Dan Onorato Wins First Debate, Corbett Shows He Can’t Be Trusted

Harrisburg, PA – In tonight’s debate, Tom Corbett misled Pennsylvanians about his record of asking for spending increases for his office every year and he continued to show startling inconsistency on his conflicting calls for “across the board” cuts and spending hikes. Corbett was so afraid of facing his record that he refused to speak with reporters after the debate.

“Tom Corbett showed once again that he can’t be trusted,” said Mark Nicastre a spokesman with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “Tom Corbett talks tough on spending, but he’s asked for spending increases for his office every year he has been in Harrisburg. Corbett took a pledge not to raise taxes, but he won’t even be honest with voters about what he considers a tax. Corbett has even called spending hikes, while claiming he supports across the board cuts. Corbett has misled Pennsylvanians for months. He’s said one thing and done another, and Pennsylvanians can’t afford a politician who can’t be trusted.”

Corbett was so afraid of facing his record that he refused to speak with reporters after the debate.

Spending

This year, Tom Corbett requested a 13 percent spending increase for his office. [Intelligencer Journal, 9/9/2010]

Tom Corbett has requested a spending increase each year in office. “Corbett’s proposed spending in increases for his state offices have ranged from 3.9 percent during the 2008-09 fiscal year to a high of 13 percent for the 2010-11 fiscal year.” [PA2010, 9/15/10]

Tom Corbett refused to reduce spending in his office just a few weeks ago. When asked to reduce his own discretionary spending by just 1.9 percent, Corbett refused, saying “I am not making any pledge” to do so. [PoliticsPA, 8/27/2010]

Taxes

Corbett has supported massive tax increases. As a Shaler Township Commissioner, Tom Corbett raised property taxes by 20 percent in his only budget vote and earlier this year Corbett flip flopped on tax increases. In January, Corbett said tax increases were “a last resort” but he refused to rule them out. Only a month later, he signed the no tax increase pledge that he touts in his new ad. [Capitolwire, 1/9/2010 and Associated Press, 8/24/10]

Corbett has been inconsistent on fee increases. In March, Corbett told KDKA that his no tax pledge prevented him from increasing fees, but in August a Corbett staffer told reporters that fees were not included in the pledge. [KDKA, 3/8/2010 and Capitolwire, 8/25/2010]

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