Representative Rich Collins Clarifies, Sort Of

richcollins  So, following my post yesterday of the email exchange between 41st District Representative Rich Collins and the entire General Assembly, concerning the annual Manufactured Housing Workshop, Rep. Collins decided he needed to clarify.  The following is a continuation of the email thread which I published yesterday, as you will see Rep. Collins chose to reply directly to Rep. Paradee.
Here is a link to the original post for those who missed it.

How Important Is Manufactured Housing To The People Of The 41st District, And Rich Collins?

Now that everyone is all caught up, here is the next installment of the “What The hell Is He Thinking”, saga.

 

From: Collins, Richard G (LegHall)
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2016 1:03 AM
To: Paradee, Trey (LegHall); Brookins, Tipi N (DOJ); Baumbach, Paul (LegHall); Bennett, Andria (LegHall); Bentz, David (LegHall); Bolden, StephanieT (LegHall); Brady, Gerald (LegHall); BriggsKing, Ruth (LegHall); Carson, William (LegHall); Dukes, Timothy (LegHall); Heffernan, Debra (LegHall); Hensley, Kevin S (LegHall); Hudson, Deborah (LegHall); Jaques, Jr, Earl (LegHall); Johnson, JJ (LegHall); Johnson, Quinton (LegHall); Keeley, Helene (LegHall); Kenton, Harvey (LegHall); Kowalko, John (LegHall); Longhurst, Valerie (LegHall); Lynn, Sean M (LegHall); Matthews, Sean (LegHall); Miro, Joseph (LegHall); Mitchell, John L (LegHall); Mulrooney, Michael (LegHall); Osienski, Edward (LegHall); Outten, Bobby (LegHall); Peterman, Jack (LegHall); Potter, Jr, Charles (LegHall); Ramone, Michael (LegHall); Richardson, Bryant L (LegHall); Schwartzkopf, Peter (LegHall); Short, Bryon (LegHall); Short, Daniel (LegHall); Smith, Melanie G (LegHall); Smyk, Steve (LegHall); Spiegelman, Jeff (LegHall); Viola, John (LegHall); Williams, Kimberly (LegHall); Wilson, David L (LegHall); Yearick, Lyndon D (LegHall); Blevins, Patricia (LegHall); Bushweller, Brian (LegHall); Cloutier, Catherine (LegHall); Ennis, Bruce (LegHall); Hall-Long, Bethany (LegHall); Hocker, Gerald (LegHall); Lavelle, Greg (LegHall); Lawson, Dave (LegHall); Lopez, Ernesto B (LegHall); Marshall, Robert (LegHall); McBride, David (LegHall); McDowell, Harris (LegHall); Peterson, Karen (LegHall); Pettyjohn, Brian (LegHall); Poore, Nicole (LegHall); Richardson, Bryant L (LegHall); Simpson, Gary (LegHall); Sokola, David (LegHall); Townsend, Bryan (LegHall); senator-colin@prodigy.net; SenMRH@gmail.com
Cc: Schoenberg, Gina (DOJ)
Subject: Re: The Delaware Attorney General’s Manufactured Housing Workshops

 

Trey, from your comment it’s obvious I didn’t make my point clearly enough, and I take the blame for that.  It’s not that I don’t want to go to meetings.  Instead, I believe that sometimes things are done near election day to limit awareness and participation by the public, just like document dumps often occur on a Friday night when some national politician thinks the information might be embarrassing.

 

For example, my recollection is that when the public hearing that switched Delaware over to California auto emission regulations was held a few years ago, it was done on a Friday before Election Day.  I’ll bet that hearing was well intended!

In this particular case, as I thought I made clear, I certainly don’t think anyone is trying to hide anything or do anything nefarious whatsoever.  It’s just that there’s such a blizzard of events in October that I believe it has to dilute the audience for many of them.

For example, on October 6, I’ve been invited to attend 5 events and I think I can actually make 3.  None of these are my political events.  They are mostly where my constituents want to hear what I’m going to do if I should be re-elected, and I think it’s my obligation to respond to their requests and do so as best I can.

In the last 2 days alone I’ve been to 3 workshops with state agencies and many of my constituents were there where I could discuss and get their opinions.  It’s just that if important hearings are held on a night where I’m already obligated myself to attend 3 other events, something has to give.

Finally, please consider this.  I’ve been saying for years that far too much of what government does is carried out by agencies with very little public participation and not enough input from elected officials.

If you will go to the DNREC webpage and click on “Start Action Notices” (bottom left of the home page), you will see they are currently working on 22 different regulations.   These will likely generate as many as 50 or more workshops and public hearings in the next few months.  

Over the years I’ve been politically active, I’ve been to dozens of these types of meetings and there are normally very few elected officials there, and often none.  Even when there are, the elected officials don’t technically have any real power and the agencies do mostly what they want.  These regulations have the full force of law and they are put into place time after time with little to no input from the peoples’ elected representatives.

This has got to stop, or at least slow!  There is usually a pretty good lull in November and December and I believe it would be a small step towards more responsible government if all of our citizens could have fewer distractions and get better attendance at important public meetings.

I can assure you, if I should earn enough support from my constituents to be re-elected, this is not the last time you will hear this argument from me.  Our government is supposed to be of the people, by and people and for the people, and I believe its high time we started returning to that.

  I’m sorry, did Rep. Collins just blame DNREC for his wanting to schedule these meeting at a more convenient time in an election year? Or was this just his stump speech, I can’t tell.

He starts with this, “I believe that sometimes things are done near election day to limit awareness and participation by the public, just like document dumps often occur on a Friday night when some national politician thinks the information might be embarrassing.”  And follows with this only one paragraph later, “In this particular case, as I thought I made clear, I certainly don’t think anyone is trying to hide anything or do anything nefarious whatsoever.

Really? Cause it kind of sounds like you are.
He goes on to say, “In the last 2 days alone I’ve been to 3 workshops with state agencies and many of my constituents were there where I could discuss and get their opinions.  It’s just that if important hearings are held on a night where I’m already obligated myself to attend 3 other events, something has to give.

Is it just me, or does this again sound like he is complaining about the pressures of the job he volunteered for?
Look, I really don’t have anything against Rich Collins, I actually like some of his positions. But it seems it has not taken him long to become way too comfortable in his position. His original response could have been simply, “this is an extremely busy time of year, and I will make every effort to attend, or maybe no response at all. The fact he felt the need to call no one in particular, yet everyone, to the carpet, may point to a bit of hubris.

I also draw attention to the time stamp on the latest reply, “1:03 am”.  Hum! One might think if he is having trouble sleeping, a good old fashion boring workshop might be just the thing to give him a well needed sleep.

And then finally, at “8;50 am” he sent this, again to the entire General Assembly,

From: “Collins, Richard G (LegHall)” <Richard.G.Collins@state.de.us>
Date: September 29, 2016 at 8:50:24 AM EDT
To: “Paradee, Trey (LegHall)” <Trey.Paradee@state.de.us>, “Brookins, Tipi N (DOJ)” <Tipi.Brookins@state.de.us>, “Baumbach, Paul (LegHall)” <Paul.Baumbach@state.de.us>, “Bennett, Andria (LegHall)” <andria.bennett@state.de.us>, “Bentz, David (LegHall)” <David.Bentz@state.de.us>, “Bolden, StephanieT (LegHall)” <StephanieT.Bolden@state.de.us>, “Brady, Gerald (LegHall)” <Gerald.Brady@state.de.us>, “BriggsKing, Ruth (LegHall)” <Ruth.BriggsKing@state.de.us>, “Carson, William (LegHall)” <William.Carson@state.de.us>, “Dukes, Timothy (LegHall)” <Timothy.Dukes@state.de.us>, “Heffernan, Debra (LegHall)” <Debra.Heffernan@state.de.us>, “Hensley, Kevin S (LegHall)” <Kevin.Hensley@state.de.us>, “Hudson, Deborah (LegHall)” <Deborah.Hudson@state.de.us>, “Jaques, Jr, Earl (LegHall)” <Earl.Jaques@state.de.us>, “Johnson, JJ (LegHall)” <JJ.Johnson@state.de.us>, “Johnson, Quinton (LegHall)” <Quinton.Johnson@state.de.us>, “Keeley, Helene (LegHall)” <Helene.Keeley@state.de.us>, “Kenton, Harvey (LegHall)” <Harvey.Kenton@state.de.us>, “Kowalko, John (LegHall)” <John.Kowalko@state.de.us>, “Longhurst, Valerie (LegHall)” <Valerie.Longhurst@state.de.us>, “Lynn, Sean M (LegHall)” <Sean.Lynn@state.de.us>, “Matthews, Sean (LegHall)” <Sean.Matthews@state.de.us>, “Miro, Joseph (LegHall)” <Joseph.Miro@state.de.us>, “Mitchell, John L (LegHall)” <John.L.Mitchell@state.de.us>, “Mulrooney, Michael (LegHall)” <Michael.Mulrooney@state.de.us>, “Osienski, Edward (LegHall)” <Edward.Osienski@state.de.us>, “Outten, Bobby (LegHall)” <Bobby.Outten@state.de.us>, “Peterman, Jack (LegHall)” <Harold.Peterman@state.de.us>, “Potter, Jr, Charles (LegHall)” <Charles.Potter@state.de.us>, “Ramone, Michael (LegHall)” <Michael.Ramone@state.de.us>, “Richardson, Bryant L (LegHall)” <Bryant.Richardson@state.de.us>, “Schwartzkopf, Peter (LegHall)” <Peter.Schwartzkopf@state.de.us>, “Short, Bryon (LegHall)” < Bryon.Short@state.de.us>, “Short, Daniel (LegHall)” <Daniel.Short@state.de.us>, “Smith, Melanie G (LegHall)” <Melanie.G.Smith@state.de.us>, “Smyk, Steve (LegHall)” <Steve.Smyk@state.de.us>, “Spiegelman, Jeff (LegHall)” <Jeff.Spiegelman@state.de.us>, “Viola, John (LegHall)” <John.Viola@state.de.us>, “Williams, Kimberly (LegHall)” <Kimberly.Williams@state.de.us>, “Wilson, David L (LegHall)” <David.L.Wilson@state.de.us>, “Yearick, Lyndon D (LegHall)” <Lyndon.Yearick@state.de.us>, “Blevins, Patricia (LegHall)” <Patricia.Blevins@state.de.us>, “Bushweller, Brian (LegHall)” <Brian.Bushweller@state.de.us>, “Cloutier, Catherine (LegHall)” < Catherine.Cloutier@state.de.us>, “Ennis, Bruce (LegHall)” <Bruce.Ennis@state.de.us>, “Hall-Long, Bethany (LegHall)” <Bethany.Hall-Long@state.de.us>, “Hocker, Gerald (LegHall)” <Gerald.Hocker@state.de.us>, “Lavelle, Greg (LegHall)” <Greg.Lavelle@state.de.us>, “Lawson, Dave (LegHall)” <Dave.Lawson@state.de.us>, “Lopez, Ernesto B (LegHall)” <Ernesto.Lopez@state.de.us>, “Marshall, Robert (LegHall)” <Robert.Marshall@state.de.us>, “McBride, David (LegHall)” <David.McBride@state.de.us>, “McDowell, Harris (LegHall)” <Harris.McDowell@state.de.us>, “Peterson, Karen (LegHall)” <Karen.Peterson@state.de.us>, “Pettyjohn, Brian (LegHall)” <Brian.Pettyjohn@state.de.us>, “Poore, Nicole (LegHall)” <Nicole.Poore@state.de.us>, “Richardson, Bryant L (LegHall)” <Bryant.Richardson@state.de.us>, “Simpson, Gary (LegHall)” <Gary.Simpson@state.de.us>, “Sokola, David (LegHall)” <David.Sokola@state.de.us>, “Townsend, Bryan (LegHall)” <Bryan.Townsend@state.de.us>, “senator-colin@prodigy.net” < senator-colin@prodigy.net>, “SenMRH@gmail.com” <SenMRH@gmail.com>
Cc: “Schoenberg, Gina (DOJ)” <Gina.Schoenberg@state.de.us>
Subject: Re: The Delaware Attorney General’s Manufactured Housing Workshops

 

Incidentally, I also failed to make clear that these are not regulatory meetings at all and indeed look like a good place to interact with my constituents and hear their concerns.  I will attend the meeting at Indian River Fire Hall on October 17

So after several hours of rest, Rep. Collins is ready to tackle another day in the life of an elected official.

2 Comments on "Representative Rich Collins Clarifies, Sort Of"

  1. Anon says:

    Don’t be such a Dick, Richard.

  2. Chris says:

    I look forward to the introduction of legislation requiring all new regulations to be approved/voted on by the general assembly and signed by the governor.

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