PA Political Left Believes Marcellus Compact is DOA

Lest you think that MDN is just so much right-wing, Tea Party-spouting bilge when we make quips about the politics of drilling, we offer the following into evidence that our views and opinions are dead-on accurate.

Yesterday MDN wrote an article about the so-called Marcellus Compact, a set of six bills that have been introduced by left-wing PA Democrats in what MDN considers an attempt to have an issue to run on in the next election (see this MDN story). MDN pointed out the bills have no chance of passage.

It seems the left shares the same view as MDN about the Marcellus Compact. To wit:

This is why I am happy to have the folks demanding a fracking moratorium to my left. Without them, the robust left-wing Marcellus Compact plan the PA Democrats are running on would have become the left-most position, and there’d be no hope for a statewide severance tax. Marginal Democrats would have staked out a more centrist position, and only hippies like Daylin and Sturla would be talking about a severance tax. With the moratorium dudes in the mix, a statewide severance tax looks less left-wing, and we actually stand a chance of getting it passed next time a Democrat is Governor.

Loved this Scott Detrow article on why the Marcellus Compact policies don’t stand a chance in this session, but that’s really beside the point. The real significance of the Marcellus Compact is that Democrats are forming an agenda on Marcellus Shale issues for the next time they have power, and we are seeing a surprising amount of unity in the traditionally fractious Party around a statewide tax.*

Notice the comment that the fact Marcellus Compact policies stand no chance in this session is “really beside the point.” Need we say more?

At least the leftie Dems are reliable—they’ve never seen a tax increase they won’t vote for!

*Keystone Politics (May 29, 2012) – PA Dems’ Marcellus Compact is All That Stands Between the Natty Gas Industry and Teh Hippies