I found quite a bit of Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget address unbelievable. One of the most egregious things is his continued push for a severance tax on gas drilling, which he has been pushing since his first day. This issue is important because the severance tax would replace the current impact fee, which already provides money to the state and to counties that have wells.
Counties and municipalities are required to use the money on infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, stormwater management and sewer systems, as well as emergency preparedness and environmental preservation and reclamation efforts.
Under the proposed severance tax, these funds would be taken away and redirected through the state, with the majority of the money sent to other areas — being used as yet another way to remedy the horrible mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
Wolf needs to sit down like the rest of Pennsylvania’s communities, businesses and taxpayers have had to do, and learn how to cut spending, tighten belts and spend appropriately. This continuous effort to take money away from communities and increase taxes has to end.
Shawn Fitzgerald Jr.
Springdale