At What Price, Loyality?

This is going to my hard core Republican friends. Why are you still supporting Romney?

1) You know he is not going to win.
2) You know as the election heats up, his Bain Capital experience will make Republicans untouchable for decades.
3) You can’t pin down where Romney stands on anything.
4) He tied his dog to a car.
5) He stands with black people and says “Who let the dogs out, woof, woof.”

Most of you are telling me, “I certainly can’t vote for Obama. I guess I’m not voting for President this time.”

Let’s say, just for argument sakes there was a presidential candidate out there who says to have good government you need: …………………

1. Become reality driven. Don’t kid yourself or others.
Find out what’s what and base your decisions and actions
on that.

2. Always be honest and tell the truth. It’s extremely
difficult to do any damage to anybody when you are
willing to tell the truth–regardless of the
consequences.

3. Always do what’s right and fair. Remember, the more
you actually accomplish, the louder your critics become.
You’ve got to learn to ignore your critics. You’ve got to
continue to do what you think is right. You’ve got to
maintain your integrity.

4. Determine your goal, develop a plan to reach that
goal, and then act. Don’t procrastinate.

5. Make sure everybody who ought to know what you’re
doing knows what you’re doing. Communicate.

6. Don’t hesitate to deliver bad news. There is always
time to salvage things. There is always time to fix
things. Henry Kissinger said that anything that can be
revealed eventually should be revealed immediately.

7. Last, be willing to do whatever it takes to get your
job done. If you’ve got a job that you don’t love enough
to do what it takes to get your job done, then quit and
get one that you do love, and then make a difference.

Honesty. Integrity. Principal.

Sounds good so far. Let us say just for argument, he had chief executive experience. Let us say just or argument that he once ran a state, one of the fifty in this union. Let us say while governor, this is what he did…..

During his tenure, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax-increase in the state’s entire history.

1) He cut the rate of government growth in half,

2) Left the New Mexico state government with a budget surplus and 1000 fewer employees (without firing anyone),

3) Privatized half of the prisons in the state,

4) Brought a state-wide school voucher system to New Mexico.

5) Vetoed 750 bills (more than all the vetoes of the other 49 Governors in the country at that time, combined) with only 2 overrides, earning him the nickname Gary “Veto” Johnson.

6) In 1999, Johnson became the highest-ranking elected official in the United States to advocate the legalization of drugs.

7) Shifted Medicaid to managed care.

ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU WANT? ISN’T THAT WHAT WE NEED?

Can you not think of a better way to show your lack of enthusiasm over a wealthy capitalist buying his way to the top of your ticket, by voting for someone who has character, who does what you’ve always wanted, a doer, not a talker?

And to think…. you were simply just going to throw your vote away.

His name is Gary Johnson. He is the new party’s candidate for President.

Remember Republicans. It is your values that are important. If your party has given up and moved on from your values, don’t think you have to be loyal to the word…. “Republican”… What you have to be loyal too, is yourself. Always. Never lie to yourself.

You don’t need to waste your vote on Romney. You probably need to find more about this guy, Gary Johnson, and then throw your support behind him.

Don’t worry it is not one of the two parties on whose ticket he is running. Remember, at one point in time, the Republican Party was a once a third party too. One that went mainstream because of its core values, its principles resonated with everyday American People.

A Little Bit on China

In this past month’s news cycle, the state visit by the Chinese delegation, … got little attention. Yet, Historians will probably look back on that visit as the most important finishing touch of the past decade, even though it happened a few days into this current one. (Decades begin in the 1 years).

Alas, giant snowstorms and football playoffs have the tendency to suck up America’s attention in January. 🙂

What was notable;

A. China and the US are now equal players, both dependent on what the other does.

B. Both sides recognize that the other entity will do what is best in their self interest, and that neither party can make the other change course.

C. Both countries suffer malignancies the their hard line conservative movements (the mother-in-law syndrome), that slow the machinations of better relations.

The best description we have in today’s world to describe this relationship, at least that comes to this mind, is that of a marriage.

For an enjoined relationship has now grown up between these two partners; one that appears beneficial on all fronts for us both to continue; but one, which if ever split apart, will cost us both, ….. half of everything we own ad infinitum.

With that in mind, … the unilateral dominance that America has enjoyed since the breakup of the Soviet Union, is no more. We have a marriage now, whose new rules may cause us both some internal turmoil, but one that is better resolved through negotiation and discourse, than unilateral actions to the contrary………..

The US and China relationship …. has matured.

Republicans: Running From The Light

Every Republican lives in fear… They go about their lives, hoping no one finds the truth… They fear one day, all will be revealed.. They fear that Delawareans will one day learn the truth… So they use their wealth to spin their lies, and huddle like scurvy little spiders… sucking the juices out past year’s kills…

Delaware woke up this morning to find Ginger Gibson got there first… Like Frodo in the cave of Shelob, a brilliant light seared their retina’s as the first rising Republican casually glanced over the News Journal page this morning… There for all to see…. Critics say GOP abused its perks: Shocking’ expenses slashed in Del. House!

First one call to Westover, then two calls, then four.. Soon, the phones began ringing all over Republican land… ” Wake up! Get digging! This is bad! We’re Doomed! Damage Control! Who squealed!” although for some reason the calls never made it as far north as Yorklyn… Heard all over Republican land, were these word muttered under every Republican’s breath… “That damned Spence… Why did he have to put his name on all those checks…”

Spiders everywhere retreated to their den… Holed up… Hibernating till 2016……

House Republicans who could knowledgeably dispute the facts would not be interviewed for this article. Spence did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Republican Party Chairman Tom Ross said he couldn’t speak to specific allegations but characterized them as partisan attacks likely fueled by election-year politics.

Absolutely… Which is why it is always important when listening to a Republican, to click on links… Like this one to the side of Ginger’s story…..

It is addressed to Vincent Lofink,

Dear Mr. Lofink:

As recommended in a report from the State Auditor’s Office, I am writing to ask that you reimburse the House of Representatives for tuition reimbursements you received while serving as a state representative… The total amount you were reimbursed is $12,124.50.

Since this is a partisan attack fueled by election year politics one would assume the State Auditor would be of the opposite party…. What, the state auditor is a Republican?

Oh, my…. He’s a Republican.

… and since he took the Republican House leadership to task, he is apparently a damned good Republican too… By rough calculation, I’d be guessing he, Kilroy, and Rsmitty are the only three good one’s left…. JoAnne might still be one of them, I don’t really know anymore… And Hastings, I don’t want to forget.

Obviously Delaware’s State Republican Party is still not familiar with how to act within the light of open government … Am I the only one remembering how they tried to take credit for being the only ones truly supportive of opening the General Assembly to FOIA?

Probably. 🙂

Thanksgiving: Addendum

Ok, my spouse slipped in this sentence during a mundane call to work on Monday….

“I invited some friends for Thanksgiving…is that ok?”

My reply was “if its done… it’s done…”

So as we approached that time I began to worry how it would go over… Usually Thanksgiving is the one time our family pulls together in hectic-world. Now it looked like that would have to wait another year…. “If it’s done…. it’s done….”

My next surprise was “you have to pick them up… while I make dinner”…. So much for our time table… My spouse was so far behind, that without my assistance.. Gee, dinner by Monday?….. Great.

So I drove to pick them up… Perhaps this would be a good place to mention that one of that couple, suffered from severe depression… almost to the point of sort of being comatose…fading in and out of our world, would be the best way to put it.. Her spouse, since last Thanksgiving, had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer, and as soon as he became ill, his insurance, carried over since his retirement from Dupont, dropped him… The hospital forced foreclosure on his house to cover some of the medical costs… But it was probably worth it, at least according to my value system, because on this day here he was alive, and moving around…

So I brought them to our home, hoping a miracle had occurred while gone, and that the frozen turkey we had popped into the oven… was done… It wasn’t.

The china, not used since last Christmas…. still needed to be hand washed, and sterilized as well…

Dinner was great when we got it… Actually it was wonderful.. Perfect turkey.. (frozen turkey, in bag, cooked at 550 degrees for less than 2 1/2 hours… don’t ask me how the internal temp. was over 165 degrees)….

And we talked, listened, the usual sharing of stories… then sat down and watched the military channel on television… He was glad, since they had lost cable with their recent move… Even highly appreciative of a cup of coffee he was, because during the move… their coffee maker had cracked and without funds, there was no way to get one… it was his first cup of coffee he had in months…

So when she stood up and said it was time to go… we got everything together and went… I took some leftover food to their apartment and placed it into their almost empty refrigerator….

I bit my tongue because I know pride is important to people, and thanked them for giving us their company during the afternoon…

As I drove back in the dark, I thought of all my other Thanksgivings,… they seemed selfish in comparison… I imagined spending that day in a darkened apartment, a day like every other, and for once, I indulged myself that I may have made a difference… a small one perhaps…

So it was this morning, the day after, my spouse was relaying the story…”I was just having a normal conversation, and accidentally said ‘why don’t you come here for Thanksgiving’ before I even knew I had said it”… He said “We’d love too”. Then his wife said she didn’t think so… Then he came on again and said, “She needs to get out, we’ll do it…”

I guess in the large scheme of things… I really do have something wonderful to be thankful for.

A Plea From “One of Dem Rangers”

In Lord of the Rings, the Rangers were the first lines of defense in fighting the Nazguls and the Lord of Darkness. Delaware’s Aragorn speaks:

I am asking, (begging) every Delawarean to contact his/her own legislator and every other legislator in the state to demand they support the signing of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). We are elected as STATE LEGISLATORS responsible to all citizens and families of Delaware. There is no real or imagined borders separating your rights or interests from those of your neighbors. You are entitled to that representation from all General Assembly members and you have the power and right of the ballot. Every public servant is elected as just that a SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC’S INTEREST. Please post this anywhere it will be noticed.
Thank you,
John Kowalko
DELAWARE STATE Representative

Phone List of the House Majority:

Phone List of the House Minority:

Phone List of all Senators.

GET OFF THE ROAD, …….QUICK!!!

Ring wraiths have invaded Delaware. They were seen trying to stop the benefits from Blue Water’s Wind farm from ever reaching the hard working citizens of Delaware.

They came to kill the windfarm, which will drop and keep Delaware’s price for electricity at roughly 10 cents a killowatt hour for the next twenty five years, instead of the 18 to 28 cents that our neighbors will have to fork out……..They rode in to do so because their client, Delmarva Power, the same entity you now pay 60% more for your services, will stand to take exponentially much more from your checkbook if they charge you their markup on a fluctuating 28 cents, instead of the cooly negotiated 10 cents…..That’s it.

If you do not know what a ring wraith is, research it. I am under the assumption that they are common folklore. Also should you see any of ring wraiths approaching you, follow the advice of Frodo Baggins, and get off the road! Now!.

Following in the footsteps of the FBI, a Most Wanted Identification List is in order. To assist in rapid identification, here is what you need to look for……Do not allow them near your money….they are extremely dangerous………

Harris McDowell III

Charlie Copeland

Gregory Lavelle                           Gerald Hocker

Rep. Hazel Plant

Should you see any of these on the street. Warn others to hide immediately. Hint: You only get four seconds warning with a distortion of space and time before they appear through the portal.

They are not human. They are bound by oath to their master. They care not one iota whether you can pay these high prices or not. They are controlled by Delmarva. Fear these few….They stop at nothing to keep you from paying much less for your electricity.

Remember their faces…..They want to triple (28 cents) your electric bills!

To fight them effectively, go here.
Everything you need is there……..Don’t keep this to yourself, tell your neighbors…….

Del GOP’s

Much hand wringing has taken place on the “other side” of the aisle. Their erosion of power, while uplifting to their opposition, tends to have a psychotic depressing effect upon those who suffer the actual convulsions, caused by aneurysms regularly occurring along their arterial chains of command.

This feeling is perhaps best put by this phrase: “We were doing so well……..how could this have happened to “us”?”

Eloquent as always, Jud’s Rant sounds the alarm.

To echo, I would like to borrow a this phrase from Lord of the Rings: The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife: stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all.

And so along this vein, it was sad to read of Copeland’s upcoming support of Delmarva Power’s status-quo decision, when it was leaked that Delmarva not supporting ANY of the three options to generate new power in Delaware.

To paraphrase his comment, he said something like,… “a company should be allowed to make the decisions that affect it’s own well being. Government should not dictate to a corporation how to run its business.”

To be honest, if someone who had possibilities of achieving a future governorship, were to tell me that government should stay OUT of my own personal decisions that affect me and no one else, I would say “whoopee” and pledge my support.

But if I were, and forgive the insensitivity for no malice is intended, being raped and a potential governor came out and defended the rights of my rapist to “run her business as she saw fit”…….. my support would, and should go to anyone, even former enemies, who would step up and champion my rights for a change.

Figuratively speaking, all of Delaware was and still is, being financially raped by Delmarva’s rate hike last year.

Having the most touted Republican gubernatorial candidate, far more interested in pandering to future contributors, than in alleviating the suffering of his own state’s people, amply gives credence to the growing disbelief that, perhaps it really is true, the Cheney/Bush ticket has morally bankrupted and effectively killed the Republican party everywhere, as recently evidenced in the Republican dominated seventh district’s election.

However I would be remiss if I were not to confess that as a dull, self indulged, overwhelmed by daily life citizen, I did not find the Republican Party currently far more fascinating than the old guard Democrats who still wear their pants too high, and currently run the politics of this state.

The excitement generated by Dave Burris in standing up for American principals, as opposed to Republican ones, awes me.

Tyler’s last campaign, long on solutions, short on “old guard” support, signaled that political bravery was not “just” a provincial Democratic one.

The current buzz in today’s Republican House of Delegates, now void of Wayne Smith, is both refreshing and hopeful.

The Republican push for “Karen Petersen’s Vision of ‘Open Government’ ” is smart, inspiring, and long overdue.

And on the national scale, shadowing the local trend, Mitt Romney’s campaign, as viewed through unfiltered non-partisan eyes, still generates exciting possibilities when compared to front-runner Hillary’s campaign, who by some accounts has already been prematurely ordained as our next president.

So it behooves me to understand why this party, now on it’s death throes here in Delaware, still continues to insist on its adherence to the “old” ideas of energy generation, instead of being forward thinking and becoming supportive of Blue Water Wind’s proposal. This is the one proposal which allows Delaware the freedom to create it’s own cheap energy, instead of buying it from its high priced neighbors.

One would think someone at least would look at the numbers. 94% of Delawareans support wind power. The Democratic old guard, labor, and Minner’s inner office are vulnerable on this issue, having been caught with NRG’s coal dust underneath their fingernails. If Republicans ever needed a popular campaign issue at the right time, this is it.

Those of us who watch politics are always surprised and amazed when a new issue that political pols think is insignificant, resonates through the general public and becomes the central campaign divider and emphatically decides the election.

The Republicans have an opportunity to do that. Just as they attempted with open government his year, they can use this issue to again make themselves relevant to Delaware’s voters.

For those of us paying 60% more in energy costs this year, it is not too late.

Let us hope that Copeland has not hammered too many nails into the coffin’s lid, still allowing for their sleeping corpse to wake up, raise its head and look around, and climb out of the casket before it’s buried six feet under.