Learning about all the lost jobs

Dear Editor:

I'd like to be able to provide a paid subscription to USA Today, New York Times, or Wall Street Journal to Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-124), Sen. David Argall (R-29) and any other Republican or Democratic politician who persist in using "lost jobs"as their main reason for not supporting the enactment of a severance tax on the extinction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania.

Then, they could learn all the "lost jobs" in Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, and all the other states where the natural gas industry have abandoned operations because of the severance of taxes imposed by those state legislators. You becha! The cattle ranchers in Wyoming would be ecstatic if that were the case.

With the current budget shortfalls being experienced in Pennsylvania and the subsequent draconian cuts being proposed for education, infrastructure, health and safety and public/social services, one would think our "best and brightest" legislators would want to generate some revenue from the sale of our natural resources rather than let the gas industry exploit them.

The next time you're invited to one of Jerry and Dave's "dog and pony" show breakfasts or luncheons, you might want to raise those questions with them. That is, if they're not too busy extending KOE status to their politically connected cronies, checking on Sunday meal frequency in our state prison system, per-diem payments for state legislators or obscene pension payments for themselves or some other equally important state business.

Don't forget to vote!!!!

L.J. Dubetsky

2003 Valley Road

Tamaqua, Pa. 18252