By Dan Onorato

Editor: Mr. Dan Onorato, the Chief Executive of Allegheny County, is the Democratic Candidate for the office of the Governor of Pennsylvania in the November elections.

I am a second-generation Italian-American and as a child, my grandparents told me stories about their lives in Italy and instilled the importance of tradition and heritage. I understand that you, as a member of the vibrant Indian-American community experience these same feelings and emotions. I want you to know that I will fight for an inclusive and prosperous Pennsylvania, just as I have done in Allegheny County – a state with greater economic opportunity for all of our residents.

County Executive Dan Onorato hoisting the Stars and Stripes in an Indian-American function in Pittsburgh.

When I became AlleghenyCounty Executive in 2004, our region was losing population and employers and the county faced a substantial budget deficit. Today, after six years of my leadership, our county’s unemployment rate is lower than both the state’s and the nation’s and there are more people working in Allegheny County than anywhere else in Pennsylvania.

The next Governor of Pennsylvania will face a serious budget crisis and have to immediately restore fiscal responsibility to state government. I am the only candidate who has a record of turning around the economy, balancing a budget and running a government. I worked to turn around Allegheny County’s economy by making companies want to invest in the region. We need that same approach for all of Pennsylvania, and if I am elected Governor, jumpstarting our economy will be my highest priority.

Our state’s diverse economy has the potential for unbridled growth, but first we need to improve Pennsylvania’s business climate. As Governor, I will work to institute three key changes: 1) make business taxes more competitive; 2) make the permitting process business-friendly so that companies are assured of timely and consistent decisions when they want to invest in our state; and 3) ensure that our schools and workforce development programs successfully prepare the next generation of high-skill workers.

We need to ensure that our education system prepares our children for good jobs in the future. Last year, my oldest daughter left for college and like most parents, I want her to have the opportunity to not only live in Pennsylvania but to work in a thriving economy.

To do that, we need to start making the changes Pennsylvania needs by embracing our colleges and universities as springboards for 21st century professions and to expand Pennsylvania’s economy, and making college affordable for hard-working families.

We need to revitalize Pennsylvania and that is what I will do as our next Governor. I invite you to visit www.voteonorato.com to learn more about my plans to improve our Commonwealth.

I hope to see you at the polls on November 2. I need your support.