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

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

Time will tell whether selective business closures, and shelter in place orders by governors around the country will have been any more effective than pleas for voluntary actions requested in most states. More certain is the immediate impact on laid off employees, lost business income, and loss of freedom. There are steps we can take to minimize those negative impacts.   In Delaware, the Governor has declared a State of Emergency, and Delaware Code states in part, "During an

Being a small state with a chronic shortage of hospital beds and a history of excessively long wait times in the emergency rooms, Delaware is at a higher risk for societal disruption than states with more diverse and extensive resources. As such, an epidemic of fear and anxiety might be worse here. Currently we are awash in a 24/7 media hysteria where there is a risk of panic. A rush on the emergency rooms with few available beds for admission to the hospital in Delaware woul