You're right, David. They should be ashamed. Unfortunately, the only way politicians know how to get money is to either raise taxes or sell out to big business. This has to stop. Government needs to cut costs where possible and, more importantly, uncover ways to produce income in some other way(s).

I brought this up to Sen. Mensch at a meeting Rep. Quinn had recently and you'd have thought I was speaking a language from Pluto. In his favor, he was at least open to the idea.

I contend that there is a way, if people are committed to producing a result. I'm in if someone wants to set up a brainstorming session. There must be better ways to raise money than sell out our children's future for a decent environmental.

We MUST enact Term Limits for ALL political ofices (elective and appointees) and STOP THE CORRUPTION>

I thoroughly agree with Elaine. We need to enact term limits for ALL political offices, and STOP THE CORRUPTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. I firmly believe that it begins with holding our local government officials accountable for their misdeeds, and going to the county on up. I would say this regardless of whichever party seems to be in control, and believe that anyone (R or D) who commits anything illegal and/or immoral needs to go.

Soap box, ballot box, jury box and ammo box......use in that order. And no, I'm not advocating the use of violence, but we do have a responsibility to oust our leadership when they become corrupt. The last one is meant to ensure the first three are usable and enforcible.

I am pleased that legislation facilitating the development of natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale has been passed. I may not like all the particulars; time will tell. But the Environmental lobby has chosen recently to go for the jugular on issues like this, hoping to block development outright, rather than cooperating with legislators and the industry to insure that the best legislative outcome. We all lose that way: Blaming the legislators is outrageous..This new resource offers just what is needed in 21st Century America: increased energy independence, jobs to cut unemployment costs and bolster tax revenues. It was going to come to fruition, as it should. Trying to block it outright was short-sighted and narrow-minded.
Same thing's going on with the Keystone XL pipeline which would bring oil down from Canada (and the new oil from the Baaken Formation in the Dakotas) to the US Gulf Coast, which has the largest concentration of petrochemical industry in the world. The New York Times reported that the Sierra .Club fought against this pipeline not because of local environmental issues inside America --- they wanted to stop expansion of Canada's tar sands development. Canada said, in effect: "No problem. We'll sell it to the Chinese." So far, on the XL Pipeline, Sierra Club's made sure America gets none of the benefits hoped for (jobs, lower oil costs, more volume in the petrochemical industry) WITHOUT accomplishing their own agenda!.
Shame on Sierra Club!

Robert Post I don't know who you are but I agree with you. People are simply not being informed properly. All these clubs have their own agenda and the people hear their ideas without hearing what is truly going on. This is incredible for Pennsylvania, Ohio and beyond, so many jobs are being formed and we are going to be able to supply our own resources withouth having to rely on foreign sources. This is a win win. The Not In My Backyard idea is rediculous especially because the Marcellus Shale isn't in Bucks County and the gas drillers are not fracking the Delaware. This is NOT Gasland the movie. It is time for all of us to really be informed of what is truly happening for our great state and not from the environmenal clubs that have an agenda!

The thing is, NIMBYism demands municipalities be restrained a bit, because everyone thinks, "sure, go get the energy... just don't do it near me." If it were left solely up to them, whole massive swaths of area would be unavailable for getting at the shale. Getting at underground energy sources is never easy or pretty, but it is a necessary evil.

We need energy! Our own State is plentiful with this natural resource. We our wasting our own resource in Pennsylvania. PGW/PECO has lines running underneath our world forever. We need to use our own sources in our backyard and stop depending on others, who Really care nothing for us. There are mandates to protect us, read the Bill. Be informed, Do You Really know what its about? Is it really a bad Bill or is just the Green Do Good Gooders who are againt everything?! Their solutions are just not progessed or do-able in this economy. Do your homework people!!

If the drilling helped fund education and restore services in PA, I might be for it. But PA is not taxing drillers like other states. Many jobs drilling brings are temporary and low paying. States that tax drilling have state universities with affordable tuition. Normal families can't afford Penn State tuition, about 29k a year with room and board. I would also be for drilling if there was energy independence. I don't think we need more wars over oil. But gas companies don't care about energy independence. They are lining up buyers in India and China. Those countries are growing fast and pay top dollar for energy. Energy independence is a myth. Have any of you read about the contaminated water in parts of PA where drilling is underway? There are not enough inspectors to keep track of drillers. The state might have rules but they're no good if there aren't people to enforce them. Also,water treatment is not 100% successful. Our water treatment plants can't remove fracking chemicals. The drilling companies are leasing our public land. State forests preserved over a hundred years ago for the use of all Pennsylvanians are being cut down for roads for trucks and drilling rigs. I have looked at the bill. Drilling will damage PA, economically and environmentally. When the gas runs out the tax-payers will be left holding the bag.

@Jeff Luger
Most politicians can/will be corrupted by power/inflluence and the perqs that go along with that power. Term limits can control the amount of trouble any politician can get into. If they aren't concentrating on getting re-elected, then maybe they can concentrate on doing the peoples' business and not spend so much time worrying about their own.

Some of the people here seem a little misinformed as if they read ONE article and made their mind up from that. Most of those politicians mentioned don't know much about simple things let alone very involved things like gas drilling in PA! Well Drillers , Frackers ,Directional Drillers and land owners are all making GREAT money.Sad thing is they can't find people to weld,dig and lay pipe to start to run OUR gas.Americans have this thing now about going out and getting a job where you have to" work" to get paid vs texting and email and shuffle papers in the service industry to get a paycheck.We have the richest poor people in America..
The gas will be used here not shipped abroad.The gas companies should be forced to present all chemicals used to frack and be held to water treatment.(sounds good)

Robert Post
First the issues are as follows
The the legislation was a typical backroom deal with no public input, some legislators did not get the 200page final wording until an hour before the final vote

In addition:
1) This drilling bill adopts one of the nation’s lowest extraction fees.
2) Contains weak and watered-down environmental protections over drinking water and our streams and wetlands,
3) Confers special rights on the drillers over other businesses in Pennsylvania,
4) Destroys local communities’ rights to use zoning ordinances to protect homes, hospitals, schools, and other areas from drilling damage and withholds funds from any municipality that attempts to use those rights.

You try and divert attention from THIS issue by trying to bring up the Keystone XL (another boondoggle in itself)
The facts of the matter is this bill was NOT in the interests of the citizens of PA but for the benefit of the Gas drilling industry, Gov Corbett's biggest political contributor!

B

Larry Foy
you are wrong about this gas being used domestically, currently Dominion Resources Inc. is seeking permits to export liquefied natural gas from a terminal near Cove Point, Md. This LNG port is specifically for marcellus shale gas exporation.

Dominion, based in Richmond, Va., has won approval from the Department of Energy to use Cove Point for exporting liquefied natural gas to about 20 nations with which the United States has free-trade agreements. The company is now seeking federal permission to allow shipments to virtually any foreign country, except those barred because of trade embargoes.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-02-10/features/bs-gr-gas-export-20120210_1_fracking-fluids-shale-gas-gas-exports

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/how_fracking_works_cKSUVaVvWedFdqfvNQ2q7H

Fracking fears are based on ignorance. Frack here and frack now!

Dr. Anthony Ingraffea is the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering and Faculty Fellow at the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) at Cornell University.

The trouble with the industry’s PR is that it’s built on myths.

Myths always have at least a kernel of truth, but you have to listen to the whole story, carefully, not just the kernel.

And then ask questions about the myth. After years of deception, the whole natural gas story is starting to emerge, and engineers, plus scientists, physicians, generals, admirals, ranchers, farmers, landowners and regulators – including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson – are seeking answers to those questions.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/11/28/nb-f-shale-gas-anthony-ingraffea-122.html

"Every dollar spent on Muslim Saudi oil is a dollar invested into the Islamization of America by their building of mosques preaching sedition and hate"

WOW!!! your bigotry is showing!

It is obvious that:
1. We Pennsylvanians will not get any financial benefit from this. The taxes will not cover the damage.
2. We will not be getting any jobs benefit from this. The jobs offered pale in comparison to the jobs that would be created by more environmentally sensitive methods of producing energy.
3. We will not get any energy independence benefit from this. The gas is going to be sold to the highest bidder, the money is going into the hands of the 1%, and we will still be buying oil from the Middle East.

The money that is spent on us will be in the form of lawsuits by the drilling companies and/or defense of lawsuits against them, and propaganda by Fox News to get us to elect the politicians that are supported by the drilling.

WOW!!! your bigotry is showing!

David -- No, that's the truth. It's the stealth jihad. You have no idea, I'm sure. What do you know about Islam and Sharia Law? But shh. Keep your head in the sand. Don't look any further.
www.thereligionofpeace.com
www.citizenwarrior.com
www.jihadwatch.com

you've Got To Be Taught
to Hate And Fear,
you've Got To Be Taught
from Year To Year,
it's Got To Be Drummed
in Your Dear Little Ear
you've Got To Be Carefully Taught.
you've Got To Be Taught To Be Afraid
of People Whose Eyes Are Oddly Made,
and People Whose Skin Is A Diff'rent Shade,
you've Got To Be Carefully Taught.
you've Got To Be Taught Before It's Too Late,
before You Are Six Or Seven Or Eight,
to Hate All The People Your Relatives Hate,
you've Got To Be Carefully Taught!

I fail to understand why people are against drilling in pa. We obviously have a serious problem with unemployment and energy supplies. Isn't this a solution to both?

side note:
In the late 1800s PA was the 4th largest economy in the world. What changed? Outrageous taxes and fines placed on companies for environmental impact driving them out of the market. Wouldn't a better solution be to work with the companies and not against them?

First -- fracking is safe and drill here drilll now.
Second -- I strongly suggest you check out the sites I have posted here. The truth is scary, but there is nothing hateful or bigoted about it.
Saudi Arabia makes money off oil and builds mosques worldwide and exports their wahhabism (violent Islamic ideology) and sharia law. It's just facts.
The Saudis have also bought our most prestigious schools out by establishing Islamic centers.
Look further than your OWN NARROW IDEOLOGY.
Every dollar spent on foreign (Islamic) oil is a dollar spent to support terrorism.
The Keystone Pipeline must also go through.

It's seems to be half for and half against. You have to love America and our Freedom of Speech. So many seem to be againt Corporations. Food for Thought: Has a poor man ever given you a job? Just saying....

http://www.islamist-watch.org/9192/cair-fight-against-pennsylvania-foreign-law-bill

This is about all our freedoms. It's not a right-left issue, no matter how hard the Left tries to cozy up with the Muslim Brotherhood which has vowed to "destroy America from within."

http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/

One more for the raod. Sharia Law.
You need to know -- because it WILL AFFECT you.
It's not hate when you are just repeating what THEY are saying.
Peace.

http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/

Corporations control all of the wealth and power and act on behalf of their own interests first. Most corporations do not care about the overall good-- they care about money. There are plenty of jobs that are not created by large corporations as there are many entrepreneurs who continue to support the creative spirit of this country. And, unfortunately, it is the smaller businesses that suffer in the wake of corporate control over the economy. It certainly would be better for everyone if we could all work together, but it will never happen. Ideals always have to be sacrificed. Why should we have to conform to the interests of big business when they would never conform to interests that do not suite them? Historically, big corporations do not work for the people. They have very little concern for environmentally related issues and the long term consequences of their actions. And when their destruction takes its toll and people are outraged, they simply throw more money at the issue to make it go away.

Fracking is NOT safe:

In 2005, the Bush/ Cheney Energy Bill exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act. It exempts companies from disclosing the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. Essentially, the provision took the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) off the job. It is now commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole.

The average well is up to 8,000 feet deep. The depth of drinking water aquifers is about 1,000 feet. The problems typically stem from poor cement well casings that leak natural gas as well as fracking fluid into water wells.

Generally 1-8 million gallons of water may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times.

For each frack, 80-300 tons of chemicals may be used. Presently, the natural gas industry does not have to disclose the chemicals used, but scientists have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/how_fracking_works_cKSUVaVvWedFdqfvNQ2q7H

Robert Post
Yes it is easy to get sucked sidewise into trolls on the internet.

Even if you are for or against gas drilling the legislation the PA legislature drafted voted upon was done behind closed doors without public input, and was kept away from public and most legislators until about an hour before voting.

As stated today in the Philly inquirer the new law (awaiting Corbett's signature), stipulates that wells and pipelines must be permitted in every zoning district, including residential neighborhoods.

It also forbids communities from making drilling operations a "conditional" use, a zoning tool many communities already have employed. That allows communities to impose strict conditions on where and how the lines can be built.

It is estimated that the new law will immediately void as many as 200 local ordinances as illegally restrictive to the industry

Lastly the 300 foot buffer is not the scientifically acceptable buffer zone for environmental or health and safety reasons. If (god forbid) a blowout happens this is inadequate for control or containment of blowout fluid or adequate distance to prevent a gas fire from spreading due to the heat radiation from a well fire

The point being is that this was poorly crafted legislation with no input from the public and is typical of Harrisburg politics. The Bucks County delegation should not have allowed the "politics as usual" and stood up to their leadership on the principle.

by the way since I posted the article someone has been trying to preform a A denial-of-service attack on my ISP and on this site!

It seems to me that a lot of these posts against drilling our own gas are from ideological people (neo-Communists) who are simply so far LEFT the Soviet Union would have thought them to be right-wing extremists. Drill here, drill now!

Just calling a spade a spade.
Peace.
-30-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8a6R5I6S2Y

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZ-MGBsLD51w&h=DAQH6Fkit

when the drilling starts we'll put Bernadette's name at the top of the list - she won't mind that they drill in her backyard. hope she has health insurance....