PA Gov: Wolf and Wagner Vie for Seniors in New Ads

Seeking the senior vote.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and GOP challenger Scott Wagner’s newest television ads center around vying for the senior vote by accusing their opponent of pushing for higher taxes for the elderly.

Wolf’s 30 second television ad, titled “Came From” shows a senior citizen named Eleanor Guerriero, from Levittown, discussing her fears of a Wagner governorship.

“I know it’s Wagner who wants to tax our retirement income for the first time ever,” Guerriero says in the ad. “I think seniors should be really worried about Scott Wagner.”

Last month, Wolf released an ad sharing a similar message of vying for the senior vote, while trying to make his opponent seem anti-senior citizen.

“Scott Wagner as governor would be disastrous for Pennsylvania’s seniors,” said Karissa Hand, Wolf’s campaign Deputy Communications Director. “He has called seniors the ‘greediest generation’ and said that it angers him that Pennsylvania doesn’t tax seniors’ retirement accounts.”

Hand also accused Wagner of wanting to roll back Medicaid expansion and opposing reducing seniors’ prescription drug costs.  

Wagner’s newest 30 second television ad, titled “Seniors” directly refutes Wolf’s claims in his ad and paints Wolf as the anti-senior candidate.

“Don’t believe Tom Wolf’s lies,” says the voiceover to begin the ad. “Scott Wagner isn’t going to tax Senior’s retirement.”

The ad also portrays Wagner standing up to Wolf, while the GOP candidate was a state Senator.

“The reason Tom Wolf is telling these lies is to cover up his own disastrous record on seniors,” said Andrew Romeo, Wagner for Governor spokesman. “Tom Wolf promised property tax relief when he ran in 2014 and then turned around and told seniors they would have to be forced from their homes to fund his education priorities. Scott Wagner will eliminate school property taxes once and for all and is the true champion for seniors in this race.”

The Wolf campaign boasted about his record with seniors during his first term.  

“Governor Wolf is dedicated to investing in and improving programs that benefit seniors and reflect their changing needs,” said Hand.

She touted an increase in seniors being able to age in their homes instead of nursing homes, “stabilizing” the Lottery Fund, investing into senior community centers, and advocating for Medicare.  

“He is committed to standing in the way of the efforts at the federal level to institute an age tax and roll back prescription drug and health care coverage for our seniors,” Hand said.

Senior citizens and school funding have remained at the forefront of the attacks waged by both candidates thus far in the campaign.

6 Responses

  1. Republicans in the Pennsylvania Legislature have fought Tom Wolf tooth and nail. He wanted to keep his promise of lowering or eliminating the school tax by raising the sales tax across the state. Republicans shot this down and are to blame for school taxes rising to support public education. Scott Wagner did say seniors are the “Greediest Generation” and should have their retirements taxed. Don’t `be fooled by this man when he says, ” what have you got to lose’? He doesn’t support medicaid expansion and does not support affordable healthcare or corporations paying their fair share in taxes.

  2. We can’t make our decisions by commercials. We need to investigate each man…look into his policies on seniors in the past and how they jive with the promises for the future. Each man is accusing the other of the same thing…how decent of them.

  3. I’m a Dem. and a retired senior & I usually vote with the Dem,s, but Wolf doesn’t impress me with his education stance, I think the school districts are over taxing everyone & in my township I have friends who work for the district. They tell me there is a ton of waste in spending & ever year the Haverford Township school district keeps raising our taxes, there is no oversight on these school districts, and when people complaint, they use the Old “Well don’t you want the kids to have a good education”. Yes I do but not at the cost of losing my home to taxes. Therefore I hear right from Wagner’s mouth that he will end School District taxes by raising the Pa income tax, and I’m sure there are plenty of other tax ways to save the seniors and the other pa residents homes in pa. Therefore I plan on changing my vote for a candidate who is for the people of Pa.

    1. No worries. Go support Wagner. He’ll “solve all your problems” by doing exactly what he says on record that he’ll do which is raise taxes on seniors by taxing retirement income in Pa and taking care of his promise to address their greed as he feels Pa seniors are the “greediest generation.” As a society, we need to be smarter about things. If a man says something on record and in public how much more proof do we need that he means what he says and Scott “Titan of Trash” Wagner means business.

  4. That Wolf ad is absolutely devastating. Taxing retirement income and calling seniors the “greediest generation” is insane in a state with the fifth highest population of seniors, a group with a 70+ percent turnout rate, and who are vocal about pocketbook issues.

    1. When you take away all “But’s” and divide the total school budget by the number of students there are districts in PA that spend over $22,000 per student.
      So school taxes are the issue.
      Ask your budget director for total spending and enrollment. The cost per student exceeds what some taxpayers earn in a year.
      Tom Wolf would raise spending in a heartbeat. It has been the legislature keeping him in check.
      PA is a sanctuary state for seniors. Most states tax pensions and some states even tax social security.
      The answer is cutting spending. And Wagner is the clear winner on that.

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