And Now, Today’s GOOD NEWS (Mostly): New Marcellus Shale Drilling Halted (For Now)
Governor Rendell declared the Marcellus Shale tax dead for 2010 last week, due to Republicans being assholes who wouldn’t agree to anything higher than a 1.5% tax. One-point-five percent. Jesus. That’s what we get for subjecting our state to fracking and the threat of erupting natural gas wells?
Anyway, the Governor today decided that if we’re not taxing it, they’re not drilling it, so he signed an executive order at Penn Treaty Park today halting new drilling in Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania. Also today – and probably not coincidentally – a few GOP senators decided to try to resume talks rather than being obstructionist shills for Marcellus Shale drillers.
Somewhere down the road, this tax issue will be worked out, but for a few months at least we can worry a little bit less about exploding gas wells and wholesale environmental destruction.
So there you have it: The world is not totally made of shit. Have you got some good news? If so, send it to tips[at]philebrity[dot]com with “GOOD MOTHERFUCKING NEWS!” in the subject header — we’d love to hear about it.
October 26th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
You said it “obstructionist schills” ! Has Harrisburg not seen ‘Gasland’
October 26th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
lastmonthsrent:
Why would the Pukes in Harrisburg watch Gasland? They just vote the way their corporate backers tell them to. They don’t waste their pretty minds on the search for the truth, or what’s right.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Gas extraction can be safe, it just needs to be regulated properly. It should be taxed above normal corporate tax levels to pay for that, and also because we have a shitload of it and we need money. The extractors aren’t going anywhere.
This is easy stuff. Why is it so hard for our legislatures to function?
October 27th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
@barryg
I challenge you to watch Gasland and still say that regulated hydro-fracking would be safe.
October 27th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Woah- the moratorium is only on NEW drilling leases in state forests- a far cry from a full moratorium. Please read any news source for facts and update and correct this immediately.
October 27th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
re: Gas extraction can be safe, it just needs to be regulated properly. It should be taxed above normal corporate tax levels to pay for that, and also because we have a shitload of it and we need money.
@barryg
I’m still not voting Republican.
October 27th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
@expat attack, I’ve already been burned by Michael Moore and Al Gore; how about something unbiased and based facts?
@Allan, what does that have to do with anything? The gas is going to get extracted no matter who is in power.
October 27th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
@barryg
how about you go to the homes of those people effected, ask them to stop lighting their tap water on fire, and see what they say.
and, you should pull your head out of your ass because ‘the gas is going to get extracted no matter who is in power’ is the most bullshit thing i’ve ever heard. it lasted for thousands of years undisturbed, it should remain that way.
October 27th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
@barryg
Michael Moore and Al Gore aren’t involved in Gasland. Therefor you shouldn’t have a problem educating yourself by watching the film before you make any further grossly untrue statements about the safety of fracking.