Showing posts with label Koch Industries. Show all posts

4.18.2011

Could this be why our Gasoline Costs are so High Priced?

Oil and Gas: Lobbying Background

For Months I have been preaching about Dirty Energy Politics and quoting information I've been viewing from http://opensecrets.org yet for some reason I've not received many responses to the Article Posts on the Sustainable Building Blogs I operate http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com and http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com.

So with this post I've included everything from the open secrets web site in one easy to use point of reference. As you will see the various lobbying organizations are spending Millions of Dollars Influencing our Elected Leaders.

Do Dirty Environmental Polluters Speak For You?

They don't speak for me either. So Join me in the battle to reduce Climate Change created by the Biggest Polluters and the Lobbying Organizations that buy off the Politicians in office.

Vote for DEMS

This industry, which includes multinational and independent oil and gas producers and refiners, natural gas pipeline companies, gasoline service stations and fuel oil dealers, has long enjoyed a history of strong influence in Washington. Individuals and political action committees affiliated with oil and gas companies have donated $238.7 million to candidates and parties since the 1990 election cycle, 75 percent of which has gone to Republicans.

Though former oilmen George W. Bush and Dick Cheney occupied the White House for eight years, the oil and gas industry could not win support for repealing bans on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, Congress voted in 2008 to lift a ban on offshore drilling. These companies are also wary of cap-and-trade climate change legislation, such as the measure Democratic President Barack Obama supports. Yet Obama still received $884,000 from the oil and gas industry during the 2008 campaign, more than any other lawmaker except his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Obama appeared poised to usher in more offshore drilling expansion in 2010 -- until the explosion of a BP-operated oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in millions of gallons of fossil fuels to leak into the coastal waters of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The environmental toll has been significant, and industries such as tourism and fishing have suffered. Politically, the Obama administration has delayed plans to expand offshore drilling in many areas, and Congress is mulling whether to pass legislation aimed at avoiding another disaster of similar scope.

In contrast to former President Bush's largely pro-industry stance on energy and environmental issues, the Democratic-controlled White House and Congress will probably grant these companies fewer favors. Bush consistently rolled back Clinton-era restrictions on commercial uses of federal lands—including nature preserves, national forests and national monuments. To the oil and gas industry's delight, he got one step closer in March 2005 when Senate Republicans passed a budget resolution containing a filibuster-proof provision to allow for drilling in ANWR.
Oil and gas companies are always among the industries to spend the most on lobbying, pouring $132.2 million into these efforts in 2008 alone.
-- Aaron Kiersh and Dave Levinthal
Updated June 2010

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.

Oil and Gas

Industry Profile, 2010

Total for Oil and Gas: $146,577,043
Total Number of Clients Reported: 195
Total Number of Lobbyists Reported: 788
Total Number of Revolvers: 500 (63.5%)

. Campaign Contributions from this industry

View totals by: Client/Parent | Subsidiary/Affiliate

Client/Parent	Total
ConocoPhillips	$19,626,382
Chevron Corp	$12,890,000
Exxon Mobil	$12,450,000
Royal Dutch Shell	$10,370,000
Koch Industries	$8,070,000
BP	$7,335,000
American Petroleum Institute	$7,300,000
Anadarko Petroleum	$5,150,000
Marathon Oil	$5,130,000
Williams Companies	$4,900,000
America's Natural Gas Alliance	$3,360,000
Chesapeake Energy	$2,776,560
National Petrochemical & Refiners Assn	$2,764,909
Occidental Petroleum	$2,582,989
Murphy Oil	$2,410,000
Devon Energy	$1,380,000
Apache Corp	$1,310,000
Noble Energy	$1,290,000
National Propane Gas Assn	$1,200,000
Independent Petroleum Assn of America	$1,185,774
Interstate Natural Gas Assn of America	$1,140,000
Sunoco Inc	$1,120,000
Hess Corp	$1,100,000
Spectra Energy	$1,083,509
El Paso Corp	$1,076,718
American Gas Assn	$980,000
Kosmos Energy	$890,000
Tesoro Corp	$870,300
Energy Transfer Equity	$850,000
Weatherford International	$840,000
Reliance Industries Ltd	$760,000
Petroleum Marketers Assn	$685,000
Valero Energy	$644,000
Gas Technology Institute	$625,000
Plains Exploration & Production	$600,000
Shallow Water Energy Security Coalition	$545,000
Transocean Inc	$540,000
Denbury Resources	$540,000
PDVSA	$470,000
TMT Group	$470,000
Enbridge Pipelines/Lakehead Pipeln Ptnrs	$440,000
Cobalt International Energy	$430,000
Hercules Offshore	$420,000
National Fuel Gas Corp	$400,000
Natural Gas Supply Assn	$370,455
Enbridge Energy Partners	$350,000
Halliburton Co	$345,000
Quintana	$300,000
Soc of Ind Gasoline Marketers of America	$300,000
Statoil ASA	$298,500
Gas Processors Assn	$270,000
Bass Enterprises Production	$270,000
Ansaldo Energia	$270,000
Doyon Drilling Inc	$265,000
Ad Hoc Deep Water Expl/Production Cltn	$260,000
Gas Natural SDG SA	$250,000
Domestic Petroleum Council	$240,000
Atlas Energy	$240,000
ATP Oil & Gas	$240,000
Nexen Inc	$240,000
Enterprise Products Partners	$236,000
Arctic Slope Regional Corp	$235,000
Magellan Midstream Partners	$232,385
Cheniere Energy	$230,000
Syntroleum Corp	$219,000
Anschutz Corp	$200,000
Frontier Oil	$200,000
Lansdale Co	$200,000
Hunt Consolidated	$200,000
Nicor Inc	$200,000
Oceaneering Intl	$200,000
CNX Gas Corp	$192,500
CenterPoint Energy	$190,000
BG Group	$190,000
EnCana Corp	$190,000
Kinder Morgan Inc	$190,000
Assn of Oil Pipe Lines	$184,400
Nabors Industries	$180,000
Helix Energy Solutions	$180,000
TransCanada Corp	$180,000
US Turkmenistan Business Council	$180,000
In Situ Oil Sands Alliance	$170,000
Industrial Safety Training Council	$160,000
Mitsui Oil Exploration Co	$160,000
Arrow General Supplies & Services Co	$160,000
AGL Resources	$160,000
Sinclair Oil	$160,000
American Public Gas Assn	$155,000
Nustar Energy	$152,500
ONEOK Inc	$150,000
Questar Corp	$150,000
Intl Assn of Drilling Contractors	$150,000
Michigan Consolidated Gas Co	$140,000
National Oilheat Research Alliance	$140,000
Southwest Gas	$140,000
National Oilwell Varco	$137,500
US Oil & Gas Assn	$129,195
XTO Energy	$120,000
Tellus Operating Group	$120,000
Gulf LNG Energy	$120,000
Countrymark Cooperative	$120,000
Gary-Williams Energy	$120,000
Ergon Inc	$120,000
Excelerate Energy	$120,000
Kern Oil & Refining Co	$110,000
Marion Energy	$110,000
Vulcan Energy	$110,000
Tidewater Inc	$100,000
Strata Production	$100,000
Hyperion Resources	$100,000
Hornbeck Offshore Services	$100,000
Seminole Energy Services	$100,000
Oilfield Services & Drilling Indus Cltn	$100,000
Gilbarco Inc	$100,000
Great Point Energy	$100,000
Alliance Pipeline	$100,000
CSA America	$90,000
Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Assn	$90,000
Vitol Inc	$90,000
Independent Petroleum Assn/Mountn States	$85,000
DaVinci Hourani	$85,000
Denali-The Alaska Gas Pipeline	$80,000
Enstar Natural Gas	$80,000
Falck Alford Services	$80,000
Energen Corp	$80,000
National Stripper Well Assn	$80,000
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America	$80,000
US Oil	$80,000
NATSO	$78,973
Ohio Oil & Gas Assn	$70,000
Alon USA Energy	$70,000
Talisman Energy	$70,000
New England Fuel Institute	$67,000
Oil Oxidizer	$60,000
Aegean Oil & Environmental Corp	$60,000
Encore Acquisition	$60,000
Sigma	$60,000
Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition	$52,500
Colonial Pipeline	$50,000
Frank Reidy	$50,000
Alberta Energy	$50,000
Navajo Nation Oil & Gas Co	$40,000
Oil Shale Exploration	$40,000
QEP Resources	$40,000
Iroquois Gas Transmission System	$40,000
McDermott International	$40,000
Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority	$37,494
AES Corp	$30,000
BakkenLink Pipeline	$30,000
Western States Petroleum Assn	$30,000
Washington Gas Light Co	$28,000
Camelot Oil & Gas Development	$20,000
Alyeska Pipeline Service	$20,000
Green Earth Fuels	$20,000
DeepStar Project	$20,000
Mariner Energy	$20,000
NIC Holding	$20,000
UNEV Pipeline	$19,500
Trenton Fuel Works	$10,000
Western Independent Refiners Assn	$10,000
TORP Technology	$10,000
Texas Alliance of Energy Producers	$10,000
Northern Star Natural Gas	$10,000
Elkem Holding Inc	$10,000
American Assn of Petroleum Geologists	$10,000
Colonial Oil Industries	$10,000
Boardwalkd Pipelines	$0
Bradwood Landing	$0
C&C Technologies	$0
Cabot Oil & Gas	$0
Delta Petroleum	$0
Fleishman-Hillard Inc	$0
NSTAR	$0
Seven Seas Petroleum	$0
Petro-Hunt LLC	$0
Montana Refining Co	$0
National Assn of Shell Marketers	$0
National Cooperative Refinery Assn	$0
Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Assn	$0
Gulf South Pipeline Co	$0
Stanley Energy	$0

NOTE: All lobbying expenditures on this page come from the Senate Office of Public Records. Data for the most recent year was downloaded on January 31, 2010.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.

Lobbying

Oil and Gas Lobbyist-Client

Total Number of Lobbyists Reported: 788*
Total Number of Revolvers: 500 (63.5%)

Download:

Lobbyist	Lobbying Firm/Registrant
Adcock, Michael W	Van Scoyoc Assoc
Addison, Daniel R	Patton Boggs LLP
Agnew, Richard A	Van Ness Feldman
Aguillen, Dean	Ogilvy Government Relations
Akins, Haley E	Dow Lohnes Government Strategies
Albert, Alex	McKenna, Long & Aldridge
Alfano, Holly A	National Assn of Truck Stop Operators
Allen, Kevin	Clark & Weinstock
Alperin, Janice	El Paso Corp
Amontree, Tom	America's Natural Gas Alliance
Anderson, Mark A	Kelley, Drye & Warren
Anderson, Mark Joseph	Kelley, Drye & Warren
Anderson, Rebecca L	Williams & Jensen
Anderson, Tobyn J	Lighthouse Consulting Group
Antelo, Cristina	Podesta Group
Archer, Bill	PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Architzel, Paul	Alston & Bird
Armstrong, James	Shell Oil
Atkins, Caroline	ConocoPhillips
Avery, Kevin J	Marathon Oil
Ayres, Merribel S	Lighthouse Consulting Group
Baer, Julian	Olsson, Frank & Weeda
Baierlein, Daniele	Podesta Group
Baird, Frederick A "Tripp" III	JC Watts Companies
Baker, George D	Williams & Jensen
Baker, Teal	Podesta Group
Bangert, Philip	Patton Boggs LLP
Barbour, Austin	Capitol Resources
Barnes, Ben	Ben Barnes Group
Barnett, Charles	Alpine Group
Barnette, James D	Steptoe & Johnson
Barry, Lisa B	Chevron Corp
Bates, Michael J	Prime Policy Group
Bayless, James L Jr	Winstead, Sechrest & Minick
Beal, Lisa	Interstate Natural Gas Assn of America
Beatty, Chris	KRL International
Beaudreau, David	DC Legislative & Regulatory Services
Beaulieu, Stephen A	National Assn of Truck Stop Operators
Becker-Dippmann, Angela	McBee Strategic Consulting
Beer, Michael S	Williams & Jensen
Beizer, Amy	Van Ness Feldman
Belair, Robert R	Oldaker, Belair & Wittie
Belcher, Leslie	Steptoe & Johnson
Bell, Michael J	Hogan Lovells
Bemis, Robert	Noble Energy
Bendall, Jennifer L	Eris Group
Benedict, Mark	Genesis Group
Bentzel, Carl W	DCI Group
Berman, Howard	Dutko Worldwide
Berman, Michael S	Duberstein Group

1 2 3 4 5 6 ...17 Next

* Actual number of individual lobbyists. This number may be different from the total number of records as lobbyists may be associated with more than one lobbying firm.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.

Join open secrets on:

If these stats and numbers sicken your stomach as much as they do mine and you question as to why our Trusted Leaders are Failing to Listen to the Constituents and failing to enact solutions to the everyday struggles that "We the People" are going thru in our daily lives as we are struggling to fill the gas tank and heat/cool our homes.

Then you are perfect person for the
St Louis 350.org Community

Join Me in the Fight Against The Biggest Polluters!

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4.10.2011

Koch Brothers-Bad?More Drasdardly Deeds Exposed

...donated directly to 62 of the 87 members of the House GOP freshman class...and to 12 of the new members of the U.S. Senate.

You Thought the Koch Brothers Were Bad? Turns Out They're Even Worse Than You Thought

Charles and David Koch's reach into virtually every aspect of political, economic and physical life on the planet is probably greater than you thought possible.

April 5, 2011 |

You knew they were big. You knew they were evil. From the union-busting actions of their minions in Wisconsin and Ohio to their war on health-care reform, to their assault on the environment and their attacks on the science of climatology, Charles and David Koch have earned their place as the focus of progressives' scrutiny in the age of the Tea Party -- the destructive and regressive movement they bankroll. But a new report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund shows that, as bad as you thought the Kochs were, they're actually worse. And their reach into virtually every aspect of political, economic and physical life on the planet is probably greater than you thought possible.

In The Koch Brothers: What You Need to Know About the Financiers of the Radical Right, author Tony Carrk, policy director of the CAP Action War Room, lays out a case that is breathtaking in its scope, showing how the Koch brothers are using their billions with the aim of reshaping the global economic system in such a way as to enrich themselves and their heirs at the expense of most other inhabitants of the planet.

While much of the report will have a familiar ring (especially to readers of AlterNet, and CAP Action's own ThinkProgress), The Koch Brothers also addresses elements of the Koch agenda far beyond the well-trodden turf of Americans for Prosperity's organizing against health-care reform or the pollution rap against Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held corporation in the United States, which the billionaire brothers command.

The Kochs and the Global Economy

Consider, for instance, the Kochs' role in the financial business. You thought Koch Industries was just a high-polluting oil-and-gas-based conglomerate? Add in the part played on Wall Street by Koch Supply & Trading, and the depth of the Koch imprint on the economy is revealed. From Carrk's report:

First, the Koch brothers fought efforts to give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission more oversight over speculative trading, whereby companies can artificially inflate prices on things such as oil, during the Wall Street reform debate. One of the Koch companies—Koch Supply & Trading—takes part in oil and derivatives trading. We should point out that oil speculation has reached an all-time high at the same time gas prices continue to skyrocket.

Then look at a recent position pushed by Americans for Prosperity, the Tea Party-allied astroturf group founded and funded by David Koch (and whose sibling organization, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, he chairs):

Similarly, Americans for Prosperity supports the House continuing resolution that cuts spending by $61 billion. Those cuts would reduce the budget for the CFTC by one-third. Make no mistake: Gutting the CFTC or limiting its authority would be a boon to Wall Street businesses that use complex financial instruments. But while the result is more profits for oil companies, it means everyone else pays more at the pump.

Okay, now have a look at the Kochs' recent direct contributions to political candidates:

The Kochs donated directly to 62 of the 87 members of the House GOP freshman class...and to 12 of the new members of the U.S. Senate.

No wonder, then, how that continuing resolution -- the means for funding the government when a budget has not been passed into law -- managed to get through the House. (It was subsequently rejected by the Senate, setting the stage for a possible shutdown of the government at the end of this week.) Those 62 Koch-backed freshmen are essentially driving the agenda of the House Republicans, because together they form a large enough bloc to prevent House Speaker John Boehner from amassing a majority on any piece of legislation, should they choose to, despite the 2010 Republican victories that handed control of the House to the GOP.

Cross Posted

9.07.2010

Koch Brother Join Big Oil for Campaign Contributions

Update 9/12/2010--->

In a study released this spring, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report identifying the company as a “kingpin of climate science denial.” The report showed that, from 2005 to 2008, the Kochs vastly outdid ExxonMobil in giving money to organizations fighting legislation related to climate change, underwriting a huge network of foundations, think tanks, and political front groups. Indeed, the brothers have funded opposition campaigns against so many Obama Administration policies—from health-care reform to the economic-stimulus program—that, in political circles, their ideological network is known as the Kochtopus.

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer#ixzz0zKKJlyc4

Koch brothers join Big Oil and Big Coal for Political Contributions...Say no to Campaign Contributions...Washington is Corrupt with Campaign Contributions... Re-Elect No-One!!!

http://www.grist.org/article/koch-brothers-jump-into-prop-23-fight/

Petrodollars

Koch brothers jump into Prop 23 fight 3

by Todd Woody

3 Sep 2010 12:13 PM

Scotts Contracting - StLouis Renewable Energy

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