RobertMcNickle.com

Nice Parking Job

UPDATE: April 21, 2012  The cops did arrest the driver of this car and charged him with DUI and DWI, among other charges.  See the FNP story here.

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Excitment in the neighborhood this morning.  About 230a heard this car skidding across the driveway and parking on the porch of this house.  Fortunately it looks like no one was injured, either in the car or the home.  The driver failed to make the curve at the end of the street, and there were no skid marks.

The house is uninhabitable, at least at this point, with both front doors ripped off in the crash.  The building inspector is looking at it now.

It didn't appear that the FPD arrested anyone.

I think I am going to get some of the largest concrete planters that I can find and place them in the yard facing the curve so we don't end up like the neighbor.

Geez.

More Bad Management From Annapolis

Not unexpected.  The General Assembly is debating several bills which would raise taxes.  

Our leaders, who have managed our government business irresponsibilly for my entire life, now think that we should give them more money to burn in the fire.

The bill for the proposed gas tax increase is HB1059, which would-

Increasing the motor fuel tax rates for motor fuels other than aviation gasoline or turbine fuel by 10 cents per gallon on July 1, 2011, and by 2 cents per gallon on January 1 and July 1 of each year in 2012 and 2013, and on January 1, 2014.

The current Maryland gas tax is 23.5 cents per gallon, so this proposal is a 42.6% increase in 2011, a 11.9% increase in 2012, a 10.7% increase in 2013, and a 4.8% increase in 2014.  According to this data, in 2009, Marylanders consumed 2,875,824,000 gallons of gasoline.  That equals $675,818,640 in taxes on gasoline alone.  The diesel tax is currently 24.5 cents per gallon.  I couldn't find the diesel usage (our government is so efficient that the 2009 diesel data won't be available until later this month-that is March 2011).  

For gasoline alone, based on 2009 usage, each 1 cent increase in the tax would yield $28,758,240 to the state.  Again, based on 2009 usage for gasoline only, in the first year of the increases, the bill's authors want to take an additional $316,340,640 from citizens to burn in the fire of our government's operations.  (That's 6 months of a 10 cent increase and 6 months of a 12 cent increase.)

Do we really get $676 million worth of highway improvements each year from this tax?  That's for you (and me) to decide and voice our opinion to our state delegates and senators.  For more on how big gas taxes really are, read this post and this post. 

On to alcohol.  

The bill for the proposed alcohol tax increase is HB1213, which would-

Increasing the State tax rates for alcoholic beverages sold in Maryland from $1.50 to $10.03 per gallon for distilled spirits, from 40 cents to $2.96 per gallon for wine, and from 9 cents to $1.16 per gallon for beer.

This is a 569% increase for distilled spirits, a 640% increase for wine, and a 1189% increase for beer.  Not sure how these increases were arrived at.  A typical wine bottle is 750ml, meaning the tax on a bottle would increase from approximately 8 cents to $1.18 per bottle, a 12 ounce beer from 0.8 cents to 11 cents.

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During the period from 2002 through 2010, spending on Maryland gvernment rose from $21.4 billion to $32 billion, a 49.4% increase.  (I am pretty sure that this is just operating spending, but the table is not clear.)  The US Census says that Maryland's population grew 9% from 2000-2010.  In the United States the CPI rose 21.3% from 2002 to 2010.

In the past 8 years, if we have 9% more customers, and prices are up 21%, why did our government managers spend 49% more running our business?  If they had kept the cost of government at population (customer) growth plus inflation, we would have $4.1 billion more in our pockets to spend or save over the past 8 years.

Let's not give our goverment managers any more of our money until they demonstrate that they can manage the money that they currently collect from us effectively and efficiently.

In the Street 2010

 

I was out and about today for In the Street.  Lots of folks downtown, but it didn't appear as crowded to me as the last couple of years.  The weather was absolutely fantastic.

The city did a couple of things to help with the crowds, moving some of the sports stuff into the parking lots and side street in between the creek and Patrick Street, and the north side of the creek was open with no booths.

Lots of music, with at least 5 stages and various bands and groups playing in other places.  Here is Sunny Sweeney, performing her hit "From A Table Away" on the WFRE stage at 2nd Street.  She is pure country, and lots of fun to listen to.  Look for her to be a star, if she can get country radio to keep playing here songs.

And here is Sarah Darling, also on the WFRE stage:

Of course, all of the candidates were out peddling their wares with the Maryland primary election coming up on Tuesday.

Here's an idea of how crowded Market Street looked headed uptown from the creek.

More pics here.

First Saturday-Labor Day Weekend

First Saturday always brings out the crowds in Frederick as the shops stay open late and the Downtown Frederick Partnership has a theme for the weekend and usually music and other activities on the streets.

Combine First Saturday with Labor Day weekend, and today's spectactular weather, and you get lots of folks out enjoying Frederick on a Saturday night.

The Knights of Columbus are conducting a raffle this month for a 2011 Ford Mustang, so we are out selling tickets after Masses this weekend.  They are only a buck and the $$ go back to the parish for support of the Knights' efforts.  Stop by St. John's tomorrow between 8a and 1p and pick up your "winning" ticket.  For more info on the car raffle, visit the Knights site here.

 

I Couldn't Resist

Well, the charcoal was just sitting there, it's beautiful out, and I am a little stir crazy. 

Blizzard Number Two, Or Three

Yesterday was a total loss as the snow and wind created white out conditions for most of the day.  Today dawns sunny and about 25 degrees.  Very beautiful out, unless you really need to get somewhere in a hurry.  State, county and city officials are urging people to stay off the roads.  Of course, no one listens.

The main streets in town are plowed and hard packed, which will be slush when the sun and traffic gets to them.  The side streets are more deeply covered, and any stretch of road that was exposed to the west may be drifted over, like Carrollton Drive (above left) on the east side of the Lincoln School playground.

The NWS says more is coming on Monday.  UGH!  Totally ready to head back to Phoenix.

More photos here.

WebCam From The Window

Another Foot, And More

Very powdery this time, would be great for skiing, if there were any hills around.  Nice day to be at Ski Liberty.  The plow just came by, two passes, one in each direction.  I know everybody is complaining and short tempered, but the city crews have been busting their butts and are really up against it this week.  You can still get around if you absolutely have to, but should stay home if it's not critical.

NWS has a blizzard warning out now thru 7pm tonight.

Missing the Important Point

Today's editorial in the FNP questions if the state will cut further it's support of local governments as a result of spending so much money this month on snow removal.  It's a good question, but the editor(s) miss a larger and more important point, namely, why have we allowed ourselves to progress to the point of dependence on the state (or federal) government for financial support of services or programs that are  local in scope.

I believe that the larger government (state or federal) adds little to no value, and always takes a significant cut for themselves when laundering our money.

Why do we need the Maryland Department of Education to support half of our Frederick County Schools budget?  Why not just collect the tax dollars locally and spend them locally?  Why do we even have a federal Department of Education?  When I looked at the US Department of Education website for their budget, I found this spreadsheet, which is more than 1000 lines long.  $78 billion!  Unbelievable!  $1.8 billion on "departmental management."  We could save that $1.8 billion just by eliminating the Education Department and letting local school districts collect the $76 billion in taxes and spend the money on their schools.

Education is only one of countless examples where the large government money laundering machine wastes our resources and provides little to no value.

We need involved citizens if there is any hope of changing this dangerous path that our country has taken this past century.  Please get yourself involved, knowledgeable, and vote this fall for candidates, both local and national, that will put us on a path to responsible government.

Here Comes More White Stuff

The flurries have started as I type this.  The NWS still says 10-20 inches.  I was out this am and traffic is a mess, with many roads restricted to one lane coz of the piled up snow.  I saw many people out who had no business driving.  Small cars, rear wheel drive, one wheel drive, low ground clearance, people who can't ease into it, etc.