There is a general election Tuesday, Nov. 5, and there are many things that Delawareans must consider. First and foremost is voting. Voting is not only a right for legal citizens, but also a responsibility.
Next, evaluate the candidates for each office. In Delaware, Democrats have held the governor’s office since 1993, the Senate since 1992, and both chambers and the governor’s office since 2009.
Mike Ramone brought his bipartisan, commonsense approach to governing in 2008. Unlike many of his colleagues, Mike has championed his constituents’ wants in Dover. Mike votes his district. Mike listens and acts in accordance with the citizens. He says what he means and means what he says. He will do this as governor too.
Matt Meyer is Mike’s opponent for governor. If past is prologue, voters should have some serious concerns about supporting Matt in November. As the CEO of our state, one would want the governor to be someone ethical, with good judgment, transparency and a servant’s heart. Matt Meyer does not display these virtues. One would also want someone who is focused on outcomes.
During his reign in New Castle, there have been multiple charges of sexual harassment by female county employees. Not only did Matt take no action to stop these, but, according to a lawsuit, six women allege that Matt “played an active role in condoning, perpetuating and covering up” these egregious actions. This is not the type of leadership we need in Dover. We need an ethical governor with good judgement and transparency.
After campaigning in 2018 to cut property taxes, Matt raised property taxes by 15% over two years, thus negatively impacting the fiscal health of middle-class New Castle County residents. Even as a candidate, Matt is already saying he will raise taxes. He supports a progressive income tax system to assure the wealthy pay their fair share. I’ve always wondered what politicians mean by that. Don’t they realize that the wealthy’s wealth is not in income but in investments? Matt supports a 25% income tax on billionaires.
Curiously, Matt wants to increase taxes and fees to provide increased funding for schools in the state that ranks No. 3 nationwide in spending per student. In typical fashion, rather than evaluate how the money is spent, and if adjustments can and should be made, Matt’s default is to throw money at the problem.
After raising property taxes, Matt Meyer decided to cash in on the increased revenue and raised his own salary. In stark contrast, when one of Mike’s flower shops burned down, Mike Ramone taught swimming lessons to generate revenue to meet payroll for those employees until he could rebuild. That’s a leader with a servant’s heart.
The bottom line is this, we need a governor with experience in Dover and business. We need a governor who will listen to the citizens and be accountable. We need a governor with good judgment. We need Mike Ramone as governor.
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