The Weight

Take a load off Corbett, and you can put that load right on me.

PA governor Tom Corbett has vowed not to raise state taxes, to reduce spending, eliminate a deficit, turn water into wine, lower corporate taxes, layoff employees, and yet somehow increase the commonwealth's tax revenues. Changing water into wine might actually be the most doable of the group after the layoffs.

Many level-headed people have noted that reducing the number of individuals employed while also reducing corporate taxes is probably NOT going to lead to an increase in tax revenue. Just doing a simple bit of associative math, it seems more than probable such a policy would fail. Less People paying Taxes + Plus less Tax Revenue from Corporations= More Tax Revenue? I don't need to be an accountant to tell you that kind of math simply doesn't add up.

So now, for at least the second time in less than 7 days, another Western PA municipality is announcing their plan to raise property taxes in order to offset the cut in state aid to their school districts. So while Corporate Corbett may be right that he personally did not raise state taxes, these local hikes are a not too distant product of his slash and burn education budget.

The same schools that were good enough for his own two children to attend are now left to be the bad guy while he bathes in gas drilling money at the gubernatorial mansion. 

Second Place Is the First Loser

Late last week, we learned that Pennsylvania has come in second nationally in something. However, this is not an achievement but a rather dubious distinction: PA ranks second amongst the 50 states in smog-producing pollution. Texas, naturally, was first.

Today, we learn that PA's new governor has a solution to this 2nd overall ranking and that solution is to hire C. Alan Walker to oversee expedition of permits to Marcellus Shale drillers. Mr. Walker, a coal mogul and hefty donor to Gov. Corbett's campaign, certainly has an interesting record with the environment. According to State Records, Court Documents, and Mr . Walker's own admissions, his companies have been responsible for polluting at least 15 water ways since the late 1970's. In regards to his new position, Mr. Walker holds that he will not attempt to override regulations or personally issue permits to potential drillers but his record obviously sings a different tune.

When asked for comment on Mr. Walker's environmental record, both Gov. Corbett and Mr. Walker had none. Color me shocked. After all, Gov. Corbett has never hidden the fact that he could care less about the environment, so why should anybody be surprised by this latest move? There is no plan in place to impose an excise tax on Marcellus Shale driller and the proposed job creation side of the spectrum is not as black and white as some may think.

In reality, natural gas drilling will certainly create jobs in PA. But will these jobs go to PA residents or will they simply go to outside contractors who will bring their own workers in temporarily, drill until there's nothing left, and leave the tax payers holding the bag on cleanup? It's happened before: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11065/1130058-503.stm. Range Resources makes it appear they are going to swoop in and save PA's economy with jobs but the reality is that hey are just bringing up workers from Texas, so how is that creating jobs for PA Residents?


Only 3 months into his tenure as Governor of PA, Tom Corbett's approval rating is falling. If he continues to give big salary jobs to his rich donors while cutting spending on education and eliminating other blue collar positions, it is going to hit a point where it can't get much lower.