Up in Smoke: A Cigarette-Lover Supports the Maryland Smoking Ban
February 1, 2008
We’re taught early in our school years that tobacco was first discovered upon European’s adventures to North American Indian territory. Cheek and jowl with its addictive quality, tobacco use quickly went ‘Internationale,’ pretentiously inhaled among the upper classes.
It wasn’t until the late 18th century that smoking was perceived as vulgar by, “the arbiter of high fashion in high society in London, Tunbridge Wells and Bath, George Brummell. Beau Brummell, succeeded in making it unacceptable for nearly 80 years. Then in the 1860’s smoking reemerged, influenced by royalty and the aristocracy.”
Now, nearly a century and a half later, smoking is once again under siege, for reasons unbeknownst to the earlier pretenders of fashion and spiritualistic tradition. Scientific advances, health research and taxations are culminating to produce mixed signals regarding the use of tobacco products. Continue reading Up in Smoke: A Cigarette-Lover Supports the Maryland Smoking Ban
License to Immigrate: Maryland tries to comply with Real ID Act
January 16, 2008
It looks like Gov. Martin O’Malley has backed off a proposal to implement a two-tier system of driver’s licenses in Maryland that would have created one license for documented, legal citizens and another identification card for undocumented, illegal immigrants.
Instead, the state will implement a system by 2010 complying with the federal Real ID standards requiring proof of citizenship prior to issuance of a driver’s license. Once in place, anyone applying for a driver’s license in Maryland will need to produce a birth certificate, Social Security card, passport or other valid forms of identification available only to citizens of America. Continue reading License to Immigrate: Maryland tries to comply with Real ID Act
An Early Christmas for Howard Wayne Norman, Jr. - Harford’s Newest Delegate
December 22, 2007
Howard Wayne Norman, Jr., a Bel Air attorney and longtime GOP booster, was selected unanimously Saturday afternoon by the Harford County Republican Central Committee - a group in which he is a member - to fill the soon-to-be-vacant District 35A seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Norman’s nomination will be forwarded to Gov. Martin O’Malley upon the swearing in of current District 35A representative Del. Barry Glassman to the state senate seat of Bob Hooper. Hooper is expected to resign from his seat on Dec. 31 because of health issues. With Hooper’s resignation, Glassman has been nominated to ascend to his senate seat and now Norman has been picked to fill Glassman’s seat in the northern Harford County District 35A.
The Republican Central Committee convened a special session at 9 a.m. Saturday morning in the Harford County Council chambers in Bel Air during which 9 candidates for the District 35A seat were interviewed. Continue reading An Early Christmas for Howard Wayne Norman, Jr. - Harford’s Newest Delegate
