I am writing in support of Gov. Markell’s budget plan. I volunteered for nine months on the Markell campaign and observed the most thoughtful, respectful and intelligent candidate who looked toward Delaware’s future. Jack had a vision for Delaware from the very beginning. With these economic times, Jack has now had to also make tough choices.

The budget plan is closing in on the largest shortfall in Delaware history. It does so by making hard decisions that affect many Delawareans. I trust my Governor to make those hard decisions. It is one of the many reasons that I worked on the Markell campaign and voted for him. I believe that he can make those tough decisions, not alone, but by working with every one in his administration and Delawareans throughout the state. He is always willing to listen to suggestions and ideas. We must support our Governor in these hard times.

Elyse M. Reznick

Greenville

I am writing in support of Gov. Markell’s budget plan. I volunteered for nine months on the Markell campaign and observed the most thoughtful, respectful and intelligent candidate who looked toward Delaware’s future. Jack had a vision for Delaware from the very beginning. With these economic times, Jack has now had to also make tough choices.

The budget plan is closing in on the largest shortfall in Delaware history. It does so by making hard decisions that affect many Delawareans. I trust my Governor to make those hard decisions. It is one of the many reasons that I worked on the Markell campaign and voted for him. I believe that he can make those tough decisions, not alone, but by working with every one in his administration and Delawareans throughout the state. He is always willing to listen to suggestions and ideas. We must support our Governor in these hard times.

Elyse M. Reznick

Greenville

Let me begin by saying that Governor Markell, you are wrong. It astounds me that you believe cutting 8% of state employees salaries will solve Delaware’s economic crisis. You claim that this will share the burden equally and prevent people from losing their jobs. Yet, as a teacher, I am still not assured of this as my district controls my job. Any district in the state for that matter could still cut employees. Your proposal will not help this state. In fact, it will in all likelihood do more damage than good. Your plan will negatively effect all state departments. What will become of the quality of education in Delaware? What will become of our police force, our transportation department and so on? Employees will be overworked, underpaid, and above all frustrated as they struggle to make ends meet. Some of us who are already struggling to pay our mortgages will in all likelihood be forced to give up our homes or find second jobs. These systems will fall to pieces and our children and future of the state will suffer the most.

Second, this plan will only further hurt our economy. If you cut our state employees salaries by 8% then you are leaving them with less income to spend. The largest part of that income will be spent on paying bills and making ends meet. Which means that there will be less spending. This will have a domino effect as people spend less, businesses continue to close and our economy continues its downward spiral. I ask again, how can you believe that this plan is a solution?

Finally, many people voted for you because you promised reform and change for the state. I think I can speak for many when I say that this is not the reform and change we were hoping for. This plan is unfair and places and unfair burden on those that the state depends on the most. If you truly want to share the burden, then find a way to make every person in the state help alleviate this deficit. Institute a sales tax for the state. This way everyone will pay a part of the deficit. Asking only state employees to shoulder this burden is wrong. It is not our fault that the state is in the situation we are in. It is the fault of years of misspending and poor planning. Passing it off on state employees simply because we work for the state is an injustice that none of us should stand for.

This plan is wrong and will not help the state. Governor Markell, give us the leadership that you promised and find a better way.

Justin Malin

We have 671 public school administrators in our 19 school districts, 429 of whom make over $100 thousand per year for a total cost of some $48 million — just in salaries alone.

What would you like to bet that the politically connected D.S.E.A. will divise a way to intice the General Assembly to find a way over the bridge and through the woods under the table and up to the roof then down to the celler into the hidden room away from the light of day and public view to exemp this group from the 8% "across the board" pay cut so as "not to hurt districts ability to attract and retain highly qualified administrators"?

Fred Allen Bass

I am writing to express my opposition to Govenor Markell’s proposed 2010 budget. I am an educator in the Caesar Rodney School district. The governor’s proposed salary decrease does not share the burden equally throughout the state. My wife and I are both educators. If the proposed budget passes and becomes law my wife and I will receive a substantial pay cut, have to pay a larger share of health care, and because we are a two income family pay a larger personal income tax because we make more than $60,000 per year. Fair? I think not. The governor states that these cuts will be temporary. PLEASE! We all know that once the state takes the money away we will never see it again.

My classroom policy is that you can not criticize without making positive suggestions to remedy the problem. I will adhere to that rule here. This proposed budget focuses on cuts instead of generating more revenue apart from sports betting and sin taxes. Why not increase vehicle registration fee, increase gasoline tax (this will generate revenue and cut down on emissions via less driving) and consider raising corporate taxes. Build a general personal income tax schedule that does not stop at $60,000 per year but includes income brackets into six-digit incomes and beyond. Surely taxing a person/family making $70,000 per year and a family making $300,000 per year at the same rate is not fair. Lastly, initiate a permanent state sales tax of 2-3%. This will provide permanent source of revenue for the state and still be small enough to attract business from neighboring states. If the current executive and legislative branches lack the courage to initiate a sales tax, then have a state-wide referendum and let the voters decide.

In conclusion, I spend approximately 15-20 hours per week working late at school, working at home in evenings and on weekends preparing for class, grading work or doing other required administrative work that I am not compensated for. And now you are considering paying me less? Please don’t tell me I get summers off with pay and all holidays. I only get paid for 10 months work; that salary is spread out over 12 months. My salary is far too small for the work I put in and the students I deal with daily. I teach because I love the job. I accepted a small salary because it is offset by smaller health care premiums. I made sound financial decisions for my family based on my current salary. These huge, unfair cuts may cause me to default on home and auto loans. Finally, I am a registered democrat and have voted in every primary and general election. I will not vote for any incumbent, who votes for or supports this proposed budget.

Donald F. Miller

Dover

A brief history of tobacco taxes in Delaware. In July 2003 after passing the Clean Indoor Air bill, the state raised its tobacco tax from 24 cents a pack to 55 cents a pack. In August 2007 the tax was raised from 55 cents to $1.10 a pack. Under a proposal before the Legislature right now the tax would be raised another 45 cents a pack to $1.55 a pack. That works out to a tobacco tax increase of 650 percent in six years time. Don’t forget that the Federal tax goes up another 61 cents a pack starting April 1, 2009. A rough calculation of the combined taxes is that it will be about $25.00 a carton.

Meanwhile, Delaware continues to receive its millions of dollars a year as its share of the multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco companies. By the way, as you know doubt know, the attorneys who successfully brought the lawsuit against the tobacco companies took home billions of dollars (yes, billions with a "B") as their share.

One of the "compelling" arguments for these increases is always "Look how much these people with their dirty habit cost the rest of us." I have never once seen any news source mention that smokers pay more in health care premiums and life insurance premiums. It’s always "These people are costing us healthy people a lot of money." O.K, it always sells. You’ve got to love the way the human mind works.

In a related issue, I’m trying to recall just when it became a function of government to legislate peoples’ personal behavior. Alternatively, at least make them pay.

Unless things have changed a lot in our schools, we make a big thing out of telling the young and impressionable that the "War Between the States" was fought to "free the slaves." Yes, this was one of the results of the Civil War, and a good result. However, one of the biggest things that moved this nation towards that conflict was taxes. The northern states, jealous of how well the southern states were doing with their cotton crops, with their newfound majorities in Congress decided to really stick it to the south with excise taxes and tariffs; probably a majority of these receipts were spent for projects in the north. Determined to maintain their majority, members of Congress bitterly fought the entrance of new states into the Union that might be "slave states." We do our children a great disservice when we boil things down to a simple "We’re right, they’re wrong" sort of argument.

You will be forgiven if you are starting to get a little nervous about our national political scene right now. If we turn "Yes, we can!" into "Because we can!" we may be in for a lot of trouble.

There are a lot of other issues during these difficult times. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to pray a little for the continuation of our Union. Am I allowed to use that word "pray?"

Marshall McGowan

The Executive Board of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware, on behalf of its more than 1500 members, strongly objects to the Governor’s proposed 8% salary cuts and health care cost increases. There is also a strong disapproval of any exemption of non-merit employees from sacrifices that merit employees will be asked to make. There is no doubt that these proposals would put more employees and their families at or below an income level that would qualify them for public assistance. No state employee should ever have to apply for public assistance. Now is the time for all state employee union leaders to meet in an effort to join forces in opposition to the Governor’s plan.

Stephen Martelli