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Permalink Reply by essay on October 28, 2010 at 12:17

it's definitely not surprising that "environmental concerns" are used as an ill-conceived excuse to not like something or somebody.

imagine, people having manners. pfft.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on October 28, 2010 at 12:25

Brings back memories of building pipelines through this same area of Pennsylvania ( West Virginia and Ohio, also) back in the early 70's. Ya gotta be a gypsy to live that kind of life. And my southern accent was commented on regularly. The one thing that struck me the most was the bland food. Hopefully these days there are some decent places to eat. Back then clam night at the Howard Johnson was about as good as it got. LOL!

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Permalink Reply by olddog573 on October 29, 2010 at 2:26

There is nothing like walking into a place in Jersey or California, looking around at everybody and asking how yaw'll doing?, or when walking up to a buffet at a company event in Jersey and complimenting the chef on cooking some good groceries. The southern accent can definately be used to get peoples attention and can also be seen as "being sneaky" when being polite by saying yes maam no maam.

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Permalink Reply by Pipeliner on October 29, 2010 at 4:32

Skip,

I have worked all over that country for many years, laying pipelines. The first thing you notice is if you speak with a Southern accent, you are going to pay more for renting a house or apartment or room.

Food will cost you more. In a cafe you will be sometimes given a brand new menu, with higher prrices on it. The locals will get the old menu with cheaper prices.

The claim in the article about the outsiders throwing around money and getting the local girls, sounds like the old World War II reframe in England about G.I.s being "Over-paid, Over-sexed and Over-here".

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on October 29, 2010 at 4:41

I heard they do that to Yankees down in Florida!

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Permalink Reply by Pipeliner on October 29, 2010 at 4:51

P.G.,

They do that all over the world, the moment you open your mouth or look like an American. France is about tops.

In the rough Third World countries, most view an American or European as a "naked man with $100 bills Scotch-taped all over himself". Especiallyby the criminals and crooked cops

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on October 29, 2010 at 4:47

I found the locals where I lived in western PA. to be reasonably friendly once they had seen you a time or two. Acting too familiar upon first meeting was looked on somewhat suspiciously. For a young man from the flat lands, the mountains were beautiful although the weather could be tough to work in on a daily basis. I worked for Texas Eastern as an Inventory Inspector. Those that worked for the contractors were tough sons-o-guns to do their work every day regardless of the weather. Fortunately I was transferred to Blessing Station outside Palacios, TX. in late November and it was 80 degrees and had a really good seafood restaurant, Peterson's. I was, so to speak, Home! LOL!

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Permalink Reply by Pipeliner on October 29, 2010 at 7:17

Rendell's Frack Attack.. Pennsylvania's gas boom and its discontents.

"The state is Pennsylvania, the Governor is Ed Rendell and the industry is natural gas. The Keystone State energy business is booming in a way it hasn't since the days of John D. Rockefeller thanks to the Marcellus Shale, one of the world's largest natural gas fields that stretches through the Appalachians from Virginia to New York. Yet on Tuesday, Mr. Rendell issued an executive order banning new gas leases on state lands, holding hostage 1.5 million acres, including 800,000 acres that sit on the Marcellus."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578533435...



It's almost a parody of liberal economic philosophy: A Governor's demand for a tax increase amid 9% state unemployment fails in the legislature, so in retribution he decides to punish one of the few local growth industries. Actually, parody is too kind.

The state is Pennsylvania, the Governor is Ed Rendell and the industry is natural gas. The Keystone State energy business is booming in a way it hasn't since the days of John D. Rockefeller thanks to the Marcellus Shale, one of the world's largest natural gas fields that stretches through the Appalachians from Virginia to New York. Yet on Tuesday, Mr. Rendell issued an executive order banning new gas leases on state lands, holding hostage 1.5 million acres, including 800,000 acres that sit on the Marcellus.

The lame-duck Governor was getting even with Republicans for blocking a severance tax on Marcellus gas extraction. Few in Harrisburg were opposed to a tax per se, even though drillers do currently make lease and royalties payments. But in September Democrats in the general assembly passed a rate that saw the one in neighboring West Virginia—already the nation's highest on natural gas—and doubled it. Production and capital investment might flee to other promising shale plays in states with more competitive taxes.

Researchers at Penn State estimated in a May report that this gas boom will boost the economy by $8 billion and provide 88,500 jobs this year, and $14.4 billion and 160,000 jobs by 2015. They also noted, ahem, that this higher economic activity will generate almost $1.8 billion in additional state and local revenues in 2010 and 2011. Mr. Rendell said in a statement that "The moratorium is important to the state's economy because it protects some of our most valuable assets." Really, he said that.

Shale production holds vast potential for depressed regions like rural Pennsylvania and upstate New York, but naturally this has made it a target of the environmental lobby. Albany also imposed a moratorium earlier this year because the greens hate hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," which involves high-pressure underground injections to break up bedrock formations and release gas deposits.

If nothing else, the Pennsylvania frackas exposes political priorities. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato supports the Rendell standstill; Republican Tom Corbett is opposed. Joe Sestak, Democrat for Senate, says he supports "responsible" development, but only after the federal EPA regulates fracking, new taxes are imposed on oil-and-gas producers and Congress closes the "Halliburton loophole," whatever that is.

In October, meanwhile, Republican Pat Toomey called the Marcellus "the biggest economic opportunity for Pennsylvania in a hundred years." Or would-be opportunity.

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Permalink Reply by Pipeliner on October 29, 2010 at 7:22

What would the reaction if the governor of Louisiana were to ban the leasing of 1.5 million acres in Louisiana?

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Permalink Reply by Pipeliner on October 29, 2010 at 7:46

Skip,

I agree with you on the bland food in that area. Working in the Pemsyania Dutch country out of Harrisburg, you will find all bland food. This was a 1971-maybe it better now.

I had come out of working for 4 years in Holland and 4 years in the UK where the food was not only bland but downright strange. Try a plate of stewed cow teats in the UK or one of the many ell dishes (raw or stewed) in Holland.

I expected some good American cooking, but was diappointed.

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Permalink Reply by HMI on October 31, 2010 at 3:36

Skip you positively nailed it with the ''bland food". I moved down here from WI and have been back just a couple times in about 9 years. Each time my wife and i comment on how blah the food tastes add to it the unfriendly service. The South definitely shines when it comes to good food and great service.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Blake on October 31, 2010 at 4:40

Tip your food service folks well cried JB. No matter how the service was 30% tip to foodservers was jack's rallying cry of the day!

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