The LuLac Edition #1360, Nov. 3rd, 2010

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WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

GOVERNOR CORBETT

John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News gave a good analysis of what a Governor Corbett will do for Pennsylvania as opposed to the "candidate" Corbett we were exposed to.
With Republican Tom Corbett elected governor in a race that ran under the radar in Philly, here's a taste of what to expect for the next four years.
The main course: No new taxes, legislative reforms and cuts in government spending.
Butlered hors d'oeuvres or dessert, depending on when they're served: business tax cuts and the sale of State Stores.
For many this is an appetizing bill of fare, as evidenced by the margin of Corbett's win.
The question is, does the meal live up to the menu?
Taxes
Let's start with the no-new-taxes pledge Corbett signed earlier this year.
I'm not saying it's impossible. But history isn't encouraging.
Every Pennsylvania governor in the last 40 years, no matter his party, no matter the state of the economy - Democrat Milton Shapp, Republican Dick Thornburgh, Democrat Robert Casey, Republican Tom Ridge, Democrat Ed Rendell - raised taxes.
With the state facing a deficit that could climb to $5 billion by June and with Corbett vowing to forgo revenue from taxing Marcellus Shale gas, it appears a tall order for T.C. to avoid following his predecessors' footsteps.
There are also some top-dog GOP precedents: "read-my-lips" Republican candidate George H.W. Bush promised no new taxes then raised them; and Ronald Reagan, the gold standard of conservative tax-cut/no-tax pols, raised payroll taxes in 1983 and energy taxes in 1984.
And, OK, it's a new day and a brave new, right-leaning world and I'd be happy to be proven wrong but, as they say, we'll see.
Reforms
Calling for legislative reforms has been in vogue since the pay grab of '05. Candidate Corbett said he'll take away lawmaker perks such as unvouchered per diem expenses and $200 million in discretionary, a/k/a slush fund, accounts, end so-called WAMs (walking-around-money) for pet projects and cut the Legislature's $300 million annual budget by 10 percent.
These are great ideas for needed revenues.
Just remember, candidates say lots of things, but when governors start dealing with lawmakers to get budgets (or anything else) done, attitudes and priorities can change.
Less spending
Much of the state's $28 billion budget is made up of mandated costs, especially related to Medicaid, the state prison system and annual debt payments, all of which are growing.
Candidate Corbett mostly avoided naming specific areas of cost-cutting beyond usual calls to end fraud, waste and abuse and to cut costs by 10 percent in all three branches of government.
But he has direct control only over the executive branch and no control over the Legislature ($300 million) or judiciary ($288 million).
This is not to say he can't make a good run at playing the populist cost-cutter. But it will be interesting to see what level of cooperation he gets from the other two branches, especially from a legislature he investigated as attorney general.
The rest
Corbett said he'll cut the state corporate net income tax 30 percent, kill the "death" (inheritance) tax and work to sell off the State Stores to get $2 billion in new revenue.
This is standard GOP stuff and with a GOP Legislature might even be doable, though Ridge failed to sell State Stores when he had a GOP Legislature.
Don't expect any new efforts at gun control, any expansion of gay rights, legalized medical marijuana, a moratorium on gas drilling or ongoing substantial increases for public education.
Corbett will seek to make his monogram, T.C., also stand for tax-cutter and push a pro-business/pro-populist agenda as far as he can.
If he succeeds, if he does what he said he'll do then liberal causes face starvation, state government goes on a diet and Pennsylvanians get served exactly what they ordered.
John Baer is a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and a frequent contributor to PCN TV.