A recent report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute confirms once again the economic boost that right to work laws provide states.     Richard Vedder and Jonathan Robe, in "An Interstate Analysis of Right to Work Laws," confirm that over time the 24 states with right to work (RTW) law have faster growing economies than states without such a law. Over a 35-year period, employment rose 105% in RTW states compared to only 50% in non-RTW states. Similarly, inflation-adjuste

The data shows that Delawares economy is still floundering. While employment is starting to pick up, the unemployment rate is stuck at twice the historic average. And this despite the labor force dropping by more than 6,500 persons since the beginning of 2013. Transfer payments remain the driving component of slow growing personal income. The strain on Medicaid and food stamps continues to rise. When asked about the states economy, the Governor typically replies with a string

Recently, with encouragement from the County Executive, Tom Gordon, the New Castle County Council voted 7 to 6 against using a $100,000 contribution from the Friends of Rockwood to renovate the county-owned Rockwood Mansion. The argument was that such construction repairs should be subject to Delawares prevailing wage system.   That argument is flawed for two reasons.   First, the argument doesnt coincide with state law. Second, the current Delaware prevailing wage system is

In a series of analyses CRI has argued the New Castle County (NCC) government is facing a serious fiscal crisis. This crisis was precipitated by the passage in 1998 of the anti-growth and anti-economic development Uniform Development Code (UDC). The recent recession has made things worse.      Within just a few years after enactment of the UDC employment in NCC flat-lined and residential building permits nose dived. Adding insult to injury, the recession took the wind out of

This article was originally published on October 28, 2014 on the website InsideSources.com . This article is reprinted in its entirely with permission.   Economic research on the impact of energy prices on economic growth has focused largely on the volatility of the price of oil, which has triggered numerous economic crises and recessions (the mid-1970s oil embargo is the first example that may come to mind.) In our case, the main objective is to isolate the impact of electri

The latest data from the Center for Disease Control on out-of-wedlock births does not bode well for Delaware. During 2009 nearly 48% of all the births in the First State were to unwed mothers. This ranges from 34% of all births to whites, 65% for Hispanics, and 72% for blacks.   In 2009 the nation hit a high water mark with 41% of all births out-of-wedlock. Among all the states, Delaware ties for fourth highest. The proportion of births to Delaware’s white unwed mothers is ab

Following are the changes in various state of Delaware performance measures since Governor Markell took office. Where possible the data is from January of 2009 through November of 2011. Otherwise the data compares the year 2008 to 2010.   THE ECONOMY   Employment                        -3.6% (- 15,100 jobs)       Unemployment Rate                     0.6 percentage points                         Total persons unemployed                     1,607 people                 Initial

The University of Delaware, in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Lab, is seeking a grant from a $180 million fund established by the U. S. Department of Energy for a wind turbine research project to be built off the coast of Delaware. The effort has the full support of Delaware’s congressional delegation, the Markell Administration, and the tacit agreement of Delmarva Power to buy the electrical power output from the project, albeit it must be “competitively” pri

As governments in Delaware and throughout the Northeast and Midwest struggles with writing checks that they now are unable to cash, perhaps it is time to consider a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). Colorado was the first state to introduce a TABOR in 1992. The provision, approved by voters, capped state government spending at the growth rate of population and inflation. While other amendments have been made to the reform, the basic cap remains in place. How would government

According to the 2010 FBI Uniform Crime Report, the violent and property crime rates in Delaware are well above surrounding states and the nation. Surprisingly, except for the City of Wilmington, the highest 2010 crime rates are concentrated in Sussex County towns and cities. Expressed as incidents of crime per 100,000 population, nine out of the top ten highest violent crime and property crime rates occur in Sussex County communities in 2010. These crime rates are well above