Corbett's actions in direct violation of PA Constitution

[Divernan]

In the past week, Corbett has ousted both his Secretary of Health and the head of the state's award-winning park system.

First he forced the resignation of Secretary Avila for for having the audacity!, the temerity! of advocating keeping track of health impacts of natural gas drilling. As the conservative Wall Street Journal reported:
"In 2011, Avila told a governor's advisory commission that creating an official state registry of people who complain about adverse health impacts could help 'refute or verify claims that the public health is being impacted by drilling in the Marcellus Shale.'
"The state House of Representatives approved $2 million to help create such a registry as part of a bill to regulate the rapid growth of natural gas exploration, but the money was STRIPPED during last-minute negotiations between GOP legislative leaders and the Republican(Corbett) administration."
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP57176974771a4a269248ed5b7200


Today, news broke that Corbett forced the resignation of Mr. Norbeck, who dared block one of Corbett's campaign contributors from mining for limestone in a state park. Norbeck has six years of outstanding job evaluations in his personnel file and was known to regularly work 50 or 60 hours a week.
"... we were doing great stuff in the state's parks," he said. "I've talked to hundreds of people in the last week, and they are scared about what's going to happen to the department and the parks bureau.
"Morale is seriously low and there's concern about the lack of leadership coming out of the administration."

Mr. Norbeck worked in Maryland's state parks system for 29 years before he was appointed to head Pennsylvania's parks in 2006 by Gov. Ed Rendell. Under his stewardship, the state's system of 117 parks won the 2009-11 National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management awarded by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association.

During Mr. Norbeck's tenure, the Bureau of Parks, working with a shrinking staff, has seen park visitation increase from 35 million to 38 million a year, and income from rentals and services jump from $13 million in 2006 to $21.5 million last year.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/pa-parks-director-says-he-was-forced-out-by-corbett-administration-656785/#ixzz28obtbZuR

Commenter Doug Shield posted the following at the Post-Gazette blog, pointing out how Corbett is directly violating the PA Constitution.
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Here is the Pa Constitution’s commandment relating to OUR Parkland. Now, the right to Bear Arms provision is at Section 21. Corbett seems get’s that part. He seems to think Section 27 is a merely a suggestion. Looks like it is time to go to Court again.

ARTICLE 1 DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.
"SECTION 27 Natural Resources and the Public Estate.
The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people."

I DON’T SEE ANY MENTION OF ENRICHING AMERIKOHL OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE CONSTITUTION. HOW MUCH DID THEY CONTRIBUTE TO CORBETT?

"Christina Novak, a DCNR spokeswoman, declined to discuss the resignation because it's a personnel matter.”.

No Christine, it is a matter of our Constitutional rights and public policy. We know why you fired Mr. Norbeck. I want an explanation as to why Section 27 doesn’t mean anything to Governor Corbett.
(end of Shields' comment)
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So there you have it, yet more evidence that any public servant who puts public health and welfare or the state's natural environment ahead of Corbett paying back his past and future campaign contributors will be shown the door. Bad enough Corbett's sucking up to anything remotely to do with profiteering from the Marcellus Shale, but now he's going after "Big Limestone"! What's next? How much more profiteering can Corbett squeeze in to the next two years for his donor buddies?

Gives a new alternative definition to the term "Friends With Benefits".

[TheMastersNemesis]

1. GOP Makes Up Its Own Rules ---- The Rule Of Law Only Works When It Only Benefits Them

[SunSeeker]

2. Corbett should be in jail.

[Divernan]

3. Corbett's appointed acting Secretary of Health not MD, but was lobbyist for Big Pharma, Pfizer

By the by - I just looked up the bio of Avila's replacement, one Michael Wolf, now Acting Secretary of Health. http://www.portal.health.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_of_health_information/10674/secretary_of_health/556772

Quelle surprise - not! that he is NOT a physician, but a professional politician, with an MBA from that really impressive for-profit, on-line school, The University of Phoenix. He started his career with 6 yrs. of political campaign work for the Republican Party in PA & came to the Dept. of Health from six years as a lobbyist for Big Pharma, specifically Pfizer, the world's largest drugmaker. And we all know how much Big Pharma values safe health care over corporate profits.

So what's in it for One Term Tom? Is Corbett angling for a post-gubernatorial slot on Pfizer's Board? Total compensation to each Pfizer board member in 2011 was $314,023, according to Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-brown-6/
Department of Health Information
www.portal.health.state.pa.us
Effective Oct. 4, 2012, Governor Tom Corbett announced Michael Wolf, MBA, as the Acting Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

[Patiod]

4. Bought and paid for

All Corbett cares about is the oil & gas companies.

[LynneSin]

5. I wonder if Corbett had any pull on that Sandusky sentencing

The guy could be out in 10 years. Hardly the punishment to fit the crime.

[blue neen]

6. Why would anyone with creds like this be forced out?:

"Mr. Norbeck worked in Maryland's state parks system for 29 years before he was appointed to head Pennsylvania's parks in 2006 by Gov. Ed Rendell. Under his stewardship, the state's system of 117 parks won the 2009-11 National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management awarded by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association."

"During Mr. Norbeck's tenure, the Bureau of Parks, working with a shrinking staff, has seen park visitation increase from 35 million to 38 million a year, and income from rentals and services jump from $13 million in 2006 to $21.5 million last year."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/pa-parks-director-says-he-was-forced-out-by-corbett-administration-656785/#ixzz28r42z2LQ

The answer is obvious. Mr. Norbeck wasn't following the Robber Barons' rules.

[PA Democrat]

7. I think Corbett would sell out his own mother for the right price.

Big business picked a winner when they backed Corbett for governor. He has no spine, no morals, no limits to the depths to which he will sink. At least whores are selling their OWN bodies. Corbett is selling the health and welfare of all of our state's citizens.