You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June 2010.
Ok, it might be a good time to remember why we’re here...
We are here, because a strange small Idea took hold of the imagination of some British colonists, and that idea, grew…..
That’s basically it… WE are here because of that.
It was an idea novel in its time, but ancient in it concept… It was the belief that men, if given the chance, … could, and would, govern themselves responsibly….
It started very small. It challenged God, king, and common sense. Kings always controlled their countries……
It survived a war… a war to squelch that notion that man could govern himself… Even after winning the war, it struggled as problems, long anticipated by that philosophy’s detractors, threatened to tear that idea apart…
A conference was held where that idea was given form and substance, and became our Constitution..
Many men, and women, have died for that idea. As each of us celebrates our weekend of this Fourth of July, a quick prayer over dinner for those across the world, right now, representing the reality, that this idea is worth dying for…. would be appropriate.
There is a modern parallel to this story.
Those of us in government, tend to look out our windows at those protesting our ways outside, as nothing more than idiots…. We do, and we can’t help it… It is deeply rooted in our psychology; we work so hard and long for what is right…. that if you disagree, you MUST be wrong…. You basically have to replace me, to put your agenda into place…
We call those elections… Problematic as they are, they are a lot less intrusive into our daily activities than insurrections and wars would be… But nevertheless, an election pits one idea against the other, and the audience (in this case the voters) listens to both, and picks the winner…..
There are some similarities between Tea baggers and America’s first revolutionaries. One, they resent the taking of their money, and having it being used for someone else that is totally foreign to them…
Why should Joe the Plumber have his money support a family in Wilmington Delaware?
Those of us who think we are on the right track, need to answer that question… not bad mouth the Tea Parties and their members… That was the mistake made by Great Britain.
In fact, after they imposed the Stamp Act, and it sparked the Rebellion, they repealed every single imposed tax upon it save one… tea.
It is ironical, if not serendipitous, that these groups who oppose the current trends of the United States of America, take their name from the one, tiny tax left out of all the rest… It is almost as if they want to say, “we want to do away with all taxes.”
Who wouldn’t? Don’t even try to tell me there are some moments leading up to April 15th where you don’t sigh, and wish you could keep all that money for yourself?
But’s lets play along for a minute. How much would it cost you if you had NO taxes? There would be no health insurance. You would pay every price out of pocket. There would be no unemployment insurance. You’re retired? Enjoy living off what you’ve saved up….Getting to and from work? Figure what tolls would cost at 34 cents per mile. That is how our state’s toll cost averages out per Delaware mile… It would cost you $1500 if you drove 15.4 miles a day over a normal workweek. Did you pay more than $1500 to the State of Delaware? Well, if you didn’t, having no taxes just on that one item alone, would cost you more than what you pay in taxes…
It is not about how much taxes you are paying…. It is all about how much money you are keeping for yourself… from everyone… Where the government can do things cheaper, like single payer health care… it should… Where private business can do things cheaper, like sell booze, they should…
Compelling evidence shows that people have more extra money to spend, when Democrats are running the country. Clinton showed real job growth. Bush had no real job growth over his full 8 year term…..
If taxes were up, other costs were way down to compensate for it…
Hard to believe that during the Oil Oval Office reign, we were paying $4.60 per gallon of gas.. Now, we are paying $2.60.. If you drove 25,000 miles that year. average 20 miles/gallon, you paid during the Republican administration, $2,500 more each year….than you do today under a competent Democratic leadership… Were your tax savings $2,500? No? Then you lost out…
Taxes are not the issue… How much of your money you have to spend on yourself, IS the issue…
Which is why, the tea parties are not a throwback to our founding fathers, They had eight years to try out their theories. Their theories are messed up…
No, our Tea Baggers are more like the Royalists in the war of 1812…. Long proven wrong, thirty years too late, with a limited arsenal, they still forced America to undergo a war that accomplished nothing… except make a hero out of Andrew Jackson, whose election finally wiped the Federalist philosophy away forever… well, at least until the election of 2000…
America began with an idea that was crazy and grew to save our nation… Tea Baggers capitalize on this revolutionary fervor, and sell their ideas as saving the nation, but as we look at what they are saying, they are just plain crazy.
Cut taxes and cost me way more money? I don’t think so……
“It is our fault. We started with a surplus… then pissed that away, then started borrowing, and pissed that away, then deregulated the banking industry, which pissed everything else away…. It is the Republican’s fault…”
Some of us can remember the old Stuckeys, near the barren hotel, that used to give a free box of candy with a fill-up…..
Fast forward to now…… Thursday night was the soft opening with the officiating done Friday morning and noon, Friday, June 25, a new era was begun……..
(Right click on each individual photo to view full image)
This could not have been possible without Stimulus Money,
Voted in: by Democrats.
Voted against: by Mike Castle.
The News Journal was apparently prodded from above, to finally give in and show some publicity to the forces, led by the Sussex County developer’s community, to apply pressure to Pete Schwartzkopf….
This has nothing to do with the upcoming election.
This does have to do with pressuring Pete to vote the developers line in the state’s General Assembly whenever “their” bills come up for a vote…
One can tell this is true by it’s timing… Why now….. No voter in hell (or Sussex County), cares about elections this early. Resurrecting an old Pink Floyd cliche... and applying it to Pete Schwartzkopf this close to the end of the legislative session, can be for one reason…
Intimidation…
Now Pete, brushes this off. As well as he should… Let us look at the evidence we have and just what exactly it means….
We have a truck, a billboard, pamphlets, a website.
The website is free, anyone can do that. The pamphlets depending on the number, could be done for $10.00… The billboard, we learn, is free. The only expense so far, is the truck.. Perhaps?….
That depends on Chuck Gritton. I would venture to guess that this was done at company expense. No sums changed hands?
So what looks like an attempted protest, is simply the whinings of one or two pathetic people… One is Christian Hudson, a developer who won’t rest until Sussex County looks like Harlem…
These developers intimidated Sussex County for years… To my knowledge, only two men, and one women, have been brave enough not to kowtow to them, and say no…
The entire state of Delaware owes Pete Schwartzkoph considerable thanks, for keeping our beaches in competent hands….
Who are these people? These people want to build with no environmental laws. They don’t care what damage is done to the land. These people don’t care how long you have to wait to get onto your highway, or how long you have to wait for the light to go green, and then, ten feet later, stop at the next stop light… They don’t care. All they care about is selling the land they got for nothing and making themselves too much money to spend in their lifetimes… For that, all of Sussex County has to suffer..
They have taken a page from Osama Bin Laden. When you don’t have support, use money to wreak havoc. In a sense, they have resorted to terrorist tactics.
Terrorist tactics? Isn’t that a little extreme?
Let’s look at it. Let’s compare Osama Bin Laden to say, whoever is trying to pressure Pete Schwartzkoph.
Both work in secret, with a small cadre of close assistants, who move through society incognito.
Both are fanatic about minority opinions that no one even cares about.
Both, have no concern for collateral damage or the innocent people who suffer from their actions…
The bottom line, is that their statements are so ludicrous, they can’t make them in public without getting laughed off stage…
Pete raised taxes in Sussex County? As all astute people know, the budget is compiled by the Joint Finance Committee… Pete has not even a member of the Joint Finance Committee since the Legislature changed in 2008. Back when he was a member, Republican controlled the House, so the following people, who if this accusation is to foolishly to be believed, all deserve Pigs-On-trucks attached to their names…. Oberle, Amick, Cloutier, Booth, Miro, and Wagner
These are the people who need to get blamed for your raised taxes… Not Pete Schwartzkoph.
For more silliness, you can find them here…
http://onlywhenpigsfly.org/
Their website fails to mention that because of the mismanagement caused by developers such as Christain Hudson and his supporters, our state was facing a shortfall… It costs every citizen less to pay a tiny residual in taxes, than have to pay full price for those services they now get for free..
Pete is on the right boat. Those terrorists who can’t debate in public without losing the second they open their mouth. are not…
Bottom line.
This is just fun and games by two pathetic people, who have this bone to pick with Pete Schwartzkoph…. No one should take it seriously… especially the News Journal….
In May 2010, 28 thousand new homes were sold (non seasonally adjusted) (NSA). This is a new record low. The previous record low for the month of May was 34 thousand in 2009; the record high was 120 thousand in May 2005.
The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in May would create a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 300 thousand per year. This is a sharp decrease from the revised rate of 446 thousand in April (revised from 504 thousand).
The 300 thousand annual sales rate is a new all time record low. The previous record low annual sales rate was 338 thousand in September 1981
It strikes me that the Republican revolution has gone full circle; drunk from their stolen victory in 2004, they’ve crashed themselves into a wall.
Hi, we’ve been pulling 5 passages from the budget for each post, and posting them without discussion… That will come later each time you read something that raises your eyebrows…. With out further ado…
1) Title XIV of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 enacted by the federal government creates a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). This Act provides funding from the SFSF for a Flexibility Block Grant in the amount of $13,121.1 ($5,554.7 GF, $7,566.4 Federal ARRA Funds). These funds shall be allocated to schools based upon the September 30, 2009 Unit Count. These funds are provided in an effort to allow districts the flexibility to achieve savings in areas that do not negatively impact the classroom or cause a decrease in the number of classroom teachers beyond what would normally be associated with a reduction in force. Each school district and charter school has the ability to use their SFSF allocation as they deem appropriate within the federal guidelines; however, districts are strongly encouraged to utilize these resources to preserve jobs and advance educational reforms such as increasing teacher effectiveness and providing targeted, intensive support and interventions for struggling schools.
2) Section l of this Act provides an appropriation to the Office of the Controller General (0l-08-02) for Contingencies: Legislative Council. Requests from the Chairs of Standing Legislative Committees for professional staff assistance shall be submitted to the Legislative Council for approval or disapproval. Approvals for professional staff assistance shall be allowed within the limits of the appropriation and as provided by guidelines established by the Legislative Council.
3) Notwithstanding provisions of 29 Del. C. § 6102(r)(2) and § 6102(r)(3), for Fiscal Year 2011, the sum authorized to the Education Expense and Property Tax Relief Fund shall be allocated using State Fiscal stabilization Funds and is to be allocated as follows. These funds are subject to the guidelines and reporting requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
4) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010, any local school district that has had two consecutive failed current expense tax referendums during the time period July 1, 2008 to January 1, 2011, is authorized to exercise the cash option on Academic Excellence units up to the total number of units provided under that program. This provision will apply for Fiscal Year 2011 only. In addition, districts meeting this criteria are authorized to utilize funds derived from this cash option to pay local
salary supplements. Any district that has had a successful current expense tax referendum subsequent to two consecutive failed current expense tax referendums is ineligible for the provisions of this section.
5) Amend 14 Del. C. § 1722(c) by deleting said subsection in its entirety. Section 384. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Education shall be permitted to exercise its authority pursuant to 14 Del. C. §515(g) to directly manage a school to be operated at the location currently served by the Maurice J. Moyer Academy. The Department’s authority will take effect on July 1, 2010, immediately following the expiration of Moyer Academy’s charter, and will extend until June 30, 2012. The Department shall have the authority to contract with K-12 Classroom DE, LLC to operate the school from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, notwithstanding the
23 provisions of 29 Del. C. Chapter 69, and to take all other actions necessary to operate the school. The Department shall issue a request for proposals for a third party to operate the school from July 1, 2011
25 through June 30, 2012. Said school shall be funded pursuant to charter school funding laws, including the provisions of 14 Del. C. §508 and §509.
Here are another 5 items in the State Budget…. Go to the post right below this one if you wish to link…. (These directions are to help Republicans find the state budget…. so for the rest of you I’ll apologize now for the overkill and redundancy…)
1) SALARY PLAN – PUBLIC EDUCATION. Salary schedules and staffing formulas contained in 14 Del. C. c. 13, shall be restored to the Fiscal Year 2009 amounts effective July 4, 2010, and shall be revised as specified in this Subsection
2) Effective July 1, 2006, the State shall pay 73.0 percent of the annual salary rate for school lunch employees as set forth in the salary schedules in 14 Del. C. § 1322(a)(b), and 62.0 percent of salary rate for school lunch employees as set forth in the salary schedule 14 Del. C. 36 § 1322(c). The remaining percentage of the hourly salary rate for school lunch employees shall be paid from local funds. The State shall pay other employment costs for school lunch employees at the ratio of state supported salaries to total salaries, provided for by this Section, for school lunch employees.
3) The salary of employees whose salary in effect as of June 30, 2010, is below the minimum salary of the assigned pay grade of the pay plan shall be raised to the minimum salary.
4) Section 10. (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, the salaries displayed below represent the salary effective on July 4, 2010.
Budget Unit Line Item Funds Funds
(01-01-01) Representative $ 42,750
(01-02-01) Senator $ 42,750
5) With the exception of the custodial work associated with Legislative Hall and the Governor’s Office, the Office of Management and Budget may not hire any permanent, full-time custodial employees in any fiscal year without the concurrence of the Controller General.
Section 13. Chapters 4.0 and 5.0 of the Merit Rules notwithstanding, the Director.
There is some of your budget.. It should be mandatory reading by all…
And there is one more thing about Republicans…. They need to stop whining about their own problems, and who did what to whom in their party, and instead, worry about the American people for a change… In the old fashioned way, it must might win them some votes…….
Hey Dick….
This is for you.
http://kavips.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/so-whats-in-your-states-budget-today/
That will give you some knowledge…
If you want the entire on line budget, you can go hear…..
I hope these help….
But forgive me for asking, but these also does raise a pertinent question….
If Republicans don’t know what’s in the budget, even after it has been posted on line, even after they have helped create it, why on earth should we elect any more Republicans?
That was an embarrassing gaffe coming from Republicans… For when one actually thinks about what you said….. really, why should we vote for any Republican who can’t understand a budget?
Delaware Liberal touches on it here….
The statements by the minority party in this state, are puzzling, if not screwy… People who once used to be the voice of reason, standing up to the wealthy owners of their party, just to keep its party’s roots firmly in the political dirt, have taken leave of their senses….
Just a random smattering of what they are saying……..
That’s what we’d expect from Wayne Smith and Charlie Copeland. That’s normal.
Now look what happens when it’s Democrats, not Republicans who cut expenses….
So, bottom line: According to the Republicans we need to spend more because we are spending way too much…
Do you ever get the feeling that when it comes to Republicans….. they have no one steering the ship?
