The many GSDs of Gov. Josh Shapiro

Maya Angelou once said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” 

Pennsylvanians would be wise to take these words to heart when it comes to Gov. Josh Shapiro. 

In his re-election campaign kickoff, he asked voters to deliver him a Democrat trifecta in Harrisburg, so he could purportedly get more “stuff done.” 

But over the past several years, Shapiro has shown that his aim isn’t to “Get stuff done” and pass policies that benefit Pennsylvanians — even policies he claims to support. Instead, his aim is to build his own public image and position himself to run for president. 

For proof, just look at several of Shapiro’s supposed policy priorities. 

For years, he’s been pushing to raise the state’s minimum wage, directing angered criticism at the GOP-controlled state Senate for not fulfilling his wishes. 

But several Senate Republicans — including the chamber’s leaders — have signaled openness to raising the government-mandated wage. If Shapiro were intent on delivering a minimum wage increase, he would have negotiated a deal with the state Senate. Instead, he spent his recent budget address berating the Senate for not accepting his take-it-or-leave it wage demands. 

The fact is that if Shapiro truly wanted Pennsylvanians to have a higher minimum wage, they would have it. 

While campaigning for governor, Shapiro touted a belief in school choice, even agreeing with Senate Republicans on passing Lifeline Scholarships. In 2023, after coming to an agreement with the Senate, he actually vetoed the bill. And then in the years after, he claimed he couldn’t bring members of his own party in the House on board — a claim that demands a suspension of disbelief. 

In reality, if Shapiro wanted Pennsylvania kids to have access to Lifeline Scholarships, they would already have it. 

Far from “Getting stuff done,” Shapiro is “Grandstanding sans delivering.” 

Then, there’s the issue of opening a window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue. Both the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-led Senate support this effort. And both have passed measures to deliver this justice to victims. While the Senate wants voters to have a voice on this issue and voter ID, the House wants to block voter ID from a public vote — despite overwhelming public support.

For his part, Shapiro, pretending to be a champion for victims, has refused to negotiate an agreement between the House and Senate to put the measure before voters. Even sexual abuse survivors fault Shapiro for not doing enough. Instead, he used his budget address to attempt to browbeat the Senate into his my-way-or-the-highway approach.

And let’s not forget that Shapiro was attorney general when former Gov. Wolf’s administration famously derailed this exact measure by failing to publicly advertise it as required. Did Shapiro ever pick up the phone to make sure his supposed priority of justice for victims was on track? 

Put simply, if Shapiro truly wanted survivors of childhood sexual abuse the chance at justice, they would already have it. 

Shapiro also hopes to manipulate Pennsylvanians’ memory when it comes to former Gov. Wolf’s draconian Covid business shutdowns. 

While running for governor, Shapiro said Wolf “got it wrong” on business closures. Shapiro hoped Pennsylvanians would forget that he was attorney general during these same closures, and his office went to court to defend them. Of course, some will argue the attorney general has to defend the state’s actions, but Shapiro has a record of refusing to defend policies he doesn’t like. So that excuse doesn’t hold water. 

GSD? More like “Gaslighting statewide daily.” 

From grandstanding to gaslighting, Shapiro isn’t interested in governing but in gearing up to run for president. 

That’s why he spends his days making TikTok videos, suing the Trump administration, and going on the national media circuit. It’s not about delivering for Pennsylvanians. It’s about running for Pennsylvania Avenue in 2028. 

By refusing to deliver on policy changes, Shapiro has proven his GSD mantra isn’t about “Getting stuff done” but about “Gone seeking delegates.” 

Matthew J. Brouillette is president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(6) membership organization dedicated to improving the economic environment and educational opportunities in Pennsylvania.