Carnival of Maryland #10

Dear readers,
What follows is a post listing articles that have been submitted to what we in the blogosphere call a Carnival. It is a way of sharing posts from around the Maryland blogosphere. Assuming you are reading this because my blog is in your "favorites" ...sigh...or is a link on another of your favorite blogs, then you would not only get my usual humorous generalizations about unions and politicians, you would also get blog posts from other perspectives.

Whether those bloggers will want to associate themselves with me remains to be seen. So if you see any links below, give them a read!

Blog Carnival #10 posts:

#1. Wade Crodhil presents Baltimore City Election 2007 Candidates posted at Politics, Hon.

#2. Michael Swartz from the Eastern Shore is checking up on the doings of his representatives in Congress.

#3. Attila (aka The Pillage Idiot) presents World's most trivial con man posted at Pillage Idiot.

#4. The Ridger presents Un Connect-a-Ride posted at The Greenbelt.

#5. The Ridger presents Red Admiral and friends posted at The Greenbelt.

#6. Zinzindor presents Out of Comptrol posted at Leviathan Montgomery.

WSJ and Susan Sarandon

Feedback Letter to the WSJ:

Until this afternoon's lunch I had been for decades enjoying reading the Wall Street Journal, even putting up with its open borders fanaticism and occasionally running across reporting that is blatantly slanted leftward. Recent changes to style and format have turned a once respectable broadsheet daily into a tabloid, however, leaving me cold.

But what caused me to toss my pre-packaged tuna-fish sandwich was the site on the back page of section A of actress Susan Sarandon, featuring the just-crawled-out-of a-clothes-hamper look, head cocked to the right and a not-quite-vacant expression as though she is struggling to put a coherent thought together. This is the page I and, I suspect millions of people who still use two hands to turn to the editorial pages, see first.

I expected to read how she and her batty cohort are trying to stop conservative Republicans from committing this or that atrocity against her and her batty cohort. No. How she is starring in Michale Moore's latest movie "Whacko." No. Raising money to help the poor Islamic freedom fighters of Hezbollah and Hamas purchase better quality plastic explosives, nails and detonators. No. This time she is helping to sell the Wall Street Journal. Something called Journey. "Every Journey needs a Journal" goes the ad; a long stem rose angled up marks time and events in her career or "journey." How clever. How sickening.

I liked the Journal because it was top-notch in everything it did. Even in the liberally slanted news reporting. It covered everything. Everything you could ever want to know about the world was there. Now it lies there, folded on its back page so I don't have to look at her. I want to read Dorothy Rabinowitz's column on the Nifong-Fitzgerald similarities. But I can't! It's not just her. It's the thought of who's next in this silly Journey campaign? Michael Moore? Jane Fonda? Arlen Spector?

Just tell me who's next on which days so I can avoid running across Sen. Ted Stevens' "journey" by accident and really making a mess of things.

Thank you,
Mike Netherland
Severna Park, MD.

Sometimes I Hate Being Right

Well It appears that the Kapital's latest press release from the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system served to confirm my last message regarding the "unscientific" poll run by the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC): that the poll would be fed to the Union hacks being passed off as "reporters" to further its agenda of getting more and more money. Even though we were assured by the Kapital editorial board last spring that "we have seen the last of the annual squabbles" over more money for the "education" black hole. I couldn't write; "Fat chance" fast enough and I received anonymous letters claiming I was misinformed and heartless.

You know if I were the author of the press-release-published-as-news-story, I would be shouting about plagiarism! But then again, perhaps I take a bit too much pride in my work as a professional. However, as I said, the poll, as unscientific as is repeatedly disclaimed, was used as I had expected it would. I wonder what other "unscientific polls" the Kapital is willing to prominently feature?

Maybe this "mean-spirited" letter will inspire the Union Tools at the Kapital to ask the simple questions they can't or won't bring themselves to ask. I say again: Fat chance. Nonetheless, I offer myself as a source, or a source of sources, to the professional journalists in TAAAC newsroom, if there are any. I ask nothing in return, except to read one day how a Union hack actually had to answer a few questions.

School Board Petition - Sad News?

Folks,
From the Chairman:

Friends,
We have received the news we dreaded from the State Board of Elections. It appears that after the counting and validation of the petition signatures turned in for May we have come up short by 275 signatures. We are seeking more information and exploring our options but it would appear that our petition drive has fallen painfully short. Our volunteers did a concientious job in collecting signatures
and the rejection rate was about half of the typical average for these efforts. However, it appears that signatures which were invalidated for technical reasons were the difference. You will be reading about this in the paper today and I wanted to give you a head's up.

I also wanted to thank all of you for the hard work you have given to our effort. Given that the effort was completely grassroots and all volunteer, what you accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Time, not any lack of support, was the enemy.

Thousands of our neighbors joined us in sending a message that our voice should not be silenced in the school board selection process. While the focus of our efforts may now shift, I hope we can continue to work together to give power to the people and not the politicians.

Thank you again for all your hard work and make sure everyone who helped us gets this message.
Greg Kline
Chairman, Citizens for an Elected School Board

For what it's worth, 275 short, on technicalities, is amazing. What was the minimum? Something like 20,000? This should send a BIG message to Anne Arundel County politicians!

Mike N.

"The Way I see It"

Fred Thompson for President article by a fellow blogger out west:

http://coloradoansforthompson.blogspot.com/2007/06/way-i-see-it.html

Check it out. Let me know what you think!

Mike Netherland

LTE: School Survey

While there's no mention of it in Sunday's (6-17-07) huge feature on the school budget battle, there is a link on the Union-run Anne Arundel County Public Schools website to a ridiculous poll purporting to seek input from parents, taxpayers, etc. about how the budget should be allocated and how taxes and fees should be raised. This is supposedly a, taxpayer-funded website of the county government. See for yourself:( http://www.aacps.org/html/press/budget/08budget/budgetsurvey.asp)

I like the lead-off question for the What-Taxes-Should-Be-Raised section: Q#17: "I want Anne Arundel County Public Schools to be the best school system in the state of Maryland." Who would Strongly Disagree? Me. Why? Because I can just see the Headline: 'Parents' want best schools; for free.' Then it starts: Q#20: "I would support a property tax increase dedicated solely to school funding to help Anne Arundel County Public Schools move toward its goal of becoming the best in the state." Your own 'reporters' can tell you this is misleading, at best. State and County and tax revenues cannot be "dedicated" to anything.

So the Teachers Union is at it again. Trying to bamboozle our elected leaders, friends, neighbors, the rank and file and the voters. I am begging you: Find someone with the guts to confront the school system union on this poll, how much taxpayer money is being used to pay for a blatantly political tool, and why the public school web site is being used, once again to further a political agenda.


Mike Netherland

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mike Netherland
netherman79@gmail.com
Date: Mar 12, 2006 2:53 PM
Subject: The Teachers....Again
To: "Letters, Kapital"capletts@capitalgazette.com
Cc: mailto:ThePublicSquare@yahoogroups.com

Dear Editors,
I read your latest flak-piece for the Teachers Association (Union) of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC) in Sunday's edition. And I am resigned to the inevitable caving-in of County politicians to the irresistible and relentless, thanks to you, union propaganda campaign. If only every special interest in this county had a daily newspaper in its pocket.

So I read with awe, about the guaranteed union dues...er, salary increases being etched into the granite tablet just after 'XI.' But I wasn't shocked. What I did find amusing, though, was the editorial's assertion that after achieving the second highest salary in the state, "...a multi-year agreement would avoid the yearly squabbling...." over salaries. Fat chance. I can just hear those poor serfs of the public school system now: "We must be Second-Class citizens; our salaries are Second-Rate!"

And we, the electorate, the "friends and neighbors" of our children's teachers will be tarred as union-busters again and again until all teachers can afford a NEW Mercedes, a house in Severna Park, have a free and fully-funded pension at 100 percent of their salary, teaching in classes that are regularly reduced to "manageable sizes" and are made up of child prodigies.

Mike Netherland

AACo Public Schools - "Budget Survey"

Square,
It comes to my attention (from a a recent and vigiliant member of the Square) that the county school educrats and Teachers Union are taking a poll regarding the 2008 budget!

Yes! They WANT our input on, according to my source, what programs should be cut and what TAX Increases we would support to keep teachers' salaries and union dues flowing. I haven't looked at the poll yet, so I am begging you to go to this site:

http://www.aacps.org/html/press/budget/08budget/budgetsurvey.asp

And give them a piece of your mind. Please let us now what else you discover and such!

***Update
Another vigilant member of the Square writes (emphasis mine):

Mike, Read the questions carefully. They talk about raising revenue for dedicated funds for the board, but both you and I know that the funds taken in go to the general fund and are dispersed from there. Also, perhaps a bit more parochial, our area pays a lot of property and personal taxes, there is no guarantee that the raised funds would ever be used for our schools, as once we turn over our tax money, the County and Board can place it anywhere they want.

Good Connections?

Square,
In ThePublicSquare are 52 of the most well-connected members of the Republican Party in Anne Arundel County. You know who we are. Now I'm not one to post just for the sake of self-promotion; and far be it from me to begrudge a fellow MD conservative blogger a little of the prestige that comes from being the first to break news or to post an opinion on anything.

I have nothing but the highest opinion of Michael Swartz, especially after he posted a link to my blog, but even before then. He didn't squawk when I recently stole one of his commenters. So why do I feel so out-of-the-loop just because the Monoblogue seems to have gotten advanced tickets to the BIG event:

Wednesday, July 18th, the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. I have tickets available for that event if folks are interested! Just let me know, the e-mail is ttownjotes@yahoo.com.

Well, there you have it. He only has three tickets, so he says, but still. That's four more than I have!

Mike Netherland
Severna Park

Bartlett Joins the Fray

From one of my dear readers (bless you). Now I have criticized Rep. Bartlett in the past for his position on "energy independence." But here he redeems himself. Read the whole thing.

Mike Netherland

Immigration Bill Must Die
by Roscoe G. Bartlett
Posted 06/07/2007
Amnesty is not a “narrow slice” or “one little aspect” of the Senate immigration deal as the President argues. Awarding amnesty to 10-20 million illegal aliens would be the one sure result. It will promote more illegal immigration by almost guaranteeing that if you can cross the border, you will be able to become a permanent U.S. resident.

I'm With Fred!

Regular visitors here, both of you, will notice a new feature of the blog. On the right margin is a "widget" supplied by the good folks at the Thompson campaign. It was ridiculously easy to put in, so I don't want you getting the idea thatI'm some master blog wizard.

And I have tested it. You don't have to put your name in here, Just click the Contribute button and go right to the Imwithfred.com donation page and enter all the data there. While you are on the site, register as a volunteer.

If you have a blog, get your own widget!

UPDATE: Fred is raising money like a drunken sailor!

Rule of Law

It's pretty bad when you have to raid another blog's comments. But I couldn't help myself. After noticing that the Monoblogue had posted the MDGOP press release (hours after I did), and that he had one comment already, I had to do something.

The commenter raised the ol' you-can't-blame-them-for-coming-here-to-work-at-jobs-Americans-won't-do "argument":

"These folks come here to work. Why should they be punished for responding to an economic need? We need to find a way to allow enough immigrants into this country to meet our economic needs."

To which I reply:
Because there is a law. Not just any law. There is a U.S. law. U.S. Law is supposed to be waaaaay different than, say, Mexican law. We expect laws in this U.S. to be enforced. It is, after all, why the illegals come here. Forget about working, let's just focus on The Law. The law in the U.S. is what allows people like you and me to hand over 30 percent of what we earn to the government without thinking too hard about what's done with it. Why? because we know the LAW will be enforced equally and fairly on everyone.

Now the LAW also gives us comfort in knowing that if we disagree with how much is taken and how it's spent we can change it. So the LAW in this country is very attractive. People from all over the world know this. Even the poor folks in Mexico know this. Yet they are actively, if unwittingly undermining that very same rule of law that comforts them. The world is watching us once again, to see whether we will uphold the sanctity of the rule of law. If we don't enforce immigration law, which laws will we enforce? Suddenly all laws suspect. Laws protecting private property, patents, contracts, life, etc.

***Update: counter jab on the Monoblogue. From Marc:

"Did these folks break the law? Sure. But that doesn’t really bother me. They aren’t hurting me."

Marc,....The concept of the Rule of Law is central to this many-faceted issue. Addressing it is not a means of avoiding the questions. If one cannot adequately address the impact on rule of law, then one hasn't a leg to stand on.
"Did these folks break the law? Sure. But that doesn’t really bother me. They aren’t hurting me."
So we should take it that if they were, in fact, hurting you, we should then enforce the law. Yes? Do you not see how rapidly this argument leads to anarchy?

MDGOP Chairman Balks at Shamnesty Bill

All I can say is 'wow'!
If there was any doubt that the new GOP leadership is anything but the best thing that could have happened to the Party, this press release blows it away completely! I think that most if not all of you have a gut feeling about this legislation. I haven't read the thing, but from what I've been able to gather, it just doesn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling that it's going to work any better than than previous attempts to reform the law. And it takes guts, as the leader of a state GOP party, to come out and say so. Dr. Pelura and his team are effectively immune from Removable Spine Syndrom. Let their blood be used to manufacture a vaccine.

Mike Netherland

Immigration Bill Takes Us In The Wrong Direction

ANNAPOLIS—Members of the United States Senate return today from Memorial Day recess and will be debating the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007. Chairman James Pelura of the Maryland Republican Party made the following statement:

"We all agree that our current immigration system is broken and needs to be reformed. However, the immigration proposal currently being considered would be a move in the wrong direction. Our nation needs an immigration bill that respects the rule of law, makes border security a priority, and does not grant amnesty. The immigration bill being considered by the Senate would grant benefits to those who have willfully broken the law, and in some cases, provides illegal immigrants rights not even afforded to U.S. citizens. Plain and simple – that is wrong. This wonderful land of opportunity is the envy of the world and people risk their lives to come here. We, as a nation, should encourage those seeking the American dream to follow the rules to citizenship and then fully participate in all this land has to offer."