By: Hon. William L. Witham, Jr., Advisory Board Member, A Better Delaware Veteran benefits, including health care, are not just a nice perk for veterans. They are something earned through the service, and often sacrifice, of our armed forces, dedicated to defending our country. Recently, there has been a lot of debate about access to appointments and health care provided to veterans, here in Delaware and around the country. There is a great deal of concern that the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is diverting resources from veterans to provide health care for illegal immigrants in the custo ..read more

By: Jane Brady, Chair, A Better Delaware  We are all aware of the ridiculous amounts of money that the federal government was offering states during the pandemic. Many of those states, including Delaware, used the money to increase unemployment benefits, far exceeding any amounts paid in the past, and to continue those payments far longer. After the pandemic was declared to be over, our workforce was significantly smaller than before the pandemic. There are several reasons for that. Many workers enjoyed working from home and did not want to return to the office. More remarkably, in some i ..read more

By: Beth Conaway, Advisory Board Member, A Better Delaware We have all seen pictures of homeless encampments, under bridges or on the streets in an urban downtown. But unfortunately, there are many homeless individuals that are not so evident to the public. One group of such individuals is students in our public schools. These children are often displaced from stable housing by domestic violence, poverty or uninhabitable living situations, which could be the result of neglect by a landlord, but also often results from crime or other events that cause damage to their home. During the 2021-2022 ..read more

By: Jane Brady, Chair, A Better Delaware In the world of construction, safety and innovation go hand in hand. Recognizing the critical role the construction industry plays in driving a robust and thriving economy, we must strike a balance between strong regulation grounded in science and fostering growth. Recent discussions about the EPA’s overreach in regulating chemicals, particularly formaldehyde, have sparked debates about the future of construction in our state. While ensuring the well-being of our workforce is paramount, it is essential to recognize that overregulating chemicals like for ..read more

By Bob Ricker, Guest Contributor On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his gasoline powered vehicle, creating the birth of the automobile. In 1901, Connecticut created the first statewide traffic laws. In 1910, New York introduced the first drunk driving laws. In 1950, Nash Motors included the first seat belts in American cars. But it was not until 1968 & 1970 when Federal Safety Standards were adopted and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was established, setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle equi ..read more

Which came first:  The chicken or the egg? By: David R. Legates In the era of climate change, this age-old question has received a new facelift. Now it becomes—Which came first:  The rise in carbon dioxide or the rise in air temperature? Since the dawn of climate change alarmism, we have been told that carbon dioxide is the driver of climate change. Increase carbon dioxide, and consequently, air temperature increases. So, if we decrease the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it stands to reason that global warming will be abated. It’s just that simple. Or is it? Many climatologists ha ..read more

By: Nancy Mercante, Guest Contributor Perhaps Abraham Lincoln gave the best description of the underlying authority of our government in his Gettysburg Address when he said it was “of the people, by the people and for the people.”  Of all the layers of today’s government from federal, state, county, and city, the one intended to function closest with the people is the local school board, elected to work on behalf of and with parents in overseeing the education of their children. This function is so important on so many levels — children, families, future work force, and the nation — that ..read more

By: Jane Brady, Chair, A Better Delaware Five school districts are scheduled to hold a referendum between now and the end of April. A referendum is an opportunity for you to vote for or against raising your property taxes to support the schools in your district. All individuals over the age of 18 who reside in the school district are entitled to vote. The specific date your school district is holding a referendum, if they are one of the districts doing so, can be found at citizensforDelawareschools.org. Additionally, dates of town halls and other informational meetings are posted there as well ..read more

By: Jane Brady, Chair, A Better Delaware We at A Better Delaware have been clear about our opposition to Governor Carney’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate. Whether it is where you have to send your child to school or what type of vehicle you are “allowed” to drive, we don’t believe government should impose artificial restrictions on our choices as consumers. Additionally, as a practical matter, the mandate fails to account for the high cost of the vehicles, the shortage of charging stations, the limited range EVs can go on a single charge and the dangerous circumstances that these vehicles prese ..read more

By: Ruth Briggs King, Board Member, A Better Delaware Governor Carney’s presentation on his proposed budget reminds me of the old song “here we go again.” It’s the same song, like a worn out recording we’ve heard over and over. Can you imagine if you planned to spend more than you earn? Your family and friends would think you were nuts! It would be like stepping off a cliff without a parachute. But that is precisely the risk the Governor’s 2025 budget presents for Delaware. The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC) was established in the 1970s to provide sound financial plan ..read more