GOODE FOR REHOBOTH

Announcements

Guess where the above picture was taken.  Hint it is in a state on the East Coast.

July 9th 3PM

Meet Candidate for Commissioner Jeffrey Goode at Starbucks Downtown Rehoboth

1.  Discuss How to Bring Rehoboth Beach Back from a Financial Cliff 

2.  Discuss Election Interference in Rehoboth's Election

CONTACT:    jeffreygoode@icloud.com

July 2nd 3PM

Meet Candidate for Commissioner Jeffrey Goode at Starbucks Downtown Rehoboth

Discuss How Who Becomes Elected In Rehoboth Is Manipulated by Political Machine 

Information of these topics will be made available on:

CONTACT:    jeffreygoode@icloud.com

BIO

My wife and I love Rehoboth.  After spending time here for many years on vacations and as second homeowners, we moved here full-time eight years ago.  My wife and I have four sons.  The youngest graduated from Cape Henlopen High School.

I have been an economist and research manager for 40 years, mostly with the Federal government in Washington, DC and also overseas in Egypt and Switzerland.  My most recent Federal positions were with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Department of Labor (DOL).  At CRS I managed economists in performing nonpartisan research on international trade and finance for the U.S. Congress.  For DOL, I advised Department leadership on the economic impacts of changes to regulations and policies on overtime and minimum wage requirements.  As an economist, I know how to evaluate both the benefits and costs of proposals and budgets.  These skills are critical to our future in Rehoboth.

Overseas, I worked as a labor economist for the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where I managed research to examine the relationship of weekly hours of work and unemployment.  In Egypt I was a U.S. foreign service officer.  My responsibilities involved economic research on Egypt's economy and then application of this research to conduct policy dialogue with Egypt's government to reform its markets in conjunction with America’s foreign aid program.

Since retiring from the Federal government, I have worked as an economic consultant.  For example, on a USAID funded project, I analyzed the economic impacts of Covid-19 on the Middle East and North Africa Region.  I advised USAID on policy/regulatory adjustments to the labor markets in response to Covid-19. 

I have also taught economics as an adjunct professor at several universities including American University, Georgetown University, Catholic University, and most recently Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore.  One last note, as a college student I was a lifeguard in NYC for one great summer! 

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in economics, doctoral dissertation Union Relative Wage Effects in Colombia

MA in economics

BA double major economics and psychology  

REASONS RUNNING FOR OFFICE

I am running for office to be a voice for fiscal sanity and competence.  Since moving to Rehoboth full-time 8 years ago, the budget has ballooned from $19 million to $44 million.  Most of this increase was in recent years.  In FY 2022 the budget was $27.7 million.  The current budget is $44 million.  The rate of increase in the CPI over the last five years was 24.4%, less than half Rehoboth Beach’s budget increase of 58.8%.

On our current Board, my wife is trying to instill a sense of fiscal responsibility.  She is often voted down by 5 to 2 or 6 to 1.  On the other hand, the Mayor and 3 or 4 commissioners vote together about 90 percent of the time.  If one of 4 or 5 members of the Board proposed that the sky is purple the majority of this Board would agree.  Our current excessive budget of $44 million was passed by a vote 6 to 1, my wife the only Commissioner voting against it.  Neither of my two competitors in this election came out publicly against the numerous excessive spending decisions by the Mayor and Commissioners.  I did.  The City needs Commissioners who are willing to advocate for taxpayers.

The rubber will meet the road in the next couple of years when Rehoboth Beach meets its borrowing limit of $75 million.  The City is currently at $68 million, 90% of our limit. The City borrowed $5.5 million to help pay for the new Rehoboth Beach Lifeguard Station, rather than not borrowing to finance that project as originally approved.  Each resident now owes about $60k per head for the City’s debt!  We must bring down this City’s debt, not continue to increase it blindly as is the case now and in our foreseeable horizon.

My Suggested Policy Proposals

1.  Fiscal Sanity:  I will not vote for any budget that exceeds the growth in inflation.  I would also support a freeze on new hires beyond replacements.  In a time of exploding budgets and growing deficits, we need to stop spending tax dollars on unnecessary consultants, pet projects, and attorney fees ($900K last year). 

2.  Rescind the Storm Water Storm Water Impact Fee.  The approved impact fee will require expensive consulting and new employees.  Only large cities can afford to amortize this expense.  Stormwater expenses should be paid as part of our general budget.

3.  Competence:  Get back control of Deauville Beach. One of the most incompetent decisions the City made was to lose control of Deauville Beach. 

4.  Vigilance in Protecting Our Beach: Thankfully, the City rejected the County proposal to send effluent from the rest of Sussex County off our beaches.  Their $20 million proposal allowed Lewes and Sussex County wastewater users to enjoy low utility bills at the expense of our City.  However, I would not be surprised if the County presents another offer.  I would be a strong voice not to allow the County to dump an extra 5 million gallons of effluent a day off our beach. The risk to our beaches, our economy, our property values and our citizens is unacceptable.

5.  Concentrate on Everyday Infrastructure Improvements Instead of Large Projects:  The City should focus its infrastructure improvements on everyday issues instead of grandiose new projects like the Baltimore Streetscape or the building of the second largest lifeguard station in the country. 

These are my suggested proposals for Rehoboth.  I want to hear yours.  Know that if I am elected I will seek out and try to respond to your concerns.  With your support we can improve the financial stability of the City and make the right decisions to insure a better Rehoboth. 

POLITICAL MACHINE IN REHOBOTH

My candidacy challenges the Political Machine that has controlled Rehoboth at least since I started following Rehoboth politics 8 years ago.  We have currently a Mayor and Board of Commissioners in which 4 to 5 members consistently vote the same way.  For example, my wife Suzanne, was the only Commissioner to vote against the current overinflated $44 million dollar budget which passed 6 to 1.  The two candidates I am competing with are fully-supported by this Political Machine that both helps select and support candidates.  If they both win there will be no change in the dismal direction of the City’s finances and poor decision-making.  

This machine does not play fair.  For example, my wife ran twice for office.  Both times machine members told her that she could not win and should quit the race.  After I announced, members of this machine sent an email out requesting a meeting to strategize how I can be defeated.  The author mistakenly sent this email to my wife Suzanne whose first name is similar to one of the candidates the author of the email supports for Commissioner.  The email describes how they have one candidate already running, but they have a petition ready to go to make sure they have another candidate ready to go so Jeffrey does not win.  They assert that with one of the candidates they are supporting, they would have 4 votes on the Commission lined up.  

This group does not trust the voters to decide who will run for office.  They manipulate the number of candidates who run and select candidates who will maintain their majority of Commissioners on the Board.  Both my competitors are supported by this political machine or as some call it the "Old Guard".  The Old Guard currently control 4-5 members of the Commission.  My competitors are running basically as a ticket.  Their yard signs are usually together, and they both get support and Meet and Greets at supporter homes from Old Guard members.   Meanwhile some of my yard signs that voters have on their lawns were removed.  It appears that when my signs are up on lawns, my competitors or their supporters talk to the homeowner to convince them to remove my signs and put theirs up. 

Appeal to the Voters of Rehoboth

I need your help to win this election.  I am running against an organized machine.  Both my competitors are supported by this machine and voting for them will only continue the dysfunction of our Board of Commissioners.  It will be a hard-fought campaign and expensive.  I am asking not only your vote, but also if you would display a campaign yard sign.  Also, I set up a campaign account to help defray some of the costs of running.  Campaign contributions can be made out to Goode for Rehoboth.

Regards,

Jeffrey

WEBSITE:    WWW.GoodeForRehoboth.com

EMAIL:         jeffreygoode@icloud.com

                                                                                                                                                  PAID FOR GOODE FOR REHOBOTH