Get The Balance Right #TeamMarino

Tomorrow is the biggest day in Delaware history since Washington crossed the Delaware!  Not really, and that crossing was between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  But voters in the 10th Senate District will choose their new Senator: John Marino or Stephanie Hansen.  I am really hoping they do the logical and sensible thing.  First off, they need to get out and vote.  Second, they need to vote for John Marino.

I won’t even play Pacman with all the crazy spending going on in this election.  Both sides have spent gobs of cash on this election.  The Dems are fighting for their triumvirate of state government control while the GOP is hoping for a slice of the pie.  Caught in the crossfire are the actual candidates, Marino and Hansen.  It comes down to choice, pure and simple.  But this is NOT just a vote for John Marino, it is also a vote for Delaware.  Eight long Markellian years have brought our economy down, our education to a standstill, and disenfranchised citizens up and down the state.  Dem control led to Governor John Carney telling people in a virtual town hall the other night that we don’t have money to help low-income schools.  We have a $350-$400 million deficit heading into the Fiscal Year 2018 budget.  That’s nearly 10% of our budget.  Can you afford a 10% reduction in your paycheck?  I know I can’t.  Delaware can’t either.

When one party has control, the other side doesn’t really matter.  Majority rules, so they say.  This gives us bad legislation and slush funds inserted into the state budget.  This gives our schools less while they pay more.  The Dems should be nervous.  They realize their reign of power is coming to an end.  They will use fear mongering about Right To Work as an excuse to vote for Hansen.  God forbid we actually get compromise in Delaware!  God forbid the two parties are forced to work together for the betterment of the state.  Please, let’s keep one party in control so my quality of life suffers.  One party control does NOT work.  We are seeing this more than ever with our federal government.  I am not a one party guy, but as Senator Brian Pettyjohn stated in a letter to the editor in the Delaware State News, it is about balance.  We need to get the balance right.  So tomorrow, if you live in the 10th, vote for John Marino.  He’s a good guy who will stick by his principles no matter what.  Don’t lump him in with all the rhetoric coming from the Hansen side.

For the first time in nearly a decade, a select group of people in the state can determine the future of Delaware.  Will they choose the status quo which has put us in the very precarious situation we are in now, or will they vote for change and compromise and a shot at a better tomorrow for all and not the few?  Delaware teachers: what has one-party control brought you?  Delaware parents: do you like all the aggressive testing in our schools?  Delaware citizens: Has the massive loss of businesses in our state helped you or your property values?  If I lived in the 10th, I would vote for Marino.  But I don’t.  I can only endorse him.  Again and again if need be.  Delaware without one-party control can be a frightening thought.  It is unknown what could happen.   Our unions will shrivel up and die.  That’s what the Dems campaigning for Hansen would have you believe.  But what is very known is what one-party control has wrought, and it is not good.  Get the balance right.

Exceptional Delaware Endorses John Marino For The 10th Senate District

Let it be known, throughout the State of Delaware, that I proudly endorse John Marino for the 10th Senate District special election on February 25th.

Wait a minute, some of you might be thinking, aren’t you a dye in the wool Democrat?  Hardly.  I am an issues guy.  And I also value consistency and someone knowing what they are talking about.  I’ve known John Marino’s stances on public education for years now, since the 2014 election.  He supports opt out, wants more resources in the class-room, is not a big fan of top-down education mandates, and supports local control and teachers.  He is against Common Core and wants our students to succeed.

There will be DSEA members who will be screaming for my head right about now because of the fear of the Delaware Senate going under Republican control if Marino wins.  Right to Work could come to Delaware, but that kind of bill would need to pass the House and get Governor Carney’s signature.  The Senate could play games with the budget as well trying to get Right to Work in Delaware.  I can picture Delaware Dems sitting in Legislative Hall well into July to prevent that.  So I am not as scared of that notion as some left-leaning teachers are.  As well, I am not a teacher.  I’m a parent, and I am disgusted by many of the stunts I’ve seen when it comes to Delaware education and government.

But let’s take a look at what Democrat control has done for teachers: DPAS-II and Component V.  Smarter Balanced Assessment.  Not to mention far too many of them cowering to Jack Markell.  It is all about a balance of power.  Delaware is ripe for change, and it starts with our government.  One party control has given us far too many special interest items tucked into the state budget over the years.  Money that could and should be going to far more pressing needs in this state.  We need a balance of power, and if the Delaware Senate goes red, so be it.

As far as Hansen, she seems to change her education beliefs by the day.  She even did that on her website between January 28th and January 29th.

If I want to see flipping, I’ll go on Netflix and watch some old episodes of Flipper!  In terms of a DSEA endorsement, keep in mind what that really is.  The DSEA Executive Board decides endorsements and it is not an accurate representation of all Delaware teachers.  It is a handful of people.  What I don’t appreciate is someone not knowing the issues, like Hansen, then getting schooled on them and acting like she knows what the hell she is talking about.  Marino has always felt the same way.  I won’t even get into the bizarre issues with Hansen and New Castle County government.  I will just say it some very surreal stuff.

So how does Marino feel (and consistently) about education in Delaware?

State government has broken our school system. Due to over-testing, heavy-handed bureaucracy and a lack of support for our teachers, our local schools have to work twice as hard to provide a quality education for our young people. I support legislation to reign in and minimize burdensome state tests, as well as an unequivocal policy that parents are the only authority to decide what tests their children take. A parent has the natural right to remove their child from any test or school activity — anytime, anywhere. No government should be given even the smallest opportunity to infringe on parental rights.

I also support letting teachers teach. I support building-level control and more money in the classroom. Our education bureaucracy has only grown and grown. It’s hurting our children, costing more taxpayer money and the people in power in the Senate have encouraged that growth at every turn. We can’t get the schools we deserve unless we change the people making the decisions and restore balance to state government.

I’ve been around Legislative Hall enough to see how the one-party system is not good for our state.  We need to end the legislator locks on the budget that allow funds to go towards programs that benefit members of the Joint Finance Committee.  We need to stop the political games and get back to governing Delaware and making laws that make sense for ALL Delawareans.  We need John Marino to win this election.

 

The Battle For The 10th Begins As Republicans Pick John Marino

The 10th Senate District will have a vacancy when Senator Bethany Hall-Long officially steps down when she becomes the next Delaware Lieutenant Governor.  As many predicted, the Delaware GOP chose John Marino as the Republican candidate.  Who will the Dems pick?  Whoever it is, this will be a hot race.  The winner determines which party controls the Delaware Senate.  Many felt State Rep. Earl Jaques would run, but he informed me two weeks ago he is NOT running for this Senate seat.  Here is the official release from the Delaware GOP:

Republicans Choose Marino for Upcoming Special Election:

 Middletown Republican Won 49% Of The Vote in 2014

Newark, DE: The Republican Party of Delaware announced today that they have selected John Marino of Middletown as the party’s candidate for the upcoming special election to replace Lt. Gov.-elect Bethany Hall-Long in the State Senate.

John Marino is a highly-decorated retired police officer, and is currently President of J & J Homes, LLC and a top-producing Realtor®. John has been an active volunteer in the New Castle County community for many years: as the former President of Lea Eara Farms/Summit Farms Maintenance Corporation, a volunteer position which he held for ten years; as a longtime volunteer at a horse rescue; as a Little League Coach at MOT Little League, winning the State tournament and taking his team to the regional championship; as well as a past volunteer for the Appoquinimink Sports Boosters.

Marino has lived for the last 20 years in the Middletown area with JoiAnn, his wife of 25 years, and their three children.

“I am honored that the Republican Party has selected our team for this important challenge,” said Marino. “I look forward to spreading my message of reforming and improving our government to the great people of the 10th District. Delaware deserves much better than we’ve been getting from our state government, and I have a plan to get the results Delawareans deserve.”

State GOP Chairman Charlie Copeland noted Marino’s campaign experience, in particular his 2014 campaign against Hall-Long, where Marino earned 49% of the vote and fell short by a narrow margin.

“John Marino knows how to run a top-flight campaign and earn the votes of the people of the 10th District,” said Delaware GOP Chairman Charlie Copeland. “And the people of the 10th District can see that one-party rule has failed our schools, our government and our economy. We look forward to a fantastic campaign.”

Should Marino be successful, the Delaware Senate would change power for the first time in over 40 years. The Senate will be evenly split between the Democrats and the Republicans following Hall-Long’s inauguration.

“The Senate Republicans have been offering consistent solutions for years, only to be shut down entirely by the ruling Democrats,” said Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley). “We’re ready to win this race and show Delaware that balanced government can make a lasting difference for them. John Marino is exactly the right person to win this race and serve the people of the 10th District in the State Senate.”

Had Hillary Clinton become President, this election would not mean as much.  It still would have been big, but now that we live in Trumplandia and all that will come from that, this should add some extra oomph to this election.