Texas Weather Tests Republicans Who Value Industry Over Consumers Safety?

 

Photo: KHOU

Texas residents have found themselves in a weather bind without electricity.  After a few days without electricity, still, around 1.2 million customers are without electricity while 20 people have died.  Why did this happen?  News stations across the nation report that Texas likes to be isolated from an energy standpoint.  "Don't mess with Texas."  We won't.  

Texas state legislators have come to realize the issue facing the weather.  Legislators in Texas decided early on (decades ago) to be isolated from the remainder of the States of the United States of America.  Included in that thinking was to give big businesses (oil, gas, and electric along with chemicals, etc.) huge tax savings to attract industry.  And attract they did over the past few decades.

I have a couple of family members who are considering moving to Texas.  Or at least, they had been up until maybe this weekend.  Texas legislators have deregulated the business environment in the state to the point of service disruptions during extreme weather events.  Take the Hurricane seasons over the past 4 years.  Each Hurricane season destroys Texas.  Chemical industries in big Metropolitan cities such as Houston leak-like faucets turned wide open.  Spewing dangerous chemicals on the communities around them.  

During these extreme weather events, natural gas freezes which cause the power plants to shut down.  Why does natural gas not freeze in other states?  Because regulators put restrictions (i.e. safety regulations) to ensure that gas lines are buried underneath the ground to avoid leaking.  On top of the depth, the material is regulated too.  These steps are the difference between dying citizens and a continuous power supply fueled by natural gas.  Pretty simple folks. 

In the video below, which is an interview by MSNBC correspondent  Katy Tur interviews a Texas Judge about the deregulations which have caused irreparable damage to regions of the state:

Wow!  In California, we have strong regulators.  Environmentalist groups push them beyond belief.  Which causes certain residents to have resentments toward these groups and regulators.  During these times, I wonder what thoughts pass through their heads about the lack of power in Texas.  Are they concerned?  Have they connected the dots between regulatory safety nets and environmental regulation?  Maybe not.  This is where education by the community could help fill a deep void of resentment.  Stay tuned.