Tag: Featured
Zombie Casino Alert! Part IV (Studying Our Failures Episode)
The end of this legislative session finds Delaware taxpayers footing an $8M bill to help the local casinos pay the increased costs of their equipment providers who are apparently paid with a percentage of the casino’s profits. Casinos now pay those vendors 6% of the profits for equipment and machines and expect to pay 10% after these contracts are re-upped. In addition, Epilogue language provided for a new Lottery and Gaming Study Commission
Roll Call item on Beau Biden throws a curve ball
This Abby Livingston Roll Call item on Beau Biden unfolds pretty much as expected. The “local operatives” were probably a couple of people at Dem HQ. Maybe Ed Freel, touting the ‘new’ Tom Carper (still a ‘pup’ after close to 40 years on the public dole). Perhaps the Chamber of Commerce lackey Rich Heffron or Celia Cohen touting the timeless beauty of the status quo. You know, the usual. Then suddenly the needle scratches a new groove.
Why is Senator Hall Long pictured? Find out inside…
So, about last night…
HB 88, the bill that is aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, remains stalled. The mentally ill, representated by the protestor above, are pleased, as now they can kill as many people they want with any gun they can get their hands on. The protestors there in Dover yesterday in opposition to HB 88 suffer under paranoid delusions, highlighting the need for this bill in the first place.
Meanwhile, Senator Townsend’s Senate Bills on education transparency, 147 and 148, passed the House. These bills are intended to snatch a small victory from the massive thrashing jaws of defeat that was the passage of the Charter School bill. Both bills are now waiting for Governor Markell’s signature.
Finally, the bill to rein in the powers of state Treasurer Chip Flowers was not brought to the floor for a vote.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: The Final Day, Night, & Day
We’re gonna have drama after all! Democrats vs. fellow Democrat Chip Flowers. I support the Democrats not named Chip Flowers, and so should you. Here’s why. Chip Flowers claims that he has the power to invest state money, money that goes to fund state pensions. He is the only treasurer in memory to make that claim. Other treasurers have recognized that the responsibility for making these determinations rests with the Cash Management Policy Board, of which the Treasurer is but one member. Flowers wants to play cowboy in search of higher investment returns. He’s even hired some guy to look at how to increase performance. He hasn’t hired anyone to warn him of imprudent risk. This is precisely the type of fiscal irresponsibility that left scores of public pension funds in shambles throughout the country following the financial scandal. Delaware, which had invested its money prudently and conservatively, remained in strong fiscal condition, and so did state pensions. If Chip Flowers wants to gamble, let him do so at a racino or online or in the market with his own money. As a pensioner of the state, the last thing I want is for him to do is play the market with our money.
The proposed bill essentially does to Flowers what earlier legislation did to the Sheriff of Nuttingham–make clear that he can’t overstep his bounds and/or create new imaginary powers for himself. For the sake of my fellow pensioners, I hope it passes.
HB 88 Fails to Pass the Senate After Overwhelming House Vote
HB88 is a bill that sought to better define (so it could actually be enforced) procedures by which dangerous mentally ill persons could be restricted from firearm ownership, but also creates a path to let those restricted demonstrate that they are no longer dangerous and able to manage their gun rights. This is a great bill — one that was worked hard by the House, to ensure that concerns of all sides were reasonably dealt with and it passed the House 40-1. A bipartisan victory by any stretch of the imagination — and it means that the House reached a remarkable consensus on this issue. This bill was sent to the Senate, who voted it down tonite 6 – 13, with 2 not voting. One of the not voting was Bryan Townsend (D-11), which surprised a great many people. Cathy Cloutier voted NO on this, even though she is reported as telling folks she would vote YES. Michael Barbieri is the bill’s primary sponsor, and I am told that he needs to get just one Senator who voted NO to bring it back to the floor.
To say that this defeat is a surprise is an understatement. It’s overwhelming majority in the House should have been an indication to the Senate of just how well this bill had been worked. In addition, the NRA was NEUTRAL on this bill — as good as it gets on a gun measure. How did it get defeated? Ever hear of a group called First State Liberty?
It is run by Eric Boye, who is plenty new here. And I understand that after HB88 passed in the House, a campaign of robocalling began to get people to contact Senators on this issue. As is often the case, the robocall was more about scaring people than actually informing them. This group is toxic enough that even the Delaware State Sportsmans Association has warned its membership about this group — saying that is is a counterfeit organization that is run by persons with their own interests at heart, rather than those of gun owners
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 25, 2013
On the subject of Jack Markell’s tactics, when it comes to state employees, he needs an intervention. Which the House D’s, who have bottled up legislation giving state employees a voice on the…State Employees’ Benefits Committee, seem prepared to offer him. Rather than let SB 21, which would give state employees two seats on the committee, come to a vote, the House has announced a ‘compromise’. Rather than just pass the bill, which I have no doubt would pass, or even let it out of committee, well, let’s let mealy-mouthed Valerie Longhurst spell out the ‘compromise’. Direct from a House of Reps press release:
House Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, who chairs the Administration Committee, and Senate Bill 21 sponsor Rep. Larry Mitchell worked with union officials last week to reach a general compromise on the measure and will iron out details of an amendment during the legislative break.
“We know that the unions really want this bill to move forward, but we know there is opposition from the administration too,” said Rep. Longhurst, D-Bear. “There also is a good amount of support within our own caucus for the bill, so I have committed to Rep. Mitchell and the unions that we will work out an agreement during the break and come back in January, get the bill released from committee and put it on the floor for a full House vote.”
Allow moi to translate: “We’re gonna stick with the Governor’s anti-employee approach until we totally have to cave to our members.” I mean, what kind of ‘compromise’ is Governor Walker Markell willing to accept in January that he couldn’t accept today? One member instead of two? He’s already got the votes to outvote state employees on the committee if it comes to that. He simply doesn’t even want them to have a seat at the table. And he’s got Schwartzkopf and Longhurst running interference for him. Even though they’re supposed to lead a caucus that wants this bill.
Acting GOP Chair Nelly Jordan to fire staff if the Chateau Country money doesn’t start rolling in…
Since 2010, if not before, the battle between the old guard state GOP (i.e. the DuPonts, Castle, Copeland, etc). and the upstart downstate social conservatives (O’Donnell, Urquhart, Christopher, etc.) has been a fun one for us Democrats to watch. It kind of reminds us of the little flare up we Democrats had nationally in 2004-2005 (i.e. Howard Dean, 50 State Strategy), although on a much larger scale here in small First State. Any way, here is the background on the latest chapter….
Last month, State GOP Party Chair John Sigler resigned after having be reelected the month before. His resignation turned not on party business or party divisions but instead on conflicts of interest between his private career and his role in the state party. That meant that the newly elected Vice Chair, downstate activist (meaning downstate tea party social conservative activist) Nelly Jordan would ascend to the top spot, for a little while anyway. She would remain Acting Chairman of the Party until a special state convention could be held in 60 days to elect a new state chairman.
Well, it would seem that things are not going that well for Mrs. Jordan during her stewardship of the party. Delaware Liberal has obtained a copy of a letter sent out last night to State GOP Executive Committee members. A copy of the letter is below (I have redacted Mrs. Jordan’s personal contact information). As you can read, it would seem that party fundraising has dried up during her tenure as Acting Chairman and the state party is basically broke as of this moment, and there is the possibility that staff will have to be laid off and offices closed…
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 19, 2013
The Great Grubby Gold Rush of 2013 has begun. Millions for an Archmere mansion(?), $8 mill for racinos w/no strings attached(?), more $$’s down the aglands preservation rabbit hole(?), $2.2 mill to buy a Sussex hunting preserve(?). A disproportionate number of these requests for downstate projects. The News-Journal covers it here. And the racino $8 mill rationalizations here. Enjoy (or despair of) Bloviator Colin Bonini’s contradictions within mere paragraphs of each other. Must be Bond Bill time.
The idea of giving $8 mill to the racinos that were already given legal monopoly status with no licensing fees and slot machines video lotteries subsidized by the state is brain-dead. What other casinos in this country received such a sweetheart deal? As Al Mascitti pointed out on our show yesterday, it’s not our fault that idiots at Dover Downs somehow decided that theirs would be a ‘destination resort’ that required hotels and restaurants. Nothing says destination resort quite like anonymous concrete strip malls and traffic lights every 20 feet. Why in hell should they get even a penny of bailout money? In this case, true to Markell form, this lame cash dump doesn’t even require the racinos to forestall layoffs, which is just what they’re threatening to do if they don’t get relief. Markell is simply doubling-down on someone else’s bad bet. With our money. Let’s see…$8 mill earmarked for racinos, $7.5 mill pissed away on agland preservation, you could more than pay for a 1% increase for state employees with that money. Jack, Jack?
John Carney Joins the SNAP Challenge Protest — UPDATED
The House of Representatives is getting to vote on its version of the Farm Bill — this GOP led version cuts 2.5% of SNAP funds. It is estimated that this might throw about 2.5M Americans who need food help off of the program. As a protest — 26 Democrats in the House have started a week-long SNAP Challenge (some reports have some of their staff joining them), where they pledge to live on the $4.50/day subsidy SNAP provides. Our representative, John Carney, is on the list of Democrats doing this challenge.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 18, 2013
Conspiracy Theory of the Week: DSEA Sells Out Public Schools, Secures Raises for Teachers.
If you were wondering why DSEA agreed to support charter schools’ grubby grab of public cash earmarked for public schools, we may now have the answer. Included in the Governor’s budget is “$8.5 million for ‘step increases’ for school employees, gradual pay raises teachers get as they gain experience and education”, according to Monday’s News-Journal article by Matthew Albright. Considering that the first $2 mill of the charter schools cash grab is also in the same budget bill, we can see how Markell bought off public education officials. Another $2.6 million is for ‘state testing computers’, yet more money down the rabbit hole of standardized testing. Need I remind anyone that we’ve got $8.5 mill for teachers’ increases, $0.00 for state employee increases. While I’m fine with raises for teachers, Strongly supportive in fact, I’m not fine with the Deal with the Devil that enabled them. Ladies and gentlemen, your Democratic governor. And the purported protectors of public education.
BTW, time for, IMHO, an important digression. Is it possible, just possible, that Jack Markell is campaigning…for CIA Chief? I’m (sorta) serious about this. The man who ran on the issue of government transparency has made secrecy the defining touchstone of his second term. First, the Port machinations. Then, the Charter Schools debacle, where his administration literally dared doubters to file a FOIA lawsuit. And, just this Sunday, an incredible piece by Jeff Montgomery in the News-Journal, which effectively lays out a strong case that Gov. Markell deliberately suppressed environmental data casting serious doubt on the environmental safety of the Delaware City oil refinery. Deliberately suppressed. Anybody getting angry yet?
Meanwhile, SB 97(Henry) “adds the term “gender identity” to the already-existing list of prohibited practices of discrimination and hate crimes. As such, this Act would forbid discrimination against a person on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations, and insurance, and it would provide for increased punishment of a person who intentionally selects the victim of a crime because of the victim’s gender identity.” SB 97 received the bare minimum 11 votes required to pass the Senate. I think it will likely have a more comfortable margin in the House.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds. June 12, 2013
Let us circle June 11, 2013 on the calendar. It will go down as a day when public schools were dealt yet another blow at the hands of greed and silence. The Governor’s greedy desire to rise above his station, D’s and R’s alike greedy desire to get their hands on funds they shouldn’t have, the press’ unwillingness to function as journalists instead of lapdogs; a conspiracy of silence that rippled through the Delaware Way, leaving only the have-nots behind (admittedly, that’s a dog-bites-man story in Jack Markell’s Delaware). Here’s the roll call on the charter schools money grab, if you have the heart.
Oh, and if anyone thinks that $5 mill is the end instead of the beginning, well, you’re not thinking. So, Markell will get his Race to the Top filthy lucre and his imaginary presidential street cred, Charlie Copeland (!) will parlay his family’s expertise in bankruptcies into running a hy-ooge city charter. A Tower Hill grad who inherited his fortune will be one of the largest players in Delaware education. In the inner city. I mean, has anybody with any say-so over who gets to run a charter ever read Dissolute Recrimination?
The politicians who supported this railroad job (deliberations in private, rushed through in a week and a half) opted to serve themselves instead of the majority of their constituents. The least they could do is let everyone in on the details of the deals. A very dark day for public education in Delaware. And a black mark on the Delaware General Assembly that won’t be easily removed. Jack Markell is now officially dead to me.
HB 165 – DL Readers, You Have Homework!
HB 165 is up for a vote in the House today. If you are not familiar with this bill please read this post – More importantly, click on EVERY link in that post. Those links will take you to blog posts from other bloggers fully explaining HB 165. Lord knows, you won’t find any of these concerns in the News Journal.
So here’s your homework, CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE! No excuses. Just do it. Also, contact your friends and family and have them do the same.
I’d like to return to an email Rep. Jaques sent to Elizabeth Scheinberg over at Children & Educators First blog. This part jumped out at me:
If you took the time to read House Bill 165 you would see loads of transparency and accountability throughout. I hope you are not listen to the nay Sayers who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about! HB 165 has been properly vetted and has loads of support throughout the education community.
First, I know Elizabeth read the bill, and it was insulting to imply otherwise. Second, naysayers? “Who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about?” Is that what Rep. Jaques considers citizens who have concerns about HB 165? What’s the opposite of naysayers? Yes men? (Yeah, that ticked me off.)
And about that “loads of support” for HB 165? Well, Charter School advocates love this bill. In fact, if this bill was full of compromises like Jaques implies, surely charter supporters would point out the areas they weren’t so pleased with. Haven’t heard one complaint or concern. In fact…
Steve Newton has the emails going out to charter parents, urging them to contact their Reps and to tell them to vote for Hb 165. Read them. There’s a lot of talk about money in these emails. So much, that one would be forgiven in thinking HB 165 was a funding for charter schools bill.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 11, 2013
That was quite the eventful Senate session last Thursday. We can count to three, so let us count the ways (even though Legislative Council can only count to two; seriously somebody needs a wake-up call there):
1. The Senate handily passed SS1/SB 33(Ennis), which would require owners/landlords of manufactured homes communities to justify rent increases above the Consumer Price Index. 17 yes, 1 no(Bloviator Bonini), 1 not voting (Pope Pompous I, formerly Monsignor Lavelle). Now don’t get all excited. The Senate vote was viewed as a ‘free vote’ last session because the Forces of Evil had wired the House. It’s getting late in session. Contact your state reps and urge them to move forward and pass this bill. First warning sign will be if this bill doesn’t get placed in Paul Baumbach’s Manufactured Housing Committee.
2. Although Legislative Council, the official ‘information’ arm of the Delaware General Assembly, took no note of it, the Senate passed landmark legislation which prohibits gender identity discrimination in Delaware. SB 97(Henry) passed the Senate by an 11-7 vote. Interesting roll call. Cathy Cloutier was the only R to vote yes, Dems Bob Venables and Bruce Ennis voted no, D Brian Bushweller and R Pope Pompous I went not voting. All 11 yes votes were required for passage. If your senator did the right thing, thank them. And, if anybody’s home at Leg Council, could you please update the session log? I know that there are some exciting new solitaire options on your computers, but perhaps one of you…? Pretty please?
3. The Senate passed ‘redistricting reform’ on a straight party line vote. SB 48 creates an 11-member commission to draw the lines and to make the process more open than it has been. Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf has made it pretty clear that he likes the current ‘behind closed doors’ method of drawing the lines. There are quite a few House D’s signed on as co-sponsors, so we’ll see what happens. My guess? Schwartzkopf prevails, reform doesn’t.
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