tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24122631722866860432009-11-23T11:16:54.944-05:00Hear what our Community Advisory Board members have to say about the popular - and not so popular - issues in the news.Administratornoreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-45089089286055914842009-11-18T18:54:00.002-05:002009-11-18T18:57:01.190-05:00

Colorado now joins California in collecting sales tax from medical marijuana purchases, following the Obama administration's announcement last month that medical marijuana enforcement would be left to the states, despite existing federal laws. This is one of the few issues on which Obama takes the correct constitutional point of view; whether one supports legalization or not, the issue belongs to

Chris Slavensnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-45965805452455230212009-10-01T09:59:00.002-05:002009-10-01T10:12:32.491-05:00

Five bills that greatly affect gay and transgender citizens are before the U.S. Congress. One would topple the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bans federal recognition of same-gender marriage even in states where it is legal. Another would prohibit anti-gay and anti-transgender discrimination in the workplace. Another would allow foreign same-gender spouses of American citizens

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-21558551213919351902009-08-11T10:57:00.002-05:002009-08-11T11:20:21.654-05:00

Those of us who have been around for awhile -- some of us anyway -- get put off by those who say that there really is little difference in the political parties. Some of these say they vote for the person. Not a bad idea. I have done that occasionally at the state and local level. But never at the national level. You know why?Ever since that day in 1932 when I touched down on this planet, seventh

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-20723772791216034082009-07-29T13:33:00.004-05:002009-07-29T13:56:13.327-05:00

The Revised Spiritual Leaders' Statement is a document supporting civil rights, including civil marriage, for gay and transgender Delawareans. It is signed by Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and other clergy members who live or minister in Delaware, and to date there are nearly a hundred signatories. Would-be signatories may sign electronically on my website at http://www.towardequality.org/.

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-33264300310502449042009-06-06T08:40:00.002-05:002009-06-06T08:43:54.917-05:00

Delaware: What the Heck Is Going On?Delaware is the second smallest state in our nation’s union. Why is it that our elected officials are dead set on turning this state into an all out smorgasbord for special interests and lobbyists to feed and pass laws that are moving us further and further away from honorable society? In the midst of economic struggles and hardships, our state decides to

hmschandlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968930928086181794noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-24104315491857103212009-06-01T12:32:00.005-05:002009-06-04T11:14:25.437-05:00

Many people know that the Government Accountability Office has determined there are 1,138 rights that derive from federally recognized marriage -- rights automatically accorded to straight married people but denied to gay couples.Less known is that same-gender couples pay an average of $1070 more in taxes per year. That's because spousal healthcare benefits are taxed as income for gay couples

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-31633829526597279542009-05-20T09:23:00.002-05:002009-05-20T10:31:51.237-05:00

It's hard for me to understand what part of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution that the Sussex County Council "boys" don't get. (I know there is now a woman sitting at the table with them, but Joan Deaver seems to understand.)Opening official government meetings with a sectarian prayer (favoring a particular religion) is a no no. So are "prayer breakfasts"

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-6137538788548406682009-05-18T15:45:00.002-05:002009-05-18T16:01:42.594-05:00

I keep looking -- two, three times a week -- and no one seems to post anything on this blog. I'm not sure I know why, but let me take a stab at it.There was an opinion piece in the Washington Post the other day -- by one of its regular columnists in the Metro section -- who talked about the abusive language that he gets when he posts an opinion on the Post's blog. And, he added, most of the

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-67267586362090578112009-03-26T18:11:00.003-05:002009-03-26T18:23:01.803-05:00

As a Christian myself, I am appalled when those who call themselves Christians resort to lies in order to win an argument or advance a political agenda. After all, Jesus claimed to be nothing less than Truth personified: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."Even during this year's Lent -- a period of self-examination and repentance preceding Easter -- outright falsehoods about Delaware House

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-30393540706569707272009-03-23T07:58:00.003-05:002009-03-25T10:08:16.747-05:00

Fritz Griesinger, a community advocate, sent me an email with some ways to reduce expenses for New Castle County. One of his suggestions was to reduce the expanded County Council back to its original size. We could use the money spent for the elected officials and their expensive staff to keep some essential services personnel, like police, fire and EMT. I like it.As far as I can see, the

Patricia Cavendernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-19453230028446468892009-03-15T08:44:00.004-05:002009-03-15T08:58:24.304-05:00

Phillip Bannowsky writes that we are reaping the bitter fruit of years of economic conservatism, take a look and add your thoughts on whose to blame and what's the best direction going forward.

Rhonda Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17041446434280213146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-85665401866525866682009-03-10T14:03:00.004-05:002009-03-10T14:28:29.796-05:00

Yesterday, the news headlines were filled with quotes about the ascendancy of science. The president is quoted as saying, "We will make decisions based on facts not ideology." McClatchy reported that the "stem cell reversal is the latest in a struggle between science and religion or ideology." As is too often the case these days, the news agencies and reporters take too little time to think

EdGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132223120231950780noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-7098036589250602262009-03-04T10:47:00.002-05:002009-03-04T11:08:15.779-05:00

On the front page of this morning's Washington Post is the picture of another administration nominee being questioned about tax improprieties. How many are there now in this "endless line of splendor" -- to quote the title of a book I read back when?As each of these stories of tax mischievousness has been reported, it has called to mind a statistic my brother used to quote when he served for a

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-79368815034072104352009-02-12T10:36:00.002-05:002009-02-12T11:28:46.951-05:00

Bernie Madoff has just been booted out of his lead position on my list of greedy scum bags, and been replaced by the two judges from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, who have been "charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers." This is a quote from today's News Journal. Why this story was buried on the back page of the "Local"

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-16169787522326946892009-02-05T13:13:00.004-05:002009-02-05T13:36:28.629-05:00

We've all seen the notices on our bills advising us to sign up for online payments if we don't have a stamp. How many people, though, bother to figure out how much money it costs them to save 43 cents?First it costs you whatever you pay for your Internet service, usually $35 or more a month. In addition you need to pay for a subscription for security updates against viruses and information

Patricia Cavendernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-47925921297178942892009-02-02T16:18:00.002-05:002009-02-02T16:36:12.184-05:00

To all of you concerned that there are no conservative voices on the Community Review Board, I suggest you read Chris Slavens' Sunday column. I hate to tack a label on anyone since most of our views can not be easily crammed into a single pigeon hole. Chris is a libertarian, and from where I sit he seems pretty far to the right on a lot of issues.Anyway, he earned a seat at the "Community View"

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-28197829508098739192009-02-02T10:40:00.003-05:002009-02-02T10:54:02.604-05:00

Responding to Gov. Markell's call for increased volunteerism, I found many opportunities to help. But there are areas where gay Delawareans' volunteerism is unwelcome, often by written policy.The Boy Scouts of America felt so strongly about excluding gay scout leaders that they took their case to the Supreme Court and won the right to discriminate against them, despite science debunking any link

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-4889617070824391342009-01-18T11:31:00.004-05:002009-01-24T11:38:36.743-05:00

John Engelman writes today about a "youth bulge" of too many young men without enough to do as a contribution to Islamic terrorism. Is he on to something here?

Rhonda Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17041446434280213146noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-1621846874898131962009-01-17T15:11:00.004-05:002009-01-17T15:57:01.111-05:00

Having spent most of my adult life in the DC, suburban Maryland, communities, I was fairly well versed in the political world there. Having a close friend who was a state delegate, then judge, then Federal employee, helped in my Maryland political education. When I moved back "home" to Sussex County seven years ago, I was "clueless in Delaware."I had known about Joe Biden -- thought a lot of him.

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-32838232613438561142009-01-09T11:12:00.004-05:002009-01-09T11:40:00.780-05:00

If this country weren't in such a mess -- people out of work, businesses closing, savings being depleted, banks pulling the plugs on home mortgages -- I would be feeling a whole lot better. Primarily because there seems to be somebody in charge of things.For one thing President-elect Obama offers a reassuring voice, and not just because he speaks in paragraphs as opposed to short phrases. Isn't

Tom Starnesnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-39336255617292586962008-12-22T14:52:00.009-05:002009-01-07T16:06:04.361-05:00

The Right of Conscience rule that allows health care workers to refuse to participate in any procedure they find morally objectionable is absurd. It is at best nothing more than a blatant misuse of power to allow people to impose their religious views on other people.At worst it also allows employees to abuse employers by legally refusing to do the jobs they were hired to do. If anybody is unable

Patricia Cavendernoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-42314236134641127232008-12-14T07:37:00.005-05:002008-12-31T10:59:32.176-05:00

In today's News Journal, I published a Community View column marking the closing of Newark's Chrysler Assembly plant, from which I retired in 2001, and the scapegoating of the workers who dedicated their lives there. I attempted to deconstruct the myth of autoworkers wages and called for a new industrial policy that utilizes the auto plants and their  workers to build a new green energy and

Phillip Bannowskynoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-72960741510163618312008-11-30T16:12:00.016-05:002008-12-18T11:55:48.865-05:00

In California "Prop 8" passed in November by 52 to 48%, thereby invalidating same-gender marriage. It is not clear what will happen to the once-legal marriages of some 36,000 Californians, who had legal weddings and then created legal documents together such as wills, mortgages, insurance policies, etc. Some had children together.But the proponents of religious definitions of marriage do not much

Douglas Marshall-Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07309454381182686557noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-23518306495019926132008-11-20T17:32:00.008-05:002008-12-10T13:53:50.559-05:00

Say it ain't so. Did the auto guys really all fly in from Detroit in private jets to complain that their companies need a bailout? Did that really happen? Where was the Public Relations Department? You have to believe that these guys have been riding high for so long, and so presumptuously, that it didn't even occur to them that the jets were going to cause a stir.I don't know if it was the jets,

Charles E. Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02414888543315038000noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2412263172286686043.post-65082280792968062262008-11-18T08:48:00.007-05:002008-11-20T14:45:58.098-05:00

Many Republican Congressmen have had second and third thoughts about endorsing the credit industry bailout. Forced on Congress at the 11th hour with dire predictions about the consequence if it was not passed, the bailout gave the elusive Secretary of the Treasury a blank check for $700 billion to spend as only he deemed necessary to fix the credit crisis. Secretary Paulson has responded with a "

Charles E. Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02414888543315038000noreply@blogger.com4