General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., March 25, 2014

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., March 25, 2014

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Just a few of the items on the GA Agenda: 1. Starting with the Senate Committee meetings. More accurately, the Senate/House Joint Veterans Freebies Committee. Today's meeting will consider HB 236(Jaques), which gives free surf fishing licenses to Delaware National Guard members. The concern is not merely, or even primarily, the freebie being handed out. The Fiscal Note for this bill is $44,000 annually. While this may not be a big amount, this money all comes out of the state parks budget. A permanent reduction on an annual basis. Since we have given similar freebies to other exalted groups, the state is taking money from parks in order to provide perks. And these are not one-shot deals, these are annual perks. Unto perpetuity, barring legislative intervention. If you support the state park system, you might just want to let your legislators know that you're tired of these giveaways, as they have real impact. 2. Rep. Johnson's 'Box' bill, which would 'prohibit a public employer from inquiring into or considering the criminal record, criminal history or credit history or score of an applicant before it makes a conditional offer to the applicant', comes before the Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee Wednesday. It's in an hospitable committee, so the bill could be on the agenda as early as Thursday.

Delaware’s Bloomdoggle

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Bloom energy Delaware surchargeIt seems more and more Markell’s economic policy is to lean on the little guy, instead of counting on the so-called job creators and captains of industry to do anything other than count their well-stacked piles of money.
Blackmail Or Bribery? You Decide.

Blackmail Or Bribery? You Decide.

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JPMorgan Chase claims it wants to create 500 new jobs in Delaware. Just one problem. They'll only create those jobs if the State of Delaware forks over $1.5 million. That's right. Poor impoverished megabank wants to do the right thing, but simply can't afford to do it on their own. So, they want Delaware taxpayers to pony up. BTW, as usual, looks like Gov. Markell is cheerleading for them.
Delaware Political Weekly: March 15-21, 2014

Delaware Political Weekly: March 15-21, 2014

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Ken Simpler Files as R Candidate for Treasurer. And he's the prototypical Republican candidate--circa 1980. St. Andrews grad. Princeton undergrad. MBA and JD from the University of Chicago. Owner and CFO of Seaboard Hotels. Previously Managing Director at Citadel Investment Group. He and his wife are restoring a 200-acre farm near Newark. Other than being born and raised in Rehoboth rather than Greenville, this is your traditional Republican candidate for office. Should Chip Flowers survive a Democratic primary, I just might vote for him. Simpler, I mean.
Delaware casinos bailout

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, March 20, 2014

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I was heartened to see legislators expressing skepticism on a proposal to give $20 million this year to ease financial burdens on casinos. As Rep. Dennis E. Williams pointed out, the casinos will keep coming back year after year. Which raises the question, why should taxpayers bail out a wheeler dealer like Denis McGlynn for making bad business decisions:
Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment and Dover Motorsports Inc., said not receiving any money from the state would spell disaster for casinos, leading to potential layoffs, shutdowns of certain operations and a cutback on marketing. Layoffs, loss of gaming options and a cutback in marketing ultimately would cost the state much more in lost revenue than what they would be shelling out in the current proposal, he said. The casino's bank loan expires on June 17, and the bank is watching the state's decision, he said. If the bank loan is not renewed, McGlynn said they'd have to shop around with other banks, something that probably won't work out in the casino's favor given its finances, he said.
We gave McGlynn and his, wait for it, ilk, every break in the book. And now we've gotta bail his ass out because his loan is under water? Hey, Denis, how about moving some of your other assets around to cover this? The Delaware General Assembly should simply stop giving away money to these blackmailers. Which is what and who they are.