Few things make you appreciate Colorado so much as Texas in July. Down around Dallas last week, they were talking about drought; this year to date has been drier than a Baptist wedding. And it was hot, with highs above 100 degrees every day for more than two weeks with no relief in sight.
So their governor, Rick Perry, was planning some sort of “maybe prayer and contrition will fix our climate problems” rally on Aug. 6.
Perry was also a hot topic because he might be running for the Republican nomination for the presidency. From what I read by Lone Star political pundits, he’s likely to toss his Stetson into the ring because he’s been meeting with his money people recently. Since politicians are always meeting with their major contributors, I’m not convinced this means anything.
But I did find another indication that Perry is giving serious thought to the presidency. He recently signed a bill that required natural gas drillers to disclose the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing.
The process, commonly called fracking, involves drilling a deep hole, then pumping water and various chemicals underground. They break up subsurface rocks and release natural gas that had been trapped in small pores.
Some states, including Colorado, have regulations that call for disclosure of fracking chemicals, but Texas is the first state with a law requiring drillers to post the chemicals they use.
In Colorado, whenever there are efforts to regulate the drilling industry, such proposals are generally attacked as “job-killing regulations.” But drilling jobs in Texas must be different from ours. Perry said the disclosure laws would mean more jobs there because improved safety and environmental quality would encourage more domestic production.
Now, if Perry’s sights were no higher than governing America’s second most populous state, why bother with the fracking bill? Texas governors certainly aren’t expected to stand up to Big Oil. But if he were trying to impress a national constituency? Then his support of fracking disclosure makes political sense — up to a point.
There’s still the Republican nomination to consider, and you don’t impress Republicans by regulating big business, especially for a cleaner environment so that rural peons don’t worry so much about their well water. If Perry does run, he’ll doubtless be attacked by many of his fellow Republicans for signing a “job-killing anti-business” bill. Just ask Mitt Romney — do something humane or sensible during your time in office, and the Tea Party wing of the GOP will never forgive you no matter how fast you run away from it.
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Now the truth must come out. Our recent road trip (who wants to fly with the TSA getting ever more invasive?) to Texas was not inspired by political curiosity or a desire to swelter. Instead, there was a celebration of my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday, and she lives in a Dallas suburb.
Martha’s mother seemed to enjoy the occasion with her three daughters and some of her grandchildren present, though she didn’t provide anything as memorable as a statement she made about 25 years ago, a few years after Martha’s father died. She mentioned then that she’d enjoyed herself out dining and dancing with various gentlemen friends. I asked her if she might remarry.
“Oh goodness no,” she said. “Men. When they’re home you have to take care of them and when they’re away you have to worry about them. Who needs one?”
I really didn’t have a good answer for her, but I’m glad Martha hasn’t reached the same conclusion.
Freelance columnist Ed Quillen (ekquillen@gmail.com) of Salida is a regular contributor to The Denver Post.
