Readers of this blog will remember back in January when we did a story on a report from the Wilmington News Journal confirming an allegation made during the 2010 U.S. Senate campaign that New Castle County was broke. Dace Blaskowitz, a political independent, found that the "NCCo government is simply unsustainable" and that the answer to their rampant overspending has consistently been higher and higher property taxes and sewer fees. You may also remember that Mr. Blaskowitz found that 75% of New Castle County government costs are tied up in personnel and that is after a 2.5%paycut in 2009 and anotherin 2010.
Blaskowitz suggested a reduction in staff levels and contraction of benefit obligations yet New Castle County has gone on a hiring spree lately. He also suggested some minimal concessions from the unions with regard to pay/benefits might be necessary to close the gap between revenue and expenditures. The Clark Administration has said that it will work with the unions but that it is getting serious about the County finances. Today however, sources within the County unions confirm that a deal has been reached and will be signed tomorrow. The deal is reported to be a two year deal with county employees contributing $1200 per year to a healthcare savings fund. In exchange for this surcharge payment, county employees will get a 5% increase (covering their two 2.5% reductions in the past 2 years) plus 3 new paid fulough days each year. County employees will not have any holidays or current off time taken away. Sources say that County Council Executive Paul Clark will sign the deal tomorrow afternoon.
Does this mean that our County finances are back in order? Just a month ago when County Council passed the FY 2012 budget, Clark was talking about another 2.5% cut and other concessions from the unions. In fact, his budget passed, despite strong opposition from Council President Kovach with the specific plan to make those cuts. Kovach cited concerns that the budget did not properly address the current debt and also questions as to how unions would rollback 5% of their pay and then agree to ANOTHER cut of 2.5%. Also, is it possible that the 3 extra paid furlough days are equal to that 2.5% cut?
Showing posts with label New Castle County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Castle County. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Job Losses and Toll HIkes: Markell's legacy of pain
Since Jack Markell took office in 2008, following 8 years of the most corrupt administration in Delaware's modern history, Delaware has indeed experienced "change". Both Governor Markell and President Obama promised a healthy dose of change in their 2008 campaign. For my money, I'd trade all of the change they gave us for some jobs.
Since Jack Markell took office and named Alan Levin as Secretary of the Delaware Economic Development Office, Delaware has experienced a net loss of 36,000 jobs. That means that today, there are 36,000 Delawareans who cannot find work. Meanwhile, as the layoffs keep coming, Markell and Levin do nothing. Markell just inked a deal with China, the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, to invest in Delaware bio tech. In reality, this deal doesn't do squat to create jobs. It provides Markell with a photo op and a favorable news story which gives the appearance of him actually doing something. If anything does come of it, Markell has just invited China, America's largest debt holder, to purchase their way into the Delaware economy. Since Markell took office, Delaware's industrial footprint has died. Some may think that is by design, and while that might seem outrageous, there certainly has been a real and wholesale loss of blue collar jobs in Delaware's private sector. I find it difficult to believe that Markell and Levin don't WANT to create jobs but I submit to you that GM and Chrysler (closed in 2008 under the Minner Administration where Markell served as Treasurer) left the state which left thousands of Delaware Autoworkers without jobs, Valero closed and shed nearly 1000 jobs, HSBC and Wilmington Trust cut more than 1200 jobs, DuPont and AstraZeneca have laid off more than 1,000 workers and scores of small businesses around the state have closed. Even with the purchase of the Chrysler plant by U of D, Fisker moving into the GM Plant and the new owner of the Valero plant moving in, Delaware faces a net loss of 36,000 jobs. In January alone, Delaware shed 700 jobs and the unemployment percentage stayed flat at 8.5%. Even the News Journal, not known for displaying the failures of Delaware Democrats, has had to admit that the employment picture in Delaware is not good. The Markell Administration has consistently talked about the budding Delaware bio tech industry, green energy jobs, healthcare and financial services as being Delaware's economic future yet the only thing materializing in those areas is government spending and job cuts. Healthcare dropped 600 jobs in January while banks and finance companies have been shedding Delaware jobs by the thousands since the passage of the financial regulatory bill.
Regulations, especially as they pertain to the environment in Delaware have increased and so has Delaware's spending. In fact, Delaware's personnel costs and the cost of government services are so high that there isn't an opportunity for the state to commit to creating a pro-business climate. Markell and the General Assembly have been content to focus on social issues like homosexual equality and gimmicks like Markell's bottle bill rather than to address Delaware's problems with job creation and spending. In 2011, Delaware faces a $377 million budget shortfall that must be closed by the General Assembly and the Markell Administration. This is the 3rd straight increase in budget gaps under Markell and his accounting gimmicks and tricks will only work for so long before it becomes undeniable that Delaware has a spending problem. I only hope that enough of us wake up by 2012 to stop this train before it totally derails.
Speaking of shortfalls, DelDOT (whose budget is a mere 8.5% of the entire Delaware budget...dwarfed by education and health and social services) is facing a shortfalls totalling "$1 Billion over the next 5 years and more than $3.7 Billion through 2023" says Jeff Montgomery of the News Journal. State Senator Robert Venables from Laurel doesn't think the General Assembly understands the severity of the problems (and he's a Democrat by the way) and outgoing DelDOT head Carolann Wicks says that "We're now down to the core programs, primarily,". Still, the following excerpt from Jeff's story is chilling:
Since Jack Markell took office and named Alan Levin as Secretary of the Delaware Economic Development Office, Delaware has experienced a net loss of 36,000 jobs. That means that today, there are 36,000 Delawareans who cannot find work. Meanwhile, as the layoffs keep coming, Markell and Levin do nothing. Markell just inked a deal with China, the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, to invest in Delaware bio tech. In reality, this deal doesn't do squat to create jobs. It provides Markell with a photo op and a favorable news story which gives the appearance of him actually doing something. If anything does come of it, Markell has just invited China, America's largest debt holder, to purchase their way into the Delaware economy. Since Markell took office, Delaware's industrial footprint has died. Some may think that is by design, and while that might seem outrageous, there certainly has been a real and wholesale loss of blue collar jobs in Delaware's private sector. I find it difficult to believe that Markell and Levin don't WANT to create jobs but I submit to you that GM and Chrysler (closed in 2008 under the Minner Administration where Markell served as Treasurer) left the state which left thousands of Delaware Autoworkers without jobs, Valero closed and shed nearly 1000 jobs, HSBC and Wilmington Trust cut more than 1200 jobs, DuPont and AstraZeneca have laid off more than 1,000 workers and scores of small businesses around the state have closed. Even with the purchase of the Chrysler plant by U of D, Fisker moving into the GM Plant and the new owner of the Valero plant moving in, Delaware faces a net loss of 36,000 jobs. In January alone, Delaware shed 700 jobs and the unemployment percentage stayed flat at 8.5%. Even the News Journal, not known for displaying the failures of Delaware Democrats, has had to admit that the employment picture in Delaware is not good. The Markell Administration has consistently talked about the budding Delaware bio tech industry, green energy jobs, healthcare and financial services as being Delaware's economic future yet the only thing materializing in those areas is government spending and job cuts. Healthcare dropped 600 jobs in January while banks and finance companies have been shedding Delaware jobs by the thousands since the passage of the financial regulatory bill.
Regulations, especially as they pertain to the environment in Delaware have increased and so has Delaware's spending. In fact, Delaware's personnel costs and the cost of government services are so high that there isn't an opportunity for the state to commit to creating a pro-business climate. Markell and the General Assembly have been content to focus on social issues like homosexual equality and gimmicks like Markell's bottle bill rather than to address Delaware's problems with job creation and spending. In 2011, Delaware faces a $377 million budget shortfall that must be closed by the General Assembly and the Markell Administration. This is the 3rd straight increase in budget gaps under Markell and his accounting gimmicks and tricks will only work for so long before it becomes undeniable that Delaware has a spending problem. I only hope that enough of us wake up by 2012 to stop this train before it totally derails.
Speaking of shortfalls, DelDOT (whose budget is a mere 8.5% of the entire Delaware budget...dwarfed by education and health and social services) is facing a shortfalls totalling "$1 Billion over the next 5 years and more than $3.7 Billion through 2023" says Jeff Montgomery of the News Journal. State Senator Robert Venables from Laurel doesn't think the General Assembly understands the severity of the problems (and he's a Democrat by the way) and outgoing DelDOT head Carolann Wicks says that "We're now down to the core programs, primarily,". Still, the following excerpt from Jeff's story is chilling:
Filling the budget gap without cutting back on projects would require more than $169 million in new revenue just for the budget year that begins July 1, an amount DelDOT officials said could be raised with $85 million in new taxes or fees and an additional $85 million in borrowing.
By 2023, however, the single-year shortfall could grow to nearly $498 million.
Confining DelDOT spending only to "core" maintenance, safety, operating and vehicle replacement spending would still leave a $125 million gap next year that would rise to a cumulative $545 million by 2016 and nearly $1.4 billion by 2023, officials said.
State officials have blamed a combination of rising costs, growing demand for services, inadequate funding and rising debt-service payments for the trust fund's quandary. Payments on past loans and interest alone now amount to about $123 million a year.
Folks, this is STAGGERING. Even if we ONLY spent money on core services from DelDOT, we're looking at a $125 million gap in 2012. That's no new roads, no updates that aren't critical, no new bus routes, etc. The blame from the state officials goes not on poor planning, excessive borrowing and administration failures but on the INTEREST for the debt they ran up. Folks, the payments for the past debt alone total $123 million per year. So next time you hear that Delaware's financial situation is better than the federal government and that we have nothing to worry about, remember that DelDOT...who makes up just 8.5% of the state budget pays out an amount equal to about 1/3 of the FY2012 budget shortfall.
There is an interesting sidebar in Jeff's story:
TOP REVENUE-GENERATING OPTIONS
Impose $1 per barrel fee for crude oil barge transfers in Delaware Bay: $100 millionRaise Del. 1 weekday toll to $2, weekend toll to $3: $36.4 millionRaise all I-95 tolls by $1: $24.5 millionShift DelDOT operating funds from Trust Fund to General Fund: $14.1 million yearly for 10 years
Eliminate trade-in discount for new vehicle document fee: $12.2 million
Charge toll for new Indian River Inlet bridge: $7.6 million
Hike vehicle registration fee by $10: $6.7 million
Raise Del. 1 commercial vehicle toll by $1: $4.5 million
Increase gas tax by 1 cent: $4.5 million
Shift Paratransit service costs to General Fund: $4.3 million yearly for 10 yearsHIGHEST-RANKED TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND REVENUE OPTIONS
$1 increase in Del. 1 commercial tolls: $4.5 million10 percent fee on sale of Delaware tags: $15,000Illegal sign fees: $9,000Shift Paratransit service costs to General Fund: $4.3 million yearly for 10 yearsDouble current $25 fee for driver's license suspension reinstatement: $510,000$10 additional for driver's license permanent renewal: $87,000Increase revocation reinstatement to $200 from $143: $230,000Double late registration renewal fee to $20: $831,000Double over-size vehicle permits to $40: $903,000Double fee for paratransit trips outside regular transit corridor: $2.1 million
These are the ways that the special planning board that the Markell Administration created has come up with to "fix" the problems. You'll notice that there are a lot of fee increases and toll charges but no real cuts. Oh, and you'll see that they recommend shifting costs...which only hides the costs in the General Fund budget instead of spotlighting it like the rest of the transportation spending.
This is how Delaware Democrats deal with our problems. They bury them. We saw it with Chris Coons in New Castle County as we are finding out, his accounting gimmicks masked the fact that our County is bankrupt and in danger of becoming insolvent and we've seen it now at the state level. The only way we're ever going to fix our problems is to make big changes in the way we do things. Delaware is in trouble. We've got to cut spending, cut regulations to bring jobs back to the state immediately and reduce the size and scope of government at all levels. If we don't make some real changes, face some pain today and get our house in order, we're going to face FAR worse pain in the future.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New Castle County Democrats on the Lamb Wisconsin Style
I received an email last night from a good friend in the Delaware conservative movement who was warning about an impending power play by the New Castle County Council. This is the message:
Tue March 1st at the New Castle County Bldg at 800 N. French Street at 4:30pm New Castle Council meets. The New Castle Council will meet to try to strip Tom Kovach of some of his powers and undo rules of order that address the corruption in bidding and development.We need you there.
I immediately thought that I should go to this. It was last minute, and with 4 kids, last minute sometimes just doesn't work out. My wife and I scrambled to make sure we had kid coverage and I was able to leave (albeit a little late) for Wilmington. I walked in about 25 mins late and was greeted by an almost empty room. Well, almost empty of legislators. By the time I arrived only Council President Kovach and Councilman Weiner were still in the room. I later found out that of the 13 members of council, the following showed up:
- Councilwoman Diller (D)
- Councilman Powers (D)
- Councilman Tackett (D)
- Councilman Weiner (R)
- Council President Kovach (R)
Councilwoman Kilpatrick called in sick and Councilman Cartier was out of town, both announced their intent not to show. The rest of County Council were no shows. They'd pulled a Wisconsin. Why? Well they'd gotten word that THE PEOPLE had been notified that there was to be a vote to strip the Council President of some of his powers. Word got out that we would show. And so the Democrats (minus the few good government supporters above) decided since we WERE going to show, that they would not.
But their motion is not going away. Instead they are going to wait until the next Finance Committee meeting to bring it up. That meeting takes place next Tuesday at 1:30PM. They're doing it then because they figure that many of us who came, wanted to come or tried to come tonight will not be able to come then. They don't want the public to know what is going on in County Council. People like Tim Sheldon and George Smiley are neck deep in some serious corruption when it comes to land use and they've been using suspect methods to pass their bills. Kovach has called them out on their misdeeds and now Council is reacting viciously. Adam Taylor over at the News Journal (one of the few good guys) has an EXCELLENT piece on the moves Council has made to restrict Kovach's ability to check the Democrats.
I say we show up enmasse on Tuesday at 1:30PM at the City County Building on the 8th Floor. It's time we stood up for the people attempting to stand up for us. In addition, if any of the following are your councilmembers, please send them an email about being absent from their duties today:
8th District - John Cartier - he was excused from the meeting but is in favor of changing the rules because Kovach is calling the Dems bluff
Thursday, January 20, 2011
New Castle County is more BROKE than we thought
Recently, the News Journal broke stories (2 months too late) that prove Chris Coons is nothing short of a liar. Both were from a report by Independent observer Dace Blaskovitz. Coons spent more than 6 months telling Delawareans (especially New Castle County residents) that he was responsible with the County finances and that it was not in trouble. He told us that everything was fine and that he was able to save the county from the brink of a fiscal meltdown. Today, the News Journal's Chad Livengood has another story on the fiscal woes of New Castle County. The new County Executive, Paul Clark (the man of a thousand ethics problems), has put in place a 30 person transition team ($$$$) to figure out how to get the county out of the HUGE hole it's in.
What hole you ask? If you've only been listening to Chris Coons, Paul Clark, Tim Sheldon and the rest of the Democrats in New Castle County government you would be unable to see the huge hole in county finances that they were hiding. If County Council did not know the MASSIVE gap between spending and revenue existed then it is time to fire every single one of them (and this includes Councilman Weiner if he knew and was silent). Folks, this is an absolute TRAVESTY of justice. New Castle County began the new millennium with a $200 million SURPLUS and by 2015, if nothing changes, we will be $68 million in debt. It will have swung 134% in the opposite direction. This is DESPITE an increase in sewer fees of more than 60%, increases in other fees including the introduction of a new fee on contractors and a 54% increase in property taxes. Does this sound like fiscal responsibility to you? Could you do this at home? Let's say you already had a huge savings account but were spending more than you made and you asked your boss for a raise of more than 60% and got it. Now your pay has increased by more than 60%, you are spending all of your income and you still are eating into your savings account at more than 6% per year . You are to the point where you will be IN DEBT within 4 years. Would it be time to go your boss for another raise or perhaps to address your spending habit?
Well according to Clark's transition team ($$$$) it's time to come to you for a raise. Oh, Clark doesn't think that you property owners can afford more property taxes. Instead he and his team will focus their "revenue enhancements" on "raising sewer bills to pay for federally-mandated improvements, charging for inspections of rental homes, cutting grass in county parks less frequently and county-wide reassessment of property values." No mention of selling county land BACK to the private individuals who managed it before (like Carousel Park which was a net PLUS before the County took it over). The report also calls for personnel cuts but it does not get specific except to say that the county should hire MORE employees in key areas. In fact, the finance committee ($$$$) stated that it did not want to recommend specifics to actually FIX the structural problems with County government yet later in the report they call for Clark to lobby the General Assembly for the same 911 tax that Chris Coons lobbied for in 2007.
The countywide reassessment of property values would be painful to some and easing on another. The fact is that it MUST be done. Homeowners today have their land values assessed at the 1983 level. That's the same value as houses built almost 30 years ago. Also addressed by the transition team is the suggestion that Clark address the county employee pay and benefits. Currently many (mostly union members) county employees are receiving step increases annually and have MASSIVE pensions that are coming due more and more rapidly. About 45% of the 1,400+ full-time county employees currently receive "step raises". On the pension front, the report calls for the county pensions to be rolled into a more manageable 401(k) plan that is in line with private sector benefits. This has of course, set the public employees unions into a tizzy. Some of the county leaders have shouted that Coons and Clark have filled vacancies and then forced current employees to take pay cuts thereby punishing current employees. ENOUGH! I'm sick and tired of this stupid argument, hurting current employees by hiring new ones. FOR YEARS the suggestions from every transition team and independent audit has been to deal with two things:
Folks, how long will we continue to sit back and let these people take every dollar we make in taxes? When is enough going to be enough? A sewer fee is no different than a property tax folks. It's a tax in a different area of our life but it is a tax. Are we that STUPID New Castle County? Where is the line? Please tell me, comment here, let me know, where do we draw the line? When do we hold Chris Coons, Paul Clark, Tim Sheldon and the rest of these people accountable? Electing Tom Kovach doesn't hold them accountable, Tim Sheldon is still on County Council. Electing Tom Kovach is a STEP in the right direction but folks we need to elect people who will actually TAKE these steps that need to be taken. We need to stop the union control of the county and work to bring the county back in line. By balancing county government we will be able to focus on job creation in the private sector, returning companies like Dupont and others to prosperity by opening up new opportunities to bring their business efforts BACK to Delaware. I say the time is now, what say you?
What hole you ask? If you've only been listening to Chris Coons, Paul Clark, Tim Sheldon and the rest of the Democrats in New Castle County government you would be unable to see the huge hole in county finances that they were hiding. If County Council did not know the MASSIVE gap between spending and revenue existed then it is time to fire every single one of them (and this includes Councilman Weiner if he knew and was silent). Folks, this is an absolute TRAVESTY of justice. New Castle County began the new millennium with a $200 million SURPLUS and by 2015, if nothing changes, we will be $68 million in debt. It will have swung 134% in the opposite direction. This is DESPITE an increase in sewer fees of more than 60%, increases in other fees including the introduction of a new fee on contractors and a 54% increase in property taxes. Does this sound like fiscal responsibility to you? Could you do this at home? Let's say you already had a huge savings account but were spending more than you made and you asked your boss for a raise of more than 60% and got it. Now your pay has increased by more than 60%, you are spending all of your income and you still are eating into your savings account at more than 6% per year . You are to the point where you will be IN DEBT within 4 years. Would it be time to go your boss for another raise or perhaps to address your spending habit?
Well according to Clark's transition team ($$$$) it's time to come to you for a raise. Oh, Clark doesn't think that you property owners can afford more property taxes. Instead he and his team will focus their "revenue enhancements" on "raising sewer bills to pay for federally-mandated improvements, charging for inspections of rental homes, cutting grass in county parks less frequently and county-wide reassessment of property values." No mention of selling county land BACK to the private individuals who managed it before (like Carousel Park which was a net PLUS before the County took it over). The report also calls for personnel cuts but it does not get specific except to say that the county should hire MORE employees in key areas. In fact, the finance committee ($$$$) stated that it did not want to recommend specifics to actually FIX the structural problems with County government yet later in the report they call for Clark to lobby the General Assembly for the same 911 tax that Chris Coons lobbied for in 2007.
The countywide reassessment of property values would be painful to some and easing on another. The fact is that it MUST be done. Homeowners today have their land values assessed at the 1983 level. That's the same value as houses built almost 30 years ago. Also addressed by the transition team is the suggestion that Clark address the county employee pay and benefits. Currently many (mostly union members) county employees are receiving step increases annually and have MASSIVE pensions that are coming due more and more rapidly. About 45% of the 1,400+ full-time county employees currently receive "step raises". On the pension front, the report calls for the county pensions to be rolled into a more manageable 401(k) plan that is in line with private sector benefits. This has of course, set the public employees unions into a tizzy. Some of the county leaders have shouted that Coons and Clark have filled vacancies and then forced current employees to take pay cuts thereby punishing current employees. ENOUGH! I'm sick and tired of this stupid argument, hurting current employees by hiring new ones. FOR YEARS the suggestions from every transition team and independent audit has been to deal with two things:
- Public employee Pensions
- The cost of the size of government (a.k.a. personnel costs)
Folks, how long will we continue to sit back and let these people take every dollar we make in taxes? When is enough going to be enough? A sewer fee is no different than a property tax folks. It's a tax in a different area of our life but it is a tax. Are we that STUPID New Castle County? Where is the line? Please tell me, comment here, let me know, where do we draw the line? When do we hold Chris Coons, Paul Clark, Tim Sheldon and the rest of these people accountable? Electing Tom Kovach doesn't hold them accountable, Tim Sheldon is still on County Council. Electing Tom Kovach is a STEP in the right direction but folks we need to elect people who will actually TAKE these steps that need to be taken. We need to stop the union control of the county and work to bring the county back in line. By balancing county government we will be able to focus on job creation in the private sector, returning companies like Dupont and others to prosperity by opening up new opportunities to bring their business efforts BACK to Delaware. I say the time is now, what say you?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Kovach wins NCC President!
The New Castle County GOP united today and supported a good man and a good candidate for the New Castle County Council President race. Republican Tom Kovach defeated former AFL-CIO VP Tim Sheldon in a blowout 57%-41%. All corners of the GOP came together behind Mr. Kovach. In stark contrast to the divided November elections when the TEA Party element was at odds with the establishment, Kovach enjoyed broad support from both conservatives and moderates in the New Castle County GOP. The advocacy group Common Sense Communities Society even endorsed Kovach and turned out their voters to ensure his victory tonight. Even Christine O'Donnell, who was the subject of moderate Republican ire in November and who lost largely due to that ire, chipped in the maximum amount allowed to Mr. Kovach. This was truly a united effort and let me say that I am proud of Mr. Kovach and look forward to holding him accountable in County Council. Afterall, Tom is a TEA Partier:
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Blaskowitz lays out his report
Yesterday, Dace Blaskovitz, who set New Castle County a buzz with his report on county government finances and their dire situation, wrote an op-ed in which he detailed what he believes is the problem with county government. His report received lots of attention when columnist Ron Williams wrote his own opinion piece agreeing with Dace. Blaskovitz states that "NCCo government is simply unsustainable" in his report and points out that "from 2005 to 2010, NCCo property tax rates increased 55 percent. Sewer rates increased more than 60 percent from 2005 to 2011." Despite these increases, New Castle County government outspent revenues and blew through a previous surplus. "From 2000 to 2009, pension assets increased $9 million, while the county's unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities increased over $140 million." This includes problems like "The county pension assets currently total about $350 million", and "The retiree health care cost is a nearly $250 million unspoken future black cloud."
Blaskovitz takes particular aim at the county's pension, retiree health care and the number of employees because the county has let things get so out of control. He cites an example of retired New Castle County police officers who "receive a never-ending, no-cap 3 percent compounding COLA. Therefore, most NCCo police will average...the same compensation in their retirement as when they were employed. For reference, an NCCo police officer with five years experience is paid around $85,000 a year (in salary alone)." Dace points out that 75% of the county's spending occurs in the personnel field. The size of county government is astounding, the county employs around 1,500 people and most are full time employees. This places New Castle County government in the list as the 5th largest employer in the State of Delaware, with more employees than Barclays Bank and ING Direct combined (state government is the largest). New Castle County has "Almost 100 full-time county employees are paid close to or more than $100,000. With few exceptions, gold-plated health care extends to the grave."
Blaskovitz smacks readers in the face with his honest assessment of the county financial situation (where was this in October when former County Executive Chris Coons was lying to the public about New Castle County I wonder) when he writes, "after years of delaying executive decisions, hoping an economic bounce would magically undo the dilemma, dwindling reserves are now forcing a day of reckoning." Dace further points out that the unions aren't done asking for more and more county tax payers. He doesn't just spotlight the county problems, Dace presents solutions that I for one agree with. He suggests that "citizens should demand a reduction in head-count. NCCo's actuary has pension and health care proposals waiting for action. Salaries have to reflect the balance sheet. Perhaps a spending oversight board would assist in fiscal restraint." He even calls for the possibility of merging or consolidating New Castle County, municipal and city infrastructure where practicable which is something that Republican County Council President candidate Tom Kovach has pointed to as an area he would work to attack immediately. While the Democrats who joined Blaskovitz and Republican Wayne Smith on the committee that put together the report issued a suggestion that the county raise taxes AGAIN, Dace suggests that " it is unconscionable for "revenue enhancements" to even be mentioned in our report." He calls for county government to tighten its belt instead of heaping their bad financial practices on the people of Delaware.
Blaskovitz takes particular aim at the county's pension, retiree health care and the number of employees because the county has let things get so out of control. He cites an example of retired New Castle County police officers who "receive a never-ending, no-cap 3 percent compounding COLA. Therefore, most NCCo police will average...the same compensation in their retirement as when they were employed. For reference, an NCCo police officer with five years experience is paid around $85,000 a year (in salary alone)." Dace points out that 75% of the county's spending occurs in the personnel field. The size of county government is astounding, the county employs around 1,500 people and most are full time employees. This places New Castle County government in the list as the 5th largest employer in the State of Delaware, with more employees than Barclays Bank and ING Direct combined (state government is the largest). New Castle County has "Almost 100 full-time county employees are paid close to or more than $100,000. With few exceptions, gold-plated health care extends to the grave."
Blaskovitz smacks readers in the face with his honest assessment of the county financial situation (where was this in October when former County Executive Chris Coons was lying to the public about New Castle County I wonder) when he writes, "after years of delaying executive decisions, hoping an economic bounce would magically undo the dilemma, dwindling reserves are now forcing a day of reckoning." Dace further points out that the unions aren't done asking for more and more county tax payers. He doesn't just spotlight the county problems, Dace presents solutions that I for one agree with. He suggests that "citizens should demand a reduction in head-count. NCCo's actuary has pension and health care proposals waiting for action. Salaries have to reflect the balance sheet. Perhaps a spending oversight board would assist in fiscal restraint." He even calls for the possibility of merging or consolidating New Castle County, municipal and city infrastructure where practicable which is something that Republican County Council President candidate Tom Kovach has pointed to as an area he would work to attack immediately. While the Democrats who joined Blaskovitz and Republican Wayne Smith on the committee that put together the report issued a suggestion that the county raise taxes AGAIN, Dace suggests that " it is unconscionable for "revenue enhancements" to even be mentioned in our report." He calls for county government to tighten its belt instead of heaping their bad financial practices on the people of Delaware.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New Report: New Castle County is BROKE!
The News Journal is only 2 months late in reporting a startling fact that may have turned the tide of the November elections. In an article printed today (January 5th 2011), columnist Ron Williams laid out the news that New Castle County is flat BROKE! This news did not come from the Caesar Rodney Institute or a conservative think tank but straight from the incoming County Executive Paul Clark’s own transition team. A report from Dace Blaskovitz, a member of Clark’s transition team, shows that now Senator Chris Coons lied to the citizens of Delaware when he said that New Castle County’s finances were in good shape and misrepresented the job he did as County Executive. Despite calls by Coons’ opponent, Christine O’Donnell to investigate the actual state of the county’s finances, the Wilmington News Journal ignored the obvious dire straits that New Castle County faces and instead relied on a report by credit rating agencies that New Castle County received a AAA bond rating as proof of sound fiscal practices. The same rating agency that gave New Castle County a AAA bond rating failed to anticipate failures at the nation’s top banks, AIG and GM/Chrysler.
Williams goes on to point out that Clark’s transition team has recommended yet ANOTHER increase in property taxes. Coons raised them three times during his terms in office including a 25% spike in 2009 coupled with a 5% pay cut for County employees. The alternative to another tax increase is a combination of leaving open vacant positions and/or the laying off of more than 120 workers. Blaskovitz confirmed what Ms. O’Donnell and her campaign staff had been saying though out the campaign, that the County’s fiscal situation was much worse than Coons was admitting to. According to the report filed by Blaskovitz and former House Majority leader Wayne Smith, the county’s debt has more than doubled in the last 5 years while property taxes went up 55% and sewer fees went up 60%. These numbers are in line with what the O’Donnell campaign had told the public and what the News Journal had refused to point out throughout the election. Despite claims by Coons that he had cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the county budget, Blaskovitz points out that “government spending outpaced revenues”. Blaskovitz writes, "while the county's unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities increased over $140 million. Retiree health cost is nearly $250 million," and he points out that pension assets went up by $9 million since 2000 when Coons took over as County Council President under Tom Gordon.
Coons had spent the campaign telling Delawareans that he had managed to keep New Castle County’s head above water despite a tumultuous economic time period. In retrospect, Coons succeeded at simply burying the problems NCC faces. Blaskovitz goes on to say, "So after years of delaying executive decisions hoping an economic bounce would magically undo the dilemma, dwindling reserves are now forcing a day of reckoning." As O’Donnell had pointed out repeatedly throughout the campaign, much to the chagrin of those listening, Blaskovitz (whose financial resume is extensive), suggests that these problems cannot (and never could) be solved by raising taxes and fees but instead by “immediate belt-tightening”. This report shows that Chris Coons and his Democrat comrades lied to the people of Delaware during the campaign and it shows what Coons will do as a U.S. Senator. At a time when we need MORE fiscal responsibility, we have sent someone with less. At a time when we need MORE openness and transparency in Washington, Delaware has added more deception and “creative accounting”. At a time when we need real leadership in Washington, we have sent a man who buckles under pressure, lies to his constituents and buries the truth. In the end, this may have been averted if the people of Delaware had heard this kind of unbiased information from an independent source like, the Wilmington News Journal. Unfortunately, this information came 2 months too late for Delawareans to really understand the man they sent to Washington. Perhaps they should have sent a woman.
Monday, January 3, 2011
A case for Tom Kovach
Regular readers of this blog will recall that I laid out a compelling case for why I think Tom Kovach deserves a look when we go to the polls on Jan 13th to vote for a new New Castle County President. Most importantly, Tom's opponent, Tim Sheldon, is a former VP of the AFL-CIO (I mean, can you GET anymore Progressive than that?). Some folks have gotten hung up on the fact that Kovach has been labeled as the "hand picked candidate" of former Congressman Mike Castle. C'est la vie folks and we have to deal with it. We could stay home, protest our vote and say we won't vote for Castle's guy. We could vote for the Libertarian candidate James Christina and he might get just under 10% of the vote. In the end that does one thing, it ensures that Tim Sheldon, former VP of the AFL/CIO has a smooth road to NCC President.
Sure, Kovach went on with Glen Urquhart on WILM today and espoused the wonders of the RGGI that has continuously depressed jobs, shrunk the economy and driven up the price of energy but he didn't sound real confident in those statements so I think we can still talk him down from the regional cap and trade ledge. Look, the fact is that we tried the whole "elect the radicals to prove a point" thing in 2008 and we got Universal Healthcare....you put Tim Sheldon in the Presidents seat and you might as well call us the New Castle Socialist County. Besides, if Tim Sheldon were to beat Mike Castle's hand picked candidate for Council President, that would leave the DE GOP leadership looking...well worse than it already does and we can't have that now can we? C.R. also has a pretty compelling reason why Kovach is the choice over at Resolute Determination.
Sure, Kovach went on with Glen Urquhart on WILM today and espoused the wonders of the RGGI that has continuously depressed jobs, shrunk the economy and driven up the price of energy but he didn't sound real confident in those statements so I think we can still talk him down from the regional cap and trade ledge. Look, the fact is that we tried the whole "elect the radicals to prove a point" thing in 2008 and we got Universal Healthcare....you put Tim Sheldon in the Presidents seat and you might as well call us the New Castle Socialist County. Besides, if Tim Sheldon were to beat Mike Castle's hand picked candidate for Council President, that would leave the DE GOP leadership looking...well worse than it already does and we can't have that now can we? C.R. also has a pretty compelling reason why Kovach is the choice over at Resolute Determination.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Vince Meconi is back (again)
This guy just won't go away! Vince Meconi, longtime Delaware government bureaucrat and Democrat insider is back on government payroll. Meconi has been at top levels of Delaware government since 1993 and one of those posts, as the head of DHSS led him to the land of infamy. He was the head of the agency that was responsible for the Delaware Psychiatric Center abuses. Meconi presided over rapes, assaults and retaliations against whistle blowers at DPC and yet was given a generous pension for his inaction. While he led DHSS, Meconi hauled in a whopping $143,000 and his pension for all his failures is $7,633.56 per month ($91,602.72 per year). Heck of a pay cut for someone who is used to a 6 figure salary but not to worry. While Meconi was out of work when Minner left office, the new Democrat leadership under Markell was just as corrupt and as such, a lifetime bureaucrat holdover from Minner is useful. That's why Markell hired Meconi and invited him to double dip. While still receiving his pension pay, Meconi was given a job with the new administration, short term of course (the job lasted nearly a year) pulling down just $73,125 in taxpayer funds. All together, Meconi's annual take of taxpayer funds came to nearly $165,000.
Even the establishment politicians in the Republican Party see Meconi as a problem. Greg Lavelle, one of the more establishment of the establishment Republicans, filed a FOIA request to look into the Meconi hiring. Now Vince is back, this time at the County level. Incoming New Castle County Executive Paul Clark has hired good old Vince to be the deputy chief administrative officer of New Castle County. This is a post he first held with the State government under Tom Carper. Is it any wonder that Delaware elected Chris Coons and John Carney to Washington? The people of this state are gluttons for punishment and they love being taken for fools and having lifelong politicians steal millions from the taxpayers. This just goes to show that in Delaware, just when you think you're out, they pull you BACK IN!
Background:
DPC stories
DPC Unions expect inquiries
Timeline of abuses
Even the establishment politicians in the Republican Party see Meconi as a problem. Greg Lavelle, one of the more establishment of the establishment Republicans, filed a FOIA request to look into the Meconi hiring. Now Vince is back, this time at the County level. Incoming New Castle County Executive Paul Clark has hired good old Vince to be the deputy chief administrative officer of New Castle County. This is a post he first held with the State government under Tom Carper. Is it any wonder that Delaware elected Chris Coons and John Carney to Washington? The people of this state are gluttons for punishment and they love being taken for fools and having lifelong politicians steal millions from the taxpayers. This just goes to show that in Delaware, just when you think you're out, they pull you BACK IN!
Background:
DPC stories
DPC Unions expect inquiries
Timeline of abuses
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
December 7th is unique in Delaware
People all over the country know December 7th as "A day that will live in infamy" but for Delaware, today is a day that is both bitter and sweet. 154 years before Japan launched a surprise attack against the Hawaiian Naval base at Pearl Harbor which brought America fully into WWII, Delaware became the first state to ratify a revolutionary new concept of Federalism and create the first true representative republic in more than a thousand years. Delaware got it's nickname on this day and "The First State" was born on December 7th, 1787.
Delaware was quite prominent in colonial times despite it's small size and the youth of the colony. Delaware had been part of Pennsylvania up until only a few years before Americans declared their independence from Britain. Delaware had been known as "The Lower Counties" since 1682 when the Duke of York passed his ownership to William Penn in an effort to ensure that Maryland did not gain the territory. By 1704 the colony of Pennsylvania had grown so large that "The Lower Counties" were impeding political decisions. At that time the "Lower Counties" and Pennsylvania decided to meet separately and while Penn retained control of the Governor of the territory (which was also the Pennsylvania Governor, FYI: John Dickinson was a native of Kent County Delaware) the legislature was free to make its own decisions. A dispute over colonial boundaries and the desire of the "Lower Counties" to govern themselves was settled by the people of Delaware on June 15th, 1776 when the General Assembly was convinced by Thomas McKean and Caesar Rodney to vote for independence from Britain and Pennsylvania at the same time! The rest of the colonies would follow Delaware's lead 2 weeks later when they voted in Philadelphia on July 2nd to adopt the "Declaration of Independence".
Delaware would later contribute one of the premier regiments in the Continental Army. They were called the "Delaware Blues" and nicknamed the "Blue Hen Chickens" because their tenacity matched that of the gamecocks that the soldiers used in off duty cock fights. The regiment survived nearly the entire Revolution and fought in almost every battle. Also, the Battle of Cooch's Bridge (the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Delaware) is believed to be the first time that the Stars and Stripes was flown in battle.
After the Revolutionary War, John Dickinson served as Delaware's first President and signed the Articles of Confederation as a representative from Delaware. Later, Dickinson was pressed into service by Delaware once again to join Gunning Bedford, Jr., Richard Bassett, George Read, and Jacob Broom in Annapolis at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Dickinson fought to ensure that every state, regardless of size, had a equal vote in the new government. The Great Compromise (also known as the Connecticuit Compromise) assured Dickinson's desire and the ratification of the Constitution by the Delaware legislature. Dickinson then supported a strong central government and he even wrote a series of 9 essays under the pen name Fabius supporting the new government.
Thus Delaware was born. 154 years later, the Japanese would strike a deep blow at Pearl Harbor and Dec. 7th would become Pearl Harbor Day in remembrance of the thousands of sailors, airmen and Marines who lost their lives on that day. Still, in Delaware the date is remembered as "Delaware Day" or "Ratification Day" which makes Delaware able to celebrate the formation of of the United States of America on the same day that they commemorate the deaths of those who defended the nation.
Delaware was quite prominent in colonial times despite it's small size and the youth of the colony. Delaware had been part of Pennsylvania up until only a few years before Americans declared their independence from Britain. Delaware had been known as "The Lower Counties" since 1682 when the Duke of York passed his ownership to William Penn in an effort to ensure that Maryland did not gain the territory. By 1704 the colony of Pennsylvania had grown so large that "The Lower Counties" were impeding political decisions. At that time the "Lower Counties" and Pennsylvania decided to meet separately and while Penn retained control of the Governor of the territory (which was also the Pennsylvania Governor, FYI: John Dickinson was a native of Kent County Delaware) the legislature was free to make its own decisions. A dispute over colonial boundaries and the desire of the "Lower Counties" to govern themselves was settled by the people of Delaware on June 15th, 1776 when the General Assembly was convinced by Thomas McKean and Caesar Rodney to vote for independence from Britain and Pennsylvania at the same time! The rest of the colonies would follow Delaware's lead 2 weeks later when they voted in Philadelphia on July 2nd to adopt the "Declaration of Independence".
Delaware would later contribute one of the premier regiments in the Continental Army. They were called the "Delaware Blues" and nicknamed the "Blue Hen Chickens" because their tenacity matched that of the gamecocks that the soldiers used in off duty cock fights. The regiment survived nearly the entire Revolution and fought in almost every battle. Also, the Battle of Cooch's Bridge (the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Delaware) is believed to be the first time that the Stars and Stripes was flown in battle.
After the Revolutionary War, John Dickinson served as Delaware's first President and signed the Articles of Confederation as a representative from Delaware. Later, Dickinson was pressed into service by Delaware once again to join Gunning Bedford, Jr., Richard Bassett, George Read, and Jacob Broom in Annapolis at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Dickinson fought to ensure that every state, regardless of size, had a equal vote in the new government. The Great Compromise (also known as the Connecticuit Compromise) assured Dickinson's desire and the ratification of the Constitution by the Delaware legislature. Dickinson then supported a strong central government and he even wrote a series of 9 essays under the pen name Fabius supporting the new government.
Thus Delaware was born. 154 years later, the Japanese would strike a deep blow at Pearl Harbor and Dec. 7th would become Pearl Harbor Day in remembrance of the thousands of sailors, airmen and Marines who lost their lives on that day. Still, in Delaware the date is remembered as "Delaware Day" or "Ratification Day" which makes Delaware able to celebrate the formation of of the United States of America on the same day that they commemorate the deaths of those who defended the nation.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Why Tom...Why Now...Why Not
As a T.E.A. Party leader and Republican I am uniquely positioned to understand the concerns of both sides as they struggle to achieve a balance in a new political climate. The establishment has been running things for a very long time and now some new upstarts are threatening to cut in on their action. The "upstarts" happen to be the electorate as a whole which is actually the way our government was designed. The problem is that it hasn't been run that way in more than 100 years so the establishment has become complacent in their dominance.
Delaware, like New York, Chicago and most other small geographical locations has been controlled by a powerful few for many years. These powerful few come from all political affiliations and they control the most important decisions in the state. While the people retain the power to vote of course and appear to be in control of the process, it is the elite few that control who runs, how they are covered in the media and what support they get from the political parties. It's been said that the only place that plays Chicago politics as good as Chicago, is Delaware.
So it's not surprising that after a divisive Primary election where establishment favorite Mike Castle was beaten by TEA Party favorite Christine O'Donnell, that the two factions would be suspicious of one another. The Democrats are riding a high after their General election victories and they are feeling confident about the Special Election for New Castle County President. They've nominated Tim Sheldon, the current 9th District County Council Representative and former Vice President of Delaware's AFL-CIO. He's still employed by the unions, now serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of the regional bricklayers union and like fellow Democrat Velda Jones-Potter, he's dipping into government resources through another level as well. While not a paid position, Sheldon serves on the board of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. DSWA is a public/private partnership whose board is appointed by the Governor (and confirmed by the State Senate) and who controls landfill and trash removal in the state.
Councilman Sheldon is paid $27,500 per year by the New Castle County taxpayers part time to serve on County Council and also likely pulls down 6 figures from his full time union job (Not to mention the benefits!). He doesn't really need the money so it's OK that the DSWA appointment comes without pay, what it gives him is an inside track to ensure that his union gets in on the government contract action. It may not be illegal but morally, we have to wonder, is it right?
On the other hand, the Republicans have nominated former State Representative Tom Kovach who was caught on the wrong side of the wave election this year. Kovach is the hand picked candidate of Mike Castle which likely harmed him among conservative voters in his district and may have cost him the election there. This past election was unfortunate as good Republicans lost in places they never should have for various reasons. Some lost because people didn't like O'Donnell and others because of their allegiance to Castle. Whatever the case, unfortunately the good was taken out with the bad. Tom Kovach, for all his bedfellows, is one of the good ones. As a State Representative he served ably in Dover and he stood up for conservative fiscal values. He's a lawyer who specializes in corporate environmental law and intellectual property. He has experience with the land use issues that County Council will be working on and he understands the importance of fiscal responsibility at all levels of government. Tom is perceived as a moderate, "Mike Castle Republican" because he has not been overt about his views on social issues. What we do know about Tom is that he understands that we need cut spending, decrease the tax burden and get government out of the way of the free market to create jobs. These are the things that matter and these are the things that Tom will work to fix in County Council. So what if Mike Castle endorsed Tom Kovach? There has been a lot of talk about working together and uniting to ensure that our economy improves and I believe that Tom Kovach is a candidate that we can all agree will fight to make that happen. With that in mind, consider this my official endorsement of Tom Kovach for New Castle County President. I hope that the members of the Patriot Movement will join me in supporting Tom and standing up against the harmful policies of Paul Clark and Tim Sheldon. Please consider voting for Tom Kovach on Jan. 13th, 2011 in the Special Election for New Castle County Council President.
Delaware, like New York, Chicago and most other small geographical locations has been controlled by a powerful few for many years. These powerful few come from all political affiliations and they control the most important decisions in the state. While the people retain the power to vote of course and appear to be in control of the process, it is the elite few that control who runs, how they are covered in the media and what support they get from the political parties. It's been said that the only place that plays Chicago politics as good as Chicago, is Delaware.
So it's not surprising that after a divisive Primary election where establishment favorite Mike Castle was beaten by TEA Party favorite Christine O'Donnell, that the two factions would be suspicious of one another. The Democrats are riding a high after their General election victories and they are feeling confident about the Special Election for New Castle County President. They've nominated Tim Sheldon, the current 9th District County Council Representative and former Vice President of Delaware's AFL-CIO. He's still employed by the unions, now serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of the regional bricklayers union and like fellow Democrat Velda Jones-Potter, he's dipping into government resources through another level as well. While not a paid position, Sheldon serves on the board of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. DSWA is a public/private partnership whose board is appointed by the Governor (and confirmed by the State Senate) and who controls landfill and trash removal in the state.
Councilman Sheldon is paid $27,500 per year by the New Castle County taxpayers part time to serve on County Council and also likely pulls down 6 figures from his full time union job (Not to mention the benefits!). He doesn't really need the money so it's OK that the DSWA appointment comes without pay, what it gives him is an inside track to ensure that his union gets in on the government contract action. It may not be illegal but morally, we have to wonder, is it right?
On the other hand, the Republicans have nominated former State Representative Tom Kovach who was caught on the wrong side of the wave election this year. Kovach is the hand picked candidate of Mike Castle which likely harmed him among conservative voters in his district and may have cost him the election there. This past election was unfortunate as good Republicans lost in places they never should have for various reasons. Some lost because people didn't like O'Donnell and others because of their allegiance to Castle. Whatever the case, unfortunately the good was taken out with the bad. Tom Kovach, for all his bedfellows, is one of the good ones. As a State Representative he served ably in Dover and he stood up for conservative fiscal values. He's a lawyer who specializes in corporate environmental law and intellectual property. He has experience with the land use issues that County Council will be working on and he understands the importance of fiscal responsibility at all levels of government. Tom is perceived as a moderate, "Mike Castle Republican" because he has not been overt about his views on social issues. What we do know about Tom is that he understands that we need cut spending, decrease the tax burden and get government out of the way of the free market to create jobs. These are the things that matter and these are the things that Tom will work to fix in County Council. So what if Mike Castle endorsed Tom Kovach? There has been a lot of talk about working together and uniting to ensure that our economy improves and I believe that Tom Kovach is a candidate that we can all agree will fight to make that happen. With that in mind, consider this my official endorsement of Tom Kovach for New Castle County President. I hope that the members of the Patriot Movement will join me in supporting Tom and standing up against the harmful policies of Paul Clark and Tim Sheldon. Please consider voting for Tom Kovach on Jan. 13th, 2011 in the Special Election for New Castle County Council President.
Mike Castle or "Mike Castle Republicans"?
There has been much posted about how the "extreme right wing" T.E.A. Party people won't support "Mike Castle Republicans" and how that will be the downfall of the GOP in New Castle County. Much of it stems from the fact that conservative activist Christine O'Donnell defeated long time Republican Congressman Mike Castle in the recent U.S. Senate Primary. That has left a sour taste in the mouths of some moderate Republicans who have projected a race between two individuals onto an entire group of people. The fact is that the 2010 U.S. Senate Republican Primary was about Mike Castle and Christine O'Donnell. Mike had drifted too far away from his base and had lost even the mantra of a fiscal conservative by voting time and again for bailouts, spending without limits and massive government growth. Long ago Congressman Castle had shed the skin of social conservatism and alienated many in not just the southern part of the state but the north as well.
For the T.E.A. Party groups, this election was about limiting government to the boundaries of the Constitution, stopping spending and keeping markets free. Mike Castle had become someone who did not represent these values. By contrast, Christine O'Donnell offered fresh ideas, a chance to stop the Obama policies that Castle had largely supported and a set of policies that would return America to the roots of prosperity that we have consistently returned to in times of trouble. Castle also seemed to feel as though he was owed the U.S. Senate seat. He did not feel like he should be accountable to the people of Delaware and specifically, he felt no need to listen to the T.E.A. Party groups. It was clear that Congressman Castle had escaped his base in 2009 during a town hall meeting about the Obamacare legislation when he was asked a question about where in the Constitution it states that the government can be involved in health care. His answer was that the Constitution doesn't PROHIBIT the Federal Government from that activity which ignores the whole premise of the Constitution. The Constitution lays out specifically what the federal government MAY do and specifically (10th Amendment) leaves the rest to the people and to the states. Christine O'Donnell by comparison had studied Constitutional government and understood the founding document. In fact, in the General Election she would display her knowledge at a debate with the eventual winner of the General Election, Chris Coons which was held at Widener Law School. Coons asserted that the phrase "separation of church and state" appears in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution and O'Donnell smartly challenged him. As Coons backtracked, the student body of the law school showed their ignorance with laughter at Ms. O'Donnell's position. The media of course went into red alert mode and tried to paint Christine into a corner. Sadly, they showed the ignorance of their positions as the phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear in any of our founding documents but instead, in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to a group of Baptist Ministers in Danbury Connecticut written in 1802 which is not formal policy but rather a reassurance to the delegation that the United States would never adopt a national religion like England did.
The fact that Mike Castle was pro-choice and Christine O'Donnell was pro-life was not an insignificant position by any means but to make the leap that the media did in claiming that it was a deciding factor for TEA Party members is flat out absurd. In fact, for all the work that the media and left wing did to paint Christine as a far right social activist, the truth bears a different story. Christine stood for a limited government approach to many social issues by calling for those decisions to be made at the local or state level and not by the federal government. She was also in favor of maintaining a healthy planet, reducing emissions and being good stewards of the land God has given us. Another myth was presented when GLBT groups began protesting against O'Donnell and asserting that she was anti-homosexual. The fact is that her staff was made up of perhaps the most diverse group of people ever assembled. Nearly every race, gender, religion and sexual orientation was represented and she even had members from every mainstream political party working for her. Christine is far from a bigot when it comes to any of these labels and looked for the best people for the job and not what they looked like, what they did in their personal lives or what religion they practiced.
So you see, this was not an election about an ideologically pure ultraconservative candidate being nominated in a state overrun with leftists the way the media and the establishment has claimed. Nor was it a referendum on all moderate Republicans. It was about Mike Castle and a set of principles that he had abandoned. It was about the base of the Republican Party standing up and being heard by the establishment that had made all of the decisions over the years and it was about busting up the backroom deals and "The Delaware Way" which was designed to keep the powerful in power and the regular citizens in the dark. Christine accomplished something that many others had failed at in the past and while she didn't accomplish the ultimate goal, she has NOTHING to be ashamed of. She's made it possible for regular people to run for office in Delaware again and she's inspired people to stand up for what they believe in. She combined the very conservative folks in southern Delaware with the TEA Party folks all across the state and created a coalition across party lines that stood on principle regardless of the outcome.
For many years, those conservatives and TEA Party folks had voted for Mike Castle and others like him under that old mantra that you vote for the most conservative candidate who can get elected. The TEA Party itself is a melting pot of individuals from hardcore conservatives to moderate Democrats who are united around 3 main principles:
For the T.E.A. Party groups, this election was about limiting government to the boundaries of the Constitution, stopping spending and keeping markets free. Mike Castle had become someone who did not represent these values. By contrast, Christine O'Donnell offered fresh ideas, a chance to stop the Obama policies that Castle had largely supported and a set of policies that would return America to the roots of prosperity that we have consistently returned to in times of trouble. Castle also seemed to feel as though he was owed the U.S. Senate seat. He did not feel like he should be accountable to the people of Delaware and specifically, he felt no need to listen to the T.E.A. Party groups. It was clear that Congressman Castle had escaped his base in 2009 during a town hall meeting about the Obamacare legislation when he was asked a question about where in the Constitution it states that the government can be involved in health care. His answer was that the Constitution doesn't PROHIBIT the Federal Government from that activity which ignores the whole premise of the Constitution. The Constitution lays out specifically what the federal government MAY do and specifically (10th Amendment) leaves the rest to the people and to the states. Christine O'Donnell by comparison had studied Constitutional government and understood the founding document. In fact, in the General Election she would display her knowledge at a debate with the eventual winner of the General Election, Chris Coons which was held at Widener Law School. Coons asserted that the phrase "separation of church and state" appears in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution and O'Donnell smartly challenged him. As Coons backtracked, the student body of the law school showed their ignorance with laughter at Ms. O'Donnell's position. The media of course went into red alert mode and tried to paint Christine into a corner. Sadly, they showed the ignorance of their positions as the phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear in any of our founding documents but instead, in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to a group of Baptist Ministers in Danbury Connecticut written in 1802 which is not formal policy but rather a reassurance to the delegation that the United States would never adopt a national religion like England did.
The fact that Mike Castle was pro-choice and Christine O'Donnell was pro-life was not an insignificant position by any means but to make the leap that the media did in claiming that it was a deciding factor for TEA Party members is flat out absurd. In fact, for all the work that the media and left wing did to paint Christine as a far right social activist, the truth bears a different story. Christine stood for a limited government approach to many social issues by calling for those decisions to be made at the local or state level and not by the federal government. She was also in favor of maintaining a healthy planet, reducing emissions and being good stewards of the land God has given us. Another myth was presented when GLBT groups began protesting against O'Donnell and asserting that she was anti-homosexual. The fact is that her staff was made up of perhaps the most diverse group of people ever assembled. Nearly every race, gender, religion and sexual orientation was represented and she even had members from every mainstream political party working for her. Christine is far from a bigot when it comes to any of these labels and looked for the best people for the job and not what they looked like, what they did in their personal lives or what religion they practiced.
So you see, this was not an election about an ideologically pure ultraconservative candidate being nominated in a state overrun with leftists the way the media and the establishment has claimed. Nor was it a referendum on all moderate Republicans. It was about Mike Castle and a set of principles that he had abandoned. It was about the base of the Republican Party standing up and being heard by the establishment that had made all of the decisions over the years and it was about busting up the backroom deals and "The Delaware Way" which was designed to keep the powerful in power and the regular citizens in the dark. Christine accomplished something that many others had failed at in the past and while she didn't accomplish the ultimate goal, she has NOTHING to be ashamed of. She's made it possible for regular people to run for office in Delaware again and she's inspired people to stand up for what they believe in. She combined the very conservative folks in southern Delaware with the TEA Party folks all across the state and created a coalition across party lines that stood on principle regardless of the outcome.
For many years, those conservatives and TEA Party folks had voted for Mike Castle and others like him under that old mantra that you vote for the most conservative candidate who can get elected. The TEA Party itself is a melting pot of individuals from hardcore conservatives to moderate Democrats who are united around 3 main principles:
- A government limited by the Constitution and all of the rules it contains.
- A government that is responsible with taxpayer dollars and keeps taxes low.
- Markets that are free and open to the people.
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