Paul Clark — Let Government Spending Begin!

Paul Clark has already started the process of growing New Castle County government. First he is using Vince Meconi, Minner/Markell crony who has soaked the taxpayer from numerous government jobs, grossly mismanaged the Delaware Psychiatric Center, ran Delaware’s failed “stimulus” program, and grossly mismanaged the installation of group homes across New Castle County. Mr. Clark also is using Mark Brainard, who as Governor Minner’s Chief of Staff was responsible for the DelDot/Chris Tigani a sweetheart real estate deal and helped drive the State into an $800 million hole that is still haunting the State’s finances.

And now, Mr. Clark is using Councilman George Smiley to introduce an ordinance that will give Mr. Clark the authority to forecast his own revenues to be used to create his own budget. Once the revenues are put into the budget, if the forecast is too high, County Council will be “forced” to raise taxes to pay the contracted union salaries contracted under the “forecast” revenues. The ordinance can be found here.

I can understand the concern about using prior year Real Estate Transfer taxes to forecast future revenues. However, no one was complaining while the housing bubble was inflating. I recommend that the County contract with the economics department at the University of Delaware to make its revenue forecasts.  The professors don’t have a dog in the fight, have the expertise, and would give more transparency.

Mr. Clark has wasted no time in demonstrating very poor decision making as an executive. One can only hope that he gets better with practice.

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Another Boondoggle

Check out this week’s Community News.  “Green Improvements at Hockessin Library Lead the Way”.

They are installing solar panels on the library and the Government Center and doing other energy projects on some 20 county owned buildings.  Yea!!  Just like every other one of these money wasters, we will break even just about the same time as these things reach the end of their useful life when we will have to pay to remove them and haul them off to the dump!  The article says that the entire initiative “is expected to  save the county a little more than $4 million over 20 years…” And the cost?  They are financing it with a $4 million county bond issue.  That’s not all, we are wasting another $3.7 million of federal money in the form of a grant.

So $7.7 million to save $4 million over 20 years.  I would do a net present value analysis, but this is too stupid to even bother.

Didn’t Coons have to increase taxes because there was nothing left to cut?  Didn’t the unions, police and paramedics have to take a pay cut?  Why, so he could waste money on this?  As I’ve said before “crooked” can be cured with a pair of handcuffs and a cell at Allenwood but stupid, in politics, is forever.

If the new executive wants to avoid raising taxes in the next two years, here is a good place to start.

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Andye Daley on the WDEL

Andye Daley, the republican challenger for the 6th district New Castle County Council seat, is hitting her opponent hard with some serious radio time on WDEL.

She has the commercial posted on her website – you can listen to it here.

 

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Councilman Bob Weiner Delivers the Weekly DE GOP Address

New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner outlines the GOP’s positions on New Castle County issues, including taxes and development.  Visit www.BobWeiner.com for more information.

 

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Kathy Sherwin for NCCo Register of Wills

Kathy Sherwin is our Republican candidate for NCCo Register of Wills.

From SherwinForWills.com:

Kathy Sherwin, has had ties to the New Castle County area since 1956, when she first moved to Delaware. Kathy is currently a resident of the City of Wilmington.  Kathy attended St. Helena’s School from 1956-1961 and went on to graduate from Bradywine High School in 1965 and  The University of Delaware with a Bachelors Degree in Education in 1969. While working full time, Kathy attended law school at Widener University School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1981.

Ms. Sherwin has worked in the Federal and State of Delaware Governments for 20 years and has been an attorney in private practice since 1992. In her years as a private attorney,  Kathy was involved in the probate and administration of decedents’ estates in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.  Kathy has worked on very small estates as well as multi-million dollar estates.

Ms. Sherwin was the managing partner in a small law firm for 7 years. She was responsible for the budget, staff, office procedures and billing.

Ms. Sherwin has one daughter, Meredith Hyman, who lives in Wilmington and teaches Third Grade at Richardson Park Elementary, in Wilmington.

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Paul Clark’s stand on land issue really isn’t fooling anyone

From today’s letters to the editor:

Clark’s stand on land issue really isn’t fooling anyone

September 9, 2010 News Journal

The issue of the Stoltz Barley Mill Plaza is becoming ludicrous.

This so-called “redevelopment” is clearly another effort on the part of developers to twist the New Castle County zoning code to their advantage. In my mind, “redevelop” means taking a run-down property and enhancing it to the benefit of the community at large.

County Council President Paul Clark ought to shut his mouth. He accuses Councilman Bob Weiner of playing hypocritical political games. If there is a hypocrite in this issue, it is without a doubt Clark, who states that he will recuse himself from any vote at County Council on any issue regarding this proposal. At the same time, he goes around promoting the project and ridiculing those who are opposed to it. Does he really think he is kidding anyone?

Does he really think that those of us who live outside the “Chateau” area do not care about what goes on there and how it affects the quality of our lives? Does he really expect us to believe that his wife, a lawyer in the case, has no effect on his views?

Tom McAvoy, Newark

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NCCo Council – Bill Powers stalls effort to repeal affordable housing law

Workforce housing is the big issue Andye Daley is using to unseat Councilman Bill Powers:

Delaware government: Powers stalls effort to repeal affordable housing law

Issue at center of re-election bid

By CHAD LIVENGOOD
The News Journal

New Castle County Councilman Bill Powers has put off efforts to repeal the controversial work-force housing ordinance, even as his re-election opponent continues to use it against him.

Powers put a hold on legislation to repeal the ordinance until December, preventing a county planning board hearing on the issue from taking place Tuesday.

In 2008, Powers voted for the ordinance, which allows developers to build denser housing developments in exchange for controlling the cost of at least 20 percent of the units. The ordinance was designed to make new homes more affordable for middle-class families.

Within months of its passage, Powers began working on delaying the ordinance’s implementation after it sparked outrage among his southern New Castle County constituents who were worried about increased traffic and overcrowded schools as a result of the new density.

“I’m trying to figure out how to get rid of it and start all over,” said Powers, a Townsend Democrat.

Powers faces re-election on Nov. 2 against Republican Andye Daley, a Middletown resident who has criticized Powers for being on both sides of the issue at times.

Daley points to Powers’ sponsorship of a 240-unit work-force housing apartment complex called The Reserve at Becks Pond on Salem Church Road, a mile north of U.S. 40. County Council approved the plan in July.

“I just don’t get it — either he’s for it or he’s against it,” Daley said. “He can’t be both.”

Powers has said he’s trying to prevent future high-density housing, but there’s little that can be done to stop plans that already have been filed or gained approval of the county Land Use Department.

“I feel we’re giving a lot of density away,” Powers said Wednesday.

Powers said his delay in seeking the repeal has nothing to do with the upcoming election. He said he needs more time to convince more members of the Democratic-controlled council to reverse course on the current policy.

“I just wanted to have enough time to be able to get it done,” he said.

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Councilman Bob Weiner and State Representative Tom Kovach joined forces with 21st Century employees for 21st SafetyZone

From BobWeiner.com:

Councilman Bob Weiner and State Representative Tom Kovach joined forces with 21st Century employees early on Tuesday morning August 31 on Shipley Road in front of Springer Middle School. Bob and Tom helped promote a program called 21st SafetyZone, prior to the start of the school morning to get drivers to slow down in school zones.

Collectively, we targeted Lancashire Elementary on Monday, August 30 and Concord High School, Talley and Springer Middle Schools and Lancashire Elementary School on Tuesday August 31.

For details, contact Jaynine Warner, Manager, Communications & Community Events, 21st Century Insurance, 3 Beaver Valley Road, Wilmington  DE  19803 phone: 302-252-2115.

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Thoughts On New Castle County & Legislative FOIA’s

$1,200 for copies? At 16 cents per copy (which includes folding!) that comes to a request for  7,500 copies by Councilman Weiner. Did the Councilman really request 7,500 copies? Probably not.

The County, of course, charges 50 cents per copy more than three times the cost of the private sector. So, did the Councilman request 2,500 copies? Let’s go with 2,500 copies – admittedly a lot, but certainly not outside the purview of the Legislative Branch of government.

Of course, the county’s real marginal cost per copy will be closer to 2 cents per copy because no employee is going to be laid off or work overtime due to the existence or non-existence of the Councilman’s request (I operate high speed copiers in my business and am pretty familiar with the operating costs) which brings the marginal cost down to $50.

If Councilman Weiner asked to have 2,500 copies made, the marginal increase in cost to New Castle County is $50. So, why the big beef?

Councilman Weiner is asking members of the County Executive branch to actually work and provide a Councilman with information about County operations. This is unusual for the County because it has been able to do pretty much what it wanted to do for a long time. Democrats enjoy a 11-2 majority on County Council, and every other Countywide position is in Democrat hands. The phrase absolute power corrupts absolutely comes to mind. How dare an elected Councilman from the minority party question the actions of the Democrats who control the County.

The County Executive has stated that this is a mountain out of a mole hill, and I agree. However, it was the County Administration that created the hill/mountain. For a marginal cost of 50 bucks, just make the copies and be quiet.

As for Councilman Smiley who when asked his position on the FOIA requirement has written:

The Department will make the determination possibly after consultation with the Law Department. I see no way this will impede a Councilmember’s ability to represent.

It may impact an elected individual who wants to utilize their position to take advantage of Government  resources to provide information for free to others so that they can try to build a case to sue the very Government/taxpayers that are paying for the research and dissemination of the information.

What Councilman Smiley has described is called “Constituent Service”. When constituents (aka taxpayers) contact their elected legislator to inquire about the Executive Branch, the legislator should respond and get the information. Clearly, Councilman Smiley  feels differently. He prefers to defer to the lawyers in the Executive Branch. It is always good to have independently minded folks serving in government. I’ll close with Councilman Smiley’s closing comments to the inquiry:

This is all I have to say on this matter as I have other things to focus on.

Likely something other than constituent service. Don’t bother him, he’s busy.

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Andye Daley on Workforce Housing

Editor’s note:  Andye Daley is the Republican candidate for New Castle County County Council District 6.   She can be reached at www.daleylistens.com.

Well over one year later with workforce housing….

Well before I decided to run for office, I wrote to the council and others in the current administration, and expressed my concerns of their failures to address the matter of “workforce housing.”  My opponent has not listened to the will of the people.  Repeatedly, the Council has refused to address the concerns of the constituents. MOT area residents have been frustrated with the lack of action that the present County Council administration has taken in fixing or repealing the Workforce Housing Ordinance.  It has been entirely too long since the public and I had voiced our concerns to the council.  Our concerns are on a number of different issues, but most notably that the workforce housing ordinance does little for the work force. 

Instead “workforce housing plans” have popped up for areas such as Carter Farm, an area which does not have the infrastructure, transportation, education, or utility base to support it.  This planned project is only one of many affecting the area.  Workforce housing, while it could be beneficial if planned for properly, must take into account all of these factors to be effective. The current ordinance does not do this.   Placing a “workforce housing” area in a back corner of Southern New Castle County, that is virtually inaccessible to public transportation, is unacceptable.

My opponent Bill Powers, was instrumental in writing the original ordinance, and of course voting in favor it, is well past the point where any reasonable response and simple correction is possible. It is now time to create a new ordinance or to repeal. 

If we are to enable workforce housing, let’s enable workforce housing that makes sense for the workforce, not workforce housing that makes sense for County Council.  This is merely one more example of the current administration’s lack of listening to the concerns of the people. I can promise that once I am on County Council I will not only listen to the constituents of my district, I will do all I can to make their voices heard by all council members, on all issues.

Candidate for County Council
Andye Daley

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