A Disgusting Payoff.
Remember when, after Senator Margaret Rose Henry voted to sustain Governor Minner’s veto of the eminent domain reform legislation, community activist Josie Roy pledged to challenge Henry in the primary? The deadline for filing came and went, without Roy filing to oppose Henry, and I just assumed Roy lost her motivation to run for whatever reason (not enough time or money, etc).
I should have assumed that more nefarious dealings were afoot:
[Senator Henry] offered Roy a paid position as one of her legislative pages, a position that pays $90 a day.
Both women concede the arrangement has caused questions in the community about whether Henry — who is now unopposed in her bid to retain her 2nd District Senate seat — got Roy to stay out of the race by offering her the job, which could pay more than $3,500 over the course of the legislative session. They insist that isn’t the case.
There was such an uproar over this …oh lets call it for what it is… bribery, that Roy has now said whe will not be paid for her work, for she will be a volunteer. Uh huh.
Roy should be ashamed of herself. All of her good work as a community activist is now destroyed. She can never be trusted again.
And this presents a larger problem. If we make enough noise, will they just start paying people off? Looks like they will. I have to tell you that my price is significantly higher than $3,500. Add about 10 zeros to that and we will talk.
I don’t know what’s more disgusting, the fact she took the alleged bribe or the fact that it was for so little.
Sime democracy we’ve got. I say we set about spreading it the globe at gunpoint.
I wish we could make that. I was promised advertising revenue and so far all I have gotten is a death pool on my head
LOL.
What a shame. I met her about two months ago and thought she would have made a great candidate. She’s sold out for so little.
I wondered what was up when the Sunday after the week in which Roy was supposedly to become a candidate against Henry, she was on Ch. 28 with Henry sitting next to her and praising her.
I wondered what was promised, but being one who doesn’t immediately think the worst I thought it was some reversal on eminent domain promised by Henry. I thought how naive Roy must be. Now I realize how naive I was to think it wasn’t just a straight-out payoff of some kind.
If we had anything but an ambitious Democrat political animal as Atty General, this would be immediately under investigation. It’s just so blatant. But hey you all want every seat, preferably unopposed, no?
Oh dear. I saw this one coming.
I was poised to do the story of the alliance of these women but I didn’t write it because I was reluctant to ask Josie if there were a financial arrangement betoween her and the good Senator. I suspected that there was a money deal to fuck it up.
I doubt very much that Josie was ever looking for a payoff. She is blind-sided by this I am sure.
Her closest advisors should have been able to steer her off of controversy. My guess is that the people around her are similarly taking their own icing ‘off of the the system’.
My honest assessment is that Josie did not grasp what this arrangement was immediately going to look like…bribe being the strongest take on what many will more charitably call it, well, …what is it that Gene Reed is calling his conflicted money these days…..family love money?
Eminent Domain isn’t an issue that engages people unless it’s their property being condemned. Most voters could care less and when it came right down to it, MRH did what was politically expedient and then defused a possible primary challenge. She took the course of least resistence which is what you would expect.
Outside of a few hundred(?) people who are up in arms about this, the average Wilmingtonian thinks the Riverfront redevelopment is keen. Look at the new buildings, new tax base, new places to live and play. It’s the green way to live when you can walk or take a bus to work.
This isn’t an issue for people to fall on their political swords over. Maybe Josie Roy had something else in mind when she took the $3500 aide job. Maybe Josie took a step back and looked at the long term and decided that the aide position would be a learning experience for the next time. Maybe having a position where she can whisper in MRH’s ear will be a good thing. She can have a lot more influence there than by standing on the curb screaming. Perhaps there is some strategy going on here? Dunno, just giving another viewpoint.
Nancy, it cannot be more obvious.
Josie threatens in the NJ to run against Henry.
Henry offers Josie a job.
Josie does not run against Henry.
Quid pro quo.
Rebecca,
It’s that logic that continues to get these city Democrats elected time after time. McDowell, Marshall, Henry. They’re pathetic.
Rebecca, you actually think MRH would listen to anything Josie said? I don’t think so. She only listens to the good old boys, since she’s one of them.
“It’s the green way to live when you can walk or take a bus to work.”
LOL, yeah right. Just try not to injure yourself on the Democrat City government’s utter negligence of its duty to repair dangerous dilapidated sidewalks throughout the City. But alas, they might have to give up all their fluff and perks and bloat, God forbid.
Would that the City saw that having excellent footways and pathways might actually encourage people to walk around the City, rather than drive.
But then all these Democrat legal-recalcitrants who would let the City’s infrastructure rot rather than obey the law are the same people who zip around in taxpayer-funded cars with taxpayer-funded gas. Why should they care, they’re getting theirs.
Typical Democrat nonsense : “Think green”. (Don’t act on it, just think it).
As far as eminent domain, you couldn’t be more wrong Rebecca. Your phrasing the issue as property owners against good development is right out of the Buccini-Pollin-Baker playbook of utter BS.
If you really believe that your corrupt absolutist Norman-Oliver-lovin’ Democrat government in Wilmington is run by people suited to plan and control economic development, please consider having your head examined.
I’ve seen better organized riots.
I got to know Josie somewhat in the last month or so and I was talking to her back when she was wondering whether to run or not. This was a principled stand, IMHO.
She had already met with “certain people promising X thousands to help her, a good amount but not enough to go against Henry – going in so late with no real organization. She also had volunteers ready to go and a brochure (see DE Watch).
From the television program they were on, there wasn’t any talk of her being a paid page, only of her going to civic meetings to more or less represent Henry.
I can tell you that this has me stumped though. Is Henry totally nuts?
MRH did what was politically expedient and then defused a possible primary challenge. She took the course of least resistence which is what you would expect.
*
She told Josie that she already agreed with her about a lot of her concerns and that Josie would have her ear. At least that is what Josie told me two weeks ago.
I really do think that Josie was drawn in to do this as a volunteer. I am going to ask her.
Again..this is so easy….offer her a hundred bucks a day, so her lip service won’t disappoint you…..because principles are priceless!!!!!
Christian, yeah, laugh if you want, nice touch.
I still say that the woman’s heart, Josie Roy, was in the right place because of conversations I had with her over the last month.
As many of you mentioned, you just met Josie Roy. I have known her a very long time, and there is no way she “would sell out”, and I don’t think she did. How many of you would on your own time attend all those meetings that go on in that district? Huh! For free! Be truthful.
Josie realized that it was too close to election to run and win a campaign against Henry. There are many issues I have with Margaret over the years, however, I do believe her on this one. Henry is on the Joint Fin. Committee and several other committees, when the legislature went on recess it did not include Henry who still has to go to Dover several times a week.
Having Josie who is well respected and known in that district supporting Henry with the leg work, and attending all those meetings is great experience for Josie. I believe that Josie will have a big influence over Senator Henry who will listen to Josie as to what the people want and need.
If Josie got a stipend for doing this work, good for her. Why should we expect her to do it for free? I don’t consider it a “bribe” but a stipend to cover the gas and other expenses Josie would have to put out of her own pocket, (which she doesn’t have).
Josie can work with her, learn from Henry and the community and if Henry doesn’t respond to the “citizens and their issues”, Josie can always run against her in the future, with a whole lot of experience to back up her candidacy.
Rebecca: “most people think the Riverfront Development is keen”. Huh! Been down to the “white elephant” lately? It was a Petinaro boodoggle from the beginning, and yes it was democrats with the aide of Joe DiPinto and other loyal corporatists, who aided and abetted Petinaro and now Buccini Pollen.
Not one ounce of Park space for the citizens even though citizen groups like Wilmington River City Committee fought heavily against it.
We wanted a piece of the pie for the citizens for recreation! A place where the citizens could go and have entertainment that was age appropriate. We got nothing because the Riverfront Dev. Corp, the City of Wilm (d) and the (r)’s got together and decided against the peoples wishes.
No matter what they do it will always be known as the “Sewer Front” to many of us, who pushed for a “huge environmental cleanup of the area”, before any construction was done. Paving it over and building unattractive “shops” were rushed into place…no we have empty shops and wasted buildings no one occupies.
Ms. Henry, remember you are supposed to support Markell, not Carney…
“I’m supposed to support Markell, not Carney…” Oh, thank you very much…I was wondering when some was going to tell me……..