I must have had a dozen telephone calls the last few weeks from news reporters wanting to know about Rick Perry. I have known Gov. Perry since 1984 when he was first elected to the Texas House as a Democrat from Haskell, Texas. I was executive vice president of the West Central Texas Oil and Gas Association in Abilene, which is about 50 miles south of Haskell.

Perry was an immediate success. He turned heads in Austin even during his first year in the House, which is very unusual. He’s likable, intelligent and an astute politician.

Perry honestly believes in less, not more, government. He speaks frankly and openly about it, and his comments have already caught the attention of his political proponents and opponents.

Perry points out that America is at a crossroads. One in six work-eligible Americans cannot find a full-time job. The nation’s credit rating has been downgraded for the first time in history. Millions of Americans are struggling to avoid foreclosure or to just make ends meet.

Rick Perry wants to get America working again.

It’s no secret that Texas has built the nation’s strongest economy under Perry. Since June 2009, more than 40 percent of all net new jobs in America have been created in Texas. Thanks to his fiscally conservative leadership, Texans enjoy one of the lowest tax burdens in the country and one of the lowest government debt burdens per capita.

Perry’s philosophy is simple: maintain a low tax rate; don’t spend all of the money; regulate only when absolutely necessary; and create jobs.

The oil and gas industry hasn’t agreed with Perry 100 percent of the time. We have had our disagreements. He even vetoed a bill that we had worked very hard to pass 10 years ago.

On the other hand, we have worked together under the leadership of House Energy Resources Committee Chairman Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, to pass a controversial bill this year that called for disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.

When people have been in the political game for some 30 years together there are bound to be a fight or two along the way.

In general, however, on energy policy, we agree that America is too dependent upon imports. To do that, America needs to produce as much oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar and ethanol as possible.

Yet, the Obama Administration continues to work against America’s oil and gas producers by suggesting that they should pay more in taxes, and his EPA wants to increase environmental regulations.

Rick Perry is the real deal. He has an excellent plan to turn the economy around and get America back on track.

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Tags: Industry

September 4

Mass. man injured in ATV crash

INDUSTRY A Massachusetts man riding as a passenger on an all-terrain vehicle was injured Sunday morning when the vehicle reportedly hit an embankment and flipped over.
Ryan Murray, 23, of Lowell, Mass., was riding an ATV driven by Justin Messina, 22, of Tewksbury, Mass., on the Greenwood Brook Road when Messina apparently lost control of the vehicle, according to Edith Smith at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Messina was thrown clear from the ATV, while Murray was pinned underneath. Messina was able to roll the ATV off Murray, who was then taken by Northstar EMS to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington with non-life threatening injuries. Initial reports are that Murray has a possible fracture to his left leg and was conscious and talking with medical personnel at the scene, Smith said.
Both men were wearing helmets and the accident is being attributed to excessive speed. The accident occurred just down the road from Messinas grandparents house in Industry.
Responding to the accident were Maine Game Wardens Kris MacCabe and Kim Bates.

Tags: Industry