Jack Markell sat down with the News Journal to review is eight years in charge. I guess I’m supposed to get all sentimental over his leaving, but that ain’t gonna happen. One thing that stuck out is Markell’s constant claim that we are doing better than our neighbors, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This is comparable to your kid coming home with a report card filled with C’s. When you complain, they shout, “But my friend Johnny got all D’s.”
From a progressive viewpoint, I can only be disappointed by the mediocrity of Markell’s tenure, but I’m sure the Corporate-Clinton Democrats are quite content.
Social Issues
Markell was at least consistent to do everything half-assed, especially with social issues. First was gay marriage. Markell is running around these days touting his support of gay marriage, but it wasn’t always that way. As a matter of fact, all he could do was legalize civil unions starting in January 2012. Gay marriage became legal in Delaware in July 2013 only after it became apparent that it would become legal everywhere except in the Deep South. Compared to Delaware Republicans, Markell would seem to be blazing the trail here, but remember the First State was the 11th state to legalize same-sex marriage, not the 1st.
Another issue was the legalizing of marijuana. In typical Markell fashion, Delaware only approved medical marijuana back in 2011 but Markell suspended the program almost immediately. Then Markell decriminalized pot in 2015. As always, Markell approaches social issues first by checking the national weather and then by taking baby steps. Yes, Delaware seems to get to where we should be, but for such a small state we should be moving a lot faster.
Capital Punishment
One of the more disgusting aspects of Markell’s tenure was the reinstitutionalizing the death penalty. Since capital punishment was determined to be legal again in 1976, Delaware governors have executed 14 people from 1992 to 2005. If you are scoring at home that’s Castle 1, Carper 10, and Minner 3. Carper even has the distinction of hanging a man in 1996. After some legal wranglings, Markell was able to join the other governors by executing two people.
Here’s a description of Markell’s first execution. He must have been so proud.
When the execution began, Jackson started making a snoring sound, his lips sputtered and his breath began to quicken. Prison officials closed the curtain between the execution chamber and witnesses after about four minutes to check whether he was conscious, calling out twice, “Inmate Jackson, can you hear me?” There was no response.
When the curtain reopened a minute later, Jackson made no more movements or sounds. From start to finish, the execution took about 10 minutes.
The Delaware Supreme Court declared capital punishment unconstitutional effectively ending Markell’s killing spree at 2. Just a quick note to say the Delaware ranks 3rd in executions per capita since 1976. So we will always have that.
Murdertown
The general consensus is that the rash of shootings and murders in Wilmington is former Mayor Dennis Williams’ baby. But one has to remember that this all happened during Governor Markell’s tenure. Sure, the state Attorney General Matt Denn tried to help and was subsequently shut down by a petulant Williams. That all said the hundreds of people murdered in Wilmington occurred during Markell’s governorship. Markell owns part of this.
Education
It is impossible to sum up Markell’s Education failures in a few words or so. We could talk about his consistent parroting of common core, a blind faith in testing, a deep, dark love of charter schools, and when testing fails, more testing.
And for all the accolades, Markell’s tumultuous education reform agenda left a sour taste in the mouth of some educators who felt he allowed the state Department of Education to become too heavy handed.
“He’s been very committed to students and, in his own way, very passionate about schools and education,” said Delaware State Education Association President Frederika Jenner. “In the first half [of Markell’s tenure], things were pretty collaborative, pretty engaged, pretty productive and pretty respectful. But, unfortunately, the second half seemed to be much less so.”
As we all know, what have you done for me lately is what Markell’s educational policy will be remembered by and in this case rightly so. One of the great things about Clinton losing the general election is that there is no way that Markell can now become the Secretary of Education. Yes, DeVos will be horrible but at least she won’t be running the Department of Education with Markell’s “But I Stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night” skill set.
Economy
What a mess: Fisker, SevOne, Valero and the ever-vanishing AstraZeneca are just some of Markell’s economic failures. Markell governed as a typical MBAer making pedantic-uninspired-business-school decision — many tinged with a panache of self-centeredness. Markell never saw a big corporation he didn’t like, especially ones that didn’t exist. As Jason330 mentioned before Delaware should have a Vermont-style business model that focuses on small business rather than big companies who pit one state to another. Maybe John Carney can learn from this.
Final Grade
Markell gets a C for doing the minimal and, well, just for showing up.