The first town hall meeting of Gov. Jack Markell's second term in office touched on a variety of issues, ranging from education and drug use to road work and the state's casinos, but the bulk of the time was spent on Delaware's economic outlook.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/town-hall-full.mp3|titles= Listen to Gov. Markell's Kent Co. town Hall.]
Markell spent the first third of the roughly hour-long meeting at Delaware Tech's Terry campus in Dover refuting a report from Moody’s Analytics about Delaware’s risk of slipping back into recession.
He also defended the decision to lend the now near-bankrupt Fisker Automotive company $21.5 million in 2009.
“I believed at the time that that was our best chance at getting people working again at that plant and it’s obviously not where we would like it to be,” said Markell.
Markell also touted recent overseas trips to China, South Korea, Israel and others to secure foreign investments. He specifically pointed to the investment South Korea-based Allen Harim plans to make to covert the old Pinnacle Vlasic pickle plant in Millsboro into a chicken processing facility that is expected to create 700 jobs.
But state Republican Party Chair Charlie Copeland says he needs to focus more closely on small business at home.
“He mentioned foreign ownership of companies. He mentioned all of these big banks, but Delaware that ranks in the bottom of the nation in small business lending…he keeps doing the same thing, which is going across the globe looking for big hits,” said Copeland.
An audience member questioned lawmakers’ decision to give the state’s three casinos $8 million dollars arlier this year, saying it was an unwise use of taxpayers money.
But Markell said the industry is an important revenue source.
“The casinos generate about $200 million of revenue. What that means, that’s $200 million that is used to pay for teachers, for state police and all of that.”
Finance Secretary Tom Cook added that the funds were specifically to help the casinos offset the rising costs associated with a new contract with vendors who provide machines to the state's three racino venues.
This Kent County town hall was co-hosted by 91.1 WDDE-FM and the Delaware State News. WDDE will rebroadcast it Thursday Sept. 19th and Sunday, Sept. 22nd at 8pm.
The governor will host two other town halls in Sussex and New Castle Counties in October. The Sussex County town hall is scheduled for Oct. 6th at Cape Henlopen high School at 6:30pm. The New Castle County event is
