#1 and #3 Marcellus Shale Drillers In Pennsylvania--Foreign Corporations: Corbett Says "No Taxes"!

[blue neen]

The Top Seven Marcellus Shale Drillers in Pennsylvania:

1) Talisman Energy USA Inc.-----Canada
2) Chesapeake Appalachia LLC-----Oklahoma, USA
3) Shell Appalachia-----The Netherlands
4) Range Resources Appalachia-----Texas, USA
5) Andarko E&P Co.-----Texas, USA
6) EOG Resources Inc.-----Texas, USA
7) Seneca Resources Corp. (National Fuel)-----New York, USA

Link to list of companies: http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2011/02/25/top-7-active-marcellus-shale-drillers.html

I did Google searches to find out the country or state of origins; if there need to be corrections, please let me know!

Just yesterday Corbett unveiled his budget, making brutal cuts in Education, Medicaid, Conservation and Natural Resources (!), and State Parks (at the same time he is opening them up for drilling). Check it out:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=175x18135
(Thanks to PA Democrat and all of PA Forum)

Corbett made a quite interesting observation during his speech:

"These resources, by the way, belong to the people who own the mineral rights. Those people are getting their fair share by working out their own leases with the companies doing the drilling. That’s how it should be. That’s the American way. What Pennsylvanians will gain is the jobs, the spinoffs, and if we don’t scare off these industries with new taxes, the follow-up that comes along."
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/03/pennsylvania_gov_tom_corbetts_2.html

The American Way...he actually said that. Yes Tom, nothing says "The American Way" like selling out your state to foreign and out of state companies while balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and infirm.

Dear, Dear Governor Corbett: Fiscal responsibility should not include enormous tax breaks for multi-national and multi-state corporations. As Governor of Pennsylvania, fiscal responsibility SHOULD mean that you have a legal AND moral obligation to be accountable to ALL of the citizens of our state and our country.

I believe this statement from Bill White of the "Allentown Call" says it all:

..."When a Gov. Corbett pledges never to raise taxes, it's not really about protecting YOU. You'll pay either way. It's about HIS political reputation, HIS electability, HIS Republican credentials, HIS corporate supporters. And how about a pay freeze and especially benefit reductions for the legislators whose support he'll need? How about their $188 million surplus? I didn't hear anything about that. How about closing some of the state's gaping corporate tax loopholes? No way. The state judiciary? Untouched."

Read more at:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/white/mc-bill-white-corbett-20110309,0,1771857.column

The smell of the newly elected CRAP (Corrupt Republican Assembly of Politicians) is permeating Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania. It'll be up to us to get rid of the stench.

[Sonicwall]

1. Next Energy LLC.

Look them up - they are also scumbags of the extreme.

They have been buying up leases in Williamsport, PA.

If the could, they would drill the Little League field right on the pitcher's mound if it would make them a few bucks.

[blue neen]

4. Oh, I believe it.

In this area, they have drilled right next to a huge reservoir that is the water source for millions:

http://www.marcellus-shale.us/

BTW, Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[davidinalameda]

2. Texas and New York aren't "foreign"

and from your quote-he's against new taxes

did he say that he was not going to enforce existing tax codes or something

[blue neen]

3. The thread title says that #1 and #3 are foreign corporations.

I believe that is correct.

The issue is that Pennsylvania is the ONLY state in the Union that is not charging Marcellus Shale Drillers any extraction taxes. Governor Corbett is making huge cuts in our state budget, while refusing to tax the oil and gas companies who funded his campaign.

Sorry...didn't mean to be confusing...just fired up here! :)

[PA Democrat]

10. The issue is that EVERY OTHER state imposes an extraction tax on natural gas

And his claim of no new taxes is pure BS. He is cutting funding for K-12 education by almost 10% which will force school districts to raise property taxes.

[Divernan]

11. Texas and Oklahoma are pretty foreign to me-at least THEY have extraction taxes!

What is all this BS by the bought and paid for politicians that we don't want to "scare away" Big Oil with pesky health and safety regulations or extraction taxes.

As the New York Times article stated, Pennsylvania, sitting atop the Marcellus Shale, is the Saudi Arabia of the US.
Big Oil will pay through the nose to abide by regulations or pay extraction taxes and still make absolute fortunes.

But no, we have a corrupted, venal, avaricious bunch of politicians led by Tom Corbett. New GOP Governor Corbett's campaign was generously financed by the oil industry. He promised them publicly that the state would not impose extraction taxes on this industry, making Pennsylvania the only major oil-producing state to give them a free ride. Even Palin's Alaska and Bush's Texas impose extraction taxes. Such a tax was proposed but defeated in 2009, by the GOP controlled state Senate - so far that's cost the state around $130 million.

UNTAXED and UNREGULATED ! ! !

Hey Big Oil, come on up to Pennsylvania boys - it's the new wild west of profiteering and pollution!

[blue neen]

18. That's exactly what it feels like--The New Wild West.

They're robbing and pillaging PA with no consequence, and our "Sheriff" turned his badge over to the James Gang of Robber Barons a long time ago.

[doc03]

5. They bring their workers in from Texas and Louisiana too. n/t

[blue neen]

6. Range Resources runs commercials constantly in the Pittsburgh TV market,

telling us how many jobs they are providing. You can even go online and listen to testimonials from their employees! Isn't that special?

It's one of those cases where they keep trying to brainwash you that something is true, when really it's not.

I don't know anyone from PA who got a job with any of these companies.

[doc03]

7. Same here in eastern Ohio and WV, I don't know of them hiring

any local workers. I see lots of Texas and Louisiana plates on the road anymore..

[blue neen]

8. Here's an article about how this has impacted a small town in PA:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/07/news/economy/penn_boomtown/index.htm

[doc03]

9. It seems like one of those wells blow up about every week

and a couple families have gas wells now instead of water wells. The wells are located in rural areas with narrow two lane roads and the truck traffic and road damage is bad.

[Divernan]

12. Powerful article - community has been badly damaged in many respects

Worth a read.
The local court system has been overwhelmed.
10 percent of the jail prisoners are now out-of-staters, i.e., oil field rough necks.

Every well drilled requires 1,300 semi-tractor trailers full of water driving through the town. Roads of course being ruined by this.

One local commented that the drillers would sink a well on the pitchers' mound of the Little League field if it would make them a few bucks.

Peoples' water wells supplying their homes are being polluted.

[PA Democrat]

16. Great article. You should post it at a stand-alone OP

because it clearly illustrates how we the people are being forced to subsidize the profits of these drilling companies.

[annabanana]

13. Hey.. Maybe he can "pull a Michigan" and just turn governance

of those districts directly over to the corporations.

Seriously.. check out Rachel's show from Tuesday night.

[PA Democrat]

14. Recommended.

The truth is that a family making $36,000 a year pays more in state taxes than 74% of corporations in PA. Corbett is giving away OUR state lands, OUR natural resources to be polluted and destroyed for profit.

As for Gov. Frack Whore's comment about landowners getting their "fair share" he needs to consider the neighbors of those landowners who get stuck with the noise, the pollution, the risk of being killed in an explosion.

My parents live with the impact every day because their neighbors drilled a well right at the edge of their property line. Their home value has depreciated because of the well's location. There are days when the fumes are so bad, you are forced to stay inside. One of their neighbor's well was poisoned. That homeowner had a nervous breakdown. When they are drilling, the noise is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Local roads, already in a state of disrepair due to budget deficits of local governments are forced to handle the additional traffic of heavy drilling equipment and the large water trucks in and out constantly.

There are plans to drill adjacent to the housing development where I live and the driller is seeking to tap into the water line that serves homes here. We already have low water pressure and there is additional concern that there would be insufficient water pressure needed to fight a fire (like when one of their wells explodes!)

[blue neen]

17. Governor Frack Whore!

That is priceless!

I wonder if he would enjoy smelling methane everyday.

[PA Democrat]

15. Corbett is pathetic. The natural gas is HERE. How do you "scare away"

these drillers? As long as they can make a profit, they will drill here. It's like Corbett is having a fire sale on our natural resources.