WILM 1450 AM, October 2, 2008

Outside the Carvel State Building Thursday morning, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jack Markell and Lieutenant Governor nominee Matt Denn unveiled their cost-savings strategy.

Steps were laid out to aggressively cut costs and make government more efficient, while still finding ways to save the taxpayers money. The comprehensive plan will eliminate wasteful spending, address education and health care, and according to Markell, take Delaware in a new direction toward a better future.

Denn adds, specifically this plan would, institute a state of the art budgeting processes, crack down on fraud, go green and institute a state government performance review.

Associated Press, September 26, 2008

Matt Denn — one of Delaware’s candidates for lieutenant governor — says the state isn’t equally educating children with disabilities.

Denn suggests using current Medicaid dollars to serve children with disabilities. He also says he would help the families and improve efforts to identify disabilities earlier.

Denn says children with disabilities receive an education comparable to a serviceable Chevrolet instead of a Cadillac education.

He says residents shouldn’t accept that double standard since it would never be acceptable to offer children without disabilities a lower-quality education.

The News Journal, September 26, 2008

Lieutenant governor candidate Matt Denn wants more attention and resources given to educating public-school students with disabilities.

The Democrat unveiled another piece of his campaign platform Thursday, saying he wants to improve education for students with disabilities. Denn has made children’s issues the center of his campaign, focusing on improving public schools and health care for children.

Denn said the current standards imply children with disabilities “are not entitled to a Cadillac education, but they are entitled to a serviceable Chevrolet.”

“We would never, ever accept that standard for kids in Delaware who are not impacted by disabilities,” Denn said.

Joined by disability advocates from around the state, Denn hosted a teleconference Thursday to talk about his four-part plan to remedy what he described as a failure to allow students with disabilities to “fulfill their potential when they’re grown adults.”

First, he would require Medicaid and private insurance companies to cover an inexpensive screening for disabilities before children turn 1 year old. Denn said this would allow disabilities to be caught and treated earlier.

Michael McCormick, former director of the University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies, joined Denn in the teleconference and said the early screening is one of the most critical aspects of the plan.

“We can really change the direction of their overall development,” McCormick said.

Second, Denn wants to create a partnership between the state and Widener School of Law to let law students help parents of children with disabilities navigate the complicated system of finding assistance for their children.

Third, he proposed simplifying the funding formula the state uses to provide money to schools who teach children with disabilities. The current formula, he said, involves strings that restrict schools from being able to tailor the money to the needs of individual students.

Fourth, Denn said he wants to work to get more Medicaid waivers for children with disabilities. Denn said better use of federal funds would save the state money and ensure children have the medical treatment and care they need.

Improving education for children with disabilities is a goal everyone can agree upon, Republican opponent Charlie Copeland said, but there are flaws in Denn’s plan for accomplishing that goal.

For example, Copeland said, while he doesn’t know about the screening test Denn described, a mandate for Medicaid and insurance companies to cover it might not be the best path. Plus, Copeland said, that mandate seems to contradict Denn’s other proposal to redo the funding formula.

“I’m glad to see that Matt is finally recognizing the free market,” Copeland said. “It seems to counteract … [the] mandate that would force the insurance companies to pay for a test.”

Copeland said the proposal to have Widener students counsel parents sounds nice but might not be practical, as it would mean asking students still learning about the law to work with parents in crisis mode. Copeland said he has a family member in law school at Widener who is trying to learn the law before practicing it.

“If we want to do that, there ought to be a better way to do that than a law student,” Copeland said.

And as for using federal funds, Copeland said the program must gain federal approval and efforts by other states to use Medicaid to fund local problems have failed.

The News Journal, September 24, 2008

The ability of the lieutenant governor to have an impact on the state was the focus of many questions Tuesday night for two of the candidates running for the state’s second-highest office.

Democrat Matt Denn and Republican Charlie Copeland, battling for the lieutenant governor position, fielded questions from residents of Cokesbury Village in Hockessin.

The question-and-answer session allowed residents of the retirement village to ask both candidates about a variety of topics, including growing the economy, the state budget and the role of the lieutenant governor.

Cokesbury resident Anita Johnson, 82, who pointed out that most of Copeland’s speech sounded like he was running for governor, asked Copeland what he could accomplish as lieutenant governor.

“The lieutenant governor’s job is somewhat ill-defined,” Copeland said, “to preside over the Senate and provide over the board of pardons.”

Copeland said he would be able to be an “independent voice” in Dover and speak out against measures he thinks will not help the state without worrying about partisan politics.

Copeland also pointed out that Delaware has had a governor and lieutenant governor from different political parties seven times.

Insurance Commissioner Denn responded by saying he anticipates fellow Democrat Jack Markell getting elected as governor, and that he would be included in decision-making processes by working with the governor.

Denn also said that as insurance commissioner, he was able to work beyond some of the clearly defined duties and provide insurance-related assistance to residents.

After the debate, Johnson said part of the reason for her question is her belief that the governor and lieutenant governor should be elected together to keep the two offices from being separate parties. She said when that situation occurs, it renders the lieutenant governor nearly powerless.

One participant asked Copeland and Denn if they could improve state spending by removing duplicate programs between the two major universities in the state, to which both responded they see cooperation already taking place between the two schools.

Copeland was asked to explain the basis for his and gubernatorial candidate Judge Bill Lee’s comments that the Delaware Economic Forecast Advisory Council had become politicized.

Copeland said the decisions by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner regarding DEFAC have allowed politics to seep into the process. And as a result, he said, some of the estimates made by the revenue-projecting committee have been overly optimistic, causing the state to spend more money than it has.

“Three years ago I said we’re heading for a train wreck,” Copeland said.

Denn responded by saying he saw no evidence that DEFAC has become politicized and saw the attacks on the committee as attacks on Markell who sits on the board.

Each candidate had a different view on bringing jobs to the state.

Denn said the state’s economic and job efforts should begin with improving public education to produce a better work force and making the quality of life more appealing for businesses considering relocating.

Copeland said while the state has long been considered corporation friendly, it has rarely been business friendly and more needs to be done to help smaller businesses and limited liability companies.

E. A. Trabant, a resident of Cokesbury, said he found both men interesting and well-informed.

“I’ll take both of them,” Trabant said.

WDEL 1150 AM, September 7, 2008

If you did have any property damage because of Tropical Storm Hanna, Delaware’s insurance commissioner’s office has several tips for you.

Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn says one of the first thigns you should do is call your insurance company to let them know what’s going on. Then, take pictures or video of the damage and make whatever temporary repairs are necessary to keep the damage from getting worse.

In the coming days, make sure you save all you receipts and use good judgement when working with contractors.

Denn encourages anyone with any questions to call the Insurance Commissioner’s office at 1-800-292-8611. For more information on what to do if your home was damaged, visit the Insurance Commissioner’s website at www.delawareinsurance.gov.

The News Journal, September 12, 2008

A standing-room-only crowd packed a 300-seat auditorium at the Jewish Community Center in Talleyville on Thursday night to see the first encounter between statewide candidates since the state primary that drew a record 103,000 voters to the polls Tuesday.

They saw some firsts and heard some boos.

They saw the gubernatorial field shrink when Mike Protack, the nominee of the Independent Party of Delaware, announced he was bowing out of the race because it was “the right thing to do” and left the platform after his opening remarks.

They saw Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee, who beat Protack in the GOP primary Tuesday, make his first appearance in a forum with other gubernatorial candidates.

They heard Democrat Jack Markell tweak his comments a bit, steering clear of any mention of the Minner-Carney administration, which he had often used in his primary campaign against Lt. Gov. John Carney, instead urging Delawareans to “join together” to make Delaware stronger.

And they heard some boos when Republican U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell explained why she had changed her position on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life.

They did not see O’Donnell’s Democratic opponent, six-term Sen. Joe Biden, because Biden was in New York City attending 9/11 observances with his running mate, presidential candidate Barack Obama. Instead, Biden’s niece and Senate campaign manager, Missy Owens, read opening and closing speeches Biden had sent. Owens took no questions.

“And so there is no explanation for his inconsistent voting record,” O’Donnell said. “He has spent 35 years getting away with saying one thing on TV and doing another in Washington.”

Lee vs. Markell

Lee took several opportunities to jab Markell — saying Markell’s support of charter schools was not wholehearted because the state teachers union opposes charters.

He also wondered if the three-term state treasurer is the one to bring real change to the state.

“We need real change, not just the same people in different jobs,” Lee said.

Markell spoke again of his respect for Carney, his opponent in the 15-month primary campaign, and noted that they had appeared in more than 20 such forums, perhaps a subtle reference to Lee’s absence before the primary.

“I was really impressed with him,” said Annette Chason, 80, a Brandywine Hundred Democrat. “He was right on target and he didn’t hesitate.”

Bernard Malik, a Republican from Newark, said he thought Lee did OK, but “could have done much better. He came on a little slow, but this is his first debate.”

Markell’s defeat of Carney, though, could be a big boost for Lee’s candidacy, Malik said.

Both men said they would do away with the unpopular Delaware Student Testing Program and replace it with a test that provided results and opportunity for change during and after the school year.

Malik liked what he heard from O’Donnell.

“Christine said all the things I think,” he said. “She was the only one to take the unpopular stand on the pro-life issue.”

The stand was quite unpopular with Chason.

“She just made me think of [Republican vice presidential candidate] Sarah Palin, and I don’t like her,” Chason said.

U.S. representative

U.S. Rep. Mike Castle and his Democratic opponent, Karen Hartley-Nagle, sparred over his voting record.

Hartley-Nagle said 90 percent of Castle’s votes in Congress were with President George Bush. Castle handed her a copy of a recent Congressional Quarterly article that tallied his votes with Bush at 59 percent.

Lieutenant governor

In questions about prison health care, state Sen. Minority Leader Charlie Copeland, R-West Farms, who is running for lieutenant governor and had been a vocal critic of the Minner administration’s handling of problems in the prison system, focused his comments instead on treating drug abusers and addressing job issues for those who leave prison.

His Democratic opponent, Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn, said the state must consider changing its health care provider for the prison system, and must do a better job of addressing the more than 82 points in the state-signed consent agreement.

Insurance commissioner

Karen Weldin Stewart, Democratic candidate for insurance commissioner, noted her experience in associations with insurance commissioners and said she is most qualified for the job. She promoted such initiatives as real-time electronic approval for tests and procedures.

Sussex County attorney John Brady, Republican candidate for insurance commissioner, stood up on the platform so the audience could verify that he was “the biggest candidate.”

“And I will give you more per square inch!,” he said.

He also noted his record of trimming costs in the Recorder of Deeds office, while holding fees steady and giving raises to staff.

Tom Savage, the Independent Party of Delaware’s candidate for insurance commissioner, focused his comments on a single-payer health care system that is not administered by insurance companies.

The debate was sponsored by the Wilmington Chapter of Hadassah and the Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Delaware.

The News Journal, September 7, 2008

Campaign Web sites have become an unavoidable part of running for office. But one lieutenant governor candidate is giving new face to the campaign blog.

Democrat Matt Denn’s blog on his campaign site includes a mix of policy positions, fundraising appeals and humor — sometimes all at once.

Friday, he appealed for donations, writing that readers could help by “getting 400 of your best friends to send me $1,200 apiece, or by convincing my parents to reveal the secret family fortune that they concealed from me to date so it would not affect my work ethic.”

He described his twin boys’ behavior in Monday’s Labor Day Parade: “throwing shoes out of their wagon, using American flags as swords to duel with, Sumo wrestling while wagon is in motion, etc.”

And last Monday, he wished his wife, Michele, a happy six-year wedding anniversary, recounting that they hadn’t been alone for very long after getting married.

“Lenny arrived four years ago from the local pug breeder, and Zach and Adam arrived three and a half years ago from … well … Mrs. Denn,” he wrote. “I am not going to turn this blog into a Hallmark card, so I will just wrap up by saying Happy Anniversary Michele — I will be home later with the steaks & wine.”

The News Journal, September 3, 2008

Matt Denn, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, unveiled his plan to make all children in Delaware eligible for health care coverage.

Denn, who presently is the state insurance commissioner, wants to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to 300 percent of the poverty level. Currently, the program covers children of families earning between 100 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or between $21,200 and $42,400.

The expansion would cover a family of four earning $63,600 a year and would require a federal waiver. Denn’s plan also would allow families to buy SCHIP coverage for their children at full cost.

To cover children who are eligible for SCHIP but not on it, Denn said the state should move from monthly premiums to co-pays.

Denn was involved in a bill aimed at expanding SCHIP that became law in June.

Race to Nov. 4 general election also includes the persistent Protack

The News Journal, September 11, 2008

State Treasurer Jack Markell had little time Wednesday to savor his stunning two-point victory in the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary. Less than 12 hours after Lt. Gov. John Carney Jr. called him to concede the race, Markell was on the air with a Philadelphia TV station.

“I was told my celebration ended last night when I got into bed,” Markell said Wednesday.

After the TV spot, he had a conversation with the Democratic Governors Association, met with staff, started working through an estimated 500 phone and e-mail messages, and turned his focus to Republican primary winner Bill Lee.

Lee, a retired Superior Court judge, thrashed his GOP opponent Mike Protack even more soundly than he did in the 2004 primary, but Protack remains on the Nov. 4 general election ballot as the nominee of the 600-member Independent Party of Delaware.

Markell was definitely not the opponent Lee was expecting to face now.

“We have to refocus the campaign,” Lee said Wednesday.

Three of the four gubernatorial candidates on the November ballot face off together for the first time tonight at a 7 p.m. forum for statewide candidates at the Bernard and Ruth Siegel Jewish Community Center in Talleyville. Jeff Brown, a new entry as the gubernatorial nominee of the tiny, 2-year-old Blue Enigma Party he chairs, did not meet the eligibility requirements for the forum, according to organizer Karen Venezky. Instead, Brown kicks off his campaign tonight at Catherine Rooney’s Irish Pub in Wilmington.

Markell said he will not change the message he has delivered since he entered the race in June 2007: Delaware needs to do things differently to remain a great state.

But he can expect to hear a twist on the refrain he used often during his primary campaign against Carney. There, he referred repeatedly to the Minner-Carney administration, saying he represented the most significant change from the way things had been done in Delaware under Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.

Lee likes that tune, and even more when he adds Markell’s name to it.

“We’re going to remind people that Jack is part of the Minner-Carney-Markell administration,” Lee said. “He is a career politician and governor is only his immediate goal. He intends to spend his career in this profession, and that carries certain baggage with it.”

Lee said he will be a regular participant in debates now that the primary is over. He is not pleased that Protack remains on the landscape and may be included in such events, too.

“I went to church two weeks ago and the pastor said, ‘Pick the most irritating person in your life and forgive them and move on,’ ” Lee said. “But pastor, I’m not able to do this right now. That’s a real challenge to my faith. I’d prefer to forget him than forgive him.”

Carney jumps on board

Markell, meanwhile, called Carney a “total class act” who, after conceding the race, immediately urged his supporters to back Markell in November.

“We had a very positive campaign, focused on the issues, and I think people will be very open to a message of unity after a campaign like that,” Markell said.

Carney said the 15-month primary campaign was a “profound experience I will never forget,” with 20 to 25 encounters between himself and Markell.

Recovery may be tougher for his supporters than for Carney. “It has its impact, but we’re Democrats,” he said. “Today we’re on the same team and we will be through November and beyond.”

John Daniello, chairman of the state Democratic Party, did not return messages Wednesday. But Jim Paoli, chairman of the New Castle County Democratic Committee, which had endorsed Carney, believes that unity will emerge. Paoli was among the Carney supporters who made their way to Markell’s victory celebration to offer congratulations.

“They both ran a good race,” Paoli said. “It just came down to the last minute.”

Carney said he will look at a variety of options, but will find ways to serve.

“We have so many challenges — educating kids in the urban environment, providing health care, crime and safety issues. I just feel like I shouldn’t walk away.”

Protack said his nomination by the Independent Party probably hurt him in the GOP primary. He thought it would be a good thing, he said, but now believes voters saw him as trying to play both sides.

After tonight’s forum, Markell said, he plans to stash his cell phone, his Blackberry and his laptop and steal away to Bethany Beach for a few days with his family.

Lee will be out full-throttle at community events and fundraisers, with stops Saturday at the Delaware Volunteer Firemen’s Association parade in Dover, the University of Delaware football game and a breast cancer fundraiser at Longwood Gardens.

First Jewish candidates

The guys running for lieutenant governor say they are confident in their tickets’ headliners.

“We are very unified, energized by the national ticket, the local ticket and by who we’ve got down the ballot in local offices,” said state Senate Minority Leader Charlie Copeland, R-West Farms. “We’ll let the citizens of Delaware decide what kind of change they need.”

Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn, the Democrats’ nominee, said Markell is a great candidate.

“But he probably thinks this means he gets to call ’shotgun’ when we’re in the same car,” Denn said. “I’m not willing to concede that yet.”

Markell and Denn are the first Jewish nominees for the state’s highest offices, a milestone of sorts in a state that marks its firsts.

“It’s quite important and historic,” said Venezky, a former New Castle County Council member who works for the Jewish Federation of Delaware, “but certainly the Jewish community in Delaware is accepted in every area. Many of us have been elected officials, so I don’t consider it historic in the sense of acknowledging acceptance.”

Markell said he is proud of his religion, but he’s running to be governor for all Delawareans.

“I think people are looking for those who can best lead and best serve,” he said. “People have learned that race, religious background and any other kind of background really does not matter.”

Associated Press, September 8, 2008

DOVER, Del. — Delaware’s insurance commissioner has a few tips for residents who plan to make insurance claims due to Tropical Storm Hanna.

Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn says one of the first things to do is call your insurer and let them know about the damage.

Pictures or video also should be taken and temporary repairs made to keep the damage from getting worse.

Property owners also should keep all receipts and use good judgment in dealing with contractors.