Tag: Featured
Cool it on Joe Biden.
Vice President Joseph Biden’s team “is putting out the word that he is leaning in favor of joining the presidential race next month,” the Washington Times reports.
Said Democratic bundler Jon Cooper: “They have given increasingly strong signals that Biden is going to throw his hat in the ring. I’m as confident as I can be that he will be entering the race.”
There have been several pieces like that, in other publications, quoting one Democratic fundraiser or one staff member. And the sense I get when I read that is that, far from being a planned leak from the Biden camp or from the Vice President himself, it is an effort to nudge the Vice President into the race.
Note to Wilmington City Council — Ready, Fire, Aim Is Not A Public Safety Strategy
Last night there was a meeting of the Wilmington City Council Public Safety Committee and of the Committee of the Whole — intended to discuss the budget amendment that would authorize two new Inspector positions and and a Chief Information Officer for the WPD. What you could tell when the conversation started was that this […]
BREAKING NEWS: Parties Try Last-Minute Cash Grab in General Assembly!
The D’s and R’s have finally found something they can both agree on. I had previously written about HS 1 to HB 128, a candidate and party cash grab which was removed from the House Agenda once it was exposed.
Guess what? They’ve got another bill they plan to work under the cover of darkness of June 30 and July 1. And, while they won’t fund $$’s for road building, ‘leadership’, including ‘mortal enemies’ Greg Lavelle and Patti Blevins, are united in crushing any insurgent candidacies under something called a ‘Party Building Fund’. No, it’s not for buildings.
Ladeez and gentlemen, let me introduce to you SB 155, which is sort-of a Delaware version of Citizens United.
The bill creates a new fund for political parties. Here’s the key sentence:
No political party may make any expenditure from its building fund except for the costs of telephone and other communications services and the rental or purchase of equipment, office supplies, or an office or building.
Wilmington’s City Council Looks to Wash Its Hands of the City’s Safety Problem and Just Throw Money At It
Timed for the Friday afternoon news dump, Wilmington’s City Council has scheduled a joint Committee of the Whole and a Public Safety meeting to debate the City budget’s first budget amendment (not a month after the new budget went into effect). This budget amendment will add funds to the WPD budget to create two new Inspector positions and one civilian CIO position. The meeting is this Monday (June 29, 2015) at the City Council chambers starting at 5pm. This amendment has been revised from the original ask, now it provides approval for 3 new positions (rather than 4), does not add to the authorized strength of the Department and now spends just $285,000 of a projected surplus. A projected surplus that no one has any confidence in and AGAIN, I do not understand why we are committing to spending money that we think that we might have, rather than money that we actually do have. I’ll extend that to wonder why they are having this hearing at all right now — given that the GA has blown a hole in their budget and no one know what the world will look like on July 1, it seems clueless to spend any time talking about more spending until you know that your budget is intact.
Bond Bill Committee Zeros Out Municipal Street Aid and Community Transportation Fund
This is reported to me by multiple sources at Leg Hall, (and the NJ!)with counties and other municipalities (and the REALTORS) furiously pushing back on this as well as the decrease in revenue sharing for the Real Estate Transfer tax. None of this is a done deal until the legislature takes its final vote, but blowing big holes in every single county and municipal entity here in Delaware doesn’t strike me as the most productive bit of business. Of course, they wouldn’t have such a big problem if they had passed a gas tax last year. Or if they had even passed the weak tea of the fee increases this week:
In Which We Find Neither Accountability or Fiscal Sensibility in the Wilmington City Council — AGAIN
Tonight, the Wilmington City Council will vote on an amendment to the budget to add more management staff to the WPD. They will do that without having any hearings, with little notice to the public and without Bud Freel (the Finance Chair) in attendance. Councilman Freel is one of the few points of fiscal accountability (heck of any accountability) in the City Council and doing this without him available (guess Council President Gregory did not offer Bud first class tickets to come back to vote) and without a good public airing is good government malpractice. But then, we are talking about a group of people who aren’t much interested in good government — or, frankly, in representing their constituents. Here is what is being voted on:
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.
So What Now?
Welcome to Plan B. The alternate reality that we had to talk about and plan for should Beau Biden not run for Governor, or not be able to run. But it is more of an alternate reality that who will fill the Governor’s seat come 2017. We might also be entering the post-Biden era of Delaware politics, which I think partly explains the large outpouring of love and affection for the Biden family, for Joe, and for Beau, over this past week. Because Delawareans thought that, maybe, this will be there last chance.
Which is why I want to talk about a modified Plan A for a second before we move on to Plan B…..
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.
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.
The NEW New Wilmington Crime Plan
Today, at a press conference that the public heard about maybe an hour and a half before it occurred, the Mayor and Chief Cummings announced ONE MORE Crime plan for Wilmington. It seems that not many people know what is in this plan (even City Councilpeople Sherry Dorsey and Hanifa Shabazz who endorsed it all without seeing it), and although there was some rumor that the plan would be available to the public shortly after the press conference, this plan is not on the City’s website where the public can take a look or was it provided to the Governor or the WPSSC as a courtesy. So we have a press conference that was designed to exclude as many Wilmingtonians as possible, continuing the contempt this Mayor has for the citizens of Wilmington. But here is the gist of what is supposed to be on deck:
My Thoughts On Beau Biden… And What Really Matters
I wasn’t going to write about this, but, today, Al Mascitti made me cry. He was so choked up as he spoke about Beau and his family. So many memories came flooding back. Painful memories, but memories I wouldn’t give up for the world. I’m also publishing this today due to the comments on the other thread. We’ve obviously “gone there” so let me add my insight.
It’s no secret I was in the “medical privacy” camp, but I sorta stayed out of those debates because I could (sorta) see the other side. It was a different conversation because, imo, it removed the humanity of the obvious situation, and while I didn’t understand that side (and I’m not really here to debate that, altho that will probably happen given the comments on the “memorial” thread) my lack of understanding probably had a lot to do with how many times I’ve been up close and personal to this type of situation.
Dying trumps everything. There are no politics, no career moves, no family squabbles, no test scores – These. Things. Do. Not. Matter. At all. If they matter to you, then that is your luxury.
Here’s the truth: There are no rules, no shoulds, no have tos, in regards to a terminal illness. Just like there are no rules to grief. Death is a solitary experience. No one can tell you how to handle this. There isn’t a “correct” way of doing this. The dying person gets to set the rules.
I’ve written about my experience with my best friend in 2011. Allow me to pull a passage from this post.
When a person faces a terminal illness their perspective changes. Instead of focusing on being “cured” – which they accept isn’t an option – they focus on how much time they can buy. As a 47 year old, divorced mother of two teenage boys my friend was obsessed with buying time. I completely understood.
Time Mattered.
And yet, time was the one thing not discussed. Not by her, or me, or her doctor. It was the elephant in the room. All of us knew time was running out. None of us discussed it. Sometimes saying things out loud makes them more real… too real?
Announcing you are dying is not a simple or easy thing to do – and you get to decide who you share it with and when. If you think it is easy then you have probably not experienced death up close – especially the death of a young person, with children. Saying this truth out loud is nearly impossible. It changes everything. It is admitting defeat. Every day is precious. Every day is a fight and a gift. Every day might be your last.
And telling your children, or having them have to face this reality through the constant chatter of talking heads (Joe Biden went to Delaware. Is he visiting his dying son?) or newspaper articles, is the hardest thing you will ever experience. Dying people don’t care about “your” or “their” concerns or issues – nor should they, because in the big scheme of things any concerns other than their children, spouse and family are things they have moved beyond. Your, our and their concerns are petty. Politics is a silly issue they have moved beyond. (and I love politics, but it goes out the window in this situation.)
“We’re Not Going to Let This Commission Take Credit for These Ideas”
That’s a paraphrase of what Wilmington’s Public Safety Liaison, Mr. Douglas Iardella, told one of the attendees of tonite’s Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission. This, unfortunately, is the only thing that can explain the Administration’s continued and obvious delay in talking about implementing the recommendations of the Commission’s report. Tonight’s meeting was expected to feature Chief Bobby Cummings discussing the report’s recommendations that the WPD would implement and discuss the path forward. Many community members came out (again) to be a part of the discussion and several of Wilmington’s GA delegation came as well.
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