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Guv candidates debate urban issues

PHILADELPHIA— Four candidates for governor came together just one block north of city hall here Thursday night to field questions about issues confronting Pennsylvania’s cities in what was one of the first gubernatorial debates to feature candidates from both parties.

The event, featuring Democrats Joe Hoeffel, Dan Onorato and Jack Wagner, as well as Republican Sam Rohrer, was sponsored by he Coalition for Essential Services and Philly Neighborhood Networks and held at Arch Street Methodist Church.

The Democrats had few major policy differences—funding for early-childhood education, public schools and community colleges was a recurring theme, as was imposing a severance tax for the Marcellus shale. Not surprisingly, Rohrer differed starkly from the three Democrats in his approach on everything from school funding (“the solution is not more money because we don’t have any,” he said) to lowering recidivism rates among ex-offenders (he advocated the use of faith-based initiatives). His answers didn’t seem popular with the mostly liberal, city audience.

Hoeffel, who has positioned himself as the most liberal candidate in the field, continued his calls for a state constitutional convention to allow for a graduated income tax, while also advocating a doubling of the state’s investment in community colleges and a heavy tax on natural gas extraction.

“These companies are coming from Texas and Oklahoma,” Hoeffel said. “They can afford to pay it if they want to drill in a Pennsylvania.”

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February 19, 2010 at 9:00 am

--Donald Hoegg

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  1. GOPHWAK

    Feb 19th, 2010

    Correction. Actually, our prosecutor joined the Democratic candidates at the PSEA forum earlier this year in a very good session on various issues.

  2. Jon Geeting

    Feb 19th, 2010

    I certainly don’t know what a prosecutor with no knowledge or experience on the economy would have to say about urban and economic issues.

  3. Don

    Feb 19th, 2010

    Is anyone in Pennsylvania further to the left than Joe Hoeffel? What’s Latin for left? Sinister? Fits that guy like a glove.

  4. GOP in 10

    Feb 19th, 2010

    Corbett had better start showing up to these things! Every time he’s absent and Rohrer shows up, it looks bad. I know he’s just counting on Onorato winning the nomination. Corbett had better not get too cocky.

  5. TrueDem

    Feb 19th, 2010

    Well GOP in 10 Both Corbett and “Yes man ” Danny Onorato better get down on there knees and pray to the heavens above or the great Roman Gods which ever doesn’t strike Onorato with lightning first for lying to the people of Pa. day in and day out at all of these public debates and Q & A on state issues that are as real as ever and important as ever….. responding with some half ass accomplishment that doesn’t even help out US the people its done purely for news media to paint a facade of someone who cares when really he’s only worried about personal gain and achievement not to mention that he’s taken credit for it and done none of the work that got the crappy thing done. The people will see the truth as a matter of fact those of us in Allegheny County already caught a preview of what onorato is all about and would continue to be about, this preview im talking about is none other than the PA drink tax that not one bar/restaurant owner agrees with morally or socially, hell Onorato has even had the balls to create this horror and show his face in a bar that he just hurt, this is the kind of politician that will send us right back into another 8 years of hurt, poverty, unemployment, and not move PA forward as we should go but backwards…. money doesn’t matter…not for this election its simply to important for our state to have another 8 years of goof off politicians who don’t put us the people and our interests first and foremost but themselves and there personal gain and achievements, which granted they should have but they should gain that as they lead this state into the upper echelon of every category within our 50 states. …….Take a good hard look on who is running and then look at there track record from this day all the way back to there first swearing in ceremony to public office, i even dare you to look through news and media on all of them also there’s one man who stands above the rest and the sad thing is that its pretty obvious who he is……………..take a look, i bet were thinking of the same person

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