The Committee of 100 | FYI Archives

The two-year long Delaware Public Policy Institute (DPPI) participatory study, "Choices for Delaware: Life and the Economy in 2000 and Beyond" presented survey results and task force reports at its June 12th public forum. Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were invited to respond to the issues and recommendations raised by the task force reports and to face audience questions on related issues.

Undergirding the work of the task forces were Ed Ratledge's multi-year survey results on "Delawareans' Attitudes Toward Economic Growth." These surveys in 1995, 1997, 1998, and April 2000 reveal that Delawareans' attitudes have remained fairly consistent and are different from what one would expect from reading The News Journal articles or listening to the shrill voices on radio reports from public hearings. There is a positiveness that doesn't show up in the media. For example, 74.4% feel Delaware is on the right track; 90.2% feel that Delaware is the same or better off than five years ago; 90.5% say they are personally better off than five years ago; and 82.5% expect the quality of life in Delaware to be the same or better in five years.

Delawareans continue to say public education should be the State's first priority, closely followed by the environment and developing and keeping jobs. In the education arena, nearly 62% of respondents hold parents all or most responsible for academic performance in Delaware and 55% believe the schools are the same or improving vs five years ago. In contrast to media reports and comments at public hearings, when asked the most important quality of life factor, it wasn't transportation. Personal safety was number one, followed by having a medical facility nearby. Transportation was way down the list. Indeed, when asked to choose between fewer quality jobs and more congestion, 56.5% chose more congestion. Significantly, 71.2% would pay higher gas taxes to reduce congestion. Most revealing, while 69.9% want highways improved and 76.5% want transit expanded, transit supporters back off dramatically if they have to choose: only 35.1% want transit expanded at the expense of improving roads.

Delaware is faring well in the quality of life factor respondents select as number one: personal safety. 92.8% said their neighborhood was very or fairly safe and 89.6% felt the safety in their neighborhood was the same or better compared to one year ago. However, when asked about the health of Delaware's environment, there is some concern. While 51.5% feel Delaware is somewhat healthy, 34.8% feel it is slightly or not healthy and in New Castle County that number is 40.8%. Only 8.1% believe Delaware's environment is very healthy and 31.1% believe it is worse now than five years ago.

The most eccentric finding continues to be the desire of Delawareans to protect the environment and preserve farmland and open space while, at the same time, the largest number want to live in a country home. However, following a nationwide trend, the number of respondents who would most like to live in the city has, since 1995, nearly doubled.

What did the task forces do with this information? Plenty. The reports are full of information and ideas. While the University of Delaware's surveys, demographic information, and cost/benefit analyses provided grounding, the work of the task forces called upon the expertise and resources of their wide-ranging membership. The five task forces included business and civic leaders, legislators, elected and appointed government officials, govern-ment employees, academics, environmentalists, preservationists, and representatives from interests ranging from tourism to agriculture, from transportation to utilities, from the media to world trade, from affordable housing to the arts. Membership was inclusive. Meetings were open. Discussion was lively. Debate was vigorous. Subgroups in the task forces met with shareholders, interviewed experts, conducted research, organized focus groups. On some issues there was clear consensus; on other issues consensus was impossible. On some issues the path forward became clear; on other issues the only clear thing was the complexity that defied solution.

The task forces addressed four questions: how to keep Delaware's economy strong and growing, preserve and enhance the quality of life, ensure all Delawareans have the opportunity to share in the State's prosperity, and ensure government is efficient and customer-friendly. Although some of the issues facing the task forces overlapped, the work of the task forces focused on education, economic development, land-use planning and infrastructure, urban growth, and effective government.

The recommendations are wide-ranging. There is the obvious, such as setting the improvement of K-12 education as the highest priority. There are also thought-provoking recommendations, such as establishing a Land Use and Infrastructure Planning Council modeled after the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC). This Council would include public and private sector expertise in an open, inclusive process, to develop ways to better coordinate land use and infrastructure planning. The vision includes providing guidance to the Office of State Planning Coordination; assuring cost/benefit analyses of different development scenarios for the State as well as for policies and regulations; and identifying the shortfall in infrastructure and its financing. The goal is to develop the same level of expertise and credibility as DEFAC.

The complete report--including the survey, research, task force reports, and Policy Recommendations of the DPPI Board of Trustees--is available from DPPI.

Northbound I-95 Is Next!

The work on Southbound I-95 is ahead of schedule and everyone is hoping that the weather will cooperate so that the final Southbound section--from the Pennsylvania state line to Marsh Road--will be opened by the July Fourth weekend. If that happens, then Northbound I-95 will close a few days later. The Northbound closure will be tricker. Drivers on Southbound I-95, facing the barriers, have had no choice but to take I-495 or get off at Naamans Road. However, Northbound travelers will have to decide at the I-95/295 and the I-95/495 splits where they want to go. Because I-95 will be open past the splits, the unbelieving may follow it until they have no choice. That will make the US 202 exit the exit-of-no-further-choice.

Two Weeks To Go!

There are only two weeks in the regular session of the 140th General Assembly. The most contentious issue of the session, the professional accountability portion of education reform, was approved early enough that everything else has felt anticlimactic. The major remaining issue is divvying up the pie. Because previous tax cuts have made the surplus smaller and because of the commitment of the General Assembly to major spending for transportation projects and school construction, there is little left to argue about. One economic development issue that would take some of that pie is House Bill 584, the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act. The enclosed letter was sent to members of the General Assembly as well as the Governor and key Administration officials.