Drilling companies dropping big bucks into GarCo commissioner races
| By Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson - Oct 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm EDT |
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Categories: Environment / Conservation, Smart Energy Policy, Effective & Ethical Government, Property Rights, All Network Posts: Front Page
Categories: Environment / Conservation, Smart Energy Policy, Effective & Ethical Government, Property Rights, All Network Posts: Front Page
With thousands of wells drilled and thousands more planned, no wonder the oil-and-gas industry has a big interest in the Garfield County commissioner races. Two seats are up for contention and if Democrats finally get a majority after 24 years of political drought, there could be big changes concerning impact fees, managing man camps, and monitoring drilling activities especially in regards to water and air pollution.
The Post Independent reported that over $45,000 has been spent by outside interests to influence the outcome of the GarCo commissioner races. In one example, Paul Rady, the chief executive officer of Antero Resources Corp, a company drilling in GarCo, donated $20,000 to Western Heritage, one of the 527 committees spearheading media campaigns in support of the Republican candidates.
Republican Larry McCown is vacating his seat after 12 years and former county judge Steve Carter, a Democrat and Republican Mike Samson, a school administrator, are vying for the open seat. Both live in Rifle.
Democrat Steve Bershenyi, a blacksmith and artist, is challenging Republican John Martin, who is seeking his fourth term. Trési Houpt, a Democrat, is not up for re-election this year.
Both Democratic commissioner candidates have promised tighter regulations for the oil and gas industry in Garfield County and want to enact impact fees to help pay for industry impacts on roads and local services. Houpt, who is also member of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, has been often silenced by a 2-to-1 vote on oil-and-gas issues.
Martin was the swing vote to approve a $23 million tax credit for Chevron to reimburse the expense of rebuilding County Road 204 to their gas fields, a plan some locals have dubbed, "The Road to Nowhere." The funds could come out of the severance tax revenues given to the county to mitigate drilling impacts, about seven year's worth, if the two Republican commissioners have their way. Last spring, Martin and McCown also approved a variance in the county planning and zoning regulations that allows oil-and-gas man camps of eight men or less on private property without the owner's consent, an infringement on private property rights some landowners have claimed.
Both Carter and Bershenyi have received help from environmental groups concerned with oil and gas development. The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), a Billings, Mont.-based environmental and advocacy group, has spent about $13,550 in support of the Democratic candidates.
Ballot returns and early voting in Garfield County have been very slow, perhaps a sign that there are still a lot of undecided voters in this battleground.
References: http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081027/VALLEYNEWS/110279991/1083&ParentProfile=1074&title=Garfield%20County%20races%20see%20about%20$46K%20of%20outside%20money
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081026/VALLEYNEWS/810258690&SearchID=73334238374511&parentprofile=search
The Post Independent reported that over $45,000 has been spent by outside interests to influence the outcome of the GarCo commissioner races. In one example, Paul Rady, the chief executive officer of Antero Resources Corp, a company drilling in GarCo, donated $20,000 to Western Heritage, one of the 527 committees spearheading media campaigns in support of the Republican candidates.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado - Five groups from outside Garfield County have spent about $45,700 in the last two months to sway voters in this year's two county commissioner races.
State campaign finance reports, court documents and local advertising rate cards show that three of the outside groups have connections to the several active state GOP members.
Those people include the Colorado Republican Party's outside legal counsel, the chief of staff for former congressman Scott McInnis, and a Republican political consultant with ties to several state organizations. The groups supporting the Democratic candidates are a Montana-based environmental coalition, which includes Grand Junction-based Western Colorado Congress, and a Denver-based left-leaning organization.
The money flooding the two races comes as many state officials see Garfield County as the epicenter of energy development in Colorado.
Republican Larry McCown is vacating his seat after 12 years and former county judge Steve Carter, a Democrat and Republican Mike Samson, a school administrator, are vying for the open seat. Both live in Rifle.
Democrat Steve Bershenyi, a blacksmith and artist, is challenging Republican John Martin, who is seeking his fourth term. Trési Houpt, a Democrat, is not up for re-election this year.
Both Democratic commissioner candidates have promised tighter regulations for the oil and gas industry in Garfield County and want to enact impact fees to help pay for industry impacts on roads and local services. Houpt, who is also member of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, has been often silenced by a 2-to-1 vote on oil-and-gas issues.
Martin was the swing vote to approve a $23 million tax credit for Chevron to reimburse the expense of rebuilding County Road 204 to their gas fields, a plan some locals have dubbed, "The Road to Nowhere." The funds could come out of the severance tax revenues given to the county to mitigate drilling impacts, about seven year's worth, if the two Republican commissioners have their way. Last spring, Martin and McCown also approved a variance in the county planning and zoning regulations that allows oil-and-gas man camps of eight men or less on private property without the owner's consent, an infringement on private property rights some landowners have claimed.
Both Carter and Bershenyi have received help from environmental groups concerned with oil and gas development. The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), a Billings, Mont.-based environmental and advocacy group, has spent about $13,550 in support of the Democratic candidates.
Ballot returns and early voting in Garfield County have been very slow, perhaps a sign that there are still a lot of undecided voters in this battleground.
References: http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081027/VALLEYNEWS/110279991/1083&ParentProfile=1074&title=Garfield%20County%20races%20see%20about%20$46K%20of%20outside%20money
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081026/VALLEYNEWS/810258690&SearchID=73334238374511&parentprofile=search
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