Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 7, 2011

Never let it be said that, when it comes to millionaires, the members of the General Assembly don’t keep their word.

While Medicaid assistance, college scholarships, and services to protect the social safety net hang in the balance, millionaires can breathe easier knowing that the top rate in Delaware will be cut from 6.95% to 6.75%. Gov. Jack Markell has decreed that it’s good for business, and who are the ‘honorables’ in the Delaware General Assembly to disagree? Forget the fact that phony trickle-down economics have not trickled down for over 30 years now, forget the fact that, during that time, the rich have gotten measurably richer, the  poor have gotten measurably poorer, and the middle class is in danger of disappearing altogether. Jack Markell says that cutting the taxes of the fatted few is ‘good for business’, and that’s that. It’s great to have fabulous wealth in Delaware, sucks to be everybody else. The House passed HB 128 last Thursday, and Senate passage is a mere formality. So, as we might be headed into a ‘double-dip’ recession, fois gras sales will still be strong in Greenville. Awful public policy from this Governor and the lemmings in the General Assembly.

Fortunately, the lemmings apparently don’t extend to the Joint Finance Committee. Just yesterday, the JFC voted by an 8-4 margin to restore the $5 million that Markell had proposed to be cut. When you read this article, and I urge you to do so, one fact is inescapable: To the bitter end, the Markell Administration was pushing for these cuts to Delaware’s most vulnerable citizens. While at the same time pushing for tax cuts for Delaware’s wealthiest.

One can no longer escape the observation that, when it comes to those falling through Delaware’s safety net, Jack Markell is willing to sacrifice them in exchange for making the overdogs that much more over. He is governing as if he wants to run for President, and wants those corporate bucks. I think he owes us some insight into his future plans before he runs for reelection in 2012. I, for one, am not crazy about supporting someone who governs as if he has no empathy for our most at-risk citizens.

I’ve never been an especially optimistic person, and maybe I’m just looking at this in far too negative a manner. So, if I’m wrong, in the immortal words of Rachel Maddow, talk me down.

The House also cut back on gross receipts taxes last Thursday and gave public utilities a tax break (don’t look for it to ‘trickle down’ to you). Thanks for nothin’.

OK, deep cleansing breaths.  Here’s the entire session report from Thursday. At least the General Assembly was busy, if not particularly productive. The Senate passed the ‘corporate law’ package. Nobody understood anything in it. Good for business, though, as it helps Delaware keep its ‘preeminent’ spot as a business-friendly state.  One of the bills designed to help those facing mortgage foreclosures passed, and a charter change was defeated, which is unusual, but often reflects nothing more than a flexing of legislative muscle. Did Gerald Hocker sell a senator some bad strawberries or something?

The House did pass a somewhat emasculated (amended) version of one of Gov. Markell’s gun control bills. It now goes to the Governor for his signature. Perhaps most importantly, Tony Palooka’s bill to ensure that the Delaware Commission on Italian Heritage & Culture runs smoothly went down as smoothly as a refreshing gelato on a hot summer afternoon. Grappa all around! Location of the post-passage celebration was withheld from the public to keep terrorists away.

Today’s Senate agenda is relatively short on both substance and quantity.  Some of the pointless bills from Beau Biden’s ‘Bradley package’ will be considered and passed with an air of solemnity not warranted by this redundant legislation. For those new to this ongoing screed, while I have no objection to the legislation, protections were already in place to prevent the Bradley horror from taking place. Legislative loopholes were not the problem, misfeasance and malfeasance by individuals and institutions were the problem.

For what it’s worth, the bills are SB 31, SB 32, and SB 33. You will note that they are all sponsored by Sen. Blevins. You see, unlike the House, where at least the unnecessary bills were doled out to several legislators to give them the ‘rub’, Majority ‘Leader’ Blevins has kept them all for herself.  This is what is called in newspaper terms ‘dog bites man’. The Senate also considers one of the Markell gun control bills, HB 46 (D. P. Williams). We already know that Cathy Cloutier won’t vote for it, as she has an A-Plus rating from the NRA. The only question is whether she’ll show up to vote no, or take yet another walk. Memorandum to voters in the 5th Senatorial District: Your senator opposes any and all gun control measures. Is that what you really want? Ask yourselves that the next time you pass that “Have A Great Day!” sign.

The House agenda is more ambitious. I’ve previously discussed HB 69 (Rep. D. Short), which addresses fiscal notes created by the Controller General’s office, and HB 55, which provides for the national popular vote for President. I read the responses to my opinion supporting this bill, and I must say that nothing I’ve seen has prompted me to budge an inch. I understand that Al Mascitti opposes this plan, and he and I will no doubt debate this bill this Thursday at 10 a. m. on Al’s show on WDEL 1150-AM. (Yes, you’re right. What you’ve just read is a shameless plug.)

Several other bills remain on the agenda from last Thursday, including legislation making the needle exchange program permanent;  providing more ‘flexibility for ‘well-capitalized’ insurance companies (translation: less oversight); and further regulating medical facilities performing ‘invasive’ procedures’, meaning mostly, but not exclusively, abortions.

The House is also working several bills designed to provide some modest reforms to our juvenile justice system. This package is being worked by some of our better legislators, including Reps. Darryl Scott, Melanie George, and Mike Barbieri. It’s not all hopeless. There are a few legislators trying to do some serious work in Dover.

I would encourage serious legislators to at least challenge the budgetary priorities of your Governor. I thank the members of the Joint Finance Committee for displaying some genuine backbone. More, please. I promise those legislators who dare to speak up for those facing the shredding of the safety net and/or who have already fallen through it: If you speak up for them, I’ve got your back. I bet that there are lots of us willing to do the same thing.

To quote Dan Rather: “Courage.”