Mother Jones' Series On Smart Meters

(Mother Jones) Kiera Butler reports ~ Will Smart Meters Let Utilities Turn Off My Power? - When I posted on smart meters a few weeks back I expected some amount of hoopla in the comments section, and gosh was I right! The triple whammy of radiation, privacy, and utility shenanigans really got everyone going. Readers raised some interesting questions, for example: Will smart meters make it easy for utilities to shut off poor people's power? And won't smart meters cause lots of meter-reader layoffs? Read the answers to these and other questions here.

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Delaware State House of Representatives Writes: Nick Manolakos Makes A Case For Enacting The Controversial Medical Marijuana Measure

Opinion: Delaware Lawmaker Makes Case for Medical Marijuana


Should Medical Marijuana be Legal in The First State? - A co-sponsor of a bill pending action in the Delaware State Senate that seeks to legalize medical marijuana in Delaware makes a case for enacting the controversial measure.
To read the opinion piece, click here...

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Growing Delaware Jobs - Some WDEL Stories

(WDEL) Peter Macarthur reports ~ Matching workers with jobs and jobs with workers in DE - Governor Markell wants the state labor department to be the link between Delawareans looking for jobs and Delaware companies looking for employees. Markell is calling it the Job Squad. Resumes are posted on Delaware Job Link, then Job Squad members who are labor department employees try to match a worker who needs a job with a job that needs a worker.

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And via AP ~ Lewes-Rehoboth water taxi study gets $25K grant - The Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association has been awarded a $25,000 grant to study the feasibility of a water taxi between the two resort towns....Association member Mark Carter says they are considering using solar-powered pontoon boats. He says the association is looking at extending service through the canal to Dewey Beach and up the Broadkill River to Milton.

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More ~

State’s “Job Squad” Connects Unemployed to Job Opportunities - presser
Governor Markell: “If you’re a company with a job to fill, let us help you fill it and help get a Delawarean back to work”
Labor Sec. McMahon: “We want to be the best employment office—not just the best unemployment office—we can be.”

Wilmington, DE – Governor Jack Markell joined employers across the state to highlight the growing work of the state’s “Job Squad” and their efforts to connect businesses looking to hire with talented Delawareans looking for work.

“We make the case every day for companies to consider Delaware as a great choice to locate or expand. We also make the case to companies who are growing here to consider the great talent available to start work immediately,” Markell said.

The “Job Squad” is part of the Department of Labor’s Business Services Unit, and has representatives working in the Department’s “one stop” service center throughout Delaware to match open positions with their database of resumes from Delawareans looking for work. Markell encouraged more companies to turn to the “Job Squad” when they have a position to fill.

“The message is clear – If you’re a company with a job to fill, let us help you fill it and help get a Delawarean back to work,” Markell said. “Most people out of work don’t want a check, they want a chance - to show employers how much value and opportunity they can bring and a chance to provide for their families. The more employers turn to the Job Squad for the free help it offers, the more chances we have to match up that talent with opportunity.”

Department of Labor Secretary John McMahon introduced some of the businesses that moved people off of unemployment and into jobs at their companies by working with the department. He made clear that the Business Services Unit and the talented Delawareans they have access to are both eager to help companies expand. “We want to be the best employment office—not just the best unemployment office—we can be, and more employers are discovering that we can help them get the people they need working,” McMahon said.

Businesses who would like the “Job Squad” to help them find their next employee should call the Division of Employment and Training at 302-761-8131. Delawareans can go to one of the state’s service centers – (http://www.delawareworks.com/officesDOL.shtml) – or update their resumes online through their JobSeeker accounts: https://joblink.delaware.gov/ada/mn_registration_dsp.cfm

The businesses joining the Governor and the Secretary for the event included St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Testing Machines Inc. of New Castle, Kraft Foods in Dover, and Pinnacle Foods of Millsboro.

Pinnacle Foods discussed the variety of jobs they look to the Department of Labor to help fill: “Pinnacle has listed various job postings for general production, machine operators, maintenance mechanics, and quality assurance team members. We are a seasonal employer who utilizes the DOL services to satisfy both our seasonal and permanent staffing needs and the partnership produces successful outcomes,” said Mary Jones, Human Resource Assistant at Pinnacle.

Testing Machines, Inc., which moved to Delaware last year from New York and called Delaware’s pro-growth perspective a key decision in his move, pointed out that the responsiveness that helped bring him to Delaware is reflected in the hiring processes at the “Job Squad”: “The interaction was wonderful, immediate and we couldn’t be more pleased. It’s very rare that you do business with government agencies and find that they are so responsive and so professional,” said TMI President John Sullivan.

St. Francis Hospital began working with the Business Services Unit in January and immediately saw a “large increase in the number of applicants” which has been a “great help,” said the hospital’s Director of Human Resources Jennifer Mignone, who also found use of the Department of Labor’s “One Stop” office in Wilmington a help for “career fairs, on-site interviewing” and other resources that businesses can have problems doing on their own sites because of “limited space.” Mignone said she is hoping the Department can help them fill more than 100 openings.

Kraft Foods encouraged other businesses to look to the Department to help them fill their hiring needs: “The staff has been an excellent option for fulfilling our staffing needs within our site,” said Bruce Robinson, Human Resources Crew Leader for Kraft Foods. “Our partnership with the DOL is rock solid. The benefits from recruiting with [them] are simply unmatched.”

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Coons Announces National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating Offshore U.S. Wind Industry - DE Dubbed High-Priority Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy Area

(presser)
Delaware has wind at its back in offshore energy development
Sen. Coons applauds new strategic plan that puts mid-Atlantic

at heart of offshore wind industry

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) praised Monday’s joint announcement from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu of a new strategic plan that designated Delaware one of four high-priority Wind Energy Areas in the mid-Atlantic. The designation means Delaware’s offshore wind energy development projects will receive expedited review and approval from the federal government.

“I’m pleased that Delaware is at the forefront of the federal government’s ‘Smart from the Start’ initiative,” Senator Coons said Monday. “This is good news for Delaware, both for the opportunity it gives our state to be a leader in clean, alternative energy development and for the chance to create a wealth of new high-tech jobs in the region.”

The joint plan, A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States, demonstrates the Obama Administration’s strong commitment to alternative energy and represents the first time the departments of Interior and Energy have partnered in their approach to offshore wind energy. The plan focuses on overcoming three challenges – cost, technology, and grid interconnection – and could result in leases for wind farming off Delaware’s shore being issued as early as late 2011 or early 2012.

The Department of Energy announced three grants totaling $50.5 million in conjunction with today’s announcement. The grants are designed to encourage investment in research and development and to reduce specific market barriers to deployment of wind energy projects.

“It is my hope and expectation that this strategy will not only speed-up deployment of the projects already planned for Delaware, but encourage new wind projects off our shores, as well as research into innovative new technologies and development of a clean energy manufacturing base,” Senator Coons said. “This is an exciting step forward that I believe will attract new investments in Delaware.”

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The complete National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States plan as a PDF:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/pdfs/national_offshore_wind_strategy.pdf

A Department of Interior fact sheet on the National Offshore Wind Strategy:
http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=186635

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'We Are All Khaled Said' - The Facebook Page That Ignited The Egyptian Revolution?

Egyptian businessman Kahled Said's death at the hands of police in June... was a catalyst for the uprising today. There were inclinations... We Are All Khaled Said”: Will the Revolution Come to Egypt ... and this morning (NYT) Jennifer Preston reports ~ Anger and a Facebook Page That Gave It Voice

Mr. Said, a 28-year-old Egyptian businessman, was pulled from an Internet cafe in Alexandria last June by two plainclothes police officers, who witnesses say then beat him to death in the lobby of a residential building. Human rights advocates said he was killed because he had evidence of police corruption.

The Egyptian police and security services have a well-earned reputation for brutality and snuffing out political opposition. But in Mr. Said, they unwittingly chose the wrong target. Within five days of his death, an anonymous human rights activist created a Facebook page —We Are All Khaled Said — that posted cellphone photos from the morgue of his battered and bloodied face, and YouTube videos played up contrasting pictures of him happy and smiling with the graphic images from the morgue. By mid-June, 130,000 people joined the page to get and share updates about the case. It became and remains the biggest dissident Facebook page in Egypt, even as protests continue to sweep the country, with more than 473,000 users, and it has helped spread the word about the demonstrations in Egypt, which were ignited after a revolt in neighboring Tunisia toppled the government there. “There were many catalysts of the uprising,” said Ahmed Zidan, an online political activist marching toward Tahrir Square for a protest last week. “The first was the brutal murder of Khalid Said.”

The Tunisian rebellion was set off after a fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, burned himself to death after being humiliated by the police. His desperate act led to protests, which were recorded on mobile phones, posted on the Internet, shared on Facebook and eventually broadcast by Al Jazeera. But Mr. Said’s death may be the starkest example yet of the special power of social networking tools like Facebook even — or especially — in a police state. The Facebook page set up around his death offered Egyptians a rare forum to bond over their outrage about government abuses.

Meanwhile, Egyptian police use Facebook and Twitter to track down protesters' names before 'rounding them up' - http://bit.ly/gfT425

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Richard Korn Takes Tom Wagner To Chancery Court Over Negligence In Auditing Local School Taxes

Was this presser a useful distraction? - (WDEL) Frank Gerace ~ State Auditor releases school reports.
Chad Livengood may have thought as much, writing ~ Wagner scrutinizes school spending as Korn sues over Wagner’s school audits

The audit report from Wagner’s office comes less than a week after his 2010 Democratic opponent Richard Korn sued him in Chancery Court to determine whether Wagner has actually been auditing local schools funds correctly for much of the past decade.

...During the election, Wagner brushed off Korn’s criticism by producing records showing evidence that school audits had been conducted, though admitting they were done differently than before because the information is rolled into the state’s financial statements.....Wagner subsequently blamed the Democratic-controlled General Assembly for not giving him the authority to conduct audits that are broken down in individual reports.

...In his lawsuit, Korn contends Wagner has not audited more than $3 billion in local property tax expenditures at Delaware’s 19 school districts since 2002. Korn is asking a Chancery Court judge to order Wagner to “perform the mandated compliance audits of the 19 local school district tax funds” dating back to June 2002. Prior to filing suit, Korn had been in an on-going battle with Wagner’s office for access to an assortment of public documents. Among the documents Korn wanted and Wagner wouldn’t give up: employee timesheets from the Office of the Auditor of Accounts from Sept. 13, 2003 to Nov. 5, 2010. Korn’s lawsuit asks a judge to force Wagner to disclose the timesheets, citing a May 31, 2006 Attorney General’s opinion “that the public has a right to know when their public employees are and are not performing the duties for which they are paid.”

Korn v Wagner Chancery Court Action was filed last Wednesday, January 26, 2011. Per FOIA, Wagner turned over about 200 audits of the 19 school districts from 1990 - 2002 with cover letters on many of the audits that clearly show that Wagner was following state code....then:

State Auditor's Noncompliance with 29 Del. Code 2906 (F):

As a result of Mr. Wagner’s failure to follow the law, for the last 10 years, taxpayers were injured and suffered irreparable harm.
Christina School District - $28 million deficit
Red Clay School District - $10 million deficit
Laurel School District - $150,000 theft over 8 years
Mr. Wagner ceased conducting the annual compliance audits of the local school district tax funds in 2003.

In Christina, under the administration of Joe Wise, Christina school district hired as many high-dollar positions as they wanted using local funds, because they knew that the local funds were not being audited annually. This fraud began 2005 / 2006. The financial ruin of the district and its 28 million dollar deficit could have been discovered earlier had the State Auditor continued to follow state law and audit the local funds, which comprised millions of dollars in the Christina school district.

Likewise, Red Clay’s 10 million dollar deficit and its abuse of local funds could have been discovered earlier had the State Auditor followed the law. For instance, when a teacher at Red Clay left on extended sick leave such as maternity, 2 para-professionals would be hired and paid with local funds. But when the teachers returned, the para-professionals would still be kept on payroll. These abuses could and should have been spotted earlier had the State Auditor continued to audit the local funds, as required by state law.

In Laurel school district, the Finance Director Bill Hitch stole $150,000 over 8 years. This theft occurred, per the statement in the AOA investigative audit, from 9/8/2001 - 10/2009. Mr. Wagner has called this a “glitch” in the state payroll system. This is not a glitch this is theft. Local funds pay salaries and had the State Auditor followed the law and audited the local funds annually, there would have been a greater probability that this theft would have been discovered sooner. The failure to conduct the compliance audits of the local school district tax funds as mandated by Title 29, Section 2906 (f) of the Delaware Code enabled the theft and fraud to go undetected.
-- Richard Korn Franklin Strategies, Inc.,
Consultants on Political & Governmental Affairs

Who can forget when the Wilmington News Journal took up the issue in their Election 2010 Delaware Fact Check by asking Wagner's own staffers whether it was factual or not ~

Richard Korn statement during auditor debate with incumbent Tom Wagner Wednesday - “Local district funds, the money you pay in property taxes, that goes into our school districts are not being audited as required by law. ... Over the last 10 years, over $4,087,433,286 of local school tax funds have not been audited as required by law.” - RULING: Pulling up lame (mostly false) ~ Korn charges that Wagner is not auditing school districts

Now at least the Chancery Court and Mr. Korn will be getting the last word.

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NCC Comp Plan: A Blueprint For Legislation Relating To Zoning, Community Design And Redevelopment

The NCC Comp Plan Update meeting is tonight at 6:30 at the Gillian Building, 77 Reads Way, New Castle. The citizens of New Castle County have been invited to participate in the formulation of the 2012 Comprehensive Plan, so come on out! The importance of this document can't be emphasized enough.

Note: the Civic League is still actively seeking the "missing" analysis of the 2007 Plan Update. During the Jan. 18th meeting of the NCC Planning Board, the Chairman, Vic Singer, tried again to get the Land Use department to hand over their assessment of the "features of the 2007 Comp Plan Update that need fixing, and features that are fine as is".

But General Manager Dave Culver has maintained that there is nothing in writing.

That is strange because according to Delaware law, New Castle County's planning agency is mandated to prepare a report for the state on the comprehensive plan under 9 Del. C. 2658(c) and (d), namely "(c) . . . " each year after adoption of the comprehensive plan. . ." and "(d) The report shall present an assessment and evaluation of the success or failure of the comprehensive plan or element or portion thereof . . .,".

We asked the state for copies of the document but nothing turned up in the files after a FOIA request to the Office of State Planning and Coordination was made for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 annual report(s) for the New Castle County Comprehensive Plan. Civic League President, Chuck Mulholland wrote, "I am in receipt of written communication from Director Robert Scoglietti, Office of Management and Budget regarding the [FOIA] request to your office on January 9, 2011. This communication states that the reports requested are not in the files of the Office of State Planning (OSP)."

Planning Board Chairman (and Civic League Director), Vic Singer's, expectation that this document exists is based on the this statement by the consultant, JMT: "the County is currently in the process of reviewing and planning for the 2012 update. The review of accomplishments of the goals set forth in the 2007 update and an evaluation of recent economic trends are being analyzed."

And by the NCC Land Use Department's own "solicitation for proposals for Professional Planning Services defined as the first deliverable work product of the Consultant's activity, an "Analysis of Current plan and data" due on 9/1/2010 or two months after the anticipated contract award date". Whereupon Mr. Singer "asked for a copy of that work product. [The Planning Board] didn't get the work product produced by the Department's staff". "Instead, we were told that there's nothing written right now."

The Comprehensive Plan is a pretty important document. It is characterized as "both a wish list for managing county growth and development and a blueprint for legislation relating to zoning, community design, and redevelopment" in this article by (DFMNews) Jim Hilgen ~ Amid leadership transition and budget struggles, NCCo begins updating comprehensive plan

Perhaps the reason the county isn't giving up an analysis of the current plan in writing is because county officials are free to go around making outrageous (and unsubstantiated) statements about it. For instance, "Clark says the last comprehensive plan led to greater availability of affordable housing for county residents, and placed a new emphasis on redevelopment that helps preserve open space." Or "One success story from the county’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan is the creation of legislation that changes the way development is carried out countywide. County Land Use Manager David Culver says revising legislation that covers the “village and hamlet” development model encourages the emergence of “usable, walkable communities, building those places that we all found special in Delaware” that county code did not allow."

Hilgen's coverage of the Comp Plan is especially interesting because he omitted any mention of the fact that the county was refusing to turn over this annual analysis. While interviewing the Vice President of the Civic League, Bill Dunn, the reporter was told about the details but all he wrote for publication was that Dunn "believes the update process is not transparent enough". And "[i]n response, County Executive Clark says it is important to take the time to listen to the civic groups, “Many of those people have been around for a long time, [and] there’s some historical knowledge there.” But he points out that the civic groups and their agendas are not always in sync with the public view, and other points of view deserve to be heard."

Oh my gosh, what is this mysterious CIVIC LEAGUE AGENDA not in sync with the public view that Paul Clark keeps referring to? I hear that he has said as much to other media representatives recently.

And if Paul Clark is so worried about participation in this process, why isn't there any information up about it on their television station? "Clark notes that public participation in comprehensive plan discussions is often low. “There’s a whole generation of people coming out, looking for jobs, looking for housing, that we’re not even getting input from.” In an effort to raise awareness and interest, he will be taking the discussion of the Comprehensive Plan to conservation groups, church groups, and other venues for county residents.

So, Clark is trotting around to speak with church groups but avoiding Civic Associations and their supposedly out-of-sync agenda? Can someone let me know where he will be appearing next, I'd love to witness this.

And a little more from the article ~

Since taking office, Clark has drawn fire from critics about the potential for conflicts of interest that could arise from his wife’s work as a land use attorney. Clark says his wife, Pam Scott, is in the process of shifting her workload of clients who may create the impression of a conflict. Beyond that he says the county’s zoning and planning process is so multilayered and transparent that it would be impossible for either political party to exert undue influence in order to gain an advantage. To address concerns about zoning improprieties, the county executive has repeatedly maintained that he has erected a firewall.

We're still waiting for that and the 2007 Comp Plan assessment, thanks.

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June Eisley Writes: News And Events From Pacem In Terris Of Delaware

From the inbox ~

Witness against the continuing war in Afghanistan the last Saturday of each month - 11 am-12 noon - Concord Pike at Concord Square

Save the Date: to commemorate the sad anniversary of eight years of war on Iraq – March 19, 2003–March 19, 2011, join us on:

Sunday, March 20 – 2-4 p.m. for a panel led by David Swanson, who will talk about his book War is a Lie. Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the InternationalLabor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. To read about his book, go to: www.davidswanson.org/warisalie and to read more about David, go to: www.davidswanson.org/about

The other two panel members are Dave Lindorff, a veteran investigative reporter and author of "The Case for Impeachment," and founding editor of the online newspaper ThisCantBeHappening! Dave is a regular columnist at Counterpunch and Truthout, and he will speak on Afghanistan: NOT the "Good War": A war without a reason or an end and Dahlia Wasfi, Iraqi-American peace activist and friend of Pacem in Terris, who will speak on Iraq: the Forgotten Occupation.

Question and Answer periods will follow the talks, and David will have his book with him for signing and sale. The event will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pennsylvania Ave. & North Rodney Street, in Wilmington.

Other events coming up:

Wednesday, February 9: “Energy and Climate Change – Science, Ethics and Response,” – a lecture by Dr. Chad Tolman of the DE Sierra Club, 6:30 pm in the Meadow/Meeting Room at the Newark Natural Food Co-op, 280 E. Main St., Newark. Free, sponsored by the Sustainability/Transition Town Newark Comm. of the Co-op. For more info, contact Joe Tucker at outreach@newarknaturalfoods.com

Thursday, February 17: “Lethal Injustice: Death Penalty and Harsh Sentencing” featuring talks by two recently released men: Mark Clements who served 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and Amir Varick Amma who spent 19 years under the harsh Rockefeller Drug Law for two drug felonies – the most serious for possessing two ounces of cocaine, 7 pm at the Christ Center, Inc., 939 Vandever Avenue, Wilm. Free, co-sponsored by the Delaware Chapter of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty & DE Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty in conjunction with Pacem in Terris. For more info, call Sandy Jones at 302-545-7023 or call 302-656 2721.

Monday, February 21: Showing of “Occupation Has No Future,” with introduction by Clare Bayard from the Catalyst Project in San Francisco and Dialogues Against Militarism, 7 pm in The Meeting Room, Westminster Presby. Church, 1502 W. 13th St., Wilm. Free, sponsored by Pacem in Terris. For more info, call 302-656-2721.

Tuesday, February 22: “There and Back: A Discussion of Reentry Programs for Adults Returning to the Community from Prison,” 7–9 pm, Westminster Presby. Church, 1502 W. 13th St., Wilm. with Greg Morris and his film, “Twenty Minutes,” a documentary about the first twenty minutes after the release of a prisoner on the streets of Wilmington, and Drew Fennell, Executive Director of the DE Criminal Justice Council. Free, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New Castle County, Urban Health & Justice Committee. For more info, call 302-571-8948.

Saturday, February 26: Monthly Peace Vigil to End War in Afghanistan, 11 am–12 noon on the sidewalk at Concord Square on Concord Pike (near Chili’s and Macaroni Grill restaurants).

Saturday, February 5, 12, 19: Underground Railroad Workshop for children, 10 am–12 noon, Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 N. West Street, Wilm. Free, sponsored by Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation. For more info, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.

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Time Frame Of Delaware's Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program Is Doubled - Homeowners Get 30 Days To Qualify

(presser)

Mortgage Foreclosure Program Changed
To Help Families Retain Homes

WILMINGTON – A court-ordered change to the state’s Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program could help families facing foreclosure to stay in their homes, a Newark legislator said Tuesday.

The changes to the state’s foreclosure mediation program take effect today and double the amount of time that a homeowner facing foreclosure can enter the mediation program from 15 to 30 days, a change that Rep. John A. Kowalko said might seem simple, but makes a huge difference.

“People who are eligible for this program are at their last gasp, holding on to a fraying rope while hanging over a cliff,” said Rep. Kowalko, D-Newark. “Two weeks can go by in the blink of an eye. Doubling the time for a person to enter this mediation program gives desperate people who are on the verge of homelessness a few more precious moments to settle their thoughts, focus and hopefully work out a solution to stay in their homes. It provides stability and will increase the accessibility and effectiveness of the overall program.”

An administrative directive issued on January 20 by Superior Court President Judge James T. Vaughn Jr. made some modifications to the state’s mortgage foreclosure mediation program, which was created in September 2009. The program was designed to provide assistance to homeowners and lenders, via a trained mediator, to help negotiate possible alternatives to foreclosure actions.

When a foreclosure action is taken against a homeowner, notification is sent to the homeowner advising them to seek counseling with a Housing and Urban Development-certified counseling agency. Under the former rules, a homeowner had 15 days to seek counseling. A steering committee of attorneys for borrowers and lenders, bankers, advocates and housing counselors recommended the change, which Judge Vaughn said was the right decision.

“The Superior Court continues to fully support the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program,” Judge Vaughn said. “When the program was created, we were aware that changes may be needed to improve it. The changes now recommended by the committee do that and the decision to approve them was an easy one for the Court. The program continues to be committed to give homeowners the opportunity to negotiate an alternative to foreclosure, without affecting substantial rights of lenders.”

The new administrative directive also adds an additional mediation day in New Castle County.

According to Community Legal Aid Society, since the program’s inception in September 2009 through June 30, 2010, 100 homeowners have qualified for the mediation program. Seven have worked out agreements to avoid losing their homes, while another 18 have reached an agreement outside the program. Another 31 homeowners have agreed to continue the mediation so the parties can collect and exchange additional information. The parties often exchange the information prior to the next mediation and resolve the matter outside the mediation program.

“We very much welcome the actions taken by Judge Vaughn and the Steering Committee which improve the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program and, specifically, increase access to homeowners by changing the application time from 15 to 30 days,” said Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) Director Anas Ben Addi. “We strongly encourage anyone facing foreclosure to take full advantage of this program, as well as other innovative foreclosure prevention resources. Governor Markell, DSHA and our many partners continue working hard to expand programs like mediation, housing counseling and DEMAP, and to develop new tools that will create more positive outcomes and keep Delaware families in their homes.”

(WDEL) Amy Cherry covered the story ~ State's foreclosure program changes for the better

Struggling homeowners had just two weeks to seek help before this new court-mandated administrative directive. The Newark Democrat says they've also secured some grant money they'll use to fund outreach efforts They'll be knocking on doors once the weather gets nicer. "There's a lot of shysters out there, and these people are certified and are qualified, and can relieve some of that risk that people take when someone knocks on their door and say, 'I wanna help you with your mortgage; gimme a check,'" says Kowalko.....If you're facing foreclosure and need
help, visit deforeclosurehelp.org.

Meanwhile, (Truthout) P.X. Casey writes ~ Nothing-Backed Securities - "Is it a good idea to let the foreclosures roll on? Absolutely, say the banking and mortgage industries, among others. 'Home repo' is critical to economic recovery, they argue. Stopping foreclosures would cut the legs off of a still wobbly rebound. In the industry's view, the fewer foreclosures, the fewer resales; the fewer resales, the more depressed the home prices and the greater the losses; the greater losses, the less capital to lend. And we are back on the precipice of depression."

and (DKos) David Dayen ~ The Case of the Cascading Servicer Fees plus a few items from yesterday's Roundup ~

- This could be a major ruling in an appeals court in California, finding that a foreclosure victim has cause to sue US Bank for fraud. But this concerns the bank promising to negotiate a loan modification and then reneging on it, not the faulty documentation processes that go to chain of title. This could be effective in stopping dual track, but little more.

- Will lawyers in foreclosure cases become liable for perjury or fraud if they allow faulty documents to be submitted on behalf of their cases?

- Here’s the link to the FDL Book Salon with FCIC Commissioner Byron Georgiou today, which featured some heavy hitters in the comments, including Bill Black and Yves Smith. Georgiou was, shall we say, measured in his opinions.

~*~

Petition Salem Nuclear Generating Station And The NJPDES On Behalf Of The Stop The Salem Nuke Fish Slaughter Campaign

From the inbox ~

With the Oyster Creek decision to shut down in 2019 now a done deal, officially sanctioned by the NRC, it is time to focus on Salem Units 1 and 2, and their continued slaughter of billions of fish and other aquatic life because of PSEG's refusal to invest in a closed cooling system (cooling towers) for their two aging nuclear plants.

Please sign on to the letter below to join our coalition to make sure that the NJDEP does right by the environment of the Delaware Bay. Please note that this campaign
focuses only on the issues of 316(b), fish slaughter, and cooling towers. Please include your title, and address, phone, and email of your organization. If you are signing on as an individual, please be sure to indicate that your organizational information is "for identifaction only" Out of state and national organizations are welcome to sign on as well.

Thanks
Norm Cohen, Stop The Salem Nuke Fish Slaughter Campaign.

Dear friends of the Delaware Bay, and organizations that have worked on cooling tower issues at Oyster Creek and/or Salem:

The opportunity to reform activities at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station so as to protect the fish populations and habitats of the Delaware Estuary is once again moving to the forefront. In anticipation of the need to advocate for reforms in the form of a new permit we felt it important first to reach out so as to rebuild our coalition on this issue.

Salem kills over 3 billion Delaware River fish a year, with changed technology they could reduce their fish kills by as much as, or even more than, 95%. Their wetland project has resulted in the application of tens of thousands of pounds of the herbicide glyphosate and established a precedent of herbicide use that has taken us from a statewide use of 600 pounds in l995 to 5,200 pounds in 2005, a nine fold increase in aquatic use. Things have to change at Salem and in New Jersey.

And so, we would like to invite all of you to please join us in our efforts to secure a new NJPDES permit that, at the least, will:

1. Require the installation of closed cycle cooling water technologies at Salem or the implementation of a technology that can achieve similar levels (at least a 95%) of reduction in the fish kills resulting from impingement and entrainment, and clearly and directly state that this requirement is the Best Technology Available under the Best Professional Judgment of the NJ DEP and, therefore, is what is required in order for the facility to fulfill the requirements of § 316(b) of the Clean Water Act; and

2. Require Salem to restore wetlands and other estuary habitats to directly make up for historical ecosystem losses (including fish impinged and entrained by Salem, horseshoe crabs who have gotten trapped on the back bays to die in the sun, and shorebirds who have suffered the loss of the eggs the crabs would have provided, etc.) without relying on, or increasing, use of herbicides; and

3. Require that any such wetlands and other estuary habitat restorations and enhancements not be used to offset current or future ecosystem losses resulting from ongoing operation of the facility (i.e., that these measures cannot be used to fulfill Clean Water Act requirements for minimizing future adverse impacts of Salem operations with or without closed cycle cooling water technologies).”

Our coalition will join forces to call for the above platform. While different organizations may have a different level of interest in each of the above items, it is important we all remain in support of the same overall message – by doing so there is a greater chance of success for the missions of each of the participating organizations.

Clean Ocean Action, Cindy Zipf
Coalition For Peace and Justice, Norm Cohen
Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum
Environment New Jersey, Dena Mottola
Jersey Coast Anglers, Tom Fote
NJ Chapter Sierra Club, Jeff Tittel
NJ Environmental Federation, Amy Goldsmith
Tidewaters Gateway Partnership Inc., Richard H. McNutt, President

To join the coalition working collaboratively to achieve the platform above please email your organization's name, address and phone number, plus your name and position in your organization. If you want to sign on as an individual, please provide the above information, but make sure you write "for identification only". Please email your sign on to: Norm Cohen, Coalition for Peace and Justice(ncohen12@comcast.net); or Jane Nogaki, NJ Environmental Federation janogaki@comcast.net) or David Pringle, NJEF dpringle@cleanwater.org, and/or Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper (keepermaya@delawareriverkeeper.org).

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Coons' Patent Reform Act To Tackle Backlogs, Streamline Challenges And Spur Business Growth

(presser)

Patent Reform Act will make U.S. more competitive
Measure would encourage innovation by reforming patent application and appeal processes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) last week signed-on as an original co-sponsor of S. 23 – The Patent Reform Act – a bill designed to improve the quality of patents and reduce the backlog of applications currently crippling a wealth of innovation.

“The Patent Reform Act is an important piece of the groundwork for sustaining America’s competitiveness,” Senator Coons said. “The United States is at risk of falling behind – not in innovation, but in commercializing those innovations. The government can do a much better job of turning inventors into entrepreneurs – spurring innovation, building businesses, and growing our economy. That starts with making sure we tear down the bureaucratic barriers to success.”

As many as 1.2 million patent applications await disposition by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with the average application taking almost three years and many applications taking much longer.

“It currently takes 26 months after an inventor files a patent application before an inspector from the Patent and Trademark Office even looks at it,” Senator Coons said. “Every day a small business waits for its patent application to be reviewed increases the risk of piracy and threatens its ability to raise capital and put the new product to market. PTO Commissioner Kappos is focused on improving the efficiency of this process and deserves our support. His 2010-2015 Strategic Plan is sound policy, and reflects a significant step forward under current legal constraints. But Congress can help by passing the Patent Reform Act.”

The Patent Reform Act includes measures for improving patent quality and the process by which they are issued.

- The Act transitions the U.S. to a first-inventor-to-file system to simplify the application system and bring it into better alignment with our international trading partners.
- The Act will strengthen patent quality by allowing third parties to submit prior art with explanations as to its relevance, adding unprecedented depth to the
application review process.
- The Act will also strengthen patent quality by introducing a “first window” post-grant opposition proceeding for challengers, helping weed-out patents that should not have been issued.
- The Act will improve the process for challenging a patent before a panel of administrative patent judges while at the same time including procedural protections so that these challenges are not used for purposes of harassment.
- The Act prevents patents from being issued on claims for tax strategies.
- The Act provides more certainty in the calculation of damages for patent infringement.

A vote on the Patent Reform Act is expected in the Senate Judiciary on Thursday.

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Black History Month Programming Set For February 5th And 26th In Dover

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs

On Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del., will present "Trilogy: A Celebration of African American History" featuring three living history performances: "A Black Man's Journey," "End Slavery, Stop the War" and "A Judge's Ruling." Conducted by Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs' historical interpreters dressed in period clothing, the performances will illuminate the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in Delaware before, during and after the Civil War; as well as exploring the diverse attitudes of the state's citizens during the 18th and 19th centuries. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions and talk with the interpreters who will remain in character throughout their appearances. Programs will be presented at the following times: "A Black Man's Journey" at 11 a.m.; "End Slavery, Stop the War" at 1 p.m. and "A Judge's Ruling" at 3 p.m. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
"Trilogy: A Celebration of African American History" is presented in conjunction with "First Saturday in the First State," a monthly series of events sponsored by the First State Heritage Park. Admission for all programs is free and open to the public. For additional information, call the First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries at 302-744-5055.

On Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, from 10 a.m. to Noon, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will host a workshop on researching, transcribing and interpreting historical documents that can be used to illuminate the lives of the enslaved and free blacks who lived and worked on the John Dickinson Plantation. The plantation was the boyhood home and country estate of John Dickinson, one of the founding fathers of the United States and "Penman of the Revolution." Conducted by Madeline Dunn, curator of education for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and site supervisor Gloria Henry, the workshop will take place at the John Dickinson Plantation, located at 340 Kitts Hummock Rd. in Dover, Del. Admission to this adults-only workshop is free and open to the public but, due to seating limitations, reservations must be made by calling 302-739-3277 no later than Feb. 25, 2011.

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Delaware Riverkeeper: New Study Proves That The Philadelphia District Army Corps Of Engineers "Has Become The Poster Child For Bad Government"

The Delaware Riverkeeper writes:

Delaware Report Challenges U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers' Claims On Deepening Restoration Benefits [pdf link HERE]

The findings of a DNREC-commissioned study shows that the Army Corps river-dredging provisions for dumping dredge spoils on Delaware shores will severely harm horseshoe crab spawning habitat. According to the Riverkeeper, that will harm Delaware "jobs, communities and the environments we depend on to sustain us" --yet the Corps mischaracterized the spoils dumping as beneficial to our natural resources.

Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, concludes that the "Army Corps is illegally and unilaterally exempting itself out of state and federal legal obligations - the Corps knows that this project can't meet the requirements of the law without deception and secrecy".

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