General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., Jan. 25, 2011
“My Fellow Delawareans: The State of Our State is grim.”
That’s me speaking, not Gov. Markell. His wonkish State of the State address put an optimistic spin on it, as in “Our state is far stronger than the challenges we face.”
Uh, maybe. Tax incentives, tax credits, partnerships, etc., for jobs expansion, are nice, but it’s not like Delaware has exactly ignored these kind of things in the past. An Infrastructure Trust Fund, which sounds like putting lipstick on the pig of the Transportation Trust Fund. Turning public education into even more of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce. More ‘cost-efficient’ government, which appears to be screwing those who have almost fallen completely through the safety net. And screwing state employees. A few pathetically thin gruel-like nods to No Delawarean Left Behind, which is a misleading name since those on Medicaid and those who have lost their careers look at greater risk of being left behind after the Governor’s State of the State priorities than they were before it. Memo to Gov. Markell: “Where is the human empathy in your address? I’ve been a long-time supporter and fan, and there’s no questioning your competence or your vision, but I do question whether you really get just how it feels to be cast aside in this economy. I also question your priorities, and anxiously await your Budget proposal to see whether the ‘pain’ will be shared by those who have felt no pain for the last 30 years. For once.” End of screed.
But even if Gov. Markell has sold his soul to the Delaware Chamber of Commerce, economic development will be real difficult when there are genuine threats to even maintaining the infrastructure we have, much less improving upon it. The News-Journal, both here and here, paint a bleak picture for DELDOT and, by extension, Delaware’s infrastructure. These should be must-reads for anyone interested in the problems we face. Give ’em a look, I can wait.
Perhaps the ‘money’ quote comes from former legislator and current lobbyist (yes, that’s a redundancy) Roger Roy:
“They absolutely have to look at new ways of growing the pie,” Roy said. “They haven’t been able to keep up. At some point, you have to pay. If your road structure falls apart and people can’t move around and get to work, it’s one of the things that companies look at when they settle on a place.”
Not to mention any infrastructure improvements required to actually lure new industry here. The Delaware General Assembly and the Governor are gonna have to figure this out, and it ain’t gonna be easy. This will test the competence of all public officials involved in these negotiations. I predict this will be even tougher than the budget negotiations. Especially if, as is likely, the Rethugs choose to sit on the sidelines and do nothing but try to score political points.
Lotsa ‘stuff’ took place on Thursday in addition to the State of the State. Here’s the scorecard. The highlights?:
Rep. Melanie George(D-Bear) introduced what is sure to be one of the best bills of the 146th General Assembly. How do I know? Because its predecessor was one of the best bills of the 145th General Assembly. Granted, it’s been modified somewhat, but HB 19 would eliminate minimum mandatory sentences for many non-violent drug possession offenses and restore discretion to the judges, which is certainly preferable to the General Assembly’s playing judge, jury and executioner. It will put an end to the insane prison expansion which took much-needed resources away from transportation and education infrastructure funding. It will ultimately save quite a bit of money.
Lest they not be forgotten, this insane minimum mandatory sentencing orgy was largely the ‘brainchild’ of three legislators: Tom Sharp, Wayne Smith and Jim Vaughn. Through newly-created (at the time) Senate and House Committees to Combat Drug Abuse, these demagogues, along with bloodthirsty AG Jane Brady, successfully demagogued this public policy and fiscal disaster through an acquiescent and largely disinterested General Assembly. This bill’s forerunner could, and should, have been enacted into law last year. However, after passing the House, Sharp henchman and ‘Napoleonic martinet’ Tony DeLuca buried it in his own Senate Executive Committee, never to resurface. This year, George has kissed Tiny Tony’s pinky ring, and he’s now a co-sponsor. Presumably proper respect has now been paid. Which brings me to the Legislative Quote of the Week, courtesy of the News-Journal:
“I just think anytime in my district, if we go loosening drug laws, it’s going to be a tough sell. We’ve got small towns with minimal or small police departments that are just being plagued in this economy by the petty sales of marijuana and OxyContin and other drugs. “When they’re locked up in [Sussex Correctional Institution] they’re not selling drugs in front of Long Neck Elementary,”–‘Law-Abiding’ Citizen Rep. John Atkins
Fortunately for Atkins, public officials driving drunk past Long Neck Elementary, and pulling rank when pulled over, is not a tough sell in Sussex County. Nor is spousal abuse. Good to know that at least one ‘law-abiding’ citizen has his priorities straight.
Speaking of respect, proper or otherwise, Sen. Benedict Bloviator Bonini passed an essential piece of legislation Thursday, honoring the Gipper with his own day. Too late, Colin. The R’s still hate you.
The House made short work of two bills Thursday, unanimously passing both HB 1(Schooley) and HB 10(Longhurst), previously discussed here. Look for both to sail through the Senate by the end of this week.
Now’s a good time for two updates from last week. Rep. Dennis P. Williams indeed HAS told colleagues he will not run for Mayor of Wilmington (I’m always the last one to know), which throws a serious wrench into redistricting for the city. Looks like either Helene Keeley or Gerald Brady gets screwed. And, if the union thugocracy has anything to say about, the profoundly-undistinguished Brady, who just happens to be Executive Director of the Delaware State AFL-CIO, will likely be spared. Which would be the wrong choice, but, hey, that’s the way it goes.
Also, I had previously asked questions about SB 8(Bushweller), which would remove the requirement that a Dover councilperson must resign their seat to run for Mayor. While I had no problem with the bill, I questioned why the rush to pass it now since the mayor’s seat doesn’t come up until 2012. A loyal reader (you too can be one once you take a loyalty oath) wrote to tell me that, for all intents and purposes, that section of the Charter has already been nullified by a city solicitor’s opinion that council members can indeed already run for Mayor. So, this bill would just codify that existing practice. The irony, surely not lost on Bushweller, is that, with his opponent in the 2008 Senate election (former Mayor Jim Hutchison) running for a Council seat this year, Hutchison would now be eligible to run for mayor as a coulncil member in 2012, courtesy of Bushweller.
Let’s see what’s on tap for today. In the Senate, no agenda and no meetings scheduled. Looks like another productive day for the ‘Upper’ house. At least you can take an advance look at tomorrow’s Senate committee meetings.
The House has scheduled three pieces of legislation for consideration today. The most notable is HB 5(Bennett), which would “set… a deadline when public bodies must provide a public record to a person making a request under the Freedom of Information Act.” Virtually the exact same bill (HB 300) passed unanimously in the House in March of last year and was then buried in Tiny Tony’s Senate Executive Committee, never to resurface. I’m sure he meant to release it, but he just couldn’t concentrate, what with all the noise coming from the corridor adjacent to his office. Good thing he has a ‘well-qualified’ personal assistant. Otherwise, he’d be lost.
And with that, time for me to get lost. You can catch me on Al’s show, Wednesday, January 26, 9 am-12 noon. I’m on at 10. Anyone who feels they’ve been unfairly maligned today is more than welcome to call in. As are each and every one of you.
The deal for government employment historically was that you would get a lower salary than in the private sector, but in return you would get great benefits, pension, all holidays off, and most important – job security.
Now it seems state and federal salaries have risen to match the private sector, but the benefits and job security still exceeds the private sector.
I don’t have it in for government employees at all, but am I wrong here?
Actually, yes. Most state employees don’t make near what those in the private sector make for the same work. It’s one of the reasons that important positions go unfilled. REAL positions that perform REAL functions. Nurses, health care professionals, engineers, the list is long.
But let me make it clear. My issue is not with state employees, or even possibly pensioners like myself, having to make sacrifices. Times are tough, and we may all have to tighten our belts a little. I’m certainly willing to sacrifice.
My issue is that those who are teetering between just surviving or falling through the safety net will be expected to sacrifice even more while, so far, not even a peep has been heard from the Governor about those who are doing quite well having to give up a little to help those with nothing left to give. We have a progressive graduated income tax up to the $60K mark, and a flat tax over that. That’s just not fair. It disproportionately benefits Delaware’s most wealthy citizens. Why, of all people, should they remain untouched when every one else is sacrificing? THAT’s my point, and I would like to hear the Governor answer that question.
Anon: I see all sorts of different figures floating around. The one that sounded most accurate to me was that public employees have, on average, more education than their private-sector counterparts, and that once that’s factored in, they are paid (benefits included) about 4% less.
The issue at this point isn’t about pay, it’s about staffing levels, particularly in management. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.
The issue at this point isn’t about pay, it’s about staffing levels, particularly in management. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.
Well, that is sort of my point. The six-figure middle management layer has been decimated in the private sector, but not so in government.
With near 10% unemployment, if state jobs are going unfilled it is not for lack of qualified applicants. I know this for a fact in health care; not so sure about engineering and other fields but I am sure it is the same.
I can state uncategorically that in all sectors, managers tend to be dummies who don’t know anything about the jobs they are hiring for, don’t know how to read a resume, and wouldn’t know a qualified employee if one sat on their lap.
Anon, I might agree with you about middle management. However, there are, or at least were (I haven’t checked out the state employment website in some time since I’m no longer looking), so many positions as RN’s, engineers, key specialists, etc., where the state pay is so much lower than the private sector that the state just can’t fill them.
If there is middle management waste to cut, then by all means cut it. I kinda think that’s being done through attrition, i. e. simply not replacing people who retire from those jobs, but I welcome a more complete analysis.
“It will put an end to the insane prison expansion”
Would that it were so. I tend to doubt it. If the state police and AG’s office signed off on it, which they did, it won’t do much to end the Full Law Enforcement Employment Program otherwise known as the War on Drugs. The only real possibility of change is that the AG can no longer file multiple mandatory-minimum charges, the better to use in plea bargaining.
The insane prison expansion has slowed b/c even the Bob Venables’ of this world recognize that $$’s spent on prisons take away from $$’s spent on roads and school construction/maintenance. And there just aren’t enough $$’s to go around.
At least in part, the move to reverse minimum mandatory sentencing has been led by Bond Bill Committee members. I don’t give Venables credit for much, but he was one of the first to sound the alarm over this. Of course, he backed the initial package but, then again, so did most members of the General Assembly.
State workers on average bring home far less salary than the private sector. For example, the starting pay to be a plow driver for DelDOT, with a CDL, is about $22,000. At a private company, the pay would be in the mid 30s.
wouldn’t the private company have zero benefits? no 401k, or health, vision, dental, or even paid vacation?
Anyone know if the deldot position has any of these? (i really don’t know)
El Somnambulo, I appreciate your well written, well reasoned post. I too have supported Gov. Markell from day one, which is about the same time that I began my service in State government. Service that I decided to undertake not to become wealthy, but to aid my government and its citizens in creating a better Delaware. I recognized that based on my advanced degrees, I would be drastically underpaid. I thought that the bargain I was striking was worth it because I believed that I was trading better pay for a better quality of life. Namely, decent vacation and sick time, adequate healthcare coverage at a fair price, and a security net for my retirement (a safety net that I wouldn’t be able to create on my own because after paying my educational loans, mortgage, and other necessities there is no extra at the end of the month for luxuries, yet alone retirement). But again, my goal was to use what I was able to achieve to aid the State I love so much, a goal that I believe is shared by each of my co-workers. And, I believed that my State and my Governor appreciated our sacrifice. However, in the last few years, through the pay cuts, the healthcare premium increases, and the staffing shortages, it has become clear that this Governor has no interest in our sacrifice and would demand that we sacrifice more for a worse quality of life and in a proportion not shared by my fellow Delawareans. Mr. Governor, I would implore you to not balance this budget on the backs of those who give their all everyday to make this the greatest State in the Union.
There is a report being touted by the CRI-clones around the US that says that there is a 4% differential between private and public sector employees. Even the authors admit the core flaw of this type of comparison — an apples-to-apples comparison of, say, a Public Relations position in government vs one in the private sector is not what they did. But think about that, though — a comparison of the entire of private sector economy to the government economy. Even though the government sells few hamburgers, sells few greeting cards, doesn’t do people’s nails, develops few apps, and sells few derivatives (and the vice versa is true too — there are probably more prison guards, social workers, master planners, even more teachers working for the government than the private sector, I think). In other words, there is much about the government that is true for other sectors of the economy — the business of government has gotten somewhat more specialized, so they hire more people who understand what an Environmental Impact Statement should look like, while postal workers are being let go.
I know in my own field, my counterparts are definitely paid less. There are genuine tradeoffs, though, and those tradeoffs are stability and a reasonable pension. Some of my counterparts are able to retire from the Feds and come to the private sector for very generous pay. No matter what you think of the government, they need people who know how to oversee the work they do or contract out. You want people with skills and commitment to do that and you usually have to pay for it.
What the government can use more of is efficiency and accountability. It can be too hard to shed deadweight and too hard to reprogram those no longer needed to other work. It can be hard to reconcile the work that has to be executed with the political and regulatory impositions that can be a part of it. But the government does something quite different than what the private sector does — so needs to be judged on its merits and not those of the private sector.
The big problem that is raising the blood pressure of the average american isn’t the lesser paid, higher educated state worker, but the lesser educated state (and county) worker.
What people want to see, is others working hard for their money. Last year, from personal experience, I was working in a few different county buildings. I won’t say which in case people know the maintenance workers of these buildings. Now if you remember, a lot of county workers had to take a 5% pay cut. At this same time, in my profession, we took a 20% (one day off a week unpaid) pay reduction to continue to work. They gave us looks, and made comments like we were taking their work from them. Nevermind the fact that they couldn’t do our job if they tried.
This is the face of the government worker. The person that makes 40k a year, but hits 80k on overtime, and complains when they take a 5% cut. Or the one they catch sleeping in their truck at a local park. If this was the private sector, there would of been layoffs. If this was the private sector, those caught sleeping would of been fired. This is what people think of when they picture government workers, and unfortunately, union workers as well.
Letting drug dealers out early wont save the state a dime. Within days they will be re-arrested tying our court system up again. Not to mention sucking the state dry on welfare programs.
Here is an idea. Dont sell drugs and you wont be locked up?
Anon – check the wording again. This isn’t drug dealers, it’s people convicted of possession. There is a difference, but I suspect that your prejudice will prevent you from seeing that.
Phil cites fact-free allegations that ‘lesser educated’ county workers that he’s seen are allegedly making $80K with overtime as ‘proof’ of…what, exactly? That state workers have it good? Nothing but trying to reinforce false stereotypes of the overwhelming majority of state workers.
Thank you, Phil for taking the opportunity to prove that you’re a douchebag. Somebody needs to play that role, and you’re that somebody.
One of the efficiency measures that the government could look to is a serious review of overtime. If you are management, you shouldn’t get it. If you aren’t, then it shouldn’t be approved to maintain *regular* operations. Lots of approved non-emergency overtime masks either understaffing or over-commitments that hide the need to tell people that they can’t have all of the government they want.
And it isn’t just the government who has its fair share of slackers. It is stone cold bullshit to fetishize the private sector as some bastion of pure efficiency. It isn’t. There isn’t a company out there that doesn’t have the boss’ son or favored bimbo or the protected oldster who doesn’t pull his or her weight and their management is AOK with that. That doesn’t mean that the government shouldn’t work to get rid of its slackers and deadweight — they should. But as I noted, that can be hard to do and all too often the people in charge who need to do the work won’t (or can’t) prioritize that.
ps. Hope that El Som’s radio stint today will go up as a podcast….I’m not in a position to be able to listen in real time today…..good luck El Som!
“Here is an idea. Dont sell drugs and you wont be locked up”
Yet someone else always steps forward to sell the drugs, because for people with few prospects it’s a lucrative life. At some point your philosophy has to line up with reality. If not, you’re pissing up a rainpipe.
Geek, drug dealers or people who possess drugs. Whats the dif?
Consider this, tonight, as we sit in our warm homes and read about overpaid, lazy state workers, there are about 500 plow drivers, mechanics and dispatchers who worked all day and will work all night tonight, and probably a full day tomorrow.
Think of them as you sleep in your warm beds tonight, and perhaps, next time, think twice before complaining about state workers.
@Mongo – thank you for the shout out – this lazy worker just got home from said work….appreciate being appreciated
Tango Yankee Dirty Girl!!!