When Texas Railroad Commissioner Executive Director John Tintera announced his retirement in April, I meant to blog about it and take bets on how long it would be until he went to work for industry. I guess amidst all the back-channel chatter and snickering, I forgot to blog about it. Dang!
I missed the opportunity to say I told you so because, while Tintera didn’t exactly go to work as an employee of industry, he certainly went to work for industry. Or maybe I should say he continues to work for industry because the Texas Railroad Commission operates as an extension of industry.
Former Texas Railroad Commission Executive Director John Tintera and long-time oil and gas lobbyist Ben Sebree have formed an energy consulting company that will assist other countries in tapping hard-to-get oil and gas from shale formations.
Sebree will be a “lobbyist on legislative and regulatory issues” while Tintera waits two years before he can become a lobbyist other than for nonprofits “but he is not prohibited from offering professional advice.”
Today StateImpact reports on the revolving door in Texas. You can listen to the entire segment at the link below.
Revolving Door: Oil & Gas Companies Hire Former Texas Regulators
JUNE 12, 2012 | 7:00 AM
BY DAVE FEHLING
“You see this a lot, where there is a revolving door…The person is supposed to regulate these industries (but) it’s obvious they’re doing everything possible to please the polluters and then the very next day go to work for them,” said Eliot Shapleigh, a former Democratic state senator from El Paso who has been a fierce critic of the TCEQ.
I have stumbled upon some communications between a TCEQ employee and an operator that exemplifies the TCEQ “doing everything possible to please the polluter.” I’ve approached a reporter with that correspondence but if he doesn’t bite soon, I will blog about it.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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TX I am troubled by your unbalanced approach to “journalism”. Your attempt to invalidate my previous post (see the LNG thread) and accuse me of being a “sockpuppet” is shameful. You, of all people, should allow a dissenter’s voice an equal platform. Criticizing me because you disagree is equal to censorship.
I am serious in my plea for you to elevate the debate. I am hoping you have it in you.
That being said, I agree with you that the “revolving door” presents issues – ironically, I think you are concerned about objectivity. However, you have to respect their rights under the current legal structure. If you don’t like it – change the law. Simply defaming the individual is a classless, amateur move.
You crack me up. Thanks!
Shannon, I am troubled by your unbalanced approach to “comments.” Your attempt to invalidate TX in many previous postings and accuse her of being a “ridiculous baffoon” and “uninformed radical environmentalism” is shameful. She has generously allowed you, of all people, a dissenter’s voice in her living room. If you want an equal platform, start your own blog. Claiming criticism is the same as censorship is ridiculous.
I am serious in my plea for you to elevate the debate. I am hoping you have it in you.
That being said, I agree with you that the “revolving door” presents issues – ironically, I think you are not in the least bit concerned about objectivity. However, you have to respect our rights as taxpayers under the current legal structure. We don’t like it and will likely change the law. Simply defaming TX or baiting her is a classless, amateur move.
the dude(s)/dudette(s) does not seem to get that you are onto the sockpuppetry.
so sly to use “journalism” frequently in comments as if we might be unaware of the whole rrc misuse of our legal system. this sockpuppet is casting with the wrong bait though.
dissenters comment here often but the privilege is not returned on the gashole blogs.
don’t be so sensitive, shannon? when did criticism become censorship? there is abundant criticism of sharon from gasholes and plenty of attempts to intimidate her but I haven’t notice that she has been censored.
If you were being ‘censored’ we would either not see anything you post or only the parts the blog owner edited, and since we’re all responding to your posts and you’re not saying anything about edits, then Sharon is posting exactly what you say.
Criticism is not Censorship by any stretch of the definition. Nan See hit the nail on the head about the comment where the pro-drilling blogs actually do censor-to the point of BLOCKING dissenters from making comments at all.
Try the BSSEC site-Ed Ireland posts ‘questions’ , but comments of any kind are not permitted. Of course, Fast Eddie gets to answer the ‘questions’ as if he was an actual authority on the matter, which he is not.
Or check out any of the operator’s Facebook pages. If you post a comment contrary to their way of thinking, they not only remove the comment, but block you from posting again. THAT is Censorship, Dear Shannon.
All that said, until you have personally been through what most of us have-drilling operations next to your home, hundreds of semi trucks rumlbling by at all hours of the day, workers urinating right off the platform into your yard, dehydration units spewing noxious dangerous emissions, diesel generators pumping diesel exhaust at you 24/7 and the thump bang boom of faulty piece of shit compressor stations malfunctioning constantly, I could really care less what comes out of your mouth or your whining on this blog. How about you go get fracked, then we can talk?
Shannon, above. Very strange use of “words” to manipulate and slant the subject–interesting–you are one of “those” people!
I simply take your comments and fold them into a conical shape and stuff them where the sun doesn’t shine!