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“As an outsider looking in, I recognize one thing that most Americans lack. Because America has been free for so long, many have no sense of what tyranny looks like and how quickly physical and intellectual freedom can be lost on the path paved with good intentions.“
I hope you see this… I wanted to document a list of the damage the Pam Scott regime had done to New Castle County, such as destroying historical buildings, brushing aside traffic studies, mitigating necessary environmental policies, .. In general, everything they did that deteriorates the quality of life for people in New Castle County for years to come..
Then I realized it really should come from you… You have the archives in Delaware Way; you know how your archives are organized, and you with a quick email sent “To All” could rapidly receive a plethora of details your contacts had lived through and fought against…
I know it will be a labor of love, and may take some time… But I think the world should know how this erosion of resident’s rights for the accumulation of money for a few, was done. I figure it would probably take one day to go thought your archives, cutting and pasting links to all the articles on one page…
Often local struggles are rarely documented. However they touch our lives far more than state or national issues. It would be nice to have the truth out first for once… all organized in one volume.
I really feel it should come from you. 🙂
I feel so bad for the boy. I thought, my, what if that had been my son?
Now as a parent I wonder. What on earth could I possibly do for my son after he’d experienced something like that. How as a parent could I somehow give hope, that even though something hellish and horrific took place, “yeah, son, you can still go on”. “Yeah, son, you can still succeed”. “yeah, son, you can have the best revenge, which is living well…”
Platitudes don’t cut it.
How does one communicate through to someone who has gone through such a tragedy? Here all my words fall short. I don’t know if I can. And that ineffectiveness pains me. I don’t think that of all the good that is in me, that any, none that I could give, could ever fill but the tiniest part of that vast hole which must lurk within…..
I do know that closure is important. Having evil lose, is very important to mankind. It is important to all of us. It will be hard, for those memories are buried deep. When they get exhumed as you go through the trial, which with appeals will take years, those feelings you haven’t felt for years, all come rushing back with the intensity you once experienced them…..
But for closure, justice must be pursued. For the simple reason is, that if justice is not allowed to fulfill it’s proper destiny, than we are all unjust ourselves, because we stood in its way. And that, is not who we are…
People will say you are brave. They will thank you for coming forward. They will interview you for your deepest feelings. Then they will go on with their lives proud of what they did. They will forget you.
That may be good, and that may be hard on you after being in the limelight for so long.
And that is when you anger really begins. You no longer have an outlet to express it. Your friends tell you to get over it. You feel like you are a pariah where ever you go…. Whether you imagine or it is real, whispers of being “that victim” will always haunt you….
I probably shouldn’t mention it here, it’s way too early in the process, but there is a way out. And what goes on outside of you, really has nothing to do with what is on your inside….
And that is to forgive him. Yes. forgive Eric Bodenweiser. I’m not saying to let justice off the hook; its wheels need to grind with regularity. Justice is out of your hands. What is in your hands, is your heart…
Forgiveness has been rated a weakness by our American society. When actually it is very hard to do. It takes a tougher man to forgive, than it does to carry revenge as a motive for the rest of their life. That actually is easy compared to forgiving one who did something so horrible to you.
I don’t know if you are up for it. I think it is far too tough for most people. Christians talk about it, but in your case, I think that would be the wrong example to bring up. I know Martin Luther King did it. I know Gandhi did it. I know Mandela did it. I know Mother Teresa did it.
I really didn’t get why forgiveness is important, until watching Star Wars. But somewhere along one of those episodes, it hit me that my anger was what was keeping me weak. It was the focus of all I did. I couldn’t see life past it. It made me do things other people saw as ugly. It created many problems over which I was always trying to overcome. I often wondered why I always had so many problems compared to others, without understanding that I was the one creating them… Where Yoda says: “let go of the anger. let go of the hurt…” that was the point in my lifetime where I realized forgiveness wasn’t something Christian. It was something human, requiring us to use our minds and talk ourselves through our anger, and accept that what happened, was a part of what we were to become in our future….. and that we had a choice of whether to turn that into good, or continue the evil.
Point is, when you finally let go, you are the beneficiary. Mostly we are taught to think forgiveness is for our foe. No, it really is for us; it is a cathartic experience that yeah, we walked through hell and survived… Only after we have truly forgiven them, can we look at ourselves and say, wow, I’m this really great human being. I’m like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mandela, and Sister Teresa.
I said above, that there was nothing I could do. But perhaps this is it. Perhaps just for years, keep in mind that forgiving Eric Bodenweiser will be what you have to do someday to move beyond this…. It might take years after justice has been served…. Just keep it in mind. … My heart, my soul goes out to you now…
I know you have a tough time headed your way. If you need anything……
This is post number 2000.
The only real significance is it is 150 posts more than where Tommywonk stopped exactly one year and fifteen days ago…
If some future historian looks back, I can only guess they may kindly make some note of the quality of thought that underlies these efforts, but my guess, is no one will ever notice…
Irregardless, as long as the urge to put thoughts down for others continues, we will go on. As usual, with no goal, no direction, and no ulterior motive. Probably upon reflection, my biggest surprise, right here, right now … is that I still enjoy it so much, and can’t wait to jot my thoughts down, click the button, and send them off to where ever cyberspace and the vast internet ocean, lets them drift….
For each of you who have become regular over the years, … thank you friend…
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……
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…
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….
Sussex Green drops a bombshell…
Despite what Meatball says, there is something sick in Sussex County and it rhymes with taker….
Here in essence is the argument for open government… This type of stuff goes on all the time and those of us jaded by its constant misuse, forget that is really antithetic to representative government… Which is why we need citizen watchdogs… and Sussex County has one now….
This must be read… Not only by residents of Sussex County who have to put up with the antics of a family who thinks they can rule with impunity, but by every man, women, and child of the future, so they know exactly how these things are done, and can intercept their implementation before similar actions are finalized.
Here are several examples of the travesty those communists who represent the fine folks of Sussex County have levied against their own kind….
Instead, the list of parcels and areas being considered for inclusion on the future land use map were presented to the P&Z Commission as Old Business at a meeting on April 30, 2008. The parcels and areas were discussed by the P&Z Commission, approved or rejected, and that was that. There was no public hearing on any of them. Then, when the Comp Plan was finally approved (June 24, 2008) all those amendments, which had been approved at the April 30, 2008 meeting were incorporated into the land use map and became part of the ordinance that authorized the Comp Plan.
The Wilson Baker parcels case illustrates this. Baker got a conditional use (c/u) for the smaller parcel in 2005. He either owned or quickly acquired the larger adjoining parcel of AR-1 soon after being granted the c/u on the smaller parcel. He established a propane, kerosene, and diesel fuel business on the smaller parcel under the c/u requirements. However, he wanted to sell both parcels and that proved a bit too complicated because of the c/u, or so his representative testified at the recent change of zoning hearings before the P&Z Commission and County Council. As a result, he apparently decided that getting both parcels rezoned to heavy industry (HI-1) from their current AR-1 would be the most profitable option.
The P&Z Commission scheduled the Wilson Baker parcels for the June 18, 2008 meeting under the agenda heading “Additional Old Business”. The one item under that heading is “Comprehensive Land Use Plan”. The minutes state that Mr. Lank “advised the Commission that a request had been received for inclusion into the Town Center Area around the Town of Milton; that the request came from Baker Petroleum of Wilson Baker, Inc. for the inclusion of their properties; that they are intending to apply for industrial zoning and to create a railroad spur for access to rail service; that the site has been reviewed through the PLUS process” (P&Z Commission Minutes, June 18, 2008, Page 8). The P&Z Commission decided to incorporate the request of Baker Petroleum into the Future Land Use Map by consensus. There was no public hearing
.
On June 24, 2008, the County Council voted to adopt the ordinance establishing the 2007 Comp Plan Update, with amendments. There was no public hearing
.
The entire sketch of how this parcel was rezoned was not done in secret.. It is available on reruns of the Dukes of Hazard television series that was shot during the 1980s.. The faces may look a little different, but the characters who play them are the same…….
Not to be a tattle tale or anything ( I’m going somewhere with this), but one of my favorite new blogs, Redwaterlily’s Ramblings has not posted since March 30th..
It reminds me of when I did the same (Dec 22 thru March 6th)… By not posting, it leaves readers to peruse the same post multiple times.. We simply can’t help ourselves.. Sooner or later we take the time to actually read what was written.. as opposed to just skimming….
Guilty, I was…
So I finally got to this part of her message lying around for a week on her last post….
The Baker family has filed for 28.5 acres to be rezoned Heavy Industrial adjacent to the Pemberton Development in Milton. This zoning – H1 – is the heaviest industrial zoning possible.
This is why politics is serious business.. This is why politics is too important to be left in the hands of politico’s and their friends in the press and media… This is why politics must remain in the hands of average citizens who take the time to find out what is “really” going on and educate their neighbors and hell, once in a lifetime, put up their money and reputation and run for office…
This is what would have happened all across Sussex County if the lower third of our state’s citizens had voted Mark Baker into office… Sussex County would be ruined forever!!!!!!!!
Fortunately that spot was taken by Joan Deaver.. normal person extrodinaire…
But without bloggers making the connections for voters, the myth that Mark Baker would not dare develop Sussex County for his own family’s personal fortune, might have been believed… After all, there was no Sussex media outlet who dared challenge the pretension that Baker was a stoolie for his family and developers…
But real people did…
Real people stood up and called him out enough so that after all his public posterings, it was obvious that Sussex County under the guidance of a member of the “Baker” family, would as one blogger acknowledged, turn Sussex County into Harlem…
The Bakers would get rich… The rest of use would pay for the crime…
That did not happen because of many ordinary people who love Sussex County and want their children to love it too.. Two who deserve special mention are Jud Bennett, and Joan Deaver… Both put themselves on line, almost lying on the macadam in front of a charging bus, relying solely upon their faith that those passengers inside,could in time wrest control the insane driver positioned behind the steering wheel…
The Baker family is insane. Thanks to Redwaterlily for jogging our memories once again as to why this family needs to be put away politically, for good, as does Rich Collins of similar vein….
Cancer needs to be excised.
I am glad that post was left up so I, the stupidest of Delawareans, could finally see the writing on the wall.
A personal thanks from me, to all who voted to flush the sewage from the system.
Begin with two minute introductions.
Baker: voice shaky, (like a liar?) Immediately accuses Jud of taking property away from landowners… (I’m thinking: what? is he crazy? Sounds like a stupid developer my spouse said). Property ownership is not a privilege; that makes it sound like it can be taken away from you. That is scary to me.
Bennett: calm, confident like one telling the truth: my opponent has taken parts of my platform, and falsely represented my intent, such as taking property away from landowners, which is certainly not true.
On their Land Use Plan…
Baker: Jud is a communist. He won’t let developers do whatever they want. (paraphrased) Jud pushed for a bill in State Legislature which would Give the state control of code changes instead of the county. State control pure communist.
Bennett: That is not true. To cut down on density of the wear and tear on the land, I once proposed 10 acre building lots per house…. Roads, sewers, infrastructure including schools should be developed before the building of tons of houses, perhaps far too many for the community to bear. Developers should pay, not taxpayers.
On support groups
Baker: communist
Bennett: better growth, the term communist is ridiculous.
On examples where change is needed.
Bennett: Next to marsh farm . County did nothing.. Future plans need specificity… Whether it is the village concept, cluster housing, better situations for commercial development, wider use of open areas.
Baker: I have no development in mind… when developments are done, laws should be followed. Sliding on rules, that’s been done in past, it needs clear concise rules which can be followed….
Animated signs?
Bennett: County should enforce Roger’s own signs. Rogers installed most of them and therefore the ordinance should be either enforced or get rid of it…
Baker: Same as Bennett. Enforce ordinances, or change law…
What about Taxpayer $ to Charity Groups: handed out by council members.
Baker: Practice rubs me the wrong way. He would use $60,000 to build patronage for himself, and would feel uncomfortable buying votes. Recommends doing it in an open way that can be verified.
Bennett: Mark and I agree. Discretionary funds, $60,000 needs documented.
Why are you the best choice to cover the dispensation tax dollars?
Bennett:
I have the wealth of experience. Have made and lost a lot of money. Right now on the high side and hope to stay there. County is running deficits for two years now because transfer tax receipts are down. Would not have bought that land and built ….
Baker: I’m the best choice because of Baker Petroleum: It’s a Competitive industry. I manage abudget, I watch expenses, I maintain facilities, I manage a budget.
Prayer at County meetings?
Baker: uh..uh…are they now? (hesitant)…. yes?
Bennett: Yes, absolutely!
Build parks?
Bennett: Parks would be good in principal, but without money now is not the time. Down the road, when flush perhaps, Now vote no.
Baker: Recreation is important but now… without finances, it is not the time. Would continue seed money to grass roots organizations who provide recreation to citizens.
New County Services?
Baker: No
Bennett: Controversial, and falsely misrepresented by Baker. Would recommend the hiring of two attorneys for less money $220,000 versus the $400,000 thousand dollars. Hire inspectors for additional workloads. In house attorneys working for the country would be tougher on enforcing the codes, than those attorneys paid by the developers to enforce the county’s code against those developers paying them.
Baker: Does not understand those numbers. $88,000 for 1st attorney, $77,000 for the 2nd attorney, $25,000 for secretary; 10% for benefits, 12% for FICA, and 46,000 a year to provide office space…Other expenses, need to buy computers, need to contract specialists, need to question the competence of 88,000 and 77,000 attorneys…. Math does not add up.
Bennett: Several attorneys he’s talked to, think it will work. Baker is ignoring the current attorney’s performance. He does not want to foster bureaucracy. That is just not true….He recommends a more efficient operation, thereby saving money. Before we hired inspectors, …did that cause big government?
Baker: Still $165,000 and added 10%, 12%, 15% percent additional costs.
Bennett: You have to consider lawsuits we paid because we failed to appeal their decision because of the legal expense… It will save more than it costs.
Baker : For that we have insurance, and deductibles to pay.
Bennett: With the Marsh farm debacle, the attorney was double dipping and allowed something that was not legal.. The Marsh got screwed.
Baker: We should count on our Councilman for ethics, not an attorney. Whats the use of having a Councilman (who is owned by developers) if you can’t count on him for ethics. We don’t need an attorney (to represent homeowners) and shouldn’t have two more.
On Code enforcement:
Baker: Free fall of subdivisions being built from 144 in 2007 to 18 now. We need to make sure laws are followed. We are overly regulated as it is. It costs residents 1000’s of dollars, due to county regulations to build shed in yard
Bennett: From January to August of this year, 3600 acres were considered for development. Currently there is a 18 month backlog, meaning about 16 lots per day in pipeline, preventing the enforcement of numerous complaints. Recommends assign inspectors a caseload, to follow through a development from start to finish, they can then insure that everything is followed through correctly by the developers..
Closing statement: 2 minutes
Bennett: Large developers behind this opponent, have made this election extremely contentious. Glad when it is over, so will my wife.. Large landowners and large developers backing Baker, are trying to defeat me. Unlike developers, voters do care about their future, If charged with saving county millions of dollars, then guilty. If lobbying state legislature is a crime, then guilty. If wanting sustainable growth to be paid by developers, and not the taxpayers, then guilty. I am guilty of making Sussex County a place to prosper… The difference is whether we have a nice place to live, or a horrible place to live… You have a choice. Thank you.
Baker: Blah blah blah. I will close by reading you a statement. “The worse thing there is, is a career politician. Someone who puts them self above their constituents. We need someone who succeeds in business.” Ladies and Gentlemen, I am that man. I’m a new to the political process, and I am a successful business man. That writing? it was written by Bennett himself last August… you fool you just endorsed my candidacy….
End
(Just curious, is everyone down in Sussex County as juvenile and high strung as Baker?) What a sad closing.
If Jud Bennett is a conservative like a John McCain…. Mark Baker comes across as Dick Cheney….
Mark Baker does not deny it: he emphasizes that he will let developers do what they want in Sussex County, with no restrictions. No restrictions? Should someone want to see what Mark Baker’s vision will do to Sussex County, they should check out Harlem….. in thirty short years upper Manhattan went from farmlands to immigrant housing. Why? There was no regulation.
Why drive that far? Drive up and down Route 40 in New Castle County to get an idea of what Sussex County will look like a few years from now….There used to be 5 stoplights from the Maryland border to Dupont Highway… Now there is a yellow highway sign near the Route 7 interchange that says “WARNING, 5 STOPLIGHTS NEXT 1.6 MILES”
That is why Sussex County should reject Mark Baker. You can’t afford him.
A brief conversation that will define Sussex County for the next 100 years will quietly take place on on WGMD–92.7 FM (The Dan Gaffney show) from 7:15AM to 8AM.
At stake is how this state will develop Sussex County. For once the process has been started, we cannot retrace our steps…
This brief conversation could have the greatest impact of any this Century. For how you vote on September 9th, will determine what happens to our land….
Land is permanent.
kavips 
