Aug 5, 2008
by Pete Wann
Gosh, I suppose I couldn’t have put it any better myself…
From the text of the story aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered” today. (Emphasis mine.)
In the wake of Chesapeake’s infomercial comes Shale TV, a daily talk show about the Barnett Shale set to air this fall. The company has hired three award-winning Dallas broadcast journalists to produce the show.
Julie Wilson, Chesapeake vice president for corporate development, says she understands there’s skepticism about the objectivity of Shale TV, but she insists it’s no different than the rest of corporate media.
“Well, I think we pay those journalists — whether on Channel 8 or Channel 11 or the Star-Telegram — in terms of advertising support,” Wilson says. “We see this as pretty much instead of running the ads on the program, we’re just writing the check direct.”
Aug 5, 2008
by Steve-O
One of the more underreported stories in the Barnett Shale is the ongoing antipathy between Chesapeake and XTO — I think the Eighth Avenue situation owes as much to this dynamic as it does to Bill Davis. For an amusing take on the war of words between Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon and XTO CEO Bob Simpson, check out the A&D Intelligence Blog.
Aug 4, 2008
by Steve-O
What’s your favorite Mike Moncrief story? Mine is probably a toss up between the Mayor’s lucrative relationships with the gas and oil industry or how he skipped the first public hearing on the gas drilling task force to attend the lighting of Castle Grayskull, er, the Pier 1 Building, um, I mean the Chesapeake Building.
Yep, Mayor Mikey cares. And now, UTA is even writing a book about it. From the press release:
“Could there be a better way to learn about the science of politics than to study the career of a successful practitioner? Allan Saxe, who has taught political science for more than four decades at The University of Texas at Arlington, thought not. So, he designed an unusual curriculum with students engaging in original research to chronicle the political life of Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief.
Eight students, all undergraduates, were involved in the research. They collected an extensive oral history from interviews with Moncrief, as well as former Fort Worth mayors Bob Bolen and Kenneth Barr. After the students’ research was complete, Saxe decided the results called for preservation as a tool for understanding the history of the Fort Worth area, as well as city management, policies and planning. A DVD of the interviews was placed in local community colleges and high school libraries and in UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.
“Also a book, “Decades of Caring: A Chronicle of the Political Life of Mike Moncrief” is being published by Cengage Learning. The book is divided in two four sections, each co-written by two students. The sections cover Moncrief’s time as a Texas State representative, judge of Tarrant County Commissioners Court, Texas state senator and mayor of Fort Worth.”
Aug 4, 2008
by Steve-O
An interesting overview as this issue begins drawing national attention. And they aren’t even touching on eminent domain — yet.
Aug 3, 2008
by Steve-O
Everyone’s favorite interior decorator turned Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, who never met a check from an energy company she didn’t like, opined about the majesty of the Barnett Shale in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. To hear her tell it, we love having gas wells next to our homes and schools. Really?
Jul 31, 2008
by Steve-O
Mayor Mikey shudders
Lexuses fill parking lot
Standing room only
Jul 31, 2008
by Steve-O
This just in from Don Young: “Jerry Horton called me just now to report that she was served papers today by Texas Midstream [ Chesapeake Energy's pipeline company]. The court date is August 21 at 9:30 a.m.” Evidently, she can’t afford a lawyer. Should be an interesting hearing.
Jul 31, 2008
by Steve-O
Today was the first day in a long time that I felt any sense of optimism about urban gas drilling.
This may surprise some of you, especially considering that as our city creeps closer to the dog days of August, tempers on the gas drilling issue have been flaring. To support my point, I reference Ms. Horton’s outburst at Mayor Mikey the other day. I believe you are going to see more of that. The Mayor and the City Council and the gas drilling interests have been unwilling to deal with this issue and it is starting to get out of their control. If you drive south down Oakland Boulevard from I-30 you will see what I mean. Yard after yard of anti-pipeline signs. One asked the Mayor how he would like a pipeline in his front yard.
And really that places the blame squarely where it belongs. Mayor Mikey — you made this happen. you didn’t protect Fort Worth neighborhoods and now you have the makings on an insurrection on your hands. Way to go.
And as much as I would like to see this whole thing blow up in your face because you deserve it, you actually have an opportunity to pull your ass out of the sling and fix this whole mess. And I’m going to tell you how to do it.
[Read more]
