Courtesy of Department of Defense
There is a saying where I work, and I believe it was first muttered by someone who was a Ranger in the Vietnam Era, that shit flows downhill. Meaning of course that the chewing out General Westmoreland must have had to face from the Oval Office spread itself out downstream in direct orders to the grunts cleaning their M-1’s.
So it goes in the political world. The fine talk among Presidential candidates may sound awe inspiring and effective, but the debates on the national stage, have true meaning only as they reflect the true passage of laws in each of the 50 states assemblies.
In Delaware this weekend, if one takes out the hub bub of Obama’s overwhelming win against the Nebuchadnezzar of domestic politics, it was the SB’s and HB’s that predominated the Delawarean political discourse.
But first a digression: with Obama’s win in South Carolina, he seems to have moved mainstream into Delaware politics. His supporters for the most part, have been silent when compared to those on the Republican side of the equation, which have difficulty being silent about anything.
FSP’s candidate has committed hari kari over the weekend by going on the offensive against John McCain. Dave at FSP carries the blurb. Talk about an example of an ad backfiring! Watch it and tell me if it makes McCain look like a decent guy, and makes one pissed off at whichever demon candidate put that trash out…..Especially if the viewer has no solid opinion on those candidates, he should watch the clip if only because knowledge of “just how campaign ads work”, or don’t, could someday be crucial if one is considering making a run for Governor…….“E” covers the story as well.
In case you didn’t know, there will be an election next Tuesday. As of today, only one presidential candidate feels Delaware is important enough to acknowledge, and that campaign is sending its candidate’s boss. Delaware Liberal has the story and the times. Historically whichever candidate acknowledges Delaware, gets our nod. Unfortunately this means Delaware has the dubious distinction of being George Bush 43’s first win.
Don’t worry. They do better with Democratic candidates. Delaware also is the state that gave Republican Steve Forbes credibility during his quest, which should not be surprising. We vote for who we know……….”Visit us so that we may Know ye.”
I pause now for a brief editorial comment, due to its potential upcoming impact. Up until now the Obama campaign has been a curiosity. But the speech given by Obama Saturday night, was an eye opener. As the Bill Paxton character says on the movie set of the Titantic, when the living survivor of Titanic calls up to ask if he has found the blue diamond necklace yet, “ok,… you have my attention,” so it was with me when I first heard this from Obama:
The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white.
It’s about the past versus the future.
Ok,…. you have my attention. Ironically or by some strange twist of fate, earlier that day I had been primed for this moment by a Delawarean’s letter (#4) in the News Journal. “Hmmmm. That’s interesting”, I thought.
Locally we have much discussion of State politics. On the Democratic side DWA tells us that “snark” between the two candidates has officially begun.On the Republican, namely who will ante up and run for Republican Governor? Currently the only one with any credibility other than Protack, is making up his mind and will tell us after Tuesday whether or not there will be a primary worthy of his name……
If there is…. then we can expect solid debate between the old dinosaurs gasping their last breaths of toxic air, and the new mammalian order beginning their reign of domination while scurrying deep within their burrows.
As the new reign of Republican ponders its plan of attack, who would know that the heat between two old pirates in agreement against outlawing fusion candidates, would one day appear so vocal opposite each other. It was almost as if one persons’s ship pulled alongside, the jolly roger got pulled to ‘er topmast, and the order to fire a broadside was called out, and the firing began (Not another excuse for Pirate Talk)
As crunch time heats up, so does the rhetoric. Where else but in Delaware can one find a “Luxury Specialist” arguing and agreeing sometimes with a “Union shill”, or at least talk to each other? Oops. I see a truce between the two pirates has again been called. That last one was courtesy of Alan Coffey at the Digital Federalist.
Tommywonk carries the infighting going on within the Legislative Committee over who will come out on top in Delmarva’s attempt to drown Bluewater Wind….oops..too late. (Again courtesy of Digital Federalist)
Delaware Liberal has this, (again courtesy of Digital Federalist.) As I said in the beginning, it runs downhill.
But there is something different about this January. Yes WDEL was down in Dover on opening day as usual, but they have done that for years. So what is happening this year that is a sea change from January’s past?
One difference is Kilroy. Kilroy has Red Clay school district rolling. A quick look at his site, shows Gilligan assuring Kilroy that he will support all the open government bills that come before him. Both SB186 and SB185 have caught the imaginations of bloggers. The idea of open accountability appears to be a good way out of the soup our school districts have found themselves. However until we get SB185-186 out of the locked drawer, we will have to rely on Kilroy, who informs us that none of the school districts use object codes on any of their finances. As one who uses accounting codes quite often, I can tell you why. They want no one to know where all the money is going.
Speaking of schools, Nancy has a post lauding Tony DeLuca for keeping Prestige Academy’s hopes alive. But, isn’t Tony on the other side of this issue. It all comes out in the comments.. FSP responds that the waiver came from Tom Carper, not Tony Deluca, and that doesn’t it seem strange that the person wanting to kill the bill, would announce the waiver giving it life, so it could return to his committee to be killed a slow death. Who hires these guys? We do.
Do we dare bring up prevailing wage? Dave has a take on what would happen if realitors were allowed to operate under prevailing wage legislation. Dana thinks that Dave should repudiate Mike Castle who appears to support prevailing wage. Even Steve weighs in.
Earlier in the week the State of the State took place. Some of the residual is still floating around at FSP.
FSP covers the Democrats shooting down Bonini’s open government bill HB 04 in order to keep a desk drawer as the most feared person, place, or thing, in the Senate. Democrats succeeded 13-8. Nancy tells us that Amick has responded by adding Senate Resolution 13 to the docket, which states the same as HB 04, but has no teeth to make changes. Nancy has it in full here.
And Tommy keeps us up to date on the wind intrigue happening inside Dover. The Big four on the Legislative committee had stalled any further progress. Now McDowell is requesting more hearings to kill wind power with a slow death. Meanwhile the ice caps melt, and people who know nothing about energy, continue to stall wind from moving forward.
Some will say what’s the big deal. This shit goes on in Dover all the time. What are we trying to do,……. reform it?
The point is it did go on in Dover all the time, What is different this January is that we know it’s going on and we are talking about it. Think back to last year and beyond, of scouring the News Journal for some hint of legislation, but finding absolutely nothing. Back then, Dover was a black hole. Everything went in to legislative hall, and only after June 30, did anything come out…….
This year we have the eminent domain bill, Prestige Academy, Wind Power fiasco, and of course open government.
So why is everyone talking about the bills this year?
You all……. are the reason.
kavips 
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 29, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Alan Coffey
Bloggers are shaping the dialogue. Not just here, but across the nation. See: http://blog.alancoffey.com/?p=197 for a take on how reporters are now using blogs.
Nice roundup. Thanks.
January 30, 2008 at 2:18 am
liberalgeek
As always, nice job Kavips.
January 30, 2008 at 3:47 am
Nancy Willing
One of the great things happening now is the coverage of the New England public’s moving the goal posts in favor of wind up that-a-way (wind power vs. nuclear power is the key fight).
I think that it has been absorbed by the powers in the Delaware legis that the resistance to off shore wind is not going to be tolerated. What I am hearing is that, to save face, there might be resistance to BWW in favor of another, more ‘reputable’ company…..we’ll see what they come up with.
I think that we should remain vigilant about the lobbyists for Delmarva. That is who the power in Dover is loyal to much, much more than the power company itself. Look to the lobbyists.
January 30, 2008 at 5:56 am
that's elbert
Obviously this is a trivial and quick note… It was nice being noticed by one of the Presidential candidates though I’d swear that I saw a generic ad from Romney on WBOC sometime earlier in 2007. I’m not willing to argue that one though. And thanks for the link.
January 31, 2008 at 4:16 pm
kavips
Nancy, one point that needs clarification:
You said:
What I am hearing is that, to save face, there might be resistance to BWW in favor of another, more ‘reputable’ company…..we’ll see what they come up with.
That is another example of misinformation that could be only passed around inside the four walls of the General Assembly. Whereas the implication appears that there is concern is over Bluewater wind, they are forgetting the obvious truth that the ownership is entrusted to Babcock and Brown, which by the way, has just bought themselves several wind farms in the Midwest, thereby making it rather hard to find another company that one could consider “more reputable”.
The only thing not “reputable” about achieving wind power for Delaware, are four senators: Deluca, McDowell, Adams, and Copeland. How any Delawarean with a conscience can consider anything else to be “less reputable”, especially when we have these four fools making off-the-cuff assessments about a 52 billion asset holding company they know nothing about, is trivial.
Forget lobbyists. It’s four bumbling fools creating the problem.
February 1, 2008 at 7:28 am
john kowalko
Following is my answer to my constituents when they ask me why there is resistance to the obviously beneficial Bluewater Wind project. Further proof of the obvious was today’s announcement by Lt. Gov. Carney that Babcock and Brown was prepared to add some significant economic development activity to Delaware.
The recent announcement by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Harris McDowell that his committee will convene a series of five hearings in the matter of the offshore wind farm proposal has raised some concerns in the public’s mind. Many of my constituents have voiced reservations as to the legitimacy of these hearings and the motives for holding them. The suspicion voiced by some of my constituents is that these hearings are only intended to further delay signing of the contract between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power and effectively kill the proposed offshore wind farm project. In that context an objective review of the process to date requires clarification and answers to some questions that have been posed. Having actively participated in the discussions (spanning almost a year and a half) on the request for proposals (RFP) mandated by House Bill 6 and witnessing the due diligence applied, and fully aware of the millions of dollars in ratepayer money spent on this matter, I can only conclude that the publics’ concern and suspicions are deserving of consideration.
On December 18, 2007 a responsibly crafted, economically sound “Power Purchase Agreement” was on the table to be signed by Delmarva and Bluewater Wind. This PPA would have allowed for construction of a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative energy generating capacity that would ensure 25 years of price stability and benefits to all Delmarva ratepayers. The logic in tabling that agreement was befuddling and suspect. The PSC staff report and recommendations drawn from that year and half of discussions and research offers a comprehensive analysis and fact-finding resource for those who have questions. The hearings now being proposed would revisit and review that extensive background of fact accumulation with no apparent, logical explanation as to intent or motive. Reopening the debate after the record was closed and the evidence already in and available on the Public Service Commission website (http://depsc.delaware.gov/irp.shtml) is raising serious doubt in the public mind.
The questions that have been raised by my constituency are “Which parties benefit economically and which special interests are at risk from a successful construction of the proposed off-shore wind-farm?”
Who benefits from the successful construction of the wind-farm? 1) The Ratepayers, supplied by Delmarva who get a contractually guaranteed stable price over the 25 year life of the contract. Who get relief from the market driven price fluctuations that were responsible for the 60% electric rate increase they recently endured. 2) Delaware, because of the economic growth and stability that new jobs and business opportunities create. 3) Businesses and Working Families, who will benefit from future economic opportunities stemming from a successful implementation of innovative applications such as this. 4) All Delawareans, who will reap the health and environmental rewards of alternative, renewable energy generation specifically dedicated to Delaware. 5) The Ratepayers again, who will not have to bear the onerous burden of Alternative Compliance Penalties. These costs are directly passed through to them by the distributor (Delmarva) when the distributor fails to meet 20% of its electric supply from renewable energy by 2019. (Delaware Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard). 6) The Department of Economic Development, which will see a marked increase in entrepreneurial business activity coming to Delaware seeking a friendly, fertile business climate that welcomes innovation.
Who is at financial risk resulting from a successful BWW project and why? 1) Pepco Holdings Inc. (parent company of both Delmarva Power and Connectiv Energy, among others), has a vested interest in enlarging and sustaining its energy generating portfolio through fossil fuel capacities. Pepco profits by participating in the highly lucrative PJM market supply system that has historically guaranteed delivery need and an ever growing cost burden to the ratepayers. Since Delmarva is restricted to delivering electricity at cost (plus its delivery charge) to the customer with a direct rate pass through, there is no advantage to its parent company Pepco in purchasing its residential customers electricity at the contractually bound stable price offered in the Bluewater contract. In fact it’s a disadvantage to the parent companies fiscal interests. It’s important to recognize that savings to the consumers should not be unfairly sacrificed to the profit margin industry. 2) The Green Energy Fund and the Sustainable Energy Utility, who could see their revenue stream diminish with the advent of a successful offshore wind facility dedicated specifically to Delaware. The Wind-Farms renewable energy generation would satisfy the Alternative Energy Compliance requirements and relieve the ratepayers of additional increases in their rates. Those rate increases would go directly to the Green Energy Fund and SEU. The SEU is a wonderful, comprehensive approach to encouraging and rewarding energy conservation but it was never intended to be dependent on Delmarva’s ratepayers for its financial sustainability and economic growth. The creators and promoters of the Sustainable Energy Utility shouldn’t ignore the benefits of lower rates to the already overburdened electric customers.
These are a few of the questions that must be answered before proposing to revisit already documented facts and conclusions that are a matter of record and easily referenced. Unless these questions are answered the public is entitled to skeptically and suspiciously question the motives of those interested in merely prolonging the debate for no justifiable reason.
John Kowalko
State Representative 25th District
134 N. Dillwyn Rd.
Newark, De. 19711
H: 302 737 2396
C: 302 547 9351
Email: john.kowalko@state.de.us
Email: fastjohn45@aol.com