There are more problems than health care with the migration of older individuals and people in general into Delaware. Infrastructure like roads, sewer systems, water and electricity are way behind the curve on keeping up with the amount of cars on the roads and toilets flushed. Just look at Del. 1, Del. 24 and the Millsboro bypass for starters.
For sewer systems, look at Lewes, its Board of Public Works problems and sewage spills in the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal. Then, the Indian River coal plant that generates electric has been taken off the grid in the name of climate change. What is replacing it?
And, yes, the overbuilding has to stop. We are losing open space and farmland, which is what people come to Sussex County for.
The Cape Henlopen School District has just built two schools on Del. 24 and wants money to make the high school bigger again.
No sales tax in Delaware, period. This affects the people who have lived in Delaware not just all their lives but for generations. The people moving in should be handled like “snowbirds” in Florida. The people coming in and those who only stay for part of the year should pay more property and school taxes. My suggestion is to double new residents’ property and school taxes. If you are coming from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, etc., it is still a bargain because there is no sales tax in Delaware, and the taxes in those states are much, much higher than here.
I have no problem with work incentives. These can be given by the employer, with help from the state via the increase in taxes.
If you want young families to move to Delaware, the education system must drastically improve from 47th out of 50 states in math and reading. Schools, attendance and discipline have been going downhill for years. The solution shouldn’t be forming committees that do zero.
Thank you for reading.
Deirdre Taylor
Newark and Lewes
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
