Dan Onorato

PITTSBURGH: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato today joined working families and medical professionals in calling on the state’s large insurance companies to continue to provide affordable health care to over 45,000 working Pennsylvanians for just three more years.

The Community Health Reinvestment agreement, which funds the adultBasic insurance program, is set to expire on December 31, 2010, and leave more than 45,000 Pennsylvanians without healthcare coverage until the federal healthcare reform law fully takes effect in 2014. The program is largely funded from the state’s tax-exempt Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance companies, which together have untapped reserves of $5.6 billion.

            “Skyrocketing health care costs are crippling the middle class and crushing our small businesses,” Onorato told the “Rally for adultBasic” at the Birmingham Free Clinic. “Asking insurance companies to keep over 45,000 of our fellow citizens from losing their health care for just a few more years is both fair and reasonable.”

            The rally was one of five events held across the state calling on the insurance companies to reach an agreement that would extend adultBasic until Pennsylvanians can receive assistance purchasing affordable health insurance in 2014 through the federal healthcare reform law.

           “Working families across Pennsylvania rely on adultBasic for affordable health care so they can receive the medical care they need to keep their jobs,” Onorato said. “During these tough economic times, it is more important than ever that Pennsylvanians do not lose access to health care.”

           The adultBasic health insurance program was launched in 2002 using Pennsylvania’s share of the settlement with tobacco companies. The Blues have been contributing to adultBasic for the last six years.

           As of June 2010, the adultBasic insurance program provided coverage to 45,927 Pennsylvanians, and 397,671 people are on the waiting list. Most adultBasic participants earn between $10,000 and $20,000 per year.

           In 2009, the four Blues insurance providers reported more than $5.6 billion in reserves. During that year, they paid approximately $125 million to help fund adultBasic. Extending adultBasic until 2014 would cost the insurance companies an estimated $200 million per year, which is equal to less than 4% of their reserves.

 
PITTSBURGH: After dodging questions about his repeated remarks that the “jobs are there” but Pennsylvanians would rather “sit there” on unemployment benefits than go back to work, Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett tried this morning to pretend that it never happened at all.


            Appearing on Fox 29’s “Good Day Philadelphia,” Corbett had the following exchange:

Host: “Can you clear this up for me?  Did you say: Hey, listen, I opened the want ads in the papers, and it seems like there’s a lot of jobs to me, I think a lot of people would rather collect unemployment benefits than look for a job.”

Tom Corbett: “No, I didn’t say it that way at all.”

But that is exactly what Tom Corbett has said.

            As the Delaware County Daily Times reported in today’s newspaper:

“When asked about a statement he made earlier this month that ‘the jobs are there, but if we keep extending unemployment, people are just going to sit there,’ Corbett pointed to the classified section of the Philadelphia Inquirer that promises ‘thousands of jobs here (in print) and online.’

‘So you make the distinction whether there are jobs out there or not,’ he said to an Inquirer reporter. ‘I’m reporting what you report. Your newspaper says there’s thousands of jobs. Do I know that to be true? I don’t. I’ve got to trust your newspaper.’

Corbett would not say if he thinks people are not taking advantage of those jobs, but did say he wanted to focus on the future and job development, not what he had said in the past.

‘Do you have a classified list? Are there jobs on there? … How would you interpret that?’ he said….” [7/28/2010]

Prior to citing newspaper want ads as the source for his knowledge of the economy, Corbett had initially “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, 7/9 2010]

            The online news service Capitolwire subsequently reported that the “Candymaker says Corbett misstated their employment issues.” [7/14/2010]

            In fact, there are currently 591,000 Pennsylvanians who are out of work and looking for jobs. As Capitolwire also noted: “The Republican nominee for governor is wrong, according to even the most respected government-shrinking, anti-tax-hike state think tank around, about whether the jobs are there.” [7/10/2010]

And in March, following a visit to a job referral center in Lancaster, Corbett similarly “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, 3/18/2010]

            “Tom Corbett is learning the hard way that his words matter, and time and time again they show he is out of touch with Pennsylvania families,” said Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman. “Pennsylvania needs a Governor who understands the problems we are facing and has the solutions to turn the state around, and Tom Corbett clearly does not measure up.”

PITTSBURGH: Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett today insisted for at least the third time in five months that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate – the highest in over 25 years – is actually the fault of out-of-work Pennsylvanians.

            As reported on Philly.com this afternoon:

           “Speaking to reporters after a campaign stop in Delaware County, the Republican nominee for governor noted that newspapers across the state are carrying line after line of help-wanted ads.


           ‘Are there jobs out there?... How would you interpret that?’ he asked.


           Corbett reported seeing one newspaper page that he said promised thousands of jobs listings in print and online.


           ‘You guys asked me if there are jobs out there,’ he said to a pair of reporters. ‘If I am a common citizen, the average citizen, and I look at a newspaper . . . and I see jobs – what’s the answer to that question.’”
 

            There are currently 591,000 Pennsylvanians who are out of work and looking for jobs. As the online news service Capitolwire noted: “The Republican nominee for governor is wrong, according to even the most respected government-shrinking, anti-tax-hike state think tank around, about whether the jobs are there.”

 

            “Tom Corbett still doesn’t get it,” Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato said. “Pennsylvania needs a Governor who can get our economy back on track, and Tom Corbett’s remarks prove once again that I am the only candidate with the understanding, the experience and the plan to turn this economy around.”

            Corbett’s comments today follow withering criticism for his earlier repeated statements that unemployment benefits encourage out-of-work Pennsylvanians to stay home even though “the jobs are there.”

            In March, following a visit to a job referral center in Lancaster, 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]

            And earlier this month, Corbett told WITF 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…” [July 9, 2010]

PITTSBURGH: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato marked the 20th anniversary of the nation’s landmark law ensuring the rights of people with disabilities by releasing his plan to promote independent living, enable people to obtain employment and support Pennsylvanians with disabilities in their homes and communities.

            “I am committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities,” Onorato said. “The 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act is an important reminder of the strides our nation has made and the work that remains in order to ensure that people with disabilities can thrive in the workplace and in society.”

            As Allegheny County Executive, Onorato emphasized the importance of effective human service programs to meet the needs of people with disabilities; made Allegheny County the first in Pennsylvania to negotiate the placement of voting machine at every precinct with “sip and puff” technology to enable voters with limited or no arm or hand mobility to cast ballots unassisted; and appointed a representative to the Workforce Investment Board who had experience with the challenges faced by people with disabilities.

            Onorato will ensure that state government understands and addresses the needs of people with cross-disabilities and recognizes their contributions to strengthening our communities. The Onorato Policy Statement on Disabilities Issues calls for:

    * Expanding economic opportunity for persons with disabilities;
    * Promoting independent living; and
    * Advocating for persons with disabilities.

“Pennsylvanians with disabilities play a crucial role throughout the Commonwealth,” Onorato said. “As Allegheny County Executive, I have made government work better on behalf of residents with disabilities, and as Governor, I will champion the needs of people living with disabilities.”

            Onorato’s plan also calls for maximizing resources that enable people with disabilities to live independently and receive home- and community-based services and to recognize the importance of meeting the needs of people with disabilities in housing, workforce development, transportation and other areas.  His proposals include:

    * Providing job training opportunities for people with disabilities;
    * Promoting affordable and accessible housing;
    * Continuing to work toward the goal of 50/50 rebalancing for home and community-based care;
    * Emphasizing consumer-driven health care services; and
    * Making the Office of People with Disabilities permanent.

            The Onorato Policy Statement on Disabilities Issues is available at www.voteonorato.com, which has been certified as accessible for people with disabilities.

The impact of the national health care reform law is only one part of the health and human services issues that face the next Governor.  Onorato will also pursue policies that:

    * Enhance the state’s ability to improve care and reduce costs;
    * Improve children’s health and well-being;
    * Meet the long-term living needs of Pennsylvania residents;
    * Address health disparities; and
    * Meet the demand for a highly skilled health care workforce.

PITTSBURGH: Four weeks after Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato challenged him to a series of debates on the issues facing Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett maintained his silence and continued to evade the tough questions.

             Following earlier debate questions about Tom Corbett’s flip-flop on unemployment benefits after blaming the jobless for the high unemployment rate and his habit of requesting spending hikes for his own taxpayer-funded office while calling for cuts to everyone else’s, today Onorato’s campaign issued the third debate question to Tom Corbett:

            After calling for millions of dollars of new spending – and with no executive experience – how are you going to balance the state budget when even one of your top Republican allies in the State Senate doesn’t believe you can?

            The last time Corbett was pressed to explain himself, his response was simple: he refused to answer a question he didn’t like. “It’s a done deal. Let’s move on,” Corbett said when asked why he would suddenly support extending unemployment benefits even though he believes that “the jobs are there” but that lazy Pennsylvanians would rather just “sit there.” [Harrisburg Patriot-News, 7/21/2010]

            But this time it might be more difficult. After all, the GOP gubernatorial nominee has called for a long line of spending hikes – from welfare to education to venture capital funding – even as he campaigns on his pledge that he will not raise taxes.

            Just last month, Corbett called for broad spending cuts, saying that: “‘Everyone is going to have to feel that cut,’ which he said would be ‘across the board,’ from vehicle fleets to reducing Medicaid abuse.” [Harrisburg Patriot-News, 6/11/2010]

            However, as recently as Sunday, Corbett mocked the Department of Community & Economic Development for having “over 300 programs” but couldn’t identify any that are wasteful, telling an audience of Pennsylvania mayors: “I can’t tell you right now that we are funding programs that aren’t working….” [Pennsylvania League of Mayors, 7/18/2010]

            And Corbett’s ally Senate Republican Leader Dominic Pileggi has said that “Corbett, the Republican nominee for governor, should tell Pennsylvanians in ‘his next major policy announcement’ how he would avoid a tax increase.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 6/28/2010]

            Instead, Corbett released an Agriculture policy paper this week calling for new spending in more than a dozen areas.

            “Dan Onorato has balanced the budget for Pennsylvania’s second-largest county for six years in a row without ever increasing property taxes, and he reformed government to cut waste and inefficiency,” said Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman. “Tom Corbett has no experience and contradicts himself at every turn, so it’s no wonder that he is refusing to debate.”

ERIE: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato toured Knowledge Park at the Penn State Behrend campus today, talking with staff and discussing his plans to boost economic development in Pennsylvania.

          “Knowledge Park, and other institutions similar to it, play a vital role in the development of business in Pennsylvania,” said Onorato.  “As Governor, I plan to incorporate a policy that will help Pennsylvania create the necessary environment to rebuild our local and statewide economy.”


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

          Knowledge Park is a research and development park located on the campus of Penn State Behrend. The park enables knowledge-based organizations to take advantage of the college's intellectual and physical resources as well as the resources of other colleges and universities in the region.  In an atmosphere that promotes innovation, the park is accelerating the creation, recruitment, and expansion of knowledge-based organizations that focus on engineering, information management, and science.  Knowledge Park tenants employ 500 skilled workers, the most since its inception.

        “I have experience reviving a large economy with initiatives similar to Knowledge Park and I know how to implement these ideas on a statewide level,” said Onorato.  “The biggest reason we’ve had such success in Allegheny County is because we focused on getting people back to work and creating new jobs..”

As Governor, Onorato will work to encourage economic growth across Pennsylvania.  Onorato’s plan to grow the economy and strengthen communities will:

·         Establish a climate where businesses can succeed;

·         Launch a “Grow Your Own” success strategy to help firms start, expand and prosper;

·         Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation;

·         Boost export opportunities for Pennsylvania companies and attract foreign companies to the state; and

·         Ensure that Pennsylvania’s workforce is prepared for and able to access high skill, well-paying jobs.

 

PITTSBURGH: The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board yesterday called for Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett to “quit his day job” because “it’s nearly impossible lately for the public to separate Corbett’s law enforcement duties from his role as the GOP nominee for governor.”

            A long list of Corbett’s decisions as Attorney General – which have been criticized by the Inquirer, other leading editorial boards and reform advocates – raise as many questions about Corbett’s judgment and priorities as they do about his political motives.

             As the state’s appointed Attorney General in the 1990’s, Corbett proposed lobbying rules that a leading reformer called “an intentional effort to derail a solid lobbyist reform effort” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/21/1996], and Corbett waited until he was almost out of office to do it.

             During the same period, Corbett refused to join a multi-state lawsuit against tobacco companies – despite the massive financial burden the health care costs associated with smoking placed on Pennsylvania taxpayers. Corbett’s Republican successor, Attorney General Mike Fisher, later helped reach a 14-state settlement with a tobacco company.

             At the time, Corbett had questioned whether his office had the resources or expertise to pursue a lawsuit against tobacco companies. But while running for Governor, Corbett’s taxpayer-funded Attorney General’s Office had no trouble suing the federal government twice: in an effort to overturn national health care legislation and to score political points on illegal immigration.

             “For a candidate that stakes his reputation on prosecuting legislators that spend state money on campaigns, Corbett is coming perilously close to doing exactly what he accuses others of doing,” the Harrisburg Patriot-News editorial board noted in an editorial on Corbett’s health care lawsuit. [3/26/2010]

             Then, in May, Corbett subpoenaed Twitter in order to expose anonymous bloggers who have been critical of him – a move that led the Patriot-News to call on Corbett to consider resigning to “assure the integrity of his office….” [5/23/2010]

             And it has now been almost 4 months of silence since Corbett announced his investigation into fraudulent petitions in a Republican ally’s campaign. On March 29, Corbett’s official staff said he would take over a Delaware County case alleging that GOP Congressional candidate Pat Meehan’s nomination petitions contained fraudulent signatures – even though the same Republican officials who circulated petitions for Meehan also did it for Corbett.

             “All of these actions – or inaction – fundamentally call into question Tom Corbett’s judgment,” Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman said.

 Of course, there could be another reason that Corbett has worked so hard to make political hay out of his taxpayer-funded office.
  
             “The overwhelming issue in every election is going to be jobs and the state budget,” as James Tierney, the director of the National State Attorneys General Program at Columbia University, told the online news service Stateline.org in an article published yesterday about Corbett and other Attorneys General who are seeking higher office. “It could be that an entire attorney general’s record is irrelevant to their campaign for governor.”

PHILADELPHIA: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato toured the Breslin Learning Center today and addressed its students and faculty on his plan to boost jobs and focus on workforce development. On the tour, Onorato observed both youth and adult learners preparing for careers in the health care industry.


            “I am the only candidate for Governor who has experience turning around a region and a plan for getting Pennsylvania’s economy back on track,” said Onorato, who has served for six years as Allegheny County Executive. “I know how to make our state more competitive for businesses and to ensure that our workforce is well-prepared for good-paying jobs with the skills that businesses need.”
           
            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.

“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 making it possible for people get back on their feet, while encouraging businesses to create jobs – and that is exactly what I will do as Governor.”

            The Breslin Learning Center, run by District 1199C National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, trains thousands of community members each year in basic academics and health care trades. The center trains youths, many of whom have dropped out of high school, and puts them on the path to careers. It also serves adult learners who have struggled to join the workforce, helping them learn basic work skills and training them for jobs in health care industries.  

            As Allegheny County Executive, Onorato has aligned workforce development programs to meet the needs of businesses. As Governor, Onorato will work to encourage economic growth across Pennsylvania. His plan to grow the economy, which was released in January, will:


·      Establish a climate where businesses can succeed;
·      Launch a “Grow Your Own” success strategy to help firms start, expand and prosper;
·      Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation;
·      Boost export opportunities for Pennsylvania companies and attract foreign companies to the state; and
·      Ensure that Pennsylvania’s workforce is prepared for and able to access high-skill, well-paying jobs.

 
          “I know how to work with community colleges and job training centers to get people ready for high-demand, good-paying jobs, because I’ve done it in Allegheny County,” Onorato said. “I’m ready for the economic challenges the next Governor will face.”

PITTSBURGH: After calling for “across the board” spending cuts and vowing not to raise taxes, Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett yesterday unveiled another plan for millions of dollars in new spending.

            Just weeks ago, Corbett’s ally Senate Republican Leader Dominic Pileggi said that “Corbett, the Republican nominee for governor, should tell Pennsylvanians in ‘his next major policy announcement’ how he would avoid a tax increase.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 28, 2010]

            Instead, Corbett – who has asked for spending hikes for his own office each year he has served as Attorney General, while calling for cuts to everyone else’s – released a policy paper yesterday calling for new spending in more than a dozen areas.

            “Tom Corbett has perfected the Harrisburg insider skill of telling an audience what it wants to hear,” said Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman. “But it’s clear that he does not understand the challenges of balancing the budget and managing a government.”

Corbett’s Agriculture Policy Paper would:

    * “Enhance funding to [Department of Agriculture] bureaus related to human, animal and plant health and safety”
    * “support… the Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards and Bureau of Food Distribution”
    * “continued funding to programs such as first generation farmer, farmland preservation and the phasing out of the inheritance tax”
    * “Support… the State Conservation Commission and Conservation Districts”
    * “Ensure support for the Pennsylvania Horse and Harness racing programs”
    * “Preserve Pennsylvania’s farmlands for future generations”
    * “Increase marketing support…. through the Bureau of Market Development”
    * “work toward restoring funding to continue the successful program known as REAP – Resource Enhancement and Protection program”
    * “Support the county fairs”
    * “work to identify funding to ensure the future success of agriculture research”
    * “Support Pennsylvania’s only Veterinary School” (the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine)

              Corbett’s Agriculture spending plan is just the latest in a long line of spending hikes the GOP nominee has proposed during the campaign, from welfare to education to economic development – even as he simultaneously calls for across-the-board cuts.

             “Dan Onorato is the only candidate for Governor who has balanced six budgets in a row without ever raising property taxes and who has experience making government more efficient to save taxpayers money,” Herman said. “While Tom Corbett is contradicting himself at every turn, Dan Onorato has proven that he knows how to make government live within its means.”