DL Open Thread: Tues., May 28, 2019
The Blatant Corruption That Delaware’s Corporate Laws Enables. This time, Ukrainian oligarchs using a major financial institution as ‘their own personal piggy bank’. Oh, the secrets we can keep in exchange for some filthy lucre.
RWNJ Shoots Up Cops. What won’t happen: Cops call for stricter gun control measures. What will happen: Calls for death penalty for cop killers. Bottom line: Cops don’t want controls on assault weapons, probably b/c at least half of them have a stash of arms at home.
Trump, Network, Fall In Love. Perhaps it’s just one of Trump’s many affairs…betcha Fox doesn’t divorce him.
Robert E. Lee Was A Racist Asshole. Who could possibly have imagined that he wasn’t the saintly figure he’s often portrayed as?
I Love This Mayor Pete Attack On Trump. Quite the Achilles heel, replete with bone spurs.
What do you want to talk about?
You all must have missed Byron Short’s missive extolling the good in the Meyer – Kilpatrick- Tackett trans. ord 19-005. I was waiting for a DL slam because Bryon. Proposed New Castle County traffic rules are a win-win
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2019/05/23/proposed-new-castle-county-traffic-rules-win-win-opinion/1208558001/
I just sent NCC Council this email:
Dear council,
I am hearing that council members will be bringing amendments to the floor tonight for Ord. 19-005.
I applaud these efforts to improve this ordinance. Any efforts.
This text amendment as drafted is a REPEAL of the citizens rights of concurrency and protections against traffic congestion and abuse of the public purse. And it has pitfalls everyone can see including the potential for corruption.
I surely hope everyone approaches these amendments with an open mind and an eye to the disgruntlement being expressed by the public as it dawns on people what is likely about to happen to them should this pass as written and worst case scenarios pan out.
Examples: One amendment should increase the DLU TID report back to council as annual not every two years. Another amendment would clarify definitions of economic development – the one offered is unacceptably vague – and better define all of the criteria for high paying jobs, and for waivers etc. And why does the language completely scrub a project’s egress from consideration? Have you asked for an explanation?
I had hoped Lex Wilson would have gotten his editors to release today’s story a few weeks ago so you all would have the benefit of your constituents’ opinions. The word is slowly getting out.
We civic leaders keep getting told we don’t understand the ordinance, that the Planning Board doesn’t understand the ordinance and that our perspective is wrong so it can be ignored. That is insulting and arrogant and wrong.
Among other problems, how will the funding work if DelDOT gets a budget shortfall? And this legislation as written is ripe for corruption which both Karen Peterson AND Bill McGlinchey talked about. This ordinance draft needs work. I just hope you get it done right tonight.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Nancy Willing
CLNCC President
Here are a few of the comments from the facebook page for the newspaper under this article:
https://www.facebook.com/Delawareonline/posts/10156578361409480?comment_id=10156578384434480&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D
– A Developer doing road improvements. Where in DE has that happen in the past. Take a close look at Sussex Count? What a joke… When and where has even a new traffic light been installed at the entrance of a proposed new home subdivision?
– The developers do as they like in this state, they own the politicians who rarely, if ever, try to stop them. Having ruined New Castle Co. their now well on their way to making life miserable in Kent and Sussex. Take a look at Middletown to see what the rest of the state will be like in 20 years. Lived in the same house in Smyrna for 33 years, seriously looking for the exit. In the meantime I will vote against any politician regardless of party that makes things “easier” for developers.
– Sounds like Meyer is in the back pocket of the builders.
– Some politicians have totally lost their minds. The only thing this will do is cost tax payers because the state will have to do the work. Time to vote out these people. I am sure he is getting a kick back from some of these developers. Unbelievable.
– A failing intersection is one where you have to wait more than 55 seconds? Have they driven anywhere in this state? I would call 55 seconds a relief!
– county exec staff will do all of this work behind closed doors with no independent controls (like terms recorded at the deeds office – all what they call land owner – developer recruitment arrangements are all to be kept in house in “notes on the plan”
– Before they do anything, maybe they should check to make sure County Executive Matt Meyer doesn’t have investments with these developers. Seems to me to be kind of pay to play. Besides we have enough shopping centers.
– TID designations tend to create opportunity for development in already developed areas. In other words, it encourages denser development so that we can preserve more of the undeveloped land. If written correctly, such a policy could really help preserve green space.
– Key point: it is not written “correctly” There are no criteria for TDR (trade to save green fields) etc., no criteria for actual good paying jobs etc.
– Oh man, like the 2,100 extra people we just put onto Silverside Rd?
– No one is cheering a new shopping center except the greedy developer friends of yours.
– And the jobs created
– low wage jobs