The floor is officially open for nominations! Who were those who were the most valuable to the progressive cause in Delaware in 2023? They can be people, they can be organizations, they can be movements, however, they can’t be AI constructs. It could be someone who in no way is progressive. Christine O’Donnell won one year for handing the D’s a Senate seat, although in hindsight, her win is not as clear-cut now as it seemed then.
Here’s the only catch: Along with your nomination(s), you must tell us why they deserve consideration.
You have until December 15 to nominate your faves. This list can and should be the result of the entire DL group’s efforts, especially including our commenters.
Floor’s yours.
Eric Morrison. I really had huge doubts about this guy, but he has proven me wrong big-time.
This is a good vote. He’s been progressive but pragmatic, and I do hope that more of his most commonsense policies – like sick leave – are successful next year.
Karl Stromberg. He’s proven that an effective, progressive leader isn’t one that has to run for office, but can help push forward the right people to run for office. He’s led WFP pretty well.
Any such list that doesn’t have Madinah Wilson-Anton on here for her political courage in standing up for Palestine so vocally these past couple months is malpractice.
Without tipping our hands, we’re against malpractice.
I said this last year, and it’s even more true this year:
Ed Osienski deserves praise for spearheading cannabis legalization. It was a massive lift, and there were so many setbacks, but he kept going until it crossed the finish line this April.
His lifetime voting record isn’t perfectly progressive, I know, but his tireless work here needs to be recognized.
I’m so glad he didn’t give up.
“His lifetime voting record isn’t perfectly progressive…”
I appreciate you nominating Ed, as I’m a supporter of his. But I also feel like when offhand comments like this go unchallenged, they end up being accepted as fact.
What major progressive issue has Ed not supported through the years? Gun control, reproductive rights, equality, unions, minimum wage, mental health, criminal justice reform, paid leave… Dude’s also out there delivering meals to seniors in his district every month. Not sure what more you want out of a state representative.
Again, appreciate you giving him his flowers, but also don’t want casual readers seeing that comment and accepting it as truth.
Most notably for me, Ed voted against 2022’s SS1-SB101: the tenants right to council bill.
I know that really made a lot of folks very angry, and I’m not fond of it personally.
I was mostly warding off criticism re:progressive credentials with my comment. His steadfastness on this, in my opinion, overcomes qualms.
That’s a key bill. No justification for any progressive to vote against that bill.
Yes, he’s an outstanding legislator, but not w/o bad votes.
I will note that Ed Osienski is famously one of the most moderate members of the caucus on reproductive rights – he is often cited as someone whose vote will be lost if we go “too fast” on, for example, funding abortion services
Ed spearheaded the speed camera bill, so as far as I’m concerned he erased any good will created by the cannabis legislation
What do you have against speed cameras?
Just like red light cameras, they disproportionately affect minority and low income communities. The enforcement mechanism (a mailed ticket) depends on having updated address info. Just like the issues with voter registration, people who experience housing insecurity or transient living situations (or who live in their vehicles) cannot address the tickets in a timely manner and a subject to increased fines. And possibly bench warrants
Coupled with the dramatic increase in automatic plate readers across the county, Ed is creating a new pretext in lieu of the “odor of marijuana” to harass low income/communities of color.
Using the criminal code as a revenue stream always ends poorly for the marginalized in society.
It all depends on where they set them up I suppose. If it’s in the city you’re going to get a lot of low-income people. In Greenville, not so much.
In most of Europe there are no highway patrols. Speed is controlled and tickets issued entirely through cameras. But car ownership there isn’t as ubiquitous – there are no homeless people with cars.
Well, as Childish Gambino put it so elegantly, “This is America”. I don’t see Ed taking meaningful steps to address structural economic
inequities (tenants right to counsel being case in point), but he sure seems to be happy to keep the law enforcement revenue juggernaut chugging along.
Fill me in. This seems like a much greater problem in the city, where this stream is a substantial segment of revenue. I don’t think the county or state is nearly so dependent on it.
Were city officials pushing for the camera legislation?
What was his excuse for rejecting the tenants’ right to counsel?
I don’t think Ed ever provided a clear justification. He sought cover voting with the other Delaware way moderates.
Speed camera revenues are funneled back into “public safety and enforcement”, ie the police. This conveniently backfills a revenue stream lost through civil asset forfeitures which were most frequently associated with drug law enforcement.
There are so many more real progressives out there, Ed shouldn’t even have been offered for consideration.
Don’t worry, MVP is not determined by a democratic voting process. El Som is simply asking for nominations, and standards will differ. He picks the final list.
Civil forfeiture amounted to a little more than $1 million a year in revenue, so I don’t think revenue alone is behind the proposal. They stand to save more money on salaries than they would reap in actual revenue.
I would nominate Rob of the highlands bunker podcast for MVP. Even if you don’t agree with his personality, he does a great interview and has a knack for finding people out in the community who are at the tip of the spear on social justice issues. He does not let Delaware Way/polyannish thinking influence his work, which sadly too often finds its way even into our progressive spaces
December 15 you say? Hey, former BHL-ers, you have half a vote for getting her to say that anything at all was going on. Let’s hear the full truth, you’ve got a couple of weeks!
Slightly off-topic, but it’s amazing that not one single person, including those who have tried to smear us and other prospective candidates, have come on here to make the case FOR BHL.
Which reminds me, no one should ever forget that Val Longhurst tried to smear Matt Meyer as part of a ‘Jewish cult’. That’s at least as bad as Gerald Brady’s smear against Asian-Americans. Which, come to think of it, Val buried in her so-called Ethics Committee despite Madinah Wilson-Anton’s call for the committee to consider the complaint.
There’s no wonder that Val is right down there in the sewer with BHL.
Got another plea from BHL today. Wants me to be a “citizen endorser” — and a donor, of course.
Seriously, the best service she could provide the state is to continue working with Dr. Sandy Gibney to deliver Narcan kits on the streets. That would meet a genuine need and represent true public service.
Source for that “Jewish cult” comment?
I am not calling you a liar, just am curious
I linked to the podcast w/Madinah Wilson-Anton where she made the claim. I have since confirmed with other legislative sources who, of course, I can’t reveal.
If Val Longhurst wishes to challenge the veracity of what was claimed, I welcome her to come here and do so. I promise to close comments so that she doesn’t get brickbats.
Know what? I’ll go back and link to that absolutely amazing podcast with Madinah. Be back soon…
Here ya go. Gotta say, Madinah is incredible. I think you’ll enjoy:
https://pod.link/1097417804/episode/0c135189b9e8854a19b6795616f02cd4