Let’s try to figure out what’s going on with this shutdown of JFC. Whether or not the Joint Finance Committee intended it as such, I think the result was the Kabuki Theatre we now see. By announcing these draconian cuts, JFC wittingly or unwittingly created the firestorm of public outcry that resulted. Which led to the unprecedented demand from Senate and House leadership that the JFC flat-out stop its deliberations. It’s not as if they couldn’t have continued work and proceeded with the budget markup. But ‘leadership’ apparently decided that the public outcry had gone far enough and called a halt. The Budget Dance (which may end up as a Sword Dance) has begun.
Once the severity of these cuts surfaced, so did public outrage. The very idea that Carney’s shared sacrifice formula would pass w/o public outrage was never gonna happen. His tone deafness, which rivals incuriosity as his defining trait, remains intact. It happens when a ‘Democrat’ is not a Democrat. This fucking guy is not a Democrat. Can at least all Democrats agree on this now?
Let’s look at the details. Gov. Carney’s ‘shared sacrifice’ budget called for an equal mix of revenue enhancers and budget cuts. Meaning, about $200 million in cuts and $200 million in revenue enhancers. The corporate tax increase will yield about half of the revenue enhancers. Carney’s phony shared sacrifice tax hikes would represent the other half, with no sacrifice being asked of Delaware’s wealthiest. In fact, they’d realize the repeal of the Estate Tax. Which, if one believes Pete Schwartzkopf was the price he had to pay to get the corporate increases through. Which is also total BS. You can’t run a bill hiking corporate taxes and, if the Rethugs resist en masse, make them suffer the electoral consequences?
Of course, the Rethugs are playing brinksmanship on raising the PIT at all. Even the jot and jiggle Carney stuff. What do they want? Word on the street is that they want, wait for it, ‘right to work for less’. Because destroying unions and making sure that blue-collar families earn less is one of their obsessions.
On top of that, you’ve got a House D caucus where many members, perhaps a majority, prefer adding upper income brackets instead of adopting Carney’s thin gruel unamended. Which they should absolutely do. As reader Paul Hayes pointed out, Delaware’s top bracket was at 11% in 1984. It’s somewhere around 6% now. Meaning that Delaware’s wealthiest/highest earners have been enjoying quite the tax break for…(square root of 17 divided by pi=) 33 years now. They got the biggest breaks when times were good. It’s only fair that they share in the sacrifice now that times are not so good. Carney’s BS meme that we need to remain competitive when it comes to keeping our beloved wealthmongers right here came right out of two BS ‘reports’ (propaganda) prepared by and for the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable and embraced by Jack Markell. As has been pointed out, Delaware’s tax rates are far below most surrounding states, so we’re more than competitive and would remain so if top brackets were added. If you need any more proof that Carney doesn’t think for himself, just look at how he’s adopted the Chamber memes as fact. Hey, if it was good enough for Jack, it’s good enough for The Jellyfish.
Bottom line: All the oxygen will be used up trying to devise a budget plan. Unless more than 50% of the deficit is closed by revenue enhancers, a lot more, IMHO, there will be grief, and I mean electoral grief, to follow. DINO’s, take notice.
Well, maybe not all of the oxygen. Today’s House Agenda most notably features SS1/SB 5(Townsend), which codifies the Roe v Wade decision protecting a woman’s right to choose. That we’ve come to the point of even having to consider such an eventuality underlines why the bill is necessary. I also like SB 48 (Townsend). Here’s the synopsis:
A pharmacist who dispenses narloxone under an established set of circumstances is not subject to disciplinary or other adverse action under any professional licensing statute or criminal liability, or liable for damages related to injuries or death sustained in connection with administering the drug, unless it is established that the pharmacist caused the injuries or death wilfully, wantonly, or by gross negligence.
My wife, who is a pharmacist, points out that Delaware is one of the very few states that doesn’t have this provision. This bill, which unanimously passed the Senate, would make pharmacists, who are on the frontline of health care, key contributors in the fight against opioid deaths. As they should be.
Today’s Senate Agenda features HS1/HB 1, which bars certain employment practices that leads to wage disparity between men and women. Also on the Agenda is the annual corporate law legislative package.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a painfully-detailed look at this week’s committee hearings. Including the latest proposed giveaway to Exelon. Plus whatever other giveaways I might uncover.