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On Friday-p.m., I attended the Holiday Party sponsored by the Philly-GOP; it was held @ theoldest Republican-Club in America—on Frankford Ave. near “K & A”—and it was announced thata Convention will be held on 3/1/2014 to launch a “new and improved”  local organization. Thus,following a nap, I completed the following and, to facilitate its review, consider this précis:

Guzzardi is now competing with Corbett, who harbors a poor “polling” prognosis,and such competition is felt to be desirable; he will receive earned-media scrutiny[despite the fact that the NBC-10 piece didn ’t air], yielding free-publicity for hisheartfelt ideas. He would slash taxes and eschew incurring debt [delayed taxes]by making PA a right-to-work state [as did Scott Walker], relegating unions to theproper member-advocacy role that triggered the movement a century ago [andameliorating their power over exorbitant cost-centers in state/local governments].{In the process, he would sell the State Stores and defuse the Pension Bomb.}

Most “social”-policies would be set by applying a libertarian approach, for this is adistraction from resolving grave economic challenges facing the Commonwealth;nevertheless, he would eschew regulations that would unduly distract the statefrom preserving only those human rights concerns that derive from natural rights.Unlike Corbett, he would not tax fracking and would not be encumbered by theSandusky Affair; he would roll-back the gasoline-tax by prioritizing and financing

infrastructure repairs via normal governmental income and, certainly, he wouldsimply say “no” when asked to underwrite local governments [Harrisburg] and/orwealthy institutions [University of Pennsylvania], no matter how dire the claims.{He would also reform the legislature by limiting lobbying and banning WAM.}

Unlike Corbett, he would carefully and regularly explain these policies to a publichungry for honesty-in-government, fiscal-responsibility, adherence to rule-of-law,and a sense of self-deprecating humility born of populism and resolve rather thanpomp and circumstance. Knowledge of international and national affairs wouldyield the type of corporate outreach popularized by Texas Governor Rick Perry,yielding an economic boom fueled by energy-sufficiency and industrialization.{Disclaimer: These constitute my appreciation of what I believe he wants to do.}

It must be emphasized that, from my perspective, Guzzardi’s challenge is primarily motivated bya desire to nudge Corbett from running;  this is c/w what Guzzardi has consistently said/written,although it will be increasingly difficult for Guzzardi to quit…the longer Corbett remains active.When the PA Quinnipiac shows Corbett trailing most Dem foes and the best defense from hiscampaign is that 'This race will be a marathon, not a sprint,'  it hardly matters that SantorumRallied Conservatives for Corbett  and Wagner supplanted Schwartz as Dem frontrunner  [reflecting the impact of mccord], or even that Democratic gubernatorial candidates failed tosparkle as they partied for political gain at Pennsylvania Society. {A reader-poll regarding how topick gov-candidate  includes input from moi plus fascinating “inside-baseball” insights regardinghow one might organize a campaign strategy, some of dubious import but others seemingly quitecredible.} In any case, Guzzardi wrote he is running to provide Republicans a choice, predicatedon the following distillation of key-issues in Pennsylvania (and recalling  three-bad-debt-votes bythe republican-controlled-pa-senate, yielding ~$6.3 Billion of delayed-taxation):

1) Tom Corbett has made promises and broken promises, including thelargest tax increases in 20 years {as I, Dr. Bob, have detailed on PoliticsPA};

2) Tom Corbett cannot win in November 2014. Tom Corbett is 15 pointsdown in the polls against any Democrat {vide supra}; and

3) Tom Corbett has refused to confront the government unions and, untilthe unions are confronted, we will not have limited and less expensivegovernment {vide infra}.

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“The Forgotten Taxpayer” feels that, when Corbett and Pa. lawmakers seek cash to plug deficit, tapping The Taxpayers Can't Be Our First Option ;  that’s why, regarding stalled tax relief , Guzzardi only notes that some claim property-tax-reform-left-up-to-district ,  while he finds thatshifting the tax burden from one segment of the community to another and/or centralizing taxcollection in Harrisburg does not reduce the size or cost of government. The threat facingPennsylvania is fiscal and, pension costs, in particular [vide infra]. He is also dismayed thatCorbett dished out some bad medicine by committing the Commonwealth to ObamaDon’tCare,and wonders why a no-bid contract was issued regarding management of the lottery.  He alsorespects Sam Rohrer, when he Challenged Tom Corbett's Statements on the Constitution , andwonders why the Voter-ID legislation, implementation, and litgation appears to have been bothdilatory and ineffective; this latter-point is of-interest personally, because I remember attending abreakfast-meeting a decade ago @ the Union League [in Guzzardi’s stead], @ which I publiclyexpressed wonderment that the mechanisms of government hadn ’t started to crack-down onfraud [well-documented by John Fund]…yielding “reassurance” that this wasn’t a major concern. {Also noted from the electoral perspective is involvement of   American Majority in Pennsylvania.}

Interactions with Rep. Mike Vereb will be of-interest related to additional issues,such as passage by the House of Bills to Reduce the Legislature  [shrinking theHouse from 203 to 153 and the Senate from 50 to 38]; consideration by the

General Assembly  of bills that would relieve local governments from having toadvertise meetings, solicitations for bids on contracts, ordinances, regulationsand other business in newspapers of general circulation [permitting localgovernments to advertise such things by posting notices on their websites]; anddetermining why Pa. taxpayers pay for dubious mailings from politicians.  {Suchissues are of-interest to those who view themselves as the “keepers of the flame”of the GOP, such as the Republican Liberty Caucus of Pennsylvania.}

For example, the recent announcement that corbett-backs-gay-rights-bill  which is intended toBAN SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION has provoked an angry reaction from many inthe “base, such as the PA Family Institute, which claims HB 300 & SB 300 are still bad policy: 

Governor Tom Corbett's sudden and surprising announcement that he now

backs special protections for sexual orientation and gender identity contradictshis campaign promises to oppose such legislation. Not only is he going againsthis commitment to those who elected him, he is supporting public policy that willhave serious negative implications for rights of conscience and religious freedom.

Laws similar to HB/SB 300 in other jurisdictions have been used to force citizenswith legitimate conscientious objections to use their skills and talents to promotea message with which they disagree. Wedding photographers, florists, bakers and T-shirt makers have been investigated, fined and put out of business simplyfor choosing not to promote a message or action with which they disagree.

Just as nearly all Americans agree that no pastor or member of the clergy shouldbe forced by law to perform a same-sex commitment ceremony or wedding, no

photographer, catering facility, or any citizen should be forced by law toparticipate in such an event either. But HB/SB 300 would compel exactly that.

Gender Identity laws like HB/SB 300 have been used in other jurisdictions toforce open restrooms,  locker rooms and dressing rooms to persons of theopposite sex, and to penalize those who object.

The Pennsylvania Family Council calls on the members of the legislature tocontinue their opposition to HB and SB 300, and respectfully requests that Gov.Corbett review the issue and return to his campaign commitment.

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My reading of the bill suggests that a key-concern [“guilty after accusation until proven innocentafter extensive discovery”] remains unaddressed, and this void renders such legislation to becharacterized in a fashion similar to how Nancy Pelosi had touted ObamaDon’tCare[paraphrased: “We must pass it to learn what’s in it”]; thus, Guzzardi may now be able to recruitsupporters from another segment of the “GOP-base” that would now be motivated to abandonCorbett. [Also, others such as businesspeople might be prompted to become allied comparably.]

Opposition to such legislation would not connote opposition to preservingLGBTQ-rights generically; noting the controversy regarding “Duck Dynasty”  [andthe Robertson Family Threat to Pull Out of Duck Dynasty Over Phil Robertson’sSuspension because 'We Cannot Imagine Going Forward Without Our Patriarch At the Helm,'], it is also noted that  A&E Will Air Marathon starring Phil [despiteSuspension], the reaction has prompted sale of   'I Don't Give a Duck' about A&ET-shirts, and Glenn Beck said he wants to host this show on TheBlaze.” 

Guzzardi would position himself well simply by mirroring the defense by  palin, Jindal,  Ted Cruz [attacking culpable “Liberal Elites”  because, 'If you believe infree speech or religious liberty, you should be deeply dismayed' ]  and PAGLIA[viewing the Uproar as 'utterly fascist, utterly Stalinist'], inasmuch as this posture

would reflect proper operation of private business… regardless of where it leads. Again, it is unnecessary to do more than to note recitation of  Biblical quotes  toshow that “hatefulness” was not a motivator; Guzzardi may share my view thatLiber tar ians would not w ish th is issue to supp lant major econom ic issues  for, when ~99% of the legislation is “economic” rather than “social,” the remaining1% of “social” legislation often carries a definable level of “economic”  import.[n.b., Guzzardi notes the SCOTUS has essentially endorsed “Gay Marriage,” reinforced on Friday when Utah’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban was struck-down.]

 Although I don’t write for Guzzardi, this assumption is based on his views on pot:

I think there are other more pressing priorities for Pennsylvania.Other states are experimenting with marijuana legalization; let’s

see how it works out in practice. I am a 10th

  amendment {Federalism} proponent, so I don't think it necessary that statesact uniformly. I don't think it is Pennsylvania's most pressingissue. We will learn from other states' experiences.

{This posture contrasts with that of  Daylin Leach, who is runningfor the 13th District nod as a D, who feels the following depicts“the right way to talk to your kids about marijuana.”} 

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{This position must be compared with  studies  that suggest thatPot is associated with brain shrinkage & memory loss, and thatpot is increasingly used by High Schoolers.}

Economists [and Ms. Bryen, last night] express optimism that America’s capacity for renewal[plus the status of being a net energy exporter , noting new-federal-regulations] portends well forthe future [as was explored both for the poor  and for  everyone]; this boom extends to PA, whichMAY RANK 2ND IN GAS PRODUCTION IN 2013, as the state with the fastest-growing productionof natural gas . Thus, opposition to fracking primarily by Dems is exposed as strictly ideologicaland taxing  it appears foolhardy, notwithstanding safety concerns over cross-state natural gasliquids pipeline.  It is claimed that a Gas Tax Is Too Much for Pennsylvanians,  that a Gas TaxisToo Much for Constituents To Bear ,  that People Will Suffer From Gas Tax Hikes,  and thatIncreasing Gas Taxes Will Hurt Farmers and Hard-Working Families. After  Schwartz called for anextraction tax on gas derived from marcellus-shale, Tom Corbett and Allyson Schwartz clashed,revealing the governor's desperation as he attacked the gas tax idea  [which he subsequentlyinexplicably embraced]. {Adding intrigue, Sunoco is relocating from Philly to the burbs.}

For years, I have written [particularly in PoliticsPA] that Corbett must come-cleanon the Sandusky affair, for he will predictably [and uniquely] become vulnerableto the charge that 'JoePa' took the fall, when a slow Tom Corbett investigation

(allegedly, one trooper for three years scrutinizing Sandusky, ensuring delayedissuance of a report—and potential antagonizing of alums—until after the 2010gubernatorial election) morphed into a sudden decision (before any Freeh-typeinvestigation) to throw Joe Paterno under the bus (hours after he had announcedhis retirement) which some predicted 'It's going to kill him'; 'Joe Paterno wasPennsylvania's Coach, and most of the quarter-million (bipartisan) PA-voters whoare alumni/alumnae and/or employees feel the public owed him, in his final days,a debt of gratitude…not a death of instant scandal and ruin.'  {I graduated in ’72.}The intrigue continues, as Ex-PSU-officials were accused-of-cover-up,  whilebaldwin defended herself (and her having sat-in on the depos of Curley/Schultzwithout truly having represented the deponents, violating their rights) by claiminginter alia that  Administrators had failed to turn over key Sandusky documents. 

 Already explored are facets of Corbett’s  newly-enacted transportation  [gasoline pass-thru] tax,which emerged from a confluence of efforts by Business and labor  due to worriment regardingbridges  and other “bike lanes and other transportation nice-to-haves”; irrelevant were issuesrelated to the Turnpike [Ex-inspector general advocated Disbanding the Pa Turnpike Commission and no-e-z pass or electronic-tolling planned for pa-turnpike], to drivers’ rights and r esponsibilities[Road crew 'abducted' motorists in tunnels and Philly near bottom of USA’s Best-Drivers Report].

Less often explored in SE-PA—except by Guzzardi—is the fact that CorbettDiverted State Funds to Bail-Out Harrisburg [following a bond debt hearing], afterHarrisburg announced plans To Pay-Off Its $360 Million Debt by Selling itsFinancially-Troubled Incinerator and Leasing Parking Facilities;  this was highly-controversial [PennLive’s Gilliland vs Yardbird’s Keisling], noting that parties atcenter of AG investigation of the incinerator were deeply involved in lcswma deal . 

{Also held was a series of  Public hearings for 'Harrisburg Strong Plan.'} 

That  SERIOUS FISCAL CHALLENGES are AHEAD FOR PA  [as municipal-cities and countiesalso face bankruptcies-and-defaults] is predicated on the “Pension Bomb” which Corbett ignored[“Republican Government Tom Corbett failed to control spending: Disappointing Results fromState Union Contract Deals,” Commonwealth Foundation JULY 5, 2011]. These issues had beenelucidated [how-defined-benefit-pension-plans-beguiled-us and Flawed Shared Prosperity plan],and carry international [Poland reduces public debt through pension funds overhaul] and national[state-pension-liabilities-top-4-trillion ]  import; the latter notes that, “In Pennsylvania, the officialunfunded liability reported by the state’s two major pension systems is a combined $49 billion.

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That assumes pension funds will grow at a rate of 7.5% every year in perpetuity. Using the lower,safer growth rate of 3.22%, the unfunded liability in PA ’s two pension plans grows to $156 billion.” {In fact, PRIVATE LOBBYISTS GET PUBLIC PENSIONS IN 20 STATES, with Pa among them.}

These events have prompted a Porcine protester to come back to work at PACapitol after lawmakers’ pay increase and transportation vote, a status that manyfeel is due to the fact that Labor Unions have a strong grip on PA politics; indeed,in 2012, Pennsylvania’s primary government unions spent more than $4.9 millionfrom union dues on political activities and lobbying, a 64% increase from 2006 , and the PSEA (the government teachers’ union) poured $3.6 Million into Politics.{This is where Guzzardi claims anyone who accepts such monies is suspect, while Mike Vereb, ID’s numerous occasions when he has not done their bidding.}  

In any case, when it is noted that the Convention-center-isn’t-living-up-to-its-high-expectations and that Mayor Nutter has been forever battling the Unions, it is notpossible to restore any labor-management harmony via labor-day-parades. {Recalling that I marched in them in the 90’s as Regional Coordinator of theFederation of Physicians and Dentists, I note they have become co-opted fromthe idea that all “labor” results from some type of individual achievement.} 

Thus, Guzzardi chides Corbett for abiding by a prevailing-wage law  instead ofaggressively advocating that PA become a right-to-work  state, as is felt to bedesirable by the yuengling-ceo [who also wants tax reform]; these forces impactefforts to privatize the State Stores, as people appear to play-politics-at-the-plcb while—for example—the pennsylvania liquor union lobbies with public resources, the ex-pa-liquor-board-ceo-made-$67,000-in-six-months-as-part-time-consultant , generous Liquor store clerk union contracts continued to be enacted,  and theLCB extended hours of 102 state stores to placate the masses. {It was revealedthat Pennsylvania-labor-unions are also exempt-from-many-anti-violence-laws.}

In my view, when a  union-sought-severance-for-a teacher-convicted of raping a student,  it wasapparent that the traditional “advocacy” role of a  union was long since abandoned to the intent toapply pressure blindly; this is symptomatic of how unions have become excessively politicized.

Guzzardi notes—after having read Scott Walker’s book—that coerced unionization financed bycoerced dues-collection [by the state] reflects the inability of unions to demonstrate usefulness. After having noted the fact that Pennsylvania is preparing to join the scrum for Boeing work, Guzzardi would argue further that the view of empower-pa be adopted, for he feels that lowertaxes would optimally make-pennsylvania-more-competitive;  when Pennsylvania's governoraddresses Pennsylvania's manufacturers and exporters and their concerns, he would arguesimply that Free Trade (in PA and America) is desirable, as per this article by Mack McLarty (whoserved as President Bill Clinton's chief of staff, counselor, and special envoy for the Americas).

Twenty years ago this month President Bill Clinton signed the North AmericanFree Trade Agreement into law. If there is one thing supporters and critics of thispact have always agreed on, it is the size of the stakes. In November 1993, Mr.Clinton, facing fierce opposition within his party, implored Congress to pass Nafta

as a vote for the country's future, a sign that "we still have confidence inourselves and our potential."

The agreement to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers among the UnitedStates, Canada and Mexico has delivered undeniable benefits. U.S. trade withMexico and Canada has tripled to more than $1 trillion a year, supporting millionsof American jobs. The U.S. exported more last year to Mexico than to Brazil,Russia, India and China combined; and more to Canada, with 35 million people,than to the European Union, with 500 million.

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Yet today the U.S. and the region are facing a changing international landscapefor trade and investment. It brings new risks but also opportunities to strengthenour economic recovery. Nafta at 20 needs Nafta 2.0—a new version of expandedtrade and cooperation to help the three member nations better compete with Asiaand Europe. Regional free trade can help re-energize our sluggish economy,creating growth and reducing inequality.

Two decades ago, North American free trade was an idea ahead of its time.Never before had two developed economies attempted a free-trade pact with adeveloping country. Signed by President George H.W. Bush, Mexican PresidentCarlos Salinas, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on Dec. 17, 1992,the agreement survived because of an extraordinary act of bipartisanship inWashington. After taking office in January 1993, Mr. Clinton, in a signaturemoment of his presidency, defied parts of his political base who claimed thetreaty would destroy U.S. jobs and won approval by Congress with moreRepublican than Democratic votes.

Nafta also opened the door for free trade agreements across Latin America, acatalyst for economic and political reforms. Mexico was transformed from one ofthe most closed economies in the world to one of the most open, and it

subsequently threw off decades of one-party rule. Today, U.S. products make up40% of the contents of goods imported here from Mexico (compared with 4% ingoods imported from China). An integrated market boosts exports and imports,and helps keep good jobs at home.

But there have been unexpected roadblocks. The 9/11 attacks shifted the priorityat U.S. borders to security, and away from trade. It hasn't shifted back. Concernabout illegal immigration and the explosion of drug-related violence in Mexicohas meant that billions of dollars have been spent on our borders not to facilitatethe movement of goods but to prevent the movement of people. Many Americanssupport those measures, while many Mexicans oppose them, reflectingpersistent distrust between our populations.

Nafta's unfinished business is also visible in antiquated infrastructure andregulation. For almost a decade leaders of the three countries have endorsedgreater regulatory cooperation, with little to show for the efforts. Although $1billion in goods crosses the U.S.-Mexico border every day, bottlenecks costmillions. All this contributes to less trade. North America's share of the world'sproduct, which rose sharply during the first years of Nafta, has been in steadydecline and is now roughly 25%. We are not as competitive as we need to be.

There are several reasons now is the right time for new thinking. The border islargely secure and net migration from Mexico has fallen to zero. Immigrationreform is back on the U.S. agenda, if tenuously. The Senate's immigration billincludes $6.5 billion for border security. How much should we invest in cross-border trade?

 A new era of energy innovation is also rapidly spreading across North America.The U.S. is forecast to pass Saudi Arabia as the world's top oil producer in 2015.Under President Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico is implementing reforms that willallow private capital and competition into the state-owned oil industry.Meanwhile, President Obama has set the goal of doubling U.S. exports between2010 and 2015. On Nov. 8, the president called for billions of infrastructureinvestment to increase exports.

The U.S. is in negotiations over two major trade initiatives, the Trans-PacificPartnership, involving 11 countries that include Japan (but not China) and a

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trans-Atlantic trade pact with Europe. These negotiations are a chance toimprove regional competitiveness through convergence of North Americanregulations, bringing Nafta in line with these new trade initiatives.

Demographic shifts and cultural understanding are making North America moreinterconnected. The number of Hispanics living in the U.S. has doubled since1990 to more than 50 million, two-thirds of whom have Mexican heritage. Arecent American University poll released in October showed that there remainswidespread support among Canadians (80%), Mexicans (74%) and Americans(65%) for regional free trade.

Nafta is still a work in progress. But as we search for ways to reinvigorate theU.S. economy, freer trade and greater cooperation with our North Americanneighbors is a clear winner, and perhaps an opportunity for another bipartisanmoment in Washington.