What Grover says goes? Norquist issues ruling on shale 'fee'
The Inquirer reported last week that anti-tax guru Grover Norquist was the wizard behind the Oz-like fiscal contortions of the GOP-controlled state legislature.
What Grover says goes? Norquist issues ruling on shale 'fee'
When is a fee a tax? When Grover Norquist says so.
The Inquirer reported last week that anti-tax guru Norquist was the wizard behind the Oz-like fiscal contortions of the GOP-controlled state legislature, which has refused to consider raising revenue of any kind in the face of a massive debt.
It was Norquist and his D.C.-based group, Americans for Tax Reform, who advanced the "no tax" pledge signed by hundreds of elected officials, including Gov. Corbett and 34 members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The state House - in keeping with Corbett's "no way, no-how" to new taxes - has buried any proposals to place a levy on Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction.
But this month Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) bit the bullet and offered up a shale gas "impact fee" with proceeds funneled to affected areas.
Over in the governor's office, Corbett remains unwavering in his campaign-era hard line over tax increases, but in recent months has shown some hint of openness - if not support - of the prospect of an "impact fee."
Until now.
Because Grover -arbiter of all things fiscal throughout the land - said so.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today reports that Norquist sent a letter to Sen. Mary Jo White (R., Venango) whose committee would have to consider the shale fee pronouncing it, in fact, a tax.
“Make no mistake, this proposal is a tax increase based on any honest and objective analysis,” Norquist wrote.
“As such, a vote in favor of Senate Bill 1100 also represents a violation of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a commitment which Gov. Corbett and 34 members of the legislature have made to their constituents to impose any and all efforts to raise taxes.”
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley told the Post-Gazette the governor is awaiting the report of his Marcellus Shale Commission - which will come after the budget deadline June 30- before making up his mind.
Scarnati said he got the Norquist letter too and responded by touting his record opposing the "spend-and-tax philosophy.” He also listed four reasons why he believes the impact fee is not a tax.
Click herefor Philly.com's politics page.
Nice to know that decisions which affect the citizens of Pennsylvania are being made by someone who was neither elected nor lives in the state.— Paul_in_Media- The folks who voted these monkeys in should go in the corner and take a time out. Greed has always sold well in Pennsylvania. The gas companies are making a killing. They are taking resources out of Pennsylvania and making huge profits doing it. Pennsylvania should be compensated. The proper way to do that is through a tax. Taking a "no tax" pledge is foolish as it limits your options and the ability to make sound decisions for the good of the people of the Commonwealth. (get that? common wealth) It's governance by gimmick.— OldSouthPhilly
- These guys make millions and s**t all over our state. People in this state are brain-dead lemmings, stupidly following any vermin with a "no tax" pin on his lapel, even as he picks their pockets.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- The people of the Commonwealth has to realize that Norquist is not on our side but that of big buiness and big oil. These are the people who line his pockets to do their bidding. I hope the state government will wake up to the facts. Even Sarah Palin taxed the oil companies in Alaska. She also sued them for underdevelopment of Alaskan resources. If she can tax them so can we!— gtswartz
- "Even Sarah Palin taxed the oil companies in Alaska" - Alaska has no state income, property or sales tax. Oil and tourism are the only things to tax there.
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