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April 19, 2012 10:03 PM UTC

McNulty All About Local Control, Except When He Isn't

  • 25 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

The Durango Herald’s Joe Hanel reports:

The task force that Gov. John Hickenlooper set up to halt a looming war between local governments and the energy industry came back Wednesday with a plan to keep things mostly as they are.

Several Front Range local governments are considering moratoriums and regulations in the face of a drilling and hydraulic fracturing boom. Earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature blocked each other’s bills to either increase or remove the authority of local governments to oversee drilling.

Hickenlooper’s task force – which included people from the energy industry, environmental groups and local governments – reached much the same conclusion. The group decided that “drawing bright lines between state and local jurisdictional authority was neither realistic nor productive.”

…Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, had pushed to rein in local governments, some of which he says are chasing away jobs and investment. [Pols emphasis]

“The task force ignored about 98 percent of what the governor asked them to do. What they did recommend I think is helpful but does little to address the overall situation we have in Colorado,” McNulty said.

“Local control” is a time-honored Republican chestnut used to justify opposing most anything they don’t like–why should the big faceless remote state government be allowed to impose their will on local communities who know best? You’ve heard this argument in a variety of places and settings.

But apparently, not when it comes to oil and gas drilling.

Comments

25 thoughts on “McNulty All About Local Control, Except When He Isn’t

  1. Republican mind, just as it isn’t a contradiction in their minds to say you are for small government while you pass legislation to govern the most private health decisions of women.

  2. There is virtually no Republican canard that they’ll completely ignore in practice when it comes to serving big business.

    “Local control” only means allowing bigoted locales to discriminate legally.

    1. Republicans always have one priority, creating the best possible climate for private business to flourish. It’s not fair to put Republicans into an ideological box any more than it is to do that to Democrats. A fairer publication would applaud McNulty for his consistency to practical solutions for business.

      But that’s asking much too much of Colorado Pols.

        1. I said that Republicans want what is best for business and job creation. When that’s local control, and it usually is, that’s what we support. In certain situations where a statewide consistent policy makes sense for business, that’s what we support.

          And Republicans stand with Gov. Hickenlooper, a Democrat, on this issue. Who do you stand with other than the greenie fringe?

          1. Either Rethugs are FOR local control, as they flatly proclaim, or they’re NOT, which makes them hypocrites.

            At least you’re being a bit honest. Cut out the phrase “and job creation,” add the adjective “big,” and, well, cut the rest of your post, and you’ve written a true sentence. “Republicans want what is best for big business.” At the expense of everything else.

      1. local businesses would have more than enough input into local government to make sure their interests are served. Having that power overridden by distant bureaucrats (government OR corporate) seems particularly against the conservative ethos.

        1. This is about what is best for the economy and job creators. McNulty kept that trust.

          You’ll excuse me if I don’t treat you as an authority on the “conservative ethos.” You don’t know a thing about it.

          1. The vast majority of oil and gas producers working in Colorado don’t want legislation and backed the task force’s recommendations.

            McNulty kept the trust of the extremists who could have, and still may, help line his PAC in order to help him keep his Speaker position, if the R’s hold the House.

            That’s all this is, ArapaGOP.

            That’s it.

          1. Why does the right keep cutting off funding for women’s health care?

            If it’s not a priority for Republicans, why does it appear on every ballot? And why does it always get the endorsement of every Republican candidate?

                1. I thought I was making a concession. There are fanatics on both sides.

                  I personally would side with a fanatic for human life over a fanatic for defecating in the public parks, but that’s probably just me.

      2. If the Republicans truly give a rip about the high tech business in this state they would be focused on fixing K-12, adequately funding higher ed, and figuring out how to stop the exponential growth of both healthcare and education inflation.

        That’s what we need from the state. And the oh so jobs focused legislators have done virtually nothing on these items this session. (Note – major props for SB-191 last session. We don’t know yet how much it will help but it is a giant attempt to improve K-12.)

        But McNulty & Republicans pro-business? Speaking from the high-tech industry point of view – no!

  3. The task force appointed by Frackenlooper was primarily made up of appointees from Colorado’s legislature, the COGCC and local governments. There was one environmental group on the task force–the vast majority of those working to make sure that oil and gas development in our state done right and protects our air and water quality were left out of the room. They were not happy about it. Fortunately they are organized enough to monitor the deliberations and send suggestions to the lone voice in the room representing all environmentalists.

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