John Carney’s First 100 Days

Yes, he thinks he accomplished some stuff. Or at least his press secretary thought that they needed to release a list of his so-called accomplishments.

Really, they did.  Here is the result:

Governor Carney’s First 100 Days

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney released the following statement on his first 100 days in office:

“During my first several months in office, I have traveled across our state, meeting with Delawareans from Claymont to Laurel, and everywhere in between. We have discussed our budget challenges, ways to create jobs and grow Delaware’s economy, improve public education, and protect our environment. We face challenges as a state, but I am more confident than ever that we will get through them together, and keep Delaware a welcoming place for everyone to live, work and raise a family. Thank you to all Delawareans who are engaging on these issues. I look forward to continuing our work together.”

Below are details on several of Governor Carney’s priorities, and ongoing initiatives, as he continues his first year in office.

Delawareans can visit de.gov/ideas to contact Governor Carney and offer their ideas for moving Delaware forward.

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BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL PLAN

Governor Carney has traveled the state, holding Budget Reset Community Conversations to discuss the state’s budget challenges alongside members of the General Assembly, and to gather ideas from members of the public. Since January, Governor Carney has held more than a dozen Conversations in restaurants, coffee shops and town hall settings, hosted by more than two dozen legislators. (More than a dozen! That’s 13 meetings and, um, 25 legislators at least. Can’t you just put in the correct fucking numbers??!!  Deep cleansing breaths…)

In March, the Governor submitted a balanced, long-term financial plan to bridge a $400 million budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2018, and put Delaware on a more sustainable path forward. The Governor’s budget relies on an equal mix of cuts and new revenue, and continues to make investments in education, healthcare and other services crucial to the welfare of Delawareans. (By ‘continues to make investments,’ he means ‘doesn’t totally destroy’.)

Executive Order #4 established the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board (G.E.A.R.) to identify opportunities for cost savings in state government, and to establish practices for continuous improvement. In conjunction with that order, the G.E.A.R. Board held their first meeting on March 24, 2017. Board members will provide their initial findings to the Director of OMB and the Secretary of Finance, who will provide initial recommendations to the Governor for further review with the JFC in preparing the 2018 budget. (Government by task force, a Delaware and a Carney staple.)

Delaware’s Triple-A credit rating was re-affirmed by Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s Rating Service, for the 17^th year in a row. The Triple-A rating translates to reduced interest costs for Delaware, allowing the state to fund capital projects at the lowest available interest rates.  (This had nothing to do with Carney’s 100 days.)

Some of the projects to be funded with the proceeds of Delaware’s bond sales will include a new elementary school in the Laurel School District, renovations in the Red Clay, Lake Forest, Cape Henlopen, Smyrna, Caesar Rodney and Brandywine school districts as well as public library construction and renovations at Garfield Park, Lewes, Delmar, Selbyville, Harrington and Duck Creek.

Governor Carney signed into law a critical piece of legislation, Senate Bill 13, that provides a comprehensive rewrite of Delaware’s unclaimed property laws. In an effort to align Delaware’s laws with other states, S.B. 13 retooled all aspects of unclaimed property examinations, voluntary disclosure agreements (VDAs), and compliance. (This is the legislation Delaware had to pass in light of lawsuits from numerous jurisdictions.  Bottom line: One of Delaware’s budget-balancing gimmicks is forever weakened. Would have passed regardless of who was Governor. Not a Carney initiative.)

TRANSITIONING DELAWARE’S ECONOMY On his first full day in office, Governor Carney signed Executive Order #1, creating the Economic Development Working Group to study a public-private economic development partnership that will help Delaware support innovation, entrepreneurs, and prepare Delaware’s workforce for success in the 21^st century economy. The Working Group has submitted recommendations for implementing a partnership, and Governor Carney will work with the General Assembly to explore a path forward. (Another task force. Doesn’t get any bolder than that.)

Exploring a new economic development model was an Action Plan recommendation. (Woo-hoo!)

 Earlier this month, Governor John Carney announced the creation of the Delaware Innovation Space, Inc. – a nonprofit public-private partnership established by the State of Delaware, DuPont, and the University of Delaware that will catalyze the entrepreneurial growth of new science-based businesses and ventures in Delaware. (Will Delaware pony up any $$’s for this so-called partnership?)

The Delaware Innovation Space will focus on key Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) areas that align with strengths both DuPont and UD bring to the venture. They include industrial biotechnology, renewable energy, advanced materials, chemical ingredients, nutrition and healthcare to help strengthen Delaware’s presence as a leader in those areas.

It also will provide education to entrepreneurs and startups, help accelerate the formation of new businesses, and connect Delaware’s students with the work of innovators and entrepreneurs.

STANDING UP FOR ALL DELAWAREANS

Governor Carney – in one of his first official acts in office – re-established the Family Services Cabinet Council to coordinate services for Delaware youth and families. Reestablishment of the Family Services Cabinet Council was an Action Plan recommendation.  (Isn’t this why we created the Kids’ Department in the first place? Now we’re creating another working group to do what, exactly?)

Delaware families continue to face significant challenges – including the high cost of child care; violence and poverty in their neighborhoods; the impact of caring for an aging family member; and the challenges of navigating an economy in transition. The Family Services Cabinet Council, which the Governor is chairing, is charged with coordinating public and private services that are often fragmented, and proposing changes to current programs to make the delivery of state services more effective.

Delaware’s Office of Management and Budget created a single anti-discrimination policy across state government, the result of Governor Carney signing Executive Order #6.

Adoption of the uniform policy, an Action Plan recommendation, will allow state agencies to consistently respond to reports of discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace. The policy also clearly outlines a consistent policy for state employees to report and resolve complaints of discrimination.

The Governor signed off on the state’s Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, the result of months of collaboration with educators, community members, advocates and other stakeholders across the state.  The plan articulates Delaware’s commitment to closing the achievement gap, and ensuring all students are prepared for college and/or the career of their choosing. (Signed off, but cut education funding. Governor Green-Eyeshade.)

ADDRESSING SECURITY IN DELAWARE’S PRISONS

Governor Carney has launched an Independent Review of the February 1 hostage incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. Former U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III and retired Judge William L. Chapman, Jr. are reviewing the causes of the incident and will report back to Governor Carney by June 1 with findings and actionable recommendations to address security of the Delaware correctional facility.  (This was an issue dating back at least to Carney’s days in the Minner Administration.  His bold action? Launch an independent review.)

Governor Carney has taken important initial steps to address security risks for employees and inmates at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, and across Delaware’s correctional system, following the February 1 hostage incident. The Governor has authorized an investment of $340,800 in new security and communications equipment to help officers respond to and prevent violent incidents. In his financial plan, Governor Carney has proposed to add 50 officers at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, raise hazardous duty pay for correctional officers, and invest another $1.3 million in equipment and training.

This. Is. Pathetic.  He conducted a bleeping listening tour b/c he had no idea how to address the budget deficit. Or what he wanted to do as governor, for that matter. The press release mentions, by my count, four different working groups/task forces/and reviews as accomplishments. He has appointed several others.  He submitted a budget proposal that makes no qualitative distinctions on what should be cut and what shouldn’t be cut. Hence, he guts education spending because, well, we spend a lot of money on education.  But only cuts funding that directly impacts the classroom.  He talks of ‘shared sacrifice’, yet makes sure that the neither the Top 1% nor the Chamber should share in that sacrifice.

I’m gonna say it: Even Ruth Ann Minner, especially during her first term, was a far more effective governor than John Carney is shaping up to be.

He was not ready to be governor in January, and likely never will be.