Josh McNeil criticizes Governor Tom Corbett and Senator Pat Toomey for their close ties to the oil and gas industry, noting that Corbett accepted over $1.6 million from those executives while enacting industry-friendly policies. He also notes that several key Pennsylvania elections were decided by narrow margins under 80,000 votes while hundreds of thousands of eligible voters in cities like Philadelphia failed to turn out. McNeil argues that environmental policies in the state legislature could be changed by flipping just six seats in competitive districts with average margins under 3,000 votes.

1. Josh McNeil, Executive Director

5. 9 out of 10 climate
scientists agree:
$1,500,000,000
is a lot more than
$80,000

6. Senator Pat Toomey:
10% Lifetime LCV Score
Rep. Joe Sestak:
96% Lifetime LCV Score

7. Toomey: 2,028,945
Sestack: 1,948,716
Margin: 80,229 votes.
500,000 eligible voters in
Philadelphia failed to vote.

8. Governor Tom Corbett
Accepted more than $1.6
Million in campaign
contributions from oil and
natural gas executives.
Earlier this year, signed Act 13
into law, creating the lowest
severance tax on natural gas in
the US and requiring health
professionals to sign
confidentiality agreements
before they can find out what
poisoned you.

9. Asked by NPR’s State Impact about the
gag order on doctors, Governor Corbett
replied:
“I’m not sure how that got in there.”
Corbett: 2,172,763
Onorato: 1,814,788
Margin: 357,975 votes.
500,000 eligible voters in Philadelphia failed to
vote.

10. The PA Legislature
253 full-time legislators. Lost the key
Marcellus Shale vote by 11 votes in the
House.
Need to move six legislators to win.
Average margin in the top 25 competitive
districts: 3035 votes

11. In 2010, Rick Saccone beat Dave Levdansky in
the 39th District.
Levdansky was one of the most important
environmental champions in the legislature.
Saccone voted against Act 13 because it was
too strict.
His key accomplishment: The Year of the Bible
bill.

12. Saccone beat Levdansky by 151 votes.
16,780 eligible voters in District 39
failed to vote.

14. $7,175,234

18. Their gifts to us:
“Fracking”
“Cracker plant”
“My tap water is on fire.”
Our gifts to them:
“TMDL” “Nutrients” “point source”
“Well, different studies say different things
about the effect of nitrogen on the human
body.”
“Scientists say…”