Political Gossip and Tidbits Wandering About The Small Wonder That is Delaware-The 10/1/15 Edition

We have not one but TWO contenders for Carney’s job! Plus new fees everywhere, and the strange death of Nathan. Much more snark and wise commentary.

The Mystery of the Dead Child

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost may Jesus have this young child in His arms and rock him gently for all of eternity.

Delaware State Police are investigating the sudden death of Nathan Leppo on September 22 in Oak Orchard; police declined to comment further and officials with the Division of Forensic Science said the cause and manner of Nathan’s death are NOT available. Meantime, a spokesman with the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families would NOT say whether the department was involved because of confidentiality.

However, today (Wednesday, Sept. 30) Kelli was able to speak candidly with Nathan’s father, Wayne Leppo.

I listened to Kelli’s interview of this child’s father and it was rather odd. Let me see if I can gather the pertinent points.

Nathan’s mother is in jail. His father, the interviewee referenced above, has a fiancee and THEY have two children AND they are currently homeless.

The person taking care of Nathan somehow left the child and he managed to strangle himself with a shower curtain.

Sure. And I got a bridge to sell anyone who believes this.

I sobbed over this story because Nathan was only seven years old. He deserved to live, to enjoy life, to grow into a man, become a husband and a father.

We’re keeping eyeballs on how this story ends.

Huge Health ins increase

Well I’d give another sign of the cross but never mind.

From the Republican Caucus Facebook page:

Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart today confirmed approval of a 22.4% rate hike in the individual market for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware. The main reason cited for the increase was the impact of the federal Affordable Care Act, which is increasingly proving to have been poorly named…

How about a big OMG?!?!

Almost a 25% rate increase and yon readers, if you think the deductibles, co-pays and other outright robbery aren’t going to increase, again I’m still holding onto that bridge, sways a bit in the wind, don’t use it this weekend.

I predict a HUGE increase in Medicaid enrollment what with Delaware’s illegal immigrant population and the addition of the many who simply cannot afford health insurance even if “cheap”.

Carney’s response about planned parenthood

I have a friend who should be running against Joan Deaver. But I digress. He sent a letter to John Carney, currently Delaware’s only Representative in America’s House and soon to be running for Delaware Governor.

I have long been an advocate for ensuring affordable and reliable healthcare coverage for my constituents. Consistent with that position, I have been a supporter of Title X funding. As you may know, these federal funds are used to provide family planning and preventative health services, including abstinence counseling and breast and cervical cancer screening. Planned Parenthood is a recipient of Title X funding, which it uses to provide family planning services and education to women across the country. No federal funds are permitted to be used to pay for abortions.

In the wake of the videos that were recently released, I have heard considerable concerns from the public about the specific practices in question. In light of the concerns raised, I hope there will be a fair and transparent look at Planned Parenthood’s practices and policies to ensure they are consistent with the law. I don’t believe it serves anyone for either side to use this issue in a partisan way. The matters at hand are serious, and they ought to be treated as such.

Sorry folks but this warrants another OMG! Even that Richardson woman stated that Planned Parenthood had no mammogram machines but here’s a declaration from Carney that PP provides extensive health services.

Again I still got that bridge because anybody who believes that PP does abstinence counseling is eligible to win this bridge, do not use during the upcoming hurricane!

Then he blabbers on about public concerns over the recent horrific videos of aborted babies being routinely butchered for their brains and other body parts BUT….yon readers, Carney warns that it will do no good to treat the matter in a partisan way. Which, as I translate, means if Republicans even mention the issue then they are guilty of being partisan.

Or something.

Not one but TWO new Republican Contenders for Delaware’s only Representative to America’s House.

I covered the two freshly minted Democratic contenders stepping up replace John Carney HERE. The Democratic contenders for the nomination to run in the general election for Representative include a Short and a Townsend.

Now we have a couple of hats thrown in the ring on the Republican side.

First there’s Hans Reigle, former Mayor of Wyoming….how cool is that, coming all the way here from Wyoming to help Delaware…..NO WAIT!

Republican Hans Reigle, the former mayor of Wyoming and chairman of the Kent County GOP, formally began his election campaign for Delaware’s lone seat in the U.S. House on Wednesday.

Although he had initially filed months prior, Reigle kicked off his campaign following the announcement that two state lawmakers, Rep. Bryon Short (D-Brandywine Hundred) and Sen. Bryan Townsend (D-Newark/Bear) will seek the House seat currently held by U.S. Rep. John Carney (D-Delaware), who is running for Governor in 2016.

If elected, Reigle said he would focus on supporting legislation that lifts excessive regulation, particularly on the manufacturing industry, and reducing the country’s spending and deficit.

“I believe things are moving in the wrong direction,” he said. “We’ve been doing the same things with the same names for years and we have to change.”

Well hey he’s chairman of the Kent County GOP and that’s a plus.

BUT we’ve got another!

His name is Thomas Lehman, DOCTOR….he’s a Urologist from Wilmington. Yes he is Republican.

I did some research and couldn’t find much of any political background on this guy but he’s from Wilmington.

Consider wisely when pulling that lever in the Republican Primaries.

New MVA Fees, etc.

The new Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, is all busy reducing fees for everything down the shore a bit. Because every once in a great while Maryland elects a Republican Governor.

I know this because I am from Maryland, not that I am proud of this.

It is then that Republican Governor’s job to reduce all the absurd fee and tax increases wrought by several Democratic administrations prior. Right now Hogan is cleaning up O’Malley’s mess. O’Malley is running for President that he may tax you to death on a national level.

So now the Democrats are increasing all sorts of fees that, truthfully, haven’t been raised since the early 90’s.

47 ABC reports that one of the main bills going into effect today (Thursday) is House bill 140. The bill is aimed at raising money for infrastructure; $24 million dollars a year for critical upgrades that will make Delaware’s roads and bridges safer and create about 1,300 new construction jobs.

That new funding will come from increases to several Department of Motor Vehicle fees that have gone largely unchanged since 1990.

Here’s the result, as I softly predict. Delawareans are, logistically, often from surrounding states, chased here by huge property, sales and income taxes. Often they do not have a feel for the local political scene, having at the time of the move to Delaware’s shores, finally a property tax they can afford.

But let the Democrats start messing around with these fees that affect all Delawareans so much and soon we too shall have to elect a Republican Governor to reduce all these fees.

Maybe we will pick that Republican Governor in 2016. Lacey Lafferty, start preaching about reducing those fees, hell shout from the roof tops that you will reduce ALL taxes across the board and will pay for the reduction in income with reductions in expenses.

Even those from other states understand that reducing expenses is a good way to make up for reduced income. It’s only the Democrats that don’t get this.

Wilmington Trust Intrigue

So when I moved to Delaware, at some point I had to move all my IRA money to a local bank. Well, I told husband, what stronger institute into which to deposit our savings than a bank known as WILMINGTON TRUST?

I mean it’s got the name of the biggest city in Delaware right in the name.

Attorneys for Wilmington Trust are asking a federal judge to halt an investor lawsuit stemming from the bank’s collapse until criminal charges against several former executives are resolved.

Wilmington Trust attorneys said in court papers this week that document production in the lawsuit should be put on hold following the recent indictments of four former bank officials, noting their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Former bank president Robert Harra Jr., former chief financial officer David Gibson, former chief credit officer William North and former controller Kevyn Rakowski are charged with fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to federal regulators.

The defendants are accused both criminally and civilly of concealing information about the bank’s deteriorating commercial real estate loan portfolio, which led to its hasty acquisition by M&T Bank in 2011.

Well once Wilmington Trust changed into M&T I got antsy. Not that I have anything against M&T and they did a fine job of transitioning my money into their system.

But I did not like it, no I did not. Further I had my checking account in BankofAmerica and they too did a fine job of handling my money except….THEY HAD NO BRANCHES IN DELAWARE!.

So I transferred it all, kit and caboodle, to a local bank here in Delaware and now I read about Wilmington Trust’s bad history now coming to a head and I’m glad I did the deed.

Free Promotion of the week

State GOP Chair Charlie Copeland asks your help by making him the top-grossing bartender.

Mental Health Association in Delaware (MHA) www.mhainde.org Fundraiser — Guest Bartender Night — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 8 at Buckley’s Tavern, 5812 Kennett Pike in Greenville, DE (www.buckleystavern.com). 100% of tips go to MHA as does 10% of dinner receipts during the two hours.

Please, come on out and support me while I make your favorite drink, or try! “Pour until the glass is full or the bottle is empty!”

If you cannot make the event, please mail your donation/gratuity check with my name in the memo part of the check to: MHA in DE, 100 W. 10th St., #600, Wilmington, DE 19801. If you would like to learn more about MHA and E-Racing the Blues, visit their websites at www.mhainde.org and www.eracingtheblues.org.

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I do not respond to comments on my posts. I certainly have no problem with such commentary and, indeed, encourage it. But I’ve written my piece and I don’t want to argue it further.

Please feel free to email me at patfish1@aol.com if you want to send me a special comment or have any ideas or information you want to share.

NEXT : Starting a new thread topic called “The National Scene Tidbits…..” . Much like this type of post but scoops, snark and sarcasm on the national political scene.