oil and gas

MLG, who promotes socialist policies, claims Republican Ronchetti is a socialist

11 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

This week, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham bashed her Republican opponent, GOP nominee Mark Ronchetti as a “socialist” for his plan to give New Mexicans back part of the proceeds of energy produced in New Mexico — a plan adopted by conservative Alaska.

According to a press release from the Ronchetti campaign:

When the oil and gas industry does well in New Mexico, taxes from the industry go into the black hole of the state government budget. This dynamic also creates an unpredictable pattern of budgeting — when oil prices are high, government spending massively increases, creating shortfalls when oil prices fall. This fiscally irresponsible approach leads to either painful budget cuts, or higher taxes when the price of oil inevitably falls.

By rebating a portion of the tax revenues generated by the oil and gas industry back to the people of New Mexico, hardworking taxpayers will benefit directly from a healthy, strong energy industry, while simultaneously making our state budgeting process more fiscally responsible.

Lujan Grisham claimed in a statement on KOAT 7 that the plan was a “fiscally irresponsible socialist scheme.”

This is coming from the same governor who approved robbing the Land Grant Permanent Fund of billions to pay for socialist “free” daycare, approved $75 million annually for socialist “free” college (including for illegal aliens), and has promoted full-blown socialist policies, such as the state’s “Energy Transition Act,” also known as the Green New Deal to implement the socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style policy.

Ronchetti responded to Lujan Grisham on Twitter, writing, “Michelle Lujan Grisham calls our plan to give oil and gas rebates to New Mexico families ‘socialism.’ She’s more worried about her bloated government budget than she is about your family budget. MLG has already grown state government 40% since taking office and if she gets her… way again, she will nearly DOUBLE state government. My approach is to take surplus oil and gas revenues and give New Mexico families a rebate. It’s your money to begin with.” 

The scandal-ridden Democrat Governor is polling within single digits of Ronchetti and is in a vulnerable position going into the November election. Lujan Grisham has been under heavy scrutiny for wasting taxpayer money, settling a $150,000 groping allegation, and for killing 40% of small businesses with her COVID-19 lockdown. 

The attack on the Republican nominee appears to be in an attempt to crush his credibility despite other Republican states adopting policies to return oil and gas revenues back to the taxpayers. Also running for governor is Libertarian Karen Bedonie, a former Republican.

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MLG panders to oil and gas as she works to destroy the industry

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Monday, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pandered to the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA) at its annual conference, which has donated tens of thousands of dollars to extremist anti-oil Democrats, including Lujan Grisham, who received $5,000. Democrat Speaker of the House Brian Egolf’s speaker fund received $25,000 from the group. 

At the conference, Lujan Grisham thanked “oil and gas producers for their contributions to the economy and tax revenues that form the backbone of state education funding,” according to the Associated Press. The industry contributes over 30% to the state budget annually.

At the event, she tried to move oil and gas producers to move from oil and gas to the hydrogen fuel industry, claiming to be championing legislation on the oil and gas alternative in the 2022 Legislative Session — which is supposed to be a 30-day session specifically about the state’s budget. 

“We are working on that as we speak,” Lujan Grisham claimed, saying she wants New Mexico to be a hydrogen fuel “hub.”

Lujan Grisham’s corrosive administration rammed through the job-killing “Energy Transition Act,” New Mexico’s very own Green New Deal, in 2019, which forces through stringent environmental mandates, including 50% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% by 2050. It has already skyrocketed energy costs for New Mexicans, and even the bill’s biggest proponents say it needs to be heavily amended as to not completely wreck the state.

In northeast New Mexico, the Energy Transition Act (ETA) has forced the closure of the San Juan Generating Station by PNM, leaving countless New Mexicans without jobs and only around 80 employees able to retire. “For the rest of the employees, though, they’re going to have to go find some other form of employment,” said plant manager Omni Warner. 

NMOGA under the leadership of former executive director Ryan Flynn and former chairman of the NMOGA board Claire Chase took a neutral stance on the rabidly anti-energy ETA. Many wish-washy “Republicans” in the Legislature voted for the job-killing bill.

At the conference, Lujan Grisham claimed, “We continue to have conversations with the Biden administration to make sure that they understand the critical importance of this industry in our state.” That has yet to be seen as Biden has canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline, which employed tens of thousands of Americans, and drilling contracts on federal land have been stonewalled. Biden’s pick to lead the Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland, is a supporter of the Green New Deal and oversees a large portion of these public lands in question.

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Rep. Yvette Herrell speaks at CPAC in Dallas: ‘We deserve to be energy independent’

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Sunday, Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell of New Mexico’s Second District joined Congressmen Michael Burgess and Lance Gooden of Texas for a segment during CPAC 2021 in Dallas about energy moderated by Tammie Bruce of Fox News. 

“I really think what’s very ironic about this is the topic here is energy security. And it’s a sad day that we’re having to fight against our own administration to secure our energy independence because they’re more than willing to give our independence away to China and Russia and other adversaries,” Herrell said. “We deserve to be energy independent, just like we were under the Trump administration.”

“And even more so to think that they are locking us away from our public lands. So, in New Mexico, fifty percent of our oil production comes from public lands, sixty percent of our natural gas. And now, we are so running down the path of stupidity that we are going to cut off our producers from being able to drill on public lands.” 

“We’ve got to protect our America from our government,” Herrell said. “And we’ve got to be able to have the ability to understand that if we go in our homes and our offices when we flip on the switch, it’s going to turn on the lights. Or we can go to the gas pumps and afford the fuel there…. We’ve got to stand up to our government so that we can protect our energy and our natural resources.” 

What we have to remember: It is not just about starting the car. I mean, let’s just be honest. Right now, if we got rid of everything in this room that was touched by a petroleum product, it would look very, very different,” Herrell continued. “The truth is, we don’t talk about the things that are in our daily lives that we take advantage of…. Plastics, medical supplies, eyeglasses, asphalt, makeup, lipstick, clothing, [sporting goods], there are so many things.” 

“I would just implore that you start talking about the day-to-day items that [we] really take advantage of, that are touched by the petroleum products. In fact, if you’ve gotten the vaccine or if you’re thinking about getting the vaccine, thank the oil and gas industry because almost every one of those syringes was touched by the petroleum products out of the ground — the fossil fuels.” 

Herrell ended her remarks by saying, “We are living in the greatest country on the Earth, and thank you to our veterans, to our Military who fought for our freedoms. ANd we will stand and fight for our energy independence and all our other freedoms because we as Americans deserve them and we owe all the gratitude to our veterans and our service members, so thank you.” 

Herrell’s speech came before 45th President Donald Trump addressed the conference, where he spoke about his America First agenda and taking back America for the people. 

Watch an interview with Rep. Herrell at C-PAC with Right Side Broadcasting:

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As NM projects $350M revenue increase thanks to oil and gas, leftists target critical industry

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new report released on Wednesday detailed that New Mexico sees a forecasted $350 million increase due to oil and gas royalties

Revenues for the state of New Mexico are tracking ahead of financial forecasts to the tune of $350 million, allowing the government to reduce the amount of money it will have to siphon out of its rainy day fund in the upcoming fiscal year.

According to Dawn Iglesias, the chief economist for the Legislative Finance Committee, “In addition to higher revenues, the state also expects to receive nearly $133 million more in its Tax Stabilization Reserve from excess oil and gas taxes,” reports the Santa Fe New Mexican. 

Although active drilling rigs have declined from 114 in March 2020 to 71 now, “production in New Mexico is recovering even though the number of active rigs has declined.”

According to the New Mexican, “The state is expected to produce about 390 million barrels in the new fiscal year. That’s 20 million barrels more than projected in February. Each additional million barrels of oil generates about $3 million for the general fund.” 

But despite oil and gas being to thank for economic recovery, the fringe leftist group ProgressNow New Mexico began a new campaign trying to destroy the oil and gas industry with a bizarre campaign called  “Crude Intentions NM,” filling and pouring onto random objects what appears to be crude oil.

The extremist group, which is tied directly to the ANTIFA domestic terrorist organization, claims the oil and gas industry is “burdensome” to the state despite it being a major funding source for critical life-saving medical facilities, education, and infrastructure. 

The group is trying to blame oil and gas (which has no seat at the table in terms of building and educational curriculum, just funding) for the state’s failed education system. ProgressNow New Mexico writes, “Big Oil contributes to New Mexico’s education system, but our public schools rank worst in the nation. We need better education for our kids, not this toxic mess.” 

The same hollow “the sky is falling” rhetoric mimics another discredited fringe group “Wild Earth Guardians,” which claimed in an online petition, “If oil and gas were the key to New Mexico’s prosperity, the state would be one of the most prosperous in the United States. It’s not even close,” adding, “The state ranks last in quality of education, has the second highest poverty rate in the United States, and was recently ranked the third worst state in the nation.” 

The liberal groups do not, however, blame the poor education system on failed Common Core standards or the Democrats’ control of the state in electoral politics for the last 80+ years.

Larry Behrens, Western States Director for Power the Future, a pro-energy group, wrote in a statement, “On the same day we learn New Mexico’s energy workers have helped deliver a $350 million increase to the state budget we find one radical group attacking those workers. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt for this fringe group to find relevance and it’s clear their attempt to go after oil isn’t very slick.”

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MLG’s Oil Conservation Commission passes new extreme regulations on the oil and gas industry

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Thursday, the three-member New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission voted unanimously on new rules that will severely handicap the oil and gas industry in regards to emission standards due to venting and flaring, according to a report from Bloomberg News.

Gas producing plants, oil companies, and pipeline operators will have until 2026 to reduce their gas emissions to 2% of production. “The two counties that make up the New Mexico part of the Permian have seen flaring and venting soar as drillers move past legacy acreage in Texas to the newer — and gassier — Delaware sub-basin,” reports Bloomberg. 

According to the report, the rules are a “compromise” between regulators, industry, and environmentalists to curb methane emissions. The Commission’s vote on Thursday follows two years of debate and two weeks of public comment in January. The new rules are expected to go into effect in May.

The commissioners include Adrienne Sandoval of the Conservation Division, who serves as the chair, Dr. Thomas Engler of New Mexico Tech, and Greg Bloom, Assistant Commissioner for Mineral Resources at the New Mexico State Land Office. 

According to a spokesman for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, which has stayed neutral on many job-killing anti-energy bills said, “We will strive for full compliance with the final rule, and we commend this commission for undertaking a collaborative approach throughout this two-year process.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department secretary Sarah Propst claimed the new rule, “creates a level playing field for the industry.” She also said, “Some companies are already investing in that takeaway capacity upfront and doing everything right while others maybe aren’t because they didn’t have to before.”

These new rules will heavily impact drilling and production on federal lands. According to radical leftist environmental group Environmental Defense Fund’s Daniel Grossman, “The Trump administration rolled back strong regulations.” He said, “But now with the Biden administration, that’s probably something that the Department of the Interior will address with the new leadership of [Interior] Secretary Deb Haaland, who is from New Mexico and understands the issue better than most.”

Haaland is an extremist when it comes to oil and gas, favoring a complete ban on fracking, which produces clean natural gas and fuels New Mexico’s economy. The Governor’s commission and its new ruling makes it clear that the oil and gas industry, which produces nearly 40% of revenues for the state budget, is in danger of extinction if Lujan Grisham gets her way.

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Disgraced radical enviro group blames failing NM schools on oil and gas industry

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The disgraced far-left environmental radicalism group “WildEarth Guardians,” headquartered in Santa Fe, has begun a renewed assault on the critical New Mexico oil and gas industry, claiming the state is “shackled” to revenues from oil and gas production.

In this renewed effort by the group to petition legislators to reject oil and gas, they claim, “If oil and gas were the key to New Mexico’s prosperity, the state would be one of the most prosperous in the United States. It’s not even close.” 

“The state ranks last in quality of education, has the second highest poverty rate in the United States, and was recently ranked the third worst state in the nation,” claimed WildEarth Guardians.

The group appears to be blaming New Mexico’s failing education system on oil and gas, despite basic logic proving otherwise. 

If that claim were true, then Texas, which is benefitted by $502.6 billion of economic impact from the oil and gas industry, or 30.5% of the state’s gross domestic product, would be also failing in education and poverty.

However, Texas is ranked significantly higher than New Mexico on national surveys, such as the U.S. News and World Report, where Texas ranks 34 in education versus New Mexico at 50. New Mexico ranks extremely low for poverty 48th lowest with 18.6% of residents in poverty compared to Texas’ much lower 13.7% poverty rate and rank of 35. 

WildEarth Guardians is well-known for its extremist views on the environment and its incessant lawsuits filed against federal agencies to stymie the United States’ goal of energy independence. 

The organization receives federal and state contracts. According to InfluenceWatch, “WildEarth Guardians reported allegedly fraudulent overbilling by a longtime employee Jim Matison, director of the restoration program, and outside contractor, Jeff Hamm of Colorado-based Timberline LLC., to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque in May 2019.” 

“The fraud reportedly occurred in state and federal contracts awarded to WildEarth Guardians, for projects such as planting native cottonwoods and willows, reducing water temperatures and preventing damaging algae. The organization completed all the contracted work, but then fake work was added. Horning said the group also reported the matter to inspectors general for the U.S. Interior and Agriculture departments and the Environmental Protection Agency, which had awarded contracts to the group.” 

Now, the flailing organization is continuing its record of controversy by claiming, “The oil and gas industry has wielded undue political influence to cover up its true costs.” WildEarth Guardians demands New Mexico lawmakers “make a just and equitable transition” from oil and gas a “priority.” 

According to a 2012 study by Americans for Prosperity, a moderate group, “a total of some $4 billion in economic impacts would result if the WildEarth Guardians were to achieve all of their stated goals with respect to the protection of wildlife through the complete elimination of grazing, coal mining, and drilling on public lands.” That $4 billion economic impact is likely much more today.

WildEarth Guardians “will continue to present a clear and present danger not just to the court system, and to the Western economy and way of life, but to the taxpayers who unwittingly bankroll its monkey-wrenching of the West,” concluded the report.

In the 2020 fiscal year, the oil and gas industry contributed $2.8 billion to state revenues, making up 33.5% of state spending. Without the critical industry, New Mexico would not survive, at least not without extreme cuts to government spending. 

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Congresswoman Herrell, GOP reps. talk oil and gas in Artesia amid Biden assault on energy industry

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On Thursday Congresswoman Yvette Herrell of New Mexico’s Second District and three of her Republican colleagues from around the country, Reps. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), to discuss protecting the oil and gas sector. 

The delegation met with industry leaders in Artesia, which is in Eddy County, New Mexico’s second-largest oil-producing county, and especially hit hard by Joe Biden’s drilling ban on federal lands. 

Rep. Herrell said, “We had a great roundtable with several of the (oil and gas) stakeholders this morning so we could understand the challenges unique to the industry.” 

She also challenged Joe Biden to visit Artesia to “show him firsthand what is happening.” 

Rep. Stauber, who is the Ranking Member on the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, spoke about how his district is reliant on oil and natural gas, saying, “We’re not only an iron ore mining district but we’re also critical minerals, there’s a lot of pushback of mining critical minerals just as they are oil and gas production down here.” 

He added, “Meeting the environmental and labor standards and I think it brings good paying jobs to the community here. It helps with the schools. It brings money to the local communities and I think as we go forward, we have to recognize not only energy independence but dominating the energy sector.” 

Rep. Tenney said, “We have a moratorium in New York and we’re not allowed to access in many cases a lot of that shale and I just wanted to learn and listen how the energy sector affected the economy here.” 

“We’re grateful to learn and thank you Artesia to the wonderful people we met here. We’re very proud of their community and we are just grateful to hear from them and hear their concerns and take them back to Washington,” Tenney continued.

Rep. Jackson, whose district spans from Amarillo to Wichita Falls, Texas said that “It’s really interesting to hear the discussions we had today and I’ll just say, I think it’s really important how people in New Mexico need to know, especially people in urban areas, they need to know how important oil and gas is to their livelihood.” 

The delegation also visited a production facility to see first-hand the critical industry that is at stake if Biden continues his assault on the oil and gas industry. The four members of Congress toured an EOG Resources facility, where they got a hands-on look at the resources they are working in Congress to protect.

Stauber applauded Herrell in a tweet about his visit, saying, “When Biden issued bans on oil & gas development, she led the charge against his harmful action.” He also wrote, “I am proud to join her in defending American energy independence and our overall way of life!” 

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NM oil producer speaks out against GOP CD-1 candidate who voted for MLG’s ‘Green New Deal’

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The following letter was sent from oil and gas producer Roy Ables to the New Mexico Republican State Central Committee members ahead of Saturday’s vote on the GOP nominee for the First Congressional District to replace Democrat former Rep. Deb Haaland:

My name is Ray Ables. I own and operate a New Mexico oil and gas business called Pace Oil Field Services.

I’m writing to you today because one of the Republican candidates for the 1st District, Senator Mark Moores, voted for the New Mexico Green New Deal, also known as the “Energy Transition Act.”

I don’t believe our party should nominate a candidate who supports legislation like this that puts our New Mexico oil and gas industry at risk.

Let me explain the damage caused to our industry by this legislation that was pushed so hard by Michelle Lujan Grisham and the radical left. Oil and gas provides 40% of our state’s budget, thousands of jobs, and of course, affordable energy for our families. But the Energy Transition Act requires that New Mexico fully transition AWAY from oil and gas. 

As Daniel Turner, Executive Director of Power the Future, wrote for Fox News: “this destructive law is essentially a hidden carbon tax and will threaten the jobs of thousands of energy workers, raise utility rates, cut state revenue, and make green energy companies rich at the taxpayers’ expense.” You can read Turner’s full op-ed here: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/daniel-turner-stealth-version-of-aoc-green-new-deal-now-the-law-in-new-mexico-voters-be-damned.

It’s no secret that New Mexico’s economy is one of the worst in the nation. And destroying oil and gas – the industry that keeps our state afloat – in the name of promoting “green energy,” is the worst possible policy decision. The fact that Senator Moores voted for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Green New Deal should be disqualifying in this race.

We need to send someone to DC who will fight for New Mexico jobs and stand up to the radical Democrats who will push Green New Deal legislation that will negatively impact New Mexico. If this vote is any indication, Mark Moores will be no different than Deb Haaland.

Thank you for your time, and for the sake of New Mexico’s oil and gas workers and the future of our state, I ask you to take this information into consideration ahead of your vote on Saturday. 

Respectfully,

Ray Ables

Opinions expressed by Piñon Post contributors do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at news@pinonpost.com.

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Rep. Herrell, other members of Congress to hold Thursday oil and gas roundtable in Artesia

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, it was reported that Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-CD2) will be holding a roundtable with members of Congress from across the nation in Artesia focusing on oil and gas. 

Herrell has been pushing back, along with other Republican members of Congress, against Joe Biden’s extreme anti-energy agenda, including his moratorium on federal drilling permits. Herrell has urged other members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation to join her and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in urging Biden to exempt New Mexico from his corrosive anti-energy policies. 

According to Alex Ross of the Roswell Daily Record, Herrell will be joined in Artesia by Rep. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to discuss the critical issue. 

Artesia, which is in Eddy County, New Mexico’s second-largest oil-producing county, is especially hit hard by Biden’s anti-energy policies, which Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will no doubt be helping him implement in New Mexico and around the country. 

Herrell has been extremely active in Congress, fighting with her colleagues for many commonsense measures, such as punishment for people who murder police officers, a strong border, a strong agriculture industry, protecting oil and gas, and fighting for free and fair elections. 

On March 16, Herrell joined a congressional delegation visiting the Southern Border in Texas, which included Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). She also visited the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico, where she pointed out the meager “fence” protecting miles of border, which is allowing criminal aliens to pour into the U.S. 

Rep. Herrell recently opened two district offices, one in Roswell and one in Las Cruces. “My staff have already helped hundreds of constituents before even setting foot in their offices,” said Herrell. “We haven’t missed a beat in being accessible to those needing assistance and in communicating with local leaders across the district.”

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20+ cent per gallon gas tax on the poor heads to Senate floor

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On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee advanced the gas tax on the poor, S.B. 11, which has been previously enacted in Oregon and California, states where the gas price is 119% and 135% higher than the national average, respectively, according to AAA. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Bernalillo). 

The bill puts extreme clean fuel standards on businesses that produce or import transportation fuels and fuels used in motor vehicles. The restrictions on these companies would force them to invest in costly upgrades to their fuel standards, meaning these costs would transfer to the consumers. The bill also adds vague and sweeping “enviro-justice” provisions to state law.

In California and Oregon, where clean fuel standards are already in place, there are already increased costs of up to 24 cents per gallon on gas, which directly hurts poor consumers.

In the bill’s previous committee, Senate Tax, Business, and Transportation, Sen. Craig Brandt (D-Sandoval) asked a question about the tax on the poor, to which Sen. Stewart got flustered. She said in a stern voice, “You know what gas costs in Europe? It costs $6-7 a gallon!” She said people drove smaller electric cars in the region and said she didn’t appreciate “the sky is falling” arguments regarding concerns attributed to her bill. Stewart also complained about the committee hearing nearing two hours long on her bill.

The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA), which took a neutral stance on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal (The Energy Transition Act) is also taking a neutral stance on this bill. NMOGA dumped thousands into Democrat campaigns in 2018 and 2020. 

The bill advanced the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday by a vote of 6-4, with Sens. Bill Burt (R-Chaves, Lincoln & Otero), Crystal Diamond (R-Doña Ana, Hidalgo, Luna & Sierra), Bill Sharer (R-San Juan), and Pat Woods (R-Curry, Quay and Union) rejecting the measure. Sen. Woods dubbed the bill a “lawyers’ dream” and a “pie-in-the-sky proposal.” 

The bill is listed as the 11th item on the Senate floor calendar for March 10, 2021. You can help stop this bill by reaching out to your New Mexico senator and asking them to vote “NO” on Senate Bill 11. You can find your senator here.

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