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AFSCME Endorses Dan Onorato For Governor

7/14/10

AFSCME Endorses Dan Onorato For Governor
Union rejects GOP’s Corbett after twice endorsing his earlier bids for statewide office

PITTSBURGH: Today, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 13 endorsed Dan Onorato for Governor and Scott Conklin for Lieutenant Governor. The endorsement adds to the growing support the Onorato-Conklin ticket has received from organizations representing working Pennsylvanians.

            “I am pleased to receive the endorsement of AFSCME Council 13,” said Onorato. “This endorsement is more evidence that Pennsylvanians want a Governor who has experience making the tough decisions necessary to balance the budget and run a government in the best interest of the taxpayers.”

            Since 1971, AFSCME has fought to enhance overall working conditions for both public and private non-profit employees. Nationally, AFSCME represents more than 1.6 million workers, including 65,000 in Pennsylvania.

            AFSCME previously endorsed Corbett in his 2004 and 2008 bids for Attorney General.

“Dan Onorato is the only candidate for Governor who will get Pennsylvania back on track and who is committed to working with the men and women who perform the essential services that Pennsylvanians rely on each and every day,” said AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director David R. Fillman. “AFSCME is proud to endorse Dan Onorato because our families and fellow residents need real leadership and experience to move Pennsylvania forward.”

            As Allegheny County Executive, Onorato built a record of working in partnership with county employees to reform government and make the county’s operations more efficient for taxpayers.

            Onorato has served as Allegheny County Executive since 2004, prior to which he was the county’s elected fiscal watchdog. Under Onorato’s leadership, his region’s recent accolades include:

It’s No “Gaffe”… Corbett Said it Before

7/14/10

It’s No “Gaffe”… Corbett Said it Before
Corbett campaign’s desperate attempt to explain comment that the jobless are lazy contradicts the facts

PITTSBURGH: The Corbett campaign’s ongoing effort to downplay GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett’s statement that “the jobs are there” but Pennsylvanians would rather just “sit there” on unemployment is at sharp odds with the candidate’s actual record.

            Facing new questions about whether Corbett’s comments indicate that “Tom Corbett is simply not ready for prime time,” as the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported, and with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noting that “the Republican’s post-primary road has hit several bumps,” Corbett took to the airwaves yesterday to offer the typical insider politician’s non-apology apology.

            “I regret that in that one statement, I may not have been clear or complete as I possibly could,” Corbett told CBS3 in Philadelphia.

   But in fact, Corbett said exactly what he meant – and he’s said it before.

            Following a visit to a job referral center in Lancaster in March, Corbett “provocatively suggested that Congress’ decision to extend unemployment benefits might be having the opposite of its intended effect and actually be serving as a disincentive to go back to work. ‘What I see here are people looking for jobs, but that’s only 10 percent [of the unemployed],’ he said. ‘What about the other 80 or 90 percent?’” [Capitol Ideas, March 18, 2010]
            Even as the Corbett campaign worked to deflect attention from the fact that the candidate has consistently blamed the unemployed, they continued to struggle to identify the “source” of Corbett’s observation. So instead of identifying a single business owner, yesterday Corbett said that he’s heard it from as many as “seven” anonymous Pennsylvanians.

            On Friday, Corbett “pointed to one candy company in Camp Hill as an example, saying the owner told him they hired 50 European college students for the summer when the company was unable to fill its full-time positions.” [Capitolwire, July 9, 2010]

            Later, his spokesman told another reporter that, “Corbett was simply relating a story told by the owner of a plumbing business. He did not name the business.” [Allentown Morning Call, July 9, 2010]

            On Monday, the number of sources grew. Speaking in Lancaster, Corbett told Capitolwire: “That’s what had been reported to me. I’ve had three or four people tell me, people have turned down work.”

           And on Philadelphia’s CBS3 yesterday, Corbett said he was “was repeating a story that I’d heard from about five, six, seven different people across the state of Pennsylvania.”

7/13/10

Onorato Visits Job Training Program, Blasts Corbett for Calling Unemployed Pennsylvanians Lazy
Corbett says “the jobs are there” but unemployed would rather just “sit there”

PITTSBURGH: As unemployed Pennsylvanians called on Republican Tom Corbett to apologize for saying the jobless would rather collect benefits than go back to work, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato today highlighted a program he launched as Allegheny County Executive to help Pennsylvanians who are searching for jobs.

            On Friday, Corbett told Pennsylvania Public Radio that: “People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment…. The jobs are there, but if we keep extending unemployment the people are going to sit there…”

            As the Philadelphia Daily News paraphrased in an editorial titled “Bad job on jobs,” Corbett “exhorted those unlucky enough to be jobless: ‘Get off your duff and go to work.’” [July 13, 2010]

           “Tom Corbett doesn’t even recognize that there’s a problem, so of course he can’t be part of the solution,” Onorato said during a visit to the Community College of Allegheny County’s Career Transition Center for Dislocated Workers. “I know that Pennsylvanians are not just sitting there, and the great programs here in Allegheny County are an example of how we can help people get back to work – and of how eager they are to participate.”

            Onorato launched the Career Transition Center’s tuition waiver program in January 2009 to assist displaced workers so they can qualify for good-paying jobs in high-demand fields. The successful program includes training for careers like information technology, welding and the health care field.

            “One of the reasons that Allegheny County is doing so much better than the state and the nation is because we help workers adjust to the changing economy,” Onorato said. “We’re helping people get back on their feet while Tom Corbett is insulting the hard-working men and women of Pennsylvania who are looking for jobs in these tough economic times.”
While Corbett has been busy blaming the victims, Onorato has successfully worked as Allegheny County Executive to encourage businesses to create jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

            Allegheny County’s unemployment rate is significantly lower than both the state’s and the nation’s. There are more people working in Allegheny County than in any other county in Pennsylvania, and under Onorato’s leadership the region has received accolades for its job growth, quality of life and ability to attract college graduates and families.

“Tom Corbett thinks Pennsylvanians would rather be unemployed than earning money for their families, and he simply doesn’t understand the economy,” Onorato said. “As Allegheny County Executive, I’ve turned around a struggling economy and promoted private sector investment to help encourage job growth. Tom Corbett has no experience and no clue.”

7/13/10

Why is Tom Corbett Not Telling the Truth?
Corbett campaign full of contradictions as unemployed workers object to insult from GOP candidate

PITTSBURGH: Responding to relentless criticism of his comments on Friday that “the jobs are there” but Pennsylvanians would rather just “sit there” on unemployment than go back to work, Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett’s campaign yesterday tried a different approach: lying to change the subject.

On Friday, Corbett told Pennsylvania Public Radio that: “People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment…. The jobs are there, but if we keep extending unemployment the people are going to sit there…”

            As the Philadelphia Daily News paraphrased in an editorial titled “Bad job on jobs,” Corbett “exhorted those unlucky enough to be jobless: ‘Get off your duff and go to work.’” [July 13, 2010]
            Yesterday, as jobless Pennsylvanians continued to call Corbett to task for saying they are lazy and would rather collect benefits than go back to work, the Corbett campaign tried their best to walk back their candidate’s heartless comment.
            The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that campaign spokesman Kevin Harley “said that Mr. Corbett ‘knows that the vast majority of people who are unemployed are diligently looking for work. He has visited with unemployed workers at agencies such as Careerlink in Lancaster, which retrains and matches up employers with employees….’” [July 13, 2010]

            But that is not what Tom Corbett said on Friday. And it’s not what he meant.
            We know that because Tom Corbett’s game of blame-the-victim has actually been strikingly consistent throughout this campaign – ever since the very visit to the Lancaster CareerLink that Harley cited.

Following that visit in March, Corbett “provocatively suggested that Congress’ decision to extend unemployment benefits might be having the opposite of its intended effect and actually be serving as a disincentive to go back to work. ‘What I see here are people looking for jobs, but that’s only 10 percent [of the unemployed],’ he said. ‘What about the other 80 or 90 percent?’” [Capitol Ideas, March 18, 2010]

            While Harley is now trying to claim that Corbett believes the “vast majority” of unemployed Pennsylvanians are “diligently looking for work,” his own boss’s words tell another story. Corbett suggested that “80 or 90 percent” of jobless Pennsylvanians are too lazy to look for a job.

            Tom Corbett’s message is clear: Pennsylvanians themselves are to blame for being laid off or unable to find work.

            “Tom Corbett doesn’t even recognize that there’s a problem, so of course he can’t be part of the solution,” Onorato said. “Our economy is struggling, families in Pennsylvania are hurting, and a Harrisburg insider like Tom Corbett is so out of touch that he’s actually blaming the victims of the recession.”

            “This is a fundamental difference between me and my opponent,” Onorato added. “He just doesn’t get it – but Pennsylvanians do.”

            Corbett has still not publicly identified the source of his accusation that Pennsylvanians who have lost their jobs would rather stay at home than go back to work.

            On Friday, Corbett “pointed to one candy company in Camp Hill as an example, saying the owner told him they hired 50 European college students for the summer when the company was unable to fill its full-time positions.” [Capitolwire, July 9, 2010]

            Later, his spokesman told another reporter that, “Corbett was simply relating a story told by the owner of a plumbing business. He did not name the business.” [Allentown Morning Call, July 9, 2010]

            And, “in Lancaster on Monday, Corbett told Capitolwire ‘that’s what had been reported to me.’” [Allentown Morning Call, July 13, 2010]

Tom Corbett: The Fundamentals of Our Economy Are Strong
“The jobs are there” but the unemployed would rather just “sit there,” according to Corbett

HARRISBURG: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato today blasted Republican Tom Corbett for claiming that the only thing preventing unemployed workers from finding a job is their own laziness.

            Taking a page from John McCain’s 2008 playbook, when the presidential candidate infamously declared that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” Corbett told Pennsylvania Public Radio on Friday that:
            “People don’t want to come back to work while they still have unemployment. They’re literally telling – I’ll come back to work when the unemployment runs out. That’s becoming a problem. The jobs are there, but if we keep extending unemployment the people are going to sit there and… I’ve literally had construction companies tell me, I can’t get people to come back to work, until… they say, ‘I’ll come back to work when unemployment runs out.’”
            Corbett made his comment in Lancaster County, where 21,700 unemployed people are currently looking for a job. Across the state, 591,000 Pennsylvanians are out of work and trying to find employment. The average person on unemployment receives $310 per week in benefits to put food on the table and keep a roof over their family’s heads.
“This is a fundamental difference between me and my opponent, and I don’t know what world Tom Corbett is living in,” Onorato said. “Our economy is struggling, families in Pennsylvania are hurting, and Harrisburg insiders like Tom Corbett aren’t doing anything to help them. Tom Corbett doesn’t even recognize there’s a problem, so it’s no surprise that he has no real plan to improve our economy or actually create the jobs that in his mind already exist.”

            On Friday, Corbett “pointed to one candy company in Camp Hill as an example, saying the owner told him they hired 50 European college students for the summer when the company was unable to fill its full-time positions.” [Capitolwire, July 9, 2010]

            Later, his spokesman told another reporter that, “Corbett was simply relating a story told by the owner of a plumbing business. He did not name the business.” [Allentown Morning Call, July 9, 2010]

            Does Tom Corbett believe that Pennsylvania workers are lazy because an anonymous plumber or a candy company owner told him so?

           Or do Friday’s comments simply reflect Tom Corbett’s long-held belief that Pennsylvanians themselves are what’s wrong with our economy? After all, Corbett’s view that lazy unemployed workers would rather collect benefits than find work is nothing new.

           In March, Corbett visited a career center and “provocatively suggested that Congress’ decision to extend unemployment benefits might be having the opposite of its intended effect and actually be serving as a disincentive to go back to work. ‘What I see here are people looking for jobs, but that’s only 10 percent [of the unemployed],’ he said. ‘What about the other 80 or 90 percent?’” [Capitol Ideas, March 18, 2010]

           While Corbett has been busy blaming the victims, Onorato has successfully worked as Allegheny County Executive to encourage businesses to create jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Allegheny County’s unemployment rate is significantly lower than both the state’s and the nation’s.

           “Tom Corbett thinks Pennsylvanians would rather be unemployed than earning money for their families, and he simply doesn’t understand the economy,” Onorato said. “As Allegheny County Executive, I’ve turned around a struggling economy and promoted private sector investment to help encourage job growth. Tom Corbett has no experience and no clue.”

7/9/10

Onorato Tours Green Job Training Facility, Touts Jobs Plan in Philly
Visit Comes After Republican Tom Corbett Opposes Projects That Will Train Workers, Boost Alternative Energy

PHILADELPHIA: In a visit to the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) today, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato spoke about his plan to bring new Green jobs to Pennsylvania after touring the organization’s North Philadelphia training facility.

            “Preparing our workforce is essential to jump-starting our economy, and the energy efficiency and weatherization industry is here to stay,” Onorato said. “ECA is creating jobs, helping people save on energy bills and building a stronger community all at the same time.”

            Onorato’s visit to the job training site comes just after Republican nominee Tom Corbett announced his opposition to two projects that will create energy-related jobs in other parts of Pennsylvania:

·      $2.5 million towards a plant in Allentown that would convert waste to energy – saving taxpayers money and creating 100 construction jobs and 15-20 permanent jobs; and
·      $8 million towards the Pittsburgh Green Innovators project in Pittsburgh that would create 200 jobs, train about 2,000 people each year for Green jobs, and launch 4-5 new businesses annually through a small business incubator.

            “The Energy Economy holds enormous potential for Pennsylvania,” Onorato said. “It simply makes no sense to block projects that will make us a leader in alternative energy while putting our residents back to work.”

            The John S. and James L. Knight Green Jobs Training Center, which opened in March, is located in a renovated Civil War uniform factory in the West Kensington section of North Philadelphia.

            Since 1984, ECA has worked to implement energy efficiency and conservation measures in Philadelphia homes and buildings. ECA provides green jobs training, energy conservation workshops, low-income energy programs, and solar power installation.

           In November, ECA was awarded $13.9 million from the federal Recovery Act, funding that Corbett opposes. ECA has already created 42 new permanent jobs at its own facility with the funds, and it has trained hundreds of workers for new weatherization jobs elsewhere.

            As Allegheny County Executive, Onorato has worked to attract manufacturing companies like the solar mirror maker Flabeg to set up shop in Allegheny County. He also partnered with the community college to establish a Green Jobs Institute to train workers in high-demand energy jobs. Under Onorato’s leadership, Allegheny County has a lower unemployment rate than both the state and the nation.

            Onorato’s energy plan calls for making Pennsylvania the national leader in creating Green-collar jobs and new Green businesses while keeping Pennsylvanians in their homes and jobs by lowering their energy bills.

            Residential and commercial buildings use about 70% of all energy produced in the United States, and Onorato has called for the state to create a weatherization workforce – Pennsylvania’s Green Jobs Corps – to lead the way in conserving energy.

“As homes and businesses implement conservation measures to lower their own electric costs, there is enormous job creation potential for the professionals who will ‘weatherize’ these buildings,” Onorato said. “Pennsylvania needs to take advantage of every opportunity to create economic growth, and I am the only candidate with the experience and vision to lead the way.”

7/9/10

Corbett Ducks Debates, So Onorato Campaign Asks First Question: “Why Request a Bigger Office Budget?”
Why Won’t Corbett Debate? Can He Explain Requesting More Tax Money for His Office, but Cuts for Everyone Else?

PITTSBURGH: More than two weeks after Dan Onorato challenged him to a series of debates, Tom Corbett is silent. Because of the lack of response from the Republican nominee, today Onorato’s campaign issued the first question to Tom Corbett:

Why did you ask for a double-digit increase in your own taxpayer-funded budget while running for Governor promoting across-the-board spending cuts?

            Corbett has called for limiting spending growth [Commonwealth Foundation questionnaire] and across-the-board spending cuts. [Harrisburg Patriot-News, June 11, 2010] He also says in a campaign policy paper that he will cut state administrative spending in all agencies by 10 percent if elected Governor. [Capitolwire, March 22, 2010]

Yet, earlier this year, Corbett requested an additional $10.2 million for his own office budget, a 12% spending hike – even as the state was facing a massive budget crisis.

Corbett then mounted a vigorous defense of his spending plan. Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, “Corbett told lawmakers, while he's been frugal and made cutbacks in his office, he could not guarantee [the] continued success of programs… without adding more staff.” [Philly.com, February 18, 2010]

In testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, Corbett was even more adamant in his defense of his own budget: “If – if you flat budget us, zero percent increase – we will lose 21 positions across the agency…. If you go to cutting us by one percent, it would be 31. Two percent it would be 40. Three percent it would be 50. Four percent it would be 59. Five percent it would be 69 positions. We would be a shell.” [House Appropriations Committee transcript, February 2, 2010]

            But even the Legislature wasn’t buying what Corbett was selling. In the final budget, the Attorney General’s appropriations received an overall 4.1% cut.

“Tom Corbett is avoiding the tough questions that voters deserve to hear their candidates address head-on,” Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman said. “In public Tom Corbett says the state should spend less, but he has requested more tax money to fund his own office every year since becoming Attorney General.

“How does Tom Corbett explain the inconsistency? If Tom Corbett won’t debate Dan Onorato, we’re going to ask the questions ourselves.”

            Onorato first challenged Tom Corbett in a June 22 letter requesting the Republican nominee agree to a series of 14 debates across the Commonwealth. With no response from Corbett’s campaign, Onorato then sent letters to leading, non-profit groups asking them organize and moderate the debates. Corbett has dodged requests that he participate.

7/8/10

100 Days Later, Corbett Remains Silent on Political Ally’s Potential Election Fraud
Corbett’s Attorney General Office has Yet to Act on Alleged Fraudulent Petitions

PITTSBURGH: Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett yesterday marked the 100th day of silence since announcing his investigation into fraudulent petitions in a Republican ally’s campaign.

             The Attorney General’s office under Tom Corbett has exhibited a pattern of looking the other way when abuses by Republicans are discovered, including exonerating Corbett himself just days after he was elected in 2004.

             On March 29, the Attorney General’s official spokesman said that Corbett would take over a Delaware County case alleging that GOP Congressional candidate Pat Meehan’s nomination petitions contained fraudulent signatures. The Delaware County DA had contributed to Meehan’s campaign, and therefore referred the case to the state level.

             Even though Meehan has endorsed Corbett for Governor and made a $2,000 contribution to Corbett’s campaign, Corbett said there was no conflict of interest and agreed to take the case. “We can investigate an allegation of whether somebody fraudulently signed petitions,” Corbett’s spokesman said [Delaware County Daily Times, 3/30/2010].

             And when it turned out that the same Republican officials who circulated petitions in Delaware County for Meehan also did it for Corbett, the Attorney General’s official spokesman, Kevin Harley, didn’t see a problem: “The campaign for governor is completely separate from the office of the Attorney General” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/3/2010]. Harley subsequently left Corbett’s official office to move to his campaign.

             “Which Tom Corbett is investigating these allegations of fraud, the Attorney General or the Republican gubernatorial nominee?” asked Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman. “And where does the investigation stand 100 days after Corbett first agreed to look into these potentially serious crimes?”

             Corbett has a history of questionable election law judgment. Weeks before the November 2004 election, Corbett collected $480,000 from the Republican State Leadership Committee for his tight race for Attorney General. Corbett refused to reveal the source of the money – his attorney at one point argued that “the fungibility of money” made it impossible. The month after Corbett won office as Attorney General, campaign finance filings were released that revealed that the bulk of the money was from Aubrey K. McClendon, the chief executive of an Oklahoma based oil and gas company [Associated Press, 10/30/2004 and 12/4/2004]. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office exonerated Corbett days after he was elected. [Associated Press State & Local Wire, “AG’s office clears $480K donation to candidate,” November 6, 2004]

             “Pennsylvania voters should expect more from the state’s highest law enforcement official,” Herman said.

7/7/10

Corbett Flip-Flops On New Debt To Defend Legislature’s Spending
Hand-picked by Republican Bosses to Run for AG and Governor, Corbett Stands up for Legislature’s Wants

PITTSBURGH: Tom Corbett, who stated he opposed the issuance of any new debt during the primary, has once again flip-flopped. Yesterday Corbett condemned spending on all capital projects selected by Gov. Rendell while ducking comment on the $300 million of pet projects reserved for the Legislature.

          Earlier in the campaign, Corbett said that he “agrees” that “Pennsylvania should not incur additional debt.” [Commonwealth Foundation questionnaire] But, Corbett then flip-flopped to protect Harrisburg insiders, saying: “To maintain and improve Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure, the commonwealth may need to consider the prudent use of debt to fund projects.” [Corbett transportation policy paper]

          Corbett has repeatedly flip-flopped on one issue after another, particularly when it comes to managing Pennsylvania's finances and government reform.

          He once said he wouldn’t have accepted any of the stimulus money when he was courting conservatives in the primary, but later backed Pennsylvania’s application for $400 million in stimulus funds for the education competition “Race to the Top” in the general election.

          Corbett has also called for both limiting spending growth [Commonwealth Foundation questionnaire] and across-the-board spending cuts [Harrisburg Patriot-News, June 11, 2010], while also requesting additional spending for his own office.

          Corbett told one organization that he “disagrees” that “the number of terms someone can serve in the state legislature should be limited,” [Commonwealth Foundation], and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “Corbett disagreed with the…idea of reducing the size of the legislature.” But after Onorato emphasized the importance of reform, Corbett changed his tune. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted just a week later that, “…Corbett is willing to discuss term limits and a smaller legislature…”

          Even one of the most senior members of his party thinks Tom Corbett doesn't understand what he's talking about.   In a June 28, 2010 story in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi questioned whether Corbett could keep an anti-tax pledge he made this year with Americans for Tax Reform, saying, “I don't see how he can do it, frankly,” before calling on Corbett to tell Pennsylvanians in "his next major policy announcement" how he could meet such a commitment.

          “Tom Corbett can’t have it both ways on every issue,” said Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman. “Yesterday, he flip-flopped on debt to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Legislature – the day before the 5 year anniversary of their infamous pay raise. Where will he be tomorrow? Pennsylvania needs a governor who knows how to create jobs and reform government. Dan Onorato has a proven record and a consistent plan for turning around our economy and changing the Harrisburg culture Tom Corbett seems determined to defend.”

7/7/10

Onorato Raises $1 Million Since June Filing Deadline
Strong fundraising efforts continue months ahead of election

PITTSBURGH: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato’s campaign announced today that it had received $1 million in donations in the one month period since the June 6 filing deadline.

            Onorato’s campaign has raised over $2.5 million since Onorato won the May 18 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary by more than 20 points, bringing the campaign’s total raised to more than $12.4 million to date.

            In addition to maintaining an aggressive fundraising pace, Onorato’s momentum is also reflected in recent polls, including a general election survey released Monday by Rasmussen Reports that shows Onorato gaining six points during the month of June.

            “Our strong fundraising in the past month is just one sign of our growing support,” said campaign manager Kevin Kinross. “Now that the primary is over, more people are becoming familiar with Dan’s record and they are responding to his message of economic growth and government reform. Elections are about choices, and as we approach November, people are choosing Dan Onorato’s experienced leadership over Tom Corbett’s empty rhetoric.”

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Dan Onorato Releases Plan to Create Jobs Through Smart Energy and Environmental Policies

January 29, 2010

Dan Onorato Plan to Create Jobs Through Smart Energy and Environmental Policies
"Onorato Plan for Sustainability" Will Make Pennsylvania a Leader in the New Energy Economy While Protecting Our Environment

PITTSBURGH: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato today released his plan to create good new jobs and protect consumers through smart energy policies that also protect our environment. The “Onorato Plan for Sustainability” will enable energy production and energy conservation to thrive, while responsibly protecting and enhancing the environment. The end result will be a stronger economy and environment to pass down to the next generations of Pennsylvanians.

“Pennsylvania will experience unprecedented economic growth and enhanced quality of life if we use our wealth of natural resources in a forward-looking, responsible manner,” said Onorato. “Energy production and environmental protection are no longer mutually exclusive. We can – we must – be smart about how we are developing and using energy, for our economy, for our environment and for the future.”

"The Onorato Plan for Sustainability" calls for:

Making Pennsylvania the national leader in creating green-collar jobs and new green businesses;Maximizing Pennsylvania's energy production portfolio to achieve both economic and environmental benefits;
Keeping Pennsylvanians in their homes and jobs by lowering their energy bills;
Fulfilling our commitment as stewards of Pennsylvania's environment; and
Encouraging smart and sustainable growth.

Significantly, in the new policy paper, Onorato also addressed extracting natural gas from the Marcellus shale, saying it will lead to extraordinary job creation, as will the growth of the diverse industries that are necessary for the broader economy to succeed.

“Marcellus shale can be a powerful economic engine for the Commonwealth – creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, providing affordable clean energy and spurring new business creation to support the industry,” said Onorato. “But it must be done right or we will lose out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The recent lease of state land shows there’s a demand, but we need to ensure the extraction is done correctly and in concert with environmental protections.” To achieve these goals, Onorato supports:

An Impact Tax on the natural gas that companies extract, which will bring Pennsylvania in line with other gas-producing states.
Prudent investment of the revenues from this Impact Tax by providing support to impacted communities and for Growing Greener.
Ensuring appropriate permitting, monitoring and enforcement.
Addressing water levels and contamination.

          At the same time, Onorato supports ensuring that all of the elements of Pennsylvania’s portfolio are part of the state’s energy production future. He supports an increase in the amount of renewable energy – including solar and wind power – that is required in the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards, and will renew the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program so that companies and homeowners can continue to count on rebates to make solar projects feasible by assisting with the up-front costs. Onorato will also support efforts to achieve and use advanced coal technology.

          Onorato will also launch the “PA Saves” Program – a landmark initiative to save families and businesses money while helping to save the country from ever-increasing emissions. Experts estimate that 30% of Pennsylvania’s energy needs in 2025 could be met through efficiency measures that are already widely available. Energy conservation and efficiency upgrades – like replacing inefficient windows and heaters, installing Green roofs and switching to Green lighting – save money over a few years through lower energy bills but have a relatively high up-front cost that often make the projects unfeasible. Onorato will solve this problem by creating the PA Saves Fund and encouraging local municipalities and authorities to offer similar programs. Residents and businesses would be able to borrow to cover the up-front costs of Green upgrades, and pay back over a number of years through their municipal or electric bill.

          Onorato believes that there is no longer a choice to be made between energy production and environmental protection. That’s why he will continue the landmark program “Growing Greener” and use revenue from the Marcellus shale Impact Tax to fund Growing Greener 3 – the third phase of an investment strategy that was enacted by Governor Ridge and then built upon by Governor Rendell. Under Onorato, Growing Greener 3 will include:

Farmland preservation and other green space preservation – with the goal of 700,000 acres covered by 2015 – a two-thirds increase;
Addressing watershed needs and cleaning up rivers and streams;
Cleaning up brownfields and abandoned mines so that they can be returned to productive use or maintained as green space for community use;
Improving state parks and other recreational resources;
Supporting the infrastructure needs of the Game Commission and Fish & Boat Commission;
Expanding recycling;
Supporting community development and historic preservation; and
Advanced energy deployment.

As Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato has made Western Pennsylvania a leader in sustainability and the Energy Economy – bringing the region new jobs while saving taxpayers money through better use of energy. Pennsylvanians can have confidence in Onorato’s commitment to these issues because they can see the results of his leadership in Allegheny County.

Click here to read "The Onorato Plan for Sustainability: Growing Pennsylvania's Economy through Leadership in Energy, Environmental & Smart Growth Policies."

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