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Sen. Collins Receiving Big Money From OIl and Fossil Fuel Industries
COLLINS RAKES IN FUNDS FROM TEXAS TEA: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) received nearly $50,000 in campaign donations last quarter from the Texas oil and gas industry, a number more than five times the amount in donations she received from Maine residents.
In the first quarter of the 2019 funding year, the senator, who is up for reelection in 2020, snagged roughly $49,300 from Texas-based fossil fuel donors, including the president of Hunt Oil Co. and his wife, and Stephen Chazen, president and CEO at Magnolia Oil and Gas Corporation.
Collins raised just over $1.4 million total this quarter.
Many of the fossil fuel executives who donated maxed out their contributions, along with their spouses, at $2,700, while others donated the max amount to both Collins's primary and general election campaigns.
For example, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, oil and gas investor Patrick Rayes of Dallas donated $5,600 total to both of Collins's campaigns. Ralph Ellis Jr., an executive at Belmont Petroleum Corp in Irving, Texas gave a total of $5,400.
A handful of PACs linked to big-name fossil fuel companies also contributed to Collins's reelection in the first quarter, according to filings.
Exxon Mobil Corporation PAC, based out of Irving, Texas, donated $1,000 to Collins, another Irving company, Pioneer Natural Resources, gave the Mainer $2,700, while Houston-based Kirby PAC gave her $2500.
Support from the oil and gas industry to Collins didn't come just from Texas. The senator also received $5,000 from General Electric's PAC and $2,500 from nuclear electric power generation giant Exelon Corporation's PAC.
The big picture: The donations amounted to a sizable sum for Collins, a senator who has served since 1997 and is often considered a swing vote on many political issues. Collins hasn't formally announced her reelection campaign but is expected to do so. She is expected to be a Democratic target in 2020, largely thanks to her support for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
What about Maine? In comparison, donations Collins had from individuals and corporations based in her home state of Maine were much less substantial.
Collins received just $9,200 in 17 itemized donations from Maine residents in the same quarter -- less than a fifth of the amount of money she hauled in from Texas's oil and gas leaders.
A spokesperson for Collins's office did not return a request for an explanation on the high level of donations from the single energy sector in the Lone Star state.
Last week, Collins voted in favor of confirming President Trump's controversial pick to head the Interior Department, David Bernhardt. Bernhardt, a former energy lobbyist, is currently playing a vital role in expanding drilling on public lands in the U.S. and is leading efforts to draft a new offshore drilling plan in the Atlantic.
Collins said she voted for Bernhardt after getting assurances from him in a letter that the offshore drilling plan would not likely include oil extraction off the coast of Maine.
Hottest Dating Sites
1. Grouper
Ever wanted to bring a wingman on your date? How about two? Grouper sets you up with a match, then lets both parties bring along two friends. The drinks are prepaid and Grouper tells you exactly where to meet up, so all you have to do is decide who should tag along. Who knows? Maybe all three of you will find a love connection.
2. Down
Formerly called “Bang with Friends,” this app lets you find friends on Facebook who are willing to get down tonight. At least it’s somewhat discreet. Friends won’t know who’s selected them unless the feeling is mutual. Down can be used for dating as well, but let’s be honest: This app still lives up to its former name.
3. TrintMe
nterested in a friend or a friend of a friend? TrintMe allows shy users to initiate the next step behind the veil of their smartphones. The true intentions (“trints”), which can range from “let’s talk” to “coffee” to “romance” to “hookup,” aren’t revealed unless there is a successful match. But singles can leave a hint if they’re feeling brave.
4. Hinge
Using Facebook, Hinge sends you a selection of friends-of-friends every day at noon. A simple profile photo followed by age, job and education information are all users have to go off of when they rate the potential connection on a scale of one to five. Those who mutually rate each other at a four or higher will get introduced via email. “Black Status” users are sent 100 matches per day, which means they have a large number of Facebook friends who also use Hinge.
5. Tinder
Tinder is fast, fun and kind of addicting, which is why it seems more like a “hot or not” game than a site for true love connections. Facebook profile photos of nearby singles appear randomly; users respond with an easy “like” or “nope” with the swipe of their fingers. When both people like what they see, a connection is made. Then you can "flirt" via the in-app messenger.
6. Carrot Dating
A little bribery can go a long way (for some people). Carrot Dating doesn’t want its users to settle for their second choice. Instead, it encourages them to score the date with – not wits or smarts – but gifts.
7. How About We
On this site, unique date ideas attract potential matches. Post an idea to the site (Gelato-making class? Wine tasting? Wendy’s and Anchorman 2?) and interested parties will raise their hands. Couples who’ve locked down a serious relationship can join the $10 per month couples section of the site, which offers date night deals by city.
8. At the Pool
Sometimes called the “anti-Facebook,” this app encourages people to get offline and go out in the real world. Post an update like “Who wants to go surfing this afternoon?” and like-minded individuals nearby can opt to join in on the fun.
9. Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel sends one potential friend-of-a-friend match to your inbox every day at noon. The “bagel” is based on specific profile information and preferences, such as religion, height and personal details. Matches who mutually like each other can begin the conversation via text.
10. Zoosk
It’s gonna cost about $30 a month to move forward with a match, but Zoosk “learns as you click” in order to constantly deliver relevant matches. It also lets users hook up Last.fm and Netflix accounts, which is a unique way for singles to display personality and tastes.
11. Grindr
This all-male dating app matches guys with nearby singles, similar to Tinder, with only a photo and a brief profile. Grindr calculates exactly how many feet away your next potential match is. The ultimate goal – if you’re both interested – is to end up zero feet away. Straight? Try their other location-based love app Blendr.
12. ihookup
Those interested in putting passion first can find a match based on sexual chemistry, with ihookup. Don’t expect to find a long-term relationship here, though – shocking, I know. This site is for singles who are ready to mingle but not ready to commit. And they’re not sorry about it.
13. OkCupid
It’s free, which is probably why OkCupid remains pretty high on the popularity list of traditional dating websites. Lengthy profiles and questionnaires make this one of the more thorough options of late, which means more potential for some serious matches – or some serious liars.
14. Are You Interested?ayi,com
Here’s another friends-of-friends dating site that finds matches through Facebook. That means users can easily do some recon before agreeing to a date. Users can also search by shared friends or interests, then connect via a live instant messenger chat.
15. Match.com
Match.com claims it's lead to more relationships and marriages than any other dating site out there, which is probably true since it’s been around since 1995. Creating a profile, browsing singles and finding matches is free, but you’ll need to pony up a membership fee of about $35 per month to enjoy all the benefits, like emailing members.
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