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Delaware Political Weekly: Feb. 26-March 3, 2016
After missing much of the last session due to health reasons, State Rep. Harold Peterman (R-33rd RD) somewhat surprisingly sought, and won, reelection. He first survived a primary challenge from Charles Postles by a 64.5 to 35.5 margin, and then defeated D John Kevin Robbins, 58-42. However, two Republicans have already filed for this seat, which they likely wouldn’t do if Peterman didn’t give them the go-ahead. Postles is once again seeking the seat, and one Morgan Ann Hudson has also filed. Hudson’s website seems…incomplete and kinda weird. All I can say is that I could find nothing about her doing a Google search. Anybody out there with any info?
Delaware Political Weekly: Feb. 19-25, 2016
City Treasurer Henry Supinski has announced his retirement after 26 years in the post. I don’t remember a single scandal during that time that was attributed to any problems in the Treasurer’s Office. And, when you read the linked bio, pretty much all I can conclude is that this is/was a dedicated and effective public servant. Politics abhors a vacuum, so a politician has rushed in to fill this one. City Councilman Darius Brown has announced that he will not seek reelection to City Council, and instead will pursue the City Treasurer position. From the News-Journal article:
Brown, 34, said he will establish Open Checkbook, a program to show accountability for city expenditures; Money Matters, a program to provide financial literacy for constituents; and Economic Index to disseminate economic and financial data about Wilmington publicly each quarter to highlight the city’s progress compared to economic activity in the region, state and nation.
Moose Cholak’s Love Child
“Never judge a person until you’ve walked in their moccasins”-Quote from some American Indian guy who ought to go the hell back to where he came from. Sometimes we, and yes, by ‘we’ I include me, are too quick to judge. Take, for example, the lonely love child of former pro rassler and man mountain […]
State Chamber Fixes Its Guns On Coastal Zone Act
Having apparently despoiled all there is to despoil within the law or, to be more accurate, within the see-no-evil boundaries ignored by DNREC on a daily basis, the big business boys are now targeting Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act. Here is the article from the Delaware Business Magazine, titled ‘Modernizing the Coastal Zone Act,’ that a wonderful tipster shared with me. You see, the CZA has created a ‘logjam’:
Whether it was meant to eventually force manufacturing and industry to “wither on the vine” or to balance the types of allowable companies with keeping our natural resources pristine, it has created a logjam in the process. Regardless of the intent of the legislation, it is clear (to the Chamber) that Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act must be modernized in order for Delaware to grow.
You already see the false meme, don’t you? The implication that perhaps, just perhaps, such radical environmentalists as DuPont Company alumni former Gov. Russell Peterson and former State Senator Andy Knox must have wanted to force manufacturing jobs to wither on the vine. Don’t worry, there’s more.
Delaware Political Weekly: Feb. 12-18, 2016
Some people have a pathological need to run. I don’t know why. (Well, actually, yes I do. Every now and then, the stars align and one of these losers gets elected. Including Williams. And, uh, Karen Weldin Stewart, anyone?) Dennis E. Williams is one of those people. No, he’s not running for Congress, his nascent candidacy apparently having died aborning. Instead he’s gonna give the voters of the 10th Rep. District a chance to admit they were wrong when they threw Williams’ sorry ass out of the General Assembly in 2014. Problem is, Sean Matthews proved the voters right. Even with Pete & Val parking political operatives in the 10th to save one of their lackeys, Matthews defeated Williams by a 55-45 margin. It will be much larger this time, but, hey, Dennis, thanks for the filing fee. Although I now must dig into my pockets to send some $$’s Matthews’ way. He is already one of the most valuable legislators we have in Dover, especially on education.
Delaware (Let’s Face It, Not Really…) Political Weekly: Feb. 5-11, 2016
1. Joe Daigle Enters Three-Way D Primary for 7th RD Seat. I must say I’m impressed. If the name seems familiar, it is because Daigle and his husband Dan Cole were the first gay couple not already in a civil union to be married in Delaware following the passage of marriage equality. Both were also […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: Jan. 2016
This video immediately takes its place among the most unforgettable ever. What a way to check out:
Have We Witnessed the De Facto Repeal of the Death Penalty in Delaware? Yes. Maybe.
Hear me out. This is exciting.
As you may be aware, a hold has been placed on all death penalty cases in Delaware by the Delaware Supreme Court.
The reason? The U. S. Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional part of a Florida statute that grants exclusively to judges the right to determine a sentence of death in capital cases.
Guess what? Delaware has the exact same provision in its statute. The irony is that it didn’t used to be that way. No, AG Jane Brady, Sen. Tom Sharp, Sen. Jim Vaughn and others demagogued the sheep in Dover into taking the power away from juries and giving it to judges. Why? ‘Coddling criminals’, blah blah blah. How great would it be if they ended up sowing the seeds for death penalty repeal?
I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t see how Delaware’s statute can be constitutional if Florida’s is not.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Only the Delaware General Assembly can change the statute. Come inside to see why that’s important….
Delaware Political (More Or Less) Weekly: January (More Or Less) 22-28, 2016
Kathleen McGuiness is for real. Except for that whole residency thingy. BTW, turns out she moved out to Park Slope b/c a couple of her kids are competitive snowboarders. Yes, she raised a lot of money. What really surprised me is that almost all of the money comes from Delaware. Pretty much every D in Sussex County with money has ponied up. Guess there are more D’s with money in Sussex County than I thought. Bethany Hall-Long has raised a lot of $$’s as well. Ciro Poppiti has enough money to be competitive. Sherry Dorsey Walker, Greg Fuller, and Brad Eaby don’t.
Trinidad Navarro better get his ass in gear. Those who deal with the insurance commissioner’s office have apparently resigned themselves to, or more likely, fallen in love with the idea of, Incompetent Karen Weldin Stewart serving as Insurance Commissioner. He’s only raised $11K? Vs. $83K?
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., Jan. 27, 2016
We could still have an epic week in store–or it could turn into a nothingburger. The minimum wage bill still awaits Senate action, and death penalty repeal maybe gets considered in the House. Or not. Probably depends on whether the respective sponsors think they have the votes. If you haven’t contacted YOUR legislators, what are you waiting for?
The minimum wage bill has already been amended primarily to reflect the fact it wasn’t considered last year. Senate Amendment 3, which passed by a 13-8 vote, adjusts the effective dates for the increases, and accordingly delays the implementation of the COLA increase until 2021. Pure party line vote. The bill appears to need at least one more D vote to pass. DINO Brian Bushweller is one of the holdouts. Who are the others? BTW, check out Colin Bonini’s amendment to the bill. The guy is a joke.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 26, 2016
Undaunted by the prospect of blowing yet a greater hole in the budget for the next few years, the State Senate joined the House in passing legislation that would ‘remove disincentives’ for job creation for the corporate overlords. The Senate passed the bill with only one ‘not voting’ (Townsend, who was a co-sponsor on the bill), and the bill goes to the Governor. Keep this in mind in June when the Honorables (ongoing h/t to Ralph Moyed) shrug their collective shoulders and lament the ‘tough choices’ (read screw anybody but the corporate overlords) they had to make. They, of course, didn’t have to make them. They made clear that bowing to their corporate overlords is business as usual. A projected $50 mill shortfall to the budget over the first 2 1/2 years the legislation is in effect. Just curious: Who, if anybody, will keep track of all those new jobs the corporate overlords will create now that the ‘disincentives’ have been removed? Based on previous experience, my prediction is ‘Nobody’. A pure unvarnished giveaway.
Delaware’s ‘apology’ for its role in perpetuating slavery passed the Senate. Three no votes. Hocker, Lawson, and Bonini. None of whom have likely ever cracked a history book and read of Delaware’s role in perpetuating slavery.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 19, 2016
You didn’t read about it in the ‘Paper of Record’, but the so-called ‘Delaware Competes’ bill flew through the House (only two no votes, Kowalko and Williams) and is now poised for equally-swift consideration in the Senate. Actually, you didn’t read about it in the daily Session Activity Report, either. Unless…you scrolled all the way down and saw that the bill had already been assigned to the Senate Executive Committee. Stealth all the way. So, I’ve got a legit question to some of our progressive legislators: Did you vote Yes because you’ve been informed as to how the bill will be paid for? If so, would you care to share it with us? If not, why did you vote yes? These are not snark questions, I really want to know. I’m missing something (insert joke here), just don’t know what.
HJR 10 (Bolden), in which Delaware apologizes for its role in slavery, also passed the House. The one ‘no’ vote was John Atkins’ replacement, Rep. Richard Collins.
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