Corbett primed to cut spending, even if it costs him

Tom Corbett says that if he is elected governor, he would make unpopular cuts in state services, even if it meant he would become the state's first one-term governor in 40 years.

At a campaign stop at ASK Foods in Palmyra on Friday, Corbett, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, said steep cuts might be needed in state government.

Corbett, the state attorney general, made it clear Friday that his focus is on reducing spending, rather than raising fees or taxes, to deal with financial challenges.

"If I only serve one term, I only serve one term," Corbett said Friday. "I think people want to see you cut --except their program."

He has repeatedly said that he would not raise taxes or create new taxes. He said again Friday he has no interest in raising fees to generate revenue.

But with the state facing a potential multibillion-dollar deficit, coupled with a sharp increase in the state's pension costs next year, it will likely take drastic cuts to balance next year's budget without increasing revenue.

"I think when we start making cuts, when we start reducing the budget -- that's where we need to go," Corbett said. "If revenues increase, we might be able to see a happier time. But revenues right now aren't increasing. This economy hasn't turned around."

So far, polls show Corbett leading Democratic candidate Dan Onorato, the Allegheny County executive, by more than 10 percentage points among likely voters. Most polls show many voters are undecided, and polls show a closer race when looking at the broader pool of all registered voters.

If either Corbett or Onorato were to fail in a re-election bid in four years, he would be the first one-term governor Pennsylvania has had since the state began allowing governors to run for re-election 40 years ago.

But Harrisburg-based Republican strategist Charlie Gerow said that if Corbett made tough choices on state services and spending, it might not limit him to one term.

"Not putting politics first and letting the chips fall where they will -- I think that's something Pennsylvanians will really like and respond to very positively," Gerow said.

Onorato understands that he will face difficult budget decisions if he is elected, said Brian Herman, a campaign spokesman.

"I think at this point the objective is to explain to everybody what [Onorato] wants to do as governor," Herman said.

Herman said Onorato isn't focused on the "political ramifications" of the tough choices he could face.

Onorato said this week that he would not raise the state's income tax or sales tax if elected. He also said that before he or lawmakers talk about increasing fees, they should find more ways to make government as efficient as possible.

Onorato supports taxing Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction to generate money for state coffers and local environmental protection efforts.

At ASK Foods, Corbett donned a white coat and pale blue plastic head cover to tour the plant, which makes deli salads, soups and other packaged food.

Speaking to employees after the tour, Corbett reiterated his plans to decrease business taxes.