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http://www.tommywonk.com/2010/08/paul-clark-pam-scott-and-stoltz-real.html

Paul Clark, Pam Scott and Stoltz Real Estate Partners

I had never quite put my finger on what bothers me about having our county council president married to a high powered land use attorney until I read yesterday’s News Journal piece on opposition to two large proposals by Stoltz Real Estate Partners. The article includes the standard disclaimer from Paul Clark on how he avoids the appearance of a conflict of interest with his wife, Pam Scott:

Because of his wife’s involvement in many development projects around the county, Clark said, he stays out of most land-use debates.

In other words, he doesn’t do his job. In his defense, he dismisses the consideration of land use issues a “minor function” of county government. It occurs to me that we have never heard Clark and Scott discuss whether she should recuse herself from her job of representing developers going before County Council.

The question for residents concerned about the projects is not how Paul Clark would have voted, but whether they will be able to voice their concerns in a meaningful forum. Since they cannot, Scott can tell residents that her client doesn’t care what they think:

At a public meeting in which the crowd spilled into the hallway, Stoltz attorney Pam Scott explained to the county planning board that she and other company officials had not read the proposal.

Board member Victor Udo wanted to know why, noting that more than 200 people had showed up to express opposing views.

“Because it’s not [CRG's] place to design how my client should use their property,” Scott said. “Just like it’s not my client’s place to dictate to them how their property should be designed.”

I have been involved in some big land use battles in Wilmington and Philadelphia, and have rarely seen a significant project blocked outright. I have seen proposals modified to accommodate the concerns of neighbors. But this requires that neighbors have a forum in which to make their case. Without that, a developer can tell them that their view don’t matter.

Senate Race Delaware

http://freedomist.com/2010/10/11/senate-race-delaware-chris-coons-land-use-swindles/

http://blog.obamacare.tv/2010/10/09/senate-race-delaware-how-chris-coons-manipulated-land-use-code-to-favor-developer-and-strip-tax-payers-right-to-object/

Tweets:

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons approves land deal 4 County Pres n wife, attorney 4 developer http://j.mp/dk0Bc7 #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons give land deal to County prez wife http://j.mp/c6m3SV #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race #Delaware- Chris Coons gves Stolz land deal with help of County Pres wife, attorney for Stoltz http://j.mp/a4Up5n #senate #race

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons uses Land Use codes to screw taxpayers http://j.mp/bwiPyZ #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race #Delaware- How Chris Coons used Land Use code 2 favor developer-strip tax payers right 2 object http://j.mp/c2XHzH #senate #race

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons tax scheme pt 1 http://j.mp/b6v47J #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons affordable housing housing tax wrecked New Castle County http://j.mp/caAl2W #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons Land Deal http://j.mp/9kwaxh #senate #race #delaware

Senate Race Delaware- Chris Coons ignores Tax Payers 2 cram land deal through 4 County Pres wife http://j.mp/axir4V #senate #race #delaware

http://meetchriscoons.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/coons-abused-county-pension-system-for-political-payoffs/

According to Ron Williams in The News Journal, when Chris Coons served as the President of the County Council, he diverted untold millions of taxpayer dollars as payoffs to his political buddies and top staff.  Coons did this by exploiting a loophole in the county’s pension program.

The loophole was originally meant to attract new county police officers, but Coons decided to use it as a cash cow to pay off his political hacks:

It started as a legitimate way to recruit experienced cops onto the then-fledgling New Castle County Police Department. Municipal police officers with a few years service in say, Newport, could join the county force and get those Newport years credited toward a county pension. Then credited years were expanded into government service, still not a bad idea for high level, politically appointed executives who seldom accumulated enough time for a pension before the next administration came in. But then something went very wrong. The New Castle County pension plan became a cash cow for every political hack and hangers-on in various administrations. Come work for the county for a few years, purchase pension credits at your old lower salary at 5 percent on the dollar and retire at a nice fat pension on your new six-figure salary. (Ron Williams, Op-Ed, “NCCo Pension Plan Was The One To Die For,” The News Journal, February 14, 2007)

Coons likes to brag about how he closed the loophole, but, not surprisingly, he leaves out the embarrassing part where he grandfathered in his buddies, wasting untold millions of taxpayers hard-earned cash:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744160451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+14%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.10&desc=NCCo+pension+plan+was+the+one+to+die+for

Coons Voted To Open A Pension Loophole That Would Have Allowed County Employees To Buy Into The Pension System, Or To Transfer Credit From Other Government Service.

Coons Has Closed The ‘Loophole’ That Contributed To That Burden. First, However, He Saw To It That His Buddies And Top Staff People — And All Six Of The New County Council Members And Their Staffs — Were Grandfathered Under That Loophole Which Has, And Will, Cost Taxpayers Millions Of Dollars.”

 “No one knows how many times the County Pension Board rules have been changed to accommodate a particular employee who had political connections to a county executive or County Council. We do know that the so-called loophole has been opened and shut by at least three county executives. Coons was the latest to open it, in 2003. But he’ll also remind you that he closed it in December with needed refinements that make it work like a real pension plan. But those changes came after Coons made

Hack…

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744124011.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+21%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.12&desc=There%27s+more+than+one+tax+hike+proposed+for+NCCo

 “Coons also wants to increase from 60 cents to $1 the excise tax on land-line phone calls to the county emergency call center and impose a new $1 tax on cell phone calls. Cell phone calls now account for more than half of all calls directed to the emergency center. That could bring in as much as $3 million.” (Ron Williams, “There’s More Than One Tax Hike Proposed For NCCo,” The [Wilmington, DE] News Journal, 3/21/07) 

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744107591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+15%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.20&desc=Using+telephone+bills+to+raise+tax+income+is+sneaky

 “New Castle County Executive Chris Coons wants to put a new $1 monthly fee on cell phone users and an additional 40 cents a month on residential land lines to help finance the county’s 911 call centers. Because the way things work in the General Assembly, if state legislation passes allowing the new fees for New Castle County, it also would apply to Kent and Sussex counties. The state collects the money and distributes it. Kent and Sussex may not be asking for the fee — with its huge surplus, Sussex doesn’t even need it — but you know neither county or city is going to turn down free revenue. The fee, which is really a tax, would also apply to municipalities that have their own 911 centers including Wilmington, Newark, Dover and Rehoboth Beach.” (Ron Williams, Op-Ed, “Using Telephone Bills To Raise Tax Income Is Sneaky,” The [Wilmington, DE] News Journal, 4/15/07)

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744124011.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+21%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.12&desc=There%27s+more+than+one+tax+hike+proposed+for+NCCo

 “Coons also wants to increase from 60 cents to $1 the excise tax on land-line phone calls to the county emergency call center and impose a new $1 tax on cell phone calls. Cell phone calls now account for more than half of all calls directed to the emergency center. That could bring in as much as $3 million.” (Ron Williams, “There’s More Than One Tax Hike Proposed For NCCo,” The [Wilmington, DE] News Journal, 3/21/07) 

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/delawareonline/access/1744107591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+15%2C+2007&author=RON+WILLIAMS&pub=The+News+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.20&desc=Using+telephone+bills+to+raise+tax+income+is+sneaky

 “New Castle County Executive Chris Coons wants to put a new $1 monthly fee on cell phone users and an additional 40 cents a month on residential land lines to help finance the county’s 911 call centers. Because the way things work in the General Assembly, if state legislation passes allowing the new fees for New Castle County, it also would apply to Kent and Sussex counties. The state collects the money and distributes it. Kent and Sussex may not be asking for the fee — with its huge surplus, Sussex doesn’t even need it — but you know neither county or city is going to turn down free revenue. The fee, which is really a tax, would also apply to municipalities that have their own 911 centers including Wilmington, Newark, Dover and Rehoboth Beach.” (Ron Williams, Op-Ed, “Using Telephone Bills To Raise Tax Income Is Sneaky,” The [Wilmington, DE] News Journal, 4/15/07)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38143.html

Cognizant that his decision to raise taxes as a county executive will become fertile ground for Republican attacks, Delaware Senate candidate Chris Coons is attempting to soften the potential blow by embracing the move and explaining it as fiscally responsible.

“Chris Coons raised your taxes. Absolutely. Guilty as charged, your honor,” Coons told POLITICO Friday when asked about the biggest potential vulnerability he carries into his race against GOP Rep. Mike Castle.

The New Castle County executive said the 10-3 vote he helped engineer in May to pass a budget without a deficit included deep spending cuts and a $100 property tax increase.

He also identified it as the top piece of opposition research that would be leveraged against him but said that openly explaining the details would prove to be the best counterpunch.

Coons said he would answer the charge, potentially in television ads, with the message that the balanced budget he crafted delivered his county a Triple A bond rating and a $47 million dollar reserve without a deficit for the first time in a decade. The plan also included an $1,800 pay cut for the county’s 1,450 employees, which prompted public employee unions — a traditional Democratic constituency — to protest outside of Coons’ home.