Jun

06

Profiles in Courage

Viewpoints

By: Richard Calkins In a May 15 interview with Meet the Press, Newt Gingrich called the Ryan Plan “radical” and opposed the “social engineering” it represented, seeming to rekindle his 1994 position that the health mandate is necessary. These wise words, even from Gingrich, were met with scorn from Ryan and his GOP colleagues, who would prefer to strip Medicare from seniors while granting tax breaks for the wealthy. Social engineering? You betcha. Cowering, Gingrich then apologized, saying he was “trapped” by the Meet the Press questioning.

May

19

Taking a Toll

Viewpoints

By: CAROL VOYLES Gasoline prices in 1975 averaged under $.50 per gallon. In 2000 they averaged $1.95. Now they are $4.00. The bridge toll has remained the same. While no one enjoys price increases, it’s hardly realistic to suggest that a $2.50 toll increase will cause our economy to crash. There are far more relevant factors. Gasoline prices have risen 800 percent since 1975. Middle class wages haven’t risen in three decades. We have suffered a self-inflicted recessi

Jun

06

Pro-Business Obama

Viewpoints

By: STEVE BAILEY I was dismayed to see grumpy George Will (in the Sunday May 15 Star Democrat) once again attacking the president -- who saved the American auto industry -- as an enemy of business. Let's not forget that it was Republicans who were willing to see Chrysler, General Motors and all their manufacturing jobs disappear. And it was President Obama who continued what Hank Paulson had started -- keeping those lying ingrate bankers on Wall Street solvent during the crisis of 2008-09. Has George Will not seen stock values soaring during the Obama presidency? Isn't he himself wealthier as a result of the confidence Obama has restored to the market?

May

12

Flawed Basis for a Vote

Viewpoints

By: RAY MAYFIELD I recently received two e-mails from Congressman Andy Harris proclaiming that he was proud of voting for the “Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act”. As rationalization, he cites a study by Dr. Joseph Mason, a professor at Louisiana State University, who disputes the findings of a blue ribbon Inter-Agency Economic Report on the Economic Effects of the Deepwater Drilling Moratorium on the Gulf Coast Economy. That report was the work of a team of highly educated, knowledgeable and independent experts.

May

15

Harris Violates Pledges

Viewpoints

By: MIKE BROWN Rep. Andy Harris didn't waste any time violating his physician's pedge to "do no harm", voting in January to harm millions of Americans by repealing the Affordable Care Act. Now he's done it again, this time voting to harm millions of seniors, including many thousands of Marylanders, by voting for the Paul Ryan 2012 budget which abolishes Medicare and Medicaid, without even considering superior less harmful Medicare reform approaches like ACA measures, capitation and means testing.

Jun

08

Education is the Solution Not the Problem

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY If America's workers are learning nothing else from our coming long slog out of this recessionary hole, we're learning that the strengthening Dow has little relation to our personal prosperity. With 9 percent unemployment, reductions in new unemployment slowing down, and foreclosures continuing, that 12,500 Dow is a sun in someone else's sky. Believe me, we'll still be clambering out of this recession by the time our current school kids are entering the job market.

Jun

08

The Wink, Wink Campaign

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS There is a strategy common to the campaigns of the prospective Republican candidates. The candidates must pander to the conservative base (many votes) by blaming Democrats for creating the current economic problems while winking at those who know that the agenda is to maximize wealth for the real base (few votes). Ignoring the wink, wink rule is dangerous, as Newt Gingrich found out when he publicly criticized the “Ryan Plan.”

Jun

08

The Real Gas Price Culprits

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Five letters and statements by Rep. Andy Harris recently published in the Star Democrat falsely blamed President Obama and "liberals" for causing high gas prices by inhibiting domestic oil exploration and drilling.

Jun

06

Starving Schools is Bad Strategy

Viewpoints

By RAY MAYFIELD Recently there have been several Letters to the Editor in the Star Democrat on school funding, most of which have called for funding decreases. The amount of money spent per pupil is admittedly but one simple measure that assumes that the more spent, the better the outcome in terms of student achievement. There are other factors such as parental involvement, the quality of the teachers and school leadership and the socio/economic level of the community. But funding is important!

Jun

08

Throwing Low-Hanging Fruit at Our Schools

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES It’s easy to be critical of Talbot County’s public schools; after all, they receive over a thousand dollars more per pupil than our private schools. The private schools aren’t required to teach special needs pupils, and aren’t serving thousands of meals to the 35 percent of students living at or below the poverty line.

Jun

08

Respect the Public Schools

Viewpoints

By Richard Calkins In the May 29, 2011, Sunday Star, Kimberlee Kelly opined that private schools, such as St. Peter and Paul’s Schools (SPPS), provide a better educational experience compared with Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS). Unsurprisingly, she offers no evidence for this claim.

Jun

07

Let's Be Hopeful About Health Care

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Some of us insist that the solution to our health care problems is competition across state lines among private sector insurers. Keep in mind that dealing with ever more insurers also increases administrative costs, and millions of Medicare recipients have recently indicated that they refuse to depend upon private sector coverage.

Jun

20

Prisons or Schools?

Viewpoints

By SUSAN DELEAN-BOTKIN Great idea to cut the Talbot County school budget! And even better idea to cut the after school programs, especially sports. While we’re at it, do away with Head Start and all early education programs, too. We can use all the money saved on schools for prisons. We could even develop a program that any child whose parents do not home school them would immediately be enrolled in a detention center, and then justtransferred to jail at 16!

Jun

25

Germany Gets It

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES A recent editorial in The Star Democrat decried the fact that Germany may shut down their nuclear power generation. They’ve determined that it’s not cost-effective. While nuclear fuel is touted as a low cost energy source, reliably generating power at 2 cents/kWh, that figure has never included the cost of building a reactor- now as much as $10 billion apiece.

Jun

25

Republican's Immoral Budget

Viewpoints

The Obama budget is rational. The Ryan budget isn't. And, the Obama budget reduces the deficit faster. Tell that to the Tea Party crowd.

Jun

26

Court Encourages GOP's Anti-EPA Campaign

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS The Supreme Court's recent decision that the EPA is in charge of environmental rules is a gift to Republicans who want to defund the EPA and eliminate rules that offend big corporate polluters.

Jun

28

RICH LEVY / Truth, Justice and the American Way

Viewpoints

Rich Levy, a member of the Talbot County Democratic Forum and its communications committee, offers his insights on a variety of topics.

Jul

01

The GOP Attack on Voting Rights

Viewpoints

By Richard Calkins Voter fraud? The only fraud being committed is by Republicans who are determined to discourage as people as possible from voting.

Jul

02

We Need Adult Lawmakers

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Acting like children throwing a temper tantrum because they don't get their way, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) abruptly quit bipartison debt reduction talks because they refused to discuss revenue increases as part of any deal. Democrats want to roll back excessive tax breaks and subsidies and close loopholes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations. Republicans claim this would be job-killing, and that these tax breaks have created jobs. Experience has proven otherwise. President Reagan tried massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and when they failed had to raise taxes six times and still quadupled our debt. President W. Bush tried again, and they failed again - doubling our debt while producing no net new jobs. Extending the Bush taxcuts in 2010 still hasn't increased job creation as Republicans had promised. Economists agree that any serious debt reduction must include revenue increases. They also agree that failing to raise our debt ceiling, as Republicans threaten if they don't get their way, will lead to a major collapse of the U.S. and world economy. Yet, all but 13 of 288 Republican lawmakers have signed a pledge to some unelected GOP czar named Grover Norquist to never raise any taxes under any conditions. Republicans need to start acting like adults and do their job to solve our nation's problems, and decide that their oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States is far more important than their oath to some unelected czar.

Jul

04

Can the GOP Fool All the People All the Time?

Viewpoints

By CARL WIDELL The Republicans have been claiming for years that the solution to America’s economy is tax cuts, and most people seem to buy it. We should not buy it.

Jul

04

Andy Harris Fears Daylight

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY What's with Andy Harris? His so-called "town meeting" was announced nowhere except in an automated phone call, in the middle of a work day. Questions were screened, and all he took were softballs. That's not a "meeting"; that's a lecture. I remember when politicians wanted to get out in the daylight to hear from their constituents; but two-way communication is too much daylight for Andy Harris. When you turn on the light, your congressman shouldn't skitter away.

Jul

04

A Prescription for Rep. Harris

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Andy Harris purports to represent the First Congressional District of Maryland. He doesn't.

Jul

11

Conservatives vs. Conservatives

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS Even conservative columnists realize that conservative Republicans in Congress are behaving recklessly.

Jul

13

Michele Bachman's Awesome Story

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES The tea party favorite can try to put a positive spin on what Republican policies will do to the country, but the facts don't back her up.

Jul

18

Litmus Test Trumps the Constitution

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Andy Harris puts his no-tax promise above his duty to the nation.

Jul

20

Those Reckless Republicans

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Never mind the debt ceiling default date. The recklessness of Republicans, is already being demonstrated.

Jul

20

Calling Andy Harris

Viewpoints

Tell Congressman Harris what you think. Call him at 202-225-5311.

Jul

21

Balanced Budget Amendment -- I'd Call That Bet

Viewpoints

By CHERYL EVERMAN The Republicans know that there will be no balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Jul

21

Low Taxes Create Deficits, Not Jobs

Viewpoints

By CHERYL EVERMAN When it comes to taxes, Republicans simply can't do the math.

Jul

21

It's Andy Harris's Default

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Andy Harris and his Tea Party friends put Maryland at risk. If the U.S. defaults, Marylanders will suffer. A lot.

Jul

28

Tea Party's Destructiveness Exposed

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN The debt ceiling debate reveals just how extreme and destructive the Tea Party movement is.

Jul

30

The Facts May Set Us Free

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Real facts can counter misleading political rhetoric, whether about a balanced budget or creating jobs.

Aug

03

Empty Promises

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Save the Bay? How, when Andy Harris always favors polluters?

Aug

04

Waiting for the Job Creators

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Republicans focus on undermining Obama and mention jobs only when they want to cut taxes.

Aug

05

Republican Assaults on Democracy

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN By trying to suppress voter turnout and threatening to blow up our fragile economy, the Republican Party proves it is a danger to the nation.

Aug

07

Beware the Rabid Fox!

Viewpoints

By STEVE BAILEY The Fox "News" Channel is a propaganda outlet for plutocrats who are trying to reshape America to even better serve their interests. Let's turn it off!

Aug

07

Andy's Impossible Condition

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS The balanced budget amendment that Harris supports is just plain nutty.

Aug

13

The Party for the Wealthy

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY If you're wealthy, Andy Harris will look out for your interests.

Aug

13

Harris Stalls Bay Improvement

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Harris pushes a needless "study" to delay real action on the Bay.

Aug

13

Abuse of Facts

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Conservative has his own "facts" about FAA showdown. Of course, he's wrong.

Aug

13

The Tea Party Downgrade

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Tea party extremists created the debt ceiling crisis and caused the credit rating downgrade. They WANT to hurt the economy.

Aug

16

There Were Heroes in Oslo

Viewpoints

A married lesbian couple risked their lives to rescue teens from island massacre.

Sep

04

Harris vs. the Environment

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Andy Harris has a problem. Voters care about the Bay; he doesn't.

Sep

04

Republicans and S&P

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY The real reason S&P downgraded the U.S. credit rating.

Sep

04

Where's the integrity and patriotism?

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Andy Harris doesn't keep his promises on seniors' benefits, on helping the Bay and on doing what's right (not rightwing!) for the country.

Sep

04

Harris and the True Believers

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Andy Harris and Americans for Prosperity get together in a festival of misinformation and anti-Obama fervor.

Sep

06

Harris and Hatred at a Steakhouse

Viewpoints

Which do the tea party crowd hate more? Obama or taxes?

Sep

09

The Right Tax Policies for the Bay

Viewpoints

By STEVE BENDER Let's do the right tax thing for all of us on the Chesapeake Bay. Stop aiding polluters.

Sep

09

Empty Rhetoric

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Conservatives say that government stimulus spending is always a bad idea, ignoring that massive WWII spending ended the Depression.

Sep

09

The Talbot GOP Leader's Fantasy

Viewpoints

By STEVE BAILEY Talbot County Republicans need a course in history.

Sep

11

Implementing Proven Ideas

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Talbot County Republican doesn't get the facts right. Clinton, not Reagan, created the most jobs.

Sep

12

District 1 Must Change

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS In redrawing Maryland congressional districts, the state should look at how racially and politically skewed the First District is now.

Sep

12

District 1 Must Change

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS In redrawing Maryland congressional districts, the state should look at how racially and politically skewed the First District is now.

Sep

14

Single-Member Districts

Viewpoints

By RYAN EWING Single-Delegate Districts Legislative redistricting is our opportunity to redraw the lines to create a single-member delegate district centered in Caroline County.

Sep

14

Skewed Congressional Districts

Viewpoints

By BLAIR POTTER Districts skewed in favor of one political party or the other contribute to hyper-partisanship in Congress and political paralysis.

Sep

19

Republican's Selective Outrage

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Today’s GOP kindergarten-bathroom-dance is over a small company that used a federally guaranteed energy development loan. The company wasn't owned by big political donors, it obtained its loans in an open and transparent process, but it finally succumbed (to Chinese competitors) when commodity price shifts made their product uncompetitive. Even given the modestly sized guarantee program, the failed company's share was only 13 one-thousandths. Meanwhile, those same GOP screechers are curiously silent about Dick Cheney's own Halliburton and its KBR subsidiary, which managed to lose ONE THIRD of the resources they were contracted to manage in Iraq. It’s hard to count money while distracted by screaming, and Halliburton “misplaced” $1.2 Billion in Iraq funds, as U.S. troops were being fatally electrocuted in KBR’s shoddily-built facilities. A small business tried, and failed. That's the risk part in business; sometimes you lose. This terrifies the GOP axis of greed, because they believe business is about a sure thing, like no-bid contracts and sweetheart deals for Republican insiders, those cherished licenses to steal. A rigged system that makes some very wealthy Republicans wealthier: that is Job One for today's GOP.

Sep

19

Put Harford In the First District

Viewpoints

By EUGENE GOLL Testimony before the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee.

Sep

19

Republican Economic Mythology

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN The recent column by Nicholas Panuzio recites Republican economic mythology that must be answered with evidence and facts. He cites economic expansion in the 1980s under President Reagan as evidence their agenda of cutting taxes, regulations and government has succeeded before, conveniently omitting mention of Reagan's seven tax increases and government expansion after he realized cutting taxes failed to stop runaway unemployment. He quadrupled our debt anyway. George W. Bush tried this cutting mythology again, and again it failed. After slashing taxes and regulations, he doubled our debt, failed to create private sector jobs, and crashed our economy. Panuzio claims stimulus has never worked, yet FDR's huge New Deal stimulus pulled us out of the Great Depression, reducing unemployment from 22.9% in 1932 to 9.7% by 1937. A brief downturn in 1937 caused by conservatives' premature austerity was reversed by massive federal spending stimulus of WWII, followed by decades of growth. The CBO determined that President Obama's stimulus did work, turning our economy around and creating/saving two million jobs. The CBO also determined that the Affordable Care Act, rather than being job-killing, will have no appreciable effect on jobs. Corporate CEOs, when speaking non-politically, will tell you that it's not "uncertainty" that's preventing them from hiring, but lack of demand; i.e., people with jobs and money to buy their stuff. Multiple surveys support this conclusion. Believe in facts and evidence. Reject failed Republican "voodoo economics" and support Democrats' proven measures to create jobs while reducing our debt.

Sep

21

Why Is Fair Called Class Warfare?

Viewpoints

By JOAN E. JOHNSON If the middle class had access to as many deductions as corporate managers ...

Sep

21

The GOP World: Where Corporate Fraud Is a Virtue

Viewpoints

By JIM BACHMAN The Republican presidential candidates side with banks and corporations and against common sense.

Sep

21

Allied Health Facility: Investment in the Future

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Mid-Shore counties should be rushing to ensure the future of the nursing program at Chesapeake College.

Sep

23

GOP Assault on Our Safety Net

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN 46,000 Americans die prematurely each year for lack of health insurance; Republican policies would make things worse.

Sep

25

Electoral College Power Play

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Efforts in Pennsylvania to distribute electoral college votes by congressional district are anti-democratic.

Sep

30

Money Doesn't Keep Us Healthy

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES The U.S. ranks No. 32 in health-care results, but we're No. 1 in health care spending. Does anyone see anything wrong with this?

Oct

10

Inconvenient Questions

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Inconvenient Questions There are certain questions Republicans will always dodge.

Oct

13

Not the Tea Party

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY How Occupy Wall Street is different from the Tea Party. For one thing, there's no billionaire paying all the bills.

Oct

13

Uncivilized Society

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Where has our civility gone? As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, taxes are the price of a civilized society.

Oct

18

The GOP Assault on Democracy

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS In state after state, Republicans are trying to make it harder for citizens to vote. Why?

Oct

19

What's Wrong With Cain's 9 Percent Solution

Viewpoints

By JIM BACHMAN Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan is simple -- and simply wrong. Let's look at what this very bad idea might mean for real people.

Oct

19

Simple Solutions for Complex Problems

Viewpoints

By RAY MAYFIELD Simple solutions are almost never a good response to a complex problem, but candidates still promote them.

Oct

20

Obama and Good News in Michigan

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS Economic growth in Michigan? Could it have something to do with the Obama administration's rescue of the auto industry?

Oct

22

Is America Awakening to the Truth?

Viewpoints

By FRANK LAWLOR Protestors may finally rouse America to fight back against corporate interests intent on impoverishing workers.

Oct

26

Educate or Bust?

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Talbot County Council member Dirck Bartlett is concerned about education spending. Here's why it's important.

Oct

27

Making Health Care Work

Viewpoints

By SUSAN DELEAN-BOTKIN It is possible for people to have different ideas and still work together for the common good.

Oct

27

Tearful issue of the paper

Viewpoints

By FRANK LAWLOR The Oct. 26 Star Democrat offers two views of life in these United States, one kind and one heartless.

Oct

27

Michigan's Budget Windfall: The Facts

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Michigan doesn't prove that tax cuts work. It proves that government action can benefit everyone.

Nov

02

Reliably Anti-Environment

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Once again, Andy Harris shows his true colors, telling Republicans about his ideas for a “sane” American energy policy.

Nov

02

What Would Margaret Thatcher Do?

Viewpoints

By FRANK LAWLOR The Economist, a conservative British journal, says that our Congressional Republicans "are guilty of outrageous obstructionism."

Nov

02

The Obama Checklist

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Let's take a look at what President Barack Obama has accomplished DESPITE the GOP's obstructionism.

Nov

09

Obama's Correct Iraq Withdrawal Decision

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN How can we stay when Iraq doesn't want us and won't assure our soldiers of immunity?

Nov

09

The GOP vs. the Unemployed

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Why is the corporate-owned Republican Party so opposed to helping the unemployed?

Nov

09

Our Corporate-Sponsored Congressman

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Andy Harris gets an award for efforts on behalf of Maryland seniors. Who's behind this sham?

Nov

09

Did Harris Snooker the Nonprofits?

Viewpoints

By STEVE BAILEY Andy Harris and his radical political agenda seem to be getting a boost from prominent Shore nonprofits.

Nov

14

An Effort to Win Votes

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Andy Harris says one thing and does (votes!) another when it comes to Medicare. Why would he do that?

Nov

16

November Forum Update

Viewpoints

I. 2012 Election Calendar II. Congressional Redistricting III. Forum Book Club IV. Democratic Women's Club Events V. Other Forum Committees VI. For Your Information 1. 2012 Election Calendar. We are now less than a year from the November 6, 2012 election. I've reviewed the 2012 election calendar with Talbot Elections Supervisor Patti Mitchell, with the following dates to place on your calendar

Nov

16

Ben Carden, Senator for All

Viewpoints

By LESLIE ISRAEL Ben Cardin is working on behalf of ALL Marylanders: protecting Social Security and Medicare, expanding jobs and more.

Nov

18

Sanity Returns

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS Have to noticed that voters in state after state are rejecting radical Republicans and their ideas?

Nov

18

Downing a Big Mac

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS Fiscal hawks reap the benefits of Obama's economic stimulus bills.

Nov

18

Harris's Unbalanced Thinking

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS For over 200 years, almost everyone has agreed that a balanced-budget amendment is a bad idea. It's still a bad idea.

Nov

21

From Clean Water Weak to Clean Water Strong

Viewpoints

By STEVE BENDER We're all to blame for our unclean water. It's up to all of us to clean it up.

Nov

23

RetireSafe's Sham Award to Harris

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Andy Harris accepts an "award" for "standing up for America's seniors" from an anti-seniors organization.

Nov

28

Haddaway's Compassion for Millionaires

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY In an article in the Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, Star, Del. Jeannie Haddaway says millionaires fled Maryland due to the millionaires tax. Not true.

Dec

08

Benefits of Stimulus

Viewpoints

By ART CIZEK I read Nick Loffer’s letter in your September 23 edition with great interest. I believe the letter is important because it reveals the outlook and attitude of Americans for Prosperity and other corporate financed right wing organizations. Mr. Loffer contends that the President’s stimulus bill was a “colossal failure”. That is a colossal misstatement. The program helped turn around the economy, stopping the downward spiral and beginning a recovery. Mr. Loffer claims the HARP program is a failure because it only helped 838,000 homeowners. I did not check Mr. Loffer’s numbers because this statement on its face is more important than the accuracy of his numbers. Mr. Loffer’s contention that helping over three quarter of a million homeowners avoid foreclosure is a failure indicates a callous and particularly shortsighted view. The program may have fell short of its goal but only those who have no interest in the welfare of their neighbors or their county could consider helping that many Americans keep there home a failure. Foreclosures destabilize neighborhoods and result in loss of property values for many more that those who lost their homes. Perhaps this effect has not been measured or if it has Mr. Loffer ignored it. Helping Americans avoid foreclosure is not Mr. Loffer’s concern, rather he is concerned that the program will cause “investors” to lose $13 to $15 Billion dollars. Again, I did not check Mr. Loffer’s numbers because I think his concern for the “investor’s is so compelling. Who are the “investors” that will suffer this loss? Banks and Mortgage companies, of course, the same people that caused the housing bubble, wrecked the economy, took billions in Bush Administration bail outs and have been trashing government program and regulations ever since. Oh, I forgot the obscenely large bonuses the paid themselves after their truly colossal failures. Mr. Loffer’s goal and the goals of Americans for Prosperity is very clear, prosperity for corporations and the super rich and not much for anyone else. Art Cizek

Dec

08

Don't Blame the Tea Party

Viewpoints

By ART CIZEK Blame the Republicans. It's their party that's harming our nation.

Dec

08

Your Retirement and the GOP Casino

Viewpoints

By ART CIZEK Newt Gingrich is among Republicans who want you to bet your retirement in the stock market.

Dec

08

More Than Ayn Rand: The Republican Coalition

Viewpoints

By FRANK LAWLOR Today's Republican Party is an uncomfortable coalition of at least four disparate viewpoints.

Dec

09

Harris: Missing in Action

Viewpoints

By ART CIZEK Where was our congressman during the fight to save Easton's postal processing facility?

Dec

12

Andy Harris Warns Us Again

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Andy Harris has again sent out a taxpayer-financed mailing full of misleading and downright false information.

Dec

12

We Need Opinions Based on Facts, Not Fiction

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN It's up the Eastern Shore's progressive-minded public to encourage honest editorials in one newspaper.

Jan

19

January Forum Update

Viewpoints

Monthly Democratic Forum Update

Dec

15

Pragmatism Trumps Ideology

Viewpoints

By Vincent De Sanctis When it comes to saving a local postal processing facility, everyone wisely concludes that government has a role in providing jobs.

Dec

15

No Facts, No Problems

Viewpoints

By RAY MAYFIELD There are a lot of opinions when Republicans write letters to the editor of the Star Democrat, but very few facts. Wonder why?

Dec

15

Harris's Pipe Dreams

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS Andy Harris supports tax relief for U.S. workers only if it includes the Keystone pipeline, which he falsely claims would create an employment bonanza.

Dec

15

Harris Deceives Again

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Let's take a look at what Andy Harris is saying about the Keystone XL Pipeline. Once again, he's not telling the truth.

Dec

16

What was "gained" in Iraq

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY / Why are the Republicans upset to see the misadventure in Iraq come to an end?

Dec

16

They Wish Us Another War

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY / Andy Harris and his radical friends are eager to get the U.S. into another war.

Dec

16

Will Hard to Digest

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS / George Will doesn't always know what he's writing about. Especially if the facts get in the way of his opinion.

Dec

16

Harris's Big Oil Agenda

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS Once again, Andy Harris has shown us where his allegiances lie -- with corporate America, not with the people of this district.

Dec

29

The Bottom Line

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES / Republicans' "job creators" are a cynical myth, creating nothing more than a rational for soaking the poor.

Jan

30

Hope for the New Year

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES At last. After three decades of debt accumulation and a fiscal meltdown, we’re paying close attention to the bottom line. In the process of insisting upon government accountability, more of us may discover that the “Reagan miracle” rests upon statistics gleaned from the upside of an economic cycle. The bottom line is that Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts contributed primarily to tripling our nation’s debt. We recovered from a recession; but tax cuts didn’t create more jobs. Growth rates trended downward, and Reagan ranked fourth in job creation behind three Democrats, including Carter. Bush was last, in spite of our lowest tax rates since the Depression. Coincidentally, Republican administrations ushered in both the Great Depression and the Great Recession. Three Republican administrations generated $9 trillion in debt attributed primarily to tax cuts, the lion’s share of our current $15 trillion debt. Democrat Bill Clinton produced the only balanced budget. He raised taxes, created the most jobs, and passed a surplus to George Bush. The primary source of $4 trillion in debt amassed under President Obama was the revenue loss of our worst recession since the Great Depression. Economists agree that the stimulus, less than one quarter of that amount, prevented a depression. There’s cause for optimism. Obama is getting better results two years after the stimulus than Reagan had two years after his tax cuts, a feat considering the magnitude of the recession Obama was handed. In 1983 Reagan had a 35% approval rating and 10% unemployment. Carol Voyles

Jan

30

Hope Springs Eternal

Viewpoints

By FRANK LAWLOR This is a time of political chaos. On the one hand, local GOP’ers are analyzing our president’s suitability for reelection based on the imagined ‘quality” of his smile, or ranting about unacceptable courses offered in Columbia University? On the other hand, looking today at the GOP debates for a presidential nominee, some astonishingly grown up arguments are being made by Republicans about presidential qualifications. Specifically, Romney’s past is seen as disqualifying him. Evidence that he has been a “vulture capitalist” versus a being a capitalist who promotes economic growth and whose policies help preserve the middle class traditions of our nation. This is very encouraging for predicting serious discussions between the parties in 2012 and for the future of U.S. politics. These are criteria that I thought we would never hear again from the highest ranks of the GOP. Perhaps in 2012 we will hear opposing candidates discussing serious policy such as: 1. How to reverse the growing financial/social inequality that has occurred during the past decade. This pattern has historically damaged stability, democracy and overall prosperity in nations. 2. How to restore the accessibility of higher education for talented American students who are now priced out of high quality education or so burdened by outlandish debt before they can begin their productive years that they cannot aim higher than the biggest paycheck they can grab. 3. How to prevent another financial disaster from recurring and totally destroying the financial future of many generations. A narrow escape should be incentive.

Jan

30

Republican Belly Up to the Bar

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY The Republican primaries are shaping up like a teenage drinking binge. Back in the day, we'd get cheap apple wine (you know the one), and keep taking little slugs, choking it down and keeping it down, sipping and grimacing, shaking your head like a shivering dog after every swallow, until drunkenness overcame the taste, and in craven search of intoxication, you were ready to swallow it all. Which brings us to Mitt Romney. After taking a slug of Bachmann, choking down Perry and Cain, grimacing and gagging at Santorum, and shaking and shivering every time Newt bloviates, welcome to Mitt's Republican primary strategy: if you survive that GOP spectacle, you'll be ready to swallow anything to make it stop. Let's get some plastic on the carpets. --

Jan

30

No Corporate Predator for President, Please

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Imagine a candidate for CEO of a U.S. corporation being asked in an interview with the Board of Directors: "Why do you want this job." He answers: "Because I don't much care for your company - it's part of our problems, not a solution to anything. That's why my associates and I bad-mouth it every chance we get. I want to slash its revenues and tear it down, and make lots of money doing it." Would this clown get the job? No one would be crazy enough to do this anyway, right? Wrong! Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is doing just that. Romney says his experience (as a corporate predator) at Bain Capital is directly applicable to "cleaning up the Federal Government." At Bain, he swooped down on companies, slashed revenues, dismantled them, sold off the remains, fired employees, stole their pensions, destroyed the lives of thousands of American workers and their families, and enriched himself and his investors in the process. Now he's coming to the American voters, the Board of Directors of our U.S. Government, asking for the opportunity to do that to us. He and his GOP comrades have tried to poison public opinion about our Constitutionally created Executive Branch that he would lead. He wants to slash revenues (more tax cuts for millionaires and corporations), and dismantle programs that Promote the General Welfare such as Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, education, food/medicine/water safety, and bridges/roads repair while further enriching the wealthiest 1%. Sorry, Mitt - not this time.

Jan

30

Harris Wrong on Pipeline

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES There he goes again. Rep. Andy Harris stated that the Keystone pipeline has been studied for three years, and it’s time to get the shovels out. In 2010 South Dakota granted TransCanada their first permit for the XL pipeline within US borders, and our State Department outsourced an environmental study to the private sector. In July of that year, the Environmental Protection Agency declared a draft of the study incomplete, as it failed to address oil spills. The State Department study has not taken three years, and is not completed. The Ogallala aquifer spans eight states - South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas - providing drinking water for millions and supporting over $20 billion in agricultural activity. Portions of the planned pipeline also cross a seismic zone active as recently as 2002. A major spill could critically compromise this vital water resource. We’re told that this will be the safest pipeline in history, but the specifications offered so far restate current minimum standards. Taking regulatory power away from our State Department, as Rep. Harris suggests, might benefit some of us, but judging by states’ past performance in these matters, it would also likely result in uneven performance that leaves neighbors at risk. There is much more at stake than 2-4,000 temporary jobs. We should complete the study. In the meantime, we can take some comfort in the little known fact that in 2011 the US became a net fuel exporter for the first time since 1949 (USA Today).

Feb

01

Remaining an Embarrassment

Viewpoints

By RICHARD CALKINS REMAINING AN EMBARRASSMENT Barely 5 minutes after the conclusion of the State of the Union address, Andy Harris claimed in an e-mail that "the president said nothing new tonight." We know that Harris is blinded by ideology, but maybe it's affected his hearing as well. The President’s new proposals: a job training program through business partnerships and community colleges; a mortgage crisis unit to investigate bank misconduct; a number (30%) to the "Buffett Rule" taxing millionaires; a new minimum tax on U.S. companies that store revenue overseas; a trade enforcement unit targeting unfair trade practices; prohibiting elected officials from owning stock in industries they impact, and shifting federal aid from colleges who don't keep tuition down, for starters. Harris says the president has a "failed economic record" exemplified by the Stimulus (which created up to 4 million jobs), and Obamacare (adults call it the Affordable Care Act, which has provided 5 million more Americans with health care). To Harris, providing jobs and health care are a "failure." After accusing Obama of the “blame game,” he blames Obama for losing 1,200 Maryland private sector jobs in December. While isolating one month’s performance, he neglects to mention that 3 million private sector jobs have been added during the Obama administration, and that the Maryland unemployment rate dropped 0.2% in December. Harris’ intransigence highlights his refusal to consider any responsible approach to meet our country’s needs. He remains an embarrassment to District One, and the state of Maryland.

Feb

02

Harris's Latest Attack on the Environment

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS In a recent subcommittee hearing the Chairman, Congressman Andy Harris not only challenged an EPA official about a recent study but issued a press release using the phrase "Junk Science". This pejorative phrase is calculated for one purpose and that is to provide an easy to remember campaign slogan showing his faithful that he is their champion. Although the focus of the hearing was the EPA and a specific environmental problem in Wyoming, the Congressman's real agenda is evident in the press release. He references Governor O'Malley and "his own climate change agenda", a matter extaneous to the hearing. Although no longer a member of the Maryland Senate, Andy Harris wants us all to remember that he ranked near the bottom of state legislators in protecting the Bay. The irony of the phrase "junk science" is that, in fact, it describes much of what the right wing has promoted, whether it be in denying human impact on the climate, questioning the overwhelming evidence supporting evolution, or undermining stem cell research. To top it off Congressman Harris revealed his fear about being exposed as an advocate of "junk science", by having a video director arrested for "unlawful entry" while attempting to film a public event on public property, an activity that has been done previously. Congressman, since there was no evidence that the filming was interfering with the hearing, what are you really afraid of?

Feb

05

There Harris Goes Again

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Andy Harris threw reporters and a documentary maker out of his public congressional oversight hearing on natural gas fracking, and then claimed that the Environmental Protection Agency was offering “junk science.” He complained that the EPA neglected to consult state and local experts, and implied that the EPA might not have shared information were it not for his hearing. The facts do not support his claims. The EPA provided 622 documents of preliminary findings related to hydraulic fracking in Pavillion, Wyoming. The findings are not complete. The EPA is still waiting for hundreds water samples from Encana Corporation. Their current findings are a first step that will be followed by a period of public comment and peer review by independent scientists. The last thing we need is more prejudicial rhetoric. President Obama has endorsed safe natural gas production, and President Theodore Roosevelt would likely have concurred. He also believed that while it is our right to develop and use natural resources, it is not our right to deprive our citizens and future generations of clean water and a safe environment. Taking time to insure that an aquifer that serves eight states and supports over $20 billion in agricultural activity remains viable is a worthwhile endeavor.

Feb

05

There IS Voter Fraud, Just as the Republicans Say.

Viewpoints

.... But the fraud was committed by a Republican secretary of state . By ART CIZEK. Democrats have been critical of voter ID laws and other attempts by Republican state governments to suppress the vote. Democrats usually win when voter turn out is high. The critics of voter ID laws claim there is no evidence to support allegations of widespread voter fraud. Indiana Republicans have responded brilliantly with absolute evidence of one case of voter fraud in their state. The case was reported by the Indianapolis Star on February 4. A jury of twelve convicted Charlie White, the Republican Secretary of State, of three count of voter fraud, two counts of perjury and one count of theft. All were felony convictions. Under the law White cannot hold public office if convicted of one or more felonies. White is looking for a friendly judge to reduce his felony convictions to misdemeanors. Governor Mitch Daniels (a rising star in the Republican Party) is not too dismayed by this turn of events. He made a temporary appointment to the position of Secretary of State. He explains he did not make a permanent appointment because if White’s felony convictions are reduced to misdemeanors he may return to his position as Secretary of State. Say it isn’t so Mitch

Feb

06

When Romney "Cares," Watch Your Wallet

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Jim Bachman offers proof of Romney's lack of concern for non-millionaires in his letter of Feb.6. The editor’s note expands on Romney's concern for "90-95%" of Americans struggling, and Mitt saying he'll preserve and repair the safety net. Except when he won't. Something smells. Medicare, the one health care with which Americans are overwhelmingly happy, would be "privatized"(turned into someone's cash cow). Mitt smells money. Romney would “gradually raise the retirement age to reflect increases in longevity". Except, that statistical increase does not come at the end of life, but is due to falling infant mortality. Maybe Mitt and his wealthiest pals have seen some increase in longevity, but construction workers, laborers, landscapers, watermen - people doing real, hard work as opposed to signing dividend checks at their third home - they don't always have the option to stay at full throttle to age 65, 68, 70. Raising the eligibility age is just a way to take money out of Grandad's pocket, and put it in Mitt's tax return. Mitt smells money. Romney opposes extending Unemployment Insurance benefits for struggling workers, and he supports "privatizing" Unemployment Insurance - one more way to turn a buck off of busted workers. Mitt smells money. When our economy, designed for Mitt and the 1%, tanks again like it did in 2008, and you’re knocked off of the middle class tightrope, the last thing you'd hear before your backside slams on sawdust is “President” Romney's safety net, whiffing past your ears.

Feb

07

Did Romney's Tax Returns Put Palin on McCain's Ticket?

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY What does a shovel to the back of the head, and Mitt Romney's taxes, have in common? Each should ring a bell in the mind of GOP voters. Mitt knows the catastrophic effect that extensive exposure of his financial life would have, on his image and on the public's understanding of the 1% versus the 99%. You know who else knows this? Romney supporter John MCain! Mitt has only released one tax return and one tax "estimate", for the benefit of this season's Republican primary voters; yet, when he wanted McCain to consider him for his running mate in 2008, Mitt provided a full 23 years of his tax returns. McCain got a good look inside Mitt's world - and he picked half-Governor Sarah Palin. Clang!!

Feb

07

Romney Doesn't Do as His Dad Did on Tax Returns

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY The conservative press and punditry industry is, predictably, getting Romney’s tax problems wrong. It's not about hating the rich, or wealth itself, nor a fishing expedition for crimes. I'm a Democrat, and I don’t expect to see anything but legally filed returns. I don’t believe Romney is a tax evader. What I do expect is that Mitt's returns will reveal the absurd degree of tax avoidance that is today granted in laws written by politicians, particularly Republicans, who’ve been purchased on behalf of the 1%. The scandal isn’t Romney doing anything illegal. The scandal is what’s been made legal, to meaningfully benefit only the 1%. Got a real, 99 percenter job ? Think about the daily effort you make, the drive to the boat, office, or field, your workday. How are your taxes? Now think about Mitt’s "work" day, collecting dividends and speaker's fees. With electronic deposit, Mitt doesn't risk so much as a paper cut. Mitt, a quarter-billionaire, likely pays half the tax rate most of us do; possibly less. Romney’s agreed to release two years of taxes - two years he's been running for president. His father released 12 years when he ran for president, saying he knew returns could be organized in more and less harmful ways, when someone knows they’re about to be a candidate. As I said, I've presumed Mitt’s tax returns are clean, while illustrating a more widespread injustice in America. Now that he won't follow his father's excellent example, though, we can only wonder why.

Feb

07

Obama's Pro-Business Record

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Andy Harris sent around an email, gloating over a green energy company that failed. Odd thing for a good citizen to gloat over, when their nation's economy is struggling back from a near-depression which was brought to us by his own party. This is one more problem with Andy Harris Republicans. They are so used to playing a fixed game, on a playing field rigged for their crooked buddy-boys, that they have forgotten that in the real world there are both success and failure. That is the "risk" inherent in business and investment. Fortunately Obama administration policies have resulted in success stories like Chrysler and GM, and Intel, which have created and saved jobs, and nourished our economy ten thousand times more than Harris' few, churlishly selected examples. Andy's business policy acumen, to the extent that it exists at all, exists only in hindsight, no matter how much he whines that he saw every failure coming, except for his own party's.

Feb

07

Romney Was Never a Job Creator

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY As a founder of Bain Capital Management, Mitt Romney practiced the “art” of acquiring medium sized companies, stripping them of assets, running up their credit lines, and laying off their workers. Bain and Romney bagged millions, carrying off various pickings and “consulting fees”, while the taxpayers were stuck for the ex-employees’ underfunded pensions. At DDI Engineering, Ampad, GTS Steel, Dade Behring, and others, Romney, the locust capitalist, killed good-paying manufacturing and tech jobs; jobs with which families had grown and prospered. To call Mitt a “job creator” is like calling a “chop shop” an auto manufacturer. What kind of jobs did he create? Cash register pilots, ringing up office supplies, or pricey sneakers made in low-paying Asian factories? Pizza delivery professionals? Gigs with low pay and little or no benefits; the kind of jobs your kid takes to buy a car, not to raise your grandchildren. These are the jobs that get taken by desperate breadwinners, the laid-off, middle-aged guys, their homes endangered and dreams dying. There’s no more vivid example of how the worst of the 1% stay that way, no clearer explanation of what has happened over the last thirty years to the rest of the 99%, than Mitt Romney’s career.

Feb

11

Where to Begin

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES The February Republican Viewpoint in The Star Democrat of Easton made a number of claims: The stimulus did nothing but create debt. The health care bill will cost trillions. The banks won’t loan because they must again retain capital. North Dakota shouldn’t have new regulations. Corporations should not have to pay US taxes on all of their income. We made a premature decision to leave Iraq. Although critical of President Obama for not offering the details of his proposals during the State of the Union address, Mr. Panuzio neglected to substantiate his claims. There are certainly other valid viewpoints. For all the imperfections of a stimulus crafted by politicians, some consider averting a depression and 2.5 million jobs more than “nothing.” The Congressional Budget Office doesn’t necessarily agree with his assessment of the projected costs of the health care bill, a good start in an industry that has delivered relatively poor results in spite of being the most expensive in the world. Banks may prefer being bailed out to retaining capital to cover liabilities; they may also be finding Wall Street trading to be more profitable than loans. New industries always involve new regulations, even in North Dakota. Corporations need to pay their fair share; too many pay nothing. Taking combat forces out of Iraq seems reasonable, considering that, after a decade, the outcome may no longer justify that effort. A rational discussion is long overdue.

Feb

11

Does The Star Democrat Want Public Debate

Viewpoints

By VINCENT DE SANCTIS The Star Democrat's editorial decision to add the comment "in fairness" after Jim Bachman's recent letter addressing Mitt Romney's comments about the very poor was, in my estimation, a gratuitous comment but nonetheless within its editorial prerogative. If the paper is concerned about fairness maybe it should also exercise editorial judgment by editing unfair, possibly defamatory remarks, from letters that advance opinions by using unfair, possibly defamatory, comments. Editing out comments such as "dim whit" and pathological lying" would not have changed Mr. Bechtold's position. Letter writers should not be allowed to personally attack others. If an argument depends on such nastiness maybe it should be denied publication. I would also contend that allowing such attacks may have the unintended consequences of discouraging private citizens from participating in public discussions. When thinking of writing a letter many individuals may be reluctant if they thought that the paper would expose them to personal attacks that are insulting to character or motives. The current political debate in our nation is unnecessarily coarse, abrasive and unhealthy. The Star in some modest way could help reduce the level of incivility.

Feb

12

GOP Attacks on Amerians' Voting Rights

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Steven and Cokie Roberts' January 22nd column exposing Republicans' state-level voter suppression efforts is welcome, but our mainstream media needs to cover this story extensively as factual news, not just opinion. GOP voter suppression efforts could swing the upcoming election in their favor, making this and unlimited corporate/special interest money the most important 2012 campaign stories. Republicans are working in 34 states to require picture IDs, reduce/eliminate early and Sunday voting, and suppress organized voter registration which will make it much more difficult and in many cases impossible for up to 5 million voters to vote. This cynical systematic nationwide effort disproportionately affects the poor, elderly, African Americans, Hispanics, students, and veterans - groups with majorities who voted for President Obama in 2008 and would again this year. Republicans claim that these laws will prevent voter fraud. Yet, there have been only 6 voter fraud prosecutions (0.000001%) out of 597 million votes since 1997. South Carolina and Florida couldn't identify one instance of voter fraud since 2000. So there is no voter fraud problem, leaving Republicans' true aims to steal the election completely transparent. These are facts, as are the Roberts' claims that these GOP laws are "un-American" and a "national disgrace." Our democracy demands that we make it easier, not harder for us all to exercise our Constitutional right to vote. We send our troops to fight and die to protect our precious right to vote. President Obama and Democrats promote and defend this right; Republicans don't.

Feb

18

A Misleading Letter in the Star Democrat

Viewpoints

By RICH LEVY Regarding the February 15 letter in the Star Democrat, "This kind of change is unwanted": Under Bush II, gasoline prices ran from $1.46 at inauguration to $4 in 2008 - three and a half times the increase the writer bitterly decries under President Obama! In 2008, the financial collapse - brought to us by the GOP - took our economy over a cliff; millions of jobs, and consumer demand, went with it. The crash in demand saw gas prices plunge to $1.61 only in the last days of the Bush administration. For that, your correspondent sends W a valentine? A collapsing economy kills millions of jobs, cuts the hours of millions more, and somebody is shocked that, as a result, more people need assistance? File that under "Duh". Over 2/3 of our national debt accumulated under the last three Republican presidents, over 40% from the Bush II administration alone. That debt continues as a result of his two disastrous wars of choice, and the GOP insistence on paying for them by cutting millionaires' taxes. Now that writer's numbers grow fragrant. While our population has grown, and with it the size of the federal payroll, the number of federal employees per US citizen has decreased by 6% under president Obama, and hasn't been consistently this low since the 1970s. Your correspondent served us a dog's breakfast of connivingly selected data. This deception, using superficially authoritative "numbers" relies on an audience's ignorance or disinclination to verify. Information – instead of "numbers" – tells a different story.

Feb

18

Those Pesky Facts

Viewpoints

By CAROL VOYLES Those pesky facts A recent Star Democrat letter writer criticized other writers for twisting the facts, cited statistics resulting primarily from the recession, and concluded that we need change in the White House. It may be a good idea to compare President Obama’s results to those of other recent presidents. We have had high rates of unemployment during this recession; but according to US News, current job growth lags only slightly behind that following the recession of 1990, and surpasses our recovery from the 2001 recession during the Bush administration. Even President Reagan wasn’t faring any better at this point. He had over 10% unemployment two years after the Economic Recovery Tax Act. While some of our current job growth resulted from an increase in the number of federal employees, our government is proportionally smaller than either the Reagan or Bush governments. According the Office of Budget Management there are now far fewer federal employees per 1,000 population. (This in spite of the fact that President Bush had a Republican Congress for years longer than any other recent president enjoyed a comparable advantage.) Bush had 12.3 federal employees per 1,000. Reagan had 11.9. Obama has 8.4. Our debt is indeed over $14 trillion, but Bush initiatives are responsible for far more of our debt than Obama initiatives. While the stimulus and health care bills may cost $1.78 trillion, the Bush prescription drug bill, tax cuts, and wars are estimated to cost over $4 trillion. The writer was right about one thing. Facts are facts.

Feb

20

Support the Watershed Implementation Plan

Viewpoints

By MIKE BROWN Maryland's Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) needs the full support of Eastern Shore residents who care about the health of our precious Chesapeake Bay. While some improvements such as accountability measures and documentation of accelerated efforts will strengthen the WIP, it represents a substantial effort and commitment by all counties and stakeholders to capitalize on this last opportunity to bring our Bay back to the health we witnessed decades ago. Many Shore Republican lawmakers are throwing up every barrier they can think of to stop Bay restoration. They complain of unfair discrimination against farmers, businesses, the Eastern Shore, and Maryland; the costs of cleanup; and that the scientific basis behind the pollution reduction goals is flawed or out of date. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) found that the Republican House of Representatives had its most anti-environment session in history, and that Andy Harris's voting record (9%) was among the worst. He voted to gut the Clean Water Act, the EPA, and Bay cleanup efforts. Harris lashed out calling the LCV a radical special interest group because he didn't want us hearing the facts. The future of our Eastern Shore depends on a cleaner and vibrant Bay. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on it, as do the real estate, fishing, recreation, and tourism industries. The time to finish the cleanup job is now. Contact MDE and your legislators to urge them to support the WIP and its implementing legislation. You're right, Mr. Harris. The LCV does represent special interests - ours, your constituents'.