Earl Baker: The “curioser
and curioser” actions of John Shapiro
Posted on October 21, 2021
Yesterday, the Daily Local News released an op-ed written by
former two-term Senator and three-term Commissioner of Chester County Earl
Baker. Baker analyzes the disingenuous actions of Pennsylvania’s Attorney
General, John Shapiro, that have wobbled back and forth to please voters across
different constituencies.
After delivering a blow to the
Mariner East pipeline in the beginning of October, the Attorney General has
snaked in and out of re-litigating the case and altered certain policy
viewpoints to appease voters– there is no doubt his actions are politically
motivated. The need for Pennsylvania-based energy infrastructure is higher than
ever, Shapiro needs to realize that going after the Keystone State’s energy
industry is not good politics. Good politics correlates with good policy.
Read Baker’s piece below:
Guest Column: The “Curioser and curioser” actions of
John Shapiro
One of the timeless sayings from
“Alice in Wonderland,” “curiouser and curiouser,” is an apt way to describe the actions of
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro these days.
The Democratic front-runner for
governor of Pennsylvania is stretching himself in various policy directions
depending on which constituencies he wants to please on any given day. Yet
while our system of democracy is built on reaching out to voters, it can also
present complicated and even delicate strategic challenges for erstwhile candidates,
especially in a state as politically diverse as Pennsylvania.
Just take the Attorney General’s
recent lawsuit against a developer of the Mariner East pipeline. An initial
press conference scheduled for October 4th and canceled at the last minute indicated
that there was going to be an announcement regarding a “major environmental
crimes case.”Staff from the Attorney General’s office
cited “additional information” for the delay and a spokesperson reiterated that
“we must do our due diligence and review.” The very next day though, the
Attorney General again changed course and ultimately moved forward with the
lawsuit.
Why the back and forth?
Re-litigating cases that have been previously settled through regulators and
fines paid is a highly questionable action and a potential overreach by a
government body. There’s no doubt it is politically motivated.
Economically the energy industry has
been a boon for the Commonwealth and continued lawsuits against drilling
operators and pipeline developers will dissuade investment in Pennsylvania. The
energy industry now supports over 320,000 jobs and contributes over $45 billion
to the economy of the Commonwealth.
The Mariner East pipeline alone,
meanwhile, created over 10,000 jobs and generated $9.1 billion in economic
impact during construction. Moving forward, the pipeline, a fractionation
facility associated with the project, and improvements at Marcus Hook are
expected to produce between $140 million and $210 million of ongoing economic
impacts. That is a lot of money to leave on the table to score quick political
points.
Meanwhile, the natural gas that is
being extracted and transported via pipelines in Pennsylvania has not only
benefitted citizens, power generators, and manufacturers domestically, but
exports of it are also benefitting our allies overseas who no longer need to
rely on Russia or other unfriendly petrol-states to fuel their economies.
Exporting this product beyond the Commonwealth and to other states where it is
needed is a key foreign policy goal and having the means to move product 350
miles to Marcus Hook where it can be stored, utilized, or exported, is
critical.
Politically, the Democratic Party
coalition has become a curious mix of diverging interests that Mr. Shapiro will
have a hard time managing as a candidate for governor. A
position that might please some environmental activists, such as shutting down
pipelines, will likely alienate the labor interests of his party — those
Pennsylvanians who work in this industry.
The Operating Engineers and other
trades unions such as the Laborers, Steamfitters, Boilermakers, have been
strong supporters of pipelines in Pennsylvania. This is evidenced by statements
from labor leaders such as Tom Melisko, business
manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66 who
acknowledged that “Pennsylvania’s energy industry has grown to support real
jobs and significant investments – and Mariner East is a big part of that.”
Staring down the imminent launch of his campaign and choosing not to alienate a
key potential ally before it starts could have been a more prudent path and
justified the Attorney General’s hesitation with whether to move forward with
this lawsuit. Unfortunately, Shapiro chose to ally himself with the activist
far left over hard-working Pennsylvanians.
Josh Shapiro may be indicating his
ability, or at least his attempt, to balance such countervailing forces but
going after the energy industry in the Keystone State is sure to be a political
loser. Oftentimes good policy just makes good political sense as well.
Earl Baker is a former two-term
Senator and three-term Commissioner of Chester County. In the Senate, he
chaired the Labor and Industry Committee. He remains active in the
Chester County Chamber.
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