Tag: NCCo
Tom Gordon Blames the News Journal for His Own Lack of Transparency
This week’s unnecessary controversy is over a planned trip to Denmark (!) by Community Services Manager, Sophia Hanson, and an unnamed other county employee to inspect a library that apparently they think is a model for what they want to do with the planned library across the street (sort of) from Chris Bullock’s church on Rt 9. County Council did not know of this trip until Councilman George Smiley asked about it after a presentation on this library this week. It isn’t clear that any one knows much more about this trip, but Adam Taylor of the NJ asked for more detail and was pretty much told that the County won’t release more information on this because the County Executive thinks that the NJ is just going to do a hit piece:
County spokesman Tony Prado said Friday that Gordon administration officials would not talk about the trip. They wouldn’t say who was going, when the trip is scheduled to take place, how much it will cost, whose idea it was, or why it is necessary to visit a library in Denmark.
“The executive is concerned this is going to be a negative story and he doesn’t want to comment,” Prado said. “This has been a project that is near and dear to his heart, and the executive feels like this is going to be a hit piece, so he would just rather not comment.”
More on the War on Women in NCCo County Council
The NJ picks up on our question about the NAACP bullying Councilwoman Lisa Diller and writes about the War on Women that Councilwoman Diller believes is being waged by Tom Gordon on the women in NCCo County Council. This is a good article by Adam Taylor, that adds some interesting history of NCCo folks flying off of the handle…
A Small Request for County Councilwoman Lisa Diller
Most of us have seen this grandstanding bit of business from Tom Gordon publicly calling for an apology from you for insisting on requests for information from the County Executive’s Office be provided when requested. Ms. Diller’s response here has been characterized as yelling — which it might be, it certainly sounds as though she’s frustrated with the lack of communication and the selective release of information to Councilmembers. If you listen to the audio of that meeting, (start around the 10 minute mark) you hear one Councilman talk about the Administration spending money on events and photo ops the County doesn’t seem to have. The rest of this discussion is specifically about the refusal of Gordon and the County Attorney to provide a briefing in Executive Committee during that Finance Committee on the Pike Creek appeal.
Developers Running the Show in NCCo
Sunday’s NJ featured a fantastic piece of reporting by Adam Taylor and Maureen Milford. Called Influence, Access Taint Land-Use Decisions, this is a remarkably detailed look at how the NCCo land use planning process — from both the county and the DelDOT side was apparently captured by the developers, their lawyers and their lobbyists. Not only that, but Pam Scott’s showy leaving of Saul Ewing was just for show. So not only is the land planning process broken, but so is the Ethics Policy in the county.
We Don’t Need No Stinking Ethics Commission!
NCCo County Executive Paul Clark wants us to believe that cutting back on the County’s Ethics Commission budget is somehow good fiscal responsibility. When in fact — and certainly given his own “ethics” history — it is utterly irresponsible to cut back the ability of this Commission to watch over the doings and interactions of individuals in County government.
In Which We Find Paul Clark Crossing His Fingers Behind His Back
Yesterday, commenter jpconnerjr linked to the NJ article about Paul Clark showily rolling out his “firewall” that is supposed to resolve the potential conflict of interest issues inherent in having the NCCo County executive married to the favorite land use attorneys of NCCo developers.
The Next Elected Office Mike Protack Will Lose
This is an interesting article — one that details Protack’s long-time losing streak and continues the tradition of local Republican Party officials running away from him or trying not to acknowledge his existence. If this is the candidate that NCCo Chair Fleming ends up with that is not an especially auspicious start of this chairmanship.
NCCO Takes a Step Towards Openness
From the article that DD linked to highlighting the Delaware Way this week, there was a small piece at the end noting a piece of good news:
NCCo Tries to Make Ethics Reports Harder to Get
According to the NJ, the NCCo Council is looking to provide itself some cover from having to release some of its ethics reports.
You read that right.
Paul Clark and Georgie Smiley are working at a bank shot with this bill — trying to pretend that the work of the Commission doesn’t count with the public unless they find a problem:
NCCo Government Thinking of Advertising on Their Website
The Community News reports that NCCo is thinking seriously of allowing advertisers for the government’s website to help raise money:
Who Does Paul Clark Think He’s Kidding?
NCCo County Council President writes a Letter to the Editor today, objecting to the characterizations of the NCCo Council government as being against Open Government: Council’s vote was solely based upon concerns that the county lacks the equipment to secure audio postings. Because of those who manipulate the facts for self-interest or humor, and then […]
An Open Letter to the NCCo Council
By rejecting Councilman David Tackett’s resolution to make it easier for citizens hear the proceedings in County Council via the web (live or archived video), you put yourselves on the record as firmly opposed to the cause of Open Government. Given the times we live in, restricting the availability of your proceedings demonstrates an incredible […]
NCCo Budget 2010
Yesterday evening, County Executive Chris Coons delivered his budget address. He took about 40 minutes to deliver this, including an extensive setup of his Listening Tour (which rhetorically at least) looks like the approval cycle and then he got to a summary of the bad news: Property taxes will increase an average of $8.00/month (I […]
Recent Comments