Why Privatize the Port Now?

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The Kinder Morgan proposal to privatize the Port of Wilmington ought to be much in the news this week -- their Bond Bill Hearing is set for 10AM this Wednesday (in Dover) and the Wilmington City Council will conduct a hearing into this action on Thursday 28 February at 5pm in City Council Chambers. I know that the Wilmington hearing will be live streamed online, and I don't know what access we'll have for the Dover hearing other than in person. One of the things I want to point out today, and I'm hoping that decision-makers keep in mind, is that while DEDO was publicly touting an investment partnership to build out the Port, their RFP (released approx 2 months prior to this article) included a privatization option that customers and businesses at the Port did not know until months later. And still, this privatization deal is quite different than from the talking points DEDO was using to promote this deal as an expansion opportunity.

Greg Schauer’s ‘Between Books’ To Close

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This is depressing. Beyond depressing, really. Between Books, a superb Claymont book/game store that specializes in fantasy, horror, sci-fi, graphic novels, comics and related genres, will soon close. Owner Greg Schauer has lost his lease. Greg Schauer is so much more than a bookstore owner. He is a one-man support system for authors and artists. He is a voracious reader who always has great suggestions for his clients. He holds workshops and readings for writers and would-be writers. He reads manuscripts at no charge and provides incredibly helpful feedback. He actively supports other local businesses. We need people like Greg Schauer.

State Votes To Close Pencader Charter School

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Pencader has struggled for quite a while. I've written about the school last July here, and last August here and here. I've watched all this come to a head, and held off calling for outright closure once the new Pencader Board came into being, but this passage from Nichole Dobo's article had my eyebrows raising.
The new school leadership submitted plans for moving forward that contained errors and omissions, said John Carwell, director of the charter school office in the state Education Department. For instance, Pencader’s leaders reported that the school outperformed the state average on student achievement tests, Carwell said. In reality, the school was below the state average on math and reading assessments, he said. This mistake, and others, showed the school’s leaders were “ill-prepared, at best,” he said. Subsequent reports did not convince state leaders otherwise, he said.
Ill-prepared, at best? At best? If it's true that the new school leadership reported false achievement test scores, as well as other errors and omissions then they should be investigated. Isn't this sort of thing against the law?

To V, With Love

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This post is in response to this plea: Pandora, special request. can you go over to mike’s blog and write a response post here to his assertion from yesterday that…

T-Gor announces “No More Pam Scotts Rule”

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The NJ reports...
New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon will announce “a comprehensive ethics reform package” today that he said has the sharpest focus to regain control over the government’s land-use process. Top county officials would have to disclose more information about their and their families’ outside businesses interests, vendors would have to disclose campaign contributions and private attorneys who help author legislation would have to be identified.
I mean, yeah..but.. It wasn't like Paul Clark's relationship WITH HIS WIFE was undisclosed, was it? It wasn't as if HIS WIFE'S CLIENTS were a mystery to anyone.

Republicans Love Living In Their Bubble

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Steve Benen looks at the latest polls, and - surprise! - Americans still aren't buying what Republicans are selling.
This poll suggests the GOP isn't just wrong, its understanding of public attitudes is the exact opposite of reality. The public is prepared to hold Republicans responsible for this self-inflicted wound that will undermine the economy, the military, and public needs. The one thing the GOP is counting on -- avoiding blame at all costs -- is already failing miserably. Indeed, looking ahead, voters were asked, "What should be the focus of steps to reduce the deficit?" A whopping 76% majority said there should be a combination of spending cuts and new revenue. Only 19% of the public -- fewer than one in five -- agrees with the Republicans cuts-only approach. Given the number of Americans who self-identify as members of the GOP, this suggests the Republican Party has failed to even persuade some of its own voters. Wait, it gets even worse for Republicans (and better for Democrats). On specific issues, the same poll found that Americans side with President Obama over the GOP on who has the better approach to reducing the deficit, who's right on reducing gun violence, who has the better plan to deal with immigration, and by a huge margin, who's better on the climate crisis. What's the good news for Republicans in these new national polls? There is no good news for Republicans in these new national polls.
Meanwhile, the Koch brothers are scratching their heads in confusion.

Budget Crisis Fatigue

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The worst thing in the world is about to happen. Seriously. Everybody freak out because this shit is horrible. It is beyond horrible. It is Clusterf@cktastic!! We'll probably revert to the stone age. And it is going to happen all in a few short days. Hours.... Minutes... All the crazy preppers are about be vindicated. Your highspeed internet will be medium speed at best. Unless.... unless... unless...

GOP’s Racist Frankenstein turns on John McCain

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In this case is was McCain, but it could have been any Republican speaking to any Republican audience seething with the racism that the GOP's deep thinkers once thought they could control. I happen to love the part at the end in which McCain impotently holds up a crucifix. What must McCain have been thinking? It keeps vampires away? I'm out of silver bullets? Oh shit?

Tantrum at Tiger Beat on the Potomac

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If you don't know that reference, that is the name that Charlie Pierce has given to the execrable Politico. And it also means that you aren't reading Charlie Pierce on the regular, which you really must start doing. Anyway, they are having a snit about the access that the Obama Administration does not give to the White House Press Corps. This after the same Press Corps has been whinging about not being able to cover the President while he golfs with Tiger Woods. All of this without getting the irony that they are spending more energy in complaining about the President not hanging around to joke with them than they are in explaining any sequester replacement plans. Or maybe climate change policy.