Delaware
![Saturday Daily Delawhere [6.15.13]](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3790/9008780902_60b206d8a9_z.jpg "Saturday Daily Delawhere [6.15.13]")
![Friday Daily Delawhere [6.14.13]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/9008781434_78e3c90dd0_z.jpg "Friday Daily Delawhere [6.14.13]")
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 13, 2013
Let me get this straight. Jack Markell cuts taxes for his wealthy friends early this session. The only tax among the so-called temporary emergency taxes enacted in 2009 that he cut. Now he says he needs $80 million in new taxes and fees, or bridges will fall down, highways will crumble. Oh, and if they do, it will be somebody else’s fault because Markell gave the legislators a full 2 1/2 week’s warning before the end of session. Maybe, just maybe, if he stopped appearing on TV, writing half-baked op-eds, or accepting ginned-up awards created solely to increase his national stature (I recommend lifts as an alternative), he might find time to, you know, actually govern. I mean in public, not in secret.
![Thursday Daily Delawhere [6.13.13]](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/9008781182_af5a08c3ef_z.jpg "Thursday Daily Delawhere [6.13.13]")
As the Sussex GOP Turns… or These are the Days of our Tin Foil…
So Delaware Politics has a story up by the very wonderful Don Ayotte, currently a member of the Independent Party of Delaware (iPod), formerly a Republican candidate for Sussex County Council, about the current Sussex County GOP Spokesman, Duke Brooks. I am preserving the story in its entirety as it appears Delaware Politics is suffering some site outages at the moment, most likely due to David Anderson or some other admin over there trying to delete the story. Here it is…
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds. June 12, 2013
Let us circle June 11, 2013 on the calendar. It will go down as a day when public schools were dealt yet another blow at the hands of greed and silence. The Governor’s greedy desire to rise above his station, D’s and R’s alike greedy desire to get their hands on funds they shouldn’t have, the press’ unwillingness to function as journalists instead of lapdogs; a conspiracy of silence that rippled through the Delaware Way, leaving only the have-nots behind (admittedly, that’s a dog-bites-man story in Jack Markell’s Delaware). Here’s the roll call on the charter schools money grab, if you have the heart.
Oh, and if anyone thinks that $5 mill is the end instead of the beginning, well, you’re not thinking. So, Markell will get his Race to the Top filthy lucre and his imaginary presidential street cred, Charlie Copeland (!) will parlay his family’s expertise in bankruptcies into running a hy-ooge city charter. A Tower Hill grad who inherited his fortune will be one of the largest players in Delaware education. In the inner city. I mean, has anybody with any say-so over who gets to run a charter ever read Dissolute Recrimination?
The politicians who supported this railroad job (deliberations in private, rushed through in a week and a half) opted to serve themselves instead of the majority of their constituents. The least they could do is let everyone in on the details of the deals. A very dark day for public education in Delaware. And a black mark on the Delaware General Assembly that won’t be easily removed. Jack Markell is now officially dead to me.
![Wednesday Daily Delawhere [6.12.13]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8555/9008781436_f3b2481b60_z.jpg "Wednesday Daily Delawhere [6.12.13]")
HB 165 Passes House – Time To Contact Your Senators
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to write a detailed post on what happened tonight. (Family responsibilities. Sheesh) Please read the comment section on this post for details.
Now, start contacting senators. Here’s the list. Just click on their name for contact info.
Live Blogging The Delaware House Session – Focus HB 165
Here we go – well, it will probably be a while!
Here’s the link to listen to the live-stream of the Delaware House. They’re recessed now (3pm). Anyone know what time they’ll start up again?
Mike Matthews is live tweeting the session. Follow him @dwablog Use #hb165
Meanwhile… Mike O. of the Seventh Type, via commenter Citizen, brings us this: Michael D. Thomas, Ed. D. President, Delaware Chief School Officers Association opposes HB 165. Go read the letter!
Use this thread to keep us informed.
I Resent The News Journal’s Desperation
I found this Subject Heading in my email inbox today:
Action Required Regarding your News Journal Account
Wow! That sounds important. Did I miss a bill? What’s the problem? Because there’s obviously a problem that requires action.
I opened the email ASAP, and here’s what I found….
HB 165 – DL Readers, You Have Homework!
HB 165 is up for a vote in the House today. If you are not familiar with this bill please read this post – More importantly, click on EVERY link in that post. Those links will take you to blog posts from other bloggers fully explaining HB 165. Lord knows, you won’t find any of these concerns in the News Journal.
So here’s your homework, CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE! No excuses. Just do it. Also, contact your friends and family and have them do the same.
I’d like to return to an email Rep. Jaques sent to Elizabeth Scheinberg over at Children & Educators First blog. This part jumped out at me:
If you took the time to read House Bill 165 you would see loads of transparency and accountability throughout. I hope you are not listen to the nay Sayers who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about! HB 165 has been properly vetted and has loads of support throughout the education community.
First, I know Elizabeth read the bill, and it was insulting to imply otherwise. Second, naysayers? “Who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about?” Is that what Rep. Jaques considers citizens who have concerns about HB 165? What’s the opposite of naysayers? Yes men? (Yeah, that ticked me off.)
And about that “loads of support” for HB 165? Well, Charter School advocates love this bill. In fact, if this bill was full of compromises like Jaques implies, surely charter supporters would point out the areas they weren’t so pleased with. Haven’t heard one complaint or concern. In fact…
Steve Newton has the emails going out to charter parents, urging them to contact their Reps and to tell them to vote for Hb 165. Read them. There’s a lot of talk about money in these emails. So much, that one would be forgiven in thinking HB 165 was a funding for charter schools bill.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 11, 2013
That was quite the eventful Senate session last Thursday. We can count to three, so let us count the ways (even though Legislative Council can only count to two; seriously somebody needs a wake-up call there):
1. The Senate handily passed SS1/SB 33(Ennis), which would require owners/landlords of manufactured homes communities to justify rent increases above the Consumer Price Index. 17 yes, 1 no(Bloviator Bonini), 1 not voting (Pope Pompous I, formerly Monsignor Lavelle). Now don’t get all excited. The Senate vote was viewed as a ‘free vote’ last session because the Forces of Evil had wired the House. It’s getting late in session. Contact your state reps and urge them to move forward and pass this bill. First warning sign will be if this bill doesn’t get placed in Paul Baumbach’s Manufactured Housing Committee.
2. Although Legislative Council, the official ‘information’ arm of the Delaware General Assembly, took no note of it, the Senate passed landmark legislation which prohibits gender identity discrimination in Delaware. SB 97(Henry) passed the Senate by an 11-7 vote. Interesting roll call. Cathy Cloutier was the only R to vote yes, Dems Bob Venables and Bruce Ennis voted no, D Brian Bushweller and R Pope Pompous I went not voting. All 11 yes votes were required for passage. If your senator did the right thing, thank them. And, if anybody’s home at Leg Council, could you please update the session log? I know that there are some exciting new solitaire options on your computers, but perhaps one of you…? Pretty please?
3. The Senate passed ‘redistricting reform’ on a straight party line vote. SB 48 creates an 11-member commission to draw the lines and to make the process more open than it has been. Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf has made it pretty clear that he likes the current ‘behind closed doors’ method of drawing the lines. There are quite a few House D’s signed on as co-sponsors, so we’ll see what happens. My guess? Schwartzkopf prevails, reform doesn’t.
![Tuesday Daily Delawhere [6.11.13]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8275/9007599777_0e79a12f28_z.jpg "Tuesday Daily Delawhere [6.11.13]")
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