Electric Vehicles an Expensive Way to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions by David T. Stevenson, Director 12/4/2018   Numerous programs have been suggested to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to ease global warming concerns. Few are as expensive as switching to battery powered motor vehicles. A comparison between the Chevrolet Bolt battery electric compact hatchback, and its near twin Chevrolet Cruze hatchback powered by a conventional internal combustion engine showed the cost

More Money, More Problems: Delaware’s Public Education System’s Race to the Bottom by Matthew L. Lenzini, CRI Advisory Council Member 12/4/2018   In July of 1997 the Notorious B.I.G. released the hit single “Mo Money, Mo Problems”. I was just a year removed from High School and I can remember driving to the beach with the top down blasting it for everyone to hear. The song discussed the artists new found wealth and his continued struggles, that despite increased spending con

(Originally published on 7/23/2018) Executive Summary     A debate is under way as to whether U.S Senate ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol will be good for the U.S. economy.  At its heart the treaty aims to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants with a new class of lower global warming potential hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) refrigerants with developed countries sending money to the United Nations to assist developing countries with the cost of c

Delaware state tax revenue has consistently hovered around 5.5% of gross state output. The bottom line is that citizens and businesses are creative and find ways to limit the total government takes out of their pockets.

State expenditures on Medicaid are the fastest growing component of the General Fund.

Many state legislators in Delaware have chosen to be joined at the hip with the Delaware public teacher’s union. This is partly because of the generous campaign contributions bestowed each year by the union to political candidates that see the world the way the union does.   Changing sentiment among voters toward public schools is raising questions about the political costs of such blind loyalty.     Even though it is well recognized that more affluent parents are fleeing Nor

In 2014, for the first time, Delaware met all Air Quality Standards for every measured pollutant. That is an “A” in my book! Yet the American Lung Association (ALA) just released a report giving Delaware an “F” grade for air quality. How could that be?   Start by following the money. The ALA received $20 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the last decade, and generally advocates for tougher regulations. The EPA has a self interest in ma

9/11/2012   With the elevation of Paul Ryan to the national stage, the debate about national healthcare policy is front and center. At the core of the debate is affordability. The 2010 healthcare reform legislation known as the "Affordable Care Act", or "Obamacare" by its detractors, is at the center of the debate. The fundamental political promise is that all residents of the United States can have all the healthcare that they want, whenever they want, from whatever source t

State governments vary in the degree to which they favor organized labor over taxpayers. The latest research from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) documents that Delaware government has adopted policies_OLD that give priority to unions over the interests of Delaware’s citizens.   Based upon 23 factors, the CEI ranks Delaware as the 10 th most union friendly state. Maryland is tied with Delaware, while Pennsylvania ranks 4 th , New Jersey 3 rd , and New York 1 st .

A recent report by the Institute for Truth in Accounting confirms what Caesar Rodney Institute has been saying about the seriousness of Delaware’s state government debt. The state has accumulated bills of $8.6 billion.   How did this run up in debt happen? The Institute singles out the use of antiquated budgeting and accounting rules that are used to determine employee compensation costs. Good accounting includes the cost of retirement benefits as they are earned. Delaware, i