Dan Onorato

PITTSBURGH: GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett, the only candidate who has raised property taxes, backed away from his “no-tax-pledge” yesterday – raising new questions about his ability to balance the budget and handle the economic crisis facing Pennsylvania.

            See the video here:      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ4T6xCA7j0

            In January, Corbett told reporters that raising taxes should be a “last resort” but that “you can’t rule anything in or out.” [Capitolwire, 1/9/2010]
            Under political heat from his primary opponent, Corbett soon back-tracked. The next month, he signed a no-tax pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform, and he has consistently bragged about the pledge on the campaign trail ever since.
            In an interview on KDKA-TV, Corbett then had the following exchange with political analyst Jon Delano:

Corbett: “…No tax increases whatsoever.”

Delano: “And that would include fees… use of services and things like that?”

Corbett: “That’s right.” [3/8/2010]

            But not any more.

            Yesterday, Capitolwire reported that: “Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said Tuesday that in Corbett’s ‘taxpayer protection pledge, fees are not included in that, just taxes are.’” [8/24/2010]

            And the Associated press said that “(Corbett) told The Associated Press in a July interview that the (no-tax-increase pledge) would not stand in the way of increase in fees – for such items as vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses – and other levies that are not called taxes.” [8/24/2010]

            Also yesterday, another of Corbett’s Republican allies – State Senator John Rafferty – raised questions about whether Corbett would keep his promises if elected Governor. Earlier this Summer, Republican Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi had said that he doubted whether Corbett could keep his budget pledges, and challenged Corbett to provide evidence of what he would cut. Corbett has not done so.

“It’s easy for a candidate to make a promise on the campaign trail, but voters need to take a look at our records,” said Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato. “I have balanced the budget for six years in a row without ever raising property taxes. Tom Corbett was responsible for a budget just once, and he cast the deciding vote to raise property taxes by 20%.

            “I’ve been asked why I’m talking about a vote that Corbett made in 1988. It’s because he has so little experience, you have to go back that far.”

The fee-hike flip-flop is just the latest example of Corbett’s shifting budget positions.

Earlier in the campaign, Corbett said that he “agrees” that “Pennsylvania should not incur additional debt.” [Commonwealth Foundation questionnaire]  But Corbett then said: “There are going to be places where we need to use debt to build things.” [Capitolwire, 7/9/2010]
                                                                                                                                                                           

Corbett 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, 6/11/2010], while also requesting additional spending for his own office.                                                                                                                                                   
            So it should come as no surprise that while calling for across-the-board cuts, Corbett has also proposed tens of millions of dollars in new spending on the campaign trail.

8/17/10

WILLIAMSPORT: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato today toured the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center at Penn Tech, discussing how training Pennsylvania’s workforce for Marcellus Shale jobs could lead to rapid economic revival.

            “The Marcellus Shale deposits under our state could put tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians back to work,” said Onorato.  “We only have one chance to do this right, and I’m the only candidate with a plan which will provide the jobs to Pennsylvanians through workforce development programs and training – while still maintaining high environmental standards and a clean water supply.”

            Under Onorato’s leadership, there are more people working in Allegheny County than any other county in Pennsylvania.  Allegheny County’s unemployment rate is significantly lower than both the state’s and the nation’s.

            “The Marcellus Shale is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Pennsylvania,” said Onorato.  “I will work with industry, labor, community and environmental leaders to ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to and are well prepared for the influx of available jobs in the industry.”

            Onorato backs a severance tax on Marcellus shale drilling that is competitive with other states, and he would use the proceeds to fund enforcement by the Department of Environmental Protection, to help local communities address the impact of drilling on their roads and other services, and to pay for the renewal of Growing Greener – which funds the state’s environmental conservation and preservation programs.

            Corbett opposes a severance tax, even though every other major gas-producing state has such a tax.

Corbett has also called for “voluntary drilling standards” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/23/2010] based on “consensus” with the industry [Corbett public statement, 6/23/2010] – which would likely mean environmental regulations are even weaker than they are today.


And Corbett is against limits on new drilling in State Forests [Associated Press, 5/12/2010].


            “I have a plan to both advance our economy and protect the environment,” said Onorato.  “I’m the only candidate who’s putting the concerns of the Commonwealth first.”

8/17/10

PITTSBURGH: Given Harrisburg Republican Tom Corbett’s history of politicizing his office, yesterday’s request by a reform activist for an investigation into taxpayer-funded robocalls might put the Attorney General in a tough position.

            The complaint, filed by activist Gene Stilp, asks Attorney General Corbett to look into whether it is appropriate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to use public funds to make robocalls on behalf of legislators – a practice that has long been condemned by reformers as electioneering and is prohibited by the State Senate.

            Running for re-election as Attorney General in 2008, Corbett faced accusations that he was using taxpayer funds to boost his own name recognition among voters when it was revealed that Corbett had spent approximately $625,000 of tax dollars on public service announcements in the Philadelphia area. [Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/6/2008]

            The next month, an analysis by the Allentown Morning Call found an increase in the Attorney General’s official press releases and public appearances leading up to the November vote. “The releases and appearances garner Corbett free publicity and critical name recognition in a year where, courtesy of the presidential campaign, the airwaves are flooded with pricey political advertisements and voters' attention spans are at an absolute premium,” according to the article. [10/29/2008]

            And a long list of Corbett’s decisions as Attorney General raise as many questions about Corbett’s judgment and priorities as they do about his political motives.


            It has now been almost 5 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

            “Tom Corbett’s actions – or inaction – fundamentally call into question his judgment,” Onorato Communications Director Brian Herman said. “Dan Onorato is the only candidate for Governor who has a record of reforming government, balancing the budget and turning around the economy, and a positive vision for Pennsylvania’s future.”

            As the state’s appointed Attorney General in the 1990’s, Corbett 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 getting involved in two controversial lawsuits: in an effort to overturn national health care legislation and to score political points on illegal immigration.

            And 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]

More recently, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board called for 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.”

HERSHEY: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Onorato was endorsed today by the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), adding to his long list of support from working men and women in Pennsylvania.

            “It’s a tremendous honor to be endorsed by the hard working men and women of the AFL-CIO,” said Onorato.  “Pennsylvania needs a Governor with executive experience dealing with economic issues, and I’m the only candidate with that experience and the vision to solve our challenges.  I’m ready to start fixing the economy on day-one.”

            The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO represents 900,000 workers from 51 International Unions and 1,422 Locals in all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.  Nationwide, the AFL-CIO represents more than 11.5 million workers.

            “Dan Onorato is clearly the most qualified candidate to be the next Governor of Pennsylvania,” said Rick Bloomingdale, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.  “The people of Pennsylvania need a leader who has the ideas and experience to guide them through the tough economic times we currently face.  That person is Dan Onorato.”

            In Allegheny County, Onorato has been committed to creating job growth and a business climate that can compete with any region in the country.  Allegheny County 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.

Onorato’s plan to grow Pennsylvania’s economy and help create family-sustaining jobs will:

    * Establish a climate where businesses can succeed;
    * Launch a “Grow Your Own” success strategy to help firms start, expand and prosper;
    * Lower the corporate income tax to attract businesses to Pennsylvania;
    * Create tax credits for companies that create new jobs; and
    * Ensure that Pennsylvania’s workforce is prepared for and able to access high-skill, well-paying jobs.