Hylton Phillips-Page is at it again, sharing partial information to make a point, although after reading his latest Letter to the Editor, I and many others are not quite sure what his point is.
His first misleading statement is that “not a single Fortune 500 company is headquartered in Delaware today.” According to the Delaware Division of Corporations, 67.2 percent of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in the First State. Among these are Google, Coca-Cola, Disney and Bank of America. This data was published in August. Mr. Phillips-Page does not source his information.
Next, his claim about “Delaware ranking … 50th among all states in corporate income taxes” doesn’t tell the entire story. According to the Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-business-tax-climate-index/), an independent tax policy nonprofit, Delaware ranks 11th on their 2020 State Business Tax Climate Index. By comparison, the Fraser Institute, which is a Canadian think tank, is viewed as having a conservative and libertarian sway. Hardly unbiased. I would venture that the Tax Foundation’s index is a much more reliable indicator of how Delaware ranks in the U.S. when it comes to being business friendly.
Finally, Phillips-Page’s attempt to draw a comparison between what party held what elective offices and the state’s economic ranking is bizarre. First off, the Delaware State Senate only has 19 members, not 41. In 2002, the Delaware House of Representatives had a 26-15 Republican majority. Facts matter.
We each rate progress in our own terms, hopefully using independent, verifiable facts. I think many Delawareans would agree that the state has seen a lot of progress over the past 11 years, from anti-discrimination and marriage equality legislation, stronger environmental protections, to keeping Delaware among the best places to live.
And before anyone says anything, the reason I left was for a job offer that was hard to refuse.
Meyer J. Persow
Wilton Manors, Fla.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
