Insurance Commissioner under close examination

The Delaware Public Integrity Commissionhas recently been a stop of Christian Hudson, a Lewes businessman and member of the Sussex County Campaign for Libertychapter. Mr. Hudson has filed a complaint claiming Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart of numerous violations of Delaware state law. Part of his decision to do so was pushed by the newly formed Caesar Rodney Institute and their report “Delaware Dept. of Insurance: Not in the Public Interest“.  Delaware Liberal, a state blog, has also kept a close eye on Karen Weldin Stewart and her alleged misuse of Delaware’s funding.

So what has been found out? Why are so many people constantly crying foul at Karen Weldin Stewart? The accusations against the Insurance Commission continue to stack higher and higher, but a few of them may be read now.

A few notable contributors to Stewart’s 2008 election campaign were rewarded lucrative jobs, one with a salary of $16,000 dollars a month (that’s right, a month) to help pay for his home in his own state of residence, Illinois.

One act the Department of Insurance (DOI) partakes of regularly hits particularly close to home, although perhaps far away from home would be a better way to phrase that statement. The DOI has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on out-of-state consultants. With unemployment rates alarmingly high and underemployment rates astoundingly high one would think employing Delawareans would be a priority of any state agency.

Instead of continuing on this path of extreme spending (including Karen Weldin Stewart taking her state provided car to salons, restaurants, night clubs, and other doubtfully justifiable weekend and holiday trips) Christian Hudson provided a heartfelt explanation regarding the reason for his complaint. His words are as follows:

“Nobody is backing me, this is just being filed as a private citizen. There’s no petition to sign, no website/Facebook/Twitter/etc, no infrastructure for support at all. I’m doing this because I feel something has to be done to stop this culture of corruption in Dover. Thomas Paine said “Those who expect to reap the blessings of Liberty, must undergo the fatigues of supporting Liberty.” Our politicians are just completely out of control and drunk with power, so if nobody else is going to stand up and fight the corruption I guess it’s up to the individual citizens and that means me.

…When you have a state completely ruled by one party, who can you go to when you need help to fight corruption within that party? Democrat Legislators held a hearing to determine if there was any wrongdoing on the part of the Insurance Commissioner, but unfortunately it was just another cheap dog-and-pony show… Worse yet, they held a secret closed door meeting with the Insurance Commissioner before they held the hearing. Big surprise then that they didn’t find anything wrong at the hearing.

…This was the only legal recourse that I could find, so I felt compelled to file the complaint.”

Incumbent is not a word I like

When was the last time you cleaned your house?  Do you know anyone that hasn’t cleaned their house in a year?  What about 5 years?  How about since 1959?  Let me fill you in on a secret, we all know someone that hasn’t cleaned their house in over 60 years.  Here’s a hint, think about Washington D.C.

Senator Robert Byrd has been an official member of Congress since January, 1959.  You may now view videos of him online falling asleep during Congressional meetings.   Strangely enough, Senator Robert Byrd is continually re-elected.

The concept behind CleanHouse2010.org is to vote out incumbents, therefore let’s discuss the meaning of the word “incumbent”.  The Merriam Webster dictionary defines incumbent as “the holder of an office or ecclesiastical benefice”.  A slightly more obscene and fitting definition is provided by Urban Dictionary when discussing the pronunciation, “pronounced “In-cum-Bent”, because when you’re “in”, you’re “in”! The “cum” is for those who “bent”, usually by electing you.”

Many of the economic issues faced in America today may be traced to entrenched politicians voting for bills they may or may not have read, many are simply voting along party lines and not based on the merit of the legislation.

Instead of pointing to specific legislation (there is sadly no need as politicians have literally begun to ignore their phone calls from constituents) focus on a solution.  Vote them out.  It is that simple.  As CleanHouse2010.org states as its mantra “Never re-elect anybody”.  Instead of focusing on how they will be re-elected, politicians will be forced to listen to the People of America and vote as their constituent’s desire.

So what can you do to help?  It’s so easy!  Keep track of elections in your area and share the updates in the forum.  Share links to news articles, and if you have the desire, write your own article!  Give us a perspective from your area of the country, we’ll give you a perspective from our area of the country, and together we’ll cover all of the (undeniably) greatest country in the world, the United States of America!

As you may know:

The United States of America is not US
The United States of America is WE!

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Crash the parties – so much better when it’s plural

September 23rd is not a date that traditionally is remembered in history. This year, members of the group “Independent’s Day” will hope to make it a day to remember.

In light of the current political and economical turmoil, many Americans believe the United States have reached a turning point. The country as a whole has come to a fork in the road, one road leads to a breakdown of America as a super power, the other road leads to a restoration of glory and a continuation of the engrained pride American citizens have embraced for over 200 years. The rise of the Tea Party and other grass roots movements have helped to show that the people of America understand there is a deep seeded problem embedded in the politics of America.

American politics are deeply entrenched in the “two-party system”. Democrats and Republicans have taken turns leading the country for over 150 years and the members of the Independent’s Day movement believe both parties are doing it wrong. For years it has seemed that to be a member of a third party (Independent, Libertarian, Constitution, etc) has been “throwing away your vote” as these members never seem able to get enough of a majority to be elected to a public office. Members of Independent’s Day plan a mass exodus of both major parties in an effort to eliminate the deeply entrenched career politicians currently ruining the future of America.

Much of the youth in America has grown weary of watching Democrats and Republicans squander their future in the name of a political party. They have grown tired of hearing people claim they will attempt to “change the party from within”. The same people that have been claiming they will change their party from within have become entrenched in the political system they are trying to change. Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, Independent’s Day members will vote for the politician they believe in. This group doesn’t care which third party group you join, as long as you leave the Republicans and the Democrats. The perpetual lobbying and monopolization has silenced the voice of Americans and Independent’s Day members hope to bring back that voice.

The Independent’s Day website has the following mantra:
“We are a truly independent, truly grassroots, truly determined movement with one goal in mind: Destroy the Two Party System and reclaim our Republic from the Democrat and Republican parties that have bankrupted our nation.

The Republicans and Democrats no longer represent the American people. They are bought and sold and there is no saving them. But why should we even try to save them? Almost everyone is on the same page here. We all know that the Republicans and Democrats have monopolized the system and made it impossible for genuinely independent voices to be heard. What we want to do is give real human beings a fighting chance at holding political office. We are tired of hearing this during every election cycle: “I really don’t like (insert hollowed out hack politician) but at least he isn’t a (insert corrupt party)”. This is not Democracy. Democracy is about CHOICES and right now we are not presented with any real ones. “

On September 23rd, 2010, they will “CRASH the PARTY” and they urge you to do the same. Updates on this group will continue to be shared.

You can find them yourselves on Facebook, Independent’s Day 9-23-10

Rose Izzo update – The GOP convention is an exercise in “backroom deals”

As a correction to a previous article discussing the GOP Convention:

“Rose Izzo was NOT at the Republican Convention on Saturday, May 15th, 2010.

Rose Izzo of Brandywine Hundred has decided to skip the convention, which she sees as an exercise in backroom deals.”

Congressional hopeful Rose Izzo has not, however, been sitting around doing nothing.  Her campaign’s recent press release states the following:

Rose Izzo volunteered at the PA Primary
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania held its Primary Elections. Rose Izzo volunteers her time to help elect “Real Conservatives” to statewide and local offices. Rose and her entire staff made the trip to PA to show support for the candidates that share her views on important issues and also share her conservative approach to government. Rose and her staff handed out literature as well as drove voters to the polls.

Rose Izzo said: “Yesterday was an important day for America. I went to Pennsylvania with my campaign staff to help with the Elections. It is always good to take time out and help others. Now its back to work on my Election.”

When asked she stated that she helped Pat Toomey (she also supported him in 2004 over Arlen Specter), PA Rep. John Taylor, and others, not all from the GOP ticket.

You can learn more about Rose and her campaign at her website.   A slideshow of her helping at the primaries is viewable here.

KILL THE BILL – Wait, wrong bill – HB 353 update

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010, was a day that Delawareans lost a large portion of their civil rights yet many don’t even realize it. House Bill 353 was killed in committee by a vote of three to two. For those who are unaware, HB 353 would have allowed Delawareans to opt out of buying health insurance when the new federal mandates begin based on the bill passed on March 21st, 2010.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Hudson and 14 others, would allow Delaware to exercise its state sovereignty in choosing the mode of health care. Currently, 20 stateshave joined in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health care overhaul while a total of 38 states have legislation pending regarding their own state sovereignty.
The committee which voted on killing the Delaware Health Freedom Act (HB 353) was comprised ofRep. Peter Schwartzkopf (D), Rep. Robert Gilligan (D), Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D), Rep. Richard Cathcart (R), and Rep. Daniel Short (R). One wonders what Schwartzkopf’s new fan club,onlywhenpigsfly.org, will think of his barely veiled contempt for state sovereignty. HB 353 was killed along party lines; with Schwartzkopf’s opposition in the upcoming election, Chris Weeks, having formally announced his candidacy on May 5th, one wonders if Schwartzkopf made the correct decision. Schwartzkopf is on record with Delawareonline.com saying that “one of his reasons for opposing the measure is cost”. He may find that the cost of the lawsuit he is trying to avoid will be comparatively little when considering the number of lawsuits the state might be dealing with when they try to mandate health insurance on its citizens.
The Delaware House of Representatives Minority Caucus quotes Schwartzkopf as stating after the vote “I have some reservations about the separation of powers thing”.
The 9-12 Delaware Patriots had taken initiative when the Delaware Health Freedom Act was published, gathering over 3,000 signatures in a little over a month, all supporting this legislation. Bryan Steilkie, of the Kent County chapter, was not only at the House Administration Committee meeting on Wednesday but wrote a detailed report as well. Although the Delaware Health Freedom Act was added to the committee’s schedule at the last minute (Monday evening), both Bryan and Bill Walker (of the Sussex County chapter of the 9-12 Delaware Patriots) were at the meeting to formally present the committee with the previously mentioned gathered signatures.
Bryan, in his summary to the 9-12 Delaware Patriots, states the following: “We learned that the vote was already decided before for the hearing. That nothing said by either side made much of a difference. This is the way our current representative’s work and what makes people irate at the government. They feel no one is listening. All I know is, no one was listening today. It was a done deal from the start. I suggest that these career politicians be unseated and we vote in fresh faces, with intelligent minds… We will use what we learned and will be back to fight for Delaware again. We are not going away”

The “Green Police” are on their way

Senate Bill #234 is an act to amend titles 7 and 30 of the Delaware code related to recycling and beverage containers. This bill is being hailed as a revolutionary effort to make statewide recycling in Delaware a reality. One wonders if the supporters of this bill have actually read the fine print. Despite the jokes about the “Green Police” it seems they may be a distant reality for Delaware.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara claims the bill would not result in homeowners being penalized for not recycling. “There is no part of this bill that envisions a trash police.” Interestingly enough 6059 (a) of the bill discusses enforcement to the collectors of waste, including civil and administrative penalties. Violations shall result in, for the first conviction, a $100 to $500 fine for each day of violation. Violators will “for each subsequent conviction of the same offense within a 10 year period, be fined not less than $500 nor more than $1,500 for each day of violation”. How long until those fines transfer to individual home owners as the waste collectors cannot enforce families disposing of their waste in the wrong container?

Who will enforce these penalties? The bill in 6058 discusses the establishment, composition, and responsibility of the “Recycling Public Advisory Council”. The council shall consist of 14 members to be appointed by the Governor, 5 of these members will represent community-based or public-based interest groups. Which interest groups will be represented in this council? As the General Assembly elects no members to the Recycling Public Advisory Council, only the Governor will know this.

Senate Bill 234 discusses in section 7 an additional license for retailers. The next high point of the bill is a Recycling Fee on beverage sales. Each retailer shall pay a Recycling Fee of $0.04 on each “beverage container” sold. Retailers will inevitably pass this tax onto the consumer. This tax currently has a sunset date, yet one wonders if the sun will actually set on this or any tax.

The Caesar Rodney Institute has done extensive research regarding SB 234 and has released the following information: “Our analysis of the Universal Recycling bill, SB234 indicates 13,500 tons/ yr. will be diverted from our landfills with a value of $337,500. The stated start up cost of the bill is $22 million. It will take 65 years to pay back the start up costs!”

This bill creates numerous government jobs on a budget that is already operating in the red. New taxes are created that will affect both consumers and retailers. In an effort to endorse recycling the state will force its people to new regulations. Recycling has its merits, but this is a bill that has no place in the laws of Delaware.

This bill will be voted on in the House on Tuesday, May 11th. Please call your representative and tell them to vote accordingly.

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