Center for Analysis of Delaware's Economy & Government Spending

Delaware state governmental policies have been an unfortunate catalyst for the decline of Delaware’s economy for far too long. For instance…

Over the past 10 years, both the Delaware per capita income and average wage have gone from above the national average to below.

According to the Delaware Department of Labor, employment is projected to grow at only 0.6%.

Since 2009, Delaware has had five recessions compared to one in the nation.

By opposing choice in public education, the State government reinforces a system where two-thirds of Delaware students are not proficient in reading and math. In addition to the ramifications for Delaware’s students and their future employability, as has been widely reported, one of the other most evident outcomes is the number of professionals with school-age children who work in Delaware but choose to reside out of state.

Misguided environmental policies have driven industrial electric rates well above neighboring states’ rates, creating the documented exodus of manufacturing jobs to other states and an impediment to developing new, well-paying manufacturing jobs.

Utilizing publicly available data, voluminous research from respected academic institutions, and federal and state resources, CRI is the only non-profit entity in Delaware that is objectively identifying the regressive outcomes of certain state policies and disseminating those damaging ramifications to not only county and state legislators but also the public.

In partnership with other like-minded organizations, the primary goals of this Center are to develop strategies and alternative policy options that will bring transparency - and changes - to the State’s $9 billion budget process while objectively advocating for regulatory reform.

Co-Director Charlie Copeland has an MBA from Duke University with a focus in Finance and spent over 25 years growing a marketing services business that achieved several global awards for operational excellence. He also spent six years in the Delaware State Senate, serving his last two years as the Senate Minority Leader. Charlie, who focused much of his Senate career on education reform and government accountability, remains a sought-after speaker on issues related to governmental accountability.

Labor power and the Delaware taxpayer | 11/28/2018

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. &nbs...

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Corrections Department Savings | 11/28/2018

CRIs proposals to bring efficiency to the States Prison System.
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Tax Freedom Day | 11/28/2018

A comparison of DE to other states in taxation with respect to the day every year when we are finally finished paying our taxes.
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DEFAC Wanders | 11/28/2018

The constraining influence of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Committee (DEFAC) has been a major factor in maintaining the state of Delawares high bond ratings. Recently, however, DEFAC has drifted. Over the past decade the mean absolute percentage error in DEFACs one year ahead fore...

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Delawares Census Lag | 11/28/2018

Delaware lags behind its neighbors and the national in its 2010 Census mail participation rate. This appears to be a repeat of the under participation that occurred in the 2000 Census. Currently, Delawares participation rate is 65%, compared to the national average of 68%. For the 2000 Census, D...

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Solid Waste and the Universal Recycling Bill SB234 | 11/28/2018

Voluntary universal curbside recycling does offer the possibility to provide a distinct fee for the service and remove most of the hidden cost for recycling from DSWA. The recommendations in this paper would allow DSWA to significantly lower the 35% price increase now planned for July, 2010.
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Delaware: A State of Opportunity? | 11/28/2018

Over recent decades the performance of Delawares economy has steadily deteriorated. Growth in output, income and jobs has slowed, converging on the national average. Slower growth diminishes opportunities for all of Delawares citizens. The contention of this report is that providing increased opp...

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The Stimulus That Isnt | 11/28/2018

Delaware was awarded $1.463 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. After a year, almost 22% of the three-year stimulus money has been spent. The impact on Delawares economy has been and will remain minimal. The primary purpose of this Act is to maintain government at the expense o...

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Public School Expenditures | 11/28/2018

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (fiscal year 2006), Delaware ranks high on expenditures per student (8th among all states and the District of Columbia) and in the middle of the pack on test scores for reading and math.
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Solid Waste Spending in DE | 11/28/2018

Our comparisons of per capita costs for solid waste handling with other states showed Delaware was 159% higher
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