Delaware
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 12, 2016.
My outlook for January: Real interesting real fast. Just like today’s Al Show will be.
The second session of the 148th General Assembly kicks off today. Since it’s not a new General Assembly, everything that was in place on July 1 remains in place today. It’s gonna be a wild and wooly month. You can look forward to:
1. Votes on overriding the veto of HB 50-the ‘opt-out’ bill. The bill passed both houses with veto-proof majorities. The House vote was overwhelming, 36-3, so it should get through the House in comfortable fashion. The final Senate vote was 15-6, so that is the chamber where Markell might be able to flip a couple of senators. I will be especially interested to see whether her run for Lieutenant Governor might play into Sen. Bethany Hall-Long switching sides. I’d like to point out that HB 50 has already had a key impact. The decision by the Department of Education to cancel the ‘Smarter Balanced’ test for juniors in favor of the SAT would almost certainly not have been made without the catalyst of HB 50. In fact, you may recall that Sen. Bryan Townsend introduced and passed an amendment extending the opt-out provision to high school juniors. That amendment is no longer necessary, for the best of reasons.
More inside…
A Wilmington Game-Changer? Former Philly Police Chief Ramsey Hired.
No, not as police chief. But as a public safety consultant. The only question is, is this a consultant that Dennis Williams will listen to? He hired him, so I guess the answer is yes, but it’s Dennis Williams we’re talking about here. Anyway, here’s what he’s supposed to do:
A State of the Union to Remember
I was essentially beyond words when Christy told me. Braeden’s been to the White House twice before, when he won in 2013 and when he was asked back to speak at the Kids’ State Dinner winners in 2014, and both trips were humbling and amazing, but this one is something else. To be asked to sit in a room with Congress, the Supreme Court justices, most of the president’s cabinet, and listen to one of the most important speeches the president can deliver, to be interviewed and featured by Time Magazine, to have your bio posted on the White House website, I don’t even know what to say. I couldn’t be more proud of Braeden and the ideas he’s come up with, the way he’s implemented them, and how he’s stuck with it for the last 3 years.
We don’t need more guns in Delaware’s state parks
If my gun-toting friends out there are so afraid to go to a Delaware state park unarmed, here’s a simple suggestion – stay home.
Delaware Political Weekly: Jan. 1-7, 2016
Hey, it’s an ELECTION YEAR! Try to contain your enthusiasm. At least we’ve got some new news to share. But first, let’s see where we stand regarding already-filed candidates.
Karen Hartley-Nagle Primaries Chris Bullock for NCC President. While Bullock hasn’t filed, we know he’s running. How do we know? Because we (or, to be accurate, I) have received content-free e-mails from Bullock in his capacity as NCC Prez throughout 2015. Touchy-feely crap. I think his campaign is paying for them, but I’m not sure. Perennial candidate Hartley-Nagle could pose a challenge, especially if she is part of an unofficial anti-Gordon ticket.
2015: The Good. The Bad. The Ridiculous.
Because this list is generally a critical review of the year’s events, I’ve decided not to place Beau Biden’s death or Joe’s flirtation with running for President on the lists. Who is to say how one should react under such circumstances? And how does one rank a death? Answer to both questions: I don’t know. So, I won’t do it.
We start as always, with the list with the fewest nominees: The Good. Because, let’s face it, on balance, this was not a good year for Delaware. Much closer to an annus horribilis, or whatever Queen Elizabeth calls it.
Wherever possible, I’ve linked to an article that provides context.
Colin Bonini: Tax Cheat
Let’s see. He takes taxpayers’ money for Sunset Committee meetings he doesn’t attend. He has never voted for a state budget. He lied about having a Master’s Degree he never came close to completing.
It turns out he didn’t pay his taxes either. Had three separate federal tax liens filed against him. Over $28K owed (Other documents available upon request). At what point does this reach a critical mass of fraudulence?
You know, with a record like that, there’s only one elective body where he’d feel right at home: Wilmington City Council.
Pay Per Pupil?
Imagine if we paid for other government services on a per use basis. Fire companies. They can’t douse your burning home until you pay them. Paramedics can’t begin to administer emergency medical care until your form of payment clears. Police can’t come take your car accident report until they verify your credit card transaction goes through. They can’t investigate your home invasion until you remit payment. The 911 phone system. “The fee for this service is $2.99 per minute for the first minute, and $1.99 per minute thereafter, please enter your 16-digit credit or debit card number followed by the pound sign”. Transportation. I take Route 40 to work sometimes. Sometimes I take 896. Imagine if they set up EZ Pass sensors at every point where a secondary road connected.
Watching Mayor Williams Get Played By His Own “Take Credit for These Ideas” Strategy
I’ve been following the news from my Holiday Location and it is looking like Mayor Dennis Williams is being hung by his own “We’re Not Going to Let This Commission Take Credit for These Ideas” strategy in his effort to push back against having to live with the accountability (and potentially some consequences) that would come with a grant being provided by the Joint Finance Committee to help the City pay for foot patrols. You’ll recall that the Williams Administration’s response to the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission report was to claim that they had already implemented most of the recommendations made — with the help of the VRN folks, not the Governor. There is wide skepticism about this claim that they’ve implemented most of those recommendations — especially from me — and the JFC looking to send the Police Foundation back into the WPD to check on progress is an excellent accountability measure. And if I am Mayor Dennis Williams with a re-election hanging in the balance because he is widely seen as utterly ineffective in managing the crime problem (in spite of campaign promises) — it would be Good News all the way around if one of the Commission’s consultants could say that progress is actually being made as promised.
All Education Eyes on January
During the last 10 months, the public had opportunities to contribute their thoughts, ideas, feedback, and criticisms of the plan or any part thereof. Public comment ran the gamut from helpful feedback to downright racist criticism. In my observation, the comments that tended to align closer to the racist end of the spectrum were elicited when meetings were held in suburban locations. The more supportive comments, while also showing in the suburbs, really came to the forefront in the meetings’ city locations.
The 2015 MVP (Most Valuable to the Progressive Cause in Delaware) Awards
How many times have I asked the question, “Won’t somebody, anybody, challenge this egregious wrong?” Lots of times. Whether it’s the illegal actions of the corrupt Minner team or the illegality of Tony DeLuca serving as both a legislator and as an administrator of a public agency, the answer has always been, no, nobody will challenge this egregious wrong. The budget that was forced through the General Assembly this year was an egregious wrong. Specifically, the (I believe) illegal application of settlement funds to help balance the operating budget. This misuse of funds violated the specific purposes for which the funds could be used. While the AG strongly criticized the misuse of the funds, he either chose not to challenge, or was not in a position to challenge, the General Assembly’s cavalier actions. But someone else did. And that someone else is our Most Value Progressive of the Year.
The All-Purpose Question Thread for Presumptive Governor John Carney
It has occurred to me that we don’t really know where John Carney stands on the major issues facing Delaware. So, let’s put together a list for him. You know, to give him enough time to begin thinking about these things. Please add your own questions to the list:
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