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Governor's Stops Include Roulette, Emporium
Published in the Bradford Era, by Amanda Jones
October 12, 2013
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett visited a number of local events and attractions Friday to speak with business owners, county officials and residents on issues including gridlock in Washington, funding concerns and lottery privatization.
Much of Corbett’s time was spent at the Roulette Senior Expo sponsored by state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, speaking to concerns raised by constituents during an informal question and answer session.
“I think Pennsylvania’s best days are ahead, if only I could get Washington out of the way,” Corbett stated. “Governors across the country are saying ‘if they would just do what we have to do,’ which is present a balanced budget on time.”
The partial shutdown has been causing uncertainty in the business world, but whisperings of rekindled negotiations led to solid gains on Friday.
State heads on both sides of the aisle are calling on Congress to end the stalemate and let the government reopen. Governors in at least five states have appealed to feds to reopen certain functions, including Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, who is looking to have the state fund operations at thirty-three national sites that include the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Corbett stated that he is aware of concerns over funding for a number of programs in Pennsylvania. Constituents mentioned transportation, education and senior services, and Corbett addressed his plan to privatize the state’s lottery program.
“The senior population is growing quickly. There will be an increased demand for funding, and the lottery is not growing at the rate it needs to be to keep up,” said Corbett. “The company was mandated to a certain rate of growth or they would not be paid.”
The plan was stopped by state Attorney General Kathleen Kane due to a provision in the plan that would allow the company to be compensated if a larger rate of growth was achieved, according to Corbett.
He does not agree with that opinion. Kane’s office stated the move was found to be in violation of the state constitution because it usurped the rights of the legislature to regulate the program.
Britain-based Camelot Global Services has extended its bid to run the lottery program through the end of October, and the Corbett administration has filed a series of motions in the case.
“The lottery is already partially privatized in Pennsylvania. You buy it from people who are not state employees; the lottery doesn’t make the machines,” Corbett stated.
Friday’s tour began at the Original Cabin Kitchen in Emporium, where Corbett enjoyed a cup of coffee and a home-style breakfast while speaking with constituents and county officials about the beauty of the area and the diversity he sees while travelling throughout the state.
Other stops were made in Smethport and at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette, which Corbett called “absolutely wonderful.” The Senior Expo is an annual event sponsored by Causer for the past eleven years. Causer and Corbett spent a good deal of time walking around and speaking with agency representatives and seniors present at the Expo.
“We’ve got some tough issues ahead. The governor is working very hard with the legislature to get these things taken care of,” Causer encouraged constituents. Causer believes this was possibly the first official visit made by a state governor to the town of Roulette.
Nearly fifty agencies and organizations were represented offering information on senior residential services, governmental programs, outdoor recreation, disability assistance programs, recreational activities and a number of other topics of interest.
(Amanda Jones, "Governor's Stops Include Roulette, Emporium," Bradford Era, 10/12/13)
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