Perversity Strikes Again
July 10, 2009There was a little noticed article buried in today’s newspaper. It seems our esteemed Governor, Bill Ritter, has asked one of our congresspersons, Diana DeGette, to back off on some legislation that she is sponsoring. I do have a sense of the ironic and reading the brief article caused a spasm of laughter on my part.
Our Governor, a leading figure among the new wave Democrats of our fair state, has made a bid for national prominence by creating a 22nd Century Energy Policy for Colorado. As a result, we in Colorado are riding on a fashionable wave of renewable and green energy into the future. Our oil and gas industry is a villain, to be chastised and relegated to the past, along with other objectionable parts of our history. We would like to sweep our (real) cowboys, farmers and energy workers under the carpet here in the Boulderite vision of the Rocky Mountain state. Mr. Ritter has frequently and publicly thrown a cold shoulder to the oil and gas business.
Ms. DeGette, the congresswoman of metro Denver, continues in the tradition of her predecessor, Pat Schroeder. Only without the charm and charisma. Ms. DeGette, a natural enemy of anyone making an honest living or having unregulated fun, is seeking to enact legislation that would make natural gas drilling in the US an order of magnitude more costly than is currently the case. Given the current climate of opinion and political reality, her legislation is almost certain to pass.
Ms. DeGette’s legislation has been supported by all of the right-thinking (I love word dissonance) politicians in Colorado. But a funny thing happened to Mr. Ritter. He is the Governor of Colorado. Colorado desperately needs money. In the past, certain far-sighted individuals made it nearly impossible for the State to reach any further into its citizens’ pockets for more money.
Mr. Ritter has come face to face with the facts of life in the Rocky Mountain States. Very large portions of those states’ revenues come from the royalties generated from oil and gas production. People more than a few miles from the Pearl Street Mall or the 16th Street Mall overwhelmingly work for either the government or resource companies. Farming used to be a third employer, but Washington has already done a number on them. As a result, our income and sales tax revenue is depressed and the rural parts of the state are in what amounts to a depression.
Thus Mr. Ritter must break ranks with his friends, who operate on the Capital Hill in Washington rather than Denver. Ms. DeGette, along with Mr. Udall, Mr. Salazar and Mr. Bennett, need not worry about revenues or costs. They belong to the Federal Government.
One must feel sorry for Mr. Ritter or Bill as he is known to his friends. He came to prominence as a well-spoken and telegenic District Attorney in Denver. To his credit he worked a construction job as a youth. Unfortunately it was union construction with him a member of the labor union. Then he became a lawyer and then a DA. The idea of physical or financial limits, rather than political ones, must be a very difficult and strange one for him to deal with.
Those who read my column in the ForeRunner newsletter recognize my preoccupation with the general Perversity of the Universe. I am sure Mr. Ritter would sympathize with my point of view.
Blog Archives
December 2009
My Gosh, I Agree with Ted Turner - 12/22/2009November 2009
Natural Gas Prices - 11/16/2009July 2009
Leadership Near a French Town - 07/16/2009Perversity Strikes Again - 07/10/2009
Of Mice and Windy Men - 07/10/2009
June 2009
Dead Cat Bounce - 06/15/2009Notes From Dubai - 06/15/2009
Value - 06/15/2009
Buffoons or High Priests - 06/15/2009
April 2009
Cold Harbor - 04/10/2009An Arrogant Crow - 04/07/2009