The News Journal Exposes Local Politicians
Commenter anon points us to two articles in today’s News Journal about 2 local politicians in contested Democratic primaries. The first is Sheriff Mike Walsh – the NJ asks if we even need an elected sheriff:
Sheriff Walsh has apparently been trying for a decade to shed the responsibilities of transporting the state’s prisoners to and from correctional facilities for New Castle County Courthouse appearances. His agency also transports patients who are committed by the state to mental hospitals.
But Sheriff Walsh wants out of the transportation business to dedicate all his time, and deputies, to processing residential foreclosures and delivering other legal documents for the courts.
…
What doesn’t make sense is continuing to have an $80,000-plus-per-year elective officeholder in charge of overseeing housing foreclosures and serving subpoenas.
We have long advocated abolition of the office. The days of an elected sheriff are over. The office should be made appointive, with the judiciary making the selections. This has been done with other county offices, such as prothonotary and register in chancery.
What do you think? Do we need an elected sheriff, especially if the job is losing responsibilities?
The second is an article on Velda Jones-Potter and it makes some serious allegations. Velda Jones-Potter is getting a paycheck from both the city of Wilmington and the state of Delaware.
State Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter has been paid $108,400 in consulting fees by the city since 2007 to teach leadership skills to 40 city employees, according to city records.
The $150-an-hour contract with the city and the treasurer’s consulting firm, Jones-Potter & Associates Inc., began in October 2007 and continues today. She was appointed treasurer in January 2009, a full-time position that pays $110,000 a year.
Gov. Jack Markell, who appointed Jones-Potter, said he was surprised.
“This was the first that I had heard of her having a contract for ongoing consulting work with the city,” Markell said in a statement Wednesday. “I would certainly expect that the treasurer would have ensured that any work done for the city would not in any way impact her primary responsibility, which is to serve Delaware’s citizens as their state treasurer.”
According to the article having a 2nd job is allowed as Treasurer along as it doesn’t use state time or resources. Her contract is approved through the operating budget voted on by the Wilmington City Council, to which her husband belongs. [edited for clarity – UI] Jones-Potter’s response is pretty weak:
Jones-Potter said she thinks someone sympathetic to Chip Flowers, her opponent in next month’s Democratic primary, leaked the news of the contract.
Go read the whole thing. Perhaps now Jones-Potter’s refusal to debate makes more sense. However, if she expects to win the primary and win in November, she needs to answer these questions.
Tags: Mike Walsh, New Castle County Sheriff, Primaries, Treasurer, Velda Jones-Potter
Jones-Potter = Corruption
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100826/NEWS02/8260356/-1/RSS1210
She should resign as Treasurer. Enough is enough. This is not ethical, and it highlights the pattern of poor ethics throughout her career. Ask anyone at the PAL center or even Dupont.
I like how she blames Chip for this information coming out. Perhaps she should have thought about disclosing the info – at least to the Govenor – so he doesn’t look like he has egg on his face. Whatever the case may be, she has some explaining to do…
It’s a hatchet job. What did she do illegal? Nothing. Like she’s the only one in a political job who pulls in two checks. Comeon. When I saw the headline today, I thought she had done something criminal. The article said nothing but it did destroy her. Be real – this is no different from most other politicians.
Why did none of the elected officials who are endorsing her know this?
I don’t think she did anything illegal, which the article admits but there are some troubling aspects:
1) she didn’t disclose this to the governor’s office
2) her contract is approved by the city council, which her husband belongs to
She would have saved herself a lot of trouble if she had disclosed this on her own. She’s not doing herself any favors by blaming Flowers for the disclosure. She should just say that she had a prior-existing contract with the city and she didn’t think it was a big deal.
The story begs, but does not answer, the question of why the treasurer’s salary isn’t enough for Velda. For most people, one job would be sufficient.
Yeah, many politicians hold two jobs. But you’ll find very few of them in statewide office – most are in the part-time General Assembly. Matt Denn is one exception – I recall Ceila writing somethign about how he took a pay cut when he became lieutenant governor. But for most people, statewide office is enough to pay the bills.
Did Jack Markell, Janet Rzewnicki or Tom Carper hold consulting gigs on the side while they were treasurer?
UI wrote: “her contract is approved by the city council, which her husband belongs to”
Yet another reading comprehension fail. From the article:
“The contracts are not approved by City Council. Rather, the money for professional services is included in the city’s annual operating budget, which the council votes on each May.”
If her husband didn’t recuse himself from voting on the budget that included this contract, then it is a clear conflict of interest. Seems that when it comes to ethics, the Potters don’t believe it applies to them.
This just sealed the deal for me – now I know I made the right choice when I decided to support Flowers.
I didn’t fail to comprehend – it says right there that the council votes to approve the contracts through the operating budget.
I think the fact that the contract could be hidden in the budget makes it worse not better. Her husband knew she had a contract. Now we need the city council members to say whether they knew a Jones-Potter contract was in the budget they voted for.
The fact that she has a contract isn’t that big of a deal to me. It’s the appearance that she was trying to hide it that is troubling.
UI,
No, you do fail to comprehend. Again.
The CONTRACT is not approved by the council.
The BUDGET, which contains a category for professional services, IS approved by the council.
It’s up to the city staff then to issue the contracts.
I’m sure the council members know exactly who’s getting what, but this system gives them deniability.
UI – I find we agree most frequently than any other DL bloggers, so I ask…
How can people think she was trying to hide it if she fully disclosed the relationship on her report to the Public Integrity Commission. And Janet Wright from PIC even akbowledged Velda called her to ask whether it was allowed and how to disclose it.
And is it lost that this contract was entered into before she was ever the State Treasurer, and that they came to her, not vice versa?
Just my thoughts…
Why did she try to hide this if she did nothing wrong? Why did she accuse Flowers of “leaking” this contract, if there was nothing to “leak”. This is corruption at its best.
She didn’t fully disclose that SHE had the contract with the city, only that her company had the contract. Big difference, especially when SHE is the one conducting the training.
I guess we just expect our full-time elected officials, especially those elected, or as in this case appointed, who are state-wide to devote their energy to their office.
There seems to be an inconsistency in VJP claiming this story was leaked by the Flowers camp while also saying “I’m very transparent about it and intend to continue it.” So, maybe she’s not being “very transparent”; perhaps “translucent” would be a better word, though that seems quite generous.
Further, the article notes that the city plans to renew the contract. So, if VJP wins the election, she’ll still be doing two jobs.
Better suggestion: Keep the consulting gig for two years; then, when her husband’s cousin leaves the Joint Finance Committee to become Mayor of Wilmington, she can return as City Finance Director.
The other members of the council may have deniability but Charles Potter does not.
As far as Anon says – I’m not sure how serious these allegations are right now. All I know is that she had a contract with the city that was not disclosed to the governor. Instead of saying she made a mistake in not making full disclosure – she’s lashing out. That’s what I see. If she doesn’t think it makes her look bad, why is she blaming Flowers?
I don’t see anon’s point here. The council votes on her contract – not reading the budget is no excuse and Jones-Potter’s husband can’t claim he didn’t know. All this obfuscation makes it all look a little hinky.
If I were Jones-Potter’s team this would be my response:
– I have a contract with the city
– I have fulfilled this contract and it doesn’t conflict with my job as Treasurer
– The program I’m leading is successful because the city would like to renew this contract
– I disclosed the contract in the following places: (list them)
– The miscommunication with the governor’s office was unfortunate and my fault, I will make sure that the governor’s office is fully informed
That would have been a politically smart move on her part. Instead she’s acting surprised and blaming others. There’s still time for her to control the damage if she acts quickly.
The biggest problem for Velda at this point is that she did not disclose this income for 2008 to the Integrity Commission. I got her disclosure forms last week by email if anyone wants to see them. She didn’t disclose this income to Jack Markell and she has ducked answering my direct question to her for the last couple of weeks. I wrote about it here on one of the open threads that I finally used a roommate’s phone and the office staffer picked up and said he still hadn’t been able to ask her my question after a week. So she was refusing to disclose this to the public. Adam Taylor left a facebook message to me last night saying he was getting this out today.
Here is where I started talking about the contract on Ginger Gibson’s blog – I heard about it months ago from someone who works for the City and was asked if she wanted to take Velda’s classes so I had been looking for evidence of the contract payments in her disclosure to the public.
This isn’t a smear job. It is about the public trust.
http://blogs.delawareonline.com/dialoguedelaware/2010/08/17/early-primary-campaign-finance-reports-trickling-in/
Nancy Willing + August 18th, 2010 (#):
I have been hearing for a few months now that Velda Jones=Potter has a side gig with the City of Wilmington – a consultant contract for about 40K. It would be interesting to see how she ended up with it but in the meanwhile, the Integrity Commission sent her disclosure form to me and I have a FOIA in to the city’s soliciter’s office asking for any information on such a contract.
Velda’s disclosure form does show that in 2009 she received income exceeding $5,000 from herself as President of Jones-Potter, Inc.: Consulting. Now, if that is the City of Wilmington contract, then wouldn’t it have been better for her to have made it transparent that she was being paid by a government entity that also pays her husband? I will know more after the city returns the FOIA request.
This is ridiculous. First, Velda has been on Chan. 28 and talked about the program. Second, The Mayor was very well aware as he has remarked on the great job she did several times. Third, SHE asked the Center for Public Integrity about her companies contract BEFORE she accepted the State Treasurer position. They told her there was no problem? Whats the problem. WDEL is the problem. They continue to state “she refuses to debate Flowers”. She has debated Flowers over 25 times over the course of this campaign, and thats how she got the majority of endorsements statewide.
So she didn’t “hide” anything as she has spoken publicly many many times…dont you people watch Chan. 28. You are feeding disinformation and I maintain that “some of you on this blog” are being paid by the Flowers campaign, otherwise you wouldnt be so biased. Lets see if you leave this post up, or will you censor this one too.
“She has debated Flowers over 25 times over the course of this campaign, and thats how she got the majority of endorsements statewide”
This is a flat out lie! She has never once debated Flowers.
Second, if all of this consulting stuff was soo public, then why did she accuse Flowers of “leaking” it? She was trying to hide her corrupt/greedy paychecks.
Third, the Mayor stated in the NewsJournal that he did not know about this. Get the facts straight.
If her husband didn’t recuse himself from voting on the budget that included this contract, then it is a clear conflict of interest.
*
Good point. Potter is vulnerable to accusations that he is protecting income for his wife from the executive branch. Do other council members know that Potter’s wife was getting city tax-payer funding when they had to worry about police and fire jobs’ funding?
As I said above, VJP did not disclose this money on her 2008 forms submitted to the Public Integrity Commission. Is that illegal?
And to the person who says she debated Flowers 25 times….that is completely ridiculous.
This is very, very unfortunate. What she was doing to promote women in government was a good thing. Too bad it’s spun out of control.
“What she was doing to promote women in government was a good thing.”
Not with tax money through a chronically cash-strapped city it wasn’t.
Maybe she argued with her geraniums 25 times.
“I maintain that “some of you on this blog” are being paid by the Flowers campaign, otherwise you wouldnt be so biased.”
Yes, that’s usually what you do and have done for years — try to smear anyone who disagrees with you.
Typical bunch of low life people trying to pile on…
1) Nancy – she didn’t become Treasurer until January of 2009, so she wouldn’t have filled this form out. As usual, you are always wrong.
2) She and Flowers went was to head at over 25 Dem Rep District meetings, and Velda was endorsed. Each mtg was a head-to-head debate.
Has anyone bothered to speak to anyone who took the class?
Velda just on WILM and explained the whole non story! Geez you people got nothing.
False. She spoke to 25 party insider groups. There were ZERO debates. Wake up. Velda is double dipping and corrupt.
She didn’t fully disclose that SHE had the contract with the city, only that her company had the contract.
*
She only disclosed income from Jone-Potter,Inc. in 2009 and from Right Management in 2008.
Adam Taylor reported that she was paying herself the Wilmington contract money under the name Jones-Potter,Inc. ever since the contracts started in 2007.
She may have been paying herself under the company name of Right Management up until 2009 and formed JP Inc at that time. But only the FOIA will clear that up. I am expected to get the FOIA from the City Solicitor in a few weeks.
No Geezer, your misplaced anger is out of your delusions you have a story. Noone does more smearing than you and Nancy Gets Wrong Every Time Willing.
Sure, whatever you say, comedy girl. You’ve backed a loser yet again. Anger? Over a couple of sharp operators fleecing city taxpayers? That’ll be the day.
By the way, did she explain why Jack Markell was unaware of this?
As someone who attended more than one meeting where Chip and Velda both spoke, the suggestion that they have debated is laughable. They have both given 5-10 minute speeches in front of each other is more accurate.
Well, I’ve been inclined to vote for Velda Potter-Jones all along. Now, I’m not so sure, to put it mildly. Stuff doesn’t get into the City Budget by accident. Someone put those $$’s there so that she could get that contract.
And we’ve all been through these types of ‘inspirational’ seminars where we roll our eyes and wonder whose bright idea it was to inflict them upon us.
She clearly did not share this info w/Markell, and (a) he was who appointed her; and (b) was taken by surprise when he found out.
A ‘non-story’ this is not. Now I’m looking at THREE races where there isn’t a single candidate for whom I can muster any enthusiasm.
1) Nancy – she didn’t become Treasurer until January of 2009, so she wouldn’t have filled this form out. As usual, you are always wrong.
*
uhhmmm, I have the forms from the PIC dearie. I didn’t ask them what they had, they sent me what they had and what they had were forms she filed in 2008 and 2009. If you remember, Jack Markell won the election in 2008. I would guess that he chose his team ASAP and that she knew she was going to be appointed and so filed in 2008. As I said, I have the forms and spoke with both of the two employees of the PIC several times about it. You are welcome to call them yourself.
Wright Janet (DOS) Attachments FW: FOIA Request – Financial Disclosure Reports for Velda Potter-Jones Wed, 8/18/10 119KB
Financial Disclosure Reports_Velda Potter Jones.pdf
From: Longshore Jeannette (DOS)
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 4:31 PM
To: ‘nancyvwilling@yahoo.com’
Cc: Wright Janet (DOS)
Subject: FOIA Request – Financial Disclosure Reports for Velda Potter-Jones
Dear Ms. Willing:
Here are the Financial Disclosure Reports that you requested of Velda Potter-Jones.
The cost is .50 per page. Your total cost is $2.00. Please make a check payable to the
State of Delaware and mail to our address listed below.
Thank you.
Jeannette Longshore, Administrative Specialists, III
Public Integrity Commission
410 Federal St., Suite 3
Dover, DE 19901
302-739-2399
302-739-2398 (Fax)
http://depic.delaware.gov/
Hey, Comedy, if you’d read this blog with any regularity, you’d know that Geezer has frequently been critical of the Flowers campaign.
“By the way, did she explain why Jack Markell was unaware of this?”
She dodged every question just like usual. She said that she will not release her personal records verifying that she didn’t work for both places during the same hours.
UI – I’m only going to explain this to you one more time.
You wrote: “The council votes on her contract – not reading the budget is no excuse.”
That is wrong. Just flat-out wrong. I don’t know any other way to say that.
The council does not vote on Velda’s contract. Her contract is not listed in the budget – which you would know if you had actually read it. There is a category for “professional services,” as Adam Taylor described in his story. But the actual contracts are negotiated and signed by the city staff.
The city budgets are here – http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/departments/omb.htm – if you want to actually read one.
Honestly, the fact that she has lost Loudell is way more damaging in my book than this. But that isn’t to say that this is a non-issue. It serves to show that despite the suggestion that Velda is above the fray of city politics, she is at least knee-deep in the muck.
“She said that she will not release her personal records verifying that she didn’t work for both places during the same hours.”
What a crock of shit. What a joke. If she has nothing to hide, why not release them?
As usual, when IAAC has no game, he/she (or is it he-she) attacks the messengers. What a wanker.
Reason No. 142 to have Pennsylvania annex Wilmington and northern New Castle County. Take the whiny rich people and the pathetic city scumbags off our hands.
I heard that she has indulged in hortatory for money and even tried to interest a young girl in philately.
OK, here is another one for Charles. I was just told that his son, Charles Potter, III, has a construction company that was given a city contract of an amount that falls under the threshold for full disclosure and scrutiny by the council.
Now, Public Works Department awards a contract to Charles Potter’s son’s company and it is registered at Charles and Velda Jones-Potter’s home address and somehow Charles Potter is the chair of the Public Works committee in council. Is that not the conflict of conflicts?
I am faxing yet another FOIA to the City Solicitor this afternoon to verify whether this is true. If it is, see ya there, Chuck.
The whole program was set up to engage those workers in evenings and weekends, so the employees wouldnt take time off during “city business hours”. Obviously, she was on her own time. Didnt you understand she talked about this publicly on television? Are you deaf and dumb?
Why did Velda refuse to release her records? If she has not been engaged in fraudulent activity vis-a-vis the state while working for the city of Wilmington, why not release her records and eliminate the stench of suspicion? I am not a math major but I did some math.
*$42,250 salary for 2010
*$150 per hour (If Velda is merely interested in helping city workers why charge such an exorbitant rate?)
*$42,250 at $150 per hour=282 hours
*282 hours=The equivalent of 35 FULL days of work (full being defined as an 8 hour day) over an 8 month span
So let me get this straight…She is the #4 official in the state, she is running a statewide election yet she managed to find time for the equivalent of 35 FULL work days for “teaching leadership” at $150 per hour? I find this very hard to believe…
Velda’s evident corruption has rendered her unelectable in the general election…
So let me get this straight…She is the #4 official in the state, she is running a statewide election yet she managed to find time for the equivalent of 35 FULL work days for “teaching leadership” at $150 per hour? I find this very hard to believe…
*
From the tone the Governor took in the article, I would say that he finds it just as hard to believe.
“Didnt you understand she talked about this publicly on television?”
Don’t you understand how this plays to people who pay city taxes? It plays like a waste of money. It’s not their job to train employees in leadership, and certainly not to do it through a sweetheart contract with someone married to a city councilman. If there’s a lack of understanding here, it’s yours — you clearly fail to understand that this doesn’t have to be illegal to be politcally deadly.
Bottom line is had she disclosed this information earlier, it probably wouldn’t be an issue. Her supporters need to stop blaming everyone but their candidate. She created this mess. And if you think those so-called candidate forums were debates – you may want to look up the definition of debate.
I like VJP and CF for Treasurer. I think that they would both be good Treasurers. I think that VJP is a better Treasurer than she is a candidate for Treasurer.
Her main mistake in this immediate issue is her handling of it. Start off with “Oops, I should have made this clear to Jack at the start–my bad and I’m sorry.”
I leave to Charles what his handling should be (resign?). She does have some responsibility for his actions, as it relates to her income, but not nearly as much as Charles has.
Her ‘losing of Loudell’ is further evidence of her relative weakness as a candidate for Treasurer. You don’t make it hard to appear in debates when you run for state-wide office in DE, and Loudell clearly feels that she and her campaign made it near-impossible.
As an RD committee member, we heard from VJP and CF separately at our meetings (on different dates). These were not debates. I did attend a joint RD meeting in which both were present, and there was a quasi-debate opportunity. Both appeared at a PDD meeting, which also offered a quasi-debate opportunity. None of these were what I would call true debates, nor what most people would call true debates.
Our system requires that elected office seekers be 1) qualified to serve, and 2) qualified to campaign. VJP is stronger in the first category than she is in the second. A well-qualified campaigner fully understands that appearances matter, and the foolishness of appearing to dodge questions.
No, it would still be an issue. The issue here is primarily the waste of money, and secondarily the fact that the governor and others didn’t know about it. Even if it was widely known previously, Colin Bonini would still make a huge issue of it in the general election. It’s exactly the sort of thing the Tea Parties are running against.
“Be real – this is no different from most other politicians.”
This would make a nice slogan for her campaign signs.
Geezer for the win!
VJP showed up at on 14th RD meeting for 5 minutes. CF paid numerous visits to the 14th. They never appeared together. Hell, Rollins was better working the crowd at the Jack’s Summerbash than VJP was (and she was one of 5 GOPers there) – she followed Charles around like a puppy and seemed to be afraid to speak to anyone unless Chuckie approved.
Gotta love Delaware. Here we have Rich Hefron from the vile Chamber of Commerce. This “group” gets big bucks from developers, filthy rich, and corporations for which the Chamber never discloses. Maybe its time for the Democratic Party and the State of Delaware Ethics Committee to file a FOIA against the Chamber to reveal their donors, and those they donate too. Notice Hefron supports Bonini! The corporate state controlled by the Chamber has more splaining to do than Potter who did nothing illegal, unethical.
The chamber is a private organization and is no obligation to tell anyone who funds it.
“Potter … did nothing illegal, unethical”
Nope. Just politically suicidal.
IAAC needs to use some Visine and also needs clean off those rose-colored glasses he/she looks through.
Oh Geezer! Like the Tea Party is a “real worry for the blue state of Delaware”? Please. Bonini was on WILM this am…he didnt do such a great job, talked more about how fat he is. He stated that “he didnt no the particulars, he didnt listen to Velda’s points while she appeared on air before him. He used the time to push himself, while admitting he “didnt know the facts”. He did admit that if Velda was cleared by the Center for Public Integrity it was the proper thing to do.
IAAC you lose!
Why are you trying to stuff down our throats VJP didn’t do anything illegal or unethical? Fine, its not illegal to have two jobs. But the stench of impropriety is too great to just give a pass. The governor is even claiming he didn’t know for Christ’s sake – that is a huge issue. If nothing else, there is a serious conflict of interest relating to the distribution of her contract with the city. If you cannot comprehend that simple fact I don’t know what to tell you. Take the blinders off!
First of all, the next thing you’re right about in politics will be the first. Very few people in Delaware have been wrong as often as you, though of course mostly under different names.
Since your ignorance is so total, I’ll try to explain for you, very slowly, that at this point Colin Bonini wants to make sure he faces Velda and not Chip in the general election, because she just put herself on a skewer for him. He won’t make the points against her personally — that would simply make her more sympathetic. He’ll just talk about insiders vs. outsiders and so forth.
No, this isn’t a big Tea Party state — but it’s not a state that’s very sympathetic to the city in particular or African-American candidates in general. Put the coffee on, because the toast is ready.
What exacerbates the situation is this is not an isolated incident. There were the de facto campaign ads in every newspaper in the state for a week funded by a corporation with a contract with the Office of the Treasurer. There was the PAL center controversy. These are other things that we have heard about. What more is out there? Velda ran a campaign based on fluff and is going to pay a price for having that fluff seriously weakened by her actions. The question for me is whether only Velda will pay the price or the Democratic Party as a whole by nominating an unelectable candidate.
Perhaps Velda could ask for some help from Insurance Commissioner Reed for advice on how to combat this sort of legal, but politically questionable issues.
LG for the win!
I do think there are a lot of parallels between the Treasurer’s race this year and the IC’s race two years ago.
But I don’t think the Dems can count on Chip to win it in November like KWS did. Bonini is a much stronger candidate than John Brady was – he’s got the whole GOP behind him, whereas the social cons would never vote for Brady – and is running in a Republican year.
Velda may have just shot herself in the foot and crippled the Democrats from holding on to the governor’s former seat. Nice job, all for the sake of ego.
This just seals my vote for Chip, and if VJP wins the primary I will vote for Bonini-she may not have done anything wrong but her and her family getting rich with multiple positions and contracts is just not what we need of elected officials these days.
IAAC: Let me apologize for the insults. This isn’t about you, and I shouldn’t make it about you. I’m sorry.
I do, however, think you’re denying reality if you believe this won’t resonate with voters.
Apology accepted. Here is my problem. I have known this woman for years. She is the most honest, hard working smart woman who never said, anything derogatory about anyone. Thats just the kind of person she is. She has worked her way up through meager beginnings, was pushed through grade school years for her intelligence skipping grades. Put herself through school and always, always worked as a volunteer for countless hours never taking a dime from anyone.
She is loved and highly respected by everyone who knows her! This is the kind of crap that keeps really smart people from running for office. They can be easily slimed by people who dont have the details, and use character assassination as a poltical tool to discredit good candidates. Yes, politics is a dirty game, its mostly political spin, and often plain jealousy. The fact that this woman grew up where she did to become the first black woman in a top position in this State, only to be trashed like this makes me ill.
Nancy Willing is my book nothing but a slash and burn fanatic, who was caught up in her own mess and was exposed by Charles Potter and a host of other elected officials over PSA. For her to go after Potters son, is so below the belt and over the top, someone please tell Nancy to put down the bottle and have some respect.FYI, Nancy, Potters son has no contract with Public Works..youve gone nuts.
Geezer: Do a little google on the Chamber of Commerce nationwide. They are being referred to as the ‘third estate’. They can hide millions of dollars delivered them by corporate america to buy elections. Their money goes to republican only candidates. The beauty of it for them is they don’t have to reveal their sources or what campaigns they deliver money too. Dont you think thats a little shady. Its just another way for the GOP to make sure its “corporate supporting candidates” have money not delivered by the republican party, to buy elections, and those donors are never revealed. The fact that Loudell brought Richard Hefron on (who was on vacation) to speak on this matter is very telling about Loudell and his attempt at a “gotcha moment”. Of course Hefron used the time to back his candidate Bonini…is that reporting? Is that little relationship fair in our election process?
Yes, politics is a dirty game, its mostly political spin, and often plain jealousy. The fact that this woman grew up where she did to become the first black woman in a top position in this State, only to be trashed like this makes me ill.
These were all facts well-known to Velda before she changed her mind and threw her hat in the ring. No one forced her to get into this game! To act like she’s a victim in this case is utterly ludicrous.
Jefferson’s comment above breaking down the money should be required reading.
Loudell has used Rich Heffron to comment on Delaware politics for many years, so no, I don’t think it’s telling at all. There was no “gotcha moment,” and no attempt at one. Loudell will have Velda on this afternoon, if she shows up.
I’m shocked, shocked that the Chamber of Commerce backs Republicans. This hardly qualifies as news to anyone. I’m not surprised you’re riled up about it, but most people take it for what it’s worth. Velda has lots bigger problems right now than the fact that the Chamber of Commerce will back Colin Bonini for treasurer.
I don’t care how good a person Velda is, it’s a slap in the face to taxpayers that the city is funding “leadership seminars” run by the wife of a city councilman. It’s just that simple. Most people are struggling to make ends meet. Reading about someone with a $110,000 salary getting another $40,000 on the side for such bullshit work is exactly the sort of thing that will disgust voters, or ought to.
I was interested in the editorial suggesting the sheriff’s elective position should be abolished and the functions taken over by the courts. I totally agree with this. I believe the Governor proposed abolishing the county row offices and having their functions turned over to the state in last year’s budget.
However, this proposal went nowhere because the counties make a “profit” on the jobs of most of the row offices and they do not want to lose the revenue these offices collect. If these offices became part of county government, this argument might be diminished.
However, many local politicians see the row offices as a stepping stone to give folks experience running for lesser office so that they can eventually run for a higher office. At least that’s what one row officer told me when I suggested these offices should be abolished and the functions turned into administrative functions within county executive departments.
I understand there was a proposal as part of the attempts to update the state constitution back about 1971 to turn the row offices into administrative offices rather than elective offices. It’s about time we refocus on that proposal. These changes would require constitutional amendment, I believe.
I am glad this article came out before the primary on the 14th. This allows Democrats to now nominate someone who is actually electable against Bonini. Potter would be destroyed by Bonini in debates and mailings. Flowers will have a great shot at winning this seat, because he is not a party insider or corrupt-like Velda. Democrats must vote Flowers on September 14th or we just hand the Republicans the election.
Flowers might have a better chance of winning, but I wouldn’t call it “great.” Bonini will contrast his money-saving claims with Flowers’ money-spending plans for the office, and frankly, Flowers’ talk about investing in Delaware small businesses sounds like a recipe for favoritism, or will once the Caesar Rodney Institute gets done with it. Do us a favor and save the endorsements for the campaign literature.
Sandy – in Sussex, the only row offices that have operated in the black the past 4 years are occupied by Democrats (Sheriff, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds). The Clerk of the Peace, held by cakeboy George Parish (anti-gay, anti-minority, tebagging asshat) has run six-figure losses the past 4 years.
IAAC, why doesn’t Velda clear everything up by simply releasing her records? She was asked this on the radio today three or four times and she dodged answering the question each time–which suggests she has something to hide…If she is innocent she can surely account for working the equivalent of 35 full days at night, weekends to teach leadership. Maybe she ate up all her sick and personal days to do so and then worked 8 hours from 6:00-2:00 a few times when she could not take off. We are all Democrats and if Velda advances to the general election we want her to win, but we need Velda and her supporters to stop deflecting and put all the facts on the table and let voters decide whether she did anything unethical.
Your attack of Nancy was uncalled for but is consistent with the response of Velda supporters today: deflect, deflect, and deflect some more. This is very telling…
Geezer, this is a liberal blog, so I would assume that most of the bloggers/readers are democrats. I am not making endorsements- I am simply explaining why we must vote for Flowers in order to have a chance against the republican candidate.
I just want a democrat to win this race. I happen to think that Flowers has the best ideas, and I think he is the most qualified for the office. Most importantly, we cannot let republicans take this seat. Flowers does not endorse spending, he too, thinks the office should be a “watchdog” for our state’s finances.
I simply believe that if Potter wins the primary, then Colin Bonini will win the general. Velda has destroyed her reputation, and the republicans can’t wait to jump on her. Just give the democrats a chance and vote for Chip.
IAAC, [Edited – Outing], you are a disgusting tool for the Potters. Potter put you up to run against Hazel Plant years ago and you have remained loyal to him ever since. You are the one who is going to Allan Loudell’s blog and the WNJ and here and spreading the filth of Potter’s politics –hint Flowers was found innocent of the charges you keep flinging everywhere.
And there is nothing that I have done that you can point to in any cogent detail but you are welcome to try it. Everyone here knows your identity and you aren’t helping your friends by the mud-slinging. I have a FOIA in to the city and time will tell if it is more than rumor that Potter’s kid was given a contract as well. I was told that the City Solicitor’s office was very “uncomfortable” with it and that usually means that when and if it is brought into the light, it won’t be pretty.
My guess is that my source is correct. They were correct about the VLP contract when they told me about that many months back. When you flame up like you have just done it is almost assuredly a sign that I am on the right track.
I call BS on the outing by Nancy. Please edit that, admins.
Jefferson: If you dont know the background on Willing and the take down of the citys oldest institution the Peoples Settlement perhaps you should tone down your comments. My “attack” on Willing is not only justified, but the fact that she on this blog “going after Potters son is represensible”. Especially in light of the facts, Potters son has NO city contracts. That what she does throws shit against the wall, hoping it will stick. My “attack” on Willing has nothing to do with Velda’s campaign. I don’t even work for her campaign, although I gave her a donation, and will work on election day. I have nothing to do with her campaign on any daily basis. I do know this family well, and will continue to support this woman. Maybe some of you democrats should be thinking of Bonini chances of winning that office. While you muck up facts with fiction and your emotional outbursts without facts why don’t you wait until the woman speaks for herself today and see where you are. Bonnini doesnt have a chance of winning in this democratic state. Flowers, well there is lots on him that should be coming out. Why hasnt the “media” discussed his discretions, which might make you think twice about putting him in office, especially women.
IAAC, the media hasn’t discussed these claims because they are false accusations. You are deflecting, deflecting, deflecting. Get over yourself. Velda is greedy, corrupt and dishonest. I can’t vote for someone like that.
You don’t know shit about anything anony comedy, or rather you know full well you are lying in a desparate attempt to brush this scandal aside.
When the FOIA is returned about the Potter’s son’s contract you won’t be anywhere to be found. Go crawl back under your rock.
To the admin. – i didn’t use the person’s name – it was not an outing but have it your way. You condone the ad hominems on me and it doesn’t even rate an admonition.
I did listen to Velda speak today. Did you? On four separate occasions she dodged a question on whether she would release her records on when she did her $150 an hour gig (282 hours total=to 35 full work days) to teach leadership to 40 employees (over $1,000 per employee!). Why? You claim to know Velda. Call her and ask her to release the records. She clearly has something to hide and, as alluded to above, we need to find out what it is today, not after the primary. We Democrats are considering Bonini’s chances of winning against a candidate who is terrified of debating even a fellow Democrat. Intra-party debates are tame affairs compared to general election debates (Walsh-Navarro notwithstanding!). If she can’t handle Democrat Chip how can she combat Republican Bonini who will debate her unconstrained, unlike Flowers who would be limited in his criticism because he would need Potter’s supporters in the general election? We Democrats are also concerned about a political figure posing as a near-philanthropist (taking $42,000 to boost the morale of 40 employees. What a sweet charitable deal!) who makes $110,000 from the state and $42,000 on the side for a very fishy consulting deal. She may actually have spent time billed to Delaware taxpayers doing her side work–which is why her releasing her records is so vital. You cannot be a state employee and do other work while on state time…
I may work for Velda too on election day if she can spare me a cool $150 an hour!
“Most importantly, we cannot let republicans take this seat.”
Oh, please. This is a supremely unimportant office. I’d rather see Korn oust Wagner than lose a moment’s sleep over whether a Republican wins this one.
“Bonnini doesnt have a chance of winning in this democratic state.”
Republican turnout will be up this year, Democratic turnout will be down and a lot of ticket-splitters will figure this is the race to do it on. “Doesn’t have a chance” is wishful thinking, not intelligent analysis.
“Flowers does not endorse spending, he too, thinks the office should be a “watchdog” for our state’s finances.”
Bullshit. Not that he can get any of his grandiose plans put in place, but if he did he would need several more employees than the office currently has. Please use the archives to check my critiques of his plans. Since then, all he’s done is insult powerful Democrats. As I said, his chances are now better than Velda’s, but he’s a flawed candidate.
I hope Jack Markell makes Velda divulge her time sheets. Or better yet, the Attorney General might stick his nose in this to make sure she is not billing the state for hours she is working for the city. That is the only reason I can think of for why she refused to tell the Governor that she is obligated to a standing contract.
Tom Wagner won’t touch it being a close friend of the Potters. *sigh* I guess everyone will claim that it is outside of their jurisdiction as usual.
Nancy, I doubt she or any other salaried employee fills out timesheets. It’s her personal records that will show just when she did the work – the e-mails, the memos, the phone bills.
A smart journalist or blogger would FOIA *everything* the city has on its end, stat. That’s schedules of these events, atttendance sheets, syllabii, e-mails between the HR dept and Velda, etc. That shit is public, yo, even if our state treasurer is hiding it.
I don’t have time to referee people’s personal feuds. The only thing I will edit is attempted outings, which calls for banning. CUT.IT.OUT.
You would be surprised at the level of accoutability of state requirements for salaried employees. I think everyone has to keep a time sheet. But perhaps you are correct.
If the Caesar Rodney Institute didn’t want a Velda – Colin match up so badly they’d have FOIA’s the shit out of Mrs. Potter by now.
When they went after KWS, btw, they used hundreds of hours all told of state worker’s time –expensive time at that – these were mostly Deputy AG hours– because so much of the Office of Insurance emails had to be carefully vetted for confidentiality and CRI FOIA’d literally everything the IC had sent or received since she stepped into her office.
Well then, UI, as long as the admin doesn’t give a shit if anony commenters slander people here, I suppose I could start talking some truth about all the marijuana I have smoked with IAAC and how she still has a horrible problem with it! Or her nasty, screeching temper tantrums that I gladly left behind when I quit working on the political web site project we started in 2006. I certainly would love to explain the truth about People’s Settlement but the best way to do that is to invite interested parties into my basement to look over the boxes of files and ledger of notes that exhibit where and when things went south with that agency.
I emailed PSA Board rep. Frank Murphy just last night to offer my prayers that the good people of Wilmington like Helene Keeley and Harris McDowell will be successful in turning things around. Many powerful people are working like the devil to secure PSA. As I have said before, what did Charles Potter do for the Eastside, exactly? Or you either, IAAC.
Nancy – I left all of the accusations that you made, just like we have left untouched all of the accusations made by everyone else here. The sentence that was deleted said “Everyone calls you XXXXXX” If everyone calls IAAC by that name, then it is pretty much a cut-and-dry case of outing.
Complain all you want, we’ll happily refund your money.
You’re right I don’t care if you slander each other. I’m not a judge or a referee. I care if you out each other. Our commenters, even the annoying ones, expect anonymity.
Nancy,
CRI right now is basically a toothless tiger since Lee Williams vanished. The investigative work has been replaced with some economist doing half-assed “analyses.”
And where oh where , pray tell, did six gun Lee vanish to, one wonders?
WOW I hadn’t heard that Lee Williams had left CRI. I know that they hired some new people but none were skilled investigators.
Here is an interesting comment rescue from the WNJ about why it absolutely important to find out whether Charles Potter recused himself from voting on the budgets that contained his wife’s contract funding:
– Sec. 9-200. Council members not to engage in certain activities; penalties.No council member shall solicit, benefit by, or be interested directly or indirectly in any contract for the purchase of property of any kind to be paid for from the city treasury, nor shall a member be interested directly or indirectly in any contract for the erection of any structure, or for the supplying of any services to be paid for out of the city treasury. A member of council shall not vote on any matter in which he or she possesses a substantial interest.
view=browse&doc_action=setdoc&doc_keytype=tocid&doc_key=733a38d92b4a96e3c8c4848dc1d75c2d&infobase=117158/26/2010
I know you guys have rules here and submit I didn’t use the person’s name. I repeat: I did not call this person by their name~! But I accept that I used a word that the refs called foul.
Almost time for Allan Loudell and Velda Potter live on WDEL unless she BAILS.
she has pushed back the time and she will not appear in studio but will be there by phone late in the hour
I’m sure she has been coached for the past few hours on this interview. Listen for the rustle of papers (her script)in the background.
There is no way out of this one…
On to cue card number 3…
This is Velda’s “Jeremiah Wright” or “Gennifer Flowers” moment. Thus far she is failing to step up and salvage her campaign…Wait, did she just imply Governor Markell is a liar?????
She did imply Markell lied
How is the $42,000 program not being in the budget a legitimate defense? That makes it even worse.
anon, the Markell comment was shocking since she has run a campaign heavily revolving around Markell.
Now she is dodging taking $108,000 while cops were laid off. She should withdraw. This was pathetic. She cannot win the general election with such an anemic defense of this.
Sick a fork in the poor lady, she is done! 58 42 flowers
I wonder if she will show up to the Jamboree on Saturday.
Remember when Jack Markell told us that as Governor he was going to continue as a part-time fry cook at McDonalds. Or the time that Mike Castle said that he was going to be our Congressman AND run a small business where he would be a $150/hr reading tutor?
You don’t remember those things? Hmmm.
The part where she danced around whether she revealed her contract to Markell was dicey. She kept saying that she showed him her resume and talked about the kind of work she was doing. It is very likely that her resume showed nothing more than what is entered onto the PIC filing Jones-Potter, Inc. I would bet that the truth is that she did not tell him exactly who she was counseling — as in women in the city finance department.
It also doesn’t pass the smell test to say that Charles Potter didn’t vote on the budget with monies directly allocated to her consultant firm. The excuse that the allocation was made after the budget was approved is especially flimsy knowing it was a repeated contract award. She held the contract continuously for three years with an open invitation to continue it through the next year. Hinging the argument on a skimpy technically? Nice.
That kind of dodge is a clear undercutting of the public trust on both of their parts.
Also, she claims she never said the word leak. And she never answered Loudell’s questions about how her interest and support of the advancement of city women (and lets not forget her personal earnings) would play against a Republican opponent or the expectations of Democrats who want a strong contender. She scoffed off any discussion about Bonini until after the primary. yeah riiiiiiiiiiiiiight Velda.
I would love to see a list of the women she has worked with who actually advanced their careers as she implied.
When Loudell got her to talk about the blogger whose blog post (on Gibson’s blog) initiated the dialogue and he asked if she woud now go after Chip’s campaign I about gagged when she tried the holier than thou routine. We all know what Potter and his manilla envelope was all about. Charles Potter went to News Journal reports with that information and they declined to publish it. Who does she think she is kidding.
Now that we have the story…just go vote on September 14th. She has zero chance against Bonini. We must nominate Chip Flowers. Potter’s dodging reeks of corruption and lies.
Yeah, I showed my employer my resume when I took my current job. Technically, they never asked me if I was going to keep doing the any of the jobs on there…
Isn’t a resume to show what you have done, rather than what you are going to continue to do?
That is what an employer would expect. That you aren’t going to keep working at those other jobs. I can imagine that Markell feels betrayed.
Also, isn’t it illegal to work another job while officially on state time? The numbers do not add up. She had to be doing at least some, if not a lot of this “work”, while officially performing her job as state treasurer. She keeps dodging this fundamental issue and we Democrats need to ask why…
“Also, isn’t it illegal to work another job while officially on state time? The numbers do not add up. She had to be doing at least some, if not a lot of this “work”, while officially performing her job as state treasurer. She keeps dodging this fundamental issue and we Democrats need to ask why…”
Agreed. This is the question she can’t answer. This story has too many points of corruption.
1. Hours worked during state time
2. Husband on city council
3. $150 an hour during desprate times
4. Hiding the contract
5. Accusing the Governor of lying
6. Misleading voters
7. Accusing others of “leaking” her secrets
Here are my questions: Why is the city spending money to further the careers of certain of its workers, but not others? Whose bright idea was this? Where did it originate? Who brought it to whom? Was it just some lunchtime seminar thing? If that’s the case, the “on state time” argument isn’t an issue; she’s not an hourly employee. But why should the city spend money to further the careers of just a select group of women? And if it had to be done, why did it have to be done by that firm? Was any other firm ever considered? If so, can you offer some proof that it was?
All good questions.
Mine:
– Who set the $150-an-hour rate? When was it set? Did anyone renegotiate it when the economy went into the shitter?
– Did Charles Potter urge the city to launch this program?
– Why and how were these particular 40 women selected over others?
– What other similar motivational or inspirational employee morale programs does Wilmington waste taxpayers’ money on?
– Did Velda, as Wilmington’s former treasurer and the state’s current treasurer, ever think that the program might not be the best use of taxpayer money in really lousy financial times?
– Did Velda ever volunteer to cut her rate to give a better deal for the city?
– Is $150 an hour Velda’s usual rate for consulting work, and how does she justify that in light of the fact that 1 in 10 Delawareans is out of work and unable to get a job earning even $10 an hour?
– Why isn’t the Treasurer’s $110,000 salary enough for Velda? Is she in serious debt? Does she have lousy credit and need cash fast?
jpconnor and Nancy –
Lee Williams is now an “investigative reporter” with the Illinois Policy Institute, another “free market think tank” operation similar to CRI.
See http://www.illinoispolicy.org/content/?section=456§ion2=464&page=464&t=Staff
Lee Williams is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked at newspapers in two states and a U.S. Territory, and most recently at a free-market think tank in Wilmington, Delaware.
Translation: Lee Williams is an arrogant prick, despised by most of his News Journal coworkers, who quit his cushy one-story-a-month job in a huff after his beloved former patrons laid off his wife amid a Gannett purge. He got the job at CRI after his friends in the Republican Party, who launched “investigations” based on his stories in an attempt to grab headlines, saw that he was too much of an asswipe to get a job on his own.
His stories, which have focused on civil rights abuse and government accountability, have earned more than a dozen of the nation’s top journalism awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Medallion and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award.
Translation: His stories, which were largely blown out of proportion and based on anonymous accounts and public court records requiring only a willingness to (a) pick up the phone and (b) read through lawsuits, were hyped up enough to win some awards bestowed by journalists in other states.
More importantly, his work has resulted in positive change, including multiple investigations by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S Commission on Civil Rights, as well as numerous legislative and criminal probes.
Translation: If it weren’t for these investigations that his stories launched, Lee wouldn’t have had a career. His follow-ups consisted of three new paragraphs of information followed by a masturbatory regurgitation of the secrets he singlehandedly uncovered.
Before becoming a journalist, Lee worked as a police officer and served in the U.S. Army.
Translation: He’s a nutjob who likes to shoot things and play with guns.
So who should get the nomination for Sen-16 after Bonini is ensconced in semi-retirement on Silver Lake Boulevard, where he can do less harm than as a legislator?
Who’s in the district? Walls? Bennett? Scott? Which should get the nod for Senator?
anon thanks for telling me the details of what I aleady knew. He was a fraud who destroyed the career of a good woman in ’07. I am only sorry i was in the midst of my own personal explosion at the time. Goodbye and good riddance.
speaking of crazy people with guns there is an ex nra big shot who lives in the district and practices law in dover who wants the fat boy’s seat
Belinsky,
What do you mean “where he can do less harm than as a legislator”?
Name one piece of terrible legislation whose passage can be attributed to him. Name one piece of good legislation that he personally succeeded in blocking.
If Bonini had been effective as a lawmaker, he’d be staying there because he’d have some influence to throw around.
As treasurer, he’ll only be good for laughs.
Is Sigler the ex-NRA guy? That wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
Whose career did Lee destroy?
Bonini is a hideous legislator, possibly the worst. There are a number of ciphers on the GA, but Bonini gets the gold on smugness points. He joined with the noodnik caucus to block HB 99, and was a useful ally to much retrograde activity for 15 years. A once-in-a-lifetime 16-5 deficit will certainly reduce the minority’s influence.
So if the voters kick him to the attic of the Treasurer’s office, who might be – who should be – the Democratic nominee to join Bunting and Bushweller in the Senate?
Is Belinsky related to Big Steve Belinsky? That whole family is insane.
I’m pretty sure that Scott and Bennett are in Bushweller’s Senate District, the 17th. The 16th Senate District is composed, I believe, of parts of the 30th, 33rd, and 34th RDs.
Perhaps Jeanine Kleimo, who who is active in local politics downstate (I think she chairs the 34th?), will step up.
anon yes sigler was NRA VP under Moses. I won’t put her name out there but happy to tell you jpconnorjr@gmail.com
Velda Potter was just on WILM and once again refused to take callers’ questions about her side gig contract. Then Liz Allen got on the air and started to talk about me and how I hated the Potters and brought down the People’s Settlement Assn etc. WOW. I had called in earlier to explain that it was me who started this whole line of investigation having heard about it from a city employee several months ago.
Note to Liz – I plan on calling John Watson on Monday with the 2005 PSA Audit in hand and talk about Charles Potter’s role in PSA financial decline that caused the United Way to cease funding its programs.
What I have found this morning is confirmation from the Public Integrity Commission that they told Adam Taylor that VJP did not disclose her city income on her 2008 Financial Disclosure form even though Adam Taylor reported that she had filed the forms properly. He was sent the forms and knew better. Now Velda is telling everyone that she properly disclosed the contract with the PIC. If she failed to disclose income over $5K as required, isn’t that illegal?
In a state where the Governor and a Senator are former Democratic Treasurers… how did they let the Dems get so screwed up over the Treasurer race? I suppose our national office-holders should be somewhat hands-off with state politics, but this is ridiculous.
Nancy – I too wondered about the discrepancy between the ~$40K paid to her company and the $5k she reported being paid personally by her company.
It’s possible that her company took in the money and paid it out to other “employees” – her husband, for example, or her sons. Thus, it wouldn’t be “income” to Velda. If a company gets a contract, it’s up to the company how to disburse that money internally. It doesn’t all have to go to the employee who performed the services. It could just sit in a company checking account! And that’s all perfectly legal.
In fact, she could have hidden the whole thing from the PIC and the public if she hadn’t written a check to herself – couldn’t she have?
Note: I’m just theorizing here about the possibilities! I have no reason to believe that’s what happened – just noodling about the options.
The most disturbing, and perhaps damning, thing is she refuses to release the records of what times and dates she worked to prove that she did not fraudulently take a city check for $150 an hour on state time. Can Velda supporters here explain why she cannot produce evidence exonerating her from allegations of possible fraud?
Nancy, do you know anything about how Velda managed to find 282 hours–equivalent to 35 full work days–over a span of eight months to teach a $42,000 seminar to 40 people while serving as the state’s #4 official and running a statewide campaign to get elected? I cannot fathom how she could do all this and never have any overlap between her state time and her lucrative side gig.
Do yourself a favor and read the disclosure you idiots. She reported income in excess of $5k which is all that is required. The exact amount is not required. Get a f’ing life and go put up your bosses, Chip Flowers, signs… The story is over and done. Cast your vote in September and move on…
PS- did anyone hear Chip on WILM this morning disclose TWO domestic violence incidents?! I originally thought it was only one… Don’t take my word for it – listen to a transcript of the show this morning.
Anon, when did Velda perform her duties as a consultant for Wilmington? She is in Dover from 8:30-4:30, right? It takes an hour to drive from Wilmington to Dover. That ties her up from 7:30-5:30. Add in dinner and other things. The notion that she was teaching a lot at night seems ridiculous. She taught the equivalent of 35 full work days (282 hours divided by 8=35). At best she taught 2-3 hour sessions here and there at night, unless she had marathon 6:30-2:30 AM sessions. Weekends would be difficult as well since it is difficult to attract people to something of this nature on a weekend, particularly Sunday. Moreover, she has numerous campaign events all across the state to boot. The numbers do not add up and I fear this is why Velda is dodging debates and even caller’s questions on this. She can’t come clean because what will come out probably is not clean…
Anon,
if you heard the discussion on WILM this morning, you should have also heard these words: “Not Guilty.”
I spoke with the Director of the Public Intergrity Commission this morning and she said she had no idea that Velda had a contract with the city before 2009 until she read it in the paper yesterday because Velda DID NOT DISCLOSE IT on her 2008 form. That is dishonest. The Treasurer probably acted illegally in omitting earned income above $5K from Jones-Potter, Inc. on her 2008 form.
anon should take her own advice and read the 2008 form SHE DID NOT DISCLOSE THE MONEY IN 2008. “Do yourself a favor and read the disclosure you idiots. She reported income in excess of $5k which is all that is required.:”
More whoring for the Potters? – actually what Chip talked about was two former girlfriends trying to bilk him out of a small fortune and using trumped up charges to do it. We all know he was found innocent. Give it up, Team Potter.
“PS- did anyone hear Chip on WILM this morning disclose TWO domestic violence incidents?! I originally thought it was only one… Don’t take my word for it – listen to a transcript of the show this morning.”
Nancy – I too wondered about the discrepancy between the ~$40K paid to her company and the $5k she reported being paid personally by her company.
*
that isn’t what I was implying. the disclosure is nothing more than a listing of any earned income over $5K. She paid herself via her consulting firm and wasn’t obligated to either list her clients (the city) nor the total amount earned. My problem is that she did not list earnings under her firm’s name in 2008. Until I see the city FOIA I don’t know absolutely if she got the city contract under the name of her firm but I have read it in the paper that she said she did.
BTW, I was told last night that the Potter’s son’s contract with Public Works was a few years ago getting access to stimulus money. Still no FOIA yet for that one. Do the Potters even try to pretend that they understand what appearance of impropriety means? No wonder –they hang out with Paul Clark and Pam Scott.
A podcast of her interview with Loudell is now up at WDEL. My favorite part is the pride she takes in the program because it’s all about “service.” As if she’s doing it gratis.
Geezer, I do not see it up. All I see is a podcast from Chip Flowers on the Veldagate scandal. Did the Potter camp complain and have it taken down? Great point, though. What kind of “service” to the public charges $42,000 to “teach leadership” to 40 people? If Velda were truly interested in service she would have done it for free. She was making a huge profit in a chronically cash-strapped city for a fluff job. No one has explained how these seminars actually worked. No one has revealed their curriculum. No one has shown how these 40 employees were selected. Last but not last no one has shown the results. The city invested $108,000 in her over three years. How many of those 40 employees were promoted? Which of those promotions could be attributed to Velda’s $150 an hour class? Was Velda the only person who could deliver this message? If not, why the exorbitant price tag for a side job? It is not surprising she is dodging questions because the more questions one asks the more foul this situation looks and her inability to simply come clean with all the facts is very damning.
To Jefferson,
The podcast of my interview with the state Treasurer is now available at the bottom of my Allan Loudell blog post about this story; also available under Podcasts, then under “WDEL Delaware Afternoon News” (which comes after the Jensen podcasts).
Allan Loudell
WDEL Radio
An open letter to Gov. Markell
Dear Gov. Markell:
I would like to know how you can continue to support your state Treasurer given the revelations of the last few days.
How it is acceptable to you that Ms. Jones-Potter didn’t tell you about her outside consulting contracts when you appointed her? Would you tolerate that poor level of transparency from a mid-level state staffer from Kent County not married to a powerful politician?
Additionally, I would like you to explain the vetting process that you put Ms. Jones-Potter through when you appointed her. Did you or your staff perform a basic background or credit check? Banks do just that for prospective bank tellers, so why not for your appointee overseeing state finances?
I find it disgusting that Ms. Jones-Potter does not find her already-exorbitant state salary sufficient and requires an additional $40,000-plus from Wilmington taxpayers at a time when one in 10 Delawareans is out of work. That reveals a level of greed and entitlement that I simply cannot comprehend.
I find it further revolting that you are trying to distance yourself from this situation by stating that she is an independent officeholder. That rationale might work if Ms. Jones-Potter had been elected of her own accord. No one is blaming you for the incompetence at the Insurance Department under Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart, for example, or for the failure to probe waste and fraud at the Auditor’s office under Auditor Tom Wagner, or the mindboggling pratfalls by state prosecutors under Attorney General Beau Biden.
But Ms. Jones-Potter was YOUR appointee. It was YOUR choice to select her. YOU thought she was the best person in the entire state, out of the many financial professionals we have in Delaware, to fill your shoes as Treasurer. YOU are just as responsible for her conduct in office as you would be for any Cabinet secretary whom YOU selected.
The difference is that you can fire Cabinet secretaries. You can’t fire Ms. Jones-Potter – unfortunately for us all. But you can, for the good of Delaware taxpayers, withdraw your support for her immediately and convince her to resign. Then appoint the seniormost professional career employee in the Treasurer’s office as interim Treasurer. It’s pretty clear that Ms. Jones-Potter hasn’t been paying attention to her real job, so the career staff is probably doing her work already.
I can only hope that there was some sort of a deal struck – perhaps for you to appoint Ms. Jones-Potter in exchange for support from the Wilmington Democratic crowd, and that she reneged on her promise to just serve the remainder of your term after she tasted power. I could almost understand that. Politics is a dirty game, and even the shining halo of a reformer can be tarnished.
But I absolutely cannot understand your current statements on the issue, and your apparent dodging of direct questions by funnelling them through your spokesman. Please take a stand, and make it the right one.
How are Velda Jones-Potter and Charles Potter helping build the “Better Delaware” that you promised us?
There is stupid, pretty stupid and stunningly stupid!
“I would fully want to continue and would expect to continue,” she said on the broadcast.
Joe,
It sounds like she’s just backed into a corner and is too proud or stubborn to admit she made a mistake. Now it’s just going to compound itself.
pride and stubborness are too noble… i like stupid:) its also too late to fix, sadly if she is to survive it will now need to be” that’s my story and i’m sticking to it” and more sadly it could work
Nice job on the letter, anon except for one thing: her Deputy Treasurer –the next in line whom you suggest should assume her job– is none other than Nick Adams, former Deputy and GOPer puppet under the unscrupulouly corrupt Tom Wagner.
Who is spreading the lie that Chip’s campaign manager quit? I just left the jamboree and talked to his campaign manager who said why would he dream of quitting when he has had the best two weeks of the campaign. We both had a chuckle. Told me he thinks the other camp tried to make up the story to deflect attention from Veldagate. So tired of lies.
Just have to love VJP’s sense of timing.
Direct mail piece that arrives today reads:
When the City of Wilmington’s finances were crumbling, Wilmington turned to a proven and trusted financial leader: Velda Jones Potter
Beautiful, just enhances the significance of Thursday’s NJ headline:
Potter gets checks from state, city
Amazing, isn’t it? You just can’t make this stuff up.
VJP arrived very late to the Jamboree, so late that she didn’t have anywhere to set up her table. She tried squeeze in between Jim Westhoff and Chris Coons and use Westhoff’s shade tent. Drove up in her shiny black BMW, Charles driving and VJP in the back seat.
Story is that a very important Dem leader has pulled his support for her over Pottergate.
MJ,
which one?
OMFG, didn’t the City recently cut its police force because they were supposedly broke??? And they’re paying her $150/hr to consult 40 people leadership skills???? Are you kidding me??? Is that dolt of a mayor one of them?? Because he sure as shit wouldn’t know leadership if it walked up and pinched him on the ass. I’d like those 40 people quizzed on what they’ve learned, because I don’t see any kind of leadership in that god-forsake cesspool.
For the life of me, I don’t know how that bag of shit mayor got re-elected AGAIN. He’s completely run what was once a decent city into the ground. I will never understand why people want to live there. He’s doing everything in his power to drive people and businesses away. I remember a time when working downtown was something people aspired to. Now, you can’t even wait for a freaking trolley in Rodney Square in the middle of the effing day without being harassed by a vagrant or a drug addict (or both). Never mind that Wilmington is probably outpacing Philly in shootings at this point.
DISGRACE. This is a disgrace. I pity the residents.
OK, so Chip Flowers is a wife beater and Velda Potter is corrupt.
I was actually going to vote for Velda. Not for any particular reason other than I hadn’t heard of any scandals and, frankly, she looks kind of business-like in that picture with her arms crossed.
What about Colin Bonini? I know you guys are generally hateful to all Republicans, but what’s his fatal flaw? I like his name. Yes, I know it’s incredibly superficial, but that’s a cool name. He could be a movie star with that name.
“What about Colin Bonini? I know you guys are generally hateful to all Republicans, but what’s his fatal flaw?”
He is a Republican.
I don’t want to go into details because everything I find loathsome about him will make him likable in your eyes.
But seriously folks…in this off year – this race is the democrats to lose. The registration numbers say that Boney does not stand a chance. We’d have to screw up pretty bad to lose this one.
Even with that cool name? It’s soooo catchy!
Plus, he sounds like he’s Italian. Who better to trust with your money than an Italian? Seriously. As the child of Italian immigrants, I can tell you with certainty that Italians can manage some money. My parents never made more than $60K between them and they retired with absolutely no debt – not even a mortgage. Same with all of their friends (tho their friends probably made more than they did.) No mafia ties, either (or I’d have been driving an Alfa Romeo at 18 instead of a Chevette.) Just plain, old-fashioned responsible spending and saving.
Vote Bonini – money management is in his genes!
🙂
Dominique,
It’s good that the reports on VJP collecting from both state and city have made an impression, but please be careful with what you say.
The reference you made to Chip Flowers is flat-out incorrect. The role of the VJP team in spreading that story was well documented on this site a couple of months ago. Bottom line: verdict in the case is “not guilty.”
Gotcha.
I wasn’t planning to vote for Chip anyway. His seemingly never-ending direct mail pieces offend the grammar freak in me. Also, his name sounds fake. And it’s a verb. I am, after all, pretty shallow. I’m also not all wrapped up in politics like the rest of you. I like to visit from time to time to make my libby friends’ hair stand on end, but I don’t care enough about minor state offices to actually look beyond their names and their grammar. I know that will likely offend the sensibilities of most of the people here, but I’m pretty sure I represent most of the electorate. In the words of Gilly…sorry. 🙁
What a complete cock-up.
But I have to go with this as my main question. If Jack is a business expert and he hired Velda, is this really the best he could do?
It’s like hiring a babysitter with a sex tape. It calls your judgement into question.
It’s clear from this that at least 1/2 the electorate will go with the “I don’t know that she did anything wrong, but it smells fishy” approach to this, so, in the end, she’s in trouble whether she dotted all the i’s or not.
What a mess.
It’s becoming clearer and clearer that she must resign as Treasurer or else the dems should show her a brutal beating on September 14th by voting for Flowers.
Nancy wrote: “Nice job on the letter, anon except for one thing: her Deputy Treasurer –the next in line whom you suggest should assume her job– is none other than Nick Adams, former Deputy and GOPer puppet under the unscrupulouly corrupt Tom Wagner.”
Oh, I’m perfectly aware of that. That’s why I didn’t say that the deputy treasurer should be promoted. I said the “seniormost professional career employee” should be named interim treasurer. Nick Adams doesn’t fall into any of those three categories.
okay then 🙂
The News Journal went all out on Velda in the editorial pages today. She refused to meet with them when they asked so she got what she should have expected: the book thrown at her.
I usually avoid Jensen’s show but he was all over Pottergate on Friday (the pod cast is up with Wilm. FOP) and is having the Fire Company’s ‘perspective’ on Monday.
Didn’t the editoriaal actually say she refused to talk to the paper? That’s different from meeting with the editorial board. I can’t get the link up right now.
Here’s what Ron Williams’s column said about Jones-Potter:
I agree with what Williams said here. The allegations against Potter don’t really seem all that serious but she sure is acting like a politician with something to hide. Why would a candidate for state office refuse free publicity on a radio station debate? It doesn’t make sense to me.
She is acting like a politician with something to hide because she does have something to hide. Do the math. From earlier in the thread:
*$42,250 salary for 2010
*$150 per hour (If Velda is merely interested in helping city workers why charge such an exorbitant rate?)
*$42,250 at $150 per hour=282 hours
*282 hours=The equivalent of 35 FULL days of work (full being defined as an 8 hour day) over an 8 month span
So let me get this straight…She is the #4 official in the state, she is running a statewide election yet she managed to find time for the equivalent of 35 FULL work days for “teaching leadership” at $150 per hour? I find this very hard to believe…
[B]If Velda were innocent she could easily prove it by revealing to the public what she did and when she did it.[/B] The reason she is dodging questions from anyone other than friendly radio hosts is she cannot provide a satisfactory answer to these fundamental questions. How did she find time to work 35 full work days over eight months while running a statewide agency and a statewide campaign? She is the state treasurer. Many senior government employees work 50 or 60 hours a week. To believe Velda’s story one has to believe being state treasurer is only a 40 hour a week job. There are simply to many leaps of faith required to believe her story and I will not believe it until she comes clean and releases all the records on this. Of course, the records are almost certainly damning–if she did other work on state time that is fraud–so we will never see them unless an investigation is launched…Velda is doing Democrats a disservice by letting Veldagate drag on. Even if she loses the primary, as she probably will now, she would still remain the #4 official in the state and her corruption would hand Rollins and Bonini an opportunity to paint the Delaware Democratic Party as corrupt. If she miraculously somehow wins the primary it would be even worse, with the state treasurer’s office being gifted to the GOP. Velda has three options:
1) If she is innocent she should come clean and exonerate herself.
2) If she is guilty she should resign and remove herself as an issue, or at least withdraw her candidacy and walk off into the sunset in January.
Velda talks the talk about service (even if it is expensive $150 service); will she walk the walk?
“If Jack is a business expert and he hired Velda, is this really the best he could do?”
Nobody has charged her with incompetence. The problem is that she’s doing too much work, not too little.
“To believe Velda’s story one has to believe being state treasurer is only a 40 hour a week job.”
There’s nothing to indicate it should take even that long. Most of the job’s responsibilities were stripped away years ago.
If she is getting paid $110,000 to be the State Treasurer, then I think she should devote a minimum of 40 hours a week.
She is doing “too much work”? I seriously doubt that. Lunch at Applebees and dinner at the Old Country Buffet on tax dollars is hardly working.
If someone did a serious investigation, then I am sure fraud would be found. I was a state worker, and I know that it is very easy to find when someone takes leave or vacation time. Let’s see if it all matches up.
I see Markell as being between a rock and a hard place here.
He could say that he didn’t do a proper backgrounding of Velda when he appointed her. But that opens up charges of incompetence and would make some investigation-happy folk in the GOP (Lavelle, etc.) demand full backgrounders of every appointee he’s named.
He could say that he bowed to political pressure from the Wilmington crowd to appoint Charles Potter’s wife on a temporary basis, and that she’d agreed not to run again. But that opens up charges of extreme political naivete.
He could say that he’s asked for a full investigation and accounting of the situation, such as by the state police or the auditor’s office. But the former would make it a low priority, and the latter would be compromised because of the Potter-Wagner relationship and Nick Adams.
He could say that none of it really matters anyway, because the Treasurer’s job really isn’t that important and 40 hours a week is plenty of time to do the job, play golf and wage a statewide campaign. But that would open him up to charges of WTF-ness, considering he just finished up several years in that same do-nothing office.
Or he could suck it up, come clean with admissions of any errors on his part, announce that he’s lost confidence in Velda and ask her to resign immediately. But that would trigger intense hatred from the Potters and the Wilmington cabal, lead to potential charges of racism and throw the Democratic Party into chaos weeks before the primary vote.
Yeah, none of that’s going to happen.
I’m also curious about something else that popped into my head today. If this program that she runs in Wilmington works so well and is such a great use of taxpayer money, why hasn’t she launched something similar for the Treasurer’s staff, or for state employees in general? Hmm?
You’re thinking way too much. Try to remember that, beyond people who want to see one or the other of the Democratic nominees elected, nobody much cares. The reality is that it was a political appointment; the practical side is that the entity getting shortchanged was the city, not the state. It’s not a problem for Markell unless someone is claiming she didn’t perform her state duties. Are you saying that? Do you have any proof? Or are you just thumping the tub some more for your guy Flowers?
I was half-kidding about the 40-hours business, but only half. Your outrage seems very convenient for the candidate you support. Lunch at Applebee’s and Old Country Buffet? Not exactly living high on the hog there. Nobody here just fell off a turnip truck. Take your faux outrage somewhere I don’t have to call you out for it.
@anon on 29 August 2010 at 11:33 am:
*
Yes, you are correct. He was referring probably to the comment in Adam Taylor’s follow up which stated that she declined an interview with him. I was just re-reading it tonight and spotted that.
Geezie, ol’ chum,
No, no one’s charging that. But a lot of people have a LOT of good questions that Velda is refusing to answer. And that makes this situation stink to high heaven.
As Jefferson has pointed out, she worked the equivalent of 35 full days for Wilmington over an 8-month period. That’s just over a quarter of the 160 workdays during that time – or a heck of a lot of “nights and weekends,” especially when waging a re-election campaign!
Even if she worked half of the time on nights and weekends doing behind-the-scenes stuff (writing inspirational speeches? making dinner reservations? who knows…), that still leaves about 17 weekdays of actual facetime with the program participants. My employer sure didn’t give me 17 days of vacation time in my first year – did yours?
Neither campaign work nor the Wilmington work can be done on state time. And yet what it boils down to is that the person who failed to mention this contract with her boss when he hired her is asking us rubes to trust her that she didn’t do any Wilmington work on state time. I mean, does she think we’re stupid or something?
I don’t have a dog in this fight. Fatso is a nutjob, and Chip seems way too ambitious – he’d be stepping on feet and making enemies all over the place. None of the candidates is proposing my key platform issue – abolishing the damn office! – so I really don’t care about who wins.
What I *do* care about is that good Democrats around this state don’t get tainted with the feces that arises from the sewers of Wilmington just because a couple that makes their living off taxpayers’ paychecks got greedy.
Honestly, if Velda could explain what she needs $150,000 a year for, that might go a long way toward getting me on her side. Is there some dreadful family illness that her insurance won’t cover? Is she getting shaken down in an international adoption scam involving the Chechen mafia?
There’s got to be a good explanation why a lone individual needs to earn $150,000 in a state where the median HOUSEHOLD income is half that, and 1 in 10 people lacks a job.
Most voters aren’t going to equate the Potters with “Democrats around this state.” They’re from Wilmington, and if you’re at all familiar with voters in this state you know that they consider Wilmington a special cesspool of this sort of graft. To be blunt, what African-American politicians do in Wilmington does not rub off on other Democrats from outside the city. If Gordon and Freebery — who were tied in with one of the state’s powerful Democratic factions — couldn’t taint their pals, it’s going to be hard for the Potters to bring anyone else down with them.
And oh, by the way, the state Treasurer doesn’t have an employer. She’s the boss. Seriously, the only way you’re going to find anything illegal is on the city end.
And one more thing: If you’re such a loyal Democrat, why did you spend one long post doing nothing but trying to tie all this to Markell?
I’m not a loyal Democrat. I’m a lowercase-L indie who leans to the left. But it does worry me that Velda has just opened up a whole pot of hot mess for unscrupulous people like Bonini, Bodenweiser, Weeks, Briggs King, Dave Wilson, et al, to cite as proof of Democratic corruption in their fall campaigns. Velda’s not just a Wilmington pol now – she’s a statewide officeholder, and represents more than just the scumminess of Wilmington.
Markell is a different story. He screwed up and is now trying to have it both ways. That deserves some attention. TNJ isn’t going to call him on it because the editors there love him to death.
You keep stretching to make this a bigger issue, all in the interest, you claim, of preventing it from being a bigger issue. See the credibility problem there?
I’m amazed you don’t see your own credibility problem by insisting that this is just a Wilmington corruption issue and that state taxpayers don’t have any reason to be concerned. Do you really believe that?
Markell and Velda could end this whole charade right now and avoid turning the Treasurer’s office to Colin Bonini if they just manned up and bit the bullet, admitted they both screwed up and called it a day. This game they’re trying to play now is just going to stretch it out, with TNJ continuing to dig, and bad stuff squeezing out day after day, creating a much longer PR debacle. (Cardinal rule of journalism: The louder you say there’s nothing to hide, the deeper the press is going to dig.) But neither Jack nor Velda is going to without some pressure.
Should Democrats or left-leaning folk just be silent now? Just bend over and take it, because saying how we really feel is going to only bolster the Rs chances? I don’t think so. I didn’t surrender my mouth when I voted for Jack.
MJ: Who is the very important Dem leader?
Is there a statute where it says that being treasurer requires working 40 hours per week? Does the treasurer clock-in and out?
I suspect that the answer to both those questions is “no,” and therefore, she did nothing legally wrong if she met her Treasurer’s job responsibilities and also consulted for the City of Wilmington.
In my opinion-If you make $110,000, then you should probably work 40hrs a week. You owe that to the taxpayers.
If you’re amazed, that explains a lot. See, I’m not claiming to believe one thing but doing another to undermine the thing I claim to believe. You are.
What difference does it make if Colin Bonini becomes treasurer? And what makes you think he’s not the favorite to win the office right now?
To jump off from A1’s comment, I was pointing out that Velda has no legal problem from the state end of things, but might from the city end. That’s just a statement of what I believe to be fact.
If you’re going to keep claiming Jack “screwed up,” you’re going to have to explain how. Because if she does her job as treasurer, where’s the screw-up?
You have a much different definition of “screw-up” than I do. In your world, it seems, there’s no foul unless someone did something illegal. But in the real world, a huge PR debacle that leads to people questioning your leadership certainly qualifies as a screw-up.
How did Markell screw up? Simple. He didn’t do a background check on VJP. Simple interviews with Wilmington officials, or a FOIA request with the city, would have turned this up. As it is, he looks utterly clueless when TNJ questions him. And by refusing to step away from VJP, he tacitly endorses that type of greedy in-the-shadows maneuvering that completely undercuts his whole transparency, open and honest government schtick. Get it? Those are screw-ups.
This mess has also exposed the flaw at the center of Markell’s entire political career – that the Treasurer’s office is really a do-nothing job.
If it requires 40 hours a week, then there’s no reasonable way Velda did her job and the consultancy thing and her campaign without doing something on state time. There’s just not enough time in the week to do all three.
If it doesn’t require 40 hours a week and its duties have largely been stripped, then Markell’s government experience as Treasurer was a sham.
On the Colin thing – Well, if it doesn’t matter if the Republicans win it or not, why is Velda running in the first place? To enrich herself?
I don’t think he’s the favorite, actually. I think this race is a tossup so far if it’s a Chip-Colin campaign. Velda-Colin, he wins hands-down.
Anonone, we do not know because Velda has completely stonewalled on such issues. I presume the treasurer, as a full-time employee, is expected to work at least 40 hours. Senior employees routinely work 50-60 hours so one would expect the chief administrator of a key department to work more. This is relevant because I believe it is illegal for a state employee to do other work on state time…
Jefferson, It depends what the state employee’s contract is and what is defined as “state time.” There is a difference between paid-by-the-hour employees and those who are not. I doubt that VJP is required to punch a clock.
BTW, if VJP was making career choices solely for the money, the state treasurer’s position would have been a poor one. She was probably making more than her current state salary and consulting combined in her previous positions at DuPont and MBNA.
This is a tempest in a teapot.
This whole business about whether VJP is on the state clock or not is rather amusing, and Anonone’s comment adds to it.
How can one say taking state treasurer’s position was a poor choice?
Think about this — you’ve got a $110K job that doesn’t require you to clock in, much less work 40 hours a week — so it’s an ideal way to give yourself a secure income while building your consulting business. You’d think she’d have lined up a couple more contracts by now.
Heck, if I’m VJP, I’d stand up right now, say that this job is a piece of cake — I’ve got this office running smoother than it’s ever been, and I’m doing it with my eyes closed, and that’s why I deserve another term.
“In your world, it seems, there’s no foul unless someone did something illegal. But in the real world, a huge PR debacle that leads to people questioning your leadership certainly qualifies as a screw-up.”
And there’s the flaw in your logic: Nobody is questioning his leadership but you. I was out and about all weekend and not a single person brought his name up in conjunction with this (beyond which, he’s not running until 2012 anyway). And nobody is questioning the job he’s doing as governor. His approval rating is above 55%. That easily trumps his experience as treasurer. That election has sailed. Are you a disgruntled Carney supporter? What do you have to gain by slagging Markell here?
Furthermore, this isn’t a “huge” anything. Very few of the 100+ people I talked to over the weekend brought this up at all. And no, an African-American who has never been elected before running statewide cannot be considered the favorite for anything. Colin Bonini will win unless Chip Flowers can show people that he has no connection to traditional African-American power brokers in the city and state, because Bonini is going to win overwhelmingly downstate.
Finally, the next “left-leaning” thing I hear you say will be the first, unless I’ve confused you with someone else who uses the same sign-on.
“I presume the treasurer, as a full-time employee, is expected to work at least 40 hours.”
Quite presumptuous indeed. There’s nothing on the books demanding the governor work 40 hours a week either.
“Senior employees routinely work 50-60 hours”
Senior employees of what?
“so one would expect the chief administrator of a key department to work more.”
What you expect is not subject to the law.
“This is relevant because I believe it is illegal for a state employee to do other work on state time…”
No, you would like to make it illegal because you’re a shill for Chip Flowers, and have been since you first posted here. Give it a fucking rest.
This is all speculation. Only Velda can answer these questions. If Velda is, under your theory, working something like 20-30 hours I wonder what the people under her work! If the state treasurer indeed works part-time hours then there is no justification for the treasurer’s $110,000 salary.
http://www.jobaps.com/de/sup/images/default.asp Call and ask how many hours the typical state employee works. Yeah, yeah, Janet Rzewnicki. Her tenure and the statutory change it triggered does not change the administrative role of the treasurer. Are you seriously suggesting an office with two dozen employees can be managed by someone working 20-30 hours a week? A high-ranking government manager often has to work more than 40 hours yet the supreme manager for a significant department can perform her duties in just 20-30 hours? Is Velda aware of this? She could save a lot on gas by simply putting in long shifts for 2-3 days a week instead of driving to Dover daily.
Geezer, you probably know more about the electoral map than I do. But my experience since this started to hit the papers is different than yours is. Almost every local committeeperson I’ve talked to this year, in Brandywine Hundred, was pretty neutral on the treasurer’s race, and I hear similar things from downstate. Regular folk, even more so. Some people liked Velda, some liked Chip, and most had no opinion. From that point, they leaned Velda because Jack appointed her, and most people (even former Carney supporters) like Jack and think he’s doing a good job.
But a lot of these people don’t routinely write off Wilmington, or even NCC, as inherently corrupt. The triumph of hope over experience, maybe. 😉 So the implication that there might be something wrong (whether legal or not) with Velda, and her ethics/vetting/appointment process, whatever, brings their heads towards, Jack, because Jack is their guy, and they trust HIM, not her.
I thought the anon assessment of his position was pretty accurate. There aren’t a lot of GOOD responses, and I wish it hadn’t happened. That’s my own, personal, north Wilmington view.
Well, it is illegal to get paid twice for the same hours by tax payer monies..at least under the rules of elected legislative officials who also take a second government-funded job. Ask Bob Reeder.
He and John Flaherty pursued the Nancy Wagner – Tom Wagner – Dover HS Principal Adams scam right up to the top court in the state. Principal Adams is Nick Adams father whose ‘opinion on his then Dover HS employee State Sen.(?) Nancy Wagner’s time sheets was improperly used by Tom Wagner in an audit of Nancy Wagner while she was on the JFC. She was found to be double dipping but under the District rules was given a pass. Bob showed that Tom Wagner must use the State rules in his double dipper audits.
It is too bad that Velda is not going to be subject to an audit, frankly.
Brooke: Your mileage obviously varies, but the vast majority of the people I know don’t care about politics, period, except when it affects them. The state treasurer’s office doesn’t. It has less impact on most people than any cabinet official would. Most couldn’t tell you who appointed her, or that she was appointed. They aren’t dumb people, they just have lives to lead, and state-level politics is of little import to them.
Jefferson: You were couching your comments in legal terms. There are no requirements for how many hours an elected official must work. It’s open-ended. Therefore it doesn’t matter how many hours she claims to work, or actually does work.
If, on the other hand, her deal with the city required her to bill for specific hours, then there’s a potential to catch her doing something illegal. How difficult is this concept?
Here’s an example: Say she claimed to be working for the city when she was actually in her state office. That’s (potentially) a violation of her city contract. Now say she skips some administrative meeting to teach leadership. Where’s the legal problem there?
I wouldn’t look for her to respond to any of this before the primary. It’s too close. She can stonewall that long.
Nancy: Nancy Wagner would have been in violation of her contract with Dover High School, not her position as a state legislator. If you’ll recall, Reeder’s case revolved around whether she was attending JFC meetings during her planning periods at the school.
Similar deal with Velda. But the state auditor wouldn’t be involved because, unlike a teacher, Velda’s contract didn’t involve state money.
Brooke: To be clear, anon’s assessment is accurate in every particular but one — how big a deal this is to Markell and how much it can hurt him. We can disagree, but my assessment is “not at all.” Not even Republicans are trying to make that case, at least not that I’ve heard. It’s a tar brush too far.
BTW, if VJP was making career choices solely for the money, the state treasurer’s position would have been a poor one. She was probably making more than her current state salary and consulting combined in her previous positions at DuPont and MBNA.
*
Actually, she held those jobs long. long ago. Her consulting work was putting the bread on the table for years since. That is why the city contract is looking pretty convenient with her husband on council –a very demanding and contrary guy who always ’caused’ a fuss and brags about it. That is his schtick. It is being said that he and his family are being given jobs to keep him ‘satisfied’.
I looked up his son’s contracting company and it is online on the Wilmington SMBEO data base –registered to Charles and Velda’s home. I understand that two contracts were awarded Charles III from Public Works and that Charles just happened to chair the Public Works Committee….I do have FOIA’s heading to the Solicitor’s office to take a look at those contracts. I spoke with their office this afternoon.
Well, that I’ll believe. What does and doesn’t bother the Delaware electorate never ceases to amaze me.
Well, it is illegal to get paid twice for the same hours by tax payer monies
Elected officials don’t have to work 40 hours every week, for the same reason we don’t pay them overtime when they go over 40 hours.
Professionals don’t get paid for hours, they get paid for results. When you hold someone to 40 hours, then you have to pay overtime when they go over. And nobody wants to pay elected officials overtime.
Geezer is leaving out one part of the GOP’s calculation, even though he’s astute enough to know it’s absolutely true. The Republicans are not going to trash VJP now because she’s a weakened candidate. They’d much rather have her run as damaged goods against Bonini than have to face Flowers.
If VJP manages to win the primary, then they come out blazing against her.
The other bit of irony: Bonini has made some favorable statements about Markell’s efforts to trim the state budget. The problem there is the unwillingness of the Joint Finance Committee to follow the governor’s lead, and the JFC chair, you may know, is the cousin of VJP’s husband.
VJP is “damaged goods?” Hardly. Remember that Stewart beat Brady. Markell will campaign for whoever wins the D primary and whoever wins that, wins the treasurer. Case closed.
A1 – I have been thinking the same thing, but there are a number of people that I trust that are convinced that Bonini will win. I’ll be interested to see what shakes out in the next 3 weeks.
A1 – Your argument is incredibly flawed. KWS didn’t have any huge pre-primary baggage hanging over her head like VJP might, if she wins. All most of the public knew about her was that they remembered her name from her two previous campaigns. Now, if Gene Reed had won the primary and gone on to win the general, you may have a point.
You also totally miss the fact that this is a Republican year, overwhelmingly.
The “this is a Republican year, overwhelmingly” is a media meme to sell papers. We’re a long way from November.Except for Castle, Delaware is a blue state, and even Castle is in danger of losing this year.
The so-called “huge pre-primary baggage” is nothing of the sort. After VJP wins the primary, she’ll have the support of the very popular Markell and a lot of other influential Democrats who will be actively campaigning and fund-raising for her. In two months, people will remember VJP as the Governor’s choice. Bonini has as much of a chance as Brady did against KWS.
She’ll also be the target of a rejuvenated GOP media blitz, tailor-made for Bonini.
“The “this is a Republican year, overwhelmingly” is a media meme to sell papers. ”
I’ve seldom seen you write something so wrong. Check out the steady erosion in the generic ballot numbers. Then figure out how many Caucasian downstaters are going to vote for an African-American upstater over a white downstater. Subtract the number of minority voters who don’t turn out in off-year elections. Still think it’s “case closed”?
“After VJP wins the primary, she’ll have the support of the very popular Markell and a lot of other influential Democrats who will be actively campaigning and fund-raising for her.”
Don’t bet on that. She’s very much damaged goods. Now that she has tap-danced close to calling Markell a liar, I don’t think he’ll work very hard to help her.
Geezer, it is still August. I remember when, in late August and early September, Kerry was ahead of Bush and even Mcinsane was ahead of Obama. Things change after primaries and voters start paying attention in October. Regardless of what an utter disappointment Obomba has been, I think tying the R-pols to Bush and saying that we can’t go back to the policies that got us into this mess will hold both the house and senate in the D column.
In regards to downstate racism versus upstate urban apathy, who knows? Maybe you’re right in the way it will play out.
Geezer: Some signs of hope:
“NEWSWEEK Poll: Democrats May Not Be Headed for Midterm Bloodbath”
“As Democrats prepare for considerable losses in the November elections, there’s reason to believe the party in power may not be headed for the bloodbath it might expect. According to a new NEWSWEEK Poll, President Obama’s approval rating—47 percent—indicates that the party is better off this year than Republicans were in 2006, when the GOP lost 30 House seats, and than the Democrats were in 1994, when they lost 52 House seats.”
Also, don’t forget that the DNC has much more money than the RNC.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/27/newsweek-poll-democrats-may-not-be-headed-for-midterm-bloodbath.html
Chip Flowers is a wife beater and Velda Potter is honest and the best by far
cpj- Does that stand for Charles Potter Jr.? Flowers has never beaten anyone or done anything else illegal for that matter. He is an outstanding candidate with an incredible resume. He will absolutely get my vote on September 14th. Jones-Potter is the one with the questionable ethics. She was secretly taking money from the city and the state. She should resign as Treasurer.
Vote Flowers on September 14th!
I don’t think Chip has ever been married, making it impossible for him to be a wife-beater. Unless it was someone else’s wife.
Charles Potter is a punk, plain and simple.
Boy they get dummer then dum . Well Yogie proved on point. Not smarter then the average bear. Not back to someone with a brain, me.This beautiful black lady has unbelivable support and I cant believe the total disrespect and racist views being directed towards her. She help empowered 40 women each year ” how many have you empowered yogi ?). Also for MJ who called Charles Potter a punk . When he was waiting for his brains he heared the word train and has been off track ever since ! Must be a supporter of Chip “KO” Flowers ! Remember, The bad you talk about someone will come back to you.
I swear, the supporters of each candidate in the Treasurer’s race sour me on each candidate. And I am not sure how supporters of Chip Flowers, who is black himself, can be racist towards Velda.
Veldagate appears to be becoming shorthand for Wilmington corruption…
“The city soon will be negotiating a contract with the firefighters’ union as well. That union’s president, Kevin Turner, said the first thing he thought of when he heard Wednesday’s news was the contracts with state Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter, the wife of city Councilman Charles Potter Jr., to run a leadership program for city employees.
Instead of the city taking a hard look at what really needs to be paid for, they pay $108,000 to make people feel good about their jobs,” Turner said. “That pretty much has set the tone for how we view how the city chooses to spend their money.”
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100902/NEWS02/9020339/Delaware-cities-Wilmington-considers-layoffs-to-trim-budget