Consulting is Not Policing

Consulting is Not Policing

We've been talking for a few weeks now about former Philadelphia Chief of Police Charles Ramsey providing consulting services to the WPD. The NJ provides some detail on his $16,000/month contract -- namely, that there is a very ill-defined SOW for Ramsey's services, and that one of his Deputies from Philly is means to be on the ground here working. Working on what is still the question -- which is the question for all of the consultants that the Williams Administration has hired for the WPD.

In Which the Western Sussex Republican Club Gets Its Comeuppance

It's definitely political season and it's time to watch some of the local GOP dust off and exercise their resentments. They do this, of course, because they can't figure out how to connect with enough voters to actually govern. They also do it because they think that their resentments and bigotries are somehow supposed to entitle them to run the world. The latest local exercise in GOP bigotry was directed at Sarah McBride, who recently endorsed Bryon Short for the US House seat being vacated byJohn Carney. The Western Sussex Republican Club responded to Sarah's Facebook announcement by reposting it with a snide and hateful comment, with a screen shot shown below. Sarah had losts of people supporting her after this stupid bit of business was posted, including a quick (but deleted) comment from John Fluharty who observed that stuff like this is why the GOP can't win. The Western Sussex Republican Club has deleted its post, so the comments opposing them are gone. But both Sean Barney and Bryan Townsend took to Twitter to stand with Sarah and to denounce this hateful business. Note to the GOP -- this stuff may speak to somebody, but this is not the stuff of electoral coalitions. Not in Delaware, it isn't.
Have We Witnessed the De Facto Repeal of the Death Penalty in Delaware? Yes. Maybe.

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....
This One’s For You, Kevin

This One’s For You, Kevin

Earlier today I asked Kevin O. to stop turning Delaware Dem's death penalty post into an abortion post. My comment was brief, but I should have taken the time to…
Delaware Political (More Or Less) Weekly: January (More Or Less) 22-28, 2016

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?
Representative Mike Ramone, Charter School Lobbyist

Representative Mike Ramone, Charter School Lobbyist

Mr. Ramone needs to read the regs pertaining to per student funding in public education. When a student moves from a District school to a Charter school, the tax money collected by the original district for spending on that student goes with the student to the charter. There is no fiscal “responsibility” borne by the Charter, the sending District is paying that child’s per-student expense. If Mr. Ramone doesn’t believe that, I have a $21 million charter bill Christina School District is paying this year for him to look at. Email me, Rep Ramone: brianstephan@gmail.com and I can help you understand how public schools are funded in this state.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., Jan. 27, 2016

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

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.
UPDATED: NCCo President Chris Bullock Not Running for a Second Term?

UPDATED: NCCo President Chris Bullock Not Running for a Second Term?

That's what my sources tell me this evening. I talked to a couple of typically excellent sources this evening who tell me that NCCo President Chris Bullock will not run for a second term. A variety of reasons were offered, not the least of which is that his church is experiencing some turmoil and he wants to address that full time. According to these same sources, NCCo Rep Penrose Hollins would run for NCCo President. If so, I'd say it's about damned time. Announcements from both men are expected as early as tomorrow.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 19, 2016

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.
Delaware Political Weekly: Jan. 8-14, 2016

Delaware Political Weekly: Jan. 8-14, 2016

Denise D. Bowers has filed to run against State Senator Cathy Cloutier for the 5th SD seat in Brandywine Hundred.  Based on registration, this projects as a competitive race. Current figures:  13,703 D; 11,169 R; and 8790 I. Her candidacy does not come without questions.  She is a 21-year veteran of the Wilmington Police Department, although it's not entirely clear that she was on duty for all that time.  She filed at least two legal actions concerning her job during her time on the force.  The first deals with compensation for a scar on her knee, aka a ' serious and permanent disfigurement'.  The second was a prolonged litigation concerning her 'involuntary retirement' from the force. In fact, even though she allegedly was a police officer until 2008, it is not clear whether she was on the job after 2005, when she suffered the knee injury mentioned in the second suit. A swift Google search also reveals several actions brought against Bowers and her husband for unpaid taxes on rental properties in Wilmington.  OTOH, Bowers is president of the Northwood Civic Association and is currently the State Director of the Treatment Access Center, the liaison between the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and the courts system.  I'm sure that some of you must have met her.  I need feedback, pipples!