Four Democrat candidates for governor generally agreed with each other at a debate before more than 400 progressives in Harrisburg on Friday and received nothing but applause.
Part of a two-day Progressives Summit, the convivial gathering was not really a debate, but nearly two hours of the candidates responding to written questions from the audience.
All promised to push for expanded Early Childhood Education, homosexual rights, establish stronger gun controls, put more state tax dollars in government schools, encourage government managed health care, stand strong for abortion rights and place caps on Pennsylvania’s open-ended campaign finance laws.
The only real bone of contention occurred when Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty and Allegheny County Executive said they were opposed to legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, while Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel and Auditor General Jack Wagner both said they favored the idea.
Mr. Hoeffel drew the biggest around of applause from the audience with his impassioned defense of a woman’s right to have an abortion.
No remarks from the candidates drew anything other than polite applause and there were no rebuttal remarks from the panellists toward each others statements.
Mr. Doherty seemingly created a new right for Americans when saying he believed in same-sex marriage. “People have a right to be happy,” the three-time mayor said. Only Mr. Wagner opposed same-sex marriage, but said he favored homosexual rights and civil unions.
All promised to work for family sustaining jobs and all said education was the key to the future for Pennsylvania’s youth to be able to compete globally in the future. Mr. Hoeffel promised to double the current funding for Early Childhood Education, a program for pre-schoolers. Mr. Doherty said he favored “universal (mandatory) pre-K(indergarten).”
Mr. Doherty claimed to have created 5,000 jobs in Scranton during his time as mayor, while Mr. Onorato said his efforts have resulted in a $36 million solar industry project and expansions of Allegheny Ludlum and U.S. Steel in his county.
The candidates said they did not believe the administration of lame duck Gov. Ed Rendell has been effective in the use of tax dollars for economic development projects and all were critical of Mr. Rendell for using state workers as “pawns” during struggles over the state budget.
The four men all said they were for expanded diversity in the work force and the number of women, minorities and homosexuals working in their offices and campaigns rolled off their tongues.
While all bemoaned the continuing state budget crisis, no dollar amounts were placed on the plans of the candidates.
Mr. Wagner was the only one to even mention possible mismanagement of state finances when he said too many state programs are run improperly and that there are “too many no bid contracts.”
All agreed the “social safety net” provided by tax dollars through the state should be expanded and reinforced. Mr. Onorato said the tax subsidized Head Start program is “the best government program I have ever seen.”
All four candidates said they would continue the state liquor control system because it generates nearly $500 million in tax revenues and keeps alcohol out the hands of minors better than a private system could. They also agreed the system should continue its efforts to expand other outlets and seek more modernization.
Only Mr. Wagner sidestepped the issue of a graduated income tax, saying a “blue ribbon” panel should be established to look at the all state taxes with an eye toward reform. Mssrs. Onorato, Hoeffel and Doherty all endorsed a graduated tax with higher rates for higher incomes. “If you make more, you should pay more. It’s the right thing," said Mr. Doherty.
The final question of the night, "What would you do to beat the presumptive Republican nominee, (Attorney General) Tom Corbett?" was most solidly answered by Mr. Wagner.
Mr. Wagner pointed out he outpolled Mr. Corbett by 333,000 votes in their respective 2008 campaigns and also had 36,000 more votes than were cast for President Barack Obama.
Jim Panyard is a reporter with the Pennsylvania Independent. He can be reached at Jim@PAIndependent.com
