Delaware
Delaware Political Weekly: April 8-14, 2016.
NCC Councilman Joseph Reda passed away yesterday at the age of 73. A ‘sheet metal worker, union man, bartender, husband and politician’, Reda earned the affection and admiration of all of his colleagues, regardless of political differences. I encourage you to read the obituary. He did a lot of good for a lot of people. People really liked him. Folks like that deserve to be remembered.
We Have Debate Watch Parties!
Tonite is the debate between Hillary and Bernie in New York. There are a couple of local debate watch parties that I know of listed below. The operative phrase here is “that I know of”. If you are aware of others, please post the details in the comments and one of us will get the information in the main post. So here we go:
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., April 13, 2016
I don’t think it was on yesterday’s Senate Agenda, but this was the best, and potentially most important, bill passed yesterday. SS2/SB 130 (McDowell) creates Complete Community Enterprise Districts, and here’s the statement of policy as to what they’re supposed to do:
(1) Encourage development that maximizes the economic value to the citizens and the government of the State of both existing and new transportation infrastructure.
(2) Strategically deploy transportation funds in ways that meet the mobility needs of the people of the State at the lowest total economic cost to the people and government of the State.
(3) Encourage transportation solutions that enable the formation of new households in the State that have less than one vehicle per adult worker.
Should the bill become law, local communities could enter into agreements with DELDOT to create districts using the synergies described above.
McDowell has been at this issue for virtually his entire career. Troglodytes like Kermit Justice and a succession of like-minded Transportation Secretaries have kept Delaware far behind the national curve when it comes to innovative mass transportation alternatives. Justice fought commuter rail tooth and nail. Until, of course, his conviction for taking kickbacks. Jason330’s new BFF, Colin Bonini, was a co-sponsor, leaving only three downstate Troggs to vote no. Hocker, Lawson and Simpson.
It looks like this bill has the strong support of the current DELDOT secretary, so maybe better things are ahead. I know that this would be a boon for the ongoing Claymont renaissance, so I’m for it.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., April 13, 2016
The Governor and leaders of the General Assembly, along with the State Chamber of Commerce, are repeating the same strategy they employed so effectively to emasculate a decent minimum wage increase two years ago.
The exact same strategy, in fact. Step One: Get some DINO like Brian Bushweller to express reservations about the bill, thus requiring supporters to weaken it in order for it to pass the Senate.
Step Two: Have Speaker Pete put it in the House Business Lapdog Committee, instead of the Labor Committee. Step Three: Get a couple of putative D legislators to parrot Chamber talking points and express ‘concerns’ they have with the bill. Step Four: Either kill the bill in committee or, failing that, make the bill even weaker than the bill that passed the Senate.
While states like New York and California have passed bills establishing a $15 minimum wage, and while several municipalities have done the same, what passes for D leadership here seeks to water down a bill that would provide a phase-in of an eventual $10.25 minimum wage. This, of course, after tossing something like $50 mill to corporate serial polluters to stay here.
Delaware Political Weekly: April 1-7, 2016
That was a pretty weak non-denial denial, wasn’t it? The person who could shed light on it refuses, claiming that it is a confidential personnel matter. If nothing happened, if he never took those lists, then wouldn’t a simple ‘He did his job, he didn’t take the lists’ be justified? I also love the part about how the complainant was invited to come in, but didn’t. You live in Section 8 housing, you’re gonna head on up to Cop-land? Whole thing smells like a cover-up to me with ex-cops acting as the enforcers. Since Gordon is no stranger to ethical violations or even illegalities, and since everyone knows it, I don’t know whether it will impact him. But he clearly did a 180 on that tape when he found out who the alleged miscreant was. Will the primordial ooze flowing through county government flush him down into one of NCC’s sewers this time? It depends on whether his D opponent, Matthew Meyer, runs an effective and aggressive campaign. It’s also possible that if Barry Nahe, who has filed as an R for County Executive, turns out to be a non-ideological candidate running on the issues of transparency and competence, he could defeat the ethical black hole that is Gordon. Nahe has been Chief of Building Operations and Maintenance in NCC since 2008.
As to Bethany Hall Long, I think it could damage her campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Even if it turns out that Dana Long did nothing wrong, she could unfairly wind up as collateral damage. She barely got a mulligan on the first one (the sign-stealing), but people may start seeing this as a pattern, even if there’s no pattern. It also places John Carney in a bit of a predicament. He’s made no secret internally that he would prefer to run on a ticket with BHL. If he no longer prefers to, her candidacy takes a huge hit. Does Carney want to risk having Gordon sewage all over him? I don’t think so. BTW, let me go back to the sign-stealing thing for a moment. Long didn’t just steal signs, he was a serial sign-stealer. Dana Long got caught b/c his opponents’ signs had gotten stolen so much that they got frustrated and essentially set him up on camera. I fully understand that. My signs were selectively stolen when I ran against Wayne Smith, and I fantasized about catching the thieves in the act. So, Dana Long doesn’t get a pass from me. As of now, we don’t know if Long did anything wrong and/or if BHL knew about anything he might have done wrong. Don’t know if people are in the mood to give her the benefit of the doubt this time.
In Which We Find Tom Gordon Telling You Not to Believe Your Lyin’ Eyes
Anyone surprised that Gordon is denying any allegations or corruption or mismanagement? Or that he is blaming Grimaldi? Saying that one of the parties who is actually heard on the tape is “misinformed”.
Tales of Corruption from Tom Gordon’s NCC — Coverups, Double Dealing and GA Senators
First, go look at WDEL’s story on this. The story as currently released alleges that an employee of the county (and husband of Bethany Hall-Long) took confidential records of low-income housing residents in order to run his own personal phone bank for his wife.
A confidential source implicated Hall-Long’s husband, Dana Long, in allegedly using his position as a Section 8 housing property inspector–a contract position within New Castle County government–to lobby for his wife’s state Senate re-election bid.
A confidential source told WDEL that Long took the county’s protected contact list of low-income housing residents and cold-called them–on his own time–urging residents in his district to vote for his wife when she faced Republican John Marino in her 2014 re-election bid.
Outing People Is NOT Okay
Kevin Ohlandt, of Exceptional Delaware, has crossed a line. He has outed an anonymous commenter – and one that doesn’t post on his blog. Publius posts on Kilroy’s. I disagree with Publius almost 100% of the time. His comments read like a high school burn book, but that is no excuse for what Kevin has done. There might not be many rules in blogging, but this one is carved in stone.
I hesitate to link to the post because giving this sort of behavior more hits is wrong. I have emailed Kevin asking him to pull the post. I’ll update with his decision.
Wilmington FD Votes No Confidence in Chief Goode
Amazing, but once you think about it, not surprising. According the the NJ: The union that represents Wilmington’s firefighters on Thursday submitted a letter to the city’s elected officials notifying them they had “no confidence” in its leader, Fire Chief Anthony S. Goode. “It is with great regret that we report to you that the […]
Lawlessness in the City of Wilmington Starts at the Top
The News Journal published a remarkable story yesterday, detailing the escapades of a Wilmington Fire Marshal who was supposedly performing a residency investigation. Some quick background, new hires with the City of Wilmington are expected to establish residency in the city within six months of hire and then are expected to live in the city for 5 years. There’s a Residency Review Board that is supposed to review challenges of non-compliance. But here we find that somehow a WFD Fire Marshal is clumsily investigating WFD employees:
Complexities of Color Coalition Mayoral Debate April 18
The Complexities of Color Coalition, in partnership with the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League Young Professionals, Interdenominational Ministers Action Council, Delaware Young Democrats Minority Caucus, and Delaware Black are hosting a debate among Wilmington Mayoral candidates April 18, 2016, 7pm at Ezion Fair Baptist Church in Wilmington. You need a ticket (it’s free) for this one and you can sign up for that at this website. Your ticket comes via email.
Mayor Williams’ FB Meltdown
A meltdown, right? Because WTF else could be going on here? For someone who needs plenty of votes this September, alienating some of them on racial lines seems just plain delusional. And this is not all. If you are on his page regularly, there are posts saying Good Night Wilmington (think Good Night JohnBoy) and for those who are asking serious questions or who criticize him in any way — you are unfriended and blocked. Like he was still in junior high school or something.
Delaware Political Weekly: March 18-24, 2016
Realtor Jim Startzman startz anew. Doesn’t even look like his webpage has been updated. Here’s why he says he’s running:
You’re probably wondering why I’ve decided to run for State Representative and what it is that makes me more qualified than the incumbent. During the last 6+ years I have become more and more aware of the negative effect of our state government towards the citizens of Delaware.
Ho-kay. Anyway, Williams defeated him in 2014 by a 3128-1788 margin. She is one of Delaware’s best legislators and best progressives. She’s part of the solution. My theory as to why Startzman’s running? Real estate business must be slow.
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