The Current

The "forbidden" topic...

…the state of affairs in the Capitol.

I will begin by saying that there are folks that have been around this town much longer than me who agree that the animosity in the capitol is as bad as it’s ever been. I’m not saying this to cast aspersions on any one individual or group of individuals, but to indicate that these new challenges prevent constituencies from moving forward on issues of importance for Pennsylvania.

The core problems are not partisan in nature. Philosophical differences between the parties can surface on any given day, but they do not necessarily displace productive public policy action. Rather, there is a lack of trust. And that lack of trust has threatened to bog down state government (which some argue is a good thing).

Ralph Waldo Emmerson once said, “Our distrust is very expensive.” How fitting -- as leaders in Harrisburg struggle to regain the ability to constructively approach the important public policy matters that are at hand.

The pay raise issue has certainly shaken Pennsylvania’s trust in our leaders, but we can not allow that distrust to topple the institution itself.

If anything, our role is to re-establish ourselves as leaders. And in so doing, we must have respect and tolerance for individuals, as well as the institution itself. That is not to say we can’t have differences and debate the merits of any issue. It is to say, however, that we are ALL responsible for setting Pennsylvania on a track that allows us to become economically, ethically and politically an example of which to be proud. This is a great state whose image has been tarnished nationally by the events of recent weeks. Let’s get back to being a Pennsylvania we are all proud of.

With that off my chest, I welcome your comments.

Lessons Learned...

...from guest blogger Maura Donley

This week…

T.O. learned that there really are consequences for your actions, something his parents must have failed to teach him as a child.

A Pittsburgh man discovered what a woman scorned is capable of, and the woman scorned learned that a tube of super glue can be VERY expensive.

And PA Supreme Court Justice Nigro learned the hardest lesson of all. After nearly 200 years of retention votes in PA – Nigro lost his bid for retention -- first time in history. It wasn’t because he himself was a bad judge, showed bad character, got caught doing something nefarious. Nope, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And while there, he learned never to underestimate the power of the people.

The pay raise fever that has gripped Pennsylvania since July came to a head in the last week, first in the General Assembly as it grappled with how to repeal the raise and then in the voting booths as Pennsylvanians sent a clear message of displeasure regarding the whole matter.

There’s a lesson here for all of us, one that businesses in Pennsylvania should sit up and note. It is possible to have an impact; it is possible to be heard.

We spend hours talking here at the Chamber about our “grassroots effort.” Yep, it’s exciting stuff I know. But it can work.

Right now, at an odd time of year, there’s a business tax reduction bill sitting in the House of Representatives. It passed the Senate last week. This is highly unusual -- tax bills typically move during the budget process. This is a rare opportunity.

The bill – House Bill 515 - will, over the next few years, reduce the Corporate Net Income tax to 9.59%, increase the net operating loss cap to $20 million, increase the sales factor from its current 60% for CNI apportionment purposes to 90%, and reduce the Personal Income Tax to 2.98%.

How can we seize this opportunity to create jobs here in Pennsylvania? Call your representatives today; tell them to pass House Bill 515. Call your senator next, thank him or her for passing the bill. It’s that simple; it’s that easy. It will work.

My quote for the day: If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold yourself up as a warning and not as an example. -- George Bernard Shaw