Red Clay Referendum And City Schools

The Red Clay Consolidated School District is holding a Capital Referendum on February 28, 2012. Included in this referendum is the addition of another new suburban elementary school. Let me begin by saying that I wouldn't have a problem with the new school if Red Clay would ensure that its other schools didn't suffer when a new school opened. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. In the past 10 days my email has been filled with letters from community advocates and parents from the Highlands, Warner and Shortlidge community. Everyone has the same concern: New schools hurt existing schools, especially city schools. The evidence backs up their concerns.

Delaware Tidbits

Downstate, in the race to replace Sussex County GOP Chairman Glen Urquhart, whose resignation becomes official on February 13, Executive Committee Members Jerry Wood and Michael Triglia have sent letters of their intent to run for the chairmanship. Thoughts, downstaters? Which one is more insane?

Polling Goodness

Obama leads Romney by a pretty substantial margin in Ohio, 49% to 42%, according to a new Public Policy Poll out today. What is most impressive about this poll is not Obama's lead, but it is the fact that only 28% of Ohioans have a favorable opinion of Mitt Romney, and 56% have a negative, unfavorable opinion of him. That is unelectable. Those are toxic numbers. Or at least, when Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich had those numbers, we called them toxic.

Wednesday Open Thread [2.1.12]

With 94% of the vote counted in Florida, there have been roughly 1,583,000 votes cast. In the 2008 Republican primary in Florida, roughly 1,950,000 votes were cast. There's probably about 100,000 votes left to count tonight, but we can already see that despite a growing population, approximately 300,000 fewer Republicans voted tonight than four years ago.

Progressive Democrats Annual Meeting tonight.

Just a quick reminder about the Annual Meeting coming up tonight at 7 pm at the Delaware Democratic Party Headquarters, 19 E. Commons Blvd in New Castle County. The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for you, as a progressive, to get involved or get reinvolved in Delaware politics. Today's meeting's purpose is to shape the PDD organization as it prepares for the election year ahead. You can get involved in interviewing and endorsing candidates for office.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Pulls Funding From Planned Parenthood

The Associated Press reports that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, will cut off its funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates, where the foundation has traditionally paid for preventive screening services. And here I thought they cared about breast cancer. I thought they cared about breast cancer screenings, early detection, and saving lives. Looks like I was wrong, since it seems that the Susan G. Komen Foundation has decided that breast cancer is political. Guess helping poor women with breast cancer detection is one of those entitlements that must be stopped.

Tuesday Open Thread [1.31.12]

It is a slow news day and I am again slammed at work. Tonight, Mitt Romney will win the Florida primary and be the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. Newt Gingrich takes issue with those, including myself, that say that. "You mean those who said I was dead in June? Those who said I was dead in December? They are about as accurate as they were the last two times they were wrong." - Newt Gingrich, quoted by ABC News. He said the race would go on for "six or eight months" and then added: "unless Romney drops out earlier."

Impressions of the First Wilmington Mayoral Town Hall

Last night was the first Mayoral Town Hall or Debate sponsored by WDEL. This forum played to a standing room only crowd (they did indeed stop people from coming in after awhile). All of the known candidates were there except for Bovell and Bobby Marshall. I was there with some friends and here's what I think of the field so far.