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Roehmer on Morning Joe
Courtesy of Morning Joe
This came on over the background and as it sunk in, I clicked tabs to watch, not believing what I was hearing… I had to rewind and listen to the first part all over again….
He says it like it is… I didn’t know there were Republicans who still cared for this country…..
Listen especially as to the details of how he has been blocked out by the “process”… in trying to get his message out to the nation…..
Only Man Can Save Them Now
They are more teams called “The Tigers” than there are actual Tigers… Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My! .. One thought they’d always be around….
Take a guess. How many?
I was shocked to learn there were only 4000 left in the wild.
There are more people in my housing development than there are Tigers left roaming wild across the entire world….
As one zooms up on Google Earth from my home, in just a few clicks one sees a view they’d have to drive days to cross…. But the number of people in at that base of the red arrow, whose houses I commute by every day, is more, than the number of Tigers spread across the entire globe….. How did this happen?
That’s scary. That is sad… That is all there are…….
Right click to open full image… Pictograph Courtesy of Viral..
So, can someone tell me again, why we shouldn’t tax the rich, and instead, balance the budget on the backs of everyone else?…….
I seem to be missing that little detail where that all makes sense……
Why can’t DC come together?
In Dover we have to come together…We have to get things done. Glad I’m not part of an environment where you get points for standing firm, and where agreement is considered a bad trait.
What impact does it have on you….
Two, both driving uncertainty.. The first is uncertainty with ones future budgets to know the impact of future federal funds incoming to your state…
The second is the impact on the business environment. Less people hiring because of Washington’s uncertainty. Should they build, or hold tight… Need credible budget in Washington before that can be decided.
Focus needs to be on: Jobs, jobs, jobs, and we should continue payroll tax credit.
In Delaware we took on pensions… Got everyone to the table, said we don’t want positions. Here is the math. We need results and we got it done….
Visit to Afghanistan…
30 hours spent there does not make me an expert, I went to see our national guard. While there, I went to hospital, where hours earlier a soldier was brought in without legs. It’s sobering… Incredible, what price they are paying.
Their future? Its an impossible job, handing over control to illiterate Afghans. Most don’t have literacy skills. Their leader said if the US went to war, he’d join Pakistan if that happened. How hard is it to turn over a country to that?
So should we be there?
So many complex issues, I’ll defer to Bill Clinton who said it best; that after having been president, he’d have to say he’d support Obama because as president, he has access to tons more information than I ever could have. I’m at loss to say based on the little bit I know…
The troops are great. Their mission is simple: to get their buddy out safely.
As for Globalization; answer is to bring business to Delaware?
Globalization is here to stay. Astra Zenica, England, our steel mill: Russia. We have companies who’s base is in Taiwan. Trying hard to export chickens all over the world… Around the world, a lot of economies are growing faster than our , so we should sell our products over there.
Delaware is pivot point. Dover AFB and death, and huge corporate entities in Delaware.
Delaware needs to be a fantastic place to do business.
7.9 Unemployment. Are policies working there?
Auto bailout right thing, absolutely. Part is to pound away at growing jobs and not get distracted by other issues.
Small business. what’s in the way? High taxes, Tight regulation?…
Demand…
How do you drive demand?
State can’t.. We need to look as a business would. Why would they want to move here? Same reason it turns out as most people.. Great schools, fair taxes, quality of life, higher education and connections between it and local companies ,and where government is extremely responsive.
Balance of less taxes, less regulations? with great schools.
If a Rick Perry plan took effect, one he says it would grow jobs… less taxes, less regulations, less lawsuits…. Globally there are lots of dead countries with Regulations just like that… Education is what starts businesses. That is the key.
Once Steve Jobs was asked what it would take to bring overseas jobs back to America, he replied he’d need around 30,000 engineers we didn’t have….
We should staple green cards to overseas student’s diplomas to keep them over here…
The News Journal article came out Sunday……
Through all the hoopla it is pretty obvious where the bone of contention lies….
Residents are paying too much for their bills and would like to know the salaries of those on the board to determine if they are simply being taken like sheep to the slaughterhouse….
Those on the board do not want their peers to know how much, or how little they actually make…
So obviously, if a way could be found to divulge the salaries to certain trusted parties, but shield them from the prying eyes of one’s neighbor who has never been up to any good as long as he’s owned the property next door, this dilemma could be quickly solved….
One avenue would be to offer the release of the salaries to the Attorney General’s office. Interested parties could then sign a binding agreement, subjecting themselves to fines and imprisonment if they divulge the information to anyone else.
This solution would meet the needs of both parties.
But to argue whether the Water/Sewer board needs comply with FOIA, is rather silly. Ms. Sherlock (Attorney at large) should have seen the implications and fallacies of such an argument, from great distances. I challenge her to respond.
I will briefly argue why the Board must comply with FOIA….
Although the Water Board is a private entity, one that does contract work for the state and local governments, because it is a utility, it has greater obligations than say someone who shovels snow off the courthouse steps, on a contractual basis.
In the snow-shoveler’s regard, his salary matters little. The grand total of the contract is public, saying: “this certain amount was paid to this person, for this service”. If someone can offer it cheaper, then great.
But a public utility receives very special allowances from local government. If contracted out to a private firm, that bond through government, is still viable.
Unlike the snow shoveler, customers of a utility are bound to use that product. What are they going to do? Say forget you and shit in their yard? Point is one can always get another snow shoveler. One can never get another utility at a moment’s notice.
For that reason, as stated in Delaware Code, Title 9, Chapter 23, 2303, if citizens want to establish a sewer or water works, it has to go to a vote among the very residences themselves. In other words, whether the entity exists at all, is up to the public voting process. This as direct correlation as to whether a utility is subject to the public’s inspection.
2304 The County Council then holds a public hearing, where all parties can express enthusiasm or dread over the upcoming origination of a new utility.
2305. After that public hearing, the County Council meets to decide “WHETHER IT IS IN THE PUBLIC‘S INTEREST TO ESTABLISH A WATER/SEWER DISTRICT AND EXACTLY WHAT BOUNDARIES THAT DISTRICT WOULD HAVE.
After the establishment of boundaries, the County Council receives an estimate of the potential cost, and must publish that cost, broken down per foot, in a PUBLIC venue.
2306 After this has been decided, “the County Council then shall cause an election to be held within 6 months following the date of the hearing, at which the question shall be submitted to the voters residing within the boundaries of the sanitary sewer district as fixed by the County Council as to whether the district shall be established or not. Notice of the election shall be advertised in the same manner as provided in § 2304 of this title for advertising the public hearing. The cost of the election shall be borne by the County Council, which shall be reimbursed for such cost by the district, if established by the election.”
Again, who pays the cost? The cost is borne by County Council, which shall be reimbursed for such cost by the district if established by election. If not, ie the sewer goes down in defeat, the County does not get reimbursed and eats the whole cost. That alone would establish grounds that the entity would be required to comply with all County regulation, including those of FOIA.
2307 If the election is successful, “the County has 30 days to authorize the the Department of Public Works and the County Attorney to procure the necessary land and rights-of-way by purchase, agreement, or by condemnation in accordance with existing laws…” In other words, even though the sewer may be a private entity, eventually, unlike the snow shoveler, it’s groundwork is completely laid out by public employees. That alone would be grounds that he entity should be required to comply with FOIA just as does the Public Works and the County Attorney according to existing law.
2308 If the county controls the main sewer system, into which the entity sends it’s sewage, and which without, the entity would not be able to exact the removal of sewage for which it was contracted, that would exact another reason why that entity would need also to comply to FOIA. Common sense: if contaminants were traced up through the public main sewers to the private sewer’s outlet, and no further information were allowable, then considerable public harm could ensue. Since the entity is dependent on County functions, it should also be required to assist the public when information was necessary for the public good.
2311 The County Council may issue tax free bonds to cover the costs of construction. The bonds are “backed by the full faith and credit of the county.” That alone, would be grounds for assuring that a private entity benefiting from public financing, as is this entity, would be required also to comply with FOIA requests.
2312 County Council shall advertise the bonds for sale in at least 2 issues in each of 2 newspapers, 1 of which shall be a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Wilmington, and the other a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of New York, inviting bids for the bonds. The bonds are public. On these grounds alone, the private entity must be required to comply with FOIA.
2316 The County Council must do an annual Sanitary Sewer District Assessment, after holding a public hearing. The salaries could easily be required by this assessment under current law, and they must, as an expense, be given over to the County overseeing government. This alone, precludes the right of FOIA to pertain to a utility.
2318 Delaware law specifically states that the County government is responsible for all rules and regulations pertaining to the sewer entity. At will, it could determine that it is in the public‘s interest to know the salaries, and force compliance with existing law. Since the disclosure is enforceable by law, it should equally be required to be dispensed under a FOIA request.
2319 The County Council may accept grants or loans of money, labor, materials, equipment or technical assistance from agencies of the federal or state government or from interstate agencies established by law…. Public money supports utilities. They, even though private, are beholden to those laws affixed to the dispersion of public money. This alone would make the FOIA request fit within existing law.
2321 And if you needed just one, seal proof reason why a private utility must be treated as a public entity, despite who the actual owner may be…. it is this…
The County Council may, where it deems it necessary to the preservation of public health, order the owner of any lot or parcel of land within a sanitary district which abuts upon a street or other public way containing a sanitary sewer, which is part of or which is served or may be served by the county sewerage system and upon which lot or parcel of land a building shall have been constructed for residential, commercial or industrial use, to connect such building with such sanitary sewer.
Barbara Blomquist doesn’t have an alternative choice…….
Should she refuse?
If any owner shall fail to comply within 60 days with such order to connect with a sanitary sewer, the County Council shall forthwith institute action in a Justice of the Peace Court in New Castle County or in the Court of Chancery of the State to compel compliance with such order.
This is where their attorney falls short. It would just take one of these planks to enforce through legal action the compliance of FOIA in regards to a private (public) utility…. Although I applaud the libertarian intent to keep salaries private, for a private corporation, completely separate from government, that would be fine…
But for a arm of government, disguised as a private entity, that cannot be the case. It is still, as deemed by the citizens and voters of that district, seen as a public entity, because as the above pretty well shows, … it is…
It would only take one reason to force a FOIA judgment. I have given you eleven….
Form a Grand Jury, give them subpoena power, give them wiretap clearance, and get to the bottom… quickly..
Camden-Wyoming Sewer & Water Authority eventually will have to comply… it IS in the law.
From Bloomberg….
On May 4, 2010, Geithner visited Kaufman in his Capitol Hill office. As president of the New York Fed in 2007 and 2008, Geithner helped design and run the central bank’s lending programs. The New York Fed supervised four of the six biggest U.S. banks and, during the credit crunch, put together a daily confidential report on Wall Street’s financial condition. Geithner was copied on these reports, based on a sampling of e- mails released by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
At the meeting with Kaufman, Geithner argued that the issue of limiting bank size was too complex for Congress and that people who know the markets should handle these decisions, Kaufman says. According to Kaufman, Geithner said he preferred that bank supervisors from around the world, meeting in Basel, Switzerland, make rules increasing the amount of money banks need to hold in reserve. Passing laws in the U.S. would undercut his efforts in Basel, Geithner said, according to Kaufman.
Anthony Coley, a spokesman for Geithner, declined to comment.
Call every Congressional person and tell them this is preposterous.
Remember the baby video maker who was sued because of the pop music playing in the background?
This is foolishness, and every Delawarean, yea, even every national, Congressperson needs to know it…
Perhaps, perhaps, if it is passed, Hollywood can sell a couple of more movies…. But if it is passed, it will be the death of the first amendment… you and me, are gone….. morte…
There can be never be censorship of the Internet… Never. and period….
Case A: She was a single mom, working days as a medical assistant, and picking up shifts at a local restaurant… One night, after coming home almost empty-handed, she ranted on her Facebook page. Someone copied and alerted her employer. She lost her job.
Case B: Another local company, issued employee warnings to it’s entire labor force; “Don’t let a few moments on social media, cost you your job.”
Case C: Melissa Kellerman, after getting knocked over in yesterday’s game, had her twitter account pulled after commenting on it.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys Organization, called her in, and ordered her to delete her account…. Here are the tweets she deleted….
Here are a list of comments that one sees in public media whenever this topic is broached….
Only a fool believes Facebook is private.
Don’t put anything on the internet you don’t want everyone to see.
Social Media is just that. Social. Don’t be shocked when your private life goes “social”….
And all those statements are true. When using the Internet, you need to be guarded lest your employer sees what you are saying…..
Now here’s an interesting question: WHY?
WHY DO EMPLOYERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE INTERNET PROTOCOL?
The initial response is that they get to protect their image.
When someone says something on the Internet, it is publicly damaging if negative.
But why not people? Why can’t they be entitled to use their right to freedom of speech on the Internet?
If someone is complaining to another about being harassed by their superior, and it get forwarded and she gets fired, is that right?
If someone is complaining to another about improper mine safety and the deliberate non compliance of safety issues being forced upon them by management, and it gets forwarded and she gets fired, is that right?
If someone is complaining about being treated unfairly by their management team, and it gets forwarded and she gets fired, is that right?
Probably not.
The Internet is not private. but there can be reasonable assurances that some things on the Internet are private. Discussing topics on the Internet should be as safe as walking through the park, discussing items there… Sure, there could be someone behind the tree, listening to everything you say, but the fact that they had to hide behind a tree to hear it, means they weren’t legally entitled to the knowledge. Likewise someone could steal letters out of a mailbox. Someone could tap a phone. Someone would listen to your cell phone with a scanner… All of which are illegal.
But, reading someones private inbox message because it is on the Internet, is not…
It needs to be.
The law needs to catch up to technology. People are allowed to say what ever they want. That is guaranteed.
It is time that same right is canonized into America’s legal code. So that if a corporation acts aggressively upon someone’s free speech, that company stands to lose a year’s profit in damages and legal fees. That is the level of penalty required to protect the privacy of every American, when it comes to their using the Internet.
