I had been waiting to allow one of the contributors over at Delaware Politics to have first shot at this post, seeing as Delaware Politics is David Anderson’s blog site, so one would think that one of the contributors would have written this post.

But alas it seems as though they are just too caught up in their own lives to recognize the extreme sacrifice that their friend David recently made, not just to benefit himself, but to protect all of us.

David Anderson recently returned from Afghanistan where he had been serving in his role as a Delaware National Guardsmen. He was there for a year, away from his family and friends.

David has always been a person to put service before self. He is a sitting Dover City council member as well as being active in other ways in his community. He is a father and a husband who was called away from that family to help protect my family and yours. I think that we all owes David, as well as every man and women who puts on a uniform and stands a watch, a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay, but one we must recognize.

I once was a contributor on David’s blog, we parted ways due to a difference of opinion, but I hope that we remain friends, so David on behalf of myself and those who know you best.

Welcome home, and thank God you are safe, and thank you for your sacrifice.

Good morning friends,

This morning I want to let everyone know about a great opportunity to hear two great women speak at an event of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of Delaware.  Rev. Dr. Alveda King and Star Parker on Saturday March 15^th will be speaking at the Freedom, Education, Opportunity Conference being held at the Delaware Technical and Community College located on 100 Campus Drive, Corporate Center 1, Dover.  The Conference time starts at 4:00pm till 8:00pm with food and refreshments.

Now folks, this is one great opportunity to hear firsthand what the King family is all about.  Learn what drives Rev. Dr. King to keep her uncle’s dream alive.  That’s not all; Star Parker is a syndicated columnist, Republican politician, social critic, author and conservative activist.  Join us for this event.   Time is of the essence, order your tickets now.

I have recently been motivated by Mr. Atkins to take a look at his history of so-called conservatism. Mr. Atkins has always been the first to tout his conservative votes, so I have taken it upon myself to bring out some of his less conservative votes and sponsored legislation.

I found this one in the 145th General Assembly, HB 258,

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED DEADLY WEAPONS.

   This Act increases, from $34.50 to $65.00, the filing fee assessed by the Superior Court in connection with an application for a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon.  The Act also extends the term of validity for new licenses from 2 to 3 years and the term of validity for renewal licenses from 3 to 5 years.  Increasing the fees for licenses, as well as the period for which such licenses are valid, will enhance efficiency and preserve resources by reducing the frequency with which the Superior Court and Attorney General’s Office must allocate resources to administer the program.

Mr. Atkins was the primary sponsor on this bill. As you can see it raises the “FEE”, in other words the tax, for filing for a concealed carry permit. This alone, from someone who is never shy about telling people how conservative he is when it comes to gun rights, is bad enough, but then the synopsis goes on to tell us how extending the term of validity for a new license from two to three years, and from three to five for renewal, while raising the tax, will make things more efficient and preserve resources.

Well is it just me? or would have just changing the terms actually have saved the state both money and resources? If you don’t have to do something as often, then it will already cost you less, but that wasn’t good enough for good old John Atkins, the so-called conservative, he had to go and raise the cost as well.

It is up to citizens to fact check our elected officials, we can’t simply allow them to go on local radio and tip their ball-caps back on their head with a piece of grass hanging out of the corner of their moths, while saying, “ah shucks yawl, I  am the most conservative man in Dover, why I voted to get a bus driver the right to have a flag on his bus, dag gummit, taint no one more conservative than me”.

    A story in the Wilmington News Journal tells us that the number of Delaware citizens receiving food stamps has nearly tripled in the past ten years, as compared to a relatively small 14% increase in population.

The story is based on numbers obtained from the Delaware Department of Health, and was broken down by ZIP codes throughout the state over the years from 2003-2013, and while all showed varying increases, all three counties show an increase of at least 97%.

From the article, “In New Castle County’s 19713 ZIP code south of Newark, the population fell 2.7 percent, yet the number of food stamp recipients increased 299 percent. In Kent’s 19977 in Smyrna, the population grew by an astounding 70 percent, while the food stamp population increased 250 percent. In the Rehoboth Beach area of Sussex, where population grew nearly 23 percent, the number of food stamp users skyrocketed 325 percent.” Maybe someone should ask House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf what’s going on in his district.

The state average also grew faster than did the national average, 196% for the state, as compared to 124% nationally.

And even with these numbers, we are told that “ONLY” 77% of eligible citizens have signed up for food stamps, even though the state actively recruits people with marketing and advertisement. Also Delaware expanded eligibility to make it possible for even more people to obtain food stamps.

Of course the economy has played a large role in driving more people to depend on government subsidies to survive, but we cannot completely ignore the personal choices of some of the people receiving these hand outs.

The WNJ article of course had a couple of examples of people suffering because the amount of food stamps they receive is not enough.

One was about a  sixty-eight year old grandmother raising her grandchildren. She stated that she couldn’t afford the juices and vegetables for a balanced diet, but I couldn’t help noticing that in the photos of her and her grand-daughter, she was looking at TV dinners and that is what the child was eating. These are the most expensive foods in a store. For what she pays for five of these, she could buy a cheap cut roast, or a chicken and get several meals out of it. Of course this would not be as convenient as TV dinners in the microwave oven.

Then there was the story of  a mother of seven, ages 18-2 years-old, with another on the way. Really? Do I have to point out the personal choices that this woman has made that make her life more difficult?

And even with this story out there about how difficult it is for the citizens of Delaware to make ends meet, we have the Markell administration, and the Democrats who control both houses of the Legislature, calling for more and more taxes. From raising the tax on a gallon of gas by ten cents, to imposing a tax on land owners to pay for water treatment.

What did we get from the Democrats and Gov. Markell in the last legislative session? Did we get bills that created jobs? Did we get bills that reduced regulations so new companies would want to come to Delaware? Did we get bills that did anything to reduce the tax burden upon Delaware’s working class?

Hell no!

What we got from Gov. Markell, and Speaker of the House Schwartzkopf were bills to bump up their special interest voting groups. We got homosexual marriage legislation, we got equal rights for trans-genders to use the same bathrooms as our wives and daughters, we got gun bill, after gun bill to take away the constitutional rights of our citizens, and not one job was created from these bills, not one tax was reduced, not one regulation was repealed to improve the business environment, not one bill was put forth to reduce the cost of energy. In fact this administration and its lap dog legislators, actually makes electric rate payers subsidize their pet green energy projects like Bloom energy, and Blue Water Wind, with absolutely no return for the investment in jobs or lower taxes, or lower energy bills. And let us not forget the Fisker folly of Jack Markell.

So when you read these heart wrenching stories of how hard it is for the citizens of Delaware, ask yourself. Who has been in the governor’s chair for the past twenty plus years, and who has been at the helm of the legislature in recent years, and what have they done for you lately to make your life easier. Democrats that’s who, and nothing, that’s what.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/03/08/food-stamp-use-increasing-in-delaware/6218559/

This past Friday I had a need to go to the Kent County Levy Court building to acquire some paperwork. As I was trying to do this, and then get to work without being too awfully late, I arrived around seven-thirty, the offices open at eight.

I waited in the parking lot until around seven-forty five. While waiting I saw quite a few employees showing up for work and going in through the main entrance. Also since this was not my first trip to the Levy Court, and since I carry a lot of things in my pockets at work, I emptied my pockets before going in, to avoid doing so at the security checkpoint.

I then went inside to wait the last ten minutes in the lobby, just outside the security checkpoint. While waiting I again witnessed about fifteen or twenty employees coming to work. In every case they would walk through the front door, directly to the security checkpoint, which includes a metal detector, they would say good morning to the guard sitting at a desk just inside the metal detector, the employees would then walk non-stop through the metal detector, and in every case set it off with a tone, and a red light.

Not once did the guard ask them to stop to be wanded. Nor were they asked to empty their pockets, or to have the numerous bags they were carrying inspected.

At eight o’clock I stood up, walked to the metal detector and stepped through. Because I wear steeled toed shoes, and had my keys in my hand, the detector went off. I explained to the guard as he jumped to his feet about my shoes, he then grabbed his wand and swept over me to confirm that I had no weapons or other contraband on my person.

The whole time I had sat there watching the employees get a free pass I had been asking myself, what’s the point of this security checkpoint?

I have no problem passing through this one, or any other wherever they may be. Some may find them intrusive and humiliating in some cases. I do not. I had nothing to hide and so went freely through.

However, it would seem as though through too many years of seeing the same faces come through in the morning, that the guards have become lax in their responsibilities. That is unless this is actually policy, that employees are above suspicion.

My concern is that we know that it has happened many times, that an employee will show up at work and decide to shoot up the place.

Are we to think that the powers that be are only concerned with citizens showing up to do harm to public workers? Is it no possible that public workers may show up to do harm to other public workers, and also any innocent citizens who may happen to be in the building at the time?

I saw ladies carrying purses large enough to conceal small rocket launchers, men carrying backpacks, and briefcases, all of which could have been used to hide guns and other weapons. Yet simply because they are government employees they are not put through the same security procedures as the people they work for.

I use this as an example because I witnessed it. I am just as sure that it is not a practice that is unique to the Kent County Levy Court. I am sure that familiarity breeds laxness. These guards see the same people day in and day out, they know about their families, they know their personal stories in some cases. This should not however exempt anyone from being processed in the same manner as the average person off the street.

Imagine if you will that at an airport a guard who sees the same pilots and flight attendants over and over, simply waives them through security checkpoints. Would this be acceptable? I think not.

This bring me to this question. If we are going to exempt all of the employees at these buildings, then why have such security in place at all? Why pay the cost of the guards? Why pay the cost of the equipment and its upkeep? What is the point of security at all, if we are leaving such a gaping hole in it?

I really don’t have a problem paying for such security, but if it is only there to protect the employees and not everyone who enters the building then it is a waste of money.