April 01, 2014 12:53 PM UTC

Gardner Challenges Udall To "Oppose" What's Not Happening

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• by: Colorado Pols

An unusual statement Tweeted earlier today by Republican Senate candidate Cory Gardner's campaign:

First off, it would be great if Gardner would publish his press releases in plain text on his website, instead of making graphics out of them. Then again, it's not as easy to actually quote him this way, and that might be strategic for a guy like Gardner.

But here's our real question: what is this "ban on hydraulic fracturing" that "has put nearly 100,000 Colorado jobs at risk of being completely eliminated?" We follow the local news pretty closely, as our readers know, and we know of no such initiative. That said, last week, the Denver Post did publish a rather silly article hypothesizing about just such a statewide ban:

A statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing would cost Colorado 68,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic activity over five years, according to an analysis released Wednesday…

Since 95 percent of the wells in Colorado are fracked, the study assumes that drilling activity would be reduced 95 percent.

68,000 isn't the same as "nearly 100,000," unless you're really generous with your rounding. But in reality, even that lower figure has no rational basis. Why, you ask? Because there is no statewide ban on hydraulic fracture drilling proposed by anyone in Colorado.

While five municipalities and Boulder County have adopted fracking bans or moratoriums, there is no statewide ballot initiative to ban fracking. [Pols emphasis]

"It is a worst-case scenario," Metro Denver EDC chief Tom Clark said. "We wanted the public to understand the size of the oil and gas in Colorado."

…The CU study, which began when there was a possibility of a statewide ban initiative, doesn't reflect the more nuanced proposals, said Brian Lewandowski, author of the Leeds analysis.

Folks, if anyone can show us evidence that a statewide ban on fracking was ever a "possibility," meaning real people actually working to place that on the ballot, we'll be glad to correct the record. Otherwise, this "study" is meaningless propaganda from CU President and oil millionaire Bruce Benson, and allied opponents of any local control over "fracking" anywhere in Colorado. You see, there are proposed ballot measures that would allow local communities to control oil and gas drilling, setbacks from existing development, and other industrial land issues within their boundaries–but to take these "worst case scenario" hypothetical numbers for a statewide total ban on "fracking" that no one is proposing, as Cory Gardner has done, and then claim this to be an actual threat that has "put Colorado jobs at risk," is misleading in the extreme.

We suppose Gardner gets credit for going after an issue other than Obamacare. If Gardner could just be minimally truthful while he does so, that would be a positive step for his campaign. Unfortunately, the facts in this case make a shameless liar of Gardner. Again.