Revolving Door Exit to Industry in 3, 2…

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director and figurehead Mark Vickery announced his retirement from government yesterday. He’ll be departing in May to “write a new chapter” in his life. The smart money is betting that the title of this new chapter is, “Using My Government Service to Benefit the Polluters I Supposedly Regulated, or, How I let Taxpayers Fund my REAL Retirement Plan.” Is there a state agency that has had more of its former Directors end up as industry handpuppets? If so, we can’t think of any off hand. The position is seen as a lucrative jumping-off point into the world of very high dollar Austin corporate lobbying. Start you own office pool now as to when Vickery will resurface as a Hillco employee, or a Chesapeake lobbyist. And while Executive Directors at TCEQ come and go, Governor Perry remains running the show through his mini-me Commissioner appointees. After so long a time in office, no agency reflects Perry’s personality as much as TCEQ. Currently the Chair of the second largest environmental agency in he world is a Poultry expert who thinks smog isn’t bad for you and doesn’t believe in global warming. As long as these folks are in charge, expecting anything from this agency in the way of science-based coherent environmental policy is a gas pipe dream.