About Last Night
Jun 30th, 2009 by admin
It was painful to sit through the proceedings last night and listen to the state government raise every fee and tax in the state, and even add some new ones. To me, it represents failure at the highest level, punishing small businesses and their employees for the failure to cut painfully obvious waste in state government.
That said, I feel the need to commend Dick Cathcart’s Republican caucus. They put the onus for these tax increases on the Democrats, requiring every D to vote for every tax increase. Only then would the GOP give them the one vote they needed to pass the increases.
By doing this, the caucus put its stamp of disapproval on the situation, but stopped short of intransigence and government shutdown. In return, they got a written commitment to ongoing reductions in state payroll, and then turn those savings into reductions in last night’s tax increases. I’ve made my complaints about attrition well known, but with only one vote in the balance, Cathcart was able to accomplish a great deal and should be commended.
Another amazing component of that is that none of it would be possible if ex-Rep. Diana McWilliams hadn’t left Delaware in the manner she did, leaving open the door for the superb Tom Kovach to become that 17th vote in the December special election.
UPDATE: I forgot to include the four-year sunset provision on all of the major tax bills, another victory for the GOP.
They run the show. I am happy that we held out not only for more cuts, but we forced a sunset of the tax increases. We should have held out for a two year sunset, but that is great accomplishment.
DB,
you post reminds me of the joke about the little kid who wakes up on his birthday and goes outside, when he sees a large pile of manure next to the garden, He starts jumping up and down with glee. His father asks “why so excite Jr?”
The boy replies, “with all this shit, there’s got to be a pony here somewhere!”
The republicans could have stopped the dems tax scheme. they didn’t. There is no silver lining, there is no pony. The republicans failed again to be the party of fiscal responcibility.
I hear you. I gave a response on my post and don’t feel like reposting it. It is a load of crap dumped on us, but the pony is the sunset provision. The people will have a clear choice. I won’t give a medal for leadership to the GOP, but they did get a sunset provision on major tax increase for the first time in Delaware history that I can find.
…but they did get a sunset provision on major tax increase for the first time in Delaware history that I can find.
Yet, in your original comment on the other thread, you’re already wanting to primary them out of office. What Dave B said:
…is vital. Government shutdown is not a negotiation tactic worthy of consideration. David A, are you saying that you believe shutdown is a worthy tactic of negotiation to get one’s way?
yeah yeah yeah, one more hit on the crack pipe, we’ll go to rehab next year….
in four years the republican caucus will meet in a phone booth.
work on my campaign, we’ll do better next year….
I predict that, on july 1, when the final package is passed, year over year state spending will INCREASE by 6%
I do believe that some things are worth fighting for. I think that as long as they are willing to allow another year of this unbelievable waste then we should shut it all down if necessary. There is no way that I would have given them one vote until they stopped wasting our money. That is a principled stand. That is a little hard for some to understand when they are in the middle of the process.
Now a shut down wouldn’t be inevitable. They could either pass a continuing resolution based upon revenue while they negotiate or they could cut spending. I was assuming that they (Dems)would be have irresponsibly to pressure us. They would cave because the public would ask why are you trying to protect 200 million in waste and instead want to raise taxes.
I am only pointing out annoi that the more Democrats you allow to be in office, the more tax hikes. The only reason you even got these cuts and sunsets is because of the republicans left. With respect, that tells you were the solution is.
Yes, I do want to better the caucus. Let it mean something to be a Republican. Oberle is retiring anyway
so I am not proposing primaring any incumbents. We have a decent crew, we just need some new blood added to the group to shake them up and excite them. 5 strong fiscal hawks would take back the house and tip the caucus in the right direction. We need people who have ideas and will carry the banner like Clatworthy and Flemming. If we find the committees are not recruiting Republicans that will not go along with the craziness, then we need to primary them with ones that will. Only by there being a clear difference will we be able to reclaim the house. Otherwise Annoi is right, the house and senate caucuses will be meeting at a table in a restaurant. What will be the point?
This is why the Republican caucus is pathetic. This is a total defeat for the taxpayer and a victory for Democrat government bloat that even “the worst economy since the Great Depression” can’t throttle. Who cares what future “commitments” the GOP claims they got or even about sunsetting any of this. When it came to stopping the Democrat tax raisers in their tracks and forcing them to be fiscally responsible the GOP caucus took a powder for expediency and get along go along. They had the votes. They blew it.
Golly I just can’t figure out why the Democrats crush the GOP year after year in Delaware. The Dems are crooked enough to pay off every last special interest not the least of which are the endless rolls of government employees. The Republicans meanwhile stand for nothing except half a loaf of Democrap. This state is so screwed.
Look, folks. The people of the state of Delaware screwed up and put the Democrats in charge. That was their choice. If there was any hope that a government shutdown would work, I’d be all for it. (You should have seen what I was trying to get them to do for the last month.) But realism demands that all of you admit that the one vote wasn’t enough. What they were able to do was hang an “endangered species” sign on several Democrats up and down the state. If the party is ready to take advantage, which they should be, re-capturing the House is now a possibility.
Given what they had, and especially since the Dems probably could have picked off a Miro or an Oberle if necessary, the GOP did a fantastic job. And I was prepared to roast them, believe me.
Focus your anger where it belongs, at the people who actually did this to you. They are Democrats. If you want change, you won’t get it by voting for more Democrats. It is that simple.
Anderson, the sunset provision was a democrat sponsored amendment. In about 4 weeks the Gov. will steal the “cut state goverment through attrition” theme from Cathcart.
“the sunset provision was a democrat sponsored amendment. ”
Actually, it was a result of the negotiations and was sponsored by 40 Reps.
“In about 4 weeks the Gov. will steal the “cut state goverment through attrition” theme from Cathcart.”
I understand that is the goal, and his MO is to take things from other people and make them his own, but there are events in motion to try and stop him from doing so on this.
It was part of the deal in order to get the votes without it they may have even lost St Jacques and Atkins. In addition, the GOP tried to push a one year sunset which of course was rejected on the floor.
Dave, areed.
Dave, what I meant to say is that the Gov. will start talking publically that the budget is shrinking state goverment (job cuts) and its easier for him to get news print and media than the minority leader. The public perception will become that it was his idea and not Cathcarts.
Compare the growth in government since the Depression with the growth of the private sector during that time. The relationship is clearly synergistic. For the last 100 years growing public sector equals growing private sector. It’s hard to understand why anybody would preach the opposite is true.
During the 16 years that Delaware public sector spending increased every year, our State GDP doubled. Delaware now has the highest per capita GDP in the USA. Almost 50% higher GDP per capita than the national average. We’ve been first in GDP per cap year after year as State spending and private prosperity both grew year after year. It’s all good.
Mississippi, with less public sector growth and lower taxes, is last per capita GDP. Mississippi is the low tax, small government poster child. It’s the poorest state in the country. So why keep saying cheap public services and low taxes are so good for private sector economic growth?
Delaware is a first class place to live and work, let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish. Did it pay to spend a couple extra bucks to make the highways into Wilmington look a bit better than average. I say yes. For wealthy states like DE (a top per capita personal income state) looking cheap or poor is not cool. Sure, businesses like low taxes, but many of the sharpest businesses value quality of life even more. And that means well kept public services. We are looking to attract first class business, not old cheapskate industry bottom fishing for low wages or low taxes.
What happens to private real estate values when pot holes don’t get filled or neighborhood blight goes unabated or crime isn’t vigorously policed? I don’t want to do safety, justice or environment on the cheap. Same with education or taking care of our old folks and disabled. Government service for old folks will cost more in the future not less.
The era of being anti-government is over. Without a well funded public sector, there wouldn’t be a modern private sector as we know it. Well funded public infrastructure means a more productive private sector.
Don’t be fooled into believing prosperity comes cheap.
“Mississippi, with less public sector growth and lower taxes, is last per capita GDP.”
That was before they got $4 billion in new investment and 7,000 new jobs in the last few years. In fact, they beat out Delaware for one of those auto plants. So somebody disagrees with you.
And our GDP growth was third worst in the nation two years in a row, negative in 2007 and 2008, when we were spending as much per cap as anybody.
Next thing you’ll argue is that our astronomical spending keeps the sky blue, too.
“Don’t be fooled into believing prosperity comes cheap.”
Except for that money’s not being spent on ‘prosperity.’ It’s being spent on cronyism and the fact that the state can’t tell the difference between a check and a credit card. The only ‘prosperity’ is for the 821 people making $100K plus generous benefits inside state government.
Except for that money’s not being spent on ‘prosperity.’ It’s being spent on cronyism
*
AGREED
but it’s laughable to say it is all about the DEMs. It is spread across that aisle too, tho I grant you, not to the degree of the DEMs since Carper got his grips on the Governorship. He is the worst of all. Uses DEMs to get elected but votes for the GOP. Minner and her crew were rotten to the core and they are STILL ALL SAFELY TUCKED INTO the state payroll still, for the most part.
Bill did you notice that Delaware until Minner had been a tax cut haven. We have some of the lowest taxes in the region. MS used to have horrible marginal taxes. Now that they changed and improved their education system, they are growing. We could afford to grow government because our private sector was growing first. It was not the other way around. It is like saying rich men spend more than poor men on average therefore if a poor man spends more he will be rich.
Dave,
Every penny counts, but you make it sound like downsizing the State promotes the general welfare. I respectfully disagree. I am a big fan of public private synergy.
Things like the Global Positioning Satellites put in place by the public sector coupled with the cool GPS devices the private sector brings to market. It’s a classic public/private synergy with benefits and jobs to numerous to mention. Jobs that did not exist ten years ago.
We need to keep a sharp eye on spending. That’s different than trying to starve the State. Delaware’s public sector is part of the engine that drives prosperity.
Are you setting me up with the “Next thing you’ll argue is that our astronomical spending keeps the sky blue, too.” line? Obvious answer:
Yes, State environmental and natural resources spend millions of tax dollars trying to keep the sky blue. The sky is bluer that ever thanks to government spending.