I didn’t know the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) had changed it mission.
Bill could keep two from U.S. Senate race
H.B. 3651 by Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview, would prohibit Railroad Commission members from running for other offices “during the term for which the commissioner is elected or appointed,” unless it is “an office for which the federal or state constitution prescribes exclusive eligibility requirements” — such as Congress.
This bill might keep Michael Williams and Elizabeth Ames out of the race for Hutchinson’s seat if she decides to run for Governor. I agree with Merritt that the TRC Commissioner positions are used as a springboard to other offices and I think the positions are too important to be used in that way, but never mind that. Here is the part that got my attention:
I think the commission members aggressively promoting the Texas oil and gas industry nationally is too important for them to be spending time running for other offices,” Merritt said. “They should be spending considerable time in Washington and Austin, stressing the importance of the oil and gas industry to the nation’s defense.
WTF?
Is the Texas Railroad Commission no longer a regulatory agency? I thought the TRC was supposed to regulate the oil & gas industry. It’s a well established fact that the agency has been plagued with conflict of interest issues and charges of negligence, but I thought there was still some pretense at regulation. Is the TRC’s mission now to aggressively promote the Texas oil and gas industry?
This was the TRC’s Mission Statement before they revamped their website:
We serve Texas by:
* Our stewardship of natural resources and the environment
* Our concern for personal and community safety
* Our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans
“… to work efficiently with energy industries to provide a streamlined permitting process while at the same time ensuring public safety and environmental protection.”
When did the TRC change its mission?
Who made the decision?
If the TRC mission is to aggressively promote the Texas oil and gas industry, why the hell do taxpayers pay for that?
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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Oh, boy! This is really newsworthy. I think that clever people use this sort or bait and switch technique and figure that nobody will notice. I remember one day waking up to read the headline in the paper that we were going to leave Afghanistan and head for Iraq. Overnight, we were changing the whole plan. And not many people questioned it. Maybe this seems far-fetched, but that’s what I thought of immediately. You can’t even blink these days! Good for you being awake and alert!
What a joke. The RRC needs to be taken off public funding–they should be allowed to go to the O&G companies to solicit their funds. This would save a bunch of tax money–and NOTHING WOULD CHANGE!
I'm also trying to figure out which organization is more useless—the RRC or the TCEQ!
I think Big Oil should fund the TRC with the handouts we are giving them. Why should we give handouts to Big Oil and pay for their protectors too?
Yeah–you got it TXsharon. I bet the RRC will go to the Feds to ask for a bailout for big oil and pass it on to them–our tax money at work.