Events

 I was raised in Kent County and have developed a lifetime of relationships in the 16 th district. You may know me from my 30 yrs. in education as a teacher/coach, my service to the 4 th district as a Levy Court Commissioner or through my father, David P. Buckson (former Judge, AG, and Gov). I am very proud of those connections and would encourage anyone new to the area to ask a neighbor about my ties to our community. I want to thank Colin Bonini for his nearly 3 decades of service and mean no disrespect when I say it is time for change. I believe my record demonstrates that I will bring a conservative approach to the 16 th district and pledge that when elected, I will push for legislation that puts term limits in place because a career in office is not what our founders envisioned. With that said, I am asking you to put me in the senate so I can push back on government overreach in Delaware and fight for your family and mine. ERIC BUCKSON for 16 th Senate District (N Little Creek, Bayshore's, N Milford, Felton, Frederica, Magnolia) is: Pro GOD, Pro Country, Pro Constitution “I pledge to keep the best interest of my community in front of special interest and will always fight to defend your rights and mine as defined in the US and Delaware Constitution.” 

 As a county commissioner, I was frustrated by the lack of influence I had on county roads and  intersections. This is because nearly all of the roads traveled in the 16th are owned by the state. This  means that when speeds are changed, stop signs are added, or roads are built, it all goes through the  state and sometimes local residents are left out of the equation. My goal will be making sure residents  impacted by change have a seat at the table with decision makers before, during, and after changes are  made. Over a 4-year term, each senator receives over a million dollars in road improvement dollars and  my plan will be to ensure those funds are combined with other state funds to target specific road issues  in the 16th. Right now, many 16th district developments are faced with significant road deterioration in  cul-de-sacs and internal roads and finding solutions to those issues will be a top priority. 

 Our county counts less than 30% of its residents as college graduates. Before you see that as a failure,  recognize this. The 16th district has a median income of nearly 60k and many hard-working residents do  well off that number. I believe the way we grow that number is to put skills and trades onto equal  footing with college and degrees. One way to do that is to put Vocation back into the tech schools.  Instead of POLYTECH or SUSSEX TECH, we need POLY VOTECH or SUSSEX VOTECH. Let our local high  schools focus on technical training where space is not a premium and allow the Votech schools to  expand opportunities for students to get into trades like auto tech, welding, carpentry, plumbing and  other career fields that require space and openings. Right now, hundreds of residents in and around the  16th district are denied access to the trades their tax payer dollars help to fund simply because we do  not have to room to accommodate the need. Doing this will allow students with skills to stay here and  grow here.

 Making sure the general assembly passes legislation that relieves Ag structures used for Ag purpose to  be free from burdensome taxation will be a focal point of my freshman year. I will ensure that mandates  set up by the state that will impact the county and agricultural community will be vetted before being  enacted. The Bayshore communities need to be at the table when plans are drawn and decisions are  made and my plan is to do just that. Both these communities are vital to the character and vitality of the  16th district and I will be very responsive to making their voices are heard and faces are seen when it  matters most. 

Pretty good story … I was contacted by Senator Carper's office asking to be connected with the BOWERS Beach fire chief. Senator Carper wanted to be briefed on the incident regarding a barge on fire in the Delaware Bay. I agreed to facilitate the meeting and made a second request. I requested that since Senator Carper was coming to the area, could we expand on his visit and give him a first hand look/listen on what local fisherman and recreational boaters are going through regarding the channel and its lack of federal maintenance. The Senator agreed and a meeting was set up. In the middle of the meeting, Carper's state director indicated they had run out of time and would it be okay to reschedule the briefing on the channel. I agreed because what other option did I have….. Except, before we concluded the meeting I requested a brief introduction by the Mayor of Bowers, Ada Puzzo on the town's plight to help the waterman. The mayor succinctly demonstrated how the delays and lack of urgency at the federal and state level had presented real challenges for the town and Delawareans using the channel. At the conclusion of the meeting, Senator Carper said his goodbyes and that was the end…or so I thought. Last week, I attended a meeting with bayshore reps and was informed that a LT Colonel from the Army Corps of Engineers had requested a meeting with the town to discuss the particulars of an emergency order clearing the path to enable the channel to be dredged. The LT COL even joked that we must know someone if we are getting this on the fast track ;). National politics aside, Senator Carper had the juice to make it happen and he did and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful to the Mayor and the waterman who kept pushing and never gave up! And I am also grateful for the lesson learned that when opportunity knocks, answer the door.