Delaware’s Top Stories for 2009
Over at Madville Times (South Dakota), they posted their top ten stories for 2009. It intrigued me, so here are my top stories for 2009.
- Desk Drawer Veto Not Used — Fat chance that Thurman Adams will not use the power to let legislation he disagrees with stall at this desk. But a boy can dream can’t he?
- Open Government — First of all these aren’t in any order as the first one listed will not happen and the second one listed, having the General Assembly no longer be excluded from the Freedom of Information Act is probably the most important issue in Delaware today. Check out our interview with Gov. Jack Markell on both Open Government and the Desk Drawer Veto.
- Karen Weldin Stewart Will Surprise — KWS has had a going over in the Delaware blogosphere, but I’m hoping she’ll prove all you Big Guy loving bloggers wrong. You can listen to our interview with KWS or you can read some bashing.
- Delaware Allows Civil Unions for Gay and Lesbian Couples — We absolutely need to do this. And as we talked earlier in December this is something the blogging community (except the Radical Right folks) can get passed. Read Marriage Equality and Civil Unions for more information.
- Moving the Primary Day — This is a simple one, though one that will be difficult for incumbents to change. Delaware’s Primary Day is in September which many people, including this blogger, think is too close to the November General Election. Hopefully we can get it moved to the Spring.
- Mike Castle Announces His Retirement — Yeah, another fat chance, but it well within the realm of possibility. As one two Republicans in Statewide office, this could official relegate the Delaware Republican Party to third party status within the state.
- Lt. Gov Carney announces for . . . . — After Carney got looked over by Minner for Biden’s seat, he now has to think of what is next on the agenda. If Castle retires, then Carney runs for Congress. Or maybe Carney runs against Beau Biden for Joe Biden’s Senate seat.. Who knows? I doubt Carney even knows.
I only have seven top stories for 2009. Do you have any more?
We tend to think in terms of presidential primaries, which get earlier and earlier every year, but I really don’t see any problem with later primaries for other offices. Heck, they shorten the already-too-long campaigns!
Dana, you understand that a short campaign only benefits the incumbents, right?
Hey Nemski!
And everyone else . . .
Ya want Open Government? Help out PDD and the Progressive Democrats for Sussex on January 13th, opening day of the 145th General Assembly. We’ll be gathering outside Leg Hall in Dover at 12:30 to demonstrate for Open Government and then moving inside to meet one-on-one with our Senators. Finally, we’ll be packing the Gallery above the Senate floor as they vote on the rules.
OOGA — Open Our General Assembly!!!
Please join us if you can. Numbers are necessary and this isn’t a D or R issue, it’s a Delaware issue. We need everyone to pitch in and show our Senators that we really do care about what goes on in Leg Hall. Remember, 10 of them are up for re-election in 2010, including Adams.
Onward!
Chancery Court rules that Workforce Housing was enacted in violation of state law due to it’s being de facto rezoning without due process. All issued permits are revoked and return to whatever status they had before issue under the now invalid statute.
Yeah for Chancery Court! That solves that problem.
The top story for 2009 will be state revenue falling “faster than expected” and increasingly hard decisions needed to deal with it.
Wait Rebecca–That didn’t happen yet…Hold that thought!!!
Rebecca,
Who are the Progressive Democrats for Sussex?
What would a recap of 2008 on Del Lib be without at least one mention of KWS?
Since the comments in Nemski’s two links, a lot of time has passed and a lot has happened. KWS has demonstrated several times that she is in fact a fraud, a stupid, uneducated, narcissistic opportunist with a misplaced sense of superiority and delusions of grandeur, i.e. the inauguration party at the Dupont, including herself in the “administration” along with Denn and Markell, etc., etc., and believing that she’s entitled to the finest life has to offer without ever having worked for or at anything worthwhile in her whole life. KWS is out for herself and no one else, plain and simple. Well, maybe McDowell, since he’s made all this possible for her.
Nemski, I admire your optimism, but I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. As my Granny always said, from nothing comes nothing.
An earlier primary makes sense, but not too early. Late spring allows more time for primary candidates to get out their message and extreme frontloading prevents ‘mid course correction’.
Those who are disturbed by the political process should avoid it. Participation is an essential element of citizenship.
All persons of good will should push for more openness in the legislative process. This should be a bipartisan effort and the advocates of secrecy should be given a chance to try their luck in the private sector (and not as lobbyists).
anon8 – They are a group of progressives who have joined together down in Sussex and they meet once a month and take on progressive projects, as well as support progressive candidates. If you want more information drop me a note at young.rh@comcast.net and I’ll forward to their leader.
Art – 11
Well said. Hope we can count on you on January 13th.
Nemski: No, I don’t understand that. The other side of the coin is that a shorter campaign can cost less money, helping challengers.
geek
Maybe it was too obvious, but why isn’t Jack Markell defeating John Carney, with all the Democratic money spent on Carney’s behalf, not the major story of the year?
Or at least one of them?
oops
nevermind
read the year wrong
Wish I could be there on the 13th, but I have about 0% chance of getting the day off. I agree this is one of the most important, if not the most important, issue facing Delaware today. Open the secrets of the state government, and so many other issues will be seen in a new light.
Nemski, I think you missed this one for 2009: Markell signs bill restricting eminent domain in Delaware. This should have been passed last year, but too many legislators showed their true colors when it came time to override. (I know you read this, state senators and reps, and you know who you are.)
Nothing about wind power? It was in the all the papers for a while.
tommywonk, i’d love to have your newspaper subscription, because this post was about 2009, not 2008. 😉
Stories for 2009:
– Bluewater Wind project put on hold, at least temporarily, because of financial problems at Babcock & Brown and because the green energy market has taken a dive. With the economy nearing a depression, people care more about saving money than saving the planet.
– The News Journal lays off 15 more newsroom staffers, leaving a crew of 60 people to cover the entire state. Readership plunges because “there’s nothing in the paper,” and Gannett sells it to investors including Pete DuPont and the Floods, who hand it over to an independent nonprofit foundation. It splits into three daily newspapers, one for each county, that run autonomously.
– The open-government bills die, as Markell strikes a deal with Thurman Adams: He won’t push for changes to FOIA or for the sexual orientation discrimination bill if Adams will rubber-stamp his major economic and financial initiatives. Open-government and GLBT advocates become thoroughly disenchanted with Markell, and start laying the groundwork for a John Brady campaign in 2012.
Oil holds at $40 a barrel, but gas costs $2.50 a gallon as taxes are raised on gas.
Democrats raise gas taxes over obstruction of Republicans who would prefer instead to borrow the money to rebuild roads, or allow them to crumble so they can blame Democrats.
The increased gas taxes cause US gas consumption to decrease… all manner of electric vehicles enter the market. OPEC panics; Iran and Russia are forced to cut back planned military expansions.
or….
Democrats give in to fears of being labeled as tax-hikers, and agree to Republican demands to borrow the road money from the Chinese instead. Gas prices reach all-time lows adjusted for inflation, TARP money is used to start up dormant SUV assembly lines.
yes anon, within 3 months electric cars will be commonplace and the flying machines will transport us to and from work quicker.
tax increases in gas will drive the economy even deeper into recession. right now the cost of gas equals a 3 trillion dollar stimulus.