Onorato pledges 'real reform' in race for governor

Onorato pledges 'real reform' in race for governor

By Brad Bumsted, Salena Zito and Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato kicked off his campaign for governor Tuesday with a three-stop tour across the state, beginning in Philadelphia and ending in front of about 500 supporters in the South Side.

"I'm serious about real reform in Harrisburg. And don't let them tell you that it can't be changed," Onorato said at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall. "Sure, there's good people up there, but the system is broken. We need to fix it."

With the long expected announcement, Onorato joins a crowded field for the Democratic nomination in 2010. State Auditor General Jack Wagner, a fellow Western Pennsylvanian; Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty; Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel; and retired Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox have said they're in the race.

Onorato said his nearly six years of running Allegheny County government sets him apart, highlighting the row office consolidation that took place during his first term, environmental remediation that made polluted industrial sites ready for redevelopment and the lack of a property tax increase.

"We created a business climate that can compete with any region in the United States, and that allows the private sector to flourish," Onorato said in Philadelphia. "We've seen more than $10.8 billion in investments and development in Allegheny County since I took office."

A Quinnipiac University poll last week revealed that none of the Democratic rivals is broadly known. The survey showed Onorato, with 14 percent of the vote, led Democrats, followed by Hoeffel at 12 percent and Wagner at 11 percent. Doherty and Knox were in single digits.

"The polls have shown that none of the candidates really has a leg up," said G. Terry Madonna, a pollster at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

Onorato's biggest advantage might be his campaign account. His latest filing shows he has more than $4.1 million in the bank.

"He is someone that is well-positioned to run a good campaign," said Chris Borick, director of Muhlenberg College's Institute for Public Opinion. "Now it remains to be seen if he will."

Onorato started off yesterday with about 100 supporters at Philadelphia's majestic City Hall, and followed with about 75 supporters at Riverfront Park in Harrisburg. For Onorato's homecoming, the campaign paid for hoagies, Miller Light and Yeungling beers and wine.

He addressed two controversial issues that have been raised by opponents: his support for the drink tax and his position on abortion.

Onorato said he relishes the chance to debate his support of the drink tax, saying the only alternative was a property tax hike.

"If it's between the drink tax and property taxes, it's a no-brainer," he said.

On abortion, Onorato said he, as a Roman Catholic, is personally anti-abortion rights but would not overturn state law to tighten abortion restrictions.

Onorato plans to continue his campaign swing today with stops in Johnstown, State College and Wilkes-Barre. He plans to visit Erie and Allentown on Thursday.

Six protesters arrested at kickoff

Pittsburgh police handcuffed and removed six protesters from the IBEW Hall Tuesday evening after they disrupted Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato's campaign event.

Naomi Archer, 43, of Asheville, N.C., managed to get on stage with Onorato and briefly grab the microphone, before he shouldered her aside and an aide pulled her off stage. Hers was the first of four separate disruptions.

Others stood in the crowd, some wearing duct tape over their mouths, to protest the arrests of 110 people in Oakland the night the G-20 leaders left town.

While most of the protesters demanded the charges against those people be dropped, Archer said her group, Climate Camp, had items stolen from Schenley Park, where the group had permission to leave them overnight. She blames city workers and wants the items returned.

Protesters chanted as they were escorted and dragged out, and the crowd shouted Onorato's name to drown them out.

"You wonder why I love this town. Thank you," Onorato said.

Afterward, he shrugged off the protest.

"God bless 'em. It's America," Onorato said. "They got their point across but they probably picked the wrong forum to do it."

From staff reports


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