Report on Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. James Cawley’s Speech in Reading for Tom Corbett

           Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor James Cawley gave the keynote speech at the Berks County Republican Committee fall dinner in Reading last night, which I attended.  Cawley spoke in favor of re-elected Governor Tom Corbett and himself, as well as the numerous conservative Republican federal and state legislative candidates in attendance, including United States Representative Joe Pitts, in whose district the dinner was held.

            Cawley noted the turnaround of Pennsylvania’s budget and economy from a $4 billion deficit to three straight balanced budgets, and from an over 8% unemployment rate to one around five and a half percent with the creation of 185,000 new jobs.  He noted how Corbett kept his promises to balance the Commonwealth’s budget without raising taxes.  Cawley refuted the myth that Corbett cut education funding by pointing out that despite the end of the temporary boost of Obama stimulus money shortly after the Governor took office, Pennsylvania spends a record amount on its public schools.  He also noted that even though the state’s natural gas industry does not pay a severance tax, it already pays more state corporate taxes than in other states, in addition to impact fees Corbett imposed. 

            Cawley warned the voters not to return to the old tax and spend policies of Democratic Governor Ed Rendell by voting for their liberal Democratic opponent, who had served as the tax collector for the Rendell Administration and who supports U.S. President Barack Obama’s anti-Pennsylvania policies, such as Obamacare and killing the state’s coal industry.  Other than a few basic biographic facts, Cawley observed how little is known about their liberal Democratic opponent, except that he will not reveal his true intentions, such as the specifics about his plan to raise taxes and spend billions of dollars.  

           The audience was optimistic that at this critical political crossroads Pennsylvania voters will not go back to those policies, but will continue with the fiscally responsible policies and reforms of the Corbett-Cawley Administration.