Oil-and-gas group failed to file finance reports in Loveland fracking election

LOVELAND, Colo. — The oversized glossy mailers and robo-calls came in waves over the course of weeks to residents of this small Front Range city, asking them to protect their children, property and low tax rates by voting against a proposed city moratorium on the oil-and-gas extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The group behind the campaign calls itself “Protect Colorado,” short for “Protecting Colorado’s Environment, Economy and Energy Independence.” It’s a politics issue committee organized by a public-relations group called Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development, or CRED, which is funded by the two most active Front Range oil-and-gas companies, Anadarko Petroleum and Noble Energy.

Protect Colorado is registered with the state to engage in political messaging but it is not registered with Loveland. It should be, according to city attorney Judy Schmidt.

“If the group accepted donations and made direct appeals to voters to support or oppose the initiative, then they fall under the requirements of the city charter and should have filed reports with the city,” she told the Independent the day after the election...

http://www.coloradoindependent.com/148127/oil-and-gas-group-failed-to-file-finance-reports-in-loveland-fracking-election

Sadly, the penalty for violation is so small that the industry can easily afford to not give a damn. And none of this is surprising, given the wide latitude given to oil and gas to bully the state; companies have grown accustomed to getting whatever they damned want.

On a side note, both Anadarko and Noble had big entries in our July 4th parade (in Greeley, the bad example Loveland does not want to emulate), with walkers handing out little goodies to the crowd. As I sat there wearing my oxygen, my scowling glare was sufficient to send one of those walkers scurrying to the other side of the street. They quite literally make me sick.