BRIGHT BULB Quelling the lies
The Maryland Board of Elections and the NAACP have been working feverishly to dispel false rumors that keep people from coming to the polls. Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, president of the Baltimore chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, started a hot line that people can call to ask questions about the rumors they’ve heard. And the Election Board set up a Web site that lists common untruths spread among voters. The more people out to the polls this Election Day, the better. It’s cliched but true: Every vote matters. Click here for a link to Rumor Control.
OUTRAGE: Homeland (in)Security
Who: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
What: They bought $3 million in supposedly armored sports utility vehicles through a no-bid contract from a Venezuelan dealer. Problem? The vehicles are not armored.
Why it’s a bad idea: Where to start? Treason, for one thing. Exploiting security of our homeland as license to steal, for another. Third: Buying from a foreign firm instead of a (dare we say it) homeland company. And worst of all, it went on for four years without anybody noticing. That doesn’t exactly inspire faith in those who must protect us from wily international terrorists.
Why they are doing it: Greed. At least one Homeland Security official is accused of taking bribes on the deal between 2003 and 2007. During that time, his Homeland Security superiors promoted him!
Where to VENT/REPORT: usdoj.gov/oig
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Quote of the day
“There have always been kids who don’t pass. … But the fact of the matter is, we think there will be very few, by virtue of not passing the High School Assessments, alone, as the single reason, [who] won’t get a diploma.” – State Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick on exit exams now required by the school system for Maryland students to graduate from high school. Maryland is the 24th state to require such an exam.
