October 25, 2009

All through Pennsylvania's 101-day budget impasse, Gov. Rendell spoke of pain.

A recession-weary state had to tighten its belt. Revenues had to rise - income tax, sales tax, new taxes on whole industries. "We can't get this budget resolved," Rendell said, "without everyone feeling some pain."

But when the budget was finally signed Oct. 9, one industry came away pain-free.

The natural-gas industry's leaders and lobbyists beat back Rendell's proposal to tax gas as it is pulled to the surface from the rich black-rock reservoir known as the Marcellus Shale.

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