DL Open Thread: Saturday, June 22, 2024

My Cranky Old Man Take Of The Day:  I don’t give two bleeps as to what the Song Of The Summer will be.  Not to mention, who gets to anoint which forgettable sugary confection earns the monicker? I mean, we’re not talking ‘Dancing In The Streets’ territory here.

Here’s one from way back that shoulda’ been a contender:

If you guessed this might not be the most information-packed Open Thread you’ve ever read, you just might be correct.  Let’s see what I can dig up:

The Paradee Soccer Complex Is Gifted More State $$’s–Courtesy Of You Know Who:

DE Turf, the turf field complex on Route 1 south of Frederica, will receive $3 million for improvements that will allow it to host larger regional and national tournaments. The facility currently hosts a number of high-level field hockey, lacrosse and soccer tournaments throughout the year, in addition to local sporting events.

The planned improvements include increasing the seating capacity of the facility’s stadium field from 1,000 to 3,000 seats and building additional amenities to allow the facility to host banquets and corporate events. DE Turf has received more than $4 million in taxpayer grants.

Board chairman Bill Strickland told the panel reviewing DE Turf’s application that the planned improvements would improve the complex’s economic impact, according to market researcher Rockport Analytics. Strickland said the changes will allow DE Turf to stay ahead of competitors, including a potential facility in Ocean City, Maryland, according to meeting minutes.

I expect this complex to be self-sustaining about the same time that the Underwater City At Ft. DuPont turns a profit absent state largesse.

BTW,  I’m reposting this article in the off-chance that someone in the General Assembly will read it.  Bottom line? Turf fields could be toxic:

The federal government estimates about 12,000 synthetic turf fields exist in the US, and at least 1,200 more are installed annually. Only five professional baseball teams still use synthetic fields, the Inquirer reported.

Several layers comprise synthetic fields: plastic grass blades, plastic backing that holds the blades in place and infill that weighs down the turf. Until recently, infill was always made with recycled rubber tires called crumb rubber, which EPA testing has found contains high levels of dangerous chemicals.

Recent independent testing of multiple artificial fields has found the presence of highly toxic PFAS compounds like 6:2 FTOH and PFOS. The EPA recently revised its health advisory for PFOS to state that in effect no level of exposure to it in drinking water is safe. The Inquirer bought pieces of the Phillies artificial turf and had it tested at two labs, and found it contained 16 types of PFAS, including PFOS.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 12,000 chemicals often used to make products resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t naturally break down, and are linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.

Artificial turf can act as a heat island, increasing playing field temperatures to as much as 93C (200F). National Football League players pressured the league in 2022 to ban artificial turf because of injuries, and the US national soccer teams will only play on natural grass for the same reason.

At least nine municipalities in Connecticut, California and Massachusetts, including the city of Boston, have begun limiting the use of synthetic fields via bans or moratoriums. Legislatures in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts also began considering prohibiting them in recent months, while a ban on non-essential uses of PFAS going into effect in Maine in 2029 could bar the use of artificial turf there.

B-but, sports tourism uber alles.  The Paradee Complex is the Delaware Way personified.  Hey, those kids’ cancers likely won’t show up for decades.  Until then, ring dem cash registers!

The Dubya Era Loophole Forcing Seniors Onto Medicare Advantage.  Thankfully, Delaware’s not the only state where government retirees are fighting back:

Egg-Whip is the healthcare industry’s name for Employer Group Waiver Plans (EGWP), a provision for privatization of employer-based, retiree Medicare benefits that was written into the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. That law, which House Energy and Commerce Chair Billy Tauzin twisted arms to pass, added a drug plan to Medicare, not by including drugs as covered Medicare benefits, but by compelling seniors to purchase private drug plans. Big Pharma gained a massive influx of government money into its coffers and rewarded Tauzin with a $2-million-a-year job.

That’s what we could see on the surface. Who knew then that hidden in the MMA law was further privatization of Medicare beyond this privatized, publicly-subsidized drug plan known as Medicare Part D.

This other provision in the MMA, the Egg-Whip, allows employers that have committed to provide health benefits for retirees to force those seniors, without their consent, into private, for-profit Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that impose conditions on the promised benefits.

These private employer-based Egg-Whip MA plans are exempt from requirements that individual Medicare Advantage plans must meet. The MA Egg-Whip plans “can set their own enrollment deadlines, send members information without prior CMS approval for accuracy, and follow weaker requirements for provider networks, among other things,” according to Susan Jaffe of Kaiser Health News.

Retiree organizations in Vermont, New York, and Delaware have put thousands into motion as they rip down the curtains that have hidden Medicare Advantage from the nation’s understanding and righteous anger. They are fighting back, clearing the fog, educating their colleagues and the public to the dangers of Egg-Whips and Medicare Advantage, winning battle after battle to the consternation of the Medicare Advantage companies whose cash cow is suddenly exposed and threatened.

Remember, kids, John Carney embraced this plan and tried to inflict it on state retirees.  BTW, he’s running for Mayor of Wilmington…just thought you’d like to know.

An Open Call For TransPerfect Supporters:  I’ve read the case (download the PDF), I’ve read the comments.  I’ve read this Op Ed, admittedly written by attorneys with a dawg in the fight.  I truly don’t understand the impetus for a PAC formed by supporters of this company to perhaps spend millions on Delaware political races, specifically the Democratic primary for Governor.  I recognize that the cause has motivated some in the Black community to support the cause.  People far more savvy than I have suggested that the money could have an impact.  I’m not even necessarily opposed to it, especially when it comes to opposition to Bethany Hall Long.  But I honestly don’t know what’s behind the agita within the state.  To me, it reads as a dispute between two company co-founders, neither of whom was willing to give an inch.  What am I missing?  I really want to know.  I’d especially welcome a guest column from somebody who shares the TransPerfect side in this dispute, and who can explain the involvement of candidates in supporting TransPerfect.  You can leave a message in our inbox, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

What do you want to talk about?