Posted on 09/10/2014 12:48:45 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Who stands to benefit if Denton bans fracking?
Those behind the petition drive say it will benefit the Denton residents because they won’t have to worry about wells being fracked less than 300 feet away from their homes, which is what happened to several neighborhoods in South Denton.
Economist Ray Perryman said the result will be millions of dollars and jobs lost for Denton, costing the city up to $251.4 million over 10 years.
Being the oil capital of the country and one of top producers of oil and gas worldwide, the stakes will be high when Denton voters cast their ballot on Nov. 4.
It could lead other cities to follow suit.
But who else benefits?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his state-owned Gazprom Bank?
That’s what Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dated Sept. 8. He makes no specific mention of Denton’s petition drive or the upcoming referendum on fracking.
Instead Porter focuses on Gazprom’s hiring of two former U.S. senators, Trent Lott, R-Miss., and John Breaux, D-La., as lobbyists. This occurred despite Gazprom being under U.S. sanctions for Russia’s alleged role in shooting down the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which killed 283 people, Porter said.
“I am greatly concerned that a blacklisted, government-owned Russian bank is able to continue its campaign to weaken the American oil and gas industry and to hire two former United States senators to exert pressure on American policymakers,” Porter wrote in his letter.
He goes on to say that Gazprom has paid public relations firms such as Ketchum millions of dollars damage the natural gas industry in Europe and America.
“It is reasonable to assume that their intention is to increase their market share of natural gas production and distribution as Russia is the second largest producer of natural gas in the world,” Porter said.
America is the number one producer, in part because of hydraulic fracking techniques that debuted in the Barnett Shale. And Texas produces one third of U.S. natural gas, which makes this personal for Porter and the Texas Railroad Commission.
Russia has an agenda, Porter said, to fund anti-fracking efforts, support environmental groups and place misinformation in the public, including the Gasland films, which he called deceitful.
“Gazprom’s effort, with the assistance of the Kremlin and Ketchum, has already resulted in the ban of hydraulic fracturing in many EU countries, and now, they have their sights set on the U.S.,” Porter said.
He called on Kerry to close the loopholes in the U.S. sanctions that allow Gazprom to interfere in U.S. policy and politics.
Fellow Texas Railroad Commission Barry Smitherman did raise the question of whether Russia’s influence was behind the movement in Denton.
In a letter to the Denton City Council in July, Smitherman said the secretary general of NATO accused Russia of working with environmental groups to ban fracking, increasing Europe’s dependence on imports from Russia.
“It would therefore appear that not all efforts to ban hydraulic fracturing are grounded in environmental concerns,” Smitherman wrote. “With this in mind, I trust you all will determine whether funding and manpower behind this effort to ban hydraulic fracturing in Denton is coming from out-of-state sources or from those who would profit from the imposition of such a ban.”
The effort has gotten support from national environmental groups and left-leaning political groups such as Move On who would have made it clear they want to have a victory in Texas.
At a marathon Denton City Council meeting in July, several supporters of the frack ban laughed at the idea that Russia could be behind their grassroots effort.
Many energy experts say the U.S. should move quickly to increase exports of natural gas so countries have alternative sources, especially in the winter. But building export facilities to liquefy natural gas so it can be shipped overseas costs billions of dollars and requires lengthy federal review.
The Dallas Business Journal has reached out to Porter seeking clarification on whether he thinks Moscow is directly involved in Denton politics and what proof exists.
Check back for updates.
How should I vote? LOL
A “no-fracking” vote in Denton TX should put them in the same crowd as that collection of stupid known as the state of NY and I’ll be hoping both freeze to death in the dark.
Mad Vlad should not mess with Texas
Unfortunately, the governor holds all the cards here in NY. I’m sure they’re still deciding how to tax the hell out of it AND provide 1000 “oversight” workers with inflated salaries and pensions and vacations and child care and......
KILL A COMMIE FOR MOMMIE.
IIRC, Germany banned fracking after USA said it was BAD.
It would make more sense for those “worried” about fracking near their homes to sell now and move out of the fracking area, because if they are successful in blocking it, the economy of Denton will go to hell-they won’t have to worry about fracking near their homes, but they won’t have to worry that the home will ever sell next to that pristine environment, either...
Yes and soon we will be exporting gas to Germany.
Does putting Vladimir Putin's name in a article's headline get more hits?
Putin is America’s enemy. Face it.
Will Vladimir Putin's supporters on FR do anything to change the subject from their Dear Leader?
Putin has spy plot to halt fracking in UK, warns Nato chief: 'Agents are working with green campaigners to make sure Europe still has to rely on Russian energy' .Bear in mind, it's only the first article I found with a search. There are many. I was too lazy to read it, because you neo-Bolsheviks simply run to another thread.
In the USA Obama has failed to stop fracking because it is happening on privately owned land. Capitalism has defeated Obama. Russian gas on the other hand is not owned by the private sector but by a massive state-owned corporation, the largest corporation in the world. Putin's national socialism tried to defeat American Capitalism with his comrade Obama’s help, but they failed.
So now I’m an Obama supporter. For countering pro-Russian spin. You guys crack me up (although as a hint, your best strategy is still to call me a Nazi, or a neocon).
That may be, but it's not the point.
The point is the environmental (Communist) organizations within the US that will accept this money which MAY come from Putin, but certainly DOES come from many (illegal to accept) foreign sources, unions, progressive and Socialist tax frees, and fraudulently redirected taxpayer monies.
Seems the US has established this Fascist system that Putin MAY have used, but we need to ignore this and keep focused on Putin.
The magic of misdirection, and America's future disappears just out of your sight.
The fact that environmentalists are funded and directed by our foreign enemies is hardly beside the point. If that revelation draws more attention to the threat posed against us by environmentalist useful idiots, then good!
And that’s another thing: we are assured, repeatedly, on these threads that Putin is a Machiavellian mastermind (not a big feat with regard to our President) . . . but Putin supporting the anti-fracking movement to his own advantage? Perish the thought, “Obama supporter!”
Exactly.
They are both enemies of the USA.
Obama is certainly an enemy, Putin would act the same if he was simply a ruthless competitor. The difference is important.
In the USA Obama has failed to stop fracking because it is happening on privately owned land. Capitalism has (partially) defeated Obama.
True, but Obama has used Fascism to stop petro recovery and fracking on Federal controlled land and offshore, plus pipeline, refinery and infrastructure support nationwide.
Russian gas on the other hand is not owned by the private sector but by a massive state-owned corporation, the largest corporation in the world.
True in the context of your point, and impressive.
Putin's national socialism tried to defeat American Capitalism with his comrade Obama’s help, but they failed.
Not true. The National Socialism you refer to is not in Russia, and not Putin's.
Assuming Putin attempted or succeeded in buying Fascist government favoritism, the government and NGO organizations he attempted to buy or bribe are within the US and are US organizations, they willingly take bribes from any foreigners, not just Putin.
If we get rid of Putin, these organizations, and their Fascism remain.
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