Investing in Delaware's Future - Governor's Blog

Delaware Governor: Jack Markell

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Investing in Delaware’s Future

Written on: February 1st, 2014 in Effective & Efficient Government

This week I unveiled a budget proposal that matches the message from my State of the State address: Every Delawarean has something to contribute if given the chance. We need to make sure they have that chance, for their sake, and also because we all stand to gain when everyone gets a fair shot.

The balanced budget my administration presented this week holds firm to the value of fiscal responsibility:

Continues an approach that has earned our triple-A credit rating;
Uses only 98 percent of available revenues; and
Fully funds our rainy day fund.

At the same time we must invest in areas we know are critical to creating economic opportunity now and for generations to come:

Innovative education and job training to strengthen our workforce, including $1 million to increase collaboration between Delaware businesses and educational institutions.
Research that spurs innovation, including $3 million to launch the Delaware Cyber Initiative targeting a field with hundreds of jobs openings.
Increased economic development in our cities, including $7 million to promote rehabilitation and construction that revitalize key downtown areas.
Stronger infrastructure that’s necessary for our businesses’ success and a high quality of life, including a $500 million transportation investment over five years to support what the News Journal and others have recognized: “the state needs to invest in its infrastructure.”
Programs to give our most vulnerable citizens a better chance, including $1.3 million for a proven nurse visitation initiative that helps low-income mothers and $250,000 to help youth get on the right track when they leave the juvenile justice system and return to their communities.

Making those necessary investments requires hard choices, including a mix of cuts and new revenues to support our priorities. I hope you will take the opportunity to review these proposals online.

If we’re going to have a lasting impact in creating opportunities for our fellow citizens, we must take the same challenge President Kennedy issued in Delaware just over 50 years ago when he dedicated the new highway running from Wilmington to Baltimore. He recognized the highway was created because of a commitment made years earlier, and he called on Americans to “begin things which will make this country a better place to live in for the rest of this century.”

By strengthening our infrastructure, spurring innovation, and supporting a quality workforce, we’ll build on the things that make our state a better place and we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.