Reed supports gas storage, fracking

WATKINS GLEN—Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) expressed his views in support of gas development during a roundtable discussion Monday, April 21. The forum was held at the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center at 214 North Franklin St. and featured some 15 attendees who shared their opinions and comments with the congressman on several issues including gas and energy development, tax reform and the Affordable Care Act.
Energy development and rising utility costs was one of the most discussed topics at the forum. Reed said he is a firm supporter of making the nation  more “energy secure.”
“We need to make a decision,” Reed said. “Whether it is yes or no, a decision is necessary on these issues. [...] If you are going to lead you have got to take a position.”
U.S. Salt Engineer David Crea said there was a heating gas shortage due to the colder winter this year, which cost the northeast United States $100 million, requiring gas to be shipped up from places as far away as West Virginia. He said having something like the proposed Crestwood gas storage facility in Reading would have helped to alleviate the problem, adding the groups who are against the facility “cost the northeast U.S. $100 million last year” because of their opposition to the project.
Reed said there is considerable energy development in North America, adding even states like California are embracing shale gas development. He said the country has an opportunity to be energy secure by the year 2020, calling it a “game changer” in geopolitical terms.
“This energy revolution and where we stand on the world stage, we have an opportunity on a generational level where we can build it again,” Reed said.
Another topic discussed was tax reform. Reed said he is a firm believer in tax reform, adding he is part of the committee whose job it is to take care of the country’s tax code. He said an effective tax code follows three principals: simplifying the code, making it fair and making it promote growth. The congressman said the government also needs to get spending under control in order to be sustainable.
Reed said he disagreed with the White House’s stance supporting corporate tax reform but not personal reform. He said it is impractical to do one without the other, adding 80 percent of America’s businesses are small business entities.
“You are taking the economic engine of the private sector out of the equation when you do corporate reform,” Reed said.
Reed also discussed his views on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), calling its implementation a “train wreck.”
“I’ve stood for the repeal of it [Obamacare],” Reed said. “Injecting the government into healthcare policy is a much larger step than I am comfortable with. [...] It’s been a train wreck. That’s the best way to describe it.”
Reed said they had sent out more than 140,000 coverage cancellation notes in the past year, adding there needs to be a permanent solution to the problem. He said the real problem comes with attracting providers. Reed said he was in support of employer-based healthcare, adding a lot of business owners are walking away from it as an unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act.