Tuesday Open Thread [3.17.15]

The Sussex County Progressive Community is commemorating the Fair Housing Act of April 1968 with one of their dinner meetings on Sunday March 29, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. at the Fish On Restaurant in the Villages of Five Points.

Romona Fullman, the Director of the Division of Human Relations/Commission for Women, will discuss the role of the Division in administering and enforcing Delaware’s Fair Housing and Equal Accommodations Laws, the impact living in underserved communities has on individuals’ health, education, and economic opportunities, the potential effect on the enforcement of key fair housing laws in light of the disparate impact case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court and the State Human Relations Commission and its role in Delaware. Natalie Fountain, the Training and Outreach Coordinator, will discuss opportunities groups and communities have to obtain free Fair Housing awareness training.

Attendees may choose from the complete menu, including a Sunday Night special of three courses for $19.
Reservations required, and if you want to go, email an RSVP to Joanne Cabry at sussexprogressives@gmail.com today!

Nancy LeTourneau of the Washington Monthly documents the atrocities, or the numerous incidents of Republican failure to govern:

We’ve seen them:

*Completely bungle their own attempt to tie funding for the Department of Homeland Security to repeal of President Obama’s executive orders on immigration.
*Politicize the response to negotiations with Iran by not informing President Obama of the invitation to PM Netanyahu to address Congress.
*Fail to over-ride President Obama’s veto of their bill to approve the Keystone Pipeline.
*Send only token support to the 50th Anniversary commemoration in Selma, AL.
*Sign a letter to the leaders of Iran that basically undermines the President’s negotiations.

In the midst of all this, we learned that Boehner doesn’t talk to McConnell and that he basically says things because it’s the “easiest thing to solve his immediate problem.” […]

This is the definition of a party in disarray. And its all happening just as their two frontrunners for the 2016 presidential nomination are starting to throw some elbows at each other. There will be a lot more of that over the next few months.

Fred Kaplan offers his thoughts on recent Republican debacles: “It is a useful thing when a political party reveals itself as utterly unsuited for national leadership.”

Now that the General Aseembly is back in full swing, so is our political calendar:

Saturday, March 21, 2015

8:30 AM–Its the annual Republicans v. Democrats Volleyball Game.
Delaware Orthopaedic Sportsplex, 326 Ruthar Drive, Newark DE

Join Democratic Team Captains House Speaker Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf and House Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst and Republican Team Captains Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle and Rep. Michael Ramone in supporting your team to win on the court and raise the most money for Easter Seals disability services. In the last 10 years, the Democrat and Republican teams combined have raised more than $38,000 for Easter Seals. Currently, the Republicans lead the Democrats 6 – 3! All donations go to support Easter Seals and people with disabilities. For more information, please contact vhensley@esdel.org.

Tuesday, March 24th

6 PM–1st Southern Delaware ADA Meeting!
Lewes Library (111 Adams Ave, Lewes, DE 19958)

6 PM–Sierra Club’s Delaware City Refinery Water Permit Hearing March
Gunning Bedford Middle School (801 Cox Neck Rd, New Castle, Delaware 19720)
Please sign up to attend and/or submit public comments in advance here: http://goo.gl/forms/rv8sHBni0g or email Stephanie Herron (Stephanie.Herron@sierraclub.org)

Wednesday March 25th

9 AM–Sierra Club Lobby Day
Legislative Hall, Dover, DE
Pre-registration for Lobby Day is required by Friday, March 20th. Email Stephanie Herron (Stephanie.Herron@sierraclub.org).”Help us share the message with our elected officials that we need them to act on energy efficiency and climate change in Delaware!”

9 AM–League of Women’s Voters League Day
Christ Episcopal Church (at the corner of East State and Water Streets, Dover, DE)
Come learn and advocate with the League on five key issues (Voting, Campaign Finance, Housing, Justice, Environment-Coastal Zone). Register by Friday, March 20, by calling 302-571-8948.

The five key issues will be addressed by:

Elaine Manlove, Delaware Commissioner of Elections;
John Flaherty, President of DE Coalition for Open Government;
Susan Starrett, Senior Program Manager, CSH, The Source for Housing Solutions;
Joanna Champney, Chief of Planning, Delaware Department of Corrections; and
Richard Fleming, Delaware Nature Society.

7 PM–Del. ADA Chapter Meeting – with a focus on Same Day Registration!
Newark Free Library (750 Library Ave, Newark, DE 19711)
Discussion of Same Day Registration, Living Wage!

Friday, March 27th, at 1pm
Rally Against Fast Track/TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)
In front of Rep. Carney’s office (233 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801)

Saturday, March 28th, 10am – Noon
Strategic Nonviolent Conflict Training
The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew (719 N. Shipley Street Wilmington DE 19801)
Want to learn how to be a Nonviolent Social Change Agent in your community? Find out what techniques Gandhi and civil rights activists used to make change Identify how we can use Nonviolence to dismantle injustice in institutions. Sponsored by Pacem in Terris and Delaware Americans for Democratic Action
Living Wage Campaign!

Common Cause Delaware recently hired Claire Snyder-Hall as a lobbyist/program director. Snyder-Hall recently ran for the State Senate against Senator Ernie Lopez down in the 6th Senate District. Indeed, we had hoped to lure Ms. Snyder-Hall to write for DL and provide a down state progressive voice, but Common Cause beat us to it.

Snyder-Hall, who earned a doctorate in political science from Rutgers University, served as a faculty member in George Mason University’s Department of Public and International Affairs for 12 years and directed a number of university programs. She has extensive experience working with nonprofits, action-oriented organizations and lobbying for various causes in Delaware and Maryland. She is an expert in citizen engagement and consults regularly for the Kettering Foundation. […]

She replaces Dee Durham, who recently took a position as the coordinator of grants at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

Since its founding in 1972, Common Cause Delaware has been one of the state’s most effective watchdog groups and has played a leading role in the passage of major legislation at the state and local levels such as campaign finance, transparency, and lobbying reforms.

First Read: “It’s unclear the exact impact that Netanyahu losing on Tuesday could have on U.S. domestic politics, especially when it comes to the Iran nuclear debate. But it wouldn’t be good news for hawks. Think about it: Netanyahu comes to the U.S. Congress to make his final argument — on Iran, against President Obama’s foreign policy — and his party loses what had seemed to be a winnable election? Right or wrong, Netanyahu getting involved in domestic U.S. politics would be blamed for the surprising loss. So [today]is going to be a big story.”

If Texas adopted Oregon’s new automatic voter registration law, it would probably turn purple overnight, and be a competitive state in 2016.