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The Golden Flush Award /Click Image for Past Winners
Usually this is an after thought…” Oh, wow, year’s over, let’s get a person of the year”… And then once we elect one, we go… “holy crap… we totally forgot so and so….”
So to try to stir up some old simmering coals of memory, both mine and others, and perhaps even to (heaven forbid) get some debate going in the blog sphere, I thought I’d make an initial run on Thanksgiving Week, and then add people into the nominating category as others mention various ones I should kick myself for forgetting.
It will also force me to review the year which is something I rarely do… because face it, as a human being, I am slave of the moment…. If I did this last year, come December 14th the entire world would have been turned upside down and all the old priorities of 2012, would in one day become trivial….
And so starting early gives me the chance to make the argument for each of those I decide to enroll with your kind recommendations included….
Julius Cephus: Particularly this one man organized and stopped an end run around the Port of Wilmington. The Kinder Morgan deal did not go through, and the Wilmington Port is bustling like never before… Kinder Morgan was to strip the union of power, and drop the rates of pay, further dampening the economy of Wilmington proper. It was also the first defeat of a Lavine-Markell development project, .. Fisker and Bloom had gone forward without a hitch. Julius and other’s push back resulted in a General Assembly motion that stated they, not the governor, had final approval. It was the first time we were exposed to the current Governor’s manipulations. They were to play a significant part across this year’s tapestry.
Steve Newton: A blogger who has written infrequently, but effectively. His piece on SB 51 is what alerted us to the end run being performed by Dave Sokola on lowering the current standards being used for educating teachers. It is brilliant. It took an evening of reading the legislation line by line and cross referencing it with Steve’s analysis, to understand the huge negative impact this bill would cause. By the time this was done, the Bill had already passed the Senate unanimously without comment, and with an friendly amendment added that was voted upon without even being read. Some public outcry was mustered within the House, both in committee and on the floor, but under the Governor’s direction, the Speaker of the House, pushed the bill to the floor before significant outcry could be mustered. Only 4 House members were not on record for it’s passing. Our educational schools now have to water down their teaching standards to meet the new law. Steve also has brought the Highmark story to Delaware. His research in the increase of medical costs in Western PA as a result of knocking out competition by unfair practices, leads one with a cold chill of what to expect in Delaware’s future. We are already there. As an insurer, Highmark is only paying medical claims in its own affiliated clinics. As the new Blue Cross/Blue Shield owner, that is a huge percentage of Delaware’s residents. None can go to any other hospital. He has properly fingered Karen Weldham Stuart for not catching this prior to implementation. Without Steve, this would have passed unnoticed. The News Journal still has not once mentioned the takeover of Delaware’s health field under one owner.
Ernest Lopez. If Kennedy were still writing Profiles of Courage, he should include this man. Ernest Lopez is a conservative, and voted with Libertarian values to pass the gun legislation recommended by Markell and Biden. Reflecting the views of his district, instead of taking the threatening message sent to him down from the NRA, he voted for his district. A very vocal minority, who is always vocal, and always in the minority, swore they would unseat him. He disregarded their idle threat, and voted both his and his constituents conscious. A major billboard was put up to call him out. His vote caused the passage of us now requiring background checks at public gun sales. Now a certifiably insane person cannot slap cash and get a gun. It is a no-brainer, and Ernie was the only Republican with brain enough to even know what a no-brainer is….
Cathy Cloutier: her vote allowed gays to marry. Again, she is a Republican who said enough is enough… Tired of voting against her conscious just so Sussex County would not flip over to the Democrats, she finally did not toe the line and voted along the lines of her own constituents, all overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage. In doing so, she went against the entire grain of her party, who firmly feel that gays are second class citizens, even though most Republicans in office are closeted gays.
Bethany Hall Long: on the same vote, made a viable personal decision, and also voted for the legalization of gay marriage. Unlike Cathy’s vote, this was accomplished at great personal sacrifice, for all of those in her personal life, were solidly against this policy from taking effect. In voting for what was morally right, she had to contend against those whose influence she could not escape. She went with the correct vote, over the easy one. As a result, Gay marriage is now legal in Delaware.
Paul Baumbach: gave great ammunition against the fight for SB51, and later against HB 165. Both bills which will damage Delaware’s education for years to come. He was one of the four who put up a fight on the House floor. Paul also arranged for the meetings in Newark to discuss the new Power plant that figured in this past week’s election.
John Kowalko: also was against SB51, HB 165, as well, being against the power plant. In fact, John was the first person to sound the alarm over how big the power plant would be. Without his big voice, it may have slid through unnoticed. The power plant has defined northern Delaware politics since September.
Kim Williams; responsible for HB 40 which investigates Charter School’s meddling into our educational systems. She was as an acting state representative, allegedly refused entrance into a committee hearing on education, for fear she might say something damaging to the bill being rushed through…. She brought to the public’s knowledge, that the Charter School bill was drafted illegally without public input, and the charter group constructing it, was also under FOIA, to which the private group denied. The Attorney General backed up her assertion, that the bill was formulated illegally but their decision was moot, because the bill was passed both houses anyways. Kim Williams also in the HB 40 task force, led the group to realize that charter schools unlike public schools, do indeed filter those entering charters to weed out those who might lower their test scores….
Mark Murphy, Rodel, Sweeney, Hefferman, and the Fake Educational Reform Establishment: I almost purposefully did not post this. Although the first person’s name is usually followed by explicatives whenever mentioned, it is unlike Voldermort’s, still getting mentioned. Mark Murphy was not put in his position based on his ability. He was placed there for his loyalty to the cause of corporatizing public education. Markell pulls the strings, Murphy figures how to get it done… It is hard to make a puppet the most influential person of the year… So I was going to skip him… But at the last minute, remembered that every time he or anyone of these make an op-ed, it resonates as gigantic news. The entire community rises up to counteract each op-ed, usually with the word “lies” thrown liberally about…. So, they do exert an influence. I looped all of them together, as the group of liars in a Greek play, who stand on the stair steps and taunt the protagonists. Well,… they are part of the play…….
Dan Short: Sometimes villains get noticed too. Primarily a single issue candidate, who personally supports the NRA, he actively campaigned and organized to create enough backlash so Markell’s gun laws could not get enough votes… Without him, there is a possibility that all four of Markell’s gun control pieces of legislation would have passed both houses of Delaware’s legislature. Dan Short should be given the credit for stopping them.
John Sigler: Single handedly by his very brief tenure as the re-elected head of the Republican Party, he pointed out through his pigeon shooting, just how inept the Republican Party was at everything else. With his leaving, all fissures cracking the Republican bedrock, were impossible to ignore. Blogs split. The IPOD’s split. Former candidates of the same party just months earlier, now not talking to each other. The Delaware Republican Party is dead; no it is past dead. More dead than a pigeon shot inside a box by John Sigler, former head of the Delaware Republican Party.
Nancy Willing: Her blog, the Delaware Way, is the go-to site for local information. Whether about Dover, about New Castle County, about any of New Castle County’s associations, Nancy combs all sources and puts them down in aggregate form. Heavily involved in the Power Plant controversy, The Delaware City Rail Yard controversy, Barley Mill controversy, the Woodlawan controversy, the Kinder Morgan controversy, the Charter School Controversy, the Common Core Controversy, Nancy has who is saying “what”, and links to “why”. One can expend less energy by using her blog to follow all the stuff the News Journal neglects, in a few quick empty steps.
Amy Roe: a head of the Sierra Club, who emerged from nowhere to lead the fight against the power plant, and give quite a run against the establishment candidate. Becoming the face the anti- power movement could coalase behind, she gave the anti power plant movement both dignity and grace. Coming up short only 115 votes, she has awakened Newark now politically as never before… The power plant if it goes forward, now has a strong group of Newarkeans against it. Hopefully they will be monitoring it regularly and helping authorities keep in in compliance with all local law.
Tom Gorden; although much quieter than his first term in office, Tom Gorden is rapidly rolling back the privileges the previous Clark administration handed over to our state’s top developers. The Barley Mill plaza which had a green light, is now parked at a red. In a big sea change, though handled quietly, community groups are now no longer persona non grata in county government. It is no longer accepted as a matter of course that the Woodlawn Trust will be gobbled up by developers. If enough fight can be mustered, it can be stopped. Furthermore, with Tom there is closer coordination with the City of Wilmington, than we have experienced anytime in our lifetimes. In the county, local policing has been stepped up, particularly in neighborhoods prone to crime…
Dennis Williams: Came in with grand expectations, which looked deliverable for a while. The tide is turning and his relevance on this list, is because every day, the headline reality in Wilmington’s streets, brings his electioneering boasts back to haunt him, like a sizzling hot branding iron. Time, Dennis, to say “Damn the torpedoes… Their punk asses are going in jail no matter which blowhard on City Council spouts off,before mine gets tossed in jail for impersonating a mayor..”
Alan Levin: Jack Markell’s second in command, he was instrumental in defending Markell’s position on Kinder Morgan and the port, as well as the new power plant for the data center. He also had a hand in keeping Dole in Delaware, and worked to slip the power plant past a slew of unsuspecting Newark City officials.
Jack Markell: had his hand in everything. He was behind Kinder Morgan’s takeover. He was behind SB 51 and HB 165. He was behind the illegal charter group, requiring HB 40. He also was the driving force for the four rational steps to gun legislation, 2 of which were passed. He was also the driving force behind the passage of gay marriage, signing the bill in the chambers just moments after its passage. He also supported the transgender bill in its travels through the labyrinth of Legislative Hall. He as behind keeping Dole in Delaware. He was behind changing an icon in Millsboro away from pickles, over to poultry. He pushed the bill to curtail Flowers. Despite your opinion over whether these were good or bad, they still showed a ubiquitous and wide reach across the state of Delaware. Seems like nothing got done that didn’t have his fingerprints all over it.
John Young: As head of Christina board, John Young led the board in standing up to Mark Murphy and Jack Markell, by refusing the RTTT funds slated for his district. Although some hired fools, (Jea Street) tried to paint Young into a corner, it served the opposite purpose and gave Young a platform. For the fist time, Common Core was getting publicly bashed. For the first time, many were finding that aligning themselves blindly to this sham of improving standards, was probably going to hurt them politically in the next couple of years. It was the fist salvo back, so the damage estimates were not high, but it did open eyes of many who had been on the sidelines of all educational issues, making them also become vocal in fighting Common Core. His blog Transparent Christina has channelled a lot of detailed information into the Delaware market, and had made Common Core an apprehension, instead of the savior it was supposed to be….
Kilroy: Kilroy has always been haranguing over education. In fact he was doing such a good job I left that issue alone for years, because other issues for me, like the economy and elimination of guns from the hands of the mentally ill, were more important. But as the issue has shifted back into the limelight, Kilroy’s hard hitting is making its mark… Kilroy is blunt, and right now, that is the language that needs to happen. Blunt descriptions of what takes place in the stratosphere of he academic field…. Kilroy often breaks stories before the News Journal, especially ones embarrassing to the Murphy/Markell cartel of education. If you have read Kilroy over the past couple of years, you would already know that Common Core is not the panacea we have been promised. It is a power grab for taxpayer dollars, financed by Wall Street itself…. If you think otherwise, you haven’t been reading a balanced reading list….
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That is what I have so far. In retrospect I am surprised that education has played so much, as even I have only come to that topic lately… But if one looks over the News Journal op eds, education really did dominate the discussion in the 2nd smallest state this year….
I may have forgotten some big ones. To reiterate, that is why I am posting this early, to catch those big mistakes as they get brought to my attention….
There are times over the course of human events where a novel approach to a stalemate often causes a new direction to be taken.
Copernicus offered the earth revolved around the sun, as did Galleao.
Columbus offered the world was round, and that you could get East by sailing West.
Keynes offered that the best way to get an economy out of depression was to go to war (government spending)… and full employment would follow…
Reagan offered that the best way to raise the prosperity of all Americans, was to cut taxes for America’s wealthiest few… (Yes, I had to throw some humor in the mix…)…
The point is not whether each was successful or not, it is that each fundamental different view of the way the world worked, created a new synergy toward approaching that old world’s daily problems. As new horizons opened, the old problems didn’t seem that important anymore.
So thinking clearly about education. What do we need?
It has become apparent that a lot of what our education espouses is unnecessary. Mostly todays deciders, the evolutionary decendants of the old “textbook” committees, all have their own interests in deciding what goes into textbooks.”
It is as if they are more concerned with that their side gets their propaganda in as opposed to whether or not their kids learn….
Are we more concerned that our kids learn black history, than how to speak professionally? One would think so; we certainly don’t have a “How To Speak Professionally” Month.
Are we more concerned that our kids suffer through Disability Awareness Sessions than how to add two numbers together? Is October officially “Higher Math Month?”
Do we have a “Vocabulary” or “Spelling Bee” Month? We have one for the “March for The Arts in Education….”
One of the first lessons taught in Management 101, is that you get what you focus on… Meaning that in the workplace, if you are looking for results in “speed on the line” and you begin talking it up, and rewarding your top performers rather handsomely, you are going to get… “speed on the line”… Of course, it will come… at the expense of something else.. perhaps quality, or safety, or cost… But, you will get speed on the line, if that is what you focus on…
The second lesson of Management 101, is that time is finite. You cannot make unlimited demands. If you ask that time be spent on one aspect, there will be an aspect that gets ignored for lack of time to be spent on it….
Both these tenants are missing from today’s education. Both were present in the days of one room school houses, who were forced by economic reality to sandwich all learning between a lull in the crops….
Currently we try to teach too much… It is called “starbursting”… A little here, a little there, but when all comes to putting pencil to paper, there is nothing there…
Our global competition, is so far behind us, they are focusing solely on the basics. and because of that, … beating us where it counts the most; attracting global investment….
No business will move into Delaware because the workforce knows who Harriet Tubman is…
AP– In Munich Germany, Siemans announce they would be building a new factory in Delaware, employing up to 5,000 workers. Peter Loscher, President and CEO, said that the amount of Black History Education received by the local workforce in their early years was the prime reason for choosing Delaware as their newest manufacturing location.
Hmmm, maybe I was wrong; perhaps we do need Black History taught in all our grades, to attract even more jobs.
Point is, I have nothing against Black History. That is a niche subject. One a graduate student might thoroughly like to study.
The question I am throwing out, is Black History Awareness so important, that it should take time away from reading, math, and writing…..
The usual rebuttal to this question, particularly from those who have had experience in “upper New Castle County” Public School Classrooms, is: we have to make school interesting for our students, so we need these distractions.
If you need distractions to make children come to school, why not just show R-rated videos in class? Oh……… you already do.
No, what you need… is you need to make math fun… So people will learn it… Why can’t you make math fun?
Then you get the list of complaints.
WE get bad rating by our supervisor if we make the class too fun.
WE get held accountable by our supervisor if we don’t cover all the proper agenda.
WE get held accountable by our supervisor if we don’t have rigid quiet in our classrooms.
OUR supervisors don’t care whether our student’s learn. They just care they get no parental complaints.
WE have too many things we are required to cover, and just when the kid almost are getting it, we have to switch to another subject. WE never get to time to close the deal.
WE get pulled away by too many distractions. WE have meetings where we have to attend, and our class sits with a procter, who is incapable of answering questions.
WE have to interrupt class at a moments notice for announcements over the speaker. Instantly WE have to go back to the beginning of our lesson and start again, since their attention got lost.
Point is, no one, except for those at the top, cares if children learn…. I mean, of course they “care”, but they do not set up the day to day operations to make that happen….
Here are some quick fixes…
Go to three courses
Reading.
Writing.
Arithmetic.
Depending on the level of each student, they can determine the distance they want to go in each of those three….
But that is the core… Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic…. Every day for twelve years, our public schools will teach reading, writing, and Arithmetic…
Those interested can pursue each discipline further. Calculus, European History, and Program Writing… should be options for those who have the talent.
But the basics get covered….
I know very few people in my professional circle who daily use calculus in their daily lives… They pull out a calculator.
Point is, we don’t need many people who know how to calculate. WE do need people who know how to build calculators….. And that is where Americans have lost their focus.
How does a microboard work? How does one fix it? How does one make it faster? How does one make the next jump in microboards?
In the past, only scholars studied. The rest of the population existed by making things….. and living off that process. As a consequence, back then, the common folk did not read or write…
WE don’t have to go that far back. Just give everyone a public education that covers the basics; reading, writing, and arithmetic….
With these tools, and the opportunity, they can then go as far as their dreams can carry them….
One of America’s finest colleges and universities used to publicly boast. “We don’t teach our students the answers; we teach them where to go to FIND the answers…”
That makes a lot of sense.
Such are the battles that take place over the cirriculum. In the meantime, we have math taught out of textbooks not even the principal author (they’re done by committee) understands….
WE need,
To know how to read.
How to multiply and divide.
How to write so others know what we want, we need, we feel. In other words we need the tools to express ourself…
Everything else is extra….
You may not like Hillary Clinton……perhaps her negatives are too high for you……but regardless of what you think of her personality and politics, she comes from New York. And that makes her something…………
You may think I came to praise her, but I am really going in the opposite direction and praising New York. What gives Hillary her credibility, is that some of the greatest people on earth chose her to be their Senator……
There is something different about New York. Not just the city, but the entire state has a distinctive unique characteristic. I guess it stems from the fact that no one, no one intimidates them. They don’t prance around Celia-like to politicians; they hold them accountable. Either the politician performs, or “he’s outta there.” ( The fact that a majority of them ‘dis Giuliani, speaks highly of them also. )
Today I got this snippet of news from the paper of a tiny little town near Minot…….It was an AP announcement that was deemed irrelevant every where but North Dakota……. It was an “A ha” moment, because it provides a solution that may have some bearing on Delmarva’s recalcitrance to “play ball by the rules.”
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating five major energy companies to determine if plans to create coal-fired power plants present an undisclosed financial risk to investors.
There are so many parallels to our situation. First both of our Attorney Generals are sons of famous political fathers. Second, if creating coal fired power plants presents an undisclosed financial risk to investors, what does that say about Delmarva, who is spurning Blue Water Wind, a triple A+ investment, for continuing to receive power from coal fired power plants, a triple F- investment?…….
Obviously New York is staging an “strong offense” as their primary “defense” to open the Long Island Sound Wind Farm. Should they succeed and open their wind farm before Delmarva allows us to open ours, we might as well turn all positive financial growth opportunities for this state, over to them………..
What is ironical is that their AG is suing the “old school” of power generation for the same reason Delmarva is suing to stop the “new school” of power generation.
As I mentioned in a comment over on Tommywonk, one option we have is for our AG to sue Delmarva Power for presenting an undisclosed risk to the people of Delaware by their not allowing us a healthy, environmentally friendly, and far cheaper electricity than we pay already……But ideally, taking the investors side of the equation would be much cleaner, easier to prosecute, and based on evidence found in Delawares blogs, and all over the internet, ….”a slam dunk.”
As I pointed out before, Delmarva bases their cost on figures consumers were paying BEFORE THE 60% RATE HIKES TOOK EFFECT IN MAY 2006. (All their calculations use 2005 numbers). They use these outdated cheap numbers to make their case that Delaware consumers will pay more if they go with Blue Water Wind.
Therefore they are misleading their investors. I am not a legal expert, but I believe there are laws against that? Duh! That should put them squarely in the same boat as Enron. And we know what happened to those cronies……….
Delaware needs to pursue the same strategy as New York. Why should they get all the glory. After all, compare their two AG’s! Only one has a father who has run for the Presidency…….. twice.
When Johnson fired Edwin Stanton back in ’68, Radical republicans decided that this firing violated the Tenure of Office Act , and politically inspired, they drew up impeachment proceedings against then president, Andrew Johnson. It was 1868. Based on party lines the vote looked good and most republicans were casting straws to see who would become the next president.
Their plans came to a quick end when one of their own, Edmund Ross, refused to lay down the deciding vote. He voted no on impeachment. ” I looked down at my open grave.” is is often commented as saying.
As one commentator remarked, the political climate in ’68 was so divisive that Andrew Johnson would have been impeached for “stepping on a dog’s tale”. The Republicans had been looking for a chance to impeach for over a year and finally had their opportunity. One man, Edmund Ross, went against his party, for a higher ideal. He believed the president should be allowed to hire and fire whom he pleased. He also believed that just because Congress was of a different political stripe, one did not fire the president for a minor trumped up charge.
A similar republican attempt occurred in ’98. This time it was 1998 with Bill Clinton. The charge was masqueraded as a perjury violation, but really it was a political move designed by republicans to sully the most popular president ever. It failed. Furthermore public opinion backfired upon Republicans who themselves heavily lost popularity points and many of those who were instrumental in its prosecution, became the butts of public jokes. Americans refused to buy into the philosophy that their president should be impeached for something that goes on in most American homes every day.
Ironically both times impeachment processes have been initiated in our nation’s history, they were 1) initiated by republicans and 2) done so for purely political reasons……..
With the clear view of hindsight, one could argue that perhaps the republicans knowingly went through the Clinton impeachment process so that their following president could break the law and not have to be impeached. It is unlikely that it was planned as such, but that is exactly what happened.
The best protection Bush/Cheney has against impeachment, is the recent memory of the folly of the last one 9 years ago.
Surely we do not want to go through with that process again. Or do we?
Let’s apprise our current situation and see where we stand.
When one US attorney refused to strip black voters off the registration forms in Missouri, he was removed. His replacement promptly did just that. It was irrelevant. They hate Bush so much in Missouri, that his candidate lost anyway. Manipulating an election. Not a crime.
During the 2000 election huge, monstrous contributions went into the Bush campaign treasury from BP, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, and Chevron. For this, they were promised exclusive rights to the oil lying just under the sand in Iraq. It was tough but a war was created that put us over top of those sands. We are in the process of getting the Oil PSA’s some cover by having them legitimized by our puppet government, despite total Iraqi opposition. Those PSA’s will allow those companies to extract the oil for free up to amortization, then pay royalties on only 30% thereafter. Bribery perhaps? Not a crime.
Currently a member of the White house staff was forbidden to testify before Congress. Today it was learned that a warning went out: any judge or attorney who attempted to file a contempt of Congress charge on any White House staff member, would be fired………Embarrassing, perhaps? But not a crime.
The language for impeachment is specific. It must be for either “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. ” Precedent has shown that finding a little rule broken, does not constitute a high crime or misdemeanor. If impeachment is to carry, if done by the Democrats, it needs to be done right. Impeachment is a serious action and all its consequences need to be taken seriously.
Do we impeach Bush, or Bush and Cheney. Will the perspective of Pelosi as chief executive hurt, or help Bush’s case before the Senate.
Are the crimes that serious? Impeachment should be reserved for someone who accumulates power and refuses to listen to either 1) Congress, 2) the Judicial Branch, or 3) the American people. When once we have determined that we have a president like that, then it will be time to impeach…………….
So what is the basis of the suit brought forth by both Delmarva and Connectiv?
It is this.
Both say that the Public Service Commission overstepped its bounds by recommending a plan that was different from theirs. Yep, if you cut through all the jargon, that is all they are saying……
But anyone who reads the edict describing all the impositions placed by the General Assembly, sees a much different story. Actually the Commission did a very good job of hammering a workable solution from a group dedicated to the pursuit of their own self interests.
Delmarva uses false figures to show that Delaware citizens will pay more if we go through Bluewater Winds proposal. Connective says in the name of fairness they and NRG should be allowed to bid on building a windfarm too….
I hope the rest of Delaware sees just how silly this is. Most of you know that Delmarva and Connectiv are sister companies under the same umbrella corporation. So we have one side of the same corporation saying, it is not fair…..let us build a windfarm too, we will be cheaper………and we have the other side saying…….. it is not fair……wind farms do not give the cheapest energy rates and that is what the General Assembly proscribed……cheap energy rates.. Irony is that both cannot be right at the same time now, can they?
This is not the first time that Delmarva has been accused of talking two opposite points out of their mouth at the same time. It will not be the last……..
Links and facts have been pointed out in myriad online forums repeatedly that wind farms will give the cheapest rate of energy by 2015. Whereas all other rates will keep climbing, wind energy will stay either steady or fall.
There is no way that Delmarva can provide electric energy cheaper than a wind farm. Wait a minute……Hold on…..Just a second………..I take that back. Looking at their proposal I now see that if they roll our electric prices back to the levels we enjoyed in 2005, before last May when deregulation kicked us hard by 60%, and use those figures from 2005 that they used to show themselves as being competitive against wind up through 2025, then perhaps they could be competitive. But if they do roll those prices back to be competitive, surely each one of us would certainly be entitled to a full refund for all that extra money we have paid over this last year and a month now, right?
For you see, even when you use today’s prices, the same ones that you and I actually pay Delmarva every month and have been paying since last May, even then they are the more expensive option when compared to Blue Water Wind’s proposal.
One has to shake his head and wonder about the sincerity of a corporation that projects 2005 data as the baseline for the next 25 years, even when it is off 60% just one year later? But if one uses the more rational approach, and accounts for the worldwide demand of coal and gas by China and India, and the very real possibility that a cost of carbon will be paid as well, then by 2025, fossil fuel could cost more than wind by an exponential power of 4. For those of you less mathematically inclined, that would be 32 cents per kilowatt for fossil fuels……two cents per kilowatt for wind.
Remember this is speculation……..but it is speculation with real numbers, not made up ones from 2005…………………….
Here is what the General Assembly directed the Commission to do.
“The General Assembly stated that DP&L may consider the economic and environmental value of the following items: (a) resources that use new or innovative baseload technologies (such as coal gasification); (b) resources that provide short- or long-term environmental benefits to Delaware citizens (e.g., wind and solar power); (c) facilities that have existing fuel and transmission infrastructure; (d) facilities that use existing brownfield or industrial sites; (e) resources that promote fuel diversity; (f) resources or facilities that support or improve reliability; and (g) resources that encourage price stability. Id. at § 1007(c)(1)b.1.-7.
I hope the judge decides not to play Delmarva’s game.
“The plaintiff argues that the commission did not fulfill the intent of the General Assembly.”
Judge: “Hmmm…..Looks like they got (a). Oh, (b) definitely….it even says “wind”. If they use NRG’s plant for a gas burner, that covers (c). That plays right into (d)’s hands. Looks like (e, f, and g) are all covered as well……..that’s all seven out of the seven directives from the General Assembly that they nailed. So what on earth are you talking about, Delmarva?”
“Well, Sir, we think the entire process that united this state as nothing has before or since, garnishing a full 94 % support from Delaware’s citizens, be scrapped entirely and thrown out, because no one entered a bid combining a gas turbine and a windfarm……. and since no one entered a bid. It cannot be voted on. Everyone knows that people can’t think, and take different pieces, and put them together in different ways to make something different. It is just not human. People don’t do that. People do what they are told…..If they do something different from what is expected, it stands to reason that the entire process needs to be thrown out……..”.
Anyone out there who enjoys irony must read the 9 claims (page 15) that Delmarva makes to attempt to throw out the “Staff’s report. I had it copied here but it took up two pages so I just deleted it. But let me provide the final point, the ninth one, and you can get the idea of funny these guys really are.
32. Finally, DP&L contended that customer migration was a real threat and represented significant exposure for DP&L’s SOS customers if DP&L were forced to accept a long-term contract. DP&L acknowledged that customer migration in the residential and small commercial customer classes as a result of deregulation had been insignificant, but contended that SOS rates have never been considerably higher than the competitive rate offered by other suppliers. Id. at 34. But if the SOS rate becomes higher than the market rate, residential and small commercial customers have an incentive to switch to other suppliers.”
94% support wind power and they are worried about migration. “They didn’t leave when we jacked the rates up 60%, but as soon as we get the cheapest energy source on the planet, making electricity at 2 cents per kilowatt, they are going to pack up and flee to where the rates are much more expensive.
I shake my head but you got to love those guys. Perhaps being close to high dosages of electricity does something to neural connections, but in a lovable way they remind me of someone else I know………………….
Thanks to Tommywonk for steering us in this direction.
Delmarva seems not to be the solution to our energy crises. They seem to be the problem. When blasted by both NRG and Blue Water Wind for their recalcitrance on this issue, something seriously stinks.
One would expect that as opposing bidders that NRG and Delmarva would be at each other’s throats, in a bidding war of sorts with our states economical future at stake. Instead, they are tied up dealing with Delmarva, who systematically denies that long term contracts benefit Delawareans, a view supported by Charlie Copeland, a whispered republican aspirant to the state’s governorship.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) stated in a letter dated 12/13/2006:
As you are also aware, in developing the IRP, the statue states that Delmarva may consider the economic and environmental of:
resources that use new or innovative technologies, (such as coal gasifications).
resources that provide short or long term benefits to residents of this state (such as renewable sources like wind and solar power).
facilities that utilize existing brownfield or industrial sites.
resources that promote fuel diversity.
resources that support or improve reliability; or
resources that encourage price stability.
In reviewing the IRP, it is at best unclear whether Delmarva considered the value of these items. It is the staff’s belief that additional information was generated by Delmarva or its consultant, ICF, which was not included in the IRP materials submitted to the Commission.
Delmarva’s dance around the issue is here.
Apparently appalled by this blatant disregard for either state or consumer input into this upcoming decision, seven parties petitioned to intervene.
Delaware Sustainable Energy Task Force
Jeremy Firestone–University of Delaware Professor
Alan Muller— with Green Delaware
Mary McGonegal–with Common Cause of Delaware
The Mexican Clinical Audiologist (let me know if you catch the pun) O’brien allowed only six of these seven requesting input. Who was “dis’ed”? The Public Advocate Office was denied input, despite of Delaware law 29 Del.C. 8716 (g) calling for the Advocate’s Office to
“be deemed a party of interest, and (it) shall have full power to present evidence, subpoena, cross examine witnesses, submit proofs, file briefs, and do other acts appropriate for a party to do before the Commission.
Well it is obvious why they didn’t want them there………..
And then:
“Dr. Firestone, Mr. Muller, and Ms. McGonegal should confer with each other, and advise me (the Mexican clinical audiologist) with the March 7th filing in this case, who their lead representative will be.
The three citizens groups were lumped together as one, and both Jeremy Firestone, and Alan Muller appealed that decision by the Mexican clinical audiologist, contending that the differences between these varied citizens groups was far more diverse than the differences between individual energy providers, yet they were allowed their own representation.
Why? because O’brien thinks that Common Cause, Green Delaware, and a University of Delaware Professor all have congruent interests in the IRP. For those of us aware of what these groups stand for, this is laughable. I can only think, that because these diverse groups of personalities, (not to mention agendas), are being lumped together as one voice, that someone higher up, is directly interfering with every Delawares citizens’ right to have valid input into the decision making process.
What is at stake, primarily is Delmarva’s refusal to look at options regarding long term supply. If they looked at it, they did in name only, picking up a few pages for a glance. ( “Sure, we looked at it.” )
Dr Firestone takes them to task.
Instead of approaching the possibility of entering into long term contracts with its eyes wide opened, as it should in an IRP, Delmarva approached that possibility with blinders on. Indeed, it appears that Delmarva took on the IRP not as an objective broker, but rather with an agenda that at its core is centered on Delmarva’s desire not to enter into long term contracts………..It is not Delmarva’s prerogative to simply brush aside the Legislature.
NRG goes one step further.
There should be incredible irony, not lost to the Commission, with Delmarva arguing, in both the IRP and RFP proceedings, against making long term commitments with baseload energy suppliers– and citing to RSCI customers’ low load factors as reason for its justification– WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION FROM THE COMMISSION, UNDER THE COVER OF A SEPARATELY DOCKETED PROCEEDING, TO INITIATE A MASSIVE INVESTMENT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THESE LOAD FACTORS.
In a deliciously sarcastic comment, accidental or otherwise, NRG offers the Commission this assessment of Delmarva’s competence (or impotence) in determining public policy.
The Commission should consider retaining outside independent experts to review the specifics of Delmarva’s DSM and AMI plans. Nothing should be approved in the absence of a benefit-cost study and independent modeling.
In a rare case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Bluewater Wind joins NRG to take Delmarva to task along these same lines. More specific is Bluewater’s criticism of Delmarva’s draft of its IRP.
The draft plan fails to diversify energy sources. The draft plan ignores the trend of higher and more volatile natural gas prices. The draft IRP fails to protect Delaware rate payers from the cost of carbon dioxide pollution.
What is needed, Bluewater continues, is a better plan. One that achieves greater price stability, which would include the following:
Proactive steps to secure sources that protect rate payers from rising electricity prices.
Proactive steps to secure sources that protect rate payers from future costs of carbon pollution regulations.
Promote new generation sources in those locations that minimize the need for new, expensive, hard-to-site transmission lines to or within Delaware.
Set more aggressive goals for efficiency.
Obviously both corporations are looking out for their own best interests. But it looks like the PSC picked the wrong group of people to do the evaluation when it chose Delmarva. Bluewater’s goals, as mentioned above, are more in line with what both the PSC and the Legislature require.
Doesn’t it make sense that the company whose best interest seems to lie in line with our own best interests, would serve our state far better than another company, such as Delmarva, whose best interest is diametrically opposed what we want?
Like a car with sticky brakes, as long as we depend on Delmarva, this state will never get up to speed. (Remember here, we are talking about the only corporation IN THE WORLD, who did not take Y2K seriously at this millenena’s outset, and sent out those ridiculous bills on January 00 . Everyone else, ON THIS PLANET, fixed it.)
The headline grabs your attention: what you ask, save 1000 dollars a year on energy costs?
Although this sounds like a late night sales pitch, this comparison was made by the SEU task force, which compared Delaware’s energy household consumption intensity to those in other states that have already progressively attempted to diminish demand for electricity.
So with bated breath along with the rest of Delaware, we anxiously await Tommywonks‘ expert analysis. Until then here are a few items of interest.
Amazingly Delaware households use twice as much energy as a household in New York.
Graph showing comparisons between Delaware and other states.
Prepared for the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility Task Force by the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy.
Figure 5.1 Comparison of State Residential Sector Electricity Intensities (DE = 1.000)
The results are sobering: Delaware has the highest residential sector electricity intensity among the eight states. New York, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey households use one-half or less of the electricity used by Delaware homes, thanks to well-funded and broad-based energy efficiency and conservation policy regimens. Because their programs were more recently created, Connecticut and Vermont residences use more electricity than those in the four best-performing states. Still, their homes consume only 55-70% of the electricity of their Delaware counterparts. Only Pennsylvania is statistically near the rate of energy inefficiency of the Delaware residential electricity sector.
The basic philosophy of this plan is this. Instead of investing gigantic sums in large scale power generation schemes, the focus shifts to assisting individual homeowners who invest in solar, wind, and geothermal technology to generate electricity for their own use and cut down on what the grid provides them now.
Money is also spent to conserve energy, through new appliances, new insulation, new housing designs. etc.
Based on the results of neighboring states, it appears to work.
Particularly interesting is it’s analysis of here-to-unmentioned California’s bounce back from the Enron-induced blackouts earlier this decade. Completely unable to invest in any NEW energy generation facilities, by REDUCING DEMAND, the state of California, was able to reduce peak power demand and lower prices.
The other states have also made serious inroads in the amount of power used by each household on an individual basis. And with a deduction in power usage, a subsequent deduction in CO2 gases expended is also realized. So much that it may be possible to offset the amount of CO2 generated by coal by as much or maybe more than a wind farm could.
On a political perspective, this bodes well for hard working families dependent on household construction to keep from starving. More jobs will be created by installing household applications on every house in Delaware than in building a Giant Coal Dinosaur, that will be extinct in five to ten years.
Not to mention great entrepreneurial opportunities for anyone willing to jump into this business. This segment, which has exploded next door in New Jersey, should find funds to sustain itself, particularly since it could pay for itself with future energy savings within a few short years. So it is hopeful that this proposal woos our state’s labor’s support away from the political suicide pact it has made in its support of NRG’s proposal.
Unfortunately, the Democratic hopeful in the 41st district has just put a bullet through his head by declaring his support for the new NRG plant. I will be interested if my theories that what should have been a slam dunk shoo-in Democratic victory, won’t be, because of the old guard failure to account for wind’s appeal among 94% of the electorate.
But having investigated the future price structure, the anticipated amounts of carbon energy available, the potential for shortages both real and fabricated, I have in my research been led to determine the best new resource for Delaware’s energy needs, is some type of DIRECT COMPETITION against fossil fuels…………….Perhaps it may be some of the genetic republican residue, still attached to one of my chromosomes, that lead me to believe that the 400 Trillion market has more powerto make changes than any resolution proposed by handful of men within a state capacity.
However, again in this SEU report, little mention was made of future energy prices. The anticipated future savings were again made on the assumption that energy prices would remain consistent where they are today.
But if energy costs continue to rise through either speculation or panic over future supply shortages, then despite that savings may pay off faster, our total costs will continue to rise. This is similar to the way our cars gas mileage climbs each time the price of gasoline goes up. (At ten miles to a gallon, a three hundred mile trip would cost $30 at a dollar a gallon. Increasing the miles per gallon by 150% to twenty five miles per gallon, the same trip costs would rise to $36 at prices approaching today’s $3 a gallon.) The cost to us still rises!
My concern is that if we decide to conserve and cut demand, solely as our source, we have done nothing to stop coal from being burned. On the other hand, a wind farm acts like a great energy price stabilizer. The wind is free. therefore the cost is controlled by interest payments and repairs, that is all.
Without some type of competition against fossil fuels that will force the price of energy downward, the inevitable rise of energy costs will, even with the anticipate conservation benefits, result in the same out of pocket expenses despite the fact that less energy used.
But…………. if this SEU plan is coupled with Blue Water Winds proposal, then Delaware has stepped to the plate, connected with a home run, and started its own win streak, all the way towards the pennant ……….this time.
A little over two millennium ago, the roots of our western civilization stood on the brink of eradication. Only a small band of Greeks stood between the massive Persian army and the destruction of Athens, the foundation of democracy and defender of fine arts. Ironically had the outcome of the battle been different, perhaps it might be us placing IED’s along roads built and traveled by those descendant of that Persian stock.
But against such invincible odds, this small band of men chose to fight, and took the necessary action, even though outnumbered 10,000 to one, against the greatest army ever to land upon Grecian shores. Through strategic planning and personal courage, they stood fast against the onslaught and in doing so, changed the course of history..
Now we too stand at a crossroads of civilization, where our choices and bravery will lead to great consequences. The nemesis we face, however, is one we have brought upon ourselves.
Of the hottest years ever recorded in history, twenty one have occurred during the last twenty five. The ten hottest years on record, have occurred since 1993. Five of those hottest years have occurred since 2000. The year 2005 was the hottest on record. Last year 2006 was the hottest ever in America. This winter, the one we finished yesterday with the first day of spring, is the hottest winter ever recorded! This problem is not static; it grows worse with each day.
A decision is about to be made, regarding the future generation of Delaware’s electricity. This decision, though made by a few, will certainly affect many. Due to its timing, this is to be one of the first major decisions ever made by a state in real time regarding renewable energy. If chosen, Blue Water could be up and running in little over two years, not fifteen. This gives other states and other nations the distinct possibility of being influenced by our success, to such a degree that man’s ultimate footprint upon this planet, may have the distinction of being first decided in our small state.. One can hope, that instead of the PSC dooming us to continued carbon dependency, a choice will be made that will prove to all, that wisdom, open mindedness, and courage are not yet extinct among Delawareans and that this state of Delaware can indeed count on those traits to remain instrumental when it comes time to choosing what is best for our own future.
It will require great courage to vote for Blue Water’s wind proposal. For we will not know what problems may yet appear over the future’s horizon. As someone already mentioned, on these shores wind power is untested. But a cold eye cast towards gas or coal can quickly discern monstrous problems down those two roads should we choose to follow either of those options. Sometimes, as with cancer, the certainty of knowing what WILL happen if we continue doing what we have always done, can sometimes propel us down the road less traveled.
There will be great pressure upon you in the PSC to take the comfortable choice, and avoid the upcoming battle against the carbon interest should you dare to make the “right” choice. But in years ahead, the gravest of consequences are predicted to befall each of us, should you fail, fall short, and err in judgment. With gas and coal both expected to continue their steep price climb over the next twenty five years, any wrong choice made now, could burden this struggling small state to the point of economic exhaustion.
Only a fresh puff of wind can break this downward trend. Blue Water’s generation plan can give us, this army outside your tent awaiting your decision, the extra economic lift it needs to face down the multitude of obstacles arrayed before us.
Be known, that as you confer in your tent that is flapping in the stiff breeze, and ponder the subtle strategies arrayed upon the ground before you, that you have an loyal army of public opinion, over ninety percent, ready to take on any hardship, attack any risk, and march forward into any battle with you arm in arm, should you decide to lead us to renewable energy. We do it willingly, not for glory, not for honor, not for personal aggrandizement, but because we are truly in awe of the immense and profoundly global consequence that our small state’s actions may impart upon the future of all civilization.
Should Delaware fall short, fail to do its duty, and continue to compromise its future by the rapid exhumation of carbon fuels, we no doubt shall one day be viewed as harshly, as that poor fool who panicked and guided the Persians to a secret path through the mountains, thereby surrounding those brave souls, whose valiant effort against incredible odds of 10000 to one, managed to stall the onslaught and save Athens and the future of western civilization.
Now civilization looks to us.
When the CO2 ultimatum is laid before us, demanding that we too sign over our state’s future to those armies beholden to carbon kings, and threaten to blot out our sun with hundreds of thousands’ of tons of emissions volleyed in our direction, let us hope that we too, fully mindful that we guard our own Thermopylae through which all these monstrous armies of carbon interests must pass, stand shoulder to shoulder, and reply ” “In that case, we shall fight in the shade……………”
No one seems to be reporting the news from yesterdays PSC hearing in Legislative Hall in Dover. How could the most important decision affecting Delawareans for the next twenty five years, be subject to a news blackout?
Searching Delawareonline, WDEL, and WHYY, yielded no mention to Delaware’s public that the meeting took place. The only news source I could find in our state that even mentioned the happenings in Legislative Hall last night, was the Delaware State News. It led with this line.
“Most of the comments Tuesday at Legislative Hall in Dover supported Blue Water Wind’s offshore Atlantic wind farm generation proposal or NRG’s proposal to expand the Indian River power plant in Millsboro to include coal gasification generators.”
There was little of no support for Connectiv’s or Delmarva Power’s proposals. Connectiv’s bid won the most points from Delmarva Power and the state’s independent consultant’s report. Read ( The public does not support our little inside plan).
NRG supporters, mostly NRG employees or retirees, read (coerced), touted the reliability a coal-generated power plant provides. “Wind is a pretty hip, sexy energy option,” Delaware resident and NRG employee Doug Netting. “‘Wind, however, is intermittent “ he said.
Jim Sadowski, NRG’s environmental manager (oxymoron) for the Indian River power plant, said it would take gale-force winds to create three megawatts of electricity. (not true: strong breeze to near gale)
Instead of choosing one of the three proposals, Delmarva Power favored ” conservation strategies, continuation of a new east-west transmission line and increasing its portfolio to more renewable energy sources from the existing power grid.” Read (if forced to, we will buy some other state’s wind power and tack on percentage and sell it to Delawareans.)
If there was any consensus, it was that something new had to be done about electricity in Delaware. “Inaction is not the answer,” said Wilmington resident Harry Gravell, who represented Delaware builders.
Apparently “the public” beat up Delmarva pretty bad last night as evidenced by the response from their spokesman. When he was questioned about whether Delmarva would be willing to change it’s position in face of overwhelming public support for Blue Water’s proposal, Delmarva Power spokesperson, Tim Brown, kept repeating the statement that “the utility stands by its recommendation,” Most of us who have been around, know this to be the common last ditch defense, always given by a spokesperson defending an indefensible position, against irrefutable evidence and facts. It smacks of admitting one knowing he is in the wrong, but who fears to lose his job should he budge one iota from his company’s position. We saw this trend all the time with Motiva, or almost any other corporate spokesperson.
Delaware’s small size is sometimes advantageous. We know our opponents personally and often conduct business in a less caustic manner than do some of our neighbors. However, our small size can be a detriment, when progress for it’s citizens comes in secondary to the profits of its movers and shakers. Sometimes personal friendships existing in the vacuum of scrutiny, bear more weight than the ultimate public good.
So why was there no news about the meeting last night, except by one newspaper. Was it truly a coincidence that led almost every of the state’s news sources, to fail to report the first of the most important meetings of this century, that will affect the future expenses of all Delawareans?
Expect a lot of coverage over Thursday’s meeting in Wilmington. Word has already gone out to Connectiv and Delmarva employees that they are required to be there to support their company (or lose all chance of future promotions) Within a packed auditorium, the appearance of support will appear more equal than it actually is, and the news coverage will be swayed accordingly. Those who speak in Blue Water Wind’s favor, can be expected to be shouted down. Those lining up to speak, will be weighted in favor of the status quo.
Sometimes coincidences occur. But other times so many coincidences happen coincidently that one wonders whether or not it is a coincidence at all. Sometimes when there is NO NEWS about a topic, it has far more significance than what news IS actually reported.
Last night the public spoke very strongly in favor of Wind Power. It spoke very strongly against Delmarva Power. It appears that great effort was made for you not to know about it.
kavips 
