This is site for American renewal. We will start locally and become a model for doing right by our fellow citizens.
Friday, April 06, 2012
A whopping 40 states raised taxes between fiscal years 2009 and 2011. Here's a look at the states where tax revenues increased the most.
These are the six states where tax revenues are soaring.
1. Delaware > Increase in personal income tax: none > Expenditure per capita (2008): $6,800 (3rd highest) > 2009 budget shortfall: 12.2% (18th highest) > Home price decline from peak: 20.3% (16th largest)
In the past three years, the state of Delaware spent $6,800 per person in its annual budget, approximately two-and-a-half times as much as Nevada. The state’s government spent the 10th-most per person in the country on Medicare in 2009, and the 13th-most per person on pensions. In its fiscal year 2011 budget, the state was forced to address an 11.4% budget gap by cutting funds to education and the state workforce.
Despite these cuts, the recession has weighed heavily on the state’s budget. Delaware has experienced among the biggest declines in home values in the country over the past five years. The state raised tax revenues to help address the resulting budget gap. These hikes included at least 5% increases in corporate and cigarette taxes. The state also temporarily raised the cap on the corporate franchise tax from $165,000 to $180,000. As a result of these and other changes, state tax revenue increased by more than 9% between 2009 and 2011.
The City of Dover has been able to cut a 3.4 million dollar structural general fund deficit in half by changing the curve on spending. Now the tough work begins. 1 million dollars of the remaining structural deficit is due to changing regulations and tipping fees through Delaware Solid Waste Authority and rising gas prices for the sanitation department. All of the budget news is not bad though. Thanks to new natural gas recovery techniques, the price of natural gas has fallen which enables us to decrease electric rates. This makes my stand on the budget pretty simple.
I am opposed to any tax hike. The 700k deficit should be closed by an across the board general fund 2% cut except for the police where I favor a 20% fine increase and Capital school district paying more for its school resource officers. No police cuts should occur. I should highlight the fact that we are planning a 12% cut in electric rates because costs have gone down. The average person will only see 60% of that cut because you will likely pay $6 a month more in trash fees because there our costs have gone up because of gas, yard waste fees, and tipping fees to the point where we are losing a million dollars next year. Let's be honest gas doubled in the last three years, dump fees have as well. It is a more honest accounting not an increase because in reality your bill will drop. We will just take less from you in electric rates which will for most of you be double the increase in trash fees. That is a trade I will make every month because it is more money in my pocket and yours.
The general fund has a structural problem unlike the other 10 funds the city has, the spending was based on high transfer taxes and building permit fees during the boom times, but the new normal is here. Washington's debt building policies and Delaware's crazy energy and Del DOT policies are hurting economic growth. We have to deal with the issue instead of keeping electric rates higher and bringing more than the amount I advocated as the cap which is 8% of revenues (the maximum that we can be assured for our high bond rating). We keep putting things off to next year, next year is here. We have to condense departments and restructure. We have to have employees and retirees contribute modest amounts to their health care costs like everyone else. We will also cut some positions permanently, including some high level ones while filling positions that improve or keep the level of service the citizens expect.
The real answer is to have strong economic development to bring in stable growth. Projects like the Calpine plant would bring in 2.3 million a year into the city. That one project would eliminate the deficit. I am pushing for other business friendly policies because prosperity solves the problem when combined with fiscal restraint. Tax increases are not the answer.
The City of Dover has been able to cut a 3.4 million dollar structural general fund deficit in half by changing the curve on spending. Now the tough work begins. 1 million dollars of the remaining structural deficit is due to changing regulations and tipping fees through Delaware Solid Waste Authority and rising gas prices for the sanitation department. All of the budget news is not bad though. Thanks to new natural gas recovery techniques, the price of natural gas has fallen which enables us to decrease electric rates. This makes my stand on the budget pretty simple.
I am opposed to any tax hike. The 700k deficit should be closed by an across the board general fund 2% cut except for the police where I favor a 20% fine increase and Capital school district paying more for its school resource officers. No police cuts should occur. I should highlight the fact that we are planning a 12% cut in electric rates because costs have gone down. The average person will only see 60% of that cut because you will likely pay $6 a month more in trash fees because there our costs have gone up because of gas, yard waste fees, and tipping fees to the point where we are losing a million dollars next year. Let's be honest gas doubled in the last three years, dump fees have as well. It is a more honest accounting not an increase because in reality your bill will drop. We will just take less from you in electric rates which will for most of you be double the increase in trash fees. That is a trade I will make every month because it is more money in my pocket and yours.
The general fund has a structural problem unlike the other 10 funds the city has, the spending was based on high transfer taxes and building permit fees during the boom times, but the new normal is here. Washington's debt building policies and Delaware's crazy energy and Del DOT policies are hurting economic growth. We have to deal with the issue instead of keeping electric rates higher and bringing more than the amount I advocated as the cap which is 8% of revenues (the maximum that we can be assured for our high bond rating). We keep putting things off to next year, next year is here. We have to condense departments and restructure. We have to have employees and retirees contribute modest amounts to their health care costs like everyone else. We will also cut some positions permanently, including some high level ones while filling positions that improve or keep the level of service the citizens expect.
The real answer is to have strong economic development to bring in stable growth. Projects like the Calpine plant would bring in 2.3 million a year into the city. That one project would eliminate the deficit. I am pushing for other business friendly policies because prosperity solves the problem when combined with fiscal restraint. Tax increases are not the answer.
The fab 3 (just tweaking the critics) moved forward some changes which could save Dover taxpayers some money in the future. The News Journal did a good job reporting the story. It left out that we are also put all insurance programs out for a proposal. The previous meeting, we laid the ground work for a performance audit. There are 5 fine people on the legislative and finance committee it is too bad the media never mentions Dr. Jones and Mr. Shevok who happen to be civilian members and have no vote in full council. The fact is the entire council is looking fabulous this year. We just happen to be the tip of the spear.
Who really owns your property? Does the government? Do you? Do you own it, but the government controls it?
I believe in too many towns that we have a lite version of feudalism, it is an insidious and frustrating system of government control and manipulation of private property. You own it and pay taxes for the privilege of keeping it, but do not try to do anything with it without the express permission of the overlord. If you want to relax with your family any time you want in a pool on your own property, you have a maze of conflicting regulations. If you want to have a few organic eggs for your health, too bad we are watching you. If you want to put a solar panel on your house, jump through twelve hoops. If you want to keep the litter of cats because all of your friends are too smart to take any, we want you to choose which ones may be killed. If you want to paint your home some unique color, that is not our liking. If you want a Bible study, have your neighbors walk to it. If you want to work from your home, did we give you permission? Every action seems proscribed and you have to pay for the privilege with your annual payments to the lords called property taxes and maybe homeowners association fees.
I believe it is time to restore balance to the property owner. That is why I was proud to lead in advocating , with my friend Sean Lynn, the passage of a zoing and permitting simplification in the City of Dover. Our planner, Anne Marie Townsend put together a work of art. When Mayor Carey signs this law, it will make Dover a much more efficient place to live.
I am pushing a homeowner’s bill of rights which will protect the right of people to have first amendment activities on their properties such as political yard signs, receive literature, fly flags, have Bible studies, and also protect their right to earn a living even if they belong to a homeowner’s association.
I led the way to block mandatory homeowner association membership in developments before there is a bill of rights.
Last night was a busy one in the various committees. I questioned efforts to ban shallow wells. There was an effort to ban fowl and place a strict 5 cat limit in residential areas. Folks if we have another Great Depression, we will rue the day that we could not have a couple of well maintained chickens. In certain areas of Dover, particularly in the Haitian community, this is common practice. Such an assault on their culture is unnecessary as there is no groundswell of complaints. People have found them less annoying than dogs and cats. In a few years, we may be joining them at the rate we are heading. The ban could have also hurt Del-State Research and Agricultural programs which would be bad for jobs.
I did help shepard through committee an effort by the planning office to simplify the pool regulations. It almost bogged down. I was also pleased we lighten the load on landlords by eliminating the requirement for onerous reporting of income for each property. Bill Hare led charge and I was pleased to support him every step of the way.
It seems every two weeks there is another proposal from the planning office to plan more of our lives. Every two weeks, I push back for the individual. I joked that Ann Marie’s staff likely has my picture up on their dart board. What pleases me is that so many other people who used to let it go through are now thinking critically when these issues are raised.
If we are to be a free people, then we must be able to control our own property. I recognize that is not an absolute right, it can be limited when your activity affects my property, but without that fundamental right, we are nothing more than feudal serfs.
Our community can no longer depend on some big business rescuing us. I have nothing against big businesses, but micro and small businesses are the future of the American economy just as much as the large businesses. This is why I will work to make sure our local businesses including minority and women owned businesses are given a fair shot at knowing about city contracts bids. Sadly many new businesses fail very quickly. Why they do not know what resources are available to help them with mentorship, business plans, financing, marketing plans, and expertise to move them through the maze of government regulations. You do not need to fail. You can succeed. Call the Small Business Development Center before you do anything that you will regret. Whether you are planning a start up or wish to fix your existing business, they can help http://www.delawaresbdc.org/ or 678-1555. I also encourage you to go to the Kent County Open for Business event at Levy Court near Target on the First Thursday of each month. 8 to 10 AM. "Kent County is Open for Business" is a series of FREE business development sessions . For more information, please call 302-734-7513 or email jdiogo@cdcc.net. The Delmarva Black Chamber of Commerce is another resource. 302-8600. You will want to avail yourself of the networking opportunities available.
A GREAT START I am pleased to report that we are not raising your utility rates, taxes, or fees nor are we going to lay off city employees. We started with a 3.6 million dollar deficit. There were proposals to lay off 1/7 of our police force, slash almost a 1/11 of our workforce without regard to current levels of service and population increase. Another alternative relied on huge tax increases and fee hikes. The third alternative was more aimed at papering over the problems. Under new leadership in the city administration, there has been a new approach which will give us time to make long term changes. The budget will be voted upon in our next meeting on the 27th. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve you. Together we will restore our city to being a model for the state. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS The top priority has to be helping Dover to be open for business. I am working on several areas which will contribute to more jobs and a better business environment. There are many areas to address. First, the cost of power and new dependable sources of power. Keeping the fuel adjustment cut in the electric rates is important for the average citizen and the job creators, Second ,we need to find new ways for small business to prosper. That is why I brought an export initiative to the attention of our great economic development office. Third, we need to make sure our city looks vibrant and open for business not filled with empty stores large and small. That is why I am supporting a tax abatement program to give credits to fill empty box stores and other initiatives for downtown. We need to keep taxes low for resident and business alike. Fourth, we need to feel secure so bringing our community police units back is a tip budget priority. Fifth, we need to streamline our permit and zoning process so that we do not have unnecessary delays in building a new business. Our planning department proposed a terrific update to our regulations.. It is elegant and efficient. It will help us become the place for business in the long run. All of this has happened in less than two months. I look forward to much more.
JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK You can see regular updates from meeting with seniors, to investigating the homeless problem, to attending job summits, to victories in replacing basketball courts in Capital Green to the budget hearings. It is all on Facebook. I have a public page on Facebook. Please “like” my page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/DavidAndersonforCouncil It gives me one more way to communicate to you and hear FROM you. I cannot succeed without the community. I am only one person. With your support and prayers, I will not fail.
I am pleased that free market and fiscal restraint has taken hold in the Capital city. We are closing a 3.6 million dollar shortfall without layoffs, tax increases, or utility rate increases. We have reduced the amount taken from the electric fund and are giving back money in the fuel adjustment as scheduled.
I am honored to be part of some important committees right in the middle of the struggle to improve our future. Legislative and finance, Parks. Recreation, and Community Enhancement (which includes the federal block grants), and tonight the mayor appointed me to be a director of the Downtown Dover Development Partnership. I also chair the Construction appeals board.
Tonight we advanced some important items. We advanced some pro-growth development ideas. One was to reclaim empty box stores and keep the ones we have with an abatement program which gives tax abatement to improvements or new leases which create long term jobs.
Another which just pleases me to no end is a streamlining of the zoning and permitting process. The only disagreement I had with the final product worth talking about is a reduction of the notification of neighboring property owners in the staff proposal from 300 feet back to 200 feet. I think in the long run, more information builds consensus and it was a small trade off for automatic approvals if the historic commission did not respond in 45 days and extending the time that approvals are valid, and many other provisions. Our zoning process has been killing jobs and now we have a chance. Ann Marie Townsend is my new favorite bureaucrat. My favorites are changing daily because so many of the staff are stepping up. In reality, I have too many favorites to name but here is a start, Donna Mitchell, Bill Neaton, Traci McDowell and of course our new interim city manager, Scott Koenig. I look forward to working with Zak Carter as well.
We are off to a positive start.
There are still tough decisions. There were no raises in the budget except the ones for two unions contractually obligated. Non union employees received no raises. The Police are negotiating for raises this year, but I am not optimistic there is any money for that beyond the generous step raises in their contract. Tonight, we began the discussion about getting the other than pension post retirement benefits under control (OPED). I believe very strongly that we need to stop paying for Medicare Part B coverage. Current retirees do not need to worry. I think there would only be two votes to open that discussion up. It is a non issue. The question is should we continue to pay the premium for non-union future retirees? The unions gave that up and new employees do not get it. It is a two tier retirement arrangement that is patently unfair on its face as well as ever increasing in cost. When I look at proposed changes in Medicare, I get the feeling that premiums will go up an unknown amount and the city giving a blank check to pay whatever to a program that you have no control over is insane. The military doesn't do it. The state doesn't do it. The counties don't do it. The federal retirement program doesn't do it. Even Dover unionized employees do not have this benefit. It was an interesting experiment, but it has proven itself to be problematic. We need to cut our losses and focus on putting money aside to actually fund our future employee retirement benefits in the out years. That is my view. It may have gotten jeering from the employee peanut gallery, but in the long run it is best for both the taxpayers and employees.
We also approved in legislative and finance committee a review of the employee health benefits. Kent County pays less than we do per employee. We may be able to provide the level of benefits we desire to give our employees at a lower cost. We may need to pull out of the state system. We are actually subsidizing state employee's benefits because we do not get any refunds when the costs are actually lower than projected. The money once given to the state stays with the state. I would personally like to avoid degrading the benefit package. We need to find more cost effective ways to provide those benefits. The employees deserve our support, but so do the taxpayers who are often forgotten.
In this economy, jobs are disappearing and our budgets are tight. This is true of families, businesses, and even governments. We face the challenge of generation. I believe we are up to it. We just need faith, vision, an action plan, and a willingness to work with each other. It is sounds simpler than it is, granted, but we are Americans. We can handle it. My experience serving this great country assures me of this fact.
I am in consultation with an economist to find some innovative ideas to make our city a better place to do business, but it does not take a PH. D in economics to see what we are doing needs to change. Unemployment continued to rise in Dover even when the national trend stabilized. We are now above the national average. My goal over the next year is to make Dover open for business.
I want to turn this city into a viable enterprise zone. I want to see us take advantage of programs that only a city or locality can administer such as the export grants to businesses through the SBA. I would like to see the community reinvestment money mandated by the Federal government from the banks stay here instead of flowing to Wilmington by setting up our own reinvestment fund. I want to see us streamline regulations and paperwork. I want to see us expand our tax credits for businesses that expand or locate here so we stay competitive with other localities in the state.
I am concerned that we are wasting your money instead of putting it in our community. One example is our water system. A top priority needs to be updating the well heads and repairing the leaks. I still believe we should have lined the pipes for a fraction of the cost and time of replacement. Our declining infrastructure is hurting our job creation. When our water system can only operate at 80% design capacity, it keeps industry from locating here. The infiltration in our waste water system or runoff is costing us $1,000,000 a year to pay the county for water that shouldn’t have been in the system.
That is $1,000,000 not helping our community. It could be paying for community police, youth programs, or repairing our streets. Maybe it could be helping us bring jobs here. Instead it is literally being flushed down the sewer.
This has to stop. Please help me stop it next Tuesday April 19th by honoring me with your vote for city council.
Sincerely,
David Anderson
P. S. If you would like to help, go to davidandersonforcouncil.com and contribute or volunteer.
"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding," Justice Louis D. Brandeis.
If you have ever believed it was time to stand up for Americanism, believe it now. Free enterprise, free political expression, freedom of religion, and a free and independent America are at stake in this election.
I believe that American freedom has not been under such an assault since the height of the Cold War. What is worse is that the threat is not from agents overseas, but our own leaders. It is not from those who mean us harm, but those who mean us well.
Hyperbole, No. Let me make my case.
The Regime in Washington has taken every turn to shackle the American economy. The appointed admitted Marxists and Maoists to the highest positions not requiring confirmation. They are trying to impose new restrictions on the Chesapeake watershed which could devastate the Delaware economy. They are pushing new EPA rules on carbon dioxide which would give dangerous unconstitutional power to the EPA to run every aspect of American life in an effort to scare Congress into some form of Cap and Trade. Cap and Trade would cost 2.3 million jobs and each family $1769 to make their rich cronies billions upon billions. They are pushing a tax bill which would cost Delawareans 20,ooo jobs.
They are working overtime to dismantle America's nuclear deterrent while at the same time eliminating the missile shield which was the result of two decades of work and innovation. We are a weaker nation and more vulnerable than anytime since Jimmy Carter and maybe Peril Harbor.
The courts are being packed with ACLU types who have unleashed a religious cleansing. We are on the verge of a secular/religious apartheid. The courts are trying to wipe America clear of any tradition of based upon faith. They assault the definition of marriage, they assault the right to post the Ten commandments, they assault the right to have a cross at a Veteran's cemetery, they assault the military's ability to maintain order and discipline in the middle of a war. Courts threatened to jail Americans for praying over a meal. Nativity scenes are challenged at Christmas. The mere criticism of the distortion of the so called separation of church and state is treated like a crime against the state.
They have raided the middle class to bailout their billionaire friends. We are stuck with the highest sustained unemployment since the Great Depression. The national debt is skyrocketing. We are no longer loaning it to ourselves. What foreign powers are not loaning us, we are printing. We have replaced monetary policy with the insanity that bankrupts nations.
Even the rule of law itself is under assault. The regime in Washington is trying to find backdoor ways to give amnesty to illegals and our own Amnesty John Carney has just declared his intent to back them.
Our values are under assault, our economy is undermined, and the rule of law is undervalued.
My friends it is time to get motivated. We need to fight for our country, our liberty, and our children. We need to tell our friends and our families that they need to get off the fence and in the trenches. This election is not about personalities. It is about survival. We can no longer afford the luxury of Coons, Carney, Flowers, Korn, or your local go along Democrat. The day to make a difference is November 2. If you are going to throw your vote away, stay home. If you are going to be serious, then you will vote for candidates who support the Constitution over those who would undermine it.
Those who won our independence... valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. --Justice Louis Brandice
My fellow patriots, where ever you are join with me in showing that courage necessary to secure that gift of liberty. Let the ring of freedom be heard loudly across America. Let it be heard so loudly that it will be an hundred years before the clanging of the chains of socialism is ever heard again.
Forget the odds. The Voice of Truth says trust, believe, and work for victory. The day is ours.
5 Votes that is it. 5 people willing to think out of the box of higher taxes and slower economic expansion. I hate that we are one vote short on City council in the city of Dover. I pointed out some time ago that we needed to adjust spending because we were on a path that could not be sustained without tax increase. It has cost us millions. In good times the city budget soared, now it is time to pay the bill. Some council members have come to the realization that we need to reign in spending. Some still have not.
It appears that we are one vote shy. We need to change that fact. I believe we need to manage our money better. We need to partner with the municipalities throughout the county to expand libraries accessible to all citizens of the county. We don’t need to go it alone. It makes no sense to duplicate the expenditures when we can be partners. The same is true of parks. I was glad to be part of helping save taxpayers 10 million dollars by opposing the original 13 million dollar Schutte Park facility. I was a vocal advocate of a metal building which fit in the budget. As part of the parks and recreation committee, I participated in the change so I know it is possible. We can have everything we need just not everything we see. We not only have to set priorities, but we need to find the most cost effective way to achieve them.
Quite frankly, I think this applies across the board not just to city government.
Sorry I was too busy enjoying Father’s day to really concentrate on writing a post. The kids are in bed and my favorite shows Army Wives and Ice Road Truckers are over. I enjoyed the fact that my children are at the top of the heap with state testing. My son even made that rare distinguished grade. The coveted 5 not garnered by more than 1 in 200 in Math. My wife credits the Singapore Math curriculum. That is definitely part of it because he has improved, but it also has to do with his hard work and using his GOD given talents. He scored well across the board. My daughter likewise. This year she lost bragging rights, she is only a 4 again. She is just in the top group. I had better be careful with my joking she may read this. Without a doubt, I am proud of both of them. She is one of the most incredible people, I have met. She is intelligent, civic minded, spiritual, and loves people of all stages and classes of life. What gets me more impressed is the character that they show. They are people of compassion, strength, and character. They are the people who will shovel out an elderly person and not take money because they believe they should look out for their elders. They will make sure that relatives know they need to come back in time for church at a sleep over. They understand the idea of civic obligation. It is not always about you. They know that our duty in life is to love GOD, love your neighbor. They are not the only kids that I am proud of. My stepsons are in their 20’s now. I am very proud of them. They are not only fine upstanding individuals, but they are beginning to transfer those same values to their very young children. They will help people who can’t help them back. They obey the law, live responsibility, and bring their families closer to GOD. A man couldn’t be happier with the quality of his family than I.
I think it comes honestly. My father, Levi Anderson, was a person of character who loved GOD and loved people. He held nothing back. His own comfort, reputation, or convenience mattered not if it conflicted with the larger picture. He loved his GOD, family, and country. He spent time in Haiti, on short term missions, he spent time in Delaware migrant worker camps (I was privileged to accompany him sometimes.) He supported an orphanage in Haiti until he died. He ministered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who cared to listen. He loved the cross enough to literally carry it. He saw himself as just a country preacher.
When he passed away, it was the first time many people found out that he was a World War 2 disabled American Veteran. He worked in the Executive Office of the President and personally met three Presidents. He was well educated coming back from dropping out of high school to fight in the War to go all the way to Seminary while working full time. He ministered with nationally known ministers that many would recognize in the media before they became household names in Evangelical Christianity. It struck me how many people were impressed with obituary. They came up to me and said why didn’t we know about this. The answer was that outside of his military service, he considered all of that good, but secondary to the greatest priviledge he ever had, ministering to people.
Since this is a political blog, I will deal with his politics. He was the Chaplain of the 32nd district Republican committee. He was a big Colin Bonini fan and a strong Bill Roth supporter. He thought Mr. Castle was a liberal. His father was a small business man. My father was also pro-business. He was involved in local anti-tax movements. He was an ardent anti-communist. Carl McIntyre was a regular staple in our home. I would say that the issues that most motivated where the cultural issues. The abortion tragedy, the rise of the counter culture with drugs, fornication, homosexuality, and soft on crime attitudes where major concerns. The oppression of religious liberty especially the religious apartheid pushed by the secular left designed to reshape a new generation with situational values. He spoke at pro-life rallies. He believed so strongly in the cause that even though he was sick and recently hospitalized, he made sure to call and eventually walk his area to get out the vote. He wouldn’t let a little thing like a broken hip socket from a winter fall and walker get in the way of that. He loved this country and always believed in its betterment. One year he had complications from dialysis and was too ill to vote that day. What did he do? He voted. He just borrowed a wheel chair and made sure to get out even though he was so affected that he had to have my mother read the ballot to him. He wanted to be sure that Colin Bonini got his vote in 1998 (if my memory is correct). It was an off year and no big races were on the ballot, but he wouldn’t let his friend down. He believed that Colin was one of our future leaders and needed support no matter what it took. I think he was right. What it showed me was his that he represented the best American citizenship. Politics was not his passion but he believed in participatory citizenship. They used to call it being a good American before we became self absorbed.
In his early life, things were not always easy. He and his brother were raised by a divorced mom. She worked for $.40 cents a day plus left over food and chicken bones at the Wayside Inn in Smyrna during the depression. She was a woman and black so the typical dollar a day was not given to her in segregated Delaware. She sent him to school at 4 1/2 so he could get another good meal. They had beans for lunch to help the nutrition of the children. It got tougher with more children and a new family. It was doing this time that he was inspired to one day join the ministry by Elder Mann. His father came down and took the brothers to Wilmington. All of a sudden his life changed. They weren’t rich, but there was always enough. All was not perfect in Wilminton. He was assaulted by a neighborhood gang that was pushing him to join. He resisted. He was hit on the head with a brick while sitting on a curb. Eventually he did join. His natural leadership ablilities took him to the top. Unlike now when gangs are little organized crime syndicates, it was more like a group protecting its turf. He was almost heading the wrong way, but those Japanese bombed us. He found a better reason to fight. His brother signed up. My recently departed Uncle Austin was awarded metals including the Purple Heart for being wounded in the European Theater. My father did not want to duplicate his brother so he joined the Navy. It changed his life. He was paid only 2/3’s of the pay of white sailors because that was the way it was. He served honorably. He returned and thanks to the G. I. bill and Veteran’s preference, went an entirely different direction. He moved to D. C. for the next 25 years. While working in Washington, he was saved. His heart changed for the better and he rediscoverd the passion that first burned in his heart at age 4.
His new passion did not sit well with his wife. She did not want to be married to a preacher and filed for divorce over his objections. Eventually he met and married a lady from his hometown of Smyrna, my mother. They were married 31 years. Together they built a life and family centered upon devotion to GOD. GOD, family, and country were the trio of values they stressed. They both lived a life that was centered on something greater than themselves. When may father was days away from dying, he could not get out to visit people who were discouraged or sick so he called them. He wanted people to know that the best days are ahead for a believer and even death itself can’t change that. He has been departed 10 years, but his impact is still alive in the family and friends he influenced.
It has been a happy Father’s day for me. I hope the same has been true of you.
David Anderson is a city councilman and community activist dedicated to renewing the spirit of Kent County and to doing his part for
America.
I have the priviledge of being a part of the new Academy of Dover School board, a past member of the Dover Human Relations Commission, chairman of the Delaware Right to Life Legislative Committee and a past state vice chair of United We Stand America, DE, Inc.
