Breaking Gregory A. Hastings files
Jul 9th, 2010 by David Anderson
I just got off the phone with my friend Councilman and former state Representative Gregory Hastings. He wishes me to tell you that he filed for state representative against Representative John Atkins D-41, today. He is running as the true representative of conservative values. He is opposed to the expansion of government and the tax increases pushed through. He wants less government and lower taxes.
Update: Councilman Hastings told me that when he lost in 2008 after only 18 months in office that he did not know if he would do this again, but when he sees the slide of the state and indeed the nation, he can not stay on the sidelines. As a small businessman of 22 years, he has seen his expansion plans hurt by higher workman’s compensation premiums and knows business is hurt by gross receipts taxes taking a bite out of business (whether one makes a profit or not if may add a clarification) revenue. Jobs are being harmed and families are struggling because of a bloated and expensive government. He wants to fight to change that.
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He want lower taxes and less goverment? Ask him why he voted for the “water heater tax”?
Boy – the voters have a choice between worse and….worser
your call which is which…..
Better yet anon, let the incumbent send a release. I would be sure to publish it if I see it.
A.W. I believe that former Rep. Hastings is a decent Christian man who would be a great return to the legislature. Rep. John Atkins did a fine job fighting for the family last year. I do not see it as a bad and worse election. I guess for a liberal it would be a nightmare.
John Atkins voted for six major tax increases in ’09 and then voted to raise the budget 7% in ’10. Indefensible for such a conservative district. Hastings is every bit as socially conservative as Atkins, but Atkins has become a liberal when it comes to taxes and spending. Hastings has a record of opposing higher spending by voting against budgets.
Greg Hastings is a total class act. I welcome his candidacy and he the kind of person that does his district proud with his representation.
Well let us all see how this turns out. Why is the 41st District such a diffcult district to get someone to stand up and really “Represent the People” in that district. Go figure that one……….
I live in Millsboro and Hastings just raised my water and sewer rates as a Town Councilman. The voters will remember the campaigns he ran against Bullock and Atkins as probably the dirtiest campaigns ever in Sussex.
Atkins voted for more than $200 million in tax increases to fund a state government filled with wasteful spending. Then, when the state had extra money, Atkins voted to spend it, not to return it to the taxpayers. That case is closed.
No one would accuse the Millsboro water department of being wasteful. Plus, they needed to raise the rates to accommodate Atkins pet project, Del Point and to cover costs related to the new $15 million wastewater treatment plant.
I can’t imagine for a second that Atkins will want to have a fight over who’s more conservative with taxes and spending. He will lose that fight.
In that budget was my state salary that I work hard for (SCI). I cant imagine Hastings would want to argue voting against a couple thousand state workers salaries in the 41st. Hastings was on the IRSD School Board, voted multiple times to raise taxes to support a referendum for his pet projects, then helped pass a stupid hot water heater tax in Dover, and raised town taxes.
Yea, after hearing the last debate between the two on the radio, I imagine Atkins IS looking forward to that discussion.
Bullock and Atkins were the ones running the dirty campaigns.
And for those in the know, I wonder if Mike Protack will be sitting with Atkins on his porch on Election Day
The voters already rejected Hastings dirty hit mail pieces and will reject him again in November.
Atkins is a man of great integrity. He would never try to abuse his position to break the law and he does, in fact, follow all laws obediently.
And he’s very loyal to his own political party.
Oh, and if he’s in the wrong, he readily admits it.
Cookie is saying that merely talking to Democrats is something significant. Man, and people think that I am partisan.
I do not think you will find much agreement, but you can go with that. I worked with Democrats to pass good legislation this last session. I publish Democrats in order to keep you informed or because they did something positive and will continue to do so. It does not translate into an endorsement.
Fish, here we go again. Down the road of a negative campaign. Atkins love him or hate him, agree with him or not, he will be tough to beat down here?
“In that budget was my state salary that I work hard for (SCI).”
Plus $4 billion other dollars, 10% of which could easily be cut without missing a beat. Give the employees their pay, but cut the fat. They didn’t even try to cut the fat. Atkins signed off on it. Income taxes, business taxes, gross receipts taxes, you name it.
“voted multiple times to raise taxes to support a referendum for his pet projects”
Referendums have to be approved by the voters, last time I checked. So actually, the voters of the district raised their own taxes.
“then helped pass a stupid hot water heater tax in Dover”
Hmmmm….hot water heater tax vs. $200 million in income and business taxes. Not really much of a debate, is it?
Also, disagreeing with how a person votes in their elected position is not negative campaigning.
“Atkins love him or hate him, agree with him or not, he will be tough to beat down here?”
Not when people hear that he raised taxes and spending after promising he’d be a conservative when he switched parties.
All you guys ever cry is “cut the fat”. Show me the specifics. Which agency would Hastings have cut? Where? Specifics?
Can you name one positive thing that Hastings did as my Rep in the 18 months he was there? Can you name just one bill he passed?
Can you name one positive project he has done for the town since he was appointed as Councilman?
Hastings doesn’t need to tout a specific accomplishment, because he’s served his community his entire life at no profit to himself: Ruritan, Boy Scouts, you name it.
As far as what to cut, I’m not Hastings so I don’t know what he would cut, but there’s a decent-size list to choose from that was offered by some guy named Markell that was a good start. None of those cuts made it into the budget that Atkins signed off on. I imagine that Hastings would have been okay with some of those.
Plus there’s the Department of Finance, which the governor tried to get rid of, plus the prevailing wage, plus all the middle managers making $100,000+. Plus there’s Collin Bonnini’s early retirement thing.
Will Atkins be arguing that there’s nothing to cut in state government? I’m sure people will buy that just fine.
“Cookie is saying that merely talking to Democrats is something significant. Man, and people think that I am partisan.”
David, It is obvious you have no clue to the context of the situation that Cookie is referring to. Cookie is referencing the very visible meeting between Protack and Atkins on the day of the Special Election on May 5th 2007. This by the way was also the first day that the infamous, libelous, and nasty pink post cards first hit people’s mail boxes. This very website laid the responsibility for the pink post card nastiness on Mike Protack. Protack threatened a law suit against the operator of this site which of course never happenned.
I meet with Democrats all the time and there is nothing wrong with it. Hanging out with the opposition on election day and then claiming you were helping the Republican party is just pure crap.
It is obvious on this issue that cookie has a better grasp of history than you do.
Greg Hastings is a decent, honorable man that Millsboro should be proud to send to Dover. Why oh why, would you want to keep sending back tabloid trouble? It’s such a distraction to the work that needs to be done. Somebody, please post an address for donations to Mr. Hastings campaign. Thank you.
anontoo, exactly! You cant name any specific accomplishmets because there are NONE.
As hard as you try you cant show a example of one thing he has accomplished? Im waiting.
Dept of Finance, prevailing wage, 100k a year mid-managers, and 25 year early retirement for state employees all good suggestions that were sponsored by Atkins.
Next……..
Post number 19, Ruritans and Boyscouts is a life of public service for the State House? We all volunteer our time for simular civic organizations. Give me a break.
To one of the gazillion Anon persons who complained about “negative campaigning”….first, folks with no courage to use their name strike me as slightly non-believable and a bit silly-looking. If you don’t want to use your real name, understandable from time to time, if you can’t come up with something more original than ANON….well I see that as non-believable, silly and very, very dull.
BUT…in what rulebook does it say that negative campaigning is a bad thing?
Atkins once did a bad thing and he lost an election for it. He then changed political parties. This factoid does not impress me. And while many of the folks in that district might know this story there are plenty of newcomers who may not know. There’s at least two huge mobile home parks in that district that has a high turnover.
What, you don’t think an Atkins challenger should bring up that story?
Or are you of the silly ilk who believe that the American public dislikes negative campaigns.
NOT TRUE.
Americans love negative campaigns! That stupid argument is usually made by…well by the guy who has a real negative type of past he or she wants to hide.
Hey, Atkins won as a Democrat and I’ll not take that away. The folks in his district sure have a right to elect who they want.
But anyone running against him would be a fool not to tell the story of Atkins’ past because it says something about the man.
Actually, I do have a very good idea of the context from asking a participate back then. Who do you think Protack was down to help? It wasn’t Mr. Atkins. Mr. Atkins wanted to talk with someone who knew what it felt like to be on the outside of the party. From all accounts that actually know, it was a personal, friendly conversation not a political alliance. John or Mike read the blog, if they care to say I am wrong they may.
“Post number 19, Ruritans and Boyscouts is a life of public service for the State House? We all volunteer our time for simular civic organizations. Give me a break.”
I don’t think anyone’s going to argue that someone who was elected to the state House and served in the state House is somehow not qualified to run for the state House.
What people will see with Hastings is a man who served his community his whole adult life. Ruritan and Boy Scouts I said was a start. He also served as a trustee of his church, served in the Kiwanis Club, as town councilman, as state rep, and more.
Fish, correction,
Atkins has never lost a election. He re-signed.
Hastings wont be that stupid to use the past again, thats what turned people off last election.
anontoo, Hastings was UNOPPOSSED for the IRSD, left and was APPOINTED to the State Board of Education, left that to run for the House, got whipped, then was APPOINTED to the Town Council, and now wants to leave Town Council to run for the House again with no accomplishments? On top of that his house has been for sale for months. Rumor is he wants to move to his developement hes building outside the district. He hasnt exactly been chosen by the voters for anything. Only appointed? I go to church with Greg, he is a fish out of water. He needs to decide how he wants to serve the public instead of job hopping.
If we are talking strictly personalities, Atkins fits the 41st much better than Hastings. And just for a history lesson, I think it was Mr. Hasting’s claim of being a lifelong citizen of Sussex County(which turned out not to be true) that put a lot of people off. In the last race Atkins was clearly the more conservative candidate. Since then he has carried quite a bit of water for Pete Schwartzkopf. It promises to be an interesting race.
Last comment for me on this subject, maybe someone could check, in the special election there was a Independent candidate whose name escapes me. In the three way race Hasting never broke 50%. Therefore he has never been elected to anything with a clear majority.
Frank, Atkins broke with Schwartzkopf on electorial college/popular vote bill, cell phone ban, recycling bill, gay rights, abortion, NRA issues, ect…. Im sure he will be endorsed by the NRA, law enforsement and state employees for voting against thier pay cuts.
He has done his job and will be re-elected.
Observer wrote: “Hastings was UNOPPOSSED for the IRSD, left and was APPOINTED to the State Board of Education, left that to run for the House, got whipped, then was APPOINTED to the Town Council, and now wants to leave Town Council to run for the House again with no accomplishments.”
Correction: He ran for the House and won in the special to replace Atkins. That was in ’07. He ran for a full terim in ’08 and Atkins beat him.
You capitalized “APPOINTED” like it’s a bad thing. You do realize that’s the only way you can get a seat on the state board of education, right? You can’t be elected to that.
And he was appointed to the council to fill out the term of a gentleman who passed on. No fault in that.
agreed. but you guys act like hes a saint that the people are in love with. talk to the guy, hes clueless.
You can’t keep up with the anons without a program. Are you sure that you all don’t want nicknames? Just something to think about. Carry on.
Oh, yeah TW and Cookie, what Anon said.
Observer, just for the record I happen to like a lot that Mr. Atkins has done over the years. I do part ways on Del Point and a couple of other things, and if I’m just picking the horse race(pun intended) then I go with the proven winner Atkins.
David I think they are all one person having a schizophrenic arguement with themself. I do agree that a screen name would be easier to keep up with. Or here is a really far out idea, use your real names. Crazy I know but it would lessen the level of rudeness.
“Observer, just for the record I happen to like a lot that Mr. Atkins has done over the years. I do part ways on Del Point and a couple of other things, and if I’m just picking the horse race(pun intended) then I go with the proven winner Atkins.”
It says a lot that Frank, who would crucify Castle and Rollins as RINO’s, has no problem with Atkins hiking taxes by $200 million and then hiking the budget by $200 million the next year. Just goes to show what passes for conservative down there nowadays.
“Rumor is he wants to move to his developement hes building outside the district.”
Amazing how many “rumors” arise when Atkins gets an opponent. Good to see nothing’s changed. So you want people to believe that Hastings wants to bust his hump to be elected to the state house of representatives and then move out of the district, which would force him to resign? Yeah, I’m sure that’ll fly.
“And just for a history lesson, I think it was Mr. Hasting’s claim of being a lifelong citizen of Sussex County(which turned out not to be true) that put a lot of people off.”
And as a result of Hastings being born just over the state line and ONLY spending 90% of his life in Sussex County, the 41st district elected a tax-and-spend Democrat. How’d that work out?
[...] From DelawarePolitics.net: I just got off the phone with my friend Councilman and former state Representative Gregory Hastings. He wishes me to tell you that he filed for state representative against Representative John Atkins D-41, today. He is running as the true representative of conservative values. He is opposed to the expansion of government and the tax increases pushed through. He wants less government and lower taxes. [...]
Observer — You criticize Hastings extensive public service record because he was appointed or unopposed, but you can’t argue the varied experience he brings. Also, while Hastings has served in dozens of capacities, it brings the question of Mr. Atkins’ public service resume outside of the legislature. Does he have similar varied experience, appointed, unopposed or otherwise? Was he on the school board, or the town council? On the board of any service organizations?
Schwartzkopf was instrumental in getting the Socialist-Democrats in the Legislature to hold their noses and accept Atkins- so it’s natural that Atkins would be amicable to some off Schwartzkopf’s agenda. This is smart politics.
If the Republicans had held fast, circled the wagons and defended Atkins, he wouldn’t have bolted. I can’t blame John for running as a ‘D.’
Adkins is a conservative- I believe this is beyond dispute. The problem is, he also has a ‘D’ next to his name, which counts toward the Socialist-Democrat majority in the State House, and contributes to the ‘D’s’ hold on committee chairmanships and control of the agenda.
Hence, I reluctantly endorse Hastings. I prefer Adkins, but, in the overall scheme of things, I just can’t take that ‘D’ next to his name.
“D” = Socialist-Democrat = Obama agenda
anontoo, to answer your questions, yes, he has been involved with many civic organizations. Thanks
“Adkins is a conservative- I believe this is beyond dispute. ”
Voting for $200 million in taxes and $200 million in extra spending is conservative?! What planet are you people from?
“anontoo, to answer your questions, yes, he has been involved with many civic organizations. Thanks”
Okay. I wouldn’t expect his service to come anywhere near Hastings’ decades of service and leadership, but it’s good to know that he was involved in the community before he ran for office.
I think Rick summed it up pretty well. The Republicans basically dumped Atkins (for cause) and he lost an independent attempt. The only shot he had was to accept the outreach from the Democrats. It is nearly impossible to be a Democrat and not compromise on your conservative principles right now. That will be the choice in November.
This story has been ~~linked to at http://www.thedelawarepatriot.com~~
Oh, yeah TW and Cookie, what Anon said.
David,
Were you there working on the Hastings campaign in 2007?
The Republicans basically dumped Atkins (for cause)..
What ’cause?’ What was Adkins convicted of? Ever since I’ve lived in Delaware, the Republican party has been run by politically-inept, naive fools. The obvious decision would have been for Adkins to apologize profusely, for the party to apply the requisite slap-on-the-wrist, and to move-on. Instead, they lose a conservative ‘R’ and gain a moderate ‘D.’ Brilliant.
Thank God there are people like Rick waiting to show the GOP the way. I can’t wait to vote for you in the next GOP leadership election, Rick.
Sound of crickets chirping . . . I didn’t think so David. I was there. Protack didn’t do any work on the Hastings campaikgn though he claims he did. And you take the third hand word of an anon without doing your homework . . . Shame on you.