Opinion

Mark Miller for Railroad Commissioner

The Texas Railroad Commission is misnamed. The agency regulates the oil and gas industry. Texans have the opportunity to elect Mark Miller, a true expert, to the panel this year. The Texas Railroad Commission is misnamed. The agency regulates the oil and gas industry. Texans have the opportunity to elect Mark Miller, a true expert, to the panel this year. Photo: James Durbin /Midland Reporter Telegram Photo: James Durbin /Midland Reporter Telegram Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Mark Miller for Railroad Commissioner 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Mark Miller’s candidacy for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission is a prime example why voters should never pull the lever just for their preferred political party.

Miller, the Libertarian Party nominee, is the only qualified candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, which has nothing to do with railroads. It is the regulatory authority for the oil and gas industry.

Miller is vastly superior to the Democrat and Republican nominees for this office, neither of whom has experience working in the oil and gas industry, much less the requisite knowledge to regulate it.

Miller, on the other hand, has worked for decades in petrochemical engineering. He has a Ph.D. from Stanford University and spent 18 years teaching petroleum engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, in addition to his work in the private sector.

Ask him about complex issues facing the industry, and he answers with detail, nuance and clarity. He has even written the perfect book for the job: “Oil & Gas and the Texas Railroad Commission: Lessons for Regulating a Free Society.”

This editorial board interviews numerous candidates each year and almost exclusively endorses candidates from the major parties. Third party candidates are usually interesting and well-intentioned but a little too fringe to serve the greater public good. Miller is a true exception. He knows the issues, and he consistently strikes the right balance between industry needs and protecting public health and safety.

In comparison, the mainstream party candidates come across as fringe. Wayne Christian, the Republican Party nominee, is a former state lawmaker with a knack for making political enemies. He once pushed legislation to exempt his beachfront property from the Texas Open Beaches Act. It was a model for self-serving “public service.”

Grady Yarbrough, the Democratic nominee, is running a front-porch campaign. The retired educator, who spent time in San Antonio, has no experience in the oil and gas industry and is not qualified for the job. He is a perennial candidate, having run for various offices over the years.

Also running is Green Party candidate Martina Salinas, who also lacks experience in the industry.

Regulation is usually a four-letter word for libertarians, but regulations are necessary to protect public health and safety. Miller gets this. He supports the recent Sunset Commission recommendations for the Texas Railroad Commission, which would bolster oversight and streamline the agency, for example. He believes the Legislature has failed to balance the needs of surface rights owners with mineral rights owners, he supports studying the likely link between fracking and earthquakes, and he has genuine concerns about protecting groundwater.

Miller is a Libertarian, and he is passionate about property rights, free markets, personal freedom and limited government. But limited government is not the same as no government, and Miller knows his stuff.

Miller would bring rigor and transparency to the Texas Railroad Commission, which would be refreshing. We strongly encourage voters to look beyond the major party candidates and consider Miller for railroad commissioner. He is, far and away, the best candidate for this important job.