Audio By Carbonatix
Late last night the city posted the list of folks who’d like to be on the city’s gas drilling task force. That’s in advance of a 10 a.m. meeting scheduled for Thursday, at which time Linda Koop — chair of the ad hoc gas drilling task force nominating committee, whew — and her hodgepodge will review the applications. That sounds fun. Let’s do that.
I’ve just picked off a few of the easier targets; we’ll go through the rest a little later, no doubt with the help of Friends of Unfair Park pro and con gas-drilling within the city limits. But one name, of course, jumped right out:
Margaret Keliher: the former Dallas County judge who, when she was in office, was among the most vocal members of the North Texas Clean Air Steering Committee, another ad hoc group made up of of elected officials, environmentalists and business leaders. As then-Unfair Park-er and unabashed Keliher fan Matt Pulle wrote in August 2007, the Republican “garnered praise from Democrats and environmentalists alike for her zeal for clean air; she became an expert on the rather arcane subject of cement kiln technology, going so far as to study a particular cutting edge plant in Italy.” She’s currently the executive director of Texas Business for Clean Air.
Also on the list is Royce West II: a paralegal in his father’s Dallas law office who appeared in Pulle’s profile on the state Senator in ’07. Wrote Matt, Junior got crossways with environmentalists four years back when it was revealed he was lobbying on behalf of TXU. He’s also a sports agent of some kind.
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A few other familiar names:
Betty Culbreath: member of the DFW International Airport Board and blogger beloved for random punctuation.
Ed Ireland: member of the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council. Recently wrote: “For a natural gas field in North Texas that barely existed 10 years ago, the Barnett Shale demonstrates a compelling case for drilling.”
John McCall Jr.: the attorney and former president of the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League who tried, unsuccessfully, to stop the Dallas Independent School District from razing the old Oak Cliff Christian Church.
Chico Grimes: recent transplant from Baton Rouge recently seen on WFAA complaining about train noise in South Dallas.
Edward Okpa: businessman, self-made success story and three-time failed Dallas mayoral candidate who most recently received 2.12 percent of the 69,557 votes cast. Prone to leaving mayoral debates early without explanation.
Vernon Franko: behatted candidate for Angela Hunt’s District 14 council seat, received 140 votes. Great signs, though.
Part II forthcoming.
