News
6/29/2009
June 2009 Update
Dear Friends,
We've been very busy in the last month since taking on our new roles, talking to as many of you as possible at every level - elected officials, regional leaders and grass-roots volunteers. Our goal is to listen, learn and ultimately provide the kind of countywide leadership that will help you succeed in building and strengthening the GOP in each of your communities.
From all these meetings and conversations, we're beginning to develop a strategic framework for the NCC GOP, centered on the following objectives:
1. Build a policy platform of meaningful, innovative ideas
2. Enhance operational capabilities
3. Actively communicate within our ranks and with external audiences
All of this, of course, is geared to identifying, recruiting and running the absolute best candidates possible in 2010 and beyond.
To that end, over the last few weeks, we:
- Issued a statement expressing disappointment with New Castle County Council's "unimaginative and counterproductive" vote to sock taxpayer's with a 25% property tax increase
- Joined with State Chairman Tom Ross in writing to all voters who left the GOP in the last election cycle, inviting them back to the Party
- Began work on a website and coordinated approach to communicating with the regions
- Appeared on WDEL and WHYY Channel 12 (fastforward about 10 minutes in) to highlight positive GOP alternatives to address the budget crisis and discuss our Party's future.
Keep an eye out for future updates on our progress, and please always feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions or ideas.
Have a great summer.
Michael Fleming Joe Oddo
Chair, NCC GOP Vice Chair, NCC GOP
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Statement by GOP NCC Representatives
The following statement was issued last night by State Representatives Deborah Hudson, Tom Kovach and Greg Lavelle.
The New Castle County Republican Committee agrees wholeheartedly with their assessment of the state's budget crisis and thanks and applauds them for their leadership at this critical time. We encourage all NCC Republicans to join us in supporting Reps. Hudson, Kovach, Lavelle and all those who stand with them in insisting that out-of-control state spending finally be addressed.
On a closely related subject, please see my op/ed by from yesterday's News Journal on the conflicts of interest that have helped fuel the state's massive deficit.
We look forward to working with all of you to elect Republican candidates in 2010 and beyond who agree we must change the status quo to get this state moving in the right direction.
Michael Fleming
Chairman, NCC GOP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 22, 2009
Contact: Thomas H. Kovach, House of Representatives, 302-577-8723
North Wilmington Republican Representatives Tom Kovach, Greg Lavelle, and Debbie
Hudson joined together today to call on the Legislature to reject increases in the personal income tax and short-sighted state employee pay cuts, instead promoting meaningful and sustainable reductions in state expenses.
Representative Lavelle (R-Sharpley) said that, "We recognize that we must make difficult decisions in order to move Delaware beyond this current budget crisis. Balancing the budget on the back of Delaware's working families through the administration's proposed tax increases is simply unacceptable. The budget proposals offered by the Democrats are too quick to increase the tax burden and fall far short of the necessary, sustained and sustainable cuts in state government. Without these changes, tax increases like we are seeing now will become an annual event."
The Legislators argue that state government needs to operate in a fashion more like that of the private sector. According to Representative Kovach (R-Brandywine East), "We must address the government's economic problems in the same fiscally responsible manner that the private sector does. This means we must not raise what we charge our customers, but we must cut staff and spending to balance the budget, while keeping the necessary, good employees at their current pay."
The Legislators said that the current proposal of state employee salary reductions simply masks the real problem: an oversized and unsustainable state government.
"The alleged savings on a 2.5% state employee pay cut result in approximately $30
million for the state and will last for one year," said Representative Hudson (RFairthorne).
"Not only is this reduction significantly less than 1% of the state's operating
budget, the Democrats now seeking to impose this pay cut will surely seek to avoid the same cut in the upcoming election-year. The resulting shortfall will have to be paid for with yet another increase in personal income tax for the majority of Delawareans." In their battle against irresponsible taxes, all three agreed that they will also fight to put a one-year "sunset" to any Democratic imposed tax increase-a proposal the Democrats have already rejected.
"The tax increases pushed by the Democrats shift the burden from the state to Delaware's families and small businesses," said Rep. Kovach. "The proposed personal income tax increases, which will result in an additional burden on working-class families and individuals making over $50,000, is a terrible idea at a time when many are trying their best just to make ends meet. Coupled with the 25% property tax increase imposed by New Castle County, these increases will be unbearable to the average citizen."
Republican-offered solutions, such as the elimination of redundant school administrative positions, cutting the Community Transportation Fund, and a temporary reduction in the prevailing wage paid by the state to contractors (often from out-of-state), have been largely ignored by the administration. Other possibilities include exploring a tax amnesty program and offering an efficiency rewards program.
"Quite simply, we must require that the state reduce the size and expense of government and avoid the placing the burden of oversized and bloated state government on the taxpayers," said Rep. Kovach. "There are plenty of solutions that have been left off the table, contrary to what the Governor and House Democrats have claimed," said Rep. Hudson.
Rep Lavelle, Hudson, and Kovach stand firm together, "We remain opposed to all tax
increases until the government can certify that it has taken all immediately practical
actions to reduce waste and inefficiency. At this point, we are not even close.
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