Are union rates over represented in determining Delaware’s prevailing wage rates? Is there alternative Federal data that would more accurately represent construction-market wage rates in Delaware? Would this save the Delaware Department of Labor (DDoL) the expense of compiling and generating annual prevailing wage rates? This report examines and answers these questions, and suggests a more efficient determination of Delaware’s prevailing wage rates. Normal.dotm 0 0 1 65 376 C

The Caesar Rodney Institutes Center for Economic Policy and Analysis has updated its 2010 comprehensive report on the methodology used by the Delaware Department of Labor (DDOL) in the calculation of the states prevailing wage and the methodology continues to be seriously flawed and tilted toward the union construction wage rates. The prevailing wage rate schedule published annually by the DDOL for all three counties must be followed for any capital project receiving state fu

The recently passed health care reform bill not fix health care. It intends to fix the insolvent governments bankrupt insurance products, Medicare and Medicaid, but probably wont do that either. It does raise taxes on everyone who pays taxes, currently 53% of the citizen population. It will not increase access to actual health care for anyone. It will ration delivery of health care, first to Medicare and Medicaid recipients, then in 8 years to everyone. It needs to be repeale

Under Governor Markell the Delaware Economic Development Strategic Fund has gone wild. Annual loans and grants from the Fund are up almost three fold. Why the flurry of activity? Will it pay off?   The reason for the flurry of activity is straightforward. Delaware currently has a 67,000 job gap to regain the ground that has been lost is the past four years. This includes: an additional 32,000 jobs to climb back to the peak level of total employment, 20,000 jobs to regain the

Delaware’s export patterns indicate that Delaware’s economy, as with the rest of the nation, is increasingly reliant on the production of technologically sophisticated products, such as pharmaceuticals. Delaware’s potential for job growth depends upon its ability to provide highly trained workers as well as a tax structure that will attract firms engaged in research and development. Lastly, foreign trade barriers are hindering Delaware’s exporters and merit attention.

According to Gaming & Resort Development, national casino and racino revenue has emerged from the recession losses to post a modest 1% gain in 2010. Delaware’s racino revenue rose 1.5%. The combination of the recession and the growth in gaming revenue in Pennsylvania and Maryland has dropped Delaware from an 11% share of regional gaming revenue to 8.7%. The good news for Delaware is that its share has held stable for three straight years, as Delaware offset slot revenue losse

note: this editorial originally appeared in The News Journal and delawareonline.com January 1, 2015.  Read the original by clicking here     The baby boomers continue to age ... and perhaps mature ... and move into the empty nesters retirement years. Currently in Delaware, three out of every 10 residents are 55 years of age or older, and this will rise to 1 out of 3 over the next decade. And thanks to the state’s beaches, the boomers proportion of the population in Delaware

The state of Delaware has secured an agreement by on-line behemoth Amazon to locate a regional fulfillment center near Middletown in exchange for $7.5 million of state grants and road construction. Is this a good deal? No or yes?   On one hand this can be seen as another example of corporate highway robbery. As of 2010 Amazon’s gross revenue was $34 billion, up 46% from 2009. Given the expansion of the product lines carried by Amazon and their continued investment in informat

Soon in this country there will be two types of medical providers: those who demand fee-forservice, and those who will see as many patients as possible to make as much money as possible. In one case those with affluence will still see medical providers quickly, while everyone else will have to wait in line. I have stated multiple times that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will in fact make healthcare more unaffordable and more inaccessible for millions of Americans. I am not ju

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (fiscal year 2006), Delaware ranks high on expenditures per student (8 th among all states and the District of Columbia) and in the middle of the pack on test scores for reading and math.