UnPlug Salem Writes: This Is Governor Christie's New Jersey: Nuke Plant Whistleblower Testimony Blocked?

My weekly column in the Current and Gazette this week was about Dennis Zannoni. It is the least I can do for him. Thanks to Bill Wolfe for providing the orignal story of what happened to Dennis last week. - Norm Cohen

http://www.shorenewstoday.com/index.php/politics/6441-state-walks-out-of-hearing-on-oyster-creek-whistleblower.html
Norm's column 12/1/2010

NJ Silences Nuke Power Whistleblower

The following is a story not covered by the New Jersey media. The full story can be found at www.wolfenotes.com. This story is important because by retaliating against a State employee who was just doing his job, and who cared about the safety of the residents living near the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, the State of New Jersey has made it much less likely that future employees will take chances to tell the truth about safety problems at any industrial, chemical or nuclear sitr.

On Friday, November 19th, Dennis Zannoni, former chief nuclear engineer of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), finally thought he was getting his day in court. Having withstood three years of on the job retaliation, and having waited three years for the chance to bring his case to court, Zannoni finally was scheduled to testify under oath about his criticism of the serious safety problems at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, as well as his personal experience of a pattern of DEP retaliation that followed Zannoni's public disclosures of his safety concerns at Oyster Creek.

In retaliation for his public disclosures, Zannoni was removed as DEP’s Chief Nuclear Engineer and, as he put it, “put in a broom closet”. DEP retaliation even included trumped up charges of state vehicle abuse to support a 6 month suspension.

But on Friday, November 19th, NJ State officials blocked Zannoni's open testimony. As reported by Bill Wolfe: "Shockingly, the Attorney General’s Office and Department of Environmental Protection threatened to have Zannoni’s family members and invited observers physically ejected from the State House hearing by State Police. After the Zannoni observers questioned and declined to comply with that threat, State officials reconsidered the wisdom and likely embarrassing repercussions of that repressive move, and did not call State Police to clear the State House hearing room. Instead, after a legal debate about whether the State legally had the authority to close the hearing to public observers, State officials abruptly left the room in protest. The State move ended the hearing and prevented Zannoni from providing testimony on his side of the story."

I've only met Dennis Zannoni three or four times, mostly when he would chair the yearly public meetings on the New Jersey nuclear evacuation plan. He always came across to me as fair and honest. My personal impression as far as his actions relating to Oyster Creek was that he felt he was doing his job, which was to protect the citizens of New Jersey by making sure our nuclear plants ran safely.

Dennis got in trouble with the DEP because of an off the record remark made on a conference call, and his refusal to back down from that remark. The call had participants from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), DEP, opponents of relicensing the Oyster Creek nuke, and some media and other interested participants. The NRC took offense to his comment, which occurred while the call was in recess.

Besides his remark on the conference call, Zannoni had criticized the (NRC) relicensing process as well as the safety of the Oyster Creek nuke. He claimed that important safety issues were ignored, poorly addressed, and/or covered up during the relicensing process, a process which favors the nuclear industry. He listed many areas of concerns about whether Oyster Creek was safe enough to run for another 20 years. Now, more than three years later, some of Zannoni’s claims have been vindicated by the recent discovery of radioactive tritium leaks at the Oyster Creek plant, leaking underground piping, and by the concessions, repairs, and promises made by the owner of the Oyster Creek nuke to get their 20 year renewal.

For DEP, I believe that their biggest concerns were that the NRC was offended by Zannoni's remarks, and that it appeared that he was siding too openly with the opponents of relicensing the aged, outmoded, and dangerous Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant.

Zannoni will probably move on to Federal courts to try and get some justice. His 15 year career as a nuclear engineer is probably over, he's had to spend a great deal of money for lawyers, and he has to live with a feeling of betrayal. And all because he was doing his job.

If you want to help Dennis out, please contact Governor Christie and ask him to intervene in the Zannoni case. His phone number is 609-292-6000. Or you can email Christie on this page: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/
If you want send Dennis an email of support, please email me and I'll pass your messages on to him. Coalition for Peace and Justice,609-335-8176 phone; www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.orgncohen12@comcast.net

~*~

Nuclear Information and Resource Service Writes: Stop $9B In New Nuke Loans During Lame Duck Session - Stop Tom Carper's Lies!

URGENT! DOE YET AGAIN SEEKING $9 BILLION FOR NEW REACTOR LOANS
FOR THE LAST TIME THIS YEAR--TELL CONGRESS: NO TAXPAYER BAILOUTS FOR GIANT NUCLEAR CORPORATIONS!

This morning we learned that the Obama Administration is asking Congress, as one of its last acts during this lame duck session, to sneak in $9 Billion more for taxpayer loans for new nuclear reactor construction as part of the upcoming "Continuing Resolution" to keep the government funded.This is at least the fourth attempt this year to increase the money available for new reactor "loan guarantees" (actually, these would be loans from the government's Federal Financing Bank)--despite the fact that the Department of Energy has not been able to spend the money it currently has available for such loans--it still has $10.2 Billion in unspent money available!This money would go to some of the world's largest corporations; companies like Electricite de France, Toshiba directly, Westinghouse (owned by Toshiba), General Electric, and so on.

When will Congress learn that taxpayers don't want to subsidize giant corporations any longer, especially when they want to build dirty and dangerous new nuclear reactors in our communities!With your help, we beat back the first three attempts to increase funding for this program. This one will be the hardest to beat yet, since the Administration's request is wrapped up in a larger package. So we need the loudest outcry possible: Please send a letter to your Senators and Representative now.

We also encourage you to reinforce your letter and call your Congressmembers. Their direct phone numbers will show up when you send your letter. Tell them simply: we won't accept any more taxpayer bailouts for dirty nuclear power. If you're on Facebook, Twitter or other networking sites, please help us spread the word. Just click on the icons on the top right of the action page to share this action with your friends. Suggested tag line: Tell Congress: No more taxpayer loans for giant nuclear corporations (or use a tag line of your own!). You could also e-mail your friends with this action page link: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/action_KEY=4923

In other news, the Obama Administration is also promoting nuclear power today at something called the "Third Way" summit on a nuclear future. DOE Secretary Steven Chu and White House energy chief Carol Browner both have been touting nuclear power this morning to this self-appointed group led by outgoing Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) and Delaware Democrat Tom Carper.

Among other travesties, Chu reportedly supported the idea of including nuclear power as part of a "Clean Energy Standard" that would replace a "Renewable Energy Standard" focused only on genuinely clean energy sources. Here is an early report from this summit. This notion that nuclear power is somehow "clean" is something we will have to fight hard next Congress. In response to this "summit," Marc Cooper of the Vermont Law School prepared a new fact sheet titled: Why the Nuclear Power Industry is Dead in the Water Today in the U.S. You'll find some useful here, and we encourage you to forward it to your local media, especially anyone who may be covering this "Third Way" summit.

http://us.mc1138.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nirsnet@nirs.org

Meanwhile, (The Hill) Ben Geman reports ~
DOE chief floats talks with Congress on ‘clean’ power standard that includes nuclear

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Education News from Lt. Governor Matt Denn - Report of the Delaware Teacher Hiring Task Force

(pressers)
Lt. Governor Denn Begins Second Annual “Ten Jobs in Ten Schools” Tour Experience working side by side with front-line employees in schools

DOVER – For the second consecutive year, Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn will be spending parts of ten days in the coming weeks working in ten different front-line jobs in Delaware’s public schools. These jobs—which include teaching, assisting special education students, work in the school office, and work in the athletic offices -- give Denn a first-hand view of the challenges our schools face every day.

Lieutenant Governor Denn already visits Delaware schools weekly throughout the school year, meeting with administrators, teachers, and students. “These weekly visits are very helpful and I am going to keep them up,” Denn said, “but I discovered during last year’s “ten jobs” tour that rolling up my sleeves and helping out gives me an even better understanding of what’s happening in our schools.” At the end of each visit, Denn will also be meeting with teachers to talk to them about how the state can help them with their important work.

Denn’s first visit this year will be to Delmar High School on Tuesday, December 7, where he will be co-teaching a social studies class explaining Delaware Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. On December 13, he will be working as an Academic Liaison at Fred Fifer III Middle School in Camden, assisting students and parents with DCAS and Home Access Center issues. The schedule for future visits will be released later this month.

~*~

In 2008 and 2009, Delaware school districts hired approximately 60% of their new teachers after July 31. This has placed Delaware at a disadvantage in recruiting new teachers, and has been disruptive for both new teachers and the schools to which they are assigned.

Report of the Delaware Teacher Hiring Task Force

Delivered to the President Pro Tempore of the Delaware State Senate and Governor of the State of Delaware, November 30, 2010 The Teacher Hiring Task Force was established by Senate Resolution No. 18, passed by the Delaware State Senate on June 30th, 2010. The Task Force’s charge was to make recommendations to the State Senate and other government entities regarding steps that could be taken to have Delaware school districts hire teachers earlier in the calendar year.

The members of the Task Force were: Lt. Governor Matthew Denn (chair), State Senator David Sokola, Jack Buckley (representing Delaware School Board Association), Jennifer Carlson (Delaware Office of Management and Budget), Heath Chasanov (representing Delaware Association of School Administrators), Karen Crouse (representing Delaware State Education Association), Michael Morton (Delaware Controller General’s Office), Holly Powers (appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem), Renee Purzycki (appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem), and Peter Shulman (representing the Delaware Secretary of Education).

The Task Force has completed the work outlined in Senate Resolution No. 18, and makes the following findings and recommendations to the Delaware State Senate and Governor:

Extent and Consequences of Late Hiring

The Task Force’s recommendations were informed by the research of Professor Jeffrey Raffel of the University of Delaware, who has studied the new teacher hiring practices of Delaware public schools for several years.

Professor Raffel noted that for the most recent school year, over 60% of new public school teachers hired by the state’s 19 school districts were hired in August or later. That is a substantial increase from the 2007-2008 school year, where approximately 50% of teachers were hired in August or later, and a further increase from the 2005-2006 school year when only 42.2% of teachers were hired in August or later.

Delaware charter schools hire a substantially smaller percentage of their new teachers in the late summer and early fall, as compared to public school districts. In the 2009-2010 school year, Delaware charter schools hired only 31.9% of their new teachers in August or later, just over half the percentage of public school districts.

Professor Raffel also noted that the number of new teachers who entered into a contract with one district and subsequently broke that contract in order to accept a position with another Delaware district substantially increased between the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years. Although the total number of such incidents (34) represents a relatively small percentage of the reported late hires (5% of the total number of teachers hired in August or later), it is a growing percentage.

Professor Raffel and members of the Task Force noted a variety of consequences arising from hiring of teachers in the late summer and early fall. First, school districts lose the opportunity to recruit the top candidates from graduate programs in and around the state of Delaware, as school districts from
surrounding states make offers to those top candidates in the late spring and early summer. Second, new teachers hired in the late summer and early fall lose the opportunity to receive professional development and other important orientation information about the schools in which they will be teaching. Finally, the appearance of new teachers in schools after the school year has started usually results in the reshuffling of student classroom assignments, which is extremely disruptive to students.

Causes for Late Hiring

With the assistance of Professor Jeffrey Raffel of the University of Delaware, the Task Force concluded that although there are a number of factors that contribute to the late hiring of teachers in Delaware (including recruitment difficulties for certain teaching specialties, transfers between districts by teachers who terminate contracts, and transfers within districts by teachers exercising contractual rights), the predominant cause of late hiring is uncertainty by local school districts regarding the amount of state funding they will have during the coming school year to pay teachers.

Local school districts in Delaware receive ‘unit’ funds from the state to pay for a portion of teacher salaries, and those funds are based upon a count of student population at the end of September. To the extent that local school districts overestimate the student population they will have at the end of September, those districts may hire teachers in the summer for whom state financial support will not be forthcoming based upon the September unit count. Therefore, school districts must choose between (a) the risk of hiring teachers who must be supported entirely with local school district funds, and (b) the harm to schools of delaying hiring teacher decisions until the districts have more certainty about their fall student populations.

Because of the Task Force’s conclusion with respect to the predominant cause of late hiring, its recommendations center upon that cause. However, the Task Force also believes that efforts underway to address the other identified causes of late hiring should continue.

Task Force Recommendations

The Task Force’s recommendations are driven by three basic findings.

1. The predominant cause of late teacher hiring is uncertainty on the part of local school districts about the amount of state funds the districts will receive following the September unit count.

2. Due to improvements in survey techniques, the ability of local school districts and the state to predict student population in the following school year has vastly improved, assuming proper technical assistance.

3. The school districts and state should share the risk of error with respect to student population predictions, with the state providing the districts a guaranteed partial level of funding based upon a spring student population estimate, and the districts being held accountable to use that guaranteed funding to make earlier hiring decisions.

The Task Force’s detailed recommendations are as follows.

· The State of Delaware should provide a central resource to local school districts to allow them to make concrete student population projections for the coming school year in the early spring. The Task Force was given information suggesting that survey techniques already being employed by state agencies and third parties with whom those agencies contract are sufficient to provide relatively reliable student population estimates to local school districts of their student populations for the coming school year. Currently, however, no such student population estimates are being conducted on an annual, district-level basis. The Task Force recommends that the state coordinate an annual student population projection for each of its local school districts in the early spring of each calendar year, estimating student population for the coming fall. There will be a cost to this exercise – the Task Force was provided with estimates up to $100,000/year for the cost of the survey. However, the Task Force believes that if the right to conduct the survey is opened up to competitive bidding, the cost can be substantially reduced, and that in any event an investment of this amount is appropriate to address a problem of the magnitude described above. The Task Force also recommends that the state seek out private foundation funding for the first one to two years of this survey process, given the number of private entities that have expressed an interest in the success of Delaware’s public schools and the significant implications the problem of late hiring has for educational quality.

· The State of Delaware should guarantee local school districts a minimum level of unit count funding based upon the late spring population estimate. That minimum level of funding should cover most, but not all, of the risk of error. Given that fairly accurate projections regarding student population are now possible, and will in fact occur in the spring of each calendar year if the Task Force’s first recommendation is implemented, there should be relatively little financial risk to the state in guaranteeing that it will provide school districts an amount of state funds roughly similar to that suggested by the spring projection, notwithstanding the amount dictated by the final unit count in September. In order to ensure that the risk of an erroneous projection is shared by the state and the school districts, the number of units guaranteed should be a significant percentage of the number
suggested by the spring estimate, but not the full amount—the Task Force recommends a percentage between 95 and 98%. This guarantee of unit funds should permit local districts to aggressively hire in the late spring and early summer, with the assurance that there is a cap on the amount of local funds for which they will be responsible should the spring estimates prove too high.

· After assessing the success of Recommendations #1 and #2 in the fall of 2011, the state should consider consequences for school districts that continue to make late offers without good cause. The implementation of Recommendations #1 and #2 should allow school districts to make hiring offers to teachers in the spring and early summer, and dramatically reduce the percentage of teachers who receive offers in July, August, and September. The results should also be visible very quickly: if the population estimates are done in the spring of 2011, the state will know by the time districts fill out their hiring surveys in late 2011 which districts successfully reduced the percentage of teachers who are hired in the late summer or early fall. For districts that continue to hire substantial numbers of teachers in the late summer and early fall notwithstanding the implementation of Recommendations #1 and #2, the state should consider specific consequences for those districts. The state should publicly disclose late hiring statistics at the district level. Currently, school districts are required to report late hiring statistics, but the public reporting of those statistics is done only at a statewide level. This prevents local parents and taxpayers from holding their districts accountable for late hiring. The state should disclose late hiring statistics at the district level, and in order to ensure consistency and accuracy of reports, should (a) conduct random audits of the late hiring reports to ensure that they are accurate, and (b) adopt uniform definitions for use in preparing the reports so districts can be fairly compared.

~*~

House Representative Valerie Longhurst Named To Serve On The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

(presser)
National Democratic Campaign Group
Appoints Longhurst To Board
House Majority Whip to serve on board of directors of Democratic
Legislative Campaign Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Whip Rep. Valerie J. Longhurst has been appointed to the board of directors for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and will serve a two-year term with the group. She was installed on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Longhurst, D-Bear, will be one of 22 Democratic state legislative leaders who comprise the DLCC board. Her duties include representing the interests of all Democratic state legislative candidates nationally. The DLCC board advocates the interest of Democratic state legislators to other national organizations and ensures that state legislative leaders are involved with DLCC in chambers where it is active.

Rep. Longhurst said she was a little overwhelmed and surprised to be named to the board, but she is looking forward to bringing Delaware’s perspective and electoral experience to a national level. The Delaware House of Representatives was one of only five state legislatures to gain Democratic seats in the 2010 elections.

“I am honored and excited to accept this position with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee,” Rep. Longhurst said. “With less than two dozen Democratic legislators serving on the board, this is a highly coveted appointment, one that I take very seriously. I intend to be a voice for Delaware, and I hope to bring the First State’s perspective to a national stage in our efforts to reverse the national trend of the last election.”

~*~

Education Discussions With The Governor And The Greater Newark Network Tonight - But I'm Heading To The 7&40 Alliance To Talk Big Box Rezoning In Bear

Plenty to do tonight:
“Conversations About Stronger Schools”, Monday, December 6th at 6:30 p.m. - Governor Markell, along with Delaware Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery and others, will host the next meeting in a series of public “Conversations About Stronger Schools” in New Castle County’s Red Clay School District. These conversations focus on efforts underway to improve student performance, support teachers and make sure Delaware’s children graduate ready to succeed in work or college. The Governor, Education Secretary, educators, administrators and private sector employers will talk about a path to stronger schools and give Delawareans an opportunity to ask questions and engage on elements of the plan. For more information, please visit the full schedule and video preview. Conrad Schools of Science, 201 Jackson Avenue Wilmington

(Newark Post) ~ Conversation on education planned for Monday night and you're invited - On Monday, Dec. 6 , at 7 p.m., Greater Newark Network will host a public conversation on education at Newark High School (cafeteria) - the meeting has "no hidden agendas and no preconceived notions tied to this event,"Among the areas to be discussed:

1. As business executives look for places to locate their companies and jobs, one of their primary considerations is the quality of the local education system. In your view, what are the most positive attributes and the most negative attributes of the education system in the Greater Newark area?

2. The Greater Newark Area is increasingly becoming known for its strengths in the science and technology fields. In your view, are we doing enough to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in our schools and do we need stronger STEM education tracks in K-12 to attract the interest of our youth?

3. Having a wide variety of school choices for children of employees is often cited by business executives as a leading factor in deciding where to locate their companies and jobs. In your view, does the Greater Newark Area need or want more charter schools or private schools?

4. In your view, what role, if any, should local businesses or the University of Delaware play in supporting local schools and contributing to the development of our schools' curriculum?

5. If you could be education czar for a day, what specific changes would you make to impact the quality of education in the greater Newark area?

The meeting will l break up into small conversation groups to discuss these topics, and we will report back with a summary of the opinions collected during the discussions.

And I will be attending the 7 & 40 Alliance meeting tonight at the Bear Library in the Governor's Plaza Shopping Center at 7:00 pm to talk about the big box rezoning proposal for a Lowes at Governor's Square.

~*~

Three Cheers For This Year's Award-Winning Wilmington News Journal Reporters

(WNJ) Adam Taylor reports ~ News Journal reporter wins Delaware press honor Beth Miller lauded for honesty, modesty

News Journal reporter Beth Miller has been named the Delaware Press Associations's 2011 Communicator of Achievement, the top honor given by the group to one of its members.

...The Communicator of Achievement Award is given to a journalist for professional accomplishments during an entire career, said association Executive Director Katherine Ward. "Her whole approach is so honest, has such high standards and seeks the truth," Ward said of Miller. "She wants to learn as much as she can about whatever situation she's covering."

Plus, Chad Livengood writes ~ My reporting about land development in northern Delaware won first place in beating reporting in Gannett's quarterly awards contest. I'm honored, given the stiff competition.
(Gannett) ~ News Watch By Ann Clark, News Executive

DIVISION I - Beat Reporting - First Place
The News Journal, Wilmington - Chad Livengood and Maureen Milford, reporters Chad Livengood and Maureen Milford’s stories described the battle by residents of affluent and peaceful Chateau County to stop a Pennsylvania developer from creating a massive shopping center, office and residential complex. A month after the story, the developer dramatically scaled back his plans. Elected officials also are discussing changes to the county redevelopment code.

Judges said: "Excellent reporting by Chad Livengood and Maureen Milford made a difference to thousands of residents of affluent and peaceful Chateau County who were battling this Pennsylvania developer's plan. An impressive array of graphics and pullout information made the complex story easy to follow. It brought results when the developer shifted his plan.”

~*~

Obama Looks On As The GOP Holds Government Hostage For The Obscenely Wealthy - Is Our President Trading Our Future For His 2012 Re-election?

(NYT) Frank Rich writes ~ All the President’s Captors

Obama has seemingly surrendered his once-considerable abilities to act, decide or think. That pay freeze made as little sense intellectually as it did politically. It will save the government a scant $5 billion over two years and will actually cost the recovery at least as much, since much of that $5 billion would have been spent on goods and services by federal workers with an average yearly income of $75,000. By contrast, the extension of the Bush tax cuts to the $250,000-plus income bracket will add $80 billion to the deficit in two years, much of which will just be banked by the wealthier beneficiaries.

Obama didn’t even point out this discrepancy — as he might have, had he chosen to make a stirring call for shared sacrifice rather than just hand the Republicans a fiscal olive branch that they could then use as a stick to beat him. He was too busy tending to his other announcement of the week: dispatching Timothy Geithner to lead “negotiations” with the Republicans on the tax cuts. This presidency has been one long blur of such “negotiations” — starting with the not-on-C-Span horse-trading that allowed corporate players to blunt health care and financial regulatory reform. Next up is a “negotiation” with the United States Chamber of Commerce, which has spent well over $100 million trying to shoot down Obama’s policies over the last two years.

...We’re now at the brink of a new economic disaster that will eventually yank a chicken out of every pot. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates that the extended Bush-era tax cuts will contribute by far the largest share to the next decade’s deficits — ahead of the recession’s drain on tax revenues, Iraq and Afghanistan war spending, TARP and Obama’s stimulus. The new Congress’s plan to block any governmental intervention on behalf of 15 million-plus jobless Americans guarantees that the unemployment rate, back up to 9.8 percent as of Friday, will remain intractable too.

Obama should have pounded home the case against profligate tax cuts for the wealthiest before the Democrats lost the Senate. Even now Warren Buffett — not a socialist, by the way — is making the case with Christie-esque directness that usually eludes the president. “The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we’ll all go out and spend more, and then it will trickle down to the rest of you,” he told Christiane Amanpour on “This Week” last Sunday. . “But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.”

Meanwhile, from Bill Dunn on facebook ~ The top ONE percent..... ONE percent GETS (not EARNS, GETS) 23.5% of all income in the U.S. today. In the 1970's, it was 8%.THAT REPRESENTS FLAGRANT, DISGUSTING, MANIPULATIVE, GREED!!!!BUT.... They need a tax break! - Sen Bernie Sanders Amazing Speech! www.youtube.com

~*~

Some People Scratched Their Heads In 2009 When Jack Markell Failed To Clear House In DelDOT - More Are Scratching Now, Thanks To The News Journal

Kudos to the WNJ for their continuing coverage of the disgusting, apparent quid pro quo that goes on between DelDOT, the DEM party and developers to the detriment of the Delaware tax payer. From today's story by Maureen Milford and Jeff Montgomery ~ Developers' deals called a free ride

The Tunnell deal was struck in the closing days of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's administration but renewed under Gov. Jack Markell. The Schell deal was struck this year.Markell said he became aware of deals this week -- weeks after The News Journal began asking questions.A business argument can be made that such deals might save the state money in the long run, Markell said. But terms of the Patriots Landing deal, including the interest rate taxpayers bear, need to be examined, he said. "This is exactly the kind of thing that needs to be looked at," he said.

Markell said he knew his campaign received contributions from "Mr. Tunnell and members of the Schell family," adding that political contributions do not affect his decisions. Schell has proved a reliable contributor to Markell since his 2008 campaign, contributing $1,200 to Markell's election and another $1,200 to Markell's campaign fund in 2009. Other Schell family interests brought the total contribution to $10,300. Robert and Mindi M. Tunnell gave separate $1,200 contributions to Markell's primary campaign in 2008.

When contacted this week, Minner was short. "I have no knowledge of that at all," she said. "All right?" Although The News Journal requested records relating to the deals on Nov. 19, so far DelDOT has provided only copies of the two agreements. Secretary Carolann Wicks fiercely defended the payments, contending the road development would be more costly, difficult and disruptive to the communities had DelDOT not reserved the land.

Meanwhile, WNJ editors state the obvious ~ Deal looks better for developers than for state

Is there any wonder that Jack Markell just sent DelDOT a new Deputy Secretary --his high-level appointee, land use attorney, ombudsman Cleon Cauley Sr.-- to keep an eye on Carolann Wicks? [Chad Livengood reports ~ DelDot appoints new deputy secretary Dec 3, 2010] Well, actually, the Governor denied any knowledge of how Cleon got his new position...

Comment rescues ~

just-an-observer wrote: As much as I feel DE is driven and operated by special interest groups. If I was a developer and purchased the land, my intent saying the market was viable would have been to build, sell and make a profit.In reality all DELDOT is doing is paying the debt service, not the loan.Now my problem comes with DELDOT and their inept way of doing "special" favors like the Tigani deal etc. and then hiding behind various issues. This same special deal should have been available to all or NOT AT ALL.There have been so many behind closed door deals that DELDOT cannot be trusted. It is time for Markell to stand up and clean house starting with Wicks.

LemonadePinky wrote: First off, let's do the math correctly. If the first paragraph is correct, the state is paying $60K/mo./yr. = $720,000. Now when I multiply $720K times 20 years I get $14,400,000. not $2M.That's a hefty chunk of change to NOT do something that in this climate would not be fiscally prudent to do anyhow. Who is going to buy these houses that they are being paid to NOT build? Heck, we can't sell the ones already built and these bozos are getting paid millions to not build what no one wants anyway? Do I have the clear? DEdumb at it's finest. Being politically connected certainly has it's advantages doesn't it? And you and I get to pay more and more in taxes to pay for these ignorant projects.

painfree wrote: So let's take a look at the big picture. All those involved are Markell
"contributors" to the max allowable. Schell for instance just happened to pre-purchase land that "may" someday be used as a bypass. He also has land annexed into Millsboro for a proposed casino. I wonder if the state is paying him "interest only" on that land. If DelDot is paying "interest only" I wonder if the developers were paying their principle on the outstanding loans. OOps, I guess not because Wilmington Trust had so many people not paying their loans they had to sell out. I wonder how many other pre-purchase land deals are out there that Wilmington Trust was holding the paper on. This is just dirty all the way around, from top (Markell) to bottom DelDot & Schell. Thanks News Journal for finally reporting on something worth reporting. Wonder how many other polically connected "deals" are out there. Markell had no knowledge? What! Are you kidding me?

WritersCramp wrote: 1) The bypass isn't needed. 2) DelDOT has pulled the Emminant Domain card repeatedly on low income properties all over the state for decades, but get a landowner with a little money and it's compensation not to build time.

letmypeopleknow wrote: "The Tunnell deal was struck in the closing days of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's administration but renewed under Gov. Jack Markell. The Schell deal was struck this year.Markell said he became aware of deals this week -- weeks after The News Journal began asking questions"How does Markell "renew" something "before" that he now claims he just learned, sorta sounds like Ruth Anns statements about having no knowledge of the rape and abuse at our State run Hospital but later states she "initiated" investigations that were later exposed as lies and NEVER took place but was stated simply to cover up the crimes and give Meconi and others time to shred evidence and get their stories straight.The list of "land deals" at the end of Ruth Anns term of office should be a wake up call for any States Attorney General but, when your Attorney General is the son of Americas VP and a member in good standing with that States Good old boy club its the Status quo that wins, NOT INTEGRITY.

Nothing more than "insider trading", only difference is the deal is Land, not stocks but the corruption is the same, I get information on Future land use plans and simply buy the property under the guise of Building on the property, the tax payers pay my loan until the State is ready to use the land and then I sell it to the State at full market value.The big question here and in several other shady land deals is WHY and HOW Ruth Ann and Wicks are not in prison yet, how many of these tax payer fraud cases have to be exposed before SOMEONE is held accountable.I bet the original land owners have a very strong case against the State when you figure that THEY could have been collecting these "payments" instead of the well connected scum bags that swindled them through help from DelDot, It would be interesting to know WHEN this "bypass" info was known to these buyers, I`d bet the original land owners knew nothing? We are not the "tax payer be damned" State for nothing.

Plus! This is not the only deal the Markell administration has created for his pal, Schell. Schell is the alleged new owner of a waterfront wetlands plot that DNREC was strong-armed into changing wetland maps to accomodate. The carve-out deal to develop the land was pressured by a bill that would have excised the entire Delaware tidal wetlands protection language from our state's statute. That was widely said to be a Mike Parkowski-owned chunk of land and it is well-known that lobbyist Parkowski [correction] swung the deal. I spoke with DNREC Secretary O'Mara about it at the time and he admitted it was all true. The DEMs in the General Assembly introduced a poison pill that forced DNREC to cut a special carve-out for the alleged Parkowski-Schell property transfer in order to save wetlands protection under Delaware law. FOR SHAME!
Delaware Liberal - Comment by La Narcolepsia on 25 November 2010 at 9:08 am ~

Nancy, you are right on about the gut-the-wetlands bill – it was on a fast track to pass, Gilligan was waiting for it with open arms. It set a new rock-bottom standard for sleaziness. In order to save one of Delaware’s few significant environmental laws, DNREC had to hold its nose and pretend these properties weren’t wetlands. One of many unwritten stories that needed a whiff of sunshine disinfectant.

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Delmar Dustpan Recounts Anniversary Of A Violent, Racist Lynch-Mob Well Within This Generation

(Delmar Dustpan) Howard writes ~ Lynching Today in 1931 - December 4, 1931 - A mob lynched African American, Matthew Williams, on the courthouse lawn in Salisbury, Maryland.

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O'Donnell Sees Book As Catalyst - Portends "Rumblings Of A Revolution That Has Not Fully Erupted"

dailykos - Sunday Talk - There's Something About Primary http://bit.ly/eALadp - Hillary Clinton's biggest fan, Christine O'Donnell, also followed Mama Palin's lead and signed a deal to publish a book of her own.
Wonkette -

O'Donnell’s book will take the reader behind the scenes of her race for the Senate, and embody O'Donnell's identification with America's frustrations and concerns with the current political climate.According to O'Donnell, "The 2010 midterm elections were just the beginning—the first rumblings of a revolution that has not fully erupted. I plan on making my book one of the revolution’s catalysts."

Wonkette's Tag Cloud ~
9/11 2010 2012 ads afghanistan alaska barack obama books bristol palin Christine O'Donnell delaware drink facebook food funny pictures gays george w. bush harry reid it's morning in america Joe Miller john boehner lisa murkowski michelle obama muslims november 2010 republicans republicans in the news sarah palin senate teabaggers tea party terrorism the gays
And a Wonkette comment ~

Three ways Christine is like Karl Marx:
1. About as politically relevant.
2. Says shit like "I plan on making my book one of the revolution’s catalysts."
3. Has a big, bushy beard (except Christine's isn't on her face).

I know, I know, the Wonkette comments are some of the rankest (have a look) but don't you think that Christine deserves to get as good as she gives? Let's not forget the rank and filthy campaign she ran against Mike Castle. I wonder how the Campaign 2010 book will cover the hypocrisy of homophobic rumormongering vs teh openly gay sister on her payroll.

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A Sobering Report On The State Of The States From The New York Times

nytimes - Mounting State Debts Stoke Fears of a Looming Crisis http://nyti.ms/eaPCAh

Those cuts in aid to cities and counties, which are expected to continue, are one reason some analysts say cities are at greater risk of bankruptcy or are being placed under outside oversight. Next year is unlikely to bring better news. States and cities typically face their biggest deficits after recessions officially end, as rainy-day funds are depleted and easy measures are exhausted.

This time is expected to be no different. The federal stimulus money increased the federal share of state budgets to over a third last year, from just over a quarter in 2008, according to a report issued last week by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers. That money is set to run out next summer. Tax collections, meanwhile, are not expected to return to their pre-recession levels for another year or two, given that the housing market and broader economy remain weak and that unemployment remains high. Scott D. Pattison, the budget association’s director, said that for states, next year could be “the worst year of this four- or five-year downturn period.”

Meanwhile, some really great ideas from CBSNews - American Voices on Making the Economy Move http://bit.ly/gAITHN

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Wikileaks Update

nytimes - From Saturday #WikiLeaks package: Vast hacking shows a China obsessed with power of the Web. http://nyti.ms/eVLWGD - New #WikiLeaks cables show Iraqi leaders struggling with meddling neighbors who eye their rich resources. http://nyti.ms/eS4438 - Cables Suggest Mideast Resists U.S. on Cutting Terrorists’ Cash http://nyti.ms/hfnPKp - Part 8 of NYT's #WikiLeaks series is up: How millions of dollars flow unimpeded to terror groups. http://nyti.ms/eWmZZp - 1 memo from Clinton makes clear donors in Saudi Arabia are biggest cash source to Sunni terror groups. http://nyti.ms/eWmZZp #WikiLeaks

ggreenwald - Excellent: RT @jeffjarvis "Excellent, important call to protect Wikileaks' speech and thus ours by @mathewi http://is.gd/idmwh " - In the Atlantic, by David Samuels: "The Shameful Attacks on Julian Assange"

(DKos) - Breaking: Judge Upholds Right of WikiLeaks to Publish Freely http://t.co/U44avJ0

laughingsquid - Julian Assange answers questions about @WikiLeaks on @guardiannews http://bit.ly/gQSm9J - speaking of @WikiLeaks, they have already been kicked off of .ch & are now at http://wikileaks.de http://wikileaks.fi & http://wikileaks.nl

PhoenixWomanMN - Censor THIS! Over 200 WikiLeaks Fans Set Up Mirror Sites: http://wp.me/p32GF-3Bw - Assange's chief accuser has history with US funded anti-Castro groups...one of which has CIA ties http://fdl.me/h4kswm from @firedoglake

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Pam Scott-Paul Clarky Showed Up For The NCC Comprehensive Plan Kick Off Meeting Last Night - So Where's The Firewall, Paul?

Come on Clark, your wife is going to be directly influencing the comprehensive planning process for New Castle County with you and your staff and this is the firewall you say you have created?

But then, Paul Clark's out and out hubris should come as no surprise to anyone.

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I've Been Avoiding Giving Christine O'Donnell Her Own Delaware Way Label But It Looks like She's Here For The Long Haul

(gawker image)




politico - #ChristineODonnell seals a book deal on the #2010elections: http://politi.co/hQNVOB #DEsen



and...David Catanese on Campaigns: O'Donnell to stump in Virginia.

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Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation Living History Program Set For 2-5PM Dec. 11th In Wilmington

(Community News) Adam Zewe reports ~ Underground Railroad will run again during living history presentation

More than 150 years ago, Wilmington’s Quaker Hill neighborhood was a busy stop along the Underground Railroad. Visitors to the Wilmington Friends Meeting House on Dec. 11 will be able to travel back in time to catch a glimpse of what it might have been like.

Three historical interpreters will take on the personas of Delaware heroes and give first-person accounts of their struggles on the Underground Railroad and during the Civil War in a free event sponsored by the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation. The star of the show will be Thomas Garrett, portrayed by Robert Seeley. Garrett, who lived in the Quaker Hill area, helped more than 2,700 runaway slaves escape to freedom in Pennsylvania, said Mary Starkweather-White, a member of the foundation.

...Ron Whittington will tell a different story when he takes on the character of William Owen, a black man from Milford who enlisted in the Union Army at age 39.

...For Willis Phelps, another re-enactor who will participate in the program, sharing the story of life on the Underground Railroad continues to be an eye-opening experience. In the 20 years he’s been performing, he never fails to learn something new each time he digs into a new story, he said. “I think it is important that our kids, everyone of them, knows who their forefathers are, where they came from and how diverse that time was,” he said. “This is American history. It’s not mine or yours; it’s ours.”

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Kim Burdick Writes: Come Out Saturday - Hale Brynes Open House - Pot Luck - And Speaker Program

The Hale Byrnes House will be open - free from 11-5 on Saturday. John Foskey is offering a militia drill for children at 2 in the afternoon.

There will be a Covered dish dinner at 5:30--come and bring a dish to pass--and stay for coffee and dessert with John Nagy at 7:30. He will be speaking on his new book, "Invisible Ink," about spies of the American Revolution ($5).

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Jud Bennett Writes: A Legislative report from Joseph Fulgham--Republican caucus:

Update: DEMOCRATS have different perspective on Bottle Bill

Rep. Mulrooney praises end of ‘bottle bill’and start of statewide recycling effort
Five-cent deposit replaced by temporary 4-cent fee to fund curbside recycling

DOVER – Delaware’s 30-year-old bottle deposit program ended today and was replaced by a smaller, temporary fee that will fund universal recycling in the First State.

The changes are due to Senate Bill 234, which passed earlier this year and implements Delaware’s first statewide voluntary curbside recycling effort. Under the legislation, the 5-cent bottle deposit system - which lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to repeal in 2009 – is replaced with a temporary 4-cent fee that will fund the startup costs of the recycling program, which begins with voluntary curbside recycling for households in September 2011. The fee will expire automatically in four years.

Rep. Michael P. Mulrooney, D-Pennwood, who was the prime House sponsor of SB 234, said the elimination of the “Bottle Bill” is a huge step forward for Delaware in addressing both an outdated system – in which more than 80 percent of bottles go unreturned – and the need to improve Delaware’s lagging recycling efforts.

“We’ve had an unpopular system for 30 years that simply wasn’t working. Most people were basically flushing their 5-cent deposit and society was getting nothing in return,” Rep. Mulrooney said. “With this new system, we have a smaller, temporary fee that funds a statewide recycling program. We’re getting something where for decades we got nothing.

“This is a huge win-win for the environment, for our citizens and for the state. Republicans and Democrats have been trying for years to find a way to do curbside recycling, and we now have a voluntary system that will save millions of dollars due to the reduced landfill space needed because of recycling.”

Rep. Mulrooney noted that Markell administration officials have held numerous meetings with representatives of grocery and other retail food stores, soda and liquor distributors, and liquor store owners to prepare for the transition to the fee, including providing consumer information materials to retailers to use and posting those materials and other information at http://recycling.delaware.gov.

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“Bottle Bill” Law Dies Tomorrow as Universal Recycling Law Takes Effect

The controversial “Bottle Bill” law, which for nearly 30 years has required Delaware consumers to pay a five-cent deposit on selected beverage containers, will be eliminated tomorrow. Replacing it will be an equally controversial universal recycling law that imposes a four-cent non-refundable fee on the same beverage containers to pay for the implementation of statewide curbside recycling.

Set to expire in late 2014, the fee will finance the creation of a new Delaware Recycling Fund. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will issue grants and low-interest loans from the fund to help private waste-haulers and municipalities deal with the program’s start-up costs. According to an analysis by the Controller General’s office, the program will cost a minimum of $16 million to initiate.

State Rep. Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View) calls the new fee “Delaware’s first sales tax” and doubts it’ll expire as planned. “This has been a no sales tax state,” he said. “We have been very proud of that. It has brought business in from neighboring states and now we’re changing that with this new law. This fee is supposed to be sunsetted after four years, but I haven’t seen any taxes go away yet.”

Rep. Hocker, who operates several Sussex County retail stores, also says state officials have not fully prepared distributors and retailers for the end of the Bottle Bill. “Most Sussex County stores are supplied by soda distributors in Maryland. They tell me they have not received the transition materials DNREC promised them. Some retailers have paid out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in container deposits that they’re due back from the distributors. This is a big deal and it looks like store owners are going to have to scramble to take last minute inventories tonight. I feel the administration has really let them
down.”

He adds that it’ll take months for bottles labeled as deposit containers to make their way through the supply pipeline and off store shelves, potentially causing problems for retailers and consumers alike.

The new law is the work of Gov. Jack Markell, who has embraced fostering jobs through the growth of “green” industries as one of the guiding principles of his administration. However, it’s unclear how many jobs the universal recycling program will produce, or what the nature of the new positions will be.

The law will require every waste-hauler in the state to offer curbside recycling to their customers in three stages: first to single-family homes (by Sept. 15, 2011); then apartments and condominiums (Jan. 1, 2013); and finally commercial businesses (Jan. 1, 2014).

The Markell administration says the goal is to divert 50-percent of municipal solid waste from landfills by the start of 2015. That goal rises to 60-percent in 2020.

Although participation in the recycling program remains voluntary, the bill contains a provision that if diversion goals are not achieved, DNREC and a new recycling advisory council could propose “any additional mechanism necessary” to reduce the amount of waste heading to landfills, including the implementation of a “Pay As You Throw” program and waste bans.

Repeatedly described by supporters as a “fragile compromise,” the recycling law (Senate Bill 234) was fast-tracked through the General Assembly, taking just three weeks from its introduction to final passage. The bill was enacted, despite concerns over its legality, efficiency, and transparency.

The new law specifically bars waste-haulers from telling their customers how much of their bill is the result of recycling. An amendment, sponsored by State Reps. Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley) and Dan Short (R-Seaford), that would have allowed Delawareans to see the cost of recycling as a separate line item on their waste collection bills was defeated along party lines.

“Why would you actually prohibit customers from knowing this?” Rep. Lavelle said. “If you’re confident the program will work as advertised, and will be supported by the public, why hide the costs? It flies in the face of the ‘open government’ initiatives this administration claims to support. Consumer choice works best in an environment of full and open information."

Another amendment, which would have reduced the beverage container fee to one-cent, while broadening the scope of the containers to which it would have been applied, was also defeated. Currently, only about 25-percent of beverage containers (plastic and glass soft drink and beer bottles) are subject to the fee, creating a potential legal issue because of the selective and arbitrary way in which it’s levied.

Many also believe the law was enacted in violation of a state constitutional mandate that requires that any bill that seeks to appropriate state funds to municipalities or corporations – something the law will do by issuing grants and low-interest loans via the Delaware Recycling Fund – to be approved by a three-quarters vote of both chambers of the General Assembly. Although this objection was raised when the bill was debated in the House, it cleared the chamber on a vote of 26 to 12 -- five votes short of a three-quarters majority.

The law is currently facing a legal challenge from the Positive Growth Alliance on this procedural issue and other grounds.

As the Bottle Bill law ends, consumer and retailers will still need to deal with some outstanding issues. Consumers will have until January 31st to get refunds on bottles for which they paid a deposit before December 1st. Retailers will have until February 28th to redeem the deposit bottles they’ve collected and get credited by their distributors.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has set up a website to answer questions about the old Bottle Bill and the new recycling law at: www.recycling.delaware.gov.

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