This Highlands Bunker/WFP Series is Very Good
This series in which REV interviews the WFP endorsed candidates is illuminating and inspiring. I think the Shané Darby ep is still locked, but you can start with this James Taylor episode.
State House candidate James Taylor joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how his background in Wilmington led him to Berklee and back again, why he’s running for office, and what needs to be done to fix Delaware government.
Show Notes:
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Really enjoyed the WFP Meet The Candidates Forum last night. We heard from Becca Cotto, DeShanna Neal, Sophie Phillips, Shane Darby and Cyndie Romer.
It’ll take some work, but we can go 5 for 5 with these candidates. Add in Kerri Harris and James Taylor, and the Kop Kabal is kaput. Actually, a sage hand who was present last night told me we need three flips to put an end to the Pete/Val era.
As a patron, I can tell you that the Shane Darby episode is really good.
The dirty little secret is that a lot of this eminent domain shit, not to mention Norman Oliver, of all people, heading up a fundraiser, is all about the intent of Mayor Mike and BPG to gentrify Southbridge. With Stormin’ Norman once again stuffing his pockets at the expense of Black city residents.
Which, come to think of it, is why Brian and Megan McGlinchey are also front and center.
As the Rev said, we can look forward to ‘Bardea III’. And perhaps candlepin bowling. Oh, and a whole lot of dispossessed residents.
I do a lot of trades work in the city, and I’m neither hearing (nor seeing) the push to “gentrify southbridge”. Years ago a few developers kicked the tires on the old oil terminal at the base of third street bridge but the environmental cleanup was too expensive. From a construction standpoint its a real pain to build anything over there anyway; its all swamp and anything bigger than a rowhouse needs to be on a spread footers/pilings. From what I understand RDC/BPG has no interests east of Delaware Humane and the rowing center, and would prefer to keep that as sort of a no-mans land to discourage foot traffic between the southbridge and all the new development planned for west of S. Market Street. I heard that they were a little peeved about the board walk through the marsh for the same reason. If anything you might see A-street turned into a partial one-way (traffic into southbridge only) in the near future.
Keep an eye on west center city. BPG and other players like EDIS have longer-term interests in shoring up the market street core. Everything between 4th street and delaware ave, and from 95 east to market, is in their crosshairs. Adams street was a warning shot, there are a lot of places like that (and worse) all over town but expect code enforcement to crawl through WCC with a fine-tooth comb.
One good piece of scuttlebutt: Jerry Heisler shit his pants when he heard about the eminent domain bill. He has been sitting on the old NVF plant on maryland ave for years now and he was afraid that they were going to come after him. Supposedly Big Mike had to make a personal call to let him know that the bill did not apply to “his kind of people”.
Why aren’t you writing for us?
I mean–would you like to write for us?
Great stuff!
Good analysis, BPG is definitely intent on completing its assemblage of property and domination of WCC. As to Southbridge 2 things can be true. this is a longer-term operation that I have been watching as my mother was born in that community in 1915 and a load of my relatives sprung from poverty there. Yes, it’s been a fairly poor area for over 100 years. My bet is the plan is to swallow the community from Market to beyond New Castle Ave to the edge of the Marine terminal and to the city line. In the meantime, the plan appears to isolate the “undesirables” to within a block or 2 west of New Castle Ave. This supports your one way A Street plan for sure.
Ep with Shané is unlocked now. So everyone can listen
I wish I knew enough about Nnamdi Chukwuocha to write a post about how this primary is like (or unlike) Morrison v Jaques.
53 DAYS TO GO!
I think they’re two different animals.
Morrison was in the race early as he went after an out-of-touch incumbent who had gotten lazy. To me, the more apt analogy for this year is DeShanna Neal vs. Larry Mitchell.
Shane got in late, and it was really due to Nnamdi giving the middle finger to his constituents on eminent domain, gun control, and legal protection for renters. He sided with the Kop Kabal over the people who elected him.
As someone decently clued into the Wilmo scene, NascarDad’s comments definitely track.
Big plans for West Center City. No way they want easy access between Southbridge and Riverfront. And so forth.