Month: September 2009

Weekend of local rock volume 25

You may notice that I don’t have a Liberty Features Syndicate piece here today. Well, only one cleared this week (although I wrote three) so I’ll put that up tomorrow and devote the space today to another GREAT cause – local music.

Kim and I actually took these pictures at a Semiblind show we attended back on June 13th at Why Cook? up in Long Neck, Delaware. Since this would be a “silver anniversary” WLR post I decided to return to my friends I’ve featured seven or eight times.

While I’m a huge Shorebirds fan, the baseball season sort of cuts into my travels to pursue the best of local rock since I hate missing any part of a set and games aren’t through until 10:00 or later. (Perhaps with a little help next season we can return to the best of both worlds.) That and the tourists have this crazy idea that going to a bar with a DJ is better than seeing live original music so there are fewer multiband shows during the summer and thus a long hiatus between editions of Weekend of local rock.

The only thing I didn’t like about this particular Semiblind show was that they didn’t play any of their originals! But there’s an ulterior motive behind featuring my friends at this late date and I’ll reveal it at the end. Still, I enjoyed it as you’ll notice here.

I had the beads around my neck and the smile on my face, so life was good that night.

I’m sure you’ve seen the band a few times, but this was a good shot taken from around the corner of the bar from our table. I want to say they were playing Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” when I took this.

The band was in fine form during this tune.

Kim and I were enjoying taking pictures of the individual band members too. These are shots of Michele, one just singing and one playing her tambourine.

Michele putting her effort into making a song sound great.

She plays the tamborine on those songs Jim sings so Michele is no slouch.

And her husband Jim was whaling on the guitar as always. He has a unique style and really gets into it. I think I tried about 3 or 4 times before I timed the second shot properly.

Jim is just playing along in this shot...

...but every so often the hair does get in the way and he throws back.

Meanwhile, Asher quietly goes about churning out the bass licks. When I first saw Semiblind he’d just joined but now he’s a seasoned veteran.

Asher going about his business.

The newest member of Semiblind is also named Jim. This was the first time I’d seen the drum setup he had and it was a little strange – but the songs still sounded fine.

The one thing I liked about Jim's drum setup is that it made picture taking easier, especially catching him spinning a stick.

Now for the reason I brought this up. Next week will be a busy week for my friends as they do Local Produce on Sunday (93.5 the Beach at 9 p.m.) with an acoustic performance, an hour of Live Lixx at 6 on Ocean 98 (98.1 FM at 6 p.m. Wednesday), but most importantly a charity event Thursday night along with several other local groups:

This should be a great show for a good cause.

Yeah, that may be Weekend of local rock volume 26. It’ll be a good way to start the next 25.

9-11 plus 8

Each year on its anniversary I pause to think about where I was when I heard the terrible news that our country was under an attack, one which was the most brazen since Pearl Harbor. (Actually at first I thought it was a complete accident since my mind’s eye pictured a little Cessna-type plane hitting the World Trade Center – I received the word in a phone call.)

I’ve cited his work before, but photojournalist El Marco has a moving 9-11 tribute on his website. He titles it “Never Forget – Never Give In” and I’m among a shrinking number who haven’t forgotten or given in.

Obviously we knew this would happen, but a change in government from Republican to Democrat shifted the shape of this political football. Now the Democrats and Obama Administration seek to change the meaning of 9-11 from a day of remembrance (and the realization that we do have an enemy out there) to a day of service, presumably volunteering to help your fellow man.

But since those Islamic terrorists only seem to want to serve in helping themselves reach their version of nirvana with the 72 virgins while assisting as many Jews and others who happen to be standing in the way their entry into their Promised Land, we seem to be at loggerheads on what this day will really mean.

Despite the fact we defeated our enemy four years later, no one ever seriously thought of declaring December 7th a day of service. It was a day our parents and grandparents paused to reflect on events which galvanized our nation into jumping headlong into a war that had previously seemed far away and involved strangers in different lands.

Yet we face the same situation today with a different and lacking resolve. Perhaps it’s because the enemy isn’t as visible, but a shadowy subnational group based on religious belief rather than a traditional nation-state like Japan or Germany were in World War II. They follow rules of engagement known only to them and this fight is much more difficult for that reason.

Many argue, though, that the fight we seem to be shrinking from as the years removed from the terrible attack on the World Trade Center add up is a fight for our very civilization; that the values we hold dear and the values of radical Islam aren’t compatible and can’t become so. No compromise is possible – after all, what is the middle ground between life and death?

So on this eighth anniversary of 9-11, one where life is believed to have returned to a 9-10 outlook, I still haven’t forgiven or forgotten. And I doubt I ever will.

Today's cartoon from William Warren.

Shorebird of the Year – a 2009 season wrapup

As a lot of Shorebirds found out this year, a 140-game schedule needs to be treated as a marathon and not a sprint. It seemed as if the team, which started out pretty well in April and May and contended for the division title in the first half, ran out of gas toward the end and slumped to a 66-70 record overall. I’m certain part of that was losing a number of key players down the stretch but the chinks in the armor were apparent earlier on.

Overall that 66-70 record placed Delmarva in 10th place leaguewide among a cluster of teams with similar records. If you look at the offensive statistics, though, you can see where Delmarva may have lost a lot of games.

  • Batting average: .248, 13th of 16 teams in the league.
  • Runs: 537. While they finished 15th out of 16, the ranking is slightly deceptive because they only played 136 of 140 scheduled games – second lowest in the league (Hagerstown played just 134). Had they played 140 games, they would have scored 16 more (at 3.95 runs per game) and ranked 12th. Still, it’s much lower than last year’s 4.57 runs per game output.
  • Doubles: 183, last in the league (Lexington had 186 in 140 games.)
  • Triples: 33, 12th.
  • Home runs: 49, last in the league (Hagerstown and Charleston has 55 apiece.)
  • Walks: 375, 12th of 16 in the league.
  • Strikeouts: 1066, 8th most of 16.
  • Stolen bases: 181, 3rd. Team speed was a definite asset.
  • OPS: .651, 14th in the league. On-base percentage was 13th while slugging percentage was dead last.

The pitching was much more noteworthy; that is if you consider more toward league averages noteworthy. The 3.70 overall ERA ranked 8th in the loop. Some of the other numbers and how they compared to the rest of the SAL:

  • Shutouts: 6, tied for 12th.
  • Saves: 34, 11th.
  • Hits allowed: 1058, a total which was lowest in the league. It was 37 less than Lake County, who played one more game overall.
  • Runs allowed: 563, 5th best in the league. 474 earned runs was 6th best.
  • Home runs allowed: 60, 4th.
  • Walks allowed, 459, 2nd most. Only Lake County (461) allowed more.
  • Strikeouts: 1056, 11th.
  • WHIP: their 1.32 WHIP tied for 9th.

Obviously allowing a higher than average number of walks but the lowest number of hits made for an average overall result, just in an unusual way.

As I noted last season, there were a number of also-rans in the system below us and the same was true in 2009. Of the four feeder teams, only the Gulf Coast League Orioles finished above .500 (30-26) while the Orioles’ Dominican Summer League entry, Bluefield, and Aberdeen all finished under break-even. None made their league’s playoffs, and systemwide Bowie was the only other team besides the GCL O’s to finish over .500 (73-69). Needless to say, the Orioles chain seems to be lacking in overall talent in comparison to its peers.

But there are some good individual players and the Orioles just need their cream of the crop to be superior to see success. Here’s how the 22 players I picked as Shorebirds of the Week ended up faring for the season.

April 9: Brent Allar

For a comeback season, Brent put together a decent 2009 campaign. The velocity was there for the hard-throwing Allar but at times his control deserted him – most tellingly Brent allowed 55 walks in 67 innings pitched, which is way too high. Overall Brent finished 1-5 with a 4.70 ERA, so the occasions where he was dominating were overshadowed by those where he struggled. Because he’ll be 25 before next season starts, if his career continues it may well be a tryout in Frederick.

April 16: Joe Mahoney

At this time last year I noted, “I’m counting on Mahoney to provide the power and anchor first base in the 2009 Shorebird lineup.”

He accomplished about half of that, playing much of the year at first base. But he surprised observers by going 29-for-30 on the basepaths, showing an uncanny knack of knowing just when to steal a base. However, he hit just 7 home runs and didn’t lead the team in that category.

Overall it was a successful 2009 for Mahoney, hitting .281 with 7 homers and 54 RBI to go with the 29 steals. In a late-season cup of coffee at Frederick, Mahoney hit .267 (7-for-30) with one homerun and 5 RBI. Ironically he was caught on his lone steal attempt there. 2009 should be a good enough season overall to propel Joe to a more permanent home in the Carolina League come 2010.

April 23: Richard Zagone

It turned out Zagone split the season almost evenly between Delmarva and Frederick, with 13 appearances at each site. Here Zagone was 4-5 with a 4.66 ERA and in Frederick he was 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA. The biggest difference was hits allowed – Zagone allowed 59 in 63 2/3 innings here and 70 in 67 innings in the Carolina League. Richard should anchor the Frederick rotation in 2010.

Other honors: Zagone was a SAL Mid-Season All-Star just before his promotion to Frederick.

April 30: Ron Welty

Ron put together a great offensive season for Delmarva in 2009, hitting .290 in 121 games. His 10 home runs and 67 RBI led the team as well, thus Welty turned out to be a Triple Crown winner for the season. The only knock on Ron is that he tailed off toward the end of the campaign, but it was still an outstanding year.

Frankly it was surprising that Ron wasn’t among those called up to Frederick at season’s end, but I suspect he’ll have his due in 2010. After all, he doesn’t turn 22 until January so he’s a little ahead of the league peer group here and would similarly be in the Carolina League next year.

Other honors: Welty was both a SAL Mid-Season and Postseason All-Star along with a Player of the Week selection on June 15. Mountaire selected him as their Batter of the Year, and the Shorebirds Fan Club picked him as their Player of the Half for the first half.

May 7: Eddie Gamboa

Eddie ended up with a perfect season record-wise, 11-0 between three stops. He was 6-0 with a 1.86 ERA here and left for Frederick after the midseason break. Yet those were his worst numbers!

With Frederick Eddie was untouchable, going 4-0 with an 0.55 ERA in 33 innings.

With Bowie Eddie gave up three unearned runs in 12 innings, thus he was 1-0 with an ERA of zero in seven games.

Nowhere did Eddie give up more hits than innings pitched and he maintained a rate of just under 1 strikeout per inning at each stop. If Baltimore gives him a cup of coffee before the season ends he’ll be the first Shorebird to make the jump all the way to the Show in one season (not counting rehab stints like Luke Scott’s this season) since Jim Hoey in 2006.

May 14: Xavier Avery

The speedy Avery did reasonably well in a season one year removed from his high school days, hitting .262 in 129 games with 2 home runs, 36 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. Definitely it was a season of ups and downs for Xavier, who hit only .185 in April but followed it with a .340 May. After the All-Star break he hit just .245 but finished strong with 6 hits in his last 16 at-bats.

Averys going to Instructional League this fall for further work, so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t return to Delmarva to begin 2010 – Xavier’s only 20 as of New Year’s Day so agewise he’s certainly ahead of schedule to develop for the Orioles.

May 21: Cole McCurry

For a player to set a career record with Delmarva it’s likely they’ve spent plenty of time here. Col McCurry has been with Delmarva at least part of each of the last three seasons, but 2009 was a year he spent the entire season here and performed quite well. In fact, over the second half McCurry was downright dominant, finishing on a string of seven consecutive starts where he allowed just 3 earned runs in 43 1/3 innings. So the overall 6-9 record is quite deceiving compared to the body of work.

Cole led the team with 139 2/3 innings and 145 strikeouts against 46 walks. Since he’ll turn 24 later this month, it’s my hope that the Orioles will give Cole the chance to show his stuff at Frederick next year despite being such a low draft pick (43rd round). Certainly McCurry has mastered this level.

Other honors: Cole was selected by the Shorebirds Fan Club as their Player of the Half for the second half.

May 28: Oliver Drake

Drake pitched quite well early, but struggled more as the season went on. In each month of the season his ERA increased which wasn’t a good sign. Overall Oliver tied for the team lead in wins with 8 but also tied for the team lead in losses with 9. Essentially he wasn’t consistent from start to start, finishing with a 4.34 ERA.

On a better note Oliver still struck out 104 while walking 42. Job one for Oliver next year will be to cut down on the number of hits allowed, as he gave up 138 in 130 2/3 innings – that was most among Shorebird pitchers. I think that 2010 will find Oliver back here to pitch, although it may be back in the bullpen where he found success in 2008.

June 4: Greg Miclat

Miclat ended up a little bit of a disappointment on the offensive side, hitting just .228 in 400 at-bats and still seeking his first pro home run. When he did get on base, though, he was speedy enough to swipe 25 bases and worked well at advancing runners by striking out just 79 times all year with Delmarva.

In 6 late-season games at Frederick, Greg was 5-for-24 (.208) with a double, RBI, and stolen base. Given that Greg was a high draft pick (5th round) and will start the 2010 season at the age of 22, the Orioles may decide to challenge him with a promotion to Frederick to start 2010 despite the low batting average.

June 11: Luis Bernardo

Given the fact that none of the three catchers on Delmarva’s opening day roster hit above .200 in 2008, we weren’t expecting a ton of offense out of the backstop position. But Luis hit and played well enough to get the bulk of the work behind the plate during a season where five different players donned the tools of ignorance.

The .213 average in 82 games featured a home run and 25 RBI, along with Luis showing a good eye at the plate and striking out just 51 times in 253 at-bats. He also showed a pretty good arm behind the plate against opposing base stealers.

Since he is only 22 at the start of next year, the Orioles may allow the Dominican product another year here to work more with pitchers and try to improve his batting average. He seems like a prized catching prospect so the Orioles will give Luis every chance to succeed.

June 18: Kyle Hudson

Kyle is another highly-touted prospect in the Orioles chain, and his 2009 performance here likely punched Hudson a ticket to the next level. In essentially his pro debut, Kyle hit .284 with no homers but 21 RBI. (Kyle played only 11 games in 2008 due to injury.) The best part of his game was a total of 34 stolen bases between Delmarva and Frederick, where he was 5-for-20 (.250) in 6 tail-end games.

Possibly the only improvement Kyle could use is to develop a little more power, but those results will likely show higher up in the Orioles organization.

June 25: Ryan O’Shea

Ryan put together a workmanlike season for the Shorebirds (8-8, 3.60 in 25 starts with 100 strikeouts and 47 walks.) Alas, there wasn’t a lot of flash or sizzle in his stats and as a 27th round pick who turns 24 next season he may not get his due. Ideally he’ll ply his trade at Frederick next season since he pitched well enough here to deserve it.

July 2: L.J. Hoes

Much as Xavier Avery (see above), L.J. was playing his first full professional season just a year removed from high school. And like Avery, Hoes will make a stop in the Instructional League this fall.

The similarities don’t stop there as L.J. hit .260 with 2 home runs and 47 RBI along with 20 stolen bases. He was the youngest Shorebird so, like Avery, the Maryland native Hoes may return here to anchor the 2010 Shorebird attack. I believe he’s destined to be a replacement for Brian Roberts someday, so I’m naming Hoes my 2009 Prospect of the Year.

July 9: Brendan Monaghan

Out of the Shorebirds’ crop of catchers, Brendan turned out to be the best offensive weapon as far as average, hitting .222 in 39 games. But for the second year in a row he missed time with an injury and at the age of 24 the only thing that may save his career is his versatility – he played some outfield and served as the emergency pitcher to save the bullpen, allowing no runs in 3 appearances covering 3 2/3 innings. Unfortunately, Brendan has seen just 236 at-bats in two seasons here so bad luck has prevented him from taking full advantage of his opportunity as an undrafted free agent.

July 16: Brandon Cooney

I picked Cooney just before his promotion to Frederick, which was richly deserved after Brandon had amassed 16 saves with a 2-5 record and 2.89 ERA – the ERA steadily declined as the year went on. For Frederick Brandon picked up another 5 saves and allowed just 3 runs (1 earned) over 15 innings, resulting in a 0.60 ERA. Batters hit an anemic .140 in Frederick against Brandon, who’s seemed to find his niche as a closer and may get the opportunity to jump to Bowie or beyond next season.

July 23: Nathan Moreau

Another pitcher who put up solid numbers in a limited tour of duty with Delmarva, Moreau finished 5-3 with a 3.61 ERA, allowing 78 hits and 43 walks in 78 1/3 innings before returning to the University of Georgia for fall classes. I expect Nathan to anchor the 2010 Shorebird staff in order to work on reducing his walks allowed and spend a full season playing professional ball. A hot start may find him in Frederick by the midseason break.

Other honors: Nathan was selected as the SAL pitcher of the Week July 20th.

July 30: Tyler Kolodny

Tyler’s campaign was cut short in August with a wrist injury, which was unfortunate because the scrappy third baseman’s season was starting to pick up steam. At the All-Star break Kolodny was hitting just .206 but he finished strong and ended up hitting .223 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI in 107 games. Had he completed the last three weeks of the season he may have denied Ron Welty a Triple Crown by hitting 2 more home runs.

It’s likely Tyler’s 2010 fate depends on how well he recovers, but my guess is that turning 22 by next year’s opener will mean Tyler repeats here starting in April.

August 6: Cliff Flagello

I correctly predicted last year that Cliff would be in Frederick for 2009, but there was a detour back to Delmarva for the second half. After being bombed by Carolina League batters (1-2, 7.55 in 31 innings where he allowed 41 hits and 25 walks) he returned here and had the same 1-2 record but a more satisfying 1.76 ERA, allowing just 10 walks and 19 hits in 30 2/3 innings.

His career, though, may be at a crossroads. He did well at this level two seasons in a row but his age (25 by opening day next season) and low draft status (25th round) coupled with his lack of success at Advanced-A Frederick may mean Cliff looks for a job next season. Hopefully that’s not the case.

August 13: Rodolfo Cardona

The versitile Venezuelan jumped over Delmarva to start the year, spending time in Frederick (10-for-42 or .238 with 1 RBI in 14 games) and Bowie (0-for-14 in 6 games) before settling back in at a more appropriate competition level for the 22-year-old who played at Bluefield in 2008. Here he got off to a hot start, hitting .350 in his first 8 games before settling down to final marks with Delmarva of .235 with a homer and 22 RBI in 46 games, while playing three infield positions.

The position Cardona plays next season may depend on whether one or more of the three predominant infielders at positions he plays (Kolodny, Miclat, and Hoes) move up. If none do Cardona may spend 2010 spelling them on a regular basis here as the utility player.

August 20: Elvin Polanco

Elvin spent 2009 in a platoon situation with Joe Mahoney between first base and designated hitter. Overall, Elvin was among the team power leaders in a .246/6/59 season.

But there are a couple items Elvin may need to address in a return to the Shorebirds – cutting down on the number of strikeouts (112 in 459 at-bats) and whether he should continue switch-hitting. Elvin hit a respectable .262 as a left-handed batter but just .205 as a righty. My guess is that Elvin could find himself in the same role next year with another large first baseman (and likely early-season 2010 SotW) in Mike Flacco.

August 27: T. R. Keating

Another mid-season addition to the Shorebirds, Keating excelled most of the times he was put in to serve as a middle to long reliever. Coming from extended spring Keating made 27 appearances covering 45 2/3 innings and allowed just 34 hits and 11 walks. It was a sub-1 WHIP that seemingly belied a 3.74 ERA. Throw in 43 strikeouts to show he has that capability and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Keating in a Frederick uniform next season. Since he turns 24 next week that’s likely the appropriate test for his age and experience.

September 3: Jacob Julius

Jacob served as the fourth outfielder and third-string first baseman this season for the Shorebirds. Add in a wrist injury which made him miss six weeks midstream and Julius only got into 57 games, hitting just .228/2/12 for the year – he did manage 13 extra-base hits out of 39 overall (8 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs.) Another hopeful sign for his future is the fact he hit .265 after August 1st with more regular playing time, so despite the fact he would be one of the older Shorebirds in 2010 it’s not out of the question to see him here next year. Certainly he’s one of the most community-minded Shorebirds as you’ll note below.

Other honors: Mountaire selected Jacob as their Humanitarian of the Year based on his service to the community.

That’s how my 22 Shorebirds of the Week fared in 2009 – most did reasonably well but there were a few disappointments mixed in. But there’s one player who I feel exceeded expectations and until the very end of the season showed a remarkable consistency.

Ron Welty, pictured here during a game July 15th against Lexington, managed to outplay his teammates and is my 2009 Shorebird of the Year. Photo by Kim Corkran.

On a team which featured two outfielders drafted well ahead of him during the 2008 amateur draft, Ron Welty played himself onto the Orioles radar screen by being a league All-Star for the second season in a row. Ron showed the tools necessary to advance and can’t be downgraded for being older than the league peer group.

Being in a position where the Orioles are seemingly pretty well set for years to come (with Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, and a resurgent Felix Pie all fairly young players) Welty could become one of those young prospects teams are interested in as a future trading deadline draws near, so he may never make it to Baltimore but he could reach the Show in a venue closer to his west coast home – only time will tell.

As I closed out my post last season, I wish nothing but the best to each and every one of the 2009 Shorebirds and thank them for making my second season as a season ticket holder a wonderful experience. Next week I turn my attention to the front office with my Shorebird Picks and Pans.

However, I also have a surprise up my sleeve for next week’s P and P post, so be sure to stay glued to this site as Shorebirds coverage continues.

Reality reflected

I thought the cartoon was spot on about a month ago when it came out, but Americans for Limited Government is taking it to a new level:

Tomorrow morning (9/10) beginning at 10:00 AM, Americans for Limited Government (ALG) will begin delivering an unusually graphic message to every member of the Senate and House – and it will come in the form of a 26″ by 30″ inch poster. The message: your world view is warped. 

The poster, by award-winning cartoonist William Warren, is captioned “How Washington Politicians See the World.” It shows an overblown view of Washington, with the Capitol, the White House, and various government buildings dominating the foreground. In the far distance, only inches wide is the rest of the United States peopled by “Angry Mobs,” “Uninformed Masses,” and “Un-American Malcontents.”

“The poster is clearly a take-off on the old New Yorker cover ‘How New Yorkers See the World,'” said cartoonist Warren. “But in this case, its message is far more accurate, and ominous.”

Warren pointed out that each of the labels affixed to the American people is drawn from an actual description by members of Congress.

“The truth is,” Warren said, “I had to soften it some. ‘UnAmerican,’ of course, came from Pelosi and Hoyer, and ‘uninformed’ is how many of the politicians described those who have protested the Obama health care takeover. But, I purposely refrained from using Harry Reid’s depiction of Americans as ‘evilmongers,’ or Rep. Baird’s labeling them ‘brownshirts.'”

ALG president Bill Wilson wasn’t as sparing of the politicians’ feelings in his comments on the poster delivery.

“We’re shoving their own attitude right in their faces,” said Wilson. “In the long history of this country, we have never had a gang of career politicians so outrageously out of touch with the American people as we have in Washington today. They have decided they are a world unto themselves – and we’re telling them they’re not.”

Throughout the country, Americans for Limited Government has taken the lead in helping grassroots leaders organize protests against the Obama health care plan and other incidents of what it terms “Big Government power grabs.” The poster is being offered to the organization’s 400,000 members nationwide.

“The problem the politicians have is that the poster doesn’t merely reflect how they see the American people,” Wilson said, “it also reflects how the American people see the politicians.”

In case you forgot, this is the cartoon in question:

I originally featured this cartoon by William Warren back in August, and given some Congressional behavior at TEA Parties the image rings more true than ever.

Most telling about the cartoon was the fact that the tone was moderated slightly. Obviously Warren is in the business of getting his cartoon into as many outlets as possible so sometimes he has to temper his opinion, whereas I don’t (at least here.)

Bill Wilson agrees with me in the sense that we on the pro-liberty side do need to be a little more “in their face” about issues – although I doubt an effigy is what he had in mind, either. And those of the left are sure to remind us that our side lost last time so we have to like it or lump it.

However, I’m not sure the terms were as clearly defined last November; certainly not compared to the reality which has now set in. I’ll admit that the takeover of government assets began under President Bush (not that I supported it anyway) but it’s been placed in hyperdrive by Obama and his cronies. No one dreamed that “hope” and “change” would mean the government and its chosen allies taking over banks, insurers, automakers – the list goes on.

It will be interesting to see what Congressmen do with the gift they’ll receive. Most likely it’ll be looked upon with a range of reaction from amused to angered, with the ones most angered being those that viewpoint hits home most with. Look for a number of interesting YouTube videos to come out of tomorrow’s encounters – that is if ALG wants to be “in their face” about it.

So the recession is over? Hey, we can get that stimulus money back now!

Thousands of people who lost their jobs this week may beg to differ, but today the Federal Reserve released a survey which suggested the recession may be over. According to this AP story by Jeannine Aversa, 11 of the 12 Federal Reserve regions returned the opinion that economic conditions in their area were “stable” or becoming that way.

This despite the fact that all but a small fraction of the “stimulus” money has not been spent yet, as much of the spending was slated for 2010 – naturally, an election year.

Thus, the questions I have are as follows:

  • Given the rapid recovery, was the stimulus even necessary – or did we bankrupt coming generations simply to grease the wheels on a lot of pork projects?
  • Can that spending be deleted from the FY2010 budget since it’s not underway yet? The next fiscal year begins at the end of this month.
  • Does the prospect of nationalized health care and the increased taxes needed to pay for it return us to a “double dip” recession, with perhaps one or two quarters of modest growth followed by another plunge from continuing stubborn unemployment combined with rising inflation brought about by a falling dollar (thanks in part to that very same Federal Reserve) and spiking energy costs?

As one who subscribes to the economic theory that money is best managed by the private sector, it seems to me that if the government stimulus was truly about jumpstarting the economy they would now quickly get out of the way and give the remainder of the promised stimulus money back to the taxpayers. Instead, Congress may simply shift money around to something they consider “good for us” like nationalizing health care or “investing” in favored technology like renewable energy rather than allowing the market to determine the best uses for the money. It’s their usual modus operandi.

Alas, the prospects of OUR tax dollars being returned to us because – as the Fed says – the recession is over are probably in line with the odds of the Detroit Lions winning this year’s Super Bowl. (It pains me to say that because I happen to be a Lions fan, but one sure can’t accuse me of being a fair-weather fan in this case. Just a realist.)

While recessions are temporary things, it’s certainly worth paraphrasing Ronald Reagan and reminding readers that government programs like the stimulus are forever. That is unless we have the courage to stand up, take a little bit of sacrifice, and make sure that Congress reflects a more Constitutional view of its duties when we select them the next time.

Obama’s school stump

Tomorrow President Obama is reaching out to his future voters with these remarks, which were released earlier today:

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009
 

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today. 
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.   
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year. 
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. 
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox. 
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve. 
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. 
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. 
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide. 
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future. 
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy. 
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country. 
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in. 
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. 
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right. 
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying. 
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. 
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America. 
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall. 
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same. 
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. 
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things. 
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK.  Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” 
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying. 
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in. 
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals. 
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best. 
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?  
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

A few observations, if I may.
So President Obama was homeschooled by his mother at 4:30 in the morning? Well, why is his side so eager to try and get rid of homeschooling? The Washington Times did a story last week about a New Hampshire girl who was ordered to go to public schools because of her and her mother’s strong religious beliefs, a story which inspired an upcoming op-ed I wrote.
Talking about teachers’ and parents’ responsibility is fine, but the federal government should have no responsibility in education because that’s not a function assigned to them by the Constitution. Schools should be a local issue. (And yes, my leftist friends, I don’t support NCLB.) That goes a little beyond the “stay in school” message liberals assured us was the subject of the speech.
I’d love to see students taught “insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies” but not necessarily “to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.” How about to maintain our liberty and repress efforts at tyranny? Grounding students with a solid sense of morals at home would work to combat much of that as well, but Obama and his allies can’t control what is taught at home as easily.
If Obama wants the children to set their own goals for their education, why does he make a point to suggest several “politically correct” ones? Or, make just the simple suggestion that their parents could help them set goals?
Finally, the biggest problem I have with the speech is the “I” factor, as in, “Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn.” (Emphasis mine). And you wonder why we think Obama is trying to set up his own cult of personality, not to mention set up youth for a dependence on the federal government for things which are needed?
And this was after he told students to strive to be the best they can, not give up, and so forth – yet it’s up to him (as the embodiment of government) to fix up classrooms, get the books, etc. So students really can’t do it on their own and if they fail they have someone else to blame – probably those nasty Republicans who want to cut everything.
To be honest, I don’t know if my significant other’s daughter will be seeing the speech or not – my guess is no because she goes to a private school. But there’s a lot more to this than those who would tell you it’s an innocent “stay in school, work hard, and you’ll succeed” speech are letting on. If that were truly the case, Obama’s speech need not be more lengthy than the Gettysburg Address.
I look forward to the comments, since I’ll likely not post tomorrow (you got two today!) This oughta be fun. Or you can just take a hall pass (h/t Michelle Malkin).

A Labor Day 2009 summer wrapup

The autumnal equinox doesn’t occur until later this month, but Labor Day is considered the end of summer for most purposes – a nice three-day weekend for the family to relax. Generally if the kids aren’t already back in school by now, they’ll go back tomorrow. And the Shorebirds season comes to a close tonight, marking another rite of passage from summer to fall.

In looking back at the summer, one that was considered “decent” by tourism standards in Ocean City, it’s worthy to point out that the national economy didn’t hurt the tourism industry as much as feared, but certainly this wasn’t a boom year many wanted after enduring $4 a gallon gasoline last year. Apparently a lot of families (mine included) opted for day trips to the local resorts and/or cut costs in various other ways.

Secondly, despite the howls of protest about paying for parking at Shorebird games the average attendance was actually up this year by about 3 percent. This increased average will resume an upward trend since 2005 that barely was halted last year by a tiny decline of 5 people per game. The bad news though is that we will need just over 7,000 attending tonight’s game to avoid setting an all-time low for attendance – the current seasonal low is 217,980 in 2006 and as of last night the season total this year was 210,829 with just tonight to go. The culprit in this case has been a summer full of rain at the wrong times, as the Shorebirds have only played 59 of the 69 scheduled starts this season (and tonight’s forecast isn’t so great either.) I’ll discuss this more in the next couple weeks as I do my seasonal wrap-up for the Shorebirds and pick a Shorebird of the Year.

But the group who really has had the bummer of a summer has been the group today was set aside to celebrate, Big Labor. They thought by now that they’d have two of their cherished objectives they sought when they backed Barack Obama for President and a Democrat Congress – “card check” and national health care. But so far they’re 0-for-2 as they met stubborn and principled opposition to both issues. (You’re welcome.)

Big Labor (more specifically, the Service Employees International Union – a.k.a. the “purple shirts”) also got a black eye figuratively for delivering black eyes and other physical ailments literally at a town hall meeting in Missouri (I put the video in FNV3.) Those actions once again reinforced the perception of “union thugs” that many on the right have, and with good reason. I’ve detailed before (FNV2) the aggressive tactics used in attempting to organize workers who may already be pretty happy with their situation as it stands.

So the summer for Big Labor passed like a rainy day at the beach, frustrated by forces one can’t do a whole lot about. It did make the situation more tolerable for the rest of us, though, so the summer of their discontent (marked by a lot of pro-liberty people showing our discontent with the ever-growing government Big Labor favors) will hopefully portend a fall filled with more of the same, with a dash of crushing defeats for Democrats at the ballot box thrown in.

Building 18: your next health care stop?

This piece for Liberty Features Syndicate originally cleared August 31st.

The Democrats’ most recent drive for health care reform many have dubbed “Obamacare” centers on the “public option”, a step many leftists feel is necessary to soften America’s resistance to their overall goal of nationalized health care similar to that found in Canada or Great Britain.

While the on-again, off-again prospect of government-backed competition to private insurance defines progress of this rendition of reform to those on the Left, arguably that desired end result of socialized health care is already here – embodied in the Veterans Administration. In return for their military service, the men and women who served in our armed forces have the option of a lifetime of care in facilities open primarily to them and, aside from a trifling co-pay based on income, essentially paid for by the federal government.

In most cases the VA provides our veterans the top-notch care they need. But the VA’s resources have strained more and more from a huge influx of casualties from war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the VA bureaucracy has been slow to catch up, at times leaving veterans in worse shape than they were upon entering the system.

The poster child for VA incompetence was revealed back in 2007 when a Washington Post investigation detailed horrific conditions at Building 18 of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center; a litany which included black mold, rodent infestation, and outright neglect by overworked staff. While Democrats took glee in blaming the Bush Administration for the conditions and used Building 18 as another example of a war the Left considered wrong, the critics failed to bring up an obvious point – government-run health care was shown once again to be inferior to that being performed by the private sector. Health facilities in private hands would quickly be shut down if left in that dilapidated condition for any length of time.

However, Building 18 was not intended as part of the Walter Reed campus when built. It was originally a motor lodge but when Walter Reed needed additional space in the late 1980’s the building was purchased and converted for usage as an outpatient recovery facility. The demand for care at Walter Reed increased significantly once hostilities in the Middle East began and government inertia proved to be the largest obstacle to recovery for those scarred by battle.

Other complaints about VA treatment usually stem from a lack of accessibility, particularly for veterans who choose to live in more rural areas. Many times they are forced to drive hours for “free” treatment, bypassing several facilities which could have provided the same service but aren’t connected to the Veterans Administration.

The VA example brings up a point usually lost in the debate over providing cradle-to-grave health care for all: are facilities and manpower going to be available for all those who desire it? We already face a shortage of those wishing to go into health care professions and that lack of manpower promises to become more acute as America’s population – including veterans already in the VA system – becomes grayer and sicker.

If health care truly needs reform, perhaps the best route to proving the worth of government solutions would be to concentrate reform on the systems already in place – certainly there’s a lot in Medicaid, Medicare, and health care through the Veterans Administration which could stand change well before subjecting the rest of us to the inertia and red tape bureaucracy always brings.

Michael Swartz is a Liberty Features Syndicated Writer.

TEA Parties: Can more really achieve less?

Note: This was my “audition” post for the Liberty Features Syndicate and was cleared on August 25th. It’s mildly edited from my original submission, including the title which originally did not have “TEA Parties” in it, but the point remains.

In this year of fueled media admiration of the Obama agenda, Americans with a limited-government mindset are taking delight in the recent uprising against an excess in the growth of government. Those who organized the local TEA Parties have banded together to create numerous local chapters of small-government political groups but were rarely among those in the circle normally attending local political events. The labels  “tea-bagger” or “Astroturf” placed on the pro-liberty side by left-leaning network pundits and Democratic Party leadership, couldn’t be farther from the truth.

So what these passionate people who are putting a lot into these recess protests need to be made aware of – even with the slanted media coverage they receive – is that change is a long, slow, and sometimes torturous process. Obviously those who have been around the block remember the optimism after the 1980 and 1994 elections, believing America was just around the corner from beating back those who were taking away liberty. But sadly, as history has shown, the gains achieved were soon wiped away once electoral tables turned – if not even sooner.

Recent polling suggests that at least a plurality of residents identify themselves as conservative in every state, with the lone national exception being the District of Columbia. And this also seems to reflect the TEA Party mindset – conservative in most respects until it gets inside the Beltway. This perception is among the key reasons the smoldering dissent among average Americans became a brushfire among the grassroots this summer; a summer that will culminate with a national-scale rally on September 12th in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately the Republican Party as presently constituted in our nation’s capital is powerless to do anything except make the mistake of being “bipartisan”, thus allowing the Democrats to escape electoral suicide next year. As in a recent example, the conservative movement was proud of the total unanimity in the House against the stimulus bill but felt betrayed when three moderate Republicans bent to that siren song of bipartisanship and allowed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to become law.

But the true test of the newly-minted “angry mob” will come once big-ticket Obama schemes like socialized medicine and “cap and trade” are beaten back. Assuming success there, what is the next step? Thoughtful advocates of limited government need to make sure that the education they gain this summer doesn’t stop. The American people tend to be all for eliminating what they consider wasteful entitlements – that is, until their favorite entitlement is on the chopping block.

Just a few years ago many of the older TEA Party attendees were calling their Congressman pleading with them not to privatize Social Security. Yet, Social Security is an unsustainable entitlement and runs counter to the idea of limited Constitutional government many in the grassroots now claim to hold dear.

To make this new limited government push accomplish its stated goal, venerable programs will have to be phased out and space prohibits listing every entitlement running counter to anything but the most liberal interpretation of Constitutionally-sanctioned items.

But obviously this isn’t a task achieved overnight and the trick will be to hold together a cohesive movement long enough to get to the desired result, always keeping elected officials’ noses to the grindstone.Because otherwise historians will look back at 2009 and see yet another “temper tantrum” on par with Ronald Reagan’s election and the Contract With America in 1994.

To make this summer of discontent last, our anger must turn into a laserlike focus on the exact America that we wish for coming generations. Along with making the sacrifices necessary to achieve these ends.

Michael Swartz is a guest contributing writer for Liberty Features Syndicate.

Friday night videos episode 5

We’re going to start out with health care once again. The League of American Voters claims they wanted to put this ad on ABC but were denied. Whether that’s the whole story or not is beyond me but I see no harm in putting this up here.

 

Another health care ad which hits closer to home.

I still say he’s voting for it – even if it defies logic as this cleverly produced video explains:

Then again, you can always just sink to name-calling (language alert).

Let me answer the young lady. The reasons Republicans pushed through a number of items when President Bush was in office is that they compromised too much with the minority at the time, so government only grew at a slower pace. Key items like reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and privatizing a small portion of Social Security were shouted down by your side.

To help prevent this from happening in the future, a number of conservative-leaning groups are going out to nourish the grassroots. Two sides can play the community organizer game.

I like the video’s message, but the problem was I didn’t see the website on there (even though they say “visit the website.”) Unfortunately, the closest the American Liberty Tour gets to us is Charlotte as it winds mostly along in the Sun Belt and Southwest.

I’m adding this one just because my friends on the left just SOOOO love Rep. Michele Bachmann:

Finally, this came to my attention via Red County. Here’s a small business owner who shows more common sense than about 3/4 of those who represent us in Congress and state legislatures combined.

So another episode of FNV is in the books. I skipped last week because I really didn’t have a lot of interesting videos – quite honestly I don’t spend a lot of time on YouTube to look at everything ever placed there – so hopefully next week the runup to 9/11 and the 9/12 TEA Party in Washington, D.C. will shake some good stuff loose.

In the meantime, I have something new and different over the weekend I think you’ll enjoy. (No, this site isn’t going dark – at least it better not!) So check back tomorrow and Sunday for that.

Shorebird of the Week – September 3, 2009

Jacob Julius steps into a Hagerstown pitch in this game August 8th. Photo by Kim Corkran.

Once again, I’ve come to the 22nd of 22 Shorebirds of the Week I select each season.

As always I get to the end of August and realize that there are a number of players I’ve overlooked throughout the season because others had better weeks or perhaps a solid overall body of work I had to acknowledge. Once again this was the case in 2009, but then the Orioles made my life a little easier by calling up to Frederick a couple of players who would have been strong contenders for the final weekly honor.

However, in looking at those players I hadn’t previously selected I noticed that it took until August for this week’s honoree to have a solid month with reasonably consistent playing time and he responded to the challenge splendidly, with his .271 batting average for the month being by far his best and a sizzling .920 OPS showing he was the complete package at the plate. He also hit both his home runs and lifted his average from .204 to his current mark of .233 since the end of July.

But Jacob Julius did much more during the season off the field – obviously there was a long stretch from late May through early July where he had no choice because of a wrist injury sidelining him. That aspect was rewarded at a recent pregame ceremony where Mountaire Farms presented Jacob with a Humanitarian Award for his community service. (I believe this was the first time someone was so honored.)

Jacob Julius accepting a Humanitarian Award from Mountaire Farms as part of pregame ceremonies on Mountaire Faith and Family Day August 8th. Photo by Kim Corkran.

One may look at his overall season numbers (.233/2/10 in 54 games) and consider Jacob just another organization player – after all the 23-year-old Indiana native wasn’t drafted out of the University of Arkansas until the 33rd round in 2007. But as we look ahead to the offseason and perhaps this week being the last baseball hurrah for some of those currently playing for the Shorebirds, it’s also time to think about these players as young men playing in the game of life and it’s there that character counts for much more than the ability to lay off a breaking ball in the dirt.

Jacob is an example who was recognized, but many of this year’s Shorebirds should end up winners in life even if they don’t reach The Show. I appreciate the talent these young men show on the field, but those who become favorite players of mine also find a way to interact and show their appreciation for those who watch them.

Because we now know that Delmarva won’t be making a postseason appearance, next week will be a season wrapup and I’ll reveal my Shorebird of the Year for 2009. The following Thursday I’ll complete the 2009 coverage with my Shorebird picks and pans for 2009 and debut my Shorebird of the Week Hall of Fame page!

When should the county do its business?

Over the last few weeks a group led by the local Americans for Prosperity chapter has made it clear they’d like to see some changes in how Wicomico County does its business – at least when their legislative body holds its sessions.

Currently the Wicomico County Council meets most of the time on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. While their sessions are simulcast on local cable access channel PAC-14, which also reruns the meeting recordings several times over the course of the next few days, the opportunity to speak in front of the County Council only comes through one’s attendance. Even then speaking out can be an exercise in frustration, as local blogger Julie Brewington of Right Coast found out yesterday.

The compromise which has been suggested is an evening meeting each quarter. While I understand Councilman MacLeod’s concern about the elderly going out at night to a meeting, generally their attendance isn’t all that stellar during the day. Personally, despite the fact I happen to have a lot of evening meetings on my plate already I think the meetings should be predominantly held in the evening with the compromise one meeting per quarter held during the day.

But there’s another angle which occurred to me regarding meetings in the daytime. Since the salary isn’t very large and the job of County Councilman can become like a full-time position, having meetings in the daytime can hold some back who otherwise may be interested in service but also want to maintain a job during normal business hours (or parents who have children in school and wish to be available in case they’re needed.) But I’ll return to this point further on.

I feel there are two ways to help bring professionalism to the job of County Councilman and make them more accessible to the public they serve.

One would be to make the meetings in the evening, starting at either 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. It seems like most who read here would agree with that idea, as it brings the county in line with most of its municipalities.

The second is probably a little more controversial, especially in this time of tight budgets. But I think the salary of County Councilmen should be pegged to that of the County Executive by a factor of half – if the County Executive makes $80,000 then County Council would be paid $40,000 apiece. Out of a county budget well over $100 million that’s not an especially large line-item increase.

While this does have the drawback of attracting someone who entrench and enrich themselves as a career politician (easily solved by enacting term limits), I think that making a salary more in line with a decent full-time job would also attract a broader base of experienced people to run for the posts and more choice at the ballot box generally creates a better crop of elected officials. In addition, a County Council person could devote full time to the position because they wouldn’t necessarily have to worry about trying to make a living and serve at the same time.

I have no qualms with the professionalism of our current crop of County Councilmen but I think that we need the best people we can get in an age when state assistance is on the wane and overburdened taxpayers cry out for fiscal conservatism. The role of county government continually evolves and the dawn of a new decade may be ushering in an era when everything connected with it will be questioned and scrutinized.

It’s the County Executive’s job to lead, but not necessarily the County Council’s job to follow in lockstep. Independent thinking will be in demand in the next decade and a well-paid County Council can fill that role best.