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Friday Open Thread [9.18.2015]
![Friday Open Thread [9.18.2015]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DL.Open_.Thread.Black_-240x180.png "Friday Open Thread [9.18.2015]")
Joe Biden “may have more time to make up his mind about running for president than most people assume,” Politico reports.
“Various deadlines have been floated: End of summer, Oct. 1, the first Democratic debate on Oct. 13, the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner Oct. 24. But none of these is looking like a hard deadline. Neither are any of the cutoff dates for getting his name on state ballots. … It turns out that instead of simply deciding yes or no on a presidential run, Biden may have a third option — make no announcement at all, wait until December (or longer) and hope Clinton gets out of the race or is pushed to the sidelines without him having to get in.”
Wednesday Open Thread [7.29.15]
![Wednesday Open Thread [7.29.15]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/obamasmug-240x180.jpg "Wednesday Open Thread [7.29.15]")
President Obama seriously trolled the right wing yesterday with his comments to the Africa Union that if the constitution allowed it, he could win a third term. He also said he thinks he is a pretty good president, which is of course an objective fact, but it was sure to still the pot on the right nonetheless. I say he was trolling regarding the third term talk because the right wing, what with all of their fantasy talk about conspiracies and birther nonsense and Jade Helm takeovers of Texas, believes that Obama will institute martial law and install himself as Dictator for Life.
First off, yes, it is true that some on the left also believe Bush was going to start a war with Iran and declare martial law and install himself as President as a third off. So, touche.
Second, I cannot image anyone who has served as President wants to stay in that job forever. 8 years in that job takes 20 years off your life. Just look at the before and after photos.
Third, yeah, the Constitution is pretty explicit about this, and if you want to start a revolution against you, staying for third term is a good way to start it.
Fourth, the President was illustrating a point to African leaders because Africa frequently deals with popularly elected leaders who then want to stay in power. The President was saying, hey, if I could, I would and I would win. But that doesn’t mean he should. He was saying respect the rule of law and get off the stage when it is your time.
Fifth, he is right. If President Obama could run for a third term, there is no doubt in my mind that he would trounce any one of the Republicans currently running.
Tuesday Open Thread [7.14.15]
![Tuesday Open Thread [7.14.15]](http://delawareliberal.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Obama-240x180.png "Tuesday Open Thread [7.14.15]")
Steve Benen pauses to take stock in the generational and historical scope of this day and this agreement:
At the start of the process, the smart money said these talks would fail. The hurdles were simply too great. Indeed, plenty of very credible observers feared that the attempted diplomacy itself might be a mistake – failure would leave the world in an even more precarious position than before the talks began.
President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry recognized the challenges and risks, and they took it on anyway. Their success will likely put a stop to Iran’s nuclear-weapons program, but it also marks one of the most dramatic diplomatic accomplishments in generations.
I’ve seen some suggestions about this being Obama’s “Nixon goes to China” breakthrough, but the comparison is imprecise – the Obama administration’s task was far more difficult. I’m reminded of this piece from the Washington Post’s Steven Mufson, published in March.
…Obama is not Nixon, and Iran is not China, and the comparison – made in newspaper columns and by some foreign policy experts – is illuminating largely because of important differences it exposes.
Nixon’s visit to China was a powerful symbol – a longtime anti-Communist president strolling along the Great Wall and dining with senior party leaders. Unlike Nixon, Obama lacked a political record that would shield him from criticism for reaching out to a longtime foe.
China also welcomed Nixon’s visit, whereas Iranian leaders still harbor suspicion of the United States.
[T]he nuclear agreement with Iran is arguably a greater diplomatic accomplishment than anything we’ve seen in modern American history.
As Andrew Sullivan often said… Meep Meep Motherf*ckers. Barack Obama will go down as the greatest President since Franklin Roosevelt.
The Vote Tracker — Final Update for the First Session of the 148th General Assembly
Every time I update the vote tracker, I change it. This time is no exception. I am done with the Excel spreadsheets. I don’t like the way it presents in the embed windows, and I did not like other technical aspects. So we are back to Word, and I have further divided the Vote Tracker into five different documents based on the statuses of the bills: PASSED, ONE CHAMBERED HAS VOTED, WAITING FOR A VOTE, STILL IN COMMITTEE, and REJECTED.
Come inside to download each Tracker.
As we have already discussed here and elsewhere, this has been a disappointing first session of the 148th General Assembly, especially on the budget. And given the drastic budget shortfall that faces the next session, drastic measures are called for among the Democratic leadership. But I will get to that in a second. Let’s first review our list of progressive priorities and how they fared…. and then I lay down the gauntlet on the single progressive priority for next year.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 17, 2015
My, how times have changed. So much so that HB 115(J. Johnson), which ‘permits individuals subject to the supervision of the Delaware Department of Correction to effect a name change based on a sincerely held gender-related identity’, passed the Senate and goes to the Governor. Two R’s, Cloutier and Lopez, voted for the bill, leaving only the Rethug Haters to either vote no or go not voting.
Rep. Kowalko has introduced two bills providing for higher tax brackets for those making over $125K per year. HB 181 and HB 196. While HB 181 is a straightforward addition of two upper income brackets, HB 196 ‘lowers the current tax rates by .05% for each bracket. The bill also creates a new tax bracket at $125,000 with a rate of 7.05%, and an additional bracket at $250,000 with a rate of 7.80%. The bill also provides a tiered reduction of the otherwise available itemized deduction based upon the individual’s taxable income’. I hope that legislators consider these proposals this year. Otherwise, next year’s fiscal picture will make this year’s look tame by comparison. And, uh, next year is an Election Year.
Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up & Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 16, 2015
Miracle of miracles. The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council DEFAC), which provides the official estimate of state revenues, has upped its revenue projection by $33 mill, which makes balancing the FY ’16 budget easier. Funny how often that happens. Some claim that it’s BS, or DEFACating. But, it’s OFFICIAL BS. This comes as some of Delaware’s most progressive legislators propose higher income brackets for Delaware’s wealthiest. Now, here’s the problem. The budget deficit for the following fiscal year is projected to be steep. Next year also just happens to be an election year. If the General Assembly is going to pass a more equitable income tax bill and create more revenue, it will have to be this year, not next year. Will the General Assembly finally restore some equity to the tax code, or will it wait and find itself in an almost impossible fiscal position next year? As usual, what I think will happen and what I hope will happen are the diametric opposites of each other. An increase in taxes on the wealthy provides a sustainable stream of revenue. Using one-times and combining them with rosy DEFAC projections simply kicks the can down the road. In this case, the road does not go on forever. Act now. Because it ain’t happenin’ in an Election Year.
The Vote Tracker Update — Progressive Priorities
This legislative session has been all about the budget and our legislators and Governors slowly waking up to the fact that they will have to raise taxes on the wealthy in order to balance the budget. Indeed, the budget that emerges from may be the most important piece of legislation in terms of progressive priority that the General Assembly passes this year, if it adds two or more income levels and rates to the progressive tax structure.
One topic is getting little attention as lawmakers attempt to close an $83 million budget gap: raising income tax rates. And, specifically, raising taxes on Delaware’s wealthiest earners, who have seen most of the state’s wage gains in recent years.
Delaware’s personal income tax is the largest source of state revenue, generating $1.2 billion this year – enough to fund almost 32 percent of total state government operations. Delaware’s top income tax rate of 6.6 percent is charged on incomes $60,000 and above.
Some lawmakers now say adding a tax bracket for wealthier Delawareans could help solve the state’s budget problems, while more fairly spreading the state’s income tax burden.
Consider these potential scenarios, and their impact on annual state tax collections:
1. Raise rate to 7.6 percent on incomes > $125,000: $71.7 million
2. Raise rate to 7.6 percent on incomes > $250,000: $46.7 million
3. Raise rate to 7.1 percent on incomes > $125,000: $35.7 million*Source: Delaware Department of Finance
Time to lay down the gauntlet: If Delaware’s Democrats do not add more tax brackets and rates above our current highest rate of 6.6% on incomes over $60,000, they cannot be considered Democrats any further. Not just progressive Democrats. Actual Democrats. Seriously, you all might as well become Republicans right now. And that will be especially true if they go for any of Governor Markell’s Republican ideas of repealing the Estate Tax or lowering corporate or income tax rates.
Repeat after me Democrats in the General Assembly: You will add tax brackets and rates on the wealthy. You will do it.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up & Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The big news: Legislation decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use passed the House Tuesday. Despite an amendment that weakened the bill, not a single ‘small government’ Rethug voted for the bill. BTW, the amendment sucks. I can only guess that it was required to secure a sufficient number of votes to pass the bill. Otherwise, it should not have seen the light of day.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Let’s not mince words. Not since 2009 has the General Assembly entered June with so much uncertainty and so much unfinished business. I’d argue that it will even be a more difficult June than June of 2009.
Back then, everyone recognized that Delaware, like virtually every other state, was suffering from an economic downturn. The newly-minted governor was able to work with the General Assembly to craft a series of ‘revenue-enhancers’ to address the budget shortfall. R’s released just enough yes votes to enable bills to pass, in exchange for provisions sunsetting the revenue enhancers.
Fast-forward six years. This governor has lost a huge amount of political influence. So much so that his press flak has said that he’ll watch what the General Assembly does, and not actively broker any settlements. He has, in particular, lost a lot of leverage with Democrats. Some of this is inevitable. Lame ducks almost never have much political capital to spend by Year 7. Markell has also wasted political capital in ways that have earned him the enmity and distrust of D’s in particular. Whether it’s the disaster of Race To the Top, his attempt to bypass the General Assembly while looking to get rid of the Port of Wilmington, his sabotage of a meaningful minimum wage bill, his inability to rally support for his gas tax increase, his cheerleading for charter schools, his refusal to consider any tax increase on his wealthy pals, and so much more, he is as close to feckless as any governor facing a budget shortfall can be.
Except…he HAS, by Executive Order, created a panel to look at long-term changes to how Delaware funds government. Unfortunately, Markell has chosen to place a vast majority of DINO’s and Rethugs on the panel, ensuring that any recommendations it might make would not in any way address inequities in who pays what. The good news: the ideas that are being put forward by this group are likely to be DOA. I mean, eliminate the estate tax? Really? These are not serious proposals except in a world where ALEC is king.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: May 12-14, 2015
That was quite the interesting little week. HB 50 passes overwhelmingly, Gov. Markell announces he will sign death penalty repeal legislation should it reach his desk, and the General Assembly apparently has come up with a sorta-gimmick to close at least some of the gap in infrastructure spending. At least the D’s have. And my daughter graduated college with honors in Mathematics and Japanese, and now proceeds to a Masters of Arts in Teaching Program. She wants to teach and inspire high school students to fully realize their potential in mathematics. I sorta doubt that she sees the ‘Smarter Better Test’ as a means to that end.
While it looks like there’s gonna be some new funding for road projects, the Rethugs appear hell-bent on getting some sort of ‘right to work for less’ concessions in exchange for votes to close the budget shortfall. Because, you know, nothing furthers economic prosperity more than paying workers less. Hey, it’s why they’re Rethugs.
The big showdown of the week takes place in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday at 11 am in the House Chamber. SB 40(Peterson), which repeals Delaware’s death penalty, and has already passed the Senate by an 11-9 margin, will be considered.
Markell Continues the Social Progressive Dance
He is a curious mix, our Governor. Later on today I shall have my tome-like response to Governor Markell’s thesis on Third Way Politics in the Atlantic last week. The Governor’s third way politics is unique. He champions progressive policies on the social level (if you exclude education and marijuana from that definition) to hide the fact that he is no progressive economically or educationally. Anti-Discrimination law, Civil Unions, Marriage Equality, and now the repeal of the Death Penalty.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Week of May 5-7, 2015
“The budget is broken,” said Delaware Sen. Harris McDowell, a Wilmington Democrat who co-chairs the General Assembly’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. “The options to fix it are to recognize that we have gotten to the end of the line of tricks.”
That’s the truth. Some of the tricks upon which we relied to balance the state budget, ‘abandoned property’, gambling revenue, even our incorporation fees, have peaked, and will soon be in decline, if they’re not in free-fall already.
Of course, if you read the linked article by Jonathan Starkey, you have to wonder if the proposed solutions can or will in any way address the broken budget. I think there’s no chance in hell that they will. First off, whose bright idea was it to create a bipartisan committee with at least as many R’s as D’s, with some of those D’s being Markell appointees? Uh, they’re the same as R’s. Oh, it was Markell’s idea, executed in an Executive Order he issued back in January. I guess he wants to assure that his legacy of kowtowing to his wealthy Greenville buds is locked in for decades.
Here are some of the ”solutions’ this bipartisan committee is considering, according to Starkey’s article…..
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: April 28-30, 2015
OK. Let’s put a stop to the idiocy that was the rumor that Gov. Markell would cut some kind of deal with the Rethugs on ‘Right to Work For Less’. It never made sense. Why? Because the bills won’t pass the General Assembly, and will not get a single D vote. Plus, the governor has little influence over the General Assembly any more. He would have zero if he made that move. ‘Multiple legislators’, Nancy? I call bullshit. Any legislator who would float that rumor should recognize that doing so makes it less likely, not more likely, that HB 50 would pass.
Yes, Monsignor Lavelle’s SB 54 is scheduled for ‘consideration’ in Wednesday’s Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee. Now, before you conspiracy theorists get your collective knickers in a bunch, here is the membership of that committee:
Chairman: Marshall
Members: Cloutier
Hocker
McBride
Peterson
Poore
4 D’s, 2 R’s, one of the R’s generally votes with labor. Now, do you really suppose that Jack Markell asked Marshall for a ‘solid’, and that Marshall agreed? Markell emasculated Marshall’s last minimum wage bill, and tried to privatize the Port of Wilmington over his objections. Use your heads, pipples. You’re better than this.
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