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  • Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman, right, speaks to local business leaders and officials during a meet-and-greet luncheon at Bishop’s Brisket House in the Palestine Mall on Thursday. Smitherman is a candidate in the upcoming Republican primary runoff election Tuesday. MARY RAINWATER

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July 27, 2012

Railroad commissioner makes stop in Palestine

By MARY RAINWATER Palestine Herald-Press

PALESTINE — Republican runoff candidate and current Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman made a stop in Palestine Thursday to meet with area political and business leaders and garner last minute votes for Tuesday’s election.

The meet-and-greet luncheon, held at Bishop’s Brisket House in the Palestine Mall, also was attended by Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples, State Senator Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and State Representative Byron Cook, R-Corsicana.

After introductions from Staples and Nichols, Smitherman gave a brief talk on the importance of energy independence — decreasing reliance on foreign oil —  both in Texas and the United States.

“The Keystone Pipeline Project, which would have brought oil from Canada to the United State for processing, was killed by Obama,” the commissioner said. “I would rather trade resources with Canada than leaders like (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez.

“If Texas were a sovereign nation,” he said later, “it would be No. 2 to Canada in production of oil.”

Smitherman also touched on his office’s battle with the Environmental Protection Agency and his efforts to run a more efficient department.

“To be efficient, the Railroad Commission has to be transparent, accountable and technologically (up-to-date),” he explained. “When we are not doing our jobs, the economy suffers.

“In the past, it took five years to get an expansion permit for a lignite mine and today it only takes one year,” he added. “To get a drilling permit took five to six months, and now takes three to four weeks.”

As to the EPA, Smitherman said he felt that the federal agency was sometimes intentional in its regulations, targeting Texas in some instances and leading Smitherman and the Texas Attorney General to file lawsuits.

“The United States is a beacon of hope,” he said. “Other countries look to us and rely on us to keep the world in check. We have an economy like no other — one that is driven by fossil fuels.”

Smitherman is running against Comal County’s Greg Parker, an appointee to the State Commission on Emergency Communications, in Tuesday’s GOP runoff election.

Early voting for the election concludes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Anderson County Courthouse Annex.

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Mary Rainwater may be reached at mrainwater@palestineherald.com

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