All Well & Good: Corbett's Openness to a Drilling "Fee" Is Only a Start.

[Divernan]

or, "When Is a Tax Not a Tax? When Corbett Calls It a Fee."
or maybe, "A Rose By Any Other Name . . ."?
Post Gazette Editorial:
"In his recent budget proposal, Gov. Tom Corbett was all about cutting spending -- with drastic implications in areas like education. Keeping with his campaign pledge, he refused to raise taxes that might have stayed the ax on beneficial programs. "We get the picture. It's your money," he said.

"But when it comes to drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale, it isn't always Pennsylvanians' money being saved. Many of the drillers are from out of state. By not taxing the drilling, the outsiders get to keep their money and we Pennsylvanians get to see our resource taken away while children and other vulnerable constituents suffer.

"This nonsensical situation -- made worse by the fact that Pennsylvania is the only drilling state not to have imposed an extraction tax -- may have penetrated at last the thinking of Mr. Corbett, if only slightly. In a meeting with reporters Wednesday, the governor indicated he would entertain the idea of an impact fee on natural gas drillers to aid local governments.

****************************

"The other problem is that a fee isn't likely to do the job of getting a fair return on a hugely valuable state resource. As it is, the drilling permit fees raise only about $13 million a year and we would be surprised if an impact fee on top of that would raise a substantial sum.

First published on March 25, 2011 at 12:00 am

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11084/1134517-192.stm#ixzz1HbFceI3N

[Divernan]

1. Tom Ridge's lobbying firm admitted drillers are willing to pay extraction tax.

In an earlier article reporting on demonstrators storming Chief Lobbyist Tom Ridge's Harrisburg offices to protest Corbett's no new taxes pledge to Big Oil, we learned the drillers are already willing to pay a "reasonable severance tax".

"Mark Campbell, a partner in the firm and Mr. Ridge's one-time chief of staff, told protesters that the shale coalition already has said it would support a reasonable severance tax. He said he couldn't answer any other questions but promised to tell his clients the group wanted to speak with them."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11069/1130937-454.stm#ix...

Pennsylvania's former governor Ridge has become an extremely wealthy man from his many, many board seats (hundreds of thousands of dollars per year plus lucrative stock options). But what has he given back to the state? Nada. Zilch. Or as our friends the Brits would say, "fuck all". His latest gift to us? Lobbying his black heart out to enable Big Oil/Big Drillers to rape the state's air and water quality. What a guy! He is the antithesis of Jimmy Carter.

[old mark]

2. K&R-So in addition to being evil and crooked, Corbett is also stupid?

Great choice, PA! This will show those Democrats a thing or two!

Maybe even some right wingers can learn something from the Corbett disaster...after all, it's only the beginning...


mark