News reminds me that Delaware voters elected the same old people

Exercising the right to vote is one of the most important things an American can do. No matter how crazy the outcome we have to trust that this form of government is the best one. This does not mean that I can't be shocked by some of those choices.

Voters elected Tom Gordon to the Greater Hockessin Area Development Association board. This is the same Tom Gordon and former chief executive of New Castle County, Delaware that is under a federal indictment for corruption and racketeering. I do understand that one is innocent until proven guilty, but out of respect for good governance perhaps Mr. Gordon could have waited until his legal difficulties were over before he chose to rejoin the public debate. The voters of Hockessin are shockingly easy to please as well. The article also comments that in his new role, he may come into contact with people related to his indictment. From the article:

"Gordon's position with the association would put him in an organization that works closely with developers and land-use attorneys -- including Shawn Tucker, a former county employee who helped federal authorities investigating Gordon by wearing a wire."

.."wearing a wire", for goodness sake! His partner in crime, Sherry Freebery, spends much of her time lately in courtrooms on appeal. The Delaware news Journal has an entire archive dedicated to this pair.

In related news, the current County Executive, Chris Coons, has announced the county budget for 2007 which includes a 5% tax increase for New Castle County. I haven't decided the merits of the tax increase. I want to remind the voters of New Castle County, who elected Chris Coons, that his former position was President of New Castle County Council which he served while Gordon was Executive. The voters obviously didn't feel that he had any responsibility as an elected official to prevent the racketeering that allegedly occurred while he was in office. It even came up in an attack add from the campaign which got him elected:

"The spot characterizes Coons as complicit in a culture of corruption in county government -- quite contrary to Coons' campaign in which he sees himself as a corruption buster, a County Council president who stood up to the tainted Gordon administration and took out Sherry L. Freebery, the chief aide, in the Democratic primary for county executive."

Lately, he is playing both sides against the middle. Conveniently forgetting his earlier association with Gordon and Freebery, but trying to place any blame for his failure to meet campaign promises on the previous administration. By the way, all of these folks are in the same political party, but please keep re-electing them if that is the will of the people.

tags: Delaware, politics, corruption