On revenue Carney claims his hands are tied, but are they?

Filed in National by on March 13, 2017

John Carney claims that he is powerless, impotent, useless. His hands are tied. There is nothing he can do to raise revenue that doesn’t involve cutting taxes for multi-national corporations in the name of “growth” in order to stay “competitive” with other rival tax havens.

That is a bunch of bullshit and someone with the guts to call Carney out on that bullshit is John Kowalko.

“So the progressive approach is to raise property taxes on the middle class and those who can’t afford it”

NO! The “progressive” approach is to create higher tax brackets (for example a minimally higher .5% on earnings OVER $125,000 and .75% on earnings OVER $250,000 per year. Putting it more simply, a higher bracket for those individuals earning more than a quarter-million dollars in taxable income in one year (after exemptions and any other loopholes have been utilized). I have previously introduced and will reintroduce that specific legislation as soon as we return to session. Last session that legislation successfully emerged from committee with bipartisan support but House leadership would not allow it to the floor for a vote of the full house. That “progressive” tax bracket legislation would have cost an individual earning $250,000 (a quarter million) in taxable income an additional $675 (six hundred and seventy-five dollars) per year in taxes.

“Progressive” taxation is recovering some of the taxpayer-funded corporate giveaways by raising the “franchise tax” cap enjoyed by the richest (minimal stock asset value of approximately $660 million) global conglomerates incorporated in Delaware by $60,000 per year. This would raise $108 million with no duress suffered by these multi-billion dollar corporations. I will be reintroducing this legislation once again this session.

“Progressive” taxation is not unfairly burdening those more fortunate with a disproportionate asking or taking. It is making sure that the necessary services provided by government (roads, police, education etc.) are adequately funded without any unintended harm to the economy, working people, and business community of Delaware.

“Progressive” taxation policies promote economic growth and economic stability that are necessary to serve any civilized society and its citizens.
– Representative John Kowalko

john carney hands tied

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Jason330 is a deep cover double agent working for the GOP. Don't tell anybody.

Comments (47)

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  1. mediawatch says:

    Perhaps we should remind Carney that his title is “governor,” not “eunuch.”
    Thus far, I see no difference between Carney and Colin Bonini — except that Bonini stands for the principles of his party.

  2. SussexAnon says:

    I can’t blame Carney for not abiding by principles. Delaware Democrats have no principles. They withered on the vine long ago in the interest of maintaining power.

  3. RE Vanella says:

    Impotent or just afraid? Look, the guy has zero intestinal fortitude. Carney basically avoids any controversy or difficult decisions. He’s not a leader and he’s soft like a squid. That’s the problem. But this is our fault. We’ve put up with this (across the state, as SussexAnon wrote). Now is the time to stop.

    See you Thursday at McKean…. That goes for all of you. If you do like it, go tell him so.

  4. Arthur says:

    Uh, what politician will actually make a tough decision? the can has been kicked down the road for decades.

  5. Jason330 says:

    REV, your framing “why can’t a very tiny population of wealthy people pay a tiny percentage more in tax so the schools are decent and the bridges don’t collapse?” is spot on. I hope someone asks him that very question.

  6. mediawatch says:

    One of the many problems with Delaware, and perhaps its most significant, is that all elected officials not named Kowalko must have been awarded honorary doctorates from the Grover Norquist School of Government Finance.

  7. RE Vanella says:

    Agree with you Arthur. Which is why he needs some push back. He needs to be made uncomfortable. He needs to be made to act.

    I will say that there are some politicians who will at least have some sort of agenda and some sort of plan. She or he will present an argument, try to you know convince people of something. Take a stand on something… and say so. Take Mr John Kowalko for example. He stands for something and is trying to convince people.

  8. Arthur says:

    Kowalko is like a quadruple amputee yelling and screaming that he’s going to kick your ass. He has absolutely no political power.

  9. jason330 says:

    Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.

  10. RE Vanella says:

    He’s a politician representing his district. What else would you have him do? He has an argument. He makes it strongly and in public.

    Like the Gatsby line… He’s worth the whole damn bunch put together.

    I get that he’s just one guy from Newark… But at least he has a conviction, and the courage to say it.

  11. Arthur says:

    well you need someone other than kowalko

  12. Arthur says:

    conviction and courage have nothing to do with politics.

  13. RE Vanella says:

    I’d alter that just a bit. We need more just like him.

    The reason Dover snickers & whispers behind his back is because Dover is replete with people who want to be like John Carney.

  14. RE Vanella says:

    On the other bit, I disagree.

  15. Arthur says:

    a lot of people have conviction. hell the guy on the corner with a screaming with a sign on the corner that ‘the end is near’ has conviction. a politician needs to be able to build support and create change from within the system and kowalko has no ability to do that. so he’s at a great spot – yell and scream to his constituents what they want to hear and know they will always vote for him but know he wont be able to actually get anything done because he has no political strength

  16. RE Vanella says:

    Conviction to make a compelling but politically difficult argument. Not the kind you described.

  17. Arthur says:

    my point still stands that he can tilt all the windmills he wants but he has no way of pulling anything off, hence why he has never gotten past his small office.

  18. mouse says:

    Why can’t a tiny population of wealthy people who have made 100% of the economic gains for decades while average people lose buying power pay a bit more..

  19. RE Vanella says:

    I’m not arguing that he’s been effective. At least he’s not a worthless cypher, is my point.

  20. Arthur says:

    if he’s not effective then why keep electing him? if politicians held their positions based on effectiveness we would (fortunately) have no politicians.

  21. john kowalko says:

    Arthur,
    Your cynical acceptance of the status-quo is all to common and breeds an apathetic subservience among many voters. Your comments certainly contain a fair amount of legitimate frustration with a system of government that is often dominated by powerful people who wish to retain their power and rich entities that wish to become even richer (with little to no regard for those less fortunate). I must however try to answer some of the misperceptions and misconceptions regarding politics that you express here.

    !) “Kowalko is like a quadruple amputee yelling and screaming that he’s going to kick your ass. He has absolutely no political power”.

    Response: Political power is not the exclusive purview of any politician. It is wielded most effectively by the public and eventually the public will prevail (if it chooses to exercise that power). If I can alert the public to enthusiastically embrace their circumstances and use their “political power” then I’ve become their conduit for change to the system.

    2) “well you need someone other than Kowalko”

    Response: You need others in addition to Kowalko, created by the voter and responsive to that voter who are beholden only to the public’s interest and will show the public the amount of power they can wield.

    3) “conviction and courage have nothing to do with politics”.

    Response: It takes no special courage to have convictions but to dismiss and stifle your own convictions takes a certain amount of cowardice. If you feel there is no room in politics for “courage of convictions” then I feel a fair amount of pity for you.

    3) “my point still stands that he can tilt all the windmills he wants but he has no way of pulling anything off”

    Response: You couldn’t be farther from the truth in this comment. “Pulling anything off” will be the direct and measurable result of informing the public of alternatives to the status-quo and reminding and assuring that same public of their ability to “pull anything off” they choose to.

    4) “if he’s not effective then why keep electing him”?

    Response: Never underestimate the ability of the public to appreciate what’s in their own best interest. If you keep informing them and assuring them that you will be their voice and “prove” it everyday by working hard for them (and only for them) then they will “keep electing” you. It’s not rocket science.
    Representative John Kowalko

  22. Festering Troll says:

    The vote on Kowalko’s legislation shouldn’t be a vote on the popularity of Kowalko, this is a vote on filling a $350 million budget gap in the Delaware General Assembly and not a junior high school vote for f*ck*ng prom king and queen. This is real policy during times of real hardship for many people.

    Kowalko’s bill adding increased upper tax brackets is good legislation that puts more of the burden on the people who can afford it while taking the burden off of people who are struggling to keep food on their tables. It may even preserve what’s left of Delaware’s dying middle class.

    Why don’t Delaware Democrats know how to be progressive beyond social issues (and even then it’s a struggle)? WTF? Explain your reluctance to push progressive legislation to me because I just don’t get it.

  23. mouse says:

    Democrats are all aboard with social issues that don’t bother their corporate contributors. Other than that, most vote along with the republicans

  24. Tom Kline says:

    Kowalko is nuts. The way to fix the budget issue is to make massive cuts. The folks who made the investment in school and work very hard for $$$$ will move.

  25. Jason330 says:

    Why don’t you take your own advice and leave? Somalia is a very low tax paradise that would welcome someone as sharp as you.

  26. gary myers says:

    The Delaware Constitution requires a 3/5 supermajority of all members in each House to impose new taxes or to increase the effective rate of any current tax. That means if the Ds are going to pass any tax legislation to help close the budget gap, the Ds will not only have to hold every member of their caucus in both Houses, but also peel off 2 Rs in the Senate. Can someone explain the tactics or strategy of how that is going to be done? Particularly, what carrot or stick will be used to gain the votes of at least two Senate Rs? Perhaps the strategy is out there and committed to the Knights who say Ni for secrecy. But I would give more than one shrubbery to have someone set out their view of the “great compromise” that will provide the necessary votes to increase or impose any tax.

  27. jason330 says:

    Who said life was supposed to be easy? I’ll tell you how you don’t do it… by starting out by saying it can’t be done.

  28. Alby says:

    @Gary Myers: Just because you don’t understand how a legislature works doesn’t mean we all have to play dumb.

    It takes at least six years to get anything difficult through the General Assembly. You start out by setting forth all the reasons your bill is wonderful. Then you demonize the other side for protecting the rich. You do this for three consecutive General Assembly sessions.

    We live in an age of populism. The notion that higher taxes on the rich is counter-populist is a bullshit story the GOP has conducted so they can keep on doing what they’ve always done.

    The Democratic Party’s failure to take these obvious steps shows that it’s Democratic in name only.

    The biggest barrier to progressive policies in Delaware is not the GOP. It is the Democratic Party of Delaware.

  29. Tom Kline says:

    LOL – PA baby… 3.07% and we can drive south and shop tax free. Delaware’s entitlements/pensions are to blame. Mismanagement from decades of good ole boys running around with D’s next to their names.

    PS: How’s the murder rate in Wilmington for the first quarter of 17?

    Why don’t you take your own advice and leave? Somalia is a very low tax paradise that would welcome someone as sharp as you.

  30. Jason330 says:

    I’ve got wingnut FB commenter saying PA is a tax hell hole and you claiming it is a paradise. I guess it is all about perspective.

  31. john kowalko says:

    Tom Kline,
    My apologies for lowering myself to your level but I must refer to you as Dear Dimbulb.
    At 0.54 percent, Delaware has the fourth-lowest property tax rate in the country, according to a report earlier this month from wallethub.com.
    while Pennsylvania does so at 1.53 percent.
    The national average is 1.12 percent.
    Let me try to reach those outer extremities of your limited intellect. If you pay $2500 in property taxes in Delaware you will pay $7500 in property taxes in Pennsylvania for the same assessed property. Please move to Somalia, Trump-land or elsewhere where your 85 IQ will be appreciated as genius by comparison.

    Re[presentative John Kowalko

  32. Alby says:

    @Tom Kline: Get a new act. This one stank the first time and it hasn’t improved since.

    You telling others to leave when you’re the one who constantly touts the greener grass over the border is like Trump saying, “No puppet. You’re the puppet.” It’s the empty-headed answer of an empty-headed asshole.

  33. Tom Kline says:

    Maybe in WT Newark but here in Northern DE where we are paying the lions share of your freebies our assessments are much higher and so are our annual payments. Add in school tax and it comparable to parts of PA – Not the mainline but many parts. And yes, they put up trash weekly.

    Your insults will be noted. This is part of the reason middle of the road Dem’s hate despise liberals. Stop hiding beside the D party and come out of the closet. Bernie will stand by you.

    john kowalko says:
    March 15, 2017 at 9:09 pm
    Tom Kline,
    My apologies for lowering myself to your level but I must refer to you as Dear Dimbulb.
    At 0.54 percent, Delaware has the fourth-lowest property tax rate in the country, according to a report earlier this month from wallethub.com.
    while Pennsylvania does so at 1.53 percent.
    The national average is 1.12 percent.
    Let me try to reach those outer extremities of your limited intellect. If you pay $2500 in property taxes in Delaware you will pay $7500 in property taxes in Pennsylvania for the same assessed property. Please move to Somalia, Trump-land or elsewhere where your 85 IQ will be appreciated as genius by comparison.

    Re[presentative John Kowalko

  34. Arthur says:

    Kowalko – you hemmed and hawed about removing the senior school tax credit but you tax those same seniors an extra 25-50bps on their overall bill, possibly doubling their tax rate? So instead of taking away $500 from them you’ll make them pay an additional $1500-2000?

  35. Alby says:

    “MIddle-of-the-road Dem” is just another term for “asshole.” And if you’ve proven one thing in all your visits here, it’s that you are a Grade B asshole. You would need a better act to make Grade A.

  36. Alby says:

    Arthur: Glad to see you are worried mostly about people worse off than you.

    Another asshole. What, is it asshole season already? Did the groundhog see his shadow, granting us six more weeks of assholes?

    Why should I give a flying fuck about giving seniors like you a tax break? And before you fire up your steam-age wit, I’m a senior myself. If you don’t like the taxes here, move to Florida, you sniveling snowflake.

  37. mouse says:

    There’s already too many cheapskate tax refugees moving here.

  38. john kowalko says:

    Arthur,
    You constantly and consistently show how uninformed and unwilling to speak the truth you are. It is a fact that I never, ever hemmed and hawed about removing the senior tax credits. I will not support removal. In fact I have often publicly pronounced that I will not support repeal of that tax break since the ripple effect would be to lessen consumer spending capabilities and assets that would ultimate lead to a recessive effect on the economy and those seniors. You can have and express your opinion about me but I will not allow your lies to go unchallenged.
    Representative John Kowalko

  39. Arthur says:

    Kowalko – right you won’t repel the tax credit but you’ll jack their property tax 50-100%?

  40. Alby says:

    He said that was the average, not that our rate should be that high.

    The reason we should turn to property taxes is that the governor and his ilk claim that higher tax rates on high earners would prompt people to leave the state.

    If they’re going to leave, I want them to sell their property. If they don’t, they still get to live here for one day shy of six months and claim it’s not their primary residence.

    The well-off can take their pick: Either higher income taxes or, to be more fair, a higher property tax, because property taxes are paid whether or not the owner is a Delaware resident.

    If your only concern is your own tax bill, take it offline. I don’t want to hear another old fart whine about his taxes. If I wanted to hear that I’d visit the old folks’ home.

  41. donviti says:

    It’s no secret the Trump voters of lower slower are getting away scott free on their property taxes. Time to pony up bitches, you’re free ride on the government dole should be coming to an end soon

  42. mouse says:

    I wonder how many billions of dollars of empty 2nd homes there are that could easily pay more

  43. Arthur says:

    Kowalko – would you suggest raising the rate 25-50bps or maintaining the same rate and re-assessing the values?

  44. john kowalko says:

    Arthur,
    I am suggesting and introducing legislation that will create additional PERSONAL INCOME TAX (not property tax) brackets for adjustable gross income in excess of $125,000 per year and in excess of $250,000 per year. Read my facebook posts or any of the dozens of other posts on the subject that I have created. If your conspiratorial little mind can uncover any posts I made regarding raising property taxes or reassessing property values (a needed and worthy consideration indeed {reassessing}) than feel free to reproduce. Your hallucinatory imaginings do not count as documented evidence.
    I am also proposing raising the maximum franchise tax cap on the richest (obscenely by some measures) global corporations incorporated in Delaware. They have acknowledged that it is not an unbearable burden. You can find the details of that initiative posted in many places and on my facebook. So stop trying to use that Trumpian, Bannonesque POLITICS OF DISTRACTION favored by some of you conservative corporatist shills under the false guise of protecting the poor.
    Representative John Kowalko

  45. Festering Troll says:

    Representative Kowalko, other than the fact that the majority of our legislators are closet Republicans, why wouldn’t you take that $250,000 cap up to $500,000 and put in a few more steps?

    (BTW, big fan of yours. You’re one of the few who seem to “get it.”)

  46. john kowalko says:

    Perfectly logical and sensible idea. The closet may be overflowing with a preponderance of “EFFECTIVE” (as opposed to the INEFFECTIVE minions like yours truly) leadership members leaving little to no room for others but you have to gradually empty the closet of moldy residue (with a $$ quarter million threshold mop) before you can repaint and add the mothball ($500 million) refurbishment. Perhaps my favorite quote is “this will require shared sacrifice”. Small consolation to someone with a severed femoral artery when he/she is asked to appreciate the sacrifice of the (one pint) wealthy blood donor.
    Representative John Kowalko

  47. Festering Troll says:

    Like I said, he gets it.