Monthly Archives: June 2009

The Hypocrisy of Sin Taxes?

Per Unstable Isotope, Sen. Bonini says it’s hypocritical to tell people not to smoke yet raise money by taxes. He misses the point. I shall relay a scene from the West Wing.

CJ Craig, the White House press secretary is talking to an undersecretary of state on Air Force One about free trade with China. The undersecretary says we know the Chinese will have dissidents making sneakers whether we sell them cheeseburgers or not, so why not sell them cheeseburgers. The point is that we know people are going to smoke whether we tell them to stop or not, so why not tax them, which will have the affect of raising money for the state and the added affect of perhaps getting people to stop smoking.

Crazy People in the Attic – Liveblogging the Senate

We’re here! Liberalgeek and I are sitting in the balcony of the Senate. Right now they are voting on some appointments – boring so far.

So when they nominate someone, why do they have to read out the whole name and address, including ZIP code?

So far we’ve appointed some people, supported getting some grants and supported renaming a path in Delaware to honor former senator Amick. Red hot government action!

HB136 up now: sex offenders.
Passed, 19 yes, 1 absent, 1 not voting

HB 206 up now. 20 yes.

HB 176: increases fines and community service for graffitti. Some legislators are concerned the bill doesn’t punish enough. Venables wonder about the fines on parents – too much? It’s the 3 little bears scenario – some think it’s too much, some think it’s too little, perfect then?
Passed

HB 132 concerning Absentee Voting
Allows electronic transmission, FAX or email for overseas citizens and military absentee ballots. Elaine Manlove is testifying.

HB 204 “Michelle Smith law,” adds paramedics and EMTs to laws regarding murder in the first degree, makes it a capital offense (along with police officers, fire fighters, etc.). Lots of discussion on this bill, I think there is concern about when something is considered first-degree murder, discussion of scenarios. McDowell is against the bill? Venables is also speaking against the bill? Will this one be a squeaker?

Back in Senate: 10:00 PM

HB 210 now being discussed. It raises some licensing fees.

HB 211, tobacco taxes. Increase in tax by $0.02/pack. Bonini is speaking now. Roll call now.
Passes, 14 yes, 6 no.

HB 263 passes.

HB 264, increases in personal income tax being debated now. This one should be good.

Passes 14 yes, 6 no. Not much debate.

HB 287 up now. I wrote about this earlier. It imposes a lightering fee, a one-time $100,000 fee. Peterson added as sponsor.

Passes 19 yes, 1 no, Bonini voted no.

HB 268 up now, tax amnesty bill. It raises $10M in FY2010. Witness, Mr. Cook from State Dept. of Finance.

Bonini supports, it’s a miracle! Passes 20 yes.

HB 260, taxation of lottery winnings. It eliminates exemption for income tax on lottery or gambling winnings.

Live Blogging the House – Vol. 3

Liberalgeek and I are now listening to the debate on HB 290, the budget bill.

Right now they are praising the hard work of putting together the budget.

OMB Visalli testifying. Rep. Marshall: why not 2.5% cut for judges?
Case law says that judges are exempt by law, based on DE Constitution.
Why no cut on the governor’s salary?
Visali: Governor has taken 10% pay cut in 2009 and 20% in 2010.
Visali: Judges are looking at giving themselves a pay cut.

Rep. Lavelle – I’m taking a 10% pay cut.

Rep. Atkins – Are pensions protected? Yes

Rep. Kovach calls for an attorney. Any old attorney will do.
Attorney is Mr. Bill Bush. Asks about Constitutionality of cuts on state legislators – allowed by Constitution? Thinks it must be voluntary, like judges. The sponsors say that legislators will have to file suit to get that money back, and he doubts they will.

27 yes, 14 no HB 290 passes.

SB 173 up now, on renewable energy. It amends the SEU.

Passed

HB 282 passes house, 41 yes, 0 no.

House adjourns for now.

Update 11:30 PM: Back in House

SB 52 up now. This is about interstate placement of children.

Passed 35 yes

SB 143 – exempts Ministry of Caring and Sacred Heart Housing from local properties.

Passed 35 yes

House Joint Resolution 5: Goal to produce zero waste in Delaware. Good luck with that one! House Amendment 1 is adopted – to do this in a cost effective manner. WTF does this mean? Sec. of DNREC testifying – “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Passed

SB 153 up now, concerning new energy grid technology. Auto to grid electric charge system for electric cars.

Passed 33 yes.

RAM is back!

Per many observers in the House, former Governor Ruth Ann Minner is on the floor of the House. Why is she there? Surveying the cleanup efforts of the disaster she left behind?

Update: False Retaliation

UPDATE 2: Sen. Sokola states that Rep. Kowalko’s VCCB bill WILL be on the Senate agenda, per Matthews. Two ways to read this little boomlet: 1) Rumors were true, and publication of them forced Governor’s office and the Senate leadership to backtrack, or 2) Rumors were not true to begin with.

UPDATE: The Governor’s office is denying this story to both Matthews and myself. Tommywonk probably accurately describes this rumor as the work of Kowalko detractors in the GA.

From Matthews:

From multiple sources: Because of Rep. Kowalko’s support of certain tax and fee bills, his Violent Crimes Compensation bill will not be run. I’m told the governor’s office is doing this in retaliation.

This is petty if true. Kowalko is offering alternatives that should be debated. It does not embarrass the Governor or the Democratic Leadership to have his bills considered. Nor does it delay the proceedings any more than meaningless and endless tributes and proclamations and endless dinner breaks. This kind of retaliation is usually used to put a wayward Representative in line. But if that is the Governor’s motive, he has missed his mark, since Kowalko hasn’t backed down over the last six months and shows no sign of backing down now. Thus all the Governor is doing is delaying a much need reform of the Victim Compensation board.

Shame on the purveyors of false rumors for sport.

Tell Tom Carper to Support the Public Option

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2v5tVWcnGE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

We have a little over a month to apply pressure to Senator Carper to support public option health care.

(302) 573-6291

Put this number in your cell phone or your wallet or purse. Call it on your lunch break tomorrow. Ask his staff (or leave a message asking) if Senator Carper supports offering public option healthcare for uninsured families, like the what Senator Carper himself has and what is offered to our troops and veterans. Tell them that the US healthcare system is the envy of no one – it is the worst in the civilized world. Remind them that in most states, only one or two companies hold 60-80% of the market share (65% in Delaware), and in half of the states, one company holds 50% or more (42% in Delaware)1.

I assure you, the companies that limit amputees to one prosthetic limb per lifetime (imagine wearing one pair of sneakers for the rest of your life, or driving one car) will be spending plenty of time and money wooing Senator Carper. He is, after all, perhaps the most anti-consumer, pro-megacorp Democrat in the Senate. If we don’t raise holy hell, I guarantee you that Carper will be voting to keep our health insurance system as it is – for the benefit of few and to the detriment of most.

Live-Blogging the House-Vol. 2

Anyone wishing to catch up with El Somnambulo’s timeless prose from earlier today can link here.

When the House recessed for an arm-twisting session around 5:30, ‘bulo doubted that it would eventually turn into the dinner break. Apparently, ‘Bulo was wrong, not for the first time today, nor certainly for the last time tonight. Clearly, the last hurdles for finalizing the fiscal deals have not yet been cleared. At least two key bills, the tax on beer and alcohol (3/5 majority required), and the raising of administrative fees collected by the Secretary of State’s Office (2/3 majority) do not currently have the votes for passage. Unless an agreement can be reached on those two bills, either the Joint Finance Committee will have to find more cuts, or alternative revenues that can be passed must be found.

FWIW, the House D’s have reportedly been caucusing since 7 p.m. Could be arm-twisting, could simply be laying out what they plan to work/not work the rest of the night, could be both, could be neither. General Rule of Thumb: The longer the caucus, the tougher time they’re having resolving outstanding issues. An hour is not a long caucus. Just have to see how much longer it continues…

In the four hours since the House was scheduled to go into session, they have passed, let ‘bulo make sure his count is accurate, zero bills. Just a couple of ceremonial resolutions. That’s it. This will likely have the following two consequences as the evening progresses, and these both are based on what may be the faulty assumption that there will be few snags from fiscal package: (1) The session will almost inevitably run well past midnight and into the 2-4 pm range at best; and (2) There could be some institutional conflict with the Senate. Both of these eventualities are related. A lot of legislation gets passed on June 30/July 1, and that includes priority bills from all 62 legislators. The House hasn’t worked anything today. Pretty soon, Senate leadership is likely to threaten not to run House must-lists if the House doesn’t start running Senate must-lists. So even if the fiscal issues all get ironed out by midnight, there will be a raft of legislation awaiting action before recess.

Of course, it’s possible that House and Senate leadership is currently closeted in the Governor’s office, and/or the Joint Finance Committee is hastily reconvening. Either way, it’s shaping up to be a lo-o-ong night.

House is back. 8:42 pm. HS1/HB 267 is back off the table and before the House. This is the fees charged by the Secretary of State bill, and it’s a 2/3 bill. Sounds like they’re going right to roll call. Quick call for the roll call. So far all R’s no, Kowalko votes yes, Oberle votes yes. Cathcart, D. Short and Blakey switch to yes. Passed with the bare minimum. 28 Y.

Rep. Dennis P. Williams, Chair of the Joint Finance Committee, introduces House Joint Resolution 6, which sets the official estimate for state revenue for FY 2010, a prerequisite for consideration of the Budget Bill. Roll call likely to be unanimous. Ā And it is.

Rep. Dennis P. Williams introduces HJR 7, which sets the official General Fund revenue estimate for FY 2010. Passes unanimously. Budget Bill shouldn’t be far behind.

Rep. Williams requests action on House Bill 290, the State Operating Budget for FY 2010. Ā Ranking Republican Joe Booth is speaking. He intends to support the budget. Lavelle allowing his mouth to run again. Apparently he can’t read the newspaper and needs to understand the pay cut issue. Controller General Russ Larsen is explaining it in words hopefully even Greg can understand. Greg apparently wasn’t really interested in the answer, but loved hearing his dulcet tones reverberate throughout the Chamber. He was the only one. Rep. Marshall asks Ann Vasalli to also take the floor. Vasalli explains that case law indicates that judges are constitutionally exempt from mandated pay cuts. The judges are reportedly doing it voluntarily. Same with the Governor, who is voluntarily taking a 20% pay cut for FY 2010. Greg Lavelle is back on the floor saying that he’s voluntarily taking a 10% pay cut. He’s still overpaid. Rep Kovach calls for a House attorney. He asks for a constitutional opinion about the reduction of state legislators’ salaries, which is included in the bill. The response of the attorney, Bill Busch, is “The language speaks for itself” and is unconstitutional.Ā Rep. Oberle points out that the only ones who have standing would be legislators, and he doesn’t think any legislator would file suit. Russ Larsen, Controller General, is back on the floor to clarify. Rep. Kovach says he’s not inclined to vote for the budget b/c of the constitutional issue. He says that it is a principled stand based on not voting to take action contrary to the Constitution. Roll call: 27 Y 14 N. The State Budget has passed the House!

They’re now passing a House Consent Agenda I allegedly full of non-controversial bills. You can find it here.

House now considering SB 173, designed to enable counties and municipalities to engage in energy efficiency projects, and further reforms the SEU process. Although Rep. Kowalko was listed as the floor manager, Rep. Gerald Brady managed the bill. Maybe means something, maybe not. Passed unanimously.

Live-Blogging the House With All the Comforts of Home

Making all the final preparations. Lessee…

Bottle of Chenin Blanc/Viognier nicely chilled? Check.

Cheese platter to allay that pre-dinner break hunger? Check.Ā 

Law & Order reruns on the tube for those anticipated down-times? Check.

Dogs fed? Oops, better feed the dogs…Check.

OK, here’s how the final day usually works. Once the House goes in, they generally work about 2-3 hours or so, and then they break for dinner, which is a fairly lengthy break, 90 minutes is typical. ‘Bulo thinks that most of the action will be on the Senate side, since the House has already passed the ‘revenue enhancement’ package. Still, the House must pass the Budget and Bond Bills. Assuming that there is a Grant-In-Aid bill, they’ll consider that as well. There’s also scores of bills, notable and trivial, that are run through the chambers through the evening.

The Beast Who Slumbers will chronicle those bills that capture his interest more than, say, whatever Law & Order rerun happens to be on. So, this will not be comprehensive, it will be selective. And hopefully peppered with those irreverent observations that keep ‘bulo interested in what he’s writing. Still waiting for the House to convene…

4:20 p.m. They’re in!

Rep. Carson with the prayer. Asks the Lord to grant wisdom. He no doubt has been asking that for his 60-some years. The Lord has not heretofore obliged him.

Saying goodbye to longtime House employee Joyce Keeler, who is retiring. A great character and just a wonderful person. Also a successful horsewoman. Everyone who knows her loves her, including El Somnambulo.

Now working HS1/HB 267-Increasing fees charged by the Secretary of State. This is a 2/3 bill, so a couple more R’s will have to vote ‘Yes’ than voted for the ‘revenue enhancers’ yesterday. Kowalko is introducing an amendment. Could this have anything to do with Disney? Meanwhile, a 4-year Sunset provision has been added. Looks like Kowalko’s not working his amendment. Boy, they’re struggling with amendments at the podium. Here comes Would-Be Blue-Blood Rep. Hudson with an amendment, no doubt her 1-year Sunset provision which, like all the others, will go nowhere. Rep. Hudson is now giving herself credit for the final bill, claiming that she forced the parties to the table, what a self-glorifying phony. And, yes, it’s a one-year Sunset. Speaking of self-glorifying phonies, Rep. Carson is again touting ‘sending a message’. The amendment is defeated. Now, Kowalko is coming with another amendment, which places an additional $5K cap addition on corporations incorporating here, which would raise an additional $7.5 million. Blueblood Hudson argues that this ‘will place Delaware at a competitive disadvantage.’ She’s now arguing that the administration would not have wanted this, as if she gave two bleeps about the administration’s position on anything. She’s voted against every single bill in the revenue package.Ā Schwartzkopf calls this an ‘unfriendly’ amendment. They’re all now ganging up on Kowalko. Cathcart claims that the amendment will change the scope of the bill and hence, is unconstitutional. Waiting for an attorney is turning into Waiting For Godot. Things are not proceeding real smoothly. Finally, Mike Migliore, House Attorney, advises that the amendment is out of order. Kowalko’s arguing his case, but Speaker Gilligan rules it out of order. And, now, after all that, they’re laying the bill back on the table. The House is now recessing for Caucus. Looks like some arm twisting is about to happen. Time to sample that Chenin Blanc/Viognier…

Aaaah, refreshing. Attention, all you White Zin Drinkers. If you are quaffing that swill you are not drinking wine. Take a step up in class, though not necessarily in price, and sample riesling, for example. Riesling is even more versatile than chardonnay, running the style gamut from steely-dry to unctuously sweet, and everything in between. You can get a superb German Riesling for under $20 a bottle, and you can get a very reasonable alternative from the Pacific Northwest for under $10 a bottle. Also try gewertztraminer, another Alsatian varietal, which smells like rose petals in the glass.

‘Bulo’s choice tonight is a 2008 (it’s meant to be drunk young) Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier. Medium-bodied, apple, pear, spice notes with a touch of grapefruit at the back of the palate. Dry, with just a hint of sweetness. Under $10, available at Kreston’s and Total Wine among others. Just perfect for live-blogging the last night of the General Assembly. Although, depending on the length of the recess (can someone who’s there please weigh in and tell us if they’re breaking for dinner before returning?), ‘bulo’s blogging might become even less intelligible as the evening drags on…

The only Republican MILF there is and she just wont go away

If you must know all things Palin here is yet another Whacko from Wasilla piece. This time done by Vanity Fair.

If this doesn’t grab you then continue on to a post of a can of beans or something…

Just where that storm may be heading is one of the most intriguing issues in American politics today. Palin is at once the sexiest and the riskiest brand in the Republican Party. Her appeal to people in the party (and in the country) who share her convictions and resentments is profound. The fascination is viral, and global. Bill McAllister, until recently Palinā€™s statehouse spokesman, says that he has fielded (and declined) interview requests from France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Bulgaria, ā€œand probably other countries Iā€™ve forgotten about.ā€ (Palin, keeping her distance from most domestic media as well, also declined to talk to V.F.). Whatever her political future, the emergence of Sarah Palin raises questions that will not soon go away. What does it say about the nature of modern American politics that a public official who often seems proud of what she does not know is not only accepted but applauded? What does her prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life? Why did so many skilled veterans of the Republican Partyā€”long regarded as the more adroit team in presidential politicsā€”keep loyally working for her election even after they privately realized she was casual about the truth and totally unfit for the vice-presidency? Perhaps most painful, how could John McCain, one of the cagiest survivors in contemporary politicsā€”with a fine appreciation of lifeā€™s injustices and absurdities, a love for the sweep of history, and an overdeveloped sense of his own integrity and honorā€”ever have picked a person whose utter shortage of qualification for her proposed job all but disqualified him for his?

huzzzahhh! I could have said what this cat said. “Sarah Palin is an idiot, but because she is somewhat sexy they seem to abandon their typically on the mark political suave. Even the somewhat morally bankrupt POW fell for her BS.

Then there is this one:

Palin is unlike any other national figure in modern American lifeā€”neither Anna Nicole Smith nor Margaret Chase Smith but a phenomenon all her own. The clouds of tabloid conflict and controversy that swirl around her and her extended clanā€”the surprise pregnancies, the two-bit blood feuds, the tawdry in-laws and common-law kin caught selling drugs or poaching gameā€”give her family a singular status in the roguesā€™ gallery of political relatives. By comparison, Billy Carter, Donald Nixon, and Roger Clinton seem like avatars of circumspection. Palinā€™s life has sometimes played out like an unholy amalgam of Desperate Housewives and Northern Exposure.

Mamory Nicole Smith….delicious. Palin being compared to the chick that made Guess jeans the must wear pants for everyone? The girl that when you turned open any magazine was right there in black in white, sexy as ever, big pouty lips, curves like an hourglass? I get the point but, isn’t there some other train wreck of a model/star out there? Cindy Margolis? Pam? The chick from Facts of Life?

Anyway, read it. She’s a piece of shit. Religious conservatives are pathetic and stupid. Her family is a sitcom funnier than that show on Fox where the guy sells propane. The people that surround her are nothing more than glory hunters sucking off her ample (not for breastfeeding) bosoms.

BREAKING: Al Franken Declared Winner

The Minnesota Supreme Court has declared Al Franken the winner of the protracted (by sore loser Norm Coleman) Senate race. Given that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has stated that he will sign the election certificate in such an eventuality, Al Franken could be seated in the Senate this afternoon or tomorrow.

UPDATE: Here is the decision (warning, it is a PDF document). The money quote from the decision:

For all of the foregoing reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn. Stat. Ā§ 204C.40 (2008) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota.

While this is not a direct order to Governor Pawlenty, it would seem to me that the Governor would have to come up with a pretty damn good reason to deny the certificate at this point. As I stated, he has already said he would sign the certificate if the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the results of the recount. If he flip flops in the span of 48 hours, his political career will be damaged (although the conservative base will undoubtedly be angry if he does sign the certificate, thus damaging his political prospects). I love a no win scenario for a Republican.

UPDATE #2: Coleman concedes, Franken should be seated next week.