Published in the Chambersburg Public Opinion, by Marcus Rauhut

August 01, 2014

During a campaign stop in Chambersburg, Gov. Tom Corbett continued his push for pension reform and rebutted the latest ads attacking his education spending record.

About 80 supporters turned out for the lunch at the Orchards Restaurant on Thursday.

As in his recent campaign stops, he continued to press the Legislature to deal with the state's rising public pension obligations.

"We have to start now," he said. "We have to stop digging a hole by continuing to have more people into the system and change into a 401(k) type system."

Corbett also responded to the latest ads that claimed he cut $1 billion from education funding.

"How many continue to hear them say I cut education?" Corbett said. "It's every commercial on TV. No we didn't."

His own ads claimed he increased education funding. But an analysis by FactCheck.org found this is only true if you include pension payments.

The Republican easily carried Franklin County in 2010. Statewide, he has been trailing York County Democrat Tom Wolf in the polls. Earlier this month, Washington Post named him the governor most at risk of losing his seat.

"It's going to take a good turnout of Republican voters, as well as Democrats who feel he is the answer," said Robert Wollyung, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party.

Several Wolf supporters rallied outside the Orchards during Corbett's visit.

Corbett is facing some dissension from his own party after he used his line-item veto to cut about $65 million from the budget to pressure lawmakers to act on rising pension obligations — a decision he defended Thursday.

"I'm kind of the outsider in Harrisburg," Corbett said. "There's a couple Republicans who are unhappy with what I did with the budget. It was absolutely necessary to take that blue line through it."

Harold Brake of St. Thomas, who attended the lunch Thursday, applauded Corbett, saying pension reform is the most important issue for him in this election.

"I think he took a strong position, and I was a disappointed that the Legislature didn't support him. I've been talking to legislators and they need to give more support," Brake said. "This is something that effects everybody."

Chambersburg Mayor Darren Brown said that as a student at Shippensburg University, education funding is important to him. But he also praised Corbett's plan for pension reform.

"It certainly affects all of us," Brown said. "If you don't handle that, you can either go into debt or raise taxes."

(Marcus Rauhut, "Corbett talks pensions, education in Chambersburg campaign stop," 8/1/14)