Category: energy

Clearly NM looks deeper into cozy relationship between BLM head, oil and gas

September 2, 2010 by New Mexico FBIHOP

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the probably too-close relationship between Steve Henke, a BLM district manager in Farmington, and the oil and gas industry that he was supposed to be regulating.

Today, Clearly New Mexico looked into the same relationship with a little more detail.

Tracy Dingmann concluded:

The report deals with Henke's transgressions at, quite frankly, a molecular level. And you might think that what the actual details add up to is petty. In fact, the investigation, though exhaustive and revealing, did conclude there was "no evidence of Henke improperly assisting or favoring Williams E&P, or any other energy company which he oversaw."

But let's look at what really happened here. Henke, who was supposed to be in charge of regulating oil and gas companies, was taking money and all kinds of favors from them on the side, in violation of known ethical rules. And when he got caught, he tried to cover it up or shrug it off by saying essentially - everyone does it; it's the cost of doing business in a town that's dominated by oil and gas.

Why is this so horrible?

Thursday morning links

September 2, 2010 by New Mexico FBIHOP

More links to get yourself through the day. I will also have a post on the first 1st Congressional District forum (not debate) later today.

Also, thirty-somethings everywhere are celebrating that it is 9/02/10. 90210. I don't think I ever saw an episode of that show.

• Pearce promotes Argentinian renewable energy project -- This is weird. Democracy for New Mexico notes that former Congressman Steve Pearce has a news story on his site promoting a bio-fuel project in Argentina -- even though there is a nearly identical project in his own district.

  I remember Congressman Harry Teague, who Pearce faces in the general election in November, telling me about the project on a podcast back before the 2006 elections.

• Reports of wasteful spending are up in Albuquerque -- Not only are reports of wasteful spending up (the headline on KOAT is a bit misleading), but the Department of Internal Audit and Investigations lost $300,000 from its budget and now has just two people working on investigating the tips of wasteful spending.

Get This: Steve Pearce Promotes Renewable Energy, Bio-Fuel Development -- In Argentina!

September 1, 2010 by Democracy for N...

On Monday, clueless Steve Pearce (Trying To Fool Voters Again, NM-02) posted an article on his website highlighting the development of the algae-based biofuels industry -- in Argentina. While Pearce is busy promoting green energy in Argentina, there is a growing algae-based biofuels industry right developing under his nose right here in southern New Mexico that he apparently doesn’t know exists. 

How would Pearce know? He's made it a tradition to avoid traveling the 2nd District and meeting constituents ever since he first got elected to Congress in November 2002. He's shown absolutely no interest in finding ways to help develop renewable energy jobs here in New Mexico. In fact, he's shown little interest in proposing anything concrete to help to attract and develop jobs for New Mexicans, period. Of any kind.