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Gov. Wolf: Pennsylvania Is Blessed With Natural Resources
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In his inaugural address Tuesday Gov. Tom Wolf said, “I want you to know that for the next four years, my administration will be dedicated to three simple goals: Jobs that pay. Schools that teach.  And government that works – one that is worthy of our trust.”

On the environment, Gov. Wolf said, “In Pennsylvania, we are also blessed with an abundance of natural resources: gas, timber, coal, sun, wind, fresh water, open spaces, agricultural land, beautiful scenery, and an opportune location that made us the Keystone State.

“To fulfill our potential, we must take full and responsible advantage of these resources.

“To the protesters here today, I say: help me develop these opportunities in a way that is clean, safe and sustainable.”

Click Here for the text of the speech.

NewsClips:

Wolf Will Target Jobs, Schools, Changing Government

Wolf Sworn In As PA’s 47th Governor

Wolf Speech Long On Inspiration, Perspiration Yet To Come

Wolf Becomes Governor Amid Budget Crisis

 

Groups Calling For An End To Fracking Greet Gov. Wolf At Inauguration

Pennsylvanians Against Fracking, a new coalition of groups from around the Keystone State working to halt fracking, gathered in Harrisburg Tuesday with hundreds of activists to greet Gov. Wolf and urge him to make stopping fracking a priority.

Pennsylvanians from all corners of the state converged on Harrisburg’s Grace United Methodist Church to hear from lead advocates and experts at a pre-rally press conference. Attendees then marched down Walnut Street to the Inauguration grandstands where they held a rally throughout the ceremony. 

Chants of “Fracking PA? Our Answer is No!” met Gov. Wolf, a reference to New York State’s recent ban on fracking.

Several spoke of New York’s recent ban and concerns the negative health consequences of fracking. 

According to Josh Fox, the award-winning director of Gasland and Gasland Part II, “New York banned fracking based on solid science that says fracking is harmful to people - people who live near it suffer effects of air pollution, water contamination and health risks, people who live downstream from it suffer from regional air pollution and contaminated public water supplies and all people who live on the planet suffer the effects of fracking’s increased greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Gov. Tom Wolf inherited insane policies on fracking but he does not have to continue these policies.  The choice is Governor Wolf’s - listen to science and to the harmed citizens of PA or be on the wrong side of history.”

“In our rush to develop shale gas, PA has created some economic winners, but we have put many other Pennsylvanians in harm’s way,” said Raina Rippel, Director of Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project. “After three years of dedicated work, EHP understands that the scale of protecting these Pennsylvanians demands the full participation of the PA Department of Health and the commitment of our Governor."

Those from frontline communities spoke passionately about the reality in PA.  Diane Sipe of Marcellus Outreach Butler made it clear what’s on the line: “While Gov. Wolf says with respect to unconventional gas that he wants his cake and to eat it too, we in the shale fields understand that the gas industry will eat the whole cake.  This is what an extreme extraction process does--it creates sacrifice zones of the places where it operates.  This industry will take the gas and its profits and leave Pennsylvania a legacy of an unhealthy and damaged environment.”

“We all have inherent & indefeasible rights to pure water, clean air & a healthy environment, according to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Science, facts and experiences in our communities where shale gas extraction is happening make clear that these environmental rights cannot be honored if PA allows fracking to continue. Gov. Wolf, as he takes his oath of office as the leader of the Commonwealth, must honor his commitment to protect the environment by stopping fracking in Pennsylvania,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

Wes Gillingham, a New York activist with Catskill Mountainkeeper stated, "High volume fracking has been banned in NY. How did it happen? It wasn’t a back room deal or individual hero; it wasn’t a big organization or politician flexing their might. There is a Ban in New York for the same reason the people here will change the course of history - hundreds and thousands of ordinary people who see the dangers of fracking and refuse to let the gas industry trash the state they love."

Others focused on Gov. Wolf’s campaign platforms and what they saw as a disappointing response to New York’s ban.

“Gov. Wolf has repeatedly expressed his opposition to fracking our state forests and parks, citing ‘an exhaustive study’ that pointed to the irreparable harm it would cause,” said Karen Feridun, Founder of Berks Gas Truth. “Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies point to harms to our health, safety, and environment that extend far beyond the bounds of our public lands. Which Pennsylvania community is less important than a state forest? Whose child is less precious than a stream or a tree? If Gov. Wolf can’t answer those questions, then his choice is clear. He must halt fracking.”

“I'm disappointed in Gov. Wolf's lack of due diligence towards gas drilling in the Marcellus,” said Briget Shields, Founding Member of Marcellus Protest, the grassroots group based in Pittsburgh. “Dr. Howard Zucker, New York’s Health Commissioner, determined it's too risky for the people of New York, so how can it be safe for the people of Pennsylvania?”

Jenny Lisak of Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Water and Air said, “Rather than support a poisonous, toxic, explosive greenhouse gas spewing industry and the administration that wants it to succeed, the fracktivists are putting their passion to work turning this planetary ship around before there’s a head on collision, with no survivors.”

"We are marching today to show Gov. Wolf the strength of the movement against fracking," said Sam Bernhardt, Senior Pennsylvania Organizer for Food & Water Watch. "Pennsylvania needs a halt to fracking; we are going to organize communities around the state until we achieve that goal," said Sam Bernhardt, Senior Pennsylvania Organizer for Food & Water Watch.

NewsClips:

Ban Fracking Now Protesters Urge Wolf

Anti-Fracking Protesters Arrested After Wolf Inauguration

Fractivists Want Wolf To Listen Over Campaign Contributions

 

Mercyhurst Poll: 69% Confident In Wolf’s Leadership

Mercyhurst University released a poll Monday showing 69 percent of respondents were confident in Gov.-Elect Tom Wolf’s leadership ability and 65 percent said he has the ability to solve the state’s problems.

50 percent said he should be able to outperform his predecessor, although a sizable minority-- 29 percent-- said Wolf and Corbett’s performance as governor will be about the same.

52 percent said he would be able to work effectively with Republicans in the General Assembly, but 40 percent said they weren’t so sure.

On Wolf’s agenda, respondents said--

-- 58 percent favored a progressive income tax;

-- 66 percent favored raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10;

-- 61 percent favored enacting a natural gas production severance tax;

-- 74 percent favored increasing funding for public schools;

-- 52 percent favored privatizing state liquor stores, 34 percent opposed; and

-- 58 percent favored reforming public employee pension systems.

On identifying the most important issues Wolf should address--

-- 25 percent said education;

-- 23 percent the economy and jobs;

-- 13 percent taxes;

-- 7 percent the budget;

-- 6 percent the pension system;

-- 5 percent political reforms;

-- 3 percent hydraulic fracturing;

-- 3 percent infrastructure;

-- 3 percent health care; and

-- 2 percent welfare.

NewsClips:

Wolf Nervous About New Job, Poll Shows Voters Aren’t

Poll Shows Wide Support For Wolf

Wolf, His Policies Popular As Inauguration Day Arrives

 

Gov. Wolf Completes Cabinet, Senior Appointments

Gov. Wolf  completed his appointments to cabinet and many senior positions by naming Secretaries for the departments of Education and Labor & Industry.  Here is the complete list of cabinet and senior appointments--

Governor’s Office Staff:

Chief Of Staff - Kathleen McGinty

General Counsel - Denise Smyler

Budget Secretary - Randy Albright

Secretary of Administration - Sharon Minnich

Secretary of Planning and Policy - John Hanger

Secretary of Legislative Affairs - Mary Isenhour

Director of the Office of Public Liaison - Obra S. Kernodle IV

Senior Advisor for Transportation & Infrastructure - Barry Schoch

Line Agencies:

Department of Aging - Teresa Osborne

Department of Agriculture - Russell Redding

Department of Banking and Securities - Robin Wiessmann

Department of Community and Economic Development - Dennis M. Davin

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Cindy Dunn

Department of Corrections - John Wetzel

Department of Drugs and Alcohol Programs - Gary Tennis

Department of Education - Pedro Rivera

Department of Environmental Protection - John Quigley

Department of Health - Karen Murphy

Department of Human Services - Ted Dallas

Department of General Services - Curt Topper

Department of Insurance - Teresa Miller

Department of Labor and Industry - Kathy Manderino

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs - Major General James R. Joseph

Department of Revenue - Eileen H. McNulty

Department of State - Pedro Cortes

Department of Transportation - Leslie Richards

State Police Commissioner - Marcus L. Brown

PA Emergency Management Agency - Richard Flinn

Office of Fire - Timothy Solobay

Physician General - Dr. Rachel Levine

Inspector General - Grayling Williams

NewsClips:

Wolf Administration Looks Very Rendell-Like

Wolf’s Cabinet, Advisers, Who Are They?

Honeymoon Ends As Wolf, Senate Spar Over Nominees

Wolf Recalled Appointees On Principle, To Gain Respect

Wolf Recalls Meuser Nomination

Wolf Fires Open Records Director

Republicans Casting Critical Eye On Wolf Nominees

Making A Difference Outweighs Making Money For Cabinet Picks


1/26/2015

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