Commentary: Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett ignores critics, stays course

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/commentary_pa_gov_tom_corbett.html
Published: Friday, April 29, 2011, 9:27 AM
By Laura Vecsey

Commentary: Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett ignores critics, stays course

And on the 101st day of his reign, Gov. Tom Corbett told state colleges they could solve their budget problems by drilling for natural gas in deposits under their campuses.

Can’t wait to hear what Joe Paterno will say about having to design a new offense to work around a drill rig on the 15-yard line. There could be gas under Penn State, which could be renamed “Marcellus U.,” according to Corbett’s line of thinking.

If there’s one, clear example why Pennsylvania’s new governor is not exactly excelling at crowd-pleasing, his suggestion Thursday about campus drilling says it all.

With such outlandish flouting of public sentiment about drilling and an extraction tax on natural gas, people might be thinking: What IS Tom Corbett thinking?

Here’s a guess: “Polls, schmolls.”

So what if the new governor’s approval ratings are in the tank?

Who cares that a chunk of people who voted for him regret their decision?

He could be Attila the Hun and guess what? It doesn’t matter.

He’s not running for office now. He won. He’s in for another three years and eight months, which is about six lifetimes for a politician, maybe nine.

Critics are calling him One-Term Tommy. But what if he turns out to be Nine-Lives Corbett?

“We may disagree with his choices and the random nature of his choices, but no one can dispute what he’s up against,” Philadelphia political strategist Larry Ceisler said.

“He is what we think he is. He’s not a showboat. He’s a prosecutor who I don’t think has yet to make the transition to leader, so it will be interesting to see if that transition takes place over the next three years. Can you teach an old dog new tricks?” Ceisler said.

Most political analysts insist it’s too soon to tell about Corbett, even as he polarizes voters over his backing of school vouchers and his refusal to impose an extraction tax on natural gas in the Marcellus Shale — a confounding stance given that shale drillers expect a tax.

“First impressions of new governors are usually not lasting impressions for most Pennsylvania voters,” said G. Terry Madonna, the Franklin & Marshall political analyst.

“In fact, Corbett seems to be playing out a familiar script in his first year in office. With few exceptions, Pennsylvania governors in recent history have had a rocky first year in office, always fail to impress the voters that first year and are always re-elected three years later.”

Since 1970, all but one modern governor has had a turbulent initial year in office — a year so tempestuous each of them was labeled a one termer early on, Madonna said.

“Yet each of them was also re-elected comfortably. The only governor to have a tight re-election campaign, Dick Thornburgh, was also the only governor to have a solid first year.”

Still, Corbett’s ratings are historically low.

A Quinnipiac Poll this week found that 37 percent of voters disapprove of Corbett’s job as governor, compared with 11 percent disapproval in the group’s Feb. 16 survey, tripling Corbett’s disapproval rating since he unveiled his budget.

Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed approve of the job Corbett is doing.

Last week, Public Policy Polling showed that among independents, Corbett only has a 31 percent approval rating. In November, Corbett won the independent votes by 18 percentage points over Democrat Dan Onorato.

But for the new governor who was swept in during a national surge favoring conservative Republicans, this is exactly the time to be spending some political capital.

“Corbett is smart to make the hard choices now, early in his administration,” said former Dauphin County Commissioner Lowman Henry of the Lincoln Institute.

“If he can get the budget balanced, improve the state’s business climate and the economy improves, the election is three and a half years away and he can take credit for having made the tough choices and putting us back on the right track.”

Henry said the current recession is so severe government and its programs cannot escape the ill effects.

“We can’t afford double- and triple-the-rate-of-inflation increases in education spending any more, and so the gravy train is over. That is bound to incite the special interests, but grass-roots taxpayers are pleased he is finally cutting off the never-ending flow of money,” he said.

Still, it’s interesting to see some Pennsylvania voters recoil at their gubernatorial choice. Corbett’s Facebook page contains myriad appeals to the former attorney general about his agenda, which includes increased prison funding while slashing education, including higher ed.

“Governor Corbett, I voted for you but I am starting to regret my decision,” said Chad Germer, an auto technician from Elizabethtown.

“You need to re-think your education cuts and the lack of taxing all the well-drilling companies who are destroying the natural beauty of our state. If you ever would like to have a conversation with one of your voters, look me up.”

Corbett does not have a knack for cozy chats with voters, or the media. But after a hands-off approach that has startled even top-ranking Republican leaders, Corbett has started to make the rounds to sell his budget.

On Wednesday, Corbett spent his 100-day anniversary in Pittsburgh touring Google.

“My budget is a commitment to Pennsylvania’s workers,” Corbett said.

Corbett’s budget would cut state spending by 3 percent. He has taken his no-tax pledge so seriously that he has yet to flinch on his opposition to an extraction tax.

“Where the state can help, we’re here to help. And where we can keep out of the way, we will.”

Corbett might not be very appealing, but it’s unlikely he cares. Not now.