Big Oil and Their Politicians Ignore the Will of the People

Torchlight Energy Resources begins drilling in pristine environment of Hudspeth County only miles from El Paso.

[Below is a letter to the editor of the El Paso Times. It was run under the title of "Politicians Protect Fracking, Hurt Communities". The letter is from Ho Baron, political activist and sculpturist.]


Oil and gas fracking is a dirty drilling practice contaminating soil and water, inducing earthquakes, polluting the air and causing numerous health problems.

When Denton’s city council banned local fracking, the industry successfully lobbied the Texas government to pass House Bill 40. With $5.5 million contributed to legislators’ campaigns, Big Oil bribed our Republican Texas government to prohibit cities from banning fracking.

Though Republicans continually fight for state’s rights, they are eliminating long established property laws and community rights.

Utilizing our city water, fracking operations have begun drilling 10 miles east of the El Paso in Hudspeth County. Ironically, the University of Texas system leased the land to the frackers who project drillng 2500 wells in Hudspeth County.

Industry profits therefore have priority over our environment, endangering El Paso/Juarez lives and the future of our communities. Meanwhile, locals, who fought for years to rid El Paso of Asarco, have been hesitant to condemn this far worse impending threat.

Historically, interrelated factors contributing to societal collapses have been population, climate, water, agriculture and energy.  Societal failures often stem from the exploitive elites, selfishly stretching resources for personal profit. Lacking foresight, they believe themselves immune from the consequences of their actions.

Fracking has come to West Texas, and it’s so representative of the chokehold that corporations, the super rich, and the Republican Party have on our future.