
R 082000z OCT 08
ALMAR 042/08

MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//

SUBJ/UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008//
POC/SSGT M. BELL/ADMIN CHIEF/UNIT:CMC STAFF GROUP/-
/TEL:(703) 614-2326//

GENTEXT/REMARKS/

1. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1982, IN THE WAKE OF A PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE, MARINES WENT ASHORE AT BEIRUT, LEBANON.

FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER, ON 23 OCTOBER 1983, EXTREMISTS STRUCK THE FIRST MAJOR BLOW AGAINST AMERICAN FORCES - STARTING THIS LONG WAR ON TERRORISM.

ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING, A SUICIDE BOMBER DROVE AN EXPLOSIVE-LADEN TRUCK INTO THE HEADQUARTERS OF BATTALION LANDING TEAM 1/8, DESTROYING THE BUILDING AND KILLING 241 MARINES AND CORPSMEN.

2. EXTREMISTS HAVE ATTACKED OUR NATION, AT HOME AND ABROAD, NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THAT FATEFUL DAY IN BEIRUT.

THEIR AIM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME - TO KILL AS MANY INNOCENT AMERICANS AS POSSIBLE. THE ATTACKS OF 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 CHANGED OUR NATION FOREVER, AND OUR PRESIDENT HAS RESOLVED THAT THIS NATION WILL NOT STAND IDLE WHILE MURDEROUS TERRORISTS PLOT THEIR NEXT STRIKE.

MARINES WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY - HITTING THEM ON THEIR OWN TURF, CRUSHING THEM WHEN THEY SHOW THEMSELVES, AND FINDING THEM WHERE THEY HIDE.

3. ONLY A FEW AMERICANS CHOOSE THE DANGEROUS, BUT NECESSARY, WORK OF FIGHTING OUR NATION'S ENEMIES.

WHEN OUR CHAPTER OF HISTORY IS WRITTEN, IT WILL BE A SAGA OF A SELFLESS GENERATION OF MARINES WHO WERE WILLING TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR NATION; TO DEFEND THOSE WHO COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES; TO THRIVE ON THE HARDSHIP AND SACRIFICE EXPECTED OF AN ELITE WARRIOR CLASS; TO MARCH TO THE SOUNDOF THE GUNS; AND TO ABLY SHOULDER THE LEGACY OF THOSE MARINES WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE.

4. ON OUR 233RD BIRTHDAY, FIRST REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND THOSE "ANGELS" WHO HAVE FALLEN - OUR REPUTATION WAS BUILT ON THEIR SACRIFICES.

REMEMBER OUR FAMILIES; THEY ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES WHOSE SUPPORT AND DEDICATION ALLOW US TO ANSWER OUR NATION'S CALL.

FINALLY, TO ALL MARINES AND SAILORS, KNOW THAT I AM PROUD OF YOU AND WHAT YOU DO.

YOUR SUCCESSES ON THE BATTLEFIELD HAVE ONLY ADDED TO OUR ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY.

GENERAL VICTOR H. "BRUTE" KRULAK SAID IT BEST WHEN HE WROTE, "... THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT NEED A MARINE CORPS ... THE UNITED STATES WANTS A MARINE CORPS." YOUR ACTIONS, IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AND ACROSS THE GLOBE, ARE AT THE CORE OF WHY AMERICA LOVES HER MARINES.

5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES AND SEMPER FIDELIS! JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//

http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/UNITEDSTATESMARINECORPSBIRTHDAYMESSAGE.aspx

20081010 Happy Birthday United States Marines

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

November 9, 2008

Patriotic, misty-eyed and corny about our Election Day

Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...

Junction and Lenny Moore explain what teens are thinking



Published November 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle


On Thursday, Nov. 6, Junction Inc. will host a substance abuse and awareness program sponsored by the Board of County commissioners at 6 p.m....



20081109 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

First Bush-Obama Meeting: Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer

First Bush-Obama Meeting: Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer

As President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama prepare for their post-election meeting at the White House on Monday, memories of their first encounter linger.

Bill Sammon FOXNews.com Sunday, November 09, 2008

President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama are probably hoping their meeting Monday goes better than their first get-together, which left a bad taste in the mouths of both men.

Four years ago, Obama and other newly elected members of the Senate were invited to the White House for a breakfast meeting with Bush, who pulled the young Chicagoan aside.

"Obama!" Bush exclaimed, according to Obama's account of the meeting in his second memoir, "The Audacity of Hope." "Come here and meet Laura. Laura, you remember Obama. We saw him on TV during election night. Beautiful family. And that wife of yours -- that's one impressive lady."

The two men shook hands and then, according to Obama, Bush turned to an aide, "who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president's hand."

Bush then offered some to Obama, who recalled: "Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt."

The president then led Obama off to one side of the room, where Bush said: "I hope you don't mind me giving you a piece of advice."

"Not at all, Mr. President," Obama told the commander-in-chief.

"You've got a bright future," Bush said presciently. "Very bright. But I've been in this town awhile and, let me tell you, it can be tough. When you get a lot of attention like you've been getting, people start gunnin' for ya. And it won't necessarily just be coming from my side, you understand. From yours, too. Everybody'll be waiting for you to slip, know what I mean? So watch yourself."

[…]

I thought I was actually showing some kindness," Bush said indignantly. "And out of that he came with this belief?"

The president added with a bit of a scowl: "He doesn't know me very well." (Ed: My emphasis)

[…]

Remove all heavy and sharp objects from the room and read the entire article… First Bush-Obama Meeting: Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer. It should remind you of the Ann Coulter admonishment – sometimes, you can never be nice to a liberal. Wow, did I ever learn that lesson the hard way…

Bill Sammon is Washington Deputy Managing Editor for FOX News.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/09/bush-obama-meeting-hard-feelings-hand-sanitier/#

20081109 First Bush Obama Meeting Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer

Daily Patio Pic for November 9, 2008

Daily Patio Pic for November 9, 2008

November 9, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

Daily UTR Patio photo

20081109 Daily Patio Pic (3)

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

November 3, 2008

Webmaster’s note: Maryland continues to lose jobs in the private sector because of the state’s well-deserved reputation for being anti-business and tax-hell. Moreover, folks are leaving the state in a tax-flight that shows no abatement in the foreseeable future.

However the article skirts this economic dynamic ever so euphemistically.

It says: “The manufacturing sector, however, continues to disappoint and accounts for increasingly fewer jobs as it continues to shrink. While the loss of these jobs has slowed in the past three years, it remains the biggest economic drag on the state's economy. Maryland is trying to shift from labor-based manufacturing jobs to more science and knowledge-based jobs. But attempts to lure large international corporations have been hurt by the high cost of doing business in the state.

“… For several consecutive years more people have moved out of Maryland than moved in, largely because of people searching for cheaper housing.”

Kevin Dayhoff

A Look at the Old Line State's Economic Issues by BARBARA PAULSEN

The Backyard Economy: Maryland

Nov. 3, 2008

Related: 20081103 Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

Unlike many states, Maryland has historically had a relatively robust and diversified economy that allows it to maintain healthy growth. But the future of Maryland's economy, like that of the nation, is uncertain.

Underpinning its economic diversity is a highly educated workforce — one of the nation's highest ratios of Ph.D. holders — and virtually full employment. There are a large number of well-paying jobs in government, health care and education. The unemployment rate was just 3.6 percent last year, among the nation's lowest. And Maryland ranks fifth in personal income in the nation.

The federal government acts as a stabilizing force in Maryland's economy. "Maryland is blessed by its geography," said Daraius Irani, director of the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University outside Baltimore.

[…]

The manufacturing sector, however, continues to disappoint and accounts for increasingly fewer jobs as it continues to shrink. While the loss of these jobs has slowed in the past three years, it remains the biggest economic drag on the state's economy. Maryland is trying to shift from labor-based manufacturing jobs to more science and knowledge-based jobs. But attempts to lure large international corporations have been hurt by the high cost of doing business in the state.

Housing prices in Maryland are expected to drop more than 10 percent in the next year, slightly less that the national average. For several consecutive years more people have moved out of Maryland than moved in, largely because of people searching for cheaper housing.

Read the entire article here: A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=4804449

20081103 A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

ABC NEWS Business Unit Nov. 3, 2008—

Hat Tip: B5 who lives in Alaska. He suggested that I “Check out this article and then tell me why you aren't considering moving to this great (Republican) State.”

In March, Five States Were in Recession; Now There Are 30, With 19 More at Risk

No state is immune from falling into a recession, except for one: oil-rich Alaska.

What started out as a housing problem in a few states has now exploded into a full-fledged recession, with a majority of states now in or dangerously close to recession.

At the end of September, 30 states were in recession, according to Moody's Economy.com. Back in March, only five states were in recession: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada.

[…]

The just leaves one part of the country -- Alaska -- with a still-expanding economy. (The District of Columbia, with its government and government-related jobs, also still has an expanding economy.)

"There's no way around the map. It says the nation is in recession. The recession is coast to coast," Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com told ABC News recently. "One of the unique features of this downturn is how broad-based it is, regionally."

What happened between March and today?

"The job market has eroded measurably and industrial production has weakened sharply in the last couple of months. Those are the two key things. The other thing is that retail sales have also sharply weakened," Zandi said.

The one bright side is part of the middle of the country. Agriculture and energy are still strong and providing jobs.

[…]

"The exception is the part of the country between the Mississippi River and the Rockies, which is still doing pretty well," he said. "High farm prices are good if you are in Iowa. High oil prices are good if you are in Houston."

Peter Morici, an economics professor at the University of Maryland, said a decline in manufacturing is really hurting the Rust Belt. That said, the economy still is very regional and industry-specific.

[…]

"The state governments are an exercise in irresponsibility. Through the property boom, they enjoyed the increase in people's assessments," Morici said. "They are just not structured to handle the cynical movements in their revenue the way they should be.

"Just like companies, municipalities can behave irresponsibly in good times, not shore up any money for bad times and then go crying to the federal government when they need cash," he added.

Read the entire article here: Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk

ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6158877&page=1

20081103 Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner

Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner

November 6, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

Mr. Moose soaks up some Carroll County history at the annual Historical Society of Carroll County annual dinner and meeting.

20081106 Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

October 31, 2008

After this long campaign season, we have many reasons to celebrate
Published October 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This coming Tuesday is General Election Day, and I hope everyone takes the time to vote. Along with our freedom of speech, the right to vote...

Silvery Moon celebrates auxiliary's golden anniversary
Published October 29, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Fifty years ago on Sept. 2, 1958, the Carroll Hospital Center Auxiliary was officially formed. Its first president was Gladys Wimert. Other community leaders...

William Jennings Bryan was the life of the party in 1900
Published October 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
I was watching the debate the other night -- you know, for the folks who, for some reason, want to be president -- when a...

Seems we're more in a 'Panic' than a 'Depression'
Published October 22, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Anyone remember the Panic of 1907? Well, let me refresh your memory. On Oct. 22, 1907, one of the more dramatic financial failures in American...

We had joy, we had fun, we had sidewalks in the sun
Published October 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE I'm writing this week's column within feet of the Atlantic Ocean in Nags Head, N.C. And I mean, literally, "feet from the ocean."...

Tragedy comes home to Carroll in fallen officers
Published October 15, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Sunday Carroll Eagle
It's a sad fact that five Maryland police officers have died in the line of duty in 2008. But it's a curious fact that four...

Real-life 'Flash of Genius' saw his final days in Sykesville
Published October 12, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The next time you're driving around Carroll County and it starts to drizzle just a tad, but sure to thank your former neighbor,...

A Culinary Experience is food for thought on a tough topic
Published October 8, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle
On Monday, Oct. 13, the Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County will hold its ninth annual "A Culinary Experience," at Martin's Westminster. This is...

Westminster's Clock Tower will stand the test of time
Published October 1, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Ask anyone to name the most cherished landmark in Westminster, and most will say it's the Westminster Clock Tower, which sits atop the old...

http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=1&s=Dayhoff

Pardon my French, but where do these words come from?
Published September 28, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE This week, we visit an event that took place long before Carroll County was formed -- yet affects English speakers worldwide to this...

Time to look toward shaping Westminster's the future
Published September 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
In last week's column I discussed the real challenge facing Westminster as the need for an open community conversation over the growth of city government,...

A few things to chew on as we contemplate Taneytown history
Published September 21, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Sunday we turn our attention to the northern part of Carroll County. For the convenience of folks in south Carroll, though, we'll...

Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile
Published September 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There has been a fair amount of discussion of late regarding published accounts of the June trip by 15 appointed and elected officials from Westminster...

League of extraordinary gentlemen (and women) serving Maryland
Published September 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Between scholarships, the cost of conferences and its plan to create geocache sites in local municipalities, the Maryland Municipal League has been the...

Appreciating the composed chaos of the GOP Convention
Published September 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I spent last week at the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The Xcel Center is a hockey arena...

For many years, the convention 'party' came to Baltimore
Published September 5, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with the Maryland Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention at...

Power of art contributes to a community's vibrancy
Published September 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
This week's column is a bit of a travel log, but one that relates to life here in Westminster. Recently I had an opportunity to...

http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=2&s=Dayhoff

20081031 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns

http://www.kevindayhoff.net/
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr DOT org
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion and Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Daily Photoblog October 28, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

I saw this on a PFG Carroll County Foods truck while driving through Westminster on October 28, 2008. Too funny.

20081028 Happy Halloween

Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot © October 30, 2008 NORFOLK

Related:

Locally, Landmark owns the Carroll County Times in Westminster Maryland.

20080104 Company looks into sales scenarios by Carrie Ann Knauer

Landmark considers possible sale of Pilot, Weather Channel (Jan. 3, 2008)

Weather Channel's profitability is behind sale, says Landmark executive (Jan. 10, 2008)

Arkansas company scouts The Virginian-Pilot, other papers (June 29, 2008)

Weather Channel deal sealed for $3.5 billion to NBC group (July 7, 2008)

Sale of Landmark TV station in Nashville falls through (Oct. 15, 2008)

Full archive on the Landmark Communications sale

Landmark Media Enterprises LLC, citing the "credit crisis," announced Wednesday that it has taken most of its properties, including Dominion Enterprises, off the market. But the company is continuing negotiations to sell The Virginian-Pilot.

"We are having discussions regarding The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies with an interested buyer," Landmark's vice chairman, Richard F. Barry III, said Wednesday. "The buyer is encouraged about obtaining financing."

He declined to identify the prospective buyer or say when he expected the sale to be completed.

The Virginian-Pilot and its affiliates employ about 1,260 people, mostly in Hampton Roads. The Pilot's associated businesses include Web sites such as Pilotonline.com and more than a dozen specialty publications, such as Link, Port Folio Weekly, Inside Business, and newspapers on military bases.

[…]

Newspaper-industry analyst John Morton said he wasn't surprised that Landmark was dropping its plans to sell most of its businesses. He noted that other newspapers remain on the market, including most of Cox Enterprises' publications and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"The market is awash in sellers and no buyers," said Morton, who is based in Silver Spring, Md. "Right now it's the credit, but it wasn't happening before the credit tied up. People are very leery. They're not sure what they should pay or how well the newspapers are going to come out of the recession they've been in."

Facing steep market declines in advertising revenue and circulation, newspapers have lost more than half of their value since 2002, he said.

Landmark officials announced in January that they were looking to sell all of the businesses owned by the privately held media company. They did not offer a reason.

In September, Landmark completed the sale of its most profitable business, The Weather Channel Cos., to NBC Universal and two private-equity firms. The sal e price was not disclosed, but people close to the parties said it was about $3.5 billion.

Two weeks ago, however, Landmark announced that the planned sale of its Nashville television station to Bonten Media Group Inc. of New York had fallen through because of credit-market problems.

Landmark's businesses, minus The Weather Channel Cos., have combined revenues exceeding $1 billion a year, Barry said.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/landmark-suspends-sale-most-assets-not-virginianpilot

20081030 Landmark suspends sale of assets but not the Pilot

Carroll County Times Newspapers In Education Fundraiser November 6 2008

Carroll County Times Newspapers In Education Fundraiser November 6 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

I used the Newspapers in Education curriculum for a “Community Learning Center” after school program I taught for students at risk in 2007.

I taught students to collage their own newspaper by using the print editions of the Carroll County Times.

Don’t tell the students but they did not know that they were being taught remedial reading in the process.

In the past I have supported the program by donating art for the annual auction fundraiser – which this year will be held on November 6th, 2008. See below for more details.

Yesterday, I dropped off art for my contribution for this year.

For more information, call 410-857-8554 and ask for Gwen Welty and tell her that I asked you to call…

This community initiative by the Carroll County is worthy of your support:

Each year the Times holds several major fundraisers to support the NIE program. The largest is the annual Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction in the fall. Gift certificate block sales may be held throughout the year.

Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction

Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction
Thursday, November 6, 2008

B and D Auctions (formerly O'Farrell's Auctions)
435 Sullivan Road
Westminster, MD 21157

Preview and silent auction begins at 5 p.m. Live auction begins at 6 p.m.Hundreds of items and gift certificates will be on the block to benefit local students. Refreshments will be available. Click here to preview a list of auction items.

For information on how to donate to the auction, contact the NIE coordinator at 410-857-8554 or gwen.welty@carrollcountytimes.com.

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and checks payable to Community Foundation of Carroll County/NIE will be accepted. For more information contact the NIE Coordinator at 410-857-8554 or gwen.welty@carrollcountytimes.com.

20081031 CCT NIE Fundraiser Nov 6 2008

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/info/nie/fundraisers/

Forget it, old people. No more TV for you starting in 2009.

Forget it, old people. No more TV for you starting in 2009.



Hat Tip: B5



Cable PSA



Talkshow with Spike Feresten



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20081030 Forget it old people No more TV for you

Washington Post editorial says No to slots … and so do I

Washington Post editorial says No to slots … and so do I

Sunday, October 19, 2008 – October 27, 2008

Hat Tip: Delusional Duck Maryland Southern Maryland

The Washington Post published an editorial on Sunday, October 19, 2008 that argued “No” to slots in the upcoming referendum to be held in Maryland on November 4th, 2008.

I think this is how I will be voting also. In spite of personal reservations about slots; I believe that I could’ve supported some of the formulations offering slots in Maryland under the previous administration.

At least I could’ve closed my eyes, held my breath, pinched my nose, and pushed the green button.

I happen to be old enough to remember slots and members of my family viewed them as harmless entertainment – and by and large, it was just that.

I never saw the ills that slots created for society and yet as I grew older I began to see that slots are a huge potential for harm to the fabric of the community.

Earlier proposals had more benefits than harms. I liked the revenue for agriculture and education and I certainly liked the jobs creation.

However, the current proposal is not very attractive in that there is not enough upside to the proposal to overcome the downside.

Overlooking for the moment that it places slots in the Maryland constitution where it does not belong; it appears that little of the revenue will go to help agriculture, or more specifically, the horse industry; way too little goes to education and too much goes to the general revenue fund coffers of Maryland state government.

Maryland state government already has a pathological spending addiction and the current legislation only fuels the problem as opposed to what a dedicated fund for ag and education would provide.

And there’s the rub.

Anyway, the Washington Post says: No on Maryland Slots:

Voters should oppose a referendum that would bring the machines -- and a host of maladies -- back to the state.

Sunday, October 19, 2008; B06

ON JULY 1, 1968, the last slot machines were wheeled out of the taverns and diners that dotted a stretch of Southern Maryland known as Little Vegas. Maryland banned the machines because they fostered crime and corruption and drained money from the poor. In the 40 years since, the lever on the side of the machine has given way to a button on the front, but the scourges ushered in by slots are the same.

Supporters of a Nov. 4 referendum that would restore slots to Maryland paper over these memories with dollar bills. Slots, they promise, will plug Maryland's $430 million budget gap, revive the faltering horse-racing industry and inject needed cash into schools. Marylanders shouldn't fall for this neon mirage.

[…]

Maryland had the good sense to rid itself of the machines 40 years ago, and voters should continue to resist the glow of slot machines and the false promise of pain-free revenue they represent.

[…]

Read the entire editorial here: No on Maryland Slots

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/18/AR2008101801534.html

20081019 Washington Post editorial says No to slots