www.delawaresbadhabit.com is the name of State Senator Colin Bonini’s new website. It is refreshing that a part-time legislator, on his own, has put together such a thorough analysis of how the State got into the current financial mess. Senator Bonini has long been the key opposition voice in Dover pointing out the absurdities of Delaware’s government and school district spending.
Give his website a thorough look. If we truly want to make sure that Delaware’s economy turns around, then we must reduce the burden of State Government. As Senator Bonini points out, the State Government has grown “twice as fast as inflation” while spending $9,783.85 for every man, woman, and child in the State.
His solution consists of 5 points detailed on chart 22:
- Early Retirement Option/Hiring Freeze
- Transparency/Honesty in State Government Spending
- Suspend Prevailing Wage
- Constitutionally Limit State Spending
- Consolidate School District Services
This is a significant set of alternatives to Governor Markell’s “8% across-the-board, Ruth Ann Minner Revisited Plan”, which inordinately penalizes lower paid workers and doesn’t make any sustainable changes.
Congratulations to Senator Bonini for putting forth a fresh set of alternatives for discussion. That is what leadership is all about.
Don’t you guys have any ideas besides that prevailing wage stinker? Delawareans are tired of being insulted by being told they are paid too much.
I am still waiting for Republican budget hawks to point to the Delaware budget pie chart (p. 11 on Bonini’s presentation) and man up about which programs they want to cut.
Also, any savings from education, whether via consolidation or administrative cuts, will have to be immediately plowed back into hiring new teachers in order to reduce class size. Which is worth doing on its merits – but it won’t reduce overall spending.
Bonini asks:
Well, actually, yes.
Bonini also makes the rather incredible claim that:
Of course, the comparison pie-chart of Castle’s budget is not provided.
The modern DE budget has new items that Castle did not dream of, including Homeland Security, increased corrections spending, and more special education services.
I don’t think Bonini, or any Delaware spending hawk, has really thought through the implications of reducing spending to the levels they want. Or at least they are not willing to tell the truth to their constituents about what they want to cut.
And everybody is for transparency. But there is some kind of incumbency thing that is blocking it. Stop the partisan grandstanding and tell us what you know in practical terms about how to solve it politically.
Come on, guys, we know Delaware spends too much. But your arguments are really pretty puerile. Tell us what programs you want to cut and let’s have a real political debate about it.
noman
“Also, any savings from education, whether via consolidation or administrative cuts, will have to be immediately plowed back into hiring new teachers in order to reduce class size. Which is worth doing on its merits – but it won’t reduce overall spending.”
Yes and No! The savings will be justification for the state to reduce state share of funding or perhaps pay back Skipper and Rodel re” Vision 2105. If you go back and calculate the “The Minner Givebacks” which was about 10 million across the districts, last year’s cuts and up coming cuts you’ll see the burden on local taxes really increased. Class sizes will never be reducing until waivers are lifted from the law. They were put there because it was a state unfunded mandate. Ant brain Carper is running around D.C. proclaiming he reduced class sizes in Delaware. Red Clay cried to the community that they couldn’t reduce class sizes because they didn’t have the space. So now they have Brandywine Springs and North Star and now blame the state. Warner is operating at 49% building capacity and yet failed to meet class sizes and now the truth comes out about unit allocations. However, in Warner’s case if Red Clay improves existing programming attracting more students the school would see more units. If you look at the feeder zones you’ll see the size of Brandywine Springs whereas the eastern side of this zone put students closer to Warner than Brandywine. With Warner at 49% the district can redraw feeder zone but would upset the suburban crowd. In three years well hear about the need to close Warner as under unitized but obviously it will go to a charter schools as support by law.
Consolidation of school districts itself will undermine parental involvement. But “outsourcing” functions such as HR and even cutting the grass will be the right move. What’s left is trusting district administrators to be fiscally responsibly. Moving school board elections to coincide with the general election only make school board more political! Also, creates a barrier in good middle class parents from seeking board seat whereas the campaign cost to run during a general election up against at party back candidate will near impossible.
What’s interesting about this post re: Bonini is it’s painted with political motives. Charlie’s post on HB119 wasn’t painted with obvious political motives and was well received. Compliments from DelawareLiberal is rare and sure we don’t live for them. But there was a message to Charlie as, now you’re connecting. We’re all concerned about wasteful spending and government but asking the public to buy in with obvious political motives painted all over like a giant billboard is undermining the intelligence of the public. Yea yea, what the hell do I know about intelligence? LOL! Than again it’s the so-called smart people running Delaware and the U.S. and yet Delaware is failing! So from a dumb person, being a little more politically discreet in laying out one’s plan to save Delaware will draw greater common support. Wearing the logo of one’s self not of his party will create greater support!
Alex! Down boy! Easy on the whiskey talk or I’ll put a lean of that trust fund. LOL
Just another Bonini political stunt. He’s part of the problem, hes been there to long.
Hey, I’ll give the guy credit. He hasn’t sat around during his Easter break doing nothing. But what exactly did Bonini do to stop the state from buying 2 golf courses? 2 marinas? When these budgets were being prepared, in secret of course, did he scream and wave and stomp his feet and let Delawareans know what they were buying? Didn’t think so.
I would like Bonini and others who feel as he does to start making a stink in Dover. Too many legislators are afraid to go against the Delaware Way, afraid that they will be put on the worst committees and afraid that their pet legislation will only see the inside of Thurman Adams’ desk drawer.
He makes some good points and suggestions. Transparency is essential, and the budget bills need to be available to lawmakers and the public at least 48 hours before they are voted on. But they will never make it out of the blogosphere unless he opens his mouth when the GA reconvenes next week. He should be talking to anyone with a microphone, notebook or camera.
I would ask this: Is Bonini ready to start the petition process to get HB1, the open government law, out of the Senate Executive Committee? Is he ready to call out his fellow senators publicly? This isn’t in his 31-page plan, but does the senator think the Big Head Committee should meet publicly? When you have to account publicly for the money you spend, all of a sudden everyone’s Mr. and Ms. Frugality.
Good start, Senator, but there are questions that need answers.
I am sure many will be critics but the math is accurate. If we had grown our budget by inflation and population growth we would have no shortfall-none.
It is called the rule of 72, if you grow something by 8% a year in 9 years it doubles.
For those who say what to cut? What programs? These questions show the fallacy of the complainers. The biggest offender is not the programs but the structure we use to deliver those services. Personnel costs are 46% of the state budget and Delaware has never had the top down review I spoke of last year in the Governor’s race and Governor Markell agreed with.
Still, what cuts? Early retirements, buyouts and a 10% reduction goal in personnel.
Programs, the holy grail of government can indeed by reformed to produce savings. Medicaid for one, education and prison/incarceration for starters.
Mike Protack
Well, I’ll give Senator Bonini’s outreach a shot, and see how he handles the suggestion(s). So far from the current new admin., you don’t even get a confirmed receipt of e-mail, or canned response of acknowledgement.
I still say I want to see a list of the “suggestions”, and perhaps a preliminary designation of:
Interesting
Good Idea
Hang on to that
Too Cumbersome
Are You Nuts
That’s Illegal
No Way
You’re right, why aren’t we doing that? Get me Finance on Line One!
Also, the centralized list would cut down people’s time, and frustration of submitting the same ol’ tired entries.
Another Mike:
RE: your comments regarding golf courses and the like…
Senator Bonini, who served in the minority, tried to amend the Bond bill to remove golf. He also voted “NO” on many (if not all) of the bills in question and spoke on the floor about what a terrible idea it was. He has frequently tried to force bills out of committee through petitions and floor introductions. When you’re in the minority, you don’t have the votes to succeed, but he has been a primary leader in the fight. I know that he’s not done fighting — so you might see a petition.
Trust me when I say that the Delaware Way has never been Senator Bonini’s way.
Can anyone tell me exactly what is wrong with buying those golf courses? The state has a popular mandate to preserve open space… seems like a winner to me. The free market has no answers for this one. Would you prefer instead we just zone it as open space and pay the property owners nothing?
I attended your presentation at the Cottage Cafe. Your presentation was great (a little late in starting, but…). I like the idea of consolidating school districts especially when I heard how many Administrators there are and what they make a year. Not only can you cut down the top echelon but can save a bundle by consolidated purchasing, etc. At the same time, you realize the political implications of such a move. It will take a long time but stick with it.
Armenian Man
Should there be some limit of the cost of government per taxpayer?
Does each new body on the State payroll really provide that much better a way of life for the average citizen?
Is the public education system a lot more cost effective than the one in the District of Columbia? Is a lot of tax money being thrown down bureaucratic ratholes?
Is it possible, just possible, that a lot of ‘government jobs’ are created to support a political machine that has its own interests at heart?
How many ‘administrators’ do we need with six-figure salaries? How many assistants have assistants?
Will there be an early retirement for June 2010? Many will partake.
I think that many would have taken an early retirement if it had been offered this year. I hope that the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly will finally get serious about the size of State employment and the reduced tax receipts from Delaware’s economy. 2010 will be a very bumpy ride.
I think it is an attrocity that we as taxpayers are paying probation/parole officers to protect our communities and they do nothing, except sit around and drink coffee and shop on-line. Maybe Commissioner Carl Danberg should get in touch with the people who actually work and seek out ideals to cut costs and protect our community.
I work within the probation/parole bureau and see how lazy probation officers really our. The FOP is a joke and just takes care of their own, without concern for the community.
Thanks a lot and I’ll subscribe to the blog so I can keep reading.
I am new here but will be a follower. Sen Bonini is my neighbor and while I do no know him well it is enough to trust him. He does not see being in government as a career but a challenge to do the right thing.
The question of the golf courses is one. Let me note that the state has a number of historic sites that are unused , boarded up in some cases and could be leased out if nothing else or at least occupied by styate emloyees on a rental basis. I once did this at the Allee House. The state made a little, was relieved of much maintenance and we were opn to the public periodically. It was a good deal on both sides. State sites of this type can and some will make money for the state at NO cost. This will not solve all the state problems but all big problems are resolved by the application of a lot of small solutions. Many of those can be done very locally with little or no “public money” that’s our money by the way.
The early retirement is a good idea IF we do not replace all those leaving. Gov. Markell can solve departmental budget problems by mandating a set amount in dollars to be cut. If Secretaries will not do it then he can just do this. If he will not then the GA will do it for the Secretaries of this taht or other departments.
Revenues will decline as we are not competitive in the corporation business any longer and the fact that we are aging with many retired citizens who due to reduced income pay less taxes as well as our corporations having less income, not to mention the ones closed or closing. it is time NOW to prepare for this. We will not grow out of this problem as we are running out of space to grow and senior citizens to move in.
When times are tough the tough get going, we best get at it and fast or we will imitate the Federal Government. None for me thanks.
Follow up. I was thinking and writing at the same time and regret the spelling errors. Yes, I can walk and chew gum at the same time but not run and chew gum!!
What about the sick people,that wonnna do more natural things for pain,this tax money would help the goverment come out some of there debt,But there still making excuse’s and while this excuse goes on about the federal goverment,they don’t care appearantly..about sickpeople,i been in a accident with a tractor trailor and suffer greatly.and a vegetairn.they want us to eat more healtheir but yet,im suffering with no right kinda food,hungry&sick,and in so much pain,its taking a toll on my heart,if i was their sista or brother,they wouldn’t let their family member suffer??..were is the dignaty for life?..or the compassion,in life?..i need my senator to contact me,and as of yet,no calls from rep,BONINI COLIN,.IM STILL WAITING&WAITING,.SEEMS LIKE THE DISABLED ONES ARE REALLY SUFFERIN,AND GOVEREMENT DOESN’T CARE?..PLEASE HELP?..