Eliminate political parties
I believe it's time we eliminate our political parties. They constantly fight like the Hatfields and McCoys, wasting our hard-earned tax dollars.
What we need to do is have a nationwide popular voting primary, where no candidate can accept more than a $500.00 donation. The top three winners get a closely-watched federal campaign allotment, with no private funds, free TV airtime, and must attend six debates. After six months, a nationwide presidential popular vote takes place, where the winner is president and second place is vice president.
David DelPercio
Wilmington
Please support bail reform
I write this letter in support of House Bill 204 regarding bail reform, giving judges more options to release defendants without requiring cash bail.
HB 204 has a wide swath of support. It was co-written by the Attorney General’s office, the Department of Correction, the Delaware State Police, the Public Defender’s office, the Justice of the Peace Courts, and the Delaware Criminal Justice Council.
Our current bail system is flawed and inequitable. Defendants unable to post bail can lose their jobs — and cannot pay child support — because they cannot report to work. Parents who cannot post bail, especially single parents, risk losing their children to the foster care system.
Defendants stuck in jail cannot participate in their own defense like free defendants. The cash bail system disproportionately keeps African-Americans in jail, and contributes further to already overcrowded prisons.
Even non-violent and first-time offenders often have to pay bail — for example, first-time marijuana offenders. For defendants being held on bail, sometimes, the fastest way to get out of prison and back to jobs and families is to simply plead guilty regardless of actual guilt.
Also, bail reform makes financial sense. Housing prisoners is very expensive, so holding fewer defendants who cannot pay bail is a big cost savings for taxpayers, and no less safe for communities.
I urge readers to contact their state Senators and Representatives in favor of HB 204.
Eric Morrison
Newark
Early childhood funding is essential
Delaware STARS and tiered reimbursement should continue to be funded in Delaware. These programs can be part of the greatest public investment Delaware could ever make.
If Delaware made a public investment in quality early learning, then the outcomes in education, health, economic productivity, sociability, and reduced crime will improve. Without tiered reimbursement or Delaware STARS, these outcomes will decrease again.
Centers depend on tiered reimbursement to serve low-income families. If these low-income families don't get served, they will have to resort to other methods like stealing to survive. If this happens, then the crime rate will increase again.
That isn't the only consequence of getting rid of Delaware STARS and tiered reimbursement. Getting rid of these programs will cause more issues then it will solve.
These programs are essential to early childhood programs and early childhood learning.
Mackenzie O'Day
Middletown
Underwhelmed with Denn
Not long ago, Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn announced that he was "underwhelmed" with political decisions by others.
Well, I'm underwhelmed too. I'm underwhelmed with Mr. Denn and Delaware's mediocre leadership.
After the belated announcement that Delaware would have a monetary surplus, Mr. Denn quickly advocated spending the surplus on one of his personal agenda items (or was he just setting up a future career move?) Now we have obscure UD professors suggesting we spend the surplus somewhere else.
Why isn't Mr. Denn, with his supposed legal acumen and the responsibilities of his office, trying to find a legal way to get us out of Governor Markell's Bloom Energy boondoggle that has so far cost Delawareans more than $170 million by inflating their utility bills, while getting virtually nothing in return? Perhaps a more dedicated future AG will at least try.
Or, how about using the surplus to return the monies taken from the seniors when our state accounting wizards told us we'd have a deficit, and politicians arranged to make up the difference by taking it from the elderly? Not all of our seniors are forgetful; many will remember in future elections.
John Newton
Wilmington