DL Open Thread: Thurs., May 9, 2024
Everything Falls Apart–In The Carney Administration. Another scandal, another attempted cover-up:
A former Delaware Department of Labor supervisor embezzled more than $181,000 from the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund in 2023. The state did not reveal the theft publicly until officials were contacted by WHYY News, following a tip that money had been stolen from the trust fund.
Delaware employers pay into the fund, which pays out jobless benefits. After being contacted by WHYY News, the state’s DOL acknowledged that former unemployment insurance administrator, Michael Brittingham, stole the money last year. Brittingham took his own life in April 2023 shortly after he was told he was under investigation.
“I’m not sure how or why they tried to keep it quiet other than they don’t want to bring attention to the fact that everything is really screwed up,” said Laura Henderson, a tax collection manager for the state’s Unemployment Insurance Office. “It’s really crazy there, really crazy.”
Delaware’s Auditor of Accounts Lydia York said the fund was “unauditable” because independent auditors could not prove how much money was actually in the state’s UI trust fund for Fiscal Year 2023. York’s report comes after accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen issued a “disclaimer of opinions,” meaning it couldn’t rely on the state’s documentation to confirm bank statements that there was about $390 million in the reserve.
We are now seeing so many examples of utter incompetence under the so-called watch of John Carney. If Carney can’t even function as a competent administrator, what, exactly, does he offer? Same holds true for his Designated Ribbon-Cutter.
Great reporting from Sarah Mueller. Major sombrero-tip to Rufus Y. Kneedog.
Biden Finally Halts Arms Sales To Israel. Well, somewhere down the line. If they invade Rafah. As if Israel is gonna run out of weaponry any time soon:
President Biden said Wednesday that he would halt the shipment of U.S. offensive weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if the country moves ahead with a long-planned ground invasion of the city of Rafah — the first time he has threatened to withhold U.S. military aid and the most direct warning he has issued to Israel in the seven-month war.
Biden added that the United States would continue to provide Israel defensive weapons, including those for the Iron Dome anti-missile system, so it can protect itself from attacks like the one launched by Iran last month. But he made it clear that supplying offensive weapons for a major incursion into the civilian areas of Rafah was off the table.
Delay, Delay, Delay, Kill. Has there ever been a more blatant putting of one’s thumb on the scales of justice than what Judge Aileen Cannon has done in Florida? This case was considered a slam-dunk. So, she made sure it didn’t happen:
You’ve already seen the top line from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s new order yesterday: She is indefinitely delaying the trial of Donald Trump on charges he improperly retained classified documents post-presidency and obstructed justice to cover it up. But there were at least three headline-worthy decisions in the order: 1. Indefinite Delay. 2. Cannon is treating inane Trump claims as credible. 3. Cannon is in over her head.
I’ve never understood why, since the first rigged ruling, Jack Smith didn’t go to court and litigate for a new judge. Too late now.
There was apparently an attempt to oust the Speaker yesterday. It failed.
Most Important Development Project Since Rt. 1? Well, every time we’ve thrown money at the Port before, it’s been an undeniable success. Right?:
The Edgemoor port terminal site near the Port of Wilmington will get a big cash infusion, state officials announced Wednesday afternoon.
The State of Delaware plans to chip in $195 million, about a third of the $635 million committed to what the state says will be the “largest shipping terminal in Delaware since the current Port of Wilmington opened in 1923.”
The public-private partnership, with port operator Enstructure, will help create a “green port” that state officials say will quadruple the Wilmington port’s capacity for container cargo, and allow service to the new class of bigger container ships being sent through the world’s ports.
State officals call the new Edgemoor terminal the most important new infrastructure project in Delaware since Route 1.
The Jeff Bullock Redemption Tour? BTW, what, exactly, is a ‘green port’?
What do you want to talk about?
I like the way Biden waited until there was no political advantage whatever before doing the right thing. If they weren’t running against Republicans, who are even less competent, they’d be unelectable.
I agree with pausing bunker-busting munitions as a message.
In the long term Israel does need these weapons for credible deterrence against other regional threats (Hezbollah, Iran) but should not be using them in Gaza with so little demonstrated military result.
Keep in mind though: Netanyahu is not the only one who hears the message. Bumper-sticker solutions tend to have unintended consequences.
All solutions, not just those that fit on a bumper sticker, have unintended consequences.
Agree with Alby. Very odd political timing.
New Gallup numbers say 75% of Democrats disapprove of the WH handling of Gaza (up from 63% in Nov ’23).
Same poll has got Independents disapproving at 60% (up from 48% in Nov ’23)
Granted this doesn’t suggest not voting for Biden this year, but it seems bad in an election year to be this far afield from massive shifts in public opinion.
I guess Rafah is the corner about 1,000,000 civilians have been backed into with no escape. And Biden’s got backed into a corner too I think.
I wonder if BHL is rethinking her campaign theme – “More of the same!”
I think that would assume there’s any thinking or strategy involved other than just surviving until the next day. Her grand plan for education is, I’m told, a “council” that will actually “sit in the governors office” so that “your (teachers?) voices will actually be heard.” This is what she proposed at the education forum last night.
This proposal begs two questions.
One, our solution is another task force/council/working group? So you can propose and do nothing but seem like you’re doing something? That’s the plan? This fell as flat as you can expect it would.
Two, are voices not being heard in the current administration? Of which you are a part? Does John carney just not listen to you or are you not asking? I’m concerned our current governor isn’t “hearing our voices” and deeply concerned that our lt governor is either too cowardly or ineffective to advocate on our behalf.
Brutally inept campaign and candidate.
Not to mention, she has been an elected official since 2002.
Has she not thought about education in all that time? We KNOW that it hasn’t been a priority of Carney’s.
Why should anybody who believes the state needs to prioritize education, particularly public education, even consider voting for her?
The best bet one can make is that the closer to the seat of power one tries to communicate, the less one will be heard or responded to with anything but platitudes.
How big is this council that’s going to sit in the governor’s office? Will she require a larger office to accommodate them all?
The tipster was smart to take his tip to an out-of-state publicly funded news source where it got decently investigated and written up.
Your description is half-right. WHYY is publicly funded, but they’ve got three reporters based in Wilmington and, as this story shows, they do a pretty damn good job. So don’t label them as out-of-staters.
Chris Barrish should win an award for his reporting on hall long. Best political reporting done in the state in decades. Between whyy and spotlight Delaware, there’s some really strong reporting happening finally
They fill a yawning gap by covering stories that the local press don’t bother to cover. Add Karl Baker to that list of real good reporters doing essential work.
I meant WHYY corporate offices are out of state and presumably out of Delaware Way crony circles.
I guess whistleblower protections probably don’t apply, but I’m pretty worried for Laura Henderson right now.