Great Stories. Unique Opinions. Delaware's Town Square.
John holds a Ph.D. in urban and regional economics (University
of Delaware), M.A. in government and planning (Southern Illinois University) and B.S. in chemistry (Denison University). He is director of the Center for Economic Policy and Analysis for the Caesar Rodney Institute and a professor emeritus of economic development from Eastern University. He most recently worked as an associate director and senior economist with Moody’s Economy.com. John was Director of the Bureau of Economic Research at the University of Delaware and the co-founder of the Delaware Small Business Development Center. He is author of a book, numerous articles in professional journals, and over one hundred applied research monographs.
What would you think of officials who spend tens of millions of your tax dollars every year and never check on whether citizens get what they pay for? That’s what’s happening with Delaware’s questionable program to buy jobs. The state regularly gives your tax dollars to companies that promise to create or maintain jobs here. [...]
The Caesar Rodney Institute has updated its Transparency Delaware website with state payroll and vendor data through 2010. Analysis of the pattern of the vendor transactions for 2010 is instructive. State government is a major buyer of the services of nonprofit organizations and a major donor to nonprofits. The 2010 vendor data was examined and [...]
Have you ever wondered which state employee receives the most compensation? (Orlando George with $454,230 in 2010…more than two and a half times what the Governor is paid. George has been paid more than $1.6 million over the past four years.) What about use of overtime and other pay by state employees? (A staff person [...]
The DuPont Co just received a state grant for $920,000 for a prototype organic LED plant at Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark. The money couldn’t come at a better time. DuPont just announced a 20% increase in sales in 2011 for a total of $38 billion. But all is not coming up roses. In addition [...]
The state of Delaware has secured an agreement by on-line behemoth Amazon to locate a regional fulfillment center near Middletown in exchange for $7.5 million of state grants and road construction. Is this a good deal? No or yes? On one hand this can be seen as another example of corporate highway robbery. As of 2010 [...]
The latest IRS data on personal income taxes collected from Delaware residents is for 2009. Examining the data is instructive. About 14% of the returns were from Delaware households whose adjusted gross income was $100,000 or more. These high income households accounted for 46% of the income and paid 66% of the income taxes. On [...]
Wilmington’s Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC) received $3.5 million through the state’s capital budget in July, bringing the taxpayers’ total investment in the riverfront since 1995 to over $280 million. Now, starting with a $2 million request, the RDC is proposing that taxpayers pick up as much as one-third of the tab for a $39 million [...]
Any discussion of job creation in Delaware must start with the recognition of the existence of the two distinct societies in Delaware: persons with limited education (a high school degree or less) and persons with ample education (a college degree or more). The limited education folks are being hammered by the current economy while the [...]
Under Governor Markell the Delaware Economic Development Strategic Fund has gone wild. Annual loans and grants from the Fund are up almost three fold. Why the flurry of activity? Will it pay off? The reason for the flurry of activity is straightforward. Delaware currently has a 67,000 job gap to regain the ground that has been lost [...]
A simple way has been found to increase the demand for construction workers in Delaware by 2,000 jobs. Scrap the state’s prevailing wage methodology and shift to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics comprehensive construction occupation wage data. Supported by a foundation grant, in March of this year the Caesar Rodney Institute completed an analysis [...]
Organization: Girls On The Run Delaware
Girls on the Run® is a 501(c)3 positive youth development program which combines an interactive curriculum and running to inspire self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls. Our core curriculum addresses many aspects of girls’ development – their physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. Lessons provide girls with the tools to make positive decisions and to avoid risky adolescent behaviors.
Girls on the Run will be hosting their Spring 5k Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at the Wilmington Riverfront. Registration opens at 7am and the race starts at 8:30am.
