Gov. Markell gives answers to southern Delaware

Cape Region residents had a rare opportunity for a face-to-face chat with their governor Feb. 7 when Gov. Jack Markell spoke to about 250 Sussex County residents and elected officials at a free public forum at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes.

Cape Gazette publisher Dennis Forney hosted An Evening with Gov. Jack Markell for the second consecutive year.  The event allowed citizens to ask questions and get direct answers from Markell and members of his cabinet.

Markell kicked off the evening with highlights from his Jan. 19 State of the State address and his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1.  Education, jobs and responsible government spending remain Markell’s highest priorities.

He said he plans to invest in education so Delaware’s youth will remain competitive in the global workforce.  Markell also said he wants to raise the quality of life in Delaware, so businesses will want to operate and hire employees in the state.

“If you all have the interest to be here, it means you want this state to be better,” Markell said.  “How is it we make Delaware more competitive than we were yesterday?”

Education

Investments in education will make Delaware’s workforce more competitive in a time when many jobs are outsourced overseas, Markell said.  “We’re trying to be a lot more honest with students and parents about what it means to be proficient,” he said.

Markell’s budget included significant investments in early childhood education because, he said, research consistently shows children who fall behind early never catch up.  He also said he plans to highlight the importance of knowing more than one language by establishing partial-immersion schools in Delaware schools in the next five years.

The largest request in Markell’s budget recommendation is $27.4 million to replace money previously provided by the federal government in the Education Jobs Act, to prevent jobs cuts in Delaware schools.  “It was not an easy thing to figure out, but we did it,” Markell said.

Markell also said his administration is working to target underperforming schools and make improvements.  One audience member asked what Markell was doing for bright and talented students in Delaware.

Education Secretary Lillian Lowery said the Department of Education works in conjunction with the Department of Labor give intelligent high school students internship and summer job opportunities.  “They have more opportunities than they’ve had before, but we are always looking to give them more,” Lowery said.

Another audience member asked Markell’s position on House Bill 244, which would raise the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 18.  “I’m not convinced that passing a bill is the best way of keeping a kid in school,” Markell said.

Organizations such as Jobs for American Graduates, which identifies at-risk youth and helps them graduate from high school through a school-to-work transition program, are a more effective way to ensure graduation and job placement, Markell said.

Transportation

Markell’s budget recommendation includes investments in transportation, infrastructure, and clean air and water.  He said the improvements would add to the quality of life in Delaware and attract businesses searching for a place to set up shop.  “People also want to start businesses in places where they want to live,” Markell said.

One audience member asked Markell why he did not invest in railroad transportation for Southern Delaware.  She said a southern extension of the railroads would create jobs, increase tourism downstate and allow Sussex County residents to commute to work in other parts of Delaware.

Markell said a railroad would not generate enough revenue to make it worth building.  “Those projects are so incredibly expensive,” he said.  “We are never going to have the resources as a state government to make that happen.”

Markell said only 30 percent of the cost of operating the DART bus – Southern Delaware’s only mode of public transportation – is covered by the bus fare.  “It is incredibly expensive,” he said.

The beer that won Amazon

Forney asked Markell what made Amazon decide to set up its new headquarters in Middletown.

Markell said 13 other states were vying for Amazon's new fulfillment center.  Low taxes and a location close to major cities kept Delaware in the running.

Markell said Delaware Economic Development Office Director Alan Levin flew to Seattle to convince Amazon officials to open the new office in Delaware.  Levin delivered the last presentation of the day.  “Alan brought with him a cooler of Dogfish Head beer,” Markell said.

Levin said of the 33 Amazon representatives at the presentation, 25 were fans of Dogfish Head beer.  He said, “It was the beer that won the day.”

Markell gets his people on the same page

Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and many members of Markell’s cabinet also attended the event, including Office of Management and Budget Director Ann Visalli, Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee and Labor Secretary John McMahon.

Markell said the book “That Used to Be Us,” by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, inspired his plan for Delaware. The book analyzes the dwindling importance of the United States in the global economy and theorizes how the nation can reclaim its former prosperity.

“This is a very important book,” Markell said.  He said he personally bought a copy of the book for every department secretary, every legislator and every member of his staff to read.

Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown, attended the event.  She said the appearance of Markell with almost every cabinet secretary was a good display of camaraderie.  “It shows a unified leadership team,” Briggs King said.

Briggs King said she was slightly disappointed more parents of Cape High students did not attend the event.  She said it was a good opportunity for Sussex County residents to ask questions and get direct answers from the governor.  “It makes it more personal,” she said.

Cape Henlopen School Board President Sara Wilkinson said it was beneficial to have Markell speak at the high school, and she said his initiatives in education are raising the bar for Delaware students. Wilkinson said, “I think he’s right on track.”

New Troop 7 coming to Cape Region

Gov. Jack Markell calls for $1.6 million to purchase land and design a new Delaware State Police Troop 7.

According to Sgt. Paul Shavack, director of public information for Delaware State Police, the 6,000-square-foot Troop 7 building on Route 1 in Lewes was built in 1983. “The facility was constructed based on a manufactured home design,” Shavack said in an email.

He said the building was meant to house 35 employees, but Troop 7 has a staff of more than 55.  Shavack also said the building does not fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The Troop would also be relocated in order to be more accessible to the residential communities of Eastern Sussex County that it serves,” Shavack said.  A location for the new Troop 7 has not yet been determined, and no date has been set for the project’s completion, he said.