Published in the Wall Street Journal, by Robert A. Gleason Jr.

March 4, 2014

Allysia Finley's "GOP Trouble In Pennsylvania" (Political Diary, Feb. 27) is off the mark because Republican governors like Tom Corbett are accomplishing tough agendas and have only begun to tell their stories.

The day he took office, Mr. Corbett faced a $4.2 billion structural deficit, which he closed without imposing tax increases. Mr. Corbett reduced taxes by more than $1 billion, something his Democratic opponents fought him on every step of the way. He also cut taxes on small businesses.

In addition, Mr. Corbett passed comprehensive tort reform and partnered with the energy sector to generate an economic upturn that kept jobs in the state. More than 150,000 private sector jobs have been added to the rolls in the past three years, and manufacturing is growing.

Mr. Corbett is pursuing what is best for Pennsylvania for the next 20 years, not just the next election cycle. He kept his "More Jobs, Less Taxes" pledge and has shrunk government to its smallest size in 50 years. He accomplished all this with a diverse legislature representing a diverse state. Writing off Tom Corbett is a mistake, and I look forward to seeing his record put up against his less-accomplished, tax-and-spend Democratic opponents.

(Robert A. Gleason Jr., "In Defense of Tom Corbett," 3/4/14)