120th District challengers on gas drilling

120th District State Represenative Phyilis Mundy has propsed some common sense rules to slow the whole thing down.


Her opponents respond.


Libertarian candidate Tim Mullen


Thanks, Gort for giving me a chance to voice my opinion.

.I'll be taking this issue to the papers in the near future if they dare print what I have to say. They usually edit out my most damning remarks.
.
Let me first say I posted my position on the Marcellus drilling after attending a meeting in Kingston Twp. several months ago, and I pretty much am going to stick with what I posted. I am not too far off base with the moratorium that Mrs. Mundy has proposed.

.When you take the reality of a Harrisburg that is awash in "gas cash" (my description of political donations from the natural gas industry), I think the best we could hope for is some type of scaling back of the Marcellus drilling similar to what I propose.
.
Should we stop drilling? No. The economy, and the energy needs of the country take front seat. Should we be drilling near drinking water sources such as in the Back Mountain? Absolutely not at this point until this technology is proven safe. There are plenty of rural and / or mined out areas in the state to explore first. The pace of the drilling activity needs to be slowed down also. 10,000 wells proposed in a few years across the state is unfathomable when it comes to disruption of the environment and the potential for contamination of water supplies.
.
As I stated on my site, permitting a set amount of sites to come on line a year will buy time to assess the impact on the environment and make corrections. This also flattens out the boom/bust cycle that is liable to happen if we rush headlong into production. As previously stated I the natural gas industry should only be taxed enough to assure return of the environment to its original condition after they have come and gone.
.
.The industry should not become a cash cow for the state to further expand or maintain its dependency breeding social programs, or fund pork projects that assure reelection of incumbents. I agree with Mr. Goldsworthy's assessment that Mrs. Mundy is late to the table. I'll take it a step further similar to the old saying "A day late and a dollar short", except in this case, years late and hundreds of thousands of dollars short (or however much gas cash has been diverted to the politicos). In my opinion all this hype over drilling is posturing by Mrs. Mundy. She can be a champion of the people by leading the anti-drilling crusade, knowing full well that a full moratorium stands a snowball's chance in hell of making it through a Harrisburg awash in gas cash. If she were so concerned about the little guy maybe she would divorce herself from the teacher's organizations that keep her in office.
.
http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/CFReport.aspx?CFReportID=77903&Section=IA . She is responsible in part for myself and thousands of other families in this state either losing or on the cusp of losing their homes due to school taxes. I am the true Robin Hood for the people. Tim


Republican Bill Goldsworthy sent out a release today, I think I may have inspired him.


WEST PITTSTON (June 24) – Twenty-year State House incumbent Phyllis Mundy is talking out of both sides of her mouth on issues surrounding Marcellus Shale gas exploration and drilling in an effort to help her re-election campaign.

In March of this year, Mundy voted “Yes” to the Governor’s proposed budget that increased state spending by another $1 billion and supported paying for this out-of-control spending with a new severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas drilling. Then, earlier this week, Mundy called for a moratorium on the same drilling she expects to pay for her wasteful government spending.

“First Ms. Mundy votes to increase spending and pay for it with a new tax on gas drilling, then turns around and calls for that drilling to stop. This is the type of political double-talk that has gotten our state where we are today and it proves how out-of-touch she has become after 20 years in Harrisburg,” said Bill Goldsworthy, her General Election campaign opponent.

Goldsworthy went on to explain that natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale deposits across Pennsylvania has been occurring for more than 14 years. In fact, there are currently more than 500 wells in the Commonwealth and over 3,100 drilling permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The fracking process has been used for the last five years.

“In her 20 years in office, Ms. Mundy hasn’t said a single word about this issue, other than to want to tax it to pay for more wasteful spending,” said Goldsworthy. “She has never worked to develop a proactive plan to deal with the oversight and environmental issues involved with this issue. Where has she been? She has done nothing.”

Goldsworthy sees exploration of the Marcellus Shale natural gas as vital to the economic future of Pennsylvania, but only as long as it is done in an environmentally responsible manner that protects the quality of our drinking water and overall environment.

“No one cares more about protecting our environment during the drilling process than I do. But we can do that, while still enjoying the benefit of new jobs and economic growth that the Marcellus Shale can

- more -
provide,” said Goldsworthy. “Too many people in our state are hurting and, after doing nothing but adding to the taxpayer burden for 20 years, Ms. Mundy now wants to make it worse again.”

“Ms. Mundy says that ‘We are allowing this industry to move ahead too fast’ (Citizens Voice, 6/22/2010). But whose fault is that? It is her fault. She had 20 years to do something and did nothing,” stated Goldsworthy. “I will be a pro-active and effective Representative, the same as I have been as a local official here at home.”

Goldsworthy is a small businessman with professional and proven experience at controlling costs and helping to create jobs. He is also a proven local elected official who held the line on property taxes in 23 of his 25 years in office. Goldsworthy has focused on fiscal discipline and job creation throughout his campaign for Representative.

“Ms. Mundy has had 20 years to fix things and hasn’t. It’s time for a different way,” said Goldsworthy. “ Ms. Mundy said “the people don’t get it” well I do get it and I will go to Harrisburg and use my real-world experience and proven ability to protect taxpayers to bring fiscal discipline to state government and help spark economic and job growth.”

Goldsworthy also pointed out some significant differences between himself and Mundy.

As a local elected official, Goldsworthy has forsaken his own pay during tough economic times whereas Mundy voted herself two pay raises, took the unconstitutional pay raise of 2005 and still refuses to give that money back.

Goldsworthy has pledged to reform Harrisburg and fix the broken pension system. He will lead by example by refusing per diems and a taxpayer-funded car, instead submitting only for legitimate expenses. Mundy even accepted the 50% pension increase for herself after just voting against it and took nearly $16,000 in taxpayer-paid per diems in 2009 alone – all without receipts.

“Ms. Mundy’s record is one of helping herself and sticking taxpayers with the bill. We need to do better for the people of Pennsylvania, and I will,” concluded Goldsworth