Archive for January, 2024
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 25, 2024
I see nothing controversial on today’s House and Senate Agendas. Little of importance as well. Although these three bills move the ball forward a bit: SB 197 (Hansen): ‘(R)equire(s) that beginning January 1, 2026, state agencies under Chapter 69 of Title 29 must purchase only native plants, including cultivars and hybrids of native plants, in […]
Song of the Day 1/25: Melanie, “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma”
Melanie Safka, a coffeehouse folk singer thrust into stardom with her set at the original Woodstock Festival, has died at age 76. Her popular success lasted just a few years, from 1970 to 1974, but she started singing in her teens and remained active until her death. Safka was singing in small New York clubs […]
DL Open Thread: Thurs., Jan. 25, 2024
AMERICAN OLIGARCHY: This could be the most important long-form piece of journalism you’ll read all year. Long-form as in book length, but broken down into easily-digestible chapters. I’ve only scratched the surface, but Delaware makes its first appearance here: Not only did Delaware’s legislature up the ante on enticements—exempting corporations from taxes and reimbursing their […]
The Little PAC That Could…
…Run Bethany Hall-Long’s Campaign Without Anyone Knowing It. Until now. Once upon a time, there was a Little PAC. It had a nice name. People For A Healthy Delaware. The PAC was the dream of former President Pro-Tempore Patti Blevins, presumably because she wanted Delawareans to be healthy. Or, perhaps it was a vanity project […]
Song of the Day 1/24: The Smiths, “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”
I’ve never understood why Donald Trump is so aggrieved. He’s no billionaire except by his own accounting, but he objectively lacks for nothing. So why does he playt this Smiths song at his rallies? He doesn’t already have what he wants? Do these lyrics really describe him? See, the life I’ve had Can make a […]
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., Jan. 24, 2024
Looks like a short one today as, with the exception of the mini-Bond bill, leaders in both Chambers have shown little urgency to pass anything else of importance before the Joint Finance Committee hearings start. The mini-Bond passed unanimously in the House yesterday, and is the only item on today’s Senate Agenda. Here is yesterday’s […]
DL Open Thread Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary, but in a way that allows any interpretation of the data you like. He got 54.6% to Nikki Haley’s 43.1%, which is far from a landslide. But the Northeastern state was probably Haley’s best chance at a victory. Or was it? Haley has vowed to stay in the […]
Song of the Day 1/23: Elle King, “Ex’s and Oh’s”
Singer Elle King, the daughter of former SNL comedian Rob Schneider, had a career-wrecking moment at the Grand Ole Opry last Friday during a birthday tribute for Dolly Parton. She took the stage, in her own words, “hammered,” couldn’t remember most of the words to a Parton song and slurred the ones she did recall, […]
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Some pretty bad bills and at least one really bad bill are coming your way this week. Meanwhile, The ‘Mean Girls’ continue to bury legislation designed to protect state retirees in the House Administration Committee. The more things change, the more they stay the same… Don’t see anything controversial on today’s Senate Agenda, and I […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024
The surest sign that Trump is off his termite-infested rocker: The months-long effort to portray Biden as senile, when of course it’s Trump whose feeble mind is splintering. Last night Trump gave a highly technical description of Israel’s anti-missile defense system: “And they calmly walk to us, and ding, ding, ding, ding, boom, whoosh, boom. […]
Song of the Day 1/22: Tom Petty, “I Won’t Back Down”
Ron DeSantis said he’d never back down, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t back away, so that’s just what he’s done. He left the presidential race with a quote he attributed to Winston Churchill. In the best MAGA tradition, it’s fake. Tom Petty wrote this in response to an arsonist burning down his house while […]
DL Open Thread Monday, January 22, 2024
A week ago, Ron DeSantis said his second-place finish in the caucuses punched his ticket out of Iowa. To be fair, he didn’t say where he was going. Turns out it’s home. Best line about it: DeSantis should have been forced to carry his non-viable campaign to term. I suppose this doesn’t matter, because research […]
A Not-So-Casual Stroll Through The Annual Campaign Finance Reports
Bethany Hall-Long’s statement is some kinda weird. I hope somebody is investigating it. She supposedly ‘raised’ $829K, an amazing amount. However, when you go through the statement, you find that $540,000 of that was transferred from her other account, her Lt. Governor’s account. Which raised over $440K this year. Now I know that you can […]
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