NEW YORK: Delaware’s business leaders are unifying against what many see as financial mismanagement in Legislative Hall. The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is now endorsing a report from the Delaware Business Round table that warns state budget gaps could widen to $600 million over the next decade if lawmakers don’t take action to rein in spending on healthcare and public education.
“This isn’t a partisan issue. This is a Delaware issue,” said Rich Heffron, president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. “It doesn’t just affect the business community. It affects everybody in the state. You can’t keep pushing everything off.”Lawmakers negotiated until nearly dawn on July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year, before settling on a budget deal that relied on one-time, financial settlement money to balance higher spending.
The Round table’s report, prepared by California-based Capitol Matrix Consulting, says Delaware has relied on unstable revenue sources and has not properly controlled spending in areas like Medicaid, the low-income health insurance program, public education, and benefits for public employees.It predicts that, without action, spending will rise to $5.6 billion over the next decade, with revenues climbing only to $5 billion.
