Tuesday Open Thread [4.22.14]

Tuesday Open Thread [4.22.14]

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Happy Earth Day. National Geographic gives us the history of Earth Day:
Earth Day began in 1970, when 20 million people across the United States—that's one in ten—rallied for increased protection of the environment. "It was really an eye-opening experience for me," Gina McCarthy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, who was a self-described self-centered teenager during the first Earth Day rallies, told National Geographic. (See pictures: "The First Earth Day—Bell-Bottoms and Gas Masks.") "Not only were people trying to influence decisions on the Vietnam War," she recalled, "but they were beginning to really focus attention on issues like air pollution, the contamination they were seeing in the land, and the need for federal action."
In response to this, Richard Nixon actually did a good thing. Indeed, it may have been the last liberal/progressive thing a Republican President has done. They passed the Clean Air and Water Act and established the EPA.

Monday Open Thread [4.21.14]

3 Comments
The latest state revenue estimate from DEFAC is expected to be released today. Last month saw $40 million added to the projected deficit that Markell and the GA will need to close. And they may have already done so:
But with Gov. Jack Markell (D-Delaware) signing his $51 million corporate tax hike into law April 15th, the state could have more money to work with.
An Election for Lt. Governor can be held this year.

An Election for Lt. Governor can be held this year.

7 Comments
My question as to who is running for AG is answered. My next question is: does our Delaware State Constitution provide anyone power to appoint a new Lt. Governor, should Lt. Governor Matt Denn be elected Attorney General later this year and thus resign his current office. Section 9 of Article II tells us the Governor does not have that power. But If Matt Denn resigns the office of Lt. Governor at any time prior to September 4 of this year, then it would seem that the election for the remainder of the term of Lt. Governor would take place during the November general election. Given the lateness of that September 4 date, I imagine this election for Lt. Governor is treated like a special election wherein the parties nominate a candidate for the office rather than engage in a primary.
Matt Denn is Running for AG!

Matt Denn is Running for AG!

37 Comments
Is this the good news of the day or what? From Denn's website:
[...]But as I have thought about it and talked it over with my family, I’ve realized that the Attorney General’s office would allow me to take a leadership role on some issues that are critical to our state, while still staying involved in the issues involving Delaware’s children that have been the core of my work over the last six years. The Attorney General, as the state’s chief law enforcement officer, must be someone with the judgment, impartiality and will to prosecute and punish those who have violated the laws of our state. He or she should also possess compassion for our most vulnerable residents, a respect for all citizens of our state regardless of their background, and a vision to prevent crime from occurring by combining smart crime prevention with a commitment to providing Delawareans with real opportunity and hope. I believe that I possess these traits. That's why I have filed to be the Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Delaware in 2014.[...]
Delaware To Tackle Human Trafficking

Delaware To Tackle Human Trafficking

10 Comments
Make no mistake. Delaware needs to tackle human trafficking. According to activists, Delaware ranks near the bottom when it comes to addressing the issue of, let's not mince words, slavery. Which, IMHO, is why, as 'Lazy Reader' pointed out (major tip of the 'Bulo sombrero), that Delaware has had this sudden proliferation of Asian massage 'spas'. Within the past year, New Jersey has enacted perhaps the most comprehensive statute in the country. The Pennsylvania legislature is likely to pass a comprehensive bill by the end of the current legislative session, and already has a stronger statute than Delaware. As to Delaware, while it comes relatively late in the session, there should be no reason why SB 197(Blevins) doesn't get enacted into law by the end of June.  I think that one of the elements driving the increased spa proliferation in Delaware is, in fact, likely the stronger statutes enacted elsewhere. Delaware offers a soft underbelly for those with no conscience. Just to give you an idea of the extent of the sprouting of these spas, My Friend At Work (huge sombrero tip to her), who is deeply involved in this issue, suggested a website that pretty much lays it out there. While I will not give the website any undeserving traffic, it promotes, both under 'escorts' and 'body rubs', many of these spas. Generalized locations include Philly Pike in Claymont,  Shoppes of Camelot in Rehoboth, Market Street in Wilmington, Foulk Road in Brandywine Hundred, State Street in Dover, Naamans Road in Brandywine Hundred, N. Broad Street in Middletown,  Silverside Road in Brandywine Hundred, N. DuPont Hwy. in Dover, Chestnut Hill Plaza in Newark, S. Maryland Ave. in Wilmington, Pulaski Highway in Bear, and Jenmar Plaza in Newark. 
Sooo… Who is running for AG?

Sooo… Who is running for AG?

7 Comments
The field is frozen until Lt. Governor Matt Denn decides what he wants to do, much like Hillary Clinton has frozen the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary. If he runs, he is the nominee, and I doubt he will garner any challengers. But if Matt Denn doesn't run, then the floodgates are wide open. Celia Cohen has her uses. She is plugged into to the mover and shakers, the behind the scenes people in the know, on both sides of the aisle, though her bias and writing style leaves much to be desired. Still, she offers a wide range of potential candidates, so of which will garner a declaration of "WHAT????!!!" and some of which will leave you saying "Hmmmm, that's interesting."
Saturday Open Thread [4.19.14]

Saturday Open Thread [4.19.14]

Stan Greenberg had been previously telling these spineless cowards to campaign on moving past Obamacare. Now he is telling them to embrace it. Because his polling tells him it is the better idea.
"Until now, this is an issue where the intensity has been on the other side," he says. But defending Obamacare, he adds, has emerged as "a values argument for our base." Greenberg now believes Democrats "ought to lean much more strongly" to campaign on the virtues of Obamacare as a means of boosting progressive turnout. "Not apologizing for Obamacare and embracing it actually wins the argument nationally," he says. "And it produces much more engagement of Democratic voters. That's a critical thing in off-year elections."
No fucking shit. Seriously, if you wonder why Progressives have absolutely no respect for our corporatist spineless establishment party, what with people like Chris Coons, Tom Carper, John Daniello et al, it is because we are nearly always proven right, and yet we are the ones treated with disdain by them.