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A governor who was unafraid to fight for his beliefs
Thursday, June 01, 2000
Strong-willed and stubborn, compassionate and politically clean, former Gov. Robert P. Casey was as much the pride of Pennsylvania Democrats as their pain.
He built a sterling reputation as auditor general and eventually persuaded the state's voters that he'd be their advocate in the governor's office. In two gubernatorial terms, he improved conditions for Pennsylvania's less fortunate - in the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program, in the broadening of special education, in the Pennvest program to rebuild aging water and sewer systems, in a state superfund to reclaim hazardous waste sites and in an auto insurance reform to control escalating rates.
But in 1991 Gov. Casey was forced to stand on his humanitarian principles and approve the state's largest tax increase - $3 billion - to pay for his programs during a national recession. It was a vote that painted Pennsylvania as a high-tax state, particularly for business, and one that gave Republicans political ammunition for nearly a decade.
In 1987, though he was on the right side in pushing a state constitutional amendment to reform the local property tax system, he was unable to sell the overly complicated package, and the voters rejected it by a 4-1 margin. As the Casey tenure wore on, the state's overall percentage of basic education funding slipped - a decline, unfortunately, that continues to this day.
While his "pro-life" stance on abortion didn't necessarily trump all issues for him, Bob Casey felt great accomplishment in enacting one of the most stringent abortion control laws in the land. He was less than zealous, however, having vetoed a previous bill that he felt would not pass constitutional muster. Eventually, his position, which was out of step with most of his party, began to define his political dealings.
He tried to press his anti-abortion crusade at the Democratic National Convention in 1992, but was incensed when party officials, who were presiding over a pro-choice platform, denied him a speaking slot in television's prime time. He then made mischief for other Democrats in 1994 by declining to endorse his second-in-command, Mark Singel, for governor and incumbent U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford for a full term, because of their pro-choice leanings.
High-profile as his abortion clashes were, it would be unfortunate to see Bob Casey's public service through that limited prism. His stand on the issue, like his willingness to sign a historic tax increase or his dogged belief that the state could overhaul local taxes (it hasn't been able to since), was more a symptom of the governor's tenacity in his overall approach to life.
Whether seeking the governorship for a fourth time or battling back after a rare heart-liver transplant, it was Mr. Casey's steel will that saw him through. In the end, his health problems would overcome him, but not the stern example he left all Pennsylvanians: to fight for what you believe in, to be unafraid of the odds and to nobly accept the defeats along the way.