Debate Night!

Debate Night!

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There's a debate for Attorney General Candidates (I don't know if this includes all of the ballot-qualified candidates) at Widener tonight, starting at 6pm, conducted by WDEL. You can listen on WDEL or go over to Widener to see it in person. Delaware Public Media and the University of Delaware Center for Political Communication sponsor debates with the major party candidates for U.S. House and U.S. Senate tonight at Mitchell Hall. This website provides the times (House starts at 7 and the Senate starts at 8), and there are rules for the debates there as well. Not sure if you can still attend in person, but that is likely there at the website. You can also watch a live stream (I think!) of the House and Senate debate.
Brenda Mayrack is Wiping the Floor with Tom Wagner

Brenda Mayrack is Wiping the Floor with Tom Wagner

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I've been listening to this debate on WDEL and Brenda Mayrack is really crushing it here. Wagner is crouching behind a story that his is a technical and complex job, which is why he isn't doing accountability and watchdog roles -- even though he thinks he should be re-elected to do accountability and watchdog work. He sounded *very* condescending to her and she bypassed that BS to stay on her message. Wagner spent a great deal of his time explaining how the real work of accountability belongs to agency management and the legislature. Basically, Wagner wants you to know that:
What Creeping Sharia Law Looks Like

What Creeping Sharia Law Looks Like

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And this is right here in Millsboro and the Indian River School District, where one Shaun Fink is trying to impose his religious bigotries (beliefs masquerading as bigotry) on the high school students in the District. You can read the details of Mr. Fink's attempt to impose this atrocious bit of Christian Sharia law in this NJ article. Mr. Fink is hiding behind his so-called Christianity to try to demonize and ostracize LGBT people, objecting to the teaching of differences in sexual orientation as against his beliefs. Unfortunately, Mr. Fink still thinks he is living in the last century where not only could you get away with that kind of bigotry, but there was little price to be paid for it. In this century, this kind of bigotry is simply not a survial skill or a leadership skill -- two things you want your kids to have. An official demonization of LGBT people -- objecting to making them normal (as if they aren't already) not only does not serve these kids, but also tries to use the government to impose your bigotry on others. Even more, what Mr. Fink knows is that kids are more tolerant of differences among them, including LGBT differences. Trying to curb a basic course on sexuality to impart Mr. Fink's message that LGBT people are not "normal" is about him imposing his beliefs on these kids -- because he knows that they don't prioritize these differences. And trying to control other people -- their behavior and their beliefs is what Sharia Law is all about, right?
Wilmington City Council’s Meeting On Priority Schools

Wilmington City Council’s Meeting On Priority Schools

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Last night I attended the City Council Meeting on Priority Schools. I've stared at the above sentence for quite a while, not sure how to proceed.  Mainly because I think last night was simply window dressing, a box checked off... the deal is done.  These schools, imo, are headed for charter conversion, privatization or closure.  The only question is when this will happen.  Shortly after the December 31, 2014 Plan deadline? Or after the specified four year, approximately 6 million Plan doesn't meet the standardized test bar?
Middle East Bloodbath: DeJavu All Over Again

Middle East Bloodbath: DeJavu All Over Again

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Overrunning towns, pillaging, plundering, setting fire, torture, burning at the stake, rape, burning children alive, enslaving, beheadings, sacking places of worship, taking body parts for trophies, destroying libraries, cannibalism, crucifixions, opening bodies for swallowed treasure. A special place in paradise for warriors. Justice for infidels. Slaughter of their own. Robbing and keeping the riches.
Why Not Invest A Few Shekels in These Candidates?

Why Not Invest A Few Shekels in These Candidates?

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1. Sean Matthews, 11th RD: Even if you backed Dennis E. Williams in the primary, you'd have to admit that Matthews is infinitely preferable to R candidate Judy Travis, whose support comes from far out of the political mainstream. As opposed to your traditional Brandywine Hundred R, Travis is one of only two House candidates to get the support of the Delaware chapter of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. 2. John Mackenzie, 22nd RD: A rarity. Campaign stuff that's worth reading. Click on this and on this.  Not only is it clear that he wrote his own copy, but he comes across as someone who will be a serious legislator and quite the progressive. He perhaps reminds me most of Michael Barbieri, who is one of the most outstanding legislators we have.  We could use several more legislators like him, and Mackenzie is in that mold. 3. Marie Mayor, 20th RD: Well, let's see. She's right on the issues, she's running a great campaign, she never really stopped running after the 2012 election, she almost won last time, and she, too, would immediately take her place as one of the best legislators in Dover. The political stars could also be aligned, as the anti-Obama folks won't overrun the Sussex County results like in 2012.  I also believe that, once she's elected, her constituent work will enable her to get reelected several times over. Let's help her win!
Tom Gordon Calls Take Backs on Secrecy for Denmark Trips

Tom Gordon Calls Take Backs on Secrecy for Denmark Trips

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Over the weekend, the Gordon Administration started releasing some details in the planned trip to Denmark for a library tour by the Community Services Manager and an Administrative Librarian. The NJ article now has some estimates of the cost of the trip for two people and the planned dates of travel. There's also some estimates of the costs of previous trips. The NJ is still pursuing its FOIA request for this data. Still -- it's all so much bull:
Some council members said they had never been briefed on the project. When they were finally given details last week, the Denmark trip was left out of the presentation. One council member happened to ask about it because he had heard a rumor. "They all knew the principle behind this, which was to design the best library in the country," Gordon said of council. "To attack that, it looks like we're fighting and hurts our ability to attract more partners."
Flowers Endorses… ?

Flowers Endorses… ?

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Flowers:
Based upon this principle and the questionable actions over the last 60 days, I cannot in good conscience endorse a candidate for this office. Rather, I encourage voters to support the candidate who has not only campaigned with the highest integrity, but has the financial education and experience to manage our $2 billion portfolio, will continue the “Honest Way” reforms to the Cash Board which have made over $50 million in returns for Delaware and supports mandatory background checks for those state employees having access to our state financial accounts.
First, questionable actions? The only questionable actions were Mr. Flowers' in his personal life. And yet he somehow holds Sean Barney responsible for it, otherwise he would endorse him. Barney is not responsible. Markell and Carper are not responsible. The minions behind all three of them are not responsible. The story after embarrassing story that we endured over the last three years with Chip Flowers and Alaska trips and Patriots tickets and his relationship with Ericka Benner, none of that was created by Jack Markell, Tom Carper or Sean Barney. Oh sure, they all took full advantage of it, just like a football player jumps on a ball when it is fumbled. If Chip Flowers is bitter and wants to blame someone, he needs to purchase a mirror. I was so looking forward to his tenure because I did want someone to challenge the Governor and shake things up. And the future politico in me saw this extraordinarily good retail politician going far, perhaps challenging Denn in 2016 for the gubernatorial nod, or settling for the Lt. Governor's spot. To beat the King, you have to be clean, and you better not miss. As to his very snarky non-endorsement endorsement of Ken Simpler simply because he ran a hedge fund, well I guess I thought Chip Flowers was supposed to be the anti-corporate Democratic hero. I guess he forgot that in his bitterness. That has to be the deciding factor since both candidates, Barney and Simpler, have pretty stellar educational backgrounds. The difference between them is that Sean chose public service and the military, and Ken went into the private sector. So enjoy that endorsement Ken, I say smiling.
Tom Gordon Blames the News Journal for His Own Lack of Transparency

Tom Gordon Blames the News Journal for His Own Lack of Transparency

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This week's unnecessary controversy is over a planned trip to Denmark (!) by Community Services Manager, Sophia Hanson, and an unnamed other county employee to inspect a library that apparently they think is a model for what they want to do with the planned library across the street (sort of) from Chris Bullock's church on Rt 9. County Council did not know of this trip until Councilman George Smiley asked about it after a presentation on this library this week. It isn't clear that any one knows much more about this trip, but Adam Taylor of the NJ asked for more detail and was pretty much told that the County won't release more information on this because the County Executive thinks that the NJ is just going to do a hit piece:
County spokesman Tony Prado said Friday that Gordon administration officials would not talk about the trip. They wouldn't say who was going, when the trip is scheduled to take place, how much it will cost, whose idea it was, or why it is necessary to visit a library in Denmark. "The executive is concerned this is going to be a negative story and he doesn't want to comment," Prado said. "This has been a project that is near and dear to his heart, and the executive feels like this is going to be a hit piece, so he would just rather not comment."
The Bombing of ISIL in Syria Has Begun

The Bombing of ISIL in Syria Has Begun

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Yesterday, the bombing of ISIL targets in Syria started in earnest.. Even though there is stated coalition to take on this task, right now it seems that the US is doing the heavy lifting. No surprise, I imagine. I'm interested in this question posed by Andrew Sullivan: Does The GOP Really Give A Shit About The Debt?:
I mean: where are the fiscal conservatives now? The ISIS campaign is utterly amorphous and open-ended at this point – exactly the kind of potentially crippling government program Republicans usually want to slash. It could last more than three years (and that’s what they’re saying at then outset); the cost is estimated by some to be around $15 billion a year, but no one really knows. The last phase of the same war cost, when all was said and done, something close to $1.5 trillion – and our current travails prove that this was one government program that clearly failed to achieve its core original objectives, and vastly exceeded its original projected costs.