This is the presentation he gave on July 11, 2013 to the Wilmington chapter of the Bastiat Society.

Across a variety of measures, Delawares labor market is hurting. First, the states official unemployment rate is 7.2%, double the historic average of 3.5%. This means 32,000 persons have actively looked for a job in the past four weeks without success. Five years ago this group totaled 15,000 Delawareans. Today the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects more detailed data on "discouraged workers."   Discouraged workers are people who are not in the labor force but wan

10/23/2012   Healthcare reform is a very complicated issue, filled with questionable motivations, many special interests, a lack of funding with a distorted supply/demand ratio, and plenty of hyperbole just for good measure.             How does this happen? It is the unintended consequences of well-meaning market distortions.If the economy were booming it would be a minor problem, but it is not. Medicare is approaching insolvency. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not afforda

The DuPont Co just received a state grant for $920,000 for a prototype organic LED plant at Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark. The money couldn’t come at a better time.   DuPont just announced a 20% increase in sales in 2011 for a total of $38 billion. But all is not coming up roses. In addition to fines paid to the EPA and for chemical leaks in West Virginia, DuPont also paid the state of Delaware a $500,000 fine for noncompliance with the Clean Water Act at its Edge M

The “gray wave” is hitting Delaware as the leading edge of the baby boomers reached 65 in 2010. Born between 1946 and 1964, the baby boomers have a long history of reshaping America. The boomers have sent shock waves through the economy, through state and local government, and through the world of nonprofit organizations. This report evaluates the impact of the coming "gray wave".

Producing business climate rankings of states has become a cottage industry. There are now at least 11 such rankings published by credible organizations. Delaware ranks between 2 and 42 across the various rankings. So, do these rankings provide any useful information to encourage economic growth in Delaware?   A recent analysis of business climate rankings from the Public Policy Institute of California is a big step forward. Using relatively sophisticated statistics, the anal

What do the numbers on Delaware’s production tell us about the effectiveness of the state’s economic policies_OLD?       Delaware’s economic growth rate, as measured by growth in gross state product (GSP) in chained 2009 dollars, has lagged behind the nation, the mid-Atlantic region and comparator states such as Maryland and Virginia. The US growth rate over 5 years 2009-2013 is 8.37%. The mid-Atlantic region (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA) lags behind at 5.64%. Maryland does slightly b

The state will award $2.4 million and local officials will provide a ten year property tax break for Johnson Controls to build a second manufacturing and distribution facility in Middletown, Delaware. Is this simply corporate welfare? Well, yes and no.   On one hand, giving handouts to Johnson Controls appears to be like making donations to Bill Gates. In the most recent fiscal year Johnson Controls had total sales of $34 billion from 1,300 locations in 63 countries and 142,0

10/25/2012   The core argument upon which the health care political campaigns rest is based on mis-information, emotion, jealousy, greed, fear and empty promises. It is a perfect political issue. One side professes to provide free health care for all, forever with no cost to the user (unless they are wealthy and will foot the bill). The other warns of the danger of socialism, elimination of the doctor patient relationship, destruction of the free market and an additional 16 %

Have you ever wondered which state employee receives the most compensation? (Orlando George with $454,230 in 2010…more than two and a half times what the Governor is paid. George has been paid more than $1.6 million over the past four years.) What about use of overtime and other pay by state employees? (A staff person in Health and Social Services had a salary of $58,000 in 2010 and earned an additional $132,000 in overtime and other pay.) Are you surprised that the Universit