DE for Retirement and Quality of Life: FAIL, thanks to Townsend and Cohorts

Articles are plastered all over the internet show that, time and time again, Delaware is not a recommended place to retire or to expect a high quality of life. It is the second smallest State next to Rhode Island, and the 4th most corrupt State next to Wyoming, where corrupt Democrats massively subsidize business interests and relax corporate laws to attract major companies to relocate here. This is probably the only reason that more people aren't fleeing Delaware, unlike other States with well-established quality of life issues. The "1st State" is also #1 in bicycling fatalities, the 3rd dirtiest, 5th loudest and ranks 5th in parental doping -- among others.

That Senator Bryan Townsend and his Democratic legislative minions refuse to care about quality of life in "The 1st State" anytime it favors big business couldn't be more readily apparent. They'll even go so far as to tear down the environmental legacy of past govt officials and legislators, and aid and abet land-use profiteers (developers) in all manner of secrecy. They crush, and then laugh at citizen-led grassroots campaigns aimed at improving DE's socio-economic status and thus making the State a healthier and more attractive place to live. Only some of these are highlighted on this website; there are hundreds, if not thousands of similar examples throughout DE's history. Today, these gross injustices are overwhelmingly spearheaded by Democrats -- the State's long time controlling political party. The result? If you're in any way progressive, Delaware is no place to live. Unless drawn for business purposes, and/or if you're desperate for a job in banking, pharma, or bio-tech, other States and areas of the U.S. are far more attractive.

• These States Offer the Best and Worst Quality of Life (Fortune)
• 10 Best States for Quality of Life (USN&WR)
• These 10 States are the best places to live in America (MSNBC)
• 2017 United Van Lines Mover's Study (UVL)
• The U.S. States People Are Fleeing (and moving to) (Forbes)

... and not one of the country's top 25 best places to live is found in Delaware:

• The 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life in 2019 (USN&WR)

In matters of land-use, Delaware's corrupt legislators go around telling everyone that more suburban sprawl translates to more tax base, which in turn, produces a lower cost of living and thus higher quality of life. Not only is this argument fallacious, but cost of living is not the only concern for the State's residents and prospective residents. Studies like this one highlight the fiscal impacts of land uses on local governments, and that these lies come home to bite in nearly every case. Why? Because on average, each new dwelling unit (including in DE) costs $1.25 in required govt services for every $1 in new taxes generated. By design, the suburbs are a failed model; a failed living arrangement that costs govt more than any tax base can recoup. But you'll never hear Townsend, Rep Osienski, and their legislative allies ever discuss this, and what solutions exist (never mind propose) to bring livability and possibly retrofit said living arrangement.

In summary, Delaware - primarily New Castle County - will never rank among the most attractive places to live for reasons too numerous to list all of them here. But chief among the environmental causes are terrible driver behavior, deadly conditions for multi-modal roadway users, deafening vehicle noise, lack of place-making, lack of locally accessible regional parks, no dedicated open space funding, and deeply entrenched and notoriously corrupted County and State legislatures. This unattractive quality of life, at the hands of corporate greed and profiteering, will be these legislator's "legacy" -- their "gift" to future generations (including their own children) and there's little any of us citizens and Advocates can do to stop them.

The lies of Senator Townsend and Rep Osienski

By Angela Connolly | That Senator Townsend and Rep Osienski are pathological liars couldn't be more apparent than their assertion that 2 additional years of advocacy -- from the time that developing the Orphanage Property was first conceived -- would have made zero difference in the outcome. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This sham was perpetrated by both of these State legislators who are responsible for this reckless travesty of justice. It was their defacto response after Councilwoman Diller leaked the news of the Chestnut Hill "Preserve" to citizens and Advocates in 2015, a full two years after the legislators first learned the threat of development.

In the spirit of fairness and that "both sides are presented", we are including the relevant snippets from their pages. For the record, had any of these legislators brought the news of impending Orphanage Property development to their constituents, the press, and/or enlisted the help of Advocates in 2013, we would instead be in the planning stages of Ogletown Regional Park.

Any one, two or all three could have stood up to the Felician Sisters and insisted "you are not doing this to our constituents!" and demanded that meetings be arranged and that the seeds of a County and/or State acquisition be planted. It comes first and foremost with their job -- known in the field as representation, democracy and "the needs of the many outweigh the needs (or profits) for the few". These are concepts that Townsend, Osienski and Diller have absolutely no clue about, and never will.

Even non-critical lands of less consequence have been acquired by Govt agencies or Legislative bodies under much more strenuous circumstances than Townsend and Osienski describe. But there are hundreds, if not thousands of examples on-line and across the U.S. These pitiful excuses that they posted on their pages are a foul, repugnant reminder that Delaware is the 4th most corrupt State in the U.S., measured by transparency and accountability (lack thereof).

In summary,"legislators" Townsend, Osienski and Diller are just a few of the self-serving wretches in Delaware Govt that make life-changing decisions for the rest of us, while their #1 fundamental uno priority is to enrich themselves and their cohorts. Townsend in particular is recognized more and more as a foul, brown-nosing corporatist kiss-ass, who's scratching and clawing his way to the top of the political slag heap. Few doubt that he will win the Governor's Mansion or a seat in U.S. Congress. Ultimately, they are all enablers, bidders, and paid shills of the wealthy corporatist elite that fund their campaigns and pass the fat envelopes around. This could not be more apparent with the loss of the Orphanage Property, and an entire region's last hope for it's own park and form of place-making.

Townsend, Osienski, & Corruption: Perfect Together

Bryan-Townsend.com 30-day hit count

For anyone searching under any word combination of "Bryan Townsend Osienski Corruption", they're in for a deluge of fact finding information. Ditto that with "Orphanage" or "Open Space" or "Ogletown". Those with inquiring minds -- and there will be many come future generations -- will swiftly learn of this pair's folly, and just how corrupt they really are. Admins for this page, and Ogletown Resilience, and 1st State Bikes, have also ensured that these domain names will remain permanent and on-line for the foreseeable future (what's left of it):

The goal of this page is make Sen Bryan Townsend's corruption readily searchable by the public, so that future generations will know who sold them out environmentally and socio-economically. That they will know who denied them "Naturehood", and ignored and thus hastened the climate and extinction crisis we now face. That this legislative cabal in the "Democratic" party never even tried, yet they continue lying that they did with a fake line item in the bond bill. That they threw away the last remaining open space, with an interconnecting trail system and habitat area suitable for a regional park -- even at the cost of a pittance.

Mr Townsend and his House minion Ed Osienski deny any role in the loss of the Orphanage Property, and insist that they were powerless to stop it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As one of the highest ranking State Senators and a future anointee for Governor or a seat in U.S. Congress, Townsend alone could have led the charge to save it. He could have intervened a full 2 years before Advocates were even made aware of the development plans, and demanded a different outcome -- that the land be saved as a regional park. He could have been a champion, like other State Legislators around the country are for their constituents. Instead, he trashed - forever - the needs of thousands living in the Ogletown-S. Newark region, in favor of profiteering and kickbacks to his campaign donors in the building industry. He allowed this to happen knowing full well that the region has a terrible history of disenfranchisement, because he didn't need them to win re-election in 2018.

Legislator Was a Champion of Parks (in CA, that is)

We have repeated on numerous occasions, and in articles on this website, that both State Legislators (including Rep Ed Osienski) are most at fault for the loss of the Orphanage Property, because they are self-serving and corrupt.

Unlike other States, most of Delaware does not have local jurisdiction; Ogletown-S. Newark is not a city, a township or a borough. We do not have the ability to draft and put up referendums on the ballot, i.e. open space funding via a minuscule sin tax as commonly seen in most other States. This is something that, like 10-9 funding (failed) and Open Space as a Democrat Party Plank (failed - again), Advocates would have worked very hard to secure funding. Therefore, our County and State Legislators are given a significantly elevated responsibility to act in the people's -- their constituents -- best interests, throughout the districts they serve.

Advocates for Saving The Orphanage Property (STOP) knew from very early on that Councilwoman Lisa Diller was done and finished helping STOP Advocates; she made no effort to hide that fact and was a colossal failure when the cover was blown in 2015. Exec Meyer arrived late on the scene with his election victory in 2016, and with no State Legislator oversight, both State Legislators allowed him to throw away this one time-only opportunity with two hands.

Along with Diller, both Rep Ed Osienski and Sen Bryan Townsend knew back in 2013 that the property was in the early stages of development planning, and did NOT act in the manner of trying to save it for a regional park -- or because it made ecological and socio-economic sense. By 2015, plans for the Chestnut Hill so-called "Preserve" had advanced to the point that no advocacy effort could save it, and both Townsend and Osienski knew that, with Osienski reaffirming as much, repeatedly, throughout the campaign.

This, in stark contrast to another Legislator from California, who fills the same shoes as Townsend-Osienski in Delaware, yet was a champion of parks for his constituents and the State as a whole. Excerpts:

Townsend and Osienski will never come close
to this man's level of public service and integrity.

John P. Quimby, the plain-spoken former assemblyman who authored California’s law that lets cities and counties require developers to set aside land for parks, has died, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 77.

The Times reported that Quimby died Dec. 23 of pneumonia at a Sacramento-area hospital. Quimby contracted polio when he was 12, a disease that required him to use crutches or a wheel chair in later years. When he was 22, he was elected to the San Bernardino City Council, the youngest council member in the city’s history. He was elected to the Assembly in 1962 and served for 12 years.

After World War II, Southern California experienced an unprecedented building boom that left areas like North Orange County “park poor.” In 1965, the Democrat authored the law later named for him — the Quimby Act. [Full article ...]

Celebration of the Life of Angela Connolly-Cunneely

Originally posted in Ogletown Resilience and 1st State Bikes. Angela was a true community organizer, an advocate, an activist for the environment and quality of life issues in New Castle County Delaware.  Something that Townsend and his ilk on the Delaware legislature could never imagine much less be. The Ogletown region will never have a regional park and Angela never had a park bench to walk or bike to and sit on OR be remembered by. What phony little men Townsend and his corrupt minions in the fake Democratic party really are.

From the event site | Please join us in a Celebration Of Life for Angela Connolly Cunneely, who took her leave of this earthly realm on August 4th 2023. Obituary HERE.

Angela fought a valiant 2 year battle with Cholangiocarcinoma, a very rare and aggressive cancer of the bile duct, which ended in the way that Angela always knew it would - in a draw. She always knew that her cancer would ultimately take her, but she took solace in the fact that her end would also mean the demise of her cancer.

In keeping with the spirit of Angela’s love of and connection to nature and the great outdoors, we will be gathering on Oct 8 at 2pm in Lums Pond State Park, Pavilion #3. Please dress comfortably and respectfully.

One of Angela’s favorite movie lines and frequently used quotes was “I don’t mind going if a luncheon is provided” from A Christmas Carol ❤️, and as such food and drink will of course be provided by the family, and any additional contributions are most welcome.

Destroying Peterson's Legacy, and Our Children's Future

Delaware Gov Russel Peterson (R: Environmentalist).
Surely, the man is spinning in his tomb.

With the stroke of a pen, 2 of Delaware's most corrupt legislators ever -- Senator Bryan Townsend and Rep Edward Osienski --destroyed the legacy of former Governor Russel Peterson (R) with HB-190. For those who don't know, Peterson was one of the greatest environmentalists to ever serve in public office, not just in Delaware but the U.S. as a whole. And that's one thing. It's quite another that the pair did this knowing full well the environmental implications, and in the big picture, the dire threat to species survival (including our own) -- both locally and globally:

• Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’ (Guardian)
• Human civilization faces "existential risk" by 2050 (CBS News)

• 'Existential' Risk of Climate Crisis Could Lead to Civilizational Collapse by 2050, Warns Report

• Earth's sixth mass extinction event under way, scientists warn (Guardian)

• Extinction is a national threat. Congress must act now: Delaware Voice (Delaware On-Line)

The only thing more shocking is that Senator Townsend has a 2nd child on the way. With the science more clear than ever, what kind of future does he wish upon them? He had a golden opportunity to make a huge difference right at home -- for a bargain -- and leave a legacy not only for himself, but for his kids and everyone in his District 11. He could have been a champion for those who fought for several years to save the Orphanage Property's fields, forests and wetlands for a regional park. He could have made a bold statement about saving biodiversity while building a quality of life for Ogletown residents. BUT, profits and paybacks to his campaign donors were more important to him, so these hopes never even stood a chance at happening. Because of that, this webpage will serve as a reminder to future generations just who was responsible for their demise, first and foremost, the highest ranking and most influential legislator of them all: Bryan Townsend (D) District 11.