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Governor Jack Markell’s Update

Written on: May 10th, 2010 in Effective & Efficient Government

BFF: Innovating to Bring Jobs to Delaware

As I call people around the country to make the case for Delaware, I often say that our competitive advantage is our ability to work quickly, get the right people in the room, and get things done.

Our state has a great story – we just need to get the word out.

So, what if we could create an incentive system that would enlist all of our businesses – small, medium, and large – as a sales force to tell the Delaware story to their suppliers, customers and other business contacts?

I’m proud to say that we’ve put together a bi-partisan bill for the unique Business Finder’s Fee (BFF) Tax Credits. Learn more here.

Two Ways to Save a Lot of Money

Delaware government must become more cost effective and, day by day, it is. Two recent efforts will save the state $23.455 million dollars and demonstrate how demanding fiscal responsibility creates real savings.

Buying Cheaper, Cleaner Power: Delawareans will save $13.165 million, while also increasing the proportion of clean power we use. The state joined together with local government, volunteer fire companies, universities and other entities to increase our purchasing power for electricity through an innovative reverse auction.

Strong Credit Leads to Low Interest Rates: The State of Delaware refinanced general obligation bonds to save $10.29 million, taking advantage of lower interest rates following the reaffirmation of our triple-A credit rating by all three national bond rating agencies. We are one of only eight states currently rated at the highest level.

Learn more here.

First Annual Delaware Week of Service

Up and down the state, we built on last year’s Weekend of Service to hold the first annual Week of Service.

It was an incredible experience. Carla and I are thankful for the opportunity to meet so many enthusiastic volunteers.

We met people like Molly Cohen, who, at 95 years old, has provided more than 18,000 hours of service to the community and is still going. And people like high school student Nicholas Jenkins, who found an old stallion stall in a state park and almost single-handedly transformed it into a popular learning resource.

A few of the activities are featured on my Facebook page. I hope you’ll take a look and learn about some of the great things happening here.

If you’re interested in volunteering, there are opportunities that can fit everyone’s schedule, skill set and interests. Learn more at http://www.volunteerdelaware.com/.

Tags: BFF, business development, Governor Jack Markell, jobs, state employees