Libraries for the homeless, proud American Conservative Union winners, school bomb threats and Democrats contribute to the Food Bank? Tune in for much more snark, laughs and gossip.
Sussex County Democrats Contribute to Food Bank
Well this is just the weirdest story but I am amused.
The Sussex County Democratic Party donated $1,000 to the Food Bank of Delaware to help needy families. The money was raised at the party’s prayer breakfast the week before Thanksgiving. With just under 100 people in attendance, the breakfast’s focus was to bring together various faith communities to celebrate the values of the county.
Now this might sound noble but I must ponder.
Here’s a comment from the comment section of the: Blog Delawareright.com
A committee led by 38th RD Chair Dr Eric West proposed that the Sussex County Democrats hold an ecumenical prayer breakfast to highlight the religious diversity in our county and to allow all who participate to hear a common message from religious leaders of all faiths. Thanks to the generosity of the prayer breakfast sponsors, the event turned a profit. Executive committee members did NOT want to make this a political event and use the money for the 2016 campaign. It was proposed and unanimously agreed to donate the proceeds to the Delaware Food Bank.
This was not an “Election Year move”. The event took place before Thanksgiving and the money was presented before Christmas. The press release was not prepared as a political move, but to remind people that there are people of faith in all political parties. I hope that your readers understand that and we can put out political and philosophical difference aside from time to time and work together for the betterment of our community-a goal we all should share
Mitch Crane, Chair
Sussex County Democratic Committee
I think the Democratic party HAD to contribute that money because I see all kinds of problems with a member of a political party holding a prayer breakfast sponsored by a non-profit organization and gaining a profit from that same non-profit organization. I’m not sure who those prayer breakfast sponsors who were so generous that money poured into the coffers.
And come on, SURE the press release was a political move! And there’s not a damn thing wrong with such political bragging it would seem to me.
This whole story sounds off to me.
What’s the Deal With This Library for the Homeless?
GEORGETOWN – Late January is Georgetown Public Library’s targeted soft launching for a voluntary peer-based pilot program designed to help those facing homelessness and crisis.
Coined Kindness Corner, the pilot program will enlist trained peer volunteers.
“It is going to be targeted mainly toward homeless people and people in crisis, but it is going to be open to everybody,” said Sherri Scott, Georgetown Public Library’s Director of Youth Services. “It is to benefit mainly those in crisis situations; people that might be temporarily homeless.”
If successful, the pilot could branch out to other libraries across Delaware.
“We’re doing a three-month trial pilot,” said Ms. Scott.
First, that Taj Mahal of a library in Georgetown is a joke, built when the powers in charge knew damn well that libraries are things of the past, indeed BOOKS are things of the past.
Sure the Georgetown Taj Mahal library in Georgetown has a kiosk to help with downloading Ebooks and such but folks, first it was flooded with water due to poor construction as I think the Carpenter’s union across the road a piece sent their apprentices over to build the thing.
Now the library will serve as something called Peer to Peer program will be sponsored in the library FOR the homeless.
Hmmmmm. Sounds like they’re trying to make that Taj Mahal crap useful for something. Look for blankets and sleeping bags on the separate floor because that looks where this is going.
And now Lewes, which currently has a perfectly lovely library, wants to build a new library though times are changed. Can’t have crappy Georgetown with a beautiful library housing the homeless while mighty and snobby Lewes has a library filled with….gasp….BOOKS!
Tax Intercepts and this “After School Program
First, what’s with all of a sudden the school system in this country being responsible for students before, after, and now at night?
I thought families were supposed to care for their offspring.
Ah WAIT….we get “Grants” for doing this. MONEY! FREE MONEY! We give the beleaguered parents free food and babysitting and we use the opportunity to force Common Core down their throats.
A Delaware lawmaker is proposing legislation to provide after-school programs in high-need schools.
State Representative Valerie Longhurst says the Statewide Afterschool Initiative Learning Program would target Kindergarten through tenth-grade students in Title One schools.
House and Senate Democrats have unveiled a bill to establish a new $10 million after-school program.
The proposed Statewide After-school Initiative Learning (SAIL) Program would provide grants to qualifying “high-need” schools.
SAIL grant recipients would be required to offer at least three hours of after-school programming, four to five days each week, during the school year for students in kindergarten through 10th grade. The programs would have a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1, and would have at least one hour of homework assistance and one hour of enrichment activities daily. Meals would also be provided.
Supporters claim there is unmet demand for such programs, which they say would lead to better student outcomes and potentially reduce juvenile crime.
From State House Minority Leader Danny Short
“The proposal is very credible,” said State House Minority Leader Danny Short, R-Seaford. “The problem is how you fund it. It carries a $10 million price tag. I think we should be looking internally at ourselves before we start looking at spending money like that.”
Rep. Short noted that there are collectively more than $32 million in unpaid taxes currently due to the state’s public schools. “If that money were collected, we would not have any problem starting and paying for this program,” he said.
Rep. Short has repeatedly sponsored legislation to recover much of the money owed schools through a mechanism known as a “tax intercept.” Pending action on the House Ready List as House Bill 85, the legislation would intercept any state income tax refund due to those in arrears on property taxes to local schools and governments. The refund money would first be used to satisfy those obligations before the remainder was returned to the individual or business.
Rep. Short said while he can see the value of an after-school program to help disadvantaged students, the state has a duty to get its financial house in order first. “Until we solve some of the internal problems we have with the way we spend our money and the way we collect our taxes, I do not see a whole lot of merit in creating new programs, with new ongoing expenditures, that could to add to our financial problems down the road,” he said.
Short brings up this “tax intercept” program for Delaware and why isn’t this being used?
I got a feeling, just a hunch, that a lot of those legislators owe property taxes and they don’t want to have to pay what they make us pay.
Why not collect fairly from those who owe?
Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge
The Special Olympics Delaware Polar Bear Plunge presented by Wawa is planned for Sunday, February 7 in Rehoboth Beach.
Special Olympics is hoping to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event by recruiting 3,700 people to plunge, which will represent one “Bear” for every Special Olympics athlete served in Delaware.
ACU Awards-Congrats Collins and Yearick!
From a recent email from Delaware’s House:
Two House Republicans have been cited for their conservative voting record in 2015.
State Reps. Rich Collins, R-Millsboro, and Lyndon Yearick, R-Camden-Woodside, were singled out for distinction by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The organization made the awards as part of a survey of all 62 General Assembly members.
Founded in 1964, the Washington D.C.-based group describes itself as the nation’s “premier conservative voice.”
According to an ACU official, the group based it evaluations on a selection of 10 bills that were voted on in the House or Senate. “The range of issues selected have been specifically designed to convey to voters the most accurate assessment of Delaware’s elected officials who can be counted on to defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty, and Property.”
Rep. Collins was recognized with an “Award for Conservative Excellence” — the only Delaware state legislator to
achieve a perfect voting score of 100 percent.
“I’m flattered to have been recognized,” Rep. Collins said. “I do not
“I cast votes with anything in mind other than the best interests of the people I represent and what I believe to be right. So it was a pleasant surprise to be honored in this way by the ACU.”
With a rating of 80 percent, Rep. Yearick was cited with an “Award for Conservative Achievement.”
How about Rich Collins, polling in at 100% Conservative voting record? I am impressed.
School Bomb Threats
Man the reports were roaring in this past early week as of this writing.
From Kelli Steele’s WXDE report
The following is a list of the schools that were affected and being investigated by the Delaware State Police:
• H.B. DuPont Middle School, 735 Meeting House Road, Hockessin, DE
• Caesar Rodney High School, 239 Old North Road, Camden, DE
• Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Road, Dagsboro, DE
• Seaford Middle School, 500 East Stein Highway, Seaford, DEThe incidents occurred between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. this morning, Monday January 11, 2016 when a robotic style or computer generated voice phone call was received in each of the school’s offices. Students were evacuated from their respective schools and administrative searches were conducted along with the use of state police K9s with nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious located. Students and staff were allowed back into their school upon the completion of the searches and resumed their daily activities. The evacuations of the schools lasted between 45 minutes to three hours.
At some point even Beebe Medical Center has a bomb threat.
Somebody evidently figured out how to hack the automatic phone system and if it weren’t so pathetic it would be a bit amusing.
Sussex County Republic Women’s Club Leadership Roster changed
We hear that there’s been changes to the leadership team of the SCRWC. Below the new roaster of leaders.
Cathy Watts President
Alana Keeley Interim 1st VP
Vicki Carmean 2nd VP
Sally Duveneck Treasurer
Dee Jordan Assistant Treasurer
Sussex county council
Folks I did listen in to the Sussex county council broadcast this week and it was boring.
I am waiting for the Overbrook vote and so is everyone else. Get on it already.
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NEXT : Soon we will be having a real nice interview with Mark Schaeffer, the Republican who is going to take on Sussex county council district 3 rep-Joan Deaver. Next week, hold on.
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