Onorato is going to lose Allegheny county if he runs for Governor. Tom Know could lose Philly. Cunningham could win Allentown, but that’s not exactly a big prize. Same with Mellow, he’d probably lose Scranton. Most of these names being tossed around for governor aren’t too popular in their home areas, which makes me wonder why they’re running (or what they’re running from)

I don’t know if I’d use the term “viable” here, but Jack Wagner has been in campaign mode since 2004. He’d probably package himself as Casey-lite (economically liberal, socially conservative). If Onorato runs, that would set up a political bloodbath in the southwest. I don’t think Bob Mellow looks for one last hoorah by tossing his well-worn hat in the ring, and I don’t believe Don Cunningham can gain much traction, although I have to admit that I’m not all that familiar with the man or his political talents. If I had to bet, I’d go with Wagner as the odds-on favorite for the Dem nod in 2010. He has a reliable base in the southwest, plus a decent statewide network from which to build from. As for the Republicans? Who knows. We’re just trying to win back supposedly-red congressional seats (i.e., the 10th), let alone try to actually win a statewide race. Tom Corbett makes sense and would probably be acceptable to our many divergent “wings”, although don’t be surprised to see Lynn Swann at least tease another bid for governor. Talk of a Santorum resurrection (no pun intended) is just that – talk, and Pat Toomey is too busy weeding out supply-side traitors in DC to come home and run for something again (something I’d love to see him do). So, for now, I’ll go with conventional wisdom and predict a Wagner/Corbett gubernatorial smackdown in two years.

Pat Murphy – because his star is rising, and he has built pretty good name rec outside of Philly in only 2 years

Joe Hoeffel, John Cordisco, Jen Mann – all ran statewide recently and have organizations that still exist

Michael Nutter – he might be the Marty O’Malley (or Tommy Carcetti) of PA after all.

And … sit down first … CBK. I don’t like it either, but she’s viable.

Every time Mr. Onorato says: “I either had to put in my drink tax or raise property taxes.” he’s really saying: “I did not have the courage to make the Port Authority cut their spending. It was easier to raise taxes, and that’s what I did. That’s what I do best.”

I just don’t see it. I know he’s been pounding the beat for a long time, but I just don’t think he has the panache to be Guv. Strikes me as the legislative type at best. It’s not that I don’t like what he says or does, but I don’t think he has the personality to take the State.

As to Onorato? I honestly think the drink tax is a tempest in a teapot, if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor. Though he doesn’t have Big Ed’s, big-city style, I think he’s still the front runner…. Let’s face it; the only people really hurt by the “onerous” drink tax are those who are probably in the sauce by the time the polls close…. :-)

Pilt

For those of you who don’t know, Philadelphia has had a by-the-drink-tax for years now. We heard the same lame arguments then as in Allegheny Co now. The fact is, this tax didn’t put any establishment serving alcohol out of business and the restaurant boom in Center City has continued pretty much uninterrupted. It will be the same in Pittsburgh.

Personally, Onorato’s too conservative for me, but he won’t have problem winning Allegheny county or Philadelphia or SE Pa should he run for governor.

pd

This comment is flatly inaaccurate, and is reflective of the problem of argument by supposed observation versus empirical evidence. According to a July 2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, while Center City did see an increase of liquor licensed establishments since 1994, Philadelphia County as a whole had a net loss of 150 licenses. Moreover, Gov. Ed Rendell, in an interview with KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, admitted that the tax is not enforced against smaller operations in Philadelphia — a far cry from Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein’s promise to collect the tax from each and every licensee. Last, the proof is in the pudding: according to state LCB reports, in the first 5 months of 2008, Allegheny County wholesale recepits (sales to licensees) are down more than 5% from 2007, the only county with lower sales in the Commonwealth. Sales in adjoing counties are up more than 7%.

Those are the facts folks. The Allegheny County Drink Tax has alreay and will in the future cost the county in economic development, jobs and growth.

...is dependent on how many drinks are poured every day, then we have more serious problems than I thought! Jobs, growth and development based on a paltry drink tax? Please! Get real.

Heck, given Pittsburgh’s increasing slide toward irrelevancy, our drink tax is the least of our worries.

And I actually admire Weinstein for saying the law will be fairly enforced. That’s the way laws are supposed to work….

Pilt