Thursday Open Thread [6.5.14]

11 Comments
All I have to say on the whole Bergdahl matter is you get your brother home. No matter what. You don't leave a brother in enemy hands. Period. If Bergdahl needs to be court martial-ed once he is back here, then so be it. But you get him home. If you in any way disagree, then you do not support the troops. You only support the troops you like, and are willing to abandon those you don't whenever the mood strikes you. That is unAmerican. Unpatriotic. Unhuman.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 5, 2014

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 5, 2014

4 Comments
Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf's gonna earn his money today.  Look for a l-o-o-o-o-ng party caucus for the House Majority. At a time when key legislation needs to be worked, and worked with some sense of urgency, The House D's will most likely feel forced to confront the (former GOP) elephant in the room.  John Atkins. I can't imagine that there will not be a serious mass of legislators outraged at his alleged actions. And, of course, this is far from the first time that the Caucus has had to address issues regarding Atkins. When you add to that the fact that Schwartzkopf personally vouched for Atkins and sold him to a skeptical caucus back in 2008 ('People can change'), and you've got a real messy situation on your hands. The guy was always kinda on probation to several caucus members, and I wonder if caucus members are willing to let that continue. Yes, I know, he has not been charged with anything and he deserves his day in court. I'm just looking at the dynamics of the caucus. After all, not even the Rethugs wanted him. Betcha a majority of D's don't, either.
Delaware’s I-495 Closing Brings Attention to State Infrastructure

Delaware’s I-495 Closing Brings Attention to State Infrastructure

6 Comments
Monday's closure of Delaware’s I-495 bridge has brought to attention the ailing state of Delaware’s infrastructure (not to mention America’s infrastructure). It’s no secret that the infrastructure of Delaware and the entire nation is in desperate need of attention and repair, and most state politicians have agreed, yet few have actually taken action on this issue. Governor Markell has repeatedly called for additional focus on Delaware’s infrastructure, and with the recent bridge closing, so have many more members of the state legislature. The infrastructural issues of Delaware range from our roadways to our waterways, and none of it can be ignored. With a quick google search any person can find several reports and informative pieces on Delaware’s infrastructural shortcomings. 36% of Delaware’s major roadways are in poor or lacking condition, over 20% of our bridges are either structurally deficient or obsolete, and the state has 65 high hazard dams. This is nothing short of extremely concerning.
DL Exclusive: Brenda Mayrack Receives Major Endorsement from Emily’s List

DL Exclusive: Brenda Mayrack Receives Major Endorsement from Emily’s List

4 Comments
Delaware State Auditor candidate Brenda Mayrack has officially been endorsed by Emily's List. Come inside for the full release.... "I am both inspired and gratified by this endorsement," Mayrack told Delaware Liberal. "I am running for Auditor because I intend to work to ensure that each one of our hard-earned tax dollars is used well and not wasted. All Delawareans, along with those who have placed their trust in me, deserve that, and that's the mission I will bring to the office." This is a big deal for Delaware. Brenda Mayrack offers the real promise of progressive leadership for Delaware. She will be a great auditor, bringing both an incisive mind and, here's a word you don't ever hear associated with current Auditor Tom Wagner, competence, to effectively do the job.
News-Journal: Rep. Atkins Ordered to Stay Away From His Wife and Kids

News-Journal: Rep. Atkins Ordered to Stay Away From His Wife and Kids

89 Comments
No snark here. Just gotta hope for the safety of the wife and kids. Here are two key grafs from the News Journal story:
"“His temper is getting worse and I fear that if something is not done it will effect my safety,” Heather Atkins wrote in her petition for emergency protection. “I feel that he is not able to take the best interest of our children and put that first. I am afraid that the children are at risk due to his temper and erratic behavior.”
And this:
"Court documents show Atkins relinquished 17 firearms, most of them shotguns, to Millsboro police officers Monday evening after they took a court order requiring he do so to his home."
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 4, 2014

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 4, 2014

17 Comments
We need more legislative days like yesterday. Good bills passing all over the place. The Senate passed HB 251(M. Smith) (3 Rethug nos), SB 181(Blevins), SB 185(Townsend)(5 nos, 4 Rethugs and Venables), SB 212(Hall-Long), and SB 219(Hall-Long)(unanimous!).  Every one of these bills is something that progressives can embrace. Both Senators Lopez and Cloutier voted yes on all of these. Check 'em out for yourself, and I think you can see an emerging progressive consensus in the General Assembly. I want to highlight SB 219.....
America’s Psych/Neuro Crisis: Silence From The Medics

America’s Psych/Neuro Crisis: Silence From The Medics

8 Comments
You might have noticed, if you're paying attention, that the U.S. has a major set of medical crises. An epidemic of mass killings from clearly deranged perpetrators who've slipped through the net of the psych/neuro professionals unnoticed. And an epidemic of broken vets returning home from the killing fields with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). . The response from the medical profession (using this term advisedly)? Silence.
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, June 3, 2014

General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, June 3, 2014

9 Comments
Admit it. Like me, you didn't see this coming.  $3 mill in funding earmarked for the University of Delaware in limbo while the Delaware General Assembly awaits word on what the U of D will decide in terms of the plan to build a data center and energy plant on university land. I have no problem in general with the General Assembly withholding funds from the University when UD is recalcitrant. I just wish they had done it to force UD to open its records to the public. Maybe they'll do that next year. This is clearly a power play by labor and some business interests to get this project moving. We're talking Jobs vs. NIMBY. I ain't got a dawg in this fight, but it'll make for a fascinating June. WWUDD? I also can't believe that the General Assembly will allow a $70 million swath to be cut through DELDOT's construction budget, I just can't. If we're talking about jobs, how does reducing road projects from around $190 million to about $120 million protect them? It doesn't. Now that Valerie Longhurst's power is on the wane, perhaps wiser heads will prevail in the General Assembly. Especially if a certain bridge on I-495 is in danger of falling down. Again, some great drama for the final month. Uh, not the falling down part, I hope, but the question of whether legislators will lay down on the job and bid a lot of jobs and important work adieu.
How to Transform the War on Drugs into Providing Drug Treatment and Compassion

How to Transform the War on Drugs into Providing Drug Treatment and Compassion

14 Comments
Make the faces of drug use and abuse white ones. Interesting, yes? Most black and brown people have known this since forever. Last week, the WaPo published two authors who note that with the reports of the explosion of heroin use and abuse in the suburbs, that the news reporting as well as law enforcement sound much more compassionate, but that seems to be because they are now talking about white people:
Last month, NBC News ran a series of stories about the United States’ “growing heroin epidemic.” Two things stand out in the reports: One is their sympathetic tone; the other is that almost everyone depicted is white. Drug users and their families aren’t vilified; there is no panicked call for police enforcement. Instead, and appropriately, there is a call for treatment and rehabilitation. Parents of drug addicts express love for their children, and everyone agrees they need support to get clean.