The Journal
HARRINGTON — On Nov. 4 voters will decide who represent the people of the 16th senatorial district, Incumbent Sen. Colin R.J. Bonini (R) or challenger Harold E. Stafford.
Sen. Bonini has held the state senate seat since 1994.
Sen. Bonini lives in Camden-Wyoming with his wife, Melissa. The 43-year-old Republican has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesley College and works as a sales representative James C. Anderson Associates.
Mr. Stafford lives in Camden with his wife, Velvia. The couple has three children, Alisa, Brian and Stephanie. The 60-year-old Democrat is the Executive Director of the Delaware Parents Association, Inc. and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Political Science at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. and a Masters Degree in Social Services Administration from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Research in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
When asked about the two important issues facing Delaware, Sen. Bonini said they were the finances and the economy and public education while Mr. Stafford said jobs and fiscal accountability.
"Our state government has a spending problem," Sen. Bonini said about finances and the economy, "Not a revenue problem, a spending problem. Delaware brings in and spends more per person then any state in the union except Hawaii and Alaska. Our state government should be forced to act the same way hard-working Delaware families act when the money gets tight — we must reduce unnecessary spending."
Sen. Bonini wants to reduce unneeded spending.
"Delaware’s State Government spends over $4 Billion dollars a year in public money — that’s Billion with a ‘B;’ more if you include the tremendous number of user fees the government collects. That works out to several thousand dollars for each and every Delawarean and almost $20,000 for every tax-paying household in Delaware; almost $20,000. Do you think you are receiving $20,000 worth of value from the State Government? I didn’t think so! Obviously, in order to recruit good jobs and businesses to Delaware, the first thing we must do is get the State’s out of control spending under control. Our government is simply too big and too inefficient," Sen. Bonini said.
The State Senator stands by his record.
"I have been the one voice of reason on state finances and an advocate for taxpayers, voting against every excessive spending bill, for my entire career in the Senate and, no, I don’t get any satisfaction by saying ‘I told you so,’ now that our state finances are in trouble — we need to all work together to fix our spending problem," Sen. Bonini said, "Delaware’s state government has been on a spending spree for many years and it simply has to stop. Our budget has doubled in the last few years — doubled! Yet I don’t think anyone believes that our Government is twice as effective, our public school students are twice as well-educated, or that we are receiving twice as many services."
"I believe we need to pass a law — a constitutional amendment would be ideal — that limits the amount that the budget can grow every year to the rate of inflation plus population growth. That way we will have a built-in check on government spending and we can avoid the massive increases we’ve seen these last few years. I wish my colleagues and the Governor would have the discipline to limit spending on their own, but I simply don’t have confidence that they will. My colleagues enjoy spending OPM (other people’s money) and unless we have a real check in place, I believe they will continue to spend recklessly," said Sen. Bonini.
He believes his opponent will add to the state’s economic woes.
"I’m sure my opponent is well-meaning, but he has spent his entire career making government bigger and more expensive, by millions and millions of tax dollars (he even traveled the world at taxpayer’s expense). I believe we need the exact opposite of that — we must elect people willing to make tough decisions and limit the size of our government in order to get more money into the pockets of taxpayers; it’s your money in the first place. If we can get the money back to the taxpayers, they will spend and invest it much more productively then the government will and we will grow our economy accordingly. One of the biggest reasons our economy in Delaware isn’t where it should be is that so many resources are suctioned out of the economy and into the state government. If we can get that money back (in) your hands, we can really get our economy rolling again. And, by the way, I do not believe we need to raise taxes as so many politicians are advocating. We need to reduce taxes in order to encourage investment and get more money into our local economy. If we follow my plan and get our financial house in order, I really believe we’ll get our economy moving forward very quickly," Sen. Bonini said.
Mr. Stafford is also worried about Delaware’s economy and the state’s spending.
"In this changing and unpredictable economic environment that we are now facing, with possibly a financial meltdown at both the national and state levels, we must take a hard look at everything we are paying for out of state funds," Mr. Stafford said, "state dollars will be scarce and we need solid justification for every penny spent."
Mr. Stafford has a plan to help the state’s poor economy.
"First, I would sell any excess state property — such as golf courses or vacant buildings in Wilmington. Second, I would propose that we start a systematic assessment of each department in state government. It does not have to be an elaborate or costly process — have a small team of trained and knowledgeable employees and leaders look at a department’s mission statement and determine if it is meeting its statutory mission and strategic objectives. As part of this process, the team will examine a departmental scorecard that identifies measurable objectives, performance, and outcomes in key areas such as financial, services and products provided to citizens, key and support processes, and leadership and human resources. I’m convinced that we could save millions of dollars by making government accountable and implementing the assessment process. Finally, I would also ask all state employees to assist by identifying and suggesting ways to eliminate other possible sources of fraud, waste, and abuse within their own area of state government. Such a process would help to improve fiscal accountability and save taxpayers’ dollars," Mr. Stafford said.
Senator Bonini wants to improve public education.
"Our Public Schools need help. Parents know it, teachers really know it, and I think most Delawareans know it. We certainly have some wonderful schools and some really great teachers, but the bottom line is that many of our schools need help, especially in New Castle County. Whether its graduation rates; anywhere from two to four public school students out of ten will not graduate on time, test scores; some of the lowest SAT scores in the country, or poor behavior in schools; many of our schools are not meeting the needs of our students. And it’s not a question of money. In Delaware we spend almost $14,000 per student in our public schools, which makes us the sixth or seventh highest spender per child in the entire country. Yet much of that money, if not most, never gets to the classroom. I talk to teachers all the time and I ask them if they think they are getting $14,000 per student into their classrooms — they laugh out loud," said Sen. Bonini.
The senator would like to change how school districts are managed. His views on smaller government extend to school district and their administrations.
"The bottom line is we must make sure that our education tax dollars are getting into the classroom and not into the State and Local Bureaucracies. Administration, at both the state and local levels, must be cut. I believe that if we give parents and actual classroom teachers more power and responsibility and get the money we spend on our schools actually into the classrooms, we’ll see a dramatic improvement in the level of education our students receive. The problem now is that the resources are going from the top down and most are siphoned off before they get to the classroom. We should have it the other way around — the money should start with the teachers in the classroom and then be sent to the administrations, after the needs are met in the classroom. I’m confident that many of our teachers could really improve our schools if they had the resources at their disposal. I propose legislation that ensures that at least 70 percent of every education dollar gets to the classroom and cannot be spent on administration. I also think we must look at combining services between school districts, if not actually combining districts. There is so much wasted tax money when we have 19 different school districts with 19 different sets of expensive administrators, 19 food-service contracts, 19 text book contracts, etc., etc. We could save so much money and get it into the classroom by simply combining many common-sense services between districts," said Sen. Bonini.
He added, "I support choice in education. It just makes sense that parents should be able to choose the best educational environment for their children. Choice also allows teachers a chance to experience different educational environments, as well. When our public schools students succeed, all of us benefit."
Mr. Stafford wants to focus on jobs.
"As the former cabinet secretary of labor, I believe the state currently has a dismal record in creating and retaining jobs in view of the fact that during the past 10 years Kent County has lost 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs and over 1,300 finance and insurance-related positions. Now is the time for action from all elected officials to work cooperatively to develop high-paying jobs in Kent County and specifically in the 16th Senatorial District. Given my track record while serving as Administration Director and Acting Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, I will work tirelessly to promote a business-friendly environment in the district and a culture for innovation so more businesses will set up shop in Kent County. We need to recruit clean industry jobs for our district. We also need to realize that there are various factors that can impact job creation and development. In addition to a strong partnership with business and industry, we also need the active involvement of top-rated schools, community colleges and universities, with a technology based curriculum. These post-secondary educational institutions will serve as the major force in providing training to our youth so that they can have careers in good paying jobs in the district. This strategy will also attract teachers who are interested in coming to Kent County because of the benefits inherent in a safe and strong community that has a desirable quality of life. All these key factors are interconnected, where an improvement in one affects the other — but the creation and retention of jobs in this district and county is the first step in this improvement process," Mr. Stafford said.
"Finally, in view of Pliant Corporation’s announced closing, I will volunteer my services to the new Harrington City Manager Mr. John Schatzschneider to assist as needed in recruiting a new business to locate in that building," added Mr. Stafford.
Each candidate has views on many more subjects; voters will decide which candidate has what it takes to lead the 16th District.
