By Juan Montoya
Rebuffed in their quest to get tax abatements for their LNG plant on the Port of Brownsville Ship Channel by coastal communities and the Port Isabel school district, Annova has switched on its public relations machine to woo the public.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, an outfit called Strategic Public Affairs will host a by-invitation-only panel discussion on questions surrounding the Liquefied Natural Gas facilities being proposed in the Port of Brownsville.
The event, called Our Energy Moment will be held at Texas State Technical College Cultural Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 20, starting at 9 a.m.
A total of 60 area elected officials, business people and economic development specialists are expected to attend the 90-minute function to learn more about LNGs.
“We just wanted to have a conversation in the area,” said Allie Payne of Strategic Public Affairs. “We want people to be familiarized with LNG because some people don’t even know what it is.”
How the elected officials were picked and what entities they represent has not been made public.
However, the LNG companies are probably targeting key elected officials and opinion makers to convince a dubious public that the coming of the companies – and their requests for tax abatements – should be supported.
Our Energy Moment is a group of businesses and economic development organizations dedicated to raising awareness of the “many benefits of expanded markets for LNG.”
Members of Our Energy Moment include Annova LNG, the Port of Brownsville, Rio Grande Valley Partnership and Southeast Texas Economic Development Foundation.
Payne said most of the people on the panel do support LNGs, but panelists are expected to stick to their expertise.
Newspaper reports indicate that the event will feature a live LNG safety demonstration along with the panel discussion intended to focus on the benefits of the LNG exports to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and the nation.
Payne said the live demonstration is one of the reasons for the decision to have an invite-only event.
“With a smaller group, you can have more interaction,” she told the Valley Morning Star.
Serving on the panel are Julian Alvarez, Rio Grande Valley Partnership Chamber of Commerce president/CEO; Dr. Fred Beach, assistant director of policy studies at the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin; Omar Garcia, South Texas Energy and Economic roundtable president/CEO; Sean Turner, Gladstein, Neandros & Associates COO; Dr. Michael Tewes, Frank D. Yturria Endowed Chair in Wild Cat Studies and Regents professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute of Texas A&M University-Kingsville; and Dr. Tom Tunstall, research director at the University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development.
Our Energy Moment is a group of businesses and economic development organizations dedicated to raising awareness of the “many benefits of expanded markets for LNG.”
Members of Our Energy Moment include Annova LNG, the Port of Brownsville, Rio Grande Valley Partnership and Southeast Texas Economic Development Foundation.
Payne said most of the people on the panel do support LNGs, but panelists are expected to stick to their expertise.
Newspaper reports indicate that the event will feature a live LNG safety demonstration along with the panel discussion intended to focus on the benefits of the LNG exports to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and the nation.
Payne said the live demonstration is one of the reasons for the decision to have an invite-only event.
“With a smaller group, you can have more interaction,” she told the Valley Morning Star.
Serving on the panel are Julian Alvarez, Rio Grande Valley Partnership Chamber of Commerce president/CEO; Dr. Fred Beach, assistant director of policy studies at the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin; Omar Garcia, South Texas Energy and Economic roundtable president/CEO; Sean Turner, Gladstein, Neandros & Associates COO; Dr. Michael Tewes, Frank D. Yturria Endowed Chair in Wild Cat Studies and Regents professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute of Texas A&M University-Kingsville; and Dr. Tom Tunstall, research director at the University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development.
The strategy seems to be two-pronged. The Port of Brownsville, on Saturday, has invited the members of Valley Interfaith and Citizens Against Voter Abuse for a tour of the port. Port Director Eddie Campirano invited the group to see the things that are happening out there, including the coming of the LNG plants.
"The port thinks that the LNG plants will pay for the deepening of the channel, about $225 million, and they think they can kill two birds with one stone," said one of the persons invited. "They couldn't care less about the impact on the environment."
Save RGVfromLNG protesters will be out in force at the Harlingen event to protest the rosy scenario sure to be painted by the public relation firms for the selected audience, organizers say.
They are inviting everyone to a peaceful protest outside the Cultural Arts Center starting at 8:15 am. As far as Payne is concerned, however, there are no plans to hold a similar panel closer to Brownsville, which will be the area most affected by the LNG facilities.
“This is a good first step and we will gauge whether it is beneficial,” she said. “We just want to have a conversation in the area.”
"The port thinks that the LNG plants will pay for the deepening of the channel, about $225 million, and they think they can kill two birds with one stone," said one of the persons invited. "They couldn't care less about the impact on the environment."
Save RGVfromLNG protesters will be out in force at the Harlingen event to protest the rosy scenario sure to be painted by the public relation firms for the selected audience, organizers say.
They are inviting everyone to a peaceful protest outside the Cultural Arts Center starting at 8:15 am. As far as Payne is concerned, however, there are no plans to hold a similar panel closer to Brownsville, which will be the area most affected by the LNG facilities.
“This is a good first step and we will gauge whether it is beneficial,” she said. “We just want to have a conversation in the area.”
12 comments:
The four pages of "yellow hard hats" might not have been the best "logo" to use for the LNG companies. This is "hard hat" business and that means danger to me. If the "logo" for LNG is a "hard hat", then maybe we should think carefully about allowing these companies to endanger Cameron County. Unfortunately, most citizens don't give a "rat's ass" and have no idea what "LNG" stands for. That gives LNG and advantage...the people here are ignorant.
The BND Board of Trustees is betting on public apathy and ignorance to enhance the activity at the Port. BUT....we still pay taxes to BND and that should be ended. That too is unknown to most citizens, who don't know who they pay taxes to.
Campriano is a DICK! Why doesn't he relieve the public of paying taxes to BND. The Port is a business and we should not be supporting it with taxes.
Campriano is like Julieta Garcia....she used tax dollars going to TSC to fund her majestic rule. Campriano is the same....an elitist who has no respect for the public.
They enter like sheep; before you realize what's happing the whole are is polluted like the Koch Bros.
Private reunion to discuss each ones cut on the deal
They also started advertising on 710 KURV. They have ads where they claim to have talked to regular people in Brownsville and stitch their comments together with narration.
The ad claims LNG will create 800 local jobs.
I support LNG.
Go LNG, we love u LNG. ..lol..people we need jobs, why r u all against it? I only see vague comments and nobody explain why they against it..any body educate us. And pit FACTS only. .
Ratas con dos patas is LNG wanting a ten year tax abatement and the Port Authority sacrificing all others for their business entity. Shameful. Remember this when you go to vote in the upcoming elections and future elections as well. I am taking names and will remember who spit in our faces and who listened.
There are better ways to create jobs instead of selling your soul to billionaires.
It's a jerk fest in Brownsville.
We need someone to step up and run against Rene Oliviera, Lucio Jr., Lucio III, including replacing the sell outs at the BND. All these people have stopped listening to their constituents. Vela and Oliviera have received money from the LNG industry.
They say it is because we need jobs. It is because they are lazy in researching other industries that are less likely to devastate the landscape and ecotourism. Instead they opt for the easy out. It makes them look good, but in reality we all pay for them to look good.
The LNG market has already started to decline in value and feasibility, but these jackasses want to latch on to its tit in a desperate attempt to increase their own pockets.
Lucio III is holding an environmental summit without listing Liquid Natural Gas as a environmental concern. What kind of Environmental Summit is that when you purposefully leave off the most important and largest environmental impact to your region? This is nothing more than a fluff piece to appease the public that our representative is actually doing something with his time. My goodness one speaker at the event is a climate change denier. Can't wait to hear what that dodo has to squawk about.
Go away LNG companies! No one wants you here! The people who care have spoken already, and those who haven't spoken it's because they don't care, or are uneducated.
And I support ousting LNG from the RGV.
Anonymous 10:04, you Could not organize an Easter egg hunt. You are to lazy and under qualified to get a decent job so you protest Those who will benefit. Do you know who will benefit the most ? The morons who run port Isabel ISD.
step up to the plate and run agains them! punk!
u just pissed you didn't get on the agenda!
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