Questions for WDEL Debate NCCo Executive Candidates
NOTE: I’m bumping this up in hopes that more of you will see it and want to add a question.
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As Allan Loudell noted here, the debate between the two Democratic candidates for NCCo Executive Chris Coons and Tom Gordon is set for this Friday. Details of the debate:
When: Aug. 22, 8 a.m.
Where: Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom, Widener Univ. Law School, Wilmington.
This one is open to the public, so get there early to get a good seat.
Allan will be one of 3 reporters asking questions, but he has asked us again for suggestions on the questions we’d like to see answered. If you’ve been listening to the debates Allan has hosted so far, he has been selecting some questions from those submitted by those writing and commenting here and he makes sure that the candidates answer those questions. So weigh in! What questions would you want these two candidates answer?
Tags: Debates, NCC County Exec, WDEL
aren’t you a criminal? why do you think you should represent our state in this capacity?
follow up…By admiting to the crimes that you admited to in order to get a lighter sentence didn’t you kind of give up your right to run for office again?
Mr. Gordon, can you prove when you left office there was a surplus?
Mr. Coons, can you prove when you came into office there was a shortfall?
for the record…I was not joking about that question. Somehow, someway it needs to be asked..
where the F does he get off running
Mr. Gordon, does being in a court room again give you the willies?
I have a question:
The Unified Development Code (UDC) is in danger of being directly contradicted by the Workforce Housing Ordinance. Developers are actually getting incentives to get suburban plans approved, and then simply change the density element of the plans and thus avoid the open-space and other provisions of UDC. Keeping in mind the important benefits of the UDC and the needs for workforce-affordable housing, do you favor amending the current UDC, amending the Workforce Ordinance, or do you have some other solution to rectify these contradictory laws?
Mr.Gordon, what does Sherry’s pooter smell like?
Post Katrina, the counties in Delaware seem to be behind in notification and evacuation in the event of a disaster. How do you see the state of readiness and what will you do to improve it?
How do you feel about a robust Transfer of Development Rights program complete with private TDR banks to control development?
#6 plus:
The UDC was one of the only protections citizens had from developers over ruining what is left of NNC….would you, and if so, how would you protect the code from further deterioration?
h. what kinda weirdo are you??? go pound her and smell fo yourself.
Both of you have been the Executive of New Castle County. During your time in office, what failings of yourself did you discover and how are you going about to correct your failing?
Gordon, I will not F Sherry again.
Coons, I will not F the Public anymore.
Ask Coons, How many high ranking individuals are raiding the retirement fund, by buying into the fund at discount rates, compared to the retirement payments. Rumor is 14 high ranking, high paid persons. A 60,000 one time buy in, to get a 120,000 per year retirement? True or false?
Gordon can’t form a coherent answer to any questions so why bother! PS- Gordon started the sweet pension program…..
Gordon started the pension program to get county police recruits from across the state. Obviously it should have been a limited to that end before Coonsie cronied it.
There needs to be some questions asked related to the comp plan and growth rate. Coons’ idea of the next 25 years is full build out encouraging infill. Where do the candidates stand on controlling growth.
What opportunities would either candidate look to explore for long-term collaboration with the City of Wilmington on policies or tasks that would help make better use of limited funds?
Given the price of gas, more people are trying to use their bikes, especially for local errands — would you support initiatives to create bike lanes on major thoroughfares to create a safer space for people on bikes?
With initiatives like the Underground Railroad Scenic Byway coming through NCCo and other initiative designed to showcase this region’s history, what specific proposals or policies would you have to help preserve these historical grounds and assets and to help promote tourism around these sites?
That ain’t no rumor mill. I’ve heard the same thing re: Coons’ buddies buying into the pension plan at a HEAVILY discounted rate. I’ve heard this from multiple sources. Not quite sure of the details that “From the rumor mill” provides, but I’m sure there’s some meat to that matter.
Here is a question: Mr. Coons you were President of County Council when Tom Gordon was County Ex. Mr. Coons did you or did you not see all the Gordon Budgets, and did you not see the surplus left by Gordon! How can you say today, that there was no surplus, were you lying then or are you lying now?
Question2: Mr. Coons, some county workers are claiming they support Mr. Gordon, will you tell your “goon squad” to stop threatening these workers?
Question3. Mr Gordon tell us what your plans are “not” to increase our County Taxes? Mr. Coons how much of a tax increase can the residents of New Castle start budgeting for, and why did you increase our taxes twice already? What did the taxpayers get for the increase in our taxes?
What is your opinion on the eminent domain controversy in Wilmington? Will you oppose using eminent domain for private gain on land use decisions in New Castle County?
Mr. Gordon, what was current councilman Bill Bell doing on the county payroll as a “liason” to the volunteer fire community? I thought they were volunteers — why did you have him on a monthly retainer for three years, paying him in excess of $150,000 in funds for a position never even rubber-stamped by County Council?
So much for my copy editing. I meant “liaison.”
And Mr. Coons, same question as Mr. Gordon, except insert “Julius Cephas” in place of Bill Bell.
“Both of you have been the Executive of New Castle County. During your time in office, what failings of yourself did you discover and how are you going about to correct your failing?”
Excellent question Nemski! I’d like to see it asked as well.
Mr. Gordon, what is more real, your hair or your surplus?
Mr. Coons why are you paying $105,000 a year for a driver ~who happens to be the brother of Jim Paoli? Is that coming from your campaign or from tax payer dollars?
Mr. Coons why are firemen and county police not supporting you?
Mr. Coons: How many of your cronies did you bring on the payroll and place in positions who have no knowledge, skill or ability for the jobs they perform?
Mr. Coons: why did Julius Cephas leave your employ?
Mr. Coons: did you tell your “goonsquad” what county workers were to be targeted for a little “talk”?
Mr. Coons: was the photographer who took the pictures of the over 80 volunteers who showed up in support of Gordon, paid for out of county funds, or your campaign funds? Why were some of those same people targeted by your “goon squad”?
Mr. Coons: How did you get that little plum getting your “campaign office” inside the democratic party headquarters? Who did you deal with at party headquartersfor the deal, and who set the rate of your “rent”?
Mr. Coons: do you have a copy of the last Gordon budget which proves there was a surplus, that is until you squandered it? Did you sign off on the last Gordon budget?
“Mr. Coons: do you have a copy of the last Gordon budget which proves there was a surplus, that is until you squandered it? Did you sign off on the last Gordon budget?”
You know, if you’re going to keep stating this, it would help if you yourself understood something about the budget, instead of speaking about it in terms that would insult the intelligence of a bright 8th-grader.
The last Gordon budget had $7 million more in expenditures than revenues. That’s not a surplus. The shortfall, just like the next-to-last Gordon budget, was made up through banked assets (which is what it’s called, not a “surplus.”)
Of those banked assets — which equaled about $100 million when Tom Gordon took office, despite his frequent statement (um, lie) that the county was in deficit when he took over — he proceeded to engineer the giveaway of $45 million in his last year in office.
So why, Mr. Gordon, knowing what you knew –or should have known — about the county’s revenue/expenditure projections for the coming years, did you oversee a giveaway of $45 million taxpayer dollars that year? Was it an attempt to taint the jury pool for your upcoming legal battle?
And why are your followers so stupid? Is it because they share your moral turpitude, or are they merely simple-minded laborers whom you generously overpaid with more of our tax dollars?
“Mr. Coons why are firemen and county police not supporting you?”
Oh, that one’s simple — rats live in colonies.
“Mr. Coons: did you tell your “goonsquad” what county workers were to be targeted for a little “talk”?”
Boy, do you have a short memory. Or were you one of the ones delivering the talks back in Gordonberry Land? I spent some quality time with Mr. Gordon’s goon, er, bodyguard one evening — and yes, the taxpayers paid him, too, except he was taken off the police force to provide “protection.”
You have a helluva lot of nerve talking about goons and Gordon in the same sentence. They spent their careers either sweet-talking people and, if that didn’t work, goon-squading them — me included.
–Mr. Coons: How many of your cronies did you bring on the payroll and place in positions who have no knowledge, skill or ability for the jobs they perform?–
Mr. Gordon, same question. And how many of them were placed in merit-position jobs through your special “interview” process?
“Mr. Coons: why did Julius Cephas leave your employ?”
Mr. Gordon: Why is he now hanging around with you?
Mr Coons – Why can you not keep a communications director for longer than 9 months?
Does Mr. Morris take back his previous assessment that tax increases for the county were going to be needed?
October 1, 2004
New Castle County’s highly touted budget surplus has crested and its key tax-maintenance component will essentially run out after about
four years, according to chief financial officer Ronald Morris.
When that happens, he said, taxpayers can expect a property tax increase somewhere in the neighborhood of 15% followed by subsequent
annual increases of around 5%.
Sewer fees will likely have to go up much sooner. That increase, also about 15%, will have to show up in bills which will be due in February, 2006, he said.
In a detailed presentation to County Council’s finance committee, Morris revealed that combined reserves, built up during the eight
years of the Gordon administration, peaked at $242 million as of the end of fiscal 2003 and dropped to about $230.5 million as of last June
30. Fiscal 2004 financial statements have not yet been audited.
Projected for the end of the current year, on June 30, 2005, is a balance of $196 million.
The $242 million figure was quoted frequently during the recent primary election campaign and has generally been used for several months in various contexts.
Calling Morris’s comments “sobering,” Council president Christopher Coons called for avoiding any new major spending projects to be financed from reserves. He said there has been “a significant run” on those reserves in recent months as a result of “a very large amount of
previously unbudgeted spending” which has been approved by Council.
“If we continue to take on new projects at a $10 [million]-to-$13 million clip, we are going to advance the day of reckoning significantly,” he said.
Thank you, Gharmon.
This revisionism being practiced by the sock puppet above is another sad characteristic of the ever-self-delusional Tom Gordon. I would call it “historical revisionism,” but Gordon starts bending the truth as soon as events occur, even before it’s history.
Here’s the link to the full story in case I am accused of misrepresenting the facts of the past….
http://www.delaforum.com/2004/Oct-Dec/ARTICLES/County%20surplus%20(10-1).htm
include the htm….
It was interesting to hear the back and forth about what was paid out to Sharon Hughes on behalf of councilman Chris Roberts.
Question: Did or did not Chris Coons approve of the 250K outlay in support of Roberts while he was president of council?
Answer: yes, he did.