PA Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley Fails

He had to go there. Invoking "brain drain" is a political tell of profound impotence and, perhaps, ignorance. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley cries "uncle":

At a panel discussion in Philadelphia on natural gas job development, Cawley said the Marcellus Shale will put to rest the terms “rust belt” and “brain drain” for the Keystone State.

You want to win over voters? Tell them you will plug the brain drain. It is a tried and true gambit with little basis in reality. As I posted yesterday, politicians could make a credible case to the people about the benefits of drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

If anything, more people working in the oil and gas industry will increase brain drain. Over the last two-years of covering the Marcellus Shale boom, I've learned that energy markets are volatile and difficult to forecast. Industry talent is among the most geographically mobile. The resource curse is very real and applies equally well to Pennsylvania and Ghana. Engaging in desperate ploys to save face won't change any of the above.