Delaware

Sunday Daily Delawhere [7.7.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 7, 2013 • 0 Comments

Saturday Daily Delawhere [7.6.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 6, 2013 • 0 Comments

Friday Daily Delawhere [7.5.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 5, 2013 • 5 Comments

Fourth of the July Daily Delawhere [7.4.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 4, 2013 • 1 Comment

Wednesday Daily Delawhere [7.3.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 3, 2013 • 6 Comments

All my marriage equality cartoons

Filed in Delaware by Rob Tornoe on July 2, 2013 • 0 Comments

Well, the sun rose today outside my tiny house in Bear, so I guess that means gay marriage wasn’t as big a deal as all the haters made it out to be. It’s been a long road to get to this moment, and a trail of my gay marriage cartoons tells the tale.

Tuesday Daily Delawhere [7.2.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 2, 2013 • 2 Comments

Monday Open Thread [7.1.13]

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 1, 2013 • 11 Comments

Dana Milbank on the evil of Darrell Issa:

First, the head of the investigation overpromises. “This was a targeting of the president’s political enemies, effectively, and lies about it during the election year so that it wasn’t discovered until afterwards,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House oversight committee, said in May of the IRS targeting scandal. He later declared President Obama’s press secretary a “paid liar” for stating otherwise.

Next, facts emerge to undermine the investigator’s presuppositions. Documents released by Ways and Means committee Democrats this week show that the IRS, in addition to targeting tea party groups, also had “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) lists for groups using descriptors such as “progressive,” “health care legislation,” “medical marijuana,” “paying national debt” and “green energy.”

Finally, evidence surfaces that the investigator stacked the deck. Tuesday night, the Hill newspaper quoted a spokesman for Treasury’s inspector general, Russell George, saying the group was asked by Issa “to narrowly focus on tea party organizations.” The inspectors knew there were other terms, but “that was outside the scope of our audit.”

Certainly, something went badly wrong at the IRS that caused groups to be targeted because of ideology. But it’s nothing like the conspiracy Issa cooked up in which the president and his men supposedly used the tax authority to attack their political foes.

…the collapse of the Issa-driven scandal has reinforced a growing impression in the capital that ultimately will help Obama: The chairman is full of it.

So, about last night…

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on July 1, 2013 • 26 Comments

HB 88, the bill that is aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, remains stalled. The mentally ill, representated by the protestor above, are pleased, as now they can kill as many people they want with any gun they can get their hands on. The protestors there in Dover yesterday in opposition to HB 88 suffer under paranoid delusions, highlighting the need for this bill in the first place.

Meanwhile, Senator Townsend’s Senate Bills on education transparency, 147 and 148, passed the House. These bills are intended to snatch a small victory from the massive thrashing jaws of defeat that was the passage of the Charter School bill. Both bills are now waiting for Governor Markell’s signature.

Finally, the bill to rein in the powers of state Treasurer Chip Flowers was not brought to the floor for a vote.

The Everything Must Go The Budget Must Pass June 30 Last Day of the Session Thread

Filed in Delaware by Delaware Dem on June 30, 2013 • 23 Comments

June 30. The only day on the legislative calendar, or any calendar for that matter, that lasts much longer than 24 hours. So here is your thread for following the last minute last second backroom deals.

Post anything you hear here for discussion. And you can follow the twitter stream of the Delaware House Dems for more info. And if you post on Twitter or Facebook, use the hash tag #DEJune30.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: The Final Day, Night, & Day

Filed in Delaware by El Somnambulo on June 30, 2013 • 118 Comments

We’re gonna have drama after all! Democrats vs. fellow Democrat Chip Flowers. I support the Democrats not named Chip Flowers, and so should you. Here’s why. Chip Flowers claims that he has the power to invest state money, money that goes to fund state pensions. He is the only treasurer in memory to make that claim. Other treasurers have recognized that the responsibility for making these determinations rests with the Cash Management Policy Board, of which the Treasurer is but one member. Flowers wants to play cowboy in search of higher investment returns. He’s even hired some guy to look at how to increase performance. He hasn’t hired anyone to warn him of imprudent risk. This is precisely the type of fiscal irresponsibility that left scores of public pension funds in shambles throughout the country following the financial scandal. Delaware, which had invested its money prudently and conservatively, remained in strong fiscal condition, and so did state pensions. If Chip Flowers wants to gamble, let him do so at a racino or online or in the market with his own money. As a pensioner of the state, the last thing I want is for him to do is play the market with our money.

The proposed bill essentially does to Flowers what earlier legislation did to the Sheriff of Nuttingham–make clear that he can’t overstep his bounds and/or create new imaginary powers for himself. For the sake of my fellow pensioners, I hope it passes.