If there is one type of welfare the rich love, it is corporate welfare and Gov. Jack Markell is getting ready to dole some money out. Specifically Markell is asking for a replenishment of the Strategic Fund — which has virtually been wiped out in bringing Fisker Automotive and PBF Energy to Delaware —, an investment in transportation and another investment in small capital projects. All of this is due to a $100 million dollar projected increased in revenue for Delaware in 2011.
While Markell kowtows to the business community, education in Delaware is getting short-changed. Specifically, let’s look at Brandywine School District which is losing $2.7 million in monies from the state, an increase of 25% of the transportation costs and $5 million less in stimulus funds. What does this mean to Brandywine School District after many cost-cutting measures already implemented by the school district? Layoffs. Sixty-seven educators will be losing their jobs.
So while Markell pumps money into the coffers of the rich to “create” jobs, have we seen one Fisker Automotive job in Delaware yet? No, but what we have seen is $14 million dollars coming from the US government to pay for cleanup of the GM Plant. For all the hoopla concerning creating jobs in Delaware, losing 67 jobs seems to be a much bigger deal.