Tag Archives: Delaware

First Look At The Governor’s Budget Proposal

The governor’s office released its newest budget proposal yesterday. I haven’t had time to dig into it yet but here’s some highlights. The budget makes $100M in cuts and according to the press release the reason for the gaps are health insurance cost increases, loss of stimulus funds and $54M for an extra pay period for state workers. Here is the details of the cuts:

Some of the more significant cuts proposed in the budget include (figures are in 1,000 of dollars):

  • Reduce administrative costs of Delaware Prescription Assistance Program – $1,250.0
  • Reduce supplies and materials funding in Dept. of Correction – $778.7
  • Reform health and pension benefits for state employees – $3,200.0
  • Eliminate Farmland Preservation funding – $10,000.0
  • Eliminate Open Space funding – $10,000.0
  • Reduce Higher Education funding – $6,527.6
  • Reduce DIMER and DIDER to freeze admission to the program for one year – $507.5
  • Eliminate Local Law Enforcement Education funding due to duplicate programs – $50.0
  • Improve procurement of vaccines in Division of Public Health – $118.3
  • Reduce contractual services in Services for Children, Youth and Their Families – $1,250.0
  • Reduce contractual services funding in DelDOT – $ 496.0
  • Reduce real-time crime reporting services – $24.0
  • Reduce fleet services – $33.7
  • Reduce contractual services in DHSS – $1,407.8
  • Reduce casual/seasonal positions in DHSS – $2,341.6
  • Realize efficiencies in Division of Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities – $1,200.0
  • Reduce grants, publishing and operations in the Delaware Heritage Office – $17.1
  • Implementing 90/10 Pupil Transportation split as a best practice – $7,133.8
  • Reduction of Charter School Transportation funding for equalization with school district reduction – $500.0
  • Eliminate Board of Parole and associated costs – $529.2
  • Eliminate in-house Printing and Publishing production in OMB – $421.2
  • Mandatory use of the Trapeze routing system to create more efficient school transportation routes per report recommendations – $448.0
  • Eliminate General Assistance funding in DHSS – $4,547.5
  • Reduce rental maintenance and software budget in DTI – $679.2
  • Eliminate Northeast Old Car Rally pass-through funding in DEDO – $2.7
  • Reduce mowing, parking lot and road maintenance for Angola Neck in DNREC – $40.0
  • Eliminate New Castle County (NCC) Dredge Program for NCC Conservation District – $225.0
  • Realize lease cost savings – $80.9
  • Reduce funding for equipment purchases in the Dept. of Finance – $5.0
  • Reduce printing and postage costs for personal income tax-related mailings and forms in the Dept. of Finance – $48.1
  • Reduce funding for staffing, collections and library services – $72.6

The cuts are coming in many areas but it looks like education, public safety and environmental services are taking a hit here. The News Journal‘s analysis of the budget is at this link. It’s not detailed in the governor’s press release but this budget means some layoffs (55, according to TNJ).

The budget also details the capital funding in the budget plus $31.9M for the Strategic Fund, which is to help bring businesses to the state.

Projects proposed for funded through the Capital Budget include (figures are as stated):

  • $1.0 million for Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR).
  • $1.0 million in state match for the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Program.
  • $1.0 million for Fraunhofer Vaccine Development.
  • $5.0 million for the Diamond State Port Corporation.
  • $93.0 million for Public Education projects.
  • Funding for Minor Capital Improvements.
  • Funding for major capital projects in Appoquinimink, Capital, Seaford, Sussex Tech, Laurel, Woodbridge, Cape Henlopen, New Castle County VoTech and Polytech.
  • $10.5 million for Higher Education projects.
  • Funding for projects at Delaware State University, Delaware Technical and Community College and the University of Delaware.
  • $20.1 million in agency Minor Capital Improvements and Equipment (MCI).
  • $2.3 million for NVF site redevelopment.
  • $1.5 million for DSHA Rental Assistance Program.
  • $4.0 million in Housing Preservation to preserve and maintain existing housing sites.
  • $6.0 million for libraries in Bear, Claymont, Dover, Greenwood, Smyrna and Wilmington.
  • $9.9 million for Howard R. Young Correctional Institution renovation.
  • $2.7 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which leverages $14.0 million in federal funds.
  • $1.0 million for Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which leverages $5.0 million in federal funds.
  • $300,000 for new Troop 3 and Troop 7 in Camden and Lewes respectively.
  • $2.0 million for the completion of the Kent County Courthouse complex.

So, what do you like and what do you not like about this budget?

The Wheeler Story Is A True Mystery

I imagine most of you are following the story of John Wheeler, the Vietnam vet and former Bush official whose body was found in the Cherry Hill landfill last week. The story has generated a lot of interest nationally and the latest information is going to add fuel to the fire.

The picture formed Tuesday of Wheeler’s final days depicted a man disoriented and so disheveled that he was mistaken for a homeless person — a stark contrast to the New Castle resident’s reputation as an accomplished public servant in three presidential administrations.

About 40 minutes after leaving the pharmacy, Wheeler turned up at the New Castle County Courthouse parking garage on King Street in Wilmington, erratically searching for his car, according to employees and surveillance video made public Tuesday.

An employee at the garage said she tried to help Wheeler, who was carrying his right shoe in his left hand and said someone had stolen his briefcase. The 66-year-old Wheeler was blocks away from where his car was parked in a garage on MLK Boulevard near the train station. Wilmington Parking Authority officials said he was a monthly customer.

Go read the whole story for all the details. It sounds quite tragic. I wonder what happened to Mr. Wheeler. Did he have a stroke and become disoriented? If his behavior got very strange that might open up a whole bunch of possibilities for his murder as well. I thought some of you might like to discuss here instead of having to comment in the NJ.

Hang Up and Drive

If you didn’t know already, Delaware began it’s handheld cell phone ban while driving on January 2nd.

On July 6, 2010, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law a bill banning the use of hand held cell phones, pagers, PDAs, blackberrys, laptops, games or portable computers while driving. Under the new law, which goes into effect January 2, 2011, drivers are not allowed to talk without using a hands-free device, read, write or send text messages, email or use the Internet while operating a motor vehicle.

If you get caught reading a email or reading this blog while operating a motor vehicle, it’s going to cost you $50. That would  be one expensive email.

DE Tea Party Gears Up For Another Loss

When a News Journal article begins with the following, one just has to laugh:

Trouble is, they [Renewable Energy Credits] may be the next target for Delaware tea party activists, who see them as wasteful government intervention into the free market system that just end up costing consumers more for electricity.

Next target for Delaware tea party activists? Did they sleep through the embarrassing tea party loses in Delaware back in November? Even better is that the right-wing Caesar Rodney Institute is latching on to this nonsense. And could it get any more nonsensical than this:

But [John] Nichols [member of First State Patriots] is among a growing contingent of skeptics. He questions whether buying more renewables will lead to “green jobs” and calls them an unreliable source of energy, dependent on whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.

Facepalm.

Buckle Up As We’re In For a Bumpy Ride

Fissures between the teacher unions (or “associations”) and Delaware school districts are beginning has show up in Christina over the Race to the Top plans for the Glasgow High School and Stubbs Elementary. Plans (Glasgow pdf, Stubbs pdf) are to be submitted today by the Christina School District to the state, but the Christina Education Association refused to sign on stating that “the district has involved us in a process that, while cordial, was not a true partnership.” The district disagrees. I’m guessing here, but it all comes down to the wording on a chart the union finds the wording “offensive and inflammatory”.

-Diversity and cultural competency among staff is lacking
-Belief that all students can succeed is inconsistent or sometimes absent altogether
-Prior student histories impact placement and student expectations

Are more disagreements like this in the cards for the future? Do you know what plans your school district has in regards to Race to the Top?

Fundraising Appeal – Delaware Right To Marry

Guest post by Bill Humphrey of Delaware Right to Marry

My name is Bill Humphrey and I am the Statewide Director of Delaware Right to Marry Political Action Committee. I want to thank Unstable Isotope and liberalgeek for helping us get the word out about our effort, which made its public launch on Thursday evening. Many of you are familiar with me a bit from my comments on this site or from my political talk show on WVUD. Delaware Liberal was definitely one of the first few sites I thought of to mention the launch, as you might have seen in Thursday’s open thread, and I’m glad to have this opportunity to expand on that.

To let you all know what is going on, we are working to pass our proposed marriage equality bill (summary here) through the state legislature during the 2011 legislative session. During the late winter/early spring we will be announcing various ways you can get involved and events you can help out at, but of course like any campaign, we do need money right now. If you can spare some for us, we would really appreciate it. I will try to answer any questions you might have in the comments on this thread when I get a chance during the day, and you can certainly email me (director at delawarerighttomarry.com).

Our first goal is to raise $25 each from 106 people, totaling $2650, by December 16 (because I will be away after that and unable to deposit checks for a couple weeks), which will pay for the first statewide public opinion poll taken on any gay issues in several years. We will be testing support for marriage equality, civil unions, and specific provisions or variations upon our marriage proposal. This poll is going to be essential for demonstrating support for marriage equality to state legislators.

We don’t have an online system yet, so we’re only taking checks at the moment, which should be made out to “Delaware Right to Marry PAC.” (In fact, we will be able to lower our fundraising goal with more checks and fewer credit card donations anyway because we keep 100% of the face value of checks.)

Our address is:
Delaware Right to Marry PAC
PO Box 590
Newark DE 19715

Please provide a means of contacting you in case we have any questions about your contribution for legal purposes. And we want to be able to send you a thank you note, of course!

There are no contribution limits to PACs in the state of Delaware, but you must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and making the donation from a non-corporate account on your own behalf only (or else there is special documentation required first). Please be sure to provide your full name, address, employer, and occupation for our reporting requirements. Your contribution is essential, as we are a low-budget, all-volunteer operation.

Thanks,
Bill Humphrey
Statewide Director
Delaware Right to Marry PAC

PS: If you have not seen our website, be sure to check it out.

On the web: http://www.delawarerighttomarry.com/
On Twitter: @DERightToMarry
On Facebook: Delaware Right to Marry PAC

Delaware GOP Civil War – Do They Get It Yet?

The Delaware GOP’s civil war is on full display in today’s News Journal. This is just the beginning of the war, the part I’ll call “finger-pointing.”

“The problem is a lack of leadership, a lack of vision, a lack of inclusion,” said Steve Grossman, Kent County coordinator for O’Donnell’s campaign. The party’s current leadership comes mainly from northern New Castle County.

Several downstate Republicans say the New Castle County GOP is not very well-organized.

“We keep losing elections because New Castle County Republicans won’t get their act together,” said Don Ayotte of Georgetown, who organized a censure of state Party Chairman Tom Ross last week.

According to O’Donnell’s campaign and Sussex County Republicans it was lack of leadership from New Castle County Republicans and poor organization.

Michele Rollins has a different diagnosis:

“We need to sit back and say, ‘Do we want to be a party of social issues?’ If that’s the case, then let it be that. But I can’t be in that,” said businesswoman Michele Rollins, who lost the GOP U.S. House primary to Glen Urquhart.

But, but, CONSTITUTION!

“Let’s focus on the fiscal conservancy of the party,” said former state Rep. Tom Kovach, who lost re-election in a northern New Castle County district that saw a surge in anti-O’Donnell voters.

Lyle Humpton of Bridgeville argues the party should shift further to the right on social and economic issues.

So, the moderates blame the social conservatives and the conservatives blame the moderates. Sussex blames New Castle. They all believe they can win on fiscal issues yet failed to talk about fiscal issues in a manner that appealed to the public.

Have you ever seen those comedies where the sheriff goes up to a crowd and asks, “which way did he go?” and the crowd points in every direction? This is what this feels like.

Election Predictions Thread

Here is a thread to put your election predictions. Everyone’s been playing pundit, but here’s some helpful predictions: “El Somnabulo Predicts ‘Em All For You”, “The DE Senate [2010] – Two Weeks Out” and “The DE House [2010] – 2 Weeks Out” from Delaware Dem. Ron Williams also makes his predictions.

Here are the races:

Federal offices

U.S. Senate
Chris Coons (D)vs. Christine O’Donnell (R) vs. Glenn Miller (I) – Independence Party of Delaware vs. James Rash (I) – Libertarian Party

U.S. House
John Carney (D) vs. Glen Urquhart (R) vs. Earl Lofland (I) – IPOD vs. Brent Wangen (I) – Libertarian vs. Jeffrey Brown (I) – Blue Enigma Party

My predictions:
Coons 56%, O’Donnell 43%, others 1%
Carney 54%, Urquhart 45%, others 1%

Statewide offices

Attorney General
Beau Biden (D) vs. Doug Campbell (I) – IPOD

State Treasurer
Chip Flowers (D) vs. Colin Bonini (R)

Auditor of Accounts
Richard Korn (D) vs. Tom Wagner (R)

My predictions:
AG- Beau Biden 85%, Doug Campbell 15%
State Treasurer: Flowers 49%, Colin Bonini 51%
Auditor: Korn 45%, Wagner 55%

State Senate
SD-1 Harris McDowell (D)
SD-5 Christopher Counihan (D) vs. Cathy Cloutier (R)
SD-7 Patricia Blevins (D) vs. Fred Cullis (R)
SD-8 Dave Sokola (D)vs. Louis Saindon (R)
SD-9 Karen Peterson (D) vs. Robert Johnson (R)
SD-12 Dori Connor (R)
SD-13 David McBride (D)
SD-14 Bruce Ennis (D) vs. John Moritz (R)
SD-15 Nancy Cook (D) vs. John Lawson (R)
SD-19 Joe Booth (R)
SD-20 George Bunting (D)

My predictions are marked with bold.
Most everyone agrees that the SD-15 race is probably the most interesting one. I guess I’ll lean to a Cook retain because I think we’re going to have a Democratic night.

State House of Representatives

RD-01 Dennis P. Williams (D)
RD-02 Stephanie Bolden (D)
RD-03 Helene Keeley (D) vs. Robert Bovell (I) – Working Families Party
RD-04 Gerald Brady (D) vs. Richard Carroll (R)
RD-05 Melanie George (D)
RD-06 Debra Heffernan (D) vs. Tom Kovach (R) vs. Matthew Flebbe (I) – Libertarian
RD-07 Bryon Short (D) vs. Judith Travis (R) vs. Scott Gesty (I) – IPOD & Libertarian
RD-08 Quin Johnson (D) vs. Kathleen Rokosz
RD-09 Rebecca Walker (D) vs. John Marino (R)
RD-10 Dennis E. Williams (D) vs. Robert Rhodunda (R)
RD-11 Josh Schoenberg (D) vs. Greg Lavelle (R)
RD-12 Deborah Hudson (R) vs. James Christina (I) – Libertarian
RD-13 John Mitchell (D) vs. Jeffrey Brown (I) – Blue Enigma
Yes, it’s same Jeffrey Brown who’s also running for U.S. House of Representatives, nifty trick.
RD-14 Pete Schwartzkopf (D) vs. Christopher Weeks (R)
RD-15 Valerie Longhurst (D) vs. James van Houten (R) vs. George Barnett (I) – Libertarian
RD-16 J.J. Johnson (D)
RD-17 Mike Mulrooney (D)
RD-18 Mike Barbieri (D) vs. Terry Spence (R)
RD-19 Bob Gilligan (D) vs. Vincent Ruff (R)
RD-20 Francis Swift (D) vs. Nick Manolakos (R)
RD-21 Mike Ramone (R)
RD-22 Dave Ellis (D) vs. Joe Miro (R)
RD-23 Terri Schooley (D) vs. William Stritzinger (R)
RD-24 Ed Osienski (D) vs. Abe Jones (R)
RD-25 John Kowalko (D) vs. Gordon Winegar (R)
RD-26 John Viola (D)
RD-27 Earl Jaques (D) vs. Jay Galloway (R)
RD-28 William Carson (D) vs. Karen Minner (R)
RD-29 John McCutchan (D) vs. Lincoln Willis (R)
RD-30 Bobby Outten (R)
RD-31 Darryl Scott (D) vs. Ron Smith (R)
RD-32 Brad Bennett (D) vs. Beth Miller (R)
RD-33 Robert Walls (D) vs. Harold Peterman (R)
RD-34 Jill Fuchs (D) vs. Donald Blakey (R) vs. Jonathan Marango (I) – IPOD vs. Michael Tedesco (I)
RD-35 Jim Westhoff (D) vs. David Wilson (R)
RD-36 Russell McCabe (D) vs. Harvey Kenton (R)
RD-37 Frank Shade (D) vs. Ruth Briggs King (R)
RD-38 Gerald Hocker (R)
RD-39 Daniel Short (R)
RD-40 Biff Lee (R)
RD-41 John Atkins (D) vs. Greg Hastings (R)

Predicted winners are in bold.

Counting up the predictions the Senate will stay at the same D/R split and in the House I see turnovers in RD-06 (Heffernan replaces Kovach), RD-09 (Walker – Cathcart open seat) and RD-24 (Osienski – Oberle open seat) for the Democrats and turnovers in RD-30 (Smith replaces Scott) and RD-32 (Miller replaces Bennett). That means D+1 in the House.

So, what are your predictions?

The Tea Party Plan To Disrupt Delaware’s Election

Apparently the Tea Party is not ready to accept Christine O’Donnell’s likely defeat. The Albany Tea Party is recruiting out-of-state volunteers to be “poll watchers” in several states, including Delaware.

Here is what the poll watchers plan to do:

Information about Poll Watching

Tea Party Patriots powered by our friends at Let Freedom Ring are looking for super-volunteers who will be technology-empowered poll watchers helping turnout every single Tea-Party friendly voter and bringing sunlight and accountability into the polling place on Election Day.

With our GOTV test program we need super-volunteers with either a smart-phone or internet connected lap top to take a four hour shift at polls in one of 21 congressional districts in 8 key states. We need volunteers in all fifty states who can focus on voting integrity.

Obviously our carpetbagger candidate needs to bring out-of-state volunteers in to drag her over the finish line. She’s not catching on in the state, judging by reports of the less than a dozen “Hispanics for O’Donnell” that showed up at her event last night (before her security guards threw out Ginger Gibson).

In the past, Republican poll watchers have challenged Democratic voters and can make voting a real hassle. I expect they will be placed in mostly Democratic areas, probably low-income districts.

Google Wind

Offshore wind power just got a big boost – from Google. The Google world takeover is one step closer to completion.

We just signed an agreement to invest in the development of a backbone transmission project off the Mid-Atlantic coast that offers a solid financial return while helping to accelerate offshore wind development—so it’s both good business and good for the environment. The new project can enable the creation of thousands of jobs, improve consumer access to clean energy sources and increase the reliability of the Mid-Atlantic region’s existing power grid.

When built out, the Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC) backbone will stretch 350 miles off the coast from New Jersey to Virginia and will be able to connect 6,000MW of offshore wind turbines. That’s equivalent to 60% of the wind energy that was installed in the entire country last year and enough to serve approximately 1.9 million households.

The AWC backbone will be built around offshore power hubs that will collect the power from multiple offshore wind farms and deliver it efficiently via sub-sea cables to the strongest, highest capacity parts of the land-based transmission system. This system will act as a superhighway for clean energy. By putting strong, secure transmission in place, the project removes a major barrier to scaling up offshore wind, an industry that despite its potential, only had its first federal lease signed last week and still has no operating projects in the U.S.

I assume this will happen despite Glen Urquhart’s objections to wind power? Overall, I think this is great news for Delaware and it takes us one step closer to energy independence.

Save The Date

May 21, 2011

So what’s happening then? According to a sign I saw on Rt. 273 May 21, 2011 is Judgement Day, Jesus Returns.

Mighty fine welcome back to Delaware. I’m back now that all the cool stuff is over this week. Of course, I just read that President Obama is coming to Delaware next Friday to campaign for Chris Coons. Chris Coons to Christine O’Donnell: I’ll see your failed Vice Presidential candidate and raise you a President.