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Just last month the U.S. sent two Air force cargo planes to help Mexico battle back wildfires in the northern part of it's country, fires that burned 386 square miles. It's a move that West Texas Congressman Francisco Canseco (R-Fort Stockton) thinks is a hypocritical one by the Obama administration as Texas has requested the same sort of federal aid but has been denied it. "386 square miles pales with the 2.5 million acres of land that have been burned and scorched beyond recognition," says Canseco. And Former FEMA Director Michael Brown thinks that a "snub" like this reeks of...

Translation: We don’t need people who live 1500 miles away telling us what’s going on under our noses: Gov. Rick Perry (who had plans with a friend today) wasn’t willing to travel all the way to El Paso to meet President Obama on the tarmac, his spokeswoman said after the White House noted the governor declined a meeting. Perry spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said the governor asked whether he could instead meet the president on the Austin tarmac. She said the White House nixed that idea and also refused a wildfire tour, saying the president’s schedule was too busy. As for...

In case you’ve missed it, Texas has seen about 3,400 square miles of land — an area about the size of Puerto Rico — destroyed by wildfires. Pres. Barack Obama hit Texas to do some political fund-raising and give some speeches about immigration; Gov. Rick Perry suggested that he take a gubernatorially guided tour of some of the damage. The president couldn’t be bothered, but asked the governor to come to El Paso to act as a prop at a political event. Governor Perry declined. Governor Perry often complains that the federal government simultaneously fails to do its real work...

President Obama travels to Texas Tuesday to tour the U.S. southern border with Mexico for the first time as president, and though it is customary for governors to greet the president at the airport or even accompany the commanders in chief during state visits, he will not meet with Governor Rick Perry, R-Texas, on this trip.

Tx Lands Commish Jerry Patterson opens with a few jokes before diving straight into the meat of the debate over whether a possible listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on the federal Endangered Species List would put an end to oil drilling in West Texas. Recorded April 26, 2011 at a Permian Basin Petroleum Associated rally at the Midland Center in downtown Midland, Texas.

As dry conditions and gusty winds whip up new wildfires in parched Texas, Gov. Rick Perry Thursday blasted the Obama Administration for failing to issue a disaster declaration for the state, widening the growing rift between the White House and the states rights advocate governor, 1200 WOAI news reports. "You see hundreds of thousands of acres of Texas burning and you know that there will soon be emergency declarations, and we did that now a couple of weeks ago, but still no response from this administration," Perry told 1200 WOAI's Michael Board after addressing the Texas Emergency Management Conference in...

A three-inch lizard that thrives in desert conditions could shut down oil and gas operations in portions of Southeast New Mexico and in West Texas, including the state's top two oil producing counties. Called the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, it is being considered for inclusion on the federal Endangered Species listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A public rally to oppose this move is being sponsored by the Permian Basin Petroleum Association on Tuesday, April 26 at Midland Center beginning at 5 p.m. Congressman Mike Conaway will speak, as will Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson; other public officials have been...

Gov. Rick Perry said late Tuesday night that the White House rejected his request for a federal major disaster declaration for areas of Texas affected by recent wildfires, but FEMA says they've already provided Texas assistance. In a statement, Perry said he was "dismayed" by the rejection earlier in the day. "It is not only the obligation of the federal government, but its responsibility under law to help its citizens in times of emergency," he said. Perry said the state would consider its options, which include an appeal of the denial. FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Racusen told the Associated Press on...

"Late Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry criticized the White House after learning that his April 16 request for a federal major disaster declaration and additional help had been rejected. Wildfires since November have blackened at least 2.2 million acres and damaged or destroyed more than 400 homes across the state, the governor said. The federal government has already provided Texas with grants for response activities, FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Racusen told The Associated Press in a statement."

Politics: The month-long cold shoulder that the White House gave Texas' plea for a disaster declaration was bad enough. Now the wildfire-scorched state has been turned down flat. Don't think this isn't about punishment. Through no fault of its own, Texas has now lost 2.3 million acres of land to a freak weather combination that has ignited 9,000 wildfires across the state well ahead of summer. At least two people have been killed, 400 homes incinerated, 1,200 miles of agricultural fencing destroyed and nearly 1,000 horses, cattle and sheep left to perish since November. We would think at least some...