New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

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Yes, this is actually happening in Delaware. Rep, Helene Keeley (my rep!) has sponsored HB 371, legislation that would allow Delawareans to possess less than an ounce of marijuana and makes public consumption of marijuana a civil (rather than criminal) offense. Should this pass, Delaware would join 18 other states and multiple municipalities in helping to de-escalate the War on Drugs. People with small amounts of marijuana are a wasteful target for law enforcement (unless, of course, they are suspects in other crimes) and it is well past time to refocus limited dollars and resources for law enforcement on the crimes that actually harm people or property. I support this effort. Here is the press release on this bill:
Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

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That is the title of an opinion piece published in the NJ yesterday from Dace Blaskovitz -- a member (until very recently) of the WEFAC (Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council). He's had an up close and personal look at Wilmington financial trends for quite a few years, and recently quit the WEFAC (this isn't news?) -- according to him -- after Mayor Williams announced he was going for a 9.9% property tax increase. His POV of Wilmington's financial woes is worth reading -- much of it is very familiar. I can't vouch for his numbers on the trends he discusses, but total payroll *has* gone up -- this is due not just to the hiring of people but also due to increased health care costs. That last one is true for most employers who provide health care benefits. Note also that most of the city employees have not had COLA increases in several years and I believe that all of the city's unions are working without a contract.

Saturday Open Thread [5.31.14]

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It is a gorgeous Saturday! What are you doing on this near perfect day? There's lots of house projects going on here. Over at the Daily Kos, we discover an interesting recent poll done by the Robert Sage Foundation. This poll purports to have surveyed the 1% as well as the 99% to compare attitudes to various government and political programs. (NOTE: I can't find the actual poll results, so no idea what the internals look like. Meaning I have no idea how they define the 1%, or how the screened for this, or even the sample size. FYI) But take a look:
Republican Hypocrisy on the VA Scandal

Republican Hypocrisy on the VA Scandal

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The abuse of the VA scandal in a midterm election year to "rock" the anti-Obama vote is entirely disgraceful. The issue of VA bureaucracy is one that has existed for decades now, and while President Obama hasn't done enough to solve the issue, pinning the fault entirely on the President is plainly wrong. From 1921's Veteran's Bureau collapse, to unpaid revolutionary soldiers, to today's waiting lists, the issue of how we treat our veterans is one that needs an open national discussion, not a finger-pointing series of aggressive speeches and letters.
Friday Open Thread [5.30.14]

Friday Open Thread [5.30.14]

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According to Politico, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "offers a detailed account of the deadly attack on the American embassy in Benghazi -- and a pointed rebuttal to Republican critics who've laced into her over the incident -- in a much-anticipated chapter of her forthcoming book, Hard Choices."
"The 34-page chapter is Clinton's most complete account to date of the attack and its aftermath. Her tone is less defensive than defiant: Clinton takes responsibility for the "horror" of the loss of life in Benghazi, but puts it in the context of "the heartbreaking human stakes of every decision we make" -- and she accuses adversaries of manipulating a tragedy for partisan gain."
Good. A fighting Clinton is always a site to see. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that 55% of Americans say they support Hillary Clinton running for president. The same poll finds 66% of Americans disapprove of Karl Rove raising questions about Hillary Clinton's age and health in advance of her potential presidential run.
Delaware Political Weekly: May 21-27, 2014

Delaware Political Weekly: May 21-27, 2014

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Here are some names of people who haven't yet filed, and whose candidacies may be in doubt: State Auditor Tom Wagner: Has any statewide official ever done less work while being paid by the taxpayers over a longer period of time than Wagner? Faced with an inspiring and hard-working challenger in Brenda Mayrack, does Wagner really want to go out on his shield? We already know he doesn't want to have to work too hard to get reelected. And he's gonna have to work hard to have any chance of fending off Mayrack. State Rep. Rebecca Walker (D-RD 9): This one's real interesting. As I've written, Walker has not been a powerhouse as a campaigner. She is facing a credible challenger in realtor Kevin Hensley. State Rep. Andria Bennett (D-RD 32): Andria Bennett has shown tremendous growth as a representative, and is now one of a handful of the most consistently progressive legislators in Dover. All I'd heard was some scuttlebutt that it wasn't a sure thing that she'd run again, although the sense was that she would. I hope she does. Dave Tackett (for State Senate District 11): It was with great fanfare and not-so-great grammar that New Castle County Councilman Dave Tackett announced that he would primary State Senator Bryan Townsend this year. That was well over a month ago. Since then, no filing nor, as far as I can find, any type of campaign website. Could it be that Tackett's realizing that going up against Townsend would be a fool's errand? I dunno, but his campaign seems to be in limbo. And there are others...
Please Welcome our Newest Contributor, TheNewDeal

Please Welcome our Newest Contributor, TheNewDeal

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Please welcome to the fold our newest contributor, TheNewDeal. Mr. Deal is a local student who has been active in the political scene, and needless to say he is interested and involved in Delaware politics. His first post was just posted before this one, concerning the Washington Redskins and the our local Senators being one of the 49 that have signed a letter requesting the team change its name. Like many of us, he has chosen to remain psuedonymous, so we will all respect that. Please welcome him there or here, and be nice. At least for the first few posts, anyway.
Credit Where Credit is Due – The Name “Redskins” Needs to Go

Credit Where Credit is Due – The Name “Redskins” Needs to Go

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Some people love the Redskins. A team that seems to hate its fans is loved by many. For them, the Redskins team name is a symbol of pride and excitement. But to many others, including myself, it's a racial slur and is insulting to the original inhabitants of North America. Highlighting the actions of Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, the News Journal posted a brief story on a letter sent to the NFL commissioner by them and many others urging the Redskins to alter their controversial name.