FYI: Donviti’s take on Coffee with Jack this morning
I’m not sure when you all will see it, but the Coffee with Jack was a really informative discussion. A few things I gained from it were:
Jack is willing to be a reference for me
Jack didn’t know that unemployment benefits top pay out is $325 a week
Jack remembered my wife and reads the blog. I know this because he referred to her comment the day after he met her at the Obama Rally held at Joe’s Crabshack
Jack had a meeting with a really high profile CEO in De that was bitching about a tax increase and how it will impact him and his business.
Jack was wishy-washy on Civil Unions…sort of
Jack wants gambling in Delaware
I made a comment that if big business is complaining about something then odds are it is good for the people. Jack took the higher road and I felt was a little too supportive of listening to the needs of big business. I implied that big business isn’t responsible to anyone but themselves and the share holders. I think that sort of registered, however more to Jack that some angry white guy doesn’t like corporations.
Jack has two huge body guards
Jack is ignoring the bad stuff and I guess 90% of Meconi’s resume because he is a “bulldog”. Personally I think it is bullshit especially knowing what the guy did…or didn’t do. I don’t see how having him on helps you and increases the credibility you need
Jack is open to (or said he was) other ideas regarding a progressive pay cut for state workers. There is no talk of sunsetting it.j
Jack isn’t going to entertain the stupid ass idea of a sales tax
Jack is open to consolidating School Districts
Jack doesn’t like David Anderson (ok, I lied he didn’t say that. But I’m sure he was thinking it)
Anything about transparency? (i.e. public websites for detailed budget data?)
Yes, he is in favor of that too. But it won’t be a database type set up b/c of the cost. Will be something that has to do with “checks” or something. I think being able to see actual checks. he said it wasn’t optimum but that is all they could do right now
Anyone there to the right of Smitty-and I don’t mean Dana Garrett…
I have a different take on Jack’s civil union stance than Donviti.
What’s your take Jason?
You guys asked my question – joy!
Maria,
I think it was nice of Selander to include our right-wing blog.
Well thank you Hef for the start of “Suggestions Submitted” list, and checking it off, and now gettin’ the word out.
I knew someone would to be honest.
Will be something that has to do with “checks” or something. I think being able to see actual checks.
Heh.. We’ll need to scrape it, OCR it, and turn it into a spreadsheet. That would take some time and knowhow but not a lot of money.
Yes, Jason, he invited one blogger from it, the one who was leaving the GOP to become an Independent a few short weeks ago. Where was my invitation? How about Hube? Elbert? Burris? Anyone from WGMD? Was anyone from Sussex on the list at all? Was any conservative blogger invited?
Anyone there to the right of Smitty-and I don’t mean Dana Garrett…
RSmitty fails the purity test again.
Somehow I think Smitty is laughing about that comment, maybe because he helped me write it.
Maria may be a pitbull with lipstick (sorry, couldn’t resist), but trust me, she doesn’t give me a purity test, no matter how it appears. I will admit that I am not as tough with questions as are the others she mentioned in the comment. Personally, I’d like to see one of these for the Sussex County bloggers, too.
Maria…who are you? Do I know you?
😈
Maria…
Perhaps you need to talk to Governor Markell’s staff. We here at Delaware Liberal did not organize this, or exclude anyone.
Actually, it was my fault the invitation wasn’t extended. I reminded them that there is nothing west of Rt 1 in Sussex County and he is too busy for that.
(I kid, I kid…)
DD so the problem is that the Governor is unaware that there are two other counties in the state that contain bloggers and that not all bloggers are liberals or moderates?
No, it seems the problem is you and the bloggers you mention were not invited.
Not one Sussex blogger, DD. Not one conservative.
The problem is Selander?
Does Maria think this will be the only meeting with bloggers that the governor will have, ever?
If there’s one thing that never changes, it’s the right wing whining about how they’ve been disenfranchised.
Think like someone from the Gov’s office, Maria — is a left-right argument amongst bloggers really the best use of the time?
Maria,
Have you ever read any of the Delaware Politics contributors?
Okay then.
Maria… then organize your own shindig. Stop trying to poop on someone else’s party cake.
Honestly, reactions like yours are probably why you weren’t invited.
I made several suggestions to Markells staff. I didn’t suggest the Sussex County bloggers because it was an early morning meeting in Newark. Steve Newton was invited, but I suspect he had a class or something.
I will certainly encourage the staff that the next one of these be in Dover so that the Sussex bloggers can be there.
Thanks Brian.
Although, I have to say that I’m not exactly sad that Maria hijacked this thread in light of Donviti’s…uhm… idiosyncratic take on the thing.
Fuck that. NCC bloggers RULE!!!
…and I was late. stupid.stupid.stupid.
I nominate Frank Knotts.
does anyone smell that?
Jason, will you post your take later?
Rightwing: when all else fails, throw a hissy fit.
UI,
Yes. But let me make this last comment on the composition. I think we asked great tough question that will come out in other’s blog posts.
The right-wing blogs in this state are far too radical and doctrinaire to be taken seriously.
I’m not surprised they were not included.
Personally, I am sure that there is no connection between the political views of a blog and their invitation.
In my email exchange with the staff, I got no indication that they wanted an easy interview. Sure Jason and Mike M are fanboys, but the rest of us have some objectivity. 😉
What a shame, in the reverse situation I would have fought to have liberal, northern bloggers included.
Maria, you are being tiresome.
I am sure, or at least I’d bet, that the Governor did not expect that his staff..'(Cough Cough Selander’ )…or guests would preface this auspicious event with the rather ostentatiously partisan lead-in published by DD – http://delawareliberal.net//2009/03/30/a-call-for-your-questions/
that stood to alienate the rest of the DE blogosphere.
Jack Markell ran as a person we could access. He probably doesn’t appreciate being included in this partisan slogfest.
Nancy if he’s so accessible why no Sussex Countians or conservatives? He’s certainly not looking very accessible to me right now.
Oh for the love of God Nancy.
Ostentatiously partisan?????? I called him a progressive! HOW DARE I.
I thanked his staff! THE OUTRAGE!
I congratulated him for being willing to meet with bloggers. THE HORROR!
How in your crazed mind does that alienate the rest of the blogosphere? How in God’s name is that polarizing?
Let me guess, Nancy. You weren’t invited either!
Well, at least Jack Markell is bipartisan in his snubs.
Maria..
Call Selander and ask for downstate roundtable.
Stop clogging this comment thread with your bitterness.
What I took away from this meeting is that there are no easy answers and no one ideology to solve the problems facing our state.
I was really impressed by the questions asked and the detailed responses. This was definitely a nuts and bolts meetings. It wasn’t about scoring political points.
Sorry to upset the celebration over the Governor’s exclusive little party. I’ll try to remember in the future that Sussex County’s concerns belong on the back of the bus.
Maria,
I mean really the bitterness and jealousy is palpable. You have email, use it. You have a blog, leverage it. You have a phone, dial it. you have Dave Burris, follow it.
Please, please, please, Maria, call the Governor’s office and set up a Sussex County meeting. We’ll all feel better.
We talked about education. I’m pretty sure they have schools in entire state
We talked about Civil Unions. I’m pretty sure that the entire state cares. Especially your wing-nut homophobe DA.
We talked about Gambling…again entire state issue at least I think it is. Dover, last time I checked is, well in Dover.
We talked about sales tax. I’m pretty sure Tanger is down state, NO?
I think we talked about state pay cuts. I could be wrong, but as of 11:56 Delaware has employees in the entire state.
Get over it.
Pandora,
Delaware Politics is a shrill, radical right-wing organ for amplifying GOP talking points.
I think RSmitty and to a lesser degree Maria, have reputations as being more objective, but would not meet with the rest them.
Not unless I was packing heat.
We have infrastructure issues, we have a County Council suing DNREC, we have a bridge over one of the most dangerous inlets on the east coast that was deemed unsafe in 1998 that we’re still using every day, we have the worst polluter in the state and cancer clusters and we have to remind the Governor that we exist? Seriously?
Maria (and LG),
I was invited, and at least here I am considered some sort of pseudo-conservative.
FYI LG and others,
I wasn’t there because Selander’s invite somehow got into my spam filter (libertarians tend to see messages from the govt as spam?) and I didn’t even see it until today.
But you’re also right–I was teaching today and I do have this old-fashioned idea that showing up for my own classes is supposed to be priority.
Nonetheless, I do give Markell/Selander full marks for inviting me.
Maria,
So to be honest, it’s a good thing you weren’t there. Because everything we talked about affected the entire state. While you only cared about your immediate community. 🙂 plllllfffffffftttttt
Maria, you are making a blatantly false assumption here. From your anger it appears that you believe this to be the one and only blogger’s roundtable that will ever be held with Governor Markell. It is assine to assume that.
Indeed, if you had not freaked out like you have today, making wild declarations that the Governor does not care about Sussex County or its issues, and instead sent an email to Mr. Selander to ask when Sussex County would gets its turn to interview the Governor, I can almost guarantee something would have been set up.
But I have to guess that you and probably others have fired off nastygrams, haven’t you. Irate phone calls, no doubt.
All because you assumed the exclusion to be evidence of a bias towards Sussex County.
dv,
Can you elaborate on your comment about Markell on civil unions? Is he squishy because that’s the way he feels, or is he squishy because he thinks it is a political loser?
By the way everyone, we will be posting the discussion in full later today, so you can judge for yourself whether the Governor was squishy towards Civil Unions or not.
I think he was squishy towards Squishi over the question. Squishi makes a lot of people squishy.
I am squishy towards the word squishy.
Steve,
He gave the “corporate” line that he isn’t going to discriminate based on Sexual orientation. He said if (dang can’t remember name and #) HB 5? crap, do NOT QUOTE ME ON THE bill. But, he said if it came to his desk he would have signed it….ahhhh crap, wait for the audio to hear for your self.
fun to say, not fun to feel
He would have….?
Well, HB5, the Anti-Discrimination bill passed the House and we are now waiting to see if it will be considered by the Senate. So it may yet come to his desk.
SB27, the Hate Amendment that would have made marriage only be between a man and a woman did not pass the Senate.
So are you saying Markell would have signed the Hate Amendment? Or are you saying he will sign the Anti-Discrimination Bill?
I think his answer was on HB5 and yes, he’d sign.
X asked the question, he may be able to provide more detail if he checks in before the audio is posted.
HB5 he would have signed. That is the one.
Any idea about decriminalization of the Jane?
Mass. has an up-to-one ounce thing going on, so why not here?
Think about the Sussex Country Farmers!
It was asked and is not a consideration…at this time. Now excuse me, I have to consult with Michael Phelps on some…um…er…water treatments. Yeah.
Thanks Smitty!
“No officer, it’s a bronchial aspirator!”
Too bad though. My dream of opening a “Coffee” Shop in Trolley will have to placed on hold! I even was gonna hire DV to work the counter too!
RSmitty,
How on earth could you have let a whinny titty ass baby like Maria talk you out of leaving the repubs? How utterly pathetic is that?
I am thinking now that you really need to stay a repub, at least until you can get a spine.
BWAAAA HA HA HA!
I don’t judge character on singular moments, A1.
Hmmm…singular moment or (multiple) moments? Point being, the reaction today won’t be near enough for me to make a personal judgement. Having a spine would require standing up to the resistance at hand and not running away.
Smitty’s spine is just fine, kinda cute too!
I see Mike has decided to post on DL again, even if only to spam his blog.
Are you thru being “DONE”?
He linked this post within his post. It’s a trackback, not a comment.
kinda cute too!
You’re a better judge of that then I am, pandora. Maybe that’s the real reason Maria doesn’t want him to leave
Smitty’s spine is just fine, kinda cute too!
Was that you scratching my back in Maria’s post, P?
I blind them all with my awesome (increasing) baldness, A1. Literally. It’s quite shiny, you know.
He linked this post within his post.
Whatever. I am just trying to provoke him to return. I miss his assholery.
“Jack is open to consolidating School Districts”
But why not start with full financial transparency of public schools and DOE that would take one executive order? Consolidation school district would cause equalization of school taxes with in the given district that are to merge. So may pay more and some less and those paying more will bitch to their local legislators.
There is legislation on the table by Rep. Lavelle calling for school district online checkbook ledgers and the Delaware School Board Association is poised to lobby against it, they complaint of the cost factor to implement. Now tell me how many of you can go online and download your bank statement?
How hard can this be; http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=9329
Come on Jack!
I blind them all with my awesome (increasing) baldness, A1.
Just don’t confuse “baldness” with “balls” because cowtowing to the WTAB Maria shows you’re lacking them.
(Pssst…I am trying to see if pandora will slip up and say that your balls are “just fine, kinda cute too!” and then see if she was scratching them during the meeting.)
You are walking a fine line with that comment, A1.
You are walking a fine line with that comment, A1.
I am always in search of fine lines, pandora.
I was starting to wonder if my migraine this morning had erased my memory of certain things.
By the way, the governor said that school district transparency would probably have to start with online checkbook registers, though he said that searchable databases would be better.
What do you mean Jack was wishy washy on Civil Unions? Does that mean he supports Gay marriage? I don’t think Doug Steele, Corey Marshall or Andy Stanton would be too thrilled to hear Jack was wishy washy on Civil Unions after all it was the progressive gay vote that put him over the top in this election.
Concern Troll,
The Governor said that he would sign the bill. Some took that for wishy-washyness. I didn’t.
Hey megamoron don’t carried away with yourself. If donviti said he was wishy washy then the man was wishy washy.
And megamoron which bill are you talking about anyway, there aren’t any bills pending on civil unions in Delaware. I bet David Anderson is one of your best friends.
liberalgeek: “I will certainly encourage the staff that the next one of these be in Dover so that the Sussex bloggers can be there.”
I just have to point out that this statement, while I’m sure well-intentioned, kind of proves Maria’s broader point about how north-of-the-canal folk consistently overlook Sussex.
Dover is in Kent County.
Try Georgetown.
I know where it is, idiot. Maria’s point was that Kent and Sussex weren’t included. How about Milford? Does that work for you?
wind farms come up?
there is a delaware south of the canal? huh.. news to me. i thought it was all chickens and Valero stations
It appears every summer or so.
Oh, give it a rest, you blue-buttocked buffoon! (We at least know how to insult people down south.)
You sounded like you didn’t know where Dover was. Hell, you might not. I know plenty of people who think Kent and Sussex are composed of a big chicken house, a trailer park and some sand.
For what it’s worth, I think of New Castle County as a big traffic-congested mess dotted with cookie-cutter houses and bisected by a bunch of interstates, and Wilmington as a crime-infested chaotic paint-peeling pit of a city with incredible delusions of grandeur.
he said he would sign the bill, then gave the corporate BS about he won’t discriminate by sexual orientation.
He could have said he was fine with Civil Unions, instead he choose to say he “would sign it” if it came to his desk. I can see Jason’s point I guess in political speak that means he is ok with Civil Unions.
I guess in Donviti world, he would have like to have heard. “yes, I would marry you Donviti” or better yet, “I’m fine with civil unions and don’t mind deh gays”
either would have been cool.
oh jeepers DD, get over yourself. As tone-deaf as you are about the post, so you are to what I was referring to. None of what you cite above was apt, brother. It was, instead, the entirety of the last paragraph and general smarmy air of ‘superiority’ that was the big turn-off.
I really hope that Markell (sorry, I haven’t reached the inner circle of “Jack” yet) doesn’t waste his time reading this crap.