Jack Markell reflects on eight years as governor

When members of Delaware's General Assembly begin sprinting to the June 30 finish line for the 2017 legislative session, Jack Markell will be stretching his legs out on a cross-country bicycle trip.

"I'll be leaving on June 18 from Astoria, Oregon, and expect to arrive in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about 54 days later," said Markell.

"It's on my bucket list, and I'm starting a training program so I will be ready." An avid cyclist, Markell counts the addition of more than 50 miles of cycling and walking trails in Delaware as one of many significant accomplishments during his eight years as governor.

That tenure came to an end this week when the state inaugurated John Carney as Markell's successor. That gives Markell plenty of time to train and plan for his cross-country trip. Once he starts pedaling with a group that will be traveling smaller roads and trails across the northern part of the country, he will have plenty of time to reflect on the accomplishments of his administration, and sort out what may lie ahead.

During an interview at the governor's Legislative Hall office last week - an office cleaned of Markell's effects and ready for Carney to step in - Markell spoke about accomplishments and disappointments, Delaware's strengths and weaknesses, and what he learned in Delaware's top spot.

But before accomplishments and disappointments, what about the future?

Markell said he hasn't really decided what he wants to do next. "It may be in the public sector, it may be in the private sector - it may be in a mixture of both."

How about a run for the U.S. Senate, which would follow the traditional political trajectory for many former Delaware governors?

"I hope Tom Carper runs for re-election," said Markell in a text message. "It's not part of my plan, but never say never." Carper, Delaware's senior senator and likewise a former two-term governor, was re-elected for his third six-year term as U.S. senator in 2012. His next election bid would come in 2018 if he chooses to seek a fourth term.

Pride in job growth
Markell said his administration has placed Delaware in a position to be more prosperous in the future. He points to charts showing Delaware's job growth over the past six years. Delaware's 16 percent increase in total jobs is higher than the national 14.6 percent increase in that time and significantly higher than the increases in nearby states of Pennsylvania (8.7 percent), Maryland (11.6 percent), New Jersey (9.1 percent), New York (14.1 percent), and Virginia (11.4 percent). Another chart shows Delaware wage growth over the past few years as leading the nation.

"We have invested heavily in early childhood education," said Markell, "and have made great strides. Our language immersion programs - with 3,000 kindergarten through fourth-grade students now on track to be proficient in Mandarin or Spanish by the fourth grade - and our Pathways to Prosperity programs for high schoolers are an important part of our workforce development initiatives that have contributed to jobs growth and position us well for the future."

Markell said criminal justice reform has resulted in smarter spending and prisoners being better prepared for work when they get out, and fewer prisoners going in. Delaware's prisons now house 200 fewer inmates than four years ago. "Simple policy changes have made a big difference," he said.

"Prisoners used to lose their driver's licenses when they were convicted of crimes, whether or not those crimes involved driving or automobiles. When they got out of prison, how were they supposed to get to job interviews or even to work? Delaware's public transportation system isn't all that strong. Now they can have their licenses when they get out, and that's allowing them to get back into society faster."

Markell also counts his administration's investment in trails and pathways, libraries, reduced air pollution emissions, stronger recycling efforts and region-leading investment in the arts as among major accomplishments.

His greatest disappointment
While he counts jobs and wages growth as the high point of his administration, he says the low point of his tenure came when he couldn't win legislative approval for the fees and tax increase package needed to clean up the state's polluted waterways. "It's embarrassing. Not a good legacy. Don't we want to leave our kids with cleaner water? The Legislature essentially said, 'We agree with the governor, but we just don't think the people should pay for it.'"

Markell said he's also disappointed he wasn't able to get starting salaries up for Delaware teachers. "People are struggling to make ends meet, and we should be helping."

So where is Delaware spending too much money, and where is the state not spending enough?

"We're spending too much on corrections. About $290 million per year. We need to further reduce our prison population. Our incarceration rate is higher than the national average, and we're in a nation with an incarceration rate higher than the average around the globe. And we're not any safer. The 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' policy clearly does not work. New Justice of Peace Court criteria allow judges to be more thoughtful when looking at risk factors before determining who needs to be locked up. We're also doing a better job with vocational training in prisons," he said.

Where are we not spending enough? "Again, on our water quality. We can get the job done, and it's too important to ignore. For our economy, for our quality of life."

Markell said Delaware's greatest strength - without a doubt - is the ability of its people across the political, business, academic and philanthropic sectors to "check their egos at the door to work together and get things done for the benefit of the state's people."

The state's greatest weakness? "As a state, we don't think big enough. I encourage people to think big. Take water. We can clean up our waters in a handful of years. It would be a big, bold move, and we could get it done. Plant a lot more cover crops in the winter, accelerate the rate at which we renovate failing wastewater plants, use technology to clean up polluted ponds. For example, by investing in carbon pellets that attach themselves to toxins in lakes and ponds, we can clean those waters in three years instead of 40. We just have to do it."

The value of humility
Markell said his eight years as governor have taught him the value of humility. "It's important not to suffer from the 'not-invented-here' syndrome. Not all of the good ideas are ours. It's better to be a problem solver than a politician. That's what people want. You have to focus like a laser on listening to people and their problems."

He said he's also learned one more thing. "I have visited all 57 of Delaware's incorporated towns and most of its schools. As a Delaware native and lifelong resident, I've always known we live in a special place. Now, having been governor for eight years, I've learned that I feel that way even more."