General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 29, 2017
Speaker Pete has given the D Caucus their marching orders: Pass HB 240, don’t dare deviate. Those who deviate will be marched up to the Governor’s office for a one-on-one with The Kingfish The Jellyfish.
There are some progressive legislators who strongly believe that those least able to afford it are being inordinately impacted by the tax hikes and the reduction of deductions (ah, that felt good) while the wealthy once again skate. No means testing on anything, not even the Senior Tax rollback. Pete has made clear that there will not be an added second top rate. The LLC bill sits in limbo. (Whenever I get depressed or angry, I find that music is the best antidote, especially music like that. My links are gifts to you. Please click on them. Now bolded for your convenience.)
Per usual, the Leaders are counting on ordinary people to beg that HB 240 be passed to restore cuts while knowing all-too-well that said leaders have crafted a proposal that places most of the shared sacrifice on those same ordinary people. Utterly cynical.
And, yes, lots of stuff that should be considered in separate bills is being crammed into the Budget Bill Epilog Language–including legislation permitting school districts to raise taxes w/o referenda.
BTW, and this will be the subject of a future article, it appears that the State has failed to collect a significant amount of taxes owed to it for years–largely under the stewardship of Tommy (Hey, guys, I’m Nancy’s kid!) Cook. Rick Geisenberger, the current Finance Secretary and one of the more capable officials we have, is working to address this, but some of that money is gone forever. But, hey, at least the Cooks kept it all in the family. Nepotism sucks.
Oh, and Connie is correct:
Also- epilogue language- the transportation fund for Charters– STILL THERE! Also- $7 million for Charters. All this while forcing districts to use the match tax.
Meaning, while JFC gouges public education and flatlines grants-in-aid, charters are held harmless. They’re almost as sacrosanct as state cops.
In other words, ex-state cop Speaker Pete expects progressives to fall in line so he can cut a bad deal with the Rethugs. Some things never change. And won’t until there is new leadership in the House.
Deep Cleansing Breath.
John Carney and the Chamber will get their Public/Private Partnership. HB 226 (B. Short), which eliminates DEDO and gives a non-state agency the right to disseminate public funds in its stead, passed the Senate yesterday and heads to the Governor. Only Senators McBride and Townsend voted no. Mark my words (e-clip and save), it is inevitable that some scandal will result from this giving away of state dollars by a group of business people operating a non-public agency.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.
And, like clockwork, we have today’s House Agenda. More accurately, House Agendas. You will note that the bills in the revenue package, including HB 240, are right up near the top. Excluding, of course, Rep. Kowalko’s bill establishing two top rates and Rep. Kowalko’s bill charging a modest fee increase for LLC’s. The question becomes, will all D’s fall in line, or will Pete have to troll for R votes, or will there be lengthy caucuses while negotiations continue? The D’s can pass the revenue bills in the House if all D’s stick together. The questions are: Will they and should they? I understand that there will be a couple of progressive amendments introduced to HB 240, let’s see if leadership lets them through. If so, maybe crisis averted. If not…
Today’s Senate Agenda features the Coastal Zone Permit Conversion Act. It appears that most of the opposition to this Act has dissipated in light of the amendments that have been passed and placed with this bill. This bill is clearly far less than the Chamber and the serial polluters wanted. Having said that, once you open it up…it never gets closed again. Will future legislatures withstand the inevitable pressures to allow additional despoiling in the Coastal Zone? If past is prologue, the answer is no.
It looks like Fan Duel and Draft Kings must be spreading around some campaign cash. There is no other explanation for HB 249 (Potter) appearing on today’s agenda. Well, yes there is. Perhaps the senators don’t read Delaware Liberal. No, that can’t be.
Total Wines will also receive its nearly-annual sinecure from Rep. Heffernan in the form of HB 166, which permits the would-be alcohol monopolists (The Trone Family) to be open on Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm. Not that it upsets me, but it is special interest legislation. Just thought you’d like to know.
What happens today will in large measure determine what happens tomorrow. Either the revenue bills will be shipped off to the Senate, or there will be drama in the House as we head into June 30/July 1.
Tune in tomorrow.
Is the state still in the leisure and hospitality business?
If you mean, have funds been restored to tourism agencies, the answer is no. I kinda doubt that those funds will be restored. You gotta cut something.
And it’s not like the businesses who would benefit from a tourism campaign couldn’t cobble together enough bucks to promote tourism.
Longhurst/Schwartzkopf have introduced amendment to HB 240 that strikes Carney tax bracket increases for those brackets under $25K and allows choice between current standard deduction and 50% of itemized deductions. I guess that this was the compromise with realty/charity interests. I would also suspect this is the working draft now.
Thanks, Gary. I suspect there will be more changes, or at least, attempted changes.
What’s gonna happen when the companies that are being recruited by our public-private partnership to reinhabit the brownfields in the Coastal Zone find out that we’re a state that slashes spending on education, could care less about promoting its leisure and cultural attractions and doesn’t even pay lip service to the arts?
“Why Delaware?” they will ask themselves. “We can get the same in Alabama or Mississippi — for even less.”
People are going to be awfully pissed at the Democrats for decoupling state taxes from federal taxes. This adds a burden to every taxpayer, no matter how much or little it costs them.
Democrats have internalized the GOP’s anti-tax mantra, and for no good reason. Chris Coons raised NCCo taxes, and look how badly it hurt his career.
“Democrats have internalized the GOP’s anti-tax mantra, and for no good reason.”
So true. Although maybe they think it makes raising money from rich people and wealthy corporations easier?
Terrible assumption, Jason.
Rich people know that if the government really needed their money, they wouldn’t ask for a handout, they would levy a tax.
I was thinking more along the lines of does the state still own golf courses, meeting halls, banquet facilities, etc?
Yeah, that’s really sucking down the big bucks.
Heads up, Arthur: The big cost of the golf courses was the purchase, not the upkeep. Horse. Barn. Door.
We allow “LLCs” to stash hundreds of millions of dollars here for a pittance. The fact that we’re even discussing what constitutes government “waste” shameful and immoral and disgusting in my view. Go get the money where it is and stop talking about consolidating school districts.
Just remember this when school funding is slashed. It was done so that the very wealthy can hoard money here for a small, state sanctioned vigorish.
Hundreds of millions? More like hundreds of billions. And no, you can’t see who really owns the company, which is why Russians laundering money love Delaware.
Correct. I apologize for the error.
So stupid. Grants-In-Aid are literally $0.20 per person, per day, in the state. Are they not willing to raise taxes even that tiny bit to cover a gap? They’re going to force non-profits who depend on GIA to close. /ragequit
Why are we charging LLCs a flat fee for the services the state provides? Why could the fee not be based upon the projected income of the business. Small firms could get a break, and the mega firms could pay for the additional benefits they derive on the basis of size.
There has to be a last minute surprise here
I heard an interesting theory last night at the public meeting to oppose offshore drilling.
The rollback of the CZA is an effort to open the waterfront up to the fossil fuel industry which is on its way to the mid Atlantic thanks to Trump.
Sounds reasonable
STATEMENT FROM SEN. GARY SIMPSON & SEN. GREG LAVELLE on today’s JFC vote:
“Today, the Democrats demonstrated where their values lie. They have declared that they value union campaign checks and unsustainable spending over the most needy in Delaware. The idea that they would use our nonprofits as a tool in budget negotiations is mean-spirited and pathetic. The state government spends over $8 billion every year. Are we to believe that there wasn’t $37 million to be found anywhere else? Are we to believe that every government program works? Of course not. But not one of the JFC cuts from today reduces the size of any state government program. Not one.
We continue to be committed to real, permanent changes to our state government that makes Delaware better, not just more expensive. We look forward to further conversations that will lead to a sustainable, successful state government.”
There it is, the latest salvo in the war of ideas. A bankrupt approach to governance if ever I saw one. No data, no reports of failures of state government, just old saws about waste and mismanagement with no particulars to back it up. It is not just suspiciously vague, it is outright slander. But Democrats aren’t without guilt in this. What did they think the reaction would be when they announce a brilliant plan to cut local fire department funding? Did they honestly think they would be applauded from Delmar to Upper New Castle County? Idiots? Worse, FOOLS. Gary and Greg can’t wait for 2018 now…
Betcha the Rethug leaders didn’t mention holding the budget hostage so that Delaware’s wealthiest could escape paying estate tax. When you aren’t part of the solution, you can still throw PR crap out there. And often succeed.
What a mess the lefty liberals have made of the once great Democratic party.
Very sad…
I’m expecting Carney to set up another Budget Reset coffee for Friday at 11 at Woodburn. All JFC members invited.
“What a mess the lefty liberals have made of the once great Democratic party.”
What the fuck are you talking about? Where do “lefty liberals” (didn’t think you could get stupider than before, but that construction manages it) run anything?
You’re smart to run from me, I’ll give you that much.
I find it completely unreasonable to cut services and increase taxes on our most vulnerable citizens. Creating a top tax tier at $150k doesn’t go far enough in my opinion to generate the revenue needed to avoid the crippling effects of tax increases and reductions of services on the people who will be truly impacted. We shouldn’t expect the lower class and the working class who struggle to make ends meet to pay “their fair share” when the wealthy do not. Creating a $250k+ bracket and even a higher bracket could generate enough revenue to soften the impact on the people that need it the most.
The republicans in Delaware are playing the same card that the republicans in congress played when President Obama tackled the “pay your fair share” issue. It’s well past time that Democrats in Delaware start acting like Democrats by protecting our most vulnerable citizens!
amen to that
How do I post a self-made cartoon here?
You can send it to Jason330@delawareliberal.net