So says a power-point presentation called "Show Me the Money" that was sent to Wyoming state legislators this past January by Karen Kennedy, an oil and gas producer based in Gillette. The presentation, compiled by Ron Arnold, the executive vice president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and a pioneer of the Wise Use Movement, would be amusing if it weren’t so disturbing in what it says about the mentality of the oil and gas industry.

"This is an outrageous piece of propaganda," says Stephanie Kessler, former WOC executive director and now a public policy consultant. "It is far more condemning about the people who put it out than anything it says about the conservation community in Wyoming."

In "Show Me the Money," WOC is portrayed as an example of all that is evil with the environmental movement. Arnold says WOC is an organization focused on money and power and controlled by out-of-state special interests and wealthy foundations. He claims that "two of WOC’s three trustees are from out of state,"(Note: all of WOC’s eleven board members are Wyoming residents) and lists every foundation that has given money to WOC, along with the state where that foundation is based. Ironically, the photographs he uses to illustrate these kind of statements—photos such as one of WOC staff in t-shirts and shorts proudly showing off the new solar panels on their humble office in Lander —seems to contradict his assertion that WOC is a rich and powerful organization, but that nuance is obviously lost on Arnold.

He shows a photograph of Dan Heilig and says: "This is Executive Director Dan Heilig. He’s a lawyer. He gets a salary of $43,541 and benefits of $2,096 to put you out of business." The numbers are wrong, Dan does a little better than that, but even if they were correct, you’d think most people would laugh at the measly amount of money he makes with his law degree. NPR recently reported that bus drivers in Minneapolis/St. Paul make $45,000 after five years on the job. Dan has been at WOC for almost 13. He’s hardly getting rich as a result of his dedication.

"I think it’s funny they think Dan getting paid $43,000 is scary," Kessler says. "My response—‘Isn’t it amazing this highly qualified guy is getting paid so little, as a well-trained and obviously effective attorney? He’s certainly not doing this work to get rich! And by the way, what is the salary of the CEO of Anadarko (or Exxon or whatever...)’ Thank you for pointing out how self-sacrificing our staff are!’

The presentation flashes on a series of newspaper headlines obviously intended to alarm legislators. For example there’s a headline about the fact that WOC hired a "community organizer," that it issued a "citizen’s proposal," that it "protested oil and gas leasing near Yellowstone Park," and that it won a case where a coalbed methane project was "ruled illegal."

What’s wrong with organizing the community? Isn’t that what a democracy is about?! The same seems true for issuing a citizen’s proposal. And if a CBM project is illegal, isn’t that reason to block it? Aren’t our laws designed to protect our environment? And what about drilling near Yellowstone National Park? Public opinion surveys have shown that the majority of Wyoming residents do not want to see this happen, so it hardly seems as if WOC is out-of-line in protesting such action.

Arnold, with a kind-of conspiracy theory mentality, transforms foundation grants to environmental groups into a game of guilt, control, power, and outside influence that is fueled by anti-capitalist, anti-technology and anti-corporate motives. Nowhere does he acknowledge that maybe, somewhere, there is a kernel of truth in the missions of such groups to protect environmental qualities and wildlife. The presentation includes a slide of Arnold’s website where he quotes himself in summarizing the environmental movement: "The environmental movement is not what you think it is. It is not about the environment. It is about power."

For those of us involved with WOC it is somewhat amusing to consider the power and money we supposedly wield. "I haven’t laughed that hard since ‘Blazing Saddles’," Dan Heilig said after reading about his money-grubbing vocation."On the other hand, I also smiled with satisfaction as this major offensive against us shows we’re having a real effect in the battle for Wyoming’s future." But the impact of such propaganda on state legislators is more concerning. Do they believe it? Who knows. In Wyoming, some of them just might.

Check out Ron Arnold’s website.

Contact WOC if you would like a copy of the power-point presentation.