That Sir it total BS. John
Without argument we have no way of knowing whether what I said was total BS or not. Thus, it stands un-rebutted.
I think there are some incorrect assumptions being made by some industry apologists.
The first would be that the votes of the voters matter more than industry influence and money.
The second would be that there is no difference between "before-the-fact" and "after-the fact", the state is all-powerful, and that industry does not work on the principle of "It's always better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission."
The last, of course, goes back to the issue of ownership already discussed. (Unless we are advocating a policy of shooting these people in the head when they fail to comply or enforce. That might change things.)
Largely because of "Citizens United", money rules. Industry rules. The State (i.e. we the people) end up owning the costs while industry gets the profits. Some get cheaper energy they did not bargain for, while that same industry is subsidized at the expense of alternatives who's subsidies are minuscule in comparison.
Warning, I'm going into digression here: "IF" I ever won the lottery (big time lottery, not some penny-anti BS) I would spend a metric shit ton of money doing T.V. commercials rebutting all the industry BS I see on T.V.. Instead of a cute, harmless little women in shorts hiking through some of Colorado's most scenic back-drops, I'd have some gnarly, hairy, old hunter standing with his wife, son and daughter in the middle of one of those travesties we see above. He'd say: "Hey, have you seen those fracking industry commercials with the cute, harmless little woman in shorts hiking through some of Colorado's most scenic back-drops? She's a lying !@#$%^&*. This is what they do. We used to hunt here. Lot's of elk, deer, clean water, etc. This is the cost of your cheap energy while she laughs all the way to the bank, on your nickel."
It's one thing if we all go into a bargain with a level playing field and knowledge about costs and benefits. But when the costs are hidden and state runs interference for industry benefits, we have a problem. Especially if only a few bear a disproportionate share of the costs and others get a disproportionate share of the benefits. If this is BLM land then the federal government has some responsibility here, not just the state of Colorado and it's voters.
