Posted on 03/31/2006 10:43:38 PM PST by LdSentinal
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann on Friday told a group of conservative activists that he intends to impose strict limits on state spending and school property tax increases if elected.
Swann told the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Leadership Council that he wants to make government more responsible with taxpayers' money, citing spending areas such as education and government operations. In 25 minutes of speaking and answering questions, Swann also sought to characterize how he would lead the state if elected in November.
When asked how he might help revive the state's struggling cities, Swann said, "It's not the great idea very often, it's how much work are you willing to put into the idea to have it achieve success."
Swann, a former college football television analyst and Pittsburgh Steelers star who has never held public office, is expected to be the Republican nominee in the fall gubernatorial election. Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell is running for a second four-year term.
With seven months until the election, many people across the political spectrum have been waiting for Swann to provide more detail about what kind of policies he would advocate as governor.
They got some detail, along with a torrent of criticism that Rendell has "flipped" on his promises and "flopped" as a steward of responsible spending - criticism that Rendell's campaign said was factually wrong.
"Lynn Swann doesn't have any experience and he doesn't have any policy proposals for the future, so he's left with attacks," said Rendell campaign spokesman Dan Fee.
Swann said he wants to tie the growth of state spending to an economic indicator such as the rate of inflation, although he did not provide other specifics. Separate initiatives to limit state spending and property tax increases are pending in the Legislature. While Rendell has generally been agreeable to both concepts, he has demanded exceptions in certain situations.
But exceptions on a state-spending cap create "something that isn't really a cap," Swann said.
Most of his remarks addressed issues of particular interest to the business advocates attending the conference, but he also told a questioner he supports amending the Pennsylvania Constitution to effectively ban gay marriage.
The Pennsylvania Leadership Council, a coalition of business and conservative social-issue advocacy groups, calls its annual conference the state's largest conservative gathering.
Its executive director, Lowman Henry, said people there were hungry for details of how Swann's conservative approach would play out in his policies, but didn't get the depth of detail they were looking for.
"I like what I heard," Henry said. "I wished we heard a little more."
Still, he said, Swann had helped himself.
Bill Ogden, a gym owner and personal trainer from suburban Pittsburgh, was satisfied with Swann's response to his question about his opinion of the "fair tax," a sales and consumption tax that replaces all other taxes, like those on income and property. Swann responded that he was looking into the idea, which Ogden supports.
"He didn't just make up a bunch of hogwash and go with it," Ogden said.
Not everybody may have heard what they wanted. For instance, questioners gave Swann an opportunity to talk tough about how he might force concessions from the state teachers' union or rein in the Legislature's spendthrift ways.
Instead, he talked about having "meaningful dialogue" with lawmakers and being "willing to engage" unions to change their direction.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann on Friday told a group of conservative activists that he intends to impose strict limits on state spending and school property tax increases if elected."
A promise from a budding politician.We haven't heard that before.(sarcasm)
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Pittsburgh ping!
I think Swann has more than a prayer. He polls essentially even against Fast Eddie right now (both about 45%).
Rendell will have to really get the troops energized to pull this off. Maybe even have the cemetery voters hit the polls more than once.
As for bybybill's comments, I would rather see someone with little to say make short comments and be gone rather than bore us with lengthy missives that never get to the point.
Gee, you must have missed the fact that Swann is leading in the polls. Might want to be up on what's really going on before posting such b.s.
Well,thank you,too.Hope tomorrow turns out better for you.
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