2016 Vote Tracker: Still Waiting on that Minimum Wage Increase

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The General Assembly spent a couple of hours, literally, at the start of the year giving corporate Delaware a massive tax break in passing House Bill 235, the Luntzly named Delaware Competes Act. But the state's minimum wage workers still await their raise. The Vote Tracker is back after a break. We are tracking bills that have some progressive or anti-progressive import. So, in other words, bills that we want to see passed or do not want to see passed. We don't track all bills filed in the General Assembly.
Did GOP Moderates Just Become Relevant?

Did GOP Moderates Just Become Relevant?

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Stephen Greenberg, a Democratic pollster and author of American Ascendant, writes, “Moderate Republicans will have the last word in this dramatic presidential election year.” Greenberg believes that moderates make up 31% of Republican party.
Why Lisa Dean Moseley Matters–Even If Her Death Doesn’t.

Why Lisa Dean Moseley Matters–Even If Her Death Doesn’t.

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Sherry Freebury. Elmer Setting. Lisa Dean Moseley. We all know that Freebury and Setting, at the time they accepted favors from Moseley, were/are among the most powerful people in New Castle County and deeply connected to the county police. Freebury received, and publicly admitted that she would never have had to repay, a $2.3 million sweetheart loan from Linda Dean Moseley allegedly in exchange for county approvals for a country club that Moseley wanted.  At the time she received that loan, she was Tom Gordon's CEO, as she was from 1997 to 2004. She previously was the head of NCC police, as was Gordon.  There's so much more on Freebury and Gordon.  This article serves as a good starting point. More recently, the longstanding 'rent-free' deal that current NCC Police Commissioner has enjoyed from Moseley was documented in the this WDEL story.  He claims he provides 'security and maintenance' for the property.  (BTW, didja know that one of Lisa Dean Moseley's marriages was to her gardener? Another was to her gynecologist. But more on that later.) Lisa Dean Moseley died recently.  Here is the obit from the paper. I searched for anything recent in the News-Journal to place her life and death in context.  After all, context is everything.  So far, nothing.  If she had merely had the two clearly inappropriate relationships with Freebury and Setting, that alone would have warranted such an article.  Two law enforcement officers at the highest level being paid off for their 'services'. But here's another reason why anyone from law enforcement should have had nothing to do with Moseley, and perhaps a reason why they did. 
We Have Debate Watch Parties!

We Have Debate Watch Parties!

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Tonite is the debate between Hillary and Bernie in New York. There are a couple of local debate watch parties that I know of listed below. The operative phrase here is "that I know of". If you are aware of others, please post the details in the comments and one of us will get the information in the main post. So here we go:
Tales of Corruption from Tom Gordon’s NCC — Coverups, Double Dealing and GA Senators

Tales of Corruption from Tom Gordon’s NCC — Coverups, Double Dealing and GA Senators

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First, go look at WDEL's story on this. The story as currently released alleges that an employee of the county (and husband of Bethany Hall-Long) took confidential records of low-income housing residents in order to run his own personal phone bank for his wife.
A confidential source implicated Hall-Long's husband, Dana Long, in allegedly using his position as a Section 8 housing property inspector--a contract position within New Castle County government--to lobby for his wife's state Senate re-election bid. A confidential source told WDEL that Long took the county's protected contact list of low-income housing residents and cold-called them--on his own time--urging residents in his district to vote for his wife when she faced Republican John Marino in her 2014 re-election bid.
Outing People Is NOT Okay

Outing People Is NOT Okay

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Kevin Ohlandt, of Exceptional Delaware, has crossed a line. He has outed an anonymous commenter - and one that doesn't post on his blog. Publius posts on Kilroy's. I disagree with Publius almost 100% of the time. His comments read like a high school burn book, but that is no excuse for what Kevin has done. There might not be many rules in blogging, but this one is carved in stone. I hesitate to link to the post because giving this sort of behavior more hits is wrong.  I have emailed Kevin asking him to pull the post. I'll update with his decision.
BREAKING: Bryon Short Drops Out

BREAKING: Bryon Short Drops Out

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From his Facebook page:
Campaigns take an unbelievable amount of money to win. Although we have consecutively raised more money each quarter than the previous, I do not believe my campaign is on track to raise the necessary resources to get our message out in such a crowded field of candidates. After much thought, I have decided to end my campaign for U.S. Congress. Delaware needs a member of Congress who can cut through political nonsense and get things done. It is my hope and my belief that Americans will reject the ugly politics of the past several years and focus on electing people with a positive vision for our future. I am confident that Delaware’s next Representative will be one of those people. I am incredibly grateful to all of the people who supported me in this campaign and through the years. Thank you. Your support means more to me than I will ever be able to express.
So what happens now? Does Short run for reelection in the 7th RD? There is already a crowded primary there, so do those Democrats stay in? In the Congressional race, Short was the establishment candidate. Establishment support will now likely be divided between the new Delaware resident Lisa Blunt Rochester and Sean Barney. Townsend remains the progressive candidate. I think this race will eventually come down to Townsend v. Rochester. With Short bowing out, I cannot wait to see the financials for the first quarter.
Lawlessness in the City of Wilmington Starts at the Top

Lawlessness in the City of Wilmington Starts at the Top

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The News Journal published a remarkable story yesterday, detailing the escapades of a Wilmington Fire Marshal who was supposedly performing a residency investigation. Some quick background, new hires with the City of Wilmington are expected to establish residency in the city within six months of hire and then are expected to live in the city for 5 years. There's a Residency Review Board that is supposed to review challenges of non-compliance. But here we find that somehow a WFD Fire Marshal is clumsily investigating WFD employees: