State Senator Lou Correa is one of the smartest political figures I’ve met. It’s a real pleasure listening to him explain a complex policy issue and why he does or doesn’t support something. But Senator Correa cast a “yes” vote on Senate Bill #4 that makes “Fracking” in California that much easier. And his vote comes after an expensive dinner in Sacramento paid for by lobbyists for the oil and gas industry, according to the Sacramento Bee.
From the story:
As negotiations heated up at the end of the legislative session over a bill to regulate hydraulic fracturing in California, oil companies poured millions into lobbying the Legislature, quarterly reports released last week show.
The three interest groups that spent the most money lobbying in California between July 1 and Sept. 30 were oil and gas companies: Chevron ($1,696,477), the Western States Petroleum Association ($1,269,478) and Aera Energy LLC ($1,015,534), according to filings with the secretary of state.
Nearly $13,000 of the Western States Petroleum Association’s spending went toward hosting a dinner for 12 lawmakers and two staff members at one of Sacramento’s poshest venues: The Kitchen, known for its interactive dining experience where guests sit in the kitchen as cooks share details of the five-course meal. Moderate Democrats seemed to be the target audience for the treat: Assembly members Adam Gray, Henry Perea and Cheryl Brown attended, as did Sens. Norma Torres, Ron Calderon and Lou Correa.
Fracking significantly contributes to increased air and water pollution and diminishes the value of the land where it occurs. More than 250 communities across the country have passed resolutions to stop fracking and its just not good for the environment.
OC Weekly doesn’t think Correa sold out for the dinner and would have supported the legislation anyway.
Who would ever make the mistake of considering Lou Correa a Democrat? And Im sure the dinner wasn’t the selling point but rather the allure of what these big spenders would cough up when it came time to ask for an actual campaign donation. Could one truly conceive of a paltry campaign donation by someone who dropped 1K on dinner for you?
Correa’s a good liar too — he said he would not vote for High-Speed Rail — and then did.