Colin Bonini, Why State Treasurer ?
Jul 19th, 2010 by Frank Knotts
There has been much talk about the recent “Great Conservative Cookout”. Both positive and negative. My personal feeling is that most of the response has been positive. Of course there has been the usual cry babies whining about the treatment of their favorite candidates.
That aside the event afforded the opportunity for candidates to put their message out and to allow one on one conversations with citizens. I had one of those conversations with Delaware State Senator, Colin Bonini.
First let me say I have heard Mr. Bonini speak in the past, the guy is just likeable. He relates to people very well and brings with him a simple message of fiscal conservatism that most average people can relate to. He has long been an advocate for open , transparent government, that, has not changed with his announcement to run for Delaware State Treasurer.
So, I asked Mr. Bonini, why State Treasurer? Why do you feel you can do more for the state as treasurer, than as a senator?
His answer was that as a senator he was but one voice among many. But as treasurer he would be a state wide voice for all of Delaware’s citizens on fiscal issues. He again stated his long held belief, one that I share, that the state of Delaware doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. And this again goes to the heart of why Mr. Bonini believes that as state treasurer he can spotlight the waste in our state government.
His statement to me was, ” as state treasurer, nothing gets paid without my signature”. He believes that if, as treasurer, he calls the legislature to task on their out of control spending a few times that he can influence them, or in my words, shame them, into a more fiscally responsible attitude.
His goal as treasurer would be to see the waste and to show it to the citizens of the state. To make the out of control spending more transparent to the people. Then my friends, after Mr. Bonini shows us, it would be up to us to hold our individual legislators accountable for their spending of our tax dollars.
I couldn’t resist asking Mr. Bonini if he saw the move to State Treasurer as a possible stepping stone to the Governor’s office. He gave what would only be described as the “expected answer”. “Not at this time.” Well I can respect that. I can also only hope that at some time in the future it becomes one of his goals. I believe that he would bring the voice of the average citizens back to the governor’s office, a voice that has been missing from that seat for far too long in the state of Delaware.
I wish Mr. Bonini nothing but good things and luck in his current and future endeavors.
And for what little it is worth, this would be my official endorsement of Colin Bonini as our next State Treasurer for the State of Delaware.
Couldn’t be supporting a better guy.
I too have been impressed by Mr. Bonini.
I especially adored his recent stand on early retirement of Delaware public employees but smiled in a private mirth.
The rule is, Mr. Bonini, NEVER, not EVER, not NEVER, do you lay off, reduce overhead, yay even retire early, those who nurse so greatly on the public teat.
And even though we all live real lives out here in la-la land where we carry this country on our backs, such as normal monetary discipline would never, WILL NEVER, be undertaken by the political elite, particularly of the Democratic ilk.
See, when we get short of money out here in the burbs where life is real and none of us are running for re-election, we do one of TWO things to make our money in-flow/out-flow close to even. We INCREASE our income or, TADA…drumroll please…we DECREASE our expenses.
The political elite, mostly Democrats let’s get true here, NEVER decrease expenses. To cut off funding for that painting of Christ dipped in urine might be to infuriate the dope-smoking public who views such a thing. They vote these folks.
To get rid of that Director of Toilets and Toiletries in our public schools would chance making this person angry and all the persons dependent on this job in a supporting role and on it goes cause public schools in Delaware have lots of Directors of stuff. All these people vote.
When us silly minions cut out the weekly cleaning person well hey, that person doesn’t vote for us and won’t get their union to picket our homes!
I smiled at Colin’s wrath over how he was ignored by the political elite. Mentally I pondered how long it would take Colin himself to become a political elite cause it would seem that given time, familiarity, and that odd Republican need to reach across the aisle and curses, the possibility of mussed head hairs and splotchy tans, that the GOP is susceptable to the siren lure of the elite.
For now, may Mr. Bonini and I will pray that he keeps his sense of umbrage.
Cause we live with umbrage every day out here in la-la land where we carry this country on our backs.
The liberals are trashing Mr. Bonini big time, which is always a good sign. The more these people tear apart a candidate, the more they consider him or her a serious threat. Keep up the good work, Mr. Bonini!
Frank, let me bring you up to speed how this office works. Once the G.A. appropriates money Bonini has to sign it. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Its required by law.
Anon -
That is true, but you are evidently missing the key point. If Bonini uses the Treasurer’s office as a bully pulpit, he can easily shame the spendthrifts in the legislature AND in the Governor’s office.
The debate about spending the money takes place in the GA. If Bonini wants to participate in that debate, he’s already in the right place.
The state also has a credit rating to protect. If Bonini were somehow elected Treasurer and started trashing budget decisions made by our representatives – the moneymen would quickly put him in his place.
Elect me and I’ll hold press conferences telling you where your money was already wasted …
Awesome.
I’d vote for the first candidate, Democratic or Republican or whatever, who seriously proposed abolishing the treasurer’s office and folding it into the Department of Finance. WE DON’T NEED A TREASURER.
If Bonini wants to be a watchdog, he should be primarying Wagner. He’s about as delusional about the impact and scope of the treasurer’s job as Chip Flowers.
anon,
You had the chance to vote for a candidate who was going to abolish the Treasurer’s Office after she was elected 4 years ago, Stell Parker-Selby.
Frank,
Finally you support a great conservative candidate, Colin Bonini. Way to go!!!!!
Oh, and Frank – if you’re going to support a candidate, you might want to spell his name correctly. Colin with one L.
[...] Knotts over at DelawarePolitics.net has a great piece on why Bonini is stepping down from the legislature to run for statewide [...]
Anon, you know Frank can’t be bothered to learn how to spell.
“he can easily shame the spendthrifts in the legislature AND in the Governor’s office”
Probably not, as I think some of them have no sense of what’s right or not, just how it affects their power in Leg Hall.
First let me thank my spell check friends. As for comment #9 from someone calling themself anon, who says, “If Bonini wants to be a watchdog, he should be primarying Wagner.” Well dear Mr. or Mrs. anon, Tom Wagner’s office of the Auditor is there to find waste and fraud after the fact. Many times years after the fact. Mr. Bonini is hoping to expose the waste as it is happening. So that the citizens can take care of business at the very next election of the wasteful officials.
The other thing is that Tom Wagner is doing a great job and will be re-elected to that office.
1. Tom Wagner is an excellent Auditor.
2. Colin Bonini will be an excellent State Treasurer.
“I’d vote for the first candidate, Democratic or Republican or whatever, who seriously proposed abolishing the treasurer’s office and folding it into the Department of Finance.”
How about instead let’s just go ahead and abolish the DoF and send Secretary Tommy CrOOKed home without a state job for once in his life.
Give Bonini the bully pulpit. You think the bond rating agencies are going to look NEGATIVELY on someone trying to cut spending? Please.
We need checks and balances on the corrupt one-party Democrat rule in Delaware. Bonini would be one, and a House majority would be the other.
Even the liberals have to pick up the paper and recognize that things keep getting worse with one-party rule.
Delmarva Dealings – He’s not stepping down to run, he’s midway through a four-year term with nothing to lose. If he wins in November he’ll resign his Senate seat which will require a Special Election costing the State money. Not to worry though, Delaware doesn’t have a revenue problem …
boo hoo Mike O. cry me a river
I think the people having the right to choose who best to serve them in an election is worth a rounding error in a three billion dollar budget.
Matt, there is definately a cost to the move. But in the long run we may be better off. If Mr. Bonini can do what he intends to do, we could actually start to see some real change. You have to break some eggs to make an omelet.
Not that Matt Opaliski would ever run in a special election or anything. Bitter guy, that one is.
It’s interesting that simple facts upset some of you folks.
And seriously Frank, whatever it is that he claims to intend to do he can do now.
Hold a Presser. He can.
Name names. He can.
Matt, I am passing on what the man told me. He has proven over the years to be a fiscal conservative and he has chosen to take that to the State Treasurer’s office.