News & Brews October 6, 2022
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Fetterman often a no-show for Lt. Gov. job
The AP reports that in his campaign for Senate, “Democrat John Fetterman takes credit for reinventing Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor’s office.” But his actual schedule as Lt. Gov. tells a story of absences. Records “show Fetterman typically kept a light work schedule and was often absent from state business, including presiding over the state Senate….” What’s more, the AP “found that Fetterman’s daily schedule was blank during roughly one-third of workdays from January 2019, when he first took office, to May of this year, when he suffered a serious stroke. Even on days where his schedule showed he was active, a typical work day for Fetterman lasted between four and five hours.” Read the story here.
Pollsters explain how to make sense of polls
City & State PA asked three Pennsylvania-based pollsters to help make sense of what polls mean (and don’t mean). What can an accurate poll tell us (and what does “accurate” even mean when it comes to polling)? How can we tell a good poll from a bad one? And what should voters take away from a conversation that polls pollsters … about polls? Read the Q&As here.
PLCB gross sales top $3B for first time
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board reported $3.02 billion in sales (including liquor and sales taxes) for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ended on June 30. This is $109.9 million more than the previous year and the first time sales have topped $3 billion. The figure prompted PennLive Capitol reporter Jan Murphy to tweet: “Good news for the commonwealth’s coffers but is it bad news for Pennsylvanians’ livers?”
The difference between Trump voters and Mastriano voters
Charles McElwee, editor of RealClearPennsylvania and a virtual walking encyclopedia of Pennsylvania history, spoke with McClatchy reporter David Catanese about the distinction between Trump voters and Mastriano voters. While some have compared the two candidates, McElwee notes their respective bases are quite different. Watch/listen here. (Note: The podcast was recorded prior to the news of Mastriano’s recent $1 million media buy.)
Shapiro using TikTok to reach young voters
The Post-Gazette takes a look at Democrat Josh Shapiro’s use of TikTok to engage and turnout Gen-Z voters, or those born from the mid-to-late 1990s. The story notes that “a sweep through the tailored feeds of TikTok — a wildly popular video sharing site — may elicit information straight from Mr. Shapiro’s campaign, either through his official channel or a network of influencers he’s deployed to push out his messages.”
Op-Ed: ‘Gov’t unions have too much power’
Commonwealth Foundation Director of Policy Analysis Elizabeth Stelle examines how state law in Pennsylvania grants government unions “special privileges” and “undue political clout” that harm workers and block “commonsense fiscal reforms that would benefit taxpayers and the economy as a whole.” She outlines pending legislation that would support worker freedom and level the playing field. Read her op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette here.