Delaware and National Politics from the Center-Right. Formerly First State Politics.
Posted in Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Transparency on May 8th, 2008
Yesterday, HB 332 became the first bill in the transparency package to pass the House. HB 332 is the constitutional amendment binding future legislatures to allow 3 legislative days between the release of the budget and bond bills and their enactment.
Congratulations to Rep. Lavelle and Sen. Copeland for the success of the first of their […]
Posted in Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Transparency on Apr 24th, 2008
The transparency package yesterday passed the House Education and House Administration Committees yesterday, and both were forwarded to the House Appropriations Committee. That’s the top-line story.
Now, for the ugly details.
I sat in the House Chamber for the House Education Committee hearing, where they discussed HB 337 & 338, which would put all school district spending […]
Posted in Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Open Government, Transparency on Apr 22nd, 2008
TRANSPARENCY BILLS TO BE HEARD IN COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY 4/23!
Dear Friend of the Delaware Taxpayer:
You have been a great help to the cause of transparency in Delaware, but your help is needed more than ever right now. Chief Sponsor Rep. Greg Lavelle reports that the fiscal transparency package is set for a hearing in two House […]
Posted in Delaware Taxpayer Coalition on Apr 15th, 2008
I learned a very important lesson tonight: don’t ever try to compete with the Pope in New Castle County.
A hearty thanks to Dan Bockover, Frances West and the twenty-something members of the Civic League who chose listening to some internet hack over watching the Pope’s visit on TV.
You’re a great group with vast experience and […]
Posted in Deficit, Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Education, Reform, Spending on Apr 10th, 2008
The state’s school districts have been asked to give back 10% of their state funds to help eliminate the deficit. That is a lot of money, and it is patently unfair to ask them for it. There is a lot of waste in our education spending, but an immediate 10% giveback is just crazy.
What the […]
Posted in Budget, Change, Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Open Government, Reform, Transparency on Mar 21st, 2008
Here is a .pdf from Americans for Tax Reform showing the progress of transparency legislation across the states. The list has grown considerably since I first started working on the issue a year ago, and it’s wonderful to see.
Posted in Business, Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Economics, Regulation on Mar 18th, 2008
Reps. Plant, Johnson, Kowalko, Mulrooney and Sens. Henry and Marshall have introduced HB 327, which will end employment-at-will and force business owners to defend the firing of an employee at great expense before the Department of Labor.
Will the business community, which has been effectively neutered by the Democrat-Labor alliance on labor issues over the past […]
Posted in Budget, Change, Conservatism, Deficit, Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Economics, Growth, Open Government, Reform, Spending, Taxes, Transparency on Mar 17th, 2008
UPDATE: I was wrong. It’s not $300,000,000 over five years. It’s $326,000,000 over TWO YEARS, including $126,000,000 this year alone. That’s it. Time to slash spending. The Minner-Carper gravy train, which was built on the backs of the DuPont-Castle successes, is over. All the Democrat administrations have left us with is mountains of debt and […]
Posted in Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Open Government, Transparency on Mar 12th, 2008
Here is the press conference from today with Sen. Copeland, Rep. Lavelle, Jim Bowers and Erik Arneson, Communications and Policy Director for PA Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi.
Copeland, Lavelle and Bowers discuss the Taxpayer Coalition’s Transparency Package being reintroduced in the House today, and Mr. Arneson discusses the recent landmark open records law in Pennsylvania […]
Posted in 'Prevailing' Wage, Change, Deficit, Delaware Taxpayer Coalition, Economics, Infrastructure, Reform, Regulation, Spending on Feb 29th, 2008
From today’s News Journal editorial page:
To state that a prevailing wage law would provide “a level playing field” where the best (read that as union) contractors get the work is inaccurate. In all the Delaware school construction projects with which I have been involved (Concord High School, Dover High School, Middletown High School, Lake Forest […]
