Day: December 16, 2009

Judge Says Drill Baby, Drill In Allegheny National Forest

Judge Says Drill Baby, Drill In Allegheny National Forest — U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin, a Clinton appointee no less, said yesterday that drilling for oil and natural gas may resume in the Allegheny National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service changed a long-standing practice in April to ban drilling in response to a suit by environmental groups
Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, Sierra Club and
Allegheny Defense Project.

Judge McLaughlin said the Forest Service wrongly interpreted the National Environmental Policy Act in changing its policy which had been to receive a proposal from a driller,
review it under previously established case law, and issue a Notice to
Proceed within 60 days.

The plaintiffs were Minard Run Oil Co., Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association, Allegheny Forest Alliance and Warren County. The economic losses of the small oil companies were in the millions with at least one laying off 40 percent of its workforce.

Thank you Judge McLaughlin for common sense.

Kudos to GrassrootsPA.com for the tip.

Judge Says Drill Baby, Drill In Allegheny National Forest

Obamaconomics Forces Pa. To Cut Spending

Gov. Ed Rendell, yesterday, announced a plan that would turn a $96 million deficit into a projected $124 million surplus by the end of the fiscal year in June.

The plan calls for reductions in discretionary grant programs and a 1 percent across-the-board cut in spending by state agencies. He would also use last year’s surpluses for some programs.

The reason for this is sluggish revenues — IOW  fewer people working means   fewer people are buying things which means less money for Harrisburg from the state sales tax; and obviously the receipts from the state income tax are going to be less.

And people just don’t seem to be flocking to the casinos do they?

Rendell says he hopes the action will mean he can avoid layoffs of state workers.

The laid-off non-state workers who still have to pay property taxes feel your pain, I’m sure.

Kudos to GrassrootsPa.Com for the tip.

Hey, The Inquirer Uses A “D”

The Philadelphia Inquirer in today’s front page story managed to put a D after  Stephen Stetler’s name when reporting his resignation as Pennsylvania’s revenue secretary shortly before Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that he was one of three officials being charged with six counts of conflict of interest, theft, and conspiracy.

Granted the Inky didn’t spell out the D as Democrat, nor did they put the word in the headline as they would have perhaps if another party had been involved, nor did it mention with the first reference the party affiliation of the other two persons, House Majority Whip Bill DeWeese and DeWeese legislative aide Sharon Rodavich — DeWeese got his D in the eighth paragraph — but I’ll chalk it up as progress.

DeWeese was a long-time power in state and Democratic Party politics for two decades, and was a big player in the 2005 pay raise matter.