Wednesday Open Thread [7.16.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [7.16.14]

Anne Marie Cox thinks the GOP is now destroyed as an option for the Millennial Generation.
Late last week, the Reason Foundation released the results of a poll about that generation, the millennials; its signature finding was the confirmation of a mass abandonment of social conservatism and the GOP. This comes at a time when the conservative movement is increasingly synonymous with mean-spirited, prank-like and combative activism and self-important grand gestures. The millennial generation has repeatedly defined itself as the most socially tolerant of the modern era, but one thing it really can't stand is drama.
Which probably explains why Millennial approve of No Drama Obama.
Funding Highways by Underfunding Pensions

Funding Highways by Underfunding Pensions

This is the latest from the Congressional brain rust -- this time trying to find money for the Transportation Trust Fund. This time, it is Hoouse Republicans who are looking to use this trick to look like they are paying for the extension to the Transportation Trust fund. Instead of looking at rational ways of raising revenue (taxes, closing tax loopholes), they've decided that undermining America's already hemorrhaging pension system is the right place to get money to pay for our roads. But this is apparently not the first time this accounting gimmick has been floated to actually fund something. The Democrats tried using this mess into a bill to extend unemployment insurance and it was part of the funding mechanism for the last temporary Transportation Bill. Which means that this bit of business is available for some appalling bit of bipartisanship. (Even though the GOP looked at the pension smoothing plan to pay for unemployment benefits and said that it paid for nothing. Now they are all for it.) So what is Pension Smoothing?
Markell to Children: Drop Dead

Markell to Children: Drop Dead

Don't look for gimlet-eyed Jack Markell to lift a finger to assist in the humanitarian crisis at the nation's borders.  Delaware Gov. Markell turned down a request from The US Department of Health & Social Services to even consider making any state resources available to stem the humanitarian crisis. He blames congressional 'dithering'. As if the kids placed in the middle of this crisis can do anything to overcome congressional dithering. From today's News-Journal story:
Markell, who is among a number of the nation’s governors who fielded federal requests for help, said there are no state facilities available that could properly accommodate the children while they await immigration hearings. But he said some Delaware faith-based organizations might be in a position to offer assistance. “I don’t really see the possibility of any state facilities housing these kids,” Markell said Monday. “I don’t think that exists. If private organizations choose to do so, that’ll be up to them.”
Cape Henlopen School Board: Banning Books And Emails

Cape Henlopen School Board: Banning Books And Emails

I'm sure everyone is familiar with latest book banning drama from the Cape Henlopen School Board.  If not, here's the recap:
Cape Henlopen School District's decision to take a book off a summer reading list for incoming high school freshmen has drawn protests from librarians, some parents and teachers. The young-adult book, "The Miseducation of Cameron Post," which features a main character who is gay, was removed from the list by the school board in late June. The board majority cited foul language, not sexual orientation, as the reason for their action.
Which was followed by this:
Several Cape Henlopen School Board members indicated a willingness to reconsider their vote last month to remove a young adult novel from a freshman summer reading list at a Thursday meeting where librarians and a parent criticized them for it.
Now, this isn't the first time the Cape Henlopen School Board went after a book.  It's obviously a "thing" for this school board. But today's article in the Cape Gazzette brings a new tactic to the the table.
Expanding the Port of Wilmington

Expanding the Port of Wilmington

You've probably seen this article in Sunday's NJ that spins out a vision by Tom Gordon to expand on the Port of Wilmington by building a new facility directly on the Delaware River capable of handling the larger ships coming through the world's seaways. This new facility would be south of the current port, just south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I give Tom Gordon some credit for thinking about capitalizing on the current Port asset. I wrote about this alot when I was writing about Kinder Morgan and I'm still surprised that this isn't higher up on the economic development agenda.
So, Corporations Think They’re People?

So, Corporations Think They’re People?

The Hobby Lobby case gave us yet another reminder that corporations are pushing for full recognition as people; in this case a person with a particular religious belief. The Supremes seem totally hell bent on actualizing this fiction which historically started with a very mistaken decision based on an event decades ago in a area where I went to college, Santa Clara, California.
Contact the FCC NOW On Net Neutrality

Contact the FCC NOW On Net Neutrality

July 15 is the closing date for comments on the FCC's proposal to let ISP's create fast lanes to the internet -- charging people for faster service, while likely deteriorating the service of those who can't or won't pay more. From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
Unfortunately, the FCC is considering a plan that would allow some Internet providers to provide better access to some websites that pay a fee to reach users faster. This kind of “pay-to-play” Internet stifles innovation. New websites that can’t afford expensive fees for better service will face new barriers to success, leaving users with ever fewer options and a less diverse Internet.
Wilmington City Council Steps Up to Try to Control the City’s Costs

Wilmington City Council Steps Up to Try to Control the City’s Costs

The last city budget process highlighted once again the difficulty of using that fast-track process to start implementing some budget discipline within the city’s operations. Indeed, that budget not only raised the property taxes of city residents, but also left the city with a surplus – a surplus that no one understands its purpose. There were multiple problems brought up during the hearings – the number of vacant but budgeted positions, the fact that the city isn't paying its portion of the water and sewer bill, and the fact that the budget largely ignored the WEFAC finding that the city’s financial difficulty can’t be resolved by taxing its way out of it. On top of that, city residents really pushed back on city council people over the passage of that tax increase.  To respond to this, City Council is finally exercising its prerogatives as the body that approves spending, to start pulling spending back. This week they started with the staffing at the Fire Department, and they promise to look at all City Departments with an eye to reduce funding for vacant positions and look for better efficiencies.