Libertarian best for energy job

Texas voters drawn to the polls by the contentious presidential election may not have full knowledge about some down-ballot races.

Two things they should know about the election for railroad commissioner: It’s a very important statewide post, and it has nothing at all to do with railroads.

The three-member Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry, with which its commissioners have been overly chummy.

On the ballot are a Republican who on his website prominently displays the Texas Oil and Gas Association president’s words praising the industry, a Democrat who is a retired schoolteacher and lacks direct knowledge of the industry, plus candidates from the Libertarian Party and the Green Party.

Texans should buck two-party tradition and elect Libertarian Mark Miller, a former University of Texas at Austin petroleum engineering professor with deep oil and gas knowledge — but from a respectful distance.

For transparency, Miller wants to change the agency’s name to the Energy Resources Commission. He’d help separate it from the industry it regulates.

The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Mark Miller for railroad commissioner.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Libertarian best for energy job."