Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 9, 2016

Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 9, 2016

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Let’s start with (what I think is) the most interesting bill on today’s docket, and see what you think about it. HB 375 (Bolden) changes the date of Delaware’s primaries from September to the ‘fourth Tuesday in April’. I used to strongly support making the primaries earlier, thought September was too late, but now, I’m not so sure. I think that April is too early. The reason the April date has been chosen is because that’s the date of Delaware’s presidential primary. For now. But that date has floated around for years (remember when Delaware wanted to go head-to-head with New Hampshire?), and there is nothing to guarantee that won’t happen again. Especially since the rules of the respective parties at the national level can and generally do change every four years. Here’s what’s even worse, IMHO. With an April primary, the filing deadline would be pushed into late February. Meaning, assuming that an incumbent files and isn’t challenged, then announces that they won’t run after the primary date has passed, the party voters would be shut out of the nomination process. It would be done by the district committee and/or county party. It would circumvent democracy, much like Rebecca Walker did in the 9th RD by delaying her announcement until after the July filing deadline. Only it would be in February. I understand the mantra that campaigns are too long, and they are. However, this bill essentially makes campaign primaries shorter and general election campaigns longer. Except that, in many races, the primary election is the general election. Would we be better off if, say, the primary for US Congress and Mayor of Wilmington were decided in April? I think the advantage would invariably shift to the ‘established’ candidates at the expense of insurgent candidates. While I think that June would be a desirable alternative, legislators are not gonna support that with the current legislative calendar. As written, I think that the bill protects incumbents and the parties at the expense of challengers, so I don’t support it. But, what do YOU think?
Trump and Qaddafi: Housemates and Business Partners?

Trump and Qaddafi: Housemates and Business Partners?

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If this Buzzfeed story has legs, then perhaps the Donald's may get cut off.
Overlooking terrorism that killed Americans, including the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, Donald Trump sought investment partnerships with Muammar al-Qaddafi and the Libyan regime. He rented his Westchester estate to the dictator, tried to set up a face-to-face meeting, and took the Libyan ambassador golfing.
I can't make this stuff up. Qaddafi was to be a house guest at one of Trump's opulent estates. Or, more accurately, he would pitch his opulent tent on Trump's opulent lawn. And sacrifice a lamb. Trump would get $200K. A bunch of Libyans had already moved in.  All went well until helicopters recorded what was going on. Trump later claimed that he had no idea that this was going on, and that he threw Qaddafi out. As if all these Libyans were squatting on the Trump grounds w/o permission. Uh, read the story. You decide who is telling the truth. More importantly, the story reports that Trump made every effort to strike various business deals with the Libyan dictator. Please. Read it.  I'm gonna stand by my prediction from earlier this week.  I don't think Trump gets the nomination.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 7, 2016

Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 7, 2016

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It's shaping up as a quiet June as the Joint Finance Committee has pretty much finished up their work. Bottom line: State employees get a raise (!) but teachers don't, other stuff gets cut, no new revenue sources added to mix, corporations extort millions, which is why other stuff gets cut. Here's the News-Journal story. We discussed this last year.  There appeared to be a legitimate chance then that additional revenue could be raised via corporate franchise fee increases and/or creating a couple of additional tax brackets for wealthier citizens.  Instead, Pete Schwartzkopf cut his own deal with the Senate Rethugs, and gave the finger to progressive members in his own caucus.  That essentially doomed any new revenue streams for this year, as the legislators/lemmings were not going to raise taxes in an election year. However, they were more than willing, desperate even, to throw tens of millions of dollars at DuPont and Chemours, allegedly to 'save' jobs and Chemours' corporate headquarters.  I know it's redundant for me to point out that the sole reason for Chemours' existence is to enable serial world-class polluter DuPont to get out from  under clean-up liabilities.  The invevitable Chemours bankruptcy ('Hey, we'd love to clean up this toxic environmental disaster, but sadly we don't have the money to do it') inches ever closer to reality.  A sharp-eyed tipster shared this video account with us.  It is must viewing.  Hey, we all knew it at the time and wrote about it at the time. Doesn't bother the Generous Assembly.  This should be a crime of the highest order, but it's likely legal thanks to a bought-and-paid-for Congress.  Markell, Levin, and the General Assembly are rewarding and enabling this activity by throwing tens of millions at it.  The Delaware Way, ladies and gentlemen. But, I digress. 
Delaware Political Weekly: May 20-26, 2016 (Delayed By the Holidays Edition).

Delaware Political Weekly: May 20-26, 2016 (Delayed By the Holidays Edition).

17 Comments
Just stop and think about what the Mayor's absence from last week's Public Safety debate says.  It says that the entire raison d'etre for his mayoralty ('You won't recognize this city in six months') has been an utter disaster. Shooting worse than ever, the Mayor turning up his nose at professional assistance and cash from the General Assembly.  His legacy so disastrous that he dare not even show up at a debate that can only serve to spotlight his abject hubris and failure as mayor. Nevertheless, the Mayor chose the week that he chose not to defend his public safety record in public to file for reelection.  Somehow, that suits him. For you completists out there, Maria Cabrera has still not filed for Mayor.  Nor will she.
Matt Denn Comes Right Out and Says It: Delaware Is A Police State.

Matt Denn Comes Right Out and Says It: Delaware Is A Police State.

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This is one of the most important stories of the year. Attorney General Matt Denn admitted that the main reason why no officers were charged in the shooting death of Jeremy McDole was b/c the law enabling police to shoot first and face no consequences is so broadly written that it's virtually impossible to charge police in any shooting.  From the News-Journal article:
Denn's decision didn't rest solely on the facts of the case. Hamstringing the AG's efforts was that Jeremy "Bam" McDole was killed in Delaware, a state that essentially immunizes law enforcement officers from criminal responsibility when they use deadly force in response to a perceived threat. Here, a police officer doesn't have to prove the use of deadly force was "actually necessary to protect the officer against death or serious physical injury," according to the recent state Department of Justice report. "All (the officer) must show is that he believed that to be the case at the time that he used deadly force, whether that belief was reasonable or unreasonable."
So, am I missing anything here? If an officer states that they 'believed' there was a threat, even if no other reasonable person would believe such a thing, he can shoot at will and w/o fear of consequence. 

Delaware Political Weekly: May 13-19, 2016

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We have a Democratic Primary in the 9th RD. OK, kids, some of you (well, LG) will remember that this was the district that Rebecca Walker vacated after the filing deadline in 2014, meaning that the voters didn't get to pick the D nominee. R Kevin Hensley defeated D appointee and Walker choice Jason Hortiz, a former R candidate for Clerk of the Peace, 3290-2950 in the 2014 General Election. You may also remember that, back in 2010, Walker, who had lost to Dick Cathcart back in 2008, told the RD committee that she wasn't running.  Into the breach stepped one Richard Griffiths, who was endorsed by the committee. Then Cathcart 'retired', after his dirty dealings at Del-State were revealed, and Walker jumped back in. She defeated Griffiths handily in the primary, 970-258, and edged out John Marino in the general, 5583-5301. Then, of course, she got a job where she can help the police cover up evidence that police might, just might, have been engaged in wrongdoing.  (Have I mentioned lately just how corrupt and incestuous the politicians in this state are? Oh, and did I mention that her husband is an ex-cop?) But, I digress. Richard Griffiths has filed to run in the 9th, and he has a primary opponent, one Monique Johns.  All I've got for Griffiths is his 2010 announcement notice. Johns appears to be, uh, the wife ('First Lady') to a Bible Fellowship pastor.  I know that Liberal Geek was real high on Griffiths back in 2010, can you fill us in on what's going on, Big Guy? Can a D knock off Hensley this year?
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 17, 2016

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 17, 2016

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I'm back from Oregon, and I see that I didn't miss much. The General Assembly is currently in collective thumbs-twiddling mode.  I now understand why they took a week off recently.  It's not like they have nothing to address (like minimum wage), it's just that they've chosen not to address much of consequence. Cowardice in an election year, who'dathunkit? Can we just talk about minimum wage? Please?  While places across the country are passing $15 an hour minimum, idiot/legislators like Andria Bennett and Quin Johnson turn up their noses at a far less ambitious proposal by accepting Chamber talking points w/o even looking on their own at how higher minimum wages have impacted communities that have implemented them.  Plus, if one of them should 'falter' and eventually go against the Chamber, there is always the no-longer-running-for-Congress business lackey Bryon Short waiting to deep-six the proposal. When it comes to minimum wage, Delawareans did better when the R's controlled the House than they do now. As to the notion of raising taxes on Delaware's wealthiest, I wrote about this last year. If it wasn't even gonna be considered in an off-year (thanks, Pete), it certainly isn't gonna be passed in an election year. The General Assembly made the decision to give more to the 1%, hence the corporate bailouts that were rushed through in January.  More and better Democrats are few and far between in Dover.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 3, 2016.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 3, 2016.

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By far the most important bill on the House Agenda is SS2/SB 130(McDowell).  The bill:
defines criteria for a local government to enter into an agreement with the Department of Transportation (“Department”) to create transit-oriented development districts, called Complete Community Enterprise Districts (“District”), for the purposes of promoting economic development. A District may be designated in downtown or urban core areas, traditional towns or villages, or regional activity centers. A District is characterized by its mix of land uses, efficient use of public infrastructure, efficient use of public services, and multiple modes of public transportation combined with environmentally friendly private transportation.
I  look for this bill to pass some time this week.