Long term trends   By  Dr. John Stapleford July 23, 2020 With funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, management guru Michael Porter has compiled time series data on the economic performance of states, counties, and metropolitan areas. The clear data generally starts in 1998 and ends with the latest updates…typically 2018.   After expressing the various measures of economic performance as growth rates, Porter then ranks all the states and counties against e

Flawed Assumptions throughout DE's Climate Action Plan By  David T. Stevenson July 16, 2020 Delaware has been developing a  Climate Action Plan  , and is requesting public input. It is clear DNREC ( Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control) has already decided on a list of action items, most of which are already in place.  Public workshops ask for responses through leading questions, and provide documentation of the climate change issues with flawed assumptio

A Public Service Announcement to the Carney Administration:  Open Delaware NOW   By  Dr. Christopher Casscells   Date:  July 9, 2020 A lack of any specifics on the Phase 3 opening criteria and guidelines for conducting activities suggests that the Carney team is making them up as they go, just as the CDC was doing in the beginning of the pandemic.   That was acceptable then when little was known about the novel coronavirus, but unacceptable now that a great deal is known rega

Center for Energy Competitiveness To read the public comments, please click link below...

Per capita (per person) personal income is one important measure of the economic well being of a society. In 2002 Delaware per capita income was 18% above the nation ( see chart below ).   It has been downhill since then with 2019 seeing Delaware per capita income registering 4% below the nation.  What has happened? Delaware Per Capita Income as a Percent of the U.S. (GRAPH SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Economics Analysis)   Economists track personal income as three major components

People vote with their dollars By   David T. Stevenson June 23, 2020 Environmental groups claim widespread support for more energy efficient smaller vehicles, and expensive electric vehicles that are generally compact cars. This release from the U.S. Energy Information Agency shows how Americans are actually voting with their dollars.    Car and light duty truck/SUV's sales in the January to April period historically were about equal through good times and bad, but since 2015

Delaware's Economic Gap By  Dr. John Stapleford June 11, 2020 As shown in the chart below, since 1990 growth in total employment in Delaware kept pace with the nation until the 2007-08 recession. From that point onward the growth in Delaware employment has lagged the nation and the gap between the two is growing.   Between 2008 and 2019 Delaware employment increased 4.8% while jobs in the U.S. rose 8.2%. Similarly, Delaware output rose 8% while output across the nation increa

Delaware's Economic Gap Dr. John E. Stapleford, Director | 6/11/2020 As shown in the chart below, since 1990 growth in total employment in Delaware kept pace with the nation until the 2007-08 recession. From that point onward the growth in Delaware employment has lagged the nation and the gap between the two is growing.   Between 2008 and 2019 Delaware employment increased 4.8% while jobs in the U.S. rose 8.2%. Similarly, Delaware output rose 8% while output across the nation

Thanks Pete! Dr. John E. Stapleford, Director | 6/11/2020 Delaware, like the nation, has experimented with two approaches to governance. Governor Pete DuPont believed that lower taxes and deregulation encouraged entrepreneurship and hard work. Governors Markell and Carney believe that government spending and regulations hold the key to a fair and prosperous society.   What does the data say?   A simple approach is to compare the economic performance of Delaware under eight ye

Did Delaware "flatten the curve?" By  Matt Lenzini June 9, 2020 "Flatten the curve" – the phrase has become an imbedded part of the American lexicon. Delawareans were asked to help "flatten the curve" in mid-March.    Governor Carney’s executive orders originally called for a 2-week period of distancing as well as the formal closure of public gathering places and private businesses.   We are now 3 months into our 2-week quarantine.    The premise was simple – by limiting the