Governor Larry Hogan Announces Tax Relief For Veterans

For Immediate Release:February 12, 2015Contact: Erin Montgomery erin.montgomery@maryland.govShareese Churchill shareese.churchill@maryland.gov410-260-3866

Governor Larry Hogan Announces Tax Relief For VeteransJoins With Secretary-Designee George Owings, Local VeteransTo Support Military Retirement Income Tax Exemption

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan joined Maryland Veterans Affairs Secretary-designee George Owings and local veterans to announce House Bill 482 – the Military Retirement Income Tax Exemption. The bill aims to eliminate income tax on all military retirement income, phasing in relief over a period of four years, providing for 25 percent relief in the first year, and rising to 100 percent in the final year.

“Making our state as welcoming and friendly as possible to military retirees is not only common sense but it’s simply the right thing to do,” said Governor Hogan. “After years of thousands of our citizens fleeing our state, this tax cut is the first step, among many to come, to ensuring that the people who spend their lives in service to others are given the support and tax relief they deserve.”

As announced in his State of the State address, House Bill 482 is representative of Governor Hogan’s goal to fully eliminate income taxes on all retirement income. This legislation also fulfills a commitment that the governor made to Maryland’s military retirees during his campaign, and is a significant testament of his administrations commitment to the men and women who have dedicated their professional lives to the defense, safety, and security of our nation.

"I am honored to join Governor Hogan today as he visits American Legion Post 136 in Greenbelt and demonstrates his commitment to our veterans,” said Secretary-designee George Owings. “Such an early visit to a Veterans Service Organization indicates the importance Governor Hogan places on our veterans."

Under current Maryland law, military retirement income is subject to personal income tax with the first $5,000 being exempt. In 2013, there were over 54,251 military retirees in the state, of which 50,889 received pensions. Military pensions totaled over $1.4 billion or an average of $28,666 per person. 

“The American Legion, Department of Maryland supports raising the tax exemption of military retired pay for Maryland residents over the coming years until such pay is completely exempt from State income taxes,” said Russell Myers, Jr., Department Adjutant, the American Legion, Department of Maryland. “Our organization supports all efforts to increase military retired pay exemption in Maryland.”

HB 482 can be viewed here.

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.

1899.. Pocomoke City deals with a harsh February; 1996.. Hand grenade scare in Salisbury triggers large evacuation; 1904..  Mob in Snow Hill attempts to free a dozen prisoners going to jail; 1965.. Pocomoke City Ponders Hiring Town Manager; Mid 50's/Early 60's.. Tale of the tapes.

Read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about?  It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

February PACC General Membership Luncheon

February 

General Membership Luncheon 

Wednesday

February 18, 2015

(12:00 - 1:00)

Riverside Grill

2 Riverside Drive

Pocomoke City

Featured Speaker:

Stacey Weisner

Executive Director

Delmarva Discovery Center

Tour of DDC available following lunch

Register online at

pocomoke.com

OR

Call Deb 410 957-1919 OR

email at

pocomokechamber@gmail.com

TIME MACHINE ... 1857, 1930's-50's, 1946, 1904, 1888, 1993.

"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore."  Our tradition runs deep.  Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28,1847.

This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; it has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable.  F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."

(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)


February, 1857
The Sun (Baltimore)

AFFAIRS IN WORCESTER COUNTY.-  The Snow Hill Shield contains the following items:

Scarcity of meal.- The low state of water in the mill ponds in this county, has prevented the mills from shipping the demand for corn meal, and many families are compelled to use hommony as a substitute. Those who have yet the old fashioned hand mills on their premesis have brought them into requisition and find them exceedingly convenient.

Dry Winter.- The present winter has been so dry that many of our farmers have been obliged to water their stock from wells. Wild animals in the forests and swamps have suffered much from the same cause.

Novel Mode Of Catching Wild Fowl.- One of our citizens has been amuzing himself during the present freeze by catching black head ducks in the Pocomoke with fish hooks and lines baited with grains of corn.

The Gipseys.- A company of Gipseys have been encamped in our vicinity for some days.


In Ocean City..

Jackson Casino, once located at 9th Street, was the place for vacationers and locals to go to gamble and party from the 1930s to the mid-1950s.

(Picture and text courtesy of Ocean City Life Saving Museum)


April, 1946
The Cumberland News (Cumberland, Md.)

New Street Lights

POCOMOKE CITY, Md., April 2. (AP)- A new street lighting system, increasing candlepower from  240 to 400 on each street, is being installed here, John Payne, Eastern Shore Public Service Company representative, announced.


December, 1904
The Baltimore Sun 

Peninsula General Hospital, a Gift of William H. Jackson, Opened at Salisbury.

(Excerpts)

Salisbury, Maryland, December 28, 1904:
This afternoon at the Ulman Opera house in Salisbury, Hon. William H. Jackson formerly transferred the Peninsula General Hospital, built in this city by his philanthropy, to the board of directors. 

Congressman Jackson's speech on the occasion was a model of modesty and sincerity.

The entire medical fraternity of the First Congressional District together with many physicians and surgeons from Philadelphia and New York were invited to be present and many of them came. The guests were entertained at a luncheon in the hospital building after ceremonies at the Opera House were over. 

The building is one of the most handsomest and best appointed in the State, costing about $90,000. It is presented by Congressman William H. Jackson. The furniture was given by his son, President of the Board, William P. Jackson; an ambulance was given by Walter B. Miller, and other donations,of appliances, instruments, etc., have been made by the citizens. The hospital, it is understood, will be endowed by the Jacksons and John B. Parson, president of the Union Traction Company of Philadelphia, a native of Salisbury. Details of these endowments have not yet been made public. The directors have contracted for the erection of a new building at the hospital to be used as a laundry, pumping house and ambulance garage. 

On the weekend, December 29th, 30th and 31st, the new hospital will be thrown open to the public for inspection of the building and its furnishings. The patients from the old hospital will be moved on New Years Day to the new building which by that time will be completely furnished and ready to receive them.


July, 1888
Washington Post

The Methodist Episcopal Church, at Girdletree, Md., Rev. Warren Burr, pastor, will be remodeled soon. Twenty feet will be added to the present structure, and a new tower will be built.


ACROSS THE USA

It's 1993 and here's TV's newest late night host:

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about?  It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!



PPE remembers JMMB.