DL Open Thread: Sat., May 9, 2020
Judge Laster Drops The Big One. Holds that the way property taxes as assessed is unconstitutional. I think he’s absolutely right. This has been the Third Rail of Delaware Politics for some time. Like, um, 40 years. Alby will be writing up a piece on this, but big changes are afoot, and it stands to benefit Delaware public schools.
Everything Falls Apart, Ctd. US. Global. The latest carnage: 1,284,708 confirmed cases and 77,201 deaths in the United States. 1600 more deaths since yesterday.
Trump Loses Senior Support To Biden. If this trend continues, it’s Game Over. From the NYTimes:
For years, Republicans and Mr. Trump have relied on older Americans, the United States’ largest voting bloc, to offset Democrats’ advantage with younger voters. But seniors are also the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and the Trump campaign’s internal polls show his support among voters over age 65 softening to a concerning degree, people familiar with the numbers said.
A recent Morning Consult poll found that Mr. Trump’s approval rating on the handling of the coronavirus was lower with seniors than with any other group other than young voters. And Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the presumptive Democratic nominee, in recent polls held a 10-point advantage among voters who are 65 and older. A poll commissioned by the campaign showed a similar double-digit gap.
The US has blocked a vote on a UN security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic, because the Trump administration objected to an indirect reference to the World Health Organization…On Thursday night, it appeared that the compromise resolution had the support of the US mission, but on Friday morning, that position switched and the US “broke silence” on the resolution, raising objection to the phrase “specialist health agencies”, and blocking movement towards a vote.
Oh how I’d love to see the properties at the beach reassessed, believe it’s been 40 years in Sussex, but as noted it’s been many years in Kent and New Castle as well. Will this ruling compel the politicians to do what is right and needed? Not without a fight unless I miss my guess. If indeed the senior vote is falling away from Trump perhaps it’s the Republicans calling for sacrificing the old and sick to graciously die off for “the greater good”. Once again would love to see it happen.
It’s been almost 50 years in Kent County, and almost 40 years in NCC and Sussex.
El Som,
You’ve got K and S reversed. Last Sussex assessment was 1974, New Castle 1983 and Kent 1987.
Since the counties had no legit defense for their practices, their arguments in the case were based on dubious technicalities. Now, in some respects this is what the GA was hoping for, because they can now say “the judge made us do it.” But first, they’re going to do the little dance: more hearings, then give the GA some time (early 2021, most likely) to come up with a plan, and then the judge decides whether it’s OK. The key here is how far the GA is willing to go, and how much the judge is willing to order. At a minimum, each county will have to reassess — and there will be big arguments about whether the counties, the school districts, or the state will pay for the reassessment. But the key here is going to be what happens going forward. If, for example, they use 2021 as their “base year,” as time goes by the numbers will get out of whack again. They need some form of rolling reassessments, so values of all properties are adjusted on a 3- or 5-year cycle. I’m betting that the GA won’t take that leap, and I’m not convinced that the judge believes he has the power to require rolling reassessments.
One other thought for down the road, should this case wind up at SCODEL for an appeal. This is arguably the most significant education law decision to come out of a Delaware case since Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart, which later became part of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Ed decision. The judge in those cases: Collins J. Seitz. The current CJ of Delaware’s Supreme Court: Collins J. Seitz Jr.
Oops. Correct.
There seems to be a “bug” or “flu” or something ravaging the White House. Oh well, thoughts and prayers.
Just the thoughts will be sufficient.
Just the thoughts will be sufficient.