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“Gubernatorial” Is A Great Word

October 30, 2014 by Hannah Conroy   

The elections for Pennsylvania’s governor take place in just four short days. If you are not registered to vote, you sadly cannot participate in this election (you must be registered 30 days before an election in Pennsylvania). However, I strongly encourage you to register soon so you can vote in the future. I think voting is the easiest way to make a big impact on your community and have your voice heard, but my weird love of voting is a whole other topic.

On Tuesday, November 4th, the candidates for Pennsylvania governor while face off. The incumbent Republican governor, Tom Corbett, is facing opposition from the Democratic candidate Tom Wolf. The two candidates take very different positions on key issues and present different directions for the future of Pennsylvania. Currently, the polls have Tom Wolf winning the gubernatorial election; both Real Clear Politics and 538 favor Wolf to win with a little over half of the vote. So, what makes these two candidates so different?

Firstly, Corbett is currently facing pushback for cutting the state education budget by millions of dollars. He did so to close a budget gap in Pennsylvania, and has faced severe opposition for this decision. Corbett also made some questionable remarks about gay marriage, including seemingly comparing it to incest. However, Corbett does support legislation to end LGBT workplace discrimination, which is currently allowed in Pennsylvania. He does not support the recognition of same-sex marriages in Pennsylvania, although he is not fighting the decision to allow them to occur. Concerning abortion, Corbett is pro-life and has supported legislation to further this position. Corbett would like the minimum wage to stay at the current rate ($7.25/hour), and allow the federal government to adjust it if necessary. On natural gas, Corbett opposes an extraction tax. He has also lowered taxes on small businesses in Pennsylvania. Privatizing the state liquor stores of Pennsylvania is a controversial issue at the moment; Corbett supports privatization. Corbett opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use and the decriminalization of small quantities. He does, however, support research into medical marijuana that could aid seizure-prone children. Corbett supports capital punishment and will continue to implement the death penalty in Pennsylvania. Overall, it seems Corbett’s past legislative decisions and positions are working against him.

Wolf, the Democratic candidate, has gained support in Pennsylvania. Wolf wants to introduce a fair-funding formula to school funding in order to even out funding across the state. He would also increase funding to public schools by $1 billion (AP). Wolf also supports reduced tuition for veterans, easier access to higher education for low-income students, and the development of a DREAM Act for Pennsylvania to serve immigrant students. On social issues, Wolf is pro-choice and supports the recognition of same-sex marriages in Pennsylvania. Wolf also supports a raise in the minimum wage, to $10,10 over 2 years. Unlike Corbett, Wolf supports a 5% severance tax on natural gas, which would be an extra tax on the companies who drill in Pennsylvania. Wolf is also a supporter of increased regulations on gun ownership, including expanded background checks. Rather than privatizing state liquor stores, as Corbett wishes to, Wolf would amend the existing regulations to make them more profitable. Wolf also wishes to make medical marijuana legal in Pennsylvania (past the current standards set by Corbett) and supports the decriminalization of small amounts. Wolf opposes the death penalty and says he will not sign any death warrants in Pennsylvania until issues raised in the PA Supreme Court have been adjudicated.

The above issues are just some of the key differences between Tom Wolf and Tom Corbett. Personally, I am a supporter of Tom Wolf (surprise). I favor an excise tax on natural gas drilling and support his policies on social issues. As of right now (Thursday afternoon), it appears Wolf is going to win the election. Why do you think this is? Do you support Wolf or Corbett? What are you going to be for Halloween? All of these are equally important questions of our time.

Sources:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/governors-races-are-close-but-theres-more-upside-for-democrats/

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/governor/pa/pennsylvania_governor_corbett_vs_wolf-3535.html

http://www.delcotimes.com/government-and-politics/20141011/corbett-vs-wolf-where-they-stand-on-key-positions

 

 


3 Comments »

  1. Jessica Lee says:

    I really like your style of writing! The ending was especially great. I personally support Wolf, and I can see why he is currently winning the election. His policies address and benefit a greater number of diverse people. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. Great job!

  2. Lauren Brooke Nogay says:

    I feel like I’m safe to tell you that Corbett need to go, haha. My boyfriend actually is working for Tom Wolf’s campaign.

  3. Matthew Ian Jentis says:

    I really enjoyed your passion blog! I found it incredibly informative about the upcoming election in Pennsylvania and also very relatable. I really enjoyed for both of the candidates you addressed their political campaigns and issues. I also really found your introduction as effective. It really related to your audience about being able to vote in Pennsylvania. Overall, it was a very well-written and effective post. Nice work.

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