I live in southwestern Pennsylvania. As an individual who has his eyes wide open seeing what most overlook, I have seen the end of the steel boom, the near end of the coal era and the loss of countless manufacturing jobs. These jobs did not just close down they moved elsewhere. Some right across the state line. I'll use the steel industry as an example since it is associated with the Pittsburgh area. The first act of the downward spiral began at the end of the Vietnam war with the mills profit being sent overseas to modernize the Japanese and other Pacific rim nations foundries. We fail to keep pace here. Next came the NAFTA and WTO treaties with these countries opening the door for the return of the same steel we funded, although it id definitely inferior to that made in the United States (I work with it, I know this as fact). In the nineties came the taxes, driving those still in the U.S. to other states such as Birmingham, Alabama and Upstate New York. And shortly after came your friend and mine, the EPA. Al Gore closed down the last coke mill because it was too expensive to modernize it to their standards. He was in Cairton, flanked by the EPA officials when it was announced.
Today, in this area there is a new job boom. Natural gas. They have been drilling hundreds of wells, if not in the thousands, for a little over two years. There are four within two miles of myself the closest being four hundred yards. Within the past six months the local media has been slamming these companies with false and half truths such as chemical contamination of the water, air pollution, well damage from fracturing (this one burns my ass the most. I have a well. Natural gas deposits are at 14,000 feet plus. The water table is around 100 to 1,000 feet. Simple mathematics will prove that fracturing can not harm the water table. I wonder, did they taste natural gas in the water before drilling began?... my apology for the rant). The politicians in Harrisburg are now considering a new tax on these drilling companies. Now here is the part where I see what most do not. There is a little country convenience store about three miles from me. It's a rural area so you can guess the population and business this does. Since these drillers have came in, business has tripled at the very least. They buy from the Subway, they buy their coffee, soda, snacks and what not. They buy lots of diesel fuel for their equipment. And this is all state taxed! Several young people have been hired to accommodate the increased business. My road is a township road, meaning no state or federal funding for it. In the past it was tarred and chipped maybe three times in the past 27 years. These companies paved it wider with asphalt, from their own pocket none the less. Also, everywhere I look in the small town of Washington I see vehicle plates from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana. They buy from the local businesses and stay in the local motels. Again, more taxes for the area and state. The roads they construct through the woods, local companies. The trees they cut, local companies. The fitting of the rigs and structural work, local companies. The only thing the gas company does is drill.
So, to tax or not to tax? The real question should be, How soon before the liberal EPA clamps down with new regulation?
What say you? I would like to know.
Keep the faith, light the fire and support the troops!
Comments
It seems to me you have seen much. What bothers me the most about what we as a nation have done is that we did it to ourselves, and at any time we can fix the problem. We have the means to bring back the steel to Pennsylvania. We can encourage job growth no only within the state, but nationwide. The problem is we as the citizens of this country have become so dependent on the laim stream media, and have become so complacent that we don't vote, we don't know how represents us and why. There are a good number of people (young people the future of this country) who don't even know who the vice president, speaker of the house, or governor or our state of Pennsylvania. How the hell are we supposed to govern ourselves without this basic knowledge? We have to do a better job of being informed and take action ourselves! We can't and shouldn't wait for some other politician to do if for us. We have to tell them "Hey you work for us, this is what we want and this is what your gonna do!" If you want jobs back in Pennsylvania then we have to get off our rear ends and tell our local representatives, senators, and governor that we don't want the EPA running the show. We want lower state taxes to encourage business growth. We want you to promote the great state of Pennsylvania and advertise to businesses that we want them here. Then you'll see the jobs come back! Then you'll see the great state of Pennsylvania gain prominence as a job creator and a wounderful place to live. We have discovered natural gas deposits in Pennsylvania. Don't tax it, support it! Get the infrastructure in place and get the gas out of the ground to the point where it becomes profitable then the state will get it's taxes form the influx of people moving back into the state and the visitors the will want to purchase the product. This can be done! People like you and me have to encourage others in Pennsylvania to look after Pennsylvania and make sure Governor Corbett and the