Political Gossip and Tidbits Wandering About The Small Wonder That is Delaware-The 4/2/15 Edition

So they let off the sign stealers, eliminated Punkin Chunkin and banned travel to Indiana for God’s sake. What the hell are those people doing up north? Much more in this pre-Easter Delaware tidbit.

Punkin’ Chunkin’ NOT GONNA HAPPEN

Tis a busy time round these parts but I am going to spend some time calling legislators next week. First on the call queue? Patricia Blevins.

I want to know why the Delaware Senate refused to put a cap on “non-economic” damages for personal injury. Note that such as lost wages and medical impact would NOT have a cap. The only cap would be on “pain and suffering” type of awards and at that the cap requested was for a million dollars.

Punkin’ Chunkin’ has been one of the most successful events put on by Sussex county, just a perfect venue and time to bring attention to our tourist area.

It falls on the shoulders of the tourist season, a time when the tourists are more willing to venture to western Sussex county such as Bridgeville, where the festival has been held in the past.

Over the years, Punkin Chunkin has become a cultural phenomenon and a huge economic boost to the farming communities in Sussex County that have hosted it. But ever since Dale Wheatley, who hosted the event on his Bridgeville farm from 2007 to 2013, was sued by an injured volunteer in 2013, it has been feared that the event would leave the state. Because Delaware currently does not have a liability cap, organizers and landowners simply have too much to lose in the event of an unforeseen accident.

Sen. Pettyjohn’s proposed legislation would have placed a $1,000,000 liability cap on non-economic damages awarded for personal injury or wrongful death at special events. Similar to Maryland law, it did not limit punitive damages or economic damages like lost wages and medical bills.
After years of attracting tens of thousands of visitors every fall from around the country – and even the world – Punkin Chunkin was canceled in 2014. The event is scheduled to return Oct. 24-26 at Dover International Speedway, but now there are no guarantees after that.

If this event were held in NewCastle county you can believe that bill would have been passed out of that committee toot de sweet.

As it is, stick to Sussex county, which is what they do.

Kudos to Senator Brian Pettyjohn for fighting this so hard. They even flipped the bird to Kent county.

Jerks.
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Dana Long Gets Off for Sign Stealing

I believe the Delaware state Republican party just let the matter drop.

from Delaware Grapevine:

In the dark of night Dana Long did what he did.

Rid the highways and byways of Middletown of Republican campaign signs, lest the voters go against his wife Bethany Hall-Long, a Democratic state senator up for re-election last year.

The signs disappeared on a first night. They disappeared on a second night. On the third night, Republican operatives fed up with the disappearing signs set up a stakeout with a video camera and caught Long on tape.

It was a stupid campaign trick that came with great cost.

Delaware politics and the press went wild. Long was arrested on a theft charge. Hall-Long nearly lost her seat. After winning legislative elections with ease since 2002, this time she barely escaped with her political life with 51 percent of the vote.

What happened then in the dark of night has now been replaced by the dark of justice.
The theft charge has gone away. Officials from the Republican Party, considered to be the victim, agreed to let the matter be submitted to mediation, as allowed by state law.
It came to pass through the magic of mediation that the case was somehow resolved, and the Attorney General’s Office had it dropped on March 10.

Well hell no I don’t think this hen-pecked namby-pamby should go to jail for stealing campaign signs. I do think some sort of community service or repayment to the Republican party was warranted. How about some sort of public apology and acknowledgement that what he did was anti-Democracy that the children learn a thing or two?

Republicans….air between the legs.

Sussex County Republican Women’s Club Upcoming Fundraiser

I put this as a community service but men, one hundred bucks a ticket?

If someone buys me a ticket I will go, hobnob, and report.

Medical Practice in Lewes Shut Down

from Delaware.gov:

Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) has ordered the closure of Delaware Otolaryngology Consultants in Lewes.

Following up on complaints received by DPH, the agency inspected the ear, nose, and throat medical practice located at 17316 Coastal Highway. It was closed after health inspectors were unable to confirm that proper sterilization procedures had been followed.

DPH officials are encouraging customers and employees who may have received services at this facility to contact their health care provider to discuss evaluation for diseases such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may have been transmitted through potentially unsterile equipment.

This tidbit has been all over the news and I would be remiss to not mention it. I have a choir friend who says this place was filthy beyond belief.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to have medical practices on Coastal Highway. They don’t seem to operate according to law, witness the perverted pediatrician.

I’m jus’ sayin’.

New Castle County Exec Tom Gordon….Such a Hero

So he signs an “executive” order banning local government travel to Indiana due to that state’s RFRA(Religious Faith Restoration Act).

Wonder who on the Obama admin. Phoned up ole Tom and told him to do the deed. Was it the President-whisperer Valerie Jarrett or one of her minions.

Because come on, how the much travelling does New Castle county Delaware government do to Indiana? It’s a publicity ploy and nothing else.
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Jake Smith, Millie and Dan Gaffney WXDE.

As best as I can ascertain the Delaware SPCA came to Jake Smith’s house, Smith being a former DJ somewhere, to take his dog Millie.

I’m frustrated over this story as Dan Gaffney of WXDE featured an interview with Smith this morning on WXDE 105.9.

I love Dan Gaffney, really I do. But for the entire hour from 8am to 9am he never once repeated Smith’s story as to why the SPCA took Jake’s dog Millie, and worse, he never once gave the phone number of WXDE over the air.

Sure I could look it up but I was out exercising and I too had a tale about over-reaching by the SPCA.

I think Millie, Jake’s dog, attacked two Yorkies somewhere but I remind, even though the entire hour from 8am to 9am was taken by callers phoning in their stories, never once was the actual event summarized by Gaffney.

So hey, did you all hear I got a Blog on Delawareright? I will tell my story here.

Dan, throw out your radio station’s phone number once in a while and maybe every hour summarize the stories being discussed. No, I am no radio expert but I AM a listener.

So I was walking my dog upon a public street right here in Deerwood. As I was walking I heard a screen door slam and the wild, angry barking of a dog. A cocker spaniel came out of nowhere and attacked my dog, remember she was tethered on a leash to me, complete with a harness. The cocker attacked my dog and tore a big hole in her side.

Now my dog at the time was a Belgian Malinois, a big dog that was way bigger than that stupid cocker spaniel. And she was with ME, so her job was to protect me.

Well the cocker lost an eyeball but she did live. The owner came out of the house and my dog Jo-Ann had that cocker pinned and to the ground, her teeth clenched around the cocker’s eye but she held the dog tight to the ground and did not try to do more damage.

Me and the cocker’s owner managed to extract the cocker and we even sobbed and held each other for the fear and horror of it all.

My dog had proper rabies’ shots and yes, I had to take her to the Vets.

Next day don’t the SPCA come to my house. I guess the cocker’s owner turned over the incident but what the hell? Is it my fault the cocker got loose and attacked my dog? Is my dog supposed to just sit and let the nasty cocker tear her apart? Isn’t my dog supposed to protect me and at the time my young granddaughter was with me.

The SPCA only “quarantined” my dog for a month or so, not allowed out of the yard, yada, yada.

Just like that, no justice, no trial, no fair hearing. Still and so Jo-Ann was not taken from me but I was found guilty, in a manner of speaking, nonetheless.

Once I heard Jake Smith’s story I so wanted to share mine because the unchecked power of the SPCA in this state.

So I tell the story on my Blog post.
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NEXT : Got some state legislative activity update, a post in pictures and complaints about the weather.