We can always count on the Sussex GOP to provide a little lite entertainment, and high drama, and this month’s Executive Committee meeting did not fail to do just that.

Prior to the regular meeting the election of a new RD Chairperson for the 20th R D was scheduled to be held, to replace outgoing Nelly Jordan, who was elected to state Vice-Chair, and then temporarily promoted to State Chair when John Sigler resigned.

Two people had put their names in for consideration, one was Tom Bain (hope I spelled that correctly), the other was the Husband of Nelly Jordan, Tom Jordan.

Well there was a short bit of politicking and then they held the first round of voting, of course as luck would have it there were eight people voting and the vote ended in a 4/4 tie. As I was at the back of the room I could see what was happening but was only getting pieces of the conversation.

Thinking that there would be more politicking and another vote I turned to speak with others about the tie, that is when I heard the booming voice of the Executive Committee’s Parliamentarian, Miguel Pirez-Fabar. When I turned to see what was happening I saw the two candidates shaking hands and Tom Jordan was declared the winner.

Since this had taken place within seconds of the first and only vote I had no idea what could have happened. We thought maybe a miss-count of the vote, or maybe one of those voting had verbally changed their vote.

But no! In the grand tradition of the Sussex GOP, we had once again gotten it wrong.

It seems  as if the “Parliamentarian” had stated that it was in the rules that ties were to be settled by a coin toss.

This of course caused a flurry of people to pull out their smart phones and to go to the Sussex site to view the rules. Here is a link to those rules, http://www.sussexgop.org/Sussex-County-GOP-Rules/

It took very little time to determine that no such rule existed. The rules simply state that a tie will trigger another vote, no mention of a coin toss.

Not since the overtime coin toss, of the 1998 Thanksgiving Day NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit lines, has a coin toss gone so bad because of an official not being up to the challenge.  That was the coin toss that the Steelers’ Jerome Bettis stated that he had called tails, and the official had heard heads, the toss had been tails and the Lions had won the toss. It was quite a controversy.

I later heard Mr. Pirez-Fabar say that, “well it used to be in the rules”.

This may be, however, to know the whole story of this little mishap you have to also know that along with being the Parliamentarian, Mr. Pirez-Fabar is also on the rules committee of the E C, and the rules committee has been pouring over the rules for months making what they call necessary changes. So, after reading and re-reading the rules for months, while also  “acting” as the Parliamentarian, Mr. Pirez-Fabar still thought that a coin toss was the correct way to settle a tie after only one vote.

Let me be clear, the toss could have gone in Mr. Bain’s favor as easily as it did in Mr. Jordan’s, the problem here is that we have people who say they want to go by the rules, and they are constantly changing the rules, yet they don’t seem to know the rules.

Once it was determined that a mistake was made, a determination that did not seem to include Mr. Pirez-Fabar who was speaking with a woman while others where searching the rules, the people of the 20th were called aside to take more votes, which continued to end in ties.

Once time came to call the regular meeting to order, they left to continue in another room. It was not until minutes before the regular meeting was adjourned that Tom Bain was announced as the winner.

Some will say that this was some sort of shenanigans, but what it was, was playing by the rules.

By the way, Phil Luckett was the   official who was officiating the overtime coin toss in 1998, and he would have been so proud that the Sussex GOP had the courage to get it right, after getting it so wrong.

Common Core is a seemingly harmless set of educational standards signed on to by the 46 states. While the actual content of the Core seems rather innocuous, it’s the intent of the Core that many should find offensive. The Common Core attempts to standardize what students “should know” in each grade so as to hold all students across the country (and their educators) to the same account. This will — hopefully — mean all students are on the same level playing field so as to make us, allegedly, more competitive in this global marketplace.

In Delaware, we’ve gone from Performance Indicators to Grade Level Expectations to Common Core State Standards in about five years. Teachers have been trying to keep up with the pace at which their standards keep changing. When you read the Common Core standards, there is an element of simplification that could actually be a benefit to many teachers. There are fewer standards that children have to master. In essence, the Common Core standards seek to ensure children MASTER fewer standards at an earlier point in their scholastic career to ensure they have a solid foundation to move on to more complex challenges in their middle and high school careers.

My criticism of Common Core is what I feel will be the inevitable outcomes. While those who support the Core say there’s no reason to believe CURRICULUM will be standardized, there are reasonable concerns that this will happen and the individuality a teacher brings to his or her classroom and instruction will be watered down to meet these Federal standards. There’s a possibility for loss of local control beyond what we’ve already ceded by signing on to Common Core. There will be a greater emphasis on ensuring teachers are rigidly sticking to the Core when their administrators do walk-throughs of their classroom as well as other formal observations and evaluations.

Again, while the intent of the Core is likely harmless, the outcome could prove devastating to the creativity and spirit of millions of teachers across the country who already feel bogged down by the continued bureaucratic, top-down mess that seems to be invading their classrooms. The jury is still out on the Core, but when we take a look at other Federal initiatives like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, then there’s reason for many of us to be concerned.

This may come as a surprise to some, but the Delaware GOP is in total disarray. After going through the convention process and electing new state-wide officers, we were informed that the newly re-elected chairman would be resigning immediately, and this only weeks after the convention.

So now another convention has been called, and we will again elect a chairman. But believe it or not, this is the least of the troubles facing the Delaware Republican Party.

It is true that the new chairman will play a large role in turning the party around, and creating an environment in which the party can grow, and again lead, however, first the members of the party must recognize the problems facing the Delaware GOP. When I say members, I don’t simply mean the active working members of the various committees. I mean every man and woman who is a registered member of the Delaware Republican Party, because it will take every member to heal the wounds, and set a course for the GOP in Delaware. It will mean at times setting aside old battles, to put the needs of the whole before the needs of the special interest, to understand that to lead, to govern, first we must win. And to do that there are certain realities that we must all face.

It is no great secret that there has been an ever-growing divide within the Delaware Republican Party. It is no secret that divide began to expand sometime around 2006, it became a gaping chasm in 2008, and has turned into the “Grand Canyon” of political divides since 2010.  It would be foolish to say that certain candidates were not blamed for this divide, on one side Mike Castle is blamed, on the other side Christine O’Donnell is blamed. This is one of those old battles that must be put aside if the party is to move forward.  And if we are honest, then we must recognize that to blame candidates is only half of the story. It is almost always the voters who hold a grudge after a primary or general election lost. The team mentality plays out in many ways, sometimes people feel that if their team can’t win, then no body should win. A rivalry begins and grows to the point, that voters can lose sight of the bigger picture. Some have even come to believe, that taking out members of their own team is more important than defeating the true opposition.

That is where we have come to in the Republican Party of Delaware. In many ways the divide is geographical, north vs. south, but there is also a divide based upon socio-economic differences, the so called, have and have-nots. Then there is the divide based on the perception of what constitutes being a “TRUE” conservative. This last one is probably the most divisive of all, because it is totally suggestive. Each small group, and even each person, will have a slightly different view of the definition of conservatism. Each will claim to be right, and many will insist, that failure to adhere to their view of conservatism, will not simply make you less of a conservative, but will actually make you a “LIBERAL”.  It is this “check list politics”, or purity testing, that has become the norm for many who seek to be the face of the Delaware GOP.

On the other side you have what have come to be called the “moderates” of the GOP, or RINOs (Republicans in name only), they see the self-proclaimed true conservatives as “right-wing nut jobs”, they hold a grudge over past losses, they feel that the new direction of the party is not only detrimental to the GOP in Delaware, but to Delaware itself, because the new direction has led to one party rule by the Democrats.

If we first look at the geographical nature of the divide, we will see that it is not based simply on location, but is based on differing needs.  Put simply, the people in northern Delaware have a different view of the role of government than do the people of southern Delaware. In New Castle County a large number of people need public transportation, they rely upon public water and sewer. They are more likely to call the police and wait for aid, than to defend themselves with weapons they own. This is not simply because they are liberals and that they like big government, it is based on the realities of living in a more urban environment. This reality has caused many to not fear government, but to rely upon it, so they do not understand many of the fears that people in southern Delaware have.

In southern Delaware, people own cars to travel at will, they have wells and septic systems that they are responsible for, they will defend their homes first, and then call the police to report the death of the intruder. Again this is not based simply on an inherent loathing of government, it is the reality of living in a more rural environment. Public transportation doesn’t work in the spread out Sussex County, and while public water and sewer are expanding, there is still no dire need to rely solely upon them, and with the often lengthy response times for police, it only makes sense to be able to defend your own home. This is not simply because they are conservatives and hate all things government, it is based on the realities of living in a more rural area. This reality has caused many to not rely on government, but to rely upon themselves, and they do not understand why others would give up what they see as freedom.

To heal the geographical divide, we must first recognize these differences, and as a party work to find compromise that addresses all of the needs, without attempting to minimize the needs of others. This is ever so important when choosing candidates, the candidates in New Castle will have to reflect the needs and views of New Castle, and likewise the candidates for Kent and Sussex must reflect the needs and views of those areas.

The trouble comes when we talk of state-wide candidates, because every area expects the candidate to reflect their needs and views to the exclusion of all others, anything short of one-hundred percent compliance to those needs and views will result in being labeled either a liberal or a right-wing nut job. Candidates will need to be honest when talking to voters, and voters will need to be informed about not only their own needs, but the needs of the entire state, and they must be willing to compromise for the good of the entire state.

As for the socioeconomic divide, well that is as old, as the ages. There has been and always will be those who think they are better than others simply because they have been more successful, then there are those who are simply jealous of that success. These differing levels of success will again affect how individuals will perceive the role of government.

Those who have been successful to varying degrees will see no need to spend more tax dollars on programs and  projects, that they have no need for, especially when they are specifically targeted to raise the tax revenue to pay for those programs.

Those who have not been as successful will in many cases reach for any floating branch as the river rises, and they will see the successful people as greedy for not wanting to pay higher taxes to save the less successful. Both are natural responses, and neither makes one more or less conservative, they are simply human.

So how do we turn this ship around? First we need leadership that is not afraid to speak the hard truths to the rank and file of the entire state, we need leaders who will also listen to the needs and views of the entire state, and not attempt to silence opposing views. Leaders who can find compromise that addresses those needs without ignoring one group simply to benefit another.

The Republican rank and file must become the most informed voter base in the state, for with information, comes knowledge and authority. However, the rank and file cannot simply seek that information from like-minded sources. They cannot simply create echo chamber clubs, that do little more than regurgitate tired old, hate filled rhetoric. They should seek that information from diverse sources. Yes, even from sources they perceive as the opposition, for we will always learn more from those we oppose, than we will from simply talking with those we agree with. How can we find compromise, if we never talk with those we  oppose?

To begin, we within the Republican Party must work to put aside the past. We must find ways to work together to raise money and find candidates that fit the districts that they run in. But we must do this from a stance of unity.  This does not mean that we will always agree one-hundred percent of the time, but we must be willing to listen, to hear, and to recognize what our fellow Republicans are saying, and not simply discount it because it does not fit hand in glove with our own.

Many may disagree with what I am about to say, but in reality the Republican Party of Delaware has all of the pieces to the puzzle, it is only a matter of the right people being able to put them together.

In New castle County we have people who know how to, and who have the ability to raise the money needed to run a successful party. In Kent and Sussex we have people who know how to, and have successfully organized at the grass-roots level, to get out the vote and to motivate volunteers. A party that can do neither of these, will never be successful. The trick is to bring the two together.

I truly believe that we can, but it will require that we put aside our blind adherence to a single issue, that we put aside our old anger, over old battles. That we recognize the need for small compromise, in order to make gains.  That we recognize that some who claim to have the best interest of the party at heart, truly don’t. That some who refuse to compromise are not “true conservatives” putting principles before party. But are simply mean, uninformed demagogues who seek only to destroy, and not to build or grow.

Yes, the Delaware Republican Party is in disarray, but it is not hopeless.

It is being reported that there has been an upturn in the number of building related permits being issued by county and local agencies in Delaware in  the past year.

Local governments in the past year, March of 2012 to March of 2013, have issue 4,131 permits for single family homes, this is a 26% increase, and should mean new jobs in the construction trade. Just in the first three months of 2013,  1,037 permits have been issued state-wide, this is up from the first quarter of 2012 with only 891 issued.

The increase in building would also mean an increase in the transfer tax that is collected on every home sale. This would mean that state and local governments could stop stressing over creating new revenue streams from punitive ordinances, of which we have seen an increase in since the economic downturn of 2008.

The uptick in permit request seems to be concentrated in Sussex and New Castle counties and should equate to more jobs. Sussex does seem to be the leader in permit issuance with 693 permits for new single family homes so far this year already.  All of this most likely can be tied to rising home prices, which have encouraged both developers to jump back in the pool, and home owners to again consider selling their homes and buying new ones. With interest rates creeping up, but still well below historic highs, this is another reason why many will see this a s a good time to take the leap of faith and start buying again before both prices and rates regain too much momentum.

Right now it is still a buyers market, the question and the gamble is, how long before it becomes a seller’s market again? It would seem that the people in the housing market, the people who make their living from building and selling homes, have begun to feel like it is time to buy and build again in anticipation of this. Let us hope that we do not see the same mistakes that led to the last housing bubble-pop!

I think we can all agree that the last bubble-pop was a result of three major factors, one being the government’s mandate of risky loans the led many to buy homes that they could not afford to pay for. Second, there was a glut of new homes placed on the market as developers attempted to take advantage of the buyers these mandates created, buyers that would not have existed had lenders not been forced to make the loans. And third, the phenomenon of house flipping, where homes were bought simply in order to sell them for a short sell profit as quickly as possible, and in so doing causing prices to artificially rise. With these three factors occurring at the same time, the bubble could not be sustained, and it popped.

Let us keep our fingers crossed that all involved have learned a lesson from the past. That being, let the market determine the need for new homes, let lenders decide where to risk their money, and hopefully the house flippers were so devastated last time, they have no resources  to get back into the game.

Now of course there will be political attempt to take credit for this turn around, but personally I think it is simply the natural ebb and flow of a free market economy. The people with the money to invest have been hunkered down waiting for a time when the consumer again feels comfortable taking on new debt. The developers have been waiting until lenders are again ready to start loaning money, and lenders have been waiting to see how deep the recession would go.

It would seem that at least here in Delaware, that many are willing to take the risk. Only time will tell if they are right or not.

The following is an article that I originally posted on my own site, “Politically Frank in 2009.  Considering the ad hoc  committee hearing held in the Delaware State Senate this week concerning the practices of Planned Parenthood, I felt this oldie but goody was applicable.

The suction and curettage method is a common abortion procedure used in the first trimester of pregnancy. The abortionist begins by dilating the mothers cervix until it is large enough to allow a cannula (a small hollow tube) to be inserted into her uterus. The cannula is attached to a vacuum  type pump by a hose. The cannula is run along the surface of the uterus causing the baby to be dislodged and sucked into the tube either whole or in pieces along with amniotic fluid and the placenta and end up in a collection jar. Any remaining parts are scraped out of the uterus with a surgical instrument called a curettage. Then the cannula is used again to ensure that all body parts have been removed.

Another method of abortion is known as , dilation and evacuation. This type of abortion is done after the third month of pregnancy. The cervix must be dilated before the abortion, then a pliers like instrument is inserted into the uterus. The abortionist then seizes a leg, arm or other body part of the baby and with a twisting motion , tears it from the body. This continues until only the head remains. Finally the skull is crushed and pulled out. The nurse then must reassemble the body to ensure that no body parts remain.

In the prostaglandin method ,the hormone prostaglandin is injected into the mother to induce labor. The baby usually dies from the trauma of the delivery. But if the baby is old enough it can be delivered alive. This is called a  “complication” . To prevent this “complication” some abortionist will inject a  ”feticide” (a drug to kill the fetus) into the baby’s heart , then induce labor and deliver a dead baby. This type of abortion is used in mid and late term pregnancies.

Dilation and extraction is a type of abortion that is used in pregnancies of four to nine months gestation. The abortionist inserts forceps into the uterus and grasps one of the baby’s legs and then positions the baby feet first and face down. The child’s body is then pulled out of the birth canal except for the head. The baby is alive and probably kicking and flailing its legs and arms. The abortionist then jams blunt tipped scissors into the baby’s skull and spreads them until a suction tube can be inserted and the brain is sucked out. The skull collapses  and the head is removed from the mother.

Now you tell me , can we call ourselves  a civilized society if we allow this type of genocide to be carried on  either through actively working for the expansion of it , or by turning a blind eye to it ?