Despite Rocky Start, Wolf Says Last Six Months Have Been Good For Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Gov. Tom Wolf admits he had a rocky first year as the state's chief executive.
"The first year was a little difficult."
Wolf says no one should be surprised by that. After all, he ran to change things in Harrisburg.
"I didn't want to be student council president. I wanted to change things. I ran on a platform of being a different kind of governor," Wolf told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Thursday.
In a sit-down interview, the governor says the last six months have seen real pay-offs to Pennsylvanians, including:
- More funding for public education
- Expanding Medicaid to 650,000 Pennsylvanians
- Legalizing medical marijuana
- Modernizing the liquor system to sell wine in grocery stores and beer in convenience stores
- Bipartisan attack on the opioid crisis
- Progress in eliminating the structural budget deficit
"I'm feeling pretty good," says Wolf these days.
Wolf says he's particularly proud of restoring funds for education.
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"$415 million new dollars for basic education, $60 million in new dollars for early childhood education, $50 million in special education, lots of new money in higher education -- last year a 5 percent increase, this year a 2 percent increase," he lists.
But despite Wolf's claim of success, the public doesn't seem to recognize it.
The latest Quinnipiac poll in mid-July found 50 percent disapproved of Wolf's performance, while just 40 percent approved.
"I'm not reading the polls, and I'm not doing what I'm doing to try to get approval or disapproval," says Wolf.
And the governor says he's not done.
He lists more dollars for education and pension reform as top priorities.
"I'm a native Pennsylvanian. I want my state to do better. That's why I ran, and I think I am doing that. And in the end that's how I'm going to judge myself if I think Pennsylvania is a better place than it was when I got here."