Working with "almost" anyone

I always thought a representative was supposed to represent all of us.

In her never-ending quest to poach for votes - and spend all that sweet, sweet PAC money sent to the state Democrat party - I got another mailing from my Congresswoman over the weekend.

In its money line it stated, “Lisa Blunt Rochester will work with almost anyone if it gets results for the people of Delaware.” (Emphasis mine.) So far in her term this time around, the woman I just call LBR has been among the most reliable Biden votes and we in the First State have gotten slow business growth, rampant inflation, and one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. I hope those weren’t the results she was shooting for; then again, until I see otherwise I’m pretty convinced Democrats like people to be needy and dependent. (Besides, if you can’t keep Tulsi Gabbard in the fold, who can you keep?)

I remember when LBR was elected in 2016 to replace our current governor John Carney in Congress. She won on one schtick: Delaware had never elected a black or a woman to represent them so she represented a twofer. That was basically the extent of her campaign, but it was enough for her to survive a six-way Democrat primary where she was the only black woman, and the Democrat advantage in voter registration in Delaware did the rest in a Presidential year. Now she doesn’t even bother with an issues page on her campaign site, which continues to convince me she’s an empty suit.

But I know there is redemption possible in anyone, so I’m going to give her the benefit of a doubt that I’m not one of those who doesn’t fit into the “almost anyone” category. Just off the top of my head, here are three ideas which could improve Delaware.

Upgrades on federally-badged roads, including a new interstate.

It’s pretty easy to drive from Wilmington to Dover, even though it may cost you a few bucks. But aside from interstate-grade toll stretches of Delaware Route 1 and U.S. 301 and the few miles of I-95 and its feeders in New Castle County, much of Delaware lags behind on the transportation side of things. To drive down U.S. 13 or U.S. 113 is to deal with heavy summertime traffic held up by frequent signals and crossroads.

I have said for years that Delaware needs its own north-to-south interstate highway (I call it I-995) that would rebadge Route 1 from I-95 south to Dover and use the long ramp to U.S. 13 as a springboard for a new highway to parallel U.S. 13 southward to the Maryland line to the east by a couple miles, going around those towns and connecting to the U.S. 13/50 bypass on the north side of Salisbury. It would be a far better way to bring chicken north and tourists south. Those heading to the beach could benefit from an improved U.S. 113 that bypasses the backups in Millsboro and Georgetown. (The state could help there by dualizing Routes 24 and 26.)

I know people have been talking about this for 40 years - if they had been acting instead of talking, half of Delaware wouldn’t be sitting in traffic. In addition, let me say the idea of light rail to the beach is a nonstarter. I’m sure there are some people who would try to tell me otherwise, but I’m convinced no one wants to take a train for their vacation and be at its mercy when it could be made much easier to come to Rehoboth Beach or Ocean City by car. It’s even Constitutional since I would consider this a “post road.”

Authorize seismic exploration off the coast of Delaware.

I know, I know…people tell me there’s no chance we will ever drill for oil offshore. That may be so, but wouldn’t it be a good idea to find out what’s there just in case?

Some years ago in making the case for this I stumbled across the fact that several test wells were drilled off Ocean City and other areas of the Atlantic. They were basically deemed dry holes at the time, but our extraction technology is better these days.

It’s basically a choice we have to make, because something is going out there in those waters: we can have wind turbines that are unreliable, do a number on avian life, and disturb the viewshed from shore because they’re 900 feet high, or we can do the seismic exploration - as a resurrection and extension of a previous program which would have likely commenced under a second Trump administration - and see what sort of oil or natural gas deposits are out there in order to avail ourselves to dependable, reliable energy that’s there for the taking and doesn’t involve China, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. We stretch the Commerce Clause pretty thin, but this seems to be a legitimate usage of it.

Drain the Swamp: relocate the Commerce Department to Wilmington.

This one is perhaps a little more out there, but a few years ago there was a push by the Trump administration to relocate the Department of Agriculture to Kansas City. They ended up relocating two agencies in the deal.

Admittedly, it wasn’t a popular move thanks to the culture shock of moving from the D.C. swamp to the Midwest, but I don’t think there would be quite the objection in moving an hour and 15 minutes up the Acela to Wilmington. D.C. is only a two hour car ride.

And it’s a move that makes sense, since Delaware is a hub for business incorporation and the credit card industry. Granted, it would draw those lobbyists like flies but that’s going to happen regardless unless and until government is rightsized. So why not bring an agency to Delaware and let us get in on some of those jobs for awhile?

I think all three of these proposals would improve Delaware as much or more as the items LBR has supported since the Biden/Harris regime rolled into town. With her help, we can make this place better and use government as a method to help improve our lives rather than just amass power for a well-connected elite. You want to get results for the people of Delaware? Here you are.