Dear Friends,
I realize it's been several weeks since my last post. First it was due to a tropical vacation, then the holidays hit, and before I knew it, it was mid-January. My apologies for seeming to drop into a black hole. Lately, however, I've struggled with what to post.
I started this blog a little more than a year ago, when gas drilling operations in my area began to overwhelm the landscape. As I watched what was happening around my beloved hometown, I wrestled to find a way to deal with my feelings of helplessness. To my dismay, many area residents seemed resigned to what was happening. After a few months of gas drilling on my mind (and in my hearing, in my sights....), it occurred to me that I didn't have to feel helpless--there *was* something I could do.
I put to use my skills as a librarian and created this site to be a sort of "one stop shop" for people like me--people who were concerned about what was happening, wanted to educate themselves about natural gas drilling and network with similar-minded folks. My goal was to reach the widest possible audience and to make the information easily accessible. I spent a considerable amount of time researching and identifying authoritative local, state and national resources. When I started this process, I didn't know beans about fracking, the current means by which natural gas is extracted. Now, I know more than I wish I did.
I had also never built a blog or linked it to other social media sites, so I had to educate myself on that too. I created links to other topical blogs and made it easy for visitors to find and contact their legislators or locate the latest information in their newspapers (you don't even have to do the search--click on the link and it's done for you!)
But over the course of the past year as the number of blog/Facebook fans grew, so did the number of drill sites in my area. Don't get me wrong. I'm not against gas drilling. Many people I know are finally out of debt or at the very least, aren't living paycheck to paycheck since they leased their mineral rights or allowed compressor stations to be built on their property. I'm thankful for that. But I'm increasingly frightened at the cost of this new-found wealth.
I'm for responsible gas extraction; unfortunately fracking is not a responsible means by which to extract gas. It's quicker and cheaper. It also negates the entire marketing campaign by which gas companies insist natural gas is a "cleaner, greener" fuel. I can assure anyone who believes that piece of fiction that it's just that: fiction. Anyone who doubts it need only live next to a drill site...or two. Or three.
The cost of this new-found wealth is steep and the repercussions far-reaching. As drilling activity increased, more of our roads were destroyed by the constant stream of heavy equipment and trucks that come with it; state police stings netted hundreds and hundreds of gas truck violations. More leaks, explosions and "accidents" occurred. A resident was murdered by a gas company worker. Jobs were promised; instead hotels were booked solid and new ones built to accomodate workers from out of state. Hunters were warned they could be stopped and questioned if they inadvertently stepped on land under development by gas companies. Even our state parks were not immune to the onslaught of the drills. Then came the recent state elections. Incredibly, PA residents elected a new governor and other legislators who were "gas friendly" and had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations. Either people voted against their own self interests...or apathy prevented them from voting at all.
Perhaps I was fooling myself into thinking that I could actually make a difference. As I look at what's happening around me, it's hard not to feel that the gas companies have won. And dear readers, I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with that.
Showing posts with label campaign donations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label campaign donations. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Just how much did the gas industry spend on buying the election?
[Posted on philly.com, 11.4.2010]
Natural gas industry spent heavily on Pennsylvania Republican candidates
By John P. Martin, Inquirer Staff Writer
On the day Pennsylvanians elected Republican Tom Corbett governor, his campaign logged four donations.
Two came from individuals, a third from the state Republican Party. The fourth, campaign reports show, was $1,000 from the natural-gas driller Range Resources.
For a candidate who raised nearly $30 million, that $1,000 from the Texas company was a drop in the bucket. But it underscored the role the natural-gas industry played, even at the closing moments, in an election critical to its future.
The gas firms, their employees, or others who stand to gain as Marcellus Shale drilling expands put more than $500,000 into Pennsylvania candidates' coffers since September, state reports show. Much of the money came in donations of five figures or greater; most of it went to Republicans; and all of it was legal in a state with no contribution limits.
At the same time, drillers' lobbyists spent hundreds of thousands trying to shape the debate as lawmakers in Harrisburg weighed new taxes and regulations.
For them, the season could not have had a better ending. First, Gov. Rendell and legislators failed to reach a promised deal on a natural-gas tax. Then Republicans captured the General Assembly and governor's office.
Corbett has pledged not to impose any new taxes, making it unlikely drillers will face anything close to the 5 percent tax on gas revenues Rendell once proposed.
The industry had backed Corbett from the outset, giving his campaign $835,000 through mid-October, according to an analysis by the watchdog group Common Cause. As the race entered its last week, Corbett took in nearly $200,000 more from drilling interests.
That included a $100,000 check from Lance Shaner, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Rex Energy, which has permits for 57 wells and more pending. Also on the list was $15,000 from Michael Radler, an executive at Chief Oil & Gas, which has nearly 200 permits and which had already given Corbett's campaign $53,000.
In addition, $50,000 came from Kentucky businessman Richard Corman, whose rail company serves drilling sites.
Christine Torretti, chief executive at S.W. Jack Drilling, chipped in $4,997, upping to $250,000 her two-year total to the state GOP and its top nominee. That included covering about $15,000 in air fare and hotels for Corbett's campaign.
And on Monday, Corbett collected $10,000 from Frac Tech Solutions, a Cisco, Texas, firm specializing in hydraulic fracturing, the process of retrieving gas from the shale.
Bill Hicks, general counsel for Frac Tech, said there was nothing significant about the donation's timing. He said the company employs 100 people in Pennsylvania and has had projects here since 2007.
"We believe Tom Corbett would work to encourage further development of the Marcellus Shale in a sensible way," Hicks said Wednesday.
Corbett wasn't the only beneficiary of such largesse. Senate President Pro Tem Joseph Scarnati (R., Jefferson), a key figure in the tax stalemate with Rendell, accepted more than $100,000 between June and October from individuals or groups with ties to energy companies, his campaign reported.
Scarnati doesn't face reelection for two years. He passed much of the money to Republican candidates who needed it.
That meant $50,000 each to Jim Cawley, the Bucks County commissioner who was Corbett's running mate and is now lieutenant governor-elect, and Sen. Bob Mensch (R., Montgomery), who was fighting to keep the seat he won in a special election last year. And $10,000 to buy video services for Kris Vanderman, who lost a GOP Senate bid in Washington County.
Scarnati's campaign also gave $280,000 to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Scarnati's top aide, Drew Crompton, said there was nothing improper about the GOP leader's passing his contributions to other campaign committees.
He also dismissed as "totally reprehensible" any suggestion that the gas donations bought influence or access. Crompton said Scarnati worked hard toward brokering a severance tax when some in the industry wanted no tax at all.
"He had every intention of getting the package done by Oct. 1," Crompton said Wednesday. "It wasn't like we were just talking about a tax."
Beyond the campaign contributions, drillers increased their lobbying efforts in Harrisburg. An early glimpse at lobbying reports due this week shows that energy concerns spent more than $2.1 million lobbying in the quarter than ended Oct. 1.
To read the remainder of the article in its entirety, please click HERE.
Natural gas industry spent heavily on Pennsylvania Republican candidates
By John P. Martin, Inquirer Staff Writer
On the day Pennsylvanians elected Republican Tom Corbett governor, his campaign logged four donations.
Two came from individuals, a third from the state Republican Party. The fourth, campaign reports show, was $1,000 from the natural-gas driller Range Resources.
For a candidate who raised nearly $30 million, that $1,000 from the Texas company was a drop in the bucket. But it underscored the role the natural-gas industry played, even at the closing moments, in an election critical to its future.
The gas firms, their employees, or others who stand to gain as Marcellus Shale drilling expands put more than $500,000 into Pennsylvania candidates' coffers since September, state reports show. Much of the money came in donations of five figures or greater; most of it went to Republicans; and all of it was legal in a state with no contribution limits.
At the same time, drillers' lobbyists spent hundreds of thousands trying to shape the debate as lawmakers in Harrisburg weighed new taxes and regulations.
For them, the season could not have had a better ending. First, Gov. Rendell and legislators failed to reach a promised deal on a natural-gas tax. Then Republicans captured the General Assembly and governor's office.
Corbett has pledged not to impose any new taxes, making it unlikely drillers will face anything close to the 5 percent tax on gas revenues Rendell once proposed.
The industry had backed Corbett from the outset, giving his campaign $835,000 through mid-October, according to an analysis by the watchdog group Common Cause. As the race entered its last week, Corbett took in nearly $200,000 more from drilling interests.
That included a $100,000 check from Lance Shaner, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Rex Energy, which has permits for 57 wells and more pending. Also on the list was $15,000 from Michael Radler, an executive at Chief Oil & Gas, which has nearly 200 permits and which had already given Corbett's campaign $53,000.
In addition, $50,000 came from Kentucky businessman Richard Corman, whose rail company serves drilling sites.
Christine Torretti, chief executive at S.W. Jack Drilling, chipped in $4,997, upping to $250,000 her two-year total to the state GOP and its top nominee. That included covering about $15,000 in air fare and hotels for Corbett's campaign.
And on Monday, Corbett collected $10,000 from Frac Tech Solutions, a Cisco, Texas, firm specializing in hydraulic fracturing, the process of retrieving gas from the shale.
Bill Hicks, general counsel for Frac Tech, said there was nothing significant about the donation's timing. He said the company employs 100 people in Pennsylvania and has had projects here since 2007.
"We believe Tom Corbett would work to encourage further development of the Marcellus Shale in a sensible way," Hicks said Wednesday.
Corbett wasn't the only beneficiary of such largesse. Senate President Pro Tem Joseph Scarnati (R., Jefferson), a key figure in the tax stalemate with Rendell, accepted more than $100,000 between June and October from individuals or groups with ties to energy companies, his campaign reported.
Scarnati doesn't face reelection for two years. He passed much of the money to Republican candidates who needed it.
That meant $50,000 each to Jim Cawley, the Bucks County commissioner who was Corbett's running mate and is now lieutenant governor-elect, and Sen. Bob Mensch (R., Montgomery), who was fighting to keep the seat he won in a special election last year. And $10,000 to buy video services for Kris Vanderman, who lost a GOP Senate bid in Washington County.
Scarnati's campaign also gave $280,000 to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Scarnati's top aide, Drew Crompton, said there was nothing improper about the GOP leader's passing his contributions to other campaign committees.
He also dismissed as "totally reprehensible" any suggestion that the gas donations bought influence or access. Crompton said Scarnati worked hard toward brokering a severance tax when some in the industry wanted no tax at all.
"He had every intention of getting the package done by Oct. 1," Crompton said Wednesday. "It wasn't like we were just talking about a tax."
Beyond the campaign contributions, drillers increased their lobbying efforts in Harrisburg. An early glimpse at lobbying reports due this week shows that energy concerns spent more than $2.1 million lobbying in the quarter than ended Oct. 1.
To read the remainder of the article in its entirety, please click HERE.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Great move, but a little late
Given that three quarters of a MILLION acres in PA state forests are already under lease which could ultimately produce 1,000 well pads--each with 6-10 wells....
Let's pause here and let this sink in: 6,000 to 10,000 wells...in state forests. I'm still stunned this could even happen. Why designate land a state forest to be enjoyed by hikers & campers, for hunting & fishing--if it's not a protected resource? I don't get how this is even legal. Regardless, there's not a thing that can be done about it now but (1) hope the gas companies won't drill there on moral grounds (ahem) or (2) slap them with a tax on gas extraction to clean up the mess they're going to make of a beautiful natural resource and to replace all the lost tourism revenue PA will be seeing in the not too distant future. Every other state with gas drilling imposes severance taxes...except PA.
So Gov. Rendell has decided to put a moratorium on future gas drilling in state forests now that he lost the recent battle on imposing a severance tax for gas extraction. After 700,000 acres in state forests have already been leased and two months before he leaves office. Really? If Corbett, who has received nearly $1 million in campaign donations from gas companies, wins the gubernatorial election on November 2, what do you think his first move is going to be?
Corbett thinks the tax will send "thousands of jobs elsewhere." The last time I checked, the Marcellus Shale isn't going anywhere. Does he really think the companies will just not drill in an area that's been described as the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas?" And as for those jobs, my general observation in my own neck of the woods is that the large percentage--and I mean 80-90%--of those jobs are being filled by company men from out of state. These companies are building entire hotels--or buying existing ones as has been rumored--to house their workforces; traffic in town(s) is now gridlock much of the time; and most of the pickups I'm seeing all have out of state plates. But again, this is my own general observation.
At any rate, read all about the moratorium in yesterday's article posted on (Pittsburgh's) postgazette.com:
Rendell to order halt to gas wells
Plans moratorium on state forests after losing battle to enact gas tax
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- "Gov. Ed Rendell plans a moratorium on further leasing of state forest land for natural gas drilling after losing a grueling battle to enact a Marcellus Shale tax and watching Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett -- who opposes a tax -- take in campaign cash from natural gas companies.
The Democratic governor will hold a news conference today in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he will "sign an executive order instituting a strategic moratorium on future drilling operations in the state," according to a news release.
However, a future moratorium wouldn't stop natural gas drilling planned for 700,000 acres of state forest land located in the vast areas of Marcellus Shale -- land that has already been leased to private companies. There have been two lease sales since 2008, bringing in a total of $296 million for the state's Oil and Gas Fund.
Only 25 wells are now producing gas on that forest land, but eventually 1,000 "well pads," each with six to 10 wells, could be located there, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Mr. Rendell will leave office in January, so whether a moratorium on leasing forest land would continue beyond January would be up to either Mr. Corbett or Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato. They'll face off in the Nov. 2 election.
As for Mr. Corbett, a new report by Marcellusmoney.org, compiled by Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania and Common Cause/Pennsylvania, listed his political contributions from the gas drilling industry at $856,220 over the last 10 years, with most of the money coming in over the last two years.
The new Corbett total is up from the $700,000 reported a few weeks ago and the $373,000 reported in June. Mr. Onorato has received significantly less in the last decade -- $124,300. Mr. Onorato favors a severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas, while Mr. Corbett does not.
"In the last weeks before the election, drilling industry CEOs went all out for Tom Corbett because he thinks that ordinary Pennsylvanians should pay to clean up the messes that their drills leave behind,'' claimed Josh McNeil of Conservation Voters.
Mr. Corbett said the natural gas industry is just in the beginning stages in this state and he doesn't want to impose a tax that could send thousands of jobs elsewhere. He said his policies will not be swayed by campaign contributions.
The Marcellus Shale, a rock bed a mile or more beneath three-quarters of Pennsylvania and parts of New York, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia, contains as much as 363 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The extraction process involves a high-pressure procedure that pumps up to 8 million gallons water and chemical additives into the wells to fracture the shale and release the gas.
Also in Philadelphia today, Mr. Rendell will continue his criticism of Senate Republicans for their "unwillingness to enact a severance tax on the natural gas industry." He said Monday the Legislature is displaying "recklessness" regarding a projected $3 billion or more budget shortfall in 2011 by its failure to enact a gas severance tax.
He claimed it's "senseless" for Pennsylvania to ignore the $100 million or more that could be generated by imposing a "fair'' extraction tax on the thousands of cubic feet of natural gas being extracted from Marcellus Shale.
He said he had offered a compromise tax plan that is reasonable for both the drillers and the state, one that's less burdensome than his original severance tax plan, proposed in February and modeled on the tax used in West Virginia.
He criticized legislators for taking large campaign contributions from the shale drillers, claiming there is "no question'' that those donations have led to the Legislature's reluctance to enact a shale tax.
Senate Republicans favor a tax of 1.5 percent on the selling price of gas at the wellhead for the first five years of a well's life, then rising to 5 percent. Mr. Rendell favors a 3 percent tax the first year, rising to 4 percent the second year and then 5 percent thereafter.
Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who has gotten $143,000 from the gas industry, said the drilling industry has created many jobs in his district, especially in Tioga County, and he doesn't want drillers to go to other states if Pennsylvania enacts too high a tax.
Mr. Rendell said all other states with Marcellus Shale drilling have an extraction tax. He said it makes no sense for Pennsylvania to be the only state without such a tax, especially when the state faces a large budget shortfall next year. He called on Senate leaders to return to session after the Nov. 2 election to work on a shale tax, saying, "I will negotiate night and day.''
But GOP Senate leaders say they won't meet during the "lame duck'' session after the election. The Democrat-led House plans to come back for a few days in November, but without the Senate, no tax bill could get final action.
This version corrects details of Republicans' gas tax proposal. Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tom Barnes: tbarnes@post-gazette.com or 1-717-787-4254."
You may also read the article as it appeared by clicking HERE.
Let's pause here and let this sink in: 6,000 to 10,000 wells...in state forests. I'm still stunned this could even happen. Why designate land a state forest to be enjoyed by hikers & campers, for hunting & fishing--if it's not a protected resource? I don't get how this is even legal. Regardless, there's not a thing that can be done about it now but (1) hope the gas companies won't drill there on moral grounds (ahem) or (2) slap them with a tax on gas extraction to clean up the mess they're going to make of a beautiful natural resource and to replace all the lost tourism revenue PA will be seeing in the not too distant future. Every other state with gas drilling imposes severance taxes...except PA.
So Gov. Rendell has decided to put a moratorium on future gas drilling in state forests now that he lost the recent battle on imposing a severance tax for gas extraction. After 700,000 acres in state forests have already been leased and two months before he leaves office. Really? If Corbett, who has received nearly $1 million in campaign donations from gas companies, wins the gubernatorial election on November 2, what do you think his first move is going to be?
Corbett thinks the tax will send "thousands of jobs elsewhere." The last time I checked, the Marcellus Shale isn't going anywhere. Does he really think the companies will just not drill in an area that's been described as the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas?" And as for those jobs, my general observation in my own neck of the woods is that the large percentage--and I mean 80-90%--of those jobs are being filled by company men from out of state. These companies are building entire hotels--or buying existing ones as has been rumored--to house their workforces; traffic in town(s) is now gridlock much of the time; and most of the pickups I'm seeing all have out of state plates. But again, this is my own general observation.
At any rate, read all about the moratorium in yesterday's article posted on (Pittsburgh's) postgazette.com:
Rendell to order halt to gas wells
Plans moratorium on state forests after losing battle to enact gas tax
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- "Gov. Ed Rendell plans a moratorium on further leasing of state forest land for natural gas drilling after losing a grueling battle to enact a Marcellus Shale tax and watching Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett -- who opposes a tax -- take in campaign cash from natural gas companies.
The Democratic governor will hold a news conference today in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he will "sign an executive order instituting a strategic moratorium on future drilling operations in the state," according to a news release.
However, a future moratorium wouldn't stop natural gas drilling planned for 700,000 acres of state forest land located in the vast areas of Marcellus Shale -- land that has already been leased to private companies. There have been two lease sales since 2008, bringing in a total of $296 million for the state's Oil and Gas Fund.
Only 25 wells are now producing gas on that forest land, but eventually 1,000 "well pads," each with six to 10 wells, could be located there, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Mr. Rendell will leave office in January, so whether a moratorium on leasing forest land would continue beyond January would be up to either Mr. Corbett or Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato. They'll face off in the Nov. 2 election.
As for Mr. Corbett, a new report by Marcellusmoney.org, compiled by Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania and Common Cause/Pennsylvania, listed his political contributions from the gas drilling industry at $856,220 over the last 10 years, with most of the money coming in over the last two years.
The new Corbett total is up from the $700,000 reported a few weeks ago and the $373,000 reported in June. Mr. Onorato has received significantly less in the last decade -- $124,300. Mr. Onorato favors a severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas, while Mr. Corbett does not.
"In the last weeks before the election, drilling industry CEOs went all out for Tom Corbett because he thinks that ordinary Pennsylvanians should pay to clean up the messes that their drills leave behind,'' claimed Josh McNeil of Conservation Voters.
Mr. Corbett said the natural gas industry is just in the beginning stages in this state and he doesn't want to impose a tax that could send thousands of jobs elsewhere. He said his policies will not be swayed by campaign contributions.
The Marcellus Shale, a rock bed a mile or more beneath three-quarters of Pennsylvania and parts of New York, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia, contains as much as 363 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The extraction process involves a high-pressure procedure that pumps up to 8 million gallons water and chemical additives into the wells to fracture the shale and release the gas.
Also in Philadelphia today, Mr. Rendell will continue his criticism of Senate Republicans for their "unwillingness to enact a severance tax on the natural gas industry." He said Monday the Legislature is displaying "recklessness" regarding a projected $3 billion or more budget shortfall in 2011 by its failure to enact a gas severance tax.
He claimed it's "senseless" for Pennsylvania to ignore the $100 million or more that could be generated by imposing a "fair'' extraction tax on the thousands of cubic feet of natural gas being extracted from Marcellus Shale.
He said he had offered a compromise tax plan that is reasonable for both the drillers and the state, one that's less burdensome than his original severance tax plan, proposed in February and modeled on the tax used in West Virginia.
He criticized legislators for taking large campaign contributions from the shale drillers, claiming there is "no question'' that those donations have led to the Legislature's reluctance to enact a shale tax.
Senate Republicans favor a tax of 1.5 percent on the selling price of gas at the wellhead for the first five years of a well's life, then rising to 5 percent. Mr. Rendell favors a 3 percent tax the first year, rising to 4 percent the second year and then 5 percent thereafter.
Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who has gotten $143,000 from the gas industry, said the drilling industry has created many jobs in his district, especially in Tioga County, and he doesn't want drillers to go to other states if Pennsylvania enacts too high a tax.
Mr. Rendell said all other states with Marcellus Shale drilling have an extraction tax. He said it makes no sense for Pennsylvania to be the only state without such a tax, especially when the state faces a large budget shortfall next year. He called on Senate leaders to return to session after the Nov. 2 election to work on a shale tax, saying, "I will negotiate night and day.''
But GOP Senate leaders say they won't meet during the "lame duck'' session after the election. The Democrat-led House plans to come back for a few days in November, but without the Senate, no tax bill could get final action.
This version corrects details of Republicans' gas tax proposal. Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tom Barnes: tbarnes@post-gazette.com or 1-717-787-4254."
You may also read the article as it appeared by clicking HERE.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Just who is buying your candidate?
Election season is definitely heating up; much of that heat is being generated by the executives of the many gas companies operating in the state of Pennsylvania. Did you know that since 2007, gas companies have donated more than $5 million to Pennsylvania's elected officials in order to lobby their cause? Since 2001, they've donated an additional $3 million to PA political campaigns--on both sides of the political fence.
There's a great new website where you can see exactly how much money has been given to which legislators/candidates going back to 2001. The details indicate the individual amounts and actual dates of donations. The site is www.marcellusmoney.org and it was developed as a joint project between Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. You can read their press release from this month's launch by clicking HERE.
So are you curious to see just how much Senator Joseph Scarnati accepted in campaign donations from the likes of Chesapeake, Cabot, Dominion, East Resources and their colleagues? I was. $117,535 to date. But he's not the leader of the pack by any means. That honor is reserved for Tom Corbett, PA's current Attorney General and candidate for Governor. So far he's raked in over 1/4 million dollars: $372,720 to be exact...and counting. To date, his political war chest of nearly $8 million more than doubles that of his Democratic rival's. To hedge their bets however, the natural gas industry has also contributed to Corbett's opponent, Dan Onorato: $74,300. Onorato's war chest amounted to $3.3 million as of September 13, 2010.
Corbett is currently leading in the polls. But he's been a vocal opponent of hitting the gas companies with a severance tax on drilling within PA. He would rather allow them to extract our natural resources, turn around and make enormous profits. Huh. Then there's all of those jobs that were supposed to be created by the drilling industry. Oh they're being created alright. And they're being filled largely by company men from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas (think about all the trucks you've seen in our towns with these license plates--or am I the only one?).
Some time ago, an older gentleman was walking along the beach (stick with me....it's related, I promise). The ocean's tide had deposited hundreds of starfish along the shore. As he wove his way among them all, he came upon a little boy who was picking up one starfish after another and throwing them back into the ocean. The man asked the boy, "why are you wasting your time? There has to be hundreds of starfish all up and down the shore. Throwing a few more back into the ocean isn't going to make a difference." The little boy paused, bent down to pick up another one, wound up his pitching arm, and let that starfish fly. As he watched it arc out over the waves and plunk down into the ocean he replied, "I sure made a difference for that one."
Pennsylvania's election is going to be the "game-changer" the pundits have long been calling the Marcellus Shale itself. Whoever is elected to office this fall has the opportunity to change Pennsylvania's future in a massive way for decades to come. It's sad, but traditionally voter turnout is considered a success if 20% of registered voters decide to make the effort to drive into town and cast their votes. That's right. In a good year, 20% of registered voters typically decide for the other 80%...as well as the large numbers of citizens who don't even both to register in the first place. Do you really want to hand that power over to a stranger? Don't make the mistake of thinking your one vote won't make a difference. Register to vote if you haven't already. Pencil in election day on your calendar. Make the effort. It's our right, our civic duty and our privilege. Vote. And make sure you vote for the future *you* want....for yourself, for your children, and for your grandchildren.
There's a great new website where you can see exactly how much money has been given to which legislators/candidates going back to 2001. The details indicate the individual amounts and actual dates of donations. The site is www.marcellusmoney.org and it was developed as a joint project between Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. You can read their press release from this month's launch by clicking HERE.
So are you curious to see just how much Senator Joseph Scarnati accepted in campaign donations from the likes of Chesapeake, Cabot, Dominion, East Resources and their colleagues? I was. $117,535 to date. But he's not the leader of the pack by any means. That honor is reserved for Tom Corbett, PA's current Attorney General and candidate for Governor. So far he's raked in over 1/4 million dollars: $372,720 to be exact...and counting. To date, his political war chest of nearly $8 million more than doubles that of his Democratic rival's. To hedge their bets however, the natural gas industry has also contributed to Corbett's opponent, Dan Onorato: $74,300. Onorato's war chest amounted to $3.3 million as of September 13, 2010.
Corbett is currently leading in the polls. But he's been a vocal opponent of hitting the gas companies with a severance tax on drilling within PA. He would rather allow them to extract our natural resources, turn around and make enormous profits. Huh. Then there's all of those jobs that were supposed to be created by the drilling industry. Oh they're being created alright. And they're being filled largely by company men from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas (think about all the trucks you've seen in our towns with these license plates--or am I the only one?).
Some time ago, an older gentleman was walking along the beach (stick with me....it's related, I promise). The ocean's tide had deposited hundreds of starfish along the shore. As he wove his way among them all, he came upon a little boy who was picking up one starfish after another and throwing them back into the ocean. The man asked the boy, "why are you wasting your time? There has to be hundreds of starfish all up and down the shore. Throwing a few more back into the ocean isn't going to make a difference." The little boy paused, bent down to pick up another one, wound up his pitching arm, and let that starfish fly. As he watched it arc out over the waves and plunk down into the ocean he replied, "I sure made a difference for that one."
Pennsylvania's election is going to be the "game-changer" the pundits have long been calling the Marcellus Shale itself. Whoever is elected to office this fall has the opportunity to change Pennsylvania's future in a massive way for decades to come. It's sad, but traditionally voter turnout is considered a success if 20% of registered voters decide to make the effort to drive into town and cast their votes. That's right. In a good year, 20% of registered voters typically decide for the other 80%...as well as the large numbers of citizens who don't even both to register in the first place. Do you really want to hand that power over to a stranger? Don't make the mistake of thinking your one vote won't make a difference. Register to vote if you haven't already. Pencil in election day on your calendar. Make the effort. It's our right, our civic duty and our privilege. Vote. And make sure you vote for the future *you* want....for yourself, for your children, and for your grandchildren.
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