Did you know that your tax money is being used to bring drillers into Pennsylvania? Neither did we.

The following appeared in a recent Facebook post from PennFuture.  Who knew?  I'm sure if it's happening in Pittsburgh, it's probably not an isolated incident--especially in northeastern & northcentral PA where you can't throw a rock without hitting a gas well.  And by the way, atta boy Gov. Ridge!  I'm glad someone has their priorities straight.

(Please note: You can find out more information about PennFuture and many other organizations, informative blogs, and other resources related to gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale by clicking on the appropriate tabs along the top of "Protect the Endless Mountain's" Facebook Page.  You can also see & explore the same resources listed along the right-hand side of the blog.)

"Did you know that your tax money is being used to bring drillers into Pennsylvania? Neither did we.
Then we saw the story in yesterday’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which details a trip sponsored by the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance using money from the Department of Community and Economic Development that will fund an event at the Petroleum Club of Houston, complete with hors d’oeuvres, where two drilling executives and the head of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development will wine and dine 150 Lone Star gas industry executives to come to Pennsylvania and make money from our natural resources.

Now, we have no objection to recruiting companies to do business in Pennsylvania, but we think that the drillers haven’t really done their best at making sure Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania companies get a piece of the Marcellus action. Except for former Governor Tom Ridge, that is, whose firm is getting nearly $1 million to stop a substantial severance tax from being passed.

Seems like the drillers think that Pennsylvania is a great place to pillage, but they wouldn’t want to live here as real partners in our communities. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be fighting so hard against playing by our rules and paying their fair share.

But ordinary citizens can trump the arrogance and cash of the drillers by making their voices heard. The legislators are considering what to do right now – and they must do the right thing.

Send an email right now to your legislators with one simple message: The drillers must play by our rules and pay their fair share.

If you want to do more, please help PennFuture reach out to others by phoning our members and supporters. Contact Christine Knapp, our director of outreach, at 215-545-9692 or sign up to volunteer on our website." 

To read the article "Public money used to court Texas drillers" in yesterday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, click HERE.