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 finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finances. 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, February 22, 2011
Indiana Dems have joined Wisconsin Dems in running for Illinois to hide out. Below you can see a video of them leaving for Kentucky and Illinois.
Please read my full Examiner article which contains the excerpt below:
What does this all mean for Delaware? Well, as I've mentioned in previous posts, the personnel costs in Delaware are 30% of the total budget. Meanwhile, the leadership of Delaware's public employee unions say:
Well there must be a fundamental disconnect her because I see 30% of the budget being devoted to employee costs as a "budget buster". The slide show on the left contains a couple of charts that show the benefit packages that state workers recieve and the current underfunding of Delaware's state worker pension packages. Also, let's keep in mind that Delaware state workers contribute 3% to their pension accounts while the state contributes 7.5% to that plan over and above. Add to that the fact that state workers are becomming more brazen and demanding to know "When am I going to get a raise..." even as the Governor is looking at the budget and seeing a nearly $300 million shortfall (almost twice what Wisconsin is closing with their bill). At some point, Governor Markell is going to have to face the facts that DSEA, AFSCME and other unions MUST have their deals restructured to ensure that out state remains solvent. That doesn't mean that we have to destroy the current way of life of union workers. We can institute changes that affect new hires, we can offer early retirement to those who are at the end of their careers and we can make minor changes to the current benefit packages (like increasing employee contribution by 2% and decreasing State contributions by the same amount making the contributions equal at 5% each).
Please read my full Examiner article which contains the excerpt below:
What does this all mean for Delaware? Well, as I've mentioned in previous posts, the personnel costs in Delaware are 30% of the total budget. Meanwhile, the leadership of Delaware's public employee unions say:
In Delaware, public employees' health insurance and pension programs do not constitute a huge "budget buster," as they do in other financially troubled states. Our budget woes result primarily from the continuing effect of the Great Recession on state revenues.
Well there must be a fundamental disconnect her because I see 30% of the budget being devoted to employee costs as a "budget buster". The slide show on the left contains a couple of charts that show the benefit packages that state workers recieve and the current underfunding of Delaware's state worker pension packages. Also, let's keep in mind that Delaware state workers contribute 3% to their pension accounts while the state contributes 7.5% to that plan over and above. Add to that the fact that state workers are becomming more brazen and demanding to know "When am I going to get a raise..." even as the Governor is looking at the budget and seeing a nearly $300 million shortfall (almost twice what Wisconsin is closing with their bill). At some point, Governor Markell is going to have to face the facts that DSEA, AFSCME and other unions MUST have their deals restructured to ensure that out state remains solvent. That doesn't mean that we have to destroy the current way of life of union workers. We can institute changes that affect new hires, we can offer early retirement to those who are at the end of their careers and we can make minor changes to the current benefit packages (like increasing employee contribution by 2% and decreasing State contributions by the same amount making the contributions equal at 5% each).
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?
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.
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