pamatters.com | Governor Tom Corbett

Corbett Remembers 9/11

August 14, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

The 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is less than a month away. “That day will stick with me, as it sticks with everybody, as to where you were and what you were doing,” says Governor Tom Corbett. Ten years ago, Corbett was chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency. He was in Harrisburg to conduct the commission’s quarterly meeting on September 11^th, 2001.

Details of the tragic events were sketchy when the meeting began. “We conducted the meeting in an hour, we moved through it very quickly. But, what I remember is that I kept getting notes produced to me. I was reading the notes, and I could not tell the members of the commission because they were about the buildings falling,” Corbett recalls.

Corbett had flown into Harrisburg, but drove a rental car home to Pittsburgh because all commercial planes had been grounded. It was an emotional Turnpike trip that day: “Knowing that off to my right somewhere was where the heroes had taken over the plane and crashed it into the ground.”

Phase 1 of the Flight 93 National Memorial will be dedicated during the 10th anniversary commemoration next month.

The Flight 93 National Memorial is under construction, and phase 1 will be dedicated during next month’s 10^th anniversary commemoration. Governor Corbett recently had the chance to fly over the site, and says he looks forward to being there on September 11^th.

This Monday, Corbett will speak at the 37^th annual National Organization for Victim Assistance conference, where special recognition will be given to the 9/11 victims and the advocates who’ve provided assistance.

Corbett Would Sign Driver Cell Phone Ban

August 11, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

Delaware, Maryland and New York all ban hand-held cell phones and texting behind the wheel. Will Pennsylvania be next? Governor Tom Corbett would sign such legislation. Responding to a listener email on Radio PA’s “Ask the Governor” program, Corbett described how he spends a lot of time on the road these days. Invariably, Corbett says, they’ll pull up beside an erratic driver to find them “texting away.”

It’s not a new issue in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, but one of the big holdups has often been whether to make this sort of distracted driving a primary or secondary offense. Governor Corbett says it doesn’t matter to him, and it doesn’t seem to matter to advocates at AAA either. “A motorist out there really doesn’t know the difference between primary and secondary. A law’s a law,” says AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman Jim Lardear.

For instance, Pennsylvania’s seat-belt law is a secondary offense, but PennDOT reports the use rate was 86% last year.

Two bills currently await additional action in the state House. HB 8 originally addressed only texting while driving, but it was amended to add hand-held cell phones as a primary offense. SB 314 originally made both actions a secondary offense, but it was amended to make texting while driving a primary offense.

Corbett Launches Kayak Tour

August 9, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

Governor Tom Corbett will split time between land and water for the remainder of the week, as he begins a three-day kayak tour of Wyoming and Luzerne counties on Wednesday. Corbett says it gives him the chance to see Pennsylvania from a completely different perspective. “I’ve seen it from the roads, I’ve seen it from the air, now I want to see it from the streams and rivers of Pennsylvania,” Corbett explained on Radio PA’s monthly “Ask the Governor” program.

Gov. Corbett will tour the historic Tunkhannock Viaduct during day one of his kayak trip.

It’s going to be a condensed sojourn down the Susquehanna River, due to Corbett’s recent back surgery. “But if it works out, I’d like to be able to do it maybe two or three times next summer, and each summer thereafter,” Corbett says. The goal is to promote Pennsylvania’s natural resources and their impact on the state’s tourism industry.

The First Lady won’t be with him on this trip, but Corbett says the two enjoy kayaking on vacations. This even gives the governor the chance to try out the new kayak Mrs. Corbett bought him for his birthday/Father’s Day back in June.

As many Pennsylvanians remember, former Governor Tom Ridge held similar bicycle tours to promote travel and tourism during his time in office.

Are State Parks Ripe for Privatization?

August 5, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

It’s no secret that Governor Tom Corbett supports privatizing Pennsylvania’s liquor stores, but a pending task force will examine other government functions that may be better served in the private sector. “It’s business that creates the jobs,” Governor Corbett stressed to reporters during a recent stop in Hershey.

Clay's Bridge can be found near Holman Lake in Little Buffalo State Park.

Corbett even offered some first blush ideas: “In the prisons, what are we doing with health care? Who’s maintaining the health care? Can we privatize some of that? Can we privatize the running of the state parks? I will be, during the course of the summer, stopping by some of the state parks with the Secretary to see what’s going on there.”

But talk of privatizing state parks’ operations concerns PennFuture president & CEO Jan Jarrett. “If the state is having trouble funding state park operations, then how is a private vendor going to take them over and make money, unless they charge people for services that have traditionally been open to all Pennsylvanians for free.”

Jan Jarrett says PA already has the best state run park system in the country. “They were recognized as that last year, they won a gold-level award for how well the state park system is run by the current public employees that work there,” Jarrett said in an interview with Radio PA.

This is all just speculation, for now, as the governor’s task force hasn’t even been created yet. However, Corbett did offer one example of how privatization could work in the state parks, on a limited basis. “There are some places where we don’t have lifeguards in state parks.” He suggests privatizing that function may make it affordable again. “Having been a lifeguard, I would like to see lifeguards there, at least during the summer season.”

Meet the “First Pets”

August 3, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

Meet "Harry," the male Airedale Terrier. His name is short for "Harrisburg"

Governor Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett introduced the new “First Pets” today. The Corbetts received hundreds of suggested names from children across the Keystone State.

"Penny," the female Airedale Terrier decided to untie the governor's shoe. Her name is short for "Pennsylvania."

37-children submitted the name “Penny.” 4-children submitted the name “Harry.” Each of them will receive an autographed picture of the First Family — complete with the “First Pets.”

In all, the Corbetts received 548-suggestions from kids in 47-counties. First Lady Susan Corbett says there’s already a noticeable difference at the residence. “This is a beautiful house, but I think having kids or dogs makes it a home.”

Governor Tom Corbett’s Next Appearance Moved to Tuesday, August 9th

August 2, 2011/in Ask the Governor /by Brad Christman

Governor Tom Corbett’s next appearance on “Ask the Governor” has been moved up two days to Tuesday, August 9th. Watch for video clips on Marcellus Shale issues, transportation funding and a host of other topics as we continue our monthly series with the governor.

Submit your question today right here at PAMatters.com.

Transportation Funding Report Released

August 1, 2011/2 Comments/in News /by PAMatters

Transportation Funding Advisory Commission Final Report

The TFAC report includes funding recommendations, a litany of modernization ideas and a 10-year vision of strategic investment.

The five year funding plan, outlined in the final report, could generate an additional $2.5-billion dollars in annual transportation funding. The report indicates that the governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC) was directed not to consider hiking the gas tax, leasing the turnpike, or assumed federal aid.

With those ideas off-the-table, the ultimate funding recommendations focused on adjusting driver and vehicle fees for inflation, uncapping the wholesale tax that oil companies pay and increasing fines that get funneled into the Motor License Fund.

“It’s a very fair plan because it doesn’t focus all of the costs on one segment of the motoring public,” said Bob Latham, Executive Vice President of Associated PA Constructors, and one of 40-members on the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission. “What it does seek to do is to start down that path, and increase funding gradually over a period of five years. So you won’t see a major impact to highway users, whether they’re commercial users or personal motorists.”

The impact on the typical driver – assuming no speeding tickets or other infractions – would be about $36-additional dollars in year one. By year five, it could be up to $132 dollars. But, PennDOT has said those are conservative estimates, based on all of the additional oil company tax revenue being passed onto consumers. The report does point out that TFAC is “deeply aware” of the need to minimize the burden on taxpayers. A few pages later it reads, “TFAC believes it is Pennsylvania’s best combination of options for aligning revenue with funding needs.”

Nearly all of the major recommendations would require some sort of legislative action. “Who knows, after the governor looks at it, what it’s going to look like when it goes to the legislature. Then, who knows what it’s going to look like after they have a chance to look at it,” said Jim Runk, President of the PA Motor Truck Association, and another member of the 40-member panel.

Runk was a bit leery when he was first appointed to the commission, but the feeling quickly faded. “I think after the first hour or so I was pleasantly surprised that a group that large, and with so many different backgrounds, was able to come together and talk about the issues that are important to Pennsylvania.”

Transportation Commission’s Final Report to be Delivered to Governor

July 31, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

Two weeks after the governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission voted on its package of funding and modernization recommendations, the final report is about to be delivered to Governor Tom Corbett. Phased in over five years, the recommendations are designed to provide an annual $2.5-billion dollar shot in the arm for transportation funding in the Keystone State. Previous commissions have pegged Pennsylvania’s transportation funding crisis to be $3-billion dollars a year.

It’s important that Pennsylvania is taking its transportation woes into its own hands, according to Joshua Schank at the Washington DC-based Eno Transportation Foundation. Schank says states can’t rely on the federal Highway Trust Fund for help. “The primary reason is that it’s traditionally been funded through the federal gas tax, which is 18.4-cents per gallon and has not been increased since 1993.”

PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch chaired the governor's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission.

The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission never considered a hike in the state’s gas tax. Chairman and PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch likens the gasoline tax to chasing one’s tail. “If you increase it, you know that fuel consumption is going to go down in the future, so you’d have to increase it substantially to make up for that difference,” Schoch said back in June.

The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission recommends indexing driver and vehicle fees to inflation.

One high-profile recommendation that will appear in the report is the removal of the state’s cap on the wholesale taxes paid by the oil companies. The Commission also recommends an increase in the vehicle and driver fees, which would index them to the rate of inflation. All together, the recommendations could result in PA drivers doling out an additional $132-dollars a year. However officials say those are conservative estimates, based on the entire impact of un-capping the Oil Franchise Tax being passed onto consumers. PennDOT spokesman Dennis Buterbaugh tells Radio PA that’s unlikely to happen.

Many in Harrisburg are anxiously awaiting Governor Tom Corbett’s reaction to the report. Corbett says tapping the 40-member commission was the first step in a “reasoned approach” to the transportation funding problem. “As I call it, ready, aim, fire; not ready, fire, aim,” Corbett said on the July edition of “Ask the Governor.” The report’s recommendations would require legislative action.

Christman Blog: The Cut & Paste Campaign of 2011

July 28, 2011/in Reporters Blog /by Brad Christman

“On what legal, moral and/or ethical basis has the administration decided not to provide pay raises for approximately 13,000 non-union State Employees for going on 4-years while providing approximately 14% in pay increases for Unionized State Workers, Legislators, and some Non-Unionized (on ST Pay Schedules) over this same time period?”

The wording has been identical as the emails on this particular topic pour in for Governor Tom Corbett. Even the improper capitalizations have been copied letter-for-letter. Yes, the non-union state employees are livid, and there’s an organized effort to get their message to the Governor.

Now, these are folks who work hard and are legitimately frustrated as they watch union employees (often subordinates) get pay raises through their union contracts while their own salaries remain stagnant in these tough times. It’s been going on for several years and some managers now say they’re making less money than some of their employees. They’re mad, and they’re emailing us at PAMatters.com demanding an answer from the governor.

As regular visitors to PAMatters.com can tell you, we’ve been in front of this issue and have already discussed it with Governor Corbett. As such, we don’t plan on devoting more time in the coming programs rehashing a subject we already covered. For those who missed it, here are the Governor’s comments on this subject from July 12th. Of particular note, the Governor said he’s hoping to see this situation begin to resolve itself next year, but as we all know, there just wasn’t any money for non-union pay raises (and a bunch of other things) in his first budget this year. There’s nothing that can be done for now, so the issue will likely remain on the side burner until the Governor’s next budget address in about 6 months. For the angry and organized masses, that should be your next email rally point.

Until then, all I can offer is a “misery loves company” answer. For those who have suffered through several years of frozen salaries and wages, you have to know that you’re not alone. Many people are just barely keeping their heads above water, but others all over Pennsylvania are still drowning. There is something to the sage advice about appreciating what you have rather than focusing too much on what you want. Many people out there would do anything for a well-paying job with benefits, and future pay raises wouldn’t factor into their happiness quotient one bit as long as they could put food on their family’s table now.

While we won’t be spending much more on-air time with the Governor on this matter this year, I will promise to personally place your emails in his hand when he is here for his next scheduled taping on August 11th, and yes, this will be an issue we dive back into when the time is right.

Some Call for Special Session on Marcellus Shale

July 25, 2011/in News /by PAMatters

It’s been three years of discussion and debate, but there’s been no comprehensive action on Marcellus Shale issues in Harrisburg. Now with a series of consensus recommendations from the governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission in hand, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) is calling for a special session this fall. “We feel that there is now no reason not to enact these changes to the Oil and Gas Act,” says John Walliser, the PEC’s vice president for legal and governmental affairs.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council was represented on the 30-member commission, and participated in the unanimous vote in favor of the 96-recommendations. “If you have the agreement among the different members participating on the report, we think there is every reason to get those enacted as soon as possible,” Walliser says.

State Rep. Bud George

Agreeing with the PEC’s call for a special session is State Rep. Camille “Bud” George (D-Clearfield), the minority chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. George says the commission’s recommendations are a good first step, but too vague. “The commission gives us too many feel-good, unspecific generalities,” George said in an interview with Radio PA.

Rep. George has introduced legislation (HB 1800), which combines environmental protections with a Marcellus Shale severance tax. It contains a number of recommendations made by the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. “But I make the land and water safeguards stronger,” George says.

George is proposing a volume-based severance tax, which directs revenues toward local governments, environmental programs and infrastructure repair. The bill, dubbed ProtectPA, would tax natural gas companies 30-cents per every 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas severed. It has the support of top House Democrats, but will likely not be considered, because it is a tax.

“I’m not against the gas people, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” George says. But, the veteran lawmaker adds that his main concern is protecting Pennsylvania’s water.

Governor Tom Corbett has said he would not sign a severance tax, but has left the door open for an impact fee. The commission’s 137-page report recommends such an impact fee, which would mitigate the impacts caused to local municipalities by natural gas drilling.

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