NOT WORTH THE MONEY

I can’t get over this race by Major League Baseball to pay out so much money to win over big name players. Each week the number gets higher. 

The bidding war started last month with the signing of former Oriole Manny Machado, a 10 years contact for the San Diego Padres for $300 million.

Followed a week later by the Phillies signing Bryce Harper for a record 13 yr deal worth $330 million. Mike Trice signed a week later a 12 yr deal with the Los Angeles Angels for a whopping $430 million. 

What I don’t understand is neither of these players measure up to the greats of my era, and most of these recent contracts are guaranteed. They won’t be productive that long. 

Harper has yet to get a hit in spring training, although his signing broke the teams record for season tickets. 

Many of the players today with their puny batting and pitching records would have been sent to the minors back in my day. 

A pitcher was expected to win 20 games each season. I remember when Phila A’s left-hander Bobby Shantz won 20 games, he asked manager-owner Connie Mack for a $500 raise, which he reluctantly gave. The next year Shantz won 19 games. Mack cut his pay by $500.

Player’s in my time had to have winter jobs to eek out a living. They played ball for the love of the game, certainly not for the benefits. 

Performance doesn’t mean a cut today with the non-cut clause in their contracts.  

If it were not for TV contracts, looking at the empty seats in most stadiums many would have to close their doors.  Games today are too slow and too long…and too expensive to attend. 

 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

God willing and the creek doesn’t rise, I’ll be celebrating my 81st birthday to which I didn’t think I would live this long. Had I known, I would have taken better care of myself. 

I’ve had a great, interesting, and fulfilled life. I had wonderful parents, two wonderful marriages, (first wife of 43 years died after a liver transplant) was lucky to win the heart of a West Virginia gal. 

I have enjoyed a great political career, starting as a Reading Clerk in the DE House, asst. Secretary of Public Safety, Democrat County Chairman, Director of Economic Development and Airport Director, both for my County, and finally Delaware Commissioner of Elections. 

And a wonderful career in journalism; sports editor for a weekly paper, stringer for both state newspapers, and currently a columnist for a weekly paper.

Health wise except for being on dialysis three days a week, about 4.5 hours, very good for a person of my age.

One good piece of advise I can give to my readers is, do what you want to do while you have your health, don’t put off traveling or whatever your retirement goals are.

I worked too long, then made plans, then came kidney failure. Oh yes, we can still travel if we make plans in advance to be near a hospital that does dialysis. But, then you lose three days from your vacation. Not worth it. 

So, we are going to take short weekend trips along the Eastern Shore and make the best of our lives. 

Tomorrow, Saturday, all my 5 siblings and my wife’s family will be celebrating my birthday. I hope they’ll all be around when I celebrate my 100th. 

TRUMP SUFFERS MEMORY LOSS

What’s wrong with Trump and his battle of negative words with a deceased man?

His attacks on the late US Senator, POW hero, John McCain has many Americans including prominent members of his own party pretty darn upset. 

Trump appears to forget almost everything he says is recorded. Thursday he said on a taped interview for Fox Business News, his network, not mine, “I’m not a fan of John McCain, in front of a group of employees at a tank factory, many vedterans in attendance, he berated Mr. MCain for his vote against dumping the current healthcare bill, said he robbed millions of Americans from better healthcare.

What healthcare bill have you every proposed Trump?  You fooled the voters during your campaign that you had a better proposal for less money, you didn’t have a plan then and you and your Republican Party never had nor will ever have one. 

Then, adding insult to injury, he bragged of giving Senator McCain the funeral he wanted, noting he had to approve it. He looked sad when he said he didn’t receive a thank you. 

But, as usual when Trump craps on himself, his grudge against McCain has not appeared to alienate core supporters. A mystery I can’t understand. 

Reminds me when Ronald Reagan was president, with his smooth messages. Someone remarked, “The man could piss in your face and convince you it was raining.”

Trump is smoother. He could crap in your face and convince his followers he was giving a mud facial. 

NO LEG ACTION ON DELTECH FUNDING

I am a believer as a home owner and real estate investor to spend money keeping my properties in tip top shape before sticking a dime in my pocket. 

I am also a strong advocate for Delaware’s DelTech’s education system. The schools have graduated more Delawareans and provided their students more employment and allowed them to remain in their home county than our two state institutions combined. 

I know for a fact in Sussex County, my home county, the lowest per capita in the state and a county with a high employment rate. Yes, we have wealth here, but the majority of these people are retirees moving here with pensions more than those who work full time. 

DelTech has given them an opportunity receive a nursing degree, one of the best nursing programs in the country, associate degrees in accounting, engineering, training for the travel industry, social workers, and trades etc. Students can live at home, the school is 20 minutes from the furthers point in the county; no room no board. 

Parents and students don’t have to have a large college debt, and if the kid doesn’t make the grade they aren’t out a lot of money.

Delaware has taken financial care of the educational institutes but when it comes to maintenance for DelTech, the legislature stalls. DelTech is at a crisis point when it comes to their dilapidated buildings, 70% of the college’s buildings are more than 25 years old and the institution has deferred maintenance costs totaling $89.9 million across its’s four campuses. 

DelTDech president Mark Bainer has proposed for the past few years, a small property tax state wide. the new proposal, unveiled Wednesday as an alternative to Bainard’s unpopular bill allows DelTech to issue bonds to pay for renovations, maintenance and equipment, similar what is allowed by the two universities. 

The bill didn’t make it to the chambers for a vote. The Governor hemmed not giving his nod to the bill. 

Governor, we need jobs in this state especially in Sussex County. Don’t like this bill, ok. Come up with an alternative. Don’t wait until the buildings fall further into disrepair. 

 

 

 

EASY COME EASY GO

The US Defense Budget which Donald Trump touts as important to the safety and defense of Americans is on the chopping block. And it’s going to hit home in Delaware. The culprit is Trumps border wall. 

A new  maintenance hanger for Dover Air Force Base may be sitting in the crosshairs of a 20-page list of military construction projects send from the Pentagon to Congress. 

The Pentagon’s list estimated the cost of the DAFB hangar construction to be around $39 million. 

In addition to the loss are the number of civilian jobs and payroll that would trickle into Delaware’s economy. 

Trump is considering pulling funds from military contraction projects in 42 states.

So, in order for Trump to get his 247 mile wall, he is willing to sacrifice the safety and security of the rest of Americans. 

I COULD HAVE GONE TO YALE OR HARVARD

Marlon Brando after he threw a championship fight at the request of his brother said of throwing the fight, “I coulda been somebody.”

If my parents had money I could have attended Yale or Harvard and “been somebody.”

The recent college scandal of parents spending millions to have their kids entered in prestigious schools was alarming. What has become of our society?

JUSTICE FOR ALL OR JUST WHITE FOLKS AND WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

The scales of justice are supposed to be balanced for all, not any more. 

A lot of comparisons have been made lately between sentencing for criminal acts of white and non-whites.

It boils down to those who have and have nots. If you can afford high priced attorneys, you can escape being sentenced or given a shorter time. If you have to take the state’s prosecutors who are overworked, and don’t  have the time or in most cases the experience, you can expect the worst especially if you are non-white. 

Only one of the Wilmington Trust executives has been sentenced for their mismanagement of the once powerful bank in Delaware. Thousands lost millions of dollars. Paul Manafort the corrupt once Trump campaign manager, accused on many charges which could have given him many years in prison, has seen him sentenced in two courts for a total of less than 7 years in prison. 

Many  instances of police shooting blacks showing on video they were dead wrong, got off without a slap on the wrist. And you wonder why they kneel?

Yet a black teenager charged with a crime is headlined a THUG in the newspaper, while a white teen is headlined as a TEEN.

For the same crimes a black can be sentenced for 15 years or more; a white teen or white collar crime for much less. 

Where is justice?