Gov. Wolf, my family is a natural gas industry family.  Both my wife and I are employed at companies directly benefitting from the rich deposit of Marcellus Shale with which Pennsylvania has been blessed.  We’re born and raised in this state, and instead of having to move for rewarding, family-sustaining jobs, we were able to stay in Western Pennsylvania mainly because of the shale industry moving in.  I know I’ve found my passion, and that’s working with the shale industry.  I work every day in communities that have been revived, helping companies continue to be great neighbors by controlling sound emissions.  It is rewarding and exciting at the same time.

 

Your desire to smack the industry with a crippling severance tax and new regulations as outlined in Chapter 78 will hurt my family’s chance of succeeding and staying in our home state.  It would be a shame if my generation of industry worker was forced to leave and take along our child and future generation to benefit other states more accepting of a well-regulated, well-run gas and oil industry.  Yes, it’s true that the Marcellus Shale formation and gas isn’t going anywhere.  I’ve heard that talking point from you and other tax supporters.  But the industry will leave to a large degree if you make the business climate hostile.  Make no mistake about it.  There are shale formations across the country and the world and many with far better infrastructure in place and governments that support industry development.  Don’t cripple my family’s chances at succeeding, Gov. Wolf.  Help us to stay in the area where we are from and the area we know and love.