American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2019 - 95

ConventionCoverage: California Independent Petroleum Association
all the gathering and distribution lines,
there are 20 million miles of pipeline in
this country," Simmons observed. "Are
they causing a problem? No."
Other slides he shared proved current
cycles of drought were not historically
significant and that recent hurricane activity
actually was less than the historical norm.
Simmons mentioned that the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected
the United States would obtain only 13%
of its power from wind and solar by 2050,
not the 100% touted by progressives.
And he pointed out that processing the
iron and concrete needed to construct a
single windmill created 241 tons of carbon
dioxide emissions. "That is equivalent to
57 cars operating in this country for a
year," Simmons said. "They are as dirty as
everything else. And it takes fossil fuels to
build them. The blades are made of polymers, resins and epoxy from petroleum."
He displayed a list of various products
manufactured from oil and gas, commenting, "It took me probably two minutes
to come up with this. You can think of all
kinds of things."
He said he liked to use the example of a
hospital emergency room. "Take everything
out of the emergency room that has to do
with fossil fuels and you are left with a dirt
floor hut and no power. You are dead," he
exclaimed. "That is what I tell people.
"I am not smarter than any of you,"
Simmons reflected on his presentation.
"When you hear nonsense, find some
real stuff and combat it. There are a

Jerry Simmons, executive director of
the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance,
urges members of the California Independent Petroleum Association to arm
themselves with facts "and confront people who spew nonsense" about the oil
and gas industry.

whole bunch of people in this country
who simply don't have any facts. You
can convince them we are the good guys."
CIPA Vice President of Communications Sabrina Lockhart mentioned that
the association had formed a Public Affairs
Committee to strategically align its communications efforts with its overall goals.
"The committee also will strive to
share communications strategies among
CIPA member companies in order for industry to project a unified, effective message," Lockhart advised, adding that at
present, the committee was pursuing digital
message tracking through a public affairs
consultant to help inform CIPA on what
were its most effective messages.
Preserving Free Enterprise
California's 4th District Congressman
Tom McClintock, to whom CIPA presented its 2019 C.C. "Bud" Albright
Award, urged CIPA to expand its education
efforts to restoring "an appreciation and
reverence for the principles of freedom
enshrined in America's founding."
McClintock contended that America
today was engaged in one of the most important debates since the question of freedom
and slavery. "Only now, it is the question
of freedom and socialism," he said.
He pointed to out-migration from California as an example, which he said saw
138,000 citizens leave last year and a net
of 3 million since 1990. "Think about
what a profound development that is," McClintock urged. "California has the most
equitable climate in the Western Hemisphere.
We have the most bountiful resources in
the Continental United States. We are
poised on the Pacific Rim in a position to
dominate international trade, and yet families
are finding a better future in the middle of
the Nevada nuclear test range.
"No conceivable act of God could
possibly reap that much damage on our
beautiful state, but acts of government
can and have."
He said a statewide poll showed 53%
of Californians wanted to leave, including
63% of Millennials. Yet, those same Millennials tell pollsters they prefer socialism
to capitalism.
"It is very strange so many young
people seem to love socialism, but hate
the conditions socialism produces," McClintock remarked, saying California displayed all the hallmarks of a leftist government: failing schools, widening crime,
growing poverty, unaffordable housing,
rising homelessness, crumbling infrastructure, skyrocketing energy and water

costs, high taxes, failing businesses and
the exodus of the middle class.
"It is our job to get them to connect
the dots," McClintock argued.
He referenced a DVD titled American
Railroads, which was a collection of informercials produced by major railroads
to be used as cinema news reels in the
1940s and '50s. "What struck me was
how little attention they devoted to their
latest luxury Pullmans or sumptuous
dining cars," he related. "Most of what
they produced was educating the public
about the wonders of our free market
system, how freedom and commerce produced prosperity, and how the American
railroads fit into the remarkable economic
engine we call America.
"They were educating movie goers
about the fundamentals of free enterprise,
and guess what? The elections worked out
rather well on their own," he surmised.
"This is where the business community
needs to step up," McClintock extolled. "If
we, the current stewards of our liberty, are
unwilling to take up this task, why should
we be surprised that the new generation is
utterly rudderless as it exercises its franchise?
Until and unless the business community
restores this very principal part of the
nation's focus, I am afraid we are going to
continue to lose this debate in California
and increasingly lose it nationally.
"We can't allow that to happen," McClintock declared. "My challenge to you
is, let's go save our country."
r

U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock, Republican from California's 4th District,
urges CIPA to make an appreciation for
the principles of freedom and capitalism
a part of its public relations messaging.
CIPA presented McClintock with its 2019
C.C. "Bud" Albright Award during its annual convention, held June 6-9 in Olympic
Valley, Ca.

JULY 2019 95

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