In Red Clay It Shouldn’t Be City vs Suburbs

I’m not even going to link to the article in today’s News Journal, because it really doesn’t say much and the reporter missed the opportunity to report on the real story – a story that involved parents and citizens all over the district are discussing around their kitchen tables, on blogs and at work. This story has several parts.

First, not all Red Clay Schools are created equal. For an interesting discussion on this check out Kilroy’s posts on Red Clay (there’s a lot of them) and this conversation taking place on The Seventh Type. Yes, we’ve been over this, and if you need to catch up check out my posts here and here.

One of the problems I’m seeing is the split in the District. Suburbanites want their neighborhood suburban schools. City parents don’t want their schools to suffer because of these new schools, and want the District to invest in these schools.

Is Capacity Really The Issue In Red Clay?

Last week I wrote a post on the upcoming Red Clay Consolidated School District Capital Referendum. The ballot has been broken into two parts – renovations for existing schools and a new elementary school at Graves Road. I will not be voting for the new school, and here’s why…

Delaware Political Weekly: Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2012

Two new positions are open, but the names are old and…shopworn. With City Councilman Charles Potter running for Dennis P. Williams’ RD 1 seat, guess who has reemerged to seek Potter’s seat? I’ll give you a hint. He was once suspended from practicing law in the State of Delaware for 18 months. That’s right. Sam Guy. He’s ba-a-a-ck.

So Why Is DE State House Giving Official Tributes to Known Christian Dominionists?

On January 19, 2012, one C. Peter Wagner was awarded an official tribute from the Delaware House of Representatives, sponsored by Representative Daniel Short and officially signed off by Speaker Gilligan. The House awards tons of these, but this one is spectacularly different.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 26, 2012

Wednesday’s session illuminated precisely why properly-functioning committees are essential to the legislative process. Or not, depending on the committee and/or your point of view. Here are arguments for either side:
The House Education Committee tabled legislation that would raise the mandatory age of school attendance from 16 to 18 years of age.  It doesn’t mean that [...]

Breaking News: It’s Official! Bryan Townsend Files to Challenge Tony DeLuca in Primary

Yes, it’s on! Bryan Townsend has filed the paperwork and paid the fees to run for the 11th Senatorial District seat currently held by President Pro-Tempore Anthony J. DeLuca.. Here you have a well-qualified enthusiastic candidate taking on the person who embodies the worst of the Delaware Way.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 24, 2012

Little of interest in the Senate today. There’s a bill from the Joint Sunset Committee eliminating some state agencies, boards, or committees that no longer serve a public purpose. Or perhaps never served a public purpose. Not that they’re the only ones…

There’s more action in the House today. Should be an interesting roll call on HB 222(Jaques), which would require the Department of Labor to ‘publish the names of employers who have violated the Workplace Fraud Act, by misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor or otherwise.’ Let’s see who favors screwing the little guy by claiming that an employee really isn’t an ‘employee’.

Game Change

This is a massively devastating loss for Mitt Romney. The candidate that conventional wisdom says would be most competitive against President Obama in the general election just had his hat handed to him. But this past week to two weeks have changed my mind on that, the conventional wisdom. I now believe, if things stay as they are, and especially if the economy continues to improve, that no Republican candidate currently running will beat Obama in the general. Romney is fatally damaged by Bain Capital and his tax returns. President Obama may actually want to face Romney and depict him as the poster boy for the 1%, because he is.

And then you have Newt Gingrich, who favorability ratings nationwide as Palinesque, if not worse. They are at -32 last time I checked. That is not only toxic to Gingrich, it will bring the whole GOP down. I just saw Haley Barbour quoted on Twitter saying that he doesn’t want to have Gingrich as the nominee because he likes having a Republican Speaker of the House, meaning of course if Gingrich is the nominee, the Democrats will sweep the GOP out of majority control. And he is right. So Gingrich is not a general election threat.

But he is now a massive threat to Mitt Romney.

Governor Markell’s State of the State Address (Updated with video)

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., Jan. 19, 2012

I don’t know whether the House will get to these bills today, because the highlight of the day, and often of the legislative session, is the Governor’s Annual State of the State Address to the General Assembly. In addition to proclaiming the ’state of the state’ (“The groundhog has seen his shadow!”), the address serves as the official unveiling of the Governor’s legislative priorities. Sometimes it’s a laundry list of specifics, sometimes it’s more an articulation of the principles that the Governor believes the General Assembly should embrace, usually it’s some combination of both.

Governor Markell is by far the best orator we’ve had as governor during my time in state government. He’s at his best when he speaks, or writes, from the heart. As he did on civil unions. And as he did on the Gattis decision. However, he tends to lose that human connection when he embraces the policy wonk side of his personality. We already know, based on this story, that the Governor intends to seek ’savings’ (meaning cuts) from Medicaid. Just so there’s no mistake, Medicaid=Health Care for the Poor. Last year, the Governor proposed a $92/month cut to services to the medically-indigent. I sure hope he has learned from that kamikaze mission that that’s both horrible policy and a political non-starter.

The Day the Internet Went Black

DD gave us a heads up yesterday that Wikipedia was going black today. If you’ve been spinning around the Internet today, it is pretty dazzling to see the sites that have joined them:

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., Jan. 18, 2012

At LAST. This year’s General Assembly session begins in earnest today. And on a committee day no less. All sorts of compelling action scheduled to take place today.

I support HB 222(Jaques), which would “require(s) that the Department of Labor publish the names of employers who have violated the Workplace Fraud Act, by misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor or otherwise”. This, of course, is just one way that the 1% take advantage of the 99%. For example, did you know that Linda & Vince McMahon’s WWE classifies its wrestlers/performers as independent contractors? Of course, they all have contracts, and the McMahons will take anyone to court for striving to be ‘independent’. Obligatory rasslin’ reference, sorry.

Now, that’s what I call a committee meeting.