Unshiny Objects
We’ve had enough of the shiny objects that take our eyes off the ball of governing locally and statewide. Christine O’Donnell has had a house dropped on her, Sharon Angle has run away from the press for good and Charlie Crist is cleaning out his desk. I grant you that the Protack sockpuppetry and the general circular firing squad that is the Delaware Republican party are fun to watch, but let’s talk about real goals.
What do you want to see from the Delaware Legislature this year? More open government? Fix the formula for the voluntary assessment by developers? Limit the autonomy of the Insurance Commissioner?
Let’s get some ideas out there, we know that they read the blog. Now that we own the House, the Senate and the Governor’s mansion, what can we do to fix what ails the state?
Tags: Delaware legislature, Legislation
Fines for wrong doers are a joke. It’s much cheaper to commit the crime, pay the fine and keep doing business as usual than it is to stop polluting, stop inveigling, stop the con-scam, stop doing whatever it is that’s illegal. One thing the GA could do that wouldn’t cost the State any money, and in fact would increase revenue, would be to adjust all fines upward by about 1000%.
A quick list of three:
I would like to see the redistricting deliberations to be done in the open, not in closed caucus meetings.
I would like to see civil union/domestic partnerships to be legal in DE.
I would like to see judicial discretion returned to judges, an end to mandatory minimum sentencing that fills our prisons and busts our budgets.
We can start figuring out what to offer Republicans (and conservadems) in exchange for extending the tax increases that will sunset soon. Otherwise they will attack us with it at election time, probably successfully in some instances.
Democrats need to have a fiscal restraint plan of their own, that limits budgets according to Democratic priorities rather than Republican priorities. Voters need to know that Republicans do not own fiscal responsibility.
I think school district consolidation and streamlining of administrators and DOE is something conservatives have been asking for for a long time. That might be the ticket, and it is not a bad idea anyway.
It could be structured as budget-neutral so any savings are used to put more teachers in the classroom. Which should also help bring the union aboard.
Statewide property tax reassessment – we’ve never had it, and there hasn’t been a reassessment in New Castle County since the early 1980s.
School district consolidation: Four districts, Kent, Sussex and two in New Castle County.
Non-partisan, gerrymander-free legislative redisticting.
Reduction in size of New Castle County council.
Meaningful legislation to prevent legislators from holding two jobs with another government agency.
Independent redistricting.
Make GA emails subject to FOIA. If constituents’ names and other identifying information has to be redacted, so be it. Legislators should not be able to email each other without FOIA applying.
No mileage compensation unless you actually drive yourself to Dover and no committee compensation unless you actually attend the meetings.
how about:
No health insurance or pension for Legislators. It’s a part time job.
Bar executive branch employees from holding legislative office.
Bar Legislators from the budget committee if more than 10% of their employer’s revenue comes from the state.
I have an idea about re-districting. How about a district that is just south first street, Greenwood? I did very well on my home street in the recent election. Think Pete will go for it?
Reform purchasing rules for professional services that don’t even require an RFP or meaningful public notice or public input for large contracts. This is apparently what enabled the KWS RFP.
Doing away with the row offices in Sussex County.
And letting the Dems do the redistricting at least once before it goes to a non-partisan commission.