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Terminology aside, Pa. natural-gas levy became inevitable
February 17, 2012
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harrisburg Bureau
Joel R. Burcat, chair of the Marcellus Shale Practice, was quoted in this article about Pennsylvania’s levy on drillers who extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.
Governor Tom Corbett, who pledged during his 2010 campaign, not to raise taxes, was set to sign into legislation the local-impact fee, not a tax.
Even before the ink was dry on the 174-page bill, questions were being asked in many quarters: Is this soon-to-be-law fee all that different from a tax? Or is it just a linguistic way of saving face?
"Ultimately, I think it's a political question," said Burcat. "I personally don't think you can call it a tax, but I know there are those who will."