Race for PA Governor.....Only a Creek Runs Through It

Growing up in the greater Shamokin area and calling the area home for most of my 44 years, a common sight to see was like the on pictured above.  The common name for it among the locals was a "sh*t crick".  In the scientific community it is called "yellow boy." It is a stream of water affected by acid mine drainage.  Along the shore nothing grows and the ecosystem is fragile.  High concentrations of iron, aluminum and magnesium populate the creek.

There is no historical record exist of when Shamokin Creek changed color but the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance have identified 54 areas of discharge into the creek. The Alliance was formed by a group of volunteers in the mid-90's.  Through grants and volunteers are trying to restore life to the creek.

Throughout my life, many family and friends have come to visit Shamokin and wonder why a "sh*t" flows through the main artery of our town.  It has been flowing so long, we have accepted it as part of our life.

How does this effect the PA governors race???

Tom Corbett is running for governor on the Republican ticket.  He does not favor a severance tax on the natural gas industry.  His claim is a tax will chase drillers away from the state.  So every other state that drills and has a tax has chased drillers away?

With the industry just in it's infancy is PA, the environmental problems are creeping in and well documented.

The Pocono Record could give you 835,720 reasons for not voting for Corbett.

Other reasons for not voting for Corbett. First, he doesn't like the First Amendment.   Remember ITRR, Rendell gets too much of a pass here.  What did Corbett know and when did he know it? Imagine finding out former Governor Ridge hired the same company as the head of Homeland Security to give the same phony terror alerts.

Corbett doesn't like the 2nd Amendment.  MSNBC reports Cabot hired armed guards to accompany employees onto residential properties after a resident was charged with disorderly conduct earlier this month for an incident with a gun.  What is Corbett's comment?  Was the Coal and Iron Police resurrected led by Franklin Gowen?

Corbett's friends don't play nice with children's money. Also, here is another questionable deal. Ridge and former state AG Leroy Zimmerman both sitting on the Board of Trustees at Hershey.

If you have to work for a living, Corbett has a problem with you.

On Tuesday, a vote for Corbett could be four years of a creek like the one pictured above coming to you. Remember, greed never sleeps.