NEWT LIES AGAIN

(h/t David Weigel)

At the Fundie rally (the Values Voter Conference), Newt Gingrich broke at least one of the 10 Commandments:

"In that county," said Gingrich, "he [Coons] has raised taxes, increased spending, and dramatically lowered the bond rating."

Well, Coons has done those first two things since he became executive in 2005. But the bond rating? Nine days ago, Fitch affirmed that New Castle County maintains the highest bond rating, AAA.

The general fund budget has traditionally depended significantly on the economically sensitive real estate transfer tax (RTT) which has weakened substantially in recent years; the county established a new RTT reserve in fiscal (FY) 2010 which will provide an operating cushion in future years as necessary.

The county's diverse economy has successfully absorbed downsizing in the financial services and automobile sectors and economic indicators remain sound, with wealth levels above average and unemployment rates below the national average.

The debt burden is projected to remain moderately low due to manageable capital needs and prudent debt policies.

And so on. So what was Gingrich talking about? If O'Donnell goes after Coons on fiscal management, she might as well throw an actual stone through an actual glass house.