15 Representatives listen to the people in Delaware – House Bill 353

House Bill 353 was introduced by lawmakers March 30, 2010. The “Delaware Health Freedom Act” was filed by 15 Republican legislators and would allow Delawareans to decline to act upon mandates set forward by the healthcare reform bill passed last weekend by Congress. The bill also asks that the state attorney general (currently Beau Biden) enforces the state law should any challenges appear.

The federal healthcare bill has been a source of much speculation since its passing. 14 States to date have filed law suits challenging the constitutionality of the bill while many other states have legislation pending to ensure their residents will not have to comply with federal mandates regarding healthcare. These states claim that in no place in the Constitution does it say that healthcare is a right. Many feel the massive healthcare overhaul recently passed is an intrusion in state rights and question not only its passing but the motives behind it.

House Bill 353 is designed to ensure that all Delawareans are free to choose, or decline to choose, all healthcare with no penalty or threat of penalty. This bill states that Delaware has a right to regulate private healthcare within the borders of the state. It states that only Delaware has this right.

The lead sponsor of the bill is Rep. Deborah Hudson of Fairthorne. Other sponsors of the bill include House Minority Leader Richard Cathcart of Middletown, Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson of Milford, and recent addition Ruth Briggs King of Georgetown. No Democrats have signed on to the bill to date.

The discussion of penalizing citizens for not buying healthcare has been heard by federal notables including Democrat Nancy Pelosi who has been on record as saying “the legislation (sending people to jail who do not buy health insurance) is very fair”. Discussions like this may be part of why House Bill 353 pursues the Tenth Amendment and announces state sovereignty regarding the right of all residents in “choosing the mode of securing health care services“. It is recommended that residents contact their representatives and inform their offices of how the constituents feel regarding House Bill 353. Contact information may be found here.

House Bill 350 – State Encouragement …

Legislation was introduced Thursday, March 25, 2010, to involve parents more in their children’s education. The “Parents’ Declaration of Responsibilities”, which would affect all public and charter schools in the state, seems like an unnecessary adoption of common sense. Parents would be asked to sign the declaration at the beginning of each school year stating that they would commit to spending 15 minutes each evening helping their children with their homework or resolve to volunteer to help with school functions throughout the school year. Local parent/teacher organizations would help draft the declaration. There would be no penalty for noncompliance and no forcing of either parent to sign the declaration. Why then would the state ask for such legislation to be passed?

Delaware currently has no laws which require schools to inform the public of parental involvement. When deciding which school to send their children to parents have no information regarding how much community involvement to expect. House Bill 350 would require schools to publish the percentage of parents which signed the “Parents’ Declaration of Responsibilities” as well as how funds are being used to enhance parent involvement.

It seems activity in this bill would be mainly up to parents to enforce. With a lack of reinforcement from parents in the value of education, almost 2,000 students dropped out of high school in the 2008-2009 school year. This bill seems to be a manifestation of the desperate need for emphasis of education in the state of Delaware.

In its current form, House Bill 350 does not penalize parents for noncompliance (although one may think a child’s failing grades would be penalty enough) and seems not to have many negative aspects to it. One does wonder if it is the states place to ask parents to raise their children a certain way. Is it possible, in the future, for this seemingly innocuous bill to morph into a strictly enforced guide for parents regarding the raising of their children? Education is, no questions asked, extremely important. This should be emphasized in every home but it remains the parent’s choice, not that of the state. The state does have the right to encourage parents to get involved with their children’s schooling, but not to order them to do so. The bill, in its entirety, may be read here.

Just an update to the Roll Call

I just want to draw your attention to some fantastic sites that I have discovered.  Some of these have been linked to my page for a little while, but I neglected to actually draw your attention to them.  If you want to know what I am reading, this might be a good place to start.

Starting off, for a great read, is Slavens Says.  Meet Chris Slavens, a fantastic writer who actually stays on top of the issues.  If you regularly read the news, chances are you’ll know what he’s talking about.

Next, let’s draw your attention to Delmarva’s Center Right.  Now, the “about the author” page is blank on this blog, but I’ll let you in on a secret.  It’s written by Bryan Shupe.  Bryan is very active in the Republican party and stays informed with the latest news stories.  He stays pretty informed of the national issues.

Recently brought to my attention is Wangen for Congress.  I LOVE the fact that a candidate for Congress is blogging.  It kind of makes it impossible to not understand their platform.  Everything he stands for is emphasized in his writing, and I recommend checking the page regularly.  The blogs are short, sweet, and hard to misinterpret.

Not to leave out Earl Lofland.  This page has links to all his gear as well as statements.  Earl is currently dealing with registration issues regarding Markell’s attempt to cut them off the ballot.  Read more here about how you can switch your registration to the Constitution Party in an effort to stop the controlling and blocking of the ballot.

Doug Campbell and Glen Urquhart (I don’t want to leave out anyone running) have websites as well.  Doug is always sharing fantastic information on his.

Now, an interesting side note, I have recently started writing for Delaware Politics and the Examiner.  You’ll be able to read my work at both sites.  Some things I publish will be on one site or the other and not on here, so try to check them regularly.

Lastly, a friend of mine has been working hard at losing weight.  He has lost 90lbs to date and is continuing to watch the weight drop.  In this day of failed diets and fad diets, he has decided to start a blog telling people the programs he uses and chronicling his journey.  I have a feeling this is going to be well worth the read, so I highly recommend checking out Second Chances Don’t Weight.  Not only does he give great advice, but I feel the support factor is also a big issue.  Help him and help yourself at the same time.

So, check these sites out.  Watch the news, and since I can’t NOT be bossy.  Here’s the quick deal.

Gov. Chris Gregoire doesn’t like Washington state’s decision to sue over the healthcare bill. Call her here and let her know THE PEOPLE agree – 360-902-4111

Remember, LG Peter Kinder wants to join the suit. Call Missouri’s AG Chris Koster and tell them to sue TODAY – 573-751-3321

I am trying to stay up to date on the phone calls for people that are sitting on the fence regarding healthcare.  Let’s get them off that fence, shall we?  For more updates, check out my Facebook page or the group here.

Are Facebook firings legal? All signs point to…

Social networking sites seem to be the wave of the future. Twitter, MySpace, andFacebook are used on most computers and cell phones for instantaneous updates on friend’s actions and updates. It’s possible to keep in touch with many acquaintances and well as meet people throughout the country who have the same ideals with a few clicks from computers, cell phones, and other handheld devices. People are using the sites at home, at work, and on the go; it seems this is the problem. Many have become so accustomed to social networking that they seem to forget the internet is “public domain”.
Any information posted on a social networking site may be accessed by any of your “friends” or “followers”. If one of the aforementioned be a co-worker or your employer it is possible to find yourself looking for a new job. People have been fired over their Facebook status and their Tweets.

More and more employers are using social networking sites as an extension of a resume. If they can locate an applicant they may check the pictures (looking for unprofessional behavior), friends, and possibly even “wall posts”. In this way they can find out about reliability and even references.

There has been overwhelming controversy over recent firings, a particular story involving Philadelphia Eagles employee, Dan Leone. After posting negative thoughts about Brian Dawkins heading to Denver Leone was fired. After the incident he apologized but still was not reinstated.

Police and other law enforcement agencies can also access their information to the user’s detriment. A fugitive, Maxi Sopo, had fled to Mexico. Through his Facebook postings police were able to inform Mexican authorities and have him apprehended. He is now awaiting extradition. Police are currently undercover on social networking sites tracking internet predators as well as other criminals.

Many who are now just entering the job market do not seem to grasp the implications of their own personal websites. Anything published on the internet may be accessed by most at any time for the rest of their lives. Discussions about parties, drinking, illegal activities, and even previous jobs can be viewed by anyone with a connection and a search engine. A recent survey by Career Builder showed 45% of employers use social networking sites to research potential employees.

Despite the relatively new sites dedicated to embarrassing comments made on social networking sites (Lamebook.com being one example) many people do not understand the implications of publishing personal and sometimes damaging information on the internet, a public domain. People are encouraged to not publish information they would not feel comfortable announcing in a public area and to never admit to a crime. For more information about the “dos” and “don’ts” of professional social networking please check read this informative article.

Focusing on the Past

As upset by yesterdays actions there were some shining moments that I feel we can not ignore.  212 Representatives voted AGAINST this Health Care “Reform”.  212 Representatives stood firm for their constituents.  You can find a link to the list of these men and women here. At this link there is also information for you to contact each of these Representatives.  I recommend calling at least your own (in Delaware’s case it is Mike Castle) and thanking them for taking a stand with their constituents.  Let them know that you appreciate them listening to their phone calls, letters, and even paying attention to our rallies.  When I called Castle’s office they sounded shocked to hear a “thank you” call.  Although we are all currently devastated by this bill’s passage, don’t let these feelings depress you.  It is important that you let your own Congressmen know that you are watching what they do.

In the past we seem to have gotten into the habit of sending our Congressmen into Washington and then leaving them to fend for themselves.  This may be part of the reason why United States Congress now seems to think it is not accountable to its people.  I urge you to remind them now that we will remember both the good and the bad.

You can also take the time to contact Delaware’s Attorney General Beau Biden and ask whether or not the state plans on filing a lawsuit to enjoin the enactment of the health care bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21.

Do not let this be a time of remorse, let this be a time for action.

Delaware and the Death Penalty

In this, the 21st century, women are not docile, programmed to serve and procreate and nothing else.  It seems Emmitt Taylor III was unaware of this.  In August of 2007 he killed Stephanie Mumford by bludgeoning her to death with a frying pan because she “disrespected him by not making him dinner“.  Before I discuss his sentencing, which occurred yesterday, I want to discuss his crimes.

In 2007, Emmitt Taylor III was on probation in Mississippi for aggravated assault.  Despite this fact he was in Long Neck, Delaware, engaged to Stephanie Mumford.  Stephanie had three children and three grandchildren.  By all accounts she was a loving mother and a kind and spirited woman.  The wedding was scheduled for August 18th, 2007.  On August 14th, when the pair didn’t show up to their scheduled rehearsal her family went to her house to make sure she was alright.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t.

Four times before her death Stephanie had called a family friend in despair.  Throughout these calls Taylor could be heard yelling at her in the background.  Taylor had seemingly bragged to co-workers about beating her, discussing in detail knocking out her teeth and chocking her until she lost consciousness.  Two weeks prior to her death neighbors saw Taylor punching Stephanie in the parking lot of their home.  Domestic violence was obviously an issue here, along with Taylor (whom police describe as being 6ft 4in tall and around 200 pounds) having anger management and control issues.

So, it’s time for the reason I’m delving into this gruesome tale.  Emmitt Taylor III was sentenced to the death penalty yesterday.  I have been reading many comments about how people think the death penalty is barbaric.  It is “making society as bad as its criminals” as I have read.  Unfortunately, lethal injection (which Taylor was sentenced to) does not include repeated bludgeoning with a frying pan.

Despite its controversy, the death penalty is still legal in Delaware.  36 States currently have legal executions using lethal injection and the U.S military and government still authorizes it as well.  Since 1991 there have been 14 legal executions in Delaware including the last hanging in the state (1996).  The youngest of these was 27 at the time of death and each committed at least one murder.  One particularly gruesome case was Brian Steckel.  Steckel was executed in 2005 (the most recent legal execution in Delaware) on three counts of first degree murder.  He raped and killed Sandra Lee Long and then set her on fire.  After this he wrote letters to her mother gloating about his deeds.  It cost approximately $66 a day to incarcerate this creature (I will not call him a man).  That’s $24,090 a year.  Despite the “immorality” people claim are associated with legal executions, I consider it to be more immoral to the mother of Sandra Lee Long to force her to pay to keep Steckel alive.  Before Taylor’s sentencing yesterday there were 17 adults (juveniles do not receive the death penalty in Delaware) listed on the Department of Corrections website as being on “Death Row”.  Each of these men has been found guilty of at least one count of murder.

According to the DOC “Death Row” inmates stay in a 13 foot cell which has a bed, a sink and toilet, a desk, a locker, and a television.  They receive three meals a day (and probably get fresher vegetables then I do).  Each may have visitors and are allowed to interview with the media.  They are allowed letters, newspapers, magazines, books, and television and radio privileges.  Each inmate is allowed medical and mental care as needed.  Housing these murderers costs Delaware state taxpayers a total of $1,122 a day.  Now, once we include Taylor, this will be $1,188 a day.  We are paying $433,620 a year for these murderers to await their deaths.  I consider this to be more barbaric then the act of execution itself.

I wish every …creature… on “Death Row” a shorter wait for their sentences to be carried out.  In my opinion Emmitt Taylor deserves his death, and he deserves it as fast as possible so tax payer dollars are not wasted on keeping him alive any longer than necessary.  I urge anyone who thinks the death penalty is barbaric to imagine their own children being submitted to the horrific acts those murdered had to go through.  I imagine my family being tortured then killed and think lethal injection is too humane.  Society is not as bad as its criminals, and these murderers are not victims of society.  The families of those murdered and the murdered themselves are the victims and I urge people to remember that.

You can read more about the case and Attorney General Beau Biden’s statements regarding it here.