Americans Constitutional Rights Being Violated by US Government.

According to WIRED online the following is alarming!

The Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights watchdog has concluded that travelers along the nation’s borders may have their electronics seized and the contents of those devices examined for any reason whatsoever — all in the name of national security.

The DHS, which secures the nation’s border, in 2009 announced that it would conduct a “Civil Liberties Impact Assessment” of its suspicionless search-and-seizure policy pertaining to electronic devices “within 120 days.” More than three years later, the DHS office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties published a two-page executive summary of its findings.

“We also conclude that imposing a requirement that officers have reasonable suspicion in order to conduct a border search of an electronic device would be operationally harmful without concomitant civil rights/civil liberties benefits,” the executive summary said.

The memo highlights the friction between today’s reality that electronic devices have become virtual extensions of ourselves housing everything from e-mail to instant-message chats to photos and our papers and effects — juxtaposed against the government’s stated quest for national security.

The President George W. Bush administration first announced the suspicionless, electronics search rules in 2008. The President Barack Obama administration followed up with virtually the same rules a year later. Between 2008 and 2010, 6,500 persons had their electronic devices searched along the U.S. border, according to DHS data.

According to legal precedent, the Fourth Amendment — the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures — does not apply along the border. By the way, the government contends the Fourth-Amendment-Free Zone stretches 100 miles inland from the nation’s actual border.

Civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union suggest that “reasonable suspicion” should be the rule, at a minimum, despite that being a lower standard than required by the Fourth Amendment.

“There should be a reasonable, articulate reason why the search of our electronic devices could lead to evidence of a crime,” Catherine Crump, an ACLU staff attorney, said in a telephone interview. “That’s a low threshold.”

The DHS watchdog’s conclusion isn’t surprising, as the DHS is taking that position in litigation in which the ACLU is challenging the suspicionless, electronic-device searches and seizures along the nation’s borders. But that conclusion nevertheless is alarming considering it came from the DHS civil rights watchdog, which maintains its mission is “promoting respect for civil rights and civil liberties.”

“This is a civil liberties watchdog office. If it is doing its job property, it is supposed to objectively evaluate. It has the power to recommend safeguards to safeguard Americans’ rights,” Crump said. “The office has not done that and the public has the right to know why.”

Toward that goal, the ACLU on Friday filed a Freedom of Information Act request demanding to see the full report that the executive summary discusses.

Meantime, a lawsuit the ACLU brought on the issue concerns a New York man whose laptop was seized along the Canadian border in 2010 and returned 11 days later after his attorney complained.

At an Amtrak inspection point, Pascal Abidor showed his U.S. passport to a federal agent. He was ordered to move to the cafe car, where they removed his laptop from his luggage and “ordered Mr. Abidor to enter his password,” according to the lawsuit.

Agents asked him about pictures they found on his laptop, which included Hamas and Hezbollah rallies. He explained that he was earning a doctoral degree at a Canadian university on the topic of the modern history of Shiites in Lebanon.

He was handcuffed and then jailed for three hours while the authorities looked through his computer while numerous agents questioned him, according to the suit, which is pending in New York federal court.

50.927 +/- acres located in Live Oak County Texas. Approximately 5 minutes from George West. 

Property under a Wildlife Management Use Tax Valuation.

A 2012 manufactured Clayton  mobile Home (2 BR and 2 baths) will convey with sale of property.

SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Call Ranches PLUS to schedule a showing.

Buyer’s brokers must be identified on first contact and must accompany buying prospect on first showing to be allowed full fee participation. If this condition is not met, fee participation will be at sole discretion of Ranches PLUS, Gregg Collum, broker.

All Buyers, Brokers and Sales Associates will be required to sign a Waiver of Liability Form BEFORE seeing the property.

* = All acreage and square footage information was obtained from Live Oak County Appraisal District 2012 tax roles.

GOTO - www.50AcresLiveOakCountyTexas.com

]]> http://ranchesplus.com/250k-500k/50-acres-for-sale-in-live-oak-county-texas.htm/feed 0 http://ranchesplus.com/oil-natural-gas/why-consider-investing-in-texas.htm http://ranchesplus.com/oil-natural-gas/why-consider-investing-in-texas.htm#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 12:02:49 +0000 Gregg http://ranchesplus.com/?p=2293 Read More]]>  CAN YOU SAY JOB CREATION?

You’ve heard the saying everything is bigger in Texas — yep -Thank God for oil and gas! 

Pump Jack Near Falls City Texas

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted a 2011 study and found that the Eagle Ford shale generated 19,400 full time and ancillary jobs tied to area workers for a total salary payout of $833 million dollars.

Still not convinced? Major oil and gas field services companies are investing heavily in the marketplace and creating many jobs.

• Baker Hughes – investing $30 million, creating 385 jobs
• Weatherford – investing $17.5 million, creating 120 jobs
• Halliburton – investing $79 – $90 million, creating 1,400 jobs
• Clearwater International – investing $19 million, creating 50 jobs
• Schlumberger – investing $30 million, creating 200 jobs (agreement in process)

Major players continue to invest in the Eagle Ford. Companies like Apache, Anadarko

Petroleum, Petrohawk Energy, EOG Resources, Pioneer, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobile, Murphy Oil, Cabot, Marathon, Chesapeake to name a few.

One out of every five jobs in the United States was created in Texas and the best city for economic performance was San Antonio in 2011 according to the Milken Institute.

The takeaway – what’s in it for you? Consider becoming part of what I equate to a “California Gold Rush” but instead it is an oil and gas rush!

Want to invest in the Eagle Ford? Contact Gregg Collum at 210.559.1675.

This parcel is located in the Post Oak Savannah ecological region of the state.

 It is located South of Hallettsville off of Highway 77 and is 3 miles North of the intersection of Highway 111 and Highway 77 near Hope Texas. The property gate is on the West side of Highway 77.

There is a public airport FAA identifier 34R that is located approximately 3 miles south of Hallettsville. The airport is 10 miles north of the property gate on the east side of Highway 77.

This tract currently has an agricultural valuation and is being qualified by a grazing lease. As of the date of this writing Governor Perry has extended his drought emergency proclamation dated July 5, 2011 that states Lavaca County is drought stricken. This means that the potential buyer does not have to immediately place livestock on the land to continue to qualify it for appraisal purposes provided the intent of the buyer is to continue with some sort of agricultural qualifying activity including wildlife management use after the Governor officially declares that the drought has ended in Lavaca county.

At the time of the site visit, the habitat is recovering nicely due to the recent rains. There is a stock tank near the northern fenceline. The stocktank is being supplemented with ground water by means of a windmill. The tank is full and has growing aquatic vegetation and appears not ever having gone dry due to the drought.

There is electric power with a 200 amp connection on the property, an electric water well and a septic system are in place.

The property is a mixture of Live Oak and Blackjack Oak motts with scattered mesquite. 80% of the property is brush and 20% is open.

The property topography is relatively flat. Elevation at the gate is 169 feet MSL, the southern boundary “Supplejack Creek” is 149 feet MSL and at the western edge of the tract CR 424 is 150 feet MSL.

The property shape is similiar to the vertical stabilizer of an airplane with Supplejack Creek making up the southern boundary of this tract. The far west small section of the property is bordered by CR 424.

The most notable opportunity for this property is the potential for acquisition of the mineral estate. There were three natural gas wells drilled up to 3000 feet and gas was found in 3 zones. These wells are plugged and not producing as of this writing.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BUYERS:

a) The property will only be shown to QUALIFIED AND PRE APPROVED (FOR LOANS) BUYERS. Proof of pre-approval is required prior to any showing.

b) For cash buyers, a Letter from the buyers bank indicating that funds are available for the purchase of this property no less than $715,000.

c) All prospective buyers, brokers, Realtors and sales associates MUST sign a WAIVER OF LIABILTY FORM that will be provided by Ranches PLUS. Form MUST be received 48 hours before a scheduled showing.

** SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Buyer’s brokers must be identified on first contact and must accompany buying prospect on first showing to be allowed full fee participation. If this condition is not met, fee participation will be at sole discretion of Ranches PLUS, Gregg Collum, broker.

[Show as slideshow]

Texas Crops Progress and condition for 2012

The above FREE report is available in it’s entirety from Ranches PLUS.  Goto the bottom of the page to get it.

Texas cropland is still being sought after over and above recreational properties. Why?

According to a Wall Street article by Carolyn Cui: Agricultural prices have been rallying for several years now, but Jim Rogers thinks there’s still room to grow. The commodities investor said on Tuesday that he is still bullish on agriculture, calling it a great place for investors to be for the next two decades. Farmland has become a popular asset class among investors. By owning a piece of agricultural land, investors expect to see cash flows based on the proceeds.

A great article published in “Tierra Grande Journal of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University”  April 2012 issue validates the claims made in the Wall Street Journal article. In 2011, Texas land markets reflected continuing demand for secure investments through sustained price increases for cropland. Market pressures were especially strong in irrigated cropland markets, helping to stabilize overall price levels statewide.

Go here to download article: Tierra Grande Cropland Article Reprint April 2012

Need Cropland or Farmland? Contact me! 877.994.7344

Interested in the 2012 Texas Crop Report?  Please fill out the form below.

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Texas Drought Map

What does this mean to a Texas Landowner?

First one has to be aware of how land is assessed for property taxes. In the state of Texas when you buy rural land there are several property tax assessment valuations to look for.  One is the “ag exemption” not really an exemption but a tax valuation.  A property that uses “ag” as a valuation must qualify the land by using livestock or crops or hay production or wildlife management use. There are many more qualifying methods.

There are several components that make up your property taxes on rural property (provided the property has acreage associated with it). You’re taxed for any improvements (homes, roads etc.) and then the acreage will have a tax value for a particular agricultural use (i.e. livestock, haying and cropland, wildlife management use, etc.)

 The following information is contained in the Texas Property Tax Code.

§ 23.522 Temporary Cessation of Agricultural Use During Drought
Text of section effective Jan. 1, 2010

The eligibility of land for appraisal under this subchapter does not end because the land ceases to be devoted principally to agricultural use to the degree of intensity generally accepted in the area if:

(1) a drought declared by the governor creates an agricultural necessity to extend the normal time the land remains out of agricultural production; and

(2) the owner of the land intends that the use of the land in that manner and to that degree of intensity be resumed when the declared drought ceases.

Go here to see proclamation on Governor’s website:

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

I, RICK PERRY, Governor of the State of Texas, issued an Emergency Disaster Proclamation on July 5, 2011, certifying that exceptional drought conditions posed a threat of imminent disaster in specified counties in Texas.

WHEREAS, record high temperatures, preceded by significantly low rainfall, have resulted in declining reservoir and aquifer levels, threatening water supplies and delivery systems in many parts of the state; and

WHEREAS, these exceptional drought conditions have reached historic levels and continue to pose an imminent threat to public health, property and the economy; and

WHEREAS, this state of disaster includes the counties of AAndrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Bandera, Baylor, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collingsworth, Comal, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Fannin, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Frio, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Gray, Grayson, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hockley, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Jones, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lamb, Lee, Lipscomb, Llano, Lubbock, L5mn, Martin, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Midland, Mitchell, Montague, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Real, Roberts, Runnels, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Sherman, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Taylor, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, ‘Webb, ‘Wheeler, ‘Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wise, Yoakum, Zapata and Zavala.

THEREFORE, in accordance with the authority vested in me by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code, I do hereby renew the disaster proclamation and direct that all necessary measures, both public and private as authorized under Section 418.017 of the code, be implemented to meet that threat.

As provided in Section 418.016 of the code, all rules and regulations that may inhibit or prevent prompt response to this threat are suspended for the duration of the state of disaster.

In accordance with the statutory requirements, copies of this proclamation shall be filedwith the applicable authorities.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my Office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 5th day of October, 2012.

Eagle Ford Starts

(EIA) U.S. Energy Information Administration

New well starts in the Eagle Ford region in Texas increased 110% from January through March 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, according to reporting and analysis by BENTEK Energy LLC (Bentek).

Other key findings include:

• Operators started drilling (spudded) 856 new wells in January through March 2012 compared to 407 in January through March 2011

• In early April 2012, the Eagle Ford active rig count set a new high of 217 units.Increased drilling and rig deployment translated into higher crude oil and condensate production, which is projected to average over 500 thousand barrels per day (bbl/d) in April, up from 182 thousand bbl/d in April 2011.

• Current Eagle Ford area natural gas production is about two billion cubic feet per day. Horizontal wells accounted for nearly all of the new well starts so far in 2012.

Much of the drilling activity in the Eagle Ford is targeting both crude oil and wet natural gas resources.

Bentek estimates that in March 2012, Eagle Ford crude oil and lease condensate production was approaching crude oil production in the North Dakota part of the Bakken formation.

Eagle Ford Shale Play September Map

Eagle Ford Oil and Gas Shale Play in Texas is still HOT!

As of September 1, 2011 there have been 2,522 oil and gas wells issued permits.

Octobers post is centered around Karnes, Wilson and DeWitt counties.

Karnes County October Permit Approvals, Completions and Operators :

1. 38 oil and gas well permits were approved
2. 68 oil and gas wells were completed

Karnes County Operators:

1. BURLINGTON RESOURCES O & G CO LP
2. EOG RESOURCES, INC.
3. HAWTHORN ENERGY PARTNERS, LLC
4. HILCORP ENERGY COMPANY
5. MURPHY EXPL. & PROD. CO. – USA
6. PIONEER NATURAL RES. USA, INC.
7. PLAINS EXPLORATION & PROD. CO.
8. RILEY EXPLORATION, LLC
9. PALOMA RESOURCES, LLC 
10. BLACKBRUSH O & G, INC. 

Wilson County October Permit Approvals, Completions and Operators :

1. 5 oil and gas well permits were approved
2. 7 oil wells were completed

Wilson County Operators:

1. EOG RESOURCES, INC.
2. HAWTHORN ENERGY PARTNERS, LLC
3. DENALI OIL & GAS MANAGEMENT, LLC
4. HUNT OIL COMPANY
5. TIDAL PETROLEUM, INC.
6. FOREST OIL CORPORATION
7. FIRST ROCK, INC.
8. MARATHON OIL COMPANY

DeWitt County October Permit Approvals, Completions and Operators :

1. 37 oil and gas well permits were approved
2. 45 oil  and gas wells were completed

DeWitt County Operators: 

1. ENDURING RESOURCES, LLC
2. BURLINGTON RESOURCES O & G CO LP
3. GEOSOUTHERN ENERGY CORPORATION
4. PIONEER NATURAL RES. USA, INC.
5. HILCORP ENERGY COMPANY
6. PETROHAWK OPERATING COMPANY
7. ROSETTA RESOURCES OPERATING LP
8. TALISMAN ENERGY USA INC
 

Gregg & Marilyn Collum -2011

Meet the lady of my life. Marilyn Collum. We have been married 28 years –WOW. Did you read that 28 YEARS. I never whoulda thought that I’d be with any women this long.

But you know what is said “marriages are made in Heaven BUT work on Earth”. 

Gregg & Marilyn Collum - 1983

Marilyn and I got married at Brooks Air Force base Sept 24, 1983.  The 1983 picture you see is us getting into my 1977 Corvette. Marilyn wore the same dress her mother wore when she got married.

We are entrepreneurs and definitely not quitters. She has been an encourager and motivator for all these years and I am proud to know her and be married to her!! She IS the wind under my wings!

The guy behind the camera is Ed Rincon of the Ed and Mary Rincon team.

Ed “Eddie” as I know him were stationed at Brooks Air Force Base together BEFORE we both got married. He and I partied together and even raced in the Texas Water Safari. 

 The Collum’s and Rincons had dinner at Texas de Brazil a fantastic Brazilian BBQ buffet place in San Antonio (Texasdebrazil.com) and well worth the price too! Eddie reminded me that he came to our wedding at the end of it. He said he came after he and Mary got married. 

As a side note Eddie and I lost touch for almost 25 years. When Marilyn and I moved back to San Antonio, I was leaving Altex computers 2 years ago and there “Eddie” was standing out in the parking lot. We immediately recognized each other and have stayed in touch ever since that time. He and Mary are great people with HUGE hearts!

Welder working on pipeline

Incredible! Pipeline companies suing Texas landowners for access to their land. Who’d a thunk it?

I know there are obstinate landowners, my way or the highway and frankly if you are a landowner it should be your right to dictate terms to a pipeline company — maybe?

What if there are landowners that don’t have production but a pipeline must cross their property? Do they have a say in the matter?

I have spoken to landowners in the Karnes County area that don’t have production but a pipeline must cross their property. In many cases I have found that the pipeline companies were accommodating to the landowner. One landowner I spoke to has a large tract and instead of the company laying pipeline that would be bisecting the land down the middle decided to lay extra pipeline to run the property boundaries as to not destroy the potential resale value of the land for the landowner. Sure it costs the company more, but the company was respectful of the landowners wishes.

Who determine’s how a pipeline is to be routed, the landowner or pipeline company? Answer: the route is determined by the pipeline operator. The Railroad Commission has no authority to determine the route a pipeline takes (see my article HERE). The pipelines’ determination of the “necessity for acquiring certain property is conclusive”. See Valero Eastex Pipeline Co. v. Jarvis, 900 S.W.2d 852, 856 (Tex. App. – Tyler 1999, petition. denied)

There has been a rash of lawsuits in four Southern Texas counties. In 2011, pipeline companies has filed 184 lawuits as compared to 28 in 2010 according to an article written by Daniel Gilbert for the Wall Street Journal dated August 19,2011.

Why the rush? Senate Bill 18 goes into effect September 1, 2011. (For a full detailed analysis REGISTER BELOW  to get my FREE E-Book)

The reason for all the suits is that Senate Bill 18 tightened up the requirements for the condemnor and requires an entity to submit a letter to the comptroller of public accounts identifying each provision of law that grants the authority to exercise eminent domain on a particular property by Dec. 31, 2012. To acquire a property, an authorized entity would have to make a bon afide offer to the owner, meaning it would have to make an initial written offer, a final offer and include a written appraisal of the value of the property.

That brings up the following questions:

• Can private pipeline companies take your land?

Unfortunately YES!

Common Carriers and Gas Utilities in Texas have the statutory right of eminent domain pursuant to the Texas Utilities Code Section 181.004; “A gas or electric corporation has the right and power to enter on, condemn, and appropriate the land, right-of-way, easement, or other property of any person or corporation.”

Other areas of interest regarding the taking of your land are found in these sections:

1. Texas Government Code Section 1, Chapter 2206  (For a full detailed analysis REGISTER BELOW to get my FREE E-Book)
2. Texas Natural Resources Code Section 111.000  (For a full detailed analysis REGISTER BELOW to get my FREE E-Book)

Do you know your rights under Texas law concerning condemnation? (For a full compilation of what you need to arm and protect yourself, REGISTER BELOW to get my FREE E-Book givng your the information needed to protect your rights!)

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