Delaware Political Weekly: June 14-20, 2014
1. Matt Denn Has An Opponent.
Ted Kittila, a Seaford native and a Wilmington corporate attorney, announced that he would run as an R for Attorney General. He has not yet filed. Here is a background piece on Kittila from the News Journal. It also looks like Kittila will need to bring something a little stronger than his trying to contrast himself with Denn by essentially claiming that he is a lawyer while Denn is a politician. Denn’s response:
“I have practiced law in every court in the State of Delaware, representing both businesses and people with few resources or who couldn’t afford an attorney,” Denn said. “I have worked to improve the public safety system as chair of the Criminal Justice Council. I have experience protecting consumers as Insurance Commissioner, protecting children as Chair of the Child Protection Accountability Commission and getting laws passed as Insurance Commissioner and Lieutenant Governor to help families, businesses, schools and kids. I look forward to talking about my experience and ideas.”
I’m also kinda surprised at seeming R ambivalence concerning this candidacy. GOP Executive Director John Fluharty made a point of emphasizing that the Party would stay out of any primary for AG. Does that suggest that one is expected?
I dunno. On paper, Kittila seems like a solid candidate and, were I an R official, I’d be turning cartwheels over having someone step up like this. Although…his Greenhill Law Group appears to be a…Group of One. And…according to WDEL‘s Amy Cherry:
So far, Kittila is the only Republican to throw his hat in the race. He says you’ll be seeing a lot of him in public during the campaign since he plans to give up his small private practice, Greenhill Law Group.
Ron Poliquin without the spandex? (I never get tired of linking to that story.)
2. Bushweller Files.
Always love it when a rumor does not come true. Sen. Bushweller is running for reelection, and he’ll almost certainly win handily over R Kim Warfield (seriously, you HAVE to click on her site). His support for Dover Downs notwithstanding, Brian Bushweller has been a real solid senator, and generally supportive of progressive causes. And…he used to be a music teacher, even has an MA from Stanford! The stuff I learn scrolling around the internets. You can check out his bio here. Pretty darned impressive, IMHO. I had heard talk that he might not run for reelection. Glad that it was just talk.
3. D Treasurer Candidates to Speak at Georgetown Event.
From the Cape Gazette, a model of what local newspapers should be:
The public is invited to hear candidates for state treasurer present their case for election, at the Thursday, June 26 meeting of the Sussex County Democrat Women’s Club meeting at Sussex County Democrat Headquarters, Pine Street in Georgetown. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Seating is limited. Incumbent Treasurer Chip Flowers and challenger Sean Barney will present their case for their election in the Sept. 9 Democratic Primary race. The winner of the September primary will be on the ballot for the November General Election. For further information contact Rhonda Tuman, president of the SCDWC, at rtuman@me.com, or 302-604-1047.
That’s all I got. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?
Tags: Brian Bushweller, Chip Flowers, El Somnambulo, Featured, Kim Warfield, Sean Barney, Steve Tanzer Delaware, Ted Kittila
Former Lewes Police Chief R. Beau Gooch filed for Sussex County Sheriff on Tuesday. The Democratic candidate served more than a decade as chief.
Thanks, Mitch. I covered that a couple of weeks ago:
http://delawareliberal.net//2014/06/06/delaware-political-weekly-may-31-june-6-2014/
But you’re right, he filed this week.
With nutbags turning out to vote, expressly, for the nutbag sheriff – I hope Mr. Gooch is helped by the top of the D ticket. (How do you teach Dems to vote all the way to the bottom of the ticket?)
About Bushweller – he sponsored a revised bailout for the casinos.
Quoting from the News Journal: We virtually guarantee we are not solving the problem . . . It will be necessary to come back immediately to start working on a continued effort to try and reach some long-term solution.
I beg to differ – solutions abound. What he is really saying is that the legislature doesn’t have the courage to get off their f’ing knees and stop servicing the casino owners.
Ironically, the News Journal reports Busweller’s bill in the very same article where the State’s financial inability to fix roads is discussed.
In typical Delaware fashion, no one is talking about how the casino bailout will be funded. It obvious where the funding will come from: road/infra-structure repairs, schools, families, medical services, environmental clean up, etc.
I’m writing a check to Bushweller’s opponent.
Uh, you might want to check out his opponent’s website before writing that check. She writes that she moved here for the lower taxes, is upset that taxes have gone up, AND she proposes investments in all sorts of wacky stuff. DOESN’T say how she’ll balance those conflicting priorities.
Just sayin’…
Point taken but I didn’t say how much I was giving her.
I just read Warfield’s website, and, somebody should be embarrassed by that writing.
About the bullshit casino bailout:
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal ran a casino article noting declining profits and a related decline in tax revenue. Delaware’s problems figured prominently. The larger point, however, is that the mid Atlantic market for casino gambling is near saturation and gambling revenues are down across the board.
The inherent conclusion to be drawn from the article is that the casino industry is suffering AND there isn’t a fix on the horizon. The WSJ mentioned Delaware’s prior bailout. No other state was reported as having done the same. Is this the Delaware way in full glory, OR, more likely, is our legislature just too f’ing stupid to realize what other neighboring legislatures already figured out.
So compelled to ask – why the hell are we sacrificing tax money for a diseased and potentially terminal-ill, morally bankrupt, predatory, privately owned business?
http://online.wsj.com/articles/casino-boom-pinches-northeastern-states-1403220428
According to the article: “Delaware officials say declining gambling money—down 29% since fiscal 2011—is one reason the state cut 538 public jobs over the past five years.” I don’t remember hearing about this.
Great question. I can’t think of a good answer. Neither can the General Assembly.
Dover Downs (with its related businesses) employs more people in Kent County than almost any other entity and pays more into the coffers of the City of Dover (to keep services high and taxes low) than any other entity. That has been true for several years. Senator Bushweller wants to save jobs in Kent County. I think that is a good thing. The issue is more complicated than some seem to believe.
Jim:
I think your point about job loss is accurate but incomplete. Jobs loss eventually may occur. Some percentage of that loss will be temporary. Some of what is lost will largely transition to other similar employers. If Dover Downs closes restaurants the restaurant customers go elsewhere – they don’t stop going out to eat. Other restaurants pick up new employees. What’s at permanent risk of loss, I think, are the casino specialized jobs – slot machine operators, repair people.
It is no less true, however, that every dollar sacrificed/wasted to casinos is a dollar lost to health care, roads, kids, families, the poor, the environment, etc.
The fundamental question is what is more important to the overall well-being of this State? It seems that for the legislature, or at least Busweller, its casinos. I disagree.
The issue is more complicated than some seem to believe.
It really isn’t more complicated. The job loss is not something anyone wants, that job loss is inevitable. And the reason is that fewer people will want to come to Dover Downs when they have ohsomany other options closer to them for gambling. Delaware’s casinos are absolutely dying a death and they are expecting taxpayers to provide them with life support. The smarter way to try to save this industry here is to let MORE operators in — let them put up facilities that are in smarter places to be and see if that staves off the inevitable.
Providing them support now is particularly galling since the GA can’t rouse themselves to adequately fund DelDOT — for projects that have a better value proposition than casinos here.
Services in Delaware are low, that’s why the taxes are low. You get what you pay for. When the abandoned property dries up and the sea level puts the coast in Smyrna, maybe we can convince Pennsylvania to take us back.
Delaware – two counties at high tide, three at low.
Dover Downs jobs are important to Dover and to Kent County. Senator Bushweller was elected by the folks in Kent County to do what he can to help, or to protect, the County. That what he is doing. You don’t have to agree with it to understand it. To say, or to suggest, that his interest is in the casino and not in the people who elected him is just not true.
He might be interested in the people who elected him but he isn’t being particularly prudent with taxpayer funds.
Mr McGiffin’s points about Dover Downs jobs are well made. Moving the deck chairs of jobs from one business to another has a human cost. Ain’t taking it says “Some percentage of that loss will be temporary. Some of what is lost will largely transition to other similar employers. If Dover Downs closes restaurants the restaurant customers go elsewhere – they don’t stop going out to eat.” Remember that the GA has jacked up the taxes on the casinos to way over what the surrounds states take — see the WSJ article on that.
It’s a tough call, but I’d come down on the idea of saving jobs as opposed to losing them and hoping that the unemployed will find other ones quickly.
Delaware’s casinos are dying a slow death, largely because the area is saturated with gambling choices and because the GA has persistently protected these casinos from having to do the one thing they can’d do now — which is compete.
There are more jobs in rebuilding Delaware roads and bridges than there are in maintaining these casinos — who will be downsizing anyway.
“Mr McGiffin’s points about Dover Downs jobs are well made.”
Whole-heartedly agree his points are legitimate and well made. Not compelling nor persuasive but well made.
“Moving the deck chairs of jobs from one business to another has a human cost.”
Agreed as well. HOWEVER, not paying for Headstart, not funding with mental health cares/services, not cleaning up our water, and on and on all have human costs. Crass as it may be, I’ll accept some unemployment over cuts in Headstart, mental health funding, etc. When you add up what other services the money used for casino subsidies “could” fund, it ain’t even close where the misery falls hardest and widest.
The Legislature is having this discussion not because of the merits/benefits of Delaware’s casino industry. Rather the discussion is driven by the owners’ political connections and liberal campaign funding largesse. From any angle, including tax revenue, further support of Delaware’s casinos by the state is wrong.
As for the tax increase – not buying that. It was part of the deal from the start. Secondly, unlike all of the surrounding states, Delaware didn’t charge casino operators a licensing fee. In Pennsylvania, for example, those licenses ran as high as 50M. Delaware allowed the owners to do what every false faced capitalists wants – avoid investing their own money because, as we all know, other people’s money is good but taxpayer money is the sweetest.
“Gaming the Poor”
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/gaming-the-poor/
I think this is a must read for anyone thinking of propping up the casino industry.
It’s about the NY casinos, but it applied to Delaware too.
@NiT “Moving the deck chairs of jobs from one business to another has a human cost.”
Sure. But with the casino industry, there’s a larger human cost for not doing it.
These casinos are just like payday lending, rent-to-own stores, subprime credit cards, auto title loans and tax refund anticipation loans all evolved to extract high profits from low-income groups.