If Pennsylvania levies a new tax on Marcellus shale natural gas like the one West Virginia has, it definitely would slow new drilling and the creation of new jobs. People say that because West Virginia has more new drilling than Pennsylvania despite their tax, we should tax it too.

West Virginia has a lot more existing pipelines in which to transport its gas to market. One of the reasons we have the drilling right now is because we don't have the tax; this is an incentive for drillers to drill here.

It's true that we have natural gas everywhere, however. It's also true that we have very few pipelines to transport the gas to market. It will take hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to build the pipelines needed to transport this gas.

Another problem is the surplus of gas. We citizens need to encourage more grants like the one that was given to Giant Eagle to convert its vehicles from gasoline to natural gas that originates right here in Pennsylvania.

I would urge all citizens to contact their elected officials and tell them to offer more grants that convert foreign oil gas vehicles to Pennsylvania natural gas consuming vehicles. Also, tell them that they should convert the state's fleet of vehicles as well.

William J.

Buck