From Americans United for Change:
“In the first 100 days of this historic presidency, as the country faced the toughest economic challenges in decades, Congressman Castle issued a chorus of “NOs” showing the people of Delaware who he truly represents: The party of Rush Limbaugh,” said Tom McMahon, acting director of Americans United for Change. “Congressman Castle had a chance to take part in the most transformational start to a Congressional session that this country has ever seen, setting the stage for quality, affordable health care, a clean energy future, and real economic recovery. Instead of working with President Obama, Mike Castle chose to stand with his conservative allies and act as a roadblock – or at least a speedbump – on the path to long-term economic growth.”
NO to the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will create or save more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years and provide tax cuts for 95 percent of Americans.
NO to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which ensures equal pay for equal work by protecting more women from wage discrimination.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY PROJECTS
NO to $400,000 to hire construction workers, building contractors and landscape architects to restore and build a permanent home for Lewes’ historic Lightship Overfalls, a tourist attraction and driver of economic development
NO to $10.9 million to make Delaware safer by hiring and equipping new law enforcement officers, such as boosting patrols in high-crime neighborhoods in Dover and hiring three new officers in Smyrna.
NO to $140 million and thousands of new jobs for projects including restoration of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, two new E-Z Pass lanes at the 1-95 toll plaza in Newark, a new transit hub in Dover and creating 1,200 jobs paving, repairing and building roads other roads statewide, including, specifically, the following:
• Dover Transit Center. Build the first phase of a DART transit center on five acres on Water Street between Queen and West streets, two blocks west of an outmoded existing facility. $5.7 million.
• Replacement of deteriorating concrete medians along I-95. $1.2 million
• Old Lancaster Pike streetscape and drainage project, Hockessin. Install or improve sidewalks, curb ramps, decorative street lighting, crosswalks and landscaping along Old Lancaster Pike from Valley Road to Erickson Drive. $3.5 million.
• Centreville streetscape/ traffic calming. Replace temporary traffic calming features with permanent ones, including a roundabout at Center Meeting and Snuff Mill roads. $3.7 million
• Guardrail improvements, New Castle County. $1.2 million
• Rail cars, New Castle County. Would allow DelDOT’s Delaware Transit Corp., to buy four new Silverliner V rail cars from the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to increase capacity for SEPTA service between Philadelphia and Newark. $8 million
• Buses, Sussex County. Part of a statewide program intended to replace road-worn buses with new ones. $1.9 million.
• DART Mid-County Facility, New Castle County. Construct six maintenance bays and parts storage for fixed route and paratransit buses. The maintenance facility is at Del. 1 and Del. 72. $7.2 million.
• Rehabilitation of epoxy pavement markings along several roadways to meet federal reflectivity requirements. $2 million, to be completed if more stimulus money becomes available.
• Newton Road railroad crossing, Bridgeville. Add gates and cantilever lights and controller and replace pre-cast concrete surface. $400,000, to be completed if more stimulus money becomes available.
NO to $38 million to help make Delaware homes and businesses more energy efficient through projects such as manufacture and installation of solar panels
CHILDREN AND HEALTH SERVICES
NO to $4.5 million to expand and improve childcare for Delaware’s children
NO to $664,808 to vaccinate Delaware’s children
NO to 62,000 Delaware children whose families are aided by the child tax credit
NO to $933,000 to preserve health care jobs and serve 5,207 new patients including 3,303 newly uninsured.
EDUCATION
NO to an increase of $2.5 million for Delaware’s elementary and secondary schools
NO to providing Pell Grants to help 451 more Delaware students to pay for college and increasing the average Pell Grant by $113
JOBS AND WORKING FAMILIES
NO to ensuring equal pay to the 195,115 working women in Delaware
NO to help for 62,458 struggling, unemployed Delaware workers
NO to tax credits for 335,000 Delaware workers of up to $400
NO to cutting taxes by $379 a year for the average Delawarean
NO to increasing food stamp benefits by $46 for 86,000 struggling Delawareans
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
NO to 1.9 billion for Delaware over 10 years from reducing global warming emissions and requiring polluters to pay for allowances to pollute
NO to saving Delaware taxpayers $90 million by ending subsidies to Big Oil companies
NO to $9.8 million to reduce water pollution and ensure clean drinking water in Delaware.