Open Revolt at the Democratic Party Convention in NH

During Debbie Wasserman-Schultz's speech at the New Hampshire Deocratic Party's convention was interrupted by what looks like a fair number of people calling for more debates in the upcoming Presidential season. It *is* in New Hampshire, where Bernie Sanders is doing really well, but still, I'm delighted with the pushback against ms. Wasserman-Schultz who looks pretty lackluster from here. I don't feel strongly about more debates -- especially since the media is treating the GOP ones like the damned WWF. Take a look:
Guest Post: Crossroads Wants to Tell Its Own Story

Guest Post: Crossroads Wants to Tell Its Own Story

Crossroads and its principals have been much in the news recently and subject of a recent post here. Since Crossroads was not contacted in the recent post here, I offered them the chance to tell their story, themselves. That is the guest post from Alberta Crowley that follows. I'm also going to be clear that I know that Crossroads is doing incredible work with a population that is never well served -- urban poor kids with mental health and addiction issues. They've certainly had their problems -- with recent unethical behavior and with a long-running tug-of-war with the state over resources to serve these kids. I'm interested in helping these kids and the people who do -- which is why I'm posting Crossroads story here.
Maybe This Is Why The City Wants State Funds For WPD Foot Patrols

Maybe This Is Why The City Wants State Funds For WPD Foot Patrols

Because Wilmington taxpayers spending $8,000 on Uber billboards. Not that $8K would go far in terms of additional policing, but this shows you the fiscal priorities of this Mayor while he and his Police Chief have decided that schilling for more funds from the State is their main job.
The city Office of Economic Development is spending $8,000 under a one-month contract for four billboards with the message “Wilmington proudly welcomes UBER” and a picture of Williams. The billboards also include a website address where residents can apply to become a driver for the service.
Ready, Fire, Aim — The Operation Disrupt Edition

Ready, Fire, Aim — The Operation Disrupt Edition

Today, we get a hilarious press release from the Mayor's Office announcing that the WPD's Operation Disrupt is now coming back. This is the Operation Disrupt put into place with great fanfare after multiple shootings in January -- pulling the city's Community Police Unit, as well as resources from other special units to flood the streets of certain sections of the city with officers. And only for eight hours in the evening and only for 5 days a week. Sundays were covered by NCCOPD and Mondays were covered on an ad hoc basis. Operation Disrupt started winding down in March and by the time that the WPSSC presented its report, Operation Disrupt was a shadow of its former self, with most of the special unit officers returned to their units and the CPU officers preparing to move on to other assignments. This is March 31. The NJ reported that Operation Disrupt was being reconfigured into a 7 officer unit that would specifically target certain areas. Then it said that Operation Disrupt was over on June 5, which may be when the original configuration ended. And then -- TA DA! -- Operation Disrupt is BACK and Mayor and the Chief are pulling the newly deployed CPU to do the larger effort.
DCRAC Asks AG Lynch to Investigate the Misuse of the Mortgage Settlement Funds in DE

DCRAC Asks AG Lynch to Investigate the Misuse of the Mortgage Settlement Funds in DE

Very proud of Rashmi Rangan and the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Inc. for stepping up and asking for an official investigation into whether or not the settlement funds Delaware received have been misued. You'll remember that the GA grabbed those funds to fill their own budget deficit. The one they created by not being able to ask for additional revenues. And you'll also recall that California was sued over this same money grab by its legislature and was told by the courts to pay it back. Ms. Rangan sent her request directly to the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch:
Wilmington’s City Council Looks to Wash Its Hands of the City’s Safety Problem and Just Throw Money At It

Wilmington’s City Council Looks to Wash Its Hands of the City’s Safety Problem and Just Throw Money At It

Timed for the Friday afternoon news dump, Wilmington's City Council has scheduled a joint Committee of the Whole and a Public Safety meeting to debate the City budget's first budget amendment (not a month after the new budget went into effect). This budget amendment will add funds to the WPD budget to create two new Inspector positions and one civilian CIO position. The meeting is this Monday (June 29, 2015) at the City Council chambers starting at 5pm. This amendment has been revised from the original ask, now it provides approval for 3 new positions (rather than 4), does not add to the authorized strength of the Department and now spends just $285,000 of a projected surplus. A projected surplus that no one has any confidence in and AGAIN, I do not understand why we are committing to spending money that we think that we might have, rather than money that we actually do have. I'll extend that to wonder why they are having this hearing at all right now -- given that the GA has blown a hole in their budget and no one know what the world will look like on July 1, it seems clueless to spend any time talking about more spending until you know that your budget is intact.
Bond Bill Committee Zeros Out Municipal Street Aid and Community Transportation Fund

Bond Bill Committee Zeros Out Municipal Street Aid and Community Transportation Fund

This is reported to me by multiple sources at Leg Hall, (and the NJ!)with counties and other municipalities (and the REALTORS) furiously pushing back on this as well as the decrease in revenue sharing for the Real Estate Transfer tax. None of this is a done deal until the legislature takes its final vote, but blowing big holes in every single county and municipal entity here in Delaware doesn't strike me as the most productive bit of business. Of course, they wouldn't have such a big problem if they had passed a gas tax last year. Or if they had even passed the weak tea of the fee increases this week:

The Freedmen’s Bureau Project

The 150th anniversary of Juneteenth was this past Friday, and on that day a major project was announced that would help African Americans reconnect with their Civil War era relatives. The Freedman's Bureau:
The Freedmen’s Bureau was organized to assist freedmen in 15 states and the District of Columbia after the war. The bureau opened schools, managed hospitals and gave support to an estimated 4 million slaves. The 1.5 million images released Friday are from the actual reports filed by the 900 agents of the Freedmen’s Bureau who were located across the country.
In Which We Find Neither Accountability or Fiscal Sensibility in the Wilmington City Council — AGAIN

In Which We Find Neither Accountability or Fiscal Sensibility in the Wilmington City Council — AGAIN

Tonight, the Wilmington City Council will vote on an amendment to the budget to add more management staff to the WPD. They will do that without having any hearings, with little notice to the public and without Bud Freel (the Finance Chair) in attendance. Councilman Freel is one of the few points of fiscal accountability (heck of any accountability) in the City Council and doing this without him available (guess Council President Gregory did not offer Bud first class tickets to come back to vote) and without a good public airing is good government malpractice. But then, we are talking about a group of people who aren't much interested in good government -- or, frankly, in representing their constituents. Here is what is being voted on:
The NEW New Wilmington Crime Plan

The NEW New Wilmington Crime Plan

Today, at a press conference that the public heard about maybe an hour and a half before it occurred, the Mayor and Chief Cummings announced ONE MORE Crime plan for Wilmington. It seems that not many people know what is in this plan (even City Councilpeople Sherry Dorsey and Hanifa Shabazz who endorsed it all without seeing it), and although there was some rumor that the plan would be available to the public shortly after the press conference, this plan is not on the City's website where the public can take a look or was it provided to the Governor or the WPSSC as a courtesy. So we have a press conference that was designed to exclude as many Wilmingtonians as possible, continuing the contempt this Mayor has for the citizens of Wilmington. But here is the gist of what is supposed to be on deck: