City/Town
Austin
Age
42
Campaign Phone Number
(512) 271-4782
Fax Number
(512) 271-4783
Youtube Channel
I was born and raised in Texas and have been a proud resident my entire life.
I am a small business owner and attorney specializing in oil and gas, water, tax issues, electric deregulation and environmental policy. I serve as president of a grassroots advocacy firm specializing in coalition building in the public policy arena and development and implementation of issue strategies.
I am a Plan II graduate, earning my B.A. and J.D. at the University of Texas at Austin.
St. Austin's Catholic Church, Member
State Bar of Texas, Member
Travis County Bar Association, Member
Junior League of Austin, Member
Texas Women's Alliance, Member
The Texas Lyceum, Alumni
Texas Ex-Students’ Association, Life Member
Commission of 125 at the University of Texas at Austin, Member
University of Texas Liberal Arts Alumni Advisory Council, Member
Austin Republican Women, Member
Pi Beta Phi Sorority Alumni Club, Member
Republican State Convention, Delegate - 1992, 1994, 2000, 2004
Republican National Convention, Chief Page – 1992
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, Former Board Member
Austin Young Lawyers Association, Member
I have never sought or held public office.
$2,226,765.51 as of September 4, 2012
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Craddick
Mr. and Mrs. S. Javaid Anwar
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Davis
I have never been arrested or involved in any criminal proceedings. I have been named in a civil suit involving my father, former Speaker Tom Craddick.
Early in my career, I worked with businesses that were concerned about an issue that would be detrimental to their bottom line. I led a team that organized multiple companies to plan and execute a strategy to deal with the situation. We brought together businesses large and small and developed a strategy, worked with the affected communities, educated the public, and even worked with the opposing parties. All sides were at the table and a compromise was reached, benefitting many businesses and establishing good precedent for the future.
Margaret Thatcher. She is a strong leader and a good role model for women who, alongside President Reagan, fought for conservative values.
Here in Texas we are extremely fortunate to have large energy reserves and resources – natural gas, oil, coal, wind, solar and uranium. These precious resources point to a bright future for our state and the nation. Maintaining a competitive advantage in a global economy requires the vision, discipline and willingness to execute an energy strategy that begins with proven production of oil and gas right here in Texas, creating jobs and prosperity.
While no single state, region or production mechanism will provide the complete answer to American energy independence, failure to make use of the abundant natural resources found within our borders will pose not only economic, but national security challenges. The solution to American energy security begins in Texas and with the example we set with pro-growth energy policies.
I am running for Texas Railroad Commissioner because I am a firm believer that Texas energy is among the primary vehicles keeping our state’s economy afloat during these trying economic times. And the Texas economy is bolstering the U.S. economy. But without continued diligence, and a commitment to investing in Texas’ energy future, the energy industry in this state will struggle like any other.
My experience and knowledge of the energy industry coupled with my conservative principles make me uniquely qualified to serve as Texas Railroad Commissioner. Through years of first-hand experience, I know and understand this industry, its people and their issues. I know that history has shown us that limited government frees unlimited innovation and growth.
If you will entrust me with this job, I will ensure you my full time dedication to applying these conservative values to the daily business of the Texas Railroad Commission.
The Railroad Commission needs a well-rounded leader who brings a balanced approach to the job. Balancing the needs of private property owners, the environment, the industry and the economy takes extensive knowledge of how each facet of the industry is affected by regulations. I have worked with all parties involved in the oil and gas industry and understand their varying issues, which is vital when making rulings as a commissioner.
The Railroad Commission and the State of Texas have been leaders in oil and gas and regulation of the industry. Texas should continue to regulate and lead in the development of new oil and gas policy without the intrusion of the federal government. I will work every day against the EPA and the federal government's overreach by working with other agencies, our congressional delegation and other states to educate them about the industry.
I believe in the importance of education and outreach to the public about the industry and the functions of the Railroad Commission. Town hall meetings, an improved website and the introduction of an oil and gas curriculum in our schools are a few of the ways I believe we should disseminate good facts to the public.
The oil and gas industry is the second most technologically advanced industry in the world. I believe the Commission needs to improve their website and online filings and data to be more user-friendly and have information and data more readily available for the public. An improved website and online filings will help to make information more readily available.
I was born and raised in the Permian Basin and have worked with and represented most participants of the energy industry, from mineral and surface owners, oil and gas producers, big and small, and pipeline companies. As a small business owner and lifelong conservative, conservative fiscal values are imperative to running a state agency efficiently and effectively.
Yes, we should retain a three-member elected Railroad Commission. The Railroad Commission acts as a quasi-judicial body that regularly makes rulings that affect the Texas oil and gas industry, which affects tens of thousands of jobs and our state's overall economy. Our system of government is effective because of checks and balances. We do not need a sole commissioner at the Railroad Commission acting in the likeness of an energy czar in Texas.
Every elected official accepts political contributions from individuals that are affected by their work. The First Amendment protects this right. Transparency and full disclosure, which is already required, but can always be improved, protects the citizens of Texas from unethical behavior by their elected officials. I would never accept a contribution with conditions. Ever. If a contributor of mine expects something in return for a contribution to my campaign, they can keep their money.
Raising fees on industry to generate more revenue is the same as raising taxes on citizens. Currently, the industry pays severance taxes, property taxes and other fees to the state. The Railroad Commission should be funded appropriately through the current taxes and fees collected from the industry to continue to function effectively and efficiently.
I support increased penalties on repeat offenders at a financial fine that would get their attention and discourage future offenses. I do not serve on the Commission, but as a general policy, if elected, I will have little leniency on repeat offenders when I am on the Railroad Commission.
The Railroad Commission only deals with the production of energy. If the Commission were to develop a comprehensive plan, it would need to be a "State of Texas" energy plan with input from many other agencies including the PUC, TCEQ, the Legislature, private industry and others.
The plan should include a long-term view of where Texas oil and gas production will be in 50 years; emerging technologies, the role of wind, solar, and other forms of alternative and renewable energy; where will our transportation needs be in 50 years; what our electricity needs will be based upon our transportation needs and population growth, etc. If there is a state energy plan, it needs to be flexible to take advantage of advances in technology. Much of the technology used today in energy exploration did not exist just ten years ago.
The science on man-made climate change is based on inaccurate facts. We should always use good science when developing public policy. Texas has been a leader in balancing energy production and in protecting the environment and should continue to base state policy on good science.
Texans are conservationists and want to protect our air, water, land and private property rights, including currently in the North Texas' Barnett Shale area. Today's technology allows producers to drill for the energy Texas desperately needs in the most environmentally conscious methods. We must continue to balance our state's need for energy while protecting our natural resources as well as the property rights of our citizens.
I support fair and consistent regulations on natural gas drilling while continuing to put a premium on protecting property owners, the air and water, those that live in and around areas of urban and suburban drilling.
Oil and gas producers are doing the vital work a growing Texas needs: producing energy so we can turn on our lights and drive our cars. No state is growing like Texas. And with that growth comes a higher and higher demand for energy. As long as producers are following the extensive rules and regulations set forth by the Legislature and the government agencies they are regulated by, including the Railroad Commission, companies should be free to conduct their business without unnecessary regulation.
The Railroad Commission always needs more inspectors. Under the Commission's current workforce, I believe inspectors should devote their time inspecting pipelines in all parts of the state. The safety of the citizens of Texas and the protection of our environment has always been the number one concern of pipeline inspectors. The primary way to assure that pipelines are being inspected in a timely manner is to put more personnel in the field offices. A more updated and informative website is also necessary in helping to improve pipeline safety so that the inspection details are updated and available to the public.
Given I have not served on the Railroad Commission and have not been made aware of all of the facts in each case, I do not believe I have enough facts to give an informed answer.
City/Town
Lampasas, Texas 76550
Age
81
Campaign Phone Number
(512) 564-1448
Fax Number
512 564 1388
80 years and 11 months
Retired petroleum engineer, investments
Graduate of Goldthwaite high school in Mills county
Graduate of the University of Texas, Austin January 31, 1954, with a bachelors of science in Petroleum Engineering
Currently on the board of directors as a director for the Kempner Water Corporation of Kempner, Texas
2009 LCRA regional council member
Director, when formed for five years, of Senate Bill #1 Lower Colorado River Authority Water Planning Group
FIRST to propose off-channel reservoirs on the Colorado River in early 1997 and finally passed by the LCRA operating board as presented by general manager Becky Motal in August of 2012.
Building Hamilton, Texas, water treatment plant
Building Lampasas, Texas, sewage treatment plant
Building city of Lampasas, texas, Sulfur Creek Hancock Park
Held--County commissioner, Precinct #3 Mills county
Sought--Railroad Commissioner seat in 2004,2006,2008, and candidate for 2012
Campaign(December 2011) filing date through August 25 2012, a total of $1260.00 in small bills
The Dale Henry campaign DOES NOT ask for or accept PAC's or other donor contribution from Corporations, county groups or large dollar individual contributions. ALL expenses are paid by Dale Henry from personal funds.
Dale Henry WILL NOT be bought or become obligated to any individual, group, corporation, company, or PAC. I HAVE NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS!
Fred Head (Athens Texas), Smith Gilley (Greenville, Texas), Christi Clements (Marble Falls,Texas)
NO
I was planner, supervisor, organizer, and engineering chief for Occidental Oil Company in Libya, to produce Occidentals FIRST Oil Well of 47,000 barrels of oil per day. This success in 1964 launched Occidental oil to the fourth largest oil company in the world and snatched it from the jaws of bankruptcy.
Past congressmen Bob Poage of Waco Texas
Past congressmen Chet Edwards of Waco Texas
These Two men made Texas an economic giant by getting bills passed to create high employment in and around their districts which included Fort Hood.
Past governor Dolph Briscoe of Uvalde Texas, developed and saw to the implementation of the FM (farm to market) road system in the state of Texas. He also was responsible for the program to eradicate SCREW WORMS from the State of Texas.
To serve the 20 million people of the state of Texas.These people provided me with the technology, experience, and know how by having me at the right place at the right time, IT IS TIME TO REPAY THAT DEBT!
The RRC has been WITHOUT commissioners who have Oil/Gas field experience for DECADES. The result, for example, is serious contamination of the state's surface and in particular its underground water. This contamination covers vast areas of people in large and small communities, who are in dire need of quantity and quality water.
My background in Energy Technology, 57 years of Oil and Gas, with Boots on the Ground experience and know how. My background has included management, engineering, planning, sales, and supervision. I was responsible for on-site supervision of well drilling, well completion, fluid handling and distribution operations, for many oil companies around the world.
Boots on the ground experience during drilling operations, supervision of and planning of well completions. I was responsible for designing, writing, the drilling and completion contracts, which were were sold to clients all over the world. Clients were located in the United States, the middle east, Indonesia, the north sea, Canada, and South America.
Yes- Three heads are better than one and the offices that are and have been a part of the state government for many many years, and no legislative action would be required.
I have not in the past nor currently, during this campaign, ASKED FOR donations. I WILL NOT ACCEPT DONATIONS FROM "SPECIAL INTEREST" GROUPS, PACS, ETC.
I endorse programs that only benefit all the 20 million citizens of the state of Texas. I do not sanction special interest or specific programs.
Special interest campaign finance from the oil and gas industry, negates the trust of the people and places a cloud of dishonesty over the whole Railroad commission.
YES-There is no reason for the RRC not to be self-financed, since there are (at pre
sent) many difference, for example, the amount per operator that is charged (one set fee amount does not fit all operators because the operators annual revenue is determined by deep and/or shallow wells and large or small production), Some possible areas of fee charge have been entirely over looked for years.
No FREE operation expenses should be available to the operators.
For example, the operator of a welding shop must pay every expense required to operate the shop, nothing is free.
Follow the existing rules and enforced equitably for each operator REGARDLESS of size. Additionally some other rules, that should be on the books, are not there for enforcement. WHY?
No great amount of oil field technology, experience, and know-how, has been available on the three member commission. It's time to change this!
YES- This is a mute question. Certainly the state should have an energy plan. Why hasn't it had an energy plan?
No technology, experience, and know-how by the three member commission. There have been TOO many appointees that know nothing about the energy business.
Thrust- Complete each and every well properly to reduce remedial work which causes down time and loss of production. Provide operators with incentives to drill, drill, drill.
A historically recorded record of climate change indicates, the earth does have almost exact time intervals of climate change. Many of the proposed theories of climate change may or may not have a sound basis. Many agricultural and industrial operations coupled with an ever increasing population make a complicated picture. Logic in each sector would be the 1st requirement. LOGIC means training from an early age, and training has digressed from the path to prepare for a better Texas.
Training, training in schools, work places and homes.
Generally speaking most people start worrying about the environmental impact after the "horse is out of the barn". Drill and complete wells properly, starting with not good but EXCELLENT CASING CEMENTING of all casing strings from surface to total depth. Why? Bad to poor casing cementing of conductor, surface and other casing strings leads to contamination of our under ground water sources and surface stored water, is one major example.
About 5% of well casing cement jobs fail within the first year, 30% fail within 5 years, and within 10 years 40% have failed.
Natural gas drilling covers many different geologic areas of the state of Texas. Consequently, any existing regulations can not apply to all gas drilling equally. To pick a general answer to specific regulations as they currently exist is somewhat cumbersome. I do support good casing cementing to protect water. I do support hydraulic fracturing after a well has been properly cemented around the casing.
I do support drill, drill, drill.
This is called management, management of the available man-power, the type of pipeline to be inspected and age of the pipeline. Therefore, the source of funds and the amount of funds would be critical. Research would be required.
RRC hearings, by in large, benefit the utilities on the illogical assumption, that the utility is bringing a greater economic benefit to a community than the customers.
First, get the hearing officers in step with reality, the benefit that each customer brings to the community is greater than what the utility brings. This means a complete overhaul of the hearing process.
Gas utilities should deal primarily with city councils.
~25 years
Emergency Medicine
BS Abstract Mathematics
MD
Local and national polictical campaigning since age 16
Trees for Life Board, Global Charity serving the very poor and connecting them to first world education and friends
SKT Enterprises credit rehabilitation business
Black Diamond Properties multi-family
Creation Helicopter Emergency Service when concept was new
Farm Safety Emergency Outreach
Governor's Emergency Medicine Day (Iowa)
Unicef, Trees for Life, Sierra Club
state and county convention delegate
I intend to use no funds at all
Candidate response is not yet available.
No
creation of Life Flight
Mahatma Gandhi, Truth Justice and Peaceful Positive Change as opposed to change for the worse created by some
The incumbents are all good people, but they are essentially professional politicians. The people themselves need representation in this most important and nearly invisible government body. The people need to be represented by a "Practical Libertarian" who espouses maximum freedom for the landowner, maximum gains for Texans now and into the future all while preserving our envioronmental quality for future Texas citizens via minimal regulation.
The smart alec answer is that I will be the commissioner they will hate less than the others.
The serious answer is that philosphical sea change in the above paragraph.
None of the incumbents have advanced education in the field or work experience in the field. My background in abstract mathematics prepares me to analyse these complex issues. My connections in West Texas allow me to source answers to the effects of Commission actions on real people doing real work.
Either a three or five member Commission is adequate.
I have a zero budget campaign. I simply will not even have the appearance of impropriety.
I think this is a reasonable idea. However, things are not as simple as they might seem.
The State actually already has the power to do everything necessary. It needs only the will.
Texas should envision itself as an Energy Power. We should move forward into all sectors with the idea of dominance (top three).
I don't think that there is any reasonable doubt that there is climate changes going on at this time. However, many if not most regulations on the national and international scene are not properly researched and their effects scientifically known. Texas should be a responsible global citzen but Texas should not tolerate unscientific fetters and chains upon the rights of its citizens.
I support exploratory and developmental drilling of Barnett Shale.
I do not have any new regulations to bring forth as yet.
This is a major priority for the state as although problems are low probability the so called Black Swan event could be a major disaster for environmental quality in our state.
I don't necessarily agree. However Consumer Justice is imperative.
e.thePeople