Editorials by Erik, Alyssa, and Nicole
Onorato’s Plan for Health Care and Human Services
By: Erik Schab
Dan Onorato is an advocate of health care and human services. Onorato believes affordable health care must be our top priority among other issues. Health care is something everyone should have; it is above many of the other issues that our country is focusing on today. Onorato is looking to make this dream a reality.
A large threat to our middle class today is the rising cost of health care, Onorato who currently lives in Pittsburg, PA, has seen a significant jump in the cost of health care. Mr. Onorato is aware that if health care cost continues to rise at the pace is now that no one will be able to afford health care. Onorato wants to make health care more affordable to all people, and for the people who already have health care but struggling to keep it. For the citizens struggling to make their payments, Onorato wants to lower the insurance company’s prices. Without lowering the prices of health care we will soon see a decrease in the quality of life, and soon after a decrease in the middle class
Onorato believes that there should be enough doctors to ensure all citizens in Pennsylvania have access to a health care professional. He also believes that much more can be done in order to decrease the amount of doctor malpractice. In order to retrieve young more efficient physicians, he will work with medical professionals to establish a “loan forgiveness program.” Having more young doctors will increase the technological advances of the medical field. Doctors just out of medical school have more incite to the newly developed diseases and medical issues developed.
Dan Onorato is the right choice for Pennsylvania governor. Onorato wants to lower the cost of health care while Tom Corbett is does not see a need to lower the cost, just stop hospitals from charging large fees. Onorato is on the right track with saying this, because the amount people pay for health care on a monthly basis will exceed the amount that the person will pay on average for a yearly hospital visit. Corbett’s idea for lowering the cost can intern lead to doctors getting paid less for a job that deserve to get more from. Decreasing a doctors salary can lead to having less doctors, when Pennsylvania needs more doctors. Corbett caters to the select few that are able to afford health insurance, while Onorato caters to the majority who either cannot afford health care or just barely afford it.
Many people struggle to pay for health insurance, and nobody should have to deal with this issue. All individuals deserve health care and should have the aid of the government to help, by lowering the costs. Dan Onorato is the right choice for Pennsylvania governor.
Dan Onorato is an advocate of health care and human services. Onorato believes affordable health care must be our top priority among other issues. Health care is something everyone should have; it is above many of the other issues that our country is focusing on today. Onorato is looking to make this dream a reality.
A large threat to our middle class today is the rising cost of health care, Onorato who currently lives in Pittsburg, PA, has seen a significant jump in the cost of health care. Mr. Onorato is aware that if health care cost continues to rise at the pace is now that no one will be able to afford health care. Onorato wants to make health care more affordable to all people, and for the people who already have health care but struggling to keep it. For the citizens struggling to make their payments, Onorato wants to lower the insurance company’s prices. Without lowering the prices of health care we will soon see a decrease in the quality of life, and soon after a decrease in the middle class
Onorato believes that there should be enough doctors to ensure all citizens in Pennsylvania have access to a health care professional. He also believes that much more can be done in order to decrease the amount of doctor malpractice. In order to retrieve young more efficient physicians, he will work with medical professionals to establish a “loan forgiveness program.” Having more young doctors will increase the technological advances of the medical field. Doctors just out of medical school have more incite to the newly developed diseases and medical issues developed.
Dan Onorato is the right choice for Pennsylvania governor. Onorato wants to lower the cost of health care while Tom Corbett is does not see a need to lower the cost, just stop hospitals from charging large fees. Onorato is on the right track with saying this, because the amount people pay for health care on a monthly basis will exceed the amount that the person will pay on average for a yearly hospital visit. Corbett’s idea for lowering the cost can intern lead to doctors getting paid less for a job that deserve to get more from. Decreasing a doctors salary can lead to having less doctors, when Pennsylvania needs more doctors. Corbett caters to the select few that are able to afford health insurance, while Onorato caters to the majority who either cannot afford health care or just barely afford it.
Many people struggle to pay for health insurance, and nobody should have to deal with this issue. All individuals deserve health care and should have the aid of the government to help, by lowering the costs. Dan Onorato is the right choice for Pennsylvania governor.
Onorato’s Plan for Economic Development
By: Nicole Capp
As the Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato decided that he would like to better Pennsylvania by running for Governor. He has the experience and the ideas to help make Pennsylvania a better place. He is the only candidate for Governor who knows what it takes to turn around a large economy; this is because he has done it in Allegheny County. He was in the leadership position for six years and now Allegheny County has more jobs than any other county in Pennsylvania. Also, the county’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the state and over 2% lower than the nation’s. Dan Onorato plans to create an economy where businesses can succeed and I firmly believe that he will accomplish his goal to help Pennsylvania. “The Onorato Plan for Economic Development,” outlines five steps program for his vision of Pennsylvania, that will help our state’s economy grow. This vision will consist of:
1. Establishing a climate where businesses can succeed;
2. Launch a “Grow Your Own” success strategy to help firms start, expand and prosper;
3. Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation;
4. Boost export opportunities for Pennsylvania companies and attract foreign companies to the state; and
5. Ensure that Pennsylvania’s workforce is prepared for and able to access high-skill, well-paying jobs.
To establish a climate where businesses can succeed, Onorato will make Pennsylvania’s business tax structure competitive. Since Pennsylvania’s income tax in currently the second-highest in the nation, this is a red flag to companies that may build in Pennsylvania. Although many companies do not pay this tax, it still discourages them from building their future with Pennsylvania. Onorato will try to enforce a comprehensive business tax reform that will put in law a four-year plan to accomplish his goals. Some of these goals include:
1. Reducing the Corporate New Income (CNIT) from 9.99% to 7.99% or even lower;
2. Eliminate the current cap on net operating losses for the CNIT;
3. Ensure that the weighing of the sales factor in the CNIT calculation encourages more businesses to grow their
Pennsylvania workforce and their manufacturing and production operations; and
4. Indentify business tax charges to fully pay for these reforms to the CNIT so that the tax burden is not shifted to Pennsylvania’s working families.
Onorato also plans on encouraging the in-state growth of companies headquartered outside of Pennsylvania. He will do this by launching a Domestic Business Outreach Program, which will mirror the state’s international effort with companies with headquarters outside of Pennsylvania. These companies however may have branches within Pennsylvania, which will also be encouraged to take their next step in the growth of Pennsylvania.
To encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, Onorato will implement an aggressive strategy to transform research into new jobs. He will set a goal to establish a $25 million per year competitive funding account over a four-year period that will match industry-sponsored research at public and private Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Onorato will also work with the higher education and business communities to make sure that the Small Business First loan program meets the working capital needs of start-ups. He will make sure that early stage companies are being created as spin-offs from colleges and universities.
The step that I feel is the most important is ensure that Pennsylvania’s workforce is prepared for and able to access high-skill, well-paying jobs. This step includes providing immediate economic relief to struggling families. Many Pennsylvanians are suffering from the recession that the economy is slowly moving out of. To help Onorato will formulate a temporary tax rebate program for businesses that hire unemployed workers or even new entrants to the labor force. But the tax rebate program will only apply to the permanent jobs that offer a family-sustaining wage and includes incentives for positions that include health care benefits. The rebate program will eventually be terminated as the economy recovers from the recession.
With Onorato doing so much to help the Pennsylvania economy, I feel that it will be even better when it finally recovers from this recession. Many of these steps are to help the people get through these hard times and be more productive in society. With more people being more productive, the economy can strive and keep getting better even after the recession.
Onorato’s Plan to Reform Pennslvania's Government
By: Alyssa Zelsnack
In the eyes of Dan Onorato, he says, “citizens need to know that their government is operating with one goal in mind: to advance the public interest, not the power of special interests.” Public interest is more important than special interests because the opinion of the total population seems more logical. Taking special interests of only certain people is not fair. Dan Onorato plans to bring back the trust we used to have for our government. Onorato wants to bring reform to Harrisburg, improve the economy, create jobs, create affordable healthcare, have access to schools with pre-k to high school, increase the environment to be stable, and create energy policy advancements.
For Harrisburg, Onorato has many views to help restore the Commonwealth there. His ideas consist of:
ü Enact tough campaign finance limits and enforcing them.
o Enact contribution limits consistent with federal rules for individuals giving to a candidate.
o Enact contribution limits consistent with federal rules for political party committees.
o Enact aggregate limits on total contributions by an individual in any election cycle consistent with federal limits.
ü Implement a total ban on free gifts, meals, tickets, travel, entertainment and other perks.
ü Strengthen the lobbying law to increase confidence in how public officials are making key decisions.
o Lobbying expenditure reports should be itemized issue by issue
ü End the “revolving door” of state government employment.
ü Improve access to voting so that more citizens can participate in the political process.
Dan Onorato explains that he needs to clean up the legislature. People have made plans and deals that make the Legislature out of reach for a citizen in Pennsylvania. If Dan Onorato were to become governor he will complete six different goals for the Legislature.
Dan Onorato’s plan to fix the Legislature (six ideas):
I. Prohibit legislators from raising their own pay ever again.
II. End Harrisburg’s culture of perks.
III. Enact term limits for Senators and members of the House of Representatives.
IV. Cut the size of the Legislature.
V. Eliminate the General Assembly’s slush fund.
VI. Increase competition in legislative races.
When Dan Onorato becomes Governor, his biggest way of helping is through him being the Allegheny County Executive and his ideas from being there. He says his most effective way of helping the government is through accountability and transparency in State government. His visions are to fix the state budget process, eliminate WAMs, give the public access to how taxpayer dollars are spent, remove the perception of “pay-to-pay”, prevent fraud and abuse, expand the pipeline to encourage more diverse representative leadership, and strengthen the Sunshine Act.
Dan Onorato becoming Governor is going to be the success to Pennsylvania’s government because he has so many visions that will create happiness among citizens. He says his job is to start on day one to make the changes he wants. Dan Onorato will work on his reform agenda every second he gets to make sure Pennsylvania’s government is stable and working properly.
~Vote for Dan Onorato for Governor 2010 for his visions on Government Reform! ~
By: Alyssa Zelsnack
In the eyes of Dan Onorato, he says, “citizens need to know that their government is operating with one goal in mind: to advance the public interest, not the power of special interests.” Public interest is more important than special interests because the opinion of the total population seems more logical. Taking special interests of only certain people is not fair. Dan Onorato plans to bring back the trust we used to have for our government. Onorato wants to bring reform to Harrisburg, improve the economy, create jobs, create affordable healthcare, have access to schools with pre-k to high school, increase the environment to be stable, and create energy policy advancements.
For Harrisburg, Onorato has many views to help restore the Commonwealth there. His ideas consist of:
ü Enact tough campaign finance limits and enforcing them.
o Enact contribution limits consistent with federal rules for individuals giving to a candidate.
o Enact contribution limits consistent with federal rules for political party committees.
o Enact aggregate limits on total contributions by an individual in any election cycle consistent with federal limits.
ü Implement a total ban on free gifts, meals, tickets, travel, entertainment and other perks.
ü Strengthen the lobbying law to increase confidence in how public officials are making key decisions.
o Lobbying expenditure reports should be itemized issue by issue
ü End the “revolving door” of state government employment.
ü Improve access to voting so that more citizens can participate in the political process.
Dan Onorato explains that he needs to clean up the legislature. People have made plans and deals that make the Legislature out of reach for a citizen in Pennsylvania. If Dan Onorato were to become governor he will complete six different goals for the Legislature.
Dan Onorato’s plan to fix the Legislature (six ideas):
I. Prohibit legislators from raising their own pay ever again.
II. End Harrisburg’s culture of perks.
III. Enact term limits for Senators and members of the House of Representatives.
IV. Cut the size of the Legislature.
V. Eliminate the General Assembly’s slush fund.
VI. Increase competition in legislative races.
When Dan Onorato becomes Governor, his biggest way of helping is through him being the Allegheny County Executive and his ideas from being there. He says his most effective way of helping the government is through accountability and transparency in State government. His visions are to fix the state budget process, eliminate WAMs, give the public access to how taxpayer dollars are spent, remove the perception of “pay-to-pay”, prevent fraud and abuse, expand the pipeline to encourage more diverse representative leadership, and strengthen the Sunshine Act.
Dan Onorato becoming Governor is going to be the success to Pennsylvania’s government because he has so many visions that will create happiness among citizens. He says his job is to start on day one to make the changes he wants. Dan Onorato will work on his reform agenda every second he gets to make sure Pennsylvania’s government is stable and working properly.
~Vote for Dan Onorato for Governor 2010 for his visions on Government Reform! ~
