'Shock and awe' initiative spending by Big Oil & Big Soda
Summer still has a month to run, but mayor oil refiners and beverage companies have already poured more than $16 million to fuel campaigns for and against two initiatives on Washington's fall ballot.
Big Oil is mobilizing to fight Initiative 1631, the measure that would institute a per-ton fee on carbon emissions by the state's major polluters. The state has five refineries, one in Tacoma and four at Anacortes and Cherry Point on northern Puget Sound.
Phillips 66 has put in $3.7 million, followed by BP at $3 million and Andeavor giving $1.662 million. U.S. Oil and Refining had donated $308,000 -- making for the vast majority of a $8.710 million war-chest assembled by the No on 1631 campaign, organized by the Western States Petroleum Association.
Phillips 66 and BP operate refineries at Cherry Point near Ferndale, north of Bellingham. Andeavor operates a refinery in Anacortes. U.S. Oil & Refining runs a smaller refinery in Tacoma.
An $8 million war chest -- certain to go to eight figures -- buys talent. The campaign has spent $53,820 on services of Moore Information, the Northwest's leading pollster for Republican candidates. The campaign's theme so far is that I-1631 will raise gasoline prices and hard low-income motorists.
The I-1631 campaign has partisan overtones. A pair of major Democratic constituencies -- environmental groups and organized labor -- back the initiative, which would also invest in mass transit and clean energy sources. Gov. Jay Inslee is going to the mat for the measure, holding a news event amidst fire smoke at a Seattle elementary school last month.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Connelly-Shock-and-awe-initiative-spending-by-13178424.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletterspi&utm_term=spi
= new reply since forum marked as read
haven't seen a lot from the oil lobby yet.
Gonna get sick of the ads, I assume. 
