Rep. Henry Hyde, Pro-Life Champion - May he rest in Eternal Peace!

Yesterday, Rep. Henry Hyde passed away.

Best known for the "Hyde Amendment" which he offered as a Freshmen Member of Congress in 1976. The amendment has successfully kept our federal government out of the abortion business, protecting unborn children and pro-life taxpayers alike.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace.

My perpetual light shine upon him.

Is it inappropriate to recommend a politician for office?

According to a recent survey*, 70% of those polled said that it was inappropriate for their local religious leader to "suggest" who you should vote for.

What does this mean?

• Does it mean that the parish priest should not tell you whom to vote for?


• Does it mean that voter guides are inappropriate?


• Does it mean that the document issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility is inappropriate?

I don't know the correct answer (I assume it is bullet #1) but I believe that it should be followed up by a more important question: Do documents such as the one issued by the USCCB make a difference in how you vote?

Now, I am not saying that the USCCB should not issue such documents. I believe they have a responsibility to do so. However, I just wonder how much influence do they really have on the person who sits in the pew every Sunday?

What do you think? Let me know.



*Fox 5-The Washington Times-Rasmussen Reports Survey taken from Nov. 14-15 of 1000 adults nationwide. Margin of error is 3% points.

Can Catholic Education Survive in the Archdiocese (continued)...

A couple of days ago, I posted on the City Center Consortium -- the amount of money spent, the merging of some schools, closing of others and the conversion of some into "values based" Charter schools. I would like to take this opportunity to follow-up on this.

First, I think that Archbishop Wuerl did the right thing and needs to be given credit for facing this issue head on. I do not believe that this is something he wanted to do and it was a difficult choice but I do believe that he did the right thing.

I think one of the most important issues discussed was the fact that he realizes that Catholic education, especially at the elementary school level, is hurting across the entire archdiocese. Costs have gone up and enrollment is down. This is due to a number of factors, not just any one particular one.

Second, the use of the school facilities for charter schools will bring some much needed revenue into parishes that may have seen their donations drop over the years. The drop in donations is usually due to a change in demographics. Since charter schools pay rent, it will be a boon to these parishes. Many inner city parishes (and that even includes the one that I grew up in) are facing the same problems -- delayed maintenance, increased costs and a decrease in donations.

Finally, I do think that we should be pushing more for "vouchers" or some sort of tax relief for parents who send their children to Catholic school. To that end, a future posting will be on my proposal for "vouchers."

Congratulations Maryland Catholic Conference for helping to give us over $1,000,000,000 in new taxes!

Well, it looks like the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) under Richard Dowling, Julie Varner et al. has succeeded in giving all of us higher taxes. Now, they cannot raise taxes but they have been one of the groups that have helped to push for new taxes in front of the Maryland legislature.

Let's just take a look at what they have helped to accomplish:

• 120% increase in motor vehicle title registration fee
• 100% increase in cigarette tax
• 20% increase in sales tax (5 cents to 6 cents)
• Expansion of sales tax to computer services (estimated to raise $200 million per year)
• 20% increase in car titling tax (limited relief granted by trade-in allowance)
• 20% tax on net proceeds for electronic bingo and tip jar amusements (an entirely new tax)
• 18% increase in corporate income tax rate
• Increases in personal income tax rates for wage earners under graduated tax brackets (highest wage earners face 16% increase)
• New transfer tax on real estate transfers of “controlling interests”

What does this mean to me? It will mean:

(1) I will do more of my shopping in Delaware -- which has no taxes -- and will help to generate less money into Maryland's coffers; and,

(2) it will make me think long and hard about an increase in my giving to the parish and the Archdiocese this year. You see, each year I try to increase my giving in relation to inflation. I believe that if I give one dollar a week this year, that I should increase it next year by X amount.

What does this mean to you? You get to keep less of your money. Not only do you have to pay more in taxes, businesses will simply pass along the cost of these increases to you. As my dad says: "You pay, no matter which way you turn."

Think of it as an early Christmas gift from the MCC and Gov. O'Malley.

Nice job Mr. Dowling, nice job.

Thanks to the Maryknights of the Fr. Rosensteel Council (K of C #2169)

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend a fundraiser for the St. Joseph House sponsored by the Maryknights of the Fr. Rosensteel Council (Knights of Columbus). Not only was a good time had by all but it raised some much needed funds for their work.

The St. Joseph House is a non-profit daycare and respite home serving children with multiple disabilities. It is run by Cubby and Dan LaHood and their family (and they have really wonderful kids). In addition, Cubby and Dan are Lay Missionaries of Charity. They receive no financial assistance from any government entity or from the Catholic Church. So, the funds to run the House come from fundraisers such as the one at the Knights and donations from average people like you and me.

As we give thanks for the many blessings God has given us (and He has given us oh so many), I would like to give thanks to the Maryknights and all of the Knights of the Fr. Rosensteel Council (Knights of Columbus #2169) for hosting this wonderful event and giving the St. Joseph House not only a much needed financial boost but a chance to make their mission a bit better known.


NB: I will be taking some time off to spend with the family at Thanksgiving and will post again in a few days.

A Good Samaritan

This past Saturday night, I attended a fundraiser at the Fr. Rosensteel Council of the Knights of Columbus (more about that tomorrow).

During the event, one of the elderly participants was crossing the street outside of the Council building and fell face down into the street. I am not certain if he lost his balance, tripped, etc.

Someone saw what happened and immediately rushed inside to get help. The first person to respond was Michael Collins. Mike, who works at Holy Cross Hospital in the Physical Therapy section (I think I got that right), immediately began to administer first aid to the elderly man to not only stop the bleeding but also to prevent shock.

During the entire time, Mike not only remained calm while administering first aid, but also kept the person calm until the EMTs arrived.

In addition, Laura Collins (Mike's wife) attempted to keep the elderly gentleman's wife calm by letting her know that her husband would be fine and asking her questions about the medications he might be on.

I know that they probably would be upset and a little embarrassed my writing this but they deserve to be recognized.

Kudos go out to Mike and Laura!