I Am Against Government Regulation! (except when it protects my own best interest)

We have a mandate America!  Right?  Let’s adhere to the perfection of the Constitution. Let’s lower taxes.  Let’s reduce the deficit.  Let’s get RID of all this ridiculous government regulation.  (Uh, that is with the specific and distinct exception of when said regulation might actually protect our own personal property or interest.)

Hmmm.  Can we say oxymoron?  Double standard?

Someone recently brought to my attention a wonderfully controversial case in point in the Town of Flower Mound, Texas.  The lovely, affluent town of Flower Mound, a bastion of north Texas conservatism in Denton County, seems to have no problem at all with “Drill, Baby, Drill!” (with respects to Sarah Palin), as long as it’s Not In My BackYard (NIMBY).

Now you have to understand this is about as Republican-red, right-wing, tea party turf as you can find anywhere in the red and purple states.  So the principles and ideals which so richly imbue such quotables as “I don’t want the government messing with my Social Security,” are a good fit here, except folks in most neighborhoods in Flower Mound likely have a pretty good tax shelter already covering their retirements.  But I digress.  Back on topic: government deregulation (except when it affects me).

Texas is oil and gas country.  It’s what’s helped make us Texas what we are today (good, bad or ugly).  And the community of Flower Mound seems to be all for that EXCEPT when it affects Flower Mound.  This excerpt from the blog site “Flower Mound Citizens Against Urban Drilling” (http://stopthedrilling.blogspot.com/):

“Our Mission: To work in a legal, ethical, and civil manner to stop urban gas drilling in the highly residential areas of North Texas. We are not against all gas drilling, but rather that which will adversely affect the public safety, the enjoyment of our homes, and our overall quality of life. We support the need for better regulation and accountability of the Oil & Gas Industry in rural and urban areas of Texas.”

Again, friends of Joe the Architect, I cannot make this stuff up.  I mean…we’re not against gas drilling per se…We just need more REGULATION and ACCOUNTABILITY.  Really? 



Credit to:  http://stopthedrilling.blogspot.com/

 What I love the most are all the great videos with close zoom-in / zoom-out shots of the drilling rig as traffic passes by.  But the saddest thing is how this group can be quick to vilify the workers at the sites, truck drivers, guys in hard hats, etc., who just happen to be doing their jobs.  Hey, it’s economic development, right?  More jobs, more tax base for the community.  (Not to mention the $$’s in pockets of the neighbors who sold their mineral rights to the company.)

Come on.  If this community was serious about leadership that would protect the environment and neighborhoods, they wouldn’t have reflected a county voting outcome of 59,352 (74.51%) out of 79,652 straight party votes for the Republic ticket.