Where Priorities Lie
Posted by Wolfshead on Mar 15, 2011
Read in yesterday’s paper where Gov. Corbett in PA is cutting payments to health care providers and doing away with a service to help those who make to much to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford private health insurance as part of his effort to trim the budget. Well the budget does have to be cut, I won’t didpute that. However at the same time he still vows not to impose any tax on tose companies drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale even though PA is the only state that does not impose such a tax on gas drillers. Hmmm, budget needs fixing so we do it on the backs of those who need health care as opposed to energy companies that have been making huge profits over the last how many years?
Thanks for the listen
March 15th, 2011 at 14:41
From what I know of oil shale, it is now only approaching viability based on oil prices. I don’t know of any U.S. production operating. So, I don’t think he has given away the farm on this one.
The obscenity is where folks with a serious and real need are denied access to programs that all to many less deserving manage to avail themselves of. With the proliferation of laws on every subject — often closing doors left open by neglect — it is possible that folks with real need are judge by such poorly crafted solutions to a different problem.
March 15th, 2011 at 16:51
Ken,
I might agree with you if the companies did not pay this tax, usually at a 5 to 10% rate, in every other state they are drilling shale for gas. It is only in PA that they don’t pay. The excuse given is that the tax will raise the cost of energy but I doubt they are seperating out gas from PA and charging less for it. Not only that the rules for protecting the enviroment in the areas being drilled are pitiful and the governor’s idea of protecting from a disasater is to make sure that the companies have enough insurance to clean up in case something happens. First, who knows how much is enough? Second, once the damned disaster happens it’s too late, clean ups are only a ake shift effort.