Baker on Evans : (Delete Image)

Baker has three planks:  1) Smaller government that costs less. 2) New economic development and new jobs 3) and remove limits on new development.

First he wants to limit the size of Sussex County government, in a similar vein to what the Bush administration did to the banking industry..  What that deregulation amounted to, was letting certain groups police themselves… Guess what?  It doesn’t work.   It didn’t work for banks.. unless most Sussex Countians consider a 800 billion bailout to be a successful form of governmental policy.  It didn’t work for the Chinese, who took advantage of lax regulation to send over lead base toys for our children to play with… So why does Baker think it will work for Sussex County?  Deregulation or diminishing oversight may save a few dollars at first, but as we continue to see with the Bush’s administrations policies,  what sounds at first like a way to cut costs, winds up running our deficit over the cliff’s edge and into the ocean of insolvency below…

Baker wants to maintain low taxes for his term.  But actually the policies he is proposing open huge holes that Sussex Countians can’t afford to open and pay for later.. Ask yourself who will pay for the infrastructure needed to support those dreams of those who support Mark;s vision of development?  The answer with today’s economy is NO ONE.  The promised new roads will not be built. The sewer system without Federal help, will not be constructed.  The proposed environmental regulations will not be enforced.  There will be no money to stop algae blooms that kill life in the bay… The only option in today’s economy for Sussex Countians, is to never open the door…The only economical option we have is to never follow these procedures and allow it to happen.   Unfortunately for Sussex County, that is the exact opposite of what Mark Baker, Republican for Third District, is proposing to do…

We should anticipate less transfer tax income. Exactly why Mark Baker should not get elected… His policies will break our budget over time by creating problems…  600,000 new homes all on septic systems?  Instead of what Mark Baker proposes, Sussex County needs the same advice given by everyone’s doctor… Eat right now, to improve quality of life later…  Who wants to spend their last years on life support?  What kind of existence would Sussex Countians live with then?  To answer that question Sussex Countians should Just drive north to the Bear area… Up there it takes 25 minutes to drive 5 miles….every day!  And this is Mark’s dream?  He’ll say no… because it is an election year, but up there the policies Mark is proposing today, were implemented ten years ago…  Just 8 years ago, an area that looked similar to the area around Milton today, is wall to wall stock full of “affordable housing,” and the problems that come with it…. Mark Baker:  “we have to work together work for affordable housing…  allow “different types” of communities.”  (Affordable housing is used by members on the New County Council as an aphorism to convey the moving of people out of the inner city and into the suburbs, as well as the problems that move with them.)

Economic Development and New Jobs.  At what expense?  New Jobs at how much?  New jobs that pay too little?  New jobs that will put more burden on medicaid and medicare, because lacking benefits, they will encourage their employees to go on medicaid to get their medical costs down?  Let’s also look at the other side of the coin?  How on earth does one attract good jobs to Sussex County by cutting out necessary county services?  Gee, why would anyone want to move here?  Tax breaks?  Without the basic necessary county services, only those seeking to gouge, rape, and pillage our citizenry would be interested in moving into Sussex County under a Mark Baker philosophy…  “How little will it cost me if I move there?”  Under Mark’s thought process, his economic development plan will cost Sussex Countians far more later for roads, sewers, environmental monitoring, stoplights, health costs from air pollution, than they will receive in return from the lack of tax revenues coming in, that were waived just to get those businesses to move in here…

Do we have enough businesses in Sussex County already?  If we put one more shop on Route 1, from which old shop will that business flow from?   Which existing storefront will go out of business so the new business has some sales when it goes in?  You can see this “live” along the Route 40 corridor in New Castle County…  Again the very policies Mark is proposing, were enacted up there and unless a change is made in Sussex County, within ten short years, it will be the same.

Finally, land use issues….

Baker states he prefers local control.  What that means is that any state, or multi-state corporate developer, with millions at its disposal, prefers to deal with only one or two poor individuals when it wishes to amend long standing well thought out regulations put in place by the people of Sussex County..  In other words, these large developers want to be able to throw a little money around, then do whatever they please…  Mark Baker agrees with this policy.  He calls small government… good government.. As mentioned above, we see how well his philosophy has worked with our kids toys and our investments…  Not.  His philosophy doesn’t make sense when one looks at reality.

Mark states that he is against the transfer of development rights purchase programs.

Property ownership can be described as a bundle of individual rights. As you all know the ownership of land includes rights pertaining to minerals, timber, agriculture, riparian rights, surface and ground water, air, and development, to name the most common. Use of these rights is not absolute. Governmental entities DO have the right to constrain, to a certain extent, a property owner’s use of these rights and thus the economic value that the property owner can derive from the property. The most commonly used restraint has been on the exercise of the individual’s use of development rights primarily through zoning.

Baker is fond of saying “we” decide,,, who is “we”? The list of his contributors consists many of those behind the very development projects over which Sussex County is highly concerned ….Mark is against down-zoning land without compensation. Just like those bailing out Wall Street ($800 billion dollars), he believes those who took a chance and speculated and lost, should be bailed out and still get a substantial return on their investment, even if it hurts a plurality of Sussex County citizens in the process! In Mark’s world view, people are not important. Rich Collin’s money is. “How dare he lose money!….But finding sewage in my drinking water? … oh, well, we’ve all accepted that’s just a price we have to pay for progress…..”

He disagrees with those who work for increase preservation of environmental farmland. In his world view, every owner can do what he wants with his property. He is against society placing limits. That flat out is not true… Why should a citizen have to endure watching their neighbor ejaculate on his flower bed because that neighbor believes in organic gardening? That image is just an extrapolation of Mr. Baker’s reasoning.

As mentioned above, we have to work together work for affordable housing…  allow “different types” of communities. Although that sounds noble, it is a developers code for speaking of maximizing profits out of a single piece of land.. Odessa in New Castle County is going through this crises today.. Waking up and finding that no one had mentioned “by the way …we changed the zoning laws. The density factor has been shifted from 80 people to 480 people per 10 acres…” The farm next to your development, is to soon be a slum; the schools rated best in the state will now need one school built per year just to accommodate the five developments being built in as short of time… Since developers cannot sell $750,000 homes today, they want to bring property values down, by stuffing people who can ill afford to pay, into apartments…. The very fact that Mark brought this up, I thought was a revealing insight that he is a single issue candidate after all.. working to limit the average citizen’s say over new developmental projects in Sussex County… (the inside joke is that no one but developers when they talk about use the term “affordable housing.”)

He wants to allow the owners of property renting out to manufactured homes .. to be allowed to give 1 acre lots to grand-children….. ( He didn’t mention whether he approves rental patrons, who own the trailer upon those sites, to be given a first right to buy the land that is underneath them).

Maria Evans wants her son to live on her property.  Farmers and farm families do not want to see that right given away..  If the requirement proposed does goes through, where ten houses need a hundred acres, parents may not be allowed to have their children move nearby… But a simple amendment allowing exceptions could fix that issue… if it ever went that far.

Baker admitted that his policies were not beneficial to the towns… The town of Lewis is under pressure, at its borders… Controversy somewhat contentious surrounds the Townsend Business Center proposed to be built across from the High School.. 500,000 square feet,  Maria wants Macy’s and a coffee shop…and that’s all. Baker responded that her view presents both the dilemma and challenges… Rural patrons want new choices and conveniences without (remember the old days) having to drive to either Dover or Salisbury for a shirt…  With individual projects, we need to determine how they impact the community, where they are going… whether or not they are appropriate in that specific location…  Evans said there were only two roads into town, Beebe hospital was on one… Baker corrected here that now with the New Road, there is a third road into Lewes.

To Mark, Lewes is home, and he needs to be careful what happens to towns..  He believes he needs to increase communication so that there are no surprises…..  Every town is different, Slaughter Beach, Milton and Lewes.  Council represents everyone inside and outside towns…

Baker states that items like the forest buffer, and like what is open space, need to be clearly defined, so inspectors can enforce.  “Enforcement divisions are working to do better on those instances”, he states… “We can’t give up or stop on those efforts”. However, as mentioned above, the proposals in plank one of Bakers platform, would cut back regulating agencies under the guise of cutting costs, thereby stretching too thin those in charge or preserving the county’s integrity, and not allowing proper enforcement to occur…

Specific development opportunities: That of the Marshes…Was the buffer done right?

Even though he is running for council seat of the Third District, Mark Baker has not been back there himself. (Curiosity-seeker-extraordinaire Maria Evans has) But he saw pictures.. He blames county practices as the culprit which allowed things to be done like that.  (Blame the developer? No?) Ideally he would like it seen done the right way. He said dismissively. “Define it and allow developers to be part of it”.. If that is not what they want , do away with it. ( huh?) “It should be defined clearly, so those developing should be forced to make right.”

The Republican person running for Council Seat No. 3 in Sussex County has no computer. (for future historians, the year was 2008.)

Relief: email question coming in…..

Why Should the county pay for roads, and other infrastructure…?

If state were to give county all revenues they receive from Sussex County, then Sussex County could have a greater say in controlling developers (huh?)…Deldot paid $500 million out to consultants, for many projects not built. They just wasted 20 million on the IRB. (Indian River Bridge)  Baker says we have to hold the state accountable for putting new road structure into Sussex County.  For example, plans laid out in 1987 for the  East-West corridor improvement…  Yet nothing has been done by the state… If there is any new improvement on those roads, it was solely done in front of new developments paid for by developers themselves… the state has done nothing…

Once again we see the duplicitous nature of Mark’s remarks… His theme of
deregulation , of not impinging upon developers, of decreasing taxes, and then try to get some outside influence to pick up the bill…is Bush economics all over again.. Sussex County would do well to remember that this very philosophy espoused by one Mark Baker, did not do well on a national scale over the past eight years… Instead practices built off of his same philosophy, lead to a national debt of $38,000 being carried by every citizen of this nation: man, women, and child….

Relief from Perry: ” Mark only represents farmers, developers, and your own issues; but no one else’s.  Who are five top contributors?”

“Myself is the major contributor”, Mr. Baker responded.  “60% loaned out of own pocket.. Perry’s assessment is incorrect. The are composed of reckless baseless attacks on character which have no basis. Meanwhile the question is not answered….hmmm.. with a little research you can find the answer yourself here, here, and here….) Hmm….

Baker is proud to represent farmers. He has the support of agriculture community.  He feels that he represents the average citizen that lives here. He is going to be here for a long time… Quality of life is an issue for everyone..”I am beholden to myself, and my principals.” Sussex County will now have to decide whether or not they can afford Mark’s principals, since the are the same as George Bush’s 8 years ago….

Mark..says “I will keep taxes low”… “Critically important is that county government is efficient. (code for cutting out those responsible for our safety).   He says he will look at health insurance program (code for lower cost- meaning lower benefits). He will look at efficiency to keep taxes low. ( When his plan’s costs soar, will he borrow to keep his low tax pledge?) costing future interest costs?

Maria Evans with a funding question. “Mark, on your finance reports, you have lots of donations coming from those promoting the new controversial Townsend Center.. but you just said it was not something which you would support… When after election, (can you help me out?)  Mark’s response was “For $600, you expect me to commit a felony. I just am not interested in doing it….” Citizens of Sussex County, those are his words… Do you believe Mark Baker will be different from 99.9999999% of every politician who has ever lived or held public office….?

Over 98% of his contributors are listed and accounted for…  He will run County government like his finance reports: open and honest; no reason to hide… Personal reasons for which he is running? To give back to community.. and do what is right for the community as a whole. (Define interpretation of “community”)

Wrapping it up….

“Thanks again…”

“Good to get in. Amazing how quick an hour goes by”

“Its a good district.”

I live and work outside Milton every day on daily basis.  I care about Sussex County. Main issues is their financial situation, he will bring common sense business practices to government (just like Bush; didn’t work then).  Only he know the right way to approach things, and only he can bring “them” to county government.  He wants to promote economic opportunity, higher paying jobs so people can stay here ..He believes that land use is big concern …. We need to evolve, maintain control, preserve the environment, and maintain quality of life in order to attract more businesses, and more people to Sussex County…… (Note to self: before voting, make trip up to Bear, Delaware to see Mark’s policies in action)

For more, go to:

Mark Baker 2008 .com

Listing of issues, endorsements, contact information.. Ask questions…

Note to all: On election day, Marie will be at the Big GOP headquarters…. Oo la la…Can’t party with Sussexers…

Signed out….

Ok, My Synopsis:

Mark Baker wants to do for Sussex County just what George Bush did for America: remove cumbersome policies in place that protect citizens. But those policies are there for a reason; we are paying a huge price now for having taken them away. Development is permanent. A development never returns back to a farm. Those decisions need to move slowly with all future implications weighed out beforehand before a decision is rendered. Baker want to bypass that arrangement.

The results of his policies implemented to their fullest degree, can be seen in their beginning stages in Bear, Delaware right now, and at their full implementation in North Manhattan, otherwise known as Harlem. Unregulated development is okay at its early stages. Just like unregulated binging is not very harmful to a teenager. But we all know a controlled disciplined approach to growing and developing is so much better. Bakers policies do not work. Although they seem innocent at first, after several years problems occur and only tons of taxpayer monies can solve the crises… By then the developers are long gone…

Maria Evans stated that the taking away of personal property by the government and giving it to some developer, it the issue of eminent domain…. really burned her up…. She would be interested to know that many of those names on Mark Baker’s contributor list, are the very ones fighting against the eminent domain bill which was passed minus Tony DeLuca’s vote ( he knew ahead how it would play out) and was then vetoed by Governor Minner. She would be interested to know that these same people also bent Minner’s ear to veto, and Tony’s to override that same veto…. What was done was an attempt to give politicians cover to say they voted against eminent domain, without having it get done… (in case you already did not know…)

Who supports Baker? Those same people who got Minner to veto the eminent domain bill which would prohibit those in power from taking away your property and giving it to developers…

Sussex County would be better off without the single issue candidate Mark Baker whose campaign finance records mirror the lists of those who supported the taking away of private property for developers… As you learned from Bush… don’t trust what they say… look at who is behind them….