They are huge, folks, and beautiful. I'm going to start selling them.
Plus some Delaware notes because what with the University of Delaware caught in the act, let's look closer at just how taxpayer money is awarded to nonprofit groups...on what basis and is the transaction transparent?
Pic of the Day
The Tropical Plants Come Inside
There are few words needed here. For this is the optimum time to take a picture of the indoor plants that must now come inside after a summer outside. They are at their most beautiful after a season outside, protected a bit by the shade of the house’s overhang or the porch.
Indoor they do fine and the windows in this house shine enough on them that they stay happy and pretty. But there’s no comparison to the growth, shine and fullness that comes from living where a proper plant oughta live, and that’s outside surrounded by other plants.
Delaware’s Budget
First, a repeat pic of me standing with the next Governor of Delaware, Alan Levin.
Now about the budget of this state that’s been spent to the brink of bankruptcy, according to a newsletter I just received from my state representative, Joe Booth, Delaware’s budget is currently at $3.285 billion. I am no expert but that sure sounds like on hell of a lot of money for a state not much bigger than some parking lots.
One of the items Booth mentioned in his newsletter (which I really like by the way and he did a fine job with it) is new “Grants-in-Aid” earmarks which is budgeted for 47.7 million to help Delaware’s non-profit groups. Booth voted against the budget and this earmark was one reason why.
Booth wants this kind of granting of taxpayer money so that the groups receiving the money will have to “show how the money they receive benefits the public”. I am not surprised that state tax money is just, boom, given away with no accountability. Anybody who doesn’t think that groups associated with Nanny Minner and other honesty-challenged politicos here in Delaware get plenty of this money…well I’ve got a bridge to sell, cheap.
Delaware is the most secretive state about most any governmental spending you can name. Delaware’s state government works by legislating with euphemisms and ulterior motives. This is all done, of course, to keep us stupid Delaware taxpayers from understanding just what the all-wise and all-knowing legislators are doing.
An example, last year the Delaware legislation spent many months debating a bill that would prohibit car insurance companies hoping to do business in Delaware from using an individual’s credit record as a basis for whether or not to sell insurance to that individual.
Well this was all a Trojan horse folks but I sure can understand why the average Delaware citizen didn’t know what it was all about.
The only reason the Delaware legislature wanted this law was to help the illegal aliens in this state get car insurance. Of course the illegal aliens in this state shouldn’t even have driver’s licenses but they do. Delaware has a strict driving insurance law and if you get stopped here you can be sure the cop will want to see proof of insurance.
First, why on earth is the state of Delaware dictating to any private business just how they can do business? For this bill was tooted as a wonderful thing that would have the car insurance companies stop discriminating against…who? People with bad credit records? Where in the constitution of this state, any state or of America, is there any guarantee that people with bad credit are worthy of car insurance?
Then the legislators argued that it was really stupid for a car insurance company to judge somebody’s driving ability with their credit record. That’s the argument most Delawarians bought into.
Lookit, car insurance companies are in business to make money. They wouldn’t engage in any business activity that would have them turning away business if their experience proves that the turned away business was profitable. These car insurers had a reason for turning away folks based on credit records and it wasn’t necessarily because they had bad records. More often than not the refusal to insure was because the individual had NO credit record.
See, I can get a fake license. Better, I can get a fake driver’s license from another state. Then I get car insurance cause sooner or later some Delaware cop’s gonna want to see proof of insurance.
What you can’t get for a few bucks is a decent credit record. Documents that come from the government are easy to fake. We’re talking government employees here. When you venture into the private sector it’s a little harder to fake. Credit records are proof that the individual is a citizen, has a social security number and the credit report is likely legit.
The big car insurers don’t WANT to insure these illegal aliens. They’re not sure if their driver’s licenses are legal, they’re not sure when they will return to Honduras and leave the bill unpaid. Car insurers seek customers who are steady residents of an area and whose driving record can easily be checked. It’s hard to check the driving record of insured individuals who have fake driver’s licenses.
The legislature in Delaware was trying to sneak through a bill that would dictate how private companies should run their business. Sure, the government has to oversee business activities in some fashion but to get all involved in running a business is NOT the job of any state. If it’s a dumb thing for car insurers to use credit records as basis to grant car insurance, they’ll go out of business! It’s called free enterprise, it’s how it works.
It’s all about illegal aliens getting around any thorny issues requiring actual proof of citizenship. Delaware has a mighty chicken industry and we are one of the top ten states in terms of illegal aliens.
This bill was defeated but you would not believe how these legislators kept smiling, lying to our naïve faces, while peeing on our feet and telling us it’s raining.
Here are few of the bills which passed the Delaware house this year (Delaware’s House of Representatives has a Republican majority. It’s Delaware’s Senate that’s Democrat controlled and that’s where responsible legislator is stopped dead.):
-bill that seeks to apply the principals of the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to the General Assembly, which is currently exempt from FOIA. Why is the state General Assembly EXEMPT from FOIA rules? Isn’t it governments that the FOIA was meant to hold accountable? Delawarians should sit up and pay attention and see if the Delaware senate votes this down and if they do, call them and demand WHY.
-A bill that would establish the Office of the State Inspector General to investigate waste, fraud, abuse and corruption issues related to state employees, elected officials and state agencies. Again, why would Delaware’s senate have any problem with this?
-A measure to give the public access to any state agency report that was paid for with public money. Ask your state senator why he or she would vote against such a common sense thing?
-Legislation that seeks to eliminate the automatic mechanism by which high-ranking state officials and legislators receive pay raises without having to vote on the issue.Any Delaware citizen got a problem with this? You can bet the state senators will. Pay attention.
-A measure that would require that the state’s annual operating and capital budgets be introduced several days before the end of the legislative session so the public has an opportunity to examine the funding bills before their enactment.Oh, THIS is one of the WORST things the entrenched politicos in the state of Delaware like to do. The Governor will put out the budget oh, say, one hour before it must be voted on. The House complained all to hell last year because, silly them, it takes more than an hour to look over a 3+ billion budget…you think? Yeah, believe it, THEY ARE TRYING TO CHEAT US STUPID DELAWARE TAXPAYERS.
Pay attention, Delawarians, and see how these things are handled by your elected senators who have illustrated all too well that they could care less what you or I think.
FOCUS ON DELAWARE
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If seeking information about Delaware politics or Delaware restaurants, look no further. Below just a few of the informative Delaware posts that can be found on this Blog.
John Atkins couldn't keep his mouth shut. This once up and coming local politician also couldn't stop drinking and driving. This detailed story of how one Delaware county's GOP got rid of he who took up all the political action and replaced him with a decent Republican has lessons that the national RNC could learn.
The Possom Point Players are a Sussex county specialty but beach faring tourists can enjoy the talent as well. Here's a review of this organization's 2006 featured Christmas presentation.
Rehoboth Beach's "Big Fish Grill" has a lot to offer in terms of seafood but ambience...not so much. Here's a review of this Delaware eatery.
Jake's "Seafood House" in Rehoboth Beach... it's kinda like a Ruby Tuesday with emphasis on fish. Here's a review on an anniversary trip to this restaurant.
Delaware needed a new slogan and asked its citizens for suggestions. Which I did. Heh. This post had them all rolling in the aisles.
It's not ALL about Rehoboth. The "Bethany Blues" restaurant is a great place with fine food. I consider one of the better restaurant reviews I've ever written.
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