Tom Wolf

‘Dangerous’ to sit out vote: Obama rallies Democrats for Bob Casey and Gov. Wolf at The Dell

/ wcdem2 / Leave a comment

By Chris Brennan, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/21/18

Former President Barack Obama warned Democrats against sitting out the midterm elections during a North Philadelphia rally Friday for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Wolf, and the party’s other candidates in Pennsylvania.

He singled out young, African American, and Latino voters amid concern that the traditional drop in turnout from presidential years could harm the Democratic Party’s chances of gaining ground in Congress and statehouses amid low approval ratings for President Trump.

And he chided Trump, without naming him, for bragging about improving economic conditions that started before the Republican moved into the White House last year.

“So when you hear right now, folks, right now, taking credit for this economic miracle, c’mon, they act like it all just started. Please,” Obama told a raucous crowd of about 5,000 at the Dell Music Center….

read more at Philadelphia Inquirer

Advertisement

WCDems speak up for communities resisting fracking industry

/ wcdem2 / Leave a comment

West Chester Dem Committee letter to Governor Wolf, below. For more on Grant and Highland municipalities’ resistance against the fracking industry and PA DEP, see “The Rights of Nature Movement Goes on Trial” in Rolling Stone, 1/10/18, and “How a Small Town Is Standing Up to Fracking” also in Rolling Stone, both by Justin Nobel.

37 S. High St.
West Chester PA 19382
November 28, 2017

Governor Tom Wolf
Office of the Governor
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Dear Governor Wolf,

As active citizens in the county seat of Chester County, we are very concerned by the Commonwealth’s actions in promoting pipeline construction in our environs.

As you well know, homeowners’ rights are being overridden, plans are being made to route a pipeline virtually underneath the Chester County Public Library in Exton, and many properties are threatened or already devastated (see, e.g., “Sinkhole opens up during pipeline drilling in West Whiteland“).

Just as upsetting to us, the PA DEP has joined with fracking operators to sue the municipalities of Grant and Highland PA. Those communities’ apparent offense is to stand up for their civic and environmental rights in just the way that West Chester and other PA municipalities are doing and intend to continue doing.

We call on you as our Governor to support community environmental rights and to call off the PA DEP from actively supporting pipeline construction and from suing our fellow municipalities.

Thank you for your attention and for any reply to our concerns,

Sincerely yours,

Stephanie Markstein, Chair
Democratic Committee of West Chester PA
letter approved by vote at our Nov. 27, 2017, Committee meeting

I won’t sign the budget

/ wcdem2 / Leave a comment

email from Governor Wolf, 3/24/16

I won’t sign the Republican budget because the math simply doesn’t add up.

According to their own arithmetic, the Republican budget creates a $1.6 billion deficit in 2016-17 that will prompt massive cuts to education, teacher layoffs, higher property taxes, and cuts to senior programs.

They’ve fought for the failed status quo and they should be held accountable for their actions.

But it’s time to do the responsible thing and end the current impasse to get money to our schools and ensure seniors have the life-saving prescriptions they need.

While I cannot in good conscience attach my name to a budget that does not balance, I am going to let HB1801 become law.

It means that schools will stay open through the end of this year. Seniors will get the drugs they need at affordable prices this year. Counties and municipalities will have the state funds they need to operate this year.

But unless Harrisburg changes its ways, they won’t have adequate funds for next year.

Let’s not pretend anymore.

The Independent Fiscal Office isn’t pretending.

The rating agencies that have warned Harrisburg about another credit downgrade if they don’t help get our fiscal house in order aren’t pretending.

Pennsylvanians who want schools that teach, jobs that pay, and government that works aren’t pretending.

We need to get back to work on creating a real and balanced budget — and if you’re with me, I hope you’ll call your State Senator and State Representative:

Senator Andrew Dinniman (D)
(717) 787-5709

Representative Dan Truitt (R)
(717) 260-6164

Thank you,

Tom Wolf

Corbett’s Desperation and Deceit

/ wcdem2 / Leave a comment

FactCheck, The Annenberg Public Policy Center, October 15, 2014

We’ve noticed that the most deceitful attack ads often come from candidates who are most desperate. For example, consider the claim by Pennsylvania’s unpopular Republican Gov. Tom Corbett that his opponent “is promising to raise middle-class taxes,” when in fact Democratic nominee Tom Wolf promises to cut them.

Wolf has proposed increasing the state’s income tax — but only for those making more than roughly $70,000 to $90,000 per year for individuals, or more than $140,000 to $180,000 for married couples. For the large majority of Pennsylvanians, whose incomes fall below those levels, Wolf proposes to reduce or eliminate the income tax.

Furthermore, Wolf also proposes to cut local property taxes, shifting more of the burden of financing schools to the state. That would be an additional benefit to homeowners…

read more at FactCheck