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Primary Issues:
| Education: The General Assembly needs to rationalize our entire public education system--regular public schools, charters and vo-techs--and return the primary governance of our schools to the local communities they serve. Our schools struggle in a swamp of state regulation and micromanagement. Delaware's school funding system is obsolete: the state's "unit count" system hasn't been overhauled since 1949, and local property tax assessments haven't been updated in 30 years. The Dept. of Education's grandiose top-down school reform initiatives have all failed. DOE developed and abandoned two statewide testing systems, and is pouring money into a third. It wasted $120 million in federal "Race to the Top" money, with only a small fraction of the money actually going to schools. These schools are supposed to be the next generation's path out of poverty, but the education bureaucracy in Dover is failing our children. The number of Delaware children living in poverty has doubled since 2003. |
| Economy: Politicians don't create jobs; the best they can do is make smart public investments to attract new firms and jobs, create a level playing field for market competition, and promote an efficient, transparent regulatory environment. Potholes and highway congestion, an inefficient power grid, brownfields, water pollution, poor schools, poverty and high crime rates--these signal that Delaware isn't really ready for business. The Fisker, Bloom and Data Center fiascos, the monopolization of our private health insurance market by Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and the casino bail-outs have shown that the "Delaware Way" is a bankrupt economic development strategy. Our economy will continue to suffer until the GA invests in the smart-growth infrastructure and services necessary attract high-tech employers and private investment. We need legislators who will rebuild voter trust. If we're going to increase the gasoline tax, the revenues must be dedicated to rebuilding the Transportation Trust Fund. If we're going to increase the state minimum wage, we need to show how it will benefit rather than harm our economy. |
| Environment: The long recession has weakened the GA's commitment to protecting Delaware's natural and environmental resources. Funding for Delaware's Open Space and Ag Lands Preservation programs was slashed when state revenues declined. We have made little or no progress in curbing non-point pollution in our waterways. We're compromising on wastewater discharges. We gave Renewable Energy credits to Bloom even though their technology is non-renewable, and now we're paying a tax ("surcharge") of about $5/month on our electric bills as a direct subsidy to Bloom. The Governor has proposed a series of water quality initiatives that will benefit all Delawareans, but the GA isn't willing to make the polluters pay for these. We need to reaffirm our commitment to a clean, livable Delaware. |
| Health Care: The basic premises of the Affordable Care Act are sound, but it has facilitated monopolization of the regional health insurance market by Highmark, and their anti-competitive practices are hurting everyone--care providers, employers and patients. Our General Assembly basically gave away the state BC/BS franchise, reserves and all. Delaware's Insurance Commissioner seems to be under the delusion that a monopoly insurer will pass on the benefits of "scale economies" to providers and patients. As an economist, I understand why US health care costs so much and delivers such mediocre health outcomes. I will fight to reform our state Medicare and Medicaid programs, and push for creation of "patient-centered medical homes" to improve coordination of care. |
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Other issues:
Joe Miro, Mike Smith, Steve Newton and I participated in the GHADA candidate forum on September 2nd. Here are my introduction and answers to questions asked at the forum. The New Castle Co. Civic League forum on September 16 asked very similar questions. Steve Newton and I participated; Joe Miro was a no-show. I have answered a number of candidate surveys and won endorsements from the Progressive Democrats of Delaware and the Delaware chapter of Americans for Democratic Action.
Delaware ADA published candidates' survey answers online.
Here are my survey answers.
Here is my response to the Medical Society of DE candidate survey.
I regret that I can't answer all the dozens of candidate surveys that people have sent me; at this stage of the campaign, my focus has to be canvassing and fundraising!
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