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.

 

Big Events Tonight In Delaware! Marino vs Hansen, State Board Of Ed Sunset Review and More!

This is one of the things I can’t stand about Delaware.  Weeks will go by without anything momentous going on and then BOOM! Everything all at once on the same night.  Tonight is no exception!

The biggest, which will likely draw a great deal of media attention, is the debate between Republican John Marino and Democrat Stephanie Hansen for the 10th Senate District seat.  The winner of this special election will dictate who holds the power in the Delaware Senate.  There is a lot of heat on this election already and it will only ramp up until the February 25th voting day.  Hosted by Allan Loudell with WDEL, this debate at Middletown High School begins at 7pm.  As well, Libertarian candidate Joseph Lanzendorfer will be a part of the debate.

The State Board of Education has their first Joint Sunset Committee review tonight in the Joint Finance Committee room at Legislative Hall, 7pm.  The State Board of Education was put on review last Spring by this committee.  There could be big changes coming out of this review and this will be one to watch.

Capital School District is holding a forum on “potential building configurations” at the William Henry Middle School Auditorium, 6pm.  Many in the district have felt their current grade configuration doesn’t work.  Coming out of their ongoing Strategic Plan, this could draw a lot of attention for Senator Citizens in Dover.  This part of their strategic plan is under the long-range master facilities plan.  I say make it K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  But there is also a potential of pre-school and Kindergartners getting their own building.

The Progressive Democrats for Delaware are holding a pot-luck dinner tonight at the New Castle Democrat Headquarters over on 19 Commons Blvd. in New Castle from 7pm to 9pm.

The Down Syndrome Association of Delaware is holding a forum with state legislators covering topics such as education, Medicaid, and employment.  This event, sponsored by Eventbrite, will be held from 7pm to 9pm at State Troop 2 in Newark, DE.

The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission is holding a meeting for the Meeting the Needs of Students in Poverty at United Way of Delaware, 625 Orange St. at the Linden Building, 3rd Floor, in Wilmington from 4pm to 6pm.

Earlier today, the Joint Finance Committee heard opening remarks for Public Education as well as the Chief School Officers down in Dover.  After that, the JFC got to hear the Delaware Department of Education’s FY2018 budget request which is still going on until 4pm.

Busy day with no ability for everyone to get to all these things.  I will be attending the debate tonight.  Let’s see who wins this one!