With the selection of Joe Biden as the Vice Presidential nominee, some people are not only wondering who Joe Biden is but what Delaware is all about. I came to Delaware in the summer of 2004 as a freshman attending the University of Delaware. I didn't know anything about Delaware and had only visited the state while traveling through it or to a Blue Rocks game. Delaware is an interesting place for many reasons:
1. Anyone Can Get Involved: Delaware is small enough for a political amateur to contribute to the political process and become included in the political circle. When I started my first blog around September of 2004, my posts were grammatically lacking, factually incorrect and tedious to the eyes. With that said, the Delaware blogging community welcomed me into their arms and I was considered "one of them". I was starting to get invitations to political events and people were shocked when I told them I couldn't attend because I had to go to class, they had no idea I was so young. I also interned at a local candidate for Governor's office for a few hours every Tuesday/Wednesday so I could get a look at the inside workings of a campaign. The candidate personally told me all the time how much he valued my contribution.
2. The People Are Friendly: When visiting Delaware you will notice the people have a "small-town" friendliness to them even though the state is conveniently nestled between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Most of the towns still have their original historical buildings and there is a large amount of cultural activities one can engage in (especially in Newark, DE) to become involved.
3. The State is Small: You may think being a small state would put Delaware at a disadvantage. This is definitely not the case. Having a small state just means you will run into friends of friends and meet people who know so and so all over the state. You can easily travel from one end of the state to the other in no time at all. The state even has some great beaches! Mom and pop stores run abound and they are better than any pre-fabricated chain restaurant you will run into anywhere else. The Post House on Main Street in Newark, Delaware serves some of the best french toast I have ever tasted and it is pretty cheap to boot.
4. No Sales Tax: The state has no sales tax which is obviously a great thing. Some people travel from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland just to make large purchases. You can thank the DuPont family for this as they handcuffed the government into making this deal for them that indirectly benefited all citizens. You are probably wondering how the state can support itself without tax revenue. Delaware's corporate laws make it an attractive place for business to do business and most of them incorporate in Delaware and bring all their revenue with them.
5. Affordable Living: With no sales tax and affordable property and state taxes, Delaware is an extremely affordable place to live with many options for localities. If you are looking for the beach property there is Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, and many others. If the big city life suits you, Wilmington has great options with an interesting city history. If you are looking for the quintessential suburban college-town there is Newark with so many cultural and activity options due to the close proximity of the University of Delaware.
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