Nov 12, 2009 By Herald Standard Staff 1 min read

Some companies got their wishes A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. And lobbyists didn’t during the budget stalemate that dragged on and on in Harrisburg as lawmakers and Gov. Ed Rendell tried to close the gap between revenue and spending.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that gambling interests, natural-gas drillers and tobacco companies have spent more than $4.5 million since January on lobbying efforts. The tobacco interests shelled out $1.5 million, natural-gas drillers ponied up $1.6 million and gambling kicked in the rest.

All in all, the top 10 big spenders were: Reynolds American, tobacco, $670,658; Range Resources Appalachia, natural gas, $605,817; Altria Client Services (and its affiliates), tobacco, $440,802; Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, gambling, $307,098; Chesapeake Appalachia, natural gas, $203,294; HSP Gaming, gambling, $188,024; UST Public Affairs, tobacco, $184,068; MTR Gaming Group, gambling, $143,144; Penn National Gaming, gambling, $140,225; and Dominion Resources, natural gas, $139,950.

It was money well spent, at least from their perspective. As the paper reported, “Those industries were among the few winners in a budget ravaged by the recession.

Casinos are poised to introduce poker and other newly legalized table games. Natural-gas drillers and tobacco companies successfully fought off new taxes.”

Beaver County Times