Texas Sharon's Bluedaze

Fracking News

Gas lobbyists, federal regulators and the revolving door

By

Lobbying is certainly a lucrative business, that’s for sure.

Three of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government
By Dan Eggen and Kimberly Kindy

According to a Washington Post analysis, federal government employees turned gas industry lobbyists far exceeds the normal Capitol Hill revolving-door standards.

Key lobbying hires include 18 former members of Congress and dozens of former presidential appointees. For other senior management positions, the industry employs two former directors of the Minerals Management Service, the since-renamed agency that regulates the industry, and several top officials from the Bush White House. Federal inspectors once assigned to monitor oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico have landed jobs with the companies they regulated.

Read the whole disgusting article HERE.

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.

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    It gets better. Voters right here in Texas have a chance to elect a "retired" oil and gas executive in the District 17 race between incumbent senator Chet Edwards and William "Bill" Flores. Flores is running as a 'limited government' Republican, which seems to have garnered a lot of support in this district. Probably because he is a FOP (friend of Perry). He just finished serving his appointment (by Perry) as commissioner on the Texas Real Estate Commission (they oversee the licensing of real estate agents and right of way agents among other things.) Prior to being tabbed by the NRCC to run in the district, he was President and CEO of Phoenix Exploration, Senior Vice President of Gryphon Exploration, and President of Marine Drilling Companies.

    Former A & M Economics professor and Senator Phil Gramm (and presumably wife, Wendy–remember when she resigned from the Board of directors as Enron due to a conflict of interest? Being married to a senator did have its complications, lol) has thrown his support behind Flores and considering that Gramm is/was a deregulation specialist things could get very interesting in Washington if Flores beats Edwards and Perry trumps oil and gas man White. After all, even though Mr. Gramm moved on to USB AG, Mrs. Gramm is involved with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, that wonderful think tank sponsored by the Koch Family foundation–you know the 'quiet' oil and gas company that you rarely hear about–all hush hush and top secret. Koch industries, (a privately held company) only spent 48 million over 9 years on direct lobbying to support fossil fuels. "Global warming? What global warming?"
    Sorry for the lengthy post–get out there and vote by following the money…

  3. Anonymous says

    In addition to your earlier post regarding Koch Industries and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, they (the Foundation, whose Board members have donated more than 1.4 million dollars to Gov. Perry's campaign) have been extremely busy of late.
    Texas A&M is considering the reforms the Foundation promoted in a "higher education summit" (of May 2008) they hosted in Austin. The summit was attended by Governor Perry and all nine members of the Board of Regents. I am concerned that a taxpayer funded state institution that is essentially governed by Perry appointees (the A&M Board of Regents have also generously supported Perry's political aspirations) would not see this as an improper and rather blatant attempt to buy scientists and policy experts. Especially since they already have enough revolving door advisors lining up to do the job. (Oh wait, they don't have science degrees!) Under the guise of maximizing taxpayer dollars, they fire the lowest level employees and gave a 250,000 dollar salary to a Navy Seal wannabe. (See article in the BCS Eagle) I feel for those Aggies that actually live by the Code of Honor.

  5. Mike H. says

    FYI, Koch was about to be slammed for pipeline & other chemical leaks in early 2001, but someone in the then new GW Bush Administration settled for much less.