Daily Texan Endorses Dale Henry
One of the most influential collegiate student newspapers in the nation–and one with a reach far beyond its own campus–the Daily Texan of the University of Texas at Austin has endorsed Dale Henry for Texas Railroad Commissioner:
Candidate Mark Thompson has said the Texas Legislature should change the agency’s name because the public has so many misconceptions about it, and we agree. Apparently, Thompson’s opponent Art Hall doesn’t even understand the office he’s vying for: According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the former San Antonio City Councilman listed on his Web site “railroad safety” as one of the “issues important to the Railroad Commission of Texas,” further noting that “rail derailment is a major issue in Texas.” He later removed the misinformed reference from his Web site, but had to cope with a rash of ridicule from political bloggers. We can rest assured Hall at least knows a thing or two about serving the best interests of the oil and gas industry; his wife is an attorney for San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp.
Our endorsee Henry, however, seems to have the best interests of the public in mind. This is the 76-year-old Lampassas man’s third attempt running for a commission seat, and in 2006, he lost to a new Gov. Rick Perry appointee who got the privilege of running as a GOP incumbent. He still managed to earn 1.7 million votes (42 percent of the turnout), and, even more impressive, he spent less than $50,000 on that race, most of which came out of his own pocket.
While beneficial to the Texas economy, the oil and gas industry, if left unchecked, poses a significant danger to our environment.
Read about how Dale Henry will make protecting the environment his number one priority.
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