Tag: Steve Tanzer Delaware
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 23, 2014
Today’s highlight, of course, will be Governor Jack Markell’s State of the State Address. I, for one, want to hear whether the Governor has developed even the slightest empathy for those Delawareans who have been hurt by the increasing concentration of wealth that the Governor has helped to enable. Something, anything, to provide hope to those who don’t live in Greenville, and don’t attend the same cocktail parties the Governor attends, and can’t afford to. My prediction? Whether this week, or next week, when he introduces his proposed budget, those who have been screwed will be asked to make even more sacrifices. The wealthy will not. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong. For once.
All Senate and House committee meetings were canceled yesterday, and none were rescheduled for today. Many thanks to House and Senate staff who provided the public with today’s agendas yesterday.
Delaware Political Weekly: Jan. 11-17, 2014
It’s time to recognize the possibility, perhaps likelihood, that Beau Biden will not be able to run for reelection. I think it’s pretty clear now that he’s battling a serious health challenge He is virtually invisible in public. When he does venture out, people are concerned about what they see. There has been no official update on his condition since August. His spokesman routinely makes statements that Beau previously would have made, most recently on the failure of the Senate to muster up enough votes to restore Beau’s signature legislation to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. I wish our AG a full recovery and a long productive life.
However, someone will be elected Attorney General this November. If not Beau, then who? Matt Denn? Or some blinkered law and order type who only cares about talking tough on crime, not on protecting consumers and the public from getting ripped off? It’s time we have this conversation. I know that there may be great comfort in imagining the Biden name on the AG line. But it’s less likely to happen each passing day. Who will step up?
Beau is the only one who can talk me down on this. Right now, he’s not talking.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 16, 2014
Well, one day in, and already one of my predictions has gone down in flames. (Or is it ‘up in flames’?) Thought it would be easy for the Senate to resurrect HB 88(Barbieri), which would establish procedures to try and keep guns out of the hands of the dangerously mentally-ill. We weren’t talking about passing the bill, we were just talking about restoring the bill to the Senate calendar. However, this signature initiative of Attorney General Beau Biden went nowhere on Tuesday, likely prompted by the notable absence of Beau Biden. From the News-Journal story:
Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson, R-Milford, said he expected Biden to be in Legislative Hall to make his case.
“If this bill is that important, I would think the attorney general would be present to debate it,” Simpson said. “He should be on the job and seen and heard from, rather than his staff speaking in his name.”
Biden’s chief of staff, Timothy Mullaney, said Biden spent his day in meetings to discuss violence in Wilmington. Biden was not available for interviews to discuss a new Wilmington crime plan announced by Mayor Dennis Williams. Joe Rogalsky, who leads legislative efforts for Biden, said the attorney general would not give up on the gun-control issue.
Simpson’s right, you know. Perhaps a little cruel, but right. Were Biden up to the task, he would have been in Legislative Hall. It’s not a long drive from Wilmington. However, it proved to be a Route Too Far to revive his signature bill. You do the math.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., January 14, 2014
The 2nd Session of the 147th General Assembly begins today. For newbies, or for those who forget easily, here’s what you need to know. Each legislative term lasts two years, from election to election. The 147th General Assembly runs until Election Day. Since this is the second year of the Assembly, all legislation that was in play on July 1, 2013 remains in play today. Of course, that doesn’t even consider new bills, new nominees, new controversy and, of course, new snark from Yours Truly.
The General Assembly meets for three weeks in January, breaks for six weeks for Joint Finance Committee hearings until mid-March, meets until Easter, breaks for two weeks, meets until around Memorial Day, breaks for two weeks (this is usually when the fiscal bills are finalized), and then meets until the early hours of July 1. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.
This can and should be a busy and productive January session. It WILL be a contentious session. Here’s just some of the stuff that likely will be considered during January….:
The 62 Project: #’s 22 & 40
Ennis took the time-honored (or dishonored) route to the General Assembly. Retired state trooper straight to Leg Hall. His temperament, though, is different than others who have made the same trek. He’s not aggressive, he’s very friendly, does his homework, and maintains close ties to his constituents. He is in his Dover office almost every day, and he’s always meeting with constituents. Not those with the most money, I might point out. You might not think he’s all that smart when you first meet him, but he uses that to his advantage. He’s a lot smarter, and more politically canny, than he seems.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Bolden isn’t terrible, but she appears disinterested in, you know, legislating. One would hope that a district like hers would be served by someone more interested in their constituents’ problems than her own resume. She generally votes the ‘right’ way, but then so would anybody who represents this overwhelmingly Democratic and under-served district. I’d normally say that the district deserves better. But the voters sent the Plants back to Dover for something like 33 years. So maybe the 2nd RD deserves Stephanie Bolden.
Carney The Craven
Our congressman, you know, the one who refused to push for Congress to stay in session until benefits to the long-term unemployed were restored, nevertheless found the time to send out this e-mail, presumably from the comforts of his home, which I received at 5:21 pm on New Year’s Eve: Friends, Over the past year, […]
Honoring the 2013 MVP’s (Most Valuable to the Progressive Cause)
One of the people in the picture to the left is the MVP this year. There were several worthy contenders who just missed the list this year. Superior legislators like Melanie George Smith and Michael Barbieri deserve consideration every year. Ed Osienski is fast approaching that status. Helene Keeley and Kim Williams were on my list at one time or another during my deliberations.
2013 was a great year for social justice in Delaware. Economic justice, not so much. However, I am encouraged that at least three strong voices for progressive principles joined the General Assembly this year, and a couple of Leg Hall vets found their voices as well. The progressive grassroots became more effective this year, and helped ensure historic victories that would not have happened without their support. Marriage equality, transgender equality, and justice for manufactured home owners, being among them.
The most notable omission from my list, and I struggled with it, is Governor Jack Markell. His role in hastening civil rights for the LGBT community will most assuredly be his lasting positive legacy. But, his actions in slowing the passage of minimum wage; his continued pushing for corporate education solutions and favoring charter schools; his granting of a tax cut for Delaware’s wealthiest citizens; his almost-disastrous actions concerning the Port of Wilmington; and several others, led me to omit him from the list. At best, the good and the bad canceled each other out. And, no, you don’t have to take the bad with the good. Or at least you shouldn’t accept it. I don’t.
Now to the list….
El Somnambulo’s 25 Favorite Songs of 2013
I am El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic. I listen to lots of music so that you don’t have to. I don’t like my Top 25 list this year, I love my list this year.
If you sample these songs, I can almost guarantee that you’ll find some stuff you’ll want to investigate further. (BTW, Cecile McLorin Salvant‘s ‘Womanchild’ would have been high on this list if only I could have found an online version. She’s great and, if there’s any justice, she’ll make tons of money.)
So here we go, as always, counting down from #25 to #1:
2013: The Good, The Bad, the Ridiculous
I am El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic. Today, one of my faves, my Delaware year-end review. I went back to January, and chronologically went through our Delaware Liberal archives. Man, our bloggers were en fuego this year. Incredible work from all corners. Cassandra on Wilmington and loads of other stuff, Pandora on education, Jason330 on the suckitude that is our congressional delegation, our beloved leader DelDem liveblogging from the Hall and covering national politics like no other, great Rob Tornoe cartoons. And, next year, ProgressivePopulist will have loads of great entries. Anyway, y’all could do a lot worse than to go back to January and enjoy the journey like I did. You can just click on ‘archives’ at the bottom of the page, and enjoy the journey.
Would it surprise you to learn that I considered only 12 possible entries for the Good? Didn’t think so. I had lots more to choose from in the other two categories, but I’m kind-of a negative person. So, here we go, have at it!
The 62 Project: #’s 23 & 39
Bethany Hall Long found herself in the spotlight this session as she was one of the identified ‘undecided’ votes on gay marriage. At first, she reportedly told confidants that her father would disown her if she voted for the bill. However, the right-wing evangelicals in her district spewed their hatred, and Hall-Long had had enough. She made clear that such intolerance was unacceptable and, along with Sen. Cathy Cloutier, her yes vote made the difference in passing HB 75 in the Senate. She also supported transgender equality later in the session. She voted against putting an end to the death penalty, but voted for the minimum wage increase. Her bill sponsorship is largely focused on health-related bills, which makes sense as she chairs the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. However, her knowledge of the intricacies of these issues enables her to be more than just a sponsor pushing through administrative initiatives. She is often involved in working groups developing consensus best-practices proposals.
John Viola was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, defeating longtime incumbent and JFC co-chair Rich Davis, 1897-1802. Davis, a classy guy, said that Viola won because ‘he outworked me’. No recriminations, just a tip of the cap on his way out of Dover. Viola has not had serious opposition since, with the R’s polling no more than 20.1% in those odd instances when they bothered to muster a challenge at all. The best that you can say about John Viola is that he ‘does no harm’. Some people are confirmed bachelors, Viola is a confirmed back-bencher. Nothing especially wrong with that. He’s generally a reliable vote for Democratic priorities. He supported gay marriage, transgender equality, payday loans, criminal background checks for gun purchases, and most other positive initiatives. My main issue with Viola is that he is a legislator who benefits from Delaware Way shenanigans.
It’s Official! Brenda Mayrack Enters State Auditor Race
Here is the press release:
Brenda Mayrack, an attorney and small business owner, announced her candidacy today for Delaware State Auditor. […] Mayrack pledged to bring a renewed focus to protecting taxpayer dollars to the State Auditor’s office. “Delawareans’ hard earned tax dollars do not belong to the government. Taxpayers, whether they are individuals or businesses, deserve a State Auditor who will improve accountability, transparency, and innovation in our state government,” she said. “As State Auditor, I will look for new ways to use technology to ensure that our valuable tax dollars are spent properly and put to their best use.”
Mayrack, a Democrat, has extensive experience with audits as an attorney specializing in unclaimed property. As State Auditor, her immediate priorities include a comprehensive review of credit card use by state employees and increased protections for whistleblowers. She brings energy, experience, and a new vision for an office charged with ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent effectively.
Delaware House of Representatives To Consider Minimum Wage in 2014?
Sure looks that way. Rep. Bryon Short, chair of the House Lapdog Committee (aka the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance/Commerce) wrote in today’s News-Journal that he now supports legislation to increase Delaware’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 an hour:
I voted against releasing the legislation from committee at both hearings. In addition to my votes, I have stated I understood the role of minimum wage, supported minimum wage as sound public policy, and that I looked forward to the right time in our economic recovery to vote in support of the bill. I believe now is the right time to support and pass a minimum wage increase for Delaware workers.
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