House speaker. Now, the state senate, as you know, has the largest republican majority since 1950. Theres the guy thats gonna have to deal with them, governor tom wolf, a democrat. The state house has the biggest republican majority since 1958. Goodness me. Dom giordano, how is Governor Wolf going to do anything over this next calendar year . Well, hes gonna have a lot of trouble doing anything. Hes gonna be on the defensive, but i dont have a lot of faith in these guys in harrisburg who are republicans. How come . You still have the liquor law in place, even though weve had widespread pushback with wolf, and they just seem to be out of touch. The sanctuary cities bill got passed, wolf vetoed it, but they ran out of days and didnt do anything with it. So hell be on the defensive, but i dont know that theres so many people there pushing back against him in a united way among republicans. They squabble. And, you know, matt, theres a lot the governor can do where he doesnt need the legislature. I think Governor Wolf discovered that after that first year where he couldnt get that budget through. Economic development theres a lot of latitude there that the governor has in terms of grants and actions that he can take, and he has taken. Port of philadelphia. Yeah, things like that. The opioid crisis, theres money that he has to set up centers to address that, and hes doing that. He doesnt need the legislature to get those things done. But the governors restricted by the overall financial crisis in harrisburg. Its not a new day for harrisburg. The same problems are there that were there before. We have big budget problems. The governor is actually restricting some of the Grant Programs that he could authorize if he wanted to, but hes not doing it, and some financial study came out that called pennsylvania one of the worstgoverned states in the United States, with all our fiscal problems, our gridlock, our dysfunctional judicial system with judges who are not selected on the basis of merit, our lack of restraint on political contributions from individuals and Political Action committees. I mean, this is a problematic state, and the chronic problems continue, and the new year changes nothing about that. I think the dark storms are certainly gathering for Governor Wolf, and i agree with the general sentiment, but just to put some finality to it, you have a 500 million, almost 500 million of budget deficit that we have to shortfall, that we have to deal with. And i think it might grow to what, 1. 7 billion, which is a big chunk. Another elephant in the room is the 60 billion pension problem that were sitting on. As you said, were not one of it was ranked as the worstrun government. Lets get full credit. Trying to soften the blow. And then you have a sinking bond rating, and, also, you now have an opposition in the legislature that is the strongest that its ever been in 70 years, and Governor Wolf, when he first started, did not have the right people on the bus to make sure that he reached out across the aisle to develop that relationship. Hes gotten some of those people off the bus, but it may be a little too late to start new relationships with legislature, which was necessary to deal with the budget thats coming out. You can talk about relationships, and i think all the coffees and going to visit their offices and inviting them to play golf i dont think Governor Wolf plays golf, but things of that nature i dont think thats gonna convince any of these, or very many, of these legislators. These people dyed in the wool rightwing republicans. Theyre opposed to virtually anything that Governor Wolf wants to do, and hes got to work around it. Yeah, im not talking about the cosmetic. When you first come into power, especially if you have the mandate, the way he came in, im talking about having your troops reach out to the other side, develop some sort of a consensus, and build a working relationship. Not the golf, not the dinners. A working relationship. Not going to the media and attack the other side as the nasty villain. Okay, i see where youre going, yeah. Once you position that, you have an us versus the other. You cant bridge that divide. Let me throw Something Else in here. Obviously we know how much more conservative the legislature is, more solidly republican. Then you also have the Campaign Season virtually beginning for Governor Wolfs job. Hes up for reelection next year, and there are republicans lining up left and right that want to run against him and at least try and win the primary. Lou barletta is one of them, charlie dent, tom marino, pat meehan, the local congressman here, mike turzai, whos the house speaker. How do you see this playing out . And another one, scott wagner, who tends to be the biggest foe for wolf in the legislature. Thats the guy id be afraid of. Hes a moneyraiser. Hes a driver, wagner. Hes an outofthebox. I think he sees himself as a mini trump. The advantage i see that wolf has this year, though, matt, is people, at least in the philadelphia area, i can speak for listeners and others, dont care about whats going on there too much. The energy is here in philadelphia, and its trump and washington and all that. Wolf is not exactly on the radar screen, but i think scott wagner is the biggest opponent. And i think any time you have your incumbent it doesnt look like there will be any democratic challenge to Governor Wolf right. Having many people in a republican primary is great for him, and if you got wagner as a ringwing candidate and charlie dent as a moderate, thats gonna be a very contentious thing. I was just gonna say look what happened with the republicans and how many were in their primary for presidency. True. Theyre like, oh, theres too many, none of them are gonna rise up. But the russians helped out on that one. [ laughter ] there will be consensus eventually. One of the folks you didnt mention is the former Lieutenant Governor jim cawley. Now he runs united way. There will be consensus at some point. Okay, and one more thing i want to mention. Ill be hosting conversation with the governor, tom wolf, on tuesday with the chamber of commerce of greater philadelphia, and well have some details on that on action news, but i just wanted to ask you guys what should i ask him . What should i ask Governor Wolf . Whats the solution to the pension crisis . That will be a question, yeah. Id like to know about liquor privatization and the whole deal. Hes inching towards this. If he did that and went with that i know his base, some people wouldnt like it, but i think it would be groundbreaking, and i think he could be led toward that. I want to know where he is with it now. He inches towards it. Ajay . Jim . I think were known as the most regressive state when it comes to taxes. Were not the most attractive to attract businesses. Okay. And what are we gonna do about the shrinking population, especially the Corporate Community that is leaving us . I think you should ask him whats the numberone thing he learned in the beginning first couple years as governor . Whats the one takeaway . Hopefully Governor Wolfs not watching and hes in harrisburg. Then hell know what questions im gonna ask him, right . Lets move onto new jersey to trenton, which could be in full Campaign Mode for the next 10 months. They have an election this year. Governor christies poll numbers have been pitiful. Hes not joining the Trump Administration, something that seemed certain back in the fall. As many as 15, up to 18 people, maybe more than that, could be vying for his job seven republicans including Lieutenant Governor kim guadagno, who hasnt really seen eyetoeye with christie recently. Comedian joe piscopo could run as a republican. In terms of the democrats, state assemblyman john wisniewski. The primarys on june 6th of this year. So, christies unpopularity, bridgegate, state pensions just like in pennsylvania. Superstorm sandy could also be an issue in this campaign. What do you thinks gonna come out of this, ajay . I think i can make a prediction of this one. I think phil murphy from goldman sachs, with wall street chops, as well as leftleaning policies, will be the next governor of new jersey. Interesting. Former ambassador to germany. Yes. I think hes the clear one. Is it the finances, do you think, or. . No, i think among the ds, there will be consensus around phil murphy. It seems like thats what happening behind the scenes, the conversations. And i just dont see the republicans getting their act together, having an incumbent with such low ratings, and i dont think anybody else has emerged on the other side. Its time the pendulum to swing in new jersey. After eight years of Chris Christie, theyre ready for a democrat. Its a democratic state. Yeah. Having a republican governor was a bit of an anomaly. Ive seen moderate republican governors tom kean, Christine Todd whitman but its pretty certain, you think, the democrats will. Yeah, and i think murphy strikes me as a pretty smooth, wellorganized sort of guy with a home court advantage, and god knows what christie might do between now and then. What do you think might happen with the governor . Is it gonna be a pretty quiet. No, i dont think its ever quiet with him, no. No, you know, i said last week, i think he is the political lazarus. I dont think we can count Chris Christie out. Most of this, what were hearing as far as not being appointed to the Trump Administration has to do with the fact that the hearings havent been done yet. I think once all those things clear up, i suspect that hes probably still close to the Trump Administration. Trump just doesnt need the kind of attention that christies bringing at the moment. I heard they may have offered him some smaller jobs, and christie said no. I think thats pretty accurate. I think bridgegate has legs, though. Yeah. This type of stuff is still out there. Theres a lot of political play with it, it doesnt go away. Theres gonna be a new u. S. Attorney in new jersey, as well. Should be republican. Thats true, and the u. S. Attorney that pursued bridgegate, tried the case, got those convictions, will no longer be in that chair. It remains to be seen who trump will select to run that office. Okay, lets talk about delaware, dover, its own spending revenue woes. An Advisory Council estimates that delaware will have a 350 million budget gap, not 1 billion like pennsylvania, but thats a big chunk of a spending plan thats been below 10 billion in recent years. Wilmington gets a new mayor. Thats john carney there, the new governor coming in. Mike purzycki is running wilmington, has a new city council president. A huge murder rate. Big problem there. 28 homicides in wilmington last year, which tied the record set in 2010. Smaller state, smaller big city, jan, but similar problems. Well, it is a new day for delaware a new governor, new leadership in the city of wilmington, which needs new leadership, and a new member of congress from delaware, lisa blunt rochester, the first africanamerican, the first woman to ever represent delaware in the United States congress. There are now only two states left that have never sent a woman to congress. Guess which mississippi and vermont. Vermont . Yeah, vermont has never sent a woman. They only get one, but still. You would think a progressive state like vermont. Just like delaware, but they havent yet. But lisa blunt rochester is a bright new face in delaware. So, i think people in delaware are feeling that the problems are manageable. They do have increased spending because of medicaid, schools, and education, generally. Health care expenses for their state employees have been a rising factor, and Corporate IncomeTax Collections are down a little bit, so that adds up in a small state a bunch of small problems. Sales tax always is generally the same zero. Zero. Thats right. So thats one of the attractions of the state, and they continue to attract corporate registrations. Corporations want to register in delaware for a variety of reasons that are not mainly taxrelated. Mainly because they have a good court system. I mean, thats one of the attractions of delaware. Its interesting to have a new name in delaware because of the term limits in delaware, and maybe the size the state. It always seems like its the same four people rotating around from one position to the next. Right, castle was a congressman, then hes governor. I mean, i have to look it up and see which one of these guys turn it is. Tom carper did the whole. Yeah, hes done them all. Governor, senator. Theyre kind of quiet. You dont hear too much. After being governor, your termlimited out, and with the democrats controlling everything, i think governor markell, the outgoing governor, doesnt have a clear place to go. The democrats occupy all the spots. He might be waiting for tom carper to retire, which may not happen. Youre always waiting for a space to open if youre a democrat. If youre a republican, you can challenge everybody. How about the murder rate in wilmington, ajay . In philadelphia, homicides are generally the same as the previous year, in 2015. Any sense that you get on why you have these smaller big cities with such a big problem with violence, whereas philadelphia has sort of flatlined . I think part of it could just be policing neighborhood tactics and the problems just, you know, going to different areas. When you focus on one area, the problem just doesnt evaporate. It starts shifting, finding new location, and delaware may be getting the brunt of it, considering that theyre neighbors of ours, and i think were doing a much better job in recent times in terms of overall violence and relationships with neighborhoods, and a lot of it has to do with the Police Department that we have. I would say we know what works. Chicagos an example of what does not work, and various police chiefs, retired or replaced, have said theres not enough severe sentencing for people that continuously are in trouble with the law gang members and the like in chicago. Im not sure if its the same in wilmington, but i think its pretty much the same everywhere. There are tactics that work. New york works. But, also, just keep in mind, i mean, delaware has my problem. If i eat a hoagie, the next day, my suits are tighter. Its a a small state. Small issues here or there, positive or negative, become big news, and i think that, for us, if there is a little blip up or down, because were much larger as a city, it doesnt register as frontline news. Real quick before the break. The new Congress Comes in washington, the 115th congress. First thing they do is this ethics thing where theyre gonna gut it, and they back off. Bad idea, jim . I happened to be on capitol hill that day, and the scrambling around of members going from one direction to get rid of this body that they dont like because it investigates them and had been pretty aggressive over the last couple of years. Then, all of a sudden, the trump tweet, then, all of a sudden, they got to scramble and change it. Trump was against them. Yes, and i think it showed the power of the tweet, especially coming from trump at this point. Hes got the bully pulpit, and republicans really backed down quickly. But the big issue for them is the repeal of the aca, the Affordable Care act. And if they dont do it right, theyre gonna own the catastrophe that follows. So they have to be really careful. Break and back with more inside story next. Inside story is presented by temple university. Remarkable change isnt easy, but for those who take charge, it comes naturally. Explore temples impact. Visit temple. Edu impact. My cancer started as Ovarian Cancer and it kept coming back in different places. We went from everything being fine to everything not being fine. I really needed someone who could think outside the box. We did the Genomic Testing pretty early in christines course. With our treatments weve had Great Success for her. They gave me Treatment Options i didnt know about before. Theres an atmosphere of hope. I want to be around just to be a grandma. The evolution of cancer care is here. Learn more at cancercenter. Com philadelphia Appointments Available now. Thope to see you again soon. Whoa, whoa, i got this. Just gotta get the check. Almost there. I cant reach it. If you have alligator arms, you avoid picking up the check. What . Its what you do. I got this. Thanks, dennis if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. Growwwlph. Its what you do. Oh that is good crispy duck. Back with inside story. Yo my soft drinks cost so much philadelphias beverage tax went into effect on january 1st. Some consumers went to store in philadelphia and were shocked to learn the cost is being passed right onto them. Wow that is not required because its a tax on distributors, but nevertheless, Grocery Stores are itemizing the money to pay for the tax on customers receipts. Theyre even putting it out for them. For instance, a customer bought a 0. 99 bottle of soda. That actually went up to 1. 62. Its a big jump. So, if you were mayor kenney, would you be concerned about this at all, and are you surprised that consumers didnt even know that this was going to happen . No surprise, but this should be a oneweek story. New tax comes into effect. It should be news for a week, but i think its gonna be played up by the soda industry, which it feels its in their interest to keep the story going and give the story legs and support it in every way they can, so were gonna be hearing more. Well, matt, i would say brilliant i oppose this. Its gonna be up and down the line, but kenney is brilliant on this, and he realizes in philadelphia, both the ignorance of people not seei