2/19/2009
Skin in the Game

With the national, state and local economies under tremendous pressure, the budgets of governments across Delaware are facing shortfalls that have not been seen in decades – if ever.  The headlines and statements from the President to the Governor to the New Castle County Executive make it clear that “pain” will be part of any “solution.” 

Departments at all levels of government are rightly being asked to seek every efficiency possible to save money.  At the state level, departments are being asked to reduce their current budgets by 8% in the current fiscal year, and some are making public contingency plans for unpaid furloughs and other reductions for the next fiscal year.  New Castle County’s efforts to implement unprecedented unpaid furloughs have been made very public with that debate ongoing.

There is little doubt that state employees will not receive a pay raise in the upcoming fiscal year.  If the tax receipt forecasts continue to decline, calls for additional spending cuts, tax increases and statewide furloughs will surely come out of the shadows and enter the public debate at a level we have not yet seen.  The March DEFAC forecast will be telling.

With all this and more as background, I will donate 10% ($4,275.00) of my legislative salary to area charities both this year and next.  While I am not an attorney, it is my understanding that legislative salaries and compensation cannot be reduced while in office.  Rather than get into a bureaucratic brew-ha-ha over returning the pay to state coffers, and anticipating possible critics who may claim this is not “enough to do any good”, I believe this is a straight forward, direct effort to participate in the “pain” as a legislator.

Back to the News Summary

Have news? Please contact me!