Candidates for 40th PA Senate Race Answer Your Questions About Tax Breaks, Marcellus Pipelines

Democrat and Republican  are running in the Aug 7 special election to become the next state senator in Pennsylvania's 40th district. The winner will complete the term of former , who was convicted and sentenced to prison for using her state paid staff to do campaign work.

Recently, the readers of the North Hills, Cranberry and Pine-Richland Patches were asked to submit questions to both candidates. The three editors of those Patch sites assembled those questions, and added a few of their own, for the candidates.

What do you see as the top issues/concerns facing the residents of the 40th District?

Dr. Sharon Brown: "Top issues/concerns for the 40th District are maintaining funding and the quality of our schools without being forced to raise property taxes; retaining and creating jobs and making sure our kids have the training to work in those jobs; and creating fair tax policies where businesses like Marcellus Shale drillers and large non-profits that act like businesses pay their fair share so that individual taxpayers don’t have to carry all the burden."

Rep. Randy Vulakovich: "I think the 40th district wants to see true government reform and leadership by example. 

• 1) A business friendly environment for job creators
• 2) Balanced budgets where we don’t spend more than we take in
• 3) Reasonable and sustainable education funding 

I want to reform the culture of Harrisburg, that’s why I refuse the perks of a state car and per diems.

Will you support HB 2493 which provides funding for the Shell cracker tax credits that doesn't involve funding it on the backs of the people?

Rep. Randy Vulakovich: "Yes I’ve already voted for this tax credit as part of the 2012-2013 state budget. The cracker plant will bring 10,000 new jobs to our State without accounting for all of the ancillary business."

Dr. Sharon Brown: "Yes. This bill would have required the Marcellus Shale drillers, not the taxpayers to fund the Energy Employment Legacy Fund, which would pay for the tax credits for the proposed cracker plant.

Unfortunately, the House GOP leadership buried this bill in committee. Instead, the Corbett/Vulakovich budget gave Shell, the second most profitable company in the world, huge tax credits on the backs of taxpayers. So Shell received billions and our local schools and municipalities were “flat funded,” even though their costs continue to increase."

What are your thoughts on the needed pipelines for the Marcellus and Utica Shale development? Are they planning a regional approach for approvals for this necessary Midstream and economic development?

Dr. Sharon Brown: "The Marcellus & Utica shale industry development that has exponentially grown in our southwestern and northeastern areas of the state have had quite a wild and prosperous ride throughout the state in just the last few years. 

Other industries seeking business opportunities have to go through specific public health, environment, and other standards in order to get state and local approvals for their development. But Act 13, the new Corbett/Vulakovich law governing shale gas drilling, gives the fracking industry special exemptions from many of those standards.

In addition, this new law totally removed all ability of local communities to use their traditional zoning powers to protect their communities from drilling excesses. Under this law, a compressor station, pipelines, and even drilling sites can be placed near hospitals, schools, and homes and there is nothing the local government can do about it.

While a smart approach would be to do regional planning, the Corbett/Vulakovich law forbids it." 

Rep. Randy Vulakovich: "I will be supportive of any necessary development for the needed pipeline as I’ve demonstrated in the past by my support for the Marcellus Shale and the Shell Cracker tax credit."
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The candidates' answers to questions about their qualifications, Gov Corbett's budget, and funding for public schools can be found . Their answers to questions about tuition rates and jobs can be found . The remaining questions and answers will be published throughout the week. 

Tomorrow, the candidates talk about the newly formed district and how it differs from the current 40th; and privatizing state liquor stores.

You can chime in on what each candidate has to say in the comments box below.