Austin Lobbyist attacks Laredo!

Pescadito dump Austin lobbyist Glenn Shankle levels personal attacks at May 1TCEQ public meeting.

At the May 1 public meeting at TAMIU, an Austin lobbyist attacked one of Laredo’s elected representatives.

In the first few minutes of the TCEQ meeting, Glenn Shankle, an Austin-based lobbyist for the Pescadito toxic waste landfill, launched shocking, unprovoked and personal attacks on State Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo).

Lobbyist Shankle implied that state legislators shouldn’t be allowed to participate in state agency meetings, shouldn’t listen to area residents, shouldn’t care about toxic landfills importing medical and power plant waste from Mexico, or putting toxic waste inside of a Webb County floodplain.

Lobbyist Glenn Shankle is famous for approving a nuclear waste dump – over the objections of highly educated and experienced TCEQ experts – when he was TCEQ executive director, then quitting to go work for the dump. Shankle’s sleazy behavior prompted three TCEQ officials to resign. “Even the Mafia was more circumspect,” one former TCEQ official said of Shankle’s move from regulator to waste dump lobbyist. https://www.texasobserver.org/even-mafia-circumspect/

Senator Zaffirini was too polite to respond to the lobbyist attacks. She demonstrated the poise and leadership we’ve come to expect and stayed at the public meeting until it concluded at 11pm and visited with concerned residents afterwards.

Shankle’s personal attacks are more offensive considering that Sen. Zaffirini actually requested the public meeting to inform and engage area residents, and she opened the hearing by asking all sides to be civil and respectful.

Do toxic landfills lead to toxic language and toxic and false political attacks? Mr. Shankle’s personal attacks on our Senator – and legislative oversight generally – show the true character of those involved in the toxic Pescadito floodplain landfill.

Toxic and wrong.