Williamson County Rep Tony Dale Joins House Energy Caucus

In case you missed it, State Representative Tony Dale, HD-136 (western Williamson County) has joined the newly created House Energy Caucus and has been elected Secretary.

Here's the official release:

 AUSTIN -- State Representative Tony Dale, R- Cedar Park, has been elected as Secretary of the newly created House Energy Caucus (HEC). This caucus, which includes Republican and Democratic Members of the House, will study and address issues related to traditional and alternative energy sources, as well as the energy industry's effect on the rest of the state.

"I look forward to taking a leadership role on energy issues," Dale said. "The energy industry is critical to the overall economic health of our state, and this caucus will work to see that Texas remains a national leader in energy production and innovation.

"Energy production is a critical part of our state's economy and vital to our national security," the HEC Chair State Representative Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said addressing the members during the organizational meeting. "The importance of this production is never lost on the communities supplying the men, women, and businesses supporting the oil patch, the mine, or renewable fields spread over most of our state."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas is first in the nation in production of oil, natural gas, and wind energy. Texas coal and lignite production is also a key supplier for energy demands. As technological capability and demand has increased, the growth and expansion of these forms of energy production has affected all areas of the state, including central Texas, where the energy industry has brought significant job growth. Companies like National Oil Well Varco, Tolteq, Corvalent, EEstor and 3Ps Solutions have created well-paying primary jobs in southwestern Williamson County.

The House Energy Caucus will provide educational opportunities and information on policy issues regarding traditional energy production such as oil, gas, and coal, as well as alternative energy including biomass, wind and solar power, and emerging technologies like clean coal/coal gasification. In addition, the HEC will also identify, research, and build coalitions to help resolve social and infrastructure issues faced by areas of the state experiencing significant impacts from increased activity related to the energy industry.

"The Caucus will help to educate its members on the impact to energy production of legislation addressing water, transportation and workforce development needs," Rep. Darby said. "This state's energy industry is revitalizing our state through innovative technologies and significant economic investment and I want to see that continue."

"Energy is a vital, growing industry in Williamson County, and this leadership post will help me advocate for constituents who work in the energy sector," Dale said. "In addition, strong energy policies will benefit all of my constituents, and my role in this caucus will give me an immediate policy impact during my first term in the Legislature.

Dale was elected to the House in November 2012.  He is a small business owner and veteran of the U.S. Army who previously served on the Cedar Park City Council.  He represents western Williamson County, including the communities of Cedar Park, Leander, and Brushy Creek, as well as parts of north Austin.  

Matt Wants Higher Gas Taxes, Do You? UPDATE: Not Sure Where He Comes From?

Residents of western Williamson County have noticed recently that Republican Tony Dale does actually have an opponent in the race for Texas House District 136.  Democrat Matt Stillwell has managed to throw out some rather interesting campaign signs.  The signs, which seem designed to look hand-made, include various enigmatic questions, “Matt wants quality schools, do you?” and “Matt wants a water plan, do you?”  (Self, doesn’t Texas already have a water plan?)

Mr. Stillwell has been telling anyone who would listen (and the Austin American Statesman always listens to Democrats,) that he is a “social liberal” and a “fiscal conservative,” but nothing about his campaign suggests fiscal conservatism.  In fact, his real stances scream “fiscal liberal.”

For example, in some of the literature Mr. Stillwell has handed out, he calls for higher gas prices via tax increases.  He makes the argument that the State’s gas taxes are not high enough to maintain and construct roads, but makes no mention of the fact that over the past 25 years, some $10.8 billion in state transportation funds have been diverted to other uses.  Also, according to Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation, “Congress has transferred $7 billion in Texas-paid gasoline tax to other states.”  So maybe we don’t have a “revenue problem” after all?

Perhaps Mr. Stillwell ought to consider his party’s war on domestic energy producers, and have a little compassion for families and businesses struggling to keep up with gas prices that have increased 103.79% since Obama took office.

Advocating higher taxes doesn’t sound too fiscally conservative.

While in his literature Stillwell pays some vague lip service to the fiscally conservative policies that have made Texas successful, his endorsements tell another story.  A thinking person might conclude that endorsements from the Texas AFL-CIO and other unions imply that Mr. Stillwell would like to dismantle Texas’ “Right to Work” laws, and other fiscally conservative measures that have made the state successful.  As Stillwell stated in a recent interview, his support comes from labor unions and environmentalists.  ‘Nuff said.

One thing on which Stillwell has been quite truthful:  he is indeed a social liberal.  Not a moderate, mind you, but a liberal.  He is not only adamantly pro-abortion, but also advocates gay marriage.  Before his handlers recently scrubbed his campaign website, Stillwell accused supporters of traditional marriage of “the same type of thinking that has been proven wrong again and again over the last century,” and ridiculed attempts to protect marriage.  He is an opponent of the Defense of Marriage Act, something Texans have overwhelmingly supported at the polls.

Interestingly enough, the Austin American Statesman has been eagerly reporting Stillwell’s assertion that House District 136 is somehow a swing district and winnable by a liberal Democrat.  Their evidence?  That Governor Rick Perry and Senator John Cornyn won by only 15% points in the 2010 elections.

Dude.  On what planet is a 15-point advantage a close race?

Of course the rumor on the  streets is that Stillwell and his Democrat handlers know he can’t win, but they’re propping him up anyway so that he can do a little better the next time he runs for the Round Rock School Board.  The RRISD has been trying to boost him by appointing him to some boards, so maybe there is a method to this madness.  I wonder if the parents of Round Rock are ready for such an overt social liberal?

In the meantime, I think voters in HD 136 are smarter than Stillwell gives them credit for.

UPDATE:  This week Mr. Stillwell's campaign sent out a mailer claiming that he was a "native Texan."  Sounds good; the only problem is that he hails from out of state- New Mexico if I have my facts straight.  Either Stillwell's campaign is being run by someone who doesn't know him, or...

Dale: Jollyville Salamanders Are Blind, Policy-Makers Don't Have To Be

Cedar Park Mayor Pro Tem and Republican nominee for Texas House District 136 Tony Dale  penned the following editorial about the salamander issue in Williamson County.  I touched on this issue in my column (Lessons From Gatorland,) but salamander politics continue to plague local residents.

By Tony Dale:

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately you may have noticed articles about various salamanders that are the subject of federal and local attention. One may ask why a creature only 2-3 inches long should be in such a spotlight, and why you should care. If you own an average home in a subdivision, an empty lot you want to sell, a ranch, or 1,000 undeveloped acres you may be impacted.

The controversy started in June 2011 when the Obama Administration settled two lawsuits filed by national environmental groups. Those groups petitioned to list an astounding 779 species as endangered. To put that in context the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) currently has 603 animals listed as endangered or threatened. In the settlement the Administration agreed to list over 250 new species. Included in that number are the Jollyville Plateau and Georgetown salamanders. These salamanders appear in springs in Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock and Georgetown.

So how does this impact everyone with a home, business or land? Simply put the likely listing will result in new land use restrictions on private property that may reduce the value of the property. It could also make some land completely undevelopable. Under federal law landowners are not compensated for the loss in value. So if for example a new retail establishment cannot be built, or its planned size is reduced, that means less sales tax revenue to cities. As a result cities will have to rely more on property taxes from single-family homes. Cedar Park leaders have worked hard to diversify the mix of sales tax and property tax to relieve the burden on homeowners. New development rules would also increase the cost building of new schools and roads at a direct expense to taxpayers. Also, less development means fewer job opportunities for Williamson County families. I believe that a strong economy leads to strong families and this federal intervention harms both.

Evidence collected by Williamson County’s scientists shows that humans and salamanders can coexist in a rapidly developing area. It is also important to note that of approximately 90 known locations for the Jollyville salamander more than 80 are already protected. Many of us involved in working on this issue have seen that the USFWS is using data that does not support their likely conclusion that the species is endangered. In 2002, the county created the Williamson County Conservation Foundation (WCCF) to provide for conservation of endangered species in Williamson County while helping to promote responsible development. The Foundation is in its second year of a five-year study, but the federal settlement has short- circuited that work.

As a former board member of the WCCF and a current member of the county
task force related to this issue I’m proud of the county’s history of protecting
habitat and developing in a responsible way. When you put people at the center
of your policies you typically get good results. However, when you fail to use valid

science or abuse our legal system, as I believe the national environmental groups
have, poor decisions are made. A glaring example of that was reported recently
regarding the golden-cheeked warbler. Texas A&M published that the population
of warblers in Texas is over 263,000 as opposed to number less than 10,000
when it was listed. This bird was central to battles between environmentalists and
developers in the 1990s. As reported in the Austin-American Statesman the “Texas
regional wildlife director for the Environmental Defense Fund, said in an interview
that the species would ‘probably not’ have been listed as endangered in 1990 had
the Fish and Wildlife Service had these figures then”.

It is time for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to slow down and let Williamson
County complete its study so they do not make the same sort of mistake they made
with the golden-cheeked warbler.

Tony Dale is the Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Cedar Park. He is a former board member of the Williamson County Conservation Foundation and currently serves as a member of the County Task Force studying endangered species issues.