Libertarians: The Secret Strength of the Immigration Reform Movement

Campus Progress, a "national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges," has published an online report about libertarian feelings about immigration.

...More and more, immigration is becoming a major issue among libertarians, who believe in smaller government and more personal freedom. Traditionally, libertarians are more open to immigration than both conservatives and liberals, explains Daniel Griswold, director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the libertarian research center the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. “Most libertarians are sympathetic toward immigration. They see human migration as a personal freedom. That’s in contrast to conservatives and Republicans."

...A majority of libertarians take issue with the fact that everyone suffers with certain kinds of immigration laws, like Arizona’s SB 1070 or housing regulations that target undocumented immigrants like Farmers Branch, Texas’ Ordinance No. 2592 [PDF]. Such laws can create a your-papers-please policy which place unnecessary burdens on residents and citizens.

"SB 1070 has a lot of un-libertarian characteristics," says Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian National Committee. "It’s too much intrusion on privacy. We’re taking away too many rights. It penalizes everyone when only a few people are breaking some law."

Allan Webster to run for Somerset County Sheriff

Official Press Release

After much thought and encouragement from law enforcement officials, business owners and community residents, I am officially announcing that I will be seeking the office of Sheriff for Somerset County. I will be filing the appropriate documents with the Election Board this week.

My forty years of public service and professional law enforcement experience will benefit the residents of Somerset County and assist me in organizing the Sheriff’s Department to become more efficient and professional. I am looking forward to meeting business owners and residents throughout the county over the next several months to discuss issues and share my goals for the next four years. Some of my goals include:

1. Obtaining grant funding to equip all of the Department’s vehicles with lap-top computers and in-car video systems
2. Improve the efficiency of the department to reduce the costs to taxpayers of Somerset County
3. Aggressive enforcement of drug crimes and seizure of drug dealer’s assets
4. Stabilize the Department by seeking competitive pay and
benefits for Sheriff’s Deputies

Growing up, I have fond memories of Somerset County, spending many summers with my aunt and uncle, Margaret and Linwood Mariner on their chicken farm in Rehobeth, Maryland. My father, Carpenter Webster was born on Deal Island and my grandfather Howard Webster’s home still stands on Osburn Webster Road on Deal Island. I live in Marion Station with my wife, Carol Ann of Crisfield, Maryland.

Catching up on Lower Shore Politics

Check out my latest article on Examiner.com concerning Liberty Movement candidates on the Lower Shor.

Libertarians pleased by ruling on gun rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2010

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

WASHINGTON - Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gun control in the McDonald v. Chicago case, Libertarian National Committee Chairman Mark Hinkle issued the following statement today:

"We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment protects individuals from state governments wishing to violate their right to own handguns.

"Libertarians have always firmly supported the individual right of self-defense.

"Now there is some hope that Chicago's horrible violent crime problem can be reduced by law-abiding citizens who will now be able to deter and resist criminals. More guns = less crime.

"It is disturbing that four justices voted to uphold Chicago's gun ban. Their position is an attempt to pursue a policy goal from the bench, not to apply the Constitution -- and to make matters worse, it is a policy goal that would be very harmful to the people of Chicago, and potentially to everyone in America.

"This ruling follows the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling, which overturned D.C.'s ban on handguns. That case was originally brought by Dick Heller, Libertarian Party member and treasurer of the D.C. Libertarian Party.

"We hope that this ruling will lead to further court decisions that reduce the government's ability to infringe on gun rights with burdensome restrictions and red tape.

"Republicans and Democrats both deserve blame for violating gun rights. While Republicans often position themselves as Second Amendment defenders, it is worth noting major examples to the contrary:

"Republican 2008 presidential nominee John McCain received an F- rating from Gun Owners of America;

"Republican president George W. Bush supported a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods that sought to toughen and federalize prosecution of gun control laws;

"When he was running for Massachusetts Governor in 2002, Republican Mitt Romney said, 'We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them; I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.';

"In 1991, former Republican President Ronald Reagan announced his support for the Brady federal gun control bill."

The Libertarian candidate for New York Governor, Warren Redlich, has commented that the ruling will affect New York gun control laws. On June 28 Redlich wrote, "This landmark ruling will require New York State to take immediate action to amend its gun laws so they do not violate the constitution. It is a striking victory for gun owners and for anyone who believes in the fundamental rights the constitution provides."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.
###

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June Letter to the Editor

This weekend is Independence Day; a day to remember what America is all about. It’s also what this campaign is all about.

My no-contributions, no-ads campaign probably looks naïve to the professional politicians, and we may not yet be to where people are disgusted enough to look at something really different, but I’m trying to establish a change in the way we do all this.

If you secretly want to run your neighbors’ lives, or want the government to take care of your every need, you’ll get a lot of what you want from both the Republicans and the Democrats as long as the money holds out – there will just be minor variations in how these things are done.

If you want to be left alone as much as possible to live YOUR life and spend YOUR earnings as you see fit and not have the government meddling (in YOUR name) in the affairs of other countries, then we need a change.

I won’t pretend I can make these changes alone in Congress. I believe, however, that we don’t need a Libertarian majority to accomplish a lot of the change we want. All we need is enough libertarians (actual party members or not) to block the intrusive and expensive schemes of the leadership of both larger parties and to send them the message that we want to live and let live – WITHIN OUR MEANS – and they need to honor OUR desires if they want to serve in Congress.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Davis, D.D.S.
Libertarian for Congress

MDLP Chair's Report

The Maryland Libertarian Party now has 15 candidates nominated for the November 2010 elections, including candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, 7 of the 8 US House races, 5 for the Maryland House of Delegates, 1 for Wicomico County Council, and 1 for Cecil County Board of Education.

This is the most candidates the party has ever run. And it may be the most ever run by a non-establishment party in Maryland in over 30 years.

Running candidates is a great way to get the Libertarian message out, find new members and activists, and build the party. It also forces the Democrats and Republicans to acknowledge our policies.

Further, with only 2 weeks to the Board of Elections filing deadline, several of our candidates have one-on-one races: Mike Calpino (Wicomico County Council 2nd), Justin Kinsey (MD Delegates 5b), and Shawn Quinn (MD Delegates 29c).

Bryan Walker (MD Delegates ) is in a race with 4 candidates for 3 positions, and no Republicans have currently filed to get on the ballot.

How can you help? Call talk shows and mention our candidates and their positions, and how they differ from the other candidates. Write letters-to-the-editor in your local paper about your local MDLP candidate.

When talking politics to your family, friends, and co-workers, make it a point to show how similar the Democrats and Republicans are to each other, and how Libertarians are the alternative to the 2-party political machine.

Are you willing to save $10 a week for the next 4 month and donate the money to our candidates? Perhaps $50 to our gubernatorial candidate, $50 to your congressional candidate, and $50 to a local Libertarian running for office.

Make sure you can work your local voting precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, 2 November, and support our candidates. Bring family and friends with you, if possible.

Let's build on our 2008 results, by doubling our federal candidates' vote percentages to 5-6%, and keep increasing them with each election. And while we may be lacking in resources, we also may have several local races in which the MDLP candidate will be the only opposition. What if we could win one or more of those races!

Robert Johnston III, Chairman, Maryland Libertarian Party

Page Elmore Passes Away

Page Elmore lost his battle with cancer and has passed away. We wish to extend our condolences to his family.

Condolences to the family of Sam Vincent

On behalf of the Maryland Libertarian Party, I would like to extend our condolences to the family of Deputy State's Attorney Sam Vincent. Even prior to his untimely death many commented on his integrity, honesty and commitment to the citizens of Wicomico County. It is hard to find good men and his shoes will most certainly be hard to fill.

We ask everyone to please keep his family and his colleagues in your prayers.

Mike Calpino's letter to the editor in the Daily Times

More challengers needed to keep our elections vital

Over the last year, hundreds of people have shown up at town hall meetings and budget hearings. There has been a degree of involvement with our government at all levels not seen for years.

While some came out to defend their piece of the pie, many genuinely wanted to see government do things differently. Many have come to the conclusion that the way we have been doing government for years costs too much and does not adequately serve "we the people."

Read the rest at The Daily Times.....

Steny Hoyer: Middle-class tax cuts should not be permanent

How not to get elected. Gavin Shickle is the Libertarian candidate running against good ole Steny. I know he disagrees with Mr. Hoyer!

Steny Hoyer: Middle-class tax cuts should not be permanent

Status Update on Maryland's Minor Party Candidates

Status Update on Maryland's Minor Party Candidates

Editors note:  The Maryland Libertarian Party is running 15 candidates statewide for a variety of races from Governor, House of Delegates, County Council, to School Board.  This the most the Libertarian Party has run in Maryland in an election and the most any Third Party has run in Maryland in quite a while, if ever.

Historic District in Salisbury infringes on the rights of property owners

The Historic District in Salisbury is increasingly becoming another major issue. The Daily Times' most recent article on the issue highlights the positions of those advocating for a change of boundaries and those who wish to keep the current boundary. Ironically there is a third position on this issue that advocates for reduction in the authority of Historic Committees.

There are many who feel that a reduction of authority of such groups is appropriate and would certainly allow property owners to upgrade and repair properties with more freedom. The idea that an individual who invests his own money in a property, is subject to the opinions of a committee, is thought by some as Un-American.

Read the rest at Examiner.com

Libertarians note anniversary of bad Kelo decision

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222




WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, June 23, marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo v. New London decision. Today the Libertarian Party published the following open letter:
We, the state chairs of the Libertarian Party, and members of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), wish to call attention to the fifth anniversary of the wrongful Kelo v. New London decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs simply wanted to be left in peace in their homes, but the New London Development Corp. wanted their land for its own development purposes, and convinced the City of New London to condemn their property for its benefit.

By rendering its decision against Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs, the court gutted an important private property protection of the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court decided that it is acceptable for government entities to condemn and seize private property, even when the purpose is to offer that property to another private owner for economic development.

The Supreme Court's decision expanded the government's unjust power of eminent domain.

Even more shamefully, the proposed development never materialized. The Institute for Justice recently noted that 'The very land where Susette Kelo's home once stood remains barren -- home to nothing but feral cats, seagulls and weeds.'

Eminent domain is bad enough when it is used to expand government roads and schools, but the practice of forcibly taking a person's land to give to a company for things like shopping malls is utterly wrong.

The Libertarian Party has always showed strong support for private property rights. Our platform states that 'we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain.'

Last year, Susette Kelo commented that 'even though over 40 states have passed legislation offering some protection to home and business owners, don't think your property is safe, because it is not.' The Castle Coalition, which works to protect property owners from eminent domain abuse, has given only five states an A or A- rating for eminent domain reform in the wake of the Kelo decision. Many states have passed reforms that sound strong at first, but contain major loopholes or other bad provisions. Republicans and Democrats like to posture as eminent domain reformers while they carve out exceptions for special interests.

We call on the Supreme Court to reverse the Kelo ruling in a future case, and we call on all 50 states to adopt laws or constitutional amendments to eliminate this practice.

(signed)

Mark Bodenhausen, Alabama
Scott Kohlhaas, Alaska
Michael Kielsky, Arizona
Rodger Paxton, Arkansas
Kevin Takenaga, California
David Williams, Colorado
Rich Lion, Connecticut
James W. Rash, Delaware
J.J. McCurry, Florida
Daniel Adams, Georgia
Roger Taylor, Hawaii
Rob Oates, Idaho
Lupe Diaz, Illinois
Sam Goldstein, Indiana
Ed Wright, Iowa
Andrew Gray, Kansas
Ken Moellman, Kentucky
T. Lee Horne III, Louisiana
Shawn Levasseur, Maine
Robert Johnston, Maryland
David Blau, Massachusetts
Emily Salvette, Michigan
Bob Odden, Minnesota
Danny Bedwell, Mississippi
Glenn Nielsen, Missouri
Mike Fellows, Montana
Gene Siadek, Nebraska
Jo Silvestri, Nevada
Rich Tomasso, New Hampshire
Jay Edgar, New Jersey
Jay Vandersloot, New Mexico
Mark Axinn, New York
Barbara Howe, North Carolina
Richard Ames, North Dakota
Kevin Knedler, Ohio and LNC Representative
Angelia O'Dell, Oklahoma
Jeff Weston, Oregon
Mik Robertson, Pennsylvania
David Bibeault, Rhode Island
Michael Carmany, South Carolina
Tony Ryan, South Dakota
John Sebastian, Tennessee
Patrick Dixon, Texas
W. Andy McCullough, Utah
Jeremy Ryan, Vermont
Wilbur (Bill) Wood, Virginia
Rachel Hawkridge, Washington and LNC Representative
Kyle Hartz, Washington D.C.
Tad Britch, West Virginia
Ben Olson, Wisconsin
Don Wills, Wyoming
Mark Hinkle, LNC Chair
Mark Rutherford, LNC Vice Chair
Alicia Mattson, LNC Secretary
James Oaksun, LNC Treasurer
David Nolan, LNC Representative
William Redpath, LNC Representative
Wayne Allyn Root, LNC Representative
Mary Ruwart, LNC Representative
Doug Craig, LNC Representative
Stewart Flood, LNC Representative
Daniel Wiener, LNC Representative
Rebecca Sink-Burris, LNC Representative
Norman Olsen, LNC Representative
Dr. James W. Lark, III, LNC Representative
Daniel Karlan, LNC Representative
Dianna Visek, LNC Representative

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Libertarians say government shares blame with BP for oil spill

WASHINGTON - Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party, issued the following statement today:

"The federal government and BP share the blame for the large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"When the CEO of BP appeared at a Congressional hearing yesterday, Republicans and Democrats predictably engaged in finger-pointing and blame-ducking, trying to score political points. Their fingers should have been pointed at themselves.

"When President Obama gave his Oval Office speech on Tuesday, there was one important word missing: the word 'liability.' The president never mentioned that, thanks to liability caps provided by the federal government, BP was able to engage in riskier activities than it would have otherwise. If BP had known in advance that it would be fully liable for all damages related to an oil spill, it probably would have taken greater safeguards. When you know that your liability will be strictly limited, cutting corners becomes a lot more attractive.

"The spill will cause a lot of damage to the property and livelihood of people living along the Gulf. We have a well-developed system of civil courts to help people obtain compensation. Unfortunately, the legislative and executive branches have inappropriately trampled on this territory, and they seem to be trying to take the place of the courts.

"The president has apparently convinced BP to put $20 billion in some kind of compensation account. He said in his speech that it will be 'administered by an independent third party.' Will this third party be able to decide what 'legitimate claims' are, and how much they should receive? Assessing damages should be done by courts, not by political bureaucrats appointed in backroom deals between the president and a large corporation.

"The president could have taken the opportunity to talk about getting government out of the energy industry, and allowing the free market to guide the future of energy production. Unfortunately, he instead blamed the free market for government failures, and discussed his hopes of increasing government interference in the energy industry.

"For decades, Libertarians have warned against putting trust in government regulatory bureaucracies like the Minerals Management Service (MMS). While costing the taxpayers a lot of money, these agencies generally fail to deliver the kind of protections they promise, they tend to become corrupt, and they discourage vigilance on the part of citizens by lulling them into
a false sense of security.

"When large companies and the government start working together, the results can be disastrous. Congressional liability caps, the MMS bureaucracy, and BP have all cooperated to create a costly disaster that should never have happened."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Smoke & Mirrors on the Rental Industry

I was able to get the list that Mayor Ireton put up on the City Website of Property Owners who refused or did not respond to request for inspections. I have it attached at the bottom of this post.

So they were unable to perform 143 inspections. It appears to me that over half of them they were unable to get a response from for one reason or another.

The other issue is that Mayor Ireton makes it seem that all of these property owners are Members of SAPOA [Salisbury Area Property Owners Association]. My understanding, from having discussions with members of SAPOA, is they do police their own. They are also known for helping out other members when needed. Unfortunately not all Rental Property Owners are members of this group; it is difficult for SAPOA to police those who are not members.

The major issue I have with Mayor Ireton over this, is his Slum Property of the Week feature on the City Website. I do not feel this provides a healthy service and it diminishes the image of the city.

I also feel his singling out of Stu Leer on a particular property was unfair. Mayor Ireton claims the property is drain on City resources based on Code Violations and calls for service. The code violations happened before Mr. Leer purchased the properties. The other point that Mayor Ireton misses is that Stu Leer purchased that property because it was a problem and it was his intention to bring it up to code because it was devaluing neighboring properties.

I keep hitting home that point about Mr. Leer as an example because Mayor Ireton's fixation on this issue is borderline unhealthy and he is creating an atmosphere of deception to drive home his political agenda. Certainly we all would like to see more people own homes. We also have to face reality and the situation of our city.

We are a blessed to have a growing university. With that naturally comes a demand for temporary housing. We also have to understand that every city has a need for people to rent based on economic situations. Not everybody has the ability or desire to own a home. That needs to be understood as well and unfortunately I believe Mayor Ireton cannot see the forest for the trees.

Socialism is Selfish

by Mike Calpino

One of the most often repeated arguments against free market capitalism is that is makes selfish, greedy monsters out of all of us. That a system based on one’s self-interest instead of the interests of the "collective" is evil on its very face. It is almost accepted as a fact that if it wasn’t for government enforcing our charity through the social safety net, poor people would starve, old people would die penniless in the streets, the infirm would be on the street corners begging for spare change and children wouldn’t be educated while a few rich individuals would spend their time rolling around in their money like Scrooge McDuck.

In fact, history has demonstrated the exact opposite. The more the government exercises control over the economy and the people that make it up, the less freedom the people have and the poorer they are. In the 1920’s millions of people were dying of starvation in Communist Russia while America, experiencing a resurgence of freedom after the tyranny of Woodrow Wilson, was prospering like no other place on earth. Before we allowed the government to control the economy through the Federal Reserve and New Deal programs, we never had a recession that lasted more than a few years. Up until the Roosevelt era, the history of the United States was one of prosperity, innovation and upward mobility. Only in America could a bobbin changer or desk clerk amass some of the largest fortunes on earth within their lifetimes. It was these men, acting in their self-interest, attempting to satisfy the self-interest of consumers free from government direction, regulation, taxes and control that created the standard of living we enjoy, a standard of living that is still the envy of the world.

That being the case, why is socialism selfish while a system based in individual self interest is not? The reason is that a system of socialism removes all meaningful interaction and responsibility among individuals within the society. The primary relationship in an individual’s life is with the state, not his or her neighbor or even his or her family. The government takes care of our children. With pre-K and Head Start, we place them in the care of unionized government employees from the time they are three until they are eighteen. The government is now also responsible for their higher education as well. If they choose not to try to make anything of themselves, we are not responsible for them then either. The government confiscates our money through taxes to pay for the basic sustenance of those who are either too lazy to work or have made bad choices that have placed them in poverty. When our neighbor or family member gets sick, the government will now determine their care. Once our parents get old, the government takes care of their needs and medical care until they die. Then the government confiscates their remaining wealth and sticks us with the bill for burying them.

Before government stepped in, people relied on their families and neighbors for all these things. If the government is going to take care of us, what do we need family for? We have seen this play out in Europe. The socialist countries of Europe have extremely low birth rates. Why? Who needs children? They are a pain when they are young and they don’t need them when they are old so why not just remain an eternal adolescent, enjoying whatever the government lets them keep on their extended vacations and abundant weekly leisure time. Not considering the next generation, getting the goodies even at the expense of the future, living only for yourself with no regard for the needs of others is the most selfish lifestyle possible.

Pure capitalism, on the other hand, encourages us to be considerate of others. In a truly free, capitalist society where government stays completely out of the economic and social spheres, confining itself to the role of protector of rights, selfishness results is very negative consequences. If one tried to live as an ‘island’, giving no thought for the needs or wishes of others, you would quickly be reduced to living in a hovel as a hunter gatherer. Why? Because you would not be able to get a job. Employment in such a society requires that your labor meet the needs of an employer who is, in turn, trying to meet the needs of his customers. If you did not care about the needs of the employer you would not have a job very long. Compare the products of communist countries with those of free ones. Workers under communism cannot be fired for lack of efficiency or quality, in free countries they can be. Continuing, if you didn’t care about your neighbors and you fell on hard times, charity would be hard to come by. If you don’t make yourself valuable to others, they find it hard to put any value on you. Consider the value free counties place on individual life as opposed to counties based on the "collective". In a free country, any life lost is a tragedy. In a communist country, twenty million lives lost is a footnote. In a "collective", it is the group that matters and those at the top decide what is best for the group, the individual life is only worth something if it serves the needs of the collective. In a free county, every individual is valued as an individual, every individual has rights simply because they exist as a man or woman and government's only role is to ensure that each individual’s rights are respected by all the other individuals in a society. Finally, if you do not have children or choose to be a bad parent, there will be no one to take care of you when you’re old. The point of all these examples is to show that in a free, capitalist society it is in everyone's self interest to be considerate of the self interest of everyone else. In a socialist society, the opposite is true. As long as the individual maintains good relations with the state, other relationships are superfluous and have little value. This does not apply simply to economics but to our societal relationships as well.

For the last hundred years America has been turning its back on all the things that made us great, embracing the very philosophies that have not only demonstrated their utter failure everywhere they are tried but are the complete antithesis of the system we were founded upon. Today, with our government taking a greater role in controlling our lives and the economic and social systems we inhabit, the family is disintegrating, we have created a permanent and growing underclass, we have seen the devaluation of individual life at both ends, and a stifled economy and for all our efforts we have stuck our great-grandchildren with a bill even they will not be able to pay. So who’s selfish now?



Mike Calpino

Candidate for Wicomico County Council

The Local Scene, Tea Party, AFP, and You Know Who....

For a variety of reasons I had stayed away from the local Tea Party scene, one of them was a concern that establishment Republicans and others were attempting to "hijack" what this movement was all about.  The past couple of weeks the results have shown that the establishment's attempts were rejected and this has caused me to reconsider my position on the local Tea Party movement.

AFP Member, Tea Party Activist and Libertarian Mike Calpino filed to run as a Candidate for Wicomico County Council District 2 against Incumbent Republican and Establishment representative Stevie Prettyman.  I offered to Mike to be his treasurer and help in any way I can with his campaign and he accepted.  I truly believe Mike would make a great County Councilman and represent the people in his District with dignity, honor and an open ear for the citizens in District 2.  Mike gave me a better insight of those in the Tea Party movement.

Then the Julie Brewington issue came to the forefront.  Many have been the target of his [Albero's] ire, Julie being the current one.  After the County Council meeting the other day, I talked with Julie for a few minutes - the first time I have met Julie.  Everyone knows the reason that she is Joe's current target and it is mainly her opposition to Councilwoman Stevie Pretyyman's stance on several issues.  Joe being an ally of Mrs. Prettyman decides to defend her the only way he knows how - attack, threaten, and blog you.  Frankly, nobody really cares and this will probably be the last post I make about him because there are more important things to worry about.

This brings to the forefront what I have been saying for long time about local politics.  People simply cannot disagree on an issue anymore, many see the need to destroy people with a scorched earth policy.  This is why good people refuse to get into politics and "We the People" lose out on quality candidates to choose from.

I also believe there is some light at the end of the tunnel.  With Tea Party Activist Mike Brewington stepping up to run for the Wicomico County Council At-Large as a Jeffersonian-Democrat, I am optimistic.  Julie Brewington also captures what I believe is the real deal behind the local Tea Party movement.  I truly hope it stays independent and makes some real change that can jingle in our pockets.

Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton declines conflict resolution with SAPOA

Salisbury, MD:  The following statement was issued from Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton concerning an invitation from Salisbury University's Center for Conflict Resolution on behalf of the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association [SAPOA].  Read the Article here....

Daily Times features Mike Calpino's run for County Council

Libertarian runs for Wicomico council seat

Mike Calpino to take on councilwoman Stevie Prettyman

By Greg Latshaw • Staff Writer • June 15, 2010 

SALISBURY -- Mike Calpino, a Nanticoke resident who says government needs a philosophical makeover, will run against Stevie Prettyman for her Wicomico County Council seat.

"We need to change the way we do government. Trying to be all things for all people is too expensive," Calpino says.

The 42-year-old has filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections as a Libertarian candidate. Calpino said the county government has grown too large under the executive form of leadership and supports keeping the revenue cap in place, switching to elected school boards and holding evening council meetings.

"If we were still spending what we were in 2006, we wouldn't be in this position," Calpino said of Wicomico's spending habits.

Read the rest of the article.....

 

O'Malley's big spending hurts Wicomico

By Marc Kilmer • June 12, 2010

In 2007, Gov. Martin O'Malley led the effort to expand our state's Medicaid program. But instead of finding the money to fully fund the cost of Medicaid in this year's state budget, the governor counted on the federal government increasing its funding for the program. Congress had not appropriated the money yet, but the governor and legislators assumed it would and pronounced the state's budget "balanced."

It is now looking likely that Congress will not give states a Medicaid bailout. If Maryland doesn't get this money, the state would resort to another budget trick: taking money away from local governments. O'Malley would once again tap the local income tax reserve fund to help cover the budget shortfall.

This is the fund into which our local income taxes are paid and then distributed to county governments.One of the reasons Wicomico County is having trouble balancing its budget this year is because the state is holding back money properly belonging to counties. For instance, the gas tax collected in Wicomico County is supposed to be given to our local governments to spend on roads. In this fiscal year the state only gave us 10 percent of our allocation and used the rest to cover its high spending.

Read the rest....