Citizens for Pennsylvanias Future (PennFuture) today announced it is
launching the Keep the Promise Tour across Pennsylvania,
holding town hall meetings to alert residents of the Keystone State to
the need to make sure the Pennsylvania General Assembly passes a
substantial severance tax on deep natural gas drillers in the Marcellus
Shale formation. Members of the General Assembly promised to enact such
a tax by October 1, as part of the budget deal adopted just before
summer recess.
“The drilling companies are spending enormous amounts of money to stop
the severance tax”
The drilling companies are spending enormous amounts of money to stop
the severance tax, said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture.
They have hired lobbyists of every stripe including former Governor
Tom Ridge and are working hard to keep the voice of the people from
being heard. The drillers will make enormous profits from the natural
gas they take from our land its only fair that they pay a reasonable
tax that will go to protect our environment and local communities that
host the drilling, fund our natural resource agencies, and help
balance our budget.
A poll taken last week shows that nearly everyone in the state agrees
on one thing: the Marcellus Shale drillers must pay their fair share,
continued Jarrett. Three out of four voters in both Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia want the legislature to pass a severance tax. The support
is even stronger in rural areas, with 84 percent supporting the tax.
Three out of four Republicans support the tax, and 79 percent of
Democrats want the tax passed. But we need to make sure that the sheer
number of lobbyists and available campaign cash from the drillers dont
blind the legislators to the wishes of their constituents and the good
of the Commonwealth.
The PennFuture Keep the Promise Tour schedule includes:
Wednesday, September 8, 8 10 a.m.
Breakfast Meeting
in Pittsburghs South Hills
(Allegheny County)
Georgetown
Centre , Route 51 in Pleasant Hills
Thursday, September 9, 7 9 p.m.
Town Hall Meeting in
Jersey Shore
(Lycoming County)
Robert H. Wheeland
Center, 1201 Locust Street
Friday, September 10, 8 10 a.m.
Breakfast Meeting in
Scranton
(Lackawanna County)
Radisson Lackawanna Station
Hotel
Monday, September 13, 8 10 a.m.
Breakfast Meeting in
Gettysburg
(Adams County)
The Dobbin House Tavern, 89
Steinwehr Avenue
Thursday, September 16, 8 10 a.m.
Breakfast in
Horsham
(Montgomery County)
Ottos Brauhaus, 233 Easton
Road
Friday, September 17, 8 10 a.m.
Breakfast in
Essington
(Delaware County)
Lazaretto Ballroom, 99
Wanamaker Avenue
Stops on the tour are free and open to the public, but pre-registration
is required two days prior to each stop. There will be no onsite
registration. Registration may be made online at www.pennfuture.org/KeepThePromise,
where a list of speakers and the details for each stop are available, or
by telephone at 717-214-
Source: Business Wire
