A Republican candidate for lieutenant governor made his view clear on the locally heated matter of fracking. Former state GOP Chairman Ron Nehring, now among challengers to Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom on the June primary ballot, believes petroleum exploration should be wide open and that Democrats are pushing for higher oil and gas prices by opposing fracking.
“At a time when it’s $76 to fill the rental car tank,” said Nehring, visiting Hollister from Southern California, “that’s tough for a family, a lower-income family, to make end’s meet.
“Your windmill is not going to power the family car or truck.”
A local group called San Benito Rising, however, is supporting a measure on the November ballot to ban fracking and restrict overall petroleum activities. The group argues that fracking can contaminate water supplies.
Nehring said fracking is not new to California and argued it has reaped economic benefits in places such as North Dakota.
“Our objective should be lower energy prices,” he said.
Nehring visited Hollister on May 8 and shared his views on an array of state and local matters. He talked about fracking, simplifying the tax code, reforming the pension system, building new prisons to accommodate the population, raising education accountability and standardizing the gun permit application process.
In the same interview with the Free Lance, he also acknowledged that although the lieutenant governor serves on state panels such as the University of California Board of Regents, the role carries limited influence elsewhere. He said the most important job is to serve as acting governor anytime the sitting governor leaves the state.
“The job is what the holder makes of it,” he said, “and I think that’s the most important thing.”
