Gov. Rendell has had a change of heart over taxing the gas drawn from the Marcellus Shale. He rejected the idea as part of last year's budget settlement, saying the fledgling industry needed a chance to develop. Then Rendell took a look at the latest state auction for the right to drill on state-owned forest land. The auction brought in $128 million, which is double what was expected. He also noted the arrival of super-big players, such as Exxon, into the business. He now figures the nascent gas industry can afford to put some wealth back into the Commonwealth. For a cogent argument on why Pennsylvania should tax the gas, see Sharon Ward's earlier piece in Metropolis and also note William Ecenbarger's three-parter on the Marcellus Shale currently running as a Main Story.