Snyder-Hall takes on Lopez in 6th District
Two candidates are vying for the Senate District 6 seat. Incumbent Ernie Lopez is a Republican who lives in Lewes, while challenger Claire Snyder-Hall is a Democrat who lives in Rehoboth.
Senate District 6, which moved from Northern New Castle County to Sussex County during redistricting in 2012, encompasses Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and Milton.
Ernie Lopez
Age: 37
Residence: Lewes
Occupation: State Senator and 4-H Youth Development Specialist, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Delaware
Education: Gettysburg College, BA; University of Delaware, MA, Ed.D.
Family: Wife, Janis; Daughters: Anna and Claire, students at Shields Elementary School
Reason for running: I’m running for re-election to the Senate because I have an established record of respected bipartisan leadership and meaningful accomplishments that focus on solving practical problems in the lives of Cape Region residents and doing so in a reasonable, responsive and responsible manner.
Claire Snyder-Hall
Age: 49
Residence: Rehoboth Beach
Occupation: Researcher
Education: B.A. cum laude in psychology, Smith College; PhD in political science, Rutgers University
Family: Married to Mikki Snyder-Hall. My father, the Rev. Dr. Lee Snyder, died of Alzheimer’s in 2012; mother Anne Snyder, 87, lives in Sarasota, Fla.
Reason for running: After spending 20 years as a classroom teacher and then taking care of my parents in their last years, I feel called to be an advocate for seniors, as well as working people and everyone who wants to protect our quality of life in coastal Sussex.
As growth continues, Cape Region roads will see more traffic. With Route 1 near capacity during the summer, what do you propose to improve traffic flow?
Ernie Lopez: Traffic and highway safety has and will continue to be a priority of my Senate work. As the only Senate member of the Highways and Transportation Committee from Sussex County, I will continue to work with DelDOT and state and local law enforcement, along with area residents to address immediate needs and look towards longterm planning and efficient enforcement to improve traffic safety. Recently released Delaware Office of Highway Safety statistics showed us that serious injury crashes on Route 1 decreased from 12 in 2012 to two by Labor Day 2014. Fatal crashes fell from four in 2012 to one in 2014. Better education and enforcement will continue to improve this important issue for everyone.
Claire Snyder-Hall: Traffic is a huge problem in our district. While there are no easy answers, we definitely need to get a handle on unchecked development before our district becomes completely gridlocked. The approval process for new development already involves both state and county government. I favor strengthening the role of the state in implementing a more coordinated approach to development and assuring that adequate infrastructure exists to support growth. Moreover, the cost of expanded roadways should not fall on taxpayers. Since I have accepted no money from big developers, you can count on me to fight for you.
Moreover, we need to increase the options for getting around without driving, including not only public transportation, but also van and carpool programs and expanded bike trails.
Gov. Markell has proposed an increase in taxes to pay for road infrastructure improvements and clean water initiatives. Do you support these efforts? If not, how will Delaware pay for the improvements?
E.L.: I would not vote to raise taxes for transportation infrastructure without already having tried to place a limit on the amount of debt the Transportation Trust Fund can incur and review the methods the state uses to determine wage rates to make them fairer to taxpayers.
The 6th District is blessed with an abundance of natural resources including our attractive waterways. Dewey Beach was named a “Super Star Beach” by the National Resources Defense Council. We need to protect our waterways, but higher property taxes are not the way to do so. I co-sponsored and voted for the bipartisan passage of HB160, our aquaculture legislation, and will continue to support and lead collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts towards improving the health of our waterways.
C.S.: I do not believe that government should raise taxes during an economic downturn, like we are experiencing in Delaware. The best way to increase revenue is to grow the economy through new employment and by capitalizing on our core resources of agriculture, tourism, and small business development.
The federal government should fund expensive infrastructure needs, like bridges and highways, as well as fund the educational mandates it creates. We also need corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. It is fundamentally unfair that Warren Buffett’s secretary paid more taxes than he did. Our tax policy should be fair and equitable.
In addition, we should explore below-market revolving loan funds during economic downturns and create public-private partnerships for major transportation projects and school construction.
Do you support the decriminalization of marijuana? Why or why not?
E.L.: I’m closely following the nationwide conversation on this subject. We should permit judges to use their appropriate sentencing discretion while watching carefully the impact on children and the risk to the community in states where modest legalization is being tested. While it may seem harmless at first to remove criminal penalties for marijuana, I fear that with what we know about marijuana being a gateway drug, it could create a much larger problem with heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs. As the only senator from Sussex County on the health and social services committee, I feel it important at this critical time to address the need for treatment and rehabilitation services here in Sussex County and make sure those resources are available and in place.
C.S.: Yes. We are wasting a lot of money arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating people for smoking weed. Moreover, African Americans are almost four times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, even though there is no racial disparity in levels of use. That is why I support the recent bill to decriminalize marijuana. Decriminalization makes sense, particularly since Delaware has already legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. The contention that marijuana is a “gateway drug” has been largely discredited by research. For example, while 107 million Americans have tried marijuana – over 40 percent of the population 54 and over – only 37 million have tried heroin. We could make better use of our law enforcement dollars.
