BCT Editorial – 12/14/08

This page was last updated on December 14, 2008.

Park perk; Editorial; Beaver County Times; December 14, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Short-term needs sometimes trump long-term plans.”

[RWC] When it comes to the Times, I believe you’ll find this is true only if the person making the proposal has a “D” after his name.

“Gov. Ed Rendell wants to use $174 million the commonwealth will receive from lease payments that allow five exploration companies to drill for natural gas on publicly owned land in northern Pennsylvania.”

[RWC] I’m probably in no position to talk, but this editorial is poorly written, either accidentally or on purpose.

The above sentence should have read, “Gov. Ed Rendell wants to divert $174 million …” Why? Whether or not Mr. Rendell gets his way, he will use the revenue either for its intended purpose (described in the editorial below) or for other purposes.

“Environmental and conservation groups oppose the move. They argue doing so will hurt efforts to protect Pennsylvania’s natural areas and tourism industry.

“They have a valid point. However, the state is looking at a budget deficit of $1.6 billion. Clearly, extraordinary measures need to be taken.”

[RWC] In case you haven’t noticed, significant spending cuts don’t appear to be among the “extraordinary measures [that] need to be taken.”

“In this case, the Legislature would have to change a state law that reserves the money obtained from these leases for improvements to state parks and forests.

“Lawmakers should do that — with one caveat. They must do so only if they provide a dollar-for-dollar match from the $250 million in slush funds the four caucuses control.”

[RWC] I always opposed the General Assembly slush funds and believe they should be eliminated, but I don’t understand the “logic” of linking diverting natural gas lease payments with cutting into the slush funds. I’m a believer that issues like these should be dealt with on their own merits. Lumping a bunch of different issues together in one package is one way we get bad legislation.

“Lawmakers, too, need to put short-term needs of the state ahead of their own agendas.”