General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 27, 2012
A couple of positive, albeit likely temporary, victories yesterday.
The Senate defeated Rep. Longhurst’s ‘Fuck the Doomed’ bill yesterday. 9 Y, 10 N, 2 Hiding in the Restroom. My guess is that the votes are there. Especially once Delmarva breaks out its/their checkbooks. Perhaps in the rest room. Legislators have been known to stake out ‘wide stances’ on issues like this, and don’t object to manipulation. Joe Farley, Delmarva’s ‘Democratic’ lobbyist, will be working OT to earn his blood money today. BTW, is this really the kind of bill that a supposed member of the House Democratic Caucus leadership team should be sponsoring? Betcha it passes. Hope it doesn’t. Memo to Longhurst primary opponent James Burton: Make this a campaign issue. I’ll even toss off the ‘money’ sentence for you…”What sort of Democrat would sponsor the terminating of life-saving utilities to seriously-ill patients?” You’re welcome.
And, wonder of wonders, HB 333(Viola) doesn’t currently have enough votes to pass, according to the News-Journal. Not enough Democratic votes to pass. According to Tiny Tony DeLuca, it will by today:
Senate President Pro Tem Anthony DeLuca, D-Varlano, said “I think we had sufficient votes to pass the bill today.”
“We’ll have more votes tomorrow,” he said.
Of course it will, as the apparent holdup (literally) came from the harness racing ‘industry’, which wants, wait for it, mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money.
And it will have the support of Profiles In Courage nominee Sen. Patti Blevins. Pay attention to this heroic quote:
Blevins said she plans to vote for the bill but admitted to harboring a “tremendous amount of discomfort” about the human impact of expanding gambling.
“I have a concern about people losing their paychecks [playing online casino games] at their dining room table,” Blevins said, adding that she’s concerned about layoffs at Delaware casinos without the bill.
Whatever you say, Senator.
Here’s Tuesday’s Session Activity Report.
You will note that the Bond Bill was introduced. Should make some great reading for those so inclined. Which will likely not include 3/4 of the legislators.
Here’s a newly-introduced bill that can only be described as a sop to the construction trades. Which is why two R senators in electoral trouble have joined as sponsors. And why a primary-challenged D is the prime sponsor. Ain’t goin’ nowhere, and they know it.
Yet another bill creating yet more tax credits for businesses that relocate here and bring jobs with them passed unanimously in the Senate. It’s a priority of the Administration, so it won’t get lost in the shuffle. Unlike the minimum wage increase, which has been buried in Rep. Bryon Short’s Business Lapdog Committee since March 20 while the Administration looks on in approving fashion. Just so we have our priorities straight and everybody knows what they are. Ladies and gentlemen, your Democratic Party. At least prime sponsor Michael Katz gets some more Greenville bona fides in his run against Monsignor Greg Lavelle.
Hmmm, there’s sure been a lot of activity dealing with auctioneers lately. HB 271(Bennett) ‘clarifies’ the exemption for auctioneers selling real property not needing to be licensed by the Real Estate Commission. That’s clearly not good enough for Rep. Dave Wilson’s good friends in the House Rethug Caucus, who want a Licensing Board for Auctioneers (aka “keep the profession artificially closed”). 10 No votes, all R’s. One Not Voting-Wilson, due to the obvious conflict of interest.
More on those downstate Rethugs. They, along with, wait for it, John Atkins, cast the eight votes against SB 211(Blevins), which places tethering of dogs for 18 consecutive hours or more, and the tethering of very young dogs and nursing mother dogs, under the cruelty to animals’ statute.
Today’s House Agenda(s) has increased by one: House Agenda V. All I can say about HB 401(Lee) is “Here we go again.” Now we are designating EMT’s and volunteer firefighter among those deserving of added perks. This time, free surf fishing vehicle permits. This won’t be the last perk that the General Assembly bestows upon them, and this won’t be the last special class upon which perks are bestowed.
The Budget Bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate today. The only suspense, if you can call it that, is whether terminal buffoon Colin Bonini votes against it. Either way, he’ll campaign on what he ‘brought home to the district’. Phony.
The aformentioned internet gaming bill will find enough votes to pass. Hey, it’s an administration priority. Unlike minimum wage.
Here’s what a joke the ‘special license plate’ program has become. Just check out this synopsis:
This Act removes a members only Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. license plate and replaces it with a Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. license plate available to all who wish to support Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. activities – member and nonmember alike.
OK.
And, fittingly, at the bottom of today’s Senate agenda, we find yet another giveaway to the ‘telephone and telegraph’ industry, courtesy of John Viola, who I now officially christen Delaware’s Worst Legislator. No surprise that the other two prime sponsors are Senators DeLuca and McDowell.
You know what’s scary? We’re not even gonna be able to see what bills get snuck through later this week until after the legislative session is concluded, b/c the agendas will have been completed, and they’ll be working from so-called ‘must-lists’, aka lists of bills that legislators reallyreally want. As do many of the lobbyists who will piss in their respective ears until the final gavel is brought down.
So, I leave you with this musical plea:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FZU4JVOmro[/youtube]
Special bonus points to anyone who can tell us who wrote this song. It’s not who you’d expect, and we’re not talking some obscuro type. No cheating!
Tags: El Somnambulo, James Burton Delaware, John Viola Delaware, Michael Katz, Patti Blevins Delaware, Steve Tanzer Delaware, Valerie Longhurst Delaware
Goffin-King
That’s right. As in Carole King. Doesn’t sound like a song she’d write, but she’s written so many great songs. Check out her discography sometime, it’s simply amazing.
I’ve lost a lot of respect for Gov. Markell with his internet gambling bill. I always thought he’d put what’s best for the people before making money for the state. I guess you never know.
I am glad that Delmarva Power’s gouge the sickly bill didn’t pass. But I also am concerned that someone will change their vote (or show up to vote for it). I got some info from Longhurst about the bill that she got from DP attempting to justify the bill. If you are interested in it ES, I’ll pass it on to you.
HB 211- Just another unenforceable law that no one will ever be charged with.
Uh, work with me here. I THINK you mean the cruelty to animals bill, SB 211. Please give me a little more than your empty assertions here. How, exactly, is it unenforceable?
People do care about animals, and I think that this law will be almost completely complaint-driven.
@june,
Shouldn’t what’s best for the people be kinda something that the people decide? If someone decides that internet gambling is best for them who am I to say it’s not?
People gamble. Some of them do it for entertainment purposes. Some make it an occupation and some are betting on hitting it big. Different people, different reasons, and even different outcomes. Some people consider gambling a vice. It’s sort of like smoking a fine cigar. If you light one up to celebrate the birth of a child or an event it’s one thing. But if you chain smoke them it’s quite another.
The Governor is being pragmatic in recognizing that the state can generate revenue by gambling, which people will do regardless of how he feels about it in a social context. He understands that if he attempts to constrain what people can do infringes on their ability to make a choice. It is no worse or better than the Delaware Lottery or the casinos currently in Delaware.
It’s sorta like alcohol. Having a cocktail now and again is beneficial. Going on a binge every other day is not. Should we prohibit alcohol? Of course not, but there should be adequate regulations in place to protect the rest of the citizens (society) from individuals who make those kind of poor decisions.
Otherwise, we leave individuals to generally decide what’s good for themselves and provide some safety net for those who can’t seem to make the right decisions about their lives.
The ‘people’ ain’t got a dawg in this fight. The clamor for online gambling isn’t, as near as I can tell, coming from the people. The only entities engaged in this are looking at $$’s, nothing more. Fill the state coffers, help the ‘racinos’, buy off the mom-and-pops, and buy off the harness racing folks.
Dave, if you find about any rallies by the people for this, let me know. I wanna see who these ‘people’ are.
The 3 monopoly casinos would have fought this gambling expansion tooth and nail, but their silence was bought with a big tax cut with reduced fees to state coffers. The new Arundel Mills will severely damage Dover Downs’ revenues this year, and I hear Harrington is in trouble. Expanding gambling is not good ecomomic development. If they had built a new casino in eastern Sussex, at least that would have created real consruction jobs.
Well, Bobby V. just handed his opponent a great argument for giving him the boot. He didn’t understand what they were voting in because his hearing aid was turned down? Wow.
TNJ also continues to reveal its lack of attention to the details in the same piece, referring to him as Venebles. Yeeesh.
SW: That’s right after yesterday’s Letter to the Editor that spelled the lawmaker’s name John Adkins throughout, including the headline.
Yep. I guess the copy editors they got rid of actually did some good.
Senator NO: Senator Mike Katz joined Sens. Colin Bonini and Dave Lawson in voting NO on the state budget. Its a pretty austere budget this year.
“The ‘people’ ain’t got a dawg in this fight.”
The people have a dog in all the fights, one way or the other. But yeah, there are more important things that government should be working on and yes, there are no rallys going on. But generally, what’s good for the people ought to be mostly (but not always) left to the people, except when we are dealing with minors.
Most people (including me) don’t give a hoot about internet gambling one way or the other but I would prefer to not have someone control what’s best for me. Inform me? You bet! Prohibit? Not so much.
Dave, everyone isn’t able to look at things logically like you are. I’m thinking of the people who have little money and now the State of Delaware is giving them the opportunity to squander their money away without even leaving their homes. They don’t know any better. And you’re saying let them lose their money and then we provide their safety net? Huh?
Well, June, to be fair, the racinos are losing money, or at least facing the losses of money, and we’re providing THEM with a safety net.
Which, come to think of it, is just as bad.
“now the State of Delaware is giving them the opportunity to squander their money away without even leaving their homes. They don’t know any better.”
Y’know, many of the DO know “better.” When you get into the business of telling others you know better than they how they should live, you have to accept others doing the same to you. I prefer the live and let live method.
Using the logic promulgated by the hand-wringers, we should only sell alcohol at bars, because otherwise problem drinkers will be able to get drunk without even leaving the house.
Obviously, we’d rather have drunks staying home, because they pose a danger to others than gamblers do not. But do we really think there are hundreds or thousands of addicted gamblers out there who, but for the convenience of gambling from home, wouldn’t throw away their money on their vice?
My point of the analogy is that people who are gonna drink are gonna drink. I’m not going to tell them they have to go to a bar to do it just because it will inconvenience some of them into giving up the vice.
Not my point, Geezer. My point is that the Governor has chosen this method of replenishing state coffers when so many other less onerous methods,IMHO, were available. Delaware is about to become the FIRST state to do this. What could possibly go wrong? Except everything.
BTW, Nancy, I fully expect the redistricting bill to be run in the House. But I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised.
“What could possibly go wrong? Except everything.”
Quick, get to the fainting couch. Rested now? If you knew any gamblers, you’d realize that people who want to gamble on the internet have been doing it for years at offshore sites. This is the government deciding to take a slice of cash from an otherwise unregulated activity.
“And you’re saying let them lose their money and then we provide their safety net? Huh?”
Well if by “safety net” you mean that the government may have some obligation in promoting the general welfare by educating, counseling, and other interventional programs. Yes, I think they can and should. So, to the extent that we need Gamblers Anonymous just like the government creates the means to provide financial counseling and the like then I think it is a legitimate government function to create that mechanism.
If by “safety net” you mean creating a class of victims who subsequently deserve compensation. Then no.
Temperance Society goals notwithstanding, the people have the right to make choices. Even bad ones. We need to be careful of creating prohibitions against activities that “we” think are harmful because before you know it, someone may think we can’t buy super size soft drinks or eat too many nachos or go sky diving.
As far as people squandering their money, perhaps we should prohibit them from buying cigarettes or playing the Delaware lottery or buying Cocoa Puffs.
The only time I want to govern someone’s choices is when their choices directly affect other people (yelling fire in a crowded theatre). Otherwise I tend to treat them as adults rather than in a paternalistic (or maternalistic as the case may be) manner.
I got to the fainting couch just in time to hear the Supreme Court decision. Must say I didn’t see THAT coming. Now, if only Roberts can morph into Justice Souter…
My point, and I know you understand it, is that this is how the State has chosen to raise revenue. BTW, only from Delawareans, no out-of-state degenerates need apply.
There wasn’t even any ‘public good’ pretext to this whole thing. It’s designed to bolster the racino industry, with attendant payoffs to other special interests. Oh, and raise tons of cash for the ol’ coffers. As opposed to, say, restoring a progressive income tax.
I don’t object to this on moral grounds, I object to this b/c there was nothing but cynical motives behind the entire charade.