Thursday Open Thread [4.17.14]

Thursday Open Thread [4.17.14]

1 Comment
Yeah, that internal Christie investigation was really on the up and up. The Bergen Record reports that "nine days before a team of its top lawyers made public a report clearing Governor Christie in the George Washington Bridge scandal, the law firm donated $10,000 to the Republican Governors Association, a group [Christie] heads." Andrew Sullivan continues to be impressed by the Long Game Theory of the Obama Presidency. And Hillary Clinton crushes everyone in the lastest national poll. We are talking 40 state blowout.

This photo….

12 Comments
...accompanies a story that News Journal ran this morning on New Castle County government clearing out a homeless tent city near Christiana by week's end. The photo is from New Castle County. Given that Gordon wants to develop a humane policy, I am not attacking him for touring the site or having it cleared in lieu of better options for the inhabitants. It is private property, and such tent cities are not safe. But the photo makes it look like Gordon is personally ordering the woman (who is Executive Assistant Angela Walker, rather than a tent city inhabitant) to leave now. Not a good image, even for the law and order Gordon.

Thursday Daily Delawhere [4.17.14]

From xzmattzx:
Hidden in a subdivision is a little bit of railroad history. The New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad was chartered in 1829 and began operating in 1832. The railroad connected New Castle to Frenchtown, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. The western part of the railroad was abandoned in 1859, but the right-of-way remained cleared and functioned as buffers between parcels of land. Since railroad require flat ground, embankments were built for the railroad during construction, and some of these embankments still exist. Arguably the best remnant of the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad is this embankment off of Forrestal Drive in Pencader Hundred. This view looks east along the embankment, with the natural contours of the earth seen on either side.
Wednesday Open Thread [4.15.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [4.15.14]

8 Comments
A new study finds that rich and powerful interest groups have a much greater impact on government policy than the majority of citizens. Gawker says it means that the United States has officially become an oligarchy:
"The study notes that the position of the median American and the position of the affluent American are often the same; therefore, regular people tend to think that their political interests are being represented when they see the triumph of some political position that they agree with. In fact, the researchers say, this is a mere coincidence. Yes, the average American will see their interests represented--as long as their interests align with the interests of the wealthy."
And this is where it gets interesting. The interests of the average and the wealthy are diverging. And the wealthy are freaking out because they know what happens next. For you see, when the interests diverge, the wealthy can either accept it and make the changes necessary to placate the average American, which will probably cost them some money. Or they can just prepare for revolution and hope that the wealthy and the government they bought can put down the violence. This is why you see billionaires complaining in the Wall Street Journal about the evils of progressives and economic populism.
Interview with Senator Bryan Townsend

Interview with Senator Bryan Townsend

Here is an interview that El Somnambulo and I had with Senator Bryan Townsend (D-11th). The interview took place at Timothy's on the Waterfront a little over a month ago, but don't worry, the topics we talk about are not out of date. So that explains the bar and restaurant ambiance, and some 70's tunes in the background. The reason for the delay in publishing this was problems I experienced with my editing software. I had to cut out the moment that the waitress came over mid interview. We touch on the Charter School bill from last year and Education in general, the Governor's infrastructure plan that he wants to pay for with a 10 cent increase in the gas tax, the once and future minimum wage increase, the Veasey Report and any resultant reform measures (this interview comes before several rather bland bills were introduced), casinos, the "clarifying" bill regarding our State Treasurer and the Sunset Committee. Come inside to listen....
It’s Official. David Tackett to Challenge Bryan Townsend.

It’s Official. David Tackett to Challenge Bryan Townsend.

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Tackett sent out this e-mail to community leaders. I swear I have not changed one letter of what he wrote. This is (presumably) his own syntax:
Well I am reaching out to share some exciting news, I have decided to run for the senate seat in our area, As you know I have been the councilman for going on 10 years now and I have used this experience and time to build my relations in the communities and helping our residents on the county level and I am now ready to move to the state side and use my experience with the multitude of state issues we are facing. We have worked on many issues in Breezwood over the years and we will have many more. I have watched as Dover has done nothing for our economy and jobs and they only dealt with a bunch of social issues while we have been hurting and struggling just to maintain. I fell it is time to carry our voices into Dover and demand this struggling economy be addressed. I promise I will be this voice! The guy we have now that beat DeLuca last year still lives with his parents and while he is a nice guy I just feel he does not understand the pressures we face as homeowners, parents and ever increasing pressure of inflation.
Girls Rationalize Sexual Assault As… Normal?

Girls Rationalize Sexual Assault As… Normal?

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First, let me start off by saying that I've witnessed the normalization of sexual assault first hand - through my experience and now through my 16 year old daughter.  It feels like an uphill battle.  My small victory?  Everyone at the Pandora household has stopped using gender specific words in a negative, and a positive, fashion. But take a look at this study.  I doubt you'll be surprised.
Tuesday Open Thread [4.15.14]

Tuesday Open Thread [4.15.14]

6 Comments
A new CBO report shows Obamacare will cost $100 billion less than expected while insuring more people. Run against that you Republicans, we dare you. And you spineless corporate shill Democrats, run away from it and you are done. You might as well call yourself a Republican. Meanwhile, we have Markos Moulitsas on the fact that Liberals have won the Culture War, and we have pretty much won the Everything Else war too.

Monday Open Thread [4.14.14]

2 Comments
Republicans think healthcare is a great issue for them. With ads like Mark Begich's in Alaska, they might want to rethink that. With their focus on Obamacare in 2014, and their belief that the law is actually failing and that the people actually hate it, Republicans are heading for a repeat of 2012. Obamacare is now the new unskewed polls.