Showing posts with label Bus Econ 2009 Econ Stimulus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bus Econ 2009 Econ Stimulus. Show all posts

Thursday, October 29, 2009

News brief: Westminster to get fed stimulus grant, names arts task force

Westminster to get fed stimulus grant names arts task force http://tinyurl.com/ygpgt76

Photo caption: Westminster director of public works Jeff Glass explains
Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/nd594 or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/226742793/westminster-director-of-public-works-jeff-glass

Westminster director of public works, Jeff Glass, explained the Westminster water department water meter replacement initiative at the Monday, October 26, 2009 meeting of the Westminster MD mayor and Common Council meeting at Westminster city hall. October 26, 2009 photo by Kevin Dayhoff [20091026 CowMCC Mtg (11)eGlass]

Westminster to get federal stimulus grant and names arts and culture task force

By Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster announced at last Monday night’s mayor and Common Council meeting, that skillful navigation of a “sea of paperwork” enabled the city to double a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – “ARRA” federal stimulus funds, to replace aging water meters throughout town.

Westminster director of public works, Jeff Glass, explained at the meeting that last May the city applied for a grant 2009 in the amount of $400,000 for water meter replacements.

The grant application process was complicated. “To our credit we met the deadlines… To our credit others did not,” explained Glass. As a result, “the City’s grant was increased to $821,200 which is sufficient to install ‘wireless’ read capable meters for the remainder of the City’s meter inventory and cover all costs associated with the project such as required advertisement etc...,” said Glass with visible pride.

The bidding process was performed in August and September; and the Maryland Department of the Environment signed off on the project on October 13. Glass presented the council with a proposal to approve a winning bid from Ben Franklin/PHS Burgemeister Bell, Inc. in the amount of $817,139.19 to complete the water system upgrade.

Just before the council voted to approve the project, council president Damian Halstad said that the grant will “go a long way in our budget process… It is always nice to ask for $400,000 and get $800,000.”

Under new business councilman Greg Pecoraro gave a detailed six-month status report on the findings of the Tri-Street Advisory Committee.

The committee had been established by the city “on August 25, 2008 to address neighborhood issues and concerns in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue, Union Street and West Main Street, with the objective of creating an action plan for improvement,” explained Pecoraro.

One of the recommendations acted-on by the council at the end of Pecoraro’s report was “under the goal of building economic vitality.

“The report recommended the creation of a task force of representatives from the City, Carroll County Arts Council, Tri-Street Area Advisory Committee, property owners, artisans and others, to be called the ‘Arts and Culture Task Force,’ to develop an ‘arts, culture and small business overlay zone’ for the Tri-Street neighborhood. The report urged the task force to focus on the Carroll Arts Center as a critical anchor in the Tri-Street neighborhood.”

For more, read the Nov. 1 edition of the Carroll Eagle http://www.explorecarroll.com/

Read the Westminster press release on the water meter replacement project pasted below:

MEMORANDUM

TO: The Mayor and Common Council

FROM: Jeffery D. Glass, Director of Public Works

DATE: October 21, 2009

RE: Water Meter Replacement Project- ARRA Stimulus Funds

The Department of Public Works applied for a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Funds) in May 2009 in the amount of $400,000 for water meter replacements.

Due to the complicated nature of requirements and stringent deadlines, a number of applicants were culled from the initial applications. This decrease in applicants provided an increase in available funding available to the City.

As a result, the City’s grant was increased to $821,200 which is sufficient to install “wireless” read capable meters for the remainder of the City’s meter inventory and cover all costs associated with the project such as required advertisement etc.

This project was put out to bid on August 12th, 2009. Three bids were received, opened and read aloud on September 8th, 2009. The bids ranged from $817,139.19 to$1,043,752.00 with one bid disqualification. The apparent low bidder was Benjamin Franklin/PHS Burgemeister Bell, Inc. This bid was reviewed by staff and found to be complete and acceptable for forwarding to MDE for review.

The City received a letter of confirmation from MDE on October 13 2009, which acknowledges the review and approval of the project, which in general terms provides the green light to proceed. The next step is to provide the notice of award to Ben Franklin, the low bidder

I recommend The Mayor and Common Council accept the bid of Ben Franklin/PHS Burgemeister Bell, Inc. in the amount of $817,139.19 to complete the Water meter Replacement Project. This action will allow Notice of Award, and Contractual Documents to be executed.


20091026 sdosm d4 Westminster to get fed stimulus grant
*****

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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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, May 21, 2009

Why Krugman Is a Thorn in (Everyone's) Side


Why Krugman Is a Thorn in Obama's Side

May 21, 2009 by Chosun Ilbo columnist Kim Ki-cheon

Newsweek magazine in a cover story entitled "Obama's Nobel Headache" describes the embarrassment to the U.S. president from a series of scathing criticism from last year's Nobel laureate in economics Paul Krugman. Krugman has slammed the U.S. government's bank bailout plan as paying "cash for trash." He lambasted the so-called "stress test," which gauged the financial health of major financial institutions, as coming close to fraud.

Krugman is a natural rebel…

[…]

Yet Krugman was also the scourge of the Bush administration.

[…]

Some accuse him of being "an economist who died 10 years ago," claiming he has been more interested in inflammatory politics than research ever since he began writing the New York Times column in 1999.

[…]

In an international seminar in Seoul a few days ago, Krugman once again offered a pessimistic view, saying the global economy has just emerged from intensive care. Then when will it end? A hint comes from a comment posted on his blog in the New York Times. "We will know when the economic crisis is over when we no longer see Krugman everywhere."


The entire column is a must quick read. Find it here: Why Krugman Is a Thorn in Obama's Side

By Chosun Ilbo columnist Kim Ki-cheon

englishnews@chosun.com / May 21, 2009 12:00 KST


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

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff


My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff

May 13, 2009

On January 24, 2009 I posted “My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff.”

Recently several folks have asked that I update the list. Here you go:

May 6, 2009
Planned obedience…or else
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As of last week it appears that a marriage between Chrysler and Fiat SpA may eventually happen; this in spite of the few reports that surfaced recently that the marriage was off once Fiat realized the extent that Chrysler’s labor contracts were, how shall we say politely, less than helpful. Gee…

April 8, 2009
Thanks, but no thanks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
An opinion piece appeared in The Wall Street Journal last Sunday, relatively unnoticed except by economics geeks, citing the growing trend among banks that accepted Troubled Asset Relief Program –TARP – money who are begging the government to take the money back.

April 1, 2009
And Atlas Wept
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In a move that has given many pause, last Sunday the administration of President Barack Obama ventured boldly into the latest worrisome intrusion into the nation’s private sector by firing Rick Wagoner, General Motors’ chief executive officer.

March 18, 2009
Think Globally, Bank Locally
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If you are banking with any of the ginormous intergalactic financial institutions that are at the center of the current financial crisis, then you are part of the problem.

February 11, 2009
Political Heresy and Unvarnished Truth
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Yesterday, in 1899, the future 31st president of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover, married Lou Henry in Monterey, CA. Happy anniversary, Mr. President.

February 4, 2009
When Stimulus Ain’t
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed its $819 billion version of the economic stimulus package by a vote of 244 to 188. Not a single Republican voted for the measure – for good reason.

And on January 24, 2009 I posted:

My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff: http://tinyurl.com/c9tqrh

October 3, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On May 13, 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama compared the current housing crisis in the U.S. to the Great Depression in a campaign stop in Missouri.


October 2, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
For several weeks the nation and the world have been watching the financial news emanating from Washington and Wall Street with that “deer in headlights” look as everyone holds their breath in disbelief and worries another shoe will drop.


October 1, 2008
Congress and the Rattlesnake – Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In response to the increasing wrath of the American voter, the U.S. House of Representatives came to its senses on Monday and voted 288 to 205 to kill the rash and ill-conceived proposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.


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.


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.


November 26, 2008
“The Eight Years War”
Kevin E. Dayhoff
At high noon on Monday, amid cries of alarm that this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, President-elect Barack Obama rolled out his all-star economic team and a call for an economic stimulus package that could cost as much as $1 trillion.

20090124 my recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy

Kevin Dayhoff
E-mail him at: kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com
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20090513 SDOSM My recent columns in TT on the economy by KED
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

This week in The Tentacle


This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The First Summer
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As the first summer approaches following the departure from the White House of President George W. Bush, I am reminded of the story that in the first summer after President Harry Truman left office, he took a road trip with his family in which he visited Frederick.

A Malay Wedding – Part One
Tom McLaughlin
Seremban, Malaysia – Three months before the wedding-I had returned to Malaysia after a 35-year absence, a former Peace Corps Volunteer. A couple of phone calls put me in touch with my kampung folks and a joyful reunion ensued.

Bob Dylan: An Appreciation
Michael Kurtianyk
I’m not sure when I first heard Bob Dylan. My guess would be at home on the radio hearing “Blowin in the Wind,” or “Like a Rolling Stone.” Growing up, my musical tastes veered toward what today would be called “Classic Rock” or “AOR (“Album-Oriented Rock”).

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Naming a Puppy
Roy Meachum
One survey shows 21 percent of respondents object to the name (Bo) the Obama girls have chosen for their new Portuguese Water Dog puppy. Of course, it's plain dumb for any survey to ask. But, good grief! – one in five object to the name!

Advice from The Voice of Experience – Part 2
Nick Diaz
In my last installment on http://www.thetentacle.com/, I started giving readers, potential motorcyclists all, some advice on buying good, used, cheap motorcycles. I stressed the importance of doing one’s “homework,” which means thinking things over as one finds out about the various types, models, and brands of motorcycles available.

Monday, April 13, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 11
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
A race worth saving? No, this is not some deep philosophical question about the future of mankind. The race is the Preakness, and the question relates more to the last minute effort to avoid a potential bankruptcy sale.

About the Net
Steven R. Berryman
What the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), once contrived to connect university research scientists to each other in the course of their daily work, has now become the world’s greatest tool, toy, and liability – our Internet.

Friday, April 10, 2009
Sons of Liberty – Then and Now
Joe Charlebois
A little over 235 years ago, the Sons of Liberty organized a protest – led by Samuel Adams of the New England resistance. He called a meeting near Boston Harbor to protest Gov. Thomas Hutchison’s refusal to allow several ships laden with East India Company tea to return to England without first unloading its cargo and paying the subsequent import duty.

Thursday, April 9, 2009
Huh, Hell! Pay Attention!
Chris Cavey
Government grows in size and power at an inverse proportion to the apathy and non-participation of citizens. The Maryland General Assembly is proof positive of this theory because they are left to run amok, conjuring and contemplating changes in law that effects your life.

Enough with the Threats
Joan McIntyre
We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more. Don’t believe me; take a look at the Letters to the Editors, forums, radio, and other columnists for yourself.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thanks, but no thanks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
An opinion piece appeared in The Wall Street Journal last Sunday, relatively unnoticed except by economics geeks, citing the growing trend among banks that accepted Troubled Asset Relief Program –TARP – money who are begging the government to take the money back.

Tom of the Apes
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Indonesia – Twenty-five orangutans inhabit the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, about 45 minutes from my condo here. I only got to know three of them.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Saga Continues…
Farrell Keough
A sad situation is unfolding in our local Republican Party. I very much cherish and respect our party, and it is due to that regard that I feel it is important to let you know the situation. You can make up your mind as to how you believe this should play out.

Hope Springs Eternal
Michael Kurtianyk
Isn’t it crazy how each spring, when the weather turns warmer and the sun comes out, our spirits rise along with the blossoms? We survived another winter – its cold spells, its dreariness, the ever-present winds. We built snowmen, slid down hills, stayed home from school, took liberal leave from work, and cozied up next to our fires.

Monday, April 6, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 10
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
One week left, and the plate’s still pretty full. Major issues remain to be settled, yet the 426th Session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourns Sine Die a week from today.

Our ‘Apologist-in-Chief”
Steven R. Berryman
News of the demise of America has been greatly exaggerated. Alas, one would never know it, though, as President Barack Obama disgorged his political capital recently on the tail end of the G20 economic summit.

20090415 This week in The Tentacle
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009

Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009

I am re-posting this flyer for the Westminster Tea Party scheduled at Legend’s Café in Westminster
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Beginning at 6:30


Because my previous post included an incorrect date. (I have simply corrected that post to reflect the correct date: Wednesday, April 15, 2009)

_____

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Calling all Taxpayers!

Tired of government spending out of control?
Come voice your dissatisfaction &

Defend the Constitution!

Tea Party at Legend’s Café in Westminster
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Beginning at 6:30

Bring tea bags and a few stamped envelopes;
address labels for all levels of our government will be provided.
Bring an appropriate sign to wave at traffic on route 140.

Sponsored by the Central Carroll Republican Club.
ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Party affiliation is of no issue, we’re all taxpayers!

Questions? Call Michelle Jefferson at 410.259.2102
Please arrive sooner if you’d like to order dinner off the menu

20090415 SDOSM Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

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

Recent The Tentacle columns by Kevin Dayhoff


Recent The Tentacle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

April 8, 2009
Thanks, but no thanks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
An opinion piece appeared in The Wall Street Journal last Sunday, relatively unnoticed except by economics geeks, citing the growing trend among banks that accepted Troubled Asset Relief Program –TARP – money who are begging the government to take the money back.

April 1, 2009
And Atlas Wept
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In a move that has given many pause, last Sunday the administration of President Barack Obama ventured boldly into the latest worrisome intrusion into the nation’s private sector by firing Rick Wagoner, General Motors’ chief executive officer.

March 25, 2009
Spellbound by Salvador Dali
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last month I enjoyed a bit of respite from Maryland’s winter by visiting Florida. Finding myself within reasonable driving distance of St. Petersburg, I jumped at the chance to visit the Salvador Dali Museum.

March 18, 2009
Think Globally, Bank Locally
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If you are banking with any of the ginormous intergalactic financial institutions that are at the center of the current financial crisis, then you are part of the problem.

March 11, 2009
The Dangerous Diplomacy of Pandering
Kevin E. Dayhoff
I recently had the delightful opportunity to go to Washington and have lunch with a member of the Estonian Parliament, Tõnis Kõiv.

March 4, 2009
The Great Man Theory of History
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Even before his election to the office of the president last November, many in the liberal chattering class were already using hype and hyperbole that then-Senator Barack Obama was destined to be one of our country’s greatest presidents.

February 25, 2009
Pulling The Plug
Kevin E. Dayhoff
One of the key talking points of the new Obama Administration is its commitment to lead our nation by maximizing technology. Yet within a few scant weeks, the new kids in the Oval Office have endured their fair share of glitches, error boxes and system crashes.

February 18, 2009
Repackaged Isn’t Change
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the end, the economic stimulus legislation signed yesterday by President Barack Obama, only garnered a total of three Republican votes from all of Congress, and, while traveling the yellow brick road on the way to Oz, the legislation lost the vast majority of public support.

February 11, 2009
Political Heresy and Unvarnished Truth
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Yesterday, in 1899, the future 31st president of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover, married Lou Henry in Monterey, CA. Happy anniversary, Mr. President.

February 4, 2009
When Stimulus Ain’t
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed its $819 billion version of the economic stimulus package by a vote of 244 to 188. Not a single Republican voted for the measure – for good reason.

January 28, 2009
The 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As you read this column Congress is attempting to put the finishing touches on an $825 billion economic stimulus package – otherwise known as the 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act.

January 21, 2009
A Tale of Two Inaugurations
Kevin E. Dayhoff
By the time you read this column our nation will have witnessed the inauguration of our nation's 44th president. Today is the first day for President Barack Obama and it marks the merciful end of the 78-day transition period.


January 14, 2009
Barack Rhymes With Tupac
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Noticeable, yet relatively underreported in the scandal-filled rhetoric that passes for meaningful political commentary these days, is the passing of an historic era that will occur when President George W. Bush takes off in the presidential helicopter after President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office next week.

January 7, 2009
Pallywood – When Pictures Lie
Kevin E. Dayhoff
After Hamas, the terrorist organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since June 2007, unilaterally broke a cease-fire on December 19 and resumed shelling southern Israel, Israeli warplanes sprang to Israel’s defense December 27 by attacking Hamas throughout Gaza. Hamas responded immediately with “Pallywood.”

20090408 recent The Tentacle columns by Kevin Dayhoff
http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41
http://www.thetentacle.com/
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009

Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Calling all Taxpayers!

Tired of government spending out of control?
Come voice your dissatisfaction &

Defend the Constitution!

Tea Party at Legend’s Café in Westminster
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Beginning at 6:30
Bring tea bags and a few stamped envelopes;
address labels for all levels of our government will be provided.
Bring an appropriate sign to wave at traffic on route 140.

Sponsored by the Central Carroll Republican Club.
ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Party affiliation is of no issue, we’re all taxpayers!

Questions? Call Michelle Jefferson at 410.259.2102
Please arrive sooner if you’d like to order dinner off the menu

20090415 SDOSM Westminster Tea Party Flyer for April 15 2009
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

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

Thursday, March 19, 2009

This week in The Tentacle for March 19 2009


This week in The Tentacle for March 19 2009

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Jennifer Again?
Patricia A. Kelly
I can’t believe she’s back – yet again. She says she’s running because she loves Frederick. A lot of us love Frederick, and we love it a lot more when she is not mayor.

Imitating a Junta…
Tony Soltero
Back when I was a child, my parents once took a long, ambitious vacation to South America. When they got home they brought back countless little treasures from the countries they visited, an album's worth of beautiful photographs, and plenty of gripping stories to share. My brothers and I couldn't get enough of them.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Think Globally, Bank Locally
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If you are banking with any of the ginormous intergalactic financial institutions that are at the center of the current financial crisis, then you are part of the problem.

Budget Cuts Affecting Local Arts Scene
Michael Kurtianyk
If current legislation is passed by the General Assembly, funding to the Maryland State Arts Council would decrease from $16.6 million to $10.6 million. This is on top of the 14 percent cut last year, used to balance the budget.

A $40 Million Ruse
Tom McLaughlin
Batam Island, Indonesia – The islands were calling me and with rhythms of music from South Pacific flowing in my mind, I elected to visit a couple of them about an hour boat ride off the coast of Singapore.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Pushkin's Winter of Discontent
Roy Meachum
Mother Nature and government frequently disagree. Washington told us clocks must be turned back February's last weekend. A sure sign of Spring? The season doesn't begin until three weeks later.

Exhibiting America’s Traits
Nick Diaz
There was a time when one, in the world of machines, could hardly hear two dirtier words than “Planned Obsolescence.” The very idea that a complex mechanical object should have a deliberately abbreviated life expectancy was nothing less than a kind of mortal sin against proper engineering.

Monday, March 16, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 8
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Granting Personhood! Yes, I know what the editor is saying. What a terrible example of poor grammar in an opening. Unfortunately, I don’t make this stuff up, I just write about it!

Where’s the “Ownership,” Mr. President?
Steven R. Berryman
During the election cycle of 2008 it became the standard rhetoric for candidate Barack Obama and his wife to distance themselves from the elements of what it meant to “be American.”

Friday, March 13, 2009
"Pope Admits Mistake"
Roy Meachum
That semi-apology appeared in The New York Times. The rest of the headline narrowed the impact considerably; the admission came "In Letter to Bishops."

I Still Pledge My Allegiance
Joe Charlebois
Sarah Norris, a columnist for The Frederick News-Post, on February 28 submitted a column which gave us an insider’s view of early morning at a Frederick County high school. Ms. Norris describes the scene of fellow students ignoring the morning ritual of patriotic recitation that American students have recited for decades – the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thursday, March 12, 2009
Waking Up The Populace
Joan McIntyre
Are we about to see cracks in the glass ceiling in the world of our Frederick County Board of Education and Frederick County Public Schools? Will the Sacred Cow called the public schools system be held accountable?

REVIEW – Riverdance" Has It All!
Roy Meachum
While being amazed in Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre Tuesday night, the thought occurred: In my 40-plus years reviewing I've never seen a smoother musical show. Put simply: "Riverdance" has it all!

True Measure of Success
Chris Cavey
Our society has many ways to gauge the success or failure of those involved in the political world. One unique measurement of judging those who have mounted the national platform of “being someone of note” is to be a host or to be lampooned on Saturday Night Live. Last Saturday Michael Steele made it.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Dangerous Diplomacy of Pandering
Kevin E. Dayhoff
I recently had the delightful opportunity to go to Washington and have lunch with a member of the Estonian Parliament, Tõnis Kõiv.

The Weavers and the Money
Tom McLaughlin
Lombok, Indonesia – We had finished our visit with the stump tailed Macaques and the use of my teaching techniques on the troop. Our next stop, a small enterprise, located only through a side road, winding through a housing estate filled with homes (we would call them shacks) constructed of wood.

Bobby Fischer: Genius or Madman?
Michael Kurtianyk
It has often been said that there’s a fine line between genius and madness. Think of some people whom you consider to be geniuses? Does Albert Einstein come to mind? Thomas Jefferson? Benjamin Franklin?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
GOP Spitting Contest
Roy Meachum
As a non-Republican, I find amusing the recent rhubarb within the GOP party over Michael Steele.

Misinformation and Playing Politics
Farrell Keough
Some interesting events have occurred over the last few weeks that are seemingly disparate, but in fact, have many commonalities. The main connection is the discussion of the Waste To Energy (WTE) plant.

20090319 This week in The Tentacle for March 19 2009

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

Monday, March 9, 2009

New York Times – Sept. 30, 1999: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending


The New York Times – September 30, 1999: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending
Hat Tip: Analog

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

By STEVEN A. HOLMES

Published: September 30, 1999

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

[…]

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

[…]

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''


Read the entire article here: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

19990930 NYT Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

http://tinyurl.com/6p5d9j

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9c0de7db153ef933a0575ac0a96f958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Friday, February 27, 2009

NPR Belt Tightening Leads To Artistic Expansion

NPR Belt Tightening Leads To Artistic Expansion

February 27, 2009 NPR· Tough times can often be a springboard for creativity. When no one's job is safe, no one's house is secure and no one knows exactly what to do about it, artists get to work — and start pushing boundaries.

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20090227 NPR Belt Tightening Leads To Artistic Expansion
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

LAT Column One Hit send then hit the door

From the Los Angeles Times

COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

Farewell e-mails become an art form in this age of pink slips. Some are funny, some are sad -- and some are just plain furious.

It was not the most eloquent subject line for a farewell e-mail to 5,000 co-workers: "So long, suckers! I'm out!"

But Jason Shugars worked at Google, whose off-center corporate culture is more forgiving than that of your average buttoned-down investment bank. In the rest of his goodbye, Shugars, a senior sales compliance specialist, reminisced about workplace moments that included putting cake down his pants at a sales conference, stealing a boss' $8,000 leather couch and singing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in a miniskirt and braids.

[…]

That's a good question these days, now that thousands of people are finding themselves with pink slips and the need to let colleagues and contacts know they are moving on and -- perhaps more important for job seekers -- how they can be reached.

The farewell e-mail has suddenly become commonplace, a new art form in the electronic age. Yet like so many aspects of the Internet era -- how to unfriend on Facebook, how much to reveal on a personal blog -- the technology has gotten ahead of the etiquette. There are, quite simply, no rules.

[…]

In May, lawyer Shinyung Oh was let go from the San Francisco branch of the Paul Hastings law firm six days after losing a baby. The seven-year associate, who said she was told her previous, glowing evaluations may have been "overinflated," composed a blistering e-mail to the partners and fired it off to about 1,000 colleagues around the world.

She accused the firm's partners of "heartlessness" and of blaming her for failing to generate business "that should have been brought in by each of you."

"If this response seems particularly emotional," she wrote to the partners, "perhaps an associate's emotional vulnerability after a recent miscarriage is a factor you should consider the next time you fire or lay someone off. It shows startlingly poor judgment and management skills -- and cowardice -- on your parts."

Within an hour, Oh said, her e-mail was posted on a widely read legal affairs blog, then made its way into the mainstream media.

[…]

Will Schwalbe, coauthor of "Send: Why People E-mail So Badly and How to Do it Better," said the farewell e-mail was a reflection of two intersecting trends: the universality of e-mail and the confessional spirit of the times, which have resulted, as he put it, in "the democratization of the process."

In the pre-computer world, Schwalbe said, "Personnel wrote something -- a memo, Xeroxed -- generally, you didn't get to do it. They did it. But what had been an HR function is now a personal function." That, he said, leads to a different sort of message.


Read the entire article here: COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

20090223 LAT Column One Hit send then hit the door

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-farewell-emails23-2009feb23,0,4893360.story?track=rss

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

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

Monday, February 23, 2009

Rick Santelli and the "Rant of the Year"


Rick Santelli and the "Rant of the Year"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZB4taSEoA



Transcript


Hat Tip: NewsBusters

(from start to about 2:33)

Becky Quick, in studio: …. Rick have you been listening (to the previous conversation)?

Rick Santelli, on trading floor: Listening to it? I’ve been just glued to it because Mr. Ross has nailed it. You know, the government is promoting bad behavior, because we certainly don’t want to put stimulus forth, and give people a whopping eight or ten dollars in their check, and think that they ought to save it.

And in terms of modifications, I’ll tell you what, I have an idea. You know the new administration’s big on computers and technology. How about this, (Mr.) President and new administration — Why don’t you put up a web site to have people vote on the Internet as a referendum to see if we really want to subsidize the losers’ mortgages, or would we like to, at least, buy cars and buy houses in foreclosure and give them to people who might have a chance to actually prosper down the road, and reward people that could carry the water, instead of drink(ing) the water.

Trader sitting near by: What a novel idea! What? Who thought of that!

(traders in the pit start clapping and cheering)

Joe Kernen, in studio: Rick, they’re like putty in your hands. Did you hear –

Santelli: No they’re not, Joe. They’re not like putty in our hands! This is America! (turns around to address pit traders) How many of you people want to pay for your neighbors’ mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can’t pay their bills? Raise their hand. (traders boo; Santelli turns around to face CNBC camera) President Obama, are you listening?

Trader (sitting nearby, goes over to Santelli’s mike): How about we all stop paying our mortgage? It’s a moral hazard.

Kernen: It’s like mob rule here, I’m getting scared. I’m glad –

Santelli: Don’t get scared, Joe. They’re already scaring you. Y’know, Cuba used to have mansions and a relatively decent economy. They moved from the individual to the collective. Now they’re driving ‘54 Chevys, maybe the last great car to come out of Detroit.

Kernen: They’re driving ‘em on water too, which is a little strange to watch, at times.

Santelli: There you go.

Kernen: Hey Rick, how about the notion that Wilbur pointed out, you can go down to 2% on the mortgage …..

Santelli: You can go down to minus two percent, they can’t afford the house!

Kernen: ….. and still have 40% not be able to do it, so why are we trying to keep them in the house?

Santelli: I know Mr. Summers is a great economist, but boy I’d love the answer to that one.

(some cross-talk)

Quick: Wow. You get people fired up.

Santelli: We’re thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. All you capitalists that want to show up to Lake Michigan, I’m going to start organizing.

Quick: What are you dumping in this time?

Santelli: We’re going to be dumping in some derivative securities. What do you think about that?

Wilbur Ross, in studio: Mayor Daley is marshalling the police right now.

Kernen: The rabble rousers.

Ross: …. the National Guard.

(from about 3:10 to 3:35)

Ross: You know Rick, one of our producers says if Roland Burris steps down, man, Senator Santelli, the junior senator from Illinois. It’s a possibility. I’m just sayin’ –

Santelli: Do you think I want to take a shower every hour? The last place I’m ever going to live or work is DC.

Kernen: Have you raised any money for Blago?

(laughter)

Santelli: No, but I think that Somebody’s going to have to start raising money for us.

(go to 3:50 mark until almost the end)

Santelli: Listen, all I know is that there’s only about 5% of the floor population here right now, and I talk loud enough they can all hear me. So if you want to ask them anything, let me know. These guys are pretty straightforward, and my guess is, a pretty good statistical cross section of America, the silent majority.

Quick: Not so silent majority today.

Kernen: Yeah, not so silent.

Quick: So Rick, are they opposed to the housing thing, to the stimulus package, to everything out there?

Santelli: You know, they’re pretty much of the notion that you can’t buy your way into prosperity, and if the multiplier that all of these Washington economists are selling us is over one, that we never have to worry about the economy again. The government should spend a trillion dollars an hour because we’ll get $1.5 trillion back.

Quick: Wilbur?

Ross: Rick I congratulate you on your new incarnation as a revolutionary leader.

Santelli: Somebody needs one. I’ll tell you what, if you read our Founding Fathers, people like Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson, what we’re doing in this country now is making them roll over in their graves.


20090219 Rick Santelli and the Rant of the Year YT
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This week in The Tentacle for February 18 2009


This week in The Tentacle for February 18 2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009
From The Desk of The Publisher!
John W. Ashbury
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the massive American Recovery and Investment Act. We are pleased to present for your edification a paper prepared by the Washington law firm of Holland & Knight. It compares both the House and Senate version of the measure and includes details of the Conference Committee report. CLICK HERE!


Repackaged Isn’t Change
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the end, the economic stimulus legislation signed yesterday by President Barack Obama, only garnered a total of three Republican votes from all of Congress, and, while traveling the yellow brick road on the way to Oz, the legislation lost the vast majority of public support.


Up The River – Part 3
Tom McLaughlin
Kapit, Sarawak – Located atop a bluff on the Rajang River, and just above the first set of rapids and below a major bend in the river, the eco-lodge backs into the beginnings of a tropical rain forest protected area. Dwarfed by high jungle covered hills, it is constructed of deep and darkly stained rain forest timber with an open, airy décor. The dining area, on a veranda, overlooks the river.


Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Funny Frederick Politics
Roy Meachum
This city holds elections this autumn. At that realization, many registered voters went back to sleep. They are not kept awake by the various and sundry rumors and gossips floating around. Most simply will not show up at polling places.


Reform Indeed; Improvement Missing
Nick Diaz
Millions and billions have been poured into thousands of school systems around the country in the last 20 years; even so, much of it has essentially failed to make a difference in the quality of mathematics education. Programs had become so bogged down by politics and bureaucracy that they have failed to create any significant change.


Monday, February 16, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Part 6
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Another whirlwind week in Annapolis. From helicopter trauma transport to expensive steak lobbying dinners, the range of topics spans the important to the ridiculous.


What’s in it for me?
Steven R. Berryman
In my efforts at ever expanding personal open-mindedness, the other morning I went straight for The Washington Post to learn the well-camouflaged details of the final $787 billion dollar spending package, called “The Porkulus” by Rush Limbaugh, and “The Spendulus” by Laura Ingraham.


Friday, February 13, 2009
"Of the People, by the People, for the People"
Roy Meachum
Two months before Franklin Delano Roosevelt swept into the Oval Office, on a voter tidal wave, a bill was offered to the Senate that would distribute to the public one trillion dollars in "funny" money meant to disappear when the crisis was over. Supporters called it "self-liquidating, negative interest money."


Life Ain’t Always Beautiful
Joe Charlebois
During the past two years our country has taken a turn on to an unmapped and rocky road. Our financial institutions have left us practically faithless in their ability to operate soundly.


Change We Can Believe In: Addendum & Erratum
Bill Brosius
Addendum: because the story seems to have no ending; report the story one week, and more arises the next. Erratum, because of a substantial error I made.


Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Mr. President
Chris Cavey
In December 1808, an uneducated farmer and his pregnant wife purchased 348 acres of farmland in Hardin County, Kentucky, for about $200 and the assumption of a prior mortgage. Less than 60 days later, on February 12, 1809, a son was born – Abraham Lincoln.


Get to Work? Don’t Talk It to Death!
Joan McIntyre
For nearly a month I fielded questions from the public on all sorts of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) issues and solid waste in general and found answers for them. Equal cooperation is not forthcoming from the other side of this issue.


Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Political Heresy and Unvarnished Truth
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Yesterday, in 1899, the future 31st president of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover, married Lou Henry in Monterey, CA. Happy anniversary, Mr. President.


Up The River – Part 2
Tom McLaughlin
Kapit, Sarawak – During our overnight in Sibu, the desk clerk recommended a Chinese restaurant for Foo Chow cooking. We were surprised at the strange, fresh, clean taste of the meal. Absent the oily flavor associated with Chinese food in the states.


Tuesday, February 10, 2009
MET's Latest Hits the Sky
Roy Meachum
It's been a while since we looked in on the Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET). A cast member suggested I see "Almost, Maine:" I was there for opening night. Julie Herber didn't steer me wrong, which is consistent with what I know about the finest actress in this part of the world.


From Awful to Worst
Farrell Keough
The Board of Education is moving full force to ensure their new Taj Mahal is going to be built. They have used many mechanisms to side-step the tough questions and portray things in a good light. In short, we have not been given the full and accurate truth.


Monday, February 9, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 5
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Four weeks gone, but it seems like four months. Already we’ve seen some interesting debates and disputes, but the really troubling stuff lies ahead.


Big Lies
Steven R. Berryman
Famous lies of our time include: “The check’s in the mail,” “The computer is down,” and, “You can trust me.” The smaller lies – and, thus, easier to verify – are the hardest to tell and to maintain.

20090218 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Thursday, February 5, 2009

This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Thursday, February 5, 2009

An Overdue Alternative
Tony Soltero
With our economy in dire straits, President Barack Obama has asked Congress to pass an economic stimulus bill to stave off a massive depression. There are many items in this bill to like – and some not to like, but there is one item that should be taking precedence over all others, and it's nowhere near being adequately addressed in this proposal, whatever shape it eventually takes.

From Grease to Life’s Challenges
Patricia A. Kelly
Tuesday night at the Hippodrome, I became 12 again, ever so briefly, doing the Twist in my seat and singing along with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Why is it that silly song lyrics you learned at that age stay in your head forever, but you can’t remember why you just walked into the laundry room?

WTE Derangement
Norman M. Covert
Here’s a shout-out to Commissioner Kai J. Hagen, who needs a kind word from someone, anyone. His “noogies” have been few since objecting to the $323 million Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant proposed for Frederick County. Mr. Hagen should declare victory and admit he was “for it” before he was against it.



Wednesday, February 4, 2009
When Stimulus Ain’t
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed its $819 billion version of the economic stimulus package by a vote of 244 to 188. Not a single Republican voted for the measure – for good reason.

Up The River…Part 1
Tom McLaughlin
Sibu, Sarawak, East Malaysia – Christine and I left Kuching via the Sarawak River in the continuing monsoon for our trip up the Rajang River. Rains have poured from the clouds since early December and would follow us into the interior.



Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"Let us sit upon the ground – "
Roy Meachum
As readers know when faced with startling turns in life, I turn to Shakespeare. The column's title is taken from "Richard II" and is part of a speech in the third act:

Dumbing Down Mathematics – Part III
Nick Diaz
Across the country, the way mathematics is taught in the classroom and in textbooks has been changing notably in the past 20 years. Classrooms are often organized in small groups where students ask each other questions and the teacher is discouraged from providing information. Students may even take tests in groups, if they have tests at all.



Monday, February 2, 2009
When the “Have Nots” Rule
Steven R. Berryman
With 40 percent of America having now achieved entitlement-class status, it stands to reason that the burden of supporting our welfare country is born by the remaining 60 percent of the citizens.

Disastrous Global Warming Bill
Farrell Keough
We have a black cat which is a walking bad hair day. I have determined her given name, Elvis, (yes, the animal is female) does not fit her, hence I have renamed her Spawn of Satan.



Friday, January 30, 2009
People Conforming
Roy Meachum
As some readers recall, for the past several years I have worked on a book, a collection of memories from my colorful past. Recently I have written on the Eisenhower era. After two hitches in the Army, I started my civilian career on the general's first inauguration day. I was already married with child; future attorney Thomas Moore Meachum born in 1951.

Super Sunday
Joe Charlebois
This Sunday, our nation and hundreds of millions of people worldwide will sit down and watch what is arguably the biggest single sporting event in the world. This Sunday the 43rd edition of the National Football League's Super Bowl will be held in Tampa, Florida.



Thursday, January 29, 2009
Living Like The Rest of Us
Joan McIntyre
I caught the Board of County Commissioners meeting that was held on Tuesday. Ron Hart, the county manager, was singing the commissioners’ praises for saving the county $12,000 to $15,000 by not filling their receptionist position.

Rebuilding A Party
Chris Cavey
If the Republican Party was a person and not an entity, it would be in the hospital – condition listed as serious, awaiting a transplant and full recovery would be expected only after long periods of physical therapy.

Reconstruction and the Old Plantation
Norman M. Covert
What a week we experienced (drool, tingle, shudder). On reflection I realize that after 128 years, the Second Period of Reconstruction is upon us. A sea of organizers, charlatans, tax cheats, and political insiders from Chicago, New York, and Arkansas, have taken charge of the nation’s government.



Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Sun Also Sets – Part 2
John W. Ashbury
[The Baltimore Sun’s decision to cease home delivery – and even newsstand sales west of the metropolitan area, brought back countless memories of my days as a reporter and editor there in an age that has passed this gray lady by. We continue…] (See yesterday’s Part 1)

The 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As you read this column Congress is attempting to put the finishing touches on an $825 billion economic stimulus package – otherwise known as the 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act.

Indonesia and the Inauguration
Tom McLaughlin
Bali, Indonesia – Four factors influenced my desire to forego watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama with fellow Americans here in Kuta Beach. I did not seek out places that Americans congregate, nor the American Consulate.



Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Setting Baltimore Sun
Roy Meachum
You've heard and read about the calamitous state of America's newspaper industry; it has been firmly fixed on the availability of numerous competitive news sources on the cable channels. Nobody dares to broach the possibility the venerable medium may have done itself in.

The Sun Also Sets – Part 1
John W. Ashbury
After starting a career in journalism with The Frederick News-Post, way back in 1959, it wasn’t hard to jump 50 miles to the east and settle in as a police reporter at the venerable Sun in Baltimore. It was an introduction to a newsroom once populated by such as H. L. Mencken and still the bastion of men long respected as reporters, editors and columnists.

Raise Your Voices…
Farrell Keough
A new president and a new session for the Maryland Legislature – what more could a columnist ask for? Uh… substance?

20090205 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/