In Which We Find That Bud Freel Was Right

In Which We Find That Bud Freel Was Right

41 Comments
So jump to now, where we discover that the WFD is 6 months into its budget and $300,000 over its overtime budget for the year. What does that mean? It means that the rolling company shutdowns are back as a cost cutting measure AND both Goode and Williams are now quite open to eliminating those vacant positions: The higher-than-average overtime cost was blamed on five vacancies in the department and coverage for personnel out because of injury or extended sick leave. As a result, Goode said one of the city's fire companies will regularly be shut down on a rotating basis to offset the costs and he could move to eliminate a handful of vacant positions in the agency. [...]
2016 Statewides–IC–KWS Gets her multiple challengers.

2016 Statewides–IC–KWS Gets her multiple challengers.

31 Comments
I see that Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart has successfully enticed more than one primary opponent to challenge her. You see, that is the key for her continued and unfortunate presence in office: you line up the support of the Gordon-Williams machine in New Castle County, and then you get more than one primary opponent to divide the anti-KWS vote. That is imperative because the anti-KWS vote is always the majority of the vote when there is a primary, as she has never received more than 42.5% of the vote in a contested primary.
SCOTUS Affirmative Action Case, Or White Girl Demands Affirmative Action For Mediocre White Kids

SCOTUS Affirmative Action Case, Or White Girl Demands Affirmative Action For Mediocre White Kids

14 Comments
I have no idea why this case is back in the hands of the Supreme Court. Okay, I do have an idea, and, if I doubted my initial reaction, the Conservative Justices cleared that up for me. Antonin Scalia:
There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-­Americans to to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-­advanced school, a less — a slower­-track school where they do well. One of the briefs pointed out that most of the black scientists in this country don’t come from schools like the University of Texas. They come from lesser schools where they do not feel that they’re — that they’re being pushed ahead in — in classes that are too — too fast for them.
That statement is stunning with its sweeping assumptions, especially when you consider the woman, Abigail Fisher, was a mediocre student with mediocre SAT scores.
Donald Trump is a Gift from God.

Donald Trump is a Gift from God.

5 Comments
There are those, like Jeb Bush, who say that Donald Trump is a Democratic plant, an operative sent from the Clinton Machine to disrupt the Republican Primary. If that is the case, it is the most ingenious idea and plan to ever be considered and implemented in the history of politics, in this country and in all countries, for all time. The theory that Trump is a plant prevails among some because he is making the Republican look and sound bad. And if all he were doing was running and saying the bigoted and fascist things he says without any support, and with all the "true" Republicans candidates and officials disagreeing with him and denouncing him, I would agree. But that is not what is happening, is it? Trump averages around 25%-35% support in the Republican Primary. Why?
Delaware Is A Police State. Will Anybody Do Anything?

Delaware Is A Police State. Will Anybody Do Anything?

25 Comments
I hope you have all read this article in Sunday's News Journal.  If not, read it and then head back here. I'll wait. I didn't know, betcha that you didn't either, that police can seize property, money and valuables when they suspect that the owners of said property, money and valuables are involved in drug-related crime.  Betcha didn't know that neither (a) the filing of charges and/or (b) convictions for said offenses were a prerequisite for police just taking stuff.  Betcha didn't know that it's exceedingly difficult, if not down-right impossible, for innocent victims of said seizures to get their money, property and valuables back.  Betcha didn't know that the 'proceeds'  go directly to a law enforcement slush fund called SLEAF. Betcha didn't know that Delaware is the only state in the union that refuses to release the amount of money seized and how the money is spent....
The Clowning of Wilmington

The Clowning of Wilmington

35 Comments
The ABC network is going to take up the label that Newsweek slapped Wilmington with to create a new TV show called "Murder Town". It will be set in Wilmington, and be a legal drama. You can read about all of that in the NJ article. Hollywoodizing Wilmington and its troubles won't help those here that actually need some help and add to that a bunch of people who don't live here getting ready to profit from Wilmington's issues who probably won't be investing here. Still. The most appalling part of this article is this:
The Latest on YankGate.

The Latest on YankGate.

9 Comments
We've got a special meeting scheduled for tonight in Elsmere to discuss Mayor Berg's offer to yank a ticket. We've got a Council meeting next week that will feature consideration of a Resolution calling for an independent investigation into YankGate. And we might have a new Chief Administration Officer. Guess what? He is a retired police officer.
Delaware: The Next Colorado?

Delaware: The Next Colorado?

28 Comments
We are at a tipping point in the movement for legalization of marijuana, just as the Hate Amendment in California was the tipping point in the marriage equality movement. The latest Gallup poll shows that 58 percent of American favor pot legalization. Kevin Drum predicts that marijuana will be generally legal by 2019. And 24/Wall Street is now out with an article that predicts the next 11 states that will legalize marijuana. Where does Delaware rank among the most 11 most likely states?
Guest Post: Delaware’s Government Channels Its Inner Trump

Guest Post: Delaware’s Government Channels Its Inner Trump

44 Comments
Secretary of Finance Tom Cook’s recent op-ed epitomizes the strategy of hiding things in plain sight.  Secretary Cook and Governor Jack Markell’s revenue review panel has concealed among its recommendations for making Delaware tax revenues more “elastic” an ideologically driven agenda of tax cuts for the wealthy and out-of-state corporations at the expense of our state’s middle class, senior citizens and local business owners.  That our governor could sanction such recommendations is a prime example of how politics in Delaware has been hollowed out in favor of profit taking. Let’s first notice that in a era of declining revenues and increasingly challenging budgets to balance Governor Markell’s instructions forbade raising new revenue:  “if a recommendation was made that could be expected to generate additional revenue for the state, then a corresponding revenue reduction would also be proposed to offset it.”  This means (in English) that Cook’s panel was not interested in providing more money to balance our budget, but in changing who pays the bills.
“Fuck You, David. You’re Fired.” [Updated]

“Fuck You, David. You’re Fired.” [Updated]

18 Comments
Yeah, that sounds like our esteemed New Castle County Executive and former felon Thomas P. Gordon. And those were the words he allegedly said to former Chief Administrative Officer David Grimaldi yesterday afternoon after Grimaldi allegeldy questioned his choice of a risk manager, because the risk manager was actually Gordon's girlfriend. Yeah, this is going to get real ugly, really fast.
If You Are Okay With Officer Field’s Behavior Then You Are Part Of The Problem

If You Are Okay With Officer Field’s Behavior Then You Are Part Of The Problem

103 Comments
There is no excuse. Not one. And if you think there is an excuse for Officer Field's behavior then you really are part of the problem. Know who else is part of the problem? The teacher and the administrator. Not one of the adults involved demonstrated skill in deescalation. All of them demonstrated the art of escalation. Talk about an adult pissing contest. And I'm fine with all of them being fired. No loss there. Not kidding. If you think kids don't pull out their phones during class then you don't know kids. (My daughter was so guilty of this in high school and yet no one laid a hand on her. They. Wouldn't. Dare. And that is what privilege looks like.) Hell, this isn't even a kid problem. Mostly everyone is guilty of this behavior. If you're okay with Officer Field's behavior, hope you're okay if you're flipped out of your chair and thrown across the room at a restaurant that doesn't allow cell phone use. That's okay, right? The truth is this would never have happened to a white, middle class girl. Not. Ever. It's why white boys accused of crimes are shown in their yearbook pictures while Tamir Rice (a 12 year old) is portrayed, not only as a potential criminal threat, but far older than his years. And this incident is a flippin' pattern that those parsing this horrendous video ignore.