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Editor’s note: Billy Penn is analyzing the Pa. Governor’s Race candidates by looking at 10 pressing issues for Pennsylvania millennials. Our first pieces looked at their stances on marijuana, liquor, education, health care, rideshare, the environment, guns and women’s issues. Up today: jobs.
Gov. Tom Corbett (R):
Corbett has also been saying that he’s created 175,000 jobs in the private sector during his tenure as governor. The figures are more or less true, but they are not, as one of his ads say, “remarkable.” PA ranks 46th out of 50th in terms of private sector job growth with the national average being 5.8 percent as FactCheck reported earlier this year.
On the small business line, and it’s always the small business line — Corbett got rid of an “egregious” inheritance tax that made it hard for people to inherit businesses, and a corporate loan tax. He also created a new program called Innovate PA which will create a pool of investment capital to support entrepreneurs, and of course, small business owners.
Under Corbett, Pennsylvania was apparently recognized as number 1 in the Northeast Region for new, expanded corporate facilities by Site Selection Magazine. So much for small businesses.
Corbett has also created a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program targeted toward creating development and growth in “third-class” cities, obviously not Philly.
Challenger Tom Wolf (D):
Most of Tom Wolf’s plans to bring jobs to Pennsylvania revolve around the creation of jobs in the manufacturing sector. Among his plans is the idea that connecting the manufacturing businesses with Pa.’s 130 colleges will reap benefits for both sides — young people can get jobs out of school, and the state’s largest companies can grow their businesses with fresh talent.
He’s also hoping to establish Technical Education Applied to Manufacturing (or T.E.A.M.) to be dispatched to high schools across the state to improve vocational education programs.
Despite his proposed efforts, Wolf was met with some opposition by Big Labor during the Democratic primary, as his massive kitchen and bath cabinetry business employs a non-union labor force. His campaign spokespeople have said that Wolf offers his employees fair living wages and strong benefits.
