The man from York is finally the leader of the Keystone State.
Today, Tom Wolf was inaugurated as Pennsylvania’s 47th Governor.
In keeping with his businessman nature, Wolf laid out three clear goals for his Administration.
The first was “jobs that pay”.
“As a business owner, I know that the free market requires a constructive partner in government,” the new Governor began. “That means our government should not do everything, but it cannot do nothing either.”
Gov. Wolf plans to create good jobs by making public investments, bringing back manufacturing, inclusiveness and smart use of our natural resources.
Protesters were quite vocal (especially at the beginning of Wolf’s address), urging the new leader to ban the practice of fracking.
“To the protesters here today, I say: help me develop these opportunities in a way that is clean, safe and sustainable,” he responded.
Wolf’s second goal is “schools that teach”.
“Our schools must be our highest priority,” he asserted.
The new Governor did not reveal much about his education plans but called for making sure schools always have necessary resources.
His third objective is “government that works.”
Wolf called for an efficient but responsive government. He made clear his will be a smart Administration that helps citizens get ahead.
In addition to that checklist, the Governor began by addressing our current cynical views of government, and the former Peace Corps member added some Kennedy-esque flourishes at the end.
“Many of our fellow citizens haven’t found their place in this new world yet,” he explained. “And too often, when we’ve looked to our leaders for answers, we’ve been disappointed and frustrated to the point where we feel very cynical about our government and our future.”
“Our experience has made us cynical, but we cannot allow that cynicism to deflate our democratic spirit or destroy our capacity for effective self-governance,” Wolf asserted.
“Over the last three centuries, every generation has been called upon to write a new chapter to carry the idea of Pennsylvania forward.”
“Now is our time.”
And so began Tom Wolf’s own period of time to shape the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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13 Responses
What do we do after we have mined the last ounce of coal wrung the last ounce of oil out of this earth?
Denny
Fracking CANNOT be done cleanly. It’s not possible for an inherently unclean process to be “clean”. The waste and runoff goes into the environment. The drilling operations release silicate particles that fill the air and are inhaled by nearby residents.
The methane leaks from the pipes, and methane is a potent greenhouse gas.
The military and airlines are using biofuels more and more, and we can use more for cars. In the coming decades, we will be switching to electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells, with conventional gasoline phased out and used only in specialized areas or cases.
Run a car on wind? Possibly yours Denny, but no that’s not the way it works – nor does it do so with any resource. Also can’t throw chunks of shale in the tank or use petroleum right out of the ground. But, you can run a car on electricity that is generated by wind.
Why do conservatives – especially those conservative on environmental issues – so often over-simplify things in a way that makes them so much more convoluted and confusing? Same is true with fracking, pipelines, coal, deep water drilling, etc, etc. Maybe because when it comes to our environment related to energy production they are wrong. Dead wrong, and trying to kill everyone else along with them. The only time their arguments make any sense is when looking at profits – pure profits with no concern for the environment or people.
Actually, it is David Diano that is inherently flawed and wasteful. How many cars are you gonna run on wind? Oh; that’s right. Windbags do love wind. Fracking can be done cleanly, and on a sustainable basis.Liz Rosenbaum, on the other hand, is rational. We can work something out. As for Mr. Roden, take away our cars, our heat, our petroleum-based medicines, and let’s see how you like your “clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment” while your children are freezing to death in the dark.
Guido – perhaps you think Flowback is as drinkable as iced tea, but if you know anything about carcinogens, endocrine disruptors (these can really screw up Your gonads – as in feminizing males and vice versa) or any of the poisonous chemicals and radioactivity that is contained in this toxic soup, you wouldn’t think the fears are based on “superstition”.
So we do have a distinct problem here with Gov Wolf thinking we can work with him on “clean and safe”. Unconventional gas drilling simply ISN’T clean and safe and can’t be made to be. It may be possible to make it slightly safer and cleaner, but it will never be clean and safe.
As for “sustainability”, the burning of fossil fuels IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. This is scientific fact. Not only is the resource finite, but it is harmful to our air, water, ecosystems and life itself to continue to release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into our environment.
So you see, if you truly value life, the lives of your progeny and the lives of other species, what we need to do is STOP using shale gas as soo as possible and switch to renewable energy – solar, wind and geothermal – which IS sustainable and far less harmful. The jobs in this industry would be long lasting and would be the “fresh start” PA needs to stop the recurring disasters we have suffered due to heavy-handed resources depletion
(including clean water!)
It would be wonderful to sit down quietly with our new governor and share some of the horrible things we have learned about fracking. Many Pennsylvanians can teach him about the personal horrors they have endured and continue to endure. This is not the great economic success story. Fracking is a very damaging and dangerous process and no Pennsyvanian should be catagorized
as “Colateral damage” – a phrase the industry likes to use to “minimize” the harms. That simply isn’t acceptable.
Many of us worked very hard to get Tom Wolf elected because we thought he is an intelligent and compassionate person. I hope when he really studies the issue fully, he doesn’t prove us wrong.
Since the harm caused by franking is about as carefully documented–and certainly as credulously reported–as the outbreak of witchcraft in Salem, I stand by my comment.
Documented harm isn’t superstition.
Aren’t we bored with the superstitious fear of resource extraction yet?
Number of protesters estimated at 250. (that’s a lot).
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/01/ban_fracking_now_protestors_ur.html
The fracking industry can not and will not frack safely. They don’t want any regulations, they will not pay for the clean up and monitoring, and they don’t want to be taxed. They don’t give a damn about the environment, their workers or the public. All they care about is profits. They gave Tom Wolf $273,000. So now they expect a return on their investment. To continue to allow fracking by Tom Wolf is a violation of his oath of office. Specifically, Article I, section 27:
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
Good luck with trying to get a Republican dominated, anti-tax, anti-regulatory and anti-government legislature pass a 5% extraction tax on a finite and market price falling resource that is ruining our environment and our climate.
There is no such things as “clean” fracking. In 2014, PA DEP reported 248 cases of water supply contamination from fracking, and methane is a potent greenhouse gas. The most responsible thing would be to leave it in the ground, but obviously the Wolf administration isn’t going to do that. A tax won’t make it any safer, but I’m hopeful that, as a businessman, he’ll see that developing truly clean energy like wind and solar isn’t just good thinking, it’s good business. Renewables somehow survived the Corbett administration, imagine how well they would do if the political climate was amenable? Governor Wolf, Pennsylvania needs a renewable energy plan, please!
I am very optimistic at PA’s future under Governor Wolf.
Wolf: “To the protesters here today, I say: help me develop these opportunities in a way that is clean, safe and sustainable”
The problem is that Fracking is neither clean, safe nor sustainable. Period. It is inherently flawed and wasteful, while bringing great harm to the surrounding environment and people.
Wind, solar, and other renewables are “clean, safe and sustainable”