State launches new program to help homeowners
"It is truly a pleasure to be here today on this momentous occasion to formally announce and celebrate a significant victory for those amongst us who have been brought to the precipice of financial ruin."
Losing one’s home can be the ultimate shattering of the American dream and today we are formally unveiling a program that may salvage the future for some of our Delaware families. You cannot overestimate how far reaching and significant the benefits of this program will be to some of our most vulnerable.
There is, however, a uniqueness to this accomplishment that bodes well for the future of Delaware. This Administrative Directive was not crafted overnight nor was it the product of a single special interest. It was the result of countless hours of effort by a dedicated, diverse and persistent group of people whose focus was intense and unwavering. There are so many individuals to thank that I risk leaving out key players or keeping you here past your deadlines so I’ll try to briefly capture the essence of the effort.
As a regular attendee and participant I think it is fair for me to assess and acknowledge some of the key players. 
It is no exaggeration for me to say that this program would not exist today without Judge Vaughn and his enthusiasm and support from day one. When Debbie Gottschalk and I planned a deliberate yet accidental encounter with Judge Vaughn at the DTLA holiday party we were pleasantly surprised to here the judge not only embrace the idea but to let us know ,in detail, who we would have to include in the consensus to make this plan work. He provided that strong silent leadership borne of his many years on the bench allowing the “litigants” to compromise in everyone’s best interest. Pure judicial brilliance!
This program would not exist today without the passion, dedication, hard work and brilliance of the aforementioned Debbie Gottschalk. Patience of a saint, intestinal fortitude of a pit bull and negotiating skills of Solomon aptly describe Debbie Gottschalk. She never ceased to work on every detail, pushing, prodding and leading all of us to focus and succeed.
And last but not least, this program would not exist today, serving all of the people of Delaware from Wilmington to Dover to Georgetown and all points in between, if not for the dedication and persistence of that often unfairly maligned group that I am a proud member and ally of, Delaware ACORN. Angela Walker and Darlene Battle and this magnificent group of community activists contacted a wide range of people in October and asked, begged and insisted that we had to save people’s homes. It was a simple message but displayed with such passion and insistence by ACORN that you couldn’t help but feel a sense of obligation and compassion that would lead to a successful conclusion. With a vast knowledge of other programs existing in Philadelphia and being constructed elsewhere, with a statistical accumulation of the horrors of the foreclosure crisis couched in real human terms and with a driven personality of compassion for the community, ACORN and its leaders would not allow us to fail in our efforts.
I thank all of these participants Mike Kozozkowski, Rashmi Rangan, John Olsen and those banking interests he so adroitly represented, Chris White, Gus Cordova, Matt Heckles, Gerry Kelly, Governor Markell and a host of others who proved over the last 9 months that no self interest would stand in the way of helping those most in need and it has been a special privileged moment in my life to witness that.
John Kowalko, State Representative 24th District
134 N.Dillwyn Rd.
Newark De. 19711
302/547-9351
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