PA Democrats Trying to Tax Natural Gas Still in the Ground

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The tax-you-to-death Democrats in Pennsylvania are like big spending Democrats everywhere: They lie about who new taxes will affect, and their appetite to get their hands on YOUR money is insatiable. Case in point from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

HARRISBURG — Natural gas from the vast Marcellus Shale reserve will be taxed under the ground and when it is extracted, if Democratic lawmakers and the governor have their way.

Fifty-four of 67 counties would be able to levy real estate taxes on the underground value of natural gas and oil under a bill proposed Monday by House Majority Whip Bill DeWeese, D-Greene County.

Of course, taxing natural gas deposits in the ground is not enough (never mind how you can even come close to calculating the size of a deposit before you pump it out), let’s tax it when it comes out too:

Gov. Ed Rendell last month proposed a state severance tax on extracted natural gas. Rep. Bud George, D-Clearfield County, is expected to propose the severance tax in legislation.

Here comes lie Number One: “It’s for the children.”

Forty-five of the poorest school districts would benefit from levying a real estate tax on natural gas, said Timothy Allwein, an official with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, one of several groups that joined DeWeese at a news conference.

And lie Number Two: “It won’t affect the landowner.”

DeWeese said the real estate tax on natural gas would hit developers and drillers, not landowners and farmers.

And lie Number Three: “It’ll keep your taxes low.”

David Coder, chairman of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said the revenue would be used to lower property taxes or prevent the rise of property taxes.

Really? You think energy companies will not adjust their lease terms and royalties to account for this rape of their profits? Do you really think any single locality in PA will either hold the line, or reduce your property taxes, if this legislation is passed? Come on. Don’t fall for the same, tired old lies trotted out by the Democrats!

Here’s what will happen: If the Democrats in PA pass this legislation, energy companies will stop expanding and drilling in PA and instead go to New York, Ohio, West Virginia and other Marcellus locations. If you’re a landowner living in PA, make some noise with your state representatives about this issue before it’s too late.

Read the full article: Bill revives tax on gas, oil underground (Pittsburgh Times-Review)

3 Comments

  1. The state will make plenty of money on the gas from present tax structure because of all the good paying jobs. Don’t punish the drillers or owners with new taxes.

  2. Thanks for the comment John & Judy. I agree 100%. The government is looking everywhere it can to feed it’s gluttonous appetite. Enough is enough.

  3. Tax the gas drillers and for that matter, tax those who allow these money gluttons to abuse their land and our water and the wildlife! Do your homework and look at the states where these gas drillers have been and then if you still persist in your backward thinking, then your hopeless.