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Op-Ed

Op-Ed

My take: Labor market, Kroger-Albertsons and Macy’s

A few odds and ends from the labor market and retailing. First off, we won't see the state's labor market (unemployment) report for January until March, followed by the February stats later in the month. The state's jobless rate is likely to remain fairly steady. The timing of reports has to do with a short month and labor market figures being...

My take: Trolley Square and crime news

The Trolley Square neighborhood was rocked last weekend by news of a shooting outside the Logan House. Details are few, a long-running policy from Wilmington police that sometimes leads to rampant speculation. To its credit, the landmark eatery and entertainment spot responded that it would work with the city to limit the possibility of a reoccurrence.  Naturally enough, a minor frenzy...

My take: The state employee health insurance crisis

The news has come out in dibs and dabs, but it is becoming increasingly clear that rising state employee and retiree healthcare costs have reached the crisis stage. In his recent budget address, Gov. John Carney noted that healthcare costs now account for about one-third of the state's $6 billion budget. One option is increasing state employee healthcare premiums by...

My take: ‘What we know’ headlines spreading like Kudzu

You may have noticed a trend in the world of headlines. All too often, headline writers, instead of simply summarizing the story, add terms like "what we know," "what you should know," and "what we know so far." You can also add the "Here's what you should know" phrase that made its way into a bitcoin "explainer" story in the New...

Avelo notes: Passenger traffic stats and more parking as motel and long-vacant restaurant are razed

The Wilmington Airport (ILG) had hinted on social media that more parking is on the way. On Thursday, we learned that next week, demolition will begin on the former Comfort Inn Skyways and the long-vacant Damon's Ribs buildings, both of which are a short walk from the terminal. The Delaware River and Bay Authority forked over $4 million to buy...

Guest view: My worst decision – Incorporating in Delaware

By Philip Shawe, CEO and co-founder of TransPerfect I have been blessed to have the greatest job in the world. It’s the only one I have had since graduating from NYU business school in 1993. A year before that in 1992, I started TransPerfect with my partner as students—our world headquarters was my dorm room. We were completely broke, so...

My take: Governor’s race heats up

The Democratic Party's 2024 race for governor is heating up. Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long gained the endorsement of the Delaware House leadership on Tuesday.  Support from the group, led by House Speaker Valerie Longhurst, was good news for Hall-Long, whose campaign was sputtering over finance reporting handled by her spouse in previous campaigns. The group, led by longtime Hall-Long supporter...

My take: Time for an inspector general

It has been a while since this column discussed the obvious need for an inspector general in Delaware. The lack of action on the legislative front has not stopped the Delaware Coalition for Open Government from keeping the idea alive. At its annual meeting earlier this month, the group brought in the Inspector General for the City of Atlanta...

My take: About Avelo’s service moves

For a time, during the Thanksgiving holiday, airline service from Wilmington Airport (ILG) appeared to again be on the ropes. Published reports indicated that Avelo Airlines temporarily cut service to two warmer Florida destinations during January and February. That wasn't true. It is possible that the two cities briefly dropped off the website during scheduling updates and the writing process. It came on...

My take: Thanksgiving dinner, cheap turkey and inflation

Let's talk turkey. Earlier in the week, the Delaware Farm Bureau passed along its annual Thanksgiving Dinner survey. The average cost of a turkey dinner in Delaware came in a few dollars above the national average. In Delaware, the cost of a dinner for ten is $64.05 or less than $6.50 per person coompared to...

My take: Energy transition hits some big potholes

In the words of the theme song from the TV series "Friends," solar and offshore wind power seem to "stuck in second gear." (You can tell those lyrics date back to when it was easy to buy a vehicle with a manual transmission). Some of this turmoil can be blamed on politicians and public policy groups that have made headway in convincing...

The case for restaurant apprenticeships

By Carl Georigi Concepts like career advancement, mentorship, leadership, and hands-on learning are likely far from the mind of the average restaurant customer, sitting down to gather with neighbors and friends over a delicious meal. But for restaurant employers like me, they’re an increasing part of how I run my business – all thanks to an apprenticeship. Long associated with...

My take: A Wilmington streetcar line?

My take: A Wilmington streetcar line? Wilmington-based AmeriStarRail continues making a longshot bid to take over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor operations. The start-up, headed by longtime transit advocate Scott Spencer, has some worthy suggestions for Amtrak, including a fast-track bridge project over the Susquehanna River west of the Delaware state line. The chances of the common-sense bridge and other AmeriStarRail ideas becoming...

My take: Dogfish Head stays off-center and that’s a good thing

(Sam Calagione, right and Boston Beer founder Jim Koch) Dogfish Head owner Boston Beer Co. released its third quarter report last month. The earnings report of Dogfish Head owner Boston Beer does not get much attention in Delaware. Dogfish is only a small sales piece for Boston Beer, a craft brewing pioneer with a knack for tapping into the latest...

My take: No scooters for you

Last week, I watched the movie "Old Dads" on Netflix.The film featured three unreformed guys in their 50s facing a world of political correctness, especially at a southern California preschool where the tuition was so steep that they sold their business. The lead character, dealing with anger management issues, raged at many things, including a power scooter rider hogging...
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