FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2020 The Caesar Rodney Institute announces Matt Lenzini as new Board Chair   (Newark, DE)  - The Caesar Rodney Institute has announced that the Board has elected Matt Lenzini as their new Board Chair. Matt brings seasoned experience to the organization, including being a contributor to the organization's research and has served as a board member and Vice-Chairman.     In Matt's new role, he will be directly responsible for leading the Board and E

Unemployment during COVID-19 By  Dr. John Stapleford May 12, 2020 Officially, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), unemployment is the percent of the labor force that is actively looking for employment and cannot find it.   To be eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits an individual has to be separated from their last job due to lack of available work.   Since many workers voluntarily leave jobs or are terminated for poor performance or fail to fi

UPDATED RELEASE: May 4, 2020 (original release dated April 30, 2020)   RE:  CRI Policy Position on COVID-19 Looking at the worst-case scenario is our human default mechanism when faced with a new threat. Human nature boasts a powerful survival instinct. Our domestic policy started with that instinct when COVID-19 first presented itself.   With little actual knowledge or data on this virus, the country braced for dire outcomes. Early models estimated tens of millions of infect

FOR RELEASE April 29, 2020   RE:  Second step in dealing with Delaware’s budget deficit by David T. Stevenson, CRI Policy Director The Delaware Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC) recently estimated the COVID-19 virus may reduce tax revenue nearly a billion dollars between the 2019 to 2021 budget years.  During the 2009 recession the response to budget deficits was mostly to raise taxes which contributed to Delaware having one of the slowest economic recoveries in the country.

In just one month the spending limit has dropped $443 million for the 2020 Fiscal Year state budget that begins on July 1, according to the Delaware Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC). The lockdown of the economy in response to the COVID-19 virus is hitting Delaware hard, and DEFAC is looking at nearly a billion dollars in lost state tax revenue between the 2019 to 2021 budget years. To make matters worse, there are so many uncertainties no forecast can be truly trusted at th

April 15, 2020 Dear Governor Carney:   The present pandemic has shone the spotlight on the restrictive occupational licensing of doctors and nurses in their mobility state to state as well as practice restrictions in many states, including Delaware. In a matter of a few days, under the pressure to address the needs of patients/hospitals in several states, these restrictive regulations were suspended, waived, or otherwise swept away.       Delaware should make the same reforms

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As the pandemic of the coronavirus (Covid-19) evolves, some truths need to be spoken. Firstly , surgical masks do not protect the wearer of the mask. They protect others from the spittle that occurs with speech. That is why we wear surgical masks in the operating room. Secondly , gloves do not protect you if you touch your face, nose or mouth in particular. Thirdly , the death rate is minuscule compared to the swine flu (H1N1) of the previous decade. Fourthly , the new corona

As the pandemic of the coronavirus (Covid-19) evolves, some truths need to be spoken. Firstly , surgical masks do not protect the wearer of the mask. They protect others from the spittle that occurs with speech. That is why we wear surgical masks in the operating room. Secondly , gloves do not protect you if you touch your face, nose or mouth in particular. Thirdly , the death rate is minuscule compared to the swine flu (H1N1) of the previous decade. Fourthly , the new corona

What will be the impact of the Covid-19 virus on Delaware's economy?   There are two extreme views among economists regarding the U.S. economy. The first view anticipates a substantial recession similar to 2008-09. The second expects a severe dip in the second quarter of 2020 with a steady rebound thereafter.   I favor the severe dip scenario. The 2008-09 recession was prolonged because there were extreme price distortions in residential and capital markets that took time to