QOD

What is more funner to say: Donsquishydishimaharishi YoYo Ma NKOTB The Republicans are a bunch of idiots that have no shot in 2010 and only care about themselves and not…

How Not To Make A Stand

Sanford gives in on stimulus, will seek funds for S.C. WASHINGTON — Gov. Mark Sanford will comply with a midnight Friday stimulus deadline and become the last governor in the…

Quote of the Day

Backstory: First U.S. arrest made in UBS offshore case On February 19, 2009, we reached an agreement with UBS that included, for the first time, the disclosure of the identities…

Two Delaware Programs Included in Harvard Top 50 Innovation List

Two Programs from Delaware — the City of Wilmington’s Instant Ticketing Program and the State of Delaware’s K-5 Early Intervention Program — have made it to Harvard’s Top 50 Government Innovation List for 2009. The list is developed by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The Top 50 was selected from more than 600 applicants from city, county, state, federal, and tribal government agencies. These 50 are in competition for the Innovations in Government Awards that will be announced in September. The two Delaware programs in competition:

  • Instant Ticket Program; City of Wilmington, DE — The Instant Ticket Program allows Code Enforcement Inspectors in Wilmington to issue instant $50 fines, similar to parking tickets, upon property owners who violate sanitation laws.
  • K-5 Early Intervention Program; State of Delaware — Delaware’s K-5 Early Intervention Program provides intensive school and home-based services to at-risk children and families, preventing the future need for more expensive interventions by removing barriers to academic and social success. (This program is also shortlisted for a Annie E. Casey Innovations Award in Children and Family System Reform.)

This is good news for these two programs, but if you look at the entire list (pdf file), it is chock full of good ideas that you could imagine being really good for us too:

Whipping up for Public Financing

Senators Durbin and Specter officially introduced this week that would publically finance congressional elections (small dollar donations allowed, which would be matched 4 to 1).

When folks realize that politicians were begging AIG execs for big-dollar cash at the same they were supposed to regulate them, they get pretty pissed off.

Yesterday, an organization called Change Congress launched a new tool to help citizens “whip” the vote for this bill by calling Congress. It was designed by some Google employees who volunteered, and it’s pretty neat.

Lawrence Lessig blogged about it on Huffington Post. So here is what you do. If you want public financing. If you really want to end corporate greed in our government, then call our wonderous congressional delegation at the numbers below:

Sen. Tom Carper: 202-224-2441
Sen. Ted Kaufman: 202-224-5042
Rep. Michael Castle: 202-225-4165

And this is what you say, if you are so inclined:

Obama Leads the Way

Cowboy diplomacy, the epitome of an oxymoron, is dead.  Truth is, cowboy diplomacy's goal is more in tune with a bull in a china shop than achieving results and respect. …

Video of First state Politics after Markell Meeting

Maria is the one on the right which leaves Burris to the left [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9sO-Rxr2-E[/youtube] I also found some of David Anderson [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC7sSMWLwDo&feature=related[/youtube] I found some of Hube too.  Notice the…