More bad ideas from Governor Tom Corbett

The fair solution, of course, are tax hikes--targeted at the wealthy and corporations--and not kicking the public in the teeth. Our GOP Pennsylvania governor has chosen the latter decision.

Here's his latest bad idea:

EDINBORO, Pa.—Some Pennsylvania universities should consider drilling for natural gas below campus to help solve their financial problems, Gov. Tom Corbett said Thursday. The Erie Times-News reported that Corbett made the suggestion during an appearance at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees at Edinboro University.
Corbett said six of the 14 campuses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are located on the Marcellus Shale formation, part of a vast region of underground natural gas deposits that are currently being explored and extracted.

It should also be pointed out that fracking is actually kind of dangerous. We don't know quite how dangerous because the regulated have bought off the regulators (in both parties...has anyone gone to jail over the BP disaster...anybody?) but even the EPA has taken notice. Just a bad idea. And you know what's worse? Corbett isn't even the worst of these worst than you thought Republican governors. We might have caught a break. (See here and here.)

Related: Pennsylvania Democrats have released an ad. I think it references a "Saved by the Bell" episode. Not sure about the effectiveness of this ad but Corbett's ratings are tanking.

Special Democrats not Helping edition: McCaskill-Corker

Ack. From the Daily Kos:

With Democrats like Claire McCaskill, you don't need Republicans like Ryan.  Earlier this year, she joined with Tennessee Republican Bob Corker to push a plan as bad as Ryan's, but more dangerous because she calls herself a Democrat.  Really.  David Dayen lays it out:

So what is McCaskill-Corker? It would mandate that spending, within ten years, go from 24.7% of GDP to 20.6% of GDP. Instead of looking at what society needs, and advancing programs designed to fulfill those needs, and then determining how to pay for them, then, this bill would artificially limit spending to an arbitrary number that is less than the 22% level of spending under Ronald Reagan. And instead of picking and choosing what programs to save under that cap, McCaskill-Corker forces OMB to make the decision of making “evenly distributed, simultaneous cuts throughout the federal budget.” This would include mandatory spending like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

Debt Limit Vote Could Yield Spending Caps