RIP Frank Biondi. There was a time when all respectable newspapers would publish obituaries that staffers had written for notable local figures who had passed. Frank Biondi was a highly-accomplished public-spirited citizen who made quite a permanent mark on Wilmington and on Delaware. From the obituary that someone had to pay for and to write:
Over the course of his 50+ years of practice, Frank co-founded two law firms, served as the city solicitor of the City of Wilmington (1963 – 1969, after serving as first assistant city solicitor from 1961 – 1963) and became a senior partner at Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell, one of Delaware’s pre-eminent firms. Beginning in early 1974, Frank also served as Delaware’s legal counsel to the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the operator of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. He served in that role for 27 years.
During his time in the city solicitor’s office, he authored Wilmington’s first public accommodations ordinance prohibiting discrimination in places providing services to the general public, including restaurants, hotels and retail stores (1961) and its first comprehensive housing code establishing minimum living condition standards and an effective enforcement mechanism (1962). Frank also shepherded the work of the city council and the city zoning commission and drafted a complete revision of the city’s zoning code, providing an update sorely needed after 35 years of piecemeal changes (1961-1962). He was the architect of the Wilmington home rule charter (1964), which changed the city government from a commission form to an executive and legislative model. And, he helped guide the city through the civil disturbances of 1967 and 1968, balancing the need to restore order with the safe-guarding of the lives, rights and property of all of its citizens.
There’s a whole lot more. A whole lot more. Read the obituary. I also remember him as a welcoming presence whenever he visited Leg Hall during my early years there, from 1983 on. Deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Trump Promises (Threatens) To Make Justice Department His Wholly-Owned Subsidiary:
The naked politics infusing Mr. Trump’s headline-generating threat underscored something significant. In his first term, Mr. Trump gradually ramped up pressure on the Justice Department, eroding its traditional independence from White House political control. He is now unabashedly saying he will throw that effort into overdrive if he returns to power.
Mr. Trump’s promise fits into a larger movement on the right to gut the F.B.I., overhaul a Justice Department conservatives claim has been “weaponized” against them and abandon the norm — which many Republicans view as a facade — that the department should operate independently from the president.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Enters R Presidential Race–but, even by Rethug standards, he could be the most corrupt person in it. Besides Trump. From Talking Points Memo:
Just to keep up on things I subscribe to a number of papers in swing or swingish states around the country. One of those is the Miami Herald. For several weeks the Herald has been advancing a story about Mayor Suarez and his relationship with one of the city’s rising real estate developers, Rishi Kapoor. In these cases “relationship” usually means a shadowy and uncertain series of ties. But not shadowy: the Mayor is literally on Kapoor’s payroll. It’s started with people raising questions about the fact that Kapoor had been working to get a series of accommodations from the city for a major development project and had also been paying Suarez $10,000 a month for vaguely defined consulting services.
Suarez and Kapoor initially said Suarez was helping Kapoor find investors for one of his projects, not make the red tape for the big project in Coconut Grove disappear. But then the Herald broke the story that the company’s records made very clear that they were paying the Mayor to do just that. Notes from a meeting last summer, in which Kapoor tried reassure skittish investors that the zoning issues would be resolved, read: “Mayor Suarez to assist in pushing this along.”
Over the weekend came news that the FBI is now investigating the payments to the Mayor (which totaled at least $170,000) and the SEC is investigating the real estate developer’s company. So now we’re presumably off to the races.
He no doubt will use the Trump defense: “They’re coming after me because I’m gonna be President.”
Power Companies’ Dark Money Cripples Green Energy Efforts. Some are being called to account:
US power companies have made political donations of at least $215m to dark money groups in recent years, according to a new analysis of 25 for-profit utilities, amid growing concerns around how they wield influence.
Such secretive donations to barely regulated non-profit groups have helped utilities increase electricity prices, hinder solar schemes and helped elect sympathetic legislators in recent years.
While dark money giving to tax exempt groups is legal, a number of utilities have faced criticism for it. In Arizona and Alabama, power companies faced blowback after they used dark money to aid the election of friendly regulators. In Michigan, regulators barred another company from using dark money entirely after it spent $43m on politics in just three years.
Delaware’s Ag Department Opposes Green Constitutional Amendment. Gee, I wonder if this reflects the Governor’s views…:
Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse said the department was opposed to the legislation, stating that the constitutional amendment could open up the department as well as producers who are currently protected by Delaware’s Right to Farm legislation to litigation.
“We all want clean water and clean air, but this legislation I think would have a major impact on producers around the state,” Scuse said.
They’ll have plenty of time to adjust their practices. And the new Governor will have time to select an Ag Department Secretary who isn’t an anti-environmentalist. Hey, the bill has made it out of committee, which is progress. Here’s hoping it gets a vote on the floor…
What do you want to talk about?