Showing posts with label US Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Congress. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The Tentacle: How I learned to love the sequester by Kevin E. Dayhoff Mar 6, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/a4s5zu8


The Tentacle: How I learned to love the sequester by Kevin E. Dayhoff Mar 6, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/a4s5zu8



Last Friday, March 1, the much ballyhooed and overhyped “sequester” of the federal budget began. A key and critical provision of the Budget Control Act of 2011, sequestration was signed into law on August 2, 2011 by President Barack Obama.

In August 2011 “bipartisan majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate voted for sequestration as a mechanism to compel the Congress to act on deficit reduction,” according to a March 1, 2013 Office of Management and Budget memo to Speaker of the House, John A. Boehner (R., OH).

The letter further detailed that “As a result of the Congress's failure to act, the law requires the President to issue a sequestration order today canceling $85 billion in budgetary resources across the Federal Government for FY 2013…”

This latest artificial governance-by-crisis has been unfolding for a number of weeks – err, months… http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5658

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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

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My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Amedori Challenges Fellow Republican Candidates To Join Her Petition To Stop Reconciliation


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 9, 2010

AMEDORI CHALLENGES FELLOW REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES TO JOIN HER PETITION TO STOP RECONCILIATION

(Westminster, MD) Today, Carmen Amedori, Republican candidate for United States Senate in Maryland, called upon her fellow Republican United States Senate candidates to join her online petition asking for Senator Barbara Mikulski to vote no on reconciliation for Obamacare.

“We need to present a united front on the most pressing issue confronting our state and country right now. And that issue is the forcing down our throats of health care reform. I ask my fellow Republican candidates to join with me on sending a message to the incumbent that she should vote no on reconciliation,” said Amedori.

Yesterday Amedori launched an online petition collecting names of people across the states who also want to encourage Mikulski to vote no on reconciliation. “I am pleased with the results so far, but we still need more people to join this effort. It will be close to impossible to turn the clock back if Obamacare is passed. Even with the House and Senate being controlled by Republicans in 2011, the President will still be able to veto any repeals. That’s why Marylanders need to have their voices heard now,” stated Amedori.

Reconciliation is not the method to pass health care reform. This parliamentary maneuver has never been used for such a sweeping piece of legislation,” said Amedori. “The President’s plan for health care reform is seriously flawed. That’s why no one elected Republican Senator will support the legislation.”

Reconciliation has been used 19 times since 1980. 12 of those times the procedure was used to pass omnibus budget bills that had an overwhelming support in the Senate. Only on 2 occasions the budget bills were controversial enough to lack bipartisan support.

“I hope that my fellow candidates will join my effort. This is one of the most important legislative fights in our lifetime. Our differences on other issues should be put aside to send the strongest message possible to the incumbent who is listens more to Harry Reid than the people of Maryland. It is time to put Maryland first. No on reconciliation,” said Amedori.

Amedori thinks that her fellow Republican candidates are not focused on the here and now with the circulation of the unity pledge. “We are facing a massive government takeover of health care and they are talking about unity after the Primary. Let’s be united on an issue that matters,” added Amedori.

People can join Carmen’s effort by visiting www.amedoriforsenate.com/petition.php

Paid for by Carmen Amedori for U.S. Senate

Amedori for U.S. Senate

Amedori for U.S. Senate campaign website: http://www.amedoriforsenate.com/

Amedori for U.S. Senate on Twitter: http://twitter.com/amedori4senate

Amedori for U.S. Senate Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amedori-for-US-Senate/328320241302?v

Contribute online here: https://secure.donortownsquare.com/SSL/donate.aspx?sgst=0&amt=0&ai=1156&qs=PCQ7W

Posts on Carmen Amedori on “Soundtrack”: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/People%20Amedori-Carmen

The Maryland Republican primary election is on September 14, 2010.

March 8, 2010 - AMEDORI: Launches Online Petition to Stop Reconciliation: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/amedori-launches-online-petition-to.html

March 4, 2010 - Carmen Amedori - I am a candidate for the US Senate because: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/carmen-amedori-i-am-candidate-for-us.html

February 25, 2010 - AMEDORI: Health Care Reform Must Address Costs: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/02/amedori-health-care-reform-must-address.html

Labels: Medicine Health Care Reform, People Amedori-Carmen, People Mikulski–Barbara US Senator


http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/amedori-challenges-fellow-republican.html

Medicine Health Care Reform, People Amedori-Carmen, People Mikulski–Barbara US Senator, Pres 2009 44 Obama-Barack, US Congress

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/306622.html

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


*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The multi-turn stop valve

The multi-turn stop valve. The fiscally minded in Washington should never leave home without it. Kevin Dayhoff March 2, 2010 http://tinyurl.com/yaa396m

[20100302 valve] Dayhoff Art, Dayhoff Art political, MD Issues fiscal discipline, US Congress, US Congress fiscal discipline

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/03/multi-turn-stop-valve.html http://tinyurl.com/yaa396m

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/301534.html

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

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Charlie Wilson’s Legacy


Charlie Wilson’s Legacy Wednesday, February 17, 2010 http://www.thetentacle.com/

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3610

Kevin E. Dayhoff

On Sunday, Charlie Wilson, the former 12-term Democrat who represented the 2nd District in East Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 through 1996, was remembered in a memorial service in Texas.

Read the entire column here: Charlie Wilson’s Legacy

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3610

20100217 sdsom TT Charlie Wilsons Legacy ttked

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

John P. Murtha - A Complex and Complicated Life

John P. Murtha - A Complex and Complicated Life

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/12cu3s or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/381452661/john-p-murtha-a-complex-and-complicated-life

The Tentacle www.thetentacle.com: John P. Murtha - A Complex and Complicated Life by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/ygn5cp7

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3598

John P. Murtha, the Democrat congressman from Pennsylvania, died at Virginia Hospital Center Monday at the age of 77 after complications from gall-bladder surgery.

For some, Congressman Murtha burst upon the scene to become a household name and patriot, who spoke ‘truth to power’ against the Iraq war during the administration of President George W. Bush.

For others, Congressman Murtha was a complicated and complex, hypocritical, knee-jerk opportunistic lefty whose ‘principled’ objections to the war on terrorism quickly became irresponsible in tenor and tone.

Exacerbating the criticisms of Congressman Murtha was the perception that he mysteriously lost his voice of opposition to the war efforts once President Barack Obama was sworn into office.

Funny how that happens.

Even The Washington Post, not overwhelmingly known for going out of its way to say anything particularly unkind about Democrats, identified him in its lede as the “master of pork-barrel politics … considered one of the most influential on Capitol Hill,” and “a Vietnam veteran who staunchly supported military spending…”

Mr. Murtha held the seat in Congress from the 12th Congressional District in southwestern Pennsylvania for 19 terms. He first won the seat in a special election in 1974 after Republican Congressman John P. Saylor died in office.

Even a cursory review of his life and accomplishments reveals that Mr. Murtha was a gentleman for whom there is much to be admired and respected.

Certainly not to be overlooked is the fact that Mr. Murtha continued his service to our country by being the first Vietnam veteran to take a seat in Congress.

The road to Vietnam and Congress actually began as far back as the early 1950s.

[…]

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Senator Charles Mathias, a champion of civil rights, dead at 87

By Kevin Dayhoff January 25, 2010

Former Republican U.S. Senator Charles McCurdy (Mac) Mathias has died at the age of 87.

Although he is most remembered for his decades of fervent support for civil rights; he was also know as an advocate for the Chesapeake Bay, against the war in Vietnam, and his repeated clashes with the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

Mathias served in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 6th congressional district, which includes Carroll County, from 1961 to 1969.

Afterwards he served in the U.S. Senate until 1987. He was succeeded by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, who still holds the seat to this day.

He was born into a politically prominent old Maryland family in Frederick on July 24, 1922, where he attended public schools and graduated from Frederick High School in 1939.

He was the son of Charles Mathias, Sr. and Theresa Trail Mathias. Several ancestors in the Mathias family had served in the Maryland General Assembly.

A recent Washington Post tribute noted, “Sen. Mathias's great-grandfather served in the Maryland legislature in the 1860s, and his grandfather was a state senator who campaigned with Theodore Roosevelt. When the future senator was a boy, his father took him to the White House to meet presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.”

He was living in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where his family reported that he died Monday from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Mathias also served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1959 to 1960.

He graduated from Haverford College, Pennsylvania, in 1944; attended Yale University; and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Maryland in 1949

He served in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, from 1942 to 1946. After 1944, he was stationed in the Pacific Ocean theatre of the war and later in Japan, where he personally saw the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after it was destroyed by an atomic bomb.

He returned home after the war and receiving his law degree, briefly practiced law in Frederick. He served as an assistant Maryland Attorney General from 1953 to 1954 and then moved-on to serve as the municipal attorney for the city of Frederick from 1954 to 1959.

It was while he served as the Frederick city attorney that he first developed a reputation as a stalwart advocate for civil rights.

While serving in the Maryland General Assembly in 1959, he worked hard to see that Maryland finally ratified the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Maryland had not ratified the amendment, which gave African-Americans certain rights and privileges after the Civil War, almost 90 years earlier. Maryland was one of several states that did not ratify the amendment in the 1860s.

In 1968, according to multiple sources, including a New York Times tribute: in “his first election, to the Senate … he defeated Daniel Brewster, a Democratic incumbent who was a friend and former classmate at the University of Maryland Law School. Mr. Brewster had been an usher at Mr. Mathias’s wedding in 1958, and Mr. Mathias had been godfather to Mr. Brewster’s son.”

The Washington Post noted that Mathias described “the future of the Republican Party in a 1996 interview with the Baltimore Sun, Sen. Mathias said (at that time): ‘I'd like to think there would be a place for Abraham Lincoln, a place for Theodore Roosevelt, a place for Dwight D. Eisenhower. If there's a place for them, I'd like to think I could find a small niche.’

“In 2002, Sen. Mathias announced his opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and in 2008 he wrote an article for The Washington Post endorsing the presidential candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Ann Bradford Mathias of Chevy Chase; two sons, Charles B. Mathias and Robert F. Mathias of the District. Other survivors include a sister, Theresa M. Michel of Frederick; a brother, Edward Trail Mathias of Baltimore; and two granddaughters.”

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/


*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

This week in The Tentacle


Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Taxing Dilemma of 2010
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As we ponder the past year and look forward to 2010 with great trepidation, so far there has been little mentioned about what Congress will do with the temporary tax cuts enacted during the administration of George W. Bush that are scheduled to expire at the end of the coming year?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Why So Much Anger?
Roy Meachum
His name does not come to mind, nor his party; a man observed the anger on today’s Capitol Hill is greater than the Civil War run-up when congressmen beat and struck each other. In at least one case, a legislator was “called out,” invited to duel for words said on the floor.

A Man of Integrity – or Not…
Farrell Keough
While this should be a time of writing about family traditions or various ideas for the New Year, another pressing issue has arisen that requires our immediate attention. Del. Rick Weldon, (3B) has announced he will not complete his term, hence a replacement must be chosen by the Frederick and Washington County Republican Central Committees.

Monday, December 28, 2009
Midnight Voting
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
The United States Senate, arguably one of the most revered and venerated deliberative bodies in the world, is holding midnight voting sessions on a bill that will impact a major share of the national economy.

What’s In and What’s Out – 2010 Edition
Steven R. Berryman
It is my distinct honor and pleasure to pass judgments for you once again on changes, transitions, and trends spanning this New Years period. So, after some not-so-insignificant pondering:

While The Cat’s Away…
Michael Kurtianyk
In case you missed it, there is an empty seat in the House of Delegates. Yes! Now former Del. Rick Weldon, who represented his constituents (southern Frederick and Washington Counties), has accepted the role as City of Frederick’s chief administrative officer. So, the Frederick and Washington County Republican Central Committees must choose from the top three candidates put forth by a nominating committee…

“… I view Katie Nash as the best candidate. She knows the issues and what is important to the county. She was impressive on Pressing Issues as a fellow panelist… She will bring a fresh perspective and a much-needed boost of energy to her constituents…” (I could not agree more – Kevin Dayhoff) http://thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3531

Friday, December 25, 2009
Frederick Children
Roy Meachum
These observations appeared in my Frederick News-Post column the December sleigh bells-bedecked horses pulled wagons through downtown streets; a spectacle that had disappeared several decades before. It was also the season when my column first appeared.

Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Again…
Patricia A. Kelly
It comes every year, whether we’re ready or not. We rush around, decorating, buying gifts, partying, bulging and dazed from excessive eating and drinking. We whine to each other about how tired we are, at least women do. What’s up?

“I wonder as I wander…”
Tony Soltero
It's Christmas Eve. I'm not in a particularly political mood today. So let me just state, very quickly, that this health-care reform bill is better than nothing, but it's pretty weak tea, and doesn't do a thing to establish any competition for the private insurance industry, which is the root of the problem with our health-care system.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Lottery – Congressional Style
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Monday was the darkest day of the year and that’s not just because the ignoramus, cataclysmic, health care reform bill in Congress passed another procedural test just minutes after 1 A.M. in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 60 Democrats to 40 Republicans.

Tom Takes a Wife – Part 2
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Malaysia – A beautiful woman sleeping next to me! I had to pinch myself to make sure this was real. Yes, this incredible sensitive being was my wife in a slumber reminiscent of an angel minus the wings. Or maybe she had them stored some place in a closet.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Mice in My Kitchen
Roy Meachum
Pushkin and I live in an about 250-year-old house; built entirely of logs down to its foundation, walkers-by can’t see that. The front on North Market Street was added in the early 19th century, sometime before pocket doors were invented. The older part was then covered with bricks to match the new addition.

And with good reason …. Part 2
Nick Diaz
In my last column, I confessed of being one of those radical Cuban exiles who strongly oppose the resumption of trade with the repressive regime that has enslaved my native land for well over half a century. Those well-meaning people who continue to chant the left-wing mantra that “the embargo has not worked” are the same ones who continue to be laughed at by the Castro brothers and their minions, in Roadrunner “Beep-beep” fashion.

Monday, December 21, 2009
Citizens For Walkersville – Postscript
Steven R. Berryman

With little fanfare or media coverage, last Friday around noon, the last chapter of the “Citizens for Walkersville” saga ended with the sale of the old Nicodemus Farm to the Town of Walkersville.

Another Tangled Web...
Michael Kurtianyk
This is, in a word, sad. Why is it that the Board of County Commissioners continues to create an adversarial relationship with the municipalities? It’s ridiculous that dealings have become so strained that the only way to communicate with our county leaders is through lawsuits?

Congratulations to soon-to-be former Delegate Rick Weldon for accepting the role as the City of Frederick’s chief administrative officer. … but it seems like a sort of homecoming for him, as he worked in City Hall during the Jim Grimes administration. This is a great move for everyone. (Congratulations to Delegate Weldon – he will do a great job for Frederick. – Kevin Dayhoff)

20091230 sdosm This week in The Tentacle
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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Friday, May 1, 2009

House Republican Whip Cantor speaks at Frederick Dinner by Meg Tully


I attended this dinner with six of my “The Tentacle” colleagues and this was a super event. Ms. Tully has done a great job of capturing it in print. I will post pictures later…

U S House Republican Whip: 'This country needs us' Originally published in the Frederick News-Post April 30, 2009 By Meg Tully News-Post Staff

U.S. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor urged Frederick Republicans to go forward as party leaders and focus on winning the midterm election in 2010.

"This country needs us as a check and a balance on the complete reign of power that is going on in Washington right now," Cantor said.

The Virginia representative spoke to about 240 people gathered for the annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner at Dutch's Daughter restaurant Wednesday night. The dinner is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the
Frederick County Republican Central Committee.

Speaking about an hour before President Barack Obama held his own news conference in Washington, Cantor called several policies being enacted as divergent from Republican values, including the budget conference report adopted earlier in the day.

Calling the economy the top issue facing the nation, Cantor said Democrats think expanding the government will solve the country's woes.

"We've got our president deciding who to hire and who to fire as CEO of an auto company," Cantor said. "Now where has this country gone if this is where we are?"

[…]

Frederick County Republican Central Committee chairwoman Kelly Schulz was encouraged by Cantor's message.

[…]

Delegate Paul Stull was given the organization's first Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as a member of the central committee and then in the House of Delegates.


Read Ms. Tully’s entire article here: U S House Republican Whip: 'This country needs us'

20090430 SDOSM House Rep Whip Cantor speaks at Fred Dinner

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display_comments.htm?StoryID=89622#postComments

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net


Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The automakers in your grill for a bailout

The automakers in your grill for a bailout

November 23, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

In the 1890s, William (Billy) C. Durant, a high school dropout and grandson of Michigan Governor Henry H. Crapo, manufactured horse drawn wagons in Flint, Michigan.

By September 16, 1908, 100 years ago, he had plowed headfirst into the horseless-carriage business and formed General Motors (GM) as a holding company on for Buick.

He subsequently took on overwhelming debt by purchasing the manufacturers of Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore, and Oakland. Greatly overextended, after a dramatic drop in automobile sales, Mr. Durant lost control of the company in 1910 to one of the many powerful bankers’ trusts of the time.

Undaunted, Mr. Durant, went on to form the automobile manufacturer Chevrolet by forming a partnership with Louis Chevrolet and through a series of events involving intrigue and the force of his will; he regained control of GM - only to lose it again, for good after another downturn in the market.

A quarter of a century later, the United Auto Workers was founded in May 1935, during the depths of the Great Depression. Within two years, it gained recognition and clout by a series of strikes against GM and Chrysler. It would be six difficult years before it gained collective bargaining rights from Ford, in 1941.

A hundred years after the formation of the model of automobile manufacturing began in 1908, the management of the “Detroit Three,” Ford, GM and Chrysler, have essentially lost control of their destinies - and companies to the United Auto Workers (UAW.)

The day after the November 4th, presidential election which swept the Democrat Party’s nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama into office and cemented a firm control over Congress, the Detroit Three and the UAW asked to be rewarded for their support by asking for a $25 billion bailout.

Various estimates run as high as $80 million to be the amount of money that the UAW alone raised for now President-elect Obama.

This comes as our nation’s taxpayers are still reeling from the passage of the $700 billion bank bailout in order to reward august financial leaders and conglomerates who behaved badly.

After decades of being blackmailed with the threat of crippling union strikes, the Detroit Three finds itself with uncompetitive work rules. It manufactures products which continue to languish with the perception that they lack the quality of its competitors. It offers vehicle models of which the American consumer has no interest. It makes these products with enormously uncompetitive salaries and benefits and now, the American taxpayers are being charged to bail them out.

No, I’m not making this up and this is not a script from “Saturday Night Live.” It’s real.

However, if you will recall, this is the same union that went on strike a year ago, in September 2007. According to a CBS news account: “While the strike may look like a test of wills, it is really a portrait of weakness, on both sides, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

“GM hasn't had a profit since 2004. It lost $12 billion over the last two years. And while it's making profits this year, they're coming from sales abroad, not here. For the UAW, it's lost 150,000 jobs at GM over the last 10 years amid repeated rounds of concessions, adds Reynolds.”

A year later, the Detroit Three expects the American taxpayer to reward this lunacy by bailing them out. Now that the Democrat Party is relishing being fully in charge of the Oval Office, a majority of the governorships, and both houses of congress, it did not take them long to put the election rhetoric aside.

Recently columnist Charles Krauthammer observed that saving “Detroit means saving it from bankruptcy. As we have seen with the airlines, bankruptcy can allow operations to continue while helping shed fatally unsupportable obligations.

“For Detroit, this means release from ruinous wage deals with their astronomical benefits (the hourly cost of a Big Three worker: $73; of an American worker for Toyota: $48), massive pension obligations, and unworkable work rules such as ‘job banks,’ a euphemism for paying vast numbers of employees not to work.

To revisit what I wrote in another column in “The Tentacle” on November 19, 2008; according to a recent International Herald Tribune news account: “The big U.S. companies employ about 240,000 workers and their suppliers an additional 2.3 million, amounting to nearly 2 percent of the nation's work force.

“The outright failure of General Motors would eliminate the biggest auto employer and more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs. That is about the number of jobs already lost this year at U.S. automakers and their suppliers.

“But many industry experts say the big foreign makers are established enough to take control of the industry and its vast supplier network more quickly than is widely understood.”

Underreported in the last several weeks has been the fact that the auto manufacturers in right-to-work states in the south are not clamoring for a bailout.

According to Mr. Thomas: James Sherk of The Heritage Foundation reports that these Japanese car companies provide their employees with good jobs at good wages: “The typical hourly employee at a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan plant in America makes almost $100,000 a year in wages and benefits, before overtime.”

In the end, the $50 billion corporate welfare, that Congress is asking the American taxpayer to reward the union and corporate leadership for decades of failed leadership, would be better spent on providing support, training and educational benefits to be directed to the American workers affected by the reorganization of the Detroit Three.

Against the backdrop of the Detroit Three threatening the end of the financial and manufacturing world as we know it; the clamor in Washington to reward the bad behavior of the Detroit Three has resulted in the further deterioration of whatever confidence Americans had left in either the government or the corporate captains of finance and industry.

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20081201 The automakers in your grill for a bailout

The automakers in your grill for a bailout

The automakers in your grill for a bailout

November 23, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

In the 1890s, William (Billy) C. Durant, a high school dropout and grandson of Michigan Governor Henry H. Crapo, manufactured horse drawn wagons in Flint, Michigan.

By September 16, 1908, 100 years ago, he had plowed headfirst into the horseless-carriage business and formed General Motors (GM) as a holding company on for Buick.

He subsequently took on overwhelming debt by purchasing the manufacturers of Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore, and Oakland. Greatly overextended, after a dramatic drop in automobile sales, Mr. Durant lost control of the company in 1910 to one of the many powerful bankers’ trusts of the time.

Undaunted, Mr. Durant, went on to form the automobile manufacturer Chevrolet by forming a partnership with Louis Chevrolet and through a series of events involving intrigue and the force of his will; he regained control of GM - only to lose it again, for good after another downturn in the market.

A quarter of a century later, the United Auto Workers was founded in May 1935, during the depths of the Great Depression. Within two years, it gained recognition and clout by a series of strikes against GM and Chrysler. It would be six difficult years before it gained collective bargaining rights from Ford, in 1941.

A hundred years after the formation of the model of automobile manufacturing began in 1908, the management of the “Detroit Three,” Ford, GM and Chrysler, have essentially lost control of their destinies - and companies to the United Auto Workers (UAW.)

The day after the November 4th, presidential election which swept the Democrat Party’s nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama into office and cemented a firm control over Congress, the Detroit Three and the UAW asked to be rewarded for their support by asking for a $25 billion bailout.

Various estimates run as high as $80 million to be the amount of money that the UAW alone raised for now President-elect Obama.

This comes as our nation’s taxpayers are still reeling from the passage of the $700 billion bank bailout in order to reward august financial leaders and conglomerates who behaved badly.

After decades of being blackmailed with the threat of crippling union strikes, the Detroit Three finds itself with uncompetitive work rules. It manufactures products which continue to languish with the perception that they lack the quality of its competitors. It offers vehicle models of which the American consumer has no interest. It makes these products with enormously uncompetitive salaries and benefits and now, the American taxpayers are being charged to bail them out.

No, I’m not making this up and this is not a script from “Saturday Night Live.” It’s real.

However, if you will recall, this is the same union that went on strike a year ago, in September 2007. According to a CBS news account: “While the strike may look like a test of wills, it is really a portrait of weakness, on both sides, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

“GM hasn't had a profit since 2004. It lost $12 billion over the last two years. And while it's making profits this year, they're coming from sales abroad, not here. For the UAW, it's lost 150,000 jobs at GM over the last 10 years amid repeated rounds of concessions, adds Reynolds.”

A year later, the Detroit Three expects the American taxpayer to reward this lunacy by bailing them out. Now that the Democrat Party is relishing being fully in charge of the Oval Office, a majority of the governorships, and both houses of congress, it did not take them long to put the election rhetoric aside.

Recently columnist Charles Krauthammer observed that saving “Detroit means saving it from bankruptcy. As we have seen with the airlines, bankruptcy can allow operations to continue while helping shed fatally unsupportable obligations.

“For Detroit, this means release from ruinous wage deals with their astronomical benefits (the hourly cost of a Big Three worker: $73; of an American worker for Toyota: $48), massive pension obligations, and unworkable work rules such as ‘job banks,’ a euphemism for paying vast numbers of employees not to work.

To revisit what I wrote in another column in “The Tentacle” on November 19, 2008; according to a recent International Herald Tribune news account: “The big U.S. companies employ about 240,000 workers and their suppliers an additional 2.3 million, amounting to nearly 2 percent of the nation's work force.

“The outright failure of General Motors would eliminate the biggest auto employer and more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs. That is about the number of jobs already lost this year at U.S. automakers and their suppliers.

“But many industry experts say the big foreign makers are established enough to take control of the industry and its vast supplier network more quickly than is widely understood.”

Underreported in the last several weeks has been the fact that the auto manufacturers in right-to-work states in the south are not clamoring for a bailout.

According to Mr. Thomas: James Sherk of The Heritage Foundation reports that these Japanese car companies provide their employees with good jobs at good wages: “The typical hourly employee at a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan plant in America makes almost $100,000 a year in wages and benefits, before overtime.”

In the end, the $50 billion corporate welfare, that Congress is asking the American taxpayer to reward the union and corporate leadership for decades of failed leadership, would be better spent on providing support, training and educational benefits to be directed to the American workers affected by the reorganization of the Detroit Three.

Against the backdrop of the Detroit Three threatening the end of the financial and manufacturing world as we know it; the clamor in Washington to reward the bad behavior of the Detroit Three has resulted in the further deterioration of whatever confidence Americans had left in either the government or the corporate captains of finance and industry.

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20081201 The automakers in your grill for a bailout

Kevin Dayhoff Westgov.Net: Westminster Maryland Online

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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

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

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

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

Thursday, November 6, 2008

This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
It’s the Congress, Stupid!
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When historians look back on the 670-day, $2.5 billion 2008 presidential campaign, the observations, analysis, second-guessing, and finger pointing will fill volumes. In the end, it was once again, “the economy, stupid” that ruled the day.


A Tale of Two Campaigns
Tom McLaughlin
This election, I was proud to be a part of two Democratic congressional campaigns. The First District in Maryland, mostly on the Eastern Shore, was where I lived while in Ocean City. I moved to the Sixth District when I relocated to Middletown.


Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Long, Messy Campaign
Roy Meachum
Today arrives as Boxing Day for Christmas and Ash Wednesday for Mardi Gras. Take your pick. The presidential campaign for all intents and purposes ended yesterday. The number of voters who might be persuaded by last minute exhortations is certainly miniscule.


Local Issues ARE Important, Too
Farrell Keough
What an interesting time slot to post a column. Today we engage in one of our most auspicious rights – the ability to vote for our representatives. Good luck!


Monday, November 3, 2008
The Big Non-Surprise
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Former Secretary of State and highly decorated U.S. Army Gen. Colin Powell, a registered Republican, rocked the political establishment recently. On NBC's Meet the Press, General Powell revealed that he is abandoning his political party and endorsing Sen. Barack Obama, for President of The United States.


Predicting The Result
Steven R. Berryman
I have no crystal ball, but considering the events upcoming on Election Day, I feel compelled to prognosticate aloud. John McCain and Sarah Palin will be your next president and vice president of the United States of America. And here’s why:


It’s Your Choice – Part 3
Bill Brosius
We’ve seen the Reverend Wright rant “God damn America” on TV; seen his contempt for and hatred of America, and of whites. He preached: “America is a country run by rich white men.” You could not more succinctly combine racism, contempt of those hard workers who accumulate wealth, and socialism in fewer words.


Friday, October 31, 2008
Taking Race for Congress Seriously
Roy Meachum
A Frederick businessman – and fellow Democrat – this week told me a story about the former mayor. Failing to be heard with orders that city workers should not show up at his place, buy sandwiches and drive away, Jennifer Dougherty proceeded to patrol his parking lot.


Welfare Checks and Military Disintegration
Joe Charlebois
Ninety-five percent of taxpayers won't see tax increases, astounding! Ninety-five percent of Americans will receive a tax cut, amazing! Only 60% of Americans pay income taxes. What?


Just Say “NO” to Slots
Kevin E. Dayhoff
There are two constitutional questions on the ballot next Tuesday. I will be voting “NO” on both. Question 2 will amend the state constitution to allow slots. Question 1 would amend the Maryland Constitution to allow early voting in Maryland.


It’s Your Choice – Part 2
Bill Brosius
Senator Obama’s formative childhood years were unsettling and disruptive. (Words in quotes in this section are copied from “Dreams From My Father,” written by Senator Obama).


Making My Selection…
Derek Shackelford
There are currently six candidates vying for the President of the United States. Two of the candidates have garnered much of the national media attention and are a part of the two primary political parties.


Thursday, October 30, 2008
Another Round of Greatness…
Tony Soltero
Eight years ago, America was finishing up one of the best decades in the nation's history. We were at peace – after waging a successful war of liberation in the Balkans, a war in which no Americans lost their lives in combat.


My Choice and Why
Patricia A. Kelly
I was asked some time ago to contribute a column on a political candidate and why he or she should be chosen. The request was to make it positive, without the “why not to vote for” usually associated with political arguments.


It’s Your Choice – Part 1
Bill Brosius
Illinois Senator Barack Obama is a convincing, charming, silver-tongued man; few are better orators. He quickly gains the confidence of trusting people who cannot believe that he would obfuscate, and thus befuddle those who do not dig deeply into his jargon to clarify meaning.


Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Vote “NO” on Early Voting
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On Election Day November 4, there are two statewide questions on the ballot to amend the Maryland constitutional. I will be voting NO on both questions.


To Thine Own Self Be True
Tom McLaughlin
I am a Democrat and support Jennifer Dougherty and Barack Obama. I would support the Democratic ticket if the devil himself were on it. I am sure there are Republicans who feel the same way.


Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Election Worry
Roy Meachum
Readers may recall I take a certain pride in making up my mind well in advance about election personalities and issues. Not always, helas! This resolution on slot machines remains unresolved for me. I suspect I'm not alone. Please allow me to point out personal problems.


Unqualified To Be President – Part 2
Maude Franceschina
In yesterday’s column, I recited a litany of reasons Sen. Barack Obama is unqualified to be President of The United States. Today I’ll expand on that.

http://www.thetentacle.com/
20081105 This week in The Tentacle

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Tapscott's Copy Desk: Comparison of original Paulson bailout to compromise proposal

Tapscott's Copy Desk: Comparison of original Paulson bailout to compromise proposal



More from Tapscott's Copy Desk RSS Feed



POSTED September 28, 2008



House Republican Whip Roy Blunt's office provides this side-by-side comparison of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's original Wall Street bailout proposal with the final compromise agreed to over the weekend by congressional and Treasury negotiators:



Click here: Side-by-Side Comparison of Rescue Legislation on Tapscott's Copy Desk



http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/TapscottsCopyDesk/Comparison_of_original_Paulson_bailout_to_compromise_proposal.html

20080928 Tapscott: Comparison original Paulson bailout to compromise prop