Posted on 10/11/2004 4:55:55 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
He supports and will enforce universal bonding for oil operators.
When Gov. Rick Perry was looking for someone to replace outgoing Railroad Commissioner Tony Garza more than a year and a half ago, he picked an Abilene man who had knowledge of the oil and gas business, always a solid attribute on the agency charged with regulating the industry. But he also selected someone who had a sparking resume in city and county government and a legal background.
Perry made a solid pick when he named Victor Carrillo to replace Garza, who had been named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and the Editorial Board believes that Carrillo is the best choice in the Nov. 2 general election.
The selection of a railroad commissioner is an important decision, though it's likely that many Texans have a less than firm grasp of what the agency does. The three-person commission oversees one of the state's major and most powerful agencies; it regulates oil and gas drilling, oil and gas pipelines, mining and, yes, railroad safety, chiefly involving crossings.
One of the major issues on the commission is the clean up of abandoned oil wells, of which Texas has thousands. Many of those wells are major sources of pollution. The companies or individuals who drilled those wells have not only abandoned those holes, they also abandoned any responsibility for cleaning up the mess. That puts the matter squarely in the hands of the state.
Voters need a railroad commissioner who supports and will enforce universal bonding, which requires every operator put up an adequate financial guarantee to ensure non-producing wells are cleaned up and not just abandoned. Carrillo stands firmly behind this newly enacted requirement, which was long overdue. His Democratic opponent, Bob Scarborough, is ambivalent about this key provision.
Carrillo, a Republican, has extensive knowledge about the oil and gas industry; he was a petroleum geophysicist, holds a master's degree in geology from Baylor University and a bachelor's in geology from Hardin-Simmons. He is a former Abilene City Council member and a former county judge of Taylor County. He was also an attorney in the Texas General Land Office. Scarborough, a retired Methodist minister and family counselor, doesn't offer near the kind of experience needed for the job. Carrillo is clearly the pick for the job.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times endorsing a Republican? This must be a first.
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