Jeb Bush Supports New Plan to Drill 125 Miles

[cal04]

Jeb Bush Supports New Plan to Drill 125 Miles off Florida's Shores

Oil and natural gas drilling would be allowed 125 miles off Florida's shores under a proposal Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed after it was released Monday in Washington, D.C. The measure offered by U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., would put the 125-mile buffer into federal law in exchange for opening new areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico now off-limits to drilling under congressional and presidential moratoriums.

At Bush's direction, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen Castille negotiated the deal with Pombo to give Florida's beaches long-term protection. The moratoriums are scheduled to expire in 2007 and 2012. "Florida will be able to prevent future oil and gas drilling near its shores in perpetuity," Castille wrote in a memo to Bush that was released by her office.

Castille later said that Bush enthusiastically endorsed the proposal after returning for a trip to South Florida where he inspected damage caused by Hurricane Wilma. She said the governor wanted to make sure Florida's shores are protected because fuel shortages and price increases after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had increased momentum for offshore drilling in Congress. "Many states are looking at us and saying "It's just not fair that Florida, you use all that fuel and you're not willing to open up your waters to it,' " Castille said.

Bush had opposed an earlier Pombo-sponsored measure in part because it included a provision that immediately would have permitted natural gas drilling only nine miles from shore. Pombo removed that bill from further consideration after Bush and most of Florida's House members objected. Florida politicians for years have fought offshore drilling to protect estuaries and beaches critical to the state's ecology and tourism industry from pollution and spills. Both of Florida's U.S. senators, Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson, and the state's House Democrats are opposed to the Pombo plan, preferring to seek renewal of the more restrictive moratoriums. The state's Republican House members have been split.
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBNABZC7FE.html

[HockeyMom]

1. With all these HURRICANES??????

What do they want? $10 a gallon gas? $1,000 a month heating costs?

[Shakespeare]

2. 2 things-one, he can kiss all those panhandle GOP votes goodbye...

...if he goes through with this.

And 2, Pombo needs to be locked in a rubber room. The man is not fit to be part of human society.

[ebal]

3. Jeb can't run again

He's in his second term already, I don't think he's too worried about votes considering he can't be elected again.

[cascadiance]

6. Or he won't NEED to run again...

If Bush (through other actions) finds a way to let him stay in as governor in perpetuity later.

[Shakespeare]

7. I'm not talking about another gubernatorial run. n/t

[asjr]

4. Will they also have to drill 125 miles under the sea surface? The

God of the Sea might have something to say about that!

[BigYawn]

5. Whatever is needed to reduce my gas bill is ok by me

This $3 gallon gas is a huge hardship on my family. My wife,
my daughter and I need cars to get to work. Our gasoline budget
is thru the roof. If there is a way to drill for oil and not
harm the environment, I am for it. With the technology we have
today, I am sure there is a way to minimize any damage to environs.


And one more thing, windfall profits by the oil companies MUST BE
TAXED higher.

[Orrin_73]

8. Welcome to DU BigYawn

:hi:

[TiredOfLies]

9. there is plenty of oil,

we need refineries built out of hurricane and torrinado country. once they can refine faster than they can bring it in, start drilling.. but we're supposed to be looking for alternate fuels so we won't be in big oils grip, i gues like in the 70s, soon as the shortage is over and they have the price where they want it, it's business as usual

[Porcupine]

12. No, there is not plenty of oil!! That's why they put rigs in the Gulf!!!

If there was plenty of oil then they wouldn't go to the trouble of drilling for oil 125 miles out to sea. We wouldn't be fighting a war in Iraq either.

Go to the Peak Oil group read up and get a clue.

[Deja Q]

10. To the coral reefs out in that area:

:hi:

Been fun knowin' ya. :cry:

(you know they'll find a way...)

[niallmac]

11. 125 miles off shore. That's just about right.

That's the way the forests are "harvested." You never, never, never cut the trees by the road where motorists can see the ruin and then have to challenge their revery that everything is peachy. Kill all the brown people you want too. Just don't do it where we can see. In fact, if we can see, we will burn your ass for not paying social security taxes on your illegal house help.
Child labor and sweat shops are no problem either just keep it out of sight. We have our illusions to defend.