Thursday Open Thread [4.5.12]

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Now that the Republican Primary is ending, I am going to start posting campaign ads in the open threads. But before that, we do have two polls from Pennsylvania and New York showing Romney winning. That seems to confirm that yes, the race is over.

Subsidies: Big Oil and Others

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If I give you $1 every year, would you give me $59 in return every year? Chances are, you wouldn't. However, if I were an oil company and you were a member of Congress that's exactly what happens, except you aren't giving out your money.

Sussex Musical Chairs

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As you know, the retirement of Sen. George Bunting as set up a game of musical chairs downstate, which already had two games going on with the new 6th District Senate seat and the new 20th District House seat added to the area. Last night, former Rep. Shirley Price spoke to the 38th RD Democratic Committee and announced that she will be running for her old seat.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., April 5, 2012

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A glimpse inside the Delaware Way, and what it has wrought. Helene Keeley's legislation seeking to reign in predatory lending in the form of payday loans, made it out of committee. But not before one of Delaware's most malevolent lobbyists got an interest rate cap stripped from proposed legislation. Which, of course, wasn't enough for him. From today's News-Journal story:
Speaking for the Online Lenders Alliance, a payday-lending trade group, lobbyist Dave Swayze said efforts to curtail short-term lending fly in the face of Delaware's landmark Financial Center Development Act, the 1981 law that eliminated the state's usury statutes and allowed banks to charge unlimited interest rates. "We will let the marketplace, we will let the buyer and seller, the contract entered into by them, determine the terms of the loan," he said.

More Fisker Follies

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I'm a bit concerned that any state official could have been "stunned" that Fisker was waffling. I'm troubled that Alan Levin, the director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, was "shocked". The article goes on to interview more politicos who talk about phone calls they are making. But more importantly, TNJ talks to some of the would-be workers who are affected. So as Fisker holds a gun to the head of the State of Delaware demanding that federal loans be released earlier, what is/was Plan B for Boxwood? Did we put all our eggs in one basket and hope for the best? Or does Delaware have alternative plans to get these auto workers back to work?

This is How Republican Sheriffs End Up

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A former elected Republican sheriff in Colorado was sentenced to 30 days in jail for possession of meth. And this one even had arrest powers. Maybe it's better that they end up behind bars for meth instead of advocating sedition.