Why U.S. Oil & Gas Producers Should Get Behind Rob Curnock In Texas District 17—Home Of The Barnett Shale, Deep Bossier And President Bush
Let me disclose up front: I know Rob Curnock, Rob Curnock is a personal friend of mine, and current Texas District 17 House representative Chet Edwards (Dem.) is no Rob Curnock. That fact is significant to the oil and gas industry.
Texas District 17 should be on the hot sheet of every U.S. oil and gas producer affected by federal energy legislation. With heated debate in Washington on windfall profits taxes, capital gains taxes and opening up drilling in presently off-limits U.S. areas such as the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, every seat in the Congress counts when determining the future of energy.
Every E&P in the nation should know Rob Curnock’s name.
Texas District 17 is notable in that it encompasses Johnson and Hood counties of the Barnett shale to the north, Robertson, Madison and Limestone counties of Deep Bossier fame to the south, and the population center of Crawford in the middle, the home of the current president’s ranch and where he will retire when the new Congress takes over.
Unfortunately, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has come out gunning against the oil and gas industry in his campaign, portraying the industry as the bad guy causing rising energy prices and parlaying voter sympathy with proposals to stick it to ‘em. It’s hard to be nonpartisan when you’re under attack.
As Obama’s Texas spokesman, Edwards too hitches his horse to Obama’s detrimental policies. His voting record parallels the Democratic hard line of no new reserves in legislatively off-limits areas.
Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have already shot across the bow with failed legislation for a windfall profits tax and held their ground on a Republican push-back to open up offshore reserves. Combine Obama with a Democratic Congress and the oil and gas industry should prepare to hunker down and weather the hurricane. Combine sometimes-Republican presidential candidate John McCain with a Democratic Congress and the oil and gas industry should button up for a tropical storm.
Either way, the oil and gas industry suffers under a Democratically-controlled Congress. Texas District 17 hangs in the balance with a two-vote swing in the U.S. House.
Although represented by Edwards since 1990, ushered into office when Texas still voted predominately Democrat, Texas District 17 polls at 64% Republican. Imagine the opportunity. He has been largely unchallenged by any significant candidates during that time and certainly held the financial advantage.
Curnock is a well-known small businessman in the district’s population power base of Waco, the first candidate to come out of there in memory. He has high visibility in the area and is well connected. Importantly, Curnock is passionate about conservative issues and has worked in political roles for two decades, including as election judge and on Gov. Rick Perry’s small business task force. He owns royalties in oil and gas wells. He believes the hands of the energy industry should be untied so it can meet our nation’s energy needs.
With two-thirds of the population base already voting Republican on other tickets, the Texas District 17 House seat is ripe for taking. The effort requires money to campaign.
With three months to go to the vote, producers and service providers with operations in the district should open up their political earmarks without delay and fund Curnock’s campaign. Energy companies nationwide counting votes in the House of Representatives should look to Texas District 17 as a Republican vote in the next Congressional session and donate now to the energy friendly candidate.
Every House vote counts on U.S. energy policy. Every energy campaign dollar swings the momentum. Wake up. Texas House District 17 will affect U.S. energy producers one way—or the other.
Steve Toon, Editor, A&D Watch; Contributing Editor, Oil and Gas Investor; www.OilandGasInvestor.com; stoon@hartenergy.com
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October 10th, 2008 at 7:30 am
The oil and gas industry doesn’t need another protector! We need someone who will be on the people’s side.
Oil companies are slated to receive more than $32.9 billion in handouts from taxpayers over the next five years thanks to their Republican protectors. They take that money and lobby Congress for more tax cuts! They don’t need handouts from the public with their record breaking profits.
Meanwhile incentives have been cut to alternative energy which could actually grow the economy by creating new jobs. Let’s invest in the future, create new jobs and invent clean, renewable energy sources that we can sell to other countries.