I hate to be a Bulo One-Note. OK, I love to be a Bulo One-Note. Regardless, I wouldn’t be a Bulo One Note if the General Assembly had its priorities straight.
By now, we know that our roads and infrastructure are in for at least a year of neglect due to legislative inaction.
We also know that the General Assembly will find some way to waste money on the casinos. Casinos that are in the shape they’re in due to disastrous business decisions by its oligarch owners. Didja see the latest? Read the article carefully and see if I come to the same conclusion you do. Those supporting the latest casino bailout, including Jack Markell, are now proposing to use ‘one-time’ funds that were not used for their original purpose:
The casino aid proposal now offers $9.9 million to casinos by using $5 million left over from an $8 million bailout approved by the General Assembly last year (?). The proposal also uses $3.2 million set aside for the Kent County Sports Complex in the the Delaware Economic Development Office’s job infrastructure fund and the remainder would come from other money available from that fund.
Got that? The “Delaware Economic Development Office’s job infrastructure fund“. And just what are these funds supposed to, um, fund?:
The infrastructure fund for economic development, established in 2012, provides assistance for renovation, construction, or other improvements to roads, utilities and infrastructure to attract new businesses to the state. It also can be used for the expansion of existing state businesses to create jobs, according to the fund’s guidelines.
In other words, that Fund could (and I think should) help fund road and infrastructure improvements. Instead it’s going to bail out the casinos. As to the ‘expansion of existing state businesses to create jobs’, we’re not getting job expansion at the casinos. In fact, I think Cassandra’s right. The ink won’t be dry on the Governor’s signature before the alarm bells are once again sounded by the casinos. They are now essentially extorting money from the State. Our public officials are paying.
And make no mistake. This is nothing but a patch:
“I’m looking at it more like a door-opener,” he (Sen. Bushweller) said. “The bill passes and it creates a door-opener for next year.”
Casinos get bailed out while drivers head to their mechanics. Congratulations, General Assembly members. You own this. You too, Governor.
Boy, they sure were in a hurry to pass that Medical Examiner’s bill, weren’t they? House Committee meeting at 12 noon, on the House Agenda under Motion to Suspend Rules, and signed by the Governor before sundown. Anything to keep people from rethinking the foolhardiness of putting the State Police and the Division of Forensic Science under the same umbrella and possibly the same roof. How long before this one bites back? We warned you (clip ‘n save).
The State Budget passed the Senate, 18-3. Bottom line: Money was taken from roads and infrastructure to pay for higher mandated health costs, and no funding mechanism was provided for even a basic level of infrastructure repairs. Three Rethugs voted against the bill. Despite their votes, their downstate districts will get more than their fair share of state funds.
Here’s Tuesday’s Session Activity Report.
Today’s Senate Agenda features the aforementioned casino bailout bill. Could I just ask a question? It’s my article, so of course I can. Shouldn’t this bill at least contain a provision allowing other casinos to open in Delaware? Maybe they can do what the bozos in charge currently cannot. Run a business without constant state bailouts. Only seems fair.
Beer and a movie is on the agenda, as is Speaker Pete’s emasculated ‘municipalities have to come to us’bill. Still a horrible bill, and yet another bill that will almost inevitably lead to unanticipated consequences.
For the most part, the Senate is considering a bleepload of House bills today. A long agenda, worth checking out.
Today’s Senate committee meetings focus almost entirely on House bills. Except the Senate Executive Committee considers three notable nominations. And, um, looks like Total Wines is throwing around their campaign checkbook again. Also in today’s Senate Executive Committee: SB 251(Sokola) provides for expanded hours of operation for liquor stores. The sole beneficiary? The only stores pushing for this, Total Wine & More, our Walmart of Wines. Oh, and Bobby and Rebecca Byrd, the Anheuser-Busches of lobbyists. More hours=more sales of generic swill like Bud. Here’s the lobbying report from the Delaware Public Integrity Commission. A special interest bill, being pushed through at the last minute. Lotsa campaign checks hang in the balance.
Today’s House Agenda is pretty slim, considering there are only three session days left. Which, perhaps, is a good thing. Of course, once the House is finished with the printed agenda, it can suspend rules to consider all sorts of bills with virtually next to no public notice. As can the Senate. In fact, there may well not be any posted printed agendas for the last day of session (Sunday). More likely, there will be several agendas posted, followed by ‘must lists’, which generally consist of bills the House wants the Senate to consider and vice versa. But, I digress. Kowalko’s one-year lobbying ban for legislators is back in the House with that terrible Senate amendment, and will be considered.
The Budget Bill will also be considered under Motion to Suspend Rules. I wonder if any dead-enders will vote against it.
The only other bill of note, IMHO, is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to ‘modernize the bail provisions within the Delaware Constitution and clarify the power of the General Assembly and the Courts to define certain felony offenses for which and circumstances under which, pre-trial release on bail may not be available.’