Why is Gov. Shapiro Afraid of His Own Campaign Promises?

HARRISBURG, PA., July 24, 2024 — At a press conference Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the Commonwealth Foundation has “spent years and millions and millions of dollars attacking me.”

Shapiro’s comments were in response to a question about a Commonwealth Foundation newspaper ad critical of his failure to drive legislative accomplishments in line with what he promised to voters.

From Shapiro’s early days in office, the Commonwealth Foundation has worked to advance bipartisan initiatives that Gov. Josh Shapiro supported during his campaign and align with the Foundation’s vision for a better Pennsylvania. One such effort was the organization’s Shapiro’s Promises campaign, aimed at advancing shared priorities around saving kids from failing schools, cutting red tape, and reducing taxes.

The campaign included robust paid media advertising along with striking 14-feet-high signs facing the state Capitol steps on State and Third Streets. 

“It’s unfortunate that the governor feels attacked by our efforts to deliver on his own campaign commitments,” said Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Erik Telford. “The sad truth is that we’ve been more invested in helping Shapiro fulfill his promises than he has.” 

During last year’s legislative budget negotiations, Gov. Shapiro line-item vetoed his own campaign proposal—creating a scholarship program for poor kids trapped in chronically failing schools. Throughout the past year, the governor continued to call this proposal “unfinished business”, but he refuses to lead on this effort. Meanwhile, Commonwealth Foundation has made significant investments – blanketing Pennsylvania with direct mail, text messages, digital ads, and billboards – aimed at helping Shapiro fulfill his promise to our most vulnerable kids. 

Similarly, the governor promised to reach across the aisle and work with the legislature to avoid an energy tax that would hurt working families. Instead, he has literally gone to court with a lawsuit seeking the right to unilaterally impose a massive tax increase on Pennsylvanians without a vote by their duly elected representatives.

“We will continue to encourage the governor to keep his promises, especially to disadvantaged children,” Telford said. “Hopefully, with enough encouragement, he will.”

Learn more at: ShapiroRecord.com

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The Commonwealth Foundation turns free-market ideas into public policies, fostering prosperity for all Pennsylvanians.